THE BEAST That was, & is not, & yet is, looked upon: OR, The Bo-peeping Beast POINTED AT: OR, He that hideth himself hunted, because of whom Truth complaineth, and is spoken to by Pope and Prelate, by Presbyter, by Independent, by Quaker, by Baptist: TOGETHER With her several Answers to them all.  
ALSO One DESCRIPTION of the BEAST.  
ALSO The coming forth and progress of the BEAST hitherto.  
ALSO An Epistle to Magistrates and Lawgivers, likewise, to take off Prejudice if any be.  
Two Epistles, one to the Reader, and another to the Christian Reader.  
WITH A true Reproof to W. S. a Quaker, who in his Book called The Lying Spirit in the Mouth of the False Prophet, wherein he endeavours to make Men believe that he had answered H. H. his Book, called The Doctrine of the Light within the Natural Man leading to Eternal Life, examined by Scripture-Light.  
London: Printed for Daniel White, at the seven Stars in Paul's Churchyard. 1659.   

Truth speaketh.  
I Have been despised & banished from one place to another in the world, ever since Adam entertained a lie for self-exaltation sake, and so fell from me his covering, unto Fig-leaves, and brought his posterity under Excuses and May-bees for their souls food and comfort; so that a Tabernacle hath been ever since more proper for me then a settled condition.  
When the true One, the sent One was upon the earth under scorn and sufferings, he did exalt me, and gave Apostles and Prophets for Master-builders of me upon the chief Cornerstone, viz. Himself, his Death, his Burial, Resurrection, Ascension, sending down his Spirit, which formerly inspired Scripture-Writers and Believers to join his in one Spirit, by which he is present in the heart by faith, keeping life eternal in them, and hiding it in God for them, Col. 3.3. He, I say, and his Apostles, left my Testimony in Scripture-writ, under a terrible charge that none should add to it, nor take from it.  
But as Christ and his Apostles did, so to this day all that will have me without mixture of man's inventions, must be sure to suffer; for whosoever will closely walk in my ways, he shall lose friend after friend, as he attaineth to more and knowledge of me: if he be a way faring man, and follow his knowledge hearty and sincerely, the harder he presseth after the mark, Phil. 3.14. the more he increaseth in knowledge, to the loss of all or most of his friends whom he dearly loveth, to the rending of his soul; so that he who increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow, Eccles. 1.18. Yet notwithstanding, this sorrow could not stop the love of Christ in the hearts of multitudes from keeping his commandments for some hundreds of years together after his Ascension, Joh. 14.15. though few or none now dare look at me, because there is so many of mine enemies that have put upon themselves a dead image of me under forms of godliness.  
And also another sort of mine enemies have received the spirit of Satan as an Angel of Light, to cry down forms of Godliness with; so that I cannot appear beautiful in form and power jointly, as I did in the time of Christ and his Apostles, and for hundreds of years after: The one of these sorts being offended at my life, because they think to enjoy me coldly, carelessly, easily, only in form; and when that is obtained, they think they may sleep under the covering of May-be, and other excuses, without disturbance of self-exaltation or lusts.  
The other, exalting a spirit of deceit to the outing of all, yea the very form of godliness, in which the distinct order and commands are, That Christ and his Apostles taught, practised and recorded in holy writ for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come, 1 Cor. 10.11. that there may be As it is written, to reprove sin and Satan with, and all reprovable spirits and things with, to comfort the distressed with, to reprove ruleless walkers with. This form and record being cried down, this spirit of deceit may rule without examination or reproof; and whatsoever he dictates in the children of disobedience (for disobedience is a denying of God's order) he may call it the moving of God's spirit.  
At the first, (before the depths of Satan was known) there was no other grief upon the sincere ones for Christ's sake, but the world's sore persecution; but now this is the world's woe, they can no sooner look towards me for conversion, but one of the two foresaid stumbling-blocks or offences puts themselves in the way, Mat. 18.7.  

Now followeth the speech that may be aptly spoken by Pope or Prelate.  
Truth, I hope you will not out me of my honourable order that hath continued about thirteen hundred years, and hath been settled by the approbation of so many learned and reverend Bishops and Doctors, who have gone on to choose an universal Bishop as Christ's Vicegerent, resembling the high Priest under the Law, and being Peter's successor, and have settled an attendance of eminent Cardinals that are all Princes, and are able by Authority of our holy Father to control Kings and Kingdoms. That hath converted divers Counsels, and in every Counsel hath brought forth some holy Law or Ceremony, or more that maketh for the honour of the Church, and fast binding her together in strength and riches, so that now she is become greater and stronger than any Prince, yea, than all the Princes in this part of the world called Christendom.  
And she hath invented such Inquisitions, Racks, Fires, Tortures, etc. and hath so absolute a power, that both the greatness of Kingship and Nobility, and also the baseness of Whores and Harlots, and all lustful people; yea, the very Thiefs in Jail, and Bawds in Bridewell, have love to my Order; yea, and great reason they have, for I can (for money or love, if they be obedient to their Mother holy Church) grant pardons (that will quiet their consciences if they will believe me) of all their sins past, present and to come: so that (safely be it spoken) saving the honour of the Church, they have a petty licence to vaunting pride and youthful lusts, being but venial sins; and all this honour and greatness is the fruits of learning and study, which (as Mr. Baxter writeth) is very laborious 
* It is not the sweat of the brows that God appointed man to get his living by. .  
By my wisdom I have provided away for younger Brothers of Noblemen and Knights to creep under my wings for honour and greatness; therefore all the greatness in this part of the world, will hold me up, and help me to jerk any saucy fellow that shall hold an Argument (though never so true) against me; yea, and if we were cruel (as I hope you will not say we are) I have made such provision of candour to lust, honour and greatness in me, that all the honour, strength and multitudes are at my command, to tear the limbs as with their talents, and to bill out the brains (as with my Peak) of all contradictors; insomuch, that none can open his eye to discover my vanity, but a Sword lieth on it. Zac. 11.17.  
I beseech you also take notice of the good I have done for this part of the world who are my Vassals: I have builded their Churches, and dedicated them to Christ, or one Saint or other, that they may be holy; I have divided their Lands into Parishes, settled Tithes upon them, left no means unthought out that may dignify or distinguish them, but have made all conveniences for ease, pleasure and safety that the wit of man can invent. Tell me now, am not I a better Master to mine, than Christ was to his? Who suffered his to be under cruel mockings, scorn, bonds, imprisonments, save asunder, tempt, being slain with swords, and wand'ring up and down in sheepskins and goatskins, Rom. 16.33. Heb. 11.37. And no marvel; for he had no Kingdom of this world as I have, 
But whilst thou lookest on the Sa●●s outward condition, thou feelest not his 〈◊〉 of ●…t, Prov. 1.10.  nor whereon to lay his head; he was never born to that honour and riches that I and mine are, for he was fain to make shift with a Manger at the time of his birth: though we arose from out of his Charts, Act. 20.30. we have attained to greater riches and intailments, and strong settlements in this world, than he, or any of his had or will have.  

Truth speaketh.  
Prelate, what I say to thee, I shall say to all thy issue, viz. If thou be not found in the Scriptures of truth, I cannot own thee; for than thou must be of man's invention of lies, and must be outed for ever having share of me; your Antiquity cannot maintain you, you are not older than the Epistle of Judas, vers. 4. who wrote of your old Ordination, and your coming in; neither can the approbation of Bishops and Doctors justify you, for Christ Jesus thanketh his Father that he hath hid these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them to babes. 'Tis not honourableness that will help you, for God will slain the pride of all grory, and bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth, Isa. 23.9.  
Whereas you plead your Councils, I cannot own them▪ for the Scripture of truth concludes them under a woe (Isai. 30.1.) for taking Counsel, and not by God's Spirit. One thing wherein your Councils are point-blank against the Scriptures of truth, is, A Bishop (the Scripture proveth) must be the Governor of a natural family consisting of wife and children, where the spirit of Government must be fruitful in governing his own house well, in these words, A Bishop must be blameless, the husband of one wife, etc. 1 Tim. 3.2. One that ruleth well, having his Children in subjection with all gravity; for if he know not how to rule his own, how shall he take care of the Church of God? Even so must their wives be grave, etc. vers. 4, 5. And in Titus, If any man be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, not accused of riot or unruly, etc.  
But your Councils are so shameless, that they give out their Must be against the Scriptures Must-be; for you say, That a Bishop must be unmarried, and so are all your Priests to be by your Councils Order: Therefore let all men look upon thee as one that vieth it with God himself; and indeed, if the Scripture had not spoken of a false-dealing shameless Clergy, Jer. 13.15. I should have more admired your impudence: your daughter Presbytery is not altogether so shameless, for she puts her May-be against the Scriptures Must-be; for she saith, A Bishop may be unmarried.  
And as for your fixing yourself in the joints of honour, riches, strength, cruelty, multitudes, etc. I must by the Scriptures of truth tell thee, That the stone, the tried stone, the precious cornerstone, when he shall lay judgement to the line, and righteousness to the plummet, the hail shall sweep away all your refuge of lies, than your contract with hell and death shall not stand, Isai. 28.16. viz. All this will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me. He that contracted with you, will then prove but a bad Paymaster.  
And as concerning the people that is with you in concord, this very thing is the curse that is upon them, viz. There shall be like people like priest, and both in love with lies: if sometimes the Nation that is called God's people were in this condition, it is easily believed that Rome and England may be so; It is said of them, The prophets prophesy falsely, the priests bear rule by their means, and my people love to have it so: but what will you do in the end thereof? These things considered, I have done with the Prelate.    

Now followeth the speech that may be aptly spokenly s●me of that Presbytery, that is the Prelate's Daughter.  
Truth, (it is a folly to lie before thee, though I may cousin the people with sophistical Arguments, my learning being very useful to me for that purpose) I have not shaken off my Mother's foundation, but have kept her Baptism, her sticking to man's Ordination to preach, though not wholly in her Order; for I tell you truly, herein lieth my pomp, my riches, my benefice, my parish-living that my Mother Prelate provided for me, and is the very Saddle upon which I ride the Beast, by the help of my brother Lawyer, (which Beast some have interpreted to be the great powers of the earth) for I know, the same spirit that caused the Hierarchies successors to ordain me, will cause them to maintain me, and all my honours and greatness; for indeed, I have all the Rulers and great ones power, (for few or none of the Rulers believe on poor Christ, and his poor despised people) and therefore I flatter them in their powdered locks and new fashions, 
Rom. 12. gives you no such warrant.  and their wives in their long trailing Gowns, naked Breasts, and spotted Faces; or if I flatter them not, I make my reproofs so soft and so thin as the Tiffany they wear. And for their filth of meat and vain talk, I smile at them, whilst I formally reprove them, and I call it not Gluttony and Drunkenness, neither do I charge it so strictly upon them to face them with bold reproofs, telling them, That for every idle word they must give an account at the day of judgement, as the poor silly followers of poor Christ do.  
Alas, poor souls! for their plain dealing, the world judgeeth them accursed, and turneth them out of doors; whereas I can be welcome to great persons, and we can call on another godly; lying, till we think we say truly: and both of us together fall upon the back of the poor silly followers of poor Christ; by which means it is no disgrace to me upon the earth, before the great ones, and the lustful ones, and the common people; though the foresaid poor people by plain proofs cut of Scripture make me naked.  
My Mothet Prelate hath provided for me an example, viz. to flee to the Authority of Fathers; which (though they will not clearly serve my turn) yet my Rhetoric and Learning, together with the help of my brother Lawyer, who is my Companion in Learning, and a good Orator both in Courts and Country, yea before Princes he will plead for me. The Scribes and Pharisees (viz. Priests and Lawyers) were ever Companions, and Enemies to Christ and his poor Flock. However, in these two particulars my Brother Lawyer and I differ; they (though as Learned as I) let down themselves to speak as plainly and homely as may be, that the Country Juries may understand them, and so do justice: But I, for maintaining my Live, Dignities, and esteem amongst men, am constrained to hid myself in the words of Art, and abstruse Phrases, as Divinity, and Habits of Grace, etc. that I may be as slippery as an Eel, when plain Country understanding would catch me, and have a hole to creep out when the plain simple wisdom and the truth of these Nazaerites hath enclosed me.  
The second thing wherein my Brother Lawyer and I differ. They may be in their callings, and Disciples of Christ, too, (provided they be not instruments of cruelty, but use honest Laws, honestly) as Joseph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus was, etc. but I (if I should be of the Sect of the Nazarites, every where spoken against) must lose both my Honour and Greatness, (what great men purchased by flattery) and by silence at their vanities, and all my fat Live: and let the World judge whether it were wisdom so to do. 
〈…〉   
And the truth is (though I be not altogether so honourable in name as my Mother, yet) I think myself stronger among Hypocrites, and self-seeking Professors; for by how much I am esteemed Godly, by so much those are esteemed ugly that cannot join with me. And upon this account I have more reason (in the eyes of all our Fraternity, that seek honour one of another) to persecute any saucy Jack, that upon pretence of Scripture-plainness is dare reprove us, or cast contempt upon our Rhetorical Tropes or figures, which are as silk Gowns to honour us, before an ignorant Multitude, especially if we can foi● out a little Latin, which (though this our learning, together with Man's Ordination, maketh us to stand to it, that we are to be preferred before Mechanics, and so are holier than they, Isa. 65.5. though we be a stink in God's Nose, and a fire that burneth a● the day) maketh us a sweet sent in the nose of an ignorant multitude; for because we are Learned, they think they may be hold to trust us, and so by this very means, they think they need not rave into what we say, as the Bereans did, but take all upon trust, and so are kept ignorant, and dwell at ease still. And now tell me, Truth, if thou canst approve of these things, I shall live bravely both here and hereafter.  

Truth speaketh.  
As I say to thy Mother Prelate, so I say to thee, Except thy Image or superscription be found in the Scriptures of Truth, thou art but of man's invention, which God hateth, Isa 66.3. and also the refuge of lies, which must be swept away: Thy Mother's name is MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS, AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE WHOLE EARTH, Rev. 17.1. It is notorious, that she beareth her name in her forehead; which proveth, 1. She is ashamed of nothing. 2. That every one may apparently behold her Abominations in her Forehead. And now let us see how like thy Mother thou art.  
1. Thou and thy Mother have all one baptism, which pass from one to another by the Proclamation of Princes, but not by God's word; which proveth you both to be of Man's Generation and Maintenance; whereas a Proclamation had power to make you both the Religious legitimate Children one of another: All thy Children were made thy Mothers, by Queen Mary's Proclamation; all thy Mother's Children were made thine, by King Edward's and Queen Elizabeth's Proclamations. The truth is, you are of such a Brood, and so near of Kin, that you cannot be converted one to another by preaching Faith, Repentance and Baptism, but being both of a nature, and depending both upon Man, a Proclamation can command the one to be a Christian Protestant upon the Papists Baptism, and the other to be a Christian Papist upon the Protestants Baptism.  
In your Infancy, when you were Cozened instead of Christened (as you call it) you were proclaimed Regenerate and born again, made a Child of God, and an Inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven, when you could neither understand Doctrine with your hearts, whereby Man believeth unto Righteousness; nor with your Mouths confess unto Salvation, Rom 10.10. for you could not speak to confess any thing. Is any of your Laws like the Law of God in this, which proclaimeth Faith comes by hearing? How shall they believe on whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a Preacher? The aforesaid brazenfaced Act standeth by thy Mother's Canon-Law, and all thy oldest Priests that took Degrees in the University, though godly in thy esteem) are sworn to observe all the Rights and Ceremonies of holy Church; which Canon Law intendeth the Church of Rome, then consider whose sworn servants thy priests are. And now consider (I pray thee) whether thou hast not a brow of Brass, in not being ashamed, though all the world (that are not Members with thee) behold thy Whoredoms, and thy Abominations written in thy forehead.  
Now out with thy Learning, thy Rhetorical Tropes and Figures; call for thy brother Lawyer, and all the power of the Magistrate, and all the lustful Multitude, that loveth to hear and believe lies (thou hast nothing else to feed them with, but what is mixed with lies: and indeed, Truth would be so bitter, that neither thou nor they could bear it, if you did not sweeten it, or rather fit it to your palate with lies) and see if they all can cover from reproof out of God's word, by the mouth of poor mechanic despised Christ, and his poor mechanic despised Apostles and Disciples.  
Also thou forcest thy maintenance by man's Law, from those that thou sowest no spiritual seed in their hearts: if there were spiritual things betwixt Priest and People, it would make such a product of love, that the Royal Law of Heaven, Christ's Church, Saints, Angels, Christ, and God the Father, as would procure the Priest's maintenance from their Converts, they need not go to man's Law to get it, if thou hadst some few Converts. Thou dost like him that soweth two or three Lands in a field only, and yet challengeth the whole field; though there be hundreds of Lands upon which none of thy seed is sown, and suest and undost thy poor neighbours if they will not yield thee their increase out of the whole field. Dost thou look for fruit when all thy seed is rotten under the Clods, and bringeth up none? Is not this thy Mother's name written on thy forehead? etc. Will the Scriptures own thee in this? Is it fit that thou shouldst reap that fruit by violence, that came not of thy seed?  
Again, did not Jeroboam carry all the ten Tribes from God's Worship to the calves at Dan and Bethel, only to save his honour, kingdom and standing? Doth not Edward, George and Richard, and all the godly Priests in England, know. That no Scripture-reproof can lie upon the Baptizer or Baptised, where Faith and Repentance is sincerely professed before the performance of that Ordinance? And also that there is never a word to say (in Scripture) for their Infant's Baptism but a May-be? Upon such an assurance they will not venture to buy twenty pounds worth of Land: And this their May-be is but imagined, and without all warrant of Scripture. Do they not now cast the Anchor of their Rhetoric and Learning into any Lie or May-be, to keep their Kingdom their Mother Prelate prepared for them by Pope and Councils, they having never a word of God to prove Gods Must-be or commandment for their practice? And doth not all their May bees arise from Popes, Councils and Fathers, whose beings would fall, their honour cease, and none would buy their wares any more, Rev. 18.11. compared with the last words of vers. 13. if they did not (Jereboam like) hold the People from the worship of God recorded in the Scriptures of Truth?  
Have they not procured the Armour of the Magistrates Power to protect them, that none may speak in their public places, nor speak to disturb them? Oh! what a Licence is here to tell lies without reproof, while they are going to, or coming from thence! but their own Learned Rhetorical, by man ordained Members; that are fast tied, not by Truth, but by the bonds of their own Live and greatness, having entertained that Temptation, which Christ refused, viz. all the Kingdoms of the world, and the glory thereof; therefore His Servants are not paid for His Work out of the world's common stock, of Honour, Greatness, and Live of a hundred, etc. a year; nor hath Christ's Servants the flock of Knights, Ladies and Gentles, in their silk Gowns trailing on the ground, to seek them for their good esteem, as thou hast, even as thy Mother Pope and Prelate hath, for their blessings: But Zion is an outcast in this world; This is Zion whom no man seeketh after, Jer. 30.7. It is the supposed knowledge of the learned Pharisees, together with the countenance of his brother, and the supposed ignorance of Christ's Flock; Doth any of the Pharisees or the Rulers (who are Lawyers) believe on him, but this people who know not the Law, and are accursed? Whilst thou art overcome with the aforesaid temptation, therein being an enemy to all Righteousness, in not ceasing to pervert the right ways of God, Act. 13.10. The very thing that becometh Christ, and all that he calleth us to fulfil, Mat. 3.15. which are plain Scripture-Precepts; and in setting thy May-bees in the room thereof. These things considered, I leave thee, Presbyter, to judge thyself by the 13 Chapter of Ezekiel.   

Presbyter may thus Reply.  
I strange at your reproof, being my name is recorded in the Scriptures, 1 Tim. 4.14. I confess that is a proper name, and a name fit for Disciples, made and baptised by Christ or His disciples. I judge thee not for the name thou bearest, but for thy Nature and Generation, as thou art Pope and Prelate's Daughter; those that are called by the foresaid name in c●pe●re, had the nature of the name▪ thy nature is of 〈◊〉 M●●●er, Mystery, Babylon the great, the Mother of Harlots, and abominations of the whole earth; my confederates are Warriors against the Lamb, the place where thou fittest i● Peoples, Multitudes, etc. the name aforesaid to thee is the sheep's clothing, that thy wolvish nature is covered with, Mat. 7.15. this nature of thine appeareth cruel, in that thou art a● enmity with thy Mother Prelate, and thy Mother with thee; like two Boars with their Tusks in each others sides, whilst both of you desire to lay God's Vineyard waste; like two wild Beast that are destroying one another, and all that com● 〈…〉 you: as if you did resemble the two paws of that B●ar, sacken of in the Scriptures of Truth, that had three ribs in her mouths Dan. ● 5. whose ribs they were, is not named intimating, that it mattered not to her whose sides she tore in pieces, so she might devour much flesh; the three ribs something resembling the triple damage that forceth men to great distress, 
〈…〉  this beast being resolved to tear ●ll in pieces, rather than to want her Prey.  
These sheep of Christ (whose clothing you have put on in that Name) look in their mouths, there is no tooth in their heads that can draw blood of their fellow creatures; their food is that which they can eat without hurting their fellow creatures: a beast, a horse and a sheep may feed in one 〈◊〉 u●e without hurting one another: Their shepherd did not teach them to persecute men for conformity ●●though they had to do with a false deceiving and deceived people, blind leaders of the blind, Mat. 15.14.) that differed from them, but directs them to let them alone; and when there was men casting out devils, and followed not them, forbidden them not, saith their shepherd, Luk. 9.5. Mar. 9.39. As it is against the nature of a sheep to run after a wolf to worry him, so it is against the nature of the Subjects of Christ's Kingdom, to run after Errors and Heresies with Fire, Sword Death, Prisons and Whips in their hand; there is no such tools in Christ's Kingdom; of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, Isa. 9.7. Here, here in this place, I say, is the food and joy of their souls! whilst this brood of Mystery Babylon have no soul-food or content, except they may have a whip and other tortures in their hand to drive their neighbours into conformity. Thus going about to build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity, Mic. 3.10. and the chief reason of this their violence, is, their heart is so fraught with pride and covetousness, that they cannot endure any Mordecal who will not give them honour, nor any piece of husbandry that will not yield them tenths or composition; and this maketh them (Human-like) to run to the Magistrate when they conceive themselves wronged in this case. Look to thyself, Presbytery, I may not own thee for the body of Christ, because thou art not recorded in the Scriptures of Truth.    

Now followeth the speech which some Independents, Grandchild to Pope and Prelate, and daughter to Presbyter, may aptly speak.  
I have called my mother Harlot, and have left her as such a one; though she be a well favoured-one, she is the destruction of all Nations and Families where she is, through her witchcrafts, Nahum 3.4. bewitching people upon a religions account, Gal. 3.1.  
I have none of her priests compelled maintenance, though some of us think ourselves happy for having a Levite to our Priest, viz. one of those the Clergy were wont to pray for, viz. the whole Tribe of Levi, by what name or title soever they were dignified or distinguished, Judg. 17.13. But because we would not be too far separated from our Mother, we love her a little; she may strengthen us, and we her; we would have a little of her worldly esteem: though the rude Multitude own us not, in time we may be as much honoured for Godliness as our Grandmother and Mother is, for their ability to prefer to settled honour and riches, and for their flattery, ease and lusts: but we doubt we have a little of our Mother's pride, and willingness to save our skins, therefore we will be modestly Godly; and that with so much wisdom as may keep as much of our mother's love, and our Mother's friends as we can: Also we have Pastors of our own choosing, and some of us have Pastors that have no Authority from man, nor descent from man's Authority; yet we have our Grandmother and our Mother's baptism, by virtue of the Pope's Decree, it was given to our Mother's Mother, and so we have that from Antiquity and Succession: If we should by denial of that, tear ourselves from our Ancient Worship, and deny the world's Baptism, and unchristian them all at once 
〈…〉 , we should lose (all at once) our relation and hopes of worldly promotion.  

Truth speaketh.  
To have a near Relation to me only in similitude, will not make thee in Union with me; to be almost a Christian (like Agrippa) is to be no Christian, Act. 26.28. To be almost in heaven, and go no further, is never to come there; there is many who undertake to counterfeit me, but there is no likeness in all things of me, but myself: but the Counterfeits are in something lame, or in something superfluous: I agree with all and every command of God in Scripture, and there is room for nothing else in me, but what Scripture will own.  
The Scriptures of Truth doth not clearly own you, the Scripture clearly owneth, that, upon believing, men and women ought to be, and were baptised, and walk together in Church-order; of this there is many witnesses throughout the new Testament, as Act. 8. and Act. 2, etc. but not one witness that unbaptized persons walked in Church order, or that Infants was commanded to be (or was) baptised: of the first there is certainty, neither thou, nor all the Learned Rabbis in the world can deny it; of the second there is but a May-be, and that from man's inventions.  
I charge you all, and all that reads this writing, as you fear God, to search the Scripture, and see if in this particular you can attain to a better proof than a May-be; if thou canst not, be ashamed, and repent, for I look at thee to have more shame in thee, then either thy Grandmother or thy Mother, and presume not above what is written: you need do no more than Scripture warranteth you, it hath enough in it (if observed in Letter and Spirit) to furnish the man of God throughly to perfection and all good works, 2 Tim. 3.17▪ then lay aside all your Ordinances that are grounded upon May-be, though the wisest men that ever were in the world invented them; O consider God will take Vengeance on inventions, though they be of Moses, Aaron and Samuel, Psal. 99.6. to vers. 8. Consider also that man's inventions diverteth him from his Uprightness, Eccles. 7.29.  
And whereas yond tell me of choosing Pastors yourselves, let me tell you, Pastors and Teachers are given by God, and not chosen by men; and except it be found in Scriptures of Truth, that man is directed to choose any such Officers, take heed lest thou erect an Idol of thine own invention in so doing, instead of following God's direction. God knoweth well thou canst nor choose as God chooseth, for man looketh at the outward appearance (viz. a man that delivereth well-composed words) but the Lord knoweth the heart; take heed lest those that thou hast chosen (building upon their choice) silence those Pastors which God hath given, and that are gifted by God: Thou art no more able to choose a Pastor for thyself, than a company of Schoolboys are to choose a wise, learned Master: therefore God no where in Scripture put the choice of Pastor into thy hands: I advise thee, take it not: It is true, that a company of men who have followed Christ in the Regeneration, in Faith, Repentance, Baptism, and (in the Form) have the Spirit and Life, have heard and learned of the Father, and have the Son revealed in them; even as the outward skin of the body, and the inwards, as Heart, Mind, Members, are all embodied, and presented to our Understanding in one Body, so Form and Power, living Faith, and Repentance, and prevailing Prayer, which makes us as Israel, viz a Prince prevailing with God; like as the Tree and Fruit, the Sap and the Rind, so God's Order and Life are not to be separated, but are one in another brought forth: The Form obeyed being the Creatures Duty, Life in the Form being Gods owning or acceptance in the Creature, like a golden Sceptre stretched forth by God, and like a seal of God, set upon the creatures heart, which maketh his heart merry, the joy of the Lord being his strength, Ephes 1.13. Eccles. 8.10. A company of such men (I say) that so have entrance into the Kingdom of God, viz. that have submitted to his Government, receiving the new birth of water and the Spirit in baptism, and all the following commands recorded in the written word (that great Charter being their Law, without mixture of man's inventions, and thereby owning Christ to be their Lord, and themselves to be inchartered Citizens, he ruling over them (not like those recorded in Luke 19.14. by the same Charter) have authority to choose two sorts of Officers for ordering of the outward man: but a Pastor is a higher thing, it is a gift of God, a heart-feeding gift, viz Bishops and Deacons, the one to keep the Church in order, the other to take care of the poors necessities to relieve them; whose bowels of tender-heartedness have appeared to their natural Relations; whose wisdom hath been fruitful in governing by love; these may be chosen by man's Election, if there be any that have the qualification the Scripture layeth down, not else; as in Tit. 1.6. If any be blameless. etc.  
There is no haste in choosing what God hath not marked out; If God hath not given thee men of such qualifications, as he approveth on, thou hadst better be without Governors longer, then to set up Antichrist in Christ's chair: In this sense, He that believeth maketh not haste, Isa. 28.16. viz. to act without his Guiders rule. The name of a Bishop hath the nature of his Office included into it, which is ruling and oversight; aptness to teach is but a qualification, that any other Member may have, in whom the Spirit of God doth or shall breathe, being a truth-evidencing, and forceable constraint, and cannot stay for leave of Election by man to utter itself, which indeed is a gift of God, or Pastoral Spirit; as Marriage is another qualification wherein the spirit of government must appear fruitful both in wife and children, and that from conjugal and natural love to the Yoke fellow, and procreated (in which affections Faith appeareth, and for want of them, infidelity, 1 Tim. 5 8.) so that children cannot be wanting to a Bishop, in whose government, the Royal Law (Love) of God's Church is resembled, Marriage being the Type of Christ and his Church; and it is certain that a bachelor, or one that hath no children, or one whose wife and children are not qualified according to the word, cannot be chosen, except man will set his May-be against Gods Must-be: And so I leave thee Independent, warning thee to take the counsel of Christ to the Angel of the Church of Laodicea, Rev. 3.17.    

A Speech that may be aptly spoken by these Quakers who hold forth a stupifying Spirit, denying plain Truth, and right Reason, under the Notion of a higher Mystery and Spirit then plain Scripture and right Reason will admit of; which plain Scripture they call Letter, and right Reason they call Flesh, in contempt; notwithstanding that the Spirit of God is promised to be poured into him that turneth at God's Reproof, Prov. 1.23. which Reproof convinceth Reason, or else man could not return: into Reason, among the rest of the Souls Members, the Spirit was poured, and is wrought upon to order Man's Affairs by Judgement, and doth receive wise Counsels, when the man of Understanding attaineth to them, Prov. 1.5.  
Truth, though we may not talk with thee, we are not capable to receive directions by any that is called by thy name, nor by the writings called Scriptures of Truth; for what directions soever we have from without, can be but man's teachings, and the natural man understandeth not the things of God; we are taught by the Light within, we are to stand in the will of God, and observe the movings and commands of his Spirit.  

Truth speaketh.  

* 〈…〉 resembling God's people 〈◊〉 great humility, Psal. 17. ●1.  As in the vision of Esdras, the eagle's heads slept until her Feathers had reigned, as in 2 Esd. 12 25. These are they that shall accomplish his wickedness, and finish his last end: even so in Babylon the great, the Mother of Harlots, and abominations of the whole earth, the heads, and subtlest, and strongest of her delusions she hath kept until her last end (which I hope is approaching) that thou who wouldst not receive the Truth in the love thereof, mightst not hear the reproof of thy walking in false forms any longer, in so much that thou couldst not deny, that if forms must be owned, thou must come out of them, and come into the form of godliness: Satan hath now cozened thee another way, and thy AS GOD, he hath persuaded thee that all forms must be cast off, and the Law of the Spirit of Life entertained.  
O cunning and subtle, (but false delusions) the words of the Prophets, and the Commandment of the Apostles were set in opposition formerly to lusts, 2 Pet. 3.1, 2. but never to the way of Righteousness by any but these last members of Babylon. Peter, in Chap. 2. 1. & 2. hath these words, And many shall follow their pernicious ways, by reason of whom the way of Truth shall be evil spoken of. Wherein we may perfectly see, that their ways and the ways of Truth, stands in flat opposition one to another. Also in the first verse it is testified, that to bring in these damnable heresies, is to deny the Lord that bought them: but he himself is so far from that opinion in verse 21. of the said Chapter, that he chargeth the way of Righteousness, and the holy commandments as the very Centre from which Apostates fall; so that you may behold clearly that it is not a Righteousness they are charged for falling from, for that is the secret issues which is betwixt God and the heart; but the way of Righteousness, which is visible to the understanding of Man.  
Many of their Leaders, whilst they were able to hold the Antichristian form, they were in the esteem of godly Priests, whose infants Baptism, and learned, specious Pastoral care, so much applauded by wise, sober, rich, silken-coated Professors, than (I say) not being able to resist the clear evidence that the true form of Godliness hath, because they did not love to be disquieted out of the woman Jezabels' bed, Rov. 2.22. where they lay in pleasure of imagined Godliness, amongst a company of wise, sober Professors, they were then so far from receiving the love of the truth, that they grew into disquietness of mind, and hatred of that form of Godliness that Christ and His Apostles, and their Disciples walked in for many years; even (till the time that Antichrist grew popular) in so high a measure Satan being ready with this Temptation) that they struck hands with this strong delusion, and so believed the lies thereof, 2 Thes. 2.11. that they cried down all forms, that they might be shut of (yea and avenged of) that form, the thoughts whereof so much troubled them: if they knew their own hearts, they would ingeniously confess this.  
Therefore, whosoever desireth further satisfaction in this matter, is referred to a Book that the Author hath written, called The Doctrine of the Light, within the natural man, leading to eternal Life, examined by Scripture Light.    

Baptist speaketh.  
The Spirit of God having instructed me by the Scripture, I fell into a course of reasoning, which (though Mystery Babylon cryeth down in this her last dispensation) being the very thing that Isaiah cryeth up, and reproveth the neglect of, Isa. 44. on this manner. There is no word for baptising Infants in Scripture, not no regular account from which that invention can arise; it is the very door that the god of this world makes all this part of the world called Christendom, of one supposed Faith by: leaving no man at liberty to choose his Religion, but maketh the instruments of his generation to be that which giveth him right to the Instruments of his Regeneration; and as for the new birth, he will have his to presume that from imagination; and all this to be done when the party supposed to be baptised could neither assent by understanding to what was done, nor descent by doing any thing but crying, which he would have done, if they had gone about to kill him, as to have christened him, as they call it. Also herein those err (that have schismed from Popery and Prelacy, but hold their baptism of Infants) saying, That Infants of godly Parents may be baptised; by which words, they acknowledge in effect that the fleshly copulation of godly Parents giveth right to the children of their natural Body to be instruments of Regeneration▪ so that it must needs follow that there is no need of conversion to make them Christians, who are Christians born by the natural flesh of their godly Parents, and so the god of this world who hath b●inded their eyes, maketh them esteem it a great privilege to have a perfect dead Act of his supposed Regeneration to be done by force upon their children; for they can have no means to know or guests that the Spirit is joined with water in their baptism, which is the Instrument or outward Act of their Regeneration.  
Consider how fast the poor Infant is locked to presumption, when they have either presumption or nothing for the Foundation of their Order, or rather Mystery Babylon's Order; the god of this world knew well that none could be admitted into the Kingdom of God, or government of the Gospel without Regeneration of water and the Spirit; and his business in Mystery Babylon is to bring man to invent a form in imitation of God, and so keep men, that when they come to be capable of believing, they should not look after Baptism or Regeneration of Water and the Spirit, John ●. 5.  
As Christ hath His Disciples made and baptised, so Babylon Mystery hath hers, supposed to be baptised too: and in this the man of sin exalteth himself above God, for God is merciful in forgiving sins, and receiving into grace and favour, upon Repentance, every penitent sinner; and therefore hath given Order to His Disciples, upon confession of Faith, and Repentance, to baptise; but this man of sin will make men believe that he hath more mercy than God by His word holds forth; for he receiveth all in Infancy, and needeth neither Faith nor Repentance in receiving his subjects: the Subjects of Christ's Kingdom have heart-pricking Truth to convince them, and bring them to Repentance; but Babylon's Members are so easily made, that they neither knew nor felt when it was done: And thus the way is broad and easy that leadeth to destruction.  
Also considering that the keeping of Christ's Commandments is a proof of our love to Christ, and that the receiving of the Spirit is an effect of obedience, Joh. 14.15, 16. and knowing that the written word is more surely to be taken heed to, than an Act of the Spirit in Transfiguration, though Christ Himself be present, 2 Pet 2.19. to the end; because Satan being a spirit can dissemble a spiritual Act, but his mouth is stopped, and he reproved with It is written. And further, knowing that Christ taught duty from the written word, and it to be believed and practised, rather than the words of one which should rise from the dead, Luk. 16.22. I stayed not for Revelation to teach me my duty; although I expect Revelation to convey unto us, and evidence in us Christ our life; but turned at Wisdom's reproof, expecting (after) obedience Wisdom's promise, Prov. 1.23. And now hating every false way, knowing, They that err from thy Statutes, their deceit is falsehood, Psal. 119.118. and esteeming thy Precepts concerning all things to be right, ver. 128. I cannot but say of Scripture record, Thy word is very pure, therefore my soul loveth it, verse 140. and upon this account I took the directions of that Scripture which Paul writeth by inspiration of the Spirit, 2 Cor. 6.17, 18. and proveth it by Isa. 52.11. viz. I came out from Babylon Mystery the great, her Daughter and Grandchild, and touched none of their precedent manners, Deut. 12.30. But I say, laying aside man's learned mists of darkness, and his precedent Examples, I took the Doctrine of Christ and His Apostles for my Foundation, and their Ensamples for following of Christ for my imitation, Ephes. 2.20.  

Truth speaketh.  
I tell thee Church of Christ, as thy name is the house of God, the Church of the living God, the Pillar and Ground of the truth, thou art not in thy order reprovable by Scriptures, 1 Tim. 3.15. And if any Enemy whatsoever undertake to reprove thee, and hath not Christ's weapon he fought Satan with, v●z. it is written, though he tell thee of standing in the Will of God, or being led by the Spirit, or of an inward Teacher, or of Light within, as if there were some secret thing that passed by peeping and muttering, which right Reason cannot be used about the understanding of, they are no better the▪ Wizards or Familiar Spirits; To the Law and to the Testimonies, if there they miss any thing (viz. in that they hold forth or teach) and speak not according to this word, though they talk of Light within, it is because there is no Light in them, Isa. 8.19, 20. and their light is darkness, Mat. 5.19. fear thou no such Enemies, but live in the nature of rejoicing, there meet thy God, there work Righteousness, Isa. 64.5. viz. That which Christ began and shown us, when he said, Thus it becometh Us, etc. Mat. 3.5. Take thou notice o● the continuance of God's ways, though the Enemy would tell thee they are ended: and so expect thy Salvation.  
And against the fear of those that would set a Spirit which teacheth not to obey Scriptures, and follow the examples of Christ and His Disciples in opposition to a Spirit that teacheth to live in obedience to Scriptures, and to follow the Examples aforesaid, Rom. 15.4. Comfort thyself by Faith in Scripture, and there with patience cast the Anchor of thy hope, Phil. ●. 4. Rejoice always, yea, again I say rejoice.  
And that thy rejoicing may not be in vain, take these Cautions.  
First, Take heed that thou miss not of a way within a way, if thou bless thyself in the high way, without the way which is called holy, Isa. 35.8. which holy way is recorded in Job 28.7, 8, 9, 10. Is the turning up all things by the roots, cutting forth rivers among the rocks, discovering every precious thing, binding the floods from overflowing, bringing forth hidden things to light. The high way being thy duty to walk in, the holy way being the laying of God's hand upon Christ thy Covenant, and doing all thy works for thee, Isa. 26.12. holding thee that thou canst not departed from him, and quickening the desires of thy soul, Psal. 18.17, 18. In all thy acts of obedience, thy Faith must be in the operation of God, Col. 2.12. through which our Duties are living Ordinances performed by two co-workers.  
Secondly, Take heed whilst you walk into the way of God, that your great business be to seek God, His Face, His strength evermore, Psal. 105.3, 4. where the Psalmist maketh this the ground of his joy; therefore (if you fail herein) your joy is groundless. In which search love kindleth more and more, as thou comest nearer God; so as the soul groweth sick of love, and cannot cease to press hard after God, Psal. 63.8. because it is upbeld by God's right hand, till thou know thyself to be set as a seal upon Christ's arm and his heart for ever, Cant. 8.6. and then also wilt thou follow on to know the Lord, Hos. 6.3.  
Thirdly, Take heed thou be not defiled in the way, Psal. 119.1. for it is less offence to bring a beastly Creature into a hogsty, or any filthy place, then to bring it into a Prince's presence-chamber, or a bed of love, where there ought to be nothing loathsome, but all to be lovely, and love provoking Objects: So is it less wickedness to have a mind and conscience defiled, in beastly profaneness, then to bring such a mind into the House of God, the Church of the living God, Tim. 1.15. That thy soul may be deeply engaged, take notice of the whole Order of persons and things wherein thy communion lies with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ, 1 Joh. 1.3, 4. The whole Order is the innumerable company of Angels, the General Assembly of the firstborn, that are written in heaven, unto God the judge of all, unto Jesus Christ the Mediator of the new Covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than the blood of Abel.  
In the first place consider, whether the Father and the Son can have communion with thy sins, thy worldly pleasures, or pursued honours? in a condition where right and strong and pure Objects of eternal love, forceth the heart to a strong purgation, 1 Joh. 3.3. No, no, all thy pleasures, honours, etc. must be thrust from thee, as a menstruous rag.  
Secondly, Consider, whether such company can delight to talk with thee of good bargains, the honour thou hast from great persons, the delicates wherewith thy feasts are furnished, and thy new fashions: No, no, I tell thee, the mind that can feed on these things, is too defiled for God's ways and can take no pleasure in Heavenly food; a pure mind is capable of remembrance of the commandments of Christ and his Apostles, 2 Pet. 3.2. of the enjoining the commanded loving kindness of God, which hath such warmth and power, that it maketh them become one new heart with this new wine, and God's Song with them in the right, when God useth their heart, their joy, and their and his own delight to sing his songs with, and their prayer with the God of their life, Psal. 42.8. As if it were said, God the life of his children's prayer is with them in their act of praying. They need not travel hundreds of miles to present (their Petitions on pilgrimage: the marrying of his body together, and the rejoicing over them, as a Bridegroom rejoiceth over his bride, Isa. 52.4.5. proves God's presence at their heart-working-life. Here, here, I say, is perfection, when God in a perfect way visiteth a perfect heart: the living man is as well able to lay aside his breathing, as these are able to forbear pressing on towards the mark, Phil. 3.14. or to follow after God, having no pattern but the Heavenly Father's perfection to imitate, Psal. 36.8. being under the laver of that Blood which was shed by this eternal Spirit, Heb. 9.14. Our perfection is in the life a working, it is yet perfecting holiness in the fear of God, 2 Cor. 7.1. and whilst we draw our natural breath, the blood of Christ in cleansing will do its work, the fear of God its work, and our Heavenly Father will stand for our Pattern, and our Christ will be our life, 1 Joh. 1.7.  
There is nothing but it may be yet a perfecting in us, only our purchase by the blood of Christ is perfectly paid, and in that sense it is finished, and our salvation undertaken: if either the Tempter were dead, or we ourselves stronger than Adam was in his innocency, or the evil day and hour of our temptation past, Gal. 6.1. we might speak of such a perfection as admitted of no imperfection; but whilst the Scripture is of use, let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall; and we may (as the case now standeth with us) with Paul speak of perfection and imperfection both in one Chapter, Phil. 3. If thou be'st undefiled in the way, thy soul will be in this frame: 1. Thou wilt not endure to see the least defilement in thyself, without loathsome apprehensions of thyself, and running to that fountain which is set open for sin and iniquity to wash in, Zech. 13.1. And 2. If undefiled in the way, thou wilt be always a running, and not carelessly sleeping, Heb. 12.1. but rather weeping with thy face thitherward, Jer. 50.5. either for joy, shame, desire, or all these; so strongly will thy heart be engaged to seek the Lord, Jer. 30.21.  
A fourth caution. Take heed that every one of you strive by watching, begging of God, beseeching one another to keep from among you Egyptian bondage; this ruling one over another with rigour, Exod. 1.13, 14. which might not be one brother over another in the time of the Law. Reason first, because that love which procured the shedding of Christ's blood, hath caused his poor Members to be set as a Seal on his heart and upon his arm, Cant. 8.6. and owned them for his people, Isa. 51.16. Therefore if thou hast Gods love shed abroad in thy heart to constrain thee, afford it them out of thy breast.  
A second Reason why we should not rule over our Brethren with rigour, is, we are, and so was Elias, subject to the like passions that any feeble, brother is, Jam. 5.17. and thou mayest come to be remoted, Gal. 5.1. and it is possible thy temptation may be this, that Satan may move thee to have low, contemptible, yea. (it may be) hateful thoughts of thy brother, and thou mayest have a Spirit of putting away, and covering violence with a cloak, Mal. 2.16. therefore take heed of this temptation.  
The third Reason, why not with rigour, etc. Because thou art not godly or Godlike in so doing: for he did not take thee at advantages when he might justly have cut thee off, but waiteth for thee that he may be gracious unto thee, and will wait upon all to that purpose, Isa. 30.11. He cut none off suddenly, in a few days or a week, etc. nor pressed thine offences to all advantages, that he might break thee off; he hath given contrary rules to that, to his Apostles and Disciples how to move towards their Brethren, Luke 17. the five first verses.  
Let my fifth caution therefore be, That for no supposed advantage sake, or fear of disadvantage to the truth, thou darest step from the Rule that Christ laid down, one jot; for if thou dost, it is a judging of the Lawmakers wisdom and foresight; as if he did not foresee and provide in his rule for all following effects.  
Secondly, It is an exalting of thine own wisdom, in that thou thinkest thou seest cause to be a ruler further than he hath left a rule to guide thee by.  
Thirdly, Thou mayest assay (in so doing) to prevent the fruit that God bringeth forth by contrary means. In this case how far might Abraham's imagination have fought against God's command? He might have said of Isaac, he was the son of the Promise; and the Promised seed is in his loins, etc. Amongst other Scriptures, I offer to thy consideration, Luk. 17. the 5. first for. where after the position laid down in the 2 first for. in the 3 following ver. he thus applieth, Take heed to yourselves (as if he should say, Here will be a dangerous temptation) If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; if he repent, forgive him; if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, and say, It repenteth me, thou shalt forgive him. Where note, that the offender's heart is not to be judged by the offended. God allows thee nothing but his tongue to judge of in this case; it may be his heart may more melt afterwards then at the first turning, by the offended's tenderness or other means: and the offended aught (from bare judgement) to forgive him, if he do it as his duty, observing Christ's rule; his heart may be opened with more love and tenderness to the Offender afterwards also, then at the first turn. However it is better to walk in self-denial in this case, and observe Christ's rule, then to satisfy thine own offended spirit; however, if thy brother's heart and tongue should not agree in his repentance, God hath not made thee a judge of evil thoughts, Jam. 2.4. And the Apostles answered, The Lord increase our faith: which answer proves they had great need of help to strengthen their faith to this purpose.  
A sixth Caution. Take heed of this Doctrine, That Saints do not serve God for salvation, but from the knowledge of salvation. This Doctrine not being rightly divided, hath been a stumbling block to many. Man since Adam's fall is corruptly so proud, that nothing but the top of excellency will serve his turn, and therefore to be as gods knowing good and evil, tickled his mind. You shall hardly find one in a society (men are in this point so heightened by the Tempter) that will acknowledge he cometh to God for salvation, though it be at the first hour of the receiving into society. Men under this temptation are not willing to begin to stand without till the good man of the House be risen up, Luk. 13.25. but all judge themselves finders from the self-flattering conceit, before they have enjoyed the Lord Christ by manifestation. Few will own that there may be a condition of darkness in one that feareth God, Isa. 50.10. They had rather in this temptation compass themselves about with sparks, ver. 11, as if all had right to baptism only upon that account that is recorded in Act. 10. viz. Who should forbid water that these should not be baptised, that have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And those that enquired, What shall we do to be saved? had no right, Act. 2. Though it be certain they received the Holy Ghost after Baptism, and also it is certain, that at the first the Disciples served Christ as servants, though after they were owned by Christ upon a more full account, Joh. 15.15. There was a time when Paul knew Christ after the flesh, which must needs be for self-ends, or good that might come to himself thereby; but after that, he knew neither man nor Christ any more after the flesh, but wholly having his spirit of love and delight exercised upon them, to rejoice in Christ, and to serve the creature, with the love of Christ shed abroad in his heart.  
I would that all who are in Church-fellowship, upon account of Faith and Repentance, and have not as yet attained to assurance, would (with understanding) own their condition, it would make them give all diligence to make their calling and Election sure, 2 Pet. 1.10. Therefore lest Members should split themselves upon this stumbling-block, show yourselves workmen that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth, 2 Tim. 2.15.  
Caution 7. Whereas Disputes hath been formerly, viz. about that time the Ranters and Quakers first sprung up; some holding it to be their Privilege (but not their Duty) to serve the Lord; I advise thee to abolish this Dispute from thy Societies, and from your particular spirits: for it is the greatest Privilege that can be, to have a heart united to fear God's Name, whilst they walk in God's truth, being instructed in His way, Psal. 86.11. Here is no liberty from Duty, to walk in God's ways and in his truth, and yet a heart united by God, and that to fear His Name; and from this very act is David set at liberty to praise God's Name, Psal. 86.12, 13.  
I demand whether it be not a Saints Privilege to have a heart enlarged by God, and yet it is then to run the way of God's Commandments, Psal. 119.32. viz. enlarged and set at liberty from the pit of corruption, Isa. 38. from the horrible pit, Psal. 40.1. to be bound to God's love and wisdom, who hath provided Commandments that he knows serveth to unite thy heart to God; he hath commanded nothing but righteous things, which are according to the Divine Nature, that thou art (or art to be) partaker of, 2 Pet 1.4. and thou art (or art to be) joined to God and one Spirit, that is to say, the breathe, love desire, delight of God is to be thine, and thy souls delight to breath in them, and thus thou art in union with God, in Christ Jesus; so that the same things are now commanded by the Law of the spirit of Life, Rom. 8.2. which was by the Law of Sin and Death, viz. it had been Sin and Death to thee, if thou hadst not done those Commandments which the Law of the Spirit of Life hath enabled thee to do; but they are a Law still, and now having a heart set at liberty, the Commandments which were before a burden, is now not made grievous by love: and if the love of God be a Saint's Privilege, it is nothing less than to bind us to our Duties; for this is the love of God, that we keep his Commandments, and His Commandments are not grievous to us, 1 Joh. 5.3. Lo, here is no freedom from Duty. Christ Jesus, who said, If the Son make you free, you are free indeed, Joh. 8.36. said also, If ye love me, keep my Commandments. Here you see that love bindeth the freest people in the world to their Duty of obedience, Joh 14.15.  
And when Christ proclaimed his yoke to be easy, and his burden light, He did not alter it from being a yoke and a burden, Mat. 11.30. but it is a sweet burden, when there is nothing save a constraining love upon thy heart; it is a sweet yoke when thou art fastened to Christ Jesus and his Saints, to tread one trace by love in keeping such Commandments, as that the things commanded Christ, and his Saints, and thou in the unity of spirit loveth, upon account of the Commanders love and wisdom, how can such Commandments be grievous? 1 Joh. 3.4. But if any should further still contend for liberty in this Case, let them know, that sin is the transgression of the Law, vers. 8. and whosoever committeth sin is of the Devil, 1 Joh. 2.4. and let all who think they know God (whilst they despise that which He and His Disciples commanded and practised) let them remember this word written in 1 Joh. 2.4. He that saith he knoweth God, and keepeth not His Commandments, is a Lyar.  
As from this opinion that was sometimes in the Church, (I desire it lurk not secretly there yet) the Ranters and Quakers sprung, so also do now those who are zealous in decking their bed of Love, which they (poor deceived ones!) under pretence of peace-offerings and reconcilement to God, in performing the very Vows of their souls, Prov. 7.14. seek to draw Proselytes in a bed of solace with love, being so enabled (as they think) and covered sufficiently, and beautified as with gifts and graces, vers. 16. that they can hid themselves and others from the reproof of Truth, whilst they are workers of iniquity; though they say they preach and cast out devils in Christ's Name, etc. He that knoweth their works will call them so, Mat. 7.22, 23.  
And also they have perfumed their bed with divers spices, Prov. 7.17. and it is too too true, they hold forth the likeness of some of those spices, but not all; that Jesus Christ in his Visitation of His Spouse, cometh perfumed unto His Spouse-Bed, Cant. 3.6, 7. and these in the good Man's absence will have other pleasures and lusts then to obey their Lord; they have contracted a hatred in His absence to his Rule and Government, and will not have it, Luk. 19.14. and thus these poor deceived ones will be cut off, for making a perfume and smelling to it, in other places then where God and his People meet, Exod. 30.35. to 38. which is in God's ways, while they rejoice in working Righteousness, Isa. 64.5. viz. in ruleful obedience, where love to Christ is proved by keeping his Commandments; and the love of God and Christ, together with their manifestation, is promised.  
These Libertines, tell them of walking in the ways that Christ and His Disciples walked in, and they will reply, If God let them see it, they will obey. May not Solomon's harlots say as well (when the good Man of the house is come home) who will instruct her? for that is Christ's practice with His Spouse, Psal. 32 8. she will forsake all her wooed Proselytes, and cease to heal, defend and cover them, and will no more counterfeit a perfume to persuade them that Christ's favour of his ointments is amongst them, but but will come to the good man, and walk with Him in obedience to His Commandments, and abide in His love, is He hath kept His Father's Commandments, and abides in His love, Joh 15.10. So that if it be truth (as surely it is) they refuse to obey; when the good Man of the house is come home, they must then see it, though they shut their eyes, and blame his absence for their disobedience, whose presence would let them see, and with this excuse fall fast asleep in the arms of him who rules in the children of disobedience; whilst he furnisheth them with all counterfeit evidences of good, as if God were in their hearts all this while, 2 Thes. 2.4. the words are these: So that he, AS GOD, sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.  
And the first evidence that he furnisheth them with may be this, viz. That Christ hath put His beauty upon them: for the beauty of Christ may be put on one, and that by Christ, and yet they play the harlot with it, Ezek 16.14. here is the work of the Prince of the air, in a disobedient heart, to find ways for Israel to disobey God, and give up a soul to Lust, and so play the harlot, even as if she were opening her heart or her legs, for Christ to take His pleasure in her, and she in Him.  
A second evidence of him who rules in the hearts of the children of disobedience, is, in the pleasure of the Plant which is but a strange slip; It must needs be a strange slip, if your ways be not those ways which Christ and His Disciples walked in, for three hundred years after Him: your ways must then be your own, and of your own choosing, and strange from Christ's, Isa. 36.34. viz. The teacher with pleasure to thee and himself, may plant in thy heart with thy consent, or with thy soul, a disobedient slip, strange to God's word, it being not there to be found; and for all thy delight, thy portion will be desperate sorrow in the end, Isa. 17.11, 12. here is a deceitful work of the ruler in the heart of the children of disobedience.  
3. He can make you lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord amongst us? no evil can come to us, Mic. 3.11. he can make thee bless thyself in the name of God, with confidence of freedom from evil.  
4. Whilst thou art asleep, he can furnish thee with a flattering spirit, that causeth thee to dream, and healeth thee in thy disobedience; and so in your preaching and hearing one another, you have nothing but healing and pleasure, and love to tell one to another in disobedience: whereas he who hath God's word, will preach it faithfully, Jer. 23.28. and for his pains shall be cast out of your Societies: so unwelcome is the thoughts of obedience (to Christ's Commandment) to those who dream they shall be saved without it: Although the true Saint be not only moved to obedience for salvation sake, but for love's sake; and thus by maintaining that which Christ neither taught nor practised in his worship, or at least, by gathering of what Christ taught, by pieces and snatches, and leaving the rest, viz. by taking that which will, and leaving that which will not serve the lusts of a proud Society, that thou mayest hold some union with them, thou fightest against the Lion of God, and at the best (in this thy dream) dost but think thou eatest; when Truth itself shall awake thee, and thou be convinced of thy disobedience, thou wilt find thyself hungry, Isa 29.7, 8.  
And if any strive to awake them out of this their dream, wherein they have neither Truth nor Reason for their practice, they will say, Let me alone with my Religion, and I will let you alone with yours. Whereas if they would not thus harden their hearts, but let Judgement come forth to Victory, what violent wrestling would there be in them? what ask and enquiring would their hearts be filled with? what weeping with their faces towards God and his ways would melt their souls? Jer. 50.5. and not ask (as now they do) with their hearts set against God's ways, to see if they can find any word (which if it do meet them) it must be by the spirit of delusion, misinterpreted, to defend them from obedience to God and his ways. Is it not just, that these should have strong delusions, that they may believe lies? 2 Thes 2.11. Will not this properly one day be said unto them, Bring forth the blind people that have eyes? Isa. 34.8.   

Therefore I advise all men to disclaim any thing in Religion, that judgement cannot give thee to understand and hold forth to others, (when though shalt be asked a Reason of the hope that is in thee) to be truth, though a Spirit should offer to teach it thee.  
The tongue cannot move beyond the ear, being both natural, & these can both be but ministers of the natural Understanding; pen and eye are servants to the same, and can show but utterable things: take but away the use of these under a pretence of a Spirits teaching, and the natural understanding and his servants are useless, and cannot glorify God, which was the end of their Creation.    
Written by H. H.   

THE DESCRIPTION OF THE BEAST.  
IT is to be premised, That the Whore and the Beast, and the false Prophet, being that they are all appertaining to one Babel, or Members one under or in another, all of one spirit, all of the refuge of lies, to which men flee from truth, and are to be swept away together, and all at agreement with Hell and Death, Isai. 28.15 to the 19 and all come to an end by one power, when the Whore shall be judged, and the Beast and the false Prophet cast alive into the lake that burneth with fire and Brimstone, Rev. 19.20.  
That this Description may the better appear, we are first to observe that this Beast is settled by the Dragon, who is the Devil and Satan, and that this settlement is his invisibility: he hath the subtlety of the old Serpent employed to hid him, that he might live. And  
First, Let us observe that he is like a Leopard, in which sense he is beautiful; and his beauty appeareth most to the mind and intellect, because the spirit of Satan, that is, his father, his Settler, yea, and his Life, is an applyer of himself to the soul, being an inward worker; for his deceiveableness of unrighteousness, is in them that perish, where he causeth delight and glory, and seeming happiness, to fill the mind; but consulteth with Truth and Righteousness.  
Secondly, His likeness is never seen nor understood in his tearing actions, but as if something else had done them, for than he useth a Bear's foot, and a Lion's mouth, Rev. 13. vers. 3.  
Thirdly, Consider that when the Scripture speaketh of his mouth being like a Lion, it doth not speak of the Members thereof, as tongue and teeth, (for his teeth hath another likeness where they are described, as in Daniel, they are called Iron teeth) but mouth, which includeth all the acting powers therein, whose invisibleness is set forth by the supremeness in dominion & strength that the Lion hath over all Beasts; and that this best resembleth the Lion most in his mouth, where his lordlyness, strength and victoriousness lieth in the month: in the mouth is first a preparing of food for the stomach, and the second, utterance of the voice: by the stomach, the minds satisfaction may be meant; and in this, his prosperity is great; for their eyes stand forth with fatness, they have more than their heart can wish, Psal. 73.7 to 11. Being that this Beast is the embodied power of Satan, whose name is Abaddon, we cannot think that his stomach can digest any thing but destruction and cruelty, and all hellish food; and, Satan-like, desiring the destruction of all men: and to this purpose this strong mouth worketh. Note that his strength in voice cannot be any thing else but Eloquence (which is the enticing words of man's wisdom, 2 Cor. 1, 17.19. 2 Pet. 1.26.) and Lies, which is the very strong way they prevail in, to the destruction of the people, Jer. 17.10. Zach. 10.2. (take heed Clergy that this word be not a witness against you) in this lieth great strength to keep his dark hidden settlement, viz. in Eloquence and Lies, of which he wants neither.  
Look about you, to see if you can see him when he is a working and present, but with Eloquence and Lies he will be hidden from you, for he is always hid in the present tense, that is to say, though he yet is, he is not, (which must needs be understood whilst he cannot be seen) but it is apparent enough he was, than men may see plainly what he hath done in the Preterperfectense, for he brings all his blind ones to had-I-wist. The words that are written in Rev. _____ was and yet is, being there is no Scripture that can show when this Beasts Creation was, or when he was not, can admit of no other sense, but the very plain words as it is written: the words is not, being a plain contradiction to the words yet is, for one of the twain must needs be a contradiction to the other, except expounded. Then [is not] is well understood to mean [is not visible,] being that he is always hid from seeming what he is, when he teareth, and destroyeth, and deceiveth, with his Bear's foot, and his Lion's mouth: for if he were known to be what he is, the very knowledge of him would take away his strength, for then neither Magistrates nor People would do his works: his appearings are several; one when the confession of Christ's Name caused him to rage to the destruction of the Confessors, when there was no division of Papists and Protestants, being hunted our there, the very opposing of the Papists Transubstantiation and other innovations, caused him to rage to the destruction of them that engaged against them, though both of them confessed the name of Christ; and then the Papist might have said unto the Protestant, Yea, if your sufferings had been for confessing Christ's Name, as the Primitive Martyrs were, than your sufferings had been right; and now here in England, being hunted thence by dayspring valiant Truth, he rageth against those that would have Christ's Baptism, and all His Gospel-Order, so that as Light breaketh forth, he followeth that, roaring with Lion's mouth, and tearing with Bear's foot all the children thereof, as Truth begetteth them, he being spirited by the same Satan or Adversary to Truth that was under the Law. So that a man may best know him by the bloody sides he hath torn the ribs out of, Dan. 7. and by his past acts of cruelty. When Mr. Love was present with his fellow Traitors, in the glory of a godly Clergyman, who would have thought that they had a heart, to the overthrow of many thousands, to raise War and Bloodshed, only to advance a Scotish Presbytery, which Beast had then a bloody face, but now it is hid again under a supposed learned Godliness? and how blind was poor England, that could not see it to be the cruelty of this Beast, when Pulpits provoked their Natives in her own Bowels, for Religion to murder one another? in which horrid drunkenness, Jer. 13.13. Isa. 23.33, 34. the (esteemed) godlyest men (because they were most believed) sent forth most men to this slaughter.  
Let us again look upon this Lion-like mouth, that can be stopped with nothing but the blood and flesh of the flock of the slaughter, Zach. 11.3, 4. where the howling of the shepherds, and the roaring of Lions are mentioned both together; where Israel's Clergy are reputed pitiless, slayers and fellers of the flock, and hold themselves not guilty, saying, Blessed be the Lord, for I am rich; (ah poor England! how dangerous are acts of cruelty amongst thy shepherds, when they are labourers for licence to destroy for Religion's sake?) this was the condition of poor Israel, who was sometimes as dear in God's sight as England, when it was at the best, Isa. 22.25. There is a conspiracy amongst her prophets, in the midst thereof, like a roaring Lion; they have devoured souls, they have taken the treasures of their precious things, they have made many widows in the midst thereof. We may also look upon our Clergy, how they band together, to get, if it were possible, such Parliament-men as might be as teeth in their heads, (Christ takes no such care to exalt His Gospel by worldly Magistrates) it is apparent that these Priests took no care how many widows they made, or of devouring souls; witness our Pulpit-war to maintain liberty for themselves to lead souls blindly, that were blind to destruction: but the precious things they will have, or else they will sue and distress him that dare not for conscience sake pay them for devouring souls, and many poor labouring men, and widows, and children, that are constrained to fit with bread and water pottage, whilst their labours and profits are required to feed them, and  them with the precious things of our Nation: Is this love and pity, the Law of Heaven, where the servants in the Gospel should live upon giving and receiving? no, no, it is the contending and distressing Law of hell rather: take heed (good People) of such shepherds, if you once come to have a glimpse of them, search and look farther, for if you delight in such, hear and observe, that he that loveth as well as he that maketh a lie, is without the City of Salvation, Rev. 22.15. Of the enmity of a Spirit something like this Beast, I found in the mouths of some of our Lincolnshire Clergy, who (though they had not forty shillings a year, according to the Statute of ) were swarming to choose the Knights of the Shire; I desire that any of the rest when Truth provoketh them, and will not be found to serve their turns, be of a better spirit; for these could better digest lying, then to be reproved for lying.  
About thirty years agone, when I was persecuted by the Bishops, wand'ring from my dwelling place, I came to Spalding, where I did remain a little time; where (being in the company of two or three Christians) I had occasion to look upon the 139 Psal. we being only talking together, I did read, I am wonderfully and fearfully mad, instead of I am wonderfully made, I not at all being preaching then, as the Liar did report: some that failed in their Duty of taking things in the best part, reported it; notwithstanding, at the same time I did correct myself, and own the true reading: and this report being gotten into the nest of the Clergy, and there hatched by hatred & scorn, brought forth this enlargement, that I should preach it as a Doctrine: But I know not what. It came to pass, at the choosing the Knights of the Shire, upon Jan. 10. a great company of Priests being got together in Lincoln Castle, I coming near where they were, one of them comes by me with a boy-like behaviour, and cryeth, I am wonderfully and fearfully mad: to which I said nothing, and he passed into the crowd of them; and another, either a Priest or one of their dear Berns, seeing the first did not provoke me to speak, accused me (by the name of this fellow) for preaching of that Doctrine; but what, I could not gather, his words were so confusedly uttered, only wonderfully and fearfully mad; for there is none of them agreeth in words what the Doctrine was; and so turned his back, to whom I answered, Art thou not ashamed to maintain the Priests lies, and then turn thy back, when thou hast spoken the words? but he turning his face and averting the same, the Synod of them turned to me with outfacing countenance, to whom I said, I stand here to maintain the Truth, against the whole Synod of you: And whereas I might expect something to be said that might make that which they said probably appear, first one of them, and then another of them cried, Hout him, Boys, hout him, all the rest standing silent, approving (for they did not reprove) what the two spoke. Also Mr. Wood Merchant of Boston told me, That one that he looked at to be a godly Minister, told him, That when some cried, a Hall, a Hall, I cried, a Halter, a Halter; which here by my pen and heart, in the presence of God, I deny, for I did not speak those words, nor any words to the contempt of Mr. Hall, nor had ever in my Life an offended thought at the man. Observe, if the supposed godly of them bend their tongue like a Bow for lies, Jer. 9.3. and the active men among them be so inclined to mutiny, as the Reader may judge how dangerous such words were, at such a time and place: Are they not like to be Members of the aforesaid Beast, and like that company of Priests aforesaid, that muther in the way by consent, (for these sought my undoing, either by Mr. Hall's hands, or the multitudes, and to slain my repute) according to the interpretation of Christ, Mat. 5.21. and also guilty of slander, Psal. 50.20. and making a man an offender for a word, Isa. 29.20, 21. and shall according to that word, be brought to nought, consumed and cut off, if they repent not.  
H. H.   

The coming forth, and Progress of the Beast hitherto.  

THe holy Scriptures foreseeing,  
Devourers for to grow.  
Amongst & out of church of Christ, 
a Eph. 2.2 12 Acts 20.30   
Doth truly style such so.  
As Lion, Boar and Wolf,  
And dumb and greedy dogs,  
That selfness, honours, beastlike wealth,  
Doth wallow in like hogs  
In mire, yet still filled with fears,  
Their only loved prey,  
By strength of dayspring valiant truth  
Should taken be away.  
Their Lepord-like, with Lion's mouth do grin, 
b Rev. 13.2   
And paw of Bear, with Dragon's strength stretched out,  
A child of truth, in the act of covering  
Their worrying paw, least men should spy,  
Their naked, shameless, beastial cruelty.  
With Christ sheep clothing whilst they can deceive 
c Mat. v: 15.   
With that, when not, they Magistrate ask leave,  
That they may use his sword, and then they're bold,  
Though inside wolvish nature men behold,  
To tell truth's children that they must not prate,  
But put into their mouths, else they will make 
d Mica 3.5   
War against them: whom God doth love, they hate.  
From sometimes Church of Christ  
Did Pope and Prelate spring,  
From Pope and Prelate, did  
This Presbyter begin,  
From Presbyter did Independent fly,  
Yet members still of one body  
Made, ere they knew in infancy,  
But Scripture Baptist doth them all deny.  
For the good old way that Jesus walked in 
e jer. 7.16. ,  
And the Apostles taught repenters to begin 
f Acts 2.38. ,   

Hereupon the spirit of the beast rouzeth up himself again.  
Yea thinks the Quakers spirit, then will I  
All that is called God or worshipped deny 
g 2 Thes. 2.   
For where by order 
* by making false order.  I can have no place,  
I must exalt myself to the disgrace 
* viz. in his deceived ones, who exalt the sound of name, but have (being ignorant of) the nature of the law of God and Christ.   
Of God, opposing order of his face;  
Though God be the God of order.   

Plainness of truth opposite to the beasts mystical pretences.  
GOD sent his son in flesh to come,  
True natural blood to shed,  
And did ordain his death to be  
In simple man, bakeed bread.  
And Vine fruit wine that men do drink,  
Which God and man doth cheer,  
When in his ordinance spirit joined  
The price of Christ's blood dear,  
Shown to hold forth his death for sin,  
Until he come again,  
That is gone up true advocate,  
Our cause for to maintain.  
Where holy God and sinful man,  
By Christ a treaty hold,  
Who takes our prayers, and there to God  
Our miseries doth unfold.  
And doth return into our hearts,  
The fruits of his blood shed,  
True pordon, strength, comfort and joy,  
By spirit witnessed.  
Who doth with blood and water join  
One witness manifested 
a john 1.5 8. ,  
In Gods one way whilst men obey,  
Repent and be baptised;  
And then expect pardon of sin,  
And holy spirit God's gift 
b 2. Acts 38 ,  
Whilst that our loves is proved to Christ,  
In making it our stri●t.  
For to keep all God's commandments,  
Where Scripture comfort dwells 
c Rom. 15.4 ,  
With Son and Father manifest,  
Where men are not Rebels 
a john 14 21. .   

Hereupon the spirit of the beast proceedeth.  
Thinks disobedient spirit, I have  
No share in this strong Saviour,  
I'll cry down Laws and holier be  
Then all that forms do favour,  
In the eyes of those that have the love  
Of simple truth denied.  
I'll serve their lusts and them persuade  
They need not to be tied.  
I strong delusion can command  
Affections into tears 
b Ezek. 8 14 ,  
And cause men for to lean on God,  
And so free them from fears. 
c Mica 5.11   
And cause men to protest to God,  
That they'll obedient be 
d jer. 42.6 ,  
Yet his commandments to deny,  
And say it is not he 
e jer. 43. i, 2 .  
For in right steps of humbleness 
f Ps. 17: 11 ,  
They shall seem after God to press.  
And though by Christ's knowledge they scape,  
Through lusts the world's pollution 
g 2 Pet 2: 20 ,  
Yet God's commandments turning from,  
They're fast in my possession,  
Although that they his way forsake,  
They holiness may hold 
* The strength of delusion lieth in their seeming to themselves & others to hold forth their formal holiness: ,  
For I will spirit them myself,  
Whilst they're fearless and bold,  
I can myself transform  
Into an Angel's light;  
And there maintain the light within  
The disobedient wight 
a 2 Cor. 11: 14 2 Thes. 2. .   

Truth speaketh.  
As righteous they must sure appear,  
Whilst they can have the Skill  
To seem as Christ's Apostles right,  
And preachers of his Will 
b 2 Cor. 11 13.15 :  
These were so far convinced,  
As to disclaim profaneness;  
But love of truth did not receive,  
To bring them to obed'ence 
c 2 Thes. 2 ;  
Self-love did them provoke,  
Lest they should damned be,  
Or of salvation be denied,  
Profaneness for to flee;  
Doth it avail (saith they)  
To save us? let us see:  
All other Scriptures they throw by  
As useless for to be.   

Delusion speaks.  
Therefore to them I'm sent 
d 2 Thes. 2 11. compared with 10 Verse: ,  
Such lies they shall believe,  
As me their inward Teacher to  
Prefer, though God they grieve 
e Gen. 6.6. ;  
Before that simple Christ,  
That Scripture-writing gave,  
That men might read & know his law,  
And sure instructions have 
f 2 Pet. 1 19, 20 2 Tim 3.17. .   

Truth speaks.  
The Man of God to make perfect,  
And furnish him throughout,  
There is a rule to know Gods will,  
None need of it to doubt.   

Delusion speaketh.  
In man's imagination  
I'll frame a lawless Christ,  
And set myself up there as God,  
And in his name be hi'st;  
I'll cause these to ascribe to me  
What ere to God is due,  
And to my inward motions,  
To fly from Scripture-view.   
[Remember Ahabs' case, 1 King. 21.23.]  

Truth doth, and will conclude.  
When beauteous holiness appears,  
In sweetned-soul the dew of youth to bring, 
Psalm. 110   
In morning womb, it never fears  
To own its Jesus Lord and King;  
That God-begotten, Virgin-born,  
That crosfide flesh was crowned with thorn,  
Hath saving power, and law-giving,  
In person, place and time,  
No true man can deny this thing,  
And say he 's without crime.  
That doth salvation to himself apply,  
Whilst that obedience he doth clean deny,  
Though faith and bapti'm in one book be writ,  
Yea in one Chapter, and in one Verse too,  
Delusion saith he can the faith out pick,  
And leave the bapti'm for some else to do.  
Thus self-love his salvation minds  
Whilst love of righteousness thinks fit,  
To hate iniquity betimes.  
The Oil of gladness with his Christ to get 
a Psal 45.7 ,  
And thinks nothing for himself to embrace,  
To be too low, carnal or base.  
That his Jesus to his Apostles gave  
For Church direction; but will tread the trace,  
With Christ and his Disciples to his grave.  
And knows when's left his body, then that he  
From is body's worship, not before is free.  
If our great God by such a lowly thing,  
As blue in fringe would Israel mind  
Of their obedience to their Lord and King 
b Num▪ 15 38 ,  
That they might not to their own heart,  
Nor to their eyes be seeking,  
With spirit of disobedience dark,  
(Though light called) go whoring,  
Then think not baptism & breaking bread,  
Mean Laws, by Christ b'ing uttered;  
Flying to holier spirit they think, than Christ,  
That doth and will exalt himself the highest,  
Within the disobedient child,  
That is by spirit, but not by God beguiled.    

To all Lawgivers and Magistrates.  
WIth the submission of a poor worm that is under your feet, (that you may behold what God hath given to my heart to write a warning to men, and that you may avoid all provocations to that horrid sin of building up Sim with blood, Micah 3.10.) I tender this treatise to your view, hoping that you will not despise the words of him that is as much your underling, as any maid-servant to her Master, (though they may Contend with some of you, job 11.13.) Being I am hearty engaged by Christ Jesus my master, to dissuade all men from adhering to man's inventions, or devices, in and about the worship of God, because they are so dangerous to prince and people in the land of my nativity, as is proved in the 106. Psalm, & the 29. Vers. and Psalm 99.8. Isa: 66.5. and many other Scriptures.  
And from declining the exact rule of Christ and his Apostles laid down in the books of the New Testament only; under which grace we are, and not under the Law of terror, Heb: 12: 21.  
This poor Suppliant of yours, to whom God hath given grace to be faithful, is willing (I hope) amongst many others, to stand in the Gap, by showing to you and all England, and praying to God for you and it, Ezek. 22.30. compared with the 28. Verse, the very way, by which an end must be put to the proceed of the resisters of the truth, 2. Tim. 3: 9: Viz. by the discovering their folly to all men; to which purpose, this poor-servant of Christ Jesus hath written this treatise against this first Beast that ariseth out of the Sea, viz. the Church that hath his power maintained, and his worship exercised by the second Lamblike horned beast, that is more like a Lamb then the first, and ariseth out of the eatrh, viz: the world, and yet he holdeth up the first beasts power and worship by Magistrate sword, the place that the first arose out of yields no such power, his Lamblike horns being the strength that prevaileth with the Magistrate to uphold him, viz: a repute of holiness and innocency, in which he exceedeth, therefore as a Lamb, or as one in sheep's clothing, and in the pretended name of the Lamb Christ, he taketh power by the Magistrate to constrain rich and poor, small and great, bound and free, to worship, etc. Revelations 15. therefore where there is a constraint upon all into one worship, we may well suspect that it is the power of that beast, who is the very powerful life-giver to the bare Image of the first beast which Image, if it had not the Magistrates power to constrain it, it were life-less, and therefore called the Image, because it hath neither Scriptures authority to provoke, nor power to constrain, so that this beast is but a Dragon at the best, that cannot stand without man's art or power to uphold it, and shall certainly fall when God's ark of testimony is brought to it, and this is the last beast that shall be at enmity with my Master Christ Jesus, and this is the same spirit with the first, who is the old Serpent, and Satan, whose whole body consisting of beast, whore, and false Prophet, as head, body and tail, shall in the end perish together, Revelations 19.20.  
The beast was once wounded by my Master's providence and power, when he died upon the Cross, where he spoilt principalities and powers, and made show of it openly, Col. 2.15. the virtue whereof is his deadly wound to this day, and no Salve that the beasts healing flatterers hath (though for a time it giveth ease to the blind sleepy conscience) can make this deadly wound unmortal, viz. those Prophets spoken of in Ezek 13.9  
But when triumphant truth, the beasts mortal foe, shall appear, to make manifest what this wounded beast is, that can never look upon God's word to examine his own standing, but he so much feeleth there the soarness of his mind, as that he dare not in it prosecute his examination, he shall be dead by that act, and taken out of the way, 2. Thes. 2.7. and by how much truth looketh forth, by so much this beast is sick of his wound; ask yourselves when truth appears; where is lies? are they not all dead and gone; then impudency and out-faceing of lies must needs cease, when God shall destroy the face of the covering of all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations, Ezek. 25.7. the very discovery of him is his wounding; therefore let those of the Clergy that loves to be Masters of all people, upon the account of godliness, contrary to Christ's counsel, Math. 23.10. look about them, for Christ Jesus woundeth the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation to the neck, Selah, Hab. 3.13. for then their standing will appear whether it be of God or no; then their begging for liberty to persecute those that dare not feed them, and honour them, will be at an end, when God's outcasts are visibly provided for, and the oppressor ceaseth, Esa. 16.4. than those that made lies their refuge, when they fled from the written word to men's invented may bees will be utterly undone, when the patiented, Heb. 10.36. not hast-making beleivers, Esa. 28.16. is upon their sure foundation, than the Hail shall sweep away all the refuge of lies, and the water shall overflow the hiding places, Esa. 28.17. So that it must needs follow, that the weapons of our war-fare are not carnal, 2 Cor. 10.4, 5. but mighty through God, so that the sword of the Magistrate hath no such strength against this beast, as mighty truth hath; therefore be wise O ye Kings and Rulers of the earth, as it follows in the second Psalm 10.11.12. Verses, take heed of persecuting any for God's sake, although they be presented to you as deceivers, Mat. 27.36. and seditious, Acts 24.5. For was not Christ and his Apostles so presented to their persecutors, it is better to take Christ's counsel, viz. let both grow together till Harvest, then that the blood or distress of any one persecuted Saint should lie at your door; Christ disclaimed any interest in your kingdom in the days of his flesh, and set an example of obedience to God, in being under your authority: and his Apostles commanded submission to you, and to pray for you, and we are yours, subjected to you in all civil obedience; so do you refuse to have authority in Christ's Kingdom, and be you there subjected to him; and as he saith, My Kingdom is not of this world, so say you, that your Kingdom is not over his Church, and let his Laws be in your eyes as they are in truth, so wholly, by which he governeth his Church, that man cannot add to them, or amend them; it is possible to help forward a delusion by persecution, making the erroneous presume that they are martyrs for Christ when they perish in prison upon religious accounts, (and then if you do that to them for Christ's sake, or for Religion's sake, for which you have no rule in God's Word, it will be then (if God give you not repentance till the day of Judgement) that he will come to say to you, Who hath required this at your hands?) but never to provoke them to love the truth, or make them willing by man's, but by God's power, Psal. 110. Yet if you go about to drive them that Christ is a wooing and beseeching them by the mouth of his Apostles, 2 Cor. 5.20. you may come at the trouble of your conscience in the hour of death too too late to repent; but we as our duty is, do pray & endeavour that no such thing may fall upon you  
And in the words of the Apostle, We beseech you to be reconciled to God, and not opposite to his gracious pardoning mercy, in going about to take from man, or to make useless the forgiveness of that blasphemy against the Father and the Son, by the lips of Christ, now in the dispensation of his Gospel granted and proclaimed, Mat. 12.31. for without repentance there is no forgiveness; and how can any repent when the sword of the Magistrate hath cut him off? [Concerning this there hath been something in a former Parliament] Paul took not that course, he did not fly to the Magistrate to have Hymenus and Alexander cut off, but he took a course that made them capable of learning to amend, 1 Tim. 1.10. which had not been lawful for Paul to have done, had not Christ in his Gospel taken away the rigour of that Law which is written in the 24 of Leviticus, and the 16. And upon this Gospel account Christ told James and John they knew not of what manner of spirit they were of; For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them, Luke 9.55, 56. when they of Samaria would not receive Christ; therefore if any sort of men like these company of Priests, that murder ●n the way by consent, that are spoken of in Hos. 6.9. (for it cannot be thought these Priests took away temporal lives, by temporal weapons) should tempt you to mend those Laws that Christ and his Apostles left for Church-government, and give punishment for breaking them (exceeding the severity of the merciful Lawgivers Edicts) which tend to the people's destruction; when Christ the wiser than Solomon (and therefore wiser than any prince or Synod that ever was, or will be in this world) gave only such punishment for breaking his Laws, as tended only to man's salvation, neither hurting their persons, estates, nor liberties; The Lord strengthen your hearts, and give you courage to resist them who care not that much people perish by you● hands, yea and by war and bloodshed, rather than their Honour and easy fatt-conditions should go down, and they should miss to be Lords over men's consciences, and God's inheritance, Witness Love's treason.  
There is no foresight like Christ's, nor nothing shall come to pass even to the end of the World which he fore-knew not; and upon this account he left sufficient provision for the being and well-being of his Church: The very seed of the Devil when it sprang up, Christ would not have his Disciples pull it up, lest they should pull up the Wheat also, thinking it safer to let many wicked Imps grow, then to venture the destruction of any poor child of God; Then be not overcome to let any be destroyed for Christ's sake by the petitioners for destruction, though those they would have destroyed are preseneed unto you for the Devils Ims, being you have Christ's directions in the case, Matt. 13.28, 29. I do hereby earnestly supplicate you to consider, that England is not more dear in God's eyes then sometime Israel was, and may come to be (if it be not already) as far fall'n from grace as Israel was, when there was four hundred prophets for one Micah, 1 King. 22.6. When the zeal of Jezabel was such, that she maintained four hundred and fifty prophets, and four hundred prophets at her table all at once, 1 Kings 18, 19 and these false prophets that would flatter, face-painting Jezabels and wicked Ahabs, bore all the sway in Israel at that time, when as prisons and threaten of death for the truth's sake, was the portion of all the Micahs and Eliah's, and to be hid in a Caves, and fed with bread and water; it is good to have such a holy jealousy, as may provoke all that fear God, to pray for the Land and the Rulers thereof, and to warn our great ones that are Preist-feeders, to look to it, lest their zeal deceive them not, and that they be not found of that number, that prepare a table for that troop, and furnish a drink-offering for that number, that are spoken of in Esa. 65.11. to 16. and when Christ makes this great discovery, their zeal be found no better than Jezabels was, it must needs be thought that her Priests were confident, else they durst never have joined issue with Elias about the trial of their God, and his God; therefore let the truth advise you not to trust, for there is both learned Papists and learned Protestants, and one or both of them must needs be in an error, but bring all to the law and to the testimonies, Esa. 8.20. and if they deviate one jot from Scripture, and give an invented may be in the room of it, believe them not, but take notice that the Scripture is able to furnish a man of God throughly, 2. Tim. 3.1.6. and there is no need of man's invented (may be) to be joined with it; and lest our great ones way, and their Priests way, or people's way, should be a way of wickedness, they are entreated to follow David's example, who was as right as any King or great man can come to be now adays, yet he was earnest with God to try him, lest his way was a way of wickedness, Psalm. 129.23.  
It is undoubtedly true, that when the Prophets cry out to the Magistrates for harms to their neighbours, for religion sake, they are not of that spirit of Christ Jesus that came not to destroy, but to save men's lives, and if poor England or the rulers thereof be willing to hear this complaint, than those sad words may bespoken of it, as was spoken of Israel, jer. 5.31. viz. The Prophets prophecy falsely, and the Priests bear rule by their means, and my people love to have it so, but what will you do in the end thereof?  
And so it is, that we being under another spirit than Elias was, desire no harm to those destroyers from the Magistrate; No no, he might be quiet in his civil employment, if our enemies would trouble him about matters of religion no more than we do, but we desire that none may be welcome to you, that tempt you to keep us from the free & plain use of the Scriptures of Christ, in the simplicity thereof, without spoiling us by Philosophy or learned troops of figures, which are vain deceit when they are used against the truth, job 2.8. to which Scriptures we appeal utterly, and that by the help of the same spirit that wrote them from all inventions of men, whether brought forth by Synods or Assemblies of Divines, or any others, and according to my duty in the name of Christ my Master, I warn you in the love of God (who is love) that you suffer the word of God to run and be glorified in the same uncompoundedness, that Christ and his Apostles left it, without changing the Laws thereof, or giving any other punishment for breaking the Laws thereof, then Christ and his Apostles left order for in the Scriptures; man can as harmlessly endeavour to change the Orgins and light by which the natural eye seethe, as to amend what Christ and his Apostles left for his church government throughout all ages to the end of the world.  
O ye Lawgivers and Magistrates, as my soul is a pitying your inevitable and dolorous danger, whilst you or any of you are meddling with the apples of God's eyes, or whilst you are tempted to endeavour to mend the perfect Law of God Psalm. 19 knowing the tempter is so hidden under Christ's name, & hath so prevailed with former Magistrates, as that they by the then Clergies present persuasions, have been as it were the slaughter men of Christ & his Apostles, and all his suffering Saints to this day, it being the word of Christ to take away trouble from the sufferers hearts; when they know whilst they are under your hands, they are under the alsupporting and comforting power of God also, who lest that these things should come upon them at unawares, foretold them that they should be had before Kings for his name's sake, and whosoever killeth them shall think he doth God service, john 16.4. Lo here, is not here a prophecy suitable to a seeming godly Clergy for God's service sake, to bring to pass by temptations? take heed Magistrate, and know that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, and for your help in this case, consider that there are many and sweet directions in that new Testament, that is sealed with Christ's Blood, how sufferers should behave themselves, but not one how persecutors of Christ Laws should behave themselves, in bringing either the body or estate of any Heretic to distress for Christ's sake, which proves that there is no Plaintiffs but all Defendants, or rather Passives for Christ's sake, in Christ's flock, the sheep have no means nor strength to commence one action against the Wolf.  
Also consider how it would please you, if your servants should for their honour, riches and wealth's sake, by their inventions only, bring forth as your mind, another rule to govern your house by (and that stated only upon arguments) than you had left by plain express commands in writing, without any difficulty; and the Lord make the dutiful and loving endeavours of this poor servant, to be one means amongst many others, to hold you in a sweet apprehension of Christ and his Laws, that you may receive the blessing that is pronounced out of Christ's mouth, viz: Blessed are they that are not offended in me.   

To the Christian Reader.  
CHristian Reader, thy relation to our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, rendereth thee chosen, and called, 
Rev. 17.4  and faithful; * so that wheresoever thou behold this subtle beast that creepeth under the pretence of God and Christ, and so hid himself, it is thy duty to hunt him; for it is possible thou may hunt out some members of Christ out of him, jer. 16.16. that are set down in his riches and pleasures, and there hidden from the feeling of Christ's life in his commands, and bring them forth to be wayfaring men, that they may travel in the high way, and the way that is called holy, where the blessing is not more entailed, or not so much upon the man learned, as upon simple ones, children and fools; (viz. in the world's account) Mat. 11.25. Esa. 35: 8. Prov. 1.4. being that discovering is death to him; so thou hast nothing to fight with, but the lip of truth, which shining upon him, will melt him as the Sun melteth Ice, and is a Cordial heart, rejoicing life, and creating presence of Christ in thee, whilst thou beleivest in God, and uttereth his praises to his and thy enemy's confusion, who is made up of a lump of lies, frozen as it were together by Satan's cruelty, Psal. 35: 25: when he is made manifest, he must needs be slain, for then no man will as God or godly, believe or receive a known enemy of God and godliness:  
Thou must not follow him with carnal weapons, as clubs, provoking mutinies against him, and whips, and prisons, and spoiling of goods, those are his weapons; but thou must be so far from rendering evil for evil, that when any member of this beast striketh thee on the one cheek, thou must turn to him the other also, 2 Cor: 10: 3.4: yet the weapons of thy warfare are mighty through God, as prayer, tears, sword of the spirit, blood of the covenant, the whole armour of God spoken on in the 6: Eph: 11: and in as much as he calls it the whole armour of God, it proves that God hath never a piece of armour but that for thee to use, in whose name then can prisons, etc. be used by thee, I know thy heart and thy labour goeth both together, thou hast a tender regard to thy Christ's honour, therefore if thou discover any countertfeit coming forth in his name, thou with heart, and pen, and tongue, wilt cry out of him, according to the measure of the Talon thou hast received; and because the love of God is shed abroad in thy heart, thou wilt be an eye of discovery to, and a hand pointing at this beast, for thy weak brethren, that they fall not into his pits and snares, and as God loved the world, so thou being Godlike, will use the love of God shed in thy heart to love it also, yea thy very enemies in it, that thou knowing the terror of the Lord, viz. against this beast, wilt persuade men to look to their do, and standing, (for we must all appear before God) lest they perish with this beast and false Prophet, which false Prophet must needs be a supposed (but not) godly Clergy, which defendeth them that receive the mark of the beast.  
The perfect love that Moses had, was to work all the means of salvation by prayer to God, and instructing the people, yea when they were in acts of rebellion against God, reviling himself and Aaron; who was but a figure of our Lord Jesus, who was upon the act of the Jews eternal salvation, and Gentiles, when they were in the act of crucifying him; they scoffed and pierced him, he prayed for them; and of the like mind must thou be Christian Reader, to those that are taken Captive of the Devil to do his will, thou art to recover out of his snares, 2 Tim. 2.26. though their hearts be enraged against thee, they make ready their hearts as an oven, Hosea 7.6. when the darts that comes out of their souls, (viz. terrible words and devouring actions) though poisoned with Asps envy and rage, and self-tormenting agonies, they being shot at thee, fall into thy soul (thou receiving them by faith) all quench Eph. 6.16. by the love that faith worketh by, thy quieted mind, returns prayer for them and glory to God, rejoicing that thou art counted worthy to receive the rage of men, which in thy soul turneth to God's praise, but can do thee no further harm, Psal. 76.10: be encouraged for thou must overcome, thy heart must not be enslaved, thou must hear thy testimony for thy Lord and saviour, Rev: 15: 3: if thou mean to sing his praises in heaven; and thou hast no other weapons but the word of thy testimony, and the blood of the Lamb, (and woe will be to them that sight in Christ's quarrel with any other weapons) the one is to keep out subjects and spirit of Abaddon; who fight with carnal weapons, and provoking temptations to destroy one-another, (which you will easily see if you compare the 38: of Ezek: 10: with Rev: 20: 8:) thy heart being sprinkled with the blood of the Lamb, they would destroy thee too if this blood did not ke●p them out, but no child of God can be destroyed, though his body perish, when his heart is held up in its rejoicing delight in God; prisons, and enemies, and all persecution, being but keys to open the hear to God more abundantly, and messengers to bring God's presence into it, to keep his heavenly court there; then thou wilt not be provoked at thy enemies further than to pity them, and pray for them, and do them good; the other is the Scriptures, which is the word that Christ thy Captain fought this beasts spirit with, when he bare testimony against him with it is written, and that is the word of the testimony, it is written, will find all his members out, it will approve the proved perfect way of God, and discover every false way; and that thou and I may walk in the fear of God, and comforts of his spirit, with the Churches of Christ, Acts 9: 31. and also in the comfort of the Scriptures, our way being there recorded, Rom. 15: 4: we behaving ourselves wisely in a perfect way, waiting for the coming of the Lord Jesus to us, Psal: 101: 2: may walk with a perfect heart is the desire of thy companion, in the faith, and under the cross of Christ:  
H: H:   

To the Reader.  
REader, if thou hast a desire to take him in a snare that reproveth in the Gate, Esa: 29: 21. and endeavoureth to make ie matter for thy hating or persecuting spirit to work upon, that these things are written against thee, as the Pharisees did against my master Christ, (unworthy I to call him so, yet he having given me grace to be faithful, and commanding his loving kindness into my heart, and opening my heart to receive his father and himself, and owned me, and caused me to own him) I am bound to tell thee that thou mayest show thyself of the Pharisees spirit, and as one of them by so doing.  
But the children of truth following the example of their Lord and Lawgiver, endureth contradictions of sinners, Heb. 12.3. without heart-rising-malice, or procuring evil, or persecution to them, but their rule is to love their enemies, & pray for them that persecute them; the Scripture cannot show any Disciple that ran to the Magistrate for help against any disputant; the Disciples of Christ have all one spirit, even the same that Steven had, that the gainsayers could not resist the wisdom of it, and not the Magistrates sword at their call, neither dare they lay it upon the right eye of their enemies, that they neither dare look upon nor speak truth because of it, Zach. 11.17. though it be the gainsayers portion, yet it is not from Christ's Disciples, if they should not be enslaved that are fed, and maintained by the Magistrate, they could not be idle shepherd's, but would break through all difficulties, to look upon the light, though it cost them whatsoever harm the sword that lieth upon their eye could do them.  
Truth and those that are of it begotten, are willing to come to the light, to have their practices and opinions manifested, for it delights to be exactly searched and examined, and the more contradictions are endured, and the current of them not stopped the more it shineth.  
I advise thee to understand that this little book is not written against any persons, but such as are ticntured with the spirit of that beast, it is a hunting to discover for, this spirit cannot be attributed to Presbyterian, or Independent, or Quaker, or Baptist, no not to Pope and Prelate alone, or at all except they have the acts and instruments of cruelty mentioned by them, which are the cognisance of the fourth beast, that hath no certain creatures form, Dan. 7.7. as the other of the three had but was dreadful and terrible, to show it was a persecutor, it had great Iron teeth, ten horns, which are instruments of cruelty; it broke in pieces, devoured and stamped the residue, viz. all but itself; here is acts of cruelty indeed; O how like this beast is those religious people that would destroy all religions but themselves, by the Magistrate's hand for non-conformities sake to themselves; but this beast is in every place, yea in the very Temple of God, 2. Thes. 2.1. and wheresoever there is either power, of man spirited to be Abaddon, and Apollons subjects, or of spirit that opposeth either spirit or form that agree together in the true witness and worship of God, or wheresoever that opposing spirit maintaineth his breath, there will some time or other appear the Tallands or the ten horns, or the stamping power, or some deceivableness of unrighteousness, that is in them that perish, yea though it be the very subtlety of him that can transform himself into an Angel of light, and these are all members of that self hiding beast.  
Wheresoever or among what people soever this beast hath lost his honour in one form, he taketh up another, yea and rather than fail of his purpose denyeth all forms, so that it may be said he was, and upon his hiding himself, he is not there where he was as visibly and formally the same, and yet is the same spirit of that beast that ruleth in the children of disobedience, that always either opposeth the plainness or the spiritualness of Christ's commands, one while saying they are too low or foolish, or carnal as (water baptism, etc.) for those that look after spiritual light to one, another while exalting a false form, another while added form without either spirit or life; and thus he playeth bow-peep, appearing on the one side and on the other, here and there, when and where, he is discovered changing his form, or peeping out without any form, and it is apparent that he ascendeth out of the bottomless pit, because no rule that Christ hath given in his word can measure him, he dsiclaimeth that when it would discover him, and then telleth you that the place he cometh from is the movings of a spirit, and in this it is bottomless, because no right reason nor measuring line can declare, where or what, or when this spirit will make his progress, or try his work that refuseth all trial but himself.  
These things considered, let not the Clergy be enraged, that this writing hunteth after this beast, if it be not amongst the Clergy or Presbytery in England, it may be it will be found in Rome and some other land, let them help me to hunt him out. If they do not rather compel by the Magistrate's sword into conformity, then convince by sound doctrine; the gainsayers, T●tus 1.9. 2 Tim. 2.25. and not desire them to be rooted out of their dwellings, to be cast into prison, to have their goods spoiled for want of conformity to them, if they be content not to be chief of all that come forth in the name of God; viz. not to give Laws to all, so that none may preach without their authority, and let God's authority without man's serve the turn, if they can be content that any man cast out Devils, Mark 9.39. if they can be quiet in mind to see others preach Christ, that have not authority from them, and rejoice in it, though he be preached of envy, Phil. 1.15 if they be without all the forenamed instruments and acts of cruelty, nor have no heart to desire, nor sue for power to force conformity to them by the Magistrate's sword, than they are no members of the Beast that this book pointeth at.  
Howsoever none can deny but that some Presbyterians and Independants are held in their forms, upon account of riches and honour, or for some self-engagements sake, although most or all may not be so (which I am afraid are) there is now so much light abroad according to daniel's Prophesy Dan. 12.4: that if there were such a power upon them as could make their hearts manifest, as one day there shall be, some of them must needs own some part of the speeches that are spoken in this book to be the very thoughts of their hearts, & that they take comfort and have their stand maintained from the causes inserted there, and othersome the rest, and some all; however I am , because the spirit of God out of the mouth of Jesus Christ my master, in the undvidiing expression said, Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites, although some of them proved believers they were then the guides (though blind ones) & teachers of Jsrael, a people that God loved sometime as well as ever he did England; also Christ reproving Lawyers, spoke woe to them in general, Luke 11.46. though some of them proved good men, as joseph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus, etc. then it is possible that England may be as blind led, as Israel then was, for the Pharisees and Lawyers was as learned then as ours now are; therefore Reader take heed that thou let not thy heart rise against this book by unconsiderate prejudice, read it, ponder it to this purpose.  
1. Take heed of retaining that spirit that thinks himself wise enough to control plain commands of Christ in Scripture.  
2. Also if the plains and simplicity be that that offended thee in Christ's Laws, read Mat. 11.6. and seriously consider whether the practice of the Apostles and Disciples for 300. years after Christ be not a good expositor of the Law, and that thou need not go to spirits or Angels for a higher exposition, against their plain practices.  
3. Consider in thy mind whether any Statute recorded in the Scripture can be repealed, but by a Statute there also recorded, and then take heed of changing Christ's Laws upon man's authority.  
4. Do not believe because the falling away is great, that therefore the Law of baptising beleivers is canceled, for if the command were not yet in force there could be no falling from it, 2. Pet. 2.21  
5. Understand that whosoever falleth away, & yet are religious, must needs have some inventions of man by Satan's inward working, either that the Rule is not exact enough, then meditate Eccles. 7.16. or that it is too straight, then carry thy meditations to the written Word, Isa. 8.28. and there pitch down thy Standard for truth.  
6. If truth of God stir thy mind to trouble, and the Word carry a sharp edge, rightly appliable to thee, take heed that Satan work thee not into the rage of revengeful persecution, Psal. 76.10. and then thou may come to approve thyself to be a Christian Reader, which is the desire of the servant of Christ, who is a wellwisher to the whole Creation.  
H. H.   

A true Reproof of W. S.  
SIR,  
HAving known your discretion in other things I cannot but wonder that you should seem to suppose that you have any thing like an Answer to H. H. in your Book; but much more should I marvel that you should say, It is hard to draw Wine out of thy Lees; Which is as much as to say, It is hard to answer that which you go about to answer. And though you see yourself blundered in what you are about to answer, that you would go on (viz) to heal those that Truth woundeth, but that I consider that when once your heart cometh to engage in error, then wilful ignorance tempts God, and hardens your hearts against evident truth of God, then yours ceaseth to be an outward single disobedience, but it is an inward heart working, God-tempting (though ignorant) Error, which is not charged in this place of Heb. 3.8, 9, 10, 11, 12. with ignorance of God but of his Ways, and in this appeareth a heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God, when men are wilfully ignorant, and have a heart set against his Ways: Wherefore herein you prove yourselves to be of the shameless generation spoken of in jer. 6.10. your spirit is not ashamed to take the Name and Title of God, and you are not ashamed to say you are moved by God, when indeed you are moved by the Evil One, you giving, and he taking the Name of God; or rather the using your lips to exalt himself above God, with 2. Thess. 2. and also in that he maketh you his voice by his own Authority to proclaim null the Laws that God made by Jesus Christ, and without any Warrant from Christ or his Apostles, crying down that which they taught and practised, either they or you must needs be of Satan, being that the Scripture saith, If we, or an Angel from heaven teach unto you another Gospel then what we have preached to you, let him be accursed, Gal 1.8. You say in your Book, (I deny) I am made to stand a witness against thee in the power of the Lord, whilst I hold up that Gospel. What self-exaltation is here! What proof is here of your matter? Here is great swelling Words; do you think your Spirits Authority enough, so that he need not to use Scripture to prove his matter by when he is questioned? Then he seems in this, as in other things, to be above Christ by his own exaltation, for Christ when he met with your spirit in temptation, though he be the Son of God, yet used Scripture, saying, It is written; and in his Word by the mouth of John, appealeth to Record, saying, There are three that bear record on earth, the Spirit, Water, and Blood, and these three agree in one; but your Spirit is so far from agreeing, that it opposeth two of them, wherefore it cannot be the Spirit of God; your Spirit cometh forth in its own single Witness, and denieth to be tried by Scripture, or any thing else but itself. You try all your matter by that you call the light within, the natural man, etc. of which light your spirit is the transfotmed Angel, 2 Cor. 11.14 and things are like to go on in his side in his own Court. We acknowledge the light within the enlightened man, which agreeth with the Scriptures, Heb. 10.32. compared with 2 Tim. 3.17. but not before illumination; this is the light that enlighteneth every man; but we must not acknowledge it but where it is: It is good to answer Tempter's by seeing the image or superscription, though Tempter's are more general. It is certain, there is something called a light by Christ, that is in the unregenerate man, and may be darkness, Matth 6.23. Surely this must be yours; for you own yours there, and would have all judged by that, and neglect Christ and his Apostles rules in Scripture. And now to be short, Friend, you have not found out one particular in all my Writings, whereunto you might apply yourself as a just matter of your reproof, therefore you fell upon me with many foul revile, only there is a mistake in the quotation, I not being at the Press myself to correct it, the place should have been 1 Tim. 4.1, 2, 3. for which mistake you take him in a Snare that reproveth in the Gate, and maketh a man an offendor for a word, Isa. 29.21. yea, and that a word mistaken only; and that you do with most foul insultations. In matters of the World he that should prosecute his Neighbour for witnessing the truth, when he only mistakes ●he place and ●and upon that point, would be known amongst men as a cunning Knave.  
As for the matter you made show to answer, you have given it all the go by, yet you will be in Print; Well, according to Solomon in Prov. 26.5. I have answered you; and according to his counsel in Verse 4. I shall not answer you except you show more Wisdom; you have asked me no question but what are plainly prevented in my Writings, if you had eyes to see it, you might see it, therefore I refer all to the judicious Reader that shall read both Books. Again, you make something of the word [Carpenters Son] but that is your mistaking ignorance; for it was he that the Jews vilified by that Name, who is the Saviour of the world, and Lawgiver to Saints; and as they reproached his meaness by that Name, so you reproach the meaness of his Laws by the Name o● outside Law, carnal, unspiritual things, as not high enough for him that exalteth himself above all that is called God, or worshipped. Therefore the Word is a proper allusion to you, you and the Jews both vilifying Christ and his Laws as too mean for you.  
Again, you play upon the word, [Taking it upon me as my duty] you need not, for it is a Scripture phrase, Gen. 18.31. and whosoever is a Witness for the Truth, taketh up the Cross, and upon him Christ's burden, which to do is my duty; the word you see will warrant the phrase, and that is more sure than your As God his move.  
I writ against a Spirit and People in disobedience, and I bended my writings against the thing wherein the deceit lay; I did personally asperse no man, but thou hast miss the point, though thou comest forth as a man provoked, and one in union with that Error I reproved, and hast brought forth my Name and dwelling-place, that thou mightest reproach me with railing terms, upbraiding me with what men had done unto me, and art to be reproved by Psal. 50 19▪ 20 and Judas 8, 9, 10. Is not this personal animosity? Have you not need to plead for perfection that do such things? Do you think your Spirit that hath set you about this, is the spirit of God, or no: You must needs call this either envy or malice, or both: Is this any proof for your matter, that you give folks to think you answer? This is as impertinent as all the rest, even so is thy calling that light in the natural man (of which Christ saith, Matt. 6.23. How great is that darkness) the light of Christ, and averring that I speak against it; the Lord will uphold my good Name, though thou wouldst blast it, and make me content to go through thy evil report, and be glad to see thee penitent and obedient to God, that thou and I may enjoy that one life and truth together with the Apostles and Disciples, and that God-man that died upon the Cross (and is now with his Father, and our Father, in heaven) which he gave in the days of his flesh, and now maintaineth.  
Written by an unworthy Servant of God, who in God's perfect way waiteth for visitations of that Spirit that is sent from the Father and the Son, by that Man Jesus who is in Heaven in his eternal and unchangeable Priesthood, Heb. 7.24. H. H.  
FINIS.   

ERRATA.  
Pag. 4 line 5. for talents read talands, l 6. for peak r. beak, l. 2●. for Charts r. Church P. 12 l. 4 after the word Disciples, r. truth speaketh, l. 20. after the word mou●hr when that Statute is as the mouth of some inveterate Clergymen, to hold men's estates in at their pleasure, P. 16. l. 15. for Ecclesiasies' r: Nehemiah.