THE WISE TAKEN IN THEIR CRAFTINESS, AND Their Wisdom made manifest to be Foolishness with God; and their actions discovered to be contrary to the pure Law of Righteousness given forth by the pure Lawgiver, Christ Jesus the Light; by which Light some one Judge, or Judges of this Nation are made manifest, how he, or they have acted contrary to the Law of God, and the Law of this Nation; and contrary to all the Kings, Rulers, and Judges, spoken of in Scripture; by setting Fines upon men, and sending them to Prison till payment of the same, for not putting off their Hats, and stand bareheaded before them in their Court of Assizes, and Goaldelivery.  
ALSO, Here is showed, that it is no sin for a man to stand with his Hat on his head, before any Emperor, King, Ruler, Judge, Justice, or other Magistrate, either alone, or in open Court; neither is the putting the hat off, and standing, bareheaded before them, the honour that is due unto Magistrates, which the Scripture speaks of.  
And shall not God avenge his own Elect, which cry day and night ●a●s him, though he bear long with them: I tell you that he will avenge th●m speedily; he that shall come, will c●me, and will not tarry: Luke 18.7.8. Heb. 10 37.  
He leadeth the Counsellors away spoilt, and maketh the judge's fools: He looseth the bonds of Kings, and girdeth their loynd with a g●●e. He leadeth Princes away spoilt, and overthroweth them mighty. There is a sp ●●t in ●an, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding. Great me● are not always wise, neither do the aged understand judgement, Job 12.17, 18, 19 Job 31.8.9.  
Written by, me who am known by the Name of Henry Clark.  
London, Printed for Giles Calvert, at the Black-spread-Eagle, near the West end of Paul's, 1656.   

Here is the wise taken in their craftiness, and their wisdom made manifest to be foolishness with God; and their actions discovered to be contrary to the pure Law of Righteousness, given forth by the pure Lawgiver Christ Jesus, the Light; by which light some one Judge, or Judges of this Nation are made manifest, how he or they have acted contrary to the Law of God, and the Law of this Nation; and contrary to all the Kings, Rulers, and Judges spoken of in Scripture, by setting fines upon men, and sending them to prison till payment of the same, for not putting off their hats, and stand bareheaded before them in their Court of Assizes, and Goaldelivery, etc.  
GOD in the beginning created man in his own image, 
Gen. 1.26, 27.  and after his own likeness, in holiness and righteousness, which is after the image of God, created he man, holy and upright: For said Solomon, God created man upright: 
Ecles. 7.29.  But they have sought out many inventions; man turning from the light, and going out from the presence of God, who is light, runs into the transgression, and then sought out the invention how to hid themselves from the presence of the living God, who is Light, and makes manifest all darkness, and evil deeds whatsoever that are reproved. Adam after his fall into the transgression, he sought out in his invention, how to hid and cover himself, Eve being deceived by the Serpent was in the transgression, she took of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, which God commanded the man, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die; and she did eat, and she gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat also; and their eyes being opened, they knew that they were naked; then they sought our an invenion, 
Isa. 30. i.  and sewed fig-leaves together and made themselves aprons, to cover themselves therewith; but the woe was, and is unto them that be covered, but not with the Spirit of the Lord. The fig-leaves being too short a covering for them, (they sought out another invention) they went and hid themselves in the Garden among the trees, from the presence of the Lord; but the Lord God walking in the Garden in the cool of the day, 
Read the second & third ch. of Gen.  called unto Adam, and said, Where art thou? and Adam said unto the Lord God, I heard thy voice in the Garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, and hid myself. Here you may see how the wise was taken in his craftiness, and his invention stood him in no stead, neither saved him from the presence of the Almighty, nor hide him from the judgement of God: for God said unto Adam, Because thou hast harkened to the voice of thy Wife, and hast eaten of the Tree of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: Cursed (said the Lord) is the ground for thy sake, in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns and Thistles shall it bring forth unto thee; in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto thee ground, for out of it wast thou taken; for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.  
So likewise after the Flood, the whole earth being of one Language and of one speech, the people as they journeyed from the East, they found a Plain in the Land of Shinar, and they dwelled there, (and being there at ease, they sought out an invention) they said one to another, Go to, let us make Brick, and burn them thoroughly: and they had Brick for Stone, and they had Slime for Motter: and said, Go to, and let us build us a City and a Tower, whose top may reach up unto Heaven, and let us make us a Name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. See here, how men in the pride of their hearts, and in their inventions, how they sought for their honour: Let us make us a Name, said they: and likewise for their safety, lest (said they) we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth: Go to, let us build a City and a Tower; whose top may reach up to Heaven: here was their pride. But the only wise God, whose eye seethe all things, he came and took the Wise in their own Craftiness, and he scattered the proud in the imagination of their own hearts; all that they could do by their inventions, could not save them from the Wrath of the Almighty, who consounds the Wisdom of the Wise, and brings to nought the understanding of the Prudent: 
Read Gen. 11 ch.  For God he came down to see the City and the Tower which the children of men builded, and the LORD said, The People are one, and they have all one LANGUAGE, and this they begin to do; and nothing will be restrained from them which they have imagined to do; then the Lord did there confound their LANGUAGE, that they could not understand one another's Speech; and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of the whole earth, and so they left off building the City.  
And as men sought out many inventions for their own safety and honour, and to make themselves rich and great in the world, and to hid themselves from the presence and wrath of God; so likewise the said wicked men sought out many inventions how to destroy, and to afflict the righteous; therefore said David, The wicked plotteth against the just, 
Psa. 36.4. & 37.12. Psa. 2.1, 2. Psa. 21.11.  and gnasheth upon him with his teeth; he deviseth mischief upon his b●d; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; for the Kings of the earth s●t themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, and the people imagine a va●n thing, against the Lord and against his anointed; For said Dav●d, they intended evil against thee, O Lord, they imagine a mischievous device, 
Habbak. 1.4. P●o●o. 23. Read Psa. the 9●.  which they are not able to perform: And Habbakkuk said, the wicked doth compass about the righteous, the wicked are filled with mischief, they take please ●e in unrighteousness: and said Solomon, it is a sport to a fool to do mischi●ef: and David said, O Lord, how long shall the wicked triumph, and all the workers of iniquity boast themselves? said he, they break in pieces thy people, O Lord, they afflict thine heritage; they slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless; they frame mischief by a Law, they gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood.  
Cain who was the first born, (he sought a wicked invention) because his own works was evil, and his brothers were righteous, Cain was wrath, and his countenance fell, and he talked with his brother Abel the righteous, and when they were in the field, Cain risen up against his brother Abel the righteous, and slew him; this wickedness was plotted, and the murder acted without any Law; but God, who heareth the cry of the innocent, and pleadeth the cause himself, of the just; repaid the wicked for his wickedness; God he said to Cain, what hast thou done? 
Read Gen. 4. ch. Isa. 3.11.  the voice of thy brother's blood cryeth unto me from the ground: now see what followed, woe unto the wicked, for it shall go ill with him; for the Lord said unto Cain, Now art thou cursed from the earth; when thou titlest the ground it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength: a Fugitive and a Vagabond shall thou be in the earth: And God set a Mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him; for said the Lord, Whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him seven fold; and Cain said, My punishment is greater than I can bear.  
And so the Lords of the Philistines, they sought out an invention how to afflict Samson, and see here how they take counsel together, to accomplish their invention; The Lords of the Philistines came to Delilah a woman in the valley of Sorock, whom Samson loved, and they said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him, and we will give thee every one of us eleven pieces of Silver: Now Delilah she took their counsel, and accepted of the mon y, and sought in her invention whore Sampsons' strength lay, and she enticed Samson, and got out from him where his strength lay, and she made him sleep upon her knees, and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven ●ocks off his head, where Samson said his strength lay; then she called for the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath showed me all his heart, and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him; and then the Philistines took him and bound him with fetters of Brass, 
Read Judges, 16 chap.  and put out his eyes, and he did grind in the prisonhouse; then the Lords of the Philistines gathered themselves together, to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their God, and to rejoice, and when their hearts were merry, they called for Samson out of the prisonhouse to make them sport; but God who gave Samson strength at first, renewed his strength again, and took the wise in their own craftiness, and made their wisdom manifest to be but foolishness, and rewarded the uncircumcised Philistines with judgement; and in their mirth cut them off, when they thought not on it.  
And so Haman, when he saw that Mordecai bowed not to him, nor did him reverence, according to the Kings command, than was Haman full of wrath, and Haman was so proud, and so envious against the people of God, that he thought scorn to lay hands upon Mordecai alone, therefore Haman he sought how to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole Kingdom, there was Hamans' invention to destroy all the people, for than he had no Law to do it by, for if he had had a Law, he (being set up above all the Princes, when he was so full of wrath) would have put it in execution without going to the King; Therefore Haman said to the King Abasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad, and dispersed among the people in all the Provinces of thy Kingdom, and their Laws are divers from all people; neither do they (said Haman) keep the King's Laws; therefore said Haman to the King, It is not for the King's profit to suffer them to live; if it please the King (said Haman) let it be written that they may be destroyed, and said Haman, I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that shall have the charge of the business, 
Read the 3, 4, 5, 6. & 7: chap. of the book of Esther.  to bring it into the King's treasuries: Here you may see how the Rulers and the King set themselves against the people of God, and frame mischief by a Law; the King took off his ring from off his hand, and gave it to Haman, and said, Do with the people as it seemeth good unto thee; then was the King's Scribes called, and all was written according to Hamans' command, and the decree was made and sealed with the King's seal, and according to the writing thereof it was sent into every Province in the king's name by the Posts, to the Rulers of every Province, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish all the jews both young and old, little children, and women, in one day; but he that sits in the Heavens laughed Haman to scorn, and had him in derision daily; for Haman was taken in his own craftiness, and his invention was discovered which he had sought out, even the Gallows which he had prepared to hang Mordecai on, and his intention to destroy all the jews according to the decree, was made manifest, and Haman taken and hanged upon the Gallows himself; the same measure that he would have meeted to others, was meeted to himself, up heaped.  
And so likewise Nabuchadnezzar, King of Babylon sought out an invention, and made an image of Gold, threescore Cubits high, and six cubit, broad, and he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the Province of Babylon; then the King sent, and gathered together the Princes, the Governors, and the Captains, the judges, the Counsellors, the Treasurers, the Sheriffs, and all the Rulers of the Provinces, to the dedication of the Image, which the King had set up, and there they sat and took counsel together, and made their invented decree, (to burn men in the invented fiery furnace) and caused it to be proclaimed aloud by the Harold, that whatsoever People, Nations, or Languages, did not fall down and worship the Golden Image, when they heard the sound of the Cornet, Flute, Harp, Sackbut, Psaltery, Dulcemer, and all kinds of Music, should be the same hour cast into the midst of the fiery burning furnace; then certain of the Chaldeans accused the jews, for not falling down according to the King's decree, to worship the Golden Image, which the King had set up; then the King in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, M●shech, and Abedigo before him, and when they were brought before him, they told the King, they were not careful to answer him in that matter: For, (said they) Be it known unto thee, O King, that we will not serve thy Gods, 
Read the 3d. chap. of Daniel.  nor worship the golden Image which thou hast set up, behold our God whom we serve, is able to deliver us from the hot fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thy hand, O King; then was the King full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshech, and Obednigo, and he commanded the fiery furnace to be heated seventimes hotter than it was wont to be heat, and he commanded the most mighty men of his Army to bind Shadrach, Meshech and Abednigo, and cast them into the fiery furnace; therefore because the King's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, those men Shadrach, M sh●ch, and Abednigo, were bound in their coats, their hoses, & their hats) & their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the Ferry burning Furnace. Here you may see how mischief was invented, and wickedness acted by a Law of the King, the Princes, the Judges, the Counsellors, and the Sheriffs, and all the Rulers of the Provinces; yea, and put in execution in the King's rage and fury, when the form of his visage was changed; but the most high and mighty God (who confounds the wisdom of the wise, and makes the Judge's fools) suffered not the fire to have power over the bodies of his servants, that feared and trusted in his Name, for he sent his Angel and delivered them; sa● the hair of their heads was not singed, neither was their coats changed, nor th● sm●ll ●f the fi●e passed on ●hem.  

M●●. 26 3, 4, 14, ●5, 1● Ma●k. ●4. 1.10, 11. Lu●. 22.2, 3, 4, 5, 6.  And again the ch●●● Priests and the Scribes, with judas, sought out ●n their invert on how to kill Christ the Son of the living God, for they ●ea●●d the pe●ple. Then judas went out from Christ the Light, and Satan entered into him, and he fell into the transgression: And judas he went unto the chief Priests, and he communed with them and the Captains, how he might betray Christ unto them, and they were glad, and covenanted with him for thirty p●eces of silver. Here you may likewise see the chief Priests, the Scribes, the Captains, and judas, how they sat in counsel together, and plotted against the just; yea, and invented mischief against the Lord, and against his anointed, Jesus Christ: From that time judas (in his invention) sought opportunity how to betray Chris● unto them conveniently in the absence of the multitude: 
Joh. 18.1, 2, 3, 12, 13. Mat. 26.5, 6.  Then Judas having received a band of men and officers from the chief Priests and Pharisees, cometh with Lanterns, and Torches, and Weapons into the Garden where Jesus and his Disciples were, which was over the Brook Ch●dron, and there the Captain, the Officers, and the Band, took Christ jesus the Son of God, and bound him, and led him away to the High Priest, 
Mar. 14 53 Mar. 14.55, 56, 37. Joh. 19.7.  and with him were assembled all the chief Priests, the Elders, and Scribes: and the chief Priests and all the counsel (in their inventions) sought for witnesses against jesus, that they might put him to death; for said the jews, We have a Law, and by our Law he ought to die; because, said they, he made himself the Son of God, & they began to accuse him before Pilate, saying, we have found this fellow perverting the Nation, 
Luk. 23.1, 2. Mat. 26.59, 60, 61. Mat. 27.22.25. Luk. 23.18 23, 24.  and forbidding to give Tribute to Cesar, saying that he himself is Christ, a King: and many bore false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together, and so found none: And at last came two false witnesses, and said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the Temple of God, and to build it in three days; and the jews said unto Pilate, Away with this man, let him be crucified, and let his blood be upon us, and upon our children; and Pilate gave Sentence as they required, and they crucified him, and parted his Garments, and cast lots for them. And thus you may see that they were the wise men, so called, and the learned Rabbis, the high Priests, the chief Priests, the Judges, Counsellors, and Captains, that gathered themselves together, and sat in counsel, and upon judgement, as they called it, against the Lords Christ his anointed; 
1 Cor. 3.19.  but their wisdom is made manifest to be foolishness with God to after Generations: Judas hanged himself, and the Jews were scattered abroad in all Nations.  
And as it was then, so it was in after generations; that wicked men imagined and invented mischief against the servants of God, how to afflict and destroy them; some were slain with the Sword, some had their heads cut off; some sawn asunder; some tortured and stretched upon Racks; some cast into Lion's Dens, and amongst other wild beasts to be devoured: Some put into boiling Caldrons; some stoned; some whipped; and others hanged; and some burned with fire; and if you will read the History of the ten Persecutions, in the first volume of the Book of Martyrs, ye may read of more filthy, cruel, wicked inventions that they had, and did destroy the people of God with, than I writ of.  
And now to come to King Henry the fourth's days, you may see by a Statute, called the Statute Ex officio, what a Law (the learned and wise men, so called) the Bishop, and the Clergy his brethren, the Suffragans and Assistants, had in their inventions got the King and the House of Lords to make, to burn openly all those people that would not in those day's worship the cross, the crucifix, with other images and pictures, which in their inventions and imaginations they had set up to be worshipped; or that should declare by writing, preaching, or other ways inform openly, or in secret, contrary to the Catholic Faith, and determination of holy Church, as they called it, and the Pope, should be counted Heretics, and openly be burned to the view of all people: and so eager (saith the History of those passages) were the Bishops, and the Clergy, the Suffragans, Abbots, Priors, Deans, Arch-Deacons, Priests, Canons, Parsons, Vicars, Chaplains, and Clerks, to have those called Heretics to be burned, that after they had passed definitive Sentence upon Tho. Saultre, and delivered him over to the secular powers, for them to burn him, according to their invented Law, that for fear it should not be done speedily enough, they called upon the King, who was ready enough to satisfy their bloodthirsty humours, who made made a strict Decree, and sent it to the than Mayo● and Sher ffs of London, requiring them to take the said Tho. Saul●r●, whom they had in their custody, and to put him in the fire, and burn him openly and really, to the great horror of his offence; which was accordingly done; and many more after him, as the History relates: And this cruel bloody invention lasted till Queen Mary's days, and a little after; for see if there were not some of those called Anabaptists burned in queen Elizabeth's days: And so you may see here, how man whom God created upright, 
Eccles. 7.26.  sought out many wicked inventions, and plotted against the just, and set themselves, and took counsel together against the Lord, and against his anointed, and imagined mischief both by a Law, and without a Law, saying, Let us break their bonds asunder, & cast away their cords from off us; 
Psa. 2.3.  and as the heathen did rage then, so they do now; and as the people imagined vain things then, so they do now in these days imagine vain things, and seek out new inventions, whereby to afflict the servants of the living God.  
So here followeth a new Invention, sought out by man's imagination, and in man's will is acted as he sits in Judgement, so called; for which he hath neither Law from God or man, to bear him out in passing his Sentence, as some of those who are counted grave, wise Judges of this Land have done upon some of those people called quakers, and setting a Fine of twenty Marks a piece upon them, and sent them to prison to lie there till payment of the same; and for their so doing, I say they have neither Law from God, nor no Law of this Nation to bear them out; but what is done in this case, is done without any law upon the innocent, who have transgressed no law by standing with their hats on their heads in open Court before the Justices of Assizes, for the which they are fined twenty Marks a piece, and sent to prison till payment of the same; for where there is no law, there is no transgression; therefore the parties are innocent in this thing, by keeping their hats on their heads, and not putting them off to stand bareheaded before them in the Court: and where there is no law to transgress, there ought no sentence to pass upon any man, for punishment to be inflicted, either by death, or loss of limb, banishment, or imprisonment, nor no Fine set to to the confiscation of Goods, unless there were a law given, with a penalty thereunto, to be inflicted upon the transgressors thereof. And therefore I say, Whatsoever Judge or Justice that passeth Judgement upon any man, or men, for which he hath no law, acts in his own will, and by his own invention, contrary to the rule of the law, which is holy, just, pure and good, given forth by the pure law giver, Christ Jesus, and is written in their heart, according to the Covenant of God, who saith he hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what the Lord doth require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? who standeth in the Congregation of the mighty, and judgeth among the judges, saying, How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? saith the Lord; defend the poor and fatherless, do justice to the afflicted and needy: 
Psa. 82.  You Judges, the Lord God saith, You must deliver the POOR and NEEDY, and rid them out of the hands of the wicked, and see that ye respect no man's person in judgement: for with the Lord there is no respect of persons, nor taking of gifts: Therefore you are not to judge for man, but for the Lord; and upon the Transgressor's of the Law are you to inflict punishment, and not upon the just, as some of you have done here in England, upon some of those people called quakers, for not putting off their hats, and not standing bareheaded before you in your Court, and for no other thing, whom ye ought to have set at liberty, and so have rid them out of the hands of the wicked; for I tell, that if they had put off their hats, and stood bareheaded before you, respecting your persons, than they had transgressed the law, as saith the Scripture; for James, a witness of Christ, 
James 2.9  and a Minister of the Word, said, but if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the Law as Transgressor's; for whosoever shall offend in one point, he is guilty of all; and he that respecteth men's persons, hath not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ; for Christ Jesus said, How can ye believe that receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? Christ Jesus leaving us an example, 
Joh. 5.44. 1 Pet. 2.21. Mat. 22.16 Mark 12.14. Luke 20.21. 1 Joh. 3.4, 6, 8, 9, 10.  that we should follow his steps, who respected no man's person: And God saith, Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgement; thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty; he that respecteth men's persons committeth sin by transgressing the Law; for every sin is the transgression of the Law: and he that committeth sin is not of God, but of the devil, as ●aith the Scripture; but every knee shall bow to the Name of jesus, and every tongue shall confess him to be Lord and King: and the Lord God alone is to be worshipped; and the people of his Pasture, and the sheep of his hand, they worship him in spirit and in truth, and come and bow, and kneel down before the Lord their Maker, and not to man. Mordecai would not bow to Haman, nor do him reverence according to the King's command, which was contrary to God's command. Shadrach, M sh●ch, and Abednigo would not bow down to the golden Image that the King had set up, nor worship his Gods, according to the King's command, which was contrary to God's command.  
ANd yet I say, that the great God of heaven and earth commands every soul to be subject to the higher powers for conscience sake, which are ordained of God; and likewise to submit to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake; and to honour all men, and to honour the K●ng; ●ow to honour all men is not to rise up and bow down to them, as the fashion of this world is, and to stand bareheaded before men, as it is the practice of the world so to do one to another, upon every occasion that ●hey have to do with those that are greater in the world's estimation in riches, and have higher places and titles of honour in the world than themselves, and so have their persons in admiration for their advantage sake: Nay, this is not honouring all men, nor no man, but mere flattery; for all this a man may do, and yet at the very same time hate the man in his heart, and seek his Neighbours hurt; therefore said Solomon, 
Pro. 20.19. & 26.28. & 29.5.  Meddle not with him that hath flattering lips, for a man that flattereth his Neighbour spreadeth a Net for his feet; and says he, A flattering mouth worketh ruin: therefore said, Elihu, Let me not I pray you accept any man's person, 
job 22.21, job 17.5.  neither let me give flattering titles unto man; for I know, said he, to give flattering titles, in so doing my Maker would soon take me away: and job said, He that speaketh flattery to his friends, even the eyes of his children shall fail: and such flattery was used by Saul to David; and likewise by saul's servants to David; to be the King's Son in-law, and to have his eldest Daughter to his wife, to be a snate to him; as you may read 1 Sam. chap. 18. toward the latter end: And so judas came to Christ, and said, Hail Master, and kissed him; and for money the same time betrayed him to the jews. 
Mat. 26.47, 48, 49.  And so a Thief, a Robber, or Murderer, he will put off his hat and stand b●r● headed before a Magistrate, Judge or Justice, who could find in his heart at the same time, if he had but the Magistrate, Judge or Justice upon Black-Heath, or Salisbury-Plain, to rob and take all he hath from him, and his life too.  
And is this honour? nay: To honour all men consists in doing good to all men, as we would be done unto ourselves by others; and in loving all men, even our neighbour as ourselves; and in doing good to all men, and se●king every man's good; for said Christ, if ye love them that love ●ou, 
Mat. 5.46.  what reward have you? do not even the publicans the same? Did the Publicans honour all men? nay, but their friends only; and what reward had they? the world loves its own; therefore they honour not all men; but they that honour all men, love continually, pray for their enemies, ●o good ●o them that hate them, and overcome evil with good; when they see their enemies hungry, they give them meat; when they see them thirsty, they give them drink; and naked, they cloth them: and they that honour all men, are no backbiters, nor slanderers, nor false accusers, nor ●peak evil of any man; for love thinketh no evil, but seeketh all men's good, and not their own; nor are they easily provoked, nor behave themselves unseemly, but are gentle, enduring all things, and rejoicing in the truth.  
NEither doth the honour which is to be given unto the Magistrate, ●hether it be to a King, as supreme; or to a Lord Protector, as chief; or to any Ruler, Governor, Judge, or Justice, or other Officer, either alone or before them in open Court of Judicature, consist in standing up, and bowing down the body to them, nor in putting the hat off, and standing bareheaded before them; but the honour which is to be given to the Magistrate, consists in love, obedience and fear: for he that doth evil is to be afraid, seeing that the Ruler is set up of God to be a terror to evil doers; therefore he that ruleth must be just, ruling in the fear of God, and not to bear his sword in vain, but to lay it upon the evil-doers, who are to fear (the Ruler) because they have done the evil, and he is set up of the Lord to be a terror to them: but he that doth no evil, needs not to fear: For doing that wh●ch is good, he is to have praise of the same; for the Ruler is set up of God likewise for the praise of them that do well: Therefore he that is in the well-doing, needs not fear the Ruler's sword; for Perfect love casts out fear, and The righteous is bold as a lion: So likewise the honour which is to be given to the Magistrate, consists in love: he that is in the well-doing, loves the Magistrate, because he is set up of God to be a terror to the evil doers, and a protection to them that do well: and love to the Magistrate consists in seeking his good always, and in giving to him his due that God requires to give unto him: and those that give to the Magistrate his due, speak not evil of the Ruler of the People, nor revile the Judges, no nor curse the Magistrate or Ruler in their thoughts, which is contrary to God's Command: But for the Lords sake he loves the Magistrate, and dares not rise up in his own will against him for conscience sake, and for that cause pays tribute, and so likewise is subject to what is required by the Magistrate that comes from God: and for conscience sake that which comes from God by the Magistrate, is not gainsaid, but submitted to by them that honour the Magistrate for the Lords sake: And herein the People of Israel shown their willingness to obey that of God, that came from God to them by Moses their Ruler: For, said they to Moses, Go thou near and hear all that the Lord our Go● shall say, 
D●ut. 5.27, 28.  and speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee, and we will hear it, and do it: and the Lord said, This People have said well in all that they have spoken. So likewise the chief of the Fathers, and the Princes of the Tribes of Israel, and the Captains over thousands and hundreds; with the Rulers over David the kings work joined with David, and offered willingly to the Lord, and gave for the service of the house of God, gold, silver, iron, and precious stones: 
1 Chro. 29.  and with a perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord, and rejoiced: and David the king rejoiced also with great joy, because the thing was of the Lord: which was so willingly done by them, according to the Command of the Lord God who saith, Hea● O Israel, What doth the Lord require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, and to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, and to keep the Commandments of the Lord and his Statutes, which saith the Lord, I command thee this day for thy good? Now whatsoever comes from any Ruler or Magistrate contrary to the Lord God and his Commandments, the servants of the Lord obey not, but rather choose to suffer afflictions by submitting to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake, then to obey the Magistrates Command which is contrary to God's Command. For if the Magistrate make an Ordinance to take a man that fears the Lord God, and to bring him before him, the man that fears the Lord for the Lords sake who commands him, submits unto the Ordinance of man: he patiently and willingly goes whither the Officer will have him: and if the Magistrate make an Ordinance to send him to prison, he goes willingly, not resisting against it, for the Lords sake, if it be to suffer stripes by virtue of that Ordinance; they bear it patiently, not striving nor crying out; if it be to suffer death by virtue of the Magistrates Ordinance. They that love the Lord, are not only willing to suffer, but ready also to die for the sake of Jesus, and for obeying the Commandments of the Lord God. And herein did Shadrach, Meshach and Ab●dnego refuse to obey the king's command, which was to worship his gods, and to bow to the Image which he had set up, which to do was contrary to God's Command: so for the Lords sake they submitted patiently to the king's Ordinance, which was to be cast into the fiery burning furnace for disobeying the King's Command: And so did Daniel refuse to obey the King's Command, which was that no man should ask any Petition of any god or man for thirty days save only of the King, which was contrary to the Command of God [Pray continually] for which Command of obeying God, and refusing to obey the Kings, Daniel submitted to the King's Ordinance, which was to be cast into the lion's den: And so Peter and john said that they could not forbear to speak the things which they had seen and heard concerning Jesus, which was according to Christ's Command, notwithstanding that the Highpriest, the Rulers, the Elders and the Scribes commanded them to preach no more in the name of Jesus: And if the Magistrate make an Ordinance to take away the goods of those that fear God, and obey his Commandments, they for the Lords sake submit to the Ordinance of man, and suffer the spoiling of their goods willingly and patiently, rather than to transgress the Law which is holy, pure and good, given forth by the pure Lawgiver Christ Jesus; And they revile not again; being cursed they bless: and although they suffer wrongfully, yet they threaten not, but commit themselves and their cause to God which judgeth righteously: And herein do they that fear the Lord follow Christ, who suffered for us, leaving us an Example, that we should follow his steps, who commands to fear God, and to honour all men, and to honour the King, and to submit to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake, whether it be to the King as supreme, or unto other Governors as unto those that are sent for the punishment of Evil-doers, and for the praise of them that do well. And herein is Submission and Subjection declared; which is accordingly done by the Servants of the most high God, not for wrath, but for conscience sake towards God.  
And again I say it is no sin to stand with my hat on before the higher Powers, because Where there is no Law, there is no transgression; For every day I go about my Occasions at home and abroad, and stand or sit with my hat on my head before the great God of I heaven and earth my Maker in his sight and presence, out of which I cannot go, who is the highest of all Powers: and for so doing my conscience doth not accuse me for sin. For I know that if it were a sin, that of God in my conscience would condemn me for so doing: and if my conscience did condemn me, God is greater who would condemn me also: And seeing it is no sin for me to walk, sit or stand with my hat on my head before the great God of heaven and earth, who is the highest of Powers, by whom King's reign; than it is no sin for me to stand with my hat on my head before the lesser Powers: And if it be no sin for me to stand with my hat on my head before the great God of heaven and earth that lives for ever; than it is no sin for me to stand with my hat on my head before them that are called Gods, who shall die like men. And again, if it be no sin for me to stand with my hat on my head before the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords (which sitteth amongst them and the Judges) and hath power to pull down one, and set up another; than it is no sin for me to stand with my hat on my head before a King, Lord, Judge, Justice or any other Magistrate, who have no Law from him by whom they rule to command me to take my hat off, and stand bareheaded before them in respect to their persons.  
And again, the putting off the hat, and the standing bareheaded before the Ruler, Judge or Justice, or other Magistrate, singly and alone or before them in the Courts of Judicature, as the multitude of the world doth, is but eye-service done to please the Magistrate, while his eye is on them, and they in his sight; But those that fear the Lord, they deny all eye-service, For whatsoever they do they do it in singleness of heart as unto the Lord, and not unto man, or to please man in respect to their persons, contrary to the Command of God. For I tell you both Judges and Justices, that those People that put their hats off and stand bareheaded before you while they are in your sight, in respect to your persons which you call honour, even they will and do, when they are out of your sight transgress all laws (without any fear at all of you, And what honour is this?) by swearing, lying, cursing, drunkenness, adultery, fornication, robbing, stealing, fight, quarrelling, murder and bloodshed, plotting how to set the wh●le Nation together by the cars, that thereby they might rule themselves over all, as daily Experience makes manifest, and ye yourselves be witnesses against them, who are brought before you for such transgressions, whom ye ought to punish for their evil deeds, and mind to do justice and judgement in the fear of the Lord, and take no notice of their hats (but of their evil deeds) for their hats do no evil, nor transgress no law, but do good by keeping of the head warm, and covering of it from the heat, cold and wet; and for this end let them keep on their hats as they do their other garments, and see that they honour God by leaving off their sins, and then there will be honour to the Magistrate indeed given for conscience-sake, and the Land will be cleansed of evil doers: Now the raiment is for the body, and given of God to Man to put on; For, (said jacob) if the Lord will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on: And Moses said, The Lord loveth the Stranger in giving him raiment; now the hat is one part of the raiment, which God hath given to man to cover his nakedness, for which it is to be put and kept on the body, which is for the Lord; so likewise the raiment is to keep the body from the cold, and the wet, and also from the parching heat of the Sun: Now seeing that God hath given unto all mankind raiment for these causes to put on, to cover the body with, then why should one man command another to take it off, and to uncover himself, or any part of his body, for which his raiment is given to him to be a covering thereof? Now all you who take men's hats from off their heads, and make them to stand bareheaded at your pleasure, you act contrary to God and his command, who saith, Do violence to no man. God he clothes man, and will you unclothe him, or any part of him? God he loves the Stranger in giving of him raiment: and will you make a profession of God and Christ, and when a Stranger comes before you, will you cause his hat which is pair of his raiment, to be pulled off from his head, and to stand bareheaded to take cold, or to be overheat with the heat of the Sun, or to be wet with the rain or snow; and will you have him to suffer these things, or any of them, by standing bareheaded in respect to your persons? if ye will, leave off making a profession of God, for God is not mocked; But some of you (it is like) will say, that he may put on a cap, or two caps on his head, Is not that all one? For, is not the cap, or caps, made to cover the head, and to keep it warm, as well as the hats? And why are you more offended with a man that stands before you with a hat on his head, than you are with another that stands before you with a cap, or two caps upon his head, seeing that there is no law for one to transgress more than the other? Do not you show yourselves to be partial herein? And again, every man it is like is not provided with a cap ready to put on his head, and some are poor, and have not money to buy a cap or two with; and why should the poor man be compelled to stand bareheaded to get cold more than the rich? Or, again, Why should one that fears God, and cannot for conscience towards God put off his hat, and stand bareheaded before you in respect to your persons, be compelled to stand bareheaded when it is taken off from him, as the Swearer, Drunkard, Thief, Robber, and Murderer can do, (who transgress the Law) only to please you, and do it not out of any fear or Obedience to God.  
And again some have said, That to put off the hat, and to stand bareheaded before the Magistrate is the custom of this Nation; and therefore it is to be kept and observed before the Magistrate.  
But, God he commands the contrary, as the Scripture with me doth witness: For, saith the Lord, Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil: neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgement; neither shalt thou do after the works of the Canaanites, the Hivites, the Perizites, the Hittites and the jebusites. And Solomon said, The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the Lord: And, If sinners entice thee, consent thou not to them. Therefore those that are the Servants of the Lord God are not to to do after the manner of the Heathen, nor to follow a multitude to do evil, nor to fashion thmselves according to the World, and as they did in the time of their ignorance according to their former Lusts, when they walked in a vain conversation received by tradition from their Fathers: By following of which Traditions, they transgressed the Commandments of God, 
Mat. 15.3.  but being called to holiness of conversation, in obedience to God they are to observe no such Traditions.  
But some have said that the Custom of the Nation is law; and likewise that the Law maintains the Nations Customs.  
If the putting off the hat, and standing bareheaded before the Magistrate, either alone or in open Court, be a Custom, and that the Law of the Land maintains it for a Custom, then let any of the Judges or Counsellors of the Land make known that Law, that maintain it for a Custom: or let them show one Precedent for it, or whose Case it was in law that was so fined, and sent to prison till payment of the said Fine of twenty Marks; or whatever parties goods were ever distrained of for not paying the said Fine; or whether ever any Fine was brought into the Exchequer for such a thing; and in what King or Queens Reigns it was in, since William the Conqueror's time, that any man or men were fined twenty Marks a piece, and sent to prison till payment of the same, by any Judge of justice of the English Nation: or let them show me any Example from any one Judge, Ruler or King, that judged, or ruled over Israel, or from any of the Heathen Kings that the Scripture speaks of.  
For Moses, he was a Ruler and a Judge over Israel, and the Scripture doth not anywhere testify that he set a Fine upon any man for not putting off his hat, and standing bareheaded before him; nor sent any ●an to prison for any such thing; neither did he give any charge or Command to the Judges that judged the People at all seasons, so to do. For said Moses, I charged your judges at that time, saying, 
Exod. 18.25, 26.  Hear the Causes between your brethren's and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him: ye shall not respect persons in judgement, but you shall hear the small as well as the great; you shall not be afraid of the face of man, 
Deut. 1.16, 17.  for the judgement is Gods. And the Cause that is too hard for you, bring it before me, and I will hear it, and in this charge there is no mention made of hats to be put off by the people, nor standing bareheaded before them, neither do I find that joshua who was a Ruler over Israel after Moses, that he fined any man, and sent him to prison for not putting off his Hat, and not standing bare headed before him; neither did he give any charge to the heads of the people, the Rulers, Judges, and Officers so to do; for joshua called them together, and said to them, I am old and stricken in age, be ye therefore very courageous to keep, and to do all that is written in the book of the Law of Moses, 
Josh. 23.2.6, 11, ver.  that ye turn not aside therefrom, to the right hand, or to the left; take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that you love the Lord your God. Did Gideon, Jeptha, Deborah, Samson, Eli, Samuel, or any other of the Judges that judged Israel, command the people to put off their hats, and to stand bareheaded before them? or fine and send any to prison, to lie there till payment of the said fine, for not putting their hats off, and standing not bareheaded before them? Or did any of the Kings of Israel and Judah that feared the Lord, as David, Solomon, Jehosaphat, Josiah, or Hezekiah, or others that feared the Lord, command any man to put off his hat, and to stand bareheaded before them? Or if they did not, did any one of them fine any man, and send him to prison to lie there till payment of the said fine? (as some of the Judges of this Nation have done to some of those people called quakers:) Or, did any of those Kings give any charge to the Judges so to do to the people that did not put off their hats, and stand bareheaded before them, yea or nay? For I find that Jehosaphat set Judges in the Land, throughout all the fenced Cities of Judah, City by City, and he said to the Judges, Take heed what ye do; 
2 Chro. 19.5, 6, 7.  for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with you in judgement: Wherefore, said he, now let the fear of the Lord be upon you, take heed, and do it; for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts; and in this charge to all the Judges by Jehosaphat, here was no mention made of hats, or did any of the idolatrous Kings of Israel and Judah, as Rehoboam, Jeroboam, Zimri, Ahab, Zedekiah, or others of those Kings, command the people to put off their hats, and to stand bareheaded before them, or did they set fines upon any of the people that did not put off their hats, and stand bare headed before them, or send them to prison till payment of the same, yea or nay? Or did any of the heathen Kings which the Scripture speaks of, as Pharaoh King of Egypt, or Nabuchadnezzar King of Babylon, or Caesar, Herod, or others, fine any man, and lend him to prison to lie there till payment of the said fine, for not putting off their hats, and standing not bareheaded before them, yea or nay?  
You Judges of England, who have done thus, see if you have any precedent for what you have done, or any example in all the Scriptures; and if you have not, then to that of God in every one of your consciences that bears me witness, that you have exceeded all the Kings, Rulers and Judges, that ever have gone before you, in this invention that ye have sought out now of late; And what do you make a profession of God, and of Christ, and seek out inventions? And are not you ashamed that you are discovered by the light, to be in the inventions, and to exceed therein beyond the very Heathen that have gone before you, which are spoken of in the Scripture? I am sure you have no example from Oliver, Protector, for this; for he never set any fine upon any man, no nor sent any man to prison, for standing with his hat on his head before him, neither did I ever hear that he was offended with any man, or men, for their so doing; and I am sure that he and his Council have not made any Law for you to act so by; if they had, it would have been published as well as others have been: And seeing you have no example from Oliver Protector, nor any Law from him and his Council for your so doing; then I appeal to all understanding men, whether you do not disgrace his Government, and dishonour him the chief Ruler of the Commonwealth, by doing such things in the Corners of the Land in his name, for which you have neither Law, nor Example from him for your so doing, whom ye ought to honour, as well as others. And now to you the Judges, who have set fines upon men, and sent them to prison to lie there till payment of the same, for nothing but because they could not for conscience sake towards God, and in respect to your persons, put off their hats, and stand bareheaded before you; I say, Stand still a little while, and commune with your own hearts, and see whether you have kept the Law of God, and judged for the Lord in this thing: or, whether you have not gone beyond the rule that God hath showed you; that is, He hath showed thee, O Man, what is good, and what the Lord doth requ●re of thee; but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God: Have you done thus yea or nay? Or, 
Judge's Oath, 18 Ed. 3. Stat. 3.  see if ye have done according to your own Law and Oath; that is, That ye shall do even Law and execution of right to all Subjects rich and poor, without having ●egard to any person, and in case any Letters come to you contrary to the Law, that ye do nothing by such Letters, and go forth and do the Law; and by the Law no man of what estate or condition that he be, 
Anno 28 Ed. 3. ch. 3.  shall be put from his Land or Tenement, or taken and imprisoned, or disinherited, or put death, without being brought into answer by due process of Law; now see if ye have gone according to your own rule, and kept within your own bounds, and if ye have not kept within your own rule which is but man's Law, neither have you any Law from God to act so by; then consider, How do you think to execuse yourselves, when the Lord God shall call you to an account, and say, Who hath required this at your hands? What answer will you make him? What have you to show, whereby to justify yourselves? How do you think to stand before the Lord in judgement, that have done such things against his servants, who saith, Touch not mine anointed, and do my Prophets no harm; and you that have touched them, have touched the apple of his eye, for they are his Jewels, and Christ says, What ye have done unto them, he takes as done unto himself: Therefore I tell you it were better for you, that you had never been born, or that a millstone were hanged about your necks, and you cast into the Sea, then to offend the least of these little ones, except you speedily repent.  
Be wise therefore now, O ye Kings, be instructed ye judges of the earth; serve the Lord with fear, serve him in love, and in singleness of heart; Kiss the Sun, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled; while you have time prise it, and humble yourselves before the Lord, and submit yourselves under the mighty power of God; For now is the day of your visitation, and to day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, but fear the Lord God, which is the beginning of wisdom, which will guide you to do true judgement, and the fear of the Lord is to departed from iniquity.  
This is written to be printed, that every Ruler, Judge, and Justice, or other Officer in this Nation may each have one, and that those friends into whose hands this book shall come, may send them to those Rulers, Judges, or Justices that they know, that all they who have not yet acted such things as is herein contained, may (if they fear the Lord, and rule, and judge for him) be prevented, and that the other may be left without excuse, that are without his fear, acting in their own wills, by their own inventions, against the Lord, and against his anointed.  
Henry Clark.  
The End.