The skirts of the WHORE DISCOVERED, And the mingled People in the midst of Her.  
In a Letter sent by Denys Hollister to the Independent Baptised People, who call themselves a Church of Christ in Bristol, but are found to be a ' Synagogue of Satan' in Answer to a Charge brought to him from them by some of their Members, and by him for the sake of the Simple-hearted among them, from whom it hath been kept, and for the manifesting of Deceit and Hypocrisy published.  
Together with another Letter written by him to Thomas Ewens, a Teacher among them, who before several Witnesses hath often denied himself to be a Minister of the Gospel, as his fruits also declare] referring to his speaking among his people of having Sarah Latchet a servant of Jesus, once a member among the Baptists, sent to Bridewell, and whipped for testisying to them in the name of the Lord in their meeting the second. day of the ninth Month. 1655.  
And likewise an Answer to 16 Antiqueries directed to the People called Quakers, which Answer was sent to Thomar Ewens, from whom the Antiqueries were received, though john Pendarviss a long time after published the Antiqueries by the name of Queries, without the Answer to them, or taking the least notice of it [in a Book entitled Arrows against Babylon] which hath occasioned the presenting of the one, and the other, now to the view of those who read, and understand, to judge of the whole, and of their unfair and deceitful dealing.  
For the greatness of thine iniquities are thy skirts discovered, and thine heals made bare.  
In her tkirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents', I have not found it upon secret search, but upon all these.  
Were they ashamed when they had committed these abominations? nay they were: not at all ashamed, neither could they blush.  
I know the Blasphemies of them, which say they are Jews, but are not, but are the Synagogue of Satan.  
Take away her Battlements, for they are not the Lords.  
Forlo I will raise, and cause to come up against Babylon an Assembly of great Nations from the North Country, and they shall set themselves in array against Her, from thence she shall be taken, their arrows shall be as of a mighty expert man, none shall retu●● in vain, all ye that bend the bow, shoot at her, spare no arrows, for she hath sinned against the Lord.  
LONDON, Printed for Giles Calvert, and are to be sold at his Shop at the si●… of the Black-Spread-Eagle at the West-end of Paul's. 1656.   

To the Reader.  
Reader,  
HAving received a charge of several particulars as to sin, by Robert Simpson, Robert purnel, and Richard Moon, from the baptised Independent-People, who call themselves a Church of Christ, with whom I have walked in oustward fellowship many years; and about the space of 8, or 9 years past, at their request taken the care of them as an Elder (they having no pastor, nor Teacher) to which upon my refusal they often Eected me, I prepared my defence thereunto in Writing, which thou hast in the second following paper, which I intended only to themselves (and not to be made public to the rest of the World) in answer to what they seen to me, and to manifest to their Consciences that deceit and hypocrisy in which of a truth they inhabit; so that the dreadful terrible day of the Lord, in which no iniquity or deceit can stand, which is now at the door, and hasteth greatly, is like to be upon them before they are ware, and to awaken, if it were possible, those slumbering Virgins that are yet amongst them, after whose souls of a truth my bowels yern; that so they might be gathered out of all deceitful paths, in which they are led by the sleights of men (like an Ox to the slaughter, and a fool to the correction of the stocks) up to Christ jesus, the Light, and the Life of men, yea the Wisdom and Power of God, and so come to Witness not only a Lamp of profession, but Oil in their own Vessels, whereby the true Light is maintained, by which alone the Bridegroom can be followed into the Marriage-Chamber.  
But knowing how subtly the Serpent, whose head must be bruised, works in some Children of disobedience amongst them to keep them in the snares of Satan, in security and blindness, that the true way to everlasting peace they may never know, but the things thereunto belonging hid from their eyes: not only by crying peace, peace to that, which of a truth is for destruction, and daubing with untempered Mortar that house, of which according to my measure I bear testimony shall never stand, when the winds blow, and the floods beat: but also by corrupting, opposing, and keeping from their hearing whatsoever might tend to their good: There appeared to me some disficulty how to get it truly and faithfully read, and communicazed among the people to whom it was intended: And therefore having sent for Robert Simpson, and Robert purnel, two of the Messengers they sent to me, and read in their hearing what I had written to their Company, I demanded of them whether they were free to take it, and read it truly and faithfully to the rest at a full meeting? Who replied, they saw nothing in it, for which it ought not to be so communicated, and promised to do it, if the people would hear it; only desired me to take notice, that notwithstanding they could not but acknowledge they were guilty of what I had therein charged upon them, viz. pride, hypocrisic, envy, slandering, backbiting, railing, lying, etc.) yet it did not reign among them, but was their burden: Yet notwithstanding, when it was made mention of to be read in the meeting, so great was the deceit among them, that it could not be suffered; and the better to cover the deceit, that the simple might be beguiled, and not discern it, a fasting day, as they called it, being appointed, a clear answer from God to some is pretended, that the said Letter must not be opened and read, lest the weak be thereby stumbled, or to that effect: And so after about a month's space was it returned, and left not with me, but with my servant, and never permitted to come to the hearing of those to whom it was intended, nor any reason or cause signified to me why it was so returned, although I waited patiently above three months for it; but in stead of receiving any answer to their first lying accusations & standers, of which I know I am clear in many, if not in all their Consciences, the aforesaid persons came the second time pretending themselves Messengers of the Church of Christ, and in his name to lay the former things with some other, as false additions to my charge, and admonish me thereof.  
Which when they had done, I beginning to reply, and to vindicate myself from their accusations, and to answer what they had said, they hasted away, and would not hear, and said they were not to stay to receive any answer, which was their manner also in many other places, fulfilling the Scripture, that the Wicked cannot stand in judgement, nor sinners in the Congregation of the Just, but flies when no man pursues. Now forasmuch as hereby it plainly appears, that the intent, and end of those who sent the aforesaid charge to me, was but to slander and accuse, as hath been the manner of the Devil and his Instruments from the beginning, who is the accuser of the Brethren; and for that, hereby my just and necessary defence is kept from the simple-hearted amongst them, after whom my soul longs, and for whose sakes it was principally intended: Therefore that they may come to the knowledge thereof, and that the exceeding deceit and filthiness of the rest may be made manifest, and the skires of the Whore discovered, I am even constrained thus to make it public, that not only themselves, but all, in whom any spark of honesty and true discerning is, may read, and judge, and so be led to consider their ways, brought to repentance, and acknowledgement of the truth, that their sonles may be saved in this great and notable day of the Lord jesus, which is the true desive of him, that was, and is a Lover of their souls, known by the nature of  
D. H.   

TO THE INDEPENDENT BAPTISED PEOPLE IN BRISTOL.  
Friends,  
Whilst I slumbered, and slept in security, and outward fellowship among you absent from the Bridegroom, and the Father's house, and knew not the Bread of Life which came down from Heaven, and is the life of men, but fed you in wisdom of words, and spoke unto you smooth things, how was I as a prophet well esteemed among you? but after that the kindness and love of God appeared, and by the ministration of the Spirit, which excels in glory (after which my soul had long travelled) I was made in some measure to see the sandiness of all Foundations, and Professions, which stood in the Imagination, not in the Life, and so the emptiness of your Form, and the foundation of your Religion to be but in the imaginations, which is only evil continually, and all your Worships and Services which from thence proceed, to be but the Witchcrasts and Sorceries of Babylon, by which Nations are deceived, and the Priests your Leaders to be one in the same nature with the Magicians and Sorceress of Egypt and Babylon, who by the same spirit withstood Moses and Daniel then, as they and you do now the truth; and so the same necessity and ground to separate and withdraw from you, and your worshipping, as formerly from the Parishes, and their Whoredoms, and began to warn you of it; how soon were you offended, and some of you greatly enraged! Yet so tender was my heart towards you, that for your sakes I did bear my burden among you for a season, till he, who hath mercy on the ignorant, and those that are out of the way, plucked me, as a brand out of the fire, from amongst you, and gave me opportunity by your passionate, furious, and unchristianlike behaviour in your Assembly, when others took their leave, and testified against you, to acquaint you (after I had been witness against that spirit that then acted you) that although I was altogether ignorant till then of any others being there to take their leaves, yet had I the same thing to propound concerning myself, and so tender over you I was, that I only desired leave (till I more sully see which way the Pillar and Cloud moved) to come into your meetings, or not; and if I came, and had not freedom to speak among you, as formerly, but in silence to wait, that offence might not be taken by any, assuring you that I made not this motion out of any levity, or lightness of spirit, but of awfulness, sear, and dread of the Living God; not to satisfy the flesh, the affections, or lusts thereof, by living idly, loosely, or carelessly in the World, but to deny myself, and crucify the flesh, by casting off whatsoever might feed and nourish the same: Not because I was at all shaken in mind as to sellowship, or communion of Saints, but because I seared you were not the Spouse of Christ, but an Harlot, and that your communion and sellowship was not in the light and life of the Spirit of Christ, but in the spirit of the world, which is the spirit of Whoredoms: And how tenderly I behaved myself afterwards towards you, without doing, or speaking aught by which you might be offended, or your minds made evill-affected towards the truth, is in part known to some of you. Nevertheless, the wrath and rage of many of you waxed great against the Truth, and was made manifest, by much railing, reviling, slandering, and false accusing in your, Pulpits, and other your Meetings; those that entertained the same, in which my self was a Sharer, and matter was sought for, whereof to accuse me; but when nothing justly could be sound, an accusation made up of apparent lies, falsehood, and deceit (as is manifest in my Reply) is prepared, and sent me by three of your Members, being all the men you have lest of those to whom I was joined) and two of them became Imitators of Waterbaptism, a practice disowned and testified by those to whom I joined; but when I had prepared my Defence, in answer to your Accusations, I sent for two of your aforesaid Messengers, to whom I read what I had written to you; and manifested my desire to have it publicly read among you at a full meeting, and asked their freedom to do it, who answered, they were free to do it, and saw no reason why it should not be so done, and told me, I had created more trouble and pains for myself, because an Answer to it I might be sure to receive; yet when it came (so great was the deceit among you that) it could not be permitted to have an hearing by you, lest thereby (as was pretended) the weak should be stumbled; but the truth was, lest deceit and hypocrisy should be thereby manifested to the view of the simple-hearted among you, who discerning the same, might be drawn out of your snares, and Satan lose his dominion over them, and that the eyes of their minds might be the more effectually blinded, kept it was till a Fasting day was appointed, and therein an Answer pretended by some among you from God that it must not be read.  

* Isa. 58.4. Behold you fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness.  And so after a month's space, or thereabouts, was it returned, not into mine, but into the hand of one of my servants, without signifying in the least to me any reason why it was so returned. And as if your former wickedness had been too little, in laying things to my charge which I never knew, and refusing to receive, or to hear my charge which is just and true, you proceed to another wickedness little less than the former, and send your Messengers again in the name of the Lord (as they said) who charged me once more with the same false accusations, with some other feigned and false additions, who, as soon as they had done, fled away as men surprised with fear, or accused by their own Consciences, and said, they were not to receive any answer, and so hasted away, espeially the two Baptists, notwithstanding I urged them by several Arguments to hear a little, and told them it was the wicked that did flee, and could not stand in the judgement, but the righteous was bold as a Lion: And afterwards meeting with Robert Simpson, who was the mouth of your three messengers (my bowels moving towards him) I put it to his Conscience what he had done, and asked how he durst come to me, and in the name of the Lord lay to my charge that I affirmed the Scriptures of truth were one of the greatest plagues in the Land, when as I never spoke, nor thought any such thing? Who answered, he spoke it not, nor laid it to my charge, neither did he hear any such thing from me; I told him I had it under his hand, which he confidently denied before several witnesses; I told him I could show it; he replied, if I could, he would acknowledge himself a liar before those then present: I desired him to stay a little, and I would fetch his paper, who answered, he should not stay; I desired him to call again that Evening, or the next morning, and he should see it; who replied, he had other business to do, or to that effect, and so passionately departed: upon which, the next day I writ to him as followeth.  
The Letter to ROBERT SIMPSON.  
Robert Simpson,  
IT came upon me in soberness yesterday to manifest to thy Conscience a little of the deceit in which thou inhabitest, not knowing of another opportunity by reason of thy sudden departure for London, and therefore charged thee with coming to me with lies in the name of the Lord, and demanded of thee how thou durst in the name of the Lord tell me, and so lay to my charge that I said or affirmed that the Scriptures were one of the greatest plagues of the Land, when I never spoke, or thought any such thing: To which thou replyedst, thou never spoke it, nor laid it to my charge; I told thee I had it under thy hand, which thou boldly and confidently didst deny again and again; and when I told thee I could show it under thy hand, thou replyedst it was not so, or to that effect; and that if I could produce any such thing thou wouldst acknowledge thyself a liar before those men who were then present: Now the liar is without, and for the Lake; and a proud look, a lying tongue, and a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations the Lord hates: But thy lips hath spoken lies, and thy tongue hath uttered perverseness; and as the false witness shall not be unpunished, so he that speaketh lies cannot escape: Now having found thy paper, the fifth thing thou layest to my charge, is in these words, whi●h thou mayst see when its convenient: viz. Speaking reproachfully of the precious Scriptures of Truth: As first affirming it was a blinding to souls; and secondly, one of the greatest plagues of the Land; where thou mayst take notice of a lie invented among you, a lie prosecuted, a lie denied, and the lie proved upon thee: Therefore oughtest thou to own thy condemnation, which is just, and repent before he appear, who is a swift witness against all liars: And by this also mayst thou with the rest of thy company take notice what the nature of the rest of the Charge is, which in the name of the Lord, which is dreadful, both thou and they have laid to me.  
Friend, I do not insuli over thee, nor delight in thy woe and misery, but sorely grieved I am, to see how the man of sin, that wicked one, whom the Lord is now risen as a mighty man refreshed after wine to destroy with the glory of his coming, it exalted among you, who once were so dear unto me, and that your eyes are so blinded; and that thy heart is so hardened, that though your root is become rottenness, and your fruit withers, and you become like stubble fully dry; yet art thou insensible, and canst not see, but under a cloak of Profession hid yourselves, as if you were delivered to commit abomination; but all that I desire at this time as to thee, is, that thou repent, and pray God that the thoughts of thy heart may be for given, and that thou fear and tremble before the dreadful God, whose name thou hast taken in vain, and cannot be hold guiltless: Which is the groaning of thy friend, who is a Lover of thy soul, though a Witness against thy deceit, who in the world is known by the name of D. H.  
25th. first month, 1646.  
Upon the reading whereof I shall not now mention his wrath and passion, though it much exceeded the bounds of moderation, but to the Letter I have received no answer: Now therefore upon the whole matter, let the unjustness of your proceed be considered: Nicodemus a Pharisee could say, Doth our Law judge a man before he be heard? And Festus, a Heathen Roman Governor, was so noble, That he heard Paul's defence as to the accusations made against him by his own Countrymen: And King Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself: But ye have falsely accused, judged, and condemned me, and refused to hear my defence, which in writing I sent you; and not only so, but sent your Messengers the second time with like false accusations, which Messengers, would not receive my answer, saying, They were not to do it; and when I met with him, who was the mouth of the three, and put it to his conscience what he had spoken with his mouth, and writ with his hand, he denied it, and fled, and refused to hear any farther; and when I charged him with it, he (like the man cast into utter darkness) became speechless, so as not to answer me by word or writing. Are these the people of the Lord? are these his do? Is this the Church of Christ, or the Harlot? Ye who are simple-hearted among the people called Churches, consider of it, take advise, and speak your minds, whether such things as these have been done in Israel? And whether being thus dealt withal and constrained, I could do less then publish this to the view of all men, without an apparent suffering of myself, and the everlasting Truth of God by me owned, which is dearer to me then thousands of gold and silver, to lie under such false accusations and slanders, as a fore said.  
And now friends, having thus given you a particular and true account of proceed, and the manner of them, let me ask you what aileth the mountains and the hills: Are ye grieved, that I (having at last sound the Pearl of great price, which in the field of this World was, and is hid) am in some measure made freely willing to sell all, yea, the repute and esteem I had with you and others, called Churches, that I might possess it; and that I have found him whom my soul loveth, even him of whom Moses and the Prophets did write, and the Apostles, and living Saints did, and doth witness, even Jesus which saves his people from their sins, and redeems them from all iniquity, who is the light of the World, and the life of men; the living Way, the Resurrection, and the Life, the faithful and true Witness; the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End, who was dead and is alive, and lives for evermore: Whom you with me were long seeking among the dead, but could not find because he was not there, but was risen, and is gone before his people, whom he leads with a strong hand from under Pharaoh and all his host, his Magicians and wise men; the King of Babylon and all his Counsellors, to give them freedom and rest in the promised Land, to the terror and astonishment of the World, and the disquietment of the Inhabitants of Babylon, where they shall feed as in days of old, and the Lord delight to dwell amongst them, and multiply them, and set his Sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.  
Are the pillars and foundation of your building so feeble, that a Letter from the hand of a friend, that dearly loves you, (and is become as your enemy only for telling you the truth, and embracing it) makes it tremble and shake, so that you durst not suffer it to be read amongst you, lest it fall: Hath fear indeed surprised the Hypocrite? Doth the wicked know that he cannot stand in Judgement, but must be destroyed by the brightness and glory of Christ's appearing and coming? Have ye not read in the Scripture, That they that trust in the Lord, shall be as mount Zion, that cannot be shaken; and that the house built upon the rock stands, notwithstanding the wind, rain, and floods beat and dash against it: Yea, that all the gates and powers of hell cannot prevail against it; and that they that serve God acceptably, receive a Kingdom that cannot be shaken, and that all that may be shaken must be removed: Why then are ye afraid? Do ye not hereby declare and manifest, that ye are children in whom is no faith, and that the light of God in your consciences hath manifested to you that your building is on the sands, not on the rock, and that your foundations is not eternal, but in the imaginations only, though to it you attend not? And is not he your friend, that warns you of it in time, and bids you attend to wisdom, which cries and utters her voice in your streets, and saith, Turn ye at my reproof, and I will pour out my spirit upon you.  
But why must not my defence be heard, if it contains only truth, must it therefore be shut out from among you, and not suffered to have an hearing in your Assembly, lest thereby deceit and Hypocrisy be discovered, and the man within you is so strongly armed, lose his Palace? if it contain other than truth, why had you not made it manifest, that I might repent, since you pretend your love is so great that pou cannot cease praying for my return back to you, though I have often denied those Prayers? Isa, 1.15. When you make many Prayers, I will not hear.  
Are ye not many, and I but one, and such an one whom you may easily encounter, if truth and power were on your side? Did not your messengers tell me they saw nothing in it, for which it might not be read in your meeting, & that I had but created more labour and trouble for myself, because an answer to it I might be sure to receive? To which I replied, An answer to it I would willingly receive from them to whom it was sent, and advised, that they took care it were to some purpose, and not a parcel of weakness and confusion; to which end you might call to your assistance the men of your Confederacy, the Tabernacles of Edom, the Ishmaelites, Moab, and the Hagarenes, etc. and instanced some lately invited and entertained by you, who opened their mouths in Blasphemy against God, his Tabernacle, and them that dwell therein: And this I did the rather, because I have seen put forth by Priests and People such parcels of falsehood and confusion (yet it's like the best they had) that is was no ways worth perusing or answering.  
Why had not your messengers delivered it into mine own hands, from which it was received, that their promise might not be broken; or signified some reason or other, why it was so returned; and why could they not stand to receive a sober and true answer from my mouth, when they came the second time with your false and feigned accusations? had shame and confusion covered their faces, or was there so much guilt in their consciences, that they durst not appear to deliver the one, lest some reason should be demanded of its return, and they confounded, & the refore shuffled it into the hand of a servant, without so much as ask me in 3 month's time, whether I had it or not, that they might be clear of their promise; or to receive a short answer to the other, lest thereby their guilty consciences should so far condemn them, that they be forced to acknowledge the truth, both of mine innocency and their own, and your hypocrisy and wickedness: Is fear, the pit, and the snare fallen upon thee? Oh, thou inhabitant of the earth! hath the Lord, who tryeth the righteous, reigned upon thee snares as the portion of thy cup, that thou become every way ensnared in the work of thine own hands!  
Oh! that your eyes were opened by him, that is given for a Covenant, that you might see it and repent, and seek after the living God, whose wisdom and strentgh is against you to cut you down, except you return: How can you say you are wise, and the law of the Lord is with you? what Judgement is there in your go? do not the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees far exceed yours? Read, consider, and be not deceived, for the day of Visitation is come, and the Lord waits to be gracious, and wisdom cries in your streets, though ye regard it not, but set at naught her counsels, and refuse her reproofs, and the redeemer is come to Zion; and to all that turn from ungodliness in jacob, the voice of the turtle, and singing of birds is heard and witnessed in our land, and the cry at midnight is made, Behold the Bridegroom cometh, and many are gone forth to meet (and have met him) And therefore awake, awake ye sleepy Virgins, arise ye women that are at ease, harken and hear ye careless daughters, whose vintage hath long failed, and whose gathering doth not come; who art wearied in thy way, yet sayest not there is no hope; who haste wickedly abused thyself to obtain that which Moses by faith refused: Happy would you be, if your souls, which long have been in captivity under the wisdom and policy of the first Adam might be raised, and have dominion, and you come to witness your part in the first resurrection, where the second death hath no power.  
O my friends, what shall I say unto you, or how shall I entreat you! for I bear you record, that some of you have a great zeal of God, but not according to knowledge, but going about to establish your own wisdom, have not submitted yourselves to the wisdom of Christ, nor his Cross, which is foolishness to some, and a stumbling block to others, but is known and witnessed by those that are saved, to be the very wisdom of God.  
Now in the words of job I shall conclude to you, job 13.1, 2. Loc, mine eye hath seen all this, mine ear hath heard and understood it; what ye know, the same do I know, also I am not Inferior to you: Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God; but ye are forgers of lies, ye are all Physicians of no value: O that ye would altogether hold your peace, and it should be your wisdom! hear now my reasoning, and hearken to the pleading of my lips: Will ye speak wickedly for God, and talk deceitfully for him? Will ye accept his person? will ye contend for God? Is it good that he should search you out, or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock him? he will surely reprove you: If ye secretly accept persons, shall not his excellency make you afraid, and his dread fall upon you? your remembrances are like unto ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay.  
Now all the Churches in England and Wales, Baptised and Independent so called, to whom I have been known in the flesh, and the Elders that are among them, I exhort (who also was accounted and called an Elder) that by the Light of Christ, with which you are every one enlightened (and is the true Light, of which john was a witness) you search yourselves, whether ye are indeed that which ye account yourselves to be, or else but the likeness, the picture, or the image of the thing, without the life or living power of God within you to act, order, and direct you: For the day of the Lord is great upon all the Idols, Likenesses and Images, which have eyes and do not see, and feet, and do not walk, etc. Like unto which are all those that make, or trust in them; and sad will be your portion, if you be found worshipping in the house of your Imagery and Imaginations, setting up the Images of Churches, in which the true life is not; or the likeness of Elders (without the power which the living Elders had) which is the works of your own hands; for the Scripture saith, Confounded be all they that serve graven Images, that boast themselves of Idols: And also I exhort you to be sober, Come out of Egypt, and stand still that you may see the salvation of the Lord, who is now leading his people like a stock, out of Egypt, and out of Babylon, as in the days of old, at which Pharaoh with all his Host is angry, and the Magicians and Wisemen of Egypt withstand, with whom many of you have already been partakers, in persecuting and in unwarrantable cruelties exercised upon the true Israel of God; by which you have sufficiently declared yourselves to be the feed which was born of the Bondwoman after she flesh, which persecuted, and must be cast out; and not the seed which was by promise born of the Freewoman, from above after the Spirit, which shall be Heir, and must reign, who in all ages was persecuted under one pretence or other, but did never persecute; but as then He that was born after the flesh, persecuted him that was born after the spirit; so it is now.  
And the innocent blood of righteous james Parnel, who hath suffered to the loss of his life, for the testimony of Jesus, in the Goal of Colchester, will sadly witness it to the Consciences of those pretended Ministers and Members of the Churches in Essex, who were his unjust betrayers and persecuters, against whom it cries aloud for vengeance; let some Members of Churches, whom I know in Norfolk, and other parts of the Nation, also consider this and repent: And therefore amend your ways and your do, and execute true Judgement and Justice; oppress not the stranger, the fatherless and widow, and shed not innocent blood, nor walk after the abominations of the Heathen, whom the Lord hath cut off before you; and trust not in lying words that cannot profit, saying, The Temple of the Lord, the Ordinances of God, The Churches of Christ, etc. For will ye lie, swear, deal unjustly, persecute, and imprison the righteous, slander, and abuse, and shed innocent blood, & do worse than your Fathers; and come & stand in that you call a Church, as if you were delivered to do these abominations? Is the House that is called by my Name become a Den of Robbers, or Persecutors in your eyes? Behold, I have seen it, saith the Lord: And although he hath daily sent unto you his Servants, and Prophets, warning you in his Name, and in his Power, yet have you not harkened unto him, nor inclined your ears, but hardened your necks, and many of you done worse than your Fathers; and therefore go see what he hath done to your Brethren the Persecuters, which he cast out before you.  
And for mine own part, I must deal plainly, and tell you, the beholding and observing the unrighteous actings, and deceitful hypocritical deal of many of your eminent Members, and other high pretenders to Religion, whilst I sat with them in Parliament, and other chief places of Counsel and Trust in the Nation, was one of the first things that put me upon consideration, what the root of that Profession should be, from whence such sour grapes, and fruits of bitterness proceeded; where I obtained mercy through the light of Christ, that enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world, to see the root and the fruit to be the same; your foundation rotten in the imitation and likeness of the truth, not in the truth as it is in Jesus; your way too broad to lead to life, your Principle and profession weak and powerless, not able to carry and lead you out of the World, and its crooked and deceitful ways; but in the lustful, proud, vainglorious, envious, oppressive nature, to dwell equal with the rest of the world, from whence it is since broken forth into the monstrous Viper of plain and open Tyranny, Violence and Persecution; in which you are observed greatly to exceed the Generations that went before you. Upon consideration of which, notwithstanding I have known what it is to be accounted something among those called Churches: what the preferment of Pharaohs Court is, and the great things of England, and have had a nature prone enough to embrace the same; yet for the sake of him, whom the world knows not, (and therefore persecute) who was ever a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief, have I chosen rather to suffer afflictions with the people of God, then to enjoy the Pleasures and Treasures of England; and can truly say, Much rather would I be a Doorkeeper in the House of God, where the living presence and power of God is manifested, known and witnessed, then with you to dwell in the Tents of ungodliness, where pride, oppression, violence, & persecution is owned and practised: These things are found among you, if any of you deny the Spirit of persecution, let him declare it; and any of you are tender hearted, and desire after the Lord, Come forth from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, faith the Lord God Almighty.  
The LETTER to the INDEPENDANT-BAPTIZED People.  
Friends,  
ALthough I cannot own any power at all you have over me, neither am careful of the judgement of man, who must abide the judgement of God, before whose seat all must shortly come: yet some Messengers from you having some time passed been with me, and told me they were sent by the Church of Christ, and in the name of Christ to warn me of some things they lay to my charge as sin: The true love I ever had to your souls, constrains me to give you an answer in all simplicity and plainness, and by the same spirit by which I often spoke among you, when many could not bear it, but were offended, as they still will be, which I matter not, well knowing from what fountain of darkness and ignorance it comes.  
But before I proceed to answer the Particulars, I must in faithfulness to your souls tell you, that I am even constrained to bear witness, that you are no Church of Christ, neither know the name of Christ, but a Synagogue of Satan, and a Cage of unclean and hateful Spirits; in which lodgeth Pride, Hypocrisy, Envy, Slandering, Backbiting, Railing, Lying, love to this present World; and conformity to the fashions, customs, and conversation of the same (notwithstanding there is that in some among you, after which my soul doth greatly groan with much long, that the salvation of God were come out of Zion, etc.) but the Temple of God is holy; Christ dwells not with these unclean Spirits: And it becomes all who name the name of the Lord, to departed from these iniquities; his Name is dreadful to it, and those that know his Name, know it so, etc.  
To the Particulars.  
1. You say my sin lies in leaving the Church, which hath these three sad considerations in it as you judge. The drawing of many from the Faith, and way of the Gospel: The offending, staggering, and grieving many weak souls: And the opening the mouths of many to speak evil of the ways of Truth. To which I Reply, That all Judgement is given to the Son, whom you being ignorant of, and enemies to in your minds by wicked works, by what can you judge, or what is your judgement worth? The Church I own as the Pillar and ground of truth, which are all living stones built upon the living Foundation, and groweth up into an holy Temple for God through the eternal Spirit, in which the Lord God Almighty dwells, and walks, and manifests himself, which Church I have not left: But if by the Church you mean a company of people dead in trespasses, without the life and power of godliness, or true knowledge of God by the Revelation of the Son, living in pride, in the customs, and loves of the world, serving divers lusts and pleasures, ever learning, but never comes to the knowledge of the Truth, walking like other Gentiles in the Vanities of their minds, having their understandings darkened, and hating the true Light, so that they are alienated from the life of God through ignorance, feeding on ashes, not on bread, having a dead Form without the living power of Godliness: From this if I turn away, it is not my sin, but my duty; and from this if any be drawn, it is matter of joy in Heaven, and of no sadness, except to that which is beneath, and to be cast out: At which, that which is offended, staggered, or grieved, may well be said to be Weak, and must perish. It is true, the mouths of many are now open to speak evil of the ways of Truth, and of things they understand not, as ever it was of old. But, as many among yourselves, are not the least in that transgression, so shall you not miss of righteous Judgement, (except you repent) in this approaching day, when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, Who is to be revealed from Heaven in flames of fire, to take Vengeance on them who know not God, nor obey the Gospel of our Lord jesus Christ, etc.  
2. You say my sin lies in neglecting and comtemning some of the Ordinances of Christ. To which I Reply. The Inventions, Traditions, and Imaginations of men's carnal wisdom withal that is done in the first nature, being bus cain's Sacrifice, and nol acceptable to God, I am learning to neglect and disesteem: Yea all that of which the Lord by the true Prophet Isay complains, Isay 11.10. to the 16. where you may read, that in the account of the pure God the multitude of Sacrifices, Oblations, Incense, New Moons, Sabbaths, solemn Assemblies, appointed Feasts, spreading forth the hands, and making many prayers, was to no purpose, no delight had the Lord in it, he required it not at their hands; it was vain, abominable, and burdensome to him, who could not away with it, his soul hated it, it was a trouble to him, it was iniquity coming from impure hearts, and bloody hands; but the ordinances and appointments of God to his people I own, approve, and long after in the pure light, life, and spirit, in which the true Saints had communion and fellowship.  
When I asked your Messengers (as they called themselves) what they meant in particular by the ordinances that I neglected: They rereplyed, Baptism by Water, and breaking of Bread. To which I answer: How can you but blush, when you consider that degree of deceit and hypocrisy in which you now speak, doth not that of God in all your Consciences reprove you? I know it doth, if you will observe it; and therefore in plainness, yet with true love let me ask you; how can you say to me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when behold a beam is in your own eyes? Can you judge me, and not condemn yourselves, who do the same things? A Member of an Anabaptist Assembly I never was, but did bear witness against it, as ye know; and the people with whom I walked was once near upon casting out one for entertaining that opinion of Waterbaptism: And when did you baptise (as you call it) your children? I have known no such thing in use among those with whom I walked these many years: And although many among you are now running from mountain to mountain, building Altars in your own inventions, yet can you not from thence Enchant, nor ensnare the Israel of God, the true Seed, whom the Lord hath blessed, and with whom the Lord of a truth is. And whereas you charge me with neglect of breaking of Bread, I answer: Have not you yourselves neglected it, have you meddled in any such thing for some years past? Oh my Friends, durst you pretend to come in the name of Christ with such things as these? know ye not that his Name is dreadful to all Hypocrites, and his wrath to be revealed against such Hypocrisy and Deceit? He loveth truth in the inward parts, and those that name his Name must departed from iniquity. But Baptism and the Supper of the Lord I own, etc.  
3. You say my sin lies in extreme censoriousness, and rash judging, not only of men abroad, but if the Church, calling the Church of Christ an Harlot. To which I reply, the charge is false, and from the Father of lies; for I never called the Church of Christ an Harlot, but do own it dearly, and in my measure know it to be chaste and pure, yea an habitation for the Lord, who dwells not with impurity, I judge it to be so; but the Harlot is an Harlot, and not the Church of Christ; and it is not my sin, but my duty to declare it so *. And let the Spirit that moved in your Assembly not only that day that proves my parting day, 
Rev. 1. ch. 3.9.  and when Eliz Marshal was sent of the Lord among you for your good, but at many other times since manifest, and testify who dwells there, & an habitation for whom you are; and whether you are an holy habitation for the pure God, or a Cage of unclean and hateful Birds: And truly in this, my desire is, that prejudice, passion, and fuay may not so blind your eyes: But that in the pure fear and light of the Lord you may consider, and try yourselves, that so you may not be deceived, and prove rebrobate silver in the day when God shall try you; for to trial you must come, etc.  
4. You say my sin lies in asserting the Church-Principles contrary to Truth: As first that Faith is an eternal thing. To which my Reply is, That Faith is a Mystery held in a pure Conscience, hid, and unknown to all ignorant and vulturous eyes (as well as to yours) And when you are guided by the pure light of Chr. to know what it is they speak, till which time it will be your wisdom to keep silence: For the wise man's eyes are in his head, but a fool will be meddling. Yet let me ask you, whether that Faith by which the Saints are justified, by which they overcame the world, by which they saw him that was invisible, by which their hearts are purified, by which Enoch was translated that he saw not death, and is the substance of things hoped for, be eternal, or carnal, or what middle place you have to account it in? Oh that you were not wise in your own eyes!  
Secondly, That Christ and Faith were all one. To which I only reply, that I never asserted any such thing, but enquired after it, as you very well know.— Yet this I say, let the difference be manifested by you, if you can, and how you will divide them.  
Thirdly, That Christ Jesus is not the object of Faith. To which my Answer is, that the word object (in this sense) is your own, not mine, nor the Scriptures; and therefore is denied, with much more of like stuff in use among you: But that Christ Jesus is the only foundation laid in Zion, and that no other foundation can be laid besides him, is it that I have, and still do assert, and affirm against all gainsayers and opposers whatsoever: And withal, that but very few in the world know this foundation, but are offended at him, and stumble at that stumbling stone, as it was in days of old. But plainly and honestly let me ask you, Why flow you question me for these Principles as you call them) now, i● it be for Connscience sake, as that which is your duty; why had you not done it sooner, or while I was among you? Why had you not then disapproved me by the Scripture? Why would you suffer things which you call Principles contrary to truth to be asserted among you without rebuke? I advise you once more to take heed, and beware of this Hypocrisy and Deceit; for God is not mocked: His name is dreadful, and must not be pretended to cloak and cover such deceitful actions.  
Did not many of your hearts burn within you when I spoke? did you not wait for my words? Why then do you now rake together things in your carnal imaginations to lay to my Charge, which I know not, and pretend the holy and dreadful name of God to it. Am I become your enemy because I told you the truth? Truly these hidden things of Esau will be sought out, the skirts of the Whore will be discovered, and all deceit manifested: And then woe from God will be the portion of thousands: But if the ground upon which you charge me be your passion, your corruption, carnal wisdom, and pretences to have something whereof to accuse me (as doubtless it is, and that in your Consciences will witness it) than I demand of you, whether your Charge, as well as your Church, is not to be denied, and witnessed against by every son and daughter of Zion as carnal, sensual, and devilish, and much like unclean persons, which whiles together in acts of uncleanness approve each others practices; but when separated, accuse one another of evil deeds. This cannot stand with devouring fire.  
5. You say my sin lies in speaking reproachfully of the precious Scriptures of Truth, affirming that it is one of the greatest Plagues of the Land, a blinding to souls, and not the Word of God, nor Rule of Life. All which is false, and from the Father of lies; for I never affirmed any of the three among you; though something of query hath been put concerning the two last; and therefore my Reply shall be to each, and shall say: The Scriptures of Truth I ever owned, and still do, as that which was given forth by inspiration of the Spirit, and is profitable, etc. But that ever I said, or thought, or that it ever entered into mine heart to think that it was one of the greatest Plagues of the Land, is so utterly groundless, false, and proceeds only from the father of lies, and invented by his instruments among yourselves, that I cannot but wonder what spirit hath possessed you, and that you durst mention such filthy Untruths, and pretend it in the name of Christ: But surely the righteous Judge, in whose presence the lying lip, and double tongue can never stand, will require it at your hands.  
It's true, I said the thing called the Body of Divinity by the Wizards of this world, was a plague to the Land, and do still affirm it to be so: Although I perceive some among you are so blinded by the god of this world, that they know not how to put a difference between the spirit of Witchcrafts, which acts in the Diana called Divinity, and the pure Spirit of Christ, by which the Scriptures were given forth.  
And whereas you accuse me for saying the Scriptures were a blinding, or a veil? I demand, where are your eyes? Hath the god of this world indeed so blinded it, that you cannot read plain words of Scripture, but lay that to my charge as sin, which is according to that which came out of the mouth of him whom you pretend to honour? Doth not Christ Jesus, the Light of the world, and the wisdom of God, say, Mdrk 4.11, 12. Unto you it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom; but to them that are without, all these things are done in Parables, that seeing, they might see, and not perceive, and hearing, they might hear, but not understand, etc. And the like words in Luke 8.10. Was not Isaiah sent to this purpose, to make the people's hearts fat, and their ears heavy, and to shut their eyes: And to say unto them; hear ye indeed, but understand not, and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Isa. 6. Do ye not understand that the Letter killeth, and the Spirit quickeneth; besides many other Scriptures manifesting the same thing.  
Oh my Friends! were you not wholly given over, and become past feeling, without any sense of the life and spirit of God, how can these things be, especially at such a time, when the night is so far spent, and the day so much appeared, and the true Light come, and the glory of the Lord risen, and the children of the Lord walking in the light of the Lord, and calling each other thereinto according to the Scriptures? were it not your way to be silent, and not manifest your ignorance and folly in accusing others for speaking upon the matter the very words of Scripture; when it is your own ignorance, even of the very Letter of Scripture, that is the cause of it?  
And whereas you accuse me for affirming in the Church, that the Scriptures were not the Word of God, and Rule of Life; when I only propounded it among you, to consider whether it was so or not. In this you manifest your ignorance, as well as in the former: And therefore I demand of you, where doth the Scripture call itself the Word of God, and to whom was it the rule of life? It is true, the Holy Scriptures of Truth declare of the Word, and that Word of which it declares, was God, and took flesh; and by that Word was the world made, and by the same Word it is reserved to the judgement of the great day: And if you can find the Scriptures declaring of any other Word of God, let me know it; and till then be silent, and add not your imaginations (which are only Evil, and that continually,) to the Scriptures.  
Thus having answered what you sent to me, I shall further add, that I take notice that God hath granted me that mercy, that in all studied accusations raked up together against me, you cannot find one particular thing to lay to my charge condemned by the spirit of Christ to be contrary to the Scriptures of Truth; and that all, or most part of what you seem to gather up, is of that which was done, or spoken, whilst I was among you, and not then reproved; and so your own evil is manifested, and not mine.  
But to conclude, for my heart is moved after some of you, why would you stone, or otherwise harm me, what evil have I done? Why do ye wait for my Halting, and lay snares for him that reproved you in times passed by words, and now by silence? Why are your spirits imbittered against him that thought nothing dear to do you service? Have I not served you freely many years together, and been a keeper of your Vineyard? In which all my reward from you was to bear, and be broken under your backbitings, murmur, formality, and unfruitfulness, and other evils, not a few then in being, and still is among you.  
Is it not time now for me to look to my own Vineyard, and to mind my Eternal Habitation? Have I ever made a gain of you, or any of you? Surely I have been servant to you near as long as jacob was to Laban for both his wives: And may I not now be permitted to mind mine own, but you must pursue like Laban after poor jacob, when God bid him return? I know, and am persuaded, that the most embittered spirit among you cannot but say I have been more righteous than you, more discerning, more faithful and diligent than you, (though I am not thereby justified, neither have I whereof to glory) And may I not say to you, as sometimes the poor Ass abused by the blind Prophet, said to his Master, what have I done? Have I not been your servant these many years? was I wont to do as now? Surely if ever the Lord take pleasure in you, and open your eyes, you will soon see the Angel in the way, and that the poor Ass hath more discerning, than the wilful, angry, and passionate Prophet.  
You are my Witnesses, that some manifestations of truth was breaking forth in me some years past, and was sometimes manifested among you, at which some of your hearts burned, some trembled, & some were offended, and contradicted, etc. Myself in all was groaning after power, spirit, and life, without which no satisfaction came to my soul; from whence I ceased not to warn you from day to day of your danger in the state where you stood short of the life. But you not being warned, how often hath mine heart lamented in your hearing in these and the like words.  
To whom shall I speak and give warning? you will not hear, your hearts are uncircumcised, and you cannot hearken. The word of the Lord is a reproach so you, and you have no delight in it. O that my head were water, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, etc. Oh that I had in the Wilderness a lodging-place of Wayfaring men, that I might leave my people, and go away from them; for they are Adulterers, an Assembly of treacherous men, and bend their tongues like bows for lies, but are not valiant for the Truth upon Earth, etc.  
But this seemed as idle words, yet was I made to proceed, and to warn you of the mighty day of the Lord now at the door, in which you could never stand I told you your foundation was on the sand, short of the life; your profession was in words, not in power; and that your mountains must be brought low, and your valleys exalted, before the Lord come to your Temple; and at last, that your Church was but an Harlot, and the spirit of whoredoms acted therein: All which, with much more not being believed, nor received, but entertained with offence and prejudice: What could I do but shake off the dust of my feet, and stand as a Witness against your deceit, and so betake myself into the Wilderness, as before I had said, in which the Lord speaks comfortably.  
And give me leave without offence to tell you, that in all this I understood, and knew what I spoke: Yea when I professed among you my ignorance of Christ, I well knew what I did; for mine eyes began to be opened by him, that was given for a covenant to open blind eyes: And therefore do bear testimony, that that knowledge also which you had then of Christ, shall profit you nothing; and that your habitation is in the midst of deceit, and through deceit ye refuse to know the Lord, but are feeding on ashes, not on bread, and so are a people rob and spoiled; yea, all of you snared in holes, and hid in Prison-houses, and are for a prey and for a spoil: And this shall ye know and witness eternally, when happily no place for repentance may be found, but the things belonging to your peace be hid from your eyes: But who among you will give ear to this? who will hearken and hear for the time to come? But when I consider both your danger and your confidence, and see but little probability of escape: How am I wounded at the heart, and made as it were to cry out, My bowels, my bowels? I am pained at the heart, I have laboured in vain, and spent my strength for nought; for the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously, and so you proceed from evil to evil, as appeareth this day; though the God of this world hath so blinded your eyes, that you cannot see it.  
I told you also whiles I was with you, that as many desired, and seemed to delight in the day of Christ's first appearance in flesh, could not stand when he appeared, but became his Betrayers and Murderers; so in his second appearance in Spirit, Power and Life, many of those that expected him, seemed to desire and earnestly pray for that day of Christ, would be found the greatest Enemies to him, and told you some of you would betray him; and how sadly it is already fulfilled in you, and made good by you: Let all to whom God hath given any measure of true discerning, judge, and see, if in envy, wrath, and rage, some of you exceed not the Heathen; yea all your Fathers, who in envy, wrath, and rage, persecuted the Prophets and holy men of God; that witnessed the truth in their generations.  
But my Friends, Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue, yea and the hand also? Are you not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood? Are your actions the actions of Isaac, the true seed, to whom the promise is made; or of Ishmael, that scoffed, or mocked, and must be cast out? of righteous Abel, or wrathful Cain; by your fruits are ye known, and the Harvest is come in which the wheat is gathering, and the tares and chaff is scattering and burning, and your saying, Lord, Lord, will not serve turn: Your saying and imagining you have Faith, will not save you, when your works are contrary, and proceed not from above, but from beneath. Why do ye rage's and imagine vain things? why do ye set yourselves, and take counsel together against the anointed one? why will ye break all his bonds, and cast his cords from you? by which he would draw and gather you to himself, in this day of his mighty power: The Lord hath set his King upon his holy Hill of Zion: Who from thence declares the decrees, & the Law is gone forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from jerusalem; & thousands are witnesses thereof, although it be your lot to be of that number that despise, and wonder, and must perish according to the Scripture, except ye repent: And therefore be wise, and kiss the Son, lest he be angry, etc. For truly you may associate yourselves, and take counsel of the enemies of the Lord; you may strike in confederacy with the enemies of our God, but you must be broken to pieces, for the Lord of Hosts is with us, and the shout of a King is among us, though we are as signs and wonders in Israel.  
But to be plain, from whence comes Wars, and Fightings that are among you? why do ye beat in your meetings (likewise Enemies of Christ in their Synagogues) as some of you did the tenth day of the seventh month at Richard Moons; if you had there met to call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth righteously, why had you not past your time in fear; but if you have bitter envyings, and strife in your hearts (as it is evident you then, and at other times had) glory not, and lie not against the truth, for this comes not from above, but is carnal, sensual, and devilish; and where strife and envy is, there is confusion, and every evil work: Therefore cleanse your hands ye sinners, and purify your hearts ye double-minded; be afflicted, and mourn, and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into heaviness, for God accepts not your sacrifice, but his wrath and fury is to be revealed against all ungodliness, and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness, as you do this day: And therefore the sinners in Zion are afraid, great fear hath surprised the Hypocrites.  
I beseech you read uprightly, without prejudice or deceit, the 83. Psalms, from end to end, and see if it contains not both your practice and portion: I advise you to stand still, if you will see the salvation, the Lord of a truth is working for his people: But if you will stand on the other side, rejoicing over the children of judah in the day of their calamity, and speak proudly in the day of her distress, and be like one of her enemies: Know, that the day of the Lord is near upon all the Heathen, her enemies, and as you have done, it shall be done unto you; as the Prophet witnesses, Obadiah 11.12, 13, 14, 15. And if you will be one with the enemies of the Lord in sin, must ye not be one in plagues? And if you (although ignorantly) will be lifting at the burden some stone, and fight against jerusalem, must ye not be broken, and receive the plague from the Lord God, that must be poured out upon all that fight against it, Zach. 14.12. Can any pretence whatsoever cover you? Consider this, all ye that put faraway the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near; who beat and abuse the servants of the living God, which in his Name he sends among you for your good, so that they bear your marks in their bodies, as of old they did from your Fathers; and whether it be not an evident token of your perdition, but to us of salvation, and that of God. But what shall I advise or counsel you; I know from of old many of your hearts are hardened, and you will not hear; and therefore I shall say no more, but with Paul, From henceforth let no man among you trouble me; for I must bear about in my body the dying of the Lord jesus, that the life also of jesus may be manifested in my mortal body: however you take it, this is written in much feeling and love to your souls; and therefore in plainness, by one that hath been, and still is a great lover of your souls, though a witness against your deceit: Known to you by the name of  
Dennis Hollisler.  
POSTSCRIPT.  
I Shall spare to make much mention to you of your carriage to a Servant of the Lord, who came into your meeting the second day of this ninth month; and of your threatening her with Whips, Stripes, and Prison: Having written more largely of it to Th●mas Ewens your Teacher, where you may see how contrary your practice is to the Saints in all ages; and the Churches of Christ; and one with the Seed of the Serpent, the enemies of Christ, who was ever found in imprisoning and persecuting the Saints, as the Scriptures testify.  
The Letter to Thomas Ewens.  
Thomas Ewens,  
THy Letter of the second day of the last Month I received with the enclosed Papers from Henry jessey, and john Pendarviss, as thou sayest, in answer to some Queries sent to me by them, which is not true; for I sent none to them in particular, that I know, but to the People to whom they were directed, viz. The Baptists, of which as that time a very great number was in Town, from whom some reasonable answer might be expected; instead of which, I reveived a Paper signed Henry jessey, john Pendarvis, pretending some Reasons why they answered not; and in thy Letter a show of an answer to them the said Queries, but indeed a parcel of such dull stuff, that it's not worth observing, much less replying thereto, by those, whose time is not their own, but his that sent them: Enclosed thou mayst receive an answer to their Antiquaeries, from those to whom they were directed: A reply also to the pretended answer of the Queries, thou and they might have expected, had it been worth the while; but instead thereof, you (viz.) the Baptists, are desired to review your own Answers, and take notice of the confusion and deceit therein contained, and how far short it is of an answer to the Queries, and amend the same.  
I shall instance in one particular, namely your answer to the eight Query, in which you speak of two Baptisms under the New Testament, besides that of john; when the Scripture saith, One Faith, one Baptism; you say, Christ in his own Person only Baptised with the Spirit, none other being appointed nor enabled, etc. When the Scripture saith, Some were made able Ministers of the Spirit, not the Letter: And he that ministered the spirit among the Saints, Did he it by the works of the Law, saith that able Minister of the Spirit? And where was it, that Christ in his own person Baptised in Scripture expressions, 
Were not all the Saints Baptised by one Spirit into one Spirit into one Body. See ● Cor. 12.13.  without wresting? since the Spirit was not given, till that person was ascended: And he that spoke by the Spirit, said, Though ye have known Christ after the flesh, yet henceforth know ye him so no more: And what is that Name of the Lord jesus, in which you say you Baptise?  
I shall say little to your Spiritual ends there mentioned of your water Baptism, or my stical holdings out, or representtions, etc. But would rather have the terms and things proved by the words of Scripture to be so, because the shadows do now begin to fly away, and the true Light shines, and deceit is manifested; so that words, colours, and pretences, will not now prevail to blind and deceive those that live, and walk in the true Light.  
And whereas thou sayest, If there be any thing in either of the Papers, that may tend to recover my precious Soul out of the pit and snare into which it is fallen; as it would be a rejoicing to others that love me, so to thyself, who would be as ready as ever, to serve me in love, and in the Lord's way.  
To which I reply Were my soul, (which indeed is precious in the eye of the Lord) fallen into a pit or snare, I see nothing in either of those dull, confused, liveless, and powerless Papers like to recover, or lift it out: But why dost thou not tell me what the snare and pit is, into which it is fallen? The mistaken blind generation, in all ages accounted the people of God, who were escaped their pollution and snares, and turned from the darkness to the Light, and from the power of Satan unto God, deceived, fallen, and misguided; and therefore hated, reviled, and persecuted them, as people fallen into a snare, fit for their prey and spoil, and to be whipped, and imprisoned, etc. I do not say in Bridewell, but shall leave it to come out of thy mouth, as it did the second day of this present month: and is that the Lords way, in which thou art so willing to serve me, I utterly deny that way, and the Lerd of it, which is the god of the world, the Devil, and all that by him are led and guided therein; it is the devil that casts the Saints into Prison, as the Scripture saith, It was wretched Pilate that scourged jesus: It was those Masters, whose gain came in by Divination, joining with the multitude, that carried Paul and Silas before the Magistrates, and caused them to be beaten, and many stripes laid upon them, and cast into prison: It was jesus, that foretold his Disciples they muse be so used by the world, the generation of Vipers, that must fill up the measure of their Father's iniquities, that upon them may come all the righteous blood, that hath been shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel, etc. It was Paul, the able Minister of the Spirit, not of the Letter, that proved himself the Minister of God, in much patience, intumults, in stripes, in imprisonments, etc. and more a Minister of Christ, than the false Ministers that encountered him were, by labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in Prisons more frequent, that five times of the professing jews, received forty stripes save one, and was thrice beaten with rods. But is is Thomas Ewens, a Minister of the Letter, not of the Spirit, as all the false Apostles and deceitful Workers were, who transform themselves into the Ministers of Christ, as Satan doth himself into an Angel of Light, that is at least threatening the servants of God, and witnesses of jesus with stripes, with whip ings, and with Bridewell.  
O my Friend! How great is the wrath, and how heavy is the indignation, that from the Lord God is gone forth against thee except thou repent, who waxeth worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived; and little dost thou think the extreme height of wickedness; into which thou art spreading above many thy Companions, if the Lord prevent not: Alas, alas! Why was I warned from invisible sights many months, if not years past, to beware of thee? something of whose condition was then manifest, which I could not believe, till in time it began to be made manifest by its fruits, and now gins to be visible, and breaks out like the fire, which thou canst not contain within thee, but openly opposest the appearance of Christ, where it is found in life and power.  
O my Friend! Tender, and open is my heart towards thee: what would I not do that thou mightest escape the pit, out of which no redemption can be? How often am I wounded, and my heart troubled in minding of thee! O that thou mightst know the things belonging to thy peace, and how sandy thy foundation is on which thou standest, and the deceit which fast thou holdect, and so be led to repentance, and not shut up the Kingdom of Christ against thyself and others! My bowels are even turned for thee, not knowing how to give thee up, who am thy friend as thou lovest the light.  
D. H.  
To this no answer at all was returned, but many months after the said Antiqueries by the name of Queries were published in a book entitled Arrows against Babylon, without taking the least notice therein of the answer given to it long before; of the honesty, equity, and justness of which proceed the wise in heart may judge, and by the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world, of which john was a witness, come to see where deceit reigns, and the spirit of whoredoms, witchcrafts and abominations rules; but the answers were as followeth.  

The ANTIQUAERIES answered.  
Query 1.  
Whether you be willing that the depth of your persuasions concerning Christ his being contained in the Heavens, the raising of our dead Bodies after natural death, try all of Spirits and Doctrines according to the Scriptures, should be clearly and openly known and published?  
Answer. 1.  
Yea, and clearly and openly do we publish and declare the way to God according to the Scripture: Christ who is risen, of whom we bear witness, and that he is ascended into Heaven, and set down on the right hand of God: But as for his being contained, you ask you know not what: And as for our persuasion of the raising of your dead Bodies after natural death; or as you say, the corruptible Bodies that are laid in graves, or cast into the sea, literally we say, flesh and blood inherits not the Kingdom of God, neither doth corruption inherit incorruption: But our persuasion is, that the wicked and unjust shall arise to shame and everlasting contempt, and therefore we warn you in the presence of the Lord to hearken unto the Light, that shows you sin, and come to repentance, that you may witness a change, lest that day come upon you unawares: And the resurrection of the Just we own to everlasting life; but we are not of those that say, How are the dead raised, and with what body do they come? but we know that there is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body; and we confess, and are persuaded of the resurrection of the just and unjust, and to every seed his own body, according to the Scripture: And trial of Spirits, and doctrines we own, and are willing thereunto by the Spirit of the Lord to try, and to be tried; and our persuasion is known unto the children of Light, and the truth is plainly published; and yet not known unto the world, nor by its wisdom, but to the Saints well known, and in the light have we fellowship with the children of God, unto whom his secrets are revealed.  
Query.  
If so, What was the reason you gave no answer, when it was put to you whether you did agree to those few plain Scripture truths concerning Christ, and those weighty things before named?  
Answer.  
The spirit of Christ, by which we are guided, is not limited to your time, and if you do conclude (because there was not an answer, when it was put) that we deny Scripture truths, you are given over to believe lies; the same may be drawn concerning you, for not returning an answer to our Queries when they were put; and likewise your own reasons may be turned upon you, if no particular answers to your Antiqueries were given, and you judged out of your own mouths. First, Because there is an intruding by you into the things not revealed. Secondly, Because some things are of less concernment, and because in the conclusion there is an answer required in a masterly manner: In all which, you show you allow yourselves in the things which you condemn, and that you are not taught by the light within to do as you would be done unto; although you say the light within, which is the light of right reason, shows the unreasonableness or inequality of such a way of proceeding, in taking of so easy a work, as to hand out a heap of questions, in number twenty seven, but rightly distinguished, amounting to a far greater number: And here you are seen not to own the light of right reason, to show you your own unreasonableness, who have sent out a heap of Queries, by number sixteen; which are near as much, if they be not altogether, as our twenty seven Questions and your particular Answers to them: And your Answers are dull stuff, saving the Scriptures, which we own, as they were spoken by them who lived in the life; but the unclean spirit of confusion, by which you speak, we utterly deny. You say, The Church under the New Testament, being the Kingdom of God, there is the cup of the Lord, who is the true Vine; which cup is an outward cup you say, in which you show your ignorance, that you neither know the cup nor the Vine, nor the Kingdom of God: You say, The worship of Devils, and sacrificing, and seasting, and the cup of Devils was outward, but say you, the cup of fornication, and abomination, which all the world drinks of, is not to be taken literally, but mystically: And here you have shown your confusion, who say, The cup of the Lord, which is the true Vine, is an outward cup; but the cup of fornication and abomination is mystically to be taken, which you have done accordingly; yet you say, the sacrifices and feast to Devils is an outward worship, but fornication and abomination is mystical, and denotes a certain measure of the delusion of the Whore: And whether the drinking of the cup, and sitting at the Table and feasting and sacrificing to Devils, was not abomination, and a certain measure of the delusion of the Whore, let all that can discern, judge, and whether it concerns not you to examine, if this be not a certain measure of the delusion of the Whore, to be in such confusion that you cannot discern the mother of Harlots, the father of Lies; neither know the Wine, the Church, the cup, nor the Kingdom of the Lord, further than you can imagine in your earthly sensual wisdom, and you being so blind, and in such confusion without the power which laid the foundation, as you confess, we deny your spirit, and account your stuff in your Answer, as not worth mentioning to rake up after you; but what you want in answering, you can make up in ask, showing unreasonableness by your own confession: And likewise appears, that you would cover yourselves and hid your persuasions, and had rather pry into the conditions of others, then bring your own deeds to the Light; and seeing there is insulting, because of our not answering in your time, and false conclutions drawn, we bear witness against your deceit, and proceed to answer, declaring, that we differ by the power of the living God, who by his spirit hath quickened us, by which we see, and discern you to be in the Will-worship, in the wisdom which is from below, of that number who are measuring yourselves by yourselves, and comparing yourselves among yourselves, and not according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed, with which we agree; but that to us from you doth not reach, and therefore your voice and spirit we deny, though you take the Scriptures to talk upon, and trade withal in your earthly imaginations, looking that the Kingdom of God should come with observation; and say, The cup of the Lord, which is the true Vine, is an outward cup, when as the Kingdom of God is within.  
O ye blind guides, how can you teach others, who are yourselves ignorant of the Kingdom and of the cup of the Lord? and we bear witness to the sieve things at least of great concernment, and with your spirit we do not agree. First, We own and witness, that God by Jesus Christ calls sinners, to repentance; and saves his people from their sins, and redeems them from the wrath to come, soul and body, as many as rightly believe and work by love: And that the same Jesus, that at jerusalem was crucified, and before Pilate witnessed a good confession, is now in the Heaven; and the same that descended, did ascend, and comes again in like manner; and also that our vile bodies shall be made like unto his glorious body, and be flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone. And again, Every spirit we credit not, but believing in the Lord Jesus, we try the spirits; and yours is tried, and seen to be the spirit of the world, and not believed by us, nor credited (though you pretend to come with light) therefore your spirits are rejected. And lastly, We know that it is not every one that saith Lord, but he that doth the will of the Lord, that enters into the kingdom of God: And such have right to the Tree of Life, and interest in the Promises made to Believers, who worship God in Spirit and Truth, and keep the Commandments, according as they have received, not by tradition, nor imitation by and in the earthly carnal wisdom, but led and guided by the spirit of the living God, by which spirit we bear witness against your traditions and inventions, and herein we differ, and we do agree with that which convinceth you of sin, and makes manifest your deceit, and calls you to repentance from dead works, that is the light which we love, and you hating it, and walking contrary to it, and loving darkness differs you from the children of God, and there is your condemnation; and for answer to your other Queries take as followeth.  
Query 2.  
Whether you do not by many of your say craftily hid your persuasions from the sight of some honest people: And is not this dissimulation at the best, or lying after the manner of Ananias? Acts 5.2.  
Answer  
Dissimulation at the best, or lying against the Spirit we deny, and from honest people we do not craftily hid our persuasions, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's Conscience in in the sight of God, not walking in craftiness, but renouncing the hidden things of dishonesty; and if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost.  
Query 3.  
Whether yourselves, even all of you be not Men and Women of finfull failings and imperfections, as those godly people you cry down; If not, tell us who are the persons among you without their failings, and imperfections, and how they came so to be?  
Answer  
This Query is raised from a Lie, godly people we cry not down, but deceit in all we witness against by that which is Eternal without imperfection: And for being free from sin, we say the Son of God is come, which takes away sin, and he that's borne of God sinneth not; he that is in Christ is a new creature, and this many among us are Witnesses of; but the sinful failings are without, and such we do not justify by saying they are not where they are, or pleading for them where they are.  
Query 4.  
Do your in your judgements of the Congregations of Believers look after those things which are commendable, as well as those which are condemnable in their practices, doc you not on the contrary cry them down in general without any mercy?  
Answer  
Yea, we do look after those things which are commendable in Believers, and own them; but they that say they are Believers, and are not, are to be witnessed against: But to cry all down without any mercy, is false, and the liar is for condemnation with the Light, and with it we have unity.  
Quere 5.  
Whether your declaring against instrumental Teaching, and yet going about informing and instructing yourselves and others, doth not discover a gross contradiction between your principles and practices; and whether it be right to set them against it, to bring them to hear your declaring, altering only the name?  
Answer  
Against the Teachings of Man, or such who know what they know naturally, we declare; yet we are sent to turn from darkness to light, and this is right, and no contradiction, but as the Prophets, and Apostles, who went up and down declaring against Seducers, Deceivers, and false Teachers, and they informed and instructed, and they that were of God heard them; and this is not only altering the name: But the Spirit is another, and so the nature, which bears witness against the spirit of the world, where ever it rules: Let your name be what it will, your nature is seen, and witnessed against.  
Quere 6.  
Whether instrumental Teaching be unsuitable unto the new Covenant? If so, why did Christ, being ascended, appoint Pastors and Teachers, till all came into the Unity, ordaining Ministers for the Work, while Work remains, did Christ burden his Saints with needless appointments?  
Answer  
It's confessed, we go about informing and instructing ourselves, and others, and the New Covenant we own, where all are taught of God, and why Christ appointed Pastors and Teachers, is answered in the query, and what he appoints is not needless.  
Quere 7.  
Whether the Scriptures you bring to oppose the Practice of Gospel-Ordinances do not serve only to reprove the practice of Circumcision, or the walking after the traditions of men, or the carnal formalist practise or Idolising of the true Gospel-Ordinances? all you say making not at all against a spiritual practice of Gospel-Church-Ordinances, as of Breaking of Bread, and Exhorting one another, etc.  
Answer  
We bring not Scripture to oppose the practice of Gospel-Ordinances; but we bear witness against your traditions, carnal formalists, and Idolising practices by the same spirit, as they did then, who said, It is neither Circumcision, nor Uncircumcision, but a new Creature: And the spiritual practice we own, and press unto it, and against the formal, and the carnal, all we say not making at all against a spiritual practice of Gospel-Church-Ordinances: And whether the spiritual be taken, practised, and fulfilled in the carnal, let the Spiritual Judge, who compares spiritual things with spiritual; and here your queries are in your confusion, who before drew a conclusion we cried all down without mercy, and now say, all we say makes not at all against a spiritual practice: Here the unclean Spirit hath confessed truth.  
Quere. 8.  
Whether it be better to wait on God in his good old ways, expecting his work to be gradually carried on, so running with patience your spiritual race, or as the manner of some is, to forsake the assembling ourselves together, in hopes to start up from a low stature suddenly into perfection by embracing a new Doctrine?  
Answer  
In this query we are not concerned, by your own confession we inform and instruct ourselves and others, and we assemble ourselves together for edifying; waiting upon the Lord in patience to run the spiritual race; and for your starting up into perfection, your envy is seen, and against what you start, and such starting we deny your; slander returns upon your own head.  
Quere 9  
Whether jesus Christ hath not prayed for those that believe through the word of the Apostles? Is so, whether they are not in a good and safe way, who believe accordingly? And whether it be better to credit their testimony so fully confirmed and owned by the Lord, or to forgo that, and embrace and follow the say of some of your company?  
Answer  
Christ hath prayed for those that believe, and they are in a good and safe way that believe accordingly; and for crediting their testimony so fully confirmed, you have Drunkards, Liars, Swearers, Covetous, proud Hyocrites, and deceitful Ones to be of your company to confess the truth of their words, but are as far from witnessing the life and power the Believers witnessed, as the Hypocrites, as the Drunkards, & swearers, yea, and many in this day of the Lord are brought to repentance, and enter into the Kingdom before ye graves and painted sepulchers: And for your secret slandering some of our company, where nothing is instanced, there needs no answer: But all we say, as you confess making nothing at all against a spiritual practice we judge it safe to follow that; and they that believe and follow otherwise, it is not for the better.  
Quere 10.  
What is that Faith which the Spirit speaketh expressly some should departed from in the latter days. giving heed to seducing spirits, and dostrines of Devils  
Answer  
It is the Faith of the Son of God, and Faith is a Mystery held in a pure Conscience; and you that are ignorant of this Faith, are among the seducing spirits, and the last and perilous time is fulfilled upon you reprobate concerning the faith, having a form of godliness, but denying the power, as you confess, that you profess not to have the power the Apostles had, by which the foundation was laid; yet you say you can build, but what your building is worth, let the wise in heart judge, who have not the power, that laid the foundation. O ye blind guides! are your consciences so seared, that you cannot see that you are out of the doctrine of Christ without the power that laid the foundation, building among the company beforemention'd: In the presence of the Lord are you seen, & witnessed against to be in the doctrine of devils without the power of God, giving heed to seducing spirits, & seducing, Repent, repent ye Hyyocrites, this is love to your souls, and the Witness in your Consciences will answer it in the day of the Lords account.  
Quere 11.  
Whether that Doctrine, which in some is no more, but look to the Light Within with a curse upon disobedience, and a blessing upon obedience thereunto be that glorious Gospel Preached by Christ and his Apostles? or whether it be not a renewing the old Doctrine of justification by Works, w●●…ein the mystery of iniquity works to darken the grace of God in justifying the  without works freely by his grace, and to make void the sufferings of Christ?  
Answer  
This query is grounded upon a lie; but the true Ministry is to turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God: And this is the way to receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith that is in C. Jesus, and that the wrath of God is to be revealed upon the disobedient, is found Doctrine, and your deceitful cover will not hid you, who obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: And glad tiding, and plenteous redemption through his blood do we witness, and the old doctrine is denied by the sum of what we declare, and the carnal profession and hypocrisy contrary to the grace of God, which teacheth to deny ungodliness, and the form without the same power that laid the foundation, there the mystery of iniquity worketh, and from thence came this query, which is utterly false, as it is applied to us.  
Query 12.  
Whether the Light that is in every man doth reveal jesus Christ as crucified for sin, and risen again? If so, how came it to pass that so many strict men, and Paul himself walking according to his Conscience before Conversion, were ignorant of him?  
Answer  
Do you not here show your ignorance? Is Christ revealed crucified for sin, and raised again before Conversion? Is this a learned question, how it comes to pass that Christ is not known before Conversions, seeing the Light reveals him? The Light condemns the unbelievers, though they make a Profession that Christ is come, and crucified for sin, and risen: Ye are in the darkness itself, as near Egypt as Babylon: Did Paul know Christ, till he was revealed in him, and doth darkness reveal him? While Paul walked in the zeal without the true knowledge persecuting, he was ignorant and injurious, and the Son not revealed: But in the Light is Christ known and revealed, and the true Light lighteth every man, and he that believeth in the light, is a child of light. But one question after your manner of counting to you among your heap, whether it be not the Prince of darkness in you, which denies that the Light reveals Jesus Christ, that so ye may draw people from the true light which lighteth every man, to follow your own inventions, building in the credit of others testimony, without the power which laid the foundation, and so set up a Form without the power in your gross dark imaginations, and call that Light, showing yourselves to be false Christ's, crying lo here, and lo there. And seeing some may be Witches that Preach up the outward. Commands in the Letter without the Spirit, Whether are not you Witches, that deny the power the Apostles had, by which the foundation was laid? and whether he that brings the same doctrine the Apostle brought, hath not the same power which laid the foundation, seeing he hath the Father and the Son? and whether you that have denied this power, can deny but ye are seducing spirits, and in the doctrine of Devils?  
Quere 13.  
Whether you have not among you many who presume to be Masters, or masterly Teachers, contrary to the word of Christ, Mat. 23.10. Do not they usurp authority over the Consciences and judgements of their followers▪ requiring them to believe and obey what they say, without ask their meanings, and examining their say by the Scriptures; whereas Christ expounded his say to his Disciples, and the Bereans were commended for searching the Scripture?  
Answer  
Nay, we have not many such among us, contrary to the Word of Christ; neither do they (whom we own to be Ministers) usurp authority over the Consciences and Judgements of their followers, requiring them to believe what is said without trial; this is an absolute lie. Ah ye dissembling Hypocrites, doth not the light condemn you for this Hypocrisy, who are found in this very practice, contrary to the word of Christ, and would hid yourselves by casting it upon the innocent? Truly your condemnation slumbers not, though your hearts may be hardened.  
Query 14.  
Whether it be not high presumption, and spritual pride for some among you to break Christ's commands, and teach men so, and to judge the secrets of men's hearts, and rathly without knowledge of men's conversations to affirm they have not the Spirit, may not others know by such things how to judge of you?  
Answer  
This Query as 'tis laid down is a lie, and by your uttering forth such deceit, we know how to judge of you: We deny breaking Christ's commands, and teaching men so; bring in those some, and let them be made manifest, else ye are slanderers manifest: But to judge the secrets of men's hearts, the Lord doth it, by which spirit the Saints are guided, and judge the Unlearned and unbelievers, the thoughts of their hearts being made manifest; and this we witness against spiritual pride which would not be judged.  
Query 15.  
Whether you do not esteem the say of some among you of equal authority with the say of God in Scripture, and as readily, or more to be believed or obeyed, without enquiring whether they agree with Scripture or no, even though they plainly contradict the Written Word: Is it not an usual thing with many of you to travel up and down, to and fro, fare and near, in obedience to such voices not warranted by Scripture, but contrary thereunto?  
Answer  
This query is absolute Lies, as 'tis laid down: But that which God speaks now, we own to be of the same authority with what he spoke formerly, and is to be believed and obeyed accordingly, though the wicked generation, who have the words formerly spoken, do reject the Word of the Lord now, as the Hypocrites did, who had the Prophet's words, but owned not them who spoke by the same Authority, & your building the tombs of them your fathers slew will not serve to hid you in the dreadful day of the Lord, you will know that the Lord hath sent his Witnesses among you; and for contradicting the Scripture, it is not showed in what, let the slander lie upon you: As for wand'ring up and down, to and fro, fare and near, that is not contrary to Scripture, but was the practice of the holy men, who spoke as they were moved, and wandered up and down, and to the voice of God were obedient in so doing, and some of them to the going naked, though you be so blind and ignorant, as to oppose the same in them, who witness it a sign to such as you.  
Query 16.  
Whether Satan that old deceiver, who often changeth his shape, being discovered in many of his old devices, may not now be expected to come in his best dress, as an Angel of Light? And if so, ought not all men to take heed how they believe every spirit; as also how they hear, and follow every Prophet that comes in sheep's clothing; and are not such in the way to be easily seduced, who are taken with a fair covering, and outside carriage of persons, as to embrace their Principles, without a serious, spiritual, Scripture-triall?  
Answer  
Satan in his best dress is discovered by the Light, and the children of the Light are not ignorant of his wiles, but by the power of the Lord are we preserved from that transforming, and see him to become working his lying wonders with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; and though you have got into as high a form as you can, even professing the doctrine of the Apostles, yet wanting the power the Apostles had which laid the Foundation, we see your dress to be the well-favoured Harlot: And seeing it is so, we believe not your spirit, but try you, and find you to be Wolves and false Prophets, and they that receive you, and follow you, or such, are in the way easily to be seduced: and here again is confusion in the Queries, who speak of spiritual pride in judging secrets, and say the outside, the carriage, and the covering is fair, and said, all we say makes not against a spiritual practice, and yet condemns us deceivers. Ye blind guides, who are expecting that Satan may come, and are so blinded by him at present, that you are acting his part. One of you said his soul was in the pit, to whom these Antiqueries were sent; was not that judging a secret? and whether such deceit, lying, and confusion from such blind guides, and seducing spirits, be more likely to recover souls out of the pit, or lead those who follow them into the pit, let the impartial spiritual Judges bear Witness.  
And here your queries are answered in particular in clearness and plainness in our own Judgements and Consciences; and they whose eyes are opened may see your Error, and give glory to God.  
Answered by them to whom they were directed.  
To England I have this to say.  
OH England, England, who wast Chief among the Nations, and Princely among the Provinces, in the midst of which the right hand of the Lord became glorious in power, and dashed in pieces his Enemies, and in the greatness of his Excellency overthrew and brought down the Oppressor, and gave thee opportunity to perform thy Vows, Promises, and Declarations, which in the day of thy distress thou madest to God and men against Injustice, Oppression, Tyranny, and Wrong, and in the behalf of Equity, Truth, and Right: But now the Lord by his power having given thee Victory and Peace, How soon is the just man perished, and the upright in thee not found, but the wonders of the Lord forgotten, and his wrathful judgements against Oppressors, and the Proud accounted happy, and they that tempt God and do wickedly, delivered and exalted, whom Pride compasseth as a chain, and violence take hold as a garment; so that the wicked compass about the Just, and devour the man that is more righteous than he! How woefully is truth fallen in thy streets, and equity cannot enter; but he that departs from iniquity is made a Prey, & Judgement turned away backward, & Justice standeth afar off! Oh how is the Foundations broken up, and the Sluices opened, whereby injustice oppression, and almost all ungodliness hath again overspread thy face beyond what it did in the day before thou wast made a field of blood; so that by the overspreading of abomination, how great is thy desolation, and all thy seeming Religion and high Profession, which stood in Words and Forms, but not in the Life, discovered and manifested to be but scum and deceit in this day when God hath tried thee! How is thy Silver become dross, and thy Wine mixed with water, and the faithful City become an harlot, in which Righteousness once seemed to lodge, but now murderers; and all thy Vows, Promises, and Engagements both to God and men forgotten in this day of thy pride; and how are the hidden things of Esau sought out, and the bloodthirstiness of Edom in thee manifested, and the wise men destroyed out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau, whose calamity cometh upon him from the Lord for his perpetual hatred against his Brother; as the Scripture witnesseth, which also saith, As Troops of Robbers wait for a man, so the company of Priest's murder in the way by consent and commit lewdness, as it is seen this day! Who would have thought that the wonders of the Lord should be so soon forgotten in thee, and the ways of the Heathen so exactly learned, and the deeds of the wicked overpassed, whom the Lord cast out, as thou hast seen! How shall the Lord pardon thee for these things? or how shall thy heart endure, when he shall visit it upon thee, whose controversy is so much increased, because truth and mercy is perished in thee?  
FINIS.