The Devils Bow UNSTRINGED, OR Some of Thomas Dansons Lies made manifest, which he hath Printed and put to public view in two Pamphlets, the one Entitled, The Quakers Folly made manifest. And the other, The Quakers Wisdom not from above.  
And in the first page of his Narrative he calleth them Undoubted Truths, But the wise in heart will not so take them, but will consider better of them, for, The wise man's eye is in his head.  
By Luke Howard.  
LONDON, Printed for Thomas Simmons at the Bull and Mouth near Aldersgate, 1659.   

ANd now Tho. Danson, if it be not too late, consider well what thou hast done, by shooting in the Devil's Bow, and making use of the Devil's Weapons, as thou sayest thou hast done in the 50. page of thy first Book, to the opposing of the Truth which maketh free all which liveth in it, and stirreth up cain's nature in all which liveth out of it, and as it is manifest it hath done in thee, to the publishing of 2 pamphlets against it, filled with the Old man's Dreams made up of lies; And because thou hast made use of my name in them both several times, as a seal set to thy lies to blind the simple; and for the Truth's sake is it on me as a necessity to bear my testimony against thee, and to prove thee such a one as thou hast both said of, and proved thyself to be, shooting in the Devil's Bow, and making use of his Weapons who is the Father of lies.  
In thy first Book, page 49. Thou sayest that the Quakers came to your Town and made a challenge to the Priest to defend their Doctrines and Call; this I witness against as a lie, or an Arrow shot out of the Devil's Bow, for thou mayest remember that we being met together in a place called the Vickerage-house, thyself and many more came in and passed through our Meeting into another Room, and there stayed until thou didst hear words spoke in our Meeting by one of our friends, viz. Stephen Huberstye, and then you rushed all in to us, and after some time did gainsay what was spoken; but after some time of thy gainsaying Discourse, for the Truth's sake I asked thee if thou wast willing to debate these things more at large at another time; and this is what was propounded by us, which cannot justly be called a challenge, and this thou was not at the first willing to, but afterwards didst say, that if I would engage to bring Mr. Fisher (as thou callest him) thou wouldst appoint to meet, and thou mayest remember this was my answer several times to thee, That I had not the command of S. F. his Spirit, and so could not engage him; and besides, for aught I know, he was many scores of miles from home, and if thou wouldst not appoint to meet with some other, that then it might not be: So than thou didst agree to meet with some other, and the meeting to be that day month, witness Edward Nokes.  
But thou being so well skilled in shooting in the Devil's Bow, That at that instant time didst shoot out one lie to all the people, viz. That I had agreed to bring Mr. S. F. the which I denied at that present time in the face of all the people, the which they that will be honest can witness the truth of, and I am sure will do; yet such was thy boldness, that thou wouldst have one shoot more in the Devil's Bow, in the old Masse-house, falsely called St. Peter's Church in Sandwich, and there didst say that the Dispute was appointed betwixt Mr. S. F. and thee, the which I denied again in the face of all the people, and all who are single-hearted on both sides knows to be true, and thyself also, if thou wilt not stifle the witness in thy conscience, yet in thy anger, thou wouldst have one great shoot more in the Devil's Bow, and so puts this thy lie in Print amongst many more to public view, as a witness against thee to the knowledge of many who dares not but speak the truth; and this testimony I bear to the Truth against thy lies, that no honest mind may be deceived therewith by thy pretended fair words, whereby thou liest in wait to deceive.  
And then in thy second Book thou appearest as if thou hadst fulfilled the world's Proverb, viz. To take Hell and skim the Devil, for Arrows, to wit, lies to utter, yet so great is thy impudence, that thou dost not blush to say in the first page of thy Narrative of the last Book, that they are of undoubted credit, (mark that) and that to the most part of them there is the witnesses names; but that is just the Devil's practice to slay the Truth with a lie, and give a reason for it, and that will appear to be but thy arrogancy and impudence to abuse the men in citing their names, as witnesses to thy lies, contrary to their knowledge, viz. Mr. Russel, and Mr. Davis, as thou callest them, the one Minister in Rumny Marsh, and the other at Dover, as thou hast writ them; and by them whom we do know let us measure all the rest whom we do not know; most of them being such as thou seemest to be ashamed of, or at the best loath to name them.  
And first concerning John Davis, whom thou sites to prove that a Quaker in Dover lying sick on his deathbed, being asked, by whom he thought to be justified, should reply, by his own righteousness, and not by the righteousness of Christ; and I knowing of it to be a lie, as to that friend who died, and for the Truth's sake could not let it pass without going to John Davis, and demanded of him whether ever he informed Tho. Danson of such a thing, or ever saw that friend in the time of his sickness, whose answer was, that he never saw him in the time of his sickness, and that he scarce knew so much as where he dwelled, and this his answer was in the presence of John Higgins of Dover.  
And here Tho. Danson, Behold thy forwardness, and read thy wickedness, who hast made use of a man's name contrary to his will, and without his knowledge as himself saith, to prove thy lies, and with a whore's forehead canst call them undoubted truths, as thou hast done in thy Pamphlet, therefore lay thy hand upon thy mouth, and let shame cover thy face, and never more call thyself a Minister of the Gospel, having manifested thyself to the contrary, to be a lover and a maker of lies, and all such are strangers to the Gospel which is the power of God, but are shut out amongst the dogs.  
And again thou sayest that in May last there having been some discourse betwixt one Howard of Dover Quaker, and a Minister in Rumney Marsh, viz. Mr. Russel (as thou callest him) the next day was appointed for further discourse betwixt them two, but over night the said Howard sent his man and his horse for Mr. Fisher sometime a Minister, and now a Quaker, and suspected to be a Jesuit, and going with him to the place of Meeting, told the people, that seeing S. F. came accidentally there, he would now leave the discourse to him, and one standing by should say that he saw howard's horse and man go over night, and that S. F. rid into the Town on the same horse the next morning: And this thou sayest is well enough known, that besides the lies in their Doctrines, they have not so much Moral honesty as to speak truth in matter of Fact; these are thy own words in thy Narrative, page the fifth, and to prove it, thou hast set Mr. Russel Minister in the Marsh in the Margin as a witness  
But this I know, that thy proof is so short, that it's no proof at all; But another Arrow at large shot out of the Devil's Bow, in which thou art a shooting throughout in both thy Pamphlets, but they will return again and stick fast in thy own sides, and as Darts in thy liver will they be thy burden; and the Pit thou hast digged for the innocent, thou must fall into thyself; for this is a lie in every part of it, for the discourse was not betwixt me and William Russell, neither did I send my horse and man over night for S. F. But for the Truth's sake thus it was; Edward Burrough coming to Dover to get passage for Dunkirk, and knowing that S. F. had something on him to go also, asked me, to let my son ride down on his horse (which is a black one, and mine a ray, easily to be distinguished by all that loves to speak truth) to carry S. F. a letter, and E. B. sent the boy away so long before our meeting, that we did think that the boy might be near S. F. his house. before William Russel came into our Meeting, or we knew of any meeting to be; And besides the Dispute was begun by a Baptist who had been convinced of the Truth, and Judas like turned his back upon it, and betrayed it into the hands of the Priest, viz. William Russel, who was hover about the window where our Meeting was; and after some time he came in and intermeddling with the Discourse, the Baptist left the mannagement of it to him; so time being short, E. B. and W. R. appointed to come again in the morning, which they did, and about the middle of the day; W. R. desired a little time of ease, and to meet in the after part of the day in St. James' Church (falsely so called) so E. B. met him there, and then S. F. came, and knew nothing of the Dispute, less, or more, till he came to town, for how could he, the boy being sent by E. B. the morning before the Dispute began, and neither myself, nor S. F. were little concerned in it, but E. B. chief, by whom that day through the Lord's strength Truth was richly made manifest, and the Priests of England proved deceivers, and this is a true Relation of this matter, witness John E'eins, Henry Goodis.  
Also here followeth a true Relation taken from the mouth of William Russel. (whom he hath set in the Margin to cover his lies) and to make them appear as truth unto the world, by which he manifested his inveterate wickedness and rage against the Truth, which appeareth to be very great by his raking together such groundless stuff, and confirming them with such swelling words, saying that they are undoubted Truths, and that to the most of them there is the witnesses names, but this will be also unto thy shame) for this is William russel's own testimony that he hath neither spoken, nor writ, nor sent any manner of way any thing to Tho. Danson about that Dispute, witness hereunto John Higgins, John Philley.  
So also he hath made use of William russel's name, contrary to his will, and without his knowledge to be a false witness to his Lies, which is abomination to the Lord. But Wil Russel said that Nath. Barry told him that he did inform Tho. Danson of it: Now this Nath, Barry is a Priest in Dover, and Preacheth at the old Mass house, falsely called St. Mary's Church; And I asked him whether he did Report it to Tho Danson, and he at the first was very loath to tell me, as being conscious of evil in himself as I judged; But in his answer to me thus he ordered his speech, saying That he heard such a Report, and only spoke of it at a Gentleman's house where Tho. Danson was, and that he did not think he would have printed it. And thus they report lies one to another even as brethren therein, and strengthen themselves in darkness by making lies their Refuge, and under falsehood hides themselves, but are afraid to bring or have them brought to the light which is the truth, for that is their condemnation: And thus they fulfil the Scriptures upon themselves, as the false prophets of old did, who watched for evil, and for the halting of the Righteous, and said, Come Report and we will report it: But why do the Heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing against the Lord and against his Anointed, for surely in vain is the snare laid in the sight of any bird, for though the priests dig as deep as Hell to hid their counsel, and to make a covenant with hell and death, yet Truth will disannul it all, and the overflowing scourge will and must overtake them in their works of darkness, and he that sitteth in heaven will laugh them to scorn, & shall have them in derision, for now is the Lord a making their folly known unto all men, and they shall proceed no further, but shall go backward and be snared and fall and be taken by the traps which they lay, and the pits which they dig for the innocent, in which they shall fall in the bowels of their mother the great Whore Mystery Babylon, as a millstone into the Sea, never to rise any more, and the day is near at hand wherein it will be seen perfectly, even the fullfilling of that which was prophesied of in ages past, for the Lord alone will do it for his own name sake, which the Priests have polluted, and by their lightness and by their lying have caused the people so to do also, so that from them profaneness is gone forth amongst all people in this present age as much as in any, but woe and misery will be the end of all such, the workers of iniquity.  
And now Thomas Danson, if we may measure all the rest of thy bitter Arrows shot out of the Devils Bow by these thy two great witnesses, we may safely conclude them to be such like, and this we have sufficient ground to do, and that they (to wit) thy Arrows will never slay the Dragon nor bruise the head of the old Serpent, which is the Devil, who ruleth in the hearts of all the children of disobedience, and so in thee Thomas Danson.  
Another thing thou hast to say of me from one of thy brethren, like thyself that met me near Dover Castle, at which time he had much to say of friends and truth, but refused to tell me his name or the place where he lived, or to meet me in a more public place to make good his charge; but now thou having raked him up to shoot his lie out of thy Bow, he appeareth (or thou for him) who callest him the Minister of Word near Sandwich, and saying that I should say that it was revealed to me by the eternal God that the Priests should be destroyed, and that by the Quakers, and this thou bringest as all thy proof to evidence three lies, besides this, to wit, that a Quuker in Sussex (who as thou sayest had taken upon him to be speaker in that meeting) called our to a Minister of the Parish as he passed by, saying, we will have you all down, for now our day is come; which Practice we deny.  
And that another in the same County should say, that he no more cared to kill a Priest than he cared to kill a Dog.  
And that another should Justell a man on the way, having his Wife behind him, and drew out his sword half way, which was a suspicion that he would have killed him [a● thou in thy suspicious mind saith] had he not been prevented; but these three men thou dost not name, so thy proof in these three thou hast not yet raked up, and except they be such as will shoot in the Devils Bow with thee, thou wilt be troubled to make them enter into sober people's understandings, they are so groundless, and all this groundless stuff, the lie which thou hast laid on me is all the evidence thou hast produced, as if we were a people in whose hearts were blood, of which we are clear, and not like that bloody generation of Priests, who lately made an insurrection with George Booth and you their brethren, which were loath to read the Proclamation against them, here read thyself.  
And if such kind of proof may be taken to brand the innocent, than thy lies may pass; but to the contrary, can I bring many witnesses, and that these were my words to the Priest I met beside the Castle, or to this purpose, to wit, That the decree of the Lord was gone out and sealed against the Priests to pluck them up by the roots for their wickedness, witness John Hummerdien, of Dover. John Marsh, Hester Marry.  
And that I believe will certainly come to pass, as truly as ever your Fathers the Bishops and Love your brothers, who lost their Heads on Tower hill for their wickedness, which may be looked upon as true figures of the downfall of your whole body of opposers of the truth, for now is the Lord a searching out your hidden things of Esau, and bringing of them to public view:  
Witness the late Proclamation, by which many of you were proclaimed Rebels and Traitors to the peace of your Country. The day is come, and a coming which shall declare every man's works, and that all shall be tried by fire, and there is nothing which will stand in Covenant with the Lord, but what will endure the fire, therefore let none be deceived, professors or not professors, covered or not covered with names of Saints or Churches, God will not be mocked, but such as every man sows, such shall he reap; if they sow to the flesh, they must of the flesh reap corruption, but if they sow to the spirit, viz. That which reproveth them for sin, they shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting, for its reproofs of instruction are the way to life, and also he that liveth after the flesh shall die, but he that through the spirit (which reproveth the World of sin, righteousness & of Judgement) mortifieth the deeds of the flesh, he shall live; for in every nation, and amongst all people, he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted of him, and the fear of the Lord is to departed from iniquity, and a fountain of life to departed from the ways of death, and the fear of the Lord keepeth the heart clean, so all people feel that which keepeth the heart clean, for it is the pure in heart only shall see God, and there is none that can see his face with peace, and live in the first nature, but as a consuming fire will his appearance be to all such who have a life in the transgression, or trespassing against that which shows them sin and iniquity.  
And now to thy two Questions which thou makest in thy Title page, viz. If it be not so now, who will make thee a liar, and make thy speech nothing worth, and what thou hast done, is there not a cause, sayest thou. (No cause to lie, say I) And all this thou hast done to confirm people in a bad opinion of the Quakers, and thou trustest that it will do it, as thou sayest in thy confused preface, in the beginning of which thou sayest, thou art come once more upon the Stage (and it's true, more like a stage Player then a Minister of the Gospel) not without a blush; and truly according to the World's proverb, thou mayest indeed blush for shame to utter so many lies in the face of the Son, which is right stage player like, whose life and trade is to lie, and this thou hast done, by which the hands of the wicked are strengthened, that he should not return from his wickedness, but rejoice in his iniquity, and Joineth himself with thee against the truth, and so thou mayest have thy prayer answered, which thou makest in the end of this preface, viz. That the Reader may hold fast that Doctrine which he hath already learned; and if thou meanest such Doctrines as are to be learned of thee (as no doubt thou dost) which is to plead for sin as long as he liveth in the body, Then where and when must he glorify God, with his spirit and with his body, seeing in the Grave there is no remembrance of him, and he whose conversation is not ordered aright whilst he is in the body doth not glorify him, and also none glorifieth God but such as bringeth forth fruit to his Spirit, which reproveth man for all sin, and leadeth all out of sin which hearkens to and obeys its reproofs, and as many as are led by the spirit of God, they are the Sons of God, and none else, and they glorify their Father which is in Heaven, by there conversations which is also in Heaven, which is without covetousness, pride, or any thing which worketh an abomination or maketh a lie, all which fruits is shut out of the Kingdom; here read thy own state and be not deceived with vain hopes, but read within thee, that the hope of the hypocrite shall perish, and that without remedy; and so in truth and in the fear of the Lord, I have proved thee a liar, and so thy speech to be nothing worth, and this shall stand over thy head a full answer to thy questions, and to this let the witness of God in all Consciences answer that this readeth, and I know it will do in all where it is suffered to speak, that knoweth any thing as eyewitness of the matter which occasions these Lines to be written to thee T. D. by which thou art put by thy trust, which thou in thy Preface speakest of and trustest to, to beget in people a bad opinion of the Quakers, except it be in such as thyself is, who makest lies thy refuge, and under falsehood hideth thyself: But this know, that thou and all such, that to speak the truth is always best, every man to his neighbour, the which if thou hadst learned it within thee, as plain and as well as thou canst read it without thee, than thou wouldst have known a bridle to thy Tongue before this time, and never have been raking abroad for lies, but for want of that thy Religion is vain, as saith the Scriptures of truth, which we believe, and shows the life of as a witness against thee and all the vain talkers and disputers of this World, about the husks, which is the letter, on which the Swine's do feed, who rent and tear the Lambs and lives in the liberty of the flesh, out of the life of them wherein the World's friendship standeth, which is enmity against God, seeking honour one of another, and not the honour which is of God alone, which is to live in his fear, and how can such believe or know the faith which giveth victory over the world, and in this state thou hast manifested thyself to be in a large measure, by thy lying and flattery with those worthy persons which thou in thy Pamphlets speaks of, and this will appear to all that have but moral honesty in them, and so much sobriety as to ponder thy lines and the weight of thy words, and the grounds thou speakest them from, the which to him who liveth and walketh in the light of the Lord, will appear to be from the bottomless pit, wherein they must go again with the liar, the beast, and the false Prophet, which is the proper and the appointed place for them all.  
And this I have writ for the clearing of my own Conscience and the truth, which is my life, so far as in brief it might be done, and I concerned so to do, & have laid the lys on the liars head, & turned the Devils fiery darts back into his own Quiver again, and in this I have cleared my Conscience, which is a true and faithful testimony born by me, who am a knower and a lover of the Quakers principles, because I know and feel that they lead out of sin, and also out of the nature which pleadeth for sin; for he that believeth hath the witness in himself, in which I rest in peace, and remain a true friend and a lover of the Seed of God in all men, but an enemy to the seed of the Serpent, in all without respect to the persons of any; and this testimony is true, born by me Luke Howard against Thomas Dansons lies.  
Dover the 15th. of the 10th. Month, 1659. L. H.  
A Postscript.  
THis my testimony to the truth is true, and also thine T. D. is false, which thou hast Printed against the truth, myself, and others, and if thou wouldst be ●o honest as to speak the truth, thou knowest it is so; but if in thy hardness of heart and boldness of face, shouldest yet say to the contrary, let not thy speech of it at a rich man's Table (which you Priests love to frequent to serve your God, to wit, your bellies) serve the turn, but let the truth appear in the face of the Son, and if thou darest affirm that thou hast Printed nought but truth, then make thyself strong, and gather together thy witnesses, to wit, the four Priests mentioned in thy pamphlet to prove thy lies, and meet me publicly in Dover or Sandwich Market place, and let timely notice be given, that much people may hear of it and meet with us, and I may be ready to meet thee in the fear of the Lord, with witnesses also to prove the truth outwardly besides the Testimony of my own Conscience within, which is more to me then a thousand witnesses without, and let the liar bear his own burden, and if this be refused by thee, I say again, cease using of thy Tongue at Rich men's Tables, for that will be thy shame to boast in lies, for the day is so far come on that many of them see through the deceit of the Priests, though they have not so much yet born up in them as to deny you, but your folly doth appear to many of them and it will to all men, to the fulfilling of the Scriptures; so that I say again and again, that the decree of the Lord is to pluck you up by the roots for your wickedness, your pride, lightness, lying and covetousness, and for these things will ye stink as a dunghill against the Sun, and that all the strength of Egypt shall not help you, for the Scripture will be fulfilled upon you, viz. Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, when all whose confidence is in the Lord, and not in Princes, shall be as Mount Zion, which shall never be moved, and herein lieth our strength, and in him is our joy full, and if it had not been so we had long since been overwhelmed, to the rejoicing of you Priests who have long looked for it, who in your hearts say against the appearance of the heir of all things in this age, as your murdering Brethren of old did against the appearance of him in ages past, viz. This is the heir, come let us kill him that the inheriance may be ours But the work is in the hand of the Lord now, as ever it was, and by him carried on, who is bringing great things to pass out of your reach and sight, but this is your inheritance and due reward from the Lord to be filled with the fruit of your own do, and that will be a burden heavy enough, and too heavy for you to bear, I am sure of it, who am one that understandeth well, and feeleth what I say, and therefore cannot but pity you, yea I can truly say pity you all, though abused by you and hated of you and your Generation, yet dare not render to you evil for evil, but contrary wise good to you and all men, by which I desire to be made manifest to you and to the witness of God in you, otherwise by name,  
L. H. THE END.