THE IMMEDIATE CALL To the ministry of the GOSPEL, witnessed by the SPIRIT: with a true Declaration of the persecution and suffering of Richard Hubberthorne James Parnell, Ann Blaying, by Will Pickering, who is Mayor of CAMBRIDGE.  
Also an Answer to divers Letters and mittimuses, against the said Prisoners, answered;  
By them, who are sufferers for the truth, and for the testimony of JESUS, RICHARD HUBBERTHORN, JAMES PARNELL.  
LONDON, Printed for Giles Calvert, at the Black-Spread-Eagle at the West end of Paul's, 1654.   

The immediate Call to the ministry of the Gospel, witnessed by the Spirit.  
WIth a true Declaration of the persecution and suffering for the Gospel, under the tyranny of the Mayor of Cambridge; which Gospel of Jesus Christ, wherever it was made manifest, the testimony of it was ever sealed with blood, persecution and sufferings, and it is the same now, working the same effect, and bearing the same seal, as is witnessed.  
And also an answer to several false reproaches given forth in writing, in three Letters under the hand of Will Pickering Mayor of Cambridge: which herein is discovered and laid open, that so the truth may be cleared, and all Magistrates, Priests and persons may discern truth from scandals, and that all simple hearts and minds may be informed to receive the truth freely, without stumbling at reproaches, through which the Prophets, and Apostles, and Servants of Jesus Christ did bear witness to the truth, Isai. 51. 7. Heb. 11. 26. esteeming the reproaches of Christ greater riches than the pleasures of the world, and the Apostles were to go forth to him without the Camp, bearing his reproach, Heb. 13. 13. If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ, happy are ye, for the Spirit of God, and of glory, resteth upon you, 1 Pet. 4. 14.  
From one whom the Lord, by his eternal Spirit, hath called to bear witness to his Truth, and to his Word, and Gospel, made manifest in me by the revelation of Jesus Christ, whose life and conversation hath been blameless in the world, whom no outward Law did ever take hold upon for evil doing, but was strict and zealous in an outward profession of God and Christ, exceeding many in wisdom and knowledge in the letter of the Scripture, and had a form of godliness, but the power of it I was ignorant of, and was a stranger to the life of God, which the Saints lived in, which spoke forth the Scripture according to their measure, and the Word of God, which the Saints spoke from, I was ignorant of, though I knew the letter, and was a Minister of the letter before I knew the power of the Word of God; but when the living powerful Word of God was made manifest in me by his mighty power, than I was made silent from speaking any thing of God from that knowledge and wisdom, which was natural, and did arise out of the earth, in which stood my zeal, and profession, and form of godliness, which was all without, in words, and outward appearance, and outward righteousness, and outward holiness, & the earthly nature standing, which all outward profession and forms lodge in: but when the Word of God by his mighty power was made manifest within me, spoken from his own mouth, which word was in my heart as a fire which did burn up corruption and uncleanness, and work out the defiled nature, and by it was all the powers of the earth brought down, and the earth itself shaken, by it the deviss were made to tremble, and were cast out, and in that day did the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong man cry bitterly, and the just Judgements of God did fall upon that nature I lived in, and the terrors and wrath of the Lord took hold upon me, till the flesh was wasted off the bones, that I could number my bones day and night, the terrors of the Lord was upon me, revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness, against all my own righteousness, and all my familiars and acquaintance stood afar off me, for I was a wonder to all them who lived in that nature that I had lived in, for they knew not the judgements of God against sin, which then was upon me, because of disobedience to the light which did make manifest sin and evil; but hearing the Word of the Lord in power spoken within me, did confound all my wisdom and knowledge, and made me to be a fool to the wisdom of the world, and to deny the wisdom, and to deny myself, and my own will, and by this Word was I called to come out of my own country, kindred, and father's house, to do the Lord's work, in obedience to his command, and to stand in his will out of my own will, for I knew the voice of God which called me; and for this cause did I leave father and mother, lands and living, earthly honour, and earthly riches, which I had, and might have lived in, if I had been disobedient to the command of God, but the Lord called me forth by his mighty power to bear witness to him in the world, and to declare and preach forth the Gospel of the Son of God, according to my measure, as it was made manifest within me, and by his Word to declare against all sin, and iniquity, and unrighteousness of men, and in obedience to him who called me did I go, as I was moved by his eternal Spirit, into several parts of this Nation, towns, and Cities, and Countries, in the North and West part of England and Wales, bearing testimony to the truth, and in some parts sealing the testimony with my blood, and by imprisonments, in persecution, in perils, often under trials of cruel mockings, scourgings, and revilings, enduring the contradiction of sinners, and do not account my life dear unto myself, that I may render to the Lord a good account of my faithfulness, in obedience to him who hath called me into his work, and vineyard, and this is all the wages that the Ministers of the Gospel receive from the world, being accounted as deceivers, yet true, as having nothing, yet possessing all things, as poor, yet making many rich, The servant is not greater than his Lord, John 15. 20. who hath suffered the same things, and hath left a good example, and if it be the will of God that we suffer with him in the obedience to him, are we made willing, not only unto bonds, but unto death, who do now bear his reproach; and by the Spirit of the Lord was I moved, in obedience to him, to come to this Town, where some did receive the testimony of the truth, where I stayed certain days, and we had certain meetings publicly from house to house, and the hands of the persecutors was then bound by the mighty power of God, and they limited from acting the persecution which was in their hearts, which now they have acted so far as their power doth reach, but the Sea must keep its bounds, and cannot break them. Then I passed forth of the Town, as I was moved of the Lord, to another people, till again I was moved to come into the Town, not knowing when I came in whether I should stay two days in the Town, but waiting in the will of God, out of my own will, I came, as I was moved, and laboured in travel night and day in the Lord's work and service, to make the Gospel of Christ without charge: And coming into the Town upon the 21 day of the six month at night, and lay at a friend's house in the Town, and in the morning, as I went into the street in the market place, two men followed me, and commanded me to go with them two before the Mayor, who when I came before him, came unto me, & violently took off my hat & threw it upon the ground and asked me whence I came, and where I had lived, and of what calling I was, and what I came thither for? unto which I gave an account, and said, that if I had broken any Law, or if any man can lay any thing to my charge, let them prove it, and act the Law upon me according to the offence, but none could prove any thing. Then the Mayor asked me, if I would go out of the Town, else I should be whipped out. Then I answered, when the Lord calls me out I shall go, for I stand in obedience to the will of God, not to the will of man, and if thou canst prove any thing against me worthy of stripes, prove it, and act it upon me, but I have wronged no man, nor am I guilty of the breach of any Law. Then the Mayor said, I have a Law against thee, I will make thee a wandering person, and a rogue; which I denied. Then the Mayor wrote a paper to send me to prison, and then read it unto me, which was full of lies; which I denied. Then he wrote another, which I denied like wise: Then I said unto him, make not lies thy Law, but write that which is true; and then he threw by that, and wrote another. Then I was moved of the Lord to say these words unto him, Thou that makes laws in thy own will, contrary to the Law of God, the plagues of God is thy portion. Then the Mayor answered, now I have a Law against thee, thou curses me, and said to them that stood by, if any of you will but take your oath that he hath cursed, we have a Law to punish him; but none took their oath. Then I answered and said, look in the Law what cursing is, if thou canst prove it to be a curse by the Law, is the Scripture language a curse? Then he bid me hold my tongue, for he could not endure to hear me, and said, that I should either pay 3 s. 4 d or sit three hours in the stocks: I answered, first prove the Law broken; but he being in a rage, sent me to the stocks for three hours, and then sent me to the dungeon: And upon the next day, being the third day of the week, one friend coming out of the North, who came to see me, and had traveled 300 miles before he came to me, lying but one night in the Town at that time, as he was coming in the morning to the prison to see me, one Constable took him in the street, and had him before the Mayor, he giving no offence at all, the Mayor fell a beating of him, calling him a wandering rogue, and presently made a Mittimus and sent him to the dungeon, commanding that none should come at him, though no offence was proved against him, and there continued till the seventh day of the week; then being set free by a Warrant, according to law, we came into the Town, and upon the first day of the week, being met together to wait upon the Lord, the Mayor sent two Constables with a Warrant to bring us two before him, that we might be sent out of the Town, as was expressed in the Warrant; the Constables having served the Warrant, Justice Blackley coming in at the same time, did show them an Act which they had broken, and so had broken the Law; and the Constables than went away, and did prosecute the Warrant no further at that time: the next day in the morning one Constable and the jailer came to the house where I lay, and commanded me to go with them to the Mayor; and when I came before him, having nothing against me, asked me, if I would go out of the Town? I answered, when the Lord calls me out I shall go, for I stand in the will of God, not in the will of man. The Mayor said, thou dost not follow the examples of the Apostles, for when they were persecuted in one City they fled into another, but we cannot get thee out by no means; and so owned himself to be of the same generation that persecuted the Apostles. I answer, I have done no wrong, no guile, nor violence to any man, nor broken any Law, if thou hast any Law against me, read the Law unto me, and if I have wronged any man, I shall make restitution four fold, according to the Law of God, but proving none. The Mayor said, this is the Law, thou shalt choose three things: First, whether thou wilt quietly depart out of the Town: Or secondly, go to prison, and be kept close, that none shall come at thee, nor have any thing but what thou earns to lie upon: Or thirdly, to be whipped and sent out of the Town.  
And here let all people consider how contrary he acts to the Law of the Nation, for if by the Law he could prove me to be a rogue, or guilty of any other breach of the Law, than here he breaks the Law himself, in giving me liberty to go away without any punishment according to the offence: and again, here he hath broken the Law, & acts contrary to it, in imprisoning me, & putting me in the dungeon, having no Law against me, but because I will not go away out of the Town when he doth command me to go; and here all people may see, that he who pretends to be a Minister of the Law, hath imprisoned me contrary to the Law. And again, there is no Law in the Nation that offereth these three conditions unto rogues; as either to depart quietly out of the Town, or be imprisoned, or whipped; let all who know the Law judge: And so contrary to the Law of God, and the Law of the Nation, do I, and others of the Servants of the Lord, suffer, under a law made in the will of man; as one And Blacklain hath been kept in prison above three months for declaring against the deceits of a Priest publicly in the steeplehouse: And James Parnell hath been kept in prison almost three months, and is now put into the dungeon, for setting up of a paper publicly in the market place, that thereby both Priest and people might see the truth cleared, and their deceits discovered, that so coming to own the truth of God, they might keep the peace, which all the world hath broken by disobedience to the light of Christ, in the conscience, and so for declaring the truth, and publishing it forth in writing publicly, is imprisoned, and no breach of the Law proved against him; and so they both remain in prison under this pretence, of bringing in sureties for good behaviour, when as they are not guilty, nor no misbehaviour proved against them, but all who suffer as Christians, in the obedience to the will of God, need not be ashamed.  
And under the same tyranny and law, made in the will of man, do I now suffer, only because that at the command of Will. Pickering Mayor of Cambridge I did not go out of the Town to fulfil his will, and so have disobeyed the command of the Lord, did he send me to the dungeon, and commanded the jailor that none should be suffered to come to me, nor bring any thing unto me, nor that I should have any thing but what I earned: and since I was first cast into this hole, there is several reproaches, and 〈◊〉, and false accusations cast upon me and the rest of my brethren; and I am not suffered to have my accusors face to face, that the law may take hold upon the guilty, and that the truth might be cleared, and my accusors known, for since I was first put into this place, there are three several papers of lies and slanders published forth by Will. Pickering Mayor, under his own hand, the first dated August 23. the second Aug. 28. the third Aug. 29.  
1. Accusation. That we are idle wandering persons, and rogues, living upon poor silly people, which some of them are now kept by the parish themselves.  
I answer, this Accusation is false, for from the Lord are we sent, to declare against all deceit and unrighteousness of men, and against all those who lay heavy burdens upon the poor by deceit and oppression, and against all who live in pride, and idleness and fullness of bread, by whom the creation is devoured, and many made poor by your means, and you who are rich, who live at ease, and in pleasure, you live upon the labours of the poor, and lay heavy burdens upon them, grievous to be born, and you may the poor complain of, but they who do receive our testimony there is the heavy burdens taken off, and the poor is cased, and whosoever do receive the truth in the love of it, which we freely declare from the Lord, and hath this world's good, he cannot see the poor in need, nor want, nor beg their bread, but the truth where it is received opens the bowels of compassion, and takes off oppression and the heavy burden which the poor groans under, but we are not chargeable, nor our Gospel, not to the rich, nor to the poor, neither doth any who have received us complain, nor is chargeable to the parish, is neither kept nor maintained by it. Therefore in the presence of the living God I do charge thee to cease from falsely accusing the innocent, who can neither prove us to be rogues nor deceivers, as the fruit of our ministry shall bear witness in them who have received it, who can witness, that they are led out of much deceit and ungodliness which before they lived in, and we have not been burdensome nor chargeable unto them through idleness, God is our witness, we have coveted no man's gold, nor silver, nor meat, nor drink, nor apparel; and here we are falsely accused for the Name of Christ, and for the Gospel sake, which we freely do declare as we have freely received it.  
2. Accusation. The Mayor saith, that the Law makes idle wandering persons to be rogues, those that will not work if they have not any thing of their own to live upon, those that use deceit full ways to get maintenance by, these by the Laws of the Land are all rogues, and such are these in my judgement, and in my soul and conscience I am troubled that I have done no more to them then I have done, to rid the Town of them.  
I answer, here thou hast showed thy judgement, and made it manifest, that this persecuting will is thy law, and hast acted contrary, which thou hast here declared to be the Law of the Land concerning rogues, who doth keep us here in prison, in the dungeon, under the pretence of rogues, and hath not proved any of these things against us, which thou sayest makes rogues, not to be idle wandering persons, nor hast not proved us to have nothing of our own to live upon, nor hast not proved that we have used any deceitful ways to get maintenance by, and here by the laws of the Land we are cleared, who are not guilty of any of those things, ●…d so the laws of the Land will take hold upon thee and all our accusers, who hath imprisoned us for rogues, when there is no witness against us to prove the breach of any Law of the Land, for by the Law of justice and equity we desire to be judged.  
And thou who sayest, in thy soul and conscience thou art troubled that thou hast done no more to us than thou hast done, that in thy conscience shall witness against thee for what thou hast already done, and will let thee see, that thou hast acted contrary to that in the conscience, the light of Christ, and that in thy conscience will condemn thee, and hast acted contrary to the Law of the Land, as by that in thy conscience thou shalt be judged, which will let thee see, that thou art not a doer of the Law of God, nor a Minister of the Law of the Nation, but a maker of laws according to thy judgements, and acting them upon the righteous, whom the Law was not made for, that thou mayest rid the Town of those who come to witness the Law of God to be fulfilled in them, and to establish righteousness in the earth, and to bring people from under the transgression of all laws, to witness one Law giver, Jesus Christ who is our Law giver.  
3 Accusation. The Mayor saith, that one of us told him when he desired him to go out of the Town, that he would not, for he was sent to destroy the Town.  
I answer, this Accusation is false, for there was not such a word spoken, neither can any such thing be proved, for we came not to destroy men lives, but to say them, and to preach Jesus Christ the Saviour of the world, and do speak from the Lord to that in the conscience of every one, the light of Christ, which will let every one in particular see, that his destruction is of himself, and by the light of Christ, unto which we are made manifest in every man's conscience, are we cleared from all such slanders and reproaches, which are falsely cast upon us for the Name of Christ, who was reproached as we are, and his reproaches we bear daily, and are not ashamed of, as the Scripture saith, which by us is witnessed daily; and the Laws of the Land, being executed in justice and equity, will take hold upon our accusers, and clear us.  
4. Accusation. That we have left our honest Callings, one being a Husbandmanservant, and another a shoemaker, and now living upon the labours of other men.  
I answer, we are in our Callings whereunto the Lord hath called us, and do abide in our Calling, and he that doth abide in his Calling abides with God, and this I witness, who am called from father and mother, lands and livings, and from the cutward employment which I lived honestly in, but was never servant to any man in that Calling, that accusation is false; and my call is to the work of the Lord, to labour in his vineyard, who once had a vineyard without to labour in, as you have, who live in your earthly possessions and habitations, and that calling was lawful in its place, and I did abide in it till the Word of the Lord came and called me from it into his work, who now cares for me, and provides for me, without taking thought or care what to eat, or what to drink, or wherewith to be clothed, for after all these things do the heathens seek, who knows not God, and my call is from God immediately, not from man, and in the Scripture I have a cloud of witnesses: who were all called by God, and left their callings: Elisha was called from the plough as he was following the plough, 1 Kings 9 10. and David was called from keeping the sheep, who was a Shepherd, 1 Sam. 16. 11, 12. and by the Word of the Lord was Jeremiah called to be a Prophet, who said, he was a child, and could not speak, but the Lord said, that he would put his Word in his mouth, and that he should go whithersoever the Lord commanded him, and that he should not fear the faces of men, for he would deliver him, and that he should speak whatsoever he commanded him, Jer. 1. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. And by the same Word was Amos called, as he was following the flock, who was a herdsmand, and a gatherer of Sicamore fruit, Amos 7. 14, 15, 16 And the Apostles were fishermen, and tradesmen, and Paul a Tentmaker, & ●hose all left their honest callings to do whatsoever the Lord commanded them, some to prophesy, and some to preach the Gospel, and the same Word of God, and the same Call, and the same Spiri● I do witness, by which I am called from my outward calling; and by the same Law, by which I am accused for leaving my honest calling, and commanded to it again, by the same would Elisha be accused, and commanded to go to the plough again; and Amos for leaving the flock and vineyard, to go to prophesy in the King's chapel at bethel; but Amasiah the Priest was offended at Amos, for leaving his calling, and for prophesying at bethel, and commanded him to go away, that he should neither prophesy, nor eat bread there, though he was commanded of the Lord: And the same Spirit doth appear in you, both Priests and Magistrates, in Cambridge, with them who are sent of the Lord, and commanded as Amos was: And you say this is the Unversity, and you have Teachers enough of your own, but none of them can witness, that the Lord ever called them, or commanded them: but they who are called and commanded by the Lord, and in obedience to him do come, them you command to go cut of the Town to follow their callings again, and so by the same Law command the Prophets to their callings again, and the Apostles to their nets again, and Paul to make Tents again, and Matthew to the receipt of customs again, which they were all called from; but Amos did not go to bethel to be a herdsman, but to declare the Word of the Lord; nor the Apostles did not go to fish, and to their nets again to get their living, but they were made fishers of men: And were persecuted from City to City, and threatened, and straightly charged to speak no more in that Name, and to depart their Coasts, as I am commanded to depart from Cambridge to teach in my own Country; but they obeyed God rather than man, and were not idle wandering rogues, though they had left their lawful callings, and had no certain dwelling place, but did go whithersoever the Lord commanded them, to preach the Gospel to every creature, and to all nations, and took no thought what to eat, or what to drink, nor wherewith to be clothed, and did eat no man's bread for nought; and the same I witness; and the Prophets, nor the Apostles, when they were put into prisons and dungeons, you do not read, that they were forced to work to fulfil the will of their persecutors, nor that ever Paul, nor the rest of the Apostles, nor Servants of Jesus Christ, when they were cast into prison, or dungeons, that for the testimony of Jesus, that ever they were charged or commanded to beat hemp, or else not eat, as the taskmaster of Cambridge doth command, but their labour and work was to beget into the truth, and some were begotten in their bonds, as Paul witnessed in the Epistle to Philemon, 10. vers. and the Apostle Paul suffered trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds, but the Word of God was not bound, 2 Tim. 2. 9 This is a faithful saying, If we suffer with him we shall also reign with him, if we deny him, he also will deny us: And for his sake, who hath called me, do I suffer all things, and endure all things, and am not ashamed of his sufferings, but in obedience to the will of God, do I deny the will of man, and suffer by the will of man, God is my witness, and my conscience also bearing me witness in the presence of God.  
And this of the Lord I was moved to publish forth, that the truth may be cleared from scandals, and the persecution and tyranny of unreasonable men made manifest to all sorts of people, who come to see, and to read with understanding▪ and here have cleared my conscience, being free from the guilt of the blood of all men, and have laid thesin to the charge, and to the door of those who are guilty.  
From a Servant and a Prisoner of Jesus Christ in Cambridge, RICHARD HUBBERTHORNE.   

A copy of a Mittimus made in the will of the Mayor of Cambridge.  

To the Keepers of the Touleboth in Cambridge.  
Whereas James Parnell hath been brought before me, and hath been examined, and hath confessed, that he was sent to this Town to set dissension in this Town, in many particulars, as by his examination may fully appear, and further, hath confessed that he set up a paper in the Market, the last market day, in this Town, which is a libel against the Ministers and Magistrates of the said Town, and further misdemeanours is proved against him: these are therefore in the name of the Lord Protector of England, that you receive him into your custody, and him safely keep, that he may be forth coming to answer the premises the next Sessions: fail not at your peril.  
Given under my hand, 3d July, 1654. Will. Pickering Mayor.   

A Reply to the foresaid Mittimus.  
AS for my coming before thee, it was by thy Authority, for I was in a friend's house, called Justice Blackley, and there was a man, called a Constable, in a shop over against the house, waiting for my coming forth, and as I was going over the way, with some writings in my hand which concerned the truth of God, the Constable, so called, came and met me, and told me I must go with him, and I said, if he had authority I should go with him, and he said he had; and so in obedience to the Authority I went along, and he brought me before thee, and thou came violently and took off my hat, and cast it upon the earth, calling me rogue, and other such like terms, which was in thy will, and not in thy law, and therefore thou art not fit to be a Magistrate, for he that is guided by his own will is not fit to be a Magistrate, for he makes his will a law, and the law is not to be made by the will of man; and then thou came and caused my pockets to be searched, and thou took my writings from me, and said, there might be some treason in them, and I said, if there was any thing under the Law, let me suffer by the Law; and thou came violently once or twice as if thou wouldest have smote me, calling me rogue, and witch, and the like; and I said, if thou couldst prove me either a rogue, or a witch, let me suffer as a rogue or a witch; but whether this be in thy law or no, I know not, so I shall leave it to those who knows the Law to judge of it; but I am sure it is contrary to the Law of God, and so to that thou art a transgressor, and by him thou must be judged: And then thou asked me, why I came to the Town to make division: And I said, Christ came for the same, to set at variance father against son, and son against father, as the Scripture makes it appear, Mat. 10. 35. and I witnesseth same fulfilled, and this thou sets as an article against me. Now let any one consider, if thou wouldest not imprisoned Christ if he was personally here, but in as much as thou dost it to one of his, thou dost it to him, Mat. 25, 45. and here thou hast manifested thyself to be a Tyrant, who imprisons the Servants of Jesus Christ for confessing him, who begins the war wheresoever he comes, his first appearance is with the sword to that which is for the sword, and bring peace and deliverance to the captives, and to lead captivity captive, Luke 4. 8. and this we witness fulfilled, and for this end are we come to the Town of Cambridge, which is one of the devils strongest holds, from whence he sends forth his messengers into the world to deceive the Nations, but the Lord is come to beat up his quarters, and now the war is begun, and the devil hath cast some of us into prison, but still the war goeth on, and the Lamb will get the victory, and the Beast, and the false Prophet, and all that have the mark of the Beast, must be cast into the lake that burneth, &c. Rev. 20. 10, to the end. Rev. 19 20.  
And then thou examined me if I owned a paper, which thou showed me, and I said I did, and thou set that down as an article against me, for putting up a paper, which thou sayest is against the Ministers and Magistrates of Cambridge, and here thou accuseth the Ministers and Magistrates of Cambridge, to be corrupt and heathenish, for the paper only declared against corrupt Magistrates, and heathenish Priests, wheresoever they are, and so if there be any Law transgressed here, it is thou that hast transgressed it; and so for these things thou sent me to prison, and thou sayest, for other misdemeanours, and not one of the Town of Cambridge can tax me for any misdemeanour, for I am redeemed out of the generation of misdemeanours, and was bound to good behaviour, by a stronger bond than man can make, before I came at the Town of Cambridge; but let any who hath understanding judge, whether thy behaviour or mine was the more like misdemeanour; but for this cause thou sent me to prison, but I know not by what Law, but thou sayest in the name of the Lord Protector of England, but I believe him, whom thou callest Lord Protector, would deny to own it, for if he should own it, he would own tyranny and oppression, and would show himself to be an oppressor of the truth of God, and a Protector of tyranny and oppression, and the Lord Protector of heaven and earth would cut him off, and if he wink at such Tyrants as thou art, the Lord will smite him with his sword, and will cut him off from off the face of the earth, and set another in his room, as he hath had examples before him: And thou bragged to me of a tyranny done by thee, and said, thou caused two of my sisters to be whipped the third day, 1653. but I tell thee, the Lord God of all power will whip thee with a rod of vengeance, and him too, whom thou callest Lord Protector of England, who hath the power of England in his hand, if he uphold or suffer such tyranny, or any punishment to be acted against or upon any tender consciences, contrary to the Law of God; and so I leave him without excuse in the presence of the Lord, and judgement at thy door, who callest thyself  
WILL. PICKERING.   

A Reply to some Speeches objected against Ann Blacklane, called Quaker, in Touleboth, by one Philip Johnson, calling himself a Minister of the World, and calls these sayings dangers, and damnable doctrines, errors and heresies.  
Object. 1. THat she said, the Scriptures written by the Prophets and Apostles are not the Word of God, but Christ, and that the Scriptures are not sufficient light and means to find Christ, and for us to rely upon, contrary to these places of Scripture, Mat. 1 24. 2 Pet, 1. 17.  
Thou enemy of all righteousness, how darest thou call thyself a Minister of the Word, and art ignorant of the letter which witnesseth with the Word, and saith, the Word became flesh, which is Christ, and in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God, John 1. 1, 14. and this the Prophets and Apostles witnessed; and thou, who sets thyself to witness the contrary, art no Minister of the Word, nor of the letter, which witnesseth with the Word; but art shut out from both, and art for condemnation, by the Word: And thou that callest this damnable doctrine, callest the doctrine of the Apostles damnable, who preached Christ the Word; and here I openly declare against thee to be a blasphemer of the Truth of God, and the Scripture, which thou talks of relying upon, will witness against thee to thy condemnation, and all that takes thy part: and he who hath all the Scripture in notion, and wants the life, is without, feeding upon the husk, with thee, who puts the shadow for the substance, who hath the form, but denies the power; but the Scripture is serviceable in its place, and is a true witness for the truth of God against such liars and blasphemers as thou art, who takes the letter to talk of, and would destroy the Life; and so these Scriptures which thou hast set down, may stand and witness against thee, who art a sayer but not a doer.  
Object. 2. That she said, she hath attained to the Light of Christ, without the help of Scripture, by an immediate call from God, and thou sayest, contrary to these Scriptures, Rom. 10. 14. John 5. 39  
Reply. Those Scriptures which thou bringest to witness against the Light, which was spoken from the Light, shall stand and witness with the Light, against thee, who art an enemy to the Light, and who witness the Light of Christ doth witness it by Christ, without the help of Scripture, and the Scripture doth witness the same, that Christ is the Light of the world, and doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world, John 1. 9 without the help of Scripture; but thou that hates the Light art for condemnation by the Light, which is the life of the Scripture, but the Scripture is serviceable in its place, but thou who lives in darkness takes it out of its place, and so wrists to thy own destruction.  
Object. 3. That she said she is without sin, and that she cannot sin, nor break the Commandments, but keep them all, and all other are in condemnation, that are not like her.  
Reply. Here thou art a false accuser, and a liar, for this she did not say, but thou that pleadest for sin livest in sin, and art in the fall under the curse, upholding the devil's kingdom, which is sin, and so art no Minister of Christ, who comes to destroy sin, but a Minister of the devil, who comes to uphold sin, and he, who was a Minister of Christ witnessed, that he that is born of God sins not, neither can be sin, because his seed remaineth in him, 1 John 3. 9 and all the Ministers of Christ witness the same; and thou, who art a Minister of the devil, pleads against the Ministers of Christ, because thou art a drunkard, and live in sin, and so must have the wages of sin, which is destruction, and all who lives in this generation, pleading for sin, for he that cannot witness cleansing here, shall never be cleansed, for as the tree falls so it lies; and thou that calls this damnable doctrine, art in the damnable estate of the devil, blaspheming the truth of God, and denies Christ come in the flesh, and so art Antichrist, and who have the image of God are like one another, and who are not like, they have the image of the devil, and so are in the state of condemnation.  
Object 4. That men ought not to acknowledge Superiors, nor to give reverence.  
Reply. Before the fall there was no Superiors, only man Lord over all Creatures, Gen. 7, 28. but not man to be Lord over man: and amongst those who were redeemed there was no Superiors, only Christ the head, and the rest fellow Servants, and here who would be the greatest should be the least, and he that respects persons commits sin, Jam. 2. 9 and here thou and thy Superiors are in the fall, lording over one another by your corrupt wills, and as for reverence, I say, reverence to whom reverence belongs, he that can receive it let him.  
Object. 5. That she said she is perfect in this life.  
Reply That is false, but thou that pleadest against perfection in this life, wast never in this life which is perfect, nor art no Minister of Christ, but of the devil, who pleads for imperfection; whereas Christ said, Be ye perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect, Luke 5. 48. and the Minister of Christ witnessed and said, as he is so are we in this present evil world, and he that hath this hope purifieth himself, even as he is pure, 1 John 2. 3. and here thou art found in the kingdom of the devil, which stands in imperfection, and all who witness with thee; for the kingdom of God is pure, and nothing that is impure can come therein.  
Object. 6. That she knoweth and can judge of men's hearts, and that Christ in her judgeth others, and all others, that are not such as she, are carnal, heathens, vagabonds, children of the devil, enemies of God, and murderers, and in the gall of bitterness.  
Reply Here with thy serpentine wisdom thou hast mingled truth and falsehood together, that all might go current for truth, but the day hath made thee manifest, and thy heart is known to be Judas heart, who professeth Christ in words, and in thy heart murders him; and thou art discerned and judged by the Spirit of the Lord in Ann Blacklane, I being of one Spirit with her witness it, and this thou shalt witness to thy woe and misery, and here thou hast razed thyself out from being a Minister of Christ who art a natural carnal man, and knows not the Spirit of God, which searcheth the heart and trieth the reins, Heb. 4. 12, which the Ministers of Jesus Christ witnessed, and said, the spiritual man discerneth and judgeth all things, 1 Cor. 2. 15. and witnessed and said, it is no more I but Christ in me, and without are dogs, whoremongers, adulterers, carnal, h●athens, vagabonds, children of the devil, enemies of God, and in the gall of bitterness, and drunkards, and here art thou, and all that joins with thee to persecute the truth of God, and must be cast into the lake that burneth, for the new Covenant is but one, and the way is but one, and the truth is but one, and they that are not with us are against us, and here art thou in the damnable estate of the devil, who calls this damnable doctrine.  
Object. 7. That she and such as she are only enlightened, and sent of God to reprove the world of sin.  
Reply If thou wast a Minister of Christ thou wouldest witness the same, for all who are sent from him are sent from one, and are guided by one, as they abide in one, and are all of one heart and one mind, Act. 4. 32. Epistles written in one another's hearts; and thou that callest this damnable doctrine art of one mind with the devil.  
Object. 8. That she said there is no outward Christ according to his manhood, but that Christ is only within us.  
Reply. This is false, and here thou art a liar of thy father the devil, but we witness Christ come in the flesh, but this thou canst not witness but art in the state of reprobation, who knows not Christ within; and those who knows Christ no nearer than the heavens above the skies, hath no profit by him, but is in the state of reprobation, as the Scripture witnesseth, 2 Cor 12. 5  
Object. 9 That she said, they that have the Spirit cannot fall into sickness, diseases, distempers of the body.  
Reply Here again thou art taken with a lie in thy mouth, for what she said as concerning this, was concerning her own condition, since she witnessed the Spirit of the Lord.  
Object. 10. That she doth not seek to lead men to the Scripture but from them,  
Reply This is false, for they who witness the life of the Scripture cannot deny the Scripture, for it is their own; but thou, and such swinish natures as thou, must be shut out of the Scripture, who takes to talk of, or to make a trade of, and are ignorant of the life, and would destroy the life, who have the form, but deny the power, 2 Tim. 3. 5. such must be shut out of the Scripture, for what should swine do with pearls, Mat. 7. 6. whose life is in husks, and there thou feeds, and all who have the letter and wants the life.  
Object. 11. That she said, no man ought to swear before a Magistrate, and that no Magistrate ordained of God will cause men to swear; and thou brings the old Covenant to maintain swearing, Gen. 24. 3.  
Reply Hear every way thou Serpent pleads for thy life, which is sin, but Christ the new Covenant, who is the end of the old Covenant, said, that it had been said in the old time, thoushalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oath, Mat. 5▪ 33, 34. but I say, swear not at all; yet the devil in thee runs into the old Covenant to maintain swearing, and so would have Scripture to maintain his kingdom; but the day hath made him manifest, and those who puts any to swear, are still in the old Covenant, for in the new Covenant no swearer can come.  
Object. 12. That she said, men ought not to pray, and that I myself ought not to pray.  
Reply. Even now thou wast pleading for swearing, and now thou art pleading for praying but the prayer of the wicked are abominable, Prov. 15. 8. and thou who art a drunkard art wicked, and hath nothing to pray, but Cains generation, murdering the righteous, whose Sacrifices the Lord will not accept; but he that can witness Christ risen can pray.  
Object. 13. That the Scripture doth not try the Spirit.  
Reply. The Spirit was before the letter was, and thou hast the letter, but canst not try the Spirit, but those who have the Spirit of the Lord, have tried thy spirit without the letter, and hath found it to be the Spirit of the devil, who hath ever reviled and persecuted the truth of God, which calleth the doctrine of Christ damnable doctrine.  
And thou sayest thou wilt justify, that all these her sayings are false, and will be ready to maintain them by this power.  
Reply I do testify and witness by the Spirit of the Lord, that thou art a natural carnal man, and knows not the things of God, 1 Cor. 2: 14. therefore thou Serpent be silent, and talk nor meddle not with the things, lest he come with a bigger power than thine, and cut the asunder, and cast thee into the lake that burneth, then shalt thou know what thou hast done, and all who plot and lay their heads together, devising how to shed the innocent blood, it were better for them they had never been born, Mat. 23: 35, for upon that generation shall come all the righteous Abel, even until now, and this I witness by the Spirit of the Lord, who am chosen out of the world, to be a faithful witness for the truth of God against all who do oppose it.  
JAMES PARNELL A Prisoner for the testimony of JESUS at Cambridge.