Something in answer TO A PETITION TO Oliver Cromwell, From the Subscribers IN CUMBERLAND, Which are called justices and Commissioners: Also the Examination of some Friends at the Assizes at York, the 17 of july.  
London, Printed in the Year, 1654.   

Something in answer to a PETITION TO Oliver Cromwell, From the Subscribers in Cumberland, which are called Justices and Commissioners: Also the Examination of some friends at the Assizes at York, the 17. of july.  
PEtition. You would have all able and Godly Ministers as are already settled in this County, by the late Commissioners, to have all fit encouragement.  
Answ. All the godly Ministers do not Petition to have encouragement from man, they are not made by the will of man; but all they who are made by the will of man, and settled by the Commission of man, must be holden up with man, and encouraged by man, and man's Commission, as you make it appear here, that your Teachers are not made by the will of God, for they which were made Ministers by the will of God, as the Scripture declares, suffered by all such as had their Commission from man, the chief Priests, Scribes and Pharisees, and so they were such that would thrust that Minister out which was made by the will of God: So all you now, which would have the Ministers which are settled, to have their Commission from man, with the light of Christ is all that to be condemned eternally; this is the word of God which brings into his will, who sends such Labourers into his vineyard as he will, which are persecuted, with such as you are in your wills, and hold up such as are made by the will of man.  
Petition. And may not be necessitated to travel to London for their further approbation.  
Answ. A godly Minister need not go forth to be approved of men, for that which is approved of men in their own wills, is abomination to the Lord; and such as Christ sends forth freely, and God, they need not go to London to be approved of men, therefore let shame strike you all in the faces, ye which are unsent of God and Christ, which now go to be approved of men, and for shame never say you are Godlike, or like God, or sent forth by him; for who are made Ministers by the will of God, stand against all you who are made Ministers by the will of man; let all the Ministers of God, the life of them all Judge you, and silence you, and stop your mouths for ever. And them that would you approve, I charge you in the presence of the living God, to that in your consciences I speak, that with it you may see how you are approved with God, and whether you know the voice of Christ that speaks where he is, and the living God: and beware, to the light in your consciences I speak, which Christ hath enlightened you withal, which will let you see you do not know God, and see God, as they who are of God, did and do; let their life Judge you: First, are not you such Doctors as are called of men Masters, and have the choicest place in the Assemblies, and stand praying in the Synagogue? and do not you send forth such as walk in the same steps of yourselves, which our Lord Jesus Christ cried woe against as you may read, Mat. 23. and are you fit to send forth Teachers for Christ, and be in place of the Pharisees, and set them in the places which our Lord Jesus Christ cried woe against? and ye send out such as seek for their gain from their Quarter, which the Lord sent Isaiah to cry against, Isa. 56. and you send forth such as bear rule by their means; which the Lord sent Jeremiah to cry out against, that uphold the horrible filthy thing committed in the Land; and ye send forth such as are Hirelings, which the Lord sent Micah to cry against; and ye send forth such as go in the way of Cain, that envious, and after the error of Balaam, who are from the spirit which receives gifts and rewards, the wages of unrighteousness, which is the end of both; so woe will be the end of all you, who set up such who walk in the same way, from the light of Christ Jesus within you, to the light of Christ Jesus in you all I speak, which is the light of men, that with it you may see all this, which is contrary to it, and to the holy men of God which you act: which, if you love it, the right, it will condemn all your practices, and all these actions, and this must you own, your condemnation, before God and Christ is seen, and his Gospel witnessed, and to you that is the word of the Lord: So I warn you, and charge you in the presence of the living God, to the light in your consciences I speak, leave off acting contrary to the light in your consciences, which never changes, which will witness me eternally, and condemn you which act contrary to it; for who act contrary to it, walks in the steps of those which the Lord sent his Prophets, his Son, and his Apostles to cry against; with the light of Christ you are seen, your steps, and such as you send forth, to be in the steps and paths of them, as I said before, which the Lord sent his Prophets, his Son, and his Apostles to cry against. Let the life of all the holy men of God which gave forth the Scripture, Judge you, and search you, and the light will condemn you all who act contrary to it: I charge you, and so the light in your consciences I speak, to search and see if you can witness the spirit and the life, which was before the Scripture was given forth, which made them Ministers of it which spoke them forth; and you which cannot witness this, are neither Ministers yourselves, nor are you fit to send forth others; which if you say that you have the light which was before the Scripture was given forth, the light in your consciences will condemn you, to it I speak, and that shall witness me and you condemned, and all ungodly deeds, and to you all this is the word of God.  
Petition. And that all possible care may be taken for the supply of such places as are destitute, of the necessary means of propagating the Gospel, by way of Catechism or otherwise.  
Answ. A silly silly, shame shame, that ever you should think men should send forth Labourers into God's Vineyard; here you would not have the Lord to rule his Vineyard himself, and that the care of all should be cast upon the Lord, and you would have people to cast their care upon men: Oh, how contrary to the Scriptures you are! and here again you would have Labourers sent forth by the will of man, and with the will of man; and oh how contrary to the Scriptures and the Apostles you are here again! Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ, not by the will of man, but by the will of God, and the Gospel he preached, was not after man, for he neither received it of man, nor from man, but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ, as you may read in the Scripture: So let his life Judge you all. Ministers sent by the will of man, and are holden up by man, ye know not the Gospel, nor them that are made by the will of God; and here you show that you are quite without the life, the power, the conditions the Apostles and Christ, and the Prophets were in, who put up Petitions to Magistrates for Ministers to propagate the Gospel, which was not received from man by Catechism or otherwise, you do not know how therefore; to the light in all your consciences I speak, which Christ jesus hath enlightened you withal, that with it you may see what you are, and where you are, and in whose steps, and with it you may see your sins, and then in it to stand still; here is the way to salvation, Christ jesus, from whence the light comes, here is the way to receive the Gospel, and here is the Gospel received, and here shall every one sit under his own Vine, dwelling in the light which comes from Christ, who is the Vine; and abiding in the light, you abide in Christ, which is the Vine; but you that hate the light, whose deeds are evil, this light is your condemnation, and then you are such as seek to man to propagate the Gospel, which Gospel is not of man, nor from man, but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ; and you that would have the Gospel propagated with Catechism; Oh hath not this talk been long, of propagating the Gospel? and hath not this Catechism been, but where is the Gospel established yet amongst you? It's the Fleece and maintenance that you would have established, it is looked at more than the Gospel, you make hypocrites, men to seem what they are not; in the time of the Apostles, there were that came to be established in the Gospel; and you Teachers and People hath your Gospel yet to propagate by Catechism and Petitions: Oh abominable, with the light which jesus Christ hath enlightened, with it are you all to be condemned from the Gospel; for none knows it but he that owns the light, and receives it, which comes from Christ, and who walks in it, receives Christ from whence it comes; and here the children of the light are different from the children of darkness, and the Ministers of the Gospel, and of God, which are made by the will of God, from all those which are made by the will of man, and so for shame, let shame strike you all in the face, to talk of having the Gospel propagated by a Catechism; you are not sent of God nor of Christ, nor made by the will of God, and this I charge upon you in the presence of the living God; therefore give over acting in that nature in your own wills, contrary to the light in your own wills, and silence all flesh before the Lord, let all flesh be silent before him, and lay your hands upon your mouths, and own your shame and ignorance; for them that live in it, and walk in it, are with the light to be condemned, and that must you own before you come to know the Gospel; and to you this is the word of God, to the light in all your consciences I speak, which will let you see you are not come to repentance, and that the entrance is not made into the inheritance, which never fades away, where nothing that defiles shall enter.  
Petition. And that some persons within the four Northern Counties may be empowered, and all matters pertinent to the advancement of Religion, in power and purity.  
Answ. If you would own this which you speak of yourselves, or were in it, in the pure Religion, which keeps unspotted of the world, and in purity, than you would not seek without, to men, to hold up purity and pure Religion, which keeps unspotted of the world, but you manifest yourselves, that your power is without you, and so your Religion is without you, which must be upheld by outward powers, and purity is without you, and they that were kept in purity in the pure religion, the power was within them of God, working mightily, as the Apostle witnessed: so here you differ again from him, and the Apostle, and here again let the life Judge you: Oh when will men return unto the Lord, and seek unto the Lord their maker, to the light in all your consciences I speak, that with it you may see what you are going after, and with it your minds may be turned to God, and you that turn from it, turn from God, and set up man, as here in your Petition you make it manifest, to your shame and folly, that truth might appear, which would have Religion set up by persons which God respects not; so here you are looking forth, and are the fools whose eyes are abroad, but the wise man's eye is in his head, and he that is here in the pure Religion, doth not go to an outward Magistrate for to uphold it, for the Law was not made for the righteous, but for liars and transgressors, and that is good, we own in its place; and you that petition to men to have supply from man, you are they that imprison and persecute the servants of the most high God, and though he hath freely sent them to declare the way of salvation, as eight there in your Dungeon at Carlisle, for speaking the word of the Lord; and is this now your colour new, to Petition to men, who are in your wills, and have such as are made by the will of man; and so here again you would not have the Lord to be Lord of his Vineyard, but them whom he sends freely you imprison, but such Teachers as are according to your own fancies and lusts, you would set up heaps of Teachers, and so are the itching ears, which are turned from the light of Christ, which he hath enlightened you withal, and would let you see him, and manifest him which would bring you from all Teachers, to witness the unchangeable Priest, and to condemn all the changeable, which are made by the will of man; to the light in all your consciences I speak, which shall witness me eternally; but the Lord God is coming to thunder, to thresh down all that which man hath set up, and you in your own wills, is to be condemned with the light, which is contrary to man's will, and contrary to that which man sets up, and man cannot propagate the Gospel with all his Catechism: where did ever the Apostles put up any such Petition, or speak any such words? Oh, that men should ever take the Gospel for their cloak, and think that should be held up by man, and propagated that which came not by the will of man, for all Scripture being given forth by the holy Ghost, it came not by the will of man, nor Prophesy of it; therefore you who live in your wills cannot understand it, nor all you who are made Ministers by the will of man: Therefore I charge you all in the presence of the living God, be silent, and wait in the light, which is contrary to the will, that with it the Scriptures may be approved, with the same that gave them forth, than you will never seek to man to propagte the Gospel, but wait upon the Lord Jesus Christ, as they did who received it of him, whose Kingdom was not of the world, but here it is manifest what Kingdom you are of.  
Petition. And that some present course may be prescribed and countenanced for the enforcing the Payment of Tithes and other deuce to Ministers, to which the people in these parts are extremely averse.  
Answ. Whereas you would have some present course prescribed, countenanced for the enforcing the payment of Tithes: Friends, here openly you have your folly made manifest, for you were speaking before of propagating the Gospel, and now you are propagating Tithes, and the first Priesthood, and would have some speedy course prescribed and countenanced for enforcing the payment of Tithes; here you show, that you are they that deny Christ jesus come in the flesh, for they held up Tithes, did not believe that he was come in the flesh, and you would hold up the first Priesthood, which received Tithes, and now under a colour would have the Gospel propagated, and have Tithes propagated: see what confused stuff is this, read but Hebrews 7. and see how you differ from the Ministers who were made by the will of God and of Christ, which preached the unchangeable Priesthood Christ Jesus, and said the Priesthood was changed that received Tithes and the Law was changed also, and now Tithes you would have propagated, than you must propagate the first Priesthood, than you must have a store-house, as you may read in Malachi, and the books of Moses, and let all the widows, fatherless, and strangers come within the Priest's gates, that they Minister it to them, which receive Tithes out of the store-house, that there be no beggar in England, as there was no beggar in Israel, and then you act according to the figure, the Priests, a figure of the everlasting Priest, the changeable of the unchangeable, the store-house of the everlasting Treasure, which the everlasting Priest Ministers out of, and so deny the everlasting Priest to be come in the flesh; and as saying the people in these parts are extremely averse, the people which dwell in the light which Christ Jesus hath enlightened them withal, which brings them to witness this unchangeable Priest, and are of him the royal Priesthood, they witness God alone their Teacher: we cannot hold up the changeable Priesthood that receives Tithes, but we witness a change from them, for we witness the unchangeable, therefore we deny them; Nevertheless, the Priests that take Tithes, they have no store-house for the fatherless, the widows and strangers to come within their gates, and be filled, therefore you may see the blessings of God not among you, nor upon you, therefore you put up Petitions to man, who are turned from the Lord, and woe unto them that take counsel, and not at me, saith the Lord, or offers up any sacrifice but unto the Lord; for if you will have Tithes, you must ofter up sacrifice, for the people cannot hold up the changeable Priesthood, which witnesseth the unchangeable, and so you that put up Petitions to hold up Tithes, you are in your own wills, and would hold up the changeable, and they that own your Petition, are such guides that have eyes and see not; but with the light of Christ which he hath enlightened every one withal, are all such to be condemned with the light, therefore the word of the Lord God to you who witness the Gospel, and preaches it, doth not preach up Tithes, nor the first Priesthood, nor the Temple, nor the Altar, nor the old store-house; though the Ministry of condemnation was glorious, the Ministry of the Spirit exceeds in glory, and with the unchangeable the changeable is denied; now if ye say that Christ said ye pay Tithe of Mint, and anise, and Cummin, and these things ought you to have done; its true, Christ said these things ought you to have done, but he cried woe unto them, and told them they were blind, and said they neglected Truth, and Judgement, and Mercy, for had they been in the faith, they would have seen him who was the end of Tithe of Mint, and anise, and Cummin, the unchangeable Priest; for they which preached him, and went up and down in the Synagouges, did not preach up Tithe, and anise, and Cummin, and the first Priesthood, though Christ in that time did witness the figure in its place, and said, these things ought ye to have done, but when he was sacrificed up, and was preached, the other was denied; now if you say give Caesar his due, and by this ye cloak, that Priests may have tithes, and people pay tithes; the answer is, Caesar shall have his due in his place, but this shall not hold up the figure before Christ came in the flesh, the first Priesthood to paying tithes, and so the figures I witness in its place, and I witness Christ Jesus the end of the figures, the unchangeable Priest, and so I deny the figure, and the changeable Priesthood; so if we suffer our goods to be spoiled joyfully, for witnessing the unchangeable Priest, and denying the changeable that takes tithes, it's for Christ's sake, as some now in Cumberland and Westmoreland are brought before Rulers, because they cannot pay the Priests tithes, and some again have their goods destrained out of their houses, because they cannot pay the Priest tithes, as many may witness it: Oh, the havoc that is made of people with this generation of Priests, and the Justices that hold them up, at Courts and Sessions, troubling, vexing poor people about tithes, who witness the unchangeable Priest, and denying the changeable, and so many are brought to suffer the spoiling of the goods joyfully; there was a member of a Kirk, which turned Preacher, and he was a cause of one's being cast into prison, because he could not pay him tithes, and deny Christ Jesus the unchangeable Priest, nor hold up the first; for shame never talk of propagating the Gospel, or mention the Gospel; where did ever any of the Ministers of the Gospel, or the Apostles sue any at Law for tithes, and if they could not, to have Bailiffs to come to fetch away their goods, their kettles, or their pots, and cast poor people into prison? Oh shame, shame, here let the life of the Apostles Judge you all, who profess yourselves Ministers, and put up Petitions for propagating and setting up such, and say they are godly, and here you make yourselves manifest, that you are no Ministers of the Gospel, here the lie is found in your mouth, to sue men for tithes, to destrain for tithes, and to put up Petitions for tithes, and say you are Ministers of the Gospel; here your fruits do declare it what you are, for the Ministers of the Gospel denied the first Priesthood, and never sued any man at the Law for tithes, but the Ministers of the Gospel are ashamed of you, for all who own Christ Jesus the unchangeable Priest, deny tithes, and the first Priesthood, and do not sue any man at the Law, but are brought to yea and nay in their communications; here you may see how far you are from the doctrine of Christ, which the Apostles walked in; or show me any example that ever the Apostles practised any such thing, or any of them putting up Petitions, or any of them had tithes, or any of them sued ever any at the Law for tithes, or the Apostles ever had Bailiffs to destrain goods for tithes for them of the people, their pots, their kettles, and their Pewter, or bedding, or their horses, or , or threw them into prison for tithes: Oh havoc, havoc, what havoc do you make of the Church, which witness the unchangeable Priest; and now if you cannot find one example among the Apostles, which acted these practices which are acted among the Priests of England, let their life Judge you, and their doctrine, to be evil beasts, which mind earthly things, who serve not the Lord jesus Christ, but their own bellies, and lay their hands upon their mouths for shame, and never mention it more, that they are Ministers of the Gospel, for with the light which Christ jesus hath enlightened you withal, are you all seen and condemned, and this you must own before ever you own the Gospel, for they which preach the Gospel, bring glad tidings, and they do not make the Gospel chargeable or burdensome, nor look at an outward power, to have set benefits or tithes; nay, they first plant a Vineyard before they eat of the fruit of it, and they preach the Gospel before they live of it, and such deny the first Priesthood that receiveth tithes, and doth not preach it up, and doth not covet any man's silver, or gold, or apparel, which preach the Gospel; and here you that sue men at the Law, and strain their goods, and cast them into prison, doth covet both their silver and their goods, so there you are condemned with the life of the Apostles, and to be out of their doctrine, and with the life judged, and with the light condemned, and unto you this is the word of God, unto the light in your consciences I speak, which have put up this Petition, which will let you see that your eye is abroad, which is the fools, which if you love it, it will guide your minds to Christ, and here is every one's Teacher, the light, and every one's way to Christ the Saviour, and every one's way out of the world, which leads them into the world where there is no end; and you that would have tithes, and a speedy course for keeping them up, because God hath raised up the light in the hearts of people, and caused the light to shine out of darkness in the face of jesus, from whom the light comes, and with the light they do confess Christ the unchangeable Priest, and deny the changeable Priest, that receives tithes; for you that hold up tithes, and the first Priesthood, are in the Ministry of condemnation, and not in the Ministry of the Spirit, and to you this is the word of the Lord.  
And you that look for Teachers, are such as are turned from the light, and are such as would not have Christ to reign over you, which are erred from the light, for who turns from the light, are in the self-righteousness, but who walks in the light, with the light such are condemned, and it brings to witness Christ the Minister and Bishop of the soul, and denies all who are made Ministers by the will of man in that nature, to the light they are to be condemned, they are keepers in time, your Ministry of man, made by the will of man, and hath men's persons in admiration, because of advantage, which is erred from the light; the other which is made by the will of God, manifest to that of God in every man's conscience, and goes to Minister to that in the person, and to the bringing it up out of that time unto God, and with that which leads out of time, condemns that which keeps in time, and to you this is the word of God.  
To you that put up Petitions to the powers of the earth, for a set maintenance for your Teachers and tithes, can you not here be ashamed? are you a Vineyard, and doth no fruit grow in you? he that planted gathers no fruit; you may be ashamed, woe unto you Vineyard dressers, must you now put up Petitions to the Powers of the earth, and a cloak to sue such at the Law, as you persecute, which are not of you? Oh shame, you Teachers and people, will not your Vineyard maintain you? now it is manifest what you have been sowing all this while, you have talked, and told people of sowing spiritual things, and said it was the least if they Ministered unto you carnal things, and now is there not carnal things to be reaped, and now you put up Petitions to the Powers of the earth, to get maintenance of them that are not of you, whom you do no work for, who hath not hired you, let shame strike you, ye Vineyard dressers, in the face, and you may be ashamed of your works.   

The Examination of Boswel Middleton, before the judge of the Assize, so called, at York, the 17. of july, 1654.  IVdge Nudigate, 
Hold up thy hand.  Boswell Mid. 
I deny the Ceremony.  Clerk read, 
Whereas Boswel Middleton, Cordinar, in the City of York, having maliciously and contemptuously disturbed Mr. Edward Bowles Minister, when he was preaching in All Saint's Church, saying, Thou art a Minister of Antichrist, and also the Congregation, and troubled and vexed the said Preacher.  judge, 
What sayest thou, guilty or not guilty?  Boswell, 
The words which I spoke to him, was the word of the Lord, but maliciously I deny; then they read over the Indictment again: and I was moved to speak these words: judge righteous judgement, and do justice, the Lord requires it of you.  judge, 
Didst thou speak these words yea or nay?  Boswel, 
A minister of Anti-christ I witness him to be.  judge, 
Stood up, and said, let us reason together, what is Anti-christ?  Boswell, 
He that practiseth and holdeth up those things which jesus Christ witnesseth against, is Antichrist.  judge, 
What things are those?  Boswell, 
Such as are called of men Masters, and go in Long robes, and have the chiefest places in the Assemblies, Salutations in the Market places, and so forth read, to that in thy conscience.  judge, 
Said I was mad, and spoke nonsense, and sat him down, what sayest thou, wilt thou confess thou disturbedst the Church, yea or no?  Bos. 
The Saint's Church is in God the Father, our Lord jesus Christ, and in this Church all may speak one by one, and there peace cannot be broken, but your Church I deny.  judge, 
Wilt thou own the Indictment altogether as it lies?  Bos. 
The words which were spoken by me I own, and witness It was the word of the Lord, but malice and the rest I deny, it is your own: A Minister of Anti-christ he is, and I shall witness it with my blood, if thereto I be required.  judge, 
It were well if you were grounded upon the Scriptures; and not such youths to disturb the Ministers.  Bos. 
Give one example in all the Scriptures where ever the Ministers of jesus Christ were defended with a carnal Law, yea or nay, but they were all silent: then they called a jury, and swore them against me; and I spoke these words, Friends, all you that swear, you are out of the doctrine of Christ, who saith, swear not at all; then I told them, I have suffered the wages of the Law, and lain in prison near six months.  judge, 
That is thy advantage, but here is another advantage, art thou sorry?  Bosw. 
I stand to the Lord, If I have transgressed the Law, here is my body at the Lords service, inflict what punishment on it you can, I have cleared my conscience, and am willing to suffer, and here the Scripture is fulfilled on you, who make offenders for a word.   

The Examination of Henry Fewler, before the judge of Assize, so called.  Justice Dickinson, 
Have you brought Sureties for your good behaviour?  Henry, 
I am bound to good behaviour by the power of God.  Dickinson, Spoke to the judge, and he would not hear him, but waved it; then they drew an Indictment, which is as followeth; whereas Henry Fewler, in the Parish of Saint Laurence, did maliciously disturb, and falsely accuse Thomas Dickinson, justice of the Peace, saying, thou art a Persecuter of the Saints of the most high God. Quest. 
what say you, are you guilty of this Indictment, yea or no?  Ans. 
Maliciously I deny, I have no malice to him nor no man, more than to a child in a Cradle, neither did I know that I should speak to thee, till I saw thy face: And then I was moved to speak to thee by the power of God, but hadst thou not been guilty, thou needst not have been angry or disturbed, hadst thou not had a persecuting spirit, thou wouldst not have sent me to prison for speaking a word to thy conscience; I did not affront thee, neither follow thee, I was within my own door stead, and for the man that was persecuted, it was upon a false oath, as I can let the judge understand.  judge, 
Come friend, art thou sorry for disturbing the Magistrate?  Ans. 
I am not sorry for doing the work of the Lord, he that doth the command of the Lord, need not be sorry.  judge, 
If you will acknowledge you are sorry, I will set you free here.  Ans 
I am not sorry;  then the Court broke up. 
FINIS.