we the servants and faithfull witnesses of the most high god ... howgill, francis, 1618-1669. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a77974 of text r170174 in the english short title catalog (wing b6057a). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. 4 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 1 1-bit group-iv tiff page image. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo 2017 a77974 wing b6057a estc r170174 45789193 ocm 45789193 172506 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a77974) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 172506) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 2636:5) we the servants and faithfull witnesses of the most high god ... howgill, francis, 1618-1669. burrough, edward, 1634-1662. 1 sheet ([1] p.) s.n., [dublin : 1655] title begins first line of text. signed: sent forth the 23 of the 12 m. ... dublin ... francis howgill & edward burrough. date of publication suggested by wing. reproduction of original in: friends' library (london, england). eng quakers -persecutions -early works to 1800. broadsides -england -17th century. a77974 r170174 (wing b6057a). civilwar no we the servants and faithfull witnesses of the most high god, called and chosen of him, and redeemed out of nations, kindreds, tongues, and burrough, edward 1655 852 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 a this text has no known defects that were recorded as gap elements at the time of transcription. 2008-07 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2008-07 spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images 2008-08 john pas sampled and proofread 2008-08 john pas text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-09 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion we the servants and faithfull witnesses of the most high god , called and chosen of him , and redeemed out of nations , kindreds , tongues , and people ; who are ministers of the word of life and reconciliation ; and messengers of glad tidings , and salvation unto captive and weary soules ; ( our glorying is only in the lord , and not in our selves ) who are by the world in scorn called quakers ; who are at this present in outward bonds for the testimony of jesus christ : in dublin ; and who have been in the labour and travell of the gospell of god this six moneths and upward , in the nation of jreland according to the will of god ordained here unto ; and moved and commanded by his eternal spirit , into this his worke for the seeds sake which is not of this world , to the gathering of it into the fold of everlasting peace ; & to the clearing of the lord from the blood of his enemies , that they may be lest without excuse , by his powerfull word given unto us and uttered by us , ( and herein we are a good savour to god both in them that perish , & in them that beleeve ) and for this cause have we denied our dearest and nearest relations ; and loves not our lives unto death , that our testimony we may finish , which is committed to us of the lord , and because of this are we labourers under many burthens , & travellers in many afflictions , and sufferings , and are abundantly reproached , and our lords truth of which we bear witnes , greatly infamed by many slandering and backbiting tongues ; espetially by the thachers and professed ministers in the eares of their people and hearers ; slandering us with being jesuits , and deceivers , and seducers , and heriticks , and blasphemers , and witches and such like : and we of those false accusations being clear , and our lords truth ( the testimony which we hold ) wholy innocent ; and are wiling to be tried and proved , & made manifest to the inhabitants of this city & nation , in the sight of god ; this therefore are we moved to give forth ; & hereby in the name of our liveing eternal god ; of heaven , and earth ( whom we serve , & worship in that way which is called herisie ) doe send it abroad , as a challenge to all you teachers , and pretended ministers , of what sort & form so-ever , and to all you people whom it may really conscerne ; and especially to all you , in the city of dublin , & places else where in jreland to whom this may come . that you meet us , in the city of dublin , at some publique place at a convenient time appointed by you ; at which place & time , if the lord permit , ( by the permission of the counsel of jreland whose prisoners we are ) we shall you meet then , and there to have a faier and sober dispute , in the presence of all people , who may desire to be informed or satisfied concerning us , and you , in these things whereof you can accuse us , and also of those things , by way of sober questions , which we have to propound to you , not for any end to our selves , nor to set up a kingdome of our own , god is our witnes , but that the way of our god may be made manifest , and all deceit , and error discovered , and all people may be informed the way to salvation , and as you are true to your god and will answer for him ; and are willing to be made manifest in your way of worship , and doctrin , and ministry , you are not to neglect ; but here-in to answer our desires , and the desires of many hundreds ; that you and we may be made manifest in the sight of god , to all mens consciences , who are in truth and who are in error : that shame and condemnation may come upon the guilty , & truth may be exalted over all deceit . sent forth the 23 of the 12 m from the sarjent at armes his house in dublin . given under our hands who are prisoners for the testimony of jesus , whose names in the flesh are francis howgill , & edward burrough . you are desired to send your answer of these propositions to us , and if you consent to meet us , let sufficient notice be given abroad ; that the jnhabitants of the city and countrey may know five or six dayes time before . a woe against the magistrates, priests, and people of kendall in the county of westmerland, pronounced from the lord by one of his prophets. which may warn all the persecuting cities and towns in the north, and every where, to repent and fear the lord, lest the decree go forth against them. also the stumbling-block removed from weak mindes, who are offended at the strange signs and wonders acted by the servants of the lord, scornfully called quakers in the northern parts of this nation. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a86655 of text r206774 in the english short title catalog (thomason e725_18). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. 16 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 5 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo 2017 a86655 wing h3189 thomason e725_18 estc r206774 99865880 99865880 166798 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a86655) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 166798) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; 112:e725[18]) a woe against the magistrates, priests, and people of kendall in the county of westmerland, pronounced from the lord by one of his prophets. which may warn all the persecuting cities and towns in the north, and every where, to repent and fear the lord, lest the decree go forth against them. also the stumbling-block removed from weak mindes, who are offended at the strange signs and wonders acted by the servants of the lord, scornfully called quakers in the northern parts of this nation. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. [2], 6 p. [s.n.], london, : printed in the year, 1654. signed: f.h., i.e., francis howgill. annotation on thomason copy: "decemb: [crossed out] 4th january"; the 4 in the imprint date has been crossed out and replaced with "3". reproduction of the original in the british library. eng quakers -england -kendal -early works to 1800. a86655 r206774 (thomason e725_18). civilwar no a woe against the magistrates, priests, and people of kendall in the county of westmerland, pronounced from the lord by one of his prophets. howgill, francis 1654 3190 4 0 0 0 0 0 13 c the rate of 13 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the c category of texts with between 10 and 35 defects per 10,000 words. 2007-05 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2007-05 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2007-06 angela berkley sampled and proofread 2007-06 angela berkley text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-02 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a woe against the magistrates , priests , and people of kendall in the county of westmerland , pronounced from the lord by one of his prophets . which may warn all the persecuting cities and towns in the north , and every where , to repent and fear the lord , lest the decree go forth against them . also the stumbling-block removed from weak mindes , who are offended at the strange signs and wonders acted by the servants of the lord , scornfully called quakers in the northern parts of this nation . london , printed in the year , 1654. the word of the lord came unto me saying , write and declare against that bloody town of kendall , and leave it without excuse . hear ye which pretend to be rulers , and ye that pretend to be teachers , and ye people , the trumpet of the lord is sounded , gather your selves together , for i will plead with you , your iniquities are come up before me , and your transgression is come into mine ears ; wo , wo , and misery is coming upon you , you shall be as sodome and gomorrah , and as admah and zeboim ; desolation and a crie , a crie , lamentation , howling , bitternesse and sorrow shal come upon you at unawares , the sword of the lord is drawn against you , it is sharpned for a great slaughter , and you shall be cut off , because you have despised my name , and troden under foot my precepts , and walk after your own wils , and the imagination of your own hearts ; and yet saith the lord , they say i am amongst them : wo unto you hypocrites , i am weary of you , and of all your profession it stinks in my nostrils , and i abhor it as much as if ye slew a man ; you have slain my son , you have mocked my prophets , and despised my messengers which i have sent early and late to forewarn you of the evill to come , have not i wrought signes and wonders amongst you , as ever was in any day , or from the beginning , have not i made the mountains tumble down in your sight , have not i caused my judgments to fall upon them that have set themselves against me ? have not i cleansed the lepers ? have not i quickned and raised them out of the grave , which were dead in sins and trespasses ? have not i brought down the proud ? have not i exalted the low ? have not i caused the weak things to confound the wise ? have not i sent signs among you , and have sent my servants to declare against you , as i did to nineveh , and have you not heard it ? have not i commanded my servants to go bare and naked in your sight , to be a sign to you that your covering is now rent , and your garment is to bee torn , and you shall be left naked and bare , and you shall be made a mock and a proverb to all , as my servants have bin made a mock and a proverb to you ; and i will scatter you in my indignation , and i will cause my fury to rest upon you till i have consumed you ; ye rulers that rule by your own wills , and ye false prophets that cry peace to this people , and all ye people that delight in lies , is not all manner of wickedness committed amongst you ? as pride , covetousness , oppression , persecution , mocking , stoning , and imprisoning , haling before magistrates them who are made to do my will , and to declare against you ; ye strive against me , saith the lord , ye cry a confederacy , ye consult together , ye plot , ye call all your inchanters against me ; thus saith the lord , ye shall be broken as pharaoh , and go down to the pit with aegypt , mesheck and tuball , and all the uncircumcised ; wo is me , the spoiler is come up against you , and blackness covers you , and a consumption is entring into your bones , my eie shall not spare , my hand shal not pitty , but it will bring this upon you , howle and lament ye okes , ye mountains cleave asunder , and all ye people , both great and small , be astonished , put on sackcloth , put your mouths in the dust , for i will make my fury to pass over you , and none shall be able to deliver you , said the lord ; write this , let them know , but they will not hear , till i have caused my fire to burn them up and there be no remedy . written from the spirit of the living god , by me who am a wita witness for his name , whom the world knows not , but named by the world , franc. howgill . oh ye raging priests , who have set your selves against the mighty power of the lord in his own , whereby he is manifesting his works , his strange works ▪ his acts , his strange acts , making his servants signes and wonders amongst the heathen , and them that know not god , nor his power , whereby he is choosing that which seems foolishness , to confound the wisdom of the wise , which you who stand in your own wils and wisdom , know nothing of ; but in this , as in other things , out of your envie against the truth , take occasion to lay stumbling-blocks in the way of others , wherein you plainly aypear to be in that generation , who will neither enter into the kingdom your selves , nor would suffer others ; you who take occasion to preach and print against the truth , because the lord hath caused some of his servants to go naked along your streets , as in kendal and kirkby-stephen , as signes of his wrath to come upon that pride and fulness that priests and people live in ; and this , you who never knew what it was to obey god , contrary to your own reason and wils , ( for who act such things , act contrary to their own wils ) cry out on a delusion and madness , thinking thereby to make the truth odious to others , but it is that the scriptures may be fulfilled upon you , as it hath been on your generation before you , who counted always what the prophets , christ , and the apostles did madness , and called them mad-fellows ; but now all you who fear the lord , and believe his word , take heed of the deceit of these men , and mind not what they say , who have set themselves to speak evill of the things they know not , but search the scriptures and there you shall finde , that the mighty god ( who hath power over all flesh , and what he commandeth none must dispute by their reason ( though it seem never so foolish , and against their wills ) but must obey ) hath always before his great judgments which he has about to bring on a people , or nation , made some of his dearest servants to pass and act as signes to such nations of what was to follow , and was so usual among the prophets , and them who knew the word of the lord , that the prophet isaiah speaking in the name of the lord jesus christ , saith , i and the children whom thou hast given me , are for signes and wonders in israel , from the lord of hosts that dwelleth in zion , isaiah 8. 18. and if ye search the scriptures of the prophets , you shall see in what strange and foolish things to the wisdome of the world they were acted in , as in esay 20. the prophet was to go three years naked for a sign , what the lord would bring upon aethiopia and aegipt : now had these men lived in his dayes , they would have cryed that up as a delusion and madness , and not as the word of the lord , as they do at this day ; for they neither know the lord , nor his word who stand in their own wills : also read the 4. of ezekiel , and see what a sign he was to both the houses of israel and judah , a strange thing to the wisdom as ever was : also read the 5. of ezekiel , and see what a sign he was to be , and what folly he was to act as to their wisdome , and that in the midst of the city : also ezek. 12. 18 , 19. & 24. 16. to the end of the chap. likewise ezek , 12. to 17. v. and many other of the dear servants of god , who were not only to declare the word of the lord from his mouth , but also to be signs to them to whom he was to prophecy , that so he might leave them all without excuse . now those who then were priests , and should have bin teachers and leaders of the people to fear god , and hear his word , and observ his signs , and repent that the judgments might be prevented , they were the only men that hated , reproached , persecuted , and called the prophets , christ and his apostles madmen , deceivers , becaus of these things , which into their wisdomes could not enter , and stirred up the rulers and ignorant people against them ▪ that they might put them to death as it is at this day , but these in our dayes are more inexcusable then all that ever went before them , inasmuch as they had no scripture to shew them that the lord had commanded such signes formerly ; but these have the scriptures that witnesse to the same thing ; which scriptures they make a trade on , and cry up in words , but are ignorant of that spirit by which they were acted that gave them forth , and envie and persecute that obedience that was acted in them , in whom it is now acted ; and they might as well cry out against esay for a mad-man , because he went naked at the word of the lord , and the rest of the prophets and servants of god for acting such weak and foolish things , to their wisdom , as they did as against these for obeying the lord in the same or the like things whatsoever , for god is not tied to any rule to walk by , but his own will ; and where he commands wo to him that doth not obey , and where he commands not , woe to him that acts in his own will , and saith , it is the word of the lord . wherefore all ye that fear the lord , take heed of being stirred np by these men to speak evil of that you know not , but consider that the priests have been alwaies the move●● and perswaders of the people against christ and his kingdom , and power in his saints , and instead of being forward to speak evil of the things you know not , turn in your minds into the fear of god , and mind the light in your conscience that will let you see what sins you are guilty of , which these signs are threatnings to , that you may repent of them , and escape the judgment and finde mercy , as they did in the time of the prophets , who feared the lord and escaped the judgment ; but the envious , scorners and fools passed on , and were punished and know this , that a wisemans eye is in his head and such an one hath his guide within himself , and will not be hastie to follow others though they be multitudes to do evil , and such know it is better to be silent , then to speak evil of the things they know not , and when was there ever any truth of god brought forth , but it alwayes suffered the violence of the proud and haughty , where the seed of the serpent reigns and shews his enmity ; and it is the same now , for that which hath been is at this day , but it is that the power of the lord may be seen , in carrying on his simple truth , against all the wisdom and power of of the world , and plotting of the serpent , yea and he will carry it on to his praise , and to the confounding all his enemies , who must stumble at the stumbling stone , and be offended at the rock , that must break them to pieces , wherefore be silent all flesh before the lord , whose foolishness is more then thy wisdom , and whose weakness is more then the strength of all the world , who is a defence to his poor despised ones , in the midst of their enemies . eternal praises to thee who art our wisdom for ever . to all you who have eyes and yet are blind , and who have ears and yet are deaf , and have hearts and yet cannot understand ; to you i am moved to declare . the lord is proclaiming himself to be king , and all the mountains and every isle and every oke of bashan , and all the cedars of lebanon , and all who rule as kings and conquerors shall bow : hear ye deaf , the trumpet is blown , the standard is lifted up , there is open war proclaimed between michael our paince and all the inhabitants of the earth . arm your selves , o ye mountains and gather your selves on he●ps o ye isles , the glittering the sword of the lord is drawn , and a fire is before him , and all ye will be found as stubble , and you are all to be slain heaps upon heaps , and are all to go down with all the uncircumcised rulers and people into the pit ; the lord the mighty jehovah is revealing himself from heaven in flames of fire to render vengeance upon all the workers iniquity ; for you have slain the heir of the vineyard , you are killing his prophets , and imprisoning his saints ; to you all professors , rulers , and priests , which say you are jews , and are not , but are the synagogue of satan ; i speak in plainess of speech unto you all who live in all the abominations of the heathen , and yet say you love christ , do not you call the master of the house now belzebub , do not ye mock , and set your mouths awry ye sons of the adultress , and of sodom , at the light of christ which enlighteneth every one that comes into the world , which light did lead all saints into purity , and up to god , and this you call natural , and them who witness redemption by the son , you call blasphemers ; christ which you profess and yet know not , was accounted by your generation a blasphemer , and all the apostles and saints were persecuted by your generation as evil doers , as despisers of government , as disturbers of the peace , as leaders of the people into iniquity , as the off-scouring of all things , as sheep for the slaughter , and were al of them put to death and in prison by that generation which professed god , and said they had his ordinances , yet slew them who professed him and kept his statutes ; for if ye be not wilfully blind , are ye not doing the same now ; mocking , haling , imprisoning , bringing before magistrates them that witness jesus christ in them , and becaus they bear witness against all sin ; did ever any of the saints of god persecute , imprison , or hale before magistrates , and falsly acuse any ? did ever the saints complain to authority to guard them ? hear ye whited tombs , ye painted sepulchres , what gospel is this ye profess ? what god is this ye serv that must be defended with clubs , swords , rulers , and carnal weapons ; the saints who had the everlasting gospel , said , their weapons were not carnal but spiritual , and yet they were mighty through god to beat down strong holds , even principalities and powers , thrones and dominions ; but your gospell and ministry can do nothing without a sword ; all people see where you are , & what you are doing , you run headlong to ruine ; those who were despised by that generation of pharisees & professors which you are in , were a burthensom stone , upon which all that opposed did break themselves ; so this generation whom ye set at nought , ye shal be made to bow and throw down your crowns before them , and before the lamb who is our leader & guider , glory unto him for evermore ; its hard for you to kick against the pricks , for we witness the two edged sword of the lord shall bathe it self in the blood of his enemies , and shal be made fat with slaughter . o ye mountains ye shall become a plain for the ransomed to come over you ; all your profession shall be as stubble , and you shall be left naked and bare , and nothing shall be able to cover you , because you are crucifiers of christ and the saints , repent that you may be hid in the day of his fierce anger , which is to come upon all the workers of iniquity . f. h. finis . a copy of a paper sent to john otway, justice of the peace, concerning swearing howgill, francis, 1618-1669. 1666 approx. 18 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 5 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2005-10 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a70287 wing h3155a estc r21667 12121858 ocm 12121858 54449 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a70287) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 54449) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 591:14b or 2209:8) a copy of a paper sent to john otway, justice of the peace, concerning swearing howgill, francis, 1618-1669. [8] p. s.n., [london : 1666?] caption title. signed at end: francis howgill. this item appears at reel 591:14 bound following wing c1514, "a journal of the life of ... will. caton," and at reel 2209:8. reproduction of originals in huntington library and earlham collge library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng oaths -quaker authors. society of friends -apologetic works. 2004-12 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2004-12 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-01 andrew kuster sampled and proofread 2005-01 andrew kuster text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-04 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a copy of a paper sent to john otway , justice of the peace , concerning swearing . my friend , tho i am little known to thee , or acquainted with thee , as to any converse or conversation , yet hearing of thy sobriety , and readiness to hear and enquire into those things which are scrupled among christians ; and what may be said for or against any thing wherein every true christian ought to be satisfied in his mind , before he can believe and receive it as a truth ( to have his conscience obliged thereby ) which i account a point of wisdom , and not to take things upon trust , and hear-say , and tradition as many do , without any further enquiry ; also understanding , that thou hast not a hand in persecuting thy neighbour , in bringing them into bonds , and others which i know thou mightst have done , had not somthing in thy self limited thee beyond either law or examples , which i hope thou wilt never have cause to repent thee for : for the meek shall inherit the earth ; and to the merciful god sheweth mercy . and if ever there was an act of mercy , this is one , to be tender of them that are tender of gods glory and worship , when so great severity hath been used against them that fear the lord in their hearts , which is the seat of the lords judgment in man. likewise hearing , that thou at a publick session at kendall lately , in thy charge or speech in the court , spoke something about oaths , and the lawfulness of them , and said that some gave false glosses upon matth. 5. and james 5. and did assert the morality of them among christians , and how the angel swore after christ had given that command ; and shewed a necessity of them among christians . the consideration of these things , with some other , was an inducement unto me , to write these few things unto thee , and shall leave them to thy consideration , , and to the spirit of the lord in thy self to judge according to that , and seeing i am a sufferer at this day , and a great one too , upon this account , which if i were not certainly perswaded upon good ground of the truth of that i have believed in this particular , i neither could nor would suffer for it ; but i must not forcean implicit faith upon any , only judging it may induce thee the more to consider what i say . i have had my share of long contests about this thing amongst my brethren , and much hath been written about this particular by divers hands , whether any of them ever reached thy hand or not ; but however , i would not be tedious unto thee , and therefore shall contain my self in as narrow a compass as may be in so weighty a matter , for which many thousands have and are like to suffer . first of all , there was a time when there was no oaths , when man was made in the image of god , which consists in righteousness and true holiness , equity , long suffering , patience , goodness , mercy and truth , wherein man was in a capacity to believe in god , and men to believe one another : this was in the beginning after the heavens and the earth was made , and all things that are therein ; then there were no oaths , neither needed any , for truth lived and man in it , and that spoke ; and a certainer testimony there could not be , nor a greater : and this was before sin and unbelief entred . 2. whosoever comes to witness a restoration again into the same image by christ , the second adam , as all that are born of god and are true christians indeed do come to , there will be nothing but truth speaking and ruling in the heart , and in the words : and oaths ends . 3. but after man had transgressed , and eaten of the tree of knowledge of good and evil , and went from the power of god , and had broken the covenant of god , he lost his wisdom , and folly entred ; he lost truth and a lye entred and unbelief : so that he believed not god , neither the sons of adam in the fall could believe one another ; and sin being entred , and death by it , deceit grew fast and unbelief , and but a few in a generation bore the image of god before the flood , as abel , enoch and seth , and some few in comparison ; and the rest generally corrupted their waies , and bore another image , and went after the imagination of their own hearts , and set up images and idols ; and also after the flood when the earth began to be replenished , the cursed seed grew faster , and many great nations became ignorant of the true god , and made gods of gold and silver , wood and stone , and reverenced them , and worshipped them , and stood in fear of them , and had them in esteem ; and swore by them as the greatest thing , and gloried in them . 4. abraham who feared the lord , and hearkned unto his voice , whom the lord singled out of many people , as a righteous root of whom he would raise up a righteous generation ; and more righteous than the rest of the nations , and made a covenant with him , and he was called the father of the faithful , and was the original of all the tribes of israel , and the thousands of the people ; but the most of them became vain also , and as corrupt as other nations . and the four hundred years that they had lived among the egyptians , they learned too much their manners , and were much corrupted and darkned in their understandings , and therefore the lord was wroth with them , and few were made partakers of the promise , because of their unbelief . 5. the law was added because of transgression four hundred and thirty years after the promise was made ; or as some account from the creation two thousand years , which law was given at sinai to israel , and not to the gentiles ; as it is written to jacob , he gave his law to israel , his statutes to every nation he did not so ; which law some of latter times have divided into three parts , moral , judaical , and ceremonial : which distinction i do not read of particularly in the scripture . moral , as that which pertaineth to the manner of israel , how they ought to worship god , and walk towards their neighbour . ceremonial , that which pertained to the priests and people , as to form or discipline , which was shadowy . judaical , as that which belonged to their policy or state. the two last generally are acknowledged ( if i may say parts of the law ) to be ended , and is not binding unto christians ; but the first part , some have said , is moral and perpetual ; the discussing of which would take up more time and reading than i intend to trouble thee with . 6. seeing the law , all of it was added because of ( transgression ) that was the cause its evident , if there had been no transgression there had needed no addition of a law , as a limit or rule : so whosoever comes thro christ jesus , to witness transgression finished , and an end of sin , they become dead to the law ( tho they are not without a law to god ) for it hath power over a man as long as he lives , to convict him , and judge him ; but being come to the image of god against such , there is no law , tho they are not without one , as i said , to god and his christ. 7. but because the lord would not suffer israel to walk according to the heathen , he in love to them , gave them a law sutable to the state they were in before the seed christ was manifest , and the covenant was sutable to their state ; their minds was outward ; and their covenant was outward : their minds was mutable , their covenant was so ; and these pertained to a part above the seed , and were shadows of good things to come , which ended all in christ ( tho not destroyed ) so the tabernacle , temple , priests , oblations and offerings ; sabbaths , fasts , feasts , oaths , tythes , circumcision , and the like , tho they were all real commands of god in their time , and continued unto the time of reformation , that is , till the law ended , and the priesthood , covenant and hebrews . 8. it is granted by us in the covenant , the jews might swear , and did in truth and righteousness , and were commanded so to do , to swear by the true god , and reverence his name and sanctifie it ; and least they should swear as the heathens did by their false gods , and reverence them that are no gods , he commanded to swear , and fear and reverence his name that was the living god ; and i look upon it as the low condescention of god , or stooping to them in their state they were in , because there was unbelief in them ; therefore to end strife they might swear , and it was permitted them , even as it was to have a king when their hearts was set upon it ; so the lord considering their state , the lord swore by himself , for their sakes , and as they swore by the greatest ; so he by himself , being there was no greater to confirm the truth of his words , because of the weakness of their faith , or rather unbelief . 9. but we do not read of all the oaths amongst the jews for some there was that feared an oath , that ever they were imposed under any outward penalties , as they have been of late among christians in name ; but for all the scriptures and examples that have been or can be brought , to prove oaths lawful under that ministration and covenant to save all men the labour , who would contend for the jews swearing , we allow the same and assent to them ; so thus them that will contend and prove swearing , then they shall contend without an adversary for me or that people i own in judgment . 10. but the great thing that seems to carry all the weight on its back , is the morality of it still among christians , as some plead ; unto which i answer , was not the sabbath of the jews , as moral of that of oaths , or any other command in the ten , or elsewhere , which i have heard some parish priests say was moral and perpetual among christians , and yet they themselves break it by practice ; the command reached only to the seventh day , and whoso alters it , lets up another thing , and then how is it moral . the like doctrine they teach about oaths , and hath darkned peoples understandings without distinguishing betwixt time and time , and ministration and ministration ; but some say , christ came not to destroy the law moral but to fulfil it ; it is granted again , some say , tho they very far strain the words in the third commandment , we are not only forbidden to take gods name in vain , but to sanctifie by praying , praising , and swearing upon occasion : if i grant all these under the gospel in force , in the substance as under the law ; i say , leave nothing of the shadow , or type , or ceremony , as to be standing or binding among christians ( as it is not . ) it s granted , the substance of all had nothing of force under the gospel : for the law had a shadow of good things to come that came by moses , but the grace , the truth came by jesus christ , the substance ( and he is the substance ) and he living in a christian , speaks and testifies the truth , and there need no other in any judicature , and that was never denied by us but often profered , but seldom received . incense was the ceremony of praying and praising , but the substance is lifting up the heart to the lord , from the motion of his spirit ▪ and praising is making melody in the heart to the lord. and circumcision of the heart is the substance of the circumcision in the flesh , rom. 2. and christ the substance of the passover ; and christ is the substance of that shaddow or ceremony of swearing , and that which every christian ought to do , is to speak the truth , and to testifie the truth from the heart , and this is the substance , and that which is required under the gospel ; and this we never refused , and this divers learned men hath confessed is the sum ; read isa. 45. 23. and compare rom. 14. & 11. and so is confession of a truth , and testifying the same about any matter , be not equivolent with an oath under the law. 11. as for matthew 5. and james 5. we give no glosses upon them , but do receive the words as they are , the precepts of christ and james ; and we cannot allow all those glossers , who would pervert their words from their jenuine sence , which we take clearly to be a limitation from all swearing whatsoever under the gospel ; and not only in communication , but even before all men , and at all times ; not only from vain oaths , and false swearing , and by the creatures , but from all swearing whatsoever , the scripture is so evident and so clear , that its much that any should stumble at the commands ; the very stop of the chapter clears the thing ; yea , even some who have contended against us , have been made to confess that the perfection of obedience required under the gospel , was above that the mosaical law did exact or teach ; and from these scriptures , so dr. gauden and vsher , the one contended against the quakers , the other for the waldenses against the romanists . christ saith of old time it hath been said , thou shalt not kill ; thou shalt not commit adultery ; thou shalt not for swear thy self , nor by the creatures ; and if they were not to swear by them alone , nor the altar , neither head nor foot , then , why now by the bible or upon a book , seeing that it s made of creatures ? but it s said by the contents of the book what doth the book contain more then true words ; and if the heaven of heavens cannot contain him , i am sure the book cannot . away with this imposed traditional ceremony . but christ saith , whosoever is angry with his brother , is in danger of judgment . and again , love your enemies ; and whoso looks upon a woman , and lusteth after her , hath committed adultery : but i say , swear not all , but let your yea be yea , and your nay , nay , whatsoever is more cometh of evil ; so that its evident he speaks of a further perfection of obedience under the gospel , than under the law : for if it be only vain oaths and false swearing , and by the creatures that he prohibits , then the law had said as much , and he said no more than the law , for these were reproved by the law ; but its manifest he required a more exact obedience than under the law ; and likewise those things that had been permitted because of the hardness of their hearts , he took away and brought them by his doctrin to that state which was in the beginning before darkness and hardness was . and as concerning the angels swearing , to which of the angels said he , thou art my son , this day have i begotten thee ? and again , i bring forth my first begotten son , and let the angels worship him : and therefore the ministration of the son is above the angels , and both angels and their ministration are to give way unto christ , and he must be worshipped ; and no example of either angels or men ought or can violate the commands of christ. 12. it was a doctrin believed and received among the primitive christians not to swear at all , that there was no question made of it , tho in the times of persecution , when their liberties and lives lay upon it , yet they denied to swear , and keep in the first gospel doctrin taught , and would not violate it . a cloud of witnesses i might bring to confirm the truth of what i say in that particular , but that i intend this only as a manuscript and no further ; so i will not be tedious , but only take a few fathers whose doctrin is generally received . origen saith , it behooves not a man , who lives according to the gospel , to swear at all . chrysostome forbids not only swearing , but to swear at all . jerom , the gospel truth admits not of an oath . austin , any man that is a common swearer , no more credit can be given than to a lyar , a thing too much in use in our age , yet none debarred from swearing in judicature . jerom upon mat. 5. and james 5. these are his words , it was permitted to the jews , being in wickedness and infancy to offer sacrifice to god , least they should sacrifice to idols , so they might swear by god , not that it was righ ful so to do , but because it was better to swear by the lord , than by false gods or devils ; but the great evangelical sincerity and truth admits not of an oath , since every true saying is equivolent thereunto . theophalact , hillary , athanasius , theodoret , and lactantius , and others taught much against swearing without any limitation . polybius observes in the best and purest times , and simpler ages of the world , oaths were never used in judicature ; but after unbelief and lying increased , oaths increased . justin martyr saith , it was enough security in all cases to say , i am a christian ; and if any oath either for matter or manner was tendred , they repeated this as the only satisfaction they could give , i am a christian. polycarpus and basilides , both martyrs , denied to swear at all , and what is this become such a strange , new , and dangerous doctrin amongst us in those days that profess christianity ; as that now are reckoned good members either of church or state but swearers , but i have done , desiring thee to peruse these things over in the same love that i writ them , and what ever thou dost hold thy hand from persecution , for assuredly god will bring a rebuke upon the nation for it , and all them that withstand the lord in his people . farewel . thy true friend , francis howgill . an information, and also advice to the armie on both parts, and this present committee of safety newly erected, and to the late parliament and also to all people who seeks peace and righteousness, and are for the good old cause, so much talked on. this is presented by him who stands off, and from all self-interests and parties, and wisheth that the wisdom of god may guide you all, and division and destruction may cease. by francis howgil. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a44795 of text r202551 in the english short title catalog (wing h3167). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. 21 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 7 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo 2017 a44795 wing h3167 estc r202551 99825178 99825178 29555 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a44795) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 29555) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 2148:1) an information, and also advice to the armie on both parts, and this present committee of safety newly erected, and to the late parliament and also to all people who seeks peace and righteousness, and are for the good old cause, so much talked on. this is presented by him who stands off, and from all self-interests and parties, and wisheth that the wisdom of god may guide you all, and division and destruction may cease. by francis howgil. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. [4], 11, [1] p. [s.n.], london : printed in the year, 1659. the first leaf is blank. tightly bound with slight loss of print. reproduction of the original in the british library. eng great britain -politics and government -1649-1660 -early works to 1800. a44795 r202551 (wing h3167). civilwar no an information, and also advice to the armie on both parts, and this present committee of safety newly erected, and to the late parliament; howgill, francis 1659 4321 36 0 0 0 0 0 83 d the rate of 83 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the d category of texts with between 35 and 100 defects per 10,000 words. 2004-12 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2005-02 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-03 mona logarbo sampled and proofread 2005-03 mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-04 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion an ●nformation , and also advice to the armie on both parts , and this present committee of safety newly erected , and to the late parliament ; and also ●o all people who seeks peace and righteousness , and are for the good old cause , so much talked on . ● is presented by him who stands off , and from all self-inte●●sts and parties , and wisheth that the wisdom of god may ●●ide you all , and division and destruction may cease . by francis howgil . london , printed in the year , 1659. an information , and also advice to the army on both parts , and this present committee of safety , newly erected , and to the late parliament , &c. what , is there not a wise man among you , who seeks not himself , but the good of all , that you so blow the sparks on every hand , and exasperate the spirits on● of another , and rather are for strife , then for healing ? and would ye have the fire kindled to rise up in such a great flame , as both to destroy your selves , and many innocent people in the nation ? what , is every one seeking to gratifie his interests and party , and to satisfie his will ? and is there none that seeks that the will of god may be done in earth , among the sons of men , that god might once delight to do us good , and settle these nations in peace and freedom , as men , and as christians . 1. consider : hath not this been the end which hath been proposed by all good men , who have not sought themselves , but hath ventured all that this might be accomplished , which if it had been , or were , or could be attained unto , would be a perfect recompence and satisfaction of all , and to all , who have sought it in their heart , viz. freedom from oppression in their persons and estates , which hath not been by reason of the many wicked laws which have been imposed to satisfie the self-interests of some particular men , which did imbondage all other . secondly , liberty and freedom of conscience in the exercise of their consciences to christ , who is gods annointed , according to the manifestation of his light and spirit to them , unto whom , and before whom all must give an account , and be judged ; but this hath been hitherto hindred by them who have re-assumed a power , and have usurped authority to themselves , and have made laws to the imbondaging of the dear and precious people of god in these nations , though you have been talking of the good old cause , these are not revocated and overturned , by which very many suffers to this day . 2. it is not names , titles , denominations , and words that we look after , and which will effect the thing proposed , which while some have been contending after , have let go the thing in hand , and have lost it , and so sets up a particular interest , and it clothes it self with the words and fair speeches , but nothing is brought forth , and so by fair speeches and flatteries the people have been deceived and cheated . 3. should not all rule and authority be for the good and safety 〈◊〉 ●nd well-being of a nation or common-wealth , and not to set up an arbitrary power in their own wills , to rule in tyranny and oppression , to satisfie their own lusts , to the imbondaging of all the people ? and when any power or authority have deviated or swerved from this , they became no other but tyrants and oppressors ; for the thing intended being lost , the ruler or rulers rule no more for god , neither he account them such , ( whatsoever they may account themselves ) and therefore hath raised another thing to overthrow that power , as hath been evident in this nation , in these many revolutions , although that power which was first in being , which was ordained for the end aforesaid , being swerved from the thing , might say to that which rose up against it , that it was rebellion and treason , and declare it to be such in the ears of the people , as hath been done by ●ivers , which is in the memory of most , so that i need not instance ; when i say it was not so accounted by the lord , and he hath given testimony of this by the overthrowing the former , and raising up the latter , and hath stood by it , while it stood in his counsel ; as for one instance , the long-parliament against the late king , which in mans account could be looked upon to be no other then rebellion , yet god gave a signal testimony to the one , while they stood in the power of god , and against the other . 4. was not israel governed sometime by judges , sometimes by the elders , and sometime by kings ? and while they stood in the counsel of the lord , and the people hearkned to them , was not the lord among them , and sometime raised up unlikely means , as to mans wisdom ; as david a shepherds boy , and gideon a thresher , and he was made a judge , and a redeemer of israel out of their slavery ; but mind this still , while they stood in gods equal counsel , which led to do equally to , and for the good of all , according to gods institution and appointment , then they were blessed ; but when either ruler , governor , or governors went from the power of the lord , in which they onely had authority to rule , and to do justly ; but when they went from that , and became corrupt in their minds , and hearts , and blindness came upon them , as it is said , blindness happened to israel through their unbelief ; and what was the effect thereof ? the judges judged for rewards and gifts , the prophets prophesied for hire , and the pri●sts divined for money , and the people ●oved to have it so , and the end thereof was misery ; for god raised up another thing , and overthrew the judges , prophets , priests , and people ; the ancient and honourable that were the head , and the false prophets , which were the tail . is not the same blindness happened to england ? when will her rulers , judges , prophets , priests see their error ? is 〈◊〉 ever like to be a free nation , till all act freely for god , without imposing heavy burthens , and giving as much to one officer imployed in the publike service , as would serve twenty , and make so many of them too ? when will these things be done away , that every one may be approved and manifest , how be loves his nation , or how he seeks the good thereof , by laying out himself freely , and acting freely without so much chargeableness to the nation ; i do not mean the soldiery , but men imployed in civil affairs , and the ministry , who would be counted godly and painful , to publish freely , or else be silent . 6. the ancient courtiers having found so much ease and profit by the late king , turned all cavaliers , and cryed up the prerogative of the king , above law and equity , setting that aside wholly which all good government was intended for , as the safety of the people , and freedom from oppression , tyranny , and usurpation , and that none might be imbondaged in the worship of god ; but when he and his assistants sought to inthrall all , and imbondage all , both in civil and ecclesiastical things , as they were called ; the long-parliament and the people that aided them at that time , counted it no treason to oppose him , seeing the end was not answered which he should have satisfied ; and god desided the controversie i● overthrowing the one , and establishing the other for a season ; yet many are so blind to this day , that they judge the nation cannot be established in freedom without a king , as though such a name were essential onely to freedom , and without it could not be obtained ; but the judicious will see this ignorance so now many are so doting on the name of a parliament , as though it were essential , or the name to be the foundation of government , and cryes up the priviledge of parliament , as the former did prerogative , and would fight about a name in their heat and passion , and lose the thing intended , though they be the representative of the people to do good to the people , and not hurt ; they are accounted as good servants to god , and to them that elected them ; but if they would so soon as got together , set up a particular interest , which serves to the imbondaging of the whole , and then cry up their priviledge to do what they list ; then it is no rebellion in gods account , neither in the account of just men , to call them away , when they do not perform the thing intended ; but if they will not hearken to the cry of their masters ( the people ) but may be call them rebels or traytors if they should be turned out , because they have clothed themselves with the name of higher power , when alas they are gone from that in which their power , priviledge , and authority stood . 8. and this i have to say to that part of the army who stands so much upon the name of parliament , and would seem to oppose all the rest , whether army , or the people from whence their power did at first arise , when they accomplish not the end that they meet for , neither intended so to do , but to set up some , and make the rest always sufferers , if you should take part herein , and manage your weapons , for a sound or a name , or for something that may sute you , though damnifie many thousands ; it will not go well with you ; for god looketh not as man , neither judges he according to mans wisdom ; therefore be not rash nor hasty to shed blood upon this account , but take counsel in time ; lest an outstretched arm stop you in your way to your detriment and hurt , and you may repent too late ; it is not your declaring in words for the good old cause , neither your proclamations nor declarations in good words , neither taking god to witness that will satisfie the people , who have been , and are present sufferers ; we have had enough of that , from all the former asserters of liberty in words , but the thing is not done ; so be less in words , and more in action , and deeds for righteousness ; and though you may seemingly retort the sayings of this army in england upon them , how they received commissions from the parlament , and promised to be faithful to them , and did that they repented of that such things should get up to rule & have dominion , as was acted by the two late protectors , whom the parlament and you judged usurpers , and so you take advantage at this , to spread forth this to their reproach in the nation ; this is not brotherly done , neither is that spirit that will forgive , and suffer long , but is heady , though they did receive commissions , and promise to bee faithful , yet the end i believe was still premised by them , as to be servants to them , for the foresaid end , the good old cause : 1. freed as men from oppression . 2. as christians , from being imposed upon either by antient laws , or laws which hereafter might be made , which hindered the aforesaid cause and end , of all the travel , expence , and suffering in the nation , which they would never have done : therefore the army in putting a stop to that which did retard and draw back from that end aforesaid , in gods sight , and in the fight of all illuminated men , is no rebellion nor treachery . 9. and as for the long parlament by whom god did good things , and great things , in the overthrowing that power , which was deviated from the aforesaid end ; ( to wit ) the late king , yet the axe must not boast it self against him that hewed onely with it for a time to accomplish his end , and when he pleases take up another instrument , and let the first lie still . what they did , they had the approbation of god and good men ; yet they went not through with the work purposed and intended . and though they were called together in a time of straits , when that which had obstructed through flattery and ambition was taken away , yet still you who were the members of the old parlament remaining , were called together , for to help to accomplish the aforesaid end , and to carry on the good old cause ; but truly you sticked in the mire , and did not run chearfully , but had your ears open to them that could complement and flatter , and their business you would hear , and return them thanks ; but them who had been your dearest friends in your former straits , coming in all love and humility , and represented their sad suffe●●ng unto you , of their long imprisonment , and how ●bove twenty dear pretious men suffered till death in prison for that grand oppression of tythes , could not bee heard : and again , when a representation came unto you from many thousands , who were faithfull men to the common-wealth , and had alwaies been , it was laid by as waste paper , or as a thing of no validity and worth , when others received thanks from you in words , and a seeming approbation of things of fa● less importance . furthermore , certain who had been officers in the army in the nation , and in ireland this fourteen or fifteen 〈◊〉 , came to you to present the sufferings and grievan●es of that nation unto you , and in seven or eight weeks ●●me would neither hear nor regard their suit unto you , neither take notice of it , neither return an answer ; but when a company of greedy hireling priests came from leicestersh●re to sound their trumpet in the house , and to tell you they had not engaged with the rest of their brethren in cheshi●e and ●a●cashir● with george booth , they were immediately called in , and thanks returned , as though they had done some great service for the nation , that they joined not in the rebellion ; but them who were your real friends , called quakers , who gave you and the army intelligence about the late insurrection in cheshire , who were spoiled by the said rebells of their goods , and horses ( especially ) to a great value , and could never receive any satisfaction or incouragement from you : and above all things this evil you did ; when diverse representations of the sad sufferings of the people of this nation , from diverse parts thereof ; not onely from one sort of people , but all , except one , ( v●z . the presbyterians ) ●●stead of taking off the heavie yoke thereof , the oppression whereof hath reached heaven , even to the throne of god , and hee hath considered it , though you would not ; but in stead of removing of it , established it , for which he was wrath with you ; you have lost your crown , and hee hath laid you by , as men who would not accomplish his end , and let his people go free : and let me tell you , it was rashly and proudly done of you , after so many valiant officers , who had waded through a sea of troubles , though i shall not say , but they sought themselves too much , which i hope god will give them to see : and after they had subdued the insurrection in cheshir● , and had considered what might best conduce , for the welfare of the army , and for the nations good and safety , and to present it to you , desiring your concurrence therein ; and though they did send among their quarters for subscriptions , they knowing before hand except it carried some bulk , or at least seemed a matter of concernment , y●u would take less notice of it , that you should in your heat , and passion , being filled with jealousies , vote out these officers at their return from performing the faithful service to you and the nation , it was an unworthy gratification ; and to put in others less capable , onely to exalt your own power , and rather to draw back to bonda●e , then going forward to perfect the business a foresaid ; for these , and many more instances that i might lay before you , it was just with the lord to remove you , and not to prosper you , and to overturn you , because you stood not in his counsel , neither hearkened to them who would have wished you well , with whom gods counsel is , and it is just you are turned out ; and let me advise you , and despise not my counsel , for the counsel of the mighty hath sailed take councel at a shepherd , or a man of low degree , be you quiet , and seek not revenge , neither blow the sparks nor kindle heat in peoples minds , neither provoke the army to bloodshed ; but rather disswade them , and wait t● see what the lord will do , if he will raise up any to perfect that long desired and hoped for end , freedom , and liberty in the things that are just as men , and in the things o● god without imposition , and if you live to have yo● share among the people , in this it will be well ; and yo● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no cause to repent of being still and quiet , though you may have cause to repent of your rashness , and of the things before mentioned . 10. and you of the english army who were dissatisfied with the proceedings of the late parlament against you , 〈◊〉 wish there be not too much selfe in you in the thing , rather for your own advancement and particular interest , then that the good old cause , ( profest ) was not carried on by the parlament , according to your desire , and the peoples expectations . if self-interest was the cause , as it is to be feared there was so much of that , you will be crossed in your expectation ; for that is the thing , which hath obstructed the thing intended all along , since the thing was asserted , that will soon be made manifest ; and there remains a ground in your selves , which i believe will hinder the end proposed , which must be done away before you can do much for god , though you may profess and declare in words much , which may take with some for a while , yet it wil not satisfie long . i wish from my heart good to you all ; but there is something stands betwixt you and good things : you would , like the rest , please all men ; but that cannot bee ; stand to the good , and let your actions answer the witness of god in the worst . and you say in your declaration , you have an intention to take away tythes , and settle some way for a godly preaching ministry ; i say , they will need none of the states or commonwealths maintenance . and if you should take them away , and settle any thing by way of compulsion upon the people for any ministry , you leave us in bondage , and we must declare against that , as against tythes , and we cannot pay , neither the one , nor the other , for conscience sake : and you who are the committee of safety newly erected ; yea many of you have seen , or at least might have seen what hath hindred the end proposed ; you have a day of visitation , god will try all sorts of men , if any will be faithful to the end . therefore this i say to you , and the rest of the army ; throw down all those corrupt laws made about religion , mass-houses , clerks-wages , forced maintenance ; and meddle not with it , for that thing broke all parliaments and councils hitherto , and so will it do you , if you meddle with it ; leave all people free without imposition of any maintenance to any , or else you do nought ; but let every one be , and let every judgement maintain their own , and leave people free , as to the worship of god , only to christ who is head and ruler of his church , and lord over the conscience , and is his alone right , which if you shall not do , he will throw you down also : therefore let him have room and way , or else that which resisteth will be cut off : and this is gods word unyou all , take heed of gratifying any to the embondaging of others ; let tythes and forced maintenance go down , and if for the good of the nation or commonwealth , ( as in things civil ) all which a free heart will most readily and willingly assist you in what money you need for the armies pay , or otherwise for the good of the nation . stand not puzling about business not worth mentioning , no● st●●ving who shall be greatest , but remove the present opp●●ss●●n● , and that which is the cause thereof , and set no 〈◊〉 nor unrighteous men in place of authority ; satisfie the nations with deeds , words will not ; with things , and not with names that will not ; and it is not a king , a parliament , a protector , a councel , or senate we look at , will do the thing : neither people be ye wedded and glewed to names ; he that purposeth righteousness and equity in his heart , and walks after it , is that which god will bless and prosper ; for when kings , parliaments , and councels are gone from the power of god , they are for the thraldom of a nation , and not for its liberty ; but this i forewarn you , whatever you do , meddle not in the things of god , or about religion , let that alone , and you will more readily serve the necessity which the present affairs calls for , and the common , civil , and equal liberty of all men . oh that you had wisdom , and the counsel of the lord were with you ! how soon might things be established ▪ then would you do more in one day , then in ten , while you consult with your reasons and the old corrupt laws , many of which 〈…〉 e good for nought but the fire . thus i have in all faithfulness cleared my conscience ●nto you , as the lord presented things to me , and happy 〈…〉 e they that can receive them ; for in this i am not alone , ●or many thousands will bear testimony hereunto . so i rest 〈◊〉 the peace of god , which no man can hinder me of . subscribing my self a faithful friend to the common-wealth , and all the good people therein , francis howgil . the end . a visitation of love, peace, and good will from the spirit of the lord sent unto the whole flock of god, now in this their day of tryal and hour of temptation, for the refreshing, strengthening, comforting and building of them up in their most precious holy faith, that they may be encouraged to hold fast the profession thereof through all tryals and sufferings, unto the end, that the crown immortal they may come to receive : being two epistles, the one from f.h. and the other from a.p. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. 1664 approx. 27 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 8 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2005-10 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a44812 wing h3187 estc r6656 13506239 ocm 13506239 99803 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a44812) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 99803) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 791:17) a visitation of love, peace, and good will from the spirit of the lord sent unto the whole flock of god, now in this their day of tryal and hour of temptation, for the refreshing, strengthening, comforting and building of them up in their most precious holy faith, that they may be encouraged to hold fast the profession thereof through all tryals and sufferings, unto the end, that the crown immortal they may come to receive : being two epistles, the one from f.h. and the other from a.p. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. parker, alexander, 1628-1689. salutation of dear and tender love. 15 p. [s.n.], london : 1664. the first epistle signed: francis howgil. "a salutation of dear and tender love, springing and arising from the fountain of light and life revealed from god, unto all the dear children of god, who love and believe in the true light" signed alexander parker: p. 9-15. reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic 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and markup reviewed and edited 2005-04 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a visitation of love , peace , and good will , from the spirit of the lord. sent vnto the whole flock of god , now in this their day of tryal and hour of temptation , for the refreshing , strengthening , comforting , and building of them up in their most precious holy , faith , that they may be encouraged to hold fast the profession thereof through all tryals and sufferings , unto the end , that the crown immortal they may come to receive . being two epistles ; tho one from f. h. and the other from a. p. fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer , for behold the devil shall cast some of you into prison that you may be tryed , &c. be thou faithful unto death , and i will give thee a crown of life , rev. 2. 10. london , printed in the year 1664. a visitation of love , peace , and good-will from the spirit of the lord ; sent unto the whole flock of god , now in this their day of tryal , and hour of temptation , &c. dear friends and brethren , who have been called to believe by the holy calling of the lord unto sanctification and holiness , that ye might inherit the promises of god , and and that your souls might live in the land of the living , and partake of his goodness ; that you might admire him , and praise his name for ever : and seeing the lord out of his rich love and mercy hath visited you , who sometime sate in the region of the shadow of death , and were cast out of his presence in the time of unbelief , seeing he hath caused his miraculous light to shine upon you , in his gracious visitation of you ; and hath given you to believe in his name , prise his love unto you : and let not his gracious benefits slip out of your mindes , least your hearts be filled with other things that will corrupt your hearts , and make you an unmeet habitation for the lord to dwell in and among . dear friends hear my brotherly admonition and exhortation , for the lord moved in my heart to write unto you , and in the bowels of his kind and tender love , and motion of his heavenly spirit , to stir up your pure minds and consciences unto stedfastnes in the faith of our lord jesus christ , and so much the more that you all be watchful , seeing the times be perillous , for now the adversary goes about roaring and ravening , on the right hand and on the left , to destroy and devour that which god hath brought forth-in-you , that so he might re-gain you too under his power and government ; and that ye might revolt from the kingdom of our lord jesus christ , that stands in power and righteousness , which is come and hath been of a truth manifest in great glory , and this is an hour the power of darkness is let loose to try the faith of them that dwell upon the earth , and he is let loose for a season ( blessed are they that hide themselves under the shadow of the almighty , and under the wings of christ jesus , who is given for a redeemer , a saviour , and a preserver of men ) that the wicked one touch them not ; and now the devil rages because he knows his kingdom is but short , and but for a small time is like to stand in many , because a stronger then he that rules in the world , is come , and hath began to dispossess the strong man , and bind him , and cast him out ; and now he rages and stirs up all the temptations within and without , and all his instruments to joyn with him , to make war for him , that he might not rule who is the heir of all things , and given for a leader , and to be the head of the body his church , in which alone he hath right to rule , because the lord of the whole earth , ye of heaven and earth , hath put all power into his hands , to bind and to loose , to bring out of captivity , and to lead captivity captive , that life and immortality might again inhabit in the sons of men , that truth and righteousness might sway , that mercy and love might sit on the throne , that his salvation might take hold on the ends of the earth , and his power made known from sea to sea , that all that wait for him , and love his appearance now when he is made manifest , might rejoice in his goodness and life , and may be made glad as zebulon and nepthaly beyond jordan , in the days of old , upon whom sprang up a marvellous light , that the whole earth might be filled with his praise and glory , that hath been filled with darkness , violence , and cruelty , in the time of the devil and antichrists reign , which hath been long and great in the earth : so that the hearts of the sons of men have been corrupted , and they are gone backward from the lord , and have been degenerated into a strange nature , and hath brought forth evil and corrupt fruit , like that of sodom ; and they that do evil are not at all ashamed , neither do they blush , but are become impudent , through the long custom of evil , and hard and impenetrable , upon whom the hammer of the lord must come , and his indignation be poured forth : but you whom god hath called out of this estate into a state of redemption and purity , by his son the light of the world , who hath illuminated the eyes of your minds , consciences and understandings , that you might bear witness unto him that is true , a testimony against the world that lies in wickedness , and pleads for it , and lives in it , as though it were the way to felicity , hold fast your liberty , hold fast your faith , hold fast your hope , hold fast your testimony , let none take your crown , and so much the more , as you are compassed with temptations , and the times be perrillous so much the more , you had all need to keep near the lord , for now father would betray the son , and the son the father : the mother her daughter , and the daughter her mother , and brother , and kinsfolks betray one another , and them that exercise authority would bertray who are not in the power of god , and through flattery and threats and fair promises , and frowns , and gifts , & rewards , & ease , and liberty , and the glory of the world , and what not to lead your hearts away from the lord , and then glory over you , and rejoyce that your feet should slip and you fall into the mire and dirt , and gross abominations , and pollutions of the world , that lyes in wickedness , dearly beloved never heed none of these things , let not the philisti●●● your eyes , nor damm up your wells , for then they would make you grind like samson & you might perish in the drought for lack of moisture , and then your dayes would be miserable , and your years full of sorrow , for the lord will perform his promise , and keep covenant with them , that keep covenant with him , but if you forsake him in your hearts , in what is made manifest , then he will forsake you , and then you are left to the mercy of your adversary which will be cruel . therefore heed not the pride , of moab nor the reviling of the children of ammon , for they are uncircumcised in heart , and the moath shall eat them up as a garment : oh if any draw back from following of the lamb , through suffering they will be smitten , and the lord will have no pleasure in them , and what will amaleck say , when israel turnes their backs in the day of battel , but where is their god , in whom they trusted , and he that brought them forth was not able to deliver them to the end , oh that such things may never be spoken of now in gath , or ashkelon as in the days of old , lest the sons of the philistines triumph , & the daughters thereof rejoyce in their wickedness , & this would make the hearts of israel of god to mourn , this is the day of the lambs war indeed in 〈◊〉 age , and a day of battel , though his weapons and his followers be not carnal but spiritual , and there is none that goes to war doth intangle himself that hath a purpose to hold out , and is resolved to continue with him in his sufferings , but will shake off these things that incumber , last he should not obtain the victory , and come short of the promise , and the victory , and crown , which all that endure hardship unto the end shall receive ; oh dear friends look above all visible things , and stand out of them all , and loose from them , that the enemy do not ensnare you ; what is not the earth the lords and the fulness thereof ? and hath he not given the utmost part of the earth for a possession unto his son ? what was not abraham our father blessed , when he was faithful and obeyed the voice of the lord , and went out of his own country he knew not whether ? was not the lord with him whether ever he went , and his blessing upon him where he sojourned in a strange land ; did not god intreat him kindly in mesopotamia , and among the hittites , and was not he loved and feared among his enemies , was not john the boloved and faithful disciple of christ banished into patmos for the testimony that he held ? was not shadrach , m●sech and abednigo children of the captivity , cast into the furnace , and daniel too among the lions , for the testimony they held against the common worship of nations commanded by a law ; did christ endure the death of the cross and the contradiction of sinners , and condemned by the most ? did not the believing hebrews who were banished , wander in sheep skins and goat skins , in holes , dens , and caves of the earth for the hope they held , and the country they looked for ? did not moses through faith forsake pharaohs court and became a companion of poor brick-makers in captivity , a cloud of witnesses might be brought , even of them who died in the faith and yet were not made partakers of the promises , who many of them saw not what you have seen , nor hear those things that you have heard , nor injoyed that which god hath made many partakers of ; and have we not a great cloud of witnesses in this our own age , some who have not loved their lives unto the death for the testimony they received , believed , and held fast to the end unto death ; hath not many died in prison with hard usage , hath not some been hanged and died a shameful death , and finished their course with joy and peace , have not many endured great , hard , and long imprisonment for years , and are they yet weary ; nay , have not many suffered great spoil of their goods , and have not they a reward seven fold into their bosom . oh let the consideration of these things dwell upon your hearts , and provoke you unto suffering , and long-suffering with joyfulness , that in the midst of all tribulations as it abounds you may feel according to the promise of god your joy much more abound to carry you above it ; indeed now is the time come , and he that will 〈◊〉 manifest himself to be on the lords side must suffer , and he that will no but turn back into the broad way , and run with the heard of swine in o the sea of common pollution must perish there , and indeed there is no place for halting , if god be god follow him , and if baal be he go after him ; and therefore let none draw you aside from that you are perswaded of in your consciences by the spirit of the lord , neither to joyn with that you know he disalows , and in the obedience you will have peace and joy ; look not at them that draws back , for they go to perdition , but rather after them that continues faithful , that shall receive honour , and glory , immortality and everlasting life , in the fresh heavenly power of god meet together and worship him as at other times , though the decree be gone forth and the more because you have been therein refreshed , and comforted , and edified ; and let none perswade you from that innocent du●y in worshipping god in his spirit , and assembling your selves together for the strengthning of one ano●her , for this is the will of god and acceptable in his sight as many of you well know ; watch and pray least you fall into temptation , and into the snare of the wicked one , the god of heaven and earth establish all your hearts that you may glorifie god in your generation , and be a sweet and an odorious smell unto him in bonds or liberty , in life or death is the prayer of him who hath besought the lord , and is determined so to do on all your behalf , till the lord by his power tread satan under your feet , that you may triumph and rejoyce and sing over all in heavenly rejoycing and praises unto god , and the lamb that lives for ever , and for evermore amen . from applebye goal the place of my rest where my days and hours are pleasant unto me the 4th . of the 5th . moneth . 64. your dear brother in the patience and suffering of christ , who abounds in perfect love to all the faithful flock of christ every where . francis howgill . a salutation of dear and tender love , springing and arising from the fountain of light and life revealed from god , unto all the dear children of god , who love and beleive in the true light . dear and well beloved friends you whom god in mercy and tender love hath visited with the day-spring from on high opening your understandings : and letting you see the deceits of the subtile serpent , and the empty dead formes and inventions of men , which have been set up in the night of darkness and apostacy , which have been over people of all sorts in that part of the world called christendom , since the days of the apostles of christ and not onely so , but by the vertue of the same light shining in your hearts , he hath revealed and manifested the great and deep things concerning his kingdom , and the beauty and glorious excellency of his house , and of those things pertaining unto life and peace , the sight whereof hath kindled and inflamed the hearts of many with holy desires after the full enjoyment of that glory , life , and peace , which in the light is set before them , and true breathings and strong cryes hath passed through many to him , who hath power to dispose of this kingdom , crying lord what shall we do that we may be heires of thy kingdom , and the lord hath hearkned and heard the cryes of such as have drawn near unto him in nakedness and humility of heart , and by his light hath shewed them those things which are evil , which they ought to refrain ; and also those things which are pure and good , which they ought to imbrace , and as many as in the light have received him to them he hath given power , not only to resist the evil in all its appearances , but also to embrace and obey the good in its appearing within . thus the lord begun his work even his great work of reformation in us , making a separation between the precious and the vile , laying the axe unto the very root of the evil tree , and by it cut down sin and iniquity within : which all profession without could never do , and as you and we did sensibly feel and know the lords power revealed within , making a separation , there the same power did lead and draw us to a separation without from sin and all sinful persons , so that we could not pertake , ( nor joyn ) with them in any bad thing , nor go with them to the same excess of riot , and foolish vain pleasure , which wicked men that know not god delight in , and as we were drawn out of the worlds wicked ways , into holiness and righteousness , to follow christ our saviour in the way that he walked in , oh then how did the enemy rage , and appear as a flood to swallow us up , and stirred up his instruments to scoff , scorn , revile , stone , beat , and persecute us , and through a great fight of afflictions we passed , through all which the lord led the faithful and put a stop to the raging sea dividing of it , and brought his children safely thorow . thus hath it been with us , in all our travells since we were called out of egypts dark land , the enemy hath been very busie going about like a roaring lyon , seeking whom he may devoure , which is no new nor strange thing , for from the dayes of righteous abel unto this day and age wherein we now live , the righteous holy people have suffered and been persecuted by the wicked and ungodly , as the scriptures of truth and other ancient ecclesiastical writings do declare , oh what cruel mockings , stonings and many deep exercises , and great persecutions did gods people endure in every age and generation , through which the lord led them , and by his holy power revealed in them did uphold them , and preserve them , and made all things easie unto them , so that they were conquerors , yea more then conquerors through the lord christ that loved them . and now dear hearts its the same hand and arm of power that was stretched forth and revealed in them , which preserved them , and gave them dominion and victory , that now is held forth and revealed in us , which is able to preserve , defend and uphold us in the greatest tryalls and exercises which we may meet withal or be exercised with for his names sake and therefore am i moved and stirred up in gods holy zeal by his own pure spirit , to admonish you in true brotherly love to hold fast your profession and what ever you have received from god through the son of his love , oh treasure it up in your hearts , that you may have abundance of durable riches , which none can take from you , for now is a day of great tryal , and the devil rages because his time is but short , yea very short , for as sure as god lives he shall be taken and all that joyn with him to uphold his kingdom of pride and oppression , and they all shall be cast into the burning lake that never shall be quenched there to be tormented for ever and ever , the day is dawned wherein the lord will accomplish and fulfil all these good things which he hath promised by his holy prophets in former times , and in this day pride and oppression , cruelty , and persecution shall have an end , the lord hath said it , who is able to perform it , and the righteous shall be delivered from all their heavy yokes and oppressive burdens , and the land shall be cleansed and swept , and evil-doers shall have no place , but the holy people who have followed the lamb of god in the regeneration , who have given up their all into the will of god , and have not loved their lives unto the death , they shall inherit the kingdom , and christ over all shall rule and reign , and so the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our god and of his christ , and this great work shall not be effected and brought to pass by sword , or any weapon of war by the arm of flesh but onely and alone by the spirit and power of the mighty god the great jehovah who has all power in his hand , who has power to set up and throw down at his pleasure , who is a consuming fire , and all the proud and those that do wickedly , ( though they may say well , and profess high things ) they shall be like unto the dryed stubble , and shall surely be consumed root and branch . and i know assuredly by the testimony of god in my heart , that the lord is able even in a moment of time to make all his enemies his footstool , for he who hath wrought mightily in our hearts by his spirit and power , wounding and bruising the head of the serpent , and destroying the devil and his works in us , as many can truly experience , he is the same unto all that wait upon him , and can work the same work in every individual person in the whole world . therefore all you deer friends of truth , who have been quickned by the word of life , and raised up unto a lively hope , who have made an open confession and profession of the holy name of the lord be encouraged , and put on strength even the streagth of god whereby you may stand against all the assaults of the devil , and may also be enabled to bear and suffer all things patiently , which for the name of christ , may be inflicted upon you , be faithful to god in his requirings and do his will , and you shall know more of his mind and doctrine , and as you are faithful to god in the obedience of righteousness , you cannot be unfaithful to man for obedience to god , in the light is the ground of all faithfulness unto men , and so herein we stand approved before the lord , and in due time shall be manifest unto the consciences of all men , though for a time we may be reproached and branded with foul names of heresie , error and sedition , as the holy people formerly were , and though for a time we may suffer , let us bear it with patience without murmuring or contriving , ( or without the least desiring ) the hurt of those who persetcute us , for herein the spirit of christianity will appear , and shew forth it self in us , and the lord in due time even as the day approaches will wipe away all these reproaches , and scandalous termes and names which are cast on us , and we shall appear as we are cloathed in the lambs innnocency , meeknesse , and gentlenesse , and true sincerity of heart , let every dear babe and lamb of god keep their habitations of innocency , and dwell under the shadow of the wing , the arm of the lord and there you shall be preserved . and whereas some term us to be a stubborn and rebellious people that is also false , for we cannot rebel against any man , neither king nor any under him , for the ground of rebellion is disobedience to god and rebellion against him by sinful deeds , for whosoever rebells against the light of god in his own heart , will soon rebel against the highest of men if he be provoked therunto & have opertunity , and though in words high things may be pretended , and flattering titles given unto men , it s all deceit and iniquity , and in the time of tryal it will manifest it self . but truth and the sincere lovers of it can call nothing holy , but what is really so , neither can they give the titles of pious , sacred and good to any man , or people , who are not really holy and good , for that were but flattery and deceit which god did ever : ( and doth at this day ) abhor so let none of these things trouble you , but walk in the light as gods dear beloved and redeemed people for their stands our union with god and one with another , and mind the drawings of the fathers love which will more and more draw you out of all carnal fading visible things where no lasting peace is , & bring you home to the true peace and centre of life , where fulness of joy is , and all spiritual blessings to refresh you day by day , & this is the priviledge of gods suffering people , at this day even their free access unto the throne of grace , and free liberty to eat and drink at the lords table , where there is bread of life that nourishes unto eternal life ; and where there is living water , that sweetly refreshes the thirsty souls , oh come dear hearts eat and drink abundantly , that you may be filled and abound that so you may communicate unto others , that may be refreshed with you , and you with them in the love of the lord. and dear friends as it was the saints practice in former times to meet together in the holy name of the lord to wait upon god , and worship him in spirit and truth , and as it hath been our practice , since we were acquainted with the lord to meet together likewise to wait upon god , and to declare and speak of those great things which he hath done for us , and wrought in us , accordingly as the good spirit of god doth move in any , and give utterance , so dear friends keep your meetings in the name of god , for you well know that we have no other end in our meeting but to serve god , and to turn people from the devil , and the service of sin unto god , that they together with us may glorifie god , and serve him in the new life of righteousnesse , and by this way and means many have been convinced of the evil of their wayes , and also of the deadnesse and emptinesse of mens invented customary formes and worships , and so have joyned and sate down with us in stilnesse to wait upon god in spirit , to receive spiritual food and refreshment to their souls . and this hath greatly troubled the people , and rulers of this nation , and now they strive to put a stop , and have made a law to hinder us in our meetings , but in this case knowing it to be our duty to god , and if neglected we should provoke the lord and kindle his anger against us , we chuse rather to obey the lord , though we provoke man , and we chuse rather to suffer such punishments as can be inflicted on us by man , being assured that god will be with us and uphold us , and give us peace in our hearts and consciences in our sufferings , which none can take from us , which if either for fear of man , or love to this present world we should neglect , and so provoke the lord , we know that no man can give us peace , or make an atonement for us ; for we have known gods terrours for sin and disobedience , and have known his righteous judgments revealed , and we know it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living god , who though he have long patience , and waits to be gracious , yet he will not always strive with man , but will suddenly come and render vengeance in flames of fire upon all that knows him not , and that doth not obey the gospel ; who shall be be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the lord , and from the glory of his power , when he shall come to be glorified in his saints ; therefore continue in his fear and love , and in true and sincere obedience of the gospel of peace unto the end , even untill all your enemies be conquered , so shall you be crowned with life as you do overcome ; but unlesse there be a conquest over sin , hell , and death , yea and over that nature which is unwilling to suffer there is no crown , therefore it s said be faithful unto death , and thou shalt have the crown of life . dear hearts mind these weighty things , and be faithful , bold , and valiant for the truth , and great shall be your reward . these things was i moved in the spirit of pure love to write unto you by way of remembrance to stir up your pure minds , that you may go on with boldness and courage in the way of the lord which he hath called you into , with the tender of my very dear love unto you , wishing and from my very soul desiring and heartily praying that bowels of mercy , true love , peace and patience with all other spiritual blessings , and all things conducing unto life and godliness from god our father & jesus christ our light , life , & leader may be encreased and multiplyed amongst you , and to him alone even the god of all our mercies who is israels keeper and protector , and to the word of his grace in you do i commit and commend you all resting with you in the patience of christ. let this be read amongst friends in the fear of god , when in his name they are met together . your brother and companion in tribulation waiting for the restoration of all things into their purity , even as it was in the beginning before transgression was , who am a sufferer for the testimony of jesus alexander parker . in the common goal in new-gate , london this 30th . day of the 5th . moneth . 1664. the end . a general epistle to the dispersed and persecuted flock of christ jesus in the dominion of england and all parts and regions where this shall come who have believed in christ the light of the world and now suffers for his names sake / [by] f.h. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. 1665 approx. 31 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 8 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2005-10 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a44789 wing h3161 estc r30345 11298814 ocm 11298814 47344 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a44789) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 47344) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 1464:11) a general epistle to the dispersed and persecuted flock of christ jesus in the dominion of england and all parts and regions where this shall come who have believed in christ the light of the world and now suffers for his names sake / [by] f.h. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. 13 p. [s.n.], [london] printed : 1665. numerous errors in paging. reproduction of original in the harvard university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng society of friends -pastoral letters and charges. 2004-12 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2005-02 spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-03 mona logarbo sampled and proofread 2005-03 mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-04 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a general epistle to the dispersed and persecvted flock of christ jesus in the dominion of england and all parts and regions where this shall come who have believed in christ the light of the world , and now suffers for his names sake . f. h. printed in the year 1665. a general epistle to the dispersed and persecuted flock of christ jesus , &c. dearly beloved whom god hath called and redeemed out of the world , and the vanities thereof ; to follow the lamb in the regeneration through the cross and suffering in this age , wherein the whore , beast and false prophet , and all that have drunk of her cup , and have received the mark of the beast , and are led aside to believe lyes , that proceeds out of the mouth of the time serving , flattering , deceitful workers of this generation : who are all joyned together in their strength and power to act every way against the lamb and his meek appearance , ( who takes away the sins of the world ) and against all them that are made clean through his blood , and are come out of the pollutions of the world : and to make war against the remnant of the seed of god who are begotten again to the lively hope of christ jesus , and to the inheritance that fades not away , and to root out and destroy and weary out through cruell sufferings the saints of the most high , that so the prince of darkness might rule in his full power and authority in his instruments and servants without opposition or any gain-saying . and as god out of his everlasting love hath redeemed and translated many from great darkness wherein they have been held in the time of unbelief , into his marvelous light , to walk in it and to bring forth the fruites of the day , of light , faith and righteousness to the praise and glory of his grace , who hath called them and translated them for that very end , to shew forth his power and glory in the earth ; who have been quickned and raised by it out of the grave that they might bear witness thereunto and testifie of it both in word and work against the world , and the god thereof , who now rules in the children of disobedience ; therefore is his wrath the more kindled and his fury grown great against them that are departed out of his kingdome and will not yeild their hearts and necks to be subject any more unto his yoak , by whom they have been enslaved and held captive , under many and divers lusts which the wrath of god is revealed against and to be revealed against , and because they are made free by the brightness of the glorious rising of the sun of righteousness in his power and quickning life in their hearts which hath broken his yoak of bondage , and destroyed the law of sin and death which sometimes had power over them : but now being made conquerors of them , through the power of christ : the old dragon the deceiver of the nations who is out of the truth labours by all meanes to bring them back again to under his yoak ; and his devices are not a few which are set on foot at this day to make all bow unto him , which the children of light are not ignorant of who are and have been watchfull against the mysterious working of his power , within and also without in his instruments , who have received great power from him to propagate his kingdome that stands in wrath , evil doing and cruelty : and therefore all had need to watch and be circumspect that they that are escaped be not insnared and intangled again , least their bondage be greater and the yoak heavyer then before ; therfore the lord moveth often in my heart to exhort all unto watchfulness and diligence , and so much the more because the dayes are perilous and the times dangerous , and the temptations many on every hand ; so they that look out are in danger to be insnared , and let in the enemy , and doubts and fear and unbelief enter and questioning in the hast ; can god deliver , or will he deliver , or hath he any regard unto our afflictions , and because the time seemes long , and they cannot see to the end thereof their hearts failes , and their faith is in danger to be shaken and they loose their states , therefore it concerns every one to watch and pray that they enter not into temptations , neither be overcome with the wicked one , neither of the fadeing pleasure , profit and ease that the children of this world do enjoy , which is but for a time ; and then is the begining of endless misery . therefore all dearly beloved look over all the sufferings , and troubles , and temptations , and necessities , and over the devil and all his works ; to the begining and to that have an eye which was before they had a being ; to the lord god everlasting who made heaven and earth have an eye , and let your eye be fixed on him which destroyes the devil and all his works , and will reward the workers of iniquity according to their deeds with everlasting torments . dearly beloved who have been under great sufferings and loosers for christs sake and the gospels in this age ; like as many faithful witnesses have been in former ages : i am a sufferer with you , and am sensible of your griefes , afflictions , necessities , and tribulations which are many , and do bear and suffer with you all in my heart , and in the true sence and feeling of you all , dispersed every where , where god hath placed you in the earth ; my heart , soul , life and spirit breatheth forth unto you all ; and your burden is mine , your afflictions are mine , your sufferings is mine ; i do weep with them that weep , i am sorrowful with them that are sorrowful ; and that which is a grief and vexation unto the spirit of god in any ; in the spirit of christ which is but one in all i am burdened with them , and do bear a part of their grief , i speak without austentation or glorying , for what have i to glory in any , but the lord , or to rejoyce in , but that which all the world hates , because it testifies against it ; and therefore we are become the objects of scorn and hatred in this world by them that are of it , who glory in sin , who rejoyce in iniquity , whose end is destruction and perpetual misery , and their rejoycing shall be turned into endless sorrow and grief . elected of god , our portion in this world is to be sufferers in it and by it ; because , god hath chosen us out of it and its nature ; therefore , we are hated , despiced and persecuted in our generation , like as all the people of god were in former generations , we cannot be exempted from drinking of the same cup which christ the heir of all things drank ; neither to be exempted from being baptized into his suffering : and therefore christ told his disciples , in the world yee shall have trouble ; and the apostles and ministers , and believers in christ did drink of the same , and were baptized into the same baptisme , and therefore testified , that them that will live godly in christ must suffer persecution ; for the world loves only the children of it , but alwaies hated the children of god , and them that were redeemed out of it , and they bore witness , against it and the workes thereof ; it 's no new thing or strange thing for it's that portion which all the prophets and holy men of god were partakers of , christ and the apostles , and all true believers in every age ; and the nearer any came to be unto god in their life and practice the more they were hated , and the more vilefied , slandered , and evil spoken of ; sometime by the jewes , sometime by the heathen , and now by the apostatized christians ; for the nature is one through all ages , and diversities of names in profession doth not at all alter man or men at the heart ; the jews who professed god in words , and cryed up the temple and moses , and the law in words , flew the prophets , and laid false things to their charge ; jeremiah when he prophesied against jerusalem , and spake to the princes and rulers when they were revolted from god in the dayes of zedekiah , and denounced evil against the city and people because of transgression , ( they put him in the dungeon , & where his feet sticked in the mire ) and said , he was fallen away to the caldeans , and did he alienate the heart of the jewes from them , and their law , and despised their government . christ was accounted a friend of publicans and sinners , and had a devil , a transgressor of moses law , though he came to fulfill it ; and an enemy to caesar , and a blasphemer , and what not ; who said so ? the elders , the doctors , the rabies and rulers of the people ; and they crucified him as an evil doer , though none could convince him of sin ; the apostles of christ as seditious men , ringleaders of sects , authors of vproars , turners of the world upside down , as disobedient , enemies to peace , as discontented men with the present lawes and customs then established , and judged as not fit to live . and therefore , many suffered long for holding out their testimony faithfully they had received , and last of all suffered death , not as saints and prophets but as evil doers at last ; some by the jewes , some by the heathen : the primitive christians of whom the world was not worthy of , were falsly accused by the romans , heathens , and pagans , in the great persecutions that arose , were evil spoken of , and falsly represented , and rendred odious , and as objects of hatred through the envy of the devil , because they opposed his kingdom of darkness . tertullian saith , the heathen commonly reputed the then primitive christians incestious men , killers of children , enemies of all mankind , enemies against the gods , against the emperours , against the laws ; they made an 0utcry upon them , it s not lawful they should live : and when any judgment did befall them , augustine saith , it was become a proverb , our rain failes us because of these christians . and eusebius saith , the religion of christ was called the heresie of godless christians . likewise , after the name of christ and christian became in repute and esteem , many hypocrites and formalists took on the name when it was countenanced by the kings and princes of the earth , and then turned against them that were more in the life and power then they ; as the bohemians and the waldences , and first protestants in germany ; how were they branded with heresie , schisme , as seditious , factious , enemies , to the lawes , church and state , and to princes ; and how was the hatred of the pope and emperour kindled against them , and war raised upon them , and many suffered death , in their account as evil doers who persecuted them : likewise come nearer our own age in the dayes of queen mary , how were the best of men and the best of christians in that age censured as enemies to the queens laws and government , enemies to the church , seditious hereticks , and such as was not fit to live ; and therefore , many suffered in the cruel flames of fire , and did undergo many great torments and sufferings , and last of all cruel deaths many suffered , and by them called christians , and yet slew him and persecuted him in his members . last of all god hath brought us forth in our age to bear witness unto him , and unto that life , power and light by which we are quickned and raised out of the grave of sin and death to live unto him , and serving him in newness of life and to confess unto his holy name and power , by which we are saved , illuminated and directed , and to worship him in spirit and truth according to the manifestation of his spirit to us , and in us , & according to the scriptures of truth ; for the lord god of heaven and earth , judge and all his holy angels , and all just men who are anointed with the holy unction , that knowes truth from error , whether we hold any other thing either in doctrine or practice , but that which the primitive christians bare witness of , and also the scriptures bare witness unto , and that which we are perswaded in our consciences by the unerring spirit of the lord , which doth give us assurance of his acceptation and peace in our hearts . and how often have we declared our selves both by word and writing , which is sufficiently manifest unto all , who have not wilfully closed their eyes , and stopped their eares against us ; that we are of no other faith , hope or religion , but that which christ and his apostles and primitive christians were of , which they did hold forth , both in doctrine and practice as in respect of worship : and how peaceably and humbly we have walked towards all men without seeking the hurt or detriment of any ; thou righteous judge of heaven and earth knows , and according to the innocency of our hearts do thou judge us , and plead our cause : and further , we have laboured that sin might be beat down , and that all every where might have been turned from it unto the living god , and that righteousness might have been advanced , and truth have taken place in all mens hearts both in word and deed ; that christ who is professed in words , might have ruled in the hearts of all men that make mention of him ; that so gods blessing might have been felt and known by all , and the souls of all saved from the snares of sathan , and out of that which the wrath of god and his judgments comes upon ; and lord god of heaven and earth thou knows how our adversaries have sought occasion against us , for no other cause but for the matter of worship of the living god , and unto gods righteous judgment seat we dare appeal , and do thou judge us and reward us according to our deserts if ever we have contrived the hurt of any man or men , or have sought to violate any righteous law of man which stands to the well governing of a nation or country , in the things that pertain to the world , yet how have we been fasly represented , slandered , belyed , misreported , hated , backbited , persecuted and killed , as all the day long ; and reputed we are as not fit to live in our native land , neither to enjoy our own wives and children , a thing common to all men , christian and heathen ; neither to breath in the common air . and how many grievous things hath been heaped , and are daily upon our backs that we are factious , seditious , enemies to magistrates , to the ministers of christ , plotters , conspirators against humane government ; enemies to the king , disobedient to the lawes , broachers of heresie , authors of sedition , enemies to the church and state. and this the devil who was a lyar , and a murderer , and a slanderer from the beginning , he hath put a lying spirit in the mouthes of some , and it s entred into the hearts of others : and thus by them are the powers of the earth stirred up , and the rulers to persecute us without any just cause ; but this must not be counted persecution , for all the aforesaid things and many more he hath perswaded them we are guilty of , and therefore all that comes upon us it must be reckoned as just , and is an equal reward for our offences , and as just punishment for our transgression and disobedience ; and so is no persecution at all , and he hath winesses enough to testifie against us , as he had against christ , all the scribes and pharisees and the leaders and rulers of the people with the high priests , judas and all to testifie against him that he was not fit to live , but all cry away with him ; even so now he hath all the rabbyes , and elders , and all the time-serving hirelings , who serve not the lord jesus christ , but their own bellyes , and all formal professors who profess him in words , but denyes him in works , and despises his cross ; with all drunkards , lyars , and swear●rs , all proud and covetous , all wanton and riotous , and all that loves the pleasures of sin for a season , all these will give their verdict against us . there was and is a generation that called darkness light , and light darkness , and good evil , and evil good ; the judgment of all such is false , and must be judged , and god who hath immortality and dwells in the light , with whom is no darkness at all , judgeth not as these men , & therefore let us never heed the censures and judgment of fallen men , who erre in their judgment , who cannot judge for god or his people but against them , let us count it a light thing to be judged or condemned by man , seeing the lord justifies us in his work and service , whereunto we are called , and all the aforesaid crimes falsly laid to our charge he cleares us off , and we can with a good conscience and pure heart bid defiance to all the powers of darkness , and all the enemies of god , and the lord will clear us more and more as his power , glory and light appears in the earth , and brings forth our righteousness as the noon-day before our enemies , notwithstanding all the false aspersions , and reproaches cast upon us in the mean time ; if we be crowned with reproaches as christ was with thorns , and evilly intreated for his names sake , let us bear all things , and endure all things with patience and hope to the end . and though they cover us with bare skins , and with draff as the heathen did the primitive christians , and so let all the wild beasts upon us , let us give up our bodies as a sacrifice unto the lord , and for a witness unto his name and truth , that so we all may witness eternal rest unto our souls , and everlasting joy in his heavenly habitation where all persecutors and evil doers are shut out . dearly beloved of the lord , i write not these things unto you because you , many of you do not know them , but because you know them to put you all in mind , and to stir up your he●rts to the holy consideration of these things in these perilous and trying times , and in very truth whatsoever doth lye within my view , that might conduce to any or all your good , i cannot withhold it from you , because i know it is not only my duty , but i can truly say , the love of christ constrains me ; for my soul , heart and life is knit unto you in the everlasting covenant of life above all the families of the earth , and the more you are hated the more i love you , and the more you are despised and set at naught , the more i prize you , and the more you are compassed about on every side with tryals and afflictions , the more my soul is poured forth unto the lord for you , that you may be kept stedfast in the faith and hope in the lord unto the end , that you may receive his rewa●d the crown of glory which is laid up for all them that love the appearance of our lord jesus christ , and in the faith do overcome . and blessed and happy are all they that keep their garments clean in this polluted time wherein wickedness walkes with open face , and ungodliness with an outstretched neck , and is exalted in great heigth , and doth corrupt many , and the earth is growing ripe with wickedness for destruction , for the proud are counted happy , and they that work wickedness is admired and gloryed in as the only brave men of these times ; which they make evil through yeilding themselves servants unto sin and their lusts , ease , and worldly enjoyments , and immediately drop down into eternal perdition : and its time for the lord to arise and plead with all flesh , for men make void his law , and goes about to establish their own in opposition thereunto , for violence , cruelty , and hardness of heart , and persecution are the forerunners of desolation and destruction : rhese things do generally abound all is secure and at ease , hardness of heart is generally over people , and clearly to me it doth presage judgment ; tenderness of heart and spirit is generally lost among people , and the most have made shipwrack of all their hope , faith , and professi●n to please the time and men of this generation , who is perverse and froward , they have been treacherous to god , and to their own souls , and cannot do good to his people ; keep as much as in you lies out of their spirit and manners , for they corrupt . and though gods judgments be abroad in the land , and his anger kindled and broken forth , yet few enquires the cause , or saith , what have i done ? but if any do enquire , it is generally in that dark spirit that leads them to evil , which god hides his councel from , and will not be found of , and yet they make conclusions , and gives judgment as the heathen of old , if any pestilence , famine , or drought , or judgment came upon them , they said , the christians was the cause , and so stirred up persecution against them ; the like the dreamers of this age in their mock-fasts and humiliations , they say , heresie is the cause , and because all does not conform , and are not willing to submit to the changable institutions of men , though never so repugnant to the law of god ; they tell the magistrates , the phanaticks and quakers is the cause , and so they fast for strife , and to kindle debate , and to stir up persecution ; and they seem to cleave so close to the magistrates that will force and exact gain for them , and give them large pay , they will cry them up as the higher power , that all is to submit unto , in all things under pain of condemnation , and they will cry them up , and dance , and clap their hands , and rejoyce as israel did about the calfe , when they had forgotten god ; so the lord is provoked more and more , and they think by rooting out his people is possible , will stay his judgments ; it 's lamentable to see what blindness is over the hearts of the seers of this generation , w●o c●y peace , peace , and how people are given up to believe their lyes , and to hardness of heart , and never consider their own estate , neither the afflictions of joseph is remembred . another thing also hath been in my heart many weeks , and a query hath been in my self , and i know hath been on many spirits why in this common calamity and in gods visitation of the city of london , and many other places of this nation , that they that have suffered so greatly , so long and so faithfully , and have borne such a testimony for the lord , why also they should be taken away among the rest ? seeing the lord was able to deliver , and also command his destroying angel to pass over as it pleased him , and spare and take away as he pleased , and why it should not be wholly upon his enemies , and upon them that called not upon his name in truth and righteousness ? i have had many sad thoughts of heart , and have waited upon the lord concerning these things , with supplications and tea●s concerning his afflicted people , and concerning his name and truth , and this satisfaction i have received in my self , and do communicate unto you . first , of all it is said , that paul stayed and preached the gospel at ephesus two yeares , so that not only them of ephesus but all asia heard the word of god , both jewes and greeks , and many were gathered unto god , and believed , and the rest were hardened . when i considered this , that not only two years but twelve years that citty of london hath heard the word of the living god declared and published plentifully in it , and the everlasting gospel of christ in the demonstration of the spirit , and with power , in so much that the sound went through and through , and many believed , and the rest were hardened , having lost the day of their visitation , but alass it was but a few , considering the labour and travel , and considering so many thousands who counted the things of god a sleight matter : and for them that were worthy , and did believe , they were hated and despised , and evilly entreated with the most , and shut up in holes , and miserable bonds and prisons , and lingering torments , which often time was the cause of their death , whose lives god is requiring at the hands of that place ; and the messengers of god was mocked , abused , and evilly entreated , and shut up in bonds till death and wickedness did abound , and peoples hearts grew hard in ease , riches pride , and vain glory , till the wrath of god broke forth and cut down thousands in his displeasure , and this was seen and foreseen full three whole years and upwards by some of the faithful servants of god who laid down their lives in bonds in that city , and are gathered unto the lord , and also some who remain in the body unto this day , and it was prophesied of , and the city was warned thereof , rulers and people , but the most made a mock of it , till the just judgment of god seized upon it . secondly , the lord took away these faithfull men of god , edward burrough , richard hubberthorne , and george foxe junior , who had been much conversant there , who were faithfull watchmen , and prevailed often with the lord till they were shut up in bonds for all their sore travel and labour amongst the inhabitants thereof ; and that place being unworthy of them any more , he delivered them and took them away to himself , from the evil to come , that they had seen and prophesied of ; that they might see none of that misery that is now come . thirdly , they were gathered unto the lord as a token and signe unto them that believed ; of many following after and of their dissolution . fourthly , the lord did fore-know and fore-see , and also had determined evil against that city , and that which is now come to pass , and that this generation , notwithstanding all the entreaties , woeings , warnings , and exhortations which they had and slighted , and that they would proceed on to more mischief and persecution in presumption against god , and his people ; and are yet determined , and have said in their hearts , though the bricks be fallen down , we will build with hewn stone ; to fortifie themselves that their end might not faile , which the lord god will blast and confound ; and though friends have borne their iniquity they shall at last bear it themselves , and know the reward thereof , and have none to help ; so the lord hath taken away many in his love and mercy from the evil to come , and hath freed them from further misery , and hath translated them out of the reach of all their enemies . fifthly , seeing they have suffered long and faithfully in that place and elsewhere , and hath borne a living testimony many to the loss of their lives , and to their ruinating in this world against the abominations that did abound , and their righteous souls was vexed as lots was with the sodomites , the lord hath considered and hath said , it is enough , your afflictions i will end , and take you into my rest and peace , out of the reach of the oppress●r . sixthly , for the frustrating of the purpose of them who decreed that unrighteous decree for banishment , that it may not profit them , neither answer their end and unrighteousness , and the lord , the lord hath cut them short of their purpose , and will cut them short of their hope , and in the end bring their councel to nought , for that which is formed against the lord shall not prosper . seventhly , for the hardening the hearts of this generation who have devised mischief from the womb , and have gone astray as soon as they were born , after so many warnings and evident tokens of his hand against them , and of his displeasure which hath been set at nought , and yet are resolved to go on to root out the heritage of god ; i say that their hearts might be hardened , and their eyes closed that they may not discern betwixt the end of the righteous and the wicked , nor see a difference in their states , but as one dies , so dies the other as to the outward appearance ; though you beloved know a difference both in life and death ; and i do believe many who have laid down the body , and put off this earthly tabernacle have given great testimony of gods love unto them of his favour , peace ; and acceptation in the in the latter end ; in this which i have said , i am satisfied , and therefore could not but signifie the same un●o you , that we might not sorrow concerning them that die in the faith and sleep in christ , as them who are without hope , for these rest from their labours , and their faith , works and life shall live , and we have and enjoy their spirit and life , so it is only personal absence of this earthly tabernacle that we want , so in that all be comforted . last of all , the wayes of the lord are unsearchable , but as he reveals them to them that fear him , and whatever may be manifest to any other , this i am certainly perswaded of , that god will have honour and glory through all these things as it shall be in the end for the prosperity of the gospel of truth , and i am perswaded of this , though the lord should permit many to be destroyed outwardly of all they enjoy , yet they are resolved to trust in him for ever . and though the day be dark and gloomy , and the devil be let loose to try the faith of them that dwell upon the earth , and the wrath of the wicked be great , yet the bond is set that they cannot pass , and though we that yet remain alive to this day were all dissolved and rowled in the dust together , which is the end of all flesh , yet that life and power which we have believed in , and that everl●sting truth which we have testified of , and suffered for shall never be extinguished or rooted out , but shall take up other persons and bodies from generation to generation , while sun and moon endureth , in this be all assured and comforted in the lord , and chearful in your sufferings , and comfort and strengthen one another : in the royal seed of god all live and dwell , ( which cannot bow to the seed of the bond-woman ) which hath the promise of life and immortality , and everlasting blessedness ; and all look unto the lord over all and above all the rage and wrath of men , and the afflictions of this present life , and feel that which is without end . the god of power be with you , and comfort you in the midst of all your trials , and preserve you that your faith fail not , is the earnest desire of him whose heart is knit unto the lord and all his suffering people , in the everlasting covenant of life and peace : pray all unto the lord without ceasing , that you may be able to follow the lord though through the valley of the shadow of death ; the peace of god fill all your hearts that you may rejoyce in the lord and trust in him for ever . yours in life or death , f. h. 16 th of the 8 th . moneth , 1665. the end . one warning more unto england before she gives up the ghost and be buried in the pit of darkness to awaken the inhabitants thereof out of their deep sleep, to see themselves what misery is coming upon them through their degeneration and horrible ingratitude, that the people therein may be let without excuse in the day of the lord / by him that pities thee in this languishing state, f.h. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a44803 of text r6654 in the english short title catalog (wing h3176). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. 36 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 9 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo 2017 a44803 wing h3176 estc r6654 13506190 ocm 13506190 99801 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a44803) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 99801) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 791:15) one warning more unto england before she gives up the ghost and be buried in the pit of darkness to awaken the inhabitants thereof out of their deep sleep, to see themselves what misery is coming upon them through their degeneration and horrible ingratitude, that the people therein may be let without excuse in the day of the lord / by him that pities thee in this languishing state, f.h. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. 16 p. printed for thomas simmons ..., london : 1660. written by francis howgil. cf. bm. reproduction of original in huntington library. eng society of friends -england. regeneration (theology) -early works to 1800. a44803 r6654 (wing h3176). civilwar no one warning more unto england before she give up the ghost, and be buried in the pit of darkness. to awaken the inhabitants thereof out of t howgill, francis 1660 7277 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 b the rate of 1 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the b category of texts with fewer than 10 defects per 10,000 words. 2004-12 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2005-02 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-03 mona logarbo sampled and proofread 2005-03 mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-04 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion one warning more unto england before she give up the ghost , and be buried in the pit of darkness . to awaken the inhabitants thereof out of their deep sleep , to see themselves what misery is coming upon them through their degeneration and horrible ingratitude , that the people therein may be left without excuse in the day of the lord . by him that pities thee in this languishing state . f. h. london , printed for thomas simmons at the sign of the bull and mouth near aldersgate , 1660. oh england ! is thy dry land all become sea ? is not thy mountains from whence thou hast look'd for help , cast all into the waters , and floats up and down , and is driven up and down , and carried about with every tempest , insomuch that hardly any dry land appears anywhere in thee , but all like raging waves , and like boisterous floods which hath no bounds , but over-flows all the banks , which fills all with slime , and mire , and dirt : oh nation , whither art thou posting ! and after what dost thou so hastily pursue ? hast thou chosen madness for thy crown , and folly for thy diadem ? hast thou fixed thy eye upon the land of darkness , that thou so hastily runs ? art thou become benummed , and altogether past feeling ? hath not the lord intended good unto thee , but thou rejects it ? did not the lord break off the bonds from thy neck , and take the burdens from off thy shoulders , that thou might have been a free people , that thy people might have been a free people , that thou might have served the lord god in truth and righteousness , and might have been established by his free spirit , that righteousness might have run down the land as a stream , and equity as a river , that violence might have been done away , and the heavy yoak removed , that so the nation might have rejoyced in gods saving health , which he was about to shower down as a mighty rain , that the land might have been refreshed , and that the people thereof might have rested under the almighty shadow of the lord , that every one might have eat the fruit of his labours with joy , and have been satisfied therewith , and every precept of man have been taken off the conscience ; and that yoak which hath limitted the lord would the lord have broken , that so his people might have rejoyced in him , and in his saving health . but oh nation , how art thou betrayed ! the treacherous dealers hath dealt treacherously with thee , and have robbed thee of thy glory , and of thy crown ; and no art thou like to be crowned with infamy and reproach , and to be as a hissing-stock , as a proverb and a by-word to all the nations , who will rejoyce in thy calamity , and be glad at thy destruction ; and because the love and mercy of god was manifest in thee more then to any nation of late besides , therefore the nations were angry at thee ; but now seeing thy base ingratitude and unthankfulness , for all the kindness of the lord unto thee , which thou hast wonderfully abused , which hath been a cause which hath provoked the lord against thee , because thou hast chosen the way of death rather then life , and chosen darkness rather then light ; and therefore art thou hurled and tossed in all this sea of confusion ; and what will the nations say who are round about thee , is not this the nation from whence light did shine forth , that 's now filled with darkness ? is not this the nation which was strong and mighty , that 's now become feeble ? is not this the nation , the fame of whose righteousness was spread far , that 's now filled with violence and cruelty ? is not this the nation , which made the nations and isles about it to tremble , whose hands is become so weak that they cannot help themselves ? is not this the nation whose sound and fame for liberty as men in the nation , and as christians without being imposed upon , which the lord was bringing to a perfect freedom , who now are putting the yoak of bondage upon the inhabitants necks , and laying heavie burdens upon the necks of the righteous , and are imposing things upon the consciences of his people , whom god would have set free ? oh this causeth the name of the lord which hath appeared in thee , to be dishonored , and the noble acts which the lord hath done in thee to be vilified : oh england , what shall i compare thee unto , thy state is sad ! oh what might i do to make thee sensible thereof ! thou art as a ship in the midst of the raging sea , whose mast is lost , whose tacklings is broken , and the men all dead , and nothing left but a bare hull ready to be blown with every gust of wind upon every rock , and art like wholly to be split , never more to be builded up : it may truly be said of thee as it was once of israel , when they had revolted from the lord god , and followed after the imaginations of their own hearts ; the head is sick , and the whole heart is faint , and every member which should move in the body is become feeble and benummed ; thy breach is great , who can heal thee ? or who can bind thee up ? what is there no balm in england ? is there no physitian there to heal the breaches and wounds of this people ? what , not one wise man among all her rulers , are they all like wild bulls in a net , fit to be taken and destroyed ? not one interpreter amongst all her prophets which can discover the disease ; not one physition that can apply a healing medicine to these grievous wounds ! what not one leaf of the tree of life amongst you all , by which the nations are healed ? not a healing spirit amongst ten thousands of england ; oh sad and deplorable is thy state , for all is out of order , and it may truly be said of her rulers , of her priests , and her prophets , and of her people , as it was said of israel when they had forsaken the lord , and blindness happened to them through their unbelief , a people laden with sin and iniquity , they are all gone out of the way , there 's not one that doth good , no not one , a seed of evil-doers , a treacherous generation , a false-hearted people , who eats up iniquity as men eate bread , and drink it up as oxen water : oh nation consider , thou art upon thy languishing bed , and thy eyes is almost closed , and thy ears stoped , and thy understanding besotted , all thy vitals is decaying , the characters and symptoms of death is upon thee , the form of thy countinance is changed , the flower of thy beauty is passing away ; old age and decrepedness is coming upon thee , all thy joynts are growing feeble ; what wilt thou do now in a day of adversity ? whether wilt thou go in the day of calamity which is approaching , the grave is opened to receive thee , and thy enemies stands ready to bury thee in silence , that thee and all thy glory may be trampled upon , and that thy memorial may die and rot , and thy renown be shut up in the pit of oblivion ; the fellers stands ready to cut thee down as an abominable branch , and to cast thee into the fire to consume thee , and to make a final end of thee , and to destroy all thy pleasant things : the lord is grieved for thee , and the spirits of his people is made sad , for they feel the weight of iniquity , and the load of transgression which will sink the nation if it be not turned from ; but the lord will ease him of his enemies , and avenge him of his adversaries , and will sweep away the refuge of lyes and the lovers of them into the pit of destruction ; and the day hastens when they that exalt themselves high even upon pinacles , shall be brought low , and many hills hath god made one with the plain , and many more yet shall be made a plain , that the glory of the lord , and his interest may be exalted . oh england , consider thy former dayes , and call to mind the years past , and consider in what state thou wast twenty years ago , and what complaints filled every corner of the land by reason of the heavie yoaks which was laid upon the people , by reason of many wicked lawes which was made by men of corrupt minds , in the years of the former kings , not only upon the estates of men , but also upon their persons and consciences , and the cry of many innocent people was great , and reached through the clouds ; for princes , and kings , and nobles was grown to that height in arrogancy , and pride , and usurpation , so that they claimed all power as to be in themselves , and the courtiers being in the same nature with them , and climbing up the stairs of ambition till they attained to the seat of violence , cried up the king above all law , and whom he would kill might be killed , and whom he would save might be saved ; so that neither life , person , or estate of any man could be exempted : so that by the oppression of the former kings , and also later , even the last , was very great , and was soar'd up so high , without all limit or bounds , as though all people in the nation had been made as for their vassals and slaves , which thing was very grievous to the lord , and also to the people of the nation ; and they came to see that that power and authority was but usurped , or taken on without any just title or right as from god , or from the free people of this nation ; and likewise what deceit was used in the execution of all lawes , that if any man was wronged , and did appeal unto any law for redress , their remedy proved worse then the disease ; so that the cry of the oppression on every hand was very great . again , what innovations and impositions was made upon tender consciences by those apostate bishops , which the very land groaned with the burden thereof , who were but a stem sprung from that corrupt root of rome ; and most of their worship , cannons and constitutions they had from thence ; and what intrusion and popish-stuff was ushered in daily upon the people in this nation , which they groaned under , and compelling and forcing about the superstitious rites and ceremonies , and foolish fopperies which they brought in as religious matters ; and what lazy droans they upheld , reading a piece of the old masse-book in english , and calling it divine service , and judged them hereticks who opposed all this mudy dark stuff , which the people was vexed with , and their souls grieved , and the lord grieved and vext , insomuch that the lord heard the cry of the oppressed , and did appear in his power and strength in many people to bear witness against the aforesaid evils which was growing upon the nation , which tended to bondage and thraidom , both as concerning mens persons and estates , and also their consciences ; which bondage they were weary of , which yoaks the lord brake , and gave a total overthrow both of the one , and of the other ; and many upright in heart did rejoyce , and with unwearied pains did travel thorow a sea of troubles , not minding the present difficulty , but rather eying the end , freedom and liberty ; and many pretious men ventered their lives , and lost their blood , and consumed their estates , and offered willingly of their substance in the time of need , that they might accomplish the aforesaid end , liberty and freedom as men , according to the equal just law of god , and freedom as christians , without being imposed upon either by men or laws , which was a prize which the lord did intend should be put into the nations hand , as a recompence for their former sufferings , in which all the upright would have been satisfied ; and therefore they who have been obstructors and hinderers of this thing , hath the greater sin and load upon their backs , which hath sunk many of them . but alas , when the obstructions was taken out of the way , and the common enemy suppressed with their whole strength , covetousness did get up , and pride in the hearts of the rulers , and them in authority , in the hearts of the souldery , especially the officers of the armie , most of which god had raised from a mean estate to great dignitie ; you forgat the lord , and did divide the spoil amongst you , and so became full and fat , and then kick'd against the lord , and neglected his service to pursue that which god had put into your hands ; but getting into places of honour , became as bad , if not worse , then many that was cast out before you , and then laboured to set up your own interests and not the interest of the nation , and to set up a form of religion , and another deceitful image , and not the interest of christ jesus , for he could have no room among you : it grievès my heart , and vexes the spirit of the lord god in me , to consider what tenderness , and fervency , and love there was in former years to the appearance of gods truth , life and light ; and now it s become the chief object of your scorn , and the whole bent is to turn christs interest out of the nation , and to destroy the sheep of his pasture whom he hath redeemed with his most pretious blood , to lay your sins before you , and your transgressions in your sight , that you may see what you have done . oh people of england ! was it only a form of government , or such and such a government in name that ye pursued after ? or was it not the thing it self , freedom it self , liberty it self , righteousness itself , that the heavie yoak might be done away , which as to any of the last i do not say but they might have done it , if they had stood in gods fear , and in his counsel , for it is not this or that title , or form of government , which is only essential to the well-being of a people or a nation ; you have had tryal of many names , and what do you enjoy yet that which you look'd for ? oh nay , you are defrauded , you are cheated , you are robbed and spoiled of that which the lord god did intend you by treacherous and false-hearted men , whose words hath been smoother then oyl , and their hearts full of rottenness , and through fair pretences of liberty and freedom , and sanctity and holiness , people have been led up and down like horses , and tossed up and down like a tenis-ball . or was it a form of religion which might be set up by this or that party , that tender people did seek after , so as to be bound to this or that form by an outward law , by compelling and forcing ? was it not reformation according to the scriptures which was spoken of , and intended by the upright-hearted ? and behold how have we been cheated here ! was this the liberty of conscience that was pursued after , to set up popish tithes , which no true christian can pay for conscience sake ; or to set up a company of men to be teachers to learn seven years the art of speaking , to borrow their words from homer or aristotle , and heathen authors ; or to rake up a company of errors decreed at cha'cedon , neece , latren or trent , for articles of faith , or to get words from astrologers and southsayers , and mingle this with the scripture , and call them the gospel , and to have set wages by a law given unto them , and to have traditions of men brought in for the ordinances of god ; such as the baptizing of infants , which glaudius espencius , a popish bishop confessed that this was to be believed by tradition , for it could not be proved by scripture , that such a company i say as these should be forced upon the nation as godly ministers , and their invented worship to be acknowledged as divine , and to maintain the old masse-houses , and pay clerks wages which the scriptures makes no mention of , and all this must go in the nane of pure reformation according to scripture ; & to gather money from house to house to buy bread & wine , & then a priest to patter a few words over it , & then say its consecrated , and call it a sacrament ; and that priests should have money for marrying of people , and for baptizing of infants , or for burials , or to pay for the ground in which the dead is buried ; this was reprehended and condemned by the council of trent in the height of popery in the year , 1547. and many such bad impositions is daily holden up , and they that holds them up must be accounted as godly ministers ; and many more things of this nature are continued , which is so far against the consciences of many whom god hath enlightened , so that they are a great offence : oh this is quite contrary to that which was intended , and that which is the worst of all , many of these things are forc'd upon the people by a law . and now oh heads of the nation , how do you think to be believed , or who can trust you any more ? obligations , covenants , oaths and promises all broken and falsified ; and as soon as the common enemy was subdued and brought under , when you had time to have prosecuted the aforesaid things declared for , purchased at a dear rate , through much expence , and bloodshed , and suffering , you let most of all their corrupt laws stand , many of which is good for nothing but fire ; and it became as hard ( if not harder ) to obtain any right by appealing to the law , or judges thereof , then it was before ; and the vast lands and revenues of your enemies you divided amongst you , and sold it at inconsiderable values , and giving great and large sums to a company of dreamers and blind watchmen , and so wasted that which might have well maintained an army in the nation for many years , as though the work and the lives of many pretious men , and the shedding of the blood of thousands had been only to purchase wages for the greedy priests and hirelings who can never have enough , and so all the pretious treasure which became a booty and a prey for you , is exhausted and gone , and greater pressures upon people then was before , and now the nation more in poverty and need then ever , and the people more in thral'd in bondage then ever ; and queen maries act for guarding jesuites and the masse , stands yet in your law books , as though it were a heavenly oracle , and yet you cry out of popery ; and so when your hearts was not right with the lord , he set you one against another , and you came to be divided amongst your selves , and set up and pull down , and ordain and repeal , and so brittle and changable , that none did lean upon you but he was hurt by you ; and yet every party crying like absolom , oh that i were a judge in the gate , how righteously would i do ! and so every party have stoln away the hearts of people after them for a while , and at last betrayed them ; and thus every one hath been seeking his own interest , and not the lords , till the lord hath left you , and the line of confusion is stretched forth over you , and you bring forth the stones of emptiness ; and every party when he is got up into the seat of government , seeks vengeance on him that hath opposed him , and blowes the sparks which sets all of a flame , and only for self , and honour , and exaltation , and interest ; and thus have you led people up and down like animals till they are weary ; and saith , it was better with us in egypt , though in hard servitude , then to have yoaks multiplied upon us , and cannot see when they will cease : oh how unstable are you in your minds , and runs like a swift stream till you be lost and know not how to return ; and flattery and deceit , that must go under the name of civility ; and one while calling this his highness , and the other his excellency , and the next month proclaim him tyrant and traytor ; and so if the wills of a party be but crossed or opposed , though honoured a week afore for good service , and applauded , and in a moment then proclaim him traytor , and so betrayes one another , and are treacherous one to another , and in rage would eat up one another : are you like to help the nation , and decree one week , and throw down next week , and so runs to and fro like drunken men ; and how are you like to do any thing that 's good ? the lord hath tryed most sorts of men , especially the great ones , and the heads of the people , and they are become just all dross , and little or no vertue is found in them at all ; and so is the nation like to be established in freedom , while policy , craft , and treachery , and wrath are the chiefest instruments in the work ? but the day of many is past , wherein they might have done good to the nation , and to the people of the lord therein ; but their sun is gone down , and their day is done , and night come upon them . and oh people ! will nothing satisfie you but egypt again , that you run so fast that way , that you have forgotten all gods wondrous works in this land ? will nothing but the iron furnice satisfie you , and the heavie yoak of bondage , which in former years you complained of ? are you grown altogether insensible of the things that belongs unto your peace , that you lust after that which will destroy you , and inthrall you for ever ? you have had many warnings from the lord , and your state hath been clearly declared unto you , but have lost all fervency and zeal , you are become dry , dead , careless , and secure , and now would be content to make a covenant with death , and shake hands with deceit upon any terms , if so be that your wills were satisfied ; and the heart of unbelief being got up in you , and a departing from the living god , you seek peace and settlement in another thing where you are never like to be established : what stands your hopes upon the sandy foundation of unstable men ? have you not sufficiently yet tryed all that , that it hath proved as a broken reed , and as a bubble which passeth away ? oh is it not high time to look upon the lord , and to eye him ; have not men of high degree proved a lye , and men of a low degree proved vanity ? have you not look'd long enough for salvation from the mountains of the earth , and are they not all melted and hurled into the sea ? are they like to deliver you , who cannot deliver themselves ? are they like to settle you , who are unsettled themselves ? are they like to bring peace unto you , who knows not the way thereof ? are they like to put an end to wars and strife , who are in the variance , strife , and war against the spirit of the lord in themselves , and against one another ? every one striving that his heady-mind may be satisfied : is that it which is like to make the nation free , when that which tends to true freedom is counted by them bondage ? hath not this and the other party promised great things , and have they not all laboured in vain , and spent their strength for nought ? and is not the nation farther off from establishment in righteousness , then it was sixteen years ago ? and is not more hypocrisie and deceit abounding and increasing , who uses good words for a cloak of malitiousness , and fair speeches to deceive the hearts of the simple ? and hath not many been deceived here ? and are they not all become broken bowes in which there 's no strength ? oh what brittleness , giddiness , and madness , and instability among the people , just carried about as a tempest , blown up and down with every wind ? and oh how doth people feed upon wind , and the aiery breath of corrupt men , which vanishes away as smoak , which hath wrought no deliverance at all , but rather led farther and farther into slavery ? oh what is your spirits so heightned in ? and what is it in which you so greatly rejoyce ? is it not in that which the lord god hath blasted , blown upon , and its withered ? your rejoycing is not good , and it stirs up the wrong part in people , to rejoyce in vanity , and to take pleasure in folly : what have you made captains , and are turning back again into egypt ? do you love pharoahs power so well , and the wise mens counsels so well , and were it not just with the lord to let you go back into perpetual slavery , and chuse your delusion , seeing you make your necks as an iron sinew , and are so stout-hearted against the lord , if you never attain unto that which god intended unto you , blame not the lord ; for you have made your selves unworthy thereof , by neglecting the counsel of the almighty , and dispising them with whom the counsel of the lord is ; and therefore its just to bring one bramble after another to rule over you , and one bryar after another to scratch , and rend , and tear you ; many hath born your burden long , and have been prest with your transgressions , and the souls of the righteous have been vexed from year to year to see you dispise the loving kindness of the lord , and the tender offers of mercy ; but the burden at last must come upon your own shoulders , which will bow you down ; and then shall you see the lord would have healed you , but you would not ; the lord would have healed your breaches , but you would not because the way did not suit with your peevish , pettish , crooked minds , and therefore you are like to be bowed down under that which you have chosen , as asses under a burden ; and you will suffer your eyes to be put out by the uncircumcised , and hath given your strength to the beast , and now must you grind as sampson at a mill ; and they that exercise rule over you , will make sport with you . be awakned out of your deep sleep , and shake the spirit of slumber off you , that so you may come to see the state that you have plung'd your selves into , and the little inch of time which is yet left you , prize it , and wait to feel the witness of god arise in you above that rashness and wilfulness which doth so easily beset you ; and eye the lord god , and look for salvation from him , for else neither person , family , nor nation is like to be established ; have you not run far enough ? are you not yet weary ? have you obtained any thing by looking after men but breach upon breach , and one vexation after another , the line of confusion being stretched out over all , and stones of emptiness brought forth , which is never like to do good , or to be a good foundation to build upon ; for salvation must be brought to a nation by a people that is saved by the lord , who hath the eternal god for their rock and refuge , who hath the lord for their god and king ; for they know how to rule in righteousness , who have denied themselves , and all self-interests : take but a view of your leaders , and see in what they have denied themselves , or their own interest ; and that person or man can never be for the general good of all people , neither for the common freedom of the nation who seeks himself ; and they that know not the judgment of the lord against evil in themselves , is never like to judge righteously among the people , but will turn it backward , and let equity fall in the streets , and the poor and the needy suffer , and will let the yoak of bondage lie upon their necks whom god hath made free , and count the proud happy , and they that work wickedness they will set them up : oh the lord is grieved , and his spirit is vexed this divers years at these things , and therefore hath he poured contempt upon the mighty , and is bringing a consumption upon all the honourable of the earth , and will make them all as burned mountains ; and while your eyes are upon them for help , your expectations shall be frustrated , and your hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost : and this is the word of truth unto you all , which shall not pass away unfulfilled . and thou false and treacherous ministery of this nation , who only hath the power of the carnal sword to hold thee up , & were made and constituted to be a ministery by a carnal commandment of man , you have been the chief incendiaries of much of these comotions , stirs , uproars and broils , war and strife ; how have you twined , and turned , and wheeled about like weather-cocks , and flattered every horn of the beast which exalted it self , though but for a little season , and like as your fore-fathers did in former years , so have you done in the later years , flattered and set up every thing and image , which though there was nothing in it at all , no life nor breath , you have cried it up for the higher power while it stood and would work your drudgery and satisfie your interest ; and if it went not on as you would have it , then you have cried it down , & them that you counted the higher power , and have said , it hath been by gods appointment ; the next week , usurpers and traytors , and countinancers of error and blasphemy , and hath kindled a fire among people , & set them up in a rage one against another ; and when your deceit was like to go down , then cried religion was despised , and the gospel was like to fall and to be extinguished : come , let us reason together a little ; is reading old writers ( whom you call heathen ) seven years , and other later popish writers , and aristotles philosophy , any part of the gospel ? and to frame up a speech about religion , out of your old comentaries which have been made in the night of ignorance , and to mix scripture with them , is this the gospel ? and to get a patent from a protector , a parliament , or a committee to preach at such a place , is this like gospel ? may be a great seal at it , and then stay whether the people would have you or no , and force maintenance from them , and plead your letters patent for your lawful call , like an indulgence from the pope , and to claim all the tithes of a parish , and all oblations , obventions , mortuaries ; is this like the gospel , or like the best reformed churches which you talk on in that you call your covenant , and to set up the old mass-houses , baptized bells , hour-glasses , clerks to say amen , church-wardens , is this like the reformed churches ? and to gather money from house to house to buy bread and wine , and then mut●er a few words over it , and give it to people on the mid-day like a dinner , and call this the lords supper , or a sacrament ; and to baptize infants , and get money for registering a name , and call this an ordinance of god ; is this like the reformed churches in the primitive times ? and to take money for marrying of people , is this gospel like , to preach over the dead , and observe other cerimonies like the popes exequies , is this like the best reformed churches ? nay , which of all the reformed churches ( so called ) who are broken off from popery in something , have not denyed tithes ? is there any ministers among all the protestants in europe , but they have wholly relinquished tithes as to be no gospel maintenance , as germany & the easteren countries , france , geneva & switserland , and many others , yet these treacherous priests of england boast of the purity of doctrine , worship and discipline beyond all , and these must go under the name of godly learned ministry , if this be godly , what is ungodly ? if this be learned , what is ignorance ? and to stay at a village 20. or 30. years if there be gain enough , if this be laboriousnesse , what is idleness ? and what havock and spoil have you made within this 20. years in this land , more then the corrupted bishops did before ? oh , what havock have you made , and spoyl of mens estates in this nation within these few years , which was called years of liberty , if the chronicles were searched amongst all the protestants in europe , the like paralel could not be found , neither hath there been the like wickednes acted ; many dyed in prison for denying your insatiable desires ; and because you demand things contrary to the best reformed churches , which you say you press after , you must deny all the things before mentioned , before any judicious man will believe ; and therefore it is in vain for you to cover your selves with a cloak of hypocrisie , for god hath opened an eye in thousands , that you will never be able to blind , though you stir up smoak , and dirt , and dust , and fogs , and mists of ignorance that darkens the air , yet they will see through it , and by the breath of his mouth in whom they have believed , it will all be scattered , but however it is just with the lord to let loose upon your backs the old prelates and bishops to be tormenters of you , and make you drudges and slaves as you were formerly , and it is just with the lord to let the dragons power over you all again , and to bring a scourge upon you , and the people who have hearkened to your lies & deceipt , that the helper and they that are holpen may fall together , that the blind & they that have chosen the blind for a leader , may both fall into the ditch together , into the pit that they may never rise again . yet know this oh nation , and the inhabitants therein , there is a people in thee which is pretious , and so accounted of the lord , that hath not joyned to your back-sliding , but have kept their integrity and their first love , neither have they joyned to your brittlnesse , and instability ; neither have they sought themselves , but the good of the nation , and all the people therein ; and though they have had many provocations as from the cruel and mercilesse cruelty of self-seeking men , yet they have born and suffered , knowing vengeance belongs unto the lord , who in his day will recompence fury upon his adversaries , and scatters them as the wind scatters clouds , and so are in peace and quietness under the shadow of him who hath brought them forth with a mighty hand and out-stretched arm , notwithstanding all opposition ; which hath been very great , even by all parties and interests hitherto , and little or no regard hath been had to this people ; but they have been as for a prey and for a spoyl unto all , and unreasonable men have plowed long furrows upon their backs , and they have had no helper in the earth : but on the contrary , every one hath lent his hand to bow them down , and tread upon them as ashes under the soals of their feet , and yet no evil to lay to their charge , but false surmises and receiving the false representations of corrupt men , whose hearts have gain said any appearance of good that ever appeared , if it crossed their ignorant corrupt mind ; what hath this people come to harm thee oh nation , that thou makest them thy butt to shoot at , and they are become the object of your scorn and dirision ? what have they plotted or contrived rebellion ? have they gone out upon their enemies and sought vengeance against them as every party hath done else besides , except it s become a crime to speak the truth , & bear witness against the hypocrisie and deceit of treacherous men , and to lay their iniquities before them , that they may see and be ashamed , and turn from their evil which hath provoked the lord to anger ; and because of their rejection of gods counsel , they cannot be established : and for the sake of this remnant , he will confound and overthrow on the right hand , and on the left , all that rise up against them , though they should never open their mouths as to plead their innocency ; yet the lord will , and condemne them that rise up against them , and plead the cry of the oppressed that cry unto him day and night . which the lord hath heard and considered , and is come down , and hath begun his work though man doth not see it , and hath poured forth a spirit of confusion upon them who hath ill-will to the lambs of christs fold ; and who shall act any thing further , as to think to root out the heritage of god , their counsel shall be turned back-ward , and their enterprize cursed ; for god he hath determined to lay the rop-stone with shouting , and that which he is building he will finish ; and of a truth this is the family which he hath chosen , which his love is unto , and his power amongst , and their adversaries will god rebuke for their sake . therefore oh nation consider and take this one warning more , that thou proceed not further to thy hurt , and repent when it is too late . the end . liberty of conscience asserted and several reasons rendred why no outward force nor imposition ought to be used in matters of faith and religion with several sayings collected from the speeches and writings of king james and king charles the first / john crook, samuel fisher, francis howgill, richard hubberthorne. 1661 approx. 16 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 5 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2005-10 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a48373 wing l1960 estc r4077 12413704 ocm 12413704 61615 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a48373) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 61615) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 282:12) liberty of conscience asserted and several reasons rendred why no outward force nor imposition ought to be used in matters of faith and religion with several sayings collected from the speeches and writings of king james and king charles the first / john crook, samuel fisher, francis howgill, richard hubberthorne. crook, john, 1617-1699. fisher, samuel, 1605-1665. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. hubberthorn, richard, 1628-1662. 8 p. printed for robert wilson ..., london : 1661. "this was delivered into the hands of the members of both houses of parliament the last day of the third month, 1661." reproduction of original in university of texas library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng england and wales. -parliament. liberty of conscience -early works to 1800. freedom of religion -england -early works to 1800. religion and state -england -early works to 1800. 2004-12 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2005-02 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-03 mona logarbo sampled and proofread 2005-03 mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-04 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion liberty of conscience asserted , and several reasons rendred , why no outward force , nor imposition , ought to be used in matters of faith and religion : with several sayings , collected from the speeches and writings of king james , and king charles the first . john crook samuel fisher francis howgill richard hubberthorne . acts 5. 38 , 39. now i say unto you , refrain from these men , and let them alone : for if this counsel , or this work , be of men , it will come to nought : but if it be of god , you cannot overthrow it ; lest haply ye be found fighters against god. this was delivered into the hands of the members of both houses of parliament , the last day of the third month , 1661. london , printed for robert wilson , in martins le grand , 1661. liberty of conscience asserted , &c. liberty of conscience ought to be allowed in the dayes of the gospel in the free exercise of it to god-ward ( without compulsion ) in all things relating to his worship , for these reasons following . 1. because the general and universal royal law of christ commands it matth. 7. 12. all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you , do ye even so to them : for this is the law and prophets . that which every man would have and receive from another , he ought by christ's rule to give and allow it to another . but every man is willing to have the liberty of his own conscience , therefore ought to allow it to another . 2. because , no man can perswade the conscience of another , either what god is , or how he should be worshipped , but by the spirit , which god hath given to instruct man in the wayes of truth . 3. because , all obedience or service that is obtained by force , is for fear of wrath , and not from love , nor for conscience sake ; and therefore will but continue so long as that fear or force abides upon them . 4. because , that by forcing , no man can make a hypocrite to be a true believer ; but on the contrary , many may be made hypocrites . 5. because , that in all forced impositions upon mens consciences there is something of the wrath of man exercised , which works not the righteousness of god , bur rather begets enmity in the heart one towards another . 6. because , that by forcing any thing upon mens consciences , as to matters of faith and worship , many are hardened in their hearts against the things imposed ; when as otherwise , through love and gentle instructions their hearts might be perswaded to willing obedience . 7. because , that persecution for conscience contradicteth christ's charge , matth. 13. who bids , that the tares ( or false worshippers ) be suffered to grow together in the field ( or world ) till the harvest ( or end of the world. ) 8. because , force is contrary to the end for which it is pretended to be used ( viz. ) the preservation and safety of the wheat , which end is not answered by persecution , because the wheat is in danger to be plucked up thereby , as christ saith . 9. because , to force , is inconsistent with the belief of the jews conversion ( and other false worshippers ) which is prayed for by the publick teachers , and cannot be attained , if persecution for conscience be prosecuted . 10. because , they that impose upon mens consciences , exercise dominion over mens faith , which the apostles denyed , saying , they had not dominion over any mens faith. 11. because , imposition upon mens consciences necessitates them to sin , in yeelding a conformity contrary to their own faith : for whatsoever is not of a mans own faith , is sin . 12. because , that imposition and force wrestles with flesh and blood , and carnal weapons , which is contrary to the apostles doctrine , who said , our vveapons are not carnal , but spiritual , and mighty through god : and we wrestle not with flesh and bloud . 13. because , there is but one judge , law-giver and king in and over the conscience , as the saints have testified in the scriptures of truth ; and whosoever would intrude , so as to be judge and law-giver over the conscience , intrencheth upon the prerogative of christ , isa. 33. 22. james 4. 12. 14. because , it is prophesied in isa. 11. the wolf shall dwell with the lamb , and the leopard shall lye down with the kid , and there shall be no destroyer in all he holy mountain ; and therefore no imposition upon mens consciences . 15. because , to impose upon mens consciences for differences in faith , is contrary to the advice of the apostle , who directs people to wait upon god to be satisfied , and not to the magistrate or others , to be forced ; who saith , vvhereunto we have attained , let us walk ; and wherein any man is otherwise-minded , god shall reveal , even that unto him . 16. because , to force mens consciences , and to lay yoaks upon them , is to make void the blood-shed and sufferings of christ , who sits upon the throne of the conscience , and gives libeyty there ; and commands us to stand fast in that liberty , and not to be entangled through the impositions of men , or yoak of bondage , gal. 5. 6. 17. because in all nations the different professions and perswasions of religion , are either friends or enemies to the governours : if friends then obliged by that bond. if enemies then christ's command is to take place , who saith , love your enemies ; which if observed , persecution for conscience will be avoided . 18. because , toleration of different perswasions in religion was allowed in the jewish state , as not inconsistent with their safety , and that in things contrary each to other , as the sadduces , pharisees , essaeans , herodians with others . 19. because , the true religion cannot be preached up by force of armes , and the primitive christians detested that form of proceedings . 20. because , no man hath such power over the souls and consciences of other men , as to lay a necessity on them to believe that which they do not believe , or not to believe what they do believe : true faith being the gift of god. 21. because , if the magistrate imposeth upon the conscience , he must either do it as a magistrate , or as a christian. not as a magistrate , for then heathens ( being magistrates ) have the same power to impose ; and so , by revolutions and conquests , may come to give laws to christians , and compel them to idolatry . 2. not as christians , for that contradicts christ's saying , the kings of the gentiles exercise lordship over them ; but it shall not be so among you , for all ye are , brethren . 22. because , by the same rule and reason that the magistrate of one nation ought to impose upon , and persecute for conscience , the magistrates in all other nations ought to do the same ; and so the greatest part of mankind may come to be destroyed , there being more that dissent , than are at unity in matters of faith and religion . 23. because , the strength of truth , and its conquest over falsity and deceit , is best discovered by letting both have their liberty , from out 〈◊〉 and 〈…〉 sion ; for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ou 〈…〉 ard force been less used , the prevalency of truth had been more manifest , and that wife saying , truly experienced in the world , viz. that which i● of god will stand , and that which is not will come to nothing . 24. because , the disciples of christ are rebuked by him for desiring the destruction of those that were contrary to him , and would not receive him : which zeal is sharply reproved in his saying , they knew not what spirit they were of . 25. because , to impose upon mens consciences , and to destroy their persons for difference in religion , is contrary to the end of christ's coming , who saith , he came not to destroy mens lives , but to save them . 26. because , people of divers religions in one nation , if not tolerated , must some of them be destroyed , or removed by banishment . if destroyed , the constancy and patience of the sufferers for their faith , moving pitty and commiseration , makes men more ready to own , than to reject their faith , and so rather multiplies , than lessens , the number of its professors . if banish'd , this renders the banished as so many enemies abroad , ready upon all occasions to disturbe the peace and tranquillity of their own native countrey . there is therefore , in order to the outward welfare of all nations , a kind of necessity for a toleration in them of all religions . 27. because , to impose upon mens consciences begets a hatred against the imposers in those who are imposed upon , and forc'd thereby to violate their consciences towards god in matters of worship . 28. because , men are commanded to be subject to the powers that are , for conscience sake , and therefore such powers ought not to persecute men for conscience sake , being that is prescribed for the rule of obedience ; the scripture saying , be ye subject not onely for wrath , but for conscience sake . 29. we find it asserted by king james in his speech to the parliament in the year , 1609. who said , that it is a pure rule in divinity , that god never loves to plant his church with uiolence and blood ; and furthermore said , it was usually the condition of christians to be persecuted , but not to persecute . 30. and we find the samething in substance asserted again , by his ) son charles the first , in his book known by the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , printed for r. royston , as followeth . page 67. in his prayer to god , he said , thou seest how much cruelty amongst christians is acted , under the colour of religion ; as if we could not be christians , unless me crucifie one another . pag. ●8 . make them at length seriously to consider , that nothing uiolent and injurious , can be religious . pag. 70. nor is it so proper to ●ew out religious reformations by the sword , as to pollish them by fair and equal disputations , among those that are most concer●●d in the differences , whom , not force , but reason ought to convince . sure in matters of religion , those truths gain most upon mens judgements and consciences , which are least urged with segular ui●lence , which weakens truth with prejudices . pag. 115. it being an office not onely of humanity , rather to use reason than force , but also of christianity to seek peace and ensue it . pag. 91 , 92. in point of true conscientious tenderness , i have often declared , how little i desire my laws and scepter , should intrench on god's soveraignty , which is the onely king of mens consciences . pag. 123. nor do i desire any man should be farther subject unto me , than all of us may be subject unto god. concerning oaths . p. 76. the injoyning of oathes , upon people , must needs in things doubtful be dangerous , as in things unlawful damnable . some words of advice from charles the first , to the then prince of wales , now king of england , &c. pag. 165. my counsel and charge to you is , that you seriously consider the former real or objected miscariages , which might occasion my troubles , that you may avoid them , &c. beware of exasperating any factions , by the crosness and asperity of some mens passions , humors , and private opinions , imployed by you , grounded ●●●ly upon differences in lesser matters , which are but the skirts and suburbs of religion , wherein a charitable connivance , and christian toleration , often dissipates their strength , when rougher opposition fortyfies , and puts the despised and oppressed party into such combinations , as may most enable them to get a full revenge on those they count their persecutors . pag. 166. take heed that outward circumstances and formalities of religion devour not all . pag. 164. your prerogative is best shewed and exercised in remitting , rather than exacting the rigor of the laws , there being nothing worse than legal tyranny . acts 5. 33 , 34 , 35. gamaliel said unto them , ye men of israel , take heed unto your selves , what ye intend to do as touching these men , &c. acts 18. 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16. gallio said , if it were a matter of wrong , or wicked lewdness , reason would that i should bear with you : but if it be a question of words and names , and of your law , look ye to it : for i will be no judge of such matters . the end . to the camp of the lord in england howgill, francis, 1618-1669. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a44809 of text r28699 in the english short title catalog (wing h3184). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. 43 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 13 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo 2017 a44809 wing h3184 estc r28699 10741435 ocm 10741435 45608 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a44809) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 45608) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 1405:3) to the camp of the lord in england howgill, francis, 1618-1669. 24 p. s.n., [london? : 1655?] caption title. signed at end and dated: francis howgill ; bandon in ireland the 7 month, 1655. imprint suggested by british library catalogue. reproduction of original in the cambridge university library. eng society of friends -england -pastoral letters and charges. a44809 r28699 (wing h3184). civilwar no to the camp of the lord in england. burrough, edward 1655 9190 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 b the rate of 3 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the b category of texts with fewer than 10 defects per 10,000 words. 2004-12 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2005-02 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-03 mona logarbo sampled and proofread 2005-03 mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-04 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion to the camp of the lord , in england . to all you called , chosen , elected and beloved of the lord , who are of the circumcision made without hands , of the feed of abraham : who are jewes indeed nor after the flesh but in the spirit ; unto whom belongs the euerlasting promise and couenant , whom god hath and is fulfilling in you , so establishing with you : we your fellow-citizens of the heavenly jerusalem which is the mother of us all ; and of the same body , and of the same seed , and same birth , begotten and brought forth by the immortall word of life which lives for ever , do send greeting , and doe embrace you in the arms of our beloued , who is and is to come god blessed for ever ; you who are called quakers : who are so not onely in word nor in shew , but in life and in power : whom god hath called and chosen to place his name in , and to take up his habitation among : above all the families of the earth the tabernacle of god is with you , and his dwelling-place is among you , and only among you is god known , and his name is great in your assemblies . we who are of the same root and off-spring , doth bring in our witness , and doth set to our seale , that god of a truth is with you and among you : and he is the god of the living that answers by fire : he is i am , and there is none besides him : the first and the last , the beginning and the end of all things . praise him for ever yee redeemed of him : lift up your heads your redeemer is come : clap your hands and shout for ioy , and let the everlasting praises of god be in your mouths for ever and ever . exalt yee his name above all gods , and glorifie him in the sight of all the heathen and let his marvellous works stand upon record from generation to generation . wonderfull hath his work been among you , and that my soule knowes right well : you that were scattered in thecloudy and dark day , and were a prey for the wild beasts of the forrest , and were driven away as lost sheep in the wilderness , hath god gathered into the fould , to lay down by the springs of living water in fat pastures for evermore . your bread is sure ▪ and your waters never failes : a feast of fat things is made unto you , of wines well refined : the lord is become the lot of your inheritance , and the portion of your cup for ever : your crowns have you laid down at the feet of the lamb : and your lives and liberties have not been dear unto you : and let this never repent you , for now the lord will exalt you and crown you with immortall glory the everlasting day star is risen among you , which gives light unto the nations : and the light of the sun is as the light of seven dayes : and there is no need of a candle in your dwelling , but the lamb is the light thereof ; faire as the sun , and clear as the moon : yea it is he which was dead , and is alive , and behold he lives for evermore . praise him all ye people , praise ye him ye holy host , let all that hath breath praise him for ever . vvho can expresse his noble acts ? and who can declare his wondrous works ? oh my soule is ravished , and my heart is overcome ; let me speak that i may be refreshed , and let me declare his wonders among all people . the lord is our king , our judge , and our law-giver , and our rock of defence ; just is he in his judgements , who hath avenged us of our enemies : mercy and judgement meet , righteousnesse and peace doth embrace each other : rejoyce for evermore ye saints of the most high , and tell it to your children , that they may tell it to another generation , what hath the lord wrought among you , and what hath his hand brought to passe . salvation is come , and plenteous redemption , and the dead hath heard the voyce of the son of god and liveth . let sorrow and mourning , fly away , and be ye comforted ye that have mourned , and be ye refreshed ye that have been weary ; for god hath opened the everlasting fountain , and the streams runs pleasantly , which refresheth the city of our god . he is come and his reward is with him , even he for whom we have waited , this is he who is our life , our peace and our exceeding great reward ; the light of the world our saviour , but the worlds condemner ; our peace but the worlds torment : glad tidings , glad tidings , the acceptable year is come : praise ye the lord ye sons and daughters of sion , beautifull is your dwelling place , and aboundeth with pleasant fruit , for you are digged and pruned and enclosed a garden of lovely branches : let the wonders of the lord never be forgotten , nor his works neuer passe out of your remembrance , for he hath wounded and healed , killed and made aliue , raised the dead and slain the liuing , brought out of captiuity and bound with chains , gathered and scattered , brought low and exalted , saved , and condemned ; all this hath your eye seen , and your ear heard : and the heavens and the earth hath been burned as a scroule , and the indignation of the lord you have born : but the winter is past , and the summer is come , and the turtle dove , and the singing of birds is heard in our land . o magnifie his name for ever ; you are made vessels of honour wherein the everlasting treasure abideth , which never waxeth old : the voyce of the bridegroom is heard among you , and how can you have any more sorrow : instead of weeping reioycing , and instead of heauinesse of heart fullness of euerlasting joy : the lord hath fulfilled his promise , and made good his word , and his law and couenant is with you : and from you doth the law goe forth ▪ and the powerfull word of life , and death soundeth out of your dwelling , and you are gods only witnesses to testifie of him in the presence of all nations , some of you by suffering , and some by declaring : oh endless loue , and life , and riches , an eternall crown is upon your heads , and your suffering ( which hath not been a little ) is not worthy to be compared with the glory that is and shal be reuealed . i speak to you who hath an ear , to hear , my soule and heart is comforted in you , in the midst of my burdens and sufferings , who is separated from you outwardly , yet ioyned and united to you by the spirit which is unlimited , which all nations doth comprehend : yea i behold your beauty a far off and my heart is ravished withit , and i am sick of love : let his works praise him for ever , which hee hath wrought , for his dwelling is with you in the light unto which no mortall eye can approach . the new ierusalem is come down from heaven , and no unclean can enter : but you are made white with the blood of the lamb , and purged as silver , and purified as gold in the burning and unto you an entrance is given , and the way is prepared , and the marriage of the lamb is come and his wife hath made her self ready , and the way of the lord is pleasant to you , and his commands are not grievous ; no unclean thing can passe over , nor no lyons whelps can tread therein , but it is called the way of holinesse , where only the ransomed of the lord do walk ; even your mountain is established upon the top of all hills , and all nations shall flow unto it . sing praises for ever , for the kingdome of endless peace is come , which passeth understaning , and of glory , which no mortall eye can behold , and of life which no flesh can live in . oh my beloved , come up hither and i will shew you what god hath done for you , he hath rebuked the sea and driven back the floods of waters which compassed you about , & he hath scattered your enemies with a whirlwind and he hath given you to feed upon the flesh of kings , and of captaines . can you call to mind the doings of your god , and his marvellous works brought to passe , and not cry out in praises for evermore ; o drink and be refreshed , and eat and be satisfied for ever , and let your soul delight it self in fatness ; the planting of the lord you are , and his own purchased possession , he hath separated you from the womb , and hath called you out of kindreds , and ye are the royall seed , of the off-spring of the lord almighty , and all nations shall call you blessed , and o thou north of england , who art counted as desolate and barren , and reckoned the least of the nations , yet out of thee did the branch spring , and the star arise which gives light unto all the regions round about ; in thee the son of righteousness appeared , with wounding and with healing : and out of thee the terror of the lord proceeded , which makes the earth to tremble and be removed : out of thee kings , princes & prophets did come forth in the name and power of the most high , which uttered their voyces as thunders , and laid their swords on the neck of their enemies and never returned empty from the slaughter . though i be as by the waters of babylon , in a strange land ; and as a pilgrim and stranger destitute , but not forsaken ; as dying , but behold i live : yet if i forget thee let my right hand forget her cunning , and let my name be blotted out of the book of life . o how i love the holy seed which in my eye is precious ! no man can hinder my boasting of thee , for i am sealed among you in the record of eternal life , to bee read among you in the light where i am known to you , and where my unity stands with you in the love and life , which never changes , and you are my mother and my brother and sister who doth the will of my father . our god is a consuming fire , and his habitation is compast about with dread and terror . the heathen shall see and fear , and the inhabitants of the earth shall tremble ; our god is everlasting burnings , and it is tempestuous round about his throne , and he reignes for evermore ; and though thou be despised and set at nought and counted as the off-scouring of all things , and the scorn of the heathen , yet thy king reigns upon mount sion , and if he utter his voice all flesh shall tremble , and before him thy adversaries shall fall , and thy persecutors shall be confounded , for thou shalt never be forgotten of thy god , but with his arm wil he defend thee , and compass thee about , and thy seed shall be increased , and thou ierusalem shalt be made the praise of the whole earth , for among you is laid the sure foundation , and the tryed stone , christ jesus the light of the world , upon whom you have believed , which unto the nations is a stumbling stone ; but unto you precious : bring in your testimony , and set to your seal ; is there salvation in any other , but in him who is the light of the world ? nay there is no redemption wrought but by him , nor no deliverance but through him ; his is the kingdome , the power and the glory , and he is become all in all ; and you are no more of this world , but are of the chosen generation , and of the royal priesthood , a people , redeemed , unto whom there is none like among the thousands of israel and iudah , whose god is the lord , whose saviour is the prince of righteousness , who covers your heads in the day of battel ; and smites your enemies in the hinder parts ; and wounds them in the fore-head . and now my beloved , let his name be had in remembrance for evermore , and let his praises be declared throughout ages to come , and walk you worthy of his everlasting love , wherewith he hath loved you more then your brethren ; let his name be exalted by righteousness , by purity , and by a blameless life , and bring forth the fruits of righteousness and peace , and let yout light shine forth into the world , and your good works abound plentifully , for you are as a city set on a hill , and as a lighted candle to shine abroad ; and are created unto good works . let faith , hope , love and unity be increased among you ; and let mercy and judgement and equity flow down and be established for ever ; never to be removed . let joy , and long-suffering and meekness and temperance spring out ; and be you perfect as your heavenly father is perfect . stand upon your watch tower and bee not shaken nor dr●w 〈◊〉 aside to follow any other gods , nor to bow to any 〈◊〉 image , nor joyn your selves to strangers , and mingle not your seed with the adulterous generation , nor take not nor give not in marriage with them ; but keep your selves from the idols of the heathen , be not defiled with them ; but abide in your strength , you know where it lies , by which you may work good , and be preserved from evil ; and you need not that any man teach you , for you are taught of god , and are far from oppression . ye children of light , worship your god for ever , who is light , and in him is no darkness at all , who is the same and changes not , whose mercy endures for ever . be followers of the lamb as undefiled virgins , and let your soul scorn the glory of babylon and aegypt for ever ; for you are not your own , but are bought with a price , no more to serve your selves , but the lord of israel for ever . put on your armour , and gird on your sword , and lay hold on the spear , & march into the field , and prepare your selves to battel , for the nations doth defie our god , and saith in their heart , who is the god of the quakers , that we should fear him , and obey his voice ? arise , arise , and sound forth the everlasting word of war and judgment in the ears of all nations ; sound an alarum , and make their ears to tingle . our enemies are whole nations , and multitudes in number , of a rebellious people that will not come under our law , which ariseth up against us , and will not have our king to reigne , but tramples his honour under foot , and despises his law and his statutes , and counteth his subjects as slaves and bond-men . stand upon your feet , and appear in your terror as an army with banners , and let the nations know your power , and the stroke of your hand : cut down on the right hand , and slay on the left , and let not your eye pitty , nor your hand spare , but wound the lofty , and under foot the honourable of the earth , and give unto the great whore double , and give her no rest day nor night , but as she hath done , so let it be done unto her ; and give her double into her bosome : as she hath loved blood , so give her blood , and dash her children against the stones , and let none of the heathen nations , nor their gods escape out of your hands , nor their images nor idols , but lay waste the fenced cities , and tread down the high walls ; for we have proclaimed open war betwixt michael our prince , and the dragon . your captains are mighty men , and your leaders are skilled to handle the sword , and they are riding on before you . arise worm iacob , and fear not , but thresh the mountains to dust ; for god hath given thee the power of thy enemies to tread upon , and they shal flie before thee , & shalt fall by thy sword ; there is none too strong for thee , nor no inchantment against thee ; but thou art blessed , blessed world without end . therefore all ye lambs of my father , and ye camp of the lords host , wait upon him to fulfil his will , for he hath put into your hearts to make war in righteousness against the beast & the false prophet ; and cursed be every one that riseth not up to the help of the lord against the mighty : the beast is mighty ; and the false prophet is great ; and they keep the nations under their power . but o thou beast , and thou false prophet , you shall be tormented together : thou beast , upon which the false prophet sits , whom thou upholds by thy law , and defends by thy unrighteous power , thy power is limited , and it shall betaken from thee , and thou shalt be overcome , and the lamb shall get the victory , and into the pit and lake of fire shall you be turned to have your resting place . and thou false prophet which hath deceived the nations , and scattered the inhabitants thereof , and builded by fraud , and daubed with untempered morter ; thy judgment is past upon thy head already , and the decree of our god is sealed against thee ; thy smoke shal ascend for ever and ever ; and of thy sin there is no forgiveness , nor of thy torment no remission . over you do we ( and shall for ever ) rejoyce and sing , and over your god and your king , the dragon that old serpent ; cursed be he , and his memorial for ever . ye lambs of the true shepheards fold , with whom my soul resteth , whether ever i behold you outwardly , yet my heart is with you , and i am one of your fold , and i lye down with you under the shadow of the rock , upon the mountain which the beast cannot touch , where we are safe from all our enemies , and am to you wel known , to be read in your hearts , in the record of the lambs book of life , and known only to the world by the name of edward burrough . written at dublin city in ireland . to the camp of the lord in england . to all the seed of abraham , who are iews indeed , and israelites in whom is no guile ; who are of the true circumcision , made without hands : who are of the off-spring of david , and of the church of the first-born ; who are the first fruits unto god : ye royal off-spring of the rock of ages , who have come out of the everlasting washing ; my dear brethren , called quakers , who have eaten your bread with fear and trembling , whom your brethren hath cast out , oh how i love you ; my soul is knit unto you , my heart and life breaths after you ; i am one with you in suffering , and in joy ; ye are the choicest of the flock , ye are the fairest of all the children which is brought forth , oh my beloved ones , though i be among the tents of kedar , as without , where the voice of the lord hath neither been heard nor known , it you i forget not , if i do , let the tongue cleave to the roofe of my mouth , and let me never speak more in the name of the lord , who is my life , and the portion of my cup for ever . oh! what shall i say unto you ? none knows your beauty , nor innocencie , nor glory , but them who are redeemed out of kindreds , and nations , and tongues , and people , and countries , who follow the lamb whithersoever he goes . for the name of my god and your god , who is living and lives for evermore , is in your foreheads ; you are his off-spring , and the fruit that came out of the eternal womb , begotten by the eternal word of life which lives for ever ; and are nourished at the eternal table , in the everlasting mansion-house of my father which is in heaven . none so fair ; none so beautiful ; none so glorious , none so rich ; you are crowned with love for ever ; you are clothed with righteousness for ever ; you eat of the tree of life which heals the nations , and of the bread of life that nourishes you up for ever ; & drinks of the living waters , which runs fresh , beautiful , and coole , in it you are bathed and suppled , and made white ; you are builded upon a rock , storms cannot move you , tempests cannot make you afraid ; in this you have been , and are like to be tryed : your armour is righteousness on the right hand , and on the left your city is free : the gates stand open day and night ; and a wolf , nor lyon , nor any beast can enter ; no , not so much as a flying-fowle . oh how goodly is thy tents , o thou seed of iacob . the elect whom he hath chosen ! o how pleasant is your scituation ! the tower of david , mount sion stands sure , and cannot be moved . oh! who is a people like unto you , saved by our god that lives for ever ! his love is large ; he is kinde ; he is long-suffering ; he is faithful and keeps covenant , and his promises are yea : yea : he is the amen , the first and the last . come forth my dear brethren , set forth his praise , declare his name among the heathen ; publish his name among the congregations ; let the earth be filled with his love and power , that his judgements may be declared , and his statutes , that they sound in the ears of generations to come . o ye that are convinced of the truth of our god , wait in that which doth convince , and keep your mindes to it , & love it , and follow it whither it leads you , and it will lead you to know the gift of god , which leads to repentance from dead works to serve the living god , who dwells in the immortal light : and take heed of looking back at the pleasures of sin you have formerly lived in , but wait upon the pure light of christ jesus in patience , that so you may see the enmity which is against god , and it slain in you daily ; that so you may see him that is the saviour of the soul : and take heed of rebelling against the lord , who hath given you a measure of his true light , to lead you from sin if you love it unto righteousness , from whence it comes , even from the righteous judge of all the world ; who judgeth every man out of the book of his conscience : and so prize the everlasting love of god to your souls , that you may see him who lives for ever . and all babes who are born again , who have suffered the pangs of death , and know the indignation of the lord against sin , and the terror of the lord against the man of sin ; who have roared for the disquietness of your-hearts ; who have born the indignation of the lord , and are come to the giving forth of the law , where there is thundring , and earth-quakes , and terror , and great hail , and fire , and smoke , even such as was not since the beginning , in somuch that you could not hear his voice and live , nor see his face and live . stand still in patience , and let it have its perfect work in you , and bear the indignation , ye that are in it ; if you endure the tribulation with patience , hope you will see , and a time of refreshment will come : endure the cross that the mortal , and earthly , and carnal may be judged , and the ground shaken and taken away , and that you may see the liuing hope to stay your mindes upon . and ye who are enliuened , and doth witness the law of righteousness set up in you , which is a schoolmaster , and keeps in the fear , stand in it , and keep in the fear low , in soberness and calmness ; and then you will see your hearts purified daily , and the cursed nature judged , which is out of its course , and it bridled and subjected : and the law which is pure , and holy and eternal , which stands for euer in power and force against the transgressor , to judge all righteousness : and so wait that you may see the lyon tamed , and the wilde heifer yoked , and the yoke of christ born : and the wilde colt tamed by him , upon which never man sate before : then ; and not till then is hosanna sung . and all wait in your measures , dear babes , that the milk of the word you may see , and be nourished by it , and grow up as living branches about the table of the lord . and all you yong men and virgins , that know virginity , keep your virgin , you in whom the prince of this world is judged and cast out : and the righteous law of god revealed and given forth , in which you stand and walk and hath peace from him who is the law-giver and judge ; who hath saved you from your iniquities , and blotted out your sins for his own name sake : you who knows the living water and spirit , of which you are born again , and witnesses the birth which enters into the kingdome of god , where no mortal or unclean beast can come . keep in the life and power of god , which limits all , and chains all under , that the life of the son of god may live and speak in you , and be bold : in the dread of god stand , and that which leads into slavery keep out . and now being made partakers of his everlasting love , walk worthy of his love , and of the high calling whereunto you are called ; who hath created you in christ jesus , unto holiness and righteousness for ever ; that to the praise of his grace which you are saved by , by which you have obtained the remission of sins , and an inheritance amongst them that are sanctified : so wait in the living hope , and the living faith , in which god is well pleased , in which you ask and receive of him , and are accepted of our heavenly father . and this faith ye know , which is a present power , and a shield against all temptations , and a helmet , and as a fortress by which you are preserved , safe standing in it , and putting it on in the day of trial . my dear brethren of the everlasting kindred , and heirs of the everlasting promise ; wait all in patience , having received an earnest of the inheritance that never fades away ; to the end abide in the fathers counsel , and at wisdom's gate . ye know what i say i write not unto you because you know not the truth , but because you know and are made free in your measures by him who is the truth and the way ; in which all our fathers , and you also have obtained a good report , even of all the houshold of faith : and take heed of the glory of the world , and look not at hardship ; for verily all the suffering is nor worthy to be compared to that glory which is revealed , and to be revealed unto all that wait and abide in patience and faithfulness unto the end ; but be ye as good souldiers , endure hardship , that you may receive the end of your hope , and the euerlasting prize , and the purchased possession , and the crown of glory , which god will give unto you in his own day ; which is coming on towards you , if you continue in the hope , in the faith , and in the love unfeigned , which thinks no ill : by which , and in which love we have victory ouer the grave , sin and death ; which he hath freely shedabroad in our hearts , unto whom be everlasting praise for ever and ever : to him which was dead , and is aliue , and liues for euermore , the mediator of the new gouenant of life and peace , in which we haue access freely to the throne of grace , and are accepted in him who is the condemnation of all the world , who hate the light ; but your life the light of the world ; god blessed for ever and ever . and all you fathers , and elders , and honorable women , who are not a few , whose bones and sinews are filled with marrow and fatness , who wait at the altar of the lord , and knows the merey-seat , which hath ouershadowed you ; and the golden vessel in which is the hidden manna , by which all the children of the lord are fed round the table of the lord , out of the euerlasting treasure-house of my father . watch ouer the flock of christ jesus in euery place , and region and quarter where the lord hath set you , and gouern them in all wisdom and righteousness , that the gospel of our lord jesus christ may be adorned . and take care of them willingly , knowing this the lord requires of you , and hath called you unto ; and to nourish the plants , and the young ones , and the babes : and that every one may know their place , and watch and instruct in all wisdom , and correct and reprove in the name and power of our lord jesus , that no rebellious nor sloathfull may grow up nor be harboured among you ; but all in diligence may be kept in the fear of the lord in their places , that the gospel of christ jesus be not evill spoken of , nor the heathen blaspheme . and therefore my dear brethren , be diligent in the work of the lord , so much the more as you see the day is approached : and the harvest is great , and the vineyard of the lord is great and large , and but few labourers : yea , the lord is enlarging his borders , and spreading forth his everlasting truth , and stretching forth his eternal arm over the nations , and opening the treasures of heaven , and bringing rain out of his treasury , to water the earth that hath been parched and dry , and to make his plants to grow . and so all wait , that you may see the power and presence of the lord in all your assemblies : and see that there be no strife , nor contention , nor exaltation amongst you , but all in meekness , and quietness , and long-suffering , and forbearance , even as the lord hath spared and forborn you : one submitting unto another , even as you have heard and received when the word of the lord came first unto you : and he that will be the greatest shall be the least : but all in meekness and lowliness of minde serve one another , in love even as you have received : and the everlasting god of life and power be with you all , and make you grow in the living power and virtue of god : to order all things in his wisdom , as good stewards of the manifold mercies of the lord which you are made partakers of ; that he alone may be glorified throughout all the churches of christ jesus every where . and to you my dear brethren and fellow-labourers , unto whom the word of reconciliation is committed , and are in the work and ministry of our lord iesus christ , and are made partakers of the everlasting gospel of peace , which unto you is given to declare . lift up your voyces , blow the trumpet , sound an alarum out of the holy mountain ; proclaim the acceptable yeer , and the day of vengeance of our god . gird on your sword upon your loins , put on the tryed armour ; and follow him for ever who rides upon the white horse , and is clothed with the same , who makes war in righteousness : ride on , ride on my beloved brethren and fellow-souldiers ; make all plain before you : thresh on with the new threshing instrument which hath teeth beat the mountains to dust , and let the breath of the lord scatter it : make the heathen tremble , and the uncircumcised fall by the sword : the lord of hosts is with us , and goes before us . spare none , neither ox nor asse ; neither old nor young ; kil ; cut off ; destroy ; bath your sword in the blood of amaleck and all the egyptians and philistines , and all the uncircumcised , and hew agag to pieces : break the rocks , cut down the cedars and strong oaks , make the devills subject ; cast out the unclean spirits ; raise the dead : shut up in prison , bring out of prison : cast in your nets , lanch into the deep , divide the fish , gather the good into vessels , cast the bad away : binde the tares in bundles , cast them into the fire : the angel with his sharp sickle is come , the angel of the everlasting covenant is come : thrust in your sickles , reap the earth , the word of god is come , that divides , let all flesh keep silence , divide the word rightly , feed the lambs and babes , fill the hungry , stop the lyons mouthes : feed the fat and the strong with plagues and judgements : declare his name , publish his eternal truth which shall stand for ever . eternal life is come , glory to him for ever . silence all disputers and diviners for ever : trample upon all the chaff and dung , and mire for ever , which all the wisdom of the world feeds upon , greater is he that is in us , then he that is in the world . oh my beloved ones ! although i am the lowest and weakest among many of my brethren , yet the eternal power of god is my shield for ever , the lord of hosts is with us . there is a crown which none can take away , to all who have denyed all : yea , it is on your heads : the dread of god is with us : and truly dear brethren , we cannot say that we fished and catched nothing , for many vessels are sull : nor we have not travelled and laboured and brought forth winde , as the false prophets do : for we have the seals of our ministry , which shall be witnesses for the lord in generations to come . not unto us o lord , but to thy name be glory for ever : who hath done , and doth all for us , and in us : who is our strength , our glory , our crown of rejoycing all the day long ; for his hidden treasure is brought forth and made manifest in earthen vessels : unto him be eternal living praises for ever . and so all dear brethren , members of the same body of christ jesus , by which we are set free from sin in the liberty , life and power in which you are made free , stand as witnesses for the lamb , and for the holy nation , for the royal seed of the true israel of god , that it may be brought out of captivity , to serve the lord in the land of the living , and the eternal god of power and life , of endless rich love and mercy , be with you all , and prosper his own work in your hands , that he alone may be glorified : unto whom be eternal , insinite praises , who is our life ; our king , god blessed for ever and ever . and to you all my dear brethren and sisters , who suffers in bonds , and prisons , and dens , and holes , and suffers the enemy to plow long furrows upon your backs , in patience ; and suffers stocking , whipping , buffetting , beating , and cruel mocking and stripes , and chains , and fetters , whom the world is not worthy of : even as they did unto our master of whom we bear witness of , and hath the witness in our selves ; even so do they unto us : but the servant is not greater then his lord , and therefore we that are baptized for the dead , and stand in jeopardy of our lives often ; we have a cloud of witnesses which endured the same : and therefore the same baptism and the same cup must be drunk by all that follow him . well my dear brethren , your sufferings i know , and i know he of whom you bear witdess , bears up your heads , who hath called you thereunto ; above all that which is done unto you , as you stand in his will and counsel ; well as dear brethren and companions in the same tribulation , and kingdome , and patience of the saints , as witnesses of the same faith as they were which are gone before you ; you are made partakers of the same : it is made manifest and revealed in you by the same god in which faith they had power , and you have power , and endures as they did , and as he did , even the contradiction of sinners . well our god is on our side , and takes our part , and therefore my own bowels in patience endure , god will bring forth your righteousness as the sun , and your enemies shall be ashamed : and i know , and you also know it is for the advantage and the furtherance of the gospel of christ ; and endure in patience and long-suffering , and look not out ; and the lord in due time will enlarge your border . and the eternal god of power be with you chosen ones , for the lords work you shall have your reward ; nay he is come , and his reward is with him : i know you have it , and witness his power and his presence with you : so my dear ones , in that which limits all , and chains all , and keeps under all deceit , dwell and abide for ever in the living power which makes the strong man bow down , and the devils tremble , and the unclean spirits roar ; and the power you know , where is your life , that all the powers of death cannot reach ; and therefore doth the potsheards of the earth strive in vain to set briars and thorns in battel against him , in vain do they rage ; for notwithstanding all that , god hath set and will set his own son upon the holy hill of sion , glory unto him for ever ; shout out for joy oh ye sufferers for him ; who are set free by him , and your freedom can none take away : for he is greater then all , even him in whom ye have beleeved , standing in his power , wisdom and councel , who is neer you , that none is able to pluck you out of his hand : for he hath the keyes of david , who opens and none shuts , and bindes and none can loose : even he who rebukes the windes and seas , and they obey him , and causes a great calme : and causes the waters to abate , nay to stand of a heap : and dries up the tongue of the egyptian sea , that his ransomed ones may go over into the rest , and he that hath and doth believe in him , is entred into the rest , where we all meet in one in him who is the judge of all the world ; the light of the world ; and our life ; who believe in his name ; but the condemnation of all the world who walk in unrighteousnes for ever and ever . for with the pure & upright he dwells , and his throne is established in righteousness for ever and ever : and unto our god who lives for ever shall all the powers of the earth bow ; to whom be glory and eternal praise of all his redeemed ones for ever and ever . f. h. o all ye sons of sion , and ye daughters of the king , who is glorious within , who have waited for the bridegroom ; oh my beloved ones ! you who have long sitten in a solitary place , and have been as a silly dove without a heart , & hath bin as a widow desolate , & as a par ched heath : you that hath wandred up & down in the long night of darknes & knew no rest , but were as one cast off by all , & all that passed by you laughed at your sorrow : you have been as a hissing and as a proverb to all , and as a mark to shoot at by all : your faces have been as the tents of kedar parched , and your skin withered for want of refreshment , and as a dead tree that bears no fruit . oh yee who have come through great tribulation ! and have suffered the loss of all ; the spoiling of all , even the greatest riches ; the chiefest jewels ! who have lost all your knowledge and wisdome and become fools for christ's sake ; and hath parted with all ; and hath suffered the indignation of the lord to pass over all ; and hath drunk of the cup of fury at the hand of the lord : who have suffered hunger famine pestilence and earth-quakes ; and the darkning of the sun , and the moon lost her light ; and the stars have fallen and the pillars of heaven hathbeen shaken : the earth hath been removed out of its place as a cottage , and you have cried out in the midst of all this , he hath forgotten to be gracious , & his mercy come to an end . the womb hath been shut up , desolation and sorrow , loss of children , and widowhood in a day came upon you . oh ye tossed , afflicted , and not comforted , that have been as eunuchs , dry and barren as in the drought of summer , that have been as pelicanes and as doves , who have sorrowed for the loss of her mate ; and as one in sorrow for the losse of her first-born ; who have been in bitterness , and none could comfort you : i am one with you , your state i know , i love you eternally : yea , ye are my brethren and sisters for ever , sealed in my heart , and engrrveu to be read for ever . i see you , i behold you , i kiss you , and embrace you with an holy kiss of everlasting love , which overcomes death and hell ; which love thinks no ill : ye that are made partakers of this love , knows what i say : ye that have waited for him , and wait and suffer the spoyling of all ; i am married unto you , i came forth of the same womb , which is eternity free for ever : free-born , not in bondage , because the prince of this world is judged and cast out , and the glory of the lord revealed . come forth ye sons and daughters of jerusalem which is free from above : utter forth your voice , sing aloud , the bridegroom is come and is coming , and ye that have suffered the spoyling of all , rejoice for evermore : lift up your voices as trumpets . he is come , he is covered with righteousness as with a robe ; his countenance is as the morning , his eyes is brighter then the sun , his voice is life eternal , salvation is round about him , he dwells in eternal life , life is in his right hand , and joy is in his presence , and peace for evermore : he is a tryed stone , he is a rock which the righteous flies to , he hides his under his wings , & covers them wth his feathers . beauty beauty , glory glory , eternity eternity ness almightiness , power , riches , honor , dignity and dominion , strength , wisdom and goodness , fulness , satisfaction , eternal treasure , durable riches , infiniteness is his name for ever : unexpressible i am filled with his love and power : he opens the windows of heaven , he rains his showres as silver drops , and as fine myrrhe , as sweet odours ; he nourishes the yong , he carries the lambs in his arms of love : he drives gently them that are with young ; he is true and faithful for ever ; he keeps covenant ; he is long-suffering and kinde , who can declare his power ? i am lost in the incomprehensible being of eternal love . oh my dear ones , come up hither , fellow-citizens of jerusalem which is from above , who is our mother , which few know , but you who are written in the lambs book of life : sound forth his praise , trumpet forth his power , declare his name among the people , that it may sound into the ears of generations to come this is he we have waited for ; this is he who hath begotten us to himself to reign with him the lamb upon mount sion ; as kings , and priests , and judges of the prince of darkness , death and hell for ever ; salvation , honor and glory be to him for ever , eternall infinite praises ; praises to him for ever , who was dead and is alive , and lives for evermore ; king of kings for ever ; majesty glory and power and eternal renown is in his right hand for ever : his redeemed ones lives for ever ; dwells follows lives in him for ever : no beast can touch the mountain where he dwells but he dies for ever . come away my beloved ones , drink abundantly and be refreshed , and praise his names for ever ; eternally i am shed and spilt among you ; never so as now never to be separated out of the eternal oneness : sound forth his praise ; declare his word ; let it go forth as thunder ; let the heathen bow , let the princes of this world fall , and the kings worship at his feet for ever ; let the disputers tongue cleave to the roof of his mouth for ever ; let all flesh keep silence for ever . babylon is fallen , and become the habitation of devils for ever ; the judge of all the world hath confounded and cursed her language for ever : god is risen and sits upon his throne , eternal wisdome is come , and the ancient of dayes , all carnall shall be confounded : stop all mouths in the dust for ever . eternity shall speak and judge for ever : whom he binds is bound for ever , whom he looseth he looseth for ever : whom he remits are remitted , the devil is chained , the grave gives up her dead , and the sea and hell , all is judged by him that lives for ever . o beloved ones , who are the children of my eternall father , who have eaten at his table , and drunken of the new wine in the kingdome of god , who are nourished & dandled upon the lap of everlasting love , who suck at the breasts of everlasting consolation : your beauty is comely i am ravished i am filled , iam filled with love to you all , i am sick of love : your beauty hath ravished my heart : come sit down my dear lambs together in the fold where no wolf can come , and let us rejoyce together , and sound forth his praise who hath washed us and cleansed us and covered us , and made us worthy to enter into the fold the bride-chamber , to eat with him of the bread of life for ever , at the eternal table of life ; the bridegroom is come friends , of him i know you rejoyce greatly because of his voice . and now my deer beloved ones , follow him for evermore in the eternal light and life where we were bred , brought forth and nourished , and are unknown to all the world ; but me you know , and i know you in one who is the condemnation of the world , and in him i meet you and leave you in his arms i lie down with you in the bosome of eternal love , life , peace , joy and rest for ever , where none can make us afraid bandon in ireland , the 7th month , 1655. my name ye know , my voice ye know , this is to all my beloved [ brethren , who are redeemed from ye earth . francis howgill . this is onely to goe amongst friends. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a86652 of text r207708 in the english short title catalog (thomason e868_8). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. 45 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 12 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo 2017 a86652 wing h3182 thomason e868_8 estc r207708 99866744 99866744 119029 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a86652) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 119029) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; 131:e868[8]) this is onely to goe amongst friends. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. burrough, edward, 1634-1662. to the camp of the lord in england. 23, [1] p. printed for thomas simmons, at the signe of the bull and mouth near aldersgate., london : 1656] signed on page 14: francis howgill. caption title. imprint from colophon. with a second caption title page 15: to the camp of the lord in england signed on page 23: edward burrough. annotation on thomason copy: "feb: 16: 1655"; also in the colophon the last number of the imprint date has been marked through and "1655" written below. reproduction of the original in the british library. eng society of friends -apologetic works -early works to 1800. quakers -early works to 1800. a86652 r207708 (thomason e868_8). civilwar no this is onely to goe amongst friends.: howgill, francis 1656 9226 26 0 0 0 0 0 28 c the rate of 28 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the c category of texts with between 10 and 35 defects per 10,000 words. 2007-05 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2007-06 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2007-09 emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread 2007-09 emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-02 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion this is onely to goe amongst friends . to all the seed of abraham , who are jewes indeed , and israelites in whom is no guile ; who are of the true circumcission , made without hands . who are of the off-spring of david , and of the church of the first born , who are the first fruits unto god ; yee royall off-spring of the rocke of ages , who have come out of the everlasting washing ; my deare brethren called quakers ; who have eaten your bread with feare and trembling , whom your brethren hath cast out , oh how i love you ; my soule is knitt unto you , my heart and life breathes after you ; i am one with you in suffering , and in joy ; ye are the choycest of the flock , yee are the fairest of all the children which is brought forth ; oh my beloved ones , though i be among the tents of kedar as without where the voyce of the lord hath neither been heard nor known ▪ it you i forgett not , if i doe , let the tongue cleave to the roofe of my mouth , and lett me never speake more in the name of the lord ; who is my life and the portion of my cup for ever . oh what shall i say unto you , none knows your beauty , nor innocency , nor glory , but them , who are redeemed out of kindreds , and nations , and tongues , and people , and countries ; who follow the lambe whithersoever he goes . for the name of my god and your god , who is liing and lives for evermore is in your foreheads , you are his off-spring , and the fruit that came out of the eternall womb : begotten by the eternal word of life which lives for ever , and are norished at the eternall table in the everlasting mansion-house of my father which is in heaven ; none so faire , none so beautifull , none so glorious , none so rich , you are crowned with love for ever , you are cloathed with righteousnesse for ever , you eat of the tree of life which heales ▪ the nations , and of the bread of life that nourishes you up for ever , and drinks of the living waters which runs fresh , beautifull , and coole ; in it you are bathed and suppled , and made white ; you are builded upon a rock ▪ storms cannot move you , tempests cannot make you afraid ; in this you have been and are like to be tryed ; your armour is righteousnesse on the right hand , and on the left your city is free : the gates stand open day and night , and a wolf , nor lyon ▪ nor any beast can enter , no not so much as a flying fowle . oh how goodly is thy tents o thou seed of jacob , the elect whom he hath chosen ? o how pleasant is your scituation ? the tower of david , mount sion stands sure , and cannot be moved . oh who is a people like unto you , saved by our god that lives for ever ? his love is large , he is kind , he is long-suffering : he is faithfull and keeps covenant , and his promises are yea , yea : he is the amen , the first and the last . come forth my dear brethren , set forth his praise , declare his name among the heathen , publish his name among the congregations : let the earth be filled with his love and power , that his judgements may be declared , and his statutes , that they sound in the eares of generations to come . o yee that are convinced of the truth of our god , wait in that which doth convince , and keep your minds to it , and love it , and follow it whether it leads you , and it will lead you to know the gift of god which leads to repentance from dead works to serve the living god , who dwells in the immortall light : and take heed of looking back at the pleasures of sin you have formerly lived in , but wait upon the pure light of christ jesus in patience , that so you may see the enmity which is against god , and it slain in you daily : that so you may see him that is the saviour of the soule , and take heed of rebelling against the lord who hath given you a measure of his true light , to lead you from sin if you love it unto righteousnesse , from whence it comes , even from the righteous judge of all the world , who judgeeth every man out of the book of his conscience : and so prize the everlasting love of god to your soules , that you may see him who lives for ever . and all babes who are born again , who have suffered the pangs of death : and know the indignation of the lord against sin , and the terrour of the lord against the man of sin , who have roared for the disquietnesse of your hearts , who have born the indignation of the lord , and are come to the giving forth of the law , where there is thundring and earthquakes , and terrour , and great haile , and fire , and smoke , even such as was not since the beginning , in so much that you could not hear his voyce and live , nor see his face and live . stand still in patience , and let it have its perfect work in you , and bear the indignation , ye that are in it ; if you endure the tribulation with patience , hope you will see , and a time of refreshment will come : endure the crosse that the mortall , and earthly , and carnall may be judged , and the ground shaken and taken away , and that you may see the living hope to stay your minds upon . and yee who are enlivened , and doth witnesse the law of righteousnesse set up in you , which is a schoolmaster , and keeps in the fear , stand in it , and keep in the fear low , in sobernesse and calmnesse , and then you will see your hearts purified daily , and the cursed nature judged , which is out of its course , and it bridled and subjected : and the law which is pure , and holy , and eternall , which stands for ever in power and force against the transgressour , to judge all unrighteousnesse : and so wait that you may see the lyon tamed , and the wild heifer yoked , and the yoke of christ born : and the wild colt tamed by him , upon which never man sate before : then and not till then is hosanna sung . and all wait in your measures , dear babes , that the milk of the word you may see , and be nourished by it , and grow up as living branches about the table of the lord . and all you young men and virgins , that know virginity , keep your virgin-you in whom the prince of this world is judged and cast out : and the righteous law of god revealed and given forth , in which you stand and walk and hath peace , from him who is the law-giver and judge : who hath saved you from your iniquities , and blotted out your sins for his owne name sake : you who knowes the living water and spirit of which you are born again , and witnesses the birth which enters into the kingdome of god , where no mortall or unclean beast can come . keep in the life and power of god which limits all , and chaines all under , that the life of the son of god may live and speak in you , and be bould : in the dread of god stand : and that which leads into slavery keep out . and now being made partakers of his everlasting love , walk worthy of his love , and of the high calling whereunto you are called , who hath created you in christ jesus unto holinesse and righteousnesse for ever : that to the praise of his grace which you are saved by : by which you have obtained the remission of sins , and an inheritance amongst them that are sanctified : so wait in the living hope , and the living faith , in which god is well pleased , in which you ask and receive of him , and are accepted of our heavenly father . and this faith ye know , which is a present power , and a shield against all temptations , and a helmet , and as a fortresse by which ye are preserved , safe standing in it , and putting it on in the day of triall . my dear brethren of the everlasting kindred , and heires of the everlasting promise : wait all in patience , having received an earnest of the inheritance that never fades away : to the end abide , in the fathers counsell , and at wisedomes gate . yee know what i say . i write not unto you , because you know not the truth , but because you know and are made free in your measures by him who is the truth and the way : in which all our fathers and you also have obtained a good report : even of all the houshold of faith : and take heed of the glory of the world , and look not at hardship : for verily all the suffering is not worthy to be compared to that glory which is revealed and to be revealed unto all that wait and abide in patience and faithfullnesse unto the end : but be yee as good souldiers , endure hardship , that you may receive the end of your hope , and the everlasting prise , and the purchased possession , and the crowne of glory which god will give unto you in his owne day : which is coming on towards you , if you continue in the hope , in the faith , and in the love unfained , which thinks no ill : by which and in which love we have victory over the grave , sin , and death : which he hath freely shed abroad in our hearts , unto whom be everlasting praise for ever and ever : to him which was dead , and is alive , and lives for evermore , the mediator of the new covenant of life and peace , in which we have accesse freely to the throne of grace , and are accepted in him who is the condemnation of all the world , who hate the light : but your life the light of the world god blessed for ever and ever . and all you fathers and elders and honourable women , who are not a few , whose bones and sinewes are filled with marrow and fatnesse ; who waite at the altar of the lord , and knovves the mercy-seat , vvhich hath overshadovved you ; and the golden vessell in vvhich is the hidden manna , by vvhich all the children of the lord are fed round the table of the lord , out of the everlasting treasure-house of my father . watch over the flock of christ jesus in every place , and region , and quarter vvhere the lord hath set you , and govern them in all vvisedome and righteousnesse , that the gospel of our lord jesus christ may be adorned : and take care of them vvillingly knovving this the lord requires of you , and hath called you unto : and to nourish the plants , and the young ones , and the babes : and that every one may knovv their place , and vvatch , and instruct in all vvisedome , and correct and reprove in the name and povver of our lord jesus , that no rebellious nor sloathfull may grovv up nor be harboured among you : but all in diligence may be kept in the fear of the lord in their places , that the gospel of christ jesus be not evill spoken of , nor the heathen blaspheme . and therefore my dear brethren be diligent in the vvork of the lord , so much the more as you see the day is approached : and the harvest is great , and the vineyard of the lord is great and large , and but fevv labourers : yea , the lord is enlarging his borders , and spreading forth his everlasting truth , and stretching forth his eternall arm over the nations , and opening the treasures of heaven , and bringing raine out of his treasury to vvater the earth that hath been parched and dry , and to make his plants to grovv . and so all vvait that you may see the povver and presence of the lord in all your assemblies : and see that there be no strife nor contention nor exaltation amongst you , but all in meeknesse , and quietnesse , and long-suffering , and forbearance : even as the lord hath spared and forborn you : one submitting unto another , even as you have heard and received vvhen the vvord of the lord came first unto you : and he that vvill be the greatest shall be the least : but all in meeknesse and lovvlinesse of mind serve one another , in love even as you have received : and the everlasting god of life and povver be vvith you all , and make you grovv in the living povver and virtue of god : to order all things in his vvisedome , as good stevvards of the manifold mercies of the lord , vvhich you are made partakers of : that he alone may be glorified throughout all the churches of christ jesus every vvhere . and to you my dear brethren and fellovv-labourers , unto vvhom the vvord of reconciliation is committed , and are in the vvork and ministry of our lord jesus christ , and are made partakers of the everlasting gospel of peace , vvhich unto you is given to declare . lift up your voyces , blow the ttumpet , sound an alarum out of the holy mountain : proclaime the acceptable year , and the day of vengeance of our god . gird on your sword upon your loines , put on the tried armour , and follow him for ever who rides upon the white horse , and is cloathed with the same : who makes war in righteousnesse : ride on , ride on , my beloved brethren and fellow souldiers , make all plain before you : thresh on with the new threshing instrument which hath teeth : beat the mountaines to dust , and let the breath of the lord scatter it : make the heathen tremble , and the uncircumcised fall by the sword : the lord of hosts is with us , and goes before us . spare none , neither ox nor asse , neither old nor young , kill , cut off , destroy , bath your sword in the blood of amaleck and all the aegyptians and philistins , and all the uncircumcised , and hew agag to pieces : break the rocks , cut down the cedars and strong oakes , make the devils subject : cast out the unclean spirits , raise the dead : shut up in prison , bring out of prison : cast in your nets , lanch into the deep , divide the fish , gather the good into vessels , cast the bad away : bind the tares in bundles , cast them into the fire : the angel with his sharp sickle is come , the angel of the everlasting covenant is come : thrust in your sickles , reape the earth , the word of god is come , that divides , let all flesh keep silence , divide the word rightly , feed the lambs and babes , fill the hungry , stop the lyons mouths : feed the fat and the strong with plagues and judgements : declare his name , publish his eternall truth which shall stand for ever . eternall life is come , glory to him for ever : silence all disputers and diviners for ever : trample upon all the chaff and dung , and mire for ever , which all the wisedome of the world feeds upon . greater is he that is in us , then he that is in the world . oh my beloved ones ! although i am the lowest and weakest among many of my brethren , yet the eternall power of god is my shield for ever , the lord of hosts is with us . there is a crown which none can take away , to all who have denyed all : yea , it is on your heads : the dread of god is with us : and truly dear brethren we cannot say that we fished and catched nothing , for many vessels are full : nor we have not travailed and laboured and brought forth wind , as the false prophets doe : for we have the seales of our ministry , which shall be witnesses for the lord in generations to come . not unto us o lord , but to thy name be glory for ever : who hath done and doth all for us , and in us : who is our strength , our glory , our crown of rejoycing all the day long ; for his hidden treasure is brought forth and made manifest in earthen vessels : unto him be eternall living praises for ever . and so all dear brethren , members of the same body of christ jesus , by which we are set free from sin in the liberty , life , and power in which you are made free , stand as vvitnesses for the lamb , and for the holy nation , for the royall seed of the true israel of god ▪ that it may be brought out of captivit● , to serve the lord in the land of the living , and the eternall god of povver and life , of endlesse rich love and mercy be vvith you all , and prosper his ovvne vvork in your hands , that he alone may be glorified : unto vvhom be eternall , infinite praises , vvho is our life , our king , god blessed for ever and ever . and to you all my dear brethren and sisters , vvho suffers in bonds , and prisons , and dens , and holes , and suffers the enemy to plovv long furrovves upon your backs , in patience ; and suffers stocking , vvhipping , buffetting , beating , and cruell mocking and stripes and chaines and fetters vvhom the world is not vvorthy of : even as they did unto our master of vvhom vve bear witnesse of , and hath the witnesse in our selves ; even so doe they unto us : but the servant is not greater then his lord , and therefore we that are baptized for the dead , and stand in jeopardy of our lives often , we have a cloud of witnesses which endured the same ; and therefore the same baptism and the same cup must be drunk by all that follow him . well my dear brethren ▪ your sufferings i know , and i know he of whom you bear witnesse , bears up your heads , who hath called you thereunto above all that which is done unto you , as you stand in his will and councel : well as dear brethren and companions in the same tribulation and kingdome and patience of the saints , as witnesses of the same faith as they were which are gone before you : you are made partakers of the same : it is made manifest and revealed in you by the same god : in which faith they had power , and you have power , and indures as they did , and as he did , even the contradiction of sinners . well , our god is on our side , and takes our part , and therefore my own bowels in patience endure , god will bring forth your righteousnesse as the sun , and your enemies shall be ashamed : and i know and you also know it is for the advantage and the furtherance of the gospel of christ : and endure in patience and long-suffering , and look not out : and the lord in due time will enlarge your border , and the eternall god of power be with you chosen ones , for the lords work you shall have your reward : nay , he is come , and his reward is with him : i know you have it , and witnesse his power and his presence with you : so my dear ones , in that which limits all , and chaines all , and keeps under all deceit , dwell and abide for ever in the living power which makes the strong man bow downe , and the devils tremble , and the unclean spirits roare : and the power you know , where is your life , that all the powers of death cannot reach : and therefore doth the potsheards of the earth strive in vaine to set briars and thorns in battel against him , in vaine doe they rage : for notwithstanding all that , god hath set and will set his owne son upon the holy hill of sion : glory unto him for ever , shout out for joy oh yee sufferers for him , who are set free by him , and your freedome can none take away : for he is greater then all , even him in whom yee have believed , standing in his power , wisedome and councel , who is neer you , that none is able to pluck you out of his hand : for he hath the keyes of david , who opens and none ▪ shuts , and binds and none can loose : even he who rebukes the winds and seas ▪ and they obey him , and causes a great calme : and causes the waters to abate , nay to stand of a heap : and dryes up the tongue of the aegyptian sea ▪ that his ransomed ones may goe over into the rest : and he that hath and doth believe in him , is entred into the rest : where we all meet in one , in him who is the judge of all the world : the light of the world , and our life who believe in his name : but the condemnation of all the world ▪ who walk in unrighteousnesse for ever and ever . for with the pure and upright he dwells ▪ and his throne is established in righteousnesse for ever and ever : and unto our god who lives for ever , shall all the powers of the earth bow : to whom be glory and eternall praise of all his redeemed ones for ever and ever . f. h. o all yee sons of sion , and yee daughters of the king , who is glorious within , who is glorious within , who have waited for the bridegroom : oh my beloved ones , you who have long sitten in a solitary place , and have been as a silly dove without a heart , and hath been as a widow desolate , and as a parched heath : you that hath wandred up and downe in the long night of darknesse and knew no rest , but were as one cast off by all , and all that passed by you laughed at your sorrow : you have been as a hissing , and as a proverb to all , and as a mark to shoot at by all ; your faces have been as the tents of kedar parched , and your skin withered for want of refreshment , and as a dead tree that bears no fruit . oh yee who have come through great tribulation , and have suffered the losse of all , the spoyling of all , even the greatest riches , the chiefest jewels : who have lost all your knowledge and wisedome , and become fooles for christs sake ; and hath parted with all , and hath suffered the indignation of the lord to passe over all , and hath drunk of the cup of fury at the hand of the lord , who have suffered hunger , famine , pestilence , and earthquakes , and the darkening of the sun , and the moon lost her light , and the stars have fallen , and the pillars of heaven hath been shaken : the earth hath been removed out of its place as a cottage , and you have cryed out in the midst of all this , he hath forgotten to be gracious , and is his mercy come to an end ? the womb hath been shut up , desolation and sorrow , losse of children and widowhood in a day , came upon you . oh yee tossed , afflicted , and not comforted , that have been as eunuchs , dry and barren as in the drought of summer , that have been as pelicanes and as doves , who have sorrowed for the losse of her mate , and as one in sorrow for the losse of her first born : who have been in bitternesse , and none could comfort you : i am one with you ▪ your state i know , i love you eternally : yea , yee are my brethren and sisters for ever , sealed in my heart , and engraven to be read for ever . i see you , i behold you , i kisse you , and embrace you with an holy kisse of everlasting love , which overcomes death and hell , which love thinks no ill : yee that are made partakers of this love , knowes what i say : yee that have waited for him , and wait and suffer the spoyling of all , i am married unto you , i came forth of the same womb , which is eternity free for ever : free borne , not in bondage , because the prince of this world is judged and cast out , and the glory of the lord revealed . come forth yee sonnes and daughters of jerusalem which is free from above : utter forth your voyce , sing aloud , the bridegroome is come and is coming , and yee that have suffered the spoyling of all rejoyce for evermore : lift up your voyces as trumpets , he is come , he is covered with righteousnesse as with a robe , his countenance is as the morning , his eyes is brighter then the sun , his voyce is life eternall , salvation is round about him : he dwells in eternall life : life is in his right hand and joy is in his presence , and peace for evermore : he is a tryed stone , he is a rock which the righteous flyes to , he hides his under his wings , and covers them with his feathers . beauty beauty , glory glory , eternity eternity , almightiness almightiness , power , riches , honour ▪ dignity and dominion , strength , wisedome and goodnesse , fullnesse , satisfaction , eternall treasure , durable riches , infinitnesse , is his name for ever : unexpressible i am filled with his love and power : he opens the windowes of heaven , he raines his showres as silver drops and as fine myrrhe , as sweet odours : he nourishes the young , he carries the lambs in his arms of love : he drives gently them that are with young : he is true and faithfull for ever : he keeps covenant : he is long-suffering and kind : who can declare his power ? i am lost in the incomprehensible being of eternall love . oh my dear ones , come up hither , fellow citizens of jerusalem which is from above , who is our mother , which few know but you who are written in the lambs book of life : found forth his praise , trumpet forth his power , declare his name among the people , that it may sound into the eares of generations to come , this is he we have waited for , this is he who hath begotten us to himself to raign with him the lamb upon mount sion ▪ as kings and priests , and judges of the prince of darknesse , death and hell for ever , salvation , honour and glory be to him for ever : eternall infinite praises , praises to him for ever who was dead and is alive , and lives for evermore : king of kings for ever : majesty glory and power and eternall renown is in his right hand for ever : his redeemed ones lives for ever , dwells followes lives in him for ever : no beast can touch the mountaine where he dwells , but he dyes for ever . come away my beloved ones , drink abundantly and be refreshed , and praise his name for ever , eternally i am shed and spilt among you never so as now never to be separated out of the eternall onenesse : sound forth his praise ▪ declare his word , let it to goe forth as thunder , let the heathen bow , let the princes of this world fall , and the kings worship at his feet for ever : let the disputers tongue cleave to the roof of his mouth for ever : let all flesh keep silence for ever . babylon is fallen , and become the habitation of devills for ever : the judge of all the world hath confounded and cursed her language for ever : god is risen and sits upon his throne , eternall wisedome is come , and the ancient of dayes all carnall shall be confounded : stop all mouths in the dust for ever , eternity shall speak and judge for ever : whom he binds is bound for ever , whom he looseth he looseth for ever : whom he remits are remitted , the devil is chained , the grave gives up her dead , and the sea and hell , all is judged by him that lives for ever . o beloved ones , who are the children of my eternall father , who have eaten at his table , and drunken of the new wine in the kingdome of god , who are nourished and dandled upon the lap of everlasting love , who suck at the breasts of everlasting consolation : your beauty is comely , i am ravished , i am filled , i am filled with love to you all , i am sick of love : your beauty hath ravished my heart : come sit down my dear ▪ lambs together in the fold where no wolf can come , and let us rejoyce together , and sound forth his praise who hath washed us and cleansed us and covered us , and made us worthy to enter into the fold the bride-chamber , to eat with him of the bread of life for ever , at the eternall table of life : the bridegroom is come friends , of him i know you rejoyce greatly , because of his voyce . and now my dearly beloved ones , follow him for evermore in the eternall light and life where we were bred brought forth and nourished , and are unknown to all the world : but me you know , and i know you in one who is the condemnation of the world , and in him i meet you , and leave you in his arms , i lye down with you in the bosome of eternall love , life , peace , joy and rest for ever , where none can make us afraid . bandon in irela : the 7 month , 55. my name yee know , my voyce yee know , this is to all my beloved brethren who are redeemed from the earth . francis howgill . to the camp of the lord in england to all you called , chosen , elected and beloved of the lord , who are of the true circumcision made without hands , of the seed of abraham : who are jewes indeed not after the flesh but in the spirit : unto whom belongs the everlasting promise and covenant , whom god hath and is fulfilling in you , so establishing with you : we your fellow-citieens of the heavenly jerusalem which is the mother of us all : and of the same body , and of the same seed , and same birth , begotten and brought forth by the immortall word of life which lives for ever , doe send greeting , and doe embrace you in the arms of our beloved , who is and is to come god blessed for ever : you who are called quakers : who are so not onely in word nor in shew , but in life and in power : whom god hath called and chosen to place his name in , and to take up his habitation among : above all the families of the earth the tabernacle of god is with you , and his dwelling-place is among you , and only among you is god known , and his name is great in your assemblies . we who are of the same root and off-spring , doth bring in our witnesse , and doth set to our seale ▪ that god of a truth is with you and among you : and he is the god of the living that answers by fire : he is i am , and there is none besides him : the first and the last , the beginning and the end of all things . praise him for ever yee redeemed of him : lift up your heads your redeemer is come : clap your hands and shout for joy , and let the everlasting praises of god be in your mouths for ever and ever . exalt ye his name above all gods , and glorifie him in the sight of all the heathen , and let his marvellous works stand upon record from generation to generation . wonderfull hath his work been among you , and that my soule knowes right well : you that were scattered in the cloudy and dark day , and were a prey for the wild beasts of the forrest , and were driven away as lost sheep in the wildernesse , hath god gathered into the fould , to lay down by the springs of living water in fat pastures for evermore . your bread is sure , and your waters never failes : a feast of fat things is made unto you , of wines well refined : the lord is become the lot of your inheritance , and the portion of your cup for ever . your crowns have you laid down at the feet of the lamb : and your lives and liberties have not been dear unto you : and let this never repent you , for now the lord will exalt you and crown you with immortall glory . the everlasting day-star is risen among you , which gives light unto the nations : and the light of the sun is as the light of seven dayes : and there is no need of a candle in your dwelling , but the lamb is the light thereof ; faire as the sun , and clear as the moon : yea it is he which was dead , and is alive , and behold he lives for evermore . praise him all ye people , praise ye him ye holy host , let all that hath breath praise him for ever . who can expresse his noble acts ? and who can declare his wondrous works ? oh my soule is ravished , and my heart is overcome , let me speak that i may be refreshed , and let me declare his wonders among all people . the lord is our king , our judge , and our law-giver , and our rock of defence ; just is he in his judgements , who hath avenged us of our enemies : mercy and judgement meet , righteousnesse and peace doth embrace each other . rejoyce for evermore ye saints of the most high , and tell it to your children , that they may tell it to another generation , what hath the lord wrought among you , and what hath his hand brought to passe . salvation is come , and plenteous redemption , and the dead hath heard the voyce of the son of god and liveth . let sorrow and mourning fly away , and be ye comforted ye that have mourned , and be ye refreshed ye that have been weary ; for god hath opened the everlasting fountain , and the streams runs pleasantly , which refresheth the city of our god . he is come and his reward is with him , even he for whom we have waited ; this is he who is our life , our peace and our exceeding great reward ; the light of the world our saviour , but the worlds condemner , our peace but the worlds torment : glad tidings , glad tidings , the acceptable year is come : praise ye the lord ye sons and daughters of sion , beautifull is your dwelling place , and aboundeth with pleasant fruit , for you are digged and pruned and enclosed a garden of lovely branches : let the wonders of the lord never be forgotten , nor his works never passe out of your remembrance , for he hath wounded and healed , killed and made alive , raised the dead and slain the living , brought out of captivity and bound with chaines , gathered and scattered , brought low and exalted , saved and condemned , all this hath your eye seen , and your ear heard : and the heavens and the earth hath been burned as a scroule , and the indignation of the lord you have born : but the winter is past , and the summer is come , and the turtle dove , and the singing of birds is heard in our land . o magnifie his name for ever ; you are made vessels of honour , wherein the everlasting treasure abideth , which never waxeth old : the voyce of the bridegroom is heard among you , and how can you have any more sorrow : instead of weeping rejoycing , and instead of heavinesse of heart fullnesse of everlasting joy : the lord hath fulfilled his promise , and made good his word , and his law and covenant is with you : and from you doth the law goe forth , and the powerfull word of life , and death soundeth out of your dwellings , and you are gods only witnesses to testifie of him in the presence of all nations , some of you by suffering , and some by declaring : oh endlesse love , and life , and riches , an eternall crown is upon your heads , and your suffering ( which hath not been a little ) is not worthy to be compared with the glory that is and shall be revealed . i speak to you who hath an ear to hear , my soule and heart is comforted in you , in the midst of my burdens and sufferings , who is separated from you outwardly , yet joyned and united to you by the spirit which is unlimited , which all nations doth comprehend : yea i behold your beauty afar off , and my heart is ravished with it , and i am sick of love : let his works praise him for ever , which he hath wrought , for his dwelling is with you , in the light unto which no mortall eye can approach . the new jerusalem is come down from heaven , and no unclean can enter : but you are made white with the blood of the lamb , and purged as silver , and purified as gold in the burning and unto you an entrance is given , and the way is prepared , and the marriage of the lamb is come , and his wife hath made her self ready , and the way of the lord is pleasant to you , and his commands are not grievous : no unclean thing can passe over , ● or no lyons whelps can tread therein , but it is called the way of holinesse ▪ where only the ransomed of the lord doe walk ; even your mountain is established upon the top of all hills , and all nations shall flow unto it ▪ sing praises for ever , for the kingdome of endlesse peace is come , which passeth understanding , and of glory which no mortall eye can behold , and of life which no flesh can live in . oh my beloved ▪ come up hither and i will shew you what god hath done for you , he hath rebuked the sea , and driven back the floods of waters which compassed you about , and he hath scattered your enemies with a whirlwind , and he hath given you to feed upon the flesh of kings and of captaines . can you call to mind the doings of your god , and his marvellous works brought to passe , and not cry out in praises for evermore ? o drink and be refreshed , and eat and be satisfied for ever , and let your soul delight it self in fatnesse ; the planting of the lord you are , and his own purchased possession , he hath separated you from the womb , and hath called you out of kindreds , and ye are the royall seed , of the off-spring of the lord almighty , and all nations shall call you blessed . and o thou north of england , who art counted as desolate and barren , and reckoned the least of the nation , yet out of thee did the branch spring , and the star arise which gives light unto all the regions round about ; in thee the son of righteousnesse appeared with wounding and with healing : and out of thee the terror of the lord proceeded , which makes the earth to tremble , and be removed : out of thee kings , princes , and prophets did come forth in the name and power of the most high , which uttered their voyces as thunders , and laid their swords on the neck of their enemies , and never returned empty from the slaughter . though i be as by the waters of babylon , in a strange land ; and as a pilgrim and stranger destitute but not forsaken ; as dying but behold i live : yet if i forget thee let my right hand forget her cunning , and let my name be blotted out of the book of life . o how i love the holy seed which in my eye is precious ! no man can hinder my boasting of thee , for i am sealed among you in the record of eternall life , to be read among you in the light where i am known to you , and where my unity stands with you in the love and life which never changes , and you are my mother and my brother and sister who doth the will of my father . our god is a consuming fire , and his habitation is compast about with dread and terror . the heathen shall see and fear , and the inhabitants of the earth shall tremble : our god is everlasting burnings , and it is tempestuous round about his throne , and he raignes for evermore : and though thou be despised and set at naught , and counted as the off-scouring of all things , and the scorn of the heathen , yet thy king raignes upon mount sion , and if he utter his voyce all flesh shall tremble , and before him thy adversaries shall fall , and thy persecutors shall be confounded , for thou shalt never be forgotten of thy god , but with his arm will he defend thee , and compasse thee about , and thy seed shall be encreased , and thou jerusalem shalt be made the praise of the whole earth , for among you is laid the sure foundation , and the tryed stone , christ jesus the light of the world , upon whom you have believed , which unto the nations is a stumbling-stone , but unto you precious : bring in your testimony , and set to your seale , is there salvation in any other , but in him who is the light of the world , nay there is no redemption wrought but by him , nor no deliverance but through him : his is the kingdome , the power , and the glory , and he is become all in all ; and you are no more of this world , but are of the chosen generation , and of the royall priesthood , a people redeemed , unto whom there is none like among the thousands of israel and judah , whose god is the lord , whose saviour is the prince of righteousnesse , who covers your heads in the day of battel , and smites your enemies in the hinder parts , and wounds them in the forehead . and now my beloved , let his name be had in remembrance for evermore , and let his praises ▪ be declared throughout ages to come , and walk you worthy of his everlasting love , wherewith he hath loved you more then your brethren : let his name be exalted by righteousnesse , by purity , and by a blamelesse life , and bring forth the fruits of righteousnesse and peace , and let your light shine forth into the world , and your good works abound plentifully , for you are as a city set on a hill , and as a lighted candle to shine abroad , and are created unto good works . let faith , hope , love and unity be encreased among you , and let mercy and judgement and equity flow down , and be establisht for ever , never to be removed . let joy and long-suffering and meeknesse and temperance spring out , and be you perfect as your heavenly father is perfect . stand upon your watch tower , and be not shaken nor drawn aside to follow any other gods , nor to bow to any other image , nor joyn your selves to strangers , and mingle not your seed with the adulterous generation , nor take not nor give not in marriage with them ; but keep your selves from the idols of the heathen , be not defiled with them ; but abide in your strength , you know where it lyes , by which you may work good , and be preserved from evill ; and you need not that any man teach you , for you are taught of god , and are far from oppression . ye children of light , worship your god for ever , who is light , and in whom is no darknesse at all , who is the same and changes not , whose mercy endures for ever : be followers of the lamb as undefiled virgins , and let your soule scorn the glory of babylon , and aegypt for ever ; for you are not your own , but are bought with a price , no more to serve your selves , but the lord god of israel for ever . put on your armour , and gird on your sword , and lay hold on the spear , and march into the field , and prepare your selves to battel , for the nations doth defie our god , and saith in their hearts who is the god of the quakers ▪ that we should fear him , and obey his voyce ? arise , arise , and sound forth the everlasting word of war and judgment in the ears of all the nations , sound an alarum , and make their ears to tingle . our enemies are whole nations , and multitudes in number , of a rebellious people that will not come under our law , which ariseth up against us , and will not have our king to raigne , but tramples his honour under foot , and dispises his law and his ●tatutes , and counteth his subjects as slaves and bondmen . stand upon your feet , and appear in your terror as an army with banners , and let the nations know your power , and the stroke of your hand : cut down on the right hand , and slay on the left , and let not your eye pitty ▪ nor your hand spare , but wound the lofty , and tread under foot the honourable of the earth , and give unto the great whore double , and give her no rest day nor night , but as she hath done , so let it be done unto her ; and give her double into her bosome : as she hath loved blood , so give her blood , and dash her children against the stones , and let none of the heathen nations , nor their gods escape out of your hands , nor their images nor idols , but lay wast the fenced cities , and tread down the high walls , for we have proclaimed open war betwixt michael our prince , and the dragon . your captains are mighty men , and your leaders are skilled to handle the sword , and they are riding on before you . arise worm jacob , and fear not , but thresh the mountaines to dust , for god hath given thee the power of thy enemies to tread upon , and they shall fly before thee , and shall fall by thy sword , there is none too strong for thee , nor no inchantment against thee ; but thou art blessed , blessed world without end : therefore all ye lambs of my father , and ye camp of the lords host , wait upon him to fulfill his will , for he hath put it into your hearts to make war in righteousness against the beast and the false prophet , and cursed be every one that riseth not up to the help of the lord against the mighty : the beast is mighty , and the false prophet is great , and they keep the nations under their power : but o thou beast , and thou false prophet , you shall be tormented together : thou beast upon which the false prophet sits , whom thou upholds by thy law , and defends by thy unrighteous power ; thy power is limited , and it shall be taken from thee , and thou shalt be overcome , and the lamb shall get the victory , and into the pit and lake of fire shall you be turned to have your resting-place . and thou false prophet , which hath deceived the nations , and scattered the inhabitants thereof , and builded by fraud , and daubed with untempered morter , thy judgement is past upon thy head already , and the decree of our god is sealed against thee ; thy smoke shall ascend for ever and ever ; and of thy sin there is no forgivenesse , nor of thy torment no remission . over you doe we and shall for ever rejoyce and sing , and over your god and your king , the dragon that old serpent ; cursed be he and his memoriall for ever . ye lambs of the true shepheards fold , with whom my soule resteth , whether ever i behold you outwardly , yet my heart is with you , and i am one of your fold , and i lye down with you under the shadow of the rock , upon the mountain which the beast cannot touch , where we are safe from all our enemies , and am to you well known , to be read in your hearts , in the record of the lambs book of life , and known only to the world by the name of edward burrough . written at dublin city in ireland . to the camp of the lord in england . london : printed for thomas simmons , at the signe of the bull and mouth near aldersgate . 1656. finis . truth defended. or, certain accusations answered, cast upon us who are called quakers; by the teachers of the world, and the people of this generation. with a cleare discovery, who are the false prophets, and when they came in. and who they are that deny christ, and that preach another gospel. and who deny the scriptures, churches, ministers, and magistrates, whereby the magistrates and people of this nation may see they justifie that which the scripture condemns, and condemne that which the holy men of god justified. / by a servant of the lord, whose name in the flesh is, edward burrough. burrough, edward, 1634-1662. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a77966 of text r207519 in the english short title catalog (thomason e808_3). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. 49 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 12 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo 2017 a77966 wing b6049 thomason e808_3 estc r207519 99866563 99866563 167894 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a77966) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 167894) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; 123:e808[3]) truth defended. or, certain accusations answered, cast upon us who are called quakers; by the teachers of the world, and the people of this generation. with a cleare discovery, who are the false prophets, and when they came in. and who they are that deny christ, and that preach another gospel. and who deny the scriptures, churches, ministers, and magistrates, whereby the magistrates and people of this nation may see they justifie that which the scripture condemns, and condemne that which the holy men of god justified. / by a servant of the lord, whose name in the flesh is, edward burrough. burrough, edward, 1634-1662. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. 23, [1] p. s.n., [london : 1654] imprint from wing. with a prefatory epistle signed: francis howgill. annotation on thomason copy: "aug: 8 1654". reproduction of the original in the british library. eng truthfulness and falsehood -early works to 1800. quakers -early works to 1800. a77966 r207519 (thomason e808_3). civilwar no truth defended. or, certain accusations answered, cast upon us who are called quakers;: by the teachers of the world, and the people of thi burrough, edward 1654 9429 86 0 0 0 0 0 91 d the rate of 91 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the d category of texts with between 35 and 100 defects per 10,000 words. 2007-05 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2007-06 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2008-05 jason colman sampled and proofread 2008-05 jason colman text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-09 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion truth defended . or , certain accusations answered , cast upon us who are called quakers ; by the teachers of the world , and the people of this generation . with a cleare discovery , who are the false prophets , and when they came in . and who they are that deny christ , and that preach another gospel . and who deny the scriptures , churches , ministers , and magistrates , whereby the magistrates and people of this nation may see they justifie that which the scripture condemns , and condemne that which the holy men of god justified . by a servant of the lord , whose name in the flesh is , edward burrough . the epistle . to all you who call your selves ministers of the gospel , and all people in all relations under what forme of worship soever in england , or in all the world , who professe your selves christians . the mighty day of the lord is come , according as he promised of old , and this day is witnessed , wherein he is establishing his mountaine , and exalting it above all mountaines , and is gathering his people which have been scattered in the darke and long night of apostacy , which christ and his apostles saw comming into the churches then , and hath had dominion long over the world , and hath raigned till now , and raignes now in all the professors in all formes every where . but now the time is come wherein the kingdomes of the world are become the kingdome of the lord and of his christ , and thousands witnesse it , to the prayse of his everlasting name . and therefore the nations are angry , and the princes of the earth , because michael our prince is arisen to pleade with all who make warre against him . and now herod and pilate ▪ and all ierusalem are in an uproare , and ammon ▪ and amaleck ▪ and the egyptians , and the philistines are joyned now against him . and all you who live in formes , and know not the power ▪ doe now persecute and joyne your selves together , being in the same nature as the persecuters of old , which ▪ were borne after the flesh . and now you sonnes of bondage ▪ and of hagar are to be cast out ▪ and now you are all made manifest that you are in the flesh , for all your bowes are bent , and all your arrowes are shot at a people which are counted by you as the filth of the world , and as the off-scouring of all things , whom the world calls quakers , in whose foreheads is written the name of the living god ; and unto you i say that make warre against them , and now take part with the dragon against the lambe , you shall all drinke of the cup of fury and indignation of the lord . and unto the living god , who is holy and jealous for his owne glory and his name , which hath manifested his minde and will by his eternall spirit unto us , shall you all bow and stoope . for now the lord hath rent the vayle of the covering which hath beene spread over all the nations in all professions , and you are all seen by the eternall eye which is opened in thousands , even all , from the highest to the lowest , who have stolen and painted your selves with other mens words . and all your images which you have set up , and all your traditions from men in which you have walked , are all seene to be stubble , and will not abide in the day of the lord ▪ and all your churches which you have gathered together by imitation from the letter , shall all be scattered ; and there you all are , for you all deny revelation , and say it is ceased ; and so you call the letter , the light , and the word ; but with that which was before the scripture , you are seen and judged , even with that which shall endure for ever . and seeing you have cast reproach upon the name of the god of heaven and earth , whom we worship , and which you call delusion . for the truths sake are we moved to lay open your nakednesse , that you may be judged by that which you say is your rule : here in this little booke , thou who hast any honesty in thee , or any desire of truth ▪ and wilt search the scripture , thou wilt see , that all the teachers of the world in all formes , and all professors ever cryed out ( who had but the forme ) against them who had the life and power , as you all doe now against them who worship god in the spirit , and have no confidence in the flesh . and therefore , in this following discourse , which is wretten by the same spirit that gave forth the scripture , thou shalt see who are the false prophets , and who they are that preach another gospel , and who they are that deny the scriptures . and thou may see when the false prophets came in , and who they are clearely proved to be , by their owne rules . and all you who call your selves magistrates and christians , you may see your selves to hold up that which christ , the prophets and apostles cryed out against , and persecute them who stand in the counsell of god , and them that declare against all the deceipt as the holy men of god did . and so you are the beast , which holds up the false prophets , and th●se whom the scripture declareth against . god is arisen , to dash to pieces all them who withstand him : and therefore come out of babylon , and out of all your painted formes , and come to own the first principle ▪ which will change your mindes , even the light of christ , which he hath enlightened every one withall ; and by it you shall see what you are doing . now if you deny this , you deny the corner stone , and you stumble , and shall be broken ; and by that which you call naturall , shall all your image of gold and silver , and all your mixed invented worship be dashed to peeces ▪ and be for the pit : therefore all be silent , and speake not evill of th●se things you know not ; for now you are all seen , you who say you are iewes , and are not , but are of the synagogue of satan , and your voyce is knowne , for none is turned from the evill of his way ; and therefore is wrath comming upon you to the utmost , a lover of your soules , but am a witnesse against all your deceipt . francis howgill . whereas we are accused by the teachers and people of this generation ▪ that we are false prophets , and deceivers , and that we deny the christ which dyed at ierusalem ; and that we preach another gospel then the apostles preached ; and that we deny the scriptures , and the ordinances of iesus christ ; and that we hold free-will , and establish selfe-righteousnesse , and teach people to act in their owne strength to obtaine life ; and that we deny churches , ministers , and magistracy . to these false accusations , i answer ▪ it is no new thing nor no strange thing to the children of light , who are seperated from the world , and worldly worships , and from the works of darkenesse , to be accused falsely , and to be slandered , by being called deceivers , and seducers , by the generation of chiefe priests and pharisees ; in which generation are the teachers and professors of this age , who have a forme of godlinesse , but deny the power . christ was called a deceiver , and a blasphemer ; and the apostles were called , movers of sedition , heretiques , and turners of the world upside downe , by them who professed in word what christ was in substance , and what the apostles witnessed , and so it is now . we who are scornefully called quakers , doe live in , and declare forth no other thing but the substance of what the priests have preached upon , and the professors have talked upon in their carnall mindes by their imaginations . he is a false prophet , and a deceiver , which hath not the word from the mouth of the lord , but takes that which the lord spoke to another , and calls it his , and useth his tongue , and saith , the lord saith it , when the lord never spoke to him . and here are the teachers of the world themselves , guilty of that , whereof they falsely accuse us ; for they take the prophets words ▪ christs ▪ and the apostles words to talke upon , but have not received the word from the mouth of the lord ; and their prophesie and preaching would soon be ended , if they had not the scripture , which is other mens words , and that which was spoken to others , to speake their imaginations from . and these are the false prophets , and deceivers , which runne , and are not sent , which speake to others , pretending to be sent of god , but walking contrary to all that ever god sent to declare his name in former generations , and so are knowne to us by their fruits , having no example from the prophets , christ , nor his apostles for their practice ; but doe walke in the example of the false prophets of israel , of the scribes and pharisces , and of the false brethren . o foolish people , which have eyes and see not , which have hearts , and doe not understand : is the lord changed from what he was ? were they false prophets and deceivers in isayahs time ▪ which he was sent to cry out against , which sought for their gaine from their quarter ? and are not your teachers false prophets now which act the same things ? were they false prophets and deceivers in ezekiels time , which he was sent to cry against , that fed themselves with the fat , and cloathed themselves with the wooll , and made a prey upon the people ? and are not your teachers false prophets and deceivers now , which act the same thing ? were they false prophets in michas time , which he was sent to cry out against , which preached for hire , and devined for money , and cryed peace to them that put into their mouthes , but prepared war against them that did not ? and are not your priests false priests and prophets which act the same things ? were they deceivers of the people in christs time which he cryed woe against which were called of men masters , and which had the chiefe place in the assemblyes , and which stood praying in the synagogues , and which went in long robes , and which loved greetings in the markets ? and are not your teachers deceivers of the people now , which are found acting the same things ? were they false teachers ▪ and false brethren in the apostles time , which they declared against , which through covetousnesse , with fained words made merchandise of the people , and went in the way of balaam for gifts and rewards , and preached for filthy lucre , and which paul saw come & comming in his dayes , which were proud men ▪ coveteous men , selfe-willed , and fierce men , heady , high minded men , having a forme of godlinesse , but denying the power ▪ which alwayes taught people , but none were able to come to the knowledge of the truth under their teaching ? and are not your teachers false teachers now , which are walking in the same steps ? to the light in all consciences i doe speake , which will witnes the truth . a sottish and ignorant people , which cannot discerne who the false prophets , and deceivers , and false teachers are ; the lord is the same as ever he was , and his spirit is no whi● changed : was it once an abomination to the lord in the false priests and prophets of israel to seek for their gaine from their quarter , and to feed themselves with the fat , and cloathe themselves with the wooll , and make a prey upon the people , and to preach for hire , and to divine for money ? and are not these things , and they that uphold them abomination to him now ? did the spirit of the lord in his servants declare against these things then , and against them that upheld them then ? and must not the same spirit where it is made manifest , declare against these things , and against them that uphold them now ? was it once an abomination in the sight of christ in them to be called of men master , and to have the chiefe places in the assemblyes , and to stand praying in the synagogues , &c. and are not these things an abomination to him now in whom they are upheld ? did christ cry woe against such things , and against them that upheld them then ? and must not the spirit of christ where it is made manifest , cry woe against such things , and against them that uphold them now ? were these markes of false teachers then , to make merchandise of the people , and to goe in the way of balaam for gifts and rewards , and for filthy lucre , and to be proud ▪ coveteous heady , high-minded , selfe-willed , and fierce men ? and are not they false teachers now which beare these markes . did the apostles give warning to beware of such , and to turne away from such then ? and must not the same spirit , where it is made manifest , give warning to beware of such , and to turne away from such now ? we witnes to have received according to measure , the spirit of the prophets from which they spoke ▪ and the spirit of the apostles from which they spoke , which is christ made manifest in us , and happy are all they that receive our testimony . for by the same spirit of christ doe we declare against these abominations now , as the holy men of god did then : for god and his spirit is the same as ever was , and what he once hated , he hates for ever ; and no other christ doe we declare forth which we witnes to be made manifest within , but that christ which dyed at jerusalem , which suffered by the chiefe priests and elders of the people ; he was , and is the true christ , which said , he was the light of the world , and was the light which had enlightened every one that comes into the world ; and which said , except a man would deny the world and take up his dayly crosse , and follow him , he could not be his disciple ; and which cryed woe against them which were called of men masters , and that had the chiefe places in the assemblyes , and that stood praying in the synagogues , &c. and they who denyed him to be the light of the world and which took not up the crosse , and which were called of men masters ▪ and had the chiefest places in the assemblyes , and stood praying in the synagogues , and went in long robes these were anti-christs ▪ and were acted by a contrary spirit then the true christ and here againe , i charge all the teachers and people ( in the presence of the lord god , who doe deny christ to be the light in every one which reproves for sin ) and who are called of men masters , and stand praying in the synagogues , and goe in long robes ▪ and who uphold such things , and who take not up the dayly crosse of christ , but live at liberty in their wills and desires , that they are anti-christs , and that their spirit is not the spirit of the true christ which dyed at jerusalem , but the spirit of a false christ , and so they are guilty of that themselves , whereof they falsely accuse us ; and the same christ doe we witnes which the saints of old witnessed ▪ whose blood cleansed them from all sin ▪ and in whose power , they had power over sin , death , and hell : and here again i charge the teachers and people , who say that the saints must not be cleansed from sin , nor cease to commit sin while they are on the earth , that the christ which they possesse , is not the christ which dyed at jerusalem , but a spirit contrary , and not the christ which the saints witnessed ; and all the people are blinde which cannot see these things did the true christ once say . he was the light of the world , of every man that comes into the world ? and is that his spirit in the teachers and professors now , which saith every man hath not the light of christ in them ? was that the true christ which said , except you take up my crosse dayly you cannot be my disciple ? and is that his spirit in the teachers and people , that hath its liberty , and live in pride , in lust , and in vanity , and their own vvills ? was that the true christ which cryed woe against them that were called of men master , and that had the chiefe place in the assemblyes , and stood praying in the synagogues , &c. and is that his spirit in the teachers and people which act and uphold those things ? was that the true christ which the saints witnessed , by whose blood they were cleansed from sin , and had power over sin ? and is that his spirit in the teachers and people , which saith , the saints must not be cleansed from sin , nor cease to commit sin while they are on earth ? oh blinde and ignorant people , who cannot discerne between the true christ , and anti-christ , which is contrary to christ , and which leades now to act , and speak contrary to what the true christ once acted and spoake . and no other gospel do we preach , but that which the apostle preached , which they received not from , nor by man , but by the revelation of jesus christ , which was contrary to man , and which suffered by man for the preaching of it , who preached to the spirit in prison , to redeeme the captives , and by which the fleshly man was judged in the flesh , that man might live according to god in spirit . and this gospel we witnes to have received not from man , but by the revelation of iesus christ , which is contrary to man ; for which we are persecuted and suffer by man : neither doe we speake to the wisedome and reason , but we preach to the spirits in prison , that the fleshly man may be judged in the flesh , that man may live according to god in the spirit ▪ this will many witnes with us , that by the preaching of our gospel , liberty is brought to the captives , and the fleshly man is judged , and the spirit which was in prison is set free . and here again i charge the teachers of this generation , that their gospel which they preach is not the gospel which the saints preached , but another gospel , and they are guilty of that themselves , whereof they falsely accuse us ; for they have received their gospel from man , and by man from the printers and stationers ; and are made ministers of it by the will of man at schooles and vniversities ; and their preaching is in the will of man ▪ a limited time and place ; neither doe they suffer by man , but are set up with man , and seed the wisedome and reason of man ; and the fleshly man is not judged , nor the captives redeemed by their gospel which they preach ; here they are accursed which preach another gospel according to the scripture . and ye are a blinde and ignorant people , which cannot see these things . did they that preached the true gospel receive it contrary to the will of man ? and can it now be received by the will of man ? did they which preached it , suffer for it by man ? and can they now who preach it be set up by man , who lives in the same persecuting nature ? did the true gospel once judge the fleshly man , and leade to live according to god in the spirit ? and do●h it now give liberty to the fleshly man to live after the flesh in the lusts of it , as the teachers and professors of this generation doe , who profes the gospel , but are discovered not to be come to the law ? and the scriptures we own to be a true declaration of the life which they lived in which spoke them forth , and by the same spirit from which they were spoken ( which we have received ) doe we set to our seales that they are true , and the scripture is ours , who walke in the life of it ; proud men spoke it not forth , nor they that sought for their gaine from their quarter ; nor they that preached for hire ; nor they that were called of men master ; but persecuted them that spoke it forth , and denyed it . and here againe i charge it upon the teachers and professors of this generation , that they deny the scripture , and are guilty of that themselves , whereof they falsely accuse us . for they say , none must be perfect upon the earth ; when as the scripture declares of such as were perfect . and they say , none must be free from sinne , when as the scripture declares of such , as were free from sinne , and were the servants of righteousnesse . they say , christ hath not enlightened every one ; the scripture saith , he is the light of the world , and hath lightened every one &c. can they now who live in the same persecuting nature , and walke in the same steps as they did which persecuted them who spoke forth the scripture ( as the teachers and people doe ) owne the scriptures in truth ? their professing of the scripture is as theirs was , which made a great profession of it in the outward appearance , but put him to death who had the life , and was the substance of it . they then , as the teachers of the world , doe now , denyed the spirit and life , which gave forth the scriptures . and the ordinances of jesus christ we owne and witnesse , preaching , praying ▪ baptisme , communion , singing , and whatsoever was ordained for his saints , to practice in life and power ; we witnesse these things in the eternall substance , having passed through the earthly figures , which was but to stand for its time ; by the eternall have we been led , by the command of it within us , and not by tradition , from the scripture without us . and we deny all such who have taken up these things in their owne wills , by conforming the outward man to the outward letter , and have not entered in at the doore . true preaching we owne , and doe witnesse it , which is the crosse of christ , and in the power of god , and it is foolishnesse to the world , and its wisedome now , as ever it was ; and we deny all speaking of imaginations from scripture ▪ which is in the wisedome of the world , and which stands in the will of man , limitted to a set time , or day ▪ or place . prayer by the spirit , and in the spirit we owne and witnesse , whi●h is not limitted to a time and place . and we deny all the worlds formall customary preaching , and praying for a pretence . baptisme we owne , and witnesse , wich is with one spirit , into one body , into the death of christ . and we deny all baptismes which are imagined and immitated by conforming the outward man to the outward letter , which is but a likenesse of the true baptisme communion we live in , which is in the light by the spirit , which will endure eternally . and we deny the worlds imitation , which is in word and declaration ▪ and visible carnall things which will passe away . singing which is with the spirit , and with understanding of the redeemed of the lord , we owne and witnesse : but the worlds singing in rime and meeter ; proud men singing , that they are not pufe in minde ; and prophane men singing ▪ that the law of god is deare to them ; this singing we deny , for it must be turned into howling , the lord hath said it . and here againe i charge it upon the teachers of the world , that they deny the substance and power of what christ commands his saints to practice by , upholding their owne imitations , and so deceiving the simple : but where the substance is witnessed , the figure is indeed , and the false imitations are discovered , and denyed . and mans free-will we doe deny , for the will of man shall never enter to god , but leades out from god into the lust , and into the flesh , and keeps in the power of the devill : and man hath free will unto that which is evill , but not to that which is good ; and all who follow christ , the light of the world , must deny their owne wills , and take up the crosse of christ which is to the will , and walke in the light contrary to the will , in the straite way which leades unto life , which is out of the will of man in the will of god , which the will of man doth resist and oppose . and i charge it upon the teachers and professors who doe not witnesse the dayly crosse of christ , that they live in their owne free-will , and holds it up , and are led by it into pride and covetousnesse , and the lusts of the flesh which stand in the will . and here they are guilty of that themselves whereof they falsely accuse us , living in their owne free-will , and walke not in the dayly crosse of christ . and selfe-righteousnesse we have denyed , and have seen it in the same light which isayah did to be as filthy raggs ; and we declare against it ▪ and against them which live in it ; for selfe must not be saved ▪ it is accursed from god , it is wholly unrighteous ( and makes the best of actions so ) and is ▪ and must be cast out from god christ jesus made manifest and revealed in us , is our righteousnesse , and selfe is judged and condemned by him who is made unto us righteousnesse ; nei●her doe we teach people to labour in their owne strength to obtaine life ▪ but doe direct people to the light of christ within them , which walking in ▪ will be strength to them to leade them to life , the light which is of christ , to which we direct all to waite in to be taught by ; it will leade out of selfe-righteousnesse , and from under the power of selfe , to witnesse the power of god , to leade , and to act , and to witnesse christ jesus revealed the righteousnesse of god and the church which is in god , which is the body of christ whereof christ is head , we witnesse ▪ and are members of it , gathered and joyned by the eternall spirit , and not by tradition in the wisedome of man . and we deny all the vvorlds churches whereof they were made members by , by visible things without , and were gathered by tradition ▪ whereof the serpent is head , and not christ , and which is the body of anti-christ , some of whom commit idolatry in an idols temple : and the ministry of this church we deny , for it stands in the will of man ▪ and the ministers of it are such as all the servants of the lord witnessed against ; the churches the ministry , and the ministers , are contrary to god ; but the ministry which is to the seed ▪ which is out of the will of man , we owne and witnesse , which ministers life unto life , and death unto death , and divides the word aright , judgement to the fat , and to the strong ; and feeds the hungry , and looseth the bands of wickednesse , and breaks not the bruised reed , nor quenches the smoaking flax ; this ministry we deny not , but are friends unto it ; and who are ministers here ▪ we have union withall ; but proud men and such as are called of men master , are cast out of this ministry , and are ministers to the body of anti-christ , and know not the ministery of the ministry of jesus christ as this to the spirit in prison . magistrates and magistracy we deny not , but doe give respect unto for conscience sake ; for who beares the sword of justice ▪ who use their power to be a terror to the wicked , and for the prayse of them that doe well , are ministers of god , and we desire that there were more magistracy here , and that the magistrate would more use his power to be a terror to lyers , to swearers , to drunkards , to raylers , to false accusers , and to proud men and oppressors , this we are friends unto : but to such as act by their owne wills in corrupt lawes , and doe thereby violence to the innocent , and strengthens the hands of evill doers ▪ we cannot be subject , but choose rather ( then to transgresse the law of god which is written in our hearts , by submitting to such mens wills and lawes ) to suffer by the corrupt wills of men ▪ under corrupt lawes . and thus i have answered those false accusations which are cast upon us , and doe declare it be the same spirit in the teachers and people of this generation which accuseth us ▪ as it was in the scribes and pharisees which accused christ and his disciples . and this the scripture witnesseth unto , as they did unto him , so would they doe unto us . a further answer to that accusation of being false prophets and deceivers . jesus christ prophesied and said , that in the last dayes should many false prophets arise , and should deceive many , if it were possible the very elect. now the teachers and people of this generation doe say ▪ that we ( who by the world are called quakers ) are those false prophets and deceivers , which christ prophefied of . of this their false accusation have they drunkards , lyars , swearers , and all the ungodly people in every profession to witnesse them . but their accusation , and their witnesses we doe deny , though they preach it among the people for doctrine . and now in answer to this false accusation and slander i am moved to write a little , and shall to that principle of god in every mans conscience cleare my conscience , and declare what i know from god concerning those false prophets , who they are ▪ when they came in , and how they may be knowne ; and shall leave it to every honest heart to consider of . the apostles ▪ and ministers of jesus christ saw the same false prophets which christ prophesied of to be come , and comming in , in their dayes ; iohn said , by that they knew it was the last time ; for ▪ said he , even now are there many anti-christs and false prophets gone out into the world ; such vvere they , who confessed not christ to be come in the flesh , and they were of the world and spoke of the world and the world heard them . now here i charge it upon the teachers of the world ▪ that they are of that generetion which went out into the world then ; for as they then confessed not christ to be come in the flesh , so these uphold those things vvhich vvere under the law ▪ vvhich vvas before christ came in the flesh outwardly , and so confesse him not to be come in the flesh ; and so they are anti-christ . they uphold an outward temple , and an outward worship , and take tythes , as the priests under the law did , as a type and figure of christ ; but when he vvas come , and sacrificed , these things ( which were to stand for a time ) were put to an end . and none who witnessed christ come , and were sent by him to preach the gospel , did uphold those things , but witnessed forth the substance , and denyed the figure ; they denyed the outward temple , and witnessed they were the temples of god , and that god dwelt in them , and denyed the outward worship and witnessed the worship of god in spirit , and in truth within them , ( for they who worshipped without , worshipped they knew not what , as they doe now ) and they desired to take tythes , and lived of the gospel , and said , they that preached it , should live of it ; but the teachers of this generation are of the world , living in its pride , lusts , and vanities ; and they who live in the same worldly nature , uphold them , and heare them . iohn also said , every spirit that confesseth not christ to be come in the flesh , is anti-christ . and here i charge it upon the teachers of the world that their spirit of pride , and covetousnesse , and envy , and hypocrisie which rules in them , is the spirit of anti-christ , and confesseth not christ to be come in the flesh , for where he is made manifest , and come in the flesh , this spirit is destroyed ; for ( as saith the scripture ) he was made manifest to destroy the workes of the devill . paul was also a vvitnesse of the false prophets and deceivers which christ prophefied of in his time , for he gave warning , to beware of such ▪ and to turne away from such whom he saw then come , and comming in , but came more fully in after his dayes ; he said of this sort , they were lovers of themselves , covetous , proud , heady , high-minded , fierce men , and despisers of those that were good given to filthy lucre , and to pleasure , and were false accusers and blasphemers , and without naturall affection , and unthankefull , and unholy , and taught filly women , who were led with divers lusts , but were not able to come to the knowledge of the truth by their teaching : they were men of corrupt minds , and reprobate concerning faith . and here againe i charge it upon the teachers of the vvorld , that they are of that generation which came in then , for they are lovers of themselves , they take money of poore people to whom they are more able to give ; and they are proud and covetous men ▪ they goe in their ribbons and cuffes , and gaudy attire ; and they preach to them vvhere they can get most money ; and some takes money of them , and sues them at the law , to vvhom they preach not at all : they are heady and high-minded men , for poore people bow to them in the streets , and call them masters : they are fierce men , and despise those that are good ; if any speake against them ( of the truth ) they are fierce against , and despise such ; and they are given to filthy lucre , and are lovers of pleasure , for vvhere they can have most money , there they will abide ; and they live in pleasure ▪ in idlenesse , and lust , and vanity ; they are false accusers , they vvill call them deceivers which are not ; and that blasphemy , which is not ; and they are blasphemers , and vvithout naturall affection . they say the letter is the word , and the scripture the light , vvhich is blasphemy ; for god is the word , and christ is the light ; and they vvill suffer the rude multitude , and some vvill set them upon it to haile , beate , and strike out of their assemblyes , vvhich is vvithout naturall affection ; they are unthankefull , and unholy ; they have great summes of money from the people , and are not thankefull , but compell them by a law to pay them ; and herein they are unholy by their actions vvhich are declared ; and they teach alwayes , but men and vvomen are ignorant still , and none able to come to the knowledge of the truth by them : and they have a forme of godlinesse : they professe the scriptures that the children of the lord are taught of the lord ; and that christ said , take no thought what to eate , nor what to drinke , nor wherewith to be cloathed . but vvho vvitnesse themselves taught of god , and that they need no man to teach them ; and that take no care vvhat to eate , nor vvhat to drinke , nor vvhat to put on , and so vvitnesse the promise of god , and abide in the doctrine of christ , these you call deceivers , and idle , and carelesse persons , and thus deny the power of vvhat they have professed ; and herein their minds are corrupt and reprobate concerning faith ; for faith is the substance , and purifies the heart from these things vvhich they are guilty of . and peter and jude also vvere vvitnesses of those deceivers and false prophets vvhich christ prophefied of in their time ; for , they saw such vvere come , and comming in , which should bring in damnable heresies ▪ and through covetousnesse , with faigned words , make merchandise of the people ; they walke after the flesh in the lust ▪ of uncleannesse , and despise government , and dominion : presumptuous are they , selfe ▪ willed , they are not afraid to speake evill of dignities 〈◊〉 they speake evill of the things that they understand not ; they have eyes full of adultery , and that cannot cease from sinne , begniling unstable soules ; an heart ▪ they have exercised with covetous practises ; cursed children , which have ▪ forsaken the right way , and are gone astray , following the way of balaam , who loved the wages of unrighteousnesse , they themselves are the servants of corruption , ungodly men , turning the grace of god into laciviousnesse , and defile the flesh : these are murmurers , complainers , walking after their owne lusts , and their mouthes speaking great swelling words , having mens persons in admiration because of advantage ; there be they who seperate themselves , sensuall , having not the spirit . and here againe i charge it upon the teachers of this age , that they are of that generation vvhich came into the world then ; for they have brought in , and doe uphold damnable heresies , telling people , that sprinkling infants with water is the baptisme into the faith ; and that singing davids experiences in rime and meeter , is singing to the glory of god ; and that a house of stone is the temple and church of god ; these are damnable heresies : and they doe through covetousnesse , make merchandise of the people ; if they can get more money at another place , thither they will goe ; and thus people are their merchandise : they walke after the flesh in the lusts of uncleannesse ; they walke in pride and in lust , and som● of ●hem will be drunke , and lye , and sweare , and talke ●n●●●●ly ▪ and they despise the saints government and d 〈…〉 for they walke in the wayes of the world , in the customes and traditions of men , and follow their owne wills ) and whom the spirit of god governes , and hath dominion over , followes christ for their example , whose government and dominion they are under . but they live in pride , lust , and vanity , and according to the flesh , and herein they despise government and dominion , and speake evill of this dignity , and of the mysteries of god revealed in his saints , which they know not , nor understand not , calling it error ; they are presumptuous and selfe-willed ; they have presumed to call themselves ministers of christ , and all the townes where they live must serve , and be subject to their wills . and they are adulterated from god after honour and riches , and the vanities of the world ; and they cannot cease from sinne themselves ; for they say , none must cease from it while they are on the earth ; and herein they beguile many soules ; for , till sin be ceased from the soule , it is beguiled ▪ they have a heart exercised with covetous practises , and they follow the way of balaam , and goe for gifts and rewards ▪ and love the wages of unrighteousnesse : they take money of poore people for sprinkling infants ▪ and for burying the dead , which are covetous practises : they take money for henns and eggs , and for smoake passing up the chimney , which are unrighteous wages ; and thus they have forsaken the right way , the way of god , and of all the saints which spoke forth the scripture ; and in these things , they are servants of corruption , and are ●dgodly men , and turne the grace of god , ( which shines in their consciences , which shewes them their ungodly wayes ) into laciviousnesse ; and through their lust they defile the flesh : and many of them will murmure , and complaine for want of wages , even to spend upon their lusts ; and they speake great swelling words , speaking of the fame of christ , of his life , and death , and resurrection , but cannot witnesse by the spirit of christ within them what they speake of him : and they have mens persons in admiration , because of advantage : some of them had the bishops in admiration , and some the king in admiration ▪ and now they have others who beare rule in admiration ; and thus they deceitfully have twined to admire mens persons onely because of advantage , many of them have seperated themselves , none who are not of their judgement , must joyne with them in their worship , but neither they , nor their seperates have the spirit of the living god , but doe deny an infallible spirit : and they are sensuall in their wisedome , and wayes , and practises , and these have deceived many , even whole nations . and here you see plainely when the deceivers and false prophets came in ; they were come , and comming in , in the apostles dayes , and then was the prophesie of christ fulfilling and fulfilled : and the apostles suffered under tyrants , and were put to cruell deaths , and then they came in more fully ; for since the apostles dayes hath been a great apostacy , and many formes of worship and wayes of religion have been imitated from the letter through imaginations , and but one generation of teachers ▪ though one above another , in the comprehension and sensuall wisedome , and at enmity one against another , though all in one birth and nature . but they are all discovered by the light , prayses ( from all that know god ) unto him for ever since the apostles dayes hath darknesse been spread over all , though the lord had some which he preserved for himselfe in the middest of apostacy and darkenesse ; who the false prophets are which christ prophesied of to every honest heart and single eye may be known ; christ said ▪ by their fruits should they be knowne ; and the fruits of the teachers of the world are plainely made appeare to be the fruits of deceivers , and not of the ministers of christ ; none have gathered grapes nor figgs from them . and thus i have cleared my conscience in the presence of god concerning the false slander and accusation which the teachers and people of the world doe cast upon us ; and to that in every ones conscience it is made appeare who they are to whom this accusation justly belongs . woe unto all you who strive against the lord , and justifie that which the holy men of god which spoke forth the scripture in the scripture , declared against ; and which condemne that which the holy men of god in the scripture justified ▪ and witnessed for : you who live in pride , in covetousnesse , in double-dealing , and in hypocrysie , and in the lusts of the flesh , ▪ you strive against the lord god , and against the light of god which is in your consciences , which shewes you these things to be sinne ; you resist the drawings of the father , which would draw you by the light to follow the sound : woe and desolation is to come upon all you who will not be taught by the light of christ which he hath lightened you withall ; which light all the holy men of god were taught by , who gave forth the scriptures , but doe set up teachers without you , such as all the holy men of god , the prophets , christ and his apostles declared against . oh blinded , stiffe-necked people , which are not ashamed to call such ministers of christ ▪ and of the gospel ( and by your corrupt wills and laws to ▪ defend them ) which seeke for their gaine from their quarter , and which feed themselves with the fat , and cloathe themselves with the wooll ; and which preach for hire , and divine for money , and prepare warre against them that put not into their mouthes : here you justifie such as the prophets of the lord were sent to cry against , and deny isayah , ezechiel , and micha to be true prophets ; for if you did beleeve that they spoke from the mouth of the lord , the word of the lord , then would you not uphold them which act those things which they declared against ; for that which was abomination to the lord then , is abomination to him now ; and that spirit which declared against these things then , cannot uphold them now . and here the teachers and people are tryed , not to have the same spirit which was in the holy prophets of the lord , but the spirit of the false prophets ▪ acting by it that which they acted , which the true prophets cryed against ; and thus by upholding that which the lord sent his servants to declare against . you striue against the lord ye magistrates and people . and you are not ashamed to call such ministers of christ which ( walk in the same steps , and act those things that they did , which christ cryed woe against ) are called of men masters , and have the chiefe places in the assemblyes , and stand praying in the synagogues , and goe in long robes , and love greetings in the markets , as they did ; here you justifie such as christ cryed woe against , and deny that christ spoke the truth what was the minde of his father ; for if you did beleeve that he spoke the will of his father , then would ye not uphold these that act the same things which he cryed woe against . and he changes not , that which he once cryed against , the same spirit where it is witnessed , cryes against the same things . and here againe the teachers of the world are tryed not to have the spirit of christ , but the spirit of the scribes and pharisces , who act that which they acted , which he cryed woe against . and herein magistrates and people strive against the lord god , by upholding that which christ cryed woe against . and such who are ministers of christ , and walke in his doctrine , and in the same steps , which he and his apostles walked in , witnessing for that which they witnessed , for and against that which they witnessed against them you call deceivers , and false prophets , and accuse them for vagabonds , and wandering beggars , and idle , and carelesse persons ; and that they have left their families , and carelessely wander up and downe . and herein you magistrates and people strive against the lord , by persecuting , and slandering ▪ and falsely accusing ▪ and condemning such as the scripture justifies , and the servants of the lord which spoke forth the scripture doe witnesse of to be true . what would you have called christ , who had no where to lay his head ? he was no vagabond , nor idle , not carelesse person . and what would you have called the apostles and ministers of christ , who had lost their families and callings , and went up and downe , and had no certaine dwelling place , but went from city to city , and cared not for the world ; not what to eate , nor what to drink , nor wherewith to be cloathed ? this they did , and yet were no vagabonds , nor idle , nor carelesse persons , but abode in the doctrine of christ ; they were hated by your generation , as we are now by you : and they were called pestilent fellowes , and movers of sedition , and haretiques , and men of erronious judgements : and they said , they were troublers of their cities , as you doe now call us false prophets and deceivers i doe declare this generation to be the same which persecuted the prophets , christ , and his apostles , as it doth persecute us ; for by the same power we stand , as they did ; and by the same power we are commanded and acted , as they were : and to the power by which we stand , and are commanded , shall all the powers of men , and of the earth bow , and be subject . o all you magistrates and people consider of your blindenesse , and ignorance , who doe absolutely justifie and uphold such as the scripture declares and witnesses against ; and doe condemne and persecute such as the scripture justifies , and witnesses of ; and doe put them out of your synagogues and villages ; search the prophets , and christs , and the apostles writings , in them you may reade your example , and our example . the vengeance of god you cannot fly , his fierce wrath will come upon you , and weeping , and bowling , and lamentation , and misery will be your portion . o tremble to thinke upon your ignorance , to what purpose have you made a profession of the scriptures , who justifie those things , and those men , which it plainely declares against ; and condemne those practises and those men , which it plainly witnesseth of . repent , and take warning betime , before the decree of the lord of hosts be sealed against you , for i have cleared my conscience , in letting you see your owne ignorance , and blindenesse , ye magistrates and people : and thus you are left without excuse , whether you will heare , or forbeare . finis . a general epistle to all who have believed in the light of the lord iesus and are called of god to follow the lamb through the great tribulation howgill, francis, 1618-1669. 1665 approx. 16 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 5 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2005-10 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a44788 wing h3160 estc r30344 11298776 ocm 11298776 47343 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a44788) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 47343) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 1464:10) a general epistle to all who have believed in the light of the lord iesus and are called of god to follow the lamb through the great tribulation howgill, francis, 1618-1669. 8 p. s.n., [london : 1665] caption title. signed at end: f.h. imprint supplied by wing. reproduction of original in the harvard university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng society of friends -pastoral letters and charges. 2004-12 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2004-12 aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-01 mona logarbo sampled and proofread 2005-01 mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-04 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a general epistle to all who have believed in the light of the lord iesus , and are called of god to follow the lamb through the great tribulation . dear friends , whom god hath called out of the world and the vanities of it to serve the living god in newness of life , and to be worshippers of him in spirit and truth , and to be followers of christ in the regeneration , and to be baptized with him into his suffering and death , that so you may be partakers of his resurrection and life , and manifest unto all that you are risen with him out of the grave of sin , wickednesse , and death , by having your hearts renewed , and your affections and minds set to seek those things which are above , which are not transitory and visible , but everlasting and immortal , by which the souls of all the righteous and obedient children are refreshed , and nourished up unto eternal life , and through the eternal power of the son of god , which hath been , and is manifest among them that believe , in the measure of his spirit , and keep their first love and integrity unto the lord , all his are preserved out of the temptation of the adversary within and without , who seeks to root out that which god hath planted , and to nip the blossom , and the bud , which god hath caused to spring forth through his tender love in your hearts , so that you might die to the good , and be spoiled in that wherein all your happinesse lieth now and for ever . oh therefore all watch and be circumspect , so much the more against temptations , lest you be ensnared , and your faith fail , and you fall short of the promise of god , in not continuing faithful to the end ; friends , a care , and a tender love , and a godly jealousie is in my he●rt to you , and over you all that have believed , that none of you may be lost and scattered again in the desarts and mountains , and dry and parched places , where you have sometimes been in the time of unbelief , where the goats who are rough can feed , that must go unto the left hand and have the curse : the zeal of the lord and his truth , which so gloriously hath been manifest among you , above all the people and families of the earth in our generation , constrains me thus to write unto you , and to stir you up unto faithfulnesse in this day of trial , for now satan desires to winnow you within , and to sift you without , therfore all watch and pray that your faith fail not , which now will be tryed , and your hope , & your love , and your zeal to the lord and his truth , and whether you will confesse him before men , his way , worship , and laws , and statutes , which he hath revealed in your hearts , which fallen men opposes and contradicts , and sayers gainsay , and would not have him to rule , nor his servants to obey , so let it be manifest to all , you fear god rather then men , and love him , and obey him above the precepts of men which are against him ; and whether you love the things that are above , beyond the things that are earthly ; and whether you will own him , his cross , reproach , and suffering , or deny it , and have the liberty of the world which is bondage , and free from righteousnesse ; it 's no time of reserves , concealing , hovering or halting , for there is an utter discord betwixt christ and belial , and so much the more of christ , his power and kingdom is brought forth , so much the more is the hatred , envy , and wrath of the devil kindled , who hath deceived the nations , and blinded their eyes , and in his subjects who oppose the lamb of god , and tread underfoot the blood of the covenant , so that to one or other each one belongs , and which is for each part will be seen , for there can be no concord or reconciliation , therefore all children of the day put on the armour of light , and have your feet shod now when we walk through thorny places , and be not fearful or doubtful , but of believing hearts stand not aloofe off , and idle when others are engaged in this spiritual war , pull not your necks out of the yoke when others draw , shelter not your selves , when you see others in jeopardy , love not the world when you see others have thrown it off ; be not intangled in cumbersom things , when you see others throw off all weights , turn not your backs in the day of the lords controversie , but follow the lamb ; this is the day of tribulation we have to follow him in our age , like as all the martyrs and prophets had in their age , whose garments were made white in the blood of the lamb ; so all that continue and are not faint hearted , shall receive the crown , the honour , the reward , and shall reign with christ , who now suffers with him ; therefore all dear children of god , and followers of christ jesus , let the loyns of your minds be girded up , be now ready when the lord calls , who is on my side , who will take part with me , who will own my reproach , who will engage with me , who will gather to my standard of salvation lifted up , and to my ensign of righteousnesse held forth in the world to redeem it , and who is ready and not abroad in the field , neither hath to go to the house top ; but that all may say in their hearts , here am i ready to do thy will , ready to obey thee , and follow thee , and to suffer for thee , for whoso draws back , the lord hath no pleasure in such , he that will save his life shall lose it , and he that will save his liberty will lose it in the spirit ; and he that will save his earthly possessions , and for the doing thereof will deny that which god hath perswaded him of that he ought to be faithful in , he will lose his inheritance in the heavenly ; in a word , who so fails in holding forth that testimony , that they know god requires , and is their duty to render unto him , will lose the testimony of his spirit they have sometimes felt in themselves , and will decay , and their love will wear out ; therefore whosoever are resigned and given up unto the lord will be approved , and manifest to be on the lords part , by obedience unto these things mentioned ; friends , do you not believe it a duty , that every christian ought to be exercised in , to meet together to wait upon him , to vvorship him , and to admonish , exhort , and strengthen one another to pray together in the holy ghost , and one for another , and to edifie and comfort one another ; and do you not believe god dvvells not in temples made vvith hands , neither hath any fellovvship vvith idols , but is vvorshipped any vvhere , and in every place vvhere the saints meet in his name ; again , have you not been comforted , edified , and strengthened in meeting , and have you not found the presence of the lord and his face , and have you not felt his great povver working in your hearts vvhen you vvere assembled together in his name , working in you to the opening of your hearts , and quickning and enlivening you souls unto god , and judgeing down the evill , and have you not ●elt his living mercies shed abroad in you and the springs of life opened , and the holy seed refreshed , and gods witnesse reached in all , and many convinced and converted unto god in your assemblies , so that all have gone away comforted and refreshed , and resolved to continue in the grace of god , the consideration of these things , dwelling in your hearts , and the sence of your owne present condition should stir you up , and provoke you unto stedfastnesse in the faith and practice you have received and walked in from the beginning of the manifestation of gods love unto you , so that there should me thinks need little exhortation , gods enemies is resolved to do wickedly , be you also so to doe your duty ; they seeke by any means to make any fall from their principles and stedfastnesse , doe you seeke to escape their snares , and to be kept cleare in your consciences before god ; be valiant for the truth , sell it not , but all for it , th●● it may be your all , and then you shall see your lot is fallen in a good place , and your possession is pleasant , the lord calls now to suffering , put now your necks in the yoake , beare one anothers burthen and so fulfill the law of christ , and take heed you give not eare to that voice that speakes , save thy liberty , save thy estate , possesse thy own & provide for thy self & spare thy self , that is the voice of the enemy of your souls so keep over the world and its spirit , let no sl●ckn●sse appear , for that makes suffering long , and that gives ground to your adversaries , that they shall prevaile , & that weakens the hands of others , & strengthens not , this confirmes our enemies in their deceit , that we are but as other men and people , that have professed god in summer and fair weather , but will make ship-wrack of all in a storm and in suffering , & any turning aside from the holy commandement of god openeth the mouths of gods enemies . do not seek every one your own profit , ease , life and liberty only , but every one anothers good , and mind not only one member , but the whole body : heed not them that draw back , that is no pre●●dent for you to follow , but them that presse forward , and is not offended in the time of hardship , heed not them that will tell you they can keep their hearts upright to god , and retain their love to truth and friends , and yet will not afford their presence in your ●ssemblies , but escapes suffering , and denies the crosse , and neglects their present duty , for that is deceit , and their own he●rts will deceive them ; put not off till to morrow , defer not the time , till you can see some more ease , and some greater calm , beware of that , for then coldnesse , fearfulnesse , and slavishnesse will enter in , and you will lose your strength : moreover , if any have begun well , and be perswaded of the truth of that they have believed , and continue not unto the end , and do not finish , such will be reckoned foolish builders , that could not finish , and all will mock them , and neither god nor men can or will believe them , but your adversaries will glory over you again when any suffers , or are brought into bonds for christ and the gospel sakes , seek not to get out by any indirect means , neither make any covenant with thy adversary , vvho vvould sell both thee and all faith and hope for money , that encourages deceit , and that spirit would buy it self out of the service of god , and grow weary , give no place to that , be content every one with your present condition , till god arise and plead our cause , and make our innocency and righteousnesse appear as noon day , and make his adversaries his foot-stoole ; which undoubtedly he will do , and make all know the most high ought to rule , and will rule in the kingdoms of men , and not give his glory unto another , neither suffer another to take it . be conformable to none that goes about under pretence of love , to perswade or counsel you from your duty to god ; neither submit to them that would betray you of your peace , heed not the frowns of corrupt men , nor the counsel of them who mind their own bellies , pleasure , ease , profit , and earthly things ; let not natural affections and love either to lands , wife , or children blind your eyes , but love them , and receive them in the lord , and enjoy them as though not : stand loose from all things , and out of all entanglements , and cast your care upon the lord , who careth for the fatherless and the widow , and them that hath no helper in the earth ; give no occasion or advantage to any that would turn your hearts aside from following the lord , least their love betray you ; give up all you have and enjoy to the lord and his service , and your souls , bodies , and spirits as a sacrifice unto the lord , that he may accept you , and pour forth and continue his blessing amongst you . never heed the threats of them that are as the oaks of bashan , nor of the great men of the earth , that mind their pleasure and lusts , who shut you up in prison , and hale you before judgment seats for the worship of god , and falsely accuse you and condemn you , when god justifies you ; the moth shall e●t them up as a garment , and stain the glory of all flesh that withstand the lord , and they shall melt away as snayls , and as the fat of lambs , and the kidnys of rams , and god will bring the recompence of their own deeds upon their own pates , and wound the hoary scalp of every one that doth wickedly , who toucheth gods anointed , and doth harm to his prophets , and persecutes his children ; surely judgment is not far from the dwellings of them who have required the lord thus , as to render him evil for good : and god will be avenged on such a faithlesse , mercilesse , perfidious people as this , and of such a spirit which rejoyceth in iniquity , and makes a mock of sin , and hates all reproof , and would cloak over all mischiefs with the name of pure laws and authority , and decrees of the holy church , yet persecutes and gainsayes the highest power of god in things spiritual , that pertains to the conscience : the beast , and false prophet , and mother of harlots have joyned together , and flatters one another , and joynes their strength together , against the true church and heir of all the world , and would , under pretence of doing honour unto him , shut him out of the earth , and k●ls his subjects , and destroyes the children of the free woman under pretence of suppressing herresie , and turns judgment into gall , hemlock , and wormwood , and in stead of relieving the oppressed , ads to their burthens . friends , dwell above all these things , and the devil and his rage ; the earth is the lords , and the fulnesse of it ; we cannot be banished from gods presence , neither shall they fulfil their determination , or ever be able to root out that testimony which is among us , for princes shall be given for its ransome , and kingdoms and nations for its prosperity . the god of power strengthen you all , that you may quit your selves like men of god , like children of the most high , whose inheritance is not here in the world , but in the kingdom that fades not away : the lord god of power be with you , and make you to consider what i say , and to receive this my true love unto you all for the lord● sake , who partakes with all the suffering members of christ in their bonds , and shall and can rejoyce in all your comfort and joy . the peace of god dwell in your hearts , and his heavenly light shine upon all your tabernacles , that you may be as beautiful in the eyes of the lord as the roses of sharon , and blossom as the lillies of the valley , and yield your fruit as the fig-tree that casteth not his fruit . the lord takes our part , let none doubt of that , and pleads our cause , let all consider that ; our enemies shall see it , and be troubled at this , and time shall manifest it : therefore be of believing hearts , and trust in the lord , so shall you never be confounded , neither be ashamed , but be as mount sion that cannot be moved , and as the mountains are round about jerusalem , so shall the mercies of the lord compasse you about from this time forth and for evermore . friends , faith is sealed in my heart , and love in my reins , and gladnesse in my soul , and peace in my conscience , so that none doth or can hinder my rejoycing , praised be the lord for ever , and ever . amen . let this be dispersed among friends , i desire . the lords servant , and yours in all true , unfained , pure love , f. h. the end . to all dear friends & brethren in the everlasting truth & covenant of the almighty jehovah, blessed for evermore burrough, edward, 1634-1662. 1662 approx. 27 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 5 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2005-10 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a62696 wing t1320 estc r20636 12563157 ocm 12563157 63295 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a62696) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 63295) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 704:13) to all dear friends & brethren in the everlasting truth & covenant of the almighty jehovah, blessed for evermore burrough, edward, 1634-1662. j. c. j. p. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. burrough, edward, 1634-1662. 8 p. s.n., [s.l. : 1662] caption-title. dated and signed: newgate prison, the 12th of the 4th month 1662. e.b., j.c., j.p. "the cogitations of my heart have been many, deep, and ponderous ...", p. 7-8, signed: fran. howgill. reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng society of friends -england. 2004-12 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2005-02 spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-03 mona logarbo sampled and proofread 2005-03 mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-04 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion to all dear friends & brethren in the everlasting truth & covenant of the almighty jehovah blessed for evermore . we the prisoners of the lord , and for the testimony of christ jesus , do bear in our remembrance with dearest salutations of perfect love , all our suffering brethren every where , and also the whole flock of our fathers tender love , whom he hath elected and chosen in his own secret counsel before the world began ; dearly and well beloved , our very souls this day , are deeply affected with the cause of god , and our persons at this time are engaged in these bonds , for the testimony of the same ; and truly , in soul , body , and spirit , are we offered up to the perpetual loss of all , that the name of the lord , and his saving truth , may be testified unto , in faithfulness unto all the world ; and in the lord our hearts are resolved in the confidence of his spirit , to suffer the greatest of afflictions and persecutions , rather than forfeit or loose , one grain of this so blessed a testimony now trusted with us , and for whic● , we now suffer these bonds : and unto faithfulness herein , we find that the lord our god , daily increaseth our strength and boldness , our patience and long suffering , and doubleth his spirit of power and wisdom upon us , that we may never faint in trial ; and we labour to be armed in our inward man , with whatsoever may uphold us , and defend us in this day of our afflic●ions ; even that our faith and patience , our holiness and meekness , our long suffering , and love to enemies ; and all heavenly vertues may be compleated in us , and possessed of us , till our god take vengeance upon the wrath of our adversaries , and deliver his ( now ) poor despised and oppressed people ; for these vertues are the armour with which we delight to be cloathed ; these are our weapons with which we chuse to be defended , and this must be our final vic●ory , when the faith and patience , the meekness and long suffering , and heavenly vertues of christ jesus in us , have exceeded in measure , and superabounded in effect , all the unbelief and impatiency , the enmity and ungodliness , in all that hate us ; love shall overcome wrath and envy ; patience shall subdue rigorous persecutors , and hatefull workers ; the very god that dwells with us , shall condemn and confound the wicked one , with all his might , and power , and malice , and persecution , cruel imposition on tender consciences , and oppression and injustice shall be no more : and this is that victory , for which we spiritually war , and these and no other , are the weapons with which we do contend ; and the cause is god's in which we are ingaged , and for which we suffer this present day . brethren , we hope ye are all like-minded with us , and that this same cause of god , his truth and righteousness is fixed before you , and is your aime and mark , and that it is alike dear and precious in your eye , and that ye are armed with the same armour of god's heavenly vertues ; it 's the breathings of our life to the father , that the whole church of chri●t , and every member thereof may be kept faithful , to hold forth the holy testimony of jesus , by suffering in this great day of trial. the testimony of which , we have heard and learned , believed and received , from god the father into all our hearts , is so precious to us , in it's evidence of peace , and comfort , and justification , and salvation , in eternal life in our inward man , that we compare no afflictions , nor present sufferings of our outward man , to the price and vertue thereof . for we can say in the verity of our souls , how ever it shall go with our outward man , in respect of tribulations , and persecutions , yet in our inward man , we possess the peace , and comfort , and salvation of the everlasting god ; and to bear forth the testimony of this in our age to the world , even of that love and life , mercy , justification and salvation which we have received , we can forgo liberty , life , and all : for this is our duty to which we are called , and the end for which we were born , to bear witness to the truth , and for the holding forth of this witness , we are given up in soul , body , and spirit , to suffer the loss of all , rather than to loose this testimony-bearing to the view of the world . wherefore , we beseech and exhort all of you , that have tasted of the loving kindness of our god , that ye be faithful and valiant this day in the cause of god ; not fearing the fury of the ungodly , nor the threats of enemies , nor the terrors of this world , nor seeking to save your own lives ; but in the faith and patience , pressing forward in the race of righteousness , till mercy , peace , justice , and true judgment , run down as a stream , willing to suffer the loss of all , that truth and righteousness may live upon earth , and the worship of the true god be exalted , and all the contrary overturned , and this is the reward of all the saints afflictions . be faithful in your trials , let e●tates , relations , life , and all go , rather than the cause of truth and righteousness be diminished of it's glory , by the unfaithfulness of any this day . surely our hearts are zealous for this matter , and we are pressed in spirit , to encourage all the lords people to put on all holy confidence in this day , and to cast away all unbelief , doubtings and fears of this world , and to maintain the truth of god's worship in the assemblings of his people together , in the strength and power of the lord jesus chri●t ; even to live in it , and to dye for it , to enjoy god's pure worship , and to suffer the losse of all , if called thereunto . we know you are not ignorant concerning this cause of god , which we thus affect , and exhort you to be faithful in ; it 's no other than the testimony of a pure conscience towards our creator , and that every person should follow christ , and obey him , and walk in the light and life of his spirit , which he hath revealed in the heart ; & that god should be feared and worshiped in a clean conscience , and that the salvation of god may be testified of ; this and no other is the cause of god , in which our souls and bodies are ingaged , we know no ca●se upon earth , worth our afflictions and sufferings , nor for which we will contend with any , save for the salvation of god , and that his justice and mercy , his truth and righteousness , his way and worship may be exalted upon earth , and all the contrary subdued by his mighty power . this is the very cause compared , to which our mortality is not to be accounted , even that we may behold god's salvation going forth in the testimony of it to all nations , and that nations and peoples , may injoy justice and truth , liberty and freedom , in the pure worship of the living god ; this is the cause that must live , [ the lord hath spoken it ] though for it we may die ; for our all is adventured upon the same . but whilest our hearts are pouring forth daily prayers towards god , and exhortations towards you , that you may be faithful to give publick testimony to the name , truth , and salvation of god ; our souls also desire that you all may eat and drink of that spiritual food , which will cause your inward man to grow , and that your own hearts may be kept pure and undefiled in his presence , and that the seed of life , with the fruits and blessings thereof may fill your own souls ; that while you are striving by patience and long suffering against your outward enemies , no inward enemy of evil lusts or affections , strife or divisions , or any thing of this world may enter into your bosoms to defile you . dearly beloved alwaye● h●ve a special regard unto your standing as to god-ward , and what increa●e of life , love , peace and comfort , ye daily receive in your spiritual ; man knowing , that by the inward vertue of the fathers presence , the peace and joy of god in your inward man dayly receive● from him , by that must you stand in strength and dominion against all enemies within and without . therefore , feel the seed of god , and it's growth and incre●se in your own hea●ts , that you may have perfect peace and vnion with god in spirit , while ye are hearing publick testimony , by doing or suffering for his truth and name . j. c. and brethren , our hearts and souls reach unto , and dearly salute you all ; for while we remember the lord and his goodness unto us , we cannot forget you , no not the least babe and little one amongst you all , for what are we , or you , or all of us together , joyntly , or apart ; but what we are in his life , love and peace , that endureth for ever ? whose mercies , glory , riches and goodness , as so many sparkling diamonds and jems of value , adorn our crown and make it glorious , and every one doth shine with lustre and beauty in the eyes of all that behold us ; and whilest we are so adorned , may we not say , our cloathings are white and fine , such as are in kings houses , and our attire no other than what becometh princes ? and what ever we have been it matters not , except to set forth the favour and goodness of him , that hath so raised us from the dunghil amongst the beggars , to sit upon thrones in glory with princes ? and to shew how the angel of gods presence hath saved , and taken us from our begging state , at the rich man's ga●e , like so many lazaruses , bruised and wounded , from head to foot ; and carried us into abrahams bosom , where we are at rest , praising our god , and our king of riches and mercy for ever . dear friends , we write unto you all , that you may partake with us of the same life , glory , rest and peace , and not only drops and sprinklings of the same , but full measure , heaped up , and running over . for you are our witnesses , that we , with the rest of our faithful brethren , have not withheld from you , the whole counsel of god revealed to us , and in us , according to the good pleasure of our lord and master ; neither have we kept back from declaring to you his mind , and the mysteries of his kingdom , yea , his hidden mysteries ; ( which have been hid in god since the world began ) and that in season , and out of season , at all times and places , as he hath given us opportunities , and required us so to do ; and that not in words , which man's wisdom teacheth , ( lest thereby we should make void the cross of christ ) , but in plainness and simplicity , that god's witness in every conscience might answer us , and we unto every conscience might be made manifest in god's fight , as we know we are this day , and we have our reward , from the lord of the harvest that sent us forth ; and this adds to our comfort in this day , that we were faithful unto our god in what he committed to our charge : and now , what is o●rs , and our brethrens reward , and crown of rejoycing , but this , that you stand faithful in this time of trial ? for you know we have not been like unto those who have begotten into the airy spirit , that so you might be alwayes kept in the uncertainty , ever learning , but never get ability to learn and perform what you have been taught ; for what we have received from christ , by vertue of his resurrection and assention , is perfect , and hath been ministred unto you , for the perfecting of you all , with the rest of the sanctified ones in christ jesus , until you all come to a perfect man in christ , even unto the fulness of the measure of the stature of christ. for which we pray , and desire of our god and father for you all . let your meetings be in god's fear and counsel , as at other times , never heeding what man can do unto you ; but still be you all followers of that which is good , and then , who can , or shall harm you ? keep in the love to , and unity with that of god in all : let the witness of god in all answer your words and actions , rendering to none evil for evil , but overcoming the evil with the good ; so shall you be known to be the servants of the living god , and followers of the lamb as dear children . and be terrified in nothing , as from any of the sons of men , that can befall you ; for all your hairs are numbred , and not one shall fall , without gods providence ; neither shall the wrath of the wicked be unbounded ; but what ever turns not to his praise , that he will restrain , and the day of your deliverance hastneth : only look not you out , but keep close unto the lord , with your eyes only towards him , and not upon , or unto any temporal , or visible thing ; but alone unto the lord god of life , and unto the measure of himself made manifest in your own hearts ; for unto that you were directed at the beginning , and in it is your safety and preservation unto the end . j. p. and dear brethren , the lord god almighty , who is our alone salvation , having laid the thoughts of the cause of our sufferings near unto the secrets of his own soul , uttereth his voice out of sion , to you his children , in his city jerusalem , saying , s●and up ye babes of my blessings , and you sons and daughters of my love , gird , gird on strength in this day of my battel ; for loe , my banner is over you , my standerd is with you , my ensigne is displaid amongst you , and my everlasting power and omnipotency attends you : and it shall not fail you , i will not leave you in the day of adversity , nor forsake you in the time of captivity ; for i have chosen you , i have called you , i have purchased you , after the travail of my soul for you ; and blood , even the everlasting blood of the covenant of my life was paid as a ransome for you ; and now you are no more your own , but mine ; and i cannot be hid , nor separated from you , but as i am faithful , i will be with you ; as you have had me your god in all your tribulations and sufferings , wherein i did bear both you , and your griefs , and all your afflictions in the yearning bowels of my tenderness ; which yet i will break , i will break , i will break , more infinitely open unto you , which shall melt , and dissolve you , and make you stream to me , as i am in flameing streams of love and life towards you ; i will reach you in your holes ; bolts , nor bars of brass or iron , nor walls like mountains shall shut me from you ; but in your denns and dungeons i will come in among you , and walk in the midst of you , and you shall know that i am the comforter of your hearts , and the rejoycer and gladder of your spirits , in all the times of your needs : and whilst the yoak is upon your necks , and the oppressive burdens upon your backs , and i bearing both you , and your burdens over the raging seas , that are angry at my voice , and troubled at the breathings of my life : i will trouble the hosts of the philistims , their horses shall fail them , their chariots shall not stand in any stead unto them , for i will break the wheels and the axeltrees , and they shall fall , they shall fall , they shall fall , i the jehovah of israel , the mighty god of little jacob have spoken it , & it shall surely come to pass , and you shall be delivered by the hand of my power saith the lord. and therefore sing you lambs , and reioyce you my little tender babes in that i have travelled for you , and born and brought you forth unto the day of my glory , in the glory and the excellency thereof , to witness my name of power , which will scatter all the chaff that is heaped up as mountains against you that you , whom i have planted may prosper as a fruitful vineyard , that the abundance of the fruits of blessedness , in the power of my righteousness , may be brought forth in you , to your joy , and mine honour , even for ever . ah brethren , our very hearts and souls are overcome , and ravished , whilst we consider the endless love , and everlasting riches of the favours and mercies of our father towards us ; and what he hath ready in his hand to deal bountifully unto us ; yet but a little , but a little , and he will give it , and make the emptiest vessel as an over-running river , whose banks cannot contein the streams for fulness . it is his love , his love , even his endless everlasting love that over-powers us , which is not conteinable within us , but must run , and flow , from the movings of the great oceans , as the swiftest streams into your tender bosomes , that you may he refreshed in us , in which the answer will return into our bowels , and our joy will thereby be augmented , and increased : and we trust in the pure living sense of all , our hearts shall be always full of the praise of our god , who in all his blessed works , is worthy of all honour , and everlasting thanksgiving , and glory , even of us , and all his saints and children for evermore ; who , in him , are yours to serve , both him , and you , in doing and suffering , whatsoever is his good pleasure concerning us : and in him , everlasting blessings and peace be multiplied to you all . amen . e.b. j.c. j.p. newgate prison , the 12th . of the 4th . month 1662. the cogitations of my heart have been many , deep , and ponderous , some moneths , weeks and dayes , concerning his people , which he hath raised to bear testimony unto his name , in this the day of his power : and intercession hath been made often for them to the lord , and a patient waiting to know his mind concerning them for the time to come , which often i received satisfaction in , as to my self ; but yet still something i was drawn by the lord to wait for , that i might comfort and strengthen his flock by an assured testimony . and while i was waiting out of all visible things , and quite out of the world , in my spirit , and my heart upon nothing but the living god , the lord opened the springs of the great deep , and overflowed my whole heart with life and love , and my eyes were as a fountain , because of tears of joy , because of his heritage : of whom he shewed me , and spake unto me , in a full fresh living power , and a holy full testimony ; so that my heart was ravished therewith , with joy unspeakable , and i was out of the body with god , in his heavenly paradise ; where i saw , and felt things unutterable , beyond all demonstration , or speech . at last the life closed with my understanding , and my spirit listened unto him ; and the everlasting god said , shall i hide any thing from them that seek my face in righteousness ? nay , i will manifest it to them that fear me : i will speak , do thou listen , and publish it amongst all my people , that they may be comforted , and thou satisfied . and thus said the living god of heaven and earth . upon the 28th . of the 3d. month , 1662. the sun shall leave its shining brightness , and cease to give light to the world ; and the moon shall be altogether darkness , and give no light unto the night ; the stars shall cease to know their office , or place ; my covenant with day and night , times and seasons shall sooner come to an end , than the covenant i have made with this people ( into which they are entred with me ) shall end , or be broken , and my word is unchangeable ; yea , though the powers of darkness , and hell combine against them , and the jawes of death open its mouth , yet i will deliver them , and lead them through all ; i will con●ound their enemies , as i did in jacob , and scatter them , as i did in israel , in the dayes of old ; i will take their enemies , and i will hurle them hither , and thither from me , even as stories are hurled out of a sling ; and the memorial of this nation , which is holy unto me , shall never be rooted out , but shall live through ages , as a cloud of witnesses in generations to come . i have brought them to the birth , i have brought them forth , i have swadled them , and they are mine ; i will nourish them , and carry them as on eagles wings ; and though clouds gather against them , i will make my way through them , and though darkness gather together on a heap , and tempests gender , i will scatter them as with an east wind , and nations shall know they are my inheritance , and they shall know i am the living god , who will plead their cause withall that rise up in opposition against them . these words are holy , faithful , eternal , good , and true. blessed are they that hear and believe unto the end. and because of them no strength was left in me for a while ; but at last , my heart was filled with joy , even as when the ark of god was brought from the house of obed edom , when david danced before it for gladness , and israel shouted for joy. fran. howgill . the end . the common salvation contended for, and the faith which was once delivered to the saints· or, an answer to a book called a plain answer to eighteen queries of iohn whitehead, put forth by william kays, who calls himself minister of the gospel at stokesly; wherein he hath perverted the faith once delivered to the saints, and pleads for those things which the scripture declares against, and so he is made manifest, not to be a minister of the everlasting gospel, but preachesanother [sic] gospel. the queries laid down, and the substance of his answer, with a reply to his answer. / by one who is a friend to all, who wait for the appearance of iesus christ without sin to salvation, known to the world by the name. francis howgill. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a86648 of text r18577 in the english short title catalog (thomason e824_3). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. 55 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 10 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo 2017 a86648 wing h3155 thomason e824_3 estc r18577 99860428 99860428 112548 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a86648) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 112548) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; 125:e824[3]) the common salvation contended for, and the faith which was once delivered to the saints· or, an answer to a book called a plain answer to eighteen queries of iohn whitehead, put forth by william kays, who calls himself minister of the gospel at stokesly; wherein he hath perverted the faith once delivered to the saints, and pleads for those things which the scripture declares against, and so he is made manifest, not to be a minister of the everlasting gospel, but preachesanother [sic] gospel. the queries laid down, and the substance of his answer, with a reply to his answer. / by one who is a friend to all, who wait for the appearance of iesus christ without sin to salvation, known to the world by the name. francis howgill. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. [2], 17, [1] p. printed for giles calvert, and are to be sold, at the black-spread-eagle, at the west-end of pauls., london, : [1655] a reply to: kaye, william. a plain answer to the eighteen quæries of john whitehead, commonly called quaker. thomason received his copy 14 january 1654 [i.e. 1655]. annotation on thomason copy: "jan. 14 1654". reproduction of the original in the british library. eng kaye, william. -plain answer to the eighteen quæries of john whitehead, commonly called quaker -early works to 1800. whitehead, john, 1630-1696. society of friends -doctrines -early works to 1800. a86648 r18577 (thomason e824_3). civilwar no the common salvation contended for, and the faith which was once delivered to the saints· or, an answer to a book called a plain answer to e howgill, francis 1655 10656 10 0 0 0 0 0 9 b the rate of 9 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the b category of texts with fewer than 10 defects per 10,000 words. 2007-05 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2007-06 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2008-05 john latta sampled and proofread 2008-05 john latta text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-09 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the common salvation contended for , and the faith which was once delivered to the saints . or , an answer to a book called a plain answer to eighteen queries of iohn whitehead , put forth by william kays , who calls himself minister of the gospel at stokesly ; wherein he hath perverted the faith once delivered to the saints , and pleads for those things which the scripture declares against , and so he is made manifest , not to be a minister of the everlasting gospel , but preaches another gospel . the queries laid down , and the substance of his answer , with a reply to his answer . by one who is a friend to all , who wait for the appearance of iesus christ without sin to salvation , known to the world by the name . francis howoill . london , printed for giles calvert , and are to be sold , at the black-spread-eagle , at the west-end of pauls . the common salvation contended for , and the faith which was once delivered to the saints . first , as to the title of thy book , thy plain answer as thou calst it ; thou art plainly made manifest to be among the false prophets , and the scribes and pharises , and the false brethren , which the lord sent his true prophets to bear witness against , and which christ cryed wo against , and the apostles exhorted them who were in the faith , to turn away from : and art one that is gone out into the world , separated from the light , from the life , from the practice of all the holy men of god , who spoke forth the scripture , as they were moved by the holy ghost ; had they declared against all these things that thou art pleading for , like demetrius , and yet thou wilt tell of the scripture being thy rule , thy rule shall try thee , and thou shalt be laid to it ▪ and it will condemn thee , and the life of all the saints , and the practice of them who dwelt in the light , will bear witness against thee : thy hidden mysteries which thou speakst , are seen by the invisible eye of god , and thy deceit , and thy adding to the scriptures , and thy perverting of christs words and thy imaginations upon their words , who dwelt in the light , and one day thou shalt witness the lord who is just , will plead with thee for it , when by thy serpents wisdom , which is in the curse , and in the disobedience , and thou pleadst expresly against christs own words , and holdst up the types which was in the first covenant , and yet wilt not act according to the first covenant , and so art one that denyes christ the substance , the everlasting covenant the oath of god ; and yet calls thy self a minister of the gospel , thy gospel he and all that knows his voice will deny thee , and it who teaches for doctrine , the traditions of men , and sets up an image of many mixtures , that all may fall down and worship , which thou hast built and set up in thy sensual carnal wisdom , and would have all to worship the image of the beast , that sits upon many wa●ers ; but the lord i● risen to cut it down , and stamp upon it , and grind it to dust , and the whirlwind of the lord shall blow it away , and thou and all who hath worshipped the beast shall be broken by him who is set for the rise and fall of many in israel , and all those things that thou hast set up in thy carnal mind , and calls them the ordinances of god ; shall become as the broth of abominable things , and as the slaying of a man , and all who worship their own imaginations , both the circumcised , and the uncircumcised will the lord cut off together , for the lord is arisen to plead with all the enemies of zion , and his sword shall be fatted with the blood of the slain ; for prophaness is gone forth from the teachers of this nation , who abide not in the doctrine of christ to the ends and costs thereof , and the lord is grieved , and the earth shall disclose her blood , and the slain shall no longer be covered , but the deceiver of the nations shall be cast forth , and great shall be the lamentation of the merchants of babylon and iesabel that hath slain prophets , now is suffered to prophesie , and many are deceived by her witchcrafts , but she shall be cast into a bed of sorrow , and she shall be dashed in pieces ; and the dogs shall lick her blood , for behold he is risen who is king of kings , and he makes war in righteousness , and his name is called the word of god ; and out of his mouth proceeds fire that shall consume the men of the earth , and all who have not the image of the father written in their foreheads . the fire is kindled already in the earth , and the slain is great , and many shall gnaw their tongues for pain , and shall be consumed to ashes ; and he will plead with all the false prophets and merchants in babylou as in the valey of iehosaphet and his wrath is kindled as in the days of gibin , and the heathen shall all perish by the edge of the sword , lamentation and howling , and wo and sorrow , and bitterness shall come upon all who have professed his name and his words , and yet put him to open shame , and denies the end of his coming , which is to redeem his people from their sins , and to present them unto god without spot or wrinkle , which many in this generation , teachers and people are pleading for sin , and yet say christ is made manifest , but this answer all such shall have , depart workers of iniquity . i. query . whether thou have the same eternal infallible spirit that gave forth the scripture , yea or no ? answ. thou saith thou darest not conceal to bear witness with thy conscience that thou hast in some small measure the same spirit which was in the saints , yet an infallible spirit thou canst not own , and calst it a popish tenent , and thou saith christ had such a spirit that did not erre ; and further , thou saith if any minister as iohn in the revelation shall wander , yet the lord can is he hath a mercy unto his people , make the people to receive nothing but wholsome doctrine . reply . here thou hast made thy self manifest unto all that thou hast no measure of the spirit , neither great nor small , not of the same spirit which was in the saints , for the spirit which the saints had , was the spirit of christ , which is the spirit of truth , and infallible , and led them into all truth , and this spirit thou blasphemer calls a popish tenent , and so accuses christ and the saints : was it one spirit which dwelt in the saints , and another spirit that christ had ? and here thou speakst contrary to the scripture , as many as are the sons of god , are led by the spirit of god , and they that have not the spirit of christ , are none of his ; and all who walked in the spirit , and were led by the spirit , were led out of pollution , and the lust of the flesh , and out of error , and out of all deceit ; and they had received the anointing , which was truth , and no lie , and it guided them into all truth : and here thou wouldst divide the spirit of christ from the saints ; and here thy spirit is made manifest not to be that spirit which was in the saints , and which was in christ ; but thy spirit is fallible , that saith , that infallible spirit disgraces the ministery ; such a minister thou art , that a fallible spirit , and a spirit of error is thy glory : and therefore i say that spirit is not distinct from the saints , which was in christ , but one ; there is one spirit by which all the ministers of christ were guided , and they were ministers of the spirit which was infallible , and true , and eternal , and bore witness of him who was true and eternal ; and thou calst this a popish tenent , art raised out , and judged by the scripture not to have the same , and so art no minister , nor witness of the infallible eternal spirit , but speaks in thy own name : and thou art accusing iohn , that he did wander , ( as iohn did in the revelation thou saith ) and so would make iohn a wandering star like thy self , which iude speaks of , who art fallen into the earth out of the firmament , and so would bring reproach upon him , who witnessed the spirit , and was in the spirit , and dwelt in it ; but thy shame is made manifest , and now the eternal spirit is witnessed , which is infallible , and they will receive thy doctrine no longer , for it is not wholsome , but contrary to the scripture . ii. query . whether thou know the rules of christ , and whether thou wert immediately called by him , to be a minister or pastor of the gospel , yea or no ? answ. thou saith so often as thou hast the word rightly divided in opening of the same in any chapter or verse , so often thou hast heard the the voice of christ , and thou sayest thou dost not deny the reaching of the spirit to be an extraordinary voice of christ , and that thou hast heard , and so thou witnesses an immediate call , and yet thou sayest our imperfect actions being made perfect by christ , thou witnesses an immediate call . reply . thou that tells of opening chapters or verses by meanings , thou never heard the word of christ ; and i say unto thee , as christ said to the pharisees , which had moses and the prophets , they had neither heard his voice , nor seen his shape , and they which have not the word abiding in them , never heard his word ; and therefore if thou never hear of god or from christ , but what is written without thee , thou never yet heard his word , the word of god endures for ever , chapters and verses endures not for ever ; but thou art made manifest when thou canst not hear what is already writ , nor receive it , nor understand it without meanings ; and therefore brings their words down to thy reason , and cals that the word of god ; and thou calst the teachings of the spirit the extraordinary voice of christ : where reads thou in the scripture , of an ordinary and extraordinary voice of the spirit ? and here be a witness against thy self , in thy answer to the fourth query , the fourth page of thy book , to say thou had not known the spirit , nor the anointing but by the scripture , and the scripture is not the spirit ; and here thy immediate call is the like , that which is visible and without thee , is not immediate ; and here thou art tryed , that thou knowest nothing at all but by hearsay , and so thou art a falle witness , and thou saith our imperfect actions are made perfect by christ , when that which is perfect is come , imperfection is done away , but that which thou calls thy imperfect actions he comes not to be perfect , but to destroy , but to thee is a mystery . iii. query . whether the word thou preachest , is the same from the beginning which thou hast heard and seen , and hast been taught immediately by the revelation of iesus christ , yea or no ? answ. the word that thou preaches is so muth the same thou saith from the beginning , as a river is the same that runs continually from the fountain ; and as god is pleased to appear in his outward administrators . reply . he who is the fountain is eternal , which was in the beginning , and before all things , and endures for ever , and they who witness him & preach him , and have seen him , and tasted of the water of life , which they were witness of , iohn the first , but the river which thou drinkest , is as the brooks of teman , spoken of in iob , and shall be dried up , and as euphrates that shall be dried up , and the kings of the east shall pass over it , and the time is come already , blessed be the lord for ever , but thy fountain at the best is but the letter without thee , that was since the beginning , and thy old authors , and thy carnal wisdom , which is in the curse , and this is thy highest attainments , and thy administrations ; if thou hadst not had the letter without thee , thou hadst not known such a thing , and then where had all thy preaching been , as in the fourth page of thy book , thou mayest remember that thou saidst thou hadst not known god , but by that others have left upon record ; and therefore cease from thy divining , for thou canst not witness what thou speakest , but as thou stealest others words iv. query . whether ever any shall grow up under thy ministery , that they shall that no man teach them ; and whether thou own the anointing , or had known there had been such a thing , if the scripture had not spoken of it , yea or no ? answ. concerning thy ministery , there is no such promise thou sayest made to any mans ministery . reply . here thou hast manifested thy ignorance of the ministery of christ , for they turned many from darkness to light , and from satan unto god , and it was and is the very end wherefore the ministers was sent forth , for the perfecting of the saints , and to lead them from imperfection to persection , and a perfect man in christ iesus ; and they were sent out for this end , and are now sent out to direct all minds , and the apostle laboured and travelled , that he might present them without spot or wrinkle unto god , and in that thou saith , there is no promise to the ministry of man , in that thou sayest truly , but they which were ministers of the gospel , they neither were learned of man , nor had it from man , and so thou acknowledgest thy ministry to be of man , and so art not a minister of christ , but of anti-christ ; and thou saith if the anointing should onely teach , there would be no flock , here thou art blind and knows nothing ; is not christ the anointing , and christs sheep hear his voice , and he putteth them forth , and goeth before them , and he leadeth his flock like a shepheard ; but thou that preaches : for hire , and divinest for money , and they that follow thee are not of this flock : and as concerning thy knowledge of the anointing , thou saith thou mayest say as paul said of sin , he had not known sin but by the law , so thou hadst not known the anointing , had not he scriptures declared it , and thou sayest without it there is nothing to be known , here thou blind guide , thou puts the scriptures in the room of god , and wouldst exalt it above god , and hast made thy folly manifest that thou never knew the anointing but by hearsay , and if thou hast not had their words , who witnessed the anointing in themselves , thou hadst not known whether there had been such a thing , and thou that knows nothing but without thee , knows nothing at all , and yet the scripture is able to make wise unto salvation , and perfect the man of god through faith in christ iesus , but of the man of gods estate thou knowest nothing of , who art pleading and holding up those things which the men of god witnessed against . v. query . whether thou own christ to be the light of the world , and hath enlightned every one , yea or no ? vi . query . whether thou own the word of iohn 1. 9. where he witnessed christ to be the true light which enlightneth every one that cometh into the world ? answ. thou saith thou thinkst it s not amiss to declare that christ is not onely the light of the world through revelation but in works of miracles , and meritorious sufferings , and as he gives to all creatures the light in their creation . reply . thy thoughts are vain and not as gods thoughts , he is but one , who is the light of the world , and in him is no darkness at all , the light is but one and the same light in which he lives , the same light the saints lives in , who are guided by him who is the light , and the light is but one in him that loves it , and in him that hates it ; the one he loves it , and the other he hates it : and thou that art making distinctions of the light , art divided from the light , and so makes many lights by thy imaginations , and so perverts the scripture . and where readst thou of meritorious suffering of christ in the scripture ; nay , thou art so ignorant of him who is the true light , and hath not so much as a form of sound words : and where reads thou of such a distinction of natural and spiritual light in christ , thy rule shall try thee , and thou shalt be judged by it , for in thy serpents wisdome thou wouldst darken the counsel of god , and rent the scripture in pieces by thy imaginations , and thou never knewst what the light of christ was , and never shall comprehend it with all thy distinctions , and though the world is in darkness , yet the light shines in darkness , but this is a mystery , and sealed to thee , and therefore thou wouldst give thy meanings upon their words who were in the light . vii . query . whether it is not blasphemy to call the true light of christ which enlightneth every one that cometh into the world a natural light , and whether they do not deny the scriptures , that say that every one is not enlightned with the true light , yea or no ? answ. is light by just consequence and not otherwise called naturall , so the light may be called supernatural , which is properly called christs light , and thou tells of ordinary lights . reply . thy consequences are denyed , thou art in the philosophy and vain deceits : where reads thou in scripture of a natural and supernatural light ? and where reads thou that the light which is in every creature is ordinary light , and ●● thou goe●t on to prove that there is two lights in christ ; and that the light of christ is natural and spiritual , and so would make two christs : is christ spiritual ? and is that which is his light natural ? a natural man understands not the things of god , but the light which comes from christ which is but one , not divided , but is spiritual , it leads to an understanding of the things of god , and that which may be known of god is revealed in man , but thou art ignorant and blind , and cannot comprehend it , that which is natural is carnal , and so thou wouldst make a carnal christ , as one like thy self affirmed , who called himself a minister of christ , but he that loves the light is led up out of darkness , to the light of life , and he that hates the light , it s his condemnation , and he is but one that judges and saves his people from their sin : and in the last part of thy answer , thou sayest thou acknowledgest the light of the law of christ to be more or less in the light of nature ; here again thy ignorance is made manifest , paul said , the law was spiritual , and the law of the spirit of life in iesus , had freed him from the law of sin and death ; was that natural ? is christ spiritual , and his law natural ? for shame be silent , and speak not of the law , it is holy ; is that natural ? and thou speaks of putting the light of christ under a bushel , and some that destroy christs light ; thou blind pharisee , thou art he that puts the light of christ under a bushel , that walks in those things , and pleads for those things which they declared against : and thou art he that goes about to destroy christs light which is pure and eternal , and calst it natural and supernatural , when the light is but one , and thou that wouldst divide the light , art divided from it , and walks not by it , and so art in darkness till now : and thou saith further , that as christ is pleased , he can by the preaching of the gospel open thine eyes , and turn them from darkness to light : here again thy shame and thy nakedness appears : hast thou professed thy self a minister of the gospel , and a teacher , and are thy eyes unopened ? yetart thou yet unturned from darkness unto light ? then darkness speaks and wrote the book , and darkness cannot comprehend the light , and wouldst thou be judging of the light , and of christ , that is yet in darkness ? for shame own thy condemnation , for what thou hast done in speaking in the name of the lord , he accepts no such testimony , nor the testimony of them that walk in darkness , and not in the light ; and he will judge thee , who is the light , for perverting the truth in thy dark mind ; and thou confesseth that thou art blind , and thine eyes are not yet opened ; then how canst thou declare of him , whom thou hast neither seen nor heard , and here be a witness against thyself ? viii . query . whether the true light of christ , which enlightneth every one that cometh into the world , which discovereth all the deeds of darkness , is not sufficient to lead all those that love and follow him into holiness and all truth , seeing christ who is the light saith that those that follow him shall not abide in darkness , but have the light of life ? answ. to this thou answers , yea , it is when it is revealed ; and in thy answer to the third query , thou saith there is nothing that can be known but by the scriptures , and so here thou lyes in confusion and babylon , and puts the letter for the light of christ , and so art blind indeed , as thou confessed thy eyes were not opened , and thou was not turned from darkness , and thou saith christs light when it is revealed is sufficient , the light which christ iesus hath enlightned every one withal , is made manifest , and convinceth of all ungodlyness and worldly lust ; yea , he which is the comforter convinceth the world of sin , as the scripture witnesseth ; neither is their any other light in the world that convinceth the lyer , the swearer , the drunkard , but that light that comes from christ , and this is the condemnation of them that hate it , and that which declares against unrighteousness is righteous , and that which shews sin is holy , and thou that calls this natural , thy eye is blind , and thy understanding is darkned , and thy ear heavy , and so can neither hear , see , not understand it ; now the natural man understands not the things of god , but the light of christ in every mans conscience understands by it what is not of god , and by it he comes to see sin , that it is against god , and therefore i am a witness against thee , and against all the hirelings in the world , that by the light , which a measure is given to every one , that he that loves it , it leads to the the light of life , and though the light shine in a naturall man , yet it is not natural , but seven seals , and upon this , to the serpents seed , and he that hates it , and disputes against it , shall never know it , and thou saith , whosoever hath this light of christ , may see to obey magistrates and ministers lords day , worship , fasting , praying , singing , as well as to avoid blasphemy and profanness , magistrates we obey in the lord , and all their just commands , but we deny flattery and deceit , and respecting persons , but honours the power that is of god , and that which is acted by them which is not of god , we suffer for conscience sake , and resists not , but all that thou obeys is without , in flattery and deceit , and hath mens persons in admiration , because of advantage ; and ministers of christ we own , who are sent of god , and honours such , but thee and all the hirelings and imitaters , ianes and iambres like , we deny , and are bold to declare against you all , who walk contrary to the saints , and that which you call your rule , and are a generation of hypocrites , and your rule shall judge you all , and thou art tried by it , when all along thy answers , thou pleads against the scripture , and adds thy meanings , and god will judge thee for it , and thy shame shall be made manifest to all ; the day of the lord we own , blessed be that day ; but it shall burn as an oven , against all deceivers and hypocrites ; and false prophets , and this thou shalt know and witness ; and baptism , and watching , and fasting , and praying , and singing , this is witnessed , the same that ever was , and the power of godliness , but we deny thee , and all such as go and baptize , and then preach repentance to them fourty years after ; and fasting ; thou might have been sparing in this , pull out the beam , i speak to thy conscience : how often hast thou fasted , and crossed thy lust , nay all is too little , hay and corn , calves , lambs , eggs and swines flesh and all is to little for you , but you are still at a want , and removing from one place to another , for filthy lukre , and makes merchandise of souls for dishonest gain , and sues men at the law , as many can witness in the north of england , and casts those in prison that they call their flock , and so you are as ravening wolves , greedy of your prey , and as foxes in the desert , that devours all that resist you ; and then cries they are not subject to the magistrates nor ministers ; and then saith the labourer is worthy of his hire , and brings this for a cloak , when as they never hired you , and yet you seek wages of them , you do not work for , to maintain your luks : howl ye caterpillers and cankerworms , that devours the earth , and spends your time in the lusts of the flesh , and yet accuses others , and as for thy prayers they stink . god hears not sinners , and while thou lives in this nature , pleading for those things which the scripture declare against , and thy songs shall be turned into lamentation and howling , the dead cannot praise , nor the blind , and thou saith thou art blind and deaf ; what hast thou to preach , or pray , or sing ; and so cease thy gainsaying , the hand of the lord is against thee , and the scripture was not given out for thee to prattle on , and for those things thou cals ordinances , thou had not known such a thing , as in the answer to the fourth query thou confessest , and so let shame cover thy face , and let thy mouth be stopped , and all flesh keep silence , for what is known without , leads no●●o god , but that which may be known of god is revealed in man , rom. 2. and the time is come , iesable that hath slain the prophets , shall be cast into torment , and she shall prophesie no more , and by the light which thou sets all nought , shall thou and all the inchanters and diviners be confounded , to it shall all nations how , for he from whom it come , is king of kings , and lord of lords , who makes war in righteousness , and is now coming to cut off all by the edge of the sword , who hath prophefied lies in his name , and caused men to abhor the service of the living god . ix . query . whether the end of begisting and sending forth ministers ; is for the perfecting of the saints , and for bringing them up to his measure or fulness , yea or no ? answ. yea. reply . here thou thy self , shall be a witness against all the ministery which long hath been in this nation , for verily it is so far from perfecting of the saints , that openly the ministry pleadeth against it , and cryeth out of those that witness it to be in error ; and here thou shalt stand as a witness for the truth , against thy self , and against all thy brethren . x. query . whether any shall grow up under thy ministery , to a perfect man , to the measure of fulness , and stature of christ , yea or no ? answ. thou sayest , speaking of thy own hearers , they are at age , ask them , and try them whether there be not some that will not avoid to answer thee ; to which i do reply , it may be some of thy hearers might be as impudent in speaking lies against their own conscience , as thou art in writing against the commands of christ ; but that in their conscience , to which i desire to be known , and to the upright principle in them , to which i desire to speak , will not witness that under thy ministery , they have attained to perfection , but are yet learning under thee , and never able by thee to come to the knowledge of the truth ; and that which is of god in them , shall witness against thy ministery , that it perfects none into holiness , and into the image of god ; and thou sayest thou hopes we may see in the epbes . 4. 13. concerning the fulness of the stature of christ ; and further , by faith , then all our defects , imperfections and sins are not imputed , as therby god may apply the righteousness of christ , whereby we may see no transgression in jacob ; we are , and all believers must come to the measure of the perfection of christ . reply . what paul spoke to the ephesians we know is true , but what is this to thee , and those who are out of pauls way and life ; in the way of the false prophets , and of the scribes and pharisees , and the defects and imperfections , and sins , must lie upon your own head , for christ will be no cloak unto you in your iniquities , to cloak your hypocrisie and deceit ; if you had faith , then should you be purified from imperfection ; for faith is perfect , and so are all that live by it : and for thy word apply the righteousness of christ , it is not the language of the spirit of god , which gave forth the scripture ; for the righteousness of christ is not to be applied to the head of the wicked , nor to cover wickedness , but to destroy it ; but where sin stands , it will be imputed : for god cannot acquit the wicked , and he that sins is not of iacobs seed , but of esaus , and the righteousness of christ is not unto that birth , and thou and all thy believers , who art in defects and imperfections , and in your sins , art in the stature and measure of cain and ishmael , and not of the stature of the same god ; who art free from all unrighteousness , and defects , and imperfections . xi . query . whether they be not ministers of antichrist , and never were sent of christ , that deny perfection which they are sent of christ , to bring unto , yea or no ? answ. nay , they are not . reply , here thou hast manifested the ignorance and confusion , who in thy answer to the nineth query , said it yea , it was the end of sending faith , the ministers for the perfecting of the saints ; and now then sayest , they are not ministers of antichrist , which denyes perfection , and so speaks a plain contradiction , and so out of thy own mouth shalt thou be condemned ; and let all whose eye is open , see and behold thy deceit and blindness , and so also manifest thy selt , that thou was never sent of christ , who hath brought up none to perfection , but sayest they are not ministers of antichrist , that denies perfection , and yet sayes the ministers of christ was sent to that end , to bring up unto perfection ; and further thou sayest , that exhorting the world to look to the light that is within them , they shall never come to perfection , none must think or imagine reply . here thou hast uttered blasphemy , and quite contrary to christs own words , who saith i am the light of the world , he that follows me shall have the light of life , and this is perfection ; and be it known unto thee , and unto all , that no other light we direct or exhorts unto , but the light of christ within , which is sufficient to lead to perfection as christ himself saith his light leads to the light of life all that walk in it , and thou saith contrary and so speaks-against christ , and would make his light imperfect , and not able to lead to perfection , and part found an enemy to him , and mayest stop thy mouth for shame , who art ignorant of the scripture ; and whilst thou professes it , art found both walking and speaking contrary to it . xii . query . whether he that is born of god , do commit sin , yea or no ? and whether he that committeth sin is of the devil , yea or no ? answ. he that is born of god is exhorted to repent ; and may be deluded , and thou affirmatively says that those that are born of god may sin , as all the saints have experienced . reply . here thou more plainly hast shewed thy self to be a perverter of the scripture , and one that speaks contrary to it ; for he who is born of god , is the image of god , and needs no repentance , he which was born of god was commended by god , and not exhorted to repent , as that scripture which thou hast named , rev. 2. shall witness : but he which was fallen from the birth-born of god , was exhorted to repent ; and thou sayest he that is born of god may be deluded , and the scripture saith it is not possible that the elect should be deceived : and here again thou speaks contrary to the scripture , and thou sayest affirmatively , that those that are born of god may sin : and here again thou speaks contrary to the scripture , which saith , he that is born of god cannot sin : now let shame cover thy face , and let thy own conscience convince thee , that thou art a perverter of the scripture to thy own destruction , and so art unlearned , and without true experience , for that experience , and those saints which thou speaks of , which experiences that which is contrary to the plain words of scripture , which was the experiences of true saints , is damnable experiences , and servants of the devil , and cannot be believed by them who are true saints , and have true experiences , according to the working of the holy ghost in them : and further thou sayest that scripture , 1 iohn 3. 8 , 9. may be hard to be understood , yet taking good notice , the truth is easily reconci●ed , and thou sayest , this is his meaning , that the child of god sinneth not after the similitude , manner , or measure , or nature that the devil & his reprobates sins , & so to make good what thou sayest thou hast added to iohns words , his seed remains in him ( whereby he shall repent him of his sin , this last thou hast deceitfully added , as also hast added after the similitude , manner , or measure , or nature , that the devil and his reprobates sins , let all seareh the scripture , and see if iohn speak any such thing , and so gives thy sensual meaning of iohns words , quite contrary to what he spoke : for further , he said he that sins is of the devil , and never knew god ; and thou affirms , he that is born of god , which know god may sin , and so divides the scripture , and adds thy own imaginations unto it ; and so thou mayest read thy portion in it , god will add all his plagues unto thee , and truth needs no reconciling , for it is in verity , and cannot be understood by thee , who art unlearned , and therefore thou wrests it : and further , thou sayest a child of god being renewed through gospel-repentance , sins not devil like unto death or damnation . reply , o thou blind pharisce , a child of god needs no repentance and all sin is of and like the devil his image , the scripture saith he that sins is of the devil ; thou sayest contrary , and speaks of sin not to be like the devil : and here again art speaking contrary to the scripture . and further , thou sayest thou dost say that the child of god as he sins , is of the devil , not that the devil can claim him for his , or that he is in the possession of the devil , for your gift is of balaams nature , and not of the nature of pauls , and so your reward will be as balaams , and not as pauls , who inherits the everlasting treasure for ever . and further , thou sayest , but as to the point of taking tythes , which in respect of darkness and prejudice , some saints are herein unsatisfied : and thou sayest we understand not our selves in judging from the apostles example , except we could prove by scripture , that the apostles might have had tythes , or those ministers which were like timothy and titus , settled in a parochial way in their quarters , might have had tythes given them , and yet refused them . reply . they which are satisfied that they are ministers of christ which takes tythes , are indeed in darkness as thou speaks , and unto all that fear god , taking of ●ythes whether in paying or receiving , will be prejudice : and be it known unto thee , and unto all such that we do understand our selves in judging thee and all such ; to be antichrists , and deceivers and false prophets , who acts and upholds those things which the deceivers and false prophets acted in former generations ; and in seeking for your gain from your quarter and in making merchandise of people through covetousness , you make it manifest that you are such , and so in the light which was in the prophets , and in the apostles , we see you , and by it we judge you , and by the example of the apostles you may all be condemned ; who never took tythes , nor sought for their gain from their quarter , nor made merchandise of any through covetousness , as you do : and we tell thee plainly , it is as true as the scripture , for by the same spirit we speak , that none of the ministers of christ nor his apostle , did take tythes or wages of the world for preaching , and this we can prove by the scripture , that the apostles refused to take that which they might have had , which was offered unto them , and herein they shall judge you , who not onely takes what men give you willing , but compels some to pay against their will : and that timothy or titus , or any of the ministers of iesus christ , was never settled in a parochial way in quarters , we do deny it , and doth charge it upon thee , to be a false accuser , and a slanderer , and a lyar , upon timothy and titus , and would make them as bad as thy self , and the rest of the false prophets , and here let thy own conscience condemn thee , for believing the holy men of god , and speaking that of them which they were not to cloak and uphold thy own deceits & abominations : & further , thou sayest till then the light of the apostles that took whatsoever was given them , satisfies thy conscience to praise god for the magistrate that doth freely give it unto thee , and then brings the apostles words , they that preach the gospel , should live of the gospel . reply . the light in which the apostles lived , by which they were acted , will for ever condemn thee except thou repent ; for by their example thou art judged already as it is manifested , thy conscience is blinded by the god of the world , and not satisfied by the light of christ which was in the apostles , for if the light of the apostles acted thee , then would thou be found in their steps , but be witness against thy self , that thou art acted by that spirit which acted the false prophets , and false apostles , being thou art found in the same steps , making merchandise of people , and preaching for hire as they did ; which of the apostles had any law from any magistrate , to compel men to pay tythes to them , shew this by the scripture if thou canst , or else be a witness against thy self , that thou lives not upon the gospel ? for i know if you had not a law to compel men to maintain you , the gospel which you preach , and the people to whom you preach , would starve you for maintenance ; this scripture we own , and do witness , they that preach the gospel shall live of the gospel , and doth , without running to magistrates to receive order from them , to compel men to pay them . xvi . query . shew me by the scripture where ever any of the ministers of christ did give davids psalms to be sung of the people in a rime ; and if not , thou acknowledgest that thou art in the inventions and traditions of men , raised out from them all . answ. in thy answer unto this query , thou brings many scriptures to prove singing , some of which doth not at all prove any singing , and none of them will prove the singing which thou pleads for ; which is a great company of proud and covetous , and earthly minded persons , to sing davids words which they cannot witness , but are enemies to the life of what he spoke ; for the world cannot sing praises unto god , but you by your traditions cause men to sing lies , that they are not puft in mind , and that the law of god is dear unto them , and that every night water they their bed with tears , when as they never witnessed these things , though all this was true in david ; and as for that scripture 2 chron , 29. where it was commanded of the priests to sing the words of david and asaph ; this was under the law , a figure , as the priests was a figure : and from that scripture you may as well prove the offering of sacrifice , as singing ; but thou makes manifest thy ignorance and blindness hereby unto all the simple , and many other scriptures thou brings , and the example of christ and his disciples , and the example of the churches , which will not at all prove the singing of your assemblies , which is onely by tradition and invention we do deny , and bear testimony against it , that it is not the singing to the praise of god , but god is dishonoured by it , and it shall all be turned into howling and bitterness , and the time is at hand wherein the iudgements of god shall be revealed against it , for in the eternal light it is discovered to be abomination unto god , and instead of singing you shall howle and lament , the lord hath said it ; and a great deal more rabble of stuff thou hast written to prove thy deceitful practice , which i forbear to answer , as not worth naming . xvii . query . whether that wo which christ pronounced against the pharisees , who were called of men masters , had the ceief place in the assemblies , and stood praying in the synagogues , do not abide upon thee , who art called of men masters , hast the chief seat in the assemblies , stands praying in the synagogue ? or how wilt thou justifie thy self in these practices , seeing christ is the same yesterday , to day , and for ever , who cryed woe against them that lived in them ? answ. thou sayest thou doth not feare the woes pronounced against the pharilees . reply . it is because thy heart is hardened , and thy mind is stiffnecked and rebellious , for as sure as christ is the same for ever , the same woe will be thy portion as was theirs , which acts those things which they acted , contrary to the command of christ : and further , thou sayest christ , his prophets and apostles and as well as thy self , were called masters , and sirs . reply . christ was called master , and here he approved it , and so he was , and is , even the one master of all the saints ; and their being called master will not justifie thee in thy pharisees steps : for he saith , mat. 23. be not ye called master , and thou mani●ests thy self to be an enemy to christ , who brings scripture against his commands , and this i ask thee , or any , whether you dare justifie that to be of god , which christ expresly commands contrary either in your selves or others ? and though some have erred herein , yet this will not justifie thee in thy pharisee steps ; for christ did plainly describe the pharisees to the desciples , by their walking , and we find thee , and the rest of thy brethren , compleat in their steps , by the same spirit as christ did we cry woe against you ; and as sure as christ is the same for ever , it will come upon you : and further thou answers , as concerning thy preaching and praying in a pulpit of wood in the synagogue , thou art no more then christ , his prophets and apostles ; who did preach in the synagogues to be condemned : reply . yea , thou art in the pharisees steps , having the chief seat in the assembly , and art to be condemned by the same which condemned the pharisees . and whereas thou hast brought many scriptures to vindicate thy pharisee like action , none or them will justifie thee nor thy action ; and thou hast belyed the prophets , and christ and his apostles , for they had not the chief place in the assemblies , which thou would go about to make appear they had , and so would make them as bad as thy self , and the phasees , but let all search the scriptures which thou hast named ; and as for that where ezra the scribe read the law in a pulpit of wood in the street , will not justifie thee except thou will own thy self to be a scribe and priest of the law as he was , and so deny thy self to be a minister of the gospel : this was not in a formal customary way , but at a particular time , and to a particular people , and he is not an example to the ministers of the gospel , for they went up and down in towns , and markets , and vilages , preaching to every creature , which is our example , and not ezra : and as for the other scriptures , they will bear witness against thy action , for not one of them doth prove that either-christ or his apostles had the chief seat in the synagogues , but sometimes they went and declared against them , and sometime they were hailed out and persecuted in them , as we are : and thy manner or action in the assemblies , is according to the pharisees , and not according to the apostles , thou makes a trade to get money by thy action , and they did not so , but freely what they had received from god they declared , but thou sels thine for money , and upholds an idols temple which they bore witness against , as the scripture bears witness , and here thou hast wrested the scripture being unlearned , to thy own destruction , and where is thou speaks of feeding the flock of christ , i answer , they who are the sheep of christ knows thy voice to be the stranger , and will deny thee and thy food which feeds dead minds with the dead letter , and then make a prey upon the people , as the false prophets did , and thou art raised out from all the holy prophets and apostles , art in the steps of the false prophets , and scribes and pharisees , and false brethren , thou speaks of our profaning the temples , and basely contemning it : to which i answer , we bear witness against the idols temples of the world , which god is dishonoured in , and baal worshiped , and do say god dwels not in temples made with hands , & no other ways we profane it nor contemn it , but as the apostles did , in witnessing forth the substance , and denying the figure : and further , thou sayest that as christ did , so thou doest acknowledge to be called master , minister , or pastor , and do likewise christ like , own in sincerity and humility , to stand praying in the synagouge . reply . here thou art impudent and shameless , who acknowledges thy self to be called masters , absolute contrary to the command of christ , and so art to be condemned with the pharisees , and as for ministers of the gospel , and pastor of the flock of christ , thou art none : for thy fruits doth make thee manifest , and being found out of the doctrine of christ , and of his apostles , art to be iudged by their life and spirit ; and that christ stood praying in the synagogue , which thou sayest , i declare against thee here to be a lyar , for in the scripture thou canst not prove that christ stood praying in the synagogue , and so hast belyed him ; and hast added in this answer to the scripture , as thou hast done in the twelfth query ; and so thou mayest read thy portion , plagues will god adde unto thee , and as for sincerity and humility , thou who pleads for that which the holy men of god witnessed against , mayest be ashamed to profess sincerity and humility , and thus thy answers are replied unto , and thy shame laid open , and thy portion read , even the breath of the lord will kindle thy torment , who hath slandered christ and his apostle , and would make them as bad as thy self , and the lyars portion must thou have , the mouth of the lord hath spoken it . xviii . query . whether they be not ministers of antichrist that do practice those things that christ cryed woe against ? and whether they be ministers of christ , that though their subtilty go about to justifie those practices that christ forbad and cryed woe against , yea or no ? answ. thou sayest if thou know any goes about subtilly to justifie these practices , it were well it were put out of a query . reply . for the information of the simple it was put forth , and that thou might be made manifest , and i put it out of all question , and say that they are the ministers of antichrist that practise those things that christ cryed woe against ; and thou art seen to be one of them , that hath declared thy self openly to all that shall read thy answers , that all thou hath written was in subtilty , and thou goes about to justifie that which christ cryed woe against , as is manifest pleading for tythes , and denying christ come in the flesh , and pleads against the words and commands of christ , and to be called of men master , and for standing praying in the synagogue , and calls it christ like , let shame strike thee in thee face , and i chalenge thee to prove where christ stood praying in the synagogue ; did he act those things that he cryed woe against , and so thou would make him like thy self a dissembler and an hypocrite ; but thou judges out of thy corrupt imaginations , and he will judge thee for it : and thou saith thou in charity ought to judge me to contend for the faith ; and in thy answer to iohn whites conclusion , thou says he pope like commands thee to answer ; and further , thou saith he required thee in his one name , what confusion thou lies in , and forgets what thou speaks thy heart is so full of deceit : and thou further saith , he ought to abound in charity , to think no evil , and to die to all causless jealousies and contempt against professors , thou would not have deceit judged nei●her in thy self nor others , but would build up , and be daubed with untempered morter , and it is beyond jealousies that we have of thee , and all profession that stands in that nature , when your profession is contrary to the doctrine of christ , and now possess not what you speak , and therefore makes hypocrites by your preaching , and to profess that which they possess not . and in thy conclusion , thou saith iohn whitehead , let me tell thee plainly , that thy words being far from the meek spirit of the apostles , i beseech you brethren . reply . the apostle never said i beseech you brethren to such as thou art , who acts those things that he declared against , and suffered by thy generation , as we do now , hailing , mocking , buffeting : and thou that art joyned to a harlot , would thou be called a brother , and thou saith thou should not have answered these queris , if it had not been to answer the command of god , and the teaching of the spirit ; the command of god thou never knew , who art pleading against christs commands and the spirit thou knows nothing of , who confessed in the fourth page of thy book , who confessed thou knew nothing but by the scripture , and the scripture is not the spirit ; and here let all judge of thy blindness , and thou saith thou hast answered without adding or diminishing the scripture , let all thy writing be a witness against thee , in thy answer to the twelfth query , and in thy conclusion thou sayes thou would not draw arguments from , and fetch guns out of a castle , to turn them against the same place ; this shall stand for thy self , and let all judge whether thou have not fetched arguments and scriptures to uphold thy trade of divination , and hath pleaded against christs own commands , and sets one scripture against another ; and thou would have distinctions to stand , because the holy ghost saith , this he spoke concerning the temple of his body ; but where is that scripture that saith this was said not of the material temple ? that is thy own word , and so thou cannot but twine , and wrest , and pervert , for if thou did not , the whole scripture would bear witness against thee ; and thou art accusing that thou heard him press , casting off ordinances , we know what thou calls ordinances , even beggerly rudiments , sprinkling infants , singing others condition , and when you read puts them on , and when you sing puts them off , and standing praying in the synagogue , and would accuse christ as thou hast done , in thy answer to the seventeenth query , and coming to an idols temple ; and hear thee speak an hour or two , what thou hast raised up by thy imagination from the scripture all the week , and then cry hear the word of the lord , and these and such like are your ordinances , but god will plead with thee , and all that offer strange fire , and all your sacrifice god is weary of , and therefore cease to pervert the way of the lord , lest thou be cut off within thy gainsaying , and perish with the uncircumcised . finis . truth lifting up its head above slander in an answer to thomas jackson, late priest of stoke in sussex, his lying paper which he left in the north of england / by francis howgill ; whereunto is added something by way of letter from another hand to the said t.j. shewing the reasons why it is meet to publish the same at this time ... ; likewise a brief rehearsal of some remarkable passages out of e.b. his book called satan's design defeated. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. 1663 approx. 52 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 12 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2005-10 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a44811 wing h3186 estc r178363 10741461 ocm 10741461 45609 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a44811) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 45609) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 1405:4) truth lifting up its head above slander in an answer to thomas jackson, late priest of stoke in sussex, his lying paper which he left in the north of england / by francis howgill ; whereunto is added something by way of letter from another hand to the said t.j. shewing the reasons why it is meet to publish the same at this time ... ; likewise a brief rehearsal of some remarkable passages out of e.b. his book called satan's design defeated. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. burrough, edward, 1634-1662. satans designe defeated. 23 p. s.n.], [london : 1663. reproduction of original in the harvard university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng jackson, thomas, 1579-1640. -tenets of the quakers in the north. society of friends -england -controversial literature. 2004-12 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2004-12 aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-01 emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread 2005-01 emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-04 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion truth lifting up its head above slander : in an answer to thomas jackson , late priest of stoke in sussex , his lying paper which he left in the north of england . by francis howgill . whereunto is added something by way of letter , from another hand , to the said t. j. shewing the reasons why it is judged meet to publish the same at this time . namely , because he the said jackson continueth still his old course of slandering , and private back-biting the innocent , by his devised fables , notwithstanding he hath been privately admonished , and since more publickly reproved in print , by e. b. wherein his scandalous imputations of popish tenents , falsely cast by him upon others , are deservedly laid upon himself . likewise , a brief rehearsal of some remarkable passages , out of e. b. his book , called satan's design defeated ; in answer to another manuscript of the said priest jackson's , by way of prophesie , to that remaining part of the old parliament then sitting ; threatning their destruction , if they took part with such malicious priests against the innocent ; which since in a great measure the lord hath fulfilled upon them and him . which may serve for a warning to this present generation : by a friend to truth , and an utter enemy to persecution , j. s. printed in the year 1663. truth lifting up its head above slander : in an answer to thomas jackson , late priest of stoke in sussex , his lying paper which he left in the north of england , &c. thomas jackson , thy paper which thou lestest in the north of england , with thy brother parson , i have received ; wherein i find many devised fables , which thou hast invented in thy corrupt heart , which thou wouldest fasten upon me as my doctrine and principles : and coming to london , i also find most part of the same things spread abroad by thee , and sent to some of the late parliament ; which thou callest , the tenetns of the quakers in the north ; which thou sayest , thou hast recited , and also they maintained : thou hast recited for the most part , the deceit of thy own frothy brain ; and thou must not think when thou bringest forth thy own imaginations , who watchest for iniquity , that the quakers will maintain those things ; but if thou assert things of thy self , and from thy dark understanding , which thou hast raked up out of the dungeon of confusion , which thou sayest thou hast waded in , as in thy letter to thy honourable sir , to whom thou writest in feignedness and flattery these things , that thou hast charged us with ; thou must stand to thy self ; for that which the quakers do assert , they will stand to and vindicate , against thee and all opposers . thou sayest , thou hast more soul-refreshing work than to answer my letter , which i sent unto thee , with the queries . forging up of lyes , and inventing of mischief , is no soul-refreshing work , but is the work which is brought by him , who is the father of lyes , whose work thou hast been working , which shall be made evident to thee , when the lord shall arise to plead with thee , for all thy ungodly deeds and hard speeches against the truth ; thou sayest , thou wast willing to write a few words , that it might appear , whether thou or i were the lyar ; because i said unto thee , in thy own words , what thou declaredst before near twenty people , after i had spoken two or near hand three hours ; when i know truth had power over thee , that thou couldest not open thy mouth against what was spoken that day by me ; but after the meeting , in thy brothers house , thou saidst , that no godly minister in england would deny what i had spoken then in the meeting to be truth : which words i returned unto thee , when i heard that thou backbited when i was gone , and said , i held popish tenents , and thou challengedst me to produce one witness that did confess unto the words before mentioned , as , [ that no godly minister would deny what was spoken by me to be truth : ] now that thou mayest be convinced that thou art the lyar , and not i ; i give thee four witnesses , whose hands are subscribed for my testimony against thee , to the aforesaid words ; that is to say , william pearson , james adamson , john cay , jane pearson , with several others : and so thou must either plead thy forgetfulness , or else thou shewest thy self , in thine own words , to have an impudent face , that darest deny that which thou spakest before many witnesses ; so there is no way now to acquit thy self , but to confesse and repent of the envy which is in thy heart . further , thou saist , that i denyed imputed righteousness , which thou sayest , is a popish doctrine ; thou must reckon that to them , and not to me ; for i told thee then , and now again , whatsoever was imputed or reckoned to them that did believe , i owned ; but for thee and the rest of you parish-teachers , imputing or reckoning that unto your flock who are unconverted , which god reckoneth not nor imputes to them , is delusion and deceit . and further thou sayest , that i made the gifts in the heathens of the same quality with the graces in believers . these are thy own words , and not mine : but that the light in unbelievers , and the light in believers , is of the same quality or nature ; which is evident by its operations , and by the testimony of scriptures ; this i shall stand unto . christ saith , i am come a light into the world. and the world in the spirit 's account is not taken for believers , though many of you parish-teachers have said so ; but the world are such as are unredeemed and unsanctified , and yet christ is that true light which is come into the world ; and that he is the light of believers thou wilt not deny . now this is one and the self-same christ , one and the self-same light ; his nature one , and his quality one , which is pure , holy and divine : yet the manifestation of this light is more clear in them that believe , than in them that believe not ; yet this altereth not the quality of the light : for unbelievers have also some manifestation , and that is it which convinceth of sin , and sheweth them things reprovable ; for whatsoever things are reprovable , as it is written , is manifest by the light ; but that the heathen are reproved , and unbelievers are reproved , when they sin against that which is manifest in them , as is clear , rom. 2. and that which reproveth for impurity is of a pure quality , as that which justifieth purity and righteousness . but i see , though a prize be put into the hand of a fool , he regardeth it not ; and though i then did declare , and now do , the wisdom of god , yet thou being in the night perceivest it not . and thou sayest , that i hold falling away from grace , which is a popish tenent : then in this the papists are nearer the truth than thou ; and although a papist hold it , i must not deny it , because it is true . the apostle jude speaks of some , who turned the grace of god into wantonness ; or , more truly rendred , from the grace of god into wantonness , and then walk after their own ungodly lusts , being gone from the grace of god which had appeared unto them , which afterwards they turned their backs upon , and fell from . and the grace of god , which brings salvation , hath appeared unto all men , yet all men are not taught by it ; my reason is not , because they want a teacher ; neither , because grace is not given to lead them , and to uphold them in righteousness : but because they love it not , or stand not in his counsel ; and so , falling from his counsel , fall into ungodliness . and furthermore , the apostle saith , as concerning faith and a good conscience , they had put away and made shipwrack of it : they could not put faith away which had none , neither make shipwrack of a ship , that never had one . and furthermore , christ said unto his disciples , except a branch abide in the vine , it cannot bring forth fruit ; no more can you except you abide in me . so that it is evident , that there is a possibility for a branch to be cut off from the vine , and to wither ; and also that there may be a coming unto christ , and a bringing forth fruit unto god , and yet losing the power of god , the ●ight and life thereof , by which they have ability to do the will of god , may wither and die , and so become unprofitable . thou bidst me reade the jesuites writings if i had so much understanding . thou art more conversant with the jesuites writings than i desire to be : it may be thou hast waded seven years in the old popish colledges , in which there are great store of such , and what thou hast done since , the light in thy conscience will let thee see : yet i see before the jesuites or their writings , and need not to search there in such blackness and darkness . and then thou sayest , tell me who thou art like ? i say , i deny them all in the root and in the ground : but as for thee and the rest of the parish-hirelings , you are a stem sprung from the same root , manifest clearly to thousands in england , by very many of your practices , which have been made evident in publick , and so in that i shall forbear . thou sayest in thy rage , i am given over to a mind without judgment , because i said unto thee , thou knewest not what the soul was , because thou said and affirmed it was a created thing , which thing i bid thee prove ; which thing thou did not then , neither yet hast ; and yet most impudently hast set it down as a tenent of mine that i should affirm , when only i desired thy proof : but let the serpent be blind for me , i shall not feed that which is for destruction ; for thou art not one of those which watch for the soul , to see it brought out of the grave , or out of death , but for thy gain from thy quarter , and for iniquity . thou sayest , do not souls go to hell ? and , can the eternal birth go thither ? i 'le ask thee a question , what was it that delivered david from the nethermost hell , that brought his soul out of the pit , and delivered his darling from the devouring lion ? and what is it that tormenteth the wicked in hell ? is it not written , if i go up into heaven , thou art there : or , if down into hell , thou art there . whither shall i go from thy presence ? or , whither shall i flee from thy spirit ? art thou fit to be a leader of a flock who art ignorant of what salvation is preached to ; or what it is that wants redemption ? i say , thou preachest up the report of christ , without the knowledge of him ; and thou sayest , blessed are those that believe thy report , unto whom the arm of the lord is revealed . many have heard thy report , and such reporters as thou , and yet know not blessedness , neither is the arm of the lord revealed to them , or in them . thou preachest him in words , but in works deniest him . thou sayest , what gracious souls can but bleed , to hear how the offices of christ are rejected and denied amongst us , yea , his blood and sufferings , as to be onely report or signal thing : signal thing is thy own words ; and it is evident who deny the office of christ , and who deny his sufferings : for we say , he suffered once to take away sin : but you say , that the dearest saint of god cannot be cleansed from sin while upon earrh . we say , that the blood of christ cleanseth from all sin ; and there is no remission without blood : and you say , that none is to expect clensing from all sin in this life . we say , christ is anointed of god to be a leader to his people , whose lips only are to preserve knowledge , and the law is to be received at his mouth , who saith , learn of me ; and we say , the testimony of jesus is the spirit of prophecy ; and that christ is to rule as king ; and where sin rules , he ruleth not ; where sin is acted and brought forth , christ is not king over them : but you say , the acts of sin , or the reliques or remainders thereof must never be subdued , while upon earth , or done away wholly . we say , according to christ's own words , believe in the light , and this is an ordinance of christ : but this you call delusion , and would make it void . so thou mayest take a view of your doctrines , and let thy heart bleed when thou comest to consider , how thou rejectest the office , ordinances , blood and sufferings of christ ; and , in a word , deniest the very end of his coming , which is , to save his people from their sins . but thou sayest , the children of the promise can by faith glory in him , and rest in him for eternal life . there is none knows eternal life , but who have the living faith through which it is revealed ; and the life is the light of men : but you deny the light , and so deny the foundation of faith , and the author of it , and live in a life which is carnal , and take up a rest in these things which are invented in the apostacy by corrupt-minded men ; which things are polluted , which all them that come to know eternal life must rise out of ; for this is not their rest , but their rest standeth in him , who subdueth and putteth under that which hath resisted him in all that believe , and then they come to know their rest. thou sayest further , what , is it a cankered way to preach repentance and faith , and to mortifie the deeds of the body , and to have their conversation in heaven ? i say , nay ; but to make people believe that they have repented , and have faith , and that they are cleansed , and that they are mortified , and that they have their conversation in heaven , when they are alive to deceit and to unrighteousness , and to the lusts of the flesh , and converse with the worldly lusts , which make war against the soul : i call this cankered doctrine , and it eats as a canker where it is received in . what art thou out of thy wits ? or , hast thou lost thy understanding ? doest thou look that any have their conversation in heaven , whilst they are here ? is it not written , no unclean thing enters into the kingdom of god ? and stands not this as an article of your faith , that none is to expect cleansing from all sin here ? what , art thou putting people upon impossibilities , as to converse with god , or have their conversation in heaven ? what blindness and ignorance is here ! and further , thou sayest , there are many ministers in england , whom i call babylons merchants , which cause both hell and rome to shake , and to rage . alas , what have you done ? the covenant of death is not yet broken , the agreement with hell is not yet disanulled ; for many are at union with it in their rage and envy , and would kill and destroy for their worldly maintenance , and to set up and establish those reliques of popery , and of rome , which yet are unpurged out , out of the nation ; as the popes wages , tythes , masse-houses , sprinkling of infants , and many more things which i might enumerate , which the devil keeps himself alive in , and rome hath an interest in ; and you rage and revile , and draw out your carnal weapons to destroy unmercifully them that bear witness against those things ; witness of late the conspiracy of thy brethren in cheshire , lancashire , and divers other places , who laboured to set all on a fire , and to kill and destroy them , who bore witness against death , hell and rome ; and so your preaching is to stir up sedition amongst people , for your own interest , and for the interest of hell and rome , which is yet unpurged out of the nation . and what tellest thou of the suffering martyrs in queen maries dayes , to whom you are not to be compared ; many of them bore witness against many of those things , which you are holding up , and pleading for , as tythes , hire , and killing for religion , and throwing into holes and dungeons them that cannot comply with you , to the upholding of these and the like deceits , which god will overthrow and confound . and thou sayest , when i will make it appear either by word or writing , that i have learned which be the first principles , the oracle of god , and do own the person and offices of christ , thou wilt answer my queries . now i let thee know both by word and writing , that i have learned and know which be they , as repentance from dead works , and faith towards god , and the doctrine of baptisms , and the laying on of hands , &c. and the person , ordinances , and offices of christ ( as i have proved before ) i own : therefore see that thou fail not the second time to answer my queries . and as for the dishes thou speakest of , i have left them behind me ; i say , they are thy own for the most part ( and not mine ) which thou hast scattered up and down the world to feed the devil with . as first , that the scriptures are neither a light , nor the saints rule , neither is it every ones duty to search them . two parts of this is thy own forged lye : but yet the saints rule , and the son's rule , is the spirit that gave forth the scriptures . 2. that the seed of the woman is in every one ; else what should bruise the serpents head ? or what should destroy the works of the devil ? and , the seed is sown in stony ground , thorny ground , and high-way ground , and good ground : go , learn what it means . 3. that the body which worms eat , shall never rise again . this is thy own forged lye : carry this dish to the table of devils , from whence thou fetcht it . 4. that all who are reconciled unto god , have a measure of that seed , which was conceived in the virgins womb by the holy ghost . two parts of this is a lye , and thy own words : but all that are reconciled unto god , have christ the seed revealed in them . 5. that the soul is not a part of man , nor created . this is thy own assertion , and not mine . the soul is immortal , and came from god , and is preserved in the hand of the lord. 6. the light in every one is a spiritual substance , and a measure of god ; christ that hath enlightned every man , is a spiritual substance ; and that which convinceth of sin , is the spirit of god ; and god is a spirit . 7. that the talent which was lost , was that which christ came to save . this thou hast forged up in thy dark mind . but the sheep that were lost , he came to save ; and they that were hid in prison-houses , he came to redeem ; and they that were snared in holes , and were for a prey and for a spoil , these he came to save from the spoiler . go learn what it means . 8. that the clouds in which christ is said to come , are in man , and so are the elements which are said to melt . this thou must see thy self before thou see his appearing ; for a cloud covers him out of thy sight , and therefore thou art gazing and imagining abroad thou knowest not where . 9. that we are justified by the sufferings of christ in us ; and that christ as he is the seed of the woman doth suffer , and hath suffered from the foundation of the world . they that are justified , know him that hath suffered by them , and in them , and do believe his suffering at jerusalem ; and by his life revealed and manifested in them , they are justified ; and by his righteousness which he hath revealed in them , and which he hath wrought for them , and by receiving of the gift , justification comes upon all that do believe . and is this such a strange doctrine to thee , [ that christ the seed hath suffered in all ages by unbelievers ] and yet thou profess thy self a minister of christ ? was he not slain from the foundation of the world ? did he not suffer after at jerusalem ? hath he not been slain since in sodom and egypt , and now suffers by thee who art an inhabitant in that city ? a terrible day will come upon thee before thou knowest his life revealed , or him to live in thee ; and this thou shalt witness to be true in the day of the lord. answer my queries , and do not evade as thou hast done , in forging thy own imaginations , and then send them to me as my assertions to prove . thy things i return back to thee , thy dishes , that thou mayest carry them back again , to the table from whence thou hadst them ; and be no more a servant to him whose work thou hast been doing , lest misery and perplexity be thy end . fra. howgill . something by way of a letter , from another hand , to the said thomas jackson , &c. forasmuch as the private admonition contained in the foregoing letter , sent unto thee in writing by f. h. nor the publick reproof by e. b. in his printed answer to a manuscript of thine , sent in the year 1659 , to a member of the old parliament , then sitting ; nor yet the word of the lord , therein prophesying against thee , and them ; which hath since in a measure been made good upon thee , and them ; hath taken no good effect upon thee to beget a true repentance in thee ; but like evil men and seducers , thou growest worse and worse , deceiving and being deceived , still continuing in thy old course of backbiting , railing , and secret smiting the innocent : and because the judgment of god hath reached thee in some measure , according to the word of the lord by his servant aforesaid , in his said answer , even so as thou canst not now vent thy devilish persecution openly in a pulpit ; yet still , as i have heard , thou takest occasion , by creeping into houses and corners , when thou canst but get together a company of silly women laden with sins , and led away with divers lusts , then thou takest opportunity to vent thy old lies and blasphemies afresh against god , his name , his truth , his tabernacle , and them that dwell in heaven ; calling the truths of god , popish tenents , and they that hold the same , hereticks ; when as it is thou thy self and thy presbyterian brethren that do hold such things , and not the innocent people of god called quakers . as witness ; 1. your denying the doctrine of christ and his apostles , which they held forth , preached up , pressed after , and attained unto in this life , viz. a freedom from sin ; and perfection ; as these scriptures following do testifie and bear witness unto . how shall we ( saith the apostle ) that are dead to sin , live any longer therein , rom. 6. 2. knowing this , that our old man [ is crucified ] with him , that the body of sin might be destroyed , that henceforth we should not serve sin : for he that is dead [ is freed from sin ] ver . 6 , 7. being then made [ free from sin ] ye became the servants of righteousness ; for when ye were the servants of sin , ye were free from righteousness : but now being made [ free from sin ] and become servants to god , ye have your fruit unto holiness , and the end everlasting life , ver . 18 , 20 , 22. what can be more plain ? and then again , he that committeth sin , is of the devil ; for the devil sinneth from the beginning ▪ for this purpose the son of god was manifested , that he might destroy the works of the devil . whosoever is born of god [ doth not commit sin ] for his seed remaineth in him , [ and he cannot sin ] because he is born of god , 1 joh. 3. 8 , 9. and so for perfection . be ye therefore [ perfect ] saith christ , even as your father which is in heaven [ is perfect ] mat. 5. 48. we speak wisdom among them that [ are perfect ] saith the apostle , 1 cor. 2. 6. and he gave some , apostles ; and some , prophets ; and some , evangelists ; and some , pastors , and teachers ▪ ( what to do ? why mark ) [ for the perfecting of the saints ] for the work of the ministry ; for the edifying of the body of christ : till we all come in the unity of the faith , and of the son of god , unto [ a perfect man ] unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of christ , ephes. 4. 11 , 12 , 13. and this was the end of the apostles preaching , to present [ every man perfect in christ jesus ] col. 1. 28. and this is the end of all scripture , even that the man of god [ may be perfect ] thorowly furnished unto all good works , 2 tim. 3. 16 , 17. for the law made nothing [ perfect ] but the bringing in of a better hope did ( viz. christ ) by the which we draw nigh unto god , heb. 7. 19. for by one offering he hath [ perfected for ever them that are sanctified ] heb. 10. 14. what can be more plain ? and ye are come unto mount zion , and unto the city of the living god , and the heavenly jerusalem , and to an innumerable company of angels ; to the general assembly and church of the first-born , which are written in heaven ; and to god the jvdge of all ; and to the spirits of just men [ made perfect ] heb. 12. 22 , 23. but your denying of this truth , sheweth you have made a league with sin , death and hell : for as long as you live , you teach others to do so too , telling them they must not look to be free from corruption and sin while they live here . the consequence of which doctrine of yours must in the end bring in that popish tenent of purgatory : for , if perfection and freedom from sin , is not attainable unto in this life , as you say on the one hand ; nor no unclean person or thing can enter into heaven the kingdom of god in the life to come , as the scriptures of truth say on the other hand , eph. 5. 5. rev. 21. 27. then tell me when and where must the time and place of cleansing be ? must it not be in a middle place , and a middle time ? between earth and heaven , and between this life and the life to come , and so equal to the papists purgatory ? if this be not the consequence of this your doctrine , let the wise in heart judge . again witness ; 2. your maintaining the lawfulness of swearing now under the gospel , against the express words of christ and his apostles to the contrary , who saith , but i say unto you * swear not at all , ( what more full ) neither by heaven , for it is gods throne ; nor by the earth , for it is his footstool ; neither by jerusalem , for it is the city of the great king : neither shalt thou swear by thy head , because thou canst not make one hair white or black : but let your communication , be yea , yea : nay , nay : for whatsoever is more then these , cometh of evil , mat. 5. 34 , 35 , 36 , 37. and the apostle james saith , but above all things , swear not , neither by heaven , neither by the earth , neither by any other oath ; but let your yea , be yea ; and your nay , nay ; lest you fall into condemnation , jam. 5. 12. which is plain without all exception . and whether is not that an antichristian and popish tenent , to put constructions and meanings , upon plain places of scripture , contrary to the mind of christ and his spirit which wrote them ; which are so plain , that none that are simple-hearted , can oppose or evade . again witness ; 3. your former taking , and now pleading for , and justifying that popish maintenance of ministers by tythes , which in its first institution , in the time of the law , when it was in full force , was appointed for the levite ( because he had no part nor inheritance among his brethren ; and therefore he was not to be forsaken nor forgotten ) and for the stranger , and the fatherless , and the widow , that they might eat and be satisfied , deut. 14. 27 , 28 , 29. and so there was no lack among them . but you plead for it now under the gospel , and that by the same law , which law christ hath since ended , and also changed that priest-hood , and disanulled that commandment , by which it was both taken and given , heb. 7. and the stranger , and the fatherless , and the widow , have little or no benefit by it at all from your hands , neither are our streets free from beggers ; and besides , they are taken by you , who have great inheritances in the land , and yearly revenues besides . again , in the first institution of tythes , they were all to be brought into one treasury , into the house of god , year by year , for the ends aforesaid , neh. 10. but you carry it into your own barns and houses , and there use it for your own ends ( if not to abuse it , and spend it upon your lusts . ) again , then the levites , ( whose right the tythes then were ) they were to offer up a tenth part of all the tythes , for a ●eave offering unto the lord , but you do not do so . again , they were not to eat the tythes by themselves , in their own houses , or within their own gates , but with the strangers , and fatherless and widows , in the house , and in the place the lord had chosen , deut. 12. 17 , 18. but you do carry it into your own barns , and do eat it within your own gates , and do shut out the strangers , and the fatherless , and the widows , so that they have no part nor portion in this matter with you . and thus it was in the time of the law among the jewes , about tythes , when it was in force ; which though you will take as by virtue of that law , yet you will not pactise in all things , no nor in any thing according to that law , except in the very taking of them . but now under the gospel , since christ , ( as i said before ) hath put an end to that priesthood , and changed the law , and disanulled the commandment thereof ; we do not find , that ever christ commanded tythes to be payd , or ever appointed any set maintenance for his ministers to receive , which he sends forth to preach the gospel : neither was any such practice used in the primitive times ; but christ sent them forth , without gold , without silver , and without brass in their purses , and without a scrip for their journey , &c. mat. 10. 9 , 10. and they had as hard a hearted people to deal with then , as any are now ; for who more hard-hearted then jews ? ( and therefore it is become a by-word amongst us to say , as cruel and as hard-hearted as a jew ) and yet they lacked nothing , luk. 22. 35. and paul , who was an apostle , not of men , neither by man , but by jesus christ , &c. gal. 1. 1. saith , ( whom all men are to follow , as he followed christ ) he behaved not himself disorderly , neither did he eat any mans bread for nought : but wrought with labour , and travelled night and day , ( with our hands , 1 cor. 4. 12. ) that we might not be chargeable to any of you , 2 thes. 3. 7 , 8 , 9. and is not then the matter of tythes , now under the gospel , a popish intrusion , which you stand up to maintain for your bellies sake ? again witness ; 4. your calling the popish mass-houses , built of material wood and stone , churches : when as the church of christ is in god , 2 thes. 1. 1. and is built up of living stones , fitly joyned together by him ; whereof he himself is the chief corner stone , elect and pretious , 1 pet. 2 , 4 , 5 , 6. again witness ; 5. your late fleeing from your flocks , when you saw the wolf coming , leaving them to be scattered and catcht by the wolf in the time of their greatest danger ; which proves you to be hireling priests and idol shepherds , and not true shepherds , whose own the sheep are not ; for then would you care for the sheep , and lay down your lives for the sheep , and for the truth , the pasture of the sheep ; and so make good the words of christ against you , who saith , the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep , but he that is a hireling , and not the shepherd , whose own the sheep are not ; seeth the wolf coming , and leaveth the sheep , and fleeth : and the wolf catcheth them , and scatttreth the sheep ; the hireling fleeth , because he is a hireling , and careth not for the sheep , joh. 10. 11 , 12 , 13. yea , and that which is worse ; thou tho. jackson more especially , hast not onely , contrary to thy duty , left thy flock , and left off preaching the gospel , for fear of persecution ; and so thereby brought thy self under the woe the apostle pronounces , 1 cor. 9. 16. who saith there , that a necessity is laid upon me , yea woe is unto me , if i preach not the gospel ; but also hast , with some others , most treacherously betraied your simple ignorant flocks into the very hands and mouthes of the wolves ; by perswading them , ( poor silly sheep , whose faiths are too much pin'd upon your sleeves ) to go to the publick , to the high places , there to hear the service book , &c. and those that preach there in all the whores robes , rather than not go to the publick at all ( which some have done to the wounding of their consciences ) and all this lest peradventure , ( as you fear ) they your proselytes when they have used themselves to a separation from the publick , may hereafter separate also from you , when the day of your restauration shall come , which you daily hope for ; or otherwise , it is to be feared , that if you had not many of you taken the covenant , you would have stooped to and crouched under all the relicks of popery that are now publickly in use , rather then to have quit your livings , which now you cannot some of you , ( though too many of your brethren have ) and all because if you should , your more discerning hearers would easily discern your perjury , and so decline you for ever . and now hast not thou hereby betrayed the souls of the ignorant , and sold them for bread ; and made merchandise of them for a pair of shoes , and will they not be required one day at thy hands ? consider and repent , if it be possible , before it be too late . but oh ! you simple-hearted people who have been long hearers of these men , and a long time learning , and not yet come to the knowledge of the truth ; why are ye so blind ? and see not that these be the men , most of them , that the apostle speaks of , that have but a form of godliness , but deny the power , from whom you are warned and commanded to turn away from , 2 tim. 3. 5 , 6 , 7. wherefore , come forth from among them and be ye separate saith the lord , and touch no unclean thing , and i will recieve you , and will be a father unto you , and ye shall be my sons and daughters , saith the lord almighty , 2 cor. 6. 17 , 18. turn your hearts and minds inward , and look within , for the grace of god which brings salvation , hath appeared unto all men , teaching us , that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts , we should live soberly , righteously , and godly in this present world , tit. 2. 11. therefore look not for it without you , but look for it within ; your outward teachers are taken away , and removed into corners , that you may look within for a teacher that cannot be removed into a corner ; and the word of god is within ; and the true teacher which can teach you all things , is within ; and the kingdom of god is within you ; and christ the king of that kingdom is within you too , except ye be reprobates ; and the temple of god is also within ; therefore have no fellowship with the works or workers of darkness , neither without nor within ; for what agreement hath the temple of god with idols ? for ye are the temple of the living god , as god hath said , i will dwell in them and walk in them , and will be their god , and they shall be my people , 2 cor. 6. 16. therefore hear the call of the lord , for it may be the last time that some of you may hear it , who calls out of babylon ; come out of her my people , saith the lord , that ye be not partakers of her sins , and that ye receive not of her plagues ; for her sins have reached up to heaven , and god hath remembred her iniquities , rev. 18. 4 , 50 but to return . again witness ; 6. your popish ordination to the ministry , which is of man , and by man , and derived either from the pope , to the bishop , and from the bishop to the presbyter , and so from the presbyter to you , or from a congregation of men , in an university or otherwise ; and so still of man and not of god , nor separate by the spirit , unless by such a spirit as can be bought for mony , at the university or elswhere , by being sometime a student in arts , tongues , and languages , humane and natural sciences ; ( the seat of the whore , rev. 17. 16. ) and for this are you reckoned by men , and do account of your selves , to be set apart for the ministry , and to be superiour to others , thereby to lord it over god's heritage ; to be set in the uppermost seat in the synagogues , and at feasts , and to be greeted in the market-place , and called of men master , and ( master of arts ) contrary to the scriptures ; although you must for all this , study hard for a sermon , and having compiled one , you must either con it without book , and so put it to sale , by repeating it over again , or read it within book , to make money of it , yea sometimes you sell them two or three times over ; and after this manner do you divine for money and preach for hire ( and own the name of divines ) and say , thus saith the lord , when the lord hath neither spoken to you , nor sent you . therefore read your portion in ezek. 13. to the end . now are not these your tenents , popish tenents indeed ? and these your practices , popish practices indeed , which are practised by you ? well , i shall leave it to the judgement of all those that are but a little enlightened in their consciences , with christ the true light , which lighteth every man that cometh into the world , to determine . and now , dost not thou shew thy self a true son of the church of rome in this matter ? who whore-like , cryest out whore first , and a right merchant of babylon , in crying out error , heresie , and blasphemy ; hereticks , and schismaticks , popish tenents , and seducers ! when thou thy self art found in the self same thing . well , read thy state in the second chapter to the romans : read the whole chapter with a spirit of meekness and patience ; and if it were possible i would ( or rather the lord by me ) perswade thee to repentance , before it be too late ; for the lord is come , and coming ( according to the prophesie of enoch ) in ten thousand of his saints , to render judgement upon all , and to convince all that are ungodly among them , of all their ungodly deeds , which they have ungodlily committed ; and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against them , jude 14 , 15. read the whole epistle with a sensible heart , and weeping eyes , in fear and trembling ; and remember and call to mind all thy rayling , lying , slandring , backbiting , and malitious reproaches thou hast cast upon all perswasions differing from thee , in secret and in the dark . remember what thou hast said against , and how vilely thou hast reproached the author of that book , called , the retired man's meditations , as also the baptists , and our friends . now thou wilt not , nor canst not preach in publick , consider what thou art doing in private : the lord seeth thee , and a book of remembrance is taken of it , and shortly thou must come to account , and what a sad reckoning wilt thou make , and an account give to him that hath said , the reproaches of them that reproached thee , are fallen upon me , psal. 69. 9. rom. 15. 3. and , in all their afflictions he is afflicted , isa. 63. 8 , 9. and , in as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these , my brethren , ye have done it unto me , mat. 25. 40. and , whosoever toucheth them , toucheth the apple of his eye . therefore repent betimes , else horror and terror , tribulation and anguish will fall upon thee , and torment thee without end . and know also , that that which edw. b. did write unto thee from the lord , in the year 1659. ( when part of the long parliament was sitting ) in his answer to thy manuscript , is truth still , and thou , if not ●eared , mayest both see it , and feel it made good , upon thy self and others at this day , and the rest hastens apace to be fulfilled . a taste of which , by reciting some of the passages in that book , to put thee a little in remembrance thereof , thou wilt find at the end hereof . now i say , for these reasons aforesaid , it is judged meet to print that letter foregoing , which was sent to thee in writing so long ago ; for the making thy folly more manifest , and if it might be that thou mayest bethink thy self , and that thy poor deluded proselytes may see , if it may be , what a deceiver thou art ; who continuest still to whisper thy lyes and envy about , and seekest darkness for thy cover , as being ashamed of the light , and all because thy case is naught , and thy deeds be evil ; whereas he that doth right , seeks no corners : for every one that doth evil , hateth the light ; neither cometh to the light , lest his deeds should be reproved : but he that doth truth , cometh to the light ; that his deeds may be made manifest , that they are wrought in god , joh. 3. 19 , 20 , 21. the 12th . month , 1662. from an utter enemy to all manner of persecution for conscience sake , but a real lover of thy soul , j. s. some passages of e. b. his book , in answer unto tho. jackson's paper , written to all the remaining part of the old parliament , then sitting ; as well as to the said t. j. in 1659. which in a great measure is fulfilled already , and the rest is hastning , to be fulfilled in due time ; which may serve also for a warning to this present generation . thomas jackson , in the conclusion of his paper written to w. c. member of that remaining part of the old parliament aforesaid , saith thus , worthy sir , it will be your honour to stand in the gap , to stop the violence of this hellish torrent ( meaning those tenents he falsly chargeth upon the innocent harmless people of god , called quakers ) that is so high , that it sounds from dan to beersheba , and threatens judgement to our israel , &c. to which e. b. answers thus , page 16. and part of the 17. answ. here is the concluson of thy matter , which is the sum of it ; a running to the powers of the earth for help . what , have you ministers lost the lord to be your strength , that you must fly for help to men , to defend you from the spirit of god in his people ? must they make laws to establish you , and set you up ; is not this the whore that rode upon the beast , and that the beast carries ? is not here a description of her , out of the mouth of this author ? is he crying to you to persecute the innocent ? it is true , the seed of god is risen , the elect seed , that is able to make war against the beast , and against the false prophets , even with the word of the lord , and is he offended that truth is risen so high ? and would he have some fire and * faggots again in smithfield ? and some persecution and banishment , acted upon the people of god ? is this the standing in the gap , and stopping violence , or would ye have it done this way ? yea , judgements indeed are threatned to your generation ; for if god will not destroy you soon enough , you will destroy your own selves ; and your own iniquity will be upon you , and the wickedness of the wicked shall slay him . but my counsel is not only to that particular member , but to the whole body of them , that they be wise and take heed what they do ; for the eye of the lord is over you , and his hand can dash you in pieces ; and if you be oppressors of the poor people of god , sand will not relieve the opressed , the innocent , and break the bonds of oppression , the lord will break you in pieces ; for this is the rock that hath broken all before you , [ persecuting people for conscience sake ] and if you go on in this way , your destruction shall be the most lamentable of any that was ever yet before you : do you not yet see the wickedness of this generation ? will you yet contend for them ? surely you might learn wisdom even by their folly ; and if you do not shut your eyes , there needs no more discovery than their own present wayes and works . wherefore consider the day of god's visitation is upon you , make good use of your time , lest the lord break you down , and never build you up ; and let the spirit of the lord have its liberty , and limit it not , for if you do , you shall never prosper , nor never be made a blessing unto the people under your charge . ☞ remember you are warned by a lover of your souls . and page 17 , 18 , 19 , 20. e. b. saith , and this i say unto you in the name of the lord , that whilst that interest ( of this false priesthood i mean ) is so much favoured ☞ and defended , you can never prosper , nor the nations be ever happy under you ; for it is one of the greatest oppressions this day in the nation , the maintaining and upholding of this ministry by tythes and other unrighteous wages ; and the very land groans under the oppression of this church and ministry , which lieth as a heavy burden upon both persons and estates , and consciences of many good people , even of your dearest friends ; and though the lord doth manifestly ( even from heaven ) shew signal tokens of his displeasure against them ; and the servants of the lord they also cease not to warn you concerning them ; and their own doings are sufficient testimony of the malice of their hearts against you , and all good men in the nation ; yet nevertheless some of you seem to shut your eyes , as if you would see no evil in them , and are crying up your godly ministers ; and some of you despising the man ( as not worthy to live ) that doth but speak against them : and thus are you blinded , and perceive not where the cause lies of your interruption to bring forth righteousness . i say , it is the favouring of that interest which stops the issues of good things ; and while you oppress peoples persons , and estates , and consciences , to uphold this ministry and priesthood aforesaid , the ☞ lord shall never prosper you , nor make the nations happy under your charges . and this you shall witness eternally . therefore , clear your selves ; do not any longer drink the whores cup , neither be ye carriers of her , to execute her wickedness upon the bodies and consciences of people ; for it is written , the beast hath carried the whore , and we see it hath been thus , as john saw it was to come to pass ; and so clear your selves from her tyrannies and oppressions , and leave this false church and ministry to themselves ; and if god will not uphold them by his power , why should you do it ? if these priests have not yet planted vineyards that will yeeld them fruit , and if their flock will not yeeld them milk freely , why should you unjustly impose upon peoples consciences , and compel tythes and money from them , for the maintenance of these men ? ye ought not to do it ; for while ye compel and force people by violence , contrary to good conscience , to maintain ☜ and uphold this ministry , and church , and worship , you do but cause people to drink the whores cup , and you are but them which carry the whore , viz. the false church . and this is plain-dealing , to tell you the truth , whether ye will reject it or receive it : wherefore cast them off , and let them not lurk under your wings , &c. they will cry out heresie and error of others , that themselves may seem clear , while as the same lodgeth in their own hearts ; wherefore , i say , do not make a false peace with them , neither do ye flatter with treacherous minds , &c. i say unto you , better were it for you to lay these men aside , ☜ and their flatteries and feigned prayers , and to save your selves from their flattery , than to perish with them . and one of these will come to pass ; for it 's decreed of the lord , if you uphold them , and oppress peoples persons and estates , and consciences on their behalf , and in their evil cause , for tythes and wages to them ; ye shall fall with them , and none shall be able to deliver , neither you nor them , &c. wherefore , take heed unto your selves , and be wise , and learn , and do us justice ; or else god will do us justice upon you ; if you will not take off our burdens , and ease our oppressions , ☜ the lord will ease us of you , and the earth shall not be oppressed with you : and if ye will uphold this priesthood against equity and good conscience , the lord will free good consciences both from you and them . and this is the word of the lord god unto you . ☞ the open enemy hath not prevailed against you , but the secret hand of the lord will not miss you . the end . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a44811-e1620 2 tim. 3. 13. 2 tim. 3. 6. rev. 13. 6. heb 10. 1 heb. 9. 9 , 11. * though the words [ swear not at al ] be free enough from any exception , yet ( in regard some of the corrupt sons of adam say ) this was meant in our communication only , that is , say they , in our ordinary discourse ; but yet liberty is left thereby for swearing before a magistrate , being thereunto lawfully called . i say , the apostle james , as one foreseeing these two cavils or exceptions , saith ( to put the matter out of doubt ) neither by any other oath , and also leaves out the word communication ; so as there is no room left for any exception at all . amos 2. 6. ch . 8. 6. read diligently and mark these places . isa. 30. 20 , 21. joh. 2. 20 , 27. luk. 17. 20 , 21. 2 cor. 13. 5. 2 cor. 6 ▪ 16. act. 3. 22 , 23. rom. 10. 6 ▪ 7 , 8. luk. 20. 46 , 47. luk. 11. 43. mat. 23. 6. 7 , 8 , 9 , 10. mich. 3. 11 ezek. 13. 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , &c. joh. 1. 9 : notes for div a44811-e3910 * mark , is he not the same man still ? though he be a sufferer under a pretence of conscience , yet his principle nor nature is not changed to this day . ☞ mark . mark , is not this made good to the full at this day ? ☜ yea surely , a prophet of the lord hath been among you . mark. mark. was not this truly prophesied ? mark. let this generation beware ; for there is no resisting the hand of the lord. persecvtion inconsistant with christianity, humane society, and the honor of princes from the testimonies of themselves, and approved authors, and martyrs, herein impartially collected : whereunto is added certain solid reasons why no outward force, nor imposition ought to be used in matters of faith, &c. / by those faithfull witnesses who died under suffering for the testimony of jesus, viz: richard hubberthorn, samuel fisher, francis howgill. 1670 approx. 58 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 16 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2003-11 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a54470 wing p1660 estc r4070 12187039 ocm 12187039 55810 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a54470) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 55810) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 872:54) persecvtion inconsistant with christianity, humane society, and the honor of princes from the testimonies of themselves, and approved authors, and martyrs, herein impartially collected : whereunto is added certain solid reasons why no outward force, nor imposition ought to be used in matters of faith, &c. / by those faithfull witnesses who died under suffering for the testimony of jesus, viz: richard hubberthorn, samuel fisher, francis howgill. crook, john, 1617-1699. hubberthorn, richard, 1628-1662. fisher, samuel, 1605-1665. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. the third edition. [2], 30, [1] p. s.n.], [london : 1670. reproduction of original in huntington library. errata: p. [1] at end. reasons for libery of conscience [p. 22-29] originally published, 1661, with title: liberty of conscience asserted and several reasons rendred why no outward force nor imposition ought to be used in matters of faith and religion, written by j. crook, s. fisher, f. howgill & r. huberthorn. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng liberty of conscience -early works to 1800. 2003-06 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2003-06 aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images 2003-08 jonathan blaney sampled and proofread 2003-08 jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited 2003-10 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion persecvtion inconsistant with christianity , humane society , and the honour of princes . from the testimonies of themselves , and approved authors , and martyrs , herein impartially collected . whereto is added certain solid reasons why no outward force , nor imposition ought to be used in matters of faith , &c. by those faithfull witnesses who died under suffering for the testimony of iesus : viz. richard hubberthorn . sumuel fisher. francis howgill . this being the third edition of the said reasons . now i say unto you , refrain from these men , and let them alone ; for if this counsel , or this work be of men , it will come to nought ; but if it be of god , you cannot overthrow it , lest happily ye be found fighters against god. acts 5. 38 , 39. printed in the year , 1670. the contents 1. king charles the second , his promises and declaration for the liberty of tender consciences . 2. some remarkable collections out of doctor tayer , chaplain in ordinary to his late majesty ( so stiled ) his book , entituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a discourse of the liberty of prophesying shewing the unreasonableness of prescribing to other mens faith ; and the iniquity of persecuting different opinions . 3. instances out of divers authors , treating on the same subject ; by william caton deceased . 4. several reasons rendred , why no outward force nor imposition ought to be used in matters of faith and religion , by r. h. s. f. and f. h. 5. several saying collected from the speeches and writings of king james , and king charles the first . persecution inconsistant with christianity , humane society , and the honour of princes . sect . i. king charles the second , his promises and declarations for the liberty of tender consciences . in the kings letter from bredah , that was sent to the house of peers , and read in the house , may the 1st . 1660. and which letter was ordered by the lords in parliament assembled , that it should be forthwith printed and published for the service of the house , and satisfaction of the kingdoms ; it is said in the book of collections of the kings speeches , page 8 , and 9. and because the passion and uncharitableness of the times have produced several opinions in religion , by which men are engaged in parties and animosities against each other ; which when they shall hereafter unite in a freedom of conversation , will be composed , or better understood . we do declare a liberty to tender consciences , and that no man shall be disquieted or called in question for differences in opinion in matters of religion , which do not disturb the peace of the kingdom ; and that we shall be ready to consent to such an act of parliament , as upon mature deliberation , shall be offered to us for the full granting that indulgence . and in the kings declaration , concering ecclesiastical affairs , which was dated october the 25th , 1160. it is said , in a word we do again renew what we have formerly said , in our declaration from bredah , for the liberty of tender consciences , that no man shall be disquieted , or called in question for differences of opinion in matters of religion , which do not disturb the peace of the kingdom ; and if any have been disturbed in that kind , since our arival here , it hath not proceeded from any direction of ours . and it is said , we do in the first place declare , our purpose and resolution is , and shall be , to promote the power of godlines , and to encourage the exercise of religion , both in publique and private . and in the same declaration it is said , our present consideration and work is , to gratifie the private consciences of those who are grieved with the use of some ceremonies , by indulging to , and dispensing with the omitting these ceremonies . in the kings speech to both houses of parliament , the 8th of july , 1661. it is to put my self in mind , as well as you , that i so often ( i think so often as i come to you ) mention to you my declaration from bredah ; and let me put you in mind of another declaration , published by your selves about the same time , and which i am perswaded made mine the more effectual ; an honest , generous , and christian declaration , signed by the most eminent persons , who had been the most eminent sufferers ; in which you renounced all former animosities , and memory of former vnkindnesses . and my lords and gentlemen , let it be in no mans power to chargeme , or you , with the breach of our words or promises , which can never be a good ingredient to our future security . and in the chancellors speech to both houses , may the 8th , 1661. it is said , he told you , but now ( meaning the king ) that he vallued himself much , upon keeping his word , upon performing all that he promiseth to his people . and also in the kings discourse with richard hubberthorn , soon after he arrived in england , he said , well , of this you may be assured , that you shall none of you suffer for your opinions or religion , so long as you live peaceably , and you have the word of a king for it ; and i also have given forth a declaration to the same purpose , that none shall wrong you , or abuse you . and further in the kings declaration , dated decem. 26. 1662. wherein he declares , first , his wonderful restoration without the least blood-shed by the military sword. and he expresseth his clemency , or the clemency of his nature . and he vindicates himself from divers suggestions , of disaffected persons , particularly from that , of intending to subject persons and estates to revenge or spoil , &c. and from intending to introduce a miliary or arbitrary way of government . also he expresseth these words , as a malicious scandal ( viz. ) that having made use of such solemn promises from bredah , and in several declarations since , of ease and liberty to tender consciences , instead of performing any part of them , we have added streighter fetters then ever . and further adds , viz. we find it as artificially , as maliciously divulged throughout the whole kingdom , that at the same time we deny a fitting liberty to those other sects of our subjects , whose consciences will not allow them to conform to the religion ectablished ; we are highly indulgent to papists , even to such a degree of countenance as may even endanger the protestant religion . these , and such like , in the said declaration are related as venemous insinuations , most false and malicious scandals , wicked and malicious suggestions , and the fomenters of them , as the most dangerous enemies of his crown and of the peace and happiness of the nation . and these words are further added , ( viz. ) it having been alwayes a constant profession of ours , that we do , and shall ever think our royal dignity and greatness much more happily and securely founded on our own clemency , and our subjects loves , then in their fears and our power . to give our people a testimony of our founding all our security , rather in their affections , then in any military power ; the sole strength and security , we shall ever confide in , shall be the hearts and affections of our subjects indeared and confirmed to us by our gratious and steady manner of government , according to the antient known laws of the land , there being not any one of our subjects , who doth more from his heart abhor ( then we our selves ) all sorts of military and arbitrary rule . as concerning the non performance of our promises ; we remember well the very words of those from bredah , ( viz. ) we do declare a liberty to tender consciences , and that no man shall be disquieted , or called in question for differences of opinion in matters of religion , which do not disturb the peace of the kingdom ; and that we shall be ready to consent to such an act of parliament , as upon mature deliberation shall be offered to us , for the full granting that indulgence . we remember well the confirmations , we have made of them since upon several occasions in parliament ; and as all these things are still fresh in our memory , so are we still firm in the resolution of performing them to the full . we do conceive our selves so far engaged , both in honour , and in what we owe to the peace of our dominions , which we profess we can never think secure , whilst there shall be a colour left to the disaffected , to inflame the minds of so many multitudes , upon the scores of consciences , with dispair of ever obtaining any effect of our promises for their ease . such an act , as in pursuance of our promises the wisdom of our parliament shall think fit to offer unto us for the ease of tender consciences . we profess it would be grievous unto us to consent , to the putting any of our subjects to death for their opinions in matter of religion only . our expressing according to christian charity , our dislike of blood-shed for religion only . our parliament is an assembly so eminent in their loyalty and their zeal , for the peace and prosperity of our kingdomes — can no wayes be doubted in the performance of all our promises , and to the effecting all those gracious intentions , which god knows our heart is full of , for the plenty , prosperity , and universal satisfaction of the nation . we think to give them the most important marks of our care : first , in punishing by severe laws that licentiousness and impiety , which we find to our great grief , hath overspread the nation . and lastly so to improve the good consequence — to the advancement of trade , that all our subject finding the advantage — in that prime foundation of plenty , they may all , with minds happily composed by our clemency and indulgence ( instead of taking up thoughts of deserting their professions ) apply themselves comfortably , and with redoubled industry to their several vocations , &c. also in the votes and advice of the house of commons , febr. 5. 1662. upon reading the kings declaration and speech , are these words , ( viz. ) and our hearts are further enlarged in these returns of thanks-giving when we consider your majesties most princely , and heroick professions of relying upon the affections of your people , and abhoring all sorts of military and arbitrary rule , &c. sect . ii. here follows some remarkable observations , collected out of a book , entituled , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a discourse of the liberty of prophesying ; shewing the unreasonableness of prescribing to other mens faith , and the iniquity of persecuting different opinions ; by ier. tayler d. d. ( so stiled ) chaplin in ordinary to his late majesty . in his epistle dedicatory are these words : viz. as contrary as cruelty is to mercy , as tyranny to charity ; so is war and bloodshed to the meekness and gentleness of christian religion . and further speaks , to dispute men into mercies , compliances and tollerations mutual ; and further adds . i designed a discourse to this purpose , with as much greediness , as if i had thought it possible with my arguments to have perswaded the rough and hard handed souldiers to have disbanded presently ; for i had often thought of the prophesie , that in the gospel , our swords should be turned into plow-shares , and our spears into pruning-hooks . i thought it my duty to plead for peace and charity , and forgiveness , and permissions mutual . although we must contend earnestly for the faith , yet this contention must be with arms fit for the christian warfare , the sword of the spirit , the shield of faith , &c. but not with other arms ; for a church-man must not be a striker , for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal , but spiritual . i being most of all troubled , that men should be persecuted , and afflicted , for disagreeing in such opinions , which they cannot with sufficient grounds obtrude upon others necessarily , because they cannot propound them infallibly . considerations ( are to be had ) to the persons of men , and to the laws of charity more then to the trimmphing in any opinion , &c. if the persons be christians in their life , and christians in their profession ; if they acknowledge the eternal son of god for their master , and the lord , and live in all relations as becomes persons making such professions , why then should i hate such persons whom god loves , and who love god , who are partakers of christ , and christ hath a title to them , who dwell in christ , and christ in them , because their understandings have not been brought up like mine , have not had the same masters , they have not met with the same books — have not the same opinions that i have , and do not determine their school questions to the same sence of my sect or interest ? and whatsoever is against the foundation of faith or contrary to good life — or distructive to humane society — is out of the limits of my question , and doth not pretend to compliance or tolleration . the fault i find and seek to remedy is , that men are so dogmatical and resolute in their opinions , and impatient of others disagreeing in those things wherein is no sufficient means of union and determination , but that men should let opinions and problems not be obtruded as actions , nor questions in the vast collection of the systeme of divinity be adopted into the family of faith. 3. it s hard to say , that he who would not have men put to death or punished corporally for such things , for which no humane authority is sufficient for cognizance , or determination , or competent for infliction ; that he perswades to an indifferency when he refers to another judicatory , which is competent , sufficient , infallable , just , and highly severe — for god alone must be judge of these matters , who alone is master of our souls , and hath the dominion over humane understanding — god alone is judge of erring persons . i earnestly contend , that another mans opinion shall be no rule to mine , and that my opinion shall be no snare and prejudice to my self ; that men use one another so charitably , that no error or violence tempt men to hypocrisie , this very thing being one of the arguments i used to perswade permissions , lest compulsion introduce hypocrisie , and make sincerity troublesom , &c. from the dictates of holy scripture , it is observable , that this , with its appendant degrees , i mean , restraint of prophesying , imposing upon other mens understandings , being masters of their consciences , and lording it over their faith , came in with the retinue and train of antichrist , as other abuses and corruptions of the church did , by reason of the iniquity of the times , and the cooling of the first heats of christianity , and the encrease of interest , and the abatements of christian simplicity , when the churches fortune grew better , and her sons grew worse , and some of her fathers worst of all : for in the first three hundred years there was no sign of persecuting any man for his opinion , though at that time there were very horrid opinions commenced — and they who used all means — christian and spiritual , for their disimprovement and convi●tion , thought not of using corporal force — and therefore i 〈◊〉 not only urge their not doing it , as an argument of the unlawfulness of such proceeding , but their defying it , and speaking against such practises as unreasonable , and destructive to christianity , for so tertullian is express , humani juris & naturalis potestatis uni cuique quod putaverit colere , sed nec religionis est cogere religionem quae suscipi debet sponte non vi : it s of humane right and natural power for every one to worship what he thinks ; but neither is it the part of religion to compel religion , which ought to be undertaken of its own accord . the same is the doctrine of cyprian , lactantius , hillary , minutius , faelix , sulpitius , severus , chrisostom , hierom , austin , damascen , theophilact , socrates scholasticus , and bernard . all wise princes till they were over-born with faction , and solicited by peevish persons , gave tolleration to differing sects — but at first there were some heretical persons , that were so impatient , they were the men that first intreated the emperor to persecute the catholicks : but till four hundred years after christ , no catholick persons , or very few , did provoke the secular arm , or implore its aid against the hereticks ; save only that arrius behaved himself so seditiously and tumultuarily , that the nicene fathers procured a temporary decree for his relegation ; but it was soon taken off , and god left to be his judge . but as the ages grew worse , so men grew more cruel and unchristian ; and in the greek church atticus and nestorius of constantinople , theodocius of synoda , and some few others , who had forgotten the mercies of their great master , and their own duty , grew implacable , and furious , and impatient of contradiction . it was a bold and arrogant speech which nestorius made in his sermon before theodotius the younger ; da mihi , o emperator , terram ab haereticis repugnatum & ego tibi vicissim ca●lum dabo ; disperde mecum haereticos , & ego tecum disperdam pers●s ; which is in english , o emperor , give to me the land purged from hereticks ; and i , instead thereof , will give thee heaven : destroy me the hereticks , and i will destroy with thee the persians : it was as groundless , as unwarrantable , as it was bloody and inhumane . and we see the contrary events prove truer ; for theodosius and valentinian were prosperous princes , and have the reputation of great piety ; but they were so far from doing what nestorius had suggested , that they restrained him from his violence and immanity ; and theodosius did highly commend b. proclus , for his sweetness of deportment towards erring persons , far above the cruelty of his predecessor atticus . and the experience which christendom hath had in this last age , is argument enough ▪ that tolleration of differing opinions is so far from disturbing the publick peace , or destroying the interest of princes , and common-wealths , that it doth advant●ge the publick , it secures the peace , because there is not so much as the pretence of religion left to such persons to contend for , it being already indulged to them . when france fought against the hugonots , the spilling of their own blood was argument enough of the imprudence of that way of promoting religion ; but since she hath given permission to them , &c. the great instance is in the differing temper , government , and success which margaret of parma , and the duke of alva had ; the clemency of the first had almost distinguished the flame ; but when she was removed , d. alva succeeded , and mannaged the matter of religion with fire and sword , he made the flame so great , that his religion , and his prince too , had both been almost turned out of the countrey ; pelli●e medio sapientiam quoties vi res agitur , said ennius , [ wisdom is driven out , when the matter is acted by force . ] [ and therefore the best of men , and most glorious of princes , were alwayes ready to give tolleration . ] esebeus in his second book of the life of constantine , reports these words of the emperor , parem cum fidelibus ij qui errant pacis , & quiet is fruitionem gaudentes accipiant : ipsa si quidem communicationis & societatis restitutio ad rectam etiam veritatis viam perducere potest ; nemo cuiquam molestis sit , quisque quod animo destinat hoc etiam faciat ; let them which err with joy receive the like fruition of peace and quietness with the faithfull , sith the restoring of communication and society may bring them into the right way of truth : let none give molestation to any ; let every one do as he determines in his mind . and indeed there is great reason for princes to give tolleration to disagreeing persons , whose opinions cannot by fair means be altered ; for if the persons be confident , they will serve god according to their perswasions ; and if they be publickly prohibited , they will privately convene , and then all those inconveniences , and mischiefs , which are arguments against the permission of conventicles , are arguments for the publick permissions of differing religions , &c. — they being restrained , and made miserable , indears the discontented persons mutuall , and makes more hearty and dangerous confederations . king iames in his letters to the states of the vnited-provinces , dated mar. 6. 1613. thus wrot — ita ut prohibeatis ministros vestros ne eas disputationes in suggestum aut ad plebem feran●s , ac districte imperetis ut pacem colant se in vicem tolerando in ista opinionum ac sententiarum discrepantia — so that you may sorbid your ministers , that they bring not those disputations into the pulpit , or to the people , and strickly command , that they embrace peace among themselves , by tollerating in that difference of opinions , and iudgments . the counsel like in the divisions of germany , at the first reformation , was thought reasonable by the emperor ferdinand , and his excellent son maximilian ; for they had observed , that violence did exasperate , was unblest , unsuccesfull , and unreasonable ; and therefore they made decrees of tolleration . and the duke of savoy repenting of his war , undertaken for religion against the peidmontans , promised them toleration ; and was as good as his word — as much is done by the nobility of polonia : so that the best princes and the best bishops gave toleration and impunities ( but it is known , that the first persecution of disagreeing persons was by the arrians , by circumcellians , and donatists , and from them they of the church took example , &c. ) and among the greeks it became a publick and authorized practise , till the question of images grew hot and high ; for then the worshippers of images , having taken their example from the empress irene , who put her sons eyes out for making an edict against images , began to be as cruel , as they were deceived , especially , being encouraged by the pope of rome , who then blew the coales to some purpose . i may upon this occasion give account of this affair in the church of rome . it is remarkable that till the time of iustinian the emperor , a. d. 525. the catholicks and novatians had churches indifferently permitted even in rome it self , but the bishops of rome , whose interest was much concerned in it , spoke much against it , and laboured the eradication of the novatians ; and at last when they got power into their hands they served them accordingly ; but it is observed by socrates that when the first persecution was made against them at rome by pope innocent the first , at the same instant the goths invaded itally , and became lords of all , it being just in god , &c. and i have heard it observed as a blessing upon s. austin ( who was so merciful to erring persons ) as the greatest part of his life — to tolerate them , and never to indure that they should be given over to the secular power to be killed ) that the very night the vandals set down before his city of hippo , to besiege it , he died , and went to god ; being taken from the miseries to come . but in the church of rome , the popes were the first preachers of force and violence in matters of opinion , and that so zealously that pope vigilius suffered himself to be imprisoned , and handled roughly by the emperor iustinian , rather then he would consent to the restitution and peace of certain disagreeing persons , &c. the first that preached that doctrine was dominick , the founder of the begging order of friars : the friars preachers , in memory of which the inquisition is intrusted only to the fryars of his order ; and if there be any force in dreams , or truth in legends , &c. — this very thing might be signified by his mothers dream , who the night before dominick was born , dreamed she was brought to bed of a huge dog , with a fire-brand in his mouth ; sure enough however his disciples expound the dream , it was a better sign that he should prove a rabid , furious incendiary then any thing else , what ever he might be in the other parts of his life ; in this doctrine he was not much better , as appears in his deportment towards the abligences , against whom he so preached — adeo quidem ut centum hereticorum millia ab octo millibus catholicorum fusa & interfecta fuisse probiantur , saith one of him , and of those who were taken one hundred and eighty were burned to death , because they would not abjure their doctrine ; this was the the first example of putting erring persons to death , that i find in the romish church . by this time i hope it will not be thought unreasonable to say , he that teaches mercy to erring persons teaches indifferency in religion , unless so many fathers , and so many churches , and the best of emperors , and all the world ( till they were abused by tyranny , popery and faction ) did teach indifferency : for i have shewn that christianity doth not puni●h corporally persons erring spiritually , but indeed popery doth . the donatists , and circumcelians , and arrians , and itaciani , they of old did in the middle ages ; the patrons of images did , and the papists at this day do , and have done ever since they were taught it by their st dominick . let all errors be as much , and as zealously supprest as may be , but let it be done by such means as are proper instruments of their suppression , by preaching and disputation , by charity and sweetness , by holiness of life , assiduity of exhortation , by the word of god , and prayer . for these wayes are most natural , most prudent , most peaceable and effectual , only let not men be hasty , in calling every disliked opinion by the name of heresie ; and when they have resolved that they will call it so , let them use the erring person like a brother , not beat him like a dog , or convince him with a gibbit , or vex him out of his understanding or perswasion . thus far ier. taylor ; these passages being truly collected out of his epistle , where are many more to the same purpose ; to which the reader is referred for further satisfaction , if he desire it : and further in his sixteenth section , for the lawfulness of princes giving tolleration to several religions , he hath these passages . for it may be safe in diversity of perswasions ; and it is also a part of christian religion , that the liberty of mens consciences should be preserved in all things , where god hath not set a limit — that the soul of man should be free , and acknowledge no master but jesus christ. that matters spiritual should not be restrained by punishments corporal . that the same meekness and charity should be preserved in the promotion of christianity , that gave it foundation , and increment , and firmness in its first publication . and that persons should not more certainly be condemned then their opinions confuted . and lastly , that the infirmities of men , and difficulties of things , should be both put in ballance , to make abatement in the diffinitive sentence against mens persons . as christian princes must look to the interest of their government ; so especially must they consider the interests of christianity , and not call every redargution , or modesty , discovery of an established error , by the name of the disturbance of the peace ; for , it is very likely that the peevishness , and impatience of contradiction in the governors may break the peace . let them but remember the gentleness of christianity ; the liberty of consciences which ought to be preserved ; and let them do justice to the persons , whoever they are that are peevish ; provided no mans person be over-born with prejudice : for if it be necessary for all men to subscribe to the present established religion ; by the same reason , at another time , a man may be bound to subscribe to the contradictory , and so to all religions in the world. uncharitableness is much prevented when no person is on either side engaged upon revenge , or troubled with disgrace , or vexed with punishments , by any decretory sentence against him : it was the saying of a wise states-man , ( i mean thuanus ) haeretici qui pace data factionibus scinduntur , persecutione uniuntur contra . remp. if you persecute hereticks , or discrepants , they unite themselves as to a common defence if you permit them , they divide themselves upon private interest , and the rather , if this interest was an ingredient of the opinion . sect . iii. instances out of divers authors treating on the same subject , by william caton , deceased . chrisostomus said , it is not the manner of the children of god to persecute others to death about their religion ; but it hath been , and is their condition to be put to death themselves for the testimony of of the truth . moreover , ( said he ) the shedding of blood about religion , is an evident token of antichrist , relig. vris . pag. 192. haywardus said , that the best writers of that time did agree in one opinion , and with tertulliano , lactantio , cassidoro , and iosephus , &c. that people must inform men to imbrace religion with reason , and not compel them by violence . i have for long season determined , said one of the kings of france , to reform the church , which without peace ( said he ) i cannot do , and it is impossible to reform , or convert people by violence . i am king , as a shepherd , ( said he ) and will not shed the blood of my sheep ; but will gather them through the mildness and goodness of a king , and not through the power of tyranny : and i will give them that are of the reformed religion right liberty to live and dwell free , without being examined , perplexed , molested , or compelled to any thing contrary to their consciences ; for they shall have the free exercise of their religion , &c. vide chron. vande vnderg 2. deel . pag. 1514. luther said , that the hypocrites church was to be known by its manners , whose image and sign was esau , yet she boasted of god , and would be accounted his church , but lived wholly according to the world. further , ( said he ) the true church is not defended by a fleshly arm , which wicked bishops especially use , and cry unto . thesau . pag. 622. calvin said , that the apostle gave to understand , that to exercise authority over ones faith , was in no wise just , nor tollerable : ( yea said he ) it is tyanny in the church ; for faith ought to be free from all subjection of men . when several of the priests in the low countries requested of the prince and states , that they would introduce ordinances and discipline , according to their opinions ; but the prince , and the states , rejected their requests , esteeming them prejudicial both to religion and pollicy ; when they observed the diverse opinions that were among the people , concluding , it was the best way to preserve unity among the people , to give liberty to all , and to compel none , anno 1608. edict . fol. 27. areneus affirmed , that all forcing of conscience , though it was but a forbiding of the exercise , which is esteemed by one or another , to be necessary to salvation , is in no wise right nor fitting : he also affirmed , that through diversities of religions the kingdom should not be brought into any disturbance . the antient reformed protestants termed that forcing of conscience , when they were constrained to leave off the exercise of their religion , saying , car nous privant de nostre religion on nous tiendroit en une continuele mors corporelle & spirituelle ( that is ) for to deprive us of our religion , is to keep us in a perpetual corporal and spiritual death ; adding thereunto , how that they would rather be put to death then be bereaved of the exercise of their religion , &c. and also they testified , how that the religion which was defended with cruelty , was not grounded upon the word of god. lactantius said , if you will with blood , with evil , and with torments , defend the worship , it shall not thereby be defended but polluted , lib. 5. chap. 20. constantius the emperor said , that it was enough that he preserved the unity of the faith , that he might be excusable before the judgment seat of god ; and that he would leave every one to his own understanding , according to the account he will give before the judgment seat of christ : hereto may we stir up people ( said he ) not compel them , beseech them to come into the unity of the christians ; but to do violence to them , we will not in no wise . sabast. frank. cron. fol. 127. augustinus said , some disturbed the peace of the church while they went about to root out the tares before the time ; and through this error of blindness ( said he ) are they themselves separated , so much the more from being united unto christ. retnaldus testified , that he who with imprisoning and persecuting seeketh to spread the gospel , and greaseth his hands with blood , shall much rather be looked upon for a wild hunter , then a preacher , or a defender of the christian religion . the state of holland testified , dat waer vervolginghen zijn datter daer al in roere is , maer waer geen en sijn al sijdor verscheijden religion dat dare alle saelren stilder sijn so oelr in onse ijden is bevon den : that is , where there was persecution , there was all in disstraction , but where there was none ( though there were several religions ) there all things were the quieter , as hath been evident in our dayes , said they , vide vrede handel van. col. fol. 53. calvin said , that those that are set over us must be obeyed , if that the command of god be not thereby disobeyed ; but if they lead us from obedience to god , and presumptiously strive against the lord , then must they not be regarded , said he , to the end that god with his authority may retain the preheminence . a book written in french , by n. m. anno 1576. hath this sentence in it those princes that have ruled by gentleness and clemency , added to justice ; and have exercised moderation and meekness towards their subjects , alwayes greatly prospered , and reigned long . but on the contrary , those princes that have been cruel , vnjust , perfidious , and oppressors of their subjects , have soon fallen , they and their estate into danger , or total ruin . veritus said , seeing christ is a lamb , whom you profess to be your head and captain , then it behoveth you to be sheep , and to use the same weapons , which he made use of ; for he will not be a shepherd of wolves , and wild beasts , but onely of sheep ; wherefore if you lose the nature of sheep ( said he ) and be changed into wolves , and wild beasts , and use fleshly weapons , then will you exclude your selves out of his calling ; and forsake his banner , and then will he not be your captain . stephanus king of poland said , it belongeth not to me to reform the conscience , i have alwayes gladly given that over to god , which belongeth to him , and so shall i do now ; and also for the future , i will suffer the weeds to grow until the time of harvest ; for i know that the number of believers are but small , therefore , said he , when some were proceeding in persecution , ego sum rex populorum non conscientiarum , that is , i am the king of the people , not of their consciences : he also affirmed , that religion was not to be planted with fire and sword , chron. van. de rel. vrijh . 2. deel . tindal said , the new testament of christ suffered no law of compelling , but alone of perswading , and exhorting , fox . acts and mon. page 1338. the prince of orange testified , anno 1579. that it was impossible that the land should be kept in peace except there was a free tolleration in the exercise of religion . where hast thou ever read in thy dayes ( said menno ) in the writing of the apostles , that christ or the apostles ever cryed out to the magistrates , for their power , against them that would not hear their doctrine , nor obey their words ? i know certainly , said he , that where the magistrate shall banish with the sword , there is not the right knowledge , spiritual word , nor church of christ , it is invocare brachium seculare . it is not christian like , but tyrannical , said d. philipson , to banish and persecute people about faith and religion , and they that so do are certainly of the pharisaical generation , who resisted the holy ghost . er●smus sad , that though they take our moneys and goods , they cannot therefore hurt our salvation ; they afflict us much with prisons , but they do not thereby separate us from god , in de krijdges wrede , fol. 63. lucernus said , he that comandeth any thing , wherewith he bindeth the conscience , this is an antichrist , inde benuse disp . fol. 71. it was luther's opinion , that those that stirred up the princes to persecute abut religion , they raised the uproar , thesaur . pag. 679. reasons for liberty of conscience . sect . iv. several reasons rendred , why no outward force , nor imposition , ought to be used in matters of faith and religion , by r. h. s. f. and f. h. liberty of conscience ought to be allowed in the dayes of the gospel , in the free exercise of it to god-ward ( without compulsion ) in all things relating to his worship , for these reasons following . 1. because the general and universal royal-law of christ commands it , matth. 7. 12. all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you , do ye even so to them : for this is the law and prophets — that which every man would have , and receive from another , he ought by christs rvle to give and allow it to another . but every man is willing to have the liberty of his own conscience , therefore ought to allow it to another . 2. because no man can perswade the conscience of another , either what god is , or how he should be worshipped , but by the spirit , which god hath given to instruct man in the ways of truth . 3. because , all obedience or service that is obtained by force , is for fear of wrath , and not from love , nor for conscience sake ; and therefore will but continue so long as that fear or force abides upon them . 4. because , that by forcing , no man can make a hypocrite to be a true believer ; but on the contrary , many may be made hypocrites . 5. because , that in all forced impositions upon mens consciences , there is something of the wrath of man exercised , which works not the righteousness of god , but rather begets enmity in the heart one towards another . 6. because , that by forcing any thing upon mens consciences , as to matters of faith and worship , many are hardened in their hearts against the things imposed ; when as otherwise , through love and gentle instructions their hearts might be perswaded to willing obedience . 7. because , that persecution for conscience contradicteth christs charge , matth. 13. who bids that the tares ( or false worshippers ) be suffered to grow together in the field ( or world ) till the harvest ( or end of the world. ) 8. because , force is contrary to the end for which it is pretended to be used ( viz. ) the preservation and safety of the wheat , which end is not answered by persecution , because the wheat is in danger to be plucked up thereby , as christ saith . 9. because to force is inconsistant with the belief of the jews conversion ( and other false worshippers ) which is prayed for by the publick teachers , and cannot be attained , if persecution for conscience be prosecuted . 10. because they that impose upon mens consciences , exercise dominion over mens faith , which the apostles denied , saying , they had not dominion over any mans faith. 11. because , imposition upon mens consciences necessitates them to sin , in yielding a conformity contrary to their own faith ; for whatsoever is not of a mans own faith , is sin . 12. because , that imposition and force wrestles with flesh and blood , and carnal weapons , which are contrary to the apostles doctrine , who said , our weapons are not carnal , but spiritual , and mighty through god ; and we wrestle not with flesh , and blood. 13. because , there is but one iudge , law-giver , and king in and over the conscience , as the saints have testified in the scriptures of truth ; and whosoever would intrude , so as to be judge and law-giver over the conscience , intrencheth upon the perogative of christ , isa. 33. 22. iames 4. 12. 14. because , it is prophesied in isa. 11 , the woolf shall dwell with the lamb , and the leopard shall lie down with the kid , and there shall be no destroyer in all the holy mountain : and therefore no imposition upon mens consciences . 15. because , to impose upon mens consciences for differences in faith , is contrary to the advice of the apostle , who directs people to wait upon god to be satisfied , and not to the magistrates , or others , to be forced ; who saith , whereunto we have attained , let us walk ; and wherein any man is otherwise minded , god shall reveal , even that unto him . 16. because , to force mens consciences , and to lay yoaks upon them , is to make void the blood-shed and sufferings of christ , who sits upon the throne of the conscience , and gives liberty there ; and commands us to stand fast in that liberty , and not to be entangled through the impositions of men , or yoak of bondage , gal. 5. 6. 17. because , in all nations the different professions and perswasions of religion , are either friends or enemies to the governors ; if friends then obliged by that bond ; if enemies then christ's command is to take place , who saith , love your enemies , which if observed , persecution for conscience will be avoided . 18. because toleration of different perswasions in religion was allowed in the iewish state , as not inconsistant with their safety , and that in things contrary each to other , as the sadduces , pharisees , esaeans , herodians , with others . 19. because , the true religion cannot be preached up by force of armes , and the primitive christians detested that form of proceedings . 20. because , no man hath such power ( by outward compulsion ) over the souls and consciences of other men , as to lay a necessity on them to believe that which they do not believe , or not to believe what they do believe ; true faith being the gift of god. 21. because , if the magistrate imposeth upon the conscience , he must either do it as a magistrate , or as a christian . not as a magistrate , for then heathens ( being magistrates ) have the same power to impose ; and so , by revolutions , and conquests , may come to give laws to christians , and compel them to idolatry . 2. not as christians , for that contradicts christ's saying , the kings of the gentiles exercise lordship over them , but it shall not be so among you , for all ye are brethren . 22. because ▪ by the same rule and reason that the magistrates of one nation ought to impose upon , and persecute for conscience , the magistrates in all other nations ought to do the same , and so the greatest part of mankind may come to be destroyed , there being more that dissent , than are at unity in matters of faith and religion . 23. because the strength of truth , and its conquest over falsity and deceit is best discovered by letting both have their liberty , from outward compulsion ; for no doubt , had outward force been less used , the prevalency of truth had been more manifest , and that wise saying , truly experienced in the world , viz. that which is of god will stand , and that which is not , will come to nothing . 24. because , the disciples of christ are rebuked by him for desiring the destruction of those that were contrary to him , and would not receive him ; which zeal is sharply reproved in his saying , they knew not what spirit they were of . 25. because , to impose upon mens consciences , and to destroy their persons for difference in religion , is contrary to the end of christ's coming , who saith , he came not to destroy mens lives but to save them . 26. because ▪ people of divers religions in one nation , if not tollerated , must some of them be destroyed or removed , by banishment ? if destroyed , the constancy and patience of the sufferers for their faith , moving pitty and commiseration , makes men more ready to own , then to reject their faith ; and so rather multiplies , than lessens the number of its professors ; if banished , this renders the banished as so many enemies abroad , ready upon all occasions to disturb the peace and tranquillity of their own native country . there is therefore in order to the outward welfare of all nations , a kind of necessity for a tolleration in them of all religions . 27. because , to impose upon mens consciences begets a hatred against the imposers in those who are imposed upon , and forced thereby to violate their consciences towards god , in matters of worship . 28. because , men are commanded to be subject to the powers that are , for conscience sake , and therefore such powers ought not to persecute men for conscience sake , being that is prescribed for the rule of obedience , the scriptures saying , be ye subject not only for wrath , but for conscience sake . sect . 5. several sayings collected from the speeches , and writings of king iames , and king charles the first . we find it asserted by king iames in his speech to the parliament , in the year 1609. who said , that it is a pure rule in divinity , that god never loves to plant his church with violence and blood ; and furthermore said , it was usually the condition of christians to be persecuted , but not to persecute . and we find the same things in substance asserted again , by his son charles the first , in his book known by the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , printed for r. ro●ston , as followeth . pag. 67. in his prayer to god , he said , thou seest how much cruelty among christians is acted , under the colour of religion ; as if we could not be christians , unless we crucifie one another . pag. 28. make them at length seriously to consider , that nothing violent and injurious can be religious . pag. 70. nor is it so proper to hew out religious reformations by the sword , as to pollish them by fair and equal disputations , among those that are most concerned in the differences , whom , not force , but reason ought to convince . sure in matters of religion , those truths gain most upon mens judgements and consciences , which are least urged with secular violence , which weakens truth with prejudices . pag. 115. it being an office , not only of humanity , rather to use reason then force , but also of christianity to seek peace , and ensue it . pag. 91 , 92. in point of true conscientious tenderness , i have often declared , how little i desire my laws and scepter should intrench on gods soveraignty , which is the only king of mens consciences . pag. 123. nor do i desire any man should be further subjuect unto me , then all of us may be subject unto god. concerning oaths . pag. 76. the injoyning of oaths , upon people , must needs in things doubtfull be dangerous , as in things unlawfull damnable . some words of advice from charles the first , to the then prince of wales , now king of england , &c. page 165. my counsel and charge to you is , that you seriously consider the former real or objected miscariages , which might occasion my troubles , that you may avoid them , &c. beware of exasperating any factions , by the crosness and asperity of some mens passions , humors , and private opinions , imployed by you , grounded only upon differences in lesser matters , which are but the skirts and suburbs of religion , wherein a charitable connivance , and christian tolleration , often dissipates their strength , when rougher opposition fortifies , and puts the despised and oppressed party into such combinations , as may most enable them to get a full revenge on those they count their persecutors , who are commonly assisted by that vulgar commisseration , which attends all that are said to suffer under the notion of religion . pag. 166. take heed that outward circumstances and formalities of religion devour not all . pag. 164. your prerogative is best shewed and exercised in remitting , rather then exacting the rigor of the laws , there being nothing worse then legal tyranny . to these sayings we add more , as collected out of the same book in duodecimo . in his prayer , page 1. o never suffer me for any reason of state to go against the reason of conscience , which is highly to fight against thee , the god of reason , and judge of our consciences . p. 121. break in sunder , oh lord , all violent confederations to do wickedly and injuriously . page 136. thou , oh lord , shalt destroy them that speak lyes ; the lord will abhor both the blood-thirsty and deceitful men . page 164. church affairs should be mannaged neither with tyranny , parity , nor popularity — neither people oppressed . page 168. he declares his willingness for fair satisfaction unto all , and against covetousness , and superstition . page 171. oh thou that art the god of reason and peace , soften our hearts — and perswade us to accept of peace with thy self , and both to secure and preserve peace among our selves , as men and christians — condemn us not to our passions , which are destructive both of our selves and others ; clear up our understandings to see thy truth , both in reason as men , and in religion as christians . page 180. stir up all parties pious ambitions to overcome each other with reason , moderation , and such self-denial as becomes , &c. page 200. o thou soveraign of our souls , the only commander of our consciences . and further , in his advice to the prince of wales now king , &c. page 234. the best government and highest soveraignity you can attain unto , is , to be subject to god , that the scepter of his word , and spirit may rule in your heart . page 239. he pleads for better arguments for convincement , then tumults , armies , and prisons . pag. 241. alwayes keep up sollid piety , and those fundamental truths , which mend both hearts and lives of men with impartial favour and justice . pag. 242. my charge and counsel to you is , that as you need no palliations for any design , so that you studdy really to exceed in true and constant demonstrations of goodness , piety and vertue ( towards the people ) even all these men that make the greatest noise and ostentations of religion , so you shall neither fear any detection , ( as they do who have but the mask of goodness ) nor shall you frustrate the just expectations of your people . pag. 243. use all princely arts and clemency to heal the wounds , that the smart of the cure may not equal the anguish of the hurt . pag. 244 ▪ as your quality sets you beyond any duel with any subject , so the nobleness of your mind must raise you above the meditating any revenge , or executing your anger upon the many . pag. 248. keep you to true principles of piety , vertue , and honour ; you shall never want a kingdom . in his meditations on death ; pag. 346 it is indeed a sad fate for any man to have his enemies to be accuser , parties and judge . some few errors and defects having escaped the press , the reader may correct . page 9. line 26. for actions , read axioms . p. 11. l. 19. for repugnatum , read repurgatam . l. 20. for persus , read persas . p. 12. l. 9. for distinguished , read extinguished . p. 13. l. 12. for counsel like , read like counsel . the end . the mouth of the pit stopped and the smoke that hath arisen out of it scattered by the breath of truth in answer to a lying story called hell broken loose, or, the history of the quakers, published by thomas underhill, a seller of the whores merchandize otherwise called a book-seller : his lyes returned upon him, his accusations answered and his envie decleared and truth cleared from all his reproaches / by one that waits to see death and hell cast into the lake of fire, with the beast and false-prophet, francis howgil. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a44799 of text r6601 in the english short title catalog (wing h3172). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. 55 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 13 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo 2017 a44799 wing h3172 estc r6601 13506179 ocm 13506179 99800 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a44799) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 99800) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 791:12) the mouth of the pit stopped and the smoke that hath arisen out of it scattered by the breath of truth in answer to a lying story called hell broken loose, or, the history of the quakers, published by thomas underhill, a seller of the whores merchandize otherwise called a book-seller : his lyes returned upon him, his accusations answered and his envie decleared and truth cleared from all his reproaches / by one that waits to see death and hell cast into the lake of fire, with the beast and false-prophet, francis howgil. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. [2], 22 p. printed for thomas simmons ..., london : 1659. reproduction of original in huntington library. eng underhill, thomas, fl. 1641-1659. -hell broke loose. society of friends -controversial literature. society of friends -doctrines. a44799 r6601 (wing h3172). civilwar no the mouth of the pit stopped, and the smoke that hath arisen out of it scattered by the breath of truth. in answer to a lying story called h howgill, francis 1659 10820 6 0 0 0 0 0 6 b the rate of 6 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the b category of texts with fewer than 10 defects per 10,000 words. 2004-12 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2005-02 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-03 mona logarbo sampled and proofread 2005-03 mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-04 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the mouth of the pit stopped , and the smoke that hath arisen out of it scattered by the breath of truth . in answer to a lying story called hell broken loose ; or the history of the quakers , published by thomas underhill , a seller of the whores merchandize , otherwise called a book-seller ; his lyes returned upon him , his accusations answered and his envie declared , and truth cleared from all his reproaches . by one that waits to see death and hell cast into the lake of fire , with the beast and the false-prophet , francis howgil . london , printed for thomas simmons at the bull and mouth near aldersgate , 1659. the epistle . thomas underhill , thou seeds-man of lyes and slanders and false reports , whose hell is broken loose , and is spreading where the banks is not set nor the bounds , and thy greatest madnesse and rage is at them that trembles at the word of god , and works out their salvation with fear and trembling , and thy lyes and slanders and false reports we understand is set on sale in such a mans shop to get gain upon the innocent , and the ground is seen , and the earth in which thou mayest sow thy evil seed , and thy lyes , slanders and false reports , who art a man fitted , whom the devil hath found out to go on in his will , and to do his work , for a long time hath he been fitting of thee , and for a long time hath the seed been sowen in thee , and now it is growing and buds forth , and hell is broken loose ; but thou art taken ( and the hell ) who art the seeds-man of the devil that sowes lyes , the prince of death , but all is and shall be taken and cast into the lake of fire , the hell , the devil the authour of thy work , and thou except thou speedily repent . was there ever such a thing heard or seen , that thomas underhill should gather up lyes , slanders and false reports , and set them to sale at the starre in pauls church-yard , as he calls it ? there is a refuge of lyes of his for any to shelter under that are given up to believe lyes , but that will not save you from the storme nor the wrath of the almighty , but the beesom is witnessed that sweeps all the refuge of lyes into the fire , and brings the lyar to judgement , and thou wilt become a shame and a stinke to all modest and sober people , the witnesse in thy own conscience shall witnesse it . and dost thou think that the nations of england , scotland and ireland do not begin to see your priests and such as thee that holds them up , and such as thee calls converts ? what a stink and a nasty smel there is in your streets , in your towns , in your steeple-houses , as though you had never heard talke of god , and christ ; your natures are so unchanged , and your priests haling up and down to courts and assizes , and casts into prisons till death for their bellies and their mouths such they do no worke for , and your prisoning and persecuting for not swearing to the priests bill , and the priests rude multitude breaking the windows , breaking up meetings , and breaking the heads of people , the servants and messengers of the lord , that you are almost become like a field of blood , whipping such as warn you to repent , and here hell hath been broken loose , and thou art a seeds-man of him that is out of the truth , who art an encourager with thy lyes and slanders these persecutours , but thy own words shall be thy burthen . g. f. it is written , he that watches for iniquity shall be cut off , and the wickednesse of the wicked shall come to an end , although the long suffering of the lord be great , who waiteth that men might return and cease to work iniquity , and to strive against his holy spirit by which he reproveth the world of sin and the wicked of their transgressions , and to this end hath he given a measure of his spirit to every man , ( though contemned and dispised by the wicked ) that they might see themselves and be humbled for their iniquity and repent of their transgressions , yet notwithstanding such is the obstinancy of many , as that they hate the reproof of instruction , yea the scorners and the fools unto whom wisdom crieth , return at my reproof , so that all are left without excuse ; yet notwithstanding though they reject the mercy and love of the lord and gain-sayeth his holy spirit , though they do for a while perfist in their wickednesse , yet this shall be the end , the wicked shall not go unpunished , of that , certain testimony is given that god hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the secrets of all hearts by jesus christ according to the everlasting gospel , which was declared and now is published again by them that are come and coming out of the apostacy , and in that day thou thomas underhill shalt be convinced of thy ungodly deeds , and of thy hard speeches and false accusations , and reproachful calumniations and slanders , and of many false things which thou hast charged against a people whom christ hath redeemed by his most precious blood , which thou shalt be judged for in that day , when terror shal fill thy heart & wrath come upon thee from whence thou shalt not be able to flie , though thou may cal to the hard rocks and to the high hills which are in the transgression , whose hands thou wouldst now strengthen against the just , and blind their eyes , that so they might receive thy false suggestions and instigations , and so would perswade them to stretch out their hands against them which is to be preserved and cherished , who are dear unto the lord as the apple of his eye , but the lamb of god who taketh away the sins of the world , who is arisen and arising in his power and might to make war in righteousnesse against the beast and his power , the mother of harlots , and her golden cup of fornication , against antichrist & his men of war , against the dragon and his army , and he is travelling in the greatness of his strength , who shall subdue the nations to himself , and break all the ungodly that stands is his way as a potters vessel , and behold a numberlesse number hath taken part with him who rides on in the power and strength of his might , the least of which thou shalt not be able to stand before , but shalt vanish as smoke , and be consumed as stubble before the fire , which shall burn up all the ungodly , and melt them all away that hate the lord , then shalt thou call to the rocks and to the hills , from whence thou now looks for salvation , that thou might be preserved in safety still in babylon where is thy habitation , and in the region of the shadow of death which thou hast taken up for thy dwelling place ) and that they might suppress that which thou calls heresie and blaspemy which hath invaded thy kingdom already , and put out thy light , and is staining that which thou glories in , and is bringing contempt upon thy mothers merchandize , of which thy shop is filled with books of curious arts , and made up in the imaginations of men of corrupt minds , many of which is good for nothing but for the fire , which hath bewitched people from the simplicity of the gospel , and hath darkned peoples understandings , and brought a mist and a cloud over peoples hearts , so that the son of righteousness could not be seen to arise in the hearts of people ; and now thou ( with the rest of babylons merchants ) which have long traffickt with their sorceries , art angry because thou hast had a share in her merchandize , and hath gotten gain by selling of such traffick , which is as unsavoury salt , good for nothing but to be troden under foot of men , thou cryes like demetrius for his shrines , great is the goddess diana , and thou with others who have got a gain and trade by the aforesaid inchantments of the harlot and her merchants , thou cryes , the church the church , the ministry the ministry , and religion , the national ministry , which when the matter is enquired into , what the church is , it is found to be no other then the mother of harlots who hath sitten upon the waters this many hundred years , and the ministry is no other but them that are in balaams way , and such whose hearts are exercised with covetous practices , and such as the prophets and apostles declared against , who sought for their gain from their quarter , and who taught those things they ought not for filthy lucre ; and for religion , it is nothing but a profession in words at best without the life , or else some old traditions , humane inventions , and innovated customs , which hath been brought in since the apostacy ; but i say , because of thy gainful craft , thou art now busied as thou hath been diverse years , not onely against the quakers , but against others who have separated from your hypocritical worships and deceitful formalities , and for this end thou hast bended thy tongue to tell lyes , and thy ear is open to mischief , that thou might get any thing to accuse the truth withal , and to set up and promote thy long trading with deceit , what , hath not the hills and the mountains , parliaments , protectors formerly gratified thee , that thou art so covetous and greedy of persecution and blood-shed ? though thy insatiable desire hath not yet been satisfied , neither i believe ever shall , yet thou shalt not go unpunished , and when judgement comes upon thee , then may thou call to the rocks and to the hills to cover thee , and hide thee from the wrath of the lamb , and from the presence of his holy host , but they shall not be able to save thee . what , hath not all the beacons that thou hast fired given sufficient warning to all the dragons host & to all the beasts army , and to all the harlots merchants , and to all babylons children , that they might come out all to battel ? they have been fired these five years , hast thou not gotten all thy host up together by thy books which formerly thou calledst so , to withstand the lamb & his followers , that thou art come on again with a fresh on-set to see if thou canst stop the way of truth , that people might not receive it ? for that is thy end in writing this lying history , as thou thy self hath confest , alas poor man , is this all thy strength that thou art able to make up , and are these all the weapons of thy warfare , a company of vain arguments out of the priests books which have written as thou hast done against the truth , and old stories which thou hast received out of our adversaries writings which thou hast heaped up together to fill peoples minds which prejudice , that they might not receive the truth ? dost thou think this is like to prevail ? a company of broken bowes and shattered spears , and lame chariots , whose wheels have been often taken off , which we have over run and trampled down , that few will have any trust to these , or this is but to set bryars and thorns in battel against the lord . thy book thou calls hell broken loose , or a history of the quakers , published to preserve christians against formality of religion and apostacy , and to the intent that thy book might not grow old nor stick upon thy hands , as such other mouldy stuff hath done , thou saith london printed in the year 1660. and so hath printed a lie in the frontize-piece of thy book , thy book by that time thou may hang up with old almanacks or sell for waste paper , and if thou begin with a lie and scorn , how dost thou think that this will be an antidote ( as thou calls it ) against formality and apostacy ? is not a lyar an apostate , is not he that pleads for popish trumpery a formalist in religion without the power ? he that reads but thy title page may see what thy book is within if he go no further , the covenant of death is not yet broken in thee , and the agreement with hell is not yet disannulled , and therefore all this smoak is come out of the pit in which thou delights to dwell . and is this such a worthy piece in thy account , that thou must needs shelter it under the wings of the officers of the army of england , scotland and ireland ? art thou so great a friend to them ? and in thy book tells them they were the in-let of heresie and blasphemy , who art but yet an episcopal stem , or at best a presbyteral branch . i believe many amongst them will favour thy spirit , and know what uniformity and unity thou art for , which may be more properly called deformity and enmity , and so thy flattering epistle when they see thy spirit will hardly merit thanks , and so that wicked spirit which could not be satisfied in the time of the former parliaments , and protectors , still persists in the unfatiable desire to see if the army will gratifie thee , and turn persecutors , but thou hast mist it far in crying a confederacy to the reverend pastors or priests of scotland , the army knows right well or at least might do , that the priests of scotland whom thou so reverencest have been alwayes hinderers , and obstructors of the way of god and of his work these divers years , instance two or three hundred of them before the fight at dunbar , who prophesied all like zedekiah for the poor scots against the english army to go up and prosper ; and cursed them and excommunicated them , and gave them up to satan and for distruction ; but such prophets were made fools , and their divinations was madness , and god gave a sufficient testimony against them and their deceived followers , wch i hope the english army hath not yet forgotten , and for the scotch priests and their doctrine and practice , 't is so grosly ignorant and abominably prophane , as i believe many of the army do right well know , but such as are not satisfied , i refer them to a book called the doctrines and principles of the priests of scotland , wherein may be seen their deceit , and how some of them hath said they had reason to curse the magistrates from morning to night , because that allowance was granted unto any to worship god in spirit and truth who could not be subject to their traditional uniformity ; and thou tells the army in thy epistle that ruine is like to come upon all religion and piety , if god prevent it not by you or some other way ; they may see what religion thou art of , and what god thou trusts in , and what piety thou art for , which may be rather called irreligious and impious , the government of religion and piety lies upon the shoulders of him who is a wonderful councellor , and mighty to save , and able to defend them that are subject unto him , & would thou have the souldiers or any others intrude themselves into christs throne , unto whom all power is committed both to make religious and preserve pious them that do believe in him , this were to derogate from the honour and power which belongs to christ who is head of the church , who will not give his glory to another , and let all take notice of this that whosoever hath sought to take the honour from him , and glory from him , he hath laid their honour is the dust , and their glory is become as the moth-eaten garment as hitherto it hath been evident ; and thou tells them they know the scripture is gods written word and a holy perfect rule of faith and practice , and that it holds out that christ is now in his humane glorified body in heaven . if thou hadst said the scripture is the words of god written thou hadst said something , for the word of god is one thing , and the words is another , though the words are a testimony of the word , and the word and the spirit which is one , which gave forth the words , are the perfect rule and foundation of faith , which was before the words , and is greater then the words , as we have often declared to thy dearest generation though they would not hear ; and where doth the scripture hold forth a humane glorified body in heaven ? thy deceit and ignorant mind holds out a humane glorified body , we say according to the scriptures that christs body is spiritual , and he is raised a spiritual body , and is glorified in a spiritual body and in a heavenly body , which thou never knew , neither art , like while the nature lives in thee in which thou now stands . and thou saith in thy epistle that one day in seventh should be set apart for rational souls to mind the things of eternity . and which is that day that thou wilt set apart ? some of babylons merchants have cryed up one day and some have cryed up another day , and some have called the seventh day the sabbath , and some have called the first day the sabbath , and whether was sabbaths made for man , or man for sabbaths , and whether was dayes made for man , or man made for dayes ? all time is in the hand of the lord , and they that have communion with him do mind the things of eternity every day , and so they come to know the day of the lord in which rest is given to the soul , and the creature hath rest though he labour in the creation when that is done away in himself which hath opprest ; thou may go learn what this means . in thy post-script ( as thou calls it ) thou saith if any shall take offence for thy seeking to civil or military power to support religion , thy defence is , and thy belief is that thou ought to seek to the higher powers to support religion , and this is the liberty of thy conscience , and that this thou may do more acceptably then they who cross their own profest opinion as they have done of late years by motions , councels books and papers which they have delivered for these many years for the pulling down the ministry and steeple-houses , and that their importuning the magistrate to pull down ministry and worship is a yielding of the cause . i say thy belief is without the true foundation , and so many properly be called unbelief , and thou errs in thy judgement , who seekes to civil or military power to uphold religion , which as i said before belongs to him who is the higher , and highest power ; civil and military officers are not for making religion or setting up religion , but are to keep the peace , and to stop the violent doer , and to be a terror to evil works and workers , and a praise to them that do well , and that is their place to govern in righteousness , but not to exercise lordship over the conscience , which power belongs onely to christ ; and as for them who have delivered books and papers and words and writings to them who were in authority to pull down the ministry and steeple-houses , or publike ministry and worship , if thou intend the quakers , as i believe thou dost , thy arrowes being shot onely at them ; we have delivered , or caused to be delivered divers books and papers , wherein we have shewed them the grievous suffering of the people of god , by the heavy oppressions which they did suffer under , because of the hirelings wages and upholding of mass-houses , things which hath been introduced since the primitive times in the apostacy , which aforesaid things hath been guarded and upheld by lawes made in the beasts power ; now to make null those lawes which were the ground of many oppressions , and an offence to many tender consciences , this is not to pull down religion , and that ministry which can be pul'd down by taking away of tythes and forced maintenance is no ministry of christ , but ministers of antichrist , and to deny paying to steeple-houses , clark wages , burying for the dead and such other like invented things , which many hath groaned under , is not to pull down religion ; for this i say to thee , and that which i can say to all , which no reasonable or equitable man will deny to be equitable or just , take the hireling ministry to thee , and give him the fifth part of thy estate if thou wilt , and erect thy steeple-house like babels tower , but trouble not us with none of these things , and for declaring to the magistrates that these things ought to be done away , and the law by which they stood which was made in transgression ought to be taken away , this is not to pull down the ministry nor true religion , but to overturn deceit and innovation which hath obstructed and hindered pure reformation which hath been talkt on , for these are but the rotten raggs of the whores menstruous garment ; so thy defence is made void and ours standeth true , that the magistrate or military power hath nothing to do to prescribe any form of religion to bind all unto , for this is an intruding into those things that belongs not to them . thou saith that thou dost freely and sincerely affirm , that thou hast not knowingly wronged the quakers in the least , but doth engage thy self to mak● good every thing thou charges against them , that shall require it of thee . that we shall see afterwards how thou wilt make good that which thou hast charged some with ; hast thou not knowingly wronged us , when thou hast brought all those which thou counts hereticks all europe over , and some parts else , and whatsoever they did or said , must be imputed unto us . i know thy envy in times past with the rest of the priests was as much against them who were separate from your assemblies as now against us , and all these things that thou hast racked up in this book out of histories of germany , of new england , which i am not credulous to receive from thy mouth , no more then i shall thy history as thou calls it of the quakers , for thou which wilt lye of them which are so near thee , may report many untruths at a distance , and these things the hireling priests were wont to charge upon the baptists and independants ; but now we are become the object of all your reproach and your butt to shoot at , but we are in that which the devil cannot prevail against , neither the gates of hell . in thy third chap. thou saith , thou wilt treat of the predecessors of the quakers , and thou reckons up simon magus , menander , saturnus , how he taught that marriage and generation was of sathan , and arians who denied the divinity of christ , and pelagius a monk who held that a man without the grace of god was able to fulfil all the commandements of god , and of balsidies , that he taught that it was not jesus , but simon of cyrene that was crucified in his shape . these are none of our predecessours , take them to thy self ; and whether hast thou not knowingly wronged us in these things , and how wilt thou make every thing good which thou hast charged us withal ? these things forementioned and many more which i shall pass over as not to trouble the reader with , in which thou hast charged us falsly , wherein thou art required to make good the charge , or else cease thy clamerous tongue , these that thou hast reckoned up you use to call them arians , saturnians and palagians , but now thou hast made them all quakers . in thy 13th page thou manifests what spirit thou art of , thou tells of the old church-government being taken away ( to wit , the common-prayer book , taken out of the mass-book ) then began sects to arise ; so that it seems thy chief reformation and religion is but the old lithurgy , which is little better then the mass ; and the ministers the old corrupt bishops that the earth groaned with the burthen thereof , whose ordination & call is from the pope their original , and from the church of rome your mother , from whence these state-hirelings which burthens the whole creation sprang forth ; thou would have all confined unto this dark mist , and compelled to worship according unto those popish traditions held forth for publick worship in that time . further thou brings a heap of lyes out of baxter , a man at enmity against all goodness , who hath written many lying books against the living truth , for which the lord god will call him and thee to account . thou sets down some of that which thou calls our principles in the 16th page , how that we deny all officers in a common-wealth ; and how we deny all relation , as brother and sister , magistrate , master , father , mother , son and daughter , husband and wife , and that husband and wife should part asunder , and that all things should be common ; all these things shall turn upon thy own head ; and now to the light in thy conscience i speak , which thou despisest , whether thou hast not wilfully wronged us ? and i require of thee according to thy promise , to make these things good , but i believe thy proof is out of our adversaries books , baxters and the priests of new-castle , which things have been answered , and their lyes turned upon their own heads . in the 17th page thou hast gathered some words and sentences out of our books , many of them are so evident and manifest truth to all that are come to a good understanding , that they need no vindication , for they will vindicate themselves , and have an evident witness in every ones conscience that believes , so far as thou hast truely transcribed them ; and many of those doctrines and practices which thou hast set down as errours , the scripture will bear witness too , and the example of the saints evidence , and the judicious will receive with gladness of heart , and by it thy envious spirit will be made manifest to all where thy lying story shall come . in thy 30th page thy lips being accustomed to utter forth lyes and deceit , thou proceeds and sayes , that the quakers say that a man is justified by the merit of good works , and inherent righteousness ; and how that we hold the real corporal presence of christ in many places at once , and overthrows the articles of christs humanity ; and further thou saist , that christ is corporally in heaven ; but for proof i expect none from thee , for thou speaks as though thy tongue were thy own , and i charge thee to instance where in all our writings we have said that a man is justified by inherent righteousness , or where thou finds real corporal presence , or where it is written in the scripture that christ is corporally in heaven ; yet the man christ is at the right hand of god , from whence he shall appear to thy judgement and condemnation , except thou repent , and christ , gods righteousness must be revealed within , by which the saints are justified . in the 31 page thou tells of the actions and manners of the quakers , and thou sayes , they will not put off their hats before the highest authority ; and how they stood covered and thoued , and theed the chair-man and members of parliament , to the great dishonour of the authority of england , as ever was admitted ; this showes that the authority of england hath in times past been out of the authority of god , and in the same authority which we find mentioned in the scripture , before whom the prophets , christ and the apostles were brought before , though many of the magistrates then were out of the power of god , yet they did not reprehend them for want of hats , or caps , or bowings , or saying thee or thou , and it seems the committee and members of parliament did 〈◊〉 it no dishonour , though thou doth who art a busie body , but fools loves to be medling . then thou proceeds on and sayes , they will not petition men , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the greatest power , witness all their addresses to the protectors ; and also tells , how a quaker in hartfordshire swore against them that pulled down the house where the quakers met ; it is not consistent with them that are in the truth , and in the power of god , to come with fained petitions full of flattery and deceit , which answereth not gods witness , but rather the wrong part which would be courted & flattered ; which holds under the just , neither can they who are in the truth make such fained complemental addresses as the hireling teachers from all quarters of the nation did to the late protectors , who flattered them and told them they would stand by them , and lay down all for that which they asserted , and called one of them joshuah and the other moses , and said , they committed the keeping of the faith of our lord jesus christ unto them , and such like blasphemies ; but as soon as the wheele turned about in the next month , calls them traitors , tyrants and usurpers ; and these were your stinking addresses and your fained supplications , which all sober and understanding people were ashamed of ; and thy priests which thou calls ministers , and their confederates which thou calls christians , have flattered them and bowed under every deceit , & turned with every wind , instance in the dayes of edw. 6 hen. 8. eliz. and mary , and charles , and when these were overthrown which you used to call gods annointed , then you strike in with what thing soever arises , ●s instance one parliament after another , and then for protectors , and then no protectors , but a parliament ; and thus have you flattered each of the rulers though never so unjust , till the wrath of god hath sunk the most of them , because they have hearkened to flattery and deceit , and had not their ears open to them with whom the counsel of god is ; we have counselled them oft , and have forwarned them in all plainness and nakedness of heart , though our counsel hath been rejected , yet god hath fulfilled our testimony thus far upon them all ; and as for the quaker in hartfordshire , who thou saith swore against some who did abuse him and the quakers , i do believe he was one of thy own generation , and lately one of your popish parochial congregations instituted first by pope dionysius , although the man was more moderate then the rest , and did grieve to see his neighbours abused , and sober people disturbed , and the house broken down , & blood shed , & that by the justification of thy sir t. h. the man not being convinced of the unlawfulness of an oath , did give testimony against the riotous persons and evil-doers , and against him who incouraged them in it ; and shall he be condemned by thee who acteth the same thing , was it evil in him and is it righteous in thee ? although i do not justifie the thing , for it is known to many thousands in the nation that the quakers will not swear upon any account , least they should fall into condemnation , but there is none can escape thy slanderous pen who loves uprightness and truth ; but all thy smitings in the dark will at last fall upon thy own pate . further thou goes on and saith , we cry up liberty of conscience , but are not willing to give it to others ; because thou saith , many thousand times some ministers hath been disturbed by them in their religious exercises . that liberty which we would enjoy our selves , the same we can and will allow unto all men , which is most equitable ; and though we have gone into the steeple-houses and old mass-houses , and declared against idolatry and deceit , formality , feignedness and hypocrisie , or spoken the words of truth and soberness , either in exhortation , admonition or reproof , this was the manner of the apostles of christ , whose consciences were exercised in purity towards god ; but that which was order in the churches of christ , is counted disturbance by you mass-house-worshippers , and yet you would arrogate unto your selves the name of a church , and yet are out of gospel order , you are for the liberty of the flesh , and not for the liberty of a pure conscience thou saith , the quakers are grievous lyars , and thy proof is that richard hub berthorn said , that the wicked are not to read the scriptures ; and e. burrough saith , the wicked and ungodly are to read the scriptures , and not the godly ; and thou sayes , in this they have not both spoken truth . we know no lye is of the truth , but of the devil who abode not in the truth , and we are redeemed out of lying by the truth which hath set us free ; and thou art found the lyar thy self , for the words both of r. h. and of e. b. thou hast perverted and not spoken the truth , as afterwards may be made more manifest . in the 35th page of thy lying story thou saith , the quakers hath succeeded much , and hath prevailed in these nations , and beyond the seas ; but thou hopes where ever thy book shall arrive before them , the people will so well know them as to abhor any further acquaintance with them . here thou hast manifested thy spirit to be like the envious jews , who crucified the lord of life , and persecuted the apostles from city to city , sometimes running before them with their lyes , and sometimes after to oppose them , & to stir up the vagabond-fellows & the ruder sort of people to oppose and abuse them ; yet notwithstanding the truth prevailed , and many believed on the name of christ thorow their words which they published unto them ; we have found the like opposition , not onely from strangers but also of our own countrey-men , and have had many such lying stories as thine sent before us , and spread over the nations , and yet god hath carried on his work , notwithstanding all rage , opposition and cruelty it hath prevailed and shall prevail , for so is the purpose and will of god ; and they who shall see thy book , who are but reasonable men , will abhor and detest thy envious spirit , and truth shall be more advanced , and that shall be fulfilled , the remainder of the wrath of man shall turn to the praise of god . thou sayes , they are a very cruel bloody people , if we may judge the lyon by his paw , or what is abundantly in their hearts . god will confound thy lying lips and thy deceitful tongue ; whose blood have we shed ? can we not say and that of a truth , and have our testimony by gods witness in every man , that we are clear of the blood of all men ? nay , on the contrary , hath not our blood been spilt in your places of worship which you account holy , and hath not many suffered in bonds until death , by the reason of the oppression of the blood-thirsty priests of this nation ? and thou might well have been silent if thou hadst not had an impudent face ; have not we much to lay to your charge and that truly ? what dost thou judge of thy godly ministers in lancashire and cheshire , whom thou calls the valiant captains of christs army , which preached up the people into rebellion upon pain of damnation ? and others said , except they went to the randevous , it was much if they were saved ; and others said , the nations must be purged with blood , to shed the blood of all those that withstood them ; and others said , if god would stand as a newter , they had men enough ; & such blasphemous words and doctrines were uttered , which are too tedious to relate , and all this quarrel they said , was against the quakers ; now let the reader judge the lyon by his paw , and what is in these mens hearts by their words and actions before mentioned . and now to conclude this in thy own words , what would not these men do if they had power to their will ? but the power of the lord god preserves the innocent , and is against all the workers of iniquity ; i shall not trouble the reader with what priest ford and fowler of redding hath gathered up out of priests books , which they have vomitted forth against the way of truth , nor what tho. underhill hath licked up and vomits out again , which is but that which hath been vomitted up before ; so that it may be said of them all as the prophet saith , their tables is full of vomit , and filthy spewing covers them all ; all which things hath been answered over and over , but that swine loves to be wallowing in the mire , and doggs loves to lick up their vomit , and the envy of the wicked will not cease till he be cut off , nor the evil eye for watching after mischief till it be put out ; and now tho. underhill and the rest of thy party , who resist the spirit , if i would recriminate , might not i more justly and truly bring many thousand bad examples acted by your party , who are accounted christians , and charge them all upon you , then all these things in thy lying story , which thou hast brought against the quakers . if i should go from parish to parish , as thou hast done from one end of the land to another , and also beyond the seas , and should i reckon up all the fornicatours and adulterers , all the thieves and murtherers , all the proud and covetous , all the fighters , brawlers , railers , drunkards , cheaters and defrauders , and should charge all these upon the presbytery , what a volume i might make , and were not this a just retaliation ? would thou count it an equal thing , or would it be accounted just in the sight of sober men , if i should charge the moderate and guiltless with these things before mentioned ? then judge thy self for thy envy and foolishness , and let thy mouth be stopped for ever , for accusing those whom god justifies . in the 38 page in thy observation on the whole history , that one may talk much of god and christ , and of the things of religion , and all invain ; and how the coming in of unbelief shuts out truth , faith and pitty , and the great danger the nation is in by being overrun with hypocrisie and formality in religion , and how many hath the form of godliness , but denies the power . he whose eye is open may see the intent of thy history is to resist the power of truth , and to strengthen deceit , and this shall stand for thy own lot , and for the congregations and assemblies thou art pleading for , who at the best are but in the suburbs of babyl●● , who talk of god and christ , and of the spirit and of religon , but all in vain , for nothing is brought forth among you but formality , deceit and hypocrisie , and errour and unbelief , and a form of godliness hath long covered the nation , and truth , faith and piety hath been rejected , and the power of godliness ; but now hath the lord appeared , and hath rent the vail , and manifested the deceitful workers and hypocrites , and though thou be observant as to others foot-steps , yet thou hast not viewed thy self , neither pulled the beam out of thine own eye , neither hath discovered thy envy , nor the murderous spirit that rules in thy heart from whence all these muddy waters flows forth , and all this fog and mists arises which darkens the air , which whosoever receives in , their understandings comes to be darkned ; but all that fear the lord will see that out of thy corrupt heart all this mischief which thou hast long been treasuring up doth now come forth , upon which the day of wrath will come both upon thee and it . thou saith , the quakers hath no reason in the world to boast of their sufferings as they do , for they have suffered as evil-doers , for being uncivil to magistrates , and disturbing gods people in their assemblies , and for being busie-bodies and some other known wickednesses , and all their charging courts ●nd , justices with persecution falls flat to the ground . we are no boasters , but rejoice in our sufferings for christs sake , neither are we weary , but are willing to bear and suffer , till the lord arise and plead our cause , and our sufferings are recorded , and the lord hath considered them though men would not , and hath overturned many and rebuked many for our sakes , and it is he that justifies us , and who art thou that condemns us ? the testimony of our innocency and the causeless suffering hath a witness in many thousands hearts , who are not like thine as flint ; and what uncivility hath any to lay to our charge , as against magistracy , whom have we wronged , or what violence have we done to any , except thou judge that incivility , because we do not complement , bow and flatter , and make feigned addresses , like thy generation ? and this , your highness , and the other , your excellency , and another , my illustrious lord , and the next week or next month call them traytors , tyrants and usurpers ; and as i told thee before , that which was order among the churches , is accounted disturbance by thee , which evidently manifests that you are in the apostacy , and out of the christian religion which was professed & practised among the primitive christians ; and for any known wickedness among us , i am out of all doubt , if thou had any thing thou would preach it upon the house top ; known wickedness hath god redeemed us from , which thou yet wallows in & yet takes delight in ; and therefore all these known and wicked abominable falshoods and lies is come forth , besides the abusing of our words and false representing what we have written as our doctrines to the world , and this thou hast done , sometimes added to our words , and sometimes detracted from them , and sometimes adds thy own collections , and then presents them to publick view as our errours and blasphemies ; and as for courts and justices , magistrates and rulers , many of them hitherto hath ruled by the dragons power and not by the power of god , and in that , many hath incouraged the evil-doers , and hath not listned to the cry of the oppressed ; therefore hath the lord god overturned them , and their day is past , and our charges against their wickedness and persecution , neither our testimony , neither our sufferings hath fallen to the ground , but stands as a record against them . and thou saith , it is high time for all the redeemed ones , and sanctifie ones , and children of grace , the favourites of heaven , honest , godly , sincere christians , children that will not lie to improve their intrust in god , for this sinful devided nation . what dost thou own any to be redeemed and sanctified , or to be children of grace , or that doth not lie , and yet cryes out of perfection as blasphemie , or that any should come to or live by that which is perfect ; if thou exclude the quakers to be any of these , they will not find many redeemed , sanctified , honest , godly , sincere christians ; and all your improvement and your intrust which you have in god and in christ will but amount to a small dram , you all of you hitherto as you have said , have improved your intrust , and hath sought god , as you have said , by your prayers and humiliations for the suppressing of that which you call heresie , and yet you have had no answer , neither hath he listned nor will he listen nor bow down his ear unto you because your hearts is full of abominations ; and as for relapsing into popery , you never came out of it , witness the priests popish ordination , their popish attire , your popish mass-houses , your cross and bells , your popish tithes , easter-reckonings and mid-summer dues , your popish colledges , your popish crosses and your popish images in and about your idols temple , and because of the holding up of these things , the hearts of many of gods people are made sad , and because you would hold up your religion by swords and clubs , and persecute others who discent from you in this , you are one with the papists ; and is this all thy reformation that thy godly ministry can bring forth ? you have travelled in vain & spent your strength for nought , and because of these things the hand of god is against all in the nation who hold them up , and who is he that can alter the councel of the lord ? and god will not be reconciled to the nation till these things be done away , because of these things and many more grievous oppressions which hath been holden up ; therefore god hath broken them in the midst of their councels , and confounded them in the midst of their devices , and will confound and overthrow all deceitful workers and unprofitable talkers such as thou art , and one hill shall fall after another till there shall be a great plain , that the ransomed of the lord may walk over and worship the lord together in spirit and love and truth , in joy and gladness of heart , even as when israel kept the feast of tabernacles . and now i shall come to let the reader see how thou hast falsified our words which thou hast added thy own imaginations to , and then hath quoted our books to make people believe they are our words when as they are thy own forged lies , the which i shall return upon thee . first , thou sayes george fox in truth defended saith that preaching the word praying and singing are no appointments of christ , when as he saith no such thing , but the hireling priests divination and feigned prayers and other mens words in rhime and meeter are the inventions of men and not the ordinances of christ . secondly , thou saith e. b. in truth defended saith , the priest taking tythes in the time of the law was evil , and proved them to be false prophets and deceivers ; when as he saith quite contrary , that the priests took tythes under the law , according to the command of god , but ●ow the priesthood was changed , and the law was changed ; and them that preach for hire , and seek for their gain from their quarter , or take tythes , are in the steps of false prophets and deceivers , and no ministers of christ . thirdly , that its dangerous for the ignorant and unlearned to read the scripture , and the ministers of it are the ministers of death ; now thou hast detracted from the words ; there it is said that it is dangerous , for thee to take the scripture to war against the saints withal , and to make a trade with it , and give carnal exposition and then sell them for money . fourthly , thou tells of one master kellet in lancashire and his queries ; whether did not christ institute his last supper with bread and wine ? and r. h. saith , the bread which christ called his body is his church , which words thou hast mangled and perverted , as thou hast done the most thou hath medled with , there is no such man as master kellet ; the words are these in truths defence , 103. christ did not speak of bread and wine , but he took bread and brake it , and said this is my body ; and we witness the breaking of the bread which is his body , and in this answer , there is not one word of church . fiftly , e. b. in answer to firmin , his words thou hast perverted , and would bring this as a contradiction of r. h. thou saith he allowes onely the wicked and ungodly to read the scripture , such as the scribes and pharisees , and not the godly ; and not the godly is thy own adition : he spoke concerning the scribes and pharisees who thought to have eternal life in the scripture , he saith this was spoken to the pharisees , and not to believers , yet believers is not excluded from reading the scripture , for them it pertains to and they understand it ; but thou are like the spider where the bee gathers honey , gathers that which is corrupt , and in thy conclusion of thy story thou takes in hand to supplicate god ; and thou saith it is for the help of them that need it , this thou might have spared till the old prelates had come up again , it may be some synod of them will add to the book of common-prayer thy late service and worship ; dost thou think the lord will hear thy hypocrisie & lies without returning his judgment on thy head ? thou tells of some that sets light of christ and his blood and word ; thou art one of them that sets light of christ and counts his blood as a vain thing , as thy own words in thy book shall testifie , where the reader may observe , when we have testified of the true light wch lighteth every man that comes into the world , who is the way to the father , thou hath set down our words for blasphemy and errour , when divers of them are the words of scripture , and none of them but the scripture will testifie unto against thee ; and as for the blood of christ and the blood of the everlasting covenant , thou accounts a vain thing and an unholy thing , even which cleanseth from sin and and bears witness against it , and subdues it , and makes them that receive it conquerers over sin , but thou that cries out against perfection or freedom from sin , and counts this errour and blasphemy , ●hou denyes that which sanctifies and cleanseth from sin , and counts it unholy and vain , and so if the lord should hear thee and grant that thou prayes for , destruction would come upon thee , and thou art one of the formal professors that had need to repent of thy deceit , before thou can pray unto god either for thy self or others ; but enmity and wickedness lodges in thy heart against the lord and the way of truth , and thou hast resisted the counsel of the lord against thy self ; and therefore woes , plagues , thunders and storms is truely thy portion , and nothing else must thou expect , which undoubtedly will come upon thee , except thou repent , and it will be hard for thee to find a place of repentance , for it is yet hid from thine eyes . so i have answered thy lying history by which thou would inchant peoples minds , and have discovered thy deceit , and thy poison which thou hast put in that thou calls an antidote , that so the simple may not be deceived with thy lies and cheats , neither the innocent betrayed ; only i shall return a few of thy lies upon thy own head , which thou hath forged up against the quakers out of thy corrupt heart , and out of the lying stories of the priests , with whom thou art in league ; but he that sits in heaven laughs you to scorn , and all whose eyes the lord hath opened , will have thy lying history in derision and lothe thy enmity , and testifie against thy spirit as not to be of god ; and because thou hast said in thy advertisment to the reader , that thou hath not knowingly wronged the quakers in the least , i say thou hath either knowing or ignorantly wronged them , and both thou must repent before thou find mercy ; and because thou tells the reader thou will make good every thing thou hast charged against them to any who require it , i do require thee to make these ensuing things good . 1. that the quakers deny the death and ascension of christ . 2. that we deny the divinity of christ . 3. that the priests under the law , that take tythes did evil ; and for it were counted false prophets and deceivers . 4. that a man is justified by the merits of his own good works . 5. that the ignorant may not read the scriptures . 6. the quakers are a carnal and bloody people . 7. that the quakers are bewitched and possessed by the devil . 8. that christians are worse then beasts . 9. that the body of christ is not in heaven . 10. that christ as man had his failings . 11. that man is not reconciled to god until he can stand by his own power perfect . 12. that christ was a single man , true man and died for us . 13. that without the grace of god a man may keep the commands of god . 14. that they deny the relation of a father , a brother , or a wife . 15. that all that the quakers have suffered , is for evil doing , being malefactors . these amongst many others thou art required to prove , and to make good , as thou hast promised , or else for ever stop thy lying lips , and own thy condemnation for thy envy and false aspersions ; and these things i lay at thy door as lyes , see how thou wilt clear thy self in the fight of them unto whom thou hath written thy story ; many filthy and ungodly stories is besides in thy book , which i shall not trouble the reader or cumber his mind with thy filthy stuff , but in what is already declared thy deceit will be made manifest and laid open , and truth cleared from thy lies ; and that will be satisfaction to him who desires that all who love the lord may be kept out of the snares and temptations of the devil who goes about seeking whom he may devour , like a roaring lion ; and thou may see whose foot-stepts thomas underhill hath trode , who hath ranged up and down from age to age , from nation to nation , from one region to another to fetch up lies and fabulous stories to resist the truth withall , whose reward will be according to his works . london 29. of 9. mon. 1659. friend , consider what thou hast done : o how hast thou brought a vail of bad report upon thy name amongst all that fear god ? and how hast thou hurt and wounded thy self by thy own wickednesse ? and the scripture is fulfilled upon thee ; the wickednesse of the wicked shall slay him ; what hast thou no better use to make of thy time , then to spend it with inventing mischief against a despised people that seek not the hurt of any one , but thirsteth and waiteth for the glorious appearance of the son of god ? and what thou hast sought to do against them , shall be the weight upon thy own conscience in the dreadful day of god , whose heavy judgments thou canst not escape . alas for thee , poor man , thou feeble child of babylon , whose strength is weaknesse , & whose wisdom is meer folly in the sight of the lord ; the children of zion do not fear thee , neither do they regard thy revilings , for they dwell in a safe habitation , and are at perfect rest , and are above all the fiery darts which in thy envy thou shootest against them , and thy reward shall be according to thy works , and the multitude of men shall not be able to deliver thee from the wrath that cometh against thee from the lord , and all the false prophets and wolves in sheeps cloathing , with whom thou hast taken part against the lamb and his followers , they shall be a broken reed for thee to lean upon ; for why ? alas , the determination of the lord is against them , and the day of their sorrow is approaching ; and hadst thou been wise for god , and for thy own soul , thou wouldst not have indangered thy own soul on their defence ; and though we have no goals , prisons , stocks , nor whips , nor yet any unjust or cruel way of dealing towards you as you have had against us , yet we have the lord to be our armour , and he is the only rock of our defence , and he is stronger then man , and in him we trust ; and what are all thy lyes and slanders unto us ? and what though baalam for a gift may seek enchantment against us , yet there is no divination found against the elect seed ; and seeing thou hast gone in baalams path , thou shalt reap his reward , who art an enemy of righteousnesse , and a perverter of the right way of god , whose end will be we and misery ; wherefore consider , o thou vain mortal man , that must die and come to nothing ; wherefore hast thou set thy self against god , and heaped up thy multitude of envious words , lyes , and slanders against his people ? what is the fruit of such a work , but eternal vengeance from the righteous god ? and though thou art come in the end of the battel , and hast helped gog and magog according to thy strength , yet friend , our city cannot be shaken , its foundation cannot be removed ; and what art thou , vain ignorant creature , that hast sought against god and his people ? the end . a testimony concerning the life, death, trials, travels and labours of edward burroughs that worthy prophet of the lord who dyed a prisoner for the testimony of jesus, and the word of god, in the city of london, the 14th of the 12th month, 1662 / [by] f.h. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. 1662 approx. 55 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 14 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2005-10 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a64451 wing t809 estc r34657 14545998 ocm 14545998 102563 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a64451) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 102563) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 1075:2) a testimony concerning the life, death, trials, travels and labours of edward burroughs that worthy prophet of the lord who dyed a prisoner for the testimony of jesus, and the word of god, in the city of london, the 14th of the 12th month, 1662 / [by] f.h. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. whitehead, george, 1636?-1723. coale, josiah, 1632?-1668. fox, george, 1624-1691. [2], 25 p. printed and are to be sold by william warwick, london : 1662. signed: fran. howgil. includes contributions by george whitehead, josiah coale and george fox. imperfect: pages stained and with print show-through. reproduction of original in the huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng burrough, edward, 1634-1662. quakers -biography. 2004-11 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2004-12 spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-01 emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread 2005-01 emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-04 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a testimony concerning the life , death , trials , travels and labours of edward burroughs that worthy prophet of the lord who dyed a prisoner for the testimony of jesus , and the word of god , in the city of london , the 14 th of the 12 th month , 1662. f. h. london , printed , and are to be sold by william warwick , 1662. the life and death of edward burroughs that worthy prophet of the lord , &c. shall days , or months , or years wear out thy name , as though thou hadst had no being ? oh nay ! shall not thy noble and valiant acts , and mighty works which thou hast wrought through the power of him that separated thee from the womb , live in generations to come ? oh yes ! the children that are yet unborn , shall have thee in their mouths , and thy works shall testifie of thee in generations , who yet have not a being , and shall count thee blessed . did thy life go out as the snuff of a candle ? oh nay ! thou hast penetrated the hearts of many , and the memorial of the just shall live for ever , and be had in renown among the children of wisdom for ever ; for thou hast turned many to righteousness , and shall shine as a star of god in the firmament of god's power , for ever and ever ; and they that are in that , shall see thee there , and enjoy thee there , though thou be gone away hence , and can no more be seen in mutability ; yet thy life , and thy spirit shall run parallel with immortality . oh edward burroughs ! i cannot but mourn for thee , yet not as one without hope nor faith , knowing and having a perfect testimony of thy well-being in my heart , by the spirit of the lord ; yet thy absence is great , and years to come shall know the want of thee . shall i not lament as david did for a worse man than thee , even for abner when in wrath he perished by the hand of joab without any just cause , though he was a valiant man ? david lamented over abner , and said , dyed abner as a fool dyeth ? ( oh nay ! he was betrayed of his life ) even so hast thou been bereaved of thy life by th● hand of the oppressor , whose habitations are full of cruelty . oh my soul , come not thou within their secret , for thy blood shall be required at the hands of them who thirsted after thy life ; and it shall cry as abels , who was in the faith ; even so wert thou ; it shall weigh as a ponderous milstone upon their necks , and shall crush them under , and be as a worm that gnaweth and shall not dye : when i think upon thee , i am melted into tears of true sorrow ; and because of the want that the inheritance of the lord hath of thee , my substance is even as dissolved : shall i not say as david said of saul and jonathan when they were slain in mount gilboa , the beauty of israel is slain upon the high places : even so wast thou stifled 〈◊〉 nasty holes and prisons , and many more , who were precious in the eyes of the lord : and surely precious wast thou to me , oh dear edward , i am distressed for th●● my brother ; very pleasant hast thou been to me , and my love to thee was wonderful , passing the love of women : oh thou whose bow never turned back , neither sword empty from the blood of the slain , from the slaughter of the mighty ; who made nations and multitudes shake with the word of life in thy mouth , and wast very dreadful to the enemies of the lord , for thou didst cut like a rasor ; and yet to the seed of god brought forth , thy words dropped like oyle , and thy lips as the honey-comb . thou shalt be recorded among the valiant of israel , who attained to the first degree through the power of the lord , that wrought mightily in thee in thy day , and was worthy of double honor , because of thy works sake ; thou wast expert to handle thy weapon , and by thee the mighty have fallen , and the slain o● the lord hath been many ; many have been pricked ●o heart through the power of the word of life , and coales of fire from thy life come forth of thy mouth , that in many a thicket , and among many bryars and thorns it ca●e to be kindled , and did devour much stubble that cumb●●ed the ground , and stained the earth . oh how certain a sound did thy trumpet give ! and how great an al●rm didst t●ou give in thy day , that made the host of the uncircum●●sed grea●ly distressed ! what man so val●ant , though as goliah of gath , would not thy valour have encountered with , while many despised thy youth ! and how have i seen thee with ●hy sling and thy stone ( despised weapons as to war with ) wound the mighty , and that which hath seemed contemptible to the dragons party , even as the jaw-bone of an asse , with it thou hast slain the philistines heaps upon heaps , as sampson . thou hast put to thy hand to the hammer of the lord , and has● often fastened nailes in the heads of the lambs enemies , as d●borah did to sisera ; and many a rough stone hast thou polished and squared , and made it fit for the building of god ; and much knotty wood hast thou hewed in thy day , which was not fit for the building o● god's house , oh thou prophet of the lord , and shalt for ever be recorded in the lambs book of life , among the lords worthies , who have followed the lamb through great tribulation , as many can witness for thee from the beginning ; and at last hath overcome , and found worthy to stand with the lamb upon mount sion the hill of god , as i have often seen thee , and thy heart well tuned as a harp , to praise the lord , and to sound forth his great salvation , which many a time hath made glad the hearts of them that did believe , and strengthen their faith and hope . well , thou art at res● ; and bound up in the bundle of life ; and i know tears was wiped away from thy eyes , because there was no cause of sorrow in thee : for i know thou witnessed the old things done away , and there was no curse but blessings were poured upon thy head as rain , and peace as a mighty shower , and trouble was far from thy dwelling , though in the outward man trouble on every side , and hath had a greater share in that , fo● the gospel sake ( though a youth in thy time ) th●n many besides : but now thou art freed from that , and h●st obtained a name through faith , with the saints in light. well , hadst thou more to give up then thy life for the name of jesus in this world ? nay ; and to seal thy testimony committed unto thee with thy blood as thou hast often said in thy day , which shall remain as a crown upon thee for ever and ever . and now thou art freed from the ●empt●tions of him who had the power of death , and art freed from thy outward enemies , who hated thee because of the life that dwelt in thee , and remaineth at the right hand of god , where there is joy and pleasure for evermore in the everlasting light , which thou hast often testified unto , according to the word of prop●esie in thy heart , which was given unto ●hee by the holy ghost , and art at rest in the perfection thereof , in the beauty of holiness ; yet thy life and thy spirit i feel as present , and have unity with it , and in it , beyond all created and visible thing● , which are subje●t to ●utation and change ; and thy life shall enter into other● , to testifie unto the same truth , which is from everlasting to everl●sting ; for god hath raised , and will raise up children unto abraham , of them that have been as dead stones , whose po●er is almighty , great in his people in the midst of their enemies . this same edward burroughs was born in the barrony of kendal , in the county of westmoreland , of honest parents , who had a good report among their neighbours for upright and honest dealing among men , who brought up edward in his youth in learning and good education as the countrey doth afford . he was a very understanding boy in his youth , and his knowledge and understanding did far exceed his years : he had the spirit of a man when he was but as a child ; and i may say , grey h●irs was upon him when he was but a youth ; for he was cloathed with wisdom in his infancy ; for i had perfect knowledge of him from a youth . he was inclinable from his youth upwards , to religion , and the best way , always minding the best things , and the best and nearest way of worship to the scriptures of truth , and always did accompany the best men , who walked in godliness and honesty , insomuch i have often admired his discreet carriage , and his great understanding of the things of god : he was never known to be addicte● to any vic● or malignity , or bad behaviour , neither followed any evil course of life from his childhood , but feared the lord , and walked uprightly according to the light and knowledge received in all things . in his natural disposition he was bold and manly , dexterous and fervent ; and what he took in hand , he did it with his might ; loving , kind and courteous , merciful and flexible , and easie to be entreated . his whole delight was always ●mong good people , and to be conferring and reading the scriptures , and little to mind any sports or pastimes , which there is an infidency unto in youth ; but his very strength was bended after god , and was separated ( i may say ) from his mothers womb , and fitting for the works sake whereunto he after was called . and when it pleased the lord to raise up the a●cient horn of salvation among us , who were reckoned in the north part of england , even as the out casts of israel , and as men destitut● of the great knowledge which some seemed to enjoy ; yet there was more sincerity and true love among us , and desires ●fter the living powerful presence of god then was among many in that day , who seemed to make a great flourish , who ran into heaps and forms , but left the cross behind them , and indeed were strangers to it ; god out of his everlasting love did appear unto us according to the desire of our hearts who longed after him , when we had turned aside from the hireling shepherds t●nts , we found him whom our souls loved , and god out of his great love , and great mercy , sent one unto us immediately by his power , a man of god , one of ten thousand , to instruct us in the way of god more perfectly , who laid down the sure foundation , and declared the acceptable year of the lord ; who indeed made the mourners to re●oice , and the heavy hearted glad , which yet was terrible to all hypocrites , and all formal profession ; which testimony reached unto all our consciences , and entered into the inmost part of our hearts , which drove us to a narrow search , and to a diligent inquisition concerni●g our st●te , which we did come to see through the light of christ jesus which was testified of , and found it to be even what it was testified of ; and the lord of heaven and earth we found to be near at hand ; and as we waited upon him in pure silence , our minds out of all things , his dreadful power and glorious majesty , and heavenly presence appeared in our assemblies , when there was no language , tongue nor speech from any creature ; and the kingdom of heaven did gather us , and catch us all as in a net , and his heavenly power at one time did draw many hundreds to land , that we did come to know a place to stand in , and what to wait in , and the lord did appear daily to us , to our astonishment , amazement , and great admiration , insomuch that we often said one unto another with great joy of heart , what , is the kingdom of god come to be with men ? and will he take up his tabernacle amongst the sons of men , as he did of old ? and what , shall we that were reckoned as the outcasts of israel , have this honor of glory communicated amongst us , which were but men of small parts ▪ and of little abi●i●i●s , in respect of many oth●rs as amongst men ? howbeit , thus it seemed good unto the lord to choose the weak things , and the foolish things of this world , as to the aspect of me● , that no flesh might glory , that no man because of his parts might glory , or because of his streng●h or wisdom might glory , but that the glory which is his might onely be given to him ; unto whom be the glory of all his works for ever and ever , amen . and from that day forward our hearts were knit unto the lord , and one unto another in true and fervent love , not by any external covenan● , or external form ; but we entered into the cove●ant of life with god , and that was as a strong obligation or bond upon all ou● spirits , which united us one unto another ; and we met together in the unity of the spirit , and of the bond of peace , treading down under our feet all rea●oning , questioning , debating and contending about religion , or any part or parts , or practice or practices thereof , as to any e●ternal thing ; and we waited at time and times , as god did grant u● opportunities , and the more we had a●d could obtain from our necessary occasions of this present life , the better we were , and the more we were confirmed and strengthened in our hope and faith ; and holy resolutions were kindled in our hearts as a fire ▪ which the life kindled in us to serve the lord while we had a being , and ●o make mention of his name and power whilst we did live , and to hold forth that testimony which was committed to us , in the sight of men and nations , by doctrine , by practice , by a holy conversation ; and mightily did the word of god grow amongst us , and the desires of many were after the name of the lord. oh happy day ! oh blessed day ! the memorial of which can never pass out of my mind . and thus the lord in short did form us to be a people for his praise in our generation . howbeit after all this and much more , which time would fail me to write of , ( neither is the purpose of my spirit bent that way at this time ) we did come through very great tribulations , extream distresses , great perplexity , and passed out oftentimes hungry , and hard put to it both within and without ; yet such wa● our love to the lord , and such fervency in our he●rts , that we rather chused to dye , and to undergo every difficulty , than to dishonor or deny the name of christ in the midst of suffering ; because of that taste that we had of his goodness and immortal life revealed in our hearts , this young man of whom i am speaking , had his share , though but a youth at that time , of 16. or 17. years of age , because of the truth which crossed all the worlds way ; his nearest relations , even his own parents cast him off as an alien , and turned him out from their house , as not to have any part or portion therein as a son , nay , not so much as a hired servant , which this young man bore very patiently , without murmuring or complaining , having a taste of that then , which was better than all the world ; and through conversing with his people , and among them , the spirit of the lord came upon him , and the spirit of wisdom and understanding entered into his heart , and the spirit of knowledge and sound judgment came to be seated in his reins , and the spirit of prophesie came upon him like as it did upon many more , through the holy ghosts power and operation ; and he spake of the wonderful things of god amongst them that believed , and was one of the first among us which the lord opened the mouth of , to shew forth his praise , and to speak of the things of his kingdom to as many as he met with , who waited for the consolation of israel , for the riches of the gentiles , and to as many as desired and hoped after eternal life : at last the lord singled him out , & commanded him to go forth into countreys unknown to him , as he did some more besides , upon whom he laid a necessity to preach the gospel freely , without money , without price , without tythes , augmentations , gifts or rewards , and in that he was as faithful a man , none exceeding him in his generation ; for those things were an abhorrency to his heart ; & where he met with any such hireling shepherds , & deceitful workers which had gull'd the nations , and cheated the people for dishonest gain , and kept them in blindness , the indignation of the lord was kindled in his heart , and the sword of the lord was very sharp in his hand ; and whomsoever he met with which walked after this sort , they were sure to feel the weight of his weapon , and the force of his blow , by which many have been deeply wounded , that they have grinned like dogs on him , as greedy dogs indeed , because of their present wound & blow that he did give them ; and though he was but young in years , yet he was full of fortitude and true valour : the lord often times when he exercised him in such war as this , hath filled his qui●er full of polished shafts , and made his bow to abide in strength , and he was as dextrous and as ready handed , as any that i knew in his day , against the dragon and his power , against the beast and his followers ; and indeed he was very even-handed , and had a special good arm , and seldome mist the mark : god had fill'd his mouth with arguments , so that he hath often made a breach , a breach in the face of an host. and it was my lot ( which i cannot but say fell in a good ground ) to be his companion and fellow-labourer in ●he work of the gospel , whereunto we were called for many years together : and oh ! when i consider , my heart is broken ; how sweetly we walked together for many months & years ! in which we had perfect knowledg of one anothers hearts , & perfect unity of spitri , not so much as one cross word , or one hard thought of discontent ever rose ( i believe ) in either of our hearts , fo● 10 years together , but our souls were bound up in unity and peace , having the frame of our hearts bent after one and the self same thing , to wit , the propagation of that truth by which liberty was obtained , and salvation received through jesus christ the true light of the world , seeing through his light ●he whole world to lye in wickedness ; a necessity laid upon this person of whom i am speaking , being constrained by the spirit of the lord , by which he was made an able minister of the everlasting gospel , to preach repentance , conversion , salvation and remission of sins ; and accordingly he went forth in ●he name and power of the lord jesus the saviour of mankind , and was an able minister of the glad tydings of salvation , in many , or most parts of this land ; and also he travelled thorow again and again , the whole nation of ireland , and in some part of scotland , and some part of flanders ; and his ministry ●as made effectual through the almighty power of god , in turning many from darkness to light , and from the power of satan to god ; there are many thousands who are living in the body , and alive in the truth , who can in the spirit of the lord bear testimony to the power and verity of his ministry , in many countreys where he travelled ; for he laboured much in divers places , even in the heat of the day , though he began early in the morning ; and in the beginning of his travels and labours , it was his share to break up rough places and un●illed ground ; & to walk amongst many bryars and thorns , which scratched , and pricked , and teared ; and travelled with some other , not without great opposition ; and he often trod the pathes and wayes which had not been occupied in the truth ; and where darkness had the dominion , and was as a covering , he brake through as an armed man , not minding the opposition , but the victory , and the good of all souls ; though to my knowledg his sufferings and trya●s hath not been small , nor his exercise a little , on the right hand , and on the left , in travels often , often times buffered , sometimes knocked down by unreasonable men , who had not faith , loaded with lyes , slanders , calumnies and reproaches , often in weakness , yea in deaths often , in watchings , fastings and temptations often ; in straits and necessities ; in perils among rude multitudes , in perils in idol-temples , in perils in streets and markets , where the lord did move him often to go in the beginning of his time ; besides the exceeding weight of service from weeks end to weeks end , in so much that he had seldome many hours of repose ; and of●en suffered by those spirits who lost their first love , and rose in opposition . he was very diligent and faithful , true-hearted and valiant , and the yoke at last came to be easie unto him , though no ease at all in the body as to the outward man ; for he made the work of the lord his whole business , without taking so much liberty unto himself , or about any outward occasion in this world , as to spend one week to himself ( to my knowledg ) these ten years : he had ventured himself often for the bodies sake ; and a great care i know was in his heart , that them that he had ministred unto , and others that had believed in the same truth , might thrive and prosper , and might walk as becometh the gospel of jesus christ. he was of a manly spirit in the things of god ; he hath engaged himself often upon the lords account singly in great disputes , when there were many opposers ; he hath stood in the door , and in the gap , against all his enemies , for the worthy name of god , and taken the whole weight of thing● upon his o●n shoulders , that others might be eased , though often to ●he weakening , and almost destroying of the outward man , yet doing all in love to the lord , and for his peoples sake ; he did it with chearfulness , and it was a grief to him if any opportunity was missed of doing good : he was a man of no great learning in natural tongues , which men so much applaud ; yet indeed his heart was full of matter , and his tongue was as the hand of a ready scribe and yet he had the tongue of the learned , having had experiment of the work of the lord , and being acquainted with many conditions which god had carried him through , he could speak a word in season unto all who declared their conditions unto him ; of otherways in his publike ministry he was very plausible and elegant in his speech , & indeed had the tongue of a learned orator to declare himself to the understandings & consciences of all men with whom he conversed , by which many received great profit , and their understandings came to be opened ; for his words ministred grace to the heare●● , and his words were forcible and very pleasant , as apples of gold in pictures of silver . this young man of whom i am speaking , was one of the first ( with some others ) who came to the city of london , where he met with no small opposition both from professors of divers forms , and also prophane , who heeded no religion at all , and the way of truth seemed contemptible , and without form or comeliness to them all , which made the opposition so great , and the labour so hard , that notwithstanding it pleased the lord to reach unto the consciences of many , and many were prickt to the heart , so that they cried out , what shall we do to be saved ? and god made his ministry very effectual to the conversion of many in the city of london , whereby a great change was wrought in the hearts of many , & many hundreds brought to know the lord their teacher , which are as seals unto the word of life through him unto this day . and many hundreds , i may say thousands , heard the lively word of god declared by him , and were convinced of the way of truth , though still remaining in the disobedience to that of god in their own hearts unto which he declared ; and many have lost their day which they had of hearing and receiving the things of god ; for now he is taken away which might have been a help unto them while they had time ; and all such are not worthy of him . he continued in this city very much at time and times , betwixt eight and nine years together , preaching the word of god , and speaking of the things of his kingdom to all that looked after it ; and great watching , travel , and exercise in the work of the lord ; and his earnest desire was , that all might have come to know god's salvation , and the redemption of their souls . and his great diligence was known unto many , that his only rejoicing was in the prosperity of the work of the lord , and the encrease of faith amongst them that did believe ; and his heart was much drawn towards this city ; and often times hath he said to me when suffering did come for the gospel sake , which he knew would come , i can freely go to that city , and lay down my life for a testimony of that truth which i have declared through the power and spirit of god : which in the end indeed came to be his share , and will for ever be his crown , who loved not his life unto death for the testimony of our lord jesus christ. and in the same year 1662. being pressed in his spirit to go visit them who were begotten unto the faith of god's elect at the city of bristol , and in divers other counties , at divers meetings , and divers particular friends , he took his leave of them , saying unto very many , that he did not know he should see their faces any more ; exhorting them all to faithfulness and stedfastness in that wherein they had found rest for their souls : and said to some , i am going up to the city of london again , to lay down my life for the gospel , and suffer amongst friends in that place , as having some sence of his suffering before . and a little after his return to the city , at a publike meeting which the people of the lord have kept these many years , to hear and speak of the things of god to edification , at the bull and and mouth near aldersgate , by certain souldiers under the command of richard brown then general of the city of london , he was violently plucked down , and haled away in a barbarous manner , and carryed to the guard , and so committed to newgate , not for evil-doing , but for testifying unto the name of the lord jesus , and for the worship of god , as though this were become a great crime worthy of bonds , and ( at last ) death ; he was had to the sessions in the old baily , and his accusers were witnesses against him , and them that had abused him violently , their testimony was received as good proof against him . and at last after two or three sessions , he was fined by the court one hundred mark , which at last was reduced to twenty mark , and to lie in prison while payment ; where he continued a pretty long season , above 8 months , with 6 or 7 score prisoners be●ide , upon the same account , many being shut up among the felons in nasty places , and for want of prison-room , the natures of many were suffocated and corrupted , till at last many grew vveak , sickned , and dyed . at last this same young man grew vveak , and though a special order from the king was sent to the then sheriffs of london , for the release of him and the rest that were left in prison , yet such was the enmity of some of the rulers of the city , that they did what in them lay to obstruct the execution of the order , that he should not be released : and so weakness grew upon him daily , though in much patience he was carried through all . in the time of his sickness he was very fervent in prayer ( and that often , both day and night ) unto the lord as concerning himself , and also his people ; and at several times he spoke several precious words from the sensible feeling of god's spirit in his heart , and said , i have had the testimony of the lords love unto me from my youth ; and my heart hath been given up to do thy will : and he said , i have preached the gospel freely in this city , and have often given up my life for the gospels sake ; and now lord rip open my heart , and see if it be not right before thee . another time he said when he had a little ease , there is no iniquity lyes at my door , but the presence of the lord is with me , and his life i feel justifie me . another day afterwards he said , thou hast loved me when i was in the womb , and i have loved thee from my cradle , and from my youth unto this day , and have served thee faithfully in my generation . and he spoke to friends that were about him , to live in love and peace , and love one another . and at another time he said , the lord taketh the righteous from the evil to come ; and he prayed for his enemies , and for his persecutors , and said , lord forgive richard brown , he may be forgiven . and though the distemper and the disease was violently upon him , yet he was preserved sensible ; and in the morning before he departed this life , being sensible of his death , he said , now my soul and spirit is centered in its own being with god ; and this form of person must return from whence it was taken : and after a little season he gave up the ghost , and dyed a prisoner , and shall be recorded , and is in the lambs book of life , as a martyr for the word of god , and the testimony of jesus , for which only he suffered , and gave up his life , whose death was precious in the eyes of the lord. but now he ever liveth with god , and his works follow him , and labour● shall testifie of him in generations to come ; and thousands beside my self can bear witness , his life and death was to the praise , glory and honor of the grace of god ; unto whom be the glory of all his works for ever and ever , amen . and oh thou city of london ! who hast been a professing city of the name of god and christianity so many years , must it be said of thee as christ said of jerusalem , that a prophet cannot perish out of thee : oh how many warnings hast thou had ! and how dost thou remain in obdurateness and impenitency ! oh! thou art not worthy of those heavenly tydings of salvation which hath been proclaimed in the midst of thee these many years , by this faithful messenger of god deceased , with many more , who is taken away in judgement unto thee , because many of thy inhabitants despised and set at nought that in which the blessedness of all nations consisteth . oh how is thy gold become dim ! and how is thy glory stained ! how is thy countenance marred ! how is all thy profession become dead , and thou like a withered tree without sap ! the symptomes of death are upon thee ; your sun is set , your glory is passed away ; night is coming , and darkness is surrounding you , and you shall have enough of da●kness , and your pathes and ways shall be filled with it , because you have hated the light , and would not have him who is the light of the world , to rule in your hearts ; but hath chused darkness rather than light , because your deeds are evil , and in the end thou shalt be made to see , you have chosen lying vanities , and have taken pleasure in the flesh , and have forsaken your own mercies . repent , repent ( if any can find a place ) while it is called to day , lest you be shut up in everlasting darkness , and truth be hid from your eyes for ever . take warning , cease from persecution and afflicting the lords people , who desire to live quietly and peaceably , and to worship god in truth and righteousness , with a pure heart : it is too too much that you have done already ; the suffering and death of many innocent righteous men , who have suffered these winters past , will lie as a load upon your city in summers to come . remember what god did to amaleck the first of the natio●s , and to moab when israel would have passed to their own land an● countrey that god had promised them , and have eaten their own bread , and drank their water , and have passed on peaceably ; but they rose up and fell upon the poor , and upon the hindmost and weak ; god was glad ●o force his way , though it proved the ruine of amaleck , and the misery of moab . we would gladly walk on our way to the promised land wh●ch belongs to the saints in light ; we would eat our own bread , and drink our water and what we needed , and keep our consciences clear ( in our generation we must ) to that which god hath promised ; and if we cannot have a way , god will make one for us ; and that you that set your selves against the lord , in the end shall be sure to know and feel , though we shall never lift up carnal weapon , nor drawsword , neither use bow nor spear ; for god hath taught us to love our enemies ; and out of these things we are come , and to the end of wars , and to be for it ; yet god's purpose shall be fulfilled , and he hath ways enough to plead the cause of his people , and he will do it , and wo to all their enemies . and do you cry ou● of popery because of cruelty and persecution ? and will you be found in the same footsteps , and in the same nature ? oh! let it never be said nor thought , that ever the church of god or true christians did drink the blood of the saints , or cast them into prison ; for that is babylon the mother of harlots , that doth so . therefore be informed and warned ; set not bryars and thorns in battel against the lord , neither stubble before devouring fire ; for if you do , a consumption will come upon you , and your name and memorial shall rot , dye , wither , and melt away as snailes ; and glory shall rest with , and upon the heads of the sufferers of christ for ever . by one who hath chosen rather to suffer with the people of god called quakers , than to en●oy the pleasures of sin for a season , or to be reckoned as a prince amongst the uncircumcised , fran. howgil . reading the 22. of the 12. month 1662. and as for e.b. our dear brother and companion in travel , suffering and consolation for the everlasting gospel● sake in his day , his testimony lives with us ; he was a preacher of righteou●ness , and one who travelled for the redemption of the creature from under the bondage of corruption , and proclaimed liberty to the captives in the power and authority ●f god , and therein was a true witness against oppression , and all the antichristian yokes imposed in the night of apostacy ▪ upon the persons and consciences of people ; and truly and valiantly he held forth the liberty of conscience , and vindicated it to the great men of the earth , in things appertaining to god in matters of religion and worship , against the persecution and compulsion ( which had its original ●nd rise from the power of the beast , which hath made war against the righteous seed ) that men might be left free to the guidance of the infallible spirit of god ( which is not to be limited ) in these matters , and not be compelled nor brought under the corrupt wills of men , nor their fallible judgements nor invented forms in these cases : and the name of this mini●●er of righteousness is written in the l●mbs book of life ; and all the enemies of his life can never be able to blot it ou● , nor extinguish his memorial . oh! the remembrance of his integrity , uprightness and sincerity , hath deep impression upon my heart ; & that tender love and affection in god's truth which he was filled with towards all the upright , ( who are lovers of peace & unity in the lord ) is never to be forgotten by u● who are yet remaining in the work of the lord , and the everlasting gospel , for which he hath left a glorious testimony , the glory of which shall never be extinguished , but thousands shall praise the lord our god because thereof ; yea , even the seed that 's yet in the lower parts of the earth ( where darkness covers it ) and the child that 's yet unborn in many , that 's curiously framed in the mothers womb , w●ose members are written in the book of god , shall glorifie the lord on his behalf . and this testimony many have already concerning him , that though his body be dead , his spirit liveth in the immortality of that life that is immutable , and shall never dye nor wax old , and is felt among the righteous , who walk in their integrity and constancy to the lord. and this faithful servant of the lord , and valiant souldier of the lamb ( as in his day was evidently apparent ) as to live to him was christ , to dye was gain : and though in his time many were the sufferings and aff●ictions which his life went under , and his upright spirit suffered by , both from his open enemies and persecutors in the world ( because of the valour and courage for the truth of god ) and from deceitful and transforming exalted spirits , which burthen the holy seed ; but now his life is caught up above them all ( and is out of their reach ) in the transcendent and unspeakable glory , in the everlasting habitation and firmament of god's power , where he hath shined ( and doth shine ) among the stars , that have kept their habitations , as one that hath turned many to righteousness , and that hath overcome by the blood of the lamb , and the word of his testimony , with those holy prophets and martyrs who rejoice over babylon and her abominations ( in whom their blood is found ) and against whom he was a faithful witness and valiant warrier , whose living and absolute testimony therein , god hath blessed , made prosperous , and wil fulfil to the uttermost . and though he be ceased from his labours , his works do follow him , which wil be had in living remembrance and precious esteem among the upright , when his persecutors shall be broken and laid low in the desolation and ruine of babylon ; and all that continue in enmity and deceit , and all the deceitful spirits that have burthened his righteous soul , shall fall , and their blossome wither and come to nought . and if any of his persecutors or oppressors be yet so impenitent and obdurate as to triumph and be elevated in an exalted or prejudiced spirit , because of his death , and in their exaltation and pride of heart say , he was taken away in judgment , or in wrath . to such in gods fear i answer , that thousands of the servants of the lord are of another perswasion , not questioning but it was in gods tender love ( as to his own particular ) that he was removed out of the earthen vessel , in which he ( though a man as in the prime of his years ) endured great travel in his time for the truth 's sake , and the gathering of many into the way of the lord , and in which his travel was the greater ( when the time of his dissolution drew near ) to be dissolved , because of his suffering ( and the extremity of his sicknesse occasioned thereby ) which many others were partakers of , who suffered persecution and imprisonment by unreasonable men in this city of london , for the cause of god and of a good conscience , as chi●fly for their meeting together fingly in the worship of god. but this i testifie in the lord , as in him i have felt , that his being removed , was in judgement from the lord against his persecutors , who desired and sought his destruction ; and what they have done against him hath greatly added to the fulfilling of their iniquities , that the blood of the righteous which cryes for vengeance may be avenged to the utmost upon them who would not suffer the righteous to have a being amongst men , nor lay to heart their being taken away from the evil to come . and they who in a byassed or prejudiced spirit of enmity are lifted up because of his decease , they were not worthy of him , nor of his testimony , and they have cause to mourn and lament amongst those that have pierced the just , and slighted and despised the messengers of truth and righteousnesse , whom god hath therein honored , and god will debase such , and their vain glory unto the dust , and exalt the testimony and life of his faithful witnesses over all their heads . but we who have been well acquainted with the deep suffering of the righteous seed , and with the worth of true unity , in the weighty body and spirit of christ , and therein do behold the glory and compleatnesse of the city of our god , which is at peace within it self , cannot but prize the ministers of righteousnesse , and every member of the same body ; and oh how blessed and precious is the memorial of the righteous in our eyes ! and how deeply is my soul affected with that comfortable communion , and those many and living refreshments that we have enjoyed one with another , even with him and others , who have finished their course ! well , however in this i am satisfied , that though we be left in travel , and our days have been days of affliction and suffering for christ and the gospels sake , ( as in the world ) yet in him whom the prince of this world hath nothing in , we have peace , being come into communion with the spirits of just men , who are the family of god , written in heaven , and called by one name both in heaven and earth , and the god of life is their portion , and his glory is the rereward of his called , and chosen , and faithful ones , who have dealt their bread to the hungry , and brought the poor to their house , even to the habitation of the righteous , where the living bread is received , and the heavenly mansions lived in , and enjoyed by all who abide in the truth , and retain their first love , and habitation therein , in which true fellowship is enjoyed , and the prosperity of the elect seed known : blessed be the name of our god for ever and ever . g●orge whitehead . london the 12 th day of the first month , 1663. a testimony of truth concerning the servant of the lord , and minister of jesus christ , edward burroughs . friends , a necessity is upon me , and i am even constrained and pressed in my spirit to bring in and give my testimony concerning my beloved brother before-mentioned , that it may remain and stand upon record for ages and generation● to come . and this first i say and declare unto all people unto whom this shall come , that he was a man endued with the almighty power of god which lived and reigned in him ; ●nd the treasury of pure , divine , heavenly wisdom was opened in him , &c. and understanding ( in the things that relate unto god's kingdom of peace and righteousness , and in the things that concern the everlasting peace and well-being of all mankind ) was plentifully manifested unto him by the good spirit of god , which ( i may say ) he had received in a plentiful measure : and this many can testifie unto , and his own writings which remain upon record , will in a large measure manifest the truth thereof . and this spirit dwelt plentifully in him , so that thereby he wa● able to instruct many in the way of life , peace and true holiness ; and if any were afflicted in spirit or mind , by reason of the wiles of the enemy of their souls , or if they met with any difficulty in their journey , as they passed from death to life , he was a man able ( through the large experience that he had of the dealings of the lord , and also of the wiles of satan , having followed the lamb in the regeneration ) to administer a word in season to their refreshment and comfort , and for their establishment in the most precious , holy faith ; and this i know the witnesse of god in thousands must and shall testifie unto , who are the seal of his ministry . and moreover he was a man that was able ( through the wisdom and blessed gift of god that was in him ) to convince and stop the mouths of all gainsayers of the truth , which he ( with us ) professed and lived in . and it is well known unto many , that he was never backwards , but always ready and willing to appear in a way of publike conference , as in vindication of ( and against any that should oppose ) the blessed truth of god which he held and professed , and also to manifest the grounds and reasons wherefore , we deny ( and dissent from ) the national prie●ts of the world , ( and their traditional ways of worship ) and the hypocritical professors thereof , who have not the life and substance of what they profess in words . and these things ( it is well known unto many ) he was oft exercised in ; and he did not go about in corners , nor creep into dark places hiddenly nor secretly , but preached the truth of god , and doctrine of our lord jesus christ boldly and openly , even upon the house tops , and his valour for god's truth on earth , was well known unto many , and his voice was as the sound or ratling of the charriots of god's host upon the tops of the mountains , and was oft uttered forth in the name of the lord , even like thunder , and the voice of the son of god was uttered forth through him , by which the dead was raised ; the witnesses are now alive , let them bring in their testimony , that the truth hereof may be confirmed . his doctrine dropped as the oyle of joy upon the spirits of the mourners in sion . his life extended it self as a sweet stream into the hearts of the children of light that thirsted after righteousness : he was one of the cloud of witnesses that dropped down the dew upon the tender plants of god. he pleaded the cause of the innocent suffering seed , and earnestly contended with the powers of the earth of all sorts , in the behalf , and for the freedom of the suffering people of god : he fore prophesied unto them that were in authority in the days past , of their destruction , and of their overthrow , because of their deceitfulness to god , and their false and cruel , treacherous and merciless dealings towards his people , who had made many fair promises both to god and man in the time of their adversity , that they would grant free liberty of conscience in things relating to the worship of god , and that oppression should be removed , and the like ; but in the time of their prosperity , when they were waxen fat , and grown great , and lived at ease and in pleasures , then they forgot god , and regarded not to perform their engagements neither to god nor his people ; for which cause the lord cut them off in hi● sore displeasure , and brought an utter desolation upon them , according to the words of his servants , and this prophet of god lived to see their desolation come , ( which was sad to behold ) and his prophesies was fulfilled in his own days . and he also warned the present rulers of this nation to take heed of walking in the steps of them that are gone before . and for these things , and for the publishing of the truth of god , and for bearing his testimony with boldnesse against all oppression and cruelty , he was hated of the men of this gener●tion , but chiefly by some of the rulers of the city of london : he sealed his testimony with his life in bonds ; and so they have wilfully brought innocent blood upon themselves , and heavy will it lye upon them in the day of account ( which greatly hastens ) wherein the lord god wil make inquisition for the blood of the innocent , and reward every man according to his deeds ; then wil his blood be upon you as the blood of a thousand men ; and how wil you bear your sentence from the lord of hosts , because you will be found guilty of the blood of his prophets , messengers and servants , which he sent unto you in love to your souls , to forewarn you of the evil which greatly hastens to come upon you : yet notwithstanding you have done all these things , and the cry of innocent blood hath been heard so loud amongst you , yet have you hardened your hearts and go on in stiff-neckedness , and persist in your cruelty towards the servants of the lord that are left behind , and are found casting them into prison : oh wo is me for you ! where will a place be found for you in the day of the lord ? or what covering will you hide yourselves under ? or how wil you appear before the righteous god of heaven and earth ? have you no consideration in you of your latter end ? or else do you believe that the lord sees not your cruelty towards his people , that you will not answer his requirings , which is to do justly , and love mercy , and walk humbly with the lord , and to do unto all men as you would they should do unto ? surely if the consideration of these things was in your hearts , or if you had any regard to keep your consciences clear in the sight of god herein , you could never do as you have done . wherefore consider these things , and lay them to heart , and repent speedily , lest you sin your day away , and place of repentance there cannot be found : for this i tell you plainly , that it is in vain for you to strive against the lord , or to seek to stop or hinder his work which he hath begun ; for he will be too strong for you , and he will make you bow and bend to his own name and power , whether you will or no. and though he bear with you long , and suffer you long , yet his long-suffering wil come to an end ; and though you should be permitted to fulfil your envious wills and lustful desires so fa● as to banish , or kill , or destroy us from off the earth , yea all of us who are now in being , ( which i do not believe ever shall be ) yet would god raise up another people by the same power and spirit in and by which we stand , which should be a terror unto you , and should possess god's everlasting kingdom ( which is not of this world ) over your heads . and in the time of his outward weakness he was heard to say , that though this body of clay must return to the dust , yet i have this testimony that i have served god in my generation , an● that spirit which hath lived , and acted , and ruled in me , shall yet break forth in thousands ; and my faith is , that it shall be indeed even so ; for we have found him a true prophet amongst us , and ●o the nations . and this also near his departure he was heard to desire of the lord , that if it were possible , to forgive brown , &c. and so let all friends be encouraged to wait upon the lord in the feeling of the same spirit that was in him , ( which we know is the saints comforter ) that thereby you may be carried through all tribulations and persecutions with chearfulness , that in the end you may all receive the crown of everlasting righteousness with him and the rest of the saints of the most high god , and holy prophets and apostles of our lord jesus christ : and so the lord god almighty of heaven and earth be with you all , and keep you all in faithfulness unto the end , amen . my brother dear the lord hath call'd away , that in this world he should no longer stay : who was to many an instrument of good , while in the body ( in god's great power ) he stood . for many were from darkness by him turned unto the light , in which they were confirmed by the power and doctrine which to them was preached by him , through which god's true witness was reached , in their dark hearts , where satan long had reigned , over whom ( through god's great power ) victory 's gained . he was a valiant souldier of the lamb , and faithful to the lord did always stand , till with his life he seal'd his testimony , ( a london-prisoner ) as it 's known to many . but now in peace with god he is sate down , and hath with christ an everlasting crown of immortality , life and lasting joy , which never shall from him be took away . he was intrusted with the hidden treasure in a large , and in an abundant measure , which he dispensed to the lambs of god ; but to the wicked he was a scourge and rod. he fed the babes and children with the word , which to the wicked was a piercing sword : before him stil god's enemies did fall ; he never turn'd his back to them at all . but now he hath thus finished his course with joy and peace , yet 's life we do not lose : for oh dear brother , thy life i stil do feel remaining with me , else i could not wel remain behind thee with true satisfaction , because 't would turn upon me with reflexion . for truly can i say , my heart is fill'd with sorrow great , and grief is not expell'd : for oh ! the sence of my dear brother's love remains upon me , and shall never move . but herein is my soul greatly refreshed , that thy good savour and thy name is blessed , and shall remain in ages yet to come , when visibles standing now ; is past and gone . but oh my brother dear why soul did love thy life , which not●ing was , nor is above : for all t●ings it transcended , as to me ; in my esteem there 's nothing like't can be : because it stood in that eternity which always wil remain , and never dye : and ages yet to come shall tast thereof , and call thee blest , in whom it was brought forth . he was a man in whom gods power reigned , through faith , in which he a great vict'ry gained over death and hell , the grave and power of sin . and all things that were centered therein . he was a man in whom the fulness dwelt of grace and virtue , was by many felt to live in him , and speak in gods great power , and he descended as a sweet plenteous shower , which did refresh the garden of the lord , the plants that met together with one ●●cord on god to wait , refreshment to receive , and afterward in love to take their leave . he was a man that was upright in heart towards god and man , and hated all deceit : and what he was to god , there 's few do●h know , neither can my tongue or pen declare or show : but this i say , he was ● men of god , and in the light of righteousness he stood . what might i say of this my precious friend ! my soul lov'd him entirely to the end ▪ and stil his life is felt amongst the lambs who in the light and power of god doth stand : here he is read , here he is felt and known amongst the faithful , who with him are one . his savour's good , my life 's therewith refresht ; his name is now , and ever shall be blest . and now my brethren dear , and sisters all , in this be you refresht both great and small . although our brother outwardly be gone , yet hath not god the lord left us alone ; for his almighty power is with us stil , which in the light of life you all may feel to your refreshment and eternal joy , which no man in this world can take away . here is our peace , herein our joy lasts stil , in which my love is to you all , farwel , and this is my testimony for that man of god who hath been a blessing to the lord in his generation , and also to this nation : and in this i have eased my spirit , and am clear in my conscience in the sight of god , having done that which was my duty to do . josiah coale . a testimony of g. f. concerning e.b. his name is chronicled in the book of life ; a righteous plant , pure , chaste , clean : who can tax him for oppressing them , or burdening them , or being chargeable to them ? who through the sufferings hath finished his course and testimony , who is now crowned with the crown of life , and reigns with the lord christ for ever and ever . and in his ministry in his life-time , he went through sufferings by bad spirits , who never turned his back on the truth , nor his back from any out of the truth ; a valiant warrior , more then a conqueror , who hath got the crown through death and sufferings , who is dead , but yet liveth amongst us , and amongst us is alive . g. f. the end. darknesse and ignorance expelled by the light shining forth, and the appearance of the day. in answer to a book called, innocents no saints. published by one edward dodd, wherein he hath laboured to prove tythes lawfull, and tithing priests and hirelings to be the ministers of the word, and the masse-house the church; and calls idolatry civility, and heathenish complements courtesie, and hath perverted many scriptures. his deceit laid open, his vindication made void, and his arguments confounded, and truth laid open in all these particulars, for the sake of the upright in heart, who rejoyces in truths prosperity. by one of the lambs followers, who makes warre against the heart of the dragon, and against the rear of the beast. f.h. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a44785 of text r215412 in the english short title catalog (wing h3156). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. 62 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 16 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo 2017 a44785 wing h3156 estc r215412 99827302 99827302 31720 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a44785) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 31720) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 1890:21) darknesse and ignorance expelled by the light shining forth, and the appearance of the day. in answer to a book called, innocents no saints. published by one edward dodd, wherein he hath laboured to prove tythes lawfull, and tithing priests and hirelings to be the ministers of the word, and the masse-house the church; and calls idolatry civility, and heathenish complements courtesie, and hath perverted many scriptures. his deceit laid open, his vindication made void, and his arguments confounded, and truth laid open in all these particulars, for the sake of the upright in heart, who rejoyces in truths prosperity. by one of the lambs followers, who makes warre against the heart of the dragon, and against the rear of the beast. f.h. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. [2], 29, [1] p. printed for thomas simmons, at the ball [sic] and mouth near aldersgate, london : 1659. f.h. = francis howgill. reproduction of the original in the british library. eng dodd, edward, 17th cent. -innocents no saints -controversial literature -early works to 1800. tithes -early works to 1800. a44785 r215412 (wing h3156). civilwar no darknesse and ignorance. expelled by the light shining forth, and the appearance of the day. in answer to a book called, innocents no saints howgill, francis 1659 12268 10 0 0 0 0 0 8 b the rate of 8 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the b category of texts with fewer than 10 defects per 10,000 words. 2004-12 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2004-12 aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-01 andrew kuster sampled and proofread 2005-01 andrew kuster text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-04 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion darknesse and ignorance . expelled by the light shining forth , and the appearance of the day . in answer to a book called , innocents no saints . published by one edward dodd , wherein he hath laboured to prove tythes lawfull , and tithing priests and hirelings to be the ministers of the word , and the masse-house the church , and calls idolatry civility , and heathenish complements courtesie , and hath perverted many scriptures . his deceit laid open , his vindication made void , and his argument confounded , and truth laid open in all these particulars ▪ for the sake of the upright in heart , who rejoyces in truths prosperity . by one of the lambs followers , who makes warre against the head of the dragon , and against the rear of the beast . f. h. and the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her , for no man buyeth her merchandize , any more , revel. 18. 11. and cryed when they saw the smoak of her burning , saying , what city is like unto this city , rev. 18. 18. london , printed for thomas simmons , at the bull and mouth near aldersgate , 1659. the man-childe which was caught up unto the throne of god , when the red dragon sought to devour and destroy him , hath appeared again in power and great glory , after the long and cruell tyranny of the dragon , wherein she hath killed the saints , and prevailed against them , and hath made great war , spoil and havock of the remnant of the womans seed , this 13. or 14 hundred years , and hath compelled all both small and great ( whose names have not been written in the lambs book of life ) to worship him , and the beast , unto whom he hath given great authority to kill , and to destroy whosoever worshipped the god of heaven , that so they might be worn out , and all the earth might worship him , and feare him , and extoll him , and his authority . now the time , times , and a halfe being near an end , that john saw the woman should be retired in the wildernesse , she appearing again in her beautifull garments , and her heir and her seed appearing again after the long night of darknesse . now when the lord in this the day of his power is appearing again , and the man-childe that is to rule the nations with a rod of iron . now the dragon , beast , whore , and false prophet , and all the mystery of iniquity , gog and magog , and all apostates , deceivers , and merchants of babylon that have traded upon the waters upon which the whore sits , they are all up in armes , every one with his weapons which he hath formed in the bottomlesse pit , is now set in array against the lamb who is risen ; the priests , hirelings , and babylons merchants , who have got so great gain by sea , they have given the first on-set in the front , of the black army of the dragon , and this sixe or seven years hath made a great noyse , and hath raised so much smoak out of the pit , that they have darkned the ayre , and made it cloudy , and hath filled the earth with a great noise , that many have admired what the issue would be , and what the event might prove ; but now many who have waited in patience , have seen the lamb appear , and have seen his rising in majesty , and hath prevailed ; and many of them who gave the first on-set grows weary , seeing the battel goes too hard against them , and the lamb and his followers prevail . and now comes on the tail of the dragon as the reserve , and the rear of the beast , among whom edward dod appears , and he thinks to prevail , and get himselfe a name , and to do exploits ; but alass , all his weapons are but the old broken bowes and the spear is that are strewed up and down the field of confusion , which we have run over and over , and trampled upon , and esteems them no more then rotten wood : he hath raked up those things which have been answered over and over , and that which the rest of the dragons army hath vomited up , before in the beginning , he hath licked up , and now vomits it out again , and casts out floods of poysoned words , false accusations , and arrogant reproaches , and proud disdainful speeches , as though his tongue were his own ; and like one of ishmaels brood , scorning and deriding at innocency , and saith , he hath laid down some of our tenets , and named them , and shamed them . all sober people who know any thing of god , will see thou hast shamed thy selfe , and not us , in uttering forth thy folly : and thy title of thy book demonstrates what is within it , the beginning is scorn and derision , the end is folly and madnesse , and many ignorant words uttered forth from a corrupt heart and unbridled tongue , which is bent to do mischief , and to speak falshood ; but lest thou shouldst glory in the old rotten broken weapons which thou hast taken up , which were formed by thy leaders , and not by thee , which we have answered again and again , and have over-run them as stubble ; which answers have cleared the truth to all sober people , that they see all your weapons are but carnall , and not spirituall , and they have no might in them at all to stand against the truth , nor them who are made free by it , whose weapons are spirituall and mighty through god to beat down strong holds of darknesse , and the towers of ignorance . many are beat down already , and the lamb is risen , and upon the white horse , and a numberlesse number is following him , who rides on after him , who shall subdue the nations to himselfe , and break the yoke of the ungodly , and deliver the oppressed , and no weapon that is formed against him shall prosper . i say , lest thou shouldst boast , i shall return these lines in answer to thy book . thy book thou titles , a pair of spectacles for a dark-sighted quaker . i say thy spectacles are more like to make ones sight dimmer , then through them to be made to see , they are such wooden ones ; but the quakers sees before thee , and beyond thee , and comprehends thee , and have received eye-salve , whereby their eyes are opened to see thy deceit , and the deceit of the treacherous generation with whom thou art joyned , and thy rejoynder and vindication of samuel smith , whom thou calls minister of the word at cressage in the county of satop ; thy vindication of him , and thy pleading for him , will not bring much honour to neither him nor thee ; and though thou and he both ioyne hand in hand in deceit , yet you shall not go unpunished . thou tels the reader of wandering planets who have left their station , who have stepped upon the stage in the county of salop , who are come forth in this apostatizing time . all who have a good understanding , may clearly see not onely in the county of salop , but also in every corner of the land , many wandering stars that have no habitation in the firmament of gods power , but are tossed up and down , and are as waters , unstable , tossed too and fro with every winde ; and the change of one magistrate , or head governour will make them all change their forme ; and as thou calls it , metamorphize them into another shape , witnesse the many publique teachers , and parish-masters , and tithing priests in the dayes of edward the sixth , henry the 8. queen mary , and queen elizabeths dayes , and now of late in the bishops dayes , when the magistrates voted down the bishops , all or most of the priests denied their fathers , and their institution ; and though they ordained them ministers , yet they denied them , and now are got into their seats and benefices , and there thy reader may see the metamorphosed changelings , and the apostates ; and i do believe the county of salop abounds with such like ; and they have been on the stage long , and have acted such a part in every generation , as would please the present authority , or power , whether they were papists or protestants , prelaticall or whatsoever ; but f. d the exit will come , and when the day appears , the beasts must go into ●heir dens again : and thou confesseth you live in apostatizing times ; thou that art among the apostates , and in the apostatizing age and time , would accuse others : nay , thou must hold thy peace , and leave pleading for apostates , and for the fashions of the heathen which hath got up since the dayes of the apostacy , which the whole scope of thy book is full of nothing else ; and we cannot permit or allow them who are in the time of apostacy , and who are one with the apostates , which have wandered after the beast since the dayes of the apostles . i say , we cannot allow such as you to be judges ; for we are come out of the apostacy , and to before the apostates , and to before the wandering stars , and thou hast mist it much that tells the quakers are they . edward , i tell thee , we are come to the everlasting gospell again , and have received it , and it 's the power of god , which was to be , and is to be preached again to the nations after the apostacy . and as for the book called malice stript & whipt i have seen it ; and the spirit of thy mr. smith , whom thou calls reverend , thou hast elevated him as high as the pope ; but e. d. what is the reason thou reverencest him so much as thou doth to thy reader ? and in the tenth page thou saist , many souls depend upon his ministery ; and thou blessest god , for the worke of god you enjoy in that congregation . thou hast extol'd him too highly , or else he hath wronged thee grievously ; for thou saist thou hast profited much by him : thou mayest call to minde a certain time , when he preached ( as you call it ) out of the 13 of luke , and when he spoke of the parable of the man that planted a vineyard , and 3 years looked for fruit ; and sam : smith , whom thou so adores , said , he had sought for fruit from your congregation this 7 yeares at cressage , and had found none , he shall be an evidence for me against thee , that thy glorying of him is vain ; and it 's manifest he is one the lord sent his prophet to declare against , who hath run , and the lord never sent him , therefore he hath not profited you at cressage at all ; lean souls are they like to be that depends on him . in the first observation , as thou calls it , thou hast extracted the heads of samuel smiths book into five particulars , which thou saist we are ashamed to answer , or else know not what to say for our defence . i say unto thee , boast not , when thou putst on thy armour , but when thou putst it off ; for the victory may be doubtful . the first particular , that the nationall ministers doth maintain the true worship of god , and the doctrine of christ according to the revealed will of god . answ. so saying , and so doing were something ; the true worship of god is in spirit and in truth , which is not loe here , and loe there , nor in outward observations , but in life , in power , and in truth : but to be brief , both the doctrine and practice of the nationall ministery in generall , is contrary to the scripture , which thou calls the word of god ; ( as for instance ) their sprinkling of infants , their teaching men to swear , and calling it part of the worship of god , which is contrary to the doctrine of christ , who said , swear not at all . their singing davids psalms put into meeter , by poets and ballad-mongers , singing them in their invented tunes , which pleaseth the carnall minde ; their studied discourses , which you call sermons , invented from the strength of naturall wit , and not speaking as they are moved by the holy ghost , which the ministers of christ in all ages did . in these , and many other things which i could instance , they are out of the doctrine of christ ; and in a word , your whole worship differs both in matter and manner , from the saints worship in the primitive times . but seeing we have denyed the nationall ministers divers years ago , and have laid down our grounds and reasons to the world , wherein we have charged them , that their practice is contrary to scripture ; unto which grounds and reasons , not one parish-master in england hath yet vindicated themselves these sixe years . and unto that book called the grounds and reasons why we deny the priests , if the reader be not satisfied concerning them , there he may see how they erre , both in doctrine , and practice , contrary to scriptures . to the second and third particular . that the present government of the nation is the ordinance of god ; and that the ministers bringing offenders before the magistate is not persecution . as for the present government of the nation , the lawfulnesse thereof is not in question by us ; but many who are governours , and should be executors of the law , have acted contrary to law , ( being stirred up by the priests , who bite with their teeth , if one put not into their mouths ) and hath caused the just to suffer by giving judgement against them , in their wills , contrary to law , or else according to those lawes which hath been made in the will of man , in the transgression , under which we have suffered for the truths sake , and therein have peace . and as for ministers bringing offenders before magistrates , that is an usurped authority , to make a minister a magistrate ; but edward , what was the offence ? because a company of people came to cressage , and declared the word of truth in your streets ; and what if it had been in your assembly , this was no offence in the church of corinth , where all might speak one by one , although it s become an offence in your masse-house at cressage ; but the reader may judge in whose steps thou and thy priest walkes ; you have done the offence , and then accuseth others to the magistrates as offenders ; let shame cover your lips , you impudent men . hath not samuel smith in his own narration in his book , said , that william parrat constable , and humphrey dale church-warden , according to the ministers direction did pull down the quakers speaker , charging some to secure him ? and others also of your own county secured by the instigation of the priest , by his own confession , in the fourth page of his book . and here he and the rest of the society at cressage , who had a hand in this thing , are manifest to be in the steps of the pharisees , whom christ cried woe against , which cast out of their assemblies , and haled the disciples before the magistrates ; and like the envious jewes that cryed , help men of israel ; for these men turn the world up-side down ; but you are worse then they . the priest was the first fomenter of the breach of peace , the constable and church-warden his executioners , and yet thou tells of the quakers being offenders . now all sober people will see your envy & deceit , and that you are in cains way , and by your false flattery and deceit , would justifie the magistrate for your own ends , and cause them to turn the sword against the guiltlesse , which should be against the transgressor . and who was in the transgression on the reader may easily judge by that which is fore-mentioned , and yet the priest , and you of his congregation would make people believe that you did not persecute ; the priest did give order to pull down the speaker , the constable and church-warden they acted , and secured your own neighbours as prisoners , your own congregation swearing against them the breach of peace , and getting them shut up into prison , and sentence given against them , and yet thou wouldst have this called equall proceedings ; but to that of god in all consciences , i leave to be judge in this things . in the fourth and fifth particular thou saith , we have charged to be envious and bitter , and malicious against the most eminent ministers of the land . them whom thou calls eminent ministers , hath charged us with many false things , and have written many false things against us , for which thou and they in the dreadful day of the lord shall give an account . envy , bitternesse , and malice is put away from us , and we envy no man , but speak the truth in sobernesse ; and yet to say a lyar is a lyar , or a deceiver a deceiver , or an hypocrite , an hypocrite , when they are so , is neither rayling nor malice : christ , in whom no guile was found , he said , they were a generation of vipers , and they were of their father the devill , who were in envy , and went about to kill him . and the apostle was not envious when he said , o full of all subtlety , thou childe of the devill , to one who was doing the work of the devill ; and many such workers we finde , and many venomous spirits who shoot out poysoned arrows , even bitter words , and these we must reprove sharply . and those things which thou layst to our charge , take to thy selfe ; for the ground of iniquity is in thy heart , from whence thou hast uttered forth all these disdainful , proud , & scornful words , of which thou shalt be convinced , and also reproved when the lord searcheth thy heart , when he brings anguish and perplexity upon thee , then shalt thou confesse to his righteous judgement ; and so thy five principles i have answered , which thou sayest thou hast brought into thy booke to fill up the blancks ; they had better have been blancks still , then have spoyled so much paper with thy lylying disdainfull scribbles , which is not worth the answering . in the third page thou saist , thou wilt restate the reputation of the ministery of england to be ministers of christ ; and for proof , thou hast brought col. 1. 7. and rom. 15. those words proves that epaphtas was a faithfull minister , and that paul was a minister of christ to the gentiles ; but what hath this proved as to the nationall priests ? nothing at all ; and if thou have no better proof then this to bring them into reputation , in stead thereof thou wilt bring defamation upon them ; and when thou shouldst prove them ministers , thou proves that paul and epaphas were ministers , will not the least in the truth see thee to be a busie-body ; but fools will be medling . then thou art offended that we call them priests for receiving of tythes , i say it 's the most proper ; for none but priests and levites did receive tythes , and how long since is it , since they generally called themselves the tribe of levi ? for never minister of the gospell , nor of the word of reconciliation , either received tythes , or commanded that they should be payd , neither reproved any for not paying ; but said , the priest-hood was changed and the law was changed by which tythes were due ; but thou goes on , and makes a sound argument as thou judgest , and saith , abraham paid tythe to melchisedeck before the law ; and thou askest how he did give it , either by the law of nature , which is called the law of reason , or by the light within , or by revelation . thou speakst thou knowst not what ; where readest thou of the law of nature , called the law of reason , except it be in the devised fables and stories of the priests ? but what doth this prove ? gen. 14. abraham gave the tenth part of the spoyl which he had taken from his enemies , but melchisedeck first brought forth bread and wine to abrabam and his company , and greeted abraham and his company kindly , and blessed him , and abraham freely gave unto him the tenth part , melchisedeck desired none ; but dost thou judge , that if abraham had given him none , that he would have taken by force the tenth part of the spoyl from him ? now what doth this prove for the tything priests of this nation ? they must first do as melchisedeck did , if they will have melchisedeck for an example , he blessed abraham , and brought forth bread and wine unto him and his army ; but which of the priests have done so , which have received tythes ; which is not a gift of the people , but a forc't thing from them ? if this must be thy proof for tythes by the gift of abraham , then let the priests cease forcing and taking them till people be freely willing to give them , and then there will be no complaint : but let us reason a little further of this matter ; would melchisedeck have taken the tenth , if abraham had not given it him ? or when did melchisedeck , or any before the law take away the peoples oxen , cowes , horses , sheep , pots and pans , and bedding upon which poor people lyes , three-fold , four-fold , and sometime ten-fold ; that they claim , or sue people to courts , throw them into prison till death , as many evidences we have in this nation ? either give us a precept , or an example before the law , or under the gospell , or else stop your lying mouths and clamorous tongues for ever . dost thou and the rest of the priests think that wee are so ignorant , that we know not the originall of the tythes in these nations ? a thing invented to fill the popes coffers , and the rest of the clergies budgets , seven or eight hundred years after the ascension of christ ? all which tythes and oblations , and obventions were invented in the apostacy , since the dayes of the apostles , and since the woman fled into the wildernesse : and the man-childe was caught up to god , when all the world wondred after the beast , them they had their rise ▪ and when the kings and rulers of these nations did drinke of the whores cup , then they made lawes to compell the nations and the people therein to pay the whores merchants ; and the popes locusts , which he sent over the nations , to fill the earth with their deceit , which laws stands yet in force as though they were some divine institution ; but both the tythes and the law by which they are compelled to be paid , we deny , and bear our witnesse against , as to be things which holds up the devils kingdome ; and the gospel which the nationall ministery holds up and preaches , hath no more ability in it to procure a maintenance for them , then the papists gospell did for them : so to be brief , the priests hath the popes wages forced by a compulsory law , made and ratified by them who owned the popes supremacy . furthermore we assert , that tythes were never due by divine ordination , but onely to the priests & levites in the first covenant , nor never were commanded to be paid but in the land of anaan ; and who so upholds the ordinances of the first priest-hood , denies the ordinances of the second : so this commandement to pay tythes now to them , who are neither of aarons , nor levies tribe , and by us who are not in canaan temporall , nor of israel according to the flesh , the commandement by which tythes were due in the first priest-hood , reaches not unto us . and after christs ascension , nor one of the apostles either commanded or required any such practice of the saints , either to colossia , corinth , antioch , philippi , pergamos , or the rest of the churches of asia . so that it 's evident to all judicious men , that this is quite another thing got up in the apostacy , which no minister or believer ever did own who were witnesses of the second covenant ; but any who are not satisfied in this thing by what i have said , which much more i could say concerning this thing ; but i refer them that are not satisfied , to a book called , the great case of tythes stated , published by a. p. in thy fourth and fifth page thou art pleading for mastership for thy ministers , and so by thy own argument thou hast proved them out of the doctrine of christ , who said to his ministers , call no man master , neither be ye called masters ; but to oppose this , thou brings john 3. 10. how christ said to nichodemus , art thou a master in israel ? and then thou vaporest , and saist , these are not the words of mr. baxter and mr. smith , but christs . in some translation it is ruler in israel . in another , teacher in israel : but it may be , some who coveted after mastership as thou dost , hath put in master for ruler and teacher ; but grant the word master , christ testified that the jewes and pharisees that they were called of men master , and reprehended them for it : and if he did say to nichodemas , art thou a master ? he spoke but in their language , not with approbation of their being so called ; for it 's manifest he gave a contrary command to his disciples , and the commands of christ did not contradict one another . and as for richard baxter and samuel smith , whose works thou saith doth witnesse for them beyond thy testimony . as for r. b. his works are manifest to be works of darknesse , many false lyes and reproaches he hath cast upon the living truth of god , and hath been a great opposer of the strait way of the lord , for which the lord will plead with him and you all in the day of his righteous judgement . and as for s. s. let his owne testimony evidence what his worke is , who said in the congregation at cressage , he had look't for fruit seven years among them , but found none : so it 's manifest he is such a workman as may be ashamed of his work . in thy sixth and seventh page thou sayest , the pharisaical quakers makes voyd the fifth commandement , because they do not put off their hats to politicall and spirituall fathers , as thou calls them ; and thou heapst up a great deal of scripture to no purpose , not one word in them all doth prove any such thing , as putting off hats either to fathers spiritual or temporall , and so thou art a perverter and a wrester of it to thy owne destruction ; and thou cites rom. 13. 7. to prove putting off hats , render to all their dues , tribute to whom tribute ; and this is the tribute of the nation , thou saith . and the 1 pet. 2. 13. submit your selves to every ordinance of man , this thou bringst . ignorant block , shew us either in plain scripture or example from the saints , where it is commanded or commended , or from any ordinance of man , or else cease thy foolish clamour , and learn a bridle for thy tongue , and cease thy foolish inferences . if the magistrates had no better tribute then putting off the hat , they would soon be poor rulers : and whereas thou callest it civill worship , doffing the hat , and bowing the knee , i know no more civility in it , then if thou should put off thy coat or thy doublet to every one thou meetest with ; and most of this which thou calls civility , is the most practised by them who are the rudest , vainest , and the phantastickst proud anticks in the nations , who are full of flattery and deceit , and vaine complements ; and to a proud fellow which hath a gay cloak , or powdered hayr , and a 〈◊〉 silver lace dawbed upon his cloaths , then off goes the hat , and the knee bowes , and your servant sir , and your servant my lord , or your most humble servant , or thrice humble servant ; when if he were commanded to do service to such a one , would not do any thing materiall , but disdain him ; and meet then with a plain man , who will not complement , and then sirrah , & unmannerly clown , and be ready to fight ; and this spirit rules the most in those men , who are so full of their complements , that begets one another into pride and deceit , and provoke one another by their bad example into deceit , like drunkards , drinking one to another to make one another drunk , it 's like thou wilt call this civility too : and if thou wilt plead , it 's the custome of the nation , doffing hats , and bowing . the customes of the heathen are vain , and many in israel who feared the lord were not to walk after the customes of the nations ; for this deceit was not from the beginning , and who ever comes to be a follower of christ , who received no honour of men , neither respected persons , will deny this deceit . take him for thy example , rather then a company of fidlers , and roysters , and ruffins , who are without the feare of god ; and christ who is the saints example , he said , how can you believe , that seek and receive honour one of another : so then , they were unbelievers who sought and received honour one of another ; and wouldst thou and the rest who live in deceit , brin● the custome of unbelievers , and the practice of unbelievers among the saints , who are believers , and follows christ their example ? i say we have no such custome , nor the churches of christ , the next piece of deceit thou art pleading for , is bowing to one another the knee , and titles of honour , wherein the devill hath a great hold among people . gen. 44. 14. this thou bringst to prove bowing ; jadah and his brethren came to josephs house , and they fell on the ground ; this is an example indeed . wilt thou take another ; the same brethren of joseph sold him when he was a boy , was that a good act ? if thou say nay , i say one is as much commanded and commended as the other ; for that same that doth violence , it 's the same that respects persons ; but abtaham bowed to the children of heth ; what of that ? so did joseph swear by the life of pharaoh , and both joseph and abraham were good men ; but they were never the better for these actions , neither the one nor the other : but then thou brings a scripture , and thou saith , it must stop our mouths , gen 49. 8. 10. and thou saith , this may teach us , if we be of jacobs seed and houshold , to bow to the god of jacob our king , & why should this stop our mouths ? but the scepter shall not depart from judah , nor a law-giver from between his feet till shilo come : so he was to rule , to wit judah , till shilo came ; why should this stop our mouths ? shilo is come , and hath opened our mouths , and the scepter is departed from judah long since ; both them that bowed to iudah , and iudah that was once bowed unto , they are both bowed under , and shilo is set above , and now he must be bowed unto , go learn what that meanes . it was answered against bowing , the second commandement prohibits it , thou shalt not bow down to them ; but the answer satisfies thee not . thou saith , doth this forbid civill respects , or idolatrous worship ? that which thou calls civill respect is idolatrous worship , putting off the hat , and bowing the knee to a man with a gay cloak , or a gold ring , or a company of ribbons , or a long gown : to bow downe to such , because of the attire , is respecting of persons , and idolatry ; but you are fallen into a far worse state then respecting of persons ; for you respect cloaths , and doffs your hats , and bow your knees to them with fine rayment ; and let the man in vile rayment or poor attire go by without either cap or knee , and for all thy civility thou so greatly pleadest for , and courtesie , if he put not off his hat to thee , it may be thou wilt call him sirrah , rogue , or clowne , for all thy civility . again , put on the poor man good attire , and a fine cloak , and a gold ring , then you change your note , and say , if it please your worship , or like your honour , your humble servant sir . now here is not only respecting of persons , which is commission of sin , but respecting the creatures , and worshipping the array which is upon a mans back , which is idolatry , and not civility , which is to be condemned ; yet civility and courtesie i owne , which is so in deed , and in truth ; but that which the world calls civility and courtesie is hypocrisie and idolatry ; and for salutations , thou saith , we seldome use : and thou bringst scripture to prove , that christ and the saints saluted one another . their salutations are owned , and such salutations are practised by us in uprightnesse of heart , and true love without feignednesse ; but we cannot do as you do , bid a man god-speed , when he is not doing the worke of god , nor say farewell to them who are in their evill deeds ; nor as the world doth , with their good-evens , and good-morrows , and takes gods name in vain ; and if one do not answer them according to their light vaine mindes , they will fall a rayling and beating ; all such spirits we deny , and their salutations . in thy second observation . thou saith , do not we prove , that places of christian assemblies to be a church , and thou brings many scriptures to no purpose . thou bringst the 1 of kings , vers. 8. and 1 cor. 11. for the glory of the lord shall fill the house of the lord . and thou answerest , and saist , not the steeple-house , but the church . there thou hast added to the scripture , and divers other scriptures thou bringest , wherein the temple was called the house of god , and the store-houses were called the house of god , mal. 3. 10. all which scriptures i own ; but they are nothing to thy purpose ; that the temple was called the house of god , and the tabernacle the house of god , and the store-houses the house of god , this is granted . these were made and builded according to the command of god , wherein the lords treasure was which fed the poor , the fatherlesse , and the widow , and the priests and levites that ministred unto him ; which temple , priests , store-houses and tythes , were figures and shadows of good thing to come ; which when the good things did come , the figures ended . but when did god command your idols temples to be built ? and what are they a figure of ? that which thou shouldst have proved is , that your steeple-houses where you meet , anywhere in scripture is called the church of god . thou and thy master smith art offended that we call the place you meet in a steeple-house , and saith , take heed that no such language be spoken again as steeple house . why not ? huth not these houses steeples ? but we shall call it truly and properly as it is , the masse-house , which hath the crosses standing upon them yet , or an idols temple , which was dedicated for the idolatrous worship , and for the idoll masse , and other superstitious ceremonies ; your windows full of pictures , your walls full of images , and monks faces , and bears yet the popish names , as st. anthony , st. clement , st. dunstans , and st. patrick , and st. maries , and the like . you blinde men , full of ignorance , perverters of the scriptures , which would bring the scripture to prove your idolatrous masse-house to be a church , and calls it the house of god , & temple of god , when the first founder was an apostate ; and you who hold it up , and calls it a church , are of his brood , and are dead stones , which worhips in the dead house , and knows not what the church of god is ; and yet you say , to what end should we bring scripture to prove any thing by to these men ; take it not into your mouths , except you bring it for a better end , to make people believe that the prophets and apostles when they spoke of the house of god , and the church of god , spoke of your idoll-temple , or ever intended or meant your steeple-house , or old masse-house . and thou saith , few of the ministers in england thou believes henceforth will have any thing to do with us , for we are blind leaders of the blinde . i believe they see sufficiently they have come to great losse , and sees their weapons have not prevailed , but are become all like broken bowes , in which there is no strength , which they may all lay downe in the field of confusion where they set their battell ; but the lamb hath prevailed , and his weapons are spirituall , and they who follow him are skilfull to handle the sword , and are able to make war with the beast and all his followers ; and many are overcome , and the rest shall be subdued , and the day hastneth greatly , that they shall melt away that hate the lord . and as for christs saying , let them alone , they are blinde leaders of the blinde . this he spoke of thy generation the pharisees , who were called of men master , and loved greeting in the streets and market-places , and stood praying in the synagogue , in whose foot-steps the priests of england are , which christ cryed wo against , and now they are seen to be blinde guides , and leaders of the blinde ; for they whose eyes christ hath opened , hath ceased from such , and now bears their testimony against such . in the eleventh page thou goes on in thy blindenesse and ignorance , pleading for your publique place of worship , the old masse-house , set up by the injunction of the pope ; and you have taken their houses into your hands , and scoulds against them in it , when you are in the same nature : and thou bidst us read what conspirators and enemies of god use to do , in pslam 83. 3 , 4. they said , let us take to our selves the houses of god in possession . this was spoken of the heathen , of gebal , ammon , and amaleck , and the men of tyre ; who devoured , and destroyed , and sought to destroy the store-houses and synagogues that were used in the first covenant . and thou mayest take the application home to thy selfe , and to the generation thou art pleading for : have not the papists good ground to plead with you in this behalf ? was not the abbies , monasteries , masse-houses , tythes , oblations , and obventions , easter reckonings , peter-pence , the papists and jesuites maintenance ? and did not henry the eighth , who was the first establisher of your religion in this nation , did not he take them away from the papists ? and then the priests who denyed their holy father the pope , got their tythes and the maintenance , and took the masse-houses into their hands , and the tythes and easter reckonings : and if thou call these gods houses , and this gods maintenance for his ministers which maintained popery , then thou hast brought all these scriptures against thy selfe , and thou art in a great transgression ; and your schooles and colledges which thou ignorantly callest the schools of the prophets , like an unlearned man , and schools of piety , then the papists were prophets , and they were pious ; for these schooles and colledges were invented by them , and you have gotten these from them , to wit , the masse-house , schools , colledges , tythes , oblations , the papists maintenance , and their hire , and this is lawfull in your eyes , and yet you will call them impious and idolators : are not the things the same in your hands as they were in theirs ? but these things are quite another thing then was in the first covenant . these things are not to be paralleld with the synagogues , temples , store-houses , tythes under the law , for these were invented since the apostles dayes ; and the apostates , who went from the life invented them , when all wondered after the beast , and never mention a word of the scripture , as to thinke to prove these invented trumperies ; for the scripture never intends , nor them that spoke it forth , to patronize your deceit in these things . object . but it may be thou maist say , though these things fore-mentioned were set up by idolaters , and the places were made for an idolatrous service , and the maintenance and hire were to maintain idolatrous priests ; but now they are converted to a better use , and they are convenient to meet in , and convenient for our ministers maintenance . answ. did ever any of the ministers or apostles of christ goe into the iewes temple or synagogues to worship after christ was ascended , except it was to declare against them , and to bring people off them ; or did they take the jewish priests maintenance , which was commanded to be payd of god ? or did the ministers of christ exhort the jewes that believed , to build a temple or a synagogue to worship in ? or did any of the ministers of christ go into the temples of the gentiles to worship , or into the high places of the iews ? or did they receive the idoll priests maintenance , or the jewish tythes , or eate that which was sacrificed to idols ? if nay , where is your example ; i know you dare not plead commandement from the lord for these things . might not the jewes , when they had broken down the altars of baal , and destroyed the images and high places , and the beauty of them , have said , these are convenient places for worship , let us now worship here for conveniency ; and that maintenance of offerings that was offered to idols , let 's take them , and give them to our priests and levites , and let us offer them unto god ? if these things had been justifiable , then yours are justifiable now ; but if condemnable then , yours condemnable now ; and so let your mouths be stopped and speak no more so proudly , nor bring no more such impertinent proofs and arguments for your deceit ; for that is enjoyed that weighes you all , and can judge all your deceit . and for barbarisme , and heathenisme , and heresie thou speaks on , which layes the lords vineyard waste , it 's brought in , and dwels among you , and the fruits are manifest in most of your steeple-houses or masse-house as witnesse your ringing of pans , candlesticks , frying-pans , throwing water , and rude behaviour , which hath been used by your church-members , as fighting , beating , punching , tearing of cloaths , haling out of your assemblies them that come in the name of the lord ; and these be the fruits of barbarous heathens , which are not brought forth anywhere but among you ; but it may be thou wilt call this civility and courtesie , and the tribute of the nation : and for heresie both in doctrine and worship , none are to be compared unto you for unsoundnesse and ignorance ; for i looke upon you as the tayle of all the people in the nation : and the vineyard of god that thou speaks on , is no where layd waste so much as among you masse-house worshippers ; for you are like bryars and thornes , scratching , rending , tearing and haling , and are as a field untilled , and as a waste howling wildernesse , that knowes not when good comes ; and that your ministers are those proud phantastick sprits that have taken upon them to preach , who denies an immediate call . neither are they approved of his church which is in god , the pillar and ground of truth ; but onely they are approved by man , and by the colledges , which were invented by the pope , where more deceit and foolish fopperies are practiced , then in any society in the nation besides ; for them that denies an immediate call , and an infallible spirit , i deny them to be any ministers of christ , and so doth the church of christ who meet in his name ; but such are your ministers , therefore we have turned from them many years ago . and the next thing that thou art offended at is , that a woman spoke in a meeting near 〈◊〉 ; what if ten had spoke , if they had spoke by the spirit of the lord , what offence had it been ? did not god promise by ioel , that he would pour forth his spirit upon his daughters , and they should prophesie ? and wouldest thou stop them ? and priscilla instructed a minister , better then any of your parish tything priests , to wit , apollo . and had not philip three daughters did prophesie ? and was there not women with clement that were fellow-labourers in the gospell ? ( and what though she that was in the transgression was to keep silence in the church ? ) doth it therefore follow that they that are come out of the transgression , are to be silent in the church ? is this good logick edward ? if christ be in the male , and in the female , may he speake in the male , but not in the female ? doth not the apostle say ; the man is not without the woman , nor the woman without the man , but both in the lord ? and if the woman be in the lord as well as the man , may not the lord speak in her ? art thou one of them that wilt limit the holy one ? what if he speake in a dumb asse , and reprove the madnesse of the prophet balaam ? and if hee should doe so now , to reprove the mad prophets that are in balaams way , loving the wages of unrighteousnesse now , as he did then ? will you reprove god ? he that reproves him shall answer it ; and he that gainsayes either son or daughter , shall perish in the gain-saying . and now i come to thy third observation . the third observation . thy eye being evill , thou canst not see when good cometh ; and thou art one of them who watcheth for iniquity , that thereby thou mayest blaspheme the name of god and his truth , which thou art out of . and as for our tenets , which thou saith thou hast named and shamed ; thou no more knows us , nor our tenets , then thou knowest from whence the winde comes , and whither it goes : for all our words are as a parable to thee , and thou knowest not what we say , although thou hast catched and snatched up some of our words brokenly to quarrell with ; yet we are hidden from thee , and a gulfe is between thee and us , that as thou canst not apprehend nor comprehend ; but first a terrible day must come upon thee , and those things which thou hast laid down to be our tenets , thou doubtest whether they be or no , manifest by thy owne words . if we say so , and if we hold so , thou had better have been certain before thou hadst shewed thy selfe too imperious and arrogant , of sham●ng them , when thou knowest not whether we hold them , as thou hast layd them downe in thy owne words , the shame at last will come upon thy selfe ; and that rash , hasty , raging spirit , by which thou utterest forth all this mudd and dirt , every one may see in this observation thy deceit manifest . and the first thing that thy darke minde stumbles at is , that some have said , that they that have the spirit of god are equall with god . he that hath the spirit of god , is in that which is equall , as god is equall , and his wayes equall ; and he that is joyned to the lord is one sprit , there is unity , and the unity stands in equality it selfe . he that is borne from above is the sonne of god , and he said , i and my father are one . and when the sonne is revealed , and speaks , the father speaks in him , and dwells in him , and he in the father . in that which is equall in equality it selfe ; there is equality in nature , though not in stature . goe learn what these things mean , the understanding and learned will know what i say , and this is neither damnable nor blasphemous ; but on the contrary , it is saving and precious to them that believe . and thou concludes , though they be glorified in heaven , yet are not equall with god . here thou blasphemes ; the son is glorified with the father in the same glory he had with him before the world began ; the glory is in purity , equality , immortality , and eternity ; but for thy proof thou bringst psal. 86 8. for who among the gods is like unto our god and again , there is none like unto thee , o lord . here thou hast gone about to prove more gods then one in heaven : were the gods glorified in heaven , which were not like the living god ? or were they in heaven , which were not like the lord ? what blasphemy is this ? they that are in heaven are like him in his image , and not like any other ; but in the world there are gods many , and lords many , but that is not in heaven : there are no gods nor lords in the world , nor in the earth , that is like the living god and living lord of heaven and earth ; and many such nonsensicall phrases hast thou uttered , and foolish impertinencies ; and thou hast scarce cited one scripture , but thou hast either misapplyed , or wrested , and perverted , being very ignorant and unlearned ; and thy masters for whom thou contendst , will never receive much honour nor credit by thy writing , or vindication of them . but to the second particular , which thou calls our tenet , is , that christ jesus is not glorified in his humane nature , and that he hath no reall body , but his mysticall body , and this thou sayest is contrary to scripture , luke 24. 3. 9. and acts 3. 20. john . 17. and in this thou sayest , we are shamed . i say thou hast shamed thy selfe , and hath cited these scriptures to no purpose at all , none of all these speaks of humane nature , or mysticall body ; but this i say , he is glorified with the father in a spirituall body , in the same glory he had with the father before the world began . and the same jesus which was of the seed of abraham according to the flesh , and the sonne of god according to the spirit , is glorified with the father , the man christ jesus , he is set downe at the right hand of god ; but if thou meane by humane , a carnall body , or the same flesh that thou hast on ; deal plainly with us , and nakedly , the next time thou or any of thy teachers writes , and prove us by scripture where the church is called his mysticall body ; or where hast thou got these new coyned words , as humane nature , and mysticall body ? correct thy pen , and let no such popish phrases come in print again , least thou shame thy selfe more , instead of shaming of us : and thou concludes , if any say here he is , or there he is on earth , believe them not . where learnedst thou this article of faith , i pray thee shew me ? is he not both in heaven and earth ? how should he restore the earth and all things into their purity , if he must not be manifest in the earth ? what , wilt thou confine him to , or in a place ? doth not his presence fill heaven and earth ? is he divided from his presence ? but may be thou wilt say as thy generation doth , that ●e is in the earth by his spirit , and in heaven in his body or person , distinct from his spirit . if so , then you divide christ , and a person without a spirit , and not christ . i will aske thee a question ; no man hath ascended up to heaven , but he that came downe from heaven , the sonne of man which is in heaven . where was the sonne of man , or the man christ when this was spoken ? if thou canst see this , thou mayst be ashamed to shut christ out of the earth , or from among his saints , where his presence , his arme , his hand and his power is , which is not divided from his body ; but i know thou art deafe , and canst not heare what i say , and thou bringst heb. 10. 12. after he had offered one sacrifice , sate downe at the right hand of god ; that is sayst thou , in his humane nature . the shame is come upon thy selfe , who have added thy owne imagination ; and let all see whether the scripture speak of humane nature ; but thy folly must be manifest to all . thy third particular that thou names , and as thou sayest shames , is , if wee say wee are without sinne , we deceive our selves . thou hadst better have enquired perfectly whether we said so or no , before thou hadst undertook to reprove upon so doubtfull termes , and thou bringst prov. 20. 9. for who can say my heart is clean . he can say so , and speaks truth , whose heart god hath cleansed by the blood of christ from all sinne : and then thou bringst job 9. 20. if i justifie my selfe , my owne mouth shall condemn me . that 's true , we justifie not our selves , neither selfe ; but denies selfe , and selfe is condemned , and christ , gods righteousnesse is become our justification . and then thou bringest paul , phil. 3. not as though i had already attained , but follow after , that i may apprehend . what of that , he was in his growth , and was come to that which was perfect , and did believe to attain to the stature of a perfect man . and then thou saith , i tell you , you are not perfect , your contempt of the ministers of christ , and perverting the doctrine of christ are characters of sin . that shall stand for thy selfe , and thy masters whom thou art joyned with , who sets up popish trumpery in stead of the ordinance of christ ; and sets up the precepts of men , introduced in the apostacy , for the doctrine of christ : and then thou concludes , the scripture hath concluded all under sinne , all in the first adam ; but i hope the scripture doth not conclude all under sin in the second adam : neither doth conclude him under sinne that 's borne of god , who sins not . and if thou make any such conclusion , thou gives thy verdict for the devill , and not for god : then thou saith , i am not pleading for sinne . thou art pleading for nothing else but for sinne and imperfection , in which the devils kingdome stands ; and thou saith , thou hast cause to cry out , o wretched man that i am ! so thou hast indeed ; hast thou repented of thy drunkennesse ? how long is it since thou fell off a bridge , being drunke , and broke thy leg ; but it is like , for thy good service done to thy master , in writing this lying scrole , he will give thee an absolution for that transgression . the fourth particular which thou calls our tenet , is , that we deny the scripture to be the word of god ; and thou hast brought many scriptures to prove that they are ; but they are as impertinent to the thing as thy former about the steeple-house , or masse-house . thou hast brought many scriptures , jer. 37. 8. how they are called the words of the lord , who ever denyed that ? but the word spoke the words , and the word is greater . 2 tim. 3. 16 all scripture is given by divine inspiration . i deny that , some was spoken by the devill , and some by wicked men , and i hope thou wilt not call that divine inspiration . then thou may be wilt conclude , i deny the words of paul to timothy . i deny the word is , it is an addition of the translator , which word alters and varies the true sense of that scripture ; but all scripture given by inspiration of god is profitable for doctrine , &c. but knowest thou no distinction between inspiration and tradition ? you have it by tradition , the saints by inspiration . it 's a dead letter in it selfe , and as it is spoken from your mouthes , who speak of it by tradition ; but from them that were inspired , the living spirit uttered forth living words ; but what is all this to prove the scripture or writings to be the word of god . and then thou cites 2 cor. 4. 7. not handling the word deceitfully . what doth this prove ? nothing at all ; and all the rest that thou hast cited is nothing at all but what we have answered over and over many times , wherein all that have any understanding in the knowledge of god are satisfied : that which thou shouldst have proved by the scripture , is , where the scripture , or writings , or letter doth title it selfe the word of god . it is granted , they are the words of god , and the words of holy men inspired : so in thy owne words , i say , take thou notice , though thou art confident and presumptuous , in this thou hast shamed thy selfe , and not us . the word was before either scripture , writings , or bible was ; which word is greater , and gave them a being : and thou that wouldst set that which is brought forth by the father , above the father , art out of the apostles wisdome , speaking a similitude ; he that builds a house , receives more honour then the house . now to call the scripture the word , is to give as much honour to the house , as to him that builded it ; but in a word , this i say , what ever the scripture doth testifie of it selfe , or call it selfe , that i owne it to be : and if any man call it another thing , it shall testifie against him ; and so thou that hast gone about to set up the words which were spoken in time , above or equall with the word , that was before all time , art ignorant , and unskilfull in the knowledge of god , and silence would better become thee . ●n thy last page thou saith , how often have wee beene called upon to make known to the world what we hold , and what we would have : are you the men raised for this worke alone , to cry downe tythes , and speake against lace , ribbons , and cuffs ? is there nothing for us to do ? then this declare , that this is enough to salvatior . i say , we have declared more in the world then they do receive or believe , and we have published the will of god to the earth in many things , and shall further proceed as the spirit of the lord shall direct us : and that which we would have , is , the old dragon chayned , and the whore burnt with fire , and her merchants cease trading , and the sea dried up upon which she sits , and upon which the merchants trade , and the beast and all the false prophets , deceivers and antichrists , which have all had their rise since the ascension of christ , we would have these be all shut in the pit again ; and we would have the lamb to reigne , and the everlasting gospell to be preached again , the power of god ; and we would have the earth restor'd , and we would have everlasting righteousnesse to reigne in the hearts of people , and lawes , as at the first , and counsellors as in the beginning , who iudge not for rewards ; and ministers , such as were in the primitive times , who will preach without tythes , hire , and set wages , and without the popes maintenance . if thou canst receive these things , i will shew thee further it may be hereafter , if i heare any more from thee . and we are the men that are raysed up for the worke , to declare against pride in the ground , and also in appearance , as against lace , cuffs and ribbons ; and thou askes , if there be nothing else : hast thou denyed these , and the spirit that leads to the abuse of gods creatures ? when thou hast , i will sh●w unto thee there is something else to be done ; but if thou doe not obey that which is manifest , why wouldst thou know more to adde to thy condemnation : and we do not say , that casting off these things is all that is required to salvation , thou bids us declare if there be any thing else ; so i shall , so that thou hearken to it , and receive it , else thy condemnation shall be greater then if i had written nothing . thou must repent of all thy sinne , and turn from it , and know the judgement of god for it , and deny thy selfe in every thing , and lay downe thy life also , and take up his crosse daily , and be crucified to the world , and cease from all thy owne words , actions and thoughts , and come to taste of death before thou come to know him to live in thee to be thy salvation ; canst thou do this ? when thou witnesseth this done , then thou shalt know further what god requires ; but a terrible day will come upon thee before these things be fulfilled in thee ; though thou be more stout then thy fellowes , i know him who is able to break thy horn which thou hast exalted against the lamb of god and his followers . and for thy exhortation , not to seed on husks , take it home to thy selfe , for thou hast nothing else to feed upon ; the words of the saints at best , without the life , or else some innovated invented trumpery of the whore , of whose cup thou hast drunke , makes thee speak forth all these venomous words against the life and power of god in his people . and thou concludes , what thou hast written is as much for our conversion as refutation . both alike indeed , for thou hast done neither ; but hast conceived and brought forth winde , and spent thy time for nought . alas poor man , tellst thou of converting , who art not come out of the grosse pollutions of the world ? who art not ceased from drunkennesse ? and art pleading for masse-houses , tythes , hirelings , and popish inventions , and art offended ; we should declare against ribbons , cuffs , and lace ; what shouldst thou convert any too , except to make them two-fold more children of the devill ? and what shouldst thou refute or confute ? wilt thou say one shall not steal , and dost thou ? wilt thou say one should not be drunk , and art thou ? and wilt thou say one should forsake all sin , and yet say none must be cleansed from it , but be alwayes miserable men , and wretched men ? be first convinced in thy self and turne from thy evill deeds , before 〈…〉 more of converting or refuting any ; for 〈…〉 when all shall be set in order before thee what thou hast done , and thou shalt receive according to thy work ; and thou shalt then see this worke to be for condemnation , which thou hast published against the truth , which shall and must abide for ever ; and they that are in it , and walk in it shall be everlastingly happy , and shall reigne as kings and priests unto god for ever ; and over all deceit , and shall live to confound all the children of falshood in all their devices . the end . the fiery darts of the divel quenched; or, something in answer to a book called, a second beacon fired, presented to the lord protector, and the parliament, and subscribed by luke fawne, john rothwel, samuel gellibrand, thomas underhill, joshua kirton, nathaniel web. wherin, their lies and slanders are made manifest against the innocent, and those books which have been published by them they call quakers, owned and vindicated, and all the rest which is in that book disowned, and their deceite laid open; how they have perverted the truth and our words in those books which they cry out of as blasphemy, that the truth may not suffer under the reproach of the heathen. / by one who is a witnesse for the truth against gog and magog, called after the flesh, francis howgil. also something in answer to a booke called a voice from the word of the lord, by one john griffith, against us, whom the world calls quakers, wherein his false accusations is denied, and he proved to be a slanderer, and the truth cleared from his scandals. by one who is a witnesse against the deceits of the world, called edward burrough. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a86649 of text r207383 in the english short title catalog (thomason e817_16). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. 67 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 18 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo 2017 a86649 wing h3159 thomason e817_16 estc r207383 99866438 99866438 167992 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a86649) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 167992) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; 124:e817[16]) the fiery darts of the divel quenched; or, something in answer to a book called, a second beacon fired, presented to the lord protector, and the parliament, and subscribed by luke fawne, john rothwel, samuel gellibrand, thomas underhill, joshua kirton, nathaniel web. wherin, their lies and slanders are made manifest against the innocent, and those books which have been published by them they call quakers, owned and vindicated, and all the rest which is in that book disowned, and their deceite laid open; how they have perverted the truth and our words in those books which they cry out of as blasphemy, that the truth may not suffer under the reproach of the heathen. / by one who is a witnesse for the truth against gog and magog, called after the flesh, francis howgil. also something in answer to a booke called a voice from the word of the lord, by one john griffith, against us, whom the world calls quakers, wherein his false accusations is denied, and he proved to be a slanderer, and the truth cleared from his scandals. by one who is a witnesse against the deceits of the world, called edward burrough. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. burrough, edward, 1634-1662. [2], 33, [1] p. printed for giles calvert, at the black-spread eagle at the west end of pauls., london, : 1654. annotation on thomason copy: "nou: 24". reproduction of the original in the british library. eng griffith, john, 1622?-1700. -voice from the word of the lord. second beacon fired. quakers -england -early works to 1800. persecution -early works to 1800. freedom of religion -early works to 1800. a86649 r207383 (thomason e817_16). civilwar no the fiery darts of the divel quenched; or, something in answer to a book called, a second beacon fired,: presented to the lord protector, a howgill, francis 1654 13163 34 0 0 0 0 0 26 c the rate of 26 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the c category of texts with between 10 and 35 defects per 10,000 words. 2007-05 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2007-06 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2008-04 elspeth healey sampled and proofread 2008-04 elspeth healey text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-09 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the fiery darts of the divel quenched ; or , something in answer to a book called , a second beacon fired , presented to the lord protector , and the parliament , and subscribed by luke fawne , john rothwel , samuel gellibrand , thomas vnderhill , joshua kirton , nathaniel web . wherin , their lies and slanders are made manifest against the innocent , and those books which have been published by them they call quakers , owned and vindicated , and all the rest which is in that book disowned , and their deceite laid open ; how they have perverted the truth and our words in those books which they cry out of as blasphemy , that the truth may not suffer under the reproach of the heathen . by one who is a witnesse for the truth against gog and magog , called after the flesh , francis howgil . also something in answer to a booke called a voice from the word of the lord , by one john griffith , against us , whom the world calls quakers , wherein his false accusations is denied , and he proved to be a slanderer , and the truth cleared from his scandals . by one who is a witnesse against the deceits of the world , called edward burrough . london , printed for giles calvert , at the black-spread eagle at the west end of pauls . 1654. first of all you go about and flatter the powers and the magistrates , and tells them they ought to have a care of their peoples souls in keeping them from infection of idolatry and blasphemy , and you say you are to informe them of the dangerousnesse of great meeting in london of quakers , whose opinions are blasphemous , paganish , antiscriptural and anti-christian , even as the former . and further , the greatest thing that troubles you , is printing and publishing books many thousands , you say , concerning blasphemous and heretical , and antimagistratical opinions tending to unchristian people , and disorder the people of the nations , and to bring in paganisme , and libertinisme , and this you say you present unto them to provoke their zeale against them . oh you blood thirsty minded men , all the care that you would have the magistrates to take of the people is to destroy them , and to have them shut up in holes and caves , and dens , and prisons , and the truth ever suffered by your generation , and your generation hath ever pressed the magistrates that they might abuse their power , and if they will but hearken to you , instead of healing the people , they will be destroyers ▪ and in stead of making up breaches , they will make desolate , and so you would drive them on hastily to satisfie your corrupt wil , and to uphold your diana , and your craft , that you may make merchandize of that which hath been long enough sold and printed by you ; and what hath it done ? who is turned from darknesse to light ? and you that makes a trade of others writings and words , to maintain you in your lusts , and deceive , this you would have them to uphold ; but as for the care of peoples soules , it s far enough from you , and all along your filthy lying slanderous booke , you are made manifest to bee of those that would have fire to come down from heaven in your wils to destroy all those that withstand you and your imaginations . and therfore let all magistrates in whom the fear of the lord is , take heed how they take things from the hands and mouthes of them who hath alwaies persecuted the power of truth , and called truth errour , and light darknesse , and darknesse light ; and in a blind zeale for god , destroy them whom the power of the lord is manifest in ; for so paul persecuted christ , and the saints , and so the jewes crucified christ , and all the saints have suffered . and you are offended at our meeting in london , while wee have beene here in the city wee have not been in a corner , and wee challenge you and all the city in the name of the lord , who is dreadfull to all liers , and slanderers , to show what are those blasphemies that you speake of , you backbiters shall have your portion with the rest of hypocrites : opinions we deny , for the light of jesus christ which is spirituall which appears and declares against all sects , and opinions , and blasphemies , and all you who hates it , are in contention , and in opinions , and blaspheme the truth ; and here i charge it upon you in the presence of the living god , that you are blasphemers who calls the light naturall and paganisme ; and the lord wil plead with you , you filthy corrupt minds , who calls the light of christ . antichristian , for here in the presence of the lord of hosts ▪ i speake it , no other light doe wee owne to walk by , but that which is spiritual and eternal , the light of christ , which he hath enlightned every one that comes into the world withal ; and this is not anti-scriptural as thou cals it ; for the scriptures witness the same , and christ bears witness of it , and no other light do we own but the same that ever was , which was in the beginning , and which convinceth the world of sin , and the same that led up the saints to know the father and the son : and you that cal this paganisme and heretical , and blasphemous , and antichristian , let all who have any light in them judg , and let shame cover your faces , and fear take hold upon you , for your words stinke , and come out of the mouth of the dragon ; ye filthy unclean frogs , which hath poison under your tongues ▪ and as for the bookes which wee have printed , wee owne them , and are ready to lay downe our lives for the testimonie of jesus , and the truth of them , and seale them with our blood , and what are written in them , through the eternal power of god , which is made manifest , and that wee have published any thing against any just magistracie , let all our writings , and all who reade them judge ; and if bearing witnesse to jesus christ unchristians people , let all judge ; for no other do wee owne , but the same christ to day and yesterday , and for ever ; and here all your petitioning is made manifest , from whence it did arise and proceed , and your shame and nakednesse , and envie appears . and the sacraments which you say you use , which is appointed in the scripture , and farnworth in answer to a petition did deny them . answer , his answer we owne ; and i challenge you to bee perverters of the scripture ; where read you of sacraments in the scripture ? here i charge you to be liers and slanderers , and deniers of the scripture , and adders to it , and the plagues shall be added to you ; and as for that which you use among you is traditional and imitatory . yet the bread which wee break is the communion of the body of christ , and the cup wee drink is the communion of the blood of christ , and this is that which paul received from him : and baptisme by one spirit into one body we owne ; the baptisme is but one , and this wee owne , and here you liers and slanderers are seen and denied . another thing you call heresie and blasphemy , is , that wee say that christ hath enlightned all men ; but i shal lay downe your own words , and prove you liers out of that booke called the general good to all people : and you say the light of god that is in all men , that is to wit , natural conscience , that it is sufficient , if wee give heed unto it , to discover sinne , and and turne our minds towards god , and that this light within , is the grace of god , and that it is christ in us . answer , let all that reades that booke , see if you bee not liers and slanderers , and perverters , and are in the generation of those false witnesses which bore witnesse against christ ; and here i charge you to be liers . where in all the bookdoth he say that the light of a natural conscience is sufficient to guide to god , if it be taken heed to ? or where doth it say it discovers sin ? there is another lie : and where doth hee say that natural conscience is the grace of god ? there is a third lie ; and where doth hee say that natural conscience is christ in us ? there is a fourth lie ; bee ashamed that ever you should goe and present so many filthy lies to authority that there is no truth in at all . oh ▪ yee darke mindes , would you be judging and prescribing what is heresie and blasphemie , and cals the light of christ paganisme and heresie ? but i am bold in the name of the lord , to declare unto you , and unto all the world , that christ is the true light that hath enlightned every one that comes into the world , and that this light is spiritual , and not natural , and it convinceth of all sinne ; hee shal convince the world of sinne , and whoso obey this light which shines into the conscience , it leads up to christ , and out of sinne , and it turns the mind towards god , and it shines in darknesse ; but you dark sottish children know it not ; yea , you that hate it , have it , and it shal condemne you , and when the book of conscience shall be opened , you shall be judged for all your hard speeches against the truth . another thing you present to be blasphemie and heresie , is that the worship that is performed in england with those ministers that sing davids psalms , baptize infants , weare double cuffes , boot hose tops , take tithes , say men shal never be perfect in this world , and that say the letter is the light , and the letter is the word ; and that salvation is in the scripture , and that cals matthew , mark , luke & john , the gospel , are seducers , and no ministers of the word , but shew forth the spirit of error . answer . all those ministers in england which abide not in the doctrine of christ ▪ all those worshippers and worships which is contrary to the scripture are heathenish , and they worship they know not what ; and all such worship is an abomination to the true god ; and i charge you and all those that would be counted ministers in england , to prove from the scripture where the saints sung davids conditions , and psalms in rimes and meter ; and where is there any scripture for baptizing of infants ▪ and whether any of the ministers of christ lived in pride and lusts of the flesh , and where any ministers of christ took tithes , which belonged to the first priesthod and the first covenant ; and so they that uphold the first , denie the second , and the one everlasting offering which perfects for ever them that are sanctified ; and where doth the scripture say that the letter is the word and the light ? but it witnesses against you and saith , god is the word , and christ is the light , and christ is the gospel , yea the everlasting gospel ; and mathew , marke , luke and john declared of him : and heare be you a witnesse against your self , ye dark minded men : and i charge you that you deny the scripture ; and all those who upholds those things are in the heathenish nature , without god in the world , in the earth where the divil dwels who is an accuser of the bretheren : and doth not the scripture and they declare it who were ministers of christ , that there were that ran after the errour of balaam , and their hearts was exercised with covetous practises ? and were there not such that was raylers , and false accusers , and blind watchmen , and greedy dumb dogs , and such as sought for their gaine from their quarter , and such as lead into wichcraft , and antichrists , deceivers ? you might as wel have called christ , and paul and peter and jude blasphemers and hereticks ; but you are made manifest just to be them and in the same nature that called christ a blasphemer , and paul a pestilent fellow , and a setter forth of strange gods , and the ministers of christ seditious ; and thou might as wel say christ despised a governor when he called herod a fox ; and now blessed be the lord the houre of his judgments is come : and we freely declare against all deceit both in magistrates , priests and people as they did that wrote forth the scripture , and beare witnesse to his name as they did , in our measure , and we have suffered and do suffer dayly by slanderous tongues , such as you have ; and imprisonments , and cruel mockings , and stripes , and bonds , and can truly say to the praise of his name , we beare in our bodies the markes of the lord jesus ; but we must passe through good report and evil report , and it is our crown and rejoycing to suffer for his name ; and now gog and magog and all the powers of the earth bends themselves and are angry , even the nations that professe christ in words , and say the scripture is their rule , but walke not according to it ; and against all such hypocrisie are we witnesses , to the fulfilling our testimony , and the laying down of our lives , that he alone may be honored who sits upon the throne of david , and of whose government there is no end , to whom be praise for ever , who shall breake all your combinations and plots , and you shall be ground to powder who set your selves against him , and be dashed to pieces as a potters vessel . and now to that which you call antimagistratical errors , that the magistrates are not to have titles of worshipful or right worshipful , and that the subjects of a common wealth which is not israels common wealth are to be disturbed , and that no civil government is to be acknowledged but the government of the law within us . answer . where reads thou or any , that any magistrate was called worshipful or right worshipful , or ever any of the saints of god did so ? he that is righteousnesse and truth , unto whom all honor and worship belongs , god blessed for ever , we owne and worship , he is no respecter of persons . and you filty flaterers who are in the curse , respect mens persons , and so you are rased out for ever from the faith of christ , and from the faith which all the holy men of god lived in , that you know it not : but you false accusers , magistrates we know , and they are for the punishment of evil doers and for the lawlesse , for liers and slanderers , such as you are , and for the praise of them that do wel , and we honor such in our hearts , and obeys their just commands ; and are not like him that said he would goe and went not , but are subject for conscience sake to the powers that are of ●od , and are subject to every ordinance of man for the lords sake ; but we cannot flatter nor respect mens persons and deny the faith of christ , but are brought from under the power of unrighteousnesse by the mighty power of god , and are subject to all just lawes which stand not , nor were made in mans wil , but obeys them for consciences sake , and if any law which is not just nor equal be required upon us that wee cannot do ; wee suffer for conscience sake , and resist not at all , as many of our enemies will witnesse for us ; and therefore you false accusers be silent ; they that are subject to israels commonwealth are righteous , and walkes in righteousnesse , in that which is just , good and holy ; and wee witnesse against all the canaanites who walk in unrighteousnesse , and all who are enemies to the commonwealth of israel must be broken to pieces , and them that strive and contend against the faith which was once delivered to the saints , and is now witnessed , praysed be the lord , all such must be disturbed and broken to peices by the just , even all the unjust shal be broken ; and as for that which thou sayest wee say , we ought not to be subject to any civil government but that which is within us , oh thou lyer , when wilt thou cease thy lying ? where is that ? i charge thee to prove where that is spoken : yet this i say unto all , moses received the law from the mouth of the lord , and it was revealed to him , and in him , and then he wrote it without and was subject to it , and all who makes laws now and doe not receive them from god , they make them in their own wils , and such as doe act contrary to the law of god ; but that law which is righteous , which is according to that in the conscience , which is holy and good and civil , we are subject both within and without to it : and all you your subjection which is not from a principle within , is not in truth not singlenesse of heart , but with flattery , and your eye service and your bowing downe in hypocrisie and saying you are subject when there is no truth in the heart , and so you are not subject for conscience sake . and further , you say in farnworth general good to all people , let every soule be subject to the higher powers , by powers is meant god , the father of jesus christ , and by king the lord of hosts , and that is another blasphemy . woe unto filthy lyers ; i challenge you that you have perverted his words , and would give meanings upon them as you do upon the scriptures , and your owne dark sottish mindes cannot comprehend , and therefore you give your own imaginations , and then calles it blasphemy ; and let all that read that booke , see if you have not belyed the truth , and perverted his words another thing you set downe for blasphemy , that none are ministers of god and called by him who are sent forth by authority of man , and that he that is not infallible in his judgement , is no minister of christ . answer . you might have said pauls words were blasphemy ; he was made a minister , not by mens wil , and all the holy men of god , and apostles were not ministers by the will of man , but contrary to the wil of man , and all who are made ministers of man , and by man , we deny , and the scripture denies them , for what they preached , they neither received it of man nor from man , but by the revelation of jesus christ ; and all who have and are made ministers by heare say , and what they have formed up in their imaginations from the scripture , with their points , and their doctrins , which they raise in their carnall mindes , all such we declare against ; and all such who abide not in the doctrine of christ , and all who were made ministers of christ , were spiritual and infallible ; that which is not infallible , is carnall : and all who are guided by the spirit of christ is infallible , and they that are not guided by it are none of his , nor the sons of god , nor ministers of christ : and therefore , all that such can judge of , is nothing but imaginary ; and all you who have subscribed this booke , and all such ministers i deny . yee shamelesse men , would you be trying and perscribing , and set dowe what is heresie , and blasphemy ; and cryes out of that for heresie , and blasphemy ; which you should try with all ? your shame is laid open to all , and now your shame i hope will appeare to the parliament , whom you petition . what cry you out against books , and printing , and blasphemy , that cannot distinguish a lamb from a dog ? would you judg truth by darknesse ? and you are offended that there are so many quakers met in the north parts lately , two thousand ; yea blessed bee the lord , there are many thousands that sees you , and never will bow to baal , nor worship in the house of rimmon more ; and m●ny shal not only come from the north , but also from the south , yea in london , that now sees all your deceit , and they shal enter , and you shal be shut out . and what truth is this that cannot defend it selfe ; and what religion is that which cannot defend it selfe , but you must have all bend to your image that you would set up ? and now unto you who are petitioned unto ; i say , unto you , take heed and beware how you call or suppresse any thing as error , or how you meddle in the prescribing god a way to walke in , for he cannot , he will not be limited : and i say unto you , it were better a milstone were hanged about your necks , then to hinder or stop , or make any law to hinder the passage of the truth which is arising : and consider the lord hath thrown out all powers before this because they would needs limit the holy one of israel , and prescribe him a way , and a government how he should be worshipped , and many have suffered , and what hath all come to ? all the rules that men hath laid down , hath they not beene as the untimely fruit of a woman and as corne upon the house top , and for that all hath beene throwne downe , and broken ? and the jealousie of the lord is broken forth as fire , and and woe to them that withstands him in his way : and now i say unto you , if you now prescribe god a way , and if that in the conscience have not liberty , but you wil goe about to set bounds to him , and his people in the worship of god , you shall be broken as a potters vessel , for the government is upon his shoulders , and he wil not give his glory to any other ; the lord hath spoken it . and for the rest of the bookes in the beacon fired , wee disowne them ; but i believe you have belied them , as you have done ours . a certaine book being come forth into the world , ful of lies and slanders against the innocent , called a voice from the word of the lord , to those grand impostors called quakers ; to the author of which book ( who calls himselfe j●hn griffith , a servant of christ ) and to all to whomsoever it may come , i am moved to write something in answer , that his lies and slanders , and false r●proaches may be made manifest , and that he may proceed no further ; for as jannes and jambres withstood moses , so doth he resist the truth , being a man of a corrupt mind , and reprobate concerning faith , and is not a servant of christ , nor a witnesse for his name , but a child of disobedience , in whom the prince of the aire rules . and first to the title of thy book , i answer , the word of the lord is powerful , and wil cut thee down , thou sensual minded man ; yet thou knowest not , but takes the words of others declared from the word vvhich vvas in them , and thou useth thy tongue , and saith the lord saith it ; but i say unto thee , the lord hath not spoken unto thee , neither commanded thee to speak of his name : and i charge it upon thee in the presence of the lord god of life , that thou art of that generation which jeremiah was sent to cry against , jer. 23. 31. for thou speakes thy imaginations upon their words which dwelt in the life of god ▪ but the life thou knowest not , and thy whole book is no more but an empty sound and voice , & is as the untimely fruit of the womb which wil wither and perish away : and one of them i am whom thou calls quakers , to whom thou saist , thou directs thy speech ; but that wee are grand impostors , i do denie , for we are gathered up into the life which the holy men of god lived , and are fallen from the world , and from its wayes and nature : and i charge thee here to be a slanderer , and from the mouth of the lord i do declare unto thee that thou must have a slanderers reward . and vvheras thou saist thou hast discovered their fleshly and filthy mindednesse , together vvith the judgments of god attending them . i answer . fleshly and filthy mindednesse , we have denied by the power of the sonne of god made manifest in us ; thou hast laid it to our charge , but thou hast not proved it nor discovered it , and here againe thou art a false accuser ; fleshly and filthy mindedness shal stand for thy ovvne condition ; for there thou art in the flesh and filth , living to thy vvil in the lust of uncleanesse , for you may remember thou came out of the bowling allie to our meeting , though pharisee like thy out side is painted and made clean , but thy heart is ful of enmity and lies , and slanders and false reproaches , to that in thy conscience i do speake which shal for ever vvitnesse me , and as for the judgments of the lord upon thy own head wil they fal , and with what measure thou metes it shal be measured to thee again ; we are passed from judgment , and from the condemnation , and who art thou , thon enemy of righteousnesse , that shal lay any thing to the charge of gods elect ? and whereas thou saiest thou art one that bears witnesse against those wandring starres . i answer , this shal stand for thy owne condition , a wandring star thou art , and hath no habitation in the heaven , but speaks swelling words of vanity , thou thy self being a servant of corruption , we have an abinding place , and an habitation in the lord , and are not wandring ; and here againe i charge thee to be a false accuser , and a false witnesse , who bears witnesse of thy selfe ; for the father bears no witnesse of thee , but against thee . whereas thou saist the most high god that made the heavens and the earth , hath moved thee and stirred thee up to bear witnesse to the truth , and to witnesse against the abmoinable fleshly mindednesse , and yet spiritual pride of those grand impostors called quakers , by whose sorceries many are bewitched and drawn from the simplicity of the gospell , to another gospel , which is not another gospel , but the vanity of their owne minds , and their owne fleshly and corrupt thoughts which they cry up as oracles of god . i answer ▪ the most high god judge between thee and us ; whose wrath is kindled against thee ▪ thou enemie of righteousnesse , and child of wrath ; thou hast belied the lord of heaven and earth , for to this he moved thee not , for he moves none to utter lies and slanders as thou hast done , but the spirit of enmity and of the divil hath moved thee , and to the truth thou beares no witnesse , but against the truth , and against the innocent ; and charges us with fleshly mindednesse and spirituall pride . o thou lier and false accuser , the lord who takes our part against thee will plead with thee , and render upon thy head according to thy deedes ; prove what thou speaks that we are fleshly minded and spiritually proud , or else let thy mouth be stopped and shame cover thee for ever ; sorceries and witchcraft and drawing from the simplicity of the gospel wee doe deny ; but the plaine single truth wee doe declare , by which the eye of the blind is opened in many to see your deceits who call your selves churches and preachers of the gospel ; which is not the gospel that the apostles preached but an adding your own imaginations upon their words , who witnessed the gospel , and it shal stand for thy own condition , thou art in the sorcery and witchraft ; who draws people to observe an outward visible thing , from the light of christ within them ; which leades to the simplicity of the gospel , which is inward and not outward ; and thou art in thy fleshly and corrupt thoughts , crying up the ordinances and oracles , of god , which are but carnal and beggerly rudiments of the world , which passeth away ; and here thou art seen and made manifest in the light of christ , to be a hypocrite , who false accuses others of that which thou art guilty of thy selfe ; the same gospel as ever was , doe we declare ; and not another , which wee received not from man , neither was taught it by man : and as the oracles of god it shall stand for ever for a witnesse against thee , and all the world who doth not believe , for even the father beares witnesse of us , and therefore our witnesse is true ; and the righteous god will plead with thee thou lyar and false accuser , and here be a witnesse against thy selfe that the lord moved thee not , but the divil , acting in thy owne imaginations , and in the vanity of thy one minde , and in thy one fleshly and corrupt thoughts ; and whereas thou sayest to us thou directs thy speech from the lord , thus saith the lord to thee o quaker , thou art fleshly minded . i answer , it is not the voyce of the lord to us that speaks in thee , but the voyce of the divil , and the serpent which speaks from thee : fleshly minded we are not , but are redeemed out of it , and our mindes are changed and are spiritual and 't is the spirit of the living god seales unto us and witnesses in us , and here thou art of thy father the old dragon , an accuser of the bretheren , but it is god that justifies , and who art thou that condemns ? and this thy speech is seene and comprehended , which thou hast directed to us , and it is judged by the spirit of true judgment to be a false accusation and a lie , and not the word of the lord , and into the lake amongst the false prophets thou art to be turned , who useth thy tongue when the lord never spake to thee ; and thou saiest we looke upon the institution of christs supper with a fleshly and carnal eye , because wee say that the bread and wine which christ commanded his disciples to eate and to drinke , is carnall . i answer . the bread , and wine , is visible and carnal , and fleshly , and not spiritual , nor eternal , and in the eternall light by the spiritual eye of god opened in us , we see them and do owne that it was a command of christ , to stand for its time , and no more , but a carnal figure of a spiritual thing , and the spiritual thing being the substance bearing witnesse , the figure is denyed and declared against , and thou and thy generation who art acting in those things by tradition tying and limiting god to a visible thing ( that without it no salvation ) art in the sorcerie and witchraft , and an enemie to the substance ; for christ never since he was sacrifised brake of the bread or dranke of the cup with his disciples , but new in his fathers kingdome ; and thou who art in the carnal figure acting those things without the injoyment of christ art sensual and by the light of christ is to be condemned and juged , with the world , who art without god and without the injoyment of christ , in the beggerly rudiments of the world , thou saist o fleshly minded men whom the god of this world hath blinded because you believe not : and thou sayst , thus saith the lord and speaks the prophet mal. words : to which i answer ; this again i do deny ; the god of the world is cast out , and the eye is opened through judgment , and our fleshly minds are judged , and in the name of jesus we do believe , and our belief in him hath purified our hearts ; to the praise of the living god , who hath wrought all our works in us , and for us , do i speake without boasting ; and here againe i charge it upon thee , that thou art a slanderer and a false accuser ; and let shame cover thee who professes thy selfe to be a teacher of others , who thy selfe is not taught of the lord ; but steals malachies words , and speaks them to us in thine own imaginations , and calls it the word of the lord ; the lord is against thee thou false prophet , who prophesies lies in his name ; and that which thou speaks to us is thy owne condition , and that which shall come upon thine own head , for a child of disobedience thou art , and thy eye is blinded by the god of this world ; and whereas thou saiest wee are spiritually proud , that give forth our selves to bee some great ones ; and wee say wee are apostles , and are not , but are found liers , proud pharisees , hypocrites , that say wee are just , holy , humble ; and the poor sinful publicans are more justified then wee ; i answer ; proud wee are not , our god shall judge between thee and us in this thing , for wee have nothing but what wee have freely received from him : and that we give forth our selves to be great ones ; here thou art a lier , and a false accuser again ; this we have said , and do yet again declare that we were moved of the lord of heaven and earth to come to declare his mind and his truth in this city ; but this is no boasting , and by that same spirit which was in the apostles , were wee moved , and are guided , and by no other , but who hath found us liers since wee came , i challenge you , and all thy sect to prove one lie that wee have uttered ; or else let shame cover thee , and let thy mouth be stopped ; and let thy owne heart condemne thee to be found the lier thy selfe ; and this we testifie against thee , and all the world , that by jesus , and in him are wee made holy , just , and humble , he is made these things in us , and for us ; and the publican state is witnessed by us who have passed through the figure and parable into the life and substance ; and whereas thou saist wee that boast of our light within , and faith , thus saith the lord and brings christs words . i answer , this is another lie , wee doe not boast of our light within , but vvee vvitnesse it to bee within us , and to have enlightned every one that comes into the vvorld ; vvhich thou and thy generation denies ▪ and so vvould make christ a lier , and the scripture a lie ; but against you all with all the vvorld vve beare testimony , and the father beares vvitnesse with us , that every man that comes into the world is lightned by the light of christ ; which teaches all that love it into righteousnesse , but condemns them that hate it , wherof thou art one who utters forth thy lies and slanders , and false accusations against the innocent ; and that scripture john 9. we owne , and do witnesse to be fulfilled in us by the coming of christ ; hee which did see , is blind , and hee which was blind now sees ; and while wee did see our sin remained , but being blind wee have no sinne ; but this to thee and to thy spirit is a mystery sealed , and never to be known in that nature and wisdome ; and here againe thou hast used thy tongue false prophet like , and must receive a false prophets reward . and whereas thou saist if christ had not spoke to us in his word , we had had no sin , but now wee have no cloak for our sinne . i answer . christs words we owne , but here thou art made manifest to all to be an adder to the scripture ( in his word ) this thou hast added false prophet-like , and therefore the lord will adde his plagues unto thee as the scripture saith ; bee ashamed and blush , thy folly and wickednesse is made manifest , who is not ashamed ( to carry on thy designe ) to adde to christs words . and whereas thou saiest , wee do not only neglect the weightier matters of the law , but the law it selfe , teaching men so to doe ; for wee said that the scripture is not the rule of faith and conversation , as one of us taught sept. 27. in thy hearing , and many others that will witnesse it . i answer , here i challenge thee to prove that thou hast spoken , and all thy witnesses which thou speakes of ; oh thou lier be ashamed to forge such lies , and declare them in writing for truth , we neglect not the weightier matters of the law , nor the law , nor teach any so to do ; all that ever heard us wil bear witnesse against thee , and they ( though our enemies ) shal witnesse for us , and against thee in this thing , for we declare the everlasting gospel , which is the fulfilling of the law , and this we declare , that the law must have its operation through , before the gospel be witnessed ; and one of thy owne society said to us , wee had preached the law , and brought men to understand it from grace ; now let all take notice of the confusion you live in , and let your owne hearts condemne you , and the light in your owne consciences convince you , that you are in babylon and in confusion , and are no true church of christ , where all are of one heart , and one mind ▪ and this againe i affi●me as before i did in thy hearing , that the scripture is not the saints rule , but the spirit which gave forth the scripture , as the scripture it self witnesses , rom. 8. faith was before the scripture was , and therfore the scripture is not the ground of it , but a declaration of it , and no other faith we owne but the faith which abel had , and which moses had , which was when no scripture was written , and that we own to be the rule of our conversation , which they walked by , the immediate spirit of god which was before the scripture was written ; and all you who professe the scripture to be your rule , your own rule shal testifie against you when the eternal god judges you , and they vvho vvitness that to bee their rule which gave forth the scripture , walkes up in the life of the scripture more then you all ; and you are proved to be but the jew outward , who bosts of the ordinances from the letter , but persecutes them by slanders and false reproaches , who witnesse the substance ; and your praise is only of men , and not of god ; and the same woe which thou pronounces upon us wil fall upon thy owne head for this thy grievous slander , that we neglect the law , and teach men so to do ; and whereas thou brings many scriptures , and saith thus saith the lord , i answer , the scriptures we owne , and by that spirit which speaks them forth , wee witnesse them to be true , and they are ours ; and though you say they are the savour of death to us that perish , yet thou art found a lier , for wee are saved out of the perishing state , and death is destroyed through death , and thou hast diminished ( through faith ) from that scripture 2 tim. 3. 15. false prophet like againe , and so art both an adder and a diminisher , and thou maist read thy portion in rev. 22. 18 , 19. and whereas thou saiest , know this thou perverter of the right way of god , thou shalt bee judged by the word of christ spoke . i answer , here thou sets the scripture in the roome of christ , and art the perverter of the right way of god thy selfe , for the scripture saith , all judgement is commited to the sonn , and the scripture is not the sonne ; and thou didst say and now againe writes , that the scripture shall judge the vvorld ; and so i charge it upon thee that thou art a blasphemer , vvho exalts the scripture above the sonne , of god , and shalt be judged by the sonne into utter drrknesse , and into the pit , from vvhence thou art come ; yet this i testifie , he that receives the sonne rejecteth not those vvords vvhich vvas spoken by him ; though thou and thy generation pharisee like may make a profession of the vvords vvhich christ spoke and yet reject the sonne , and all to vvhom christ speaks , vvhich receives him not , shall be judged by the vvord vvhich he speaks , for he speaks eternally which shal stand eternally ; but when did he speake to thee ? for this i doe declare , thou maist have those words which he spoke , and yet never have heard his word nor voice ; as the pharisees had those words , which god spake by the prophets , but never had heard his word , nor seen his shape . john . 5. and thou saist quake and tremble at this ; that word which you reject and dispise shall judge you at the last day ; and saith , thus saith the lord , and brings christs words , and the apostles words ; i answer . the lord rebuke thee thou scorner , here thou hast made the filthynesse of thy heart knowne , for out of the abundance thereof thy mouth speaks : here thou art seen to be a scorner ; quaking and trembling we own , it is that which the holy men of god witnessed , but here be a witnesse against thy self , that thou art a scorner of their conditions : what hast thou to doe to talk of the scrip●ure , who art scorning that which it declares of ? here thou art made manifest to be one that hath the form but denies the power , and scornes at it ▪ god scornes thee , thou scornful one ; and let all that feare the lord depart from thee , and see thy filthinesse and search the scripture whether it testifies not of that , which thou scornes at , and makes a mock upon . and that we reject and despise the scripture and the words which christ spake , which thou accusest us of ; this is another lie , and a false slander , for the scriptures vve ovvne in their place , and by the spirit of god sets to seale that they are true , but that they shall judge the vvorld vvee doe deny ; and herein thy ignorance doth appear , and that thou art blinded by the god of this vorld , which thou vvould cast upon us : and christs vvords , and the vvords of the apostles shall fall upon thy own head , for vengeance in flames of fire will the lord render upon thee , thou lier and slanderer and false accuser , who art in disobedience to the gospel of god . and whereas thou saist the lord hath spoken it , and it shall surely come to passe , and bringst many scriptures , i ansvver . the scriptures vve ovvn and vvhat is spoken in them shall be fulfiled ; but thou lier when did god speake this to thee ? the judgements pronounced in them shall fall upon thy ovvn head , because thou art guilty of the same iniquities , as they vvere of , against vvhom these scriptures vvas declared ; and wheras thou saist we are those that the lord before hath spoken of in his vvord , ( and therefore no marvel vve vvould not have men to reade it ) and cites the 2. of peter . 2. chap. i ansvver . i doe in the presence of the living god deny thee & thy false assertion , but it shal stand for thy owne condition ; thou art one in the generation which christ spake of , and that vvas in the apostles dayes , which hath the forme , but denies the power as they had ; and i charge thee againe with a lie in thy mouth who saith , we would not have men to read the scriptures ; they who have heard us shall witnesse against , thee , that wee do direct to search the scripture , whether our doctrine be not true , and by the scripture shal our doctrine be tried ; how long wilt thou utter thy lies in the name of the lord ? the lord will plead with thee thou unclean lying spirit , and that which thou pronounces against us , shal come upon thy selfe ; and thou saiest we through covetousnesse make merchandize of some ; wee challenge thee and all the city of london to prove this , thou lying serpent , god shall plead with thee , wee are free and cleare in the sight of god , of thy false accusations , and have desired nor sought after no mans mony , nor gold , nor apparel , god is our witnesse , and many in this city knowes the same , though thou slanderingly an enemie of god doth accuse us ; but i challenge thee in thy reply to this , make it appear what thou assertest , or lay thy hand upon thy mouth , and let shame strike thee in the face for ever ; i charge thee that thou canst make appeare plainly in particular , and do not darkly accuse us , what those damnable heresies are , which we bring in , and wherein we deny the lord , and what our pernicious waies are which thou falsly and slanderously accuses us of , and wherein wee are fleshly and despise government , and are presumptuous , and wherein or how wee speake evil of dignities , and wherin we are as natural bruit beasts , and what these things are , wee speake evil of which wee know not , and what our swelling words of vanity are , and whom we do allure through the lusts of the flesh , and through much wantonness . in the presence of the lord i challenge thee to prove the particulars of thy accusations , and not to slander in the darke , though such as these there were in the apostles daies , who were turned out from the light , and the apostles which dwelt in the light saw them , and such a generation there is now , they are seene and known where they are , by them who abides in the light ; but of these thy false slanders ▪ upon us , we are cleare in the presence of the lord god , and that portion which thou wouldest give unto us must thou have thy self , for with what measure thou hast meted , it shal be measured to thee againe ; even the blaknesse of darknesse for ever , and the day of the vengeance of god is at hand against thee . and wheras thou saist , we pretend to tremble , it is true , we pretend the example of moses , and thou saist o abominable hypocrysie and dissimulation , will that justifie your shaking your hands like idiots , and your raving like mad men ? moses was a man in whom the fear and dread of the lord was , who kept his word , but you dispise it ; who loved the law , but you reject it . i answer . we doe not only pretend to tremble , but oft doe we , and have we witnessed it , by the mighty power and dread of the lord upon us , and we walke not by the example of the servants of the lord without us , but the same power we witnesse which was in them by which they were made to tremble ; vvhich thou scornes and derides at , and calles it madnesse : the holy men of god vvere counted by such as thou art , mad men ; and vvere cast out of their assemblies vvhich trembled at the vvord of the lord : but that vve despise the vvord and lavv of god , here thou art a lier againe ; and the plagues of god hang over thy head ▪ for thy lies and slanders against the innocent ; the same seare of god vvhich vvas in moses vve vvitness , and no other , and thou vvho art vvithout it art a heathen , and moses , and jeremiah , and habbakuk , which thou speaks of , were our example , who walked by the same spirit ; and served the lord by the same spirit , but that wee served our fleshly lusts ▪ which here again thou accusest us of ; i do challenge thee to prove it ; but i know thou canst not , and therefore art in the nature of the divel accusing the brethren ; and to walk by tradition , wee deny , which you also would lay to our charge ; but the same spirit by which they were acted , acts us the same way according to its measure ; and the same light which they walked in is our light , and this light is the light of christ within us and not without us : and whereas thou saiest its true , if wee served the lord , and kept his word , it would make us to tremble , as it doth those that fear him , but wee have rejected the law of the lord , and the word which hee hath spoken ; and the lord when he comes to shake terribly the earth , shal give us our portion in the lake that burnes . i answer . let all the world here take notice of thy confusion and ignorance which utters forth it selfe through thee ; thou before was scorning trembling , and now thou art approving of it ; and if it be they that tremble which serve the lord , here be a witnesse against thy selfe , thou serves him not , who art not yet come to tremble , but art in thy high nature above the fear of the lord ; and here againe thou art found a false accuser , for wee reject not the law of the lord , nor the word which hee hath spoken , but live in it , and rejoyces in it daily , for in it is our hearts delight ; and here againe , as thou hast measured to us , it shall be measured unto thee when the lord god arises to recompence his enemies ▪ thy portion will bee the same , as thou hast said in the lake which burnes with fire and brimstone . and now a few words in answer to that which thou calls a caution to all that are called saints in the nation , which may concerne all people . i answer . they who are saints who dwell in the light , and walkes in the light , doth discerne thee to be no saint , neither wil receive any caution from thee , but will testifie against thee , for thy lies and slanders and false accusations which thy booke is filled withall , and herein it may concerne all people that thy lies and slanders be reproved and laid open , lest they receive lies for thy truth , and be deceived by thy subtil speeches , who brings the prophets words , and the apostles words , wresting them and f●lsely applying them , to make thy lies to be received ; but all people who love the light wherewith christ hath enlightened them , will see thee and deny thee , and turne away from thee , as having the forme of godlinesse without the power . and whereas thou saiest ye may rejoyce that you live to see not only the mystery of godlynesse , but also the working of the mystery of iniquity in the fleshly corrupt and sensual minded men , called quakers . i answer . that name quakers was cast upon us by the heathen , through their scorne and derision , as the name christians was upon the disciples , though quaking wee own , for all the holy men of god witnessed it , and the holy scriptures declares of it ; and here againe thou enviously and maliciously hast cast a slander upon us , fleshly , corrupt ▪ and sensual mindednesse , and the working of the mystery of iniquity is destroyed in us by the mighty power of god made manifest in jesus christ , which takes away sin ; to the praise of the living god i speak , in clearing the innocent from thy false slanders , and it shall stand for thy owne condition , fleshly corrupt and sensuall minded , and the working of the mysterie of iniquity . and herein i prove thee to be so by thy fruits , thy lies , and false reproaches , and envious false acusation which is the fruites of the flesh and of corrupt sensuall mindednesse , which fruits doth appeare in this thy writing , and as for the mysterie of godlinesse , it is hidden from thee , and in that mind and nature you shall never know it , for thou lives in the sight of thy owne pollutions , and of thy carnal ordinances , and not in the injoyment of the mysterie of christ , which is godlinesse ; and whereas thou saiest , yee may rejoyce , and in nothing be terrified , because the scriptures did foretel of such , and is fulfilled in these men , and thou brings many scriptures where christ and the apostles prophesied of the coming in of false prophets and teachers : i answer , though yee do now rejoyce , yet your joy shall be turned into howling and sorrow , and the lord hath said it , and the day of terrour will overtake you , wherein your hearts shal faile you for feare , and your foundation shall be removed ; and it is true , that the scripture doth foretell of us , and is witnessed in us , that all the lords children should be taught of the lord , and that the lord would gather his flock out of the mouths of all dum be shepherds ▪ &c. and according to our growth up in the life of the scriptures , they are fulfilled in us ; but false prophets wee do deny , though all those scriptures which thou hast set downe we owne to be prophesies of false prophets , those false prophets which christ prophesied of , came in the apostles dayes , they saw them coming in then , 1. joh. 2. 18. and as all these scriptures testifies which thou hast cited ; and since the apostles daies , hath beene a great apostacie and not a true church of christ could be found , and ever since hath the same generation of false prophets stood under several forms and appearances , deceiving the nations : but now the pure light of christ shines , discovering to them who walke in the light who they are ; and daily more and more clearly shall they be seene , and thou wilt be found in their number , who art a cursed child , in whom the son of perdition is exalted , which utters forth thy lies and slanders sensually , and make it manifest to all , that thou hast not the spirit of god , but art separated from it , in self separation which is abomination unto god , and must be scattered by him : and whereas thou saiest , seeing it is so , let you be filled with boldnesse , and let you contend against those ungodly ones which are now risen ; i answer , ungodlinesse wee deny , and your boldnesse shall the lord turne in weaknesse , and faintnesse , and your contendings against us shall not prosper , for this is our heritage ; every tongue that riseth up in judgement shal be condemned ; you shall all be scattered and driven away as chaffe before the wind , who sets your selves to contend against the truth , for that which is now risen shall confound you all . and whereas thou brings many scriptures , which were exhortations of the apostle to the saints , with exhorting thy brethren . i answer . the scriptures i do owne , and that spirit which spake them forth i witnesse , but thou art an enemie to the power of them , though thou have the forme of truth ; thy lying and false accusing hath made thee appear to be an enemie to the life which the holy men of god lived in , and so hath cleared thy selfe from those scriptures which were written to the saints , and must owne those which was written to the world , the lier must be cast into the lake , the wicked must bee turned in hell , and such as these must thou owne to belong unto thee , and these are thy scriptures which thou hast right unto . and whereas thou saiest , wee talke of high enjoyments , and great revelations without , above , and beyond the scripture , and that wee talke of a light which is besides the scripture , but it is deepe , and thick darknesse ; and what hath such lights led men unto ? even contempt of god and of all righteousnesse . i answer . here again thou art found a lier , and an accuser of the brethren , for what wee do declare , the scripture witnesses to the same , and wee speake of nothing but what is declared of in the scripture by the holy men of god , and neither without it , nor above or beyond it do wee speake . i challenge thee to prove what thou hast asserted , and all the city of london ; that we speak or declares any thing but what the scriptures bears witnesse to the same , and the light which wee declare of , is the light of christ , which the scripture saith lightneth every one that comes into the world ; and it is not besides the scripture , so as contrary to it , but the scripture bears witnesse of the light ; and ●ere i charge thee with blasphemie , who calles the pure light of christ thick darknesse , and that the light of christ ( which is the light which wee declare of ) hath led men , or leads any to contemne god , or his ordinances , or righteousnesse , let shame strike thee in the face thou impudent one , who blasphemously say , that the light of christ is thick darkness , and leads into contempt of god ; let the light in thy owne conscience condemne thee , thou enemie of god ; for thy lies and slanders , and blasphemie which in this thy booke thou hast uttered : and wheras thou exhortest to labour to see an excellency in christ , in the word of christ , and in the church and ordinances of christ . i answer . for the simple ones sake , that they may not be deceived , none ever shall see any excellencie in those things , but who ownes and walkes in the light of christ , which lets every one see themselves first ; and your talking of the same , and report of christ , and of his word and ordinances , is not to know the excellencie of those things , for death in you talkes of the same , but the thing in subst●nce you are ignorant of ; and you who stumbles at the light wherewith christ lightneth every one , are above the doore which is the entrance unto the life of these things ; and so i exhort all to mind the light of christ , and to walk in it , and it will lead unto christ from whence the light comes , and it wil lead to the fulfilling of christs words and to the one bread ▪ and to the one baptisme , and the light is the door and entrance unto the life of those things : but you who hate the light and denies it to be in every one , hath but the huske and outward declaration of those things , and are without the life ▪ and wheras thou saist , they that are of god wil hear john , peter , and paul , and the rest that were the servants of christ , not the fleshly conceits of those or any other men & christs sheep hear his voice , and a strangerthey will not hear . i answer . they that are of god , do owne the writings of all the servants of christ ; but many may professe their words , as the pharisees did the prophets words , and as thou dost ▪ now , and yet not bee of god , but children to the divel ▪ but that our conceits are fleshly , i do deny thee , for all conceits of the flesh wee deny , and beares witnesse against , and it shall stand for thy owne condition , and thy voice is the voice of a stranger , and they that are of god will not follow it : though thou bring the saints words in thy mouth , as the divel did unto christ ; yet in the light of christ thou art seene ▪ and comprehended , and from the light of christ answered , and by it judged to be without the life of those scriptures which thou speaks of , and they are from thee but as an empty sound . and whereas thou cites many more scriptures , which are exhortations of the apostles to the church , and exhorts thy bretheren with them , to vvhich i ansvver as before . the scriptures i doe ovvne , but to thee thou envious man , they doe not belong , for as in this thy vvriting thou art proved a lier , and a scorner , and a slanderer , and a false accuser , and a blasphemer ; out of thy ovvne mouth , be a vvitnesse against thy selfe , and let all thy vvhole assembly beare vvitnesse against thee , that the scriptures vvhich vvere spoken to the saints vvho vvalked in the light and had denyed ungodliness , doth not belong unto thee vvho art an hater of the light and lives in the pollutions of the vvorld ; but the scriptures vvhich vvill surely be fulfilled upon thee , the wicked shal be turned into hel , and the lier shal have his portion in the lake , and he that works abomination is to be troden in the winepresse of the wrath of god without the city , and such like . and now somthing in answer to something in the epistle to the reader ; whereas thou and the rest of you there say , although the light hath appeared , yet there is a generation of men in the world , that doe hate the light , and endeavour to put it out , crying against the scriptures of truth ; it s a dead letter , and against the forme of doctrine therein contained ▪ to which i answer . it is true , the light hath appeared ; christ who is the light , lightneth every one that comes into the world ; which light hath appeared in every mans conscience ; and there is a generation which hates the light , and you are of that generation which say , every man hath not the light , and calls the light of christ thick darknesse , and endeavors to put it out ; and here you have read your owne condition though you make a large profession of the scriptures ( which is not the light , but words declared from the light ) as the jewes did professe the prophets words , but persecuted christ , and spoke against him , who was the light and substance of the prophets ▪ words : and if you know any who cries against the scripture , and against the doctrine therin contained with you , we cry and declare against such , for the scripture we owne in its place to be a true declaration of god , of christ , and of the saints conditions , but they are not the light , but christ is the light , as themselves bear witness , nor are they the saints guide , but he spirit that gave them forth , as they themselves bear testimony , neither was the scriptures given forth to give your own imaginations and suppositions upon , but they themselves are doctrine , and are as they speak , he that hath the same spirit which speaks them forth , reads them and understands them , and none else ; and whereas thou saist lest that simple , plaine meaning men should be kept in babels darkness , or the enlightned fall into the errour of the wicked , for that reason your book came to publick view ; i answer . truly you are deceived , who think to gaine into your form , the simple , plain meaning men by lies , and false slanders and false accusation ; who are simple and plain unto god , wil discern your deceits , and how falsly you have accused the innocent , and wil see you your selves to be in babels darkness , and who walks in the light wherwith they are lightned wil see you to be in the errour of the wicked and out of the truth ; and it is well for the truths sake , that your book came forth , that thereby your filthiness and deceitfulness , and enviousness might be laid open to the simple . and truly i say unto you , you have , and wil miss of your end in putting forth this book of yours ; and whereas you say you shall be willing at any time to vindicate every conclusion therein contained against any that shall oppose . i answer , i challenge you all in this particular to prove those accusations which you have laid to our charge whom you call quakers , in many particulars which before i have demanded ; what they are is before spoken of ; and whereas you say , you account that light within ( not witnessed by the scripture without ) which some so much talke of , to be deep darkness . i answer , if you know any who speake of any light which the scripture doth not witnesse of , we with you freely declares against such , and such a light is darkness , but the light of christ which we speak of , which hath lightned every one that cometh into the world , i hope you are not so impudent , but you wil acknowledge that the scriptures speaks of this light ; and dare not deny , but that the scripture witnesses that christ is the light of the world ; for as i said , we freely give way , and desires that all might search the scripture , whether these things be not so as we declare . and whereas you say , and exhort to let the scripture be the rule of faith and practice . i answ . here you would alwaies keep people in darkeness , under your teaching , and would make void the new covenant which is the law written in the heart , and the spirit of the lord put in the inward parts , to be the rule and guide of the saints , for who walkes by the rule without them , and teaches men so to do , would make void the covenant of life and peace , where the teacher is not removed into a corner , which teacher all that have faith and an holy conversation do witnesse , which teaches not contrary to what the scripture speaks , but is a teaching fulfilling of the scripture , and an establishing of it , though thou and many may professe the teaching of the scripture and may in your own wills , conform unto it in the outward appearance , as the pharisees did , and yet be but hypocrites and deceived as they were ; and i say againe , that faith was before the scripture was written , which faith is declared of in the scripture , which faith comes as is manifested by hearing of the word preached , which word is even in the mouth and in the heart ; if you have an ear you may hear ; & now i advise you all in the name of the lord to cease striving and contending against the truth , for verily the stone which is cut out of the mountain without hands , will dash your image of many mixtures to peices , and it falling upon you , wil grinde you to powder , and your conforming the outward man , to an outward thing and teaching men so to doe , and limiting and tying the holy one to a visible thing , wil not cover you in the day of the lord : nay verily , though concerning the scripture without , you may walk blamelesse , yet one thing will be found lacking even the crosse of jesus christ , by which all sin is crucified in them who walks in it ; and i say unto you , that your covering is too narrow , and it will not hide your secret parts : for in the eternall light of christ you are seen and comprehended , your beginning , your time , and your end , for though you have the scriptures , and jewish like , walkes up in the outward appearance of them , crying the ordinances and churches are ye , yet your praise is of men , and not of god , for you are enemies to the life of the scriptures as is made appear by your many lies and slanders against us , which you have uttered ; and i say returen your minds every one within to that in your own consciences which reproves you in secret for your secret iniquities , it wil let you see where your hearts are , and how far they are mortified to the world , and the love of it , and this light wherewith every one of you is lightned is the light of christ , and it is the lords true witnesse and shall witnesse for him eternally against all whose deeds are evil , who walk in disobedience of it , and all who love it and walk in it , it leads unto christ , and into all purity and holinesse and uprightness of heart towards god and man ; and this light leads unto justification , all them who are taught by it ; and here is your teacher , loving it ; and your condemnation eternally , continuing to hate it . and thus i have answered your booke , and the truth is witnessed , and many false lies and false accusations denied and testified against , and thus i rest , waiting for an answer to clear your self ( if you be able ) of those things which i have denied from you , which you have charged upon us , for god is my witnesse , this i do desire , that truth may be made manifest and imbraced , and deceit and errour discovered and denied . the measvring rod of the lord stretched forth over all nations and the line of true judgment laid to the rulers thereof wherein all governours and rulers, potentates and powers are measured, and all governments and lawes weighed in the true weight : wherein they all may see how far they are degenerated from the law of righteousness, and the rules of wisdome, which was in the beginning, before tyranny, and persecution, and rebellion had shewed it selfe : also shewing the end that will come upon all those rulers and governments, rulers and lawes that have been made in the apostacy, which is to all overthrown ... : also an advertisement to all the rulers upon the earth ... : published for the information of all the rulers upon earth ... / by one who waits to see the kingdoms of the world to become the kingdomes of the lord ... francis howgil. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a44798 of text r6600 in the english short title catalog (wing h3171). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. 65 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 17 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo 2017 a44798 wing h3171 estc r6600 13506122 ocm 13506122 99799 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a44798) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 99799) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 791:11) the measvring rod of the lord stretched forth over all nations and the line of true judgment laid to the rulers thereof wherein all governours and rulers, potentates and powers are measured, and all governments and lawes weighed in the true weight : wherein they all may see how far they are degenerated from the law of righteousness, and the rules of wisdome, which was in the beginning, before tyranny, and persecution, and rebellion had shewed it selfe : also shewing the end that will come upon all those rulers and governments, rulers and lawes that have been made in the apostacy, which is to all overthrown ... : also an advertisement to all the rulers upon the earth ... : published for the information of all the rulers upon earth ... / by one who waits to see the kingdoms of the world to become the kingdomes of the lord ... francis howgil. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. 32 p. printed for giles calvert ..., london : 1658. reproduction of original in huntington library. eng kings and rulers -early works to 1800. a44798 r6600 (wing h3171). civilwar no the measuring rod of the lord, stretched forth over all nations, and the line of true judgement laid to the rulers thereof; wherein all gove howgill, francis 1658 13303 33 0 0 0 0 0 25 c the rate of 25 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the c category of texts with between 10 and 35 defects per 10,000 words. 2004-12 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2004-12 aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-01 andrew kuster sampled and proofread 2005-01 andrew kuster text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-04 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the measvring rod of the lord , stretched forth over all nations , and the line of true judgement laid to the rulers thereof ; wherein all governours and rulers , potentates and powers are measured ; and all governments and lawes weighed in the true weight ; wherein they all may see how far they are degenerated from the law of righteousness , and the rules of wisdome , which was in the beginning , before tyranny , and persecution , and rebellion had shewed it selfe ; also shewing the end that will come upon all those rulers and governments , rules and lawes that have been made in the apostacy , which is to be all overthrown , and all that which is acted out of gods power , to be thrown down by him , unto whom all power is committed . shewing also that they in whom the power of god is made manifest , cannot be subject to any usurper , or to that power which is gone from the life of god . also an advertisement to all the rulers upon the earth , that they may wait for the restorer to be revealed in the nations , to make up the breaches , and to crush that down which hath made the breach , that so righteousness may cover the earth , and gladness of heart may possess the people . published for the information of all the rulers upon earth : by one who waits to see the kingdoms of the world to become the kingdomes of the lord and his christ , that he alone may rule for ever and ever , called francis howgill . london . printed for giles calvert , and are to be sold at the black-spread-eagle at the west end of pauls 1658. the measuring rod of the lord streched forth &c. listen oh world , hearken oh earth , and all the inhabitants thereof , give eare , oh all nations that are therein , and all the isles thereof , draw near ye potentates thereof , ye ▪ emperours , kings , earles , dukes , nobles , princ●pallities , and dominions , my mouth shall speake the thing that is right , and my lips shall utter forth understanding , my toungue shall declare unto you the counsell of the most high , and what he is bringing to pass in the latter dayes , he that is higher than the highest hath said , he that is greater than the greatest hath spoken , the whole world lies in wickedness , and thick darkness is over the world , his way is perverted , his counsell is despised , and all nations is out of order , notwithstanding the multitude of their counsellers , and notwithstanding all their wisdome , yet folly is brought forth in the middest of the nations . because they have asked counsell and not at the lord , and taken advice and not at the holy one , therefore violence is set up as an ensign , and wickedness runneth down as a river , and cruelty and opression as a mighty stream , the whole earth is full of folly and madness , and all the people thereof are degenerate and grown out of the image of god into a monstrous and strange nature , the prophets are all fooles , the diviners thereof are mad , and they being degenerate themselves from the life of god , have not turned the people from their iniquitie , but hath led them into further blindness , darkness , ignorance , and deceit , and hath made the word of truth of none effect through their traditions , & hath taught for doctrine the precepts of men , & the traditions of them who are out of the faith , and out of the life , and out of the power of god , and the counsellors they have established wickedness by a law , they themselves being stranged from the life of god , therefore violence is broken forth into the earth as a flood , and now all kings , rulers , potentates of the earth who have given their power to the whore , who sitts upon many waters , and the waters are kindreds , and tongues , and people , and nations , yea all nations have been drunk with the cup of her fornication , and being all gone forth from the life , in which the prophets and the holy men of god lived in , and were established in ; the nations are become as waters , reeling to and fro , hither and thither , unsetled , unstable , there the whore hath her seate , and all having drunk of her cup of iniquity and fornication , even of mystery-babylons cup , and are inflamed therewith ; and so reeles to , and fro , as the waters , and are as the waves of the sea unstable , by her who hath made all nations drunk , and by them who have been made drunk with her , even all nations , kindreds , tongues , and people , have the prophets been slain , and the witnesses slain , and none to bury them , not in mystery-babylon , who is drunk with the blood of the saints , and they that have drunk of her cup of fornication , even all the kings , nobles , potentates of the earth , they have acted the like , and have slain the appearance of god , where ever it hath been brought forth , and the red dragon hath stood ready to devour the heir , which is borne of mystery-ierusalem which is the mother of all who are borne from above , who are heires of the promise of eternall life , and the powers of the earth hath joyned their power to the dragon , who cast out floods of venome after the child , which is brought forth by the woman , which is clothed whith the sun : and now the powers of the earth taketh part with the dragon , and their authority and dominion that they exercise is by his power which arises out of the bottomless pit ; and shall goe into perdition , and he hath deceived the nations long , and all hath exercised their power against him who is the heire of the promise , the first-born of every creature , who is higher than the highest , and greater than the greatest , and have changed his lawes , and made them void , and hath set up the law of sinne and death , & hath established unrighteous lawes by the power of darkness , in which all nations hath been involved in , since the dragon hath power , and whosoever would not obey those lawes and customs , and constitutions , the dragon hath had power , and all that have joyned to him for a time , to kill , to imprison , to destroy , and they who have been exalted have had thought to weary cut the saints of the most high , and to root out the memoriall of the just , that he and all his adherents , might reign for ever , in the kingdome of unrighteousness , and in the dominion of darkness , which is the devills dwelling place , and residence for ever , who is at enmity against god , and the children of light , which worship god in spirit and truth , in life and righteousness . now is the time drawing near , and he who is the desire of all nations appeareth , the ancient of dayes is coming , whose throne is established in righteousness for ever , who will break the head of the dragon , and will lay hold upon him , and chaine him up that he deceive the nations no more , and all you emperours , kings , dukes , earles , nobles , lords , and potentates , who have joyned to him , your kingdome shall be rent from you , and your hands shall grow weake , that you shall not be able to defend your selves against him who travells in the greatness of his strength , who is comming up against you , as a lion greedy of his prey , and will devoure at once all his enemies , that thought in their hearts to reign for ever , and to settle themselves in iniquity for ever : now the time draws near when he will put down the authority of the dragon , and of the beast , and the beast with many heads and hornes , and their rule shall come to an end , and he will dash you one againe another as broken pitchers , till you be consumed and brought to nought , and be worn out as a motheaten garment , and will overthrow your lawes and customes , which is made in the night of ignorance , and blindness , and will change your customes and the times , and will reduce the earth again into its first purity , and you that have ruled , shall serve and be tributary ; and as you have had a time of rejoycing over the wittnesses ( who hath troubled your earthly and devillish peace ) and slayn them as sheep for the slaughter ; a time of mourning is comming upon you , when you shall say alas , alas , for your glory shall pass away , and your renown shall wither ; and for your dominion which shall grow so weake , tht you shall not be able to resist him who travells in the greatness of his strength , and treadeth the winepress of the wrath of god , who is mighty and strong to judge the whore , and all they that have committed fornication with her , and have drunk of her cup , and are inflamed with adultery , and cannot cease from sinne , but burnes in envie against the appearing of the manchild who is heir of the promise , yea of life everlasting , born heir to the inheritance which is incoruptible , unto whom all power belongeth both in heaven and earth , who will subdue the lower power , and powers of darkness , and tread them under foot , and all who act from that power which is below the life , below the truth , below the light , that power will he ( and all whom he brings out of the grave , and raises above the grave ) tread down under foot , which stands but in the earth wherein dwells unrighteousness . allthough thy teachers and diviners in the oh earth , who preacheth a divnation of their own brain , & from the imagination of their own hearts , hath made you beleive , oh you powers of the earth , who are in the fall , in the transgression of the life , that you were the higher powers , every emperour , king , duke , earle , nobles , lords , and that all were to stoop to your wills , how contrary soever they have been to god , but you and they must know , there is one higher than the highest , who is king of kings , and lord of lords , who alone will judge the hearts of his people , and their consciences , for he will not give his glory to another , although you have long usurped it , since the dayes of the apostacy , and would have had all to bow to that power which hath transgressed the life , and is gone from the power of god , oh long hath been the night of ignorance , and darkness , and great hath been the apostacy in the earth , since the dayes of the apostles , and since the false christs and false prophets entered into the world , which christ said should come , and cry lo here , and there , and should deceive many , yea all the world wondered after the beast , and iohn , sa● it all ly in wickedness , and the time that christ prophesied of came to be fullfilled in the dayes of iohn , and he saw it ; matt. 24. 23 , 24. that many false prophets and antichrists , were gone out into the world , out from the life , out from the truth , cut from the light , wherein the saints had fellowship , who wrote forth the scriptures , and he said they were gone into the world , and he said the whole world lay in wickedness , and so they went from holyness into wickedness , and from the fathers love into the love of the world , and peter and jude , who lived in the same age , they saw them that went in the error of balaam , and in the way of cain , and in gainsaying the power , being turned from it like corah , and also their hearts were exercised with covetuous practices , so iohn saw they were come , 1 john 2. 18 , 19 , ver. little chilldren it is the last times as you have heard that antichrist shall come , even now there are many antichrists , whereby we know its the last time , and peter saw that false apostles should come , who should make merchandise of the people , and prophesied of it , as you may read 2 pet. 2. 2 , 3. and in the 14 , 15. verses , you may know them by their fruits , having eyes full of adultery ; and cannot cease from sinne ; beguiling unstable soules , and hearts they have exercised with covetuous practices , and they were the cursed children ; and these had forsaken the right way , christ the way and his command also : freely ye have received , freely give , and they laboured to keep the gospell without charge , who were true apostles , but these false prophets , deceitfull workers , antichrists and false apostles , they were gone in balaams way , after the wayes of unrighteousness in cains way , in coras way , in antichrists way , cut of christs way , and these false prophets , false apostles , they spoke swelling words of vanitie , and did allure through the lusts of the flesh , and they like the rest of the false prophets gone before them , cried peace , and promised peace unto others , while they run with them into riotousness , and while they put into their mouthes , and these promised libertie to themselves and others , while they themselves were servants of corruption , and jude bore witnesse that they were turned from the grace of god into lasciviousnesse , and wantonnesse , even from the grace that taught them to deny ungodlinesse , and was sufficient to preserve them from these errours before mentioned , but they went from it , and from the light and life of men , and denied him , and owned another , even him who abode not in the truth ( the foundation of god ) but went out of the truth , and so are bottomlesse or without foundation , and there is the very center , ground and residence of all the false prophets , antichrists , deceivers , all comes from or out of the bottomless pit , and leades to perdition . and paul if not in that age , yet in the next age after lived , & he saw the mystery of iniquity already begin to worke , 2 thess. 2. 6. and paul an apostle of christ wrote to timothy his son that the spirit spoke expresly some should depart from the faith , and they should speake lies in hypocrisie 1 timothy 4. 1 , 2. and in the 2 of tim. he gave him notice what fruits they should bring forth , they that departed from the faith , chap. 4. ver. 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6. yea a great apostacy from the faith there was , while paul was yet living , for he writes to timothy 2. tim chap. 1. this thou knowest , that all they which were in asia , be turned away from me , and there were a great people in asia , for great persecution he suffered in asia , and stayed 2 years in asia , acts. 19. ver. 10. in so much that all they that dwelt in asia heard the word of the lord , yea and divers great men and of the cheife of asia were his freinds , acts 19. ver. 21. so its manifest there were 2 great people , for acts 19. 26 verse , not only at ephesus , but almost throughout all asia this paul hath perswaded , and turned away much people , said demetrius : and paul writing to the corinthians , saith 1 cor , 16. 19. the churches in asia salute you ; and iohn writes to seven , rev. 1 , 4. rev. 11. and as was said before , all was departed from the faith , even all they that are in asia are turned away from me , and the apostle wrote to titus ; titus . 1 ver. 10 , 11. that there were many unruly , and vaine talkers , and deceivers , who subverted whole houses , teaching the things they ought not , for filthy lucre . and iohn , who wrote the last in the revelations , he writes that the whole world wondred after the beast , and his power was so great , that it was said who is able to make warre with the beast , & they worshipped the beast , saying , who is able to make warre with the beast rev. 13. ver. 3 , 4. and the beast that arose out of the sea , having seven heads , and ten hornes , and upon his hornes ten crownes , and upon his head the name of blasphemy , and the dragon gave him his power , his seat , and great authority , and he opened his mouth in blasphemy against god , to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle , and them that dwell in heaven , and it was given him to make war with the saints , ver. 6. 7 , and to overcome them , and power was given him over all kindreds , tongues , and nations , and all that dwell upon the earth , ver. 9. shall worship him , whose names are not written in the lamb's book of life , shin from the foundation of the world , this beast receiving his power and authority from the dragon hath prevailed ; he rose out of the sea , the waters upon which the whore sits , and the waters are kindreds , tongues and people , and the beast arose out of the sea also , that the whole world wondred after and worshipped , and john that saw this coming 14 or 15 hundred years agoe ; so that in a few ages after the apostles all was worn out , the life lost , the dragon had power , the beast had power , and all wondred after him , and the whore had made all nations drunk with her fornication ; and then she came to sit upon many waters , kindred , tongues and people , hears the waters , hears the sea out of which the beast rose , who received his power from the dragon , and this is he who upon his head had the names of blasphemy , and all kindreds , tongues , and nations whose names were not written in the lambs book , they who honoured the beast , and worshipped the beast , and said who is able to make war with him , admired his power , and submitted unto him ; and he hath had power , and hath prevailed against the saints , did overcome them , and the dragon hath made war with the seed which keep the commandements of god , and the testimony of iesus , all this was seen many ages agoe , and what worke the dragon hath made in the nations and in the earth , where he hath had dominion and prevailed , and what a raging the roaring lyon hath kept in the earth is evident , seeking to destroy them in whom the seed remained , and to destroy them in whom the power of god was , or the least measure , and so the false , prophets , deceivers , antichrists , which wenout then , which the apostle saw , they cried up that power which was from the life of god , and hath cryed it up for the higher power , and said all ought to be subject to it , and said who is able to make war with the beast , for the false apostles and deceivers and antichrists went from the grace of god , and from the light , and from the power of god , into the world and into that nature , which all kindreds , and tongues , and people walked in , and into the power that acts the children of disobedience , and joyned with that power upon which the whore sits : and they taught nations and people to admire this power , and to admire the beast because of his heads and horns , and crowns and names ; and hath wrought miracles before the beast ; and this power which the beast had received from the dragon , this power admires the false prophet , and the false prophet the beast ; so that none could buy nor sell , nay nor live , but that had his marke or the number of his name , and so all hath been in utter darknesse , and the deeds of darknesse hath spread themselves over the earth ; for the whore who is adulderated from god ; and the dragon , and the beast , and the false prophet , all have acted from that power , which is below the truth , and below the life , which power is at enmity against the truth and the life and against the light ; and this power overspread all nations , and the sun being set , the night came over all , and the shadow of death over all nations , and a veil and a covering hath been spread over all : and so out of the midst of thick darkness all hath acted this long and darke night of ignorance in the apostacy , wherein the dragon hath had power , and the beast , and that power hath been admired and set up , which hath transgressed the life , so that any who have been zealous for the truth , and have kept the testimony of jesus , and the spirit of prophesie ; the false prophets in all nations , who are from the testimony of jesus , have called to the beast to slay and to kill and to destroy the seed of the woman , which is cloathed with the sun , and so the beast exercising his power which is from below , have killed and destroyed them who were subject to the higher power . and what torturing and massacring , and persecution , what burning and strangling there hath been , what cruell deaths many have been put to , over all nations and in all nations , where the beast have had power , who makes warr against the life , so that the streets have run with blood , and all being gone from the life and power of god , they set up themselves to be judges over mens consciences , and they who were in the errour , they cryed out of heresie , and they that are gone from the truth into a lie , the ground of blasphemy , they cry out of blasphemy , and under the hornes of the beast , and under the heads , and the crownes of the beast , what cannons constitutions , edicts , and lawes have been in all nations , what trapps , ginns , and snares have been laid in every nation , yea , every home hath pushed , and every head hath lifted up it selfe against christ the head , and every mortall crowne hath advanced it selfe against the crowne of glory , and against the immortall crowne , so that it might be said as eliah said , the altar of the lord hath been broken down and his prophets and his witnesses slain , none hath escaped the rage of the beast . yet there hath been a few who have kept their garments clean , and were not defiled with women , nor with the harlot , those who feared the lord , and durst not offend the righteous law of god in their consciences , but hath denied whole councells who were erred from the faith , and all the powers of the earth in which the beast bore rule , but rather chuse to suffer cruell deathes , than to let goe the profession and possession of their faith , whose blood cryes under the altar , how long oh lord , holy , just , and true , will it be ere thou avenge our blood , which blood and cry is entered into the eares of the lord of hosts , who will speedily take vengeance on the nations , and dash them one against another , and will breake down that power which hath slain the witnesses , yea , and hath gainsaid the power of god , and all nations who are from the life , in which the holy men of god lived , and in that nature still which persecuted the life of god wherever it did apear in any measure , yea , swell'd up and climb'd to the very top of iniquity , which is satans crown and glory , and the preists , and they that went out from the light into the world , in iohns dayes , and peters dayes , who then taught for filthy lucre , and did subvert whole houses from the faith , ever since that time hath spread themselves over the nations , and hath begotten people into a form and into an image , without the life , and so hath worshipped the beast and his image . and the deceit being entered then , and images then being set up , one on this wise , another on that , and some have had an image of many mixtures , such an image as the preists of england , scotland , and ireland worship , and hath got a law to guard it , that whosoever will not bow to it , the furnace is heat hotter to throw them into it . object . and if any say , why i say so , or how do i make that appeare . ans. i answer thus ▪ the cardinalls , jesuites , and other romish preists had a law made to protect their idoll , the mass , and if any spoke to him that was sacrificing to the image , or idoll , then three months inprisonment , but now if any declares against the image , that the preists of england , scotland , and ireland have set up , every one is to pay five pound , or six months imprisonment in a house of correction , and there be tortured , and whipt , and shamefully intreated , nere to the loss of life , nay it s now so much the more hotter now than ever . none must come near the house of their idoll god or image , but must be counted a breaker of the peace , nor speake to a deceiver , and say he is so , nor a hireling and say he is so , nor to a covetous preist and say he is so , and can for proofe bring halfe of his parish to witness the truth of this , but if he speake the truth never so clear , he must to prison or pay five pound , or the house of correction , and there be whipt , and stocked , and fettered , and chayned , and tortured , and so it is manifest that those magistrates , who had a hand in making of this law have outstript the magistrates in the time of mary , when the pope had domination in his height in these nations . and the preists ●ow , who in these nations , who have set up their image of many mixtures , and one year they make one , and another year another , and what as that power likes the best , that is gone out of the life and power of god , that they present to the authority of the nation as an image of a more comely stature , than the former , and then authority makes a law to guard it , and so it may truly be said , as it was said to israell , hath any other nation changed their god , but israell had changed from the living god , to them by nature which are no gods , and so hath these nations gone from god , the fountaine of life , and from the power of god , and hath set up an image in which is no life instead , nay , they are not content with their image , but it growes old , and then pa●ches up another of many mixtures , one while the masse that was held forth as their publick profession , and then prelacy and the book of common prayer , and then presbytery and the directory mixt and made up : ignorance , blindness and of the fragments of popery , and their own invention , and this now is set up for all to bow to , one while one thing which they call faith , and another while another , and heaps of confused confessions , but are all out of the life and from the true faith . and now they have manifested themselves to have no faith , and to be without faith , and are unagreed upon it , instance that which is called the humble petition , and advice presented to o. p. by the late parliament , that there may be a publick confession of faith made and recommended , as the publick profession , and also that none may speak or write against , under a penalty , but this image the lord hath by his immediate hand from heaven curst , and confounded them that would have founded it , before it ever came to be set up , ah silly silly , that ever they who should profess godliness , should so shame themselves and all their teachers , for the teachers are not agreed yet of their faith , so they have either no faith , or else many forms which is feigned , and in this they are not yet agreed , and so being out of the true faith , in which the saints had fellowship ; in the unity of the faith they are all in distraction , and confusion , head , and taile , in the jarr , in the strife about words , and a forme of words , and how many confessions and forms and images is there set forth , and people still ignorant of the mystery of faith which is held in a pure conscience , and wants that which is the evidence of things not seen , and wants that which should let people see him who is invisible , and oh how is people lost in the middest of these fayned , formall , divinations , and how are the rulers in most nations lost in the middest of their counsells , being gone from that which should be a terror to evill doers , and should be for the praise of them that do well . and what if all people in all nations were constrained under a penalty to hold such a form of words , and to consent to such a confession , doth this any more but make hypocrits , when a man is not first perswaded of those things in his mind by the spirit of truth , is this any more , but fainedness , how long hath the god of this world bl●nded the eyes of people , whole cities , townes , and countryes , because they have gotten a formall confession , made by a priest , who is out of christs doctrine , in the steps of the false prophets , and in the practice of the false apostles , and deceitfull workers , and when they have made a confession , or a catechism , as they call it , and hath gotten over the words , and can say them over , now judges they have faith , and are sound christians , when they are ignorant of the first principle or of faith towards god , and so are carried on in the mist of darkness , and ignorance , and knowes not yet repentance from dead workes . object . but some of the rulers , and potentates of the earth may say , we have not persecuted them for well doing , but for heresie , and blasphemy , and sowers of sedition , and because they have not submitted to obey our constitutions and lawes . ans. deceit hath never wanted a cover hitherto , neither hath or can the serpent want subtilty , for it s his nature by which he liveth : nabucadnezar made a law , that whosoever would not obey , should be cast into the furnace , and might not all his magistrates have said to shadrak , meshach , and abednego , that they were not subject to the kings decree , and therefore judge they suffered deservedly , and did not the jewes who were uncircumcised in heart say , when they took up stones to stone christ , we stone thee not for thy good work●s , but thou being a man maketh thy selfe god , and the jewes stoned paul , and stephen , and put peter , and iohn in prison , they said they were movers of sedition , and ring-leaders of sects , but the cheife preists and the false prophets , had allwayes their hands , in conspiring against the life of the just , but persecutors were ever blind , and yet were so conceited , that they saw , that they said to christ are we also blind , but the seed of falshood hath fitten as judge long , and hath laid the heritage of god wast , and hath set it selfe in gods temple as the true heir , and judged the heir not worthy to live , and thousands of thousands have been put to cruell deaths , and a numberless number hath suffered since the apostles dayes , and since the apostacy came in , yet these which have done these things would be called christian magistrates , and ministers of justice , and those teachers who have called to the rulers to punish such as hereticks , and seducers , they would be counted the ministers of christ , and such nations who are out of the life , they would be counted holy . oh nay , christ came not to destroy mens lives , but to save them , and all you rulers in all nations , who goes under the name of christendom , who are upon the earth , and all you teachers that are therein , whose actions and lives , doctrines , and principles , and practices , are contrary to the life of righteousness , and contrary to the doctrine of christ and the practice of the holy men of god , you are all out of christs nature , and out of the divine nature , in the dragons natu●e , and in the corrupt nature , in the nature in which all the disobedient and the rebellious are in , who are heires of wrath and eternall vengeance , therefore repent ye of your iniquity , and tremble before the lord god of heaven and earth , who is roreing from his dwelling place , and uttering forth his dreadfull voice , at the sound thereof all nations shall fear , and be astonished , and the fenced cities , in which you dwell , shall be horribly afraid . behold the time of restoring , is come , and coming , and the year of gods controversy with sions enemies is aproching near you , and he who sits and judges in righteousness , hath shewed himselfe , will rule over the heathen as with a rod of iron , and will pour forth his plagues upon all the families of the earth , that calls not upon his name , but despises it , and tramples upon it , the earth is filled with violence , cruellty and opression , yea it is broken forth as a flood , and the nations is covered with unrighteousness , as with a garment , the beast hath exercised his power , and hath overcome and prevailed long over the heritage of god , and the mountain of the lords house is made desolate , all is void and without form , deceit inthroned , truth trampled upon , judgement turned backward , and the devill reignes a king , equity hath found no place , mercy is shut out of doores , cruelty is entertained , temperance and moderation hath no residence , lust , uncleanness , excess , riotousness , and wantoness , is loved as though it were the way to eternall felicity , pride , hipocrisie , and dissimulation is taken pleasure in , sobriety and meekness hath no dwelling place , but is thrown aside , folly and madness is set up as the greatest wisdome , and the wisdome which is from above counted the greatest folly ; the fear of the lord is slighted , gods pure law thrown behind their backes , the nations and the people therein are compassed about with darkness as a wall , and with ignorance as a curtaine , and with blindness as with a strong fence , they are situated in the region of death , and at the side of the pit , and yet saith no evill shall come near us , nor sorrow touch our tabernacle , and is in a dead sleep of security , wrapt up in the slumber of iniquity , involved in utter darkness , folded up in the deep pit of ignorance ; and desires not the knowledge of wisdome , neither to walk in her path , but her way is grievous unto them , and the eye lid of the morning is unto them as the shadow of death . nevertheless he that weighes all things in an even ballance , before whom all nations are but as the drop of a bucket , he is appearing in his power , and thundring from his holy place , who will make the nations shake as an olive leafe , and the isles tremble before him , who is uttering forth his voice as the sound of many waters , which shall make all the potentates , and mighty of the earth bow , the eye-lids of the morning is opened , and the sun is rising to his height , and the darke aire is scattering by the breath of his mouth , and so all things shall appear in the earth as they are , and every thing under the face of the heaven shall be brought to light , and all the powers of darkness discovered , and the workes , and workers of iniquity shall no longer be hid , but shall be discovered by the light of the sonne of god , and shall be judged and cendemned by the life of righteousness , and blessed are they who know a hiding place in him , when his overflowing scourge passeth over the nations which is already made ready to execute his judgement upon the heathen that know him not , oh who may abide his presence , when he appeares in his power and maj●sty and glory , all the ungodly of the earth , sha●l be as driven stubble before his bow , and shall fly before him , nevertheless the pursues shall overtake , and the destroyer shall lay hold upon them , and all the ungodly shall hear the sentence , go ye cursed from the presence of the lord into the pit of everlasting destruction . and when this day comes upon the nations , all your prophets , diviners and teachers , who are out of the life of christ , who have flattered you and told you , you were the higher power , and you must sit as judge in the things of the father , & lord it over the consciences of people , and prescribe the lord a way , and a limit in your several , nations , and dominions , they shall not be able to deliver themselves neither you , but the helper and the helped shall both fall together , the strengthener and the strengthened shall grow feeble , & their loines weake , so that they shall not be able to stand before him who is the higher power , and the greatest digni●y , who will rule over all usurpers , and over all the children of pride , the dragon , the beast and the false prophet , and teller of lies , shall have their portion in the lake that burns . then shall the ransomed of the lord , and the righteous seed , whom the nations have slain , and persecuted ; the prophets , and holy men of god , and all that have been slain for the testimony of iesus , rejoice over the deceit , and it shall be sung in that day , the lord god omnipotent reigneth , who will ascend above all principallities and powers , thrones and dominions , and tread down all under his feet that the earth may be filled with his glory , and behold he cometh quickly in a moment , and suddain destruction shall be upon his enemies , and the breath of his mouth shall make all melt away that hate the lord , and their remembrance shall rot for ever and ever . therefore oh all ye powers of the earth , who are the sons of fallen adam , whose power ariseth out of the earth , in which the devill dwells and the serpent fe●ds , who bear rule but not by the lord ; who sits as judges in the earth , and yet your judgment is from the earth , and from below , know this , you shall all be judged with the just ; and all your unrighteous decrees , lawes constitutions , ordinances , and edicts , which is made in the fallen wisdome , you and they both together will be cast aside as a thing of nought , and must all be judged with the just , therefore repent and turn to the lord of heaven and earth , that you may know his righteouss judgment set up in your hearts , and the spirit of in justice and error purged out of your hearts , or else you judge not for god , for all the lawes , constitutions , and ordinances , which are made in the fallen principle , and fallen wisdome , to have all these in the head or in the memory , so that he may act in a nation or kingdome , according to the letter of a law prescribed in a nation ; that doth not at all make a man an able minister of justice or a magistrate for god for the root being unholy and corrupt and erronious , from whence those lawes were given forth , the branches is unholy also , the ground being corrupt , the tree bad , the fruit is bad also , and so all nations who are degenerate from the life of god , their lawes and constitutions doth alwayes imbondage the regenerate ; so the heart being deceitfull and unrighteous , such lawes proceeds forth which doth oppress the upright in heart , and all , or most of the lawes in all nations , are received by tradition from generation to generation , since the scattering of israell , who received the law from gods own mouth by the hand of moses a magistrate of the lord , and a judge over israell ; and so heapes of decrees , statutes , and ordinances there is in the nations which doth not answer that of god in the conscience of every man , and so that which is pure of god in the conscience of every one cannot be subject to those lawes and tradi●ions , but rather suffers , as many thousands have done , cruell deaths , and great oppression all this dark time of antichrist reign , and of the beast in all nations since the apostacy ; and death raigning over all the sonnes of the first adam , in the transgression , death hath breathed forth it self upon the face of the earth , for sin entering and death by sinne it rules in the heart , and exerciseth his power which stands in unrighteousness , and so all mankind in all their acting , can do nothing for god but against him ; and against his people who are redeemed out of the region of death , and so all law-givers , and law-makers , and lawes which stands in the will of man , and in the unrighteous principle , will the second adam , the lord from heaven , the restorer of mankind utterly overthrow , abolish and take away their power , for the law-giver shall come out of sion ; who ever in all nations , that ever come to see him must see him come from thence , whose appearance shall be as a lamp that burnes , and he shall change the customes and the times and the lawes , and overthrow all them that stands in the curse , for he shall lead out of death , and out of its path ; and from under the law of sin and death , that all that heares him and comes to be subject to his law , shall deny all those lawes in the very ground , and bear their testimonie against them , which stands in that nature , that transgresseth the life , and therefore give ear all nations , and all emperors kings , monarkes , lord , iudges , and rulers of the earth , in all nations he is come and coming , whose right it is to judge the earth in righteousness , and the people with equity , even he unto whome all judgment is committed , and he hath appeared as the sonne of god in the north region of the world in power and majesty and great glory , and hath made the mountaines me●t before him , and he hath dried up all the springs of babylon , and hath made the cedars bow ; and made the trees of the forrest to shake ; and the sturdy oakes hath he cut up by the rootes ; and turned a pleasant land into a wilderness , and hath made the wilderness to blossome , and hath changed the customes allready , and hath broken deaths covenant , and hath overthrown the mighty men , yea even the horse and his rider , and hath taken off their chariot wheeles in the day of battail , and it hath been a dreadfull day and a sore slaughter , as in the dayes of gibea , or as in the valley jehos●phat and a sorrowfull day hath come , and great mourning , as hadadrimmon in the valley of megiddo , for one post hath met another , and the news hath been , babylon is taken at both ends , and he hath over-run the multitude of egypt , and trampled upon them , as the prancing of horses in battel , so that the mighty are fallen by him , and the strong hath not been able to help themselves against him who hath come as one that trod the winepress , and now hath overturned the powers of death , hell and the grave , and hath broken deathes covenant , and will put an end to all changeable lawes , and hath and will establish his law which indures for ever & ever : and now heare , all that are left unspoyled are angry , and all that worship the beast , are left unslain , blasphemes him and speakes evi●l of his name , and of his wondrous workes which he hath done in t●is day , as in the land of egypt , and in the fields of zoan ; for he hath turned the waters into blood , and hath cut all the fresh springs , and hath slain the first-born of egypt , at which pharaoh and all his wise men , and all the egyptians are angry , and still resists the lord , till they will , with the rest who have resisted him , be swallowed up of the deep . and now oh nations , who are scituated under the whole face of the heaven , he is coming up against you as a giant refreshed with wine , and shall run his course , and none shall be able to stop his way , and shall come as israel , after the slaughter of edom , with their garments red ; and he travails in the greatness of his strength , and shall make all nations desolate , who have given their power to the beast , and will break their covenants , and throw down your traditions which are heathenish , and he is bringing a handfull out of the north country , who have been eye-witnesses of his power , majesty , and glory , and of his noble acts , and though but a handfull , yet they are blessed , and his increase shall be great , for they shall subdue nations , and kings shall be tributary to them , and they shall be his witnesses to the ends of the world , and shall publish his righteousness from generation to generation , & bear their testimony of him , who lives for ever and ever , who is the lord of heaven and earth , our righteousness ; who hath broken open the seals of the deep , and hath made the springs of life to flow forth as though it issued out of a wombe ; by which his little ones are refreshed and grow in strength , honour , and glory to him in the highest , whose judgements are just , holy , pure and equall for ever and ever : oh who can stand before him , who hath uttered forth his voice before his camp , and its very great , devouring fire is before him , and it is tempestuous round about him , and his sword devoures much flesh , and all the ungodly shall be slain , heaps upon heaps , so that there shall be none left to bury the dead : a glorious high throne hath he erected , and he sits thereon , and judges in righteousness , even he before whose face the heaven and the earth shall fly away , and the sea be dried up , oh who can dwell with d●vouring fire , who can dwell with everlasting burning , who can stand when he appears , when he draws out his sword of justice all nations shall grow pale , and all the rulers feeble , and the warriour shall not find his hands in the day of batta●l , when they encounter with the almighty , for his sword shall be fatted with slaughter , and all nations who resist shall become soked with blood . oh he is dreadfull , who can stand when he appears , who is a consuming fire , therefore all rulers in nations , and potentates of the earth , feare and dread his holy name , and bow unto his righteous scepter , least you be cut off , and perish with the rest of the uncircumcised , who have resisted him , and go down into the nethermost hell for ever ; for assuredly the day of your fanning and trying is near , arme your selves , put on your armour , see if you be able to stand in the day of the lord . oh , nay you will all be as dust before the whirl-wind , and shall be scattered in the fierce anger of the lord , and all your changeable laws , constitutions , customs , and traditions , which is brought forth from the changeable principle , which is gone out from the life , and all your turning of th●ngs upside down , shall be as the potters clay , for he unto whom the eternall being hath committed all judgement , which he hath appointed to judge in righteou●ness is appearing , and come , and coming , who si●s as a refiners fire , and sits as judge among the gods , who will not give his glory and honour to any other . and so all you that b●are rule and not by him , who is the true light which in●ightneth every man that cometh into the world your p●wer other is from another , even from him who is 〈…〉 with the light , for by me saith the l●rd k●ngs rule , and princes decree justice , and such as were obedient un●o his righteous law written in their hearts ; as david , solomor , jehosaphat , ezekiah , and the rest of the holy kings and princes , who were guided by that which was just & unchangeable , they ruled by his power and decreed justice , and answered that which was just in every mans conscience , which is one with that power in which they ruled , and from whence they acted , and so a terrour they became to none , but evil doers , who were out of the power , and out of the truth , and in that nature which stood up against that powers by which the princes decreed justice , and so with the power of god , all these rulers , and rules , and governments , which is not according to the power of the just god , is to be abolished at the coming of him , whose day shall come , and in his power and glory he shall appear , which shall darken and dazell , extirpate , and utterly destroy all , root and branch together , who is out of his power and against it , so there shall be a very great overturning , such as hath not been from the beginning , neither shall be ever hereafter . and then shall the restorer be seen , who shall restore the earth into its first purity , and there shall be judges as at the first , and counsellers as at the beginning ; then shall the earth injoy her rest , and the nations their sabaoth , for the lord of glory hath considered it , and he hath listened , and a great cry is heard out of all nations , of the poor , and of the opressed , and of his creatures which he hath made , how they have been chopped to pieces , as flesh for the pot , and ground to dust as though they had not been gods workmanship , and his seed in al● nations hath been held in great captivity ; whose sighes , groanes and tears hath pierced through the clouds , and is entered to the throne of god , who is now arising to plead the cause of the poor and the needy , and now woe to the world , and to all them that have borne rule , but not by the lord . an advertisment to all the rulers upon earth , there is one onely god , the creator and the bringer forth of all things , whose way is equal , and whose judgements are just , whose law is righteous , whose statutes are pure , answering his own pure witness in every man under the face of heaven in all nations upon the earth , so as every man in all nations upon the earth comes to own gods pure witness in himself , placed by the lord ; he shall be made to confess unto the righteous acting of those rulers who rule in righteousness , by the righteous law of god ; but where any ruler is not ruled himself , by that which is pure of god which condemneth self , and self-actings in himself , he bears rule , but not in gods dominion , and so layes yoaks upon a nation , country or people , to make all submit to his will , decrees , and ordinances , and to deny that which is pure of god in themselves , and then joyns to his deceit , and thus iniquity gets head , and is set up as a rule , and the law of god , both in the ruler , and the ruled , is throwne behind their back , and so deceit leadeth , and the changeable mind acteth it self out in every thing that it hath to do withall ; and so tyranie and opression spreads over a whole nation , and the just suffers in it . and hence it is that there are so many several laws , ordinances and constitutions , and traditions , and customs among men in many nations and countreys , and regions , one differing from another , and heaps of confusion , that hardly in any nations , or few in a nation knows what is law , there is so much variableness , and changeableness amongst the lawmakers , one while setting up , another while pulling down , and as deceit advanceth it self in any particular ruler , then there must be a law made , and a penalty upon the non-performance , as death , banishment , tortering , whipping , racking , prisonment , fining , to the utter destruction of many ; and all the ground of this is because the rulers are gone from that of god in themselves , and then acts in their own wills , and by their craft and deceit which stands in the ground , which is cursed , and calls this christian pollicy and wisdom , and cruelty becomes a law , and the devil keeps his dominion in the earth , and deceit gets a cover and hides it self now it was not so from the beginning ; for as god is one , and his name one , his law is one , which is pure and equal , and unalterable , and indures for ever and ever . now man being made in gods own image , answered the pure law of god , and being gods image was one with the law , and the law was not against him , but was his life and joy , and he had power to obey it ; for he was of its own nature , for as god is pure and holy , and the image which he brought forth man in was pure and holy , and that which was mans guide and rule was pure and holy , here was unity and purity , and he that created , and man that was created was in unity , and then there was no woe , no condemnation , no sorrow , no death , no tribulation , nor anguish , nor wrath , revealed against man who was the image of god , and he stood in the dominion of god , and had dominion over that which was contrary , here was no tyranie , here was no cruelty , no prisons , no envie , no persecution , no killing nor destroying , no defrauding , no jarre , no strife , no devouring , but all gods creation at unity , and man at unity with god , being partakers of his dominion , whereby all the earth was in order , and in that wisdom which changed not , and here man had dominion and power , and ruled in gods authority , and was guided by the higher power , and while he was subject to it , death had no power over him ; now this was before sin entered , and before death entred , & before enmity had appeared in the earth , but now was the lord king and law-giver , and judge , who ruled in righteousness , and man being subject to him , there was no law against him , nor no guilt of any thing , for transgression was not known in the earth , and there was no curse , but all was in unity and peace , no changeableness , but all was in the covenant , all the workmanship of his hand was united unto him , and all that he had made was blessed , and all the creation were partakers of his blessedness , and all stood in the covenant , by which every creature received power , virtue and dominion , here was one mind , and here was no double , no variation , no mutation , nor change , but the dominion of the everlasting god was felt , which indures for ever and ever , and any other thing was not seen in the earth , but man crowned with honour , dominion and dignity , wherein could be nothing but rejoycing , and pure peace and joy , now no evill was known , neither was there any such thing , but goodness possessed the whole earth , and righteousness breathed forth it self in all things in the circumference thereof , and all the works of his hends pleased him , and man made partakers of his pleasure , and was accepted , and not rejected , thus in part i have shewed unto you the state of the earth , and of mankind , and the glory of gods creation , and the blessedness thereof , but if i could declare unto the whole world , from years end , to years end , i should fall short , and words would be wanting , to express the felicity and happiness in which man was brought forth in , neither shall any be able to see into those things , or to declare certainly of those things , who come not beyond time , to him who is eternal , who gave them a being . but after man had taken of the tree of knowledge of good and evill , and had eate of the fruit thereof ; and consented to the beguiler , and to the serpent , sin entered , and death by sin , man lost his dominion , and became subject to another , and another had power over him , and now the course of nature was set on the fire of hell , the curse entered , and man dead while he lives ; and in that day he eate did die , and death breathed forth it self in the earth ▪ and cain is brought forth in his own image , to wit , in the image of him who was gone out of gods dominion , and he became a murderer , and slew him that was accepted of god , and here appeared now the enmity , and its life was to destroy , and to murder , and to kill abell , who believed and offered up a sacrifice , and cain offered in the unbelief , and was not accepted , so abell who was just lived by faith , but cain who was in the envie and in the wrath , this life was death to him and to his nature , and so all who are out of the faith , are dead while they live . now after the transgression in process of time , when the seed of fallen adam began to increase in the earth , being driven out from the presence of the lord ; they spread over the whole earth , and sought many inventions being gone from that of god in themselves , by which they were united unto him , having broken his covenant , and joyned in covenant with death , death acts forth it self against the seed , which is not of its nature , and alwaies sought to imbondage it , and to kill it as cain did abell , and esau , jacob , and ismael did unto isaack and unto his seed . now the seed unto which the promise was received , the law from the mouth of the lord , and they that persecuted the seed , invented , and made laws of their own , according to that nature in which they lived , and so became heathenish in their fashions , and laws , and customs , and cruelty grew up as it was nourished , and leavened into its own nature , and unbelief grew into a mighty stature , and monsters was brought forth in such a strange shape in every thing , that the enmity did appear in , as had not been seen in the earth before , and and so man being gone astray from the life of righteousness , every thing is abominable , and of a stranger nature , that he brings forth : yet take notice of this , that as the seed unto which the promise was who were in the faith , and obeyed through faith , they had a law , so they in unbelief had also a law , as the seed worshipped the living god , through a lively and a living faith , and so sinned not in so doing , the seed of the serpent imitated a worship , and worshipped in death and unbelief , and as the laws of one was equal , such as david and solomon , the other was unequal , such as jeroboam and rehoboam , and as the one set up equity by a law , the other made a law to set up iniquity . and the seed , they sought not their own honour , but the honour of him who was their reward , but the seed of the evil doer sought himself and his own honour , and as the spirit of the lord breathed forth it self , and spoke the truth in the power of god , deceit uttered forth lies in hypocrisie , and in the power of death , and as the upright lived unto god in the spirit , deceit lived unto the flesh , and unto him who hath the power of death , which is the devill , and as they fulfilled the law of god , who were led by his holy spirit of god into all truth , the other followed their own imaginations , and answered the deceit and foolish mind , and they whose understanding was darkened loved them , and had pleasure in them . so it may be truly said , many nations , rulers and ruled sit in the region of the shaddow of death ; and the living god is forgotten among them , & one against another , they are seeking one anothers ruine , & all in the violence , & in the cruelty . therefore all rulers and potentates of the earth , magistrates and governours under the whole face of heaven , hearken unto the words of my mouth , and listen unto understanding , that you may be partakers of the happiness and felicity which god is shedding abroad , now in the latter dayes , that so the restorer you may know in your regions , and the deliverer in your nations , and the maker up of the breach in your dominions , that he who is the desire of all nations may be revealed among you . he which must restore is not born of man , nor cometh not to a people or a nation , in the will of man , neither seeks he himself , but the glory of the father , who hath sent him to seek , and to save that which is lost , and to heale the breaches , and to destroy that which hath made the breach , that so all nations who receive him , & believe in him , may be reconcil'd unto him , and one to another ; that the earth may injoy rest & the regions quietness ; therefore all be warned not to look forth in your wils , for there you will not receive him , but slight him , as many before you have done , and so lie down in sorrow , and weary your selves in vanity , and lie down in infamy , and never come to see his dignity . now he , of whom i declare unto you , is the son of god , who is the light of the world , and the life of man , and hath lightened every man that cometh into the world , which light wherewith all men are inlightned is not contrary to the law of god which indures for ever , but one with it , and this will let you see , violence , treachery , murder , envie , wrath , maliciousness , drunkeness , whoredom , lying , cursed speaking , stealing , defrauding , cheating , cosening , rioteousness , pride , arogancy , emulation , contention , strife , hatred , persecution , cruelty , opression , i say the light which comes from christ by whom the world was made , will shew you that all these things is sin and evil in the sight of god , and also will let you see there is a ground from whence these , and all other evils proceed , which ground is in all the sons of men in the transgression , till it be removed , and these things before mentioned , be the fruits that grows from it , and buds forth themselves in all nations , and in every man in every nation , so the earth is filled with violence , and the grapes are as sodom , & the fruit as gomorrah , whom god overthrew , and till these things be done away , and these fruits wither , and the root from whence they arise be removed out of every particular man who is a ruler , he cannot be a blessing to a nation , neither rule for god in a nation , neither will he or can he be a terrour to all these things before mentioned . while he himself is in those , for he cannot destroy his own life , neither will iniquity set up righteousness , nor the worker of iniquity advance christ . therefore listen to the words of my mouth , and despise not counsell , least you perish among fools , and go down to the horrible pit , where there is everlasting misery unto all perpetuity . now god that made both heaven and earth , and all things that therein are ; he is light , and with him is no darkness at all , he never changes his purity ; nor alters his righteous decrees , his eye is pure , and alwaies fixed to behold all the works of the sons of men , and he searches the heart of man with his eye , and pierceth through the secret places , and is near to every man , although man do not see him , he is invisible , and eternal , and his law indures for ever , and the unalterable decree , by which sin is judged and reproved in the world , and in every particular man , and every man who hearkens and hears the words of the pure law , which judges all sin in man , receiveth the sentence of death in himself , and is judged by the righteous words of his mouth , and so sin in the particular comes to be condemned , and all these changeable things is trodden under foot , which is acted and brought forth from the changeable mind of man , and so all laws , constitutions and decrees , which is made in the will of man , comes to be thrown down by his righteous law which proceeds out of the mouth of the righteous god , who is light , and so as his unchangeable and unalterable decree comes to be set up in every particular ruler , & governour , and himself judged with the just , he comes to bear his rule for the just , and answers that which is just in every man , and no longer can he act against well doing , but is a leader , and an incourager of it in all , and is a terrour to the unjust , and so comes to know the dominion again which man lost through disobedience and transgression . now all you powers of the earth , wait that you may come to see that , & feel it revealed in your selves , to wit the law of god from the mouth of god , that so you following it , sin may be judged in your selves , & you come to know the one lord the lawgiver which leads man back out of sin , & transgression by his son whom he hath sent into the world , that all men through him might believe in the father , & be restored out of sin & transgression unto life eternal , where death hath no entrance , & so all who waits upon the light of the son of god , and is obedient to it , they come to feel his power and his decree which cannot alter its property or verity , , & all who comes to be guided by it , you will come to see that which unites you unto god , & one nation to another , in the covenant of god! oh that all your eyes were opened , that you might see that which belongs to your peace & the well being of all nations , that so the power of the flock might be refreshed among you , and this i speak unto you , a change must be witnessed in your selves , before you will cease acting in the changeable mind , now the time draws near , the lord will try you , for the earth must be left without excuse , and he will have all warned , for god will no longer be limited , and therefore take heed how you gainsay any or resist any , vvho may declare unto you the counsell of god , and cause them not to be persecuted or hurt , but all be calme and moderate , and learn vvisdom from above , from him vvho hath inlightned you , that you may come to deny your selves , and follovv him vvho condems all self actings , and self vvill in man , and all customs , lavvs , and worships , & traditions , that is made in the vvill of man , that so he unto vvhom all povver is committed may be feared , and vvorshipped in spirit , in life , truth and righteousness , that so all sedition , rebellion , treachery and unrighteousness may be cleansed out of the earth , and that all quarrelling , fighting , contention may end ; and people come out of that vvhich the svvord is against , that so the svvords may be beat into plovvshares , and the spears into pruning hooks , that so violence may be done avvay , and cruelty , svvept out of the nations , that the dominion of god may be set over all , and his truth advanced above all , that the kingdoms of the world may become the lords , & his christs ; and blessed are they that stoop unto his scepter , vvho judges the nations in righteousness , and the people vvith equity , who is the salvat●on of all his people for evermore , and a hiding place in the day of trouble . london , the 20. of the 2. moneth , 1658. the end . ansvvers to severall queries put forth to the despised people called quakers, by philip bennett, who cals himself a minister of christ, but is found a deceiver; answered by them to whom they were directed. also, ansvvers to severall other subtil queries put forth by one iohn reeve, who lives in the city of london, who cals himself the last messenger and witnesse unto the true god, but is found a false witnesse, and a lyar, and a perverter of the right way of god. / answered by edward burrough, and francis howgill, who are witnesses unto the truth against this subtil serpent-like generation. burrough, edward, 1634-1662. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a77938 of text r207330 in the english short title catalog (thomason e813_4). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. 72 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 11 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo 2017 a77938 wing b5984 thomason e813_4 estc r207330 99866387 99866387 167943 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a77938) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 167943) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; 124:e813[4]) ansvvers to severall queries put forth to the despised people called quakers, by philip bennett, who cals himself a minister of christ, but is found a deceiver; answered by them to whom they were directed. also, ansvvers to severall other subtil queries put forth by one iohn reeve, who lives in the city of london, who cals himself the last messenger and witnesse unto the true god, but is found a false witnesse, and a lyar, and a perverter of the right way of god. / answered by edward burrough, and francis howgill, who are witnesses unto the truth against this subtil serpent-like generation. burrough, edward, 1634-1662. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. [2], 18 p. printed for giles calvert, at the black-spread-eagle, at .., london, : [1654] annotation on thomason copy: "octob: 3". imperfect: imprint cropped; date of publication suggested by thomason catalog. reproduction of the original in the british library. eng quakers -england -london -early works to 1800. a77938 r207330 (thomason e813_4). civilwar no ansvvers to severall queries put forth to the despised people called quakers,: by philip bennett, who cals himself a minister of christ, bu burrough, edward 1654 13852 92 0 0 0 0 0 66 d the rate of 66 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the d category of texts with between 35 and 100 defects per 10,000 words. 2007-05 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2007-06 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2008-04 john pas sampled and proofread 2008-04 john pas text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-09 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion ansvvers to severall queries put forth to the despised people called quakers , by philip bennett , who cals himself a minister of christ , but is found a deceiver ; answered by them to whom they were directed . also , ansvvers to severall other subtil qveries put forth by one iohn reeve , who lives in the city of london , who cals himself the last messenger and witnesse unto the true god , but is found a false witnesse , and a lyar , and a perverter of the right way of god . answered by edward burrough , and francis howgill , who are witnesses unto the truth against this subtil serpent-like generation . london , printed for giles calvert , at the black-spread-eagle , at 〈…〉 answers to severall queries put forth to the diepised people called quakers . we having received a paper which was directed to rich. roper , and to his quaking friend , which words comes from the dark carnall mind , quaking and trembling , which the saints and holy men of god witnessed , we own and witnesse ; therefore do we deny thee and all thy dark divinations . whereas thou philip benett , in thy note which thou hast writen to roper , in answer to a letter which he wrote to thee , wherein he charges thee to be a lyar , and a false accuser , and charges thee to bring any man to witnesse what thou hast spoken by them , whom , thou sayes , denyed that christ that dyed at jerusalem , and who they were that denyed that christ that suffered at jerusalem , or else acknowledge thy self to be a slanderer , and in thy paper , thou gives no answer at all to these words , but sayes , thou called the congregation to witnesse , but doth not mention one in all the congregation that will witnesse it , whereupon the lye rests upon thy head , and thou found to be the lyar , and the slanderer , and the false accuser . and whereas thou sayes , thou hast sent queries concerning that matter , thy queries makes thee manifest what thou art , many of thy own tribe and generation , if they saw thy queries , would be ashamed both of thee and of thy queries ; for hundereds there are in the world that knowes nothing of the true and living god , and yet would see thee and thy queries not to be worth answering , yet lest thou should boast in thy filthy ignorance and darknesse , and for clearing of the truth to the simple : something in answer to them . 1 quer. whether was the vvord made flesh , or the son of god made of a woman more or oftner then once ? answ. in this first querie thou hast manifested what thou art to all the children of light , and where thou art , and what spirit thou art of , a reprobate , a child of darknesse thou art ; thou might have spared the other nineteen queries , for in this querie thy spirit is tryed , and in the eternall light seen and known : thou askes whether the word was made flesh any more or oftner then once , which makes it plainly manifest , that thou knowes not what thou askes , and that thou dost not know nor cannot witnesse the word to be made flesh once , but art one of the antichrists and deceivers which john speakes of , that are entered into the world , which cannot confesse jesus christ come in the flesh , and therefore thou queries whether the word was made flesh any more or oftner than once , which querie comes from thy dark polluted minde , who is out of the light , and a stranger to the life , and without god in the world , amongst the false prophets , antichrists and deceivers which are in the world , and in the light of christ , which condemnes the world , yea , are all seen , known , and made manifest , and are turned away from by these who dwell in the light , which light condemnes thee and all thy generation eternally ; and the word made flesh we witnesse which dwells amongst us , and we behold his glory as the glory of the only begotten of the father , according to the scripture , whereby we witnesse thee and all thy generation to be in the sorcery , and in the witchcraft , deceiving and betraying the souls of the simple , the light of christ in thy conscience will tell thee so , for that thou must be obedient to , and witnesse before thou witnesse the word to be made flesh once , for thou art darknesse it self , and the light in thy conscience , if thou would let it rise , will be thy condemnation , and when thou can witnesse the word to be made flesh once , then thou wilt know whether the son of god was made of a woman any more or oftner than once : but thou art the dragon that would devour the manchild which the woman hath brought forth , who shall rule all nations with a rod of iron , and her child is caught up to god and to his throne , thou , the dragon , and thy angels is cast out into the earth ; and therefore dost thou persecute the woman which hath brought forth the manchild , but thou art overcome by the blood of the lamb , and the word of his testimony ; and for thy other nineteen queries , thou hast conjured them up in thy black art out of the bottomlesse pit , which is to be turned into perdition , if thou had an ear thou might hear , or an eye thou might read , but thou art blind . 2 quer. whether did the man christ jesus the son of god , slain , ( in respect of gods decree and efficacie of his death ) from the foundation of the world really and indeed suffer death or dissolution of soul and body , as upon the crosse at jerusalem , more or oftner than once . answ. here in this querie thou diviner is found adding to the scripture thy divinations of thy own brain , whereupon the plagues of god is to be added unto thee , and poured upon thee , for as thou sayes , the man christ jesus the lamb of god , slain ( in respect of gods decree and efficacie of his death ) from the foundation of the world . oh thou lyar , let all people see where there is such a scripture that speakes as thou speakes here , but in the sight of christ thou art seen , and in the life comprehended , and art for condemnation . the man christ jesus we own and witness , and the lambs book of life , which was slain from the foundation of the world we witnesse , the lamb of god , which takes away the sins of the world , we witnesse according to the scripture ; praises , praises , eternal praises , be to the lord god for ever , and thee to be the beast that makes war with the lamb we witnesse , and thou anti-christ which looks at christs death at jerusalem alone , and cannot confesse him no otherwise but without thee , here thou art but equall with the pope of rome , for he confesses christ dyed at jerusalem as well as thou ; so let all thy congregation see what they hold up that followes thee . 3 querie whether did the man christ ever really and indeed suffer in his own person , for that end and after that manner which he did once upon the crosse at jerusalem , before the time , or since the time ? answ. here thou full of all subtilty hath made manifest thy poison and enmity , but with the light of christ thou art seen , and known , and with it condemned for ever ; christ jesus in his own person doth , and ever did , suffer by thee , and such as thou art , and by thy generation he did suffer at jerusalem , and doth suffer where he is made manifest by you , after the same manner , and thou blind pharisee and blasphemer , would thou have christ to have more ends in suffering than one ? 4 quer. whether was not that death which the man christ suffered once , and but once , upon the crosse at jerusalem so satisfactory for all the sins of the elect , as that the justice of god , did not , doth not since require any suffering or working upon that account , either from sinner or from saint . ans. here thou jesuite art pleading again for a christ farre off thee , according as thy father doth at rome , that christ that dyed at jerusalem did not satisfie for thee who art an enemy to him , and doth not abide in his doctrine , but acts contrary to his commands , and art under the wo , which he cryed against them that were in the same stops where thou art , and from that wo thou shalt never fly ; the death of the man christ jesus which suffered at jerusalem we own and witnesse ; the same christ that suffered at jerusalem we witnesse made manifest , and the one god and the one mediator we witnesse and know ; betwixt god and man , the man christ jesus , according to the scripture : and here thou lyar art made manifest to all thy congregation to be a lyar , who said amongst them , that we denyed that christ that died at jerusalem , so let them all be witnesses of thy lyes , & let thy mouth be stopt thou lyer , who art for the lake ; and whereas thou queries whether the justice of god be not satisfied for the sins of the elect , here let shame strike thee in the face , that ever thou should take upon thee to speak to any people , and knowes not the scripture ; where dost thou read in all the scripture , that god doth require satisfaction for the sins of the elect , or laid any thing to their charge , let all people try thee here by the scripture , and see whether thou be not a blind ignorant sott , who doth not know what the justice of god requires , neither from sinner nor from saint , isa. 42. 1. isa. 65. 9. 22. luk. 18. 7. rom. 8. 33. 5 quer. whether you be reconciled to god by any other obedience , than that particular obedience which christ performed in his own person , and is mentioned in the scripture , or by any other suffering or death , than that which christ once suffered upon the crosse at jerusalem ? ans. silence flesh : would thou , ( who art an enemy to god , and a child of disobedience , in whom the prince of the air rules ) know how we are reconciled to god , and by what obedience , first own the light in thy conscience which condemnes thee , and be obedient to that , and then thou shalt know by what obedience it is that reconciles to god , for yet thou knowes no obedience , nor the death which christ suffered upon the crosse , thou dost not know , but art an enemy to the cross of christ , and in the mistery of iniquity , and in the dark power and man of sin ; what hast thou to do to talk of obedience , who art reconciled to thy lust , and sin reigns in thee , and thou art blind in the broad way that leads to death , as thy fruits makes it manifest , who lives in strife and envy . 6 quer. whether did not the man christ suffer as a publick person in the elects stead , or in their behalf , and for that end that none who believed in him might dye eternally ? ans. there thou blinde guide makes many replyes , but still one and the same thing , but thou makes it manifest , that thou dost not know the man christ at all , nor his sufferings , for death reigns in thee yet , that hath passed over all men that askes this querie ; for a publick person christ is not to ●●ee , but a mistery which thou knowes nothing of , and for the redeeming of the elect from under such mouths as thine , did and doth christ suffer ; and those that are brought to believe denyes such dumb idoll shepherds as thee , who as yet doth not believe , and therefore shall dye eternally . 7 quer. whether the sufferings of christ now in his saints , be all the satisfaction that is made to , or which the justice of god looks for , for sins past , present and to come ? ans. there thou blasphemer askes thou knowes not wha● ; is not christ the same now as ever , and is not the sufferings of christ satisfactory where ever ? what wilt thou have to satisfie , if the sufferings of christ do not satisfie , let all people take notice what a blasphemer thou art , or what they can learn of such a one as thee , who knowes neither the justice of god , nor the sufferings of christ in his saints . 8 quer. whether was not that body of jesus which consisted of flesh , blood and bone , and which was offered upon the crosse at jerusalem , the one and onely sacrifice for sin god accepted , and to which alone exclusively the saints before under the law , and the saints since under the gospel , did and do look to be justified by , without any other works . answ. here again thou art replying thy former sottish queries , which rises out of thy dark mind , concerning the body of jesus , as the devill did about the body of moses ; let thy mouth be stopt here , for the body of jesus thou knowes not , nor what it consists on ; and the offering of it up thou knowes nothing of , but what thou knowes and heares by the outward letter , that it was offered up at jerusalem ; and the sacrifice for sin thou knowes not , and thou art none of the saints , neither under the law , nor under the gospell , but art without in the world , in the broad way , blind leading the blind into the ditch ; and for thee the body of christ is no satisfaction ; and thou reprobate , what hast thou to do to talk of believing , for that is the condition of the saints , they do believe and are justified , and their works thou knowes not , thou disobedient one , upon whom god will render vengeance in flaming fire . 9 quer. whether there be not another righteousness by which the saints are justified in the sight of god , than that which christ works in them and by them ? answ. there thou accursed art made manifest , who preaches another gospell , and would have another righteousnesse than that of christ , here thou beast to whom the plagues of god is due , and upon whom his wrath must be accomplished , here thou hast made thy self manifest , thou who would have another righteousnesse than the righteousnesse of christ , which he works in the saints and by them , and so thou would be justified and live in thy sin , but thou art shut out from god for ever ; and we witnesse justification by faith , and the just shall live by his faith . 10 quer. whether doth sanctification or justification in order antecede holinesse of life or justification by faith go before , or whether doth not god love man , ere man loved god ? answ. here thou dark blinde hypocrite hath shut thy self out from the knowledge of god in any measure , oh that ever people should be so blinde as to look for to learn any thing at such a one as thee but sin and filthinesse ; and what hast thou been teaching them all this while , that neither knowes sanctification nor justification yet , but art querying whether goes before , let all people judge if thou be not a teacher of lasciviousnesse , sin and uncleannesse , and how darest thou mention a holy life , or justification by faith ? which knowes neither justification nor sanctification . and thee , man , which art cain , god doth not love nor accept thee nor thy sacrifice , and for justification by faith thou knowes nothing of it , which we own and witnesse , 〈…〉 doth not love god ▪ 11 quer. whether the justice of god be not fully satisfied for all the sins of the elect , ●re christ appear to their souls , or holinesse appear in their lives ? ans. here ●hou full of all subtil●y a●t comprehended , and with the light of christ thou art seen , and with the life judged and condemned , who would say sin to the charge of the elect , when the scripture saith , vvho shall ●ay any thing to the charge of gods elect ? it is god that justifieth , who shall condemn ? the soul that sinneth shall die . thou sorcerer , doth the elect of god ●in ? shall the elect dye ? to that in thy conscience i speak ? 12 quer. vvhether the holy lives , or holy works of the saints be not excluded from the act of justification , from the guilt of sin ? ans. thou dead beast hath made it manifest , that thou art a stranger from the life of god , and is excluded from the holy life of the saints and their works , who art que●ying whether this be not excluded from justification : oh that ever thou should open thy mouth , or take upon thee to speak of the scripture ; doth not the apostle say , 1 pet. 1. 18. for as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things , as silver and gold , from your vain conversation , but with the precious blood of christ , as of a lamb without blemish and without spot , who verily was ordained before the foundation of the world was , but was manifest in these last times for you , who by him do believe in god , that raised him up from the dead ? now let all people read this chapter , and try thee , who knowes nothing of jesus christ , but as thou hast heard of him , that he was crucified at ierusalem , and so thou art unredeemed from thy vain conversation , and so art not justified before god , nor never shall be , but those that can witnesse redemption by the precious blood of jesus christ , as all the saints of god do , are justified ; and by the same that they are justified thou art condemned into the lake for ever . 13 quer. vvhether is that righteousness which is wrought by the saints every way answerable to the justice of god ? ans. there again thy blindnesse is made manifest ; is there any righteousness but that of jesus christ , and is not that every way answerable to the justice of god ▪ but such polluted filthy beasts as thou would have another righteousnesse , as thou ▪ speaks plainly in thy ninth querie , but all thy righteousnesse we deny , and the righteousnesse of jesus christ we own and witnesse , whose righteousnesse shall be revealed upon thee in flames of fire . 14 quer. vvhether none be accounted righteous in gods sight , in whom there is any corruption , or failing , or who do not fulfill the law , and answer every demand of justice ? ans. here thou polluted beast hath made it manifest what thou hast been driving at all this while in thy queries , which is , that thou would have corruption and filthines to be accounted righteous in gods sight , that so thou might lye and wallow in thy sins & filthinesse , but iohn saith , that he that commits sin is of the divell : for the divell sinneth from the beginning , and for this purpose the son of god was made manifest , that he might destroy the works of the divell , and thou man of sin would have it to stand , but those that loves god keeps his commandements , and they are not grievous ; and god doth not accept anywhere there is any failing , or who do not fulfill the law , and answer every demand of justice , and he doth reserve the unjust unto the day of judgement to be punished , 2 pet. 2 9. and chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleannesse , and there thou art . 15 quer. vvhether a soul be justified before god by the non-imputation of sin , and the imputation of the righteousness of the person of christ to his faith , or by a righteousness wrought by christ in the person justified or to be justified . ans. here stop thy mouth thou sorcerer , which art gathering up here a heap of confusion , which is fit for nothing but to be turned with thee into the bottomlesse pit , from whence it comes , wherein thou talkes of imputation and non-imputation , and of a person justified , and to be justified ; thy language is of aegyt , and in the mystery of iniquity , thou speaks it , which is condemned into the lake of perdition by the light of christ , and in the light thou and it art seen and comprehended ; and as i told thee before , i own no righteousnesse but what is of christ , and wrought by thee , which righteousnesse shall confound thee and all thy unrighteousnesse and conjuration , and the same that justifies us shall condemn thee eternally . 16 quer. vvhether christ be in his saints in respect of that nature wherein he suffered at jerusalem ? ans. here thou enemy of christ would know how the saints injoy christ here , the scripture is fulfilled upon thee , the light shines in darknesse , and darknesse comprehends it not , when thou comes to own thy condemnation , the light in thy conscience it will let thee see thy evill deeds , it will lead thee up to christ from whence it comes , and then thou wilt know that nature that he suffered in ; but now thou art in that nature that iudas was in that betrayed him , and that they were in that crucified him . 17 quer. how , and after what manner christ , who in respect of his divine nature is infinite and in all places , may be said to be in a saint , and not in reprobate ? ans. what hast thou to do to qu●rie after the divine nature , who art the naturall man , that knowes nothing of god , but what thou knowes naturally as a bruite beast , and knowes not the things that be of god , because they are spiritually discerned ▪ and the manner of christs divine nature , which is infinite , is hid from thy eyes , for of that eye that thou should see that with thou art blinde , and the manner of his being in a saint thou knowes not , who art a reprobate , and thou shalt find him to be thine eternall condemnation . 18 quer. vvhether doth christ now in these dayes assume or take upon him the form of a servant , and the seed of abraham , that is our flesh : and whether doth not this assumption cause such a perfection of the godhead and the manhood , as that both of them are united together into one person ? ans. o thou dark beast and conjurer , who art querying with thy conjured words , that which thou knowes nothing of , and which is out of thy reach and comprehension ; thou blasphemer , dost thou limit christ to dayes , in taking upon him the form of a servant , and the seed of abraham ? is not he the same now as ever he was ? and for the union of the god-head and manhood , as thou calls it , let thy mouth be stopt , for with thee god nor none of his children hath any union , for god ha●h put an utter enmity , betwixt thy seed , thou serpent , and the seed of the woman , and the perfect union with christ we witnesse , who is the same to day , yesterday and for ever , and therefore are we separate from thee and thy generation . 19 quer. vvhether is christ now conversant upon earth , amongst men , since his ascension , as he was before , and in those times wherein the apostles lived ? ans. in thy queries thy speech bewrayes thee , thy language is the language of aegypt , for in it thou makes it clearly manifest , that thou knowes not christ at all , not in the least measure , for where the first principle of truth is made manifest , it is the same that ever was , and never changes ; and thou askes whether christ be now conversant upon earth amongst men since his ascension , as he was in the apostles time ▪ dost thou know what thou askes ? did he not appear to the apostles since his ascension , in the most glorious manner that ever thou read ; and is he not the same now as he was then ? what would thou make of him , thou dark sottish beast ) such a one as thy self , who would be pleading for darknesse and ignorance of god , but praise and glory to him who hath discovered thee and all such deceivvers as thou art . 20 quer. vvhether did not christ dwell among his saints , after another and more visible manner than now he dwels in his saints ? ans. there again thou hast shewed thy ignorance of the scripture , and for thy word visible , he is not , nor never was visible to thee , nor to thy generation , for those that did professe the scriptures , as thou and thy generation doth , crucified him , and said he was of the devill , as thou , and such as thou art doth now ; thou blasphemer , where hast thou a scripture that saith , that christ would dwell in his saints after another manner ? did he not say , it is expedient for you that i go away , and i go and prepare a place for you , and i will come again and receive you unto my self , that where i am there you may be also ; and ye have heard how i have said i go away and come again unto you , and if ye loved me , ye would rejoice , because i go unto the father ; and christ jesus saith in the 14. iohn 12. verily , verily i say unto you , he that believeth on me , the works that i do , he shall do also , and greater works than these , because i go to the father : but all these scriptures is hid from thy eyes , and thou art one of those that isaiah prophesied on ; and that scripture is fulfilled on thee which saith , he hath blinded their eyes , and hardened their heart , that they should not see with their eyes , nor understand with their hearts : now blessed be the lord that hath discovered thee , and such blind guides as thou art . so we have answered thy queries in the eternall light and life of god , and we have given judgement upon thee and them , which thou shalt eternally witnesse , without roving or wandring , but thou who art out of the light art roving , and wandring and stumbling in darknesse , who hath put forth these stumbling ▪ queries , which we have answered lovingly and plainly , and in the scripture language and termes , and with the eternall light and life of god , set thee in thy own place , which thou shalt eternally witnesse . these are matters of great concernment , and if you refuse to answer them in writing , spare your tongues and spare your papers , for i will henceforth neither hear the one , nor read the other . ans. thou saith , these are matters of great concernment ; we see that that which makes thee manifest , and such as thou art , and which layes thee open to poor ignorant people , which is deceived by thee and led into the ditch , and their souls kept in death by thee , to make this manifest is of great concernment , as these dark black stumbling queries , and thy conjured words hath done ▪ which thou hast no scripture for , as ambiguity , efficacy , exclusively , antecede , and non-imputation , assume , and assumption : now let all people read and consider what they do that holds such as thee up , who is shut out from god , and shut out from the saints life and language , and art shut out of the scriptures , though thou makes a trade of them for mony , and deceives poor people , but thou knowes nothing of the life and power that gave them forth ; so thou art to be condemned with the light , and with the life which gave forth the scripture . let all people read deuteronomie 18. from the 9. verse to the 15. there the priests and the levites which was ordained of god ; was to have no inheritance among the people , but the lord was their inheritance , and they were to have it of that which was offered up to the lord , and this is a figure of the everlasting priesthood , which ministers out of the everlasting treasure ; and the lord god commanded israel , that not to do as they did when they came into the land , nor to go after their abominations , as you may see , but gave israel their land to possesse , that did hearken unto such as the lord had not sent , which was abomination to him , and the lord saith to israel , thou shalt be perfect with the lord thy god , and in the 15. verse the lord thy god will raise unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee , of thy brethren like unto me , unto him shall ye hearken ; and so to the end of the chapter , he that hath an eye may see , and the lord is the same that he was , and he will not suffer the abominations that is committed in this land , but is discovering the abomination of it ; a horrible and a filthy thing is committed , which ieremiah cryed against , covetous men preach , drunkards preach , swearers preach , lyars preach , strikers preach , and proud men preach : oh , wonderfull , where is your eyes ? try your priests by the scriptures , see if they be not found in the same generation that all the false prophets and the deceivers were in which the true prophets of god cryed against , and discovered , and in the steps of the scribes and pharisees , that christ cryed w● against ; and see if they be not the antichrists and the deceivers which are entered into the world , which iohn speaks of , which cannot confesse christ come in the flesh ; but transgresseth , and abideth not in the doctrine of christ , so hath not god , neither knowes him ; but preaches for sin , and against perfection , and denyes the light which enlightens every one that comes into the world , and so keeps people in blindnesse and ignorance , and out of the knowledge of god , and never any that followes them shall ever come to the knowledge of the true and living god , therefore all people see where you are , and minde the light in your consciences , which is pure , and which testifieth against all sin , and it will let you see all your blinde guides which deceives you , to be in sin , and ignorant of god ; for they deny that which should make him manifest , therefore beware what you hold up , and give over going after them , to that in your consciences i speak , which shall witnesse me eternally to speak the truth , if you obey it , and shall condemn you eternally , if you disobey it . these blind guides that are in this land , denies the prophets which moses wrote of , which is the substance of the priesthood , which was before , and here they are found in the same generation , in the sorcery and in the witchcraft , which the lord commanded should be put out of the land , where the children of israel went to possesse . answers to several other subtil queries put forth by one iohn reeve who lives in the city of london , who cals himself the last messenger and witnesse unto the true god , but is found a lyar , and a perverter of the right way of god . a certain writing is come to our hand , called an epistle from the mighty jehovah , or jesus the onely lord , and god of the elect israelites , from one , whose name is subscribed iohn reeve pilgrim , who cals himself the last messenger , and witnesse unto the true god , unto which , for the sake of the simple , we , ( as one spirit ) are moved of the lord of heaven and earth to write something in answer , that so his folly may be made manifest , and his ignorance and blasphemy laid open , unto the simple hearted , who have been long deceived by such through their false voice , lo here , and lo there ; friend , to thee , who hath subscribed this writing , who cals thy self the last messenger , and witnesse unto the true god , i answer , the lord of hosts , and god of the elect israelites , doth not accept thy testimony and witnesse ; for thy spirit is made manifest not to be the spirit which came from god , and which dwels with god , which bears true witnesse unto god , but the spirit which is driven out from the presence of god into the creation , and into the visible world , and that is the living spirit , and bears not true witnesse unto the true god , but is a spirit which beares witnesse to the imaginations of thy own heart , which looks upon , and declares the living god , as if he were carnall , and a creature-like substance ; and here the scripture is fulfilled upon thee , thou thinks he is altogether such a one as thy self ; and for the true god thou art no messenger , nor hast received any message from him , for thy spirit is known , and he never delivered his message unto it in any generation , but kept his secret sealed up from it ; and friend , here i charge thee in the presence of the true spiritual god , that thou be-lies the lord of hosts , who sayes thy epistle is from him , thou uses thy tongue , and saith , the lord saith , when , saith the lord ? i have not spoken unto thee ; & of that generation thou art which ieremiah cryed against ; and therefore let all flesh be silent before the lord , and call not thy own imaginations his word , but thou who hast a dream , tell thy dream for a dream , and he that hath the word of the lord , let him speak it faithfully ; and though thou call thy self the last messenger , and witnesse unto the true god , yet i say unto thee , verily the lord hath a witness which was before thee , which hath been slain in the streets of the great city , which the lord will bring forth after thee , which will bear true witnesse of the true god , & against thee , and thou who hast been alive , shall be judged by him which hath laid slain , & he will eternally condemn thy testimony and message ; friend in the light of christ , which hath lightened every one that comes into the world , thou art comprehended , and seen , thy beginning , thy time , and thy end , and with it thy testimony and message is denyed , for thy testimony is such , and if thou swear the lord lives , thou swore falsly , and further , thou sayes , by inspiration of the holy spirit thou was moved to present this epistle : i answer , the language of the holy spirit is like it self , pure and spirituall , but thy language is carnall and sensuall , and so is thy spirit ; the saints which spake by the inspiration and moving of the spirit , cursed not that which god had blessed , as thou dost , neither did they say the elect was defiled as thou dost , neither did they speak of god as a carnall substance , as thou dost , but said that god was a spirit , and here be thou a witnesse against thy self , that thou speaks not by the inspiration and moving of the holy spirit , but speaks thy imaginations , and lies in the name of the lord ; and whereas thou sayest in this confused age , there hath appeared variety of spirits pretending to be sent by the everlasting god , yet they are at war with all their power to overthrow one another , that their own opinions may bear rule ; i answer , among the many pretenders thou speaks of , thou art one ; and it is true , you are at war with all your power endeavouring to overthrow one another , that your own opinions may bear rule , and though there be among you variety of opinions , yet by one spirit you act , for the kingdome of the devil is but one , and yet divided , and it is at war with it self , and therefore it cannot stand , and you cannot overthrow one another , but one is appearing to overthrow you all , and all your opinions , for all you pretenders are made manifest by your fruits , and thereby men may try you , for nothing is to be gathered from you but opinions and ayery imaginations , some of you speaking of a god , and christ afarre off , to believe in , others of you speaking of a god and of a christ within , and afarre off to believe in , thus you feed people by your own imaginations , and some of you pretends revelation , others of you denying revelation , and thus you strive to set up your own opinion , but you live all in one nature , and are of one generation , and he that walks in the light sees you all , and comprehends you all , and judges all your opinions , and are redeemed out of all your vain im●dgination into the life of god , acting and speaking as the spirit acts and speaks , and seeks to exalt christ , and him to bear rule , that all opinions may be by him thrown down , and that by him people may be brought out of a confused age , into the land of r●st , and peace , and righteousnesse to serve the true spiritual god , in the spirit , and by the spirit of his own son ; and further , thou sayes , some there are takes upon them to speak of a god , and of a christ in the invisible heavens , above the starres ; but are uncapable to demonstrate how christ by his spirituall word lives in mens hearts , and how he reigneth visibly in glory with his elect angels : i answer , there are not some but many , which lives in , and speaks forth their own imaginations , upon god and christ , and one of them thou art , thy spirit is tryed , god who is a spirit , dwels in the spirit of his son , even in the high and holy place , and with him also who is of a contrite spirit , and trembleth at his word ; but this by thy vulterous eye is not seen , neither can any demonstrate how christ dwels in the heart ▪ but he who witnesseth it through death , and where he reigns his glory is with him , and his elect angels , this i witnesse , but to thy carnall eye it is invisible , and by thy carnall wisdome he can never be known , christ and his spirituall word is not to be divided , though thy sensuall spirit would divide them , but by the flaming sword thou that speaks art divided from both , and shalt know neither but to thy condemnation ; and further thou sayest , others there are which speaks of an eternall spirit , or christ onely in the consciences of men , as if there were no creator ●● christ at all visibly reigning upon his throne of immortall glory ; i answer , they who talke of an eternal spirit , or christ in the conscience by hear say , o●●● other mens words , without ( as thou dost ) and doth not in life and power witnesse it , from the father within , made manifest , such are denyed by them who witnesse the eternall spirit dwelling with the contrite heart , which spirit is the creator which dwels also in the high and holy place , and reigns upon his throne for ever , and who do in power witnesse this , sees and judges all y●ur carnall imaginations , and conceptions of the living god in your carnall minds , where he dwels shall no unclean thing enter , but is without to be troden in the wine-presse of his wrath for ever and ever , and by him shall thy carnall conceptions be consumed , even by the breath of his mouth , for he is eternall , and his throne is eternall , and by the carnall eye shall never be seen ; and further thou sayest , there are , who through unbelief that ever any living creature had a beginning , they affirm there is no god or christ at all , but perishing nature , of this sort are innumerable , witnesse the lives and conversations of people every where ; i answer , all who do witnesse the eternall spirit made manifest , to rule and guide all such , doth deny and declare aagainst , for nothing was without beginning but the eternall word , which was the beginning of all things , and which will be the end of all things , even the destruction of the wicked , and the salvation of them that believe , who are born of the immortall seed , and redeemed out of the perishing nature into the image of god , and such do set to seal there is a god , who will reward every one according to his works , and beares witnesse against them , who in their lives and conversations denies god , as all do who do not witnesse the eternall spirit of christ ruling in the consciences , but talkes of a god in imagination at a distance , and such are innumerable , and saith in their heart , there is no god , and such are the fools the scripture speaks of , and whereas thou beseeches to consider of these ensuing particulars ; i answer , they are considered , and by them thy ignorance is made manifest , and thy folly disclosed , and thy blasphemy , who cals thy self the last witnesse . 1 quer. in thy first particular thou queries , whether these men were sort forth by the eternall spirit to preach , which in the least cannot demonstrate what the onely true god is in himself ; and how he is a distinct being from all living creatures , and how he reigns in the elect by a created word , voice of spirituall motion onely . answ. those men were not sent forth by the eternall spirit to preach , who have not received it , and such knowes not god , what he is , no● where he is , but in their imaginations imagines him to be like a creature , by being i● a creature by place or habitation , god is a spirit , and he is not distinct from living creatures , for in him living creatures lives , moves , and hath their beings , and he is not far from them , nor distinct from them as he spake , who was sent by the eternall spirit to preach , he reigns in the elect not by a created word , voice , or a created spirituall motion , for the word which lives in the elect , from which voice and motion proceeds , is not created , but is uncreated , even as god is uncreated , for god is that word , and here thy ignorance appears , by calling the word which lives in the elect a created word , or voice , or motions , and here be a witnesse against thy self that thou speaks from darknesse , and not from light , which darknesse cannot comprehend the shining of the light , and this discovers thee more to be a false witnesse , and not the true witnesse of god , and therefore thy portion must be portion of false witnesses , read what it is . 2. quer. in thy second particular thou queries , is not this an infallible demonstration to men , that a man is sent forth by the eternall spirit , if he have received a gift from the holy ghost , to demonstrate what the true creator was in his own distinct essences , nature and glory , from all eternity in time , and to all eternity , and wherein elect men and angels differ in their natures , and glory , distinct from their creator in their persons . answ. he that hath not received a gift from the holy ghost in some measure , is not sent forth by the eternall spirit , or god of all truth , this is infallible , and such knowes not what the creator is , but by imagination , and carnall conceptions of him , and such in the light of christ is seen , and by it judged , and among such thou art , to that in thy conscience i speak , which will witnesse me , he that hath received the holy ghost , turnes people from the power of satan to the power of god , and knowes the creator , and the dwelling of him in the heart , for as the scripture saith , the word is nigh , but let all flesh be silent , he who is in time , knowes not him which was before time , and shall be when time shall be no more ; he who knows the creator which inhabiteth eternity , is redeemed out of time , into the habitation of the almighty , but this to thy dark minde and spirit is unknown , if ever thou know it , it must be through death , the nature and glory of the elect differs not from the nature and glory of the creator , for the elect are one with the creator , in his nature enjoying his glory , which was from eternity unto eternity , he that reads let him understand , thy word distinct essence , i deny , for the elect is not distinct from the creator , but lives by the dwelling of the son in him , and with the son the father dwels also , if thou hast an ear , thou mayest hear . 3 quer. in thy third particular thou queries , what that angelicall serpent was in his creation , which the scripture speaks of , and how he came to be cast out of his glory , and how he overcame innocent eve , and how he entered into her wombe , and changed her pure seed into his nature of unclean reason ? and thou askes , what think you , was not that man cain the first murdering , lying devill that ever was ? and is there any devill but proud , vain-glorions , unmercifull men and women ? ans. that same which speaks in thee is that same serpent which the scripture speaks of , and if thou have the spirit of moses , thou knowes what he was in the creation ; for moses saw his creation by that spirit which was before he was , and if thou know his creation in thy self , then thou may know him without thee , but yet he lies under his vail deceiving thee , and is not deceived by thee ; and by the same which thou lives in he was cast out of his glory , even disobedience , and he overcame inocent eve even as he overcomes thee , by promising what he fulfilled not , and by presenting that which was visible , and so her minde was led out , as thine is , and by her consenting , he entered and got power , and set up his habitation , which is now standing in thee , and so she became the likenesse of himself , her minde and lust st●ayed into the visibles , out from the creator who is invisible , and spirituall , and she now lives under the curse , and brings forth cursed children , such as thou art who puts forth these queries , and this child was begotten by him who deceived her , and he is the father and prince of all you , who are wells without water , clouds without rain , and wandering starres having no habitations in the heavens , the blackness of darknesse is reserved unto you for ever , ye who speaks great swelling words of vanity ( that ye are the last witnesses and messengers , &c. ) but you your selves are servants of corruption , and to the last part of thy querie : i answer , before cain who is a lying devill was a child , he was a father , and if thou hast an ear , thou mayest hear , the proud , vain-glorious , unmercifull men and women , who bears his image must with him be tormented in the lake which burneth ( by the kindling of the breath of the almighty ) for ever and ever ; and here thou art answered , though not to the feeding of thy wisdome , but in the light by which thou art comprehended , which light will eternally condemn thee who hates it . 4 quer. thou queries what condition adam was formed in , and how he came to fall from his estate , and what sin it was they committed ( adam and eve ) and whereby the elect and reprobate are defiled . ans. adam was created in the image of god , and god breathed into him the breath of life , and he became a living soul , but eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evill , therein he turned from the command of god and did dye , if thou hast an ear thou mayest hear , and thou that queries hast eaten of that tree , and thou shalt never know in what condition he was created in , but through the death : for a sword is set at edens gate to keep the tree of life , which will cut thee down , before ever thou know or can witnesse his estate , and as for the elect being defiled , here thou makest thy self manifest , that thou never knew what the elect was , for the elect is born of god , and he that is born of god sins not , and the promises of god are to the elect , and election obtains it , and the elect was never defiled : if thou hast an ear thou mayest hear , that which is defiled shall not enter into the holy city , and here thou hast manifest thy ignorance , and art that reprobate thou speaks , which is ordained of old for condemnation , which is the transgresser which is cast out , thou hast no communion with the elect , for thou art defiled and art without the gate , to be trodden in the wine-presse . 5 quer. what that heavenly glory is , and where it is that the elect wheat of christ shall eternally enjoy , who are the seed of adam , and not of cain ? answ. what that glory which the elect which thou spoke of in thy fourth querie shal inherit which was and is defiled , it is to be in hell , in utter darknesse for ever and ever , where all the unclean are , and thou would know where it is , it is without the gate of the city , among the dogs and whoremongers , and lyars , and deceivers , and whatsoever is defiled shall be trodden in the wine-presse of the wrath of god for ever and ever , where is weeping , wailing , and gnashing of teeth . but as for the elect wheat of christ , which thou sayest is the children of adam , thou speakest thou knowes not what , the first man is of the earth earthly , and he begate his image , and that which is earthly shall never inherit , but are to have their portion with cain , where thou art that hath uncovered thy nakednesse , but the elect and the wheat shall be gathered into the barn , and they are not , nor ever were they defiled , but shall reign with the lamb in the new jerusalem for ever and ever , where no unclean thing can enter , nor nothing that destroyes or defiles in that holy mountain of the lord , if thou have an ear thou may hear . 6 quer. vvhat that painfull and shamefull death in utter darknesse , and where it is , that is reserved for the reprobate , who are the seed of cain , and not of adam , or blessed abr●ham . answ. thou that queries shalt surely know , it is tophet , prepared of old even for the king , the burning of it is as fire , the breath of the lord doth kindle it , it shall be destruction for ever and ever , to that which hath given forth these queries , and it is to be separated from god for ever among all idolaters , and adulterers , and liars , the unbelieving , the abominable , and the fearful , in the lake of fire ▪ where the worm dieth not , nor the fire goeth not out ; as for adam thou knows nothing of him ; the first birth that he begate was cain , who slew his brother , who hath his portion with cain , and not with abraham , the promise was not to the transgresser , nor to adam who eat of the tree of knowledge , the promise came upon ; in the day thou eatest thou shalt dye , he was driven from the presence of the lord into the earth in the curse , the promise was to abraham , in isaack is the blessing , not in ishmael ; and here thou sh●ws thy ignorance , but it is but like the former , when thou joynes the elect and reprobate together , light and darknesse , and in babylon thou art , but in that which was before babylon was , thou art seen , and as for those dark spirits thou ●peaks of , who minde nothing but their lusts , condemning the glorious things of eternity , because their carnall reason cannot comprehend them : see at home , for in the light of christ thou art seen , that thou knowes nothing of eternity , but by thy dark imaginations , and naturally as a bruite , to the light of christ in thy conscience i speak , which will let thee see it is so . 7 quer. are there not deceived persons , and utterly ignorant of the true god , who judge men and women in darknesse , if they a●k them questions about the needfull things of eternity : is it not because they went before they were sent , and so are of a bitter spirit for want of spirituall light to satisfie the ●ender christian querier . ans. all who dwell not in this light , which is pure and eternall , are ignorant of god , and never knew god , such judging shall be judged , and by the light which sees and comprehends all darknesse thou art seen , but the spirituall man judgeth all things , and he is judged of none , and all judgement is committed to the son , and where he i●made manifest he speaks , and judgeth righteously , and those men and women who would be asking questions of eternity , and never came to the first principle to be guided by it , the light which leads to eternity , all such men and women are in darknesse , and that minde which is in the earth and in the naturals shall never know ; and therefore they are judged to be in darknesse , and darknesse cannot comprehend the light , christ and his disciples answered and judged that spirit which would have had a sign ; and called them adulterers , and which spirit we witnesse to the praise of god ; and to thee that put forth the queries , i speak to thee in the presence of god , whether thou put them forth in simplicity and art ignorant , or would know , or in the pride of thy heart , and subtilty to tempt , the light of christ will let thee see , but thou art rich and full , therefore thou must be sent empty away , all who queries from that nature that would know , but never come to obedience , that is to be judged , & judgment must thou witness , and for a bitter spirit of envy that shall stand for thy self , and that thou wants spiritual light is made manifest , which curses that which god hath blessed , as i have seen under thy own hand , far remote from this city , and that thou hast cursed them soul and body to all eternity , which thou never heard nor saw , let shame strike thee in the face , and stop thy mouth , for thou cannot put a difference betwixt the precious and the vile , but curses thou knows not what , and speaks to that thou knows not : but as for them who have a desire to know the way to the father , we are ready to give an answer , and to impart of the gift we have received , and doth not break a bruised reed , but the fat we f●ed with judgement , and there thou art answered . 8 quer. it is not an infallible demonstration unto them who have a discerning spirit , that tha● man hath no commission from the true spirit to preach or speak to a people , when for fear of his ignorance being discovered , or for fear of losing his hearers , he shall counsell them to strike close to the word of god , or to hearken to the light within them in their consciences , without what that is in the conscience , or what will be the issue of it , if men be obedient to it , or disobedient to it : and to beware of false prophets , and not thinking in the least himself to be that false prophet , and thus borrowing scripture language which we are the true messengers of the gospel , doth he not in his power hinder his hearers from reading the glorious things revealed unto , the two last witnesses , and so thou saith , it is clear that the spirit is not in them which was in paul , who gave them leave to try all . ans. here thy infallible demonstration is made manifest to be fallible and lying , when thou laies that down to be a sign of them that have no commission from the spirit , and not to have the spirit , because they exhort them to cleave close to the word of god , and to minde the light which shines into the conscience of every man , which is the light of christ ; here thy spirit is tryed , that thou hast not the same commission as they had , who spoke forth the scripture , and so thou preaches another gospel , for the word of god endures for ever , and by the word which is eternall , and which was in the beginning , who tryes all things , who searches all things , comprehends all things , and judges all things , he that cleaves not close unto , that builds upon another foundation ; and by the word which endures for ever , thou art seen , not to have that word , neither knowes what , nor where it is , neither hath cleaved to it , and so art raced out from the life , from the foundation , and the apostle who had his commission not from man , nor by man , he exhorted those he had preached to and wrote to , to take heed to the sure word of prophesie , as unto a light that shined in a dark place , and to wait in it , till the day did dawn , and the day star did arise ; and for distinguishing of that in the conscience what it is , he that is not separate from the darknesse knows not how to do it . but this i say unto thee , as we declare unto all , the light which shines into the conscience is the light of christ which he hath enlightned every one withall , and it is spirituall like himself , and eternall , and it leads out of sin , and declares against all iniquity , and he that comes to own it , and to be guided by it , it leads out of sin to know the crosse of christ , which is a mistery to thee , and it leads to the eternall word , which was in the beginning before sin was , and it will judge all thy imaginations and vain conceivings , and it leads to the inheritance incorruptible out of corruptible ; if thou have an ear to hear , thou may hear , it is that which will let thee see thy vain frothy imaginations , which thou hath of god , and will condemn all thy vain imaginations , and hating it , it will be thy condemnation , and there is the issue of it , and all such as steals other mens words , and the true prophets words , and never knew the life that was in them , all such we deny , and shut them up within utter darknesse , where they , thou and both are , and for the glorious things that thou and thy partner , which call your selves the two last witnesses , it is manifest that your mysteries are as in thy book , and thy queries , where thou puts elect and reprobate together , and as for tryall of spirits , we give liberty and exhort all that may try , and we direct them to that to try by , which is is infallible and eternall , whereby they may see and comprehend thee and all who have not the spirit . but that they should try , who hath nothing to try with , let all such be silent for ever , for none understands the spirit but the spirit with which we see thee , and all who stands in their imaginations ignorant of , therefore stop thy mouth in the dust , and be silent . 9 quer. doth not they that speak to a people that declares against all appearances , which are contrary to his way , discover himself unto a true discerning spirit , not to be of the lord , unlesse they can demonstrate a spirituall commission that he hath received from heaven , by voice of words through the glorious mouth of the lord , so that no mortall man can disprove him , though few for want of understanding receive him . ans. the way that leads to the father is but one , which is christ , and he that declares from him , made manifest in him , declares against all sects , and opinions , and that which thou cals appearances , and the way is one , and the tru●h one , where there is no rent nor division , and he that dwels in the life hath discerning , and he that witnesses the annointing discernes , he is able to judge and discern , and in that thou art seen , who would sit on the throne , but thou must come down and lick the dust , dust is the serpents meat , and they who had their commission from god , and hath their commission from god , now they were made manifest to every mans conscience in the sight of god , and this we witnesse , this the scripture witnesseth , and he that believes hath the witnesse in himself , and the father bears witnesse , and they witnesse the voice of the lord , which is spirituall speaking to them , and they declare from that which is spirituall to the consciences of gainsayers , and this is witnessed ; but thy voice of words is carnal , and is denyed , and who art thou made manifest unto , that which is mortal cannot discern and disprove thee , but that which is immortal can , and they who are guided by the immortall denies thee , and will receive none of thy testimony , because it is not the same which the holy men of god witnessed , and doth now witnesse , which voice shakes the wildernesse , and rents the rocks , and makes the earth to reel to and fro , but to thee this is a mystery and sealed . 10 quer. again he that speaketh of an invisible spirituall god , or christ living in the consciences or spirit of men , thou sayeth , he questions the truth of all the scripture records concerning the life , death , and resurrection , and aseension of the blessed body of christ into the throne of his immortall glory ; and doth he not que●●ion whether the consciences of the saints being sprinkled with the blood of jesus , which died without the g●●es of jerusalem , are purified from the pollution of the flesh and spirit , doth he not question the resurrection of the souls and bodies out of the eat●h at the last day . ans. here again , thou hast made thy sha●e and thy ignorance manifest and knows not so much as the letter of he scripture , paul in apostle of jesus ch●ist , notby the will of man , and minister of the everlasting god , he witnessed the son of god revealed in him , and he ●●i● , kn●w ye 〈…〉 christ ●s in you , or else you are rep●●●ates , and ●h●i●t is no● divided , and he tha● is joyned to the lord is ●●e spirit , and 〈◊〉 my father are one , ●●d w●●●e christ dwells the father dwells , and if thou have ●● e●● to hear ●hou may h●●● , and if the ●●●e spirit be not in you that raised christ 〈…〉 he ●●●d , you are 〈…〉 , and he that declared these things speak of a spi●i●ua●l christ , and an invi 〈…〉 god , and who ●●all ascend up to heaven , the word is nigh , in thy mo●t●● and 〈◊〉 heart , and this is the same christ that suffered without the ga●e at jerusalem , and no other wh●●h paul travelled till he was born in them , if thou have an ear th●u may hear , and the apost●● did not question the scripture records , for they spoke it and recorded it , and th●y witnessed the life of christ , and his death , and resu●rection , and a●c●nsion , and witnessed him ascended above thrones , and dominions , and to sit at the right hand of the father , and witnesse the same christ made manifest in us , and his resurrection , not because paul said so , we have seen it , and are witnesses of it , the same that ever was , the same that did ascend , the same did ascend ; this is a riddle unto thee , and seven seals is upon it , and thou that queries shall never see them opened , and they who had christ in them , and the father , the son supping with them , they had their conscience sprinkled , and none else for his bloud thou knows not , and so i say unto thee , thou art not sprinkled , nor thy conscience purified from dead works , and they who know christ in them , and no more after the flesh come to know his resurrection , he is the resurrection , he is the first and the last , who knows him risen , and have seen him witnesse the first day and the last , what speaks thou of a last day , that never came to the beginning , and so thy soul lies in death , and in chains , and in utter darknesse and therefore lay thy hand upon thy mouth , and see where thou ●●t , and the spirit that gave forth the scriptures thou cannot witnesse . 11 quer. if after death there is no bodily resurrection , for the spirits of men to possesse an immortall glory to eternity , or to suffer an eternall devill like shame , according to their deeds , whether good or evill . is it not one of the vainest things in the world ▪ to discourse of god , righteousnesse , unlesse it be for earthly gain amongst men . ans. there is a resurrection both of the just and of the unjust , the just into everlasting life , and the unjust into everlasting shame and contempt , and every one shall receive according to his works , whether they be good or evill , but this a mystery hid , for none knowes it , but through death , but what knowes thou who art yet alive in sin , what shall be in the resurrection which is after death , which whoever comes to know the resurrection , knowes the e●d of all things ; therefore it is not taking their words , nor thy own imaginations , that is faith , nor if thou know christ no nearer than jerusalem , nor no nearer than above the starres , thou knowes not where , but through thy dark imaginations , this is not to christ risen from the dead , see therefore what hast thou seen in thy self : but thou art dead whiles thou lives in that nature , and at the resurrection contempt and shame will be thy portion , and turn in thy minde to that which shews thee sin , and witnesse the body and sin destroyed within , and then , and not till then , shalt thou know how it is in the resurrection . 12 quer. thou raises a question from pauls words to the athenians , thou was before condemning them that stole other mens words , and here thou hast stolen a query , and thou askest what think you did that spiritual creator , dwell and live in the athenians consciences or did his glorious person visibly appear in the highest heavens . ans. the athenians to whom paul spoke worshipped the work of their own hands , as ●his generation doth their own imaginations , and that god whom ignorantly they worshipped at a distance , which god lived in pauls conscience , paul declared unto them , and they looked as thou dost carnally , thinking god to be carnal and at a distance , but he ●aid he , was not at a distance from every one of them , for in him they lived , moved , and had their being , and this was the god which paul preached of , which creator , we witnesse , lives in the high and holy place , and with him also that is of a humble and a contri●e spirit , and trembleth at his word . 13 quer. and thou sayest , what think you , can there ●e any living spirit without a body , or person to display its life , in , or from , and must not the creator of necessity be a glorious personall substance , and thou sayest doth not these men that worship an in●inite spirit without any bodily f●rm , living in mens consciences , onely gl●ry in a god of their own imaginations , instead of honouring the onely lord of all life , the man jesus , yesterday , to day , and for ever ? ans. that which is not possible with men is possible with god , which god is a spirit as jesus christ saith , and a spirit hath not flesh and bone , nor a created body , but displays it self as it pleases , contrary to thy will , and the will of all men ; and thou who would by thy reason ●y the creator with a necessi●y to a personal being , are void of the knowledge of god , and led by thy corrupt reason , which shall never know god , and all those who worships god in spirit , worships an infinite spirit , which spirit inhabiteth eternity , and lives in the consciences of the saints , and this is not to glory in an imagination , but a witnessing of the same eternall truth , which he saints witnessed which spake forth the scripture , for they witnessed christ dwel●ed in them , and the same god they w●rshipped , whose temple they were , and not another , and we the same witnesse , and this to the honour of the man jesus , who was yesterday , to day , and for ever . 14 quer. the eternall spirit , creator , and alone everlasting father , which dwels essentially in the glorified body , as our lord jesus his eternall son , and virtually reign● in all the saints , elect men and angels , be record between me and you world without ●●d , whether this epistle shall not be sent to you , and all the chosen that shall peruse it , principally for the establishing of your tender spirits upon that eternall spirituall rock jesus christ god and man in one distinct body , or person glorified , and ●●●ly honoured with all spirituall praises from elect men and angels when this world is consumed into ashes , and all time or times is swallowed up into eternity or eternities . ans. the eternall spirit , which is the everlasting father , which thou saith is essentially in the son , thy word essentially i deny , and thy voice , yet christ and the father is one , and the same spirit that dwels in the son dwels in the father which is one , i and my father is one , the same dwels in the saints , thy word virtuall i deny , the same that dwels in the father and in the son , the same dwels in the saints , not distinct nor divided , for he that hath seen the father hath seen the son , and he that hath the son hath the father also , and christ is divided , i in them , and thou in me , that they may be perfect in one , and he that is joyned to christ is one spirit , and not distinct nor separate : if thou have an ear thou may hear , and that eternall spirit , which is the father and the son , which dwels in the saints , is judge of thee , and by that spirit i judge thee , that this epistle came not from him to none of the chosen , for they who are chosen deny thy voice , and what dost thou speak of elect and angels , with whom god dwels , when in thy fourth querie thou said , they were defiled , and the holy ghost saith , he dwels with no uncleannesse , and so speaks confusion and babylons language , which is the land of thy nativity , from whence all these things have been spoken by thee , and all that shall ever be established with thy declaring , or thy epistles , shall be thrown down , for the rock shall beat thy image to pieces , and therefore leave off thy speaking of him , and of thy distinct body , and of his glory , for when he shall appear in his glory , instead of thy praises , thou shalt howl and lament , and wish the mountains to cover thee , and he who is out of time shall consume thee to ashes , who stands in time and in the airie philosophy and imagination , and thy great words eternity and eternities shall stand thee in no stead ; for that which is eternall was before thou was , and shall be when thou art brought down to the pit with all thy imaginations : and so that thou might not glory any more in thy shame , we have answered thy queries , and for the simple ones sake , that they might not be stumbled by thy stumbling queries , who dwels not in the light . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a77938e-150 2 tim. 2. 10. tit. 1. 1. 1 pet. 1. 2. 1 pet. 2. 6. 1 pet. 5. 13. the visitation of the rebellious nation of ireland. and a warning from the lord proclaimed, to all the inhabitants thereof, to make their peace with him before hislong [sic] suffering come to an end. with a lamentation over its unfruitfulnes and rebellion after so many visitations. and an exhortation to all the honest hearted, to meet the lord by repentance, while the patience of the lord continues. or the sealing of the lords testimony unto all sorts of people in that land, by his servants, after their several months sore labours, and travells, and sufferings therein, who loved not their lives for the seeds sake. also some particular papers, written in that nation, to severall sorts of people. i. a warning, to the heads, and rulers, and people of dublin. ... vii. an invitation to all the poor desolate souldiers, to repent, and make their peace with the lord, and their duty shewed them, what the lord requires of them. by them who are sufferers, for the seeds sake; waiting for the building of distressed sion: f.h. e.b. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a86654 of text r202550 in the english short title catalog (thomason e880_6). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. 86 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 21 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo 2017 a86654 wing h3188 thomason e880_6 estc r202550 99862791 99862791 114967 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a86654) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 114967) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; 132:e880[6]) the visitation of the rebellious nation of ireland. and a warning from the lord proclaimed, to all the inhabitants thereof, to make their peace with him before hislong [sic] suffering come to an end. with a lamentation over its unfruitfulnes and rebellion after so many visitations. and an exhortation to all the honest hearted, to meet the lord by repentance, while the patience of the lord continues. or the sealing of the lords testimony unto all sorts of people in that land, by his servants, after their several months sore labours, and travells, and sufferings therein, who loved not their lives for the seeds sake. also some particular papers, written in that nation, to severall sorts of people. i. a warning, to the heads, and rulers, and people of dublin. ... vii. an invitation to all the poor desolate souldiers, to repent, and make their peace with the lord, and their duty shewed them, what the lord requires of them. by them who are sufferers, for the seeds sake; waiting for the building of distressed sion: f.h. e.b. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. burrough, edward, 1634-1662. [2], 38 p. printed for giles calvert at the west end of pauls., london : 1656. consists of several items signed by francis howgill and edward burrough. annotation on thomason copy: "may 23". reproduction of the original in the british library. eng society of friends -doctrines -early works to 1800. ireland -history -1649-1660 -early works to 1800. a86654 r202550 (thomason e880_6). civilwar no the visitation of the rebellious nation of ireland.: and a warning from the lord proclaimed, to all the inhabitants thereof, to make their howgill, francis 1656 16932 23 0 0 0 0 0 14 c the rate of 14 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the c category of texts with between 10 and 35 defects per 10,000 words. 2007-05 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2007-06 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2008-04 elspeth healey sampled and proofread 2008-04 elspeth healey text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-09 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the visitation of the rebellious nation of ireland . and a warning from the lord proclaimed , to all the inhabitants thereof , to make their peace with him before his long suffering come to an end . with a lamentation over its unfruitfulnes and rebellion after so many visitations . and an exhortation to all the honest hearted , to meet the lord by repentance , while the patience of the lord continues . or the sealing of the lords testimony unto all sorts of people in that land , by his servants , after their several months sore labours , and travells , and sufferings therein , who loved not their lives for the seeds sake . also some particular papers , written in that nation , to severall sorts of people . i. a warning , to the heads , and rulers , and people of dublin . ii. an information to the heads , and the ground of the law laid down to the judges , and justices , and to all that handle the law through that nation . iii. an exhortation sent to the chiefe commander and his councell , and the just cause of the innocent laid before them . iv. the unjust suffering of the just declared , and their appeal to the just witnesse of god in all mens consciences . v. a challenge to the priests of dublin , to try their god , and their ministry , and their worships . vi . a discovery of the idoll dumb shepheards in that nation , and a lamentation over their starved , and strayed flocks . vii . an invitation to all the poor desolate souldiers , to repent , and make their peace with the lord , and their duty shewed them , what the lord requires of them . by them who are sufferers , for the seeds sake ; waiting for the building of distressed sion : f. h. e. b. london : printed for giles calvert at the west end of pauls . 1656. the visitation of the rebellious nation of ireland . alas , alas , woe is me for thee thou desolate nation of ireland , thou art to be pittied , and lamented , because of thy backslidings , and rebellion against the lord , thou abounds in iniquity , and thy transgressions cannot be numbred . o thou art a fruitlesse habitation , and barren of righteousnesse , and mercy , and true judgement ; even from the head to the taile , thou art corrupted , and thy wickednesse is marked before the lord : thy rulers , and teachers , and people , are all gone out of the way , and are disobedient children , having backslided from the pure wayes of the lord god , a deceitfull heart is found among them , and a lie is in their hand ; even the best of men are as a bryar , and the most upright among men sharper then a thorn hedge ; a cursed seed hath taken root in thee , and fruit of a cursed tast is abundantly sprung forth ; thou art turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto god , and are become abominable in his eye ; thy vines brings forth a soure grape , and the lords soule hath no delight therein ; thou art altogether untilled , and thy flowers gives an ill smell ; thy inhabitants have set themselves to doe wickednesse , they imagine mischiefe upon their beds and brings it forth in the morning , cruelty is their weapon against the innocent , and hard heartednesse is their defence against the upright . woe is me for thee thou desolate nation , who hath rejected the counsell of the lord , and neglected the day of thy visitation , wherein the lord would have gathered thee , but thou wouldst not ; how often hath the lord spoken unto thee , and thou wilt not hear his call ? by judgement hath he spoken , and by mercy hath he drawn , but thou refusest to returne , and wilt not be reclaimed , but continues in thy rebellion against the lord , and forgets the work of his hand , in ages and generations past ; even since the beginning hast thou been a land of wickednesse , and a people of a cursed seed , drinking up iniquity as an oxe that drinks up water , and fild up the measure of transgression , till the lord was forced in grievous judgements to deale with thee , even his wrath in a day broke forth upon thee , and the fire of indignation was kindled in thee , and thy princes were cut off in fury , and thy inhabitants fell by the plague and sword in great numbers , and thou was given up to be a prey to thy enemies in thy treasures , and the cruell hearted took the spoyle , thou wast laid levell in the dust of deep misery and confusion , and thy lamentation and sorrow was heard among the nations , and the stroke of the lords hand was heavy upon thee , and his judgements was just upon thy head , and he gave no rest unto thee for many years , but thou wast as a trembling leafe and as a forsaken bough , and thou wast made desolate and comfortlesse , and misery girded thee about , and then thy stout heart was brought down into sorrow when the lord contended with thee ; but now thou hast ease from thy bitternesse , and a day of rest from thy sore trouble , yet hast thou forgotten the day of thy distresse , and art againe more abundantly exalted , and thy sins are much more encreased , the pride of thy heart is become equall with sodome , and thy transgressions are encreased to her number and thy rebellion against the lord is grown more high , and through mercies and deliverance art thou waxen fat , and now thou kicks against the lord , and in thy heart sayes , who is he ? o when wilt thou consider , what the lord hath wrought ? when wilt thou call to minde his just and righteous dealing ? who hast forgotten the day of thy former visitation , and is becoming more vile in the sight of the lord , by thy secret hypocrisie of deceitfull profession , then thou wast in thy open prophanesse , when thou layest naked in thy open sins . o desolate nation , the lord once and againe hath stretched forth his hands unto thee , in pitty for thee , and he sent his servants and witnesses to warn thee of these thy transgressions , and to call upon thee to awake thee out of thy carelesnesse , and he gave thee a glorious day of visitation , and free tenders of salvation , wherein thou mightst have made thy peace with him , and repent thee of thy sin ; and his servants were faithfull in thee , and lamented over thee , and gave themselves to be spent for thee , and gladly suffered the reproach of the heathen , and the cruelty of the wicked , that thereby thou mightst be reclaimed out of thy rebellion and wickednesse , and they gave their back to the smiter , and loved not their life unto death , nor prized not their liberty unto bonds , but diligently in sufferings , and labours , and perplexities , called unto thee , and through thy townes and cities proclaimed the visitation and message of the lord concerning thee , and was accounted as sheep for the slaughter , that they might finish their testimony to the gathering of thee , but thou wouldst not , but hast to this very day stopped thy eare from counsell , and hardned thy heart against reproofe , and contemned the day of thy visitation , and hereby added to thy measure of wickednesse in dealing cruelly with the lords servants , who rewarded them evill for good , and entreated them shamefully , and laid thy hand of oppression upon them , and rejected their message of glad tidings , and would not be instructed in the way of the lord unto salvation , but gave heed unto the false visions of thy lying prophets , and took counsel against the lord of thy inchanters , & persecuted the faithfull by unjust imprisonments , and dealt wickedly with the lords chosen , and made unrighteous decrees in thy wrath , and sealed them in thy cruelty , and made a purpose in thy heart to root out the seed of jacob , and to lay wast the lords heritage . o ireland , hereby in the name of the lord ( thus far ) i seal my testimony in faithfulnesse unto thee , and binds up my many burdens , and travells , and reproaches , and tryalls , and sufferings in thee , in a few words , which is the word of the lord concerning thee . yee heads , and rulers , that sits upon the throne , repent , and turne to the lord , from whom you are grievously revolted by wofull backslidings , a grievous sin have you committed , a grosse sum of hainous abomination is recorded against you , the righteous god will meet you in his judgements , and once more will appear in the fire of indignation against you , and your mountains of pride , and vaine-glory , and selfe-exaltation , shall be layed wast , as your enemies were before you , and as you have thought to doe ( to root out the seed of jacob , and to spoyle the tender grapes of the lords vintage ) even so shall it be done unto you , and your destruction cometh as an armed man , and you cannot escape , nor fly to hide your selves , from the wrath that cometh , which is kindled already to devoure the pleasant palaces of your wicked hearts delight . woe is me for you ; you that are exalted upon your mountaine of ease and liberty , having forgotten the rock from whence you are hewn , who were raised out of weaknesse to reprove the mighty , and gives not glory to the lord , neither considers what he hath done for you , but are become ingratefull , and disobedient children , and of a double heart and tongue , professing liberty of the pure conscience , but living in corrupt fleshly bondage , oppressing the just , and slaying the holy one , and neglecting the cry of the innocent , having made your fingers as heavy as your fathers loynes ; the hand of the lord is against you , and his wrath will break out upon you , who strengthens the hand of evill doers , and gives liberty in your dominions , unto the scum of the nations , to possesse your land in peace , and will not give place unto the seed of jacob , but fortifies your selves against him , and will not suffer him to inherit ; how full is your land of murderers , of drunkards , of lyars , and swearers , and of prophane persons , of sugitives , and vagabonds , and runnagades , who is protected by your law , to possesse in peace ? but in wrath have you turned your sword against the upright , and have made lawes to limit the spirit of the lord , and to uphold deceit . therefore repent of this your sin , who hath endeavoured to prevent the lord ; and humble your selves ye lofty , for the purpose of your hearts are broken , and a scattered seed remains in your dominions , which the lord will blesse , and which you cannot be able to suppresse , and as pricks in your eyes will it stand a witnesse against you in your hypocrisie , and cruelty , and the more ye lay yokes upon it , the more it will spring forth . therefore be wise ye rulers , and judges , and leave to imagine mischiefe , and lay your hands upon your mouths , and open them not any more , and turne in your minds to the light of christ jesus , wherewith you are enlightned , and it will let you see what you have done , and will set your sins in order before your eyes , and will justly reprove you , who have not done , as you would be done unto , but have cast the law of god behind your backs , and not regarded the call of equity , and if you love the light of christ it will change your mindes , and will bring you to repentance from sin unto god , and from the dominion of ●a●an unto the kingdome of christ jesus ; the light is your teacher if you love it , and will guide you in the wayes of god , but if you goe on in your wickednesse , it is your condemnation eternally , and shall seale to the justnesse of the judgements of god when they come upon you ; now you have time and a faire warning , prize the day of your visitation before the decree of vengeance be sealed against you , and repentance be hid from your eyes , lay it to heart , you are but men and not god , and your strength flesh and not spirit ; if you own the light it will manifest the will and counsell of the lord unto you , and give you power to act righteousnesse unto god , wherein you will be accepted ; consider , least you goe down to destruction , and there be none to deliver you . and unto all you that doe professe the name of the lord , and have got the forme of the saints worship in your imaginations , and have separated your selves into an outward conformity , without the power of righteousnesse brought forth in you , and would be called members of the church of all sects and sorts ; repent ye , of your hypocrisie , and stop your mouthes in the dust , for you are weighed in an equall balance , and are found wanting ; and are tryed by the searcher of hearts , the light of the world , and are found corrupted ; deceitfull are you in the root , and cursed in your branch , of deep and secret hypocrisie , pride and coveteousnesse , and the love and glory of the world , and fleshly exaltation abounds among you , as branches of the root wherein you grow ; and how can you bring forth good fruit out of your cursed ground ? your knowledge is bruitish and vaine , and your outward conformity is a wearinesse to the lord ; for you are found fighters against him , and opposers of christ jesus , and denyers and contemners of his light , by which he hath lightned every man that comes into the world ; you stumble at the foundation and builds upon the sand , one of you building a wall , and another daubing it with untempred morter ; your hearts are not upright with the lord , but flatters your own soules ; which of you hath denyed the world for christ , or what have you laid down for him ? in your vaine imaginations you worship god ignorantly , making his commandements voyd through your transgressions . you stand in the cursed nature , alive to the world , following the vaine delights thereof , resisting the way of the lord , through your wisdome , which is foolishinesse with god , you have the profession of the scriptures in your naturall knowledge , but you are without the life thereof ; out of the unity of the one spirit of life in severall meanings , and opinions , which is death ; and in vaine conceits are you scattered upon the barren mountaines , where your soules are starved , and strayed , in the cloudy and dark day ; and you are devoured under your dumb idoll shepheards , who are in cains way of wickednesse , and in the steps of all the false prophets , and of the scribes and pharisees , fulfilling their measure of wickednes and persecution , against them is the wrath of god kindled to consume them as stubble ; they preach for hire , and they divine for money , and they seek for their gaine from their quarter , and they run , and was never sent , and you are not profited by them , but are ever learning , and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth . awake ye professors , god calls unto you , give eare unto his voyce , come out of babylon and turne unto sion , that her desolate places may be builded , you wander abroad in the darknesse , groping as blind men , your profession will wither , and all your knowledge will consume away , and your righteousnesse is abomnation to the lord , your praying god hates , and your oblations is a wearinesse to him , for you are in the enmity against god , and the serpents head is not bruised . come down ye cedars , who are exalted above the crosse of christ , and make not a cloak of the saints words to cover your unrighteousnesse ; grievous is your idolatry , who have painted your selves with the likenesse of the saints life , and bows to the image set up in your imaginations , drawing near god with your mouths , but with your hearts going after your coveteousnesse : repent , the day of the lord is coming upon all flesh , and meet the lord , and prepare his way ; and bow your heads you lofty oakes , who saith in your hearts you are the onely people , but your lying hearts deceives you , and you are found naked and without a covering . all ye that desire after the way of the lord , of all sorts of people who are simple and honest hearted , whether prophane or professor , you have a day of visitation from the lord , yet stretched forth unto you , come ye unto the lord , and forsake all your lovers , lay aside your evill hearts which hath led you aside from the way of salvation , and now learne the fear of the lord , which is the beginning of wisdome , and mind the one thing needfull , which is of great prize , even the salvation of your soules , presse after , and come out of the broad way of perdition , wherein the world goes on to destruction , and enter into the straight way , where the unclean walks not ; cease from all the deceitfull wayes and worships of the world , and love truth , and walk in simplicity . cease from all your idoll temples , for god dwells not in them , but his saints are his temples , wherein he dwells and walks : cease from all your idoll worships , and feigned prayers , and praises , for god is not worshipped in vaine traditions , as in observing dayes , and times , and outward things , but in spirit and truth is he worshipped , and such he seeks to worship him , and a broken spirit and an upright heart is accepted with him . cease from all your idoll shepheards , and priests of baal , that preaches for hire , and divines for money , and seeks for their gaine from their quarter , for they profit not the people at all , who are ever learning while they live upon earth , and none able to come to the knowledge of the truth : therefore cease from man , and wait upon the lord , who is now risen to teach his people by his spirit in his way of truth and righteousnesse , in his peace and purity , where his blessing is received from his presence , which is with all that fear him . therefore awake , awake , out of darknesse , and love not to slumber in the dark night , which long hath ruled over you ; this is the day of your returne , and of your visitation , wherein the lord would gather you ; therefore resist not the love of the lord , wherein he calls you to repentance from dead works to serve him in righteousnesse ; but every one turne your minds inward to the light of christ jesus , wherewith every one of you is lightned , which light is it which convinceth you of sin , and lets you see your evill deeds , and whom you have served , and how you have spent your time ; the light shines in darknesse , and reveals unto you the secret intents of your dark hearts , and doth secretly reprove the wicked purposes of your minds : with this light in your consciences , your sins are written , and all that ever you have done is recorded ; and this light shall be the swift witnesse , of the condemnation of the wicked , in the day of the lord ; and by it all your works will be brought to remembrance , and your sins will be set in order before you , to receive judgement by christ jesus : and here is the free love and gift of god unto you , who hath given you a light to guide you in his way ; if you own it , and wait in it , it will manifest the judgements of god against sin in you , and will condemn sin in your flesh , and will reveal the righteousnesse of god to be your covering ; if you dwell in the light , it is your teacher , and way unto life eternall , and if you bring all your deeds to it , it will reprove every evill word and work , and give you discerning of things that differ it will manifest the secretest deceit of your hearts , and the windings of the serpent , and will be judge thereof , till unrighteousnesse be taken away , and a birth brought forth from above , and born of another nature and seed , which if you be not born againe , you cannot enter into the kingdome of god . therefore in the fear of the lord all consider , and search your selves , in tender love to all your soules i write : you must be judged in the flesh , that you may be justified in the spirit , and you must be made poor , and emptied of all your knowledge , and wisdome , that you may be filled and made truly wise . so if you believe in christ jesus the light , and life , of the world , your hearts will be cleansed by the word of god , which endures for ever ; and the covenant of peace will be established with you , where sin is no more remembred , being condemned , so now you have all time , this is to you all a warning , as i was moved of the lord . repent , the dreadfull day is at hand , and meet the lord , by confessing and forsaking your sins , and prepare the way of the lord , his coming draweth near , least his judgements come upon you unawares , and his wrath sweep you away in fury , and your nation become more cursed then the rest : all your applying of christs righteousnesse , while your selves are sinners , is to no purpose , for no hypocrite can enter into life , nor none that works wickednesse , hath eternall life abiding in them , but are in the death , which hath passed over all men , and the curse remaineth upon the disobedient , and all in the first nature are children of wrath . therefore every one wait in the light , that you may be changed , and take up the daily crosse of christ , that your own wills , affections , lusts , and desires , may be crucified , and you may become dead to the world , and may live unto god , in his nature and likenesse , that your souls may be satisfied therewith ; and all that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse , shall be filled with the true food . therefore wait , all you that fear the lord , and meet together in his counsell , and wait for his law that you may walk therein , and lay aside the works of darknesse , which are made manifest by the light , and also condemned , in all that come to sion . spend not your time in the vaine deceits of the world , nor follow not the delights thereof , for according to your works must you be judged in the day of the lord . depart from iniquity , and all the works of the flesh , pride , and coveteousnesse , lying , swearing , and double-dealing , and all the fruits of unrighteousnesse , let them be judged , and let the time past be sufficient that you have wrought evill , and now returne , and work righteousnesse in god , by the light , which all that lovees , works in god . and deceive not your selves , with a deceitfull covering , of selfe making , and selfe righteousnesse , professing the scriptures in your carnall minds , which was given forth by the spirit , and is not understood , but by the same spirit ; while the first nature stands alive in you , you cannot please god , but is in the enmity against him : humble your selves , and come down to the light ▪ and search your hearts thereby . woe unto the lofty , and high minded , who will not be instructed , but hates reproofe . woe is unto all lyars , and swearers , and whoremongers , and vagabonds , and prophane persons ▪ such cannot inherit the kingdome of god , nor enter to within the gates of the city , but are to be troden in the wine-presse of the wrath of god for ever and ever . therefore awake , awake , ye carelesse and unbelieving , and fear and tremble ye children of disobedience , who hates the light , and loves your evill deeds , and upholds your false prophets , whom god never sent , and will not own the lord to be your teacher , the light in your conscience is your condemnation , for this is the condemnation of the world , that light is come , and men hates it . so be you warned all people , the day of the lord is at hand , and now he calls , therefore hear his voyce , and hearken to his light , which is of christ , which onely is needfull to salvation ; and there is no other name given for salvation . and if you will not hear and receive this day of visitation , which in love appears unto you , you shall hear in the day of visitation of vengeance ; and behold the lord comes quickly , make straight his pathes ; the light is your teacher if you love it ; and your condemnation if you have it . written from london , to go abroad in the nation of ireland , as a visitation to all sorts of people , and is the sealing of the lords testimony unto that land , as moved of the lord , in love , and pitty , to lost soules , by edw : burrough . a warning to the heads , and rulers , and people of dublin . hear the word of the lord oh ye inhabitants of the city of dublin , ye rulers , and magistrates , governours , collonels , captains , and souldiers , and all ye people of the city , and ye inhabitants of the land of ireland , my word is to you all , saith the lord . oh thou city of dublin , in the day of thy calamity , when sorrow , fear , paine and tribulation was upon thee , when thou was compassed about with adversaries , who cryed ah , ha ! we will make thee as a plaine , and as a wildernesse , as we have done the rest of the nation : and they said in their hearts none should be able to deliver you out of their hands , but said , we will cut off and destroy at once , that our selves may be exalted ; i the lord who changes not , was as a fortresse , and as a bulwark about thee , and made thy heart couragious against them , and delivered thee out of their hands , even from a people whose hands was full of blood , and whose mercies were cruelty , and whose hearts were hardned against me , and had sould themselves to work evill in my sight , and counted it their glory to despise my name , and to abhor all righteousnesse in their hearts : and in that day when they opened their mouths wide , as a leviathan , to swallow thee up , and make thee a heap of stones , and a desolation ; then i made thy walls as iron , and thy gates as brasse , and thy batteries strong , and guarded thee , and compassed thee about with my strength , and i made thy face as an adamant against them , and delivered thee by my out-stretched arme , and by my power , out of their hands , and brake the teeth of thy enemies , and put a hook in their jawes , and brake them before thee as a potters vessell , and powred out my indignation against them as a flood , and my wrath as a stream swept them all away , and i gave their carkases to fall by the sword , and for the fowles of the aire to feed upon , and hath made them perish in my wrath , and cut them off in my sore displeasure , and made their names stink in the nations , and their princes are cast out as a withered branch , and are perished with the uncircumcised , and their glory and renown is turned into reproach and everlasting infamy , and are rotten and become as dung and as mire to tread upon in the streets . therefore thus saith the lord unto thee oh dublin , and to thy inhabitants o nation of ireland , take heed and beware least thou be lifted up in thy heart , and say , my hand hath done all this , but give glory and honour to me , saith the lord , who am the god of the living , who dwells in the light ; and now beware that the same root of bitternesse spring not up in thee , as did in them whom i cast out before you . and oh you rulers and heads of the people , i have sent to try you , and this i require of you , doe justice , love righteousnesse , and ease the oppressed , and take heed of seeking your selves , and your own honour , and glory , and renown in the earth , nor lord it not over your brethren , who have born a part of your suffering , and the nations , in the heat of the day : lift not up your selves as the gentile lords whom i cast out , who exercised dominion one over another , and did grind the face of their brethren , and made them as slaves , and intreated them shamefully ; and because of this i cast them out , and hath given their dominion to others , and their houses and lands you possesse , which you builded nor planted not . now therefore take heed unto your selves , and be of a perfect heart before me ; for my righteousnosse is to be revealed in the earth , and now i am about to declare my name , and my power and my glory will i reveal in the earth , and will poure out my spirit upon my sons and my daughters , whom i have , and will send abroad to publish my name , and declare my cousell to the ends of the earth , that the nation may know me , whom for many generations they have worshipped ignorantly . therefore be ye all warned , stint not me , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not me the holy one of israel , saith the lord , by your power , nor make no law against me so as to think in your hearts to make me subject to any creatures will , for i am the lord who works , and who shall hinder ? and will bring my purpose to passe and none shall let ; therefore i say unto you , limit not me , how , where , by whom , and when i must speak , for i have chosen the weak things to confound the wife , the mighty , and the honourable : and now i will be no longer flattered with words , but he that is of an upright heart will i honour , and he that seeks himselfe will i abase ; therefore now while you have time prize it , and neglect not the day of your visitation . and oh you rulers , uphold not these by a law whom i have made the people of my curse , who have devoured gods heritage , and have flattered the nations , and their princes , and their rulers , and have sought themselves , every one seeking for his gaine from his quarter , for with them , above all , my controversie is against , and my wrath shall be accomplished upon them , for they have caused my people to erre , and they that said they have spoken in my name know me not , therefore my people is lost because there hath been no vision among them : but now saith the lord , a stem is sprung up , and the star of jacob shall arise , and the earth shall be filled with light , and my righteousnesse shall flow as a stream ; and my glory have i , and will i to my servants reveal , who have denyed and doe denie themselves and follow me , unto them is my will revealed . therefore hearken oh ye people , and give eare thou nation of ireland , and all your people from highest to the lowest , thus saith the lord , though thou be parched , and thy skin peeled off thee , and become as a wildernesse , and as a reproach , and as a lamentation for all that passe by ; thy walls i will build , and thy breaches which is as the sea will i make up , and thou shalt be no more a proverb , nor a reproach , nor a hissing to the nations , and to all that passe by ; for because of unrighteousnesse the land said i wast , and gave it to the spoiler ; so now if thou wilt hearken unto me , i will repsenish thee againe , and the remnant that i have spared shall be blessed ▪ therefore all ye people give eare , and take need of lying swearing , cursing , drunkennesse , coveteousnesse whoredom , drunkenness , hypocrisie , dissimulation , and worshipping strange gods , for those and many more abominations that was committed among the people , i cast them out , and made them a reproach , and executed my wrath upon them . therefore fear me , who am near , who inhabites eternity , and dwells in the light ; i am near , saith the lord , and my light is revealed in your consciences , and there mind my light which convinceth and shews you every one your sins , and love it , and bring all your deeds to be tryed by it , and there you will see me revealed in righteousnesse , to all you that waite upon me , and keep your selves from the pollution of the heathen , and so the way of righteousnesse you will know as you hearken unto me , saith the lord , who dwells in the light , which is the life of men , and searcheth the hearts of the sons of men by the light . therefore unto the light take heed , this is present with you , in which god manifests himselfe , here is all your teacher loving it , here is your condemnation , hating it , as christ saith who is the light . so all people of the nation , i have cleared my conscience unto you , as i was moved of the everlasting god ; and so be you all warned , least the same thing come upon you as did upon them whom i cast out and trod under foot , saith the lord . dub. 16 of the 6 month , 1655. a lover of your soules , and one that hath borne with you in suffering , and shall rejoyce with you as you own the lord , who hath visited you , called after the flesh , francis howgill . an information to the heads , and the ground of the law layed down to the judges and justices , and to all that handle the law in that nation . all ye heads , and rulers , and judges , and counsellours , and all you that sit in counsell together in the seat of justice and judgement , from whom the law doth goe forth into the nation , and all you that handle the law take heed to your selves , for the living god of power is judge of you and over you all , to you all i speak the word of the lord , without respect to any of your persons ( but is a lover and respecter of righteousnesse , and true judgement , and justice ) that i may stand clear of your blood , for god hath laid it upon me to give you warning , which if i doe not your blood will be upon me , and if this you refuse to hear and obey , your blood be upon your selves for ever . christ jesus is the light of the world , the true light , which lightneth every man that comes into the world , and by which every one of you is lightned , which light , if it you love and be guided by , it will lead you out of the worlds way and nature and unrighteousnesse , and will give you an entrance into eternall life and peace , and an assurance in christ when this world ceases to be , and in this world it will teach you how to serve god in righteousnesse in your generation , and to give righteous judgements and counsell among your brethren without respect of persons , for the law of god respects no mans person , nor justice regards not the person of the mighty ; the light of christ jesus in all your consciences , and in all mens consciences , is just , and one with christ , and one with the law of god , in its measure , and condemneth the unjust and all works of wickednesse , who against it doth act ; by which light every one of you being guided , your own consciences in particular will be exercised towards god and towards men , and by him you being ruled and judged will know how to rule and to judge for him in the world among men , who are required for god to rule and judge in righteousnesse and equity , and none can rule for god but who are ruled by him , with his light which shines in the conscience , by which you being governed , will by it governe in the earth righteously . you are not to judge for gifts and rewards , for if you doe you judge not for god but for your selves , and you and your judgement is to be judged and condemned with the righteous law of god which is free but such who fear god and hates coveteousnesse and gifts and rewards , are to bear rule , and such will handle the law righteously , and will be a terror to evill doers who doth not fear god but acts contrary to the light of christ in their own consciences , and so transgresses the just law , and brings themselves under the guilt and so under condemnation , and such a government will stand for the praise of them that doe well and encouraging of the upright , but if such bear rule and handle the law which know not god nor is not ruled by him , these will abuse the law , and will be a terrour to righteousnesse and good works , and will strengthen the hands of evill doers and will let vice and wickednes escape unpunished . this i speak in love to all your soules , to the informing of all your minds , that you may know your place and how to exalt justice and judgement ; the light of the son of god , by which every man is lighted , is but one in all , just , righteous , and equall , the same in him that hates it and transgresses the righteous law , as it is in him that loves it , and judges all transgressions . and this light of christ , by which all men is lightned , is the seate of justice and of true judgement , and the ground of all good wholsome laws , and every law that is contrary to it is for condemnation by it : therefore i say , waite in the light , by which you are lightned , to receive the pure law of god to judge all causes by , and make no law in your own wills , nor act not in such laws made by the will of man , for such laws is oppression , and tyranny lodges in them , and false judgement , and such god hath and will cast out , who acted from that ground . so be ye warned by their fall , and judge not after your own thoughts , nor sensuall carnall wisdome , nor follow not your own wills , nor the counsell of your own hearts , but stand in gods counsell , and fear his name , and tremble at his presence , and waite to be guided by him in his holy law , which all unrighteous counsells , and vaine affections , and false judgements will condemn in your own hearts , & then you will truly know how to judge your brethren in equity & righteousnes , how to reward well doers , & how to punish evil doers according to the measure of their transgressions , and according to the light in their own consciences , by which they being convinced from your law of the evill of their transgression , will confesse your law and judgement to be just and equall , and you to be righteous judges ; here you judge for god , and bears not the sword in vaine , but is a terror to transgressours , and to the disobedient , and lawlesse , against which the law was onely added to slay unrighteousnesse , but it was not made for the righteous whose consciences are exercised towards god and towards man , by the pure law of god written in the heart , and upon such and over such your law hath no power , for they are one , and in union with that law which is righteous and doth witnesse the justnesse , and goodnesse , and holinesse of it , but if you make a law in your own wills , and judge by such a law , then you will make the innocent suffer , and oppresses them who walks in the law of god and in the exercise of a pure conscience , christ was put to death by such a law , and the saints in all generations was persecuted by such laws which was made in the will of man contrary to the will and law of god ; therefore take heed to your selves least god hew down you and your law together , and condemn you by his righteous law eternally , which law of god needs not to be made but is made already , and to be witnessed by the light in every mans conscience to justification or condemnation , and is revealed in all that love righteousnesse . so take heed what you doe , and know your place and the length and breadth of your law which is committed to you , which is to keep the outward man in good order , and the nations in peace and truth , and from theft , and murder , and adultery , and fighting and quarrelling , and drunkenesse , and wronging one another , and such like ; such who acts these things walks contrary to the light , and so brings themselves under the penalty of the law ; but over the inward man your law which is outward hath no power to bind , to limit , or to tie too or from any way of worship in religion , but let religion defend it selfe , and lay not your law upon the conscience to exercise dominion over it , for it is christs seat in whom he will rule , least you be found tyrants and numbred for destruction , nor limit not the spirit of the lord how , when , where , and by whom it must speak , for the holy men of god in all ages ever cryed against such laws as was contrary to the law of god , and did limit the spirit of the lord , and against such rulers as did judge false judgement , and for gifts and rewards , and against such priests and prophets as preached for hire , and divined for money , and sought for their gaine from their quarter , and made a prey upon the people , and through coveteousnesse made merchandize of soules ; therefore be ye warned , if such you uphold by a law which acts those things which the scripture declares against , which the holy men of god gave forth by his spirit , the scripture which you professe shall stand a witnesse against you , and the law of god will condemn you , and god will lay your honour in the dust , and cast you out of the seat of judgement , as he hath done the power of the king & bishops before you , but judge the cause of the poor & needy , of the widow & fatherles , & joyn mercy with judgment , and lay your swords upon oppression and all tyranny and wrong dealing , that the land may be cleansed of evill doers , and equity and righteousnesse may flow down , and the nation in good order may be kept in peace and righteousnesse , and so god will establish you among his children , who are taught of him alone , and are far from oppression , to the light of god in all your consciences i doe speak which if you make laws contrary to it , and judge contrary to it , it is the eternall condemnation of you , and of your lawes and judgement . and remember you are warned in your life time , and my conscience is cleared to you , and in the day of the lord you shall witnesse me to be true , and this to be the word of the lord to you , whether you will hear or forbear . written to you by a friend of righteousnesse and true judgement from the spirit of the lord , as moved of him in love to all your soules , to go abroad among the heads and rulers and judges in dublin and else where through the nation of ireland , from one who is called a quaker by scorners whose name in the flesh is , edw : burrough . written at dublin the 23 of the 8 month , 1655. and now o ye heads and rulers , happy had you been if you had taken the counsel of the lord , and submitted to have obeyed his word , which came to you as moved of him , but in that you have neglectted , & have made laws in your will , & exercised lordship over the conscience , and have limited the lord , and have purposed to be a terror to good , and strengthned the wicked ▪ and have not regarded the will of god , but have persecuted and imprisoned the innocent , and judged after your own hearts ; therefore according to the word of the lord , your blood will be upon your own heads , for you have not taken warning , and i am clear thereof for ever . an exhortation sent to the chiefe commander and his counsell , and the just cause of the innocent laid at their door . we who are servants of the lord of hosts , who is the protector of heaven and earth ; we who stand in his fear , and knows his counsell , are moved of him who lives for ever , who is , i am , and there is none besides him ; to clear our consciences , and our lords truth , from the lies and slanders which are cast upon us , and the good way of the lord , which envious spirits who are proud and knows nothing , that cannot abide sound doctrine , doth reproach and slander us , and by false accusations lay things to our charge which we never knew ; therefore we being innocent and clear cannot but deny and bear witnesse against all those proceedings , which is not according to the law of righteousnesse and equity , and lay them at your door , whom it nearly concernes . unto thee henry cromwell , who is commander in chiefe for the affaires of ireland , and to thy counsell we write . we have seen two severall warrants under your hands , dated at dublin , and in them both you say you have received information at your board , of great disorders , and disturbances of late in the county of corke , and places adjacent , by francis howgill and edward burrough . this we say unto you , your informer hath declared an untruth at your board , and we desire that you may make it appear wherein we have made any disturbance , or disorder , all these things in your warrents we denie , and doe charge you in the name of the god of justice to send for them that so informed you , that have so abused you , and are so bold and impudent , as to declare unto you any such thing , and so hath caused you to bring guilt upon your selves , in sending out your warrants to bring the innocent before your judgement seat , and caused us to be dragged a hundred miles from place to place , as malefactors , and as though we had done some criminall act , and when we have come before you , you had nothing to lay to our charge , but hath endeavoured to give sentence of banishment of us out of your nation , who are free born english men , and have alwayes been faithfull and true to the common-wealths interest from first to last , even untill now , neither have been burthen some to your nation , nor transgressed any known law of the nation , and you have judged us before our accusers come , and herein you doe us great injustice , and you act contrary to the law of equity , and that which you your selves in your own case would not allow ; to that in all your consciences i speak . oh that ever you should thus requite the lord for his love and mercy , in breaking the yoak of the oppressor from off your necks , and now power is given into your hands to relieve the innocent , and to set the oppressed free , to execute judgement and righteousnesse upon the transgressors , whom the law is against : and this doth god require of you , that his will may be done , and your wills denyed , that so the nation may be established in righteousnesse , and that your latter end may be better then your beginning ; but if you goe on in the way you are beginning , and turne justice backward , and let equity fall in the streets , and not suffer judgement to enter , then misery will be your end . woe is me , for you have all forgotten the rock from whence you were hewn , and the deliverances of the lord to you in the time of distresse , yea you have forgotten , and your hearts are lifted up , and by your policy think to establish your own wills , and to limit the holy one a way , and set up your standard by his , and trust in the arme of flesh ; what is become of the liberty of tender consciences you have spoken of ▪ and we have engaged with you to purchase ? and is it ended in this ? oh horrible hypocrisie ! that they who bear witnesse against all sin , and iniquity , and against all deceit , that they should now be made a prey of . and we charge all in the name of the living god , in ireland to convince us of evill , or the transgression of any law ; and if it cannot be done , let none lay hold on us , to abridge us of our liberty , least you bring guilt upon your selves . and doe not take counsell at them ▪ ●or hold them up , who are hirelings , and in the steps of the false prophets walks , and in the error of balaam , who speaks for gifts and rewards , who in all generations resisted every appearance of god in his saints ; and now would make all bow to their image , and they bend their tongues , and reports lies , and makes lies their refuge , the hand of the dreadfull god of heaven and earth is against them , yea the lord will thunder from heaven against them , they shall be blown away in the whirle wind of gods wrath , who have perverted the way of the lord , because they stand not in the counsell of the lord , but flatter you , as they have done the princes in all generations , till all was laid wast together . woe is me for you , have you consulted , have you taken counsell together against the lord , and his servants , whom he hath sent unto you , and doe ye thus requite the lord already ? have you sent out your decree , to shut out and root out the seed of jacob in a day , whom the lord hath made choice of above all the families of the earth , surely your decree will be broken , and your cords will be but as a bulrush ; for them whom you now set at nought is precious in the eyes of the lord , and unto our god shall you bow and worship at his feet . consider if there be any honesty left among you , what is become of all the persecutors of old ? what became of the bishops , and what became of that power that held them up , are they not all sunk as a stone into the sea , and become a reproach ? and will you tell of reformation , and yet act in the same footsteps ? if you go on you are at the bank of destruction , and at the sides of the pit , and you will be made as a ruinous heap , and as desolate as mount esau ▪ which is a place for dragons ; was not persecution ever blind ? would they ever own themselves to be such ? for verily if you knew us , you would not have done so unto us . when herod stretched out his hand to vex certaine of the church , the next you hear of him he is eaten up of worms ; the dread of the lord of hosts is upon all the proud , and lofty , and high oaks , and the wind of the almighty shall blow them all down root and branch , and all your strength , in which you trust , if you take counsell at aegypt , will become as a bowed wall , and as a rotten hedge ; and god will make them that exalts themselves against him , as a dunghill , and as the princes of gog , of mesek , and tuball , which are all perished among the rest of the uncircumcised . oh ye potsheards doe you think you can limit the lord , will he be instructed by you ? he that reproves him let him answer it ▪ can you command the wind that it blow not upon the earth ? can you stop the waves of the sea , and say unto them be still ? can you stop the bottles of heaven that it raine not ? if you cannot , all be silent , and strive not to resist the lord in his own work which he is bringing to passe in this his own day , he will confound the wisdome of the wise , and bring to nought the honourable of the earth , and make all as a plaine before him , who can withstand him ? oh ye potsheards feare and tremble before him , who is a consuming fire to all the ungodly , who is visiting the transgressours with vengeance dread and fury , and putting into their hands a cup of trembling , and making jerusalem a burthen some stone , all that meddle with it shall be wearied , they shall faint and bow themselves , and sink under it , and be crushed as with a cart wheel to pieces , and their names shall rot from under heaven , and all shall know our god is the living god , yea the god of gods , yea there is none like him ; and know this , no power you had of us except it had been from above , we were with you in the city of dublin ▪ near three months , some of us , and none laid hands on us , but the time was not come , and till the testimony of the lord was near finished , which he sent us to doe , none could lay hands on us : and know this , though this be a time of temptation and tryall , yet it shall be for the furtherance of the gospell of christ ; and though you think in your hearts by sending us out of your nation that so all will cease , and deceit will stand without molestation ; i tell you , nay , even the children who are yet in the womb shall be brought forth and bear witnesse against the deceit of this generation . and know this , there is a stump which is but little , which is bound about as with iron and brasse , and out of it shall spring fire that shall be kindled and flame to the torment of all them who worship the beast and have received his mark , and to the tormenting of all the fals prophets in the nation , and it shall burne and none shall be able to quench it ▪ many shall bear witnesse unto us , that we came not in our own names , but in the name of the living eternall god ▪ who by his power hath accomplished his own work , for his own glory , and many shall blesse us in the name of the lord ; and all our opposers shall gnash their teeth , and gnaw their tongues for paine , for the torment that is coming upon them ; all that have resisted the counsell of the most high god ▪ and have gaine-sayed the lord , they shall perish in their gaine-saying , and we are clear and free from the blood of all men in this nation thus far , yea of every city town and village unto which we were moved to goe , and the blood of all the rest be upon those that have resisted us , and a good savour we are unto god in them that have believed in his name , of whom we have borne true witnesse unto , and in them that perish we are clear in the sight of god . and oh thou city of dublin , thou art as moab at ease , and art lifted up in thy heart , and rejoycing in thy spoyle , and art making thy selfe merry in the abundance of thy delicacies ; oh how full of prophanesse art thou ? oh how full of pride and vaine glory , of deceit and unrighteousnesse , of lust and filth , lying and swearing , and full of bryars and thorns ? a carelesse untoward people : oh your abominations is loathsome to all the children of light , professing god in words , but in your lives and works denies him ; oh that thou hadst known in this thy day the things that belongs to thy peace , a crooked generation you are , the yoke must be laid upon your necks , will neither plague , famin , nor sword bring thee into subjection unto the lord , will neither mercy nor judgement take place in your hearts ; oh how long shall the lord bear with you ? how long shall he spare you ? his long suffering is near at an end , his patience is near out concerning you , and then woe woe to him that shall see the day which will come , the lord will arise as a lyon , and will rend and tear you , and his sword shall be bathed in the blood of his enemies , and he shall be wrath as in the valley of acor , and as in the dayes of gibea , and will bring ye down the mountaines , and levell you ye hills , and will make his name known in your overthrow , except ye repent , and they that are round about you , when they shall see calamity coming upon you , this shall be their proverbe , this is the city and people that despised the counsell of the lord , and contemned the instruction of the most high god , and provoked the lord to wrath , till his patience was worne out , and his long-suffering came to an end , and therefore is this evill come upon them . therefore gird your selves in sackcloath , and pour ashes upon your heads , houle and weep ye carelesse people , misery is coming upon you , the dreadfull god will visite with a scourge , and will make you know he is the lord ; blessed is he that hears , and considers , and repents , and turnes from his iniquity , before the decree be sealed against you , which will never be altered . this is the day of your visitation , and if you contemn it woe unto you for ever , and so we are clear in gods sight of you all from the highest to the lowest , and your blood if you perish will the lord require at your own hands , from this time forth and for evermore . dublin 24 of the 12 month , 1655. we are friends to all just power and are subject to the highest power for conscience sake , but witnes against all deceit , and unrighteousnes , and against all that holds the truth in unrighteousnes ; who are prisoners of the lord for the testimony of christ , our consciences bearing us witnesse in the holy ghost , francis howgill . edw : burrough . the unjust suffering of the just declared , and their appeal to the just witnesse of god in all mens consciences . to all ye collonels , and commanders , and officers , and to all the honest hearted in the city of dublin , and else where , to whom this may come . hereby we the prisoners of the lord for the testimony of jesus , and for the exercise of a pure conscience , doe lay down our cause before you , and to the light of jesus christ in all your consciences we appeal in this our cause of righteousness and innocency to be judged thereby ; we are men fearing god , and working righteousnesse , and are friends to the common-wealth of israel , and are exalters of justice and true judgement in the earth , and are subject to all just power , and to every just ordinance of man for conscience sake , and have suffered the losse of all , and have borne part of the burden with you , that we might obtaine the freedome of the righteous seed , and the liberty of tender consciences , to serve the lord in his own way , and we are well known to the lord , though strangers to you , and are free men in the record of heaven , though now sufferers unjustly under your present authority , who hath taken the place of exercising lordship over our pure consciences , and hath imprisoned us , and endeavoured to give judgement of banishing us , onely upon false accusations and informations , and slanders , without the proofe or testimony of any accusation of evill justly laid to our charge . and to you hereby be it known , that not for evill doing doe we thus suffer , for to this present no man hath convinced us of any evill , nor justly proved the transgression of any law ( martiall or civill ) against us , though we stand accused of many grievous things , of which we are clearly innocent in the sight of him that lives for ever , and doth nothing more desire herein but to be tryed by the law of equity ▪ and righteousnesse , and judged according thereunto . by vertue of command given unto us , by the eternall spirit of the lord came we into this land of ireland , contrary to the will of man , not to seek our selves , nor our own glory , nor to prejudice your nation nor government , nor to be hurtfull to your common-wealth , but with the message of the gospel of christ jesus we came to turn from darknes to light and from the power of satan to the power of god , and to minister the word of reconciliation and salvation freely without a gift or a reward unto lost soules , and hereof god is our witnesse , and also we have the seals of our ministry , which unto us herein can give testimony by the same spirit , and this are we ready to seal with our blood : and these six months , and upward have we laboured in travells , and sufferings , and reproaches , and have passed through your cities and towns in sobernesse , and meeknesse , have we preached the kingdome of god , and have holden forth the word of truth , and the testimony of jesus , and our lives have we not loved till this day , though sometimes dangers on every side hath beset us , that we might hold forth the faith of jesus , the author of our profession , in the exercise of a pure conscience , both by doctrine and conversation , and herein we are justified in the sight of god , and who is he that condemns us ? and doth call heaven and earth to record , and the light in all mens consciences who have heard our doctrine , or seen our conversation , to witnesse for us herein , and we challenge all you nation of ireland , our very enemies , to prove the contrary , though otherwise we stand falsly accused , and falsly reputed , to be disturbers , and makers of disorders , to the breach of publique peace , and such like grievous things upon the false information ; whereof a warrant was issued out from the chief ruler and counsell of ireland , and we thereby was apprehended in the city of corke , and haled by guards , as malefactors to , before the counsell in this city , where none of all these false accusations was or could be proved against us , nor the transgression of any known law could we be convicted of , and though occasions was sought against us , yet none could be found , and though snares was laid for our feet , yet were we not entrapped , but was cleared in the sight of god , witnessed by the light in all their consciences , and was found innocent and without reproofe in the eye of the lord , and by our innocency was their orders of false accusations made of none effect , and we thus far proved to be guiltles before the throne of true judgment ; yet notwithstanding contrary to the light in their own consciences , and contrary to the just laws of the nations ( which afordeth freedome to the freeborn and righteous ) were we committed to prison , without conviction or any guilt charged upon us , or the least appearance of evill towards any mans person , though falsly accused , yet nothing given true testimony of against us , whereby our boldnesse in the way of the lord could be discouraged , as having the testimony of the spirit of god bearing us witnesse in the holy ghost , that in all good conscience towards god and towards man we have lived unto this day , and so are without reproofe in the sight of god and all just men ; and though upon search and examination we were found guiltles thus far , yet further hath the enemy the devil prevailed in cruelty against the innocent , that it is endeavoured that we be banished , under the account of vagabonds , which last accusation is the most false and urighteous , for we challenge this , of whom have we begged ? or to whom have we been burdensome ? or whose bread have we eaten for nothing ? or what evil have we done ? where is the testimony of your slande●s ? but innocently doe we suffer these things , bearing reproaches , and binding the cruelty done unto us as chaines about our our necks , and as crowns upon our heads , having the assurance that for well doing we suffer these things from the hands of the rulers , through the lies and slanders of the teachers , who are in cains way of persecution , till they have fulfilled their measure of wickednesse , and be laid wast as the wildernesse . and this is our cause , and hereby it comes before you , by the light of christ in your consciences to be judged , if your hearts be not altogether hardned and your minds wholly blinded , and we lay it at the doore to receive sentence from you , and without respect of your persons , holds forth our guiltlesse cause before you , not begging any thing from you , but herein to clear our consciences , that you may save your selves from this untoward generation , whose root is corrupt , and fruit bitternesse , for while we have breath from the lord and injoynment of his presence , our duty is to serve the lord in bearing witnesse against injustice and all cruelty and oppression , and shall appeal to receive justice from the present power which now rules ; for in the name of the lord we challenge our priviledge of freedome as being freeborn ▪ till we be accused guilty by the just law of equity , unto which we are subject for conscience sake , and not to any mans will , but by word and writing is bound by the law of god to bear witnesse against the unjust proceedings herein of the heads and rulers of dublin , and shall seale our witnesse against them , and against their unrighteous decrees sealed in their cruelty against the innocent with our blood , if thereunto we be called . dub. 26 of the 12 month , 1655. francis howgill . edw : burrough . a challenge to the priests of dublin , to try their god , and their ministry , and their worships . we the servants and faithfull witnesses of the most high god , called and chosen of him , and redeemed out of nations , kindreds , tongues , and people , who are ministers of the word of life , and reconciliation , and messengers of glad tidings , and salvation , unto captive and weary souls , our glorying is onely in the lord , and not in our selves , who are by the world in scorne called quakers , who are at this present in outward bonds for the testimony of jesus christ in dublin , and who have been in the labour and travell of the gospell of god , this six months and upwards , in this nation of ireland , according to the will of god ordained hereunto , and moved , and commanded by his eternall spirit into this his work , for the seeds sake which is not of this world , to the gathering of it into the fold of everlasting peace , and to the clearing of the lord from the bloud of his enemies , that they may be left without excuse , by his powerfull word given unto us , and uttered by us ( and herein we are a good savor to god , both in them that perish and in them that believe ) and for this cause have we denyed our dearest and nearest relations , and loves not our lives unto death , that our testimony we may finish which is committed to us of the lord ; and because of this are we labourers under many burdens , and travells in many afflictions , and sufferings , and are abundantly reproached , and our lords truth of which we bear witnesse , greatly infamed , by many slandering , and back-biting tongues , especially by the teachers , and professed ministers , in the eares of their people and hearers , slandering us with being jesuits , and deceivers , and seducers , and hereticks , and blasphemers , and witches , and such like ; and we of those false accusations being clear , and our lords truth , the testimony ▪ which we hold wholly innocent , and are willing to be tryed , and proved , and made manifest to the inhabitants of this city and nation , in the sight of god . this therefore am i moved to give forth ; and hereby in the name of our living eternall god of heaven and earth , whom we serve , and worship , in that way which is called heresie , doe send it abroad as a challenge to all you teachers , and pretended ministers of what sort and forme soever , and to all you people whom it may really concerne , and especially to all you in the city of dublin , and places elsewhere in ireland , to whom this may come , that you meet us in the city of dublin , at some publique place , at a conveniant time appointed by you , at which place and time if the lord permit ( by the permition of the counsell of ireland , whose prisoners we are ) we shall you meet then there , to have a faire and sober dispute in the presence of all people , who may desire to be informed , or satisfied , concerning us and you , in these things whereof you can accuse us ; and also of those things , by way of sober questions , which we have to propound to you , not for any end to our selves , not to set up a kingdome of our own ( god is our witnesse ) but that the way of our god may be made manifest , and all deceit , and errour discovered , and all people may be informed the way to salvation , and as you are true to your god , and will answer for him , and are willing to be made manifest in your way of worship , and doctrine , and ministry , you are not to neglect , but hearing to answer our desires , and the desires of many hundreds , that you and we may be made manifest in the sight of god , to all mens consciences , who are in truth , and who are in errour , that shame and condemnation may come upon the guilty , and truth may be exalted over all deceit . given under our hands , who are prisoners for the testimony of jesus , whose names in the flesh are francis howgill and edw : burrough . you are desired to send your answer of these propositions to us , and if you consent to meet us , let sufficient notice be given abroad , that the inhabitants of the city and country may know five or six dayes time before . sent forth the 23 of the 12 month , from the sergeant at armes his house in dublin . this was sent to the priests of dublin , but no answer to this day have we received from them ; whereby it is manifest that they are not true to their god , nor willing to be tryed and made manifest , but loves darkenesse and hates the light , and back-bites in secret , and cannot give a witnesse openly but falls before the tryall , and truth reigns over them , and is exalted over their deceit . a discovery of the idoll dumb shepheards in that nation , and a lamentation over their starved and strayed flocks . the day of the lord is approaching , and the day of account draws near upon you the inhabitants of the earth , the time of your covenant is expired made with death , and hell , and the lord god will plead with you , and reckon with you , and give unto you a just reward , every one according to your deeds , even the condition of your bond . ye shepheards , and pastors of the flock , and teachers of the people , what account will ye render to the lord in the day of his appearing ? should you not have gathered the flock , and fed them , and taught them in the way of righteousnes , & preserved them from straying abroad , but instead thereof you have scattered them upon the barren mountaines , and have starved them , and have strayed them , and led them into by paths of idolatry , and made a prey upon them , and have fed your selves of them , and the heritage of the lord hath been wasted by you , and the pastures of the fold eaten up by wolves , and devourers , and lyons whelps , which made the flock afraid , driven them into secret corners of darknesse , leannesse , and poverty , where they are dead for want of food . o ye shepheards your account will be wofull , and miserable , in the dreadfull day which is hastning upon you ; not one lamb have you brought forth to perfection , to lie down in peace in the fold , but have nourisht it into the nature of a dog ; and a wolfe , and you have fed them with swines flesh , and with the husk , and milk they have not received from you , thereby to grow up unto god in his image ; and not one fleece hath the lord gathered from all your flock , you teachers , shepheards , and pastors , your debt of wickednesse is a grosse sum of great abomination in the record of account , you have taught innocent children into subtle hypocrisie , out of uprightnesse into guile , you have taught lies instead of truth , and thereby hath the people been instructed into error , sects , and false opinions , and not one child have you taught perfect in the way of the lord , neither one of your hearers have you presented perfect in christ jesus unto the father , but for gifts and rewards have you taken the charge of the learners , and not one hath come to the knowledge of the truth by you under your teaching , for you have been a cursed example , in pride , in coveteousnesse , in oppression , and in hypocrisie , and how could you teach children in the way of purity when your selves have walked in the way of idolatry , the language of babylon have you instructed the people , and not one verse have they learned in sions record , you have nurtured them in the nature of whoredome , and their virginity have they lost . what will ye doe ye shepheards , and teachers , the arrest of judgement from the court of equity is come forth against you , and sealed never to be changed ; whether will you fly to hide you ? gods judgements will pursue you , and your reward will be indignation and vengeance , and your charge will be the devouring and murder of soules , and the flock will be required of you , and every lamb , which carelesly you have starved , the blood thereof will be put upon your account , and every child you have taught in the way of iniquity , the iniquity thereof will be laid to your charge . o dolefull reckoning ! when the lord appears , a grievous sum are you guilty which you are never able to pay , and just he is that calleth you to account , and the truth of his bill will be sealed with the light in your own consciences , which is the lords witnesse , which hath been privy to all your abominations , one year after another have you been spared , and interest upon interest will be put upon your score , not one day of faithfull service and true watching over the flock can you give testimony of , but idle shepheards have you been , and slumbring watchmen have you proved , and the whole flock hath been devoured , and scattered , and not one lamb is found in the fold , nor one strayed sheep brought home from wandring , but the fences of the fold is laid wast , and the door is shut up , and bolted against him that would enter ▪ and you have removed the pastures out of the pleasant valleys , into the desolate , and wild , and untilled mountaines ▪ where every wilde beast playeth , and every desolate bird inhabiteth . what will you plead for your selves ? oh ye deceitfull hirelings , who have run and was not sent , by whom the people is not profited at all : but you leaders of the people have caused them to erre in unknown paths , and you have taken the charge of that you were not able to performe , you have wasted the masters goods , and his children have not been taught the way of holinesse ; you have spent his portion among harlots , and have given your lords mony to abominable uses , nothing is gathered of your vines , but wilde grapes , and sowre grapes , which the lords soule loatheth , no figs of your thorns hath been reaped , but your best fruit hath been of a loathsome tast , the most innocent among you hath been found guilty of innocent blood of soules . woe is me for you ye flocks of these shepheards folds , alas , alas , your soules are starved , and your feet are strayed , and into by paths of whoredomes have you been instructed , and the door of the true shepheards fold hath been shut against you , and the key of true knowledge hath been hid out of your sight , and obscurity and darknesse hath been cast before you , and the way of the lord hath been undiscovered to your understanding , and into secret and subtle idolatry and witchcraft have you been nurtured , and your wound hath been healed falsly , and it will break out into more incurable dangers . o how have you been driven away into strange pastures , and into barren heaths , and desarts , scattered loe here , and loe there , by the voyces of strangers , now when the lord is come to search you , instead of lambs you are found in the nature of wolves , and dogs , and lyons , biting and devouring , and scorning and reproaching the children of the true seed , and instead of children of light and truth , are you found strong men of darknesse and errour ; how is your nature changed since the first creation in the innocent image of god , strayed have you been , and not one brought home by your shepheards into the fold of truth , you have been a prey to devourers , and meat for the wild beasts of the desolate forrests , and a strong language have you learned of the egyptians character , and your delight hath been therein , even you have loved to have these things so , and like shepheards like sheepe strayers and strayed , devourers and being devoured ; what account will you give in the day of the lord ? for your sin is written with a pen of iron , sealed in your foreheads , children of the womb of wickednesse , a grosse sum of abomination is put upon your account , even lovers of darknesse , and haters of the light , how many times have you been called by the true shepheards voyce , and you neglect and will not be gathered ? how many good instructions have you heard ? and what profit have you received ? much teaching and many sermons have you heard , and yet to this day the way of truth have you not learned , but are groping in the dark in blindnesse and ignorance , and you blind have been led by the blind , and the mouth of the ditch is opened to swallow you uptogether , and you have refused knowledge and cannot endure to be reproved , you love to stray rather then to be gathered , and you delight in leannesse and poverty upon the barren mountaines rather then to be fed in the fat pastures of true food . shall not the lords soule be avenged upon you ? ye shepheads and flocks , ye teachers and people , your debt is summed into a large sum of grievous abomination , the indictment of vengeance is read , and sealing against you , proved to be just in the register of heaven , everlasting prison in the pit of darknesse , and everlasting banishment from the presence of the lord is signing against you , in the eternall law and righteous decree ; the light of the lord jesus christ which shines in all your consciences will arise to be the evidence of this just proceeding . god is grieved with you , you spirituall idolaters . repent , repent ye idoll shepheards , and deceitfull teachers , and ye scattered flock , and deceived people ; this is the day of your visitation , and a warning in your eares , the sword of the lord is drawn against you , and the whirle-wind of his wrath is gone forth , your builded wall shall fall , and the pillars of your habitation shall be shaken . god will gather his flock out of your mouths , and feed them in his own fold , and your nakednes shall appear , and your deceits shall be laid open , and your secret whoredoms shall be discovered , your beginning was in darknes , and your time is out of the light , and your end will be in destruction , now you have all time prize it . writ in corke city in i●eland as moved of the lord concerning the shepheards and flock , the teachers and people in that nation . from him who is a lover of all your soules , but a witnesse against all your deceits ▪ e. e. an invitation to all the poor desolate souldiers to repent and make their peace with the lord , and their duty shewed them what the lord requires of them . to all you poor desolate souldiers of the lowest rank , who are scattered up & down in this desolate land of ireland , & lives a carelesse and a desolate life , without the fear of the lord , in lying , in swearing , in drunkennesse , in whoredome , in oppression , and in the wickednesse of the world , and are past feeling and senslesse of the operation and power of god , carelesse of your eternall happinesse : the dreadfull day of the lord god is coming , in power the lord is risen , and the wrath of the lord is gone forth , with the strength of indignation and fury will you be besieged , and fearfulnesse shall surprize you . repent of your transgressions , and fear and tremble before the presence of the living god , who is commander in chiefe over heaven and earth ; prize your soules , this is the day of your visitation , and make your peace with the lord ; the righteous judge the lord seeth you in your darknesse , and searcheth you in your desolate obscurity , and the soule is pressed under your iniquities , and he hath not disrespected any of your persons or desolate places , but god is light and hath lightned every one of you with the true light of life eternall , if you love it and be guided by it or of death everlasting if you hate it and disobey it , and walk contrary to it ; that is the light which convinceth you of sin , of lying , and swearing , and cursed speakings , and drunkennesse , which are the fruits of the cursed tree , which cumbers the ground of the lord , which the axe is now laid to the root of , to cut it down and cast it into everlasting burning ; and while you act against this light in your consciences , you crucifie the life of christ jesus , and are enemies unto him , and servants of the devill , and loves your evill deeds , and upholders of the devills conquest , which is the dominion of sin ; this light reproves you in secret of violence , and false accusing , and all unjust words and actions which are contrary to god , so turne your minds to the light , which will lead you to repentance , from dead works , out of the broad way of destruction , which many are in ( as christ jesus saith ) and it will teach you in your places to serve the living god and to doe violence to no man , but to be terrour , and reprovers , and correctors of all violence , and of such who lives in it ; and it will teach you not to strengthen the hands of evill doers , but to lay your sword in justice upon every one that doth evill , and it will teach you not to make war but to preserve peace in the earth ; and this is your place and duty required of you from the lord god commander in chiefe , unto whom you must all give an account , and receive a just reward according to your deeds , everlasting punishment to him that doth evill ; but if you stand in the fear of the lord , your sword will be a terrour and dread to them that fear him not but lives contrary to the light in their own consciences , which light if you love it is your command to march by , and your rule to judge by , and weapon to fight withall , and your chiefe commission for duty . and now you have all time take heed to your selves , goe not on in your course of evill , nor take not your pleasure in unrighteousnesse , but to the light in your conscience take heed , it is your teacher to god if you love it , or your condemnation from god if you hate it ; and this is your termes with the lord , prize the acceptance of his love to your soules , and the day of your visitation , least you perish in your rebellion eternally . written in love to your soules , written in ireland at caterlough . e. b. a warning from the lord to the natives of that nation of ireland , who are made a curse , and a prey to be destroyed of your enemies . repent , repent , ye that remaine from being devoured , whose dayes are yet stretched forth , that you may return to the lord , from whom you are grievously degenerated into filthinesse , and uncleanesse , being a cursed brood , and are become unhuman in your impudent shamelesse , practices of ungodlines , and are brazened in your filthinesse , and cannot blush when you have done evill , the plagues of god , and his wrath waites to consume you from off the face of the earth , you are shut up in blindnes and covered with darknesse which may be felt , and you are as deafe adders , voyd of understanding , and past feeling , and given up to work all unrighteousnes with delight , counting it your glory to work wickednes , having sold your selves to commit sin , you have wholly slaine gods witnes , and are become wild and bruitish as the beasts of the field , and untamed as savage colts , the indignation of god is against you , who are as dead trees and withered branches , and scorched heaths , not sensible of good nor evill , but as wild asses , who neither fears god nor regards man ; to the light in your consciences , wherewith christ hath lightned you , doe i now speak ; gods murdered witnes shall answer me , by which you are inexcusable , for with the light you know lying , swearing , stealing , murder , drunkennes , and whoredom , are sins and transgressions ; the light will let you see these abounds among you , by which you are reproved , and eternally to be condemned if you do not repent of these your grievous abominations : and if you love the light and turne to it , it will lead you out of sin , and out of your vaine foolish traditions , and imitations , and sorceries , and witchcrafts , which deceives your soules ; and this light in your consciences will change you into sobernes , and humanity , and will lead you into the way of life and salvation , out of the way of death and hell ▪ wherein you walk , to eternal misery . therefore prize your soules , and the dreadfull god fear , and tremble before him ye prophane wretches , and cease from your filthy , nasty , poluted ways of idolatry , lying , swearing , stealing , drunkennesse , and such like , god forbids with the light in your consciences , and he that doth these things shall eternally perish in condemnation for ever . and this to you is a warning , in pitty to your lost souls , whose hearts are desperately wicked , and set to doe mischiefe ; the vengeance of god is against you , the light in your consciences shall witnes me , and justifie the lord , in the day of recompence , when every man receives according to his deeds , the righteous unto life , the wicked unto eternall wrath . now you have time , prize it ; the light is your teacher loving it , and your condemnation for ever hating it . edw : burrough . finis . one of antichrists voluntiers defeated, and the true light vindicated. in answer to a book called ignis fatuus, published by one r.i. wherein he vindicates edward dod and samuell smith (of the county of salop) in their lyes, folly, and wickedness, and hath added more of his own, with divers of his false doctrines, lyes and slanders, &c. brought to light, and reproved: as that the law of the spirit of life, is imperfect, and not fit to be a christian rule, and also, humane nature may be taken for the regenerate part of man, and the soul, &c. and likewise calls idolatry, civillity, and heathernish complements courtesie. his vindication made voyd, and his weapons broken, and he taken captive, and left with e.d. and s.s. among the slime pits of siddim near sodom, with his ignis fatuus. / by f.h., a witnesse to the perfect law, of the spirit of life. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a44802 of text r16812 in the english short title catalog (wing h3175). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. 88 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 17 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo 2017 a44802 13623465 wing h3175 estc r16812 13623465 ocm 13623465 100860 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a44802) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 100860) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books; 1641-1700 ; 2912:1, 791:14) one of antichrists voluntiers defeated, and the true light vindicated. in answer to a book called ignis fatuus, published by one r.i. wherein he vindicates edward dod and samuell smith (of the county of salop) in their lyes, folly, and wickedness, and hath added more of his own, with divers of his false doctrines, lyes and slanders, &c. brought to light, and reproved: as that the law of the spirit of life, is imperfect, and not fit to be a christian rule, and also, humane nature may be taken for the regenerate part of man, and the soul, &c. and likewise calls idolatry, civillity, and heathernish complements courtesie. his vindication made voyd, and his weapons broken, and he taken captive, and left with e.d. and s.s. among the slime pits of siddim near sodom, with his ignis fatuus. / by f.h., a witnesse to the perfect law, of the spirit of life. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. [2], 30 p. printed for thomas simmons at the bull and mouth near aldersgate, london, : 1660. written by francis howgil. cf. wing. reproductions of originals in henry e. huntington library and art gallery (791:14) and swarthmore college library (2912:1). eng r. i. -ignis fatuus -early works to 1800. dodd, edward, 17th cent. smith, samuel, 1588-1665. society of friends -controversial literature -early works to 1800. a44802 r16812 (wing h3175). civilwar no one of antichrists voluntiers defeated, and the true light vindicated. in answer to a book called ignis fatuus, published by one r.i. wherei howgill, francis 1660 17429 7 0 0 0 0 0 4 b the rate of 4 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the b category of texts with fewer than 10 defects per 10,000 words. 2004-12 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2004-12 aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-01 judith siefring sampled and proofread 2005-01 judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-04 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion one of antichrists voluntiers defeated , and the true light vindicated . in answer to a book called ignis fatuus , published by one r. i. wherein he vindicates edward dod , and samuell smith ( of the county of salop ) in their lyes , folly , and wickedness , and hath added more of his own , with divers of his false doctrines , lyes and slanders , &c. brought to light , and reproved : as that the law of the spirit of life , is imperfect , and not fit to be a christian rule , and also , humane nature may be taken for the regenerate part of man , and the soul , &c. and likewise calls idolatry , civillity , and heathenish complements , courtesie . his vindication made voyd , and his weapons broken , and he taken captive , and left with e. d. and s. s. among the slime pits of siddim near sodom , with his ignis fatuus . by f. h. a witnesse to the perfect law , of the spirit of life . the wicked are estranged from the womb , they goe astray assoone as they be borne , speaking lies . london , printed for thomas simmons at the bull and mouth near aldersgate , 1660. one of antichrists voluntiers defeated , and the true light vindicated . amongstall the opposers of the truth that yet hath appeared among the black army of the old dragon , who like the philistims hath alwayes defied israels god , and also their camp , through their ostentation and boasting , and with their clamorous loud cryes in the ears of the people , like rabshekah , to dishearten and dismay israel ; none hath appeared more out-ragious and virulent then one who subscribes himselfe , r. i. who in vindication of his brethren in iniquity , edward dod , drunkard , and samuel smith an unprofitable talker , otherwise called a minister at cresige , who hath preached that which he calls the gospel there divers years , and yet sees no fruit at all , and yet this impudent r. i. whom i beleeve to be another dreamer like him , for his language do manifest him to belong to mistery babilon , the great city , the mother of harlots , he saith , one may minister and preach the gospel , and the people not be profited at all , as samuel smith hath done at cresige ; and he saith farther , that they are barren professors , yet saith r. i. that s. s. need not be abashed at it ; and for instance he saith , was pauls preaching of less credit , because there were many runnagates , in the end shewed themselves hypocrites ? yet this comparison will not excuse s. s. neither e. d. nor r. i. who would cover them with an old patched cloak , some peices he hath scraped up out of aesop's fables , a book full of lies and altogether compacted and patched up of fictions , and some out of ovid & seneca , heathens in their own account , & the like frivolous stories , and plato , and diogenes , they must serve for a covering , if it will , to the two former opposers of truth : but stay r. i. did paul stay seven years in any place , and saw no fruit ? and though there were many unbeleevers among the jews notwithstanding the publication of the word and the miracles of christ , yet some beleeved ; and though the apostles and ministers of christ laboured in the work of the lord , yet some beleeved and clave unto them : but there is no fruit at cresige at all , but they are barren professors , as r. i. saith ; but if this will not serve , take another of r. i. his arguments ; that god sends his word sometimes for the hardning of people , and upon this account , s. s. teaching and ministry must be kept in credit . a sad thing for the people of cresige , that they should hire a man for seven years together , and pay him wages for hardning of their hearts , and for counting them barren professors , yet i judge , s. s. e. d. & r. i. counted them fruitful , and abounding in zeale and fervency to god , when they came into the meeting of the quakers , some ringing pans , some candlesticks and frying pans , and throwing water , like people void of understanding , and saith this r. i. these yeelded a better sound then the quakers ; so that thou may see what will not this r. i. vindicate , and what wickednesse as can be acted and spoken , here they may look for a shelter , rather then they shall want a guardian ( as pictures , images , crosses , cuffs , ribons , lace , and such other like things invented by the devil to draw people from serving and worshipping the living god ) r. i. will patronize them all being brought forth , and when they are not brought forth he will reach forth his hand to help to elevate iniquity , and to under-prop the devils kingdom , which is exalted in the children of disobedience , as all along may be seen in his fabulous scrole , called ignis fatuus , when like his two brethren before him , he goes about to vindicate idolatry , images , hirelings , mass-houses , cuffs and ribons , tithes , flattering titles , and vain customs , and popish practices , pride , persecution , and lying ; all those things he pleads for , and hath used many vain arguments and false interpretations of scripture , so that the two former , it may truly be said they have done wickedly , but this r. i. exceeds them all , who is so stout hearted against the truth and power of god , that whatsoever he can invent in his corrupt heart against it , and gathers up the rest of the priests lies that they have vomited up before , and cast in the face of truth , and tenders them as good proof , and some scriptures perverted with aesop's fables , and ovid , and diogenes stories , and upon such materials he hath framed his book ( called ignus fatuus ) which he hath writ in vindication of e. d. his book called a pair of spectacles for a dark-sighted quaker , and s. s. malice striped and whipt , three pamphlets whole title will discover what the substance of their matter is , and whose work they drive on , so that i need not say much , some of them vindicating persecution , and incouraging the rude behaviour of the people , another mocking at innocency and scorneth them who trembles at the word of the lord ; and last of all , r. i. who hath made a fortresse for both the other , and hath cast up a heap of confused darknesse to guard his brethren , he mocks at the light within , and calls it ignis fatuus ; and the law which is light which god hath promised to write in his peoples hearts , this he calls an imperfect thing , and therefore to be ruled , and not fit to be a rule of the saints , as may be seen in the 55 page of his book , and so ha●h spoken contrary to the spirit and scripture of truth , prov : 6. and the law of the lord which is the law that endureth for ever , this saith r. i. is imperfect and the letter or law without written is perfect , and is a standard , as r. i. saith , for all controversies , then if it be so perfect and so fit to decide all controversies , why doth r. i. borrow his proofs and raise his arguments from aesop's fables , ovids stories , plato and diogenes discourses , and to omit seneca , because r. i. saith , ambrose hath reckoned him in the bead-row of saints , it may be wich saint dominick , and saint patricke , saint francis and some others of the popes canonizing ; but however , i shall set many of his envious and frivolous and impertinent arguments passe , as things of no validity or worth , being they have been answered over and over by mony hands , & all the fortresses & strong holds thrown down , so that to any judicious man they will appear , to be but rubbish , however r. i. would be gathering together the rubbish again , and would make it appear as goodly a fabrick as he can , when indeed there is nothing in it all ; so thou may see reader , in r. i. his vindication of this mouldey cankered ware of babylon which he would hold up , his own folly , ignorance , and error made manifest in the ensuing discourse of his doctrines , and most of his principles thou may view and see which i have taken up and answered , and his confusion and blindnesse thou may see , and also view the spirit that acts this man , and how this man is like to convince any who hath not power over his tongue , but lets it run to utter forth the deceit that proceeds out of his own corrupt heart , thinking thereby to blind peoples eyes that they should not see , how ignorant and light , vain , and treacherous , these priests are , who would monopolize all into their own hand ; nay though god command and move by his spirit , yet this must not speak nor declare the mind of god , except these priests will allow of it , ( in whom the welfare of all people lyes , if thou wilt beleeve r. i. in the 11 page of his book , yet if these count it disorderly for any to speak as he hath received of the lord , from his spirit ) it must go for such , and be accounted such , as disorderly . in the epistle to the reader r. i. saith , such schismaticks as these quakers , hath torn the church in peeces , and its authority condemned , and the ministry slighted , and false religion advanced . answ. it seems that the church that r. i. is of , is none of the true church which is built upon the rock ( christ ) which the gates of hell prevaileth not against , neither any weapon that is formed against it , can prosper , but r. i. his church is torne in pieces and may be prevailed against , sure it is but babylon , whose stones must be scattered , and whole building must be thrown down , and it is but the whores attire which is renting off , that her nakednesse may appear , and her deceit made manifest ; and the authority which is condemned and reproved , is no authority but the authority of the beast , upon which the false church hath ridden , and hath call'd it by the name of higher power ; and the ministry , is but such as traffick with the whores sorceries , by which she hath deceived the nations , and this indeed , and those ministers indeed are slighted by us , because we know him who is the minister of the everlasting covenant , whose spirit is manifest according to his promise , to lead his people into all truth ; and so the religion which standeth only in the traditions of men , and in idolatry , such things as r. i. goes about to maintaine , as images , crosses and picture , mass-houses , hirelings , priests , popish tythes , and popish-ceremonies , which r. i. so much pleads for , all these are slighted , as not to be consistant with the true religion , or the true church of christ . yet neverthelesse saith r. i. in his epistle , i have adventured voluntarily to side with those that contend for the truth against the quakers , and yet in the same epistle , saith , he was moved of the lord thus to declare . answ. what confusion and lying , and blasphemy is here , hath r. i. adventured voluntarily in his own willfulnesse and perversnesse , to take part with those contenders against the truth , in which the quakers live and worship , and god must be made as the author of this , and all the heap of lyes and confusion , which is declared and uttered forth in his ignis fatuus , which if no more were said then hath been , were answer enough unto his railing discourse ; and yet what impudency this man hath to say , he was moved of the lord , when as he hath confest , he hath voluntarily took part with the contenders , so that it is manifest to all reasonable men , who set thee awork , and whose work thou hast been doing , for which thou shalt be sure to receive a reward , in the mighty day of the lord . and r. i. saith , forasmuch as their counterfeit coin , hath been offered to me for good silver , i thought it fit to nail it to the market-post , that it might not deceive others , and instead thereof i have here made a tender of other money ( viz : ) this ensuing treatise , which i doubt not , but that it may passe with truths approbation . answ. that which r. i. calls counterfeit coin , was made publick by our selves , and it hath been and shall be received by them that know gods image and the inscription of the spirit , and though r. i. hath denyed it when it was proffered to him , the value and worth of that , which hath been proffered , is no worse ; for though a price be put into the hand of a fool , he regards it not . and now reader thou shalt see , what kind of coin he hath tendered , and how thou judges it may pass with truths approbation , as hereafter will be made manifest in his further discourse . wherefore reader , saith r. i. have not so great regard to the authority of the writer , as the truth of the matter written by him , who was moved of the lord , as thus to declare against those who are adversaries to truth . answ. indeed the authority of a writer or of that which is written , is of no great moment , seeing he is but one of antichrists voluntiers , who hath not only belyed them that feared the lord , but also hath uttered forth many damnable doctrines , and yet would fasten all these upon the lord , so that his deceit might be of more authority , and none might question the matter thereof , because the lord allwayes moveth to truth and righteousnesse , and so r. i. is one of them that hath taken the name of the lord in vain , which will not be holden guiltlesse , but will be found guilty , when the searcher of all hearts shall make all things manifest . and then r. i. further saith , that sprinkling of infants is commanded by the scriptures , and is a seale of the covenant ; and baptisme of infants is that which answers to circumcision , for mortification of the flesh and remission of sins , and admission into the church , are sealed unto infants by sprinkling , or that which r. i. calls baptizing . i say baptisme of infants , is a popish-tradition , as hath been proved by divers , so that of it i need not say much , but where it is commanded in the scripture as r. i. saith . coll. 2. 11 , 12. is but a bad proof for r. i. for the colossians were circumcised with the circumcision made without hands , and they were buried with him in baptisme , baptized into the death and sufferings of christ , such a baptisme as the priests never administred with their hands , and the spirit of the lord was wont to be the seal of the covenant to them that did beleeve , but now it must be turned out of doors , for visible water hath taken up its place in r. i. his judgement , which is corrupted , and how doth sprinkling answer to circumcision , the males onely were circumcised , and not the females , and why doe you sprinkle fenales , if baptisme must answer to circumcision , and if the extent of the one , must be as large as the other : and as for mortification of the flesh and remission of sins ; that which mortifies the deeds of the flesh , hath life in it , and that gives a living testimony within , and remission of sins is in the blood of christ , and the seal thereof is by the spirit unto them that beleeve ; but this popish tradition hath a●en up all in r. i. his account , if his argument be true ; nay the papists themselves who are as zealous for sprinkling of infants as r. i. or any of his brethren can be , yet one of their own bishops ( at a council in france , of both protestants and papists , at pisoy 15 61. ) claudius espencious saith , many things are to be beleeved by tradition only , as the baptisme of infants , which cannot be proved from scripture , but this r. i. would have the scripture to be a cloak and a cover not only for popish traditions , but for his own invented imaginations , which he hath set forth to blind people withall . the next thing that r. i. goes about to vindicate , is swearing , which their ministers teach men to sweare , which ought to be in righteousnesse and truth , and for his proof , deut. 10. 20. he brings , and he saith , christ only prohibits rash and vain swearing , and superfluous oaths . answ : unto this much hath been said and answered allready by many pens , and so that in the answer thereof i shall be brief ; in the first covenant it was lawful to swear in truth and righteousnesse , and likewise all rash and vain oathes under the law were forbidden , but christ who is the end of the law for righteousness , who is greater then the prophets , and greater then moses and solomon , and greater then the angels , unto whom they all worship , he saith expressely , swear not at all ; now whereas r. i. and others have said , christ onely in these words prohibits vain oaths , or false oaths , then he had reproved nothing but what the law had reproved , but he saith , it hath been said of old time , thou shalt not forswear thy selfe , but christ saith , i say swear not at all , so that it is manifest , that all oaths are forbidden by him , who is the oath of god ; and why saith r. i. it is not contrary to the gospel of christ for to swear , and yet doth account the writings which is called the new testament the gospel , wherein christ hath expressely forbidden it , and therefore those ministers that teach men to swear , are not the ministers of christ , but teach those things that are repugnant to the gospel of christ , for he that breaks one of the least of the commands of christ , and teacheth others so to do , is least in the kingdome of god . the next thing that r. i. would vindicate , is their singing of davids psalmes , in invented tunes , such as pleaseth the carnal mind , and for his proof he brings matth. 26. 30. they went out and sung a hymn , and paul and silas sang in prison , and singing is divine worship for the praise of god , and the comfort of our soules , and it is a soul-ravishing , and heart-raising ordinance . answ : it is acknowledged , and allwayes hath been by us , that praises belongs to the lord , and that they that are made alive , whose souls are raised out of death , can , and doth praise the lord , and they that sing with the spirit and with understanding , are acceptable unto god , and they that are in the spirit , doth that which the spirit moves unto , and so worships in the truth , and is accepted of god ; and christ , and paul , and silas and many more praised the lord , and many now doth praise the lord , and he that hath a psalme may sing , but what of all this ? what doth this prove for r. i. and the rest of the masse-house-singers ? and what doth this prove , as to the singing of them that is void of understanding , who sometime sing , i go mourning all the day long , and just at that moment are singing , and what doth r. i. think it cannot be a psalme , unlesse it be in meeter ? or doth he think it is not accepted , except it hath a tune with so many stops , and to sing davids prayers , and call it praises , is this with understanding ? and even to return r. i. his words upon himselfe ; a more ungrounded opinion was never invented by the devil ; for them to sing or to pretend to praise god , whose soules lyes in death , and do not know what it is to partake of gods benefits , neither the unsearchable gift ; this kind of singing and imitation doth not comfort the soule , but burden it , and this doth not raise the witnesse , but kills it , and you make merry over it ; and this kind of singing must be turned into howling and lamentation . and saith r. i. our worship doth not differ neither in whole , nor in part , in matter or manner from the saints worship in the primitive times . answ. this mans confidence or rather impudence , is in opposition to knowledge and wisdome , for it were easily proved , that it neither in whole ; nor in part , neither in matter nor manner agreeth with the primitive times ; as for example , it is no where recorded in the scripture , that any apostle , minister , or ministers , did take a little water and did sprinkle a few drops on a childs face , and call'd this an ordinance of god , and say , it is a seal of the covenant , and mortification and remission of sins , neither any such doctrine did they declare ; neither did any of the ministers and apostles of christ , cause people to buy them bread and wine , and then give it the people back again , a bit of bread and a sup of wine at the middle of the day , and call this the lords supper , or a great sacrament ; neither had they bels in their churches to call people together ; neither had they soft cushions , and pulpits , and a hour-glasse hanging by them ; neither did the primitive churches prohibit , or limit the spirit of the lord god amongst any , but if any was moved to speake any thing , or had any thing revealed from the lord , the first was to hold his peace . these and many more things you differ in , both in matter and manner , which largely hath been declared by other pens , and so in this i shall be briefe ; neither had the ministers of the gospel their maintenance by force ; neither had they easter reckonings , midsummer dues , mortuaries , money for churching of women , marriages , nor for the burials of the dead , nor money for funerall sermons , neither did they preach over the dead : all these and abundance more of such like invented things , was never practised nor found amongst the churches before the apostacy ; which things considered may cause r. i. to blush , that ever he durst be so impudent as to say , they differ not , neither in whole , nor in part , in matter nor in manner , from the primitive churches ; and untill such time as r. i and his brethren contenders can clear themselves of these things , let them not think any whose eyes god hath opened can receive them for a church of christ ; nay most of the parish ministers holds up those practises which the papists did deny , as money for marriages and burialls , baptisme , the sacrament , or the ground in which the dead were buried , this was reprehended and condemned by the councell of trent , in the height of all popery , 1547. saith r. i. it seemes these tythes are a great matter to many , or rather a great trouble for them to pay the ministers , though abraham paid tythes of all to melchizadeck before the law ; and this proves e. d. his argument as saith r. i. that it is contrary to the light and law of god to withhold them from the ministers , because they were given by abraham before the law . answer , yea , it is a great matter with many to pay tythes , and a great trouble too , because he that confesseth christ is come in the flesh , cannot uphold the shadowes of the first covenant , which belonged to a changeable priesthood , having no other portion among their brethren , which was given unto them for the service which they performed unto the lord , and likewise were a twelfth tribe , and near a twelfth part of the people ; and now the law being changed , and the priesthood changed , and the covenant ended , and the ordinance thereof abolished , that such a company of covetous men , as the parochiall priests generally are , that they should claime the tythes that belonged to this priesthood , and not doe the worke which they did , and yet hath a portion among their brethren in this land , neither are they the three hundred part of the people ; and that such a company , i say , as these should claime the tenth part of all the increase in the land , this is a great matter , and a thing not consistent with the law of god , neither equity or reason . and it is but a poor and feeble argument neither of e. d. or r. i. that because abram gave the tenth part of the spoyle to melchizadeck before the law , that therefore it must be a binding thing to all generations to pay the tenth part as due to such as are neither after that order of aaron , neither after the order of melchizadeck . abram gave the tenth , and that but once , and freely , and melchizadeck brought forth bread and wine to abram's army ; and we may as justly , and upon as good ground , demand bread and wine for our whole families of the priests , as the priests can demand the tenth part of our substance from abram's gift to melchizadeck , and say , it is against the law of god , nature , and reason , as e. d. and r. i. doth conclude by their feeble arguments which they make upon abrams giving the tenths , for if the example of the one be binding , then the example of the other is also as binding ; abram gave the tenth part of the spoile and that but once , and melchizadeck demanded none , then why doe the priests who are but usurpers claime it every yeare ? and where they cannot get it freely , as few will give it them who witnesse christ come in the flesh , then they take it by force and constraint ; or would melchizadeck have pleaded with abram ( as this ignorant r. i. doth ) that the spoyle was none of his own ? as he saith tythes are no mans own ; or as i said before to e. d. would melchizadeck have taken away abrams oxen , cowes , or horses , sheep , or camels , if he had not given him the tenth part ? or did any of the ministers of christ require or demand , force or constraine any maintenance whatsoever from any , which this r. i. saith they differ nothing from , neither in whole nor in part , in matter or manner , neither in practice ; but saith r. i. this is nothing to the purpose , unlesse it could be proved that the apostles might have had tythes , which they could not being persecuted . yes it is something to the purpose if you take them for an example , as you say you doe ; and though it be granted the apostles were persecuted from place to place , and sometimes went from place to place when they were not persecuted , which r. i. would have condemned for runnagates , if he had lived in that time : but without all controversie , if it be a duty now to pay tythes unto the ministers of the gospell , then it was a duty in the apostles time , that though the rulers were persecutors , yet the apostles would have minded them , whom they had begotten into the faith , of their duty ; but we find no mention neither by commandement , reproof or exhortation , unto any of the churches , about any such thing , and so thy argument r. i. is foolish and frivolous ; for it may be easily proved , that tythes was never demanded , not for 7 or 8 hundred yeares after the ascention of christ . and r. i. saith , the apostles took whatsoever was given them , and this satisfies the ministers conscience to take tythes which the magistrates give them , so they may of such maintenance live of the gospel . answer , if the apostles took nothing but what was given them , then this shames your forcing , and also your seeking it of them who receives you not , which manifests you are out of the apostles example , and though it satisfies your consciences to take tythes ( which thou saith the magistrates gives you ) both of them that owns you , and them that owns you not ; yet i beleeve it would not have satisfied the apostles of christ , if any magistrates would have sent them back to the jews who believed not , or the gentiles who received them not , this they would not accounted as a free gift ; though this divers hundred years many rulers have drunk of the whores cup , and hath given their authority to the beast , and hath forced and compelled to a worship , and also to give to the whores merchants , yet this is but bad proof that they ought to have done so ; and the apostles never counted this living of the gospell to live of tythes and forced maintenance , which none of the ministers did receive , or ever will . and so for shame call in thy ignis fatuus again , in which thou hast published so many lyes , among which this is one , [ which will stand as a record against thee ] ( viz. ) that ye differ not in doctrine and practice , matter and manner , neither in whole nor in part , from the apostles and primitive saints . and this is another lye , that timothy and titus was settled in a parochiallike way in their quarters . nay the parochiall quarters , is all people , old and young , beleevers and unbeleevers , between such a water and such a wall , or betwixt such a hedge , and such a ditch . and because thou said i had not named the apostate that builded your masse-houses , i shall take away the occasion of thy clamouring this , and tell thee who invented your parishes , and your parochiall way , ( viz. ) the pope dyonisius , which it may be thou wilt calculate among the bead-row of saints , for his great devotion , as thou said ambrose did with seneca . the next thing that r. i. contends against , is no lesse thing then the doctrine of christ , and yet it may be he reckons himself as one of his ministers , and yet he raises arguments strongly against the doctrine of christ , viz. be not ye called masters . but it may be thou wilt say as one of thy generation said lately of some of the doctrine of christ , that these words give an uncertain sound , and therefore they must have an exposition , and it is this , that christ condemneth ambition , and superiority over our brothers religion and faith . answer . then all your parochiall ministers by thy own exposition falls under condemnation ; for this is a poynt of our faith , that if we be moved of the lord and by his spirit , to come into your assemblies to speak the word of truth , that we ought to speak it , and you ambitiously would arrogate unto your selves superiority over our faith and religion ; like as we beleeve that we ought not to give flattering titles to men , neither to give maintenance unto them , of whom we are perswaded , and doe believe are no ministers of christ ; and in these and many more things that pertains to religion , faith and godlinesse , you ambitiously and proudly have arrogated unto your selves superiority over religion , faith and consciences : therefore repent of it , and see you doe so no more left you fall into condemnation . and as for calling any man master who is our master we own , and it is the practice of such as are servants ; but to call him master who is not our master , is to speak an untruth , or else to give flattering titles , and we have not so learned christ ; but enough of this hath been spoken by divers , so that i shall pass on and touch a word about complements , and doffing off hats , and bowing of knees , a thing that r. i. and his brethren so dearly loves that they are loath to part with it , and these things we beleeve we ought not to doe ; and although r. i. doth confesse , that none ought to usurp authority or superiority over his brothers faith , yet notwithstanding he hath forgotten his own exposition in a moment , and falls a wrangling about hatts and caps , knees and complements , which we cannot doe for conscience sake . and saith r. i. if the quakers will not put off their hatts because it is a custome , or bow the knee because they are abused , they must not eat nor drink because it is abused by gluttons and drunkards . answer . a pittifull lame argument , we eat not , nor drinke not , because it is a custome , nor wear apparell , but because of their service and of necessity ; and yet i would have r. i. know , that we have learned to distinguish betwixt a thing that may be customary and good in it selfe , and a custome which is vaine ; and the saints did not salute one another because it was a custome , but because their hearts was joyned to one another in love and in truth . but for doffing the hart and bowing the knee to a fellow with a feather , or a woman with a fan , or a gold-ring , or powdered hair , this is a vain custome , and the antiquity of a thing doth not prove the goodnesse of it , neither customarinesse the worth of any thing , nor because a multitude of roysters and ruffins do practice such things , that therefore they are lawfull ; for we know broad is the way that leads to destruction , and many there be that enter in , and we have learned not to follow a multitude to do evill , though r. i. be untaught . but saith r. i. when sallutations are observed with a good decorum , they are like a hand diall which shews what order the wheels observe within , and the abuse of any thing doth not abollish the use thereof . answer . now what r. i. doth count a good decorum , reader thou may judge by what he hath before pleaded for ; for doffing of hatts , bowing the knee , and saying your servant sir , or , if it please your highnesse , or , if it like your excellency , with such feigned practises , and this is the decorum , which is counted civill ; and so reader thou may observe how the wheels runs within . it so came to passe that i was amongst a company of these that would be called ministers of the gospel , in number no lesse then ten , and in the room i was when they all came in , and they courted and bowed , and scraped with their feet , with their hats to the ground many of them one to another , and reeling up and down the house in this manner , and one striving to outstrip another in complements ; and though they had all intentions to sit down , yet they strave among themselves who should be last , and in this posture they continued halfe an hour together , at the which i admired , and indeed was ashamed , that men who professed godlinesse should be found in such transgression ; and it is like r. i. will count these civill salutations with a good decorum ; and now reader observe again how the wheels went within , and what they did drive after , but to gratifie one another in deceit , with these kind of decorums , like stage-players and fidlers ; and thou errs not knowing the scriptures neither the power of god ; when that which was commanded by god came to be abused they came utterly to be abollished , as the brazen serpent came to be idolized it was taken away , though there was no command for so doing , but they might have pleaded the former against them ; likewise the temple commanded to be built by god , and was to have continued for ever , yet being abused and made an idoll of , it was utterly abollished and was left unto them desolate , and the glory of god did not appear in it as before , and because of the iniquity of such a company of priests , sion became as a plowed field , and jerusalem became heaps , and the dayly sacrifices ceased , and not one stone left upon another of the temple that was not thrown down : and so for thee or any other to plead custome or antiquity , and examples , which was neither commanded or commended as to be standing and a binding rule to all generations , demonstrates thy great ignorance and blindnesse , and manifests thee to be one who pleases the spirit of the world , in whom the love of god dwells not . the next thing that r. i. falsly accuseth , and impudently affirmeth against the quakers , is , that they deny honour to superiours , and to them to whom it is due , and so blasphemes the name of god and his doctrine ; and further saith , charity , though shooting at randome , cannot misse the right mark . answer . it is one thing what god accounteth true honour , it is another thing what r. i. counteth honour . true honour is to obey the commands of superiours who rule in the power of god , and this the quakers doe , submitteth to all the just and equall commands which are required of them that rule in the power of god , and this is not to blaspheme the name of god and his doctrine ; but this fellow would have accused the apostles , as his generation did , who put them out of the cities charging them to speak no more in the name of jesus , and then when the apostles returned , plead their authority , saying , did not we command you to speak no more in his name , and now you are disobedient , blaspheming the name of god and his doctrine . is this good reasoning r. i. and charity shoots not at randome , neither misses the marke , but it is pure , and singles out its object to joyn unto , and joynes not unto deceit ; but this is r. i. his charity , to think wel of them that are doing evill , and joyne to them who are doing the devils worke , but this man honours charity as he doth the scriptures , he saith charity shoots at random , and the scriptures are the true cards , as hereafter thou shalt see . and saith r. i. f. h. labours to disgrace , if not to deface our churches , he like a cunning gamster knows how to alter the course of true cards , the scripture , as r. i. calls them . answer . because f. h. would have them to take away their crosses & pictures and images , which was set up in the time of grosse idollatry , this r. i. counts graces and adorns their churches , and so he is joyned to idolls i shall let him alone ; and the reader may see how r. i. honours the scriptures , when in one place he pleads for the same titles to be given unto them which is given to god ; and saith no man can dishonour christ by giving as honourable titles to the scriptures , as to god or christ ; then by his own argument he hath brought a great dishonour to god and christ and the scripture by giving them so base a title as the name of cards , and so in going about to exalt his own imaginations , he hath villified the scriptures of truth . and saith r. i. to call steeple-houses churches is no addition to the scripture , but a true exposition thereof ; and what if there be some reliques of idollatry in our materiall temples , as therei 's some reliques of sin in our living temples , must they therefore be called idoll temples ? answer . the temple in which the jews worshiped was builded by the command of god , which all these steeple-houses cannot be compared unto , which was invented and set up in the apostacy since men hath departed from the faith , and turned into formallities and idollatry . when christ was offered up the everlasting offering , them that did beleeve in christ separated from the temple ; and the gentiles who believed separated from their idolls temples and they met together in houses , which we do not read of was fill'd with pictures , images , and crosses ; and steeple-houses now was not then invented , and the councell of nice diverse hundred years after the apostles , decreed that images and crosses were to be placed in the churches , and also worshiped ; and there is the originall of those things which r. i. saith , doth grace and adorne their church . and if some of the reliques of idollatry doe abide in your temples , then it demonstrates that you are in the same spirit as they were that set them up . and if your temples take its denomination from the people that met therein , as r. i. saith in the 32 page , then they may be truly called popish houses and mass-houses from the people that meet therein . and if the reliques of sin abide in your living temples and bear rule there , then they that defile the temple will god destroy , for holiness becomes the habitation of his house for ever , and the 1 kings 8. 11. will be but a bad proof for thee , for the glory of the lord shall fill the house of the lord , for that is the temple , blind man , which was commanded by god , and the glory of god did appeare there ; but if this will not serve we must have another proof , psal. 76. 2. in salem is his tabernacle , and his dwelling place in sion , which may be understood allegorically of our temples saith r. i. doth the glory of the lord fill your mass-houses , you glory in deceit , and in pride , and your glorying is not good , and thy allegory is false , though his tabernacle was in salem , and his dwelling in sion , and his presence in the temple ; is yours the temple , or salem , or sion , or the tabernacle , if not , for shame pervert not the scripture , nor bring it to cover your idollatrous practices , which r. i. pleads for , and saith images , pictures , and crosses , may be continued in some places : and it is like r. i. would count it sacriledge to take them away , he is far from the exhortation of the apostle , abstain from every appearance of evill , and hate the garment that is spotted with the flesh . and r. i. saith , i plead not for baal , nor for proud phantastick , spirits , and yet a little after , saith that putting off lace , ribbouds and costly apparrell , may be putting on of pride . now who will believe this r. i. that he pleads not for baal , when he pleads for pictures , crosses and images , for cuffs , ribbonds , lace and costly apparell . now reader thou may observe by r. i. his decorum how the wheels goes within . and further r. i. saith , it is utterly unlawfull , for any christian whatsoever , gifled or not gifted , to preach the word in the name of the lord before the church publikely assembled , unlesse they be ordained and set apart by the church for such a work . answer . this man is farre from moses spirit , who wished that all the lords people were prophets , and would not forbid eldad and medad , to prophesie in the camp , which was a publick assembly , and israel then the church of god , and r. i. hath made too hasty a conclusion , who would prohibit all from speaking the word of god , if they wanted outward ordination ; then paul was a great transgressor , who consulted not with flesh and blood , neither with any other of the brethren , nor went not up to jerusalem for ordination , but preached three yeare the word of god , and then afterwards went up to jerusalem , and saw none except peter and james , and had no ordination then as we read of ; and afterward he went into syria and celecia , and furthermore saith , he was not known by face to the churches of judea ; so who ordain'd him all this time , for there was no churches of the gentiles but what he had planted then , and so they could not ordaine him , gal. 1. 17 , 18 , 19 , 21 , 22. and who ordain'd apollo ; but it may be that r. i. will say that paul was ordain'd at antioch , act. 12. 2. but i would have r. i. to understand that here was 17. yeares that he preached publickly before that , and where was his ordination ? many of the brethren who was scartered abroad in the persecution that was at jerusalem , went every where preaching the word of god , and when or where was these ordained ? and who ordained the brethren that was persecuted after stephens being put to death , who travilled as far as phenecia , and cyprus , and antioch , preaching the word and the hand of the lord was with them , and a great number beleeved and turned unto the lord , acts 17 , 19 , 20 , 21. yet these things i bring not as to deny but that many went out with the consent of the church , and many were ordained elders who were grown up in the truth and established , who had received the holy ghost , by whom many was confirmed and strengthned in the faith ; but what is all this r. i. to your ordination , and who ordained you , the pope , a bishop , or a councell , or a parliament , and what are they you irdaube ? such as learnes the art of speech seaven yeares at oxford , who hath read homer and aristotle , plato and diogenes , and learned to play on a fiddle ; these are no mechanicks but gifted men indeed and quallified , and fit to be ordained and made ministers , pastors and elders to carry a broad the traffique of mistery babylon ; but this r. i. is very peremptory , and saith , it is utterly unlawfull for any that are gifted to preach the word ; contrary to the apostles doctrine , who saith , as every one hath receiveth the gift so let him administer , and not such as r. i. would have to be ministers , who hath learned an art to speak , and this must be called a gift , and a quallification , and a fit man to be a pastour , and thus they have ordained one another , and hath set up a trade of preaching , and with their confused stories hath fill'd the world with darknesse . and as concerning an infallible spirit , saith r. i. none except christ who was without sin can challenge it , or lay claime to it , and i may say of such runnagates and wandering starrs , as this f. h. and the quakers are , as john did , 1 joh. 2. 9. they are gone out from us , because they were not of us . answer , however this r. i. hath cleared himselfe and the rest of his brethren for being ministers of christ , for they doe not only deny an infallible spirit , neither look to be made partakers thereof , but quite shut out all the saints from enjoying it ; and though in christ the fullnesse of the godhead dwelt , who was full of grace and truth ; he is the root from whence all that believe come to be made partakers of his virtue , and so many of his members may lay claime to it , as they have received it by a free gift according to the promise of christ , i will send you the spirit of truth which shall lead you into all truth , and the apostle had received the spirit of life in christ jesus , who had freed him from the law of sin and death , and the sons of god had received it , and they were led by it , and the ministers of christ was made ministers of it , who hath made us able ministers as it is written , not of the letter , but of the spirit , and that spirit was infallible and true , and that spirit which they declared of , was an unerring spirit , and as they were led by it they erred not , but were kept by it that the evill one touched them not , and they spoke from it , and ordered the church in it in the wisdome of god . but what doth these men minister from , who waits not to be made partakers of this , but denyes that ever any had it , or even shall have , and so are but a company of dreamers , and tells their dreame that they dreamed in the night , or at best steales the words from their neighbour , and saith , thus saith the lord when god hath never spoken to them . and though thou may say we are runnagates , because we sit not dreaming over 30 or 40 families 20 yeares , but travills from city , and from country to country to publish the word of truth freely , as the apostles and ministers of christ did ; we must by such as this r. i. and his brethren , who hath gotten holes and nests in the earth to creep into , be counted as runnagates ; and though john said , they are gone out from us , because they were not of us , this he spoke of them who went out of the light , in which he and the rest of the disciples had fellowship with god , and one with another ; and they that went out from this , went into the spirit of the world ; and you are such as they that are gone out already , and blasphemously calls the light of christ ignis fatuus ; and so all that fear the lord will come out from you , and out from babylon , where the blood of the prophets hath been shed , and the witnesses kill'd ; you who deny an infallible spirit , is like to be in blindnesse and follow the spirit of errour , for you have nought else to cleave unto . and further , r. i. saith , when the lord said by joell , that he would pour out his spirit upon all flesh , and his sons and daughters should prophesie ; the prophet speaks not of a ghostly power to open the kingdome of heaven , given by christ to his apostles and successors , but of an extraordinary measure of enlightning grace , and a more copious effusion of the spirit , and also to pastors to whom more is given , more is required ; and this text doth not prove that all sheep shall be pastors , and all schollars teachers . answer . nay this text doth not prove all sheep to be pastors , neither all that are taught to be teachers , for all are not prophets , neither pastors nor teachers , for as christ said the labourers are but few , but this man is afraid that there should be too many , and indeed there are too many hireling loyterers , that are ready to supplant one another for filthy lucre ; and though many may be said to beleeve , yet all have not received the spirit of prophesie , or a gift to be pastors , but onely they to whom it is given of the lord for the worke sake , yet notwithstanding they who have received it ought not to be limitted , either son or daughter , for them who doe , quenches the spirit , and despises prophesie , as this r. i. doth , and how should he doe otherwise , seeing he hath denyed the infallible spirit , from which all the ministers ministred , and all the prophets prophesied and spoke as they were moved by the holy ghost . but r. i. saith , the prophet spoke not of a ghostly power to open the kingdome of heaven , if by ghostly power he meane the spirits power , as i beleeve he will not deny , then was it not by a spirituall power , sons and daughters prophesied , and did not this power open the kingdome of heaven , and if it be a more copious effusion of the spirit which is given under the gospell then the law ; then how is it that r. i. would straiten or lessen the effusion thereof under the gospel ; for there was daughters that prophesied under the law , and many sons that spake by the spirit of god ; but now all must be confined to the letter , and your pastors now hath far lesse of the spirit , if any at all , who speaks from the strength of naturall parts , and denyes the unerring spirit , and so shuts up the kingdome of heaven against men . and r. i. is so grieved at this infallible spirit , or this spirit of prophesie , that he cannot endure that a daughter should prophesie or speak by the spirit of god in the assembly of the saints , and the main stresse of his or all their arguments is the 1 cor. 14. 34. let your women keep silence in the church , for it is not permitted for them to speak and if any woman speaks in the church , it contradicts the spirit , and though they have a gift , they ought not to improve it in a disorderly way . answer . that which hath been said in this perticular unto e. d. is sufficient to them whose eyes god hath opened , but this r. i. is one of the evil beasts that the apostle speaks of , whose mouth must be stopt . and so i further say , that the apostle writ to the church of corinth which were beleevers , which few will deny but that it consisted both of men and women , and he expressely saith , ye may all prophesie one by one , and , furthermore , if a woman prophesie with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head ; so that it is manifest that thee was women did prophesie and also laboured in the gospell ; but saith r. i. that was but in a private way , or amongst some few , this had been lawfull or orderly in r. i. his account , and if she might speak to two or three , or twice three it may be , as there is in many houses , is not this call'd a church , and doth not christ say , where two or three are gathered together in my name , i will be in the middest of them . moreover , was not that a church which was in aquilla and priscilla's house ? 1 cor. 16. 19. and was not priscilla a daughter that did prophesie ? what must priscilla goe out of her house in which was the church if she had any thing to speak by the spirit ? was it lawfull to speak without doors and not in the house ? and if she might speak in her house , then she spoke in the church , and r. i. would have said she had contradicted the spirit of god ; and is not christ one in the male and in the female ? and is not male and female both one in christ jesus ? is christs power and the spirits authority any whit lesse efficacious or powerfull when he speakes in the female ? or is it the sects only that addeth or diminisheth from the authority of the spirit ; thou ignorant man who art voyd of the knowledge of god ? and was not mary a woman , and did not she preach christs resurrection to the disciples , and were not they the church ? but this is like will not satisfie r. i. his unreasonable mind who doth not beleeve that a woman may prophesie or speak in the church , for this would contradict pauls saying ; not at all , i grant pauls words to be true , this was spoke occasionally to one church ? concerning them that were unlearned and untaught of the spirit , that usurped authority over the man , and such as was disorderly whose spirit was not subject to the prophet , and what must this be a binding example , as to quench the spirit , and limit the lord from generation to generation as to binde or limit them , who are in subjection to their husband and who usurped not authority ? for it is one thing to have authority , and another thing to usurp authority ; now they that are come to feel the power of god , and thereby be moved to speak , the power gives her authority , but she that is not in the power neither doth feele the motion of the spirit , such a one usurps authority and is unlearned , and such , and they only were prohibited by paul and no other ; for if it had extended unto all , then the women before mentioned had been transgressors ; and likewise further for the satisfaction of all ; anna a prophetesse , the daughter of phanuell of the tribe of aser , she coming into the temple gave thanks unto the lord , and spake of christ unto all them that looked for redemption in jerusalem , and that was in a publick place , and in a publick congregation , luk. 2. 36 , 37 , 38. and last of all , if e. d. and r. i. will not confesse that the meeting neer cond , in which the women spake , was a church , which f. h. justifies , then e. d. and r. i. hath lost their cause , and wrangled about nothing , and the thing proved against them both , ( viz. ) that a woman declaring , speaking or prophesying by the spirit of the lord and in the authority of god , is a lawfull and a commendable , and a justifiable act in the sight of god and all the children of light : and therefore cease your foolish clamour , and let no such ignorant stuffe come in print again , lest your folly be more and more made manifest , and the stone fall upon you which will grind you to powder . the next thing which r. i. quarrells about , is a lye , which edward dodd asserted , that some of the quakers should say they were equall with god , unto which f. h. replyed and said , he that hath the spirit of god , is in that which is equall , and he that is joyned to the lord is one spirit , there is unity , and that unity stands in equallity , and these expressions saith r. i. offers violence to god and his glory . answer , this r. i. is so in love with the spirit of errour , for he hath denyed the infallible spirit , and is in such love with an unequall spirit , that he cannot endure to here that any should be joyned to the lord in an equall spirit , and so quarrells with plain scripture , and saith , it doth violence to the majesty of god ; the spirit of the father , and the spirit of truth , is an equall spirit , and them that are led by it and are in it , are in that which is equal , and so are joyned to the lord , and are neerly related to him ; but that i said or any other , that the creature is equal to the creator , in power , or in glory , is false and a lye , and let e. d. and r. i. know , that 〈◊〉 are for the lake . r. i. saith , christ is glorified in his humane nature , and humane nature and flesh may be understood of the regenerate part , and humane nature may be understood both of soul and body , and this may confute f. h. that doth contend against humane nature , and goes on and tells another lye , as every page is fild with some , and saith f. h. saith , christ hath no real body . answ. this man speaks out of thick darkness , and intrudes into those things he hath not seen , being vainly puft up in his fleshly mind ; i said unto e. d. that christ was the seed of david according to the flesh , and according to the spirit , the son of god ; and furthermore said , and new saith , that christ is glorified in a spiritual body , and incorruptible body ; and so by incorruptible body and spiritual body , according to r. i. his dark understanding , must also be understood humane nature ; and again , humane nature may be understood of the soul , o dark and fortish man , what art thou like to confute , who saith the humane nature may be taken for the soul , and also it may be taken for flesh , and also it may be taken for the regenerate part , and thus like a blind man hath lost all aime , thou runnest rambling up and down in every by-path , but how should thou doe otherwise , seeing thou hast denyed that spirit that doth not erre ? and also would have all others to deny it , and saith , that none may lay claime to it , although god hath promised it , to give the spirit of truth to lead his people into all truth ; and if into all truth , then out of all error , but this doctrine of christ comes too neer perfection for r. i to own , which is a doctrine so offensive to him , that he cannot endure to hear of it , or that ought should be perfect , and therefore he hath condemned the law of the spirit of life , and saith it is imperfect , as may be seen in the 55 page of his book , and if flesh , and the regenerate part of man , and the soul , may all be understood by humane nature , then they are all one , and then the soul is humane and earthly , but the soul is spiritual and immortal , and flesh and blood inherits not the kingdome of god , and the regenerate part is that which is begotten and brought forth by the immortal word of life , and that which is born of the spirit is spirit , and so the ignorance of this man is made manifest , and so r. i. may take his lye home unto himselfe , as that f. h. denyes the reall body of christ , for f. h. hath said , and now saith againe , and that according to knowledge , that christ hath an incorruptible body , and a glorious body , and a spiritual body , and in this body is christ glorified with the father , and humane nature , is no where taken for a spiritual and incorruptible body , in the scriptures account , as this r. i. and his blind tribe doth imagine , and yet the flesh of christ is owned , and the word that was made flesh the saints know and doth feed on , by which they are nourished up into everlasting life , and so i say unto thee , as i did to e. d. when thou writes again speak plainly , if by humane nature thou intend a carnal body , or the same flesh thou art on , & thou would devide the flesh of christ from his spirit , would devide christ , & christ is not divided ; and thus he goes quarrelling on and heaps lye upon lye , and saith that f. h. saith , christ hath no real body , but his mystical body , which thing is thy own and never affirmed by me either in word or writing , and so repent of thy lyes , and for shame call in thy book least the judgements and plagues of god be multiplyed upon thee . and further saith r. i. how do the quakers condemn themselves , when they so proudly boast themselves , as the pharisees did , to be clear from sin , who needs not christs righteousness for their justification ; how then can they say that christs righteousness is their justification , when they are so righteous in their own eyes , for christ hath not promised to justifie any , but those that confess their sins . answ. we have confest our sins , and also departed from them , and not like you feigned hypocrites , who are confessing from year to year with your feigned lips , and your hearts never turned to the lord from iniquity , and takes the name of christs righteousnesse to be a cloak to cover your iniquity withall ; and we do not say , that we have no need of christs righteousnesse for our justification , for if we should say so , we should be lyars like thy self , for we have need of christs righteousnesse , for he is our life , who is called the lord our righteousness , he is our justifier , and who art thou that condemns any ? but the false accuser of the brethren , for christs righteousnesse is our covering , and we are not righteous in our own eyes , but in the eyes of him who hath made us so ; and we never said that we have not sinned , and so we have not made god a lyar , as this vile slanderer would make men beleeve through his false aspertions , for we say , we were once darknesse , but now are we light in the lord , and he who is our light and life , is our justification and righteousnesse , and his blood cleanseth from all sin , and the power of god keepeth us that the evil one toucheth us not , and yet all boasting is excluded . and the further r. i. goes on the lower he sinks towards the bottomlesse pit , and there we shall find him at last before we have done with his book , and speaks out of thick darknesse , like a man that never saw the sun , who hath altogether taken up his dwelling place in deaths region , and as though that were the land of his nativity , and thou shalt see reader by what ensues . r. i. saith , though it be said , he that commits sin is of the devill ; not that the devill can claime him for his own , or that he is in his possession , but he is captivated of the devill and everpowered . and for his proof he brings peter was cryed up to be a saint , and at that same time when he was cryed up to be a saint , christ called peter a devill , and that must be understood a saint had sinned . answer . he that is captivated by the devil , hath gone from the power of god , and he that commits sin doth the devils work , and he may claime him for his workman ; and he that is overpowered is brought into captivity , and he that carryes into captivity hath the captive in his possession , as it is written , his servants you are to whom you obey , and he that commits sin is the servant of sin . and these black confused distinctions r. i. maketh to make people beleeve that they are saints of god , when they are the devils captives , and that they are in the possession of christ , who yet doe the works of the devill who is an enemy to christ , and thou knows no more of a saint then thou knows of a devill , who saith that peter at the same time that christ called him a saint , called him a devil ; for thou must know , that matthew recorded many things it may be in one chapter , which was acted and done , and spoken in many dayes and weeks , for when peter confessed christ to be the son of god , he was in the faith , and christ said , flesh and blood had not revealed that to him , but at this time had spoken little of his sufferings ; as it is written , mat. 16. 21 , from that time forward began jesus to shew unto his disciples , how that he must goe unto jerusalem and suffer many things , and be kil'd , and rise again the third day ; so that it is manifest , that here was distance of time and space betwixt peters confession of christ and of his rebuking of him ; however the unbelief was gotten up in peter , and he that had need to be taught , came to be a rebuker of him who was his teacher , this was another state then the former ; but of these things r. i. is ignorant , and let the serpent feed upon dust , for i desire to give him no other food . and further r. i. saith , though saints sin not devil-like unto death , yet if any man say he hath not sinned ofter the similitude of adam's transgression , he , saith john , is a lyar and the truth is not in him , for when all is done the best men are men still , and the best earth is earth ever , and will bear nettles and brambles ; me and if these things were well considered by f. h. he would not say and e. d. for pleading for sin or satan , for we plead against those who say they have no sin . answer . this r. i. is so in love with sin , that by his arguments which he makes , one would judge that he accounts it as necessary as his dayly food , and these are strange kind of saints that r. i would make , at the best they are but still sinners , and unsanctified ; but they that are called to be saints , who are begotten by god the father and preserved in christ jesus , they are sanctified and made clean through the washing of regeneration , & through the sanstsification of gods holy spirit which divelleth in them , by which they have power to mortifie the deeds of the flesh , and to overcome and to be made partakers of the promises ; but here lyes the difference in r. i. his account , betwixt his saints and his sinners , the sinners sinneth devil-like , yet the saints sin not devil-like , i say they that sin are in one nature , notwithstanding r. i. his blind distinctions , for they that sin are liker the devill then god , and liker his image then gods image , for gods image consisteth in righteousness and ture holinesse , and the devils image consisteth in unrighteousness , sin , and unholiness . and now reader thou may judge whose image r. i. his saints bears , and if thou be one that can plead against them who are born of god , and sinneth not , and who are cleansed from all sin by the blood of christ , then r. i. will rank thee with e. d. and himself in his bead-row of saints , as he calls it . and if any man say , he hath not sinned after the simititude of adam's transgression , he is , saith john , a lyar ; nay it is r. i. that saith it and not john , and so r. i. is the lyar , for the scripture saith on this wise , rom. 5. 14. death reigned from adam to moses , even over them that had ( not ) sinned after the similitude of adams transgression . so that it is manifest , that there were many that death reigned over , and yet they sinned not after the similitude of adams transgression . but this r. i. will accuse every man with whom he hath a mind to quarrel , and will not only tell lyes himselfe , but publish false doctrine , but he will bring the saints for his author ; and john saith not , if any man say he hath no sin ; and thou that sayest , when all is done , the best men and the best earth , will bear nestles , brambles , and tricks , as i said to e. d. so i may to thee , thou hast given thy verdict for the devill , and not for god and his saints , for they that are born of god sin not , and them that are cleansed by the bloud of christ from all sin , and are clear in his sight , and are kept by his immortall word which dwells in them that the evill one touch them not , but hath overcome the wicked one , and the best earth is that wherein righteousnesse dwells , which r. i. is altogether a stranger too , and that brings forth no bryars , no brambles , nettles nor pricks , for that ground is curst ; so this man by his devillish doctrine , hath made the coming of christ of none effect , and the bloud of christ of none effect , and so have denyed the work of redemption to the best of men , and deliverance to the creature who hath travelled in paine . this dreamer is far contrary to the prophet daniell , who saw by the spirit of prophesie ( which this r. i. so deadly hates , both in men and women that if it be not allowed of by such as he , it must not speak nor they by ir ) this prophet i say testified of the coming of the just one , and of his work , that he should make an end of sin , and finish transgression , and bring in ever-lasting righteousnesse ; but saith r. i. the best men are men still , and the best earth earthever , and the best saints sinners , though they sin not devil-like , & nettles and brambles and pricks they will all bring forth . now if this doctrine be true , how is the soul raised out of death , and where is the restauration of the creature from under the bondage of corruption , and where is the redemption of the seed which is heir of the promise . nettles and brambles , bryars cumbers the ground , and choakes the seed , and these things f. h. hath well considered , and i see more and more that thou art a pleader for sin and satan , and imperfection , for a spirit of errour , for images , pictures and crosses , for cuffs , ribbonds and lace , for nettles , brambles and bryars , and art a man that doth lay claime to the utmost borders of the devils kingdome , and a greater servant of his master i have not met with long , whose reward will be according to his works . and the lye being the chief cognisance of his master , in which he greatly gloryes in , he goes on and saith , another errour of the quakers is , they do not beleeve the scriptures to be true , because they deny them to be the word of god ; for if they beleeve what the scriptures say of themselves ; and they say of themselves that they are the word of god , and for his proofs he cites , mar. 7. 13. rom. 10. 8. 2 cor. 2. 17. 1 pet. 1. 25. answer . the scriptures we own to be true , and whatsoever the scriptures say of themselves , that we own them to be ( to wit ) a declaration , scriptures of truth , holy scriptures , the words of god , of christ , and of his apostles , a treatise ; and for his proofs i could wholly referre them to the readento examine them himselfe , and to discover the ignorance of this r. i. who tenders these scriptures aforementioned for sufficient proof , as that the scriptures calls themselves the word of god , as for mark 7. 13. making the word of god of none effect by your tradition ; he doth not say of making the word of god , the scriptures of none effect ; neither doth he say you make the scriptures , which is the word , of none effect by your traditions , and as for rom. 10. 8. the word is nigh thee in thy mouth and in thy heart , and this is the word of faith which we preach ; here the apostle saith , the word is nigh thee in thy heart , but he doth not say , the scriptures is nigh thee in thy heart , which is the word of god , and 2 cor. 2. 17. for we are not as many which corrupt the word of god ; he doth not say , we are not as many that corrupt the scriptures , which are the word of god , or the word of god which is the scriptures . and as for 1 pet. 1. 25. but the word of the lord endures for ever , and this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you ; he doth not say the scriptures endures for ever , or this is the word , the scriptures , which by the gospell is preached unto you . and as for 1 thes 4. 15. for this we say unto you by the word of the lord , that we which are alive , and remaine unto the coming of the lord , shall not prevent them which are asleep ; he did not say , this we say unto you by the scriptures , for there was not such a scripture written before , and therefore we say this unto you by the word of the lord : and what a foolish man is this , to assert his own imaginations , and then imagins the scriptures will prove it ; and what an improper speech were this , to call twenty thousand sentences one word ; and it is called a declaration ; and what a declaration would that be which consisted but of one word ; but enough of this hath been published before concerning this perticular by divers hands , so i shall be brief . however r. i. doubts his proof allready , that it will not satisfie f. h. and therefore he thought good to make this conclusion upon him , that he does not believe the scriptures at all ; and though f. h. say , that these scriptures are nothing at all to prove that thing ; to deny his imaginations , is not to deny the scripture ; but f. h. beleeves what the scriptures saith of themselves , and doth not deny the scriptures at all , but r. i. his lye , and also his false conclusion . and further saith r. i. the scripture was delivered to the church in writing , that it might be an infallible standard ●f true doctrine , and a determiner of controversies , and the saints rule of knowing god and living to him . answer . reader take notice here is no roome for the spirit at all , the scriptures and writings have taken up the room of it in r. i. his account , for it hath lost its office , if his doctrine be true ; the letrer is become the infallible judg and standard to try doctrine , and a determiner of all controversies , and of the saints rule of knowing god , and living to him , and indeed is become all in this mans account , then what doth r. i. bring aesops fables , ovids fictions , plato's and diogenes stories , in this controversie to joyn with this infallible rule ; & because he hath the scriptures so high to be a tryer of doctrines without the spirit , doubtles is the cause here is no mention made of it , and so he shall be judged by his rule ; in the 42 page take his exposition upon the words of joel , i will pour out of my spirit upon sons and daughters , and they shall prophesie ; this is not meant of a ghostly power , but of an extraordinary measure of enlightening grace . ignorant man , is not ghostly power of spirituall power an extraordinary measure of enlightning grace ? and was it not as spiritual power , and an extraordinary light the prophets prophesied by ; but it is this mans meaning that must be the standard when all comes to all , and the determiner of cases ; and he speaks contrary unto his own rule , as may be seen through his whole book , who hath either added to the scriptures , or perverted them , or otherwise given his false interpretations , or villified them in calling them the true cards , and so though he extolled them in words , he denyes them in practice ; the jews tryed christs doctrine by the scriptures , and judged him a blasphemer , and a breaker of the law , and the apostles seditious ; and so though a man have the scripture , and have not the spirit , it is all as a sealed book , wherein such unlearned men as this r. i. is cannot read ; and therefore he saith in his 55 page , that it is a great fault in us , because we say the law of the spirit of life is the rule , & so like him will not say it is imperfect , as he doth , & so saith r. i. it is not fit to be a rule , & so blasphemously he detracts from the authority and power of the spirit , and like antichrist and his ministers sets the letter above it , & cals it living & an infallible standard , and saith the scripture inclines the heart unto obedience and like a drunken man this r. i. reels up and down and contradicts himself : before he said the law of the spirit chiefly gave power to conforme to the rule , and within four lines contradicts himself , and saith the scriptures inclines our hearts to the obedience of the rule , and the scriptures it self hath caused us to know it , as we have it from the church , it is a probable aid , and yet giveth but a confused beliefe , with a light impression . answ. it is probable enough indeed that thy faith is confused , & the faith of your church , & that makes thee utter forth all this confused heap , but in what hath been said , the spirit of this man and his doctrines will be manifest to all whose eyes god hath opened , and so will depart out of his paths and not give heed to his fabulous stories . it is true saith r. i. there is an inward law written in our hearts , called the law of the spirit of life , rom. 8. 2. and there is the outward law written in the scriptures ; now the outward and externall law is properly the rule of a christian life , and not the inward and internall law ; for the outward law is perfect in that it declares in what is the will of god , and in what it is not ; but the inward law received and written on the heart is imperfect , and therefore unfit to be our rule , the law within is that thing that is to be ruled , psal. 17. 4. the outward law therefore is the rule . answer . this man would set the sun by his diall , as it might be said , although he confess in the very same page , that the law of the spirit of life giveth power to the creature , yet now it is become imperfect , & not fit to be a rule ; this man like one unlearned , sets the law which was written in tables of stone , which the apostle calls the ministration of condemnation and was glorious , this he sets above the ministration of the spirit of life , which the apostle saith is much more glorious ; but nay saith r. i. the law written in the heart is imperfect and not fit to be a rule , but to be ruled ; contrary to the apostles doctrine ; and so this r. i. is tryed by his own infallible standard , to be a deceiver , who teaches contrary to that which he cals his law and testimony ; and the law which is outward , is the law of the first covenant , which made nothing perfect , but the bringing in of a better hope did , by which we draw nigh unto god , heb. 7. 19. therefore the lord said by the mouth of the prophet , behold the dayes come that i will make a new covenant with the house of israel , not according to the covenant i made with you when i brought them out of the land of egypt , when i was as a husband into them , which covenant they brake ; but i will write my law in their hearts , and put my spirit in their inward parts ; i will be to them a god , and they shall be unto me a people , jer. 31. 33. heb. 8. 9 , 10. now this blind man , who gropes as at noon day , saith , this is imperfect which is written in the heart , and so faulty with him , and therefore to be ruled over ; and the other which is outward is perfect , and faultlesse , and so ought to be a rule ; but saith the apostle contrary to r. i. if the first covenant had been faultlesse , there had been no place for the second , which second the apostle saith , is a better covenant , and stands upon better promises ; but yet saith r. i. this is not the rule , not fit to be a rule ; and furthermore the apostle said , as many as are led by the spirit of god are the sons of god , and this was their rule , and the law of the spirit of life made the apostle free from the law of sin and death , and was the new creatures rule by which they were led into all truth , and as many as did walk in it , out of all sin : but nay saith r. i. it is not sit to be a rule , for this is imperfect , and is that thing to be ruled , and for his proof brings psal. 17. 4. by the word of thy lips i have kept me from the path of the destroyer ; and how doth this prove that the law in the heart is to be ruled . thou ignorant man , who litters forth nothing but deceit and error ? and so the scriptures declares against thee , for they say , the law of the lord is perfect converting the soul ; the commandement of the lord is pure enlightening the eyes , psal , 19. 7 , 8. for the commandement is a lamp and the law is light , prov. 6. 23. and the commands of the new covenant are spirituall and not carnall , and they are perfect and fit to be a rule to guide all them that beleeve in a perfect way , and not as this r. i. saith , unfit to be a rule because of their imperfection , and would in his blind distinctions , cast a mist before peoples eyes ; and all may judge not only of this r. i. his mistake , but of his wilfull impudence , in preferring that which is visible and outward , and may be seen , which was given forth in time , ( viz. ) the commands outward , and the letter outward , above the law of the spirit of life , which is invisible , spirituall and eternall : and as i said to s. s. so i may say to thee , leane souls are they like to be , who receives such damnable doctrine as this for articles of faith . but however reader thou may take notice of r. i. in his epistle to the reader , he saith , the quakers money is counterfeit coyne , which he hath nailed on the market post , and instead thereof hath tendered other money ; and that thou may see what kind of other money the priests is , and what image it hears by the principles here discovered , which is altogether . tin and drosse and reprobate silver , which will be received by none , but them whom the god of this world ha●h blinded the eyes of , that they should not see the things that belongs unto their peace . and edward dodd being sensible that he & all his stuffe , or he and all his arguments was carried captive , and become a booty and a prey , he is glad that any will step in and rescue him , and flatters r. i. and saith , i am engaged to you , to imbrace you as a precious friend , that of so weake principles as mine , have raised so perfect a structure , so absolute , rationall , and demonstrative , that more need not to be done . answ. r. i. his vindication hath not redeemed e. d. his principles at all , but rather hath laboured in vain , and spent his strength for naught , and hath brought forth such a birth as sober men will blush at , made up of ignorance , blasphemy , derision , and lyes , which they that have the lest moderation will abhorre and detest ▪ and the principles of e. d. and r. i. are not only weak and feeble , but wicked and impious , as is manifest in what hath been declared ; and the structure that r. i. hath made , is but builded with untempered morter , lyes , falshood , errour , false doctrine , which the stormy wind of the lord will rent and scatter , and confound , and exalt his truth above it all . but e. d. saith , what can be said to reduce such a people i know not , since so many convincing arguments cannot prevaile . alass poor men whether would you reduce us , or bring us back , to the slime pits of sodome , where e. d. fell with his stuffe , or turn us back again to images , pictures and crosses , to mass-houses , hirelings and tythes , to lace , ribons , and cuffes , which both e. d. and r. i. hath strongly pleaded for , as faithfull servants to their master , who would not have him loose a foot of his territories ; however e. d. hath resolved to continue one in life and death with r. i. who hath shaken hands with the prince of darknesse , and made a covenant with death , which must be broken ; and though s. s. e. d. & r. i. joyne hand in hand , yet the wicked shall not goe unpunished , for every one shall receive a reward according to their works . and so i have done with r. i. his book called ignis fatu●● , whose arguments , false doctrines , errours and lies are dissolved into nothing ; his vindication made voyd , his ignorance made manifest , his false doctrines brought to light , and reproved by the word of truth ; only i shall returne him a few of his lyes back again for him to review the second time , and repent of them , and remember the sentence for all lyars is , the lake that burneth , rev. 22. 15. first , that their worship differs not in whole nor in part , in matter nor in manner from the churches in the primitive times . secondly , according to the scriptures their whole worship is framed . thirdly , that jezabel was never more madder against the prophets , then these quakers are against christs ministers . fourthly , the quakers contemn magistracy & infect the common-wealth with ●action . fifthly , that the quakers burnt some houses at oxford . sixthly , that timothy & titus were setled in a parochial way in their quarters . seventhly , that f. h. complains of the darkness of the sun , when the fault is in his own eys . eightly , the quakers deny honour to superiors , & to whom it is due , and so blaspheme the name of god and his doctrine ninthly , f. h. would never have cryed out of deceit , but a purpose to deceive the more . tenthly , that the quakers bid open defiance to the worship of god . eleventhly , that i. n. did say , that he was as just , and holy , and good , as god . twelfthly , that f. h. said , that christ jesus was not glorified in heaven with a real body . thirteenthly , humane nature is taken for the regenerate part of man , and the soul . fourteenthly , that the best men ( though regenerate ) bears nettles , brambles , and pricks . fifteenthly , there is an inward law , called the law of the spirit of life , which is imperfect ; and not fit to beare rule , but to be ruled . sixteenthly , and the scriptures leads us to the spirit , and enclines our hearts to the obedience of the rule . seventeenthly , and f. h. preferreth ignis fatuus , before the clear light of gods word . eighteenthly , & lastly , when he hath spoken all these lies , & publish'd them in print to the world , he blasphemously saith , in his epistle to the reader , have not so much regard to the authority of the writer , as the truth of the matter written by him , who was moved of the lord thus to declare . so all these lyes with many more , and all these damnable doctrines which he hath uttered forth against the truth , these things he would fasten upon the lords motion , and so make him the author of iniquity , and a cloak for his ungodly speeches against them who love the truth as it is in jesus , who hath suffered many reproaches for its sake , and hath been killed all the day long by this generation , amongst which r. i. is , who hath bent his tongue to mischief , and his lips to utter forth deceit ; and as jannes and jambres resisted moses , so hath this r. i. resisted the truth , being a man of a corrupt mind , and concerning the , faith , reprobate ; but he shall not proceed much further , for in what he hath written his folly will be manifest unto all men , and them that fear the lord will depart out of his foot-steps , which leads to the chambers of death , and from those dark paths in which r. i. treadeth , which leadeth into utter destruction . westmorland , the 15. of the 4. month , 1660. the end . the inheritance of jacob discovered. after his return out of ægypt: and the leading of the lord to the land of promise, declared, and some information of the way thither. or a word of exhortation to all professors in england, scotland and ireland, and to all the world where this shall come, wherein the common salvation is declared, in which the saints believed; and deceit discovered and made manifest. published in love to all the honest hearted in the nations, in love and bowels of compassion to your soules. also a few words of exhortation to the rulers of england, and ireland. / by a servant of jesus christ who delighteth in his masters worke. francis howgill. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a86650 of text r208464 in the english short title catalog (thomason e869_3). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. 88 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 21 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo 2017 a86650 wing h3168 thomason e869_3 estc r208464 99867417 99867417 119728 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a86650) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 119728) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; 131:e869[3]) the inheritance of jacob discovered. after his return out of ægypt: and the leading of the lord to the land of promise, declared, and some information of the way thither. or a word of exhortation to all professors in england, scotland and ireland, and to all the world where this shall come, wherein the common salvation is declared, in which the saints believed; and deceit discovered and made manifest. published in love to all the honest hearted in the nations, in love and bowels of compassion to your soules. also a few words of exhortation to the rulers of england, and ireland. / by a servant of jesus christ who delighteth in his masters worke. francis howgill. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. [2], 38 p. printed for giles calvert at the black-spread eagle, at the west end of pauls, london : 1656. in this edition, line six of title reads "ægypt:" and the last words of lines 16 and 19 read: "soules" and "worke" respectively. annotation on thomason copy: "march. 1st". reproduction of the original in the british library. eng society of friends -doctrines -early works to 1800. a86650 r208464 (thomason e869_3). civilwar no the inheritance of jacob discovered. after his return out of ægypt:: and the leading of the lord to the land of promise, declared, and some howgill, francis 1656 17982 30 0 0 0 0 0 17 c the rate of 17 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the c category of texts with between 10 and 35 defects per 10,000 words. 2007-05 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2007-06 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2007-07 jonathan blaney sampled and proofread 2007-07 jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-02 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the inheritance of jacob discovered . after his return out of aegypt : and the leading of the lord to the land of promise , declared , and some information of the way thither . or a word of exhortation to all professors in england , scotland , and ireland , and to all the world where this shall come , wherein the common salvation is declared , in which the saints believed ; and deceit discovered and made manifest . published in love to all the honest hearted in the nations , in love and bowels of compassion to your soules . also a few words of exhortation to the rulers of england , and ireland . by a servant of jesus christ who delighteth in his masters worke . francis howgill . london : printed for giles calvert at the black spread eagle , at the west end of pauls 1656. the inheritance of jacob discovered : after his returne out of egypt , and the leading of the lord of the land of promise , declared , and some information of the way thither . awake oh sion , who hath long sitten in the dust , in sorrow and bitternesse , and hath been covered with ashes , and none hath had compassion upon thee , but all the kings , and mighty men of the earth who have worshipped the beast , and received his marke , and committed fornication with the whore , which sitts upon many waters , which is full of abomination , and the cup in her hand have all the men of the earth drunken off and are made drunke , and staggers and now glories in their abominations , and ( oh sion ) dispises thy virginity , and thy scituation , and hath pulled downe thy towers , and made thee as a desolate widow , and hath gone over thee , and trampled upon thy glory , and hath made merry over thee , and hath slaine thy sons and daughters in the streetes , even in babylon , where the whore sits as a queene , and in sodome and aegypt , with whom they are joyned , where the witnesses lieth slaine , but the time of thy deliverance is come , and the yeares of thy captivity is up . arise , oh virgin , who art not defiled , who could not joyne with the daughter of babylon in her whoredomes ; therefore they have mocked thee , and wagged their heads at thee , and hath said in their hearts , who shall deliver thee ? arise , shine forth , put on thy beautifull garments , behold thy king cometh in his glory , who will adorne thee and crowne thee with a royall diadem , in the sight of thine enemies , who have reproached thee ; and thy reproach shall be taken away , for thy seed shall be as the starres in multitude , yea ▪ they that have spoiled thee , shall be spoiled , and they that have destroyed thee shall be destroyed , for the king is coming out of his tent , yea he hath lifted up his standard against all that have spoiled thee , yea , the destroyer is come up against babylon , and aegypt shall tremble , and the philistines hearts shall faile for feare , and all the canaanites shall be cast out , and this shall be performed by the lord of hosts , the god of jacob , who is now arisen in his jealousie and it burnes as fire , against all the inhabitants of the earth , and the sea , who hath joyned their strength together against the inheritance of the lord , rejoyce for evermore all that love his appearance , and who have waited for him , he is come , and coming to take vengeance upon his , and you adversaries , for he hath a sacrifice in babylon to performe , even to cut off all her children ; who hath despised thee , oh ▪ sion . arm your selves , oh yee high cedars , and mighty men , put on your strength , and gather together all your forces , which you have trusted in , call upon your gods , and all your soothsayers , and diviners together , for now he is come , and the daughter of sion now laughes you to scorne , and jerusalem , the free citizens doth wagg their heads at you ; for he will now plead the cause of the poore , against you who have been too strong for them , and now all that heareth this shall tremble ; for he will make jerusalem a praise in the earth , and from it doth the law and the prophets come forth . awake , oh arme of the lord , and put one strength as in the dayes of old , to redeeme thine own inheritance , which hath long been by the heathen laid wast , and hath been trampled upon by the uncircumcised , art not thou he , which was , and is , and is to come ? who wilt not give the glory to another , arise and shine forth in thy brightnesse thou starr of jacob , and sun of righteousnesse , and let the earth be filled with thy light and glory , that generations to come may call thee blessed . dry up the tongue of the aegyptian sea , confound the wisdome of this world which never knew thee , neither would owne , nor receive thee , make the diviners and sorcerers mad , who have scattered thy sheep from the everlasting fold , and have healed the hurts of thy people deceitfully , and have caused them to erre , in telling them , thy power , nor thy arme was not to be looked for now , as in the dayes of old , nor thy immediate voyce , nor word was to be looked , or waited for now in the earth , and so have deceived the people , with their lying divinations , which they have spoken from the imaginations of their owne hearts , and have laid a stumbling block in the way , as the sonne of nebat did who made israel to sin . but oh lord , thou seest how thy owne seed lyeth scattered , and the ravenous beasts make a prey upon it , and the devourers swallow it up , therefore hast thou appeared in thy love and power , for thine owne names sake , and will not suffer thy seed to be trodden upon any longer , by the prince of darknesse , nor his children whom he hath begotten in his own image . arise , shine forth , thou everlasting covenant of light and peace , by which , and in which , all our fathers believed ▪ and so obtained a good report , and were redeemed out of captivity , to serve the ▪ lord for ever with one heart and minde , and worshipped in one spirit , in which faith they laid hold upon the perfect righteousnesse of christ , made manifest in them , and were justified , but hath been hid for many generations , in the time of antichrists reigne , and all the world hath wondered after the be●st , and hath received his marke , but now is the night farre spent , and the day is at hand , wherein all that hath been hid shall be made manifest , and the number of the beast is read and knowne by all that are redeemed from under his power , and now the beast and the false prophet is seene , and the man of sin , is made manifest in this the day of his everlasting power ; and the brightnesse of the sun of righteousnesse , who is the light of the word , hath made him manifest who is come and coming : glory unto him for evermore , who alone is worthy to take the kingdome . wherefore all honest hearted ▪ in , and underall formes of professions who have travelled , and are weary , and all you that have kindled a fire , and have warmed your selves at the sparkes thereof ; and yet still you lye in sorrow . oh all yee that have pantel , and thristed after righteousnesse , who have wearied your selves in seeking , among the dead graves and tombes for a saviour , but have found no rest , and who have followed , loe here , and there , in this grave , and the other sepulcher , builded on this and that sand , and still swept away ▪ your state i know , you have no peace in the eternall rest , i say unto you , while you looke without you , your eyes may consume in your holes , and your expectations faile , and you will be still complaining ; for your sakes , who are weary , and have found none to direct your way , a few lines i am moved in compassion to write , unto you , and if you will not receive it , you will not believe , if one should rise from the dead , for i have obtained mercy from christ : through his free grace who is risen from the dead , and saw no corruption ; by which grace i am saved from sin , and cleansed from unrighteousnesse , after long and sore labour and travell , under pharaoh the oppressor , from under whose dominion i am brought to worship the living god , in spirit and truth , in his temple , where he dwells in righteousnesse for ever . and for the simples sake , ( who have erred for lack of true knowledge , as i did in times past ) i shall declare unto you a little in short of my travells in aegypts-land , where darknesse is so thick , that if yee wait but diligently to see your selves , you will feele it also . from twelve yeares old i set my heart to know that god which the world professed , and which i did read of in the scripture , which abraham , noah , moses , and the prophets , and the rest of the fathers worshipped , and i did fall into the strictest worship that was in that part wherein i lived , and often i desired to be alone , and attended much to reading , and meditation , and then as i was sober , and serious alone . i began to see that all the sports and pastimes , and such as youth delights in naturally ▪ were vanity , and they lasted but for a moment , and while i was in folly and wantonnesse , doing of them , the nature which was run into transgression , had pleasure in them , but assoone as i was come from among them , i was judged in my selfe , for what i had done , and often made me weepe , then i resolved in my will , that i never would doe so againe , and for some time did restraine from the common practise of those things that i had walked in ; but assoone as i came amongst those againe , i acted those things againe ▪ which before i did see to be vanity , but long before that i was checked for many things ; and so i walked , often condemned in my selfe , when i was serious , and had no peace , and then not knowing what to doe in much sorrow when i was alone , i had a desire to be alone where i might not heare nor see any folly acted , and did not goe to the former exercises , although som thing in me hanckered after it , but when i yielded not unto it , i was glad , and had peace , and then i began to oppose my fellowes with whom i had walked in wantonnesse , and then they began to revile me , and hate mee , and scorne me . yet notwithstanding i mattered not , then i read much and prayed in words often , three or foure times a day , but i knew not where god was , but in my imagination , imagined a god at a distance , and so went on ; and then i began to grow in knowledge , without ( which is sensuall ) and then i was puffed up , for the world admired me ; but still i was condemned for vaine words and actions , and the roote of iniquity grew in me , and then i followed a more strict course ; and often went five or six miles , to heare some more excellent meanes ( as they called it ) and so did get more words , but still i was the same , nay worse , for knowledge puffed me up ; then along to about fifteene yeares of age , i posted up and downe after the most excellent sermons , so called , and so became acquainted with all the eminent christians so called in the region , where i lived , and i was despised of my parents , and of the world made , and great reproach came upon me , but still i saw they knew nought , and it was no matter , and so much sorrow fell upon me , foure or five yeares , and when i was turned within , i was judged for all myiniquity formerly , and still my heart was shewed to me , that it was corrupt , but as i kept whithin to the light in my conscience , i was restrained from many actions , which i had a will to doe , and in the instant when i have been doing any unrighteousnesse in actions or words , in many things i was often stopped , and when i saw that i did it not , a great joy arose in me , and when i had done any thing forwardly and rashly , i was judged , but this the teachers said was a naturall conscience that kept from sin , and did restraine it , and said , he that had but restraining grace , ( as they called it ) he was but a tame devill . and so i hearkned to their imagination and so slighted the light as too low a thing , that was but common grace that did preserve out of grosse evills , but the saints had a peculiar faith and grace ; and so i hearkned unto them , and still i was convinced of sin ; and then they told how the saints did believe in christ , and so sin was not imputed , but his righteousnesse was accounted unto them , and so i must seek him in the means , as prayer , and receiving the sacrament ( as they called it ) and judged me a worthy communicant : and in great fear i was that i should eate unworthily , and none could direct me what the body of christ was , insomuch at one time i read all the scripture that spoke of christs suffering . and they said , i must believe he suffered for me ; and i believed all that they called faith , but yet i could not see how he dyed for me , and had taken away my sin , for the witnesse in my conscience told me i was a servant of sin , whilst i committed it . and they told me i must not omit that ordinance , for thereby strength was confirmed , and faith added ; insomuch , on the one hand they pressing it as a duty , and on the other hand i saw that the scripture said , he that eates unworthily , eates damnation to himselfe ; i was in fear , notwithstanding none could accuse me without : yet then afterward a great fear fell upon me , and i thought i had sinned against the holy ghost , and great trouble fell upon me . then they said , i had not come prepared ; and yet i had all the preparation that they had spoken of , but still they were all phisitians of no value . then i fasted , and prayed , and walked mournfully in sorrow , and thought none was like me , tempted on every hand ; so i ran to this man , and the other , and they applyed promises to me , but it was onely words , for the witnesse of christ shewed me that the root of iniquity stood , and the body of sin whole ; notwithstanding i was kept by a secret power from grosse evills : but still sorrow compassed me about , and i questioned all that ever i had ; which they said was grace , and repentance , and faith . and then i told them there was guilt in me : and they said , sin was taken away by christ , but the guilt should still remaine while i lived , and so brought me the saints condititions , who were in the warfare , to confirme it : and so i said in my selfe , this was a miserable salvation , that the guilt of sin and condemnation still in me should stand ; and so i was tossed from mountaine to hill : and i heard them preach confusion , and so i matterd not for them , and said , sure this is not the ministry of christ , and so i ceased long by fits and did not mind them , but kept still at home , and in desart places , sollitary in weeping ; and every thing that i had done was laid before me , insomuch that every thought was judged , and i was tender , and my heart broken , and when i could sorrow most i had most peace , for something spoke within me from the lord , but i knew him not then . and they said , that it was heresie to look for the word of the lord to be spoken now in these dayes , but onely the letter ; and so i regarded it not much : yet often i was made to doe many righteous things by the immediate power and word of god , and then peace and joy sprung up in me , and promises was spoken , that he would teach me himselfe , and be my god ; and often i did obey contrary to my will , and denyed my will : but they told me , this was legall to obey out of fear , and that was slavery ; but there was an evangelicall obedience ( as they called it ) so i got above the fear , and yet acted the former things , which they called ordinances , and they said that was son-like obedience , and christ had done all . then there appeared more beauty in them called independants , and i loved them , and so joyned my selfe to them , and all the money that i could get i purchased books with , and walked with ( and owned ) them as more separate from the world ; and they prest separation , but at last i saw it was but in words , that they would doe things , and chuse officers , and members of themselves , and so made themselves an image , and fell down to it ; yet there was some tendernesse in them at the first , but the doctrine was the same with the worlds words without , of others conditions . then they whom they called anabaptists appeared to have more glory , and walked more according to the scripture , observing things written without ; and i went among them , and there was something i loved among them ; but after they denyed all but such that came into their way , as out of the fellowship of the saints and doctrine of christ , i saw the ground was the same , and their doctrine out of the life with the rest of the teachers of the world , and had separated themselves , and made another likenesse ; but still all said , the letter was the word and rule , and christ at a distance without had done all ; and some of them holding freewill others opposing , and all in the will . but still i loved them that walked honestly amongst all these , but though i had seen and owned all that i had heard ( except the figure which i saw was outward , and that was their greatest glory ; and i saw they would have all fall down to it , else no communion ; in the midst of all these , and much more , which is death to speak on : but onely that all honest hearted may see themselves where they have rested and also may not trust any more to a reed of egypt ) after all this no peace nor no guide i found . and then the doctrine of free-grace ( as they called it ) some preach't , that all sin was done away , past , present , and to come , and so preached salvation to the first nature , and to the serpent that bore rule , onely believing this , and all was finished ; to this i hearkned a little , and so lost my condition within : but still whither ever i went ; this was spoken in me , his servant thou art to whom thou obeyes ; and so i being overcome by sin , i had no justification witnessed in me , but condemnation . then some preached christ within , but they themselves were without , had but words , and yet they said all must be within ( unto which my heart did cleave ) and spoke of redemption , and justification , and all within , and of god appearing in man , and overcoming the power of the devils , and then that in my conscience bore witnesse it must be so , and i was exceedingly pressed to wait to find it so , and something breathed after the living god ; and a true love i had to all that walked honestly in what profession soever , and i hated reviling one another , and that they should smite one another , and persecute one another , and with the sufferer i alwayes took part : but still i saw though they spoke of all things within , and of a power to come , that they enjoyed not what they spoke , for the same fruits was brought forth ; till at last , i saw none walked as the ministers of christ , nor none that pretended to the ministry had any such gift , neither pastour , nor teacher , nor any such members as was in the apostles time . so at last , having passed up and down , hurried here and there , i saw all the teachers of the world , that they sought themselves , and fed poor people with dead names , and deceit and that they were not the ministry of christ : and so i saw them all in deceit who did not abide in christs doctrine , and so i got my selfe quit of most of them , for ever as i dissented from their judgement , they hated me , and persecuted me . so at last , there was something revealed in me , that the lord would teach his people himselfe ; and so i waited , and many things opened in me of a time at hand : and sometime i would have heard a priest , but when i heard him i was moved by the lord , and his word in me spoke to oppose , and often as a fire , i burned , and a trembling fell upon me , yet i feared reproach , and so denyed the lords motion : and it was revealed in me to waite , and i should know his counsell , and the word of the lord was in me , the time was at hand when the dead should hear the voyce of the son of god , and it burned in me as fire , that the day was near when it should not be , loe here , nor there , but all his people should be taught of the lord : but still my mind ran out , and out of the fear into carelesnesse , for the crosse of christ i knew not ; and yet this i say , i was wiser then my teachers i met with in that generation , i doe not glory in it , for condemnation is past on it all for ever ; yet still i had ever as my mind was turned to the light , pure openings and prophesies to come , & a belief that i should see the day , and should bear witnesse to his name ; and so when things opened so fast , the wisdome of the flesh catched them , and so i went up and down preaching against all the ministry ; and also run out with that which was revealed to my selfe , and preached up and down the country of the fulnesse that was in the old bottle , and so was wondred after , and admired by many who had waded up and down as my selfe had , and we fed one another with words , and healed up one another in deceit , and all laid down in sorrow , when the day of the lord was made manifest ; for i was overthrown , and the foundation swept away , and all my righteousnesse and unrighteousnesse was all judged , and weighed , and all was found too light . and immediately assoon as i heard one declare ( whose name is not known to the world , but written in the lambs book of life for ever ) in eternall record for ever ; assoon as i heard him declare that the light of christ in man was the way to christ , i believed the eternall word of truth , and that of god in my conscience sealed to it ; and so not onely i , but many hundreds more , who thirsted after the lord , but was betrayed by the wisdome of the serpent , we were all seen to be of the foundation , and all mouths was stopped in the dust , and so we stood all as condemned in our selves , and all saw our nakednesse and were all ashamed , though our glory was great in the worlds eye , but all was vanity . and then after all this , i was ignorant what the first principle of true religion was : but as i turned my mind within to the light of jesus christ wherewith i was enlightned , which formerly had reproved me for all vanity , and also as i did own it , it led me into righteousnesse , and when i turned to it i saw it was the true and faithfull witnesse of christ jesus , and then my eyes vvas opened , and all things vvas brought to remembrance that ever i had done , and the ark of the testament was opened , and there was thunder , and lightning and great haile , and then the trumpet of the lord was sounded , and then nothing but war , and rumour of war , and the dreadful power of the lord fell upon me , plague , and and pestilerce , and famine , and earthquake , and fear , and terror , for the sights that i saw with my eyes , and that which i heard with my eares , sorrow , and paine , and in the morning i wished it had been evening , and in the evening i wished it had been morning , and i had no rest , but trouble on every side ; and all that ever i had done was judged and condemned ; and all things was accursed , whether i did eate , or drink , or restraine , i was accursed ; and then the lyon suffered hunger , and the seals were opened , and seven thunders uttered their voyces ; mine eyes were dim with crying , my flesh did faile of fatnesse , my bones were dryed , and my sinnews shrunk : i became a proverb to all , yea to them who had been mine acquaintance , they stood afar off me ; the pillars of heaven was shaken , and the earth reeled as a cottage ; one woe poured out after another . and i sought death in that day , and could not find it , it fled from me , and i sought to cover my selfe any way , or with any thing , but nothing could , for the indignation of the lord was upon the beast and the false prophet ; and babylon came into remembrance in that day , the mother of harlots , and the sea dryed up , and all the merchants that had traded with her stood asar off , for the cup of fury was poured forth , and cain was seen , and judas that had betrayed the lord of life : and i would have run any way to have hid my selfe , but nothing but weeping and gnashing of teeth , and sorrow , and terror , and i roared out for the disquietnesse of my heart , and the kingdome was full of darknesse , i knew not the right hand from the left , i became a perfect fool , and knew nothing , and as a man distracted ; all was overturned , and i suffered losse of all : in all that ever i did , i saw it was in the accursed nature , and then somthing in me cryed , just and true is his judgment , my mouth was stopped , i durst not make mention of his name , i knew not god , and as i bore the indignation of the lord , somthing rejoyced , the serpents head began to be bruised , and the witnesses which were slain , were raised , and stopped heave● that it rained not in the dayes of their prophesie , and a great samine there was ; and the sun was darkned , and the moon turned into blood , and the stars did fall , and all the grasse of the earth withered , and every green tree , and all the springs were dryed up , and a great and a noysome smell , and a plague fell upon the earth , and the waters became as the blood of a dead man , and the heavens passed away with a noyse , and the elements melted , and the earth was scorched with the flame which proceeded from the throne of god , and the judgement seat of christ was seen , and an account was to be given , and then esau was cursed , and cain , and judas , and ishmael , and all the cananites , and the egyptians , went to the left hand , and as the judgement was pronounced , something cryed , just art thou oh lord in all thy judgements ; and as i did give up all to the judgement , the captive came forth out of prison and rejoyced , and my heart was filled with joy , and i came to see whom i had pierced , and my heart was broken , and the blood of the prophets i saw slaine , and a great lamentation ; and then i saw the crosse of christ , and stood in it , and the enmity slaine upon it , and the new man was made , and so peace came to be made , and so eternall life was brought in through death and judgement , and then the perfect gift i received which was given from god , and the holy law of god was revealed unto me , and was written in my heart , and his feare and his word which did kill now makes alive ; and so it pleased the father to reveal his son in me through death , and so i came to witnesse cleansing by his blood which is eternall , glory unto him for ever , and am a minister of that word of eternall life which endures for ever , glory unto his name for ever , and have rest and peace in doing the will of god , and am entred into the true rest , and lie down in the fold with the lambs of god , where the sons rejoyce together , and the saints keep holy-day , glory unto him for ever . and these few things have i written for your sakes who walk in darknesse , that you may see where you are ; and also ye high cedars , who trust in the arme of flesh , that you may cease your boasting and com● down from off the pinacle where you are exalted , for the same must come upon you , if ever the lord you know in truth and righteousnesse , even through the death of things , in the curse of all knowledge and wisdome which is from below ; yea , through the death of death that rules in you , which must be slaine upon the crosse of christ jesus if ever you come to true peace and witnesse eternall salvation . and therefore , cease you diviners , and imaginers , who have feigned a faith , and a christ , and a salvation in your imaginations , and yet that you may live in the lust and filth of the world and the customes and fashions which perish . i say , your expectations shall faile , and you will lie down in sorrow , for where salvation is witnessed , the life of christ is witnessed , but you would have salvation , and the life of the devil brought forth and lived in . but unto all such i say , this will be your sentence , depart into the lake : therefore take warning , for it is not your good words without the life of godlinesse nor your swelling speeches that is accepted with god , for he accepts nothing but what is of himselfe , and by him wrought in the creature by his own will and power ; and this destroyes the carnall will and power and righteousnesse ; and this work which he worketh of himselfe and by his power and in his covenant is perfect and is accepted of god , and so it s no more the creature but christ who is all in his saints , and so he brings all that follow him out of the works of condemnation ( which is acted in the disobedient nature , and is accursed whether praying or plowing , or whatsoever while cain lives , which is in the banishment out of the acceptance of god ) and all who follow him who is the light , and leads all that believe and follow him into the living works of righteousnesse wrought by christ through faith , and is accepted and well pleasing unto god , and here all boasting is excluded for all is of him , and from him that works both the will and the deed , and here the lord is admired in all his works , and his works praise him . wherefore all honest hearted , who travells and are weary and have found no rest for your soules , i say unto you , arise , and come away , lye not groveling in the earth like moses , nor seek not to know god in your fallen wisedome , for the well is deep , and if you know nothing but the old wisedome , which is corrupt and naturall , you cannot come to one drop of the living water ; therefore dwell no longer among the graves , and tombs , where the unclean spirits dwell , which troubles and vexeth all that passeth in their way , neither dwell among the pits where there is no water , he is risen , he is not there , look upward , mind that which drawes you from the earth , the covenant of life is made manifest , glory unto him in the highest ; his proclamation is , ho , every one that thirsteth , come freely and receive of him freely , without money or price , or any thing of yours , or self , nay , self must be denied , and that you must deny if you will receive of him , that he may be all , and you nothing , for he gives freely , and his gift is perfect , and pure , without spot , staine , or mixture , and all that receive his gift , comes by it to be presented perfect to the father . and this is making manifest to you also , who wait upon him , who is given for a covenant of light , and peace , and life , and all that receive this gift , shall come to hear glad tidings , peace on earth , and good will to you , as you turn to the light , and this shall be preached in you , by him who is the annointed of god , and the messenger of the covenant , and is sent to preach to the spirits in prison , and to open the blind eyes , and to set open the prison door , that the prisoner may come forth , out of the mire and clay , to follow and wait upon him who is the rock of this age , and all ages , in which all the fathers believed , and were justified , and did eat and drink of this rock , and this rock was and is christ jesus , the light of the world , and hath enlightned every one that comes into the world , with his true light . therefore i say unto you who looks after righteousness , come hither , who are weary , and i will shew you where you may have true everlasting rest , which he hath shed abroad in my heart by his free grace , and everlasting love made manifest , after a long and a dark night , in which i passed without a guide , and so fell into the pit , and stumbled , and then sorrow and trouble compassed me about on every side , as an armed man , but now hath he shed abroad his grace in my heart , which saves me from sin , and leads out of the works of condemnation , into his habitation , where no unclean thing can enter ; and this grace hath separated me from sin , and hath constrained me to deny my self , and follow him through the death of the crosse , and through the deniall of all both countrey and nation , kindreds and tongues and people , and from wife and children , and houses and lands , to publish his name abroad contrary to my own will , and to make known unto you the riches of his grace , which all that wait in the light of christ jesus shall come to see , and so you may see him whom your souls loves and longs after , which hath long breathed after refreshment , but none could speak a word in season to your condition . return home again , yee that in your seeking have sought among the lead , and joyned your selves to strangers , and have get nothing but a husk , a shadow , and live in a dream , you are further off , in running out , and seeking in your earthly wisedome and comprehension , then you were before , and hath got nothing but a report of what christ said , and did , and how they worshipped him , and so while your eyes have been without , you never found him whom the saints , and all that knew him worshipped in spirit , and witnessed him their salvation in them , and was their hope , and the ground of their hope was manifest in them ; and he that manifested his love in them then , and was their redeemer , he changeth not , but is the same to his seed for ever . and all who waits in the light of christ , the measure of god in you , this shall come to see . now therefore every one that thirsts , come unto christ jesus , which is neer you , and wait to know his word in you , which it in the heart , which faith comes by the preaching of it in you , as you diligently wait , and keep your minds unto it ; and this which shewes you sin and evill , is in you , and makes manifest all that you have acted contrary unto it , yea , even all that ever you have done , and will search your hearts , and is the eye that sees the deceit in all its transforming in you ; and it will let you see , it hath often checked and called , but you have not answered its call , and so hath chosen your own way , and so hath gone from the way , which is the light of christ in you , and so you run into the broad way ; and that which desired after god , hath not been nourished , and fed , but hath been famished , and another hath been fed , which now is for the slaughter . but now as ye return home to within , to the true light of jesus , which is that one thing , which leads all men that own it , to be guided by it to true rest and peace . now friends , there is something in man which must receive christ , something of his own ( learn what it is ) which he comes to , and nothing can he joyn with , or be joyned unto , but that which is pure and undefiled ; for the pure in heart sees god , and not the mortall mind , that despiseth his glory ; for to that mind that hunts abroad , he doth not reveale himself , that 's esau , the blessing is nothing to him , nor that which the covenant of god is with ▪ the election he hates , and to him its of no price , nor value , that 's the prophane person , and judas that betrayes him , selleth him for a thing of naught , nor the pearl is nothing to the swine , now read within , every one , you that are painted with the attire of the harlot , trimmed and made beautifull in the eyes of the aegyptians , this is a small thing to you , and to that seed which the promise is to , and the covenant established with , is trodden upon , and is famished in the streets of sodome and aegypt , where christ was , and is slaine , and his witnesses suffers in the streets , and none hath compassion , is this thing nothing to you , all yee that passe by , to slight the love of the father in sending his son a light to you , and him you despise ; and as the pharisees could not own him , they put the time far off , and so doe you , and cannot own that of him in you , to be lead by it , and so followes strangers , and still are complaining , and puts redemption to another world , and so satan hath deceived you in looking abroad , and therefore that at home is of no price unto you , and so you run away from the drawing of the father , and from his dwelling , where the least in his house hath bread enough ; but to the carnall mind , which is at enmity with god , who seeks him in the fallen wisedome , he is of no value , and that which was the saints rule is too low for you , and yet you say the sons of god are lead by his spirit . now i say , where doth the spirit speak ? doth it not bear witnesse either with or against our spirits ? and so all mens spirits , and so that nature in you which is one with the serpent , and nourisheth the harlot , is exalted , and lives , and hath preheminence , and yet you will talk of being reconciled unto god . now consider , while you stand not in the councel of god within , and wait to hear his word , you know not the word of reconciliation , for he takes none into union with himself , but they that follow him , and doth what he commands , and are his fruit and off-spring . and therefore , o foolish and unwise , how long will you feed on a dream that you are saved , when your rebellion is open to your own sight ? to that of god in your consciences i speak . all therefore , that see your darknesse that you lye in , return home , and that which is low , mind , the meek spirit , and be not forward nor rash , but stand still in quietnesse and meeknesse , that the still voyce you may hear which till you come downe low within , you cannot hear ; for the loud voyces of the aegyptians and inchanters is so many , and pharaohs voyce , and herods is so loud , and you whose minds are abroad , you think as they thought its the voyce of god . but i say be still , he shall not cry , nor lift up his voyce in the streets who you must hearken unto , in you , that your soules may live , and so be low and still if you will hear his voyce , and wait to hear that speak that separates betwixt the precious and the vile . now that which you must wait in , is neer you , yea in you , the eye that seeth , and the ear that heareth that , is of the lord , for that which is visible , is naturall and carnall , and the naturall ear cannot hear the word of the spirituall god , for that which hearkens without , that ear must be deaf , and that eye blind . now that which reveales the pure spirituall god must be in you pure and spirituall ; for none knowes the things of god , but by the spirit of god , and did not his spirit bear witnesse alwayes unto their spirits ? and doth it not so now to all that know him ? so in the light wait which comes from god , who is light , and dwells in the immortall light , which the mortall eye cannot behold , and it will lead you to know christ who is immortall , and not carnall , but spirituall and eternall . and as you love the light , and keep your minds inward , then you will hear the motion of christ jesus in you ; and so loving it , the good you will come to see from god , which will lead out of sin , and sanctifie you , and the acceptable year you will see , and the day of vengeance , and this is he whom the father hath given for a covenant , to bring man out of the alienation to himself again and to reconcile man unto himself even by the blood of the crosse ; and he who is the light is the covenant ; and he who is the covenant is the light , for they are one in him ; and this covenant of peace is tendred unto you who are afar off : and herein is the eternall love of god made manifest to the jew and the greeke , and the life of his son to be the light of the world , and of men ; and so in the covenant of light abide , and you will see he is neer you , the peace-maker , the gift of god which presents you perfect in himself to the father , and this gift is free , and offered freely , to all that will receive it ; and yet you cannot receive the gift in your own wills , but through the deniall of your own wills , for the light is contrary to the will ; and so you will see the will of the earthly man and gods will contrary , and as you receive the will of god , you deny your owne wills , and so doth the will of another , and another guides you , and leads you , and this is gods alone work , not of your selves , but wrought by christ , in his owne way and truth and so the covenant of god comes to be established to the seed , and the foundation stands sure , and his promise is fulfilled in you , as you come to witnesse the seed which is one , in whom the promise is fulfilled . and friends , thus must you wait to have judgement set up within you and this is he who is the judge and the light of the world ; and so wait to see the law set up within , which is added because of transgression to cut down , and the unjust destroyed in you , and the rebellious nature yoaked , which hath had its liberty in the earthly , where the beasts of the field dwells , and so it will come to decay and the law works wrath upon the deceit in you , which hath had preheminence , and so you will see the thunder as the seale is opened , and the earthquakes , and lightning , insomuch as you cannot behold and live . but the transgressor , and the transgression , which is contrary to the law is cut down , and when there is a time of great sorrow , and great trouble , and tryall , and temptation , wait in patience in the judgement , and let the lords work have its perfect operation in you , and so as you turn unto him that hath smitten and wounded you , he will bind up and heale , and give up all to the great slaughter of the lord unto the crosse , all that which is discovered by the pure law of god ; and as the earth comes to be plowed up , the seed which is sown comes up , and the rocks broken , the water gusheth out , and so you will see some promises will arise in you , to the seed which is coming up out of the grave , and so the love of god will appear in you , and you will be stayed , and see hope in the midst of calamity . then take heed that the serpent get not that which is to the babe , and so the carnall come to be exalted ; but as you wait , you will see the subtilty of the enemy ; and sin and death rules till moses , who was a faithfull servant in his house , and brings to the law of god revealed in you , then sin comes to be crucucified , and to loose its dominion over you , and in you , and so you will see one brought forth under the law , who fullfilled the law , and now fullfills it in all those who walk after him in the spirit , and fullfills not the desires of the flesh and wait , and you will see some prophecies opened in you , and the day-star in your hearts , which leads to where christ is , and openings of the inheritance which is to be received , and the promise is to the seed . and all wait in the light , and keep in your minds to it and you will see johns ministry , the water which washeth , and he is the preparer of the way , and turns to god , lest he smite the earth with a curse , and his ministry breaks down the mountaines , and removes them , and makes a plaine way , and your minds being turned to the lord , and as you own the gift of christ given you , repentance you will see , unto life , and then you will see something arising and shine in you , opening your hearts , and there will be a breathing after the lord and his righteousnesse , and standing in obedience in the crosse , the vayle you will see rent , and you will see him that hath turned you from sin by his free gift made manifest in you ; and he which is the gift saves you from sin , and so the seales will be opened by the angel of the covenant , and the lamb . so all in patience wait , and keep in the living principle of life , and things will open in you , even the dark sayings of old ; and that which spake parables to the serpents seed , will open the parables to his own seed , then you will see him whom you have pierced , even the lamb who hath been slain since the foundation of the world , and your hearts will be boken , and water will gush out of the rock ▪ and so love will encrease in you , who abide faithfull in your measure , and the good and perfect gift of god will be made manifest in you , and the hope upon which the soule comes to be anchored , will come to be witnessed , which hope purifies the heart ; and as you stand in the perfect law of liberty revealed in you revealed by the spirit which cuts down the oppressor , and gives liberty to his seed , unto which the covenant is , and the promises for ever ; and this seed christ took , and takes upon him to redeem , even the seed of abraham , unto whom the promise was made ; and so wait , that the pure law of righteousnesse , which is life to the righteous , and so the seed may be set up , and you will see all chained under , and this binds and fetters the unclean spirits , and shuts up them into utter darknesse for ever . and as you come to be redeemed from under the bondage of sin , and come above the bonds of death , & the pure principle lives in you , there will be a delight in you to doe the will of the father , who hath redeemed you from sin and its law , unto righteousnesse and its law . and all who hunger and thirst after righteousnesse , wait in that which thirsteth , that the gift you may receive , which perfects for ever them that receive it , and believe in it , and cleanseth and purgeth you from unrighteousnesse ; and this being revealed in you , as you obey it , it leads to true peace , and will reveal in you the immortall seed which came not by the will of man , but is contrary , and revealed out of mans will which all must witnesse to be born of , that inherits the kingdome of god ; and this is he who is begotten of the incorruptible seed , which the promise is unto , and are in him fullfilled yea , and amen , come out of time before all time , the son of god , which leads out of time ; and this is he whom the father revealed in paul ; and this is he of whom i am a witnesse , in whom i have redemption by the blood of the crosse , and he is my sanctification , justification , and wisedome , who is the son of god , who came to doe his fathers will , and now doth , where he is witnessed , who by his eternall word of life hath begotten me , and made me a partaker of his eternall inheritance which never fades away ; glory unto him for evermore , who is life , and translateth all that believeth and follow him in the work of regeneration unto his kingdome . so silence all you diviners and sorcerers for ever , who believe with a faith , and teach a faith , that none can be ever cleansed from sin while they are here , you and your faith is denyed , for it is not the same which was once delivered to the saints , which gave them victory over the world , and by which they overcame . paul a minister of christ by the will of god , said , the colossions were translated into the kingdome of god , where nothing that is imperfect can come or enter , your preaching is vaine , your hope and faith is vaine , and all your hearing is vaine , while the perfect gift of god is not witnessed , nor the everlasting offring which perfects for ever them that are sanctified by him , even by his word of life and his will , which sanctifies and makes perfect the commers thereunto , and presents all that believe and receive him without spot . and therefore all you that love the lord , and wait for the coming of the kingdome of christ , feed no longer upon imaginations nor vaine words ; cease from looking , loe here and there , for the kingdome of god will the father reveal in you , as you waite in the measure of the light in you , by which he reveals himselfe in his sons and daughters , and will bring them to his everlasting fold and true rest , all who followes him through the denyall of all , and to the loosing of all for him , shall come to witnesse an incorruptible inheritance , which never fades away . and now a few words to you who would thrust your selves into the kingdome , and would be called christs disciples , and church members , who are gathered into confederacies , and makes a likenesse unto your selves , and are now professing the saints conditions in words . how come you hither , to climb up so high in words , when as you are what you were before , if not worse ? think it not a hard saying , for it is so among many of you , and in the light which is pure you are weighed , and when one comes to try you your language bewrays you that you are not what you professe , for when you are tryed by the saints practises and life that was in them , and the injoyment they had with god , you are found so far from being any such that you even oppose the faith they believed in : as some of your pastors openly to my face in the hearing of two hundred people , said , all the saints dyed sinners , and so was so far from owning the perfect righteousnesse of christ that he even denyed it and said it was heresie ; and others of you say , you believe that all the graces the saints enjoy are imperfect , yea even faith is imperfect ; and others saying , that all the righteousnesse that was wrought in them by faith was imperfect ; and others saying , while the light of christ jesus condemned them , yet christ justified them , and yet that which was wrought in them there was failings in it , and so you have imagined a faith and righteousnesse of your own , and such a christ to talk on , and a redemption as you may live in lusts , and be men pleasers , and in the customes and fashions of the world , and coveteousnesse , and pleads for sin , and puts perfect righteousnesse to another world , and thus the devill hath deceived you , and so you set up , and makes covers , but all will not hide you in the day of his appearance , for god joynes not to that which is imperfect , neither is that true faith which is imperfect and which layes hold upon an imperfect righteousnesse , that is such a faith as never was professed by ony of the saints , whose words you professe , for they had received faith the gift of god , the least measure of which was perfect , and as they stood in it , though it was but as a graine of mustard-seed , they said to this mountaine be removed and it was so ; and that which was in them reveald by the son , led them that did believe in it to lay hold upon christs righteousness , which was and is perfect , which had ( yea hath ) no spots , nor wrinckles , nor staine , and this righteousnesse was made manifest in them by the faith of the son , by which they were justified in the sight of god , and came with boldnesse before the throne of christ , for in them there was no condemnation , neither guilt , but became one with the judge , and reconciled unto him and his throne , and to the lamb by him who is the midiator , and hath made peace betwixt them and the father , and so were justified in the sight of god , and this witnesse they had in them , that they pleased god , and were accepted of god , and this righteousnesse was wrought in them , and is now the same which is wrought in the saints , by him who is their light and life , and this was the righteousnesse of faith , and that which was wrought by christ in the saints , as they believed in him , and in the measure of grace received from him , which saved them from sin , which vvas not of themselves , he perfected his ovvn vvork in them , through and by faith , and justified them , and sanctified them and became their vvisdome , by vvhich they vvere led into all truth , out of failings and imperfection ; and vveaknesses , and he became their strength and rock and they vvere builded upon him , and as they stood upon him the rock , they vvere preserved vvhen the vvaves did beat , and vvhen temptations came , and vvere sure and stedfast , and immoveable , and so overcame the armies of aliens , and quenched the violence of fire , and resisted the devill , and quenched his fiery darts , and had victory over the heathen , and reigned as kings over the beasts of the field , and over the deceit , and by the receiving and believing of the word of him , who was and is called jesus , by which faith came by the hearing of , they overcame the enemies of their soules , and him who hath the power of death : and the strength of sin is the law ▪ but by the blood of him who is eternall , who is jesus the midiator of the new and living way , they overcame the dragon , even by the word of his testimony , which was revealed in them ; which word of faith paul vvho vvas a minister preached unto them , even to them vvho had the vvord in them and turned them to it , and as they believed in it , they were sanctified by it , and cleansed by it , and made perfect , and then they witnessed the bringing in of a better hope , which perfects and makes perfect as pertaining to the conscience , which while they stood without , looking at elementary things , and divers washings , and those things which were figures of the true tabernacle made without hands which stood untill the time of reformation , and then done away , to wit the hand writings , and them that witnesses the new covenant now , they see them done away , and the time of reformation is come , the same which they witnessed , glory for evermore . and therefore all you professors , who have builded high towers and castles in your imaginations , and hath told of reformation these many years ; but you have nothing but a hand-writing to establish your building upon , and all your reformation hath been but the washing of cups , and pulling down one thing , and set up another beggerly elementary images and doe not witnesse the better hope brought in , nor the time of reformation , nor cannot abide that any should declare it unto you , nor believe it , nor hear it , nor while your eyes are without and not in the head you cannot see when good comes , but are as heathens in the desart , and although you are among the brambles and bryars , yet you would be counted kings and heads over others , and one making an image in this manner , and another in that , of all sorts high and low , but all stands in the earth , and all in one ground , and what doe they availe you ? for they cannot save , for your highest enjoyment is imperfect ( you say ) what then serve these for ? onely for you to talk on , and this is all they serve for , and to contend and strive about one with another , and all in your wills , while the will of god in you is not hearkned unto , but cast behind your backs , and so the way of true peace you never come to attaine unto . oh , when will you be weary of feeding upon the wind , and of husks among swine , and upon that which dies of it selfe ? and when will you enquire after the living god who is power ? how long have you talked of his power to come many years ? and you are still as far off , if not further than you were before , and hath told of the glory of the lord to be revealed , and of his law being written in the heart , and of god teaching his people himselfe , and of his spirit being poured out upon his sons and daughters , and you cannot see that you have obtained nothing ; and you have prayed , and what have you obtained nothing ? for you have asked amisse , and one comes hungry , and is still complaining , and then you that are full feeds them with the old dregs and lees which you are setled upon , and the old leaven of aiery notions , and conceptions , and wine of the sowre grape , which sets on edge the childrens teeth and fills them to full , that when the living bread is broken , they cannot eate nor relish it nor tast , and so cannot enter your selves , nor suffer others to enter , and when these things are witnessed in the life which you have talked on so long , you cannot own them that doth declare it , and when the power of god is declared unto you what it is , and where it is to be waited for , you cannot own it , this is too low for you and except the lord will come in your way , that you prescribe unto him , you will not look upon him , but as the jewes did whose eyes were without , and your fallen wisdome cannot receive him , nor compasse his eternall wisdome . and yet you will say , the jewes did require a signe , and were in the adultery ; and the greeks sought after wisdome , and they stumbled : and yet you cannot see your selves in the same state : did ever god reveal himselfe to the fallen wisdome , which is learned from that principle which is erred and gone out from god ? or to the will of man which is at enmity against god ? nay , nay , he never did , nor will reveal his counsell , but to that which is of himselfe , which is the least of all seeds in the world , and it is he that is borne of god , that heareth gods word , and what is borne of the spirit is spirit , and is nourished by the spirit , and led by it , and so the spirituall god reveals his law and his statutes to him , and his testimony which is sure . how long have you talked of the spirit , and worshipping in spirit ? and yet indeed denies its leading and teaching , and lives in the oldnesse of the letter , and crying up , and setting up things that are carnal , and visible , and elementary , and washing is not known from sin , nor cleansing ; and so you may see what operation your spirit you have talked on , hath , when you are still what you were . now the spirit of god is operative , and works a change in the ground , and translateth all that follow and hearken unto it into its own nature , when all those things you so much strive about were but a shadow , for the vvord vvas in the beginning and gave life , and is spiritual , and vvhen it s knovvn and vvitnessed vvithin in the heart , it separates from death and gives life to all that hear it and believe in it : what christ is this you preach ? and what gospel is this you preach vvhich saves you not from guilt and condemnation ? for the vvord of the true christ vvhere it is ovvned , cleanseth and takes avvay sin , and condemns it , and blots it out , and destroys the root from vvhence it flovvs forth , and vvorks a nevv creation , in righteousnesse , and the lamb of god takes avvay sin , in which the churches of christ believed , and is glad tidings to all that doe receive it : now none can witnes gladness of soul where there is guilt , which ( you all affirm ) is in every christian , while in this world , and so you might see that it s not the true christ nor the everlasting gospell you preach , but this you cannot bear : yet you say , he hath taken away your sin ; how much is sin taken away ? if you say all , how comes the guilt and trouble that is in you ? for if it be taken away , and his justice satisfied , this were to make god unjust to charge it upon you againe : but i tell you when his witnesse in your conscience convinceth you , and manifests unto you that you commit it , and reproves for it , i say , you cannot witnesse his justice satisfied , for the light is just , which is one with god , and when this condemns you , there is no god that will justifie you : but you use to say , it s all done in christ ; i ask , where ? if it be not taken away , and unlesse you have the witnesse of it in you , your faith is vain ; for he that believes hath the witness in himselfe , which none hath who walks contrary unto the light the pure vvitnes of christ , for this convinceth you of sin , and bears witness against you : now shew your witnesse within you , and your assurance ; i say unto you , while the testimony of jesus bears testimonie against you it bears not witnesse unto you , and so see your confusion . but after you have believed in christ ( as you say ) and have received all his ordinances , if any thing after did judge you and bring trouble upon you , this you used to call a temptation , and so put light for darknesse , and darknes for light ; i say , there is no guilt where sin is taken away , and crucified , but peace and rest in the holy god , who is unchangeable , and so is his witnesse unchangeable , which judgeth and condemnes the changeable . but you use to say , his love is unchangeable , and whom he loves once , he loves to the end ; yea , but it is him who is begotten by the immortall word , which was in the beginning , and which word leads to the beginning again , before the hatred was , the promise is to this seed , not seeds as to many , but the seed of the covenant , there he loves from the womb , yea , the womb that bears the seed of jacob , and the paps that gives them suck , and where this is known , as to enjoyment , esau is cast out , and ishmael , and the seed of abraham inherits the promise , and edom and moab is laid wast , and amaleck is slain by the edge of the sword , and the seed of evil doers cut off , blessed are they that can witnesse this in truth , and till this be known , the everlasting love of god is not known , which is stronger then death , and sin is death , and where it is acted & conceived , love is not witnessed , nor its strength , but wrath comes upon the children of disobedience , and are you not children of disobedience while you break the holy law of god , in which is power , which is in the heart , and it bears witnesse against you , and in you , and yet say you cannot believe that ever you shall be able to fullfill it ; if you fullfill it not , you break it , and then the wrath abides upon you . but then you say , if we must fulfill the law , what use is christ of ? i say , he who abides for ever , fulfilled it ▪ and fulfills it in them who know him and his work , and this the scriptures bears witnesse of , and herein man comes to be jufied in gods sight , by christ , who works all our works in us , and for us , and self becomes dead , and because he lives , we live also , glory unto him for ever . and therefore we cannot but lay open the deceit of satan , and exhort all to come up to christ out of the works of condemnation . oh foolish people and unwise ! when will ye seek after wisedome , and hearken that your soules may live ? how long will yee trust to the imaginations of your own hearts ? verily verily , i say unto you , the time is coming your building shall fall , and there shall not one stone be left upon another that shall not be thrown down , and the shame of ethiopia and aegypt shall come upon you , and your old garments shall be torn off you , and you shall walk naked and bare , and shall see your shame , and the holy nation of the lamb shall rejoyce , and your sorrow the lord hastens upon you , who will not own the crosse of christ , nor the word of life , which would turn you from unrighteousnesse , and out of the world , and its nature ▪ but you harden your hearts , and bend your browes , and shoot your arrowes against the lord , and his anointed ones , and takes part with all the uncircumcised in the nations , in the confederacy in the nation against the lamb , yea even with them against whom you your selves have declared , and many of you who have been a reproach , now reproach . o , tell it not in gath , never let it come to other nations . shame , shame , and blush at this , you who thus requite the lord evill for good : hath the lord broken the band of the oppressor without ? and have you not seen the hand of the lord against them that were oppressors , cut off in his wrath , and overthrown ? and are not many of you the highest professors both in england and ireland , now acting in their footsteps ? even you who professe separation from the world , who hath been taken from the sheepfold , and as you were seeking the asses , and raised from a low estate in the world now to places of dignity and honour , and to bear rule , and to sit as judges among the people ; and now have you forgotten that you were servants under pharaoh , but now hath taken up his power ; and have forgot the afflictions of joseph , and your fingers is becoming heavier then your fathers loines , and now you are joyning your strength with the canaanites and aegyptians , against the lord . where is the liberty of tender consciences you have told of ? and what is become of your reformation ? is it ended in this , like absolom , when you are come to be judges in the gate , acts in open rebellion against the lord , and now would be judges of him every where , and would limit him ▪ and set a bound unto him , and would break his eternall decree , which stands for ever . oh , if them who had professed no love to god had done thus , it might have been born , but ye treacherous hearts , your ingratitude and hypocrisie cannot be born , but the lord god will visit for these things ; that you should now act by those lawes which you cryed out of as oppressive , and should deliver your brethren up to the devourer and spoyler , who have born a part of the suffering in the nations distresse and grief , in the greatest calamity , would you thus be done by ? would you bear it well ? i will not complain , but i will shew you the ground , and lay it before you , that if it be possible , you may be ashamed and repent , lest the lord also avenge himself upon you , as he did upon the enemies before you . have not many of you in england been acting in the steps of the prophane ? when the lord hath given you what you sought after , liberty and freedome in those things ; and now you labour by all your strength and power to oppresse them who walk blamelesse before the lord and men also . oh , what ? is all your preaching , and praying , and fighting , and warring come to this , that none must declare the mind of the lord , except it be in your way , or will , or time , under paine of bonds , and banishment fines and imprisonment , stocking , whipping , stoning ? and ▪ you that have been sufferers your selves , now comes to be chief oppressors and opposers of the lord in his way , and all manner of lyes and reproaches you cast upon the truth , and you take part with the rest of the priests and deceivers in the nation , which take part against you when you was for the lord , and numbers us among transgressors , of every hand to make the truth odious to all . these things and much more are found among you , from the least to the greatest , and yet you would be accounted christians ; and if you say , you have thus learned christ , i say you know him not : can you limit the ocean from flowing ? or can you command the wind that it blow not ? or can you stop the windowes of heaven that it raine not upon the earth ? if you cannot at all doe it all , lye down , he that reproves god let him answer it : have you given counsell to the lord ? or have you been his instructer ? or can you limit him in his way ? if you cannot , no more shall you be able to stop his way , who is riding on in his power , and overturns all the worlds wisedome , and power , and strength , and who is able to resist him , who dryes up the face of the deep and saith to the sea , be still , and to the mountaines be removed , and they are so ; and he vvill advance his ovvn glory and povver against all mens vvills and lavves , vvhich stands in mans vvill , and vvill break all your cords as a bull-rush , and overthrovv all your counsell , and make it even vvith the earth , and shame shall cover all his opposers , and therefore learne wisdome , oh ye potsheards of the earth , and cease to strive against the lord , and his power which will be too strong for you , and you shall not be able to limit him , nor stop him in his way , who runs his course as a gyant , and bruises all his enemies heads , and cuts them in peece by the two edged sword of his mouth , which he hath put into the bands of his saints who follow him in the warr , and our conquest is through suffering , glory unto him for ever , who hath counted us worthy to suffer for his names sake , and to be brought before rulers and councels for his names sake that the scripture might be fullfilled in us in this day , as it was upon our brethren who went before us . and oh ye rulers and officers of ireland , who have been professors and affecters of liberty , and for suppressing of tyranny , behold now the lord hath sent to try you , and you are found in the same footsteps when you are tryed , as them that the lord cast out before you ; and in the nature of the chief priests , and elders , and councels , who breaths out threatnings , and sends out your warrants , and inquisitions to bind all , and to send up all bound too , before you , that so evill ( you say ) may be prevented in time , and takes reports from the priests and false prophets of the nations , who are liars , evill beasts , whose mouths the lord will stop , and bring shame upon ; who are flatterers , and have flattered the powers and rulers before you , till they were all cut off , and now they flatter you , and cannot hold up their divination without you help them , what gospel is this they preach ? when a few poor despised people , who are hated of the world , that the sound of them makes them afraid , oh that ever you should be so ignorant to joyn to baal , but let him plead for himself and they stand by their god , and their gospel , and if they be not able to defend themselves , let them perish , let them perish . but them who comes in their own name , you receive but them who comes in the name of the lord , and seeks none of your tithes , nor augmentations , nor your advance , them you cannot bear should be in the nation , who are not troublesome to any , nor desires to eat any mans bread for naught , and these you call of an evill life . and men who have devoured their own estates and others also , and drunkards , and all manner of unclean persons , these may have liberty . oh , doe you think that he sees not your doings , and will call you to an account for these things ? and you must know our countrey and calling , i say unto you who live in envy and wrath , if we declare unto you , ye cannot believe ; but god gives no account of his matters unto man , where doe ye read , o yee foolish people , and slow to believe , but that the ministers of christ were called out from their outward employments , into the lords vineyard , contrary to their own wills , and were ministers contrary to the will of man , and did mind the calling of god to his ovvn work , both the prophets , and apostles , and ministers of christ ; and also they preached the gospel vvho vvere never church-officers in all their life-time , as you may see , acts 8. 4. but you say that vvas in a time of persecution . and vvhat is this time ? hovv many hath been persecuted from tovvn to tovvn , from city to city , put in prison , haled out of the synagogues ? as most part of the nation of england can vvitnesse . and you in ireland are follovving your leaders vvho are in this generation , and fills up your measure also ; but persecution vvas ever blind . but you say , they suffered for well doing , but we justly . let that in your consciences be judge ; would you not have judged paul as you doe us , who went into the synagogues on sabbath day , and disputed , and in the markets daily ; and christ who was their example , and ours also , in the synagogues he taught , and in ships , and towns , and villages , and desarts , and wandred up and down , and the ministers of christ had no certain dwelling-place , and the multitudes that followed them , would you not have said , these men are evill livers ? your generation said so then , and that they were sowers of sedition & heresie , and ring-leaders of sects , and setters forth of strange gods , and were accused to be the disturbers of the peace , and were in tumults often , as we have been ; and they said , that they were not worthy to live , and now the same you say . instance is , a warrant given out at dublin in december , 1655 to fetch up , and send up bound to dublin , all that are called quakers , and all these things and much more , you who 〈…〉 s as rulers and judges of the nation of ireland , 〈…〉 upon us , and hath required the justices every 〈…〉 us on these things , and to lay to our 〈◊〉 , and what testimony we have , or letters of recommendation , ( i say ) what testimony had the ministers of christ , from the rulers or high priests then , they were false apostles which were made by mans will , and the apostle said , need we letters of recommendation as others have ? and of what church we are in england , we are of that which is in god , begotten by the preaching of the gospel of the son of god , which all the hirelings and them you uphold by a popish law , calls heresie ; and there is that in every mans conscience , which is the letters of our recommendation . and you say , we are not of any setled principle ; i say , we are grounded and setled upon him who is the rock of ages , and stand in his counsel both sure and stedfast , and cannot be moved : notwithstanding all the rage of the heathen we are in peace , glory unto him for ever , who is the worlds tormenter , and the breaker of deaths covenant , and hells agreement and disquiets the devils peace , and torments them who plead for his kingdome . and you accuse us , we make open and publick disturbance , to the grief of the godly and sober people , and scandall of religion , if we come and declare the minde of the lord ( as it is revealed in us ) in publick , and declare the word of life in truth and sobernesse , and then you hale him out , and stocks , and whips , and prisons , and persecutes and what religion is this that is among you ? who stops your ears , and as the jewes did with paul , runs upon us , and , rents our cloaths , and yet you call us disturbers . are not these practises found in most of your idolls temples , into which the hirelings creeps , and calls a church , and all those practises among you are found , and we are ashamed of you and your practises , that these things should be found among you , after so manifest an appea●ance of the lords wrath against them , and are these godly ? to that in all your consciences i speak : one haling , another beating , another punshing , and rending our cloaths , and prisons , and revilings , and cruell mocking , and false accusing , and stoning , are these god like , or like god ? oh be ashamed . and you that are so soon grieved , you are not god like , who is long suffering , and his saints who were god like did bear , and forbear one another . and these parish teachers which you hold up in ireland , i challenge them all in the name of the lord who lives for ever , that in all their publick worship ( as they call it ) and them also , that they are not like god , nor any of his ministers , nor any thing that ever they practice . and therefore i say , come forth and vindicate your practice , and let your god come forth , and be tryed , and lay open your practice , and your principles to the world , and stand by them if you can , and for shame never run to the magistrate to help ; you learned rabbies , you great orators , come forth , and stand and prove your selves before the people , and manifest your strength , and your weapons , and that god that answers by fire , let him be god , you have confessed our god answers by fire , for it s kindled among you , and the word which is fire we have declared , and many hath heard it , and have believed , and answered it , and now it burns , and you shall not be able to quench it ; post and run as fast as you can ▪ dig as deep for councel as hell , call up all the powers of darknesse , you shall not be able to quench the fire that is kindled . if we should hold our peace , the stones of the wall would cry out against you . and therefore i say unto you , all you parish teachers , and all you that uphold them , arm your selves with all your strength , call your diviners together , for we proclaim in the lords name ( who hath rent the heavens , and is come down , and his tabernacle is with men ) open war we declare , and sounds the trumpet of our god , out of the holy mountaine , all the earth shall tremble before him , and the mountaines ▪ shall melt before him , why should we be undiscovered to you ? we are sent forth to take peace from the earth , and to warn all to the battel of the great day of god , for now he is arisen in his power and glory , and his kingdome is come , glory unto him for ever , and we are witnesses of it , and it 's not of this world , and we have denyed the world , and followes him who hath a bow and a sword , and makes war in righteousnesse , and none is able to stand before him , therefore gather your selves on heaps , o ye potsheards , and make a consederacy among the people , arm your selves , cast up your mounts and batteries , strengthen your selves , and trust in the arm of flesh , and say , none can come near us , verily i say unto you , you shall be made levell with the ground , and all your sorcery shall be laid open , and antichrist is discovered by the brightnesse of the coming of christ , our eyes have seen the lord of hosts in his glory , and all your glory , yee tellers of dreams and diviners , shall be made as a dunghill , and your renown shall perish from the earth , the mouth of the lord hath spoken it . and now a few words unto you , o yee heads and rulers of the people in ireland , who sit in judgement , remember from whence you are raysed , and how great deliverance you have had , and how manifest the lord hath appeared for you , to deliver you out of the hands of blood thirsty men , and your enemies , who despised the lord , and all righteousnesse , and they were numerous and great , when you have been in great straits , and they said in their hearts , we will swallow them up , and then the lord in the day of your distresse delivered you , and hath given you their possessions , and dominion over them , and hath setled you in peace , and you that hath been but low , hath he exalted to bear rule , and expects from you righteousnesse , and justice , and equity , and to be as feet to the lame ▪ and strength to the weak , and to break off every yoak of oppression from the neck of the poor , and oppressed , and to relieve your brethren , and to entertain strangers , remembring you were many of you strangers in this land , which now is given you to possesse ; i say , take heed unto your selves , how you act according to the customes of the nation , and your own wills , nor the customary worship of the nation , which the lord laid by , and wast , and scattered all them that pretended themselves teachers of the people ; was there any of them that stood in the gap , or turned people from their iniquity ? till the lord broke out in his wrath as fire , and laid the land wast , and the house of their god wast , which you burnt up ; and will you now joyn with moab ? and will you build again those things which you have once destroyed ? then you make your selves transgressors . think not thus in your hearts , that the lord hath given you dominion over the nation to walk after your own wills , and joyn unto deceit , and that you may establish those things again , which the lord was wroth with . and if you hold up those by your lawes , and your power , and your prisons , and your sword , which is the people of the lords curse , i speak of the teachers who are in balaams way ; and greedy dumb dogs , who can never have enough ; and bestow the nations tythes , and lands , and riches , which is the lords treasure , upon them , that they may cry up deceit , and flatter you , both you and they will fall together . and friends i am plaine with you , the hand of the lord is against them , and all the power of the nations shall not save them from his indignation . and therefore be wise oh ye rulers , and doe not you think to take counsell against the lord and prosper , nor prescribe not the lord a way ; for h●s thoughts are not as your thoughts , not his wayes as your wayes , for he hath chosen the weak things of this world to overthrow the mighty , your eyes have seen this without , and he hath revealed his will to them and in them , whom you look upon but as weak t●ings , and base things , and in them is he making known his eternall power to overthrow the worlds wisdome and might , which is in the fall and curst , from whence all heresies , and blasphemies , and sects , and opinions flow and come forth , and he is bringing his own work , his mighty work to passe , even to overthrow and overturne all the power of the beast , and the false prophet , and shut them into the pit , and the decree is gone forth and sealed , and shall not be altered though all the powers of darknesse joyne against him , and although you should make a law as the jews did to take away the life of christ , yet it did but little avail them , for he hath carried on his work through all generations , notwithstanding all opposition , and this is he in whom we trust , and doe not you think that you are able to limit the lord , by whom he must declare his name , or how , or where , or in what time , but in his own way and time , and if he command and will us , all mens will must be broken , though still the holy men of god suffered as such , and so accounted as disturbers of peace , i say the devils peace must be broken , and though the false prophets of this nation cry peace unto you , when you walk in the imagination of your own hearts , and though you cry peace unto them , yet one is come , and coming to take peace from you , for all your peace and agreement that you make against the least appearance of god in his servants , it will be dashed to pieces . and if they were to depart from the presence of god , who fed not the saints , neither clothed them , nor vsited them in prison , but were to depart with the devill and his angels into everlasting fire ; what will become of you who instead of clothing incourageth the people to rent them off us , and instead of feeding us , gives command to depart because we are strangers , and instead of v●siting them in prison , you put them in prison , and sends for them one hundred miles to be dragged to your prisons , and before your judgement seat , in whom he is made manifest . and now oh ye councell at dublin your order hath so gratified the devill , and all the prophane in the nation , that they judge your order was not large enough , as that they had not liberty to banish them , who have been long inhabitants in the nation , and therefore they tell you their readiness to fullfil your orders upon this account , and desires your directions what to doe further ▪ yea , you have made all liars , drunkards , cursed speakers , and prophane rejoyce , and hath strengthned the hands of the wicked , and so judgement is turned backward , and righteousnesse cannot enter , but all these things are recorded , and you shall one day remember what you have done . and friends , it s nothing to us , we lay down our heads in peace ; notwithstanding , if it had been done by them who had never professed any thing of liberty of conscience , and tendernesse , it might have been born , but here your double hypocrisie is made manifest . and near forty of the priests within the county of corke , who all subscribed to the government under ormond and in●heq●●e●e , and said , they did not acknowledge any other government , and counted them murderers who had taken away the kings life , as is manifest in their book printed at corke , wherein most of these men now have their tithes , and great sums of money of the lords treasury bestowed upon them ; and these are they , which if we declare but against their deceit , and hyppocrisie , nothing but bonds can we expect , and their information is taken against us ; oh that ever you should be so led . but why doe the heathen rage , and the people imagine a vaine thing , for he will exalt his son upon the hill of sion , and then woe unto them that hath joyned their power to uphold the beast , and the false prophet , for all must goe into the lake together , where the worme dies nor , nor the fire goes out , to be tormented with the devil and his angels for ever . and therefore i say unto you , repent , and turne to the lord , and seek judgement and righteousnesse , that so you may judge for the lord , and break off all oppression , and entertaine the strangers , who seek not yours , but the good of the nation , and that all people might know the lord , and worship him in righteousnesse , that so your days might be prolonged in the land , and the lord of heaven and earth might rule over you in righteousnesse , and that he alone might be exalted in the nations , which hath not been known for many generations , but onely all have lived with the name , without his life and power , in deceit , and all manner of unrighteousness , and the lord is wearied , and will ease himselfe of his adversaries , and his glory shall no longer be given to another . cork in ireland , the 8 of the 11 month . 1655. finis . mistery babylon the mother of harlots discovered her rise, and when, with many of her sorceries, with her merchants of divers orders, and ranks, and merchandize of divers sorts this many hundred years, also her last merchants, with their delicate merchandise discovered : in answer to a book tituled the directory for the publick worship of god through england, scotland, and ireland, which now is the chief traffick her last reformed merchants trades with, in all these nations / published by f.h. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a44800 of text r16766 in the english short title catalog (wing h3173). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. 86 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 21 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo 2017 a44800 wing h3173 estc r16766 13623414 ocm 13623414 100859 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a44800) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 100859) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 791:13) mistery babylon the mother of harlots discovered her rise, and when, with many of her sorceries, with her merchants of divers orders, and ranks, and merchandize of divers sorts this many hundred years, also her last merchants, with their delicate merchandise discovered : in answer to a book tituled the directory for the publick worship of god through england, scotland, and ireland, which now is the chief traffick her last reformed merchants trades with, in all these nations / published by f.h. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. [2], 38 p. printed for thomas simmons ..., london : 1659. written by francis howgil. cf. bm. reproduction of original in huntington library. eng westminster assembly (1643-1652) directory for the publique worship of god, throughout the three kingdomes of england, scotland, and ireland. a44800 r16766 (wing h3173). civilwar no mistery babylon the mother of harlots discovered: her rise, and when, with many of her sorceries. vvith her merchants of divers orders, and howgill, francis 1659 17693 107 0 0 0 0 0 60 d the rate of 60 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the d category of texts with between 35 and 100 defects per 10,000 words. 2004-12 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2005-01 spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-04 judith siefring sampled and proofread 2005-04 judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-10 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion mistery babylon the mother of harlots discovered : her rise , and when , with many of her sorceries . vvith her merchants of divers orders , and ranks , and merchandize of divers sorts this many hundred years . also her last merchants , with their delicate merchandise discovered ; in answer to a book tituled the directory for the publick worship of god through england , scotland , and ireland , which now is the chief traffick her last reformed merchants trades with , in all these nations . published by f. h. and the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her , for no man buyeth her merchandize any more , rev. 18.11 . and every ship-master , and all the company in ships and sailers , and as many as trade by sea stood a far off , and they cast dust on their heads , and cryed , weeping and wailing , saying , alas , alas , that great city wherein were made rich all that had ships on the sea , for in one hour she is made desolate , rev. 18.17.16 . london , printed for thomas simmons at the bull and mouth neer aldersgate 1659. mystery babylon , &c. in the end of the primitive times , when the apostles had finished their testimony committed unto them , & had gathered many out of the world , and converted many unto god , and many were established in the faith of our lord jesus christ , ( which purifieth the heart and giveth victory over the world , ) and were led to the beginning , before the world was made , and the churches which were in god , which had received the anointing , by which they knew all things , even the invisible things of god , and the mysteries of his glorious kingdom , which god through the spirit did reveal unto them ; which spirit they had received , being begotten of god , by which spirit they called him father , and by which spirit of truth which was manifest from the ●od of truth in their hearts , by which spirit they were led into all truth , and became sons of god , and heirs of the promise , and this spirit was their direction , and led them to worship ●od aright , to obey and glorifie him , and his name which brought salvation unto them ; and into this spirit they were all baptised by the one spirit into one body , and in this one spirit they met and worshiped god , and were of one heart and of one mind , and did know their director near them , and in them , and the time did come when they worshipped neither at jerusalem , nor at samaria , but in the spirit , and in the truth , wherein the father was glorified , and came to see that fulfilled which the ●rophets bore witness of , even him in whom all the prophets ends in ; christ made manifest in them the hope of glory , whose voyce they heard from heaven , by which they were quickned & raised from death to life , by the effectual working of the mighty power of god , which wrought in them that did believe , and they were in the unity of the faith , by which all their hearts were purified who held it , which is a mystery held in a pure conscience , by which they received an assurance , and were made partakers of the promises , and became inheritors of life and light , and immortality , and heirs of the promise , and joynt-heirs with christ , and they sate together with him in heavenly places , and eat with him , and drank with him in the kingdom of god , which stood in power and in righteousness , joy , and peace , and did not look like the pharisees , loe here , or there , but first felt it ( as a grain of mustardseed ) in themselves , or as a corn of wheat which afterwards springs up as a blade , or as an ear of wheat to ripeness , to a full corn , and they did walk from faith to faith , from strength to strength , and did appear before god in sion , and the hebr●ws were come to mount sion , from whence god shined out in perfect beauty , who became their satisfaction , and peace , who had revealed his son in them , whom god had made unto them justification & sanctification & wisdom ; and so they knew one god , the father of our lord jesus christ , and one faith , one hope , one baptisme , the one spirit into which they were all baptised , into which they all did drink by which all that did believe were sanctified , and did receive the inheritance among the saints in light , and this was the church that was in god , which was begotten by god the father , and preserved in christ jesus , in the lively faith , and in the lively hope , by which their souls were anchored , & they established in the truth , that made free , and they had received the spirit of prophecy , and did speak one by one , according to the revelation of the spirit , ( which led out of confusion into order ) and they being in the power of god , did walk by its order , in the order of the gospel . and now was the woman cloathed with the sun , who had the crown of twelve stars upon her head , and the moon under her feet , who stood in that which was unchangeable and immutable , and now was the man-child brought forth which was to rule the nations , and was revealed to the church which was in god , and he was the head by which all the members of the body was united together in one , and reconciled to the father in one , and by his obedience , justification did come upon all that did believe . but since the woman fled into the wilderness , and the man-child was caught up unto god , the mid-night of darkness came upon the whole world , and the sincerity was lost , and the image of god lost , the heir caught up out of the worlds sight faith was lost , hope lost , the spirit lost , ( the saints rule and direction ) and then the whore appeared , and made all nations drunk with the wine of her fornication , and they staggered and reeled to and fro , hither and thither , having lost the spirit , became all waters , and unstable , and all the world wondered after the beast , which then arose after the primative times , and after the apostles daies , and admired him , and worsh●pped him , who killed the womans seed , and made war against it . and then the whore made decrees , who was gone from the law-giver , and she made confessions of faith , and articles of faith , being out of the power of god , who is the author of true faith , being guided by the power of the dragon , she made orders of worship , and gave directions for worship , having gotten on the free womans attire , the outside , the scriptures ▪ the form of godliness , but afterwards became more abominable , having both lost the power and the form , worshipped the devils power , and the dragons power , and came forth in the image of him , and reached out the cup of fornication , and made the nations drunk with her inchantments and sorceries , and she drunk the blood of the martyrs , the blood of the prophets , and them that kept the testimony of jesus , the spirit of prophecy , and then prescribed forms of worship , forms of prayer , and made creeds and faiths , and articles of faith , and many faiths ; having lost the order of the gospel , she made many orders , and sent out many merchants to carry abroad her traffique and her merchandize to the nations , and whole ships were filled full of it , vessels full of it , which went upon the sea , and road upon the waters , upon kindreds , tongues , nations , and peoples , who received of her merchandize , and bought of several sorts of merchandize which the several merchants traded with , who had several orders prescribed then , ( as popes , ●ardinals , jesuites , fryers of many orders , and monks of many orders , jesuites of many orders , and all these carryed their several wares & traffique , and many more tradesmen , many more merchants whom she sent out with her merchandize , who have been made rich by her merchandize , and other merchants were bishops , arch-bishops , deacons , arch-deacons , pryors , and covents , vicars , comissaries , chapters , chancellors , vice-chancellors , doctors of divinity , batchellors of divinity , doctors of art , masters of art , batchellors of art , priests and curats ) by which they were made rich , and abounded in treasure . and the beast whom all the world wondred after , compelled all to worship him , both small and great , upon which the whore rides , the scarlet-coloured beast which hath guarded all her merchants , and made all nations buy their ware , and hath compelled all people to buy the whores sorceries , even all the invented and heathenish trumperies which the whore hath patched up ; and their merchants painted over , which they have patched up , some from the jews , some from the heathen , some from the saints words mixt with their own imaginations , and deceit , and has holden forth these as the publick worship in the nations , and kindreds , tongues , and peoples , their many creeds , many confessions of the faith , many catechismes , and many forms of worship ; and when the people is weary of one sort of merchandize , then brings another in more deceitfull and worse , and the beast hath compelled the nations to buy it , and to hold it as the publick profession of the nations , though never so unsound and rotten , though damnable doctrines , and doctrines of devils , though invented , and heretical opinions , invented since the apostles dayes ; yet cryes the beast , the church hath ordained it , and the antient fathers has agreed upon it , and the councels has confirm'd it , and the devines has ratified it , and the bishops , and arch-bishops , and reverend fathers has confirmed it , and recommended it for orthodox and authentick . and therefore sayes the beast upon which the whore rides , ( the false church ) the mother of harlots , if you will not agree to it , you are hereticks , for the church has power to censure you , to excommunicate you , and to curse you , and to deliver you up to satan ; and then the beast having made laws for the sale of the whores sorceries , and for the guarding of her merchants , and their ships , if you consent not to the articles of the faith , and confessions , you break the law of the nations , and are not subject to authority ; and now you are not punished for religion sake , nor for christs sake , nor the gospels sake , but as evill-doers , and transgressors of the laws of our kingdom or nation : and thus the mother of harlots which got up since the apostacy , who hath drunk the blood of the saints , and shed the blood of the martyrs , and slain the witnesses , and hath put to many cruel deaths , she saith , i am clear , we kill none for conscience sake , we persecute none for the gospels sake , nor christs sake , nor for religions sake ; but you suffer as hereticks , and you have transgressed the law of kings , emperors , councels , and parliaments , and are enemies to states and governments , and rule , in breaking their wholsom laws cryes the harlot , who hath lost the savour ; and her merchants , which calls that which stinks and is corrupt , wholsome , and so saith the beast , we persecute you not for religion , neither in persons , liberties , or estates , but the church hath recommended this doctrine , these articles of faith , these creeds and pater-nosters , this publick worship , or that masse-book , or that common prayer-book , or this directory , and are not they the fittest to judge of religion , who hath the tongues , and the original ? and is fittest to give meanings and interpretations of the scripture ? and therefore we make a law , that the masse-book shall be holden out for the publick profession of these nations , as the pope , cardinals , jesuits , and fryers think fit , and that the common prayer-book be holden forth as the publick worship , which the bishops , arch-bishops , deacons , arch-deacons hath recommended unto us , as that which is consonant and agreeable to the primitive times , and to the church which hath been established so many hundred years , and whosoever will not consent and perform all the rites and ceremonies , let him be indicted , and let him be presented , and let him be cited to appear before a bishop , and let him imprison him , and fine him , and take away some of his estate , and excommunicate him , and then its fit that the secular power take notice of him for transgre●sing of their law , and pillory him , or cut off his ears , or stigmatize him , and banish him , and let his estate be confiscate to the king , or prince , against whom he hath transgressed , for he suffers as an evil-doer , and hath brought this upon himself , because he would not be subject to our church orders , and to the laudable customs of our nations or country . and saith some other of the whores merchants who are of another order distinct from the rest , and carries other sorts of ware , and traffiques with other sorts of merchandize , and some newer fashion , which is liker to bewitch people ; they cry out to the rulers of the earth to propagate their trading and their merchandize , and saith , it were fit that some doctors and orthodox men were called together to consider and consult about their trade , and what sort of ware or traffique will most bewitch people , and inchant their minds , that so her ships may go on the sea ; for if kindreds , tongues and people will not buy her ware ; her ships cannot go , and their trade will goe down ; if ever nations come to the rock , or people come to some stability , or know the precious treasure , and the heavenly treasure in the earthen vessels , they will buy no more of us ; if the sea be dried up that no more a gallant ship can passe thereon , nor never a gally with oars , then we shall all turn bankrupts , and then may we cry alas , alas , we that have been made rich are now become poor , therefore what doe we do ? let us take counsel together , and if any tell that they have obtained the heavenly treasure , and are come to the durable riches , and to the treasure that cankers not , and that they have found it in themselves , then let us cry out its heresie , and damnable doctrine ; and if any man shall say that they need no man to teach them , but the annointing that dwels in them , by which they know all things ; then let us give our vote with one consent , that , that 's a delusion , and let us frame arguments and say that that cannot be , you want hebrew greek , and latin , and the original , by which you should expound the scripture , and know the meaning of it , and therefore you to conclude that you have received the anointing is dangerous doctrine , let us pronounce this man as a heretick , for he wil infect people . and furthermore if any say that the lord is become his teacher , and he needs no man to teach him , but knows the lord to be his sheapheard , then let us cry out of this , as dangerous doctrine , and cry to the rest of the people ( that buyes yet our merchandise ) that he holds hereticall opinions , and d●spises the ministry , and the ordinances , and the doctrines of our reformed churches ; or if any say that the spirit of the lord is a sufficient teacher , to lead his people into all truth without outward means , as naturall learning , hebrew , greek , and latin , and the ancient fathers , and old authors , and so make void all our arts , and part , which is the foundation of our devinity , then let us cry in the ears of all the people , and in the ears of the rulers , and the powers of the earth , that this is blasphemy and error , and ought to be supprest . and furthermore , if any shall say that hee believes hee shall be made free from sinne in this life by the effectual working of christ ( the mighty power of god ) which condemns sin in the flesh , and destroyes the works of the devil , then let us cry heresie and blasphemy , and let us tell them that the holiest that ever was upon the earth sinned , and that the body of sin was un-cut down in them , and let us prove it by pauls words , he complained of a body ●f sin , and was never in any other condition while he lived upon the earth , and so it may be we shall keep them in blindness , that they will continue and trade with us ; and if any say they are come to the baptisme of the spirit , the one baptisme into which all the saints were baptized , in whom all other baptismes ends , and so being come to this , denies all the figures , and the baptisme of ●nfants , then let us cry out that they are sectaries , and denies the ordinance of god , infants baptisme , and let us give them some scripture , how that christ took up little children in his arms and blessed them , and how he bid his disciples go out into all nations , & baptize them in the name of the father , son , and holy ghost , and many be with an inference or two , or two or three consequences raised from this , and the like scriptures , we shall make their eye blind , that we shall put off this counterfeit ware yet a little while . and if any shall deny our church or chapel , and call it an idols temple ( which god never commanded to be built ) then let us bring some scriptures , how that god commanded a temple to be built at jerusalem , and how the jews had synagogues , and how god commanded store-houses to be built for gods service and worship , and it may be such a proof as this will satisfie them , that they will come to our shop another time , at the hour appointed for the sale of our wares , when the market-bell rings , and the wares are ready to be set out , and so by this means we may hold on our trade a while . and if any shall deny davids psalms to be sung in rhime and meeter , and with organs and pipes to be an ordinance of god in gospel-times ; then let us bring them some scriptures , and some fathers , & tell them in the church of corinth , that he that had a psalm might sing , and it may be , they will know no difference between a psalm which was given for●h by the spirit , and the psalm which is gotten by tradition from another ; and let us bring a proof out of revelation , that they that were redeemed from the earth played upon the harps , and sung a new song , and it may be they will not see no difference between them that are in the earth , and them that are redeemed from the earth , and so we may keep up this still as an ordinance invented by our mother , mystery babylon . and let this be agreed amongst us , now when many of us is assembled together , whose livelyhood and riches stands only in the merchandising of our mother church , that in whatsoever place we sayl to in our ships , if any be heard to say that the spirit of the lord ought to move first before any teacher , minister , or believer ought to pray , that so they may pray with the spirit , and in the spirit , in publick , and in private , whether with many or few , that so without the spirit none can be edified ; let us all agree to this , that it be voted down as an error , and let us do what in us lyes to prove from scripture , that set-forms of prayer is lawfull , and is an ordinance of god , and let us bring the lords-prayer , called by our mother-church the pater-noster , and see what that will do , and also hosea 14.2 . take with you words and turn to the lord , say unto him , take away our iniquity , and receive us graciously ; so with a deduction from these and the like scriptures , we may happily prove that a set-form of words invented by our church , ( or any of us that trades with her merchandize ) that this is an ordinance of god , and ought to be practised publickly and privately , and is accepted with god , although the people have not received the spirit as they had in the primative times ; and if this will not satisfie , then use some prevalent arguments , as our reverend brother , and fellow-merchant with us , mr. samuel boulton in the like case in hand used this forcible argument , though you cannot command the wind ( said he ) yet you may spread your sayles , and see what such an argument as this will do , but if they will not be content with this ( as it may be they will not in englan● , ●●otland , and ireland , holland , and some other parts , who are more quick-sighted than some other places where we merchandi●e ▪ if we cannot stand it out against them , that none can pray to god a right , but he that is come to the spirit , and knows by the signification of it what to ask , then let us grant them the thing , if we cannot help it , if common-prayer , forms of prayer will not go off as they use to do amongst our customers , then let us agree to them , ( but let that be the last shift ) that without faith , or the spirit it is impossible to be accepted or heard of god ; yet before this be granted , let us strive as much as in us lyes by forcible arguments from the scripture ( if so be that they will not allow the authority of antient fathers , nor of our ●annon-books ) how that there is a plat-form laid down in scripture , and the general heads of true prayer is laid down in an orthodox method in scriptures , that is to say , confession , petition , intercession , supplication , with giving of thanks , and if this will not stave them off from speaking so much of prayer by the spirit , and with understanding ( for it will be a grievous thing if we let this ordinance fall , of set-form of prayer , which our mother mystery-babylon hath allowed so many years , and ratified and confirmed in several great councels as niece , and latterar , and divers others ) and if nothing will serve them but prayer by the same spirit as was in the primative times ( before we lose them quite ) let us grant it them in words , that prayer by the spirit it is only acceptable . and reverend brethren , let us all agree not to be idle , but diligent , read the scriptures , and pack them up together , a deal of exhortations , reprehensions , admonitions , and prophecies , and read some old authors , as ireneus , ambro● , cyprea● , ierom , baz●l , austin , orige● , damizin , and it s not amiss if we take in luther and calvi● , memno , beza ; and some other late modern writers ; and so by much reading & meditation our affections will be whetted up and quickned , and those words which we read often will lodge in our memory , so that we shall be able to pray half an hour ex temp●re , or an hour and an half upon a fast-day ( for that 's the best traffi●ue that goes of such dayes as those ) without tautologies , or reiterations , and so though we pray several times , and in several places , as before kings , or councels , or a synod , or classis , merchants of our own order , yet by this means we shall be fitted for all places and times , to sute the business which we are about , and if any question the thing , let us say , we pray by the spirit as it gives us utterance ; but now this is the last and best of our merchandi●e , which is as gold & silver , & precious stone , & pearl ; if this will not go off , as upon the account of the spirit , or spiritual worship , or a spiritual ordinance , then there is little hope of driving any more trade , or getting any more sale , with these men , then let us cry to the magistrates , they are new-fangled & giddy-headed , and delights in novelties , and are erroneous schismaticks , and hereticks , and are factious and seditious , which if they be let alone , & not be timely checked & reproved , they will overthrow us merchants call'd ( by our selves ministers ) and not only us but also both church & common-wealth . and furthermore let us agree reverend brethren in unity and peace , and strive all with one consent to be funished with such merchandi●e as will sute with the countries and regions where we traffi●ue , as kings , princes , protectors , parliaments , and councels , noblemen , gentlemen , and also take in the common people ( if happily we can please them all ) because that by the last mentioned we receive many of our subsistance , yet if any of them do not like our merchandize , it is the least matter of them ; for then we have a king , a prince , a protector , or a parliament to appeal to , and if we can but satisfie them with merchandize upon petition , they will make us a law , and set a compass upon every one of our ships to ride in at sea , and they will command every parish to buy our merchandize , & if they will not buy it , at the worst ; compel them to give us our price , whether they receive our merch●ndize or not , or traffique or not , but if they will not ( having a law to guard us ) we can take it from them whether they will or no , & if at any time any seem obstinate , & refuses to pay us easter-reckonings , & midsummer-dues ▪ which may be comes to the value of 18 d. or 2 s. ) we can take a pot worth 7 or 8 s. or a pan or a kettle , and if they shall neglect to pay us a mortuary , which hath been an ordinance ordained by our mother mystery-babylon 7 or 8 hundred years ago or upwards , if they will seek to disannul such a laudable custom , then we can sue them for it in a county-court , and get 20 or 30 shillings dammage , and if any of the common people refuse to pay us our ●ythes , which belongs unto us , church-officers , which was given unto us by our mother , who sate upon the scarlet-coloured beast at the least 13 hundred years ago , that if our tythe come to 40 s. or 3 l. we can go to a chapman or two , who resents our commodities , and they will give us a warrant for treble dammages , and then we shall get some bayliffs who are our church-members , and take away a yoke of oxen worth 8 or 10 pounds ; or a horse or cow worth ten or twelve pounds , and if the tythe come to 5 or 6 pound , then we can take five or six cows , and ascore of sheep , and half a score of swine , and thresh the corn out of his barn , and take it away , and take away the fether-beds , and curtains , court-cloaths , and blankets , rugs , sheets , kettles , brewing-furnace , or the rayment which the family wore ; and if we judge it too little to satisfie our insatiable desires , take pin-cushions , or if it be but half a cheese , as our reverend brother alexander bradley in the parish of elmstone in the county of ken● from robert minter of the same county and parish . and in thus doing there will be little loss or detrement to us ; and if any refuse to give us a tythe-cock of hay , or a shock of corn , ( having the power of the earth of our side ) we can pull down the hedges , and break open the gates , and fetch away a wain load or two , or as much as we think fit , as many of our reverend brethren of our order have lately done , which are good precedents to posterity that may come after us , and if any with whom we have traded ( who are neighbours ) do think much at us , we can call them hereticks , and say they are enemies to the church and commonwealth , therefore why do you pity them ? but reverend ●rethren , it is not with us now in the north regions of the world , as it hath been in time past , about two or three hundred years ago , neither as is it with the rest of our fellow-merchants in italy , rome , jerusalem , arabia , greece , portugal ▪ spain ▪ hungaria , france , and the rest of the regions where our mother sits as a queen , the people being all as asleep at midnight , any old , dark , rusty cankered ware will go off there at a good rate , and for ave maries , or pater-nosters , te deum , or a magnificat anima , or the like , or some other charm in an unknown tongue , or a story of st. damisen , or st. benedict about images , or a story of st. francis of his converting of wolves and bears ; or speaking an hour from some old fathers , and call it the word of god , and meddle not with the scripture at all ; for a story of the lady of lauretta , or the image of the virgin mary , and of what miracles they have wrought , which the members of the mother church believes for good doctrine , and receive these or the like , as crosses , crucifixes , pictures , beads and images , and such other like merchandizes of the baser sort , is all bought and received , without question , as merchandizes of great worth , and things belonging to happiness and felicity ; but alas ▪ 't is almost day , and the night is far spent , and the people in these nothern regions are come past midnight , some towards the dawning of the day , and they question our merchandize , and with some the night is quite over , and they are come to the day-break , and to the rising of the sun , and with these there is no hope of trading ( though with the best of all our commodities ) though with cinimon and odours , and oyntment , and frankincense , yet they will buy none of our ware , nor ther 's no hope of trading with them any more , for they are come to know the pearl which is more pretious than rubies , and the heavenly treasure that doth not rust , and the word which is sweeter than the honey and the honey comb , ther 's no hope of them ; but this is the misery , they will not be content with what they have found , but imparts it to others , and so begets a dislike in other peoples minds , to the best of all our merchandize . however , them that are gone from us , and denies our mother , and her golden cup , and denies all her merchants great and small , not onely them that trades in wood , and vessels , and brasse , and iron , but even them that trades with the best merchandize , as gold and silver , precious stones , and pearls , fine linen , purple , silk and scarlet ; however let us excommunicate them , and give them up to sathan , and let us call to the beast with his seven heads and ten horns , who is scarlet coloured , dreadful and terrible , and let us accuse them of heresie , schism and blasphemy , and call them seducers and deceivers , and false prophets , and let us brand them with names of reproach , as sectaries , and say they are seditious and rebellions and mutenous , and they are enemies to church and state , and all good government , peace-breakers , factious , and pestilent fellows , that brings all the nations into an uproar ; and if that will not do , le ts petition to kings , princes , dukes , parliaments , protectors and counsels that some speedy and effectual course may be taken for suppressing of these hereticks , and for stopping of these blasphemous doctrines , as that the steeple-house is not the church , and sprinckling of infants no ordinance of christ , and singing of psalms by tradition no part of the true worship of god , and it may be we shall get some law or act of parliament against them ; or call them vagabonds , and get them whipt abroad , and put in prisons , while we take away their oxen and goods at home , and so by this means it will stop others ( whom we traffique withal ) that they will not dare to hearken unto them ; for if they will not buy our wares and take our measures by a glasse , in love to it , yet because of fear of imprisonment or losse of their goods or estates , they will be constrained to trade with us . but alas , it is otherwise with us now then it was in queen maries dayes , when masse , mattens and even-songs professionings , ave-maries , creeds and pater-nosters took up most part of the time , and went off ●mongst people for spiritual worship at a good rate ; neither is it with us now , as it was in the days of bishop laud our great metropolitan , and the rest of our mothers merchants : then would common prayer translated out of the mass-book into the english , and creed , letany , pater noster , with a lor● have mercy upon us , or we beseech thee to hear us good lord , fourty times over in a quarter of an hour , with some of davids psalms turned into meeter , by hop●●ns and srer●hold masters of musick , sung with organs , with choristers , and boyes , with bowing to the altar , and such like merchandize , which then was precious in the eyes of our mothers children ; then whosoever would not be obedient to all the rites and ceremonies , then we branded them with the name of puritans and non-conformists , and haled them before sessions , courts and magistrates , cited them to appear before the bishops , served them up to the high-commission court , before the lords spiritual and temporal , [ falsely so called ] and there the flesh was gnawn to the bone , and ears cut off , stigmatizing and burning with irons , imprisonment and banishment : now as people came nearer the day they began to suspect all this , as not to be the spiritual worship of god , having no ground nor footing from the spirit of truth , nor example from the scripture , nor from the primitive churches , then them over whom our mother once reigned , began to question her whether she was the lambs wife , yea or nay ? and whether our predecessors and brethren were the messengers sent out by the true church , yea or nay ? and whether the ordinances and practises were the institution of christ and his apostles , yea or nay in the primitive times ? and the day dawning upon them , and the spirit came to be revealed , and did shine into their hearts , and they began to search the scriptures , and to compare the true church [ which was cloathed with the sun , and crowned with the crown of twelve stars ] with our mother , mystery babylon , and they began to compare the apostles and ministers in the primitive times with our predecessors babylons merchants , and also compared the institutions and ordinances which were delivered to the true church with the institutions , and rites and ceremonies , and inventions of our mother , mystery babylon ; and so they found all out by the ●evelation of the spirit , and by searching of the scriptures they found out the rise of our mother , after the woman was fled into the wildernesse , and that she sate not as a queen upon nations , kindreds , tongues and peoples , till after the woman did fly away upon the wings of an eagle into the wildernesse for a time , times and half a time , and likewise they found out that our predecessors and fellow-merchants were not like the ministers of christ in the primitive times , neither our doctrines and ordinances , like the ordinances and doctrines which were once delivered to the saints , before ever wee merchants set sail or floated in a ship on the sea ; and so finding our city to be raised up in its glory , since the glory of god was lost in the earth , and finding our queen , mystery babylon , ruling in our city since the lambs wife fled , and finding us merchants to receive her traffique from her city since the faith was lost that once was delivered to the saints , and did see our creeds and beliefs and pater-nosters , our prayers , and our hymns , that they are quite another thing , which was part of her traffique , they have concluded ( and that upon infallible grounds ) warranted by a cloud of witnesses in the prophets and apostles , that our mother is a whore , and her predecessors are her merchants , and that our ordinances are and traffique have been invented by some of our mothers children which are apostates , and they have found us out ; and now alas ! a ship will bee hardly able to ride any more upon the waters , nor the sea will hardly bear up our vessels any more , the nations , the kindreds , the tongues , and the peoples are almost dried up , especially in the north regions they will not buy our merchandize any more , our ships are like to stand still , and our merchandize is like to be all shipwrackt ; therefore let us take councel , least all the sea dry up , and we all sit down in solitarinesse , and our song be turned into woe worth the day , misery , and alas . therefore now it behoves us all , reverend brethren , who are of this last edition ( tything presbyters ) to deny our mother in her greatest fornication , and adultery , since she hath committed fornication with kings and nobles , and since all nations have drunk of her cup : but yet let us own her three or four hundred years after the ascention of christ , for then though she was inclining to adultery , and it lodged in her heart , yet it was not so openly known then , but only to a few , and then she held part of the form of godliness , and had part of the true churches attire and ornaments on the outside , and so let us all agree to stick close to her hear , and vindi●ate her then , and her merchandize the form of godliness , for if this traffi●ue will not go off , we are at an end , for either this must serve in the north regions of the world , or we must pull down our sayles , and let our ships stand still on dry land ; let us put on resolution , there is some hope that this may serve a while , for that our mother was a true church 3 hundred years after christ , hardly any in this will gain-say us , and let us deny all the popes , cardinals , legates , fryers , monks , jesuites , semenaries , and all their several orders , which are one distinct from another , and let us deny the rest of our fellow-merchants , or rather fathers , which did ordain us to be merchants to trade at sea , seeing that kind of merchandize which they then traded with , which they received from our mother will not go off now ; for nations , kindreds , tongues , and people now will not buy that kind of merchandize which hath not the face of purity upon it ; and though we were made ministers by them , yet now when they are grown out of date ( a parliament having voted them down ) it s not safe for us to hold them up , nor none of their worship nor merchandize ; so we having a distinct order of our own , and are rank'd into another fellowship , distinct from the fryers and the monks , let us keep our fellowship one with another ; and so we may set up our selves , and so may bring honor to our mother , mystery babylon , under another name ; and so let bishops , arch-bishops , arch-deacons , deans and chapters , prelates , vicars and curates be denyed ; and seeing their traditional traffi●ue before mentioned will not go off , and all the forms of publique worship hath been contrary to the scriptures , and contrary to the primative times , and seeing we cannot hinder people from seeing of it , therefore we must let it all pass , and deny both them and it , at least in the hearing of them whom we trade with therefore let them merchandize with it in some other country for our mother , where she hath more reputation , and where the beast hath more power ; and the time may come , if we can but perswade people , that they cannot understand the scriptures , nor come to know the mind of christ without our original , hebrew , greek , and latin ; in some time it may be this traffique will go off , if we can keep people but ignorant enough , that so we may be a means to bring our mother , and her messengers , that she hath sent forth , into more reputation than they are . notwithstanding though the day be dawned , & every mans works made manifest of what sort it is , yet it is well enough that we receive the maintenance which our mother mystery babylon gave unto our former merchants , as tythes , oblations , obventions and offerings , easter-reckonings , and midsummer-dues , and mortuaries , twenty shillings for a funeral sermon , ten groats at the grave , twelve pence an hour for ringing of bells , and such other like commodities that befalls us ; and besides all this we have got something out of bishops lands , and deans , and chapters , and prebends lands , some good augmentations out of these ; so that all the merchandizing and traffique lyes in our hand , and all the wages that our mother gave to other officers , and ambassadors of several orders , which to speak plainly is the very reins and finews of our gospel which we preach , and therefore if we cannot keep the people blind , but they will see our error in most things ; yet while we have the powers of the earth to make us a law , that all may be forced and compelled to pay that unto us , which our mother the church gave us , when she was in her exaltation , while this is kept up , we shall cary about our ships , and merchandi●e , though the people have no great heart to it , we shall cry out to the magistrates to compel them to buy it , or else the people will turn atheists , and barbarians , and however get our price . yet now , reverend brethren , seeing we cannot keep the people in ignorance and darkness , nor hinder the day from dawning , nor the sun from rising , while it is but even yet twylight , let us work and carry about our traffique , for the best sort of merchandize which our mother hath , will hardly please now , for now it comes to that , that nothing but spiritual ordinances will be accepted among people now , therefore we , which are of the tything presbyterian order , though we have denyed our mother in some of her sorceries , and though we have denyed the bishops , our fathers , and ordinances , and their established form of worship , we being heirs apparent to their inheritance , and revenues , and wages ; now we being come to maturity , and goes under the name of reformers , yet let our mother mystery babylons wages stand unalterable as the law of the medes and persians , and though the professions of publick worship have been denyed and abolished , let us perswade the magistrates , and rulers , that if they abolish our tythes , and set wages , then the gospel will cease to flourish in these nations , and though the mass-book , or book of common-prayer , and the lateny will not go off for gospel and longer , we shall set something else up in its stead to be called the gospel , and because we have not an immediate spirit , nor an infallable , neither ever looks to have it ; its requisite that we prescribe some form or directory of worship to be as a rule of direction to all of our order , and if we can get a parliament to make an ordinance for the recommendation of it to the nations , as the publick worship of god , then we may trade yet with out merchandize , and whilst our set wages is not altered , the matter is of less moment ; and though the directory should be discommended , as it is recommended , and our form should go down , and another thing should be established instead of it ; yet it were lawfull for us to joyn to another , and though they should accuse us for time-servers , and men-pleasers , yet we have a cloud of witnesses , as in edward the 6. and henry the 8. how many hundred of our fellow-merchants denyed driving a trade with the mass-book , and likewise in the daies of queen mary many thousands owned the mass-book as the publique worship of god , which was then holden out . again , how many thousands of our fellow-merchants denyed the mass-book , our publick profession , doctrine and discipline , and joyned to the book of common-prayer , and the lateny , as the publique profession of the worship of god , and now of late years we have denyed it our selves , and so we which are of this order can dispence well enough with this , seeing that we trade with som of our mothers ? merchandize under another name , and so the matter is less grievous , because the orders and ceremonies about worship is retained still in our directory under another habit and guise , and so having these witnesses before mentioned for our example , and if any seem to contend with us , this will take the edge off people , seeing it s no new thing with us to set our sayles which way soever the wind blows , and it may be we may bring them a scripture or two , and an inference from it , for a cloak , as to submit to every ordinance of man for the lords sake , and let every soul be subject to the higher power , so henry the 8th . while he stood he was the higher power and so mary , elizab●th , james and charles they were the higher power while they stood , and they did ordain , that sometime the mass-book should be the publique worship , & somtime the common-prayer book should be the publick worship ; and now the directory a plat-form of publick worship ; it may be these and the like arguments to them that are dim-sighted will take place for sometime . but there is one thing above all which ought to be considered of by us , who are allowed to be publick merchants , seeing that we must go under the name of reformation , for that is our flag we carry in our ship , that seeing that generally people of the most understanding will not allow of any preaching to be effectual , to the converting of souls , but that which is ministred by or from the spirit , for the reading of old homilies which served in our predecessors dayes will not serve now , or if we should speak some hebrew or greek , or latin in an unknown tongue , they will conclude , that is rather the wisdom of the flesh , & from natural wit , rather then from the spirit ; and therefore it is not much amiss if we conclude to let some of the ancient fathers pass , and not mention them , because it is holden generally , that they lived in an apostatizing time , and so it will not be effectual in the audience of people : and so for austin and cyprin , jerom and ●ead origen and damasen , their traffique will hardly go off , for they will conclude , it s rather by art and study that we preach , then by the spirit ; and so we being fallen into such a dangerous time as this is now in the break of day , when men begins to be quick-sighted , and will not only espie hills , but also moats ; therefore all we which are merchants of this order and rank , to our mother mystery babylon , had need to trade with the best merchandize , as gold , and silver , and precious stone , and fine linnen , and silk , and scarlet ; and so let this be agreed upon by us all , that we study hard , and read the scriptures , and other modern divines which are orthodox , that so if need require , every one may preach ex tempore , for else it will not go upon the account of the spirit , & so have words to fit all times , occasions , & seasons ; as before protectors , parliaments and councels , or noble men , or classis , or synods , or the like , and every one labour by study and art to raise many doctrines from one scripture , and make many uses and trials , and motives , and so carnal peoples minds will be affected with such dexterity and readiness , so that we shall clear our selves from clamour , which some of our merchants have fallen under , because of their negligence ; and if any should accuse us for studying and patching up our sermons out of divers authors mixt with scripture , and our inventions , then bring such a scripture as that 2 tim. 2 . 1● . study to shew thy self approved unto god ; it may be some blind people will take that for a good proof ; and such a word as that , study to be quiet ; and because the word study is found in scripture , therefore with a consequence or two we may prove in the ears of people , that studying of sermons is lawful ; and if any question our set wages , and hire , be sure that all with one accord do study to vindicate this , for this is the life and sinews of the propagation of our gospel . and now reader , i shall give thee an account of the principal and chief traffique , which is established for the publike worship amongst those that are called gospel-professors , the general heads whereof is laid down in a directory of the publike worship in these three nations of england , scotland , and ireland ; and the general heads of that which they purpose to traffique with , is laid down in their directory ( so called ) and what traffique is of less moment , may be ushered in , time will make manifest , and in their preface to their book , they say as follows . directory . that the liturgy hath been a great means to encrease an idle ministery from putting forth themselves , for putting forth the gift of prayer which christ pleaseth to furnish all his servants with , whom he calls to that office . answer . so then by this conclusion all their former fathers and fellow-merchants were not sent out by christ , because they contented themselves with set forms of others made to their hands ; and if all whom christ called to this office be furnisht with the gift of prayer , then this must needs follow , that they that have no gift of prayer , are no officers of christ : well , their part being acted , and the exit being come , let them go off the stage , and thou shalt see the gifted men come on next . direct . in the assembling of the congregation together , the direction is , that the people do reverendly compose themselves to joyn in the ordinance of god , which is then coming in hand ; as it is written in the eleventh page of their book . answ here they are putting self to perform the ordinance of god , which whosoever comes to perform aright , or joyns with the assembly of the righteous , they must deny themselves , and all their own composings . direct . the next thing is about reading the scriptures , and exposition of them ; and in their expounding they are to take heed , that preaching , and other ordinances be not streightned . answ. as for reading the scripture , it is a thing so harmless , and honest , and just , and good , that i wish that all their whole ordinances ( so called ) had been all waved , and given place to this ; and if it were read oftner to the people without adding or diminishing , the understandings of people would be more opened , then by their cloudy and dark packt up speeches , which is called preachin● ; but preaching i am not against , that is to say , to declare the mind of god as it is revealed by his eternal spirit , to , and in them that speaks ; and why do you pref●r one part of your worship before another ? was not a psalm in the church of co●inth acceptable unto god when it was sung in the spirit , and with understanding , as good as an interpretation ? and was not prophesie as acceptable as speaking with tongues , if your expounding ( so called of the scripture be by the spirit of god ? why should that give way to a sprinkling of an infant , till the spirit cease to speak in him that spake by it ? direct . the next pie●e of merchandize is , of their publike prayer bef●re sermon , and to pray after this manner , to acknowledge your great sinfulness by your original sin , which makes you liable to everlasting damnatio● , and doth defile your best ●ctions , if it were not re●●roined by gods grace ▪ as in page the fift●enth . answ. what , is original sin unwasht away ? and is a deprived nature alive , that poysons all your faculties , and defiles your best actions ? what , is not this taken away yet ? then you have confounded your orthodox doctrine , or else never have been bapti●ed when you were infants : for , did not you use to say , that when an infant was sprinkled , that he was regenerate , and born again , and ingrafted into the body of christs congregation ? and furthermore , to give thanks to god on this wise , we yeeld thee hearty thanks , that it hath pleased thee to regenerate this infant , and to receive it for thy own child by adoption , and to incorporate this child into thy own congregation ; then seeing that all that are baptized , are regenerate , as you say , how is it that original sin , and the guilt is not taken away ? and how is it that the best of your actions is defiled ? for regeneration is a cleansing work , and the actions of the regenerate are pure and holy , but your best actions are defiled ; then you are not regenerate by your own doctrine ; and if sin be restrained by gods grace , then actions do not defile , for grace is one , that which restrains , and that which saves ; for it s written , by grace you are saved , and if you are restrained from sin , or saved by grace , then your actions would not be defiled ; what ●ankered rusty merchandize is this ? but i shall proceed to shew more of the like nature . direct . the next doctrine is to conf●ss your actual sins , the sins of your magistrates , ministers , and whole nation , and how that you have broken all the holy just ●aws of god , doing that which is forbidden and leaving undone , that which is injoyned , and not only ignorantly , but presumptuously , against the light of our minds , and checks of our consciences , but also despising gods forbearance , and standing out against all the offers of grace in the gospel . answ. was not the baptized infant incorporated into a holy congregation ? and now you confessed you are a sinfull congregation , not only ignorant but presumptuous also , and have sinned against the light of your minds , and the light of your consciences ; what , is there any thing in your minds or consciences worth taking notice of ? what , will the light in the conscience shew sin and reprove for it ? then how is it , that you merchants of this rank cryes out against it as delusion and heretical doctrine , when any exhorts them , that they sin not against the light of their own consciences ; and if you stand out against all gods invitations and offers of grace , then are you none of christs ministers ; and never blame me for calling you babylons-merchants , for the ministers and disciples of christ , they came at christs invitation , and peter and john left their nets , and followed christ when he invited them ; and they resisted not the offers of grace , but received it when it was offered , and were saved by it ; and if you walk so unworthy of him in your selves , then repent and cease carrying abroad such trumpery as this to deceive the people withall . direct . in the sixteen page , you reformers say you ought to bewaile your blindness of mind , and hardness of heart , and unbelief , impenitency , secureness , lukewarmness and barrenness , and not endeavouring mortification , nor to keep your garments unspotted . answ. you had need to bewaill your state indeed if this be it ; but see that you be not hypocrites , to confess that before the lord and your congregation ; and if any say you are hard-hearted & unbelievers , you deny it again , and so ma●e your lives transgress , and your ●ongues utter forth deceit ; what is such a company of blind minds , and hard-hearted , impenitent , unbelieving , secure , lukewarm , barren , whom god will spue out of his mouth , who doth not so much as endeavour after mortification , nor to keep your selves unspotted , and have broken promises and vows , and covenants ; that ever such a company as you should carry a ship at sea , or think in your hearts to give directions to others to reform , when you are unreformed your selves , and full of unbelief ; what people will take directions at such a company of heart-blind guides as you ? if this be reformation , what is deformity ? the wise in heart may judge of this merchandize . direct . yet you say notwithstanding in the 18th page , let us draw near to the throne of grace , and incourage our selves with hope of a gracious answer of our prayer● . answ. he that sits upon the throne of grace , before whose face the heavens and the earth shall fly away , he will reject your offering , notwithstanding all the encouragement you may take to your selves ; and how can you have hope to receive a gracious answer ? its but the hope of the hypocrite , you that are blind in mind and hard in heart , and doth not so much as endeavour after mortificaon . david a messenger of god , said , if i regard iniquity in my heart , god will not hear my prayers ; and you that are so presumptuous , and are so full of vain hopes , as to think that god will hear your prayers , who are in unbelief , and endeavours not after mortification , he will send you empty away . direct the next doctrine is about preaching the word , the subject of his sermon is to be some text of scripture , sutable to some emergent occasions , and he may go on in some chapter or psalm , as he shall think fit . answ. here , reader , thou mayest take notice these artificers of the last edition have traffique of divers sorts , to fit the several places and occasions ; as when they come before some princes , or courtiers , or some convocations or councels , then some great swelling words , and new ●oyned expressions , and rhe●o●ical speeches , and p●ilosophical phrases , this will go off at a good rate ; and by this the merchant may procure his discourse to be printed , which may procure his fame and renown among ignorant people ; besides , it may be he gets profit by printing his sermon , setting all set-wages , tythes , salleries aside : but if it be amongst poor count●y people , or an odde corner of the land , then any ordinary traffi●ue , a sermon , which it may be he hath sold four times over , this will go off among ignorant people , and make them more ignorant ; and as you say a text out of the ●salms , or any other scripture as the mi●ister shall thinks fit , will serve to treat upon ; reader , thou mayest take notice that here is no notice taken of the holy ghost or spirit , what it thinks fit ; but what he that preaches hath ready must go off , and counted as fit for that people . direct . and in the 36 page your direction is to the merchant , not to rest in general doctrine , but come to particular application , whi●h is a work of gre●t diffi●ul●y to himself , requiring prudence and moderation , and to the natural corrupt man it will be very unpleasant . answ. the doctrines and the applications of the natural corrupt man will not be profitable nor powerfull at all upon the hearers , neither will disarm the thoughts of the heart at all , and you that gives prescriptions to natural corrupt men what to preach , who sets them about performing the work of god , that knows it not , are very ignorant ; for the natural man understands not the things of god , and the corrupt man in heart sees not god , and he that understands not the things of god , must needs preach a devination of his own brain . well , let who will take this traffi●ue , the children of light will have none of it , it may be such husks as these will satisfie a herd of swine , and so let them take it . direct . and you say , he that preaches , is to be perswaded in his own heart , that all that he teaches is the truth , and that he is to walk before his flock as an example . answ. how is he like to be perswaded in his own heart , that sins presumptiously against the checks of his own conscience ? and you set examples indeed , but they are but bad ones ; would you have your flock to follow your example ? would you have every one of your flock to have a long gown , or a long robe , and make them all like cardinals , princes ? would you have every one to have a ring on his finger , and a company of points at his knees , like a besom , and a company of ribons and cuffs , like a fidler ? or would you have any of your flock to come and fetch away a yoak of your oxen , or a couple of your horses , or take his teem , and come into your field , break down the hedges , and throw open the gates , and load his waggon with corn , if one could not pay it him for conscience sake ? or would you be sewed up two hundred miles into a court , for a tythe hen worth four pence , or six pence , and thrown into the fleet a year or two for four or five shillings ? many such evidences and examples we have from you , you late reformers ; but to the light in all consciences i leave to judge , ( which you have presumptiously sinned against ) what examples you are to your flocks . direct . and now , reader , i come to prayer after sermon , and thou shalt see what traffique is there ; the minister is to give thanks for the bl●ssing received , as election ▪ v●cation , adoptio● , justification , and hope of glory ; and likewise to turn the heads of his sermons into some few petitions , and after to pray for the preparation for death , and to entreat of god to forgive the iniquity of your holy things . answ. ●ere , reader , thou mayst see as bad merchandi●e as the story of the lady of laureita , or the story of saint francis , which the begging fryers , your fellow-merchants traffique withall . first , you give thanks for election , vocation , ●ustification , and hope of glory , and afterwards to pray for the forgiveness of the iniquity of your holy things ; how are your things holy , when they are full of iniquity , and sinful ? is that which is holy , iniquity and sinful ? or is that which is iniquity and sinful , holy ? are they elected , justified , adopted , and sanctified , whose sins are not blotted out , whose iniquities are not forgiven ? let the wise in heart judge of this dream . what , are not they well prepared for death , that are elected , adopted , justified and sanctified , but they must needs have your prayers full of iniquity ? will that prepare them better ? what ignorance is here ? and where learned you this article of ●aith , to turn the heads of the sermon into petitions ? let the wise judge . was not prophesie one thing , and prayer another ? but now prophesie must be turned into prayer , and prayer into prophesie , sermons into petitions , and petitions into sermons ; what mangl'd traffique is this ? direct . in the 38. page , this kind of prayer fore-mentioned ended , a psalm may be sung , if it be convenient , if some other ordinance doth not follow . answ. then it seems that your psalm is no ordinance , but if it be , it must give way however if the priest thinks fit ; god must have no prayers at that time ; it may be sprinkling of an infant may serve in stead . direct . and now i come to the great ordinance , infants baptisme , ( falsly so called . ) in the 40. page , the minister is to use some words touching the institution , how that it was instituted by our lord jesus christ , that infants should be baptized , and that it is a seal of the covenant of grace , and of our grafting into christ , and of our union with him , and of remission of sins , regeneration , adoption , and eternal life . answ. reader , take notice christ never sent them forth as ministers to tell lies ; as to say , he ordained that which he never did . and furthermore , thou may take notice , that the spirit of the lord is turned out of doors , there is no place for it ; outward water with which the infant is sprinkled , hath taken up the authority , and the work of the spirit , the ministers of christ declared , that the spirit of promise , and the spirit of truth , was the seal of the covenant of grace , and remission of sins , regeneration , and adoption ; and that the faith , and the spirit , is the seals of eternal life : but these reformers hath excluded both , and have set up a beggerly element in the room ; let the spiritual man judge what kind of traffique this is . direct . and in the 42. page , that children by baptisme are received into the bosome of the church , distinguished from the world . answ. now what kind of a church yours is , and what kind of a bosome your church hath , distinct from the world , the wise in heart may judge . you have confessed , that magistrates , ministers , and the whole nation , doth not so much as endeavour after mortification , and a newness of life , and that you are blind , hard-hearted , full of unbelief , impenitent , secure , and luke-warm , and have not so much as endeavoured to receive christ into your hearts by faith , as in the sixteenth page of your directory may be seen ; and how your church , and the bosome of it , is distinct from the world , if your church be as you have said , ( the understanding may judge ; ) for you that are impenitent , and full of unbelief , and have not received christ into your hearts , you are of the world , and your bosome full of deceit , and are none of the church of christ . direct . and moreover , the minister that baptized the infant , which is a popish invention ▪ and not an institution of christ , however he is to press it upon people as such a one , and to exhort them to look back to their baptisme , and to repent of their sins against god , and to stir up their faith . answ. said ye not even now , that baptisme with water was an ingrafting into christ , and of regeneration , and of eternal life , and he that is baptized , hath the seal of all this ; and yet they are to repent of their sins ? and how should their faith be stirred up , that hath none , which yet hath to repent ? what blind doctrine is this , that these blind merchants of this last edition hath given out for a plat-form ? direct . in the 44. page , the minister is to joyn prayer with the word of institution , for sanctifying the water to this spiritual use . answ. mark , reader , what sorcery is here ? was not the water instituted in the beginning by the word , and gathered together into one place , by the word ? and then i● was sanctified , and holy ; and how became it unholy again ? and how hath the water transgressed , that it s become unholy , that it needs sanctifying again ? but in stead of sanctifying it , you abuse it , and would make it serve for that end which god never ordained , ( viz. ) to be a seal of the remission of sins , a seal of regeneration , and eternal life ; all which is contrary to the scripture , contrary to the ministers of christ , and contrary to the precepts of the ministers of christ , but are indeed institutions of your mother , mystery babylon . direct . and now i come to the celebration of your great sacrament of bread and wine ; you say in the 48. page , we judge it convenient to be done after the morning sermon , and that all ignorant and scandalous are not fit to receive this sacrament . answ. and why after the morning sermon , ye great reformers ? if you intend that christs breaking of bread , and giving the cup to his disciples , that this must be your foundation for your sacrament , that was at supper in the same night he was betrayed ; and if he had judged it more convenient , why could he not have given it them after some morning sermon ? what example have you for so doing ? it may be saint g●egory , benedict , or damasen , or some other of your mothers merchants . and if they be unfit that are ignorant and scandalous , to receive this sacrament , ( as you call it ) then none more unfit then your selves , none more ignorant and scandalous , which hath left that undone which god hath injoyned , and hath done that which he never commanded , and that not only out of ignorance , but also presumptiously against the checks of your own consciences , and motions of his holy spirit ; what , not so much as endeavoured after mortification , or newness of life , but are a blind , hard-hearted , unbelieveing , and impenitent people , witness the sixteenth page of your directory ; and if such as you be fit to receive this sacrament , ( as you call it ) i know none unfit to receive it . ●irect . in the 50. page , the minister is to warn all that are ignorant , and scandalous , and prophane , that live in any sin , or offence against their conscience , that they come not to this holy table ; and on the other hand to incourage and assure them of refreshment and strength , by coming to this table , if they desire a farther progress in grace . answ. whom do you call ignorant , and prophane , and scandalous ? is not he a scandalous person that sins presumptiously , and against the checks of his own conscience , and gods holy spirit ? and if such be prohibited , all you reformers are excluded ; and if you do come , you are like to have no refreshment , or strength here ( if your own doctrine must stand good for refreshment and strength ) you promise to them that hath a desire after the progress in grace : but , say you of your selves , we have no desire after mortification , or amendment of life , and so you are without hope , come , or not come . furthermore , bread and wine was a seal of eternal life , before , you said , and now ease , refreshment , and strength is promised to the weak : i say as the apostle said to them who discerned not the lords body , but came unworthily , for this cause many are weak , and many are sick , and many are fallen asleep ; and though they have come to your table , they have come sick and weakly , and have gone away so , and hath found your promises and assurances of no effect at all . dir. and now i come to the consecration , the minister is to begin the action , with blessing the bread and wine , setting them aside for this holy use . an. i say bread and wine was sanctified by the word , for that end and use that god created them ; that is to say , for the nourishment of man , and they were holy and good before ever the priest touched them ; as it is written , vnto you that believe , are all things clean ; but if you set them apart for any such end or use , as to be a seal of remission of sins , regeneration , and eternal life , then you convert them , or rather pervert them to that end which god never intended . but this is like the rest of your idolatrous merchandize . dir. then after the sacrament is taken , in the 55 page , the minister is to put them in mind of the grace of god held forth in the sacrament , and to entreat for pardon for the defects of the whole service . an. the church of rome , your mother , saith , that the body and blood of christ is held forth in the sacrament , and you say , the grace is held forth in the sacrament , and the seal of eternal life . what , do you think to make it , the fountain of life , from whence all good comes ? & in the conclusion of all the whole , a sacrifice must be offered up for the defects of your whole service ; what pitifull blind merchandize is this ? before it was a seal of the vocation and election , eternal life , and pledges of adoption ; and by it the comers thereunto are not made perfect , but are full of defects , and sinfull , & your whole services full of iniquty , and sin , and defects ; will not any , who hath but the least sight abhor your ●ypocritical sacrifice , and your mouldy , rusty , cankered traffique ? and now their holy ordinance , and their most holy things is ended in defect , in sin and iniquity ; and these worshippers the more they offer the more they sin , and how the rest of their ordinances will end , thou mayest judge before thou pass any further . direct . and now i come their sanctification of their sabboth , the whole day , you say , is to be celibrated as being the christian sabbath . if you intend the first day of the week , where is that called the christian sabbath ? the sabbath , in the first covenant was given for a sign of the christian sabbath , which was to be revealed when they ceased from their own works , words , & thoughts , then the rest was to be known , the christian sabath ; and whether is a christian sabbath a visible or invisible thing ? but stay sirs , do you keep this day ( which you call a christians sabbath ) holy to the lord ? is not this your market day upon which you sell your traffique , one or two glasses for 20 or 30 s. a day , besides what you get for sprinkling of infants ? do you not speak your own words , nor think your own thoughts , nor work your own works ? if you say you do not , how comes it to pass , that there are all these defects in your performances , & all this iniquity in your holy things ? i hope you dare not say , that defects is from god , or that iniquity or sin is of god ; and if you have not a male in your flock , let sacrificing or offering alone , and do not think that god will be pleased with your lame , blind , maimed , defective sacrifices , neither with your strangled things , nor your swines flesh ; so i say unto you , repent and learn to be reformed your selves , before you prescribe rules for others , least both you , and them that follow you fall into the pit ; and because the merchants of this rank and orders doth love to be medling with every thing , wherein there is hope of any thing to be got , they will try all kinds of merchandize , and so present they their direction about mariage to any who will take their ignorant councel . direct . they say mariage is no sacrament , nor peculiar to the church of god , and they say we judge it expedient that it be done by a lawfull minister , and to be published three times before it be solemnised by the said minister . answ. if you mean by sacrament a holy thing , then mariage is either holy or unholy , if unholy , then fit to be done by none ; if holy , why is it not proper and peculiar to the church of god ? if they who are members of the church of god may marry ( in the lord , & in the covenant in which man was made ) the male and the female , ; then what hath any to do with it , who are not of the church of god ? and what hath the church of god to do with them that are without ? and what hath a priest to do with this ? where was abrahams and sarahs priest when they were maried ? and where was the priest to solemnize the mariage of isaac and rebeccah ? and of sachariah and elizabeth ? and because you say it s not peculiar to the church of god , whether were these of the church of god before mentioned ? but what hath the priest to do to publish it three times like a belman for the loss of a horse or cow thorow the market ? or rather why ought not the man and the woman both in the fear of the lord ( if they be moved thereunto by the lord ) publish their own intentions ; and moreover , their joyning together in the church of god , when the members of the church of god are present ; but this frustrateth the priests 5 or 10 s and his clerk 6 d. or a shilling more or less as they can get . direct . furthermore , they say it may be done any time of the year , but on a fasting-day , or on the lords day . ans. why are these days prohibited ? if mariage be a holy thing , or an honorable thing , why may it not be done in the fear of god , and the power of god , why not on any day ? was days made for man , or man made for days ? your ignorant predecessors , the pharisees judged as you do , that it was not expedient or convenient , that he should heal a daughter of abraham whom satan had bound on the sabbath day ; and now they say , that the honourable estate of mariages , is the covenant of their god ; and before they said , it was not peculiar to the church of god ; if entering into a state of mariage be the covenant of god , and if the covenant of god be peculiar to the church of god , then what is the reason ( you reformers ) that mariage is not peculiar to the church of god ? and now take their directions ( who hath a desire to trade any more with their merchandize ) concerning the visitation of the sick . direct . the party sick is to send for the minister timely and seasonably before their understanding fail them , and if the minister susp●ct the party of ignorance , he sh●ll not examine them in the principles of religio● , especially touching repentance and faith , and to make known unto him the danger of desering repentance . answ. if he be such a one who is sick , as hath traded much with the priests merchandize , if he be capable of understanding , there is some hope he may give the priest 5 pound , or ten pound ; and it hath been high time for the minister to have shown him the danger of de●ering repentance before now , ( when he is like to go out of the body ) not to have deferred his exhortation till this time ; and if the party be ignorant , it were more time to inform him about the principles of religion , and repentance , and faith , than to have him make answers to that which he knows nothing of ; and then you conclude , if desired , the minister shall pray for him to this effect . direct . confessing and bewailing original and actual sin , and the miserable condition of man by nature , and that god would give him an ev●dence of an interest in christ , and the seal of eternal life by christ . answ. in sin you began , and in sin you will end ; complaining of original and actual sin , before you know what it is , and hold on till you come to the grave , and never depart from it ; and what must not the minister pray except he be desired ? it seems they alwayes must please other mens desires , rather then mind the spirits motion in themselves ; and what is interest in christ yet wanting , and evidence , and seal of eternal life yet wanting , and it may be the party 40 or 50 years old ? what was not this man baptized when he was an infant ; and have not you said , and in the 48 page and 45 page of your directory , that water-baptism is a seal of the covenant of grace , and of being ingrafted into christ , and of regeneration , adoption , and eternal life ; and what is the evidence and seal lost now ? useth not this to be the doctrine amongst you , once in christ , and ever in christ , and whom he loves once , he loves to the end ? and hath not this man partaken of the sacrament , and eat the flesh of christ , and drank his blood , and a church-member ? ( as you call it ) and is his evidence now to seek , and the seal now wanting ? utter darkness is your dwelling place . direct . and now we come to the directory , for solemn fasts , that when some great and not able judgement is inflicted upon some people , or app●rently evident , or when some special blessing is to be sought , or obtained , then solemn fasting is a duty that god expects from a nation or people , an● they are to abstain from all food , and from wordly labour , and discourses , and bodily delights , and rich apparrel , and ornaments , and such like , although lawfull at other times , and gorgious attire , and lascivious habits , and if any such things be , the minister may reprove them at a fast . answ. to fast unto the lord , is not to set a day apart by the will of man , but by being moved thereunto by the lord , and not to hang down the head for a day like a bull-rush , nor to smite with the fists of wickedness , but to loose the band of wickedness , and let the oppressed go free : and as for gorgious attire , and rich apparrel , and ornaments , it s no where found so much as amongst you ( steeple-house ) fasters ; and for delights , and pleasures , and these things , which you say is lawful at other times , that which so judgeth will not forsake them in your set times ; and if they be lawful at any time , then the apostles exhortation is made void , who said , not in gold , nor costly array , nor broidered hair ; that which abstains from them one day , and takes them up another day , is hypocrisie and deceit : and as for your abstinence from one set meal in a day , and it may be go to a banquet , or a riot , the next day after , this is abomination to the lord . and how should the minister reprove any for pride , when it may be he hath as many points at his knees as a ●esom , ribons & cuffs , and a long robe to his heels , and a broad harband , enough to cover one , most part down to the wast , if it were spread out ; and who do you think will receive this mans reproof for pride , that is thus gorgiously attired ? and what do you judge this man will have on the thanksgiving-day ? direct . the next comes on the performance of the worship ▪ which is reading , preaching , with singing of psalms , fit to quicken the affections , and es●ecially prayer , wherein sin is to be confest , with several aggravation● , and with greater inlargement then at other times . an. you ▪ that have nothing to quicken your affections , but to turn davids cryings and tears into a song ; and sing , ( you roar for the disqui●tness of your hearts ) and as men distracted , when your hearts are whole , and unrent ; and you that think to be heard for your feigned confessions ; and if you speak from your hearts , ( as you say the minister ought to do ) there is no such hypocrisie and deceit among any people , as amongst you , who doth ●hat which is forbidden , and leaves that undone that is commanded , and presumptiously sins against the light of your own consciences , as you confess , and doth not so much as endeavour to receive christ into your hearts , nor so much as endeavour after mortification , and newness of life : and how can you think for your multitude of words , and inlargement of words , and seeming importunancy god will hear you for your much babling ? many hypocritical fasts hath been made , which ● have observed , as well as some other men , what would be the end thereof , the beginning thereof was feignedness , and the performance thereof like them that amos speaks of , that howled for their corn , and wine , and oyl , and mocked god , and drew near with their lips , but their hearts were far from him . direct . but to proceed , such texts ought to be used for preaching , that may best work the hearts of the hearers into humiliation , and repentance , and the minister is to exhort before they depart , that their assembly may improve their whole life to the glory of god , by re-inforcing themselves and their families in all private resolutions towards god , which they professed in publike . answ. you that have no other thing to bring people to humility and repentance , but by a text ( as you call it ) of scripture , which you may judge in your carnal minds will do it , and pick and chuse too , the scripture where you like : what , was not the scripture spoken forth by the spirit of god , and cannot be broken ? and one scripture is as good as another , and is as effectual as another , but none is effectual without the spirit , which is that which leads to repentance , and brings down the pride of the transgressor ; and except people come to receive the spirit , and believe in it , which convinceth them of sin , and leads them to repentance , all your stirring up , and composing , and re-inforcing , will do no good at all ; and so re-inforcing of self began your fast , and there it will end , without christ , which who so comes to follow , denies themselves , and are otherwise taught , then to take the kingdome by force . and concerning their humiliatio● 〈◊〉 hast heard , and mayest judge , reader , what their thank●giving will be , like the rest . dir. the minister is to make some pithy narration of gods deliverances , and sing some pertinent psalms , and choose a pertinent text to the occasion . an. the thanksgiving doth not arise from any sencibility that people feels in themselves , but it arises from the pithy story , as they call it , of the minister , and likewise from his devised sermon , which hath fed the carnal minds , to re●oyce in words without the life , and then ring the consecrated bells , and get bonfires , and eat and drink , and satisfie the flesh , & these are the thanksgivings , and the rejoycings that the world makes , over the witness in themselves . dir. and now i come to the singing psalms , and their mass-house , the place of their worship , and so i have done with their traffique . first , they say , that singing of psalms publikely in a congregation , with a tuneable voice , is a christians duty . an where was it injoyned by christ , or any of his ministers ? i am ignorant , and yet the scripture i know , but no where read in it , that singing of prophefies , and prayers , and other mens conditions , turned into rime and meeter by poets , and masters of musick , in an invented tune ( in the same mind which invents tunes for ballet-mongers ) and to sing such conditions amongst proud , wanton , and disdainful people , covetous , envious , and such as hath not so much as endeavoured after mortification , or newness of life ( as generally your parochial congregations are ) as you have confest in your directory for publike worship ; this is no way accounted as a christian duty , for whose souls are not brought out of death , cannot praise the lord ; and you confess ministers and congregation , that you are blind in mind , and hard in heart , and full of unbelief , impenitency , luke-warmness , and barrenness , not endeavouring to receive christ into your hearts , your state is howling and lamentation , and not rejoycing , yet singing with the spirit is owned , and with understanding . dir. and now we come to the place of publike worship : they say it is not unlawful or unconvenient for christians to meet together in the place which was dedicated to idolatry , or consecrated to an idolatrous use , yet we hold it requisite , that the places of publike worship should be imployed , and continued to that use . a● . and upon what account do you count it lawful , convenient , and requisite to meet in an idols temple , or a mass-house ? your account will be but slender and poor , which will be without example from the saints . did josiah or hezekiah , when they had broken down the altars of baal , and thrown down the high places , did they say , its requisite and convenient , that our priests , and the levites , & the congregation , do meet at the altar of baal , or at the high places ? or did the apostles bid the gentiles , who did believe , go to their idols temple again , and say it was a convenient place to worship the true god in ? and have you forgotten that exhortation or precept , abstain from every appearance of evil ? and though some do know that an idol is nothing in the world , howbeit there is not in every man that knowledg ; and is it not yet called by most of you yet , the house of god , house of prayer ? but as you did begin , so will you end to carry no traffique but for your mother , mystery babylon . and thus , reader , i have led thee through many things , from the rise of the whore , and through the most of her merchants , and through the most of her traffique merchants , of divers orders and ranks ; but i find them all to trade with nothing but inchantments and sorceries , which hath long bewitched the nations ; but the time is come , that she is manifest , with her merchandize and sorceries , and turned from , by me and many thousands more , which is my exhortation to thee , that so thou may come to the church which is in god , and to the elect assembly , and to know the seed which is heir of the promise , and of the life which is without end : which mystery babylon , with all her merchants have sought to destroy , since she got up to ride upon the beast , who hath compelled all both small and great to worship him , and also all nations to buy the whores merchandize and traffique , which hath deceived the nations , and bewitched them ; but the time is come , that she shall be hated of her lovers , and they shall forsake her ; and her merchants shall say , alas ! alas ! which day is dawning and dawned , which discovers the whore the beast and false prophet , with all their sorceries , and the lamb shall reign , and the holy men of god , and prophets shall rejoyce over her , when the smoak of her torment ascends up for ever and ever ; which the lord hasten saith my spirit , amen . london , the 12 month , the 26 day . 1658. the end . the heart of new-england hardned through wickednes in answer to a book, entituled the heart of new-england rent, published by john norton appointed thereunto by the general court. the doctrine of the quakers uindicated [sic], his ignorance manifested, and his lying doctrines brought to light and judged with the word of truth, and truth cleared from his aspersions and slanders. by him that waits to see the throne of righteousness exalted above all deceit. francis howgill. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a44794 of text r223647 in the english short title catalog (wing h3166). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. 92 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 21 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo 2017 a44794 wing h3166 estc r223647 99833936 99833936 38415 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a44794) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 38415) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 1834:08) the heart of new-england hardned through wickednes in answer to a book, entituled the heart of new-england rent, published by john norton appointed thereunto by the general court. the doctrine of the quakers uindicated [sic], his ignorance manifested, and his lying doctrines brought to light and judged with the word of truth, and truth cleared from his aspersions and slanders. by him that waits to see the throne of righteousness exalted above all deceit. francis howgill. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. 40 p. printed for thomas simmons at the bull and mouth near aldersgate, london : 1659. a reply to: norton, john. the heart of new-england rent at the blasphemies of the present generation. reproduction of the original in the british library. eng norton, john, 1606-1663. -heart of new-england rent at the blasphemies of the present generation -early works to 1800. quakers -early works to 1800. a44794 r223647 (wing h3166). civilwar no the heart of new-england hardned through wickednes: in answer to a book, entituled the heart of new-england rent, published by john norton a howgill, francis 1659 18119 30 0 0 0 0 0 17 c the rate of 17 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the c category of texts with between 10 and 35 defects per 10,000 words. 2004-12 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2004-12 aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-02 mona logarbo sampled and proofread 2005-02 mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-04 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the heart of new-england hardned through wickednes : in answer to a book , entituled the heart of new-england rent , published by john norton appointed thereunto by the general court . the doctrine of the quakers uindicated , his arguments made void , his ignorance manifested , and his lying doctrines brought to light and judged with the word of truth , and truth cleared from his aspersions and slanders . by him that waits to see the throne of righteousness exalted above all deceit . francis howgill . and the rest of the men which were not kil'd by the plagues repented not of the works of their hands , neither repented they of their murders nor sorceries nor worshippings of devils , revel. 9. 20 , 21. london , printed for thomas simmons at the bull and mouth near aldersgate , 1659. now , when the lord of life and glory is appearing in his power as in the days of old , and his goodness , mercy , and truth as in the years past , and the riches of his grace & salvation , which he maketh to flow forth and spring forth from the great deep ; now when he is manifesting his light from his holy habitation , & his saving health from his dwelling place , that the sons of men might be partakers thereof , and praise him who liveth for ever and ever , who is the author of eternal salvation unto them that believe ; the pit of darkness hath also opened its mouth , and out of it many unclean spirits doth arise , and foggs and mists of darkness , ignorance and error is also arisen out of it to hinder the light from shining , and to darken the air , that the son of righteousness might not be beheld , and would dam up the way that the springs of life might not refresh the city of god , and his tender plants ; that so the prince of darkness and the king of the bottomless pit might not lose his dominion , for this end hath he mustred up and is mustring up all his men of war with their several weapons , and all the engines of wickedness to resist the lamb of god , who is risen to make war in righteousness , that so the kingdom of darkness might still be established , and the subjects thereof live at ease and peace in egypt and sodom , where christ and the witnesses are flain ; i say for this end hath he sent out his men of war to resist the work of the lord , which is to destroy the devils work ; one of his champions more stout then his fellows is come out with his weapons of war , which are most of them borrowed , and not his own , and the city in which he hath encompassed himself is a refuge of lies ; but however he appears with the face of authority and subscribes himself john norton teacher of the church of christ at boston in new england , who was appointed thereunto by the order of the general court ; his book he calls the heart of new england rent at the blasphemies of the present generation , or a brief tract concerning the doctrine of the quakers , shewing the destructive nature thereof to religion , churches and state . now whether john norton was appointed of the general court to be minister of boston , or he was appointed by the general court to tell lies , how the heart of new england is rent , whether he intends , should be believed , the reader may judge ; for his words may be understood of both : however john norton hath manifested his master , that it was not christ who appointed him to be minister at boston , but the general court that appointed him ; neither was it christ nor his spirit that set him to work to publish lies to the world , that the heart of new england was rent , but the general court ; neither was it christ nor the general assembly that ordered him to write this book , which he calls a tract concerning the doctrine of the quakers , but the general court they have ordered thee to tell lies , and thou hast received thy commission and acts it , and shewes it to the world , and the sign thereof is by the appointment of the general court : before we go any further , men of understanding will judge whose minister , whose souldier , whose warrier john norton is , and at whose appointment and commandment he ministers and wars , and hath cleared himself to be no souldier of christ , no minister of christ , but appointed to minister and to war at the appointment of the general court ; and so what will be brought forth by him in his tract as he calls it afterwards , as to minister grace to the hearers and readers , the reader may judge , seeing that he is a minister by the will of man , and his work is appointed by the general court ; and doth john norton believe that people will receive his testimony as that the heart of new england is broken and rent , when as the blood-thirsty cruelty and barbarous actions and inhumane acts of cruelty , and the noisome smell , and a bad example have you given to the world , and the laws and appointments and orders of that general court of boston and new england stinkes in the nostrils of all sober people , which is sounded through the world , and your state is as it was with israel when blindness hapened unto them through their unbelief , the effect of it manifested their apostacy , the judges then judged for rewards , the priests preached for hire and prophets devived for mony , and the people loved to have it so in their unbelief , and then ●id the rulers grind the faces of the poor , and chop them in pieces as flesh for the caldron , even as you have done , banished some from their habitations , some from their wives and children , and some you have seized upon their lands , taken away their goods by the appointment and order of your courts by which thou art made a minister , and appointed to tell these lyes , and to utter forth deceit to cover your wickedness , and to strengthen the devils kingdom and the subjects thereof , against christ and his kingdom , who came not to destroy mens lives , but to save them , who came not to lay burdens , but to take off burdens , who came not to destroy the poor and needy , but to relieve the oppressed ; and have not your general courts done all this and much more , which they may see and behold with confusion of face ? and when they have whipt them and scourged them , fined them and imprisoned them , ceized upon their lands , taken away their goods , wasted their estates , banished them upon pain of death , and when nothing hath remained of all their estates , have ordered their children to be sold for bond-slaves , and this by the appointment of your general court , and for no other cause but because they would not put off their hats to their equals , or come to your publick assemblies . oh! un-heard-of and unparallel'd wickedness , the name of your general court and the appointments and ordinances thereof will be crowned with infamy and reproach from generation to generation , but this is com'd to pass that your hypocrisie might be made manifest , and your skirts uncovered that your shame might appear , and that might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet , they cat up my people as men eat bread ; are these the fruits , symptomes and characters that your hearts are rent and broken in new england , or are they not rather manifest tokens that your hearts are like adamant , or like the nether mil-stone or like flint , which is harder then ordinary stones , in which there is no remorse or reluctancy ? and is not this your state , as it was with israel when their hearts were hard ? doth not christ say , by their 〈◊〉 the false prophets are known , and the tree is known by its fruits ; and have not you brought forth the same fruits ? do not your 〈◊〉 and teachers rule and teach for reward ? nay , are ●hey not worse ? have not you taken money from them whom you judged malefactours to pay your servants for doing of your work to your marshals and your bloody taskmasters and wicked executioners ? oh! shameless man and full of impudency that ever thou durst put pen to paper , or that the general court should ever appoint thee to tell the nations that your heart was rent in new england ; but the terrour of the lord and the dread of god you must all know before your hearts be rent , which is yet impenitrable and hard , or else all these wretched manifestations and fruits thereof would never have appeared ; but one of thy own generation if not thy self saith , that a company of thieves , fornicators and fellons may cry out of deserved punishment as persecution as well as we ; god hath cleared us and redeemed us from those things , but is not putting off the hat to ones equal , or not joyning or coming to your congregation , that they deserve punishment sutable to thieves , fornicators and fellons , but persecutors and blood-thirsty men were ever blind ; for christ , the prophets and apostles and all the holy men of god who suffered for the testimony of a good conscience , were ever reputed transgressours and judged that they suffered deservedly by them who caused them to suffer ; christ was crucified betwixt two thieves , and herod the governour and his men of war set him to naught , and he was numbred amongst transgressors , as it is written of him , and so were all his followers by them that were in cains way , and in baalams way ; and so hast thou with the rest of babylons merchants these divers years numbred us amongst transgressors , every sect and opinion hitherto hath joyned us to that opinion or sect which was contrary to them , but thou would marr our countenance more than any , thou hath not found a generation bad enough to number us with in this age , but is gone back a thousand years to fetch up men and doctrines and principles , and would fasten them upon us , and so to represent us odious to people , thou might have spent thy time better then to have raked in those old mouldy histories , in which i see thou art better acquainted then with the mind of christ ; but i shall not trouble the reader with thy stories , neither vindicate their doctrines and principles , which were counted hereticks , these men are dead and gone , thou might have let them pass , and have medled with things that pertained to thy own generation , but that thy dead mind feeds upon dead things ; & to tell thee and the world plainly , that thou which will lye and lay things to their charge which they never knew nor maintained , which may be are living and can reprove thee for thy falshood and deceit in this generation , thou may well speak falsly and lay things to their charge which they never maintained which are at such a distance as 1600 or 1000 years ago , and if the adversaries of these men did write their principles and set down their errours and blasphemies as i believe many of them did , i do less credit their report , and i am not altogether unacquainted with ecclesiastical histories from whence thou hast had these stories , although now i count the time just lost in which i spent in those things ; and though thou judge that we vilifie the scripture , yet i prefer it above and before all the ecclesiastical histories that i have read ; i shall not trouble the reader with thy old hetrodoxes , as thou calls them , of the heads of religion , there is many that knows those things as well as thy self , and as for praxes , sabellers , nestorus cerinthius , eutichas , nor with quintinius , swinckfield , muncer , david george and john of leyden , what are these to us ? and what are their principles to us ? some thing they spoke which was real heresie , if the histories be true , whereof i much doubt , because many such as thy self were the authors thereof , and something it may be was truth which might be vindicated , not because they held it , but because it is truth in it self ; and as for thy comparing of them to us , and their principles to ours , doth not at all detract or invalidate truth as it is in it self , for corrupt minds may speak true words , and that which is truth in it self , yet not live in the life thereof , they are judged though , the truth in it self stands clear , and so what as they were in their principles and practise in life or in doctrine , must they give account for ; but thou like the rest of the hireling priests of england used alwayes to be confuting your adversaries when they were at a great distance , when they were dead and could not reply , or at such a distance that they could not hear , and you are such valiant champions for the most part as to disputation , except you have club-men and prison-doors standing open , to fight or to shut them in , you will hardly enter into a dispute publickly , or it may be if they be afraid that they shall be worsted and their ▪ deceit laid open , put a key in the mouth of one , as some did in the mouth of humph. norton , when he was with one of thy brethren , and then cry , the opposite or quaker he hath nothing to say for himself ; & such dark muddy stories you used to fill up your hour with , as to confute arius & pelagius , men that were hundreds of years dead , and no such principles holden in a nation , and such dead stories you fill peoples minds with , and confute the pope when your elbows was leaning upon the soft cushons on the pulpit , and 20 or 30 s. for such a dead story as you told people , but when have you gone amongst them and reasoned of the things of the kingdom of god into their dominions , and convinced them by sound doctrine , and yet you will say christ said , go into all nations and preach , and plead that for your commission , and it may be stay forty years over a hundred families . as for the hetrodoxes of the quakers concerning the heads of religion , as thou hast set down , this i say to thee , and to all the world , we do not hold them because any man before did hold them , or may hold them after , but because god hath revealed them unto us by his spirit , which also may be confirmed by the testimony of the scriture of truth . as to those which thou sets down as our tenents i shall answer on the lords behalf for truthes sake , and for the rest thou may take them home to thy self . first concerning the trinity thou saith , they confesse the father , son and holy ghost , and yet they deny the trinity , and those to bet hree distinct persons , for confutation of this thou brings heb. first and third ; he is the expresse image of his fathers person . thy trinity is an old popish term and we love to keep to sound words , but by trinity i suppose thou means three , and thy own words shall confute thee ▪ thou confesseth we say there is father , son and holy ghost , and yet but one god , or one eternal being or substance in which they all subsist , but thy word distinct is thy own and not the spirits , yet to distinguish betwixt father , son and spirit we deny not ; and as for the first of heb , it is in another translation rendred the expresse image of his substance , for person is too grosse a word , as to expresse an eternal and divine being in , and if thou do hold three distinct substances thou errs in thy judgement , for that were to make three gods . secondly , they deny christ to be god and man in one person , and christ to be a distinct person from the father , and they acknowledge such a christ as unchrists christ ; and when they say christ manifest in the flesh , they mean not as the scripture , but falaciously . answ. we say according to the scripture of truth and not according to thy falacy , that in the man christ did the fulness of the godhead dwell , and god was in christ reconciling the world unto himself , and he saith i and my father are one , and the father the son and the spirit subsist in one eternal power , life and glory , which thou with all thy stupid generation are ignorant of ; and christ that we acknowledge is such a christ as is able to save to the utmost them that come unto him , and receive him and believe in him , and is such a christ is as able to raise them that have been dead , and such a christ giveth eternal life to them that believe ; and so that christ that we own doth not un-christ christ , but by your doctrine who pleads imperfection and the continuation thereof , and a continuation in sin for term of life , as one of thy own said , sin will dwell in the house till the house be pulled down , speaking of the natural body , which some other of thy own generation have called the body of sin , and so it is you that hold such a christ as unchrists the true christ in thy own words ; and when didst thou enter into our thoughts and into our heart , or with what dost thou search , that thou sits as judge over the heart , who knowes not judgement in thy self nor of what spirit thou art of , and so thy lies and deceit is turned upon thee ; when we say christ manifest in the flesh we say that holy thing which was brought forth and born of a virgin , and conceived of the holy ghost in whom the fulness of the god-head , dwells , in whom the eternal power of the father was manifested , that he was the christ which was manifested in the flesh and justified in the spirit , preached among the gentiles , seen of angels , and received up into glory , and this is according to scripture of truth , and thy judgement must be judged . thirdly , concerning the scripture considered as the rule of life , they deny the scripture or written word to be the rule of life , and they make the spirit without the scripture to be their guide , they account chyrch , instituted worship and waiting upon god for the efficacious pres●nce and operation of the spirit of grace in the ministry of the word and sacrament for conversion and edification to be i●●latry , and the political order of church officers and members they affirm to be an image . answ. concerning the scripture we say they are scriptures of truth and words of truth spoken from the spirit or truth , that which gave them a being is greater then they , as he that creates is greater then they that ar● created , which is preferred above and before , and yet no deminishing or detracting from the creature ; so the spirit is greater above and before the words , and yet this doth not deminish , neither derogate from the scripture ; these and the like sound words we have spoken to thy deaf generation , yet a spirit of slumber being upon them all , they could not hear that which giveth life , and bringeth to life , and preserves in the life , is a rule and a guide to them that are enlivened , the sons of god who were quickned by the eternal spirit of their father & of christ , and raised from death to life , this was their rule , as it is written , as many as are the sons of god are led by the spirit of god , and we say it is a sufficient rule of it self , and thou may as well count the rule of the sons of god hetrodox and heretical , and the apostles position , who said , as many as are the sons of god are led by it , and christ promised unto believers the spirit of truth to lead them into all truth , and to bring things to their remembrance , and to guide them in the path of righteousness ; what has envy and madness eaten all the good out of your hearts ? yet the scripture is not so excluded by us as thou judgest , though we say the spirit may lead and direct with it , or without it , yet not contrary to it , for the spirit doth , will and may take up what thing it pleaseth to manifest it self and its mind unto the creature , and who art thou ? and what art thou ? any thing but an egyptian who would limit it , and tie it to paper and ink , to words and syllables sounded and written in diverse tongues , languages and caracters ; they that appointed thee for a minister never knew gods work , and we know that there are several ministrations and several operations , yet the same god and the same spirit who manifested it self , and formeth and ordaineth things according to its heavenly will , to represent its heavenly mind to the creature , and that which christ hath ordained and instituted to be worshipped in , waited in , and his presence seen in , and the operation of the spirit of grace in the work of the ministry , which is for conversion and edification is dearly owned by us , as that whereby we have found the lord and his pure presence through this or that thing , and without and beyond all creatures or visible appearances , and this is not accounted idolatry by us , as thou falsly saith , which god will judge thee for in the day when he appears to take vengeance upon his enemies in flames of fire , and thou that talkes of trying the spirit by the letter knowes no more of god then a horse , but what thou knowes naturally ; the jewes had it , and they tryed and condemned him for a blasphemer , and the apostles for breakers of the law and makers of it void , and so condemned the lord of life , and the spirit by which the prophets and apostles was led by , even as thou doth with us ; and i never heard of any political order of church ordinance or officers or ordinances , not of the most dark and sottishest marchants of babylon that ever spoke or wrote yet , there was sundry gifts given and sundry institutions in the primitive times which were signal things of things of a more heavenly and celestial nature which was to be made manifest ; he gave some gifts to be prophets , some evangelists , some apostles , some pastors , some teachers , but these were ministeriall for the work and service which he had appointed , but this was all by one and the same spirit , but i never heard of any political order of office● , or political ordinances ordained in the primitive churches ; but it seems you have got such in new england ; in the church of rome , so called , i have heard of the order of benedict , of francis and austin , and the like and of several ordinances instituted by their mother to perform ; but i never heard of any such as a political order of officers and ordinances before , and this may be called an image indeed , and nothing in the world but deceit , and is no hetrodoxy ; that ever such a blind fellow as thou should put pen to paper , who hath crept so into the mudd and dirt , that grosse ignorance and darkness is in all thy words ; but the least of the children of light will see thy ignorance , so that i need not say much . concerning the magistrate , they own none are lawful magistrates who are not of their way , their non-acknowledgement of the magistrate , as now established , in all christian states is more then nanifest answ. if thy aspersion were full proof no more need be said , but the judicious will not easily believe thee ; that there is a state of magistracy is granted by us , and that a true magistrate that rules well , and rules in the power of god and is a terror to evil doers , and a praise to them that do well , and are as nursing fathers , who preserves mens persons and estates from devourers , as a father preserves a child from injury , these are ordained of god , and such we are subject unto for the lords sake and for conscience sake , and to every ordinance of man which is consistant with the honour of god and a pure conscience , but i believe you have few of them in new england , who are rather like beares and lyons tearing and rending their estates , and rends and tears their flesh , and gnawes it like evening wolves that the prophet speaks of , and would thou have this counted as gods authority ? and we tell thee and all the world in singleness of heart and unfeignedness , that our way is christ the way to the father , the truth and the life , the power of god and the wisdom of god , and all that rule not in his power rule in the devils power , in the dragons power , in the beasts power , who made war with the lamb and killed the saints , and compelled them to worship , and herein they that rule in the power of god and for god are manifest , and them that rule in the dragon and beasts power , for they that rule in the power of god answereth gods witness in every man , and reaches to that by his act of justice in the transgressor , and he restraineth the evil doer within , and limiteth that , and preserves the creature as much as him lies from harm , and his estate from destruction , and also saveth the innocent , meek and harmless from the violence , and from beating and fighting , and from them that would destroy their persons and estates ; and herein the magistrate that rules in the dragons power and in the beasts power , he is also made manifest , he reacheth not gods witness by his governing , he lests the transgressor live , and is not a terrour to evil works and workers , but a terrour to them that do well and exercise a pure conscience towards god and man , and may be cannot go into the house of rimmon , neither can bow to baal , nor be subject to that which another may set up in his will and in his pride , then he afflicts the body , the creature , and mars gods workmanship and defaces it , and doth violence to the creature , and rends away his outward subsistance , and sayes for his authority it was so ordered at our general court . i must tell thee , the false church , the mother of harlots has ridden long upon the scarlet-coloured beast , which has been made drunk with the blood of the saints , whose garments have been red with scarlet colour ; and i know no where in any christian state ( so called ) where he reigns in more power then in new england , and you ride upon the beast which hath risen out of the sea , which is amongst you , and the beast carries you , your church , on his back bears it up , for all your weapons are but carnal , and that which wrestles with flesh and blood , which the true church wrestles not with , nor with creatures , but with spiritual wickedness and principalities and powers of darkness in the creature , and threw that down and saved the creature alive , and redeemed it who was in captivity . oh sottish children , when will you learn wisdom , and when will you hearken to reproof of instruction which is the way to life ? but remember this , the beast shall be taken alive with the false prophet , and them that have wrought miracles before him , and then shall be cast into the lake of fire . they pretend to act from an infallible light within them , and professes perfection in degrees in this life , and publish smart invectives against ministers who teach the contrary . answ. we pretend to nothing but to that which god hath given us through his free mercy , which we have a true right unto , having received him as the father hath tendered him to be a light to open our eyes , and to be a leader unto us and all his people , and to be gods salvation , even to the ends of the earth to them that receive him , and he is that infallible light which the father sent into the world , that all men through him might believe , and he is the true light that lightneth every man , though every man hath not received him , the fault is not in the giver , nor in the gift , but in them that will not receive , and he that is the life of all men , hath lighted every man that comes into the world , and he is in us our hope , and our glory , the riches of the gentiles , and the riches of all them that do believe , he is our way and our life and peace , i say all glory unto him for ever , though thou debase him & set him thus at naught , and for his sake we can bear reproaches and become fools , in that we have obtained that in which true wisdom stands and life eternal ; and what is this hetrodox to profess perfection of degrees in this life , is not this orthodox ? used not you and do not you generally hold perfection in part or parts , and is not that which is perfect in parts perfect in degrees ? he that feels victory over one sin by christ the power of god , hath not he some part in that which is perfect , and of that which is perfect ? and if he witness victory over more , is he not come to a greater degree or degrees of the life which is perfect ? and he that knows the blood that cleanseth from all sin , is not he perfect and compleat in him who hath made him so ? but art thou so offended at perfection that thou dost not admit of any part or parts , degree or degrees thereof , that thou sets this down as a blasphemy ? and its time indeed to reprove you sharply who are puffed up in pride and knows nothing , who teaches contrary to the perfect life of christ , or any degree or degrees thereof to be attained unto ; thou art perfect in wickednesse , and a perfect minister of antichrist , and a perfect heathen , and its time to bear testimony against you and lay you open , and your deceit in the sight of the sun , that them that have but the least glimring of the light may behold you ; a pitiful church is that like to be which thou art pastor of , by appointment of the general court , who cryes out against any degree of the perfect life of christ in this life to be obtained or enjoyed , a minister of sin , a minister of sathan and unrighteousness , that is thy name , own it . in the ninth page thou art going about to prove thy trinity , as thou calls it , and thou saist , the father is a distinct subsistance , and the son a distinct subsistance , and the holy ghost is a distinct subsistance , and thou brings john 5. there is another bears witness likewise , speaking of the holy ghost , he calls him another , and this another thou sayes , is intel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the essence , and then saith , what is more manifest then another subsistance , and another subsistance speaks distinct subsistances , and thou saith , the spirit is called the hand of trinity . answ. another is not understood of another being of another life or another substance , but is understood of another manifestation or operation of the same god who subsists in the same power in which the father the son and the spirit subsisteth , as i said unto thee before , another , as to distinguish of the operation and work of the spirit , and of the son , we do not refuse ; but to make three distinct essences and beings is ignorance and errour , as thou saith , another is intel●gible of the essence , and so thou hast made three essences , three subsistances , three persons and three gods ; but we say there is but one god , and there is three that bears record in heaven , the father , the word and the spirit , and these three are one . now as for subsistance and essence , they are unsound words coyned of your selves , from your dark imaginations , in which there is no truth at all , but to cast a mist ; now where the holy ghost is called a person in the scripture i have never read , and where it is called the hand of trinity i have never heard of before thee , and so thy blind ignorant conclusions and sophistical arguing will have little place with them that are come to know the teachings with the spirit , and also keep to a form of sound words , which thou cannot . and thou saith , he that sendeth and he that is sent are distinct , and so the father sending the son , and the son sent of the father , and the father and the son sending the spirit , and the spirit sent by the father and the son are distinct subsistances , and not the same . he that sends and he that is sent may be distinguished , but he that sendeth and him that is sent is not so distinct & afar off one another , but that him that sendeth is with him that is sent ; and so god was in christ reconciling the world , and then how were they distinct one from the other , and by him was all things made , and christ was not so distinct or afar off at a distance when the heavens and the earth was made ; so that it is truly said , without him nothing was made that was made , and the spirit of god which may be distinguished in regard of its operation , yet it was not absent or distinct from the father and the son in the creation , neither is absent from the son in the regeneration , or work of redemption . and then in thy answer to an objection which thou makest thy self , how the doctrine of life was communicated vocally by the patriarchs , but it is not so now ; and in thy answer thou saith , the scripture is not necessary , absolutely , but it being gods will to communicate life through the scripture , hence the scripture is necessary ; and then thou sayes , not the letter without the mind of the authour , nor the spirit without the scripture ; and that the words in the 17th of john 22. that they may be one as we are one ; these words give an uncertain sound , thou saist ; and further thou saist , surely , they are under a rule of live who hare not the spirit since the canon of the scripture is closed , so far is the spirit from being a rule of life , that to us it is not the spirit , except it move in the written word . answ. gross darkness is thy dwelling-place , and out of thick darkness all this pitiful confusion cometh , the doctrine of life was communicated according to the will and mind of god , sometime by dream , sometime by vision , sometime by revelation to the patriarchs and believers from abel till moses , and by faith they were followers of christ , and doubtless they did communicate in their generation those things that were manifest unto them by the spirit , which was the then rule and guide to the feet of the upright in the way of peace before any scripture was written , and if the scripture be not necessary absolutely , thou hast said as much as we say , therefore we ' speak of a rule and a way which is absolute necessary , without which no man can know the father or the son , nor the way of peace , but by the spirit of truth which gave forth the words of truth , which may manifest and doth manifest it self as it will , when it will , where it will , and how it will , for it is unlimitted , and it will not be limitted by its own words as to sound , but may speak words which it never spoke before , as for instance , paul by the spirit said , the second adam the lord from heaven is a quickning spirit , which none of the scriptures before written speaks in these very words , and if the spirit be not spirit without the letter , then where the letter is wanting the spirit is wanting , and consequently them that have the scripture have the spirit , which were no less then ignorance and darkness to say , and what rule are they under who have not the spirit or no measure of it , there is but the spirit of truth and the spirit of errour , and they that are not ruled by the spirit of truth , they are ruled by the spirit of errour , though they may have the words to fight with and quarrel about without the life ; but last of all thou hast in plain words set the dead letter before the living spirit , and saith , that the spirit is no spirit except it speak by the scripture ; and if the words of christ in the 17th of john give an uncertain sound , it is but to thy deaf ear and to thy blind understanding , for he spoke soundly and certainly , and prayed to the father that as the father and he was one , so they also might be one , being guided by the one spirit of the father in the son , and that they might live in the unity of it , and have unity one with another in it , and with the father and the son . in thy 15th page , though thou hast set up the letter for a perfect rule of life , yet here thou throws it down again , and saith , it is to be understood as including consequences , for the greatest part of scripture is consequences , and the scripture cannot be true without consequences , for thomas and mary are neither commanded obedience or forbidden disobedience , for we no where read thou thomas or thou mary are therein commanded obedience or forbidden disobedience , such a one by name do this or that . answ. i told thee the spirit of god is unlimitted , and whether it speaks of degrees or measures of a greater or less thing , or whether it speaks the greater first and the lesser after , whether it speaks from major to minor , or from minor to major , or what may truly follow either from the greater to the less or from the less to the greater it is all truth , but thy consequences is no part of this , the spirit still demonstrates its own mind by what words and terms and expressions it pleaseth , and will not be limitted or confined to this or that form of words , and thou errs grosly , neither knowing the scripture nor the power of god , and thy consequences are false , for there are the individual persons or names of thomas and mary , both commanded obedience and forbidden disobedience , and if thou have never read this in scripture , i inform thee and instruct thee , thou may read the 20th of john 16 , 17. where jesus saith unto mary , she turned herself and said unto him rabboni , which is to say master , jesus said unto her , touch me not , for i am not yet ascended ; here is a prohibition , and forbidding that she should not touch him , secondly here is a command of obedience , but go unto my brethren and say unto them i ascend to my father and your father , to my god and your god ; and in the same chapter thou may read in the 27th where christ spoke unto thomas by name ( after his resurrection ) then said he to thomas , reach hither thy finger and behold my hands , and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side ; here was a command to be obeyed , and be not faithless , there is a prohibition or a forbidding of unbelief , and so thy foolishness is manifest and ignorance of the scripture , some of it thou sayes is an uncertain sound , and the scriptures fore-mentioned thou hast denied or else never hast read it , and so art unacquainted with thy rule which thou quarrels and fights so much about . and then thou comes and sayes , thou wilt vindicate some scriptures , and cites 1 john 9. that this was the true light which lighteth every man that comes into the world , hence they affirm that there is a light in every man , which being followed is an infallible guide , and that this light which lighteth every man is the rule of life , and not the written word ; thy answer is , the sence of the text is notoriously false and thy reason is if christ the true light that lighteth every man be the rule , then righteousnesse should be by the law ; for the light which is in every man is not gospel light , but there is a natural light or the light of nature , which is to be construed in opposition to spiritual , and the light of nature and the light of the spirit are contradistinct , and by this light of nature there is a difference put betwixt that which is good and bad , and it will teach us not to lye nor steal , and it will lead to the knowledge of one god , and yet it is in opposition to one spirit , and it will lead to know eternity omnipotency , and it will lead to know the creator , yet it is contradistinct to the spirit . answ. the scripture needs none of thy vindication , for thou hast defamed it and sayes christs words is an uncertain sound , and thou hast said that neither mary nor thomas was commanded obedience ; thou may look back of thy lyes and repent of them , and why is the sence of the text utterly false , that christ was the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world without exception , and why is this utterly false , if he be followed , that he who is the true light is an infallible guide , and the rule of life , hath he not enlighted every man that comes into the world ? if thou make exceptions where the spirit makes none , then thou perverts the scripture ; doth not he say i am the light of the world , the world in the scriptures account is set in opposition to believers , for believers are not of this world , but are redeemed out of it , as for example , god so loved the world that he sent his son into the world , that whosoever did believe in him might not perish , but have everlasting life , for it is manifest that the saints and believers had life given already that followed christ and were his sheep , and saith christ , i put them forth and go before them , and give unto them eternal life ; and he said to them who had not eternal life , while you have the light believe in it , that you may be the children of it ; and is not christ gods righteousness , who is given for a covenant of light to the blind , and dead , and lame , & to the dumb to open their eyes , to quicken them , to make them leap as a hart , and their tongue to sing and utter forth praise ; we say righteousness is not by the law , but by christ that lighteth every man who is the end of the law , and why is not the light which lighteth every man gospel light , seeing it is said , go preach the gospel in every creature under heaven ; go learn what that means , and if natural light must be construed in opposition to spiritual , and the light of nature contradistinct to the light of the spirit , then it must needs be sinful , for that which opposeth spiritual light & is set in opposition against its leading , must needs be sinful , and that which is contra or against the light of the spirit must needs be sinful ; and then if it be as thou hast said , and if this must be the true sence of that scripture , that it must be understood of natural light , and that natural light thou construes in opposition to spiritual , and saith it is contradistinct to the light of the spirit , and in opposition unto it , that which is against the spirits light or the light of the spirit must needs be darkness , sinful and evil , and yet thou hast confessed it will teach that none ought to lye or steal , and to know one god , and the creator , and eternity and omnipotency , and yet it must be taken in opposition to the spirit , and contradistinct from the spirit ; that which leads to know the creator and eternity and omnipotency is that spirit of god , through which god and the things of god are revealed , and that that teaches that a man should not lye , that is truth , and that that leads from sin , and accuses for evil-doing and convicts , that is the spirits light , as it is written , he shall convince the world of sin ; and so thou like a man who hath lost all aim , rambles up and down in every by-path , and like a blind man gropes , but cannot enter into the treasure-house of wisdom , thou hast called the light that every one is lighted with , the righteousness of the law , and no gospel light , and in opposition to spiritual , and contradistinct to the spirit , and in a word hath made at it at the best construction but bad and evil , and then when thou hast done thou confesseth that it will put a difference between good & evil , and shew that god is to be worshipped , and eternity is known and omnipotency ; and are not these the deep things of god ? and so b●bylon is the land of thy nativity , and thou reels and staggers up and down like a drunken man , and would be a teacher , and knows not whereof thou affirms , nor of what thou speaks . further thou saith , that this little light there is , is much miscarried , and thy reason is , because it is managed by the reigning power of darkness , and the judgement of man is corrupt , and then thou goes on , the light of nature since the fall is not to be compared ( saist thou ) with the light of the image of god before the fall , and it hath no proportion with gospel light , but is gross darkness , nay , is worse then gross darkness . answ. and how did the light miscarry thou blind-man , and when did the reigning power of darkness manage it , seeing that there is no fellowship betwixt light and darkness , and the light which every man is lighted with hath born witness against darkness and the reigning power of it , and though the judgment of man be corrupt , his miscarriage is because he hath not minded the light , and because he hath turned his back on it , and then sin entred , and then came to reign in the power of darkness , and corrupted the heart , and this hath made man miscarry ; and though thou say that the light which lighteth every man is not compared with the light of the image of god before the fall , and hath no proportion , i 'le tell thee a riddle go learn what it means , the light of the image of god before the fall is the same in it self after the fall , and holds its proportion , and is no whit lessned or deminished in its purity in its self , although fallen man do not see it neither can behold it , because sin hath entred and death by sin , and that is it which obscureth the image of god from man , and its light , yet the light shined in darkness , but thou concludes it is darkness , yea worse then grosse darkness , and thou brings a proof to prove it , ye were darkness , the apostle doth not say that the light which shined in darkness was darkness or worse then grosse darknesse as thou ignorantly saith , but he said the ephesians or the men of ephesus were darkness , and not the light in them which shined in darkness , though the darkness comprehended it not ; but how now john norton , what will the general court of boston say when they see thy confusion laid open , and the deceit made manifest to thine and their shame and ignorance , thou confest in the 16. page , that it would lead to know god and the worship of god , and teach not to lie and steal , and so forth , and to discover some of gods attributes , as eternity , omnipotency , and the like , here was some good in it in thy own account , but now it s become grosse darkness , in the 18. page and worse then grosse darkness , and so hath made as bad if not worse then any principle that is in a beast ; and it may truely be said of thee even in thy own phrase . — quanta sub nocte jacebat nostra dies — but now thou comes to a further interpretation of 1 job . 9. and thou saith the light which we are enlightned with it is either the light of nature the light of reason or the light of saving grace , and the light enlightning is either the word considered as the second person or christ the son considered as incarnate . answ. it seems that thou knowes not which it is , but gueses like a blind man , and like a wild archer shootes at random ; and why dost thou make such distinction betwixt the word the son of god , and christ the son of god , thou made but three persons in the trinity before , but it seems by thy arguing thou would now make four ; and as for thy collective and distributive light , the distinctions is that which would cast a mist before people eyes , and thou brings the judgement of calvin , besar , and piscator , and others , that as concerning man endued onely with the light remaining since the fall , they conclude him to be darkness and unable to comprehend the light or to improve it to salvation , their judgements is more sound then thine , though thou would bring them to strengthen thee that the son of god hath not enlightned every man , they confesse , the man in the fall is in darkness , and darkness is over him , and in that he is not able to comprehend the light which is in him , and as to the improvement of it , in the darkness man hath not power to improve it to salvation , but what doth this invalidate the light which is in darkness , the power of improving is in the light being turned to again and received ; and what if i say it is the light of life in its self though thou deny it , i know what i speak ; for in him was life and is life , and that life is the light of men , and the light of the world , and so that light which every man is lighted with , is of the life and from the life , and so may truely be said to be the light of life in it self , though man in the transgression doth not feel it so as to him , but may truely say it is the light of condemnation , because he feels it so in the operation thereof , being in the transgression , it convicteth , reproveth , accuseth and condemneth for evil , and therefore it cannot be the light of life to him , till it be received closed with obeyed and followed , and then the back is turned upon the transgression , and man is come out of the darkness ; and therefore the apostle spoke well and understandingly according to knowledge , that which was ordained for life wrought death in him , that was because the law was against him , and he in the contrary nature to it , the ignorance of many wise men ( so accounted ) in this generation is such , that when they see or feel contrary effects , they judge there must needs be contrary subjects or objects because there are different effects ; for now the same light which shewes evil and accuses for it , and judges for it , there is one operation , and excuses him that loves it and obeyes it , here is another operation , that which convinceth the world of sin , of righteousness & of judgement , and that which consolates and gives peace to the believer is the self same spirit ; so here is not two spirits or two lights , so that he which kindles a fire in the earth , and appears in flames of fire , and rendreth vengeance upon all them that obey not the gospel which is the power of god , here is one work or operation of christ , the same bringeth peace , joy and gladness , and refreshment , and makes the springs of life to buble up in them that believe , here is another operation yet the same christ ; these things i write to inform thee and all where this may come , that that is truely an appearance of christ which sheweth sin and condemns it in any measure , and he alone is the judge of the quick and the dead , and if all judgement be committed to the son , then to be judged for lying for stealing , and for wronging any man , it is the work of christ and the work of the son . oh man thou hast much to repent of , and thy ignorance is great , which hath called christ the light or the light of christ , or the light of life darkness , and contradistinct to the spirit , and worse then grosse darkness , so this is thy conclusion against the first of john and the 9. that christ hath not enlightned every man or all men that come into the world , but all men so qualified of every sort , so then by thy conclusion the first of john and the 9. verse gives an uncertain sound , like the 17. of john and 22 ▪ so then its qualifications of men that procures light from christ , and so it s not of grace but of debt , but if it be of debt , which is owing unto a person so qualified , then it is not of gift , but thou errs in thy judgement , for it is by the gift of righteousness that justification comes upon all that believes , it is not this or that qualification before their conversion which is any cause of gods enlightning them , but it is the free love of god unto man without exceptions , or respect of persons that he hath lighted every man , to the intent that all and every man might see his error and depart from it , and turn to him that shewes him it , who would have all men saved and come to the knowledge of the truth , and such is the large love of god unto whole man-kind , which thou wouldst restrict and bind up to such and such persons so qualified , as though qualifications of persons were a meritorious cause wherefore christ was bound to give them light , this is rank popery , and not according to the doctrine of godliness . and thou citest the 2 pet. 1. 19. we have a more sure word of prophesie , where unto you do well that you take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place , untill the day dawn and the day star arise in your hearts , hence it is inferred , thou saith , that after the reception of the spirit there is no need to attend to the scripture , and so thou goes on and sayes the word of prophesie is the scripture of the old testament , that thou art to take heed unto untill the day dawned and the day star arised in their hearts ; and that untill signifies for ever . asw. and here thou art in confusion , i know none that makes any such inference but thy self , for the scripture is seen most clearly , who know the day dawn and the day-star arisen in their hearts ; and first thou sayes , we are to understand the word of prophecy the whole scripture , and then in the same page saith , that peter expounds the word prophesie of the old testament onely , so then peters exposition by thy account , and thine is different , thou sayes he spoke of the old testament , and thy interpretation is of the whole scripture , but thou hast mist it , both of peter and thy self , for peter wrote unto people in that epistle in several states , yet they all might be said to be believers , according to a proportion of faith given unto them , and in that which thou hast cited 2 p●t. 1. 19. we have also a more sure word of prophesie , here is to be understood first a sure word , secondly a more sure word , for the apostle in that chapter speaking of their diligence towards them that did believe , and declared unto them that they had not followed devised fables , when we made known unto you the power and coming of our lord jesus christ , but are eye witnesses of his majesty , verse 16. and heard the voice from this excellent glory , this is my beloved son in whom i am well pleased , when we were with him in the mount , this was as sure a word to the apostles as any that ever the prophets had spoken before was to them , and so the old testament could not be more sure then this which they had from the excellent glory , but this was not so sure unto them to whom peter wrote , and this was only the apostles declaration , but the word of prophesie unto which he exhorted them unto was nearer them then any of the prophets words or the apostles testimony of what they had heard in the mount , the testimony of jesus is the spirit of prophesie , to wit that which bears witness against sin and to righteousness , from this the prophets spoke , and this was that publike thing or spirit , and they that speak not from it speak from a private spirit of their own , and this word of prophesie or that wherein they could see or foresee things to come , they were to take heed unto as unto a light which shined in a dark place , and this was the more sure word which he directed to , which in all thy book thou quarels against , and through this they saw the appearance , and knew the coming of our lord jesus christ in power and great glory , and did see the day dawn and the day star arise in their hearts , and they were to attend to this not onely before , but also after , for by the word of his testimony the saints did overcome , and so all thy interpretations are false , and thine is the private interpretation , and not from that sure word of prophesie which the prophets and believers took heed unto , and through which they interpreted things truely according to the mind of god . as for the story of false teachers arising and prevailing among people , and what the signal nature is , and thou sayest they are sent as scourges and as judgements to them who have not received the truth in the love of it , and thou brings a scripture , i came in my fathers name and ye received me not , john 5. but if another shall come in his own name him you will receive . it s manifest that thou comes not in his name nor in christs name , and if not so , in thy own name thou comes by the appointment of the general court at boston , and so there will few believe thy fabulous stories which are not worth rehearsal , which will cast a mist before the eyes of them who cannot see through thy deceit , and the sum is , thou sayest , of all that the doctrines of devils audatiously deseminated , pretending themselves to be sent of god , are signal signs of evil times . the doctrine of devils hath long been seminated audaciously by numerous false teachers and false prophets , as christ foretold in mat. 23. and 24. which john saw come 1 john 18. little children it is the last times , ye have heard that antichrists should come and even now there are many , and they have ruled long in most parts of the earth , that john said the whole world wondred after the beast , and this hath been a sad time these 13. or 14. hundred years wherein the true church , the woman cloathed with the sun hath been in the wilderness , in a solitary place exiled because of the beasts power , and the dragons power and the false prophets miracles , and because of the doctrines of devils , has made it a sad time and an evil time , such as thou hast taught ( viz. ) that the light which every man is lightned with is grosse darkness , and worse then grosse darkness , and that christ left political officers , and that the lords supper is a visible political church ordinance , and that baptism is a visible political church ordinance , and that it is blasphemy to hold perfection of degrees in this life , and that none can be cleansed from sin while upon earth , these and the like doctrines of devils hath been sown which thou now audatiously seminates by the appointment of the general court at boston , but the time drawes near an end , the night is far spent , and the day is at hand when the beast shall be taken alive , and the old dragon laid hold on , and the mother of harlots burned with fire , and the false prophets which have wroughts miracles before the beast , and has cryed as thou cryest him up in new england , who is able to make war with him , who hath shed the blood of the saints of the most high god which will lie as a stain upon your political church as thou calls it , which will not easily be washed away , the time of your mirth in sodom and egypt is near an end , though you strengthen one another and make merry , yet wo will come when all these before mentioned goes down alive into the pit together , and when the sea is dried up that your traffique will not go off , then alas shall be the note of her merchants , who have traded with her sorceries and witchcrafts , and have made people drunk that they have reeled and staggered and have been all like a sea unstable , and have not known the rock of ages upon whom all that do believe a●● established . thou sayes the gospel is a constitution or effect tempered of the grace of god and of the blood of christ . answ. the gospel thou knowes not , but builds with thy untempered morter , and unseasoned words , and what is the gospel an effect of , it is not onely an effect of an operation , but it is that which operates and is the power of god , which will confound all this mudd and all these muddy traditions which you mix with the scriptures and calls them gospel . and now thou comes to the distructiveness of the doctrine of the quakers , to religion , the churches of christ and christian states , because thou sayst i● appears in this from the nature of the object they single out to fight against , as the trinity , christ , the script●re , order both civil and ecclesiastical as instituted in 〈◊〉 gospel . as to tho●e principles i have answered before in part , but dost thou 〈◊〉 of civil order in your state or in your political church as thou calls it , is that to be counted a civil state , who destroyes the creatures gods workmanship , and destroyes mens estates and sells their free-born children as bond-slaves ? dost thou judge that these rules well according to the appointment of god , who is a terror to them that do well , and an encourager of violence and cruelty ? as your late actions hath sufficiently evinced , and as for the order of your political church , we have heard of it that you are as a company of wild beares , rending and tearing , and stops gloves and napkins , and binds keys over their mouthes , that they may not speak the word of truth amongst you , contrary to primitive order , and as for the doctrine of the quakers , many who knowes it better then thee , knowes it to he distructive to nothing , but to the doctrine of antichrist and such ungodly doctrines as thou hast laid down in this book , as that that light which christ hath enlightned every one withall is grosse darkness , and worse then grosse darkness , and that the supper of the lord is a visible political ordinance , and such black doctrines as these our doctrines are distructive unto . and further thou goes on and tells , the work against order is policy against policy , the pollicy of hell against the pollicy of heaven . it seems your order stands in pollicy both in your church and state , and in craft fraud and deceit , and thou judges that heaven stands in policy to , but he that sits in heaven laughes you to scorn with all your deceit and pollicy . and now thou comes to thy proof and saith , that doctrine that denyes obedience to magistracy in his due subject , in effect denyes the order of magistracy , but their doctrine denyes obedience to magistracy in its due subject , therefore their doctrine denyes the order of magistracy . answ. the major and minor is both false , for we own magistracy in its due subject which stands in the power of god and in the higher power , and that which leads into order and out of confusion and distruction ; and thou must not think to fasten stork and muncer upon us for thy proof , what as they did stands upon their account and not upon ours , and that mischievous spirit of thine is that which presseth on the magistrate to abuse his power , and to intrude into those things which belongs not to him , to keep up your confused babel which thou calls a political church , which must all be scattered with the breath of his mouth and with the brightness of his coming , whom thou yet judges to be gross darkness . in thy 18th page , & in the 44th page thou speaks that visible political church , church-officers and church-ordinances are gospel institutions appointed by christ to continue to the end of the world , and that command which paul gave to timothy is to be kept , and that visible political church estate is to continue to the end of the world . answ. i see thou art ignorant of god , christ , heaven , church , church-officers , ordinances and institutions , the churches of christ were established by and in the power of god , and the ministers thereof ministred , walked and ruled in the power of god , and the ordinances and institutions of the true church of god are pure and spiritual , but the church that thou art pleading for the continuation thereof , is a political church , political ordinances , political officers , political institutions , political pastors and teachers , the lords supper a political ordinance , baptism a political ordinance , the spiritual councel which paul gave to timothy about the elders of the church , and about the holy practise which they were to walk in , and the godly conversation this thou calls political ; nay , furthermore thou saist , heaven stands in policy ; and in thy fourth chap. saith , to christ belongs the prerogative of being the onely politician ; these and the like damnable doctrines and heresies thou hast uttered forth , and these must be proved from the first of tim. 3. 1● . and chap. 3. did paul when he wrote to timothy when he gave him direction about elders and such as took care of the church of god , did he say a bishop is a political officer , and must be blameless ? or did he say a deacon is a polical officer and must be grave ? and therefore reader thou may read these scriptures ; 1 tim. 6. 14. 1 cor. 14. 33. and thou maist see this sophister , and this man that is void of understanding , who cryeth up the scripture for a rule of life , and yet holds such a church , such pastors , such officers , such ordinances , such institutions which the scripture makes no mention of , and therefore this man having made a monstrous body , a politick church , he imagines a head like it , and therefore blasphemously saith , christ is the greatest politician ; much i need not say unto this black dark stuff , which is to be confounded , which is imaginary and deceit , which the wrath of god must scatter ; but this i say to thee , there was no officers in the church of christ , but they were ministers made so by the spirit , and were made so by the holy ghost , and were ministers of the spirit and not of the letter , and some were elders and ruled in the church and churches , which was sanctified by god the father and preserved in christ jesus , and these were spiritual , and not political ; but thou hast cleared and quitted your selves from being any such church , and that which you call the sacrament which thou calls visible and political , and brings 1 cor. 12. for thy proof , did paul say as often as ye eat this political bread , and drink this visible political cup you shew forth the lords death till he come ? and did christ when he sent forth his disciples to preach and to baptize in the 28th of matth. 19. which thou pleads must continue until the end of the world ? did he send them and say , go and teach and preach the visible & politick word of the kingdom , and baptize them with visible political water , and that this should continue to the end of the world ? and little marvel if the throne of sathan be exalted among you , and such ministers as thou who ministers deceit , and unrighteousness and ungodliness , art set to be a teacher , and appointed so by the general court , who cannot speak a form of sound words , but like a phylosopher , a star-ga●er , an astrologian or a stage-player , which them that reads thy book will see thy tract frothed with such black dark sentences which are like enchantments . as for beckold and knipperdolling , and quintinius and poquius , thou might have taken up thy pen ere now , and not have brought all this rambling stuff out of the history of the germans , which thou wouldst cast upon our backs ; the bishops used to cast it upon your backs , and you upon the baptists backs ; but now we must bear all , and ●●ou in envy unto us , that thereby thou might represent us odious to the world hath made them all quakers , and saith , they are our predecessours , take them to thy self and joyn them to your political church , and your political ordinances , and your politick doctrines , which is of the same nature with theirs , which you maintain and uphold with carnal weapons , as they did theirs . and last of all thou art coming to the magistrates power in matters of religion under the gospel , and thou saith , notwithstanding manifold evils prevails , and the wiles of the devil are great and malignant , and heresie which is a horrid aspect ; yet thou saith , there is balm in gilead , and a physician there ; and the balm and the physician is that thou saith , god hath armed the magistrate with civil power for the defence of religion , through the concurrences of devine benediction , and the magi●trate is to vindicate the truth of god , and also exercise his power for curing the offenders , and for his proof he brings 1 tim. 1. 2● . of whom is hymenius and alexander , whom i have delivered up unto sathan . ans it seems your gospel that you preach hath not power in it to prevail against heresie , neither your weapons are able to prevail which are but carnal ; and so the power to suppress heresie and convince gain-sayers is wholly without you , and though you censure and excommunicate , and deliver up to sathan , as you say , yet you being in sathans power , that which is against you hath power over you ; and therefore you are fain to cry up the beasts power , which alwayes made war with the saints under the name of hereticks , and you say , that in exercising of his power is but defensive , i say yes it is offensive and distructive to the government of christ and his prerogative , unto whom all power belongs both in heaven and earth , and the government lies upon his shoulders , who is a wonderful councellor , of whose government there is no end ; and he is able to defend his church ; and further more to take away thy objection is willing , and furthermore hath promised to keep his church that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it ; and therefore thou who would have the civil magistrate to intrude into those things which belongs not to him , would have them usurpers and traytors unto christ the prince of peace , and the king of his people and head of the church his body , unto whom absolute power and soveraignity belongeth and glory , which he will not give to another ; and as for all the proofs which thou brings of the magistrates under the first covenant , they are all invalid , as to the second covenant , for all the kings and magistrates in the first covenant what as they did in and about religion , as to the punishment of the false prophets , and them that had familiar spirits and wizards , they were but typical as in reference unto christ the second , covenant who hath another way to kill the false prophets and to make war against heresie and blasphemy , and against all sorcerers , deceivers and antichrists , by the two-edged sword which proceeds out of his mouth , with which his enemies shall be slain who will not that he should rule and exercise his spiritual power against his spiritual enemies ; is not heresie an errour , an inbred thing ? and is an outward sword like to reach to that ? therefore though thou may press the magistrates or them whom thou calls so by their coersive power , as thou calls it , and promise to them devine benediction , like the pope , for making of laws against that which thou and others may judge blasphemy and heresie , and execute them with whips and ropes and cutting off ears , and destroying the creature , yet this doth not reach to heresie and blasphemy , and all the balm and physick that you have in new england , wherein your hope standeth , as hath yet appeared , are your knotted whips and pitched ropes , banishment and death ; here is balm and physick indeed which destroys the creation ; and what , was paul a magistrate who censured hym●nius and alexander ? or else what dost thou bring this for ? thou frames an objection , and also an answer , that the int 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a●thority in matters of religion is violation of liberty of conscience ; thy answer is , church authority is authority , were this objection good , the church may not then , thou saith , authoritatively deal with any of her members , for holding forth or teaching of false doctrine , contrary to gal. 5. 12. and rev. 2. 2● . answ. the objection is good enough , the interposing of civil authority in matters of religion is a leading them beyond their line , for that which is ordained for the ordering of civil things is not to intrude into that which is beyond its sphere ; and why may not the true church authoritatively deal with any of her members for holding forth false doctrine ? what dost thou think that paul in the fifth of the galatians , when he wished that they were even cut off that troubled them , that he would have had them killed or beat with pitched robes ? or would he have had the galatians to have denied them , and have them exercised their authority in the power of the lord jesus christ ? and dost thou bring rev. 2. 20. to prove that thyatira had not power in the authority of god to have thrown out and judged jezebel ? this was their fault , because they suffered her , who called her self a prophetess , to teach and seduce , and to eat things sacrificed to idols , or thou judges they wanted some magistrate to kill her authoritatively ; and if the church may not deal with the members authoritatively , who makes defection from the faith , why have you excommunicated and thrown out so many for hereticks in new england ? thou saith , liberty of conscience , and liberty for errour and heresie are two things ; and the error of conscience is a liberty to bondage , and thou brings , they shall put you out of the synagogues , john 16. and to think to murther the saints was service unto god , was not from conscience but errour of conscience ; but the ob●ect thou saith , subjected to the coersive power must be some act of the outward man ; and further thou saith , there is a difference between quiet heresie and turbulent heresie , schism and sedition . answ. it is true , liberty of conscience and liberty of errour and heresie are two things , but these lyes both without the power and the line of any civil power , as civil power to reach unto , the one he should encourage , that is to say , them who exercise a pure conscience towards god and towards man ; and as for the other errour in judgement , it s beyond the power of the civil magistrate to rectifie , but as it puts forth it self in outward acts of wickedness , as to kill , steal , murther , adultery , defrauding , cozening and cheating in outward things , then the sword reaches to the act outward , but can reach no further ; and as for heresie , schism , sedition , turbulent and quiet , as thou makes distinctions , they are all one in the ground , and you have had too many such thoughts in your hearts as that you did god service with all your whipping , cutting off ears , bearing with ropes , casting out of your assemblies , and not onely so , but out of your countrey , and banishing them from their wives and children , and all this you have done , and thinks you have done god good service , and have cast them out and said ( as the prophet spoke of your generation whose hearts were hardned ) let the lord be glorified ; these things you have to repent of before you know or will feel remission of sins from the lord , though thou say you know it belongs not to the magistrate to compel any man to be a believer , nor to punish any for not believing , but hereticks , turbulent hereticks , we believe belongs unto him to punish , and who must be judge of turbulent hereticks ; is not a heretick an unbeliever ? and if the magistrate ought not to punish an unbeliever , then not a heretick , for a heretick is an unbeliever ; and they which are in the power and authority of god , can deny such a one and judge him out by the power of god , there is his punishment according to that which thou calls gospel institution , and beyond that or any further act upon such a one , we do not read of in all that which is called the new testament , neither that christ , his apostles or any of the true churches or officers or believers ever commanded or commended or exhorted any to stretch forth their hand against the person of any who were hereticks really so , and blasphemers really so ; and therefore see there is neither command , precept nor example ; doth not thou wretchedly err in pressing on them which thou calls believers to act such wretched acts of cruelty as you have done , and thou vindicates them in it as their duty ? it 's true , we read of the beast and of the dragon , who made war against the saints and killed them , and of mystery babylon , and of sodom and egypt where christ was slain , and the witnesses slain ; now if thou wilt take these for proofs and for a ground thou may , and so all thy twisting and twining , and vain arguments falls to the ground ; and doth not the church of rome account all you as hereticks ? and is not their judgement that they ought to punish you with corporal punishment ? and is not this your judgement also page 78 that the magistrate ought to proceed gradually ? that is , to inflict punishment by degrees with lingring tortures , like their inquisitions ; and wherein doth thy doctrine differ from theirs in this ? take them to thee and thy doctrine , for thou art but a stem sprung out of the same root , and acts from the same principle , and yet i tell thee and all the world , i am not pleading for any matter of fact or for breakers of the law which is righteous , for the law is good if a man use it lawfully , it is against murtherers , man-stealers , and stealers of the creatures , for idolaters and defrauders , and cheaters , and every act or fact deserves punishment suitable to the transgression ; now had it not been more reasonably done of thee to have produced the fact of the quakers in new england , which hath deserved all these barbarous tortures , then to declare them and publish them as offenders in matter of fact , and hath none to lay to their charge ; and i challenge thee and the rest of thy adherents to produce some matters of fact which the quakers hath done , which is contrary to any righteous law of god , or else own your condemnation and repent ; and thou must not think that this poor tract of thine which is full of deceit and confusion , errour , blasphemy and madness , though thou publish it by the appointment of the general court , that it will cover your wickedness or hide you from being discovered to moderate people , neither will shelter you in the day of the lord . and thou saith , it concerneth new england awayes to remember , that originally they are a plantation religious , the profession of purity of doctrine , worship and discipline is written upon your fore-heads , that after new england hath now shined 20 years , should now go out in the snuff of morallianism . answ. there was something amongst some of you , but you fled the cross as i told you before , and so that spirit that persecuted you in the bishops time got up in your selves , and that which once you had while you were under affliction here , you have lost , not onely the power of godliness but the form thereof , and also of sound words ; and now as to matter of religion , its rather become a place of ostridges and owles and satyrs ; and for purity of doctrine , worship and discipline written in your fore-heads , if it must be tryed by your rule , and if it be the same 20 years that it is now , i have not heard of more unsoundness in doctrine , worship and discipline which i have read on in many ages , but especially in the scripture , and truly your shining now is turned into blackness , and your sun is set , and your day is darkness , and your light is gone out as the snuff of a candle , because this man boasts of their doctrine , worship and discipline , take a few things out of many and behold them in the light of the lord , and compare them with the scripture ; and so i leave them to thy judgement . 1 first speaking of the trinity , he saith , god is a distinct subsistance from the son and the spirit , and that the son is a distinct subsistance from the father and the spirit in the 9th page ; and because it is said , the father shall give you another comforter ; this another he saith , is intelligible of the essence ; so then the son is a distinct subsistance and essence from the father , and the spirit is a distinct subsistance and essence from the father and the son ; so here is three distinct essences . 2 and that the spirit of god without the letter is no spirit , that which obligeth a man to obey a command of god is one power , and that which strengthens him and enables him to obey is another power , page 12. and that christs words in the 17th of john 21. gives an uncertain sound ( which are these , that they may be one as we are one . ) 3 that scripture is a perfect rule of life , but not without consequences . 4 that thomas and mary is no where mentioned in scripture , neither are commanded obedience nor forbidden disobedience , contrary to john 20. 16 , 17 , 27. 5 that that light which teaches a man there is a god , and to worship god , and that parents are to be honoured , and that a man shall not lye nor steal , and that which discovers the creator his eternity and omnipotency , is to be construed in opposition to spiritual light , and contradistinct to the light of the spirit , page 16. 6 that the light which is in every man , hath much miscarried whilst that it is managed by the reigning power of darkness , page 17. 7. that that which lets a man see that he should not do to others what he would not have others do unto him , and shewes a man ought not to steal nor to lye , and that which discovers eternity and omnipotency ; this indeed , saith he , is darkness , it is worse then gross darkness , page 18. 8 christ enlightens no man with the light of life , but them that are so and so qualified . 9 that the gospel is a con●●icution or effect , tempered of the grace of god and the blood of christ . 10 that the visible political churches , political officers , political worship and administrations are gospel institutions or appointed by christ , page 41. 11 that there is policy in heaven , page 42. 12 pastors and teachers are political church officers . 13 that the lords supper is a visible political ordinance , page 48. 14 that baptism is a visible political church ordinance . 15 that to christ belongs the prerogative of being the onely politician . 16 that there is much darkness in the hearts of all children of light in this life , page 42. likewise at a lecture at boston john norton taught , that the justice of god is the armour of the devil . take a view of thy doctrines again , and be ashamed and blush , and repent of thy deceit and false doctrines and lying stories , and cease to pervert the way of the lord , for all this which thou hast waded through will little advantage your kingdom , neither all this covering which thou hast made will not vindicate your wicked practices , nor shelter you from the storms and thunders , and plagues , and terrour , and wrath which is to be poured upon all his enemies , and then thy order from the general court will stand thee but in little stead , when the terrour of god comes upon thee , and when the witness of god is awakened in thee to bring all thy iniquities to remembrance , and thy deceit that hath been hid to the light , then shalt thou see that thou hast not set thy self onely against man but also against god and his dear servants whom he hath redeemed by his pretious blood , who knows a habitation unto which you cannot reach with your clubs , whips and ropes , and their habitation is as the munition of rocks , their bread is sure , and their water doth not fail , and happy are they who suffer for the truths sake , for they shall receive honour and glory and immortality , and the crown of life which he hath laid up for all them that endure the cross and dispise the shame , which will be given in the day of his glorious appearance to them that keeps the word of his patience , and the word of his testimony committed to them unto the end . london , the 12th day of the 11th month , 1659. oh ! new england whose heart is unbroken , and is as hard as a stone , thy fruits declares it , and thy iuhabitants are rebellious against god , thy teachers and people are filled with enmity against the lord and his people , and they have not known sorrow , nor are they acquainted with the lord in his judgements , but the rebellious , and stiff-necked lives in them ; and they are covered with a profession of gospel , but are as the wolves in sheeps clothing , who is covered with the saints words and practices , but are destroying the lambs of christ ; oh ! new england , what hast thou done ? how thou hast greedily run in the way that is not good , how hast thou opposed the way of thine own peace , and rejected the loving kindness of the lord , we have heard , and we have seen , and we have been sencible of thy wickedness , of thy mercilesness and thy cruelty which abounds in thee , and art without respect to god and his eternal power which is over you , though you oppose it ; yet you are comprehended with it , and it shall eternally judge you ; your church hath brought forth bad fruits , even of sodom and spiritual egypt , and in the streets is the lamb slain , and the just crucified , and ye are the people that have done it , doth not your dealing towards the people of god called quakers evidence this unto all the world ? and nations do hisse at you ; what , ye a gathered people ? what ye a seperated people ? and brings forth persecution in such a manner , exceeding the very cruelty of the scribes and pharisees , and the chief priests , this nation hath wondered at your hard heartedness , & sober people are grieved at their hearts for you , that you should so far indanger your souls to everlasting loss , as to go on in this way as you have done for years together , every day as it were heighthening your malice and your fury against the lamb and his followers ; oh you teachers and professors which hath openly appeared under the dragons ; collours , who hath warred under his banner , even the dragon which sought to devour the man-child , and by him do you make war against the lamb and his followers , with the dragons weapons , prisons , houses of correction , whippings , banishments , cutting off the ears , and such like cruel dealing , which is of the dragon his weapons , and not the weapons of the lamb ; oh what have you done , is there not a wise man among you , are you all besotted , and inchanted , are you all blind , is there none among you that considers these things , hath not your own doings pierced your hearts ? hath not the innocent blood that you have shed yet struck terrour upon your consciences ? can nothing awaken you , will not your own doings reprove you ? oh consider , for you are not hid from the eternal eye of god , it beholds you , and you are naked and bare before it ; and your filthiness and wretchedness is open before it , oh what floods of wickedness do you cast out ? and what wicked practices do you bring forth ? we are wounded in our spirits for you because you have lost all feeling and sence , and are void of understanding , your ears dull , your eyes blind , and your hearts hardned , and hath neither religion nor pure humanity ; but do you think to prevail against the lord by your doings ? do you think to weary him out from among you ? no he is stronger and his kingdom and government of more force , and though he is long suffering , yet he can dash you to pieces , and take your breath from you , and cause you to melt away , and sink you into confusion , and destruction , and his truth will prevail over you , for there is a seed which you cannot quench , there is a root which will bring forth though you choak it never so much , and in all your glory you shall wither and pine away , and your flower shall be cut down , and your strength shall become weak as water , and your authority shall sink into the bottomless pit , and there is no vision unto you of peace and prosperity in your way ; but you shall fall with no small weight of dishonour and affliction which shall be your portion , for god is just and all power is with him to break you to pieces , and he can make you know , that he can do whatsoever he will , and you are but as the pot-sheards of the earth which he will break , and his heritage shall be increased , and he will not be wanting to it , his people shall have peace when you shall have trouble , his people shall have joy when you shall have mourning , he shall appear to their joy but you shall be ashamed ; for your portion shall not be like unto theirs , but the wrath of the lamb shall torment you , even the long suffering of god , which hath been great towards you , shall be turned into a devouring fire , and into fury to consume you , this shall doubtless come to passe , for the lord hath said it ; wherefore repent ye rulers , repent ye teachers , repent ye hypocrites , and if there be any among you that will be saved , let him deliver himself by turning to the lord . but besides all that you have done , by way of persecution , imprisonment , lies and slanders , cutting off ears , banishment and whippings and such like , yet after all this here is a book come over , called the heart of new england rent filled with false reproaches , with slanders , with false doctrines , and misinterpretations o● scripture , and such like stuff , which we have taken notice of and viewed over , and returned answer ; what is this your best divinity in new england ? we have heard of your wicked practices towards the people of god , but now we have seen the wickedness of your profession , and the emptiness of your religion and doctrines , and we cannot but turn them back to you again that if possible the lord may open your eyes that you may be converted , and live ; and what do we fear your revilings and threatnings and your persecutions , in the immortal life is our victory , which life you cannot reach , for the devil hath not power given over it ; though you may have power over the body , and over the goods , yet the immortal life you cannot touch ; and that is eternal victory , and that life is our god bringing forth more and more , and he can deliver if he will , but if he will not , we cannot bow to your image ; nor say we have done you wrong in what we write and speak to you ; for this is our religion , that our conscience may be kept clear , and our zeal for god is in this , that we may keep void of offence towards god and towards you ; by warning of you from time to time , and though we are far distant in the outward man , yet we have a witness in your consciences ; and in that we know you , and by that shall be answered in the dreadful day of the lord , and that day is coming upon you , and the judgements of the lord the wicked shall not ●scape . o have you forgotten since you were sufferers your selves , and then it was well with you , far better then now ; for you are at ease in the flesh and have forgotten god , and lost that sincerity which once was in you , and the very spirit of the old bishops which once persecuted you it is entered into your hearts , and now li●es in you , and acts you , and in the dayes of your prosperity you are exalted , and have forgotten the lord , and you requite him evil for his love , and seem , to be a people given up to do wickedly till the time of your distruction , and like rulers , like teachers , all in the hard-heartedness , and in the pathes of death and destruction , your church , your ministry , your religion is all of it a weariness , and abomination to the lord , while that spirit of murder , and ●alice lodges in you ; wherefore repent , least you perissh , the day of god almighty is approaching ; the terrible day of the lord is at hand ; i am a lover of righteousness and a friend to the seed of god throughout the world , and that waits for the redemption thereof . e. bvrrovgh the end . caines bloudy race known by their fruits, or, a true declaration of the innocent sufferings of the servants of the living god, by the magistrates, priests and people in the city of westchester, who lives in a profession of god, christ, and the scriptures, as their forefathers did, who slew the prophets, persecuted christ and the apostles, as is declared in the scriptures of truth, &c. hutchins, anthony. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a31781 of text r20269 in the english short title catalog (wing c208a). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. 93 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 25 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo 2017 a31781 wing c208a estc r20269 12116507 ocm 12116507 54331 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a31781) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 54331) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 760:14) caines bloudy race known by their fruits, or, a true declaration of the innocent sufferings of the servants of the living god, by the magistrates, priests and people in the city of westchester, who lives in a profession of god, christ, and the scriptures, as their forefathers did, who slew the prophets, persecuted christ and the apostles, as is declared in the scriptures of truth, &c. hutchins, anthony. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. sale, richard. fox, george, 1624-1691. [5], 54 p. printed for thomas simmons ..., london : 1657. signed p. 47: anthony hutchins. preface signed: f.h. [i.e. francis howgill]; pp. 21-22 are by richard sale and pp. 42-44 by george fox. reproduction of original in bodleian library. eng society of friends -england -westchester. a31781 r20269 (wing c208a). civilwar no caines bloudy race known by their fruits, or, a true declaration of the innocent sufferings of the servants of the living god, by the magist hutchins, anthony 1657 18880 16 0 0 0 0 0 8 b the rate of 8 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the b category of texts with fewer than 10 defects per 10,000 words. 2004-12 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2005-02 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-04 melanie sanders sampled and proofread 2005-04 melanie sanders text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-10 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion caines bloudy race known by their fruit or , a true declaration of the innocent sufferings of the servants of the living god , by the magistrates , priests and people in the city of westchester , who lives in a profession of god , christ , and the scriptures , as their forefathers did , who s●●w the prophets , persecuted christ and the ●postles , as is declared in the scriptures of truth , &c. they persecute him whom thou hast smitten ; and they add unto the sorrow of them whom thou hast wounded , psal. 69. 26. bloady men hate him that is upright ; but the just have care of his soul , prov. 29. 10. remember the word that i said unto you , the servant is not greater then his master ; if they have persecuted me , they will persecute you also ; if they have kept my word , they will also keep yours , joh. 15. 20. blessed are ye when men shall evile you , and persecute you , and shall say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake , rejoice , and be exceeding glad , for great is your ye ward in heaven , for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you , matt. 5. 11 , 12. london , printed for thomas simmons , at the sign-of the bull and mouth , neer aldersgate , 1657. to the reader . reader , amongst the many sad objects of pitty and commiseration which these dayes afford and do bring forth here is one not of the least , where thou may behold the sad and woful sufferings of many of the dear and precious servants of the lord , who have denied themselves and the glory of this world , that so they might be followers of christ , and doers of his will , that so they might receive peace with the father through jesus christ , who hath called us to suffer for his names sake , and be conformable unto his will , that so the crown of glory may be received , which is laid up for all them that keep the faith , and doth not deny it , nor him in whom-they have believed , before men , as these cloud of witnesses and faithful suffererers have done , who have kept the faith , and confessed him before men , and among such also where the devil hath his throne , and rules as king ; and by his unrighteous scepter hath the rulers of chester acted , as the discourse hereafter will manifest , wherein thou may see the image of the father in the sufferers , and of the lamb , who was dumb before the shearer , and opened not his mouth : and in this after written thou may see the scriptures fulfilled , as it is written by the prophets , they eat my people as men eat bread , and they chop them in pieces as flesh ; for the caldron and the time which christ spoke of is come , that they that kill you shall think they do god service , & all these things they wil do unto you for my names sake , and they shall shamefully entreat you , & cast you into prison , & speak all manner of evil of you falsly for my names sake ; but blessed are they who are not offended . and in those blood thirsty inhumane magistrates ( so called ) who have done all this violence and cruelty , thou may also read the image of the devil brought forth , for their works that they have done and wrought are of him ; and as christ said to them who would have been counted holy , who said god was their father , but their works manifested them to be of the devil , and he was their father who abode not in the truth . and that which makes the violence & cruelty more intollerable of these men , is , because they profess themselves to rule for god , & are christian magistrates , but their actions that they have brought forth will christ never own , for he came not to destroy mens lives , but to save them ; neither did he ever set up any such rule as to slay his servants , nor any such magistrates who are a terror to them that do well , and therefore they must be recorded among the adversaries of the lord ▪ whom the lord will dash to pieces . what! is this the reformation brought forth in their city , imprisoning them that reprove sin in the gate , and set drunkards at liberty ? oh preposterous and prodigeous cruelty ! in the time of the king , and in the time of the bishops , never such presidents of cruelty was found , and this hypocritical generation will be lesse excusable then they , they in ignorance , but these in the day , when light is declared abroad , and have been warned ; they never professed liberty of concience , but these do ; they never professed toleration or protection unto any but them that conformed to them in all things , but these do . oh england ! is thy sun set when it was but new risen ? and utter ) darknesse coming upon thee again ? and must this be fulfilled upon thy rulers , and among them , they are all evening . wolves , who devour so greedily , that they gnaw not the bones till the morrow ? oh unheard-of cruelty ! unparelell'd wickednesse ! violence is broken forth into a rod , and now smiteth the just in great cruelty , and the innocent in great rage ; but all these things are recorded and taken notice of by him who weighs all things in an even ballance , and will scatter the wiced and ungodly as chaff , and as dust shall they be blown away ; but all the stripes , reproaches , sighs , tears , and sufferings of the upright will he reward , when their enemies shall sink as a stone into the sea , and be overwhelmed in the pit of everlasting vengeance , wo and misery , which ▪ is prepared for the old dragon , the devourer and all his seed and race for ever , who would not have righteousnesse to rule , nor innocency to live , but subtilty and craft , pride and arrogancie , in which the kingdom of the devil stands , and envy , murder and oppression , and he that hates his brother is a man-slayer . and when thou hast read over this discourse and sees the envy , wickedness , and madness , and cruelty of these rulers , their spirit thou will see , and cannot but abhor as detestable , and may truly say , while such bear rule , the land cannot but mourn ; but the mischief they have hatched shall fall upon their own pate , and peace shall possesse the reins of the just , and the heart of them that have suffered shall rejoice and be glad in him who hath counted them worthy to suffer for his names sake , and great shall be their reward , for they shall reign with him for ever and ever over all their enemies , and shall trample them down under their feet ; which if thou believe , and in patience endure and suffer with them that suffer , thou shalt rejoice with them that rejoice , in the joy which is unspeakable and full of glory , and know the dominion which is everlasting , when all those unrighteous powers and dominions shal come to an end ; and all that endure to the end , and keep the faith , this shall see fulfilled ; and the lord is hastening it for wiekedness is near at the heighth , and then his wrath shall consume his enemies , and they shall melt away that hate the lord . f. h. caines bloudy race known by their fruits . first , under edward bradshaw , mayor ; richard hubberthorne coming into chester city about the 29th . of the 9. month , 1653. the occasion of his coming at that time was to visite a brother in the truth , who was for the truths sake a prisoner in the county-goal , his name was iohn lawson ; so he ( richard hubberthorn ) being in the house , where he lodged all night peaceably , not giving the least occasion of offence to any but was writing in a book he then had of his own ; so as he sate writing came in richard golborne a lawyer , and took his book from him , and gave him envious and threatning words , and went his way , and informed edward bradshaw mayor what a dangerous fellow was in the town , and caused him to be brought before the magistrates into the pentice ; so when they and the chief priest had examined him , and finding the law not by him transgressed , he being clear in all things from the least breach thereof , they caused him to be put a-part into another room , until they had devised wicked and unlawful devices against him ; for this was the time when the lord first tryed them how they could bear the sincerity and plainnesse of the innocent truth and gospel of christ , which was then beginning to spread abroad in the nation ; which truth , and the servants thereof , doth onely seek the honor which comes from god , and doth only give the honor to god ; and doth not seek that honor which comes from men , neither can give that honor which men seek one of another ; and for this cause was the wrath of the magistrate lifted up , until they had lost both the knowledg of the law , and of reason , who in their wrath sent him into prison , no breach of the law being found by him , only by the information of richard golborne , who had broken the law in taking his goods from him , contrary to all the laws of this nation ; only this they said they imprisoned him for , because he could not promise them to go out of the town when they commanded him . but festus who was a ruler amongst the heathens , he well might be called noble , for to him it seemed unreasonable to send a prisoner , and not to shew the causes of offence that was laid against him : but these magistrates which say they are christians , they manifest themselves to be void of understanding , sence , and reason , having sent many to prison without so much as signifying a just occasion against them . so when r. hubberthorn had suffered about three moneths imprisonment , he was called before a sessions , and they finding nothing against him , again asked him if he would go forth of the city , which if he would , they said he should be set free ; which he denyed to promise them , and stood in the authority of the almighty over their deceit , being they could lay nothing to his charge ; then their wrath arose , and commanded him to be put into prison , and kept close that none should come to him ; all which the keeper obeyed for about eight dayes ; and then the mayor and the rest of his brethren joyned together to make a passe to send him from constable to constoble , into lancashire ; but when the lord had tryed them to the full , then they broke their order which was sealed with seven seales , and he was onely brought forth of the city , and set free . thomas holme coming into this city , had a meeting in the same about the nineteenth day of the first month , 1653. where he and many more were met together to wait upon the lord in a house in the same city ; then thomas holme spake as he was moved of the lord , edward bradshaw then mayor , being informed thereof , sent one of his servants , and commanded him to bring tho. holme before him ; so he committed him to prison to the common goal for the city , where he was kept about six weeks , in which time he was much abused and beaten by robert emis●ne , keeper of the prison , who is a common notorious drunkard . before tho. holme was released , edward bradshaw sent samuel elcock unto him , to know if he would promise him to depart the city , which if he would , he might be released ; who said he could make no such promise . now tho. holme having a letter by to him , which was sent him from rich. hubberthorne , directed edward bradshaw , he gave it to samuel elcock to give it as directed , who did ; so when ed. bradshaw had read over the letter , he said that tho. holme should be whipped , and ( as we are informed ) had a man in readinesse to do it , he thinking all this while it had been tho. holme which writ it to him ; so thomas yarwood hearing what was intended against tho. holm , and understanding it was because of that letter , went to edward bradshaw , and said , friend , tho. holm did not write that letter to thee , it was rich. hubberthorne ; but tho. yarwood not dossing his hat , edward bradshaw committed him to the stocks , where he was kept about an hour and a half at the least ; then the next day after tho. holme was committed as aforesaid , edward bradshaw sent for rich. hickock and edward morgan , they being two that was at the meeting the day before , and committed them to prison upon the twentieth day of the first month , 1653. and kept rich. hickock fifteen weeks , and edw : morgan nine weeks . elizabeth levens , and jane waugh , coming to this city to visite their brethren in prison , and as they were passing peaceably through the streets , were tooke up by a drunken man , and brought before edward bradshaw , and by him committed to prison , who were a great part of their imprisonment kept in a stinking place , where for the most part thieves and murderers are kept ; the whole time of their imprisonment was about five weeks , who when they were released , were sent from constable to constable , as vagabonds , into their own countrey . anne fara coming to this city , was moved to go to a steeple-house , and spake unto the priest , she was much abused by the rude multitude , and by them took before edw. bradshaw , and by him committed to prison for many dayes . richard hickocke was moved to go to a steeple-house in the city , where was a high-priest , called samuel eaton , who when he had ended that he called his sermon , rich. hitkock spake some words to the people , but they pulled him down , and did much abuse him ; yet neverthelesse edw. bradshaw committed him to prison , and commanded the keeper to put him into a dark stinking room , where he saw a snake , and other venemous creatures ; it is such a place that none is put into at any time but such as are condemned to dye , and therefore is called the dead mans room ; and likewise edw. bradshaw commanded irons to be put on him , all which his commands were executed to the highest degree of malice that might be ; in which condition he was kept 13 weeks and upwards , and it 's believed by some , the priest and he together intended to destroy the outward man , though he had a wife and many small children ; such is their cruelty , had they not been prevented by george minshall , one of the protectors servants , who coming to the town at the time of the general sessions holden for the county , and hearing of their usuage of him , was moved with pitty , and fetched forth a habeus corpus , and brought his body before the judge for the county , out of the hands of those bloody and cruel men , to answer the law , who finding no just cause of imprisonment proved against him , and being moved with pitty towards him , understanding how cruelly he had been used by them , did freely release him , to their shame and trouble . tho. yarwood was moved to go to the steeple-house , and stood till the priest had done what he had to say , and then he spoke to the people , but he was haled forth , and ill abused by the baser sort , and brought before edward bradshaw , and by him committed to prison , where he was kept most part of two days ; he being a souldier , & under command , his officer sent to him to know why he had imprisoned his souldier , and fetcht him out of prison ; edward bradshaw sent him word , he came in amongst them with a laudable voice , and disturbed the assembly before the minister had done , though he spake not till the priest had done , as before is said . john owen being in his own house , following his lawful imployment there was a stone flang at his window , and missed it ; then he and his men went off the table they sate on , which was close to the window , who were no sooner off the table , but a great piece of a brick-stone was flang through his glasse-window , which broke it in pieces ; and had not he and his men ( as is said ) come from the window , it might have killed some of them , it came with such force into the house ; so he seeing who threw it , took the stone in his hand to edward bradshaw , and shewed him the stone , and who it was that threw it into his house , and brake his window , as is said , who said , do you come to complain before a magistrate in such an unreverent manner ? and said , i will neither heare your cause , nor right you ; and with his own hands christ him forth of his doors , and charged him to come before him no more . the innocent sufferings of the servants of the lord in chester city , under richard bird , mayor of the same . edmond ogden being moved to go to a steeple-house , spake not a word until the priest had done , and then spake some words to the priest to make good what he had said ; but he was drawn forth into the street by the hair of his head , and then sent to prison by richard bird , and kept nine weeks . richard bird sent for edward morgan forth of his own house , and committed him to prison , when he had not spoke to any , nor to this day knows what he was imprisoned for , onely it was reported by some he did it because edmond ogden had been at the steeplehouse . at another time rich. bird caused edw. morgan to be taken out of the street , who neither said or did to any , yet he caused him to be put into the grate , where for the most part thieves and murderers are put . mary endon came to this city to see her husband , who was in bonds for the truth , she was then moved to go a steeple-house , and asked the priest a question ; but she was exceedingly abused by the people , and taken before rich. bird , and by him committed to prison , where she was kept four dayes . william sarrot passing through the street with a piece of cloth , john poole called to him , and asked if he would sell his cloth , who said , yea ; john poole asked him his price , he said , so much the yeard ; john poole said he would have it ; william sarrot , hearing him say so hastily he would have it , said , friend do not mistake thy self , i ask so much the yard ; john poole said , thou lyest , thou asked me so much an ●ll , but william denyed it , and said as before ; then iohn poole struck him very ill , and thrust him out of his shop , and kept his cloth , though his wife and mother would have had him to have given him his cloth again , they being ( its very like ) sensible how it was ; but he would not give him his cloth again , but said he would teach him to be a quaker , many people cryed out against him for so doing , but for all that was said to him , he was shameless , and would not part with the cloth . so william sarrot , came and informed some of his friends , who had him go to the mayor , and inform him thereof , who did , the mayor was high with him , because he could not give him that honor he expected from him , but in the end did send for john poole , who came , and as soon as he was come , the mayor and he went a-part , and discoursed a while ; but when they returned to vvilliam , the mayor said to vvilliam , unless he would put off his hat ▪ to him , he would do him no justice , but would send him to prison for coming before a magistrate so unmannerly ; but in short , he sent vvilliam sarrot to the common goal , and not in the least reproved john poole , who would have cheated him of his cloth . so the third day after vvilliam was put in prison , the mayor sent for him forth to his own house , where pool had sent the cloth ; so when vvilliam sarrot saw his cloth upon the table , he said , friend , is this cloth of so much the ell , as pool said he would have it for ? the mayors wise said it was better worth ; then the mayor gave vvilliam his cloth again , and discharged him , paying his foes ; he denyed to pay any fees ; then the keeper took him to prison again ; but when he saw he would pay him no fees , he turned him forth without . the innocent sufferings of the people of god under william wright , mayor of chester city . sarah adgit , and margret vvood , coming to this city , were moved to go to a steeple-house ; sarah spake a few words when the priest had done ; margret spake not in the steeple-house at all ; they both were taken before vvilliam vvright , and by him committed to prison , and kept above four weeks , though ( as aforesaid ) one of them spoke not at all in the steeple-house . upon the 8th day of the first month , richard sale was moved of the lord to come to the city , and to go to a steeple-house , where the judge for the county , and many more of the city and countrey were assembled , and nathaniel lancaster priest , found in the steps of the scribes and pharisces , who in the highest place of the assembly was found , exalting himself as their teacher . so richard sale stood so long as he could , and opened not his mouth , until at last the burden of the word of the lord burned as fire within him , that contrary to his own will he was forced to speak ; but before he could utter many words , he was violently halled forth as their manner is , and committed to the county gaol for one day , and then by the same power that committed him was released for that thing ; so the law being satified , he went to his own house . then upon the second day of the second moneth , 1656. richard sale , being commanded of the lord , to come to chester citty , and by the lord commanded to reprove sin in the gate , he being in the liberty of the county , about glovers-stone , he then was pulled by violence into the liberties of the city , and delivered to one of the mayors officers ; so he was taken before william wright major , who committed him to prison : demand was made what he was committed for ; answer was given , for speaking before the judges ; though he had as aforesaid satisfied the law , for that before , and yet for the same thing was committed to prison again , and there kept in a most cruel manner 33 weeks , in all which time he might not be suffered to have a little fire , though none of their charge , he being in a cold open room , and the coldest time in all the year , such was their cruelty , then at last they released him privately without any tryal at law . the innocent sufferings of the people of god in chester cicity , under peter leigh mayor of the same , who in a most cruell , bloody , and mercilesse manner hath executed his power against them . upon the ninth day of the tenth month , 1656. edward morgan had a servant wrought with him , whose name was william fletcher , who had stole a peece of leather from him , which was worth two shillings , or thereabouts ; edward being informed thereof by one of his servants , called thomas edwards ; then edward morgan asked fletcher , why he stole his leather from him ? fletcher denyed it , and did begin to quarrell with him : insomuch that another of edward morgans servants , went and informed peter leigh mayor , ( unknown to edward ) the mayor sent for them both , who came before him , the first word that the mayor spake was to edward morgan , asking him , if he was not a freeman of this city , being he came so unreverently before him , and farther said , are not you sworn to be obedient to magistrates ? he answered , what i do is contrary to my own will in obedience to the lord : the mayor said , the scripture saith , honour thy father , and mother : edward said , i honour my father in that i am obedient to that of god in my conscience : then the mayor said to edw. that unless he would put off his hat , he would not hear his cause , so edw. came away , and the man that stole his leather escaping punishment for stealing , because he whom he stole it from could not in conscience put off his hat . vpon the fifteenth day of the tenth moneth , 1656. peter leigh mayor commanded edw. morgan to come before him , who ( as it will appear hereafter ) had laid a snare to entrap him , because he had escaped imprisonment before , when he was before him last , seeing he would not put off his hat : the mayor had sent for rich. bird , ( formerly mayor ) who was an approved man for his purpose , to persecute the innocent without a cause , and john johnson as bad as he ; so they being met together in the pentice , sent for edw. morgan , ( as aforesaid ) pretending to punish him that stole his leather if he desired it : here all may see how unfit these men are to be magistrates , for they that know any thing pertaining to the law , know this , that a magistrate in his place ought to be a terror to him that doth evil , and is upon all occasions to use his utmost endeavour to find them out , and them to punish according to their offence , and in so doing becomes a terror to them . nay further , if any man hath so much respect to him that hath transgressed the law , as to conceal it such a time as the law sets down , according to the offence , he makes himself equal transgressour with him that hath transgressed : now these magistrates are so far from this , that they told edw. morgan , that if he desired the thief to be punished they would punish him ; so ignorant are they of their places , that because edw. morgan did not desire it from them , they did not punish him for stealing ▪ but this was but their pretence to ensnare him , as their actions hereafter will appear . then the mayor asked him , if he was not a perjured fellow to come before them so unreverently , and many such like words he used , but ( in short ) according to their design on him , they began to cast how to bring him under their law , there being a bench at the lower end of the room ; edw did sit down : tho. robbinson one of the sheriffs called to him , and said , dost thou know where thou art ? and told him that was not a place for such fellows as he to sit on , and said , he should be taught better mannors : for they would put a bridle on his head , and many such like unsavoury words he used , not worth repearing over , so in the end , they got john taylor , john knowles , and john whitley to swear against edward morgan . to wit , he said his conscience told him , he could not bow to deceit , so this was the ground for which they committed him to prison , because he could not bow to deceit , and made a warrant which was signed by john johnson , and rich. bird , the sum of which was , that edw. morgan misbehaved himself before the mayor , so to prison edward was sent straight way , but he that stole his leather found favour from them and was not punished at all for stealing , though he confessed so far to the stealing of it , that of himself he brought part of the leather back again to ed. morgan , but not by any constraint of either mayor or justices ; so now that for which they sent for edward morgan hath fully appeared . now ed. morgan lying in prison , as is said , many as he dealt with in things belonging to his trade , understanding the grievous wrong he had done him , went of their own accord , unknown to edw. morgan , unto peter leigh mayor , to desire edwards enlargement from him , the mayor told them in a fawning hypocryticall manner , he did not desire to keep him in prison , and told them it was rich. bird , and john johnson that did commit him , they seeing how uncivilly he behaved himself before me ; and said , if they would release him , he would be content therewith ; this the mayor did say in the hearing of many witnesses . then david bathow who was one that heard him say so , went to rich. bird , and told him what the mayor had said , when ric. bird had heard him tell what the mayor had said to them , he did deny that he was cause of it , and said that he had rather have gone 20 miles another way , then have gone about any such thing , when the mayor sent for him ; and farther said , he did not desire any poor man should be kept in prison ; & said farther , if any man would but come and passe his word for his good behaviour , he would undertake to prevail so far with mr. mayor , as to procure his enlargement , and likewise said if any man would come , and passe for him as is said , he would pass his word to him he should never be troubled for so doing . vpon the 21. of the tenth moneth , 1656. some of those that had been with the mayor before , went to him again about the same business , but he would not suffer them to speak with him , but sent them word by his door-keeper that they should attend him upon fryday , it being the three and twentieth of the tenth month , and bring a surety with them , and he should be released : so as they were appointed they came to the pentice , and brought a surety with them , as the mayor had appointed them to do , now the mayor and many more being present , they made known their businesse to them , so they said as they had before ( not knowing ) there was any to passe for him , that if any would passe for his good behaviour , he should be released , or else not : then the man spoke , and said , he would passe for his good behaviour ; when the mayor and the rest heard that any would passe for him , they then denyed to release him upon sureties , unless edw. morgan would come himself ▪ before them , and desire it with his hat in his hand , if so , then they would release him upon sureties , or else ( some of them said ) there he should rot ; so they were all dismissed . now any who are in the least measure turned to the light wherewithall christ jesus hath enlightned them , may see their deceit , for at the first the mayor said it was john johnson , and richard bird that committed him , and he could not release him , because they did it : rich. bird said , what they did was by the mayors appointment , but both said , bring a surety to passe for his good behaviour and he should be released ; but when a surety came , none would release him , unlesse he would come before them with his hat in his hand , and desire his enlargement of them himself , or else some of them said , he should rot there ; but in the end all were made manifest to be lyars , for upon the second day of the first month — 56. after he had endured eleven weeks imprisonment , the mayor sent a constable to the keeper of the prison to release him privately , it is beleeved , because the general sessions for the county drew neer , least their actions there should have been made publick . in the time of edw. morgans inprisonment as aforesaid , he sent a modest letter to peter leigh mayor , by the hands of deborah maddock , she finding him in the pentice , did deliver the letter ; he asked her from whence it came ? she told him ; he said , what dumb spirit hath set them on work now ? then the mayor said unto her , that such huswifes as she was fitter for the stocks , or to be ducked in a cuck-stool , then to carry letters , and come before magistrates to deliver them so unreverently ; she said , there is no respect of persons with god ; the mayor called for a constable , and sent her into little ease , the hole in the rock , where she was kept about 4 hours . richard sale , being a freemans son of this city , went to peter leigh mayor , to demand his freedom , as in right it could not be denyed him , upon the one and twentieth day of the tenth month ; the mayor asked him his name ; he told him , the mayor said , i thought you had been in prison long enough to have learned better manners , but seeing you have not ; i will teach you some if i can : rich. sale answered , evil words corrupt good manners , and thou hast heard none from me yet ; the mayor said , he would teach him to com with more reverence before magistrates , and called for a constastable , but being none ready , he sent him to a constables house ; the constable asked the man that brought him , what he must do with him , he said , bring him to prison : r. sale said , thou received no such orders ; then the constable went to the mayor himself , to know what he must do with him , so when he came back , he came to r. sale , and said , if he would promise him not to trouble the town any more , neither meddle with their ministers , he might go his way ; but he denyed to condition with him at all , who when he could get none , let him go without . vpon the 4th day of the 11th month , 56. it being the first day of the week , rich. sale , as he was waiting upon the lord in a meeting in chester , then was commanded of the lord to go to a place in the city called the minster : so he comming there , he met john glendall priest , and was moved to speak to him ; there passing by a constable , one told the priest thereof , the priest bad the constable take rich. sale to the mayors house , and keep him there untill he came to him : so the constable being ignorant of his place , did take him as the priest commanded him , and there kept him a great while , but the priest came not , as he said he would : for to them it is a light thing to lye : then at last rich. sale was taken before the mayor , who asked him , why he disturbed the ministers of the gospel ? ●he answered , he did not disturb any ministers of the gospel ; then the mayor demanded of him sureties , for the keeping of the peace : he told him he had not broken the peace , therefore he denyed to put in sureties to keep that he had not broken , so the mayor commanded him to be put into prison untill the next day ; so the next day he sent for him forth of prison , and gave order he should not be brought before him , but put into little ease , the hole in the rock , where he was kept about 8 hours , it being a very cold day , in which place he could not sit , kneel , stand nor lye , yet before they would let him forth , they would have had him to have promised them not to have disturbed their ministers nor magistrates , or else they said they must not loose him forth . but he denyed their propositions and was made rather willing to give his body up to be murdered by them , then to yeeld to their wills . then to cover their cruelty , they said he pulled priest glendals cloak from off his back , when he did not so much as touch any part of his garments ; unless they meant it by laying open the fruits of his ministery , and pulling off his cloak of hypocrisie ; and if so they meant , we shall not say against it : then peter cowsnock being in the town , and seeing how the mayor had used edw. morgan , and rich. sale , it lay upon him of the lord to go to the mayor , and to speak to him concerning his usage of them as is said ; so upon the 5. day 11 month 56. the mayor , and sheriffs , and many more being met together in the pentice , he went in amongst them , and spake to the mayor his message once and again ; the mayor seemed as though he heard him not : the mayor then spake to a man that stood by him , who came immediately and plucked peter cowsnocks hat from off his head , and flang it down , then the mayor turned towards him , and asked him , how he came before him so profanely with his hat on ? peter told him the occasion of his coming ; he received from them many scornful and reprochful words ; likewise some of them threatned to whip him , others to put him into little ease , the hole in the rock which is worse , then at last he pulled forth a pass with a letter , both from some of the council of state , his pass shewing that none should interrupt him in his journie to the isle of man , from whence he came ; yet for all this did wil. street , and will . haywood say to the sheriff , he might do well to search him for letters , it being ( as they said ) in his power ; so he being ready to execute their malice did , and took divers writings from him of great concernment , which he could never to this day get any of them again ; now let any man judge whether this was not a contempt against those of the councel of state , that made him his pass ; now this is certain , had he not had that pass , they would have don to him , as afore is said , for against him their malice was as great as against any other which they have acted much cruelty against ; for two or three times constables were sent to anthony hutchins house to charge him he should neither entertain peter cowsnock nor his son , but their message was by him little regarded in that thing . upon the 20th day 11 month 56. richard sale was moved of the lord to come to chester , it being the 3d. day of the week , as he was passing to a friends house he met with one of the pharises called william haywood , and said to him , the serpent lives upon dust , and dust is the serpents meat : he then asked rich. sale if he was god , and many such like tempting questions ; but he shut him out , and would not answer to his vain questions at all : there standing by hamnet kerkes a shoo-maker in the same city , who began to kick and push rich. sale to and fro , and offered to strike up his heels , but missing of his end , stroke richard over the face , he turned to him the other side , then hamnet kerkes stroke rich. sale over the face with such violence that he bruised his left eye exceedingly , who when he had don so went to the steeple house worship , r. sale followed him to the door , but their worship not being ended , he staid in the grave-yard , untill the priest had done ; so when people came forth he spake these words , friends , let the usage of my body this day bear witness for god , and against you that your worship is not the worship of god , but of the scribes and pharisees ; and then when the mayor came forth , rich. sale cryed for justice and judgement from him for the wrong he had done him in the street , and shewed him his face , how he was used ; but instead of justice and true judgement , he commanded one of his officers to take him to prison , who did : the mayor sent word to the under-keeper to put him in little-ease the hole in the rock , who did as he was commanded , but he could not lock it , unlesse ( as he beleeved ) he must either bruse his body or soar face , he being moved with pity towards him , took him to prison again , and said he would go to the mayor , to know why he was sent to them , being they had nothing to do with that prison ; so he abode in prison till within night : then there came either one or both sheriffs , and five constables , as the keepers wife said , who took him forth of prison , and violently thrust him into the hole in the rock ; and hamnet kerkes who had bruised his face , did thrust in his head with much cruelty , and said he hoped it might be good for him hereafter ; so in this condition they kept him three hours , and then released him , the man telling him which did release him , he must not have released him yet had he not a boy to put in . upon the 11th . day of the 12th . month , 1656. peter leigh mayor , and many more , as justices , aldermen , & sheriffs , all of this city of chester , was then passing through the street towards the common-hall of the same city , to a customary feast they there hold yearly , and before them went blowing a company of pipers , which were ( as i was informed ) sent for from shrewsbury by peter leigh mayor , to play the day before , before him to a customary horse-race , holden yearly without the city-walls ; but this is certain , peter leigh mayor , put by one of their exercise-days , or days of worship , set up and allowed on according to his own principles , to follow these pipers to this horse-race ; such is his zeal for god now come to , which so long he hath made a large profession of . so they all as aforesaid went along the street , following the pipers , as men void of either fear towards god , or shame towards men . thomas yarwood seeing them , was moved to speak a few words in much tenderness and pitty towards them ; the sum of what he spake was onely this ; he exhorted them to mind in what true christianity stood , which was in true holiness , in the fear of the lord . and vviliam ince ( one of their justices ) said , he said well , and for saying well , the mayor commanded one of his officers to put him in the stocks , who was about to do it ; then the mayor thinking them to be too good a place for such an offence , sent word he must not be put in there , but into little-ease in the rock ; so there they put him , and kept him five hours ; he being a weak and sickly man , his knees were bruised very much , that of some vveeks he did not recover the hurt he got there for disturbing pipers ; for none can say wel , but such cursed fire-brands of hellas those are disturbed , and all that takes pleasure in them . upon the seventh day of the first month , 1656. vvilliam simson was moved of the lord to come to this city of chester ; and being in a friends house , the burden of the lord did fall upon him concerning the market ; and waiting a while after he had felt the burden , there came in rich. sale , who did partake of the same burden with him ; so they both together went into the market , and declared through most of the market ; then rich. sale was taken up , and put into little-ease , the hole in the rock , where he was kept above five hours . in this time vvilliam simson had been declaring in the streets , and after that had been in the county-goal with some friends who were then prisoners for the truth , and was come from them , and was passing thorow the street , intending to have gone to a friends house , but as he passed , was took up by a constable , and brought before the mayor , who commanded him to be put into little-ease , rich. sale being released , and there was kept four hours . upon the 8th . day of the first month , 1656. vvilliam simson was moved of the lord to go to a steeple-house called iohns , where he stood peaceably amongst them until the priest had done , and was coming forth of his high place , then did he utter these words , to wit , friend , wo to him that is covered with a covering , and not with my spirit , saith the lord ; which words were no sooner ended , but violent-hands were laid on him , and he haled forth ; then a constable took hold on him , and took him before peter leigh mayor , who asked the constable if he had spoken within time ; the constable said he had not ; then the mayors vvise took upon her the place of a magistrate , and asked the constable if the minister had said his prayer , he said he had ; but for all this the mayor commanded that vvilliams simson should be put into the stocks , in which place he declared the vvord of the lord in much power : the mayor seeing people gather about him ( or being thereof informed ) did send for him forth of the stocks , and commanded he should be put into little-ease in the rock , where he was kept some nine hours , and when he was released , was not suffered to come into the town , though it was late in the night-season ; such entertainment they give to strangers in the city of westchester . then the next day in the morning it lay heavy upon william simson to go to peter leigh mayor , to demand of him in much meekness , to shew him what law he had broken , telling him it was the magistrates place to convince him of the law he had broken , being he had suffered so much hardship under him the two foregoing dayes ; the mayor gave him no answer to that , but queried of him who sent him to this city : william answered , he was moved of the lord ; the mayor said , by what spirit ? he said , by the measure of his spirit which he hath manifested in me . the mayor said , it was by the spirit of the devil : there standing by thomas robbinson , one of the sheriffs of the city , who was stirred up with envy and cruelty to such a height , that he ( thomas robbinson ) did strike william simson over the face with such a violence , that the blood burst forth in the presence of peter leigh , mayor , and john taylor a constable , yet did the constable ( its like ) by the mayors order , pull him who had his blood drawn , forth off the shop , and took him , and put him into little-ease , who bled all-along the street , which is one of the longest streets in the city , and some more , and after he was put into the hole , to the great astonishment of the people , who many of them cryed out of them ( shame ) for using him so barbarously . now let any sober-minded man judge what a magistrate peter leigh is , and who he bears the sword for , and turns the edge against , when a man for demanding ( after he is punished ) to know that , which was the mayor or magistrates place and duty to have told him , before he had punished him , what law he had broken ; and yet instead of shewing him the law , suffered the law to be broken in spilling his blood , and the shedder of blood not punished , but punishes him whose blood was shed , as is declared . upon the same day after that william simson was released out of little-ease , as aforesaid , he went to a friends house where rich. sale was come , who that morning was moved to come five miles to that city ; so both being moved of the lord , went into the streets with much boldness , and declared against their deceit and cruelty , until a constable came and took them to the mayors house , who when they came there , were not admitted to come before him , but he sent word to the constable he should put them into prison , richard sale he put into little-ease , where he was kept four hours , and william simson he put into the city-goal , where he was kept seven days . thus saith the lord , i will make my people as signs and wonders in this wicked and adulterous generation , and they shall see it , yet they shall not believe , but trust in the imaginations of their own hearts , until they sink down into the pit . this is a true declaration of the manner of my being a sign in the city of chester , as i richard sale was moved of the lord ; and it i declare for the satisfaction of the innocent ; to remove all occasion of stumbling out of the minds of any which might lend an ear to the wicked one , to think or conceive that i was mad ; but what i did was in obedience to the lord , whose commands and ways are strange unto the children of darkness , and was and is a true sign of the state and condition that all men are in who are erred from the light , being in the dark night of apostacy . the manner is as followeth . vpon the 3. day of the week , being the 10th . of the first month , 1656 there being a monthly meeting of priests in the city , for they have a custom for every new moon to observe a day of worship ; so upon one of their new-moon-days i was commanded of the lord to be asign in the city , the burden of which i had born for the space of 6. weeks ; the command of the lord coming unto me upon the 2. 1. day of the 11. month , as i was passing along the east-gate-street with candles in my hand , it being the 4. d. of the week , the word of the lord came unto me , saying , return again , and light up one of thy candles , and carry it in thy hand into the streets of this gity , and say , behold ye despisers , and wonder , for the lord is working a work in this your day , though a man declare it unto you , yet you will not believe it . and they shall say unto thee again , what art thou mad to come with a light candle into the street at mid-day . and thou shalt say unto them again , what use is all your candle-light for now who are in the night of apostacy ? now the light of the son of god is come , which hath given his people an understanding to discern betwixt things that differ ; and the temple now is witnessed , which neither needeth the light of sun , moon , or candle , for the lord god and the lamb is the light thereof , and no more use it all your candle-light-worship for now , then my candle is in your streets at mid-day . so i having undergone the terrors of the lord for my disobedience , was now made willing by his power to do what i was commanded of him , being that he would not free me from the same . and on the third day aforesaid , i lighted up a candle , and went into the street , and was to have gone into the steeple-house amongst them at their new-moon-worship , but i was prevented by a rude multitude , and strucken by a professing woman , who hath strucken others of the lords messengers , and slat dirt in the faces of some of them , and yet by the priests in this city , and other professors , is accounted a religious woman , ( her name is kathern hinde ) and my candle was pulled forth of my hand , and i ill abused ; but i declared the word of the lord in much power , until i was taken up by the sword-bearer , and delivered to a constable to be brought into prison , where i was kept about a week ; the same corrupt will which imprisoned me , sent for me forth , i neither being convinced , accused , nor examined what law i had broken , but turned me out privily , whose actions would not abide the light to discover them . from him who is a sufferer for the testimony of the truth , richard sale . now while rich. sale and william simson were in prison , as aforesaid , they sent two several letters to peter leigh mayor , to put him in mind of his unjust dealing with them , but the bearers of both he caused to be put into little-ease for many hours , though neither of them knew what was written in the letters , having not heard them read over . upon the next third day of the vveek after vvilliam simson was released forth of prison , he was moved of the lord to go into a steeple-house in the city , where many people were assembled , where he stood peaceably among them until the priest had done ; then another priest stept up , and desired the people to stay the ordinance of baptism , which was the sprinkling of an infant , in which discourse he laboured to confirm that to be an ordinance of god , and the child thereby made a member of a visible church : vvhen he had done this discourse , vvilliam simson desired priest nab in moderation to clear those things by scripture , to wit , that the church of god is visible , and sprinkling of infants is an ordinance of god ; but no answer could he get from him , but was ill beaten by the people , and thrust forth of the doors ; then the priest came forth , and passed by him ; he desired the same thing of him , that so the people might be satisfied ; but he would not answer , but the hireling fled because he was an hireling , and went into an house ; then vvilliam simson spake a few words to the people in the street , but a man shortly took hold on him , and put him into little-ease , the hole in the rock , where he was kept eight hours , or thereabout . upon the third day of the fourth month , 1657. edward morgan being peaceably at his outward imployment , there then came joh. fletcher , who was il drunken , & a notorious common drunkard known to be all the city over ; this fletcher came and called edw. morgan cuckold , and his vvife a vvhore in the presence of many people , and railed so on edw. that he could not in quiet follow his imployment ; then at last edward went to peter leigh mayor , and informed him thereof , and told him he was now at his shop ill drunk ; the mayor said to edward , will you swear he is drunk ? he said , nay , what need i to swear when the man is to be seen ? said the mayor , i will order you both , and called for a constable , and called edward morgan a perjured fellow , for his unreverent coming before him , and straightway sent him into little-ease for no other cause then as is said , for complaining of a drunkard who had abused him , but the drunkard was not at that time questioned . many being sensible how it was , and saw edward punished , and the drunkard go free , cryed out against it ; and their cry coming to the mayors ear , three dayes after he sent for the drunkard , and sent him to prison until he had drunk a pot or two of strong drink , and then released him , little-ease being too course a place for a drunkard . and now let all honest hearted people judge if ever the like thing was done by any christian magistrate , as he professeth himself to be , yea , or by heathen magistrate either , that a drunkard should go free , and he that was abused by him , and made complaint against him , should be punished because in conscience he could not doss his hat when he made his complaint . he that justifieth the wicked , and condemneth the just , even they both are abomination to the lord . edmond ogden coming to a meeting of the people of god in chester city one first day , and another man came with him of cains generation , into the town , and was with him when the constable took edmond up , yet they suffered the other man to go , and took edmond ogden before peter leigh mayor , who committed him to the stocks , where he sate about half an hour , and then taken and put into little-ease four hours , or thereabout . upon the 10th . of the 4 month , 1657. it being the 3. day of the vveek , richard sale was moved of the lord to come to chester city , and to go into pepper-street , where he found it his place to abide , and there fate down , and within a short space after there were carryed forth a dead corps out of richard golbornes house , and two priests going before it ; and as they passed by him , he was moved to charge them in the name of the living god to make good their practice by plain scripture , and shew by it where ever any of the apostles or holy men of god preached any funeral-sermons ; but they returnd him no answer ; then he was made to declare against them and their practice , they being found out of the doctrine of christ , and practice of the holy men of god : then there following after them a company of proud ungodly ones , he was made to cry out from the burthen of the lord , against their pride , covetousnesse , violence , and oppression , which many of them lived in ; and was made to declare that all their worship and sacrifices offered up in that nature they lived in , was but as a smoke in the lords nose all the day long : then one ionathan goldson being more cruel then all the rest , though one of the chief pillars of the pharisaical church , came out of the company in great rage , and laid violent hands on him , calling him rogue and giving him many more unsavoury speeches , holding his hand up many times , as if he would have strucken him , and gnashed upon him with his teeth , and took him to a constable , and he brought him before peter leigh mayor , & he ordered him to be put into little-ease , who did with much cruelty , where his body endured the strength of four men before they could get the door to lock ; in which cruel place they kept him four hours , neither his friends nor others being admitted to come to him ; but by the power of the living and unchangeable god , he was preserved without pain , declaring his word in much power , to the confounding of all gain-sayers . then when he was released , the constable offered to take hold on him , thinking he was unable to stand ; but he denied his help , and was made in the power of god to go as well as before , though his knees were all bruised , and did swell ; and then the constable charged him to go home , and trouble the city no more ; but he refused his charge , and passed into the city again , where he staid all night . then the day following he was moved to go to peter leigh mayor to demand what law he had broken , and told him it was the magistrates place to convince the transgressor if a transgressor , what law he had broken , and then to punish him according to the transgression committed , but the mayor called for a constable , and said he was not subject to authority , or words to that effect ; he said to him , if thou wert a magistrate of the law of god , or any law or statute in this nation , i could own thee in thy place , but thou art a magistrate of neither , but of thy own corrupt will , and the hands of the wicked are strengthened by thee : then the constable came , the mayor gave him order to bring him out of the town from constable to constable , ( as the constable told him ) so out of the city he was brought by two constables , but after them he passed into the city again , in at the same gate he was brought forth at , and passed by the mayors shop , and went to a friends house . then the latter part of the same day rich. sale was passing neer newgate in the same city , and there meeting him ionathan goldson , who as he passed by him said , friend i exhort thee to repentance for the wrong thou didst me the other day , ionathan having a ruler in his hand offered to strike r. sale , and said , sirrah hold thy tongue , or i will make thee thou rogue ; rich. asked him if such words as these proceeded from a christian conversation , yea or nay ? but he said , sirrah , if thou wilt not hold thy tongue , i will put thee into this lake , there being by a dirty lake ; with that ionathan did thrust rich. violently from him , then rich. declared the woes of the living god against him , and all who were of the like profession with him ; then with another thrust ion. gave him , his hat fell off his head into the lake ; then richard going to take up his hat , ionathan struck at one of his legs , thinking thereby to have laid him along in the lake , but it was ordered he kept his feet , and when he was through the lake , he was made to stand still to be a witnesse for god and against him , it being from the lord cleared to him , that the fruit of his ungodly profession must farther be manifested ; so rich. standing on the other side of the lake as is said , the hypocrite ran for stones , and flang them into the lake to plash him , and with him came two or three boyes , who were hewing stones for him ; so he and the boys joined together , and were made brethren in iniquity , and set up laughters , and made a great hubub and stir , and plashed him so with the dirty lake water , that the fore part of his body was wet from the head to the feet ; but in all this time r. sale was made to stand still , and bade the people that saw his usage , take notice if any such actions as these ever proceeded from a christian conversation ; telling them , that they that were publicanes and harlots were neerer the kingdom of god then he ; then ionathan goldsons wife ran behind rich. sale , and took up clods of dirt , and flang them at his bare head , sometimes hitting him on the face ; insomuch that he was exceedingly besmeared with dirt ; all this while he was made to stand still not offering any violence : then in the sight of many people ionathan his wife did take up dunghill durt in her hands , daubing it upon his face and mouth , as if a man had been daubing a clay wall , so that his head , face , shoulders , and hands were all besmeared with her most barbarous usage of him , and in this condition he was moved to go thorow the streets , and up to the mayors shop , and informed him who they were that had used him so , and the cause for what they did it ; not that he desired any revenge on them , knowing his revenger liveth , but to try if he would be partial in respecting persons in judgement , and likewise in the city to lay open the truth of their ungodly profession ; then the mayor did appoint him to come the next day , when he and the rest of his council were met in the pentice ; so he came away , and declared down the streets in much power , and when he had cleared his conscience he went to a friends house , and in some measure made him clean , and then returned forth of the town to his own house . the next day as peter leigh mayor appointed him , he came to the pentice , and spake to the sword-bearer to go and acquaint the mayor , that according to his appointment the day before he was come , and ask him if i must come to him , the sword bearer brought him word again from the mayor , he must not come to him unlesse he had witnesses to swear , so r. sale staid in the outward pentice till the mayor came forth , and then said unto him , friend , i am come according to thy appointment , to wait for justice and judgment , but the mayor bade him either bring in his witnesses upon oath , or else he said he could do nothing ; this the mayor said though he himself were an eyewitness how he was used ; now this mayor must have witnesses to swear , or he cannot lawfully proceed to punish them that transgresseth the law ; then i would fain know by what law he hath acted , and leave it to any sober man to judge , when he hath judged and commanded soar and grievous punishments to be inflicted , when neither he hath convinced them of any law they have broken , neither any accused them , neither he himself examined them , nor never required any to swear against them , and yet tortured , imprisoned , and banished them , but now to do justice against any that hath evilly entreated , and shamefully abused the innocent , and harmless people of god , he cannot by no means unless witnesses be sworn , though as is said , he saw how shamefully he was used himself ; but the lord god liveth before whom he shall answer for these things , and true judgment shall pass against him , and none be required to swear , ( but to proceed ) the mayor went into the steeple house to a lecture sermon as they called it , the righteous spirit being grieved in rich sale , he was made to stay untill they had done their worship , and when the priest came forth he said , behold ye priests the fruits of your ministery , how that i had like to have been murdered in the streets by a professing man and his wife of your church : but wo to you that build up sion with blood , and ierusalem with iniquity , for the dreadful hand of the living god is stretched forth against you : then he was violently pulled down from the place where he stood , and halled away ; then as he went he informed the people how the mayor had appointed him to come for justice , but when he came was denyed of the same , because he would not bring people to swear ; therefore is justice perverted by him , and judgment turned backward , for instead of doing him justice , the mayor sent him into little ease , the hole in the rock , by two officers , but they seeing it could not be locked , but judged it would either bruise his face or limbs , they being not so cruel as some others , took him forth again , & put him into the city gaol , where he remained above 2 hours , & then came a constable with another man and took him forth of prison , and brought him into little ease again ; but they likewise found it such a cruell place , it could not be locked unless as they beleeved they must lame him , they only reared a block of wood to the door , and said they would go to the mayor , and inform him , that if he would have any put in there that was in mans stature , the place must be made bigger unless he would lame them , so in that place he was kept five hours ; and when he was let forth he was charged straitly to keep him forth of the city ; but the next day he came to the city again , notwithstanding all the threats of his enemies . vpon the 19th day of the 5. month 57. rich. iones was coming to a meeting of saints in chester city , and was by a constable taken up , and his horse taken from him , and he let go : then when the meeting was broken up he went to look after his horse , and with him went edmund ogden , the constable took them before the mayor and iohn ratcliff recorder ; who asked them many vain questions , but in the end committed them both to prison , where they were kept untill the next day in the evening , and then released . vpon the 4. day 7. month 57. richard scostrip coming to this city was moved to exhort people in the street to repentance , and was then taken up and brought before peter leigh mayor , who asked him from whence he came , he told him from yorkshire ; then the mayor asked him if he knew in whose presence he was , he told him yea , he was in the presence of the lord ; he said , i will teach you to know you are before a magistrate , and straitway sent him into little ease in the rock , where he was kept about two hours . then the next day rich. scostrip was moved to reprove sin in the gate , when he had said what he had given him to say , he went his way with an intention to depart out of the town , he being clear of the same , and was gone as far as the gate of the city , but was fetched again by a constable , and put into the house of correction , who gave the man that kept the house strait orders to keep him to hard labour , where he was kept part of four days , and then released , and not at all called before any magistrate , neither when he was committed to prison , nor when he was taken forth of prison : such are their laws in this city . upon the 28th . day of the 7th . month , 1657. i anthony hutchins did then send a true declaration of some of the innocent sufferings of the saints in chester , to peter leigh mayor , by the hands of iohn owen , the mayor sent him into the house of correction , and kept him two days . upon the seventeenth day of the eighth month , 1657. there was at peters steeplehouse in chester , a sermon , ( as it s usually called ) to the hearing of which many people did assemble themselves , and the more , in regard this was the day that they in the city made choice and elected new officers , as mayors , sheriffs , &c. and it being said to be a free place where any may come to hear , rich. sale came in amongst the rest , and stood as peaceably , and gave as good heed to what was there said , as any there did , and against what was spoken , did not utter a word ; yet notwithstanding a man came to him , and by violence pulled him forth , and put him into the house of correction , who at the end of three dayes was released by the command of richard minshal , who was newly elected mayor . now observe , for not going to their assemblies we are by them reproached , and accounted as hereticks , then if any of us go , and take that liberty which the true church allowed , 1 cor. 14. 20. 30 , 31 , 32. then are we cast into prison as breakers of the law , and disturbers of their ministers ; then will they say , cannot you come and be quiet , and take what you like , and let the rest alone ; and let our ministers alone and you need not be thus imprisoned ; and now richard sale came , as is said , and stood as civilly as any did , and neither spoke against their minister as they call him , nor any other , and yet ( as is said ) was not suffered to stay , not only so , but sent to prison . now whether these proceedings be lawful and honest , i leave it to the reader to judge . there hath been much more sufferings of the innocent people of god ( the saints ) in this city of westchester , which is not here mentioned , these being , sufficient to shew what fruits the proud , covetous , hireling-priests have brought forth in the same . and now i shall give you a true description of this little-ease , or hole in the rock , so often in this book spoken of , which peter leigh mayor hath made the executioner of his cruelty , madness and folly , against the innocent and harmless people of god . surely the wrath of man shall praise the ; the remainder of wrath shall thou restrain . it is a hole hewed into the rock , the bredth and cross from side to side , is 17. inches from the back to the inside of the great door , at the top , 7. inches ; at the shoulders 8. inches ▪ at the brest 9. inches and an half ; from the top to the bottom , one yeard and half ; now to take in the height of that as their malice puts them on , they have draw-boards which shoot over crosse into the two sides , to a yeard height , or thereabout . now let any sober-minded man in this nation judge if such inventions as these were ever invented by any that feared god , to torture their fellow-creatures in , for not putting off the hat , or speaking to a priest in the street sound and sober words , or for desiring to have the law shewed them they have broken , when they have endured much punishment , and have not known for what ; and instead of shewing them the law , themselves have broken the law in drawing their blood , and put them into this hole when they have done ; or for disturbing pipers with saying wel ; or for calling for justice when their faces have been bruised ; or for exhorting people to repentance ; or for reproving sin in the gate ; or for delivering a meek and sober letter ; or for desiring a priest when he hath done , to clear what he hath said by scripture ; or for complaining of a drunkard ; or for passing quietly through the streets to a meeting , to wait upon the lord ; all which things before mentioned , which this is a short relation of , hath been done by the command of peter leigh mayor of the city of chester , and suffered by the innocent people of of god in this little-ease , or hole in the rock ; to the truth of which , lest any should doubt , as they might do if they were not witnessed to by some , they being such unheard-of cruelties as never were acted by any who profess themselvs to be christian magistrates , nay , nor by the worst of heathen magistrates that ever i read of ; and i being an eye-witness to most of them as they were executed upon the innocent , shall be ready ( if called thereunto ) to answer to the truth of them , anthony hutchins . you that be magistrates in the city of chester , who hath thus acted with prejudice against the people of god , and servants of god , you have turned your sword backwards against the just , and ye have not been a praise to them that do well , but your fruits and actions have been a shame to men that four god , & to modesty , & them that own true justice and equity ; you make men offenders for words , and you persecute them that reprove sin in the gate , and they is made a prey upon by you ; you have provided a torturing place , a squeezing pressing place , for such as declare truth amongst you ; you are become rebels against the truth ; truth is fallen in the streets , and equity cannot enter , the door to that is shut ; ye become abominable amongst men , your doings the lord hath taken notice of : ye are boisterous and perverse , yea , envious in the persecution of the lords servants , and the lords presence hath been amongst them in all their sufferings , yea in the greatest of your cruelty : can you be proud , and boast when you have done , that you would have all to see your peevishness , the beholders by , that ye may be upon record brought . doth not your fruits and actions before mentioned , dishonor the place of a magistrate ? we number not the just with the wicked , nor the godly with the profane , but put a difference . what have you gotten by all your actions ? but shewed forth your spirits , whereby they are tryed not to be the spirit of christ nor the apostles , who saith , love your enemies , but you persecute your friends ; the lord forgive your persecutions , persecutors were ever blind , you have manifested the end of your religion in this the day of the lord , and the fruits of your teachers , and the end of your profession , and the order and government of your church and ministry , as before-mentioned declares , besides all the abuses the people of god ( the saints ) have had in their meetings , which was never rebuked by the magistrates . george fox . upon the 28. day of the 6th . month , 1657. i sent a copy of all these things before-written , save only some which have been acted against the innocent since , and likewise some things which were acted before , which was not then in remembrance , which is added in this to peter leigh mayor of chester city . the direction that i writ in the beginning , was to this effect , that if he , or any other who was therein concerned , could object against the truth of any thing therein written , they might do it before i went on with what i intended , wch intent of mine was to print the book , though at that time i denied to certifie them so much ; but the bearer thereof peter i eigh mayor sent into little-ease in the rock , but i heard nothing from them until the eighth day of the 7. month , and then the mayor sent for me up to the pentice by two constables , and when i came in before them , i found peter leigh , mayor ; john ratliffe , recorder ; edward bradshaw , justice of peace , the two sheriffs , and many more then present ; the mayor asked me if i had seen that book , it lying before them , which was the same i sent him , as aforesaid ; i said i had . he asked me if i wrote that name at the latter end thereof , which was my own name . i said i did not ; but i told him i had gotten it written fair over after one that i had writ . then he said , do you own it ? i said i did . he asked me if i read it over . i said i had . then he gave me many threatning words . then i asked them whether committed the greater evil , they that act cruelty , or they that write down cruelty when acted by another ? the recorder said , who must judge of that ? i said , let that of god in your own consciences judge whether committeth the greater offence . the recorder said , many a one hath had their ears nailed to the pillory for a lesse offence . i said , if he deserved to have his ears nailed to the pillory that writ these things down , what did they deserve that acted them ? then they gave me threatning words . i told them i desired no favor from them , but that i might have fair plea in the face of a court ; and if i had transgressed the law , i was willing to suffer by it . likewise i told them , i judged it not equal they themselves should be judges in their own cause . one of them said they would not , twelve men should judge it ; but the recorder said twenty four men should judge it . then the mayor said i was a railing fellow . i turned to the people , and asked if any of them heard me rail since i came , he said i did in the book . i told him if i should say such words to them as paul said to elimus , they then would say i railed , though truth might be written , and names and titles might be given to men answerable to their actions , as paul said to elimus , whose name was elimus , yet paul called him a child of the devil , and an enemy to all righteousnesse ; but i said , i had used no such words to them . the recorder said paul might say , so to elimus , who was a sorcerer i said all the priests in england which preach for hire , and divine for money , are sorcerers , for thereby the right ways of the lord comes to be perverted . the recorder said i must not judge them : i said , their practice judged them . then i charged them concerning their hard usuage of my friends in that little-ease , or hole in the rock : and asked them , where they ever read of such a prison as that wch bruised mens bodies in such a cruel manner , & told them the law hath so much respect to men ( though transgressors of the same ) as to provide large prisons to secure their bodies in , and not such holes as these to presse and bruise them in , or words to this effect . i told them i could see drunkards and swearers passe up and down the streets , but i heard of none of them that was put into that place . the mayor told me if i saw such things , i might come and inform him thereof , and then see if he did punish them : i said , so i might get the same reward which edward morgan got , who came and complained to thee of a man that was ill drunk , and had ill abused him too , and thou caused him to be put into little-ease , and suffered the drunkard and quarreller to passe unpunished . many more questions and answers passed betwixt us , which i omit to make mention of here ; but ( to be short ) they put me to this issue , either to put in sureties to appear before them the next quarter sessions holden for , and in the city , or to go to prison ; but to put in sureties i refused , knowing my self to be clear from the breach of any law , and they themselves to be guilty , according as it 's written in the foregoing relation : so into the common gaol for the city i was brought upon the eighth day of the seventh month , 1657. i demanded a copy of my mittimus , and used all the means i could , which stood in my freedom , but could get none , though the recorder said i should have one . so when i had been in prison about four weeks , the general sessions at this city for the county was holden ; so my body was by a habeus corpus removed out of the city goul to answer the law before the judges for the county , and before them i was brought upon the nineth day of the eighth month , after i had lain in prison ( as is said ) 3● . days : so coming before the judges , as is said , they demanded of the recorder the causes of my imprisonment ; so the mittimus by which i suffered , was read in the court ; the substance contained therein , was , that i had writ a book of libels , wherein i reproached peter leigh esq ( for so it was written ) and other magistrates and ministers in the city of chester . to which i make this short answer , libels are things which are scattered , and not owned , which are full of lyes and scoffs , and their whole intention is to reproach and revile them they are directed against ; now so far as i know , things written and scattered upon this account , are libels : now this i sent to peter leigh mayor , cannot have any colour to be called a libel , for i writ my name to it when i sent it , and likewise i had not fea●●●red any of them at all , when i sent that to him , i owned it before them all , as is said in my examination , i put them to it to disprove any thing i had written , if they could , which was the ground i sent it to them for , that if they would object against it , they might , before i went on with what i now have accomplished , but they did not convince me of any thing i had written , to be false , neither could they ; besides my intent therein was neither to reproach nor revile them , or any one of them ; for i writ nothing therein but the truth , and the truth never reproached or reviled any man ; for if any act those things that are not just , and of a good report , or hath used violence , or acted cruelty against any man , and the truth of these things be written down , and published abroad , and they who have thus acted , come thereby to be reproached , he that writes down the truth brings not the reproach , but he that doth the thing which is not right , brings the reproach upon himself . but to proceed , my mittimus being read , the judge asked the recorder if he could prove against me any matter of fact ; he said , a deal , but not any thing which could prove any such a thing against me as matter of fact . the judge spake a great deal to shew him wherein i was wronged , and then did release me , and set me free : so when i was cleared , before i went from the bar i spoke to the recorder in the hearing of the judges and the whole court , these words , viz. i would have the recorder before you all ( if he can ) to disprove any one thing i have written ; but before them all ( as is said ) he was silent , and could not : so to the whole court it plainly appeared i was wrongfully imprisoned . righteousness exalteth a nation , but sin is a reproach to any people . anthony hutchins . a relation of the sufferings of friends in cheshire , because that for con science-sake they could not pay tythes and other things ; and where any thing hath been returned back , is mentioned , as i have bad knowledge . great budworth parish , ephraim elcock priest . thomas buckley for tythes of the value of 12. s. had a horse taken from him for the use of the said priest , worth 4. l. as the men of the world judged . george veakin for the value of 4. d. ob . which he claimed for smoke-penny , and easter reckoning , had one brass pot taken from him worth 8. s. and likewise the said geo. veakin for the value of 6. d. which they demanded for two years payment to their priest , according as they in their wills had sessed him , tool from him work-tools ( being a wheel-wright by trade ) worth 7. s. runkorn parish , william finmore priest . henry burtonwood for tythe of the value of 5. s. had taken from him one cow worth 2. l. 13. s. 4. d. for the use of the said priest abovesaid . and at another time henry burtonwood for tythe-corn of the value of 2. l. 1 s. 1. d. had taken from him 〈◊〉 cows and one heiser stirk , which were sold for about 7. l. for the use of priest finmore abovesaid . john burtonwood for tythe wool and lamb of the value of 8. s. 3. d. had taken from him two yong beasts , which they sold for 1. l. 5. s. thomas boulton , for tythe-corn of the value of 13. s. had taken from him corn worth five pound , for the use of henry brooks . sisly cleaton had taken from her one warming-pan worth 6. s. for tythe-flax , and she had none , being sued at law , and cast by a false oath for the use of coll. brook . widow royle for tythe-corn of the value 1. l. 3. s. had taken from her one cow worth 3. l. 10. s. for the use of coll. hen. brooks . and likewise taken from her one load of beans , nothing being demanded ; and likewise she had one bed hilling taken for tythe too , for coll. brook . frodsam parish . widow millner for tythe-corn of the value of 2. l. 10. s. had taken from her one mare and one cow , worth 7. l. 10. s. & likewise for tythe-oats of the value of 11. s. had taken from her one colt worth 2. l. besides she lay in prison 7. weeks for the same thing , for the use of earl rivers . thomas hill for tythe-corn of the value of 1. l 10. s. and for which he suffered 14. weeks imprisonment had taken from him five load of wheat out of his field worth five pound for the use of earl rivers . james brown for tythe-corn of the value of 1. l. 10. s. had goods taken from him worth 5. l. 13. s. 4. d. by valuation , for the use of earl rivers . william sarret for tythe-corn of the value of 1. l. 6. s. 8. d. had goods taken from him worth 5. l. 10. s. besides the said william sarret was imprisoned for the same thing seven weeks . james brown for tythe of the value of 13 s. 4. d. according unto their own valuation , had taken from him one yoke of oxen worth 7. l. wilinslow parish . iohn brereton priest . thomas ianney for tythe-corn of the value of 7. s. 6. d. had taken from him one mare , out of which they took trebble damage , and returned the remainder back for the priest abovesaid . thomas janney for tythe-corn of the value of 16 s. 6 d. had taken from him for the said priest , two young cows better worth then 6. l. thomas ianney again for tythe-corn of the value of 1 l 8. s. valued by the abovesaid priests servants , had taken from him by justice writs one yong horse worth 4 l which makes up his three years suffering ; and now for this year 1657. the priest hath gotten an order for trebble damage from two justices , by whose writs all hath been done abovesaid against tho. ianney . thomas pots for tythe-corn valued by the abovesaid priests servants to 1. l. 6. s. 8 d. had taken from him by justice writs two heifers which they sold for 3. l. 10 s. john worthington for tythe-corn of the value of 3. l. 6. s. had taken from him by justice writs , one mare , and one young horse , which were thought to be worth 12. l. for the use of the said priest . richard burgges for tythe-corn of the value of 19. s. by the priests servants , had taken from him by justice-writs , two kine worth 5 l. richard burgges for tythe-corn valued by the priests servants to 16. s. had taken from him one yong heifer worth 2 l. 6 s. 8 d. lawrence pearson for tythe of the value of 8 s. had taken from him one horse worth 3 l. anne ianney of handford , for tythe of the value of 13 s. had taken from her one cow and one heifer , which were thought to be worth 6. l. taken by one robert finy a constable , who denyed to shew any order from any in authority to do the same ; most of this crueity hath been done by writs from two justices , viz. thomas standley , and thomas brereton , being servants to this priests lusts . mobberley parish , robert barlow priest . thomas heald for tythe-corn of the value of 14 s. 6d . valued by the priests man , had taken from him one heifer , which was thought to be worth 1 l. 13 s. 4. d. hugh strettle for tythe-corn of the value of 11 s. 6 d. had taken from him by two justice writs , two sacks of oats worth 1 l. 8 s. and the constable of the town being troubled at it , asked the priest how he took so much , seeing he professed not to take trebble damage of any : the priest answered , that it cost him so much in justices dinners , and their men , and for warrants , and for a judgement : so this scripture is fulfilled , the heads judge for reward , and the priests teach for hire , and the prophets thereof divine for money , yet will lean upon the lord . and so this is the measure the people of god receive of both magistrates , priests , and their people , until the lord arise and plead the cause of the innocent against him that is too mighty for him . clarks wages , and repair of steeplehouses . thomas buckley had taken from him a brass pot worth 10. s. because he could not pay 7 s. 2 d. to the repair of a steeple-house . thomas buckley had taken from him a 11. measures of oats worth 1 l. 2 s. 8 d. because he could not for conscience sake pay the clarks , and to the repairing of the steeplehouse , being their demand , was 17 s. at peever . henry burtonwood had taken from him goods worth 5 s. because he could not pay 2 s. to the repair of the steeple-house at runkorn . henry burttonwood likewise at another time had goods taken from him being four pewter-dishes , because he could not pay 2 s 6 d. to the repaire of the abovesaid steeple-house . elli● boulton had taken from her four pewter-dishes , and a pewter bowle , and one pot , and one candlestick , worth the sum of 1 l. 3 s. because she could not pay 3 s. for the repair of the steeplehouse at runkorn . widow royle had taken from her one brass pan , and one pot , and a dripping-pan , worth 2 l. 10 s. because she could not pay to repair the steeplehouse at runkorn . james brown had taken from him one double flaggon , and a plow-chain worth 6 s because he could not pay 2 s. for the repair of the steeplehouse at frodsham . thomas hill had taken from him one pot worth 16 s. because he could not pay 2 s. for the repair of a steeplehouse at frodsham : and likewise at another time taken from him one pot worth 6 s. because he could not pay 1 s. for the repair of the steeplehouse abovesaid . william sarret had taken from him one pot worth 12 s. because he could not pay 2 s. 6 d. for the repair of the steeplehouse at frodsham . iohn burtonwood had taken from him one skellet worth 5 s. because he could not pay 2 s. for the repair of a steeplehouse . thomas ianney had taken from him one pewter dish which cost 5 s. because he could not pay 6 d. to the repair of an idols temple at wilinslow . thomas janney because he could not pay to the repair of a bell , and repair of a steeplehouse , had taken from him four joynt-stools worth 6 s. 8 d. thomas pots had taken from him one brass pot and a skimmer worth 10 s. although he was free to pay all they demanded of him but 2 d. thomas another time had taken from him one coat , which they sold for 1 l. because he could not pay 6 s 9 d. to the repair of the steeplehouse at willinslow . john worthington had taken from him by justice vvrits , one brass pan , and two pewter dishes worth 1 l. because he could not pay 7 s to the repair of the steeplehouse at willinslow . john worthington had taken from him one pair of cart vvheels bound with iron , because he could not pay 12 s. to the repair of a steeplehouse at wilinslow . richard burges had taken from him one brass pan worth 17 s. because he could not pay 3 s. for the repair of a steeple-house at wilinslow . at another time richard burges had taken from him a gun which cost 10 s. because he could not pay 6 s. to repair the steeplehouse abovesaid . robert millner had taken from him three pewter dishes worth 7 s. because he could not pay 2 s. to the repair of the steeplehouse abovesaid at another time from robert millner one gun worth 9 s. because he could not pay 2 s. for the repair of the steeple-house . robert pearson and his son taken from them two pewter dishes worth 3 s. 4 d. because they could not pay 2 s 6 d. for the use abovesaid . james harrison had his coat taken from him because he could not pay 2 s. 8 d. which upon their account was due for another man to pay for the repair of the steeplehouse at vvilimslow . robert pearson and his son had taken from them one brass pan worth 12 s : because they could not pay 3 s : 4 d : to the use abovesaid : john falkener because he could not pay to the repair of the steeplehouse at vvilinslow , had goods taken from him worth 5 s : 2 d : for 1 s : 4 d : thom●● lieuzley had taken from him one pot worth 16 s : because he could not pay 6 s : to the repair of the steeple-house at runkorn : concerning swearing . thomas leuzley because he could not swear , had a cow taken from him worth 2 l : 10 s : besides , suffered six vveeks and five dayes imprisonment for the same thing : and likewise seven of these friends above mentioned , to wit , john vvorthington , thomas janney , thomas pots , richard burge● , robert millner , james harrison , edward alcock , suffered the spoyling of their goods to the value of a 11 l : 10 s : 8 d : for but passing to a meeting so far as their own vvarrant expressed , but two full miles distant from their habitations : and this was done by an order from two justices , edward hide , thomas standley , and it hath been often laid before the justices at several sessions ; but still they pervert justice : tho : burrowes in the parish of budworth , for tythe of the value of 1 l : 3 s : had taken from him one heifer worth 3 l : 10 s : so by their fruits you may know them , ( as christ said ) and their folly ( yea rather their abounding wickedness ) begins now to be made manifest unto all men , and the testimony of truth will shortly be fulfilled upon them , which hath been declared against them ; as a troop of robbers wait for a man , so a company of priests murther in the way by consent , hos. 6 : 9 : and they spoile mens goods , and punish mens persons , as men that are without mercy , which have never learned of the father , to be merciful as he is merciful , but are more cruel then the heathens , or any that went before them , so that as the lord hath said , they will become a shame , and a perpetual reproach unto all generations shortly . the end . some of the misteries of gods kingdome declared, as they have been revealed by the spirit through faith for the information of all such who have erred for lack of knowledge in their judgements, and have perished for lack of understanding ... : also for the confirmation of such who are made partakers of the like precious faith / by one who is made partaker of the riches of his grace, and of the salvation which is in christ jesus revealed through the spirit, called francis howgill. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a44806 of text r38992 in the english short title catalog (wing h3179). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. 100 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 24 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo 2017 a44806 wing h3179 estc r38992 18203863 ocm 18203863 107059 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a44806) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 107059) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 1125:9) some of the misteries of gods kingdome declared, as they have been revealed by the spirit through faith for the information of all such who have erred for lack of knowledge in their judgements, and have perished for lack of understanding ... : also for the confirmation of such who are made partakers of the like precious faith / by one who is made partaker of the riches of his grace, and of the salvation which is in christ jesus revealed through the spirit, called francis howgill. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. [4], 43 p. printed for thomas simmons ..., london : 1658. reproduction of original in the bodleian library. eng society of friends -doctrines. kingdom of god. a44806 r38992 (wing h3179). civilwar no some of the misteries of gods kingdome declared, as they have been revealed by the spirit through faith. for the information of all such who howgill, francis 1658 21092 87 0 0 0 0 0 41 d the rate of 41 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the d category of texts with between 35 and 100 defects per 10,000 words. 2004-12 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2005-02 spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-04 rachel losh sampled and proofread 2005-04 rachel losh text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-10 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion some of the misteries of gods kingdome declared , as they have been revealed by the spirit through faith . for the information of all such who have erred for lack of knowledge in their judgements , and have perished for lack of understanding , to the intent that they may for the time to come wait in that which gives the true knowledge of god , and of his kingdome , and of the mysteries thereof , which comes to be revealed through faith to the upright in heart . also for the confirmation of such who are made partakers of the like precious faith . by one who is made partaker of the riches of his grace , and of the salvation which is in christ jesus revealed through the spirit , called francis howgill . the secrets of the lord are with them that feare him . london , printed for thomas simmons at the bull and mouth neer aldersgate , 1658. the particulars treated on in the following discourse . 1 what the day of the lord is , and to whom it hath appeared , and how it is seen , and discovered . 2 what it is , and what it will be to the wicked , declared . 3 what it is to the righteous , and how he appears to them , and whether we are to look for it while in the body , resolved . 4 where it doth appear , and how it cometh , and how it is to be looked for , declared . 5 what the spirit of the lord is , and how it comes to be received , which discovers the things of god . 6 how the spirit of truth worketh , and opperateth in them who are convinced , and yet have not obeyed it , shewed . 7 how the spirit of the father worketh in them who hearken to it , and are in some measure made partakers of its power , shewn . 8 vnto whom the spirit of the father bears witness , and seals assurance of the fathers love , and of justification with god , declared . 9 what the grace of god is , which is free , and to whom it hath appeared , and where all is to wait to receive it . 10 whether all have received the grace of god or no , and whether it be a sufficient teacher in it selfe , demonstrated . 11 some objections answered . 12 a word to the wise men of this world who are glorying in the sound of words . 13 also another to them who are glorying in outward appearances , and worshipping visible things in stead of the life . 14 the kingdome of god and his christ declared , in some measure as it is revealed by the spirit , what it is , and where it is to be waited for , and how it comes to be revealed in them that believe . 15 divers objections answered . to the reader . reader , in times past , in the night of ignorance , when men groped in the darke as blinde men , since the apostles days ; and out of thicke darknesse have spoke darkly of the things of god and of his kingdome , and written many things about the things of god , and of his kingdome , which hath fed the darke mynds of many who are unconverted unto god : and seeing how many people are confused in their mindes , and erre in judgement , and have lost the key of knowledge which should give an entrance into the mystery of gods kingdome , and open their hearts ; therefore in compassion unto them who are thirsting after the lord to finde him , these few things i was moved to write for the sakes of those who have no place to rest in or upon , to the intent that all may wait in that , through which god reveals his minde , and manifests his true knowledge in man : and these things that i have written , as they were revealed to me , and in me by his pure spirit . if thou wait in the manifestation of the spirit ; these things thou wilt see to be truth , though hid and vailed from the world that lies in wickednesse , as th●u comes out of its nature . i have not written for to please men of corrupt minds , who glory in words and outward appearances , and glory in naturall parts , and in sounds , and are erred from the life ; but to the simple-hearted , and for the strengthning of the weake , and for the understanding of the simple ; and that which thou seest in the following discourse , which thou canst not close with , let it alone , and judge nothing before the time , in thy wisdome which is earthly , or in thy reason , but in that ; and to that of god in thee , i desire to be approved , and to nothing ●lse , and shall be made manifest in the day of the lord which is dawning in the world and many have seen it to appear in power and glory ; wait thou in thy own particular , that thou maist f●ele thy own condition , and see thy own state ▪ and that which lets thee see thy own condition , will let thee see the lord , and what i have declared of him to be true . i am thy friend in truth , and wisheth good to all men , f. h. the lord god of the whole earth , who lives for ever , even the god of abraham , the god of isaac and jacob , whose throne is established in righteousness for ever ; who rideth upon the heavens , and shines forth in his eternal excellency , from the firmament of his power ; he is manifesting himself in his power , as in the dayes of old , & revealing his righteousness as in the years past , and pouring forth his spirit upon his sons and daughters , according to his promise , and they that believe , comes to be made partakers of the blessing of the everlasting hills , even the lord , who appeared at sinai , unto moses his servant in the bush , who rose up from mount seir , and shined forth in his brightness from mount paran , and came with ten thousands of his saints , even he , from whose right hand went a fiery law ; so that the people could not behold his glory : the same is he who hath now appeared in this the day of his power , and is appearing , whose glory shall dazel the eyes of the world ; whose brightness shall make dim all the worlds glory , and stain its wisdom , and shut it up in utter darkness , that it shall not a●pear to have any existance or being , and the shadow of death shall flie away , and all the haughty and lofty princes of this world shall be horribly afraid ; the beasts shall go into their dens when the day appears , and the lambs of the everlasting fold shall come forth and be fed in the fat valleys , where the springs of life compasseth about all the banks , and rejoyce in their shepherd , and shall say , the lord is my shepherd , which many at this time doth admire and say , what hath the lord wrought ? who have seen his wonders in the dayes of old , and have seen his noble acts , which the fathers have told of , who are fallen asleep , and are at rest in the lord : and now many is god bringing to see their witness to be true , and to have the same fulfilled in themselves ; honour and praise unto him for ever , who is the stay and strength of all his people for ever . and the day of the lord is broken , and the light hath appeared that manifesteth all things which are reproveable ; and the day-star is arisen in the hearts of many , and they are come to see that fulfilled in their hearts , which peter exhorted them to wait for , and to take heed unto the sure word of prophesie , until the day appeared , and did dawn in their hearts ; which day when it appears , and to whom it appears , discovereth all things and maketh all things manifest , as it is declared by the spirit of truth , in the scripture of truth , and every mans work shall be tried of what sort it is , and of what nature it is ; and this day hath appeared to many , praises to the lord , who have waited for it , and now they see every thing in its ground and rise ; and every tree and fruit is seen according to its kind , whether good or bad , and every mans works is obvious to every one , who are in the day , and upon whom the morning of righteousness hath appeared , and the sun of righteousness hath shined upon , whereby that is seen in every one ( by the light which is truly called day , by the lord who causeth it to spring from on high ) which is reproveable and condemnable , and also whatever is justifiable and unreproveable , is seen by the day of the lord appearing in the heart . the day of the lord , what it is , and to whom it hath appeared , discovered , and how it is seen . god is a spirit , his day is spiritual , and is seen with a spiritual eye , its pure light , pure brightness , the pure shining forth of the lord in his glorious excellency , the pure shining forth of eternity , life puting forth it self in its brightness , holiness sheding it self abroad in its glory , purity , spreading it self in its immeasurable excellency , and can onely be seen as it is in it self , by the children of the light that are born of it : there is a natural day , there is a spiritual day , the natural day receives its brightness from the son , the spiritual day receives it brightness from the son of righteousness , by whom it s brought forth ; without whom nothing was made , or is made , or brought forth but by him who is the fountain of life ; and as the natural day receives its clearness from the natural sun , and is discerned by the natural eye of a natural man , and all things natural are seen and discovered by and in the natural day , and are perspicuous and obvious to him that hath his natural sight ; even so , from the sun of righteousness , the lord of glory , light and purity ; the day of god receives its brightness , and is issued out from him by the rays of his brightness , and is discerned and seen only by the spiritual eye of the spiritual man , who is the image of the father brought forth in life , and in his own nature and quality ; ( that is to say ) from god the father of life , by christ jesus the life of men , the light of the world ; and this is the birth which is born from above , which is of the nature of the father and the sun , and of the day , and he onely comes to behold this day , and discerns all things of the fathers kingdom by it , and likewise discerns all the hidden things of dishonesty , and the works of darkness which is brought forth by the prince of darkness , who is shut up in eternal and utter darkness , which is his dwelling place for ever , which is his residence , and shall be the residence of all the workers of iniquity that bear his image for ever . obj. but some may be ready to say , it is not yet appeared , and all things are not yet made manifest , and that day is not yet come , neither hath appeard in this age to any . answ. what if a man that is naturally blind say , that there is no light in the day , nor in the sun , because he sees none ; is therefore there no light in the day , nor in the sun ? and what if all things be alike unto him , day and night , so that he can distinguish nothing , doth this therefore make void their seeing , who do see with the natural eye , both the sun and the day , and hinder them from distinguishment or discerning ? and what if they who are spiritually blind , and are children of the night , say they see nothing , nor beholds nothing of the day of the lord , or of the discovery of the things of god , or of his glo●ious appearance , which many witness ; doth this therefore make their sight void , or discovery of the things void to them who have seen into the things that be of god● kingdom ? the unbelief of some , doth not make the faith of them that do believe void , god forbid . what the day of the lord is , and what it will be to the wicked , declared . as i have said , though the day of the lord be pure light and brightness in it self , and mixeth not with the night , which is of a contrary nature , because the lord in the beginning separated them , and set a decree which will last unto all perpetuity , and that which limited the bounds and circumferen●e the●eof now is the same : i say , though the day of the lord be pure , and keeps its purity , and property , and nature , and is still one and the same in it sel● ; ( for nothing can alter its purity ) yet it is a day of blackness and gloominess , and a notable terrible day unto the wicked , who hates its appearance , and hates the light ; children of falshood and of deceit , whose deeds be evil , it makes them and their deeds manifest ; there it is unto them , as it is written in a certain place , the eye lids of the morning are unto them as the shadow of death ; the appearance of the lord affrights them , and they would run from it as a thief that diggeth through a wall , and breaketh open a house in the night when deep sl●ep is upon men , but when the day appears , that discovers his actions , he is afraid , because he wil then , ( if he stay there ) be seen ; and all that live wantonly upon earth , whose hearts are set to seek after wickedness as for hid treasure ; the day of the lord will steal upon such as a thief , and will come as upon a thief , and they being children of the night , and bringing forth the fruits of darkness , contrary to the light , they will have their portion in utter darkness , and eternal vengeance will compass them as a wall , and fury as a fi●e that devoureth all the fewel , so sh●ll the ungodly perish , and have their portion with hypocrites . think on this all you raylers , and revilers of the light , and of the appearance of god , and repent ; for as ●●e wilde asse that snuffs up the winde , and they that seeks will not weary themselves with her , yet a time cometh when she may be found and taken : even so all the ungodly , though they may runne as a wild asse , & traverse their way as a dromedary ; yet the moneth cometh , and the day cometh they wil be overtaken in the middest of security , and they shall not escape : and though the children of this world , & teachers of this world , and professors of this world , who profess the scriptures , have prayed for the day of the lord ; yet when it comes , it will be as hot burning fire , as devouring fire , and they will fall as stubble , and as burnt mountains before it , and will not be able to abide ; for as i said , whatsoever is reproveable , is manifest by the day , the light , which is eternall , in which god appears ; and it shall appear even to the wicked , to the ungodly , they shall be made manifest ; that which is manifest , is not hid , but seen , and brought to light , and beholden : so all you hirelings , who preach for hire , and you people that love to have it so , you shall not be hid ; all gainsayers of the truth , you shall be found out , all shall be convinced of their ungodly deeds , and hard speeches , and that which makes your deeds manifest will be the day , and that will convince you ; for even the wicked shall see his appearance , although to condemnation , shame , and contempt , they shall see him whom they have pierced : and know further , even in the wicked god hath a witnesse , which is pure , which checketh often , though they heed it not , because the god of the world hath blinded their eyes ; yet when christ the life shall appear , he will make that see in the wicked which they have put out , and the god of the world hath blinded ; yet he by his power will open even the eyes of the wicked , and they shall see him and his coming in dread ; and his pure appearance , which shall make them horribly afraid , and his day and appearance will be to their sorrow : although they would not see , yet they shall be made to see , and to hear that which they would not heare , when god sounds his trumpet , to give warning to all ; that the dead both small and great may arise , some unto everlasting life , and some unto shame and everlasting contempt . all that hath hated his appearance shall see , though they would not ; put not this far away , all deceitfull workers , drunkards , lyars , swearers , whores , & whoremongers , adulterers , idolaters , who worship your own imaginations ; and all raylers , mockers , and proud wanton disdainful people that live in wantonnesse and pleasure , time-servers , flatterers , men-pleasers , cursed speakers , vain talkers , foolish jesters , fiecre despisers of those that are good , who are come out of the pollution that you wallow in ; his appearance will be to their joy , but to your shame and eternall misery , except you speedily repent . what the day of the lord is to the righteous , and how be appears to them , and whether any are to looke for it while in the body ; resolved . the appearance of god who is eternall life , in his day , in his immeasurable light , a great joy and rejoycing to the righteous ; for there they come to behold him who is unto his people an everlasting light , and in his light they come to see light ; and in his day he reveals the secret mysteries of his kingdome in them , who see his day appear in their hearts , which maketh all things manifest , even the secrets of the lord , and his hidden treasure , and his durable riches which never cankers nor rusts , but is fresh , and keeps its pure image and impression , and is still the same ; by which all the righteous who have waited for gods appearance , comes to see him and his riches , as it is written , this is he we have waited for , let us rejoyce and be exceeding glad ; why ? what is he come that you have waited for ? yea , come , and his reward is with him ; and they that see him come finde contentment in him , and in his reward ; and what is the reward ? joy , gladnesse , peace of conscience , assurance of gods love sealed in their hearts by the pure spirit of the lord , the streams of life flowing forth continually from the great deep , which refreshes and keeps cool in the greatest extreamity and heat temptation ; and this is enjoyed by them that have waited , and do wait for it even in the body ; they bare witnesse of him and of his coming , the disciples ; what was their witnesse ? the son of god is come , and hath given us an understanding : of what ? of god , of his day , of his appearance , of his power , of his wisdome , of his kingdome , of hope , of faith , of assurance , of peace , of joy , of comfort and consolation : what in this life ? yea , a cloud of witnesses i might bring in former ages , and a cloud of witnesses i might bring in this age , blessed be the lord ; but my witnesse is nearer me , that giveth me assurance , and is surer to me then all their witnesses , although they be all true : abraham the father of the faithful , and of the righteous , who believed god , and was accepted ; he saw christs day , and was glad . say literall professors , that 's by faith ; yea what else ? by faith he and all that ever saw christ and his day , or the father , they saw him by faith ; by faith they saw him who was invisible . isa. 12.2 . behold god is my salvation , he also is become my salvation ; what , dost thou enjoy it already ? yea , he is become : and simon who waited for the consolation of israel , luk. 2.30 . now let thy servant depart in peace , for mine eyes have seen thy salvation . and this he said , who knew gods comfort and consolation ; as our suffering for christ doth abound , even our consolation in christ doth m●ch more abound ; and they were made partakers of his divine nature , and sate together in heavenly places in christ jesus . for heaven is his throne , and they that are in him , and enjoyeth him , who is the power of god , and the wisdome of god , knows peace , and rest , and salvation both from guilt and act of sin ; and the apostle wrote to the hebrews ; after he had purged away our sins ( speaking of the attonement ) the everlasting high priest , he sate down on the right hand on the majestie on high . he saw beyond sin even him who had purged away sin ; and this comes to be made manifest unto them , and in them that believe by the spirit of jesus who is christ the lord , the arm that brings salvation ; and is the author of eternall salvation unto all them that believe , who begins it in his day , and perfecteth it in his day ; for he works in the day , as he himselfe said , hitherto my father worketh , and i worke ; but the night cometh when none can worke . so that he destroys the work of the devill , which is his work in man ; which they that are come to his day feels and sees the handy-work of god in themselves , and his owne works praise him , for they onely can ; and they that are not come to the day knows not gods work in themselves , and they who have not yet heeded that in themselves , which manifesteth all things reproveable ; neither that which doth reprove they are not come to know ; the appearance of the glimmering of light , or of the day yet in themselves , which the saints witnesse in them , even all they that are sanctified . where the day of the lord doth appear , and how it cometh , and how it is to be looked for , declared . they that gaze abroad , whose eyes are abroad , cannot see his appearance , nor his day which appears . he that knoweth not wherein it consists , knows not how to look for it , no more then the jewes who were scripture-professors , and learned men knew , wherein the kingdome of god did consist ; even no more do the litteral professors , whose faith is founded on the letter , and upon that which is visible , knows what i say . first , all must know wherein it doth consist . it is eternall brightnesse shedde abroad through all things , which pierceth through , and searcheth the secretest place , even that which is invisible , and maketh manifest all things ; and the nature of every thing by the day of the lord comes to be seen , and it appears in the heart ; they were to wait for the day to dawn , and to break forth in their hearts , and to wait for its appearance there ; and that 's it which is to be waited for and upon ; that which maketh evill manifest , and brings it to light , and declares against that which is contrary to its nature , and so the day cometh to dawn . christ the covenant of light , gods gift , who is sent and annointed of god to preach , and to proclaim the acceptable year of the lord , and also the day of vengeance . he proclaims in the heart ; for he comes not to bring peace , but a sword , and his sword is the sword of the spirit , it 's that which divides and discerns the intent of the heart ; and his day discovers the desperate wickednesse of the heart . and where he finds no faith in the heart , he kindles a fire in the earthly heart , and executeth his vengeance : and his day unto such is a day of great perplexity , their spirits comes to be wounded , the heart comes to be made faint , and sorrow comes to fill their hearts , and trouble to be felt ; and in this state are all in , who are unconverted , he findes no faith , no hope in the heart , therefore he comes and takes away peace . many hath talked of the day of the lord ; but when it comes to draw neer them , they will not abide it . whatsoever makes manifest is light . now the day makes all things in every one manifest ; and when deceit is seen , and wickednesse brought to light , then th●y that have done evill cannot abide , but would run to any thing , rather then abide the day , or to see the lord of life appear in his day to execute vengeance upon his enemies , and to destroy his adversaries ; and to kindle an unquenchable fire to consume all his enemies : and who hath not seen this yet in themselves , never hath seen the day of salvation , nor of gladnesse ; and this made the prophet cry out , who may abide the day of his coming ? and many have been eye-witnesses of the dreadfull day of the lord which hath appeared , wherein all peace hath been hid from their eyes ; and all that ever came to see the day of joy and gladnesse , first did know the terrour and terrible day of the lord in themselves : therefore said the apostle , we knowing the terrour of the lord , doe perswade men . now it cometh not with observation ; loe here , or there : so the pharisees looked the kingdom should come , when christ told them it was within them . so say i , if ever any do behold the bright shining forth of eternal life , thou must wait in that which is pure of god , through which he will manifest his day , and his power in his day in thee ; as thou keepest in thy minde to that which manifests unto thee evill , and shews thee good , thou wilt see how it appears . even as the light shineth from the east unto the west , so is the coming of the day of the lord . and the eye which is spiritual sees it , and the power and the glory of the lord comes to to be seen in the day which is pure and spiritual in the heart ; and the eye which is pure , doth behold when it comes , where it comes , and how it comes , and it 's hid from vulterous eyes , and from their eyes which are full of adultery , and cannot cease from sinne . now the day of the lord cometh not where the carnall mind may imagine , nor when : man will neither according to the carnall desire of the carnall heart , neither according to the evil eye that looks out , can it be seen , but it is seen in gods own light , and by the measure of gods holy spirit . and as the day of the lord is a mysterie , the spirit of the lord is the onely discoverer of it ; none knows the things of god , but by the spirit of god ; and the day of the lord and his bright shining forth in the heart of man , is one of the glorious things of god , which onely the spirit of god doth give the knowledge of to man , and in man , and not the letter , nor the scripture ; for the jews had the letter , and they had neither heard gods voice at anytime , neither ever did see his shape , neither did they see the day of the lord , nor the power , neither in a word , did see or perceive god or any of the mysteries of gods kingdom at all , but dreamed , imagined , thought and conceived of things in their minds , their foolish hearts being darkened , for the further a man draws from the light , his heart comes to be more dark , and their understanding closed up , and shut up , that they cannot behold the lord , neither his glory , which is revealed onely by gods holy spirit , which spirit is near man , though he see it not . what the spirit of the lord is , and how it comes to be received , which discovers the things of god . the spirit of the lord is pure , holy , equal , purity it self , holiness it self , equity it self , and is one with the father and the son , the father , the word and the spirit is one , its life , its pure power , pure strength , purity it self , which mixeth not , neither joineth to any thing but that which is of its own nature ; it s an immeasurable pure substance , its life issued forth , an active living power , and is everlasting , alters not , changes not , keeps its holiness , its purity for ever , it is unsearchable , unfathomable , undeclarable ; words are all too short , too narrow , to declare its excellency and glory , but onely as it makes it self out to them that believe , and opens it self , and sheds it self abroad in them that wait upon it ; it is revealed in its own purity , manifest in its own power , and received in its own light , felt in its own vertue , the living father of life himself is manifest by it , and appears in his power , majesty and excellency through it , to man and to the sons of men , to the righteous and unrighteous , to godly and ungodly , to the upright , and to the deceitful , to the children of darkness , and to the children of light , that which searcheth the heart of man , and sees through all things , and maketh manifest all things , even the hidden things of god , and the secret works of darkness , and reproveth for all evil , all iniquity ; that is the pure act of the spirit , which convinceth every man , and as the creature comes to join to it , it arises and shines forth more clearly , and maketh it self known in its power and operation , its power comes to be felt , it checks and reproveth , judgeth and condemneth all actions which is done and past , and brings them to the creatures remembrance ; and as it is waited upon and hearkened unto , it sheds it self abroad in its own pure brightness , and bringeth all things to light , even all the deeds of darkness , and maketh manifest the intents of the mind , and manifesteth all things reproveable : now as there is a waiting upon the pure appearance of it , and the mind be still and quiet , and calm , the creature comes to feel and sensibly know his own condition , he sees his mind is alive to other things and other lovers , and not to god , and so he sees himself dead to the things of gods kingdom , and in the loss , and in the fall , and in the transgression ; now this which shews the vain motions and vain thoughts , and checketh them , is an operation of the spirit , and purity comes to be felt working in the heart , and as it is loved and obeyed , it leadeth and converteth the heart to the lord , and draweth towards its self , out of unholiness , and from under the dark power , and brings that under , and so it arises in its strength as it is believed in and waited upon , and judges and condemns for all evil , for it is the discoverer of the mind of the lord to the sons of men ; or the father by it makes known his mind to and in the creature , and doth discover the things that be eternal in their true property and nature ( which onely they that have the spirit , and have received it , and are brought out of the sensuality comes to discern him , who is invisible , and the things that belongs to everlasting happiness , which is not seen by a natural eye , neither received by the spirit of the world , who never received the things of god , neither the testimony of them who were in the life . now all that comes to receive it ( that is to say ) the spirit of truth must wait in that which is pure , unto which it joins ; it joins not to the corrupt man , neither to the sensual heart , neither to the vile affections , neither unto them whose eyes is full of adultery , which cannot cease from sin , neither to the seed of falshood , neither to the corruptible birth , neither unto that which is born of the flesh , nor unto the will of the creature ; yet notwithstanding , though it join not to these , yet is it near man , even the natural man , its manifestation or the shining forth of its brightness , maketh all these things manifest before-mentioned to be evil ; and thus far the spirit of god hath appeared to the world and all mankind , as to convince the world of sin , yet stil it remains in its own purity , and while the heart of any man is taken up with that , and joined unto that which the light reproves , ( that is to say ) the worker of iniquity ; that man hath not received the spirit , neither is made possessor of it , nor injoyes it , but it stands off man , and from man at a distance , shewing the worker of iniquity and the works of darkness , and manifesting to the creature in its light , and letting him see unto whom he is joined ; for so far as a man denies himself in acting or joining to that which the manifestation of gods spirit ( shining forth in its own purity ) in him reproveth , so he comes nearer , and comes to join in some measure to the spirit of holiness , or the holy spirit , and to receive it , and to feel the power of god in some small measure , though but weakly working in him , to the purging out those things which the spirit lets him see is evil , which hath been reproved in him , and so in some measure feels in himself what to wait upon , and where to wait , and in what , even in that which gives every one a feeling of their own condition within , and opens their understandings . how the spirit of truth worketh and operateth in them who are convinced , and yet hath not obeyed it , shewed . though god who is a spirit hath appeared by his manifestation unto all , yet all have not received it , he that hates the light hath not received it , the eye-lids of the morning are unto him as the shadow of death ; that which manifesteth and bringeth to light all evil , the evil doer likes it not , heeds it not , receives it not , but still is without god in the world , that lies in wickedness , and without the spirit , in death , and dead in trespasses and sins , a sepulcher , in which the just lies slain ; in this state god is not remembred , there is no remembrance in the grave , nor no thanks in the pit , yet light shines in darkness , and a man unconverted , yet convinced , is that darkness , and that which convinceth him is the light ; so light shines in darkness , in man , in the greatest darkness ; and this may convince all vain disputers , who say every one is not inlightened , neither that the spirit of god hath appeared to all ; good men have it , bad men it s near them ; they that bring forth the fruits of darkness , & bring forth the deeds of darkness , they are lighted , yea , they that are in darkness , & are darkness , the light shines in them , the spirit of god shines there in darkness , manifesteth their darknes , here man is darknes , the ephesians were darknes , in the unconverted estate , yet had light shining in them , eph. 5.8 . the spirits manifestation they had , but were not led by it ; once they were without god in the world , but after it was turned unto , it shewed them their darkness , and it leading their minds , they came to be made light in the lord , who is that spirit , whose manifestation hath appeared to all , so all are without excuse , for he hath not left himself without witness ; and they that have not gods witness to be theirs , ( that is to say ) to possess it ; they have no faith nor assurance in god at all , but that which should bring assurance of salvation unto them ; it assures their condemnation , and also reveals sorrow . now as every one is turned to the measure of gods holy spirit , and keeps his mind into it , he comes to feel and to see its reproof , and so as the mind is kept still into it , it arises in its pu●ity , and shines forth in the heart in more brightness , still checking man for disobedience , still judging , and as it is listened unto , it appears in strength , and layes every mans heart open , and lets him see how full of unrighteousness he is , how full of imaginations he is , how his heart is full of vain and idle thoughts , and how lust aboundeth in the heart ; this makes his trouble to increase , and his sorrow to multiply , and this is alwayes present , none can run from it , but it follows him , and shall pursue every one to the pit who obey it not , and kindle his torment ; and whatsoever the mind may run into , to take pleasure for a moment , and the heart be exercised in , yet this measure of gods spirit is alwayes present to condemn it , and judge a man for it , so the strokes of the almighty is still heavy upon his back , being still in the disobedience of the spirit ; it never bears witness unto any man in that state , but god through it still sounds the alarum of war and terror in his heart , so that fear compasseth him about on every side , and though for a moment , the cry may not be heard , and through disobedience it may seem as dead as unto him , yet if ever the mind be but still , and a man sober and calm , and ever mind what he is doing , it appears again , and though a man may take up something , and perform something which is called religious , and pray in words , and read , and talk of the scriptures , and may take up some carnal outward ordinance , and there content himself for a time , yet still the witness of gods holy spirit , for that , shews him his hypocrisie , and that he seeks a cover to shelter himself under , that he may live in disobedience , and be at ease in the flesh , but all in vain , for there is no peace within , but the measure of gods spirit still shews him he serves sin , and follows his own will , and in this will brings forth a worship , and this is will worship ; nay , if a man should practice all those things which others who were in the life performed , and were accepted ; yet this will not satisfie , god hath no pleasure in this , no more then if one slew a man , or blessed an idol , or kissed baal , all is abomination to the lord ; and though a man may sin so far against the light of christ in his own conscience , that the light be to him as though there were no such thing , yet all this will not do , for the lord will thunder from his holy place , though thou have stopped thy ear as to him , and closed thy eyes , yet he will make thee hear and see , and will cause his terror to strike into thy heart , so that dread shall compass thee about as a wall , and thou shall be afraid for that which thou shalt see and hear ; and though the spirit strives long , yet being still disobeyed , the long-suffering of god comes to an end concerning him that hath been unfaithful , and then his wrath is kindled as fire , which shall burn to the lowest hell , into which all the rebellious and stiff-necked shall be cast and have their portion for ever among all the children of darkness ; therefore all who have been convinced long , and still are by gods holy spirit , of the way of truth , and yet have not submited to the leading of the spirit ; think on this ( for its the lords truth which i declare unto you ) or else eternal misery will be your end . and if thou still persist on after the imaginations of thine own heart , and in thy rebellious will , thou quencheth the spirit and the motions thereof ; and though it be life in it self , yet is as dead unto thee who art in the gainsaying , resisting that through which gods eternal power is manifest in them that believe ; and thou wilt grow insensible and past feeling , and become as seared flesh , and be sensless as to the things of god , and hardness of heart will come upon thee , and thou wilt be as a stone which cannot be melted , and wo wil be unto such where the spirit of the lord in them ceaseth to strive with them , having so long rebelled against , and gainsayed the pure drawing of it , that so the lord is grieved and wearied with their impenitency , that he gives them up to their vile affection , and to follow the imaginations of their own heart ( who receiveth not the truth in the love of it ) but in the enmity still remains obstinate , doing despight unto the spirit of grace , his long-suffering comes to an end , and his fier●● wrath comes to be kindled against such , and that which would have led them out of the world , into true pure everlasting peace , now becomes their tormentor , and they banished from his presence , and shut up in eternal misery , where the fire is kindled by the breath of the lord that burns for ever , the sentence of condemnation being past upon them because they had pleasure in unrighteousnesse , and have sold themselves to do wickedly , and crucifying the appearance of god in themselves ; which appearance though it live in the fountain of life , yet crucified by thee who art out of the life , yet lives still for ever in it selfe to be thy condemnation eternally . how the spirit of the father worketh in them who are turned to it , and have taken heed unto its manifestation , and are in some measure partakers of its power . there are differences of administration ; but the same lord ; and there are diversity of gifts , but the same spirit ; and there are diversities of operations , but the same god which worketh all in all . now the spirit of truth which is life in it selfe , putteth forth its own pure act , not onely to convince and detect him that transgresseth its appearance , & manifesteth evill which hath been committed by man ; but also being turned unto , and waited in , it shews man when motions and temptations unto sin ariseth ; and as the creature is still , and waiteth in that which manifesteth and singly keeps in his minde to it . it sheds abroad its power , and vanquisheth and subdueth those lusts which do arise , and condemns the ground from whence they arise , and it purely draweth the mind after it , and secretly worketh and breatheth forth its pure life in him that waiteth in patience and in stilness , not heeding the vain thoughts and imaginations that riseth in his heart ; but rather heeds the manifestation of the spirit , at whose bright appearance all the vain desire● comes to be extinguished , and there comes to be a hunger begot within , to be made partakers of its purity and of its nature ; for god through the operation of the eternall spirit lets forth his power , which turneth and changeth the heart , and cuts asunder and divides betwixt a man and those lovers that he hath joyned unto , and makes a separation within , and carries a man further from those things which the measure of the spirit reproves , and this leads nearer unto god : and so they that do believe in the measure of gods spirit , comes to feel what repentance from dead works is , and the works and the worker is seen ; and who it is that hath wrought is manifest in the light : and as there is a diligent waiting upon it ; there is nothing that passeth through the minde , but it discerns , and gives a discerning unto every particular heart , who singly and quietly waits upon it . but yet after the spirit of truth in some measure be felt , and its living testimony in some thing ; yet it may be a long time before there be a clear distinguishment in the understanding ; so that one cannot clearly discern its moving from all other false motions and high imaginations which are above : and hence it is , that the hasty and forward minds follows their vain motions which leads them into deceit , and then the questioner gets up , and then they question all that ever the spirit hath made manifest unto them before ; a vaile then is drawn over , and the enemy lodges in the vayl and in the darknesse which is entred , and then as soon as any hearkens within , to that which is the uppermost , and doth abound ; the enemy that lodges in that presents motions as to obey this and that , and all is deceit : so therefore all is to keep back , that they may sensibly feele between the pure motions and drawing of the spirit , and the vain thoughts that arise out of the earthly heart ; and when any thing doth arise which the light doth not bear witnesse to , it 's not to be followed nor heeded , but a quiet still writing that things may be cleared to the understanding ; and for want of this many have run out , and have brought forth satans work , and acted things forwardly in their wil , and so have clean lost the true sense of that which should guide their minds , and have followed the spirit of errour , and have caused the pure spirit of the lord to be evil spoken of ; but as there is a keeping back , and a quiet waiting out of willing , or running and hast ; it arises purely and stilly in the heart , and shines forth in brightnesse in the heart , so that it giveth perfect evidence and full testimony of it selfe , that there will be no doubting nor questioning of it's motion ; for it will apparently shew forth its selfe in its own transparent brightness , with full assurance of its own will , and then after it be cleerly seen , and its motion , then keep under all reasoning , and keep out all questioning , and give not way to temptation ; and that which moves of the lord of life , will carry thee through in its own operation and power to accomplish the will of god , and so thou wilt have peace being obedient , and thy strength will be renewed ; for as any is brought to submit unto the will of god , when it is known , and comes to obey by vertue of its own power ; that which is contrary unto gods spirit in thee , comes to loose its strength , and to decay , and be we●kned ; but as any disobeys the pure motion of gods holy spirt after it be known , the enemy is strengthened , and that which is of the flesh nourished , and the spirit comes to be quenched , that which would give thee power , if thou submittest to it : but yet know this , the spirit in it selfe never loses its purity , neither can be quenched in it selfe , but will bear its pure witnesse against thee , and none shall be able to stop its reproo● ; thus the diversity of its operation comes to be known as it s hearkned unto , obeyed , loved , and believed in ; it puts forth its pure power and gives strength , and seales peace to the obedient ; but disobeyed and resisted , it condemns , judges , reproves and seals condemnation to the disobedient , and yet there is no variation in it self , for it is always one and the same . but as it operateth upon different natures or objects unto which it joyns to , or stands at a distance from , that is to say , the good ground it causeth to bring forth fruit unto god , and the cursed ground , out of which bryars and thorns do arise , it kindles a fire in , that shall not quenched ; but as there is a submission unto its pure operation , it burns up and destroys that which hinders the growth of the seed , and it purgeth the heart of them that have confidence in it from all filthinesse both of flesh and spirit , and worketh up the creature into its own frame and nature , and fashions , and makes and moulds all that are in the faith into the image of the father ; and so the fathers love comes to be shed abroad in the heart : and as wrath was revealed through the spirit and condemnation , so now the peace of god comes to be enjoyed , and his consolation shed abro●d largely , in which there is pure rejoycing for ever . vnto whom the spirit of the father bears witness ▪ and seals assurance of the fathers love , a●d of justification with god , declared . none hath the witness of gods spi●it bearing witnesse to them nor in them who have not believed in the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world , by whom alone life is begotten by the powerful operation of christ in them that believe in him who is eternal light it selfe , whose word is spirit and life , by which the new creature is framed & formed in them that b●lieve , unto whom he maketh manif●st his power ; for unto him who is the life of men is all power committed both in heaven and ear●h ; for nothing was made or created but by him , neither is any turned from sin but by him , and by his mighty power : without him ●s death , in him is life , and the life is the light of men : so that none but they that are born of the light , and are begotten by him who is light , can have the spirit of christ who is light to bear witnesse unto them , neither the assurance of the fathers love ; for onely they that are born of the spirit , and walk after the spirit , are justified by the spirit of the lord ; for the assurance of his love is not made manifest to his enemies , but unto them that are born and brought forth in his own image , in his own likenesse and nature , which is pure and incorruptible without stain or d●filement , the holy seed which is heire of the promise , who knows the living hope which purifies the heart , and bringeth the answer of a good conscience unto them that feel and witness●the washing of regeneration , and have know● in themselves the clean water poured sor●h upon them , which hath taken away the stains , and spots , and bl●mishes , and the defilements ; for where these are not washed out , and the heart cleansed from them , and that believed in , wherein gods all-suffi●iency is felt , and his pow●r made manifest , there cannot be assurance of the fathers love in the heart , nor in the soule ; neither doth the spirit of the fa●her bear witnesse unto such , nor assure their justification ; but on the contrary , where sin remains unsubdued , and taken away ; the spirit of the father condemneth the sin , and the creature now is joyned to it , and is become one with it ; for no sin is brough● forth , but there is a consent and an ascenting to the instigation of the devill , although when a temptation ariseth either within or without , there may be a resisting and a striving against it for a little ; but the heart not being kept close to the spirit , the enemie often enters , and so captivates the understanding , then there is an agreement and ajoining to the adversary , and so the spirit pronounceth the sentence of condemnation upon him who is joyned to the harlot , and becomes one flesh , and joyned unto strange flesh w●ich is not the flesh of christ the seed , and that which hath joyned and consented to drink of the cup of fornication , must drink of the cup of indignation and terrour , and bear the stroke of divine justice , and lye in patience under it till that be cut down which hath joyned to deceit , before there can be the remission of the trangression , or the creature justified in the sight of god : for sin is not blotted out of the book of gods remembrance till it be turned from , and repented of , neither doth the creature stand clear in the sight of god , when god judges in righteous judgement , which the light in every ones conscience shall answer . now he that is born of god sins not , for the seed of god remains in him , which is life : and as the creature joyns to that seed which is heir of the kingdom , and of the crown immortall , he comes to be made partaker of its vertue and operation ; which seed is christ , and by his power by which he limiteth the seed of the serpent , and weakens his strength in the creature , as man cometh to believe in his strength unto whom all power is committed , the covenant with death is broken , and that agreement that the creature hath made with d●ath comes to be disannulled by the arm and power of the lord , and so the creature comes to be delivered from the bondage of corruption , and the new man comes to live , or the new creature which is born of god , which sins not , comes to be framed and fashioned in the image of the father : and the fathers love is manifest unto him and in him , and he hath the assurance in himself . the babe that is born from above , of the spirit which is from above , of which he is born and brought forth of the just by the just , he is justified by the just god , and the just wi●ness of the spirit sealeth this in him : and he hath the record of his justification ; for there is three that bear record in the earth , the water , the blood , and the spirit ; and he that is born of that which is pure in it self , hath the witness of all these three in himself , for they agree in o●e : that which one beareth witness too , and for , the other doth the same , and the record , and testimony , and witness of all these three hath he that is born from above . moreover , there is three that bear record in heaven , the father , the word , and the spirit , and these three are one . so he that is born of the father , and begotten of the father in christ the seed through the spirit , he and he alone comes to feel the fathers love made manifest in him , and is justified in the sight of the father , and hath the record of all these witnesses before mentio●ed in himself ; so that he hath his assurance and evidence near him and in him , the seal of the father , the seal of the s●irit : and so when the adversary comes to tempt and to assault , and would raise up doubts in the mind , the evidence is near , which puts him out of all doubt that he is in the love of god , and blessed for ever ; and happy are all they who have waited for these things , and have felt these things , and are witness of these things ; for flesh and blood hath not revealed these things . now let every man who reads this prove himself , and try himself whether he be in the faith or no , and whether he have the evidence of the spirit or no , that he is born of it , and knows a birth that sins not , because the seed remaineth in him ; who is kept by the power , that the evil one touches him not , kept in salvation , and in saving health alive unto him who hath brought him forth to life to drink of the cup of blessing , and of the cup of salvation which nourisheth and refresheth up unto eternal life them that continue in the faith . what the free grace of god is , and unto whom it hath appeared , and where all is to wait to receive it , declared , as it hath been revealed by the spirit . the grace of god is pure , and is the free gift of god , and it i● perfect , it is the appearance of christ , it is a beam of righteousness shining forth , it is a measure of gods strength and power issued out from himself , and a proportion of his treasure , vertue , and sufficiency which comes to be shed abroad in all them that believe in it ; it s that through which god maketh known his will , and teacheth his by it , and reveals his saving health through it to them that are taught by it and through it ; them that believe in it , are builded up in the truth , and becomes a habitation for god ; no man doth any thing to purchase it , none need say , where may i get it , or how may i know its teaching ? its near thee , it is in thee , it hath appeared to all men , it shews ungodliness in the heart of man , by its pure brightness ; yea , to all men it shews the motions unto sin , and that which is not like god in motions , words or actions ; it draweth the heart of man from them as with a cord , it shews the lusts of the heart and mind , the lust of the eye , and the pride of life , it never joyned to sin , nothing can alter its purity or property , as in it self it is always one and the same , it is p●rfect , and will be alwayes so , it stands off , and at a distance from that which is corruptable and imperfect , and yet beholdeth it , and although some that have turned to it , be again turned from it , and may turn it as in themselves into wantonness , yet it keeps its purity , and still reproves thy wantonness , and will lay i● before thee , and will shew thee how thou hast abused the appearance of christ , and hath marred his countenance and his face , and reprove thee for it ; many have been the talkers of it in this professing age , but knew not of what they spoke , neither ever informed the mind of man , where it was to be waited for , neither how it might be known , or how , or what the operation of it was , but hath cryed up their own imaginations , we are justified by his free grace , from all sin past , present and to come , and in this conceit thousands have been led into the pit of darkness , while out of thick darkness they have cryed up , we are justified by free grace in christ , while the free grace of christ , gods gift , which should have taught them , they never heeded at all , but got up into conceitedness , and careles●ness , and presumption , out of the fear of god ; and pretending justification , while they themselves were the servants of sin , and bond-slaves to corruption , and this is the state of thousands at this day , and they that have been publishers and preachers of free grace : now when the thing it self comes to be witnessed and declared what it is , and as it is , and where it is ; now they say it is not sufficient to teach any the knowledge of god , but from all such foolish doaters , and blind guids , and ignorant shepherds , is god bringing many sheep home which they have driven away , and they would kill now them that are fed and taught by the gift of god , and says its not sufficient , and so make them to dislike their food , & dislike their shepherd , so would make them deaf & blind , and then they might lead them into any desert , & feed them among the swine , who wallow in the mire , in filthiness , and lust , and pleasure , and ungodliness , and so beguil the sheep , and scatter them from the fold , and lead them from the true shepherd , and from his appearance , which is his grace , and from the shepherds voice , which is the word of his grace , which is able to save the soul . oh all you blinde guides , and you that call your selves orthodox-men and ministers , and all you that have been preaching free grace in words ; and now when god hath given them that have waited upon him an understanding to declare the thing it self , that you have spoken of ; now you cry it s not a sufficient teacher . now let me ask you a question , if that which teacheth to deny ungodliness , and shews it , be the grace of god , and the gift of god , then how say you , it s not a sufficient teacher ? if it be not a sufficient teacher , then why did the apostle commit them , and commend them to the word of his grace , which was able to save their souls , and whether is not that which is able to save the soul , a sufficient teacher ? answer ye wise men , and ye literal rabbies , if that which shews sin and temptation be not sufficient , then declare you , and let us see your skill in the mysteries of god ; but to return unto them , in whose minds there is a desire to be informed ; seeing then that gods free grace , which is his pure appearance , hath so far manifested it self , or god through it shews sin , and teacheth from sin , that which teacheth from sin is holy , and that which leadeth from worldly lusts is pure , and that which saves from sin is grace , which is saving in it self , and god hath so loved the world , as that he hath sent his son into the world ; and he was and is the light of the world , and hath shed abroad his grace , and hath made it appear to all , and all that waites upon it , and comes to be taught by it , feels its assurance , so all is left without excuse , therefore wait in that which hath appeared in thee , that which shews the lusts , and thoughts and motions unto sin , this is gods gift , gods grace , this is sufficient , though all men in the world say it is not sufficient , yet this makes not my faith void , neither thine who hath received it ; but thou hast the witness of thy faith in thy self , which giveth pure and perfect feeling of the operation of the spirit of the lord , and all is to wait within , to hear him who condemns sin in the flesh within , which by his grace shews man his transgression and insufficiency in himself , and by the word of his grace saves all them that believe in it out of sin , and giveth dominion over sin ; and this comes to be revealed in the heart of man , and there must it be waited for in that which is pure , that it may be received , and there the operation of it comes to be known , and its vertue partaken of by all that do believe in it , and receive it , and are subjected to it , they see and feel gods salvation revealed through it to their souls , and knows where their strength lies , not in self-acting , but in the free gift of god , the gift of righteousness , the righteous gift , by which justification cometh upon all that believe· whether all have received the grace of god or no , declared ; and and whether it be a sufficient teacher in it selfe , to wit , that grace that hath appeared to all , if it be received , demonstrated . this wise generation , whose wisdome is below the wisdome of god , have confounded peoples minds with distinctions ; as that there is a two-fold grace . first , that which they call common , which they say hath appeared to all men . secondly , that which they call special , and saving , which hath only appeared to the saints , and by giving heed to these distinctions , in times past many years ago i lost my selfe and my guide , and went from the appearance of it in my selfe , to hearken to a thing at a distance from me , and heeded not that at home which was near , because it was called common and insufficient , and so suffered great losse ; and there i am moved by him , in whose fight i have found favour and mercy , and grace , to declare the truth as the lord hath made it manifest to me , and in me ; that all who seek after the lord may be informed , and know where to wait upon the lord ; for unto that grace which shewed me evill , and temptations unto evill , i was made to go back unto , after many y●ars profession ( which they called common and insufficient ) before ever i found the lord , or felt his living power again ; for the first , they ground upon the letter , as they judge , where it is said , he causeth the sun to shine , and the rain to fall upon the just and unjust : and where it is said , in him we live , and move , and have our being , heal●h and strength , and an understanding in things naturall , and by which men comes to see grosse sins and evils ; but that which they call special , is that which the saints are saved by , & are established in , in righteousnes● , and receive the remission of sins . now he that causeth the sun to shine , and the rain to fall , ●nd giveth health , and strength , and nourishment to all things living that are visible , in the outward visible creation , and that discovereth grosse sins , and open evils to man , the same is he who is the life of the soul , the same is he that sanctifies , and purifies , and saveth them that believe , and its the same vertue and power that upholds the naturall man in his pure nature , that upholds the spirituall man , and by which he liveth unto god : it 's the same grace , i do not say the same measure ; for the same vertue and power by which all things that are visible and living , were made alive , and subsist in their station and covenant , and bound where they are set and placed ; the same grace , strength , power , and suffi●iency upholdeth the heavenly bodies , and moveth and acteth in a higher sphear or degree , and preserveth all that believe , and are quickned by him who is the power of god in heavenly places , and the same power and vertue that discovereth the dark places , and hellish places , and the horrible pit ; it 's the same power , life , strength and vertue that leadeth all that believe into the land of the living , into the holy place , into the peaceable habitation , into the holy mountain , and into the heavenly tabernacle made without hands : and in few words , he that discovereth open sins , the same grace and the same purity discovereth hidden and secret sins , though the measure of its purity shine in one more then another , because them that are in the unbelief , the darknesse over-shadows , and the mountains are high , and the vayl is thick , and the clouds are many ; and the ayre dark , so that it's resplendency and brightnesse is not seen because of the vail which shadows it , that it hath not much entrance ; but in them that believe , and have received that grace , and is joyned to it in which they believe , it renteth the vail , and maketh the shadow to flye away , and scatters the clouds , and breatheth forth it self in purity , and makes the ayr clearer , so that its brightnesse shineth more purely forth to them , and in them ; because the heart is more open to receive its vertues in , yet the same purity and vertue remains still , and the same grace keeps its purity and property in it selfe , and its power and sufficiency is always the same , though it do not appear so to the creature : so this i say , and is my testimony of the grace of god which is the gift of god , which hath appeared in some measure more or lesse unto all men , and convinceth and shews grosse and op●n evills , even the same grace by its vertue and power , leadeth from the least or impurest thought , and shews the secretest evils that lodgeth in the heart , unbelief , and also every temptation unto sin ; and this shall be witnessed to be the truth by the whole earth in the day of the lords appearing , and is now witnessed by all the children of light who believe , with whom i have fellowship in the pure living sufficient , perfect grace of god , which is gods free gift , which in some measure hath appeared to all , whereby all are left without excuse : and herein is the wonderfull love of god made manifest to all man kinde ; and all that turneth to his grace , will see he hath long waited to be gracious in his grace , which is near , that all man-kind might be partakers of his bounty , love , mercy , favour , and free gift , by which justification cometh upon all that believe . therefore my bowels and heart is more open in this unto all , because many have erred for lack of knowledge , and have wandred aside , because they have not found a true guide . therefore in dear love unto all upon the face of the earth , where this may come , i write and let out my bosome into this thing , that they may also be partakers with me of the free love of god , and the free grace of god , by which i am saved , and know the wall which is salvation , and the gates which are praise , which the saints are compassed about with , and enterd in at ; and for the sake of such who thirst after god , and the knowledge of him , i write for their information , and not to satisfie critical men , nor them who are in the philosophy and vain deceit , who are swollen big in their fleshly understanding , and puffed up in their earthly mindes ; for by such i desire not any testimony , neither acceptation . but now to come to speak of that which many are doubting about ; that is to say , the grace of god which bringeth salvation , which hath appeared to all men , whether this be a sufficient leader and teacher of it selfe , if it be received ; but in order to the thing in hand , let all take notice of this , that when i speak of the sufficiency of grace , and that it is a sufficient teacher : i do not speak of it distinct from christ , or of a thing separated from the power of god ; but one with it , and him from whence it comes ; for as he is salvation it selfe , so the grace of god is of the same nature , by which he manifests himselfe and his salvation to them that believe , and also reveales his witnesse in them ; for where the appearance and presence of christ is manifest , there is his power and strength m●nifest , either to condemnation or salvation ; and though his pure appearance and presence is one in it self , yet them that have marred his countenance , and pierced him , his presence always hath been , and will be very dreadfull and terrible ; but unto them that believe , and have continued with him in his temptation , and have suffered with him , and have longed for him , his appearance and presence will be amiable , beautifull , and lovely , sweet , pleasant , delightful , desirable , glorious , and admirable ; so that they who have seen it , have been melted into tears , and dissolved as into water , because of his love and beauty , who is the chief of ten thousand . oh! that all that long after him may wait for him in patience , in that wherein he will appear , they shall see him , whose sight will be a recompence for all longing , and thirsting , and desiring , and waiting , the sense of longing and thirsting will be taken away , when he that makes glad the heart appeareth , who lifteth up the light of his countenance , and maketh whole them whose hearts have been broken for him whom their souls loved ; therefore all wait , and think not the time long : keep in your minds to his grace , which is his appearance , and him you will feel , and see , and be satisfied , and say , this is he we have waited for , let us rejoyce and be exceeding glad ; for now he is come , and his reward is with him , to give every one that wait upon him in purity , full contentment and satisfaction , where peace comes to be f●lt , and joy unspeakable which is full of glory . and though god , out of his everlasting love unto the sons of men , hath followed man , and hath called him to return ; yet that nature which is above in man , which hath transgressed the life , doth alwayes resist the drawing of the lord , and is not subject to the law of god , neither to the grace of god which teacheth to deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts , that hath beset and compassed the creature about as a thick cloud , and always maketh war against the soule ; that till there be a listning unto that which sheweth ungodlinesse , which hath power in it selfe . none hath power neither dominion over that in themselves , which leads into the transgression : therefore , though god who is salvation it selfe , hath let out himself so farre , and hath appeared in his pure and perfect grace unto all men , yet all have not received grace ; for , though the lord profer his gift intentionally , that the creature might receive it , and so have benefit , and partake of its living vertue and operation ; yet while that hath preheminence in man , which is contrary to grace , that will never receive it , because it is contrary to the life of the corruptible , and takes its life away , and mortifies and slayes the enmity ; therefore all must be still and quiet , and wait in that which is pure of the lord , that they may feel that raised up ( which receiveth grace ) above the corruptible thoughts and desires of the carnall mind ; but many who talk of free grace , have put no difference betwixt the precious and the vile , but hath put them upon doing and working , who are in the enmity , and curse , and in death , and so hath brought forth dead works ; notwithstanding all performances , they being dead to the life god ; another acteth in them , even he which hath the power of death , which is the devill , and so have not known that which was precious in themselves , could not minister unto that which was precious in others ; but have been ministers of death , and have ministred to death , and so death nourisheth it selfe in all them who are not yet come to the separation , to see betwixt the precious and the vile . now though all have not received grace , so as to save them from the committing of sin , the fault is not in god ; israel would have none of my counsell , they stopped their ●ares : neither is the fault in the grace which hath appeared unto all men . neither is it because of it's imbecillity and weaknesse ; but because it is not hearkned unto , and waited in , and obeyed , believed in and received : for this eternall truth which shall for ever stand , the least measure of the grace o● god hath power in it self to save man from committing of that evill or sin which it shews man : and as it is received , the power comes more and more to be made manifest , where all that believe comes to be preserved out of evill . object . but some have said , and now say , there is common grace , and preventing grace , and restraining grace , and saving grace , and the former , that hath appeared to all but the latter hath appeared to the saints , and to the elect onely . answ. grace is gods pure and perfect gift , and is but one thing ; i speak not of q●antity , but of quality ; not o● so much , as that the fulnesse of grace hath appeared to all ; but of a measure of that fulnesse which is in christ the head , although i do not divide the least measure from the fulnesse in quality or nature , for it 's one and the same ; for that which shews a man he should not lye , nor swear , that is as pure according to it's latitude & proportion , as that which shews a man all that ever he hath done ; and that same grace which leads a man from drunkennesse and excesse , is as pure , and of the same kind and nature as that greater proportion which leadeth a man from all sin , i speak what i have seen from the father , though the dark world cannot receive it : but people h●ve been blinded and darkned with sounds and distinctions which men coyn and frame in their natural reason , and by their natural parts , which is out of the life , although i do not condemn naturall parts , which are purely naturall , if they keep ●hei● bounds and compasse ; that is to say , to the management of naturall things of the visible creation ; but the things of gods kingdom are of another quality and n●ture , and cannot be reached unto by the natural ; but as i said , men through distinctions and names hath wrack●d peoples minds , and confounded their understanding , and have led them into a thick wood , or a wildernesse , so they know not where to get forth , neither what the thing is , of which one speaks , because not being spoken through the enticing words of mans wisdome , which darkens the counsell of god . now that which shews a man evill after it be committed , is the pure appearance of god : and that which shews a man the temptations when they arise , that is the same ; now this they call common , and that which preventeth a man , and keeps him back , that he lend not his heart , nor puts forth his hand to commit evill , but restrains a man from it , is not that saving out of evill , and that which stops the adversary in his way that he enter not ; but preserveth the creature out of defilement , and saves him from it , is not this saving ? is not this the same thing that the apostle , who was well acquainted with the grace of god , and of it's operation wrote of to titus ? that grace of god which brought salvation , which had appeared , and doth now appear to all men , which taught self-denyal , them to deny worldly lusts , and also to live godlily , or like unto god in this present world , and now doth the same ; is not this sufficient to believe in , and sufficient to save ? now i do not say but there is a greater measure let out unto them that are converted unto god , then is to t●em that are convinced of their evill by the same grace , yet still ●t is one and the self-same thing ; one gift , yet a greater measure of one and the same pure vertue and power which is given to them that obeys the life , which is already made manifest by its appearance unto all . object . but some will be ready to say that this is errour , and that which is contrary to the scripture , and to orthodox teachers ; that the grace which is saving , is near all men , and hath appeared to all men . to that i answer ; though grace be saving in it self , even the grace that hath appeared to all men , and may be truly called saving grace ; yet to them that believe not in it , neither are taught by it , it convinceth and shews evill , and checks and judges for it ; yet there is no variation nor change in the gift of god , but as it worketh upon different objects ; for faith and unbelief are two different things , as light and darknesse are different , and so the word of his grace is the savour of life unto life , ( that is to say ) unto them that believe , and is the savour of death unto death , unto them who are in the unbelief , who indeed are dead while they live , yet here is the same grace , and the same word of grace , yet here is different operations ; so the lord killeth and maketh alive , yet the same lord ; the spirit convinceth of sin , and reproveth for sin , and also consolates and comforts ; here is diversity of operations , yet the same spirit , which never alters . obj. but further , some may say , if that it be saving grace , or at the least a degree , and a measure of saving grace , that hath appeared to all men , then how is it that all are not saved by it ? answ. because i would all stumbling blocks were removed away , that the path might be made plain , that all might come to believe in that which is gods gift , in which there is power and sufficiency ; therefore i am constrained by the grace of god to declare of it , and to bear witness to it thus largly , which i know will be to the edification of all that hunger after righteousness . all are not saved by it , because they believe not in it , neither are taught by it , yet its validity , power and vertue , is nevertheless in it self , and though them that are careless and heedless , say we feel no power nor sufficiency in it to save us from sin , yet this makes not void their confidence who have received it , and knows its power , which hath given them power , and also sufficiency to do the will of god ; what though unbelievers , who are in the alienation , say there is no beauty in christ , neither form nor comliness ; this makes not his glory void , who is the express image of the father , full of grace and truth ; the disciples saw it , and bore record of him , who were in the faith , and the pharisees said he had a devil , who were in the unbelief ; but in brief , this is my testimony , that the grace of god , the perfect gift of god , which shews ungodliness , and leads from ungodliness all that are taught by it , is a sufficient teacher of it self , i mean , as the power of christ through it is made manifest unto all them that hearken to it ; paul a minister of the word of reconciliation , who was rapt up into the third heaven , where he saw things unutterable , came to be tempted and buffetted with the messenger of satan , and fear and doubting rose up in him , and he prayed unto god thrice , and this answer was given unto him , my grace is sufficient for thee ; so this is evident to all understandings , who are opened by the lord , that which shewed him the temptations , and satans messengers , and satans buffetings , was sufficient to preserve him , and so is it for all who singly are kept to it and in it , sufficient to shew ungodliness because of its purity , and to lead from worldly lusts by its power , and to teach the will of god , and to live like unto god in this present world ; and this testimony i bear of it , and to it , even what as i have felt , and tasted , and handled of its sufficiency , and vertue , and power of its operation , for the confirmation of the same truth , which is believed by many brethren , and also for the information of them who thirst after the lord , and for the opposition of all the gainsayers and opposers of it ; which testimony i commend to that of god in every man , which will witness me herein in the day of god , when all hearts is opened , and all falshoods and truth is made manifest , in the mean time shall rest in that which i have declared of , in which there is pure and perfect peace . a word to you wise men of this world , who are glorying in the sound of words , and worshipping outward appearances ; to all wise and litterall professors , who think you are worshipping god aright , who think to search into the deep things of god by your natural wisdom , learning , and parts , and study . god hath broken open the seals of the great deep , where the wonderful unutterable things of god is revealed , from whence eternal wisdom is flowing forth to his little ones , whom he hath sanctified from the womb , and his power and glory is he sheding abroad , and making it to flow forth as though it issued out of a womb , by which power and wisdom you are all weighed , even by one who is swaddled about with righteousness , and girded up with the girdle of truth , you are all measured as with a span , and are all weighed as with a scale ; all your parts , tongues , languages , interpretations , significations , wisdome ) that is come to be enjoyed by them who have believed in the true light that lighteth everyman , wch rounds you all as a heap , & measurs you all as with a line ; your breadth , length , height , & depth ; your parts , tongues , languages , interpretations , is but all natural ; words are but empty sounds , though there be many languages , and each have an interpretation and a signification , they are all short to d●cl●re the life , the immeasurable being of eternal life , you with all these are on heaps , disjointed one from another ; your rhetorick , philosophy , your framed and devised disputations , your tongues , and the significations of all tongues cannot know the mind of the spirit , neither knows the original of eternal salvation by all these , and so not knowing the sign●fication of the living eternal spirit in your selves ; you invent , study , devise , forms and frames up things in your carnal mind , by the strength of your learned , studied , devised parts , and framed speeches , and hath filled the whole world with your dark muddy conceptions , and hath led all out from seeking after the living wisdom of god , which is from above , which was before your tongues and languages was , and they have sucked in your conceptions and distinctions , and your devised fables , and your imagined worship , that many have lost the sence of any thing of god in themselves to guide them , and when you have come as far as you can in those things , and have devised in your minds , by the strength of those parts natural , you are farther from the knowledge then before ; and all that hear you and sucketh in your conceptions and imaginations into their hearts , they are farther off gods true knowledge then they were the day in which they came out of their mothers womb ; it is a lamentation to see how people are gone out of the pure simplicity which is in christ , into subtilty and deceit stuffed up full , brim-full of that which must be all poured out as water , before they and you all come to the least measure of gods true and saving knowledge . oh a dreadful day is come upon many , and it lingers not , but will come swiftly as a thief upon you who have taken away the key of knowledge , and gives people that which will not open , and tells them of a litteral carnal thing that must give them entrance ; you and all they will be shut out together , among the uncircumcised as fools , though you count your selves wise men , your wisdom will perish , and your honour will be laid in the dust ; the time hastens , it is the word of truth to you all . and you litteral professors , who have got the scripture into your head , and into the carnal mind to talk on , and are run into so many heads , you are almost past numbring , and hath exalted so many horns , yet the number is read , the number of the heads of the beast , and the number of his name ; you have taken up things , and are exalting a visible shadowish practise , and neglecteth the li●e , and are making idols of those things which were but a figure and a representation , in their purest time ; now you like the pharise●s are limiting the lord , that if he will not appear unto you in those thi●gs that you have prescribed unto your selves , and fetched in from the l●tter , and gotten it into the fleshly part , which is heaped up as a mountain in many of you so high , above gods pure witness in you , and so high above the appearance of god in you , that you have quite lost the sight of that in your selves , which should give you the knowledge of the living god , and m●ke you sensible of his pure presence ; i say , if he appear not in the way , you would limit him to , in those things you would confine him in ; you cannot receive him , the lord open your understandings , that you may see your selves , and how frothy , vain , light , and wanton you are ; one with the world in all things in the very ground , pretending liberty in christ , and priviledge in him , when you may see you are servants to corruptions , and to many noysom lusts that makes war . again , what are all outward appearances any more but as a curtain , or as a veil , and as a shadow , in respect of christ , gods righteousness within , but you are filled so full of your apprehensions of his righteousness at a distance , that you have forgotten all at home , and your own conditions ; for his righteousness will not be a cloak for your self-righteousness and unrighteousness , and if christ be nor formed in you , gods righteousness , and live in you , and act in you , and work his work in you , you are in the self-righteousness , and a talk of imputation , will not save you while you are not in that capacity , & nature , and faith , ●nto whom his righteou●ness is imputed . are you not weary with tumbling up and down among the earthly hills , among which you have situated your selves ? do you not see your land grows barren , and your possessions dry , and your worship dead , heaven rains not on you , the bottles is stopped , the dew falls not on you ; you wither daily as a stick withousap ; what , have you found that which will last unto perpetuity ? oh ! nay it s rusted already ; it 's canckered already , it 's moth-eaten already , it 's fading , the glory is staining , the renown of all earthly things is ●ading , and all terrestrial appearances , though never so glorious , they are all to cease ; a consumption is coming , blasting is near , there will be no more glory in these things , they will flye away as a shadow when the sun arises ; your riches are wasting , when will ye seek after that which endures for ever . i pity you who have had breathings after god , & hath sate down at ease in that which is not eternal . be warned , return home , consider , see what corruption thou hast power over now , which had once power over thee ? dost thou rest in that faith , that thou shalt never be cleansed here ? that fai●h is curst , it 's reprobate , it s rather properly unbelief ; it 's not the faith of gods elect , by which they were sanctified , and overcame the wicked one in themselves by the power of christ , who is able to save , and manifests his ability in all them that believe in the light , which they are enlightned withal , through which he manifests himselfe to the creature , and makes known his power in the creature , to redeem the soul out of death , and to redeem the creature from under the bondage of corruption , to serve him in the free spirit of god , in which the sons are made free from sin , from the act and guilt , they become the temples of the holy ghost : how far you are from this many of you consider , who are yet temples of uncleanness , and a habitation for many noysome lusts ; repent and minde that which empties you of your thoughts and conceitednesse , that you may know poverty of spirit , that the kingdome may come unto you , and be yours in possession , else you are everlastingly miserable ; and this is the true state of many of you , own it and repent , that if it be possible you may finde a door of mercy yet opened unto you , and that you may enter in thereat ; for it is not setting up , and conforming to a visible practice without that will justifie you , while that which is in the transgression , and hath transgressed the life , and hath disobeyed the light in your consciences ( is head in you and above the pure ) that will not recommend you unto god ; neither can you have any accesse , or acceptation with god in that state , till you come out of the waters upon which the whore fits , which is unstable and boysterous , and reels too and fro , and unsetled ; which is all to be dried up , and all the springs cut off that nourishes ; and you must come to the rock , before you know any thing that will endure , to build upon , which rock is christ , who abides for ever ; but you are all gone from that which should give the knowledge of him in your selves , and doth not retain him in your knowledge ; neither that which gives the knowledge of him , the light of his spirit which shines in your hearts , making manifest in your hearts the intention of your hearts , when motions unto evill do arise ; this must you all come to , before gods salvation or redemption you come to know in your selves , or have the witnesse of gods holy spirit , without which there is neither seale nor evidence , nor assurance enjoyed or felt of the love of god . the time of restoring is come , and many are restored again into gods covenant , and are delivered out of the jaws of death , and feels him who is the healer of the nations , and the restorer of the desolate places to dwell in : but first you must come to see those places made desolate , wherein the wilde nature lodges , before you come to have a share in the restoration . come off these barren mountains where you are feeding , to christ the life of men , who hath lightned you , and wait in it that you may feel his mind in your selves , and the signification of the spirit of truth from your own spirits , or else you will still erre for lack of knowledge , and perish for want of understanding , and so lay down your heads in sorrow . the kingdome of god , and of his christ declared in some measure as it is revealed , what it is , and where it is to be waited for , and how it cometh to be revealed to them , and in them that believe ; that all who are waiting for it , may know wherein consists , and so receive the end of their hope , and the end of their expectation , and know the dominion , which hath no end . the lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens , and his kingdome ruleth over all ; his dominion is an everlasting dominion , and without end . god is a spirit , his kingdome is spiritual , his habitation is sutable to his own nature ; he is immortall , his kingdome is so ; he is light , his dwelling place is so , a pure scituation in which there is no uncleannesse , nor ever shall be : it 's eternall dignity , it is an immutable being , that remaineth always in it's purity and pleasantnesse : eternally glorious , it consists in power , in righteousness , in purity , in joy , in hope , in peace , in life , in vertue eternall : in quietnesse , it 's a quiet habitation , it is incomprehensible , unsearchable , and indeclarable ; words are too short , they are but as sounds , as vayls : it is unexpressible , in it is the treasure-house of wisdome , out of which all that believe in him , ( who is the king of eternall and immortall glory ) comes to receive of his wisdome , of his life , of his power , vertue , righteousnesse , and comes to enjoy him , who is the fulnesse that filleth all things , whether visible or invisible , whether terrestrial , or coelestial ; his power is over all , his dominion is over all , who is eternally blessednesse it self , and felicity it selfe ; who makes all that believe in him to partake of his kingdome , of his grace , of his power , of his dignity , of his dominion , and of his glory coelestiall ; but these things are hid from the world , who are not redeemed from the earth , neither never looks to be while they are in the body : unto such i say , gods kingdome you shall never see , nor enjoy , while you are in that faith which is reprobate , but may be truly called unbelief , although you imagine a glory , and a kingdome in your earthly minds , and dream of a thing to come , sutable unto that wherein your glory now standeth ; but that will all fail , and those imaginations will be confounded , and dissolved into nothing , because they are centred in that which is out of the truth , christ , and so are without ground or bottome , and are out of that which should give you the sight and knowledge of god in your selves and his kingdom . christ when he taught them that followed him , exhorted them , that first of all they might seek the kingdom of god , even while they were in the body , mat. 6. & 36. the pharisees were gazing abroad in their earthly knowledge , although they had the scripture that declared of gods kingdome , yet they knew it not ; and this generation is the same who are in the same nature , and in the same wisdome which is earthly and litteral , and they are imagining as the jews were , and are loe here , and loe there , in this observation and the other , and look to see it there . nay , christ said , the kingdome of god is within you to the pharisees : and he bade them and others seek it first ; what strange doctrin was this might the pharisees say ; he saith the kingdome of god is within us , and yet bids us seek it : need we seek that which is in us may professors say ? yea , it 's like a pearl hid in the field ; it 's like a grain of mustard-seed among many great seeds , which is not easily found ; it 's like a piece of silver lost in the house among much rubbish , till that be swept away thou wilt not finde it ; thou must dig deep , sweep clean , search narrowly before thou find it ; although he said to the pharisees , the kingdome of god is within you , he did not say they were possessors of it , or that it was theirs ; but to the disciples whom he taught to pray in faith thy kingdome come , & they came to find it ; that which they prayed for , that pearl , that groat , that grain of mustard-seed which it was like ; & having found it and believed in it , he said unto them , matth. 5.3 . blessed are the poor in spirit , for theirs is the kingdome of god . and in luk. 6.20 . and he lift up his eyes on his disciples and said , blessed be ye poor , for yours is the kingdome of god . they had seen it , and were possessors of it , it was theirs . and christ said unto his disciples , there are some of your standing that shall not tast of death till ye see the kingdom of god come in power . and his words were fulfilled ; they declared what they had felt and seen ; and some of them say , the kingdome of god is not in w●rd , but in power . and paul to the romans writes , rom. ●4 . 17 . who was also made partakers of the same power and the same kingdom ; he spoke his knowledge of , and said , it 's not meat nor drinke , but righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy ghost . and the colossians who had waited for it , and believed in that through which it vvas revealed ; the apostle vvas in the same faith , colos. 1.12 . & 13. who hath made us meet partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light , who hath delivered us from the power of darknesse , and hath transformed us into the kingdome of his deare son : and those things vvere seen in the body , and vvitnessed in the body : and the apostle to the hebrews saith , he that believes is entred into the rest . and this and all these things vvas feeled vvithin by the seed immortal the birth immortal , and they that witness the birth immortal to live in them : one said , who hath made us joynt-heirs with christ who is the king of eternall glory , and they were joynt-heirs with him of the kingdome that fades not away , and all that ever comes to see the kingdome of god in the spirit , which is spiritual , must wait in the spirit , and in it's manifestation , that so god and his kingdome , and the things o● gods kingdome may be felt and seen and enjoyed in the spirit which is glorious . obj●ct . all this which thou hast spoken may som● say is the kingdome of grace ; and that we hold there is a two-fold kingdome , the one of grace here , the other of glory hereafter ; which none comes to enjoy glory , nor any part of it in this life , or in the body . answ. people hath long been blinded with confused distinctions about names ; and being full of imaginary thoughts and conceptions , have brought forth foolish and unlearned distinctions ; and that which god hath joyned together , they would separate : grace is glorious , and glory is gracious ; he that can receive it let him ; the kingdom of god , which was like a grain of mustard seed , afterwards it became a great tree ; the tree in its strength , and glory , and height , is more glorious then when it s in the seed , yet the seed and the tree is in nature , and quality , and kind , one ; if the kingdom be in dominion in purity , and power , and glory , is not here unity ? yet a greater measure , yet still the dominion is one , the power one , the glory one , and the thing one , wherein grace standeth and glory standeth , wherein the kingdom standeth ; grace is glorious , eph. 1.6 , 7. having predestinated us unto the adoption of children , to the praise and glory of his grace , wherein he hath made us accepted in beloved . in the fathers house there are many mansions , places in the kingdom of god , there are many heavenly places , and they that walked to the praise of his grace , came to sit also in heavenly places , eph. 2.6 through grace , salvation , through grace glory comes to be revealed in the earth , isa. 6 ▪ 3. the earth is full of his glory ; he that makes heaven and earth glorious , is glory it self , from whence grace and every degree of glory receives its being ; the least measure of gods strength and power is glorious , and to be gloried in , in the lord , by all that have seen it ; things might be declared which god hath revealed , which is not lawful for me now to utter ; for as one star differs from another in glory , yet all glorious , even so is it with the children of the resurrection , who are quickened and made alive , and raised from the dead , and fashioned like unto his glorious body , partakers of the glory of god , of his kingdom , of his power ; the power is his in which the kingdom stands , the kingdom his wher●in glory stands , the kingdom , power and glory stands all in him who is the glorious god , and the god of eternal glory , who is revealing his power , his kingdom , and his grace , and his glory , unto all that patiently wait upon him , in that which yet is as a grain of mustard-seed ; they will come to feel his presence , his power and glory revealed in their hearts , through the spirit , and injoy god in his kingdom , in his power , and in his glory , and through faith shall see the weight of glory , which god and father of our lord jesus christ will reveal unto all that patiently wait for his appearance , and in his appearance . obj. but some will cry out , grievous blasphemy and error ; what , i think you look for no other glory but in this life , nor for no other kingdom , but what you enjoy in this life ; thus i know dark spirits reasons . answ. the saints looked not after any other glory but that which stood in eternal life , and in the immortal life , and in the uncorruptible life , and the country they sought after , was that which god was the maker and the builder of , and they looked and waited to receive of his power in which the kingdom standeth , and did in this life ( i do not say the full weight of glory ) and to know and injoy , and to be made partakers of his eternal dominion and authority , is that which all his saints in measure witness , and in due time , came to injoy through faith ; for by faith they saw him who was invisible , and the things of his kingdom , which is invisible , spiritual and eternal ; but to speak of the carnal corruptible life in the flesh , who are dead while they live there , that life , neither the kingdom , nor the pow●r , nor the glory of god is revealed to them , not till after the death of that life , and till after the death of him who hath the power of death , which is the devil , which ruleth in the hearts of the children of disobedience , where all the mysterie of gods kingdom is hid from , from their eyes , and ever shall while in that state ; and so let the serpent be blind , and they that have an ear to hear , blessed is that ear , for the kingdom of god is come nigh unto many , and the salvation of god , and the power of his christ is seen by many , honour and praise unto him everlastingly , who is the onely potentate that puts down all authority under his feet , that god may be all in all , but first every one must come to feel in himself the kingdom , which is as a little grain , in himself , and in it believe , before any can come to know the kingdom , or wherein it consists , and after it be known in its measure , yet this is far short of glory in the fulness ; so many may come to be partakers of the power in some measure , yet this is far short of the eternal weight of glory ; he that believes is entred into the r●st , and made partakers of the heavenly gift , and of the heavenly power , and of the heavenly grace , which is glorious , and doth witness a heavenly place in christ jesus , and yet many enemies to be subdued , and much of the heavenly habitation , which they see not , which comes to be revealed as there is an abiding in the faith , which stands in gods power , in which the kingdom stands , the mysteries of god and of his kingdom , comes in due time to be revealed ; through death they come to be known , ( that is to say ) through the death of death ; for israel the true type , after they passed over jordan , and had taken jerico and ai● , and had made an entrance into the land , yet there was many enemies to be subdued , and much land and possessions , which they were not made partakers of long after , even so after there be of the true rest injoyed and possessed , and an entrance made into , yet there is many enemies to be subdued , and much of the heavenly inheritance to be injoyed by them that stand in the power which giveth domion over sin , the devil , hell and the grave , and they come to be made partakers of god , and so the enmity being slain , man comes to injoy god who is eternal life , and comes to receive the crown immortal , which god the eternal power & strength giveth in due time , to them that wait in patience and in faith , through which the immortal inheritance comes to be revealed to all the children of light . and so to conclude in few words , this i say unto all , who are longing after god , and waiting to feel his power , keep in your minds to the pure measure of gods holy spirit , and therein wait to see his kingdom , and his dominion , and to be made partakers of it , which brings the world to an end ; and will let you see to the end of it too , before it was , and him who is now glorified with the father in the kingdom of god , with the same glory he had with the father before the world began , and who so comes to the end of the world , and to the beginning again , comes to see him and his glory , and the kingdom of glory which fades not away , which who so comes to enjoy , are eternally happy . lond. the 16. of the 4. moneth , 1657. the end . a lamentation for the scattered tribes, who are exiled into captivity, and are now mingled among the heathen, and are joyned to the oppressor, and refuses to return. presented unto all the separated congregations, under what name or form soever, in love to the lost. shewing, the difference betwixt them that were separated by the word of faith, and them who have separated themselves, in imitation from the letter: ... / by a servant of truth, and a friend to righteousness, who suffers with the seed, which is held in oppression, waiting and labouring for its return; called francis howgill. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a86651 of text r204835 in the english short title catalog (thomason e885_1). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. 80 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 20 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo 2017 a86651 wing h3170 thomason e885_1 estc r204835 99864295 99864295 116522 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a86651) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 116522) images scanned from microfilm: (thomason tracts ; 133:e885[1]) a lamentation for the scattered tribes, who are exiled into captivity, and are now mingled among the heathen, and are joyned to the oppressor, and refuses to return. presented unto all the separated congregations, under what name or form soever, in love to the lost. shewing, the difference betwixt them that were separated by the word of faith, and them who have separated themselves, in imitation from the letter: ... / by a servant of truth, and a friend to righteousness, who suffers with the seed, which is held in oppression, waiting and labouring for its return; called francis howgill. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. [4], 20, 23-37, [1] p. printed for giles calvert, at the black-spread-eagle at the west end of pauls., london, : 1656. annotation on thomason copy: "aug: 5th". reproduction of the original in the british library. eng society of friends -doctrines -early works to 1800. a86651 r204835 (thomason e885_1). civilwar no a lamentation for the scattered tribes, who are exiled into captivity, and are now mingled among the heathen, and are joyned to the oppresso howgill, francis 1656 16305 78 0 0 0 0 0 48 d the rate of 48 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the d category of texts with between 35 and 100 defects per 10,000 words. 2007-05 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2007-06 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2007-07 jonathan blaney sampled and proofread 2007-07 jonathan blaney text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-02 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a lamentation for the scattered tribes , who are exiled into captivity , and are now mingled among the heathen , and are joyned to the oppressor , and refuses to return . presented unto all the separated congregations , under what name or form soever , in love to the lost . shewing , the difference betwixt them that were separated by the word of faith , and them who have separated themselves , in imitation from the letter : and how they differ both in doctrine , in matter , in form ; and so not the same with the churches of christ in the unity . the difference between the true and false ministery . the difference betwixt the faith which is feigned , and the saints faith . the difference betwixt true and false hope . a few words to the ministery in all sects , and to all the mingled people who dwell in the land of darkness , and are tossed up and down , and knows not where the power is which is of god , which gives victory . a few words for your information . thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee , and they have not discovered thine iniquity , to turn away thy captivity : but have seen for thee false burthens , and causes of banishment , lament. 2. 14. by a servant of truth , and a friend to righteousness , who suffers with the seed , which is held in oppression , waiting and labouring for its return ; called francis howgill . london , printed for giles calvert , at the black-spread-eagle at the west end of pauls . 1656. the contents . concerning the word of christ which the apostles and ministers preached , who had it in them revealed , which did gather them into one , that believed in it , and its effect and operation that it had . and the difference shewed betwixt that m●nistery , and the ministery of them that preach the letter for the word . the difference between them that were separated by the word , and them who have separated themselves . the difference shewn betwixt them that are taught of christ , and them that follow the principles of darkness , that leads into error . the difference betwixt the faith which is feigned , which is the worlds , and the saints faith . concerning hope ; and the difference betwixt true and false hope . true faith , how it s wrought , and what it is , and its operation . a word to all the ministers of the world , in all sects , and to all people in every sect. a few words to all you who put out the eye , through long accustoming unto sin , who are near utter darkness . with some information to them who are tossed , and findes no rest , nor knows not where the power of god is , that gives dominion over sin , the power declared , and the way to peace . to all you who profess the name of our lord jesus in words , and makes mention of his words , and of his ministers words , who had the everlasting gospel and the word of reconciliation ; and of those practises which the churches of christ had in their day committed unto them , after they were gathered out of the world , and had denied it and its nature , and were not conformable to it , but were changed in their inward man , & fruits of righteousness were brought forth , and they were as lights in the world , and did bear witness against the world , that they were evill ; and said they were of god , and had the witness in themselves , and were bold to say the whole world lay in wickedness . to you who are called separated churches and fellowships , under this or that name ; to you i write ; my soul pities you above the rest of the world ; and in love to those desires which was once among you , i write ; that so if it be possible you may come to see your selves and the foundation on which you stand , that those desires which was after god begotten , may not wholly be slayn , extinguished , and betrayed , through the subtiltie of the serpent , whose wayes are crooked , and whose subtiltie is great , to keep man under his power . this i have to say unto you : there was and is a zeale in you , but not according to knowledge : bear my words , and judge that in your selves which would be angry . there was that which shewed you the nationall way of worship under episcopacie and prelacy , and presbyterie ; which is one in the ground and nature that this was , the broad way , and not according to the mind of the lord ; neither was it according to precept , nor the practises of the churches of christ ; which is cleare from the scripture : now you seeing this was not according to christ , nor his ministers , nor the churches ; you began to separate from them into this or that body , under this or that name , as a body separate from the world and their worship ; because you found in the writings of that which is called the gospel , people be gathered out of the world : now your eyes being still without you , conformed to their practises , as you judged , both in matter and manner ; and practising those things which you read in the scripture that the churches practised , and so some zealous did go forth and gather people together in this or that forme : and here was your beginning ; and so here you set up your rest , that you walk according to the most exact patern that is visible or written : yet since this you do not agree , but are divided in your selves ; one sets up this , and another that thing , which you in your reason judge right . now many things i might write unto you , which you cannot bear ; but rather in love a few words , that you may see the vast difference betwixt your assemblies and churches , and the churches which you say is your example . and first of all , i will show in the ground how far you fall short : although it may be you may hate my instruction , yet i say , suffer me a little , for i am one who have obtained mercy , after a long and a sore travel , and tossed up and downe in great tempests , but at last entered into the everlasting rest , and do not desire to contend with you ; for out of debates carnal i am brought ; but rather in love to the honesty in you all , which is not of this world , i speake . first , they received power from on high , and commission given to preach the gospel to all nations . i speak of the ministers of christ ; and those things which they had heard , and seen , and felt , and tasted of , and had handled , of the word of life ; which life was manifest in them ; this they preached , and were sent to turne people from darkness to light , and from satan's power unto god's power ; and as many as received and believed the word which they preached , which was the word of faith ; and faith was begotten by the preaching of it , and they heard and learned of the word of life : fayth came by hearing that word : and this word which they preached unto them , was nigh them , in their mouth and in their heart , which as people turned to it , and received it , and believed ; so a change was wrought in the hearers of it ; and they were turned from dead workes unto the measure of the living god , and they separated from the temple , and left circumcision , and all those things of the first priesthood , which were commanded by god , and out of the worlds ways , fashion , custom , worships ; and came to see the worshipping in spirit and truth , was that worship god required ; and the ground of their separation was not from any literal command or precept ; for all that was written there , was flat against it ; but they which were ministers of christ , which had believed in him , preached him the substance , and the measure of him and of his grace which was in them unto whom they preached ; and this was the apostles witness in their hearts , unto which they did commend themselves in the sight of god , which is a great mystery ; and they are not ministers of the letter , but of the spirit . now in these few words before written ; with much more i could write , compare your ministry and your members gathered ; and you will see you differ in the ground in the first ; for your command you take from the letter , and so are ministers of the letter , and not of the spirit . 2. ye preach the letter for the word of faith ▪ which they did not , as is playne in their own writings , without adding . 3. them whom you gather , it s but into conformity to the letter , and to that which is visible : which all this may be done in the will of man , which is fallen from god ; and see if it be not so with you , both pastors and members , not witnesses of that word which they preached , which did beget faith in them that received it , and believed in it ; which faith was in them , wrought by the power of god , which gave them assurance , and their assurance was in them , and their hope in them , brought in , and wrought by the operation of the spirit : which the preaching of the letter , sound , or declaration only of that which was in them , never workes assurance , nor true faith , nor hope . and now consider where had your ground of the knowledge of god been , and your gospel , and your faith , and hope , if you had not had the letter . i speak not to upbraid you , but to the light of christ jesus i speake , which will let you see how far short you are , and that you must come backe againe to the first principle : and now you may see , if it had been the same word or command , it would have the same effects as it had , and change into it's own nature all that received it : now see what change is in you or not ; some of you , yea , many running back after the foot-steps of the priests , preaching for hire , and upholding the idols temple , if you can get into them , and in the costomes of the world ; nay , most of you not come to yea and nay in your communication , but one with the world in all or most of things , differ only in words and names ; and your gospel you have preached , hath nor begotten such a faith as was in them that had the gospel , not to respect persons ; nor none dare own cleansing from sin in the body , but calls that a delusion : but the word and faith which they preached and received , gave them victory over the world , sin and death ; and by it's power made them more then conquerors , and their hope purified their hearts : but you cannot believe that ever you shall be made free from sin , nor hath not hope in that , and therefore are ignorant of the body of christ you so much talk on , which made them clean and free from sin . secondly , your doctrine is the same with the world ; your hope , your faith , your justification is all at a distance grounded upon the report of christ dying at ierusalem , and of their report that knew him : and believing this , you call it faith , and so are one with the faith and hope which the world hath : for the report of christs righteousness , what he did suffer , and wrought in the saints , if this be the ground of salvation , then why have you separated from the world ? if you say ▪ because the world hath not right to the ordinances : i say , doth not faith in christ give interest to all his ordinances ? and if this be onely your faith ▪ the world hath as good an interest as you : so why do you separate from them ? and so you shall see the matter is the same with the world , of which your fellowships consists ; and the name of christ is a great mystery , which they were sent to baptize in ▪ who knew his name : his name is not letters and syllables , and using these ▪ this with the lips speaking over , is not to baptize into his name : and so , friends , in love i speak unto you : there was such as separated themselves , and were sensual , and had not the spirit ; and so there was no difference betwixt them and the world , for they are clouds without rayn ; appeared wells , but had no water in them ; seemed something , but were but a show . freinds , your foot-steps i know ; your ground i know , and your compass and your measure ; yet i shall not glory over you , nor boast my selfe against you ; but rather , to informe your minde , that you may not build upon a foundation which will moulder away : and now boast not your selves in your ordinances , as water , bread and wine , which is but elementarie , and was never but a signe ; and in the day of appearance of christ , the elements shall melt with fervent heat ; and while you stand here , and have confidence in these things , your sun will set in obscuritie , and you shall know the old heavens and earth will pass away with a noyse ; which when you come to know and heare , your hearts will fayle for fear : for this i say to the highest of you , if you build upon any thing , or have confidence in any thing which stands in time , and is on this side eternity , and the being of beings , your foundation will be swept away , and night will come upon you ; and all your gathered in things , and taken on , and imitated , will all fayle you . many more things i might write , time would fayle me to utter ; but these few among many , i have written , that you may compare your selves with the ministers of christ then ; and the gospel which they preached , which were separate from the world in the ground and nature : and if you see your selves in the light of christ in your consciences , not to be the same , neither in matter nor maner , let not a deceived heart lead you aside any longer . further , i say ▪ they were sent out for the gathering in of the saints , some apostles , some prophets , some pastors & teachers ; yet all was by the spirit . now if you denie the command of the spirit , or cannot witness it , but from the letter takes it up , and talks of , because the scripture speakes of it ; then you are not that ministry . again , this end was the ministry sent forth for , for the perfecting of the saints , which it did ; which not one of you dare own , not dare say your ministry shall , nor never did ; and so not the same , nor hath not the same operation ; and so is not the same faith nor word which they preached . and now to you who are called members in all separated societies , and yet in babylon and egypt spiritually so called , where the seed is held in captivity : i say , come forth of her , and returne to your maker , from whence you are erred , and cast off your garments of selfe-righteousness ; and those coverings you hid your selves under , must all be rent ; they will wax old : yea , your heaven shall wax old as a garment , and your stars will fall , and your towers will be demolished , and all your buildings will fall ; and your strength will fayle , and egypt cannot save you : why gad you abroad ? why trim you your selves with the saints words , when you are ignorant of the life ? return , return to him that is the first love , and the first-borne of every creature , who is the light of the world , which light will show you backe againe is the way from off the mountains of leanness and poverty , where you feed upon wind and huskes : and now returne home to within , sweep your houses all ; the groat is there ; the little leaven is there ; the graine of mustard-seed you will see , which the kingdom of god is like : and you will see from whence you have erred from the true shepherd christ the light of the world , who hath enlightened you with his light , which light will show you sin , and let you see what rules in the mind and heart : which light will let you see the way out of the world , and will judge sin in you and bind it , and give you power over it ; & this is the true shepherd : and if you say you love him , manifest your love unto him , by following his light revealed in you , which leads into the true separation from sin unto the lord , to see his presence neer you , who will guide you with his eye : the light is the eye of the body : and here you will see your teacher not removed into a corner , but present when you are upon your beds , and about your labor ; convincing , instructing , leading , correcting , judging , & giving peace to all that love and follow him . therefore , haste i say ; come away , while the lord is near and at hand , while his grace shines with you : and he waits , and hath waited long to be gratious ; and you have kept him out so long , his lockes is bedewed with the drops of the night : his spirit shall not always strive , that that checks and strives against sin , is it : in love follow it ; let it lye in your bosome day and night ; make it your companion . i pitie you , i pitie you ; my bowells is troubled for you ; i am payned for the seeds sake : therefore all sleight not this love , quench not the spirit ; put not that which reproves sin away ; owne it , that sin may be seene , and the man of sin may be revealed by the brightness of christ , whose coming is as the light shines from east into the west , discovers all darke pathes , and the twining of the serpent , and the crooked wayes of the old dragon , by this light : and thus if you wait , you will see the day revealed in you which the scripture speaks of , which shall declare all things , and make manifest the hidden things of esau , who hunts abroad , and is a man of the field ; whose minde is a broad . and you whose mindes are a broad , hunting after savory meat , to please the flesh withall ▪ you are of his birth ; you will be laid wast , and the mount in which you dwelt . therefore all prize your time , and your visitation ; if you will returne , come , that he may heale your backsliding , and receive you : if you resist the light , misery will be your end , and you will lie down in sorrow . this have i written in love to all your soules , who am one who did drinke of the cup of fornication , and have drunke of the cup of indignation , but now drinkes the cup of salvation , where sorrow and tears is fled away : and yet am a man of sorrows , and well acquainted with griefe , and suffers with the seed , and travels , that it may be brought forth of captivity ; called by the world f. h. the difference shewn betwixt them that learne of christ , and are taught of him , and them that follows the principal of darkness , that leads into error . he that stumbles at the light , stumbles at the door , and his minde is erred from the truth , and he followes his owe will , and walks after the imaginations of his own heart , without a law or a guide to his feet ; and so falls into snares and temptations ; and into the noison lusts , which doth hurt and annoy the spirit of grace , which should lead and guide man up to god , out of the fall and transgression . he that sees not with the light ▪ he is blind ; for the light is the eye of the body , and makes manifest the light of the body , which cleanseth from sin , and leads to the body , where christ is the head , where the unitie stands in one ▪ by which all comes to be united , by one ▪ who is the light and life of men , and comes to the one baptism ; and all who waits in the light that is pure , comes to know the name of the father and the son , which is one : and here is the one baptisme seen and received ; and all that comes to be baptized into his name , comes to be baptized into his nature ; and comes to see the word which was in the begininng ; and there is no other name but the word which sanctifies and washes : so all that knows not this baptism , nor this word , nor this name ; knows not salvation from sin ▪ but lives in the reasonings and imaginations , and knows not that water which is the gift of christ , nor the spirit which is given to every one to profit withall ; of which a man must be born of , else he cannot enter into the kingdom of god ; and all who denies the light wherewith christ hath enlightened every one withal , denies the gift of god , which leads to repentance ; and so lives in sin . repentance is the gift of god ; and this is the gift of the father which was promised , the light of the world ; and all that receives not and believe not in the light , they are in the old nature ; and he that is not born of the light , is not born of god ; for god is light : he that is not born of the light , knowes not the virgins womb , where the man-childe is borne and conceived ; nor the day of christ , nor cannot discerne his coming , but lookes for signes and outward observations ; lo here , and there , in the outward ; and are in the unbeliefe ; nor discernes not the kingdom where christ reignes , which is not of this world : all things that are outward , are of this world ; and who live in them , and have their hearts exercised in them ▪ knows not that which leads to before the world ▪ and to the end of the world ; and knows not the true and faithfull witness , the beginning of the creation of god : and all that waits in the light , waits not in the grace of god , but waits in that which turnes the grace into wantonness : there christ suffers , and is denied , and another is owned and learned of , and another teacher : and where the grace of god is not taught and learned of , ungodlyness is not denied , but ungodlyness is denied : where the grace teacheth , and where another thing is hearkened unto and learned of , that which is not like god ▪ is learned , and deceipt is brought forth , and the childe of fornication , which must not inherit : and all who learne of this nature , they are blind , and ignorant of the will of god , and so knows not the doctrine of christ , but their eyes is without in the world , where the false prophets are gone out into the world ; and there is the errors , and the sects , and the judgments , which are many , and the opinions which are out of the unitie , and their vaine imaginations , and vaine thoughts lodges in the heart ; and there the light of christ is not known , but the woman speakes , which ought to learn in silence , who was first in the transgression . and all you that put the letter for the light , are blind ▪ and calls it the word and the gospel : you are not knowing the scripture , nor the power of god ; for the word of god is the power of god , which is immortal and eternal , and all that which is visible stands in time , and cannot lead to know him which was before time , in the beginning : and so all you who are in your earthly carnal minds , imagining a rule without you , and a word without you , you have not learned of him who is entered with the veil : you are hunting upon the wild mountains and forests , and knows not the voyce of the true shepherd , who saith ▪ learn of me ; whose word is nigh thee , in thy mouth and in thy heart : and thou that hath not hearkned unto this , a separation thou never didst see , but darkness is upon the face of the deep ; and the word of god is not known , by which the heavens and the earth was made , and all things therein are upholden by the word of his power ; which word of power is seen by them whose mindes are turned within ; and there the thoughts and intents of the heart is by it discerned , and seen ; which word is quick and powerful , and discernes the secrets of mans heart ; and is as a hammer , to break the rocks and the hard hearts : and this is immediate and eternal : and all who knows not this , your carnal minde stands wholly in your , and your hard hearts is unbroken ; and the mountaines is unlevelled , and you walke in the crooked ways of the old serpent , in subtiltie and deceipt , and stands covered before the lord ; and the straight paths of righteousness you have not known . therefore awake out of deceipt and security , all sorts of people , where you have been making your rest in the lap of the adulterer , and have drunken of the wine of fornication , and of the old drags of unrighteousness , whereby the whole man is in flamed , and the whole course of nature is set on the fire of hell : and filth and abomination lodges in the heart : and you talke of the word of god , and of the law of god , and of the new covenant , and yet never see any thing in you which you can own to guide you , which is contrary to your wills , which is the will of god . all sorts of professors , whether presbyters , independents , bapists , or of what name soever you are called by , who sayes you are separated ; let me ask this : what are you separated from , and what separated you ? if you deny the sufficiency of the spirits teaching alone , and it to be the rule and alone guide unto god , who is separated from sinners , and behold them a far off : i say , you who cannot own that which shews you your vain minds , and vain thoughts , and that discerns the thoughts ; if you cannot own this , the word of god you never knew , nor the law written in your hearts , nor the word of separation ; and all are in your imaginations and vain conceivings ▪ in your fleshly minds ▪ here and there setting up an image raised from a dead letter , and founded on your earthly imaginations , and they stands in the vallies of vain hopes ; and there is no life in nothing you worship and set up , neither sight nor hearing ; and every one of you worship a dead thing , and that which makes not the comers thereunto perfect ; but you are all pleading for imperfection and sin in the body , and all joyne together to oppose the life and power of god which the saints ought to press after : and they that stand in the counsel doth obtain victory , and witness of his righteousness which is perfect . are you not many of you turning into the old bishops , road , who would tie all unto their idols temple , or parish-church so called ; and are not you many of you going about to stop all from hearing any but you , under payn of excommunication ? oh the gross darkness you are led in , and the wilful blindness , who have taken up your rest in that which is carnal and without , where all the hypocrites may come : verily i say unto you , your rest will be but as the leaning upon a bowed wall , or as a reed of egypt ; for the ground of iniquitie stands whole , and the whole body of darkness is not removed ; the earth is whole ; the fallow ground is not plowed up ; thornes , and briers , and fruitless trees which cumbers the ground of the lord , is not cut down ; and so the works of condemnation you are none of you brought from under , but selfe stands , and your wills is alive , which is at enmitie against god : only talking of a christ at a distance ▪ and his righteousness as far from you as betwixt earth and heaven : and here is your justification , applying this unto your selves , while you are disobedient to the grace of god in you , this is your fayth and your rest ▪ and this fayth all the world hath and this hope ; but this fayth cannot justifie , nor not one of you hath assurance who hath but this ; who doth not witness gods righteousness brought forth in you , which is wrought by the word of fayth , which is incorruptible , which justifies , and gives assurance , and is witnessed through the death of the cross . and therefore i cannot forbear but to declare your ignorance ▪ and shew you your deceipt you ly in , and your ragged veiles you hide your selves under : for i know your peace you have , is that which will not last ; and therefore be not secure and careless , nor obstinate , but lay down your crowns at his feet , and come out of your ease and rest , and fleshly exaltation , puffed up by the wisdom of the flesh : and that which you have gathered in , and not witnesses of the same wrought in you , all for the fire : yet a little while , and time shall be no longer , for the end of time shall come upon all your strength : and all your rest in the flesh , and ease in your beds that you have made , shall be taken away : you have slayn those desires in you which was once after god , and now follows the pleasures of the flesh , and have set up such a worship over every one of you ▪ as you can live at ease , and in pleasures , and in pride and vain-glory , and covetousness ; and are men-pleasers , and respecters of persons ; and yet your justification stands sure , and your fayth which you hold ; and this fayth is reprobate , which leads into the works of darkness : oh you are high , you are strong warriors for the prince of darkness , and greater opposers of the power of the lord , then they that have professed lesse , who are gone before : verily , this is fulfilled in this generation : publicans and harlots enter the kingdom , and comes to fit down with abraham , isaac and iacob , and you are shut out . will he accept you for your words ? will he accept you because you eat his bread and drink his wine ? and one of you is hungry , and another company of you plead that your communion must now be as much wine as you can drink ; and this is gods ordinance , you say . oh ye blind and slow of heart to believe ! is not parphar , and damascus and jordan , and all the water his , and the cattel upon a thousand hills ? is he beholding to thee for thy lame and blind sacrifice ? will he accept you for these things , while your wills stands , and while you hate to be guided by his light and spirit , which cleanseth the inside ? shall i not say as paul sayd of circumcision , it 's neither baptisme , or not being baptized ; it 's neither breaking of bread , nor drinking of wine , neither your observances and washings ; your prayers nor your fasts ; your feigned communion and fellowship ▪ but a new creature that god requires : not outward washings , nor things carnal , which none of these things makes perfect as pertaining to the conscience , nor the coming unto these , doth not purifie nor make the answer of a good conscience : while you do not witness that which makes you partakers of the divine nature , you have no fellowship with the father nor the son , but only sacrifice to your nets , and feed upon ashes , and would take those things which was but figures , to oppose the substance ▪ as the jews did ; and never looks for him to be revealed in you , who is the end of the figures , and the end of the law for righteousness , and the end of the prophets , who now is not worshipped in the oldness of the letter , nor in figures , but in newness of spirit , and in the new and living way which he hath consecrated for all them that come to him , and believe in him , and comes to within the veile : heb. 10. 20. nay , these things which you call ordinances , as you practise them , are not so much as the image of heavenly things ; and though you come to them year by year , and weeke by weeke , they do not make you that are comers thereunto perfect : for if they did , then there were a necessity for the continuance of them . but now to that of god in all your consciences i speak , which shall witness in the day of the lord , that your consciences are no more purified , nor you made any more perfect , then the first day you took them up . and this i say unto you in love to your soules , i know no more of the power and presence you do witness among you in these things , then if you worshipped in the temple at jerusalem , and burned incense , and offered sacrifice and burnt-offerings , which christ sayd was left unto them desolate : and verily in the day of the lords account , you shall bear witness unto me , that i speak not in mine own name , although you cannot believe : i say , the lord is departed out of these things , and the gentiles and heathen , who knows not god , hath now all these things to tread upon , and all also to feed upon : but this i say unto you , sacrifices and offerings without , which are carnal and elementary , and perishes with the using , he will not have : but he is come , whose flesh is the life of the saints , and his body is known which is prepared to take away sin : and it was witnessed of him ▪ and he is come to do the will of god : and this is he in whom the father is well pleased , who is the light of the world , and hath enlightned every one that comes into the world : and whoso is not led by the light , he is not led by the son ▪ and there is no offering but in the light that is accepted , nor nothing which is well pleasing to god ▪ but what he now commands , who is entered to within the veil , into the heavenly tabernacle : and you whose hearts the veile is over , and flesh is over , unturned to him you are ; and his face doth not see , nor his mind doth not know ; and now his worship is no more outward and carnal , but spirituall and everlasting : and all you that cannot own the measure of god in you , which shews you his teachings and doctrine , the offering up of that which is perfect , you do not know , nor the offering up in and by the eternal spirit you do not know ; and so doth not know purging away sin ; but still you are checked and condemned in your selves , notwithstanding your large phylacteries and long garments of self-righteousness ; and selfe taken in performance in your wills , from imitation ; yet all of you confess the guilt must remain : because none of you are come from under condemnation , therefore you judge all is so . ah ah , miserable redemption and justification is this ! what redemption is wrought among you ▪ when the light in your own consciences shews there is guilt ; and you are under the power of pride , and covetousness , and envy , and wrath , rayling and slandering them that bears witness against your deceipt ; and hath not power over your tongues , nor over your thoughts ; but are led captive by him that workes unrighteousness : nay , so ignorant are you , most of you , that you know not what it is that is in captivitie , and what it is that wants redemption , nor what it is which the gospel is preached to : and puritie of spirit you do not know . verily i say unto you all , whose minds are not turned to the light of christ , which will let you see , notwithstanding all your righteousness and fulness , which you judge you have attained to there is one thing you lack yet ▪ you that hath keeped all the commands in the letter , which few of you have done , you must sell all , and give to the poore : and yet before you witness a disciple of christ , you must take up the cross of christ which you all stumble at , and it is foolishness to you , as it was to your generation , who were in your nature who sought to be justified by the works without them ; and even you are the same ▪ looks that god accepts you , because you have conformed to the outward part of the law , or scripture : and if that will not do , then you looke to be justified by the righteousness of one you have heard of without you : and even then , when you your selves are found sinners , and so would make christ a minister of sin . how long will you speake these things , and how long shall the words of your mouth be as a strong wind ? doth god pervert judgment , or doth the almightie pervert justice ? job . 8. 2 , 3. shall not he that sins dye ? and is not he that commits sin , of the devil ? doth god justifie him that 's of the devil ? nay ▪ he shall condemn him : the gospel is not preached to that seed , but the day of vengeance , and tribulation and wrath upon every one that doth evill : and whom he condemns , he justifies not ; and whom he redeems , he redeems out of sin , and creates them that they may walk to the praise and glory of his grace : them that praises grace , and glorifies grace , walks in it , and are under it , and it hath dominion over ; and their ungodlyness and worldly lusts is denyed ▪ and holyness and righteousness is brought forth , and the image of god is restored . oh how long shall death talke of the fame of wisdom ! how long shall a deceived heart lead you aside ! how long will ye be blind , how long will ye hearken to your imaginations ! is any redeemed out of sin ? where sin rules , and where it is acted , grace reigns not : is not this the grace of god which condemns mans will , and selfe , and the lusts of the flesh ? and you that are in your wills , and selfe in every thing standing , doth not the grace condemn you ? how then , or by what are ye justified ? but this hath been a piece of your divinity , when that in your consciences condemned you , looking up to christ justified at a distance . oh you vayn minds ▪ is not the light of christ one with christ ? is christ divided from his spirit , or against himself , or in himself ? when that his light condemns , and his spirit reproves thee for sin , doth he justifie ? doth not his spirit bear witness in the spirits of them that are sanctified ? and is not this the spirit which convinceth for sin ? and as thou actest sin , it reproves thee , and bears witness against thee ; then how should it bear witness to thee ? and so you may see , all of you who tells of justification by faith , that you are in a dreame , and not in the faith that justifies : for he that is justified by faith which is true , he hath the witness in himselfe : now if thou be reproved in thy selfe for sin by the light of christ , where is thy witness in thy selfe ? shew it . for them that are saved by grace , and justified by faith , selfe and self-will , and the lusts of the flesh , and disobedience to the grace of god , is judged and condemned , and selfe-righteousness , titus 3. 5. 6 , not by works of righteousness that we have done , but according to his mercy he saved us , by the washing of regeneration , and renewing of the holy ghost . ephes. 2. 8 , by grace are ye saved , through faith , and that not of your selves ; it 's the gift of god : and them that receives , and believes in the gift of god , are justified : and grace is the gift of god , which teacheth to deny ungodlyness : and them that are taught by this , it teacheth and leadeth out of all sin , and so redemption from sin is witnessed , and justification is witnessed ; and the gift of god which is the spirit of promise , seales the assurance in the heart : but where sin is committed , grace raignes not through righteousness : and thou that art here , art under the law , and under wrath and condemnation ; and art not under grace that justifies through faith : and so your cover being taken off , see your shame all , and blush and repent . the difference betwixt the faith which is feigned which is the worlds , and the saints faith . now your faith which leads you not to believe that you can ever be freed from sin , this faith is reprobate , and brings forth no good works , but dead works , and is not the life of the just , but the life of the unjust , which leads not to overcome the evil , and the works of the devil , nor leads not into the rest which is in god : for you speake your own words , and thinke your own thoughts , and hath not ceased from your own workes ; but worships in your wills , acts in your wills , speaks in your wills , and are your own , and doth not see an overcoming of sia , but a growing into it , into deceit more and more , and looking all is done for you ; and you believe christ hath done all , and hath fulfilled the law for you , and yet doth witness nothing done in you , nor the law fulfilled in you , nor sin destroyed in you ; and yet you say you lay hold upon the righteousness of christ by faith . o what righteousness is that you lay hold of , which is imperfect , and leads not out of imperfection ? that is not true faith that lays hold on a righteousness which is imperfect : and all of you say , all that is in you there is defects and imperfections in it , yea even the graces and gifts of god , you say they are imperfect : then consider , if you see imperfection in all those things you have laid hold on , and have received , then you know not faith , nor grace , nor the gift of god , which is perfect ; but believes in a dream of a thing done , and an apprehension of a thing at a distance without you : imagining you are eating , but when you awake you are hungry ; imagining you are saved , but when you enter into your hearts , see nothing witnessed , nothing done , nor redeemed from nothing ; your faith and hope stands in works , and that is all ; preaching the letter over , and proving that which is proved , and was proved in them that witnessed the life of those things in them that are written : but nothing is proved in you , but applies their righteousness , which was the righteousness of faith , and of christ , which was in them , wrought through death , to you that are alive in sin , and lust and pride , and enmity , and malice , and deceit ; yea , even to the head of the serpent , and so would be covered in your in quity , and saved from guilt and condemnation and wrath : but to be clensed from sin you regard not : for if you own that word , and faith , and hope which is of god , it will slay and kill that life for ever , and destroy all your wisdom which stands in the earthly nature : and therefore i say unto you repent , and cease from your way ▪ from your vain conceivings , and all be uncovered ; and you will see the first principle you have to learn : so all your faith which is out of the light , is seen , which you gather in from the letter , and not wrought in the light , it leads not out of the world , nor to above the world : but all who have faith , works in the light ; and mortification , and sanctification , and holyness is brought forth , in purity , uprighteousness , meekness , temperance , patience , and the fruits of righteousness : for it is not dead ; but the just man lives by it , and his works appeares in the world , and is as a light ; but your faith which is dead , talks of it : and when you are viewed in the light , no fruits of righteousness grow in you ; your hope and faith is vain , and it will not save you from condemnation in the day of the lord : and because you finde written in the scriptures , that by the deedes of the law no flesh can be justified , therefore you would exclude the worke of grace , and the righteousness of faith , and the life of christ , which brings forth fruits , and all faith is dead without works : for as the body lives not , but it moves and acts , no more is faith living , except it move : and so you whose faith stands in words , and in things taken on in the fallen wisdom which you read without you , that faith is reprobate unto every good work , and is vain : for the living is not witnessed , nor the dead raised in you to life , nor the lost sheep found , nor that which hath been driven away brought back ; but the earth yet closeth the blood , and the earth in you covers the slain , and the grave you see not opened , nor the dead raised incorruptible : and so you are unchanged , but the corruptible lives , and the mortal , and draws you after it , and is exalted , and the head not known , who is the life of men , nor exalted : and so he draws you ▪ not nor leads you not ; but you are led by your own wills , and another girds you not nor the gird of strength is not at all known but in words : and so the old man is alive uncrucified with his deeds : but his deeds are brought forth ; and so by your fruits you are known . concerning hope ; and the difference betwixt true and false hope . and to all sorts of professors i shall clear my conscience to you all , and finish my testimony , that i may dwell in peace with the lord , who hath commanded me to bear witness to his name ▪ and his love also constrains me ; and in love to the seed of israel , who are bone of my bone , and flesh of my flesh ; who are of the true circumcision , that they may come out of captivitie from among the lying inchanters , and sorcerers , and diviners , where they have been long held captive , and the heritage of the lord laid waste : and therefore you whose hope is without you it 's vain , whose hope stands without , in these things which are weak , as the apostle said of the law , which made nothing persect , because of the weakness and unprofitableness of it , which stood in washings ; and signes of the true tabernacle they were , yet they did not make perfect : so i say unto you , your bread , and wine , and water , which were figures of a more heavenly thing , they do make nothing perfect , but the bringing in of a better hope ▪ heb. 7. 18 , 19. and so while you have hope in any thing without you , you stand in that which is imperfect ; and contends about that , but looks not for the hope to be brought in , by which you might draw near unto god , christ the hope , the light : and while this you own not , to lead you , the light , you cannot draw near unto god , but he will slay you , and kill you notwithstanding all your words : and all that walks in the light , comes to see the hope brought in ; and this hope purifies the heart , as christ is pure : and then by it and through it there is a drawing near unto god , and an access to him with boldness : for where the lively hope is ▪ there is no guilt ; then there is boldness : and so you whose hope is in words without , and not in you , you forget god ; all that forgets the light ▪ forgets god : your hope is the hope of the hypocrite , which shall perish ; whose hope shall be cut off as a spiders web , job . 8. 14 , and all your hope which doth not purifie the heart , and give you victory over sin dayly ▪ is the hope of the wicked , job . 11 , 20 ▪ but the eyes of the wicked shall faile , and they shall not escape , and their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost . true faith how it is wrought ; and what it is in it 's effects and operations . now concerning faith , it is begotten in the heart of man , by preaching of the eternal word ; which word is nigh , in the mouth , and in the heart ; and all that comes to hearken to the word which is pure , and receive it , and believe in it , comes to see faith revealed , by which they draw near unto god ; and this is begotten by the word of faith , which is the word of christ ; which word is spirit and life to all that receive it ; and by it is the mountains removed , and sin overcome ▪ and victory witnessed over sin , mat. 17. 20. and this faith is pure , and leads into purity ; it is the gift of god , and leads all towards god that hath it : and it is perfect ; and all that stands in it , comes to have the will of god perfected in them , and that which is imperfect , comes to be done away ; and the just lives by it ▪ heb. 2. 4. and in it , and by it , and through it , is the righteousness of god revealed from faith to faith , rom. 1. 17. and all that do witness the birth which is from above , which is borne of god , which sins not ; faith is the life of this birth , which is just ; and the son of god lives by it , who doth the will of god ; as it is written ; the life that i now live , is by the faith of the son of god : and all who hath it , and believes in this , shall never die : for by it is translation witnessed from sin and death , and condemnation , into the immortal life ; and by it is gods righteousness revealed ; and well pleased is he with all who walk in it ; and where this is not , his wrath and displeasure arises : and all who stands in the least measure of it , is perfect , and comes to be free from sin ; for it brings and reveales the righteousness of god ; which justifies , sanctifies , and mortifies ; even the righteousness of god which takes away sin , and purges the heart from all filthyness both of flesh and spirit : and thus remission of sins comes to be witnessed ▪ and man justified by the righteousness of christ ▪ which is the righteousness of faith , wrought in the creature by the eternal spirit and word , which is one : and thus assurance comes to be made manifest : for it bears witness , and is the true evidence of the everlasting substance which is brought in ; and sin , and self , and all iniquity comes to be seen and revealed , judged and condemned , and cast out ; and gods righteousness comes to be the life of a believer , even the life of christ , which is immortal ; by which man comes to be redeemed and purchased unto god , and not his own , but becomes servant to him , and obedient to him ; whose life is given and laid down , and revealed to redeem his own seed : and all that come to see this , comes to prize his love , and walkes in his fear , and hath the shield of faith , by which they are defended from the enemie of their souls , and his temptations are resisted , and the fiery darts quenched : and so the enemies comes to be subdued : and this faith is present power against all sin ; and all that keep in it , out of doubts and distrusts , and consultations , and murmurings , come to be preserved : and all that hath this faith , doth believe the overcoming of all sin , and walk from faith to faith ; and they are daily renewed in the lords strength , and comes to have victory , as they keep in it , and so remains in the true rest with god for ever , which none that lives in sin shall ever come to attain unto . a word to all the ministers of the world , in all opinions and sects : and to all yourpeople in every sect. the lord is risen in his glory , and is arising in his power , to tread down the mountaines : all nations make way , make way , and all ye isles be removed , all ye high walls fall down , and all ye strong towers be rent asunder : all ye strong gates flie open ; ye fenced cities fall ; ye mighty men of valour bow ; your hands shall grow feeble , you mighty warriours for the prince of darknesse : a day of sore distress is coming upon you : the princes of tyre shall no more rejoyce ; ye dukes of edom shall fall by the edge of his sword ; ye daughters of the philistins shall no more rejoyce , nor ye daughters of moab ▪ who have been at ease from your youth , shall no more take pleasure in your delicacies ; for the earth is growing thin and feeble , where all your renowne and glory lay ; the root is cursed , from whence your joy hath sprung : god is risen , and blasting all with the breath of his mouth , and darkness shall cover all your pavilions ; and leanness shall cover your faces ; who have rejoyced at the captivitie of the holy seed ; for now is he arising , as a giant that runs his course , and shall tread down the earth , and blast all its glory ; and will fan the nations ; and all the uncircumcized in heart shall be as chaff , for now is the lord bringing his determination upon the whole earth , to cut down all the gods of gold and silver , and spoyle all your pleasant pictures and images which stand in the earth , which you have worshipped in your hearts ; yea the lord of life hath a sacrifice in babylon to performe , to confound her languages which is many , and to slay all her children , in the place where they have slaine the seed of the free-borne . woe is me ; what will become of ye ▪ ye shepherds who have nourished people into the nature of swine , and led into the nature of dogs , and hath driven away the sheep from the fold ; and hath begotten nothing but subtilty and deceit in peoples mindes ; hath made them wise to do evil , and subtil to deceive , and causing to turne away from righteousness ; yea many of their eares you have bored , and they have sold themselves to be bond-slaves unto you , and to their lusts for ever : a wofull reckoning will you make , to the lord of heaven and earth , who is coming to take an account of all , what they have done and brought , and what sheep they have gathered in : the bill is drawne against you all , you hirelings ; the cup of vengeance will be your reward ; not one lamb have you brought in the bosome of the father , nor one sheep into the fold ; but hath scattered them : so that by deceiving them so long with your strange voyce , they have forgot the true shepherds voyce ▪ for into a wolfes nature you have nourished them , and they are become wild ▪ and now loves no fold , no bond nor limit ; but loves to lie downe with you upon the mountains of iniquity , pride , lust , and deceit ; where all the wild beasts of the field play : and they are all gone out of the way , into the crooked paths of unrighteousness ; and they follow your example who leads them ▪ and this will be proved against you all shepherds who are idle , who loves the fleece , and feeds upon the fat , and seekes for your gaine from your quarter : the blood of soules will be your charge ; guilty will you all be found ; your mouthes stopped : the light in your consciences shall be the lords witness , bound will you be , and cast into utter darkness . and you that have set up your selves to be teachers , who pretends separation from the world ; who have run in your wills , and have gathered to worship an image with a more beautifull face ▪ you are strong , you are fat ; you shine ▪ you are full ; you appeare as oracles ▪ at which them that seeks after knowledge , seekes unto ; you are painted over with names and colours , and appeares of a comelie hue : your cup is golden and beautiful to behold , to the earthly wisdom , and desirable to drinke of ; yea many have drunke of it ▪ and are drinking of it , and they come to grow tall , and as strong as horses in battel , and as rampant as lions , and as behemoth , who thinkes he can drinke iordan drie . but one thing you have left behind you , and that is the cross of christ , which is the power of god : now is the lord coming to fan you , and to weigh you , how you came hither , to tell of justification , and of being saved by the righteousness of chist , when you will not owne the simplicity of the gospel ; nor the meeke principle to giude you into the lambes nature : your flocke is not so speckled as the former , and yet they feed in the same pasture , where knowledge , the tree of knowledge is the food ; which nourishes them into a strange nature , and turnes them farther into degeneration . woe is me for you all , who are leaders , and you who are thus led ; upon the left hand among the goats you will be turned , who hates the still small voyce ; that you cannot abide to hear in you : therefore you are erred for lack of true knowledg , and you shall goe into captivity with them that go into captivity : for you have lost the key of knowledge , and you are setting up , and seeking to open , with another thing then the key of david ; but you must either have that ▪ or else , where the saints life is , you cannot come , although you are reaching at it with your sensuall wisdome ; but farther it flies from you . oh when will you be weary of feeding upon ashes ; of winde and air , which puffs up your fleshly mindes ! when will ye seriously consider , what ye enjoy of god , and what you possess of him ? are you not lost in your selves , in and about that which you acount great part of obedience unto your god ? are not some of you who are called baptized persons , differing about the form ? some baptizing into this , some into that ? some sprinkling , some dipping , some plunging : where is your example for these things ? nay , do not the most of you conclude no salvation without it , although in words , some of you will denie it ? and as for that you call your supper and communion , which is but carnal and earthly , you have none of you the forme ; one of you is for eating before supper , another after supper , another for as much bread and wine as you can eat and drinke ; and so your god is your bellie , and you mind earthly things : and in stead of remembring of christs death , you crucifie him afresh , one with lust , another with envie , another with pride ; and so in stead of coming to the table of the lord , you feed at the table of devils ; and nourish the flesh , and deceit and uncleanness : and as jannes and jambres resisted moses by making likenesses ; so do you resist the spirit of the lord , because it comes not according to your carnal will , nor your vaine conceptions : and so deceit leads you all , and the cross of christ you know not ; and those things you have formerly declared against you now take up : some pretends sending out to preach ▪ & takes tythes , others crying out against them in words , and yet upholds them , and payes to the priests whom you say is not ministers of christ ; and so waste the lords , goods to uphold deceit ; and betray the just in your selves ; and not one of you will suffer for that you judge your principal ; and now you begin to creep into the idolstemples , and worship there , and seekes to the powers of the earth to uphold you : and one of you preaching up free-will ather downe , another an election of persons , and yet you never knew true faith which is without respect of persons : another company of you ▪ dreaming of a personal raign in your carnal imaginations , and judges just such a god and a christ as your selves , that you may live in pride and lust , and filthy and earthly mindedness , and envie ; and yet talke of raigning with him : but of being baptized into his death , you know nothing , nor suffering with him you know nothing of , nor of bearing his reproach dayly nor of suffering the spoyling of all : and denying all for him , this you are strangers to ; and you that tell of exercising your gifts , you have no gift but acquired by long raking in the letter , and the exercise of your carnal wit and knowledg in contention and strife : you have treasured up a great deale of stuff in the earthly memory ; and this you call a gift of the spirit ; and such a one you make a pastor or an apostle on , and he begets into his image ; but still in the curse , and makes proselytes in the same likeness ; leads into sorts and opinions from the true gift of god ; for who hath a gift , it exercises him first , and then he declares unto others of those things which the gift of god hath wrought in him : and he that knowes the gift of god , is led out of his own way , will , and time , into his will from whence it comes : and here is the ministrie christ alwayes blessed ; not in their owne wills , but in his will , and this wrought a reall change in people , from satan's power unto god's power ▪ and so in all your separation , self shines in all you have : not the forme , much less the power . another sort tells of a power to come , and of a greater glory to be revealed , and a more glorious ministrie then hath been yet ; yet your eyes is without , and the glory you looke at , is in great words ; and your expectation will fayle : for you neglect the present measure of christs gift that leads to repentance , and that you are got above , and this is too low a thing for you ▪ you judge because you heard of this , and talked of it ▪ therefore you are past this ; but i shall say unto you all adulterers and adulteresses , come down from off your mountaine of exaltation exalted above the door and the cross : and you that are here , are thieves and robbers ; your mindes is without , feeding upon the tree of knowledge and imitating : the best of you , in your fallen wisdom , and your foundation , is but upon report , as the vagabond jewes were ; in the name of jesus that paul preached , they would cast out unclean spirits ; and they were sorcerers : and what are you now , who only preaches of christ that paul and peter and john , in the name of that jesus they declared of , and his righteousness they spoke of ; but knows not his name in you , or his power , nor his righteousness , but in tradition , imitation , and conforming in the earthly will : here is all your worship , all of you calling the letter the light , the word the gospel ; nay some of you so impudent as to call it spirit and life : and so now you are made manifest and seen ; and your god , and worship , and all your profession , is tryed by the light , is seen , comprehended and weighed , and judged with the light ; and all this will be too narrow to cover you in the day of the lord , which is coming as a thief upon all the world , who make mention of the name of the lord but not in righteousness : & therefore strip you , make you bare , be uncovered , cast off your old ragged covers which will rust and wax old ; and mind the first principle , the light that shews you evil , and own it , to lead you , and guide you out of sin , or else i testifie unto you , you shall die in your sins ; and wrath eternal will be your portion , except you repent and cease from your vain thoughts and words , and wait to see the law of god revealed in your hearts , that may shew you sin , and condemn this nature in the transgression , and doe it away , and slay you , and quicken another thing which is dead in trespasses and in sins : and while you sin , the image of god is dead , and christ suffers : so while you have time , prize it . f. h. to all you who put out the eye , through long accustoming unto sin ; who are near utter darkness . and you mingled people of babylon and egypt ▪ who are in darkness , and loves to be so ; who are blind , and loves to be so ; who wallowes in your iniquity , and loves to be so ; who live at ease in the flesh , in pleasures and wantonness , you are dead while you live ; you have taken up your rest in the earth ; you are inlarging your barnes , you are cieling your houses , and you are building with hewne stone , and cedars ; and are laying house to house , and land to land , and are making your selves great in the world , and seeking a name among men : you are swallowed up of the earth , and you go upon your bellies , you feed upon dust . vvoe unto you that are here , you have your consolation here , you lay up your bags , where thieves break forth and steal : your garments are moth-eaten , your gold is rusty , & your silver is cankered ; and there is your god which you worship , which you have set up ▪ and worships in your heart . and when you have over-reached your brethren ▪ and cheated , and oppressed , and defrauded your brethren , and are grown rich , then you say , god hath given you all this ; when as ye have stolen it , and got it in usurie , and oppression , and deceipt : and when you have it , spends it upon your lusts , and by your greatness grinds the face of the poor when you are become strong in the earth , and have spread out your boughs so broad that nothing can grow that is neer your shaddow ; and yet talk of god at a distance ; but you know him not , but live in carlesness and ease , and liberty of the flesh ▪ and pleasing the carnal mind : the mighty day of the lord is at hand , which shall come as a theife upon you , and require all your souls at your hands , and take them away ; and then whose shall all these things be ? and all you poor blind people of the world of all sorts , who followes the blind guides and teachers of the world , who know not the path of righteousness themselves , but live in covetousness , pride , oppression , seeking for their gaine from their quarters in the steps of their fore-fathers the false prophets which the lord declared against by ieremiah , isaiah , ezekiel , hosea ; and christ cryed out against such blind guids as led the blind : and the apostles declared against such whose hearts was exercised with coveteous practises ; and them you set up for your teachers who are not taught of the lord : and they walk in the broad way , and you follow their example ; and yet you have a green tree to worship under , which seems beautiful in your eyes ; you talk of a god and christ ▪ and of his gospel and ordinances ▪ but knows him not , nor his will , nor how he will be worshipped , but according to the customs and fashions of the nations ▪ as the heathen doe ; and follows the traditions of men , and lives in pride and fulness , and at ease , lust , and envie , in covetousness and double-mindedness , in drunkenness and riotousness , sports , pastimes , pleasures , gaming playing , nourishing your hearts as in a day of slaughter ; wanton wilde , in swearing , lying ▪ cursed speaking ; in foolish jesting , in filthy communication , in laughter and folly , which is madness : the dreadful god of heaven and earth is arising in his power , and his day is coming upon you ▪ that shall rip up your hearts , and you shall see that you are heathens ; and knows not god , although your idol-shepherds and hirelings have told you you were christians , because you came one day in seven , and heard a few words spoken from the imagination of their own braine , and all the week long and year long live in carlesness ▪ and in all the abominations before mentioned , and many more ; and yet you hate to be reproved , and hate to be reformed : dreadfull is the day that is coming upon you , all sorts of carnal professors , and vain talkers , and busie minds ; which talkes of that you cannot witness : terror ▪ terror , dread and wrath , vengeance in flames of fire , will god raine upon the ungodly , and snares , and turn them into hell , with all them that forget god . think on this , oh all you careless wanton earthly minded people , whose god is your bellie , who glory in your shame , who minde earthly things , and turnes his grace into wantonness , and sport your selves as in the day-time ; and never consider your latter end , and sleights the day of your visitation , and so dies in your sin ; and will lie downe in everlasting misery except you repent . terrible and dreadful is the day that is coming upon all the world , and all you who make mention of the name of the lord , but not in righteousness , in the many sects , and opinions , and judgments , in babylon , confusion , and error ; the lion hath roared , who will not fear ? the lord hath spoken , who can but prophesie ? the lord hath roared out of sion ▪ and uttered his voice from jerusalem , he will send a fire in the gardens that you have made , and consume all the thickets round about it ; and you shall be a shamed of the oakes that you have chosen , and of the trees you have worshiped under ▪ and the groves where ye have committed fornication with other lovers ; and hath forsaken the lord , and joyned your selves unto idols : and now your hearts is become hard , and you will have none of the wayes of the lord , nor will that christ should reigne over you ▪ for you hate his light which shews you sin and evil , and would turne you from it , and out of blindness and ignorance : but your wills leads you , and the crooked ways of the serpent you follow ▪ but now is the time neer finished ; all your joy shall be at an end , and all your lovers shall forsake you ; and you shall mourn and howl ye careless people , who live in deceit , and are wise to do evil , and mighty to work wickedness , but to doe good hath no understanding . awake , awake ; arise , arise , and stand all up to judgment : let the heathen be awakened , for the lord shall roare out of sion , and utter his voice as a whirlwind ; and the heavens and the earth shall shake , and the mountains shall melt at his presence , and all the hills shall melt before him , and all the isles shall flie away at his presence , who is risen to take vengeance upon all the ungodly ; and all shall be slain before him . assemble your selves , and come all ye heathen , and gather your selves together round about : for the lord will plead with you as in the valley of jehoshaphat , and there will he sit as judge , to give every one their portion according to their work . awake , all you that are asleep , and stand up to judgement ; the angell of the covenant is come , and the time of harvest draws neer ; the reaper is come with his sharp sickle , and is come , for the press is full , and the fats overflow ; for their wickedness is great : multitudes , multitudes shall be slain , and bound in bundles , and cast into the lake , and into the valley of decision : the sun and the moon shall withdraw their shining , and the stars shall fall , and lose their light ; yet a little while and time shall be no longer , but you will be swept into the pit , where shall be weeping and wailing , and gnashing of teeth , and overturned as sodom and gomorrha , and you shall know there is a god , who is pure and holy , who will judge you not according to your words and feigned deceitfull hearts , but in righteousness . and so all dread his name , and fear him , and tremble before him , and bow your selves , and submit unto him , least you perish for ever from his presence , and be tormented with the devil and his angels in the lake of everlasting fire . and all you ungodly , think on this , for this shall be the portion of your cup for ever , who sleight the day of gods love and visitation , and turnes his grace into wantonness : his long-suffering shall come to an end , and his spirit will not always strive with you : and then he will arise in his wrath , and take vengeance upon his enemies , and bind the tares and the briers and thornes in bundles , and cast them into everlasting fire , where , where is perpetuall exilement from the presence of god , and from the lamb for ever and ever , and from the light of his countenance ; and this as the lord lives will come upon all who are not cleansed from sin , and purged from your iniquity ; and destruction is of your selves ; it is not because there it no balm enough in gilead , nor no physitian , nor because you have no grace nor power ; but because you despise it , and will not come to christ , who is the light , least your deeds should be repoved ; nor mind that which is given into you , to lead you out of sin ; and so the one thing needful you heed not ; and you that doe not , will lie down in everlasting misery and sorrow world without end . and now to you that are tossed and finde no rest for the sole of your foot ; but are still led aside into pollutions and sin , and knows not how to come forth , nor where the power is . cease gadding abroad , and seeking in that principle which leads you further from god ; and from your own wisdom , and reason , which is in the fall , and in the disobedient nature : for there can you never finde peace , nor the way that leads unto it : all that you have heard , you see still there is one thing lacking , and you are unsatisfied : and while your eyes are without , his power you know not that gave the saints dominion ; and the further you inquire in the natural fallen wit and reason , the further you are off the first principle that leads to know god . now i say unto you all , christ jesus , who is anointed of god to preach glad tidings to the poor and to the captive , who in the days of his flesh declared and preached the kingdom of god was neer ; yea in them , i say unto you , now he preaches by his spirit in the world ; and he is now in the world : and this is he that convinceth the world of sin , and shews thee thy evil deeds by his light in thy conscience : and as thou waits upon that light that is given from god , it will open thy understanding , and let thee see all that ever thou hast done , and will bring trouble upon thee , and a true sensibleness of thy condition ; and will bring wrath upon that nature in thee which is corrupt and contrary to the light : for the light is of the nature of christ jesus ; and so thou wilt come to see as thou waitest in the true light wherewith ▪ christ hath enlightned thee withal , two seeds , and each of these seeds hath a nature , and they are one contrary to the other in their natures : the nature of the one is to work unrighteousness ; and of the other , to bear witness against sin , and also works righteousness ; and these two are contrary : the one leads into bondage the just , and the other leads into bondage the injust : the one is the image of god , the other the image of the devil : and if thou wait in the light , thou wilt see two striving in the wombe ; and here is nation against nation , and kingdom against kingdom ; and these are at variance ; and the life of the one is the death of the other . now that which lets thee see that cain and ismael are goodly children , who are of the first birth , yet they must not enter , nor have any share with the seed of the free-woman , but must be cast out , and therefore another seed must be witnessed , which the promise is to : who are born again , are born of that which is pure , of the living water , and that washes from sin and uncleanness ; and also of the spirit , which is life : they that are borne of this , enters into the city , where no unclean thing enters ; for god takes nothing into communion with himself , but that which is made holy , and cleansed , and purged , and purified , by the operation and working of his spirit ; which spirit is life to them that receive it , and it reproves them that receives it not : and this is in the world , and reproves the world ; yet the world receives it not , and so lies wholly in wickedness , in darkness , and blindness . now unto you that hath but any stirring or desires begotten in your hearts after god or his truth , that so you may know the power of god which gives dominion over sin , hearken a little , and i shall declare unto thee , if thou have an eare to hear christ jesus who is the light of the world , and hath lightened every one that comes into the world by his true light : and this is it that shews thee thy evill deeds , and the vanities of the world , and shews thee what is evil , and discovers unto thee all things that ever thou hast done , and will check thee when thou doth any thing contrary it , and judge thee for that which is past : and this is the gift of god ; and as thou turns thy mind to it , it will turn from sin and evil unto jesus christ from whence it comes : and this is present with thee ; and as thou hearkenest to this , thou seest god is pure , who is present , and by the light takes notice of all thy actions and performances , with what heart thou dost them , and offers them up in : and this will let the see if thou regard iniquity in thy heart , all is abomination to the lord : therefore keep into this , and it will shew thee sin and evil before thou commit it ; and as thou stands in the counsell of the light , thou stands in the counsell of christ , and his power preserves thee ; for the light is power : all that hearken not unto another , is preserved out of sin , and temptation , and pollution , and sees an overcoming by the power of christ which is present : and here is a guide to all your minds who have wandred here and there and have found nothing ; here you come to know the doctrine and teaching of christ which leads into all truth all that believe in it , and receive it ; and so it will change you out of pride and wantonness , out of covetousness and earthly mindedness , and from sin it will lead you , and from the pathes of unrighteousness , into righteousness , which is the pure path of the lord , which all comes to injoy peace in , who walk in it : but the cross of christ must be taken up daily , or else you cannot walk in the way of the lord : and so to the cross all come , and to the yoak , that you may see the wild nature bound under and limited , and your vain thoughts judged out , and you may come to see the straight way where no lyer can enter , nor no ravenous beast , nor no unclean ; but they come all to be kept out : and so as you love your soules , and the way of the lord mind the witness of christ in you : and if you go from it , and despise it , it will follow and pursue you , and you shall never know peace : while you stand in disobedience to the grace of god , and the free gift of god , you can never see redemption , nor know gods power which he gives unto all that receive him : and you cannot receive his gift , but self and self-will must be denied ; and so the will of christ , which is the will which wills in the light , and works in the light , and reveales sin by the light , and declares righteousness through the light ; and here the coming of christ comes to be seen , and his day comes to be known , which abraham saw : but through death this comes to be read and known : and so turne all to this here : the word you will hear , which is pure and powerful ; it separates as you hearken unto it , and divides between the pretious and the vile in you all who love it ; and it 's nigh thee , in thy mouth , and in thy heart , and discerns thy thoughts : and here thou wilt learn , as thou waitest in patience of the son , in whom the father is well pleased : and if thou hearken to any other , it 's the false prophet which leads thee to error : and so the displeasure of god will come against thee for ever until thou return . blessed is he that hears , and receives and considers , and prizes the offers of grace , and the day of gods everlasting love , and ownes the gift of god in him revealed , which leads to repentance , and works a change in the heart and mind of all that believe in it , and gathers up into its nature all that waits in diligence , and believes in it , : and so the day of redemption comes to be seen , and known out of death , out of the grave ▪ and immortality comes to be brought forth , and incorruption comes to be put on : and they that witness this , can truely say we have found him whom our soul loves : and doth not look for any other . blessed is he that hears , and considers , and waits to be made partakers of gods righteousness revealed , justifies all that receives it , and believe in it ; and they by it comes to be pillars in the house of god for ever , and follows the lamb whither soever he goes , where pure peace is injoyed for ever and ever . finis . the rock of ages exalted above rome's imagined rock on which her church is builded she proved not to be the onely church of christ, her corrupt doctrines reproved not to be apostolick, but contrary to the true church of christ in the apostles dayes : also divers arguments answered which may convince the papists that they are not the true church wherein a book is also answered called a catechism against all sectaries, newly published by c.m. in the year 1661 / by francis howgil. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. 1662 approx. 133 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 59 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2005-10 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a44805 wing h3178 estc r30346 11298919 ocm 11298919 47345 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a44805) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 47345) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 1464:12) the rock of ages exalted above rome's imagined rock on which her church is builded she proved not to be the onely church of christ, her corrupt doctrines reproved not to be apostolick, but contrary to the true church of christ in the apostles dayes : also divers arguments answered which may convince the papists that they are not the true church wherein a book is also answered called a catechism against all sectaries, newly published by c.m. in the year 1661 / by francis howgil. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. [4], 110 p. printed for g.c. ..., london : 1662. reproduction of original in the harvard university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng catholic church -controversial literature. anti-catholicism -england. society of friends -pastoral letters and charges. 2004-12 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2004-12 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-01 rachel losh sampled and proofread 2005-01 rachel losh text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-04 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the rock of ages exalted above rome's imagined rock on which her church is builded : she proved not to be the onely church of christ ; her corrupt doctrines reproved not to be apostolick , but contrary to the true church of christ in the apostles dayes . also , divers arguments answered , which may convince the papists that they are not the true church . wherein a book is also answered , called , a catechism against all sectaries ; newly published by c. m. in the year 1661. by francis howgil , a member of that church which is coming out of the wilderness . london , printed for g. c. at the west end of pauls , 1662. a table of the principal things contained in this book . concerning the true religion , what it is , and where it is demonstrated . pag. 7 , 8 , 9. the church of rome proved to be the false church ▪ p. 10 , to the 20 ▪ and pag. 59. the pope proved not to be the head of the true church ▪ and christ proved to be the head of the body , which is his church , and the rock upon which his church is built . p. 20. to 24 purgatory proved to be an erroneous doctrine , which is held forth by the papists ; and their praying for the dead proved to be another false doctrine , not commanded nor practised by christ or his apostles . p. 25 , to the 28 the papists doctrine which saith christ is really and personally in the masse , and in the eucharist , proved to be blasphemy and great idolatry . 29 to 36. the papists masse , and their ceremonies , proved not to be apostolical , p. 36. to the 38 : the papists honoring of reliques and images of saints , and praying by beads ; proved to be but the inventions and traditions of men , and contrary to the doctrine which the apostolick church held forth . p. 39 , to 47 the doctrine of forbidding certain kind of meats , and forbidding the scriptures to be read by all , answered . p. 47. to 56. concerning miracles . p. 76. answers to eight propositions set forth by c. m. in his catechise aforesaid . from p. 78. to the end . a booke entituled , the glory of the true church discovered , as it was in its purity in the primitive time . written by the same author . the rock of ages exalted above rome's imagined rock on which her church is builded , &c. great hath been the havock and spoile that the beast which john saw rise out of the waters , made against them , in destroying them who received not his mark in their foreheads ; and the cry hath been long , who is able to make war with the beast ? and great hath the suffering been ( these many ages ) of the children of light , and still is of the members of the true church of christ , which is in god , which hath proceeded from her , who sate as a queen upon the waters , which are nations , kindreds , tongues and people , which hath been the seat of mysterie babylon , the mother of harlots , who hath held out her golden cup of fornication , ful of abomination , false doctrine and error which the nations have drunk of , and the kings of the earth have been made drunk with , and all have been in instability , and have reeled and staggered up and down in the dark , in the night of ignorance , and have wildered in the mysts o● error , and lost the true foundation , and are gone from the rock upon which the true church is builded , which is neither peter nor his successor , but christ the true foundation , which abideth sure ; and all that believ in him , and have their minds staid upon him , know settlement and establishment in that which the gates of hell prevails not against . but blessed be the lord , he is come , revealed and made manifest , who is able to make war with the beast and his followers , and a discerning is given unto his servants , that they can distinguish betwixt the cup of fornication , and the cup of blessing , and betwixt the table of the lord , & the table of devils ; betwixt the true church , the lambs wife , & mysterie babylon , the mother of harlots ; betwixt the heavenly treasure , which is communicable to the saints in light , who are members of the true church , and the merchandize and the corrupt treasure of the harlot , which the nations , kindreds and tongues have been forced to buy , by reason of the forcing and compelling power of the beast ; and so the nations have been begotten into a strange nature , into the cruel nature , killing one another about the forms of worship , and shadows , and the substance hath been known but to a few , neither the lambs nature , which is meek and innocent , and the leaves of the tree of life , which heals the nations , hath been known but to a few , which is the cause of all the broiles , murthers and massacres , imprisonments and cruel torments which the nations have afflicted one another with , who have professed christianity , but have been out of the life , and out of the nature of the true church , which christ is the head of , which is wife unto the lamb ; and herein is the true church manifest from the false ; the false church hath propogated and encreased her number of members by force and awe , and cain's weapons , and many have been forced into a belief , and a feigned kind of profession , rather than by sound doctrine , or answering god's witness in peoples hearts and consciences . but the true church , who is of the husband's nature , her weapons have been , is , and wil be spiritual , and yet is mighty through god , to beat down strong holds of sin & wickedness in people , and hath by sound doctrine and a good example , answered god's witness in people's consciences , without forcing to any thing , but recommended themselves to every one's conscience in the sight of god , and would have every one perswaded in their own hearts ( by the lord ) of the truth which they believed ▪ and not to take things by tradition and hear-say , as the false church and her members have done , and so have had no assurance of god's spirit in their hearts for what they did , and so doubts have arisen in the mind , because whatsoever is not of faith , is sin : but god is opening the eyes of many , and enclining the hearts of many to seek after the assurance of god's blessed spirit in their hearts , for what they do believe . and now reader , i shall present thee with a great fardal and bundle of the whore's merchandize , and of the counterfeit ware which she hath long deceived the nations with , which hath long laid as mouldy and rusty in this nation , but now new trim'd up , and presented again to this nation as for precious treasure , and it is not to be concealed in a narrow corner , or put off under hand ; so that this merchant of babylon hath presented it to publick view with a great confidence that people that hath been tossed up and down , and have found no rest for their souls , at last may come to make a trial of this merchandize , and see what it wil do ; but lest any should be cheated and deceived with such counterfeit traffique , i could not chuse ( having the knowledge thereof ) but declare against the deceit thereof , and to give warning unto all to beware how they touch , tast or handle it , lest they be defiled and corrupted by it , and their understandings darkned , and their consciences defiled : and the merchandize is this , tituled , a short catechism against all sectaries , by way of question and answer ; wherein all the doctrines and practices of the church of rome are asserted for infallible and apostolical ; wherein also it is holden out , that the church of rome is the onely true church , out of which there 's no salvation ; and some arguments to prove the same : also in this said book , all that are not of the church of rome , arecondemned already as hereticks , sectaries , wholly to be without salvation : newly published and translated by c. m. and london printed for p. s. 1662. and though we have given publick testimony both in word and writing ( in divers nations ) in doctrine and practice ; yet such hath been the envy of many professors , who have denied the church of rome , that they have accused us for holding popish tenents , yet now on the other hand by this popish author , we are condemned as hereticks and sectaries , and to be without salvation : and thus they who have been under the beasts power in the apostacy , have tost us upon their horns from one to another , and have pushed us this way and that way ; and every party and sect hath reckon'd us , and join'd us with them whom they judged to be transgressors ; but it is a small thing to us to be judged by man's judgment ; for our judgment is with the lord , and he judgeth in righteousness , and unto him we appeal , who in his own day , when righteousness comes to be revealed in peoples hearts , they shall come to know us as we are , and the truth which we believe and walk in as it is in jesus . but that such a heap and bundle of false doctrine , and superstitious and idolatrous practices may not go unreproved god hath put it into my heart to bear my testimony against it , and all the confused heap of darkness which is laid down for catholick doctrine , and to discover the deceit thereof , lest any should be beguiled and led into the dark paths of ignorance and error , and should become an inhabitant of that city , which hath shed the blood of the prophets and martyrs , where now christ is crucified . first of all , the author saith , there is but one true religion wherein any can be saved . ans. 't is true , there is but one true religion in the which salvation is witnessed , which is confessed by all who profess religion , and every one wil needs lay claim to it ; and many have contended even by force and arms since the apostacy entered in , and hath kill'd and destroy'd one another about the name or sound , without the thing it self ; and all professors of religion who are in that nature , are not in the true religion in which salvation is witnessed : the true religion standeth in the power of god , and to be exercised in those things which the power of god directeth every one in , who believe in it , and to be obedient unto the commands of christ , and to keep his sayings , and to follow his example in righteousness and holiness ; and in that which overcometh the world , and giveth victory over it , and keepeth out of the pollutions of it . and this is the pure religion which purifies the heart & conscience from dead works , and teacheth to love enemies . now the church of rome is manifest not to be in the one true religion , but have departed from this faith , and this doctrine : let all nations bear witness where your religion hath been professed , how you have kept this faith , and walkt in this religion ; if any have dissented from you these many hundred years , and that upon good grounds , as luther and calvin , which thou art so angry at , and bring'st many calumnies against , and slanderous things , and lyes , of which thy vessel is ful . now they , with all others that dissent from you , you have reckon'd ( and do ) as sectaries and hereticks : and in case it were really so , if you were in the true religion , and in the faith of christ , you would not destroy so many mens lives as you have done within these thousand years ; i appeal to all nations where your authority hath been exercised ; how many have you kill'd , tortur'd , burnt to ashes , and destroyed the workmanship of god : but it may be thou judgest such a distinction as this will cover a little , as , to hate their heresie , and to love their persons ; but how you have lov'd their persons , i hope england hath not yet forgotten ; instance john wickliffe , whose bones you took up and burnt forty one years after his decease ; and how many hundreds more hathbeen burnt to ashes in england , in later years , as hereticks and sectaries , whose blood yet speaks and cries for vengeance upon that city , that church and religion , which hath drunk the blood of the prophets & martyrs . so in what i have said , the church of rome ( to all unbyassed spirits ) wil appear to be out of that one true religion , and that faith and doctrine which christ deliver'd ; and so salvation is not to be looked for amongst killers and destroyers : and so what i have said may convince the author of this book , that they are not in the one true religion in which salvation is witnessed . and this roman church hath been always visible and universal since the apostles dayes , and infidels have alwayes been obliged to join unto her ; yet one cannot be bound to seek that which is invisible : and the marks and signs of this roman church are four , comprized in these words . i believe in the true church , which is one , holy , catholick and apostolick . answ. that there was a church at rome in the apostles dayes , is not denied ; so was there at antioch , at philippi , at thessalonica , at corinth , and divers other places that i might instance , which were as visible as rome was , and as much a city set on a hill , as rome was ; and not inferior in doctrine , gifts & good works , to rome at all , but as to precedency and antiquity , may claim priority before rome : and if he pleads that peter was at rome , and ( as he saith ) was christs vicar and bishop ; and if because of this , rome doth excel , ( which the scripture is silent in ) jerusalem might claim priority before rome in this , for he ( we read of ) was more conversant at jerusalem , and a minister of circumcision , and paul ministred to gentiles , who preacht two whole years both to jews and romans , which were gentiles ; but it seems the very imagining peter to bee bishop of rome hath made pauls work void , and hath turned his work out of doors ; but however he which hath usurped the name of christs vicar , hath turned both peter and paul their life , and doctrine , and practice out of doors , to set up pride and deceit . but what blindnesse and ignorance is this , to judge that god hath bound himself so by prom se to any place , that he will always continue with them , whether they abide in his doctrine yea or nay : and though christ said , the gates of hell should not prevail against the church , had this onely a limitation to one place ; if it must needs be understood of a place outward , because of these words afore-mentioned , then why is it not extended as well to antioch , and the seven churches of asia , and the rest afore-mentioned ; hath not the gates of hell , and powers of darkness prevailed against them places , and the turks taken possession thereof . and as for your church at rome , which thou saith cannot err , and hath always been visible and universal : what saist thou to marcilianus , christ's vicar as you judge ? whether did he not lose his keys when he sacrificed to ido's , in the tenth year of dioclesian ? but it may be then thy church must not reside in christ's vicar , but in a general council : but hereafter we wil consider whether they have been alwayes one , and could not erre . secondly , that whereby the roman church gives us a mark and sign to be the true church , to wit , universality and visibility makes her clearly to be a harlot ; for john saw the true church flye into the wilderness for time , times , and half of time ; now if yours hath been visible and universal all this time , times and a half , then you are not the true church ; for universality comprehends all nations , kindreds , tongues and people ; and if this be the seat of your church , then absolutely your church is mysterie babylon , ( and not the lambs wife ) for she sate upon nations , kindreds , tongues , peoples and languages , which were waters . and here is your catholick , visible church measur'd with god's measuring-rod : first , to be the harlot , because she was never in the wildernesse . secondly , because her seat hath been so universal and catholick , as natious , kindreds , tongues , peoples and languages hath been the seat of your church , which are the waters which john saw ; and so truly may be called the great city . and as for infidels being obliged to join to you , this hath been because you have forc'd and compell'd by your power and outward force where you had dominion , and to escape your tortures , rather than by sound doctrine , or a holy example . or , secondly , because your religion hath stood in so many formalities and ceremonies , which hath been very pleasing , and so near unto the heathens nature . and thou says , that one cannot be bound to seek that which is invisible : i say , through faith god hath been seen who is invisible ; and christ said , seek and ye shall find ; and the kingdom of god is spiritual and invisible , and the natural and visible eye never discerned it , for the church is in god , and god is a spirit , and christ is the quickning spirit who is the head of the church which is his body ; and the spiritual and invisible eye is that which discerns the head and the body ; and you that looke gazing after things that are visible , have never discern'd the members of the true church of god as such , neither have known them , but have condemned them as hereticks in all ages , as your generation hath done , who have been in cains way . secondly , if unity , holiness , universal and apostolick , be the marks and figns of a true church , then yours is not the true church no more then they you count sectaries and hereticks , which thou saist , are no more one than cats and dogs : the comparison is odious , and like a suarling , catching spirit , who would tear every one that cometh nigh thee . and what if there be protestants , puritans , anabaptists , independents and quakers , these titles are but nominal , and there is not one amongst all these , but they acknowledge one god , and jesus christ to be the head of the body which is his church , and one spirit by which the saints are sanctified ; and they acknowledge christs doctrine in words , and his worship , that it is in spirit and in truth , and walketh nearer to the practice of the apostles and the church in their days , than you do : and if in some things they do vary , why may not variety be allowed by thee , where it is onely nominal and circumstantial , as well as thou canst allow variety of ave maries , creeds , and pater nosters , which thou saist delighteth ? but why hast thou not judged at home ? thou must not think to lead us like animals by the head , as your church doth poor ignorant people , to receive every thing for apostolick doctrine , because the church of rome calls it so , and cryes unity : might not the sectaries as thou callst them , return this upon your selves , that you are not at unity , and not one ? what meaneth the diversity of orders in your church , which may be called sects , that is , jerom's order , austin's order , gregory's order , carmalites , crouched fryars , franois , anthony's , bennet's , dominick's , trinity , basil , brigandine's orders ? all these kind of orders , and many more , with every one their distinct service , formalities and ceremonies , what a heap of sectaries are here , and yet rome cryes unity ! besides , what contradiction in your councils , may hereafter be made manifest , and in your vicars , one throwing down and condemning that which others have set up for apostolick doctrine . so if unity be a mark of the true church , then you are without this mark and sign more than they which you call sectaries . thirdly , if holiness be a sign of the true church , you are without this sign also more than the sectaries , as you are pleased to call them : what cruel murthers , massacres , tortures , bloodsheds hath been acted by your church , and that by commission from his holiness , ( so call'd ) christ's vicar , against them that have dissented from you upon good and warrantable ground , onely upon the account of religion , because they could not acknowledge the pope to be the head , and christ's vicar , and receive all decrees , though never so repugnant unto the doctrine of christ ; yet because for conscience-sake many have denied such things , nothing but fire and sword have been threatned , and the force thereof hath been known in many nations ; as for instance , in germany and the low-countreys , france , pyedmount , holland , england , and ireland of late years , many thousands massacred ( not in war , but ) in holes , hundreds of houses burnt , men , women and children ; children taken from their mothers breasts , & knockt against the walls , toss'd upon pikes and spears , wounded with swords , thrown into lakes and rivers , stript naked , starv'd in cold seasons , through such like inhumane and savage cruelty : commissions given from your nuntio's and agents to rob , to steal , even servants from their masters , even upon this account only , to weaken & enfeeble the sectaries and hereticks , as you stile them , to advance your holinesse's chair , and to progagate your holy , or rather unholy church and religion , which things remain fresh in the memory of many nations to this day ▪ besides , doth not your church tolerate stews and adulterous houses in the cities where you have dominion ? besides , pride abounds amongst you , more than the nations beside . and so your church hath neither this mark nor sign of holinesse . fourthly , as for your church being catholick and universal , you want this sign also ; if it be one , universal comprehends all nations , like as all the world ( in comparison ) were your church : what , is germany , france , england , scotland and ireland , nothing ? what , is all the turks dominions of your faith ? and thou saist , in asia , affrica and america , all is coming to an end . there is that risen , and arising in america , which must spread over the nations ; the breath of the lord bloweth , which will daily dry up the waters , which is the seat of your church , which you so much boast of : and what , have you converted all the indians ? nay have you not hardened their hearts against the name of christ , because of your cruelty and unholy conversation among them ? so that the name of christ and christian , is become as odious unto them , as mahomet is unto you ; and so you are without this sign , as that you are the true church . lastly , that your church is apostolick , if this be the mark of the true church , then you are without this also ; for you neither apostolick in doctrine nor practice ; your weapons are carnal , theirs spiritual ; their head was christ the light of the world ; your head is visible and carnal , which darkens the world ; they turned people from darkness to light , and to the word of faith in their hearts , and to know christ in them to justifie them : but one of your rabbies told us lately , you had no such doctrine in the church of rome , as christ in you : the apostles turn'd them to the annointing , and to the spirit , to be taught by it , and to be led by it into all truth , and to worship in it ; and you turn them to images , pictures , crucifixes , beads and altars , and so keep people in outward things , which feed the sensual and corrupt part . lastly , they said bodily exercise profiteth little ; and most of your worship stands in observing of days , meats , drinks , washings , sprinklings , altars , tapers , lighting and bearing candles , bowing , creeping to the cross , turning , wheeling this way and that way in all time and parts of your worship ; so that there is no time left for the heart to be exercised towards god ; and so you are not apostolical , and so are without this true sign of being the true church of god. but i shall descend to particular things , which is asserted , and seems to be proved , but very weakly : but we can expect no wine but such as is in the bottle . it is asserted by this author , that the pope is the head of the true church , in which salvation is onely to be expected ; and his proof he brings , is this ; christ hath so ordained it , in saying to peter , matth. 16. 18 , 19. upon this rock will i build my church ; and christ hath given power to him and his successors to be a head to rule and govern the church ; and as there is an emperor to be head of the empire , and a king of the kingdom , so peter and his successors are the head of the church , and have the keys of the kingdom of heaven , to bind and to loose , and to remit and retain sinnes . the apostolick church hath this doctrine , that christ was given to be the head of the body , which is the church , which is spiritual , though in the world , yet not of the world ; and the father hath committed all power in heaven and earth to the son , and hath ordained him to be a leader , a teacher , and a feeder of his flock , and to be his salvation to the ends of the earth , and his glory he will not give to another : but it seems the church of rome hath soared so high in their conceits and imaginations , that they judge all this power to be given unto the pope , peter's successor , as they say : now we do not read of two heads to the one body , which is the true church , eph. 4. 4. 15. and so this is a contrary doctrine then that of the primitive church ; and christ who is the head of the body , he said , lo i am with you to the end of the world : and so it is the meer arrogancy and pride of the pope to be called the head of the church , and an intrenching christ's power and prerogative ; and that ever peter was called the head of the church , we do not read ; and that of the 16. of matthew is but a poor proof to prove peter to be the head of the church ; for christ spoke unto his disciples , ver : 15. and asked them , whom say ye that i am ? peter as one amongst the rest said , thou art christ the son of the living god ; and christ said , upon this rock will i build my church , viz. upon him which was revealed unto peter by the father , the son of god , which was the rock which the fathers eat of , and drank of , christ the rock of ages ; and another foundation can none lay ( said the apostle ) then that which is laid already , christ the rock and corner-stone , and not peter ; for christ is unchangeable , and abideth for ever , and so was not peter , though peter and the rest of the apostles received power from christ ; yet in the 22. and 23. verses of the same chapter , he was gone out of the savour and discerning , and christ said unto him , get thee behind me satan , for thou savourest not the things of god ; and what though it could be proved that peter was at rome , a pastor , an elder , or a biship , who fed the flock , and did feed the flock , and so might be reckon'd as an elder , and worthy of honor in respect of his labour and diligence in the work of christ ; is the promise so entailed to rome or to any place , that the next that succeeds in that place must needs receive the same honor , when he doth not the same work , which is worthy of honor , neither is in the same power ; but this i am sure of , though the church of rome lay claim unto peters bishoprick , as they say , yet they have not done his work . and secondly , if peter was at rome , and a pastor , yet he was not a lord ; for christ reproved that when they strove which should be the greatest , and said unto them , the gentiles exercise lordship one over another , but it shall not be so among you ; and though peter and the rest of the apostles who were in the power of god , had that which did open into the kingdom of god , and shut out that which did defile ; yet this we are sure of , he sold no pardons nor indulgences for gain and filthy lucre , as many have done whom you call peter's successors , and christ's vicar , and universal bishop , and visible head ; but it 's manifest how the pope became visible head , and universal bishop , not because of any work or labour in the doctrine of christ , or the work of the gospel , but by means of the roman emperor ; for while the christians were under persecution and suffering , there was no talk of visible heads , or much of universal bishop , for then rome had no more priority then the rest ; for the churches at constantinople , at jerusalem , at caesaria , at cyprus and alexandria , for the first three hundred years , they had as much power in their several churches , as rome had , and often the elders or bishops of the aforesaid churches did reprove sharply the bishop of rome ; but at last about five hundred years or upward , phocas to aspire to the empire of rome , he murthered his own master mauritius and his children , to attain unto the empire ; so at that time boniface the third was bishop of rome , and phocas somewhat fearing , and willing to have boniface his favour , condescendeth to all his petitions and grants him to be universal head-bishop over all christian churches ; and there was the first rise of rome's visible head ; for this frivolous reason of being peter's successor , could never have raised him to that height , but then the emperors power and authority became to be the more forcible plea ; for before that time the bishops of rome were chosen by the emperors consent , but after he had got power , emperors could not be chosen but by the popes consent ; and then came the bishop of rome to be a visible head , and be called universal bishop , christ's vicar , a lord spiritual over all the churches , and in process of time , lord temporal over all the empire . and thus your church of rome became magnificent and great , and to sit as a queen upon the waters , nations , kindreds and tongues , as you acknowledge your church of rome hath spread over ; and here is a héad and a body which are joyn'd together in union : christ is the head of the true body , which is his church and his wife ; and antichrist he is the visible head of his visible church and wife , mysterie babylon . the next piece of merchandize which the author brings forth to view , is purgatory , and prayer to be made for the dead , and also prayer unto the saints ; and the authors proof is 1 cor. 3. 15. where the apostle speaks , every mans work shall be tryed , and that work which will not abide the fire , must be burnt ; and this the author calls the fire of another world ; and prayers for the dead he proves out of the 12. of maccabees , and prayer to the saints : he sayes , it 's lawful to pray in this world unto good people ; and paul while he lived , did pray for others , and also did beg their prayers : and the angel in the first of zachary prayed for israel ; and there can be no harm in praying to them that can pray for us . ans. them that dwell in the shadow of death , are like to speak out of thick darkness ; and they that have made a covenant with death , are loath to have it broken ; and they that have a mind to continue in sin while they live , have a mind to put the evil day afar off , and judgement afar off , and evil-doers will never have it time to give account for their evil deeds , and so puts it off till they are dead , and to another world ; and let the devil have preheminence in their hearts while they live , and reckon their sins venial , and light faults ; this is contrary to the doctrine of the true church of christ , and contrary to the apostles doctrine , who said , the wages of sin is death ; and there is no sinne goes unpunished nor unjudged ; and sion is redeemed through judgement , and by the spirit of burning ; and purgatory is a fiction , a falshood , and a lye ; & there is no cleansing from sin in another world ; solomon saith , as the tree falleth , whether to the north , or to the south , so shall the tree lye ; and the word of god , who hath received it in their hearts , which is as a fire that purifies ; and the blood of christ is that which cleanseth from all sin : & there 's not any cleansing from any sin , but by it , & there is no cleansing in another world ; but purgatory hath been invented , and prayer for the dead , that thereby the pope might be enriched , and sell the invented prayers and ave maries , and so cheat people of their money ; and there 's no sacrifice to be offer'd for the dead who dye in their sins , nor no remission after this life . and as sor praying to the saints , the scripture makes no mention of ; & though paul did pray for others , and beg the prayers of others , yet he prayed not for them when they were dead , neither did beg the prayer of the dead , but prayed for them who were believers in the true church , and desired the prayers of them that were living members , and were alive , and lived in the world , and were redeemed out of it ; and the angel prayed not for the people of israel when they were dead ; and that which thou calls jeremy's prayer in the maccabees , was never spoken by the spirit of the lord , nor the offering was not made in the will of god ; and the prophet saith , though abraham know us not , and israel be ignorant of us , yet thou o lord , art our father . and the lord said unto david , seek my face , and call upon me in the day of trouble , and i will hear and answer : not upon mary , peter and paul , dominick and anthony . again , it 's contrary to the practice of the saints in the primitive times , and contrary to the doctrine of christ , who said unto his disciples , whatsoever you ask in my name , the father shall give it you : he doth not speak of any other name ; neither is any prayer or supplication accepted of the father , but in the name of christ alone . so these doctrines are false , and doctrines of devils , never commanded nor practised by any of the saints in the primitive times , but onely have been invented and practised by the apostates , who have erred from the faith and practice which was once deliver'd unto the saints , which the church of rome hath made shipwrack of in many things , which i have made appear ; and i shall proceed to more particulars to manifest it , lest . any should be beguiled with such deceitful babylonish merchandize which the nations are too much corrupted with already . the next false doctrine which the author lays down , is , that christ is really and personally in the mass , and in the eucharist : and his proof is luke 22. 19. 1 cor. 11. 25 , 26. for saith he , god who is almighty , is able to change bread into his body , and wine into his blood ( in the mass ) as he did change the water into wine , and make the world of nothing . hence also by the way you may learn , that we are no idolaters , adoring the eucharist , because it 's no more bread , but whole christ , our god and redeemer , who placeth himself there by miracle after the priest hath uttered the sacred words of consecration ; yet the external accident of bread and wine remain , as our eyes represent to us ; but faith tells us , the true body of christ is hidden under it , and the substance and nature of the material bread is there no more . oh horrible blindness , and gross ignorance ; great idolatry , and horrible blasphemy ; your priests by their words it seems , can make god who made all things , and can make christ the redeemer , then your priests are greater then god and christ ; for he which createth and maketh , must needs be greater then that which is created and made : and thou confesses that it is really bread and wine before the priests sacred words are uttered of consecration , but afterwards it becomes the real and true body of christ ; yea , whole christ our god and redeemer : so it is clear that the priest hath power , in your judgment , to make the body of christ , to make god and whole christ a redeemer ; oh that ever such gross darkness should enter into the hearts of the sons of men : as for those two places in luke 22. 1 cor. 11. it is but a pitiful ground for you to plead , that the material bread , and the material cup is the very body and blood of christ ; was not christ present , when he broke the bread , and gave the cup , and after too , and alive . did they eat his body when he was with them , and drink his blood ? was his body broken for them then , before he was offered up ? and was his blood shed then , before he suffered upon the cross ? nay it 's manifest he was alive in the real body , after they had earen the bread , and drunk the cup , and this was a sign unto them of his suffering for them , and of his death ; and as the apostle saith , as oft as they eat the bread , and drunk the cup , they shewed forth the lords death till he came . ( and reveal'd himself in his own life and power ) and then they saw and feel'd that which was signified through the figure before , that like as the bread and the cup did nourish the natural man , likewise their souls were fed and nourished with the bread of life ; and the cup of blessing which they knew and feel'd little of , when christ broke the bread , and gave the cup ; and doth not christ say , i am the door , i am the way , i am the vine ; and also , this is my body , and this is my blood : why should one place be literally and naturally understood and interpreted , and not another so . 2ly . and we do not question what christ can do , but what he did ; that he turn'd water into wine we do believe ; and that god made the world of nothing is for thee to prove yet , and that christ made himself invisible , & passed through his enemies somtimes without being seen , we believe ; but that he made himself invisible , vvhen he broke the bread , and gave the cup to the disciples , is clear contrary to the aforementioned scripture , and divers others ; or that he conveyed himself so invisibly into the bread , and into the wine , as you ignorantly suppose , or that he was so under it , as thy own word is ; so as that he was not seen visibly by the disciples , even when they eat the bread , and drank the cup , and after he bless'd it ( is utterly false ; ) for they saw him before he took the bread , and when he took it , and bless'd it , and brake it , and when they eat it , and after they had eaten , he was visible in all these moments of time , is very evident both by matthew , mark , luke and john , in their narration of the supper ; and so all your twining and turning , and vain arguments , are made void . 3ly . we do not believe that ever any of your priests turn'd water into wine , or bread into flesh , or wine into blood , of one sort or other ; much less into the flesh or blood of christ : for thou saist the external accidents remain , as our eyes represent unto us after consecration ; but yet the nature of the material bread is no more , as your faith teaches you ; so it seems you confess the visible appearance which may be seen and felt , as to the natural aspect doth remain ; that the natural elements of bread and wine still remain in sight , but the substance , nature and matter is no more in being , i shall appeal to the light of christ in your consciences , whether this be true yea or nay ; nay it is so ridiculous a thing , that i dare appeal to any man or woman that have not lost their sences , whether that which may be seen with the natural eyes , and may be felt by the natural hands , and tasted by the natural taste , be not the very same in nature and matter after consecration as before , if the external accidents do remain , as you say it doth , we will join issue with you in this thing for trial , if you dare venture it , and put it to proof , you and we with a joint consent will chuse bread and wine , and you and we will both eat and drink of some part of it before , and then your priest shall consecrate it , and we will hear and see what he saith , and doth , provided that he shall onely speak to it , or pray over it , and then when he hath done , we will both eat again ; and if it be not of the same substance , and the same effect , as to your own understanding , sence and feeling , as you are men and creatures ; which if there be no alteration , but it remain the same in substance , in taste , in matter , nature and quality with that before consecration , then you shall confess your error , & deny your doctrine ; but if it be alter'd , we will deny ours , and join unto your faith. or secondly , if you will stand to trial , and appoint time and place for two or three of you , and two or three of us to meet together , where both parties may be secure as to their persons , you and we will take bread and wine , and one part of it shall be unconsecrated , and another part you shall be allow'd to consecrate as well as you can for the honor of your church , and that which is consecrated , and that vvhich is unconsecrated shall be set together , and shall be watched by some of each party ; and if that which is consecrated , do corrupt , and decay , as that which is unconsecrated , then you wil renounce your doctrine , and leave your killing about it ; but if it do not corrupt and decay as well as that which is unconsecrated , then we will deny our faith , and confess that you are the true church . lastly , if you be not idolaters , there was never any in the world , who say , that to adore or worship the bread and wine after consecration , is no more bread , but whole christ , your god and redeemer , who placeth himself there upon the altar by miracle : it 's a miraculous thing indeed , that that which is given unto you by the priest , which enters in at the natural mouth , and goes into the belly , should be the body of christ , and whole christ , and very god and redeemer , as thou saist ; that one person should contain whole god , seeing the scripture saith that the heaven of heavens cannot contain him ; for he is the very fulness that filleth all things : oh gross darkness , and palpable ignorance which you have led people to believe ! and call this idol that rats and mice may eat , whole christ , god and redeemer ! and you have destroyed and burnt to ashes many for hereticks , who could not believe this doctrine . therefore all people it 's time to look about you , and see where you stand , and what you join unto : if you cannot receive this doctrine for holy and apostolick by the church of rome , not worthy to live ; and without doubt , might not , if this church had but that authority which sometimes it hath had in england : but i hope the eyes of many are open to see and detect this damnable doctrine . so what i have said in this particular , may be enough to confirm them who are in any measure in the truth , and to keep them back who have desires after this fornication , which the nations hath drunk too much of : but i proceed to another particular ; but before , take a word or two about the ceremonies . the author sayes , that ceremonies were used by christ at his last supper ; and they excite people to their devotion during the sacrifice ; but for proof you must , expect none from this author , and the scripture is silent in the thing ; and ceremonies and formalities are so far from stirring up the mind to god , that they indeed draw the mind to be busied in the exercise of them , from waiting upon god , & from worshipping him in the spirit ; & such worshippers are onely accepted of him . the masse is said in latine , and the rest of divine service ; for if it were not , ignorant people might easily be mistaken , if these mysteries were done in the vulgar language ; and because the scripture hath been written in latine . greek and hebrew , and these three languages were written upon christ's cross , and therefore these three nations ought to use them at their masse and divine service ; but the priestly garments and ceremonies gives enough to understand what is done at the masse and divine service . ans. this looks with a bl●ck visage to be apostolick doctrine ; but however i shall search into it , and examine it by the apostles doctrine , before it be condemned : it 's a good shift ( indeed ) to keep people from mistakes , not to let them know what they say or do ; but this is contrary to the apostles doctrine , 1 cor. 14. 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 14 ; 15. if a trumpet give an uncertain sound , who can prepare to battel ? and except words utter'd , be understood , how shall it be known what is spoken ? if the meaning of the voice be not known unto him to whom it is spoken , the speaker and the hearer are barbarians one to the other : and when one understands not what is spoken , how can he be edified ? and all services ought to be done to edification . so your church is erred from the apostolick doctrine ; and your masse , and your service doth not edifie at all , but you are as barbarians one to another ; for your worship goes on in such a pack road , that the vulgar people would soon learn it , and know it , and ( it may be ) slight it , if they should know the worthlesness of it ; and therefore the onely way ( you judge ) is to keep them in ignorance . and what mysterie is there in the masse and your service , seeing that it stands in crossings , cringings , and abundance of endless ceremonies , and reiteration of words , which are patcht up by many authors , contrary to christ and the apostles doctrine : but it seems the priests garments and ceremonies gives understanding enough to the auditors ; a dumb shew is enough for them , ( like a poppet play ) to make them understand the mysteries of your mass , an unbloody sacrifice indeed , in which there is no remission nor acceptation . and here thou hast acquainted us with a mysterie indeed ! because latine , greek and hebrew was written by pilate upon the cross of christ , therefore they are called sacred languages ! sure the church of rome hath lost both faith and reason ; will any that hath a friend that should be crucified upon a cross , and an enemy who condemn'd him , should set over him words in latine , greek and hebrew , in contempt , that therefore a man should count the crosse holy , and the language sacred , as the church of rome doth , is great ignorance and idolatry , of which she is full , & therefore is not apostolick , nor the one true church in which salvation is to be looked for , as the author would make people believe . the next false and superstitious doctrine which this merchant of the church of rome holds forth for apostolical , is , the reliques and images of saints , and also prayer by the beads , by number and tale , as brick-makers sells their brick ; and this the church of rome would put off unto us as apostolical doctrine . the reliques and images of saints are honorable in regard of the saints which they have relation unto , and god himself makes use of them for his miracles . moses was enforced to honor the holy ground where the angel appeared , exodus 3. and david commanded the ark to be adored , because it was god's foot-stool , psal. 99. 5. and to honor the reliques and images of saints is no idolatry ; for that is idolatry to worship false gods ; and christ doth not take it ill that we honor his saints and friends : and to number our prayers , if hail mary be said upon beads threescore and three times , it 's because mary lived so many years ; and the prophet prayed seven times a day , and christ three times in the garden : and it 's not evil to say our prayers by number ; and if five pater nosters be said , it is in honour of the five wounds , and what would there be amiss in this . and it 's not idiots that prays by beads , but catholick kings , the pope , cardinals and bishops makes use of them ; and variety delighteth the mind , and there is no better prayers then the pater noster , ave , and the creed . answ. the reliques , or that which remains for all the saints and members of the true church of christ to follow , and to honor , is , to live in the same life that they lived in , and to honor him who was their life , by whose power they fulfilled the will of god , and to walk in the same foot-steps , is to honor him that was their life , and them also , who walked as examples of righteousness ; and that power by which they became examples of holiness and righteousness ; but for the church of rome to worship pieces of cloth , dead bones , painted images , which may as well be called the images of cain , ishmael , judas , and all the seed of evil-doers , as well as the image of christ , or peter , paul or mary , for any thing that they know , which they have but receiv'd by story , and is but as old wives fables , which paul to timothy reproved . and hath the church of rome no better thing to put them in mind of the saints life , then a dead picture or image made by the hand of the crafts-man upon a wall , or a board , or parchment , or paper , this is idolatry ; for christ promised to his disciples , and to the true church , that he would send his : spirit to lead them into all truth ( which is an invisible thing ) and to bring to remembrance what ever christ had spoken , and whatsoever was necessary as to salvation , whether the saints life and holy practices which they lived in ; or whatsoever else as conduced to their peace and justification with god ; and what images did god make use of to shew his miracles by ? this is ▪ but an old fable formed by the apostate christians , whose minds are turned after shadows and vain shews , and is erred from the invisible life , and worships the works of mens hands . 2. though moses did put ▪ off his shoo 's according to the command of the lord , where god appeared in power and glory to him ▪ what is this to your purpose ? as to create and form places , and consecrate them as holy , and then command reverence and honor unto them , this is but to worship the work of your own hands ; and though david say in the 99 psal. 5 vers . exalt the lord god , and worship at his footstool , for he is holy . what of all this , doth god call reliques or images his footstool . and if the author do judge that it was spoken of zion and jerusalem outward , where aaron and the rest of the priests worshipped ; yet doth not christ say , it 's not at jerusalem , &c. but they that worship god , worship him in spirit and truth : what , doth not the church of rome profess christianity and apostolick doctrine , and wil now turn jews or imitaters of them ? what is rome ? jerusalem or zion ? and must pictures invented , and dead pieces of bones and wood , be recommended unto the nations as holy things ? this is contrary to the apostolick church , and with the life of god is judged ; and the life of the saints whom you honour in words , and make pictures of , and worships the works of your own hands , and crucifies the life where ever it appears , that they lived in , and teacheth a contrary doctrine . 3. confession may be made in words of the true god , and talk may be of his wonderous works , and yet people idolaters ; the church of the jews who acknowledge the true god , and had seen and heard of his wonderous works , they eat and drank and rose up to play ; and these were idolaters , & such is the church of rome ( who take peoples minds up with garments and vestments , with altars and candles , with crucifixes & agnus dei , with images formed by painters , with a piece of bread called a holy host , and eucharist , an unbloody sacrifice ) who neglects the life , and him that is the head of the body , and his witnesse in their hearts and consciences , and leads them to worship and honour visible and carnal things , and to busie their mindes in the exercise of outward things ▪ which profiteth little or nothing at all , and so are idolaters , worshipping the works of your own hands , which christ and the apostolick church bore testimony against ; for ▪ that which the creatures mind goes out after , besides , or without that which may be known of god in the heart , is made an idol of , and the true god is not minded ; and them that honor gods friends and saints , walks in their footsteps , live their life , and honor their sayings ; but your church is contrary , who would kill , and have killed about these invented fopperies , ▪ which is contrary to the apostles doctrine . god accepts not prayers by number nor tale , nor for multitude of words , which are without understanding , and without the spirit ; this christ counted as evil , and reprehended the pharisees , and said , it was like the vain repetitions of the heathen , who thought to be heard for their much babling ▪ and the salutation which the angel gave to mary ▪ is no prayer : and that which is called the apostles creed , is no prayer ; and them that are unconverted unto god ▪ may prattle and prate over the words , in the unbelief , and never have any acceptance of god : and though the prophet did pray seven times a day , it was according to the motion of god's spirit in his own heart , which shewed him his state and necessity ; and what is this to imitators , when they pray not with the same spirit , neither in the same words ? and what if mary lived threescore and three years ? who gave commandment that hail mary should be said threescore and three times over ? the rest of the saints are like to have but small shares of worship and honor , if she go with all this in a day . and what five wounds is that which the church of rome dreams of , that five pater 〈◊〉 , must be said for the honor of ? with deceit and ignorance you wound him every day , and your pater nosters doth not honor him at all , pattred oft over with your polluted lips , who are given to speak lyes , and your tongues to speak mischief , which christ accepteth not : what , are you all new creatures that say , our father which art in heaven ? are you born again ? are your natures changed ? sin you not ? do you hallow his name , who do not love that which shews your evil deeds ? would you see his kingdom come , which stands in righteousness ? where will you appear ? or how will you stand when he appears in his power and glory to take vengeance on all them that wis● not that he should rule in their hearts , who is the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world ? would you see his wil done on earth as it is in heaven , when you walk contrary to his doctrine which the apostolick church walked in , and sets up a numberless number of traditions and inventions of men instead thereof , which the lord accepteth not , and you pray not with understanding ? 5. as for your beads , which are neither jewish nor christian , but meer heathenish , as to reck on the number or tale of that which you call your prayers by ; and though kings , popes , cardinals and bishops do the same , this is but a small proof as for authority ; kings have drunk of the whores cup , and popes and cardinals have usurped power that christ never gave , as to exercise lordship , and be law-givers unto others ; for the lord is the saints law-giver , and the saints life and judge , and he will not give his glory to another ; for kings have ' drunk of the vvhores cup of fornication , and popes have usurped authority , and cardinals have exercised lordship over mens consciences , yea and over great kingnomes and states too . and if they pray by beads , as others do set forms by number & tale , they are as much ideots as the rest are , who know not the spirit to pray by . and so this is no authority to prove your practice apostolical and holy ; as for variety of prayers and worships , it delighteth the carnal mind indeed ; but they that worship god in spirit and truth , they pray by the spirit , and in it , as david and christ prayed , whether seven times , five times or three times , and with understanding ; and that which they prayed in , was not various , but one ; and it 's by that one spirit which is not various , by which the sons of god cry abba father ; and the variety of your formed charms , bablings upon your beads , god hath no regard unto , but is a smoke in his nostrils all the day . and they that have exercised themselves in these things , have not the witness of god in their own consciences that they are accepted of god ; and so i shal proceed to another doctrine called apostolical , and holy ; and that is about meats , whether they may be lawfully eaten at all times . the author confesseth they forbid certain kinds of meats , but it is but at certain times ; and they are forbidden not as they are evil , and the creatures of god , but because they are forbidden by the church ; and his proof is the apple which eve and adam eat was not evil in it self , but being prohibited ; so to eat that which is good of it self is not ill , but to eat contary to the superiors mind and order , this is evil . the bible and scriptures ought not to be read , but leave is to be asked of the superior , because there are many hard passages , which they which have little or no learning , as peter testifies in his second epistle , chap. 3. some understands it one way , and some another ; and therefore it is the fittest for learned men to judge of them , and they must judge whether people be in a capacity to read them . answ. and why are meats forbidden at certain times . is this like the apostolick doctrine ? are not all times and seasons in the hand of the lord , and are all good to them that believe , and to the pure all things are pure , all times and seasons , all meats and drinks being sanctified by the word , which made them all holy unto all that do believe : and if you forbid them not as they are creatures of god , but because they are forbidden , i say , who did forbid them , or when were they forbidden ? by christ , his apostles , or the true church of christ in their day ; but on the contrary christ taught , that which goeth in at the mouth , and in at the belly doth not defile the man , but that which proceedeth out of the heart , which is corrupted . and paul said , what is sold at the shambles may be eaten , and no question made for conscience sake ; for to the clean all things are clean , and to the believing all things are pure ; and who limited such meats for such dayes , and such times , the true church ? no : but the church of rome , who are going on in that doctrine the apostle spoke of the 1. of tim. and the 4. which he reckoned a doctrine of devils : but here is your argument that must bring you off , because you forbid it not at all times ; i say , if it be a doctrine of devils to forbid at all times , then it is some part of the doctrine of devils to forbid at any time , seeing time and things are all good in the hand of the lord : but if this doctrine should hold , what would become of your dogg-days , and of your lent , which has been patched up week by week by diverse popes ; and of your wednesday , friday and saturday fasts , so by this account of yours half of the year is either unholy , or else some meat is unholy for half of the year ; but there is few but sees your blindness , that in this much need not be said , but onely thus , that which may be lawful in it self , when it is prohibited by the lord unto any particular , then it becomes evil ; for whatsoever is not of faith is sin : but christ alone , unto whom all power is committed , hath the sole power over the heart and conscience ; and for any to make injunctions and prohibitions contrary to him , the same is antichrist ; and so the practice which your church commands is not apostolical , but you bring yoaks upon the true disciples necks ; which they that are made free by the son , cannot stoop unto , neither join with ; for whosoever doth , goes into bondage : and christ is the supreme power unto whom all power is committed ; and when he justifies , what superior can condemn ? and there is no need of asking leave of them that are superiors , which reckons themselves as so , seeing every man stands clear in the sight of god , when he transgresses not against the supreme law of christ in his conscience ; and to offend any superiors who lays any injunction contrary to the command of god , is not to offend god , neither to break his command . 2ly . it seems all parts of religion is monopolized by mysterie babylon , in which rome is comprised , not onely patents and pardons sold for eating of meat , but authority and licence must be given to every one that reads scripture , a thing which the apostolick church ( before the pope had a being ) knew nothing of ; but on the contrary , some were exhorted to read the scriptures , and some were commended for reading of the scriptures , and for searching whether the things were so as paul testified ; and in this they were counted more noble then they at th●ssalonica : but now it is become an ignoble thing , and not at all to be suffered to read the scriptures without patent or licence in the church of romes account , who have laid down ignorance to be the mother of their devotion : but the danger is , because there are hard passages which are not understood when people have little or no learning , as the author saith : what was it for want of natural learning that peter complained they ▪ wrested the scriptures , and therefore is it for want of natural learning that the scriptures are not understood , and for want of this they must not be read , as the author saith : ignorant man ! what was peter such a great learned man ? a poor boat-man , or fisherman , whom the scripture saith was illiterate ; in the acts , when they beheld peter and john , and that they were illiterate men , and saw their boldness , and took notice they had been with jesus : what was it want of natural learning that peter spoke of , then he spoke against himself , for he was illiterate : but it was such a learning that they wanted as this author wants , who is untaught by the spirit , and unlearned in the doctrine of christ , and such wrest the scriptures , and do not understand hard sayings , because the deep things of god are revealed through the spirit of god , and not by natural learning , as this author , who would sell licences and pardons for reading the scriptures , as they have done for eating flesh in lent ; but a story of robin hood , a comedy , or a play is more frequently read by the members of the church of rome , which begets into loosness and prophaneness , a thing which this generation is in love with rather then the scriptures ; and though the scriptures be applauded in words as for the rule of life by many , and a judge of controversies , yet how should they be ruled that may not read them without a licence , or a toleration from the superior : if it be lawful to read with toleration , it 's lawful to read without toleration ; for the toleration of men neither addeth to , nor diminisheth from any spiritual exercise ; and timothy read the scriptures of a youth , and who gave him his toleration ? and apollos was a mighty man , and a knowing man in the scriptures ; from whence had he his license ? 3. because thou judgest according to the judgement of this present evil world , that they are onely fit to read the scripture , and give interpretations upon it , who are naturally learned , and have the wisdom of this world : i say , nay , the world by wisdom knew not god , neither know him now ; and them that had natural learning , rejected the foundation ; them that had the hebrew language set christ at nought ; they that had the greek tongue , withstood paul , and called him a babler ; them that had the latine tongue ( the tongue of the whore your mother ) persecuted the christians in the first three hundred years after christ , as your own histories do relate : so according to all these who had onely the knowledg in the natural languages , they did not understand the things of god ; and it was the wise builders which builded by art & skill in the earthly wisdom , that rejected the true foundation and corner-stone ; but on the contrary , we say , according to the apostolick doctrine , that the scriptures may be read , and ought to be read ; for they are profitable for instruction and correction , and information , to make the man of god perfect , and thorowly furnisht to every good work through faith in christ jesus : and i would have the author know , that we do not look upon cardinals , fryers , monks and bishops , to be the alone men of god , so that they alone have the sole power to tolerate the reading of scriptures ; for he is a man of god who is born of the spirit which sanctifieth and leadeth into the clear pathes of equity and righteousness , who walks not after the flesh , neither fulfils the lusts thereof ; and such there are , and have been , which have been unlearned in natural tongues ; but this is the way to keep your church in reputation , to believe as you believe , and every man to put out his own eyes , and live by another's sight , and hang his faith upon another's shoulders ; this is not like apostolick doctrine , for the apostle said , let every one be perswaded in his own mind ( not by other mens minds ) and he that believeth , hath the witness in himself , and hath it not to seek among the litteral rabbies , who darken counsel through words ; and it is not for want of natural learning , that one understandeth the scriptures this way , and another that way , but because they want the understanding of that spirit which gave forth the scriptures , which spirit universally is given to all men and women ( a measure of it ) to lead into truth , and through which the deep things of god are revealed : and it 's not your traditions ▪ inventions , natural learning , schools & colledges , fryeries and covents , in which the spirit of god is onely limited ; but every one that seeks , finds , whether learned or unlearned ; for of a truth , god is no respector of persons : and so the mind of christ is manifest unto them that believe , and the one spirit into which the saints were baptized , is that which opens the scriptures truly as they are , and discerneth the times and the seasons , and fulfilleth it in the hearts of them that believe , and manifests the state unto which they were spoken . and if the scriptures be so hard to be understood , by reason of the hard sayings , or because of the translations , what have you been doing these fourteen hundred years , with all your learning , with all your councils , popes , bishops and clergy , that you have not translated them aright , or so plain that they may be understood by all that reads ? but then your doctrine , worship and practice , would be soon manifest not to be apostolical , nor consonant and agreeing to the practice of the true church of christ. and now i come to the effectual arguments and pregnant wayes which the author tells of , which will work upon the sectaries to make them return to the catholick church , which he saith they have groundlesly forsaken ; and now i shall come to try his arguments , and search the force of them , which he layeth down as the most efficacious way to convince all sectaries ( as he is pleased to stile them ) to come to the church of rome ; but the hope of this man will be like a spider's web , for unto all whose eyes god hath illuminated in any measure , will come to see the weakness of this philosophy and vain deceit , which he hath laid down as a chief instrument to convince all , that the roman church is the true church , and that salvation is onely concluded in her . 1. the first argument he takes from matth. 18. 17. christ sends us to the church ( saith he ) if any neglect to hear her , they must be counted as heathens and publicans : from hence this is the argument , that , that church is to be heard in which there is most assurance to be had that one is in the way to salvation ; but in the roman church there is most assurance , therefore the roman church is to be heard . ans. the minor is false , and also the conclusion ; that church which hath the foundation of its assurance without , it is not the true church of christ , neither is to be heard ; but the roman church hath onely their assurance of salvation without them , therefore are not to be heard ; it is manifest their assurance stands onely in outward things , as antiquity and visibility , which are not the alone marks of the true church ; cain was ancient enough , and there were them that were in cain's way before rome was so highly elevated ; and that for universality and visibility , there is no assurance in that , for all the world hath wondered after the beast , and the whore hath sitten upon nations , kindreds and people ; and so the first argument is denied , and proved to be false ▪ i shall lay down another ; 1. that church which hath always been so visible and universal since the apostles dayes , as hath had its seat over nations , kindreds and tongues , is not the true church of christ , but the harlot ; but the church of rome hath been universal over nations , kindreds , tongues and people , therefore the church of rome is the harlot , and not the true church of christ. but i shall not traduce thee in thy vain deceit , but return thy arguments upon thy self , which thon chargest upon others . 1. as first , that church is not to be heard whose authors and doctors are cozeners and impostors . 2. but all are cozeners and impostors but the church of rome . again , that the church of rome hath the marks of the true church , and no other , as antiquity , miracles , holiness of life , universality . again , that the church of rome takes the narrow way that leads to life . again , because the church of rome keeps sunday instead of saturday , by tradition ; therefore she is the church of christ. to the first ; if that church is not to be heard , neither her censures regarded , whose authors and teachers have been cozeners and impostors , then the church of rome is not to be heard , nor her censures regarded , because the chief authors have been cozeners , cheaters and impostors , who have been out of the power of god , and have taught for doctrine the traditions of men ; as purgatory , prayer for the dead , onely to cozen and cheat by , to fill the bags and coffers of the popish clergy ; which doctrine is contrary unto the doctrine of christ and the apostolick church ; therefore the church of rome is not to be heard . 2. that the church of rome hath the marks of the true church , and no other , as antiquity , holiness of life , miracles , and universality ▪ this is false ; there were churches before rome , that had these marks ; and there hath been since , and are now , more then the church of rome : antiquity some of them called sectaries will allow you a thousand years to be called a church , and yet prove you apostates both in doctrine and practice . your miracles are but cheats , deceits , and lying stories , if your own authors be searched ; you confess most of your miracles are wrought by your images , works of your own hands . 2. antiquity without truth , proveth nothing ; and holiness of life , if your church be holy , which is prophane ? tolerating ( as i said before ) whoredoms , stage-playes , vain sports and pastimes , which draw people from the fear of god ; and many foolish sopperies which i shall not now mention ; so that there are them that have dissented from you , which are more ancient in the faith , more holy in life and conversation , more agreeable in doctrine and practice , to the true primitive church , then you are . and as for miracles which are wrought by the true power and finger of god , there hath been , and are more amongst them called sectaries , than in the church of rome : the blind have received their sight , the lepers have been cleansed , the lame have been made to walk , and the deaf have heard , and the dumb have spoken , the dead have been raised , and many that have been bound by satan fourty yeares , are loosed ; and there are thousands that are witnesses of it , and can testifie the truth thereof , even in this time , and in this year , in scotland , england , ireland , germany and america , 1662. so there is a true church which hath the marks of the true church of christ , more than the church of rome ; therefore the roman church is not the alone true church . 3. to the third argument , that the church of rome keeps gods commandments , and walks in the narrow way of christ's counsel , therefore she is to be heard : how she keepeth the commandments of god , is known , if he mean the ten commandments ; thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image , nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven or earth , neither bow down nor worship them . now you make images of things in heaven , as of god and christ , and the holy ghost , and of mary ; and as for things in earth , you have images of all sorts , witnesse your masse-houses , called churches , your cloisters , fryaries and covents ; so that every place is filled ful , & worship unto them is taught by you for doctrine , contrary to god's doctrine , & your distinction of latria & doulia wil not serve ; for it 's meer deceit ; he that honors an image , and bows down before it in his heart , whether you may judg it represents this or that , is an absolute idolater , & knoweth not the spirit which christ said he would send to the true church , which should bring all things to their remembrance both what he did and said , and the saints life and example to remembrance , ( without your pictures . ) and how you are in the narrow way , is known to many thousands that you do not walk in it at all , neither take up the crosse of christ , which is to crucifie the lusts , affections and desires of the flesh , but taketh up outward crosses , and bears them on your necks , or pin them on your sleeves , or hang them about your necks , and all because christ was crucified on the cross : and here you are honorers of pilate and the jews , who crucified christ upon the crosse as a blasphemer , rather then honorers of christ ; and the strait and narrow way you are ignorant of , and christ's sufferings you are strangers to : what! your popes are as emperors , your cardinals as lawgivers , your ecclesiastical officers as lords of great possessions in the earth , except some begging fryars , which you have prest into a voluntary humility , without necessity . and how do you love your enemies ? how many indians have you destroyed and killed as dogs ? and how many that have professed the name of christ have you burned and destroyed as though they had been wood , and onely fewel for the fire . and how can you say your pater ▪ noster , about which you make so much ado , and say , forgive us our trespasses , as we forgive them ▪ that trespass against us ; if the heathen have trespassed against you , if them you call sectaries have trespassed against your church , how do you forgive them ? and how do you fulfil the law of christ , and keep his counsel , seeing that you are out of his doctrine ; away with such deceit and hypocrisie , god hath found it out , and is judging it by his saints , who rejoice in christ jesus , and have no confidence in the flesh , nor in fleshly traditions and imaginations , but lives in the power of god , and walks in the spirit ▪ and therefore because you walk contrary to the command of god and christ's counsel ▪ and are out of the narrow way that leads to life ▪ your church is neither to be heard , minded , nor heeded . the fourth argument that the church of rome is the true church , because they keep their sabbath of the sunday by tradition , and not upon the saturday , as the jewes did ; and therefore the church of rome is to be heard , because they have tradition & solid reason on their side . thy speech bewraies thee , which bespeaks thee rather a heathen then a christian ; for the heathens had a day that they celebrated to an idol made like the sun , called sunday , and another day which they celebrated to an idol called saturnus , called saturday ; and in this your church is not to be heard , who is out of the form of sound words : but the seventh day was the jews-sabbath , which none that professes christianity ought to keep , seeing that christ put an end to the shadows : and the saints sabbath is a stranger to the church of rome ; he that hath overcome the world and the divel onely knows god's rest , and the true sabbath , of which the jewes was a figure ; and the sundays thou calls , it is no more a sabbath reckoned by the lord of life then that which thou calls saturday ; for every day is kept holy to the lord by him that witnesses the work of redemption , and this is according to the apostolick doctrine ; and if because of example the christians whom you are pleased to stile sectaries , do observe the first day of the week in the power of god , for his worship , then they are as much , if not more to be heard than you , and have as much solid reason on their side as you ; and thou must not think to carry the matter on with such frivolous arguments as this , to advance mysterie babylon ; for this is a a knowing age blessed be the lord , wherein the wisdom of god is revealed , and that which comprehendeth all shadows , types , dayes , times , years , meats , drinks , washings , and other figures , they are all seen over , and he is come and manifest which is head of the true church , ( and not the pope ) who was , is , and is to come , life it self , truth it self , power , strength , and everlasting satisfaction to thousands , and ten thousands , who have believed , ( and to a numberless number which are yet to be gathered into god's sheep-●old , and into the narrow way of christ ) which will deny , and doth deny upon good grounds , and infallible testimony from the eternal spirit , that the church of rome is either in whole , or in part , any part of the true church of christ. and seeing this valiant champion hath made so fair a proffer , that all their priests , jesuits , and catholicks over all the world , will turn to the sectaries way ( as he calls them ) if they can but get a clear and satisfactory resolution to the following doubts : answ. i am one which do acknowledge my self to be reckoned by him as a sectarian ; yet as a sectarian is reckoned by the true church of god in the primitive time , in the apostles and christ's dayes , i do not reckon my self as such ; and that i am a minister of the everlasting gospel i dare not deny , seeing a necessity is laid upon me to acknowledge the same ; yet herein i do not glory , but in him who hath called me for the work sake ; and i know the teaching of christ jesus , and his doctrine , and no other thing this many years have i published , but that which i received of the lord , and from him by his spirit , which is according to the true faith and godliness , which was in the primitive church ( before ever rome did lay claim to be the onely true catholick church , excluding all others but her self to be in the way that leads to salvation ) i which am as one amongst many thousands which god hath manifested his mind unto , shal answer in clearness , and according to apostolick doctrine , and the manifestation of his spirit ; but when i have so done , i am afraid this champion , with the rest of the priests and jesuits , and the rest of the catholicks over the world , wil hardly own his challenge , or consess that doubts are answered ▪ yet however if it satisfie but one of a thousand i have my reward ▪ and shal put it to tryal . the first thing the author , who it seems knows the mind of the church of rome in all things , both as to doctrine and practice , vvhich they do allovv of , and the contrary they vvil deny , ( he knovvs to the full ) or else he vvould never ( sure ) have made such a bold challenge . the first thing that they vvould be resolved in , is , whether any can clearly shew that any teachers , doctors or ministers , are sent of the almighty god to preach and reform the roman catholick church , and that they are not some who say the lord saith , when the lord hath not spoken unto them , neither sent them , ezek 13. 2. ans. what the roman church and their members will take for a satisfactory resolution as to themselves , i somewhat question , and do doubt the resolving of the most ; but however by the same commandment that the apostles did evidence their commission , that they were sent to reform the church of the jews , and also them that had made defection from the faith amongst the gentiles ; this may be shown : 1. the apostles of christ jesus did declare their commission which they had received from christ ; and for other proof they sought none amongst them that were auditors or hearers , but the witness and testimony of god , unto which they desired to be approved in the sight of god. 2. they shewed the jews , that they held the types and the figures , but did not receive , or believe him who was the substance , in whom they all ended ; they were sent to bear testimony to the true light that lighteth every one that cometh into the world ; and to preach down dayes , times , months , years , fasts , feasts , sabbaths , circumcision , temples and offerings , the priesthood and the sacrifice , which were but to continue until th time of reformation , and the bringing in of a better hope , by which they drew nigh unto god , and had an accesse unto him , and they declared their commission against a voluntary humility , and worshipping of angels ; all which things the church of rome do stick in , and vindicate for apostolick doctrine ; and many more things which the church of rome is run into , contrary to the true church of christ , and therefore had need of reformation : so that which is contrary to the doctrine of christ and the apostles , and practice of the primitive church in the first hundred years , is in the apostacy ; but rome is in many practices and doctrines contrary to the true church ▪ therefore needs reforming . and so god hath manifested himself in this his day of power , and hath discovered the church of rome to be contrary in doctrine and practice to the true spouse of christ , and hath stirned up , and moved many by his power and spirit to preach the everlasting gospel , and to declare also against the defection of the church of rome , and her apostatizing from the faith ; and they are not of those whom the prophets spoke of , which ran , and the lord sent them not ; for them were the false prophets in israel , and they were manifest by their fruits , of which there are great store in rome , who are manifest by their fruits , and they are such as are in cain's way , who would kill , and such as are seekers of gain from their quarter , and such as take the jews tythes ; and these the lord never sent to be teachers or ministers to bring to the knowledge of christ ; but we deny all these things , and your church in the very ground and foundation , and know that it will be swept away when the beast is taken alive , upon which your church now rides ; then shall you see that that which you long put off among people as apostolick doctrine , will not be received any more , neither traditions nor inventions of men for the worship of god. the second doubt which the author would be resolved in , is , whether we can make good what luther and calvin , with all protestants , have boasted that they would do , to reform convincingly one of the silliest roman catholicks that is , and to begin , do it in the matter of the real presence after consecration ? what luther and calvin have said unto you as about your worship , doctrine and practice , hath been made good by themselves while they were living , and in the body ; and what they said , did not onely inform the minds of many of the roman catholicks , but reform'd them too which were not of the silliest amongst you ; not onely one , but thousands did see your error and deceit , though they in some particulars did but differ from you : but now that is manifest which denieth your foundation in the very ground . and what i have said as about the real presence of christ's body being in the bread and wine after consecration , if thou dare put it , and endeavour the trial thereof ( according as i have in reasonableness propounded unto thee ) it wil convince many of the roman catholicks of their error , or else many of the protestants of their error ; and so if thou dar'st adventure it , make no more boasts , but let it come to trial , as before is propounded unto the church of rome , if she , or any of her agents dare admit of it . 3. the third argument which he promiseth , if it can be proved from the scripture , ( which he calls god's written word ) that the sabbath-day is commanded by god to be kept on sunday , and that little children are to be baptized . what others have said as to these two partibulars , who were but departed a little way from you in diverse things , as to their judgments , i shal not stand to vindicate ; because the church was rather but a coming out of the wilderness , rather then come already into her first purity ; but i am one of those amongst many thousands in europe , who denyes the church of rome as to be the bride , the lamb's wife : and yet i shall not vindicate either the one , nor the other , but deny both , as amongst christians ( viz. ) 〈◊〉 to keep the jewish sabbath upon sunday , as the author calls it , and sprinkling of little children is like the other , an invention in the apostacy , never that we read of commanded , commended or practised in the apostles dayes as such . the first day of the week the apostles met together , and worshipped god , not by virtue of the jewes commandment , but in the power of god , and you onely have them both , and keep them both by tradition and custom , without commandment ; and so are out of the power of god , and out of the saints life . 4thly . the fourth argument : can the sectaries with reason and ground sufficient ▪ condemn all catholicks that were so many ages before luther and calvin , for being no better then heathens ? and convince me , that adhering to you i shall be more secure in my salvation , then in joining to them that have time out of mind , been of the onely saving religion . ans. the sectaries have not gone about to condemn every individual man before luther and calvin , for no better than heathens ; we believe some were ; and we believe many were as bad , ( if not worse ) they that walk in the practice of the heathen , and bring forth fruit , but not unto god , are in the heathens nature ; but the generallity of the church of rome have ( for these many hundred years ) brought forth no better fruit than the heathen , and therefore are in the nature of the heathen ; for like as the heathen persecuted the christians in former dayes , even so hath the church of rome persecuted the true christians in their day , and in this are no better than heathens ; instance the bloodshed , murther , cruel deaths you have put many unto since you have had the name of a church ; and therefore are no better than heathens in nature : and for antiquity , it proveth nothing without verity ; and there can be no assurance in your church , seeing that it stands upon tradition and hear-say , and outward performances , and bodily exercises that profiteth little ; but some whom you call sectaries have more assurance , for it is the spirit of god that gives it ; and as there is obedience yeilded unto the lord ( that spirit ) he giveth them assurance ; and them that are born of it , do overcome the world , and his spirit beareth witnesse to their spirits , that they have overcome , by which they cry abba father : and this spirit of truth that leadeth into all truth , bringeth more assurance unto them that are led by it , and worship it in , than can be had in all your outward formalities , ceremonies and traditions : 5. argu. can you make evident at least , that in your flock , and luther and calvin their guides , there is more holiness and virtue than can be found among the catholicks , and that you go the narrow way that leads to life ? i answer , yes ; i am one among many thousands who are not of the church of rome , yet am of christ's flock which he hath cleansed by his blood , and revealed his virtue in , and his holy life ; and it 's made manifest that they are in the narrow way more than the church of rome ; they are in the way that leads to life , and abide in christ's doctrine ; we love them that hate us ; we bless them that curse us , we pray for them that persecute us ; but so doth not the church of rome , but kill them , and persecute them that oppose her : we say , without righteousness and holiness be revealed and wrought in our hearts , we can bring forth no fruit unto god , neither can be members of the true church ; but if any conform unto the practice of your church in outward things , he is counted a good member of your church , though righteousnesse and holiness , self-denial , humility and love be wanting . therefore we are the church in which there is more holiness , virtue and life enjoyed , than in the roman church . 6. can you shew us any miracles that ever were wrought in testimony of your religion , or that the catholicks miracles are wrought by belzebub ? and now thou hast askt us a resolution of the doubts , and let all that are illuminated , judge how we are deluded . it 's an adulterous generation that seeks a sign ; and what christ wrought , was reckoned as no miracles by them that are in the unbelief ; yet these signs have accompanied the gospel , which is the power of god ; the blind have been restored to sight , and the dead have been raised , and the deaf have heard , and the lame have been made whole , and this hath been witnessed by many ; and we have a cloud of witnesses which your church know not of , and by the effectual working of god's power these things have been done , which doth give testimony , and confirm our religion . and for your miracles , the most that ever i heard of , hath been done by pictures and images , as you have testified , which are but fabulous stories . and now let them who are lightned with the true light of christ , judge who are in the delusion ; and now let all judge whether these be not satisfactory resolutions unto the aforesaid doubts or questions , which may convince them that have erred from christ the power of god , and gone in their own traditions and inventions , and have forsaken the strait way , and the narrow path that leadeth to life , and all are exhorted to come unto him , ( who is the light and life of men ) that their souls may live , and that they may witness assurance of the love of god unto them by his spirit 's manifestation . and now let us see whether the author will keep to his word , whether the church of rome will all turn unto our way , which is christ , the way , the truth and the life , or they will follow their visible head , the pope , who is changeable , and doth not abide for ever , who leadeth onely to an observance of outward things , but neglects the weightier things to walk in . and now i shall come to some propositions , which the author saith hath been propounded , which are unanswerable ; and the propositions are against all sectaries ; and the propositions are laid down by francis costorus , ( as the author saith ) of the society of jesus , which hath been laid down fifty years ago , and they are in number eight ; and with them eight propositions the author saith he hath put all the ablest ministers of germany and the low countreys unto their wits end ; now i hope some will be able to give an answer , and yet keep both their faith , wit , and reason . 1. the first proposition is this , that never since the apostles time , till the year 1517. ( wherein luther began his doctrine ) were any found in the world who did consent with either the lutherans , calvinists , or anabaptists , or other sectaries opinions ; nor ever shall any of the sectaries prove that any of the apostles or evangelists were of their faith , & so by consequence the sectaries are without faith ; & they are the men whom the scriptures in several places affirms that should come , in the latter times false prophets , &c. answ. as i said before , any opinion which luther , calvin , or the baptized people do hold , i shal not stand to vindicate it , because they have so holden ; yet in many things they are separated from you upon good ground , & their doctrine and worship was far more consonant and agreeable unto the apostles dayes then yours are ; but i am one that owns my self a protestant , who denies the church of rome ; and i do say this proposition is silly , poor , and feeble ; and i do not believe that any was so hard put to it , as to be brought to their wits end by answering of it ; for what need he talk of since the apostles time till such a year , we shal come to the apostles time and age , and if any society of people now are found the same in faith , in doctrine , in worship , in life , practice and conversation , then they are the true church : and let francis costorus , with the rest of the roman merchants take that faith to themselves , and that doctrine to themselves , and those particular points of worship and tradition to themselves , since all the world hath wondred after the beast , and hath worshipped his image , and this was since the apostles dayes . and if the church of rome plead the whole world as for a proof , john saw that antichrist's false prophets , deceivers , were entred in then , fifteen hundred years ago , and the world went after them , and he saw the whole world wonder after the beast , and the whore sit upon the waters , nations , kindreds , tongues and people , and this comprehends the world , the whores seat ; and we matter not for her consent neither to doctrines and principles , nor opinions ; nor for the approbation of them that have drunk of her cup. but if we can prove a people which are gathered by the word of god , and thorow the preaching of the gospel , into the same faith , hope , doctrine , life and practice which the apostls walked in then , this is the church which is coming out of the wilderness again , where she has been preserved , while the mother of harlots has sit as a queen , and has been so visible as over all the world , and hath made the nations drink her cup of fornication ; and therefore your unity in this thing , and in this time is clear , that the church of rome is not the church of christ : but there are some whom rome is pleased to call sectaries , that own the same practice , the same doctrine , the same faith which the apostles walked in ; and therefore this great proposition is false , that all that have separated from the church of rome have no faith , or a new fancied faith ; and now i come to his second proposition . 2. propositon : the religion and faith of the romane church hath not been any way changed , in any article that belongs to religion , by any pope , councils , or catholick bishops ; but it is the very same faith hath remained intire , and inviolate , from the apostles to this present day . there were churches planted before there was any at rome ; and the faith which they received , was that which did overcome the world , and gave them victory over sin and death ; and the religion which the churches of christ professed , as corinth , galathia , thessalonica , and the rest of the churches which the apostles planted , is no more like the faith and religion of the church of rome now , then black is to white ; as for instance , prove us out of the scripture what foundation you have for purgatory , for selling indulgences and pardons for sins ; and vvhat scripture have you for auricular confession , for an unbloody sacrifice , for prayer to saints , for worshipping of images , ( in the new-testament ) for observing of lent , consisting of so many days ? and what scripture and example from the churches that were in the apostles dayes ( before rome was called a church ) concerning prayer for the dead , for yours crosses , your tapers and candles , for annointing with oyle and cream in baptism , which was onely invented by pope clement , which another pope ( pope silvester ) confirmed , 315. plat. volat. sabil . and what example from the true church for baptizing of infants , and for god-fathers and god-mothers , in christ's day , when he planted the church ? and that infants should be baptized , and onely at easter and whitsuntide , was not this ordained by pope leo , in the year 676. lib. council , volat. pol. chron. and was not transubstantiation , which you call the body and blood of christ after the consecration , when the priest hath whispered over the bread and wine a few latine words , as , hoc est corpus meum , hic est enim sanguis meus , &c. the bread is turned into the natural body of christ's flesh , blood and bone ; was not this ordained by pope innocent , held at latterane by twelve hundred romish priests , monks and fryars , in the year 1215. decret . de summa trinitate , cap. firmiter . and whether are not these articles of the church of rome , yea or nay ? if i should traduce the church of rome in their bishops and councils these 12. hundred years and upward , i might bring a cloud of witnesses that the church of rome is not the same in articles of faith in religion , but divers popes ( i might prove ) have made distinct articles , and divers councils and bishops ; so that i might clearly prove , and can , and shall , if god permit me with life , if i hear any more of the church of rome , or the author of this book , that i shall prove , that the church of rome in the articles of her faith , is not the same that the church of christ was in before rome was planted a church . 2. i shall prove ( if need require ) her universal councils ( as she calls them ) to vary , and her bishops to be different in their decrees , and that her faith , in points of religion , is not the same from the apostles day , to this time , as the author of this book would make people believe ; but what i have said to this unanswerable proposition , ( as he calls it ) may be sufficient to convince both the author and them that are doubtful in their minds about this particular . 3. proposition is , that neither the sacraments nor ceremonies , or any doctrine of the church of rome , contain any thing that is contrary to the scriptures , but learned doctors maintain the same , and that there is no alteration in any article of faith . and then the author makes a conclusion , though full too hastily , that they which dissent from the church of rome ( which he is pleased to stile sectaries and hereticks ) have no reason to withdraw from the catholick church . ans. as for that which you call the catholick church of rome , we find such diversity of orders and constitutions one distinct from another , that to begin to enumerate them all , would take up much time before one ended , and would prove tedious to the reader to view over the variety of constitutions and decrees that have been made concerning the ceremonies , sacraments , ( as they call them ) and other doctrines of the church of rome , which at this time is not my intention ; but pope alexander commanded that unleavened bread should be used in the supper , in the year 1119. lib , concil . grat . sabil . before that time the outward bread was indifferent whether it was leavened or unleavened ; notwithstanding the greeks do use leavened bread unto this day , in that which is called a supper , and they use wine onely in the cup ; but the church of rome mingle water with their wine , according to pope alexander's decree : and the doctrine of transubstantiation , of turning the bread into the body of christ , and wine into the blood ( as they say ) was an unknown doctrine in the apostles dayes , and also among the greeks , until pope innocent the third , 1215. likewise honorus the third , he made a new ordinance , that the sacrament of the altar ( as the church of rome terms it ) should be worshipped and kneeled unto of the people , and also it should be born unto the sick , yea , and that with candle-light , though it be at noon-day , in the year 1214. d. 3. tit. cap. 10. lib. council , pant. and innocent the third ordained that the sacrament of the altar should be kept under lock and key , that such as were like to dye , might not want spiritual comfort at the time of their death , lib. council , cron. pant. pope innocent the 8th . permitted that the priests of norduegia might fing masse with water for lack of wine , in the year 1484. math. palm . pant. and as about the ceremonies about the sacrament or masse , in a council held at rottomage , it was decreed that the sacrament should not thenceforth be given to lay-men nor lay-women in their hands any more , but the priests should put it in their mouths , contrary to the use and practice of the primitive church ; yea and of the church of rome it self many years after , lib. council , &c. and so here the church of rome is contrary to the former churches , and to their own church of rome in former times , though c. m. would elevate the propositions of francis costorus ( a jesuit ) unanswerable . 4. proposition ▪ the author saith , it cannot be proved that any have been admitted priests , but were duly consecrated by bishops ▪ whence we infer , that lutherans , calvinists , and other hereticks , are no true ministers , neither are of divine priesthood , because they give to people a meer piece of bread and nothing else , and they have no power to absolve people from their sins , but send them away entangled with sin , as when they came to them . ans. as for the consecration of the priests of rome , you have consecrated many who are out of the doctrine of christ , who are traytors to kings and governments ; and it 's a maxime , and a thing meritorious in your church , to slay a heretick , that is , one dissenting , or not consenting to your corrupt principles ; and as one deceiver hath ordained and admitted another , so hath your bishops and popes ordained the rest to execute their drudgery and corrupt traffick ; and as i have offered unto thee before , if it be not a piece of bread , and wine , except mingled with water , ( according to your changeable ordinances before-mentioned , put it to trial upon the terms i before mentioned , that you may be made manifest to be deceivers , or else we , to all people . and as for your absolutions & pardons , it hath been that which you have sold for money , which made luther and divers of your own church to deny you , because it hath been contrary to christ and the apostles doctrine . and as for forgiveness of sins , it properly belongs to christ , and to them that are in the same power ; to them that confess , forsake and turn from sin ▪ to pronounce forgiveness and mercy ; but the members of your church confess from day to day unto your priests that are as much entangled in sin as they who do confess , and neither do repent nor find mercy at the hand of the lord ; and your confessors , and they that do confess , they are defiled as much with sin when they end their work , as when they began . 5. proposition . it cannot be found in the holy scripture , that nothing is to be believed but what is clearly and expresly contained in the same : hence follows the overthrow of the ground work of the sectaries , who say that nothing is to be believed but what is expresly set down in the scripture . ans. what others have said as to this particular , i shall not now stand to vindicate , because it is not my work to vindicate every particular judgement and person who believe contrary to your church ; but i say , many are of that mind ( that are not of your church , that things may be believed to be true , according to the manifestation of god's spirit , though the scripture in express words doth not declare the same ; yet you to bring in fabulous stories , which you call unwritten verity , that are to be believed though never so repugnant unto the scripture , and to the truth contained in it , this we cannot receive , neither believe ; and this will never be attributed by the lord unto any for unbelief , although you say it . 6. proposition : the author saith , he would fain have luther and calvin , and the other sectaries , to shew where matthew's writing is called holy scripture , more than nichodemus his gospel ; and seeing they cannot prove the one no more than the other , they must needs believe something that is not written in the holy scripture . ans. i shall let luther and calvin alone , they were men that god did honor , and i do honor , and many more as in their day ; they are at rest in the sepulchers of their fathers , where your reviling cannot touch them ; they prevailed in their doctrine and faith so much against you , as you have not recovered in a hundred and thirty years , neither i believe ever will so long as the church of rome will have any cause to call her self christ's onely visible church upon earth . and i do not believe matthew's writing onely because it is reckoned by you and us for holy scripture , but because we feel by the spirit of god that gave forth all words , that it is a declaration of those things which were brought to pass in his day , and likewise mark , john and luke , testifie unto the same matter ; but for nichodemus his gospel , as you are pleased to call it , the spirit of god doth not testifie in us unto the same , but that it is repugnant unto the mind of the spirit , and is a meer patcht up thing in the corruption of time , wherein many things are contained that are in opposition , and contrary to matthew , mark , luke and john , their declaration . and so thy feeble argument is answered , which thou conclud●st hath not been alterable these fifteen hundred years ; and let not him that puts on his armour , boast , but him that hath overcome , and puts it off . 7. proposition is , that it cannot bee shewen for this fifteen hundred years , that there hath been any catholick that held that the pope of rome was antichrist , or that did rail at the most holy sacrifice of the mass , or invocation of saints and angels , and usual praying for the dead , and such like works of piety belonging to our faith and religion , which the whole world hath laudably practised and reverenced for fifteen hundred years . it is a wonder that this author belonging to the the church of rome , is not ashamed of his arguments , & the silly propositions that he hath propounded from another hand : it seems neither this author , nor francis costherus , whose propositions the author hath vaunted in , and boasted of , knows the apostles doctrine , who said , the whole world lay in wickedness : and if any man loved the world , the love of the father dwells not in him : and christ said to his true church , ye are not of the world , therefore the world hates you : and again , i have chosen you out of the world ; and john in his day saw through the spirit , all the world wandering after the beast , and worshipping his image ( and not the image of god ) and saw all nations , kindreds , tongues and people to be waters ; and the nations , kindreds , tongues and people to drink the whores cup ; and these the two authors brings in for a great proof , and for an unanswerable proposition , as that the whole world lies in wickedness , in whom the love of god dwells not in ; and they that have drunk of the whores cup of fornication , and they that have wondred after the beast , to wit , the whole world , these are his dark cloud of witnesses , to prove that the pope was never called antichrist . will they that have received the roman faith , and accounteth the pope christ's vicar , and the visible head , call him antichrist , which hath exalted himself , and the church of romes faith over the whole world , as the author boasts , that the whole world hath laudably practised and reverenced invocation of saints , and praying for the dead , for the piety , faith and religion of the church of rome for this 1500 years : this proves the church of rome to lye in wickedness , and to be contrary to the doctrine and practice of christ and his apostles . and this doth not clear the pope at all , but rather makes him to be an antichrist , and your church to be the ill-favored harlot , and not the true church of christ. hast thou forgotten how john bishop of constantinople would needs be chief bishop over all the rest of the churches , about the year two hundred fifty and upwards , and how the other bishops cried out against him for to be antichrist : but your bishop he got to be called chief-bishop over all christian churches ; not by consent of the elders nor churches , but by the means of phocus a heathen emperor , as before i have said ; and is not he much more an antichrist ? and as for the sacrifice in the mass , invocation of saints , and praying for the dead , which thou saist is a laudable practice , i say none hath or doth reckon it worthy of praise , but they that worship the beast and his image , and have drunk of the whores cup , and are erred from the faith and religion that the apostles and true church of christ were in , which all the world did that wondred after the beast . lastly , this i say , he that teaches a faith , a religion , a doctrine contrary to the doctrine of christ and the apostles , is an antichrist ; but the pope this 1500 years hath taught a contrary doctrine ; therefore he is an antichrist . the first proposition is evident from diverse testimonies of scriptures , who teaches onely to pray unto the lord in the name of christ , and for them that are alive in the body , and not for them that are dead . the second is proved by the authors own testimony , that the pope and church of rome hath prayed unto the saints , and prayed for the dead this 1500 years ( to his shame be it spoken ) therefore the consequence must necessary follow , the pope is an antichrist . 8. and last proposition is this , that the first authors of the christian faith in germany , italy , spain , france , england and low countries have acknowledged no other faith , nor brought any other to them , then the catholick . roman faith , which the whole universe hath acknowledged , which we have learned of our forefathes ; therefore they that have brought in another are accursed . that which the whole universe hath acknowledged ( in the apostacy ) which lieth in wickedness , seeing all hath wondered after the beast , and drunk of the whore's cup since the apostles dayes , is but a lame and pitiful argument , as to prove the church of rome the true church ; and as for the faith delivering ( such as it was ) to the nations before-mentioned , onely excepting spain , because it 's probable that the apostle paul spread the faith there , seeing that he said he had a purpose to come there into spain , which if he did , thy boast may cease as for the planting of religion there ; and we know he was no hypocrite , but the same faith and gospel which he had preached over the regions , he would preach there ; and his gospel and doctrine we find contrary to the church of rome ; he condemned diverse doctrines which the church of rome holds , as forbidding meats , marriages , new moons and sabbaths , and voluntary humility , and worshipping of angels , and praying unto them , and praying for the dead ; and if you brought the christian faith ( so called ) into the rest of the nations first , and the aforesaid doctrines mentioned , and preached them up for apostolick institutions , then you brought in a doctrine and a gospel that is accursed , which you have received of your fore-fathers , who wondered after the beast , and received his mark , and have been drunken with the whore's cup , to wit , the universe which you lay claim to , and none but you called christians : so that it is manifest , your visible , universal church is the harlot , and hath brought in another gospel , and other doctrines than the apostles , and so are anathomized ; for the apostles preached the power of god to be the gospel ; and you have preached traditions , inventions , old wives fables , and outward ceremonies for the gospel , and so have deceived the nations ; and now when they begin to dislike your traffick , you are angry ; but the day hath made manifest , that discovers all your deceit . and now i have answered the substance of the book , and also the eight propositions proposed by the author and thee , & i am not yet at the wits end , as thou saith the ministers in germany & the low countreys have been , neither at wisdoms end , but am in it , and ready ( if you will lay down your carnal weapons to begin with thee , and to vindicate the truth as it is in jesus , against the doctrines of the church of rome , whensoever i shall hear of thee ▪ or any that pertain to your church make such another bold attempt , as to condemn all since the apostles days for sectaries , hereticks and scismaticks , who have dissented from you ; and shal indeavour in the strength of christ to vindicate and contend ( though not with cain's weapons ) for the faith and doctrine which was once delivered to the saints before the apostacy , and now is manifest again in us , and is with us , when the apostacy is coming to an end , and the everlasting gospel is to be preached again to them that dwell on the earth , and to nations , kindreds , tongues and people that they may come to the true foundation again , and to the rock of ages again , that they may be established in righteousness for ever , the joyful sound whereof is going into the borders of babylon , which will make the inhabitants thereof to abhor their city in which they have inhabited , and they shall return to zion with songs of deliverance , and everlasting joy upon their heads , because the hour of god's judgement is come , and coming upon the harlot , and the year of redemption is proclaiming to the captive , and the dead shall be raised to life , and shall hear the word of life , and their graves shall be opened , and they shall have victory over it ; and they that hear the voice of the son of god in themselves , shall live , and shall deny the voice of many waters , and the voice of your church , mysterie babylon , whose seat hath been upon them . and as for doctor baily , which the author asserts for his proof , and layes down his reasons wherefore the church of rome hath been , and is still the true church , by way of demonstration . he saith , that the church of rome was an excellent flourishing ▪ mother-church ; this church could not cease to be such , but she must fall either by apostacy , herefie or schism ▪ now apostacy ( saith he ) is a renouncing of the faith of christ , and no man will say that the church of rome had ever such a fall ▪ 2. ( he saith ) heresie is an adhering to some private and singular opinion , or error in faith , contrary to the approved doctrine of the church . ans. whatsoever the author is pleased to boast of the church of rome , we do not find flourishing for faith , wholsome doctrine and sound conversation , more than other churches that were planted before her , as is evident both by seripture , and the best ecclesiastical histories , which the church of rome her self will allow of ; and so i can say , the church of rome hath had a fall ( and prove it too ) by apostacy , heresie and schism ▪ as , first , she is fallen from her first love , and from the doctrine of christ , who taught to love enemies , and to do good to them that hate them , and to pray for them that persecuted them : now the church of rome hath not loved their enemies , neither such as they reckoned as so , but have persecuted them to death , and to banishment , who did not receive their doctrine : and this renouncing of that faith which was once delivered to the saints by christ himself , who taught to love enemies , and if they beat them upon the one check ▪ turn the other ; but the church of rome is out of this faith and doctrine , and hath renounced this faith of christ , and hath denied the power of god , and placed it in a man , to wit , the pope , that infallibility is in him and this is in the apostacy . 2. if heresie be an adhering to some private opinion or error in faith , then the church of rome is in the heresie ; for the faith that was held among the true churches , was that which did overcome the world , and give victory over sin ; and faith in christ was that which onely gave an interest into the kingdom of god ; but cardinal bellarmine ( a chief pillar of your church ) hath asserted this for the doctrine of the church of rome , that a man hath a two fold right to the kingdom of god , first by the merits of christ ; secondly , by the merits of man's good works , or works of supererogation : and this is an adhering to a singular opinion , and is an error in the faith that was generally held in the true churches of christ , as witness ▪ he worketh in us to will and to do , viz. christ. so that there is nothing appropriated unto the creature as a creature . 3. this is an error in the faith of the church of rome , who teacheth , and are taught , that there is a place called purgatory in which men are cleansed from some light faults , or venial sins ; and this is contrary to the faith of the true christian churches , and is no less than heresie ; for the true church , or churches of christ , taught , that the blood of christ alone cleanseth from all sin , and that he is ( to wit , christ ) the propitiation for sin , and the everlasting sacrifice and offering ; but you have other offerings , as the sacrifice of the masse , which you call an unbloody sacrifice , which is contrary to the faith of the christian church in christ's and the apostles days , and therefore is heresie . again , praying for the dead , and praying to angels , and worshipping of images , is absolute heresie , and contrary to the faith and doctrine of the true church of christ. 4. and as for schism , the church of rome hath separated from many other churches in their practice , and also have excommunicated them as schismaticks and hereticks , witness the eastern churches , the church of caesaria , and divers others , as about your lent , your fasts , feasts , and invented holy-dayes , which the true church of christ did not allow of ; but you have brought those things in as apostolical , and excommunicated all the rest that would not bow unto you : as for example , about the feast of easter , the time when it should be celebrated , though victor the bishop of rome excommunicated all the eastern churches because they did not accord with rome , euseb . lib. 5. cap. 23. at which iraeneus , bishop of lyons in france , sharply reproved him , ibid. cap. 23 ▪ so in many more things which i shall not now stand neither to trouble my self nor the reader , which the church of rome hath departed in her practice from the primitive church , as you may see farther in a book entituled , the glory of the true church discovered ; published by f. h. and whereas the author desires to be satisfied by what general councils she was ever condemned , or which of the fathers wrote against her ; or 3dly , by what authority she was otherwise approved . ans. because the author is so confident in his assertions , as though they were unanswerable , i return this short answer , which if i hear any more from the author may be amplified . for instance , in the year 287. there was a council of bishops called at sinvis●● , where the pope was condemned ( which your church hath taught could not err ) for sacrificing to idols . at a council held at carthage decreed , that clergy men should not meddle with temporal affairs . at a council held at valentia in france , a decree was made that priests should not marry ; and these were called christians , and some of rome's visible , universal church . and this was again reproved and condemned in the first council held at tolledo in spain , they decreed that priests should marry . and now rome look to thy unity . again at a council held at caesar augusta , accursed all them that eat not the sacrament in the church ▪ but the church of rome hath decreed that it may be kept , and ready to carry abroad to sick people , and upon other occasions , out of the church . at a general council at constantinople , decreed , that mary shall be called the mother of god ; as though god were generated by natural generation , which is blasphemy . the council of armenium decreed for the armenians , that christ was not god. the council of chalcedon ( which was one of the four councils that pope gregory compared to the four gospels , and that their decrees were sure and certain as the scripture , yet ) pope leo did not stick to condemn it , and all of them as unadvised , viz. the whole council . so councils have erred , as is evident ; and that which some have decreed for apostolick doctrine since the apostles dayes , other councils have condemned as heresie , though called christians as well as the church of rome ; and yet they have condemned that which some councils did allow . so the pope hath erred , the councils have erred , as is manifest in what i have said , that i shall not trouble my reader in large things , which i could , and might do upon another occasion , if i hear any more from the church of rome . 2. by what authority she ▪ ( viz. the church of rome ) is reproved . in short , leo the fourth , bishop of rome , made void the the acts of adrian , bishop of rome . stephanus made void and abrogated the decrees of formesus and sabian , christ's vicars so called ; commanded that pope gregory ( another vicar ▪ so called ) his writings and decrees should be burned . and all these before-mentioned did say , and the church of rome holds it as such , that they were peter's successors . so here one father or head of the church , as they reckon the bishop of rome , hath confounded another . 3. the nicene council determined , that images were not onely to be placed in the churches , but also worshipped ; and the then pope said , that images were lay-mens calenders . the latterane council under julius , did repeal the decrees of the pissan council : the bazil council decreed that a council was above the pope ; but the latteran council decreed , that the pope was above the council , that he that should think otherwise , should be counted a heretick : yet the bazil council aforesaid , decreed , that they that judged that a council was not above the pope , were hereticks . and yet the church of rome layes claim to visibility and universality over all the world , and yet one as distinct from another , as black is to white , and is as unsuitable as snow is in summer , or rain in harvest . one word more , and i have done . boniface the eighth , a great father of the church of rome , and a pope , that no man in the world can be saved , unless he be subject to the roman church , like this author . and pope paschal thus said , that no council could make laws for the church of rome . and so much of general councils , and of the confusion of the church of rome ; a few words more of synods , and i have done . 1. bernardus saith , the church of rome was polluted with many superstitions ; that the bishops were biters of the sheep , rather than true shepherds : sometimes ( saith he ) i have admired that there should be a traytor among the twelve disciples , but now i much more wonder that among so great a company of bishops and prelates , one upright disciple cannot be found , apop . chr. lib. 13 , p. 260. gregorius theologus , who lived about three hundred years after christ , did determine never to come more at councils or synods , because ( saith he ) there comes more evil than good out of them ; for the contention and ambitiousnesse of the bishops is above measure , said he , anno 300. d. paraeus said , often hath the truth suffered wrong in synods , because all that were assembled , agreed in one error , so that truth came to be passed by with silence , iren. pag. 57. again , gregorius nazianzius used to say , that he never had seen any good end of any council or synod , vide inst. clav. 4. lib. 9. cap. 11. and some synods have said , that remedy was not to be expected from the clergy , who were the cause of the disease , anno 1616. so the author saith , whose company did the church of rome leave ? and from whom did she go forth ? and where was the church that she did forsake , that she should be counted heretical and schismatical ? i say , she left the company and society of the primitive church in christ's and the apostles days , and she went forth from the rest of the churches that were planted , as i instanced ; the church of rome in the year 193 ▪ did excommunicate all the eastern churches : and where was the true church that she did forsake ? saith the author . not onely one , i say , but many , to wit , the doctrine that the apostles had laid down and preach'd at antioch , at philippi , at corinth , at ephesus , and the rest of the churches of asia . and so the church of rome is proved to be an apostate , in the apostacy , in heresie , in schism ; so that there is an absolute defection from the life and power of god which was manifested in the apostles dayes , and therefore the church of rome is not the true church . what i have said as to the doctrines and grounds which have been laid down by the author , i shall refer it , and the answer , unto gods witnesse in every man's conscience ; and if i hear any more of the author , his great boasts , or ambitious challenges , which may reach to all that do dissent from the church of rome , as to be hereticks , i shall engage in the strength of the lord to vindicate the truth , however opposed , and shall further ( if god permit ) be ready to give a more large and full answer unto the doctrines , and practices , and worship of the church of rome , and prove them to be contrary to the scriptures , and the apostolick doctrine , and the faith that was once delivered unto the saints . so in what i have said , i hope may convince the authour of his vain assertions , and them that are enclined towards babylon , it may put a stop to that which would too readily close with every thing which goes under the name of antiquitie . but in what i have said upon the whole matter , i hope will be sufficient unto all who read with a single eye , without prejudice ; and unto such i say , the lord give them an understanding , that they may see and discern the way which leadeth to life and felicity , from that which leadeth to the chambers of death , and the pathes that take hold on destruction . finis . the popish inquisition newly erected in new-england whereby their church is manifested to be a daughter of mysterie babylon which did drink the blood of the saints, who bears the express image of her mother, demonstrated by her fruit : also their rulers to be in the beasts power upon whom the whore rideth, manifested by their wicked compulsary laws against the lamb and his followers, and their cruel and bloody practises against the dear servants of the lord, who have deeply suffered by this hypocritical generation : some of their miserable sufferings for the testimony of jesus, declared as follows and some of their unjust and vvicked laws set down ... / published by a lover of mercy and truth, and an enemy to envy and cruelty, francis howgill. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a44804 of text r14218 in the english short title catalog (wing h3177). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. 165 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 39 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo 2017 a44804 wing h3177 estc r14218 12206402 ocm 12206402 56185 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a44804) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 56185) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 764:6) the popish inquisition newly erected in new-england whereby their church is manifested to be a daughter of mysterie babylon which did drink the blood of the saints, who bears the express image of her mother, demonstrated by her fruit : also their rulers to be in the beasts power upon whom the whore rideth, manifested by their wicked compulsary laws against the lamb and his followers, and their cruel and bloody practises against the dear servants of the lord, who have deeply suffered by this hypocritical generation : some of their miserable sufferings for the testimony of jesus, declared as follows and some of their unjust and vvicked laws set down ... / published by a lover of mercy and truth, and an enemy to envy and cruelty, francis howgill. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. copeland, j. r. (john r.) hodgson, robert. norton, humphrey, fl. 1655-1659. rous, john, d. 1695. [4], 72 p. printed for thomas simmons ..., london : 1659. reproduction of original in huntington library. includes brief first-person narratives by robert hodgson, humphrey norton, john rous, john copeland, and others. eng society of friends -new england. a44804 r14218 (wing h3177). civilwar no the popish inquisition newly erected in new-england, whereby their church is manifested to be a daughter of mysterie babylon, which did drin howgill, francis 1659 33756 106 0 0 0 0 0 31 c the rate of 31 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the c category of texts with between 10 and 35 defects per 10,000 words. 2004-12 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2005-02 spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-04 melanie sanders sampled and proofread 2005-04 melanie sanders text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-10 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the popish inquisition newly erected in new-england , whereby their church is manifested to be a daughter of mysterie babylon , which did drink the blood of the saints , who bears the express image of her mother , demonstrated by her fruits . also , their rulers to be in the beasts power upon whom the whore rideth , manifest by their wicked compulsary laws against the lamb and his followers , and their cruel and bloody practises against the dear servants of the lord , who have deeply suffered by this hypocritical generation . some of their miserable sufferings for the testimony of jesus , declared as follows ; and some of their unjust and vvicked lavvs set dovvn , by vvhich they have made the ungodly to rejoyce , and the righteous to lament , that all who fear the lord , may come out of their foot-steps . published by a lover of mercy and truth , and an enemy to envy and cruelty , francis howgill . london , printed for thomas simmons , at the bull and mouth near aldersgate , 1659 : to the reader· great hath been the havock and spoyle that the old dragon hath made since he was thrown out of heaven , and many hath been the floods which he hath cast out after the woman , and great hath been the waves which he hath made to rise up in the sea ; yea , the nations that hath been as waters , he hath gathered on a heap , and made them burst out in a foaming rage , to overflow , and to drown , and to swallow up the woman , which was made to flye into the wilderness for many dayes , having a retired place there which god hath prepared for her , for a time , times , and half a time ; and the remnant of her seed hath he made war with every where , and hath also given great authority to the beast who rose out of the sea , to kill with the sword , to cut off , and to destroy all that worshipped him not , and his image ; and he hath had power over both small and great , and hath killed them , and hath compelled them , & forced them to worship him ; and all whose names have not been written in the lambs book of life , have worshipped him ; for all hath wondered after him ; and all the nations have drunk of the whores cup of fornication , and have been enflamed therewith ; and all have partaked with her in her whoredoms , the kings , the rulers , the noble men , the captains , and all , both small and great , who have drunk of her cup , hath made war , and hated the free-woman and her seed ; and all the deceivers , false prophets , and seducers , hath traded with her merchandize , and have deceived the nations with her sorceries , and they have the sheeps clothing , the outside , and are inwardly ravened . and in the ensuing discourse thou wilt see great professors , whom many did judge had been come out of mystery babylon many yeares ago , to wit , the churches of new-england , who cryed up reformation , thou wilt see them making war for their mother , mystery babylon , for they are her off-spring , manifest in every circumstance , by their visage and countenance , by their doctrine and discipline , by their practise and fruit , by their spoyle and violence , by their cruelty and bloodshed ; their mother drunk the blood of the saints , and so are they drinking of the same ; and the beast roars in that na●io● , which rose out of the sea , upon which the whore rides ; and he is in great majesty there , as ever he hath b●en since the apostles dayes , and breathes out threatings , that none must buy nor sell w●o hath not his mark in his forehead , or in his right hand , and who hath not some of his names of blasphemy , they must be kill●d , or tortured , o● banished , robbed , and spoyled , censured with the whores censures , a●d then destroyed by the beast , who calls himself the higher power , when as his authority is from the drago● who was cast into the earth , and exercises his rage ; and the b●ast by his authority would roo● out all , ●nd destroy all that keeps the testimony of jesus , and are obed●e●t to his will . reader , the ensuing discourse will prove it ; i need not say more , but leave their fruits and actions to declare them what they are ; the sufferings of the lords servants in that land hath been great , and thi● in so s●ort a time , that i am sure any sober man cannot but abhor such practises , & say in his heart , d●part from me ye blood-thirsty men . the narrative of the sufferings is some of them from men of their own nation , the rest is the sufferers own narration , under their own hands , the substance of which i extracted in short for the read●rs sake , but much more hath been exercised upon the servants of the lord in that nation , and to repeate all their wicked invented laws and enterprises , would make a volume i● self , some of which laws thou hast in this discourse , as many as came to my hand ; and in those which are manifest , thou ma●st j●dge from what root the rest did spring , which is all judged , and to be judged with the life of god , root and branch ; but in the long suffe●ing of god , ( if there thou dwell ) i bid thee farewel , f. h. the popish inquisition newly erected in new-england ; whereby their church is manifest to be a daughter of mystery babylon , which doth drink the blood of the saints , who bears the express image of her mother , demonstrated by her fruits , &c. the devil who was a lyar and a murderer from the beginning , who abode not in the truth , who spoke of himself , ( and not from the commandment of god , or the motion of truth ) who is curst from the presence of the lord for ever , who hath alwayes made war ( since he went out of the truth ) against god and all the children of truth , and he is that seed who has made war with the heir of all things , and against the woman in all generations , which brought forth the heir , the man-child ; and since he hath usurped authority , to wit , the serpent ; all the earth hath been filled with violence where he hath born rule ; god did not appoint him to be lord , nor to be a law-giver over man , nor over any of gods workmanship ; but he was to be ruled over by man , who was made in the image of god ; but when he came to usurp authority of himself , contrary to the command of god , he became curst ; & man also , who became subject unto his usurped authority , which he should have ruled over by the higher power in which he was made , and had power and authority over all the contrary ; but being gone from the power , and ioyned to him who moved without the power , they both became enemies to the power , and so came to be cursed by the god of power for ever , and then became at enmity to the povver of the endless life , and fed upon dust , and that which is corruptible , vvhich shall have an end . and now the serpent and his seed in the transgression , striveth and resisteth against him vvho is the higher power , with all their strength , and all the weapons formed in the bottomles● pit , by which weapons he hath prevailed since the lamb hath been slain , and hath brought all the creation into bondage which have been subject to his authority , which is out of the truth ; and he doth not onely make war against the seed , ( by whom salvation is revealed to the ends of the earth in them , that believe in him ) but also he labours to destroy gods workmanship , and to deface the creatures which god made , and formed by the word of his power : and thus all the sons of adam in the transgression having shak't hands vvith the prince of darkness , doth fulfil his unrighteous decrees , ( being gone from the povver of god ) although man sees that the way of the serpent is unequal , yet he hath not power to resist in that nature ; and so all are in captivity , and bondage , and slavery unto the noysome lusts which the devil instigateth and suggesteth into the hearts of all the children of disobedience , and so fruits of the flesh , and of darkness , is brought forth , to the dishonor of the lord of heaven and earth ; and herein the devil rejoyceth , and the seed of the evil-doer taketh delight , and thereby his strength encreases , by drinking in iniquity as water ; he is nourish'd up in the reign of the shadovv of death , and strives to bring all thither to take up their habitation , and to be servants to the prince of the ayre , vvho vvas a murderer from the beginning . and so adam when he had lost the image of god , and vvhen the heritage of god vvas laid waste in himself , he begat a son in his own image , vvho vvas cain , ( a murderer ) who was of that wicked one that went out of truth ; & he rose up in envy , & slew abel the just , who was of the seed . and here 's the off-spring & the fruit of the seed of the serpent ; for as god is love , and all that are begotten by him , live in love , and all the creatures that he did make , was to serve one another in love , in the covenant of life and love , in which they were made ; so the devil lives in envy , and all his children , and leads into discord , and perverteth all the creatures from that end which god made them , to serve his end , vvhose life stands in discord , envy , wrath , and unrighteousness , and whatsoever is evil ; and herein is the children of god made manifest , and their works , and the children of the devil , and their works ; they that love god , loves the workmanship of god , and cannot hate his brother , but hath eternal life abiding in him ; but he that 's of the devil , destroys gods workmanship , kills his brother , ( a man-flayer ) and hath not the love of god dwelling in him . and this seed of the serpent hath spread it self forth over all the earth since the transgression , both amongst jews and gentiles , professors , and prophane ; them that had the law , and them that were vvithout the law ; them that have had the scripture , and them that had no scripture ; and in that which is called christendome , as well as they which are called heathens ; as well amongst the highest professors , as amongst the grossest prophane , in all times since the foundation of the world , that the lamb hath been slain , and the seat of iniquity raised up , and this seed hath been made manifest by its fruits throughout all ages and times , throughout all nations , kindreds , tongues , regions , countreys , and kingdoms ; and by the fruit which is brought forth in new-england , they themselves may read their stock , and off-spring , and fruits , a little of which , ( which is brought to light , and evident ) hereafter i shall declare , which when they come to view over their work again , shame may cover their faces , and astonishment fill their hearts , that such fruits should be brought forth by them who are so high professors of god in words , and of the scriptures to be the rule of their obedience and faith ; now shall you be tryed by the scripture , your rulers , your teachers , and your church-members , and the life of the saints that gave forth the scripture , will stand a witness against your doctrines and cursed practises for evermore ; you may read your example , cain , herod , murderers , & men of blood , the persecuting jews , who were zealous for god as they thought , who persecuted to death , and said they had a law , and by that law christ ought to dye ; but you are worse then they , for you had no law which would take hold upon the righteous and faithful witnesses of god , till you had made one , or invented one , and digged down to hell to ask counsel of the prince of darkness , your god . and further , you may read your example , nimrod , who came of the stock of ham , who was cursed as well as the serpent , as well as cain ; and your thoughts are vain , like the thoughts of your fore-fathers , the pharisees , whom christ prophesied of to his disciples , and said , the time would come when they should hale them out of the synagogues , and persecute from city to city , and sp●ak all manner of evil of them , and should go about to kill them , and yet think they did god service ; so void of understanding hath the seed of the serpent alwayes been in all generations ; which words of christ is fulfilled among you professors of new-england , who are thinking ( as they did ) that you do god service in killing his members , and you are come to that time , your fruits has made it manifest . oh! could you have believed in times past if it should have been told you that you above all people , should be the greatest persecutors , and exceeded in wickedness , and cruelty , and hard heartedness , the papists , the turks , the heathens , who make little or no profession , in comparison of you , and yet that you should exceed them in rage , cruelty , and madness ? it is an abhorrency to all sober people ; you have stained the earth ▪ and defiled your land with blood , and have caused the name of the lord of heaven and earth to be blasphemed among the heathen , by your wicked , ungodly , barbarous , and brutish actions ; and you are in that nature , and in their steps which kill'd the prophets , and mock't ●is messengers , and shamefull● entreated his servants , upon whose heads all the blood shed from abel to this day , will be required but blessed be the lord , whose arm hath been stretched forth , and hath gathered thousands out of that nature which is cursed from god for ever , and hath revealed his salvation unto them , and the everlasting gospel , which is to be preached again after the apostacy , and hath made us partakers of it , ( to wit ) the power of god ; and so we see unto whom the arm of the lord is revealed , that all nations since the apostacy , hath drunk of the whores cup , and are bewitch'd with her sorceries , and therefore according to the command of the lord , and the motion of his eternal spirit , we have born our testimony against the apostates and deceivers , ( who retain the words , and has lost the life and power ) to the intent that all that believe in the light which christ hath lighted every man withall , that people might wait to receive power from on high again , ( which all the sons of adam hath lost in the transgression ) that as many as receive the power , may come out of the transgression ; and for this end hath god chosen and seperated many contrary to their own wills , and from whatsoever was dear unto them in the outward , to deny it all , and to answer the pure motion of gods spirit whither soever he leadeth , and in so doing , many have found the power and presence of the lord going with them , and before them , and he hath prospered his own work in their hands , and hath brought many out of sodom and aegypt , and out of mystery babylon , to christ the mysterie , and to the mysterie of faith which is held in a pure conscience . and we were not ignorant of this , what opposition we should receive from antichrist and his ministers , satan and his messengers ; and how that the whole world lay in wickedness ; and how that nations , kindreds , tongues , and people , had drunk the whores cup ; and how that all hirelings , deceivers , false prophets , and seducers , would withstand : neither were we ignorant that the beasts power which got up in the throne of iniquity and exaltation , since the man-child was caught up unto god , & the woman fled into the wilderness , wherein he hath compelled all ( both small and great ) to worship him . neither were we ignorant of his strength , and of his great authority that he had in the nations , and how that the whore ( the false church ) rode upon him ; ( and also we knew that the nations were as waters ) nor of the great waves which would lift up themselves ; nor of the multitude of merchants which makes merchandize of souls for dishonest gain , who are greedy of filthy lucre ; nor of the multitude of ships in which they carry their merchandize and deceitful ware ; neither was the servants of the lord ; who hath thus deeply suffered ( as i shall hereafter make mention ) of the spirit that ruled in the professors and teachers of new-england : notwithstanding all this ( which was seen before ) we consulted not with flesh and blood , but was obedient to the heavenly call , and stood ( given up to the lord in life , or in death ) to finish the testimony which god hath put into our hands , that so many may be brought to know the living god revealed in themselves , that so they with us , and we with them , may rejoice in him who is becoming the king , and law-giver , and the exceeding great reward of all his people ; to whom be glory for ever and ever : amen . and now reader , i shall give thee a plain and true account of the grievous proceedings of the rulers of new-england , and the miserable sufferings of the servants of the lord , whereby thou mayest see the divinity of new-england , by the fruits and effects it brings forth , the laws by which they rule their nation not to be according to the law of god , nor according to that which is equal in every mans conscience ; for that law takes hold upon the transgressor , but not the innocent ; and because of unrighteous rulers and laws , many up ▪ right-hearted people in that nation mourns the grievous suffering of robert hodshon , by the governor of the dutch plantation in new-england . i robert hodshon being moved of the lord to go to new-england , to declare the word of truth made known by his spirit , was obedient thereto , who after a prosperous voyage , arrived at long-island , where our own countrey people did inhabit under the dutch jurisdiction , finding drawings , and two more with me , we left the ship , and passed to a place called gravesend , wher● our testimony was received ; from thence we passed to a town called semico , where we were received with gladness ; so we passed to another town called hampstead , where we were received also ; so i being left in the town at a friends house , ( the other two being passed away ) the next day being the first day , i passing to another friends house , and some friends following me into an orchard , where we had thoughts to have met together , i being walking alone , there came a man from the magistrate , and laid hold of me , and haled me to the magistrate , and kept me a prisoner in his own house , while he himself went to his worship ; many staid and heard the truth the fore-part of the day declared ; after he came home , and see so many with me , and could not stop my mouth , he wrote a ●ittimus , and gave another man charge to keep me at his house ; so the latter part of the day i had many came to me , and those that had been mine enemies , after they had heard truth , confest to it . so that magistrate that committed me , took his horse , and rode away to the dutch governor to make his complaint ; but the other magistrate , and most part of the town , would not joyne vvith him against me , but some few of the ruder sort . there was i kept a prisoner till the governor of the dutch sent a guard of twelve musketiers , and the gaoler , and the sheriff came about twenty miles ; so i was committed to them , and they searched me , and took away my knife , books , and papers , and pinioned me vvith cords ; the next morning they took two women , one having a young child sucking , and committed them also , and more if they could have found them ; and thus they entertain strangers in new-england . and then a warrant vvent forth to bring those people that did receive us ; and so he fined them , and commanded them to pay , within six weeks , or else depart the jurisdiction ; and one man he committed , and laid irons upon him , and fined each of them three pounds . so i being pinioned till i came near vvhere the dutch vvere , being tyed vvith a rope to a cart-tayle , thorough the woods near 30. miles , and then i vvas cast into a dungeon so odious as i never savv , for vvet , dirt , and nasty stink ; and the next day i was brought to examination , and an english captain there to interpret , and took in writing in their ovvn language , committing me again to the dungeon , suffering not any english to come to me . the next court calling me out again , reading my accusation in their language , the captain interpreted some of my accusation , and thus said before the court , that it is the generals pleasure , seeing i did behave my self thus , that i must pay 600. gilders , ( which is 50. pound ) or else to serve at a wheel-barrow , lock'd with a chain . i did ask him if i might give an answer ; and they answered , no ; but shut me up in a dungeon . so on the second day in the morning they took me forth , and lockt me to the wheel-barrovv ( amongst the slaves ) to work ; i told them , i was never used to that work ; and they took a hard ship-rope , ( near four inches about ) and commanded a black-more to beat me with it ; so he beat me so long till i fell down , and the sheriff commanded him to take me up again , and beat me again ; so it was judged by the standers by , that he gave me an hundred blovvs : then they forced me to go into the fort where the governor lived , and went to know what they should do vvith me ; so they sent a moor to gather rods to vvhip me ; and so with the blovvs , and the heat of the sun , i sunk down vvhere i stood in the fort , and there i vvas till the seventh hour in the night ; when the gaoler came to unlock me from the barrow , i was so sore swollen , that it was as much as i could do to stand , and was put that night in the dungeon ; the next morning i was taken out about the fifth or sixth hour , and vvas lockt to the barrovv till the seventh hour at night , vvith a century over me , that none should speak to me , and if i spoke to any , they told me they would punish me more ; yet for all this , my mouth was opened to declare the word of truth . afterwards they shut me up in the dungeon about a week , and then brought me forth again ; and then they stript me to the waste , and hung me up by the hands , and tyed a great clog to my feet , the gaoler being full of wine and the black-moor a strong man , came vvith rods , and whipped me , ( the stripes cannot be numbered ) back , sides and breast , which was cut very sore ; and then i was put into the dungeon , two nights , and near two dayes , giving me neither bread nor water ; the gaoler being drunk and asleep , two souldiers got in at the door , and got me some water ; so aftervvards they took me forth again , and asked me if i would pay the fine ; i told them i could not : they asked me if i would work , or be whipped every day ; i asked them vvhat i had done , or vvhat law i had broken , and to know my accusers ; so they took me and hanged me up again , ( as they had before ) and put my body to great pain , in keeping my body so long hanged , and giving me about ten stripes , and then asked me if i vvould work , and then gave me stripes again , four or five times , then they let me down , and put me into the dungeon ; then a woman came to me , and washed my stripes , and afterwards parted from me , and went home to her husband , and letting him know how it was with me , he proffered the sheriff a fat ox if he would suffer me to come to his house ; for his wife after she parted from me , looked when word should come that i was dead ; but the governor would not suffer me to come forth unless the whole fine was paid ; there were many friendly ( both dutch and english ) that would have paid it , but i could not consent ; and then afterwards ( within three dayes ) i was moved to work , and was made able and strong within three dayes after i was so sore abused , ( as the first going into prison ) which did much confound and torment them to see me work ; many english came to me to have my consent the fine should be paid , and grieved to see me made a slave ; but i could not yeild that any should give one penny . but after i had wrought one week , i had liberty to speak to many that did resort to me ; and captain williams ( one of my greatest adversaries ) said i should be freed , for he had lost the love both of dutch and english ; and so for his own benefit , he begg'd my release of the governor , a man more fit to be ruled over , then to rule : and this is the fruit of the governor and sheriff , who would be counted christian magistrates ; but the mercies of the wicked are cruel . but in all this the arm of the lord did support me , wherein i had peace in the inward man ; and so i was brought to road island . robert hodshon . the ninth month , 1657. christopher holder , john copland , richard doudeny , and mary clark , all imprisoned at boston , and after brought to their court , which vvas in much fury and rage , in cain's vvay , accusing them of sedition , and said they vvere vvorthy of death ; rich. doudeny received thirty stripes . they made this lavv at their county-court held at boston , as follovvs . it is hereby ordered , when the quakers shall have paid the officers their fees , and five shillings a day to the three men to carry them away to road island , out of this iurisdiction , &c. and now reader thou mayest observe , they in this jurisdiction are worse then the gadarenes , who desired christ to depart out of their coasts , but did not require five shillings a day of him , for a man to carry him avvay , as these corrupt rulers and officers of the jurisdiction of boston ; but this is but the beginning of their masters work , more thou shalt hear hereafter , vvhich vvill make thee admire that the gathered churches of new-england should bring forth these fruits . several inhabitants of new-england have been fined for meeting together in the fear of the lord , vvho have vvaited upon him to feel his mind and will revealed in them , and among them , according to the example of the primative christians . william newland for having a meeting in his house , and refusing to swear , suffered five months imprisonment , and vvas fined 20. shillings , for vvhich they took a heiser vvorth 30 : shillings . ralph alin for having a meeting in his house , vvas five moneths imprisoned , and fined 20. shillings . and for not putting off his hat he vvas fined 20. s. and had one sheep distrained . peter gaunt for not putting off his hat , vvas fined 20. s. william alin for not putting off his hat , had a kettle taken away . daniel wing ( for the same ) fined 20. s. edward perey ( for the same ) had pewter taken avvay valued at 7. s. john inkins had an iron pot taken avvay : peter gaunt ( for the same ) had pewter taken avvay , valued 12. s. robert harper ( for the same ) 4. s. thomas euer ( for the same ) had his pot taken avvay in vvhich he dressed his victuals . tho. greenfeild for not swearing , fined 20. s. fourteen of the inhabitants of sandwich , fined 5. l. a piece for keeping the command of christ , vvho said , swear not at all ; these vvas fined at the last court at plymouth . o you hypocrites , whose hearts are full of venom ! would you be called christian magistrates , and members of the body of christ , vvhile you bring forth such fruits as these , apples of sodom , and grapes of gomorrah ? will you let us reason together a little ? did the church of corinth fine the rest of the corinthians vvho met not together at one place , and fetch away their kettles and their pans ? did the members of the church at galatia , vvhen the other galatians worshipped them not , fine them 20. s. and fetch away their heifers ? or did the members of the church of antioch , fine the rest of the gentiles that did not believe , for not coming to them to worship , and take away their pots in vvhich they drest their victuals ? or did the jews ( vvhich vvere unbelievers , that worshipped in the temple ) fine the rest of the believers that were at ierusalem , for not doffing their hats ? or did they fine them five pounds a piece because they vvould not swear ? or did the church at ierusalem fine the temple-worshippers , ( the iews ? ) if you can give an example either from believers or unbelievers , do ; if you cannot , be ashamed of your doings , and repent of your wickedness . and are you like to be rulers for a common-wealth , who destroys the estates of them who are members of the common wealth ? such church-members made the woman flye into the wilderness ; and such rulers destroyed israel's common-wealth , who grinded the faces of the poor , and chopt them in pieces as flesh for the caldron . and this is truly verified among you rulers of new-england , who has turned judgement backward , and not suffered equity to enter ; but these actings hastens the scattering of your church , ( falsly so called ) and will incur the wrath of the lord upon your nation , and make you an abhorrency to all that fear the lord . the cruelty of francis newman , and others of the magistrates of new haven , towards the lords servant , humphrey norton , their cruel whipping of him , burning him with the letter h. and fining him ten pounds , and both him and john rows whipped at plymouth patten . humphrey norton being moved of the lord to visit the dutch plantation upon the continent of new-england , and passing thitherward through an english plantation , was apprehended by order from the magistrates of that place , where he prevented him , and put him a-board of a vessel that went for a place called new-haven , where he was carried before one francis newman , a magistrate in that place , having nothing to charge him with besides his giving forth of papers which he had writ in answer to their priests , yet committed him to a wide , open prison , which wanted repairing , and in the coldest season of the year , suffered him not to have either fire or candle , but chained him to a log all that night , and the next day and night , the morning following he was brought before the said newman , and two other of the magistrates , who having nothing to accuse him with , ( but concerning the papers aforementioned ) one of the justices ( so called ) stood up , and declared , that if the said humph. norton would return , and acknowledge he had done amiss , and declare against himself , he should be cleared ; who answered , he could not declare that which was false , for he had declared the truth already . so after they had used both flattery and threats , ( to little purpose ) this newman in much rage commanded him to prison again , saying , he would prosecute him in the same prison , & the same manner chained him to a log , they kept him sixteen or seventeen days , and then brought him before them again , and read his charge , which he desired he might have a copy of , to answer to ; and a priest being present ( to whom the said h. norton had sent some queries ) who undertook to answer him before the people , and the said h. n. replyed to him as he answered each query ; then they tyed a key cross his mouth till the priest had done , and was gone , and the court broke up , although they promised he should answer vvhen the priest had done ; but they returned him to prison till the afternoon ; then they sent for him to a private place , using flattery to ensnare him ; but seeing they could not , they returned him to prison . the next morning they sent for him again , and then read a sentence against him , that he should be severely whipt , and burnt in the hand vvith the letter h. for spreading his heretical opinions ; all vvhich vvas severely executed upon him the same day , in the sight of the magistrates and nine or ten priests , and many people ; they also fined him ten pounds , for that the collony had been put to charges and trouble with him , vvhich they had the conscience to take of a dutch man , who had compassion on the suffering man , and would needs pay it for his release , although much perswaded to the contrary by h. norton . being released from thence , and sent out of their coasts , ( according to their sentence ) he with another friend , called john rous , passing into plymouth patten , was there also apprehended , and cast into prison , and after called before their court , and sentenced ( again ) both of them to be whipped , which vvas the same day performed upon them , h. norton received thirty lashes , and john rous fifteen , or sixteen , and so sent away . this is but little in comparison of their cruelties exercised on the bodyes of many of our friends , vvhich the lord takes notice of , as farther hereafter thou mayest hear . humphrey norton's relation of his , and john rous's sufferings again in plymouth-patten , by the magistrates and governor there . i being returned to road-island , and hearing there was information taken against me ( in plymouth-patten ) upon oath , and also that they had entered me upon record for being convicted of several errors , ( a necessity vvas laid upon me to appear in those parts , besides what drawings i had to visit the great seed of god that there is , when the fulness of time was near come for the finishing of that service , there vvas a cry in me for tvvo dayes together , bonds abide thee , bonds abide thee , and their court and collony presented to me ; ) with zeal and courage for god , i made my vvay , with my beloved brother , john rous , who had drawings thither , and did accompany me ; the strength of darkness being on their parts , and their late-made laws being so abominable and wicked , the few dayes we had to visit the seed , we were forced ( so as in the wisdom of the father ) to keep hid in the wilderness , and to have the church to meet us there , it being against me ( if i could prevent it by lawful means ) to go bound to pilate , but that in the povver and authority of god we might at their court appear , in which time the particulars vvere presented to me , vvith the truth of every thing , vvhich i sent before me to the governor and magistrates , to make vvay for me by a constable , with a line to him to this purpose , that neither the governor nor constable needed to seek any further after me , for it was my intent ( with j. rous ) to appear before their court and countrey , if god permit ; which repairing thither ( upon the first day of their sitting ) quietly into their town of plymouth , vvith some friends accompanying us , their under-marshal ( so called ) came to us ( upon sight ) in the street , and said he did arrest us in the lord protector's name , and so took us avvay to prison , and there kept us ( without suffering any to come to us that he could hinder ) for the most part of two dayes , whilst they were sitting upon their aegyptian juryes ; and being then brought before their court and magistrates , we were demanded the occasion of our coming , and whether we had not had warning to depart their collony ? my answer was to the governour , that part of my grounds i had sent before me , with his name ( and several other of the magistrates names ) upon the outside , and asked him whether he had received it , or not ? which thing he vvould neither acknowledge , nor deny ; upon which i tendered him another copy of the same , and required that it should be read in the audience of the court , and that i might have liberty to declare the rest of my grounds , the which he would neither receive , nor suffer to be read ; afterwards i made way that i might read it my self , and he caused me to be pulled down , and haled forth , and abused both me and iohn rous , with his tongue , and caused us to be haled to prison again . about a day after i sent a little note to them , to require of them that we might not be shufled off in that manner as we were , but that we might be called before their court again , wch was done in a wicked and corrupt manner , labouring by what means they could , to prevent the people from the hearing and sight of us , which when we were called , the governor began with his rage and railing , ( the strength of darkness being with him ) laboured ( if he could ) to stop me from speaking , so that our ground and cause could not be heard , according to our desires ; & as he abused me with words , calling me a number of filthy names , and that he looked upon me as the wickedest of all my consorts , or words to that purpose ; but at last their sentence passed upon us , to be whipped , or to pay five pounds ▪ ( according to their law ) i told them , if it were the will of god , i could freely lay down my life in witnessing against that law . upon the day we were called forth to suffer their law , and being brought to the stocks , the people and magistrates gathered together to see the execution ; it vvas received by us vvith great courage & boldness , to the astonishing of the heathen , & to the tendering of many ; after wch , the magistrate said we were cleared , paying our fees . back again to prison were we returned , ( and continued for our fees not being paid ) and there continued about five dayes ; and the marshal perceiving that we were what we spake , came upon the day following , and laid before us the poor condition of his wife and children , and told us the doors vvere open to us , he would stand to what the lord would move our hearts to communicate to his wife and children's necessities ; upon which account vve came forth . humphrey norton . laws made at their march-court , holden at new-plymouth , where the governor caused deputies to be called on purpose to make these following laws against friends , to prevent the spreading of truth . it is enacted by this court , and the authority thereof , that no quaker , or person commonly so called , be entertained by any person , or persons within this government , under the penalty of 5. l. for every such default , or be whipt ; and in case any one shall entertain any such person ignorantly , if he shall testifie on his oath that he knew them not to be such , he shall be freed of the abovesaid penalty , provided that he upon his first discerning them to be such , do disc●ver them to the constable , or his deputy . it is enacted also by the court , and authority thereof , that if any quaker , or person commonly so called , shall come into any township within this government , and by any person , or persons , be known , or suspected to be such a one , the person so knowing or suspecting him , shall forthwith acquaint the constable ( or his deputy ) of them , on pain of presentment , and so lyable to censure in court , who forthwith shall diligently endeavour to apprehend them , and command them to depart out of the township and this government ; and in case any such person delay , or refuse so to depart , then the said constable , or deputy , shall apprehend them , or him before a magistrate in their township , if there be any ; and if there be none , to the select men appointed by the court for that purpose , who shall cause them , or him to be whipt by the constable or his deputy , or pay five pounds , and then conveyed out of their township . and the same course is to be taken with them as often as they transgress this order . it is enacted by this court , and the authority thereof , that henceforth no such meetings be assembled or kept , by any person , in any place within this government , under the penalty of 40. s. for every speaker , and 10. s. for every hearer , and 40. s a time for the owner of the place , that permits them so to meet together ; and if they meet together at their silent , ( so called ) then every person so meeting together , shall pay 10. s. a time , and the owner of the place shall pay 40. s. it is enacted by the court , that henceforth no publike meetings be set up within this government , but such as the court shall approve off . f.h. and e.b. my dearly beloved friends , about the last of the sixth month , 1657. i came from barbado's , with another friend with me , an inhabitant of the island , and according to the appointment of the father , landed on road-island in the beginning of the eighth moneth , on an out-part of the island , but the vessel went for boston ; and being come thither , i heard of the arrival of friends from england , which was no small refreshment to me ; and after i had been there a little while , i passed out of the island into plymouth-patten , to sandwich , and several other towns thereabouts ; and after some time i was in conecticut-patten , with john copeland , where the lord gave us no small dominion ; for there we met with one of the disputers of new-england , who is a priest of hartford , who was much confounded , to the glory of truth , and his shame ; and after some staying there , we returned to road-iland , ( where h.n. was ) and after some stay there , we went to plymouth-patten , and they having a court , we went to the place where it was , ( having sent before , the grounds of our coming ) but we were straightway put into prison , and after twice being before them , ( where we were much railed upon ) they judged us to be vvhipt , h. n ▪ received twenty three stripes , and i fifteen , ( with rods ) which did prove much for the advantage of truth , and their disadvantage ; for friends did with much boldness own us openly in it . and after we were let from thence , vve returned to road-island , and from thence to boston , and bore vvitness ( in their meeting-house ) against their worship , in a fevv words , till they haled us forth , and had us to their house of correction , and that evening vve vvere examined , and committed to the prison ; and on the seventh day in the evening they vvhipt us vvith ten stripes apiece , vvith a three-fold whip , to conclude a vvicked weeks work , which vvas this ; on the second day they vvhipped six friends ; on the third day the gaoler laid william brand neck and heels , ( as they call it ) in irons , ( as he confessed ) for sixteen hours ; and on the fourth day the gaoler gave w. brand one hundred and seventeen strokes vvith a pitch rope ; on the fifth day vve vvere put in prison , and on the seventh day vve suff●●ed ; and after a vvhile a warrant vvas given forth , that if vve vvould not work , we should be whipt once in every three dayes , and the first day have fifteen stripes , the second time eighteen , and the third time twenty one . so on the seventh day vvas a week after our first whipping , four of us received fifteen stripes a-piece , and on the fourth day after , we were released : so we returned to road-island , and continued there a while , and after some time h.n. went into plymouth-patten , to friends there , and i was moved to come to boston ; so that day five weeks as i was released , that day five weeks i was put in again , where was christopher holder , and john copeland , and we do lye according to their law , to have each of us an ear cut off . but we are kept in the dominion of the lord , over all our enemies . this is the proceedings of the great professors of new-england , whose fruits declare to all sober people , what stock they are of , even of cain , that hated and slew the just . john rous. here followeth the tryals , and examinations , and sufferings of the three servants of the lord , christopher holder , john rous , & john copeland , and the cruel and unmerciful proceedings of john indicot , who is called a governor of boston , and their court , called , the court of assistance . but it is of their father the devil's work , against the above said three servants of god , and harmless and innocent lambs of christ . it came to pass that we two , christ . holder , and j. copeland , being moved of the lord to go to boston , set forth thitherwards on the third day of the sixth month , ●nd the same day came to a town in that jurisdiction , called dedham , and it being near evening , we turned into the ordinary , where we lodged that night , and early in the morning came two constables ( with some others ) and demanded of us whither we were going ; our answer vvas , we intend to pass towards boston . then they said they had a vvarrant to bring us to boston before the magistrates . then we required to see it ; but they would not shew us it ; so after some hours , one constable , and two men with him , had us to boston , and brought us to the governor's house , who when he saw us ( being much perplexed in spirit ) said in a rage , you shall be sure to have your ears cut off ; then he asked our names , so we told him ; then he said , you have been twice here before , and said , he looked upon it to be a great judgement of god to them , that we were suffered so often to come amongst them , to trouble them , and asked us why we came , seeing you know we would not receive you ? we answered , the lord hath commanded us , & we could not but come : then he maliciously said , the lord commanded you to come ? it was the devil . then he urged us to prove our call by the scriptures ; our ansvver vvas , our names are not vvritten in the scriptures . the governor ( whose name is john indicot ) said , he did believe we spoke true , for he did think our names vvere not vvritten in the scriptures ; and farther said , it vvere something if you could make it appear to me that you are sent of god . we answered , that vvhile he stood in unbelief , though vve speak never so plain to him , yet he would not believe it . then one nathaniel williams standing by , said to this effect , seeing that you knew we would not receive you , it must needs be out of malice that you came . our answer was , that the lord god who searcheth the hearts of all , knows that we came not in malice , but in obedience to him . then j. indicot asked us , whether vve did believe that christ's body vvas in heaven ? ans. we knovv that his body is in heaven . so he sent for the gaoler , and bid him take us avvay , and said we should hear from them to morrovv . so he had us away ; and put us in the house of correction , as they call it . so on the morrow ( being the fifth day of the sixth month ) they had a court at boston , before vvhich we were brought ; when we came before them , they caused our hats to be taken off , and throvvn on the ground ; then j. indicot said , you were before me yesterday , and i asked you to prove your call , but you did not , because you said i would not believe it ; therefore i ask you to prove it before the people , & it may be they wil believe you . then we asked them if they vvould believe us when we spoke the truth ? i , i , if you prove it by scripture , we must as before . to prove our call hither by express words of scripture , we cannot , because our names ( neither this place ) is not mentioned in scripture ; but that vve have examples in scripture from the prophets and apostles , who in obedience to the lord travelled from place to place , as we do , that we can prove . then i. i. laughed , and said , are you prophets and apostles ? then he asked us , whether we did believe that christ had a body in heaven distinct from the body of his members . vve answered , that christ's body is divided from his members , we do not believe . i.i. turned to the people , and said , they mea● his mystical body . then we said , vve know no such word in scripture as mystical , and put them to prove by scripture that christ had two bodies . then one stood up ( like a priest ) and asked us whether we did not believe that christ had a body in heaven made of sinews , flesh , and bone , distinct from the body of his members ? then we asked what the body of his members was ? to which they gave no ansvver . then the secretary made a speech to this effect , saying , that these men have been here twice before , and have received the law , and was sent out of this jurisdiction , and now are come the third time ; and so vvrote an order , and delivered it to the governor , who delivered it to the gaoler , and bid him take us away , and keep us according to his order ; but they read not the order to us then . so he had us away to the house of correction again ; and the next morning the gaoler came to us , and asked us to work ; then we required to see his order ; so he shewed us it : the order was to this effect : to the ke●per of the house of correction ; you are by vertue hereof , to take into your custody the body of christopher holder , and john copeland , and them safely to keep close to work , with prisoners diet onely , until their ears be cut off , and not suffer any to converse with them whilst they are in your custody . then he asked us again to work , and said , as you are rational men , i would wish you not to put your bodyes to so much sufferings , saying , he had an order to have us whipt twice a week if vve vvould not work , and shewed us the order that vvas made for the other friends that vvere in the prison before us , whereby they were whipt ; but we answered him not : then he said , he would not be harsh vvith us , but vvould give us time to consider of it till noon . so after some time , he came to us again , and asked us as before ; then we answered , we were shut up , and vvere not at liberty to vvork ; then he haled us , and had us into the room where the work vvas , and kept us there till night , and then had us into the common gaol , and on the morrow had us down again where the work was , and said he would keep us there till our backs were slash'd , and set bread and pottage by the work , but vve had not freedom to meddle with it neither . so at night we were had into the common-gaol again , where we were shut up in a close room , and had bread and pottage set by us , but they said they vvould not take any thing for it but work ; in which place we remained eight dayes , they not knowing of any thing vve did eat . then the gaolers wife came to us , and said , if we would have milk , we might have it bought for us ; and if we would have beer , we might buy it of her ; so from that time the other friends who were in the house of correction , ( some time after ) was suffered to bring us what we did want , in at a window . some time after c.h. and j.c. were put in prison , i iohn rous was commanded of the lord to go boston also , and as way was made , ( according to the will of god ) i prepared to go thitherwards , and on the 25. of the sixth month , ( in the evening ) i came to boston , so i went into an inne , and not being desirous to be a snare to any man , i declared who i was , to the man of the house , who fetched the marshal , and the marshal had me to the governor ; and when i was brought before the governor , he came towards me in a lofty manner , and said , put off thy hat ; i answered , i cannot ; so my hat at his command was taken off . j.i. asked me why i came to town ? i said , to visit my friends that were in prison ; and ( if i may have liberty ) if they want any thing , to minister to their necessities . he answered in derision , that was a charitable deed ; why did not humphrey norton come ? he asked me if i had any letters ; to which i vvas silent . so he bid the marshal search me , who did according to his command ; and i. indicot took several papers out of my letter-case , and kept them . and after some questions about the body of christ , ( to which i answered him according to the scriptures ) and telling me that was no new thing we held ; for ( he said ) if he had time , he would shew me out of books which he had in the house , that several hereticks ( before us ) held the same opinions . to which i answered him little , ( knowing that the spirit of god is pure from all heresie , whatsoever blind men m●y say of it . ) i.i. bid the marshal have me to prison , the which was done without warrant or mittimus , that i saw or heard of . again , on the seventh day of the seventh month , we three were sent for ( from the prison ) before the court of assistance held at boston , who ( when we came ) commanded our hats to be taken off , the which being done , ( after some time ) i.i. asked us one by one , whether we knew the law against quakers ? we answered , we knew their law . then he asked us , why we came hither ? we answered ▪ that the lord ( whose law is just ) required it of us to come , in obedience to him we came . then one called major denison , asked us , whether every man is not master of his own house ? we answered , the lord god is master of heaven and earth , and he can send whither he vvill , and vvhom he vvill : then j. i. said , were you not here before , and vvere sent away , and vvere vvarned not to come again , and now are come a third time , ( to which rich. bellingham added ) in contemp● of authority ? we answered , amos must prophesie at bethel , though he be forbidden . then major denison said , if a man should forewarn another man from coming into his house , and should stand with a pike ( or a sword ) at his door , and yet for all this , the other should attempt to come into his house , and should be slain , would not this man's blood be upon his own head ? ans if the lord sent a man to such a man's house , to warn him ( or any in his house ) to repent , or of the judgements that vvas to come ; if this man vvas slain , he was innocent in the sight of god , and had cleared his conscience towards the man , and his blood would be upon his head that slew him . then some words passed betwixt us , whereby the governor was called by his name ; then major denison spake to this effect , it was not fit for us to call him by his name ; [ mark but the pride of this man's heart ] to which it was replyed , he might have shewed more wisdom ; for hís name is john indicot , and mens names are given for men to be called by . then they fell to plead for being worshipped and honored with the honour which is from below , which unbelievers live in , and seeks , and would have it , and brought many scriptures for resp●ct of persons . they were answered , they that respects persons , commits sin . then one said , that is in judgement . to which it was replyed , now you are in judgement , why do you then plead for it ? if you were magistrates of god , you would speak in the majesty of god ; but they were light , and vain , and laugh'd . john indicot asked , what is the honor that you would have given to men ? ans. love is the honor due to all men ; and further said , how can you believe , that receive honor one of another ? if you were believers , you would not seek it ; but the unbelieving pharisees sought it , and were reprehended by christ ; and the same reproof reaches to all men who are seeking the same . denison said , it might be ignorant people vvould wonder that we should make so much a-do about putting off the hat , and seeking honor to our persons , for therein lyes the ground of contempt of authority . both ignorant and wise may wonder at it indeed , that you make such a do about the hat ; is putting of hats , and bowing the knee , obedience to the higher power ? is that the honor from above ? nay , christ saith its below . and though denison said , they fought not honor to themselves , yet ( reader ) thou maist judge by their late act , ( which hereafter i shall mention ) that they were so unvvilling to lose this honor , ( which is corrupt and below ) that rather then they will want it , death and banishment shall come upon him that vvill not give it them . and further , denison ( out of the pride of his heart ) said , we are stronger then you , look to your selves . answ. the lord is stronger then all , and he shall reign . then one of them said , we were deceived and deluded . ans. if we were deluded , and out of the way , you had more need to pitty us , then do as you do . one of them said , we pitty you , while we punish you . [ mark the deceit of this man ▪ ] then after some more words , ( wherein they call'd us bold boys , and blasphemers ) j. indicot said , you come in a way , and shew of love and humility , and the spirit of meekness , but you are such as christ spoke of , vvho outwardly have sheeps clothing , but inwardly are ravening wolves . ans christ there speaks of a people very like your selves . then j i. made a speech unto us , to this effect : exhorting us to make our peace with god , saying , that the way we walked in , ( deceiving of people , and speaking against ministers and ordinances , and despising of magistrates ) is the way that leads to hell ; and said , [ the boaster ] i speak from heaven , but you will not believe me . answ. nay , we do not believe thee , ( he who is a man of blood , speaks from the pit of darkness , where his residence and abode is ) but as for deceiving of people , and speaking against ministers of christ , and despising of magistrates , we are not guilty . so they bid the gaoler take us away , the which he did ; and this is the substance of our examination at that time . again , on the tenth day of the same month , we were called before the court ; and when we came before them , the deputy-governor made a speech to this effect : these men have been formerly here , and they have been sent avvay ; and though they know the law , yet are come again in contempt , and to revile magistrates and ministers , and to break all order in churches , and deceive the people ; and so what ever become of them , whether loss of ears , or loss of life , your blood be upon your own heads . [ mark , worse then pilate , and the envious jews . ] to which he vvas replyed , you heap false accusations upon us , and god will heap his judgements upon your heads ; and if we suffer either loss of member , or loss of life , our blood will be required at your hands , for the lord hath sent us hither . j. i. said , prove that , ( and said ) christ's messengers were to pray for them that persecuted them ; but you prophesie his judgements upon us . we have not done any thing that deserves either death or bonds . then indicot said , you are greater enemies to us , then those that come openly , while you come under pretence of peace , to poyson the people . then one of us said , it grieves me to hear thee speak so many false things . then they urged us to prove that we were sent of god . ans. that vvhich you do unto us , doth prove that vve are sent of god ; for the same things that christ said should be done to his disciples , ( by those that were contrary to him ) have you done unto us , as vvhipping , &c. to vvhich major denison said , then evil-doers that are whipped , suffer for christ's sake . to vvhich iohn rous replyed , if we were evil-doers , the judgements of god would he heavier upon us then that which we suffer by you ; but not being evil-doers , we have peace with god , and his peace keeps us above all sufferings . to which major denison replyed , mr. rous ( for so i may call you , having heard your father is a gentleman ) what judgement of god do you look for greater ( then is upon you ) then to be driven from your fathers house , and to run about here as a vagabond , with a company of deceivers , except you look for a halter , or to be stricken with a thunder-bolt ? [ reader , do but mark this christian-magistrate , for so he would be called . ] joh. rous said , i was not driven from my fathers house , but in obedience to the lord i left it ; and when the lord shall have cleared me of this land , i shall return to it again . then j. indi●●t called to the secretary to read the law , then he read this clause in it , that if any that had suffered the law , should presume to return again , they should have one of their ears cut off ; ( worse then the jews , when the apostles came again into a city after they were commanded not to come , yet when they came , they cut not off their ears ) then j. indicot did as he used to do , spoke many words in derision ; then one of us said , more gravity would become thee . to which j. indicot said , do you come to reprove us ? major denison said , if you could shew unto us your commission , as plain as we can shew you that you transgress our law , &c. [ reader , take notice , they had no law at all when the quakers came into new-england , till they consulted with the prince of darkness to make one . ] whether you believe us , or no , from the lord we have received our command , and his spirit is our seal . then j. indicot said , they have nothing to prove it by , but the spirit within them , and that is the devil . ans. take heed of blaspheming the spirit . j. indicot said , you come in contempt . reply , the lord god ( who knows the hearts and reins of all mankind ) judge betwixt us and you , whether we came in contempt . so after some words , we spake something to them concerning their law , and said , we have seen some of your laws that have many scriptures in the margent , but what example have you in scripture for cutting off ears ? j.i. said , what scripture have you for hanging then ? m. denison said in way of derision , yes , they would be crucified . so they hastened the governor to dispatch us quickly , who spoke to the secretary to read the law to us three ; so he called us three by our names , and ( as he was going to read it ) the governor and magistrates whispered together , and ( while we were expecting to have the lavv read against us ) j. indicot turned suddenly about , and in great haste and bitterness passed his sentence upon us three , in these words , it is the sentence of the court , that you three shall have your right ears cut off by the hangman . then we seeing their unjust proceedings against us , and that they were both our accusers and judges , we were stirred in spirit to appeal to the chief magistrate of the commonwealth of england , the vvhich appeal we made one by one ; but they made a light thing of it , and hastened the keeper to take us away ; so we were had away , and put into the prison again ; and the same day was laurence southwick , and casandria his wife , and josiah their son , called before their court , who had been prisoners in the house of correction eleven weeks , for being taken in a meeting at salem , who have been imprisoned here before ; so they began with them , saying , this man was a member , and this woman a member ; then josiah asked them , what error he held ? they said , you do believe and hold forth , that there is that in every man , that if he will , he may be saved by it . josiah replyed , there is no power in any mans will to save himself . laurence said , the reason why you gave me admonition , was because i entertained two men in my house ; they answered , they were quakers . he replyed , it was christopher holder , and john copeland . so they were had to the house of correction again , and on the morrow a bond was sent them for to sign , ( of vvhich a copy followeth ) for the signing of which bond , liberty was offered . we , laurence southwick , josiah southwick , and casandria southwick , do bind our selves joyntly and severally , in the sum of 40. l. to the treasurer of the county ; the condition is , that we , and every one of us , will forthwith depart the jurisdiction of the masatuthers ; or that we , or any of us , shall publish or maintain any of the diabolical opinions of the quakers , or entertain any of their sect that resort unto us from other parts . the which bond they cannot sign , and therefore they remain prisoners still . so on the 16. day of the 7th . month , 1658. the marshal ( with a company of blood-thirsty men ) came to the prison where we were , & when they had let in so many as they thought meet , they lock't the door , & did not suffer one friend to come in , though some did much press it , especially one friend who was moved to come from rhode-island to bear witness against their cruelty at the time of their executing of it on us . so when they had made the doors fast , the marshal ( vvith some others ) came into the room where vve vvere , and read an order to this effect , as follows . to the marshal general , or to his deputy ; you are to take with you the executioner , and to repair to the house of correction , and there see him cut off the right ears of john copeland , christopher holder , and john rous , quakers , in execution of the sentence of the court of assistance , for the breach of the law , tituled quakers . edward rawson , secretary . so they had us forth into another room , vvhere vvas more light ; ioh. rous said to the marshal , we have appealed to the chief magistrate of england ; he answered , he had nothing to do with that . christoph . holder said , such execution as this should be done publikely , and not in private . one called cap. oliver , replyed , we do it in private , to keep you from twatling . so the executioner took c.h. and when he had turned aside his hair , and was going to cut off his ear , the marshal he turned his back on him , because he would not see it ; the which i. rous taking notice of , said , turn about , and see it ; ( for so was his order ) and the marshal ( being filled with fear ) turned , and said , yes , yes , let us look on it . so in the fear of god we suffered boldly , saying , those that do it ignorantly , we desire ( from our hearts ) the lord to forgive them , but for them that do it maliciously , let our blood be upon their heads ; and such shall know in the day of account , that every drop of our blood shall be as heavy upon them as a milstone . so when they had done , they slank away as a dog when he had suck'd the blood of a lamb , and is discovered . and this is a declaration of the sufferings of us three , c.h. i.r. i.c. the friend that came to bear witness against their cruelty , ( whose name is katherin scot ) is committed to the house of correction . boston prison , the 17. of the 7th . month , 1658. here follows the cruel and merciless sufferings of william brend , by the hands of pharoah's task-masters , who would be called christian magistrates , but by their fruits thou mayest see by whom they bear rule , and for whom they rule . the testimony ( as follows ) under his own hand , take . on the 18th . day of the 4th . month , 1658. i came to salem , ( being moved thereunto by the lord ) where there was several meetings , which was of service for the lord . upon the 27. of the 5. month , we had a meeting at nicholas philip's house , ( some five miles from salem ▪ ) and after we had been some time together , ( and were waiting upon the lord ) in silence , there came one edward batters , ( who called himself a commissioner , as he said ) and a constable with him , and the said batters commanded the constable to take us away . i asked him for his warrant ; he said he had none ; then we refused to go with him . then he bad the constable command some friends ( that were present ) to aid him . they refused , seeing the constable had no warrant . batters willing to drive on his masters work , went out , and brought two other men ( which he had ready near the house ) to force us away , but stil we refused to go with him , unless they would carry us by force ; though they hailed us , and forced off our clothes , yet we went not ; ( see the fruits of new-england-members on their sabbath , which they pretend to be so zealous for ) so they went away without us . this was about the fourth hour in the afternoon , and we tarryed thereabouts till after the sun was set , expecting their return , seeing we had wronged no man . there was a man at this meeting , called r. adams ( who lived at a town called newbury ) hearing the truth declared , did desire if we came that way ) to come to his hou●e , and have some conference with their minister : we came to this mans house the 29. of the 4. month , in the morning , and when we came there , he desired that their minister might be sent ●or , whom he said was so moderate a man , that he would not wrong us : but the priest ( notwithstanding all his seeming moderation ) brought a club-man with him , ( whom he called a magistrate ) one captain garish , and others with him ; and as we were walking in the wood , one came and told us the priest was come , and several others with him ; they promised robert adams they would not injure us , but we might freely pass away as we came . so we went into the house , and had many words vvith the priest , some of them were , that there is a necessity of mens sinning in this life ▪ a doctrine ( not onely preached , but ) lamentably practised in new-england . but cain's nature began soon to rise , and they began to threaten us that they vvould exercise their power again●t us and so kept us several hours , notwithstanding their promise : but at last said . if we would promise to depart their town , they vvould let us go , vvhich vve could not do , nor make a covenant with death . so we passed away , and after vve were gone almost half a mile , garish came riding after us , and bid us go back , but we refused ; then he forced us along vvith several men to assist him back again to robert adam's house , and there kept us till the constable came , whom they had privately sent for ; and gar●sh writ some kind of warrant , and sent us to rouly , to be conveyed from constable to constable , till we were brought back again to salem . they brought us to rouly in the night , so the next day we passed through j●swich , and other places , which was of service to the lord ; we came to salem where their court was sitting ; we vvere brought before them in the night , where one simon broadstreat sate as judge , daniel denison , william hathorn , with another assistant ; simon broadstreat asked us , if we knew before vvhom vve vvere : then after they had pulled off our hats they asked our names , we told them . they asked us if vve vvere quaker ; we answered , we were of those vvhom the world in derision calls so ▪ simon broadstreat s●id , he never saw any of us before , and he began to tell us we held dangerous errors : we bad him declare what they were ▪ then ( like the rest of cain's race ) he began to accuse us , we denyed that christ that suffered at jerusalem ; and that we denyed the scriptures ▪ but vve declared the contrary , and that we owned no other jesus but he that suffered at jerusalem ; and the scriptures of truth vve owned . and then they said , we were much wronged ; and further said , what we had declared concerning christ and the scriptures , they owned . then they would know our call to come into those parts . we answered , we came to visit the seed in captivity . then they began to threaten us with their law , and before confessed they owned what vve said . we asked wha● they had to lay to our charge , but they had nothing , but said they had a law against such a people as we owned our selves to be of and according to that law , sent us to the house of correction , and bid the constable take us away , and kept us prisoners ; some of salem people , which were summoned to answer for being at the meeting before-mentioned , six of them were sent to prison with us to boston . the second day of the fifth month being the sixth day of the week , and the presence of the lord was vvith us , and we stayed at laurence southwick's house , where we had a meeting of friends vvhich passed some part of the way vvith us , after we had given up our selves to the lord by prayer ●nd supplication . and vvhen we came to boston , vve were seperated into several rooms in the prison , and we into a room that the bloody gaoler had provided to put us in , he hearing we were taken , resolved ( in his wicked heart ) to torment our bodies , or to make us bow to their wicked and cursed law , ( as he said to us . ) he took us up into a high room in the inner , prison , had stopped it so close , that he left not a hole for any air to come in , nor suffered any to come at us ; and stopped all necessaries from us , as food , and whatsoever might be serviceable to us , neither let us have any victuals for our money ; but after some time he brought a few pottage and a piece of bread ; we would have given him money for it , but he said , he would have nothing but work for it ; and further said , if we did eat , he would make us work for it ; so he kept us without any , five dayes ▪ on the second day of the week he called us down to be whipped , which was executed upon us in twenty blows , with a three-stringed whip , with knots at the ends , with as much fury and violence as ever he could lay it on . so after i spoke a few words against their bloody law , ( which lay upon me to witness against ) by which we suffered , he locked us up again , ( as before-mentioned ) and about an hour after he came to signifie to us , that we were clear , ( according to the law ) and might pass away if we would pay the marshal to go with us out of the collony : [ oh inhumane ! we to pay a man for banishing of us ! ] the answer was , if he would set open the doors for us , we would pass away ; and after he demanded , whether we would work his work ? we refused : then he began to threaten us what he would do to us , and said he would put me in irons that night ; so the next day he came with his irons , and put one iron on each thigh , and another about my neck , and he locked them together with a horse-lock , that there was no more liberty between the irons then the lock allowed , ( so that my body was crumbled together , my head close to my thighs ) those irons was upon me from about the fifth hour in the morning , till after the ninth hour at night ; ( which was sixteen hours . ) and when i lay in the irons , i was strengthened in the power of the lord . the next day in the morning he came as he did before , to know vvhether i had occasion to go dovvn , i vvent dovvn , and vvhen i came into the lovver room vvhere his mill stands , he haled me tovvards the mill , and bid me go to vvork ; he took a rope about an inch thick , and laid upon me as hard as he could lay upon my back and arms , until his rope untvvisted , and then he left off , and ( as it vvas said by the prisoners ) he gave me about twenty blows at the least , so that with those blows , my back and arms were swelled . then i went up into the room , ( where we were locked in ) then he brought another rope bigger and stronger then the former and haled me down again into the lower room , and said ( as he often did ) that he would make me bow to the law of the countrey ; he bid me work , wch i could not do for all the worlds frowns or favours . it being in the heat of summer , i had nothing but a searge cassock upon my shirt ; then he began to lay on again ( vvith his rope ) upon my back , that had been vvhipped but tvvo days before , and the day before lay in irons , and had laid so many blovvs upon me ( before ) that morning ; but he ( like an unreasonable man ) had no compassion , but vvith violence laid four-score and seventeen blovvs more on me , as hard as he could lay them on ; and if his strength ( and his rope had not failed him ) he vvould have laid more on ; but he threatned to give me as many more the next morning , if i vvould not bovv to the lavv , and also that friend that vvas vvith me , if he vvould not yeild ; but the lord prevented this cruel man of his purpose . so he locked us up in the room , ( as at the first ) and yet the lord did bear me up , that i fell not under the strokes of this vvicked man , being kept from dyet five dayes , and my body vveakned both for vvant of ayre and dyet , and having lain in irons so many hours , and receiving so many blovvs , that soon after i vvas laid dovvn upon the boards , i felt the parts of nature decaying , and natural strength to fail me , that my body vvas turned as cold as the earth , and a striving there vvas in nature for life , ( vvhich vvas near departed from me ) so that at last all my sences vvere stopped , that i had neither seeing , feeling , nor hearing , for some time , but the povver of the lord broke through me , and life broke through death , and the breath of the lord breathed into my nostrils , and a noise went forth into the town , among the people ; so the vvickedness that vvas intended , ( and murder in secret ) vvas manifest openly ▪ and many came into the prison to see vvhat vvas done both small and great ) vvhich vvhen they savv , their eyes afflicted their hearts ; for they savv my back and arms bruised , and black , and my flesh become as a jelley , and svvelled vvith the blows , and the blood hanging as in bags under my arms , vvith the cruel beating having received an hundred and seventeen blovvs , ( at the least ) as vvas told by them that heard and saw them and what the lord hath done , is to make this profession and hypocrisie of theirs manifest , that all that fears the lord may come out from among them . and whether these be magistrates that rule for god , and whether these laws be according to the righteous law of god , vvhich is made to destroy god's workmanship , and to deface his creatures , and whether these be the fruits of them that are members of christ , let the vvise in heart judge . the cause is the lords , and whatsoever we suffer , it shall be for the furtherance of the gospel of christ , which is the power of god to salvation , to them that do believe : and my peace is in him vvho is the prince of peace , vvho bears me up in his arms above all the rage and wickedness of the wicked , which shall come to an end ; to him be praise for ever and ever : amen . from the common-goal in boston , this 13th . of the 5th . month , 1658. william brend . a true relation of what some have suffered for conscience-sake in salem , and some other places in the masathusets collony in new-england . in september , in the year 1657. there came two young men to salem , one christopher holder , and john c●peland , these men came from england to road-island , who on the first day of the week came to the meeting-house , who vvhen their meeting vvas ended , they began to speak , vvho vvere thrust out of the meeting in great fury ; one that vvas a commissioner in the tovvn , pull'd him back by the hair of the head , and thrust his hand ( with his glove ) in his mouth , to stop his mouth , one samuel shattock was present , and pulled his hand from his mouth ; he vvas the next day sent vvith them to boston , with an accusation sent by captain hathorn , that he vvas a friend to quakers , and pleaded for the maintenance of their opinions , for the vvhich he vvas sent to prison , & the other tvvo men ; the tvvo men vvere vvhipt 30 lashes a piece with a three-corded whip , with knots on the end , laid on with great fury ; and s. shottock vvas bound in a bond of twenty pounds , to answer it at court , and vvas not to speak with one of them called quakers , but when he mad● his appearance , none appeared to prove the charge ; he was required to come the next week , so made three iourneys to the court , and then could prove nothing ; the deputy-governor would have him bound over longer ; but the governor said , they could not answer it , in as much as evidence did not appear . so it was entered into the court-rolls , that he should make his appearance at the next new-commons . now there was one laurence southwick and his wife , was sent to boston-prison for entertaining these two strangers ; the man , they let come home again , because the church was to examine him & cast him out ; but the woman was kept 7 vveeks in prison , although they had no law then made against the thing . in the end of this time , having nothing against the woman , did at last ask her if she owned such a paper as some in prison had written , concerning their owning of god , and christ , and the scriptures ? she owning of it , was fined forty shillings , and so let her go . now about this time there were some observing that cruelty that was practised by them , ( altogether unbecoming christians ) and the drift of their preachers vvas to encourage and drive on this design , vvhich filleth up most of their sermons , and that time vvhich should have been better spent ; insomuch that vvhen vve went to look for bread , we had a stone given us , and a serpent instead of a fish : at length finding it so unprofitable , had no rest nor peace in our spirits to sit down under it , as the ordinances of god , and spiritual worship , vvhich was altogether empty of god , did then withdraw our selves from them , and did meet together on the first dayes of the week ; the constable was then sent to take the names of them that met ; and on the next day they were brought b●fore captain hathorn , ( who was a commissioner ) and he read the law to them for conviction , to pay five shillings a week for not coming to the meeting ; but this did not content them , but did afterwards send for them again before him , and three of them were sent to boston by the constable , with laurence southwick , his wife , and his son josiah southwick , who were com●itted to the prison , no breach of any law being proved , but for not meeting , for vvhich they made them pay besides , so they put them in the house of correction , and vvhipt them in the dead time of all the winter , and the gaoler required seven shillings six pence fees for each of them , and kept some of their clothes for it ; 7. s. 6. d. vvas each of their fees .   l. s. d. novv they took from laurence southwick for six weeks absence from their meeting , 33. s. 1 13 0 aftervvards for six weeks absence for his wife , 33. s. 1 13 0 and from josiah southwick ( upon the same account ) 27 s. 1 7 0 and from an old man and his wife , one edward harnet , he was aged about sixty years and nine , and his wife aged about seventy three years of age , who was forced in his old age to sell that which he had , which was a poor house , and a little land , and now to be gone , or wrong his conscience , his labour being almost done , and being not able to stand under the fine of five shillings by the week , did sell ; and notvvithstanding the poor honest man was going away from troubling of them , the marshal was sent , and took away thirty seven shillings from the poor aged people . now about this time there was one william shattock in boston , ( a poor man that did refrain from the publike meeting ) was had to the court , who ( because he had not to pay the five shillings a-week-fine ) was put in prison , [ they judged him a friend to quakers ] he was ( by the courts order ) whipt , and kept prisoner from his family ; and the gaoler took all his work for himself , allowing his family not a penny . he at last sent to the court to know what they would do ; he had this word sent to him , that if he was able to pay five shillings a week , he might stay ; but the deputy-governor said , seeing he had no house of his own , into his house he should not come , [ for he was his tenant ] & that none should receive him into their houses , therefore he must abide in the house of correction . the case being so hard he desired that he might then look out for a habitation in another jurisdiction : so they gave him but two or three dayes time to depart the collony ; so he was forced from his family , having his wife and four small children . the time proved so troublesom , that it was the desire of some to look out for a habitation in road-island patten , so there went three from salem , john small , john burton , josiah southwick , towards the island , and the first night came to a town called dedham , and went to the inne to lodge , they had not been long there , but the captain of the town came ( his name is cushar ) and examined them of matters of religion , and whether they owned their churches and ministers ; who being not free to answer according to his will , told them he would send them where they should . they told him upon what account they went ; but he got them secured that night , and the next morning sent them back to b●ston , with a constable , and tvvo men , vvith a halbard and black staff , ( as if they had been murderers ) and carryed them before the deputy governor , vvho threatned them to send them to prison , but they desired to go to the governor , ( who had a little more consideration then the other ) and said , that they could not hinder men from that ; so let them go but did afterwards send a warrant to the marshal to levy 12. s. upon them , to pay the men for bringing them back again to boston ; the governor , and deputy-go●ernor's hand was to it . after this , there came two men more to salem , ( of those called quakers ) and it was their desire to have a meeting with us ; so there was a meeting , and about twenty persons ( and upwards ) of the inhabitants , and whilst we were peaceably together , there came one edmond batters ( a commissioner ) with a cons●able with him ( it was about 5 or 6 miles from the town at a farm-house ) who came in with great rage , and took account of our names ; the court being at sal●m , the follovving week we were sent for , & some of us were kept prisoners two days by our own houses , at another house ▪ out of these the court chose six persons to send to prison , as axamples to the rest , their names are after expressed ) these they sent to the house of correction , as quakers ; they did earnestly desire to know what a quaker was ? they answered him that spake , saying , thou art one , because thou comest in with thy hat on ; he replyed again , that was a horrible thing to make such cruel lawes of whipping , and cutting off ears , and burning thorow the tongue , for not putting off the hat : so we were sent to the house of correction , and four of us was whip't , the other two was before whipt , as is before-mentioned , lawrence southwick and his son , but his wife was whip't the second time ; and the names of the inhabitants were ●awrence southwick , cassandria southwick , josiah southwick , samuel shattock , iosiah buffum , samuel gasken . now besides the six inhabitants , they sent the two strangers to prison , the one was william brend , that was a dweller in the city of london , and the other was an inhabitant of barbado's , his name is william leddra ; now the strangers were put into the goal , and the inhabitants in the house of correction , the goaler ( a cruel tyrant ) he required the strangers to work , but they refused to do his work ; and for the cruelty the goaler exercised on william brend , ( the passages are before mentioned ) some of their own society vvas dissatisfied , because the goaler vvas a church-member , and would have had him been cast out of the church ; but vvhen he vvas called before the church , iohn norton the teacher vvould hardly suffer any to blame him , but did countenance him in it ; so he vvas past by , and let alone . now the same week came one humphrey norton , a stranger , and one iohn rous , they were put in prison also ; so the ●oalor required them to work , but they refused , and did desire to eat their own bread , so they were cruelly whip't ; and because they would not work , iohn indecot governor , and richard billingham deputy-governor , wrote an order of cruelty to the goaler , that all the quakers then in prison should bee severely whip't twice a week , beginning with fifteen lashes , ( with a cruel whip ) and every time to exceed three ; which was barbarous cruelty , which they put in execution ; but compassion was in some of the towns-men , that they paid their fees and released them ; now in the end of three weeks some of the inhabitants were released , such as had not been in prison once before ; now these cruel acts made more of the inhabitants of salem with-draw from their assemblies , because their hands were defiled with blood . now about three weeks after the former court at salem , the court did again sit , and had divers persons brought before them ( upon this account ) for not comming to the meeting ; the general court having now made a law , the first law was , to pay five shillings a week for not coming to them ; now to adde to that , we must pay ten shillings every time we meet ( to worship the lord ) together ; and if any one spoke in our meeting , they must pay five pounds a time , ( each person : ) amongst those that were presented , came in one nicholas philps , vvith his hat on , vvho hearing them say that the quakers deny magistrates , and having a paper in his pocket that did express under some of their hands , that they ovvned magistrates , did give it to them ; they asked if he vvould own it ? he answered , yea ; then they fined him forty shillings for ovvning that , and for not putting off his hat , sent him to ipswich correction-house , where he was whipt at first entrance ; the gaoler requiring him to work , he told him , if he would let him go home to his work , he would vvork ; for he thought it unreasonable for them to require him to vvork for them , and for the gaoler to take eight pence out of every shilling that he got , and he ( the mean time ) to hire men at home about his own harvest ; and told them , houses of correction ( in england ) vvere for such as vvas not fit to guide themselves , idle persons , and vagrants , and not to take men from their families and employments , that did help carry on the common charge of the countrey . but they vvhipt him for not vvorking ; he vvas vvhipt three times in five dayes , a poor , vveak , crooked man . these courts vvas carryed on by simon broadstreet , magistrate , major denison , and william hathorne . now about six or seven weeks after that , there vvas some of us quietly and peaceably met together to worship the lord , and shut the door , ( about a mile from the town ; ) the constable ( and one more ) came and required us to open the door , but we answered them not ; so he took an ax , and broke up the door upon us , and took notice of our names ; and soon after vvas ipswich court , vvhere some of our names vvere sent in ; the magistrates chusing out four of us , sent for us , vvho vvere carryed by the constable thither , and vvas there apprehended for not coming to meeting to their publike assembly , & vvas fined five shillings a week ; and for meeting by our selves , vvas fined ten shillings a time ; and for coming in vvith our hats on , vvas again sent to prison as quakers , and vvhipt , and at the first entrance hardly used . those that was committed , was samuel shattock , nicholas philps , josiah buffum ; & continued in ipswich gaol about three weeks , and three dayes , ( it was then the time of the general court in boston , the second sessions of it : ) so three days after the court began , there passed a warrant out under edward rawson's hand , ( secretary ) to the gaoler of ipswich , to bring away the prisoners ( that was quakers ) with speed , to deliver them up to the master of the house of correction in boston , to keep in safe custody . so thither we were brought , and the same day that we were put into the correction-house at boston , we were called forth before the court , [ reader , take notice that the law that they made against quakers , was thus exprest ; that they was a cursed sect of heretick● , that spake and writ blasphemous opinions , and that the doctrines they held was diabolical ; with many more charges of that nature ] when we came to the court , we desired a fair tryal according to their own law , and that we might be tryed , if we had delivered any blasphemous heresie , or devillish doctrine ; that we might be tryed either by the general court , or a jury of twelve men , whose charges we would bear , de●iring a fair hearing of things . now when we desired a fair hearing of matters , the magistrates that had been our former judges , major denison , and simon broadstreet , did then the more set themselves against us , to make good their own actings towards us ; but vvhen we desired a fair hearing according to the lavv , ( by which we suffered , and held them to it , to prove us blasphemers , and hereticks , ( they could not at all prove any such thing against us ) they said , we were not punished for matter of judgement , but for fact : we desired to know what was our fact ? they answered , that we did withdraw our selves from their meeting , and kept meetings of our own , and owned such as was enemies to them , and by that did manifest our selves enemies to all government in church and common-wealth . it was answered , that we sought not the hurt of any of them ; & for that as they called fact , their laws had already taken hold of us by fines ; but seeing that their lavv run upon heresie and blasphemy , we desired to be tryed according to it ; but they would not hear us , so we were sent back to prison . now the next day was boston-lecture-day , vvhereon chansey ( master of their colledge ) preached ; and seeing they could justly prove not any thing against us , ( as the law speaks ) did thus deliver himself , suppose ( said he to the magistrates ) you should catch six wolves in a trap , you cannot prove that they have killed any lambs , or sheep , and now you have them , they will not bark nor bite , yet they have the plain mark of wolves ; whether you would let them go , yea or nay ? [ there being six of us then in prison upon that account . ] and this is the doctrine of one of the false prophets in new-england , whose hands is full of blood , and hearts full of deceit and wickedness , which the lord sees and takes notice of . novv vvhen they wanted to make us appear to be what was exprest in the law , the priests vvent thus to vvork , that seeing they could not prove that , therefore their plot was ( as we heard ) that on the lecture-day the magistrates and ministers combining together for to call us forth , & went to work ; ( about half an hour after we were thus informed , ) so we vvere called forth , and a great company of their teachers vvas present , and the general court made john norton their mouth to examine us , who put questions to us , but we refused to answer him , because we referred our cause to the court to be tryed , and he being not one of them , we was not free to give him answer ; when he saw that , he then put questions in the magistrates mouths to ask us , but durst not trust them with the managing of them neither ; so we told the court it was a great disparagement to them , and that they did much undervalue themselves , as if they were not wise enough to propound their own questions to us , vvithout the help of him ; but he would not be put by , but put forth many subtil ensnaring questions , to catch advantage , and no scripture-answers would in the least give him satisfaction ; but he could not at all accomplish his ends at that time by us ; so when they could not have their wills , did then address themselves by petition to the court , ( as we were informed ) to forward their designs for death and banishment , and presented particulars to the court for tryals ; so at last it was concluded by vote among the magistrates , that such and such persons should be banished upon pain of death , ( as their law doth express . ) now when it had thus past , it was sent to the house of deputies , desiring their consent ; but it met with hard service amongst them , for those of understanding amongst them , judged it absurd and ridiculous ; but at last when it came to be voted , they that that was against it judging their side the greatest put it to vote , and it so fell out , that there was twenty seven of them in all at that time , and fourteen was for it , and the speaker and twelve more was against it ; one of the deputies that was against it , was sick , he desired the speaker to send for him when it was put to vote , but the speaker concluded that they should carry it without him , & let him alone , & the want of his vote cast the case , which when it was cast , the man hearing of it , was exceedingly distressed in his spirit , that his absence should occasion the passing of such an unrighteous law . now after this , it was in question , whether all the particulars in the law , should go to make one transgression ; but that was rejected ; so that one of these ( if the judges please ) may expose to death or banishment , the not coming to their meeting , or not putting off the hat to a mans equals . so the court released us at present , onely we were to be gone by the court of ele●tion in may . now before the conclusion , we sent into the deputies , that seeing the chief offence was not putting off the hat , we desired to know if our punishments had not been sufficient for our offences , some of us had been twice imprisoned ten weeks , and twice whipt , one of us had been four times whipt ; three had been tvvice imprisoned , and tvvice vvhipt , and the last time kept prisoners tvventy weeks , that vvas husbandmen the time of hay and harvest , their things lying upon spoile all the chief time of summer , that had many cattel to look after , who was imprisoned from the first of the fifth month , july , till towards the latter end of the ninth month , called november , and nothing could be charged on us , but for meetting together on the first day of the week , and coming before them with our hats on . now in the time of our imprisonment , one of us ( josiah southwick ) sent to the governor and magistrates at their meeting , & desired a little liberty to go home , ( his goods being on the spoile ) and he would give bond to come again faithfully to the prison at their appointed time , but they denyed it . now there was one william marston that lived at hampton , they finding two little books in his house , one was john lilburn's little book sent to his wife from dover-castle , and the other was a sheet of paper of william dewsberry's , called , the mighty day of the lord ; for the vvhich they took from him ten pounds ; this man withdrew from the publike meeting at hampton , they rated him three pounds to the priest for his wages , and took it violently from him , and was also fined five pounds for not coming to their meeting , and took away a barrel of salted beef that he had provided to send to sea , more moneys they took from him , but the true account of all we yet had not ; besides many other particulars ( which would be too tedious to mention ) which the inhabitants of the masathusets endure , with what more , may be expected in the prosecution of this unjust and unrighteous law , which if there may not be an allowance of appeals from the state of england , to the inhabitants , their subjects in new-england , it 's like to be a bloody time amongst us ; for they have not onely combined to kill and banish amongst themselves in the masathusets , but ( as we hear ) have by all means used to hedge up all wayes of succor to us in the neighbour-collonyes , which some of them had more tenderness then themselves : but our trust is in the most high , vvhose living presence is the fulness of all satisfaction to us in all outward straits . all these particulars have been since septemb. 1657. to this present writing , 28. of the 9th . month , 1658. in which time they drunk thirty and two draughts of cruel whippings of strangers and inhabitants ; and three strangers they cut their ears off : all these vvhippings and ear-cuttings , vvas done privately , in the private prison-houses . this william marston ( as is before exprest ) coming through salem , ( when we were in prison ) josiah southwick's wife sent some provision to her husband , and lau. southwick's daughter sent some to her parents then in prison by this man , who was ( for it ) carryed before the governor , and by him vvas committed to prison , and there vvas kept two weeks , and made pay five shillings fees to the gaoler , and let go . this affirmed under our hands , samuel southwick . josiah southwick , laurence southwick , samuel gasken , josiah buffum . now after all this , there was a court held at salem , the last day of november , 1658. this court sent for about fifteen of the inhabitants for not coming to their meeting , twelve of which did appear ; of these , nine of them were fined ( for sixteen weeks absence ) four pounds a piece ▪ one was fined three pounds fifteen shillings , and one fined twenty shillings , the other did now enter into pay ; the sum of what was fined by this court , was forty pounds , fifteen shillings . and now the devil being let loose for a little season , he rages , and goes into utter darkness , ●nd fetches up all the powers of darkness , and they combine together to fortifie his kingdom , that so none but he ( who was a murderer from the beginning ) may have any rule in the town of boston , or the jurisdiction thereunto belonging ; and now he thinks his kingdom is sure . the last piece of work which the rulers have done for their master , is as followeth . an act made at a general court held at boston , the 20th . of october , 1658. whereas there is a pernicious sect ( commonly called quakers ) lately risen , who by word and writing , have published and maintained many dangerous and horrid tenents , and do take upon them to change and alter the received laudable customs of our nation , in giving civil respect to equals , or reverence to superiors ; whose a●●ions tend to undermine the civil government , and also to destroy the order of the churches . the people called in scorn quakers , are risen up from under the powers of darkness , and they are come forth from the rising of the sun , where the morning hath appeared without clouds , and though set at nought by you , yet they are a mighty people , and of the royal off-spring , even of his family who is the first-born of every creature , and the heir of all things ; the shout of a king is among them , who is greater then abaddon , or appolyon ; his living presence is with them , and they shall come upon you hypocrites and dissemblers , as mortar and clay ; and though you lift up your horns high , and pusheth every way with them against the lamb and his followers , yet your horns shall be broken by him who is their king , by his horn of salvation , which now is lifted up far higher then the horn of an unicorn , and you shall be as ashes under their feet . we are not ignorant of the swelling of the sea , nor of the strength of the beast which hath risen out of the sea . we were not ignorant of his strength in new-england ; but he is brought among the quakers , and dwells in their tabernacle , who is able to make war with the beast and his followers , though you have cast up your banks very high , and fortified your selves , as the pope by his inquisition ; yet you must be gone over , and be made level , and yet not by clubs , nor staves , nor whips , nor hot irons , cain's weapons , the weapons of the murderer , which you have taken up , which shall be broken ; though your bows be as steel , yet they shall be broken by the arm of the lord , ( the quakers strength ; ) and what is the horrid tenents , and dangerous things they hold out , that you open your mouths so wide ? the horrid and dangerous tenent is , they alter the laudable customs of your nation ; would not thou judge ( reader ) when there hath been so many great words and accusations , that some capital fact would be laid down ? but behold the capital crime , the quaker will not put off his hat , nor his coat , nor none of his clothes to his equals , nor to a persecuting fellow , who hath a few buttons , and a few ribbans , who calls himself a superior ; and here is a crime ( indeed ) which deserves banishment and death , nothing below this will be able to satisfie justice for this crime , by the judgement of the law-makers of boston . and when became this such a laudable custom , that it is worthy of so much praise ? ye blind and ignorant , have you not read the scripture , he that respects persons , commits sin , and he that hath mens persons in admiration , will transgress for a morsel of bread ? and ye never learned this of elihu , this laudable custom , ( as you call it ) he said , i know not to give flattering titles to man , for in so doing my maker would take me away , but envy hath eaten out all knowledge out of your hearts . and is this your church-order , to take away mens beasts , kettles , pots , sheep , and peuter ? or is this your order , to fine men five shillings every day they come not to your synagogue , or because men cannot break the command of christ , and swear among a company of cruel , covetous , blood-thirsty men , to fine them five pounds ? tell the nations when this order was made in the churches , among all the orders and directions that christ and his apostles gave to believers , and to the churches to be observed ; i never read of any such as these . oh ignorance , folly , and madness ! what , fine five pounds a piece if they will not joyne with you in worship , nor come to hear a covetous hireling dream an hour ! what ? banish them that will not come to you ? what ? put to death if they come again ? greater cruelty never appeared among all the persecuting emperors of rome , in the greatest apost●cy . well , if this be your church-order , it's time for the lord to arise and scatter you ; and blessed shall he be that bears his testimony ( for god ) against you , though to the loss of his life , his end shall be peace . by denying all established forms of worship , and by withdrawing from orderly church-fellowship , allowed and approved by all orthodox professors of the truth , and instead thereof , and in opposition thereunto , frequent private meetings themselves , insinuating themselves into the minds of the simple , or such as are least affected to the order and government of church and commonwealth . you that have established such a form of worship , and such an assembly as this , that if any come into your assembly , and speak the word of the lord for the edification of the hearers , so that people● minds may be informed , you pull them out by the hair of the head , and stops their mouths with napkins or gloves ; and if any reprove him that doth so disorderly , you send him to prison , and fine him ; its time to withdraw from such disorderly assemblies as yours are . and if this be the order of your established form , approved of by orthodox professors , then the church of corinth was not orthodox , for there one might speak one by one , that all might hear , and be edified and comforted ; but this is accounted disorder in your church , and by your rulers ; and they that walk according to that order approved of among the saints of old , must bear the name of disorderly persons , and the sentence is , prison , and be fined , and be whipped . indeed amaziah the priest of bethel , was of your priests mind , and of the mind of your rulers and assemblies ; you may read your example when amos ( the herdsman ) said , the songs of the temple should be turned into howling , and prophesied against such a generation as you are , hear this , ye that swallow up the needy , even to make the poor of the land to faile , amos 8.4 . there is your example , ( you rulers of new-england ) who takes away poor peoples estates , ( their goods ) and casts them in stinking holes , and tears their flesh from off their backs , as you have caused to be done unto many poor people who are dear unto the lord . amos 8.7 . hearken what the lords sentence was to such a people , the lord hath sworn by the excellency of jacob , surely i will never forget any of their works . ver. 8. shall not the land t●emble for this , and every one mourn that dwelleth therein ? and it shall rise up wholly as a flood , and it shall be cast out and drowned , as by the flood of aegypt . read the 9 , and 10. i say , amaziah was of your mind , he sent to jeroboam , and said amos had conspired against bethel and the altar , ( their church-assembly ) and against the land , so that it was not able to bear his words , amos 7.10 . and just like the king and priests then , so are you now ; church and state is like to be overthrown ( say you ) by the quakers , [ herdsmen and plowmen ] no orthodox divines , nor orthodox professors , but seditious , say you ; ( like as the envious iews , who falsly accused the apostles in the same words . ) and say you , they frequent meetings of their own : why not ? did not the apostles and saints meet from house to house ? went they to the temple at ierusalem , or into the jews synagogues ( after christ was ascended ) to worship ? you ignorant men , and yet cry , scripture is the rule of faith and obedience ; how is the scripture your rule now ? when any worship god anywhere but where you meet , banish them , fine them five shillings , and ten shillings , and five pounds a day , and if they return , death ; where is your rule ? the generations to come , will number you among fools , as men that have lost your natural understanding , through your madness and envy , which one day you will repent of . whereby divers of our inhabitants have been infected , notwithstanding all former laws made upon the experience of their arrogant and bold obtrusions to deseminate their principles among us , prohibiting their coming in this jurisdiction , they have not been deterred from their impetuous attempts , to undermine our peace , and hazard our ruine . and what , hath all your unrighteous decree● done you no good ? all your lying and invented expressions in your laws , ( to make your matter hainous ) not accomplished your purposes ? hath not your law for five shillings a-day , brought all to your confederacy ? nor ten shillings a-day , nor fetching away their beasts , pots and ketttles , will not all this hinder them , but they must depart from you ? will not all the whippings again , and again , ( as john indicot your governor , did consess to his own shame , that you had done ) will not all serve ? call all your inchanters together , and see , something is the matter more then ordinary , and cannot all this you have done , deter them from your jurisdiction ? yet you resolve to make another law , and try what that will do ; novv have you covenanted with death , and hath shaken hands with the destroyer and murderer ; sure enough your peace is undermined , for els all these horrid , cruel enterprises you vvould never have followed , ( which you have begun ) and ruine , and wo , and eternal misery , and everlasting sorrow is to them that are in that nature you live in , which is cursed from god for ever . for prevention thereof , this court doth order and enact , that every person or persons of the cursed se●t of the quakers , who is not an inhabitant of , but is found within this jurisdiction , shall be apprehended without warrant ; where no magistrate is at hand , any constable , commissioner , or select man , and conveyed from constable to constable , to the next magistrate , who shall commit the said person to close prison , there to remain ( without bail ) until the next court of assistance , where they shall have a legal tryal . now comes up the rear of the beast , and the reserve of the prince of darkness , to back & fortifie all the wicked enterprises they attempted before . who gave you power to order , & so to enact , to apprehend without warrant ? so you have made every man a magistrate , and a ruler in your jurisdiction , and i believe if they should kill , or take away the life of any , you would give them an absolution : is this the example of christ , or any church-members , or any christian-magistrate ? and why do you call them a cursed sect of the quakers ? you have cursed them whom god hath blessed , whom no weapon that is formed against , shall prosper . and as for your legal tryal , we know your rule , your own wicked , proud , arrogant , imperious , and envious wills , and this must sit as judge and tryer. well , you have now set your selves against the lord in your strength , having the old dragon for your leader ; will this serve you ? the angel of the everlasting covenant hath a chain in his hand to bind him , and to dissipate your wicked counsel , and confound you in the midst of your devises . and being convicted to be of the sect of the quakers , shall be sentenced to be banished upon pain of death . you who are banished from the presence of god ( your selves ) and are in cain's way , vagabonds , driven out into the earth where the dragon dwells , you would banish them out of the earth whom god hath shewed his face and presence unto ; and you are a sect which hath risen from the great whore , ( your mother ) who hath made all nations drunk , she that did drink the blood of the saints ; and you are the fruit of her womb , & are like your mother ; you have drunk the blood of the saints whom god hath sanctified & washed by the precious blood of jesus christ ; and now you are grown so blood-thirsty , that nought but banishment and loss of life , will satisfie your rage ; your cup shall be filled with the wine of the wrath of god , which shall be poured forth without mixture , and that will be your portion to drink . reader , stil take notice , all these laws mentioned in this book , and the fierce censures and punishments inflicted upon the servants of the lord , is , because they will not complement , ( like flattering courtiers , and roysters , & fidlers ) and use flattering titles to men who are in unbelief , who seek respect & honor one of another , ( which is below ) and because they cannot ●oin with them in their hypocritical assemblies , nor partake of the table of devils , ( who destroys mens lives ) nor drink the whores cup , ( which hath drunk the blood of the saints ) and this is a fact worthy of banishment and death , in the account of these blood-suckers . and now they come to their own inhabitants , and thou shalt hear their judgement concerning them , and thou shalt see how they love their neighbours . and that every inhabitant of this jurisdiction being convicted to be of the aforesaid sect , either by taking up , publishing , or defending the horrid opinions of the quakers , or the stirring up mutiny , sedition , or rebellion against the goverment , or by taking up their absurd and destructive practises , viz. denying civil respect to equals and superiors , and withdrawing from our church-assemblies , and instead ●hereof , frequent meetings of their own , in opposition to our church-order . now all may see how these men loves their neighbours ▪ themselves , and here is a great deal of aggravating , high , boasting words , packed up together in this unrighteous and ungodly act , as , sedition , rebellion , and absurd , and destructive principles ; and ( like scolds ) they make a great noise and clamour ; but if thou enquire into the fact , is it not putting off the hat , and disowning their assemblies ? and ( in their account ) banishment and death is punishment little enough for this transgression . these men would set up their assembly as nebucha●nezar's image , and whosoever will not bow , must into the fornace , or be banished , robbed , spoiled , and killed ; or like jeroboam's calf at dan and bethel , and if israel will not come to da● , or amos cry against bethel , amaziah will cry to the king , he hath uttered sedition and rebellion among the people , and he hath conspired against the king and the land cannot bear his words ? and is not this the same language , they will not come to our church , our assemblies ? but they meet of themselves and opposes us , and breeds mutinies , sedition , and rebellion in the government . these priests of new-england , a●d rulers , would have banished all the apostles , and have killed paul and stephen , who said , god dwelt not in temples made with hands , neither was worshipped in temples made with mens hands ; and drew people out of the temple , into private houses , and fields , and by the sea side ; and these men would have killed christ , ( the same generation did ) in whose foot-steps they are ; he said , neither at jerusalem , nor at samaria ; but they that worship the father , worship him in spirit and truth ▪ might the jews have replyed , was not the temple builded by the command of god ? and is it not so agreed upon by the whole nation of the jews ? and wilt thou say that god is not worshipped ? thou art mutinous and rebellious . and the samaritans might have said , this is the mount we met in , and it is agreed upon by our rulers and people , and it is the laudable custom of our country , and our assembly , and dost thou teach thy disciples to seperate from jerusalem , and from this mount ? then thou art seditious , and a mutinier , and a stirrer up of rebellion , an enemy to our nation and countrey ; and wilt thou respect no mans person ? nay , ( said the pharisees , tempting ) we know thou respects no mans person , what saist thou of caesar ? they might have said , what , wilt thou not respect thy equals and superiors ? then thou art not civil , and art against the laudable custom of our countrey , which all our approved orthodox persons doth allow of , thou must be banished , and if thou return , death . or by adhering to , or approving of any known quaker , and the tenents and practises of the quakers , that are opposite to the orthodox received opinions of the godly , and endeavouring to disaffect others to civil government and church-orders , or condemning the practise and proceedings of this court against the quakers . now if any ( like nicodemus ) would come but by night , ( who are yet no quakers ) if the rulers and priests of new-england know of you , you must out of the synagogue , and be banished , and if return , be put to death ; for this is an orthodox received opinion , to banish and kill them that comes not to their assembly , and puts not off the hat , then the orthodox received opinion of the church-members of new-england , is banishment , and if return death ; and he that justifies the practise and proceedings of that court , is not justified of god : what , whippers , robbers , spoilers , killers and destroyers , marrers of the workmanship of god , wrestlers with flesh & blood , blood-suckers ? he that justifies you , is condemned of god ; he that condemns your court , and proceedings , and practises , will god ( and all the holy angels ) justifie , and the church of god . it may be you will call this rebellion , and so it is against the prince of darkness , from whence you have received your authority . manifesting thereby , their complying with those whose design is to overthrow the order est●blished in church and state , every such person upon conviction before the said court of assistance , in manner as abovesaid shall be committed to close prison for one month , and then unless they chuse voluntarily to depart this jurisdiction , shall give bond for their good behaviour , and appear at the next court , where continuing obstinate , and refusing to retract and reform the foresaid opinions , shall be sentenced to banishment upon pain of death ; and any one magistrate upon information given him of any such person , shall cause him to be apprehended , and shall commit any such person to prison , according to his discretion , until he come to tryal , as abovesaid . and here is an end of their wicked law , which must come to an end . you that build up a nation with iniquity , and a church ( so called ) with blood , who layes traps for the feet of the innocent , and makes laws to destroy mens estates , and to banish men from the earth , which is the lords , and the fulness of it ; and furthermore , makes laws to destroy mens lives , and shed blood ; wo and misery is to your church and state , and the righteous god of heaven and earth will plead the cause of the innocent and needy , and overthrow that which you have established ; and if they will not recant , ( as you call it ) which is to deny christ before men , then banishment and prisonment , and their estate wasted , and they destroyed , then you think you are secure ; your laws is cursed , your religion cursed , and your enterprises cursed ; what , is not your gospel able to defend it self , but you must take up the beasts weapons , cain's weapons , ( the murderer ) the devil's weapons to defend your church and state , carnal weapons , hellish weapons , the dragons weapons ? hath your deceitful merchants ( the hireling priests ) made you believe that this is an orthodox received opinion ? they received this out of the bottomless pit , and the weapons ( with all that handle them ) shall go down thither again , and the lamb shall reign over the beast and his followers ; though you have established wickedness by a law , and think your selves secure , yet god will provoke you , that the rottenness of your hearts may be brought forth , and that all your deceit may be made manifest , that all that fear the lord may come out from amongst you , for wo and misery shall compass your tabernacle , and the dread of god is against you . and the next thing whereby the devil and his ministers fortifies themselves , is certain articles exhibited by them ( like the popes inquisition , although they are full of ignorance and blasphemy ) and these they intend to impose upon any ●an , and if they answer not according to their blind understandings , then they say they are convicted as hereticks , and must be sent to prison , and if they do not retract , banished and whipped in the mean time , and his estate made havock on , and then banished , not to return upon pain of death , and if he do return , to be put to death ; and this is the fruit of their orthodox received principles , and of the laudable custom of new-england . and now i come to the articles . 1. if a●y person or persons , besides their refusing to come to the publike assembly of divine worship , shall either deny the blessed trinity of persons in the divine essence : ans. and is this one of your orthodox received articles ? then the pope is as orthodox as you ; and what is there to be found , or can be expected in your publike assemblies , amongst a company of envious men , whose hearts are filled with envy , whose hands are defiled with blood ? divine worship , say you , like wolsey , bonner , and that bloody crew , divine service , said they : but you might more truly have said , humane invention , and vain tradition : and trinity of persons in the divine essence ; where learned you this article ? from the pope ? from the mass book ? yet the father , son , and spirit is owned , and these three are one ; and the father , word , and spirit , and these are one ; but i challenge all you orthodox professors , to shew me from scripture where the holy ghost , ( or spirit ) is called a person ; be ashamed of your ignorance , ye illiterate men . 2. or shall den● the person of christ to be distinct from the father , and the holy ghost ; or shall deny the person of christ to be distinct from every believer . ans. do but mark the , madness and confusion of these mighty rabbies , before there must be three persons in one essence , and now christ must be distinct from the father and the holy ghost ; before in god , and now distinct from god ; this is damnable doctrine , which hath been brought in since the apostacy ; for the scripture saith , god was in christ , reconciling the world to himself then ; how was he distinct from the father , when the father was in him ? and i am in the father , and the father in me , and i and my father are one ; nay , saith new-england doctors , they are distinct . an● the fulness of the god head dwelt in him bodily . now prove you that the father and the holy gbost are distinct from christ . or how is christ's person distinct from every believer , when he that is a believer hath him revealed in him , and he that is a true believer , eats his flesh , and drinks his blood ? how is he then distinct ? what nearer union can there be exprest ? is that distinct from a man , that he hath in him ? but it may be they will say , ( as the rest of the dreamers do ) he is in believers by his spirit , distinct from his body : then i say , christ is not divided ; for a person without a spirit , or distinct from the spirit , is not christ ; but this blind doctrine came up since the apostles dayes , and was counted as orthodox by the councels at neece and latteran , a company of apostates ; and hath been counted by the beasts followers , a great point of divinity . 3. or deny the manhood of christ to be a manhood distinct from the manhood of any other man . a. the man christ jesus who was of the seed of abraham , according to the flesh , and the son of god , according to the spirit , his flesh is distinct from you who live in envy , whose flesh is as the flesh of horses , and as the flesh of dragons , who devours ; you know not the holy flesh of christ , but the man of god doth , who is born of the spirit , and the flesh of christ is his meat ; and they that believe in him , are bone of his bone , and flesh of his flesh ; you ignorant dreamers , how then is his flesh distinct ? but do you feed upon ashes as your father doth , ( the cunning serpent ) for gods wisdom is hid from you . 4. or shall deny the scripture , or the written word to be the rule . a. we own the scriptures , which you ignorantly call the written word , as though all the scriptures were but one word ; the word is christ , which was revealed in the saints which spake the words forth , and he is the way and the rule of life to them that believe , and his spirit is the leader and guider into all truth , and the rule of obedience ; and you are they that denies the scriptures , and the rule of holy walking , you own it in words , and in works deny him , witness all your forementioned deeds of darkness : and hypocrites and dissemblers cryes , scripture is the rule of faith and life , when their life that they live , stands in sin , wickedness and deceit . 5 or shall openly revile either church or state , or church-worship , church-officer , or ordinances divine , or the publike assembly of the people of god , to worship him according to the prescription of the gospel . a. your church , and state , church-officers , and ordinances , and assembly , and your worship is manifest to be a place where dragons are , who stings , devours , kills and destroys gods workmanship ; and he that speaks for you , god will condemn him ; for he that justifies you , justifies the wicked , and that is an abomination to the lord . and let the nation see your prescription , ( in that which you call your gospel ) where christ commanded the churches , or gave his disciples such prescripts as these . if the rest of the jews or gentiles will not come to your assemblies , fine them 5 s. a day , and 10. s. a day , or 40. s. a month ; and if any speaks anywhere in my name , but where you meet , let him that speaks be fined 5. l. and if they will not pay , fetch away their goods , beasts , horses , break open their houses , and take hatchets , and beat down their doors , and take the names of them that meet , and hale them to the court , and there fine them 5. l. a man , and send them to prison , and load their backs with stripes , and whip them severely , and if any refuse to doff his hat , and will not say , reverend mr. peter , and reverend mr. paul , and reverend mr. john ; or , if it please you mr. mark , or mr. andrew and philip , then go you to the judgement-seat , and tell the magistrates , and let them indict them , and put in a great deal of aggravating words , as mutiny , sedition , insurrection , rebellion , and the like ; and let them say unto them , you are against the laudable custom of our countrey ; and last of all , banish them , and if they return again , put them to death , and let them say as richard bellingham , ( the deputy-governor of boston ) said to john copeland , and john rous , and christopher holder ; we commanded these men not to come again , but they are returned again in contempt of the magistracy and ministry , and so whatsoever comes upon you , loss of ears , or loss of life , your blood be upon your own heads . i say , let the regions know your prescript in your gospel , and your rule of life for these practises , and then you will convince the quakers , and satisfie all people . 6. or shall entertain any such in a way of conventicle , or private meeting , or shall resort unto the conventicle of any such who are known refusers to come to the publike worship of god in the publike assembly . a. these men would have banished paul , he was a man publikely known to refuse to go into the temple and synagogues , except to lead people out of them ; and yet they have got his words in their mouths ; and these men would have imprisoned the church of corinth , and galatia , and thessalonica , and the church of antioch , for they met in houses , and denyed the rest of the synagogues of the jews , and the temples of the gentiles , and they had private meetings , and often by the sea-side & mountains , and other places ; & although bishop land be dead , his spirit speaks and acts in new-england ; he made such articles as these against conventicles , and told of the laudable customs and worship of the nation ; but these men hath far exceeded him in cruelty ; they have done more wickednesse in one year , then he in seven . 7. or shall openly contemn , revile , or disobey , or disswade others from yeilding subjection to the christian magistrate , as at present established in this jurisdiction . a. shame and contempt is already come upon the magistrates of that jurisdiction , and shall more and more encrease , who rules not for god , but for the murderer ; and they who have established wickedness by a law , none can be subject to them nor their laws for conscience-sake , for they that do wrongs their own souls ; but rather bear their testimony against , and suffer under it , till god arise and plead their cause . it may be they will call this sedition and rebellion . 8. or being questioned by lawful aut●ority , shall refuse to give direct answers , or plain , to the aforementioned particulars , together with their obstinate persisting in any of the premised d●linquencies . a. so here is an end of the inquisition ; if they will not give plain answers , then to prison ; but in plainness that is , if they will not accuse themselves , then to prison ; so whether answer , or not answer , directly , or indirectly , all 's one ; if they answer contrary to these articles , then hereticks , to prison , and whip them , and fine them 5. l. and if they will not accuse themselves , but answer as the lord shall give them to answer , ( when asked by such tempters as these ) then they conclude their answer is not plain , but indirect ; and if they say nothing at all , then conclude them guilty , send them to prison , cut off their ears , whip them with ropes , whip them with whips , take their goods , banish them from their estates and families , and if they return , put to death , and then say , whether loss of ears , or loss of life come to you , your blood be upon your own heads . pilate was not clear , though he said the like as richard bellingham . o lord arise , and plead the cause of the poor of the flock ; for ungodly men is risen up in the pride of their hearts , and blasphemes thy name and thy tabernacle , and them that thou hast redeemed , they seek to destroy . here follows a narration of the sufferings of many godly people of salem : the particulars was sent from one friend to another . dear friend , i sent thee in the last information the fines of the court to be levied upon friends , which was 40. l. 15. s. but i was likely to have sent thee a larger sum , the marshal promised me a copy , but was not so good as his word ; for that which i saw in his hand , ( which he hath order to take ) i do believe will amount to above one hundred pounds ; he did secretly attach half of my house while i was in prison , ( i never heard of it till now ) so when i heard of it , i went to him to see whether it were so ; he told me he had done it , and attached my ground about it ; and told me if i would pay about ten pounds , i might have it before another ; for he told me there had been two men with him to buy it , and that he must forthwith get it prized by men , and put it to sale so that i am not like to have so much as a passage to the back-side of my house , and so by that means makes the rest uncapable at all to sell , so that my house is like to be a standing-testimony in this place against them ; but in the lord i rejoice that i have any thing to suffer the loss of , for the lord ; i did endeavour to have gotten a copy of the fines , & to have sent thee before the ship went , but i am prevented ; remember my love to thy husband ; friends here are all well . from salem the 26 of the 10th . month , 1658. thy friend in the truth , samuel shattock . now all sober people take notice of the wickedness , cruelty and madness of these rulers , and church-members , who are thus filled with rage and envy , who hath made and enacted all these wicked laws , and moreover have put them in execution , and have imprisoned many a long time , over and over , and whipped them again , and again ; and knocked down their doors , haled men out of their own houses , & from their families and estates , and have fined them 5. s. a day , and 10. s. a day , and 5. l. a day , and have wasted their estates , spoiled their goods , tear their flesh with knotted whips , ( men and women of great age ) cut off the ears of some , burnt some with hot irons , set them in the stocks , bound some neck & heels in irons 16. hours ; beaten with pitcht ropes ; detained all air from them ; shut them up in nasty holes , not suffering them to have any lively sustenance for many dayes , and last of all banish them , & take away their money by force , and give it to their butcherly marshal to banish them , & if return , death ; & then say , whether loss of members , or loss of life come upon you , your blood be upon your own heads ; and hath seized upon their beasts , pots , kettles , houses and lands , for their fines , which they have most wickedly imposed ; & for all this barbarous cruelty , & inhumane dealing , nothing they have against any of the forementioned sufferers , but because they will not worship this bloody spirit , nor put off the hat , nor give flattering words to their equals ; and because they will not come to their assemblies , and join in hypocrisie with this envious & perverse generation , in this their hypocritical worship ; & all these forementioned things hath been acted upon them ; and these are the horrid tenents , and the seditious practises they so much cry out of : do you think that this is like to make people close with you , and own your assemblies to be true churches of christ ? nay , though your deceit was never so apparently manifest , as now , some might be deceived , ( and judge you were a pure reformed church in the time of their ignorance ) now who are but moderate , cannot but see you a synagogue of satan , and a cage of uncleanness , and cannot but seperate from you , as the believers did from your fore-fathers the jews , who cryed up their temple , and ordinances , and assemblies , and the law , and yet slew the heir , and did unto his servants then , as you do now ; and ( just as they ) thought they did god service if they brought them into bondage , and did kill them , and persecute them , even as you do now ; i say , they fulfil the scripture in this , and upon that generation all the blood was required ; and you are in the same footsteps ; you have forgotten the law of god , even as you would that men should do unto you , do ye even so to them , would you be so dealt with ? would you be whipt again , and again , with knotted cords and ropes ? would you have your houses robbed and spoiled because you go not to their meetings ? would you be banished , and would you be put to death because you cannot submit to other mens wills ? let the light in all your consciences answer : well , the same measure that you have measured out to others , even the same will be measured to you . and do you think that these proceedings wil affect people to submit to your commandments and government ? would you have such laws made against you , or executed upon you ? if not , repent of your doings , and amend your wayes ; for though this may keep people in slavery a moment , yet all who fears god , or minds but the witness of god in their own consciences , they will see you , and seperate from you , and not partake with you in your evil deeds . and would you be called magistrates for god ? then do the work of god , and abuse not your selves with mankind , and turn not your swords against the innocent , which should be against transgressors ; but you being in envy , makes laws contrary to the law of god , and contrary to the witness of god in every mans conscience , and then you cry , they have transgressed our laws , and breaks the l●udable customs of our countrey ; how can any reasonable man keep them , but wrong his own soul , and sin against his own conscience ? and you that think to establish a land by iniquity , and build up an assembly with blood and violence , and think by this means to bring honor to god , you dwell in thick darkness , and are come to the mid-night thereof ; dreadful , dreadful will the day of the lord be unto you , you shall cry to the hills and the rocks to fall upon you , and hide you from the wrath of the lamb , who now is risen in his mighty power , out of his mouth proceeds a two-edged sword ; flaming fire is gone before him , and it is tempestuous round about him , & all the wicked , and ungodly , & hypocrites , shall be as driven s●ubble before his bow ; and he shall smite his enemies in the hinder parts , and break all their weapons of war , and they shall be slain before his face . in that day the hearts whom you have made sad , shall sing and rejoice over you , who would not have him to rule over you , nor among you , but shuts his members in prison , and banishes his little ones , who are dear unto him as the apple of his eye ; he will arise to their joy and rejoicing , and will appear to comfort all his , and shame shall cover the face of all his enemies . therefore all in new-england , ( who have been deceived with the wine of the fornication of the whore ) come out from among them , and seperate from them ; and though they cast you out , the lord will receive you ; and though they waste and make spoile of your estates , the lord will provide for you , and become your lord and master , and will provide for your families and little ones ; and though they despise you , the lord will embrace you , and the children of light will love you , & they that fear the lord will receive you ; therefore all be valiant for the truth , and endure the cross , and the light affliction , ( which is but for a moment ) and you will receive the exceeding weight of glory , which god will reveal in his own time to you , ( if you continue in faith and patience ) which shall be a reward and a recompence for all your sufferings ; for he is appearing ( and hath appeared ) that is able to make war with the beast , and to dry up the sea out of which he arose , and take peace from the earth , and scatter the nations , and break them , ( as the east wind scatters the clouds ) and exalt his name over all : and blessed and happy are all they that are faithful in bearing their testimony for him against deceit , and suffers any thing for his names sake , their end shall be happy , and they shall receive the crown of glory , which god ( the father of life ) will give to all that fear and obey him , and keep in the faith unto the end . here follows an answer to two letters ( of john indicot's , and richard billingham's ) stuffed full of envy and inveterate words , and sent to some ( like themselves ) to strengthen their hands in wickedness ; the letters answered as follows . john indicot governor of boston , and richard billingham , who have made your selves manifest by your actions and carriages , by your papers and writings , to be of the serpents seed , who makes war with the lamb and his followers , who joyned with the dragon , and casts out floods after the woman , and the remnant of her seed , to destroy her and them , that so you might rule in the kingdom of darkness without molestation . richard billingham , thy inveterate words , and thy persecuting spirit , the sound of which hath reached as far as old england ; you that were cryers out of persecution and cruelty in times past , are now become as cruel persecutors as any of the beasts followers . you fled the cross of christ here in england ▪ when you were proved and tried , when you should have born witnesse for god in your generation ; and now that which fled the cross , persecutes them who takes up the cross , and follows christ in the strait way , ( which you never yet set foot in ; ) and that nature which was to be limited by the cross of christ , you carried with you into new-england , and now it manifests it self by your bloodie crueltie ; and insolent wickedness which you have a●●ed , which makes your names and practises to stink amongst all sober people , and are becom as cruel and brutish as the barbarous heathens ; and the papists inquisitors are short of you in cruelty , madness , and wicked inventions ; and now ye rejoice in iniquitie as though it were the high-waie onelie to felicitie . richard billingham , thou saist , thou art glad to hear of mr. gurden's careful and faithful proceedings against the incorrigible , obstinate , roguish quakers . as for gurden , he is manifest to be one of the same race with thee , in cain's way , in envie and wrath , and hath manifested his follie in the county of suffolk , so that all sober people abhors and detests his practises , and is counted no other then a peevish , wilful , blind , ignorant man , before whose face the fear of god is not ; and his proceedings will never bring honor to him , but rather infamie , and reproach , and perpetual shame ; and truly the least of the children of light ( & them that have but moderation as men ) are ashamed of his practises , both superior and inferior ; and thou that rejoicest and art glad of his proceedings , ( and also some other whom thou writest to , which is one with thy spirit ) thy rejoicing is not good , and thy joy shall be turned into mourning , and shame shall cover thy face when the lord god of heaven and earth ariseth in his righteous judgement , then shame and confusion shall cover your faces . thou saist , they are a formidable people , and not to be neglected , for many follow their pernicious wayes . i say , they are a people whose beginning hath been but small , who hath come through great tribulation , whose end shall be great ; they are the heritage whom god hath chosen to place his name in , and to reveal his power unto , and to be witnesses of his salvation unto the ends of the earth ; and they are , and have been , and shall be a dread unto all their enemies ; and though thou maist seek to oppose , and use all thy diligence , and neglect no opportunitie to withstand them , yet it is but as if thou shouldest set thorns and briers in battel against the lord . thou saist , if the lord hath given these hereticks commission to kill the witnesses , they are malignant enough to make it the most direful execution that ever befel gods people . hereticks are they that denie christ the true light , that lighteth every man that cometh into the world , amongst whom thou , ( with john indicot ) and the rest of the blood-thirstie men in new-england , whose malignitie hath appeared , whose crueltie hath surpassed , and super-abounded many that are gone before you ; and the witness you have killed in your selves , and the witnesses you seek to destroy without you ; and your execution against both the witnesses hath been as wicked as most of the persecutors of old , who hath ploughed long furrows upon the backs of his people , so have you done with your whips and stripes , again , and again , ( by your own confession ) which hath not onely teared the flesh of gods people , but reached to their sinews , and to their joints , and yet you would be called christians : oh full of ignorance and gross stupidity ! christ came not to destroy mens lives , but to save them ; and you pretend your selves rulers , and christian-magistrates , and would not be accounted men of blood , and instead of saving , you seek to destroy , as your actions have made manifest against william brend , a man fearing god , a sober man , known to many of the inhabitants of the city of london , to be a just man in his generation , in causing one hundred and seventeen stripes ( and upward ) to be executed on his body by a pitcht rope , as though he had been a block , or a stone , altogether insensible ; shameless men , and full of impudencie and hard-heartedness , in whose hearts there is no remorse nor fear of god! witness your cutting off the ears of john copeland , christopher holder , and john rous , men fearing god , and as well educated as your selves , and for no transgression at all of any law of god , neither of any of your own ; but when you had none that could reach to be a cover for your cruelty , you go into the nethermost hell to invent laws , christians are ashamed of , and all sober people detest it ; and so let your actions bear witness to your faces , & let all sober people judge who are in the malignity , and who are slayers of the witnesses . and these quakers by open profession , ( thou saist ) tendeth to ruine all christian society , compassing sea and land to that end . thou vomits out thy rage , and casts up mire and dirt , ( like a raging wave ) but thy bond is set . that which the quakers professeth , tendeth to the uniting all that believe unto christ , and one unto another in love , and unity , and peace , in meekness , long-suffering , and patience ; but all such societies that thou art of , who art associated with death and hell , and in confederacy with all the army of the beast , who is full of rage , venom , insolency , and wickedness , whose heart is set on fire of hell , which makes all this flame and smoke ascend out of the pit , where thou and the rest art associated with the residue , and hath your dwelling-place . and thou saist , their religion is to speak rebellion and sedition in the presence , and to the face of authority . god will confound thy lying lips , and bridle thy deceitful tongue , and cause sorrow to fill thy heart in the day of his righteous judgements , for all thy hard speeches , false accusations , slanderous words , all sober people in englend , scotland , and ireland , knows thee to be a liar . all people in every sect have been stirrers up of parties , and have ( in one thing or other ) striven to rebel against that power which hath gone about to limit them in their ends ; but the people ( scornfullie reproached ) called quakers , have born all , hath suffered under all in patience , and hath let many floods go over them , and many waves compass them , and yet have rested in patience , knowing that it is better to suffer wrong , then do wrong ; though i tell thee , the quakers ( so called ) might more justlie ( in the three nations ) claim proprietie and libertie for the exercise of their pure consciences , & also their persons & estates , then any other people in the three nations besides ; for they are they that have stood by the authoritie in time of greatest danger , in time of the bishops , when persecution was the greatest , which you ( like cowards ) fled from , they staid in the midst of it , bearing their testimonie against the gross ignorance of them who exercised lordship over the heritage of god in that time ; and also in all the late wars in the three nations , there are few of them but have joined with them that cried up reformation , and seemed to seek after righteous things ; and their fidelitie to righteous government , magistracie , and ministrie , is manifest to all unbiased spirits ; and though now at last when we expected free libertie for the exercise of our consciences , & preservation of our persons and es●ates , ( which had been a just recompence for all our sore trials travels and labours ; ) but behold , a troop of robbers have laboured to nip and spoile the plant of renown which god is bringing forth , and have made havock of our estates , and cries up the powers of the earth to stand by them for their own ends , onely to maintain their covetous greedy practises ; and behold the priests of these nations , they are now , as they have been in former generations , fomenters of mischief , stirrers up of sedition , and patronizers of rebellion , and seeking to make parties to hold up their deceit , and calls upon authority to persecute , and tells the magistrates they ought to do so , and teacheth them to abuse their power , to the provoking of the wrath of god against a nation or a people . and thou saist , in the presence of authority they labour to make the magistrate to be a man of blood . thou ignorant man , who hast lost thy natural reason , will a magistrate ( who is become a man of blood ) become advantagious to us ? but rather have not we suffered ? and would not you be counted bloody magistrates ? then cease your shedding of blood , your whipping , your beating , your burning , and stigmatizing , and cutting off ears ; for else your own actions hath , and will evidence and demonstrate you to be men of blood , and you will be recorded amongst the blood-thirsty and cruel persecutors , and you can expect nothing from the hand of god , but severe destruction . and thou saist , they encourage people against lawful authority , not regarding their lives so they may attain their ends . would you be accounted lawful authority ? what law of god hath authorized you to turn your sword against the innocent and upright ? and many love not their lives to death to finish their testimonie against the dragon and his power , the beast and his authoritie , which would compel all ( both great & small ) to worship him ; and were you not blind , you might see that you are his followers , and not the lamb's followers . thou saist , was there ever state so bereaved of reason , as to suffer such things , the honor of god , the safety of religion , the peace of the countrey , invaded by these emisaries of satan ? you are that state that is bereaved of sence , and bereaved of reason , who think to defend your religion by clubs , & staves , cain's weapons , and think to bring honor to god by killing his servants , and defacing his workmanship which he hath made , and are amongst the pharisees recorded , who thought they did god service when they went about to kill his members ; and are not your thoughts the same , you blind and slow of heart to believe ? and shall not the magistrates be as confident to punish , a● they to offend capitall● ? what is the offence ? you had no law till you had made one to satisfie your wicked end , and your insatiable cruelty ; and though you may be confident that this will stop the spreading of the truth of god over the earth , you shall know ( ye potsherds ) your confidence will fail , and truth shall go over you [ hills ] as a flood . at this time ( thou saist ) we have twelve quakers in prison in boston . to thy shame be it spoken , who gives such entertainment to strangers , and to men of your own nation ; you are far from abraham's spirit , and far from jacobs or jobs spirit , who opened his door to the traveller , and entertained the stranger ; and you are out of the law of god , who commanded to entertain strangers ; and were not you once strangers in that land ? and do you thus requite the lord for his kindness , as to shut them up in holes , and dens , and caves , and ( pharoah-like ) hath your task-masters to exercise your cruelty upon them ? oh unheard of cruelty , and unparalel'd wickednesse ! the memorial of your cry will not easily be blotted out , but will sound into the ears of generations to come ; and the record of you , will be unthankfulness and ingratitude ; and your inhumane cruelty hath appeared to your own neighbors who have resided long amongst you , men of great age , and of fame in your countrey for uprightness , have become your prey ; and this is fulfilled amongst you , which was spoken of by the prophets , her princes are as ravening wolves , who are greedy of their prey , who gnaws not the bones till the marrow . thou saist , they prevail much . they have prevailed , and shall prevail ; for strong is the lord of hosts that is with them , and goes before them , whose arm compasses them about , and refresheth them , and preserves them in patience in the midst of all your cruelty ▪ for no weapon that is formed against him ( whom they bare witness of ) shall prosper ; and every tongue that riseth up in judgement against him , will he condemn . thou saist , there are two jews amongst them . what if there be ? used not you ( and the rest of the clergy ) to pray for the conversion of the jews ? and are you now angry if any of them be turned from darkness to light ? but none can escape thy slanderous tongue without reproach . thou saist , the juncture between the jesuits and these hereticks is strong . thou art nearer joined to the jesuits then the quakers , for they and you in new-england are working one and the self-same work : will not most people in the regions know thy lyes ? is it not publikely known in many countreys , that two of the quakers were imprisoned by the pope and jesuits at rome lately , and hath been put in the inquisition , and one of them prisoned till death , and the other remains in prison under cruel bonds to this day ; and now read whether the juncture between the jesuits and you be not great , who are acting in one and the self-same work , and brings forth one and the self-same fruit , the apples of sodom , and the grapes of gomorah , whom god destroyed , which will be the end of all the wicked except they repent . there is more danger ( thou saith ) in this people to trouble and overcome england , then the king of scots , and all the popish princes in germany . thy tongue is set on fire of hell , which makes thee utter forth all these horrid lyes , and false accusations , and bitter things against the lord and his people ; and will not all sober people in england see thy envy ? hath not england had sufficient proof of our fidelity against the king of scots , and the popish princes , and confederates with him ? and thousands in england shall be witness for us against thee and all thy false accusations . thou saist , they strengthen all disc●ntents against the present government , and hatch all plots , and encourages all combinations and insurrections . the present government of these nations will be a witness for us against thee , that ( amongst all the people in the nations ) we have been most passive and suffering ; and the discontents , and plots , and combinations from time to time , have been amongst the presbyter-priests and their faction , of whose stock and off-spring you are . and further thou saist , they vent horrid blasphemy against god , which ought to be persecuted with the severest censures . thou art of that generation that called the master of the house beelzebub , and in the steps of the persecuting jews , who said , he hath spoken blasphemy , what need we any more witness ? but how can we speak evil , or blaspheme him who is our life ? and in the day when he ariseth to judge all the earth in righteousness , he will justifie us , and clear us , and condemn thy malignity , and thy hard speeches , and vain thoughts , which lodge in thy corrupt heart , from whence all these unsavourie words hath been uttered forth ; and is that new-england-divinity to teach persecution , that thou art so impudent to own it in words ? that which persecutes with the severest censures , is of the devil , and is in cain's way ; and dost thou lay down this for a doctrine to engl●nd , to appease the wrath of god towards it ? i say , persec●tion and severe censures , ●s that which kindleth the wrath of god against these nations , and did overtake the bishops , the king , and all their confederacy , and overthrew the nobles of the land , the ancient , and ●e honorable , which were the head ; and all the false prophets , which were the taile ; and that same wrath shall be over you , who are of that stock and off-spring , manifested by these deadly actions , and characters of most horrid and wicked cruelty , which the lord god will confound and blast , and set his truth above it all . and ( iohn indicot ) thou saist , the quakers trouble us very much ; though we cause them te be whipt , and sent away again , and again , yet they return again . thou maist see there is another spirit in them , then was in you , when you fled from old england , ( from under the bishops ) you would suffer nothing for the truth , and therefore were you given up to the same spirit that was in the persecutors here in england , this is entered into you now , and become ten fold stronger ; but now he that is stronger then all hath appeared , and is coming to trouble you , and disquiet you of your rest which you have taken up in the earth ; what , hath your gospel ( and the ministers thereof ) no more strength in them to convince the gain-sayers , then gain-sayers have to seduce them that are in the truth ? the daie of your trouble is come , and the beginning of sorrows is kindled upon you , & a greater wo follows after ; for the rod of god is stretched out over you , and shall reach unto you , and turn your counsels backward , and confound you in the midst of your combinations ; where did any christian-magistrates whip and imprison any for religion's sake or conscience-sake , or cut off their ears ? where is your law ? did any minister of christ perswade the magistrate it was lawful for him to do so ? give us some evidence , and let us see your rule , and by what authority you do these things , and from whence you have your authoritie ? i am sure god never authorized it , christ , nor his ministers , nor no christian-magistrate ( that ruled for god ) never countenanced any such thing , as to whip again , and again , to beat with ropes till men fall down as dead , till mens flesh becomes as jelley , as some of your own nation have said ; and shall not the saints be bold to tell you , that this is of the devil , who was a lyar and a murderer from the beginning , in whose footsteps you are , who shall receive a reward according to your works . and thou saist , divers of you do think , that unless the court do make a law to banish them , and not to return upon pain of death , this collony will n●t be rid of them . nay , nor then neither , though you make covenant with death , and agreement with hell , and shake hands with the prince of darkness , your covenant shall be broken , and your confederacie disannulled , and you confounded in the midst of your counsels ; what , have you your law yet to make to serve your turns ? it seems you act not by the law of god , ( which is made alreadie ) which is equal , just , and good , and is for the transgressor of justice , goodness , and equity , but takes not hold upon the just , equal , nor good , but you must now have another invented to satisfie your envious minds , and to accomplish your wicked determinations ; and you that think to make a law to banish , and to put to death , your thoughts are vain , and wicked , and god will bring them to judgement , and condemn you for them ; for christ came not to destroy mens lives , but to save them ; but the devil makes laws to destroy , and not to save . read your example , and let shame cover your faces , and astonishment fill your hearts , that you should become so brutish and vain in your thoughts , as to think to limit the lord of heaven and earth . can you command the wind that it blow not ? can you stop the bottles of heaven that they pour not ●orth water ? if you cannot , no more can you limit the lord . and if you make any such laws to banish , or put to death , it will procure the indignation and wrath of god more speedily then if the king of scots , and all the popish princes in the world did enter into the midst of your land . but this is come to pass that your hypocrisie and deceit might be made manifest in the sight of the sun , and that all men may see what profession of words is without the life of christ to rule in men . if it should have been told you ( when you fled from this nation ) what you would do ( in the time to come ) against god and his servants , you would have said , ( with hazael ) are we dogs ? but the heart of man is deceitful , ( unconverted ) and your deceived hearts hath led you aside . thou thinkest they are the worst hereticks . thy eye being blinded , and thy understanding darkened , and thy heart full of envy , how shouldst thou think otherwise ? but thy thoughts shall be discovered to thee , and thou shalt be convinced of the evil of them . thou saist , one ( whom many think is a iesuit ) pressed for a conference with one of our teachers , called mr. norton , but the quaker was quickly weary of it . you live by your thoughts , and knows nothing ; if he had been a jesuit , it 's like he might have had more favour from you ; and the minister might be very bold , knowing before-hand no evil was like to befall him , having the rulers ( with their clubs ) on his side ; the prison-doors , and house of correction , readie to receive the quakers ; the gaolers and task masters with their whips , and butcherly fellows with their knives to cut off their ears , at the pleasure and wills of a company of envious men , before whose face the fear of the lord is not . but it is like you will make the quaker weary soon , if he would look out at your cruelty , if you did ( as sometime some of your priests and rulers caused to be done in new-england ) stop napkins in their mouths , and bound keys over their mouths that they could not speak , and boast , and say , the quaker had nothing to answer . well , all these things are recorded , and are written as with a pen of iron , and they are engraved where they shall not be blotted out , and you are registred among the uncircumcised , with mesech and tubal , the great princes of gog , which makes war against the lamb and his followers ; but the lamb and the saints shall have the victory , and you shall be trodden as ashes under the toles of their feet , for they shall melt away that hate the lord . reading , the 16. of the 12. month , 1658. the end . the great case of the tythes and forced maitenance [sic] once more revived the true state thereof enquired into, before the law, under the law, among the jews : likewise under the gospel, the true ministers of christ, their allowance shown : likewise in the corruption of time since christ, how tythes have been introduced, wherein antiquity is searched, and the judgment of the fathers of the church in several ages produced, besides the scripture it self examined : in all which is clearly proved, tythes and forced maintenance, are no gospel maintenance : the scriptures answered, divers arguments confuted, and objections answered, which are brought by the ministry of this late age : also the institution and division of parishes and their rise, all which are published for the benefit of all, who desire that gospel order might be established again in all the churches of christ / f.h. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. 1665 approx. 184 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 41 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2005-12 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a44793 wing h3165 estc r22288 12300186 ocm 12300186 59144 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a44793) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 59144) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 637:1) the great case of the tythes and forced maitenance [sic] once more revived the true state thereof enquired into, before the law, under the law, among the jews : likewise under the gospel, the true ministers of christ, their allowance shown : likewise in the corruption of time since christ, how tythes have been introduced, wherein antiquity is searched, and the judgment of the fathers of the church in several ages produced, besides the scripture it self examined : in all which is clearly proved, tythes and forced maintenance, are no gospel maintenance : the scriptures answered, divers arguments confuted, and objections answered, which are brought by the ministry of this late age : also the institution and division of parishes and their rise, all which are published for the benefit of all, who desire that gospel order might be established again in all the churches of christ / f.h. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. m. l. guy, edward, 17th cent. raunce, john, 17th cent. [6], 73, [1] p. s.n. ], [london : 1665. marginal notes. signed: francis howgill. "an epistle to the reader": signed edward guy. "the poor husband-mans complaint : his hope and confidence" [in verse] signed j.r. [i.e. john raunce?]: p. 66-68. "as one fore-seeing the day of terror that is to come upon babel, makes this invitation" [in verse] signed e.g. [i.e. edward guy]: p. 68-69. "the great complaint and outcry of one of the sufferers of sion" signed m.l.: p. 70-71. errata: p. 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all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng tithes -early works to 1800. 2004-12 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2005-02 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-04 john latta sampled and proofread 2005-04 john latta text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-10 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the great case of tythes and forced maitenance once more revived ; the true state thereof enquired into , before the law , under the law , among the jews ; likewise under the gospel , the true ministers of christ , their allowance shown ; likewise in the corruption of time since christ ; how tythes have been introduced , wherein antiquity is searched , and the judgment of the fathers of the church in several ages produced , besides the scripture it self examined ; in all which is clearly proved , tythes and forced maintenance , are no gospel maintenance ; the scriptures answered , divers arguments confuted , and objections answered ; which are brought by the ministery of this last age . also the institution and division of parishes , and their rise , all which are published for the benefit of all , who desire that gospel order might be established again in all the churches of christ. f. h. printed in the year 1665. an epistle to the reader . impartial reader , thou hast here recommended once more unto thy view , what as from time to time , and from age to age , hath been not only the grand cause of invocating counsels , but also hitherto even the ground of great dispute and controversie , if thou this treatise do with a single eye peruse , and ballance the same in just and equal scales , thou wilt find it of so much validity , as will poise thy judgement to give sensure , that this is a clear and true demonstration of the matter in hand ; if thou be serious in thy view , sincere in thy heart , and single in thy mind , as willing to know the radix , rise , and ground of the matter herein handled , then wilt thou find this the very key which will aright , and may without scruple open unto thee , and demonstrate the very certain infallible and sure testimony , as well of their original rise , growing , begetting , constituting , settling , confirming , upholding , and maintaining of them , viz. tythes ; all which that thou mayst be clearly informed , may thou finde as by step and step herein traced , thou wilt finde their original as first how tenths were given before the commandment was given forth to the jews , thou wilt also find their growing , and their institutions thou may clearly see , and wherefore they were so instituted , thou wilt finde them when confirmed , and thou wilt finde them when corrupted , thou wilt finde them when lawful , and thou wilt finde them when not lawful ; thou wilt find them when they were to be payed , and thou wilt find a time when they ought not to be payed , and because the ministers of our age , as we have daily from them , do vaunt and boast themselves of the orthodox fathers of their church , therefore wilt thou find by a narrow search , and a single eye in the reading hereof , unto which i do advise thee , and that in patience and sobriety , thou wilt , as one unbiassed ballance the same , here may thou have their opinions , and judgments also , and their ancient fathers quoted thou wilt have at large their own words ; all which as by this treatise is intended to inform thy mind , and be as a president how they are now in this our age apostatized from what they were , and now at length becom'd as usurpation , or abused ; and for thy more full and perfect understanding how they were continued and imposed , thou may also read the orders and decrees of many great councils , their opinions , judgements , and impositions , from time to time in many ages past ; thou wilt see the testimony of the holy martyrs and their verdict , and last of all the scriptures discussed , the arguments confuted , the questions answered , and the objections razed , which the ministers of our daies do produce , or in times past have been produced , as the basis or ground from which they inferre and lay their seeming fair foundation , these thou wilt all see sufficiently , clearly and evidently confuted , their structure defaced , their painted building demolished , their foundation unbottom'd , and they themselves , if their old root of covetousness were not so strongly centered in them , might be convinced , there is not one stone left , but all is overturn'd , and the bottom ●…wed , that thereby this babels foundation may now be thrown down at the last , which hath had so many batteries ●…d assaults against it , this as it is the last , so it is indeed a weighty peice , which if truth might have place ( and error and deceit , which since the apostacy is crept in once rooted ●…t ) then needed there not another of this nature , for this indeed doth bolt the door , and if sensibly felt , arightly understood , and the truth of it assented unto , then would there be no entrance ; but though all this may not take ●●ld with the worldly priest , yet herein have i hopes , that truth therein being so sufficiently demonstrated , may take place and footing in every honest reader , so far as that he may not only be informed , but convinced , and not only so , but being convinc'd by this which doth so candidly manifest the same , he may in the zeal of his heart own it , and stand in the defence thereof , vindicating the just cause thereof , and witness with his seal that this is true , which if unbiassed he peruse , it doth evidently appear unto me he cannot but own , as he is willing and aminded to own truth ; one thing more is also in this book inserted , to wit , the sufficiency of allowance to the ministers of christ i● gospel daies , according the doctrine of christ and the apostles ; and it were well if magistrates and superiors ●…ld weigh it , and that they would with the infallible eye of pure judgement , labour to discern the same , lest they de●…e or uphold that which in this case they ought not , to ●…t , tythes , lest the lord be angry for their so doing , it being so repugnant to the testimony of truth . and so let every honest reader weigh , and diligently and ●…riously consider , whether he ought to uphold truth or er●…r , light or darknesse , i assume he will say that he ought 〈◊〉 uphold and maintaine the truth , and to stand by it and for it , then let me ask him a sober question , in the sobriety and calmnesse of spirit , and i desire that in the coolnesse of the day he may answer it , according to the witness of his conscience ; my question is this , whether he doth not believe after that he hath had a serious view of this pie●● that he meets with such valid arguments , such clearness of demonstration , as may or doth convince him that the imposition of tythes now in gospel daies , is absolutely out of the doctrine of truth , and ought not so to be ? and if so convinc'd , whether he ought not to side and adjoyn with that of god in his conscience , in a testimony of this nature , and so partake with truth , which is a duty ought to be , and is incumbent upon every christian mans heart , which is the desire of him who is a well-willer to sions prosperity . edward guy . the great case of tythes once more revived , and the true state thereof inquired into , both under the jews , and also under the gospel , wherein antiquity is searched , and the judgment of the most orthodox fathers of the church produced , and also divers modern writers , beside the scripture it self ; all which clearly proving , that tythes are no gospel maintenance , neither are due by any divine right . also , all the scriptures answered , and the divers objections and arguments confuted , which are brought to maintain them by the ministry of this generation . since the seat of antichrist hath been set , and his thrown exalted so high as it now is , and he himself exalting himself above all that is called god ; and not only so , but he hath laboured to make void the laws and commands of the lord and his christ concerning his church , and likewise , to set up his own institutions and commandements , which are repugnant and contrary to the commands of christ , and the practice and example of the apostles , and holy martyrs of old , who laid down their lives , for the testimony of that doctrine and faith , which they had received of the lord jesus christ the saviour of man ●…d , and knowing the practice and the examples of christ and 〈◊〉 apostles , and holy witnesses , they continued in their doctrine to hold forth still the same in purity , and to keep it unviolated ●…n to their death , that they might shew themselves forth to be followers of their master christ jesus , and to abide in his doctrine , and walke according to the primitive example , notwithstanding all the opposition , and contradiction of antichrist and his followers which hath been great throw many ages , since the ●…tions have dranke , and the kings of the earth of the wine of ●…e whores fornication , and the way that antichrist and the false church hath had to exilt themselves , hath been by policy , craft , and deceit , in perswading the nations , that that which was once given , and offerd freely unto the lord for his workes sake , is now made of necessity , and claimed as divine right to th●● and their ministers , notwithstanding both the doctrine , the worship , and practice be all together inconsistant with the primitive times truly so call'd . but seeing the ministry of the false church who abode not in the doctrine of christ , ( but hath violated it , and now hath turn'd against the saints , the ministers and seed of the free woman ) hath not had power by vertue of their doctrine to worke upon the hearts and consciences of people , so as to open them and make them freely willing to minister earthly things to their ministers , because indeed most people in the nations are not perswaded that they have ministred spirituall things . and therefore the false church hath perswaded the powers of the earth , who have drunken of her cup , that it is their duty to force and compell all to give unto her and her ministers , as of divine right , whether people be perswaded or no that they are sent of god , and makes the s●…pture a cloak to cover their force or injunctions and produceth the example of the primitive christians for a cover , though they do nothing at all of the worke of the apostles or ministers of christ in converting of soules , but rather ministring their 〈◊〉 inventions , & vain traditions of men , instead of the true ordinance of christ , yet however maintenance they must and wil have though they do none of christs work , and are so imperious and arrogant as to recken tyths the tenth part of the encrease of the earth whatsoever , and of every mans labour , and merchandize , yet this they would perswade all people is by divine right , and a gospell institution , and this hath been received by many in our last generation , whose mindes hath been darkned with the cloude of ignorance for a truth , and for any to withstand or deny it , hath 〈◊〉 counted error and heresie , no less then a curse , from mistery babylon , did come upon all such as did gainesay , also some with losse of lives , as heretickes upon this account , and in this last age many imprisoned for divers years even untill death , and many have suffered great spoiling of their goods ten or twenty fold more then that which they pretended due , and yet all this people must believe is gospel institution and divine right . the consideration of which thing hath been an inducement 〈◊〉 my heart of late to make a true and a narrow search of the ●…fullnesse or unlawfullnesse of this particular thing , not only ●…ing the true state of tithes amongst the jewes , but also in 〈◊〉 primitive time , and amongst the ancient fathers of the church 〈◊〉 doctrine have been approved amongst the most faithfull ●…ers of the church of christ downward untill this last age . 〈◊〉 of all to speake of the tenths which were given before the ●…mandement was given forth to the jewes , abraham in his 〈◊〉 from redeeming his nephew lot , after the pursuit of ●…mer the king of elam with the rest of the kings joyned 〈◊〉 him having recovered his nephew lot with all his sub●… , and all the substance of sodom and gomorr ab was met by ●…dech king of salem , and priest of the most high god , 〈◊〉 blessed abraham , and brought forth bread and wine , and 〈◊〉 into him and to the rest who were with him , unto whome 〈◊〉 gave the tithes of all the spoile , that he had taken from 〈◊〉 ●●oresaid chedorlaomer , and the rest of the kings . chrysostome ●…stands the text only to be of the spoyls , whereof abraham 〈◊〉 m●lchisedech a partaker , by giving him the first fruits of his 〈◊〉 performance . and jerome often stiling it , decimas spoli●…da , & victoriae , that is , the tenth of the spoil of the prey , and 〈◊〉 victory . and this is made one of the main basis or ground 〈◊〉 probation of tythes due before the law , which is but only 〈◊〉 gift of abraham to melchizedech of the spoil he had taken ; 〈◊〉 that , but once that we read of ; take notice of that : not of ●…lies labours or industries , but of the spoil of what he had 〈◊〉 . and it is very clear , that it was a voluntary thing and 〈◊〉 given ; and there is a good shew of reason in it , that it was 〈◊〉 ●ay of gratitude unto melchizedech , and to requite his kind●… ●ho brought forth bread and wine unto his souldiers after a great 〈◊〉 , which refreshed both him and his souldiers , which was 〈◊〉 sign and a courtesie , if abraham had not given the tenth 〈◊〉 the spoil he had not sinned ; so an example of this nature 〈◊〉 be a binding law to future generations : for if the mini●… of this last age will make this a binding rule , we may as well 〈◊〉 of them bread and wine of every priest for our selves and whole families , and every officer may require bread 〈◊〉 wine of every parish priest for himself and all his souldiers , 〈◊〉 the one example is as binding as the other , both of them be●… voluntary . the next passage that seems to have any weight in it ab●… tithes , is jacobs vow , this stone , saith he , which i will set up at 〈◊〉 pillar shall be gods house , and of all that thou shalt give me , i 〈◊〉 surely give the tenth unto thee . this was an extraordinary occasion , and more then an ordinary appearance from god unto jacob before , when he 〈◊〉 from his father to haran , to take a wife of his own kin●… and the lord appeared unto him as he laid his head upon a stone the night being come , and said unto him , i am the god of abraham , the god of isaac , and the land whereon thou liest , to thee will 〈◊〉 give it , and to thy seed , and it shall be as the dust of the earth , and 〈◊〉 shalt spread abroad to the east , west , north , and south , and in thee 〈◊〉 thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed . he called 〈◊〉 name of the place bethel , viz. the house of god , because of th● glorious appearance of god , and of his great promise made 〈◊〉 him , which he did believe , as may be seen more at large in the whole chapter . so jacobs heart being opened and filled full 〈◊〉 joy and faith , he promised again unto the lord , and vo●… vow saying , if god will be with me , and keep me in this way th●● i 〈◊〉 so that i come again to my fathers house in peace , then shall the 〈◊〉 be my god , and of all that he giveth me , i will surely give the 〈◊〉 unto thee : which he performed after twenty years , as josep●… saith in these words , by offering unto the lord the tenth of all 〈◊〉 substance which he had got at haran , after that he returned unto tha● place where god did appear unto him , and made his promise unto 〈◊〉 then jacob performed his promise unto the lord. but unto wh●… hand he gave this tenth , appears not ; for before aaron the j●… say the priesthood was solely annexed to the first-born of fa●…lies , which agreed well with the sanctifying of the first-born commanded in egypt ; hence it comes that melchisedec is commonly reputed to be shem , the eldest son of noah , but that is controvertal , and so i shall let it pass . but it is thought by so●● that jacob payed his vow unto the hands of isaac his father , and gave unto him the tenth of what he had gotten , as being the 〈◊〉 of the family then living , and a priest also ; but as is said 〈◊〉 these two instances of abraham and jacob are only vo●… and free gifts , as a return of thankfulness unto the lord , 〈◊〉 one having got a great victory over his enemies , and the o●… having received a great assurance of the lord of his promise 〈◊〉 blessing with him , did bind them to it . but we do not read 〈◊〉 they were at all obliged by any special commandement , as 〈…〉 so much , though 't is granted , that after jacob had vowed 〈◊〉 was obliged , but these are no binding examples unto future ●…rations , especially them that pretends they are ministers of 〈◊〉 second covenant , the gospel : there is no other mention 〈◊〉 of tythes before moses his time , unless some will dreame , 〈…〉 will needs do , that the levitical law was written before 〈◊〉 creation . yet some of the ancients seem to have observed a ●…ct had to the quantity of what was as a part of the yearly ●…se consecrated in those times to the lord : and that even 〈◊〉 ●●e first memory of sacrifice , cains offering was not regarded 〈◊〉 say , because he did not well or a right divide what he offered , 〈◊〉 some quota pars were at that time required . 〈◊〉 this reason was from no other cause then the mistransla●… of the text in the story of cain , where the jews read it , if 〈◊〉 offer well , but not divided aright , hast thou not sinned ? 〈◊〉 ; unto which agrees the tex● of the septuagint , when as 〈◊〉 ●●ue translation out of the original is thus , why is thy coun●… cast down ? if thou do well , art thou not accepted ? if thou do 〈◊〉 , ●●n lyeth at the door . but most agreeable to the text , is that 〈◊〉 gave with a grudging mind , and not of the best and first of his 〈◊〉 , for it is expresly said , that abel brought of his first fruits , 〈◊〉 cain only of his fruit of the ground . abel giving then unto the 〈◊〉 a portion of the best , the other not regarding of what worth 〈◊〉 offering were . so here is not any certain quantity noted , but the ●ind of the spirit of him that offered , and the quality of the ●…on or gift . so the chief thing to be noted from this is , that cain was an hypocrite , and offered with that mind and spirit with which he sl●● his brother , and so his sacrifice was not accepted . but this is no plea or ground at all for the payment of tenths is due . tythes were never commanded to be payed by the lord 〈◊〉 any , but israel whose law was given forth four hundred thirt● years after the promise , as saith the apostle . neither were 〈◊〉 ever payable but by the jews , after they came to the land of c●naan , and to levi's tribe only , and to the jewish priests that 〈◊〉 no inheritance allotted them by the lord of all the land of ●●naan , or beyond jordan , but only the tenths , according to th● command of the lord , for the office of the priesthood , and 〈◊〉 the service of the tabernacle . how among the jews tithes were payed , or judg'd to be due , the yearly encrease being either fruit of ground , or cattel ; in the law of fruits of the ground , first , the first of the first ripe were offered to the priest in ears of wheat , figs , barley , grapes , oliv●● , pomegranates and dates , of these seven only the first fruits we●● payed , in what quantity the owner would . next the theruma or heave-offering , or first-fruits of corn , wine , oyl , and fleece , and the like , were given to the priests , but it being not determined by moses of what quantity this offering should be , the jews antiently judg'd it to be enough at the f●●t●eth part , but so , that no necessity was that every one should pay so much ; he that payed a sixtieth part was discharged , but some of better devotion payed the fortieth . the offerings spoken of in ezekiel , this is the theruma that ye shall offer , the 〈◊〉 part of an ephah of an homer of wheat , or of barley ; it is the sa●● as if he had said , ye shall offer the sixtieth part of an homer , for an ephah , being the same measure with a bath , that is near ou● common bushel ; and after this offered to the priests , every kind being given in season ; out of the rest were taken the tythes , which are best divided into the first and second time . the first tythe was payed to the levites out of the remainder at jerusalem , and out of this tenth received by the levites , the levites payed another tenth to the priests , which is called the tythe of the tythe ; for this is to be taken notice of , that priests received no tythe of husbandmen ; but now them that are no levites , neither of aarons priesthood , they take tythes of the husbandmen , and where it is not offered freely , they take it violently and by force ; so now in these latter dayes , in the apostacy , the late priests from that ●●●mple , have payed tythes to 〈◊〉 , being , as they reckon him , chief vicar upon earth . 〈◊〉 also now since the popes supremacy hath ceas'd with us in england , a late law hath been made , to pay the first-fruits to the 〈◊〉 ; yet notwithstanding the possessor was not to spend the 〈◊〉 till he had taken out of these nine another tithe , which he 〈◊〉 the first two years to carry to jerusalem in kind , or to con●●●● it into money , adding a fifth part to the value , after these 〈◊〉 thus disposed of , the remainder was every way prepared 〈◊〉 for common use of the husbandman . some make a third tythe , but that was only the tythe of 〈◊〉 third year , after the first was payed of every year , which was 〈◊〉 up by the husbandman within his own gates , for the levite 〈◊〉 is within his gates , the stranger , the fatherlesse and the wi●●● , ( and not carryed to jerusalem ) and this tythe bestowed ●●●y third year was called the poor mans tythe , and that third 〈◊〉 the second years tythe ceas'd to be payed at jerusalem : so 〈◊〉 every third year the levites at the temple received not 〈◊〉 second tythe at their feasts , but according to the law , i● 〈◊〉 spent at home in the gates of the husbandman ; neither doth 〈◊〉 second tythe , and the poor mans tythe differ in substance , 〈◊〉 only in circumstance , the place where the bestowing was 〈◊〉 only the difference , as the septuagint translates it , when 〈◊〉 ●●st ended the tythe of all the fruits of thy ground , in the third year , 〈◊〉 second tiths thou shalt give to the levite , and to the stranger , &c. but after the second temple was destroyed , and the dispersion 〈◊〉 the jews , then the laws of first-fruits , offerings , and tythes 〈◊〉 them ceased ; for their doctors determin'd , that regular●●● or according to the law , no inhabitants but of the land of 〈◊〉 was to pay any . first , because they then wanted their priesthood and tem●●● ▪ secondly , because the law did restrain the payment thereof to 〈◊〉 , and herein they all agree . also eusebius agrees with the jewish r●bbins herein , that tythes 〈◊〉 only limited to the land of israel . how the payment of these tenths was either observed or dis●●●●inued , partly appears in the scriptures , and partly in the 〈◊〉 of more trusty over●●●rs in their great sanadrim , or court of 70 elders , wherein they agreed , that the overle●●● should be chosen of more honest men . by that which hath been said , may be perceived the state of the jews tything , by the commandement of god , and likewise the judgment of their own rabbins and doctors of the law , which gives a clear judgment of the practice , according as was in use , or exercised among them , and all do agree , that they , by a due right , did belong to the aaronical priesthood , and to the levites , and other officers in the temple and tabernacle , and for the service there , according to gods appointment , for hearing the tabernacle and setting it up , and for serving aaron and his sons ; and for the better ordering of things , they were divided into three parts , to wit , the levites , as the coathites , g●●shonites , and the marrarites , and these did receive the tenths of the people , and gave to the priests their part , which belonged to them according to the law of god in that covenant ; and 〈◊〉 the sons of aaron grew and multiplyed , then the priests were divided into 24 ranks or courses to serve at the temple , of which our prebends , deans and chapters take their example , or imitation , so to serve by their turns at cathedrals as they are called , or else from the church of rome ; but the latter i am rather ●●clin'd to believe , because there was no such name of any minister among the jews , neither in the primitive church truly so called ; but the priests of aaron gave attendance to execute their office , and to burn incense as their turn and course came . and hereupon zacharias is said to be of the course of abia. the l●vites that were ●ingers were also divided into 24 ranks or courses , of which i believe the present quiristers or singers , and s●●plice men do have their imitation , and bring the levites for proof concerning their offices ; but we cannot receive judaisme for christianity , neither their practice for apostolical ordinances in the church of christ. but how these things do agree with the primitive practice o● christ , his apostles and ministers , and the churches planted by them in their day , is easily seen in that which is written in sundry places of the new testament , so called ; and how it com●● to pass that they which pretend another priesthood , and to b● ministers of christ , should receive the tenth of all clean and unclean beasts , as pigs , geese , eggs , fowls , turneps , wood , and ●●●●is for the fire ; all which things we do not find mentioned , 〈◊〉 some of them forbidden to be offered under the law , and yet they pretend to be bishops and elders of the christian church , so that it seems they cannot distinguish of the time , nor yet of the ministration ; for if so , then they would be ashamed to lay claim to aarons tithes , and the levites , and yet doth none of their 〈◊〉 , which is contrary to all reason , truth , and equity , for that was given to them that had no portion among their brethren in the land , but these bishops , presbyters and priests , have their inheritances among their brethren , and besides have a great part of some counties and diocesses for their revenue , and their inferiour officers tithes of all things , yea of such things as was 〈◊〉 at all tithable in the law , as is said before , so what damnable deceit and hypocrisie is this ; is it any other but the popes 〈◊〉 ? an absolute apostate for hundreds of years , and must this be received as apostolick doctrine and practice , and enjoyned ? o for shame , let it never be made mention amongst them that do call themselves ministers of christ , neither any who do profess themselves to be christians , who dare not stand to christs doctrine and allowance in respect of their maintenance . but in the 〈◊〉 of time god raised up another priest , christ jesus , who was not of the tribe of levi , neither made after a carnal com●●●●ment , as the first priest was , neither was he consecrated 〈◊〉 the order of aaron , for he pertained to another tribe , of which no man gave attendance at the altar , viz. to judah , he 〈◊〉 a more excellent ministry , and of a greater and more perfect a tabernacle , not of the former building , he being the sum substance of all shadows under the first covenant , hath thereby put an end to the first priesthood , with all its shadows and 〈◊〉 ordinances , and changing the priesthood which had a command to take tithes of their brethren , there was a necessity also of the change of the law , and a disanulling likewise of the commandment which went before . now after christ jesus was manifest , the end of the law for righteousness to them that do believe , the end of the covenant , 〈◊〉 priesthood , tabernacle , temple , tithes , offerings , oblations , and in a word , all the worship of the jews , and all their shadows , types , and figures , and representations . all the sabbaths , fasts , feasts , and their divers washings , and purifying which all were but as shadows of things to come ; and he 〈◊〉 the sum and substance of them all , and ended them all ; 〈◊〉 whosoever will plead a necessity of all or any one of the former things mentioned in the first covenant that was faulty , christ profits him nothing , and he denies the faith of christ and ●is apostles , and ministers ; for circumcision was once commanded of god , and as real a type as any other , and yet they that would need hold it up , after the substance was manifest , to 〈◊〉 , christ jesus , the apostle paul concludes that christ profits the● nothing , though he elsewhere calls it the seal of the right●●●sness of faith unto abraham , which he had before he was circumcised . the like i also say of all the former ordinances which pertained to the first priesthood and covenant , and holds them up as of necessity , denyes the faith of christ , and christ profits them nothing , and do make themselves thereby as debtors to the whole law : and he that fails in the breach of one is guilty of all . therefore of how much necessity is it , for them that doth professe christ and the faith that was delivered to the sai●●● , to stand fast in that liberty wherein christ hath made them free , and not to be entangled with the yoake of bondage , but to keep the ordinances and commands of christ unviolated ; for they that lay claim to tyth●● , and would cause us to pay tyth●● , they themselves do not keep the law , but would constrain us , that they might glory in our flesh , and would confound the ordinances of the first and second covenant together , without putting any difference to the time and ministration unto which they did belong . the apostles and ministers of christ , who were made partakers of the divine nature , and of the word of reconciliation , did not look back , nor draw people back to the former ordinances of the jews , and their priesthood , but testified against them , their temples , fasts , feasts , and new moo●● ; and for these things , paul , and stephen , and divers others , suffered great persecution ; and christ the everlasting high 〈◊〉 , though he was the son of god , the heir of all things , and th●● first born of every creature , and the bishop of souls , though he was lord of all , he made himself of no reputation , nor did 〈◊〉 lay claim to the possessions of the world , but said , the f●xes 〈◊〉 ●●les , and the birds of the air have nests , but the son of man 〈◊〉 whereon to lay his head . he laid no claim to tenths , nor 〈◊〉 , nor oblations , neither to lands , where he travelled 〈◊〉 ●he work of the father , though he laboured for the conversion of souls in divers places , as the true bishop thereof . he laid ●o claim to any such places as to be his diocess , neither did look 〈◊〉 any gifts and rewards from any place , but as he was sent of 〈◊〉 father , and was the free gift of righteousness , he ministred 〈◊〉 : and likewise when he sent out his disciples , and gave 〈◊〉 commission to teach all nations and disciple them in the name of the father , son , and holy ghost , he said unto them ▪ 〈…〉 father sent me , so send i you . and again , freely you have 〈◊〉 , freely give . and again , take with you neither staff nor 〈◊〉 , nor mony , nor brass in your purses ; but into what house or city 〈…〉 , enquire who therein is worthy , and abide ye there till you go 〈◊〉 . and whatsoever is set before you , that do you eat and drink , 〈◊〉 the labourer is worthy of his meat . and though he sent them 〈◊〉 , as is before said , when they returned again , he said unto 〈◊〉 , lacked ye any thing ? and they said , nay . though they 〈◊〉 sent out as sheep among wolves , yet they preaching the 〈◊〉 of the kingdom freely , and turned people to christ the 〈◊〉 and living way , whereby their hearts were opened to mi●●●●● unto them , which serv'd for their necessity in the work of 〈◊〉 gospel ; they did not desire or require any s●ipend , sallary , ●●●mentation , or setled maintenance , but were ministred unto 〈◊〉 by them who had believed their report , and were made 〈◊〉 of spiritual things ; they never complained of want , 〈◊〉 never had any cause , nor did not give over preaching of 〈◊〉 gospel because they had no setled maintenance , like our lat●●● generation of priests , who if their maintenance do cease , 〈◊〉 gospel ceaseth , which demonstrates only they minister for 〈◊〉 and filthy lu●●e , and so are out of the apostles doctrine and 〈◊〉 ; for the apostles they often denied that which was 〈◊〉 profered them , lest they should make the gospel of christ ●●●●g●able , and their work of no effect . here was no tythes 〈◊〉 of , that we read on , commanded or commended , either to 〈◊〉 jews or gentiles who believed , in the age of the apostles , that we find mentioned either in scripture , or any other ancient records . and after many christians were converted unto thè faith , such was the liberality and bounty of believers in the beginning of christianity , that their bounty to the evangelical priesthood was so large , as that it far exceeded what the tenth could have been ; or if you look to the first of the apostles times , then the unity of heart among them about jerusalem was such , that all was in common , and none wanted ; and as many as were possessors of lands and houses , sold them , and brought the price of that which was sold , and laid it at the apostles feet , and it was distributed to every man according as he had need . so the whole church both ministers and believers liv'd in common of that which was freely brought in and ministred for the service of the saints ; so likewise the church gathered by mark at alexandria in egypt , followed the same practice as the believers at jerusalem . and ph●lu judaeus saith , that in many other provinces the believers liv'd together in societies . and in the church at anti●c● , galatia and corinth the saints possessed every man his own estate ; where the apostle ordained , that a weekly offering should be made for the saints by every man according to the ability of his estate , and this was put into the hands of the deacons of the churches , whereby the poor was relieved , and other necessary services supplied in the church of god ; and this continued for that age . the next age monethly offerings were made or given among the saints by devout and able christians , the over-se●●● appointed by the church was to receive it , and carefully and charitably dispose them , according to the necessity of the saints , for propagating of christianity ; as the maintenance for the brethren in their travels for the service of god , feeding , and cloathing , burying their poor brethren , relieving of widows and orphans , and persons condemned to labour in the mettal-mines , or to prison , or banishment into isles by the heathen emperors ; and these free offerings were never exacted , or otherwise , witnesse learned tertullian that lived about 200 years after christ , as it appears ; his words are , that every mans gift is to be every month , or as he can , or after the manner he will , and as he is able , so is he 〈◊〉 give ; for , says he , no man is to be forced , but what as be confers of his ●wn accord . and further , he upbraids the gentiles with the charity and ●●●●y of the christians ; he saith , whatsoever we have in the ●●●●sury of our churches , it is not raised by taxation , as though 〈◊〉 put men to ran some their religion , but every man once , or when he pleaseth himself , gives what he thinks good , and it is ●o● bestowed in vanity , but for the maintenance of the poor , and the like necessary service aforesaid ; and this way of contribution continued until the great persecution of maximinian and dioclesian , about the year 340 , as eusebius , tertullian , cypri●● , origen , and others do witness . also about this time , some lands were given to the church by them that believed , and the revenue thereof was distributed as other 〈◊〉 gifts were by the deacons and elders , for the aforementioned u●●●● , but the bishops or ministers medled not with them . origen ●aith , it is not lawful for any minister to possess lands given to the church for his own use . cyprian , bishop of carthage , about the ●ear 250 also testifies the same , and shews how the church main●… many poor , and that her own d●et was sparing and plain , and ●…ences full of frugality . p●●sper also saith , that a minister able to live of himself , ought 〈◊〉 to d●sire any thing to be given unto him , and he that receiveth it , 〈◊〉 i● not without great sin . the council held at antioch , anno 340. finding that much fault had been among the deacons and elders , to whom it properly did belong to distribute the offerings and free gifts where there was need , which they detaining for their own covetou● 〈◊〉 , the council did ordain , that the over-seer or bishop might ●●stribute the goods , but required that they should take no part thereof to themselves , nor the use of the priest , using the apostles words , having ●ood and raiment , be ye therewith content . c●●●sostome homil. 11. in acta , notes , and he lived about the yera 400 , that christian converts joyned in societies , and lived i● common , after the manner of the former christians at jerusalem , by whose writings it doth appear that there was not the least mention made of tyths in that age , the church at this time altogether living by the free offerings of lands , moneys , ●●d goods , and the people were much pressed to bountiful contribution for holy uses , as may be seen in the writings of jerome and chrisostome , who brought the liberality of the jews in their payment of tythes for an example , beneath which they would not have christians determine the charity . but about this time there began to be a declination and a coldness in the devotion of them that offered , which made jerome , ambrose , and others press very hard upon the people for liberality in point of offering , because it was much less then in the apostles time , in so much that cyprian reproved sharply , and said , they gave not so much as was worth speaking of . and it doth not appear in any old monuments of credit , till near the end of 400 years after christ , that any payment to the church of any tenth part , as a tenth , was at all in use . from the year 400 , till the year 800 no canon or other law was generally received , to compel ony payment of tythes , although among the offerings of devout christians , gifts of that quantity was received as due by the doctrine then in use in some places only , which ambrose , augustine , jerome , and chrysostome taught by reason of the coldness and want of charity among the christians in divers parts ; and for their ground and foundation , the first two taught that the tenth was due by gods law , which they took only from the mosaical law , and the other two perswaded only that a less part then a tenth might not be offered , but ought to be paid for holy uses , as the phrase was ; and by the reason of the doctrine of ambrose , they were offered under the name of tenths in part of italy , he being the bishop of millan there in the year 390. likewise augustine bishop of hippo , hath a vehement sermon for the payment of them , whose doctrine brought in the word tenth in use among christians ; and as is said before his ground only was taken from moses law in point of offering , these two threatned them with great penaltyes , and heavy judgements , that did not pay their tenths ; but yet take notice to what end they required them , viz. that the poor might not want , and saith , that god had reserv'd them for that use and end ; so in process of time , when this doctrine came to be received , divers followed the opinion of the ancient fathers before mentioned , yet hitherto it was not laid down as a positive doctrine to pay them as the jewes did , but only brought the jewes in for an example that christians should not pay less . leo , call'd the great , about the year 440. who reigned 20 yeares , he very earnestly stirred up mens devotion to offer to the church , 〈◊〉 speakes not a word of any quantity ; severin also about the year 〈◊〉 stir'd up the christians in panona to give the tenth to the poor ; likewise gregory not only admonished the payment of tithes , from 〈◊〉 mosaicall law , but also the observing of lent , which he reckoned as the tenth part of the year , and this he would have given unto god , saying , we are commanded in the law to give the tenth of all things unto god , and thus ignorance began to enter in , and juda●… among the christians brought in by their leaders , and from the opinions of these and other ancient fathers tithes , easter and pente●… came to be introduced and brought into the church among the christians . also jerome in these words , i do not take a part as the rest of the ●…s of possession of lands but as a levite i live of the tenth , and as i ●…e at the alter , i am sustain'd by the oblation of the alter , being 〈◊〉 with food and raiment , i follow nakedly the naked cross , but ●…re is no necessity to understand his words of tithes , but as the 〈◊〉 liv'd of tithes serving at the alter , even so am i maintain'd by the free offering of them that do believe . but it is to be observed ●hat there was divers councells in and 〈◊〉 the 600 year only provinciall as mascon and arles , and some 〈◊〉 do take it for granted , that a tenth was due by way of offering , ●●d put into the hands of them that ministred to the church ; is ●…en of as good antiquity , grounded upon the mosaicall lawes , ●…ch they call their divinas ; all which did spring from the doctrine of the foure fathers before mentioned but especially ambrose and 〈◊〉 about the year 400 , but take his owne words , it is not fit for 〈◊〉 , saith he , to prefer our selves as christians unless we do the work of christians , viz. to offer the tenth part of corn and of cattell and all the 〈◊〉 fruites of the earth ; and took it for granted as due , only his ground 〈◊〉 moses law . and if they should offer less then a tenth , thei● of●…g was not accepted ; also agreeing with him is augustine in a ●…on after this manner viz. deare brethren , for as much as the day 〈◊〉 christ drawes near , we ought to assemble our selves together , and to 〈◊〉 thanks to god , who hath given unto us , by our offering unto god 〈◊〉 tenths , for god is worthy to have the whole ; and this he grounds 〈◊〉 that of malachi , honour the lord with thy substance , &c. 〈◊〉 , exhorting them to pay their tribute to the poor , and their ●…ee to the p●rests ; then urging more texts out of the old testament , he tells them , that the neglect of payment of tithes was the cause of sterillity , and blasting of their corn , and the like . these two great bishops agree , and as was said before , from the law of moses , infers their whole doctrine ; yet notwithstanding the great pressures and hard threats of some of the bishops at that time , it was not a general received doctrine , that tithes ought to be payed , until about the year 800 ; neither was any thing by the church then determined or ordained touching the quantity that should be given ; though ( no doubt ) in many places the offerings of the more devout sort , tenths , or a greater part of their encrease , were given according to the doctrine then in use : and then about this time the offerings and gi●… to the church were disposed of on this wise , being received into a common treasury , one fourth part to the priests , out of which , every one that laboured had his portion ; another part for the relief of the poor , sick , and strangers ; and a third for the repairing places of publick worship ; and the fourth to the bishop ; and generally then the bishop liv'd in some monastery , and his clergy with him , from whence he sent them to p●…ch in the diocesses and countryes , and there they received such offerings as were made and brought them to the treasury : so that hereby the reader may take notice that the priests had not such a peculiar interest in that which was given , but others had a share with them , but now they claim all ; their churches were builded out of the gifts of the people , the poor , fatherlesse , and widow were relieved out of them , and the prisoners , who suffered for the faith they held , were relieved also , the bishop and his whole clergy were sustain'd ; but now they claim it as due , and take tithes by force and violence three or four fold , and sometimes ten fold , and people thrown into prison , and widows goods spoiled ; how unsuitable these practices are from what as they were in the apostles time , and the antient fathers for 500 years ? though they are very proud , and boast much of their antient fathers , yet they will not so much as come near them in example , and yet they cry up the church , the church , and antiquity , when they are far enough off from their practice , though they were in a declining condition in this age i have been speaking of before . also jerome upon the third of malachy in his commenta●y , doth admonish christians to give their alms to the poor , and double honour to 〈◊〉 that labours in the lords service , not binding at all to offer this or 〈◊〉 part , yet exhorts them not to be more backward than the jews , wherein they payed their tenths : neither is chrysostome at all different from him in this doctrine , 〈◊〉 perswading even labourers and ●…rs to give bountifully their alms to the church for holy uses , according to the apostolical ordinances , relating to the weekly offerings 〈◊〉 ●…e churches of corinth , galatia , antioch , and the jews liberality was brought as a president , below which be would not have christi●●s to determine their charity ; and sayes withall , that he speaks these things , not as commanding or forbidding that they should give 〈◊〉 , yet as thinking it fit they should not give less than a tenth part for holy uses , as the phrase was . syrril bishop of alexandria speaking upon that passage of abraham , gen. 4. 23. who , after he had gained the victory over the king of sodoms enemies , and rescued lot , when the king of 〈◊〉 offered him part of the spoils , he would receive nothing 〈◊〉 a few victuals : though , saith he , the holy teachers do war in ●…e behalf of perishing mankind , yet do they not take any thing from the 〈◊〉 of the world , nor do they heap up unto themselves riches , lest the ●…ld should say , we have made you rich , they only ought to receive the 〈◊〉 from the hands of those whom they have converted to the ●…h , for it 's christs command , saith he , that those who preach the ●…l should live thereby : so that its evident that very many of 〈◊〉 antient fathers , whom this generation have talked so much of , did deny tythes , and a forced maintenance from the world , 〈◊〉 in this point it 's like they will be judged but weak sighted , 〈◊〉 erroneous in their judgment by this generation , as they do the quakers , or men of mean understanding . but i see many will induce them in words , but few in practice . it was the judgment also , not of private persons , but of the 〈◊〉 learned and sound teachers of that age , in the fifth or 600 year after christ. prosper saith , they that live of the gospel , who will be propriators of nothing , who neither have , nor desire to have any thing , not possessing ●…ir own , but the common goods ; and what is it , saith he , to live of 〈◊〉 gospel , but that he who labours should receive necessary supplies by 〈◊〉 among whom he labours ; without forcing . and further saies , though paul himself had power , yet he would not make use of it , lest he should create an offence , but laboured with his hands , being a t●…maker , that he might not be burthen some to the churches of christ. with him also agrees o●… , saith he , peter and john saith , silver and gold have i none : behold the riches of those who were priests of christs , but let us quickly apply these things unto our selves ( s●… he ) who are prohibited by the law of christ , if we have any regard thereunto , to have possessions in the countrey , and houses in the city , ( what do i say ) possessions or houses ? no not to multiply coats or money ; if we have food and raiment , let us be therewith content . jerome also writing to nepotianus a clergy man , sayes , i beseech you that you would not transform our spiritual warfare into a carnal one , nor imagine your self in the clergy as if you were in an army , getting spoiles , nor seek after no more than when you came first into the clergy , lest it be said to you , their lot shall not profit them . neither in any general or provincial councel was there any constitutions made for the right of payment of tythes , till the year 586. in a councel at mascon in the diocesse of lions : neither is this councel received into the body of any of the canons , the councel consisted of all the bishops of king ganthroms kingdome , onely some provincial councels and secular constitutions betwixt the sixth and 800 yeares , which supposed tenths to be due , but they were disposed of diversly ; now to the priests , now to the abbots , & now to the poor , according to the mind of the giver , the quantity was only arbitrary , but judged that some kind of offering was necessary . neither till near 800 yeares was there any general law that remains in publick , that is of credit , ordained any law in the western church , and for the eastern church never any law that mentions tithes . and further it is observable , that though there were divers national and provincial councels held , which supposed them to be due , as divine right , and that lesse than a tenth part ought not to be offered , yet was theré no commandment , or name of tenth in the first eight general councels . and though divers of the fathers , popes , and bishops , did declare , that tythes were due , and ought to be payed , yet till the ninth general councel held at lateran under pope calixius the second , about the year 1119. mentions tythes , but speaks only ●…ch as had been given to the church by special consecration , 〈◊〉 at that time people being led to believe that tithes ought to be 〈◊〉 for the use of the poor , did dispose them to the heads and ru●… of religious houses ( so called ) who kept open hospitality then , 〈◊〉 the relief of the poor , entertainment of strangers , and supply of the ●…s , as is testified by cassian the hermite , but the councel held 〈◊〉 pope alexander the third , 1180. seeing much given to the 〈◊〉 , and little to the priests , made a decree to restrain peoples free●… , and indeed about this time much wickednesse , and self-love , and covetousnesse was crept into those houses , or monasteries by this time , as histories do relate . about this time there was no law , cannon , or constitution of any general councel as yet found , that did command tithes to be ●●yed , or expresly suppos'd them duty of common right ; before ●…t councel of lateran held in the year 1215. under pope innocent 〈◊〉 third , about which time the popes power was grown very great 〈◊〉 powerful , for about this time every man might have given 〈◊〉 tithes to what church he would , and people had more minde given them for the poore , rather then the priests , as may be understood from the complaint of innocent the third , he preaching on ●…us charity saies , dedit proprium & reddit alienum , &c. and ●…d out heavily against those that gave their tithes and first fruits 〈◊〉 the poor , and not to the priests as hainous offendors , yet about this time no regard was had to the nature of the encrease , but ●…soever did arise in profit , whether by trade , merchandize , or ●…andrie , the tenth was required to be paid , but when pope inno●… had commanded , so then no scruple was made of it , but an●ther took it with too much credulity , neither till this time , were e●…es sent from rome so frequent , to put in execution that which had been established in two former councels against that challeng'd 〈◊〉 of the laiety , for the laiety had enjoyed their liberty from the beginning of christianity , to bestow or retaine them to whom they ●…ld in most places till the year 1200. about this time , notwithstanding the land occupiers in divers 〈◊〉 , as the bishop of matera complained to pope innocent , that 〈◊〉 his diocesse , they viz. the laiety divided their tythes at their ●…sures , and arbitrarily gave part to the church , part to the 〈◊〉 , and part to their kindred , likewise in divers places the thing was so much in controversie , whether that parishes had any due to tythes or no , that we see particularly in the diocesse of valentia , 1320. which was , that every man wheresoever he liv'd , he might declare himself to be of what parish he would , and to that only give his tythes . the opinion of the canonists in answer to a question , viz. by what immediate law that tythes were payable , they are divided among themselves , some say , de jure ecclesiastico , others jus n●●urala , others divinum morale ; the canonists with one consent do ground themselves upon the letter of some of those passages of provincial councels , fathers and popes before mentioned , generally deliver that predial and mix'd tythes are due to be payed jure divino , and they usually cite the levitical precepts to justifie it , for they take this ecclesiastical revenue to be no otherwise due to the clergy by common right ( whom they to the utmost maintain as they reason ) may as a supreame steward of clergies maintenance dispose of this or that particular part of it to where he will , and this was their common opinion . but for personal tythes , they yet agree to be jure divine , although pope innocent the fourth make it a wonder to see any man deny it , and divers of them follow him , the best authority , they bring for personal tythes is that of deut. 12. where tythes and the offering of your hands are spoken of , and this is a received ground amongst them , that the tenth is due to the church jure divine , and so would hold up the first priesthood , and figures against the second who is the substance , only for covetousnesse sake . but some canonists , and those of no small note , that agree the determination of the tenth to be only de jure ecclesiastice , and th●● no more jus naturale , or divinum morale is in it , then what commands a competency of means to be given to the priesthood , but they are mingled and confounded among themselves , and the best bottom they have is either from the popes authority or from the jews , also many divines and schoolmen were at great contest , and their judgments are various as the former . the divines about this time have had several determinations and doctrines about this point , some hath held it , that the tenth considered quoad quotum partem , or as it is a determined , part devoted from that number is only due by law positive and ecclesiastical , but it is for the sustentation of the clergy , it is due by the divine 〈◊〉 law as they call it , and so they interpret it from the levitical commandment of tythes , but others say it is a judicial or ceremonial , as some will have it , and that it hath been brought into the law of the gospel , by ecclesiastick doctrine , and constitutions , others say ●…s , by the imitation of the jewish state ordered by the almighty , and 〈◊〉 in that regard , per vim obligativum , viz. by a continued force 〈◊〉 it under the gospel , and that the church was not only bound to 〈◊〉 part , but might as well have ordain'd the payment of a ninth or ●leventh , this is commonly taught by the old schoolmen , hales and aquinas , henricus de gandavo , cardinal caietan , and divers ●…s . the second opinion among the divines is of those that held tythes to be meer almes , and not to be payed to the ministers of the gospel by any parochial right , as a necessary duty to the evangelical priesthood , but that they might be detained and disposed of at the owners will , especially if the pastor did not well perform his of●…e ; of this were both some of the religious orders in their preach●… , and also others opposite enough to them in doctrine , the do●… and franciscans , who began about the year 1210. and had in their monasteries great store of schoolmens writings , made it gainful doctrine to themselves , though there was a truth in it , they determined that it was not due by divine right , but only due as alms , 〈◊〉 of charity , not of justice or judicial law , but to be arbitrarily disposed of accordingly , to such as took any spiritual labour , and with ●…m agree the mendicants . likewise about 800. 900. and a 1000. and after that tyths were called the lords goods , and the patrimony of the poor , when as also the councel at nants declared the clergy were not to use them as their own , but as commended to their trust , they were not then given to 〈◊〉 ●lergy , but to be disposed of to the use of the poor . furthermore , at a general councel held at lyons , under pope gregory the tenth , in the yeare 1274. when religion was only made a cloak for covetousnesse , and they sought their gain , and not the good of souls , it was then constituted that it should not be lawful thence forth for men to give their tythes at their own plea●●e , where they would as it had been before , but pay all their tyths 〈◊〉 the mother church : by which it may be seen , that though the people who then generally were papists and in the midnight of popery , did believe they ought to pay tythes then , yet were rather willing to dispose of them where they pleased , till the popish councils restrain'd their liberty . but the great decree that speaks most plain , and till which nothing was given forth which did directly constitute them , but rather still suppos'd them as a due by some former right , was made at the councel of trent in the year 1560. and yet that great councel followed the doctrines of their fathers , and said , they were due to god , but had no new authority for their great decree , which they commanded to be obeyed under the penaltie of excommunication . having thus briefly past over the ecclesiastical state , first of the jews ; secondly , of christ and his apostles time ; thirdly , of the state of the church near to their time , and the judgement of them which are reckoned the most learned and orthodox men , and fathers of the church in every age , till the very height of the papal domination , and hath given some true understanding in every age to the point in hand ; it will be requisite that something be said more particularly concerning this nation , and the practice thereof , and what hath been said with , or against this particular concerning tythes . about the year 600. or soon after , gregory the first who was the first pope of rome , sent over augustine the monk into england , who was a canon regular , by whom ethelbert , king of kent , was converted , as they call it , but it was but to popery , he and his clergy a long time after followed the example of the former ages , and imitated the practice of the apostolick primitive church , living in common upon the offerings of their converts , and those that received them joyn'd into societies , and with the receipt of the offerings they maintain'd themselves , they repaired the temples of the gentiles , which by the advice of pope gregory , were not to be destroyed , but to be converted to christian service , and builded some houses , which they called churches , in which the priests exercised their strivings , for then the whole diocesse of canterbury was indeed the only limitted parish in regard of profits ; and whatsoever was received through the devotion of good christians , as they were called , made up a common treasury for the whole diocesse , so that it was no matter of what place the bounty was offer'd , so that it was within the diocesse , the truth of this is confirm'd by that of augustine in his question to pope gregory touching the bishops , whereunto the pope answers , the custome , saies he , is generally to make four parts , 〈◊〉 , for the bishop , for the clergy , for the poor , and for the repai●…n of churches , but he doth admonish him in tendernesse to the english saxon church , that he and his clergy should use the community of all things , as was in the primitive times in the apostles daies , but afterwards having brought a great part of the nation to their faith , they began to preach up the old roman doctrine , that tythes ought to be payed to god and holy church , as the phrase was , and having taught the people that pardon of sin , and the joyes of heaven were meritted by good works , and the torments of hell traded by charity , it was no hard matter to perswade them to give their tenths and lands , but also their outward riches to those called religious houses ; then here and elsewhere may testifie in this nation , they and the clergy had almost gotten the third part of the whole land , so wonderfully besotted were the poor ignorant people , that had not a law been against such excessive gifts , a farre greater part of the nation had been in their hands ; but how long this community amongst the clergy continued amongst them , and the free offerings , fully appears not , but that it was not out of use till more then one hundred years after augustines coming , that is till past seven hundred years after christ , as may be conjectured out of the testimony of bede , which extends so far in the city of london , till the time of henry the third , no tithes , as tithes , were generally payed , but only a decree made , that for every twenty shillings rent a farthing a sunday was to be paid , which came to fifty two farthings yearly , and this was given by way of offering , but was supposed as due , and the tenth part of the yearly rent of their houses . as concerning laws and canons for tythes among the sax●… , it is reported , that in the year 786 , in the time of pope adrian , when his power began to grow great , he sent two legates with letters into england , for r●formation , as it was call'd ; first to off●-king of merceland , and alfewold king of northumberland , who cell'd a councel in the north , and offis and kenulph call'd a coucel for the south , wherein they o●dained , that a tenth of the fruit of the earth should be paypayed as it was written in the law of moses ; and when this councel had thus concluded by alswold , the legates and embassadors took all the decrees and canons of the councel and carryed to offa , and he and his bishops and abbots did subscribe it with a cross to it ; likewise selden makes mention . that ethelulfe , king of the west saxons , in the year 855 he made a law , that the tithe of all his own lands should be given to god and his servants , and should be freed from all taxes : but there is great difference among historians about this grant , some restrain it to the tithe of his own demesne lands , others to the tenth part of his land , and others to the tithe of the whole nation . about this time heavy pressures by danish invasions , and great wars came on , so that he call'd a councel , where were present bernereddus , king of mericia , and edmond king of east angles , and they to remove the heavy judgment that was upon them , gives the tithe of all the land to god and his servants , as the phrase then was . king athelstone about the year 930 , and king edmond about the year 940 , and king edgar about 970 , king ethelred about 1010 , king knute about 1020 edward the confessor , and others of the saxon kings , made several laws for tythes , as histories do relate . likewise the normands , afterwards entring this kingdom and subduing it , william the conqueror confirmed the liberties of the church . also henr. 1. and hen. 2. did the like , and king stephen also : the reader may understand the principles upon which these men ●…cted , and the doctrine then that was believed by them , and maintained to be good by prelates of that age , that heaven was merited by good works , and sins pardoned for works of charity , which works was chieflly reckoned to be good by the prelates of that age , when some monastry was builded , church or chappel so called , and dedication of lands and goods to such places , for the health and happinesse of their souls , they had perswaded many men almost out of their estates , leaving their heirs and children very poor . many instances thereof might be given ; but one or two for manifesting the truth of this , king stephen in his dayes gave to the priory of eye in suffolk , as may be seen in an original charter of his , made to the said priory , wherein he gives the tenths of all his manors of stedbrook , rad●●ge , seldia , bedima , with divers other places , for the pardon of his sins , and obtaining the joyes of heaven ; and not only , he gave it for the health of his own soul , but for the soul of his father and of his mother , and of his uncle , and interceding kings to the use and end aforesaid . likewise out of another old charter , granted by ralph then bishop of chichester , to the abbey of battel , the tenths of vula●●●e , of hennam , and of servin , and of lezein , and badhurst , and the tenths of many other places to the said abbey , for the health of his own soul , and the health of the souls of his ancestors . also out of the charter of the monastry of ridding in hereforeshire , in the time of king john , walter clifford , for the health of his fathers soul , and of his wives and children , doth give the whole tenths of hamenesca unto the church of lem●er . but notwithstanding the many laws , canons , and decrees , of kings , popes , councils and bishops ( alluding to the page before ) that every man ought to pay the tenth part of his encrease , yet it was left to the owner to confer it where he pleased , which made so many rich abbies and monasteries . and till the year 1200 , or thereabouts , every one gave their tythes at their own pleasure , which made pope innocent the third send his decretal epistle to the bishop of canterbury , commanding him to enjoyn every man to pay his temporal goods to those that ministred spiritual things to them , which was enforced by ecclesiastical censures ; and this was the first beginning of general parochial payment of tythes in england , this his decretal was admitted , and enjoyned by the law of the nation , king and people being then papists . the decree of the pope receiving all possible assistance from the bishops and the priests , in whose behalf it was made , did not only in a short time take away the peoples then desired right to give their tythes to those that best deserved them , but did also so much corrupt the clergy , that in the time of richard the second , wickliffe , our famous reformer , did make a heavy complaint to the parliament in these words following , ah lord god , where this be reason , to constrain the poor people to find a worldly priest , sometime unable both of life and cunning , in pomp and pride , covetous and envy , gluttonnesse , dunkennesse and lechery , in simony and heresie , with fat horse and jolly , and gay saddles and bridles ringing by the way , and himself in costly cloaths and pelure , and to suffer their wives and children , and their poor neighbours perish for hunger , thirst and cold , and other mischiefs of the world : ah lord jesu christ , sith within few years men paid their tythes and offerings at their own will , free to good men , and able to great worship of god , to profit and fairnesse of holy church fighting in earth : why it were lawful and needful that a worldly priest should destroy this holy and approved custome , constraining men to leave this freedome , turning tythes and offerings unto wicked uses . a cloud of witnesses might be brought out of the ancient fathers , and also latter testimonies who witnessed against them , and divers martyrs , some whereof were put to death , others gr●●vously troubled , and suffered long and great imprisonments , as john hus , jerome of prague , the famous reformer john wic●liffe , who is spoken of before , and walter brute , william thorpe , william swinderby , and it was generally the judgment of all the wickliffians and the predecessors of the protestants , the b●●●●●ans being descended from the waldenses , they did professe and ●el● out , that all priests or ministers ought to be poor , and to be content with free gift , or what the people freely offered them ▪ so saith aeneas sylvius in his bohemian history . and it is one of john wickliffes articles , whose works are 〈◊〉 much esteemed of by the protestants of england and bohemia , as despised by the papists and their clergy , having his bones taken up and burnt 41 years after his decease , and his articles condemn'd by the councel of constance ; his own words are , that tythes were and are a free gift as among the christians and only p●●●● alms ; and the parishioners may , for the offence of their curates , detain and keep them back , and bestow them upon others at their own will and pleasures . and his proposition af●resaid is maintained by that godly 〈◊〉 john hus who was burnt for his testimony at con●… but take his own words , that the clergy are not lords 〈◊〉 ●●ssessours of tythes , and other eccli●iastical goods which are 〈◊〉 given , but onely stewards , and after the necessity of the clergy 〈…〉 satisfied , they ought to be transported to the poore . and a●… clergy doe abuse the same they are theeves and robbers , 〈◊〉 ●●●●ilegious persons , and except they doe repent , by the just 〈…〉 of god they are to be condemned . ●…wise ambrose preaching upon the 16. luke give an ac●●●● of your stewardship , &c. from hence he infers that the clergy 〈…〉 lords but rather stewards and bayliffs of other mens sub●●● , farthermore jerom writing to nepotianus a clergy●…h , how can they be of the clergy , which are commanded to 〈…〉 and despise their owne substance , and yet to take away 〈…〉 friend , is thiefs , to deceive the church it is sacriledge , and to 〈…〉 that which should be given to the poor . ●…se bernard in his sermon upon these words , simon pe●●● 〈◊〉 unto jesus luke 17. from thence infers these words , viz. 〈◊〉 the goods of the church are the patrimony of the poor , and 〈…〉 thing the the ministers and stewards of the same ( not ●●●●or possessours ) doe take unto themselves more th●n sufficient ●…nt living , the same is taken away from the poore by a sa●… cruelty . 〈◊〉 eusebius in his treatise upon the pilgrimage of saint je●●● writes thus , if thou dost possesse a garment or any other thing , 〈…〉 extreame necessity doth require , and dost not help the needy 〈…〉 a thiefe and a robber . 〈◊〉 isidore in his treatise de summo bono , chap. 42. saith let 〈…〉 know that he is the servant of the people , and not lords o●●● 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 and divers more authors that worthy man john hus 〈…〉 at a disputation in the university of prague in vindi●… of john wickliffes sevententh article which was , that 〈◊〉 was a free gift in the time of christianity , and accounted as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 the reformed church in geneva they live upon free gift , 〈◊〉 tythes of all sorts are taken up for the use of the state , and 〈◊〉 up for the publick treasury . and that good man william thorp of whom i made 〈◊〉 before , who gave a large testimony against divers abuses 〈◊〉 into the church , it being the midnight of pope●y , being complain'd of by the then popish clergy , and brought to exa●●nation in the year 1407 ▪ being accused before thomas 〈◊〉 arch-bishop of c●●ter●ury , and chancellour of england ▪ 〈◊〉 gives a very clear testimony about tythes how that they 〈◊〉 no gospel maintenance , in his answer he saith , that in the 〈◊〉 law neither christ and his apostles tooke tythe of the people , 〈◊〉 commanded they the people to pay tythes , neither to priests nor deacons , and christ and his apostles preached the word of god to the people , and liv'd of pure aimes or free gift ; but after christs a●●●●●ion when the apostles had received the holy ghost , they tr●v●lled labouring with their hands , and also he saith that paul when 〈…〉 full poor and needy , preached among the people , he was not 〈…〉 unto them , but with his hands he laboured not onely to get his 〈◊〉 living , but also to relieve others that were poor and needy ▪ and further he saith , tythes were given in the old law to le●●●● 〈◊〉 priests , but our priests come not of levi , ergo by the law our pri●●● cannot challenge tythes , for as the priesthood is changed so is the 〈◊〉 , but since christ in the time of his ministry , and also his a●… lived by pure almes , or else by the labour of their hands , for the ●●vant is not greater then his lord : at which words the bishop 〈◊〉 unto him , gods curse have you and mine for thus teaching , 〈◊〉 further the said william thorpe saith that those priests that 〈◊〉 take tythes deny christ to becom'd in the flesh , unto whom the 〈…〉 said heard you ever lozell speak thus , and further the said william saith that the cove●eousness and pride of the priests 〈◊〉 the vertue of the priesthood , and also stirs up gods vengean●● 〈◊〉 upon lords and commons , who suffer these priests charitably , 〈◊〉 the arch bishop said thou judgest every bishop proud that 〈…〉 goe arrayed as thou dost , by god i deem him to be more me●●● 〈◊〉 goes every day arrayed in his scarlet gown , then thou in thy 〈◊〉 bare blew gown : this is an answer much like a lording bishop , and a tything priest , but i refer the reader to the whole discourse and testimony of william thorpe which is large in 〈◊〉 his acts and monuments . likewise william swinderby in the articles that are charged 〈◊〉 him is , that for an evil curate to curse his hearers , or excomunicate them for with-holding of his tythes is nothing but wickedly and wrongfully , getting from them their mony , for if saith he that the priest or curat● be a wicked man , ( as most of the tything priests are ) if the parishoners doe pay him tythe● , they are guilty before god of upholding him in his sin and evil deeds , and further saith he , but whereas christs law doth command to minister freely to the people , the pope with his law sells for money , whereas christs law teaches his priests to be poor , the pope justifies and maintaines priests to be lords . also with him doth agree walter brute , as is manifest by the articles charg'd against him , viz. that no man is bound to pay tythes in gospel times , 〈◊〉 . that if the parishoners shall know their curate to be bad they ought to hold from him their tythes . 3. that if any priest receive any thing by ●…y of bargaine or yearly stipend in so doing he is a schismatick and accursed . 4. that if we be bound to pay tythes in gospel times , then are we debtour● to keep all the whole law , for to say that men are bound to one part of the law & not to another is not true , for this were to prefer one part before another , and to set the law against it self . 5. seeing that neither christ nor any of his apostles , commanded to pay tythes , i'ts manifest and plain , that neither by the law of moses , nor by the law of christ , that christian people are bound to pay tythes , but by mens traditions : and all these before mention'd were opposite to the whole nation of friers of what order so ever , who suffered grievous persecution in their dayes , whose testimony yet lives , and will be priz'd in ge●… to come , though they be gone to the s●pulchres of their fathers . also to these may be added the articles of the ●…ians who were greatly persecuted for their faith and be●… published about the year 250 ▪ wherein a divine write as ●…thes since the gospel were denyed , whereupon they long 〈◊〉 took away all temporaliti●s from their ministers g●rardus ●●●●●illus , also before wickliffe was hu●●t for an heretick , ( as 〈◊〉 church of rome reck●ned him ) upon this account , 〈◊〉 the great erasmus gave the common exacting of tythes , in his time no better name then tyran●y . moverover the abbigenses , bedemontane protestants have preferred their religion without corruption longer then any church with a ministry endowed with tythes and hire , in the world . likewise the primitive times never wanted able teachen , as the best histories relate , although they lived either upon their labour , or the free gift of them th●t were converted , but did trust their lord and master , who sent them out in his na●e and power , for the conversion of souls , this was very much unlike to the ministry of this generation , who knows not how to live by faith nor of the gospel , but rather by jewish tythes , or rather popish tythes , stipends , augmentation , set-wages , covenants , and sallaries , or else the old proverb is truely verified , which sprang up in popish times , no penny , no pater noster , for evidence whereof there are hundreds in england within this twenty years , that when the aforesaid maintenance was taken away by any temporal power whatsoever they have ceas'd their ministry , and laid down their commission , which they say they had from christ , and mad● voide their call , and all necessity of conversation of souls laid aside , we might bring the whole nation for a testimony in this , who hath been observant as to the practice of the ministry about the changes of government which hath happened in the aforesaid time . and the former christians was not so disquieted among themselves with political complying opinions , and curiosities , niceties , distinctions and contentions , although they had none of the aforesaid setled maintenance untill c●●st●●tine the great his time , when they began to grow rich , and give lands and grea● revenues to the church , and then they began to controvert and side in state matters , as is seen in the councells of basill and constance , and divers other former councells , and grew into pride , and idleness , and fullness , ●●somuch that histories say a voice was heard from heaven , this day poyson hath been shed abroad in the church . great and large are the testimonies that might be given i● this particuler of the best men who were sufferers for christ , although the greedy cov●tous hirelings of every age thought it a ●●range thing that they should deny the payment of tythes , because some great councells in the midnight of popery had c●●cluded them as due , some one way and some another ; and the clergy of our last age very unwilling to loos any thing that ●●y be commodious to satisfie their coveteousness , though ●●●y have denyed the pope and divers councells in other particu●●●● , yet in this point of tyths , they wil allow of their constitutions as jure divino , and if that will not serve ▪ having solicited 〈◊〉 princes of divers nations to make some laws for provision for their maintenance , because they were sensible their gospel ●ould not maintaine them , and now their greatest plea is became jure humano , or as one of the pastors of the church of england lately said , he cared not if the devil was the author of t●●●es , if the law of the nation did give him them he would have 〈◊〉 whether the parish would or no : and i believe many of them are of his judgement , though they will not be so hardy 〈◊〉 to deliver it in so open and shamefull words , but however th●m that have onely the powers of the earth to be their prop and onely refuge , and flyes to the hills and mountaines that ar● but earth , temporary and mutable for their help , for their backs and their bellies , yet this doth not make voide the testi●ony of them who abide in the faith , and dare stand unto christs allowance in point of maintenance ; for the work of the ministery , as the apostles and ministers of christ in the first age of the publication of the gospel did , but take some ●●●ther testimonies that the truth of this may not seeme a new thing , or as yesterday , nor onely of the meaner sort , or of illiterate men , but even of learned rabbies of our latter ages . antonius de dominis the learned bishop of spaletto de repub . eccles. lib. 9. saith christ himself , though he were lord of heaven and earth , and the fullness thereof , yet would not he be possessed of great lands and incomes , though he said the fowles of the aire have nests , and the foxes have holes , but the son of man hath not where to rest his head , yet did not he imbetter his condition , although to the effecting thereof there needed no more then that he should will it to be so , nor did he demand tythes though he was a priest , after the order of melchezedech indubitably ; but whilest he went throw the cities , and villages preaching the gospel , and instructing men for the kingdom of heaven and twelve with him , severall women that believed as m●●y magd●len , joanna , susanna , and others did minister unto him of their substance ; nor did he otherwise instruct his disciples who were embassadours on earth towards man-kinde in the beginning when he sent them out , he did not bid them for to receive tythes , or teach people to pay them , but bids them to live upon almes , carry not with you gold nor silver , nor any mony in your purses , not a scrip , not two coats , not a staffe , supernumerari , for the labourer is worthy of his meat : the disicples of christ being thus taught by their great master forsaking their lively-hood , and earthly possessions lived by faith in god , who would not have sent them abroad , but that he would dispose the hearts of men accordingly in order to their substance , so they relyed upon their converts for necessary supplyes , and received their benevolence of several pious women who ministred unto them , for so saith paul , have not i power to eat and to drink , have not i power to lead about a woman or a sister , as the other apostles , the br●thren of our lord and cephas , 1 cor. 9. 5. he at large and clearly sheweth how they who sowes spiritual things ought to reap temporal things . likewise david paraeus in his commentary upon gen. 28. and 2. and 22. saith , that tythes or tenths were freely arbitrarily , a man might give them , a man might vow them , or he might not , even as he pleased before the lord , but under the law they were commanded to be given to the 〈◊〉 , and levits , hence saith he , our clergy men infer , that if it were so of old , then they are so now , but this doth not follow ( saith he ) they had a divine ceremonial right , but that 's now ceased ; they had tythes as a compensation of that lot they should otherwise have in land , ours not , ours have towns , villages , manners , yea countries , and provinces ; nor is there any end of their insatiable covetousness : and he conclude● , that when the levitical priesthood did cease , then did the right of that priesthood cease , and the right of tythes did revert to god , as governour and sovereign of the world. great and large are the testimonies that might be given , both 〈◊〉 of ancient and modern writers , who were the clearest in their judgments against tithes , how that they were not go●●●● maintenance , neither of divine right doth belong to any 〈◊〉 under the gospel , who professeth christ come in the 〈◊〉 . but what i have already said in this particular might 〈◊〉 sufficient , seeing so large things to this have been declared 〈◊〉 other hands ; but i am the more willing to instance divers a●thors , who by our protestants are owned as orthodox , that they may be thereby throughly convinced that this is no new doctrine , for which we suffer the spoyling of our goods , and 〈◊〉 persons imprisoned ; but that the covetousnesse of the 〈◊〉 and tithes have been testified against by many faithful and constant men in ages past , who died in the faith , who ●hough they be dead , yet their testimony still lives , and will ●●●nd for age● . but you shall hear what state the clergy and ●●●●stry was in about the time of the council of basil in the year 143 1. by lod●vicus , the cardinal arlatensis , a man very much praised for his constancy and wisdome in that council 〈◊〉 basil : lod●vicus seeing the cowardliness of the bishops and others of the clergy , that they were more afraid to grieve temp●ral princes , then afraid to offend god ; and afraid to be ●●●iled of their temporalities , rather than afraid that their 〈◊〉 should be devoured ; albeit , saith he , if you were true bishops , and true pastors of souls , you would not doubt to put your lives in hazard for your sheep ; neither he afraid to shed your blood for 〈◊〉 church in the cause of christ ; but at this present , saith he , ( 〈◊〉 ●●re is the pitty ) it is too rare to find a prelate in this world , 〈◊〉 in this age , which doth not preferre his temporalities before his ●…lities ; with the love whereof they are so withdrawn , that 〈◊〉 ●o study rather to please princes then god , and confess god in 〈◊〉 , but princes they will confess openly , of whom the lord speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gospel , every one that confesseth me before men , him will i confess before my father which is in heaven , &c. and contra●iwise , 〈◊〉 lord will not confess him before his father , which is afraid 〈◊〉 confess the lord before men , for fear of loss of their worldly glories , and temporal riches , and displeasing of princes , of which it may be more largly seen in the history of the council of basil , published by aeneas sylvius . so you that doth profess reformation , and the scripture to be your rule , and your ancient fathers to be your examples , whom the ministry of this last age hath talked of , and see now if you will own them in practice ; do not reckon your selves any more as ministers of christ , who cannot be content wit● his allowance , and let forceing for maintenance by tithes alo●● to the priests of the first covenant , and let bargaining alo●● for wages , and seek not hire of them you work not for ; and if your gospel will not maintain you , then have you great reason to question it , whether it be the very same that chr●●● and his apostles preached in the primitive times : and it is manifest , as aforesaid , that they required no tithes , stipends , augmentations , or sallaries , neither was ever any such word heard of amongst them , as , what will you give me , and i 'll be your minister ? and yet there was no complaint of any wants for christ asked his disciples when they had been travellin● abroad preaching the gospel , though they had neither staff , nor scrip , nor money , if they wanted any thing ? and they said nay . but this generation must know before hand , what is to be had at such and such a place , and what is it worth 〈◊〉 annum , or else no gospel is like to be preached there . but if any one should ask the ministry of this age , by what righ● they claim tythes ? they cannot say by a better right then the apostles had , nor i hope will not , for they pretend to be but successors of them . and if the extent of their commission be enquired into , they will give it you in these words or the like presently , viz. as my father sent me , so send i you : but if one ask if they will stand to this in all respects , i have little hope that they will comply in point of maintenance ; i have good ground so to judge , even many at this day have boasted of their call and ministry , and have thrown many into prison for these popish tythes . for if a law or statute were made for the taking of them away , they would give over the publication of their gospel , which demonstrates their commission is not of god , or else why should taking away of ●●hes invalidate them ? i desire they were tryed , who boa●… of calls and commissions , i am afraid we should scarcel● one in 500 that would open his mouth ; for if the 〈◊〉 were taken away , the effect would also fallow ; if ●…nance were taken away , their preaching would cease . 〈◊〉 i shall return to speak something further concerning our 〈◊〉 nation . i● i● needful to inform the reader a little , that when the 〈◊〉 doctrine was received in any nation , that nation was ●…d into so many bishopricks as was judged needful ; and 〈◊〉 bishoprick into so many parishes as were thought con●…ent ( for parishes are but of a late erection , as to which ●…ing may be hereafter said ) for till then most preachers ●●re sent out of monastryes and religious houses ( so called ) ●ad the people at their own free will did give their tythes 〈◊〉 offerings where they pleased , till about the year 1200 , 〈◊〉 till that time every owner of the nine parts did give the ●…th to the priest , or to the poor , as he would . but after 〈◊〉 , parishes being set up , and priests appointed , and tythes 〈◊〉 to them , after 40 years possion , what before was owned 〈◊〉 free gift , is now claimed as a debt , and prescription was pleaded by the priests as their just title ; but people seeing t●●●selves run into a snare , began to contend , but all too 〈◊〉 for the pope being grown great , thunder'd out his interdi●t against this nation , excommunicated the king , affright●d the subjects with his bulls , stuffed with commination or cars●● ; and that against the very point of arbitrary disposal of tythes : and the pope did highly insult over kings and pri●●es about this time , witness frederick barbrosa , hen. 6th 〈◊〉 king john , and some others , as the histories of them ●●kes mention ; so that by the power of the pope parochial payment came just to be setled , yet notwithstanding the eng●… parliaments not willing wholly to forget the poor , for whose sakes tythes were chiefly given , did make divers laws , th●● a convenient portion of the tythes should be set a part for 〈◊〉 poor of the parish for ever , as in the statutes rich. 2d . 15. 〈◊〉 and the 4th of hen. 4. the pope having by these means brought in tythes , and the priests made a pretended title , by prescription they set up courts , called ecclesiastical courts , which remains to this day ( amongst them that say they are reformed ) to recover thei● tithes by , and the priests came to be the judges of the co●rt , so people might easily understand what might be expect●● from them ; yet them that did not pay , no greater punishment could they inflict upon them but excommunication : yet notwithstanding this general decree , the pope did dispense , and did give exemption to divers orders of his clergy ( so called ) to free them from payment , as the hospitallers , templers , and generally to all lands which belonged to the religious persons and houses , which is the reason that divers at this day , who have any land which sometimes belong'd to th● monastryes now dissolv'd , say , they are tithe-free . now when the pope , by colour of the jewish laws ( by which tythes were given to the levitical priesthood ) had gained an universal payment of tythes to all his clergy ; he in further imitation of that earthly tabernacle , sets up a new building after the former pattern ; and therefore to himself he claims first-fruits and tenths , as a successour of the ●ewish high-priest , sins also he undertakes to pardon , cardinals are appointed as leaders of the families , mitres are ordained fo● the head as aaron had , synagogues they built , now falsely call'd churches , with altars like the jews , with organs and i●struments of musick with singers and porters , &c. and into the form of the levitical priesthood they transformed themselves , and this was taught for catholick doctrine at that time , and yet is still upholden , and pleaded for by the protestant clergy , there by wholly denying christ jesus come in the flesh , the end of all types and figures . likewise afterward henr. 8. being a papist , and believing the popes doctrine , as also did his parliament , made a law , that every one should set out and pay his tithes , as due to god and holy church . also a second law in his time was made to the like purpose , for great need and reason he had , having dissolv'd the monastryes who had many ti●hes , and either had them in his own hand , or sold them unto o●hers , to be held as lay possessions . and they having no law whereby to recover them , he made a new law to enforce the payment of them , 〈◊〉 ●●ill restrained the tryall of tithes in the ecclesiastical 〈◊〉 . after him also edward the sixth , in pursuance of his fathers 〈◊〉 , made a law for the payment of praedeal and personal tythes , under penalty of treble damages , who also re●●ain'd the tryal to the ecclesiastical court ; these laws supp●s●d them due to god and holy church , therefore they req●ired every man to yield and set out their tithes as had been acc●…omed ; likewise some ordinances were made in that which was call'd the long parliament , in the time of the war , ●…ded upon the former laws , for treble damages ; all ●●●th laws were grounded on the popes decrees and constitut●… , and his ground is upon the jewish priesthood , as be●… is made good by strong supposal , all which indeed is without any true ground in gospel times . for a gospel●…stry i think it not amiss to add here by the way a complain● made to the parliament , not long after the dissolution of the monastryes in england , when lay-men began to possesse appropriated churches and tithes into their hands ; but tak●● the words of loderick mors , sometime a gray friar , &c. ye that be lords and burgesses of parliament house , i require ye in the name of all my poor brethren that are englishmen , that ye consider well ( as you will answer before the face of almighty god in the day of judgment ) this abuse , and see to amend it , when as antichrist of rome durst openly without any vizard , walk up and down throughout england , 〈◊〉 had so great favour , and his children had such crafty wi●● , that they had not only almost gotten all the best lands of england into their hands , but also the most part of all the best benefices , both of parsonages and vicarages , which were for the most part all improperd unto them ( the impropriations held by them were much more then one third of all the parish churches in england ( divided into three parts . ) and when they had the gifts of any not improperd , they gave them unto their friends , of the which alwayes some were learned , for the monks found of their friends children at school , and though they were not learned , yet they kept kept hospitality , and helped their poor friends ; and if the parsons were improperd , the monks were bound to deal alms to the poor , and to keep hospitality , as the writings of the gifts of such parsonages and lands do plainly declare . and as touching the alms that they dealt , and the hospitality that they kept , every man knoweth that many thousands were well received of them , and might have been better if they had not had so many great mens horses to feed , and had not been overcharg'd with such idle gentlemen , as was never out of the abbeys , and if they had any vicorage in their hands , they set in sometimes some sufficient vicar , though but seldome to preach , and to teach . but now that all the abbeys with the lnds and goods and inpropered parsonages be in temporal mens hands ; i doe not hear that one halfe penny worth of almes or any other profit comes unto the people of those parishes , your pretence of putting downe of abbeys was to amend that which was amiss in them , it was far amiss that a great part of the lands of the abbeys , ( which were given to bring up learned men and to keep hospitality , and to give almes to the poor should be spent upon a few superstitious monks , which gave not forty pounds in almes , when they should have given two hundred pound : it was amiss that the monks shoulld have parsonages in their hands , and deale but the twentieth part thereof to the poor , and preached but once a year to them that payed the tythes of parsonages : it was amiss that they scarcely among twenty set one sufficient vicar to preach for the maintenance which they received : but see now , that which was amiss is amended as it is in the old proverbe , it is amended even as the devil amended his dams leggs , when he should have set it right he brok it quite a pieces ; the monks gave too little almes and set unable parsons many times in their benefices , but new where twenty pound was given yearly to the poor in more then one hundred places in england , is scarce one meales meat given : this is a faire amendment , where they had alwayes one or other vicar that either preached or hired some , now there is none at all , but the farmer is vicar and parson and all ; and onely an old cast away monk or frier which can scarcely say his mattens , is hired for 20. or 30. shillings meat and drink , yea and in some places for meas and drink alone without any wages : i know , and not i alone , but 20000. more , know more then 500. vicorages and parsonages , and thus well and gospelly serv'd after the new gospel of england , and so the author goes on in his complaint , because that the maintenance was taken away , and there was a great famine for want of pastours . by all which may be seen what condition those religious houses , and abbies , as they were called , were in at that time ; and now they onely served to maintaine idle and supersticious monks and friers , which did deceive the nations with fabulous stories under pretence of preaching the gospel , and now these benefices being taken away from the papists , their gospel ceased in england , and have been translated over and over unto divers sects who separated from them ; but 't is to be observ'd that as the tythes and hire was taken away , and conv●●ted to other uses , their sect did alwayes fall . and it is ●lamentation that these tythes , and now forc'd maintenance which was first decreed by the popes canon laws should now be holden up by them that profess reformation and separation from them , and scriptures to be their rule . having thus briefly run over the doctrin , decrees , and practices , and opinions concerning tythes , from the apostles ●●me downward , we finde them various , as may be understood by that which is before written , and the right of tythes was never clear , but remain'd in controversie even amongst the most great and learned men in divers ages since the time of christ , yea even amongst the greatest of p●pists in the time of ●he popes domination , and in all ages there were that withstood the payment of them untill this day , and many of the martyrs for that amongst other things , suffered in the flames , and at great difference they ever were as about the end , the property , and the use of them , as may be hereby collected into severall heads : and first of all the tythe among the lews were payed to the levites and priests : secondly , that they were not for the priests onely , but for the strangers , fatherless , and widows : thirdly , when the levitical priesthood was taken away by the coming of christ , the law for tithing was also changed : fourthly , that neither christ nor his apostles in their age never received any , nor demanded any : fiftly , that in the beginning of the church for the first 300. years , whilest the simplicity of the gospel was retained , no tythes was either claimed or payed amongst christians : sixtly , but as the power of godliness came to be lost , and the mistery of iniquity began to work , mens imaginations taught in stead of the doctrin of christ , began to preach up tythes , fetching the ground from moses writings , that in the first practise of the payment of tythes , after the apostacy was entred in , they were not payed as tythes , but as free offerings and as the bounty of the giver , and were not given for the ministers maintenance onely , but chiefly for the poor . it was no received doctrin generally that tythes ought to be payed , till near 1000. years after christ , that the pope had set up his authority and dominion over the greatest parts of europe● seventhly , that after they were confirm'd by the pope , and commanded to be payed , there was no compulsary law made but onely excommunication : eighthly , after that they were accounted an ecclesiastical duty , and never called a civil right , but were tryed in ecclesiastical courts : ninthly , untill about the year 1200 , the common practice was for every one to bestow his tenths where he pleased : tenthly , they were first brought in as a duty owing to god and to the church , and so was required & enforced , and therefore there is no civil property or right in him that claimes them : that first fruits and tenths are but a late invented thing , & claim'd by the pope as successour to the jewish high priest as he sayes . eleventh , that tythes were the same in the ground and foundation , whether claim'd by a priest , impropriator , or by an abbey , and differed nothing but in the person of him that possessed them : lastly , all may see the declining estate , the corruption and error that crept in among men , after the power of truth was lost , so was the fruit also , which caused such earnest pressing to needfull contributions , and then afterward was it necessary for laws and decrees to enforce them , but in the beginning is was not so ; while that purity and simplicity of the gospel remain'd , for then their charity abounded , even oftentimes beyond their ability , to whatsoever need the church required . but now to proceed to answer some other pleas which are come up in these latter dayes , for now the priests of this age begins to be ashamed to make claime for tythes jure divine , they have been so beat out of that their hole , and their plea jure ecclesiastico was but determined in the midnight of poery , and they are ashamed to derive their authority from the pope or his decrees , but now humane right is pleading , sometime by gift of kings and princes , others plead the temporal laws of kings and parliaments , others plead prescriptions by a legall right of their possessions , others plead a legall right by purchase , and lastly the priests they pleade the equity of the law of moses still to be in force , and alleadges all the scriptures in the new testamens for their proofe , unto which hereafter some what is said , these are the most pretences that of late hath been made by the priests of our daye , or the maine reasons that hath been alleadged for tythes ; and first whereas they pleade the gift of kings , as one by king ethelwolfe as before in this book : to that is answered , that if it could be proved , that if the whole land had been in the particular possession of any such king they had said something , but by what right could he give the tenth part of all the encrease , and fruits of the labours of all the people of his dominions , who had no legall property therein ? but if king ethelwolfes grant must be the foundation of tythes , then how many in●ceeding kings and bishops have violated his deed , by appropriating them to monastries & abbeys and such like houses , which shews the vanity of this argument . another argument which seemes more strong is urged , that the temporal lawes of kings and parliaments say , by the law , that they have as good a propriety to the tenth part as any hath to the ninth of their lends . ans. to such may be said , that the law doth not give any man a propriety either in land or tythes , or any o●her things , but doth only conserve and preserve every man in his proper right , whether by gift or by purchase , or by descent , and doth secure him from the injuries or violence of another . but let 's not be deceived with a new formed pretence , lately taken up to blinde the simple mindes with a name of legall propriety & civil right , for that 's but a meer shift , for i may give my land which i have by gift , purchase or inheritance , or i may sell it , and so cannot they that seemes to lay claime to tythes , but it matters not much what any say , when they see their other claimes will not serve , they would evade and shift from one thing to another to blinde people . but le ts hear what the makers of the law saith of them , though in the height of popery , passing by the saxon times and king stephen , who in their blinde superstition , being perswaded thereunto by the doctrin then taught of the popish clergy , that remission of sins was obtain'd by good works , 〈◊〉 aforesaid , they gave divers gifts and tenths for the health of their souls , and their fathers souls as is aforesaid ; but le ts come to henry the eighth , upon whose law all others that are since made are builded , who in his time cast off the popes yoke ; in that act concerning tythes it is declared , that tythes were due to god and holy church , and they blame men for being so wicked as not to pay them and therefore that law is made ; and here is the ground of their law , viz. not any property or civil right in priests or others , for the law requires them as due by divine right , and therefore cannot be by any civil or temporal right , ( for a man to claime that by humane right from humane law , which commands them as due to god and holy church as that stat. of hen. the eighth doth ) is but a meer juggle and decelt , and that law of hen. the eighth , and the rest since , takes them as granted due to god and holy church , but if they be not , but onely supposed as a duty , then the law cannot be binding , as they are in all the statutes . that tythes were never till of late pretended a civil right , is plain , for as they were imposed by the pope , so they are tryable in his courts , and those very statutes which do pleade made by late parliaments , appoint them to be tryed in ecclesiastical courts : and the act of 32. of hen the eighth , tythes are their called spiritual gifts , and therefore no temporal or civil right , for before the dissolution of the monastries in hen. the eighths dayes , they were never called a temporal right . 〈◊〉 what is the property that is now claimed ? it cannot 〈◊〉 person , or the priest hath them not untill he enter into 〈◊〉 office , & when he parts with his office he looseth his tythes , 〈◊〉 that the property cannot be in the priest , but it was sup 〈◊〉 due to the office , and what is that ? it was a popish 〈◊〉 , when tythes were first payed to it , how should the right 〈◊〉 now , the office being laid aside , and the pope also that 〈◊〉 up ▪ others who pleade à legall right by prescription , because 〈◊〉 have so long possessed them , therefore they judge them 〈◊〉 right . 〈◊〉 was the old device of the pope , first to preach that 〈◊〉 were due , and then to limit them to mon●stries and 〈◊〉 , when forty years were past , to claim that as a debt , 〈◊〉 before was payed as charity , or at the most as the free 〈◊〉 ●…ering of the owner : and thus the pope got first fruits and 〈◊〉 and peter pence , and great sums of moneys out of this 〈◊〉 nation● , and he might as well pleaded his prescrip 〈◊〉 any of his branches can doe now ; is any ●o blinde as 〈◊〉 see what poor shifts are now made to uphold to great an 〈◊〉 , that hath no better support then this , that it hath 〈◊〉 ●…long payed ? 〈◊〉 shall the continuance of an oppression , give right to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the grievance ? how many great and heavy press●… 〈◊〉 and other things long say upon the nation , as may be 〈◊〉 henry the third , when the pope got above one hundred 〈◊〉 twenty thousand pound per annum , which was then more 〈◊〉 then the kings revenue . now there is no such office in 〈◊〉 is plaine , for when henry the eighth renounced the pope 〈◊〉 declared by act of parliament , assented unto by the 〈◊〉 to be head of the church , and all the ecclesiastical or 〈◊〉 , were not to claim their benefices from the pope but from 〈◊〉 king as by act of parliament ; but this is more fully & large 〈◊〉 ●orth in a printed paper by gervase benson , to which i 〈◊〉 to the reader . 〈◊〉 as to the impropria●ours which lay claim by purchase , 〈◊〉 have bought the●… of the state , and payed great sums of money for them , and may be many have no other subsistance . unto this it is answered , that in the root & ground al 〈◊〉 is a like , whether they be claimed by priest or impropriator , 〈◊〉 seeing those that sold them had no good title , these that 〈◊〉 derived from them cannot then be good , but being it was 〈◊〉 king or state that sold them , and that the whole nation 〈◊〉 the benefit of their moneys , and the nations was eased in 〈◊〉 taxes and subsidies and charge which unavoidably would 〈◊〉 come upon the nation at that time , seeing the nation had 〈◊〉 generall profit ; it is equitable and just , when they cannot 〈◊〉 what is sold , that the impropriators should have their 〈◊〉 repayed , which went to the bearing and paying of the 〈◊〉 lick charge of the nation : and it is reason that it should be payed , by the nation in generall , and so there 〈◊〉 be no detriment to any particular person ; onely it is 〈◊〉 that the rate be moderate , for it is believed upon good 〈◊〉 that the value was but little , and the rate small which the 〈◊〉 propriators payed for them , because of the charges and 〈◊〉 zards that was upon them , for the purchaser could buy 〈◊〉 more , then what the monastries had , which was disolved 〈◊〉 henry the eighth , and these monastries were to finde a suffic●… priest or curate , which had his allowance out of them , 〈◊〉 a convenient portion of tythe , and likewise a portion of 〈◊〉 tythe was se● a part yearly for the maintenance of the poor 〈◊〉 the parish for ever , as is evident by divers acts of parlia●… after the dissolution of the monastries ; these foresaid charg● were to continue upon them as before , as may be seen at large in a treatise called the poor vicarsplea . others say the lawes were made by parliaments , the repres●… v●s of people , and though that tythes were not due before , yet 〈◊〉 might give tythes because as their owne , they being the body of 〈◊〉 people . answ , this supposeth a particular donation of the 〈◊〉 not onely in their legistative capacity to binde themselves by 〈◊〉 law , but by a particular act of free gift , but its evident 〈◊〉 act never intended any such thing , for it gives nothing , 〈◊〉 commands what was given before , and as to this or all other laws that princes , parliaments , popes , councells , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what ever else was by any man made for the payment of 〈◊〉 since christ jesus came in the flesh , joyn'd all together , 〈◊〉 doe they all or any of them binde the conscience ? for if 〈◊〉 be not due by the law of god , as hath been proved be 〈◊〉 that they are not , who hath set them up ? the laws of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the best , and what is man or the sons of men , that 〈◊〉 laws in the place , where god disanuls his own com 〈◊〉 heb. 7. 12. as is manifest in this point of tythes by 〈◊〉 scripture , verily it is better to obey god then 〈◊〉 , for christ hath not put that power into any mens hands 〈◊〉 a compulsary maintenance for his ministers , seeing 〈◊〉 his apostles and ministers , their practice was other 〈◊〉 is before mentioned . 〈◊〉 but some may say hath not the magistrates , power as 〈◊〉 , t● command the payment of them to ministers whom 〈◊〉 of . 〈◊〉 . if so as magistrates , then the turk , tartarians , and 〈◊〉 magistrates have the like , but it may be said , as 〈◊〉 magistrates . 〈◊〉 . then may not france and spaine , and italy claim 〈◊〉 , for what nation in europe will not say they have 〈◊〉 magistracy , though a f●r greater part of them be 〈◊〉 , and may not the papists by a● good right claim and 〈◊〉 maintenance for their ministers as henry the eigth , 〈◊〉 other could or can doe : but i would not be mistaken , 〈◊〉 i went about to l●ssen the magistrates power in things ●…oral and civil , as to raise taxer , assessements , or sub 〈◊〉 or other chrages for the service , defence , and 〈◊〉 being of a nation , but i distinguish betwix● things 〈◊〉 , and such as are called spiritual , and so give unto cesar 〈◊〉 things that are his , and unto god the things that are his , 〈◊〉 civil things or temporal things they have power from 〈◊〉 to make laws , and preserve a nation in peace , and to 〈◊〉 for the well being of a nation , because in such 〈◊〉 they are their own masters ; but in matters of religi●… spiritual things no man ought to be imposed upon , 〈◊〉 one must give an account to christ , who is the head 〈◊〉 church , and must stand or fall to his own master : but 〈◊〉 law had been just in commanding tythes , can it be judged equall to give treble damages , where they are not payed : if a man be oweing a just due debt , no more by the law is recovered , but what the debt is , besides the charges of the law , how cruel therefore are those injunctions , which in a matter of so just scruple , require and impose the treble values and furthermore to be required by a law to set out the te●… makes a man a voluntary agent in that thing , against which hi● conscience testifies , and he that cannot doe so , they sue and hal● before courts and magistrates , to get judgements of tr●bl● damage ; and by that judgement frequently being put it●… the hands of such persons as will doe it effectually to the priests minde , they take away sometimes 6. or 7. yea oftentimes ten fold damage , what i say in this particuler i can prove by ●●ny witnesses in this nation within this ten years ; and though in the ecclesiastical courts the ordinary might not examine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon his own oath concerning his own tythes , but now 〈◊〉 as make conscience of swearing , which christ forbids , o● 〈◊〉 they cannot themselves tel what tyth they had are cast into prison for contempt , & there may ly as long as they live , and many have dyed in prison upon that account . o what reformation is this ? what , compell a man himself to set out the tyths of his own goods to maintaine a hireling priest , it may be , a time server , a prophane one , or a turn-coat , and so to make a man sin against his own conscience , or else take ten sold as much , and not onely so but force him to swear or 〈◊〉 him to prison , there to lye without hope of any reliefe ▪ 〈◊〉 priests is not this the wages of unrighteousnesse that her● i● all this work about tenths and first fruits , and mortuaries & the like , which are no other then the superstitious reliques of popery . o did but the rulers and magistrates know and consider what havock is made through the nation , what driving of goods , oxen out of the plow , horses out of their teames , the cowes from poor and indigent children , and what carrying of pots , and pans , and kittles , and fetching away the cloathes off , of poor peoples beds , me thinks it should make the nation a shamed of such cruel practices ; or else of such priests and tythes as are the cause of all this : manifold instances i might give about all these things up and down the nation , but that i would not trouble the reader too much because they have been publickly made known before by other hands ●●d pens . there are some other that have claimed tythes and a propriety in them , as that they are right by a divine right , and for it pleades the law of moses ; but as to that i shall not say ●uch more , neither is there any necessity for it , because that most of the ministry are ashamed to make this plea. others have pleaded the decrees , canons , and constitutio●● of popes , and general councils , bishops and convocati●… , and these have said that tythes are due by an ecclesiastical right , and by that right generally under the papal power they claimed them , and others paid them : and this continued in england till the popes supremacy was cast off by 〈◊〉 . the 8th and then he received frst fruits and tenths . 〈◊〉 of this plea many are ashamed , or few will own as judg●●g the ground too weak to claim it by , on ecclesiastical right . lastly , the main and great plea of the ministry of this last age is , that tythes are not due by the law of god , because it was limited only to the land of israel , and to the levites , only they say the equity of the law is still in force , which obligeth all to give a compe●ent maintenance for the ministry ; a●d to maintain this , they bring in all the scriptures of the new testament which seemeth to encline that way ; and be●…se they know of no other way for maintenance , but by ●…hes , as they are supposed now to be established , many ●ave ignorantly gone about to make inferences and conclusions from them , as to prove their assertions . but to all which 〈◊〉 return this answer : that these plead not for tithes properly , but for a maintenance by way of tithes , as they suppose most convenient , &c. and the first scripture they bring in , is luke 11. 41. you pay tithe of mint and rue , and all manner of herbs : as also , matth. 23. 23. you pay tithe of mint , and annise , and cummin . also luk. 28. 12. i am not as this publican : i pay tithes of all that i possess , &c. it is answered , that christ spake this to the jews and pharisees in t●●e time when the levitical priesthood was not ended , and they were bound by the law , whilest it was of force , to observe this ordinance amongst the rest , which were in the first covenane , which was faulty , which continued until the time of reformation , viz. till christ was offered up , and said , it is finished , and was the ed of the law for righteosnesse unto all that believe ; but it is manifest that the jews then , unto whom christ spake , were not believers , but were such as withstood the son of god , and did not receive him , who was the sum and substance of all the types and shadows of that covenant ; and so this is great ignorance to conclude that because these scriptures are written in the new testament , so called , that therefore tithing is a gospel ordinance , for it is manifest that these scriptures had relation to the jews who were under the law , and not under the gospel ; and so their plea , as to this , is made void . but though divine right have been long pleaded , and are yet by some , but few are now left that will only stand to ●e ; for , if tithes b● absolutely due , as by the law of god , no custome , prescription , priviledge , exemption , dispensation , law or constitutions of man or men , can acqui● any from the utmost penny of the tenth part ; but scarce the tenth parson in england payes tithes in kind , and many plead that they are tith-free , and pay none at all ; but if any will stand to this , and plead divine right , then they are to be payed and received for the end and use for the which they were commanded , for the levites , strangers , poor , the fatherless and widow , and then , where is the impropriators share ? and some lawyers of late , of very good fame in england , have given their judgement , that tithes are not due by the law of god. other scriptures they seem to plead for the receiving of their tithes , as rom. 13. 7. render therefore to all their dues tribute to whom tribute is due . and matth. 22. 21. give un●● caesar the things which are caesars , and unto god the things which are gods. answ. herein is a clear distinction betwixt the things which are caesars , and the things which are gods ; this speaks only of tribute , and custome , or taxes , or as●ements , which the civil magistrate doth claim by law and by cu●●ome , for the preservation of a nation , or conservation of every man in his proper and particular right ; and herein every one ought to render subjection and obedience , not only for fear of wrath , but for conscience sake . but these scriptures hath no relation to tithes at all , nor forc'd maintenance for priests . object . but it may be objected , hath not the magistrate p●wer to command or make laws for the payment of tenths , o● what other part he will to the ministry ? ans● . this was answered before : if god disanulled his own command , hebr. 7. for the payment of tithes , who o● what is man that he should make a law , as well to consta●ict that his command , as also on the contrary to establish them ? and seeing the work of the ministry in the work o● the lord for conversion of souls ; and that lie is the lord of the harvest , he provideth for his labourers and harvest-men whom he sends out , so that there need not any outward law be made in this particular . the ministers of old ●…eded not , though believers were but few ; and the ministry of this age reckons whole nations to be believers , and yet they dare not rely upon them for their subsistance , but runs to the temporal powers , to make them a forcing law to establish their maintenance , which demonstrates they are no● true be●…ers , whom they reckon to be so , or else , that the lord of the harvest never sent them forth ; or else , that they do di●…st the lord of the harvest , who , they say , sent them out to preach . other scriptures are brought to plead for tithes , or at least some part of them , and forced maintenance , as 1 cor. 〈◊〉 . 9. thou shalt not muzzel the m●…th of the o● 〈◊〉 treadeth 〈◊〉 the corn , &c. ver. 7. who plants a vineyard , and eats not of 〈◊〉 fruit thereof ? and who seedeth a flock , and ●ateth not of the ●…k of the fl●ck ? ver. 11. if we have sown unto you spiritual ●…gs , is it a great thing if we shall reaep your carnal things . answ. unto all which i answer , that they which do believe , and have received spiritual things indeed , that they are enjoyned by the doctrine of christ , and of his apostles , and not only so , but even from natural things , all that believes are largely taught their duty therein , to distribute and communicate freely unto them who labour in word and doctrine , and are sent out in the work of the lord , that they be comfortably provided for by them that are partakers of heavenly and spiritual things from the lord , as to go on in the warfare of the lord , and to plant in the vineyard of the lord ; yea , and it is agreed that the ministers of christ did not do these things at their own charge ; but if they might not be muzled that treads out the corn , yet they may be muzled that treads out no corn , but runs ramping through the lords fields and spoils the corn , these ought to be muzled . again , they that watch over a fleck , though they may eat of the milk of the flock , yet they that kill them that are sed , and feeds themselves with the fat , and cloaths themselves with the wooll , and worryes the lambs , they ought not to eat of the milk of the lords flock ; and of such as they r●c● , on unbelievers and hereticks , and they looks upon , belongs to another master , and not to the fold of christ , they ought not to clip and shear other mens . sheep . but in short , all the aforesaid scriptures makes nothing at all for tythes , or any part thereof , either from believers , or not believers ; and these scriptures also grant , that every man is the sole owner of his own labour and possession , y●● ought every one freely to glorifie god with his substance , and to communicate to him that teacheth in all good things needful ; and such sacrifice god doth well accept . again , other scripturs they bring , in which there is as little ground or footing as in the former , but that they are necessitated to get a shelter and a seeming cover for their practice to blinde people withall , that they may get their money : and so they bring , 1 cor. 9 10 , 13 , 14. for it is written , or saith he , it 's altogether for our sakes no doubt this is written , that he aha● ploweth should plow in hope , and he that thresheth in hope , should be made partakers of his hope . ver. 13. and do you not know that ●●y who ministereth holy things , live of the things of the temple , ●●d they that wait at the altar , are partakers with the altar , even s● hath the lord ordained , that they who proach the gospel , should 〈◊〉 of the gospel . upon these scriptures , as upon the for●●r inferences hath been made to prove their lawful receiving of popish tithes , and forced maintenance . the apostle having travelled and laboured in the gospel of christ among the corinthians , afterwards wrote unto them , exhorting them to steadfastness in the faith , and also reproving the disorders that was amongst them , which was cr●●e in , in his absence , which was sown by them of the circumcision , who boasted themselves against paul , and led away the heart of the corinthians from him , as much as in them lay , into the liberty of the flesh , and looked upon paul as in bondage , whereunto the apostle useth plainnesse of speech , and tells them , that doubtlesse he was as an apostle to them , and magnifies his office , and declares also his power which he had received from christ , as he told them , ver . 4. have not we power to eat and to drink ? and i and barnabas , ●●ve not we power to forbear working ? doubtlesse , yes : it was the same that christ gave unto his disciples when he sent them forth , with them that are worthy to stay , and to eat , and drink what was set before them ; and doubtlesse they had power to forbear labouring with their hands , but they would not alwayes use it , least they should seem burthensome , but laboured rather to make the gospel of christ without charge ; so this which is alledged as out of the law , for the equality of it , as the ox not to be muzled when he ●●ode out the corn , and a husband man ploughs in hope to receive a crop ; and the thresher thresheth in hope to get out the corn ; even so , he that ministreth in word and doctrine , in the faith and hope , is also made partakers of his hope , and goeth not to war of his own charge , but christ maketh provision for them , and opens the hearts of people to contribute freely in the work of the lord , and for his service , and seeing the corinthians allowed this power unto others , who sowed dissention among them , the apostle urgeth it that he much more had power , though he had not used it . and further , like as they that ministred at the temple , who were partakers of the altar , as god had appointed them ; likewise now they that preach the gospel , live of the gospel , as god hath or● dained it . but that clause , ver . 14. [ even so ] hath been miserably strain'd by this last generation of teachers , as though they that preached the gospel should live of tythes , even a● they , viz. the levites that ministred a● the altar , did live of the offerings and tithes that pertained to the altar . bu● there is no necessity to understand the words [ even so ] as thereby to infer , that they who preach the gospel should live of tithes ; but as the levites liv'd of offerings nnd tythes , that ministred at the altar in their day , even so , they that minister the gospel , should live of the gospel in their day , and be content with christs allowance . and , as the apostle saith elsewhere , having food and raiment , to be therewith content ; for to live of the gospel , is not to live of jewish tithes , or popish tithes , nor forced maintenance , for this is contrary to the practice of the ministers of the gospel ; for we never read of any commandement given for payment of tithes under the gospel , neither exhortation to any , neither reprehension of any for not paying , in all the writings of the apostles ; so that we conclude , there is none due , neither ought to be received by any minister of the gospel ; but people being generally taught , that the scripture is the fourdation of faith , and practice of christians . the teachers of the last age , they know that people will expect to have some ground or scripture for proof of their arguments or pleas , and they not having what they could desire , brings such as they can get , miserably turning and twineing , perverting and straining these and the like scriptures before mentioned to blind people withal ; but the day is manifest that discovers all the crooked paths , and windings , and turnings of the old serpent , and ministers of unrighteousnesse , and wages of unrighteousnesse . but another seeming hold , is , 2 cor. 11. 8. i robb'd other churches , taking wages of them , to do you service . answ. here the apostle shews how he had behaved himself amongst them , though he had power to eat and to drink , and to forbear labour , and to receive of them ( to wit , the ●…hians ) those things needful , yet he had not done so for reasons given , before mentioned , and in divers other places , though he saith , whilest he was present with them , that he wanted , as in ver . 9. and had preached the gospel freely unto them , ver . 7. and did not use his power as aforesaid , but rec●ived something from the brethren of macedonia , which 〈◊〉 freely given and ministred by them , amongst whom he ●●d ministred before ; and he made use of thir , even while he 〈◊〉 in the corinthians work : and this he took , being offered fr●●ly by the macedonians , that he might preach the gospel fr●●ly among the corinthians , and this he reckoned as wages , 〈◊〉 as taking from others , that he might serve the corinthians and that he might keep himself clear , and not be bur●…some ; but this was ingratefully done of the corinthians seeing it was that which they freely allow'd unto them , 〈◊〉 had deceived them , to wit , false apostles : but what doth all this prove for tithes and forced maintenance ? even nothing at all ; but on the contrary , proves receiving freely that which was given freely by them , unto whom he had preached freely , and the ingratitude also of the corinthians . but being willing to answer all the pleas and arguments that 〈◊〉 i heard , and al the scriptures in the new testament ( so called ) which hath been brought in for a plea , by the ministrey of this last age , that their cover may be rent , and their vaile ●…e away ; and the feeblenesse of their arguments shewed son● , that people may see , they are without foundation , or my grounded bottome for these challenged tythes and forced maintenance and that all may see we doe not suffer impris●●ment , and spoiling of our goods wilfully , or ignorantly , ●●t for our abiding in the doctrin of christ , and keeping stedl●st to the ordinances , and order of the gospel in the purest time of the publication thereof ; but take one other scripture which they alledge and i have done , which is , heb. 7. 8. and ●re men that dye doe receive tythes , but there he receiveth them of 〈◊〉 is is witnessed that he liveth . answ. unto which i answer , because this is written in the new testament so called which they ignorantly call the gospel ; therefore because this word ( here ) is mentioned in the scripture ; they have concluded that the ministers of the gospel doe receive tythes , which they as miserably wrest as they doe the words ( even so ) for here the apostle is exalting the priesthood of christ above the priesthood of levi , and shews that melchizedech was greater then abraham , after whose order christ was made an high priest , and that levi payed tythes in abram unto melchizedech : and these words , here men that dye receive tythes , hath wholly relation unto abraham and to levi in that covenant , and not so much as any shadow at all of paying or receiving tythes in the second priesthood , for if perfection were by the levitical priesthood , what further need was there that another should arise after the order of melchizedech : and all the aforementioned scriptures , which are the greatest seeming ground that the ministry of this last age pretend tythes and forced maintenance from , proves nothing at all , but rather to the contrary , as hath been said & much more might be said ; for it is manifest that all the ministers of christ never received any tythes or forced maintenance from the world , who were in the unbeliefe , neither of them who were not of their church , nor of such as they reckoned as hereticks , but this last generation of apostates exceeds all that ever went before them , in covetousnesse ; if they be but remaining within such a parish ( which was first set up by the pope and his emessaries , and ratifyed by the princes of the earth , that have drunk the whores cup ) whether they be believers or unbelievers , prophane , schismatickes , or heretickes ; yea or such as they 'l curse and give up to satan : tythes and forced wages , mortuaryes and oblations , besides many other things that they claim as due , this they must and will hav●s and will tell you he that preacheth the gospel must live of the gospel ? o sad generation who fills the world with darknesse , and blindes the mindes of people , may it not truly be said and looked for ; that which was prophesied of old , and came to passe concerning the levitical priesthood , when they had violated the commandements of the lord : for your sake shall sion be plowed as a corne field , and jerusalem become as beapes : and truly i doe reckon it as one of the maine transgressions of the ministry of this last age , which should have been leades of the people , but have caused them to erre ; that the nation hath been plowed up and turn'd over as a husbandman turnes ground , and therefore the nation hath not enjoyed its rest , nor the land its sabbaths : neither i look will or can doe , whilest these abominations are held up . likewise , let all the now call'd separated churches be proved and tryed , who reckon that they are separated from the world , and yet many of them have received pay and wages of those who are of the world , for their teachers , who send none out at their own cost , to preach to the world , and this is likewise hypocrisie and an abominable thing , and here also the r●●●rs of our present age might learn wisdome ( seeing that all the ministers of christ never received any maintenance from the world , or from them that did not look upon them as ministers of christ , nor own them as such ) to with-hold their hands from upholding any with their worldly sword , or compell others to maintaine them by their penall laws , but to leave christ kingdome to his owne rule , who is lord of the harvest , and sends forth labourers , and hath spirit and life , and power , and wisdome to put upon them , and give unto them , who chuses whom he pleaseth , and will not be limited , who sent forth fisher men , shepheards , herdsmen , plough men , tillers of ground , and keepers of flockes , who spoke plaine word● , and reached to the consciences of men of the meanest capacity ; and yet our litterall rabbies cannot understand , who are yet wise in the worlds wisdome , gathered into schooles and there study , and learn a trade , and trades with their words , thereby to get their livings , and what doctrine as suites the times ; that they study to uphold their maintenance . in the time of popery they studyed the popish doctrin , and preached it to the nations , in the time of prelacy they changed to a new form , and when that was lai'd aside ; presbitery step'd on the stage , and that doctrin and worship was studied and preached , and the universityes and schooles sent out such as would suit that time , then after that independency that was propagated , and then the universityes and schooles sent out such as would suit that time , and now episcopacy is started up from the grave , and all the former lai'd a side , and look what pleaseth them best which hath the greatest livings to dispose , and that is sure by them to be cryed up , and studyed and preached , and here 's the spring of the teachers , the universityes and schooles sends forth , who wheeles about any way to preserve them in esteem and in their maintenance . but let the rulers and all wise men consider , that christs love to the world for whom he died is not lessened nor abated , neither is his spirit diminished , nor his power shortened that he will not , or cannot send forth fit ministers for his service , or that he needs universities or schools , or magistrates to provide maintenance for those that he sends forth , for let the magistrates look to their own kingdom which is of this world , and to restrain and punish the evil doers therein , and to encourage and protect the good , and then all would be agreed , and the nations preserv'd and kept in peace and quietnesse , every one enjoying his true liberty and freedom in the things that are spiritual , and which belong to the kingdom of god , and herein would be no detriment at all to the magistrates , or the kingdoms of the world , nor any dimunition from their power ; and oh that they might learn wisdom , and as they would not have men to entrench upon their prerogative and power , as it is not meet , so likewise that they would not intrench upon the soveraignty and power of christs kingdom which is over all , and do we not say , thine is the kingdom , the power and the glory , and know this , that his glory he will not give unto another ; and let me speak freely the main reason wherefore the nations have been broken into strife , and fractions , and warre , is because many men hath made an inroad , and an intrusion upon the soveraignty of christ , and against such his power hath and will ever turn against , because they will not allow him that is the most high to rule and reign in kingdomes and the consciences of men , which he alone hath right to do , and this power , honour , and glory the lord hath not given to any other , nor yet will do , but to the son of god the light of the world , the life of men , and the saviour of mankind , and what is man or the sons of men , that they should strive with the lord in this thing ; let all the rulers of the earth consider betimes , was not this it that destroyed the whole nation of the jews ? was not this it that confounded all the roman monarchs , and brought them all to a miserable end , because they would not suffer christ to be head among the christians , and also how many princes , though otherwise wise , have lost their crowns and kingdoms , because they would not suffer christ to have dominion in his peoples hearts , but persecuted them for keeping his statutes , and then his power turn'd against them , as sad experience hath witnessed in many nations , and chiefly by the instigation of the ministry of every age since the apostasie ●●●red in , have stirr'd up the temporal kings , and temporal princes to make laws , and to compel all to obey them , and have pressed it upon the magistrates , as their duty , when their gospel would not maintain them to make laws for them , to compel people to give them tythes , and forc'd maintenance , and hire , or else most dreadfully complain upon the magistrates , as that christ was little beholden to them , if they would not compel & force according to the priests mind , they have then judged them as lukewarm , & irreligious persons , and such as had no care of the church of god at all , and thus the pope and prelates of every age downward untill this very time , have put on the magistrates and rulers to work drudgery for them , and intermeddle in those things which properly and solely belongs to christ jesus , or else have stir'd up the princes of the earth to make war one against another , only to vindicate their covetous and ambitious quarrel , which was only a self-seeking , and pride , and not the honour of god , nor the prosperity of his saving truth ; and so greatly wrong'd the princes of the earth , busying and troubling them with their own covetous and self-seeking affaires ( falsely calling it the church affairs ) and for the honour of christ , when they have neglected their own necessary and urgent affaires in many nations , and kingdoms to the great harm of princes , and detriment to the nations , and trouble to the people , as is evident in the history of divers christian princes , from the time of constantine , until this very day 1664. o it is sad and lamentable to behold how emperors and princes have been gull'd and cheated by these pestiferous , worldly , and carnal priests , who have not minded the law of jesus christ , nor the conversion of souls , but their own bellies , and to be chiefly medling in state matters , and princes affairs ( which did not , neither do belong unto them ) rather then the flock of christ , insomuch that they are grown to that height , and pride , and imperiousnesse , that no king , or potentate could keep his crown or prerogative and kingdome in quiet , nor possesse his own dominion in peace , except he was subject unto them : instances i might bring many of emperours and kings , whose kingdomes have been interduced , and the king and his people curst , and excommunicated because of some factious legate , bishop , or pryor , who have complain'd to the pope , and upon every small sentence and judgement against princes , and all under pretence of vindicating church priviledges , and what a mischief and stir the former bishops of canterbury , priors , monks and others , what stirs and broiles they have made in this our english nation , and what trouble they have put the princes thereof unto , and involved them in , and the whole nation , only for their own particular interest , our own chronicles and histories of the nation doth sufficiently testifie , unto which i refer the reader , rather then to trouble in this discourse , and since the popes yoke hath been thrown off , how have the nations been involv'd in trouble , and princes disturbed with the covetous priests affairs , as about tythes , glebe lands , augmentations , forc'd maintenance , hire and mortuaries , and about their caps , and tippets , and hoods , and altars , and tables , and crosses , and unholy railes , and bells , and fonts , surplices , and girdles , and such other like trumpery , how hath the nation been troubled , and peoples consciences been burdened , and one disjoynted from another , in which god hath not been glorified at all , nor his people edified , and all this and much more the magistrates hath been pressed upon , and very much troubled . and for being afraid of offending their worldly priests , they have becom'd their servants , and drudges to work their slavery , and yet all is too little , and great commotion and strife hath been , and is in the nation this day about these trivial , yet troublesome things , by which the hearts and consciences of good people are troubled , and the nation vexed , and all under the name of vindicating the church priviledges . o all ye magistrates and potentates of the earth arise , and ●●and upon your own legs , and shake your selves and these things 〈◊〉 off you , and trouble not your selves with that which is too p●●derous and weighty for you to bear , which you are never able to made thorow , keep peace in your own dominions , and exec●te justice and judgement among all people without having respect to this or that particular judgement , for that 's the way and the only way to preserve the nation and people in peace and qui●●nesse , and let christs kingdome alone , and his church alone to him that is the head thereof , who gave his life for it , and hath a case of it , and let christians alone as christians , and as c●●ists subjects , to be governed by christ , who is the king , law●…r , and judge of his people , who only hath right to rule in the hearts and consciences of the sons of men , who doth teach , hath taught , and yet will teach his people , as is witnessed by the prophet isaiah . and this glory and power he hath not given to any man , as man , whatsoever ; but he himself teacheth how ●e will be worshipped , to wit , in spirit , and in truth . and ●…soever would arrogate unto themselves that power , then doth ●e power of the lord jesus christ turn against them . and therfore be warned , all ye potentates of the earth , and let your e●thly wisdome cease , and carnal policy cease , and earthly ●…rivance cease , and worldly consultations cease ; make room all , give place and give way to him who is risen and com'd in his second appearance in his sain●s , who must have way , and will have way , or else will force his way , though not by bow , s●ear , buckler , or shield , or carnal weapons of war , for out of his mouth goes the two-edged sword , and hot coals of fire are kind●… by the breth of his mouth : and the breth of the lord shall ●n the wicked , and burn up all mountains and hills before it . consider what god did to amaleck of old , whose king was a●●g a mighty prince , and to sihon , and ogge king of bashan , who was of the race of the giants , mighty for fortitude ; and , ●oreover , ammon and edom very great . nations , all these rose ●p to stop the lord in his way , and israel , unto whom the promise of god was made . and what was the issue thereof , when the lord was glad to force his way , though to the detriment and ●…ine of all those mighty nations ? christ the light of the world , now in the end of the world , and in this last age , hath chosen a people out of many peoples , and a family out of many families , and a nation out of many nations , to serve him and worship him , to honour and obey him in life , spirit and power , in their generation , and unto them the promise of eternal life is made , and the kingdome that is not of this world , and the inheritance that fades not away . and christ the king of eternal glory is their leader , and many are determined to follow him , and loves not their lives to the death , and are willing to lay down all in this world for that which is promised , and would fain walk on their way in quietnesse and peace , without any molestation to any man in person or estate in the world , eating their own bread , and drinking their own water , either by labour or by price ; but , alas , their way is stopt , and divinations is sought against them , the balaamites are called forth to enchant , and divine , and curse , and they give counsel to the princes to stand up in defiance , and seek by all means possible to stop , and hath fram'd many engines , to see if that will do , to wit , forcible laws , confiscations , premuniries , jayles , prisons , houses of correction , fines , stockings , whippings , execrations , cominations , and excommunications , and what not that can be invented by wordly policy , and now the battel is set , though one party hath no carnal weapon i● their heart or hand , and all nations mark the issue , remember the battel and the end thereof , and do no more , if the lord do not manifestly say , and make it evident one way or other ( for i dare n●…nit him a way ) saying as he did of old , touch not mi●● anointed , do my prophets no harm , to every kingdom , natio● and people , who riseth up against the inheritance of the lord and if he bring not a rebuke upon whatsoever nation , people o● family , that arises up in opposition against christ and his people , whom he hath redeemed , then let all conclude that god is no● among us , neither is with us , nor hath spoke unto us , but to be sho●● in this matter , because a few words to the wise is enough , and a little councel to the prudent may suffice , but in this particular of which i have been treating most what about tythes , and ministers maintenance in this i shall conclude , and also assent unto , as being the judgment of thousands of the lords people , as that the ministers of jesus christ , who are truly so , manifest in doctrine and works , who sow unto us or any people spiritual things , they should and ought to reap of our temporal things . but here lies the difference ; first of all , that the spirit of the lord in our consciences must be our judge , who these ministers are , and no other mans direction , for to the conscience were alwayes the ministers of christ made manifest , and not approved with the reason and wisdom of man. secondly , that our gifts may be free , and by no mans compulsion ; and this is according to primitive example , and the church of christs order in the first gospel-times , which all do conclude was the most purest time . and would not this ease the temporal magistrate of much trouble that he puts himself unto , and also be more acceptable to god and man ? for who hath made him a judge of these things in gospel ●…es ? but seeing i have run over the many particular judgements from the apostles time downward , and hath given the best ●…dent that can be given in every age , as to this particu●… , and seeing divers things are written by other hands , 〈◊〉 may be enough to satisfie the consciences of all who 〈◊〉 scruple in this matter : and so i shall conclude upon 〈◊〉 many good reasons and grounds before mentioned , which is agreeable , some of them , in every age unto the doctrine of christ , and the practice of the apostles , and 〈◊〉 is a certain and positive truth , believed among us , which 〈◊〉 is agreeable unto the scripture , that tythes and for●… maintenance , as to the ministers of christ , never was , 〈◊〉 , or shall be counted as gospel maintenance , neither 〈◊〉 the consciences of believers at all obliged in this mat●er . concerning parochial churches , and division of par●shes and parish profits . concerning these parish churches about which there is such heavy stir at this day , and for parish pay , and an injuction for all to worship there , is a very novelty , and compared with the apostles time , though it s granted that there were places wherein the saints did assemble themselves for the worship of god , yet no limitting to any such place , nor no limitting , nor no tying to pay , these were but set up at best in the time of popery , and not altogether in the beginning of it neither , for as is mentioned before , the teachers was sent out of the monasteries and religious houses so called , and the people did go to worship at any place , and at their own free will gave their offerings where they pleased , till the year 1200. as before is mentioned , as learned selden hath well observ'd in his exact treatise of tythes . as for the brittains little or no testimony is extant of any credit , that discovers their order in their times , but some about the 500 year after christ was found amongst them , for when da●ritrius was bishop of south wales , and his see appointed at landasse , divers churches were erected , and oblations , and other profits were appropriated to him and his successours , likewise mention is made of a church build in the time of the romans , to the honour of saint martin , in which austin and his followers , when they came first from rome , made their holy assemblies , as they were call'd , but guildas saith , that about the year 580. the clergy having lordship , had resort to them for filthy lucres sake . first , parochia or parae●●● be diversly taken , as first it was taken by the saxons , for bishoprick , or a diocesse , or otherwise , for a limitted place within that diocesse , called a lesse parish , but it is manifest that these parishes had no profits at all belonging unto them , but only were places where augustine sent his monks unto in the time of the saxons , and to preach and receive the offerings , and they were carried into a general treasury for the clergy , for then they had all things in common , so at that time when they began to grow rich they began to build some houses , call'd churches , and to repair the old temples of the gentiles , as pope gregory advised them out of the offerings of the people , ( but now parish priests , takes tenths and oblations also , and that by force , and will neither build nor repair these masse houses , and so are worse then the papists in their time ) for the conveniency of the neighbouring inhabitants were assigned to the ministring priests where they exercise their shrivings ; but not so limitted that every one was bound to keep his devotion within the limits of such a place or any parish , for in the respect of offerings , and profits , canterbury was indeed the only limitted parish , so it was not material at what place they met , or where they offered their bounty , so they did it any where , and it s commonly received , that honorus , who succeeded augustine at canterbury , about the year 630. divided his province into parishes , as some of the greatest and most learned writers relate . but when the popes doctrine was received and devotion grown great , such as it was , most lay men of great estates desired the country residence of some chaplaines or clarks , that might alwayes be ready for their instruction , their families , and adjoyning tenants ; and then parish churches began to builded by them also , and the bishops hallowed them , as it was called , and they were endued by particular maintenance from the founders , the territories , demesnes , and tennants , and neighbouring possessions , & they assigned the limits where the holy function should be exercised & appointed ▪ the persons that should repaire the church and offer there , and provided a speciall sallery for the performance , and made the revenue perpetually annexed to the church of that clark who received it , and so the offering were restrained from the common treas●ry of the diocesse . out of these lay foundations , chiefly undoubtedly came these kinde of parishes which at this day are in every diocesse ; their difference in quantity being originally , because of the several circuits deme●nes , or teritoryes possess●d by the founders , sometimes greater , and sometimes lesser . at what 〈◊〉 these lay foundations began to be frequent , appears not , but some mention is made of them about the year 700 as bede ●●ith who mentions one puch a sax●n noble man , and one addi who builded also and endu●d them with sallary ; but about the year 800. many were founded by lay men , and recorded to be appropriated to the abbey crowland , by this time lay foundations grew very common , and parochical limitts also of the parishoners devotion , and in a councell held under wilfride archbishop of canterbury , we finde that where churches are builded , and that they are consecrated by the bishop of the same diocesse , a cannon of the same synod ordaines that thorow every church upon the death of every bishop , that all the families of every parish were to meet at the church , and sing 80. psalmes , and 600. psalters , and 20. missayes with fasting and prayer for the soule of the bishop deceased : many more instances might be given , and presidents about these parishes , but enough of this onely to informe the reader of their original ; from these it doth fully appear that the limits of parishes were understood : but the first expresse mention of limitation of profits to this or that church , as in the lawes of king edgar made in the year 970 , in the very midnght of popery , where it was ordain'd that every man should pay his tythes to the most ancient church or monastery , where he heard gods service ; but some parishes had other beginnings in regard of the inconveniency , which made pope alexander write to the bishop of yorke that he heard of a c●rtaine parish in his province was so far distinct from the parish church , that the inhabitants could not repaire to it in winter ; whereupon he commands the archbishop to build a church in that town , and to institute a presentation of the rectour that might have to his use all profits encreasing in those limits , and acknowledge a superiority to the mother church , and so by the authority of the power either by the pope , bishop , or princes , who received their doctrin ; the limits , and maintenance of parishes have been more or lesse as they ordained , and as they doe continue to this day . likewise in other kingdomes and nations , where the pope had authority , the like rules as aforesaid were observ'd , as might be evidenced by sundry authors ; but not to trouble my selfe or the reader any more , with such unprofitable stuffe● i have onely given these instances to show the ground and rise of them , and shewn how that people then were not limited to any particular place in respect of worship , neither in respect of pay , orduty , so call'd but now them that pretends reformation , & hath denyed the pope and his doctrin , as they say , they claime both , and if all between such a hedge , and such a ditch , such a water , and such a way , will not come and worship at that place called their parish church , and hear their service and joyn with them in it , though it be never so repugnant to the doctrin of christ , and the true worship of god , but more especially if they come not with their pay : they 'l give them up all unto satan by whole sale , and cast them into prison , and denounce them hereticks , and cry to the temporal power for helpe against these non conformists , for they are not fit to live in a nation , because they are not commodious to us ; and then get an order , fetch away their goods , break open the gates , carry away poor mens corn , drive away oxen , & cows , & ●rayl away the pots and pans , hale away cloths of poor peoples beds , and then cry they are not subject to the orders and canons of the holy church ; no not conformable to our lawes , and this is the practice of our great reformers , of our latter ages , which is far worse then in the very height of popery : by reason of which practices the land mournes , and because of which we cannot joyn with them in their worship , neither give them pay for doing of mischiefe , nor suffer the lords goods to be given to such covetous lazy priests ; who serves not the lord jesus christ , but their own bellies and for denying of these late innovations and new upstart things which are no congruity with the primitive church of christ ; we are great sufferers at this day , but have rather chosen to keep our consciences clear , and the doctrin of christ inviolable whatsoever wee suffer , till god make our innocency and our righteousnesse appear as the noone day , and pleade our cause in the midst of all our enemies . the end. the poor husband-mans complaint , his hope and confidence . let pope and priests doe what they may , god will take tythes ere long away : for they 're oppressive in the land , which makes good men against them stand : for wee oppressed are thereby , which makes us to the lord sore cry , to ease us of this burthen sore ; that wee may praise him ever more . that he would hearken our addresse , which wee to him in humblenesse presents our suit to ease our griefe , and thorow pitty send reliefe . for by the mercilesse merchants crew , of babell● citty doth renew , our sufferings most heavily , housholds expos'd to penury . our kine , and oxen they by force , drive away without remorse . our bedding , pewter , and at last our selves are into prison cast . thus to misery they their doome , by authority fetcht from roome doth expose our sad estate , and whole housholds ruinate , by that which they usurpate , they wh●le familyes extirpate . o great oppression thou againe , makes us doubly complaine . our heavy burthen fetcheth groanes , this cruel tything forceth moanes : and wrong fully they have pretence of scripture made for their defence : from levies tribe they would possesse , tythes to them are by successe : and thus the gospels day in vain , to get their prey they would disdaine , 〈◊〉 gods worship that shall stand , when they have done what 's in their hand for what is done against gods power , shall be thrown down as in an houre . the world shall destroyed he , who lives not long may come to see god will try as there is need , and send deliverance to his seed , this is my faith i do believe that god will sore the wicked grieve , therefore let wicked men repent , that unto hell they be not sent ; and if they subject be to god , they ●ay escape his heavy rod , the time comes on , and hast apace , wherein great babylon god will race o●● of her power and might so great that she 'l be turn'd out of her seat , that christ may reign whose due it is , that all the faithful him may blisse , ●●bylons merchants with their pay i● gods time hee 'l turn away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is com'd to be their foe which is cause to bring their woe , 〈◊〉 they shall cry woe and alas when there is non to make redresse , 〈◊〉 ●ne houre shall judgement come with violence perpetual doome , of death and famine shall she taste , her stately buildings all laid wast , 〈◊〉 day of howling shall betake and she thrown down into the lake , 〈◊〉 dreadfully her doubled cup , of wrath and sorrow she 'l drink up ; 〈◊〉 ●hy the lords decree shall stand , 〈◊〉 purpose now is near at hand , and what is prophecy'd shall come , babels merchants they shall mourn , they shall weep and howl right sore , their merchandise will sell no more ; after that which they did lust , departed from them , is as just . read your sentence , babels train , judgment comes with might and main , the wrath of god , and fury great powred from his judgment seat : from his presence , yea from him will your cup be fill'd to 'th brim , kings will mourn , and cry alass , when they these things see come to pass , for through christs power and renown , down goes babel , she goes down . j. r. as one fore-seeing the day of terror that is to come upon babel , makes this invitation . come out of her my people , o return , make haste , her day 's at hand to weep and mourne , her dayes of howling hastens on apace , she hath nigh liv'd her time , and run her race : return , return , least that her plagues you taste , for desolate must she be , her buildings waste , her fiery burning smoake is nigh as hand , for fear of torments , kings at distance stand . the voice of mourning shortly comes to pass , babylon's merchants cry , alass , alass , this city great is now com'd ruinate , and all her stately buildings desolate . thus babylon the great is thrown to 'th ground , and never any more is to be found : then shall the glorious day , and then the voice as if of mighty thunderings , saints rejoyce , and they their song of halelujah sing , their praises , honour , glory , to their king. their joy and splendor , now the saints do say the lamb is come , this is our nuptial day . oglorious sun-shine , king of saints we 'll praise , and in thy powerful wonder we amaze w●● admirable joy , our souls to thee the song of sion sing ; o praised be thou holy , holy , glorious righteous god , who babylon hath shaken by thy rod , and gives thy saints the songs of joy to sing , praise to their god , praise to their gracious king. the saints in righteosness thou wilt aray with fine adornings , thee to praise alway , and i● thy glorious habitation rest , for eve● more with joy their souls be blest . 〈◊〉 , rejoyce , ye●saints of the most high , to sions king give praise eternally : the wondrous joyes unto you which are come unto the marriage supper of the lamb , in admiration which to you belong , the doubled halelujah is your song : when babels just reward that day shall be as a great mil-stone cast in to the sea : reward her as she hath rewarded you , double her cup , her torments eke renew . for in so much as she the saints blood shed , with rigteous judgments shall she be judged : sit down ye sufferers in the patience seat , and willingly content , though it be great ; tour measure 's hard in this your suffering day , but your reward shall come with double pay . resign your selves , and willingly sit down , in the expect●nce of the glorious crown , for why , your portion glorious shall be , a great reward is sure , you shall it see , fre● not your s●lves because of wicked men , your day will joyous be , even so . amen . e. g. the great complaint and outcry of one of the sufferers of sion . o rulers of england and teachers , and people how long will it be are you will awake out of the deepe slumber , that hath ceased upon you , and consider a little : you doe all look upon in this age that popery is idolatry , and to maintaine their worship and practice is not consistant with the worship which you own , but doe you think that talking against popery in the generall , whilest that you are upholding it many particulars in point of lawes and worship , doe answer your profession , or will preserve you in the day of the lord , when the righteous judgements of god shall be revealed ; seeing that though you have broken off from them in some circumstantial and ceremonial things , for that very maine basis and foundation upon which it standeth is absolutely covetousnesse , and filthy lucre , but to speak plain , tythes , offerings , oblations , mortuaries , peter pence & qu●dnon is claimed and looked upon to be due as to the pope in imitation of the jews high priest , with all the rable of that crew , even from the very bishop to the quirister boy ; and yet in point of wages and pay all the aforesaid ordinances which constitutes by authority from rome stands as evangelical or jure divino unto this day amongst the reformed churches so called , which are not onely disconsonant to the first primitive times , but also contrary to the very law of the jews , when tythes , oblations , and offerings were due to be payed , for then the husbandman , poor , fatherlesse , widows , and orphants might all eat together of that which was offered , or given according to the command ▪ but now them which pretends another mninstry , and layes little claime to the levitical priesthood , and have also possessions of lands amongst their brethren which the levits had not ; these goes with tythes , offerings and divers other things never claimed by the levites , but claimed by popish constitutions in the midnight of popery ; and all these things the reformed priests so tearmed , layes claim unto and must have , and will have , or else the whole nation shall ring with their noise , common 〈◊〉 , exchequer , capiter court , assise and sessions , shrieffs , ●●alers , bayliffs , and every common catch pole shall be employed to doe their work , and all too little , to satisfie their ●●ltrous eye : and if they can get a serowle und●r any hand that hath authority ; they 'le break open doors , pull down ●●dges , carry away the corn at their pleasure , drag away pots 〈◊〉 kittles , and tugg away beding and cloathes of all sorts ; c●ildrens nights beds as a priest of this order did in kent , ●●ly , yea curtaines and vallans , drink bear out of the cel●●r , and if it be but halfe a cheese ; and this is their plea , be that ●…eth the gospel , shall live of the gospel , and the aforesaid 〈◊〉 and man , fatherlesse and widows , hath not any part or ●●re in the aforesaid falsly claimed tythes , but all is too little , to satisfie the insatiable covetousnesse of these evange●●cal priests , falsly so called : o how can yee know and be●old these things , and not blush and be ashamed ; and shall 〈◊〉 lawes which have been made in the night of darkenesse 〈◊〉 popery , of necessity be a rule in this age to magistracy and ●…istry , which pretends they are in a more pure lig●… o 〈◊〉 the lord would open all your eyes to consider , but ●ow 〈◊〉 , them unto whom his marvellous light is shed , cannot bu● 〈◊〉 ●nto you , and also bear their testimony against the afore●… grievances and disorder which are executed beyond mea●…●pon the poore people in this nation , which certainly if 〈◊〉 amended will draw down gods heavy judgements upon 〈◊〉 nation ; and so i cannot but as one among the rest give 〈◊〉 ●y testimony for god and his truth against such cruell 〈◊〉 , and falsly pretended maintenance of black coates , ●…d turn coates , and my testimony is true and to seale it , i ●…ve given up my life and estate . by a servant of the lord. m. l. to all who say you are gathered out of the world into church-fellowship , these queries are for you to answer . 1. what was the woman that was cloathed with the 〈◊〉 and crowned with twelve stars , which travelled i● pain to bring forth ? 2. what was the sun she was cloathed withal , and 1 : stars she was crowned withal , and when was she so cloathed and crowned ? 3. and what was the man-child that was brought forth , seeing christ was born of the virgin in bethlehem long before john saw this in the isle of patmos ? 4. and when did the woman fly into the wilderness , and what is the wilderness into which she fled , and what is the wing● of the great eagle , which she did fly withal ? 5. and what is the time , times , and the half time , which she is to be in the wilderness , and when did it begin , 〈◊〉 when will it be expir'd , and whether is the woman ever to come out again , and when shall be the time of her return ? 6. when was the time , that the man-child was caught o● unto god , which the women brought forth , seeing chr●… was ascended long before this man-child was caught up to god , which was to rule the nations , and how long is it since 7. and whether is he ever to descend again , and be mad● manifest to rule the nations , and when shall he begin 〈◊〉 reign ? 8. when was the dragon in heaven , and how came he there , seeing that it 's written , no unclean thing can enter there , or nothing that doth defile ? 9. and when was he cast out of heaven into the earth , and how long hath he to reign in the earth ? 10. when began he to persecute the remnant of the woman seed , and how long shall his reign be ? 11. when begins the one thousand years that he shall be bound ? or , whether is it begun or to come ? 12. when shall he be taken hold of , and with the beast and false prophet thrown into the lake of fire ? 13. what is mistery babylon , and when had she her rice , when was her city raised up , over which she rules as a queen ? 14. and what is the golden cup of fornication she hath made the nations drunk withal ? 15. and what is her merchandize which her merchants trade withal , and the sea upon which they carry their traffick , and upon which the ship-masters , and ships ride , and when shall it be dryed up , and what shall dry it up ? 16. when shall the city over which she hath reigned be destroyed ? and when shall her flesh be burnt with fire ? and what is the gospel that shall be preached again ? 17. and how long hath it been since it hath been preached to the nations , seeing it 's to be preached again to the nations , and whether is the time begun or not ? when was the gospel lost , seeing all europe is professing it , or whether is it yet to come , when it shall begin to be preached again to kin●●●● , tongues , and nations ? 18. and what is the light of the lamb , the nations that unsaved shall walk in after the seven vials be poured , upon the ●●t of the beast ? declare if thou have understanding . francis howgill . the end. errata . several faults have escaped the presse un-corect , but the most material are these . page 7 line 1 for chief vicar , read christs chief vicar , p. 30 l. 3 for preferred , r. preserved , l. 21 for conversation , r. conversion , p. 35 l. 20. for possion , r. possession , p. 37 for their r. there , p. 43 l. 28 for pound per 〈◊〉 , r. pound out of this nation per an●… . p. 47 l. 18 for on r. an , p. 48 l. 7 for ed r. end , p. 58 l. 12 after the word pope , r. and upon every small complaint was ready to hear them , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 give sentence and judgment , p. 64 l. 10 for 80 r. 30 for psalter● r. psalteries . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a44793-e180 gen. 14. 9. & 11 , 12 , 13. gen. 18. 20. hebrews 7. 4. gen. 14 18. gen. 28. 22. gen. 28. 13 , 14 ver. 19. ver. 20. joseph . arcao●…g . a. c. 〈◊〉 . e. exod. 13. 1. tertul lib. a● vers . jud●os 〈◊〉 lii item sepius gen. 4. 6. ambros lib. 〈◊〉 de cain & . 〈◊〉 chap. 7. 1. 6. 〈◊〉 galat. 3. 17. ●eut . 18. 4. ezek 45. 13. exod. 23 19. ●ev . 23. 10. ●um 15 20. ●eut . 18. 4. ●●k . ch . 45. 〈◊〉 . 11. 〈◊〉 . 18. 21. 〈◊〉 . 18. 28. stat. 26. h●● deut. 14. 2● levit. 27. 3● 31. deut. 16. 1● rabbi ben 〈◊〉 onion in 〈◊〉 chaze ch●… de therum●● ch . 1 & mi● kotzi in p 〈◊〉 cept . 133. 2 ch●o . 31. mal. 3. &c. neh. 13. ●●am de ●nis , ch . 9. ●●ke 1. heb. 7 , 16. heb. 7. 13. heb 7. 12. v. 18. 〈◊〉 . 5. 2. 〈◊〉 . 4. 11. 〈◊〉 . 6. 13. matth. 10. 7. matth 10. 8. ver . 11. matth. 10. 1● luke 10. 7. ●●s 4. 34. ●s 11. 29. ●e ocka● in ●ra ●0 du● , ch . 107. ●e synod . ●ger ▪ can 66. ●ul . his a●g . ch . 39. ●2 . offerings co● tinued 340 years . eusebius li● ch . 22. cyprian in l● epist. 37. 34. 36. the counci● of antioch anno 340. chrysost. ho● 11. ●…r . de unit . ●…cles . ch . 23. greg. hom. 16. in evang. & dist . 5. de cons. jero . in epist. ad nepotian devira claricorum . in serm. de 10th temp . in tem . ●0 . córysost ho● 43. upon the epistle . 1 co● 1. 16. syrril de adorat . in spir . 8● ver . lib 4. a● finem . gen. 14. 23. pros●er de vi●… contemp . 〈◊〉 2● chap 14. oigen hom. 15. in levit. mascon 8. ●as . 5. cap. 53. in extor . de d●… 33. cum non sit vide a caput . prox . sec 7. selden . selden his hist. upon tythes . c. 7. ad tit. de paoch . & al pa●och . extra & significavit . so cora , aen●ias , varviar , ●solute l. r. c. 17. vide zona in confil. gang. 7 nantz counce consil. trent . non sent ferendi qui variis artibus decimas ecclesiis , &c. bed. l. 1 26. extat . in 〈◊〉 exempla●… saxoni li●… linwood constir . vincia ti●… dec . sanci●… gotiom . ●meo re●…o animae ●…ni , & ●…li . john wick●●●● camplaint 〈◊〉 of fox his a●… and mon. ●●as sylvius is bohe● history . ●his acts mon. pag. acts and monuments p. 605. ambrose upon the 16 luke . bernard upon 17. luke . eusebius upon jerome . isidore de summo bon● , chap. 14. heb. 7. acts and monuments , pag. 607. acts and monuments , pag. 621. paul grisaldus apud camell , borell inconfili●●●m parte . antho. bishop of spaletto d● repub . eccle● lib. 9. luke 9. 58. luke 8. 1. 2. mat. 10. 9. 〈◊〉 cor. 9. 5. gen. 28. and 〈◊〉 . 22. basils histories by eneas sylvius . exlicello dicto , the complaint of loderick mors , alim impress . geneva . notes for div a44793-e10770 seldens hist. of tythes , chap. 9. hist. bode eccles. lib. 5. cap. 45. the true rule, judge, and guide of the true church of god discovered, and borne testimony unto what it is, and wherein it consisteth in opposition to the pretended catholick church of rome her rule, foundation, guide, and judge, being returned in answer to captain robert everrand his book, titled an epistle to all the nonconformists ... / by ... francis howgil. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. 1665 approx. 175 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 35 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2005-10 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a44810 wing h3185 estc r9586 11906593 ocm 11906593 50701 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a44810) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 50701) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 816:5) the true rule, judge, and guide of the true church of god discovered, and borne testimony unto what it is, and wherein it consisteth in opposition to the pretended catholick church of rome her rule, foundation, guide, and judge, being returned in answer to captain robert everrand his book, titled an epistle to all the nonconformists ... / by ... francis howgil. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. [2], 65 p. s.n.], [london : 1665. reproduction of original in duke university library. signed: f.h. errata at end. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project 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record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng everard, robert, fl. 1664. -epistle to the several congregations of the non-conformists. catholic church -controversial literature. anti-catholicism -great britain. 2004-12 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2004-12 aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-01 judith siefring sampled and proofread 2005-01 judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-04 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the true rule , judge , and guide of the true church of god discovered , and borne testimony unto what it is , and wherein it consisteth . in opposition to the pretended catholick church of rome her rule , foundation , guide , and judge . being returned in answer to captain robert everrard his book , titled an epistle to all the nonconformists , wherein his main reasons , grounds , and alligations laid down in his book are examined and discoursed with , wherein the faith once delivered unto the saints , is vindicated , and the doctrine of christ and his apostles : against the pretended faith and false doctrines which hath been held forth by the church of rome among christians as infallible . by a suffering member of that church which fled into the wilderness , when mistery babylon sat as a queen upon the waters . francis howgill . printed in the year 1665. the true rule , judge , and guide of the true church of god discovered , and born testimony unto what it is , and wherein it consisteth , &c. after various reports and upbraidings , and insultings of divers men in my hearing , of a certain great pillar and a leading man among the nonconformists , who it was said had relinquished his errors , and had conformed , and also written and published a book for the convincement of all others to uniformity and conformity : also the weekly intelligencer willing to take advantage sometime when there is little or no occasion , doth signifie to the whole nation in his newes-book of the conversion of a great nonconformist , for the strengthening and supporting of those desires only in people who is willing to make shipwrack of all faith , hope , religion , and whatsoever also that is of the greatest moment , for a little ease and liberty in the flesh , and the imbracement of this present world , is willing to joyne with that which is the uppermost , and to sail with wind and tide , not minding the harbour , nor the way which they are passing , but only present enjoyment ; and such whose faith is builded upon men and not upon god ; and chuses rather to run with the multitude to do evil ( then with a few despised and afflicted who keep faith and a good conscience ) such flashes and airy ungrounded rumours staggr'd their mind , and makes them afraid and troubled when there 's no cause . at last this great and magnificent piece of conversion came published in the newes-book boasted on by the clergy and divers other great mountains of earth , came to my hand providentially unlooked for , unsought for , or desired , which is titled , an epistle to the several congregations of the non-formists , subscribed by captain robert everard ; as he stiled himself a member of the catholick church ; which book hath been spread up and down the counties it seems , as some rare , weighty , and great matter to induce others to be of the same mind . but why the members of the church of england should extoll this and rejoyce in this great convert i know not , except they have a a mind to shake hands with the roman church , and to receive their catholick faith so called and unquestionable ; but deceit loves to sport it self , and to make merry and triumph over any who do but relinquish the seeming appearance of truth to turit into the common road of darkness , they hug such a one for a while , and sets him out as an ensign to glory in , and over against others . after the said book came to my hand amongst divers others , i was willing to take a survey , and to make inspection into those things contained in it , and to see what demonstrative grounds , and solid and weighty matter was contained in it , which i have diligently weighed , and without a prejudiced spirit read , finding the matter in it chiefly to set up a council of men to be absolute judge of all matters of faith and doctrine , though never so repugnant unto the doctrine and practice once delivered and received and walked in by the saints , seting up this , both above the holy spirit of god which is the only and sole trier of all spirits ; but also above the scripture ; wherein i have taken notice his own eye being blinded he would captivate all others , and make them blind also , and lay wast the spirit of god , and its office the scriptures , and their translation , making them as uncertain as much as in him lies as the turkish alcbaron ; and all solid and weighty arguments and reasons that hath been produced this many years by many godly and moderate dissenters in divers ages , from the church of rome , this he strikes over all by whole sail , labouring to set all a jarr , and to make every thing look with a face contrary way to represent them uncomely ; and at last he hath concluded that the catholick visible church is the absolute judge and director , both in matters of faith and doctrine , without distinguishing of their abiding in the faith , or falling from it , as though the promise of god had been intailed to a certain place as rome , or to a certain sort of men that may call themselves peters successors , and ministers of christ , though they walk as far wide both in doctrine and practice as heaven is from earth from [ peter ] and would assume the title of name and office for honour and profits sake , but do none of peters work , feeds not the flock of christ , but worries them , and kills them that christ feeds , and sheares off the wool from off their backs , and pulls off the skin too , and instead of saving have destroyed hundreds of mens lives in europe and america ; some under the name of hereticks , and some under the name of infidels have been most mercilessly and cruelly destroyed by the power of this holy visible church , as r. e. calls it , as the true chronologies of ages past doth testifie , so that the nations have been made like akeldoma by that mystery babylon which hath drunk the blood of the saints , and slain the prophets and martyrs , under the name of hereticks , quite out of the doctrine of christ , and erred from his infallible spirit , who came not to destroy mens lives but to save them , and to save people from their sins : but this false visible church hath destroyed their lives under the name of heresie , and so hath destroyed them in their sins if they count that heresie be a sin . but of this something more afterwards may be said if god permit . but it is a great piece of confidence in r. e. that after fifteen hundred years as he saith this church hath continued as a judge and a director unto , which all christians are to submit , page 20th . that he that is but a man of yesterday should be so stout a champion as to make a flourish , and seem to over-ride all the weighty things that hath been spoken by the blessed martyrs and sufferers for christ , and righteous dissenters from this roman church at one clap ; and again to exalt his own feeble things that he hath brought forth and exhibit them so confidently to all nonconformists as unanswerable matter , or how he judged in himself that his reasons or arguments should be of that weight to convince or convert any , seeing he hath rendered himself , and they that knows him can testifie he hath always been a changable man , and unstablt in all his ways , tossed up and down like the waves of the sea , and now at last fallen into the black gulf of darkness ; but it seems by his own writing in his epistle , that it hath been his former method , being filled with a scribling humour in the days of his ignorance , as he saith , when the vail of pride and folly hung between his eyes , which appears to hang there yet , ( for any thing i can see ) having condemned himself , and also repented as he saith for being in the head of a troop of the rebellious army a captain : and yet after conversion and illumination and repentance as he saith , subscribes himself , captain robert everard ; argues both pride and folly , and gives but a small shew of repentance , but rather argues fanedness and flattery , and him to be a time-server , and a man-pleaser . and whether he intend by his epistle to all the non-conformists to the church of england , or all the non-conformists to the church of rome is doubtfull , for then the church of england hath to conform in part , as well as others , though i believe the church of rome will claim a good part of her discipline to be theirs , only it wants the formality of language : something might largely be spoken , as in return of answer to the things contained in the said book , but that it may be supposed some of those people with whom he hath formerly conversed , which he now calumnates with notorious error , will not receive his epistle as an infallible and heavenly oracle , but rather will return him some publick answer for the vindicating of their own principles , and also shewing him his weakness , how soon he was turned aside with , and for a thing of nought ▪ and also that he should be so bold as to turn in a moment their instructer and teacher , when he hath but newly learned within a year or two the principles of his own religion , which he saith he adores god in , and so is but a novis , and unskilfull in the word of righteousness , though his web be very long of linsie woolsie , and his words be many , which will pass away as wind , and have small effect , i hope of gaining many proselites , to be members of that visible church , which hath ruled over nations , kindred and tongues , which are the waters upon which the great whore sits . i take my self little concerned , or that people with whom i am joyned in the fellowship of the gospel of christ jesus , who are non-conformsts to the world , and ever resolves to be , ( according to the apostles doctrine ) and to all hypocrites and ▪ time-servers , and them that serve not our lord jesus christ , but their own bellies , of which this generation is full , who will transgress fon a morsell of bread , and conform to any thing , and every thing for the smiles of the world , ease and liberty in the flesh , but the followers of christ-hath not so learned christ , for who so will raign with him , must suffer with him . neither should i have said much , if the quarrel had been personal , or about some circumstantial matters , which a man may be with and without , and they neither add to , nor diminish from his goodness and vertue , but seeing it is a quarrel not only against us that are alive , but against the faithful sufferers , who laid down their lives in flames of fire , and the very foundation of god , which is the most sure thing is struck at , and the spirit of god turned out of doores , in regard of its office , of certainty and infallibility , and the scriptures of truth laid aside as an insufficient thing , except the interpretations of men be added to it for its authority , and the constitutions of fallible and erring men set up for rules , and men as men set up as law-givers and judges over mens conscientes , and lords over faith , and to be the most certain thing for any christian man to rely upon , and to believe , as the old phrase is , as the church believes , to pin ones faith upon others sleeves , and to hang ones hope of anothers shoulders , to put ones eye out that god hath given them to see with , and then see by anothers , may be led into any hole or ditch , and this to be published with such confidence , as the only infallible guide , to which all christians are to submit , world make a man half dumb to speak and stammer forth some thing as a testimony against such palpable error , and manifest darkness : put off with such confidence , and usher'd in among christians in such an age as this , when light and life is broken forth as a morning without cloudes in goshen , where israel the true seed inhabits , i could not but say something in vindication of that certain , sure , everlasting truth which the devil is out of , by which the saints are made free indeed in their inward man from sin , and non-conformists to the world , its error , wayes and worship , and also to shew the mistakes of the author , and how easily he hath been drawn aside to lean upon a broken read , all his particulars which are of any weight or moment shall be considered and weighed in the righteous ballance of equity , and answered in their due place : for the confirmation of them that do believe , and for removing the stumbling blocks out of the way of them that doubt or stagger , least they fall in such dark pits as these , ( viz. ) as to deny the spirit of god to be a sufficient guide , and take away its infallibility , and place it in men that have erred , do erre , and may erre : and call them the only sure infallible guide for all christian men to follow . but to speak something to the seeming weighty matter which weighed down r. e. his judgment , and cast the scales so far as that all his hope , faith , foundation , & religion was weighed down at one draught , and by such feeble things as put him to silence , which he heard from his laycatholick , as he cals him , argues a very weak & a poor foundation & a sandy , which was so soon driven away ; but one thing is to be minded , because he hath minded it himself of his conversion , as to matter of time ; this conversion hath happened to fall out since the happy restauration of our gracious soveraign to his crown and dignity , as he saith ; this to some will render his conversion somewhat suspicious , whether ( he name ) this time as only accidental , or the restauration of the king the cause somewhat of his conversion , i shall not determine ; but however he having been behind before in conformity resolved to make a good step to , before the next time to avoid suffering loss and reproach . but to speak a little as to the discourse which r. e. hath published as the weighty matter whereby he was convinced , their judgments now it seems becoming one , the lay gentleman he mentions and himself speaking to one speaks to both . first , whether that any can be certain that the christians in general is more true then the turkes , jewes , or any other , and whether any can be infallibly assured of this that it is not possible for one to be mistaken in this ; and again the answer amounting to no more then this , you conceive you are in the right , you hope and believe , you are not mistaken ; but it is possible you may be mistaken in this , for every man is a lyer , and every man and all men and every church is fallible and subject to error ; and with these and the like words r. e. was extreamly troubled as he saith , and knew not how to answer without shuffling . answer , the true christian religion stands not only in name , nor in words , nor in conforming , or transforming to this or that outward practice , which the disciples of christ were exercised in , which divers in the latter days in their old corrupt minds not having their hearts renewed , have taken on the outside , and have got the form , and wants the life and the power , and are not partakers of the divine nature of christ , and such a bare profession as this has no certainty , nor infallibility in it , neither the assurance but that they may be mistaken and may be subject to err as well as turkes or jewes , or any other , but the true christian religion indeed whom christ will own as true worshippers of him , stands in power , in life , and in being , obedient unto his living commands and precepts , which he giveth forth unto his disciples , and manifesteth by his spirit , his sheep hear his voice , and know it from the voice of a stranger : and he giveth the knowledge of his will to all that believe in the measure of his eternal spirit , which he hath given every one a measure of to profit withal ; and by it to be guided into all truth , out of all error , and this spirit is infallible and gives certain assurance to all that receive it , that they are in that way which is acceptable to god , and they feel comfort unto their souls coming daily from the presence of christ , who is the rock of ages , and the sure foundation upon which his holy church is founded , which is the pillar and ground of truth ; and they that are living members are not grounded upon a fallible certainty , or upon a conjectural supposition , or a vain hope which is without bottom , but upon that which is sure and stedfast , lasting and everlasting ; and all men in the unregenerate estate are lyers , but they that are born from above are of the truth , and lie not , and are not subject to mistakes , because the seed remains in them , and walkes in the pure religion which keeps unspoted of the world ; and they that have no other ground for their religion but only without them , and from the report of others are short of the true foundation , for that may be truth in it self indeed , which is not true to another , nor he truly partakes of it , and here is all the supposing conjectures and mistakes and fallible certainties , which it seems r. e. and his lay gentleman too , when the axe is laid to the root of the tree indeed , and not withstanding all the laying claim to infallibility and certainty its but grounded upon a report without , and the traditions of men from generation to generation ; for them that believe but only because of the true report without , and cometh not to witness the thing assured in their own hearts by the spirit of the lord , these will not be long of that faith , 't is true many did believe because of the apostles declaration and report , but at last came to feel the witness of god in their own hearts testifying the self same , in so much that they could say and truly too , though we have believed through your words at the first , yet now we have heard him our selves , and that which giveth perfect assurance which admits of no doubts nor fallibleness , for such evidence all true members of christ's church have in themselves , which carries divine authority and satisfaction in it to every particular believer , and so i say with r. e. in this it seemes unreasonable to perswade any to receive this or that for a truth , when they that so perswade are uncertain in themselves , neither dare say their judgment is infallible , which is that old protestant principle indeed , and also the principle of many sects who differs from the pretended catholick church of rome who persecuted one another about outward things even as the heathen about their idols , and yet will need sit as judge in mens consciences , with their fallible spirit , though i speak not of every individual person , neither can i justifie the roman catholick church so called , who layes claim to infallibility ; and whatsoever they judge to be heresie must be reckoned as such , though never so manifest a truth ; and to place infallibility in men that may err and have erred from the spirit , i like not neither ; for this is to give that to men that belongs to god , and to make the judgment of fallible men above the judgment of the infallible spirit of god ; and this i look to be great ambition and pride , in any to lay claim to the greatest things , as infallibility and certainty of assurance , and the most free of error , and yet falls the shortest of it of any , as hath been made appear by many learned and grave men of former ages ; and also if a necessity were , might be made appear , that the church of rome who saith she cannot err , have been as uncertain both in their doctrine and worship as any , yea more ; one pope contradicting and throwing down that which another did establish ; and one council decreeing , and another disanulling ; as i could easily make appear , but that i would not be tedious to the reader in things that have been so manifest ; neither do i desire to wade out into diversity of matters , in so short a discourse . but that which r. e. and his catholick instructer calleth late , wild , and loose opinions , that men of different faiths may be saved ; and this countenanceth schisme , and breeds rebellion as it is said ; 't is true , faith is but one , which is saving , and there is no differance in that , for the difference is among men where that is wanting , and only have the words and name of faith , and want the life and power . neither am i so narrow spirited as r. e. and his catholick , as to exclude all out of the faith , who may differ in their perswasions in some circumstantial things , if yet they hold christ the head : and what makes r. e. so verilent as to judge all in error , and to be out of the true faith , seeing the protestants and all sorts of separates professe justification and salvation , only through faith in christ jesus , as well as the church of rome ; and it were unreasonably judged in me if i should conclude a man to be no man , because he is not so tall as another ; but i see r. e. and his catholick would have all shoos made by their last , though they will not fit every mans feet . faith is the gift of god , there are divers degrees and measures according to the mind and good pleasure of the giver ; so that he that hath received any measure or degree , must not be excluded as having no faith , though he attain not to that degree that some do enjoy ; and the apostles doctrine was , that every one should be perswaded in his own mind , and if any was otherwise minded , they were to be let alone till god revealed it to them . and whatsoever people or church ( though they claim infallibility ) that teaches a contrary doctrine unto this ; we have good reason to suspect it , to be that hasty driving and overdriving spirit that would force a faith , where god hath not given it ; ( not to be the infallible spirit of our lord jesus christ ) of which the church of rome hath given a vehement cause of suspition , by their cruelty and tortors they have exercised towards them , who could not receive their principles and own their judgment in all things : but r. e. the lay-gentleman blinded thy eye , when he made thee call into question the truth of scripture , and that it proceeded from the infallible testimony of gods spirit , and if thou had a certain feeling of the same in thy self , and in thy own conscience to let this go and make this void as an insufficient ground to receive christianity upon , & to lean to a prop without thee , and to be judged by men , who have been as fallible and changable in their judgments as the moon ; which have assumed the name of catholick church , whose testimony thy instructer i perceive told thee , ought to be received , concerning what as is pretended to be revealed or not revealed by god , yet all must be obliged to stand to their judgment though never so repugnant to the doctrine of christ , and practice of the church of christ in the first primitive times , truly so called ; yet it is granted that the church of christ are the dispersed members through the world , though not of it , agreeing in one faith , being in the power of god , and being led and guided by the holy ghost , their judgments ought to be received , which cannot ( as lead by the spirit ) fail , in giving true judgment in matters of faith , which pertains to salvation , but as men they may fail , and as erring from the spirit they may fail ; and infallibility is not intailed to the persons of any men , but as they continue in the grace of god , and walk in the spirit , and bring forth the fruits thereof , nor to any place or city , but as they continue in covenant with god ; for the promise of god was to jerusalem , and mount zion , and to many other places and people in divers cities , where the glory of god once appeared , but now through their apostacy and unbelief , and disobedience they are desolate , as to the presence and power of god , and their sun is set , and they are covered as with the shadow of a cloud ; but this true church whereof i have spoken , was seen to fly into the wilderness for time , times and a half , and that since the apostles days , and then was she not so visible and universal as she had been before ; and the man child was caught up unto god ; now if thou reckon the roman church to be this true church ; shew the time , times , and half a time , wherein she fled into the wilderness ; and how long she hath been there , and when was the time of her return , and if ever she was there , how that will hang together with your assertion , that she hath been visible , and so universal this fiften hundred years ; and if this could be proved that rome hath been so , whether doth it not rather demonstrate her to be the whore that sat upon the many waters ? which waters are nations , kindreds , tongues and people , and what church ? instance if thou can , doth lay claim to the nations , kindreds , tongues and people to be yours , and to rule over so many kings of the earth , as you lay claim to be universally of your faith , and of your church , which gives us a shrewd character to believe , that indeed you are mystery babylon ; besides the blood of the saints that have been shed under the name of hereticks , by this visible catholick church among the nations this twelve 100. years , doth give clear evidence that it can be reckoned or imputed unto none but you . but i would not grate too hard upon thee , being but a new convert ; but when thy instructer had made thee doubt of thy own state , and question the foundation whereupon thou hadst received christianity , the next thing he labours to make void , is the spirit of god its testimony , which thou did lay claim too , but i feel had little portion in what thou said , at last he makes thee doubt of the infallibility of this spirit which thou had spoke on , might for ought thou knew be the spirit of error , and thou not able to distinguish betwixt the spirit of god in thy self , which is infallible , and the spirit of error , nor to distinguish betwixt their opperations , he perswaded thee that all was uncertain , and therefore no confidence to be given to any spirit or faith in ones own particular , which is the most absurd and ridiculous thing in the world so to judge : for if there be no certainty or assurance given to any man , or means to every man , wherein he may be assured of the certainty of gods will , then whither should any go or upon whom should any lean , seeing that no credit can be given to any thing that any man believes ; and this were but tossing up and down men from mountain to hill , that they might never have rest for their souls : and as for jer. 17. and eccles. 9. rev. 3. the heart of man is deceitful , &c. no man knows love or hatred , &c. and because thou sayest i am rich and increased with goods , and have need of nothing , &c. these scriptures was brought unto thee to make thee more blind ; the first is spoken of the degenerated estate , where deceit bears rule , and not truth ; the second is spoken of visible enjoyments , which are common to all ; and the third was spoken to one , who had erred from the spirit , and was exalted in pride , because of external performances , but having lost the power was miserable , &c. but what of all this ? doth this any whit at all detract from the certainty and assurance of the spirit of god in them that hath it ? what shall we reason thus because some have been led aside , and are deceived by their own hearts lusts , that therefore all may be deceived , even them that have the spirit of god , ( god forbid ) and we have some what more to answer an arian , a jew , or a turk , if they should urge the like knowledg and feeling with the like confidence , to prove they were in the truth and christianity , a delusion ; and thy instructer said , what would you reply to them ? we have more to reply in such cases then time will permit now , or the state of the case require ; seeing it is but a supposition and we take no thought what to answer the gain-sayers of truth withall , but relyes upon the promise of the father , and of his son jesus christ , who said to his disciples , take no thought for it shall be given you what to answer in that day , which promise all that are true disciples shall find true to the end of the world : but somewhat more we have to say , it may be then thou said when thou suffered thy self to be made blind and carried captive with another mans judgment , and neglected the measure of gods spirit in thy self at home , through which alone the secret things of god is revealed , and in which true certainty and infallibility is witnessed , and not in men who is fallible and changable . if an arian , jew or turk should urge their own interpretation of scriptures ( which is of no private interpretation ) contrary to the mind of him that gave it forth ; i would say he perverted the words of the scripture , which is in harmony and unity one with another , as to the states and conditions they were spoken to , and are plain , and are only read by that spirit that gave them forth : except it be in some historicall or chronology or genealogy of names and generations which might he ; some gathered from other hands , and different hands taking notice of them as to record them , there might be some variation , yet the substance of the report is true , but what is calculation of yeares or dayes or reckoning up of genealogies , as to the matter of salvation , and what if we had never had them , no more then we have , other histories and things that fell out among the jewes , but if there be any contradiction for ought i know , we may blame the church of rome the most of any ; who will needs affirm they received all or most of the things from the apostles ; and if the translations differ , or be somewhat uncertain , what have they been doing this fifteen hundred yeares , with their infallible spirit , that they could not have rectified them according to their first original ? and if any of the foresaid sects , should pretend the certainty of the spirit , and yet not have it ? i should answer , the spirit is known by its fruits , and the fruits of the spirit are manifest , and they that pretend to it , and bring forth contrary fruites , are manifest to be deceivers and deceived , but their states are different , and therefore requires different answers , which time will not now permit to insist upon : but over and beside all other arguments to perswade any man to , or from any thing , the witness of god in the party unto whom he speaketh , is to be reached , and that is beyond the understanding of man , and greater then it , and more convincing then any arguments that can be used without ; and he that cannot speak to this , is not skilful in the word of righteousness . that christ was an infallible guide , ( who is the way , the truth , and the life ) is granted by all christians , and that the apostles received the promise of the father , and the infallible spirit of god which led them into all truth , and this infallible assurance the christians had that lived in the apostles time , this is granted , and the apostles were infallible guides , not as men meerly , but as men full of the holy ghost , and as men who were filled with the spirit of god , and therefore the apostles said , be followers of us as we are followers of christ ; and if any controversie did arise , as some there did , and doutes among the then christians , the apostles and elders meeting together in the power of the holy ghost , did write their mindes and letters to the christians to pacify all ; and good reason that they that had believed through their word , should submit unto the holy ghost , and unto them by whom they were begotten unto god by the word of life , for the ending of strife about wordes and shadowes and outward things , and they whose mindes were outward then , in ages since and now , ran into contention about outward things , and such for the most part do erre from the spirit of god in themselves , but i would have thee to take notice of this , and all you catholick members so called , the apostles of christ only did exhort , and did not force their decrees by penal statutes , and to be observed under the penalty of loosing life or limbes , as since , their pretended successors have done , who have erred from the spirit , and have got the saints words , and turned against the life and power : but the decrees , as you call them , are not many nor burdensome , which the apostles wrote at jerusalem , as the many counsels since have made , they are so endless and numberless and burdensome , and so contradictory one to another in divers things , who will but look into the decrees of the counsels since the apostles dayes , that we can find little certainty in any of their decrees , but rather as thy instructer saith the sword of the flesh , and not the spirit hath been the rule and law to christianity ; but the masters of great wit and power and interest , have framed and made parties unto themselves , and hath not warres been raised among your selves about deciding your controversies , hath not the pope warred against the emperour , and the emperour against the pope , was not wars raised about the decrees when pope eujenius was deposed as a heretick by the counsel of bazill . — and one while the pope must be infallible as peter's successor , and above all counsels and churches , another while the counsell is above the pope , excommunicates him as a heretick and excludes his infallibility , and now where is the certainty , and whether should one go or appeal for true judgment ? so , though the church of rome boast of unity , yet how hath one nation made war against another , and yet professing the same faith at divers times and in sundry ages . and to tell thee plainly , and to speak the naked truth , according to the apostles prophesie , after their departure there was a great apostacy , and a great falling away from the faith , and a giving heed to lying seducing spirits , and doctrine of devils , and many were subverted from the faith , by them that spake lies in hypocrisie , and took up the priests office for filthy lucre , and they went out into the world , and the world wondered after them , and they had the form , and the sheeps cloathing , and the saints words , but were enemies to the cross of christ , and to the power of godliness ; and the kings of the earth were bewitched with their sorceries , and then forced all and compelled all to receive and believe such decrees and such articles , as was then set forth by a pack of those hirelings , who minded their own profit , and their own bellies ; who mingled their own inventions and traditions with the doctrine of christ , and brought the scripture for a cloak , and the apostles practice for a president , and could say falsly , as the apostles said in the truth ; it seems good to us and the holy ghost that these our decrees be observed , for god hath placed us as judges and directers , as them that are appointed of god himself . to which , all christians are to submit and none to question , and if any do question or will not obey , it is the kings and princes duty in every country to cause all to submit to these our decrees and orders , or else to be punished as hereticks with death , for we are the apostles successors , and we are the elders of the church , and we have the infallible spirit ; and though we make decrees contrary to what the apostles made in their day , yet none is to question that , the church was but in its infancy then , as unwasht , and unswadled , and in persecution ; but now she is grown up to a greater stature and power , and indowed with greater privilege , and that may be necessary now , that was not necessary then ; and last of all called themselves the clergie , which signifies the heritage of god , and so excluded all others but themselves : and these things are true and certain , and have been made good by many sufferers for christ ; and this kind of clergie or heritage made the heritage of god indeed , to fly into the wilderness , who had the infallible spirit , and the witnesses to prophesie in sackcloath , and then mystery babylon began to sit a queen , and to gild her cup , and to fill it full of abomination , and brought in judaisme and the practise of the apostles , and their own inventions , and patched up an endless kind of worship and service , consisting of out-side things in a great part , in postures and gestures , and meates and drinks , and dayes and times , and vestures and bonnets , and caps and coules , and such other like trumpery ; which they made the nations drunk with , and greedy after : and if any scrupled at any of those things or any other , the holy catholick church hath decreed it , and she cannot erre , for she is infallible : though the errors thereof cannot be numbered : and this r. e. thou rests satisfied in as thy only rule and judge and director , and thou hangs all thy faith here , and saith , thou shall not scruple to believe , what authority teacheth thee to be revealed by god , no more then if thou heard god himself speaking ; i say unto thee as the apostle said , the serpent hath beguiled thee , as it beguiled eve : and further say , as the prophet said , thou must arise and get thee hence , for this is not the rest , for thou wilt see thy self plunged into such a layborinth of uncertainties as thou never was before , if the lord ever open thy eye . and r. e. gives an account , that after his reading of some contravertal books , hath made some collections as to himself , and also declares , that all dissenting judgments grants there must be a way and a rule appointed to teach us , to deside all doubts , to judge of all matters , and to teach us the true way to heaven with certainty ; but who this rule or judge is , is not agreed upon by all ; which he hath collected into four heads ; first , some sets up the spirit to direct them , and to be this means ; secondly , another will have every mans own natural reason to be this rule and judg ; thirdly , others will set up sole scripture ; and the fourth assignes the holy catholick church to be that judge and directer . other then these , he saith , he never heard of any ; for he saith , he always esteemed the quakers light to be either the spirit , or natural reason , ( but which , r. e. doth not know ) and all the four before mentioned , he saith , he hath examined , and treateth largely upon them all ; wherein he goeth about and giveth grounds and divers reason , and divers iuterpretations of scriptures ; he layes wast all the former three and establisheth as he thinks , the fourth , as to be that way and rule , and judge , and governing power to deside all doubts as that , whereby all are obliged to submit unto , as to christ himself ; and this was that question which he was to gain satisfaction in ; and therefore he saith , he ceased to enquire of their doctrine , or this , or that article of faith , and hang altogether upon this point before mentioned . answ. 't is true , it is granted by all , that there must be a way and a rule as the means appointed of god , to answer all doubts , and to give satisfaction to every man , of the certainty of that which he believes ; and who this way and judge , and rule is , every one ought to be satisfied ; and the four heads into which thou hath collected the whole controversie of all dissenting judgments in christianity takes up the whole as to this particular , which have ordinarily been holden forth among christians . but i judge thou dealt not wisely in thy inquisition and search for satisfaction to hing all on this pin , but rather to have examined further as concerning matter of doctrine , and matters of faith held forth , most especially of this party , to whom thou was so much inclined ; and see how thou could have swallowed down that doctrine of purgatory , and sacrifice for the dead , and justification by a man 's own works , and of bread and wine after the words of consecration by the priest is transubstantiated into the very body and blood of christ , and becomes whole god their saviour and redeemer ; for these are principal things , either greatly necessary to salvation , or greatly unnecessary ; and when thou had tryed and found these to be so repugnant unto the doctrine and faith , once delivered among the saints , in the first plantation of the gospel , this might have put a stop unto thee , that thou could not so easily close with their judgment and pretended infallibility , who pretends to be only guids , and yet leads into the greatest errors in matters of greatest moment . but as to the four particulars mentioned , i shall not stand to trouble either my self or the reader , as to speak much what of that which is no part of my faith or judgment , but only to vindicate the truth against the many false conceptions of changable men : and first of all r. e. begins to treat of the spirit , and perverts the scripture at his first on-set ; and saith as touching the spirit bearing witness in secret with our spirits , or as he saith in plainer terms , the private spirit ; this saith r. e. i considered could not be the means to convey faith unto the world , nor the rule , guide or judge , which i enquired after , nor indeed the true spirit of god , which he promised to his apostles . secondly , those who pretend this guidance do not believe god , but themselves only , and their own perswasions , which tell them they have the spirit of god , but they can give no other account , but they are verily perswaded so , or no other answer , but i am sure it is the spirit of god , and i am a good man , and an honest man , and i believe my self , but other reasons or evidence can they give none . thirdly , this pretending of a private spirit is against 2 pet. 1. 20. that no prophesie of scripture is of private interpretation . answ. this man beats all together beside the anvil , what ever the matter is , but that he is blinded and confounded in himself , he sets but up a shadow , and then fights with it ; for instead of proving the spirit of god not to be a competent rule , judge and guide , and instructer in all matters of faith necessary to salvation ; he goes about to prove a private spirit , a pretended spirit , a spirit of error is not a sufficient guide and judge ; and in this he fights without an adversary , and fills the world with noise and darkness , and the air with smoak , and would cloud peoples understandings with multitudes of words that tend not to edification , with a quareling wrangling spirit , which is not for peace , but i see he hath delighted in contention , and sported it self in varience , and like the son of the bond-woman , his hand against every man. secondly , i wonder why r. e. quotes so much scripture as for the proofe of his matter in hand , seeing that it is one of his great pleas , that it is insufficient as to be a rule , or a guide , or a judge as to answer any doubts , or give any satisfactory solution to him that is enquiring ; and seeing he hath given in so many reasons against it , as insufficient , and as much as in him lay to invaluedate and set it at nought , and hath laboured to set it at oddes , and to make contradictions in it , as to render it insufficient for matter of probation in any thing , which is in controversie , or how he can judge , that others should receive them , and his sometimes false rendering of them , or his own interpretations upon them , seeing he denies them as uncertain , as they are translated and insufficient , and not fit to be a rule ; and who this man hath conversed with i know not , that should ever affirm a private spirit or their own spirits to be a sufficient rule or guide to walk by , such i deny and leave them and thee , to quarel together about your imaginations and thoughts , and conceptions , or else the conceptions of other men who are as uncertain and fallible as the first , and shall assert the sufficiency of the spirit of god teaching , ruling , guiding and judging all true christian men in that certain , everlasting , infallible truth , which is necessary and satisfaction to the souls of all them that do believe in it , and shall deny all the pretenders to it , who run into heaps and heads , and quarels , and fights one with another about shadows , and can give no other account or manifestation ; then , i am sure i have the spirit of god , and i ought to be believed , and i am a good man , and the like , which thou saith thou could never receive any other evidence or testimony , and what though many have pretended to the spirit , and the guidance thereof , and in the mean while have brought forth the fruits of the flesh and their own imaginary false conceptions , and hath put on confidence enough to say so , as thou thy self it may be hath had a share in , in times past , shall this make the spirit of god insufficient and uncertain in its teachings to them that believe in it , and have received and bring forth the fruits of it , and have the deeds of the flesh mortified by it , god forbid . thirdly , why hast thou perverted the scripture , as i said at the first onset , rom. 8. 16. the spirit it self bears witness with our spirits that we are the children of god ; and this thou hath put in , in a distinct character to be taken notice of , as though it were scripture , and renders it thus , the spirit being witness in secret with our spirits , or in plainer termes the private spirit : thou must repent of this , and take heed how thou calls the spirit of god a private spirit , for it was that publick spirit which manifested it self among all the patriarks and prophets , and by which they spoke forth the words and mind of god unto the people , and prophesied of things to come ; and through it alone is the deep and weighty things of god revealed ; and was and is the only way and means by which christ promised after his ascension to lead , guide , instruct and comfort his disciples in all truth , and that it should bring to their memory whatsoever he had spoken , & that they were to be without care or thought , for through it the father should give them what to speak and what to answer before rulers and councils for his names sake . and here the sufficiency of it is proved to any reasonable man who hath the least savour or discerning of the things of god , and this is that publick spirit by which the apostles published the everlasting gospel of peace , and which christ the head of the body ( his church ) had received without measure ; and this is a private , twyning , creeping spirit of thine , who hath been lost in thy own imaginations , and following thy own forward rash spirit , and hath found no certainty in thy self of gods spirit to stay thy mind upon , nor no patience to wait upon it , but reaching & grasping at things in thy dark mind , & last of all hath brought in thy verdict for the devil against the sufficiency of the holy spirit of god , its guidance amongst his people in the later days ; & that is thy fond conception as to say , that the spirit of god is expressly against the 2. of pet. 1. 20. which thou calls a private spirit all along ; 't is true no prophefie of scripture is of private interpretation , but the holy men of god spoke it forth as they were moved by the holy spirit , which was publick and conversant among them , with them and in them ; and they that have it , can receive them as they are written , and can read them , and understand them as they were spoken , and doth see the intent of the holy ghost in so speaking unto different states and conditions , notwithstanding the many copies thou tells on , and diversions and different translations which thou would make a great mountain on , and raise it up so high to make the scripture uncertain and low , as not fit to be taken notice on , as to answer any doubt , or to be any rule or guide , or any example or president for any thing that i can perceive by the course of thy spirit , which in the truth is fathomed and comprehended , though it is as uncertain as the way of a serpent upon a rock , yet they that have the spirit of god sees beyond all , and hath unity with the words and minds of the spirit of god , notwithstanding the many corruptions and defects in translations , and the many foul hands it hath passed through . fourthly , the spirit of christ is the gift of god , which he giveth unto all that wait for his appearance , and his sheep have it , and they that are christs have it , for they that have not the spirit of christ is none of his , and it is that which is every way sufficient ( and no way insufficient ) and it is every way sufficient to lead into all truth , according unto christs promise , and to convince the world of sin , of righteousness , and of judgment : again , it is that which christ promised for a director , which was with them when they healed the sick , and cast out devils , and which was in them to consolate them and comfort them in the midst of affliction ; as it did peter and john , and made them bold who were yet illiterate men , and had not that sufficiency , which many looks upon now they have , to wit natural tongues and languages , yet it was sufficient in them , to give them wisedome to declare the things of the kingdome of god , to the salvation of many that did believe through their words , it was sufficient to comfort paul and silas when they were shut in the inner room , and their feet fast in the stocks , when there was no outward cause of joy but rather of sorrow , yet they were made to sing and rejoyce because of the great comfort and joy that the spirit of god filled their hearts with again , it was sufficient in the midst of great conflicts and tribulations which paul and the rest suffered for the gospels sake and for christs sake , and yet as suffering did abound it was sufficient to make consolation to super abound , to ballance the suffering and to make it easie . fifthly , it is that everlasting covenant , which the lord promised by the mouth of his prophets in former dayes , that he would fulfill in the latter dayes or after times ; that he would write his law in their hearts and put his spirit in their inward parts , and that they should not teach every man his neighbour , saying , know the lord , for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest : and again in another place , i will power upon them the spirit of prayer , and supplication , and they shall see him whom they have pierced , &c. and again , i will pour out my spirit upon all flesh , and my sons and my daughters shall prophesie , &c. and this was fulfilled at pentecost in jerusalem , when the disciples met together , and the promise of the father came to be fulfilled , and the unbelievers said they were filled with new wine , and the lord hath a care of his people through ages , and hath not left them comfortless , nor without a guide , and a certain and a sure one too ; which spirit is manifest among some non-conformists , whom thou takes liberty to call sects , and the sufficiency of it is witnessed ( praised be the lord ) in our assemblies , both as to convince , to convert , to save , to judge , to guide , to instruct , to comfort ; and is that alone in which all true christian men can worship god , in the silence of all flesh , and fleshly motions and thoughts , it 's that , that giveth assurance also , of acceptation with god , and is that which makes the prayers of the saints as sweet insence in the nostrils of the lord ; it is that which makes the words of him like butter , as pleasant as hony , or sweet oyle ; who speakes by it , through it , and from it , whereby the hearts of many hath been pricked , and the thoughts of many hearts hath been revealed , and many hath been comforted with joy unspeakable , and filled with pure love , from the sensible feeling of the sufficiency of its power , opperating in the inward man , even as when the harvest had been gatheredin , and the press been full of grapes , and the fattes had over-flowen with abundance ; so that they could have rejoyced and sung and danced for joy , as sometimes david did , when the ark of god was brought from the house of obed-edom , and placed in jerusalem , when david danced for joy , and all israel was filled with gladness ; what might i say for the certainty , sufficiency and all-sufficiency of this holy spirit of god ; i might fill my mouth with arguments , and time might fail me in speech , to speak of the excellency , certainty and infallibility thereof , against all opposers and quarellers : in a word it is that alone meanes ; through which god conveys eternal life to all man kind , and it is that rule by which all the sons of god were led , rom. 8. 14. it is that only sure guide , judge , way , rule , in which there is certainty and assurance of the love of god to man kind ; it is that by which the deeds of the flesh are mortified , and men quickned and enlivened unto god in their hearts , in which the saints are accepted , by which they are regenerated , and through which they become heires of the promise : what shall i say but this , let all flesh be confounded before it , and all deceit stop its mouth , and all the sons of men bow before it , all councils and churches , all rulers and elders , all reason and comprehension , all words and writing of men , and holy men , yea of the scriptures of truth , it gave them all a being , it was , it is , and is to come , and will remain when all visible things are past away , it is that by which god will plead with all flesh , and bring a consumption upon all the honourable of the earth , and burn up the mountains , and make the hills to melt , and make all a plain before him ; therefore make room , make room , make way ye potsheards , and cease all your contending and babling , and bow to it , and learn of it in your hearts , ( which r. e. like an ignorant man calls a private spirit ) that your souls may be saved in the day of the lord , and you my escape his wrath which is to come against all resisters of it . sixthly , your catholick church , falsely so called , who hath erred from the spirit , the infallible guide , ( though you much boast of it ) both in doctrine and practise abundantly ; insomuch that your faces seem altogether to look another way , and your course to arive at another haven , then the apostles and all the primitive christians attained unto ; to wit everlasting happiness and rest for their souls , and acceptation with god in their performances and sacrifices , which they offered unto him in the spirit , of which they and all that believe in it , and have received it , received perfect assurance in their hearts , by the immediate spirit of god ; and likewise the protestants in general , whether lutherins or calvins , or other sects known by denomination , are of so narrow and a pinching spirit , as that you would pinch and shut-up the universal love of god unto all mankind , into a narrow corner ; and monopalise the free grace of god that hath appeared to all men , that teaches all men that receives it , to deny all heresie , falshood , opinions and humours , private spirits , and spirits of error , which leadeth from all these , and is sufficient to lead out of all ungodliness and worldly lusts , and to do that which is acceptable in the sight of god , and this all sects , ( since the woman cloathed with the sun fled into the wilderness , viz. the true church ; ) and all parties hath laid claim to , and excluded all others that were not of their opinion , as from having any share in it , as though it were given only to such a company of men that succeeded the apostles , and by arts and parts , and natural language in the course and term of years , and at such and such places , as the apostles were sometime conversant at , and other sects besides you , who have kept more nearer in conformity , in doctrine and worship , and unto the apostles then you have done , they have laid claim to the spirit of god , and to the free grace of god , only extending it self to them under such a quallification , as though the spirit of god , and free and saving grace of god , had come by generation , or by succession , or because of such , and such a quallification or conforformity in outward practice as i said , as though the free grace of god and the infallible spirit of god , had been given to you , and had been bequeathed and intailed to you , or any of you , under such and such a denomination , and because inhabiting at such a place , and thus you would limit the holy one of israel , and to stop the wind to blow where it listeth , and circumscribe the infallible means which god hath given unto all mankind for a direction and a guide , a rule , and a judge , and pinch it up into a narrow corner , and yet shut up all under condemnation , who do not believe , and yet exclude all but your selves , from the sufficient meanes and guide , and way ; whereby they may believe : away , away , with this narrow , partial , pinching spirit ; for god will not be limited , neither can be , either to men , time , or place ; but as they keep in covenant with him , and keeps their first love and integrity , in the certain truth revealed in the first publication of the gospel ; which the roman church above all other hath wonderfully apostatised from , especially in this one thing , which she can never clear her self of ; to wit persecution , in taking away the lives of many , under the name of hereticks , and suppose any had been so , as doubtless there are such ; yet we never read , that it was christ or the apostles way to kill them and destroy them , but on the contrary denyed them , and warned others to beware of them , and to have no fellowship with them , and so left them to the world , neither that they exhorted or stired up , either kings or princes to take away the lives of any , who did believe or not believe what as they declared to be truth ; but on the contrary , when the disciples in the days of their infancy would have commanded fire to have come down from heaven ( as did elias ) christ rebuked them and told them they knew not what spirit they were of ; and again love your enemies , and do good to them that hate you : how your catholick church hath kept this precept i leave all nations to judge , where your power hath been known ; suppose real schismaticks and hereticks as some such there hath been in the world , how you have done good to them , and how you have loved them is manifest , except you judge that shuting them up in prisons , racking , tortering , and cruel torments , and at last of all death , was in love to them , and in doing good to them , which methinks any reasonable man should blush and be ashamed to think or say . but an old plea comes to my mind , which some of the members of the church of rome hath alledged to me in the days of my youth , when i was conversant with them , and among them , in a friendly , neighbourly , and sober discourse , of things of this nature before mentioned ; it was said unto me , the roman catholick church is that church whereby christianity hath been conveyed to all nations , and the great oraccles thereof delivered unto us , and the scriptures also came from us , by which you know the mysteries of the kingdom of god , and the knowledg thereof came unto all , and all her children ought to be subject unto her , as the true mother that brought them all forth , and if any went astray either into heresie , or schisme , which might not only hurt themselves , but also others ; ought not the mother in natural love to her children to correct them , and ought not they to bear her correction , and submit unto it ; and hath not she power to correct her children when they go astray ? unto which is answered , christianity that which is truly such , and them whom god will own to be christians was dispersed through the nations by the power of god ; and we say , that the church of rome hath begotten christendom into that mould and frame into which they are now cast , more by force and awe then any sound doctrine ; and as for the scriptures coming from her , that we deny ; we know they came from the apostles , and from the primitive christians , according to the will of god , and have been preserved to this day , though through many polluted hands they have come ; and we know how much your rage was kindled , that ever it should be translated into the english tongue , and many felt the effect of it to the loss of their lives , as i hope many in england doth well consider : but suppose a true mother have many children , and suppose some do swerve and go astray from her precepts , and under pretence of correcting of them she shut them up in goals , and nasty holes , and afflict them with sundry kind of torments , and at last of all kill them and destroy them ; what judgment will be given by reasonable men of such a mother , but this , that she is become unnatural and cruel , and hard hearted , and degenerated from the nature of a loving and tender mother , and deserves not to have or ever to have had any children ; and such a kind of mother hath your church been , to all that have dissented from her ; that i may say of her as the prophet jeremiah said , ( especially in these latter ages ) the sea monsters and dragons of the wilderness draw out their breasts to feed their young ones , but the daughter of my people is become cruel . seventhly and lastly , we know that god willeth that all men should be saved , and come to the knowledg of the truth , and hath given that , and doth give that unto every man that is come into the world , whereby every man that doth receive it is capable of fulfilling the will of god , and this gift comes not by the will of man , nor is received in the will of man , but in its own will even in the will of the giver , and this free gift of god is the free and saving grace of god which hath appeared unto all men ; to wit , every man that is come into the world , which teaches all the saints , and would teach all infidels to deny ungodliness , and worldly lusts , and to live godly and righteously , and soberly in this present evil world . howbeit all are not so taught , because they heed it not , and because they receive it not , and so they make the free gift of god of no effect , ( as to life to them ) but it is their condemnation ; yet however herein appears the equal , merciful and universal love of god , who is no respecter of persons , but hath distributed a measure of this unto all to the intent that they might have power to fulfill his will , and keep his statutes , and so the fault is not in god but in them , who slight and dispise his gift , and so condemnation is just of every one that doth not believe , and is of himself , and this reprehends that false , erronious , narrow , pinching spirit , which would shut it up in a corner , and tye it to one sort of men , or sect , or opinion , and the masters thereof would assume it to themselves , as though the spirit of god and grace of god were only among them , and must be conveyed from them , to other people before they have it , and the direction and guide of every man must be sought from their mouths , as though god had not given a measure of his spirit unto every man to profit withal ; and to be led and taught , and guided by it into all truth , out of error , according to christs promise , and according to the lords promise in the days of old ; that though his people might eat the bread of adversity , and drink the water of affliction , yet their teacher should not be removed into a corner ; and from this quieking , enlightening ▪ enlivening spirit of god , the saints of god , and ministers of christ in the primitive times received power and authority to propagate righteousness , and to judge deceit , and the mystery of iniquity , where ever it appeared , and in this their ability stood ; for they were made able and fit ministers by it , not of the letter , nor of mens traditions , nor of foolish fopperies , which hath been introduced since , and shuffled in among christians under the name of power and authority of the holy church , and the church of god that had received this spirit walked in it , and brought forth the fruits of it , whereby they were a good savour in the nostrils of the lord , and by which they adorned the gospel of our lord jesus christ , by a holy conversation , which did manifest them to be of god , and convince and stop the mouths of gain-sayers : and thus we are bold to tell thee & all , that the spirit of god which is given a measure of it to every man , and more fulness of it to them that believe , that it is the rule , and the way , and the means , whereby all the actions , words , and works of all men are weighed , tryed , measured , and judged , and objections answered , and is the alone judge of all matters , and answerer of all doubts , and giveth only true and perfect satisfaction ; and therefore r. e. may blush and be ashamed to ever publish such a thing abroad in the world , as to say , that the spirit of god is not a sufficient directer , teacher and judge , but calls it a private spirit , opinion , humour and fancy ; to make the eyes of them blind who wait for its appearance , only to trust to men who pleads antiquity and power , without verity : and further he goes on and sayes in 22 th . page of his said epistle , there is neither jew , turk , pagan , or christian but he may put on confidence enough , affirming that he is taught by the spirit of god , many of all sorts doth this and yet teach contradictions ; and further saith , that it hath no effect among them who pretend to it , and that they can no more satisfie another , that they are guided by the spirit of truth then many who are cast into bedlam . answ. 't is true , many are confident and impudent enough , but confidence without ground , and impudence proves but little , and he that saith he is a jew and is not , but of the synagogue of satan will soon be found out by his doctrine and fruits , and he that saith he is a christian and led by the spirit , and keeps not the commands of christ , neither brings forth the fruits of the spirit , is soon discovered to be a deceiver , and deceived , and such are like to teach contradictions , but all such are denyed , shut out with the spirit of truth , but them that have the spirit of god , witness a blessed effect among them , for they are turned from satans power unto god , and doth witness remission of sin and reconciliation with god , and are not at difference , but at unity one with another , and are brought out of the obstinate and perverse estate which all pretenders are in , and as for contradictions they are more to be seen in the church of rome then many wheres else ; they who are but pleased and hath leisure to view over the decrees and constitutions of several popes and councils , since he was elevated to be universal bishop over all christian churches , by that heathen and cruel emperour phocus , who slew his master mauritius to obtain the empire , he did gratifie the pope so far that he might be cryed up as emperour , as that he should be vniversal bishop , and this proved a better plea for the pope ( because the emperour had power to defend him , and to compell all to receive his decrees ) then that he was peters successor ; i say who will but look into the constitutions and decrees shall find such seting up and throwing down , and such decreeing , and such disanulling , as twenty such champions as robert everard will never be able to free his catholick church from contradictions , although he is very forward to charge others , though he is but a new convert , but let him not boast till he have put off his armour , and it is that mad bedlam spirit of thine that saith , that among all the nonconformists there is no one that can satisfie another , that he hath the spirit of god ; i tell thee yes , there are thousands satisfied in one another that they have the spirit of god , besides he that hath it can speak to the witness of god in another which shall testifie the same , and moreover their works and fruits shall and doth manifest unto others , that they are born of the spirit , because the fruits of it are seen , as they are manifest to be born of god that do the works of god ; and thou must first know the spirit of god in thy self ( if ever thou look for it there , and not hang all together upon others belief as thou doth upon thy catholick church ) before thou can know it in another , and first be convinced by it and judged by it , for thy ill deeds and ill thoughts and hypocrisie , and time-serving , and flattery , and men pleasing , before thou can be convinced of others righteousness , and also be convinced of the unbelief of thy own heart before thou can believe others ; but thou hath been so busie abroad in quareling and contending about words and names , and empty shews without substance and life , that thy mind is all over grown with thorns and briers , scrawling and scratching , and entangling thy self and others ; so that , that which should savour the things of god is over grown in these , and it s buried , and to them that are like heaths in a desart , knows not when good comes , neither doth know what they enjoy that dwell in the fat vallies , and the pharisees had such unbelieving hearts , though christ was the express image of god , and did the works that never man did , yet being without faith and without reason , they said , he was a blasphemer , and all his works was done by belzebub , and would never be convinced that any thing he did was of god , and that spirit is near thee which would represent the fruits of the spirit to be delusion , and them that bring them forth like them in bedlam ; and what though turks , jews , pagans , mahomet , and the false christians do pretend to the spirit and guidance by it , and yet bring forth the fruits of the flesh , doth this make the spirit of god void ? or the certainty of it to them that believe , or do make their fruits of none effect , god forbid , thy ignorance is manifest ; but here thou ceases not , thy tongue being thy own , and thou being at liberty , and speaks thy own words , which in the end shall become thy burden . thou vapours and vaunts over them , to wit all the nonconformists , and saith , what can you say for your selves any of you , which these enthusiasts who have gone before you to maintain their errors , but the rule and judge , and then thou concludes that which god hath appointed to be rule and judge to all the world , and capable of being known and heard by all , and cannot contradict it self , nor must be contradicted by any , under pain of damnation ; if you cannot shew it to have been your rule you ought to lay aside your folly , as destructive to humane society , and them that hath pretended the spirit , the strongest party , and sword , upon the vote will prove it self the most convincing spirit , and force the weaker spirits to submit or cry , for thou concludes the nonconformists have no other testimony to try your contradicting spirits in matters of greatest moment , but force and success , if you have i pray you inform me what it is . ans. if the wind had not turned into another door , divers nonconformists believes we should have had another song from thee , if time had but favoured thee so far as to have granted thee the privilege of thy troop to be captain , which name thou holds up yet i' th pride of thy heart , though thou have lost thy force , success , and pay , which was the greatest plea when time was with thee , and not long since too , which makes thee measure every man's foot by thy last , and thou might have received information before thou had made a conclusion , had been the part of a wise man , before thou had set thy self as judge over all thy former fellowships , which thou fainedly pretends so great love to ; and before thou had discovered their nakedness ( if it be nakedness ) to all the world in such a publick insulting bravado as this , like goliah of gath , and as for what some nonconformists both to the church of rome , and to the church of england too , which thou creeping and sneakingly flatters , and saith its established , and therefore thou will not meddle , thou might have said , dare not , for thy spirit is well enough seen by them , only to have the spirit of a slave , and not a free member of the true church of god , and it s no part of vertue , nor honour , for thee to insult and glory over them , who are in suffering and adversity , when as thou dare not meddle with them who are as contrary to thee as the former , this is but the spirit of a coward , and is ignoble and base , and ever so to be accounted by all the children of light , who dare put all to venture which they do enjoy on this side of immortality , and to suffer the loss of all visible things for their testimony , and the truth which they believe , and for bearing witness against that , which is contrary unto their faith , as did the valiant primitive christians of old , and that which some nonconformists can say , is more then thou can believe , although demonstrated in the evidence of the spirit of god , with sound reason , and evident example from the scriptures of truth , and though thou and thy former fellowships then , and thy new fellowships now , have made this vapour , which for ought i know might lay your hands upon your mouths , all considering what contradictory doctrines and fruits hath been brought forth since the night of apostacy entered in , and all the world wondered after the beast ; some hath this to say , he that pretends to the spirit , and the thing cometh not to pass that they speak or prophesie let him be accounted a false prophet ; again , they that pretend guidance of the spirit as some formerly have done , and yet bring forth the fruits of the flesh as variance , hatred , emulation , strife , contention , heresie , false doctrine , persecution , force and violence , let them he counted ( as truly they are ) deceivers and deluders , which have gone out into the world , and deceived a great part of mankind , of which rome hath not had the least share , clear it when thou can ; moreover , he that pretends to have the spirit of god and layes down another foundation to build upon , in matter of faith , in matter of rule , in matter of judgment , in matter of doctrine , then that which the lord of life and glory hath laid down , he is a deceiver , and an antichrist ; but r. e. hath laid down another rule , another way , another judge , another foundation for faith , and let himself make the conclusion if he once dare joyne to true judgment , other foundation can none lay then that which is already laid , to wit , christ jesus , the foundation of the prophets and apostles , and of the church of god , by which they were all builded up as a holy habitation for god to dwell in through the spirit : again , the apostle saith , all judgment is committed to the son both in heaven and earth ; and again he saith himself , i am the way , the truth , and the life , and none can come to the father but by me ; and again , the spirit of truth shall lead and direct his disciples into all truth ; and sealeth unto them their justification , redemption and salvation : and this r. e. would lay all wast and void ; and why ? because many hath pretended to it , and hath fallen short ; therefore all the aforesaid things must be laid aside as uncertain , and not to be trusted unto ; and a certain sort of men called the apostles successors who have sought their gain and worldly interest , and to enlarge their dominions , and to make themselves lords over mens faith , and over mens consciences , whatsoever they say though never so contradictory to the primitive doctrine , delivered in christ and the apostles days , yet all must be received upon pain of damnation , as r. e. saith ; and this he calls the visible church , and the infallible judge , and rule , and directer , and hath laid wast the office of christ , and turned the spirit out of doors , and made it ineffectual , and would perswade all others to look to this from the true foundation , and so is a deceiver and an antichrist . again , we have this to say , he that teaches a contrary doctrine then that which was once delivered unto the saints is a deceiver and deceived ( and this was christs doctrine once deliverud unto the saints ) swear not at all , and love your enemies , pray for them that persecute you , do good to them that hate you : and many more precepts which this visible guide , to wit , the roman church holds not , but hath made void ; first it teacheth its members to swear , and again gives absolutions to remit them of their oath if she think fit , and both must be reckoned infallible , and them that are your enemies instead of praying for them , you curse them ; and instead of doing good to them , you hate them , and stirs up all your strength against them to destroy them , instead of convincing of them in love and sound judgment ; instance the days of king john , and divers other princes , which felt your fury and wrath ; and also frederick the emperour after he was interdicted , was made to go to rome to before the popes palace , and to stand bare foot and bare leg , with his wife and child two or three days in winter , waiting for peters successor , his absolution : but it may be thou wilt say this was in love to them , and in charity to their souls ; but let all unbyassed spirits judge , and whether have not you when you have been the strongest party , made force , violence and success your greatest engine and plea , to plead with all nations , and whatsoever people that dissented from you either in matter or form ; instance germany , bohemia , moravia , and divers other kingdoms and provinces ; besides the indians in america , which you destroyed chiefly for their gold and treasure under this pretence , that they were infidels , and forced a faith upon some , and a belief by the violence of your cruelty and swords , which made the noble man of india say , he had rather go to hell with the infidels of america , as you called them , then to heaven with the spaniards , so cruel a people , members of your catholick church , what might i speak of the king of castile against the poor moors of grandia , who were put to cruel torments by force and violence , which is a reproach upon this sort of christianity unto this day , and what persecution was raised against the peddamount christians , by the force of this infallible judg , falsly so called ; and what massacres in france , and also in ireland in latter years , propagated by the popes nuncio , a chief embassadour from the roman sea , to carry on that design to root out the hereticks , what destruction of people , in a most barbarous , inhumane , preposterous and prodigeous cruelty , some killed in the their beds , some knocked in the head like oxen , some stripped naked in cold winter and bereaved of all their enjoyments , and driven as sheep naked to the shambles , and at last driven by scores into lakes and rivers , and drowned , some burned alive in their houses , some tender women strangled in childbed , and their tender infants taken from their mothers breasts and tossed upon spears points ; and to my knowledg license and pardons given and sent from rome to divers of their emissaries there , that it should be lawful for any servant or catholick bondman to steal , wast and purloyn their masters goods if hereticks , for the weakening and disenabling of them to resist the roman enterprise begun ; these things and many more are legable in bloody characters , which i hope this generation will not easily blot out of their memories , so as to commit all faith , all hope , all religion , and all infallibility and judgment , to such a degenerated generation , as r. e. would have us do , and with such audaciousness is not ashamed to blow his trumpet as in the head of an host to animate and encourage all to come to this black standard for protection , and direction , judgment , certainty , and infallibility , under no less then pain of damnation ; and why but because peter was sometime bishop of rome as they say , and had given unto him the keyes of the kingdom of heaven , and whatsoever he bound on earth was bound in heaven , and whatsoever he loosed on earth , was loosed in heaven ; and because christ said , ( giving answer to peters faith ) upon this rock i will build my church ; therefore all the bishops and popes as heires apparent succeeds him , in laying claim to headship , and doth none of his office , nor none of his work , and this foolish foppery and private interpretation hath been put off at a very great rate , for catholick doctrine , which brings to my mind a pleasant story , i have sometime read of a certain poor man meeting a certain bishop at a certain time , in great pomp and glory , which the poor man beholding , took up a laughter , and being enquired of by the bishop wherefore he laughed ? said he , that peter should be such a fool as to live such a poor miserable life as he did , and persecuted in the world , and to leave his successors so rich , to inherit such pomp and glory : with that the bishop replyed and said , thou fool , i am not in this glory as i am bishop of such a place , but as i am duke of such a place : at that the man smiled again , and said , when the duke was in hell for his pride , where then would the bishop be . but to let this pass i am sure them that layes claim to be peters successors as to patrimony and riches ( which he was never endowed with , for sometime he said , silver or gold have i none ) but doth little of his work in converting of souls , or feeding of the flock of christ and doth lay claim unto his privilege and power , but will not come near him in doctrine , labour and suffering for his members ; and therefore i say to thee in thy own words , lay aside thy folly , with the consequences of it , as destructive to the church of god , to hang all their faith upon such uncertainties , but even to humane societies , which i have mentioned , and might instance more , but that i would not be tedious to the reader . lastly , yes , some have some other testimony by which spirits are tryed and may be tryed to be of god , otherwise then by force , carnal sword , a strong party , or success , that 's thy own and not ours ; we have the holy unction which is poured forth , whereby the saints knew all things , and tryed the spirits , whether they were of god or no , and he that confesses not christ come in the flesh is antichrist ; and he that confesses that christ is come in the flesh only , in word , and because others hath said so , and doth not witness sin condemned in the flesh , and turned from , and to have power over it , the same is a false witness , and is an antichrist also , and also we have other things to try spirits by , we know a proud , angry , hasty , perverse spirit , is not the spirit of god ; a persecuting , lording spirit , is not the spirit of god ; and again they that teach a contrary doctrine , to the doctrine of christ and his apostles , they have the spirit of error ; again , they whose practice and conversation is not suitable to the practice and conversations of christ and the apostles and primitive christians , that they are in the spirit of error ; again , they that would force a faith by any humane constitution or law which is repugnant to the law of god , or by force of the sword or any carnal weapons , they have the spirit of error ; for the weapons of the lamb and his followers are not carnal weapons , but spiritual , and yet mighty through god to the beating down of the strong holds of wickedness ; and to prevail over the powers of darkness : again , the testimony of god in every mans conscience , which is an unerring testimony , this savours the things of god , and by this the things that be not of god are discerned , and this will put a perfect difference between the spirit of truth , and the spirit of error ; but what can be said to a man in unbelief that hath closed his eyes . the next thing which r. e. saith he consider'd , was , that the natural reason of every man could not possibly be rule and judge , that i sought for ; for saith he , if reason were to be rule and judge , then it would follow contrary to scripture , that it is not impossible to please god without faith , and it would likewise follow that every religion would be truth , consequently contradictions would be true , consequently there would be many religions and no faith at all , for reason excludes faith , as in the 26. page of his book . thy tongue is thy own , and thou art at liberty , and goes whether thou wilt , & speaks what seems good in thy own eyes , & hath never yet known another to gird thee and lead thee whether thou would not , i stand not to vindicate every mans judgment , neither to prove other mens conceptions , but seeing thou hath taken in hand to lay all mountains wast afore thee that stands in thy ways , thou hast raised up some in thy discourse for others to stumble at , and hath spoken many false things , without distinguishing and puting a difference between light and darkness , between natural reason and spiritual reason , i could not chuse but say somewhat . although it is no part of my belief , that the natural reason of any man or every man is able to be rule , judge , and guide to any man in the things of god , yet faith is not in opposition unto pure reason , neither is pure and spiritual reason in opposition to true faith , but in harmony with it , and one with another , as they are the gifts of god ; but the natural reason of all the fallen sons of adam is corrupted , and is too short , and too narrow , too cross , and too perverse , as to be rule and judge in the things of god , for the natural man by all his endowments in the transgression perceives not the things of god , for they are spiritually discerned , and the things of god that are spiritual and eternal are above the reach of natural reason , and yet thy consequence is false , for faith doth not exclude pure reason , and faith doth not make blind the understanding , but enlightens it ; and though it is impossible to please god without faith , yet it is impossible that , that faith should be without reason , the apostle desired to be delivered from unreasonable men that had not faith , so it is manifest they that have faith have reason , and them that have no faith are unreasonable , and where thou hath borrowed this rule i know not , that a man must believe that which he doth not understand ; seeing the apostle saith to the romans , even of the gentiles , who had not the law nor the scriptures , that , that which may be known of god was manifest in them ; for by that it is manifest they understood the mind of god and knew him ; for paul saith further , when they knew god they glorified him not as god , but were unthankful , &c. and again , he that believes must know that god is ; for none can believe in that which is not , for to perswade any to believe in uncertainties , which is not manifest in the understanding , doth rather beget unbelief and doubting then true faith , but thy paths are so full of darkness i shall not traduce them , and thy consequences is false , for pure reason teaches not contradictions , neither doth teach that there is no faith at all , neither is faith excluded by pure reason , as thou ignorantly saith in the 26. page ; and is it not reason that i should believe in him , whom i know is the creator and governour of all the world , and pure religion is so far from excluding faith , that they that have true faith have reason , and stands not in opposition to faith , but this i conclude , that the reason of fallen men is corrupted , and is an uncertain thing to relie upon , and so not a competent judge in matters of so high concernment , as touching everlasting salvation . the third thing which thou treats upon , is against them who have pleaded that the sole scriptures are sufficient of themselves to teach true faith from time to time , to direct , rule and govern us , and to be rule and judge , and to supply the place of christ and the apostles . as i said , it is not my intention to vindicate other mens quarels , which is no part of my faith , notwithstanding i should be sorry , but that every thing had its true weight and measure , and shall not in the least detract from the price , value and true worth of the words of truth , to wit the scriptures of truth , which were spoken forth by the spirit of truth , and by the holy ghost , as it gave utterance , but as men erring in their judgments , runs sometimes to the right hand , and sometimes to the left hand , and walks not in a straight path , some men are seting them up above that which they were intended for , and placing them in the stead of god , christ , and the spirit , and others are too much debasing them and disesteeming them , as that they would set up the judgment of variable and changable men , who hold and teach things in contradiction to the scriptures , and repugnant to the mind of the spirit in them that spoke them forth . but first of all , i say not against thee in this thing , that the sole or whole scriptures are not sufficient of themselves to teach true faith , and give the knowledge of god without the spirit , for many have got the words , and yet hath not received the spirit , nor the power which the scriptures declare of , such wrangles and contends with the words , and opposes the life and the power ; the jews had the scriptures , and knew by them where christ should be born , and knew by them what his works should be , when he was manifest , and yet rejected him , unto whom all the prophets bore witness , from moses to samuel , and from him to john , and they were never intended by god , as to be set up as judge , and guide , to wit the words without the power and spirit of god ; yet notwithstanding , though i cannot set them up in the place of god and christ , and the spirit , nor contend ignorantly as some have done , that they are the author of true faith , and that they are the eternal word of god , which the world was made by , that they are the light , and the way , the truth and the life , and that they are the desider of all controversies , and sole , and absolute , and only judge of all matters of faith , and of all matters that ever hath been , or ever shall be in controversie to the end of the world without the spirit of god ; neither am i of that ignorant mind as some are , that the letter and the spirit is unseparable , as that whosoever hath the scripture must needs have the spirit , or whosoever hath the scripture must needs be infallible without the spirit , all that are of the aforesaid judgment are but wranglers for the most part about words , and contenders against the power of god and godliness , and brings the words to oppose the life , and them that have the spirit and walk in it , for a natural man may read the scriptures and yet not perceive the things of god , neither perceive the mind of the spirit , but wrest to their own destruction , as peter saith , because they are unlearned & untaught ( by the spirits teaching , ) though otherwise learned enough in languages , tongues and speeches . secondly , yet i cannot detract from them , neither undervalue them , or disesteem them as uncertain , or of no use , or of little use , but what ever themselves declare themselves to be , that i own them to be , to wit , the words of god , the words of christ , the words of the holy prophets and patriarkes , and apostles , who were endued with the holy ghost , and spake forth the scripture as they were moved thereby , in several ages of several things , and unto several states and conditions , as they were led thereunto by the holy spirit , and they are a certain declaration of things that were done and believed , and practised by the jewes under the first covenant , and by the apostles and primitive christians in the new covenant , and contain many precious and holy precepts and commands , doctrines , examples , exhortations , admonisions , reproofs and instructions ; and are as lively examples and holy patterns for all the saints in light to follow , by which we are given to understand what faith , what hope , what patience , what love , what mercy , what long sufferings , what consolation , and what vertue , and what inheritance the saints in light were made pertakers of , through faith in christ jesus : likewise , what doctrines were held forth , and what practice they used in the primitive times , when they walked in the order of the gospel , and had fellowship with god the father , and the son , and one with another in the light of the gospel , which is the power of god , through which they witnessed salvation and remission of sins , and published it unto others that they might believe . thirdly , the scriptures testifies of christ , and were written that they might be believed , and received , and read , that there by every one that believed might be made wise to salvation , through faith in christ jesus , 2 tim. 3. and instructed in righteousness , that the man of god may be perfect , throughly furnished with all good works , and whosoever doth teach any doctrines contrary unto the holy men of god , who spake as they were moved by the spirit of god which dwelt in them , the scriptures are witnesses against such , that they have not the spirit of god , but are led by another spirit which brings forth contrary doctrine , and another faith then once was delivered among the saints , and whosoever brings in , sets up other precepts , constitutions , orders , and practices in point of worships in opposition and contrary unto those practices which were held forth in the primitive times ; and would set up other traditions then the apostles delivered either by word or writing , such are manifest to have the spirit of error , and are innovaters and bringers in of other things , as necessary in point of worship among christians , which the apostles and ministers of christ did not see necessary then , and yet they wanted no part of the councel of god , for paul said , he had declared the whole councel of god ; and further more they said , we have the mind of christ , and christs mind is not variable . fourthly , though divers of the writings of the prophets and apostles be lost doubtless , as is evident by divers places of scripture , yet blessed be god that there are those preserved which do bear witness of the one thing absolutely necessary unto salvation , and of the ministrations that were appointed of the lord for the church of god to observe , both in the first and second covenants ; so that christians of this last age are not left without example and president , which all ought to have an eye unto , and a diligent regard , and though there be divers coppies of that which is called the original tongues , and divers translations , yet he unto whom the spirit of god is given , and waiteth in the measure of christs light shall receive it , doth see and shall see the mind and will of god in every age , and the mind and intent of the spirit in them that spoke forth the scripture , and can receive the matter therein contained , as though they had heard them speak , that spoke it at the first , and though the translaters were men , yet i have such an honourable esteem of their labour , that i believe they have not varied wittingly and willingly from the best coppies that was extant in their age , neither that they were altogether void of the spirit of god in such a good work , which conduced to the benefit of mankind , but were assisted by it , for so good a work , and there be many figures and trophes , improprieties of speech , mysteries and difficulties , yet all these comes to be made easie and plain to them that are witnesses of the same spirit that gave them forth , and though there be deversity of judgments and professions of religion , one clashing again another , and thwarting another , and contradicting another , and all will seem to bring the scripture for their proofe , which yet canuot maintain and prove every thing good , especially when their doctrines contradict one another : this is granted , it is only their private interpretation , and not the scripture ; and for want of that spirit that gave it forth , for that alone gives the true understanding of it , and they that are without this are like to kill one another about words and names , and sounds , and titles , and jotas , but still wants the key that opens , and gives an entrance into the knowledg of the things of god , which alone is the spirit of god that gave forth the scriptures . last of all , r. e. after he saith the three former props which is the basis of the whole foundation , and glided over as sleightily as he possible could , although he hath never stated the matter right , indeed as to remove all things out of his way , which might hinder him in his cause which he drives so hard on in , to wit , to set up a certain company or multitude of men visible and universal , as he saith to be the only infallible judge to convey faith to the world , and to be the certain and infallible judge in all matters , that either pertaines to the worship of god , and to be believed under pain of damnation , as his term is all along , without questioning at all either their doctrine or principles , or comparing them with the doctrine of christ or primitive christians , whether they be true or false , whether they be with or against , but all is to be received by an implisite faith , hand over head , and by whole sail , for it will admit of no examination nor doubt , but all must be received of necessity as infallible , and upon so great a necessity to , as r. e. saith , if you will believe him , would make it so , that all forfeits eternal salvation for not receiving all the doctrines of this church , and consequently procures eternal damnation unto themselves who refuse it ; so that if i should say no more , but even lay down his assertions which are scattered up and down his book , called an epistle to all nonconformists , it were answer enough i hope to many , whose mouthes i hope would be filled with arguments , and sound and grounded ones too , or at least with faith in their hearts to oppugn , and not receive all these bold assertions without examination or trial , only upon the account of infallibility from the universal church of rome , falsly so called ; but r. e. having removed away all the stumbling blocks which is in his way , as he judges , the private spirit he hath concluded not to be this rule and judge , which i judge he hath no opposers in , though he have spent much paper and time in his scribling humour , which hath been his manner in former days , as he confesseth page the first ; neither reason , nor the scriptures , are this rule and judge , but he hath concluded the catholick church is , but all along he hath waved that which indeed is the only and alone rule and judge infallible , viz. the spirit of god ; but either calls it the private spirit , or concludes it is intailed upon the church , so that she cannot erre , page the 54. which i shall say something further unto . that there hath been a church of god , and a peculiar people whom god hath singled out , as to be objects of his love , which feared him in their hearts , and bore a testimony of him , and worshipped him according to the manifestation of his spirit unto them , whether by word or revelation , which was certain and infallible unto them that received it , is granted , and this was alwaies but little in comparison of the multitude of the fallen sons of adam , and the rest of the nations and people that served and worshipped strange gods , and never made such a boast of universality and visibility as this supposed catholick church hath done since the apostacy entered in , which the apostles foresaw and prophesied off before their departure out of this tabernacle , and since , many have believed in christ , and the worship of the jewes extinguished , and a fatal overthrow of their civil government and kingdom , are two main reasons of extinguishing their worship , and hath been no invitation to any to turn jewes , or holden in their worship , seeing they have lost their government and dominion , and are as scattered people without privilege , and is no inducement for the world to joyne to them ; therefore seeing the face of that government was demolished , and their worship ended , but only as to themselves , who remained in their unbelief , and seeing that the doctrine of christ did so far prevail as to extingush it , and put out the glory thereof in the apostles dayes , and sometime afterwards , and also the gentiles worship , and their false gods and dumb idols , which they were led after , the power of god prevailing through the apostles , the ministers of righteousness , by whom many were converted unto the faith of christ , the summe and substance of all shadowes , many being converted to the faith , did hold forth a publick testimony , and it became in some reputation , and many preached him of envy , contention and strife , and for filthy lucre , covetousness and self-ends , and many followed their pernicious wayes , and yet held the name of christ and christianity , and thus began the mystery of iniquity to work , and the devil to turn so far christian in name , ( only ) because it was in vain among many to hold forth the jewes worship , or the gentiles worship , because they had an inclination another way after christianity , that came into more repute with the world , and therefore suffered the name or many to profess it , and under this name , and under this cover , to bring forth his works of darkness , and the fruits of the flesh , and the nature of christ wanting , and here was the beginning and rise of your universal visible church . secondly , for the first two thousand years before the scriptures were written , r. e. saith , the church of god was this rule and judge and infallible director , which might to some indifferent man have been granted , but that i see which way his course bends , viz. to the setting up of men as judge , and rule , and guide , and detracts from the spirit and power of god , in which the ability and power of the church of god stood , and from which alone they received this proper power & right , because their understandings were enlightened , and their judgments informed to declare the mind of god freely , according as it was revealed , and to give true judgment , why is not this attributed rather to the spirit and power of god that was manifest in them , rather then to persons , seeing their ability stood , and their power only as they kept in covenant with god , and as any erred from that in any age , or fell from that , they came to be blind guides , and to give false judgment , as some such there were in all ages . thirdly , r. e. saith , that after the scripture was written the church of the jewes was rule and judge unto the jewes , & cites deu. 17. 8. thou shalt come to the priests , levites , & unto the iudge and enquire , and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgment , and according to that which they shall tell thee thou shall do . and likewise he quotes , mat. 23. 2 , 3. the scribes and pharisees sit in moses chair , whatsoever they bid you observe , that observe and do , &c. and from thence he infers , would god direct them unto , and punish with death for not obeying an authority which might deceive them , and was this authority committed to them that was capable of mistaking . answ. it seems r. e. would narrow and pinch up the church of god among the jewes in a straight compass , when he would confine it only to the priests and levites , and to the judges in those days , when as all the tribes were called the church as well as levy ; again it is said , jacob is my portion , and israel is the lot of my inheritance , comprising the whole tribes and families of the jewes , but it seems these must be no part of the church with r. e. he pinches narrower now then he will do when he tells us of the vastness of the universal church ; but let that pass as by the way , and to come to the matter in hand ; the priests and levites were appointed by the express commandements of god , as to be ministers unto him , and to minister unto the people , according to that covenant that he made in those days , and the priests and levites were endowed with the spirit from god , suitable to the ministry and charge committed to them , and they were figures of christ the everlasting high priest , and the law and judgment which was given by the lord to moses , was delivered to the priests and their lips were to preserve knowledge ; and good reason , because they were committed unto them , and the tables of stone and the commandements were not given to the families and the rest of the tribes , and r. e. hath answered himself , neither could sufficient coppies have been written in any reasonable time to every particular tribe , family , or person , and therefore r. e. concludes full too hastily , but that his spirit indeed is byassed all along in his discourse to aime toward the mark he would be at , to set up men above the spirit , scripture and reason ; but i euquire of r. e. whether that the priests and levites , and judge did tell them any other thing , or direct them in any other way , or gave judgment after any other manner then as was written in the tables of stone , or the book of the law , which was written ; wherein the mind of god was contained both in point of worship , and also in point of government ; and why might not r. e. as well and reasonably have concluded that , that which was given from the mouth of the lord concerning all israel , was the direction , rule and guide , and judge , as well as the priests and levites , and the reason that the people or the church having recourse to their ministers appointed of god , wa● , because they had the statutes and ordinances of god committed unto them , which was put in the ark of the covenant , and in the tabernacle ; and by the way i would ask r. e. or any of his roman catholicks a question , seeing he saith , that this promise is granted and intailed unto the church ( without all limitation or condition ) as to be the only infallible rule , and that they cannot err ; whether that these priests and levites ever did err , yea or nay ? and when was the entail cut off from them ? seeing the scripture saith , they had violated his law , and broken his covenant ; and again the prophets prophesied for hire , and the priests bore rule by their means , and the judges judged for rewardes ; and as david and paul saith concerning israel , they are all gone out of the way , and there is not one that doth good , no not one ; and whether were they the rule and true guides , and judges in this revolted estate , yea or nay ? although i do not question but they retained still their places by way of office , and would claim the same power which they had before from god , as they stood in the commands of god , as r. e. and his catholicks do , and will lay claim to the office and power the apostles had , though they do err from the spirit the apostles were in ; and whether their power of being directers , guiders and true judges , and infallible rule , stood not upon this condition , as they did continue in the covenant of god , and kept the precepts of god in purity without violation , which when they did not , ( as sometimes they did not ) whether were they subject to err , or whether did they err , yea or nay ? viz. the priests and levites , judges , and heads of the people which r. e. reckons for the church ; and though christ did exhort his disciples to hear the scribes and pharisees who sat in moses chair , and to observe and do those things which they from the law before given , read and taught , and instructed the people in , because as i said before the law and the statutes was committed to the priests and levites , and they to read it , and minister unto the people , by the appointment of god ; and these statutes and ordinances were the rule that the then church ought to have observed , yet christ exhorted the disciples to beware of their leaven , and of their hypocrisie , and said , they said and did not , notwithstanding all the authority which r. e. saith they had ; and further saith , would god direct them unto , and punish with death for not obeying an authority which might deceive them , or would christ command the doing of whatsoever should be done by an authority that was capable of mistaking ; all which makes nothing for r. e. but rather would run him upon a harder rock , if this should be true or granted , for then he is bound both to believe and justifie the scribes and pharisees in whatsoever they did or said , of which methinks r. e. should be ashamed of ; 't is true they that sat in moses chair could not err nor be deceived , nor be capable of mistaking , as they continued to keep unviolate the ordinances , statutes and rule , which was given unto them by the command of god , but when they disobeyed and set up the traditions of men , and mingled them with the ordinance of god , and neglected the weighty matters of the law , as justice and true judgment ; both they that taught , and they that were taught , came justly under reproof ; and seeing r. e. reckons that the authority of the jewes , scribes and pharisees could not be deceived nor capable of mistaking , only because they bear the name of such an authority and office ; i query of r. e. again whether the scribes and pharisees were not mistaken , yea or nay ? and whether they were not deceived , yea or nay ? and wherefore christ should exhort his disciples to take heed of them , and to beware of them , and to take heed of their doctrine ? and why did christ pronounce so many woes against them , notwithstanding their sitting in moses chair ? but in what hath been said i hope will be sufficient to convince any , that what r. e. hath laid down for a seeming foundation makes altogether against himself , the premises before well considered : and as for all thy collections out of the prophets of the promise of god to his church , isaiah 54. and 56. and of its indowments and glory , and excellency , and of his puting his spirit in them , and of his word in their mouthes , and that it should not depart from the seed , nor the seeds seed for ever ; this is granted , and the promise is not to men as men , but to the seed which is not many but one , but israel was this true church then in the time of this prophesie , though it have relation to future ages also ; and if r. e. looks that this promise should be to israel after the flesh , the church then visible and in being , he mistakes himself , and he egragiously errs , and contradicts the scripture in sundry places , which saith , your house is left unto you desolate , their sacrifices ceased , the glory of god departed from them ; their prophets prophesied a divination of their own brain , and their visions were as visions of the night , and the lord spake not to the most of them , yet they said falsly thus saith the lord , in their revolted estate , for they were erred from the spirit and gone from the seed , and joyned to another seed , and their holy flesh was departed from them , though as men they had the same flesh still , go learn what that means ; and yet notwithstanding all this , the promise of god was not violated , neither unfulfilled on gods part ; for the promise was not then , neither now is to natural generations , or that which is born after the flesh , or to men as men , and creatures , but as they are the seed , and as they are men of god , and as they are born again and new creatures ; and if thou will have an intailing here it is intailed , which cannot be cut off , for the covenant stands not to men in such a place that carries the name of office or authority , but as they are led by the spirit the infallible judge , rule or guide , as they walk by this , and in this , they cannot err , and they erring from this , they are subject to be deceived , and to be mistaken in all things , and every thing , of which there is evident examples in the scriptures of truth in divers ages , of them that professed themselves members of the church of god , and so visible as r. e. speaks of , yea , and the greater part too , that have erred , and their paths hath been reckoned by the lord as crooked and perverse , and their habitants full of cruelty , and this is given for an instance , the visible church of the jewes did err and go aside , notwithstanding all the promise of god to them , and as they looked that it still belonged to them , because they were invisible profession , though they had turned their backs upon the lord , and their hearts too , and violated his covenant , yet still as i said , the promise of god and the covenant of god is not made of none effect , nor broken on gods part , but stands with the seed for ever , who are circumcised in heart , and who worshipes god in spirit and truth , and in uprightness of heart , and hath no confidence in the flesh , nor fleshly privileges , nor external performances , but only trusts unto the gift of righteousness manifest in them , by which justification comes upon all that believes , and the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of christ , and the fulness of the promise of god ; but these things i know though they be holy , faithful , and true , are a sealed book , and hid from all eyes living in the flesh , who hath not been baptised into the death and suffering of christ. fourthly , that christ by his own mouth and the mouthes of the apostles , did promise that there should be a church which the gates of hell should not prevail against , and this church was established upon the everlasting foundation , and the rock of ages , and was indued with power from an high , and with a great measure of the spirit of god according unto christ's promise , which more plentifully was poured forth after christs departure , and after his ascension , and great gifts were given unto them , the word of knowledge , the word of wisdom , the interpretation of tongues , & the gift of tongues , the gift of prophesie , the gift of discerning spirits , healing the sick , working of miracles , &c. and all these foresaid gifts were given for the work of the ministry , for the perfecting of the saints , for the edifying of the body of christ , till we all come into the unity of the faith , and the knowledge of the son of god , and unto a perfect man , and to the measure and stature of the fulness of christ , ephes. 4. 11 , 12 , 13. and all these were instrumental ( through the spirit of god which was with them and in them , the only means ) to bear witness unto those things that they had learned and believed , and to publish the word of faith abroad unto the world : and for all these aforesaid ends above mentioned , which though r. e. and his catholicks will need lay claim to the succession by way of office , yet by their doctrine denies in part the very end wherefore such gifts were given , to wit the doctrine of purgatory , for if they did perfect the saints , or were brought up to the knowledge of the son of god , and to perfect men in christ jesus , and to be without sin , what need had there been of raising up this damnable doctrine out of the pit , to purge from sin after they be dead , seeing they were to be perfect men while they were alive , and the ministry was given for this end ; but yours it seems cannot have these effects on this side of the grave , and therefore they must perfect them in the grave , and so be ministers in another world : and this church thus gathered and endued before mentioned , with the infallible spirit of god , if any that did sometime believe and were joyned unto it , did walk disorderly , as not becoming the gospel of our lord jesus christ , they were to be admonished and exhorted , and if they persisted in their disorder , it was to be told to the church , or the whole body , and if such a one would not hear the church , he was to be reckoned as a publican , or a heathen , and to be denyed as to have any fellowship with him till manifest repentance was shewn , but we never read that this church did shed any mans blood , or burn any , or give consent to destroy any , instance if thou can , though obstinate and hereticks too ; and in this amongst many other things the spirit of your church is seen to be contrary to the primitive church , and you out of christs doctrine ; but r. e. argues further and saith , but if christ by his spirit doth not preserve this church from all possibility of teaching error instead of truth ; i may receive such errors as may damn me ; unto which i say , christ by his spirit doth preserve this church from all possibility of teaching error , if they continue in the guidance thereof , and err not from the spirit of christ as some churches did , which were as truly christian , and might lay claim unto christs promise of preservation out of error , as ever rome could do , and yet fix of the seven churches of asia were reproved by the spirit of christ , some of them for holding gross error , and some for suffering it ; but where was the fault , did not christ perform his promise to his church , or to these and other particular churches ? as corinth and galatia ? ( yes ) but there was an erring from the spirit ; but all that r. e. goes about is to prove ( which he will never be able to do ) that christ is bound by promise to make it good to them that he hath once promised unto , though they perform nothing of their part in taking heed to his direction , and thus would limit the lord , and let men go free without obedience to his commands ; and he cites mat. 28. 2● . how the promise of christ was , and lo i am always with you even to the end of the world ; but he hath done as the devil did , when he brought it is written , to christ , & left out half the words , so r. e. hath left out the conditions on the disciples part , and that which was their duty , teaching them to observe all things whatsoever i command you , & then loe i am with you , &c. but r. e. likes not obedience it seems unto christs commands , and yet he will needs be a sharer in the promise , and of the power that was given , and bind god unto that , and he and his church to be loose , to do and to teach what they will ; but as to all the scriptures he hath brought and minced them , and cut them in peece meale ; and all the inferences he makes , this we acknowledge without multiplicity of words , that whatsoever was promised to the church of christ , and the disciples of christ ; as the church of christ , and disciples of christ , the same promise of christ , doth belong to the church of christ and disciples of christ in every age , and stands upon the same condition ; viz. obedience unto his will , and that they still do teach and no other thing but what he commands them , then he is with them according to his promise ; but let not r. e. nor his roman catholicks look if they teach things repugnant to his mind and contrary to his will , and press upon others to believe that which christ hath never taught , that then the promise of god will be so intailed to them as that they cannot err , and here the deceit of thine and your hearts hath led you aside , and this is one of the cuning sleights of men , and craftiness whereby you lay in wait to deceive ; and by this you have deceived many ; because god hath made such large promises unto his church , how that they should be led into all truth , and preserved out of error , and you are their successors and must needs inherit this promise by way of intail , and you cannot err , you cannot be deceived , because the apostles was infallible , therefore you must needs be infallible ; though you err and go aside never so much from the infallible spirit , the true guide and judge of , and in the church of god ▪ as though you had been born to infallibility and the spirit of truth had comed by succession ; but the inward light which thou scoffes at , and the spirit of truth which thou calls a private spirit often , hath discovered you and your spirit , though thou boast of fifteen ages that your doctrine hath been held by the pastours and teachers in your visible church as in the 57. page of thy epistle ; suppose i should grant the fifteen hundred years , which i neither can nor will but i will lead thee to the sixteen hundred years and try thee and your doctrine that you have held this fifteen hundred year , if it be so as thou saith ; but this thou likes not , but seeing thou pleads antiquity let us come on and joyne issue , prove us transubstantiation in the first hundred year , nay i will give thee five hundred more , and if i gave thee five more thou would hardly prove it ; before the council of trent prove us the doctrine of purgatory in the first hundred year , and if thou take two , it shall not offend me ; prove us the forbiding of ministers to marry in the first hundred year , and abstenance from meats , as though they were unclean which are created by god for the use of believers ; prove us that man hath a twofold right to the kingdom of heaven , as your great bellarmine saith , the one by christ , the other by a man 's own works ; prove us invocation of angels , and prayer and sacrifice for the dead the first hundred year after christ ; prove us their selling of pardons in christs and the apostles days for money ; prove us seting up of images as to put men in mind of the saints deceased , and of their works ; prove us baptism of infants with cream and spittle , and signing with the cross , and godfathers and godmothers ; and let us have some example beyond bare report , for we dare not relie upon your infallible spirit in these things , therefore convince us , for we are gain-sayers , and upon good ground , and we do look upon all these doctrines and many more not to be of such a great age as thou tells on , neither to have any affinity or congruaty , with the church of christ in his or the apostles time nor sundry years after , but rather look upon them as doctrines of devils , and a very novelty ; a further scripture r. e. urges , 1 tim. 3. 15. the church of the living god the pillar and ground of truth ; and may we not relie of that pillar that god hath erected for us saith he , and he that hears you hears me , and go teach all nations , and lo i am with you always , and yet if after all these promises if the church may not be believed except she teacheth according to the scriptures , and be only infallible but when she doth her duty , then the church hath no more privilege then the devil hath , for so long as he teaches conformable to the scripture he may be believed , and so long as he teaches truth he may be believed saith r. e. in page the 58 , 59. answ. the church is in god , 1 thes. 1. and is the pillar and ground of truth ; she is in the world though not of the world ; and though the members thereof be visible in the world , yet the world that lies in wickedness , never owned them as such , neither saw the glory of this church but always persecuted it , and was so far from owning it as rule and judge , as it altogether gainsayed its direction , but they that did believe in the word of life , and were separated from the world , and hated by it , were willing to hear the councel and to receive the instruction of the church of god , and the church only medled with their own members as in matter of judgment and not of the world , further then by preaching repentance in it ; for the apostle saith , what have we to do to judge them that are without ; and this church as in god was secure to relie upon , for she had the oracles of god committed unto her , and every one may relie upon this pillar if they dare trust it , which i see r. e. dare not because he likes not to be tyed to their doctrine declared of in the scriptures , but would have all to take what they say for granted without the scripture , or the apostle , example or spirit , and is not this unreasonable in thee , that would have the church to be believed , or that which calls it self so by name , when she teacheth not conformable to scriptures and to the faith which was once delivered among the saints , and would thou have a church reckoned infallible and to be believed when she doth not her duty ; the churches privileges is in speaking truth and judging righteously , and the devil was a lyer from the beginning and is out of the truth ; and where hath thou read that he teaches conformable to scripture , and so may be believed , is not the promise of god to his disciples , as they continued to the end , and as they kept his commandements ; and were they not known to be the church of god and disciples of christ by this , and was not the promise to them that hungred and thirsted after righteousness , and to them that did overcome , and was not the exhortation to the church of philadelphia , hold fast that which thou hast that none take thy crown , rev. 3. 11 , 12. was there not a possibility of leting go that which they had , and of loosing the crown , or else why is the exhortation ? but i see r. e. would lay claim to promises and privileges without all condition , and will not be tyed to keep the commands of christ , nor would not have the church tyed to follow the doctrine of the primitive church , nor will not admit of any possibility or probability of failing or erring , nay not so much as a mistake ; but as to infallibility and certainty i have said enough before , and the confidence or rather the impudence of r. e. is easily seen , and to make up all , he concludes the apostles as men were subject to error in their private affaires , yet were they by the assistance of gods spirit infallible in delivering matters of faith , i say as they were assisted by the holy spirit of god they neither erred in private affaires nor matters of faith , but as they were not assisted by this they were subject to err , for in this stood their only ability to teach , instruct , exhort , and judge , and as they were guided by this spirit , they were infallible ; and so r. e. saith that the prelats of the holy catholick church as men they are fallible in their own private actions and affairs ; yet when they are assembled in a general council with their supream pastor they are still made infallible in determining matters of faith : it is well that r. e. will grant that there is any possibility for their prelats to fail either publick or private ; but i say he that is not faithful in his own actions and affaires , can never be faithful in the lords ; but it seems a general council cannot fail when the supream pastor the pope is there , but if he be not it seems by e's discourse , it is more doubtful : the like he also judges if the eleven disciples and the seventy too , with the brethren and elders , if they had all been to define matters of faith if peter had been wanting , which this catholick church calls the prince of the apostles , there had been some doubt of their infallibility in point of faith ; as though the promise of god and the spirit of god had not been with the rest of the apostles as well as peter : but a word or two and more hereafter of the infallibility of general councils , the nicean council decreed flat idolatry about worshipping of images , the council at constantinople condemned their proceedings , and made void their decrees , yet both these in e's account must needs be infallible ; the council at basil as albertus phigious saith decreed against all reason and against scriptures ( the council of calcedon ) which was one of the four that gregory the great compares to the four gospels , that their decrees were as certain and infallible ; yet pope leo did not stick to condemn it , and all them as unadvised ; stephanius bishop of rome made void the decrees of formosus ; and sabinian the pope commanded that pope gregory's mass and all his writings should be burned ; leo the fourth abrogated and made void the acts of adrian ; the basil council determined that the council of bishops was above the pope , but the latterine council under leo determined that the pope was above the council ; and they decreed also that he that should think otherwise should be held for a heretick ; but the council of basil aforesaid decreed that they that judged that the council was not above the pope they were hereticks : innumerable more instances i might give but that i will not trouble my reader with such unprofitable stories ; and all these popes said , they were peters successors , and had the keys of binding and loosing , and all these councils and many more which were of the roman faith which in e's account could not err but must needs be infallible , and yet are as contradictory one to another as light is to darkness , and black to white , and looks with their faces several ways like samsons foxes ; and therefore let not r. e. nor none of his catholicks think that the church of christ now coming out of the wilderness again , can receive all their contradictory decrees , and invented fopperies and constitutions of men for infallible : the day is broken , the light hath taken hold of the ends of the earth , the sun is risen which shall make all the foggy mists of darkness and clouds of ignorance to fly away . but r. e. ceases not here , but heapes up one peece of darkness upon another till blackness of darkness appear , and he tells of a visible church , mat. 16. which is builded upon peter that visible rock , for that rock there spoken of is not christ , saith he , but peter , for immediately after he names peter , whereas saith he , if he had meaned himself or peters confession , for that saith he is too remote or mediate and anticedent , for if christ had meaned himself or peters confession , he should have spoken according to the grammer rule and construction , vpon that rock , or upon this rock i have build , i do build , and not i will build , in the 63. page and in the 64. page , he tells of a church visible having two heads of an independent head , and a dependent head ; and in the 66. page he saith , he hopes that it will appear clear to all , as it did to him , that the visible church is that rule and judge appointed by god , and all upon pain of damnation are to submit unto it . where r. e. hath read of a visible church with two heads i know not , and to take it for infallible i intend not ; and where is peter called a visible rock , and the chief pastor among the apostles ; doth not this contradict scripture , doth not christ say , the gentiles exercise dominion one over another , but it shall not be so amongest you , he that will be greatest among you let him be your servant , and he that will be chief let him be your minister ; and as for thy visible and militant church we read no such words in the scriptures of truth , we read of a church of god and of the first born , whereof christ was the rock and the foundation , and another foundation can no man lay then that which is laid , which is jesus christ , 1 cor. 3. 11. and paul saith in the 10. ver , as a wise master builder i have laid the foundation . i hope r. e. will not be so impudent as to say he had laid peter or that he had preached up peter to believe in for the remission of sins , nor for the foundation of faith , for that had been contrary to the apostles commission and their doctrine ; for saith the apostle , we have not preached our selves but christ the lord , and our selves your servants for his sake . and i may say to thee r. e. as paul said to the corinthians when they were striving about men , 1 cor. 3. 21. therefore let no man glory in men , for all things are yours ; or as he saith in the 1 chap. 13. ver . was paul crucified for you , or were you baptised in the name of paul ; were they not carnal that so gloried , was peter crucified for us , or were we baptised in the name of peter , is not your visible church carnal who thus judges that christ intended peter to be the foundation of his church , for what was he or the rest of the apostles , but ministers by which many believed ▪ and if thou had been present , it is very like would have instructed christ what to have said , and bidden him have spoken after the grammer rule and construction upon that rock i will build my church ; for peters faith in christ is to mediate it seems , and his confession too remote and anticedent , to be the rock meant in the 16. of mat. 18. and therefore peter must be imediate , and the rock upon which christ hath , doth , and will build his church , but as imediate as he was , and a sure a rock as he was , when he began to rebuke christ he turned him about ver . 23. and said unto peter , get the behind me satan thou art an offence unto me , for thou savours not the things of god ; and so say i to r. e. and his catholicks , they savour not the things of god , but it is thy private spirit and your own interpretations and not the mind of christ , and how far anticedent is peter's confession of christ the son of the living god , is it not in the 16. ver . and wherein was peter blessed but in this , that it was revealed to him that christ was the son of the living god , the rock of ages , and the foundation of his church ; and as for thy visible church with its two heads , indipendent head , and dependent head , which sure must have two bodies where they can be found , but that i shall leave to r. e. and i hope from the grounds that thou hast here laid which did appear so clear to thee , that none will be afraid not judge , that such a visible church with two heads is to be rule and guide to all to whom all is to submit under pain of damnation , which is to have peter for its rock , which if he had been living he would have denyed you all , as seters up of men and ●leighters of jesus christ the rock of ages , the foundation of the church , the head of the body , the rule of life , the judge of quick and the dead , the law-giver , directer , instructer , and preserver of his church for ever ; but r. e. goes on and saith , it only remains that we consider which among all these congregations now on earth , which pretend themselves to be this church of christ , for having once found her and knowing that she is so assisted with the holy ghost that she cannot teach us an error , we shall no more dispute the verity of her doctrines , then we would have questioned the articles of faith taught by the holy apostles or the words of christ himself , wherefore if this church this infallible guide shall teach us that infants ought to be baptised , and that it is as lawful to desire the saints departed to pray for us as to desire the prayers of them that are alive , and that the body of christ our saviour is really and truly present in the sacrament of the alter , or any other article of faith we shall no more doubt it , then the first christians did the verity of what the apostles taught them . among all those congregations on earth that looks upon themselves to be this church and spouse of christ , there is one if thy eye could behold , or if thou could discern it , but before thou can , there is an eye in thee must be put out , and there is a wisdom in thee that must be confounded and turned into foolishness , before thou can discern it in its glory as it is , but however that is it undoubtedly , which is begotten into the faith through the publication of the immortal word of life , & who are translated from death unto life , & who have received the power and spirit of our lord jesus christ , and meets in his name and power , and doth witness his presence among them , and have received a measure of that infallible spirit of truth which leadeth into all truth , and out of the pollutions of the world , and are dead unto the world , and baptised into the sufferings of christ , and are crucified with him , who keep unviolated his statutes and commands , without adding to or diminishing from , who walk in the order of the gospel , and are not conformable to the world , nor to that which fallen men sets up , but to the power of god which worketh in the hearts of all that believe , to the framing of them a meet habitation for god to dwel in , and abideth in the doctrine of christ and his apostles , and are sayers and doers , speakes the truth and doth the truth , and holds the truth in righteousness , and the faith once delivered to the saints in a pure heart , and a pure conscience , who prayes in the spirit , and with understanding , who publisheth the truth , and declares it in the spirit reaching to the consciences , and to the witness of god in all that hears , who rejoyce only in christ jesus the great power of god , and the wisdom of god , and hath no confidence in the flesh , nor fleshly performances , whose faith stands not in words but in the mighty power of god , which she hath received according unto the promise of god , this congregation or congregations which is one , and doth hold the one head by which all the members of christ are knit together in the one faith , by which they overcome the world ; this undoubtedly is the church of christ and the spouse of christ. but whether r. e. will not dispute against the verity of her doctrine i question ; notwithstanding all his submission in words , and if this church should teach that infants are to be baptised with cream and spittle , and signed with the cross as absolutely necessary to salvation , or that it is the duty of the saints alive , to pray to the saints departed this world , or to teach that christs body which was broken for us and hanged upon the tree at mount calvary , that this should now be in a morsel of bread and a sup of wine , and conveyed thither by the priest , and this to be really the body of christ , if this church should teach any such doctrine there were good and weighty reason to question , seeing that r. e. before hath said that they cannot be infallible who contradict one another and teach two contrary doctrines , and yet say , they are both infallibly directed so to teach , i hope r. e. will grant that the church in christs time and the apostles was infallible , and it taught no such doctrine , but to the contrary , therefore that church which pretends infallibility , and yet teacheth such doctrines as before mentioned contrary unto christ and the apostles cannot be infallible , neither led by the infallible spirit , and all hath good reason to question the verity of these things , more then what the apostles taught , seeing they are contradictory to christ and the apostles teaching , and contrary to scripture , and contrary to the witness of god in all consciences , and as i said before , this church of god whereof i have spoken now , though not denominated by any other name then the church of god , is and hath been assisted so by the holy ghost as she hath not erred , when she only hearkened to its instruction and direction ; but when the wisdom of the flesh , and the worldly part and states , and governments , and policies , and princes have been minded more then the spirit of god , then error hath been taught , and the greater part in a council have overswayed the rest , and established error by decree , and hath enjoyned it under penalties to be received as sacred and holy , and infallible , of which we find the church of rome exceeding guilty , and therefore do conclude notwithstanding the promise of god to his church that kept in covenant with him , that this church of rome have erred and do err , both in faith , doctrine , and practice of the infallible church in the apostles days ; and therefore their doctrine is more to be questioned then the apostles , and they not fit to be this rule and guide , and directer ; unto which r. e ▪ saith , all is to submit under pain of damnation ; scar-crows will hardly affright men of understanding , but unreasonable creatures it may . and last of all r. e. he saith , he will conclude his whole proof with an argument from heaven , and of the highest nature , and makes it evident that the roman church must be this guide and judge , which god hath appointed , because of the gift of miracles ; and cites the 15. of john and 24. if i had not done among them the works that no other man did they had not had sin , and now , i say , that the roman church hath done works and miracles such as no other church hath done , therefore if we refuse to believe her we shall have sin and shew our selves haters of god ; and he instances st. ber. st. mal. st. dom. st. fra. which wrought miracles ; and of austin the monk which taught christian faith first in england , and his fellow monkes which was then confirmed by wonderful miracles from heaven , not in confirmation of those points and articles of faith which you hold with us but of those which you call popish and superstitious , as the sacrifice of the mass , and about respect and veneration which is given to saints relicks and images , and about the doctrine of purgatory , and payment of tythes , and r. e. concludes if we will not believe what you have not seen , you destroy faith which is an evidence of things not seen . although r. e. make a great boast of the miracles of the church of rome , which no other church hath wrought the like , and therefore concludes that the is this rule and guide , unto which all is to give ear unto , under pain of damnation ; and these miracles he saith is argument from heaven , and proof of the highest nature , believe him who can ; if time would but permit , and the reader have patience to read most or many , if not all the miracles he so much crys up might be declared to his and their shame the very report and relation thereof cannot but be reckoned as fabulous and fained stories , and proceeds from that lying spirit which was in the false prophet which wrought miracles before the beast , and deceived them that had received the mark of the beast , and them that worshipped his image which must be taken alive and cast into the lake of fire , revelation 19. 20. it is an a dulterous generation that seeks a signe . and yet did not believe when they had miracles wrought by the finger of god amongst them , yet they said it was by belzebub ; the scribes and pharisees said , if he be the king of israel let him come down from the cross and we will believe ; but the power of christ was not to be shewed at the blind will of the pharisees , neither would they have believed if he had come down , though miracles have been wrought by the power of god , and is according to his heavenly will , and is not limited either to men , time or place , yet it is not so sufficient an argument from heaven as r. e. saith to prove the church of rome this true church , seeing that the devil and satan , and antichrist shall come with signes and lying wonders , and if it were possible deceive the elect ; and janes and jambres withstood moses in working lying miracles before pharoah to the hardning of his heart : and chrysistome in his hom , upon mat. 49. saith in the end of time power shall be given to the devil to work signes and miracles ; so that the ministers of christs cannot be known by working of miracles , but by working none at all : and augustine saith , though some said prayers at the tombs of the dead and obtained their desires as they said , saith , away with these things , they be either juglings and mockeries of deceitful men , or else delusions of lying spirits , chrys. in his hom. upon matth. 49. in old times it was known by miracle who were the true christians , and who the false ; but now miracles is rather among them that are false christians , and as for your great miracles which thou saith the chronologies and histories speak of j. l. as bed. and holm , sheads , stows , and others , we look upon them not at all as material in this thing , seeing they have had the reports from other hands and pens of certain monkish stories which they have found scattered here and there published themselves , and left their fables upon record to deceive poor people withal for their own advantage , and most of the miracles that we hear of , is either wrought about your tombes and sepulchres , and your holy mass , and your relicks and images ; i have heard of indeed how that from the skirt of an image of yours , one in a bloody flux did but touch , and immediately vertue came from it , and water and blood issued forth , wherby the party was made whole by washing therin ; also i have heard of the image of the virgin mary , first honored by christians in nazareth , afterwards translated into slavonia , & when images began to be villified there and disesteemed , it removed it self from place to place , as discontent did arise in it , it seems at the place and people where it was situated sometimes , and at last it removed a whole island with it nearer rome , now call'd lorreta , and commonly known by the name of our lady of laretta , to which all the pilgrims and monks commonly and frequently go to confess their sins , and to receive absolutions before they came to rome , and so continues to this day . i cannot forget indeed the notable miracle wrought by austin the monk of which r. e. glories so in , wrought at cometon in oxfordshire , touching the doctrine of due payment of tythes , a profitable doctrine to austin and his monks , the first bishop of canterhury confirmed by a miracle , and such as it is you shall have it ; about the year 600. as it is said , austin comes to preach at cometon in oxfordshire , the priest of the place complains to him , how that the lord of the manner would not pay his tythes ; austin questioning the lord about the fault in his devotion ; be stoutly answered , that the tenth sheaf doubtless was his , that had the intrest in the 9th . and therefore would pay none : presently austin denounces him excommunicate , and turning to the alter to say mass publickly , forbad that any excommunicated person should be present there ; suddenly a dead corps that had been buried at church door arose , and went out of the church , and stood while the mass continued ; which ended , austin comes to this living or dead whether you will , and charges him in the name of god to declare who he was , he tells him , that in the time of the brittish state , hujus villi patteronus ; and although he had often urged by the doctrine of the priest to pay his tythes yet he never could be brought to it , for the which after be was dead he saith , was carried to hell : austin desired to know where the priest that excommunicated him was baried ? this dead shewed him the place , where he makes an invocation of the dead priest , and bids him arise , because they wanted his help , the priest rises ; austin asks him if he knew that other that was risen ? he tells him yes , but wishes he had never known him ; for saith he , he was in all things ever adverse to the ●hurch , and a detainer of his tythes , a great sinner to his death , and therefore i excommunicated him : but austin declares that it was fit mercy should be used towards him , and that he had suffered long in hell for his offence ; you must suppose the author meant purgatory : wherefore he gives him an absolution , & sends him to his grave ; where he fell again to dust and ashes ; he gone , the prist new risen tells that his corpes had lyen there about 170. years , and austin would gladly have had him to have continued on earth again , for instruction of souls , but could not thereto intreat him ; so he also returns to his former lodging : the lord of the town standing by all this while , and trembling , was now demanded if he would pay his tythes , but he presently fell down at austin's feet weeping and confessing his offence and submits to pay tythes , and receives pardon , and became all his life time a follower of austin . besides the common legend of our saints it is in some volumes put alone for a most observable miracle , and it is found to be bound up at the end of the ms. life of tho. becket , arch-bishop of canterbury , written by john degrandesono , and it remains in the pvblick library of oxford ; there also it is related in johannes anglicus his history aurea , besides selden in his history of tythes makes mention of it , and in the 274. page of his book . and as concerning the miracles which is reported by certain jesuits , which was done in the west-indies by them of that society , after they had converted to the christian faith as they call it , in confirmation of their doctrine , they write of great miracles that was wrought by them , how that with holy water they had calmed the sea in great tempests ; and with holy water they had driven mice out of the country ; and how that by holy water they had made barren women to bear children : see copes dialogve the first , page the 18. and many devised and fained miracles is storied among you , and kept up to deceive and blind the people withal ; dead images have been forced to sweat , to weep , to laugh , and to shift themselves from place to place ; and as among the pamins and infidels the image of jupiter was able by art to cry aloud let all christians be banished the country , euseb. lib. 8. even so among the false christians , images have been able to speak whatsoever his keeper or sexton listeth ; and the image of our lady hath been able to attend her own candle , and other images hath been able to heal all diseases ; believe it who can . nicholaus saith , in the church of god the priests often times deceive the people with fained miracles for lucres sake ; and thus the world hath been borne in hand , that images were not only bare images but had some secret devine power hidden within them ; but i shall conclude and say as hirome saith , the truth of christ shall devour and consume the falshood of antichrist , and all his fained miracles and lying wonders , and inchantments , and sorceries . with which he hath deceived the nations : alexander hales saith , p. 4. qua . 53. men , the 4. in the sacrament it self there appears flesh , sometime by the conveyance of men , and sometime by the working of the devil . and hath not r. e. heard or read of a certain catholick of theirs , and no lay-man neither , not many ages ago that did penance at pauls cross , and made a publick confession of his dissimulation , when he pricked his finger and made it bleed when he gave that which youcall your eucharist ( or sacrament of the alter as you call it ) unto the people to delude them , making them believe that as the phrase is , christ by miracle had conveyed his blood into the bread after the words of consecration ; but enough of this hath been said by others , and written largly of by other hands and pens , so that i need not say much : but miracles be not evermore undoubted proofes of a true doctrine , nor such absolute signes of a true church , nor such infallible arguments as from heaven as r. e. saith his is ; and so i shall conclude with that which austin said unto faustus the manicha , ye work no miracles , and yet if ye wrought any at your hands , we would take heed of them ; and jer. 23. saith , the false prophets have deceived my people by their lies , and by their lightness , and by their dreams and miracles . and so hath this false fained pretended catholick church done , deceived the nations , and bewitched them with such lying fabulous stories , and false and ridiculous miracles , and sorceries , and inchantments , as is above mentioned , and many more of the like nature might be mentioned , but that i would not be tedious to the reader , which if they were summed up all would hardly make up a heavenly argument and proof , as r. e. saith it doth ; that their church is the only true church , and fit to be the rule and judge of all matters of faith ; and now reader view over their miracles before mentioned , and see if thou can receive them , because the church of rome saith they are true , and must not be questioned , for if thou do , thou art like to come under a hard censure by the verdict of r. e. and his catholick church ; first to be reckoned as an unbeliever , secondly to be a hater of god , and thirdly in not believing these miracles , or whatsoever else shall be declared unto thee by the said church , or else thou comes under no les penalty then eternal damnation ; as r. e. saith in the 80. page of his epistle : but it is a small thing to be judged by man , and especially such a man , who hath gaded abroad and changed his way so osft , so that he hath forgotten the true path of righteousness to walk in , or else never knew it , and hath turned and wheeled about ; and now at last doth as the poor indian doth with his deer skin , hangs it upon one shoulder and so upon the other shoulder to shelter him from the wind and tempest that comes of that side : but the day is dawned , and mens spirits are discovered beyond their words , and all the turnings and wheelings of things upside down , is but as the potters clay , for god measures every man , not by his words but by his heart and spirit , and works , and will judge every one in righteousness according to their deeds . and r. e. goes on as confident that his arguments and reasons laid down hath prevailed , and almost takes it for granted that it must needs be evident to all , that the roman church is the true church ; and saith , he knows but one single point between the catholicks and them that stand devided from them , and that is , saith he , that we follow a several rule , to guide and judge in the great affaires of faith , for all sides are bound to believe all truths , sufficiently propounded to them , to be revealed of god ; and therefore if the presence of christ in the sacrament , purgatory , worshipping of images , invocation of saints , and prayer to the dead , and for the dead , if these or any other point of faith be sufficiently propounded , by denying them gods varassaty is denyed , and god thereby made a lyer . the difference stands betwixt you and them that are devided from you , in more particulars then thou art aware of , or ever will be able sufficiently to propound them to be revealed of god , though it is true some are but devided from you in circumstantials and ceremonies , and some others in some points of faith and worship , yet some deny you in the very ground ; though 't is true the different rule by which each party are directed is a great and a main thing ; thou saith this church catholick is the rule ; but i say , and am not alone , that christ is the way to the father , and the way to the kingdom , and the rule and means by which his church is governed , and he is the lawgiver and the judge , and all judgment is committed to the son , and it is he alone that propounds truth sufficiently ; and they that are in him are new creatures ; and that which is the new creatures rule , guide and judge , is the rule , guide and judge of the church of god , and christ is the author of faith , and it is nothing that availes any thing with god , but the new creature ; and as many as walk according to this rule , peace is to them , gal. 3. 16. and christ hath not left his people without guide , for he said , lo i am with you to the end of the world . so as to commit the guidance thereof to fallible men , who may assume authority without his power , and to fasten those things upon god as to be revealed from him , when the lord hath spoken nothing ; and we are so far from looking that the main grounds that thou lays down to prove your church to be this rule and guide , and the many doctrines propounded by you are not sufficiently propounded to be revealed of god , but rather they are the imaginations of your own brain , and things packt up since the apostles days by different popes , and different mutations and alterations in your church , for filthy lucres sake ; and so to deny them is not to deny gods varassaty , neither to make god a lyer as thou falsly saith ; but thou and you are the lyers , as to propound those things to be revealed from god and to be received by all under pain of damnation , when god hath revealed no such thing , but the contrary , and so thy own words at last shall turn to be thy burden , because thou saith , the lord saith , and hath revealed and sufficiently preposed , the real presence of christ in your sacrament of the alter as a devine revelation , worshipping of images , prayer to the dead , and for the dead , and all the foolish imagination which you have brought in , and intruded and thrust upon people by force ; and these are sufficiently propounded as thou saith , as devine revelations , and the father , son , and holy ghost , or the incarnation of christ ; silence deceit , and for shame blush so to say , the prophets who spake as they were moved by the holy ghost and prophesied of things to come , they declared of the father , son , and holy ghost all , and prophesied long before that a virgin should bring forth a son , whose name should be called emanuel , god with us , and the government should be upon his shoulders : this the pope hath usurped , and you put it upon his shoulders ; but your invented doctrines aforesaid are meerly the imaginations of your own brain , which neither the prophets nor apostles bore witness unto but against , and therefore it is thy and your great presumption , to make god , christ and apostles the foundation of all this rubbish , straw , and stuble , which thou would put off as devine revelation and as sufficiently preposed as the doctrine of christ and his apostles was ; nay blush for shame ; they brought in the prophets for the peoples sake , to prove that they had testified of the same before , and had declared the coming of the just one ; besides they commended themselves to the witness of god in every mans conscience ; and upon waiting upon the lord and in the measure of his spirit , they found the things even so , and by searching the scripture as the bareans did , and found the things even so as had been declared of , but upon due consideration we find not these foresaid doctrines so propounded as to have the testimony of the prophets and apostles , neither doth your doctrine and worship answer the witness of god in every man's conscience , and so to deny you is not to make god a lyer , but god true , the prophets and apostles , and the witness of god true , ( and you lyers ) who contradicts them and their testimony , and the power of god , and would assume it to your selves , though you be erred from the spirit and would put all under the name of infallibility , and by such heavenly arguments as r. e. calls them , to wit , the miracles aforesaid , by which you have deceived the nations , and blinded the eyes of the people ; but the time is come , and light and life is broken forth that the skirts of the whore must be discovered , and her nakedness must appear , and her fornications and adulteries shall be manifest unto all so that you shall not proceed much further : and i hope by this time in e's words it will appear evident to all , whose eyes god in any measure hath opened that this catholick church ( so called ) is manifest in what hath been said to r. e. not to be the church of christ , neither their doctrines and practice devinely propounded , neither she taken from henceforth as the only infallible judge , rule and directer in all matters of faith , which all are to receive upon pain of damnation , as r. e. saith ; though she sit as a queen , and hath known no sorrow ; but on the contrary she to be a blind guide that hath bewitched the kings of the earth , and the nations ( which are waters , which is the universality r.e. boasts of ) with her inchantments and sorceries , which from henceforth shall not be taken as infallible but fallible ; and as that church that hath not conveyed the true faith which was once delivered to the saints , but rather hath spread abroad error and false doctrine , and the traditions and inventions of men , instead of the doctrine of christ , and would put off all this under the name of authority and power from god , and sufficiently propounded , and infallibility , and under the penalty of the highest curse upon not receiving it ; but the sun is risen which hath discovered all your deceit ; lay down your carnal weapons , cain's weapons , and your humane power by which you have prevailed , more by force and cruelty upon the nations , then by found doctrine , or that plea of being peters successors : i say , come forth with your spiritual weapons , which the church of god had in the primitive times , and prevail as far as you can , but oh you want these , and therefore you are necessitated to take up force and violence , the dragons power to compell all to come to your church . further r. e. in his postscript hath been confident of what he hath declared , that it is of such force what he hath said for the roman catholick church so called , that he believes what he hath said cannot be answered ; and he saith , his confidence doth not misbecome him , and that it is improbable to be answered , and that he hath not yet done his all ; neither in his first nor second edition , but hath somewhat more yet of great moment to speak as to prove the church of rome this only and infallible guide . unto whom i say it had been good not to have boasted when he put on his armor , but when he puts it off , and methinks having been so unstable and unsetled as he hath been formerly , he should not have been so confident in opposition to wisdom , as to give such a challenge and make such a vapour of , as that it is improbable to be answered , and it is more then any of you or all of you can answer , as his own words are , ( page the 89. ) these words are not becoming a man indeed , who saith , he hath learned meekness and humility of heart , and hath such great bowels of charity , as he professeth he hath ; page the 86. the substance of what he hath said or written , which he reckons so profound and unanswerable , and to be more then any or all the nonconformists can answer , they have been answered over , and over again , before r. e. was born , by many learned , sufficient , and good men ; whose reasons and weighty arguments about the premisses have not been made void unto this day , but hath prevailed with many , not only to the convincing , but also to the turning of many from that usurped authority of the roman church , and hath discovered the errors , false doctrine , and evil practices , notwithstanding their pretended infallibility , which r. e. will not be able to answer if particulars should be descended unto ; and though r. e. may reckon the reasons that he hath laid down , which he hath the most what taken at the gainest , and reckon them as impregnable , yet i hope they will not appear so to an understanding eye which is enlightened by the spirit of the lord , nor to them who are of a sound judgment ; what others have done to answer his bold challenge i know not , because i am shut up in a corner for the testimony of jesus , and for the word of god : but methinks them that are concerned should not let such boasts go unreproved , neither such false doctrine nor false suggestions as r. e. hath made , to villifie and debase and set at nought all things , and every thing , that seems contrary unto the judgment of this pretended catholick church ; and seeing that he shuts out all nonconformists as to be members of the church of god , and to be without all rule , all order , all government , and to come under the great penalty of damnation , by not submitting unto whatsoever this pretended catholick church doth impose , how repugnant soever it be unto the doctrine of christ , and how contrary soever it be unto the spirit of god , yet all must be received without question , though it be that which the spirit of god sometimes called the doctrine of devils , but now it must become holy , and of divine authority , and sufficiently propounded and so received ; because as r. e. saith , this church cannot err ; i say unto him and unto all men , and to the witness of god in every man , either the church in the apostles days did err and teach false doctrine , or this pretended catholick church , because they teach contrary one to the other , and do walk by a contrary rule ; and as r. e. saith , infallibility cannot contradict it self ; and he hath granted that the apostles and primitive christians had an infallible spirit , and did not err ; then let r. e. and all , take a view of the roman doctrine , and compare it with theirs and they shall find it as far wide one from the other as the heavens is from earth , or light from darkness , so that for the truths sake , and for the doctrine and faith sake that was once delivered among the saints , and for the nonconformists sake who cannot bow , their knee to baal , neither snbmit to the injunctions of changable men , instead of the doctrines of christ. i could not do less then give answer unto the substance of r. e. his epistle which he boasted of , to be more then any could answer , and to reprove his false doctrine and error , which he would perswade all unto , and not to question , because the church of rome hath propounded it as infallible ; most of all those doctrines are denyed , and i cannot but give my testimony against them as to be false , and that which leads people into error ; and let r. e. when he brings forth his all , prove to us , that infallibility as intailed to the pope by succession , and , prayer for the dead , worshipping of angels , worshipping relicts , worshipping images ▪ transubstantiation , purgatory , sprinkling of infants ; prove to us from the scripture in thy next , that these were apostolical and infallible doctrines , delivered and taught by the church of christ in the apostles time , or in the first hundred years after christ , and thou will not only gain me , but many more to receive and imbrace the catholick church of rome for an absolute rule and guide , unto which all on earth ought to be subject unto , which if thou do not , we will take it for granted ; thou dare not , least thou ingage thy self in such a controversie as thou never ingaged in yet , by which thy and your folly will more and more appear unto all ; i shall not trouble neither my self nor the reader any further in traducing r. e. in his multiplicity of words , although the main and weighty arguments and reasons as r. e. looks upon them is answered , which i commend unto thee , and to the witness of god in every man's conscience , to try and search out , where the difference and weight lies , and the truth , and as the measure of gods spirit in every man's conscience doth close with or against , if it can what i have said about r. e. his epistle , for unto that i dare stand to the judgment of and in it , as every one believes and walks , i bid my reader , farewell . f. h. westmerland this 18. of the fifth moneth , 1665. the end . faults that have escaped the press through the negligence of the printer ; the friendly reader is desired to pass by , or correct . some of which are these , page first , line 28 29. for nonformists read nonconformists ▪ p. 2. l. 3. for and read as ; l. 7. the point or stop should be after over . p 3. l. 16. the point should be after the word director , and not after unto ; l. 37. for fanedness read fainedness . p. 6. l. 34. for christian read christians , p. 19. l. 24 for minds read mind . p. 31 ▪ l. 35. for legable read legible . p. 44. l. 35. for habitants read habitations p. 57. l. 28. for 9th . read nine . the papists strength, principles, and doctrines (which they are sworn to preach, from the councel of trent, by the popes authority, and after confirmed by the last general assembly at rouen, 1571, all which they have sworn to perform) answered and confuted furthermore their principles and doctrines answered and confuted, as they were laid down in two or three severall papers, by r.w. papist, lately sent from holland : also a challenge to the pope and all his adherents to choose out of all his dominions some cardinals, fryers, or jesuits to try their bread and wine, after consecration (by watching on their side and on our side) to prove that if afterward they have consecrated it, whether the bread and wine doth not loose its taste and savour, and so not the body and blood of christ : also a paper to all them that fast and afflict themselves who are in the will-worship and voluntary humility : also some quæries to all the papists upon earth to be answered in writing and sent to them, which all sects upon the earth call quakers / by george fox. fox, george, 1624-1691. this text is an enriched version of the tcp digital transcription a40227 of text r3577 in the english short title catalog (wing f1877). textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. the text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with morphadorner. the annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. this text has not been fully proofread approx. 234 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 53 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. earlyprint project evanston,il, notre dame, in, st. louis, mo 2017 a40227 wing f1877 estc r3577 12131661 ocm 12131661 54752 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a40227) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 54752) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 594:19) the papists strength, principles, and doctrines (which they are sworn to preach, from the councel of trent, by the popes authority, and after confirmed by the last general assembly at rouen, 1571, all which they have sworn to perform) answered and confuted furthermore their principles and doctrines answered and confuted, as they were laid down in two or three severall papers, by r.w. papist, lately sent from holland : also a challenge to the pope and all his adherents to choose out of all his dominions some cardinals, fryers, or jesuits to try their bread and wine, after consecration (by watching on their side and on our side) to prove that if afterward they have consecrated it, whether the bread and wine doth not loose its taste and savour, and so not the body and blood of christ : also a paper to all them that fast and afflict themselves who are in the will-worship and voluntary humility : also some quæries to all the papists upon earth to be answered in writing and sent to them, which all sects upon the earth call quakers / by george fox. fox, george, 1624-1691. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. [2], 99, [1] p. printed for t. simmons ..., london : 1658. the answer to r.w. his paper wherein he vindicates the doctrine and practise of the romane church so called, to be the church of christ, signed f.h. [f. howgill], p. 33-47. reproduction of original in huntington library. eng catholic church -controversial literature. society of friends -sources. a40227 r3577 (wing f1877). civilwar no the papists strength, principles, and doctrines (which they are sworn to preach, from the conncel [sic] of trent, by the popes authority, an fox, george 1658 47793 190 0 0 0 0 0 40 d the rate of 40 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the d category of texts with between 35 and 100 defects per 10,000 words. 2004-12 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2005-01 spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-02 judith siefring sampled and proofread 2005-02 judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-04 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the papists strength , principles , and doctrines ( which they are sworn to preach , from the councel of trent , by the popes authority , and after confirmed by the last general assembly at roven , 1571. all which they have sworn to perform ) answered and confuted . furthermore their principles and doctrines answered and confuted , as they were laid down in two or three severall papers , by r. w. papist , lately sent from holland . also a challenge to the pope and all his adherents to choose out of all his dominions some cardinals , fryers , or jesuits to try their bread and wine , after consecration ( by watching on their side and on our side ) to prove that if afterward they have consecrated it , whether the bread and wine doth not loose its taste and savour , and so not the body and blood of christ . also a paper to all them that fast and afflict themselves who are in the will-worship and voluntary humility . also some quaeries to all the papists upon earth to be answered in writing and sent to them , which all sects upon the earth call quakers . by george fox . london , printed for thomas simmons , at the bull and mouth neer aldersgate , 1658. the papists principles as followeth , whose name subscribed thereunto , is r. w. priest . he saith , he cannot but admire to see what a power satan hath over the sons of adam , and especially ●ver schismaticks , and apostates , from the union of the roman catholique church . answ. the● that be in the true light chr●●● jesus , that fathoms the world , 〈◊〉 not admire to see the great power of satan over the sons of adam in the fall , and over all the schismaticks and apostates ; for schismaticks and apostates , and the sons of adam in the transgression be all ●n the devils power , where he is in the transgression out of the truth , in one power murderers ; for the devil a murthe●er , sons of adam m●r●herers , in the fall out of the truth , schismaticks and apostates out of the truth , murtherers , and will all murther , and no●●dmired at with the children of light , who has tryed their spirits : so devil , sons of adam in the fall , and papists , and protestants , that will all murther ; for religion and worship be all in the devils power , murtherers , out of the truth , that christ and the apostles was in : so the roman catholique church which will murther , is satans synagogue , for he is the murtherer , and there he hath his seat : and all the protestants that be murtherers about religion and worship , are satans synagogue , are apostates and schismat●cks as well as you ; they were the first great synagogue of satan , and the first apostates and schismaticks from the life of the apostles , and christ , though since the dayes of the apostles you have apostatized from the life , others has professed against you , and so are broken into heaps , and names ; satan has got up many synagogues in many parts of the world , and gotten the sheeps cloathing , and cryed up himself to be the name of ch●●stian , which is meer antichrist quite against him , compelling all by sword , or faggot , or prison , or stocks , or whips , or houses of correction , or gaols , or inquisitions , to worship him . this is quite against christ & the apostles spirit ; in the apostasie from them apostatized : so you may strange to see the devils power over the sons of adam , apostates and schismaticks , and not see your selves swallowed up in the devils power , doing his work ; thus judging others , not seeing your selves , for the devill , sons of adam in the fall from the truth , and you who are apostatized from christ and the apostles doctrine , and the schismaticks that be from you in words , and sects , and names , that be called protestants , that will murther for religion and worship , they be all in the same power which the devil is in ; for the devil is out of the truth , the sons of adam out of the truth , and the church of rome out of the truth , apostatized protestants and all others that be out of the spirit , that gave forth the scriptures , be out of the truth , such are murthering one another about words , and are satans synagogues wre●●ling against flesh and blood . striking at creatures , in stead of striking at the power that captivates creatures , to the intent that creatures might come into the liberty of the sons of god , which was the work of the apostles and christ . pr. no man can discern head or foot of the quakers method , or order ; yet there is some shew of reason in their quaeries . answ. thus he confounds himself , babylon : and we do believe that neither the papists , apostates , protestants , nor sons of adam , nor d●vill out of the truth , can know either head or foot of the quakers principles , with all their thinkings ; for the quakers is come into that which the devil is out of , sons of adam is out of , the papists are out of , and the protestants , that which overwhelmes them all , devill , sons of adam , papists , protestants out of the life of god , with it are they all judged , which life the quakers are in . pr. he saith , not one papist that he knows doth call himselfe a defender of the faith : yet he saith in a sense , in writing against our principles , he might call himself a defender of the catholique church and faith , and yet notwithstanding he could not defend himselfe from the devill . answ. in this thou hast shewed thy faith , and the faith of the catholique church , which will not defend you from the d●vill ; so ye are the reprobates from the faith of the elect , that quenches the fiery darts of the devill , and gives victory over the world and the devill , and is their shield , and with that faith is his kingdom subdued : and we do believe that the faith will not defend you from the devill ; and if thou knowest never a papist that is a defender of the catholique faith , what have you done with all the fires and faggots , and inquisitions and killings and slayings , and writing of your great volumns against them that have protested against you all this time ? but now your faith fails , and your wheel is gone off , and the confusion of babylon is confounded , and the faith of gods elect contended for , witnessed amongst them called quakers , whose weapons are not carnall , but spirituall . and your wicked priests , and such as be in the reprobate sence like judas , betraying the just , have been the preachers and teachers which has gotten the form of godlinesse , but are out of the power , and the life , and these are them that have risen against the saints and overcome them , which are now warring against the lamb and the saints , but the lamb and the saints shall have the victory . pr. and whereas you say you give the title of holinesse to the pope after the same manner as was given to the high priest in the old testament , and wicked magistrates was called gods , and the priests wear their titles upon their breasts , and jacob called his wicked brother esau lord , and there is scriptures enough to give honourable titles to wicked men . answ. these are sutable proofs for the pope , and sutable examples . first , the priest-hood is ended ; they were never in that latitude , neither are you to be measured with them , neither do any true christians . as for esau and wicked magistrates , the fruits of this amongst you has appeared , and the wicked must bow before the just , and esau the elder must be a seruant to the younger ; and salvation is come out of sion , who judges the mount of esau , and is gathering the elect jacob , who rides over the high places of the earth , which have set up your images ; but you have shewed the fruits of esau , who are slaying and killing the just ; but who be in the power of christ , who hath all power in heaven and earth given unto him , be out of esau's , and be o' th top on his mount , and answers the elect. pr. he saith that purgatory is a temporall punishment to faithfull persons after death , who have not done due pennance for their sins in their life time , so must do pennance after death . answ. the faithful persons that be in the true faith of gods elect , which is the mistery held in a pure conscience , which gives victory over the world , purifies the heart , by which men are justified , and please god . this gives them victory over death , sin , hell , and all that which you do pennance for . now they that be reprobate concerning this faith , are doing pennance all their lifetime , and say they must have a purgatory to do pennance , when their life is ended ; and so all poor people you have a pittiful thing to passe through , a fire , before you be purified : and as for christs , and the apostles , and saints sufferings , you are found in that nature that caused the just always to suffer ; and as for your doctrine of purgatory , it is come up since the days of the apostles amongst the apostates , the devill has set it up , who is out of the truth , by his power , since he set up his synagogue ; but who be in the faith , be over his purgatory and synagogues , and the doctrine of it which is come up since the dayes of the apostles , for which there is no scripture ; for the saints which believed had passed from death to life , and so from the purgatory . for purgatory is in the death , he that passeth from it comes over purgatory and death both , to reigne with christ ; here you shew your selves , you are not believers . pr. the receiving of the sacrament thou saist is not for the cleansing of you from sin , but for the nourishment of your souls , the body and blood of christ being in it . answ. why do you and the protestants kill one another about such things , seeing that you say the body and blood of christ is in the sacrament , the bread and wine : and the protestants say , in it is the spirit of christ , as you may look in a book called the scotch principles , and in their catechisms , and is it not the same blood that cleanseth , which nourishes ? how are you confused in this , and put to your shifts . i have heard talk of papists and jesuites were witty men ; but i see it is at an end , and that which nourishes the immortall soule is not the mortal creatures , ye are deceived in thinking so , and the protestants both ; that which nourishes the soul is christ the power of god , who is the bishop of it , the life , the truth , the power of god , which is the immortall souls food , and not the bread that will perish , and things that will perish , which those looked after that followed christ for a time , which was in the perishing minde , which laboured after the perishing things , and laboured not for the bread which comes downe from above , which indures to eternall life , which who eats of it hungers no more . and so that is the devils doctrine and the apostates , which is got up since the days of the apostles , which tels people , after they have consecrated the bread and wine , it is the body and blood of christ ; which christ said bread would perish , for his flesh saw no corruption . nor his body would not perish , nor his blood that cleanseth from the dead works , through which blood they overcome death : and the word and power gives every creature its being without the consecration ; but that which nourishes the immortal soul is the mortal ; and man lives not by bread alone , but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of god ; and this is christs doctrine , and the others is the devils , and apostates out of the life and power of christ , that saith , men must live by bread alone . pr. christ useth the priest in the hands of a workman to make the sacrament , which is the body and bloud of christ , he saith , that the formes of bread and wine which will corrupt cannot take away sin , and after consecration it is not bread and wine , but the very body and bloud of christ . answ. in this you have shewed your confusion and unestablished state , was it the very body and bloud of christ that made the corinthians drunk ? and in this thou hast confounded thy self in saying , that the formes of bread and wine which is the very body and bloud of christ will corrupt after consecration , then the ministers work in this thou hast spoyled , who are the consecraters , for the body and bloud of christ will not corrupt , nor perish , which bread and wine will , but that which gives bread and wine their being , will never corrupt ; for bread and wine is a thing that is seen , and though the apostle said what he had received of the lord , that did he deliver to the corinthians , how that the same night the lord jesus was betrayed , he took the cup and the bread when he had given thanks , saying , as oft as they did eate that bread and drink that cup they shewed the lords death till he came , and the apostles delivered this to the corinthians ; then in the second epistle he brings them off from the things that are seen , to the things vvhich are not seene which were eternal ; for bread and wine were things seen , and temporal , and bids them prove and examin themselves whether or no christ was come , know you not your own selves how that jesus christ is in you except you be reprobates ? and he is the living bread that came down from above , who gives life unto the world , and he that eates of this bread lives and abides for ever . and as for thy word sacrament , we do not find that word expressed in scripture , nor where the apostles spoke by mary , as you do , who adore your own words , that are apostatized from the life & them that witness christ the substance in them , they see the end of all things is come , christ jesus , him by whom all things was made , who is the end of all things , him is possest , such are not reprobates , but reprobates and judas may stick in the outward things , as the jewes did , whose table was a trap , and eyes blinded , as you do , who are inwardly ravened from the spirit of god , and are the wolves in sheeps clothing worrying the lambs that comes to witness christ in them the substance , and hath proved and examined themselves and found him , and so there people sticking in that they call the sign , and keeping people from the substance , receiving christ jesus in them , for these things was to be done in remembrance of christ until he came , now if bread and wine be the body of christ and his bloud , then he is come , how do you that in remembrance of him untill he come , was they to eate his body and drink his bloud till he come ? did he go away in the spirit , and leave his body behind , answer this , whether or no his body did not rise , and whether his body be elementary ? there was a protestant against you that said the body of christ was corruptible , and you said the bread and wine is the body and bloud of christ , and that will corrupt , and so we see you all in the error . pr. he saith the bare form of bread and wine doth change , and though the light lead up to christ , they see nothing but that which doth change , namely bread and wine . answ. hear thou hast confounded thy self , and all the papists , the whole body of them , and confounded your own wisdom and knowledge , and your own faith in things you do professe ; fo● the body of christ , and his bloud doth not change , and yet you say that bread and wine after consecration is the very body and bloud of christ , and hear you say doth change , which is not comparable to the body and bloud of christ that corrupts not nor changes not ; in this you have confounded your selves and blinded your souls in looking at things which are seen , which the divel and wicked ones out of the light do run into , which you poor creatures are captivated under his power ▪ things that are not seen are invisible , but things that are seen , as bread and wine , are visible . pr. our faith and doctrine is that jesus christ hath but one body , and that the same body which is in that sacrament shall come at last to judge us all . answ. the body of christ which you call the bread after consecration , which thou hast confessed is a changeable thing , the ●orm of bread , that which is changeable is not a judge , christ and his body is not changeable , so therefore to judge , and shall remain his body when bread and wine ceases ; so in this thou hast overthrown your own doctrine , and faith and foundation , and proved your selves to be stones of babylon , who with them builds up and throwes down again . pr. whereas thou queriest whether god is able to make one body to be in two , or two thousand places at once . answ. the body of christ is his flesh which he gives for the life of the world , which they that eat it , and feed upon it , are of his flesh and lives for ever , and are in more places then one , & comes to be of his flesh and of his bone , and at this the jewes stumbled that followed him for temporal bread , and if temporal bread had been the body of christ , why would he bid them labour not for the meat that perisheth ? and that he said well in saying this is may body , this is my bloud , and except ye eat my flesh and drink my b●●ud ye have no life in you , but he did not tell the people after they had consecrated bread and wine that it was his body and bloud , and he would drink with them in the kingdom , and did christ eate his own body and drink his own bloud ? answer these queries , we see that the body of christ is hid from you all papists and protestants , and his flesh and his bloud , and his word● are spirit and life , and that remains , and bread and wine it is the elements ; did it come down from above , from heaven ? after you have consecrated it , is it not the wine that came of the grapes , and the bread which was baked ? christs body which is the bread is above the manna which is given from heaven , much more far above the bread of man ; christ the true bread , far above angles-food , is the body of christ , which who eates it lives for ever ; they that eated the manna the angels-food perished in the wildernesse , many of them , and far above mans bread that 's temporal , and drink , which they may eate and drink and hunger and thurst again , and perish , and which will perish . which they that decernes the lords body decernes him that gives every creature its being , the word of god by which all things was made , and none of the figures nor shadowes nor types are the body of christ ; but that which ends them all ; to you that is the word of the lord , which body was before they were , which body is the church , the piller and ground of truth , and bread is not the church after consecration , for the apostles never told us of that doctrine no vvhere in the scriptures , but you that of the body of christ be ignorant , the top-stone is laid on your heads , and the body of christ makes us free from the lavv . pr. we do not teach that bread after the consecration is the flesh of christ but we say that after christ had uttered these words , this is my body , or after the priests according to christs command , do this in remembrance of me , do utter the same words which we call consecration , then the substance of bread vanisheth and is no more there , but the body of christ commeth in its place . answ. this again is confusion , and you are confused and confounded in your own principles , if the bread and wine , which you say is not the flesh of christ after consecration , how is his body there , and how can you say it is his body ? and thus you confound your selves . pr. thou saist thou dost not find any expresse command of the apostle in scripture for observing of dayes , nor meats , nor none of these things , as meats , or crosses , but what the church shall command , and saith , but the church hath commanded us to observe dayes and meats , and that a crosse should be made in remembrance of christs passion , and the images of christ and his saints may be set up and honored , and that we should invoke the saints , &c. and whatsoever the church commandeth us ; and this is the sure and unmoveable ground upon which our catholique faith even to the very least circumstance and ceremony is built , &c. and the contrary ground is the ground of all hereticks . answ. we do believe you that all these observing of meats , dayes and crosses is set up by your churches command , and all your tythes , priests , pulpits and temples , amongst you and the protestants which hath been set up by your church command , which is offended if they be not observed , which is set up since the dayes of the apostles , which is apostatized from the apostles and the true church , in the apostacy , and are fallen into schisms and heresies and lying signes , which is your crosse , who are gone from the power of god , which is the cross of christ , who are them which the spirit spoke of expresly before the apostles decease that should depart from the faith , forbidding eating of meats , and marriage , which is the divels doctrin , who has given heed to seducing spirits , now you may see it is your mother which you call the church which is the mother of harlots , which your mother harlotted from the true church , the apostles doctrin , for the true church of the apostles did never command that men should abstayn from meats , or set up a crosse of wood or stone , or worship images , or saints , or names , or bow down to them , but worship god , and worship not the angels . now these things hath been sett up since the dayes of the apostles , in the apostacy from the true church , which has made war against the saints and over-come them , but now is the saints and the lamb come to have victory , and now the lamb and saints will have victory , who is come to reign and the holy prophets and the saints shall rejoyce over you : sing and rejoyce ye heavens , and rejoyce ye saints and holy prophets over her that 's your church which is inwardly ravened from the spirit of god , and has reigned over the kings of the earth , and all other that hath had the name of christianity , & out of the life of christ , found in your skirts ; the lamb will tread you together in the press without the city of the living god , & the church which is the pillar and ground of truth , against which the gates of hell cannot prevail , though they may fall all on heaps one among another about their worships : and we say that your mother the church , so called , hath commanded and laid the foundation of tythes amongst the protestants , and all their observing of saints dayes , holy dayes , and you have been them that has taught them to give the names , yea to their schooles , colleges , steeple-houses , which were your mass-houses , which the protestants has made their churches of them , you were the first root and layer of the ground and author of them , you and they are all judged with the spirit , which is not apostacy , which was before apostacy was . pr. i say again , that christ is not without a body , and the same body which is in the sacrament , is that which was born of the virgin mary , which dyed for us , and now sitteth at the right hand of god , and none other . answ. heaven is above , and earth is beneath , there is an earthly body , and there is a heavenly body , a naturall and a spirituall ; and if that which was born of the virgin mary be your bread after consecration , which body saw no corruption , though put in the grave . now see if your bread which you call the body of christ , will not corrupt after it lye a while , though you have consecrated it ; then how can you say that is the body of christ at the right hand of god ? and outward bread which will corrupt , which the body of christ saw none , which was born of the virgin , the lamb slain from the foundation of the world ; yet he did not corrupt , nor saw no corruption . pr. and to say , is christ to be looked for in the saints , is so profound that he cannot reach the depth of the meaning , the roman catholiques use no such manner of speech . answ. i do believe you ; since the dayes of the apostles amongst you that are got up in your likenesses and images , that sayes its so profound you cannot reach the meaning of it to ask you whether christ be in the saints , and amongst the roman catholiques , you have no such manner of speech , i do believe you ; and so you put him in the sacrament without you , and call the bread and wine his body and blood ; so this is to prove your selves to be reprobates , so are judged by the apostles doctrine , and the scripture . know you not in your own selves , how that jesus christ is in you except ye be reprobates ? priest . the more honour we give to saints , the more honour we give to christ . indeed to give godly honour to saints , is to commit idolatry . answ. if that you do not give godly honour to the saints , it is ungodly ; and here in this you have again confounded your selves , and that honour which belongs to the saints is of god , and godly , and not idolatry ; but that honour which you give , which is not godly , is given to such which are not saints , which is idolatry ; and so that honour which you should give to god , you give to images , in kneeling to them ; and so in that you are as the heathen , and are found idolaters , which never did any of the apostles kneel before an image ; but you that inwardly ravened from the spirit of god , and so lost the image of god , and fallen down to images . pr. a crosse , a crucifix , or an image of christ or any saint , whether they be made of silver , stone , or wood , are according to our doctrine but dead creatures ; neverthelesse are profitable and honourable memorials of them , and do much help our devotion , and demonstrate our love and affection to them , and they are not idols , but they represent unto us christ and his saints . answ. so then they being but dead things , and you bowing to dead things , is to idols ; for bowing to a dead stock or a stone is a bowing to idols , as saith the prophet , and dead images . now you having them as you say , to represent unto you christ , and to put you in minde of him and the saints , shews that you have not christs spirit in you , nor him in you , nor his mind in you , so are reprobates , and are none of his ; for those that have christ in them , and his minde in them , need no such representations as to put them in minde of christ , or to fall down before crosses , crucifixes , images , dead things , to stir up the love towards ch●ist ; which the blood of christ purgeth the conscience from dead workes , and not to bow down to dead images ; but thi● shews the love of god is not in you . dead things do not stirre up the love of god in people , but the faith which works by love , this stirs up the love towards christ who is the author of it , and the saints , to make images of the saints , and observing of dayes , shews that you are not come to just mens spirits ; which who are , need no other thing to put them in mind , nor observe dayes ; for they see over dayes , and so in these principles , i see ye are reprobates concerning the faith which works by love ; for the love of god is not in you , you are not come to the j●st mens spirits , so not to the church of the living god , the mind of christ you have not , his spirit ye have not , and christ is not in you , and so in the reprobation in the apostacy , and are fain to have dead images and pictures , and crosses , dead representations to put you in mind of christ , and to stir up your love , otherwise it would grow cold ; and that is the nature that will murther , and all those things , images , crosses , are held up by the spirit of murther , and not by the power of god , the cross of christ . pr. in some particulars he saith , there is no difference between them and the heathens ; as first i confesse their idols are made of silver , wood , and stone , and so are our images ; their idols were but dead creatures which had eyes and see not , and so are our images ; they bow to their idols , and we bow to our images : so far the resemblance is good , and the heathens do believe that their idols were able to help them , and we say our images and idols stirs up our love to christ . answ. so therein the images helps you as the heathens do , and you may see that all those things are got up since the dayes of the apostles , & you that be inwardly ravened from the spiri of god , and gotten the sheeps cloathing as the jews and the gentiles which was astray from the spirit of god , worshipping images & idols , which when the jews was in the spirit of god they kept above them all : so you being gone from the spirit of the lord , are fallen under images and dead idols since the days of the apostles , and bows down to them as the heathens , & they are dead a● the heathens , and so you are aposta●ized from the spirit of god , in which god is worshipped , and apostatized from the true church , who said , keep your selves from idols , for there was never any talk of worshipping of images , and bowing to images amongst them ; but the jewes while they lived in the law of god , they broke down the images of the heathens : so all that be in the life of god will break down the founder of the images amongst you apostates , which sees not and hears not : and jeremiah saying to them that worshipped images , who said unto a stone , thou art my father , and to the wood thou hast brought me forth . so say you to your images , pictures , and crosses , thou putst us in minde , thou art our similitude , and puts us in minde of christ , of mary , and shewing that you have not the minde of christ in you ; but dead stocks and stones must put you in minde , so this ( of yours ) is a higher mystery of iniquity then that of the heathen . pr. you say you account of the pictures no more then we account of any picture or pictures in our houses . answ. that is not so , thou dost not speak with the bit in thy mouth , we do not fall down to them , but deny them . pr. and the heathens did all kinde of godly honour directly to their idols ; but the small honour which we do to the images or pictures of the saints , is no more then an outward complement as i may say , just as it was the fashion in england to put off ones hat , or bow to the kings throne in honour of the king : neither do we this honour to the pictures simply considered as pictures , but as they are representations of christ and his saints . answ. that honour which the heathen did to their idols , was not godly honour ; for that which gave the honour to the idols , might be confounded before that came up that gave the godly honour ( to god ) though they worshipped the creatures and served idols , who should have worshipped the creator , who is god blessed for ever , and served him ; and your bowing and kneeling down to images , and before them , it is the worship of the beast , and that is more then a complement to kneel down and bow down to images which you call representations , and this is come up and got up amongst you since the power of god hath been lost , which should have brought you to have bowed down to the lord , and to have prayed in the spirit , and to have had him in your mindes , and not an idoll to put him in your minds : and the bowing before the kings throne in the kings absence ; and the hat in england , that is but the dead minde that bows the dead hat to the dead throne , and a dead honour , and so all the honour that is given to images is but a dead honour given from the dead principle , and not from the living principle of god within , which brings to worship god who never accepts the other ; and that bowing the hat before the kings throne in the kings absence is denyed by all that fears god , and judged , and worships him , and bows to him , for that is sup●rstition ( your bowing before images , and pictures , and crosses ) as bad & worse ( then that prof●sse christ and have him not in your minds ) then the heathens bowing to molock , baal , jupiter , bac●hus , venus , &c ▪ whose spirits are as unclean as theirs , who have set up images and crosses to bow down to them . you are the unclean spirits as the heathen , and a higher mystery of iniquity then the heathen ; but now is discovered by that which hath long been hid by the light christ jesus , and the seed of god which hath discovered the mystery of iniquity , which is the mistery of godlin●sse , and all these pictures , & crosses , and bowings is come up since the days of the apostles , for amongst them there was no such things . amongst you who have lost the power of god , the crosse of christ , and the image of god , and has not the mind of christ in you , so are fain to have dead images , crosses , and pictures , which you call representations , to put your dead minds in remembrance of christ , and to stir it up which kills and slayes the just , all that be contrary to it ; and the heathen and you do not differ , for they bow to images , and so do you ; but yours ( as i have said ) is a greater mistery of iniquity , who has fled from the true foundation of the true church , which is the pillar and ground of truth , and so since have got up your images and idols . pr. now because the main thing which you do carp at is at our bowing before images or pictures of the saints , to the end that all your mouths may eternally be stopt , i will shew you out of the scripture , that notwithstanding the bowing down to idols is most strictly forbidden in the second command●ment and other places of scripture ; yet was it lawfull both to make , honour and bow down to other images , and other representations , although they were but dead creatures , and the worke of mens hands . the arke of the covenant you must confess was but a dead creature made of wood and other materials , by the hands of men ; and upon this arke were placed two images , or representations of cherubims , read the 7 of joshua , vers. 6. and you will finde that he and all israel did worship and fall down before this ark and these images , after the same manner that we fall down before a crosse or a crucifix , or the images of the saints . answ. joshua and israel falling down before the ark , which was in prayer to the lord , and the lord heard him , and spoke to him , and answered him . now he doth not say that he fell down to the ark or to the images , or bowed down to them ; for the law was contrary , which saith , thou shalt not bow down , &c. but he and israel fell down before the ark to the lord ; and this is nothing to the bowing now to images , and pictures , and crosses , for that was the time of the figure , there was a temple made , and many things , tabernacle and sanctuary , which was all in the types and figures , before the substance was come ; but now the substance is come , christ jesus , who ends all types and figures , and similitudes , and the patterns , for he is the substance of those things that figured him forth , who hath opened their mouths . so now your crosses , and your images , and your pictures , and your bowings before them wch you have made and set up is antichristian , without any command of god , against christ who is the substance . and if joshua had bowed to the outward arke , or altar , or temple , or any of the figures , &c. but it was not so , and the command of god was the contrary ; and we say christ is come , the everlasting covenant , the everlasting priesthood ; for in the first covenant and priesthood was the figures , and there was singings , &c. but now they that sing must sing in the spirit , and they that pray must pray in the spirit , and they that worship must worship in the spirit ; so it was the work of the apostles to bring people off the shadows and changeable things , to christ the substance , where there was no shadow not change , nor variablenesse , and to keep them from idols , and so all your idols , images , crosses , crucifixes , representations , are set up since the apostacy , from the apostles , and so our mouths are eternally opened ; and that scripture in joshua the 7. brings nothing for you , for the jewes ark is gone , and down now , and their altar and temple is down and gone , and denyed by them that be true christians in the life ; but them that have a name , but be dead , are setting up imitations and likenesses that has lost the life of christ , and his minde , and the image of god , are falling down before dead idols ; but christ is risen , and those that be risen with him are seeking those things that be above ; for crosses , crucifixes , images , idols , be below among the dirty mud where the devill is , in the earth , the murtherer , and murthering one another about their idols and these dead things which are all out of the truth . pr. and even as joshua and the israelites made their prayers to god after this manner and ceremony , so do we make our prayer unto christ and the blessed trinity ; and because we have , or at least ought to have a sense of our own basenesse , and of the just indignation of christ against us , we turne our selves to his saints and blessed mother , who are likewise represented unto us by these pictures , and do humbly beseech them to mediate between us and christ . answ. joshua his falling down before the arke to pray to the lord ; your falling down & praying before your images and idols , and crosses , to put you in minde of christ is not measurable nor comparable with joshua's ; but for the ark which joshua fell down before , it is ended , which arke was a command of god , but yours god never commanded , but have been invented by you that have apostatized from the apostles , who saith , little children , keep your selves from idols ; so that which god commanded being denyed which they fell before , much more ought yours to be denyed which god never commanded , and both are judged with the spirit of truth in which the saints pray to god the father of spirits , who can pray without images , or representations , or idols ; and the saints , and the apostles , christ bade them pray in his name , not in the name of mary , & not in the name of the saints , nor in the name of his mother , but ask in his own name ; for saith he , who is my mother , sister , and brother , but those that do the will of my father : so this i say , though people be never so vile , they are not to ask in the name of the apostles , nor of the saints , nor in the name of mary , but in the name of christ ; and he hears such who asks in his name , for there is no other name under heaven given by which any can be saved , then by the name of jesus . pr. he saith , when ye shall see the signe of the son of man , which is the signe of the cross in the ayre , &c. then shall all the mockers of this signe of the cross seeke to hide themselves in the clifts of the rocks . answ. who be in the crosse of christ which is the power of god , they are in christ , and are made free from the wrath that is to come , and are in christ , which was before the hills , rocks , and mountains was setled ; but your rocks , and your mountains , and hills in the apostacy hath covered you , and to them you have cryed , and under them you have sheltered , who has drunk the blood of the martyrs , and prophets , and saints since the days of the apostles ; and your crosse is in the ayr set up by the prince thereof ( who have inwardly ravened from the spirit of god ) which is the lying signe and the wonder , and not the signe of the son of man ; so spirituall sodome and spirituall aegypt , which is darknesse , mystery babylon the great mother of harlots which inwardly ravened from the spirit of god , which has reigned over the kings of the earth , which have set up her inventions , and turned against them that was in the spirit of god , who be in the lying signes and wonders : and the son of man is coming upon you like a thief in the night , the same to day , yesterday , and for ever . and all schisms and heresies in the whole christendome ( so called ) is amongst you and such that professe the scriptures , but be out of the life that gave it forth , which with it , the life , we comprehend you all , which life was before the scriptures was given forth , and who be in it be of the church . pr. he saith , if you will look upon others , then draw your eyes from the bad and worser sort , and look upon the better sort , whose lives and conversations are without reproof , whose godlinesse , innocency , love and charity to all men , &c. more then any other sort , and the very best amongst you in true reall worth and weight may no more compare then lead or dirt may be compared with gold . answ. your works and fruits should praise you ( that is the counsell of a wise man ) and not thy own tongue , and your own tongues ; but how can you speak of innocency , or godlinesse , or humility , when that fires , inquisitions , and gaols , and killing of such as be contrary to your minds , which was not the work of the apostles , nor of them that kept the faith of gods elect , that gives victory over the world ; and so those whom you call bad , and those whom you call good , are all found one here , having drank the whores cup , found in the fornication , without husband , out of the true humility , which is christ the seed that bears the sin and iniquity . pr. you take offence because the roman faith doth teach it lawfull to punish schismaticks and hereticks with the sword ; but if you will be mad , and say that those which seduce mens souls , & cause schisms and heresies in the church , and disturb the peace thereof , must be let alone , and may in no wise be punished , who can help it . answ. the faith of the true church did not teach any such doctrine to punish schismaticks and hereticks , or seducers with an outward sword , but said on the contrary , their weapons was not carnall , but spirituall . now the carnall weapons who punish them you call hereticks and schismaticks , whose church is disturbed by such . you shew you have not the power to convince gainsayers , & stop the mouths of them and make them to confess that god is in you of a truth ; and this doth shew that you are reprobated from the true faith which the apostles were in , and of christ , who said love your enemies , and if any one smite thee on the one cheek , turn the other , novv the beast and false prophets and the anti-christs , mother of harlots , should drink the bloud of the saints , martyrs and prophets , and kill them , which the faith and patience of the saints did not rise against ; now again the lamb and the saints should have the victory which should slay with the sword , which are the words of his mouth , not vvrestle against flesh and bloud , killing creatures , but over-comming with the bloud of the lamb , and here is the faith and patience of the saints whose kingdom is not of this world , but you that are killing with the sword , fire and fagots , and inquisition , bowing before images , idols , pictures & crosses , these be all of this world and kingdomes of it , carnal weapons and carnal things , held up by the carnal and not spiritual . now of your speaking of the magistrates , of the higher power , which is higher then all image-makers , and idols , which gave them to see before transgression was , which transgresser set up idols and images which they in the higher power broke down , that was the work of the magistrates , and they had the wisdom to make the true figure , and shadow , which christ came to put an end to . and they that set up images , idols , since the dayes of the apostles , and pictures , and crosses , and holds them up by an outward power , and magistrates , and compels others to bow down to them , is the worship of the beast , and not the worship of god , and this i declare , in the presence of the lord god , and all the magistrates that be in gods fear , they will break down your idols and images , and cross●s and crucifixes , and masse-houses , schooles and colledges , which you make priests and ministers in , which they that know the ministers made by the will of god will do this ; and the exposition of the scriptures by your church we cannot own , which is apostatized from the true church , which bid the saints keep from idols , which all that be of the true church are so to do ; and your church which is run into idols , pictures , and likenesses , is run into error , and is not infallible , and so you are gone from the life which gave forth the scriptures , which peter was in , and so run into idols , and must have images and likenesses to put you in mind of christ and the saints , and you are gon from the spirit & the holy ghost which they was in , which over-saw the churches , who watched for the souls and had the rule over the saints , so from this church are you apostatized & its peace , which church is the pillar and ground of truth , the divel is out of the pillar and ground of truth , he abode not in it , and all schismes & heresies they cannot disturb the peace of this church , here comes no sword-men here ▪ nor carnal weapons , nor inquisitions , fire nor fagget , stockes and prisons , nor idols , all such are w●thout that deceives nations , and tells them they are a church , which slayes the s●ints , p●ophets and martyrs , the same nature slew christ and his a●ostles , and abel with their carnall weapons , for all are one out of the life and power of god , striking at creatures , wrestling against flesh and bloud in stead of striking at the power that captivates the creatures , to the intent that creatures might come to the liberty of the sons of god , now you h●ving not continued in the apos●l●s faith , mind and spirit , but apostatized from them , you have all lost the guide and rule as they were in , both protestants and your selves that be out of the life and faith that the apostles was in that led them to give forth the scriptures , so you have been the wolves in the sheeps clothing , destroying one another about outward things and powers , but with the power of god , and life of god , by them that are in the wisdom of god are you all judged to be out of the kingdom of peace , which is the kingdom of christ fighting with carnal weapons hailing to the goals inquisitions , whips , stocks , houses , of correction , faggots , fires , either protestants or papists are you here like the kingdom of christ his subjects , but like pharisees , jewes , and cain , apostatized from the apostles , lost the faith , lost the unity , lost the spirit of god which the saints was in , which led them to give forth the scriptures , in which is the unity which is the bond of peace , into which all that is called christendome must come before they be one , and all the names blotted out that is amongst them given to them in the apostacy , since the dayes of the apostles , and all their prayers is abomination that be out of that unity ; and to you that is the word of the lord , and the quaeries thou hast not answered , and your prayers is denyed and your peace also , for you have not abided in that which the apostles and the saints was in , which did oversee the churches , but you are turned strikers , which the apostle saith they should not be so , and the apostle saw the comming in of the man of sin , and christ speaks of anti-christ and the false prophets coming in , with their signs and lying wonders , which if it were possible , would deceive the very elect , which john saw was come and went forth from them , and bid the saints keep themselves from idols , for they were them that got up idols which went forth from the apostles , which apostles bid the saints keep to the anointing in them , and they need not that any man should teach them , but as the same anointing teacheth them which is truth and no lye , and even as it had taught them , so they should continue in the father and in the son , and they that went forth from the apostles , went forth from this ; and in the revelations it is declared that all the world went after them who had the lying signes , wonders and the miracles and deceived them that dwelt upon the earth , and that has been the worship of the beast , and this has been since the dayes of the apostles , who said some should depart from the faith which is the shield , and so made war against the saints which was in the faith and over-came them ; but now the devill shall be taken , and with him the beast and the false prophets , and cast alive into the lake of fire , and babylon the great whore confounded , and the lamb and the saints shall have the victory ; and the everlasting gospel shall be preached to them that dwell upon the face of the earth , which is the power of god , and strike down all those that has got the words but not the power , and reach to the life and immortality , that that may come to light through the gospel which is the power of god , and to you that is the word of god . the profession of the catholique faith , of the last councell of roüen , holden in the year 1571. according to the councell of trent , holden the year 1360. which they have taken upon oath and sworn to perform . answ. which faith and profession , and catholique , which is held up and performed by an oath ; a company of swearers , which are sworn to perform the catholique faith and profession , is got up since the dayes of the apostles , and since the dayes of jesus christ in the flesh , and separate from them : for christ saith swear not at all , though they had sworn in the old time , christ who was the oath of god , and the apostle saith , above all things my brethren swear not ( who was in the covenant of god the oath of god , ) not by heaven nor by earth , nor any other oath , least ye fall into condemnation ; so all swearers whatsoever papists or other that are called christians , are fallen under the condemnation ; and the apostles contended for the faith , and was in the faith till death , and true brethren , vvhich vvas held up vvithout an oath ; so all that hold up , or perform their profession of faith , vvith an oath , are apostatized from the true church , faith and profession , from it reprobated , and are under condemnation , from the apostles , saints and christ , vvhich vvas never svvorn to perform the profession of their church , though the first priest-hood svvore , and the angel , and men in strife , and abraham , and solomon , and moses and the prophets , yet christ the second priest-hood , the covenant of god , and the oath of god , is that vvhich ends all o●ths and denyed svvearing ; and the apostl●s that vvere in the faith of him denyed swearing , and these was of the true church , and pure religion : and though the angell swore , the angels must bow down to the son of god , that saith , swear not at all ; who is the end of the prophets , greater then solomon , the end of moses , reigns over the houshold of jacob and joseph , and before abraham , who said , swear not . christ jesus , him by whom all things was made before it was made , the master of the family of heaven and earth , who is the author of the true faith , which is held without an oath ; which author of faith denies oaths and swearing , and ends them , and they deny swearing that be in his faith . 1. and 2. prin●iples . in . n. believe of firme faith , and professe all and every of the things contained in the symball of the faith , which the holy roman church uses , viz. 1 i believe in god the father all powerful , creator of heaven , and of the earth , and of all things visible and invisible . 2 and in one lord jesus christ the onely son of god , and begotten of the father before all the worlds , god of god , light of light , true god of true god , begotten and not made , consubstantial with the father , by whom all things have been made , who for all men , for our salvation is descended from heaven , and hath been incarnated by the holy spirit , of the virgin mary , and hath been made man , hath been also crucified for us under pontius pilate ; hath suffered , and hath been entombed , and is risen again the third day according to the scriptures , and is ascended into heaven , is set at the right hand of the father , and again shall come in his glory to judge the living and the dead , the kingdome of whom shall have no end . answ. you are not in the true faith of the son of god , nor know him not to be come in the flesh that be swearers ; and you that be not in the faith of the son of god , you know not god ; but swearers are under the condemnation , and knows not him that was crucified , that said , swear not at all . and knows not him that dyed , and rose again , and him that is the light of the world , and the judge of the world , christ jesus the saviour , by whom all things was made ; made of a woman , born of a virgin , who is one with the father , him ye know not , that be out of the faith of him ( and the apostles ) who said , swear not at all , whose profession , church , faith , and religion is held up by swearing and oaths , with all your stuffe and invented words , apostatized from christ and the apostles church , profession , and faith , and religion , under the condemnation ; and all professions besides upon the earth , which is held up by oaths and swearing , are under the condemnation , in the reprobacy concerning the faith which is in christ jesus , which gives the victory , and is the shield , and in which men please god without an oath ; you cannot please men , nor worship without an oath . 3 prin. and in the holy spirit , lord and quickning power , who proceeds from the father and the son ▪ who with the father and the son is worshipped and glorified , who hath spoken by the prophets . ans. you talk of believing in the spirit that proceeds from the father and the son , or god that spoke by his prophets , which christ is the end of the prophets ; and you talk of true worship , as speaks in spirit and truth , which the devil and enmity is out of ; you talk of these things , who holds up your church , profession , and religion with oaths , a company of apostates from the true faith , which the apostles were in , which christ is the author of ; which faith hearing , the spirit is received , which denies oaths , and then in that spirit is god worshipped , and the scripture known , given forth from it , and the son and the father known , the spirit received , and the spirit of the prophets , and the end of their words christ jesus , these are all known by the hearing of faith , wherein the spirit is received . 4 prin. and one holy church catholique and apostolique . 5 prin. i confess one baptism for the remission of sins , and wait for the resurrection of the dead , and for the life of the world to come . 6 prin. i admit and embrace most firmely the traditions apostolique and ecclesiastick , and all the other observations and ordinances of the same church . answ. your traditions , your word catholique , your sprinkling infants , which you call your baptisme , does not remit your sins , for there is no scripture for it ; so church , traditions , sprinkling infants , all have got up since the dayes of the apostles ; and so the unholy catholique and apostolique church , traditions , is got up since the dayes of the apostles , and your fruits declare it in the apostacy , from the true church of the saints and apostles , and the resurrection christ , you be ignorant of , and the power of the world to come , that be gone out of the faith that the apostles were in . 7 prin. i admit also the holy scripture , according to the sense that hath been given by the holy mother church , to the which it appertaineth , to judge of the true sense and interpretations of the holy scripture , and shall never take in hand to interpret them , then according to the common consent of the fathers . answ. your mother which you call the holy church , which gives the sense , is the whore , from the spirit of god , which the apostles was in , and christ and the prophets ; for that is it that knows the scripture , and that was in the saints that gave it forth , and all must have it in them before they know the words again , and come into unity with god again , of whom they learned that gave it forth ; and unity with the scripture , and one with another , and this both papists and protestants are out of ; the spirit , and falling out about the sense of scripture , and your father and mother , sons which ravened from the spirit of god , and so thou and you all teachers from others inventions ; and your teaching is traditions for doctrine , which are the commands of men ; but now to the lord be glory , ye are all discovered by his life . 8 prin. more i professe that there is seven ( truly and properly said ) sacraments of the new law , instituted by our lord jesus christ , and necessary for the salvation of humane people , but not all to every one , viz. baptism , confirmation , eucharist , penitence , the extream unction , the order and marriage , and that they confirme the grace , and that among them the baptisme , the confirmation , and the order cannot be rejected without sacriledge . answ. in this you have shewed your apostacy again , from the apostles and christs doctrine , which sayes , go preach the gospell to all nations , baptizing them , without any limit ; and marriage they that forbid , that is the doctrine of devils , which is honourable , the bed undefiled in all ; and the apostles doth not call them sacraments , neither baptisme nor marriage , nor the visiting of the sick , nor the lords supper : your confirmation and order , and your penitence , whipping and beating your selves for your sins , is your own invention , a sacrament of your owne making , which the apostle does not call repentance , a sacrament , or confessing of sin , or sorrowing for sin , the nature within should be afflicted , and circumcised in the spirit , which puts off the body of sin , and that brought down ; and not to strike the creature , and beat the creature , that is as you wrestle with flesh and blood ; the power of darknesse causes you to do that which guides you within , that strikes at the creature ; which power of darknesse should be struck at , that the creature might come into the liberty of the sons of god . 9 prin. i receive also and admit the ceremonies of the church catholique , receive and approve in the administration solemnly , of all the abovesaid sacraments . 10 prin. i embrace and receive all and every of the things which hath been defined and declared by the sacred holy councel of trent , touching the sin originall , and the justification . 11 prin. i protest likewise , that in the masse is offered to god true , proper , and propitiatory sacrifice for the living and for the dead , and that in the most holy sacrament of the eucharist is truly , really , and substantially the body , the blood , with the soule , and the divinity of our lord jesus christ ; and that there is made a conversion of all the substance of the bread into the body , and of all the substance of the wine into the blood , and the which conversion the church catholique calls transubstantiation . 12 prin. i confess also , that under one of these , one receiveth jesus christ all entire , and one true sacrament . answ. in these four principles which ye teach for doctrine , is but your owne traditions and commandements which are learned of one another , of men at the council of t●ent , and at your fathers , which is your sin , in the apostacy from the apostles , who was not of man nor by man : and as concerning justification , ye are ignorant of ; for where that is known , the sin is done away which came by the first adam ; and they that believe are passed from death to life . and there are some children of believers which is holy , yet all by nature children of wrath in the unbelief ; and your church is held up by tradition , and traditions , and vows , and oaths , which is all in the apostacy , from the spirit where it seems the root of the word protesting is come from your selves who are apostates , and not ftom the scriptures ; but you have thrust it in , & your offering and mass it is but a dead thing , it is neither good for the dead nor the living , the living do not accept of it but as cains sacrifice ; for are not you murtherers and destroyers of one another about religion , sacrifice and traditions , as cain did , whom god did not accept his sacrifice ? and as the jewes did ( without the life which gave forth the scriptures ) turn against the just , and all the apostates since the dayes of the apostles , which are inwardly ravened from the spirit of god , who set up all your lying signes and wonders , and traditions , and deceive people with them that dwell upon the earth , who be from the spirit of god , inwardly ravened from it , in which spirit god is worshipped , which spirit brings to offer living sacrifice : and the bread and wine after they have consecrated it , which you say is the very body and blood of christ , and soule , and it 's divine , and that ye call transubstantiation ; and he that receives either bread or wine , receives christ . now seeing that this doctrine and principle is laid down by you the council of trent , and tollerated by the great bishop of rome , the pope , and taught by the jesuites , i shall demand one thing of you out of every nation , and from every dominion and island belonging to the bishop of rome , the pope . let there come forth a bishop and a jesuite , and consecrate bread and wine , and after consecration and conversion , which you call transubstantiation , which you say then is the very body , blood , and soul of christ , which is divine : let that then be set by and kept ; and let us take of the same bread and the same wine , of the which you have consecrated part , and set them both together , and let us have a watch over them , seven of our side , and seven of your side , and see if that bread and wine do not corrupt and perish which ye have consecrated , as well as the other which is not consecrated , and prove not divine , and prove not immortall , but mortall as the other ; and if the bread and wine change not its taste , then we will say it 's the body of christ , if it do not ; and ye will not prove deceivers : but if it prove bread and wine , and loose its taste , and alter its property , then acknowledg your selves to be deceivers ; but if it corrupt not , but prove the body of christ , then the protestants may acknowledge they have wronged you , and be of your religion , but if that prove to be bread , and prove to be wine ; and mortall , and not divine , then shall you deny all your religion and acknowledge that you have wronged the protestants , and turn to the truth : so if you dare adventure to try your christ openly , and bring him out to the light , and see whether he will stand , and whether he will not corrupt , for the flesh of christ ( which the scripture speaks of ) saw no corruption . so now if you will take a publique consideration , and give a publique meeting after , send to any of them in england called quakers , and let there be a publique tryall ; and his word that comes to passe shall be the true prophet , and his word that doth not shall be the false prophet ; which ye are if the bread and wine corrupt , and prove not divine and immortall . these things have been taught for doctrines , about which there hath been fightings , slaying and killing , and much blood spilt : so that your weapons are but carnall and not spi●ituall , and there hath beene a great deale of profession of these things , and a great denyall . now if you will try them publiquely , if they stand , you will come off with honour , and give over fighting and killing one another about religion ; but in patience and meeknesse let it be tryed , and this will bring truth to light , and honour to god . if you dare not come to the light , to a publique tryall , and ye being so many nations and dominions , acknowledge your selves to be apostates , and deceivers , and so fall under the truth , and let the white horse go over you . 13 prin. i hold most constantly that there is one purgatory , and that the souls that are therein retained are helped by the supplications of the faithful . 14 prin. likewise that one ought to honour and invoke ( or pray to ) the saints which reigne with jesus christ , and that they offer to god their supplication for us , and that one ought to honour their reliques . answ. the scripture speaks of no purgatory ; and he that believes hath passed from death unto life , and shall never dye , nor come into condemnation . and the wicked shall be turned into hell , and all that forget god ; and death and hell must go into the lake of fire , and god who breathed the breath of life into man , by which man became a living soul ; he hath all souls in his hand , and the honour which the scripture speaks of it is owned ; but the honour which is given to the saints , from that are you apostatized ; and so your praying to saints and for the dead is in the purgatory already , your souls in the death ; so your soules are lean , who feeds your fleshly minds with similitudes , images , crosses , crucifixes , old reliques , pieces of cloath , or old bones , which you call reliques of saints , so are full of dead mens bones ; a generation of murderers , whose souls stands lean , and bound and captivated , and wants the vertue of the immortall food . 15 prin. i assure most firmely that one ought to have and to hold the image of jesus christ , and of the mother of god , alwayes virgin and of the other saints , and render to them the honour and the veneration which appertains to them . 16 prin. i affirm yet that jesus christ hath left in the church the power of indulgences , and that the use thereof is extreamly healing unto the people christian . answ. the power which ye have set up in your church , which gives the honour to the image of mary , the image of christ , and the other saints ; that i do believe you , that which you should give to christ , you give to images ; but this doth but shew and make you manifest to be apostatiz●d from the apostles , who had the minde of christ , and the image of the son of god in them ; so this church and its power is apostatized from the true church and its power , who are giving honour to the image of christ , mary , and the saints , which was not the work of the apostles ; and mary their saying ever a virgin , had not she children after to joseph ? and when they said , behold thy mother and thy brethren stand without desiring to speak with thee ? &c. is this the rise and ground of this word , god-father and god-mother , when your children are sprinkled papists and protestants ? 17 prin. i know the holy church catholique , apostolique , and romane , to be the mother and mistris of all the churches , and promise and swear true obedience to the bishop of rome , successor of st. peter , prince of the apostles , and vicar of jesus christ . answ. i do believe you , your church as you call it catholique , is the mistress , and hath been the mother of all churches false of babylon , and the mother of the harlots ; from the true church the apostles and saints was in ; in the apostacy , which hath been held up by the sword , fires , faggots , inquisitions of the popes , and quite out of the faith of peter , who said , render to no man evill for evill ; but if any man offend you , ye will render evill again . and for saying peter was the prince , will ye give paul the lye , who said , he came behinde none of the apostles ? and christ said , he that would be greatest , should be least ; and that there should be no lordship exercised amongst them one over another : and every man should have but his penny that went into the vineyard . 18 prin. i receive also and professe without any doubt , all other things which have been taught , defined and declared , by the sacred canons , and councels universall , and principally by the sacred holy councel of trent ; & together , all things contrary , and all the heresies condemned , rejected , and anathematized by the church , i them condemn , reject , and anathematize likewise . answ. i do believe you , who are bound up in the apostacy from the true church of the apostles , to that which your councell hath set up without doubt ; but your tryall is not yet come , and your selves you do not know , as for that , because your councell , pope , and bishop , their traditions of their own inventions , and profession and church , and all things belonging to it hath been held up by an outward sword , fires , faggots , inquisitions , and this hath been held up by the same nature , and the same weapons , by which the heathens held up their idol gods , and the apostate jews , as the apostate christians , from the true faith , and from the true christians of the true church , whose weapons were not carnall , but spirituall , by whose faith they overcame the world , the kingdomes , and subdued mountains , and quenched the fiery darts of satan . so your overcoming , and all other apostates , hath been with outward weapons , gaols , inquisitions , and death , bound with oaths , out of the covenant of god , whose religion is built upon that , who are all the wolves ravening , devourers , and so doubts ; the ground of them in your selves you feel not yet , your pasture and fields hath been so large for the beast to raven up and down in ; but now the lord god almighty with his power will hedg you up , and bring you into a narrower compasse : and anathematized and hereticks are ye all , from the apostles , as the gentiles from the jewes ; but jewes and gentiles all come to be one out of the life which gave forth the scriptures : so christians that be apostatized , and anathematized from the life that the apostles were in , be as the jewes and gentiles from the life of god , and with the life all comprehended , amongst the jewes and gentiles from the life of the apostles , and true christians , and with the life of god are all judged , who be out of the life of the saints . so it is not the professors of the words of the saints , but they that be in the life that are justified ; they are they who have unity with god , and one with another . 19 prin. and this faith catholique , out of which any cannot be saved , the which presently i professe of my good minde , and hold truly . i say , promise , vow , and swear for to retain and confesse , god helping , most constantly , intirely , and inviolately untill the last , teach and preach as much as shall be possible for me , through them that shall be subject to me , or shall be in my charge ; so god me help , and these holy evangelists of god . answ. all swearers are out of the faith of christ jesus , who said , swear not at all ; and the faith the ministers of christ , and the apostles were in , who said , swear not at all ; and the ministers of christ was not made by oaths , nor sworn to preach ; but you are apostatized from their faith and life that gives victory : and the evangelists all of them was against swearing , there is not one example among them all , not among the apostles , that they broke the doctrine of christ in swearing , and was made ministers by oaths , but by the will of god , which you all are apostatized from them , and are held under with the life , and from their faith reprobated ; and your faith and catholique is out of that which saves , and church , and so come under the condemnation , which was the false brethren went out from the apostles , and since the world have gone after them , which have had the scripture , and your own traditions and ceremonies , the sheeps cloathing , which have been fain to binde one another , and tye one another by oaths to uphold what you professe , which is all out of the covenant of god ; and the saving faith you are ignorant of ▪ and from it apostatized , wch gives victory over the world : and your teaching and preaching hath been out of the true faith , who multitudes hath gathered after you , and so deceived the souls of people , telling of a purgatory , and your souls be in it ; and this is all judged with the true judge of the world , the bishop of the soul . 20 prin. ye say that ye ought to honour the reliques of saints , and that god hath not forbidden images , and that ye ought to honour images of saints , because their bodies hath been the organs and temple of the holy spirit , and that god doth by vertue of their holy reliques many miracles : and because that the honour redounds to themselves , that they represent unto us : and when one worships the crosse , the honour of the worship redounds to jesus christ . but the idols ye say are forbidded , which doth represent the false gods which the heathen worship . answ. god hath forbidden to make representations and images of saints and reliques ; and the images of christ and the crosse is set up by you who are apostatized from the spirit of god , in which spirit god is to be worshpiped , and not the images of christ nor the saints , nor crosses , for those be all out of the power of god ; and the crosse of christ which is the power of god , which all must bend to ; and the crosses and images of male and female whatsoever , they that worship and honour them are as the heathen ; for reliques , images , and crosses are set up since the days of the apostles , by you who are inwardly ravened from the spirit of god by the same nature which went astray from the life in the jews and gentiles ; which wh●n they went astray from the spirit of god , they set up images which displeased god , as you that w●nt forth from the spirit of god since the dayes of the apostles , inwardly ravened from that ; who say that after bread and wine is consecrated i●'s christ , so are the antichrist that hath set up the false christ , who cries , loe here , loe there , and so put him in your chambers , deserts , and secrets , and yet you say he was crucified , and rose again , and at the right hand o● god , and say he was before all time , and that by him all things was made ; and yet ye likewise say , after ye have consecrated bread and wine , which you call transubstantiation , it is christ , and thus you confound your selves : and the lying signes and wonders which ye call miracles , which ye say are wrought by the reliques of the saints , is that which john speaks of in his revelation : the beast shall deceive because of his miracles : and the apostle speaks of , concerning the man of sin , which shall deceive with his lying signes and wonders ; and to the reliques ye have given the honour and worship , and not to god , and so lives in the outward . now jannes and jambres could do miracles by the power of witchcraft , by the same power the beast and the false prophets , the mother of harlots , babylon , and man of sin , acted to deceive the nations , since the dayes of the apostles , with all which is the mystery of iniquity ; she hath sate as a queen , lady of kingdomes , and hath seen no sorrow , but now she will come to l●sse of children ; for the lord god of heaven and earth will be honoured and worshipped , who will not give his glory to any other , and not to images , reliques , nor crosses : and the apostles , you are all got up since , from them apostatized ; for when they was adoring of paul , or adoring of apollo , the corinthians came under rebuke by the apostles , who said , who is paul , or who is apollo ? it 's christ that dyed and was crucified ; and bid them prove and examine themselves if christ were not in them . know ye not that jesus christ is in you except ye be reprobates ? and all these things are got up since the days of the apostles ; representations , images , crosses , and reliques , amongst you that are apostatized fr●m them , that bid the saints keep from idols , that had a sight of your coming up before their decease , which you papists and professors hath since reigned and drunk the blood of the saints , and the saints blood drunk , and hath been satans synagogue , and out from the saints . this should be , that the word of god might be fulfilled , and are fulfilling . but now the lamb and the saints , the top-stone is over your heads , and christ is come to reign , glory to the highest for ever , who kils with the sword , which are the words of his mouth , conquering and to conquer . and the seed is risen and rising in males and females , the sons and daughters of men . from them that be of the seed which the beast makes war against . the answer to r.w. his paper , wherein he vindicates the doctrine and practise of the romane church so called , to be the church of christ . in the dark night of ignorance when men hath been as in a deep sleep , & their eyes closed in security , & a spirit of slumber hath seased upon many nations , the god of this world having blinded their eyes , then the ravinous beasts , have come out of their dens , and hath ranged abroad in the earth , seeking to destroy and to devour the sheep of the lords pasture , and to kill them that the shepherd hath fed , and to lead them astray as into a great wildernesse from the fold , that they might worry them and destroy them , and make a prey upon them , and that which christ prophesied of which math. hath recorded chapter the 7. vers. 15. and in the 24. of math. 9.10 . and the 11. the false prophets , the wolves , which should come and devour , and to the intent , that they may not be so easily descovered by the sheep , they shall come in the sheeps clothing , but inwardly are ravining wolves , and these john and peter and paul saw come in their dayes , and fortold that they should more increase after , and should not spare to make havock of the church of christ , & this was long before the general apostacy , and they fortold that there should be a departure from the faith , and likewise that many should make ship wrack of faith and a good conscience , and the spirit spoke expresly , that in the latter time some should depart from the faith , and should give head to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils that should speak lyes in hypocricy , forbidding to mary , and commanding to abstain from meats which god hath created , 1 tim. 4.1 , 2 , 3. and this doctrine of devills is found in the church of rome , with many more which hereafter may be mentioned which clearly demonstrates , that the wolves the false prophets , the deceivers the anti-christs , the seducers , & them that taught the doctrines o● devils , & them that were seduced & believed this doctrine , which was apostatized from the doctrine of christ , and the apostles , here is your beginning , here is the corner-stone of your foundation , the dead-stones of which your visible church was made up of , which is none of gods temple ; but the synagogue of satan , and a residence for the devill , from whence all these devillish doctrines have proceeded , that hath corrupted all nations , & hath unsetteled them that they are become like a sea , casting out all this mire and dirt , swelling , raging , tossing , unstable , the nations are waters , tongues , languages , kindred , out of these waters , rose the beast with his heads and hornes that hath prevailed and hath over-come the saints , and hath shed their blood , and filled them , and hath made war against the lamb ( and yet doth ) & his followers , so that none hath escaped the rage of the beast ; who had not his mark , and upon these waters , kinreds , tongues nations , and peoples ; the whore sits which is none of the lambs wife , and she hath made all drunk with the wine of her fornication , so that all nations have been intoxicated , and inflamed , and have reeled , and staggered , and fallen from the faith vvhich stands in the power of god , and so being erred from the faith that works by love ; you have set up another fained faith which works by ▪ wrath and envie , murther and cruelty , witness your bloodly mas●acring , torturing , racking , tearing , rending , burning , destroying , killing and murdering many thousands since the dayes of the apostles ; so that your faith is manifest to be reprobate by the fruits you have brought forth before mentioned ; i challenge all the body of your visible church ( so called ) to prove , that ever christ , or his apostles , or the churches which beleeved and received the everlasting gospel , and were in the faith that wrought by love , where they taught , or practised any such things , as burning , kiliing , destroying , racking , them that were hereticks , or there was heresy at jerusalem among the jewish church , some that held that their was neither angel , nor spirit , nor resurrection which was heresy , and yet their is no mention of burning , or killing of such , and ( their was heresy in the primitive times , before ever your ruinous heap of visible dead stones were brought together , of which now so great a babell is builded , or before you had the name of a church , and yet no mention is made of their burning , or racking , or killing of them ; for the faith which wrought by love endured all things , in which the apostle was in the charity that suffered long and endured all things ; but your fruits have made your reprobate faith manifest unto many , blessed be the lord . but now the night is far spent , and the day is at hand , and is dawned upon many , and the anti-christs is seen , and the deceivers and false prophets , and the wolves that hath the sheeps clothing the saints words , and now the table of devills is seen , and the doctrine of devills , and they will not be partaked of , nor harkened unto as they have been in yeares past ; for now the heritage of god that hath laid wast , is coming to be tilled , and the threshing-instrument that hath teeth , is put into the hands of the lambs followers , and now wo to the hills they shall be threshed to dust , and shall be levelled , and wo to the beast his hornes shall be broken , which hath risen out of the sea , the sea sh●ll be dried up out of which he had his rise , and the mother of harlots shall become desolate and her flesh burnt with fire , and wo to her merchants , that have traded by sea , for it will be dried , the lamentation is heard which shall speedly come when they shall cry alas ! alas ! and wo to the kings of the earth that have drunk of the whores cup , and wo to them that have admired the beast , and have said who is able to make war with the beast : he is come who is able to make war in righteousness , and hath showed himself and hath put on strength who treads the wine press of the wrath ; who travels in the greatness of his strength , out of whose mouth goes a sharp two-eged sword which shall dash all to pieces . consuming fire is before him , ten thousands of his saints , is vvith him , and he in them ; they go on in his strength , conquering and to conquer , arme your selves , cast up your batteries , come all to the battel of the great day of god . and see if you be able to stand against the lord ; for he hath manifest his wisdome from above , which will confound all your deceit . for we esteem no more of your arguments then straw , nor of your devised fables no more then rotten wood : for you are all rounded as with a hoop , and measured as with a line ; your beginning is in the apostacy , your rise in the night of darkness , your strength lies in ignorance , and your end will be utter darkn●sse : and this shall stand true , when your place shall be no more found , nor one stone left upon another which shall not be thrown down . and now i come to the answer of the substance of thy arguments and principles . first , thou says , this is good catholique doctrine , that a man may have the true faith , and yet lead a sinfull life : and further , that a wicked man and a godly hath true faith , and it doth not differ a whit in matter or substance in the godly and ungodly . now to say one hath faith , and not the other , is against all sence and reason thou saith . answ. i do believe thee that this is thy catholique doctrine , but i cannot call it good , for then i should erre like thy selfe ; for this doctrine is contrary to the doctrine of the gospel , for true faith is that which the just lives by , hab. 2.4 . and that which the just lives by is pure ; the matter of it , by it he is cleansed , and the faith of the godly stands in the power of god , and that is a pure thing : and he that hath the true faith , hath the faith of christ , who is truth from whence it comes , and it leads out of sin , and a sinfull life ; gives victory over sin . this is the victory even your faith . by faith the godly stands , 2 cor. 1.24 . and by faith the godly walks , 2 cor. 5.7 . but on the contrary , a wicked mans faith , if thou call it faith , is called a feigned faith , and a dead faith , and is centred in him who hath the power of death which is the d●vill ; and this is another thing for matter and substance , and is a distinct thing ; and by the fruits and effects the true faith is ●nown from the reprobates in the different operations ; and so this is a devillish doctrine thou hast laid down , to wit , that they are one in matter ; for this is contrary to scripture sense and reason , and is an unreasonable position laid downe and ●●●firmed , from thy unreasonable minde which is erred from the true faith . and again , the faith of the godly and ungodly differs in effe●ts , but not in regard of the faith it self ( thou saith ; ) and here is thy confusion manifest , and thou saist all the five senses will teach you ; that a man may be chaste in his minde , and yet be angry ; and he may be temperate , and yet want patience . thou that hath no other thing to teach thee but the five s●nses , art sensual , and knows not the spirit : for a man to be chaste , and yet angry , is a false thing ; he that is angry and intemperate , is not chast , but joyned to that which adulterates , for these are the devils conceptions and works ; they and in whom these are brought forth is not chast , but is in cains way , and in dives way : and thou saist , if you can conceive this , that a man may have true faith , and yet want godlinesse of life and conversation , thy conception is false : for he that is temperate and chaste , and lives in that which makes him so , wants not charity nor patience ; for the true faith of gods elect purges from all sin , and that faith is reprobate where ungodlinesse is brought forth , and contrariwise thou saith , a man may be of an honest and godly conversation , and yet want faith ; utter darknesse is thy dwelling place , and thou speaks out of thick darknesse ; is there a conversation godly , or like god lived in where there is no faith or honesty ? where there is no faith , that 's utterly false , for these are the fruits of faith , of a lively faith ; for honesty and a godly conversation is the works which proceeds from a true and living faith , as the scriptures witnesse , and these things thou saith thou thought good to commend to consideration . thou that thought these things good , cals evill good , and good evill , and art in blindnesse , and i have considered of the things , and i never heard of so much blindnesse uttered by one who would seem to be a teacher of others : and now i come to that which follows . 2 p●●n . that the people or church of christ hath been alwayes visible , not only in the beginning , or in the apostles dayes , but also since the apostles dayes , even untill now , and shall be to the end of the world : and for this thou saist , christ hath promised , that the gates 〈…〉 shall not prevail against it , but that he will be with them till 〈◊〉 end of the world : and for this end thou saist the apostle said , ephes. 4. that he hath given some to be apostles , some evangelists , for the worke of the ministry , till we all come to the unity of faith , and unto the stature , and fulnesse of christ . answ. the church of god in the beginning , in the prophets dayes , christs dayes , the apostles dayes , and since the apostles hath always been in god , and hath always been invisible , as to the eye of the world , which could never discern them , nor wherein their communion stood with god ; yet notwithstanding there hath always been men , and people , who feared god , and believed in the invisible god , whom the world never knew to be such , but always did persecute : and they that did persecute , have named themselves to be the church of god . yet notwithstanding all this , there hath been in all ages some that hath born a visible testimony against the world , that lyes in wickedness , and against the false prophets , seducers , deceivers , and antichrists ; and these that bore their testimony against all these before mentioned , they were in the faith of our lord jesus christ , and declared against their idolatry in all ages , and these christ promised , that the gates of hell should not prevail against them . and although the gates of hell did not prevail against their bodies , or outward man , yet never prevailed against the rock christ upon which they were builded , but hath always been with them in the deepest suffering ▪ and greatest ffli●ction , and hath preserved them faithfull unto death , so that they have not denyed his testimony , nor the word of his patience ; for they have not loved their lives unto the death : and sometimes they have been more visible , and sometimes lesse , yet two or three that know the name of christ , and live in the power of christ , christ is in the midst of them , and they may be truly said to be a church of christ ; and these god hath promised to be with , who believeth in christ the power of god , to the end of the world , and against these the gates of hell shall never prevail . and whereas thou saist , he gave some apostles , and some evangelists , pastors and teachers , for the worke of the ministry , for the perfecting of the saints . this is granted , and it did , and doth effect the same end for which he gave it : but when ordained he the popes , the cardinals , the fryars , the monks , the jesuites , & the nun● , for the work of the ministry ? or whether have any of all these effected the same things which the apostles did by their gifts : but rather on the contrary , they have perverted the straight way of the lord , and have made the word of god of none effect by their traditions , and hath introduced and brought in those things to be observed amongst people , which god hath neither commanded nor commended , but on the contrary forbidden and condemned . 3 prin. that all those people or congregations , or meetings , or churches , which have not been constantly visible from christs time till now , are not , nor cannot be the church of christ ; and then thou makes this conclusion , that the roman church can shew its constant and successive visibility from christs time till now ; therefore the roman church must needs be the church of christ . answ. by thy own words thou hast proved your church to be no church of christ , neither your officers and ministers to be ministers of christ ; for matthew , mark , luke and john , peter , paul , and the rest of the apostles , makes no mention of any such officers , as po●es , cardinals , fryars , monks , nor jesuites , neither of any such doctrine did they allow of as you preach , to wit , the doct●ine of devils , in forbidding to marry , and commanding to abstain from meats wch god hath created ; and also teac●ing to make images , and set up images and idols , and also teaching to burn and kill , and destroy them whom you call hereticks , which christ nor none of the apostles ever did : so that it is manifest from the scripture of truth , that your visible church was not always since christs day ; for peter , paul , and many of the apostles lived after christs day , and they make no mention of any such ministry , doctrine , or practice , as is found amongst you , onely foretels of you , and prophesies of you , that antichrist should come , deceivers should come , and false prophets should come ; and peter , whose successors you say you are , he foretold of you , and hath left his testimony against you , & against them who preach for filthy lucre , those things the apostles taught not . ( amongst many things this is one ) in teaching and making people believe a purgatory after they be dead , and this was invented by you to get filthy lucre , and to get dishonest gain . another thing to give pardons , that you may get money , and filthy lucre , so that it is manifest you are none of peters successors , but are apostatized from the faith , from the doctrine , from the practice of christ , of the churches of christ in the dayes of the apostles , and were not visible then , nor counted the church of christ by any , in many years a●ter the decease of the apostles . but the false prophets that christ spake should come , which john , and paul , and peter saw creeping in then , who erred from the faith , and apostatized from the truth , who subverted whole housholds from the faith ; there 's your originall , they that did subvert , and they that were subverted , and held part of the form of godlinesse , & denyed the power , there is the beginning of your visible church , antichrists , false prophets , seducers , and seduced , you are their successors , and from thence your visibility came to be seen in the world . so in that which i have said doth clearly evidence , that you have not constantly & visibly had the name of a church since christs time , although you call your selves the ancient church : and i say unto thee in thine owne words , except thou be bewitched and possessed with a spirit of blindnesse , here is enough to convince thee , and all thy visible members , that your roman church is not so ancient as christ nor the apostles . but you are quite another thing , which hath sprung up since , and are apostatized from the doctrine and from the faith , which the churches which were before you were in , as the church at jerusalem , at antioch , and the rest of the churches , which had received the faith of our lord jesus christ without respect of persons , from which faith you are now reprobated . 4 principle . thou saist , that luther , calvin , memno , beza , and others were first popish priests , and those that followed them was first of the church of rome , and these thou saist fell from the faith , and were accounted by you hereticks , and sayes they ought to produce more evidence , for their faith which they professed being separated from you , then you need to do from whom they separated . answ. they are hereticks who denies the true foundation , and who erre from the true faith which the saints possessed , and and lived in : but your visible church have left the true foundation , and have erred from the faith which christ and the apostles declared and lived in ; therefore you are the hereticks . therefore luther , calvin , memno and beza , and the rest , seeing your doctrine , principles , and faith to be contrary to the doctrine of christ , and the primitive churches , god opening their eyes , and let them see that you had innovated and brought in another doctrine and other practices then had been taught or practised amongst the apostles , therefore they denyed yo● in many things , although they were not clearly come off your principles , nor did not see clearly thorow your deceit ; yet so far as they saw by the light of the lord , they bore testimony against you , and gave a clearer demonstration that you were out of the faith then you ever did ( or can do ) that you were in the faith : but that is made manifest in this the day of the lords power , which sees over you , and beyond you , and comprehends your ground , and all the body of your religion which stands in imitations , imaginations , inventions , and traditions . and further thou saith ; that you can bring more scripture for your catholique doctrin then they that are separated from you ; and thou brings two scriptures to prove some of your doctrine , and sayest , that the church of rome teaches , that christs body is reall in the sacrament , for which thou brings the 11 cor. 23 , 24. verses , which proves nothing to the purpose ; for the body of christ is incorruptible , and saw no corruption : but bread corrupt● , and will corrupt , notwithstand●ng all your consecration ; but as concerning this , i shall refer the reader to that which is written in answer to the former pap●r . again , thou saith , that the apostles and their successors had power to remit sins , according to john 20.23 . the apostles who believed in the son of god , unto whom all power is committed , and had received power from god , could do nothing against the power , which was their life , and what they said and did from that power , st●ndeth for the same power that christ received of the father , the same he gave unto them ; and the same that they did remit was remitted . but what is this to the pope , who is out of the power of god , who follows his successors , the antichrists , deceivers , apostates and vagabond jewes , and exorsists , who would have cast out devils in the name that paul preached , but could not . when did christ or any of his apostles say to the pope , or any of the cardinals , fryars , monks , jesuites , whose sins ever you remit are remitted . or when did he give the pope , or any of his cardinals , fryars , jesuites , monks , power to sell pardons for money ; is not this a doctrine of the devill , which peter , whose successors you say you are , who declared against you , and such as you , who said concerning you ; that you taught those things for filthy lucre , which you ought not to teach . and further thou saiest , thou conf●sses that there are other points of popish doctrine which you teach ; that there is not such evident scripture for ; as for those before mentioned , if thou hadst said there had bin none at all , thou had spoke truth & this is the popish doctrine , which thou sayest you have not clear scriptures for ; for purgatory , & praying to saints , and baptizing of infants , &c. i say there is no scripture at all , except it be your own devised fables , for the blood of christ cleanseth from all sinne them that do believe ; and there is no need of any other thing to cleanse , and so your purgatory is a feigned fiction , and a lying invented thing , invented by the pope to get money by . and as for praying to the saints , there is no scripture for , but against it : for it is written , th●u shalt worship the lord thy god , and him only shalt thou serve ; and cal upon me in the day of trouble . it doth not say , call upon the saints . and farthermore christ said , whatsoever ●e aske in my name , it shall be given you . and farthermore christ said to his disciples , whatsoever you aske my father in my name , it shall be granted unto you . he exhorteth them not as the pope doth , to ask in the name of st. mary , and st. peter , and st. dominick . and as for baptizing of infants , that is an invention of your own , framed and formed since the dayes of the apostles . for the apostles were commanded to teach and preach before they baptized any ; but you baptize those that are unt●ught , and unlearned , and these they call members of you● visible church , and so all this f●igned doctrine before mentioned is denyed and and condemned by the spirit o● the lord , which you are erred from . 5 prin. that the scripture doth no where clearly teach , that we must do nothing , nor believe no●hing whi●h is not written in the scripture , so thou saith even by our own rule , the whole foundation of all our n●w faith falls to pieces : for if i am bound to believe nothing but what stands in scripture , then thou sayest , thou art not bound to believe this maxime of heretickes , because it stands not in scripture . answ. paul was no heretick , and he said ; if i or an angell from heaven preach any other gospel , let him be accurst . and moses he was no h●retick ; and he said to the church of the jewes concerning the book of the law given unto them , thou shall not adde thereto , nor take therefrom . and john he was no h●retick , and he said ; if any man shall add unto these things written in the book , god shall add unto him the plagues that are written in the book . ( and yet all these were h●reticks in thy account ) & their faith stood in the power of god ; and this the scripture bears witness of , and those things were written in the scripture , that they might be believed , and from the spirit of truth they were written : and so if thou professe thou have the spirit of truth , thou art bound not to believe any thing contrary to the scripture ; and here your foundation and doctrine is dashed to pieces by the spirit of god who spoke for the scripture . and farther thou goes on in thy blindness and ignorance , and sayes , thou art not bound to believe that the bible is the word of god ; because it stands not in scripture , is not the scripture that which is written in the bible ? and dost thou not call the scriptures the word of god ? and yet foolishly saith , the bible stands not in the scripture . thou goes on and says it is most clear , that we are bound to believe and receive some things that are not written in the scripture ; they who know the bond of the spirit are not bound by i● , to beli●ve any thing which is contrary to the spirit , which speak forth the scripture . further thou brings 2 thes. 2. and 15. & 21 john & 25. to prove that we are bound to believe something that is not ●ritten in the scripture , because the apostle exhorts the thess●lonians to stand fast , and to hold the traditions which they had been taught , whether by word or writing . now if thou can produce thou may , the words that he taught to the thessalonians , which was spoken by the same spirit which he wrote the epistle● by : and that which he spake , doubtlesse is not contrary to that which he wrote , and so this proves nothing that every one is to believe your vain traditions which you have invented in your carnal minds , being erred from the faith , and having lost the spirit . and although john say , that there were many other things that christ did , which are not written : yet what doth this prove , that your innovated stories and devised fables ought to be believed ? and i say unto thee , and unto all you , it is meer madnesse to aver , or to believe that which is contrary to that which is written : and then thou says , if any man ask thee what those things be which christ and the apostles taught , and have not written , thou gives an answer thy selfe , that they taught to baptize infants , and that we must sanctifie the sundays , and other holy days , and to fast in lent , and acknowledge sr. peters successors for the governours of christ-church , and to say masse , and with all other points of catholique doctrine ; all which pack of lyes , and foolish fopperies , and invented imaginations , which is all contrary to that which christ spake , and the apostles wrote of him . for these are all invented stuffe , some from the heathens you have by traditions , and the rest has been invented , both the words and the things themselves since the apostles dayes , wherein there hath been a great apostacy , and all the world hath wondred after the beast . and thou saith , if any ask thee upon what ground thou believes that christ and the apostl●s taught all these things before mentioned . thy answer is , upon the same ground thou believes they wrote the new testament , even the testimony of all christians in all ages . here thou hast shewed thy faith , that it is but reprobate , & is but by hearsay , and is builded upon hear-say and tradition . and for your testimony of christians in all ages , let us have your testimony from the christians of jerusalem , from antioch , from thessalonica , colossia , and corinth , philippia , and the rest of the churches and christians , which lived in the age of the apostles : and likewise let us have the testimony of the churches of asia , which if thou dost bring to prove these fore-mentioned things , then thou brings a testimony against christ and the apostles , to make them transgressors , to build those things which they have destroyed : and thou saith , by that which thou hast written , we may see the firmnesse of the roman faith : by that which thou hast written , i see the blindnesse , and the ignorance , and the rottennesse , and the foundation of the roman church to be but rubbish , and sandy , for it stands upon inventions , mens traditions , and devised fables , and lying stories , and is not founded upon the rock of ages , and stands in the waters , which are moveable and unstable upon which the whore sits , which has made all nations drunk , which the great kings thou speaks of , which hath been converted , have drunk of , and so came to be protectors of the pope , & defenders of your religion by carnall swords , by fires , murthers , and inquisitions , and killing them who keep the word of gods patience , and deny all your idolatry , and this has been acted amongst you since the apostles dayes , in the apostacy . but the lord in his power hath appeared , and hath dryed up some of the waters out of which the b●ast had his rise , and hath broken some of his horns with which he hath pushed ; and all the kings which have given their power to the beast , have made war against the lamb and his followers : but the time is coming when the beast , and the whore , and the false prophets and antichrists shall be taken , and cast into the lake , and the lamb , and the saints shall have the victory . 6 prin. your church , thou sayest , is proved to be the true church , by the great sanctity and power of godlinesse , and mortification , as hath appeared in the roman church in all ages , and how they have lived in pure and perfect chastity , and how they have left their pride , and thou challenges to shew thee such among all those thou calls hereticks . answ. more ungodliness hath not appeared , neither hath been acted by any heathens in the world , then hath been acted amongst you , as blood shed , murther , killing , burning , destroying them that would not worship your idol ; and you have made the name of christ which you professe in words , and christianity to stink among heathens by your barbarous cruel●y , and your unhumane usage of them in many places of the world ; and as for sanctity and holinesse you are altogether strangers unto . is there not tolleration for whoredome in the principal cities of the popes dominions , and cruelty , the like is not to be found in the whole world ? witnesse your devill●sh inquisition , and hellish devices , to torture , and kill , and destroy them which will not submit , and follow your foolish imaginations , and deny the living god ; and for pride , he which you call your holy father , hath exceeded , many kings hath been made to kisse his feet ; and in most of the nations where the roman faith is professed , no such pride appears in any nation except them . and furthermore thou saith , the mighty power of god hath appeared in converting whole kingdomes into the christian faith ; your conversion we know , and your converts have been made manifest by their fruits , that they are two-fold more the children of the devil , and have but only turned them from one sort of images to set up another ; and that which you call conversion , more hath been turned for fear of your swords , faggots , and fires , being afraid of death , then hath been by any of your doctrine which hath been taught . and as for your fasting , thou boasts of , we know what it is , denying one sort of meat , and taking another ; and fasting one day , and riotous another : and as for your voluntary humility and poverty which stands in your own wills , which is onely to deceive people , that thereby your cloysters and your cels might be enriched , that your fryars and your monks might live in pride , and idlen●sse . and thou saith by this doctrine which austin the monk taught , that is to say , to fast from lawful meats , and to confess their odious and secret sins unto him , have converted whole nations by this doctrine from the vanities and pleasures of the world , as i said before , they are but turned to outward shews , and images , and the pleasures and vanities of the world are still standing in their hearts , and shews themselves forth in their actions . and as for thy saints , boniface , wil●road , and saint patrick , their work is yet to be seen ; they which professe the same doctrine in ireland , the fruits hath made patricks doctrine , and their conversion manifest ( which was rebellion ) treachery , murther , and blood-shed , and many thousand men , women and children have been destroyed in that nation within lesse then this twenty yeares , which is manifested , that patrick and his converts was cains successors , and not the successors of the apostles of christ . and as for the lying wonders and miracles thou speaks of , and of a jesuite raising twenty dead bodies to life again . it is like thou will prove this , as well as thou proved that christ taught to say masse , and to fast in lent , and keep holy days : but all thy lyes are seen , and your deceit found out , and with the life of god you are all judged . and though you have deceived the nations long , and kept people in ignorance and blindnesse , and have maintained your deceit by cains weapons , and have upholden the kingdome of antichrist by your bloody cruelty ; yet he is come , and coming to be revealed in the nations , whose dominion is everlasting , who will subdue all his enemies under his feet , & take the wicked in their own craftiness ; and he himselfe alone rule , whose right it is , who will confound you with all your idols for ever , that his glory over all may be advanced . f. h. this is the word of the lord god to you that fast and afflict your selves , and observe days , & meats , which the kingdom of god stands not in . you that fast , you want the bridegroom , you want christ , and the bond of iniquity is amongst you ; and this fasting and afflicting of your selves for a day , & days , is not the fast that the lord requires , which breaks the bond of iniquity ; which fast being known , that the lord requires , the foundation of many generations is raised up . you may fast from meats and drinks for dayes , and observe meats , and afflict your selves ; the envious man , the man-slayers do thus , which would kill and murther , and slay in the heart . now this is not the fast which is required of god , but of men , while the bond of iniquity is standing , whilst strife and debate is , do you not make vowes from the marriage ? is not then the cause you so do in the doctrine of the devils , and the forbidding of meats , which ought to be used with praise and thanksgiving ? the fast of the lord is coming to be known that he requires , which break● the bond of iniquity , which is the foundation of many generations , and the marriage of the lamb many are come to know , and enjoy the presence of the bridegroom , where they do not fast ; where they come into the wisdome of god , by which all the creatures were created , with which they come to use and order the creatures of god to his glory , and sees the kingdome out of meats , out of drinks , out of the observation of dayes , above meats and drinks . your leaders have caused you to erre , envy and wickedness hath been in them strong , which is by the power of the lord god comprehended and judged , whose sacrifices god hath no respect to , who be in envy in cains way , man-slayer● ; therefore haste out of the old life , and come to witnesse the chast virgin , which follows the lamb , that to him you may be married and joyned all ye poor captivated ones ; for the lord is come , and coming to exalt the kingdome of his son , whose standard shall stand over all the earth , and nations shall be ruled by his rod of iron ; come to know strife ceased , and envy ceased , and selfishnesse ceased , and pride ceased , and wickednesse and wilfulness ceased ; and envy , and plots , and murther ceased , and the bond of iniquity ; for this is that which will and doth deceive the simple-hearted , for the lord god with his power is come to redeem , who inlightneth every one that cometh into the world , that all men through the light might believe , whose day is appearing , and glory is revealed . so now every one of you that be come into the world , having a light from christ the saviour of your souls , from whence it comes . now this , you that be enlightned withal , it lets you see your sins you have done , as thoughts you think , and words you speak , and actions you act , and wayes you walk , with the same light that lets you see this ( which comes from christ the saviour of your souls , who hath all power in heaven and in earth given to him ) the same will give you power to come out of your sins : and there you come to receive the covenant of god , christ jesus , who hath given you the light to see sin , he it is that takes away sin , and blots out sinne and transgression . and now every one of you , this is the word of the lord god to you , all heed the light that you are enlightned withall , with that you will feel your saviour , for the light lets you see sin , the same blots it out , the same is the covenant of god , the same gives power , for all power in heaven and in earth is given to the son , who is to rule and subdue to himselfe all the powers of darknesse and wickednesse . the light which you be enlightned withal lets you see your deeds you have done , your words you have spoke , your ways you have walked in , your actions you have acted , the same will give you power to stand against your sin ; and there is the teacher , and the same will condemn all of you hating the light , which is christ which hath enlightned you withal ; and if you go on still in wickednesse , the same will become your condemnation at the last . remember , when you are in your wickednesse , and upon your death beds , you were warned in your life-time , and this light will let you see when evill thoughts get up in you , and evill affections , and evill desires , and check you , and reprove you , if you love it , and heed it ; when you are walking up and down , when you are fitting still by your selves , secretly it will bring you to think upon god , and when you are walking up and down abroad , yet it is present with you , there will be your teacher , there will be your condemnation if you hate it : the light of christ , who saith , learn of me , i am the way , the truth and the life . this is my beloved son heare you him : and there is no way to the father but by him , who doth enlighten every man that comes into the world , him by whom it was made , all the sons of adam drove from god in transgression , christ the second adam , the way to god , who is the way and the life . but man being drove from god , from life , and from truth , so christ is the truth , man being drove from god , from gods righteousness ; so christ is gods righteousnesse , drove from god , from his wisdome : so in a wisdome that is below , earthly , sensuall , and devillish , drove from god , from his glory , there is the first adams state in the disobedience ; but christ the second adam , the obedience , the lord from heaven , who doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world . the light that shineth in his heart which christ enlightneth him withall , it must give him the knowledge of the glory of god ; and this brings him from things that are seen , that are temporall , the light that shineth in his heart , that gives the light of the knowledge of the glory of god , with it brings to know all things that be eternall : and the lord is coming to teach his people himself , and to bring them of all the worlds teachers and ways to christ the way : and the lord is coming to break all in pieces that are gathered , and are a gathering ▪ but not with the power of his son , and with the life of his prophets and his apostles , such will he break to pieces , and dismiss the assemblies , who is come and will gather his people with his spirit into the life , the prophets were in , christ and the apostles were in , they shall come to live in the power of an endlesse life , and the world where there is no end is known , where there is the hungring no more , and the thirsting no more ; the government of him is manifest where there is no end , and the kingdome and the throne of christ is exalted : so all that afflict your selves , and torment your selves , and fast and observe days and meats by the commandement of men , and not by the commands of god , and doctrines of men ; and wills of men . consider the power of the creator , and come to the witnesse of god in you , to the light which christ lighteth you withall , which is the covenant with you , a god which breaks all other covenants when you come to the light , all the covenants you have made with men , with death , must be broken , and will be broken , that is contrary to the light . then you must know a shame , which is to be despised in the sight of all the world in breaking covenants , who with them hath made covenants , and bound your selves in vowes . therefore come to feel the witnesse of god in you , which gives you to feel and see that all the covenants upon earth must be broken that is made from the light , the minde that is from it ; which if you come into the light , you will know the marriage of the lamb , your fast shall cease , for god doth not accept your extreams , your passions , your fast , your afflicting your selves for a day , while there is prejudice and envy seated among you , the man-sl●yer which shews that you be out of the light and life of the prophets , and of christ and his apostles , both magistrates and ministers and teachers . and the pope which sits now on high , whose arms , fingers , legs and head is brancht out ; but with the power of the lord is compassed and seen , the end that he is in , and all is but earth , and the worshippers but earth , and in the earthly things the threshing instruments must thresh ; for you lie like a wildernesse , for the lord god of power is coming to plow up , and so seed it ; and that the truth over may passe , and christ in power come to reign , who is law-giver and judge , and to break your wills , and bow down your thoughts , who will subdue all things to himself . who will reign , and to exalt his kingdome , whose dread and terror is gone out into the earth : all what is done in mans will which he pretends to god , he will be judged for it , and all your observances , and fasts , and circumstances , and worships , who hath required this at your hands saith the lord ? come to truth , and singlenesse , and innocency , then you will see cain is a vagabond , the envious man , the man-slayer , a murtherer , from god a vagabond and fugitive , though he built a city : and he observed outward things , but comes not to witness the spirituall sacrifice ; but it shewed that you be in envy , and slayes men concerning religion , being another spirit then christ and the apostles , wherein as i● is declared in scripture , with it ye are judged ; and your reading over prayers , cumbers and wearies the just with reading over prayers , and praying to names , your observing of images , and your earthly crosses ; and this keeps you from the life and power of god , which is the crosse of christ , and the spirit in which you should pray , which the lord knows the mind of . g. f. this is to go abroad among the papists in all the earth . friend , as thou hast spoke of giving a reason , which reason is fathomed and comprehended to be earthly . now there is a reason which flows from the faithful that makes reasonable , and that gives dominion over the earthly ; but this reason is but earthly , and stands in the earthly , as hereafter will be made appear , as thou art brought before the judgement , and weighed in the ballance : and as for the church in the days of the porphet , that was in the days of baal , that would not bow to him nor serve him . now it seems there was some that did bow to baal , that had been of the jewes , and remained as in the outward name . but those were of the church that bowed not to baal , to the earthly ( mark that ) and those stood in the truth , and bowed to the lord , and kissed not baal ; and there 's a distinction between the holy kisse , and the contrary . now that was invisible that kep● them from bowing to baal , and that was invisible that they were gone from , viz. these jews that did bow to baal . as for the seven churches of asia , that 's agreeable to these words ; for many got the words of the church , but the life they fell from . then as for the church of rome , as for the dissolution of the roman catholique faith , which was before luther and calvin , which is as a dark puddle , the smoak of the bottomlesse pit , that hath not a foundation , but from the foundation christ fled : and luther and calvin , something there was stirring in them . luther was true in his place , but it was but a little , but so much as comprehended you ; and as for their falling from you before , luther and calvin , they were but in your outward ceremonies ; for neither you , the church of rome , nor those you beget , nor luther , nor calvin , was in the very life , that is infallible , the apostles were in , and christ , that the scriptures were given forth from . therefore kill you , and slay you that be contrary to you in your religion , and it is the cause of all people running into sects and heaps upon earth ; calvinists and lutherans , because they are not in the spirit that gave forth the scriptures , that hath been lost among you all since the dayes of the apostles , which is now found among them that are called quakers , whom all the sects upon earth are against , that are got up since the dayes of the apostles ; and with the spirit that the apostles were in , you are all fathomed as a span . you that are the church of rome , came to be made up of all these rotten members that fell away from the apostles , before the apostles deceased , that got the forme of godlinesse , but denied the power ; that forbid meats and marriage , that minde earthly things : so you have been the ancientest apostates , and all that have apostatized from you , you call sectaries , which you apostates was the mother of all ; and so i tell you , you are the most ancient in the form of godlinesse , and that have denyed the power , as your gaols and inquisitions declares your fruits : and you lye like a barren field unplowed up ; but now the plough of the lord is going , the servants of the lord are driving on the horses , which will tear your ground . and the publique worship that the apostles were in , who were led by the spirit of god , hath been lost since the dayes of the apostles amongst you ; for christ said , false prophets should come , that were inwardly ravened , that were wolves , that had the sheeps cloathing , which john saw was come , and that the whole world were gone after them ; and so there you lost the infallible spirit , and have held up part of the visible form , and run into some inventions of your own making ; and so is become the mother of harlots , and have brought them forth that are harlots . now that which christ said should come , which false prophets john saw was come , and the whole world was gone after them ; they made war with the saints that kept the testimony of jesus , them that had the forme , the sheeps cloathing , and were ravened from the spirit , and so overcame the saints , then power was given to the beast over all kindreds , tongues , and nations , and all that dwell upon the earth should worship him . then the beast and his names , and his images , and his mark , and horns , then the vials and thunders should come again to be poured upon him and his seat : so the author of all these sects and names hath been from you that first ravened from the spirit of god , all sects upon the earth would kill one another about their worship , which shews the spirit of the devil , and not the spirit of the apostles : so when the beast had overcome the saints , and killed them , and got power over all kindreds , tongues , and nations : and the woman fled into the wildernesse , and the man-childe caught up to god ; and the dragon made war with the ●emnant of her seed that kept the commands of god ; and here by this you may see where the church hath been : and the great whore which went forth from the apostles , and ravened from the spirit of god , yet hath had the sheeps cloathing , which all nations hath drank her cup . she hath corrupted the earth , and made the inhabitants of the earth drunk , and the kings of the earth hath committed fornication with her , and all nations have drunk her cup of fornication . she sits upon the waters , and the waters are peoples , ( not a people ) and the waters are nations where the whore sits , and multitudes , and tongues . now mark , if nations be waters , and peoples be waters , and multitude waters , and tongues waters : and the earth is corrupted , and the inhabitants of the earth drunke , and all nations have drunk the cup of fornication , and the kings of the earth hath committed fornication with her . now where is the church and the rock all this time ? when nations , peoples , multitudes and tongues are waters , and the inhabitants of the earth drunk , and the earth corrupted , and all nations have drunk the whores cup . and the whore cannot be said to be the heathen ; for the whore goes from something , and there is the ancient visible church ; and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her , and all nations have drank the cup of fornication , and fornication is before you be married : and these are them that have drank the blood of the prophets , saints , and martyrs that have kept the testimony of jesus . but now again , the lamb is brought forth to rule the nations with a rod of iron , though the beast , and false prophet , and kings of the earth , and the old dragon make war against the lamb and the saints , yet the lamb and the saints shall get the victory , and the everlasting gospel shall be preached to all nations , kindreds , tongues and people , and life and immortality shall come to light through the gospel , which your old great grand-father went from in the dayes of the apostles ; and so to that that they went from , is people now come and coming , and the lambs wife is making her selfe ready ; and the saints do sing , the lord god omnipotent reigns ; and you are all too immoderate spirits , you and all other sects , then to be like the apostles and christ , or to be like the church of christ , your fallibility and your idols , inquisitions and cruelties makes it appear . two queries being propounded to thee ; in thy answer to the first query thou saist , that all churches or meetings of all sorts of men which have not the spirit of god , they may erre . in thy answer to the second query thou saist , that the church of christ , or the meetings of those christians that follow the rule and law of christ , and are always guided by them , cannot erre in any truth . reply . your church , the church of rome have erred from the spirit of truth , and the truth in which there is no errour . as instance , you have set up idols ; and the spirit of truth in the true church said , keep your selves from idols , as in johns epistle : and you have made ministers by men , and by the will of man , and so gone into your own wills , which the scripture came not by , nor which christs ministers were not made by ; and you and all apostates since are of men , and made by men , and so you are erred ●rom the spirit of truth , that leads into all truth . you are erred from the crosse of christ , the power of god , and have set up outward crosses , and falls down to that instead of falling down to the power of god . you have erred from the true image of god the saints were in , and have set up outward images of wood and stone : you have erred from the saints life and spirit , and from the spirits of just men , and so from the true church , and so set up the reliques , as pieces of cloath , and old bones : so you know after the flesh , which the apostles did not : and you are erred from the rock , and falln into the waters , as in revelations : and your idols , pictures , and images have corrupted the earth ; so you are erred from the true church , and the true spirit , which cryed against idols in all ages , as moses said in his command to the people , and the apostles . your church is commanded to make images and idols , and the church in moses time , and the apostles churches were commanded to keep from them . so no true church you are , but apostates , but fallible , and erred in matter of faith and doctrine , and praised be the lord who hath brought you to the light . and multitudes of instances may be shewed , who compares the church with what the churches of christians were in the dayes of the apostles . and thou saist , the difficulty is where the church of christ is to be found ; for papists , lutherans , calvinists , anabaptists , arminians , and all schismatical meetings , they do claim the title of christs church to themselves , &c. answ. all these the roman church being the mother of the apostates , and all these before-mentioned are started from her , her sturdy sons , and severall names still in the forme , for the light within they are all against ; and christ within to reigne and teach ; and the law within in the heart , and in the mind , whereby all comes to know the lord , and the word in the heart and in the mouth to obey and do ; and the spirit of truth to lead into all truth , whereby the saints have unity one with another , and with the scriptures , and with god . this the pap●sts are run from into images and idols , and this the baptists , lutherans , and all other sects are run from into other images within , but with the spirit of truth which leads the saints into all truth are these comprehended , and out of all these sects and sorts are people coming . i 'le break your names , and marr your images with the spirit of truth , fence your selves never so wisely : and so none of these nor you neither are of the true church , but the beast and his names ; but some of these you cal● s●cts are neerer the true church then you ; for the world who lives in images and idols wonder after you , who lives in images and idols , who are apostatized from them ; keep your selves from idols . as for the quakers who are risen in the ancient of dayes , in the end of the night of apostacy , among whom that's appeared that cannot be shaken , against whom you and all the sects upon ea●th appears that are come up since the dayes of the apostles , whom they comprehend , and will tread to dust and to powder : the seed of god is risen , and the top-stone is laid , glory to god in t●e highest . come out all sects and s●ctaries to the battel , and you are all in the vanity contenders and pretendeders , got up since the days of the apostles ; the marks are appeared not to be the marks o● the s●ints , who hath the fathers name written in their foreheads ; but you have the mark of the beast upon you , and without the true ground and the true reason of the apostl●s ●re you out of : for inst●nce , the true church taught not to persecute , and the true reasonable men that was in the faith ; for faith gives victory over that nature in particular that would persecute , and so doth not lead to kill the creature for the sake of the nature in it in general : and fafth teaches not this d●ct●ine , but denies it , and brings to suffer all things , through which mountains are subdued . thou further saist , they that are of a wicked life may have a right faith , and reproves others that cannot believe it . answ. a wicked man he hath not faith of the el●ct of god for faith gives victory over wickednesse ; and faith purifies , and faith makes reasonable ; and who are of the faith , are of abraham , and come out of all these adulterous generations , the mystery of fai●h is h●ld in a pure conscience . now , here you are in the errour you papists , and all apostates from the apostles , like the jewes and the devil that hath a belief , but is out of the truth , yet may get a belief in the letter ; as the jewes held a belief long in the letter , but kill'd the son : and you have had the letter and form of godlinesse long , but killed the saints and martyrs ; who are reprobated , devils , jewes , apostates , papists , from the elect of god , for who are of faith , ●re of abraham ; and who are of abraham , are of the elect of christ , which doth not pertain to idols . and here is the mystery of the church known , the body of christ , which is a top of your flesh and idols , both which is not of the fl●sh of abraham , nor of the church . all you are but the pretenders of the spirit of christ in the apostacy from it since the dayes of the apostles , as your fruits declare , your names and images : so i confesse to you it is the ancientest form that hath been since the dayes of the apostles ; but had i never known the papists nor none of these sectaries , we had know● truth : we came not through the popes channels , but are come to that which all apostates ravened from , and so you your selves must be put to silence , and your mouths stopped , which are the evill beasts that tears one another , worse then the common beasts which the apostles speak of , which was coming up before his decease . how are you learning one another about your meat , and husks , and worships , and images , and helps , and teachers , and scriptures , which was not the work of them that gave it forth , with your horns : and how many images have you upon you , and names , and marks , and what are all these images and marks , but the marks and images of the beast which is risen since the days of the apostles ? whereas thou queriest , what be all these but sect , ? as independents , anabaptists , and other sectaries , which sayest , thou was first of the church of rome : and thou s●yest , the church of rome cannot be said to be sectaries , because it hath been constant since the dayes of the apostles , and all sectaries springed from it , and not you from them : answ. the roman church was the first made up of hereticks , schismaticks , and apostates , and reprobates , and antichrists , and false prophets , which christ said should come , matth. 7. and john said was come ; and as you may read in timothy and titus , reprobate from the faith , and erred from the faith , and had the form of godlinesse , and denyed the power , and kept the form , and as john said was come , and they went after idols before his decease ; and he writ to the little children to keep themselves from idols . and jude saw them crept up before they were aware , which went in corah's , balaams , and cains way , that were murtherers : and are not you murtherers , that murther one another , as cain about his sacrifice ? and jude saw they turned the grace of god into wantonnesse , which should be their teacher and salvation : so all these self-separations , apostates , reprobates , which went after the doctrine of devils , and forbid meats and marriages ; and the spirit spoke expresly , should depart from the faith , and ●ll these have made up the church of rome , and there 's your visible church held up by cains weapons . then as for all these sectaries springed from you , you were like to beget no other children but bastards , which is but a false conception brought forth by the will of man ; which is applyed that god got it , and fathers it upon god . and as for all these sects which are sprung of you , are like no other wayes but like to a sea , and burst into names , which went from the spirit of god ; you are not like to be kept in unity , who ravened from the spirit of god , the life of christ , and the apostles was in ; and to that which you ravened from , are people come and coming , which stands a-top of you all . they that worship god must worship him in spirit , which mortifies all sin and corruptions ; and they that worship god , must worship him in truth , in that the devill abode not in . to all the papists upon the earth to come out and try their faith and strength , without cains weapons ; for there was two that did sacrifice , and the one killed the other about the sacrifice , and whether of these two was excepted can you read your selves ? and which was the vagabond ? it 's said , that the pope and the church of rome hath the key , and it 's left to them , and ye are the keepers of the key . now if you be keepers of the key , ye are to open to nations about you , and to render a reason of the hope that is in you ; if the lord be sanctified in your hearts , you will . are you according to the scriptures ? is the practice of your church according to the scriptures ? is the spirit of the lord powred upon you , and all flesh ? doth your sons and your daughters prophesie ? and if any thing be revealed to another that sits by you , and bids another hold his peace that is speaking , for you may all prophesie one by one . or are you not like others , and the rest of the sects , that will put them in prison , and say they have disturbed you , and so shew your selves both reprobates and hereticks from the church and the spirit that the apostles were in ? and can you say , christ is in you male and female ? or are you not reprobates , and say you have no such speech among you catholicks ? but is without , which is your bread and wine ; and are not all murtherers , persecutors , prisoners , whippers , burners , inquisitioners , sectaries and apostates , from the apostles , and sacrificers from that nature cain was in , and not from the divine natu●e , and the faith of the son of god , and the apostles , and abel ? have you the spirit of christ ? is any of the church , but who are of abraham ? is any of the church of christ , but who are of the flesh of christ ? is any of faith but who are of abraham ? and is not faith a myst●ry , a perfect gift of god ? and is not this faith held in a pure conscience ? and can any ones conscience which is not pure hold this faith of gods elect ( wch is the mystery ) and doth not this faith give victory over the nature in man and woman that doth p●rtain to idols an● images made with mans hands , and in the wills of men , in jewes , gentiles , apostates from the apostles , since their dayes come up ? and doth not the faith give victory over all the jewes changeable types , offerings , temples , tythes , priests , covenant ? hath the lord put his law into your minds , that you need not say unto your neighbour , and writ it in your heart , that you need not say unto one another , know the lord ; for from the greatest of you to the least of you , ye all know the lord ? hath god commanded the light to shine out of darknesse , and doth it shine in your hearts ? and then ( mark ) dot● that li●ht that shines in your heart ( mark again ) give you the knowledge of the glory of god in the face of jesus christ ? cor. 2.4 . are you them that doth take heed to the light that shines in the dark place ? is the day-star risen in your hearts that peter speaks of ? is the ingrafted word which is able to save the soule felt in you ? and the hidden man of the heart , which is with the lord a great price ? are you them that are no wearers of gold , or costly array ? are you them that exercise lordship one over another like unto the gentiles ? or are you like unto the apostles which christ said it should not be so amongst them . are you like to the pharisees , called of men m●ster ? laying heavy burdens upon the people , and go in long robes , chiefest seats in the assemblies , and loves salutations , and uppermost rooms at feasts , which christ said unto his , be ye not so . and where do you read mr. paul , mr. titus , and mr. timothy , &c. are you the ●rue believers that are ceased from their own works , as god did from his ? are you come out of the law of works to the law of faith ? is your consciences purged from dead works to serve the living god ? are you those children that needs no man to teach you , but as the same an●inting abides in you , and as it doth teach ye shall continue in the son of god , and the father ? or are you the seducers , sects , and hereticks ( that draws people from the anointing within ) and so men teachers ? are you them that keep your selves from idols that john speaks of ? are you of the seed of the woman that keeps the commands of god ? are you the children of the lord that are taught of him , that are farre from oppression ? are you ceased from men whose breath is in their nostrils , that the prophet speaks of ? are ye them that tremble at the word of god ? are you them that obey the word of faith in your hearts , in your mouths ; and that saith , the righteousnesse of faith speaks on this wise ? you need not say , you need not fetch it from above , or from beneath ; but what saith it ? the word is nigh thee , in thy heart , and in thy mouth , to obey it and do it . is this a sectary , or out of sectaries ? are ye of them that make images or likenesses of males and females , things in heaven above , and earth beneath , and bows down unto them , wch corrupts themselves with them , and corrupts the earth ? are you of them that saith , the kingdome of heaven is within you ? have you found it in you ? or are you like unto the pharisees , gazing for it abroad without you ? is god the author of your faith ? and is it in your hearts , and doth it purifie you ? are the professors the greater persecutors , that hath the form out of the faith , out of the life of them that be of the faith and life , then the gentiles ? whether have been greater in all ages , judge ye . have you found the pearl hid in the field ? are you the merchant man that hath made an exchange , and purchased it ? do you speak only as the holy ghost moves you ? as they that gave forth scriptures ? are you led by the same spirit and power that the a●ostles were ? do you speak but as the spirit gives you utterance ? and are you them that do not quench the spirit ? are you them that owns prophesies immediately as the apostles ? and revelation , and inspiration from god as they had ? have you heard gods voyce , and christs voyce immediately from heaven as the prophets and a●ostles did ? what is the tree of knowledge ? and what is the flaming sword that keeps the tree of life ? and what are the inwardly raveners ? and what is it they ravened from ? and what are the false prophets and antichrists that have got the sheeps cloathing , which christ said should come , and john saw they were come ? and in the revelation , the world went after them ? and what is the sea the beast rose out of ? and what is the beast ? and what is the second beast that rose out of the earth ? and what is the earth he should deceive with his miracles ? and what are his miracles ? and all that dwell upon the earth should worship him because of his miracles ? and what are his names , marks , horns , and heads , crowns and images ? and what is the woman that fled into the wildernesse ? and what is the whore that hath corrupted the earth ? and what did she whore from , which hath made the inhabitants of the earth drunk ? and what are these kings that have committed fornication with her ? and what is the cup of fornication that all nations have drunk of ? and what is mystery-babylon , that reigns over the kings of the earth ? and what is the whore , the false prophets weapons , antichrists , the dragons that fight against the saints withal ? and what are the lambs weapons , and the saints that they fight withal ? and what peoples , nations , multitudes , tongues are those that john says are waters that the whore sits upon ? and what are those saints that the beast overcame ? and who are they which then the beast had the power over all kindreds , tongues , and nations ? and are not these things got up since the dayes of the apostles ? and whether or no the lamb and the saints shall not have the victory over them all again ? and whether or no the saints must not come to that which they ravened from , before they have victory over all that which hath reigned since the days of the apostles ? and whether or no the spirits of people hath not separated from , since the dayes of the apostles , which they were in ? and is not that the cause that all nations are brought into sects and heaps , and lost their unity with god and the scriptures ? ( with which spirit they learned of god the father of spirits that gave forth scripture ) are you come unto the spirits of just men made perfect , to the church in god the father the judge of all ? what scripture have you for taking tythes ? and where did the apostles take tythes so , that denyed the first priest-hood , and witnessed christ the ( sum ) the change of the law by which the priesthood was made : and the disannulling of the commandement that gave tythes ? and are not you transgressors , and made your selves transgressors that have set up these things the apostles threw down . and where did the apostle take tythes ? and what is the first principle of pure religion ? and what is the soul of man ? and have you not lost the crosse of christ , which the scripture saith is the power of god ? and hath set up crosse● of wood and stone on the end of your steeple-houses ; and do take bread and wine on the day-time , which christ took at night . what is the light ? what is the word ? what is the gospel ? what scripture have you for sprinkling infants ? are you them that have heard , and learned of god , which christ saith , them that have heard and learned of god comes to the son : have you seen the shape of god ? are you them that god speaks to by his son , who is heir of all things , upholding all things by his word and power ? is your church the church that is in god ? have you heard of the father , seeing it is written ye shall all be taught of god ? are you not them that looks at things that are seen ; for things that are seen are temporall , the things that are not seen are eternall . are not images , idols , pictures , reliques , bones , pieces of cloath , things that are ●een , and temporall ? answer these queries in writing , and send them to the people who are scornfully called quakers in england , by all the sects of the earth . shall a man whiles he is upon the earth be made free from sin , and be made perfect , and the body of sin put off ? and what scripture have you for consecrating bread and wine ? and where did the apostles so ? will you try your church by the scripture of truth , and measure your selves by the apostles declaration , and venture your selves to be tryed and judged by them that the spirit of truth led them to speak forth ? and what is the wine-presse that was troden without the city ? and whether you bid every man examine himselfe , whether christ be in him , except he be a reprobate ? and whether or no you are as the apostles , who preached christ in them the hope of glory , warning every man , that you may present every man perfect in him in christ jesus ? to prove the papists church to be a false church , contrary to the apostles ; and that they are wolves , which christ said should come , which are inwardly ravening : ye have the sheeps cloathing , and are the false prophets that should arise , according to christs words ; that should shew lying signes & wonders , which if it were possible should deceive the very elect ; and should say , loe christ is here , and loe christ is there . do not you tell people that he is in the bread , and that he is in the wine ; and tell them that he is in the chamber , and that he is in the desert ; where you put the bread and the wine is not there christ ? cannot you put him in the cup-board , and in the chamber , and in the desert ? cannot you put , and tell people he is there ? and have you not the sheeps cloathing , but are you not ravening wolves , inwardly ravening from the spirit of god ? so doth not your fruits appear contrary to the church of god ? for have not you fulfilled the scriptures , having the sheeps cloathing , but inwardly are the ravening wolves ? have not you ravened , wearied , and destroyed and killed many hundreds ? and have you not your holes and gaols , which you call inquisitions , which you put them in ? are you like the church in this ? did ever lambs and the sheep weary and tear them to pieces , and then carry them into dens , and make wracks and tortures for poor creatures , or for the wolves either ? did ever the sheep destroy the wolves ? now which doth your fruits make you appear to be , the sheep or the wolves , judge your selves by the scriptures ? now let all people judge you all that be in the wolvish nature , that are not sheep no more then you : so christ calls them wolves , inwardly ravening from the spirit of god , these christ said should come ; and they have come up since the dayes that christ said they should come . and the apostle saith in acts 20. that after his departure grievous wolves should enter in among them , not sparing the flocke , which should arise from among themselves , speaking perverse things , drawing many disciples after them . now have not you papists risen since the dayes of the apostles : and you know the apostles did not prison , persecute , devour any , but the wolves should do it . now these rise among the saints that should not spare the flock ( mark ) make havock of the flock , to devour and destroy the flock . now we remember that christ told of you and of these things ; and the apostle tells of these things , 1 john 2. said it was the last time then . whereas they had heard that antichrist should come , even now there are many antichrists and false prophets come into the world , 2 cor. 11.13 , 14 , 15. paul speaking there of cutting off occasion ; for as much as false prophets , deceitful workers , transforming themselves into the apostles of christ ; no marvel , for satan himself transformed himselfe , and his ministers transforming as the ministers of righteousness . now this the apostle saw come up among the corinthians before his decease : so now again you may see satans ministers they are murtherers , and his angels they are murtherers . now the apostle said , he out off the occasion ; he did not cut off the outward bodies of people as you do ; and the apostles were persecuted , whipped and beat ; now you see that you are whippers , persecutors , and beaters ; and though you persecute one another which have the name of christians , yet are not the sheep , nor the ministers , or true apostles , nor the true church : and when the true ministers and apostles saw that these false apostles should come , and ministers of satan should tran●form themselves into angels of light , he brings them to the light that shined in their hearts & them that would give them the knowledge of god in the face of jesus christ , 2 cor. 4. and are not you as bad as the jews , who killed the lord jesus christ , and their own prophets , who kill the prophets that are sent among you , 2 thes. 2. and are you not in the fornication . and set up places for fornication among you ? and no fornicator or idolater must enter into the kingdome of god . for are you not worshipping of images ? and do you not trust in them ? and doth not the lord say , cursed be all them that trust in graven images ? now the apostle faith , the mystery of iniquity doth already worke , and there should be a falling away before the man of sin should be revealed , who exalts himselfe above all that is called god , or is worshipped , and sits in the temple of god , and shews himselfe that he is god . the apostle bid remember that he told these things , and that he might be revealed in due time ; and now he is revealed , is not the man of sin a devourer ? and was the apostles so ? and are not you devourers , who worships the names of saints , and images , and reliques ; and so contrary to john , who was not to worship the angell , but god . how are you fallen from the truth , and from the state of john , how are you revealed , 2 thes. 2. and this man of sin , whose coming is after the workings of satan , destroying with his power . now have not you a great power , and lying signes and wonders ? have you not your lying signes and great wonders among you , and the deceiveableness of unrighteousness ; who have not believed the truth , but are given up to believe the lying signs and wonders ? so god hath sent strong delusions among you . and was it not the apostles charge to timothy , that he should teach no other doctrine , neither give heed to fables ? now are not you run into the fables , run into images , and reliques , and purgatory , and idols , beads , and jewels , and so puts them in your inquisitions that denies your fables , and witnesseth the contrary , that which is the sound doctrine ? so are you not contrary to the sound church here , and given up to them that believe fables ? 1 tim. 1. & are not your ministers made of men , and by men , so gone forth from the power the apostles was in , which was not of man , nor by man , so no true ministers . and did not the apostle say in his charge , tim. 3. to prove ministers and bishops , they might not be brawlers , they must not be given to filthy lucre , they must not be given to wine , they must not be covetous , they must not be strikers . are not you strikers , killing and slaying in cains way them that be contrary minded to you ? so not of the true faith , not of the true church , not of the true stock● nor of the true ministry . this i have proved by the apostles , separated from them out of their way ; are not you covetous ? would you not sell pardons for money ? are you not ashamed of your christianity , to the very heathen about you ? hath not god here brought the very man of sin to light , and revealed him ? now the apostle said , the spirit spoke expresly ; at the latter times some should depart from the faith , giving heed to seducing spirits , and doctrines of devils , speaking lyes in hypocrisie , having their consciences seared with a hot iron ; forbidding to marry , and commanding to abstain from meats . are you not departed from the faith that purifies , and the word that sanctifies ? and so the church made up of such as the spirit spoke should come ; that forbids to marry commands to abstain from meats ; and so your church made up with the seducing spirits , and doctrines of devils . doth not the fruits declare this to all the nations about you ? so are not you gone from the example of the apostles , who bids , follow us , as you have us for an example , both church and ministers . you have forsaken the example of the apostle , both your church & ministers . the apostle commanded timothy to keep his commandement without spot , unrebukeable untill the appearing of our lord jesus christ . and do not your fruits make you manifest that you are fallen into all these things that the apostle saw should come , and the spirit said should come ? and moreover the apostle said ; if you be dead with christ from the rudiments of the world , as living in the world , why are you subject to ordinances ? and if you be risen with christ , seek those things which are above ; set your affections on things that be above , and not on things that be on the earth ; as your images , reliques , idols , pictures , beads , jewels , earthly crosses , crucifixes ; are not all these things below ? and doth not these make up your church ? and is not this the voluntary humility that beguiles people ? such doth not hold the head , which are in the outward shews , which are not to be tasted , and handled ; which things perish with the using , after the commandements and doctrines o● men , which shews you are not risen with christ , not seeking the things that are above , but your affections are on things on the earth , col. 2. again , the apostle saith , in the last dayes perillous times should come , that men should be lovers of themselves , blasphemers , covetous , proud , boasters , heady , traitors , high minded , despisers of them that are good ; of this sort are them that creep into houses , leading silly women captive , laden with divers sins and lusts , always learning , and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth ; like jannes and jambres which with-stood the faith , to keep people in aegypt , keeping people in bondage and spiritual aegypt , having the form , but denying the power . and hath not the church been made up of such since the days of the apostles ? and evill men & seducers should wax worse and worse , deceiving and being deceived ; and the time will come , saith the apostles , that they would not endure sound doctrine ; they heap to themselves teachers that would not endure the truth , running into fables . now these things being come up before the apostles decease , of which your church is is made up of , which are turned from the truth , that have itching ears , and seducers , are reprobate concerning the faith , that keep to the fables : and this to the view of all people may be seen hath made up your church , for these things hath come up since the days of the apostles , which were coming up before their decease ; and the apostle speaks to titus of the unruly talkers , whose mouths must be stopped , who taught for filthy lucre , which were evill beasts , slow bellies , which followed fables made by the will of men ; and of these your church is made up of , which to every good work are reprobates , being reprobate to the good , and disobedient , tit. 1. and the grace of god which brings salvation hath appeared to all men , teaching us to live righteously , sob●rly , and godly . are not you run into the worlds lusts , and from the soberness , and from the grace of god which brings salvation , by which people are saved ? into the foolish questions and strivings about the law , unprofitable and vain , which are the hereticks which went forth from among the apostles , tit. 3. and so from the grace by which men are justified : are not you gone into the lusts , and so into the wars that brought forth sin , and so death , and fighting , and wars , that hath brought forth among you , and so out of that which takes away the occasion of wars ; and out of the faith that works by love , and so in the dead faith which is cains , which will murder and kill them that sacrifices , that are contrary to you , so are not you stepped into cains way from the true church ? moreover , are not you those that hold the faith of our lord jesus christ with respect of persons , and so are transgressors ? committers of sin , who breaks in that point as respecting of persons , is guilty of all ; and drawing before your judgment-seats , and killing . you great and rich men , whose time of weeping and howling is come , and so are turned to be the blasphemers , your church is made up of blasphemers , respecters of persons , transgressors , committers of sin , & convicted by the law that goes out of sion now the fruit of your faith is not the works of charity ; for you 'l kill and murther like cain , so that faith is without the true works , and the true charity ; but the belief is like the devils and cains , who is not justified by that faith , though you pretend faith and works to people ; but the ●ruits thereof declares you to be wolves , and so erred from the truth . are not you swearers ? which james saith , above all things my brethren swear not at all , lest ye fall into condemnation . so are not you the false brethren , the false church , the false ministers , fallen into the condemnation , contrary to james , who taught in the true church , and the true brethren , that above all things they should not swear , neither by heaven , nor by earth , nor by any other oath ? so is not your church made up of hereticks , & apostates , that are given to fables and rudiments of the world , and things below , forbidding meats and marriages , and reprobates concerning the true faith , and belief , which are found in the dead , without the works ; but in the works of cain and the devill , murtherers , doing his works , as the jews did against christ , and the apostles and prophets . again , the apostle peter bids beware of false teachers , who said there are false prophets among the people , even so there shall be false teachers among you , who should bring in the damnable heresies , which should bring upon themselves swift destruction even denying the lord jesus that bought them ; which are like to sodome , which are in their filthiness & fulness , and like unto core , turning away from the truth , and balaam and cain . now is not corah's , cains , and balaams marks found among you ? and h●●h not these made up your church , these which went forth from the apostles ? doth not your inquisitions ▪ your gaols , and dens , and persecutions , and murthers of the saints shew cains marks before mentioned ? so let corah's , cains , and balaams marks in your forheads testifi● , which had the high words , and spoke them in hypocrisie , and beguiled the unstable souls ; who are the cursed children ( and contrary to the apostles , and just lot , and noah , the 8th person ) who are the wells without the water , trees without the fruit ; who having escaped the pollutions of the world , by whom many is again overcome , is brought in●o bondage by you : so ●r●th hath been lost , troden under your feet , who ha●h born corah's , cains , balaams image , 2 pet. 2. but your damnation slumbers not , for you have denied the lord in turning from the light which he hath lightned you withal , going from the spirit , as cain , core , & balaam did . and then john wrote to little children , said , it was the last time , whereof antichrist should come ; even now there are many antichrists come into the world , whereby we know it is the last time which christ said should come , matth. 7. and told them again , mat. 24. and said , he had told them before concerning false prophets and antichrists should come , inwardly ravening wolves , devourers , which john saw should come , and went forth from them into the world ; and in the revelation , the whole world that dwelt upon the earth went after them . so these that christ said should come , john saw was come , inwardly ravening wolves , false prophets , false teachers , which the world is gone after , hath made up your church , which went forth from the apostles ; and christ he said , they should come , bid them they should not go● after them ; and john who saw they was come , bids them keep to the anointing in them ; they need no man to teach them , but as the same anointing teacheth them , and as they continue in this , they continue in the son , and in the father . and from this are you all gone : so that which christ said should come , john saw was come , even the antichrist and the false prophets , and how they should try the spirits that was gone forth into the world . again , they should love one another , and not as cain slew his brother . why did he slay him ? because his sacrifice was accepted , & his was not ; cains was not . now doth not the fruits of your church shew you to be cains , & your love , which the apostle saith not as cains ; so are you not apostatized from the true church ? the true love into cains love ? so no true brethren : and your love stands but in the word , not in the deed ; and iohn saith , little children keep your selves from idols . he saw the false prophets & antichrists then come wch should run into those things . now here are not you apostatized again from the true church , and run into idols , who profess your selves to be men and teachers , and so run in that , that john bids the elect keep from , 1 john . so have proved your selves to be the false apostles , that run after idols , which christ said should come , and the apostle saw was come , that should if it we●e possible deceive the very elect with your idols , which the elect before the foundation of the world was made keeps from , wch idols your church is full of . again , jude saw it crept up before his decease at unawares ; and he bids the saints contend for the faith once delivered to them , the common salvation . so these that crept up in the days of jude , hath made up your church again , and separated themselves from the apostle● sensual , not having the spirit , speaking the great high swelling words , admiring the persons of men for advantage , which are as sodom and gomorah and corah offering strange fire , you are offering the strange sacrifice who are like clouds , winds , raging waves of the sea , speaking great swelling words , having mens persons in admiration , going in the way of cain , corah , balaam : now the marks of all these are found in your church , and found in your foreheads ; cains sword is among you , do not you rage , do not you fome , do not you kill , do not you speak , the high swelling words ? but enochs prophecy is come to passe ; in ten thousands of his saints is the lord come to judgement , and to convince you of your ungodly deeds , and of your hard speeches against him , who be the filthy dreamers , defiling the flesh , speaking evill of the dignities , of the dominions ; that goes over all transgression ( which lets see the first transgression ) that was befo●● transgression was ; this is dignity and the higher power . now are you not in cains way , and lost the patience , that kills , slays , and murthers , let all the world bear witness that be in the fear of god ? are not you fallen into the deeds of the nicholaitans ; and so like them which said , they were jewes , and were not , but synagogues of satan ; and so do●h not your fruit declare you , that you are synagogues of satan , murdering , killing ? and was there not such before johns decease , which said they were jews , and were not ? which john told should cast into prison , and try , and many of the faithful martyrs were slain . have not you held the doctrine of balaam ? your idols , and do you not here commit fornication with them ? and is not this the stumbling-block you here lay for all people , balaam-like ? and is not the fruits of your church made up of such ? and was not the woman jezebel beginning to teach before johns decease ; & teaching to seduce the servants of god , and to commit fornication , and to eat things sacrificed to idols ? and was not all this separated from the true church , these idols , balaam , this prophetess ? and hath not these made up your church , which hath the stumbling block ? the word of the lord doth try all this ; hath not he promised , and the church doth know that he was the lord that tryeth the reigns , and searcheth the heart ? for is not jezebels mark upon your fore-heads , and your idols ? your church is full of them which defiles the land ; and do you not kill and slay , jezebel-like , and betray , and after fast , your hands full of blood , your heart full of deceit , strife and murther ? is not this jezebels teachings ? jezebels fast ? and your idols balaams stumbling block ? and was not this coming up before johns decease , creeping up among the true church ? if a true church fall into these things , god removes his candlestick from them ; so are you them the candlestick is not among : therefore you set up great outward candlesticks among all your idols , and so you have a name of christians , but are dead . thou hast a name of a christian to live , but art dead , and so deceives nations by your name ; but now you are proved , your church , your ministers all , jezebels mark , balaams stumbling block , your idols , you have not repented of your fornications , all your idols , god will cast you into your bed of sorrows . and now your day of tryal is come ; and he that overcomes shall be a pillar in the house of god : and so you have lost the key , and are shut up in darknesse ; for was not jezebel a murtherer , a slayer ? and yet did she not fast ? did not the apostles fast , and yet were no murtherers , nor slayers ? and at the opening of the 5th seal , was not the cry of the souls heard ; how long lord , how long wilt not thou be avenged on them that are put to death for the testimony of jesus ; and dost not thou avenge our cause o lord ? and was not the answer again , they should rest a season till the rest of their brethren were killed ? now who are the killers ? who are the murtherers ? have you not been the killers and murtherers one of another ? and so out of the true church , and all along apostatized from the true church , revel. 6. and so are not you them that are brought to poverty among all the earth for want of the vertue of god among all people , and choaks them with your idols ? and so the bottomless pit hath been opened which hath no foundation ; & your smoak and your locusts hath swarmed abroad ; so are you not them that fell ? the star that fell ? that fell from the apostles , that fell from the truth ? is not your church made up of locust ? and have not you worshipped devils & idols , and gold and silver , brass , wood , iron , and stone , that can neither see nor hear ? and doth not iohn speak of this in the revelations , which was distinct from the true church ? and is not your church here found your idols of brasse , of silver , of stone , and can neither see nor walk , revel. 9. and hath not the two witnesses been killed which was called the two olive trees , and candlesticks ; the olive trees fruits is the oyl , and what doth oyl do ? hath not this been killed , and the candlestick which stands before the god of the earth ? and the great city sodome and gomorrha where christ was crucified , and them that crucified him was the professors of scriptures , and you the professors of scriptures , where is the olive tree now ? where is the candlestick ? how is spiritual sodom full of your idols and images now ? there is none turnes from the olive tree and the candlestick ; but who are become spiritual sodome and aegypt in themselves ; and consider was not the dragon cast from heaven to the earth ? and did not he persecute the wom●n ? and is not all persecutors of him ? did not the woman flee into the wilderness ? where hath she been all this time of idols ? where hath been the church ? was not the man-child caught up to god ? did not the dragon make war with the seed which keep the commands of god ? did not the beast rise out of the sea , which had his power and authority from the dragon ? who have been like bears and lions and leopards ? and all the world wondered after the beast , and they wondered after the dragon which had power from the beast : ( now mark ) where hath the church been now ? who is like to the beast which rose out of the sea , which all the world worshipped , which ravened from the spirit of god ; which went out from the apostles , in corahs , cains , balaams way , erred from the spirit of god , they like a sea , out of truth ; so here came in the dragons power which gave the beast his authority , which all the world worshipped , which dragon had made war , was that which persecuted the woman ; and the beast made war with the saints , and had his power from the dragon which all that dwelt upon the earth should worship and over-come the saints , then power was given to the beast over all tongues , kindreds and nations ; over all kindreds , your tongues , your teachers , which saith tongues is the originall , orthodox men which have their learning from tongues hath the beast power over , and all that dwelt upon the earth should worship him , and he should deceive them that dwelt upon the earth by reason of his miracles ; he should make images to the beast , and they should worship the beast ; and they should neither buy nor sell ; but who had the mark of the beast and his image ; now it is the beast that sets up the image ; now here is the image , the beast , here is your church , and here is the beast that hath his power over all kindreds , tongues and nations , and the woman fled into the wilderness , and the man-child caught up to god , and the dragon made war with the seed , and the beast hath power from the dragon which kills the saints ; now where is your church ? where hath the true church been ? now where is the faith and patience of the saints ? he which kills with the sword , must be killed with the sword ; him that hath an ear let him hear ; the dragon the beast , out of the sea ; out of the earth ; these are scriptures , the beast out of the earth ; his miracles , his images ; now here is your church apostatized from the apostles , from john , from the woman , from the saints , from the man-child caught up to god ; so the beast hath had his authority and power that killed the saints , from the dragon and the man-child caught up to god , the woman fled into the wilderness , and hath had his power and authority over all tongues , people and nations , who hath deceived the nations because of your miracles , and yet the tongues , & your orthodox men , wch you call the original , which the beast hath power over , will tell the people that the false prophets are come but now , the 7. mathew , but now is the seven vials coming upon the beast , and his names , and them that vvorship him , for all these names in the vvhole christendom is the beasts names , not the saints but by reproach , and now are the reapers going forth vvith their sickle , and are calling people from the vvorship of the beast and his image , vvho had his seal to deceive them that dvvell upon the earth , & the spirits of devils vvorking miracles , vvhich goes forth to the kings of the earth in the vvhole earth to gather them to battel against the great day of the lord god almighty , and blessed is he that keepeth his garment clean : and the great whore , ( mistery babylon ) sits upon the beast , vvhose povver vvas from the dragon , vvhich all the world should vvorship , but vvho hath their names vvritten in the book of life , and so she sits upon the beast in his several colours vvhich all nations of the earth hath drunk of her cup & committed fornication with her , there the woman is called the church , now here is your church , and she sits upon the waters , and the waters are people , nations , multitudes and tongues , and she hath corrupted the earth , and made the inhabitants of the earth drunk , and the kings of the earth hath drunk of her cup , and committed fornication with her ; but where hath been your church all this time ? when the multitude are waters , and nations and tongues are waters , and the whore hath sat upon them all , and the inhabitans of the earth is drunk , and she hath drunk the blood of the martyrs , and the blood of the prophets and of the saints ; now if prophets blood be drunk , and the saints and martyrs blood be drunk , where is the true church now ? and if the prophets and saints blood be drunk , and the woman fled into the wilderness , now where hath the true church been ? now again the lamb and the saints shall have victory , the fall of babylon shall be known , the judgements of the great whore is come , and she shall be rewarded double as she hath rewarded : the beast , the false prophets , the kings of the earth shall make war with the saints ; but again the lamb and the saints shall get victory who shall kill with the sword , slay with the sword , which is the words of his mouth , & the beast shall be taken with him , the false prophet the old dragon , and be cast alive into the lake of fire . now here was the lambs weapons and saints , killing and slaying with the sword , which is the word of his mouth ; but their weapons is fire , faggot , inquisition , torturing , hanging , drawing , and quartering , about your religion , about your worship , that which your faith stands in which is proved to be cains and not abels , the keeper of sheep ; for the lamb and the saints shall have the victory , and the holy prophets shall have power over you , whom the beast hath had power over , whom you have worshipped , and the whore hath set upon all tongues , and kindreds , and nations , and the everlasting gospel shall be preached to them that dwell upon the earth , to all tongues , people and nations that dwell upon the earth , and so your church hath been made up of false prophets inwardly ravening wolves , and the grievous wolves , not sparing the flock , and that come in after the apostles departure , that rose up among them , that had the sheeps clothing , math. 7. and 24. acts 20. and your church is made up of hereticks which the apostle speaks of that served not the lord jesus christ , but their own bellies , which caused devisions , which had the good words and fair speeches which deceived the hearts of the simple , romans 16. and your church is made up of false apostles , satans ministers , satans messengers , transforming themselves as the true messengers , ministers and apostles , your church is made up of such who forbids marriages and meats , which the apostle said should come , and so in the devils doctrines ( as 1 timoth. 4. and 2 corinth . 11. and so are not built upon the true foundation of the prophets and apostles and christ jesus , ) who being past feeling , who are gone after the vanities of your own minds like gentiles into idols , ephes. 5.4 . who are the injurious persons , as paul was in his first estate , before conversion , when he persecuted , who never after conversion did persecute , for then he came into the life and substance of what he professed in words before , and so your fruits do shew your church to be made up of injurious persons , persecuting like saul , not converted , and yet you he doting about law and gosple which you do not know what you affirm and speak of ; so your church many of them through philosophie , and rudements below are held up by the commandments and doctrines of men , and feigned and voluntary humility which is your own , and usurped authority jezabel-like , so hath forsaken the command of the lord jesus christ and the true church , who said keep from idols , you have made idols and images that can neither hear , nor see , nor go , so your church is to be confounded , which trusteth in idols and images , so not in the true church of god , and your church is made up of them that kill the lord jesus christ , and kill the prophets , and kills the saints , and so fills up the wrath to the utmost which is to come upon you , and your church is made up of such who for the love of money hath erred from the faith , and are covetous , and will sell pardons for money ; your church is made up of such who be given to blaspheme , and so hath lost the godliness in which the saints increase ; but you have cankered the people with your images and pictures & idols of things below , so out of the sober state , in the malice , hatefull , out of the fruits of the true church , but made up of such which peter speakes of to be in corahs , cains , balaams way ; so your fruits declares , and thus you are contrary to christ and the apostles , and true church separated from them , and such as the apostle declares against hath made up your church . have not you been the first birth of the devil since the dayes of the apostles , murderers , and killers about formes and traditions , and images , and outward churches and ministers made by mens wills ? is not cains fruits the vagabond from god appeared among you , murderers , destroyers ? did the apostles kill , slay and burn ? had they their inquisitions like you ? and do not you all wear cains mark and balaams mark on your foreheads , and the devils colours the murderer that is out of truth ? has not his flagge been hung out among you ? all that denies your religion and worshipping your images , crosses , and all your ministers made by the will of men , and temples made with mens hands , its death , by fire , inquisition or wracks , and the devil is he that destroyes the creatures , but the power of god destroyes him , lets up the soul , and brings the creature into liberty . christ saith , my body i will give for the life of the world . and christ saith , he is from above , and he is not earthly ; the first man is of the earth earthly . so after you have consecrated your bread and wine , if you will come to an open tryall and proof , that may openly bee proved and seen whether or no your bread and wine is not below after consecration , and will waste and consume , which christ his flesh sees no corruption , his body is the church ; and is bread and wine after you have consecrated it the church ? or do you call your selves the church at rome ? or do you call your selves the body of christ ? do you call the very bread and wine the very body and blood of christ after you have consecrated i● , and so the very church ? and then where are you the church ? and have you not set bread and wine over you ? and you s●y christs body was humane , that 's the first adam earthly , the second is the lord from heaven ; and after you have consecrated bread and wine , if it be humane , that signifies earthly , & that shews the creatures as they were before your consecration , and so not the body of christ , and as oft as you do eat this bread , and drink this cup , y● do shew forth the lords death till he come : that signifies that he and his body was not present , for where his body is , there needs no representation , for it was in the night in which he was betrayed , that he gave them the cup for remembrance , and do you take it in the night , and follow the practise of christ and his disciples ? which is in remembrance of him , which is the cup of the new testament in his blood , this do as oft as ye do it in remembrance of me . this was in the night . now the apostle bid the corinthians ( that the end of the world was come to ) examine themselves , and prove their own selves , that they might know their own selves , how that jesus christ was in them except they were reprobates , and if christ was in them what need they to have bread and wine to put them in remembrance of him ? friend , 1 who was the first author or setter forth of all your pictures , your crosses , your crucifixes , your images ? and what was their names , seeing that the apostles and teachers and ministers did not set forth such things in the church ▪ but witnessed against idols , and that they might keep themselves from idols , and that they were not to look at things that were seen , as in the epistles of john , and to the corinthians ; and are not images , pictures , crucifixes , crosses , things that be seen ? and the things that are seen are temporall , but the things that are not seen are eternall ; and is not it which set up these things , that which denyed the power of god ? 2 how is it that you set up tythes , seeing that the apostle witnessed against the priest-hood that took tythes , and said , the law was changed , and the commandement disannulled that gave them ? and though abraham gave tythes to melchisedeck , the similitude , the son of god is come , the end of the similitude and likenesse ; and who was the first beginner of them amongst you ? 3 who was the first author that gave ye the commands for the observing of dayes , holy dayes , saints dayes , seeing the apopostle and the saints which were in the true church , brought the saints off days , yea the days which god had commanded to christ the substance , and said , there was not any name under heaven by which a man should be saved , but his name ; and what they were to do , they were to do in the name of christ . and when they cryed paul , apollo , or cephas , he rebuked them ; are not all you come under rebuke now , that are crying up names , days , meats , drinks , which the kingdom of heaven stands not in , and so has lost the power and the substance ? 4 where did christ or the apostles command in the scripture , or the church practiced , that such things forementioned should be done , or come after them , shew me by scripture . now if you say that solomon had a temple , and there were images and an ark , and an altar , those were but figures , they were not the substance ; and when the substance came , they ceased . now what does all your dayes , crosses , crucifixes , tythes type forth ? and who commanded them ? shew by scripture where ever christ or the apostles commanded any such thing as a crucifix , as a crosse , as tythes , as a temple , as an altar outward , or to pray by beads , shew by the scriptures , where ever the true apostles , true church or christians practised any such things , or that any such things were amongst them , or said that any such things should come after them ; answer me by plain scriptures ? 5 may not a man give all his goods away to the poor , and his body to be burned ? and what will that profit him if he have not love ? yea , love to enemies ? and how can you love them when you bring them to your inquisitions , or burn or imprison them , kill or banish them ? now mark ; are not you of that sect that the apostle speaks of , that may give all your goods away to the poor , and your bodies to be burned , and yet nothing , not having love : and what differs your love from that love , that may give your goods away , and bodies to be burned , and yet not have true love ? and do not you think that you gain by that now , and do inherit some righteousness for it ; and is not that all out of the true righteousnesse , which is out of the true love ? now the love of god and christ which was in the apostles , was to love enemies . now if you love your sect , and them that be of your worship , and observes your customes , and burn , and prison , and kill others that be not of your sect and judgement , and observes your customes ? is this the love of christ ? is this the love of god ? is this the love that was in the apostles ? did the apostles do so ? did christ do so , that had all power , &c. to all that were not of their minde , yea or nay , answer ? 6 what differs your works from the works of the pharisees ? for that which they did , they did to be seen of men . and the young man boasted of his works ; yet when it came that he should have sold all , and followed jesus , the beloved of god , there was the hard thing , whereby he might have had treasure in heaven : and how differs your giving almes from the pharisees , seeing the pharisees were in your state to murther , and murthered the just ? and you give almes , and are found in the same nature , that will and do murther them that be contrary minded to you , wherein do you here differ from the pharisees ? and ch●ist saith , love enemies ; and you have your inquisitions and fagots , here his love differed from the pharisees and yours . and saith john , let us love in deed , not in word , not as cain the wicked one who slew his brother , because his works were righteous , & the others were evill : and saith john , he that killeth with the sword must perish with the sword , here is the faith and patience of the saints now where is your patience , that are killing and prisonin● ? and we wrestle not against flesh and blood , saith the apostle , but against principalities and powers , and spiritual wickednesses in high places . how do you wrestle against principalities and powers , and spiritual wickednesses in high places ? does it not shew that your weapons are carnall , and not spiritual , while you are prisoning , burning , making inquisitions for the bodies of people that are contrary to your minde ? do not you wrestle against flesh and blood ? is not this to wrestle against flesh and blood to prison , to burn , to kill creatures ? are not you apostatized from the true apostles , and true church , which is the pillar and ground of truth , who said , we wrestle not against flesh and blood ? answer these things by scripture . 7 do you own the law and prophets , which is to do as you would be done by ? would you have all that be contrary to your minde do unto you , as you do unto others , to make inquisition● , and to burn and to kill them that be contrary to their minde , as you have your inquisitions , fagots , fires , for such that be contrary to your minde , not observing your customes ? would you have others do so unto you , and serve you so , that will not observe your customes ? is not to do as you would be done by , the law and the prophets ? 8 did ever christ or the apostles give any command that any should be put to death touching worship , touching religion ? shew me a command in scripture from christs or the apostles mouths ? are not they that murther , slay , and make war the beast and the false prophets , under the dominion of the mother of harlots , and in the steps of cain and jezebel , out of the steps of christ and the apostles ? 9 what is will-worship ? does any worship god in the spirit & truth , but who be in that , which the devil is out of ? can any being in the spirit and in the truth which the devil is out of the murtherer , slay any concerning religion or worship ? but on the cōtrary ; if they be in the evil overcome it with good ; now if you kill , murther , slay , make inquisitions & burn , where is patience , where is long suffering , where is stopping the mouths of gain-sayers , concerning gain saying ? if you cannot , you have a fagot for them , or a prison , or an inquisition , are you not here like unto them , that rose against stephen , that were not able to resist his spirit , but stoned him to death ? wherein differs your nature and spirits from these ? did stephen do so to others ? the apostles were stoned , did they do so to others ? now this is christs command , he sent them forth as sheep amongst wolves , he sent out prophets and wisemen , and said some they should kill , and some they should thrust out of their synagogues & some they should persecute from city to city , and said , they should be hated of all men for his names sake , and they should speak all manner of evil of them ; and were these to do so again to others , kill , hate , hale out of synagogues , persecute ? nay did not christ say , love enemies , blesse them that curse , now are not they that are contrary to this , out of this , anti-christs , and false apostles ? 10. has not the true ministery , true spirit , true power , true church , & the true crosse , been lost since the dayes of the apostles ? and the false ministery , false prophets , false apostles , antichrists , synagogues of satan has appeared , since which all your crosses , your names , your pictures , your images , your praying by beads , has come up ? have not you lost the true spirit , the image of the father , and his name , by which men are saved ; and so since run into other names ; run into images , lost the true image ; run into crosses , lost the true cross the power of god ; run into praying by beads , and lost the true praying in the spirit , and is not the candle put out within , and so ye have set up your lights burning without ? you defiled the temple of god within ; and so set up temples without ; are they not set up by that which defiles the inward temple ? and is not that it which will murther , slay , prison , and bring before inquisitions , which defiles the temple of god ? seeing they that witnessed the temple of god , said love enemies , and does not it shew , that the love of god was there ? if love enemies , which was a command of christ , who are them that are to be persecuted and hated , and who are they that you are to slay and kill ? answer . 11 have you heard the voyce of god immediately from heaven , as the prophets & apostles did , have you the same spirit wch christ and the apostles had , which gave forth the scriptures , which was before they were given forth , yea or nay ? 12. is that the blood of christ that is your wine , which was shed upon the cross when christ was crucified , alter you have consecrated it ? 13. is that the body of christ that is your bread , after you have consecrated , that said , lo a body hast thou prepared me to do the will of god ? and will not your bread corrupt , and let it lye after you have consecrated it ? and does the body , the flesh of christ see corruption ? answer . 14. what is the ground and cause of all the destractions amongst the called christians ? is it not because they have the words of christ , the prophets and apostles , but be cut of the life of them ? 15. what is that thing wch four men do carry on staves , that all men must bow before it , when you carry it in the streets ? and what do you do it for ? and where did christ or the apostels do any such thing ? 16. why do you when you sprinkle your children , put salt in their mouths , spit in their eares , dip their heads in the water , and crosse them over the faces ? 17. what is the death that hath passed over all men ? 18. what is the tree of knowledge of good and evill ? 19. what is anti-christ ? is not it he , which sets up things which christ has not commanded ? 20. what is the beast , the first and second ? 21. what is the dragon ? 22. what is the mother of harlots , and her cup which all nations and the kings of the earth has drunk of ? 23 what is the bottomlesse pit ? 24 what are the locusts ? 25 what is the first principle of the pure religion ? 26 doth christ jesus enlighten every man that comes into the world , yea or nay ? 27 what is it that gives the knowledge of the glory of god , and where is it ? 28 what is the word ? 29 what is the gospel ? 30 what is the record ? 31 what is the original ? 32 what is the law and the testimony ? 33 what is self-righteousnesse ? 34 shall a man while he is upon earth have the body of sin put off , and be perfect , and come to that which is perfect , and have his transgressions and sins blotted out , yea or nay ? 35 what is conscience ? and what is the soul ? 36. would you not destroy them that would break down your pictures , your images , your crosses , your crucifixes , and throw away your beads ? would not that lov● in you destroy them that should destroy your pictures , crosses ▪ crucifixes , images , & beads ? would not the heathen have done the same to the jews , that had destroyed their images , groves , pictures set up which god never commanded ? would not the jews have destroyed the apostles for denying the temple , the altar , sanctuary , tabernacle , dayes , priests , offerings , the outward things which god had formerly commanded , but denyed by them that came to witnesse , and preach up the body that god had prepared to put an end to them ? and was not that the love of god in the apostles , and was not that the sel●ish love that held up pictures , temples , images , idols , which god never commanded , and was not that the selfish love in the jews , that held up temple , tythes , priests , images , similitudes , and are not you in the selfish love , and is not this selfish love that holds up temples , tythes , priests , images , crucifixes , pulpits , and is not all this in one nature , jews , gentiles , and you since the dayes of the apostles , and out of the love that the apostles were in , who witnesse against jewes , priests , tythes , and gentiles and idols and bad the saints keep themselves from idols , 1 john 5.21 . 37. are not they the false apostles , ministers and teachers & antichrist , beast and false prophets who comes with lying signs wonders and miracles , since the dayes of the apostles and john ? and who are these describe them that should come with the lying signs and wonders , and the beast should work miracles since the dayes of the apostles ? 38. are not they the false apostles , ministers and teachers , and in the night , out of the true day , & have lost it since the dayes of the apostles ( the true christians , which were children of the day ) that now observes dayes ? is not this a figure and sign to be in the night ? was not the true apostle afraid of some , that observed dayes , that he had bestowed his labour in vain amongst them , and was not this observing of dayes coming up amongst some before the apostles decease which the true apostles rebuked , and since the dayes of the apostles , have they not spread over nations , observers of dayes , and are they not gone into the night and lost the true day ? 39. why do you whip your selves , with cords or ropes , or whips , where did the christians or apostles do so ? or did christ or the apostles give any such command ? will you be tryed and have your practises tryed by the scriptures of christ and the apostles ? 40. do you own the practice of the church of the saints and christians which the apostle was amongst , that if any thing be revealed to another that sits by , let the first hold his peace , for ye may all prophecy one by one , that all may learne , and be edified and comforted , the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets , and god is the god of order , and not of confusion ? 41. do you own that sons and daughters shall prophecy in this age , and that the spirit will be poured out upon them , yea or nay ? 42. do you own revelation and immediate inspiration as the apostles had , the same now in these dayes as was amongst them , yea or nay ? 43. do you own trembling and quaking as was amongst the saints which the scriptures speak of , and the salvation which is to be wrought out with fear and trembling , and doth not this work out that nature , that beats and striks the creature ? 44. what are all your names that you give to your fryers monks , jesuits given to them for ? where did christ and the prophets and apostles do so , or give any such names to any , as white fryers , black fryers , jesuits , abbots , monks ? has not this been set up since the fall●ng away from the power and life that the saints were in , who were of one mind and heart and spirit and soul , and the number of these names got up since ? 45. from whence was the rise of your pope , cardin●ls , abbots , monkes , pryors , arch bishops , covents , canons , nunns , jesuites , franciscans , dominicans , carth●sians , capuchins , benedictines , mendicants , carmelits , gray fryers , black fryers , white fryers ; your regulers and seculers ; our altar , rayles , organs , candlesticks , tapers , lights , torches , holy water , myters , vestments , fonts , surplisses , bendings before images , bowings before the altar ; where do ye find these names or things amongst the apostles or the saints and churches which the apostles were amongst ? or where did they do so , ( shew a proof of it ) before their decease , in all their epistles , or in all the declaration of christ or the apostles , for your practise to act or practise any such thing , or to give any such names , or set up such orders ? 46. where had the apostles and saints any inquisition-houses , to put them in that were contrary to their minds ? 47. where had the apostles and saints any houses to put men and women into , such as ye call abbies , monasteries , nunneries ? 48. where did the apostles or saints , set up a form , that some of them should beg all their life times ? is it not said , i have not seen the righteous forsaken , nor his seed beging his bread ? 49. where did ever any in the scriptures , wear sack-cloth or hair-cloth , except such as of the lord god were commanded to wear them as a sign ? 50. where is it amongst the apostles and true churches that were amongst them , that they should be distinguished one from another , by their habits , as every name hath their severall habits amongst you ? prove me this by scripture , have not you lost the true knowing one another in the spirit , and so know one another by habits and names ? 51. where did the apostles and saints that were amongst them , the true church , give any such commands that there should be any dayes set apart for fish , to be observed as you do , answer me these things out of the doctrines of christ or the apostles , or disciples of the apostles and the true church ? 52. where was there any amongst the apostles and disciples which was the true church amongst the true christians , that had the name of pope before their decease , or fryeries , or abbies , or nunneries or monkes , or any such names amongst them , answer me by the scriptures out of the practice of the true apostles , and true christians , which the apostles were amongst before their decease ? 53. where did the apostles and disciples take a vow of any christians , or make them to give them a vow , that they should never possesse any thing of their own , or never marry , but put them into houses , where they should never come out again , and is not that the doctrine of devils , which was coming in before the apostles decease , forbidding the eating of meats , and forbidding of marriage , 1 tim. 4. and from what ground and root has this had its rise ? 54. what were the false prophets and anti christ , that christ said should come in the 7. and 24. of math. to his disciples , & which the disciples ●aw was come , as in 1 joh. 2. and 4. which went forth from them wch he saith in his revelations , all that dwelt upon the earth went after , and all nations drunk the cup of the fornication , and the kings of the earth and all that dwelt upon the earth worshipped the beast , what kings of the earth , were th●y that drunk this cup of fornication ? and all nations , and what nations were they ? that cup was this ? was not it them that ravined from the life , which went forth from the apostles , which made war against the saints , and should overcome them for a season , that kept the testimony of jesus the spirit of prophesy , whose names were written in the lambs book of life , slain from the foundation of the world ? 55. where did the apostles and the church , that they were amongst before their decease , set up crosses , and did they fill their windowes full of pictures and images of males and females ? answer me this by scripture , out of the apostles practice : now if you say that joshua bowed before the arke , and solomon made images , joshua bowed to the lord before the arke , and christ is come the substance of all tipes , and figures and shadowes , and to him must every knee bow , who is a greater then solomon that built the temple , and stephen that was stoned to death for witnesing the substance and denying the figure ? 56. and where did the apostles and disciples , or the ministers of christ jesus which was amongst the apostles , before their decease , consecrate bread and wine , or christ give them any such comm●nd to consecrate it ? tell me out of the commands of christ , or the commands of the apostles before their decease , that they practised any such thing amongst the saints ; and what scripture have you , or command from christ or the apostles , or the church that was amongst them , that speaks of seven sacraments , or any such names that they had amongst them , or give forth any such thing to be practised after them ; let the practice of christ and his apostles and the saints then speak for it , or declare it , or else you must acknowledge your selves to be besides them , and acknowledge it to be , but an invention , and your own words ? 57. if your church be the pillar and ground of truth , the gates of hell cannot pervail against it , but if the gates of hell have prevailed , and you swallowed up in darkness and in inventions , and are fain to hold up your selves , with prisons and inq●isitions and goales , and outward carnal weapons , does not this shew that your weapons are carnal and not spiritual , and that you are out of the power of truth , which the apostles were in ; i am none of those that you cal your sects , separated from you and drove you out of your houses , and taken them and call them the church , nor any of them that holds up tythes , or temple outward which has your crosses on the end of them , nor any of them that holds up priests , which have been made by schooles and colledges , and has their temples and pulpits imitating ezra or solomon , & not christ who came to put an end to them , nor any of them that are taught to call the dayes by the saints names , nor any of them that are taught to call the colledges , by jesus , by christ , by immanuel , by trinity , none of them that ever was learned to call them by these names , nor any of them taught by the heathen to call moneths by the names of january , february , march , april , may , &c. and to name dayes , and to call them , by such a saint , or such a god , or sun , or moon , or starres ; but am a witnesse against all the priests made by schooles and colledges by mans will , and tythes , and temples , set up since the dayes of the apostles in the apostacy , and a witnesse against all the jews , temples , tythes , pulpits , priests and offerings , one of them that are the elect ; that witness the everlasting priest-hood and everlasting covenant . 58. are not all these pulpits , temples , tythes , priests , schooles , colledges made by the will of man , and set up by the will of man in the apostacy since the dayes of the apostles ? and are not you all in the apostacy from christ and the apostles , who said when they curse blesse ye , and the apostle sayes , my brethren bless and curse not , now you that do curse by your bell , by your book , and by your candle , are not you apostatized from the apostles doctrine here , who saith , bless and curse not ; and ye curse ; did not the apostle peter see the cursers , cursed speakers , come up before his decease ? 59. did the apostles give the names as whitsontyde , or easter , or christmas , the names of holy dayes , are not all these set up since the apostles ? seeing the apostle said he was afraid of them that observed dayes ; did not the jews dote upon the shadow more then the substance , dote upon the day more then they did upon christ ? but shew what your observing of whitsontyde , easter , or other holy dayes does signify forth , and who was the first author of your church , or where the apostles or the church before their decease practised or commanded any such thing ? if not , grant your selves apostates . 60. where did the apostles or ministers of christ or the beleivers before their decease , build great abbies , monasteries , and set crosses on the ends of them , nunneries , cloysters , build walkes in the ground ? shew it by scripture , by that prove your practice , else acknowledge your selves to have set up these things who be in the apostacy ? 61 where had the apostles or the saints , bells jangling to call them together like a company of heathen , or like they that have a horn to call their hounds together , or the swine-heard for people to put forth swine , or hower-glasses to preach by the hower ? prove it by scripture , else acknowledge your are in the apostacy , and have set up ●hese things by your own inventions , and are them that limit the spirit . 62. where did ever the apostles consecrate any thing , or the scripture speak of sacraments , or where did the apostles use that which you call holy water , to sprinkle people withal ? if you cannot shew it by scripture , where the apostles or christ di● practise any such thing , acknowledge your selves that you be in the apostacy that have set up such things since the dayes of the apostles , and erred from the true church in your inventions . 63. where did the apostles when they went to preach or to pray , put on white hoods , copes , tippets , white surplisses and cornered caps , are not all these things got up since the dayes of the apostles amongst such as are apostat●z●d from them ? 64. who are the inwardly raveners that christ said should come , which was the false prophets , which should have the sheeps clothing , but inwardly ravening wolves , an inwardly ravening wolf , worse then a dog , which got the sheeps clothing , is not this it that has made war against the saints , that kept the testimony of jesus the spirit of prophesy , and has not the wolf been covered with the sheeps clothing long , such as ravined from the spirit , such as has inwardly ravened , and would ravine and destroy all that be contrary minded ? 65. have not men fallen into the flesh since the dayes of the apostacy , and ravined from the spirit , that went forth from the apostles , are not they them that has set up all these outward things , as temples , tythes , priests , crosses , crucifixes , schooles , colledges , to make them ministers , images , idols , abbies , nunneries , candels , altars , holy waters , praying by beads , sprinkling children with the sign of the crosse , and have not you gone back who are ravened from the spirit , and so lost the substance , and so imitating aaron and his sons , and imitating altars ▪ and outward things that stood in moses , which the apostle sayes , while moses was read , the veil was over their hearts ? 66. was not the first priest-hood a true tipe , and the temple a true tipe of the inward , and the sanctuary and altar a tipe , and the outward things in the law , shadowing forth the good things that were to come , which were but to have their times and seasons ? and did not the apostle witnesse the substance of all tipes , figures and shadows , and signs and similitudes and likenesses , and witnessed that which gave him to see where there was no shadow nor changing ? now are not all your tythes , temples , priests , altars , crosses , crucifixes , images , similitudes , beads , cloysters , abbies , nunneries , set up by your own inventions , which men and people has been compelled to worship , are not all these lying signs and wonders , and the worship of the beast , that which they that inwardly ravened , set up , and is not this to give worship to them that inwardly ravined from the spirit of god , who are the wolves , that ●an make a profession of christs and the apostles words , the beast and false prophets which the world has wondred after , and should deceive them with their lying signes and wonders : did not the apostles give hints of such things before their decease ? did not john see such come as the whole world went after , and all that dwelt upon the earth worshipped the beast ? now answer me these things , and clear me them by scripture , where the apostles did practise or act any such things before mentioned : and if ye be not such that john and the apostles speaks of , and christ , that should be the inward ravening wolves , and go forth from the apostles , which john saw all that dwelt upon the earth worshipped and went after ; and all that dwelt upon the earth drunk the cup of fornication , and should deceive them that dwell upon the earth with their lying signes and wonders , and miracles ; and if you be not them , tell me who they are ? 67 what is the beast , and the number of his names ? and what are his names , and what is his marke , that they that would not receive should be persecuted ? and what is his image ? and what are his heads ? and what are his crowns ? and what is the mother of the harlots ? and what is the great whore which hath corrupted the earth ? and what is the cup of fornication that all nations has drunk of ? and who are the beast and false prophets ? & what are they that are come up since the dayes of the apostles ? how to say you believe as the church believes , and you will not trouble your selves about the scriptures , because they are hard to ●e understood ; you are to see that you be of the church that the apostles were of , which was the pillar and ground of truth , which was without spot or wrinkle , or blemish , and so their belief stood in christ and god : and when any did wrong , yea peter , peter was withstood , and not believed as he believed . and as for saying the scriptures are hard to be understood , that is to shew you want the spi●it as was in them that gave them forth , in which is the unity and the bond of peace . and none comes to be a member of the church in god the pillar and ground of truth without spot or wrinkle , or blemish , but who comes into the spirit that they were in that gave forth the scriptures , with which spirit every one in particular hath his particular satisfaction in the scripture , it opens it to them , with which spirit he hath unity with god , unity with the scriptures , of whom they learned that gave them forth , and there is the bond of peace now to tye up men to believe as others believe , and to compell them by a law , or a prison , or an inquisition , this was not in the true church , but this is a marke of the apostacy from it , and is a marke , that they that do so , are the wresters of the scriptures , and err'd , ravened from the spirit that they were in that gave them forth . for it was not their worke to compell people by a law , by a prison , by an inquisition to obey their faith , and to bring them into their worship and doctrine , that was not the worke of them that had the spirit that gave forth the scriptures ; but this shews and signifies , and declares it selfe forth , that you would have power over mens faith , which saith the apostles , we have not , but bade them look at jesus the author of the faith . and again , to believe as others believe , which do call themselves a church : is not this different from the apostles doctrine , who saith , he that believes hath the witnesse in himself ; and hast thou faith , have it to thy self ? 68 is your church the body of christ , and is your bread the body of christ after consecration ? and is that bread after you have consecrated it , the church ? is that the body of christ the church ? for the apostle saith , the body of christ which is the church . 69 is god worshipped in truth , but in the spirit that gave forth the scriptures , and in that which the devil is out of ? now can any of you worship god in the truth , unlesse you be in the spirit that gave forth the scriptures ? then being in the spirit that gave forth the scriptures , how can you say that the scripture is hard to be understood , or any that be in the church , seeing the true church is made up of living stones ; and the scripture was given forth from the spirit . 70 and whereas it is a generall word to say you believe as the church believes , and the scriptures are hard to be understood . doth not this shew that you be all afraid of your standing ? and shew that your church is in the state of apostacy , from the apostles and disciples of the lord jesus , that there is a cry amongst you , the scripture is hard to be understood ? and we must believe as the church believes , and the church is the pope and his councel . now if he or his councel dare not venture to try their standing to meet the spirit of god , and to answer these q●eries , or all his train that be under him ; then shall we know , and then shall it be seen who is the true church , and who are the apostates , and set up a likenesse , an image : and if you do shelter your selves in the darkness , and not come forth to the light , and dare not venture your principles , and is afraid of the heat , and for fear that your heads should be cut or slashed , and your principles dasht to pieces ; and see that your weapons will not carry you out , and that your righteousnesse is but as rags , and you have been but wolves covered with the sheeps cloathing , and have been devourers of the lambs , and can do nothing without your swords and carnall weapons , and your inquisitions , then may the whole world see you : therefore come out , i challenge you all , and give an answer either in print or in writing , and bring your deeds to light , that they may be manifested to the whole earth , and declared on the house-top ; our weapons are not carnall with which we shall handle you ; neither need you fear your persons ; neither need you be afraid that we will wrestle with flesh and blood ; for that which was amongst the apostles , is come to , that which hath been since the apostles is seen : the arm of flesh is not our weapons , but the lord of hosts . come thou pope , with all thy jesuites and cardinals , and see if thou can stand this day before the truth , for these queries be to the whole body and thee , scattered up and down the face of the whole earth , and the power of the lord god of life , of heaven and earth is gone over you , and hath fathomed you . 71 was it the work of the christians to be beating d●ums up and down , fighting , destroying one another ? where has been loving enemies ? where has been overcoming evill with good , and rendring to no man evill for evill ? 72 doth not christ say , it hath been said of old time , thou shalt perform thy oath unto the lord ? but doth not he say , swear not at all ? now ye swearers , have not you b●oken christs command , and have apostatized from his doctrine ? but if ye say the prophets swore , or abraham swore , or david swore , or solomon swore , or moses swore , or the priests swore ; christ is the end of the prophets and priesthood , a greater then solomon , then joseph or jacob . before abraham was i am , who saith , swear not at all . now if you say , did not the apostles say , an oath was an end of controversie and strife amongst men , that men swore by the greater , which the apostle brings as an example , shewing how god could not finde a greater , and therefore swore by himselfe concerning his covenant that doth not change betwixt god and man , in which covenant man comes to have peace with god . now if ye say , did not the angel swear in the revelations ; i bring forth my first begotten into the world , and let all the angels worship him ; and this is the beloved son , heare ye him saith god . and above all things my brethren , saith the apostle , swear not at all , neither by heaven nor by earth , lest ye fall into condemnation : so are not all you swearers fallen under condemnation , and out of the apostles doctrine , and apostatized from it ? nay , is not the power which you call your supream , under the condemnation ? and magistrates that are swearers , and giving oaths , no christian magistrates , but they and their power is all under condemnation , all swearers upon the earth ; for saith the apostle , above all things my brethren swear not at all left ye fall into condemnation . so are not ye swearers , who calls your selves a church , pope , magistrates , all upon the earth under condemnation , and out of the doctrine of the apostles , false brethren , and out of the power of christ , who has all power in heaven and e●rth given unto him , who saith , let your yea be yea , and your nay nay , in all your communications , who is the end of oaths , whose doctrine the apostles preached and abode in . now are not all churches , teachers , powers , magistrates under condemnation that be the swearers , and not the help-government to christ , out of the higher power , all magistrates from under the higher power that be swearers , and out of christs power , and help magistracy and government for him , who has all power in heaven & earth given unto him , and out of the apostles doctrine , and christs doctrine , who saith , let all your communication be yea , yea , and nay , nay ; for whatsoever is more is evill . and so how can a company of swearers be a church , or the supream power , which are the beasts and false prophets apostatized from the apostles , and christs doctrine , and them that inwardly ravened from it , and has had the sh●eps cloathing , that tear and rend all in pieces , that will not come into the wolves way , and bow down to that which he has set up ; and so therefore is the cry amongst you , the scripture is hard to be understood ; and you are tyed to believe as yo●● church believes ; so by that means you have held the out-side , the sheeps cloathing , and pretend to be saved by your works and merit● , when the wolfe has been in your hearts tearing to pieces , and rend and devour them that will not believe as you believe : i cannot gainsay you in this , as for your saying the scriptures are hard to be understood , when you are all ravened from the spirit that gave them forth . 73 where did ever any of the saints change their names , unlesse they had a command for it , as ye do when ye are made popes ? did peter change his name ? 74 where was it amongst the apostles that some might not marry , and they might not at some times of the yeare marry ; but at those times they might have a licence to marry for money , as it hath been by them who be of you . 75 where did the apostles bear about candles for the purification of mary as you do ? where was this practice in the church ? or how do you as the church did ? or believe as the church believes , when you fordid to marry ? did not the church say it was the doctrine of devils ? and how do you as the church did , when you forbid the eating of meats , when the church said it was the doctrine of devils . 76 where did the apostles consecrate swords , and send them to one another to fight with their enemies ? how do you here believe as the church believes , who said , we wrestle not against flesh and blood ; and their weapons were not carnall but spiritual . 77 where did the apostles sell pardons and indulgences for money ; who said , they were not redeemed with corruptible things ? and how do you believe as the church believes , when you are redeeming one another with corruptible things ? 78 how do you forgive one another freely as christ hath forgiven , when by your pardons , indulgencies , and buls you get great sums of money of poor ignorant people ? are not you in this the covetous , that makes merchandize of the people , that peter saw coming in , who has the wages of unrighteousnesse , whose reward must be according to your works ; for every man must receive a reward according to his deeds ? and the apostles said , they were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold : and how are you apostatized from the apostles doctrine , that are selling pardons for silver and gold corruptible ? how do you here undervalue the blood of christ which does cleanse from all sin ; and believe as the church believes , who said , by no other name under heaven shall we be saved , but by him ? and how is it that yee have set up another name to pardon , the pope , and sell pardons ? do not you in this shew and discover you to be in the apostacy from the apostles and true church , and not to do as they did ? 79 where did the apostles set up stews amongst them , the christians before their decease , give your example ? but bade them flee fornication ; and said , no unrighteousnesse must enter into the kingdome of god ; and he that defiled the temple of god , god would destroy . and do not you in this set up that which is naught , and tollerate that which is wicked ? 80 where did ever the apostles or the saints say prayers by beads to the saints , or to saint mary , as you do , or compell any so to do , or set forth such an order that should be after them . where was any such things practised among the apostles before their decease , that they must say so many prayers , numbred by so many beads , before they had a pardon ? 81 where did the apostles or saints run up and down for reliques , or bones of dead men as you do ? and why do you gather up the chips of wood and stone and dust that flyes from the door that you break open , after you have chosen a pope , and keep them as precious reliques ? where did ever any of the saints do such things ; and has not all these things come up since the dayes of the apostles amongst you who from them are apostatized ? the protestant and papist are fighting and striving about works . now because the apostle said , they were justified by faith without the works of the law : and james saith , that faith without works is dead . and these are the scriptures they fight about , being both protestant and papist found out of the faith the apostle spoke of , and are found out of the works of the law both , so neither in the works of the faith , nor in the works of the law , nor in seeing the intent of the apostles paul and james , when they was speaking of justifying by faith without the works of the law , and faith without the works was dead ; now the apostle when he speaks to the romans of being justified by the faith without the works of the law for the faith in the heart takes away the nature that hath the shadowes , and tipes and figures which causeth the obedience of the law , and which the fruits goes from that the law takes hold upon , and through this faith and by it , that 's removed , whereby man hath access to god ; now the law , the works of the law and the obedience to that , made such a provision for a command , being according to the law , for the tenth to be offered up for the widdows , fatherlesse and levite ; that there might not be a begger among them ; now who comes into the faith of christ jesus , in which the law ends ; the nature is removed that pertaines to the shadows , and figures which the fruits goes from , which the occasion of the law comes upon them which the faith purifies , and gives power and victory over the world , which hath access to god , which is justified in the sight of god , and pleaseth him ; now who are of this faith are of abraham over all the idolatrous nations , adulterers and fornicators and all such ; now this faith nourisheth and cherisheth and saves ; which works doth not ; but follows this , and they are wrought in god , and such cease from their own , as god did from his , so if a brother or a sister be naked and destitute of dayly food , he feeds him and cloaths him ; so this faith is in the wisedome of god , preserver of the creation , which is the son of gods faith , and the faith of the elect ; but then the devils faith that believes there is a god and trembles , but are out of truth , that cloathes not the naked brethren , and doth not give them victory , and sees them destitute of dayly food , and doth not feed them , but lets them cry up and down for bread & cloa●hes about the streets , this is like the papist and protestant , and sectaries faith , and they are not the preservers of the creation , but out of the living faith , and in the dead ; and when they have done all this , cloathed and fed , and not a beggar among them , it is not by their works that they are saved , but by their faith which these works followes , which works by love ; which is a preserver of the creation , for it was a great work of the apostle to bring them to the faith , and to be justified by that alone , without the deeds of the law , that the seed of god might come up in them , the wisdome of the creation , with it to be ordered and spread over it ; for who are of faith , are of abraham : christ according to the flesh was of abraham , so who are of abraham , are of the flesh of christ ; now when many had gotten the faith in a form , being justified by it without the deeds of the law , so they which had gotten the form of the law , without the life , saw not christ the substance and there rested ; but when these had gotten the form of being justified without the works , and their brothers and their sisters were destitute of dayly food , and was naked ; these were like unto your christians , and papists that hath the name and talkes of a faith , but it is dead , therefore so many of their brethren and sisters goes beging up and down the streets , destitute of dayly food ; for mark , they all say , they are christians , and that they are baptized into the church , and into the faith , and so then they are all brethren , and yet here is their brethren up and down the streets , destitute and naked , and yet they will say , depart in peace , and be you warmed and filled , and yet give them not these things which is good for them ; but may be make houses of correction to whip them and beat them ; is this like unto christians that was amongst the apostles , or like unto the law , who had the tythes for the service , that there need not be a begger among them ? is not this the faith which james rebukes , which is dead ; and all these are the christians that hath a name but are dead from the life ; and doth not this dead faith , carry you to beleeve that there is a god and a christ ? and so the devil doth , that is the murderer , and you will murder one another about religion and faith , church and profession , and idols and ministery , like the heathen , who will destroy one another about their images , & often envied the jews , because they broke down their images , and that faith which leads to murther the creatures about religion , ministry , and church , the same faith will no● preserve the creation , as to cloath the naked , & feed the hungry . now though the apostle brought them out of the works of the law , being justified by them , into the faith of christ jesus , who brought them into the wisdome of the creation ; and the love of the creation , the love of god which faith works by , which faith god is the author of it , and this faith leads people to be preservers of the creation ; feed the hungry , and cloath the naked , and these be the least things ye can do ; for these are but things that pertain to this life , who are of faith ( as i said before ) are of abraham , christ according to the flesh , heirs of salvation of the world that hath no end . he that believes hath entered into his rest , and ceased from his owne works as god did from his , and shall not come into condemnation , but is passed from death to life , and so loves the brethren : and he it is that abides in the house of god for ever , the son of god ; the son of god abides in the house for ever . cains faith , and cains sacrifice is now made manifest out of the faith of abraham and abel , and gods elect , and the son of god . the end . errors . page 5. l. 20. for mortall r. immortall , p. 14. l. 10. for then that , r. then you that . p. 34. l. 20. for filled r. killed . p. 38. l. 20. for did not r , did . p. 43. l. 19. for for r. forth . p. 50. l. 20. for a god , r. and god . p. 57. l. 33. for learning , r. worrying . p. 62. l. 27 ▪ r. from that . p. 65. l. 18. for them r. then . p. 82. l. 34. for cut , r. out . p. 85 , l. 28. for our r. your . p. 87. l. 10. for that , r. what . p. 91. l. 21. for toe , r. to be . the invisible things of god brought to light by the revelation of the eternal spirit who was an ey-witness of the wonders of the lord in the beginning : wherein is declared the felicity of all things in the beginning and the sad estate of all things after the transgression ... / by francis howgill. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. 1659 approx. 249 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 124 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2005-10 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a44796 wing h3169 estc r28120 10409941 ocm 10409941 44981 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a44796) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 44981) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 1386:15) the invisible things of god brought to light by the revelation of the eternal spirit who was an ey-witness of the wonders of the lord in the beginning : wherein is declared the felicity of all things in the beginning and the sad estate of all things after the transgression ... / by francis howgill. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. [14], 224 p. printed for thomas simmons, london : 1659. reproduction of original in the harvard university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng society of friends -apologetic works. revelation. inner light. 2004-12 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2004-12 aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-01 rachel losh sampled and proofread 2005-01 rachel losh text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-04 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the invisible things of god brought to light by the revelation of the eternal spirit who was an ey-witness of the wonders of the lord in the beginning . wherein is declared the felicity of all things in the beginning ; and the sad estate of all things after the transgression . how all the reformed churches , so called , in christendom are yet in the apostacy . the estate of the true church before the apostacy , and her state in the apostacy ; and the glory that shall appear after the apostacy . by one , who believes , god will shine out of sion in perfect beauty , again , after the dark night of apostacy , called francis howgill . the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun , and the light of the sun as seven days . and he will destroy in this mountain , the face of the covering cast over all people , and the vail that is spread over all nations , isai. 25 , 7. london , printed for thomas simmons at the bull and mouth near aldersgate , 1659. the epistle to the reader or readers ▪ to the upright hearted reader , in all the regions of the earth wherein this may come , who have walked in the thick fogs and mists which hath arisen out of the botomlesse pit , which hath been raised up since the transgression , which have dimmed your eyes & hurt your sight , so that you could not behold , the pure celestial being , nor him that dwels in it , whose presence gives life , nor any thing within the vail , because the vail hath been spred over all nations , and it hath been so thick that it hath been hard for any to rent it , and the night of apostacy and darknesse hath been so long , since the woman fled into the wildernesse , and since the man-child which was born , hath been caught up to god , that few or none for this many ages past hath come to see the end of the night , but hath mourned without hope , and few or none hath seen or hath been able to discerne the time of the womans return out of the wildernesse again into which she fled , and few or none hath seen to the end of the times after which shee should return , and mens sight in the apostacy hath been so dime , and in the vexation , that when the man-child , which was caught up unto god , would appear again , few hath had faith to believe , or sight to he hold him , or an understanding to deserne of the times ; but praises be to the lord god everlasting , who hath opened , is and opening the windowes of heaven , and showring down his wisdome as a mighty rain , & his knowledge as the morning dew , and an understanding is pouring forth , as the water out of the bottles of heaven & as the water spouts , so that ages , times , things , daies and years is measured and seen . and him that was before all things is beholden , by whom all things was made , who hath been , as in a far country , all this long night of darknesse , but the time is fully expired and now is he returning , and his appearance is as a morning without clouds , as clear as the sun , and as pure as christal , and now is he scattering the clouds , fogs and mists , as with the east wind , & his pure breath clears the air , and by his arm which is mighty , is he renting the vail of the covering , according to his promise , & revealing himself in his naked glory , that the solitary may rejoice , and the feeble may be comforted , and them that have erred may come to a good un-understanding ; what i have writ thou must read me onely in that which is invisible and eternal in thy self , else i am sealed from thee , my words are a riddle , and although the the dreamers of this age in the apostacy say , imeditate revelation is ceased , and not to be looked for ; yet i must needs bear my testimony against them all , for what i have here written i neither received of man , nor from man , nor books , nor other words , but by the eternal spirit , who saw these things , and was an eye-witness of them , and god through it hath revealed them in me , and to me , that i might beare my testimony of the hidden things of god which are eternal although i have made use of the scriptures ( and the saints words , and cited some ) it is not for my sake , but thine who reades , that so every truth may be confirmed , by 2. or 3. witnesses ; if thou wait to know and find the key of david , who opens in what i have declared , thou wilt see the state of things before the fall , and after the fall , & how all men in the fall have corrupted themselves in all administrations , thou wilt see the state of the church before the apostacy , in the apostacy , and what shall be after the apostacy , and if thou cannot reach into the things as they are declared , judg them not before the day appeare in thy selfe ; for till then , they will be obscure to thee , but as it appeares in thee , thou shalt bear me witnesse that these things are holy , faithful , and true , and hath and shall be fulfilled , in that which is immutable ; i bid thee farewel . f h. the chief particulars , or heads in the ensuiug discourse treated upon , aud opened by the spirit of the lord , who was an ey-witness unto these things . 1. the work of the lord declared which was in the beginning , when the word was with god , and man in the image of god. 2. although the heavens and the earth were created , and all things therein finished ; yet the world was not begun , that lay in wickednesse , which the devil is the god of ; neither was christ the mystery hid , nor the lamb slain . 3. the understanding may read the wisdom of god in a mystery , and also may see the sottish doctrine of the apostates . 4. an objection answered . 5. another objection answered . 6. how peace , joy and delight possessed every thing that god had made ; how every thing which he had formed glorified him with one consent in the beginning . 7. how man lost his state and dominion and unity with god , and all the creatures , and how the lamb came to be slain , and the world that lay in wickedness came to be framed in man after the tempter entred ; how endless misery can in upon all , after the transgression . 8. how sin entred into the world , and death by sin , and how man is dead while he lives ; and all is dead works that he acteth , and the state of all the sons of men , and their works may be seen in the fall . 9. 3. objections answered about this particular . 10. self righteousness , deeds of darkness also , and dead works , and are to be condemned also , and man who acteth them in the fall . 11. an objection answered , as to the present state of the ministry of the nations , their practice and their worship . 12. an objection , as to the churches so called and their worship in the nations . 13. the dark and blind doctrines of the ranters denyed . 14. an objection about reading the scriptures and conforming to the outward practice of the saints in former ages . 15. how all men upon the earth in the degeneration & in the fall have corrupted themselves , and have been idolaters in every administration , being gone from the life and power of god in themselves , and having lost the power of god , man can neither worship , honour nor obey god aright . 16. a few words to that which is called christendom , who professe christianity . 17. something about water-baptisme , to both priests and separatists . 18. something about rome in the apostacy , and all their worship in the degeneration . 19. the protestants or reformed churches so called , not yet come out of the waters nor from under the beasts power . 20. the presbyters and independants are yet under antichrists reign , in the apostacy , and have among them yet the attire of the whore. 21. how the woman that travelled in birth , who was clothed with the sun , and brought forth the man-childe , fled into the wilderness , when the dragon had power , and the man-child was caught up unto god. 22. how the woman comes out again , and when , and he that was caught up unto god , descends again , and appears again to take the rule to himself , and how he makes war with the dragon , and all the apostates , and overcomes them . 23. how the glory of the lord shall appear after the apostacy greater then before , and the ministration into which them that follow the lamb shall be brought , shall be more spiritual & celestial then before ; for that shall appear in which all visible types and shadowes ends in , and shall be the last that is to be expected by the sons of men , the sight of which hath appeared which yet cannot be uttered . 24 what the day of the lord is , and to whom it hath appeared , and how it is seen , and discovered . 25 what it is , and what it will be to the wicked , declared . 26. what it is to the righteous , and how he appears to them , and whether we are to look for it while in the body , resolved . 27. where it doth appear , and how it cometh , and how it is to be looked for , declared . 28. what the spirit of the lord is , and how it comes to be received , which discovers the the things of god. 29. how the spirit of truth worketh , and operateth in them who are convinced , and yet have not obeyed it , shewed . 30 how the spirit of the father worketh in them who hearken to it , and are in some measure made partakers of its power , shewn . 31 vnto whom the spirit of the father bears witness , and seals assurance of the fathers love , and of justification with god , declared . 32 what the grace of god is , which is free , and to whom it hath appeared , and where all is to wait to receive it . 33 whether all have received the grace of god or no , and whether it be a sufficient teacher in it self , demonstrated . 34 some objections answered . 35 a word to the wise men of this world who are glorying in the sound of words . 36 also another to them who are glorying in outward appear ances , and worshipping visible things in stead of the life . 37 the kingdome of god and his christ declared , in some measure as it is revaled by the spirit , what it is , and where it is to be waited for , and how it comes to be revealed in them that believe . 38 divers objections answered . the work of the lord declared , which was in the beginning , when the word was with god , and was the fathers delight , and man made in the image of god , and lived in the lambs power , and he was mans life , and this was before the transgression of these declared , as god hath manifested them by his spirit . in the beginning was the word ; and the word was with god ; and the word was god ; the same was in the beginning before the foundation of the earth was laid , or the hills were framed , he was with the father , and was the fathers delight , and he delighted in the father , and the father in him , then did the morning stars sing together , and the son of god shout for joy . in the beginning were the heavens created and the pillars theref set ; & the earth was framed by the power , and all things both in the heaven and in the earth were created by the power , gods son ; every beast of the field , every fowl of the heaven , and the decreed place for the sea was broken up , and all things that moveth therein were created by the word and by the power , and man was made by the power , and in the power , and he was the image of god ; as it is written , in the image of god created he him , male and female created he them , and he had dominion over all the works of his hands , over every beast of the field , which were created by the power , over the serpent , among the rest , which was created by the power , and was good , as he was made in the power ; and by the wisdom they were all brought forth , and man made in that wisdom that brought them forth , who was better then them all , and was made partakers of the power and of the wisdom more then them all , and by the wisdom called every thing as is was in its nature , so named he everything , and the dominion he had was in the power over all things , over all the creation of god , which was good , and the earth , and all things that are therein , the tree of knowledge good , that stood in the garden also , but not for food ▪ so these be the generations of the heavens and the earth , in the day when god created them they were all good , made and created by god , in the power eternal , which is good , unchangeably good , without variation , and the unchangeable power , in which and by which they were made , moved in them all , and they all received vertue and power from the power , gods son ; and the power moved in them all , and shined through them all , and ran through them all ; and they were all to abide in the covenant , in which they were made , and not any to move or act without the power , but only as the power which was the life of them all moved them and acted them , and so goodness possessed them all ; for all was partakers of the goodness of god , and it was the life of them , and they were none of them to move nor stir , but as the life of men , the power by which they were created , moved them , which was gods son : the heavens and the earth were finished , and all things that therein are , and they were all good ; and this saying was true then , which was spoken by christ the power , many generations after , i in them , and thou in me , and all was perfect in one , the father was in the power , the power was in the father , and all the creatures in the power : now was the father glorified ; now was the son glorified , now was man in dominion , in power , crowned with honour , lord over all the works that god had made , in the power ; and now the whole family both of heaven and earth bowed their knees to the lamb , to the power , and this was then fulfilled , at the name of jesus every knee shall bow , both of things in heaven , and things in earth ; and his name was now the word of god ; and this was in the beginning , and the word of god is the power of god : and now both the celestial bodies and terresterial bodies were all subject to the power , and all the works of the lords hands were finished , and he rested , and all , both things in heaven and earth rested in the power , and all kept holy-day and rejoyced . though the heavens and the earth were created , and all things wrought and finished , yet the world was not begun , that lay in wickedness , which the devil is the god of , neither was the power , which is christ , the mystery hid , neither was the lamb slain yet . now after all was made and created , and were good , and blessed , and indued with power , life and vertue , according to the purpose of his heavenly will which is eternally pure , yet was not the lamb slain , nor the mystery hid , which is the power , wch is christ ; for what should slay him , or what should hide him ? he that reads let him understand ; this that i speak of , cannot be reached unto with that wisedome that stands in time , which was not in the beginning with god , that is shut out , but the wise in heart shall understand knowledge , and the prudent shall know what hath been in the beginning , and of his wonderful works in the dayes of old , and of the mystry which was before the world began , when the lamb was in glory , the son in glory , christ in glory , the first born of every creature , and was born before the world began , he that hath an ear to hear let him hear ; when all that god had made and brought forth by the word , by the power , was blessed , and stood in the power , then did the lamb sit in his throne , then was he the delight of god , and god in him , and all that was made by him rejoyced in him , here was love , here was glory , here was purity , unity and a sweet harmony , joy , peace , love , eternal life , gods power ran through all ; all was good , christ was not now hid , he shed himself abroad , and all things was partakers of his power in which they were made , here was happinesse , blessednesse , joy , dominion , everlasting and eternal felicity , innocency , purity and perfection , and man in it , god in it , the lamb in it , man in it after his own image , the mystery of godlynesse was not hid , there was nothing to hide it , or overshadow it , no vail , no covering , but righteousnesse was manifest , and was the covering of all , inocency , the cloathing of all , purity the robe of all , and life the dwelling place of all ; and all the works of his hands rested with the father , with the lamb , with the word , with the power , with christ in glory , with the father , in the etenall glory , whereby all was upheld , in purity , unity , harmony ; answering the pure will of god , and man had power to answer the will of his maker , which he received from god the father of life by the power in which he was made , and to abide in the will of god for ever , and herein he and all things in heaven and the whole family thereof , and all the holy host of god bowed to the lambs power , and he reigned , & the angels were subject to the first born of every creature , before the angels or before any thing was made , he was ; his age who can declare , or his generation ? his age runs paralell with eternity , with immortality , and came from the eternal womb , & from the bosome of the father , where he is , even where he was before the world began ; he that reads let him understand , now the power ruling in all , and over all , all was in peace , and was blessed . now the angel stood in his power , moved in his power , and all the celestial bodies went in and out at his command , and moved not , nor stirred not , but when he moved ; & this was then fulfilled , let all the angels worship him , and so they did , reverenced him , were subject to him , sang and rejoyced in him , triumphed in in his power , and all the holy host moved at his command , and marched on in his strength to performe his will , & to accomplish his everlasting purpose , and to fulfill his eternal decree , and gave glory to him who sate upon the throne of righteousness , and judged in righteousnesse for ever , and ruled in righteousness for ever , there was joy in heaven , the father rejoyced , the son rejoyced , the angels rejoyced , the morning stars sang , the the sons of god shouted for joy , the holy host gave praise , and all praised in the firmament of his power , in which they stood , moved , walked , lived , and accomplished the pure perpetual & eternal decree of their maker , moreover , the terrestrial bodies were all subject to him , he reigned in all , over all , moved all , gave life to all , and was the life of adam , of the male , and the female , and then was this fulfilled , even then , which was spoken in time , though by him who was before all time , who was the life of all things ; i say he lived then , and because he lived , man lived also , for he was his life ; now christ the power reigned over all , and all in the lambs power were subject in a sweet harmony , answering the pure will of their lord , their king that lived for ever , who was upon his throne in the heavens , and now his kingdom was over all , there was joy in heaven , there was peace on earth , the good will of god was done ; in earth as it was in heaven . oh beautiful , oh glorious , oh comly , oh admirable , oh incomprehensible was the glory , my tongue can not expresse , and time would faile me to declare the eternal exellency which god hath revealed by his spirit , and that which i see is not lawful now for me to utter ; now was no mountaines nor hils to hide the mystery , but it shined upon all , in all , over all , and above all , was not hid ; as i said there was now no hiding place that could or did overshadow the mystery of godlinesse , for the eyes of all things looked upon him , whether celestial or terrestrial , and all and every thing according to its kind rejoyced in the light of his countenance , and of his power was glad , and gloried in him , for then there was not an other ; he that can hear let him : now the earth rejoyced , and the floods clapped their hands ; now the great deep smiled , & all things that was therein , the springs thereof laughed which flowed forth as though they had issued out of a womb , now every thing that had breath & lived , praysed the lord ; neither was there any thing but bowed and submitted to their maker ; and he lord and king over all , yet in eternal glory : yet let the wise in heart understand , this was in the beginning , and though it was in the beginning , yet this was when the heavens and the earth was created , and all things that therein are , even then the lamb of god was alive , and the son of god glorified with the father , and man in happynesse , and in pure perfection , without sin in inocency : for nothing that was nocent or hurtful had yet appeared , neither was there any such thing in all that god had made . here the wise may learn , and they that have a good understanding may read the wisdome of god in a mystery , and also see the darke sottish doctrine of the blind apostates , who have lost the power , and are keeping people ignorant of the mystery of god. now this hath been a common doctrine , and received to be orthodox , and as they call it authentick , that while we are in this life , there can not be an overcoming of all sins nor no expectation of it in this life ; and their main ground hath been this , because we have natural bodies . now i say , had not adam a natural body when he was in purity and perfection , in innocency , in paradise , in the garden , yet was this any hinderance to him to answer the will of his creator ? no ; for as the soul , spirit and body was moved by the power out of which power he was not to stir , then i say he had ability to perform the will of his maker in the body , for as he was created by the power in the inward man , that led about the natural & earthly or outward form according to its will , which will was pure , and kept the body acting in its place in the power , for then i say all was good , for the celestial power in which he was made , moved the whole man according to its will , and while he stood in the power , he was in innocency , and purity , and without blemish , & in the power was his health and peace , and he knew no evil . ob. but some may say , what is this as to the confutation of the doctrine which hath been taught , as to the freedom from sin in this life ? ans. this declares that there was such a thing in being , to wit , a natural body , and an earthen vessel , and yet without sin , as he stood in the power ; for the earthen vessel was good , as all the rest of gods creation was in its place to serve the power , as the rest of gods creatures did in the beginning , and who ever comes to know that state again , may come to glorifie god in soul , body and spirit , though in the body , in this tabernacle ; but take their own phrase for the clearing of the thing , not to be freed from the committing of sin in this life , i say in the corruptable life , or the life of unrighteousness , which may be properly called death , there is no freedome from sin , neither of soul or body or spirit , but who comes to know regeneration or the life of men , in which adam was created in the beginning , in that incorruptable life , there is no transgression , and if he live in man , the body is dead because of sin , and i know none who have preached any other 〈◊〉 life , who hath spoke by the spirit of god , in which freedome from all sin is obtained , but onely the life of christ , and whosoever comes to know the lord from heaven , who ruled over all in the beginning , and was the life of all , and all moved in his life , before the fall , whether they were things visible or invisible , & that same power or life of christ , the lamb of god , who was alive then , if he live in man , & man come to be guided by his power , as in the beginning he living in man , the soul and body and spirit being quickned by his power , and raised from under the bondage of corruption , then death hath not power over man ( but life ) and because he lives in them , they live also , their souls to praise him , and their bodies and the members thereof to be servants of righteousness , and so that unbelieving doctrine of the world is turned into the pit , and truth is set above it . object . but further it will be objected , that our bodies are not like adams , in innocency , we are in the fall , and therefore we say they hinder from being freed from all sin , and ever will , while upon earth . ans. that the naked truth may appear to them that seek after true knowledge , i answer freely , that i grant that the soul lies in death , and the creature is subject to vanity , and the whole creation groans in travel and in pain , and waits for the manifestation of the son of god , and the redemption of the body ; and in this state is all mankind upon the face of the whole earth in the first adam , but he who is the second adam , the lord from heaven , who was in the beginning , and is now what he was , and shall be for ever , i say , as man comes to believe in the son who hath life in himself , and he come to be revealed in man , and man subject to his leading , he brings the soul out of death , to have union and communion with himself , and restores the creature from his bondage , and and breakes the bond , and knocks that down which hath imbondaged , and so changes the body , i do not mean the form of the body , but the quality and nature thereof , for the form of adams body was not changed , but the quality , and it was degenerated from its pure nature , wherein it glorified god , as he stood in the power ; so i say , christ who is the life of men , the true light which lighteth every man that comes into the world , he changes all that follow him into his own nature , and restores the creature into his first estate again into purity , that like as the inward man is renewed and restored by the power , and serves the power , so the members of the body , is also yeelded servants unto righteousness , and they receive vertue and power , from the power the life , and so the whole man comes out of condemnation , to glorifie his maker ; & the will of god is don in earth , as it is in heaven , and he saves to the utmost them that comes unto him ; now if he save the soul and not the body , then he saves not to the utmost ; but this is a high state , blessed are they who waites in the faith , to the end are happy , that they may see and know the redemption of their souls , and also the redemption of their body ; for i deny redemption in the grave , or in death , or after this life ; for the holy men of god never mentions a cleansing from sin in the grave , nor after men be dead , for they that have served sin in their life time , and served the devil as long as they live , and have yeelded their bodyes to be temples for uncleannesse while they live upon earth , eternal misery will be their portion , and not redemption ; think on this you who are holding this forth for an article of your faith in the world , among poor ignorant people , that they must not expect redemption from all sin in this life , and so leads them on to perpetual misery , misery will be your end , and in the day of the lord you shall witnesse this to be true ; but to return to the beginning again , where there was no sorrow , but pure joy and peace , both in heaven and earth , but i goe hither and thither , as the spirit leads , and shall speak as it gives utterance , though but here a little and there a little , yet shall it be in truth and righteousnesse . how peace , joy and delight possessed every thing that god had made , every thing which he had formed glorified god their maker with one consent , in the beginning , before the world was framed , that lay in wickednesse . now the lord rejoyced in all the works of his hands which he had made , and rested , and all that he had made rested in the power , whether celestial or terrestrial , and rejoyced in him , walked in him in the motion of the power , of the life , they were happy , and partaked of the life that indures for ever , and happinesse immortal , and knew no evil , for there was none , there was no hell yet prepared , tophet yet was not ordained , neither the devil had yet any being at all , there was no wrath , no sorrow , no condemnation , no death , vexation , grief or perplexity , no pit of darkenesse , no angel of the bottomlesse pit , no shame , no tribulation , no anguish nor paine , no misery ; and in a word there was nothing that did destroy , but all in quietnesse , in peace , in life , in power , in wisdome , glorifying him which sat upon the throne , the lamb , who was living , and the life of the male and the female , and of every thing that god had made , by the power subsisted in the power , and in the motion thereof was good , purely good ; and here was the goodnesse of him who was eternally good , manifest in all , above all , and over all , god blessed for ever , even then the heavens rejoyced , and the innumerable company of angels was hearty glad , and all the holy host sang for joy , with a living voice , which none that stands in time ever yet heard , or can learn , then the earth and all things therein that moved & had life were in pure solace and mirth , and pleasant joy unspeakable , all knit together in unity and harmony in one consent , as one family , and were one body , and there was health in the body , and it was pure and comly , and perfect , and pleasant to behold , crowned with dignity , covered with righteousnesse , beautified with the comlinesse of the lamb who was the life of all : and now man had right to the tree of life , while he moved in the power , and went not our . oh happy state , oh beautiful state , oh admirable state , eternal felicity , oh glorious state , life it self , the life of all , and all in the life , moving in the power , and man right to the tree of lif● , while he lived in the lambs power , had unity with his maker & with all the creatures that god had made , & was in gods pure dominion , and authority , and ruled all , over all things that god had made , in gods wisdome ; thus in short was the state of all things in the beginning , as they were created , and brought forth , and these be the generation of the heaven and of the earth , and of all things that therein are , in the day when god created them , when the father was glorified , when the son was glorified , and when man was in glory and honour , and in dominion , created in the image of god , and yet there was no evil ; time would fail to speak of the state of all things in the beginning as it was , and as it is revealed by the spirit of truth , but in that which i have declared , they who have a good understanding may take a glimps of the happy state of all things , as god hath revealed them by his spirit , which i never received of nor from man , but by the holy spirit of god which was in the begining with god , which saw all this , and was an eye witnesse of this before the world , that lies in wickednesse , began ; and he that hath an eare to hear , let him hear , and blessed is his ear . how man lost his state and dominion and unity with god and all the creatures , and how the lambe came to be slain , and the world that lies in wickedness came to be formed , and founded , and how the curse came , and the wo upon the serpent , which was blessed before , and upon man and woman , and the ground that received the temptation , which was blessed before , in the motion of the power , came to be cursed and how endles misery came in upon all , in the transgression , declared to them who have a good understanding . now the serpent was more subtle then all the beasts of the field ; for that was his nature in which he was created , and it was good in the motion of the power , and therefore christ said , be wise as serpents , yet as harmless as doves ; and though the serpent was wise and subtle , more then all the beasts of the field , till he acted and moved without commandment ; and out of the motion of the power , he was not cursed ; he that can receive it , let him . but he moved in the subtilty , and wisdom , out of the light , out of the power , and went out of the truth ; out of his place without commandment or authority from the power , and acted and spoke of himself out of the power , and out of the truth , as it it written john 8. 44. when he speaketh a lie , he speaketh of his own , for he is a liar and the father of it ; now he knew there was a law and command not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil , for god had forbidden it ; now he went out of the power , without commandment , of his own accord , without motion ; now he went and talked with the woman , and she was good before , being in the motion of the life and power , she also looked out , and not in the power , and reasoned with him out of power , contrary to commandment beyond the command , or before the power , and said unto the serpent , we may eat of all , but the tree of knowledge of good and evil we may not eats least we die ; this she knew , and the serpent knew ; now the tree of knowledge was good in the powers motion , though not to live upon or for food , for it was not good for food , therefore god , the truth , the life , the power , did forbid to taste of it , or to eat of that tree , but the serpent out of the power , and the woman out of the power hearkened to him that was out of the truth , who turned the truth that god had spoken into a lie , she joyned to the tempter and hearkned unto him , and eat of the tree of knowledge without the power , and she looking out , and the eye ran out from the life , from the power , and was deceived , and did eat of the knowledge without the power , without the life ; and she also tempted the man , and the temptation entered into a ground which was blessed before , and good , in the motion of the life , of the power , but she having transgressed , contrary to the command , & the man received it contrary to the command , without the motion of the power , or the life which all was to move in ; he also going out of the power , received it in , and seed upon knowledge without the life , without the power , out of the truth , he became one with the woman , one with the serpent , who went out of truth , and abode not in it , and they all were disjoynted and cut off from the life , and the power ; and hear was the beginning of the father of lies , and of him who spoke of himself , out of the power , out of the truth , and his beginning is without foundation , now he that is wise in heart , read his generation , or who made him ; now appeared the angel of the bottomless pit , and not before , and made war against the power , against the lamb ; and so the heart of man was turned away from obeying and feeding upon the power , to obey and feed upon knowledge without the life or power , and here was the first transgression out of the power , and the motion of the light which made all things good , and so as this knowledge was fed upon and grew , man died unto the life , unto the power , and wisdom , and dominion that he had over all that god had made , he lost , and so died unto the power , and lived upon knowledge without the power , and now became afraid of the power , because he was in the transgression of it ; and thus the serpent who was most subtle , went out of the truth , and acted in sin , and led into transgression ; and so there became fear where was none , and shame where there was none , and nakedness where there was no nakedness before the power was died unto , which was their clothing in righteousness , and there was a hiding place sought by him , who before iniquity needed no hiding place , and this is the foundation and beginning of that seed in the transgression , which shall call to the mountains to cover them , and to hide them from the wrath of the lamb. oh how is man degenerated now , and grown quite out of the pure quality , and kind , and nature in which he was made , now afraid of the power that made him , which before he had union with , & was his life , and gave him dominion , and this fulfilled upon man , he was planted a noble vine , a holy , right seed , now become a degenerate plant of a strange vine ; now when the lord appeared and examined him , and man knew his fault that he had acted against the power , yet that which acted in transgression would excuse , here is the fruit of the devils work , transgresse , and then hide and excuse it , and so the woman put it off to the serpent ; he was the beginner of it , but if she had stood in the power , he would have had no place , nor his counsel ; but they all went out of the light and life , into the knowledge , without the power and life , and so the curse came upon all ; now the man cursed , and the ground for his sake , and the woman cursed , in sorrow to bring forth , and the serpent cursed , the beginner of iniquity , cursed above all the beasts of the field , to go upon his belly , and dust to be his meat for ever , and an enmity put between the seed of the woman and his seed for ever , and an eternal decree passed against him for ever ; and he made war against the seed of the woman , which the lord promised to bruise his head ; now came the miserable estate in , that which led him into transgression , grew , and he in it , and to be at unity with it , then came hard ness of heart , and then came the world to be founded in his heart , and he grew in the devouring beastly nature to follow the earthly imaginations of his heart , and became earthly , and fed upon that which the beasts of the field fed upon ; and now the lamb came to be slain , since the foundation of the world , now was man driven out from the tree of life , and out of the garden , and could no way come there again , he had no right to it , the lamb being slain , and he was cut off , to wit man , from him which before gave him peace , and from the power in which he was made he was driven out from , and the sword set , that go what way he could , he could not come into the life again , the image of god lost , then the joyful day was lost , and rejoycing in the lord at an end , then the day of peace was finished , and perpetual misery and wo come in , then unity with the lord of glory gone , and now shame and contempt came , and woful misery . now hell was formed and the botomlesse pit sprang up , and the angel thereof ruled and advanced , and the lamb slain ; and now the lake was prepared , and tophet ordained , now came the day of angnish , of pain , of wo , sorrow ▪ and misery , blackness and darkness , terror , horror , fear on every side , and the day of great perplexity , dominion lost , power lost , authority lost , peace lost , joy lost , health lost , unity lost with god , and unity lost with every creature , and endless misery brought in alas alas , what is become of him who was the son of god ? now become as the beasts that perish , now a vessel of wrath , a dishonourable vessel . oh unspeakable losse , forfeited all , life and all , gone into , plunged into the deep pit of endlesse misery , driven from the presence of the lord , from blessednesse , happinesse , into cursednesse and misery , never to come to life again , but through the losse of life ; man in honour , in dominion , partaker of eternal riches , and the durable riches , now turned out of all , and become vile in the sight of the lord , and hath forfeited life and all , eternal life , and he who was in perfect freedome , become a bondman , a slave to the devil , and to noysome lusts ; he who was lord over all , now become a servant to all and every creature ; he who was in dominion , in the power of god , now become base and vile ; he who was the image of god , now become the image of the devil ; he who was heir of life and felicity , now become inheritor of death and endlesse misery ; he was partakers of the unchangeable love , now partaker of wrath ; he that was in the covenant of life in which he had union with god , and all the angles , and all the holy host of god , now hath union with unclean spirits , which are cursed from the presence of the lord for ever ; he that had union with all gods creatures , hath lost the union with all , being gone out of the power in which all was created , and moreover now in enmity to it , and joyned to him who hath the power of death , which is the devil , and now drawes iniquity as with a cart-rope , and vanity as with a cord , and he who was joyned to the lord , and to the lamb , now joyned to the dragon , who makes war against the lamb ; he that had union with the seed , the heir of all things , now hath union with the seed of the serpent , the first borne of wickedness , heir of condemnation and everlasting vengeance , who is driven from the lords presence , and curst for ever , and to be tormented from the presence of the lord for ever . now the world set in the heart , and the heart gon out after earthly things , even things that perish , and now his life grew in that and after that which sadeth , his delight on transitory things , in lust , in pleasure and wantonnesse , delighting in the flesh , hath forgotten god his maker , and now dishonours him , oh let the heavens mourn , and let the earth be without joy , let● hils lament , and the vallies be grieved , let gloominesse cover the face of the deep , let the floods be sorry , and springs lament , let all thau moveable take up a lamentation , and let it be for a lamentation for ever , misery is spread over all , the earth is polluted , and defiled , and all is out of order , disjoynted from the lord , and great confusion and perplexity is come upon all , and the whole creation grones and travels in pain , in grief and sorrow , and all is made subject to vanity , the oppressor bears rule , the land mournes , the lamb is slain , the serpent and his seed rejoyceth and triumphes , all is filled with violonce , the seed suffers , the lord is is grieved , the angels mourne , the proud and presumptions is now counted happy , and now the worker of iniquity set up to be a ruler and a law-giver now to man , and in man , who before had the lord to be his law-giver , and his king ; oh woful change ! oh sad state ! oh deplorable condition ! gone from honour and glory , into perpetual misery and contempt ; and here all the whole earth and all mankind may read themselves , as in a glasse , in what state they are in in the fall , in the first nature , in the disobedience ; time would fail me to expresse the misery , and the sad estate of all mankind in the curse , yea it is unexpressable , and undeclare●ble , and unfathomable , and incomprehensible ; by the sons of men in the unbelief , but god hath revealed to me by his spirit , that which is now spoke , and he shall beare me record that my witnesse is true ; also that of god in every mans conscience , when the book of conscience shall be opened , and the secrets of , all hearts revealed , shall bear witnesse that this is true . how sin entred , and death by sin into the world , and now man dead while he lives , and all is dead works that man brings forth , wherein the state of all the sons of men may be seen , and their works in the fall . now the serpent being more subtil then all the beasts of the field , in presumption of himselfe , moved without the power , and formed a thing without the power , and began his work , and brought a lye ; being gone out of the truth , sin conceived , and a lye conceived , ●e is the father of it , and not the power ; he spoke of himselfe , who was gone out of the light , motion or the powers acting , man also his eye being abroad out of the life and power , l●t in the temptation upon him ; but if he had stood in the power , as god had ordained him and commanded him , and had not moved out of it , he would have seen when the serpent or any other thing had gone out of the power , and have still had dominion over it ; and though it was evil in the serpent to tempt , who moved without commandement from the lord ; yet if man had stood in the power , he had kept him out ; and it had been no sin to him , neither condemned should he have been ; and so that blind doctrine of the world , and the teachers thereof is a lye , who have said and taught that , god ordained him to fall , and upon this account that so christ might be revealed and that his son might be honoured ; for if man had not faln , say they , there had needed no saviour . this is ignorance and blindnesse ; he created man in his image to stand in the power , and ordered and commanded him so to do , and to glorifie him , who made him & to stand in the dominion over all the works of his hands : and this doth not make christ uselesse , or of no use ; yea he was of use before , and was his life , and the life of all things , and what if i say salvation , the wise will understand ; the unlearned will say , what needed their salvation , when there is no sin ? yes , there needed salvation & preservation , in that state that he was made in , that he might be upholden in that state , and saved from any thing that might hurt him in that state , so as to weaken him , that he might not have power to fulfill the will of god , and to glorifie his maker . ob. but some may say he was not saved and preserved but was created and left to himselfe , to order himself whether he would stand or fall . ans. i say , whose was the fault , that he was not preserved , and saved in that state , was it in god ? nay , and that he was left to himselfe , is also as false , and unlearned ; he left him in the power , and in the dominion everlasting , and commanded him to stand there , and he was not to goe out of it , but to act in the motion of the word , and in the power by which he was made , which was christ , who was glorified with the father before the world began ; i say according to gods appointment and ordination , man was not left to himselfe , but to stand in the power and authority of the word , wherein man had power to fulfill the will of god , and keep all in order according to gods appointment , but he going out of the power , contrary to gods command , giving heed to the woman , and the serpent , who were gone out of the command before ; i say he of his own accord going out , when the power commanded him not to harken to any such thing , but on the contrary forbad him , so let in a lye , and believed the woman , and the serpent , and so went from his preservation , and protection and salvation , & so was catched in the serpents snare , who abode not in the truth . ob. but then some may say he had a voluntary will to doe as he would , and was not that will good ? ans. the will was good in it self , as it stood and went out in the lifes motion , but moving or acting contrary to the motion of the life , was not good ; for that was out of gods order , and appointment , for nothing in man or without man , of all that god had made , was to stir or act without commandments ; now the son was not honoured by mans faling , but both the father and the son was dishonoured , and now the son or power was not revealed by the fall , but vailed as from men , so the fogy mists of darknesse is scattered , and the blind doctrines of the world layd waste . ob. some will be ready to say , how dost thou say he was in dominion everlasting ? then , how should he fall ? that lasted but a while . ans. i say he was made by the word which abides for ever , and in it which was in the beginning with god , and was god ; and gods son , and his dominion is an everlasting dominion , and his throne is established in righteousnesse for ever and ever ; and in it selfe it is what it was ever , and after the fall , retained the same power and authority in it selfe , and so will do for ever ; mans power stood in it onely , out of it he had none , so going out of it , dyed to it , and not any more power to do , or to will , or to order , or to rule any thing but by it : but he lost the feeling of it , and the guidance of it , the vertue of it , and life of it , and became dead to it , and alive in his heart and mind to an other power , to wit , the power of deceit , and to the power of him which hath the power of death , which is the devil ; so god is clear , no fault in him , nor in the power , nor weaknesse in the dominion and authority which he had ; but destruction meerly , wholly , and onely of himself , and he is to bear the his own burthen . thus man receiving in the devils conceptions , who was gone out of the truth , and became one with it , feeding upon knowledge without the life ( this was evil ) thus sin entred , and death by sin ; man cut off from the power , from life , from the dominion which he had in the power ; now man , is dead while he lives , and in the day he eat he died ; dead to the power , dead to the life , dead to good , dead to truth , dead to purity , dead to righteousnesse , estranged and alienated from it ; the grave covers him , death hath prehemenence , and bears rule , and not life , and he gone into its nature , and loves it , and imbraces it . oh sad life ! ah sad state ! now his life cursed which is death , he cursed , all his actions cursed , all his conception cursed , all his works cursed , labouring in sorrow , in travel , and pain , and grief , and sweat and perplexity ; now all may as in a line read the happy estate of man before the fall , the sad and deplorable estate in the fall , which who can declare , or who can measure , or who can demonstrate the miserable estate of man dead in trepasses and sins ? and life swallowed up of death , death and destruction lives , and man in it ; and now in the grave god is not remembred , but forgotten . now the world set in the heart , and the earth in the heart , the heart becomes earthly , and vain , thorns and bryers springs up and the earth covers the slain ; now death lives , and man lives in it , and one with the enmity and in enmity against god , who was before his life , man now in chains of darkness ; when any thing moves heaven-ward , the power of death drawes the mind down again to the pit into darkness ; now the nature of all things in the earth set in the heart , beasts , rocks , hills , mountains , dogs , swine , and brutish creatures , and man becomes brutish and vain , they have all dominion over him , he a slave to all , all rules over him , and death grew ; and dead works brought forth , he cannot now perform any thing whereby he can purchase the love of god , nor give a ransom for his soul , now the root of betterness grew , and the enmity , and man in lust , and when his lust is crost , or his will crost , then the enmity which liveth in him riseth , he would kill that , and destroy that , imprison that , and bring it into bondage , that the enmity might be lord over all , and brings the innocent into bondage ; that which is nocent is set up , and the higher deceit growes in the heart , the more stir it makes and the greater destruction of that which crosses it ; and here came in oppression , murder , cruelty , tyrany , prisoning , imbondaging , revenge , maliciousness , and envie , rage , sury , headiness , pride ; this is all in the curse , and springs up from the foundation of the world in the heart , and so being given way unto and loved , grows in strength , and iniquity multiplies , and the beast growes , and the name great and numberless , the serpents root spreads forth it self , and sprouts out in the earth , and comes to grow great , and is admired ; now the deeds of darkness and the works of darkness comes to be many , envy , murder , adultery , fornication , uncleanness , riotousness , sporting , covetousness , defrauding , cheating , maliciousness , theft , dissimulation , feinedness , hypocrisy , witchcraft , cursed-speaking , railing , reviling , filthy communication , unsavory speeches , wantonness , lightness , foolish jeasting , idle talking , vain babbling , back-biting , swearing , lying , cursing , blasphemy , slandering , pride , arogancy , vain-boasting , contention , strife , emulation , mischief ; these and many more are now the fruits of the degenerate plant , & dead works , and the works of darkness , in man who was once a noble plant , a holy right seed , now the fruits of sodom , and the grapes of gomorah whom god destroyed and overthrew , is brought forth , and the whole earth is filled with violence , and these be the fruits that grow and are become great over all nations , which are wrought by the devil the father of lies ; who spoke of himself , and works of himself , in the dark , in the night , out of the light , out of the day , who went out of the truth , and now worketh in all the children of disobedience , who are out of the light , and out of the power ; and here are all the sons of fallen adam in the curse , under the wo and these be the works that are wrought and brought forth which hath stained the earth ; and the father of them , and man in whom they are wrought , and the works themselves , is all for condemnation , never to be numbred among the saints in light , nor among their works . self righteousness , deeds of darkness also , and dead works which though they be not counted as bad as the former , by them that act in them , yet they are to be condemned also ; and man who acts them being in the fall . cain who was the first begotten in the fall , the similitude , likeness and image of adam his father , who had transgressed and disobeyed , and lost the power , and became dead to it ; cain i say his expresse image , out of the saith , out of the power , he brought a sacrifice , and offered in the same nature he slew his brother with , and envied him ( who was in the saith , and was accepted of the lord through faith in the power of god ) i say in this nature he offered and was not accepted , he was in the imitation , out of the life , out of the power , in feinedness , and this was self , and not the lord that moved him : the jewes in the prophets time , who were in cains nature , in envy and maliciousness , grinding the faces of the poor , and oppressing the needy and chopping them in pieces as flesh for the pot ; they brought sacrifices , oblations , burnt-offerings , kept fasts , and sabbaths , and new moons , and all these things , and lied , swore , and dealt falsly , and left no roome for the poor , and yet they said the lord was among them ; the lord sent his servant the prophet , to tell them the lord was weary of them and of their oblations ; why ? they were out of the faith , out of the life , out of the power , and deceit lodged in their heartts , covetousnese , envy , murder , oppression and violence , as ravening wolves hunting for their prey ; the prophets prophesied for hire , their priests bear rule by their means , and people was one with it , and liked it , and loved it should be so , the end of those things was misery , the judgement of god came upon them , they were scattered among their enemies , their prophets slain , and for their sake sion became as a plowed corn field , and jerusalem a heap , and now he that offered an ox , was no more accepted , then if he slew a man , no more then if he blessed chemosh , ashteroth or baal , all was sin , and to be condemned by the power out of which they were gone . the scribes and pharisees in christs time , great worshippers , devout men , devout women ; zealous men for temple , priests , tithes , days , sabbaths , oblations , and were acting all those things that were commanded in or about the worship of god , yet christ said unto his disciplrs , except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the scrihes and pharisees ye cannot enter the kingdom of god : they might have said ( which at least they did in their hearts ) this man says he is the son of god , and yet saith and teacheth his disciples , another righteousness , then is commanded in the law , and moreover tells them , except their righteousnes exceed ours , they cannot enter into gods kingdom ; where is there in all the earth any better righteousness then ours ? we do not as the heathen worship idol-gods , we keep the sabbaths , and purifie our selves and payes tithes , and keeps the ordinances given by the lord to moses and our fathers ; well these things they were doing , but they were but dead works , they were out of the faith out of the power and had not gods word abiding in their hearts , from which their power and ability should have come to have answered the will of god ; here was self-righteousness although they did the outward things which were commanded of the lord , yet they were dead works ; their temple left desolate , worship desolate , jerusalem compassed about with armies , not one stone left upon another which was not to be thrown down , and they scattered among the heathen , their priests slain , and their oblations ceased , plagues , judgement prusuing whithersoever they went ; did all those things save them from the wrath ? all their works and dead worships & self-righteousness save them ? were they accepted ? oh ! nay , rejected , a seed of falshood a crooked generation an hypocritical generation : these things with many more , which i could instance , all shewing that man in the transgression of the life , of the power , whether he sinned , or wrought that which he might judge was righteous , yet they were but dead works . ob. but some may say , what saist thou to this generation of ministers , preachers and ordinances ? we live in a gospel time , and are under gospel ordinances , and they teach that man is redeemed by christ , from sins past , present and to come , and the ordinances that we practice now i hope you will not call them dead works . ans. i say the ministry in these nations , made by mans will , and by the will of the flesh , and that are seeking their gaine from their quarter , and are suing men at law , and throwing men in dungeons , and holes to the losse of some mens lives already , and hundreds have been and are like to be spoiled , onely to uphold their greedy devouring nature who have ravened , and devoured like evening wolves , some mens estates wholly , and some times taken ten fold the value , who ravens from place to place from one end of the land to another , and into other nations also , for filthy lucre , or a greater benefit ; i say they are in the fall , in the transgression , death rules in them , over them , and they are ministers of death , and never brought any to god ; but of them many other brethren who are in the faith of our lord jesus christ hath borne a large testimony which any considerate , wise , prudent , and reasonable man may see them to be ministers of death , demonstrated by many sound grounds and unanswerable arguments , and the scripture of truth clearly bearing witnesse to the same ; and so i refer the reader to those things , and shall content my selfe at present in what i have said in this particular . now as to the worship , or ordinances or practices themselves i come unto , and shall speak no otherwise of any thing , then god by his eternal light and spirit hath made me understand in the true ground of things , else i know well how to be silent . now this i say to all sects , opinions , and fellowships ( though they be devided into many heads or societies ) man acting or performing any thing of worship , ordinance , or any practice whatsoever which the scriptures declares hath been or ever was , though they should doe it in the same manner , sutable in every circumstance to that which others did , till all or every man come to believe in the power again , which man went from in the transgression , all that he doth is selfe-righteousnesse , and dead works , preaching dead , prayer dead , baptisme dead , their communion dead , their conferences dead , their exhortations dead , their fasts dead , their offerings like as if one had offered a dead beast under the law , or a lame lamb , which had been abomination ; even so i say till man come to that which he hath lost in the transgression , till man find the power , the life , the light , the messiah , and feel him in them , to work , move , lead , guid , and act , all will be accounted with the lord , selfe-righteousnesse , dead works , dead fruit , and if all would examine and try , they might see the nations almost spread over with dead men in adam , and dead works abound , and coverings which god will rent , and lay all waste together , false rest , imitated formes , and representations without life , i say till men come into the power againe that adam went from , and so died in that day , he cannot doe any thing well pleasing to god ; and whosoever comes to that again , passeth every step through death , and denies himselfe and all selfe-actions , selfe-righteousnesse , and must come to be bare and naked again , even as he was before he came out , he and his wife were naked and were not ashamed ; selfe-acting was not known ; now self-will , self-worship , self-righteousness ; nay , they moved in the power righteousnesse was their covering , and as i said before , there was no shame , i might speak largely in this thing , and truly my tongue is the pen of a ready writer , oh that all had an eare to hear that their souls might live , and that every one might be unbottomed , of his false rest , false and fained hope , and faith ; and of his own ragged garment , and let goe his selfe-righteousnesse , and his dead works , and come to christ the life of men again , that man hath run from , that so he might have life and peace . ob. but some would say that thou wouldst have all upside down , & unchristian the nations , and unchurch churches , and throw down all our worship , and then what should we doe , all would be as heathens , and turne into athisme . i say a time of fanning and ●ifting and trying is come , when nothing shall stand but that hath the image , stamp , and character of the living god upon it , and all that which hath been brought up , and raised up , since man hath been in the transgression , must be turned down into the pit again , and all that have got a name of christian , and wants his life , to live among them and in them , shall be scattered as clouds with the east wind , and all imitated worships , and will worshippers , and the fained faith , and the fained hope shall be confounded , and all will worships and worshippers will be overturned who are not come yet to the true light that lightens every man that comes into the world , and till man comes to the light , and tries his deeds and works by it , he never sees what he is doing , nor what he is working , nor what he works ; and so all that man doth here in the unbeliefe , it is but sin , or selfe-righteousnesse which is brought forth by him who abode not in the truth , in the unbelief ; and so who be come to the power which was in the beginning , before sin entred , and death by sin , hath and doth measure all deeds and all works , & man that is in the losse , in the fall , & sees that a dead man cannot act a living work , nor bring forth living fruits unto god , nor living works of righteousnesse , being in the unrighteousnesse , neither the fruits of faith being in the unbeliefe , neither the works of the day being in the night , neither the works of charity being in the emnity ; in a word , without christ the power , the light , the life , which was glorified with the father before the world began ; i say ( he said it himself who is the beginning of the creation , of god , the first born of every creature ) he said , and his testimony will be found true , without me ye can do nothing , nothing that is wel-pleasing to the lord , nothing that ever shall be acceptable ; and here is the true state of all the earth discovered , and all mankind drove out from god , miserable , naked , hopelesse , helplesse , faithlesse , and so can doe nothing as to the glorifying of god his maker , or to the ordering of any thing in the creation to his glory , having lost his dominion and gods wisdome , and this being considered seriously by all , and brought to the light in all , and their deeds tryed by it , would make the lofty bow , and the stout hearted fear , and the conceited sit down in solitarinesse , that they should so long deceive their own souls with a conceit of righteousnesse and redemption , when as death yet reignes in them , and over them , and not life eternall : so the devil is a distinct being from god , and his works are distinst , and his deeds , from the works of god , and neither he nor his works shall ever be numbred among the works of god , but he and they that obey him , and follow him who is out of the truth , they , their works ( of what sort soever they may seem unto men to be , whose eyes the devil hath blinded ) so i say all is to be condemned , and shut out from gods presence for ever , and to be destroyed by him who is a consuming fire , and all the righteousnesse of man burned , as combustable stuff in unquenchable fire . pr. and by what hath been said , the principle of that ranting crew ( who are become vaine in their imaginations and foolish , their understandings being darkned ) are seen , and their principle overthrown . as that light and darknesse is one , & good & evil one , and sin and righteousnesse one , and truth and a lye one , and that god is all and doth all , and what ever is done is of god , and that there is no evil but to him that thinks it so , and it is onely a false apprehention of things , and that there is no such thing as sin , & that sin is nothing : unto all these things i might speak , but the understanding reader may by what is before written , see each of these plainly declared , and the true ground of things laid down as the spirit gave utterance , and this shall at present suffice in this matter . ob. but some may object further , and say , will not reading the scriptures and conforming to the practise of the saints in the use of his ordinances , will not this make us accepted , and bring us out of the fall , and make us good christians ? answ. no , while death hath dominion in man , and over man , and the vaile over the heart , man doth not understand the mystery of gods kingdome , neither understands the scripture which was spoken from the spirit of truth , or any thing of truth as it is in christ , for none understands the things of god , but by the spirit of god , so that every man that comes to have a good understanding , must come to know the pure spirit of god in him to direct him , & informe him ; ( which spirit ) was the original of the scripture ; for the holy men of god spoke as they were moved by the holy ghost ; and without the holy ghost in some measure be known , ●nd that which is infallible , the sayings , the writings , the scriptures cannot be understood , & because of the want of this , all the earth is run into heads , & sects , & opinions , & large treatises and volumes , & expositions have been written , & yet differing one from another , and all from the spirit , and in all these particular sects , persecuting one another , & envying one another , and hating one another , and would compell others to believe what they believe in what they say , if they had but power ; and for proof of this , it is most evident in the scripture of truth , and in latter ages since the apostles , it hath been , and it is evidently seen , both among the papists and protestants , and among all them that are called the reformed churches ; but all this is in the fall , and in the transgression , and in the apostacy , and is an evident token , that they are all under the power of the beast , who makes war against the lamb ; so all compellation , and they that do compell , are not worshippers of the lamb , but of the beast which is to be destroyed and cast into the lake . for the jews under the first covenant had the scriptures the good and wholsome words of god , and the prophets and read the law and the prophets , on the sabbath dayes , and yet the vail was over their hearts , and and though they did perform many things commanded , yet they being erred from the spirit , did not understand of what the scripture spoke , nor know him nor his mind , to wit , christ of whom the scriptures spoke , neither were they accepted of god , but reproved and rejected by christ himself , who said they erred , not knowing the scriptures , nor the power of god , doubtless they did know the words naturally and read them , but the spirits mind , in so speaking they knew not ; and jude reproves all such , and said what they knew , they knew naturally as bruit beasts , and in that knowledg , they corrupted themselves , and therefore peter well said ▪ many things were hard to to be understood ; which the unlearned wrested ( they that were ignorant of the spirit of the father , and had not learned of god , who is a spirit ) they i say perverted and wrested the good and wholsom words of the scriptures , and were no more accepted of god , then if they had never heard the words nor read them at all ; and as for the jewes conforming to the outward commands , when the vail was over their hearts , and their hearts uncircumcised , these things did not make them any whit more accepted then the heathen , so the christians since christs time , in the apostles days and after the apostles days , who held the form of worship , and the form of godliness , and the outward part of worship , and holds and retains it in that part which is above the seed , and denies the power , this no more makes a christian inward , then outward circumcision , made a jew inward ; neither any of these things do recommend any unto god , but are covers made , & rests formed , from that part which is above the seed , & so man comes to be counselled in those things , when alas he is miserable and naked , and hath not the righteous garment on which should make man accepted of the father , through the beloved , gods righteousness . how all men upon the earth , in the degeneration , and in the fall , and in the transgression , have corrupted themselves , and have been idolaters in every administration ; ( being gone from the power ) in which man had the ability , power , and wisdom to worship god aright , and honour the living god of heaven and earth . in the state and condition which man was created in , when he was the image of god , and lived in the power of god in which he was created ; he in that power ( which was his life ) had wisdom and understanding , and power , to worship the living god , and to glorifie his maker , the which thing i have treated on before , but being gone from the power , and grew in knowledge without the power , his thoughts became vain , and his imaginations vain , and his desires earthly , and corruptable , and so the creatures were worshipped in his heart , and not the creator ( the life of the creatures ) and he bowed to the creatures , and they had dominion over him , and that nature began to grow and multiply in all the earth , and that seed , which was at enmity with god , and against the seed , which is christ , and few there were that called upon the name of the lord in truth & righteousness ; although some , yet few , one in a nation , or a few in an age , nay in many ages ; and men multiplied in the earth , and wickedness multiplyed also , and idolatry , and the seed of the serpent grew great ; and god saw the wickedness of man that it was great in the earth , and that the thoughts and purposes , and imaginations of his heart were onely evil continually , gen. 6. 5. and the earth was filled with violence and crueltie and oppression , and the living god forgotten , and not worshipped , but on the contrary they followed the imaginations of their own hearts ; and bowed down to every corruptable thing , and to every creature , and did not worship the lord god in their hearts , till the lord was grieved at the heart , and repented that he had made man ; and this was before the flood , and after the flood , when the earth was a little multiplied , iniquity grew in the earth , and the cursed seed sprang from hams stock ; of whom was nimrod the hunter ( before the lord ) the beginning of his kingdom was babel ; of the which became great idolaters , and of this seed came the philistians who were uncircumcised , who were heathens , and the jebusites , and gargasites , and the canaanites and hivites ; and their generations were great in the earth , & they were great idolaters ; and committed idolatry with stocks and stones , and with brick , having forgotten the lord , they began to work exploits in the earth , and to build cities ; and babel having forgot the name of god , they would have got a name in the earth , and builded a tower , whose top might have reached to heaven ; but the lord whom they had forgot scattered them , and this was the seed of evil doers whom god scattered and drove out of canaan , who were great idolaters and gave it to abraham , who feared the lord , and to jacob , and to his seed to possesse . and when transgression grew , he added a law ( the sence of gods power and wisdom was so lost in man , and they so gone from his wisdom , that a law was added after israel came out of egypt ) which was outward , and written in tables of of stone , wherein was the statutes and the commands , that they should onely worship him , and that they should not make them gods of gold and silver , neither the likeness of any thing in heaven or earth , yet nevertheless , that uncircumcised part which kept the seed in bondage , and that corruptable earthly nature that ruled in them , made gods like the heathen egytians , and they made a calf , and bowed to the molten image , and forgot god , and provoked him to anger , till many of them were consumed in his sore displeasure , and tempted him , and lusted , and eat and drank , and rose up to play ; and committed whoredoms with the creatures , and abused them ; and therefore the lord sent his prophets and rebuked them : they abused the gold and the silver , the stone and the wood , which were good creatures , but not to make gods of , nor images thereof , nor idols to draw away their minds from the lord ; but they in whom the seed was not made manifest , they worshipped dead things , and likenesses of things , which were not life it self ; and so transgressed the law , acting from that part , and living in that nature , which the law was against ( which was added because of transgression ) to limit the transgressor and to slay him , and to bruise that under , till the seed came up that fulfills the law , but the seed of the serpent had so much rule in them whom god had often delivered out of the hands of their enemies , so that many perished , corah , and many princes , and many thousands of israel , who followed their own inventions and were cut off in gods sore displeasure , being gone from that which was upright in which man was created , & followiug their imaginations , & out of that mind formed idols and images , and set them up , and answered that part in themselves which transgressed the seed , & not that which doth overthrow all idols & the ground thereof ; and after they were come to the land that god had promised them , they were commanded not to worship idols , as the canaanites did ( that were hams-stock ) who was accursed , and set up cursed idols , yet , nevertheless breaking the law which was to limit that part which had transgressed ; that which was contrary to the law , was set up in themselves , even the nature of the canaanites , gentiles and heathen , and then they worshipped the heathens gods , or else formed gods and idols and images of their own , and worshipped baal , ashteroth and chemosh , and the sidonians gods , & every nations gods , and images where they came , and so the lord sent his true prophets , who feared his name , and worshipped him , to declare against them , even the house of israel a distinct people , from the heathen , great professors , ezek. 14. 4. they set up idoles in their hearts , and put a stumbling block of iniquity before their face the lord said he would answer them according to the multitude of their idoles , they being gone into vanity , they hearkned to the idols that spake vanity . zech. 10. 2. and baked bread and rosted flesh with wood , and of the same made a god , and they transgressed at dan , at bethel , at gilgal , yea their idols flood in their hearts , and they formed such without as was sutable to their hearts , as you may re●d through many ages & generations before the flood & after the flood in the wildernesse in canaan , & in the nations where they were scattered . hab. 2. 18 , 19. what profiteth the graven image , and the molten image and teachers of lies , woe unto him that saith to the wood awake ▪ to the dumb stone arise it shal teach , behold it is laid over with gold and silver , and there is no breath at all in the midst of it , seek not to bethel , nor enter into gilgal , for gilgall shall goe into captivity , and bethel shall come to nought . furthermore , they corrupted themselves in those things which god had commanded , ( which were commands in their time ) & made idols of those things which were but figures or shadowes of good things to come , which they should have waited for , as the brazen serpent , temple , offering , oblations , tythes , priests , sabbaths , new-moons , solemn feasts , circumcision , passeover , and all these things were given to be observed til the seed came ( the end of all these things and of the law for righteousnesse ) but christ the seed , the heire of all things , when he came ( after many prophets had declared of him from moses to samuel , from samuel till iohn ) they exalted those things above him , and neglected him who had life in himself , & would not come unto him that they might have had life , and then , their temple , priests , sacrifice , oblations became idols , and their practise idolatry , and so are in blindnesse to this day ; and so in the daies of christ , they held up those things , and were counselled in their works and observances , and days and times , and came not to believe in him in whom all daies ends in , and so continued in their large observations all along in the apostles dayes , and did as they had done in the days of the prophets , slew the prophets that were sent of the lord , and set dreamers , and such as prophecied for hire and divined for money , and said no evil should touch them , and they said the law should not depart from the priests mouth , nor vision cease from their prophets , but believed their lies and prophesied of wine and strong drink , and cryed peace to them that gods controversy was against , and so persecuted the apostels from city to city , and from place to place , till the the wrath of god came upon them , and jerusalem compassed about with armies , and not one stone left upon another , and for their sakes sion became a plowed corne field , their temple burnt , their priests slain , their sacrifices ceased , and their oblations at an end , and they scattered among the heathen , and they and all their idols , and their worship blasted and cursed from god , and from being a nation to this day , and thus hath the lord brought shame and contempt upon all through all ages , who have worshipped the works of their own hands , or that hath holden up any figure , representation , and have set it up and exalted it above the life , and with it have opposed the power , the life in which all figures , types , and representations ends in ; and thus far i have passed through generations , and also through administrations , that all who have a desire of the true knowledge of god may see , that man in the degeneration being out of the image of god , corrupts himselfe in all things , and makes idols of all things , being from the life in which man hath power onely to fulfill the righteous will of god. but to descend & to come nearer to our age , because all that which is called christendome , will say this in nothing unto them , because they hold not up the heathens images nor the jewish idols , nor the jewish types and worship , and therefore they are no idolaters ; when john the prophet came and preached repentance in the wildernesse of judea , which was a preparer of the way , he baptized in jordan , and many believed and repented , and were baptized , and christ also was baptized , and so was he circumcised and eate the passeover , and observed what was written , because he came to fulfill all righteousnesse , and also bad his disciples hear them that sat in moses seats for he was not yet sacrificed up , nor glorified ; i say iohn baptized not in his own name , but bore witnesse unto christ the lamb of god who takes away the sins of the world , who came after him and was preferred before him , whom iohn said should baptize them with the holy ghost and with fire , and many of iohns disciples followed christ the true light , that lighteth every one that cometh into the world , and iohn was not offended at them for following of christ but rejoyced ; take notice of this , you baptizers who are offended with them that followes christ the light that lighteth every one that cometh into the world , and excommunicates them like the envyous jewes , out of your assemblies , and saith they are deluded , and are so far from iohns spirit , that instead of bearing your testimony to him , who is the ( light ) that you would bind them up , and council your disciples not to goe after him , the true light that lighteth every man ( the christ of god ) i say to you , you are in the idolatry , who prefer your water before the ( light ) but iohn bore witnesse to christ the light , and said he was preferred before him , and some imitaters and idolaters say the baptisme of water is the door or entrance into the church of god , when as christ saith he is the door , none comes into the fold but by him , and none comes to the father but by him , and he is the way , so who sets up an other entrance unto god , or into the foule or into the church , which is the pillar and ground of truth , sets up an idol , and prefers an idol , above the life , and so are in the idolatry ; but let none mistake , that i say water is an idol nay , it is a good creature of god , or that i say iohns baptisme with water was an idol , nay he was in the power and spirit of eliah , and his baptisme a figure of a good thing which was to come , which afterward was received by the diseiples , and christs words made good unto them ; iohn indeed baptized you with water unto repentance , but ye shall be baptized with the holy ghost , and with fire , not many daies hence , that was christs baptisme . i am not ignorant of the many and great contests in this age , that have been about these things , and i know many scriptures that speaks of baptism all which i have searched narrowly with the measure of gods spirit given unto me , into the true ground of things , & the true state of each administration , and in this thing i am satisfied fully , that the baptisme with water was iohns baptisme , and not christs , and the baptisme of the spirit is christs , and not iohns ; i have no desire to wrangle or jangle about words , or contest about shadowes , but that all may come to know him in whom all ministrations ends in , and there will be peace and satisfaction ( to wit , in christ ) but to say some thing to the main bassis , and foundation , which priests , and separatists builds much of their arguments upon , the last of mat. and the last , goe teach and baptize all nations in the name of the father , son , and holy ghost ; as for all the priests about their baptising of infants , here is no ground at all , for here is first teach and then baptize , and here 's no infants neither , and so i know , what consequences hath been drawn from this by the unlearned in their imaginations , but them that hath the least measure of true light , will not take a consequence to build a foundation on , for this is contrary to their own rule , they say the scripture is the rule , then their consequence is not the rule , and if the scriptures be the rule , let all people of your parishes know if you can by the scripture shew when john or any disciple of his or christs , baptized infants and taught them principles of religion ●0 . years after , but they are willingly ignorant that sees not you to be idolaters ; and as to the baptists separates , who builds upon this for their water baptisme , they are as groundles as the priests , and all their arguments are as invalled as the rest ; for here is baptizing the nations in the name of the father in the name of the son , and of the holy ghost , and any who are judicious or wise , and are in any measure of gods pure wisdom , will not say that the name of the father is water , or the son or holy ghost is water ; the name of god is i am , and a strong tower , and the name of the son is the word , and the word is the power , but this is not water ; but further they say the disciples had received the holy ghost , and did baptize with water after , and they were baptized with water after they had received the holy ghost , & they bring divers scriptures to prove this . i shall not deny but peter baptized with water , and paul two or three families , and thanks god he baptized no more , and said he had declared the whole counsel of god , and he makes not mention in all his epistles that baptisme was any part of his command , neither in all his counsel to the churches any where doth he exhort either timothy or titus or apollo or any of the brethren to baptize with water ; but as for peters baptizing with water , i know no more command he had then paul ; as for the commission , which matthew writes of , mat. 28. and 19. and that mark mentions , 16. 15. there is no water , and so it s the baptisme of john , i grant , and christ bearing witness to john that he was a prophet and did baptize many , and therefore he or they in honour to johns ministry might baptize some , as well as paul did circumcise titus , and and then in 1 cor. 7. 19. said it was nothing , and again in another place , neither circumcision nor uncircumcision did avail , but a new creature , and because it was a figure which people did not idolize so much then , as they did circumcision , for the weakness of the people , for a time ; and the wise in heart may understand that when any representation or figure outward was set up , it was not easily denyed again , nor an easie thing to be laid down , when the thing , signified was come ; for many of the jews believed in christ , and were said to be brethren , and yet they came from jerusalem , and troubled the church of galatia , and would have brought them under the figure circumcision again , and the apostle , in gal. 4. asks them , now when ye know god , why turn ye again to the beggarly elements , [ circumcision ] observing dayes , moneths , times and years ; i would ask the moderate a question , whether water be not an element , and pertains only to the elementary part in man , which is to passe away and be dissolved when the seed is raised up whose nature is not elementary , but celestial ? i shall say no more to them at this present who are contentions , who are so zealous for their water upon so weak a ground , but take heed that while you are striving about your outward water , you neglect not the washing of regeneration and the cleansing of the spirit ; many have been baptized , but which of you hath received the holy ghost ? there is not one among you dare own or witness an infallible spirit , but rather counts it an error that any should speak , or witness , or look to enjoy any such thing in these dayes ; well , i say unto you your day is a day of darkness and gloominess you live in , and thick darkness covers your tabernacle ; for who ever have received the holy ghost or spirit of truth in any measure , are led by that which is infallible and not fallible ; and if you look not for this , you are no sons notwithstanding all your washing the outside ; for as many as are the sons of god are led by the spirit of god , and this is witnessed praises to the lord for ever ; the lord is unto his people an everlasting light , and this is the sum that water is owned to be a figure of the one baptism , and was an element , and pertained to that which is elementary ; but the elements shall melt with fervent heat and be dissolved in the day of the lord , and then the seed comes up which is heir of the promise , which is nourished with the water of life , which is not an element nor elementary , but is celestial , and springs up in them that believe unto everlasting life , and comes to be born of the water and the spirit , and enters into gods kingdom , dominion , power , life , wisdom , excellency and eternal glory , happy is he that believes and abides in patience unto the end . now since the dayes of john , the kingdom of god hath been preached , and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed , and many in the day when christ was manifest in the flesh believed , unto whom he declared the mind of the father , and by him was the father glorified , he fulfilled the law , and did many works and miracles by the power of the father , and herein was the father glorified , and them that did believe in him , their faith was strengthened ; and he opened the mystries of the kingdom of god unto his disciples , and bore witness and prophesied the destruction of jerusalem , and of all their worship , and said , no more at jerusalem nor at samaria , but the time was coming when they that worshipped the father should worship him in spirit and truth , and declared against the pharisees righteousness , and said to his disciples , except their righteousness did exceed the pharisees they could not enter the kingdom of god , and yet the pharisees performed all the outward things commanded , but were in the idolatry , and did not believe in the life ; now he declared of his suffering many things , & also how he would go away , and how he would come again , and would not leave them comfortless , but these things were hard to be believed then , by his disciples , and further he told them he must be betrayed , and suffer and rise again , and when the hour was come that he was betrayed , when he was with his disciples , even the same night he was betrayed , he took bread , and broke it , and blessed it , and said , take and eat , this is my body which is broken for you , this do in remembrance of me ; and after he took the cup , and after he had supped , saying , this is the cup of the new testament in my blood , as often as you drink it ; do it in remembrance of me , 1 cor. 11. 23. 24. and matthew , mark , and luke declares the same , and this was reall bread , and reall wine , which was a representation of that which was to be enjoyed in the spirit , and never intended for any further thing , but as a figure or a representation of the bread of life , and of the cup of blessing which afterward they came to be witnesses of , and as oft as they eat and drank , they did shew forth the lords death till he came . now this was practiced among the disciples after he was risen from the dead and did converse with them at many times , and exhorted them and comforted them , and instructed them , and told them that they should be witnesses of his name unto the ends of the earth ; and gave them commandment to teach all nations and baptize them in the name of the father , and of the son , and of the holy ghost , and did promise to be with them to the end of the world , and told how the comforter would come , and that the father would send him in his name ; even the spirit of truth which was with them , and should be in them to be their teacher , leader and guide , and bring all things to their remembrance . now that which he gave them as a figure , and to be a sign unto them , of the clearer manifestation of himself , which afterward came to be fulfilled , and they witnesses of it , who grew up in the pure invisible being , and did see the mystery , through the revelation of the spirit , which did more clearly show unto them the mysteries within the vail ; for as i said of water , it was a sign of a good thing to come , so the bread and the cup was also a sign of a good thing to come , as all outward figures were , but they that did believe , and grew up in the faith , in the seed , christ , they came to see the substance , in whom all figures ends in , and had communion with him , within the vail after he was ascended , where he was before ; now the apostle he spoke as to wise men , judge ye what i say , 1 cor. 10. 15 , 16. the cup of blessing , which we blesse , is it not the communion of the blood of christ ? the bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of christ and v. 17. for we being many are one bread , & one body , for we are all partakers of that one bread ; mark all they that did believe , though they were many , yet they were one bread & one body , and were all partakers of that one bread , which bread was the flesh of christ , john 6. 48. i am the bread of life , and joh. 6. 51. i am the living bread that came down from heaven ; if any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever , and the bread that i will give is my flesh , which i will give for the life of the world : now i speak unto wise men , and let the wisdom of god ( in them manifest ) judge what i say , for where the body of christ is witnessed , and the flesh of christ known , they know that which all the figures ends in , the manna that god gave to israel in the wilderness , they died that did eat thereof , which was as pure a type of the hidden manna , as lively a type as bread outward which was but a type of the of the flesh of christ , and both they that did eats the manna , and they that eat the bread outward and drank the cup outward are both dead , but he that eat the flesh of christ and drinks the blood lives for ever ; and he that eats the hidden manna hath overcome death and lives for ever , and feeds upon the bread of life , feeds upon eternal life . now this is a mystery to the papists , who are idolaters , who have sprung vp in the apostacy , though they have scriptures as it was to the jewes , john 6. 52. who strove among themselves and said , how can this man give us his flesh ●o eat ? and so the papists , who strives about the flesh of christ and his blood , and yet have the scriptures , and they say it s in the bread and in the wine , after consecration , & so they worship the imaginations of their own hearts , not deserning the lords body , and have killed thousands , and taken away the lives of thousands , because they would not confesse their idol to be of god. and the protestants they are setting up the bread and the wine , and contenting themselves therewith , and are making an idol of it , and comes not to discerne the body of christ , but one saying he hath a carnall body , and another a fleshly body , another a mystical body , another sayes his body is devided from his members , and so speaks out of thick darknesse , their own imaginations , and hath not communion with the body of christ , neither knowes the flesh of christ , which is the bread of life , which is given for the life of the world , iohn 6. 51. and as godlinesse began to work , and the mystery thereof in the dayes of christand the apostles , wherein the lord discovered much of his wisdom and power , & manifested his pure presence , & poured out his spirit plentifully upon , sons and daughters , & fulfilled that which joel●prophesied ●prophesied of , joel 2. 28. which came to be fulfilled after christs ascention , acts. 2. 17. and they received the holy ghost , & spoke the wonderfull things of god as they were revealed by the spirit , which shed it selfe abroad among them that waited for it , so also the mystery of iniquity began to work even in that time , and as the apostles laid the foundation of truth , and declared the truth , christ to be the foundation , even so the mystery of iniquity did work , and a beginning or a foundation of error was laid by them , who were gone out of the truth , the false prophets , deceivers , anti-christs who were professors and preachers , but they were such as were covetous and greedy of filthy lucre , and made merchandize of souls for dishonest gaine , and denyed the power of god , christ , and were enemies to the crosse , and gloried in the flesh , and spake swelling words of vanity , and did all live in the lust of the flesh , and were proud boasters , and denyed the lord that bought them ; for denying the power of god , they did deny christ , though in words they preached him , as this generation who are their off-springs doe out of strife & contention , as the apostle writs , & they held the form of godlinesse but denyed the power , and they were they that once were convinced of the truth , and came into the forme of truth , but denyed the power of truth ; but were in craft and deceit , and they subverted whole houses from the faith , and led them back into the world , into unbeliefe , in the apostles dayes , and yet had a worship , and did worship , but not the power , not the life , and this began to worke , and wrought more cunningly , and subtilly in the latter times : and the apostle paul in many of his epistles , iohn and peter and jude , declares against them , and paul prophesied of them before his departure , of grievous wolves , which should spring up , which should not spare to make havock of the flock of christ ; so the fall apostles , deceivers , antichrists , and deceitful workers , they went out then and did what they could to lead disciples after them into the world ; inwardly they were ravened from the spirit , and was gone from it into the earth , into the world , and served not the lord jesus christ , but their own bellies , and the god of the world which is the devil , and they went into the world , and the world received them ; and then they and their disciples turned against the saints , and they held truth in words , and the form for a while , but it was in unrighteousness ; and here was the beginners , and the beginning of the apostats , and of the apostacy ; it was began in the apostles dayes by them that went out of the truth , out of the light , and were ravened from the spirit , and erred from the faith , and were enemies to the power of god , and these were the beginners and the layers of the foundation , and then it grew , that root of wickedness faster then the truth ; for the jewes resisted , and the heathen resisted and the apostates and false prophets resisted , and they that were apostatized they resisted , and they caused many to stumble , to erre , to make ship-wrack of their faith , and so the world went after them , the world , the nations , the kindreds , the tongues , & the people went after kings , princes and potentates of the earth , & in processe of time they had over run-all & killed the saints , the woman fled into the wildernesse , & the man child was caught up unto god ; then all nations who were gone from the rock became as a sea , reeled to & fro , unstable , unsetled ; what were they like to settle in the sea ? then a great beast arose with his seven heads and ten hornes , and the whore which had defiled the bed , and she sat upon the beast , and she reached out her cup of fornication to the nations , and all nations was drunk with her cup , and then the beast made war , and the nations were drunk , and they loved the beast and received his marke , became cruel , and pushed at the saints ( and followed him ) and made war with them , and the whore , she drank the blood of the saints , and the dragon appeared , and with his tayle drew the third part of the stars after him to the earth ; the false prophets they are the tayle of the dragon who were gone from the testimony of jesus , the spirit of prophecy , and drew after it the third part of the stars from the firmament of his power into the earth , rev. 12. 4. the man child was caught up unto god , which was to rule all nations with a rod of iron , and the woman fled into the wildernesse , where god hath prepared a place for her , and then the dragon went out and made war with the remnant of her seed , to wit , the womans seed . and so out of the sea arose the beast , out of nations , kindreds , tongues , and peoples , which are waters , and the dragon gave power to the beast , and his seat , and great authority , rev. 13. 2. and all the world wondred after the beast , ver . 3. and ver 4. they worshipped the dragon which gave power to the beast , and the beast likewise ; and now the worl● cryed ( which wondred after the beast ) who is able to make war with the beast ? and ver . 6. he opened his mouth in blasphemy against god , to blaspheme his name and tabernacle , and them that dwell in heaven , and he made war with the saints , and did overcome them , and all that dwelt upon the earth worshipped him , whose names were not written in the lambs book of life . and the beast● deceived the nations and them that did dwell on the earth , and now kindreds , tongues , and peoples , and nations , and all the world which wondred after him , they who had lost the image of god , now became the image of the beast , that blasphemed god and his tabernacle , and them that dwell in heaven , and now the kings of the earth that had drunk the whores cup of fornication , and the nations , kindreds , and tongues , and people , who were become the beasts image , now the image of the beast spoke , and caused as many as would not worship the beast and the image , should be killed ; take notice of that , all who are called christians , it was not gods image , who compelled to worship or else be killed , but it was the beasts image , and wheresoever compultion and killing is exercised and practised , they worship the beast . chap. 13. ver . 16. and he causeth all both small and great , rich and poor , bond and free to receive a marke in their forehead , or in their right hand , and none might buy or sell , but he which had the beasts marke or his name , or the number of his name ; here was worship , but it was the beasts worship , and idolatrous worship , and the dragons worship , who sought to destroy the man-child , which all the angels is to worship ; all this worship is in the apostacy . so let all take notice of this compelling , causing , forcing , killing , and destroying about worship , all they that so do yet are worshipping the beast on which the whore rides , and this is that generation who slew the lamb , and they are of the world , and this is the dragons brood , who sought to devour the man-child , and this is the serpents seed , and a seed of falsehood who made war with the remnant of the seed of the woman through all ages unto this generation , and so all that which is called christendome , is more or lesse under the beasts power , and hath his image , even to this day ; and yet some of them are professing the saints words , and imitating their actions , who were followers of the lamb , and kept the faith ; now this that iohn saw as come in , did grow deceivers , anti-christs , false prophets , who were before & trouthe churches at galatia corinth , and made havock , brought in deceit and infected many , as coloss. pergamus , rev. 3. sardis & laodicea ; but now all nations were erred and gone from their maker , their husband , and did drink of the cup of the whore , and were adulterated from the life , faith , and power , and now worshipped the beast , and the whole world went after him , there was some of his adultery , whordome and fornication in the apostles dayes , and some had drunken then , but now nations , kindreds , tongues , and people drunk the cup of fornication , and now jesabel who slew the prophets , and drunk the blood of the saints , she reaches out her cup ; kings , merchants , noble men , great men , nations , kinreds , tongues , and people were made drunk , the man-child sought to be devoured , flouds cast out after the woman , the saints blood drunk , the world worships the dragon , and the beast and his great authority , and wonders after him ; now jesabel the whore , who made the nations drunk , she prophesies , all the nations made drunk with her cup of fornication , and drinks in all her false doctrines , and devised fables , now she is as a queen , now the nations worships ; after a beast arises , she gets upon him and rides , she and the beast becomes one , she drinks the blood of the saints , the beast makes war , compells , kills , being of one mind with the whore ; none to buy or sell but they that have his mark of his name , or at least some of the number of his name ; and who were not defiled , were killed ( or sought to be killed ) this is since the apostles days ; so now we have found the whore , her beginning in the apostacy , having lost the faith and power that the saints were in , we have found out the rise of the beast in the apostacy , since the apostles , that all the world wondred after and worshipped . now rome we have found thy foundation , and the beginning of thy rise , and sees how thou art elevated , we have thee and all that sprang out of thy stock and root , betwixt this time and the apostles , and we read beyond thee , though thou boast thy selfe of antiquity , and glory in thy counsels , and convocations , for thy proof we have sounded thy bottome , i have thee and all the apostates sprang from thee betwixt me and the apostles , the anti-christs false-prophets , deceivers , false apostles , they began , they laid thy foundation , who went out from the apostles , and denyed the crosse of christ and the power of god , and the apostle prophesied of their increase , here thy visible members began to gather , and they went out into the world , and the world received them , according to christs saying , out of the light , out of the power , out of the faith , out of the life that the holy men of god were in , being ravened from the spirit , whored from the life , they went out in an outward dresse , had a shew , a form of godliness , the nations received the cup , the kings of the earth , the nobles and the mighty men , thou boasts of , they drank of thy cup and were inflamed with adultery after thee ; and then the nations over which the whoredoms spread , kindreds , dominions , tongues nations peoples and become fornicators , all became as a sea , rolling , tossing , foming , raging , casting up mire and dirt , unstable reeling ; then the kings , the great men , thy nobles who were rulers over the people , being drunk with the nations cup of fornication , they sprang up as a great beast with so many heads and horns , and their teeth became as lyons , their feet as bears , and then thou began to ride in the nations , and to sit as a queen , then thou associated thy drunken fornicators together then thou began to usurp authority and then sit as judge over the heritage of god and of the saints , of the apostles , and of them that kept the testimony of jesus then thou began to kill and destroy and suck the blood of the saints , and to be drunk with it ; and then thy kings whom thou calls converts and christians having drunken thy cup , they formed lawes and made lawes to guard thy whoredoms and adultries and idolatries , then they became thy executioners , and what thou said was good , the beast maintained , and what thou condemnedst by thy counsels for heresie , they became executioners of ; then came in compelling to worship by the beast that rose out of the sea , and then thou cryed hereticks and condemned the just , and then thou got a cover , thou wouldst not kil , but the beast must upon whom thou rides ; then if there was any that kept their virginity and the faith of our lord jesus christ which was in the apostles dayes , then thou condemnedst them for hereticks ; then the beast compelled , and caused to worship , but if they would not bow to his image , then thy merchants cries up , they despise governors and rulers , when both thy doctrine and thy laws is corrupt , then the beast must kill , then he blaphemes the god of heaven , and his tabernacle ; and then thou saith thou killest none , but the beast must ( upon which thou rides ) and shall have a whole counsel to confirm it to be lawful ; and now thou cals thy self the catholike and apostolical church , and thy seat the apostolical chair , and the rulers and leaders defenders of the faith . nay , we finde thee contrary to the primitive church , and thy seat and chair is raised up since , and thy bed of whoredoms made since , and the kings and rulers in thy dominions are become defenders of thy idolatries and whoredoms , and are indeed the beast that makes war with the saints , and hath prevailed , and truth overcome ; but he is risen who is able to make war with the beast , and to take the whore , and to burn her flesh with fire , for he is able to judge her ; and thy beasts weapons and thine are carnal , but the lambs and the saints are spiritual , and so thy doctrine and practice is quite another thing , patched ●uffe , some brought in from the first priesthood , some borrowed from the jews , as thy altars , thy vestments ( that thy idolatrous merchants wear when they celebrate thy great idol the mass ) and the rest borrowed fragments from the heathen , and the rest invented in the night of darkness , and all that you have is invented trumpery , as bad as the heathen ; all your crosses , altars , crucifixes , your cells your lent , your fasts , your feasts , your hair-cloth ; your images , pictures , your relickes of dead mens bones , your tythes , your offerings , oblations , obventions , your tapers , beads , your holy water , your baptizing of infants , your purgatory , your praying for the dead , your visiting of old wals , and old tombs , and rotten sepulchres , your pilgrimages , your inquisition ; all this is come up since the apostles dayes , and thy consecrated bread and wine , which thou calls the body and blood of christ , about which idol thou ( and all that have drunken the cup of fornication , ) and the beast hath slain thousands of men in your blood thirsty cruelty , and all your works you call meritorious they are all dead , & will be sentenced by the lamb ( who is risen , ) to be self-righteousness ; and so we have found out your visible church had no being but since the apostacy , since the apostles dayes , and you are erred both in doctrine and practice , and all your ordination of your ministers , your schools and colledges is all in the will of man , all this is in the fall , in the transgression , and under the curse . object . some of the protestants or reformed churches ( so called ) may say we like this well that you declare against po●●●y , we agree with you in that ; but we have renounced the whores cup , and have denyed all the powers of the beast long since . answ. although many of you priests have denyed your mother , because some kings and rulers , or dukes or magistrates have cast off the yoke , and they protect you , and give you maintenance , yet we cannot but remember you of your genealogy , and decent , and your doctrine and practice shall prove it , and make it manifest , and that you take part with the beast , and worships his image , and shall be evidenced , more and more , even before this generation passe away ; are not you a stem sprung from the same root ? doth not the fruits you bring forth evidence it , and practice , demonstrate it ? if you grant that rome is apostized from the faith which the apostles were in , and their practice ( you must not deny your fathers ) who made the bishops , and ordained them ; did not the pope , who ordained you ministers or priests , did not the bishops , who set up your mass-house , with all the pictures and crosses in and upon them , which you call your church ? who established tythes , offerings , oblations , easter reckonings , midsumer dues , did not the pope first , , and them that were subject to his power , who invented schools and colledges to fit you for the ministry , and qualifie you for the ministry , as you say , is not this set up in , and since the apostacy began ? your set wages , your baptizing of infants , your consecrated bels , which the pope hollowed or his emissaries ? do not you preach up the letter for the word , & the letter for the gospel ? & are not you calling your bread & wine a sacrament ? which word you have received from rome , your pulpets & your hour-glasses , your cushons , your black robes & long robes , fals-prophet-like , your funeral for the dead like the popes exequies for the dead , your devouring widdowes houses , and sueing men at the lavv , your haling them to courts & prisons , your taking avvay mens goods by force , three-fold , ten-fold ; yea , is that which you claim , and from them that you work not for ; neither dare you say this was the apostles practice , or any of the primative churches ; if you say yea , all that knowes the scripture or the least of god in them to guid them , or to open their understandings , they will see you nearly related to rome , and to the apostates , and deceivers , and fals prophets of old , and that you are greatly inflamed with the whores cup ; and did not the holy men of god speak as they were moved by the holy ghost and divine inspiration , & as the spirit of truth revealed it selfe in them ? and do not you all head and taile deny any such thing to be now ? and further concludes , that its a great errour to look for any such thing ? then be convinced in your selves , you are apostates and apostatized from that faith , and hope & spirit that was in the primative times ; and now reads old authors , it may be 20. or 30. books before you can get an hours discourse patched up to hold you dreaming till the glasse be run ; & dare you be so impudent & confident as to say that you ●are not apostates ? and are you not followers of the beast , and have you not his mark , and bear you not his image ? do not you count that disorder which the apostles and the churches counted order ? if any thing was revealed to him that stands by , let the first hold his peace ? are not you apostatized from this order , & cries take him away , and yet you would be called apostolicall ? well , these things being true , and obvious enough to behold , to any who knows any thing of god , i need not say much more in this thing , but all wise men will come out from among you , and out of babylon the mother of harlots , which hath made you and your root and genealogy drunk with her fornication , and this is my call to seperate from her and you , that are in the apostacy ; and waite to know the word which was in the beginning , and the gospel which was preached to abraham , which endures for ever , whose joyful sound is come forth in power and great glory , which will shake the foundation of your great city , even mystery babylon , and not leave one stone upon another which shall not be thrown down ; and then the holy men of god shall rejoyce , and the saints of the most high shall sing , they that have been as sheep for the slaughter shall reign over the earth , and shall say , the lord god omnipotent reigns , and let us rejoyce and be glad , and he hath taken to himself great power , and is coming to gather his lambs out of your mouths , and to feed in a pasture you never saw , which was manifest to the saints in light , before you apostates sprang , and shall be again , when you and all your dark muddy traditions , and inventions , are gone down into the pit , where there is no remembrance . object . but it may be the pure reformed church of scotland , as it hath been called , and the old episcopal and prelatical priests of england , who hath borrowed their images to set up here will be ready to say we have denyed , the whore and the beast , and the apostacy , and we have pure reformation , we have denyed bishops which was made by the apostate the pope , and now we have settled all things according to the primitive church . answ. there never did spring up any deceit since the apostles or before , but it called it self , by the best name ; as for the priests of scotland , their doctrine and practice is made manifest , and their reformation by their principles which i refer the reader to , intituled the principles of the priests of scotland , their reformation , and discipline is nearly related to the spanish inqnisition ; for their doctrine , they say grace is not free , and faith is not without sin , and the letter is the word of god , and that they are cursed that say there is a light within which will lead up to god ; and as one said , although it meant christ ; and if any will not submit to their words , and conform to their practice and traditions , then they call a counsel together , as their forefathers at trent , and pronounces him a heretick , and within this few years banished them , or else took their whole substance outward from them ; and if any out of conscience could not submit unto their invented tradition , then if he ever came to have any converse with them again , be must have a penance before he could get an indulgence from them , like the pope ; and furthermore , if any deny them because they are out of the doctrine of christ , and are contrary to the scripture , then , as i said , they excommunicate them , and charges all people neither to buy nor sell , nor eat nor drink with them , nor work for them ; and so the beasts power is exercised , compelling to come to their mass-houses ; and as for the denying the bishops , then you have denyed your fathers that begat you , and ordained you , then , you have no ordination ; but may be you have cry●d so for setling your gospel , you have got a commitee to ordain you , or one company to lay hands on another , but when receive ye the holy ghost ? oh that is an error in your church , but are you not got into the old cathedrals ( so called ) and into the steeple-houses , and the old masse-houses , and where you had , may be 20 pounds or fourty in the year , now you have gotten a hundred , it may be two ; here 's reformation indeed ; well , we must needs remember you of your race and stock , the apostates since the apostle dayes , and the former practices which is found among the old protestants and papists is among you , and you are still drunk with the whores cup , and are crying for cains weapons to guard you ; well , i say you art part of the dragons tail , that draws to the earth , and to the pit , which will be the end of all idolaters and apostates , except they come to repent . and as for the independants churches , so called , you are a branch of the same root , you have declared against the bishops and court prelates , and said they were in error , and many of you declared against them for pluralists , because they had too great benefits , and declared against tythes , as to be antichristian , and whoso received tithes , denyed christ come in the flesh , who are wheeled about , and now takes them your selves , and creeps into the old mass-houses , and hath taken that up which you condemned in others , and so have made your former testimony void , and all sober people sees your hypocrisie and deceit , who have gathered a company together , which you call select people , or members of your church , and you exclude the rest who have as good right to your ordinance as you , for they professe christ in words as you do ; and yet you will receive their means , whom you judge not capable of your ordinance ; and your church will no more maintain you , then it would maintain them that you have denied in words , if you had not the beasts power to compel , your vineyard would starve you , your gospel and your preaching is one with the former , and the people is the same in nature they were before ; you have got bishops lands , agmentations and stypends more large then your forefathers had , for the most part , and sue men at the law , and hales them before judgement seats and takes away their goods whom you look upon to be in error ; yet this stands as good with you as any article of your faith , to force to compell , to sue , to hale into prison , to take away their goods , and get a scripture for your cover , and say he that preacheth the gospel must live of the gospel , and them that neither hear you , nor receives you , neither believes your gospel ; yet you conclude , its lawful to take their goods and if you cannot get them , hale the party into prison ; are not you drinking still the whores cup ? and do not you follow the beast ? and do not you own that law to be just that compels people to pay mony to you who denyes your ministry , and are none of your sheep ? and are not your ordinances and worship imitated things from the scripture , the saints words , and yet out of their life and practice , are not you in the apostacy ? have you not your profession and confession of faith , to make year after year as the magistrate changes ? doth not this evidence , that you are unstable and are yet in the waters upon which the whore sits , and scituated in babylon , the mother of harlots , who yet makes you drunk , and that makes all the filth and vomit appear in the earth that stains the earth , and your idols corrupts the earth ; and all seperates under what name soever , who have not denyed the ground of apostacy , but are in the apostacy , for all sects since the apostles days have taken up some part and left another , since the life hath been lost , and the power lost all hath been in idolatry , and the protestants who have denied the papists , yet they have not denyed them in the ground of their worship , but hath retained some , part and hath kept some part of their worship ; and all sects sprung out of the protestants , in them all there is some part remaining , for they have not denyed the ground of the worship set up in the apostacy the whores cup i● drunk of , and the dragon hath power which sought to destroy the man-childe , and made war with the remnant of the seed of the woman who was clothed with the sun ; you all stick yet in babylon , and the best of you all , are but yet in the suburbs thereof . for since the apostles dayes their foundation hath been either traditions , imitations , inventions of their own , or borrowed things from the jewes in the first covenant , or at the best , the letter hath been the ground of their faith and their foundation , which they have twined and translated this way and that , according to the wit , and reason of every particular sect and opinion , and according to the understanding of their private spirits ; now all these buildings , and towers that men have builded up in the apostacy , they would fasten upon the writings of the holy men of god , and so hath raised an imagination of their own , and so would have the scripture prove what they say ; and the writings of the apostles , they all cal the gospel ; & the word of faith , & the light of the gospel , & the foundation & the tryer of spirits , & the touchstone and say its the foundation of their faith and religion ; and so are all in the distraction one envying another , and persecuting one another about the words of truth , spoken from the spirit of truth , which cannot be understood again but by the same spirit ; and so all them that have not the spirit of truth , are in the apostacy , and all sects judgements and opinions that hath risen up since the apostacy , from the faith that was once delivered to the saints , when the woman traveled and brought the man-child , which after , because of the dragons power , fled into the wildernesse , and her child caught up unto god , all the faith and worship , that since is sprung up since the whore hath sitten as a queen in majesty , is all denyed , the ground of their worship , lawes , traditions , inventions , and all their invented practises , and formes and images , and likenesses are denyed , and disowned , as to be the dresse and attire of the whore which hath allured people through her inticing pretences and shewes of holinesse , when indeed all is but spiritual adultery , and this must be all turned under again , the whores flesh burned , and her attire plucked off , and her nakednesse appear , and her shame to them that have committed fornication with her , and they shall be ashamed of themselves , and of her , and abhor themselves , and abhor her , and destroyed shall she be ; and the lambs wife shall be beautified , and come out of the secret places into open view , out of the solitary wildernesse , into the beautifull place that the lord will bring her into , & the time , times , and halfe time is out , the thousand two-hundred and threscore dayes is at an end ; and he bears witnesse of it who saw her ●fly away upon eagles wings into the secret place , which was prepared for her , for these dayes and times appointed , and i say he that knowes the counsell , of the most high ( in this matter ) can account the time , times , and a halfe , and the dayes , and what shall be after the days be expired which is at an end ; blessed is he that sees , believes , and understands , he shall see that which yet hath not appeared , neither can it be believed by the most , though it were declared ; but yet a little while and the earth growes ripe , and an eare will be opened in many who cannot yet hear , and for a little while in this i shall be silent , and treasure up that which the spirit hath revealed , till the time be fully accomplished which god hath determined , and then his glory shall be revealed , and all the former things which have lived since the man of sin hath been exalted , shall all dye , & an utter consumption shall be of all the changeable lawes made since the apostacy , and the many changeable dresses of the whore , and attires in which she hath appeared , & imaginary worships into which all have run since they were apostati●ed from the faith ; all this shall be disanulled , and come to an end , and be blasted for ever , the spirit of the lord saith amen . how the woman that was cloathed with the sun , and had the crowne of twelve stars upon her head , which did flie into the wildernesse , comes out againe after the great whore is judged , and her child that was caught up unto god , comes to appeare again . now after the time , times , and halfe a time , and after the thousand two hundred and threescore days she returns after the whore is judged , and the great city babylon is fallen , which hath made the nations drunk , and brought forth children in fornication , who had drunk the blood of the saints in the apostacy after the whore was judged ; and the voice was heard in heaven , of much people that sang halelujah , salvation , and glory , and honour , & power ; who witnessed to the righteousness of gods judgement : and a voice came out of the throne , saying , praise our god all his servants , and ye that fear him both small and great , rev. 19. 5. and verse the 6. and i heard as it were the voice of many waters , and as a great multitude , and as the voice of a mighty thunder , saying , halelujah , for the lord god omnipotent reigneth ; the whore is now judged , the mother of harlots condemned with all her inchantments , and sorceries . now the lambs wife appears , who is the mother of the man-child which was caught up unto god , she that was cloathed with the sun , with the glorious everlasting celestial light , she is both the mother and the wife , he that hath an eare let him hear ; now jerusalem that is from above , ( spiritually so called ) who was the mother of all the saints before the apostacy , she appears again , and comes to be the wife of the lamb , and the city of the saints , & the mother of them that are born from above ; this shall be and is made manifest to some , but a numberlesse number shall see it , and the day hastens greatly , and she is appearing again , and her solitary garments shall be put off ; and as she was beautifull ( before the whore made the nations drunk ) cloathed with the sun , and had the moon under her feet , and a crown of twelve stars upon her head ( and though she became child-lesse , and also as a widow , and the remnant of her seed slain , and destroyed ) so shall she appear again in glory and beauty as before , and shall be made ready , yea , my eye hath seen it ; she is making her selfe ready as a bride for her husband , and unto her is granted , that she shall be arrayed in fine linen , clean and white , even arayed in the righteousnesse of the saints , which is not self-righteousnesse ; the garments of the harlot and her lovers ; but in the righteousnesse of christ the lamb , her husband and child also , and she shall now bring forth many more children , though her seed have been slain , yet a numberlesse number shall appear , and ten thousand thousand shall be brought forth by her , and glory in her , and reverence her , and rejoyce in her for ever , and they shall be all clad in the same robe which the husband the lamb is cloathed withall , and the same , the lambs wife , this woman is cloathed with all , and the same shall all the children be cloathed with all , the fine linen the righteousnesse of the lamb which was dead and slaine since the foundation of the world , but now alive and lives for evermore ; and here a heavenly family appears now after the apostacy , and this shall be seen by all that have an eye , that can see through & beyond the smoke of the pit , that have darkned the ayre while the beast and dragon hath had power ; but now hath her child appeared again , the man-child hath appeared again , and he that was in the spirit on the lords day saw whether he was taken up to the throne of god , revel . 12. ver . 5. and on the same lords day he saw him after the woman was fled , and the remnant of her seed was made war with and flain in the earth , where the dragon had power . he that was in the spirit saw him alive again after he was caught up ; so he that is in the spirit , now on the lords day sees the same man-childe who was brought forth by by the woman who was to rule the nations , but was caught up to the throne of god before he came to r●le ; and then the dragon ruled the beasts and false prophet , the whore the mother of harlots sate as a queen , and the woman the mother of the heir fled into an obscure and a retired place , and was hid , times and dayes ( as i said before ) but as she appeared again in beauty , so the man-childe the heir he appears also in glory , majesty and power , and john saw him , revelations 19. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. and i saw heaven opened , and behold a white horse and he that sate upon him , was called faithful and true , and he doth judge and make war in rigteousness his eyes was as a flame of fire , on his head were many crowns , and he had a name written that none knew but he bimself , and he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood and his name is called the word of god. and now the womans seed is increased again , after the dragon and the beasts war , and now they become an army , and follows the lamb their leader who is anoynted with honour , glory , and majesty and renown , strength , power , wisdom , joy and gladness above all his fellowes ; yet his followers are annointed too , and the seed of the woman the inhabitants of the city of the great king , they are clothed with the same garment and armour , and rides on in power strength and majesty after him , and they are clothed and shall be with the garment of their mother , and the garment of their captain their head ; and as he rode on in innocency , so they ride on after him , and the woman was in heaven , that travelled , and the childe was born there , though he was to rule the nations of the earth ; and so who so are of this womans seed which is born in the city of the great king jerusalem unto which the hebrewes were come , heb 21. before the apostacy , and before the woman fled , so now the same city comes to be seen again , and the children are free born of their mother the lambs wife , who is joyned to him , and is to be so for ever in the everlasting covenant ; so they being heavenly children , redeemed from the earth , from under the dragons power , they follow the lamb , the word , gods power , revel . 19. 14. and the armies which were in heaven followed him , upon white horses , clothed in fine linen white and clean , and out of his mouth goes a sharp sword and with it he shall smite the nations ; and now comes he to rule them with a rod of iron , he was brought forth long before ; but was caught up to god again , and the dragon , beast and whore , and false prophet ruled the nations , and killed the saints , but now he appears again after the apostacy , and a great host with him , and the woman also and her children are many , and they all follow the first-born ; and now comes the wo to the dragon and whore , beast and false prophets , and unclean spirits , and on them that worship devils , and now shall he tread the wine-press of the wrath of god almighty . and he hath on his vesture and on his thigh written , king of kings , and lord of lords . and now appears an angel standing in the sun which the woman● was clothed with , and he cryed with a loud voyce , saying to all the fowls that flie in the midst of heaven , come and gather to the supper of the great day of god , and now must the flesh of the kings and captains , and nobles , and flesh of mighty men who had drunk the whores cup , now must drink of the wine of gods wrath ; and the beast and the kings of the earth , and their armies gathered together to make war against him that sate on the white horse and his army ; and the beast was taken , and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him , and the remnant were slain ( that took part with the beast by him that sate upon the horse and his army ; whose sword proceeded out of his mouth , and all the fowls were filled with their flesh ) the whore is burnt before , the beast , the false prophet and his army now slain , and their flesh eaten by the fowls of heaven , and now the blood comes forth to the horse bridles . and now the angel descends having the key of the bottomless pit from whence the old dragon , the serpent , the red dragon , the devil came ; there is his beginning , there was he brought forth , and there he grew up , he that reads let him understand , out of the bottomless pit ; for the nations were never deceived till he appeared , and he appeared as i have said before , after the heaven and the earth was made , and all things therein ( i say after ) he was not before , he deceived eve in the garden , now he is grown old , and so is truely called the old dragon , grown into a body of deceit ; well now must he be taken and bound and cast into the bottomless pit , from whence he came , that he deceive the nations no more , rev. 20. 1 , 2. and all this war is in the bringing out of the apostacy , and in order to the lamb and the saints everlasting reign in heaven and over the earth for ever . this i have seen , and my heart rejoyceth , and my mouth shall praise the lord ; & the woman i say is appearing , and she is cloathed with beautiful garments , and the holy child , the man-child , hath appeared , and is manifest again among the saints , and in then ; and the lamb which hath been slain since the world began , is alive , & behold he lives for evermore ; and now many are his followers , and an innumerable company shall ride on after him who is king of kings ; and now is god fulfilling that which iohn saw in the lords day , which should come to pass , the work is begun , he hath appeared , out of whose mouth proceeds the two edged sword which shall hew downe all the dragons army , the beast and his followers , and though the cry be yet among many , who shall make war with the beast ? and who shall speak against his prophets ? yet a little while and fear shall come , & their vaunts and boasts shall be turned into doubting , and dreadfull fear on every side , for jacob shall be as a flame , and esau and all his race shall be as stubble , he that reads , let him understand the wisdome of god in a mystery , and the worke of the lord which shall shortly come to to passe . the manifestation of gods glory shall be as great after the apostacy , as ever it was in any age , before the rise of antichrist , and the ministrations ( into which them that follow the lamb shall be brought ) shall be as spiritual , holy , celestial , and divine as ever was before ; for the end of all our outward visible appearances shall come , which the whore hath decked her selfe with , and life it shall be known , in the body and god injoyed , and worshiped , glorified , and honoured in that which shall never alter , but abides for ever ; and this shall be & is the last ministration that ever shall appear among the sons of men . we who are come out of the apostacy , knowes what was before , & sees what shal be after , the everlasting gosple of the son of god shall be preached again to them that dwell on the earth , the same that was preached to abraham before either old or new testament was written ; the latter , all sects since the apostacy call the gospel , and so greatly manifest their ignoance , for that were to make two gospels to call the scriptures the gospel , or that which is written , and they who so erre in their judgements , are yet among the smoke of the pit , & are yet under antichrists reigne , & are ignorant of him who is the saving health of the nations ; and the living , infalible , true , lasting , and everlasting spirit of the father shall be poured out again , and many now witnesse it , and a numberlesse number shall witnesse it , and the time hastens ; and the lamb shall stand upon mount sion , and many who are redeemed from the earth and from among men which shall be the first fruits unto god , and to the lamb , and they shall sit with him , and shall reigne with him , and have power over sin , temptation , and the devil , hell and the lake , and this is to come to passe , and is coming to passe , and hastens greatly ; and the voice out of heaven shall be heard as the voice of many waters , and the voice of harpers harping with their harps , and the new song shall be sung , the pure song of the lamb shal be sung by all who are redeemed from the earth in every nation , kindred , tongue and people , who have heard , believed and received the joyful sound of the everlasting gospel again , and now they shall fear god , and glorifie him , and honour him , even they who have feared the beast , and glorified him in the apostacy , they shall deny his power , and own the lambs power , and worship him that sits upon the throne of righteousnesse , who lives for ever and ever , and is eternal life it selfe ; the worship shall be now in spirit and truth , where the dragon cannot come , neither the beast , harlot , false prophet , nor antichrist , nor none of his followers can come , and here in the ministration shal be more glorious , after the apostacy then it was before ; the worship stood before in many outward visible things , and representations , and outward performances , and ordinances , & i manifestly say , the dragon , beast , whore , and false prophets and apostates took up these things , and nations and kindreds , and tongues , and people who drunk of the whores cup , & all that were gone from their maker their husband , they have been and are acting and performing , imitating like jannes and jambres ; but since the daies of the apostles , they corrupted these things , and hath made idols of them , and painted themselves with them , and have got the sheeps cloathing ; therefore now will the lord appear and manifest his power , life and glory in away more invisible and pure , than before , and more divine , celestial and glorious , where never an hypocrite shal tread in the path ; & so the restoration is a mystery that shall be after the apostacy , the glory is not to appear in externall things , for there the mother of harlots hath hid her selfe long , which hath made all nations drunk ; but the cloathing of the lambs wife and of the bride shall be another thing then the attire of the harlot , for the spouse of the lamb shall be arrayed , in the same attire , that the lamb is cloathed withall , and with the same vestment , and the tabernacle of god is to be with men , and he shall dwell in them , even the lord that spirit , and shall walke in them , and they shall be his people , and god himselfe shall be with them and in them , and sorrow shall be done away , and teares wiped away , and that done away which was the cause of sorrow ; rev. 21. 3. and 4. and there shall be no more death , nor crying , nor any more pain , for the former things are passed away , to wit , death which entred in by sin , it shall be destroyed , and the earth out of which the second beast arose , and the sea out of which the first beast did arise & upon which the whore sate , and hell , and the lake which was prepared , and raised up , when man was degenerated from the lord , they shall be destroyed , and he also which hath the power of death which is the devil , he shall be destroyed and his works , ( the cause of scorne ) and then they shall see the lord face to face , even them that have but seen him darkly , as in a glasse , or as in a cloud , they shall see his pure living countenance , which giveth life , and death , and hell shall be cast into the lake of fire , and whosoever is not found written in the lambs book of life must be cast into the fire . then the new heaven and earth shall be seen , and the heavenly city , which shall come down from god out of heaven ; which no mortal eye shall behold , neither shal be able to behold , which hath twelve foundations , and twelve gates , and the glory of god shall be upon her , and her light shall be as a stone most precious , and as clear as cristall , yea all things visible are too short and not to be compared to it ; for in it their need neither sun nor moon to shine in it , for the glory of the lord shall lighten it , and the lamb is the light thereof , and all who shall be partakers of this glorious ministration , shall walk in the light of the lamb ; there shall be no night , nor the least appearance of a cloud or darkness , but transparent brightness , and glory which shall be permanent , durable and everlasting ; for the lord god and the lamb is the temple of the city , in which the saints shall worship him that sits upon the throne for evermore , and shall give unto him glory , and honour , and dominion , and eternal praise for evermore , who alone is worthy , who lives for ever in eternal glory , and everlasting light and brightness for cvermore . and his face shall be seen in whom all figures representations , & shadows ends in , and the pure river of water of life which is as clear as christal , which proceeds out of the throne of god and of the lamb ; and all who have kept the word of his patience shall drink thereof , and be nourished up in immortality and life everlasting for ever . and the tree of life that stands in the paradice of god , them that have overcome shall eat thereof and live for ever ; and the nations , kindreds , tongues , people and regions , who have heard , believed and received the everlasting gospel shall know his saving health ; and the throne of god and the lamb shall be seen , and his servants shall serve him who is their lord and king , who lives for ever , and they shall see his face , and his name shall be in their foreheads , and the lord god shall give them light and shall be unto them an everlasting light , and they shall reign with him for ever and ever , over the whore , beast , false prophet , antichrists , deceivers , seducers , the pit , death , hell & the grave ; & shall triumph in his strength over all the powers of darkness , and sing praises to him that abides for ever ; these things are true and faithful , and shall be fulfilled , and the time is at hand , blessed are they that waite and watch , that they may discern the signs of the times , and the coming of the bride-groom , that they may enter into the chamber of rest , and into the palace of eternal life , into the city of the great king to sit with him , and eat with him , and rejoyce with him in the glory eternal , which was before the world began , & shall be when it shall be no more , the end hastens ; he is blessed that is come and coming to the end of it ; for that which is immutable and eternally glorious shall appear , the lord hasten it , saith my spirit . amen . the day of the lord and how it is seen . the lord god of the whole earth , who lives for ever , even the god of abraham , the god of isaac and jacob , whose throne is established in righteousness for ever ; who rideth upon the heavens , and shines forth in his eternal excellency , from the firmament of his power ; he is manifesting himself in his power , as in the dayes of old , and revealing his righteousness as in the years past , and pouring forth his spirit upon his sons and daughters , according to his promise , and they that believe , comes to be made partakers of the blessing of the everlasting hills , even the lord , who appeared at sinai , unto moses his servant in the bush , who rose up from mount seir , and shined forth in his brightness from mount paran , and came with ten thousands of his saints , even he , from whose right hand went a fiery law , so that the people could not behold his glory ; the same is he who hath now appeared in this the day of his power , and is appearing , whose glory shall dazle the eyes of the world , whose brightness shall make dim all the worlds glory , and stain its wisdom , and shut it up in utter darkness , that it shall not appear to have any existance or being , and the shadow of death shall flie away , and all the haughty and lofty princes of this world shall be horribly afraid ; the beasts shall go into their dens when the day appears , and the lambs of the everlasting fold shall come forth and be fed in the fat valleys , where the springs of life compasseth about all the banks , and rejoyce in their shepherd , and shall say , the lord is my shepherd ; which many at this time doth admire and say , what hath the lord wrought ? who have seen his wonders in the dayes of old , and have seen his noble acts , which the fathers have told of , who are fallen asleep , and are at rest in the lord : and now many is god bringing to see their witness to be true , and to have the same fulfilled in themselves ; honour and praise unto him for ever , who is the stay and strength of all his people for ever . and the day of the lord is broken , and the light hath appeared that manifesteth all things which are reproveable ; and the day-star is risen in the hearts of many , and they are come to see that fulfilled in their hearts , which peter exhorted them to wait for , and to take heed unto the sure word of prophesie , until the day appeared , and did dawn in their hearts ; which day when it appears , and to whom it appears , discovereth all things and maketh all things manifest , as it is declared by the spirit of truth , in the scripture of truth ; and every mans work shall be tryed of what sort it is , and of what nature it is ; and this day hath appeared to many , praises to the lord , who have waited for it , and now they see every thing in its ground and rise , and every tree and fruit is seen according to its kind , whether good or bad , and every mans work is obvious to every one who are in the day , and upon whom the morning of righteousness hath appeared , and the sun of righteousness hath shined upon , whereby that is seen in every one ( by the light which is truly called day , by the lord who causeth it to spring from on high ) which is reproveable and condemnable , and also whatever is justifiable and unreproveable , is seen by the day of the lord appearing in the heart . the day of the lord , what it is , and to whom it hath appeared , discovered , and how it is seen . god is a spirit , his day is spiritual , and is seen with a spiritual eye , its pure light , pure brightness , the pure shining forth of the lord in his glorious excellency , the pure shining forth of eternity , life putting forth it self in its brightness , holiness sheding it self abroad in its glory , purity spreading it self in its immeasurable excellency , and can only be seen as it is in it self , by the children of the light that are born of it : there is a natural day there is a spiritual day ; the natural day receives its brightness from the sun , the spiritual day receives it brightness from the son of righteousness , by whom it s brought forth , without whom nothing was made , or is made , or brought forth , but by him who is the fountain of life ; and as the natual day receives its clearness from the natural sun , and is discerned by the natural eye of a natural man ; and all things natural are seen and discovered by and in the natural day , and are perspicuous and obvious to him that hath his natural sight ; even so , from the son of righteousness , the lord of glory , light and purity ; the day of god receives its brightness , and is issued out from him by the rayes of his brightnes , and is discerned and seen only by the spitual eye of the spiritual man , who is the image of the father brought forth in life , and in his own nature and quality ; ( that is to say ) from god the father of life , by christ jesus the life of men , the light of the world ; and this is the birth which is born from above , wch is of the nature of the father , and the son , & of the day ; & he only comes to behold this day , and discerns all things of the fathers kingdom by it , and likewise discerns all the hidden things of dishonesty , and the works of darknes which are brought forth by the prince of darkness , who is shut up in eternal and utter darkness , which is his dwelling place for ever , which is his residence , and shall be the residence of all the workers of iniquity that bear his image for ever . ob. but some may be ready to say , it is not yet appeared , and all things are not yet made manifest , and that day is not yet come , neither hath appeared in this age to any . ans. what if a man that is naturally blind say , that there is no light in the day , nor in the sun , because he sees none ; is therefore there no light in the day , nor in the sun ? and what if all things be alike unto him , day and night , so that he can distinguish nothing , doth this therefore make void their seeing , who do see with the natural eyes , both the sun and the day , and hinder them from distinguishing or discerning ? and what if they who are spiritually blind , and are children of the night , say they see nothing , nor beholds nothing of the day of the lord , or of the discovery of the things of god , or of his glorious appearence , which many witnesse ; doth this therefore make their sight void , or the discovery of things void to them who have seen into the things that be of gods kingdome ? the unbeliefe of some , doth not make the faith of them that do believe void , god forbid . what the day of the lord is , and what it will be to the wicked , delcared . as i have said , though the day of the lord be pure light and brighnesse in it selfe , and mixeth not with the night , which is of a contrary nature , because the lord in the beginning separated them , & set a decree which will last unto all perpetuity , and that which limited the bounds and circumference thereof now is the same : i say , though the day of the lord be pure , and keeps its purity , and property , and nature , and is still one and the same in it selfe ; ( for nothing can alter its purity ) yet it is a day of blacknesse and gloomynesse , and a notable terrible day unto the wicked , who hates its appearance , and hates the light , children of falsehood and of deceit , whose deeds be evil , it makes them and their deeds manifest ; there it is unto them , as it is written in a certain place , the eyes lids of the morning are unto them as the shadow of death ; the appearance of the lord affrightes them , and they would run from it as a theef that diggeth through a wall , and breaketh open a house in the night when deep sleep is upon men ; but when the day appeares , that discovers his actions , he is affraid , because he will then , ( if he staies there ) be seen ; and all that live wantonly upon earth , whose hearts are set to seek after wickednesse as for hid treasure ; the day of the lord will steal upon such as a theef , and will come as upon a theef , & they being children of the night , and bringing forth the fruits of darknesse contrary to the light , they will have their portion in utter darknesse , and eternal vengeance will comcompasse them as a wall , and fury as a fire that devoureth all the fewel , so shall the ungodly perish , and have their portions with hypocrites . think on this all you railers , and revilers of the light , and of the appearance of god , and repent ; for as the wild asse that snuffes up the wind , and they that seeks will not weary themselves with her , yet the time cometh when she may be found and taken ; even so all the ungodly , though they may run as a wild asse , and traverse their way as a dromedary ; yet the moneth cometh , and the day cometh they will be overtaken in the midst of security , and they shall not escape : and though the children of this world , and teachers of this world , and professors of this world , who professe the scriptures , have prayed for the day of the lord ; yet when it comes , it will be as hot burning fire , as devouring fire , and they will fall as stubble , and as burnt-mountaines before it , and will not be able to abide ; for as i said , whatsoever is reproveable , is manifested by the day , the light , which is eternal , in which god appears , and it shall appear even to the wicked , to the ungodly , they shall be made manifest ; that which is manifest , is not hid , but seen , and brought to light , and beholden : so all you hirelings , who preach for hire , and you people that love to have it so , you shall not be hid ; all gainsayers of the truth , you shall be found out , all shall be convinced of their ungodly deeds and hard speeches , and that which makes your deeds manifest will be the day , and that will convince you ; for even the wicked shall see his appearance , although to condemnation , shame , & contempt , they shall see him whom they have pierced : and know further , even in the wicked , god hath a witnesse , which is pure , which checketh often , though they heed it not , because the god of the world hath blinded their eyes ; yet when christ the life shall appear , he wil make that see in the wicked which they have put out , and the god of the world hath blinded ; yet he by his power will open even the eyes of the wicked , and they shall see him and his coming in dread ; and his pure appearance , which shal make them horribly afraid , & his day and appearance will be to their sorrow : although they would not see , yet they shall be made to see , and to hear that which they would not hear , when god sounds his trumpet , to give warning to all , that the dead both small and great may arise , some unto everlasting life , and some unto shame and everlasting contempt . all that hath hated his appearance shall see , though they would not ; put not this far away , all deceitful workers , drunkards , liars , swearers , whores , and whore-mongers adulterers , idolaters , who worship your own imaginations ; and all railers , mockers , and proud , wanton disdainful people that live in wantonnesse and pleasure , time-servers , flattererers , men-pleasers , cursed speakers , vain talkers , foolish jesters , fierce dispisers of those that are good , who are come out of the pollution that you wallow in ; his appearance will be to their joy , but to your shame and eternal misery , except you speedily repent . what the day of the lord is to the righteous , and how he appeares to them , and whether any are to looke for it while in the body , resolved . the appearance of god which is eternal life , in his day , in his immeasurable light , a great joy and rejoycing to the righteous ; for there they come to behold him who is unto his people an everlasting light ; and in his light they come to see light ; and in his day he reveals the secret mysteries of his kingdome in them , who sees his day appeare in their hearts , which maketh all things manifest , even the secrets of the lord , and his hidden treasure , and his durable riches which never cankers nor rusts , but is fresh , and keeps its pure image and impression , and is still the same ; by which all the righteous who have waited for gods appearance , comes to see him and his riches , as it is written , this is he we have waited for , let us rejoyce and be exceeding glad ; why ? what , is he come you waited for ? yea , come , and his reward is with him ; and they that see him come , find contentment in him , and in his reward ; and what is his reward ? joy , gladnesse , peace of conscience , assurance of gods love sealed in their hearts by the pure spirit of the lord , the streams of life flowing forth continually from the great deep , which refreshes and keeps cool in the greatest extremity and heat of temptation ; and this is enjoyed by them that have waited , and doe waite for it even in the body , they bear witnesse of him and of his coming ; the disciples , what was their witnesse ? the son of god is come , and hath given us an understanding : of what ? of god , of his day , of his appearance , of his power , of his wisdome , of his kingdome , of hope , of faith , of assurance , of peace , of joy , of comfort and consolation : what in this life ? yea , a cloud of witnesses i might bring in former ages , and a cloud of witnesses i might bring in this age , blessed be the lord ; but my witnesse is nearer me , that giveth me assurance , and is surer to me then all their witnesses , although they be all true ; abraham the father of the faithful , and of the righteous , who believed god , and was accepted , he saw christs day , and was glad . say , literal professors , that 's by faith ; yea , what else ? he and all that ever saw christ and his day , or the father , they saw him by faith ; by faith they saw him who was invisible . isa. 12. 2. behold god is my salvation , he also is become my salvation ; what , dost thou enjoy it already ? yea , he is become : and simon who waited for the consolation of israel , luke 2. 30 now let thy servant depart in peace , for mine eyes have seen thy salvation . and this he said , who knew gods comfort and consolation ; as our sufferings for christ doth abound , even our consolation in christ doth much more abound ; and they were made partakers of his divine nature , and sat together in heavenly places in christ jesus . for heaven is his throne , and they that are in him , and injoyeth him who is the power of god , and the wisdome of god knowes peace , and rest , and salvation , both from guilt and act of sin ; and the apostle wrote to the hebrews , after he had purged away our sins ( speaking of the atonement ) the everlasting high priest , he sate down on the right hand on the majesty on high . he saw beyond sin even him who had purged away sin ; and this comes to be made manifest unto them , and in them that believe , by the spirit of jesus , who is christ the lord , the arm that brings salvation , and is the author of eternal salvation unto all them that believe , who begins it in his day , and perfecteth it in his day ; for he works in the day , as he himself said , hitherto my father worketh , and i work ; but the night cometh when none can work . so that he destroys the work of the devil , which is his work in man ; which they that are come to his day feels and sees the handy-work of god in themselves , and his own works praise him , for they onely can ; and they that are not come to the day knows not gods work in themselves ; and they who have not yet heeded that in themselves which manifesteth all things reproveable , neither that which doth reprove , they are not come to know the appearance , or the glimmering of light , or of the day yet in themselves , which the saints witness in them , even all they that are sanctified . where the day of the lord doth appear● and how it cometh , and how it is to be looked for , declared . they that gaze abroad , whose eyes are abroad , cannot see his appearance , nor his day which appears . he that knoweth not wherein it consists , knows not how to look for it , no more then the jews who were scripture professors , and learned men , knew wherein the kingdom of god did consist ; even no more do the litteral professors , whose faith is founded on the letter , and upon that which is visible , know what i say , first , all must know wherein it doth consist . it is eternal brightnes ▪ shed abroad through all things , which pierceth through , and searcheth the secretest place , even that which is invisible , and maketh manifest all things ; and the nature of every thing , by the day of the lord comes to be seen , and it appears in the heart ; they were to wait for the day to dawn , and to break forth in their hearts , and to wait for its appearance there ; and that 's it which is to be waited for and upon ; that which maketh evil manifest , and brings it to light , and declares against that which is contrary to its nature , and so the day cometh to dawn . christ the covenant of light , gods gift , who is sent and annointed of god to preach , and to proclaim the acceptable year of the lord , & also the day of vengeance he proclaims in the heart ; for he comes not to bring peace on earth , but a sword , and his sword is the sword of the spirit , it 's that which divides and discerns the intent of the heart ; and his day discovers the desperate wickedness of the heart . and where he finds no faith in the heart , he kindles a fire in the earthly heart , and executeth his vengeance : and his day unto such is a day of great perplexity , their spirits comes to be wounded , the heart comes to be made faint , and sorrow comes to fill their hearts , and trouble to be felt ; and in this state are all in , who are unconverted ; he findes no faith , no hope in the heart , therefore he comes and takes away peace . many hath talked of the day of the lord , but when it comes to draw neer them , they will not abide it . whatsoever makes manifest is light ; now the day makes all things in every one manifest ; and when deceit is seen , and wickedness brought to light , then they that have done evil cannot abide , but would run to any thing , rather then abide the day , or to see the lord of life appear in his day to execute vengeance upon his enemies , and to destroy his adversaries , and to kindle an unquenchable fire to consume all his enemies : and who hath not seen this yet in themselves , never hath seen the day of salvation , nor of gladness ; and this made the prophet cry out , who may abide the day of his coming ? and many have been eye-witnesses of the dreadful day of the lord which hath appeared , wherein all peace hath been hid from their eyes ; and all that ever came to see the day of joy and gladness , first did know the terrour and terrible day of the lord in themselves : therefore said the apostle . we knowing the terrour of the lord , do perswade men . now it cometh not with outward observation ; lo here , or there : so the pharisees looked the kingdom should come , when christ told them it was within them . so say i , if ever any do behold the bright shining forth of eternal life , they must wait in that which is● pure of god , through which he will manifest his day , and his power in his day in them ; & is thou keepest in thy minde to that which manifests unto thee evil , and shewes thee good , thou wilt see how it appears . even as the light shineth from the east unto the west , so is the coming of the day of the lord. and the eye which is spiritual sees it , and the power and the glory of the lord comes to be seen in the day which is pure and spiritual in the heart ; and the eye which is pure , doth behold when it comes , where it comes , and how it comes , and it 's hid from vulterous eyes , and from their eyes which are full of adultery , and cannot cease from sin . now the day of the lord cometh not where the carnal mind may imagine , nor when ; man will neither ( according to the carnal desire of the carnal heart , neither according to the evil eye that looks out ) can see it ; but it is seen in gods own light , and by the measure of gods holy spirit . and the day of the lord is a mystery , the spirit of the lord is the onely discoverer of it , none knows the things of god , but by the spirit of god ; and the day of the lord and his bright shining forth in the heart of man , is one of the glorious things of god , which onely the spirit of god doth give the knowledge of to man , and in man , and not the letter , nor the scripture ; for the jews had the letter , and they had neither heard gods voice at any time , neither ever did see his shape , neither did they see the day of the lord , nor the power ; neither in a word , did see or perceive god or any of the mysteries of gods kingdom at all , but dreamed , imagined , thought and conceived of things in their minds , their foolish hearts being darkned ; for the further a man drawes from the light , his heart comes to be more dark , and their understandings closed up , and shut up that they cannot behold the lord , neither his glory , which is revealed only by gods holy spirit , which spirit is near man , though he sees it not . what the spirit of the lord is , and how it comes to be received , which discovers the things of god. the spirit of the lord is pure , holy , equal , purity it selfe , holinesse it selfe , equity it selfe , and is one with the father and the son , the father , the word and the spirit are one , its life , its pure power , pure strength , purity it self , which mixeth not , neither joyneth to any thing but what is of its own nature ; it s an immeasurable pure substance , its life issued forth , an active living power , and is everlasting ; alters not , changes not , keeps its holinesse , its purity for ever ; it is unsearchable , unfathomable , undeclarable ; words are all too short , too narrow to declare its excellency and glory , but onely as it makes it selfe out to them that believe , and opens it self , and sheds it self abroad in them that wait upon it ; it is revealed in its own purity , manifest in its own power , and received in its own light , felt in its own vertue , the living father of life himselfe is manifested by it , and appeares in his power , majesty and excellency through it , to man and to the sons of men , to the righteous and unrighteous , to godly and ungodly , to the upright , and to the deceitful , to the children of darknesse and to the children of light ; that which searcheth the heart of man , and sees through all things , and maketh manifest all things , even the hidden things of god , and the secret works of darknesse , and reproveth for all evil , all iniquity ; that is the pure act of the spirit , which convinceth every man , and as the creature comes to join to it , it arises and shines forth more clearly , and maketh it self known in its power and operation , its power comes to be felt , it checks and reproveth , judgeth and condemneth all actions which is done and past , and brings them to the creatures remembrance ; and as it is waited upon and hearkned unto , it sheds its selfe abroad in its own pure brightnesse , and bringeth all things to light , even all the deeds of darknesse , and maketh manifest the intents of the mind , and manifesteth all things reproveable : now as there is a waiting upon the pure appearance of it , and the minde be still quiet , and calm , the creature comes to feel and sensibly to know his own condition , and sees his minde is alive to other things and other lovers , and not to god , and so he sees himselfe dead to the things of gods kingdome , and in the losse , and in the fall , and in the transgression ; now this which shewes the vain motions and the vain thoughts , and checketh them , is an operation of the spirit ; and purity comes to be felt working in the heart , and as it is loved & obeyed , it leadeth & converteth the heart to the lord , and draweth towards it self , out of unholinesse , and from under the dark power , and brings that under , and so it arises in its strength as it is believed in and waited upon , and judges and condemns for all evils for it is the discoverer of the mind of the lord to the sons of men ; or the father by it makes known his mind to , and in the creature , and doth discover the things that be eternal in their true property and nature ( which onely they that have the spirit , and have received it , and are brought out of the sensuality comes to discerne him who is invisible , and the things that belongs to everlasting happinesse , which is not seen by a natural eye , neither received by the spirit of the world , who never received the things of god , neither the testimony of them , who were in the life . now all that comes to receive it ( that is to say the spirit of truth ) must wait in that which is pure , unto which it joines ; it joines not to the corrupt man , neither to the sensual heart , neither to the vile affections , neither to them whose eyes are full of adultery , which cannot cease from sin ; neither to the seed of falsehood , neither to the corruptible birth , neither unto that which is born of the flesh , nor unto the will of the creature ; yet notwithstanding , though it join not to these , yet it is near man , even the natural man ; its manifestation or the shining forth of its brightnesse maketh all these things manifest before mentioned to be evil ; and thus far the spirit of god hath appeared to the world and all mankind , to convince the world of sin , yet still it remaines in its own purity ; and while the heart of any man is taken up with that , and joined unto that which the light reproves , ( that is to say ) the worker of iniquity ; that man hath not received the spirit , neither is made possessor of it , nor injoyes it , but it stands off man , and from man at a distance , shewing the worker of iniquity and the works of darknesse , and manifesting to the creature in its light , and letting him see to whom he is joyned ; for so far as a man denies himselfe in acting or joyning to that which the manifestation of gods spirit ( shining forth in its own purity ) in him reproveth ; so he comes nearer , and comes to join in some measure to the spirit of holines , or the holy spirit , and to receive it , and to feel the power of god in some small measure , though but weakly working in him , to the purging out those things which the spirit lets him see is evil , which hath been reproved in him , and so in some measure feels in himself what to wait upon , and where to wait , and in what , even in that which gives every one a feeling of their own condition within , and opens their understandings . how the spirit of truth worketh and operateth in them who are convinced , and yet hath not obeyed it , shewed . though god who is a spirit hath appeared by his manifestation unto all , yet all have not received it ; he that hates the light hath not received it , the eye-lids of the morning are unto him as the shadow of death ; that which manifesteth and bringeth to light all evil , the evil doer likes it not , heeds it not , receives it not , but still is without god in the world , that lies in wickedness , and without the spirit , in death , and dead in trespasses and sins a sepulchre in which the just lies slain ; in this state god is not remembred , there is no remembrance in the grave , nor no thanks in the pit , yet night shines in darkness , and a man unconverted , yet convinced , in that darkness , and that which convinceth him is the light ; so light shines in darkness , in man , in the greatest darkness ; and this may convince all vain disputers , who say every one is not inlightened , neither that the spirit of god hath appeared to all ; good men have it , bad men it s near them ; they that bring forth the fruits of darkness , and bring forth the deeds of darkness , they are lighted , yea , they that are in darkness , and are darkness , the light shines in them , the spirit of god shines there in darkness , manifesteth their darkness , here man is darkness ; the ephesians were darkness , in the unconverted estate , yet had light shining in them , eph. 5. 8. the spirits manifestation they had , but were not led by it ; once they were without god in the world , but after were turned unto it , ●it shewed them their darkness , and it leading their minds , they came to be made light in the lord , who is that spirit , whose manifestation hath appeared to all , so all are without excuse , for he hath not left himself without witness ; and they that have not gods witness to be theirs , ( that is to say ) to possess it , they have no faith nor assurance in god at all , but that which should bring assurance of salvation unto them ; it assures their condemnation , and also reveals sorrow . now as every one is turned to the measure of gods holy spirit , and keeps his mind into it , he comes to feel and to see its reproof , and so as the mind is kept still into it , it arises in its purity , and shines forth in the heart in more brightness , still checking man for disobedience , still judging , and as it is listened unto , it appears in strength , and layes every mans heart open , and lets him see how full of unrighteousness he is , how full of imaginations he is , how his heart is full of vain & idle thoughts , and how lust aboundeth in the heart ; this makes his trouble to increase and his sorrow to multiply , and this is alwayes present ; none can run from it , but it follows him , and shall pursue every one to the pit who obey it not , and kindle his torment ; and whatsoever the mind may run into , to take pleasure for a moment , and the heart be exercised in , yet this measure of gods spirit is alwayes present to condemn it , and judge a man for it ; so the strokes of the almighty is still heavy upon his back , being still in the disobedience of the spirit ; it never bears witness unto any man in that state , but god through it still sounds the alarum of war , and terror in his heart ; so that fear compasseth him about on every side , and though for moment , the cry may not be heard , and through disobedience it may seem as dead as unto him , yet if ever the mind be but still , and a man sober and calm , and ever mind what he is doing , it appears again ; and though a man may take up something , and perform something which is called religious , and pray in words , and read , and talk of the scriptures , and may take up some carnal outward ordinance , and there content himself for a time , yet still the witness of gods holy spirit , for that , shews him his hypocrisie , and that he seeks a cover to shelter himself under , that he may live in disobedience , & be at ease in the flesh , but all in vain , for there is no peace within , but the measure of gods spirit still shewes him that he serves sin , and follows his own will , and in this will brings forth a worship , and this is will-worship ; nay , if a man practice all those things which others who were in the life performed , and were accepted , yet this will not satisfie , god hath no pleasure in this , no more then if one slew a man , or blessed an idol , or kissed baal , all is abomination to the lord ; and though a man may sin so far against the light of christ in his own conscience , that the light be to him as though there were no such thing , yet all this well not do ; for the lord will thunder from his holy pla●●●●ough thou have stopped thy ear as to him , and closed thy eyes , yet he will cause his terror to strike into thy heart , so that dread shall compass thee about as a wall , and thou shalt be afraid for that which thou shalt see & hear ; & though the spirit strives long , yet being still disobeyed , the long-suffering of god comes to an end concerning him that hath been unfaithful , and then his wrath is kindled as fire , which shall burn to the lowest h●ll , into which all the rebellious and stif-necked shall be cast , and have their portion for ever among all the children of darknesse ; therefore all who have been convinced long ( & still are by gods holy spirit ) of the way of truth , and yet have not submitted to the leading of the spirit ; think on this ( for its the lords truth which i declare to you ) or else eternal mysery will be your end . and if thou still persist on after the imaginations of thine own heart , and in thy rebellious will , thou quencheth the spirit and the motions thereof ; & though it be life in it self , yet is as ded unto thee who art in the gainsaying , & resisting that through which gods eternal power is manifest in them that believe ; & thou wilt grow insensible & past feeling , and become as seared flesh , and be senslesse as to the things of god , and hardnesse of heart will come upon thee , and thou wilt be as a stone that cannot be melted , and woe will be unto such where the spirit of the lord in them ceaseth to strive with them , having so long rebelled against , and gain-sayd the pure drawings of it ; that so the lord is grieved and wearied with their impenitency , that he gives them up to their vile affections , and to follow the imaginations of their own hearts ( who receiveth not the truth in the love of it but in the enmyty , still remaines obstinate ) doing despite unto the spirit of grace , his long-suffering comes to an end , & his fierce wrath comes to be kindled against such , and that which would have led them out of the world , in true pure , and everlasting peace , now becomes their tormentor ▪ and they banished from his presence ▪ and shut up in eternal misery , where the fire is kindled by the breath of the the lord that burns for ever , the sentence of condemnation being past upon them because they had pleasure in unrighteousnesse , and have sold themselves to do wickedly , and crucifying the appearance of god in themselves ; which appearance though it live in the fountain of life , yet crucified by thee who art out of the life , yet lives still for ever in it self , to be thy condemnation eternally . how the spirit of the father worketh in , them who are turned to it , and have taken heed unto its manifestation , and are in some measure partakers of its power . there are differences of administrations , but the same lord ; and there are diversity of gifts , but the same spirit ; and there are diversities of operations , but the same god which worketh all in all . now the spirit of truth which is life in it selfe , putteth forth its own pure act , not onely to convince and detect him that transgresseth its appearance , and to manifest evil which hath been committed by man ; but also being turned unto , and waited in , it shews man when motions and temptations unto sin ariseth ; and as the creature is still , and waiteth in that which manifesteth and singly keeps in his mind to it . it sheds abroad its power , and vanquisheth and subdueth those lusts which do arise , and condemns the ground from whence they do arise , and it purely draweth the mind after it , and secretly worketh & breatheth forth its pure life in him that waiteth in patience and in stilnesse , not heeding the vayn thoughts and imaginations that riseth in his heart ; but rather heeds the manifestation of the spirit , at whose bright appearance all the vain desires comes to be extinguished & there comes to be a hunger begot within , to be made partakers of its purity and of its nature ; for god through the operation of the eternal spirit lets forth his power , which turneth and changeth the heart , and cuts a sunder and divides betwixt a man and those lovers that he hath joyned unto , and makes a separation within , and carries a man further from those things which the measure of the spirit reproves , and this leads nearer to god : and so they that do believe in the measure of gods spirit , comes to feel what repentance from dead works is , and the works and the worker is seen ; and who it is that hath wrought , is manifest in the light ▪ and as there is a diligent waiting upon it ; there is nothing that passeth through the mind , but it discerns , and gives a discerning to every particular heart , who singly and quietly waytes upon it . but yet after the spirit of truth in some measure be felt , and its living testymony in some thing ; yet it may be a long time before there be a clear distingushment in the understanding ; so that one cannot clearly discerne its moving from all other false motions and high imaginations which are above : and hence it is , that the hasty and froward mindes followes their own motions which leads them into deceit , and then the questioner gets up , and then they question all that ever the spirit hath made manifest unto them before ; a vail then is drawn over , and the enemy lodges in the vail , and in the darknesse ( which is entred ) & then as soon as any hearkens within to that which is the uppermost ▪ and doth abound , the enemy that lodgeth in that , presents motions as to obey this and that , and all is deceit . so therefore all is to keep back , that they may sensibly feel between the pure motions , and the drawing of the spirit , and the vaine thoughts that arise out of the earthly heart ; and when any thing doth arise which the light doth not bear witnesse to , it 's not to be followed nor heeded , but a quiet , still waiting that things may be cleared to the understanding ; and for want of this many have run out , and have brought forth satans work , and acted things forwardly in their wils , and so have clean lost the true sense of that , which would guide their minds , and have followed the spirit of error , and have caused the pure spirit of the lord to be evil spoken of ; but as there is a keeping back , and a quiet waiting out of willing , or running and haste ; it arises purely and stilly in the heart , and shineth forth in brightnesse in the heart , so that it giveth perfect evidence and full testimony of it selfe , that there will be no doubting nor questioning of its motion ; for it will apparently shew forth it selfe in its own transparent brightnesse , with full assurance of its own will , and then after it be clearly seen , and its motion , then keep under all reasoning , and keep out all questioning , and give not way to temptation ; and that which moves of the lord of life , will carry thee through in its own operation and power to accomplish the will of god , and so thou wilt have peace ( being obedient ) and thy strength will be renewed ; for as any are brought to submit unto the will of god , when it is known , and comes to obey by vertue of its own power ; that which is contrary unto gods spirit in thee , comes to loose its strength , and to decay , and be weakned ; but as any disobeyes the pure motions of gods holy spirit after it be known , the enemy is strengthened , and that which is of the flesh nourished , and the spirit comes to be quenched , that which would give thee power , if thou submitedst unto it : but yet know this , the spirit in it self never loses its purity , neither can be quenched in its selfe , but will bear its pure witnesse against thee , and none shall be able to stop its reproof ; thus the diversity of its operation comes to be known as it s hearkned unto , obeyed , loved , and believed in ; it puts forth its pure power , and gives strength , and seals peace to the obedient ; but disobeyed and resisted , it condemns , judges , reproves and seales condemnation to the disobedient , and yet there is no variation in it selfe , for it is alwayes one and the same . but as it operateth upon different natures or objects unto which it joyns to , or stands at adistance from , that is to say , the good ground it causeth to bring forth fruit unto god , and the cursed ground , out of which bryers & thornes do arise , it kindles a fire in , that shall not quenched ; but as there is a submission unto its pure operation , it burnes up and destroyes that which hinders the growth of the seed , & it purgeth the heart ( of them that have confidence in it ) from all filthinesse both of flesh and spirit , and worketh up the creature into its own frame and nature , and fashions , and makes , and moulds all that are in the faith into the image of the father ; and so the fathers love comes to be shed abroad in the heart : and as the wrath was revealed through the spirit and condemnation , so now the peace of god comes to be enjoyed , and his consolation shed abroad largly , in which there is pure rejoicing for ever . vnto whom the spirit of the father bears witness , and seals assurance of the fathers love , and of justification with god , declared . none hath the witness of gods spirit bearing witness to them nor in them who have not believed in the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world , by whom alone life is begotten , by the powerful operation of christ in them that believe in him who is eternal light it self , whose word is spirit and life , by which the new creature is framed & formed in them that believe , unto whom he maketh manifest his power ; for unto him who is the life of men is all power committed both in heaven and earth ; for nothing was made or created but by him , neither is any turned from sin but by him , and by his mighty power : without him is death , in him is life , and the life is the light of men : so that none but they that are born of the light , and are begotten by him who is light , can have the spirit of christ ( who is light ) to bear witness unto them , neither the assurance of the fathers love ; for onely they that are born of the spirit , and walk after the spirit , are justified by the spirit of the lord ; for the assurance of his love is not made manifest to his enemies , but unto them that are born & brought forth in his own image , in his own likeness and nature , which is pure and incorruptible without stain or defilement , the holy seed which is heir of the promise , who knows the living hope which purifies the heart , and bringeth the answer of a good conscience unto them that feel and witness the washing of regeneration , and have known in themselves the clean water poured forth upon them , which hath taken away the stains , and spots , and blemishes , and the defilements ; for where these are no washed out , & the heart cleansed from them , & that believed in , wherein gods all-sufficiency is felt , and his power made manifest , there cannot be assurance of the fathers love in the heart , nor in the soul ; neither doth the spirit of the father bear witness unto such , nor assure their justification ; but on the contrary , where sin remains unsubdued , and taken away ; the spirit of the father condemneth the sin , and the creature now is joyned to it , and is become one with it ; for no sin is brought forth , but there is a consent and an assenting to the instigation of the devil , although when a temptation ariseth either within or without , there may be a resisting and a striving against it for a little ; but the heart not being kept close to the spirit , the enemy often enters , and so captivates the understanding , then there is an agreement and a joyning to the adversary , and so the spirit pronounceth the sentence of condemnation upon him who is joyned to the harlot , and becomes one flesh , and joyned unto strange flesh which is not the flesh of christ the seed ; and that which hath joyned and consented to drink of the cup of fornication , must drink of the cup of indignation and terrour , and bear the stroke of divine justice , and lie in patience under it till that be cut down which hath joyned to deceit , before there can be the remission of the transgression , or the creature justified in the fight of god : for sin is not blotted out of the book of gods remembrance till it be turned from , and repented of , neither doth the creature stand clear in the sight of god , when god judges in righteous judgement , which the light in every ones conscience shall answer , now he that is born of god sins not , for the seed of god remains in him , which is life : and as the creature joyns to that seed which is heir of the kingdom , and of the crown immortal , he comes to be made partaker of its vertue and operation ; which seed is christ , and by his power by which he limiteth the seed of the serpent , and weakens his strength in the creature , as man cometh to believe in his strength unto whom all power is committed , the covenant with death is broken , and that agreement that the creature hath made with death comes to be disannulled by the arm and power of the lord , and so the creature comes to be delivered from the bondage of corruption , and the new man comes to live , or the new creature which is born of god , which sins not , comes to be framed and fashioned in the image of the father : and the fathers love is manifest unto him and in him , and he hath the assurance in himself . the babe that is born from above , of the spirit which is from above , of which he is born and brought forth of the just , by the just he is justified , by the just god , and the just witness of the spirit sealeth this in him : and he hath the record of his justification ; for there is three that bear record in the earth , the water , the blood , and the spirit ; and he that is born of that which is pure in it self , hath the witness of all these three in himself , for they agree in one : that which one beareth wit-witness to , and for , the other doth the same , and the record , and testimony , and witness of all these three hath he that is born from above . moreover , there are three that bear record in heaven , the father , the word , and the spirit , and these three are one . so he that is born of the father , and begotten of the father in christ the seed through the spirit , he and he alone comes to feel the fathers love made manifest in him , and is justified in the sight of the father , and hath the record of all these witnesses before mentioned in himself ; so that he hath his assurance and evidence near him and in him , the seal of the father , the seal of the spirit : and so when the adversary comes to tempt and to assault , and would raise up doubts in the mind , the evidence is near , which puts him out of all doubt that he is in the love of god , & blessed for ever ; and happy are all they who have waited for these things , have felt these things , and are witnesses of these things ; for flesh and blood hath not revealed these things . now let every man who reads , this prove himself , and try himself whether he be in the faith or no , and whether he have the evidence of the spirit or no , that he is born of it , and knows a birth that sins not , because the seed remaineth in him ; who is kept by the power , that the evil one touches him not , and kept in salvation , and in saving health , alive unto him who hath brought him forth to life , to drink of the cup of blessing , and of the cup of salvation , which nourisheth and refresheth up unto eternal life , them that continue in the faith. what the free grace of god is , and unto whom it hath appeared , and where all are to wait to receive it , declared , as it hath been revealed by the spirit . the grace of god is pure , & is the free gift of god , and it is perfect , it is the appearance of christ , it is a beam of righteousness shining forth , it is a measure of gods strength and power , issued out from himself , and a proportion of his treasure , vertue and sufficiency which comes to be shed abroad in all them that believe in it ; it s that through which god maketh known his will , and teacheth his by it , and reveals his saving health ( through it ) to them that are taught by it , and through it ; them that believe in it , are builded up in the truth , and becomes a habitation for god ; no man doth any thing to purchase it , none need say , where may i get it , or how may i know its teaching ; it s near thee , it is in thee , it hath appeared to all men it shews ungodliness in the heart of man , by its pure brightness ; yea , to all men it shews the motions unto sin , and that which is not like god in motions , words or actions ; it draweth the heart of man from them , as with a cord , it shews the lusts of the heart and mind , the lust of the eye , and the pride of life , it never joyned to sin , nothing can alter its purity or property ; as in it self , it is always one and the same , it is perfect , and will be alwayes so , it stands off , and at a distance from that which is corruptable and imperfect , and yet beholdeth it ; and although some that have turned to it , be again turned from it , and may turn it as in themselves into wantonness , yet it keeps its purity , and still reproves thy wantonness , and will lay it before thee , and will shew thee how thou hast abused the appearance of christ , and hath marred his countenance and his face , & reprove thee for it ; many have been the talkers of it in this professing age , but knew not of what they spoke , neither ever informed the mind of man where it was to be waited for , neither how it might be known , or how , or what the operation of it was , but have cryed up their own imaginations , we are justified by his free grace , for all sins past , present & to come , & in this conceit thousands have been led into the pit of darknesse , while out of thick darknesse they have cryed up , we are justified by free grace in christ , while the free grace of christ , gods gift , which should have taught them , they never heeded at all , but got up into conceitednesse , and carelesnesse , and presumption , out of the feare of god , and pretending justification , while they themselves were servants of sin , and bond-slaves to corruption , and this is the state of thousands at this day , and they that have been publishers and preachers of free grace : now when the thing it self comes to be witnessed and declared what it is , and as it is , and where it is ; now they say it is not sufficient to teach any the knowledge of god ; but from all such foolish doaters and blind guides , and ignorant shepherds is god bringing many sheep home which they have driven away , & they would kill them now , that are fed and taught by the gift of god , and says it s not sufficient , and to make them to dislike their food , and dislike their shepherd ; so would make them deaf and blind , and then they may lead them into any desart , and feed them among the swine who wallow in the mire , in filthinesse , and lust , and pleasure , and ungodlinesse , and so beguil the sheep , and scatter them from the fold , and lead them from the true shepherd , and from his appearance , which is his grace , and from the shepherds . voice , which is the word of his grace , which is able to save the soul. oh all you blind guides , and you that call your selves orthodox men and ministers ! and all you that have been preaching free grace in words , and now when god hath given them that have waited upon him an understanding to declare the thing it selfe that you have spoken of , now you cry it is not a sufficient teacher . now let me aske you a question , if that which teacheth to deny ungodlinesse , and shewes it , be the grace of god , and the gift of god , then how say you , it s not a sufficient teacher ? if it be not a sufficient teacher , then why did the apostles commit them , and commend them to the word of his grace , which was able to save their souls ? and whether is not that which is able to save the soul , a sufficient teacher ? answer ye wise men , and ye literal rabbies , if that which shewes sin and temptation be not sufficient , then declare you , and let us see your skill in the mysteries of god : but to return to them , in whose minds there is a desire to be informed ; seeing then that gods free grace , which is his pure appearance , hath so far manyfested it selfe , or god through it shewes sin , and teacheth from sin , that which teacheth from sin is holy , and that which leadeth from worldly lusts is pure , and that which saves from sin is grace , which is saving in it selfe , and god hath so loved the world , as that he hath sent his son into the world ; & he was and is the light of the world , and hath shed abroad his grace , and hath made it appear to all ; and all that waites upon it , and comes to be taught by it , feels its assurance , so all is left without excuse ; therefore wait in that which hath appeared in thee , that which shewes the lusts and thoughts and motions unto sin , this is gods gift , gods grace , this is sufficient , though all men in the world say it is not sufficient , yet this makes not my faith voyd , neither thine who hath received it ; but thou hast the witness of thy faith in thy self , which giveth pure and perfect feeling of the operation of the spirit of the lord , and all is to wait within , to hear him who condemns sin in the flesh within , which by his grace shews man his transgression and insufficiency in himselfe , and by the word of his grace saves all them that believe in it , out of sin , & giveth dominion over sin ; and this comes to be revealed in the heart of man , and there must it be waited for , in that which is pure , that it may be received , and there the operation it comes to be known , and its vertue partaken of by all that do believe in it , and receive it , and are subjected to it , they see & feel gods salvation revealed through it to their souls , and knowes where their strength lyes , not in selfe-acting , but in the free gift of god , the gift of righteousnesse , the righteous gift , by which justification cometh upon all that believe . whether all have received the grace of god or no , declared ; and whether it be a sufficient teacher in it selfe , to wit , that grace that hath appeared to all , if it be received , demonstrated . this wise generation is below the wisdome of god , whose wisdome have confounded peoples minds with distinctions ; as that there is a two-fold grace . first , that which they call common which they say hath appeared to all men . scondly that which they call special , and saving , which hath onely appeared to the saints , and by giving heed to these distinctions in times past ( many yeares ago . ) i lost my selfe and my guid , and went from the appearance of it in my selfe , to hearken to a thing at a distance from me , and heeded not that at home , which was near , because it was called common and insufficient , & so suffered great losse ; and therefore i am moved ( by him , in whose sight i have found favour and mercy , and grace ) to declare the truth as the lord hath made it manifest unto me , and in me ; that all who seek after the lord may be informed , and know where to wait upon the lord ; for unto that grace that shewed me evil and temptations unto evil , i was made to goe back unto , after many yeares profession ( which they called common and insufficient ) before ever i found the lord , or felt his living power again ; for the first they ground upon the letter , as they judge , where it is said , he causeth the sun to shine , and the raine to fall upon the just and the unjust . and where it is said , in him we live , and move , and have our being health and strength , and an understanding in things natural , and by which men comes to see grosse sins and evils ; but that which they call special , is that which the saints are saved by , and are established in , in righteousnesse , and receive the remission of sins . now he who hath caused the sun to shine & the raine to fall , and giveth health , and strength , & nourishment to all things living that are visible , in the outward visible creation , and that discovereth grosse sins , and open evils to man ; the same is he who is the life of the soul ; the same is he that sanctifies , and purifies , and saveth them that believe , and its the same vertue and power that upholds the naturall man in his pure nature , that upholds the spiritual man , and by which he liveth unto god : it 's the same grace , i do not say the same measure ; for the same vertue and power by which all things that are visible and living were made alive , and subsists in their station and covenant , and bound where they are set and placed ; the same grace , strength power , and sufficiency upholdeth the heavenly bodies , and moveth and acteth in a higher sphear or degree , and preserveth all that believe , and are quickned by him who is the power of god in heavenly places , and the same power and vertue that discovereth the dark places , and the hellish places , and the horrible pit ; it 's the same power , life , strength and vertue that leadeth all that believe into the land of the living , into the holy place , into the peaceable habitation into the holy mountain , into the heavenly tabernacle made without hands : and in few words , he that discovers open sins , the same grace and the same purity , discovereth hidden and secret sins , ( though the measure of its purity shine in one more then another , because them that are in the unbeliefe , the darknesse over-shadowes , and the mountains are high , and the vail is thick , and the clouds are many , and the ayre dark , so that it's resplendency and brightnesse is not seen because of the vail which shadowes it , that it hath not much enterance ) but in them that believe , and have received that grace , and is joyned to it , in which they believe , it renteth the vail , and maketh the shaddow to flie away , and scatters the clouds , and breatheth forth it self in purity , and makes the air clearer , so that its brightness shineth more purely forth to them , and in them , because the heart is more open to receive its vertues in , yet the same purity and vertue remains still , and the same grace keeps its purity and property in it self , and its power and sufficiency is alwayes the same , though it do not appear so to the creature : so this i say , and is my testimony of the grace of god which is the gift of god , which hath appeared in some measure more or less unto all men , and convinceth and shewes gross and open evils , even the same grace by its vertue and power , leadeth from the least or impurest thought , and shews the secretest evils that lodgeth in the heart , unbelief , and also every temptation unto sin ; and this shall be witnessed to be the truth by the whole earth in the day of the lords appearing , and is now witnessed by all the children of light who believe , with whom i have fellowship in the pure living sufficient , perfect grace of god , which is gods free gift , which in some measure hath appeared to all , whereby all are left without excuse : and herein is the wonderful love of god made manifest to all man-kinde ; and all that turneth to his grace , will see he hath long waited to be gracious in his grace , which is near , that all mankind might be partakers of his bounty , love , mercy , favour , and free gift , by which justification cometh upon all that believe . therefore my bowels and heart is more open in this unto all , because many have erred for lack of knowledge , and have wandred aside , because they have not found a true guide . therefore in dear love unto all upon the face of the earth , where this may come , i write and let out my bosome into this thing , that they may also be partakers with me of the free love of god , and the free grace of god , by which i am saved , and know the wall which is salvation , and the gates which are praise , which the saints are compassed about with , and entered in at ; and for the sake of such who thirst after god , and the knowledge him , i write for their information , and not to satisfie critical men , nor them who are in the philosophy and vain deceit , who are swollen big in their fleshly understandings , & puffeth up in their earthly minds ; for by such i desire not any testimony , neither acceptance . but now to come to speak of that which many are doubting about , that is to say , the grace of god which bringeth salvation , which hath appeared to all men , whether this be a sufficient leader and teacher of it self if it be received ; but in order to the thing in hand , let all take notice of this , that when i speak of the sufficiency of grace , and that it is a sufficient teacher : i do not speak of it distinct from christ , or of a thing separated from the power of god , but one with it , and him from whence it comes ; for as he is salvation it self , so the grace of god is of the same nature , by which he manifests himself : and his salvation to them that believe , and also reveals his witness in them ; for where the appearance and presence of christ is manifest , there is his power and strength manifest , either to condemnation or salvation ; and though his pure appearance and presence is one in it self , yet them that have marred his countenance , and pierced him ; his presence alwayes hath been , and will be very dreadful and terrible ; but unto them that believe , and have continued with him in his temptation , and have suffered with him , and have longed for him ; his appearance and presence will be amiable , beautiful , and lovely , sweet , pleasant , delightful , desirable , glorious , and admirable ; so that they who have seen it , have been melted into tears , and dissolved as into water , because of his love and beauty , who is the chief of ten thousand . oh! that all that long after him may wait for him in patience , in that wherein he will appear , they shall see him , whose sight will be a recompence for all longing and thirsting , and desiring , and waiting ; the sense of longing and thirsting will be taken away , when he that makes glad the heart appeareth , who lifteth up the light of his countenance , and maketh whole them whose hearts have been broken for him whom their souls loved ; therefore all wait , and think not the time long : keep in your minds to his grace , which is his appearance , and him you will feel , and see , and be satisfied , and say , this is he we have waited for , let us rejoyce and be exceeding glad ; for now he is come , and his reward is with him , to give every one that wait upon him in purity full contentment and satisfaction , where peace comes to be felt , and joy unspeable which is full of glory . and though god , out of his everlasting love unto the sons of men , hath followed man , and hath called him to return , yet that nature which is above in man , which hath transgressed the life , doth alwayes resist the drawing of the lord , and is not subject to the law of god , neither to the grace of god which teacheth to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts ; that hath beset and compassed the creature about as a thick cloud , & always maketh war against the soul ; that till there be a listning unto that which sheweth ungodliness , ( wch hath power in it self ) none hath power neither dominion over that in themselves , which leads into the transgression : therefore , though god who is salvation it self , hath let out himself so far , and hath appeared in his pure and perfect grace unto all men , yet all have not received grace ; for , though the lord proffer his gift intentionally , that the creature might receive it , and so have benefit , and partake of its living vertue and operation ; yet while that hath preheminence in man , which is contrary to grace , that will never receive it , because it is contrary to the life of the corruptible , and takes its life away ; and mortifies and slayes the enmity ; therefore all must be still and quiet , and wait in that which is pure of the lord , that they may feel that raised up ( which receiveth grace ) above the corruptible thoughts and desires of the carnal mind ; but many who talk of free grace , have put no difference betwixt the precious and the vile , but hath put them upon doing and working , who are in the enmity , and curse , and in death , and so hath brought forth dead works ; notwithstanding all performances , they being dead to the life of god , another acteth in them , even he which hath the power of death , which is the devil , and so have not known that which was precious in themselves , could not minister unto that which was precious in others ; but have been ministers of death , and have ministred to death , and so death nourisheth it self in all them who are not yet come to the separation , to see betwixt the precious and the vile . now though all have not received grace so as to save them from the committing of sin , the fault is not in god ; israel would have none of my counsel they stopped their ears : neither is the fault in the grace which hath appeared unto all men ; neither is it because of it's imbiscility & weaknes : but because it is not hearkned unto , and waited in , and obeyed , believed in & received : for this eternal truth which shal for ever stand , the least measure of the grace of god hath power in it self to save man from committing of that evil or sin which it shews man : and as it is received , the power comes more and more to be made manifest , where all that believes comes to be preserved out of evil . object . but some have said , and now say , there is common grace , and preventing grace , and restraining grace , and saving grace ; and the former , that hath appeared to all , but the latter hath appeared to the saints , and to the elect onely . ans. grace is gods pure and perfect gift , and is but one thing ; i speak not of quantity , but of quality ; not of so much as that the fulness of grace hath appeared to all ; but of a measure of that fulness which is in christ the head , although i do not divide the least measure from the fulness in quality or nature , for it 's one and the same ; for that which shews a man he should not lie , nor swear , that is as pure according to it's latitude and proportion , as that which shews a man all that ever he hath done ; and that same grace which leads a man from drunkenness and excess , is as pure , and of the same kind and nature as that greater proportion which leadeth a man from all sin ; i speak what i have seen from the father , though the dark world cannot receive it : but people have been blinded and darkned with sounds and distinctions which men coyn and frame in their natural reason , and by their natural parts , which is out of the life , although i do not condemn natural parts , which are purely natural , if they keep their bounds and compass , that is to say , to the management of natural things of the visible creation ; but the things of gods kingdom are of another quality and nature , and cannot be reached unto by the natural ; but as i said , men through distinctions and names hath wracked peoples minds , & confounded their understandings , and have led them into a thick wood , or a wilderness ; so they know not where to get forth , neither what the thing is , of which one speaks , because not being spoken through the enticing words of mans wisdom , which darkens the counsell of god. now that which shews a man evil after it be committed , is the pure appearance of god : and that which shews a man the temptations when they arise , that is the same ; now this they call common and that which preventeth a man , and keeps him back , that he lend not his heart , nor puts forth his hand to commit evil , but restrains a man from it , is not that saving out of evil , which stops the adversary in his way that he enter not ; but preserveth the creature out of defilement , and saves him from it , is not this saving ? is not this the same thing that the apostle , who was well acquainted with the grace of god , and of it's operation , wrote of to titus ? that grace of god which brought salvation , which had appeared , and doth now appear to all men , which taught self-denyal , them to deny wordly lusts , and also to live godlily , or like unto god in this present world , and now doth the same ; is not this sufficient to believe in , and sufficient to save ? now i doe not say but there is a greater measure let out unto them that are converted unto god , then is to them that are convinced of their evil by the same grace , yet still it is one and the self-same thing ; one gift , yet a greater measure of one and the same pure vertue and power which is given to them that obeys the life , which is already made manifest by its appearance unto all . ob. but some will be ready to say that this is error , and that which is contrary to scripture , and to orthodox teachers ; that the grace which is saving , is near all men , and hath appeared to all men . to that i answer ; though grace be saving in it selfe , even the grace that hath appeared to all men , and may truly be called saving grace ; yet to them that believe not in it , neither are taught by it , it convinceth and shews evil , and checks and judges for it ; yet there is no variation nor change in the gift of god , but as it worketh upon different objects ; for faith and unbelief are two different things , as light and darkness are different , and so the word of his grace is the savour of life unto life , ( that is to say ) unto them that believe , and is the savour of death unto death , unto them who are in the unbelief , who indeed are dead while they live ; yet there is the same grace , and the same word of grace , yet here is different operations ; so the lord killeth and maketh alive , yet the same lord ; the spirit convinceth of sin , and reproveth for sin , and also consolates and comforts ; here is diversity of operations , yet the same spirit , which never alters . object . but further , some may say , if that it be saving grace , or at the least a degree , and a measure of saving grace that hath appeared to all men , then how is it that all are not saved by it ? answ. because i would all stumbling blocks were removed away , that the path might be made plain , that all might come to believe in that which is gods gift , in which there is power and sufficiency ; therefore i am constrained by the grace of god to declare of it , and to bear witness to it thus largely , which i know will be to the edification of all that hunger after righteousness . all are not saved by it , because they believe not in it , neither are taught by it , yet its validity , power and vertue is nevertheless in it self , and though them that are careless , and heedless , say we feel no power nor sufficiency in it to save us from sin , yet this makes not void their confidence who have received it , & knows its power which hath given them power , and also sufficiency to do the will of god ; what though unbelievers who are in the alienation , say there is no beauty in christ , neither form nor comliness ; this makes not his glory void , who is the express image of the father , full of grace and truth ; the disciples saw it , and bore record of him , who were in the faith , and the pharisees said he had a devil , who were in the unbelief ; but in brief , this is my testimony , that the grace of god , the perfect gift of god , which shewes ungodlinesse , and leads from ungodlynesse all that are taught by it , is a sufficient teacher of it selfe , i mean , as the power of christ through it is made manifest unto all them that hearken to it ; paul ● minister of the word of reconciliation , who was wrapt up into the third heaven where he saw things unutterable , came to be tempt●●d and buffe●ted , with the messenger of s●tan , and feare and doubting rose up in him , & he prayed unto god thrice , and this answer was given unto him , my grace is sufficient for thee ; so this is evident to all understandings , who are opened by the lord , that which shewed him the temptations , and satans messengers , and satans buffetings , was sufficient to preserve him ; and so is it for all who singly are kept to it and in it , sufficient to shew ungodlinesse because of its purity , and to lead from worldly lusts by its power , and to teach the will of god , and to live like unto god in this present world ; and this testimony i beare of it , and to it , even what i have felt , and tasted , and handled of its sufficiency , and vertue , and power of its operation , for the confirmation of the same truth , which is believed by many brethren , and also for the information of them that thirst after the lord , & for the opposition of all the gainsayers and opposers of it ; which testimony i commend to that of god in every man , which will witnesse me herein in the day of god , when all hearts are opened , and all falshoods & truth is made manifest , in the mean time shall rest in that which i have declared of , in which there is pure and perfect peace . a word to you wise men of this world , who are glorying in the sound of words , and worshipping outward appearances ; to all wise and litter all professors , who think you are worshipping god aright , who think to search in to the deep things of god by your natural wisdom , learning , and parts and study . god hath broken open the seals of the great deep , where the wonderful unutterable things of god is revealed , from whence eternal wisdom is flowing forth to his little ones whom he hath sanctified from the womb , and his power and glory is he shedding abroad , and making it to flow forth as though it issued out of a womb , by which power and wisdom you are all weighed , even by one who is swaddled about with righteousness , and girded up with the girdle of truth , you are all measured as with a span , and are all weighed as with a scale ; all your parts , tongues , languaguages , interpretations , significations ; wisdom , that is come to be enjoyed by them who have believed in the true light that lighteth every man , which rounds you all as a heap , and measures you all as with a line , your breadth , length , height , and depth ; your parts , tongues , languages , interpretations is but all natural ; words are but empty sounds , although there be many languages , and each have interpretation and a signification , they are all short to declare the life , the immeasurable being of eternal life ; you with all these are on heaps , disjoynted one from another ; your rhetorick , phylosophy , your framed and devised disputations , your tongues , and the significations of all tongues cannot know the mind of the spirit , neither knows the original of eternal salvation by all these , and so not knowing the signification of the living eternal spirit in your selves ; you invent , study , devise forms , and frames up things in your carnal minds , by the strength of your learned , studied , devised parts , and framed speeches , and hath filled the whole world with your dark muddy conceptions , and hath led all out from seeking after the living wisdom of god , which is from above , which was before your tongues and languages was , and they have sucked in your conceptions and distinctions , and your devised fables , and your imagined worship , that many have lost the sence of any thing of god in themselves to guid them , and when you have come as far as you can in those things , and have divised in your minds ( by the strength of those parts natural ) you are farther from the knowledge then before ; and all that hear you and sucketh in your conceptions and imaginations into their hearts , they are further off gods true knowledge , then they were the day in which they came out of their mothers womb ; it is a lamentation to see how people are gone out of the pure simplicity which is in christ , into subtilty and deceit stuffed up full , brimful of that which must be all poured out as water , before they and you all come to the least measure of gods true and saving knowledge . oh! a dreadful day is coming upon many , & it lingers not , but will come swiftly as a theef upon you , who have taken away the key of knowledge , and gives people that which will not open , and tels them of a litteral carnal thing that must give them enterance ; you and all they will be shut out together among the uncircumcised as fools ; though you count your selves wise men , your wisdom will perish , and your honour will be laid in the dust ; the time hastens , it is the word of truth to you all . and you literal professors , who have got the scripture into your head , and into the carnal mind to talk on , and are run into so many heads , you are almost past numbring , and hath exalted so many horns ; yet the number is read , the number of the heads of the beast , and the number of his name ; you have taken up things , and are exalting a visible shadowish practice , and neglecteth the life , and are making idols of those things which were but a figure and representation , in their purest time ; now you , like the pharisees , are limiting the lord , that if he will not appear unto you in those things that you have prescribed unto your selves , and fetched in from the letter , and go●ten it into the fleshly part , which is he●ped up as a mountain in many of you so high , above gods pure witness in you , and so high above the appearance of god in you , that you have quite lost the sight of that in your selves , which should give you the knowledge of the living god , and make you sensible of his pure presence ; i say , if he appear not in the way you would limit him to , in those things you would confine him in , you cannot receive him ; the lord open your understandings , that you may see your selves , and how frothy , vain , light , and wanton you are ; one with the world in all things in the very ground , pretending liberty in christ , and priviledge in him , when you may see you are servants to corruptions , and to many noisome lusts that makes war. again , what are all outward appearances any more but as a curtain , or as a vail , and as a shadow , in respect of christ , gods righteousness within ; but you are filled too full of your apprehensions of his righteousness at a distance , that you have forgotten all at home , and your own conditions ; for his righteousness will not be a cloak for your self-righteousness and unrighteousnes , and if christ be not formed in you , gods righteousness , and live in you , and act in you , and work his work in you , you are in the self-righteousness , and a talk of imputation , will not save you while you are not in that capacity , and nature , and faith , unto whom his righteousness is imputed . are you not weary with tumbling up and down among the earthly hills , among which you have situated your selves ? do you not see your land grows barren , and your possessions dry , and your worship dead , heaven rains not on you , the bottles are stopped , the dew falls not on you ; you wither dayly as a stick without sap ? what , have you found that which will last unto perpetuity ? oh ! nay it s rusted already , it 's canckered already , its moth-eaten already , it 's fading , the glory is staining , the renown of all earthly things is fading , and all terrestrial appearances , though never so glorious , they are all to cease ; a consumption is coming , blasting is near , there will be no more glory in these things , they will flie away as a shadow when the sun arises ; your riches are wasting , when will ye seek after that which endures for ever ? i pity you who have had breathings after god , and hath sate down at ease in that which is not eternal . be warned , return home , consider , see what corruption thou hast power over now , which had once power over thee . dost thou rest in that faith , that thou shalt never be cleansed here ? that faith is curst , it 's reprobate , it s rather properly unbelief ; it 's not the faith of gods elect , by which they were sanctified , and overcame the wicked one in themselves by the power of christ , who is able to save , and manifests his ability in all them that believe in the light which they are enlightned withall , through which he manifests himself to the creature , and makes known his power in the creature , to redeem the soul out of death , and to redeem the creature from under the bondage of corruption , to serve him in the free spirit of god , in which the sons are made free from sin , from the act and guilt , they become the temples of the holy ghost : how far you are from this , consider , who are yet temples of uncleanness , and a habitation for many noisome lusts ; repent and minde that which empties you of your thoughts and conceitedness , that you may know poverty of spirit , that the kingdom may come unto you , and be yours in possession , else you are everlastingly miserable ; & this is the true state of many of you , own it & repent , that if it be possible you may finde a door of mercy yet opened unto you & that you may enter in thereat ; for it is not setting up , and conforming to a visible practice without , that will justifie you , while that which is in the transgression , and hath transgressed the life , and hath disobeyed the light in your consciences is head in you , and above the pure , that will not recommend you unto god ; neither can you have any access , or acceptation with god in that state , till you come out of the waters upon which the whore sits , which is unstable and boisterous , and reels too and fro , and unsetled ; which is all to be dried up , and all the springs cut off that nourishes ; and you must come to the rock , before you know any thing that will endure , to build upon , which rock is christ , who abides for ever ; but you are all gone from that which should give the knowledge of him in your selves , and doth not retain him in your knowledg ; neither that which gives the knowledge of him , the light of his spirit which shines in your hearts , making manifest in your hearts , the intention of your hearts , when motions unto evil do arise ; this must you all come to , before gods salvation or redemption you come to know in your selves , or have the witness of gods holy spirit , without which there is neither seal nor evidence , nor assurance enjoyed or felt of the love of god. the time of restoring is come , and many are restored again into gods covenant , and are delivered out of the jaws of death , and feels him who is the healer of the nations , and the restorer of the desolate places to dwell in : but first you must come to see those places made desolate , wherein the wilde nature lodges , before you come to have a share in the restoration : come off these barren mountains where you are feeding , to christ the life of men , who hath lightned you , and wait in it , that you may feel his mind in your selves , and the signification of the spirit of truth , from your own spirits , or else you will still erre for lack of knowledge , and perish for want of understanding , and so lay down your heads in sorrow . the kingdom of god , and of his christ declared in some measure as it is revealed , what it is , and where it is to to be waited for , and how it cometh to be revealed to them , and in them that believe ; that all who are waiting for it , may know wherein it consists , and so receive the end of their hope , and the end of their expectation , and know the dominion which hath no end . the lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens , and his kingdom ruleth over all ; his dominion is an everlasting dominion , and without end . god is a spirit , his kingdom is spiritual , his habitation is suitable to his own nature ; he is immortal , his kingdom , is so ; he is light , his dwelling place is so , a pure scituation in which there is no uncleanness , nor ever shall be : it 's eternal dignity , it is an immutable being , that remaineth always in it's purity and pleasantness : eternally glorious , it consists in power , in righteousness , in purity , in joy , in hope , in peace , in life , in vertue eternal : in quietness , it s a quiet habitation , it is incomprehensible , unsearchable , and indeclareable ; words are too short , they are but as sounds , as vails : it is unexpressible , in it is the treasure-house of wisdom , out of which all that believe in him , ( who is the king of eternal and immortal glory ) comes to receive of his wisdom , of his life , of his power , vertue , righteousness , and comes to enjoy him , who is the fulness that filleth all things , whether visible or invisible ; whether terrestrial , or coelestial ; his power is over all , his dominion is over all , who is eternally blessedness it self , and felicity it self ; who makes all that believe in him to partake of his kingdom , of his grace , of his power , of his dignity , of his dominion , and of his glory coelestial ; but these things are hid from the world , who are not redeemed from the earth , neither never looks to be while they are in the body : unto such i say , gods kingdom you shall never see nor enjoy , while you are in that faith which is reprobate , but may be truly called unbelief , although you imagine a glory , and a kingdom in your earthly minds , and dream of a thing to come , suitable unto that wherein your glory now standeth ; but that will all fail ▪ and those imaginations will be confounded , and dissolved into nothing , because they are centred in that which is out of the truth , christ , and so are without ground or bottom , and are out of that which should give you the sight and knowledge of god in your selves and his kingdom . christ when he taught them that followed him , exhorted them , that first of all they might seek the kingdome of god , even while they were in the body , mat. 6. & 36. the pharisees were gazing abroad in their earthly knowledge , although they had the scripture that declared of gods kingdome , yet they knew it not ; and this generation is the same who are in the same nature , and in the same wisdome which is earthly and litteral , and they are imagining as the jewes were , and are , loe here , and loe there , in this observation and the other , and look to see it there . nay christ said , the kingdome of god is within you to the pharisees : he bad them and others seek it first ; what strange doctrine was this , might the pharisees say ; he saith , the kingdome of god is within us , and yet bids us seek it : need we seek that which is in us , may professors say ? yea , it 's like a pearl hid in the field ; it s like a grain of mustard-seed among many great seeds , which is not easily found ; it 's like a piece of silver lost in the house among much rubbish , till that be swept away , thou wilt not find it ; thou must dig deep , sweep clean , search narrowly before thou find it ; although he did say to the pharisees , the kingdom of god is within you , he did not say they were possessors of it , or that it was theirs ; but to the disciples whom he taught to pray in faith thy kingdome come , and they came to find it ; that which they prayed for , that pearl , that groat , that grain of mustard-seed which it was like , and having found it , and believed in it , he saith unto them , mat. 5. 3. blessed are the poor in spirit , for theirs is the kingdom of god. and in luke 6. 20. and he lift up his eyes on his disciples and said , blessed be ye poor , for yours is the kingdom of god. they had seen it , and were possessors of it , it was theirs . and christ said unto his disciples , there are some of you standing here that shal not taste of death till ye see the kingdom of god come in power . and his words were fulfilled ; they declared what they had felt and seen ; and some of them said , the kingdome of god is not in word but in power . and paul to the romans writes , rom. 4. 17. who was also made partakers of the same power and the same kingdome ; he spoke his knowledge of it , and sayd . it 's not meat nor drink , but righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy ghost . and the colossions who had waited for it , and believed in that through which it was revealed ; the apostle was in the same faith , coloss. 1. 12. & 13. who hath made us meet partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light , who hath delivered us from the power of darknesse , and hath transformed us into the kingdome of his dear son : and those things were seen in the body , and witnessed in the body : and the apostle to hebrews saith , he that believes is entred into the rest . and this and all these things were feeled within by the seed immortal the birth immortal , and they that witness the birth immortal to live in them : one said , he hath made us joynt-heirs with christ who is the king of eternal glory , and they were joint-heires with him of the kingdome that fades not away , and all that ever comes to see the kingdome of god in the spirit , which is spiritual , must wait in the spirit , and in its manifestation ; that so god and his kingdome , and the things of gods kingdome may be felt and seen and enjoyed in the spirit which is glorious . object . all this which thou hast spoken may some say is the kingdome of grace ; and that we hold there is a two-fold kingdome , the one of grace here , the other of glory hereafter ; which none comes to enjoy glory , or any part of it in this life , or in the body . answ. people hath long been blinded with confused distinctions about names ; and being full of imaginary thoughts and conceptions , have brought forth foolish and unlearned distinctions ; and that which god hath joyned together , they would separate : grace is glorious , and glory is gratious ; he that can receive it , let him ; the kingdome of god , which was like a grain of mustard-seed , afterwards it became a great tree ; the tree in its strength , and glory , and height , is more glorious then when it s in the seed , yet the seed and the tree is in nature , and quality , and kind , one ; if the kingdome be in dominion in purity , and power , and glory , is not here unity ? yet a greater measure , yet still the dominion is one , the power one , the glory one , and the thing one wherein grace standeth and glory standeth , wherein the kingdome standeth ; grace is glorious , eph. 1. 6 , 7. having predestinated us unto the adoption of children , and to the praife and glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved . in the fathers house there are many mansions , places in the kingdome of god , there are many heavenly places , and they that walked to the praise of his grace , came to sit also in heavenly places , eph. 2 6. through grace , salvation , through grace glory comes to be revealed in the earth , isa. 6. 3. the ear●h is full of his glory ; he that makes heaven and earth glorious , is glory it selfe , from whence grace aud every degree of gloly receives its being ; the least measure of gods strength and power is glorious ; and to be gloried in , in the lord by all that have seen it ; things might be declared which god hath revealed , which is not lawful for me now to utter ; for as one star differs from another in glory , yet all glorious , even so is it with the children of the resurrection , who are quickned and made alive , and raised from the dead , and fashioned like unto his glorious body , partakers of the glory of god , of his kingdome of his power ; the power is his , in which the kingdome stands , the kingdome his , wherein glory stands , the kingdom , power and glory stands all in him who is the glorious god , and the god of eternal glory , who is revealing his power , his kingdome , and grace , and his glory , unto all that patiently wait upon him , in that which yet is as a grain of mustard-seed ; they will come to feel his presence , his power and glory revealed in their hearts , through the spirit , and injoy god in his kingdome , in his power , and in his glory , and through faith shall see the weight of his glory , which god and father of our lord jesus christ will reveal unto all that patiently wait for his appearance , and in his appearance . obj. but some will cry out , grievous blasphemy and error ; what , i think you look for no other glory but in this life , nor for no other kingdome , but what you enjoy in this life ; thus i know dark spirits reasons . answ. the saints looked not af● any other glory but that which stood in eternal life , and in the immortal life , and in the incorruptable life , and the country they sought after , was that which god was the maker and builder of , and they looked and waited to receive of his power in which the kingdome standeth , and did in this life ( i do not say the full weight of glory ) and to know and injoy , and to be made partakers of his eternal dominion and authority , is that which all the saints in measure witnesse , and in due time came to injoy through faith ; for by faith they saw him who was invisible , and the things of his kingdome , which is invisible , spiritual and eternal ; but to speak of the carnal corruptable life in the flesh , who are dead while they live there , that life , neither the kingdome , nor the power , nor the glory of god is revealed to them , not till after the death of that life , and till after the death of him who hath the power of death , which is the devil , which ruleth in the hearts of the children of disobedience , where all the mysteries of gods kingdome is hid from their eyes , and ever shall while in that state ; and so let the serpent be blind , and they that have an eare to hear , blessed is that eare ; for the kingdome of god is come nigh unto many , and the salvation of god , and the power of christ is seen by many , honour and praise unto him everlastingly , who is the onely potentate that puts down all authority under his feet , that god may be all , in all , but first every one must come to feel the kingdome which is as a little grain , in himselfe , and in it believe , before any can come to know the kingdome , or wherein it consists , and after it be known in its measure , yet this is far short of glory in the fulness ; so many may come to be partakers of the power in some measure , yet this is far short of the eternal weight of glory ; he that believes is entred into the rest , and made partakers of the heavenly gift , and of the heavenly power , and of the heavenly grace , which is glorious , and doth witness a heavenly place in christ jesus , and yet many enemies to be subdued , and much of the heavenly habitation , which they see not , which comes to be revealed as there is an abiding in the faith , which stands in gods power , in which the kingdom stands ; the mysteries of god and of his kingdom comes in due time to be revealed , through death they come to be known , ( that is to say ) through the death of death ; for israel the true type , after they passed over jordan , and had taken jericho and ai , and had made an entrance into the land , yet there was many enemies to be subdued , and much land and possessions , which they were not made partakers of long after , even so after there be of the true rest enjoyed and possessed , & an entrance made into it , yet there is many enemies to be subdued , and much of the heavenly inheritance to be enjoyed by them that stand in the power which giveth dominion over sin , the devil , hell and the grave , and they come to be made partakers of god , and so the enmity being slain , man comes to enjoy god who is eternal life , and comes to receive the crown immortal , which god the eternal power and strength giveth in due time , to them that wait in patience and in faith , through which the immortal inheritance comes to be revealed to all the children of light . and so to conclude in few words , this i say unto all , who are longing after god , and waiting to feel his power , keep in your minds to the pure measure of gods holy spirit , and therein wait to see his kingdom , and his dominion , and to be made partakers of it , which brings the world to an end ; and will let you see to the end of it too , before it was , and him who is now glorified with the father in the kindom of god , with the same glory he had with the father before the world began , and who so comes to the end of the world , and to the beginning again , comes to see him and his glory , and the kingdom of glory which fades not away , which who so comes to enjoy , are eternally happy . the end . errors . page 14. l. 9. blot out of . p. 25. l. 20. for angei . r. angel . p. 32. l. 24. for presumptions . r. presumptious . p. 33. l. 8. f. he . r. the the same p. l. 12. for undeclareble . r. undeclarable . p. 46. l. 23. f , hit . r. his . p. 71. l. 27. f. soul. r. fold . p. 86. l 25. f. ntichrists r. antichrists . p. 99. l. 18. f. power . r. popery . p. 101. l. 11. f. neral . r. funeral . p. 124. l. 10. f. our . r. your . p. 156. l. 3. f. corrupt ; ble . r. corruptible . p. 160. l. 24. r. a moment f. moment . p. 208. l. 12. f. cnrst ; r. curst . oaths no gospel ordinance but prohibited by christ being in answer to a. smallwood, d.d. to his book lately published, being a sermon preached at carlile, 1664, wherein he hath laboured to prove swearing lawful among christians, his reasons and arguments are weighed and answered, and the doctrines of christ vindicated against the conceptions and interpretations of men, who would make it void / by a sufferer for christ and his doctrine, f.h. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. 1666 approx. 242 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 46 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2005-10 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a44801 wing h3174 estc r16291 12859171 ocm 12859171 94649 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a44801) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 94649) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 985:1) oaths no gospel ordinance but prohibited by christ being in answer to a. smallwood, d.d. to his book lately published, being a sermon preached at carlile, 1664, wherein he hath laboured to prove swearing lawful among christians, his reasons and arguments are weighed and answered, and the doctrines of christ vindicated against the conceptions and interpretations of men, who would make it void / by a sufferer for christ and his doctrine, f.h. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. [6], 84, [1] p. s.n.], [london : 1666. reproduction of original in union theological seminary library, new york. attributed to francis howgil. cf. nuc pre-1956. errata: p. 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looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng smallwood, allan, 1608-1686. -sermon preached at carlisle, aug. 17, 1664. oaths -england -early works to 1800. oaths -moral and ethical aspects -early works to 1800. 2004-12 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2004-12 aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-01 emma (leeson) huber sampled and proofread 2005-01 emma (leeson) huber text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-04 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion oaths no gospel ordinance but prohibited by christ : being in answer to a. smallwood , d. d. to his book lately published , being a sermon preached at carlile , 1664. wherein , he hath laboured to prove , swearing lawful among christians ; his reasons and arguments are weighed and answered , and the doctrine of christ vindicated against the conceptions and interpretations of men , who would make it void . by a sufferer for christ and his doctrine , f. h. because of oaths the land mourneth , jer. 33. 10 , 11 , 12 , &c. by swearing and lying , and killing , and stealing , and committing adultry , they break out , and blood toucheth blood ; therefore shall the land mourn , and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish , hosea 4. 2 , 3. printed in the year 1666. to the reader . reader , truth never had that advantage nor countenance from the men of this world , ( though wise in their generation ) ( since sin entered into it ) to have the approbation of the world , neither of the powers and potentates thereof , for it alwaies hated the truth , because it bore witness against the world , and the deeds and works thereof which are evil ; for wisdom is only justified of her children ; and truth is justified of her children : neither indeed doth it need any other patron to shelter it self under , but the god of all truth , from whence it proceeds ; neither shall i seek a shelter , neither run to any mountain or hill for safety or protection , nor to the mighty of the earth , as many of latter dayes have done to patronize their labours , and to make them the more acceptable , and to be the sooner and more readily received : but seeing the apostle saith , not many wise , not many rich , not many noble are chosen , but he hath chosen the weak and poor , and despised of the world , who are rich in faith and good works , who are heirs of the promise , and of the world to come . i chuse only to be approved to the witness of christs light in every mans conscience , and to the measure of his holy spirit which he hath placed in every man , to that only i desire to be either approved , or by it reproved , for wholly unto the judgment of that in every conscience i appeal , and do commend this ensuing discourse , in the sight of god , and the answer unto smalwood's book , who hath sought to make void christs command , for to obey the command of men , as is manifest in his epistle dedicatory to the gentlemen of cumberland : for it seems by his epistle they put him on work , to preach and print this sermon , whether upon this subject or not i shall not determine , but however he sayes he hath obeyed their commands ; though he hath laboured as much as in him lies to make the command of christ void , and the apostles doctrine by his arguments which he hath raised to prove christs doctrine one thing , and his intention another , and so would blind the minds of people , only to establish the doctrines of men , and the traditions of men in the apostacy , and hath put divers constructions upon the plain words of the scripture and interpretation to prove his false assertion that he laid down at the first , that christ did not forbid all swearing ; i say i could have willingly have been silent rather then to be found over and over again contending with every new opposer , of those old truths , that have been believ'd and received long before the apostacy entered in , which hath been answer'd ( by that people i own , in judgment and conversation ) long ago ; to let pass those disadvantages , we have adventered upon ; our low persecuted , imprisoned , and in a manner condemned condition , so that we may exspect our words , how true soever , yet they are not like to gain much credit against such an eminent man as doctor smallwood . again , considering how we expose our selves to the lash and severity of a sharp law , which some men in their blind zeal are far more ridged and severe in their prosecution of it then i am apt to believe the supream enactors of it were in their intentions when they did inact it ; all which notwithstanding are no discouragement unto me , for as much as the internal and eternal truth of our god , which we have known , received and believed , is very precious in our eyes , yea , far more then either life or liberty , and estate , ( which some have forfeited and lost upon truths account ) or any external treasure , or outward enjoyment whatsoever , so that considering how the truth lies at stake we cannot be silent , least thereby we should appear to some mens apprehensions , as to be satisfied with what the doctor hath said , and own his arguments & reasons that he hath laid down for possitive truth ; i could do no less then to show our dislike of his doctrine , and to manifest the weakness of his arguments about this particular of swearing at all , under the gospel , though he hath strained very hard to prove his assertion , that oaths may lawfully he taken by christians in some cases , notwithstanding christs prohibition and command to the contrary , but of how little effect or force his reasons are thou wilt see in the ensuing discourse , although his book be looked upon by some , to be sufficient force to convince all gain-sayers , and although he say he hath had divers papers and books of dissenters , who are of a contrary judgment , where he found any reason offered against what he hath laid down for doctrine , he hath answered , though indeed he hath over-riden the most weighty matters in them , and hath said little but that hath been said before by other opposers of christs doctrine ; though its very like the doctor will count this but a loose discourse , as he hath done others of very great weight , ( yea indeed of more weight and reason in them then any thing , he hath exhibited , yet to the contrary ) and so count it not worth taking notice of ; but though he do not , it is not of much moment , for that end only i have writ , to bear my testimony for christs doctrine against all the false and feigned interpretations of men , being that which i have stedfastly believed , and is of that force and weight upon many consciences , and so evident by the spirit of christ , that they can receive nothing of mans faln reason and conceptions which are variable and changable to answer , or weigh down the doctrine of christ , and his apostles , and primitive christians , who walked in the order of the gospel , and obeyed the commands of christ before the apostacy entered in , and the power was lost , and the life and spirit of christ erred from ) and mingled the ordinances of the first and second covenant together , and the injunctions of men among them for doctrine , and then compelled all to receive it , all this long time of antichrists reign , and the false church visibility , wherein she hath sitten as a queen upon the waters , which are the nations , kindreds , tongues and people , which a. s. brings as a great argument to prove swearing in use among christians since christ gave out that command , swear not at all . the reasons the very strength of them , i have laid down as a. s. hath published them , without varying from his own words ; the answer thou may peruse and read without prejudice , and weigh with the measure of gods spirit in thy self , for unto that i appeal , which is a more certain thing then councils , or nations , or consent of multi●udes , who hath the name of christian , and walks not in his doctrine , neither lives his life , nor doth the things he saith , i am shut up in a corner , and have not that advantage that some opposers have of others labours as to bring authors of divers ages that denied to swear , though not only some there were but many ; but alas , they are condemned already by a. s. and others for phanaticks and heteradox , and so their sayings , will seem of less force , but however , i have not much striven , neither shall to fetch things from far in the apostacy , but rest in that which makes all things evident , even the spirit of god in thy own heart and the scriptures of truth , which was spoken by the spirit , which are so clear unto many , that there needs not multitude of words , to demonstrate this truth of the prohibition of all oaths among true christians ; but i shall not detain thee from the matter it self , and the lord give thee an understanding . f h. oathes no gospel ordinance , but prohibited by christ. there being a book lately published by a. smalwood . d. d. as i understand doctor of divinity ; first preached in a sermon at carlile , i suppose before the judges at the assizes then holden the 17 th . day of august , 1664. since which i perceive many additions , by reasons and paraphrases are added thereunto , and printed at york : in which discourse he hath vindicated the lawfulness of swearing under the gospel , and hath gone about to prove it by many reasons , and authors ; how that christ upon that subject , mat. 5. 34. swear not at all , did not intend an absolute universal prohibition of all manner of swearing under the gospel ; which book of his i have perused with an upright heart , and an impartial eye , seriously , to the end i might own that which is good in it , not as one being glued to an opinion or judgment ; but what as carries demonstration of truth with it upon my conscience and in my heart ; it being a principle well known and believed amongst us , to have our consciences void of offence towards god , and towards man : and seeing my self and many more are great sufferers at this day upon this very account , which i look upon , being truly and conscientiously grounded upon the doctrine of christ , and consonant to the primitive christians , and seeing so large things have been written by other hands in asserting the truth of what we have believed , which yet stands as a witness unto the doctrine of christ ; notwithstanding all opposition and gain-saying , that it hath had by many hands ; i could have been wholly silent , and have refered all that have been said to the judgment of the lord , and to that of god in every mans conscience ; but that i perceive a. smalwood hath rendred that people which i own in judgment , and practise , to be in error , and hath greatly gain-sayed and villified all such as ever did or do deny swearing upon never so conscientious account ; as erroneous , and as only sprung from the pelagian heresie and manacheus , and i know not who , and have rendred all with reproach and disdain , as phanaticks who discent from him , with disdainful , and reproachful names , to represent us as odious as may be to the magistrate , and at such a time as this , when tender and conscientious people , who fear the lord in their hearts , ( and desires to live and be at peace , and seeks it with all men ) are sufferers , and great sufferers too ; upon this very account , whereby many are stired up to more persecution and wrath against us : and besides this discourse it seemes is cryed up , as the most exquisite that ever was , or can be ; and as unanswerable , and that we who deny to swear , would abolish all judicable proceedings , and make them nothing ; this discourse is printed , as a. s. in his 12. page sayes , to induce us to forsake so irrational an opinion , and to convince us of our error ; and it seemes he himself , besides many other exspects it must effect some great matter . reply . i say all these things being considered , was a strong inducement to me , to write something in reply thereunto , though in very deed i love not contention , neither strife about words , but seeing it is the doctrine of christ , and that which hath been , and is stedfastly believed by divers faithful professors , and sufferers both formerly and now , however by a. smalwood accounted and reproached by that disdainful name of phanaticks ; a word lately invented in the pit of darkness , where many of those and the like reproaches come from ; i was engaged in my heart , to hear my testimony against this said book , and for the truth of christs doctrine ; not out of obstinacy and wilfulness , but in duty as by conscience to god and his truth ; which is dearer to me then my outward liberty or all i have to loose for it , which i and many more at this day choose rather to suffer , then to be found violating the commands of christ , or deny that which i have stedfastly believed ; being perswaded thereunto by the spirit of the lord , and evidence of the scripture of truth . the subject a. smalwood hath taken to treat upon , and in the end to gain-say , and pervert ; are no less then christs own doctrine , mat. 5. 34. but i say unto you swear not at all : who would have believed or thought that one who accounts himself a doctor , a divine , and a minister of christ , should choose christs own words to plead against christ , and them that do abide in his doctrine ? or that ever any should go about to prove swearing lawful from these words in gospel times , or that swearing is not forbiden ; but what would not this man encounter with ? or what would not he oppose ? if he have but the power of this world on his side ? it is a small thing to gain-say what we say , and pervert our words , and make them seem erroneous , and to make our intentions one thing , and our words another ; when he is so bold as to make christs doctrine , his express words swear not at all , and his intentions contrary to his words , what do we judg of a man that speaks one thing , and intends another ? it's fearful to think what conclusions some will make to carry on their intended designes , but me thinks a. s. might have been more considerate then to have taken christs own doctrine and words , to oppose christs intention , or to be so bold as to assert the intention of christ was otherwise then his words import ; but rather have chosen some other subject ; but what matter makes many of subjects , for with a consequence or two , and a little logick , they will seem to turn things any way , and go about to prove darkness is light , and light is darkness , and what as in them lyes make it so to appear if they take a matter in hand ; and therefore the apostle exhorted to beware of phylosophy and vain deceit , for by this men have been cuning and crafty , and lie in wait to deceive the innocent and harmless and to lead them out of the way . in the fourth page he saith , he will clear his intention , and that there are two sorts of men that do violence to this text ; the one winds it up too too high a note , as though christ had forbidden all swearing whatsoever . and in the tenth page he saith , this error is masked under a fair colour of a more then ordinary piety , but tends to overthrow all judicatures , and takes away the decision of all emergent suites and controversies ; and were it granted saith a. smallwood , we should be necessitated if not to disown the magistrates authority , yet to disobey their loyal command , as having a countermand from christ , swear not at all , and the other sort of men are such who in despight of this text do commonly , rashly , prophanely and falsely swear . answ. who doth the greater violence to this scripture ? whether a. s. who in his doctrine he hath raised from these words to be the foundation of his discourse , who makes christs plain and express words one thing , and his intentions another : i leave to all unbyassed spirits to judge off , or they that say , christ intended what he spoke , and spoke what he intended , i say let all see and consider where the violence lies , and in whom , and whether he doth not wind it up by that not , or contrary to it , to use his own words otherwise then christ intends it , as after will be made more evidently to appear , and we say it s not error but truth to believe christs words , who are truth , more then a. s. his conjectural supposition , neither do we believe it , to be error masked , but truth revealed , and christ spoke and declared it , that we might beleive it and obey it : and we believe that a. s. and many more hath put a mask and a vail upon christs words , and would hoodwink all , and lead them blindfold after their imaginations , and crooked pathes , winding and turning this way and that way that leads into darkness and trouble , and confusion , from the path of life : and what doth christs command ? viz. swear not at all ; doth it overthrow all justice and judicatories ? it is not the seat of judgment established in righteousness and truth ? and they that sit in judgment ought they not to give sentence and judgment in righteousness and truth , and as the causes are represented unto them , and brought before them , and may not every truth be confirmed out of the mouth of two or three * witnesses , and all emergent suits and controversies ended according to the best evidence after diligent inquisition and judgment given accordingly , and that without the needless and cumbersome formality of an oath , * which is sometime this , and sometime that , and changable , when as every true confession and testimony is equiv●lent thereunto , in the presence of the god of all truth , and who ever denyed this ? and there is no necessity so to judge that he that fears to swear , and take an oath , yet refuseth not to g●ve true testimony about any matter , whether it do concern the lord or his neighbour , that therefore he denies the magistrates authority , or yet disobeyes their legal commands ? so that though all swearing should be denyed , yet that which answers the cause in hand is not denyed , true testimony ; and therefore the magistrates authority and their lawful commands may well stand and be obeyed , and right done unto every man , and command stand also , these are but the secret smitings and suggestions of a. smallwood to render them odious to the magistrates and all people , who dissent from him in judgment : and indeed such like discourses and instigations from such like mouths and pens as his is , who is accounted learned and eminent , hath not a little added afflictions unto our bonds , and they have made wide the wound , and hath made the breach seem greater then it is , and the matter more grievous then there hath been any cause for , i desire they may consider of it and repent . and in 13. page , from this text , mat. 5. 34. but i say unto you swear not at all ; he layes down this proposition or doctrine , viz. our saviour did not intend by these words , swear not at all , an absolute , universal and limited prohibition of all manner of swearing , and goes on to prove it by divers reasons . the first he gives is , that the father and the son are one in nature , power , wisdom , immutability , and eternity , and one , in will and wisdom , therefore they cannot give forth contrary commands , but god the father hath commanded swearing , in these words , thou shalt fear the lord and swear by his name and serve him , deut. 6. 13. and therefore it is not possible that god the son should forbid it . answ. though the father and the son be one in nature , power and wisdom , and immutability , and will , as in themselves , and alters not , but keeps covenant from age to age , and from generation to generation , there is no contrarity in them , yet there are diversities of gifts but the same spirit , and there are differences of administrations but the same lord. it is granted that after sin entred into the world , and death by sin and diffidence , and unbelief , variance and strife , and many transgressions , for which the law was added ; and because of which the law was added , and the command given forth unto the jewes to swear by the name of god , as jerome saith upon the 5. of mat. 3. 37. it was permitted the jewes under the law , as being tender and infants , ( and to keep them from idolatry , which the rest of the nations did run into ) they might swear by the name of god , not that it was rightful so to do but that it was better to swear by the lord then by false gods or devils : but the great evangelical sincerity and truth admits not of an oath . secondly , for the ending of strife and variance being in the unbelief , which was the occasion of the adding of the law , and the cause of the command given forth , deut. 6. 13. with divers more words specified by moses and the prophets : and though christ came not to destroy the law but to fulfill it , and to destroy that which the law was against , ( and which it took hold upon ) and to finish sin and transgression , and bring in everlasting righteousness , and to restore to the beginning , and we say according as we have believed and received of the lord , and have a cloud of witnesses , both them that are gone before , and of them that yet remain alive : as christ said of divorcement , it was not so from the beginning ; so we say , oaths was not from the beginning , but was added after hardness of heart and sin , and unbelief , entered into the world ; but christ who was made under the law and fulfilled the law , put an end to the transgression , sin , unbelief , variance , and strife , in whom all the promises of god are fulfilled , he is the righteousness of god , and who are true christians indeed are come out of unbelief , variance , and transgression , and doth see and know christ to be the end of the law , for righteousness to them that believe , who exhorted to do the truth , confess the truth , and speak the truth , who said , swear not at all by heaven , and which after more shall be said god willing to the text it self : and so a. smallwood his reason is made void , and his impossibility made possible , that god gave forth a command , and permitted the iews to swear in that covenant and ministration , and yet christ in the new covenant countermands it as in the text , being the minister of a better covenant which stood upon better promises , who leads to the beginning , and is the restorer of all mankind that do believe ; and yet the father and the son are one in will , wisdom and power . and though a. s. and others cannot understand , or else hath no mind in that latitude as generally prohibitive of all swearing ; because he says , god did require it , no less then he did his own worship and service in the moral law ; these nice distinctions of moral , judicial and ceremonial hath confounded peoples understandings , though it is still acknowledged they did vow , and did swear in the first covenant under the law ; but whether he or any other making , swearing , moral , judicial or ceremonial is not much matter , seeing that christ the righteousness is the summe and substance of all , and the end of the law for righteousness to them that do believe , & in him is life and righteousness enjoyed ; for the law was given by moses , but the grace , the truth cometh by jesus christ , who is the summe of all types and shadowes , and therefore the apostle said , we are circumcised in him , and baptised in him ; and we do look upon an oath under the law to have some type and figure in it , notwithstanding a. s. say it was none , and that christ is improperly called the oath of god , no more improper then he is a vine , a door , a way , a shepherd ; * for all the promises are fulfilled in him , and are yea , and amen : and as for the morality of it so far as it is moral and perpetual to all under the gospel , is in confession of truth , and bearing witness thereunto as before the lord , or in his presence , and speaking the truth when there is necessity , as when any mans person or estate , or any part thereof is in danger , and this we have ever owned , and do own , and have , and are ready to testifie the truth before the lord , or in his presence as concerning any matter which concernes the glory of god , or the good of our neighbour without being pinched or bound up to a certain form of words imposed upon us , but according as necessity requires , so amply and largely as our words may give knowledge and understanding and light in any matter which is to be desired , but this hath been denyed , and hath not been received by this unbelieving generation , who seeks rather to establish the traditions and customes of men , rather then the evangelical doctrine of the gospel . and though doctor smallwood will needs have it , viz. swearing , neither to be ceremonial nor judicial , but for any proof he brings for ought i see it may be either as well as that he calls moral , for sure i am that oathes was used * in judicial proceedings , and ceremonies were used in the worship of god and his service then , and by commandement ; and the service of god , and his worship , i hope he will say is moral ; yet so as under the law , it was not without ceremony , and it is concluded by the most learned that there was some ceremony , or figure , or signe in that covenant , in all the worship , and some shadowes of good things to come , ( then if swearing was any part of the worship of god ) as the most do grant , and assert , and i think a. s. will hardly deny , then i argue it had some ceremony or shadow in it : but oh this a. s. cannot away with in this point of swearing , but it must needs be all moral for fear he should waken his matter that he hath taken in hand to war against christs command ; but it is evident that swearing was used in judicial proceedings , as is manifest , deutr. 19. 5. about killing of a man accedentally , and the 11. verse , about murther , and the 14. verse about land-markes , and in the 21. life for life , eye for eye , tooth for tooth , hand for hand , and foot for foot , about all these things and many more , and in the 16. verse about a false witness ( were to be decided and tryed by witnesses before the judges ) and judgment was to be given according to the several commands about the aforesaid different transgressions , all which statutes belonged to their judicial proceedings , as this about swearing , and as is manifest in this chapter ; and all of these commands seemes to have as much morality in them , as swearing hath in the judgment of many , unto whose judgment i leave what i say , to be weighed by the spirit of god in them . thirdly , the law sayed many things by way of precept and commission ( at least permission from god , which would be irregularities grosly reproveable in mens manners in moral matters , conversations , civil transactions , and communications , should they be used among them who profess the gospel , the law said an eye for an eye , tooth for tooth , hand for hand , foot for foot ; the gospel saith avenge not your selves , resist not evil , suffer wrong , put up , forgive , forbear , the law said , thou shalt love thy neighbour , and hate thy enemy ; but a. s. will look upon this as an addition or false interpretation to the law it may be , but how ever certain it is that under the law they made war , the jewes with amaleck with moab , with ammon , and the canaanites , and the aegiptians might be spoyled , but the gospel said only love your enemies , if he be hungry feed him , if he be thirsty give him to drink , and for any thing i can see the aforesaid commands were as morall , and had as much morality in them as swearing , what ever a. s. say or can say : in the 7th . section a. s. sayes if any argue that christ abolished the ceremonial and judicial lawes once commanded by god , he sayes he denyes that assertion , for we were never under the judicial law , it being solely given to the jewes for the regulating their common-wealth in the land of canaan , deutro . 4. 14. and they were never obligatory to us that are no jewes , nor never dwelt in canaan , and as for the ceremonial it was meerly temporary , and ceased at our saviours death , and was not abrogated , but observed by him in his life , neither can it properly be said to be repealed . reply . though i do not argue that christ abolished the ceremonial and judicial laws once commanded , nor abrogated them : yet bishop gauden doth , who attain'd , if not to a degree of knowledge and learning , yet to a degree of promotion above a. s. in his book which he wrote for the information of the quakers about swearing , he saith in his own words , christ came to fulfill the moral law , however he came in a way of fulfilling to abrogate the ceremonial , yea and the politick lawes too , belonging to the jewes policy in church and state ; and herein is the bishop and the doctor at odds , the bishop said , he abrogated the ceremonial law , and judicial law too , belonging to the iewes policy and state : but doctor smallwood says , he denies his assertion ; for says he , we were never under the judicial law , and what was never imposed need not be abolished : so then what remains for me to say but this , if swearing was any part of the iudicial law , or did belong to their political estate , as it is the judgment of many , but it is evident that swearing was used by the witness before iudges in israel in those days to try out their matters according to commandment given of god , as is evident from 19. deut. in the whole chapter , and divers other places then by this argument a. s. hath made , he hath overthrown himself ; for he saith , we are no iewes , nor in canaan , and so never imposed ; and what was never imposed need no abolishing ; and it is as i have said , manifest that oaths had relation to judicial proceedings , and to the service of god too in that covenant , which was shadowy , and consisted much in outward signes and figures , but the substance is christ. so then instead of proving swearing under the gospel lawful , he hath by his argument proved it never injoyned unto the gentiles , neither indeed was it , either ever commanded or commended unto the gentiles who believed , or they reproved for not observing it that ever we read of by christ or his apostles , or ministers in the first and purest times of christianity , for to jacob he gave his law , and to israel his statutes ; to every nation he did not so , no not to moab , ammon , nor the canaanites , neither the gentiles ; and though he seem to plead hard for swearing under the gospel , yet he falls short in his proof , except he took his own reasons and arguments which divers of them are but imaginary , & in the foundation of his discourse he hath taken such great compass , as there is not an universal , unlimited prohibition of all manner of swearing ; but what this manner of swaring is , it is very uncertain , somtimes he makes it this , and sometimes that , sometimes he saith it is no oath , though in the form thereof there be not i swear , or god be not named , or by god doth not always signifie an oath ; and other where he seems to affirm it to be an oath , but when an impartial eye hath sounded and tryed to the bottom what this swearing is that brings so much glory to god , and so much good to our neighbour , that he so vehemently contends for that ought to be observed as well as gods fear and service , ( it is but their own traditions and inventions , for that under the law will not serve ( as the lord lives ) or that he calls swearing under the gospel will not serve , ( the lord is witness ) or i speak the truth in christ ; or this is truth in the presence of god , or the like , none of these will serve : but though he and the rulers do say they are oaths , yet when at any time we have proffered willingly to declare the truth in this or that particular cause , or to make as ample confession in demonstration for clearing any cause in debate , that hath either conduced to the glory of god , or the good and profit of any particular man in the nation among whom we converse , and not without some attestation of god , or of his wisdom , power , and presence , yet it would never yet he received but reckoned as insufficient , though both the rulers of this age , and a. s. have sayed it , it might be that in private it might , but in judicature never was received , though i do believe the most doth believe we dare not lie in ordinary communication , much less in judicature , yet we have been set aside as objects of wrath , as deluded erronious , factious , seditious , contemners of law , obstructors of legal proceedings , except we would lay our hand upon a bible and kiss it , and say , i swear , and by the contents of the book , and so help me god , or else fined , imprisoned for term of life , our lands and goods confiscated , and we sentenced to be banished , our wives and children ruinated , husband and wife parted , children and parents separated , and such monsters of christians have we to deal withal in this age , and how many brought into this sad condition in england , as little a. s. knows as cares . but for ought i know that he and such as he , in such publick discourses as this of his hath blown the sparks and hath kindled a flame in the rulers , and incensed them , and stirred them up to severity and harshness against them who fear the lord , and doth maintain peace with all men as much as in them lyeth , and keeps their consciences void of offence towards god , which makes us to chuse rather all this hardship then to offend the lord , who serve and fear his name , and reverence it more then they who seem to honour it , and pretends gods honour thorow their swearing . but to make amends for this , a. s. he saith , the magistrates must act by the law , and that enjoynes such a forme of swearing and they cannot allow it . unto that i answer , it had been a more necessary discourse for a. s. to have exhorted the magistrates , if the law had been answered in the substance , not to be so severe in the forme , and also to have told them where any law was made contrary to the law of god , either in matter or forme : the consciences of believers could not yield obedience thereunto , when it was repugnant unto the law of god , and not according to the forme thereof , and in such cases to be wary , and he and the rest of the clergy to have advised with the rulers and law-makers , and to have informed them from whom they receive such great incomes , and revenues , ( for the preservation and peace of all men ) that they need not stand so much upon the forme , seeing that so many conscientious people questioned it , so that there needed not such tying up to forme , under such great and heavy penalties , as banishment , confiscation , and perpetual imprisonment , but have informed them so that the truth might have been found out , and no judicial proceedings hindered , which i am sure may be without any swearing , true testimony never being denyed , when required by any magistrate , and let bua a penalty be upon him that gives false evidence , or speakes an untruth about any proceedings in judicature , or otherwise called to bear evidence in any controversie , if found out , let them suffer as them that sweares falsely , and as perjured , and the case is one , and here all scruples , and contentions about swearing would end , and there would not be the least obstruction in legal proceedings , or in administration of justice , and let me tell doctor smallwood , and the rest of his brethren , that if they would move such a thing in parliament , peradventure it would be readily received from them , and in so doing , they would do as acceptable a piece of service , and as well pleasing to god , and would conduce as much to the peace and tranquility of the nation , as any thing that ever they will do in their age , or hath been effected many ages , and so all these heart-burnings , contentions , and evil surmisings , and evil representing one another would cease and end , and which if not effected , nothing can be looked for but sad suffering , and great oppression and persecution , which will provoke the lord to anger , and ever did against all them that were the cause of it in ages past , but i come to his second argument . second argument . some without any colour , reason or possibility of proof , will need have swearing a ceremonial write , but god ranks it with his fear and service , therefore it must needs be moral , and therefore what at all times , as well under the gospel as under the law , as well amongst the gentiles as the jewes , tends to the glory of god , that is not a ceremonial ordinance , nor forbiden by christ , but such is swearing , and therefore it cannot be thought to be prohibited . reply to this . it hath been said and often asserted that all the ten words and commandements were moral and perpetual , as well under the gospel as under the law ; then i wonder what a. s. and divers others intends to do with the fourth commandment , if it be moral and perpetual and to be observed , in the same manner and with the same service , as then commanded , and the same day and time , then he and most of them who contend most for the morality of these ten commandments , are great transgressors , and if he grant there was something ceremonial in it , and typical or figurative , which then was the seventh day , which was given for a signe , ( of the worlds rest from its labour ) and of keeping after it an everlasting sabbath to the lord , by mans cessation from his own works , as god did from his , isai. 58. and the last heb. 4. which iewish observation of the seventh day as a sabbath now , though never so solemnly , as then commanded , will have no acceptation at all , no more then he , and he as much ( that is none at all ) that never so solemnly swears by the name of god , in such ceremonious ways as the iewes did of old , ( or goes beyond the bare asseveration or testimony of truth , with some attestation of gods power and veracity which hath never been denyed ) which to do , we do not only think but know it to be a superfluous ceremony of judaism ) not to say brat of jewish extraction as a. s. doth ) now circumcised and cut off from christians by christ , and what though god did , deutro . 10. 20. rank it with his fear and service , was there any service or worship in that covenant , that had not some signe and shadow in it , and was ceremonial , and was to end in the substance , was there not prayer , and praysing , and were not these service and worship , and had these not the ceremony of incense and sacrifice , which then attended these services , but the substance was lifting up of the heart unto the lord , and making a melody in the heart , and circumcision is now that of the heart , rom. 2. which was outward before , the killing of a lamb at the passeover was an ordinance in that covenant , the substance thereof is christ , the passeover ; the other now under the gospel would be no more then cutting of a dogs neck , these were all ordinances of god to be observed , and in their time and day , and they that did according to the command of god , tended to the glory of god , in that first covenant , but in the second under the gospel , whosoever should observe them , in the figure , ceremony , and shadow should much dishonour god and his christ the substance , and christ would profit him nothing , see that ceremony of swearing , the morality that only abides under the gospel is testifying the known truth from the heart , with some attestation of god to witnesse , who is witness of all we do or say , and that no more then confession or deniall , by yea or nay which is no oath , is that standing substance and the moral , if a. s. will have it called so that remaines under the gospel , which answers that ceremonious way of swearing under the law , which is most evident by the apostle pauls rendring of that terme swearing as it was spoken in way of prophesie concerning its continuance , then isa. 45. 23. to me every tongue shall swear under that tearm confessing only under the gospel , rom. 14. 11. every knee shall bow , every tongue shall confess to god , confession under the gospel is made equivolent with an oath under the law , but this rendring of it a. s. doth not like , but would pervert pauls words to have it confession , ( but put to his own addition ) by oath so that his argument is void , swearing was binding in that ceremonious way which it was commanded under the law , but not under the gospel , nor among the christians , who are come to the substance , and to confess and speak the truth in christ to the glory of god acknowledging his power and omnisciency , and his justice in discerning whether truth be spoken , and in punishing them that speak falsely , and his wisdome in discerning the secrets of all hearts , and a s. might as well have said that offrings and oblations and sacrifice tends much to the glory of god under the gospel as under the law as swearing , but saith he swearing is a part of gods peculiar service , that is incommunicable to any creature , the like i say of the former , offring and sacrifice , and incense , was incommunicable to any creature , but was due unto god alone ; yet it doth not follow as well under the gospel , as under the law , for that were to set up the figure and deny the substance , so this second argument is insufficient , and the third is somewhat related to it , which i now come unto . thirdly . this third argument is , that if christs purpose be utterly to abolish all swearing as an illegitimate brat of jewish extraction , not to be admitted into the christian church , then it must be either as it is repugnant to our duty to god , or else to our neighbour , for into that summary he hath contracted the whole law. reply . we must still distinguish that which was once a duty to be performed under the law , because commanded , is not required as a duty under the gospel , and the strength of most of a. s. his arguments , and the rest who contend for swearing under the gospel , are grounded upon the mosaical law , though this of oathes he will needs have to be moral ; it may be he would contend as much for the morality of tithes and oblations , if it had been the subject of his discourse , as for oathes , and them to be jure divino , under the gospel , for many such we have met with , and he might bring the same arguments for tithes and oblations , they are not repugnant unto god , but brings glory to his name ; because hereby his ministers under the gospel are maintained , and are enabled thereby to preach the gospel for the conversion of soules , which addes much to the glory of god , and therefore cannot or are not to be prohibited , but these only belonged to the levitical priesthood , and continued only to the time of reformation , viz. to the bringing in of a better hope and a better covenant , which stood upon better promises for the priesthood being changed , there is also of necessity a change of the law , hebr. 6. 12. by which tithes was a duty , and they robbed god that detained them , m●l . 3. 8. but this being ended and fulfilled in christ the everlasting high priest , who by one offering perfected for ever them that are sanctified , he bid not his disciples require tithes as a due , or duty belonging to god , under the gospel , but freely you have received freely give , and what house soever yee enter into that is worthy there abide , and eat such things as is set before you , for the workman is worthy of his meat , and this was far more evangelical , and conduced more to the honour of god , then tithes , and the apostles lived more by faith upon god , who provided for them , who was employed in his service , so that i argue what was once a duty under the law ; that was to be performed unto god , is not always a duty among christians , for though oathes were commanded unto the jewes in that time of infancy , and as being weak , and it was permitted them , as jerome saith upon the 5th . mat. vers . 37. to swear by the name of god to keep them from idolatry , seeing all other nations were given to idolatry , and swear by false gods , as chemosh , ashterah , and baal , he knew their aptness to be led aside with the customes of other nations , and therefore they were to acknowledge him alone , who was the living god , and no other , and to testifie truth by his name , as a thing certain and sure , and therefore one of their oathes was , as the lord lives , and this among the rest was one of the precepts of the law , which was added because of transgression , to swear by his name , which needed not have been added , if sin , and transgression , and unbelief had not entered in , ( mark this ) and this law of oathes pertained to that part which was in the transgression , and variance , and strife , and that led to worship idols , and this continued while that nature was standing , but christ was revealed and given to finish sin , and transgression , and unbelief , and to do away that part that lusted after idols , and that led into variance , and he leads out of the occasion of evil , and from that which was the cause of the addition of the law unto everlasting righteousness again , which was in the begining before sin entred , and they that come to believe in him are not under the law , but under grace , moreover the apostle saith , rom. 7. 14. the law hath power over a man so long as be liveth , even as a wife is bound by the law of her husband so long as he liveth , ( and no longer ) so as long as man liveth in sin , unbelief , transgression , discord , variance , and strife , and idolatry , the law hath power over him to correct and reprove him , and judge him , and was to be a limit unto that nature ; but christ leades out of the occasion of all these , for which the law was added to do the truth and speak the truth , and ceaseth strife , for which the law was added . again , the law was added as a cure and a remedy to defide controversies , and ill distempers , that was entred into the hearts of men , in the unbelief , and that is one reason which doctor gauden gives , why solemn swearing should and ought to be in judicial proceedings among christians , to take away jealousies , distrusts , dissimulations , frauds , unsatisfactions and insecurities ; and quotes grotius , that swearing is necessary , not absolutely and morally , or preceptively , but by way of consequence and remedy , as to the state of the jewes we shall not , nor have not denyed it ; but as to the state of christians who are truly such , we say that the cause is taken away and the effect follows , all jealousies , distrusts , dissimulations and strifes , and insecurities , and so the remedies , to wit oaths ceaseth , and the necessity of them , and that was one main thing why oaths were permitted to end strife , and strife is a work of the flesh , and variance and discord , and it is inconsistent with true love to our neighbour to hold that which answers the strife , and that part , for love fulfills the law , works no ill to the neighbour , ends strife , and so puts swearing the means to end strife , and the remedy out of place and date . but a. s. goes on and tells us that oaths advisedly and reverently taken upon necessary occasions are so far from displeasing god , or hurting our neighbour , that on the contrary they are acceptable to the one , and advantagious to the other , for by them princes are secured of their subjects allegiance , and generals of their souldiers fidelity , leagues confirmed betwixt nations , every man 's just right maintained , offenders discovered , and duly punished , and controversies and suits desided : and these are such great and good ends that men cannot be in any degree of security or happiness without them . reply . to this i answer , that notwithstanding all the great and good ends , and the necessity of oaths which a. s. conceives that men cannot subsist in any degree of security without , yet we see by experience notwithstanding all the reverent taking , and all the solemn taking , and the necessity that is put upon oaths , yet they have never answered the end purposed , for where perfidiousness and unbelief , and distrust , and jealousies , and strifes are , ( which is no where so much ) as among those that plead for swearing , yet oaths doth not , nor hath not bound them , when they had a mind to be loos'd , & sees that to stand to such obligations will not be for their profit , or present safety , many instances might be given ; what security had the pope when all the nobility and clergie in england were bound to maintain his supremacy by oaths ? and no doubt but they swore reverently , and it was judged both by the then church and state to be binding , and yet notwithstanding all the obligation , all was broken , and the popes supremacy denyed , in the time of hen. 8. and edward 6th . in their time all swore against the popes supremacy , either in church or state , and how much security was the nation in when queen mary came to the crown , though the nobles and the bishops , and prelates did all swear against the supremacy , yet behold it was brought in again , and confirmed by oath again ; and yet in the days of elizabeth renounced again , and of latter days what oaths have been exacted , first by one , and then by another , and one party contrary to another , though every party fancyed a security for the time , but it proved of no more effect , neither were they in any degree more secure then if there had been none at all ; for indeed that frequent swearing hath made men being got into a custome of it that it is become a light thing unto them , though otherwise they look upon themselves as bound ; generals how have they turn'd one way , and another way , and souldiers the like ; so that one may conclude indeed that oaths are made no more of but even to stand in force , while ( that bears up head and is exalted ) that to please the present time and power they seem to be devoutly obliged to it , but if it come under any eclipse or demunition , then they reckon themselves no longer obliged ; so that indeed their oaths are becom'd of little or no force at all ; and for controversies we see they begin many , and is the cause of much dissention and discord , but ends few ; for why may not all these foresaid states and conditions be secured , and as well , and the good and great ends accomplished , that a. s. pleads for by true evidence of every one concerned in any of the foresaid relations , by declaring and confessing the truth , and speaking it unto men as necessity requires without oath , yea and all the foresaid states have as much security , and subsist as well , if not better , then by all this swearing , which more properly belonged to the judaism then to christians , and there is no such necessity of them among christians if any at all , who dare not swear for fear of offending christ , or denying his doctrine , and yet will not lie but speak the truth , and indeed it is the custome of swearing , that have been used in the nations since the apostacy entered in , that is more looked upon then any thing else , more then any legality , necessity , or security , under the gospel seeing in the primitive times truly so called , it was enough to say , christianus sum , and that sort of swearing that is imposed now hath no other ground but custome , which jer. 10. 3. is accounted to be vain , neither hath it so much as an inch of ground from the scripture , and therefore doth not bring so much glory to god as a. s. tells on , because whatsoever is added or superadded to whatever god commanded as to matter or forme is but will-worship at the best , and a making whatsoever was said or commanded , or practised before , imperfect , and no way sufficient , but more of this shall be said after if the lord permit . fourth argument , had christ intended universally to forbid all kind of oaths in the words , swear not at all , then those amplifications , neither by heaven , nor by earth , neither by jerusalem , neither by the head , had been useless as being generally included in the general prohibition , but had he meant that no oath should be used upon any occasion , the subsequent words are so far from giving light to the preceeding that they much obscure them , but had he said no more then swear not at all , it might have been said he disallowed all oaths , but he descending to this or that creature may rationally imply that his purpose was only to forbid such swearing , and not that which was formerly enjoyed , and his conclusion is only creature swearing , or swearing by creatures is that he would have forbidden . answ. christ knew better what he intended then a. s. who would make his words one thing and his intention another ; it is evident by the preceeding doctrine , and by that which follows after the text , that christ prohibits all swearing , which shall be further spoken on when the second part of the discourse is spoken of ; some stumble ignorantly , and some wilfully , would pervert , and turn aside from that which they have no mind to receive , and would hold up that which they assert true or false , & that makes all this disputing and reasoning about the plain words of scripture , christs words ; but i say unto you , swear not at all by heaven or earth , is a general negative of all oaths , even of those which before were used in the time of moses , and by heaven and earth , and jerusalem , are more ample expressions of christ to make the scribes and pharisees understand his mind of his dislike of these oaths by creatures that they frequently used , and though these and much more were included in the general negative , swear not at all ; yet they are not to be excluded as superfluous , neither do they obscure the former , swear not at all , but gives more light to the former , to any but them that fees with a. s. his eyes , for by heaven , by earth , by jerusalem , are more ample expressions of his mind , and a further explication of the former , swear not at all ; and though they seem to a. s. to obscure and darken christs words , if he did intend all oaths , yet they that see with another eye then he doth is that they are only more large expressions thereby to make the pharisees understand , who were in the unbelief , and dull of hearing , that he did not only forbid what the law had forbid before , but even those oaths that they frequently used , under those terms and forms which the law had not spoken of in those words , as heaven , earth , jerusalem , head and foot , and therefore he enumerates them as an amplification of his former prohibition , and so they are to be joyned , and we shall not stop as a. s. says some doth at the words swear not at all , but shall joyne that which christ hath joyned , viz. heaven , earth and jerusalem , and to be enumerated only and joyned to the former negative , and spoken as to their capacities in those ful and large terms that they might understand his mind , that he prohibited not only by heaven and earth and jerusalem , but even any other oath which the law had commanded , or the jewes permitted to swear before ; and though a. s. would have it limited , only to swearing by creatures , which indeed were forbidden under the law ; but christ who taught a more evangelical and exact obedience then the law , he said , it hath been said of old time thou shalt not forswear thy self : but i say unto you , ( who saith more then the law hath said ) swear not at all , but let your yea be yea , and nay , nay , for whatsoever is mere cometh of evil . and of this mind was bp . vsher , late of armaugh , who pleaded the cause of the w●ldenses , or leonists , whose names are famous amongst the reformed chu●ches , and were the most ancient and true protestants , if any reformation be looked at beyond luther , they professed it no way lawful for a christian to swear , and the said bishop vsher de succes . chap. 6. doth esteem that place of the 5th . of mat. swear not at all ; and that of 5th . james to be a sufficient plea for them against the papists , and he pleads their cause ; and this made renerius and jansenius so much envy the waldenses two romanists , who said amongst all the sects which are or have been , there is not any more pernicious to the church ( meaning the church of rome ) then the waldenses ; and that for three reasons , first , their antiquity ; secondly , because of their universality ; thirdly , in that they did maintain and hold it no way lawful for a christian to swear on any occasion . but it may be that a. s. will tell us that these and other were condemned in some general or provincial council for heresie , and if he do it is no great matter , since most of these have erred , especially since all nations have drunk of the vvhores cup of fornication , and have erred from the faith , and have lost the power , and then contend for a forme , and bind all to receive it upon some comination or malediction , or other , or else they were hereticks ; and why who said so ? the church hath so decreed ; and if these canons and such like must be binding , a. s. will hardly escape their censure , if he continue in the profession of the faith he is in , though he and they seem to agree in this particular , about swearing . but i come to his fifth argument . fifth argument , christ never forbad any thing but what was intrinsecally evil , as may be proved by induction , he forbids anger , abusive language , he forbids lust , and divorce , and swearing by creatures ; and therefore what ever he forbad was evil , and that in it self , and not meerly as forbidden but swearing in general is not , for that hath not only been the practice of holy men , but of angels , dan. 12. 7. revel . 10. 6. reply . was it evil in it self under the law if a man smote out anothers eye , or tooth , or cut off his hand , or his foot , or give one a would in any part of the body , deut. 21. 24. levit. 1. 24. 20. deut. 19. 11. was it evil in it self for the judges in those days to give sentence , that he that had struck out his neighbours eye , or struck out his tooth , or cut off his hand to pronounce and give the same judgment unto the offender that he should be so done withal , was this eternally evil or intrinsecally evil for the party so wronged to seek remedy ? or was it not an act of justice equal and good , not only because enjoyned and commanded , but in it self just , and was it or is it an act in it self ( intrinsecally evil ) if a man sued a man wrongfully at the law , and takes a mans coat or garment away to seek to defend himself , and preserve his coat or cloak , if not a. s. his argument is of no moment ; for even in the same chapter , where envy and murther , and divorce saving for fornication , and abusive language , and all swearing is forbidden , so is that forbidden which is not intrinsecally evil by christ , mat. 5. 39 , 40. but i say unto you that you resist not evil ; and whosoever shall smite the one cheek turn him the other also ; and if a man sue thee at the law , and take away thy coat , let him have thy cloak also ; and whosoever shall compell thee to go a mile go with him twayn . and it is in the new testament ( i hope ) written , avenge not your selves . and was it evil in it self , or morally evil to keep the seventh day of the week as a sabbath , or only good because commanded , or was it lawful to fight with amalecks , edomites , aegiptians , and canaanites , because israel was only commanded , or because they were real enemies to god in their hearts ; or as samuel fisher said well in answer to doctor gauden , which a. s. quarels with , that circumcision , sacrifices , and offerings , passeover , and new moons , fasts and swearing , was not evil in themselves but because forbidden ; and though a. s. give such a great challenge to s. f. to produce one instance that any thing was prohibited by christ , but what was intrinsecally evil , or else his argument is in vain , i say the aforementioned thing prove it , that something was forbidden that was not evil eternally and intrinsecally , but because prohibited , and again in the same chapter , ver . 44. but i say unto you love your enemies , bless them that curse you ; though under the law they did fight , and might fight with the aforesaid enemies , the canaanites , and gentiles ; but now i say , put up , forgive , love your enemies , peter put up thy sword , he that takes hold on it shall perish by it ; avenge not , go not to law one with another , 1 cor. 6. 7. suffer , forbear , forgive if thy brother sin against thee seventy times 7. times . and though a. s. say that nothing was forbidden by christ , or in all the new testament but what was in it self evil , or in some respect conducing thereunto ; methinks he hath given too bold a challenge ; what will he say to all the former things mentioned ? and what evil had circumcision in it , or the passeover , or sacrificing , or new moons , and the sabbath days , or what tendency had they to evil , but rather were good for the end they were ordained , to be signes and types , and figures of holy things to come , like as swearing was among the rest , what ever a. s. say or argue ; and yet when the substance of the good things was come to them that had believed , and received him who was the summe of all ; the apostle said , gal. 5. 2 , 3. if you be circumcised christ profits you nothing ; after he was offered up : and gal. 4. 9 , 10 , 1. you observe new moons , and holy days and sabbaths : and these things that were once as really good as ever swearing was , considering the end wherefore they were enjoyned , and these things was never evil in themselves , yet the apostle reckoned them beggarly rudiments , and told them they had begun in the spirit , and now sought to be made perfect through the flesh ; and so stood in doubt of them that his labour had been in vain , and therefore if a. s. or any other will needs uphold swearing , because commanded to the jewes , ( before the seed christ was revealed ) i say he is gal. 5. 34. ) a debter to the whole law ; and is as much bound to keep it in all other points as this , or else he is a transgressour , and is one of those that would be laying yoaks upon the disciples necks , unto whom they were never intended , for if the ceremonies and rites and outward observations which properly did belong to the jewish church , and state to observe till the fulness of time , when the partition wall should be broken down , and the jewes and gentiles should be one , and one shepherd and one fold for them both ( and no longer ) and they were never given to the gentiles to observe ; and therefore , for ought i can perceive many would have the gentile christians , who never were under the law , neither the ordinances of the first covenant , neither ever given to them , yet they would compell the christians to live as do the jewes , and to observe their ordinances ; and therefore are greatly to be blamed , gal 2. 13 , 14. therefore we do not look upon any swearing to be now a duty under the gospel among true christians , truly such , as some swearing was once under the law , but affirme all swearing to be now a sin , because forbidden by the positive law of christ under the gospel , who by his death ended the right of that , and many more legal rites and rudiments , which who so doth observe now as christians doth it not without sin , and guilt , and superstition ; and therefore s. fisher that faithful servant of god ( who suffred in bonds til death for his testimony even in this particular ) saith well , that that sort of swearing which was not sin simpliciter in its nature under the law , is now a sin upon the account of christs universal prohibition of all swearing ; who was of authority to put to an end , as he did by his death unto the law : and therefore that sort of service and worship which stood in outward observations , which was a duty because commanded under the law , and no sin , in their own nature , neither were evil in themselves , nor in any respect conducing thereto , as they were observed , but had some signal good in them once , and yet who observes them now , as service of god , makes christ of so little effect to himself , as that he profits him nothing at all ; i hope a. s. will not deny but these things are forbidden in the new testament , which sometime were not evil in their own nature , but now are evil when the substance is come , in whom they all end ; and therefore s. f. his argument is not vain but of force : and yet let a. s. know that there were many things observed and done not only by the jewes , but by them that believed in christ , and thought well of him while he was present with them , and yet did not see to the end of these things which were shadows and signes , and good as once commanded , and had no evil in them , but were good as commanded , and for the end for which they were ordain'd , which afterwards in the more full growth and knowledge in the mystery of christianity they came more to be seen thorough , and that was felt in which they all ended ; and though christ came not to destroy the law , but to fulfill it , and to observe the ordinances commanded in that covenant to fulfill that which was written of him , psal. 40. 6. in the volume of the book it is written , i am come to do thy will o god. and further he said himself , it behoveth us to fulfill all righteousness : and that which was commanded , but this was before he was offred up , and was as a midle dispensation betwixt the ending of the law and publishing of the gospel ; yet howbeit christ knew it , and did speak of it at some time , that those things that had been sometime commanded , deut. 12. 5. and was good as they stood related to the end wherefore they were commanded , instance the worship at jerusalem , and the service there , and the place where god had promis'd to place his name , yet christ said as foreknowing the end of all , the aforesaid worship which appertained to that covenant , and therfore he said to the woman , joh. 4. 23. but the hour cometh and now is when the true worshipers , shall worship the father in spirit and truth , for the father seekes such to worship him , and 24. vers . god is a spirit , and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth , 2 cor. 3. 17. from hence it is clearly evident ( for this was before he was offred up ) ( that then was the time ) that neither at jerusalem , nor in the mountain of samaria , it shall be only said they worship the father , though at jerusalem was the place , deut. 1. 1 , 2 , 5. of worship formerly , and the jewes held it then , and the worship was that which was commanded , to wit sacrifices , and offrings , and many other legal services , which belonged to them to perform according to the command of god , and if swearing or oathes was any part of the service of god , as in that covenant , as we with a. s. doth grant , deutr. 10. 20. you shall fear the lord and serve him , and swear by his name , then i say , that swearing amongst the rest of the worship is included , but saith christ , neither at jerusalem , nor this mountain , but they that worship shall worship the father in spirit and in truth , so that the time was ( then ) but came on more afterwards to be fulfilled , that both the place , and the worship , and service that belonged to the place , they should no more worship the father ( with and in ) but in the spirit and in the truth , and this may be in answer to that which a. s. makes a great adoe with in his book , how that christ said , swear not at all , it was before his death , and therefore they that argue , saith he , that swearing was prohibited only and ended in christs death , cannot plead that all oathes was prohibited , but that command of christ , mat. 5. because he spake this in his life time , i say so did he this , jo. 20. 21 , 22 , 23. and he may as well argue that christ destroyed the place of worship at jerusalem , and the worship also , and came not to fulfill it as he saith he did , and why , but because he spoke this before he was crucified , and so did he , swear not at all , and why may not a. s. conclude with us that this is a commodious place to interpret and explain christs meaning in those words in the 5th mat. 23 , and 24. and so the words may truly be understood thus , yee have heard that it hath been said of old time , thou shalt not forswear thy self , but shalt performe unto the lord thine oathes , exod. 20. 7. and deutr. 5. 11. but the hour cometh and now is , ( when i say unto you ) that say more then the law hath said , swear not at all , neither by heaven nor by the earth , but let your yea be yea , and your nay nay , for whatsoever is more then these cometh of evil , and yet whatever may or can be said a. s. will need conclude that all swearing is not forbiden , and why ? because it hath been the practise of holy men , and also an angel , this argument is of little force , so was it the practise of holy men to offer sacrifice , and burn incense , and as for the swearing of the angel , dan. 12. and revel . 10. 6. to prove the lawfulness of some swearing , these hath been answered , over and over , and over again , though a. s. will take no notice of it , though i perceive he hath read the arguments that have been used as answers to these things , though he will not seem to take notice , nor to reply to confute the arguments , but rather minds his own , and to assert what may seem to make for his purpose , as to the matter he hath taken in hand , but as for good mens swearing , and the angels swearing , if their example would justifie the lawfulness of swearing , yet they could not be any president to us , who are under the gospel of the son that is greater then the angels , ( by the dispensation of whom ) the law for oathes , tithes , offrings , oblations , and other legal rites , and rudiments was given , which son also , all the angels of god are bid to worship , for the apostle saith , hebr. 2. 5. for unto the angels hath he not put into subjection the world to come , but that is committed unto the son , under whose ministration and subjection we are , who said , let your yea be yea , and your nay , nay , and speak the truth , and do the truth , and bear witness to the truth , who said , learn of me , and these things we have learned of him unto whom all power is committed , for he is counted hebr. 3. 3. more worthy of glory then moses , though moses was faithful in his house as a servant , but christ as a son , which is that great prophet that moses prophesied of , which all is to hearken unto , with whom the father is well pleased , being made so much better then the angels , hebr. 1. 4. as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name then they , vers . 5. for unto which of the angels said he at any time thou art my son , this day i have begotten thee , vers . 6. again when he bringeth the first begotten into the world , he saith , let all the angels of god worship him , of the angels he saith he makes them ministring spirits and a flame of fire , but unto the son he saith thy throne oh god is for ever and ever , the scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdome , for if the words spoken by angels was stedfast , and every transgression received a just recompence of reward , how shall they escape ( hebr. 2. 3. ) who do not only neglect the command of christ but labours to pervert , through their strength of their own reason the ministration of the son , who is the summe and substance of all shadowy and typical ministrations ; and therefore a. s. and all concerned look to it who would introduce judaism and the mosaical observations upon the neck of christs disciples , and as lawes in his kingdom , and whether would not this prefer the servant before the son , yea or nay , and his ministration before the ministration of the sons , though the one is not against the other , but the one pointing at the other , and in the latter the first is fulfilled , the truth declared , the truth spoken , the truth lived in , and the truth confessed in every matter wherein any christian is concerned , which is the summe and the matter , which all oaths in their highest and greatest ordination could or can effect . in the 4● th . page of his book he saith , our saviour saith amen , amen , 24. time in john's gospel , which he saith st. ambrose will needs have to amount unto an oath ; and he cites apoc. 3. these things saith the amen , compares it with isa. 65. 16. where he concludes that amen seems either to be a name or an epethite of god , and this he says is the opinion of our church in the homily against swearing , that our saviour did swear divers times ; and further says , it cannot be denyed that god himself swore , psalm . 110. 4. the lord hath sworn and will not repent ; and so concludes that christ forbid not all swearing : unto this bp. gauden though he straines and scrues very hard as a. s. doth to make all things to bend to their inclination will needs have ●men , or verily , verily , to be an oath : doctor gauden in his citation of capellos out of rabby johnas , says , in veritate forma jurandi apud judeos ; but he concludes doubtfully , and says , it is only the next degree unto an oath ; but a. s. thinks he hath put it out of doubt with his reason and his authors , that verily , verily , is an oath , which if it were true this would only prove swearing lawful in sermons , and not in controversies , which is the great good end he so much pleads for , and if this were true would serve his turn . the magistrates exacting oathes he seems to prove out of the mosaical law , and the priests swearing lawfully out of pauls epistles and christs sermons , but this his covering is too short , and is but trifling in the weighty things of god , not distinguishing betwixt the first covenant and the second , and the ordinances thereof ; for the first he hath no adversary , viz. that they did swear though never exacted under penalties , the second we conclude to be no oath , viz. amen , amen , or verily , verily , which is no more then truly , truly , i say unto ye ; and if this be an oath why hath it not , and why is it not accepted as such ; for we have said more then this and can do in truth which we look upon to be far from amounting to an oath , and yet it would never be received as such , which argues plainly that what s. f. and r. h. hath said , though a. s. quarel with it , that surely the magistrates in england doth not believe the priests doctrine , for if they did , why are so many sentenced to perpetual imprisonment , with confiscation of all lands and goods to the ruinating of many poor wives and children , which a. s. knows little of , and for ought i know such a discourse as this may add affliction to their bonds , and misery to their sufferings , and yet these have never been received ; as if we say , verily , verily , or truly , truly , or god is our witness , or we speak the truth in gods presence ; yet notwithstanding this would never give satisfaction to any magistrate in any judicature that ever we knew or heard of in england ; and though he tell us of i. pennington , how that he gave satisfaction , and that it found acceptance with the court , and also to the king : we are not ignorant of what i. p. hath written , which is wholsome , just , and good , and sound , and condescendingly as a christian man could do , as about the premisses to pacifie and satisfie all whom it concerned , that they might not proceed in such a rigorous manner against the truly conscientious , and so in letting them know what we could do , and what we could not do , yet notwithstanding what ever any might seem to own as sufficient in private , we never found it in publick , or in any case of concernment , but rather they knew before hand what would ensnare us , have set the snare , and run us into it ; but notwithstanding all this that a. s. will have to be oaths , as god is witness , and i speak the truth in christ ; and verily , verily , it will not serve , for he says , the law will not allow of it , for inferiour magistrates are sworn he says to act according to law , and the law prescribes in what manner , and with what formality oaths shall be taken ; and therefore the magistrates are not at liberty to accept thereof , because they are tyed up to the rules of the law , as i said before , seeing that oaths are a matter of great concernment unto many it had been a more necessary discourse for a. s. to have told the magistrates that these things in testimony which were ready to be given had been sufficient , and that they should not so much have stood upon the formality , seeing that which answered the substance of the law was not denyed , though we except against the formality which is now used , and hath no example or president in the scriptures of truth as they are used ; and therefore let a. s. tell the rulers that the rules of the law in this case is too strict , and the penalty exceeds the transgression far ; as for a man for not holding up his hand , or laying it upon a bible , and kissing it , and saying after a clark or a cryer , i swear , and the like needless ceremonies , which are not without ( at least ) a shew of evil in them , yet for not doing and observing these formalities , though those things which a. s. and others calls swearing , we have condescended unto ; yet it 's reckoned as insufficient , though themselves say it is an oath , yet it is not called so , nor accounted so , except the aforesaid needless trifles be observed , and is not this a hard thing , and far from equity , justice , and reason , that a man should be exposed to so great a penalty as confiscation of lands and goods , and perpetual imprisonment , for want of observing of these trifling , groundless , needless ceremonies and formalities , which is not at all beseeming christians ; and whether the law had not need to be rectified in this case , which exposeth so many to so great suffring , which we in conscience doth except against as well as oaths , and seeth that the penalty far exceeds the crime , if it were any ; but we look upon it to be none at all , but rather a duty incumbant upon christians to keep to yea and nay ; or that which amounts to it in all their communications both publick and private , and not to swear at all , but to abide in christs doctrine and walk after the primitive christians example to testifie the truth and not to swear : and as for amen , amen , verily , verily , is no more then truly , truly , and is no more then an ardent , and a fervent speech from the heart of him that speaketh , wherein he would be believed , or it is truth from which and in which he speaks ; and as for comparing amen with the 65. of isa. and 16. where he is called the god of truth ; this proves nothing at all , he is called the god of truth in opposition to false gods , which were lies ; and in opposition to the heathenish gods which were not true gods , which had eyes and saw not , &c. and could not save ; he might as well say , when wisdom , holiness , righteousness , or immortality is named or mentioned , that therefore it is an oath , as when truth is spoken , for these are as much epethites of god as truly or truth ; and though your church in a homily against swearing , do say that christ did often swear because he said , verily , we judge you have concluded upon too slender a ground : and as for psal. 110. the lord hath sworn and will not repent : it is not denyed though the lord swore once , yea more then once by himself ; this was in condescention to the state of man in weakness and unbelief ; and as to the state of the jewes , gal. 3. 19. before the seed was revealed , which was the substance of all figures , and gods example of swearing is no example for us now to imitate , and was in no wise a confirming of that old legal ceremony of oaths , as a practice legitimate to his saints for ever , as a. s. would make us believe it was , for his oath , viz. ( gods ) ended in christ , in whom all the promises confirmed by oath , were yea , and in him amen , was also to end all strife between him and men , and to put an end to all strife and oaths also that are among men to end strife ; ambrose saith upon that 110. psal. let him then swear who cannot repent of his oaths ; a little after the same ambrose saith , do not imitate him in swearing whom you cannot imitate in performing ; and indeed the principal sollution he gives is not to swear at all : and theophilus upon the place in controversie whom a. s. says was not ca●telous enough , as it seems among the rest of the fathers that a. s. sets as judge of , he saith , learn hence that under the law it was not evil for one to swear , but since the coming of christ it is evil , as is circumcision , and in some what ever is judaical , for it became a child to suck but not a man : so that it appears he amongst the rest of the fathers did not only declare against oaths in general or private communication , but also distinguishes betwixt the first covenant and the second , and the ordinances thereof ; and though the holy ghost bear witness that both angels and men , yea and good men , and the creator himself in that first covenant did swear , so that a. s. concludes that it is not morally evil of its own nature ; in the first we shall not much quarel nor dispute as under the law , but that which was obliging then , as by command , is not always obliging , but christ the end of the law for righteousness said , let your yea be yea , and your nay , nay , for whatsoever is more under the gospel ( then amounts to this ) comes of evil ; therefore there is no necessity to put any other sence of christs words then his universal prohibition of all swearing as under the gospel , ( seeing that speaking the truth , confessing the truth , declaring the truth , and nothing but the truth in any matter wherein any christian is concerned either in respect of god , or a mans neighbour , this answers the very substance of the law , and the very end and purpose thereof , as ever an oath did among the jewes in the first institution ; for asmuch as speaking the truth acknowledgeth gods omnisciency and presence , and power , and wisdom ; secondly it doth any office to any neighbour , as in bearing witness to any truth , and again to find out any transgressour , or transgression ; and this is done , may be done , and ought to be done by all true christians ; and therefore no necessity of that formal ceremonious way of swearing as under the law , neither is there any necessity for seeking any other sence of christs words and the apostles words , swear not at all by heaven or earth , or any other , seeing all the main ends and good ends , and good purposes is answered in the full , which the law in the full latitude and morality thereof did require , or for which it was given . his sixth argument is , that either these words , swear not at all must be interpreted as not to forbid any oath though taken upon just occasion , or else paul never knew the meaning of this text , or else contrary to his knowledge , and that upon good deliberation he acted against it , and that in these very writings wherein we all believe that he was infallibly assisted by the holy ghost ; for his oaths saith a. s. are upon record , 1 thes. 2. 5. god is witness ; see rom. 1. 9. now to call god to witness is the very substance of an oath saith a. s. and as austin tells him , and he says he hath not read of any of a contrary opinion except some phanaticks , which if they would yield to as much as paul saith , god is witness of the truth of their assertions , it might be wished out of condescention to their weakness that they might be dispensed withal if the law would give leave as to the external formality of an oath . ans. what a. s. will call a just ●ccasion i know not , it appears to me he would have a large compasse , and a larger then the most contenders against christs doctrine that we have met with or what he will account a just occasion i know not , though otherwise he seem to condemn sometimes needless and vain oaths in ordinary communication , though i know some without reflection upon a. s. who uses them too too frequently , and are not only members but pastours so called of the church of england , and though he seems in his discourse here and there to be against customary and vain oaths , yet for all that what he calls a just occasion upon some ground , some calls it a needful occasion when they are called before a magistrate and some when any business is in controversie betwixt man and man calls it a just occasion , where sometimes i have seen a curate administer that which he called an oath upon a book , what ground he had i suspect either from commandement , or example of primitive ministers , ( is certain he had none ) but it may be a. s. will conclude it was upon a just occasion , but what compass he will have for his just occasion is doubtful , seeing he hath put no termination or end to it ; but for ought i can perceive would leave liberty for every man to exact an oath upon another when he would , and call it a just occasion , and account it a point of duty in the other to obey even in ordinary communication . and as for st. paul we deny thy argument , as that he never knew the meaning of this text of christs prohibition ; secondly that in his writings he acted contrary to his knowledge , and upon set deliberation , for though god was his witness whom he served with his spirit , in the gospel of his son , that without ceasing i make mention of you always in my prayers . also , that which a. s. calls an oath , 1 thes. 2. 5. for neither at any time used we flattering words as ye know for a cloak of covetousness , god is witness . though we know and infallibly believe with a. s. that he was infallibly assisted by the holy ghost , when he published the gospel of christ among the gentiles , and wrote both unto the jewes , and to the gentiles , who believed that his calling god to witness was not any oath , neither was there any necessity or just occasion , whatever a. s. may call just occasion we cannot , for he hath left such a great compass for himself to turn in , though here and there he seem to disallow of customary oaths and frequent oaths ; yet notwithstanding his , discourse rather tends to an allowance of swearing frequently and unnecessarily , for we reckon it to be a piece of ordinary communication for a christian minister to write a letter of admonition , or exhortation , or an epistle unto the believing hearers , and that there is no necessity of oaths in such a discourse ; for what ever a. s. sayes this would make the apostle guilty of frequent , and unnecessary , and common swearing , which we are far from believing ; for asmuch as they that did believe through the word of life declared by the spirit of god in him , neither through his epistles written , being assisted by the holy ghost they were not like to believe him for swearing if he had sworn ; but saith a. s. if his words had really been believed which he spoke and wrote , what occasion would there have been for him to have written so to the romans , rom. 9. 1. i say the truth in christ , i lie not . the apostle knew what occasion he had to speak these words , and the occasion was this , that the jewes sought to be justified by the righteousness of the law and by the works thereof , and would need look upon themselves as the children of god , because they were of the stock of abraham according to the flesh , but the apostle knew and also gave them to understand that the children of the promise was counted for the seed ; and again , for they are not all israel which are of israel , rom. 9. 6 , 7 , 8. and thus he spake truth unto them , as it was revealed by christ , whom the father had revealed in him , and why might he not say , i speak the truth in christ , seeing that christ was in him , and he in him ? i lie not , my conscience also bears me witness in the holy ghost , he might also as well say that paul swore by his conscience , seeing that he took it for a witness ; away , away , with such perverting and straining of the scripture beyond and beside the mind of the holy ghost , for god is witness , and i say the truth in christ , they are no more then ardent and zealous , or fervent expressions , as the spirit of god at several times did stir up in his heart both to speak and write , for the end that they unto whom he spoke or wrote might believe ; and therefore we conclude not as a. s. would needs have it , that the apostle spoke these fervent words unnecessarily , for we know and see his end and purpose was good , and therefore he spoke with fervency , and with boldness the spirit of the lord bearing witness in his conscience that he spoke the truth , which we are far from believing , is either juration or abjuration , and for ought can be perceived by a. s. disdainful spirit , all that doth dissent from him in his opinion he calls phanaticks , and paul shall hardly go free , nor divers of the ancient fathers , as , orgen , chrysostome , jerome , theophilact , and others , who denyed not only swearing in private conversation , but to swear at all ; but now these must be called phanaticks , who dissent from all men but themselves , by a. s. and such as he who sails with wind and tide , and exalteth and applaudeth that which hath praise amongst men , and hath not the praise of god ; and so the last of all he makes this conclusion , that so help me god , is the most certain expression of an oath ; which forme of words that though he count them certain , we find not either under the law or under the gospel , and i look upon it more as a piece of flattery in a. s. because this is the forme and the custome which is now called swearing , which is in use in this nation , and its strange to us that they will reckon this so great a piece of peculiar service , which is incommunicable to any creature but only to god , when as indeed we never find it written or commanded , either among the jews , or commended or used amongst all the writings of christ and the apostles that hath relation to christianity ; indeed i remember that i have read that in the days when the popes authority was in full power here in england , how that the chancellour then of england said to one of john wickliffs followers being brought before him , in examination he said unto him , lay thy hand upon the book thou heretick and swear , so help me god and holy doom : an old superstitious popish forme i look upon it to be , and hath no consistance with an oath in its true matter and forme under the law , when it was commanded ; and for ought i see a. s. will rather take part with the church of rome and her members , who persecuted , rather then wickliffe that famous reformer , who had his bones taken up and burned 41. years after his decease , and his books , and these articles condemned by the council of constance , who also burned john hus , and jerome of prague for holding john wickliffs opinions , which was , that all oaths under the gospel be unlawful . i say a. s. might have been more modest then with the council of constance condemn them for error , seeing they were the only people in their age and time that opposed , and suffered for opposing the church of rome in the apostacy , seeing that they are faine to own them if they look for any reformation before luther to be their witnesses against the church of rome , which i have heard many protestants say that they were on their part against the church of rome ; and though a. s. tells us of a generation of people , quos non persuadabis etiam si persuaveris , who as they will not be perswaded so they will not be councelled , who will have nothing else to be the formality of an oath but by god ; but this he says only of his own head , except he knew some people that we know not of , for we say to swear the lord liveth as an oath , and again , as the lord lives is an oath , or by the lord that lives for ever and ever is an oath ; and yet we must needs deny that paul swore in the 1 cor. 15. 1. when he said by your rejoycing i die daily : and we never said a. s. mistook himself in saying that , by , as the only mark and character of an oath ; and if austin said upon these words of paul as a. s. tells us , per vestram gloriam juratio est , upon pauls words , i suspect his judgment , and therefore shall not so much regard it : but a. s. seems not to be at unity in his book with himself notwithstanding all his raveling out where he seems in his 41. page to dislike of nicholas fullers judgment , viz. that there is no oath where god is not interposed ; and yet in the 56. page he saith that the substance of an oath consists in the attestation of god , and in the 89. page he saith that christ answering to the high priest , i am , and thou hast said , is an oath . and in the 91. page it was enough that christ denyed not to swear , and from this he imagines that he did swear ; and when we enquire what the oath was , it amounts but to this , thou hast said i am ; and where was the attestation of god here named , or mentioned , or spoken on by christ ? was his words any more then his own doctrine which he taught before , let your yea be yea , and your nay , nay : when the high priest said , art thou the king of the jewes ? he answered i am ; and is this any more then yea , though not in the same syllables ; and mat. 26. 63. i adjure thee to tell us whether thou art the son of god or not ? and he answered , thou hast said . and is this any more then yea , or i am , or it is truth but indeed if one should traduce a. s. in his discourse and of his definition of an oath , it is so uncertain one shall hardly know what to pitch upon to be his judgment , sometime it is this , and sometime it i● that , and sometime it is neither this nor that , sometime he says it is an oath where god is interposed , one while an oath consists in the attestation of god , another while it consists in saying truly , truly , and sometimes , i call god to witness is an oath ; and sometimes thou hast said is an oath , sometime because god is named in a sentence , therefore he concludes it must be an oath , otherwhiles when he is not named it must be an oath ; and thus he twines up and down , leaving people in the dark , and leading them after his imaginations . and i shall conclude the answer to this reason , and neither impute ignorance nor wickedness to the great apostle , nor conclude that christs words as he saith doubtless the apostle did , must be understood in a limited sence , and limited only to creatures , and not to all swearing ; and why so but because the apostle said , god is witness ; and i speak the truth in christ , which is no contradiction of christs prohibition , swear not at all . his seventh argument is this , if some swearing be enjoyned in the third commandment , then all swearing is not forbidden by christ in these words , swear not at all , because he came not to destroy the law , but some swearing is their enjoyned , or else the law written by the finger of god in tables of stone cannot be vindicated from imperfection ; and therefore in this negative precept the affirmative must needs be included , thou shalt reverence the name of the lord and swear by it , whensoever it is not vain but necessary , which is required by a lawful magistrate for the glory of god , and for maintaining of peace , punishing offenders , and ending of controversies , and all these are necessary ends , but not attainable , at least not so well by any expedient , yet put in practice as by interposition of oaths , so it cannot reasonably be believed that christ would forbid them being of such important use . reply . the substance of this is answered before , but however a. s. how he can make this third commandment , thou shalt not take the name of the lord thy god in vain , to prove the continuation of swearing under the gospel among christians we do not see , if bishop gaudens words be true ( as they are ) who says , a true christians oath is needless , his word being as firme as it , page 41. and an evil mans oath is worthy of no more credit then a lyer , pag. 17● since upon that account whosoever swears by the name of god swears in vain and to no purpose , whether he be a true man , or one deceitful , his word amounting to as much as his oath : and why a. s. mentions the third commandment to prove swearing lawful under the gospel except for the morality of it which he looks upon christ came not to destroy , and doth he look that every letter and syllable of all the ten commandments is so moral in all respects unchangable and uncaple of any annihilation by christs coming he much forgets himself , for all these things contained in the first table are not so moral or perpetual without some ceremoniality and subjection to alteration by christs coming , as he imagines if he had but remembred the fourth commandment the next unto it , remember that thou keep holy the sabbath day , which then was the very 7th . day of the week which god had sanctified , was but a type and sign , and shadow , and figure , and a ceremony of the 7th . day of the worlds rest from its labour and of the everlasting sabbath as i said before , heb. 4. and i might as well argue if the 7th . day of the week was commanded in the fourth commandment , then the 7th . day is not prohibited , neither by commandment , example , or practice of christ , the apostles or primitive christians ; and i might add this as a reason , because christ came not to destroy the law but to fulfill it ; and further i might add the 7th . day was enjoyned in the 4th . commandment , ( and they used to call it as moral as the third ) and therefore it ought to be so under the gospel , or else the law written in ' lables of stone cannot be vindicated from imperfection , and what would all my arguing prove , even as much as a. s. his arguing , the continuation and necessity of oaths from the third commandment , and that is nothing at all ; and the law of god needs not a. s. nor any vindication , it is perfect and endures for ever , psal. 19. 7. and the ceremonies , land types , and shadows that were joyned with , and unto the substance of the law , doth neither add nor detract from its perfection , but it is the same in its self for ever ; and though we cannot own swearing in that ceremonious way as the jewes did use it till the seed came , unto whom the law and the prophets bore witness ; yet we do not make void the third commandment , we take not his name in vain , but reverence it , and speakes well of it , and sanctifies it in our hearts ; and as the apostle said , do we make void the law through the preaching of faith , god forbid . so do we make void the law , or the perfection of it , by speaking the truth , and bearing witness to the truth ; though as i said we cannot own those typical ceremonious way of swearing as it was in the first covenant ; nay it is established , and the third commandment is established , for he that speaks the truth and bears witness in and from the truth , honours gods name , and reverences it , forasmuch as he is called the god of truth , and as we have said , being lawfully called before a magistrate to bear testimony in any thing wherein the glory of god , or our neighbour is concerned , or the decision of controversie , seeing that true testimony is a medium that concernes as much to that purpose now as swearing did under the law , therefore we have still been and are ready to answer all these necessary ends , and as well ; and this is as good and expedient to be put in practice amongst christians as interposition of oaths , enjoyned by god in the first covenant , and far more evangelical , and therefore shall conclude with that of jerome , the gospel truth admits not of an oath . his eighth argument is , that christ did never any things without some ground of reason , but no reason can be shewed why all manner of swearing should be forbidden in a due manner , and upon a just and necessary occasion , and therefore we may well believe that such swearing was neither here or any where else forbidden . reply . we shall not much dissent or disagree about terms with a. s. that christ did never any thing without some ground or reason , but yet we must deny his conclusion , that no reason can be given why all manner of swearing should be forbidden ; first of all there was a time since man had a being in this creation when he was in the image of god , and stood in the covenant of god , when there was no oath , neither any necessity thereof , man being endued with power from god , which was placed in him , so that he was in a capacity to fulfill , obey and serve , and believe his maker without an oath ; for unbelief or sin had not yet entred , and this was before the fall , gen. 1. 26 , 27. secondly , christ the unspeakable gift of god , who is the mediator of the everlasting covenant , yea the covenant it self , who is given for a leader to the people , and who is made a propitiation for sin and transgression , to end both sin , transgression , and unbelief , which was the cause of the addition of the law , who leads to the beginning again , all that truly do believe , and are worthy to be called true christians , or by the name of christ to have union with god again , in that life , power , truth , righteousness and wisdom , in which the image of god truly consists which was before sin and transgression , and before the law which was added because of it , which was commanded four hundred and thirty years after the promise was made , gal. 3. 17. thirdly , after sin was entred , and death by sin , an unbelieving part got up in all the sons of adam , so that they could not believe god nor his promises , and yet such was his love unto mankind , considering the state into which they were plunged for confirmation of his word unto man , he swore by himself this was the lords condescention unto their low and unbelieving estate all that time , and no way exemplary for christians ( truly such ) who are come into the faith , and to the truth it self , who do believe that all the promises are fulfilled in christ , yea , and amen , who is the author of faith and of eternal salvation to them that believe , heb. 9. 12. who prohibited that by his command , mat. 5. 23. which sometimes was permitted , yea and commanded , yea and added because of transgression , and for which the law and the command for oaths ( was only added ) which he did not destroy ) because he leads from under the power of that which the law came against ( which is just and good , and holy ) and the seed fulfills it , and hath unity with it , and with him who is the judge and law-giver , and saviour of all that do believe in him from sin and transgression . fourthly , at that time when the law was given forth at mount sina , exod. 19. 20. generally all the nations were given to idolatry , and to serve and worship strange gods , as baal , ashtaroth , chemosh , rimphan , & many others , as the gods of samaria , which was said to be according to the number of their cities , and their idols were called the sin of samaria ; amos saith , they swear by the sin of samaria , that did say , the god o dan lives ; and the manner of barsheba lives , even they shall fall and never rise again , amos 7. 14. which was no other then the calves which jeroboam set up at dan and bethel , which they feared , worshipped and swore by ; therefore god having chosen a peculiar people to himself to worship and serve him , and honour him , who should not walk after the manner of the rest of the nations who knew not god , he commanded them to serve him , and worship him , and swear by his name , as jerome saith well , to keep them from idolatry , and that they should not swear by the gods of the heathen as the rest of the nations did round about ; yet still this must be considered that this was the state of the minority of the jewish church , wherein god gave them ordinances suitable to their state , but it doth not follow , neither can it be reasonably concluded that these ordinances were to be perpetually binding unto all future generations , especially when christ the seed unto whom all the promises are , in whom the law is fulfilled , and in whom the former ministrations ends , that his disciples and true christians should always be bound to those things once commanded , especially seeing christ their master , in whom the father is well pleased hath prohibited this about swearing , and also did prophesie of the time to come after his resurrection and his scension , that those visible things which were as a ministration for a time , should end as to the outward exercise and typical and figurative appearance of them , and that all these things should be revealed within by the spirit and felt in the power of god in all that did believe ; when the holy ghost should be poured forth , and the promise of the father be made manifest . fifthly , now considering that the name of god is believed in , and he is confessed unto , and his christ , and that there is not that idolatry ( especially outward ) as there was in the nations before and after the flood especially in that which is called christendom , though we dare not conclude that all are israel that are of israel , or that all are christians that have the name , yet generally i say the name of god and his christ is acknowledged and worshipped , and not idols and false gods ; therefore there is not the necessity of swearing by the name of god , as there was at the time of the giving forth of the law , but especially among them that the father will reckon as truly his subjects and disciples of christ , who are partakers of his divine nature , here is not that necessity among them , for they through the law being dead to it , it hath no more power over them ; and therefore no reason that they should be kept as under tutors and governours , seeing that the age and ages is come , which the apostle spoke of , eph. 2. 7. wherein christ is revealed the hope of glory , and whom he makes free are free indeed , joh. 8. 32 , 36. sixthly and lastly , the command of oaths was given for the ending of strife and controversies among men , heb. 6. which hath relation to the law , and to the state of the jewes , and their political proceedings the apostle brings but that in , as an instance or an example , and it is but a. s. his groundless supposition that it seems it was used in the apostles time , the apostle speaking of an oath only as among men , and not of saints , who as concerning strife the occasion of swearing , and consequently concerning swearing should not walk as men , 1 cor. 2. 1 , 2 , 3. but a. s. should consider this as every one ought that when men that hath been once in strife and contention , and variance , come once into christ , and to be in him new creatures , ( christians ) to walk no more as carnal , not as men , but as men of god , and as spiritual , and as true saints and christians , they come both out of strife and swearing , which was added to endstrife ; and what ever a. s. may conclude , we say these and divers more are great and weighty reasons wherefore christ did prohibit all swearing , and puts it out of use and date , and no necessity of it as among true christians , seeing that every true saying or testimony is equivolent with an oath . his ninth argument is , that either these words swear not at all must not be extended to a total prohibition of swearing , or else christ thereby gave a new moral command , but christ gave no new moral command , for that had been contrary to gods express will , thou shalt not add unto the word which i command ; & besides he ordained no new law in the matter of the 6th . and 7th . commandments , and shall we think that he who vindicated the other commandments from the leud depravations of men , hath abrogated this only , as though it had not been framed by the same wisdom , and acted by the same god , and further christs opposition is only against the pharaseical misinterpretations of the law , and if only so , then christ did not forbid such oaths as was lawfully before enjoyned . reply . what ever a. s. call a new moral command , sure i am , he commanded that which was more exact then the law , so that doctor gauden himself says , that christ gave many singular precepts of more eminent diligence , patience , charity , moritification , self-denial , sincerity , and the perfection of obedience required now under the gospel is above what ever the letter of the moseical law seemed to exact , or by the pharaseical interpretation were taught by the jewes , &c. in which he speaks the truth : it was said in the 21. of exod. and 42. of levit. an eye for an eye , and a tooth for a tooth ; but in mat. 5. 39. christ commanded that which the law had not spoken of , and not only a further thing , but another thing , but i say unto you that ye resist not ill , but whoever shall smite thee on the right cheek turn to him the other also , ver . 40 , 41. and if a man shall sue thee at law and take away thy coat , let him have thy cloak also ; where said the law this , and whosoever shall compell thee to go a mile go with him twain ; where did ever the law of moses command this ? and though the law said , levit. 19. thou shalt love thy neighbour , and hate thine enemy ; which he saith was but a pharaseical innovation , which if it be , i query of a. s. where in the law it is written , love thine enemy , and as was said before , whether did not israel fight with their enemies , and kill them , and destroy them , and whether they had not a command so to do , yea or nay ? as in deut 2. 24. chap. 3. 3. numb . 21. 23 , 24 , 25. josh. 10. 19. 23. and whether this be not another thing that christ saith , ver . 44. but i say unto you love your enemies , bless them that curse you , do good to them that hate you , &c. but it is manifest that in the second covenant under the gospel that a more evangelical and exact obedience then was exprest in the letter of the law , which so far as it was typical , was only a temporary dispensation ; for as i said before the letter of the law of moses permitted to be avenged on enemies , aegiptians , amalckites , &c. and i hope that a. s. will not conclude that they killed them in love to them , and they might be avenged and take an eye for an eye , and a tooth for a tooth , whose gospel in other points which the law had not said forbids and condemnes rash anger , lust after women , polligum , divorce , except for fornication , and yet it was indulged and connived at as under the law , yet the lord saith by the prophet malachy , mal. 2. 16. he hateth putting away ; while the letter condemned no more but actual murder , and adultery , indulging and conniving polligume and divorce : and though under the law , stripe for stripe , wound for wound was permitted ; but under the gospel resist not evil , avenge not , forbear , forgive , for the whole law of moses was given by the dispensation of angels in the hand of that mediator for a time ; and so some swearing and such swearing as even by god , was used in order to end strife , where it was yet standing , yet christ the mediator of a better covenant , in whose hand the law is now unto all christians , he forbad not only that which the law allowed , and indulged , connived at and commanded in divers things , as is manifest in this fifth of mathew , where he prohibits all swearing ; so that it is evident that christ doth not only reprove the false glosses , and the abusive loose interpretations of the law which they allowed , but even divine indulgence dispensed with and connived at in the things before mentioned , because of the hardness of their hearts : and let a. s. or any man living shew us wherein christ requires a righteousness or perfection that exceeds that of the law , for the law said , swear not by any creature but only by god , and forswear not , and if christ said no more but swear not by any creature , as heaven and earth , and jerusalem , where is that higher state of perfection , and that righteousness which exceeds that of the law , and of the scribes and pharisees . and though a. s. will not grant that he ordained a new law in matter of the 6. 7. commandments , no more will he grant of the fourth , which i suppose a. s. doth not keep as it was commanded under the law where ever he will have his dispensation i know not ; so to conclude in answer to this , he did more then reprove the erroneous tenets and vicious manners of the jewes , and their false interpretations and glosses which they had given upon the law , but he doth disallow also something which the law had allowed before , as is proved before , and that he disallowed something , yea divers things which the law had allowed and connived , and indulged , as divers polligume , killing enemies , or in seeking revenge upon them that had done ill unto us , which the law allowed as an act of justice , deut. 19. 21. eye for eye , & tooth for tooth ; but this christ exhorted unto , overcome evil with good , avenge not , resist not , do good to them that hate you , and pray for them that despitefully use you , and persecute you : likewise the law , deut. 42. 1 , 2. when a man takes a wife , and it comes to pass she finds no favour in his eyes , because he hath found some uncleanness in her , then let him write her a bill of divorcement , and send her out of his house , and when she is departed out of his house she may go and be another mans wife : but christ saith , mat. 5. 32. who shall marry her that is divorced , commits adultery : which is a clear prohibition of that which the law allowed , and what a. s. will call this , whether a new moral command , or promulgation of a new law i know not , but it is evident enough that some things were prohibited by christ , which the law commanded , or at least allowed , and therefore we conclude from the 23. and 24. verses of the 5th . of mathew , that christ did prohibite all vain swearing and unlawful swearing , which was disallowed before under the law , but even all swearing which was commanded , or at least permitted under the law , for the reasons and ends given before , and this will stand as truth , notwithstanding a. s. his argument . his tenth argument is , that if the high priest charged christ to swear , and he without exception answered upon oath , and that some years after he had said , swear not at all , from hence follows that when the magistrate imposeth an oath , the person charged to swear may lawfully answer upon oath as christ did , notwithstanding his prohibition of swear not at all . reply . first that was a time when the administration of the first covenant was not fully ended , for christ was not yet offred up , and so the high priest as being a jew might from the commandement or permission of the law as being one that sat in moses chair might require christ to speak upon oath , as persumeing he had authority so to do , being he looked upon it as a work of god ; and what though it was some years after christ had said , swear not at all ; what doth a. s. infer from this , christ knew that the high priest and pharisees were about the work of their father the devil ; and though the high priest did say , i adjure , which a. s. * tells us is , i command thee to swear to us ; christ answered in his own authority , and in the power and wisdom of the father ; and if he had answered as taking notice of the high priests adjuring , who was about to crucifie the just , which was not the work of god , neither was jurations or oaths , ever intended to be instrumental in the devils work , then i argue that if christ had answered to his adjureing , knowing the end was to ensnare him the son of god , then christ had consented unto his evil work which were blasphemy to think or speak , and therefore as it was prophesied of him , he was led as a lamb to the slaughter , sometimes he opened not his mouth , the other sometimes he did in the authority and power of the father which was with him , and in him , and though the high priest charged christ by the living god that thou tell us whether thou be christ the son of the living god , mat. 26. 36 , 37. jesus answered , thou hast said , and what is this the oath that christ sware , a. s. tells us before that an oath was , an attestation of god to the truth of what was said , but now the words ( thou hast said ) barely of themselves without any attestation of god is an oath ; if the high priest had said , art thou peter , or art thou john that was with jesus of gallilee , and peter and john had answered , i am peter and i am john that was with him ; what will a. s. conclude now that peter and john hath sworn ? away with such perverting and straining and screwing of the scriptures from their genuine sence only to uphold that which was added because of transgression , now when sin and transgression is finished the end of christs coming is witnessed to uphold that which christ came to end , to wit sin , and also an oath which was added because of sin and unbelief , and the hardness of their hearts only to remain till that part was done away , and untill the time of reformation , heb. 9. 10. to wit the bringing in of everlasting righteousness , and it cannot be reasonably concluded , that because christ answered the high priest , thou hast said , that therefore he took notice of commanding to swear , or at least approving of his adjuration , knowing that he was about an evil work , and doing the work of the devil , which must needs be judged that christ did neither approve of , nor consent unto , what ever a. s. may say or think , but only in his own authority spoke the truth , and made a good confession as he did before pontius pilate to the glory of the father , who had sent him , whose will he came to do : and luke 22. 70. art thou then the son of god ? and he said unto them , ye say that i am ; and pilate was as much a magistrate as the high priest , and he asked art thou the king of the jewes ? and he answered him , and said , thou sayest it : and herod was as much a magistrate as either pilate or the high priest , and he questioned with him in many words , but christ answered nothing , so that he did not so much take notice of their questions , or examining or charging , or adjuring as a. s. would seem to make of it , but according to the wisdom and power of god which was in him spoke , and answered in his own authority , without taking so much notice of them as he would infer , he knowing what they were going about , though they had the name and bore the title of magistrates yet were out of the power of god ( in the persecuting nature ) which is the ground and foundation of all authority which is of god , but a. s. says marke 14. 62. relates plainly that christ answered , i am ; but yet neither marke , luke , nor john takes so much notice of the high priests , adjuring or makes so much for a. s. his argument as he would have them , marke saith only , mar. 14. 61. the high priest asked him and said unto him , art th●u christ the son of the blessed , he doth not say , i adjure thee , or i charge thee to swear unto us , as a. s. would have it ; but thought mat. 26. 63. say , ( i adjure thee to tell us whether thou be christ the son of god ? ) is not much material ; for a. s. hath made more matter about it then is to any great or good purpose , but i say he was as much bound to answer pilate or herod as the high priest , and as much directly to one as to another , we see his answers was not all alike , but i would not have a. s. nor my self neither sit as judges over christs answers , and squeeze and serue them beyond or contrary to christs intention ; for the summe of the matter is this , thou hast said , i am , and thou sayest i am king ; and is christs answers to the high priest and pilate , and nothing to herod ; and a. s. might as reasonably have concluded that the high priest rent his cloaths and cryed blasphemy , not so much at , thou hast said or i am ; as of this the next words , nevertheless i say unto you , ye shall see the son of man sitting on the right hand of power , and coming in the clouds of heaven ; for then the next words are , then the high priest rent his cloaths and cryed , blasphemy ; and then a. s. goes on it was enough that christ denyed not to swear , and the summe of all or the most that he can make when he hath twined about with many circumstances to prove that he did swear or consented to caiaphas adjuring , and answered his adjuring , this is all , i am , and thou hast said ; and therefore what either may be or can be said a. s. hath concluded christ did swear ; and yet sect. the 27. he tells us that the essence of swearing is in calling god to witness , and how or where did christ call god to witness ? then this overturns his own argument , seeing we do not read that christ sayed any more in his answer , then as is aforesaid , i am , and thou hast said ; and he says to alledge that christ sware not , because he laid not his hand upon a book or kissed , or lifted up his hand , is but to trifle , yet he says that ceremony is ancient , as chrysostome tells him that it 's above 1250. years since , if it be but to trifle , why are so many conscientious people in bonds this day in england , under a premunirey for these trifles , a very shame to christianity , for where any or all of these have been denyed , though they have answered the truth , and the whole truth , and as much as a. s. calls an oath , yet this hath been counted insufficient , and we know justinian the emperour ordain'd the ceremony that men should swear by the gospel or book , and lay their hands thereon and kiss , or the like ; and though it be so many years since it was ordained , as a. s. says , this adds nothing to the warrantableness thereof , but custome is proof enough to such a ceremonious age as this , when formalities , ceremonies , jestures and postures are more regarded then the power of god and godliness , and we say such a ceremony about swearing are not without the appearance of evil , for the bible is a creature made up of many creatures , and laying the hand , and kissing and adoreing it in such manner is i know-looked upon by many to be swearing by it , and so the most takes it , and this were unlawful , and therefore better to be whollyavoided then so many suffer because they cannot do it , besides as i said , the evil appearance of it , for it is not any gospel institution , but an innovation since the apostacy entred in ; and if god had ever judged any necessity thereof , or that it had rendred an oath more solemn , the law would have said something of it , and it was never a practice among the primitive christians , and therefore a vain humane tradition crept in since ; which ought to be avoided ; and though a. s. say to reply that christ swore not , ( though caiaphas adjured him is vain ) for an examinate is to answer both in matter and forme according to what is proposed , i say its a. s. his vain supposition and presumption without ground so to judge that christ swore , i say sometime he held his peace , that it might be fulfilled , which was spoken by the prophet of him before that he should be as a lamb dumb before the shearer , as sometime he was , both to the chief priests and elders , to pilote , & to herod , which was all in some authority , and sometime he answered them in the wisdom of god , and sometime he spoke and bore witness to that , and prophesied unto them , which was not at all either as to the matter or forme of the high priests adjureing , for the very next words , ( but thou hast said , nevertheless i say unto you , hereafter shall you see the son of man sitting on the right hand of the power , and coming in the clouds of heaven ) mat. 26. 64. and therefore this showes a. s. his argument to be frivilous and vain ; and marke saith , the chief priests accused him of many things , marke 15. 3. but he answered nothing either to their accusations , or took notice of the high priests adjuring to answer him in matter and forme , as a. s. would have it , neither did he look upon himself so oblig'd , but answered sometime , and spoke the truth always when he spoke , and that which always displeased and dissatisfied the jewes when he answered , and for ought can be perceived by his arguing that every examinate is to answer directly to every matter and forme to any that pretends power to administer an oath , or to adjure , he goes about to establish the popes inquisition , and create matter , as sometime they did here in england , in the heighth of the popes domination forged matter out of their own wicked hearts to ensnare the lambs of christ and then to require them to swear that they might destroy them , and accuse them out of their own mouths , even as the high priest sought to destroy christ and to ensnare him , which methinks a. s. hath sayed too much in vindication of his adjuring , and will needs have christ to be of his mind , and at last concludes that christ swore , but it s but upon his own presumption and supposition , and is more then ever he is able to make evident from what is written : and a. s. tells us over and over again , swearing was a part of gods worship , wherein gods wisdom , power , and justice is acknowledged , and then incommunicable to any creature or false god , as is answered before , so was circumcision then , and the oblations , and burnt sacrifice , and offrings , and new moons to be performed only to the lord , and was peculiarly to be performed unto god , and not communicable to any creature ; and we say and prove , deut. 6. 13. 10. 20. that these was a part of the service and worship of god , and which as we shall grant that an oath under the law was commanded as well as these services , or in his own terms an oath was equally commanded with his service as is proved above ; in this he hath no adversary , but what doth this prove in respect of his argument which makes it more ( then equally commanded ) for he will yield that these services were but temporary , but swearing is perpetual , and so he hath given it a priority above the rest , his argument all along hath been chiefly drawn from the moseick law , that it was joyned equally with fear and service under the law , and so hath striven without an adversary , but now it must needs be above the service of god then , and yet from the same command he would only prove it , for he hath no better strength nor ground , and we may as well alledge as he doth , and say consequently to this sort of service that was commanded by the lord as well as swearing , for god hath joyned them together in the text above said , & obligeth equality at all times , as well under the gospel as under the law ; yet then a. s. would call this absurd it it be so as it is indeed , then we may as well conclude the other absurd , because one is standing as well as the other , and binding as well as the other by the vertue of this command ; although he tells us that an oath in its substance ; hath not any type at all , so we say , for the substance is christ the oath of god , in whom all the promises and oaths are fulfilled , and this is its substance but as under : the law it was a type of the substance , and not the substance it self , and that circumcision , the passeover , and the legal offrings under the law had as much goodness in them as oaths had , what ever a. s. say : and served to as good ends and purposes in that ministration as they were ordained , and conduced as much to the glory of god , and were subservient to , but not against the morality of the gospel , for the shadows were not against the substance , nor the ceremonials against the morals , though the apostle says , the law is not of faith , yet not against it for as ministerial as the ordinances of the law was to the gospel then , yet the gospel may be and now is without it . but to conclude this argoment a. s. were it so indeed that oaths were ceremonial , then it follows that christ in this text did not forbid them , for he didnot forbid the ceremonial law , but observed it all his life , eating the passeover with his disciples the night before his death , unless some would interpret his words ( i command you that you do not swear ) yet i am content for a year or two you may swear by heaven or earth as you have been accustomed , but after my crucifixion and resurrection swear no more , and there let these that disallow swearing as a part of the ceremonial law , argue no more the unlawfulness of swearing from these words , ( swear not at all . ) reply . though christ did observe the ordinances of the law , as being that ministration appointed by god untill the time of reformation and the bringing in of a better hope , heb. 9. it became him to fulfill all righteousness , so was he cireumcised , and eat the passeover , and was baptized , washed the disciples feet , which were not enjoyned by the law , ( though not against it ) and that ministration not fully ended , though he see it must end , and spoke of a further thing , and of the time then , and also it should be ministred more afterward after his resurrection , joh. 4. 20 , 21 , 22 , 23. the time cometh and now is , neither at jerusalem , nor this mountain , but they that worship the father shall worship him in spirit and truth ; so that he prophesied of the end of all those things , and of the cessation of them , which were sometime commanded , respecting both the place and the worship , and to them that did believe the disciples , unto whom it was given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of god , ( then was the time ) to them it was come , even ( then ) before christ suffred ; and therefore a. s. his consequence is not true ( that christ did not forbid all swearing from this text ) and though he had both prophesied of a clearer ministration , and laid down in doctrine a more evangelical precept then the law , yea and more strict obedience , yet notwithstanding many did still hold up these things , which the law commanded , though they believed well of christ , yea and after his suffring and resurerection , and that a long time , though that the apostles told them the substance was come , and that there was no more offring for sin , nor oblations , neither legal observations to be minded any more , yet still many observed them , and doubtless as to that formal swearing that was among the jewes , and that vain swearing too many did continue in it afterward notwithstanding christs command , but then not submitting , made not his command void in it self , and there is no necessity to make such an absurd interpretation as that he permitted them to swear for a year or two , by heaven and earth , and then at his passion to swear no more , for after he gave forth the command there was no permission , and yet afterward as i said the apostles declared against the shadows . and preached up the substance , and as a. s. confesseth the types ceased of themselves , but let him know that there was a time of dying to them , and they ceased not all at once to them that had observed the law , neither was the mysteries revealed all at once , but as they grew in faith and knowledge , for the righteousness of god is revealed from faith to faith , and though the legal observations were observed in christs time , so were they after , by many , but by right ended in the substance , and when he was come , though many did not see it till afterward : but i come to his 11th . argument . eleventh argument , no exposition of the text or any other is to be admitted , that puts inconsistancy betwixt the old testament and the new , seeing both are inspired by the same god , who is incapable of falshood or alteration ; where upon if we be not so atheistical as to deny , the varasity or immutability of the most high , tit. 1. 2. it must be granted that his word is of eternal truth , jam. 1. 17. his promises yea and amen , his precepts more unalterable then the lawes of the medes and persians , nor did our saviour come to destroy but to fulfill the law , thereupon he enjoynes obedience to the commands of the pharisees , as sitting in moses chair , mat. 23. 2 , 3. from all which it is apparent that the old testament is so far from being contradicted , that it is fully confirmed in the new ; therefore i may well draw this conclusion that these words ( swear not at all ) ought not to be interpreted as to render all svvearing unlawful , deut. 6. 13. psal . 63. 11. not without promise of reward , jer. 12. 16. and it was prophesied before by isaiah that christians under the gospel should swear , isaiah 19. 18. and 4. and 23. and i look upon it as a piece of manichisme , and extremely derogatory both to the scripture and god himself , therefore what moral duty one man was commended in the law , another should be condemned in the new . reply . 't is true no exposition of this text or any other is to be admitted that puts such a difference , betwixt the old and new testaments in matter of substance , but shall agree with austin : the law is the gospel vailed , and the gospel is the law revailed ; and what was prophesied and typefied in the first is fulfilled in the latter , but what shall be thought of them , that holds up the types and figures of the first , as though they were not fulfilled , or as though the promise were not come : and he made manifest in whom all shadowes end ; and though god be unchangable in himself , and incapable of falsehood or alteration , and i know none , who denies the varasity of his word , or the immutability of the most high : yet notwithstanding i cannot set up the changable priesthood , and covenant : and the ordinances belonging thereunto , against the unchangable and everlasting priesthood and covenant , and as hath been said before , as though that all the precepts , therein were so unalterable , as that of necessity they must needs continue , as obligatory to generations , i might truss up together many scriptures , and thwack them one on the back of another , which belongs to the jews , and the first covenant most properly , ( till the seed christ was revealed , and offred up ) and i might bring in scripture to prove that many things was commanded by the immutable god , and by him who is uncapable of alteration , and multiply many words , as a. s. doth to little purpose , and say what was written in the old testament was by the inspiration of god , and that his precepts is no more alterable then the lawes of the medes and persians , and therefore they must needs still be observed by all christians to the worlds end , or else conclude they that do not are atheistical , and denies gods varasity , and makes the law of god void ; and what would all this in arguing prove , nothing at all ; the jewes will confess as much , and plead as hard as a. s. can , who yet have not believed in him , of whom the prophets prophesied , neither hath received him who is the substance of what moses and the prophets bore witness , and in whom the law is fulfilled , and the promises made good , and confirmed with , and in whom all the shadows ends , and the vaile done away , and all the worship and precepts belonging thereunto : who hath manifested and revealed the father in all that believe , who is the new and living way , whose worship is not now in the letter , nor in the shadows , nor types , nor in any outward observations , but in spirit and truth is he worshipped , for he seeketh such to worship him ; for the great promise of reward was to , as ever was to swearing ; yet when they resisted him whom the father had sent , all their observances though never so strict did not avail ; but their circumcision became vncircumcision , and their worship and service became prophaneness , when they dispised the substance by whom grace and truth came to all the children of promise : and we grant with a. s. that he came not to destroy the law but to fulfill it , and to end both sin and transgression , and the law which was added because of it , and to bring in everlasting righteousness , and it to rule in the hearts of all that believe ; and against such there is no law ; and though christ enjoyned the disciples , mat , 23. to observe what the scribes and pharisees bad them who sat in moses chair and read the law , and performed those services in part , commanded ; that was the time before he was offered up , and the ministration of that covenant was not fully ended ; yet i hope a. s. with us will grant that they were not to heed them or to obey them in their vain traditions and false glosses , and interpretations and evil manners which he cryed wo against , mat. 23. 13 , 14. neither after his resurrection did he enjoyne them to hear the pharisees , neither to observe the legal ordinances of the first priesthood , but they declared against them and their practice , which continued in the observation of those things which did not make perfect as pertaining to the conscience , heb. 8. 9. heb. 9. 9. and for all these texts he alledges out of the old testament , mat. 6. 13. psal. 63. 11. jer. 12. 16. unto these it hath been answered that this proves nothing that christians under the second covenant should swear as they did in the first , for these precepts were only to keep them from idolatry , for jer. 12. 16. if you will diligently learn the ways of my people to swear by my name ( the lord liveth ) as they taught my people to swear by ( baal ) then shall they be builded in the midst of the people : and the 6. of deut. 13 14. is to the same effect , you shall fear the lord and serve him , and swear by my name : and verse the 14. ye shall not go after other gods. all these only prove that the nations went after other gods and sware by them , and served them , and israel too prone to follow their manners did so also , and therefore he gave them these precepts to serve him , and fear him , and acknowledge him , to keep them from idolatry , as hath been said ; in the state of their minority and weakness , and that before the seed was revealed ; and that which a. s. calls a prophesie by isa. 19. 18. of christians swearing under the gospel , it s no such thing but a prophesie of aegipt , his joyning to the jewes , and owning their worship , and their god , and acknowledge him ; and do sacrifice and oblation , yea and vow a vow unto the lord and performe it , ver . 21. which clearly hath relation to the law and the worship of the jewes , and not to the gospel ; so that a. s. might have as well said it was a promise how christians under the gospel should offer sacrifice and oblations as under the law , as well as swear . but the doctor hath traversed many paths which are crooked , winding , and turning , to gather something together , and hath fetched it farre to prove swearing under the gospel , but all his proofe falls short of his matter by much : and that of isaiah the 5. 23. is a prophesie of israels return out of the captivity of babylon , in the days of cyrus , whom the lord called his anoynted , and shepherd , isa. 44. 28. 45. who made a decree for all israel to go out of assyria to jerusalem and build their city , and their temple and worship their god according as he had commanded ; as may be seen at large in the book of ezra , and nebemiah , and this was fulfilled ( then ) when they builded the city and the temple in those days , ( long before christ was manifest in the flesh ) and then did israel return , and every knee did bow , and every tongue did swear by the lord , which before the captivity had not bowed , nor served , nor acknowledged his name , but idols which provoked the lord , and therefore gave he them into the hand of the babylonians for seventy years till they were humbled , and then brought them back according to jeremiah , isaiah , haggai , and zachariah's prophesies , for this was fulfilled ; then is spoken by isaiah in this prophesie , isaiah 5. ver . 23 , 24 , 25. ( without contradiction to christs command ) and his command entrencheth not upon this prophesie , neither doth this make the gospel thwart the law , beyond all terms of reconciliation , as a. s. vainly suggests in his margent , for this prophesie was fulfilled long before christ gave forth this command , swear not at all : moreover , if this prophesie have any relation to the state of the christian church ( as a. s. supposes , upon what ground i know not , saving his own affirmation ) then we shall consider and see how it is fulfilled under the gospel , and what the gospel allowes of in this particular ; the apostle paul a minister of the gospel , not of the letter , as he saith himself , which some interprets to be the law , citeth this prophesie of isa. 45. 23. compare it with rom. the 14. ve . 11. for it is written ( where ? in isaiah before cited , ) as i live saith the lord every knee shall bow unto me , and every tongue shall confess to god ; and in philippians the 2. v. 10 , 11. that at the name of jesus whom the father hath sent , whom all is to obey , unto whom all power is given in heaven and earth ; the apostle citing again the very words of the prophet says unto him ( viz. ) jesus , every knee shall bow ; and ver . the 11. and that every tongue shall confess to the glory of god the father ; so that it cannot be reasonably thought or judged that if god had required swearing by his name among christians as among the jewes that the apostle thus should alter the words as to put confessing instead of swearing , seeing he says he used always plainness of speech , for this had not been plainness , and we have better reason to believe the apostle , unto whom the gospel was committed whom the son was revealed in , who declared the whole council of god , and yet never either commanded or exhorted any to swear , or reproved them for not swearing by the name of god ( as the jewes did ) in all his writings that are extant , i say we have better ground to believe him and his rendering of the words of the prophet to be according to the mind of christ , where he puts in confession to the christians ( which before was swearing to the jewes ) as being acquainted with the command of christ , mat. 5. 23. swear not at all : ) and what ever a. s. look , upon it as to be heresie , and derogatory both to the scriptures and god himself , it is not much matter of man's judgment , he might as well accuse christ and the apostle , the one forbidding to swear , and the other for deminishing from the scripture , and altering the prophets words ; and though it seems strange to a. s. yet it is not to us that some men was commanded in the old testament for observing some things , yea many things , which is condemned in the new , and yet god is not dishonoured , neither the scripture broken ; if we see the end of every command , and the time for which it served , and the service for which it served , as this about oaths , hath been sufficiently declared before , to keep the jewes from idolatry , to end strife among them where it was ; ( but among true christians , indeed ) strife is ended and peace is come , and they seek it with all men ; and that is done away ( for which the law was added ) to wit sin and transgression , diffidence and unbelief , and strife , and no necessity of them among them ; and all the morality that doth remain is confession , or saying , or testimony in true words in any matter is that which is equivolent with an oath , and is that which is the most conforme to christ and the apostles doctrine , under the gospel : but i come to his last argument . twelfth and last argument , the consent of the christian world ; the practice of emperours , kings , princes , councils , bishops , and people of all sorts , confirme this truth that christ notwithstanding these words , ( swear not at all ) had never forbidden swearing as altogether unlawful ; 't is true , some of the fathers in their homilies , & to the people inveighed much against swearing , as though it had been altogether unlawful , but it was only against customary oaths ; chrysostome in his homily to the people of antioch preached so much against swearing that the people was offended , he told them he would never leave that sermon till they would leave that prophane custome of swearing ; but the fathers were less cautelous , but with great vehemency enveigh'd against common swearing in ordinary discourse ; but not at all intending to take away necessary oaths ; but origen in his first book against colsus , god is witness of my conscience ; and athanatius yet vehemently declaimed against prophane swearing , yet in his apology to the emperour constantius , he sware again and again , the lord is witness , and his christ is witness : all which clearly shews they did not disallow the voluntary taking an oath , much less in judical proceedings , and the reformed churches , and the church of england , and the whole catholick church in all times and places approved this doctrine , that all swearing is not unlawful ; so that it follows that the church in all ages was so ignorant as not to understand christs meaning , or so wicked as to teach and practise quite contrary , or else christ never meant to forbid all kind of swearing , ( to assert the former ) were to profess all that went before either dunces or devils . reply . what ever a. s. conclude and think he hath not such a consent among christians , as he makes a great flourish of ; it 's manifest by what hath been said , christ prohibited it amongst his disciples , swear not at all ; and likewise james the apostle agrees in the same doctrine , and the rest of the apostles , also all the primitive christians were esteemed so strict , exact , & cautious of their asserting , or promising , that there was no need of an oath among them , they kept up the sanctity , credit of their profession , yea among unbelievers , that it was security enough in all cases to say , christianus sum , i am a christian , as justin martyr asserts ; and if they were urged any further to any oath , for matter or manner they repeated this as the only satisfaction they could give , there needed no more then the veracity of their bare record ; and thus much bishop gauden confesseth , and also in the 36. page of his book he says , the ground or foundation for swearing now is the wickedness and unbelief of men ; but christians ( truly such ) are brought out of evil and wickedness , unbelief and distrust , and there is no necessity among them either publick or private to swear at all : polibus observes in the better , and simpler ages of the world , oaths were seldome used in judicatures , but after unbelief and lying increased , oaths increased , as a only remedy to cure and restrain those evils : ( but let it not be said that those are christians ) that names christs name and departs not from iniquity , and since the perilous times came on that the apostles spoke , that men would not abide sound doctrine but be lovers of themselves , that should have a forme of godliness and deny the power thereof ; such went out of the truth , and went into the world , and the world went after them , and the false church began to rise to dignity , and have the name of christian , though she consented not to the wholsome doctrine of our lord and saviour jesus christ , swear not at all , but perverted this , as she hath done many other doctrines , and beguiled the kings of the earth , and held out her golden cup of fornication , and made emperours , kings , and princes drunk with her fornication , rev. 17. 18. councils , bishops and people are in their judgments , and by tradition one age after another have holden that lawful which christ did not prohibit ; but what doth all this prove , for it 's manifest that most of the ancient fathers of the church , as origen , chrysostome , theophilact , hillary , athanasius , jerome , theodoret , laurentius , and others in their sermons and homilies to the people , vehemently and frequently enveighed against all swearing without any limitation , without any reserve amongst christians swearing as to private conversation , yet they did not disallow the voluntary taking an oath , much less in judicature he says ; but those are but terms of his own shufling in , and what he speaks only of his own head , by mingling his own words with theirs , for his own ends , for there is no such distinction made by them , as he makes , as lawful swearing and prophane swearing , and voluntary swearing , and swearing in judicature ; and it 's to be desired that a. s. had but produced their testimonies , and have cited only their own words without adding to them , that they would have made much against him , for it 's plain their judgment and witness was against all swearing what ever . but a. s. tell us , chrysostome in his homily to the people of antioch preached so much against that prophane custome of swearing , that the people were offended , and he told them that he would never leave that sermon till they did leave swearing ; it were to be desired that more in this age who pretends to be christian ministers would follow his example , for the like i believe hath not been in any age ; oh what customary , vain , rash , prophane , ungodly oaths ( in their acceptation ) take gods holy name upon every trivial occasion in vain in their mouths , and daily inventing new oaths and execrations , even daring god to confound them and damn them ; yea it grieves my heart to think , and the spirit of the lord in me , to consider what sounded in my ears not long since , which i mention with detestation and abhorrency , that some when they had sworn even all the customary oaths , and all the new invented oaths , did profer 10. shill. to any that could invent ten new oaths , even glorying in sin , and making a mock at it ; and indeed it is fearful to hear , how without any reverence unto god , or dread of his majesty , oaths ( these late years ) are broke out like a land-flood over all the banks , and no where so much to be found , nor no where so common as among them that reckons themselves conformable men , ( loyal ) and members of the church of england , which is one crying sin that draws down the judgment of god upon this land , and what credit can be given to such men in judicature , shall we not say as st. austin says , it disposes men to false swearing and gross perjury , nor can indeed much credit be given any more then to a lyar to any man that swears never so solemnly , and in judicature , who is a common swearer : but instead of beating down that for which the land mournes , jer. 23. 10. many are even propagators of it , and pleaders for it , and glories in it , and it s become almost the only mark of a conformable man : oh what a sad time are we fallen into , and what a sad state that they that depart from this great iniquity are become a prey ; i say it had been more time for a. s. to have used his utmost endeavours this way , rather then to have opposed christ's doctrine , and added affliction to the bonds of conscientious sufferers , who dare neither swear nor lie . but not to digress a. s. he would make the fathers as he doth with christ and the apostles , he would make all dance after his pipe , and make them all of his mind , and construe and interpret all their words to his end though never intended , and therefore he says they were not cautelous enough , and so doth with them as he doth with christ , he makes their words one thing , and their intentions another ; though saith he , origen in his 25. tract upon math. says that christ did forbid all swearing , yet he himself swears in his book against celsus , for he said , god is witness of my conscience ; and athanatius though he declaimed against swearing , yet in his apology to constantious he swears again and again , and why he wrote as the apostle did ( the lord is witness ) and christ is witness , and these must needs be oaths , and voluntary oaths ; it 's not probable that they should use voluntary oaths when they declaimed against all oaths ; and therefore origen saith , it behoves not a man who lives according to the gospel to swear at all : and jerome , the gospel truth admits not of an oath : likewise chrysostome who was bishop of constantinople ( in commendations of whom much is said in the ecclesiastical histories , acts and monuments , vol. 21. fol. 70. too ) blames them greatly who brings forth a book to swear upon , charging the clerks that in no wise they constraine any body to swear , whether they think a man swear true or false , saying it 's a sin to swear well . so that not only swearing upon a book was reprehended , but even all swearing , such as a. s. calls lawful : theophilact upon the place in controversie , learn hence that under the law it was no evil for men to swear , but since the coming of christ it is evil , as circumcision , and in some what ever is jewdeical : to omit wickliffe , john hus and jerome of prague , who were faithful men and righteous in their generation , which the reformed churches is beholding to for their testimony in other weighty things against the church of rome , though a. s. will not own them in this , but rather takes part with them who burned his bones 41. years after his decease , and burnt his books and these articles condemned by the council of constance , who also burned john hus , and jerome of prague , who maintained his articles , that all oaths be made for any contract or evil bargain betwixt man and man be unlawful under the gospel ; and walter bevite whose testimony with many others was , that as the perfection of the old testament was not to forswear themselves , so the perfection of christ was not to swear at all , because they are so commanded of christ , whose commandement in no case must be broken : the testimony of many worthy men and godly sufferers at this time is suitable to many of the fathers before mentioned ; but this a. s. calls error ; who said so ? the church of rome , and the council of constance , with whom a. s. joynes rather then the sufferers of christ , and they who hold it an error not to swear at all , and yet no error to break it when they have a mind , and dispense with it as the papists doth to this very day , and these fathers of the church doubtless were the best of men in that declining age , and were neither dunces nor devils , but understood by the signification of gods spirit in them the doctrine of christ , ( and that which was consentaneous thereunto ) was witnessed by divers in after ages before mentioned , which a. s. would condemn as hereticks , and why the church of rome had called them so , and them that sat at the sterne , who always called themselves orthodox , and others heterodox that did not sing to the same tune in swearing , and every thing else , when they had once got up into a pompious lordly dominion over mens faith : but what doth this prove ? nothing at all ; and what doth this prove which a. s. inserts in his marginal notes ? that the ministers who are inferiour in hungary , and transilvania , swear canonical obedience to their bishops , or the church of england , or the confessions of helvetia , basil , or others whom he calls reformed : what of all this ? what doth this prove from the scripture of truth , or as to the convincement of them who hold it unlawful to swear under the gospel , because christ hath prohibited it by his doctrine , what is all that a. s. hath said in his arguments to dissenters satisfaction ? who know hundreds of things wherein as much as they fall out and fight even to blood with each other about their fancied formalities , they all agree in against the light and power of godliness , and against the very appearance of the image of him in his holiness , who is the substantial truth it self , we say what is all this to some , that dissents from a. s. his judgment , and others he calls reformed whose faith stands higher then the wisdom and thoughts of men who cannot consent so as to lead their faith and reason captive after them to try this or any other truth , seeing it is the gift of god , and the inspiration of the almighty gives understanding , & though the church of rome and you agree in this , though you damne one another in other matters what is this to us ? it shewes only they erred from the doctrine of christ and his apostles , and you in this and many other things are not separated from them ; and thy conclusion which thou accords with is false , that though god in the old testament commanded it , yet it doth not follow that christ in the new did not forbid it , ( neither that christ and his apostles practised it ) who were under another covenant , and for ought can be perceived by a. s. by that he calls voluntary swearing which he hath no ground for , though in other places he seem to condemn vain swearing and customary oaths , yet in this he looks not like himself , but seems to tollerate a kind of oaths we find no mention made of in the new testament , and yet we shall not conclude as a. s. says , that all were so ignorant as not to understand christ's mind , nor so wicked as to teach the quite contrary to his mind ; for it is manifest many have been of the mind of christ in former ages and latter , though we shall never strive to bring in all the world , or the heathen , or nations , that became as waters after the publication of the gospel , nor that rable which he calls the christian world , which hath wondered after the beast , rev. 13. 4. and yet there hath been still some testimony borne through ages unto the doctrine of christ , and christs doctrine stands in force and in that latitude that he intended it , notwithstanding a. s. his reasons and arguments , and many more as to forbid all oaths in the second covenant to his disciples ( truly such ) in these words , swear not at all : many instances might be brought of particular bishops might be instanced , as otha bishop of bambergences in germany , and bosilius of chalcedon , who refused to swear ; and though a. s. cannot trace it beyond pelagius or manacheus , yet we know that both christ and the apostles confirmes it , and also the essarus among the jewes did refuse to swear at all , even in judicature ; for josephus a jew saith of them , whatsoever they say is as firme as an oath , and to swear among them was counted a thing superfluous : likewise st. basil commends chinas a famous greek that he suffered a fine of three talents rather then he would save it by swearing , to the loss of his honour ; and shall christians ( truly such ) with whom truth abideth , and in whom it dwelleth , come short of that exactness that was among some of the jewes , and the best and the virtuousest of them called heathen ; shall not this kind of christianity which is professed in this day , who is in unbelief , frauds , infirmities , contentions , be condemned by these ? shall not this circumcision become uncircumcision ? and shall not they that fear to swear and deny all oaths be set above this , whose yea is yea , and nay , nay , in all their communication , according unto christs doctrine ? shall not this inherit the promise ? and is not this more gospel like , to say speak , testifie , and do the truth , rather then to go back to judaism , or into contention , strife , emulation and distrusts that the swearers are in ? ( falsly reputed christians ) and yet abides not in his doctrine ? but having done with a. s. his negative part , i come to his affirmative part which is no other then hath been answered over and over again , yet he thinks he hath said more in clearing of it then others hath said , that christ only forbad swearing by creatures , and that indeed is the sum of his affirmative discourse , and the pharisees interpretation . and he brings the judgments of divers expositers upon this text , first promisary oaths are here principally forbidden ; 2ly . others think that christ only here forbad such oaths as then was used in common discourse ; 3ly . others say that prophane , false and rash , and vain oaths are generally here prohibited ; 4ly . many understand that by these words of christ , all swearing by creatures is forbidden , but not that by god himself ; and last of all a. s. gives his thoughts , which are as follows . that christ did not forbid what the law had commanded , but only the pharesaical corrupt glosses thereon , and the irreligious practices of the misinformed jewes ; and cites origen and chrysostome , who says upon this place they were accustomed to swear by heaven , and by creatures ; and further a. s. says , the pharisees taught them to affirme what ever they had promised , swearing by god ; they under a spacious pretention that they would not take god's name in vain upon a sleight occasion , fell to swear by creatures , which grotius showes out philo judeos , which the pharisees did not disallow , the easier thereby to delude such credulous people as believed those oaths which themselves neither thought obligatory , nor meant to keep , and it 's certain the scribes and pharisees taught the people that to swear by several creatures , as by the temple and altar was not binding ; christ reproves them as blind guides upon that account , mat. 23. 16. and further they taught it was perjury indeed to break an oath if a man had sworn by god , but not if he had only sworn by creatures : in exposition of which christ forbids all swearing by creatures , and teaches contrary to the jewes rabbies that such oaths ought not to be taken , yet being taken are binding in respect of creatures relation to the creator , and christ reckons them among sinful oaths , and teacheth them to use only bare affirmations or denials in their communication , and this is the very summe of his judgment ; and the words of christ is only to be limited to this sense and no further , this is not to swear at all by creatures in their mutual converse and communications ; and this he hath repeated over and over in his book , and this is the furtherest latitude that he will allow unto christ's prohibition , swear not at all ; and this interpretation before mentioned he looks upon to be the genuine meaning thereof ; and is the judgment of doctor gauden also , who hath contended as hard for some swearing as a. s. hath ; and i perceive that a. s. hath read the answer to bishop gauden , published by that precious servant of the lord samuel fisher , who finished his life in bonds for the gospel truth against all swearing , whose answer stands firme , and his demonstrative arguments of force , and is yet unanswered , though a. s. hath a little here and there carped at , and hath bitten at the h●el , but hath not made void at all his answer , which will live as a living testimony in generations to come , as consonant unto christ's doctrine , wherein he prohibites all oaths under the gospel . reply . though there be some truth in the different authors which is alledged , and also in a s. his words , that swearing by creatures , as heaven , and earth , jerusalem , and vain oaths , is forbidden , and customary oaths , and the corrupt glosses of the pharisees , and the false interpretations , yet all this comes short of christ's mind , and of the true genuine sense of the words and the scope of christ's sermon as is manifest in the chapter , and in his testament , and all he hath said will not help him to carry on that work he hath undertaken , ( viz. ) the justification of any , or the lawfulness of any swearing , or the defence of that limited sense , he would put upon the universal terms in the 2. texts wherein christ and the apostle forbids all swearing : and though a. s. often tells us christ did not forbid what the law had commanded , neither gave any new possitive law before his death ; he sure hath forgot himself much ; what will become of the two great ordinances still upheld , as baptisme , and breaking of bread ? and whether was this a new institution of christ , or was it an institution in the law ? and if it was an institution of christ ( as the church of england doth hold ) and not of the law , nor of moses , ( as indeed it was not ( then a. s. his argument is fallen to the ground , that he gave no new commandment , neither instituted any new ordinance ? and then what is become of these two great mysteries as they have been called ? but he hath ravelled out and spun out his threed so long , that he often runs off his legs ; and though a. s. do often urge that he came not to destroy the law , but to fulfill it : and therefore hath said falsly that christ sware before the high priest after he had given forth this commandment , swear not at all , which if it had been true it had been no more president for christians then eating the passeover ; and though he sometimes urge that such oaths as were commanded under the law are not forbidden by that text , mat. 5. 38. because it was spoken sometime before his death , and the ministration of the first covenant was not ended till his death ; and therefore he concludes that all oaths would not be forbidden by christ in this text , for saith he christ did not forbid what the law commanded ; but though this prohibition was given out before his death , yet with reference to the gospel times after his death : it is evident by the texts before it and behind it , ( viz. ) of divorce and of deportment towards injurious ones and enemies , so in this of oaths christ prohibites and condemnes not only those gross abuses of those things that they had a dispensation for under the law , and that by divine indulgency , which abuses crept in by the pharisaical false glosses , too much loosing the meaning of gods law by moses by their depraved examples or popular customes ; but christ condemned and prohibited those very things , which in regard of the hardness of their hearts , distrust and wicked cruelties , god himself in that very letter of the law indulged them in , and gave them both a dispensation , and a precept for , in the law ; for the law said of old time , before the false gloss of the scribes and pharisees came in some things ; so as it was not said from the beginning , when man was in innocency , and was mercyful as his heavenly father was mercyful , and the law said , deut. 24. 12. whosoever shall put away his wife let him give her a bill of divorcement , and then she may go and be another mans wife , but i say who so putting away his wife causeth her to commit adultery ; and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery , mat. 5. 32. so that not only the corrupt glosses and irregular practices of the misinformed jewes is forbidden ; but even that which the law not only permitted and allowed , and dispensed with , but commanded , is forbidden ; ( and another thing injoyned ) and in cause of injury as he hath done , so shall it be done unto him : ye have heard it hath been said an eye for an eye , and a tooth for a tooth , this was the law , exo. 21. 44. levit. 24. 20. dent. 19. 20. and this was commanded : but christ saith , i say unto you that ye resist not evil , whosoever shall smite thee on the one cheek turn the other also , and if a man sue thee at law and take away thy coat , let him have thy cloak also , and whosoever shall compell thee to go a mile go with him twain , mat. 5. 39 , 40 , 41. so here is not only a further thing , but even another thing commanded by christ. further , the law said , exod. 20. 14. thou shalt not commit adultery ; but christ the wisdom of god saith , mat. 5. 28. whosoever looketh upon a woman and lusteth after her hath committed adultery with her in his heart , again yee have heard that it hath been said that thou love thy neighbour and hate thy enemy , though a. s. say that is not found in the law , but a corrupt gloss of the pharisees ; i say that is found which amounts to as much , as hath been shewed : for the jewes that was of the law , might and did spoyle their enemies , the gentiles and canaanites , egiptians and amalekites , and had a command so to doe , & kill them , & root them out , and yet to help his enemies oxe or asse under a burthen , if he were belonging to a jew that personally hated him , and not an amalekite one of the cursed race ; but this is a ridle to many ; but i say unto you love your enemies , bless them that curse you , do good to them that hate you , and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you , mat. 5. 44. and the apostle exhorted , give no offence to jew or greek , so that his doctrine went beyond the law , put up , pass by , forgive , forbeat ; again you have heard it hath been said of old time ( where ) exod. 20. 7. deut. 5. 11. numb . 30. 2. mat. 5. 33. thou shalt not forswear thy self , but shalt perform unto the lord thine oathes , but i say unto you swear not at all , neither by heaven for it is gods throne , nor by the earth for it is his foot-stoole , neither by jerusalem for it is the city of the great king , neither shalt thou swear by thy head , because thou cannot make one hair white or black , but let your communication be yea , yea , and nay , nay , for whatsoever is more then these cometh of evil : it s most evident that christ prohibits somewhat more here then was forbiden under the law , yea what ever oathes were lawful under the law , therefore it must be all swearing at all , or else none at all : either all such swearing as was used lawfully , and allowed as a type for a time , in the law , oathes made lawfully and acceptably to god , or else nothing more at all then what was forbiden in the law : for all false swearing and forswearing , and all swearing by creatures , or breaking of solemn oathes , made as unto god , was forbiden in and by the law : therefore swearing it self is forbiden or nothing , but saith a. s. the grand objection falls of it self , which is either all kind of swearing is forbiden , or else christ forbids nothing , which was not forbiden before , which is utterly improbable saith he ; and he grants that god had formerly prohibited all false and vain oaths , and all swearing by creatures saith he , which i grant to be true , then how is the grand objection fallen , for is not heaven , earth , jerusalem , the head creatures : and this is the most that a. s. and divers others affirms , that it is only oaths by creatures , such as before mentioned that christ only prohibits , and vain oaths , and swearing by creatures : a. s. sayes christ reckons among sinful oaths ; then if so , as they are indeed , had not the law forbiden this before ; in general tearms wherein all creatures are included ? therefore the reason stands still in force , and the objection ; that either christ forbad all swearing , or else he forbids nothing but what the law had forbiden before : it s manifest it stands still in force , for christ forbad even those oathes the law required , and all vain swearing and swearing by creatures , and all swearing whatsoever , mat. 5. ye have heard it hath been said by them of old time , not of late by the scribes and pharisees , only puting their false glosses on the law , as a s intimates pareus and others , in his annotations , and hence conjectures , that by them of old time is only meant , the scribes and pharisees , and not moses and the law , and of old time must be meant ( a good while ago ) or not very long , as commentators understand it , less then ( twenty years ) and thus he twists and twines to make the true sense of christs words void : its evident by them of old time , is moses time , the place before cited , numb . 30. 2. is the place christ alludes to , you have heard it said thou shalt not forswear thy selfe : so saith the law in forty places , but performe unto the lord thine oathes ; but i say unto you swear not at all ; no not by any oath at all , note the opposition in the particle [ but ] which is between the old lawful legal swearing , and no swearing at all , not between no swearing , and such prophane swearing , as was unlawfull under the law : the whole summe is this , the law said break no oaths , but i say take none ; for if christ intend no more in these phrases ( swear not at all ) not by any oath then thus , swear not vainly , prophanely , ordinary , or by creatures in your communication , forswear not your selves , what forbids he more then the law forbad ? for heaven and earth , jerusalem a. s. says , christ reckons among sinful oaths ; and these are creatures , and swearing by creatures was forbidden by the law , i grant quoth a. s. then this reason stands still good , he either forbad all oaths , or he forbad no more then the law forbad ; and though it be granted that the jewes swore by the creatures , as the temple , altar , jerusalem , and therefore christ prohibits them , and reproves them for these things , and likewise all swearing whatsoever ; what doth a. s. gain by this ? for it 's evident in divers passages of his sermon in the 5th . chap. of mat. that he teaches a righteousness which exceeds that of the law , as i have shewed before , which he came to fulfill and not to destroy , by taking away the ceremony of swearing , and establishing the substance in its stead , which is speaking the truth , as in the sight of god in uprightness of heart , yea we say again what saith he more to his disciples else ? then the scribes and pharisees to theirs ? they said , swear not falsly , prophanely , but by god , only swear not falsly : for bishop gauden cites for his author drusius , among the jewes all thing in judicials were confirmed by the religion of an oath , wherein the name of god was interposed , therefore christ says more unto his disciples in express terms , swear no oath at all , otherwise how would their righteousness exceed that of the scribes and pharisees , which except it did , they could in no case enter into the kingdom of god ; the perfection and righteousness of the law therefore in this point of swearing was not forswearing : the perfection and righteousness of the gospel , in the same is not swearing at all , so though the gospel be not against the law , yet the gospel exceeds the law in every point ; the law said kill not , the gospel be not angry ; the law commit not adultery , the gospel , look not on a woman , lust not ; so in all the prohibitions of christ ; the commandements of christ went beyond the law , also in this of swearing : yet it did not if now there be any swearing at all among christians and disciples of christ , yet we shall also with a. s. agree that christ not only forbad all swearing ( even that commanded by the law , sometime lawful ) but he also forbids and reproves , and condemnes swearing by creatures , and vain swearing in all communication , and their perverting of the law , and too much loosing it by traditions , and making it void by their false glosses , and counts them blind guides which said to swear by the temple , by the altar , by heaven , was nothing , he pronounced a woe against them , and concluded they were bound to keep those oaths , though they ought not to have sworn them : for as much as he that swears by the lesser swears also by the greater ; as he that swears by heaven swears by the throne of god , and him that sits thereon ; mat. 23. 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22. we confess with a. s. this was but a sinful prophane creature swearing , an irregular forme of swearing ; by the name of god the jewes indulged themselves in : but what doth a. s. gain by this ? it's evident enough that solemn oaths by god himself , as those familiar oaths by creatures , in which they tacitely sware by god are forbidden by christ , but i say unto you sware not at all . but a. s. tells us as grotius tells him out of philo judeos , that the pharisees taught them to performe what ever they had promised swearing by god , they under a spacious pretence that they would not take god's name in vain upon sleight occasions fell to swear by creatures , which the pharisees did not disallow to cheat people withal , which they themselves neither thought obligatory , nor meant to keep : the name elohim and jehovah they might possibly scruple at , but that name adonai they oft , as superstitiously , repeat in their much babling as they superstitiously decline mentioning of the other , but that in serious cases of concerne of justice and equity , and in judicature in matter of debate , or ending of controversies , that they should wave and forbear swearing by the name of god , when their scriptures was so express for it , and that they should chuse that way of swearing , there is no reason at all to believe it , seeing drusius says , among the jewes all things in judicature were confirmed by oath , wherein the name of god was interposed as above mentioned . 2ly . that they should wave swearing by the name of god in matters of concernment , which they all believed were binding , and should swear by creatures in order to the giving satisfaction to one another , and security of each other , and by such oaths as they judged not to be obligatory , and never meant to keep them , seeing a. s. says it was in pretence of reverence to god , they swear not by god but by creatures , to cheat and never meant to keep , they knowing this that he that so sware by creatures meant not to keep but to cheat and not performe ; such oaths were not very probably used in judicature among them , neither in serious cases , for such oaths instead of giving satisfaction and putting an end unto jealousies and distrusts would have sure created them more then before ; for as much as he that so swears believes himself not to be bound thereby , then if he had not sworn at all , and he unto whom he swears also knows the same that such oaths ( as a. s. tells on that they did swear ) is not binding , neither can any more credit be given to them then to a lyar , because in this sort of swearing there was no security ; it is not probable i say , that they should chuse this in judicature or any serious case of controversie : and if it be that swearing that christ only prohibits by heaven , earth , and creatures , which the pharisees indulged them in , wherein ( as to the point of swearing ) does he prescribe a righteousness and perfection above or beyond moses his servant whom he was to exceed ; for god by moses in the law it self had universally forbidden all other oaths , either in general terms , or sometime more particularly ; but still all false oaths , vain oaths , and oaths by creatures are included , save only solemn swearing by his own name that there was no more swearing left for christ to forbid his disciples , but swearing by god himself , which the law allowed of . besides moreover , the opposition then which lies intimated in that particle [ but ] being not between false swearing and prophane swearing , and swearing by creatures as a. s. would have it , but between forswearing then , and no swearing now , shew christs intent to be to prohibit all swearing ; for it is indeed as if he had thus said , god under the law commanded you to swear by his name , & when you had sworn in truth by him to perform the oaths ye made by him , whether to him or any other ; but i say now god allowes you not to swear at all , nor by heaven , earth , or any other , no not those oaths which ye did , and might make of old unto the lord your god in things lawful ; but no oath by a creature did god account as an oath made to him , provided ye performed it when ye had done any more then he counted their , solemn fastings to be to him , zachariah 7. 5. again , christ's own expressions in the affirmative part shewes his meaning in the negative to be a prohibition of all swearing as well as any , but let your communication be yea , yea , nay , nay , so the negative of his words swear not at all , must be understood in such an universal exclusive latitude as admits of no oaths whatsoever among his disciples ; and as hath been said that particle [ but ] which stands between those two prohibitions of moses saying , forswear not but performe to god thine oaths ; and of christ saying [ but ] i say unto you swear not at all , doth manifest it that christ forbids all swearing as much as any ; even such swearing as was not indulged to them by the pharisees only but by moses and god himself , who by his servant dispensed with them in , and instituted even their swearing by god's own name , who never indulged or dispensed with any of that creature swearing as a. s. speaks of , but threatned woes to it under the law ; and by the law again , if it be said christ only prohibited all such voluntary oaths , which they sware to performe to the lord by any creature as heaven , earth , in their communication and mutual converse , as a. s. says , but not solemn oaths by god in courts or before magistrates , and not between man and man , and matter of deliberation as some other say , and have interpreted the words , let not your whole conversation be interwoven with oaths . reply . christ does indeed forbid all such voluntary oaths as was used by the jewes and pharisees , and all swearing by any thing besides god or below god , also all swearing in common communication , and ordinary conversation where yea and nay should serve , yea and that which is called solemn and by some sacred and lawful even by god , even all swearing , by god commonly , frequently , or generally , which is now in courts and imposed by justices , magistrates , than which , nothing almost is more ordinary frequent and common ; if our communication and conversation should be without swearing , and our mutual converse one with another among men should be without oaths of any kind whatsoever ; is not this exclusive of swearing in courts and before magistrates as well as other men , whether in courts and consistories as well as other places , where men have their conversation and their mutual converse with each other , as ordinarily & commonly as elsewhere , which being considered i have with other often mused why some men have been so inconsiderate as to interpret christs words and prohibition as exelusive , of mens swearing in their ordinary converse in courts , where oaths are as ordinary , frequent and common , as in any places whatsoever , especially that some men plead so much for oaths in courts and before magistrates only ; ( as though they were sacred and solemn there and no where else , and holy , and lawful only there ) and yet can bring no better proof under the gospel for them , nor of their right to impose them upon christians more then others ? among the many false instances they bring of paul , swearing frequently to the churches in his letters ; and such pittiful proof as a. s. offers of christ being charged by the high priest as he says to swear , though he swore , for i deny that ; ( i adjure thee , ) proves not that christ swore , it being not his but anothers charge upon him ; and it 's silly to think that christ who said , swear not at all , no not by heaven , for it's god's throne , which who so swears by , mat. 18. swears by god that sits thereon ; that he should swear by the living god , he was the christ , at the command or charge of the high priest , who was his inferiour , ( though he had been a better priest then he was ) as being but the type of himself ; but indeed there was no such matter as a. s. and others have affirmed , for when the high priest barely asked him only whether he was the christ or not ? he answered i am : besides the law was not in the shadow of it fully ended , although christ had instituted divers things among his disciples which was not in the law , and yet not against it , but all these instances that many opposers with a. s. hath brought of the apostles and christ swearing , are but shrouds and shelters they make for themselves , because they have a mind to obey the commands of men rather then christs doctrine , for avoiding of persecution and suffering , and therefore would make all things they take in hand look like their own image : but having discoursed of this before i come to a. s. his last part of his discourse , and his interpretation upon mat. 5. and james 5. in his 41. section he says , if any still urges the universality of the expression , ( swear not at all , ) and that of jam. 5. 12 ( above all things my brethren , swear not neither by heaven , nor by earth , neither any other oath ) to the first he says , its plain that they that thus argue break off our saviours sentence in the midle , and suffers him not to come to his period , for he saith not , swear not at all , there fixing a point , but swear not at all , neither by heaven , nor by earth , &c. and for that of james must of necessity be understood , with restriction ; quotes austin upon the text , it cannot be that swearing is worse then forswearing , theft , adultery , murther , these are hainous crimes , nulla autem culpa est verum jurare ; but if no sin to swear the truth , why then above all things swear not ; not that swearing is so great an offence as many others , but least we contract a habit thereof , then probably by rash oaths we shall offend god by false swearing , which is no more then in an especial manner , forbear forswearing , and any other oath must be restrained in a limited sense , for there is not meant any oaths what ever , but such as the apostle speaks of , neither by heaven , by earth , nor any other oath , that is any oath taken by other creatures , for so must they be understood , unless we interpret his words to make them contradict gods , and set the servant in a manifest oppositon to his master . reply . we who are of a contrary judgment to a. s. do still urge the universality of the text , mat. 5. 33 , 34 , &c. and we shall not break off the sentence of christ in the midle ; swear not at all &c. but shall render it as it is , neither was it ever intended otherwise , but for brevities sake , because the innumeration of heaven and earth , &c. are only inclusive in the prohibition , and we shall speak on , and what christ hath joyned we shall not separate : but read the words as they are , yee have heard it hath been said of old time , thou shalt not forswear thy self , but shalt performe unto the lord thine oaths , but i say unto you swear not at all , neither by heaven , for it is gods throne ; neither by the earth , it 's his foot-stoole ; neither by jerusalem , for it 's the city of the great king ; neither shalt thou swear by thy head , because thou cannot make one hair white or black : but let your communication be yea , yea , nay , nay , whatsoever is more then those cometh of evil ; james 5. & 12. but above all things my bretheren , swear not , neither by heaven , neither by earth , neither by any other oath ; but let your yea be yea , and your nay , nay , least you fall into condemnation : in which two texts we say ( in the affirmative ) all manner of swearing is forbiden , for the truth of which many reasons have been and may be given . first , because all manner of swearing is here expresly instanced in these two disjunctive clauses , which are expresly conclusive , and consequently ( because spoken by way of prohibiton ) exclusive , exceptive of all swearing , that can be thought on , swear not , swear not at all , sayes the texts , yea that none may imagine , as a. s. would make men do , that this general rule admits of any exception : but all know the prohibition is so strickt , as to allow , of no permission in the point to swear , by any thing but god , he addes neither by heaven , neither by earth , neither by jerusalem , neither by thy head ; and these are only more ample expressions , of that prohibition , and are not exclusive or disjunctive , from the prohibition , but conclusive of the prohibition of all swearing whatever . but least any should think he forbids only , and no more then extravagant oaths of such as swear by creatures , as earth , jerusalem the head , and such like , when as whosoever swore lawfully under the law , was to swear by none but god himself . but that there be no root at all for any reasoning , for swearing against the flat prohibition of it : james 5. he concludes and shuts up all in these universal tearmes , and excludes all oaths , and all possible pretence of plea , at all ; also for any swearing , adding neither by any other oath , what words more plain words can be uttered , or can be more expresly exclusive , both of all kinds or sorts of swearing , and of all sorts of particular oaths of every kind , and by heaven , and by earth , and jerusalem , are so far from signifying , that those oaths by creatures are only the oaths that christ prohibits , that they are but only innumerations and amplifications ; of the former part of the prohibition , swear not at all : which we grant were spoken to reprove the pharisees , and the jews practise about their vain swearing . and why must those words ( of james 5. ) needs be understood with restriction , ( above all things , swear not neither by heaven , neither by earth , &c. ) why st. austin scruples at the first words , quare ante omnia jurare est quam furari , &c. quàm adulterare , &c. quàm hominem accidere , it cannot be that swearing is worse , and forswearing , then adultery , theft , murther , we do not say it is , but if it be not ; or that be not , the reason why he says , above all things swear not , because swearing is a sin above all sins , can no other reason then that be rendered ? yes , yet we shall agree with austin , and a. s. too ; if their judgment be one thus far , that it was not sin to swear the truth when called unto it under the law : why then above all things swear not , not that swearing is so great an offence as murther or adultery , but least we contract a habit thereof ; and then possibly by rash oaths we should offend god , which is no more saith he , then in especial manner forbearswearing , and any other oath , saith a. s. must be restrained in a limited sense , for there is not meant any oath whatever , but such as the apostle speaks of , by heaven , by earth , &c. though there be some truth in what is said ; yet it s too short to answer the apostles end and scope , and the reason falls short that is rendered ; but the man reason is , ( they were jewes unto whom he wrote , the twelve tribes scattered ) whom we deny not , but were run into that custome of vain swearing by creatures , as heaven , earth , jerusalem , head and temple , &c. but that is not all , though we grant it is some reason ; but they being jews , who might under the law swear serious or solemn oaths , and were not so fully informed of the end of the law in christ : under which among them some oaths were lawful ; they were apt to think , they did as well in swearing , so now as they did before ; so though adultery and murther may be as bad and worse then swearing ; yet the law being so expresly against them , which yet in its time allowed some kind of swearing in some cases ( it was more hard to bring them of from some ceremonious services of the law that were once lawful , as is evident long after christs ascention , the apostles had much to do with them about the rites of the law , as circumcision , and times ; and dayes , and new moones , &c. then from such sins as were known and hated by them , and held accursed , by the very letter of the law ; and therefore he says ) above all things my bretheren swear not ; that they might not only take hold of all vain swearing , and swearing by creatures , that was ever unlawful ; but if that they might know that now to be unlawful which in former times was accounted lawful for them : and so its ordinary to say to men , above all things take heed of that to which they have been long accustomed , and with which ( through heedlesness of the unlawfulness of the thing , ) they are apt most easily to be overtaken . again , it is by solomon , who spoke by the eternal wisedome of god , and in it to fear an oath is made the character of a righteous man that sacrificeth acceptably to god ( to swear at all ) is more the character of a wicked and uncleave sinner , eccles. 9. 1. 2. for how he it men shall once return , and discern , the happiness of him that serves god , from his woe who serves him not , yet he is one event to the righteous and the wicked , to the good and to the clean , and to the unclean to him that sacrificeth and him that sacrificeth not , as is the good so is the sinner , as he that sweareth so be that fears an oath , and so as above all things swear not , is to be taken not only of those oaths which were ever unlawful by heaven and earth , but even of those that sometime were lawful under the law , in the type which now when the substance the oath of god is come , and the covenant of light given to all nations , isa. 5. 5. luk. 1. 72 , 73. who ends all , not only vain oaths , but all oaths , and is the substance of all , even to the subsequent , neither by any other oath is not only to be taken of such oaths neither by heaven , neither by earth , which were ever unlawful ; but even of those sometime lawful , even all swearing and all oaths ; and the servant is not in opposition to his master , but knew the mind of his master christ , and therefore taught like doctrine and the same : but what ever christ or james had said a. s. would make them , if he could to mean as he means , to set their plain express words against their mind : but so much hath been said by many others who fear the lord and an oath too , and so many demonstrative and weighty things have been offered to the consciences and publick view of all , which a. s. i perceive hath seen some of them , though he come not so much as near as to answer them , but only asserts his own , being a work it seems he was put upon by others to plead for swearing ; so that something he must say on that behalf , and draw that way , and to make all things look towards that end , and to concur together ( to justifie them ) and the lawfulness of oaths under the gospel , and their work who persecutes the servants of christ for abiding in his doctrine , who speaks the truth and dare not lie nor swear at all ; i say i shall be the more brief because i know many things is extant by others , and of weight which hath not yet been answered , nor is by a. s. though here and there a little in his annotations he carps sometime upon small ground , although he hath asserted nothing but that which hath been answered over and over again : but i draw on to his last refuge and plea , his answer to both the texts conjunction . that these propositions ; says a. s. ( how universally soever exprest ) ought not in equity to be extended beyond the intention of the apostles , but be limited according to the subject matter , swear not at all ( says christ ) neither by heaven , nor by earth , &c. that is , i universally forbid you all those oaths which you were wont to use frequently to wicked purposes ; and further he says all vain and false oaths by god , even by the acknowledgement of the pharisees were sufficiently forbidden before , so there was no need either for christ or james to speak of them again , other places of scripture must of necessity be thus interpreted , 1 cor. 10. 23. matthew 15. luke 2. 1. mat. 12. luke 8. 47. how universally soever exposed must be restrained according to the mind of the speaker , and so must these words swear not at all . reply . it 's freely granted that these two texts ought not to be extended beyond the intention of the speakers , but be limited according to the subject matter , as for general terms and universal prohibitions , admitting of exception they do so , we grant now and then they do , and of restrictions , but when they do these exceptions and restrictions are usually in one place or other of the same testament , where they are made , or at least most manifestly amplified by him that gave out these general prohibitions , & so are most of these generals and restrictions that a. s. hath instanced , 1 cor. 10. 23. all things are lawful for me , to eat that which was sold at the shambles was lawful , but that which was sacrificed to idols , v. 12. there he mentions the restriction himself , and so luke 1. 3. it seemed good to me also , having perfect understanding of all things from the very first , the subject matter whereof he writes & the things are exprest , and the exceptions , in the 2. chapter , and in mat. 12. 31. all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men , but the blasphemy against the holy ghost shall not be forgiven , there in the same verse christ makes the exception and restriction , and exodus 20. 10. thou shalt do no manner of work , it s abundantly expressed else where in the law ; where the priests service on every sabbath are appointed them , and the exception of dressing what every one was to eat , and was expressed , and the exception of doing good , and of works of mercy , in saving the life of man or beast was to take place ever against the typical sabbath ( i will have mercy and not sacrifice ) and that of luke 8. 47. and the woman that was healed by touching the border of christs garment , she declared unto him before all the people ; what saith a. s. before all the people of the world , or before all the people of the land ? no there is none so ignorant as to understand it , for mark. 5. 21. manifest the exception before all the people , only that were with him nigh unto the sea ; when he returned from the country of the gadarens , or before all the people of his own city that came out to meet him , mat. 9. 3. mat. 8. 34. many more i might add to what a. s. hath instanced , that christ uttered many truths in general terms which must admit of exception , luk. 13. 10. all the sinners christ spoke to about him , in the general terms , ye shall perish , but this was not without exception of such as should repent ; but that exception was not without expression , viz. except ye repent , again he said unto his hearers , ye cannot enter the kingdom of god ; that was not without exceptions , nor these exceptions without expressions , viz. except ye be converted ; yea in the verses immediately before , this universal prohibition swear not at all , mat. 5. 30 , 31. christ says 't was said of old , if any put away his wife let him give her a bill of divorce ; but i say whosoever shall put away his wife causeth her to commit adultery : but this admits of an exception , and that exception is thus exprest , viz. saving for the cause of fornication ; but though all this be granted , even these and many more universal terms admits of exceptions and restriction , yet we cannot grant that these two texts admits of any such exceptions of restrictions as a. s. would interpret them . my reason is this , because in this general term and universal prohibition , swear not at all , it cannot in equity be taken and limited in that sense which a. s. puts upon it , not with that restriction , for that sense would make it short of the subject matter where all swearing is forbidden as well as any , because swear not at all by heaven , earth , &c. because there is not only no expression made any where ( after ) of any such exception or restriction , but a fuller amplification of it , by such particulars as is enumerated , and are more particularly exclusive of all kinds of oaths , and of all oaths of any kind , not only of those that they used to wicked purposes , but even those they solemnly used sometime to good purposes before the seed christ was revealed , and the apostle james 5. 12. neither by heaven , neither by earth , neither by any other oath ; which is a re-inforcement and redoubling of the said universal prohibition ; whereas if christ had intended any exception here , he might as easily have exprest , and would as assuredly as he did imediatly above , in the cause of divorce , by ( except in the cause of fornication , ) and have so said , swear not at all , except it be solemn and sacred oathes , and by the lord to good purposes in courts where ye are call'd to swear before a magistrate ; so james if he had intended as a. s. will needs in force yet without any ground , a limitation and restriction , above all things my brethren swear not , neither by heaven , neither by earth , neither by any other oath , except ye swear solemnly by god to good purposes , in courts , or before magistrates ; but as i said instead of excepting any exception , he adds that which more strangthens and clears beyond all exception , the universality of his prohibition ; and if all vain oaths by god were forbidden before , and all swearing by creatures , so that there was no need either for christ or james to speak of them again , as a. s. says ; then this is still matter for the argument on our part , that some oaths were prohibited by christ and james which were not prohibited before , and of which there was necessity for them to speak , as there was indeed , not only about those oaths and other things which the law before had prohibited , but even of those things that it had allowed and indulged , because of the hardness of their hearts , so we say there was a necessity of christ and james not only to mention those things again which the law had spoken of before , and disallowed which we have instanced before , and is manifest in that chap. 5. which the pharisees had perverted and loosened by their false glosses and traditions ; but even those things which were permitted , indulged and commanded under the law , and suffered to be , because of the hardness of their hearts , and strifes , unbeliefes , insecurities ; and therefore christ teacheth and informeth his disciples , as it was in the beginning before those things entered , and in this cause about oaths amongst the rest prohibites all swearing without limitation , not only that which was once forbidden , but even that which was once permitted and commanded , and indulged ; and therefore it hath been said of old time thou shalt not forswear thy self under the law , ( where in ) numb . 30. 2. deut. 23. 21. but i say unto you , swear not at all , neither by heaven , nor earth , nor jerusalem , no thy head , which is manifestly an exclusive prohibition of all oaths , without exception or restriction , or limitation , and still will stand good ( not withstanding all a. s. and others opposing ) among his disciples and true christians , in whose hearts he hath put it to speak the truth , and confess in any cause wherein they are concerned to the glory of god the father , and to keep the commands of his christ , and to glory him by abiding in his doctrine , swear not at all . and then a. s. concludes here the grand objection falls of it self which is either all kinds of swearing is forbidden , or else christ notwithstanding his words , ( but i say unto you ) forbad nothing which was forbidden before , which is utterly improbable , and the reason is saith he , because god formerly had forbidden all false and vain oaths , and all swearing by creatures , all which i grant to be true saith he ; but the pharisees had taught the people otherwise by their wicked glosses , that made the commandement of small effect by their tradition , and the practise of that nation was widely distant from the commandement , both which were necessarily to be reformed , which our saviour did in these words , but i say unto you swear not at all . reply . who ever denyed but that the pharisees were blind guides , and that they laboured to make void the law , and made the commands of god of small effect by their traditions ; or that the practise of that nation was not widely distant from the commandement , and that they sware by false gods sometime , and vainly by the true god , and took his name in vain ; and sware also by heaven and earth , and jerusalem , like as many do now ; all this we grant , that they were out of the way both in oaths and other things ; also that christ reproved in the fifth of matthew , and elsewhere , which christ reformed and reproved their doctrine and manners : i say again how is the grand objection fallen by this that either all kind of swearing is forbidden here by christ , or else christ forbad nothing which was not forbidden before , which is utterly improbable saith a. s. but it is more probable then any thing that a. s. hath yet offered ; for if only by heaven , earth , jerusalem , head , temple and altar , by that which christ forbad that the pharisees taught the people they might swear by ; these were forbidden before inclusive in false swearing or swearing by creatures though not expressed , or enumerated nominally , yet included among the sinful and vain oaths under the law , and so were forbidden before , and faith a. s. i grant that all vain oaths and perjury , and all swearing by creatures were formerly forbidden , and if so as indeed they were , what more did he forbid then was forbidden , if the words must only be understood of those sinful and vain oaths by creatures above mentioned , that the pharisees indulged the people in , and taught as a. s. would only limit his prohibition and exception i shall leave to the conscience of every enlightened man to judge , and say that in these words it hath been said of old time thou shalt not forswear , but pay thy vows unto the lord ; but i say ( who am come to restore man again into that estate he fell from by transgression , and to redeem him that believes out of strife and contention , and idolatry , to have fellowship with the father ) swear not at all , neither by heaven nor earth , nor any other oath , that as hath been said before here is a prohibition of all vain oaths and false oaths , and perjury , and all oaths by creatures , and all the vain traditions of scribes and pharisees about oaths , and somewhat more , even a prohibition of those oaths to his disciples , which the law allowed after sin had entered , for which cause the law was added , and oaths added , but christ ends it , ( not by destroying it ) but by fulfilling it , and hath set up that which is more evangelical , truth it self , in which there is no shadow of change , and it is binding upon the souls of all true christians , and that by which they are bound one to another , and every word , promise , or testimony that go out of their hearts and mouths , they by it are bound to keep , least they fall into condemnation , but their yea is yea , and nay is nay ; and whatsoever is more then this cometh of evil , and therefore they do not , cannot , nor dare not go beyond this or that which doth but ▪ amount to as much , and there needs no more among true christians . now as to them , who are in the contention and strife and unbelief and oathes , works of the flesh , as variance , discord , whom the law hath power over and is against , as long as they live in such estate , it s granted that the law was added because of these transgressions , and is against such ; and how far swearing can be binding among evil , contentious , unconscionable men , that make no conscience of any thing , who cannot believe one another , nor give credit to one another without swearing , experience hath manifested whether they judge one another to be believed better by swearing then without swearing , that 's little to us , neither shall we meddle in contentious matters , nor have to do with striving men , as little as possible : but rather suffer wrong , then wrong our consciences by swearing , which we are perswaded by christ we ought not to right our selves , as hitherto we have done and have peace , blessed be god in our hearts , however , we could rejoice and be glad to see all men be at peace , and agree , and it s our desire to live in that love , and we shall seek it with men , and to be at peace as much as in us lyes , even in that love that works no evil , nor thinks no evil , but believeth all things , and beareth all things , and so carries beyond strife and oaths , but if they will not be without oathes in courts and judicatures , we are cleer in the matter , if they exact upon us , and do as they have done , to the undoing , & ruining of many in this world , we must be content , knowing it better to suffer wrong , then do it , and shall acquiesce and rest in the will of god , till he plead our cause , and open the hearts of men to see through the clouds of error and ignorance that is over their consciences . yet how ever this i must needs say , this frequent , common , prophane swearing , that hath exalted its horn , more of late years , is one of the crying sins of england , that gods anger is against , and will draw down his judgment , and kindle the indignation which hangs over this nation , not only , because of those that command men to swear , contrary to christs command : ( and that for to establish cruelty and injustice ) but also that swore falsly and vainly , and that against their knowledge , for their own profit , and the disadvantages of others ; to accomplish their wicked , malicious and revengeful designes , against the innocent , who dare not swear at all , and thereby are made a pray to the teeth of wolves , and to the wills of corrupt men , who take occasion ( as it were ) to plow long furrowes upon the backs of the poor and needy , for which things sake the wrath of god will be poured out upon the head of the wicked , and the nation shall be on heaps , and the wise men shall be turned backwards , and their table shall be a snare , and the curse shall be upon the rebellious , and they shall fall and be broken , and rise no more : and this may justly befall this nation , because of oaths , and because of oppression . and oh much pittied nation , it may be said of thee truly as the prophet hosea 4. 2 , 3. ( because of swearing , and lying , and killing , and stealing , and whoring , they break out , and blood toucheth blood , therefore shall the land mourn , and every one that dwells therein shall be cut off ) oh what sad times do we behold , nothing but extreames of evil are presented to our eyes and eares , some do little but swear ordinarily , commonly and vainly , in all kind of communication and conversation , not only in their usual outer sourses in courts , with judges and magistrates , but in their ho●ly discourses also with other men , in cities , townes , princes , and great mens courts , and places , vniversities , colledges , almost all houses , at least all talvernes and ale-houses , and in the open streets and assemblies , almost every where , are full of dreadful oathes , and mens discourses interwoven with execrable and direful oaths , even as it were daring god to confound them and damn them , and such like , and though there be divers laws against swearing vainly and forswearing , yet these are not looked at , but how should we exspect that they should look at the execution of the laws of men which are good , who heeds not the law of god ; and are so buzzed now a days , with over-executing those intangling laws that are extant for oaths , and forswearing , to intrap and insnare poor innocent men , who dare not swear at all , but keep the commands of christ ; so that there is no leisure lost to look after those most wholsome and profitable laws of both god and the king , which are against vain oaths , and forswearing , which the land abounds with , the like hath not been in any age , which is a sad presage of the judgment of god to be at hand . and last of all , a. s. he says hath done , and he fears it 's more and time to have done with the exposition of those words , and so comes to application , and so he speaks to all in general ; who at that time or any other may be legally called to take their oaths , which you have heard vindicated to be lawfull , notwithstanding the seeming opposition of these words , swear not at all ; but those must be understood of necessary oaths , and your righteousness is to exceed the scribes and pharisees , but they condemned perjury in the verse immediately before mytext , and your warrant for swearing is in jer. 4. 2. which thence appears not only lawful but in some cases necessary . reply . it 's more then time indeed to have done , to pervert christ's plain doctrine with his imaginary exposition , and what he counts ( legally called ) seeing christ prohibited it is not of much force , neither will a. s. vindication stand against the real opposition of christs words , swear not at all ; but his seeming vindication ( will in the day of the lord when the secrets of all hearts shall be manifest by jesus christ , when the book of conscience shall be opened ) will be found to be in real opposition unto christ , and his reward will be according to his workes , who hath by his work strengthen'd the hand of evil doers and persecutors , to the adding affliction to affliction upon the righteous ; and if the words must be understood of necessary oaths , then there is none necessary among christs true disciples , who commanded , let your yea be yea , or your nay , nay , for whatsoever is more comes of evil , and whether the scribes and pharisees condemned a perjury or not , we are sure the law did , which christs words hath reference to , it hath been said of old time thou shalt not forswear thy self ; and if the righteousness of christs disciples be to exceed the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees , and they condemned perjury , and all false swearing by god , and the law condemned all false oaths , and vain oaths , and oathes by creatures , as a. s. hath granted ; then the righteousness of the disciples is to be another , then the righteousness ( of the law ) which condemned all perjury and vain oaths ; then what is it , but not to swear at all any oath ? but speak the truth , and confess it to the glory of god in yea and nay ; and this is that which exceeds the scribes and pharisees , and is only lawful and necessary under the gospel ; and as for jer. 4. 2. this is pittiful proofe and warrant for christians to swear under the gospel , for that was only spoken to israel or juda , who were under the first covenant , and yet were revolted from the ordinances thereof , and were back-sliders , as is to be seen , jer. 3. 22. and hath not reference to the second covenant : but i shall come towards an end as well as a. s. and conclude and refer all ( what both he and i hath said ) to the judgment of the lord , and the measure of gods holy spirit in all mens consciences , to be received or denyed by that as he and his witness bears evidence , so shall the matter stand eternally . yet i cannot but mind the reader , though a. s. hath had , as appeares , certain books of the dissenters , in which are weighty things , about this particular of swearing ; which he hath not answered at all , as to their arguments , only carped here and there at a word , which is not of great moment ; but though he may plead some reason , that it was not possible , to answer all things in so short a discourse , as a sermon , wherein he was limited as to time , yet since he had , i perceive , by his annotations , time enough to have answered them , having their books extant by him , but hath not , in the most weighty considerations , therefore i refer the reader to them , for his further satisfaction , viz. to the answer of bishop gauden , by that faithful servant of god , sam , fisher , where this point is largely discussed , likewise his antedote against swearing , in answer to henry den , and jeremiah ives , likewise a book published by isaac pennington , titled , the great question concerning the lawfulness or unlawfulness of swearing under the gospel stated , and considered of ; wherein are weighty things declared in short ; 1st . what an oath is ; 2d . the ground and occasion of an oath ; 3d. the causes wherein an oath was to be used ; 4ly . the end of an oath ; 5ly the suitableness of its nature to the end aimed at by it ; 6ly ▪ the persons to whom the use of an oath was proper and lawful . wherein also is clearly showen the state of man kind from the creation , comprised in four heads or particulars : ( first , the state of innocency ) ( when there was no oath ) secondly , an estate of captivity , wherein an oath was proper and lawful : thirdly , the estate of shadowy redemption , wherein it was lawful also : fourthly , an estate of true and perfect redemption , wherein , it s neither needful nor lawful , seeing it s prohibited by christ , all which a. s. hath passed over , and hath not answered . likewise a book published by john crook , titled , the case of swearing ( at all ) discussed with ; and several objections answered : these things a. s. hath not answered , i only instance them , for the readers further satisfaction , if unsatisfied in what hath been said already ; all which great and weighty things , are worthy of the serious consideration of all . likewise a book , titled , ( swearing denyed in the new covenant ) by morgan watkins . when all that hath been said , is duly considered and weighed in the righteous ballance of gods holy spirit , they will not think it strange that some denies to swear at all , but rather wonder that such a vaile of darkness should be so long over the minds and hearts of them that believe not , notwithstanding so clear evidence from christ and his apostles , or the example of the primitive christians or holy martyrs , who spoke the truth , but denyed to swear at all ; but that custome and tradition is often more minded then the very truth it self . oh that the rulers of this nation would once consider and weigh what they are doing , and how many and great the suffering of a conscientious people that fears the lord in their hearts are , who dare not disobey the commands of christ , least they fall into condemnation , and come under the rebuke of the lord in their hearts , who hath power alone to kill and to make alive , but rather chuseth to suffer the loss of all , and undergo the manifold sufferings that some malicious spirits causeth to be inflicted upon them ; when indeed there is no cause at all ; while prophane persons swears , and forswears , and takes gods holy name in vain , and makes little conscience of any thing , but sometime for , and sometime against , whatsoever seems countenanced or discountenanced by the magistrates ; so that neither the king nor kingdom is in any more security notwithstanding all such swearing , how solemn soever they seem in swearing , neither any more credit to be given in judicature , then there is to be given to him that is a common swearer in his private occasions , or common communication ; and oh how doth the land abound in this , in so much that he that is not a curser or a swearer is looked upon as a phanaticke , or some disobedient person , or unconformable man , which ought especially to be eyed for a dangerous person : oh that the heads and rulers of the people would but consider how near the judgment of god is , and how ready to break forth upon the nation , and not without cause , even great evils are begun , pestilence and sword already threatned , and gods arrows flying abroad to wound and to destroy them that continue in hardness of heart and rebellion against god , and will not suffer him to rule and reign in the consciences and kingdoms of men , but vain men would set up their thresh-hold with his , and not only so , but against his , and great is the wickedness and the sins of this nation upon many accounts , which the lord will bring a scourge upon , especially that greivous sin of persecution , that cain-like way , which the generations hath chosen to add as they ignorantly suppose unto their church , and so builds up their zion with cruelty , and their church by iniquity : oh this is loathsome in the sight of god ; had zimri peace who slew his master ? had israel peace when she slew the prophets ? had the jewes peace when they had crucified christ ? had the romans peace when they persecuted the first christians ? had cain peace when he had slain his brother ? if nay , let not england expect peace , when they are persecuting them that are members of christs church , so that this grievous sin ( if england had no more ) were enough to bring the dreadful judgment of god upon the whole land , and undoubtedly will , if not repented of ; but now it must not be counted so ; and why ? because there are some statutes and lawes which they obey not , and so it 's for disobedience ; consider , did not all the former pretend one law or other , did not all that ever suffered , even the best of men and the best of christians suffer as disobedient , and as offenders against some law or other , ( and as evil doers ) in the account of them , that inflicted punishments upon them ; if so , as it is certain they did , may not england be deceived , while that they are thinking they do god and the king service to root out and destroy some , under the notion of heresie , and some under the notion of disobedience , and factious , may they not be persecuting christ in his members , or destroying the peaceable members of their native country ; the lord open all their eyes and do away the darkness and the vaile of ignorance that is over many hearts , that they may turn to the lord and submit unto his eternal and unchangable power , that so they may escape the day of the lord which is at hand , and the judgment of god that is ready to break forth as an overflowing scourge to cut off and sweep away in his displeasure even all them that would not have christ to rule in their hearts , neither have his lawes fulfilled nor obeyed , which he writeth in the hearts of all true believers , unto whom all must bow and be subject , because the father hath committed all power into his hand , and his glory he will not give to another ; no , to none but him whom he hath given for a convenant of light and life , to be king , law-giver , saviour , and judge of his people , and to be the head of the body , his church , whom he redeemes out of the world to himself , to glorifie him , who is the only potentate and king of immortal glory , god blessed for ever and ever , amen . the end . faults escaped the press . page 8. line 3. for waken read weaken . p. 41. l 9. for polligume r. polygamie . l. 14. for polligume r. polygamie . p. 42. l. 6. for polligume r. polygamie . p. 42 l. 37. for persuming r. presuming . p , 45. l. 30. for jestures r. gestures . p. 50. l. 4. for revailed r. revealed . p. 55. l. 27. for are r. erre . p. 57. l. 38. for evil r. civill . l. 39 for beuite r. brute . p. 59. l. 32. for essarus r. esseans . p. 63. l. 1. for putting r. putteth . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a44801-e590 * without an oath as under the law in divers causes where no oath is mentioned but w●tn●sses , deut. 19. 15. * deut. 19. 6. in case of life & death , no oath was used we read of * for he is called gods covenant , isa. 55. 3 and god's covenant is his oath which he sware , luk. 1. 72 , 73. * deutrono . 19. 16. exod. 20. 10. * adjure doth often sign sie to charge or oblige , by bare promise as well as oath ; for if the phrase , i adjure thee by god , be a command to swear by god then this would make , acts 19. 13 , 13. abusurd ; when the exorcists did adjure the evil spirit in the name of jesus , ( not to swear ) but to come out or depart out of the man. the glory of the true church, discovered, as it was in its purity in the primitive time also, a manifestation how and when the apostacy came, and how long it hath continued in the church of rome, proved to be in it, because she differs in doctrin & practice from the church of christ in the apostles dayes : published for this end, that people may be informed, and their understandings opened to discern of the times and seasons, and see the difference between the lambs wife and the mother of harlots / by one who desires that all may come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved, and walk in the light of the lord, francis howgill. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. 1661 approx. 319 kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from 90 1-bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : 2005-12 (eebo-tcp phase 1). a44790 wing h3162 estc r38990 18203728 ocm 18203728 107057 this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons 0 1.0 universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase 1, no. a44790) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set 107057) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, 1641-1700 ; 1125:8) the glory of the true church, discovered, as it was in its purity in the primitive time also, a manifestation how and when the apostacy came, and how long it hath continued in the church of rome, proved to be in it, because she differs in doctrin & practice from the church of christ in the apostles dayes : published for this end, that people may be informed, and their understandings opened to discern of the times and seasons, and see the difference between the lambs wife and the mother of harlots / by one who desires that all may come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved, and walk in the light of the lord, francis howgill. howgill, francis, 1618-1669. [10], 160 p. printed for giles calvert ..., london : 1661. numerous errors in paging. imperfect: stained and print show-through. reproduction of original in the british library. created by converting tcp files to tei p5 using tcp2tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the 25,363 texts created during phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 january 2015. anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p5, characters represented either as utf-8 unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng society of friends -apologetic works. anti-catholicism -early works to 1800. apostasy. 2004-12 tcp assigned for keying and markup 2005-02 apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images 2005-04 john latta sampled and proofread 2005-04 john latta text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-10 pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the glory of the true church , discovered , as it was in its purity in the primitive time . also , a manifestation how and when the apostacy came , and how long it hath continued in the church of rome ; proved to be in it , because she differs in doctrin & practice from the church of christ in the apostles dayes . published for this end , that people may be informed , and their understandings opened to discern of the times and seasons , and see the difference between the lambs wife and the mother of harlots . by one who desires that all may come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved , and walk in the light of the lord , francis howgil . london , printed for giles calvert , at the black-spread-eagle , at the west-end of pauls , 1661. to the reader or readers . great hath been the wisdom which god hath shed abroad in the hearts of his people , and made known unto his servants through ages , wherein he hath made known his mind and will at sundry times and in divers manners , sometimes by types , sometimes by shadows and representations , sometimes by dreams , sometimes by visions , sometimes by prophecy , and there was not the least ministration , but it had a glory in it , and the one living god manifested his mind unto the sons of men who feared his name in every generation , and shewed unto them , and signified his mind unto them what he was , and shewed unto them how he would be worshipped , and they that were obedient unto that which was made manifest in every age and ministration found acceptance with the lord , and the peace of god in their hearts ; after man had transgressed and gone from his maker , and lost the guide of his youth , and broken gods covenant , then blindness came upon him , and a vail was betwixt him and his maker , and man increased and grew in an earthly part , and lusted after earthly things , whith fed and increased that part , and the image of god was lost , in which the creature delighted , yet notwithstanding such was and is the love of god towards his creation , and to his workmanship , that he did not utterly cast off man for ever , but followed him to draw him back again out of the transgression , to have unity with him who was his maker , and when man was gone into the darkness , the lord stooped so low as to come near him , and to that state he was in , and made a covenant with man , ( when mans heart was outward upon outward things ) and gave him commands outward , and statutes and ordinances outward , that he might worship therein , which were shadows and types of some better thing to come , and these were the ordinances of the first covenant which pertained to the changeable part that was above the seed , but they typed forth more heavenly things which was to be revealed in due time , and when the seed came to be manifested and raised up , they had an end and the cloud passed away , and the day did spring forth in clearness , and he brought forth which restored all that believe unto god , viz. christ jesus ; then did god more clearly manifest himself in the earth through his son , who had the will of the father and declared it , who rent the vail , and put an end to the shadows , and blotted out the hand-writing , and ended the types and figures , and all that believed in him , who was the end of them and the sum of all , he overthrew the nature in them which was changeable , unto which they pertained until the time of reformation , which was when he was sacrificed up a propitiation for the sins of the whole world , and they that did believe and received him came to be the sons of god , and declared the mind of god as it was revealed , and as the spirit gave utterance , and many did believe , and did grow up and become of one heart , mind and soul , and worshipped god with one accord , and in the spirit and in the power of the father , and separated from the jewish worship and the form thereof , and met together in the power of god , and glorified god , and spoke of the things of his kingdom unto all that waited for it freely , and the lord was honoured by them , and glorified in them . but soon after the mystery of godliness was brought forth , the mystery of iniquity began to work and opposed the work of the lord , and transformed into the similitude and outward appearance and form , and yet lived in the flesh , and there began to be an apostacy , and a deviation from that glory and power which was once revealed , and antichrist wrought with signs and lying wonders , and got the words , and hated the life and power , and them that appeared in it , and then they that were under his government and reign hated the reign of christ , and said in their hearts we will not have him to rule over us , though in words they confess him , and then persecuted and drove the true church into the wilderness , and set up imitations , and inventions and traditions , and vain customs which they have called apostolical , and holy institutions , which are contrary unto primitive institutions and ordinances , onely brought in by them when darkness began to spread over the earth , when the bishops , in the first three hundred years after christ , began to contend about dayes , and times , and meats and drinks , and rome began to claim superiority over all churches called christian , and the pope became as a law-giver . i have led thee through divers ages and times as briefly as possible may be , to single out the original and beginning of those things , and who were the first ordainers of them betwixt this and the apostles dayes , which are now accounted as holy institutions ; the state and glory of the true church in this treatise thou wilt see before the apostacy , and the state in the apostacy , how she fled into the wilderness , and how mystery babylon was raised , and the false church called her self visible , many of her doctrines and practices which are contrary to the primitive church are here discovered , and the authors and formers made known , whereby thou may come to see a difference in the ordinances of the true church , and the traditions and inventions of the false church , which are too much contended for in this day by them who say they are come to the true reformation , according to the primitive times ; but thou wilt see as thou compares but their practice with the primitive times , to be quite contrary , and to be but smoke , and that which has darkened the ayr , clouded peoples understandings , and hath led them into ignorance and darkness , so that the way of truth hath not been discovered unto many ; but the lord is arisen and that which comprehends time is made manifest , and all that which hath got up in the apostacy is viewed and seen and laid open to the view of all , that they may depart out of these things which are but the inventions and traditions of men , in which eternal life is not to be had . read with meekness , and in that which is spiritual in thy self , through which the things of god are made manifest , for with that i have unity , and in that as thou livest and walkest , i bid thee farewell . f. h. the principal heads treated upon in this following discourse . 1. the state of the church from the manifestation of christ in the flesh to the end of the apostles , briefly discovered . 2. the entring in of the apostacy and the declination from that purity and doctrine , worship and practise , downward unto this present age and time . 3. the reformed and separated congregations called parochial , proved in the apostacy , compared with the primitive times in worship and practise . 4. a few words unto all , how they may come out of the apostacy to the true church which is in god the lambs wife . 5. concerning baptizing or sprinkling infants . 6. concerning the sign of the crosse , and ordaining of parishes and parochial churches . 7. concerning swearing by the gospel as it is called , and kissing the book and bishopping of children , the first authors shewn . 8. concerning fasts and feasts , and holy dayes , their institutions and founders in the apostacy . 9. concerning priests vestures and garments , and bells , their authors shewn which are practised amongst christians as apostolick institutions . 10. concerning the mattens and singing of psalms by course in musical tunes , and supplications , and short prayers called lettanies , their authors shewn . 11. conrerning the passeover and the lords supper , and the ceremonies about it . 12. concerning ministers and their office under the law , and under the gospel . 13. concerning the ten persecutions under the heathen emperours , and how diverse vain traditions and institutions got up among the christians in those times , and constitution amongst the east and western churches after the apostacy was entered in the first 300. and 400. years after christ. 14. of the decrees of the church of rome , and ordinances which are held as apostolick institutions . 15. concerning the general councils since the apostles dayes which belonged to the church of rome ; their decrees not infallible but are contradicting one another . 16. concerning the worship of god , and whether kings and rulers ought to compel in spiritual things , declared ; and some scriptures cleared , and divers objections answered about this thing . 17. concerning oaths in the first covenant , and the lawfulness thereof and the unlawfulness thereof discovered in the new covenant in the gospel times , though the apostates mingle the ordinances of both together . 18. tythes in their first institution unto whom they were due according to the command of god , declared ; and that tythes are no way lawful to be received , neither sought for by any who are ministers of the new covenant , and the everlasting gospel , proved out of the scripture and antiquity . 19. respecting of persons and complemental bowings and worshipping one another , and flattering titles no good manners , but are in the transgression , and hath been antiently reproved and condemned . 20. universities and schools of natural learning are of no use , as to the making of ministers of christ in the primitive times , but a thing introduced , and brought in , in latter ages , by the apostates who had erred from the spirit , who then admired and set up natural languages and philosophy , that thereby they might be furnished to make discourses , speeches and sermons to get money by ; and as they are holden up at this day , are made an absolute idol ; and as to their practise , it s generally known to be prophane , and no way meet to advance the church of christ. chap. i. the state of the true church , from the manifestation of christ in the flesh , to the end of the apostles dayes , briefly discovered . god according to his determinate will , and everlasting counsel , in the fulness of time , sent his onely begotten son into the world , to be the light of the world , and to be a leader to the people , and to be a propitiation for the sins of the whole world ; who obeyed the will of the father in all things , according as it was testified of him by moses and the prophets , and as it was said by david concerning him , in the volumn of thy book it is written concerning me . i come to do thy will o god , psal. 40. 7. and so he did as it was written of him , he fulfilled all righteousness , and ended all the types , and figures , and shadows , and worship of the first covenant , as the apostle testifieth of him , heb. 7. 12. the law was changed , and the priest-hood changed , in that they were but figures and shadows of good things to come ; and in regard that they were faulty and did not make the comers thereunto perfect , as pertaining to the conscience , but the bringing in of a better hope did , and the better covenant , to wit , the covenant of life and peace , which the prophets by the spirit had testified of from moses to samuel , and till john , and john likewise bore testimony of him , who was the lamb o god , that took away the sins of the world , joh. 1. 29. 36. and now he being come ●o whom the prophers testified , who was not made by a carnal commandment as was aaron , and the rest of the priests under the law , but after the power of an endless life , offered up himself once for all ( putting an end to all the offerings of the first covenant ) for the perfecting them that are sanctified . heb. 10. 14. now he being come into the fulness of time manifest , according to the testimony of the prophets , he fulfilled all things which the prophets testified of him , and his works did testifie of him that he was the son of god ; now he declared the will of the father , and discoursed with them who were doctors and ministers of the first covenant , declaring unto them divers times , and shewing unto them in divers places , that the kingdom of god was at hand , and to be manifest in power , and testified of himself and the father also with him , and his works declared the same , that he was the everlasting high priest , which put an end to all the first priest-hood , covenant , and ordinances thereof , and he preached the word of the kingdom , and declared against them who sticked behind in the figures , and types , and shadows ▪ and did reprove them , to wit , the professors of the first covenant , who were searchers of the scriptures , and said , you will not come unto me that you may have life ; i am the bread of life that came down from above , and came to fulfill the law and all righteousness , and to publish the word of faith , which did not make void the law , but establish it which was new ▪ and so he said while you have the ●ight , believe in the light , that you may be children of the light ; and this he spoke to the pharisees , which had the law and the prophets , and were acting in the types , and figures , which were shadows of the thing it self , but not the very thing , but he preached the very thing ; the word of the kingdom , the word of power , and the word of life , and many were quickned by it in their hearts and minds , who believed and heard the voice of him who was the son of god , and so came to live ; who could not be made alive in the exercising themselves in the ordinances , and many believed in him , and he chose unto him disciples who believed in him , and sent them out to preach repentance , and to begin at jerusalem , though they were the chiefest professors and ordinance men , and were for conformity to the ordinances of the first covenant , yet repentance was to be preached to them , and the first principles of religion , though they had been and were the greatest professors and observers of the ordinances of the first covenant that was in the earth at that time . and afterwards he sent out disciples , and gave them commandment to preach , and disciple all nations in the name of the father , son and holy ghost , and these which he sent out to preach the gospel , unto whom he gave power to cast out devils , and work miracles , prophesied after a season the word of the kingdom , both to jews and gentiles according as the prophets had testified ; and these who was sent out and made ministers by the holy ghost , and received gifts from the holy ghost , for the work of the ministery , they preached not up the ordinances of the first covenant , but preached christ the everlasting covenant , and the power of god , and the wisdome of god for the remission of sin , and the word of faith they declared in the mouth and in the heart , and went not to tables of stone to direct people thither , but to bring people to believe in him who was the light of the world , and lighteth every man that cometh into the world , that all men through him might believe . and many did believe in him who was the covenant , and did believe through the apostles words who was commissionated , and fitted for the work of the ministery , and through their words which they declared many did beleive , both of jews and gentiles , and as many of jews as did believe , and separated from the temple , priests , sacrifices , ordinances of the first covenant ; and they met together in houses and other places , acts 20. 7. chap. 28. 30 , 31. and the gentiles which believed separated from their dumb idols , after which they had been led formerly , and from their temples , and ceased any more to ▪ offer unto idols ; and they met together at certain places , in towns , and cities , not onely at jerusalem , but also at antioch , collosse , the ssolonica , corinth , and divers other places , which were long to enumerate ; act. 11. 9. chap. 17. 1 , 2. chap. 18. 4. but now mark this , that by which the apostle gathered them from the jewish temples , and priest-hood , and the gentiles from their ●dols temples , was by the preaching of the everlasting gospel , to wi● , no● the law , nor the ordinances of the first covenant , but the power of god , and the word ▪ of reconciliation ; for the first covenant of the jews made not the comers thereunto perfect as pertaining to the conscience ; neither the gentiles idols temples nor worships , made them perfect as pertaining to the conscience , but rather made them worse and more corrupted , heb. 9. 9. but the preaching and publishing of the word of reconciliation that did , it was committed to the disciples , it was received and believed in by many , both iews and gentiles , as at ephesus and elsewhere , and they were made a habitation of god through the spirit , ephes. 2. 22. now mark this , they preached not up the letter of the law , nor that which was written in tables of stone , for the first priest-hood that was ended , and the ministry of that , and the vaile was over their hearts while moses was read , and their ability stood not in the litteral knowledge , or in that which was written ; but they were able ministers of the new testament of the spirit , and so all that did beleive both jews and gentiles , who received the word of faith , which was nigh in the mouth and in the heart , rom. 10. 8. they grew up in the knowledge of god , and of his holy sprit , and great gifts grew amongst them , as of prophecy , of speaking with tongues , of interpretation , and there was diversity of gifts , and diversity of operations , yet all by the same spirit which the apostles was made ministers of , and which , they that did beleive and receive , received gifts from it , and knew the operation of it , which wrought in them mightily to the throwing down the strong holds , 2 cor. 10. 4. and the principalities and powers of darkness , and to the translating and changing of them from darkness to light , and from sa●ans power , to the power of god , even into the kingdom of his dear son , col. 1. 13. and several congregations in divers places were all one body , whereof christ the life was the head , in which they had believed , and of whose power they had tasted , grew up in knowledge , and wisdom , and gifts ; and the day of christ approached which abraham saw ; and they exhorted one another & admonished one another , and when they met togethere at several places , every one according to the gift of god , as he had received ( nor from the letter ) but from the spirit , did and might admister to the edification one of another , and to the building up and comforting one another in the most holy faith , which gave them victory over sin , which faith was ought in them by hearing of the word that was nigh them , in the mouth and in the heart , which was the word of consolation , which was in the beginning . moreover when they met together , they might prophesie one by one , and every one exercise his own gift to the edification and comfort of the body , as the spirit did lead them in order , and if any went out from his measure , he was judged by them that were in the spirit . furthermore they that had beleived the gospel which was published to them for remission of sin , they grew up into great enjoyments and attainments in the righteous life of christ , which was manifest in them ; and though first they knew the ministration of condemnation and the sentence of death , yet afterwards came to know the ministration of the spirit , and the sweet assurance ard testimony of it , bearing witness to the spirit , that they were the sons of god , and they were made heirs according to the promise , heb. 6. 17. and were made joynt heirs and co-heirs with christ in the kingdome which is immortal which fados not away , and did come to know mount sion , and the city of the living god , heb. 12. 22. and it were large to speak of the glory and the transcendent excellency of the church of christ ( which became a purchased possession to him ) in the primitive times , or the first hundred years after the manifestation of christ in the flesh . but take notice of this , that them that were sent out , who had received freely of the father , of christ , and of the spirit , ministred freely , as they had received freely without making any covenants , or enquiries after wordly revenews ; but went from city to city preaching the gospel of christ freely , as they had received without any conditions from the people ; and as many as beleived and received the gospel , did minister freely , their hearts being open unto them , who had declared unto them spiritual things , acts 4. 34. mat. 10. 8. &c. so that we read of no compulsion , or forceing maintenance from any of the cities whether they beleived or not believed , the father took care of such harvest men , and what they received was given freely , and there was no complaint , though often they denyed that which was profered to them , and their care was to make the gospel of christ not burdensome or chargable , but rather their hands should minister unto their necessities , act. 18. 3. again , though divers gifts were given unto the disciples before and after christs ascention , as some to be apostles , some prophets , some evangelists , some pastors , some teachers , and some elders or bishops ; yet they were all made ministers by the holy ghost , yet it were large to speak of the power and of the wisdome , and of the enjoyments of god in that day and time , and of the gifts , and of the order which was in the church at that time . but in a word the son of god was made manifest and gave them an understanding , and they knew him that was true , ( truth it self ) and christ was revealed in them , and manifested to them the hope of their glory , col. 1. 27. furthermore , they came to see over the new moons , and fasts , and feasts , and dayes , and times , and meats , and drinks , and nonecould judge of them , or ought to judge of them in those cases , for they saw the body christ , for the man-child was brought forth , and the woman was cloathed with the sun , who had the crown of twelve stars upon her head , who brought forth the holy child jesus , who saves his people from their sins ; in whom all shadows , types , figures , representations ends ; this in short was part of the glory of the primitive church , which would be large to spake of , as it was in the first state of its purity ; but hereafter some fuller thing the lord may bring forth in his own time and day . chap. ii. concerning the entering in of the apostacy , and the declination from that purity of doctrine , worship and practice , and when it began downwards from the entering of it in , until this present age and time . christ the true prophet , which moses spake of , whom the lord raised up , & manifested in the fulness of time , he prophesied and declared of false prophets that should arise , mat. 7. 15. beware of false prophets which shall come unto you in sheeps cloathing , which are inwardly ravening wolves , ver . 16. ye shall know them by their fruits ; and in mat. 24. 11. but many false prophets shall arise and deceive many , and this came to be seen , and fulfilled in the age of the disciples ; and john testified , 1 joh. 2. 18. little children it is the last times , as ye have heard that antichrist should come , even now there are many antichrists , whereby we know that it is the last time , they went out from us , but were not of us ; and chap. 4. 3. so they entered in then and went out from the light , from the power of god , which the apostles preached for the remissions of sins . and jude he testified against such as was entered in , who was in cains way , that were degenerated , and killed , and in balaams way for gifts and rewards , and yet preached up the words which the apostles spoke , ( but for filthy lucre ) and had mens persons in admiration because of advantage . and peter said , false prophets and false teachers should arise , that should bring in damnable heresies , that should deny the lord that bought them , and many should follow their pernicious wayes , 2 pet. 2. 2. and the apostles wrote to timothy the bishop or overseer , that the spirit spoke expresly that in the last times some should depart from the faith , giving heed to seducing spirits , and doctrines of devils , speaking lies in hypocrisie , forbiding to marry , and abstain from meats , &c. 1 tim. 4. and again paul in the 2 tim. 3. saw the apostacy coming in , and perillous times should come , that men should be lovers of their own selves , covetous , boasters , without natural affection , truth-breakers , false accusers , dispisers of them that are good , traytors , heady , high-minded , lovers of pleasures more than lovers of god , men of corrupt minds , reprobate concerning the truth , having a form of godliness , but denying the power ; and as the same apostle saith in another place , was enemies to the crosse of christ ; and these went out into the world , and this is 1400. years agoe and upwards . then the mystery of iniquity began to work and worught , and they went out and did not preach up the jews religion , the ordinances of the first covenant : but they preached christ in words , and transformed into the form of the apostles words , but denyed the cross , and spoke those things they ought not for filthy lucre sake ; and there was the beginning of the hirelings that care not for the flock , and those went out into the world , and many followed their pernicious waies , and there held the form but denyed the power , and so indeed preached another gospel , and they lived in the liberty of the flesh , and held people in the liberty , yet prosylited them into a kind of a faith which was seigned , and these kinde of false apostles , and deceitful workers , led many after them ; and there was the beginning of the apostacy , and they published these things in the world , and when the name of christ came to be in reputation , and the preaching of the gospel to be in request , then they for filthy lucre went out with the words , and retained the form , not the jewish from altogether , but the form of the saints worship and practice , which were in the church of christ , which were elect and precious ; and they grew to such a head and to such a body , and became such a number ; and yet gain-sayers , and in cains way , for they were out of the power , and out of that which mortifies the deeds of the flesh ; and they spred themselves over nations , and kindreds , over tongues , and people ; and nations , and kindreds , and tongues , and people , have now got the name of a church , and the seat thereof came to be great , the false church the harlot , mystery babylon the mother of harlots , which had denied the husband christ , the power of god ; her seate was set upon nations , kindreds , tongues , and people , and these were her seate ; and john said these were the waters , which he saw the whore or false church sit upon , and she turned , and all her children against the free-woman , the lords spouse , the lambs wife , and made her fly into the wilderness , for a time , times , and half a time , and she reached out her golden cup ( a fair out-side ) but full of fornication within , and she claimed christ to be her husband , and sate as a queen , and the kings of the farth , john sa● in the revelation drink of her cup , and bewitched by her sorceries ; and then all the nations becoming water , and unstable , being drunk with fornication , sraggered up and down , and reeled up and down , and stood in nothing , being out of the power which should have stablished them : and then a great beast arose ( out of these nations , kindreds , and tongues , and people , which are these waters ) with seven heads and ten horns , and then these apostatized disciples or ministers which preached for filthy lucre , and them that beleived them , sheltered them under the beast , and cryed , who is able to make war with the beast ? and the kings of the earth gave their strength to the beast which arose out of the waters ; and now the false church gets upon him , ( these that had the form of godliness and out of the power ) and rides upon the beast and he carries her , and hath done this many years , and she hath travelled in the greatness of his strength . and then laws began to be made about religion , and then began compelling ; we heard of none in the primitive times , nor in the true church , but now the false church calling her self by the free-womans name , and getting on the outward dress , and habit , and attire , saith i am she ; have not i the form and ordinances which was practised in the apostles dayes ? who doubts of that , may look into the primitive times , and see that i am conformable to the form which was amongst the first christians in things that are outward . and thus she hath deceived the nations , rev. 18. 23. now rome look to thy beginning , and read thy original , and view thy antiquity . we will grant thee every dram , and every hour of time these thirteen hundred years , and prove thee to be in the apostacy in doctrine and practice from the primitive time , after the first hundred years after christ was manifested in the flesh . and christendom look about thee , for thou art measured , and thy compass is seen ; if nations , and kindreds , and tongues , and people , have drunk the whores cup , since johus dayes , as will be made manifest ; then what cause hast thou rome , to boast of antiquity , and universality , for that doth the sooner prove thee to be a harlor then the true church , and thy universality which hath long been boasted of , proves thee no more to be the true church of christ , then the sea can prove it self to be a rock ; for if nations , kindreds , and tongues , and languages , and people universally be the waters that the whore sits upon , and the beast rose out of the waters . now read thy self ; we have measured thee as in the hollow of a hand , and we have thee in the apostacy , clear thy self when thou can ; if the beast compelled all both small and great to worship him , and made war with all that bore not his image , then we have thee between us and the apostles time as in a press , for not such compelling was in the true church , by any ecclesiastical or secular power ; instance if thou can from the apostles writings any such thing , or where cains weapons was lifted up , or creatures men and women killed by the sword , or destroyed with lingring torments in the time of the apostles . now in that it is said the church hath been universal , to that more might be said . europe or some parts adjacent is not all the earth , and it is no where found since the apostles , that klling , and compelling , and forcing hath been but by thee , and them that are at the best , but in the suburbs of thy city which afterwards i shall in brief descend to , and so it is evidently known , that thy church ( so called ) hath been upheld more by cruelty and force then any sound doctrine or practice agreeable to the apostles dayes : though thou may wipe thy mouth , and say i am clear , we persecute none to death , we have a beast to ride upon , and will make war for our city , and will compell to our worship , and institutions , we 'l cry him up for the higher power , and we will frighten people that who resists this , resists the ordinance of god ; and he will kill , and destroy , and compel , and force , and we shall be clear , and he will call us the holy church , and we will call him the higher power ; and so it is clear and evident by what hath been said that thou art in the apostacy , as hereafter shall be manifested by name and practice . first , thy ministers are not according to the ministers of christ in the primitive times , their call not such , their practice no● such . they were made ministers in the primitive times by the holy ghost and by the spirit , but yours by natural parts , tongues , arts , philosophy , and study , and packing up old authors together to make a little discourse of , and this must be called the gospel . secondly , the ministers of christ they preach freely , not for gifts , and rewards , and tythes ; but you have brought in judaisme , tythes which belongeth to the first priest-hood , your oblations , obventions , your mortuaries , and these invented , and introduced things to maintain your ministers by . thirdly , the ministers of christ did not compel any at corinth , thessalonica , macedonia , or any other church to give them such and such maintenance by force , who received not their doctrine . but you compel and force , and have made that which you call the gospel , chargeable to the earth where you have power , 1 cor. 9. 18. fourthly , your doctrine is contrary to the doctrine of christ and the primitive times , as that the real and substantial presence of christs body and blood ( after the consecration of priests ) is in the bread and wine which may corrupt , and so doth not the body of christ do contrary to christs doctrine , who saith he that eats my flesh and drinks my blood shall live for ever , joh. 6. 56. but you that eat that which you call his substantial and real body and blood ; both it and you shall corrupt . fifthly , of the unbloody sacrifice of the masse , this sacrifice doth no good at all , for where there is no blood there is no life , and where there is no blood there is no remission saith paul , heb. 9. 14. and so your sacrifice is abominable , and an idol , and such an one as there is no mention made of in the scriptures . sixthly , of your liturgy , and publick prayers in an unknown tongue , this is an unprofitable and a vain worship , and this is like your unbloody sacrifice ; herein you are like barbarians one to another , and how should they that worship with you say amen , when they know not what you say , you praying in an unknown tongue is contrary to the apostles doctrine , who said , 1 cor. 14. and the 18 verse . i thank my god i speak with tongues more than you all , verse 19. yet in the church i had rather speake five words with my understanding that i might reach others also , then ten thousand in an unknown tongue . seventhly , your doctrine of purgatory , an invented and an imagined thing , as to clense from sin ; this is contrary to the primitive doctrine , the blood of christ clenseth from all sin , john 1. 7. and your distinctions of mortal and venial sin is to blind people withal , for the wages of sin is death , rom. 6. 23. eightly , of worshiping and invocation of angels , and saints as mediators between us and god ; this is contrary to the primitive doctrine , there is one mediator between god and man , even the man christ jesus , 1 tim. 2. 5. and he alone makes intercession for all them that beleive . heb. 7. 25. and the angel reproved john , rev. 22. 8 , 9. when he would have worshiped him , and said unto him , see thou do it not , for i am thy fellow servant , &c. and the prophet said thou art onr father though abraham know us not , and israel be ignorant of us , isay. 63. 6. ninthly , of reliques and sacred images , this is contrary to what the lord spake by the prophets , lev. 26. 1. ye shall make you no i dols nor graven image , neither rear you up a standing image , neither shall you set up any image of stone in your land , to bow down unto it , deut. 6. 22. neither shalt thou set thee up any image , which the lord thy god hateth ; and ezek. 6. 4 and your images shall be broken ; and rom. 1. 23. there they were condemned that changed the glory of the incorruptable god , into an image made like to corruptable man , &c. thus you may plainly see your idolatrous image worship is forbidden , and condemned in the law , prophets , and new testament , and as for your reliqne worship you have neither command nor example for it from christ nor his apostles . many more things might be enumerated , which is found among you in the apostacy , as your voluntary poverty , and feigned humility , and your wilful vows , and many more things which are found to be contrary to the church of christ , which must be turned from and denyed , if ever you come to know the everlasting gospel which is to be preached again to the nations , by which they must be brought out of all this apostacy . furthermore , as to the practice and discipline of the catholick church ( as it is called ) which pleads for antiquity , we find it not consonant and agreeing to the churoh in the primitive times , the first hundred years after christ. as for the vestmeuts your priests wear at certain times , one on this manner , another on that , your ecclesiastical men , or church-officers of several ranks and orders , such we find not in the primitive times , in that which may be truly called primitive . and for the invented holy dayes and their eves , for fasting , and feasting , we find no such things in the primitive times , and such a service for such a day , and such a worship for such a day , we find not in the first hundred years after christ. and for your lent , which one of your fathers invented , and this was his ground , because god had the tenth of the increase or tythes due to himself , and for his ministers under the law , therefore it was necessary that the tenth part of dayes should be allowed as tythes to the lord ; o grosse ignorance , and palpable blindness , midnight it self came upon you in the time of your visibillity , when the true church was fled into the wilderness . as though the lord was not lord of all dayes , and as though all dayes were not his , and to be used to his glory . and your prohibiting meats , and distinguishing of meats , one holy for such a day , another for such a day , flesh one day , and fish another day , as though there were not the flesh of fish , or one thing were clean and another unclean . and this invented trumpery hath been observed for catholick and apostolick doctrine , but by whom we must needs tell you , by the nations , kindreds , and tongues , and people , upon which the whore sits , and out of which the beast rose . and we will grant you antiquity enough this many hundred years , and yet we will prefer the primitive times before you , and bring their doctrine , and practice to reprove you , though we do not desire to go in cains way , and to kill creatures that are out of the doctrine of christ , and contrary to apostolick and catholick doctrine , which wrestled not with the flesh and blood , but with spiritual wickedness , whose weapons were not carnal , but spiritual , and yet they had great might in them , and threw down by these weapons , that which never could be by carnal , 2 cor. 10. 4. again , your forbiding to marry , which is reckoned by the apostles doctrine to be a doctrine of devils , and contrary unto that the apostles doctrine was , marriage is honorable in all estates , the bed undefiled , heb. 13. 4. and seeing you plead peter was at rome , and peters chair , and that the bishop of rome doth succeed him , and hath the keys as peter had ; why do you exclude the chief bishops as you account them , from marrying , and divers other orders , seeing peter had a wife , and seeing that it is catholick , and apostolick doctrine ( before you could claim the name of visible church ) that a bishop should be the husband of one wife , and should not be covetous nor no striker , nor given to wine , nor filthy lucre , &c. but since the bishop of rome hath appropriated to himself , to be the head of the church , and the chief bishop over all the catholick church , it hath been manifested how much covetousness , and covetous practices hath been acted , as money for pardons , and indulgences , and get money for the living and the dead , and the invented purgatory hath filled your coffers , and your meritorious works have been sold at a dear rate ; in so much that a poor woman who hath lost het husband , and he deceased must pay ten shillings for a mortuary , that he may be prayed for , or some of your merits may be accounted to him which you have in store as a stock to sell to any , who come with a prize in their hand . and from whence have you all these tythes ; have yo● not borrowed them of the jews ? and yet you are no jews , and such things we do not read among the iews were tytheable , as pigs , eggs , hens , and geese ; to omit greater matters , and the smoak passing up the chimneys , and that which you call your peter pence . and this is contrary to the catholick and apostolick doctrine , which peter would have been ashamed , to ever have mentioned either amongst iews or gentiles . and now i would ask you a question or two , seeing john saw the true church flee into the wilderness , the woman that was cloathed with the sun who brought forth the man-child . what cause have you to boast of visibility , or universality ? now when were you in the wildernesse ? if your church hath not been so , then it demonstrates that your church is nor the woman cloathed with the sun , for she did fly into the wilderness as with the wings of an eagle . secondly , whether hath your gospel been universally and publickly preached these sixteen hundred years or nay ? and is it the very same that was preached in the first hundred , or two hundred years , seeing that john saith , that all nations did drink of the whores cup of fornication . and then n●tions were waters , seeing he saith the gospel shall be preached again to nations , kindreds , and tongues ; which clearly demonstrates , there was a time when the everlasting gospel was not preached to the kindreds , and tongues , which are the waters upon which your church is scituated ; and it is evidently manifested that yours hath been another gospel then that which was preached in the apostolick church , and in the catholick church , the first hundred or two hundred years after christ was manifested in the flesh . much might be said , to demonstrate the truth which is in hand , that there hath been an apostacy , the beginners whereof came forth in the apostles dayes , and afterward ; grew into a body and became like a great sea , which according to the best ecclesiastical writers , which have given a narrative of the first five hundred years , declared that there was a great loss within 300. years ; but in five hundred years or less , the very power of godliness was denyed , and very much of the form . and though your church pleads antiquity for a thousand years for these things a fore mentioned , which they would be hard to prove ; for although it should be granted them , yet we will joyne issue with them in this thing , and are able to prove all these doctrines and practices , not to be as it was in the first two hundred years ( except they will own such as taught the doctrine of balaam , and taught the doctrine of devils , and went in cains and chores way ) for an example . it were not hard to prove the introducing of all these things before mentioned , and how they have come in by degrees , one counsel that rose out of the waters ordaining this , another ordaining that ; and so have risen up into this great body of darkness , some of the practices borrowed from the jews , and some from the heathen , and some invented of themselves in latter ages ; so that the worship that was in the spirit and in truth , in christs and the apostles dayes is turned from , and such a numberless number of vain traditions , avemaries , creeds , and pater nosters , and such a deal a do as there is about their unbloody sacrifice of the masse , that they are glad to be counted by their beads on strings , as many very well know ; by all that which hath been said may easily be collected , that there hath been a great diviation , and apostacy from the doctrine and practice of the primitive times ; thus far as i am descended i leave it to the reader to judge , and compare these things with the churches doctrine and practices in the first hundred years after christ , and if these things be found invented , and without footing or ground , then let them that are informed , depart from them . chap. iii. but now to descend a little further , nearer unto our own age , to speak somthing to them , which i believe look upon themselves , to be catholick and apostolick in doctrine and practice according to the primitive time and order , and that they are totally come out of the apostacy . this i have to say to you , which is my judgement and belief , and that upon good ground , that you are in many things in the apostacy , as hereafter i shall demonstrate , and to tell you nakedly and plainly we look upon the reformation which was made in denying the church of rome , to be but very weak , and poor , and feeble , and imperfect , comparatively with the doctrine and practice , and order in the primitive times , in so much that we judge upon good grounds that it cannot be parrelled with the church in the primitive times , which i have spoke of before , in that you have denyed the pope to be the head of the church , and so are called protestants ; so am i , knowing that christ is the head of the church , and ought to rule by his spiritual scepter and his eternal power in the hearts and consciences of people , and in and over the true church which is his body whereof he is the head ; and let all take heed who doth intrude , and take upon them that which belongeth to the king of kings , and king of saints , as to matter of head-ship , regulation , or goverment , for all power is committed unto him in heaven and earth , and the father hath given it to him , and will not have any other have that glory ; but whosoever seeks it must be condemned , and his glory he will not give to another . for the lamb is worthy of glory and strength ; and though the church of rome be generally acknowledged to be in the apostacy , by them that are separated from them , and that upon good grounds , yet i say the separation is in some little or smal part , more in name then in nature , more in form then in power , more in some circumstantial things , then in the very ground it self , and very many of these doctrines , practices , discipline and order ( as they call it ) i find to be upholden , practiced , and contended for , which are found in the former i have mentioned . first of all to instance that which is generally holden out by the reformed protestants , is , that the writings of mathew , mark , luke and john , and the several epistles is the gospel which the primitive disciples and ministers preached and published , and which people did receive , and by believing the found thereof , were accounted christians , and believers . we would have all to know the gospel was preached to abraham , before mathew or mark or any of the apostles writ a word . moreover we would have all to know , that christ had preached glad tidings to the captives , and some of the disciples had preached the word of the kingdom , before matthew , or mark , or luke , or john had wrote a word ; my reasons are divers , matthew , mark luke , and john must needs hear and see that done which they testified of before they writ , and if matthew , mark , luke and john be the gospel , the writings of them i intend , then the disciples could not preach it before it was given forth ; and if the epistles be a part of the gospel , this the disciples , could not preach before it was written , for paul succeeded and was converted , after divers of the apostles had preached the gospel ; so then doubtless the disciples and apostles , had something to say , and declare and p●blish before any of the new testament was written ; and it is manifested that they were not sent out to preach the law , nor the ordinances of the first covenant , after christ were offered up the end of the first ; so then there was something , and is something which was preached by them , and is to be published now to all that are made ministers by the holy ghost , and that is in few words ( the power of god ) which was before the new testament ( so called ) though the words declare of it , but is not it ; now they went and preached , and discipled in the name of the father , son , and holy ghost , which is a ministery far beyond the written or declarative sound ; and indeed is a spiritual and invisible thing , which the apostles , acts , 26. 18. declaring his message which he had received by the holy ghost , saith , i was sent to turn them , ( viz. the gentiles and iews , and them of arabia and else where he sojourned ) from darkness unto light , and from satans power unto gods power , that they that beleived in the light and received the power of god , which he preached to them , might receive remission of fins , for remission of sin was onely preached in his name , and no name under heaven there is , by which men can be saved , but by the name of jesus , though the apostles spoke according to the motion of the spirit , in divers words , calling him the gift of god , the free gift of righteousness , the unspeakable gift , the true light that lightneth every man that cometh into the world , the power of god , and the wisdom of god , which wisdom and power they had received , and because the son of god was revealed in them , the apostle said , i am a debter to the jews , and the greeks , rom , 1. 14. and he having received this freely of the father , he went to the ●ews , and went to the greeks , to the gentiles and heathen , where the name of this gift and power , and jesus had not been named and published , freely without gifts and rewards , and the necessity did lie upon him , 1 cor. 9 16. and the love of christ which was shed abroad in his heart constrained him , and made him reckon himself as a debter unto all , because of the abundant loving kindness and riches of gods love and grace , and spiritual gifts , which he had received , he longed , and thirsted , and travelled to communicate it unto others . largely i might speak of this hidden mystery , as to demonstrate what the gospel of christ was and is , but in what i have already said , them that are any thing spiritual minded will iudge , that the law and the prophets , matthew , mark , luke and john , and the epistles , was not the everlasting gospel , but it was a thing beyond and above , and before any of these writings was ; although they all in their several ages , bore testimony of it , ( viz. ) the power of god , which condemns sin in the flesh , and mortifies the deeds thereof , and gives victory over it , and taketh up all that believe in it into one life , power and vertue , into pure peace , and heavenly contentment , and perfect satisfaction : so you who are calling the letter the gospel , or the new testament writings the gospel , i would ask you a question also ; when was there a time since the first hundred years after christ , or in that time till now , but these words and writings have not been spoken and preached bought and sold as a gospel , not only in the church of rome , but also among all them that are separated from her , even untill now , this hath been preacht to nations , kindreds , tongues , and people ; and if the writings be the everlasting gospel , then how doth john say , or why did he so say , that the everlasting gospel should go forth again , and be preacht again after the apostacy , or to bring out of the apostacy ; but it clearly implies the words had been preached and published , and the temporary writings which was given sorth at divers times had been preached up for gospel these many hundred years , which many have received by tradition ; but the power of god , and the gift of god , by which , and from which the ministers of christ in all ages ministered , hath been wanting , if not altogether lost , for the most part among them that are called christians ; then what is the quarrel betwixt you and the romanists , it s but in translation at the most ; and while words and translations , and vertions have been contended about , the everlasting gospel hath been hid ; therefore all people are upon heaps , and the nations like waters rowling up and down in instabillity . now the reformed ministry ( so called ) are in many things in the same practice with the former ; you deny an immediate call ; and sets up an outward ordination , and a form of laying on of hands without the holy ghost , ordaining such and such who have some skill in natural tongues , or some words of oratory , to be a subject matter to make ministers upon ; and that which they preach in words , which hath been held in the form long without the life , you call the gospel ; and these are confined to a parish , as the former to such a cloyster , and such a monastry ; and these preach for hire , and gifts , and rewards , and for maintenance , and kepts up all the soresaid wayes , and maintenance , as lawful , and will make people believe it is according to gospel institution , when alas it is but the popes tythes , oblations , obventions , mortuaries , and prayers for the dead , keeping up the wages but denyes the work ; and tythe of all things , as piggs , and geese , hens , and eggs , apples , and cherries , and turnips , and all , nothing excepted ; this is a feeble thing , as to hold out to people for gospel maintenance , and the preachers of the gospel are ashamed of it . furthermore , them that will not give it , sue them at law , throw them into holes till they dye , take away ten fold that which is claimed , say the man is not subject to gospel order , denies ministers maintenance ; this hath been crime enough to take away the estates and lives of men ; all this is in the apostacy . and seeing it is said we are under a gospel administration , and ordinances ; what do you with organs , whistlers , and pipes in any part of your services ? this pertained to the jews and not to the primitive church . and what do you do with surplices , tipets & hood , and other strang● kind of garments ? it may be the high-priests garments , or the priests linin ephod , or linin breeches , must be brought in for a gospel proof , and for an apostolick ordinance ; and what do you with the popes lent ? and why should the popes lent be among the reformed protestants churches , forbiding meats and drinks ? and why forbidding marriage in lent , and who ordained these dayes ? what have they been borrowed from the heathen ? or are they looked upon to be such dayes as used to be cited in the callender for the dog-dayes , which have been brought from the heathen , and stands to this day , in too much credit among believers so called . and why is one day preferred before and above another , and some counted holy dayes , as though some others were unholy dayes ? and why such a collect , and such a gospel , and such a chapter , and such a psalme , mincing , and cutting , and severing the scriptures into pieces and shreds ? is this like apostolick doctrine ? truly friends , many things we have to say , if you had an ear to hear , and that upon good grounds we can speak , that we look upon all these thing , to be feeble , and poor , and beggerly things , and hath no agreement , or congruity with the primitive times . and should people be limitted or stinted to such a certain form of words , called service , or prayer , and divine worship ? was that ever reckoned divine worship , that was not from the divine spirit ? but it may be you will say the words are good or some of them ; i am not speaking about words , but the spirit , from which every service ought to be performed to the lord god ; and the primitive christians prayed in the spirit , and with understanding , and sung with the spirit and with understandnig , 1 cor. 14. 15. and there was some that knew not what to pray for as they ought , but the spirit helped their infirmities . rom. 8. 26 but you konw what to pray for , and how much must be said on such a day , or such a time , and if there be a homily , or a sermon , lettany must be missed . now i say if it be divine worship , or any thing wherein god is honoured , and the people bettered , nothing of it ought to be wanting . but these things the primitive times doth not countenance ; but when the power was lost , and the life gone from , and the spirit erred from , these things have come into the latter dayes , which have been very perillous times , as to them who have kept the apostolick faith , and the order of the primitive church . many more things we could instance which are practiced , as for discipline and order , and some for necessity , which hath no affinity or union at all with the primitive churches , but rather are things which are too near of kin unto her that sits as a queen upon the waters , whose flesh must be burnt with fire , who hath drunk the blood of the saints ; and how many of the lords servants have suffered in and about these things , not only in the church of rome , but also by them which have been called reformed , many have known and are living witnesses thereof . and all these temples , bells , hour-glasses , pulpits , & cushons , altars , tables , and founts , which are things that pertain to them that locks they are come out of the apostacy ; but the spiritual minded sees over them , and beyond them , and before these things ; and also sees through the spirit of prophesie and time when they shall be no more adored , worshipped and honoured ; but god shall be feared in the hearts of the sons of men , and glory shall be given to him , and he shall be worshiped in spirit and in truth as he was in the primitive times , when the beast and the false prophet , and them that wrought miracles before him , and all they that have cryed who is able to make war with the beast , and have cryed worship him , all must be taken alive ; remember that ( alive ) in their strength , and cast into the lake , and the mother of harlors shall be made desolate , her cup of fornication thrown under foot ; the kings of the earth shall deny it , and to give their strength any longer to the beast ; and then shall that be fulfilled , rejoce ye prophets and holy men of god , and ye that have suffered , for the hour of his judgement is come , and as she hath served the saints , so shall she be served , and rewarded double , and the day hastens , and the times and seasons we see and know as god hath made them manifest . the man-child is descended again , who hath right to rule the nations with a rod of iron , and break the ungodly in pieces as at potters vessel , and stamp the residue of his enemies under his feet ; and the church is coming out of the wildernesse again , who leans upon the breast of her beloved ; who is clothing her again with beauty in stead of ashes , and putting upon her again the beautiful garments of glory and excellency , even his own righteousness , and they that see it , their hearts shall be made glad , and their souls rejoyce in god , and their flesh rest in hope , for the time is come when she must appear again , which hath been retired and hid in a place which god hath prepared for her , while the false church sate as a queen , and the apostates as princes , and their merchandize sold at dear rates ; but their joy shall be turned into mourning , and alas , alas , shall be the cry of them that have been in glory with her , for their frankincense , odours , and sweet perfumes , and scarlet , and purple , and gold , and silver , and wood , and tin , and iron , and brass , none will buy any more , none of the lambs followers , nor none of the true churches children , who worship god in the spirit , and have no confidence in the flesh , neither in any outward appearance , but in the hidden life of god , but in the immortal life , which he hath brought to light through his blessed gospel , which he hath caused to be published again ; the joyful sound whereof many captives have heard and are glad , and a numberless number shall hear the joyful sound thereof , and shall enquire after the brightness of the rising of the son. therefore all apostates , hills and mountains , make room , make way , the lord is risen in power and in glory , which shall dazzel the eyes of all the earthly , and shall extinguish and put out the very brightness and the glory of all invented worships , in the apostatized ages , and shall bring them that believe in the everlasting gospel to stability , to the rock of ages , to the valley of achor , to mount sion , to the blessing of the everlasting hills ; and blessed are they that hear , and believe , and wait to be made partakers of that which the lord is about to do in the earth , as he hath shewn , and foreshewn to his servants the prophets . chap. iiii. now a few words to shew unto all , how they may come out of the apostacy , to be members of the true church , which is in god , the lambs wife . so far as god did appear in any age or generation . or manifest himself unto the sons of men , in any shadows , figures , representations , or outward appearances , the evil spirit , and serpents seed . and evil doer , alwayes took up the form of the thing , when it came into reputation , as largely might be demonstrated and instanced through all ages and generations , till the closure of the apostles writings ; something whereof hath been briefly hinted at before , so in this i shall be very brief . the jews held up the types and figures of the first covenant , and the ordinances thereof , and opposed christ the light , the everlasting covenant , and also the publishers thereof . moreover , when the name of christ came to be spread abrood , then false apostles and deceitful workers , who were enemies to the cross , and to the power of god , they preached christ out of contention , and envy , and for filthy lucre , and by wicked practices made the name of christians odious among the heathen , as it is this day , and caused the worthy name by which the saints were saved , to be blasphemed by their ungodly practices , rom. 2. 24. when the apostle gathered together many that believed , and setled them in the order of the gospel , and the order came well to be accounted of , and the conversation of the saints of good account amongst many ; divers false prophets and deceitful workers got up , and as the apostles met in houses , and the saint met together in houses , the false apostles they crept into houses , and held the form , as i said before , and denied the power , and they were to be turned away from , by the apostles exhortation to timothy . now since the true church fled into the wildernesse , the false church came into visibility , and to sit as a queen upon the waters , the nations and peoples ' ; other things have been brought in , other things are brought in and invented , which were not constitutions of christ or the primitive churches ; and these the world have wondered after , in the dark night of apostacy . and the worship hath been made up , and compacted partly from the jews worship , partly from the heathen , and partly from themselves , being corrupted , and the scriptures perverted every way to prove all this deceit . now many have judged to relinquish the former superstitious practices , and to come and to take up the form and practice again in the outward , as it was in the apostles dayes , is to come out of the apostacv . let all know this , the outward court of the city was given to be trodden under foot of the gentiles , to pollute and defile it , and many may wait there , and look there in the polluted court , and in the out-side , that hath been defiled ; and many may visit the sepulchre and wait for christ when he is risen , and so look for him to appear in that which he is risen out of , the iews at their temple when it is left desolate , the christans ( so called ) may glory in their outward court , though it be defiled , and so defiled as god will not appear therein again ; for he hath another way manifested himself unto the sons of men . and now , that worship that god requires , that service that he requires , and that glory wherein he will manifest himself , is , and will be in the spirit , which all people is to wait for , which comes to witnesse restoration , and to come to the end of the night of errour , to the bride the lambs wife again . now a measure of gods spirit being given to every one to profit withal , which shews them sin and transgression , and will lead out of it , which shews formal worship , and how deceit hath transformed into them , and leads them that believed in it , out of that which is polluted , and out of deceit , to christ the sure foundation , and mighty power of god ; and to know gods peace , and good-will to all men . and that which must restore all people , and bring them out of the apostacy , into purity , and to have fellowship with the father and the son , and one with another , as it was in the primitives times , is the mighty power of god alone , which must be waited for , and believed in , and received , and made manifest in the heart of the people , or else thev cannot come out of the apostacy , nor see to the end of those things that are to be abolished ; and this is that which must be witnessed by every man , that comes to be a living stone of the holy city , and a living son of the free-woman , and true member of the heavenly jerusalem , whic● god hath caused to descend , which is the mother of all the saints , and the womb that brings them all forth , and the breast at which they all suck , and are satisfied and nourished up to everlasting life . these sayings are faithful and true , and blessed is he that heareth , believeth , and receiveth them . and this is a testimony of the people called quakers , whom god hath brought out of the apostacy , to the beginning again , to see the brightness of the day of the lord , wherein there is not a cloud . furthermore it is manifest how many things have been introduced and brought in , concerning worship , and ordinances , and are taught to be doctrines of the primitive times , when as they are brought in by men of corrupt minds in latter ages , which had lost the faith once delivered to the saints , and had lost the gospel order , and compelled people by outward law to submit unto them , and yet all those things they would fasten upon the scriptures , and bring some scripture which they pervert , as a cloak and a cover to blind people withal ; but i shall descend to some particulars . chap. v. concerning sprinkling infants . and first concerning baptizing or christning infants ( as it hath been called ) which is without prescribed command or example , commanded or ordained by christ or his apostles , although many in these latter ages , have wrested the scripture , thinking thereby to make their own inventions to be reckoned or accounted to be ordinances of god , and the main ground which the greatest rabbies have given , hath been from these or the like scriptures ; go teach and baptize all nations , mat. 28. 19. but this is nothing at all to prove baptizing of infants ; here teaching was to go before baptizing , or discipling as the words may be rendred , for they were not like to be discipled which were untaught ; now infants not being capable of teaching , so are not capable of being made disciples : now to baptize infants , or sprinkle them with water which are untaught , and not capable of being disciples , is a ridiculous thing , and to do it so as the church of rome uses it , and they who are separated from them , is contrary to the scriptures , and there is no mention made of water at all , nor insants ; and their other scriptures they have offered for proofs , to prove this an ordinance of christ ( and why ) only because christ took up children into his arms and blessed them , and because he said , whosoever enters into the kingdom of god , must enter as a little child ; these scriptures have been tendred for good proofs , but the spiritual minded will judge of the weakness of them who offer these things for a proof . but again it hath been said and accounted orthodox , that baptism came in the room of cricumcision , but how they will prove it is yet unknown to many , for the scriptures make not mention of any such thing , for one type did never type out another , but every type typified a substance ; now circumcision , was a type or a figure , and cutting off the fore-skin was a figure of circumcision , and cutting off the fore-skin of the heart ; now baptisme with water is a type or a figure , 1 pet. 3. 21. which typed out the spiritual washing of regeneration ; and if baptism of infants came in the room of circumcision , then how do they agree in a paralel ? the males was only circumcised , and why are the females now baptized , if baptism came in the room of circumcision ? another thing which hath been alledged for a proof that which christ spoke to nicodemus , john 3. 5. except a man be born again of water & the spirit , he cannot enter into the kingdom of god ; from whence it hath been inferred by many , that baptism of infants was absolutely necessary to salvation : christ spoke of that which did regenerate and make a new , and clense the heart , and of the clean water which the prophet ezekiel spoke of , which he would pour upon his people ; visible water cleanses not the inside , neither doth regenerate , but the water which christ giveth to every one that thirsteth to drink , is the water of life , and this washeth the inside , and cleans the heart , and this is the washing of regeneration , which whosoever comes not to know , connot enter into the kingdom of god , because that which is defiled is shut out , but they that do not look after the substance , hath made an idol of the figure ; but the chuch of rome themselves which were the first inventers and setters up of this humane institution , have said that this must be recieved by tradition , and not from the scriptures , because it could not be proved as a commandment , witness claudius espontius a popish bishop at a counsel at pysoy in france 1500. and yet this doctrine hath been held out to the nations for catholick and apostolick , which the primitive churches made no mention of , neither the apostles taught any such doctrine , but was preached up by such who went out of the light , and from the power into the nations , which became as waters ; for the first ordainer of baptism of infants , and that they should have a godfather and godmother , was ( ignatius ) bishop of rome , long after the apostles daves , when rome was got up into pride , and claimed authority over all christian churches to impose upon them what ever they listed for doctrine ; and such dark things as these have been brought forth whereof mention might be made of many things , and what unsavory words , as godfathers and godmothers is used not only amongst them , but also amongst the protestants to this day , who is gods father , or who is gods mother ? is this apostolick doctrine ? as though god was begotten by generation , indeed is it not blasphemy to affirm such things , and also to hold up such things , all which demonstrates these things to be in the apostacy . and therefore you who profess your selves that you are come out of the apostacy , and are reformed churches , for shame leave off practising and pleading for the upholding such things which the scriptures do not own , or else the practice of the saints in former ages will judge you ; and it hath been reckoned as absolute necessary to salvation , and therefore victor bishop of rome did institute , that the children might be christened by a lay-man or lay-women in time of necessity , because infants were often in danger , as polydore makes mention , lib. 4. chap. vi. concerning the sign of the cross , and ordaining of parish churches . likewise the sign of the cross , and the chrism , are invented things which are in the apostacy , and therefore you who profess your selves reformed , for shame leave off these things and come out of them , and deny them . secondly , parishes and parish churches , which were ordained and builded in the apostacy , and dedicated unto saints , which stand to this day both in the church of rome , and in the reformed churches so called , and church-yards , which they call holy and consecrated ground to bury their dead in , this is an invented thing and superstitious , and yet it stands as an apostolick order both among papists and protestants in the primitive times , in the dayes of the apostles ; the scriptures make mention of the jews temple at jerusalem , and of the gentiles idols temples in which they worshipped , the apostles and ministers of christ , who published the word of reconciliation , and christ the substance of all figures , they gathered them that did believe of the iews from the temple and temple-worship , and the gentiles from their temples and idols , to worship god in the spirit , and they met together in houses ; we read of no parish churches dedicated to saints nor consecrated ground , for they knew the earth was the lords and the fulness thereof , and was clean and good and blessed to them that believed , and there was no dividing into parishes then , nor no compelling ; then corinth was not divided into a parish , antioch , philippi , thessalonica , philadelphia , and smyrna , and the rest were not all made into parishes , neither were them that believed not compelled or forced to come to the christians meeting at antioch , philippi , thessalonica , philadelphia , or any other place that we read of in the scriptures ; and the apostles were not confined , nor their spirits were not so strait as to stay over one hundred or fifty families twenty years , and call that their parish between such an hedge and such a ditch , and such a water and such a way , as parishes are now divided into ; though i say they had houses to meet in , and preached the word , and brake bread from house to house , and sometime by the sea-side they congregated , and sometimes on an hill , and at certain places they met together to worship god , they went not back to the jews temple nor gentiles idols temples , neither forced any of their maintenance as to minister unto them , by which all may see that these invented churches and church-yards for holy ground and parishes are not apostolical , nor was no catholick nor universal thing then in the primitive times , neither was there any command given to the christians to do any such thing , neither reprehension for not doing such things . the first church or temple that we read of was consecrated by pius bishop of rome in honour of the virgin prudentia , and afterwards calistus made a temple to the virgin mary a place beyond tibris , and instituted a church-yard in apius his street , and called it after his own name ; and dionysius in the year 267 , divided both in rome & other places , churches and church-yards to curates , and made parishes and diocesses to bishops , and commanded that every man should be contented with his prescript bonds , and there was the beginning of parishes , churches and church-yards , consecrated ground ; and in process of time when all nations had drunk of the cup of fornication , the nations began to imitate their mother , and to build and consecrate temples , and churches and church-yards , to this saint , and the other saint , as is too too manifest through christendom to this day ; and here 's the rise of holy parish churches , which of late have been preached up for the house of god , and the house of prayer , which bears the name yet by which the pope baptized them , saint peter , saint paul , saint mary ; saint hellen , saint katherine , saint gregory , saint maudlen , saint alban , saint anthony , saint george , saint margaret , saint dunsto● , saint clement , saint christopher , saint giles , saint martine ; and painting and garnishing these houses with images and pictures , and hanging of flowers and boughes and garlands , this came from the old heathen who sacrificed to saturn and pluto ; and this hanging up candles , and their candlemas dayes , this came of the gentiles and pagans , who honoured their false god saturu , and their altar which they have builded in this temple , and their tables upon which they offer and set their sacrifice , these boniface the third commanded that they should be covered with linen clothes , and here was the beginning of these kinds of orders ; so that as i said before , most of the●e things in and about the worship , which hath been since the reign of antichrist , and since the whore hath sate as a queen , they have been either borrowed from the jews , or else from pagans and heathens , and the mother of harlots hath put these things off for apostolick institutions , these many hundreds of years , and divers other things which are in and about the parish churches , your many crosses in and about them of wood and stone , your baptized bels , and consecrated pulpits , and sonts , and hour-glasses , and soft cushions to preach on , all these the scriptures makes no mention of , not in the christian churches the first two hundred years after christ. now protestants who have denied the church of rome and their practices , which was contrary to the primitive and the scriptures , look about you and see how you are sticking yet in babylon , and buying yet the merchandize thereof ; and as for your holy ground called your church-yards , which you only judge fit to bury the dead in , and would compell all to come thither , because there are many officers in and about this temple , who are greedy of rewards , so that they would not miss any thing that might be commodious unto them , and so would compell all to come there for their gain ; but , abraham was the first we read of that made any place of burial in hebron , which he bought so ephron an hittite for thirty shekels of silver , and there was he and his wife buried , and this was no parishyard , neither did he leave any priest or clerk that we read of to receive wages and fees , and for ringing a bell , and reading and singing over the dead ; and so for shame , you who profess the scriptures and the apostolick order and institutious of christ , come out from among all this trumpery , and wait that you may come again into the order of the gospel , and the primitive order which hath been talked of these many years , and yet not known . chap. vii . concerning swearing by the gospel and kissing a book , and that which is commonly confirmation or bishoping children , things invented contrary to the apostles doctrine , and are in the aopstacy . in the first covenant the jews were commanded to swear by the lord , and oaths were observed by the jews that were in the first covenant which was faulty , heb. 8. 7. which ordinance did nor make perfect as pertaining to the conscience , and so there came to be an end of that covenant , and the better was brought in , which stood upon better promises , and then the priest-hood , law , first covenant , and the ordinances thereof ( which was only to continue till the time of reformation , h. b. 9. 10 ) by christ the everlasting covenant came to be made manifest , the everlasting offering , who perfected them that are sanctified , who is the oath of god , the end of oaths , and of all strife and contention ; his doctrine was , swea● not at all , mat. 5. 32 , 24 , 35 , 36 , 3● . neither by the head nor 〈◊〉 , nor books , nor gospel , nor any other thing , but that yea should be yea , and nay nay in all things ; and james an apostle of christ jesus , who knew the new covenant which was everlasting , which saw over the ordinances of the first covenant of the jews , saith , above all things my brethren sweare not at all , neither by heaven , neither by the earth , nor by any other oath ; but let your yea be yea , and vour nay nay , lest you fall into condemnnation , james 5. 1 , 2. and this was apostolical and catholick doctrine in the primitive churches . but afterwards the faith being lost which once was delivered to the saints , and the power lost , they began to set up oathes again , imitating the iews , and bringing the commands of the iews who were under the first covenant as their ground ; but this was in the apostacy : and justinian the emperour appointed , first , that men should swear by the gospel or book called the gospel , and lay their hands thereon , and kiss it , saying , so help me god , and here christendom may see who are in the apostacy , and who were the first instituters of this swearing , and the manner thereof , which the teachers of these latter ages do ignorantly press for an ordinance of god. in the primitive times , they that had the word of reconciliation , who had received the holv ghost and gift of prophesie , and were made able ministers of the spirit , who had discerning , and saw by the spirit who was fitted for the work of the ministry , and fit to be elders and helpers in the church ; they laid hands on them in gods power , and they received the holy ghost ; but now since the apostacy came in , this kind of imagination of laying on of hands one hypocrite upon another , who are out of the power , who have not received the holy ghost , neither they upon whom their hands are said , but afterwards it came to be a custom , and a holy rite to be performed upon children . sylvester bishop of rome ordained ; that all that were christned churches and chalices should be anointed with oyl ; and fabianus commanded that it should be renewed every munday and thursday . clement the first ordained that children that were christned should be anointed with chrisme , and he also instituted the sacrament as it is called of confirmation , or as it is now called bishoping , and did suppose that no man was a perfect christian if this rite and ceremony was omitted ; and for this cause it hath been judged , and lookt upon as catholick doctrin , both by the church of rome and the protestants , that the holy ghost is more plentifully given them by the hands of the bishop ▪ and on this wi●e in the first institution thereof it was only administred by the bishop ; first he asked the name of the child , making the sign of the cross in his forehead , saying , i sign thee with the token of the cross , and confirm thee with the chrisme of salvation , in the name of the father , son , and holy ghost , &c. and smote the cheek of the child softly ; but if of greater age , which was to be confirmed , the bishop gave a sharper stroak , that he might remember this great mystery ; and here you may see how these things came in , and the traditions , and inventions and precepts of men have been and are taught for doctrine and apostolick institutions , many of which are upholden in the reformed churches , so called , unto this day , and so people are kept in blindness in a multitude of traditions and heathenish customes , and their minds led out from seeking after the living god. chap. viii . concerning fasts , feasts , and holy dayes . the jews in the first covenant had many fasts , and feasts , and holy dayes , as the sabbath and feasts of the new moon and passeover , and feasts of unleavened bread , penticost , the feast of tabernacles , and feast of dedication , which are largely shewn in the books of moses ; all which things as the apostle saith to the hebrews , were but shadows of things to come , and not the things themselves , which only continued till the time of reformation , and till the better hope which brought in the better covenant , which stood upon better promises ; now in the primitive churches they came to see the end of these things , and were brought to him that was the substance , in whom all figures , and shadows do end , c●l . 2. 16 , 17. let no man therefore judge you in meat or drink , or in respect of a holy ●ay , which are a shadow of things to come , but the body 〈◊〉 christ ; now afterwards when they minded the form more than the power , they run out into those things with many additions , some borrowed from the heathen , and some by their own invention , and then press them as apostolick ordinances upon christians , which things stand in force with many until this day , too too much among them that are called reformed . victor bishop of rome about the year 196. decreed , that easter should be kept and celebrated on the sunday , from the 14th . day of the first mon●h , that is march , to the 22d of the same ; now the ●ews kept it sooner , and so it is without ground from the iews practice , and meerly an invention of their own , which led people back into dayes , and about what time they judged any thing to be done , which christ or the apostles did , they invented a day and a time to keep for it , as to reverence sunday in advent and nativity , circumcision ▪ and epiphany , purification of mary called candlemas , lent , palm-sunday , monday , and thursday on which christ washed his disciples feet , as it hath been imagined , good fryday , easter , pen●●●●st , was kept by the iews ; and this they would hold out for an apostolick example to christians and for all the former dayes they were invented with many more which have been brought in since ; and so they were decreed and ●a●ified at a councel at * lions in france , that such dayes as either the holy saints departed this life , or did any notable deed , a day should be kept holy as they said in that council for the increase of their religion : there was also other dayes instituted , the feast of saint steven and innocents , by pope b●nifa●e the fourth , and likewise john baptist , and that which they call lady day , lawrance , michael , and martin , and generally of all saints , and these were his institutions which are practised by the church of rome , and oractised among the pro●estants to this day . likewise that which is called corpus christi day , this was made a holy day and dedicated by urbane the fourth ; sylvester assigned the day of advincula sancti petri , commonly called lammas in memorial of peters pains and persecution ; felix the first to magnifie the glorious commendation of ma●tyas , made a statute that a yearly oblation should be had in memorial of them : and gregory would that masse should be said over their tombes or graves ▪ now priests read the original of your service over the graves of the dead and see if this be apostolical . the fast of wednesday and friday was appointed , the one day christ was crucified , and on wednesday judas purposed in his mind to be●●ay him . gregory was he that ordained that neither flesh nor any thing that had affinity with it , as cheese , milk , butter , eggs , should not be eaten on such dayes as were fasts , and here came in this doctrine of devils . soulmass day this was begun by odilo that was provost or provincial of cluniassentis order , upon the occasion he heard about etna the burning mountain of sicily oftentimes great lamentations , and cryings and weepings was heard , which he supposed to be the w●epings of evil spirits that bewailed because the souls of dead men were taken from them by the pe●itions and sacrifices of well disposed christians ; therefore he appointed his covent to make a general oblation for all souls the next day after the feast of all saints ; and this great institution was ordained about the year . 1002. and so all whose eyes god hath opened , will see all this heap of invention hathbeen practiced since the beast rose out of the sea , and the whore hath sat upon the waters , which is since the apostles dayes . chap. ix . concerning priests vestures and bells , which are practised among christians as apostolick institutions . the iews high priests had vestments , and the rest of the priests who offered sacrifices and oblations at the temple and tabernacle , lev. 8. 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , &c. 13. and aaron the priest had a coat girded with a girdle , and cloathed him with a robe , and put a linen ephod upon him , and put a brest-plate upon him , and a mitre upon his head ; and aarons sons had coats with girdles and bonnets , as was commanded by the lord ; and chap. 16. 4. and he put on a linen coat , and linen breeches , with a coat and mitre , and girded it with a linen girdle , and these were the holy garments , and these garments were to be put off in the holy place , and divers other garments and vestments , which were worn by the priest about the temple-worship and sacrifice , which were shadows of better things , and of more holy garments , but this was in the first covenant that made nothing perfect which was faulte , and was to continue untill the time of reformation ; but christ being come and offered up , all shadows had an end , and they preached up the everlasting offering , and him who offered up himself once for all ; now christ sent out his disciples without great provision as to attire , for they were to take neither staff , nor scrip , nor shoes , nor mony , nor brass in their purses , and yet they were to go among them that were like wolves , renting and tearing , devouring and destroying , and there was no great likelihood of obtaining any earthly thing from such while in that nature ; but the apostles lived by faith , mat 10. 9. 10. and luke 10. 3 , 4. and they were not to take two coats , and the apostle in his travels was often in necessities , in hunger , and cold , and nakedness , and did not go in costly array , nor in disguised habits , but in his old age wore sometimes a cloak among the churches which he sent for to troas , an ordinary garment , 2 cor. 4. 8 , 9 , 10. chap 6. 4. 10 the 11 verse , 2 tim. 4. 13. and john the baptist who was a great prophet , had a coat made of hair , and a leathern-girdle about his loyns , mat. 3 , 4. and the primitive christians wandered up and down in sheeps skins , and goats skins , being destitute , of whom the world was not worthy , heb. 11. 37 , 38. but after the apostles decease , deceitful workers and evil beasts , and they that abode not in the doctrine and ordinances of christ , went out into the world , and the world went after them , and so lost both power and form of godliness , and invented things some from the heathen , and much from the priests under the law. sextus the first commanded that the corporis should be of linen cloath only , and that of the finest and purest , and forbad that lay-men should handle the hallowed vessels , and namely women were prohibited hallowing the priest ; vestures , and altars and cloaths , diversity of vestures of sundry orders were muchwhat taken from the example of the hebrew priest-hood , was practised and ordained by s. even bishop of rome . and sabinianus decreed first that the people should be assembled together to hear service at certain hours by ringing of bells ; and john the 22. bishop of rome ordained that bells should be roled every day three times , and that the● every man should say three times a●emary as polidore saith , lib. 6. the invention of bells was from imitation of the hebrews , because the high-priest had in the skirts of his uppermost garments little bells to ring when he was in the holy place within the vaile . and the banners and trophies which are hung up in churches , were taken from the heathen , which did bear them to signifie the conquest of their enemies ; and these have been set up in the churches , so called , by some of the bishops of rome , to declare as they said , the triumph of christ over death and hell . now all nations who are called christians , look to your original and from whence these practices have risen , and those things are continued , even amongst the protestant churches , are either from the iews or from the heathen , or from the apostatized bishop of rome , long after the dayes of the apostles ; and so these hoods and surplices , and caps and bonnets , and cowls and tipets , and miters and canonical coats , and girdles , and divers strange attires ; it is like to prove these things we must have aarons breeches brought in , and the linnen ephod , and his sons girdles and coats , and bonnets , and the high-priests mitre , and all these candlesticks for a gospel proof . chap. x. concerning mattens and singing of psalms by course in musical tunes , and supplications and short prayers , called letany . the jews under the law had many officers which belonged to the temple-worship , among which were singers , as the sons of corah and the sons of asaph , and exrahites and chief musitians , &c. and divers psalms were given forth by the spirit of god by david and others upon several occasions , sometimes after victories , and sometimes when he felt the presence of god , and the working of his power , and who were eye-witnesses of his wonderous works , as the rest of israel was many times , as at the dedication of the temple , and also when they came out of captivity , neh. 7. 44. chap. 12. 27. 42 , 43. psal. 149. 3 , & 150. 3 , 4. and all these singers of songs pertain to the temple and the first covenant , and to that priest-hood which could not continue by reason of the faultiness thereof , heb. 8. 7. and because all these things did not make perfect as pertaining to the conscience , and was but to continue for a time untill the time of reformation , and then an end of the temple priests and worship , of the singers and porters , and organs and stringed instruments as in matter of worship , an end was put to all these when he was offered up that perfecteth for ever them that are sanctified . and the christians and true believers in the primitive times , who had received the spirit in which they did rejoyce , in and with what words the spirit was pleased to utter , and they that had received the holy ghost did joy in the holy ghost , and they that did sing sang in the spirit , and with the spirit , and with understanding , from the feeling of the living which they had in their hearts of gods presence and his assurance ; and he that had a psalm might sing , but all the church did not sing together , a psalm was a gift of the spirit , every one had it not , there was diversity of gifts , and diversity of operations , prophecy , interpretation , and a psalm were gifts which were received from the spirit and not by tradition , 1 carinth 14. 15. ephes. 5. 19. james 5. 13. and they that overcome and were redeemed from the earth , who had followed the lamb , who had given them victory over s●n , death and the grave , they sang a new song , which none could learn but those whose names were written in the lambs book of life . rev. 14. 1 , 2 , 3. chap. 19. 1. 6. and these were the songs of the redeemed which god had delivered our of their enemies hands , and they were witnesses of his wonderous works , and praised the lord in the spirit and with understanding , and did not get a form of words , of davids words which he spake after his victories and triumphs over his enemies , and also they prayed in the spirit and with understanding , and spoke as it gave utterance , and as they were moved by the holy ghost , and were not limitted as how short or how long , but as the spirit gave utterance , and not limited to hours and set times , but when the spirit of god which they had received moved thereunto , and then their prayers were accepted , and were as sweet incense , rev , 5. 8. chap. 8. 3. 〈◊〉 . and were not stinted to set hours , but as they saw in the wisdom of god , and were moved by his spirit . but since the apostacy that the spirit hath been lost by many and the power , and some of form retained , and then they began to imitate three times a day , and seven times a day , but mattens at set times , and hours was appointed by hierom , as polydore and others say . also the heathen they had mattens , as apuleus saith , which they sung at divers times of the day , and so sorted the hours of the day for sacrifices which they did offer unto their idols . pelagius the second , was the first that commanded priests to say them dayly , and said , as the just man falleth seven times , so by instant prayers and mattens , he might as often rise and amend . urbanus the second ordained the mattens called the ladies mattens to be said daily , and confirmed them in a councel which he had at mount clear in france ; and damasus bishop of rome gave commandment , that martens should be said or sung in all churches , and added gloria patri to the end of every psalm . damasus also instituted that psalms should be said or sung by course ; damasus also commanded that the creed should be said every hour : and vitilianus invented the decent tunes wherewith the hymns be sung , and joyned the organs ; but there was divers and sundry manners of prayers , and forms and mattens , and singing devised by many , as bennets monks had one use , and bernard another , and dominicks brethern had one order by themselves , and every provincial bishop made a several use in his diocess , and all was confirmed by the bishop of rome telesphorus appointed that lent should be kept before easter , and added another week to it , which we call quinquagesima , and this week he commanded priests to fast more then the laity ; and thus one runs into one invention after another , and hath brought in all this mountain of darkness , so that the practice of these things since the apostles dayes hath been much-what corrupted , and imitation at the best without life , and are either from the jews and their worship , or from the heathen , or from their own inventions and imaginations , which are so many in their mattens and their prayers , that at last beads where glad to be got to tell them ; and so all who view these things and sees them to be in the apostacy , come out from among them , and them that are joyned to idols let them alone , and keep your selves from them , and compare but the worship and practice of the primitive times in the apostles days , with all this which hath been brought in since , part of which is here demonstrated : and much more might be said , but you will see that these practices are not apostolical , neither agreeable with the purest times , but people have been corrupted with them , and made twofold worse than before . and as concerning the mass and letany which are used in many congregations , there hath been so many authors about patching them up , that they are almost past numeration , but take a short hint of the forming of them up near unto the apostles time , although they did celebrate the sacrament as it was called , it was done with little mixture or ceremony but only repeating the words of christ , and after the consecration they joyned to it the pater noster ; celistinus ordained some prayers that the priest should say when he re-vesteth himself to mass , or putting on his clothes , and began judica me domine , &c. and in the church of greece they sang when the people assembled together ; damasus instituted the confession at the beginning of mass ; and gorgius caused confession to be said nine times over in the latin church ; gregory in excelsis is ascribed unto telesphorus and hilarus . and also telesphorus ordained epistles and gospels , and damasus divided them as they are read at this day in the reformed churches : and anastasius commanded that people should stand at the gospel ; marcus ordained the first part of the creed to be read after it was made by the councel of nice , and the second part , and spiritum sanctum , that the councel at constantinople composed ; eutichianus instituted the offertory to be sung while the people offered something to the poor ; galasius made the prefaces , in the beginning they used but one ; an●ekius added the snactus out of the prophet esay ; burning of incense that which was occupied in the old testament by aaron and the pannims in their superstitious rites . leo the third ordained it to be had in the latine church , and privity of mass , called the common , was made by divers persons , as gallatius made reigitur , satitius added communicantes ; and alexander made qui pridie , hanc igitur leo joyned to it ; gregory annexed three petitions in the same , dies qui nostros , &c. innocentius , priests in the upper part of the church called the quire should kiss one another , that pax should be born to the people ; blessed with hands and challices came out of the hebrew ceremonies , christ at his ascention blessed his disciples ; and surgius from this ordained angus dei seven hundred years after christs ascention , to be sung of the clergy at the time of communion , and often turning the priest to the altar , and wheeling about when he saith dominus vobiscum , or oratis fratres , these came from the hebrew rites ; when the mass is ended , the deacon turns to the people , and saith , ita missa est , which words are borrowed from the pagans , they were used in the sacrifices of isis , that when the sacrifices was done , this was the watch-word that the people might depart , and of this sprang the custom of singing ita missa est , signifying that all service was ended . mass is an hebrew word , signifies an oblation and sacrifice , with all circumstances concerning the same ; alexander inhibited that they should not sacrifice but once in a day ; telesphorus ordained three masses to be said on christmas day , the first at midnight when christ was born , the second in the morning when the shepherds visited him , the third further on the day , as at the third hour . foelix decreed on that mass might be said but in places consecrated , and none was to meddle with the mysteries of consecration but the priest. anaclatus ordained that no mass should be said but in the presence of two in the least least the priest should say in vain to bare walls , dami us vobiscum , the lord be with you , when none were present ; and so on this wise , one piece and scrap was added to another , with much more , which i shall not trouble the reader with ; by which peoples minds have been drawn from attending on gods spirit , to hearken to these foolish ceremonies and invented charms , and so have been led out into ignorance and into the region of the shadow of death , where many have taken up their habitations ; and babylons merchants these many hundred years have traded with such merchandize , under the name of apostolical ordinances and holy institutions . chp. xi . concerning the passover and the supper . the passover was a command of god by moses unto israel , while they were in captivity in egypt , which god manifested his wonderous works in the land of egypt , and in the field of zoan , for their deliverance , exod. 12. 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8. that every family shall take to them every man a lamb , according to the house of their fathers , a lamb for an house , and where the family was little the neighbours were to joyn with him , ver 21. then moses called for all the elders of israel , and said unto them , draw out and take a lamb according to your families , and kill the passover , and ye shall take a bunch of hysop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin , and sprinkle the lintel and the two side posts of the door with the blood , and none of you shall go out of doors untill the morning , ver . 22 , 23. the lord will pass through to smite the eyptians , and when he sees the blood upon the lintels and posts , he will not suffer the destroyer to come into your houses to smite you , and ye shall observe this thing as an ordinance for thee and thy seed forever , ver . 24. and it shall come to pass when the children shall say unto you , what means this service ? ye shall say it is the sacrifice of the lords passover , who passed over our houses in egypt , and smote the egyptians ; and this was the ordinance which was performed , and this is that passover which christ sent his disciples to prepare according to the time prescribed , because it became him to fulfill all righteousness , and he being not yet sacrificed up , this offering was not ended , but now he being offered up , this is to be witnessed in the spirit , and in the hearts of his people who are marked and bear his spot , when a destroyer comes to execute vengeance upon the wicked , he passes over his seed which bears his image . and when christ came with the twelve and sate down in the place appointed in the even , the same night he was betrayed , and he said unto them , i have desired to eat this passover with you before i suffer , luke 22. 15 , 17 , 19. and he took bread , and gave thanks and brake it , and gave it unto them , saying , this is my body which is given for you , this do in remembrance of me ; likewise also the cup after supper , saying , this is the cup of the new testament for you in my blood , ver . 20. and this he gave as a sign & a token to the disciples , that as often as they did eat the bread , & drink the cup , they should remember him ; and it should shew forth his death till he came again , and this was practised by the disciples according as christ had said unto them , therefore the apostle said 1 cor. 11. 23. that i receive of the lord , that delivered i unto you , that the lord jesus the same night he was betrayed , took bread , and brake it , and said , take , eat , this is my body which is broken for you after the same manner also he took the cup when he had supped , saying , this cup is the new testament in my blood , this do ye , as often as ye do it in remembrance of me , ver . 24 , 25. for as often as ye eat this bread , and drink this cup , ye shew forth his death till he comes ; and so he pureth them upon examination , ver . 28. let a man examine himself , and so let him eat of this bread , and drink of this cup , ver . 29 , for he that eats and drinks unworthily , eateth and drinketh damnation to himself , not discerning the lords body ; but believers grew in the knowledge of the mystery , which was revealed through the spirit , and came to see beyond these outward things , and things visible , 2 cor. 4 , 28. while we look not at the things which are seen , but at the things which are not seen ; for the things that are seen are temporal , but the things that are not seen are eternal ; so that which was given for a sign to be observed in remembrance of christ till he came , was visible , to wit the bread and the cup , which he gave to the disciples at supper , which they were exercised in for some time , in the time of weakness while their eyes and minds where much outward , but they came to look at things which are beyond time , and things they saw which are not seen in time , but things that were eternal , and this they sed upon ; and so the corinthians grew up in the life , and knew the flesh of christ and his blood , and they did eat his flesh and drink his blood , and had life in them ; now they which eat his flesh and drink his blood , need nothing to put them in memory of that which they already enjoy and possess , and so the apostles brought them to a further examination , not to look at things visible , but to examine themselves whether they were in the faith , for he that is in the faith , is in that which is visible , prove your selves , know you not your own selves , how that jesus christ is in you except you be reprobates , 2 cor. 13. 5. now they who came to witness christ in them , knew the resurection and the life in them , and witnessed the life of the son of god to live in them , and they in it , and this was a further state then looking at visible things , which was in remembrance only of his death ; and blessed are they who have an eye to see , and an heart to believe these things . and now the apostle spake unto wise men , and bad them judge what he said , 1 cor. 10. 15. so that novices or them that were young , or babes , had hardly been able to discern if he had spoken such things to them , but he spoke to wise men which could judge of what he said , and ver . 16. thus he said , the cup of blessing which we bless , is it not the communion of the blood of christ ? and the bread which we break , is it not the communion of the body if christ ? ver . 17. for we being many are one bread and one body , for we are all partakers of that one bread , and that one bread was christ , who said , i am the bread of life , and this they witnessed , and these are great mysteries , and them whose eyes are towards visible things cannot see them . and what a noise and a stir hath been made these many hundred years , and what killing and persecuting about things that are seen . and since the mysterie hath been lost , and the key which opens the mysterie , how people have waded in the dark till they have lost themselves , and are sunk down into utter darkness , as hath been manifest about visible things which do corrupt ; how many have been killed about this bread and this cup which are visible , since the apostles daies ? and how many institutions and laws have been made about this , and have foughten like swine about the husk , and discerns not the life , neither the lords body . it is endless to declare what stir they make about this bread and this wine in the church of rome , which i shall not now stand to particularize much ; but however after the priest have consecrated it , they conclude it to be the very body and blood of christ , and yet a thing which may be seen , and that is a temporal thing , and so gave it names past numeration . and what work they have made about times and dayes , when it was fi● to be received , and how many decrees have been made about these things . anaclatus caused a decree to be made that all was to come to it under pain of excommunication . and victor denounced that those should be interdectid from all service , when they should receive the sacrament that would not be reconciled to their neighbours of all gurdges and hatred . again clepheranius one hundred years after anaclatus , commanded that all that professed christ or bare the name of christians , being of the age of twelve or fourteen years , should at least once a year at easter receive the blessed sacrament . fabianus decreed that they should receive it three times in a year ; and innocentius the third , decreed it should be kept in the church , that it should be ready at all times , least they that were sick should want the spiritual comfort of it ; and honorus the third confirmed the same ; and austin concluded , the eucharist to be of absolute necessity for infants . and what a stir hath been in the reformed churches so called about this ? and what disorderly work , and what high imputations they have gained to it , when as they commanded the parishes to buy it , and then sells it them again , that the priest must have an offering at easter ; also a token of a piece of lead , a token that they are at unity with the priest , or else they may not have their bread and wine again for which they paid before , and this hath been called a great mystery . chap. xii . concerning ministers and their office , under the law and the gospel . before the law was given forth , there were divers did offer sacrifice , and buidled altars unto the lord , as seth , abel , melchizedeck , abraham , isaac and jacob , who pere guiders and directers of people in the way of righteousness , who instructed their families in the fear of the lord ; but after the law was given forth , aaron and his sons , and they were to offer sacrifice according to the command of the lord , and to perform the worship that god had appointed ; for that time and age at the tabernacle and temple there was levites who bore the ark , and looked to the vessels , and pitched the camp , and div●● other services , as singers and readers of the law and prophets on their sabbath dayes , and porters and the like , and all these petrained to the first covenant and priesthood , which was to have an end , both the priesthood , and the law and the service thereof ; for it was but to continue till the substance came . now christ being come the end of the law , for righteousness unto all that beleive , made after the order of melchizedeck and not by a carnal commandment , he offered up himself once for all , and became the author of eternal salvation unto them that believe , put an end to the first worship and priest-hood . before he was offered up , he chose disciples unto him , twelve and also seventy , and endued them with power ; and many did believe through their words , and they were not men of great parts , but as they were sitted by the holy ghost that gave them utterance ; and they were sent out not to preach the law but the word of the kingdom , and many did believe , and grew and were confirmed in the faith ; and after christs ascention the holy ghost was poured forth upon them in a more ample manner , and it did bring to their remembrance , as christ had foretold , and they received great gifts for the work of the ministry ; some were prophets , some apostles , some evangelists , some pastors , some teachers , and all made ministers by the spirit for the work whereunto they were chosen , and many were converted and did believe , then they that had the word of god to publish , travelled as they were led and moved by the spirit , to publish the glad tydings of the gospel ; and when the believers were many , and many young in the faith , they ordained overseers , or bishops , or elders , who were sound in the faith , to watch over them that were begotten ; but mark , they were approved men and faithful , and of blameless lives , not given to covetousness , neither did tirannize over them in rigour , but were apt to teach and instruct in love and gentelness ; and they that had been ancient laborers in gods work did so , who had received a gift to minister unto others , and as to be helpers in the work of the gospel , and all that were ordained , were ordained by the holy ghost although its true they had the consent of the brethren and the church in that thing , and there were also deacons ordained , which served to look to the widows and for the ministration of the poor , and these were faithful men , and had also a gift . stephen was one full of the holy ghost , and these were helps unto the apostles , also the●e were some faithful widows , who were examples to younger men , and to instruct them , and to be patterns unto them , and all was as a body knit together in love , and served the lord , and strengthened one another in the faith , and served one another in love , and all these forementioned served the lord freely and willingly , and not for rewards , and gifts , and benefices , and earthly things ; this was the state and glory of the church in that time in short , and these are the ministers we read of in the primitive times . but since the apostacy hath entered in , and the power hath been denied of godliness , there is such a numberless number of names crept in we never heard of then , and so many offices , and yet none of that work done which the ministers of christ did , but certain new invented things brought in for worship and service , and the power despised , and men seeking offices , and great titles , and great benefits , and great revenues , and the heritage of god is laid waste , and the earth become like a wildernesse unplanted with good , and the sheep is scattered ; and so all may compare these ensuing names and off●es with the apostles dayes and the primitive church , and see if they be alike . first of all , the pope , his holiness , christs vicar , universal bishop , metropolitan bishop , lord cardinals , which were but priests at the first ordained to baptize the heathen , who came to rome when the seat thereof began to be had in honour ; but now they are swelled big and become princes and the only men to govern states ; also monks of divers orders ; and friars of divers orders , hieroms order , of austins order , gregorys order , carmalite friars , cross or crouchet fryors , of dominicks order , of s. frances order , benets order , and all of these orders sprung up and were ordained in the midnight of darkness , within this four hundred years at the most , as were easily proved ; and trinity order , and brigandine order of jesuites and hermites , and anthonies order , and clunisencies order . and nuns sprung up ; first , of one st. clara , one order , then brigidia a widow in the time of urban the fifth , in the year 1370. and all these kind of orders were distitute of the true order of the primitive church , and their service was appointed by them that ordained them , and these practised the patched inventious that were given them for worship which hath not concord with the primitive doctrine , but borrowed from the iews or heathen ; and all these kind of offices , and officers have been acting their parts this many years , and led people into superstitious blindness , and further from the lord then ever . but to come to the reformed churches so called , and there is so many officers and names , but few that do accord with the apostles times either in name or nature ; as metropolitan bishops , arch-bishops , lord-bishops , we heard not of lord timothy , or lord titus bishops , before mentioned ; but to come on to other orders , arch-deacons , deans and chapters , prebends , and these must attend on some old superstitious buildings called cathedrals or ministers , and there performs a service somewhat like the former , & these are injoyned their service like the levites and priests of old by turns and course , as once in a month or two it may be , and have a hundred or two hundred pounds in the year for the same , and hardly stir from thence till they die , except some greater advance offer it self ; also commissaries , procters , parotters and these are subservient to the former : then chancellors , vice-chancellors , doctors of divinity , batchelors , of divinity , doctors of art , masters of art , batchelors of art , graduates , under-graduates , and these belong to the former ; then prelates , parsons ; vicars , priests , curates and church wardens , all which titles and names , and officers , if they be but compared with the scripture , there will be hardly any parallel either concerning office , work , or doctrine ; and notwithstanding all these orders and sorts who are fitted by humane learning or natural study , though divers years exercised therein , are not skilled in the word of righteousnesse , neither hath the tongue of the learned to administer a word in season to the weary , nor to turn the sinner from his sins ; and thus the form of things , titles and names are holden up , but who seeks after the power of god , or to be made able ministers of the spirit . literal ministers enough while maintenance lasts , but the ministration of the spirit few is acquainted with ; and if there be any such , it is well if they be not persecuted ; so in that which i have said the understanding will see , that there hath been a great apostacy since the apostles dayes in the ministry , in doctrine , in worship and practice , divers of which i have touched upon , to the intent that they that enquire after the lord , may depart out of the mist of ignorance and come to worship god in spirit and truth , and in the temple made without hands , and be joyned to the church which is in god , which the gates of hell prevails not against ; though many will claim authority from the apostles , few will own their life , neither walk after their example ; so take but a few more institutions which is called apostolick to this day , among them called christian churches . clatus the third bishop of rome , was the first that wrote this tittle , that is , greeting and apostolick blessing , he ordained the order of priesthood . everastus the fifth bishop , ordained that priests should be honoured , and that they should be shaven . alexander the sixth bishop of rome , ordained that matrimony should be only solemnized , and that the married should be blessed with the priest , there was the beginning of being married by priests . sextus about the year 114. after christ , the seventh bishop of rome , ordained holy water , and ordered that it should be strowed abroad in christians houses , and when the people met to worship . telesphorus the eight bishop of rome , ordained that the communion should be laid upon an altar , and that lay people should not touch the holy vessels nor the holy garments of the priests ; he ordained lent which was to be kept by the clergy in the year one hundred forty two . higinus the ninth bishop ordained the communion to be celebrated three times at christmas , and that lent should be fasted . pius about the year 147 after christ , the tenth bishop , ordained that crism should be ministred as baptism , and that children should have god-fathers and god mothers ; here was the beginning of this great ordinance , and he ordained that easter-day should be kept on the sunday . urbanus the seventeenth bishop of rome ordained church-yards to be hallowed , and forbad marriage of priests . pontianus the eighteenth bishop , ordained that psalms and mattens should be sung in church night and day to drive away evil spirits . sextus the twenty fourth bishop in the year 222. after christ , ordained that priests should wear holy garments , as coops and divers other things in imitation of aaron , and then came up surplices ; he commanded images to be set up in churches . foelix the twenty sixth bishop of rome ordained division of parish churchres and diocesses to bishops . leo the emperor gave commandment that all images and pictures of saints should be taken out of the churches for the avoiding of idolatry , but the bishop of rome withstood the emperor ; the emperor for his confirmation of taking of images away , called a councel of bishops about three hundred and thirty , and they ordained and decreed that all images should be taken away and burned in the 740. but in the year 769. gregory the third called a council together at rome , near a thousand bishops , and condemned leo the emperor and three hundred bishops for taking images out of the churches , and yet the former counsel and this , all of one faith and church , which they use to say could not erre , and the latter decreed they should be adored and worshiped with all reverence . boniface the eighth , he gave licence to the mendicant friars to hear the private confession of sins , that people should confess to them . pope alexander gave commandment that the sacrament should be made of the sweet bread , and commanded that water should be mingled with wine . innocentius the third ordained that people should confess their sins to a priest once a year , in the year at the least . and these kinds of decrees stand for apostolical to this day among the apostates ; and the reformed churches so called do own many things that are too near a kin to them , and preffeth them for ordinances and holy institutions ; yea in many countries the self same things are both owned and practised in many particulars , which i have mentioned before in other parts of this book , and are looked upon as divine service and holy worship , which the ministers of christ who have the word of reconciliation to publish , are ashamed of , knowing them to be such things as never was practised nor holden out by christ or his apostles , but are brought in since darkness hath over-spread the earth , and the power of god hath been lost ; and at the first institution thereof , though there might be some shew of a good intention in the formers of them , but now they are become absolute idols ; and however at the first some of the things mentioned might seem to some to be indifferent , yet now being prest of necessity , as the ordinances of god , they are become idols , and ought to be thrown away and departed from by all that professeth the gospel of christ jesus , and the worship of god in the spirit . for the lord god hath drawn away his presence , out of all formal and visible appearance , since antichrist and the false church hath got them on for a garment , and to cover themselves withall , to the deceiving of the nations ; and now in this the day of his power hath appeared in a more mysterious , and secret and hidden way , and in a more spiritual appearance ; into this , deceit cannot enter nor transform , and therefore all babylons merchants are angry , and antichrists followers are full of wrath , and the dragon cast out floods after the heir , and her that brings him forth , and makes war with her seed , but the lord is putting on her beautiful garments , and marrying her to himself , and she shall reign , and her seed who are born of the spirit , when she that sat as a queen upon the waters shall have an end , and the dragon shall be laid hold on and chained up , and the beast and false prophet be cast into the lake for ever . blessed are they who keeps in the faith and patience till these things be fulfilled , their hearts shall rejoyce , and their tongue praise the lord , and magnifie him , whose throne is established in the heavens , and his kingdom is over all . and although there was a defection from the faith and practice of the apostles in the first two hundred years after christ , yet doubtless there were many who lived and died in the faith , and suffered as martyrs in the time of the great persecutions by the heathen emperors , and many who could not , nor did not sacrifice to their idols , suffered death , and under-went cruel torments by the heathen who were in the dragons power , for the testimony of a good conscience , for confession of christ jesus ; and although divers of the bishops of rome and other places , did bring in things which they instituted as matter of worship , & so people was darkned by them , yet in the ten persecutions by the heathen emperors many of them suffered death , and thousands of the christians besides ; but deceit crept in by degrees , and invented things were brought in by the leaders of the people , but these things that were invented , were prest to be observed in their diocesses and parishes which they had made and sat down in , but there was little compelling yet till the dragon gave his power to the beast , and it was 650 years before ever the bishops of rome did climb up unto their heigth , as to claim the title of the universal bishop or head of the church , or challenged supremacy over all christian churches ; yet before this time abundance of darkness was entred in , and the power was much lost , and divers innovations were brought in for ordinances , divers of the jews ceremonies , and divers of their institutions which belonged to the first priest-hood , and these were prest upon the churches by several leaders or bishops , as apostolick ordinances , which had no concurrence with the primitive church in the firist hundred years after christ , as hereafter may be shewn in diverse things wherein they were apostatized from the life and power of god , and from the practice of the saints mentioned in the scripture , and of the churches planted in the apostles dayes . chap. viii . something concerning the ten persecutions by the heathen emperors of rome . for the first three hundred years after christ , who was born in the reign of augustus cesar then emperor of rome , and was rejected and crucified by the jews in the seventeenth year of the raign of tiberius cesar then emperor of rome , who raigned eight years after christ was crucified , when pilate gave sentences against and delivered to the jews , the said pilate was banished by the emperor , and afterwards he killed himself , in which time stephen the martyr was stoned to death by the jews , and the same day stephen was stoned ( dorothees saith ) nicanor one of the deacons suffered with two thousand christians more in his raign ; about this time paul was converred . the next emperor that succeeded tiberius cesar was cesar caligula , who commanded his image to be set up in the temple at jerusalem to be worshiped as god ; herod who mocked christ with his souldiers , and set him at nought , was banished and died miserably ; he likewise put forth caiaphas the high priest , and afterwards in the fourth year of his raign , caligula was slain . claudius nero succeeded him , and raigned thirteen years , a grievous tyrant and an hater of all good ; by him was james the son of zebedee martryed , and symon and pemenius the second of the seven deacons martyred , and thomas who preached to the medes and persians , was slain with a dart in his raign ; about this time simon zelotes who preached in africa , was crucified , andrew and matthew , the one crucified , and the other slain with a spear ; matthias and philip , the one was crucified , and the other stoned to death . about the 62. year after christ , james the son of alpheus called the brother of christ , was stoned to death with many more , and mark slain at alexandria . domitius nero began his raign about the sixty seventh year after christ , he raigned fourteen years emperour of rome , under him was the first of the ten romane persecutions , he caused the christians of all ages , sects and sorts to suffer ; he commanded rome to be set on fire in tewlve places , and to avoid the infamy thereof , he accused the christians with it , and caused them to be persecuted and put to death ; and in the latter end of his raign , paul was put to death for the testimony of the faith of christ. in the year sixty nine , this nero was afterwards proclaimed by the senate of rome , an enemy to all mankinde , and condemned to be drawn through the city , and to be whipt to death , for fear of which he fled , and afterwards slew himself , and the church had rest for a season from persecution after him . in the ninety sixth year began domitian the emperor to raign , who began the second persecution , who was a blasphemer against god , and an idolater ; in his dayes was simon bishop of jerusalem crucified , and john the evangelist banished into the isle of patmos ; but after the death of domitian he was released by pertinax ; this domitian the emperor fearing the coming of christ again , commanded that all that could be found of the stock of david in jury should be slain , and many false accusations was brought against the christians , and the inquisition was this , swear the truth whether thou art indeed a christian , and if they confessed , they were condemned and put to death for that alone . clement succeeded anaclatus the bishop of rome , and after him everistus who was martyred under trajanus in the 102. year after christ. in the raign of trajanus the emperor , began the third persecution of the christians , simon who was said to be christs kinsman was bishop of jerusalem , and ignatius bishop of antioch who suffered martrydom in the raign of trajanus , in the year 111. with many other of the christians who were destroyed in this persecution ; the church of rome was not so highly exalted as afterwards she usurped authority ; neither were the officers thereof nor bishops so corrupt as afterwards they came to be both in doctrine and practice . marcus antonius verus began the fourth persecution in the year 162. in whose time a great number who professed christ , suffered cruel deaths in asia and in france , and other parts , amongst whom was policarpus the bishop of smyrna ; this persecution continued thirteen years ; the church had some rest under the raign of lucius antonius comodus , and then the christians began to wrangle and jangle about the celebration of easter , and about observation of times and feasts , and run into things outward , and contended about them , and so weakned themselves , and , hurt one another . alexander bishop of rome succeeded everistus , and telesphorus succeeded him likewise , and higinus , and pius , and ansatus soler , and elutherius ; all these were bishops of rome , but many things began to creep in in their time , but being kept under by the romane emperors , they did not get much outward power , because they had no outward compelling laws to force their institutions in divers things which were contrary unto the former apostles practices , yet notwithstanding there was something of truth , and of the power of it kept , and they testified against the idolatry of the heathen , and so suffered death . severus succeeded in the empire about the year 195. under whom was the fifth persecution against the christians , who raigned eighteen years ; in the beginning of his raign he was somewhat favourable to the christians , but afterwards through the malitious suggestions and accusations of wicked men , he was so enraged and incensed against the christians , that by proclamation he commanded through the empire , that no christians any more should be suffered , whereby a great number were destroyed and killed , as eusebius saith in his sixth book about the year 205. this severus the emperor was slain in britain about the year 214. and was buried at york . aurelius alexander severus began his raign about 224. at this time the church had gotten some rest from persecution , at this time the christians had gotten some house or place to meet in in this time of rest in rome , and the cooks and tiplers challenged it to belong to them , the matter being brought before the heathen emperour severus , he judged it to be more honest and reasonable , that this place should be continued to the christians to worship god in , then that the cooks and victuallers , and tiplers should enjoy it ; by this all may understand that there was no great ministers , steeple-houses , or places called churches erected in rome unto this time for the christians , although there be so much ado in this time about steeple-houses and ministers , and parish churches , within this latter age , by them that are run into visible things have been so strongly pressed for a house of god , and a holy church ; so that in this time the christians had no mass-houses with steeples , and crosses , and bells , and organs . standing east and west , which are pleaded for to be decent and holy institutions , yet notwithstanding the moderation of this emperor , calistus and urbanus bishops of rome were put to death , but yet the bishops of rome did not arrogate to themselves to be universal , and these were not called popes , though divers superstitious things crept in , and were allowed by the said bishops , and they were declining from the doctrine and practice of the apostles in the first century , and this was about the year 226. maximinius the next was chosen emperor rather by the wilfulness of soldiers , then the will of the senate , he caused the sixth persecution , which was great against the christians , especially against the leaders and teachers , hoping that when they were smitten , the sheep would soon be scattered , this was in the year 237. pontianus bishop of rome was banished by his emperour , and many more christians suffered under this emperor , and were put to death , and more its likely would have suffered , but the lord shortned his dayes and his tyranty , for he raigned but three years . the next emperor was gordianus in the year two hundred and forty , who was more moderate towards the christians , so that the sixth persecution ceased ; but after he had raigned the space of six years , he was slain by philip the succeeding emperor . philippus who slew gordianus who was called the first christian emperor , who slew gordianus , & began with blood , he with his son philip governed the empire seven years ; about the year 246. it is said this philip with his son and family was converted by fabianus and origen ; it is said that both he and his son was slain by decius one of his own captains , and though being the first that brought in christianity into the emperial seat , but the name of christianity would not save him , being out of the nature beginning with blood , it was required at his hands , and anthetius bishop of rome after pontanius ; damasus saith , that this bishop was put to death , because he recorded the deaths of the sufferers , and here was the beginning of that which they call the legend of martyrs in the church of rome . the seventh persecution began by decius who succeeded philippus in the year 250 , by whom was moved a terrible persecution against the christians , which is noted to be the seventh persecution . fabianus being a married man , and had a wife , was chosen bishop of rome ; this doctrine of devils forbidding to marry , was not yet brought in , which the apostle to timothy prophesied of , no not in the church of rome , not for 250. years after christ ; so the emperor decius put him to death , and gave forth a proclamation that all that prosessed the name of christ should be put to death . origen suffered many bonds , wrackings , torments for religion , yet afterwards it is said he sacrificed to idols , and was excommunicated , yet afterwards repented ; and nicephorus saith of this persecution under the emperor decius , that it was as easie to number the sands of the sea , as them that suffered under him . cheremon a married bishop fled with his wife into the mountain of arabia , and never was seen more ; the prohibition of ecclesiastical men , or ministers marrying was not yet begun , no not in the church of rome , although they plead antiquity for their institutions and practices ; the emperor raigned but two years , and was slain by the barbarian ; about this time divers bishops suffered , and others were condemned to the mettal mines ; cyprian bishop of carthage was banished ; these had no power yet to give forth laws nor inquisitions , nor to force things upon people , for they had not the outward authority then , though divers things which were unfound crept in by little and little , even amongst them ; about the year two hundred and fifty five , valerianus together with his son gallienus came to be emperors , who raigned together ; at first they were moderate to the christians for about two or three years , insomuch that in the emperors court there were many christians ; but afterwards being moved by an egyptian , was stirred ●p to persecution , which was about the year 259. this emperor was stirred up to persecute the christians , which was the , eighth persecution , being instigated by the egyptian who was great in his court , telling the emperor that the christians was the cause of the evils of famine and plague upon the empire ; divers bishops and many hundreds were put to death besides ; stephanus suffered with six more which were leading men , also lawrence suffered , who was pinched with fire tongues , and laid upon an iron grate or grid-iron red hot , and so broyled to death . in the sixth year of the raign of valerianus gallianus , having laid for the space of three years in prison with claudianus and bossa his wife , were put to death for being christians ; likewise fructuousus bishop of tarracona with two deacons were burned the same year for being christians ; this valerian the emperor raigned seven years , and was taken in the war by the king of persia , who made him his block to take horse on to his dying day ; and though the christians in this time were much darkened , yet they were much more justiffed in the sight of god then the heathen emperors , who came all or most of them to a woful end for their cruelty , and tyranny , and murther ; for the hand of the lord who distributes justice equally to every man according to his works , found them out ; and gallianus the son of valerianus who joyned with his father in persecution had many earthquakes , and thirty rebellions and insurrections raised in his time , in the empire in nine years time , and this stopt their persecuting of the christians somewhat ; and after gallianus the emperor succeeded claudius , who raigned two years , and after him quintilian●s the brother of claudius , who continued only seventeen dayes , about the year 274. in this time the christians had some rest from persecution . the ninth persecution began under aurelianus , who began his raign mildly , but soon after moves the ninth persecution , about this time many christians suffered , and some of the bishops of rome , and sixtus , and dionysius , and many others in the middle of his raign , there was a council of the christians at antioch , the emperor seeming not to be against it , nor them , but afterwards he was about to seal an edict for further persecutions of the christians , but he was so terrified with thundering and lightning , that it stopt his tyranny , in the sixth year of his raign , he was slain about the year 276. after him succeeded tacitus , who raigned but six months , and florianus raigned next , who raigned but sixty dayes , and after him raigned marcus aurelius probus , who raigned six years and four months , in this time there was no persecution , but the christians had rest as in matters of religion , but he was slain by his souldiers in the year 248. carus with his two sons carinus and numerianus succeeded probus in the empire , the raign of which emperors continued in all but three years ; carus was slain with lightning , and numerianus was also slain , and carinus the other son raigned alone in italy with much wickedness , who afterwards was slain by the hands of the tribune at rome ; so that from the latter end of the raign of valerianus , unto the raign of dioclesia , there seeming to be about forty four years , in which there was little persecution of the christians , but they had rest and enjoyed their worship in quiet , and they were kept under sufferings , and the law , and did not exercise authority over the consciences of the rest , as afterwards they did , when they came to have power in their hands , although as i said before , divers things were brought in by the bishops of rome in this time , which were much disagreeing from the apostles dayes , yet they held part of the true worship , and bore a testimony against the open prophaness and cursed idolatry and pride of the heathen emperors ; who killed one another for the impeiral seat ; and in this testimony that they bore for god , i beleive they were accepted , and had peace with god. the tenth persecution began under the raign of dioclesian , which was in the year 289. this was the last persecution against the christians , which was horrible and grievous , that never was any persecution before or since comparable unto it , for the time which it continued , which was the space of ten years together , though there were more emperours which had an hand in this persecution , yet principally it beareth the name of dioclesian ; this dioclesian the emperor took unto himself maxillianus to be partner with him in the empire , those two emperors chose two others to themselves , that is to say , gallerius and constantius whom they called cesars ; gallerius was sent into the east parts against the christians , and constantius to the west to britain , these two last raigned moderately and did not persecute the christians for about 10. years , so they prospered in their wars abroad , but afterwards by reason of their victories were puft up with pride in their hearts , they ordained a triumph at rome , after which triumph dioclesian gave commandment that he himself should be worshiped as god , and said he was brother to the sun and moon , and so commanded the people to kiss his feet , which afterwards when the chief bishop of rome got up into pride , and claimed superiority over all the christian churches , having got the authority of the dragon , commanded the emperors , and kings then to kiss his feet , and so in this the pope hath imitated the heathen emperor , who was the greatest persecutor that ever we read of ; but to return to dioclesian , he began a great and grevious persecution of the christians which was the nineteenth year of his raign ; in the year of christ 103. he commanded all the meeting places of the christians to be spoyled , and the books of the holy scriptures to be burned , he sent out a proclamation for casting all the bishops and elders into prison in his empire , and constrained them by several torments to worship idols , and so great persecution there was among the christians , and grievous torments they suffered , because they would not offer sacrifice to idols ; one nobleman at nicom pluckt down the two emperors proclamations against the christians , not fearing the emperors who were then in the city , for which act he was put to most bitter death ; afterwards they were so mad that they sought to destroy all the christians in the world , it can hardly be expressed with words what numbers suffered , and what blood was shed throughout all the regions , and they cast the christians among the lions , bears , and leopards who were kept hungry for that purpose , and them that the wild beast would not devour , they , slew them with the sword , and threw them into the sea. cerena the wife of dioclesian he killed , because shee was a christian ; two thousand were burnt in one place , many suffered in phrygia , and were burnt with the whole city in this persecution ; likewise in france , spain and brittan , so that some rivers were coloured with blood , one thousand slain sometimes in one day , and they slew them by ten , twenty , sixty , and sometimes an hundred men , women and children . damasus , beda , oratius , honorus , and others do testifie that there was slain in the space of one month seve●●een thousand persons ; likewise peter bishop of alexandria , and three hundred more were slain with axes there ; mauritius was slain with 6666. victor with 360. were slain in the city of troy ; the christians notwithstanding all this persecution did increase , and though a cloud was over many , and darkness entred in in part , respectively to what had been in the first century , yet they were the best witnesses for the lord in their generations , and the christians did increase , so that the two heathen emperors were tired with persecuting , and gave up their empire , and led a private life , having raigned one and twenty years , which was in the year 305. these two latter emperors maximinius and constantius who were called cesars , now became the emperors of the whole , one in the east , and the other in the west . maxentius was set up emperor by the souldiers , and goes against maximinius the emperor , who sent severus his son to war against him , which severus being slain lycinius caesar was chosen in the room , so that maximinius , constantius and maxentius continued the tenth persecution after dioclesian and his partner had given over , saving constantius , and esepcially his son constantius were kind to the christians ; constantius chused those who refused to offer sacrifice and commit idolatry to be in his court , and banished the heathen idolaters as unfit for his service that were traitors to god , and this was about the year 311. on the other hand . maximinius the emperor and his partner was very wicked in idolatry and cruelty , god struck him with a great plague in the belly and secret parts , which purrifying broke our with swarms of lice , which caused such a stink that the physitian could not endure the same , wherefore he slew the physitian , and by the anguish of his disesase , he slacked persecution , making confession that his persecuting of them had brought this upon him , and so acknowledged his offence ; and the infidels divers exalted the god of the christians , yet afterwards being incensed against the christians , this emperor set up decrees afresh , to persecute the christians , whereby many bishops and others were martyred ; here was no titles of lord bishops and arch-bishops not yet in the first three hundred years , neither was there any pope then that did lay claim to supremecy over all the churches , neither had these bishops whole counties and provinces for their maintenance , neither all rome , constantinople , antioch , and jerusalem , and all people therein for their dioceses , but them only of the christians who believed , in each of those places ; but afterwards in the great persecution there followed great famine and pestilence on the heathen , which caused the persecution to cease , and caused maximinius to revoke his decrees , and punished the inchanters that incensed him against the christians ; maxillianus who was joyned in the empire with dioclesian , who laid down the goverment of the empire , endeavoured to have slain constantius the emperor , that he might have got up again into the empire , but failing of his enterprize , was slain of constantius . maxentius this time reigns wickedly and tyrannically at rome , which caused the romans to entreat costantine to come against maxentius for his wickedness , who made war against him , and upon a bridge made of boats over the river tyber , he was intraped by constantine , and drowned in tyber ; and thus the righteous judgements of god at last came upon them for their blood and cruelty , as a recompenence and a reward for their deeds , but constantine set forth decrees of favour to the christians . marcellinus was bishop of rome about the tenth year of dioclesian , in the persecution he sacrificed to idols , and was excommunicated by three hundred bishops , but afterwards was killed in the massacre of dioclesian . marcellus succeeded , and one lucina a rich maid of rome dying , made marcellus her heir , and gave him all her substance , and from that time saith pollidore lib. 1. the bishops of rome were greatly enriched , and so began to grow up in earthly honours higher and higher . but constantine the emperor , about the year 318. caused a cross to be made of gold and precious stones , and to be born before his army instead of a standard , when he went to fight against maxentius , maximinius , and lucimus , these were the least persecutors of the christians in the romane monarchy , which this constantine did vanquish , and set the christians at liberty who had been persecuted about three hundred years ; and so afterwards this cross others began to imitate and set up in their churches , and became a flat idol ; notwithstanding after this , some persecution was stirring in the eastern counties , yet in rome and the western parts , and there was no general persecution for many years , and also in the east part he subdued those tyrants ; and we read of no persecution against the christians , untill the time that john wickliff suffered , which was when the spirit of the heathen was entred into the bishops of rome , and popes , who had retained the name of christian , but lost the life and the power ; he began with fire to persecute the members of christ. but long before this time the wisdom and power of god was much lost among many of the bishops of rome , and also divers others , that the apostacy was entred in , and they made great contentions about easter , and about dayes which should be fasted , and some was for two , and some was for three , and some was for forty dayes , all the churches of asia , and their bishops was for keeping it the fourteenth moon , as eusebius saith , lib. 5. for asia observed the feast of easter , and they called a great council together , and decreed that it should be observed the fourteenth moon upon what day soever in that week the moon fell , and appointed fasting dayes , and meetings and synods in all parts met together about this trivial matter , in the year 199. at rome likewise there was a synod gathered together , wherein victor the fourteenth bishop was president . and the eastern churches decreed it the day aforesaid , and fastings before it , and a western church decreed it to be the day wherein christ rose from death to life ; but victor bishop of rome with the adjoyned congregations , pronounces flatly all the westren churches to be excommunicated persons , and gives them up to sathan , so that it became a proverb , that the bishop of rome must judge all , and be judged of none ; this was about the year one hundred ninety nine after christ , when they had respit from persecution . and iraeneus bishop of lyons , he was of victors mind , that it ought to be celebrated on the sunday only , yet reproved victor bishop of rome , peters successor as they say , for cutting off all the churches of god in asia for such a trivial thing . and policarpus and anisatus contended about trivial things ; and although there was much good in them both , yet this weakned the christians , and led the minds of people out into the observance of outward things , and neglected the life and the power . lucius the two and twentieth bishop of rome , about the year 255. and stephanus who succeeded him , a great contention in their time about baptism ; the matter was , whether they that returned from any heresie should be rebaptized or be received in with prayer , and laying on of hands only ; and so here was a great jangling and contention about outward things , which were geting up as idols ; and cyprian bishop of carthage judged that hereticks had no way to be purged from error , but by baptism ; but stephanus was greatly offended with cyprian for this . after stephen xystus succeeded , and dionysius writes unto him , how that all cilicia , cappadocia , galatia , and the bordering nations , how great synods had decreed , that they would not communicate with them because they rebaptized hereticks ; and saith further , the greatest synods of bishops hath decreed that such as renounce any heresie , should first be instructed , and then washed and purged of their impure leaven ; and thus they wrangled and jangled about things with one another , and brake into fractions ; notwithstanding many of these men suffered under the merciless cruelty of the heathen emperor ; likewise they excommunicated one another , and called councils , and censured one another , and hurt the spreadng of truth amongst them that believed in the name of jesus ; all this is to shew that they were declining and coming to loss in this time , though so near the apostles time ; and though they suffered under the emperors , and found peace with the lord , yet many practices and institutions were made which are not according to the primitive times , which ought not to be binding to all generations afterwards because of the antiquity of them , as the now called church of rome would have all to receive as apostolick doctrine . but to return to constantine the emperor , when peace was established in the empire , he set forth a general proclamation or edict , not constraining therein any man fro any religion , but giving liberty to all men to exercise their religion , whether christians or others , which thing was taken well by the romans and all wise men ; this licinius joyned with constantine in the government of the empire , and seemingly favoured the christians , and joyned with constantine in setting forth an edict for the christians liberty , yet afterwards he had great hatred towards constantine , and conspired his death , rejecting the christian religion , and persecuted them , who said he would become an enemy to the christians , for that in their meetings and assemblies they prayed not for him but for constantine ; so cast the christians into prison , and persecuted them within his dominions , and many were put to death , but at length he was slain after several battels between him and constantine by the souldiers in the year , 324. constantius the emperor the father of constantine dyed a natural death , and was buried at york , dioclcesian died at salena , as some say by his own poyson in the year 319. he was the chief of the seven tyrants in the tenth persecution . maximinian the second , who was hanged at mazilla by constantine in the year 310. thirdly galerius who was plagued with a terrible disease ; severus the fourth was slain by maximinian the father of maxentius the wicked tyrant , who was banished by constantine in the year 318. the sixth was maxentius who dyed not long atfer in the year 320. lastly , licinius was overcome by constantine , and slain about the year 324. and thus the lord plagued the cruelty of the heathen emperors who knew not god , but hated his appearance , and rewarded them according to their deeds . the christians in these three hundred years wherein was the ten persecutions , they were sufferers under the power of the dragon , who ruled in the emperors , and then they were not persecutors , having not the outward power in their hand , but when they had the outward power , then they turned persecutors , especially the bishops of rome , when they had the outward power on their side , then they were worse then constantine the great , who gave liberty to all christians and others to worship god without forcing of any , as their actions following afterwards makes it appear ; for being countenanced by the emperor , they grew proud and lordly , and increasing in power and outward authority , though set up at first by the emperor , at last excluded him for having any authority or power over the see of rome . as after a season may be made appear . in the year 367. damasus was bishop of rome 18. years . also in the first three or four hundred years before ever the bshop of rome did get so high as to be called universal bishop , abundance of darkness spread over , and abundance of idolatry and superstitious things was invented , and abundance of orders , as friars , and monks , and monasteries , and nunneries , wherein they were diverted from the order of the gospel , and a great apostacy came in . in the year 260. anthony is called the father of the monks , who followed the example of paulus born at thebes in egypt , who retired himself to a private gave under the foot of a rock in the seventh persecution by decius ; and one called basil is said to be the first that built monasteries , and ordained vows of poverty , chastity , and obedience ; and these are called the monks of basils order , and are bound to abstain from all kinde of flesh ; and here began this doctrine of devils , contrary to the doctrines of the apostles of christ. the next who prescribed orders , was augustine born in the year 350. this order was called austin fryars , they wear a lethern girdle to distinguish them from the monks ; the first order of the eriars was mendicants ; the third that prescribed orders was benedict in the year 472. and out of this order did spring the monks of benedict , and divers other orders which i have mentioned before in the former part of the book . the fourth that prescribed orders was francis of assis , these are called franciscans or grey friars , their rule and order was confirmed by innocent the third , these are the fourth order of friars mendicants , or begging friars , and from this order sprung friars , miniries , and capouchen friars ; miniries were ordered by franciscus de pola , and capouchens were ordained by one matthew basa of acona ; the jesuites were first founded by ignatius loyolla born in navar , they were first confirmed by paul the third . the nuns first author was one clare the daughter of asses who forsoke her fathers house , and devised an order of religious women who vowed poverty and virginity , they were confirmed by honorius the third ; but many of these being mentioned , and their practices which are contrary to the primitive time is mentioned before in this book , and so let them pass , and to return to the bishops of rome ; but divers contentions and sects began to breake forth , and the bishops not only of rome , but of alexandria and nicomedia , and miletus , and one clashing against another , alexander bishop of alexandria , and eusebins bishop of nicomedia , and many bishops in other places joyning one to one side , and one to another , and envying one another , insomuch that as eusebius saith , a man might have seen not only the presidents and chief rulers of the churches envying one against another with spightful approbrious terms , and also the multitude severed into parts , that the christian religion was openly derided of all men , and so called councils and synods , and condemned one another , and excommunicated one another as hereticks , and so went out of the long-suffering , and patience , and forbearance which the apostle exhorted unto . and so no less then four hundred years many run wholly out into contention about dayes , and meats , and drinks , some running this way , and some that way , and forging things upon the apostles and churches in asia , saying , that john the disciple gave them an order to observe easter the fourteenth day of the month ; and rome and the western parts alledge peter and paul for their author , how they left them this tradition , both alike true , for this came up more by custom , then any injunction from the apostles , or tradition either ; for they condemned such things in their life time , and called them beggarly rudiments , such as inhabit at rome , they began to make fasts , and fasted three weeks before easter , excepting the saturday and the sunday ; illyricum , greece , and alexandria began their fasting dayes six weeks before easter , and that they call fourty dayes fasting , or lent , others begin to fast seven weeks before easter ; yet in all the while they use abstinency but onely fifteen dayes , and hath intermission amongst those dayes , and yet calls these fourty dayes fasting or lent ; so that they disagreed in the time , disagreed in the months , disagreed in the dayes , and times , and in the abstinence , and contended about these things , or for life and death , and excommunicating one another , and judging one another hereticks , and at last when they got power , killed one another , and stirred up the emperours one against another , and this in the 350 or 400 years after christ. and all this fasting was but from some meat , as though some had been clean and some unclean , some abstained onely from flesh , and fed onely upon fish , and abstain from all other creatures , others upon fish and fowls of the air , affirming their original is of the water , and so no flesh ; and others some fasted till nine of the clock , and then eat of divers sorts as they pleased ; and here was their fast and their lent , about which all this contention and stir ; all which practices are condemned in the apostles writings , and such ignorance and hypocrisie ; for the kingdom of god stands not in meats and drinks , and yet the protestants and them that calls themselves reformed will needs presse these things as holy institutions , when as it is manifest when the christians in former dayes began to judge one another about these things , and strive , and bite one another , and devoure one another , and they lost the power , and then mystery babylon began to rise , these things became her merchandize , and these practices became to be called christianity , which christ and the apostles would have been ashamed of . and about the sacrament great contention arose , as about the time and the manner , some did receive the bread and wine every sabbath day , yet alexandria and rome do not use it : yet the egyptians joyning to alexandria , and the inhabitants of thebes they had another order , they did receive it when they had banquetted , and filled themselves with delicates , and then received their communion , and so they judged one another in these things : in thessalonica , macedonia , and hellas in achaia , they baptize only on the easter holy dayes : likewise in hellas , jerusalem , and thessalia , their service they said with candle-light : likewise in caesaria , cappadocia , and at cyprus the priests and bishops expound the scripture on the saturdayes and sundayes by candle-light , as socrates saith lib. 5. in this time it is said the customes and observations were so many that none was able to find two which did retain one order of the service . at caesaria in cappadocia , they receive not into communion such as sin after baptism , and even so the macedonians in hellespont did the same . the phrygians allow not of two marriages : the original authors of so great diversity of services , rights , and customes were bishops which governed their churches at several times , and such as do like of such practices have commended them to posterity for laws , and such vain and frivolous contentions did arise in this age , whereby it is manifest the apostacy from the life and power of god was great , and gods wisdome and the unity of the spirit was wanting , and philosophy and customary practise was their chief foundation . and one bishop exiled another , and complained to the emperors , and banished one another , and so the sheep was made havock of , and starved , and scattered , and the name of christ and christian came to be evil spoken of by the many fractions and contentions that were amongst them . but to return to the bishops of rome after the raign of constantine in which persecution ceased , many superstitious injunctions and idolatrous practices were set up in the first five hundred years , which i shall not much trouble the reader with further then what is already said ; but divers other things were brought in afterwards more gross then the former . gregory called the great , the bishop of rome , of whom it is said of all that went before him , he was the basest or worst , and of all that came after him , he was the best ; it is he that brought in this title among the roman bishops , to be called the servant of gods servants , but by his practise he proved a lord over gods servants , consciences , and over their faith , he made an act that priests should not marry a wife , and he ordained a book called the service or letany , which goes under the name of gregories mass-book to be recived in all churches . after the death of him , fabianus was bishop , who continued scarce 2. years , he was the last of the roman bishops , who had not the title of universal bishop or head of the church , he was the last of sixty five bishops before the first pope , he died in the year six hundred and five . palagius , the first was the 69 bishop of rome in the year 355. he ordained that hereticks and shismaticks should be punished with temporal death ; there was 65 bishops before boniface the third , who was the first pope , and since there hath been 179 popes . boniface the third ( who succeeded fabianus was the first pope , he reigned but one year , and did more hurt in that year then gregory could do in many , before he obtained of the emperour phocas that he and his successors after him in the see of rome above all other churches should have the preheminence , and that the bishop of rome should be the head of all the churches of christ in christendom ; alleadging this frivolous and reasonless reason , that saint peter had left to saint peter his successors in rome the keyes of binding and loosing ; for before this constantinople , asia and other churches , their bishops had some stroak , and divers times many of the bishops of rome were reprehended by the rest , but now obtaining this decree of phocas , he began to take head over all other churches , and this phocas to aspire to the empire of rome he murthered his own master , and mauritius the emperour and his children ; so phocas somewhat fearing and willing to have boniface his favour , gratifies him and condescends to all his petitions , and grants him to be universal head bishop over all christian churches , and there was the first rise of the pope ; but phocas for his murther was justly rewarded , for heraclius the emperour cut off his hands and feet and cast him into the sea ; but rome would not so soon loose her supremacy once given as the giver lost his life , and ever since that time the popes have holden , defended and maintained the same by all force , pollicy and cruelty that possible can be ; this was in the year 606. and so the bishop now became pope , his rise was not because of his holiness or righteousness , or doctrine or holy practices suitable unto peter . whom he saith he succeeded for his doctrine and practice , peter had condemned the same things before boniface was , but his rise was by a heathen emperor who had command over a great party at that time , and so by the force of his edict he claims authority . vitilianus , the eleventh pope in the year 657 he confirmed that practice which was set up before by some other of the bishops of rome , that organs should be set up in churches . paschal , in the year 817 was the first that appointed cardinals to be in number 70. adrian the third the 47 pope in the year 884 ordained that the emperour of rome from thenceforth should have no more to do with the election or confirmation of the pope , but that it should be left wholly to the romane clergy ; so now that which first gave the pope power , to wit the emperour , he now throws off the yoak , and if the emperour please not him , hath stirred up the people to mannage war against him , and against divers princes , as may be seen in the histories of latter ages . sergius the third was the first who ordained bearing of candles in the feast of the purification of mary , thence called candlemas day . calistine the second in the year 1143 was the first inventer of cursing or anathamizing any who received not his ordinances , with bell book and candle . innocent the third 1198 was the first that brought in the doctrine of transubstantiation , and imposed auricular confession upon the people . clement the fifth 1350 was the first that sold indulgencies and pardons . sixtus the fourth 1471 brought in the beads to be numbred when they prayed , & authorized the ladies psalter . leo the tenth in the year 1553 set indulgencies and pardons on sale in germany and france , which things caused luther in germany and zunglius amongst the switzers to write against the popes ministers , and afterwards questioned many points of the popish doctrine upon which the pope burned luthers writings and condemned him for an heretick , and luther burned the popes canon law at wittenburg , and declared the pope to be a persecutor and a very antichrist . the inquisition began first in spain which was set up by the papists there , to terrifie the moors who had inhabited spain for 760 years , and so long spain was governed by the emperour of the moors in africa until the year 1492. and after this time the inquisttion began against the moors , which was not so cruel at first as afterwards it began to be against the protestants , and is now accounted the greatest violence and torture , and the greatest tyranny and severest kind of persecution upon the earth , insomuch that many papists abhor the very name and mention of it , and to the death withstand the bringing in of this slavery amongst them ; the extremity and rigor of this inquisition untill the year 1609. in philip the third king of spains time , notwithstanding , though the moors did make a shew of the papists religion because of the inquisition , yet eleven hundred thousand of them was forced to quit the country it was so dreadful ; and all these kind of ordinances and institutions before mentioned , compare them with the scriptures , and the cruelty and severity which hath been exercised towards them who could not receive them ; none who have their eyes open in any measure , but must needs conclude , that all this is in the apostacy ; and so all who prosess reformation flee from these things , and from this spirit , and from this church who forces and kills all them that oppose , who are under his power ; and why should any plead for the holding up of those practices as good and warrantable when as so many has been killed about them , and so many has been led from the life and power of godliness while they received and practised these humane inventions & vain and customary traditions for the doctrine of christ , and for apostolick ordinances ? and must it not needs be concluded them who would tye people up , and bind men to observe such and such things as is mentioned before in this book , and persecute for not observing , that they are they who draws back to perdition , and keeps people from laying hold upon eternal life ? many more vain practises and doctrines which have been brought in since the apostles dayes might be mentioned , but in that which is said already , the understanding will see that there hath been a great apostacy both in life , doctrine and practise from the apostles time downward untill now , & that which is called the catholick church in rome is in it ; and likewise diverse of them who are separated from her sticks too much in these things , because of the custom , tradition and antiquity of them ; in part i have shewn their antiquiry and their rise , and also shewn that which is more antient then they , from which they have swarved , to the intent that all may come out of babylon , and drink no more of the cup , nor buy no more of the merchandize , nor wear no more the harlots cognizance nor the false churches at tire , but that all may come to see before this heap of dark confusion , and beyond the vain observations which hath been introduced , which maketh no man through the observation thereof more acceptable unto god , but rather twofold more like children of the wicked one , who abode not in the truth . chap. xiiii . something further of the decrees and ordinances of the church of rome , which are holden out for apostolical ordinances . pope paul about the year 757 condemned the councel at constantinople for condemning worshipping of images , he wrote a book of the worshipping and vitility of images , calling them the laymens kalendar . pope adrian about the year 770 cloathed the image of saint peter with silver , and covered the altar of saint paul with a pall of gold , and condemned them for hereticks , who kept peter and pauls doctrine which declared against idols . pope nicholas about the year 858 enlarged the popes decrees , equaling them to the writings of the apostles , he decreed that service should be said in latine . and although by the emperours the pope was first elected , yet now having got head did climb up so high in power , and pride and arrogancy , endeavoured that no emperour should be crowned without his leave in germany . and pope clement the fifth excommunicated andronicus peleologus emperour of constantinople as a heretick , because he would not suffer the greek church to appeal to rome . and when any kings or princes had displeased him , he hath excommunicated them , and given away their kingdomes to some other , teaching their people to rebell ; and also instigating other princes to make war against them , and to kill one another for trifles , and if any displeased him , he caused many kings to do penance , and to pay great summes of money to get an absolution from excommunication ; and the rule and power of the empire which gave him first his being to be universal bishop , and to be called pope , he hath raised war often against , and if he like not the election of the emperour , he hath deposed them , and one he brought into such subjection that he caused him to hold his stirrop , a thing that the emperour was not accustomed with , he happened to hold it on the wrong side , for which he received a sharp reproof by his holiness . likewise some difference being between pope innocent the fourth , in the year 1250 and the emperour frederick the second , the pope would not be reconciled , though the king of france strongly interceded , and offered full satisfaction for all pretended wrongs , would go out of his empire if the pope could not endure him there , never to return into europe again , so as that his son with the popes approbation might but succeed him in the empire , which the pope would not do . and how england and diverse nations hath been troubled with his oppression is well known , and what exactions and great sums of mony there hath been enhaused and squeezed out of the dominions where he had power , the nations well remembers , to maintain the pride of his court at rome , which abounded with all manner of vitiousness , in so much that it was grown to that height that vincentius clemence the popes legate , said it was now too late , and past reforming . but to take the legates own words as follows against his master the pope and his court , w. h. in his book called a description of england in the 136 page , saith thus , that this vincentius clement in the year 1452 being legate for the pope , was here in england about the popes business , and hearing that the clergy had given the king two tenths for the repaying of his losses which he had sustained in france , and for the recovering of bou●deox ; this legate vincenti●s coming into the convocation house , he earnestly required the clergy to be no less favourable to their spiritual father the pope , and their mother the see of rome then they had been to his vassal and inferiour , meaning the king ; and in his speech in the convocation he shewed them how that his holiness the pope was much disturbed and in daily danger of his life by cut-throats , varlors , and harlots which did much abound as he said in rome ; but the clergy in the convocation slighted his speech , and said how should we contribute towards the suppression of such , whenas he and such as you continually uphold them ? i grant saith the legate that there wanteth just reformation of many things in the city of rome which would have been made sooner , but now it is too late and past reforming ; nevertheless i beseech you send the legate to write unto his holiness the pope , to request him that he would abandon and leave that baby●on which is but a sink of mischief and of all ungodlinesse , and keep his court elsewhere in some place of better fame ; and this is the legates testimony of the seat of the mother church of rome . besides many of her own members in england in the year 1245 do manifest what exaction has been upon this nation , as may be seen in a supplication written in the names of the nobles and commons of england to pope innocent the fourth , shewing how many subsidies and taxes had been levied and sent out of the r●alm , and how they had been liberally paid , they complaining also how he sent italians and forraigners to possess their churches and benefices in england , who had no regard of peoples souls , and so were no good shepherds as they said ; and how the italians received threescore thousand marks by the year , besides other vails and excises they do reap more rents then the king himself , and so when he could not have his subsidies , and raise all the sums which he exacted from year to year , pope innocent perswades the french king to make warre with the king of england , for his not condiscending to the pope in all things , although he was then one of his sons , and of his church , but enough of this ; it were large to enumerate the actions and cruelties , the oppressions which hath been done in that which is called christendom , since the emperour gave unto the pope his power , and how much idolatry , supersttion , her●sie , and doctrines of devils hath been spread over the nations these many hundreds of years , and how many have been put to cruel death ; for not obeying and conforming to the said doctrines and practices , injunctions and ordinances , and how many he this falle church hath stirred up to kill one another , and destroy one another about these things , which hath been put upon people under the name of divine authority , and holy subjection , and apostolical institutions ; by what as i● written , all may see that these things are in the apostacy , and in the fall , in the cu●se , and in the night of darknesse wherein all this wickedness hath been wrought by the false church which the lord god will reward double , and dry up her waters under which she sits , and make her seat desolate , and throw down her pride who hath drunk the blood of the martyrs , and shed the bloud of the saints , and devoured the lambs of christ , and made merchandize of souls ; and therefore all who are in part departed from her , stay not in the suburbs , but come out of her-city , and the adjacent places thereof , that ye be not partakers of the judgement which is to come upon her ; but oh abundance of darkness remains yet in the nations , and even in the protestant churches who hold up things yet which was invented by her , insomuch that one belonging to the church of rome , dionysius petavius 〈◊〉 cardinall layes claim to the ceremonies which were practiced in england in the bishops time ; for saith he in his book called the history of the world , the religion of england and doctrine is calvinis●● , the doctrine of geneva , but the ceremonies are of rome as they were practiced in england in the year 1640. in the time of leo the fourth , edelw●lphus king of england went to rome , for performance of a vow that he had made , and was courteously received and accepted by the pope leo ; for which cause he ordained atribute to be paid yearly to the pope , to wit a penny sterling for every house in england that kindled a fire . new protestants look to your easter reckonings , you have denied the popes supremacy , and yet vicars and parsons receives his tribute of every house that kindles a fire , and this stands yet as a good and wholsome institution amongst you . and so for shame , let all that profess reformation , and the doctrine of godliness , and the faith of christ , and the practise of the apostles as their example , come out of things which the harlor hath invented , and say as abraham said to the king of sodom , that he would not take a shoe-latchet , least he should say he had made abraham rich ; so let them that professes reformation , not keep a shoe-larchet , nor one lap of the whores garment , nor any piece of her ornaments , that she may not boast any more that we are made rich by her merchandize ; so purge out horn and huff , and all the old leaven out of your hearts and out of your assemblies , and come to believe in christ the true light that lighteth every one that comes into the world , that he may be your law-giver , whose institutions are spiritual and his ordinances heavenly , which makes perfect , and clean and pure the comers there unto , and so let the old rom●sh t●ash and foolish ceremonies about worship alone , many of which are borrowed from the heathen ; and judge not any for departing from them , nor per●ecute none for not observing of them ; for who so doth , will manifest themselves to belong to the city which is to be overthown , and to be in the apostacy , and not members of the true church of christ , the lambs wife . and many more things which stands yet amongst them called christions , as set discourses hath been set up ●●lled homilies . and the a●oresaid w. h. shews the ground wherefore they were devised ; some complained that their churches and universities were spoiled with error ( as many are at this day ) by which there was a want of able pastors ; four sermons were appointed by publick order in the year only , and certain homilies was devised by learned men , and confirmed for sound doctrine by the clergy , who made them , and the authority of the prince , which homilies were appointed to be read by curates of a mean understanding , and them that had but mean pay , as five mark or twen●● nobles a year , of which sort we had many in england in the year 1640. i desire we have no more , le●st more ignorance abound ; and these homilies were to be read after a certain number of psalms read , and the le●any , and an epistle and gospel , and it may be a●h●nasius or nicene creed , and this was the worship which hath been holden out even amongst the reformed as spiritual worship ; all which while people has been exercising themselves in those things , they have been further and further off from god and the knowledge of his truth , which is manifest to them that believe not by the injunctions and ordinances of men , but by holy spirit which leads out of all error , superstition and deceit , and all that believes in it comes to be taught of the lord , and worship in that which is pure , and are acceptable in his sight . chap. xv. something concerning the general councils since the apostles dayes , though they have been all of one faith , and though it hath been said the church could not err , all which of the several councils belonged to the church of rome , yet see the difference . in that which some call a council or a syn●d at jerusalem , acts 15. when some dissention arose , because of some of the phari●ees that believed , and yet would needs judge it needful for all that believed to be circum●i●ed ; so they that stickt in the outward types and figures would needs lay yoaks upon the necks of them who were come to the substance ; so the apostles , elders and brethren coming together , seeing the state of the matter stood not disputing years together , as the council of trent forty years ; but they as they saw in the wisdom of god sent some chosen men from jerusalem to the gentiles , to certifie the gentiles , by the spirit of the lord that they abstained only from meats offered to idols , and from blood , and from things strangled , and from fornication , from which if you keep your selves , you shall do well , acts 15. they pressed not upon them the ordinances of the jews , neither the custome of the gentiles in the unbelief , which since this the church of rome hath done ; and diverse councils appertaining to her , hath cumbred people with multitudes of things and heavy yoaks , some borrowed from the jews in the unbelief , and some from the heathens in the unbelief , and prest their institutions and inventions as ordinances of christ upon all the members of the church , which are so many and so innumerable , and all contrary to the primitive church ; and they have been of the nature of those councils that david speaks of , psal. 2. who took council against the lord and against his anointed , and that was a council which condemned the son of god , christ jesus , and these councils though rabbies and great men , yet they ●rred from the life ; but to come downward amongst the doctors and bishops of that which they call the catholick church , the council that was held at carthage under cyprian decreed that those who were baptized by hereticks ought to be baptized again , which others called it error : and that councils proceedings was condemned . the nice●e council decreed flat idolatry about worshipping of images : and the council at constantin●ple condemned that proceedings and their decrees : the council of basil as albe●●us p●igius saith , decreed against all reason , and against the scriptures : the council of armenium decreed for the a●me●ia●s that christ was not god : the council of calcedon which was one of the four that gregory the great compares to the four gospels , that the decrees were as sure and constitutions as certain & infallible as the scripture ▪ yet pope leo did not stick to condemn it and all them as unadvised ; and these councils has been one against another , and the multitude of their votes is brought for great proof , not only amongst the romanists but also amongst them that are separated from them ; so councils have erred , and hath opposed one another , yet and the popes and bishops of rome to leo the fourth abrogated and made void the acts of adrian , & yet they both said they were peters successors and infallible ; and stephanus bishop of rome made void the acts and decrees of formos●s ; and sabinian the pope commanded that gregories mass , and all pope gregories writings should be burnt ; and all of these said they had the keyes to bind & loose , and yet one bound that which another had loosed , and another loosed that which the former had bound ; and yet all these claimed infalibility ; the council of carthage decreed that the bishop of rome should not be called high priest nor chief of priests , nor the head of the church , but following councils have stiled him chief priest , chief bishop , and head of the catholick church . the eliberine council decreed that no images should be set up in the churches ; nor worshipped , nor the walls painted ; likewise the council of constantinople before mentioned , decreed that images were not to be suffered in the churches or meeting places , but on the other side , the second nicene councils determined , that images were not only to be placed in the churches , but also to be worshipped , and the pope said that images were to be lay-mens calenders ; the latter council under julius the second did repeal the decrees of the pisan council ; the basil council deterrmined that a council of bishops was above the pope ; but the lattern council under leo , decreed that the pope was above the council , and they decreed also that he that should think otherwise should be held for an heretick , and yet the bishops and abbo●s in the council of basil aforesaid , decreed that they that judged that the bishops were not above the pope , were hereticks , and yet these councils the church of rome layes claim to , to be of their faith and church , and yet one making void what another had decreed ; the same council did with an uniform consent remove the pope enge●ius , and put amidius in his place ; but engenius vilifies the councils decrees and condemns them ; the council of trent commanded that bishops should teach the people , and should have no more benefit for preferment then one place ; but since they have made this decree void , and now whole countries is too little , and the protestants imitates the same , and does not teach the people ; and so of what validity have these councils been worth , or of what force hath the decrees been of mutable men who have been tossed up and down like waters need ; i nominate the several convocations and councils that hath been amongst the reformed churches as they are called , and their synods ; one while decreeing this , the next throwing it down again ; and yet all these will lay claim to be ministers of the true church , and persecute as hereticks to death them who owns not their changeable decrees , and mutable institutions ; but such hath been the arogancy and pride of her that hath set as a queen upon the waters , that she must be the only judge ▪ and then the prophets must be slain . pope julius said no council is of any credit , unless it be confirmed by the church of rome ; and boniface the eighth saith , that no man in the world can be saved , unless he be subject to the romane church ; and pope paschal thus said , as though said he any council could make laws for the church of rome , and all councils do subsist by it , and receive their strength from it ; and that w●h the pope approveth or disapproveth : and so all confederacies & councils of men who are out of the life and power of god doth decree that which brings the seed of god into bondage . now rome look to thy infallability , and thy universality , which thou so much cryest up , and thy unity one while sets up one thing , another time throws it down again when it wil not s●rveparticular interests : and what a stir has here been amongst them that call themselves reformed in these latter ages , one setting up this , & another that , sometimes this service for a worship , then the next calls it idol●trous ; & then another service , and this ceremony and the other ceremony , and this pater noster , and the other creed , this ca●echism and the other ca●echism , these articles of faith , & the next synod make them void , and so leads people into distraction and madness , and this ca●on and the other institution , one while its idolatrous , another while sacred and holy ; and thus people has been led up and down many generations , too and ●ro , up and down , and persec●tion about changeable , mutable and alterable things , and the life which redeems out of the world up unto god has not been sought after ; and so all that looks to have peace , and to enjoy the testimony of gods blessed spirit , come out of this babylon this city of confusion , whose seat is ●rected upon the sand , whose foundation is laid in the waters , and faith upon the humane institutions of men which are variable and subject to mutation , and come to know the rock of ages and the unalterable council of the lord , and the wisdome of the most high to rule in your hearts , & wait in the immortal light of god which is within , that you may see over all these mountains of darkness which is risen up in the apostacy , and over all the institutions , decrees , statutes , ordinances and inventions of men , to before all these things were , and come to him who is the beginning of the creation of god , who is that quickning spirit by which all that believe are raised out of death to be partakers of the life which is immortal which fades not away , and the lord will be worshipped in spirit and in truth ; away with all types and figures , shadows and vails , humane institutions and ordinances of men , ceremonies and vain superstitions , traditions , which god hath no pleasure in , which doth not profit at all , and whatsoever leads the mind into visible things from the invisible god is to be thrown aside as a menstruo●s cloath , and as the breath of abominable things which god will confound , because he hath no pleasure in them ; for the life is risen , and the vail of the covering is rent which has been spread over all nations ; the night is gone , the day is come , and appeared in brightness , the shadows are past away , and the morning of righteousness is appeared , the son of god is come who has given his flock an understanding , in whom life and blessedness , and peace , and everlasting consolation resideth and resteth upon his people for ever more . chap. xvi . something concerning the worship of god , whether that kings and rulers now in gospel times have any power from god to compel or force about spiritual things declared , and some scriptures answered which hath been perverted by them who are in the apostacy , to maintain the beasts power , and the false churches worship under the raign of antichrist . vvhen the lord brought israel out of the land of eygpt by a strong hand and an outstreched arme , he made a covenant with them , and gave forth a law at mount sina , by the hand of moses the judge of israel , and statures and ordinances which israel should walk in , who were as a family who came of one stock , and the laws and statutes which were then given forth was concerning civil things , as concerning man and man , and betwixt a man and his neighbour , and for the government of whole families , and the camp of israel ; and likewise laws and statutes which concerned the worship of the true god ; which may be read at large in exodus , numbers and d●uteromony , and that worshipped not the true god according to the command given in the first covenant which was outward , were to have judgment executed upon them according to the law ; and moses over israel and the rest of the judges were to see the laws and statutes executed upon the transgressors , and if any were an idolater & worshipped a false god or a blasphemer , were to be stoned to death , or sabbath-breaker was to be stoned to death ; and this was according to the law of god , & their bloud was u●on their own heads ; and when israel ●usted after a king , he gave them a king , and they had many kings who were anointed of god , by his appointment , which was to rule in the same manner as moses , joshua and the rest of the judges had done , and whosoever were disobedient unto the aforesaid command of god whether in things civil , or things concerning the worship of god , and several punishments were to be in●●icted by them for several transgressions , as blasphemers , sabbath breakers , false prophets , and wizzards and witches were not suffered to live ; this was before christ the seed was manifested in the flesh , this was the old way ▪ the old paths that israel was to walk in , but this covenant was filthy as the apostle saith , and the ministers thereof could not continue by reason of death ; the law was changed and the priest-hood was changed , and the ordinances and worship was changed when christ came to be manifest , the end of the law for righteousness ; now as a●ron and the rest of the high priests were but types and figures of the everlasting high priest ; so the judges and kings of israel were types and figures of christ , the king of kings , and king of saints , and lawgiver , and judge ; and their outward power which continued but for a time , in compelling to the true worship under that covenant , or restraining from idolatry , did but continue until the time of reformation was ; but a type and a figure of christ and his spiritual power and weapon , and spiritual execution upon his enemies who are not subject to his government o● power , seeing the father hath committed all power unto him in heaven and in earth ; and moses the mediator of the first covenant which stood in outward ordinances , both the mediator , the covenant and the ordinance had an end [ when the better covenant was given , the covenant of light , and christ the mediator thereof was manifest ; ] and this covenant and ordinances pertained unto the jews , and the compelling unto the worship and punishing for idolatry partained to the jews only , who were under that covenant , and not to the gentiles , as it is written to jacob he gave his law , and to israel his statutes , to every nation he did not so . so they which would bring people now under this covenant and the power thereof , denies the second , the everlasting covenant & his power ; and them that would preach up compelling and forcing to worship , and bring those scriptures of the first covenant to be their ground , are ignorant of the times unto which they were spoken ; and upon this false foundation hath the false church persecuted about worship this many hundred years , and this doctrine is in too much credit with many in these dayes , who say they are under the gospel ; and this hath made people to hate and persecute one another . and the ministers of antichrist hath pressed it upon kings & rulers , that god hath required it of them to enforce and enjoyn all people unto a worship , although they themselves are divided amongst themselves , one while for this thing , and another while for that ; and because the kings of israel did so , and had power to do , therefore they have concluded that princes and judges ought to do so , and so have made them put their neck in a yoak which is too heavy for them to hear , which the lord hath not required at their hands ; and because of this compellings and forceings , many hypocrites have been made , and many of gods peoples consciences wounded and burned ; and many kings and rulers have lost their dominions , and they have been taken from them because of this by the lord. so all they that have in truded upon christs prerogative & soveraignty in this thing , are sure to be reckoned as no other but as usurpers and intruders into that power which the father alone hath given unto his son , which power , dominion and glory he will not give unto any other as to be judge , law-giver in the hearts and consciences of his people . object . but some may say , did not the prophets exhort to inquire for the old paths , and the good old way ? and did not the prophets say , kings should be nursing fathers , and queens nursing mothers ? and must not this be fulfilled in these dayes ? ans. this is true that the prophet did exhort the princes & people of israel who were in the revolted estate , who had transgressed the commandments of the lord , and had lost the guide of their youth & the rest of their souls ; and therefore he turned them back to consider of the day of old , and inquire after the good old way that they might walk therein , wch they were gone from , but this doth not pertain at all unto this time ; for christ jesus is the new and living way which all is to inquire after now , who is the end of the law for righteousness , and the first covenant unto them that believe ; and as for kings being nursing fathers , the queens nursing mothers , this was prophesied by the prophet before they went into captivit , & how the heathen should have power over their kings , prophets and priests and people , and jerusalem should lye desolate ; now this the prophet spoke of concerning the return of them unto the lord , and they to inhabit their own land , then their own kings and queens should rule over them , & be as nurses to them , when they should return from their captivity , then jacob should rejoyce and israel should be glad , and this was spoken to the jews , and this had reference to their state in that time . further it may be objected , ought not blasphemy & idolatry and adultery to be punished , is this to be suffered now ? seeing it was punished under the law. answer , yea , this is to be punished , and shall be punished , and that even with death ; for as i said the father hath committed all power unto the son , who will execute his judgement upon all them who will not have him to raign in their hearts , as it is written , these my enemies that would not that i should rule over them , bring them before me , that i may slay them ; with what weapons ? with carnal ? nay , but with the sharp two edged sword which proceeds out of his mouth , and with the sword of the spirit which is the word of god ; and the spiritual weapons which runs thorow the blasphemer and kills him , and flayes the false prophet , and soothsayer , and inchanter , and idolator , and yet saves the creature a live ; take one example of christ the new and living way , when the pharisees brought a woman tempting christ , which was taken in adultery , saying , according to the law of moses , she ought to be stoned to death ; he that was the end of the law , said he that was without sin cast the first stone , convicting them al that they were in the same nature , and yet did not approve of the adultery , but said go and sin no more least a worse thing come upon thee ; likewise paul said i was a persecutor , and a blasphemer ; this generation who professeth pauls words would say , let him dye , he hath confessed he was a blasphemer ; but he was slain with other weapons ; christ slew the blasphemer and the persecutor in him , and left the man alive , and made him a chosen vessel to declare against blasphemy , and lead out of all ungodliness . and herein is the second covenant more excellent then the first , and the ministration more excellent then the former , and the dominion and government of christ more excellent then the dominion and government of the kings of israel , and the weapons more excellent then theirs , and the power greater then theirs which is able to destroy the works of the devil , as blasphemy , idolatry and adultery , and save the creature alive ; this is the better covenant , indeed the everlasting ; and herein is the mercy of god exalted , his dominion and power exalted , and christ the king of glory exalted ; and these sins before-mentioned punished with great severity and great judgment ; for in the first covenant they slew with a temporal death ; but christ when he appeareth in his power and glory in flames of fire , renders vengeance within upon the wicked , which burns and scorches , and brings anguish , & tormenteth all them that are in that nature , and banisheth all them from his presence and from the glory of his power , till that be dead and slain which would not have him to raign , to wit , that which is born of the flesh which is within ; and blasphemy , idolatry , murther are the fruits of the flesh , where the flesh is not lived in these things cannot be brought forth ; i speak not of the creature who is gods workman-ship , for that may be alive , when the birth & fruits which are after the flesh are both dead ; and herein is the mighty power of god made known , and his justice and his severe judgment , which all must pass thorow before they come to witness eternal life ; he that dispised moses law , died by the mouth of two or three witnesses , which was a natural death ; of how much sorer punishment shall he be worthy which treadeth underfoot the son of god , and counteth the bloud of the covenant an unholy thing , heb. 10. 28 , 29. and blasphemeth . but further , it will be objected that the apostle exhorteth for a submission unto every ordinance of man for the lords sake , 1 pet. 2. 13. whether it be unto kings as supream , or unto governours , as unto them that are sent of him , and in romans the 13. 1 , 2. let every soul be subject unto the higher power , for there is no power but of god , and the powers that be are ordained of god. ans. from these scriptures many bad constructions and inferences hath been gathered , as that kings and rulers were to be obeyed in all things , and that every worship which is commanded by●a king or superiour ought to be obeyed , and that kings and rulers had power in spiritual things , to make a law for such a worship , or forbid such a worship , and all these ought to be obeyed ; and so in the apostacy the ministers of antichrist hath brought in many inventions and traditions , and humane institutions for divine worship and service , and thereby hath pressed rulers to make laws , and compel all people to receive them , although they have been repugnant to the true worship of god , and then such teachers hath pressed such people to obedience as of duty and necessity , because the aforesaid scripture doth command subjection to all rulers ; and thus hath babylon reared up her city , and gotten merchants to put off her merchandize , and so hath cheated both rulers and people , and hath led them to hate and destroy one another . unto these scriptures , and divers others which speaks of obedience to magistrates in all things , must needs be truly understood to be of things that are just and equal , which are onely civil ; and concerning things between man and man , and the ordinances which are for the well being of a nation , or the good and wholesome government of a state , and cannot be understood of things spiritual , or relating to things appertaining to the conscience , or respecting things about the worship of god ; my reasons are weighty , for in that time and age the apostle wrote , whether peter , paul or any other , the magistrates were all heathens , as herod , pontius pilate , augustus caesar , tiberius caesar , and nero , who were all heathen emperours of rome , and idolators , and at that time they had power over rome , and also over jerusalem & judea ; and paul writing to the romans , and peter to capadocia , pontius and asia who were also under heathen rulers , and did not worship the true god ; doubtless they injoyned not submission unto the heathen rulers in spiritual things , for then they must have been joyned unto idolatry , for if it be understood that they had power in spiritual things , which partained unto the conscience , and that they ought to be obeyed in all spiritual things , then peter and john were transgressors themselves , when they taught boldly the things of the kingdome of god , in every city where ever they came ; and the rulers in most places opposed and put peter and john out of the city , and commanded the apostles to speak no more in the name of jesus ; and yet they returned again and disobeyed their command , and their power and authority , and said , whether it were better to obey god or man , judge ye ; so that no king , ruler nor magistrate , as a magistrate has power given of god to imprison or force , or perscribe any law or worship upon the hearts and consciences of men ; for that belongs onely to christ the law given the bishop of souls . but then it will be objected , if not as a magistrate , yet then as a christian , he may injoyn and give command concerning worship , and compell and punish them that obey not . answer , as a christian they have no priority , but as they stand in the growth of truth , not above others for god is no respecter of persons , for the apostles and ministers of christ who preached the gospel , and had begotten many into the faith thorow the power of god which was with them by which they spoke , and in things spiritual might have claimed obedience to their command much more then any temporall prince , and yet they said we are not lords over mens faith , nor did they exercise lorship over mens consciences , but left every one to gods witnesse , and to the word of his grace which was nigh in their hearts ; and furthermore said , let every one be perswaded in his own mind , & said if any should be contrary minded , god would reveal it to them , and so waited in the patience to see the work of god prosper and was content ; and so forcing and compelling about spiritual matters by temporal punishments and temporal law is all contrary to the apostles practice in the primitive times , though the heathen persecuted the christians by their temporal laws for spiritual things , and about spiritual matters for the worship of god ; but we never read of any called christians that did so untill pelagius a bishop of rome or pope , when the emperour had given boneface the third this power to be called the chief bishop and head universal over all christian churches ; then he begun to make temporal laws to punish about spiritual things : and pelagius made a decree that hereticks should be punished with temporal death about 555 years after christ ; so let all princes , magistrate , and rulers , who denies the church of rome in her apostacy , follow not her example , but leave every one free to the lord in spiritual matters as concerning his worship , for to him must every one give an account in his own day when it shal be required , from which the wicked shall not be able to fly . another objection . but then it may be said , what power will you allow unto magistrates that profess the name of christ ? or how far have they authority from god to punish evil doers , and encourage them that do well ? answer . it is said by me kings rule and princes decrees justice , there is a ruling by him , and that is a ruling in the power of god in him ; he that rules in the power of god , measures equal justice unto all men , and ruleth by the good and wholsome laws which are made by the will of god , which is according to gods witness which he hath placed in every mans heart , and such a one is a temporall head over the temporal body & ruleth in righteousness in temporal things ; but christ he is the head of the body that is spiritual which is his church . now the law is against the lawless , as against liers , swearers , stealers , cursed speakers , murderers , man-slayers , man stealers , violence , and oppression , and deceit , and that which tends to the hurt and destroying of the creation ; and he that is the executor of the law , ought to inflict temporal punishments for temporall facts , provided , that every punishment be suitable to the transgression , and go not beyond it , and in so doing he rules for god , and the sword is to be turned against that which doth evil , and to keep peace amongst all men , and to keep down all strife and contention , quarrelling and fighting , and keeping the unruly from devouring and destroying one another ; and this is to rule for god in a nation in the creation , and to countenance the honest , upright , and quiet and meek , and this is a praise unto them that do well , and this is that which would keep the nations at peace ; and here governors and rulers comes to be blessed , when the princes thereof rules in righteousness , and when people live under them a holy , godly and quiet life ; but when godliness , holiness , righteousness is counted as a crime , and wickedness and violence and iniquity set up , that nation is near a judgement , and for the iniquity of rulers , kings and people , many fruitful lands hath the lord made barren , and that which is for the well-being and preservation for the universal good , and all people therein , all people ought to render obedience unto such command for conscience sake , and all people ought ●to obey rulers and governours in that which is good and lawful and warrantable in the sight of god , & unto all just commands to yeild obedience , not for wrath , but for conscience sake ; for so the lord requires , which will be acceptable and pleasing in his fight . and all magistrates who are christians , ought to be paterns of holiness and righteousnesse to their people , and to admonish , exhort and reprove the prophane and ungodly , and to the worship of the true god who is a spirit , and will be worshipped in spirit and in truth ; it is the duty of every true christian who is a king and a priest unto god. chap. xvii . concerning oaths in the first covenant and the lawfulness thereof , and the unlawfulness thereof discovered in the new covenant , in gospel times ; though apostates mingle the ordinances of both together , denying all oaths proved to be no new doctrine . in the beginning when god created the heavens and the earth , & all things that are therein , by the word of his power , and set the bounds & the habitations thereof , & separated betwixt light & darkness ; and when man was created in his own image , in the image of god created he him , male and female created he them ; now the image of god consists in righteousness , holiness , equity , long suffering , patience goodnesse , mercy and truth , the glory thereof is unspeakable , man being in this image there was no trangression nor sin , nor sorrow , man was bound unto his maker by the power in which he was made , yea he was in a capacity to fear , love , honour , obey and worship his maker , from the virtue of that power and principle which god had placed in him , which some ignorantly calls the law of nature ; ( but that is not the intention of my discourse to contend what it was ; ) but to shew that man was at union with god and bound unto him by that which god had placed in him , in which his wisdom , power and dominion stood , to rule over all the creatures , life was in him , there was no death then , in this the obligation stood not in outward written commands or ordinances , but it stood in that which was internal and invisible , this was before the transgression , here was no oaths yet nor outward covenants made , nor outward ordinances . but after man had transgressed and eaten of the tree of knowledge of good and evil , and gone from the power and broken the covenant , he lost his wisdome , and folly entred , he lost his dominion , and weaknesse entred , he lost his knowledge , and ignorance entred , and an earthly part and a mutable came to have dominion , not that this was evil in it self , being subjected by the power and word in its place , and in the state wherein it was good , but man being gone from the power and from the covenant joyned to something out of it , and out of the mind , and listened to that which should have been ruled over , that became a leader which god never appointed , and this led mans heart from the invisible god of life , and light who is immutable , to lust after visible things and mutable and earthly things , and into instability : and so his heart and mind and affections became more and more to be alienated from the lord , and his understanding more darkned , yet such was the love of god unto mankind , that he did not wholly cast him off here , but followed him with his mercies , and promised the seed of the woman should bruse the serpents head , and so it did , yet the adulterers generation in the transgressing nature were great and fast , and there was but few before the flood , in comparison of the multitude who bore the image of god , and few in a generation , as abel , enock , seth , and the rest went after the imaginations of their own hearts , and set up images and idols , and also after the flood when the earth began to be replenished , the cursed seed grew faster , and many great nations were ignorant of the true god , and made idols and images of wood and stone , of gold and silver according to the mind of the crafts man ; and worshipped them , and became in love with them and swore by them : yet abraham the father of the faithful , feared the living god of heaven and earth , and god was with him in all his wayes and he hearked unto his voice and obeyed it , and followed the lord where he led him , and god made a covenant with him and his seed for ever , and gave him a son in his old age , and said unto him , in blessing i will blesse thee , and in multiplying i will multiply thee , and this was fulfilled , for isaac begat jacob , and jacob begat the twelve patriarchs , and jacob in the time of famine went into egypt and sojourned in that land , he and his sons , and all that pertained to his family increased & became a great people : but after many years the egyptians afflicted them & multiplied their burdens ; insomuch that god considered them & the covenant he had made with abraham , and his seed , & sent moses his servant as a leader to be a guid unto them out of that land , & they were brought forth by an outstreched arm , and great was their deliverance ; and he led them through the wilderness & sed them with angels food , and at mount sina gave forth a law and made a covenant with them sutable to the state wherein they were , for their minds were outward , and the covenant was outward , their minds was changeable and murable , and the covenant was so also ; and all these states and ordinances pertained to a party which was above the seed , yet they were shadows of good things to come , & every ordinance in this covenant was but a figure or shadow of a more heavenly thing which was but to be in force , to wit these ordinances , untill the seed came to be made manifest which ended them all . so all priests , offerings , sabbaths , fasts , feasts , oaths , though they were real in their time , and all vows , yet the law was changed which pertained to the changeable party , when the seed christ was revealed who is unchangable ; the first had an end , and continued to the time of reformation , take notice of this , this covenant was made , to wit the first after the transgression , but when and wherein christ is revealed and manifest , the great reformer & the restorer they end , & he leaves all to the beginning again , out of deformity to be for transgression to that in w●h man was bound unto god at the first before sin entred , and to be for shadows was for all the new moons , offrings , oaths and sabbaths were given forth to man when there was a cloud and a vail and a shadow over within , that the glory of the invisible god could not be seen in this state , nor his naked & clear glory , but as that part comes to be done away and crucified and subjected , and the cloud scattered , the shadows and clouds outward pass away , the apostle calls the ordinances outward shadows ; and paul to the corinthians calls them a cloud , theywere all baptized into moses in the cloud ; and when the day appears and christ who is the light is manifest , the clouds are scattered and ended , the shadows fly away , and clear ayr appears , & glory and clearness is beholden , even the lord with open face , and yet man lives and is not afraid of his presence , but is glad because of the light of his counrenance ; but this is a mystery , and these things are hidden from the wise and prudent of this world ; but this is the some of much , there was a time when there were no oath outward before the transgression , when man was the image of god after the transgression , the oaths were given forth and the commands outward , but in the restoration or reformation they end again and there shall be none , for truth it self shall live , and it shall testifie in man , and there shal be no other witness , blessed are they that believes and understands . but to come nearer the understandings of all ; it is granted in the first covenant under the law , oaths were commanded and men did and might swear , but this was after sin entred into the world many hundred years , & the nations who were heathens swore some by their kings & some by their heathen gods ; the egyptians swore by the life of pharcoh , & the romans by the life or fortune of caesar , but israel was to swear by the living god , deu. 10. 20. thou shalt fear the lord thy god , him shalt thou serve , and to him shalt thou cleave & swear by his name , lev. 19. 11 , 12 , ye shal not steal neither deal falsely , neither lie one unto another , ye shal not swear falsly by my name , neither shalt thou prophane the name of thy god , i am the lord , in num. 30 , 2. and if any vow a vow unto the lord & swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond , he shal not break his bond but do all that proceeds out of his mouth ; and so josua kept covenant with the gibeonites , but when israel revolted from the lord in their hearts and yet swear a true word and said , the lord lived , yet the prophet jeremiah saith , chap. 5. 2. 23. 10. though they say the lord lives , yet they swear falsly ; no truer thing could be said or sworn , then that the lord lived , but he lived not in them that did lie & steal , & kill and commit adultery ; they held the form but were gone from the life and power , and then it was a customary thing with them to swear even as it s now among the apostate christians , and because of which the land mourns , and in 4 chap. 15. verse . though israel play the harlot , yet let not judea so offend , and come not ye to gilgal , neither go ye up to bethaven nor swear the lord lives ; and amos saith , they that swear by the sin of samaria , and say the god of dan liveth , and the manner of bersheba liveth , even they shal fall and never rise up again . so when they kept the covenant of god they swore by the name of the lord in truth and in righteousness , but when they revolted they kept the words & swore without fear & prophaned the name and did swear then by the heathen by maleam and the sin of samaria , even as the apostate christians now swear by any thing , yea even the most religious swearing is by a book , which is not the living god ; and so this kind of swearing hath no ground at all but custome and tradition , but still this is granted that the jews and many of the faithful fathers swore , as jacob and abraham and many others and they all died in the faith and yet were not made partakers of the ( promise ) but saw through the vail and the shadow , and an oath was a type of christ the oath of god ( and the promise ) but now the promise is come , and the restorer and reformer is come , and all is to hear him or else be cut off from having any share in him who is the promise it self , yea all the promises of him are yea and amen , in whom , not only the children of abraham after the flesh , but all the children of the promise are blessed , and him who fufilled the law in whom god fulfilled his oath , who is the everlasting high priest after melchizedecks order , he hath put an end to all oaths and swearing and all the types and shadows . he saith , mat. 5. 33 , 34. it hath been said of old time thou shalt not forswear thy self , but shalt perform to the lord thy oaths ; but i say unto you ( my disciples and followers who have believed in me the true and living way who makes all things a new ) swear not at all neither by heaven , &c. their being and generation then ( as now ) who said to swear by the greater is nothing , but he that swears by the lesser is guilty , he calls them hypocrites , & saith whosoever shal swear by the eternal , the lesser sweareth by him ( the greater ) that dwelleth therein , and he that sweareth by heaven ( the lesser ) sweareth by the throne of god ( and him ) that sitteth thereon ( the greater ) and if christ had only forbid vain swearing and oaths as most do ignorantly imagine , he had done no more then the law had done before ; but t is manifest he forbids all swearing , yea even ( by lord ; ) for if they that swear by heaven , swears by god that sits upon the throne , as he himself saith , then he prohibits this also , and saith , i say unto you swear not at all , and jam. 5. 12. who will know christs mind , saith , above all things my brethren swear not , neither by heaven nor by earth ; now we know heaven & earth comprehends all created things , and yet the apostle goes further , & excludes all manner of swearing , saying neither any other oath , and this he commands above and before all things , and that upon the penalty of condemnation ; but much by divers hands have been written about this particular ; so i desire not to be large , seeing we have a cloud of witnesses wch have good assurance in themselves by gods spirit , sealing unto them rather then swear & bring condemnation upon themselves , have denied their estates and liberties which lies at stake upon it , but happy will they be who hath no hand in it to provoke the upright & tempt them aside out of christs way , for woe will come undoubtedly upon such . and that others may see it is no new thing ; take a few examples of the faithful in ages past , who suffered as martyrs , and it were an easie thing to bring a cloud of witnesses out of the ecclesiastical histories of them that denied all swearing in divers ages , i shall instance only a few . policarpus , who was as it is said johns disciple , & had been a christian eighty nine years , when he came to suffer martyrdom , the proconsul requiring him to swear by the emperours good fortune , and by caesars prosperity , which was the custome of the romans at that time , & divers heathen emperours set up their own images to be worshipped , and their persons to be sworn by ; but policarpus denied and said he was a christian , and would show forth the doctrine of christiany , if he desired the same , if the proconsul would appoint a day and hear it ; so at that time it seems christians did not swear , as afterwards they did in the apostacy . and basillides a souldier and afterwards a martyr , being required to swear , affirmed plainly , that it was not lawful for him to swear , for that he was a christian ; so it seems that it was the mark of a christian not to swear . and the waldenses or leonists ( whose names are so famous amongst the reformed churches ) & who are said immediatly to succeed the apostles & were the most antient and true protestants , professed it to be as way lawfull for a christian to swear . in defence of whom in this very thing bishop usher late bishop of armagh primate of ireland , pleaded their cause against the papists and jesuites who are the swearers and breakers of oaths , and yet pleads for swearing . and the plow-man in his prayer ( which is so much esteemed of , & commended in the book of martyrs ) saith , lord thou givest us a commandment of truth , it bidding us say , yea yea , and nay nay , and swear for nothing ; thou givest us also a commandment of meekness , and another of poorness , but lord he that calls himself thy vicar on earth , hath broken both these commandments , for he maketh a law to compel men to swear , fol. 585. and it is one of john wickliss articles ( whose works was as much esteemed of by the protestants in england and bohemia as dispised by the papists and their clergy ) having his bones taken up and burned fourty one years after his decease , & his books , and these articles condemned by the council of constance , who also burned john hus and jerome of prauge for holding john wickliss opinions that ●aths which he made for any contract or civil bargain betwixt man and man be unlawful . and walter brute a teacher among the people of god ( in that age by scorners called the devils servants ) called lolards , against whom the pope and the king ( richard the second , and then the ungodly bishops make so much a do to have the name of truth extinguished and the professors there cut off ; ) this is walters testimony , as concerning oaths , i believe and obey the doctrine of almighty god. & my master christ jesus which teacheth that christian men in affirmation of a truth , should pass the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees of the old testament , or else he excludeth them from the kingdom of heaven ; for he saith except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees you cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven ; and as concerning oaths he saith it hath been said of old time , thou shalt not for swear thy self , but shalt perform those things unto the lord thou knowest ; but i say unto you thou shalt not swear at al , neither by heaven nor by earth , &c. but let your communication be yea yea , nay nay for whatsoever is more then this cometh of evil ; therefore as the perfection of ancient men of the old testament was not to for swear themselves ; so the perfection of christian men is not to swear at all , because they are so commanded of christ , whose commandment in no case must be broken ; although the city of rome is contrary to this doctrine of christ , &c. a good testimony of a blessed martyr . here it appeareth that the swearing which christ forbids , is not only prophane swearing in the communication , for that was forbidden in the law , where it s said thou shalt not take the name of the lord thy god in vain , &c. but solemn swearing which was to be performed , & that was the perfection of law ; and kings and princes may take warning by this king richard not to fulfil the cruel and bloody desires of their prelates . and chrysostome ( who was bishop of constantinople ) in commendation of whom much is said in the ecclesiasticall histories , he blameth them greatly that bringeth forth a book to swear upon , charging clerks that in no wise they constrain any body to swear , whether they think a man swear true or false , saying that it is a sin to swear well ; now i mentioned before it was an emperor that commanded first that men should swear by it book , & this chrysostom reproves ; so hereby it may be seen by these examples , it is no new doctrine to deny all swearing , and there hath been a people very many years in the low countries , that have denied swearing in any matter , therefore their yea and nay stand in courts of judicature equal with an oath , they being men generally of known integrity , whose yea is yea , and nay nay , in all places and matters ; if they that despise moses law died without mercy , of how much more sorer punishment suppose ye shal they be thought worthy of who treads underfoot the son of god , &c. and disobey his commands & teach others so to do , they shall be shut out of the kingdom of god & have no part with the obedient , who keeps christs commands , through temptations and sufferings and are not offended at them , neither counts them grievous ( they only are happy and shal inherit everlasting life . ) likewise jerome who was an antient father and teacher in the church , which all the protestants owneth , upon that place the 5 of mat. and 37. ver . & 5 james 12 these are his words , it was permitted under the law to the jews as being tender and as it were infants , that as they were to offer sacrifices to god , least they should sacrifice to idols , so they might swear by god ; not that it was rightful so to do , but because it was better to swear by the lord then by false gods & devils ; but the great evangelical sincerity and truth admits not of an oath since every true saying is equivolent thereunto . in like manner doth theophilact an antient father of the church whō the protestants owns , & have often cited his doctrine for proof upon the place in controversy , saith learn hence that then under the law it was not evil for one to swear , but since the coming of christ it is evil as is circumcision ; & in sum whatever is judaical ; for it may become a child to suck but not a man. so that oaths pertained to the jews who were under the changable covenant , & the mutable covenant which continued but for a time , till the seed christ the oath of god was revealed , and where he is revealed and witnessed , all the judaical types and figures and changeable ordinances hath an end . likewise ambrose upon the 118. psalm , he saith none doth swear a right but he that knows what he swears , and the lord hath sworn and will not repent ; upon psalm 110 ambrose saith let him then swear who cannot repent of his oath ; and a little after the said ambrose saith , do not imitate him in swearing , whom we cannot imitate in fulfilling ; and indeed the principal solution given by him is , swear not at all ; and the aforesaid waldenses who condemned all maner of swearing as unlawful , they made it their care to avoid swearing and lying , and hereby they did give sufficient caution against all inconveniences which may come thereby as to government in general ; for where a testification or assertion is made without an oath , is as sure as if it had been sworn to . and bishop usher doth esteem that place of matthew the fifth , swear not at all to be a sufficient plea for the waldenses against swearing ; and therefore they who have any esteem of the aforesaid authors , and of their doctrine must not condemn the quakers as for novelties , or for broachers of new doctrine ; for reynerius one of the popish inquisitions saith amongst all the sects which are or have been , there is not any more pernitious to the church , meaning the church of rome , then the waldenses , and that for three reasons ; 1. because of their antiquity , & secondly because of their universality , & thirdly in that they did profess it no way lawful for a christian to swear on any occasion , which doctrine was contrary to the church of rome which made rinerius & jansenius two papists so much envied the walden ses in this thing about keeping the commands of christ ; and yet notwithstanding all this cloud of witnesses both in primitive times , & after ages , diverse who suffered as martyrs did hold the same & also the many testimonies of them who have died in the faith , yet many are so wilful and so peevish and so envious against every thing which they cannot joyn unto , as that they will brand this doctrine for novelty and heresie ; let such consider how they will condemn this doctrine , and yet justifie christs words , and them which have been reckoned as fathers and marryrs , and as orthodox & found in the faith by all , except the church of rome who too much imitates the jews , & yet are no jews , and they have been the chief criers up of oaths , and swearing , & afterwards gives dispensations to them that breaks them ; and therefore all who reckons your selves as christians , keep to the doctrine of christ and the doctrine of the apostles who were followers of him , and run not back to the jews ordinances w●h continued but til the time of reformation ; and you that reckons your selves a● protestants , for shame leave off that doctrine which hath been brought in by the apostates who hath mingled things together without having respect either to time or age or people , and so have run back to the jews , and brings those commands & injunctions wch pertained to the jews , & layes them as yokes upon the necks of christians ; remember what the apostle said to the galathians concerning the works of the law , & concerning types and figures , gal. 1 , 2. if ye be circumeised christ profits you nothing , and an oath was a type as well as circumcision to the jews , and what if i say of all swearers who hath no better ground for so doing then the jewish oaths which were types , and testifie unto every one that he that takes an oath & swears at all , is bound to keep the whole law. christ profits him nothing ; and so ler all people who fear the lord and doth believe that they have received christ in their hearts the end of the law for righteousness , not turn back to the changeable covenant again , least he who is the everlasting covenant say unto them who hath required these things at your hand and also raise up his swift witness to condemn them who transgresses his pure and holy and righteous , commands , and would compel others so to do . chap. xviii . tythes in their first institution unto whom they were due according to the command of god declared ; and that tythes are no way lawful to be received , neither sought for by any who are ministers of the new covenant and the everlasting gospel , proved out of the scripture and antiquity . to omit abrahams giving tythes , or the tenth part to melchizedeck , after the overthrow of his enemies ; and jacobs vowing to give the tenth when he should inherit the land of canaan , because a voluntary promise only bindeth him that promiseth , and a free gift from one to another is no command , neither binding to all generations , because abraham gave the tenth part to melchizedeck freely of the spoil he had taken , and that but once ; not of his families labors or industries , but of the spoil ; this was a voluntary and a free thing both in jacob and abraham , if jacob had not vowed he had not sinned , & if abraham had not given the tenth part of the spoil he had not sinned ; so this is no command or binding example unto future generations , especially of them that pretends they are ministers of the second covenant and the gospel , but a very feeble and a poor thing for them to alleadge . tythes were never commanded to be paid by the lord to any , but israel whose law was given forth 400 years after the promise , as saith the apostle ; neither were ever payable but by the jews in the land of canaan , and to levies tribe only , and to the jewish priests that had no inheritance allotted them by the lord of all the land of canaan or beyond jordan , but only tythes or the tenth part among their brethren , & that only according to the command of the lord , deut. 18. 4. ezek. 45. 13. for the office of the priesthood , and for the service of the tabernacle . at the giving forth of the law after israel came out of egypt , god chose aaron & his sons for the office of the priesthood , and the rest of the tribe of levi for the service of the tabernacle , god gave unto the levites by commandment all the tenth in israel for an inheritance for their service , and the levites out of their tithes were to offer up to the lord a tenth part of the tiths and give it unto aaron the priest for himself & his sons , and no other portion had the levitical priests out of the tiths , but the tenth of the tenth ; as for the rest of the tythes they were for the levites that did serve at the tabernacle , and for strangers , for fatherless and widows . moreover the tenth of the tythe the priest had the first ripe fruits of the ground of wheat , of barley , of figgs , grapes and olives , of pomgranates and dates , at what quantity the owner pleased , a heave offering also of corn , wine and oyl , fleece were given to the priests at the 60 part , sometime the 50 at the devotion of the owner . but how comes it to pass that they that pretend another priesthood then this , should receive the 10 of all , of unclean beasts , as pigs , and foals , and of such things as we never read of tythable , under the law ; of eggs , geese & turnups , and the tenth of the wood for faggots for the fire , and yet are not of this priesthood , but pretends to be bishops and elders in the christian church ? so they cannot distinguish of the time ; neither of the ministration , neither of service and worship that belongs to each covenant , else they would be ashamed to claim title to aarons tyths and the levites , that was given to them that had no portion among their brethren in the land ; but these bishops , presbyters and priests hath a great part of some counties & diocess for their revenue , and their inferior offices tyths of such things as were never tythable under the law ; so what damnable deceit & hypocrisyis this ? is it any other but the popes yoke , an absolute apostate for hundreds of years , and must this be received & injoyned as apostolical doctrine ? oh for shame let it never be mentioned among them that calls themselves ministers of christ , neither of any who professeth themselves to be christians . but to return to the levitical priesthood , no tyths did the priest receive under the law of the people ; for those belonged to the levites , 〈◊〉 . 18. 2. that were appointed over the tabernacle to bear it , & to take it down and to ser it up , to serve aaron and his sons & to keep the instruments thereof ; and for the better ordering of things they were divided into three parts the coathites , the gershonites , and the mararites , and these received tythes of the people & delivered , the priests did not all ; so our tythe-●aking priests are contrary to the law and first covenant and the gospel also ; and therefore are to be looked upon as no other then antichristians ; but to return to aarons priesthood in the first covenant , they grew & multiplied , & then the priests were divided into 24 ranks or courses , of wch our prebends , deans and chapters takes their example or imitation , so to serve by their turns at cathedrals as they are called , or else from the church of rome , which is worse ; but the latter i am rather inclined to believe , because there was no such name of any ministers among the jews , neither in the primitive church truly so called , but the priests gave attendance to execute their office , and burn incense as his turn came , and hereupon zecharias who is said to be of the course of abiah , luke 1. the levites that were singers were divided into 24 ●anks also or courses , of which i believe the present queristers or surpless-men doth imitate , and will bring the levites for a proofconcerning their office ; but we cannot receive judaism for christianity , neither their practice for apostolical ordinances in the church of christ. the priests and the levites being separated for the work of the lord in the tabernacle & temple , ministred according to the command & ordinances of the first covenant , which were only figures of things to come , and shadows of things that was but to continue until the time of reformation , & then they all had an end , both the priesthood & levites , and their service and office , and maintenance & tythes ended , as the apostle saith to the hebrews , the priesthood is changed , and the law is changed by which they received these tythes for the work aforesaid ; but to descend and to come unto the primitive time , we shall see whether tythes were paid or no to gospel-ministers in the second covenant . in the fulness of time god raised up another priest , christ jesus who was not of the tribe of levi , nor consecrated after the order of aaron , for he pertain'd to another tribe , of which no man gave attendance at the altar ; he obtained a more excellent ministry and of a greater & a more perfect tabernacle not of the former building , he being the sum and substance of all the figures under the first covenant , he put an end to first priesthood with all its shadows and carnal ordinances , and changing the priesthood , which had a command to take tythes of their brethren , there was made of necessity also a change of the law , and a disanulling of the commandment going before . christ jesus when he had finished his office upon earth by fulfiling all righteousnes , he offered up himself through the eternal spirit & sacrifice unto god , without spot ; the apostles and ministers who were made partakers of the divine nature , and of the word of reconciliation , did not look back to the former ordinances of the first priesthood , but testified an end was put to them , & witnessed again the temple wherein the priests ministred ; paul and likewise stephen was stoned to death & against circumcision , saying , it was not that of the flesh , and against all the outward ordinances of that covenant , & called them carnal , & preached up christ jesus & his doctrine the new and living way wch was not manifest while the first tabernacle was standing ; they preached freely the ever lasting gospel , and did not desire or require setled maintenance , but were ministred unto only by them who had believed their report & were turned to christ jesus , and were made partakers of spiritual things , though they often denied that which was given unto them ; here was no tythes spoken on , either to the jews or gentiles who believed . at jerusalem and there abouts , such was the love and unity of heart among the saints in the apostles time , that all things were in common & none wanted ; so likewise the church gathered by mark at alexandria in egypt followed the same practice ; and the church at jerusalem , and philo judeus saith , in many other provinces the christians lived together in societies . in the church of antioch . galatie and corinth , the saints possessed every man his own estate , where the apostle ordained that a weekly offering should be made of the saints , that every one might offer freely of that which god had blessed him with , which was put into the hands of the deacons of the churches whereby the poor was relieved , and other necessary services were supplied . in the next age , monthly offrings were made , not exacted but freely given , as appears plainly by tertullian in apologet. chap. 29. where he upbraids the gentiles with the piety and charity of the christians , he saith whatsoever we have in the treasury of our churches it is not raised by taxation , as though we put men to ransom their religion ; but every man once a month or when he pleaseth himself gives what he thinks good , for no man is compelled but left free to his own descretion , and it is not bestowed in vanity , but in relieving the poor , and for maintenance of poor children deffitute of parents , and aged people , and such as are cast into prisons for professing the christian faith . and this way of contribution continued till the great persecution under maximinian and dioclesian about the year 304 as eusebius witnesseth , and so doth tertullian , origen , cyprian and others . also about this time some land was given to the church by them that believed , and the revenue thereof was distributed , as other free gifts were , by the deacons and elders to the poor , for the fore mentioned uses ; but the bishops or ministers medled not with them ; origen saith , it is not lawful for any minister to possesse lands given to the church to his own use . cyprian bishop of carthage about the year 250 also testifieth the same , & sheweth how the church maintaineth many poor , and that her own diet was sparing & plain , and her expences full of frugality ; prosper saith also that a minister able to live of himself , ought not to desire any thing to be given unto him , and he that receiveth it doth it not without great sin ; the council at antioch , anno , 340 finding that much fault had been among the deacons to whom it properly belonged to distribute the offerings or free gifts where there was need , which they detained for their own covetous ends , the council did ordain that the bishop might distribute the goods , but required that they took no part thereof to themselves , nor to the use of the priests , using the apostles words , having food and rayment , be therewith content . chrysostome notes who lived about the year 400 that christian converts joyned in societies , and lived in common after the example of the former saints at jerusalem , by whose writings it doth appear that three was not the least mention made of tythes in that age ; the church at this time living altogether by free offerings of lands , monies and goods , the people were much pressed to bountifull contributions for holy uses , as may be seen in the writings of hirome and chrysostome , who brought the liberality of the jews in their payment of tythes for an example , beneath which they would not have christians determine their charity . chrysostome saith , i speak not these things as commanding or forbidding they should give more ; yet as thinking it fit they should not give less then the tenth part ; and hierome also doth admonish them to bounty and charity towards the poor , not binding at all to offer this or that part , leaving them to their own liberty ; yet pressing them not to be shorter then the jews in their tenths . ambrose who was bishop of milane about the year 400 preached up tenths to be offred up for holy uses , as the phrase was then ; but his authority he produceth wholly from moses writings ; likewise augustin bishop of hippo joyns and agrees with ambrose in this thing , but from the law given to israel take their whole doctrine , and threatned them with great penalties and heavy judgments from god that did not give their tenths ; but yet take notice to what end they required them , that the poor might not want , and saith god hath reserved them for their use ; so by this time love did grow cold in many , and the power of god was much wanting , which would have kept the hearts of people open in love and mercy to their members ; and therefore they were much prest on and threatned by the bishops to give their tenths ; not that the bishops had any better ground , but only the jewish law for their foundation , and so in process of time this doctrine came to be received , many following the opinion of the antient fathers , yet hitherto it was not laid down as a positive doctrine , to pay them as the jews did , but onely brought the jews for an example , that christians should not pay less : leo ( called the great ) about the year 440 who reigned twenty years , he was very earnest in stiring up mens devotion to offer to the church , but speaks not a word of any quantity . severin also 470 stirred up the christians in panona to give the tenth to the poor ; likewise gregory not only admonished the payment of tythes from moses law , but also the observing of lent , which he reckoned as the tenth of time in the year ; and this he would have given unto god , saying we are commanded in the law to give the tenth of all things unto god ; and thus ignorance began to enter in , and judaism among the christians brought in by their leaders , and from the opinions of these and other antient fathers who took their ground from the law , tythes , easter , penticost and other things came to be introduced and brought into the church . yet notwithstanding the doctrine and hard threats of some of the great bishops of that time , it was not a general received doctrine that tythes ought to be paid till about the year 800. neither was any thing by the then church determined or ordained touching the quantity that should be given , though ( no doubt ) in many places the offerings of the devouter sort , tenths or a greater part of their increase were given according to ambrose doctrine and others ; and then at this time the offerings or gifts to the church were disposed of in this wise , being received into a common treasury , one fourth part to the priests , out of which every one had his portion , another fourth part to the relief of the poor , and sick and strangers ; a third to the building and repairing places of publick meeting ; and the fourth to the bishop , and generally the bishop lived in some monastry & his clergy with him , from whence he sent them to preach in the countries and diocess , and there they received such offrings as were made and brought them to the treasury ; so that by the way the reader may take notice that the priest had no such a peculiar interest in that which was given ; but now they claim all their meeting places since called churches was builded out of the gifts of people , and the poor was relieved and the widow ; but now tythes taken by force three or four sold , and people compelled to build & repair their houses or temples by force , and the poor & the widdow hath no share ; nay hath not many poor been cast into prison , and widows goods spoiled by the priests of this generation ? & how unsuitable these practices are unto the apostle , let all judge ; nay they are proud of the antient fathers and their words , but they will not so such as come near them in example in any thing that 's good ; so for shame you protestans leave forcing of maintenances , and forcing of your wages , and forcing to repair your houses of worship , and do not tell us of church . church and antiquity when you are far enough off their practice , though they were in a declining state in this age i have been speaking of . and although divers of the fathers and bishops and popes in this age did declare that tythes were due and ought to be paid , ( their ground only taken from moses . ) yet none of the first eight generall councils did ever so much as ever mention the name of tythes , or declare them a duty . the ninth general council held at latteren under pope calixtus the second 1119 mentions tythes , but speaks only of such as had been given to the church by special consecration , for at that time people being led to believe that their tythes ought to be given to the poor , did dispose of them to the heads & rulers of religious houses who keeps open hospitality for the poor and for strangers , they were esteemed holy and good treasures for the poor , who took care of distribution of them as is testified by cassian ; but the councel held under pope alexander the third , anno 1180. seeing much given to the poor , & little to the priests , made a decree to restrain peoples freedom , and indeed by this time much wickedness was crept into these houses , as histories relates . there was no law cannon or constitution of any general council as yet sound , that did command tythes or expresly supposed them a duty of common right before the council of lateren held in the year 1215 under pope innocent the third , about which time the popes power was grown great & powerful ; but still the people had greater mind to give them to the poor , then to the priest , and made innocent complain & cried out against those that gave their tythes and first fruits to the poor , and not to the priests as hainous offenders . at a council held at lions under pope gregory the 10 in the year 1274 it was constituted that it should not thenceforth be lawful for men to give their , tythes at their own pleasure , as they had done before , but to pay all to the mother church . but the great decree which speaks most plain , and till then nothing was given forth which did constitute them , but rather supposed them as by former right , was made at the council of trent under pope pius the 4th , about the year 1560. they commanded tythes to be paid under the penalties of excommunication about the year 800 , 900 , 1000 and after tythes were called the lords goods , the patrimony of the poor , according to ambrose , jerome , & chrysostoms doctrine only borrowed from the jews . so thus in short i have shown that tythes were never reckoned as due to the clergy for a thousand years , but they did give them as they would , & how much they would , & that without compulsion , till the hight of popery and the power of darkness spread over all ; and since forcing constitutions have been made by councils of priests ; and so you who looks upon your selves to be ministers of christ , and to follow the doctrine of the primitive times , for shame cease from those things of taking tythes and giving tythes which was ordained and constituted in the mid-night of popery , when the power of god was lost , which should have opened peoples hearts both to the poor and to the ministry , and then this false church began to force and compel , or else they could not have subsisted , for the doctrine had little influence upon peoples hearts : about the year 600 or soon after , gregory the first then the pope of rome sent over augustin the monk into england , by whom ethelbert king of kent was converted as they call it , but it was but to popery ; he and his clergy long time after followed the example of former ages , living in common upon the offerings of their convers & those that received them , joyned into societies according unto the primitive practice by gregories order , and that they should in tenderness to the saxon church that they should still imitate the primitive times that they might not make their religion burthensome ; but afterwards having brought a great part of the nation to their faith , they began to preach up the old romane doctrine , that tythes ought to be paid ; and having taught people that pardon of sin was merited by good works , and the torments of hell be avoided by charity , then it was no hard matter to perswade them to give their tenths and lands , but also their outward riches , and the clergy had almost got a third part of the land into their hand . as concerning laws and canons for tythes , among the saxons in england , it is reported that in the year 786 two legates were sent from pope hadrian the first , to off a king of mercland , and elsewolf king of northumberland , who made a decree that the people of those two kingdomes should pay tythes ; by this it may be seen chat tythes were not reckoned as due for many hundred years , and indeed were never due in the second covenant ; so these things that are so pleaded for by these hireling priests of this last age which hath no better plea then antiquity for their tyths and forced hire , may be convinced , that antiquity without truth is nothing , and yet the antiquity of the churches in the primitive times condemns these practises ; so that let all protestants deny these introduced institutions and the popes wages , forced tythes and hire , which is antichristian . a cloud of witnesses might be brought out of the antient fathers , who testified against them , and diverse martyrs , as walter brute and john wickliff who suffered martyrs for testifying the truth against the idolatry and superstitions of that age . selden in his history of tythes , saith that before the year 800 or there abouts , there is not any general law that yet remains in publick , and is of credit , which ordained any payment of tythes in the western church , for the eastern never any law that hath been observed , mentions them ; so in the first giving of tenths was by the perswasion of some of the fathers formentioned , for the poor and service of the church , and they were only the free offering or free gift of the people , as almes which were brought into the common treasury first disposed of by deacons , for the service of the church ; but they being found faulty , it were ordered & decreed in a council that the bishop or overseer should dispose of them , to wit the offerings ; but they were not compellable , who did not offer this or that part , but were left free to do as they had freedom , only exhorted and threatened with the judgments of god , if they suffered the poor to lack or be in want . the predecessors of the protestants , the bohemians being descended from the waldenses forementioned did professe that all priests or ministers ought to be poor , and to be content with the free gift or what the people freely offered them ; so saith aeneas silvius in his bohemian history , and it is one of john wicklifs articles for which he was censured , viz. that tythes were a free gift as among christians , or only pure alms , and that the parishoners may for the ●ffence of their curates detain and keep them back and bestow ●hem upon others at their own will and pleasure . and this proposition aforesaid is maintained by john husse in the said book of martyrs , pag. 461. that the clergy are not lords and possessors of tyths or other ecclesiastical goods , but only stewards , and after the necessity of the clergy is once satisfied , they ought to be transported to the poor . at geneva tiths of all sorts are taken up for the use of the state , and laid up in the publike treasury . ambrose bishop of millain , as zealous a man for church priviledges as we hardly read of the like , ambrose epist. : 3. s●ith , if the emperour have a mind to church lands , he hath power to take them ; there is none of us interposeth , the poor may sufficiently be maintained by popular collections , let them not create us envy , by taking of those lands , let them take them away if they please . it may be observed at this time that the ministers were not maintained by setled tythes , like the priests of our time , but both they and the poor were relieved by oblations of the people , and by such lands as were given by the emperours to the severall churches ; so it was upon this account that ambr●se thus speaks ; and william throp of whom i made mention , being examined in the year 1407 being brought before thomas aurandel arch-bishop of canterbury & chanceller then of england , gives a clear testimony against tythes , how that they were no gospel maintenance , in his answer he saith , in the new law neither christ nor his apostles took tythes of the people , nor commanded the people to pay tythes neither to priests nor deacons ; and christ and his apostles preached the word of god to the people , and lived of pure almes of the free gift ; but after christs assention when the apostles had received the holy ghost , they travelled with their hands ; and afterwards he saith , paul when he was full poor and needy , preached among the people , he was not chargious unto them , but with his hands he travelled , not only to get his own living , but also to relieve others that were poor and needy ; and further he saith , tythes were given in the old law to levites and priests , but our priests come not of l●vi , but since christ lived and his apostles by pure alms , or else by the travell of their hands ; at the which the bishop said , gods curse have you and mine , for this teaching ; and further william saith those priests that challinge to take tythes dinies christ come in the flesh ; unto which the bishop said , heard ye ever lossel speak thus ? and further william saith that the covetousness and pride of the priests destroys the vertue of the priesthood , and also stireth up gods vengeance both upon lords and commons who suffer these priests charitably . and the arch-bishop said , thou judgest every priest proud that will not go a●ayed as thou dost ; by god , i deem him to be more meek that goeth every day in his scarlet gown , then thou in thy threed bare blew gown ; an answer much like a tything priest ; but i refer the reader to the whole testimony of william throp which is large in the book of martyrs . david pareus in his comentary upon gen. 28 2. 22. saith tythes or tenths were freely arbitrary , a man might give them , a man might vow them , or he might not , as he pleased before the law ; but under the law they were commanded to be given to the priests and levites ; hence saith he our clergy men infer , if they were so of old , then they are so now ; but this doth not follow saith he , they had a divine ceremonial right , but that is now ceased , they had tythes as a compensation of that lot they should otherwise have in land , ours not so , ours have towns , villages , mannors , yea countries and provinces , nor is there any end of their insatiable covetousness ; and he concludes when the leviticall priesthood did cease , then did the right of that priesthood cease , and the right of tythes did revert to god as governour and soverain of the world. great and large are the testimonies that might be given both out of ancient and modern writers , who were the clearest in their judgements in their age against tythes , how that they were no gospel maintenance , neither of divine right do belong to any ministry under the gospel , who professeth christ come in the flesh ; what i have said in this particular might be sufficient , seeing so large things by other pens have been declared ; but i am the more willing to instance divers authors , who by our protestants are owned as orthodox , that they may be convinced that it is not a new doctrine , for which we suffer the spoiling of our goods , and our persons imprisoned , but that tyths have been testified against by many faithfull in ages past , who died in the faith , who though they be dead yet their testimony liveth , and will stand through ages , even for ever ; take this of the primitive bishop . antonius de dominis the learned bishop of spalato de repub. eccles. l. 9. christ himself though he were lord of heaven and earth and the fulness thereof , yet would not he be possessed of great lands and incomes though he seemingly complained , the fowls of the ayr have nests and foxes holes , but not the son of man where not to rest his head , luk 9. 58. yet did not he imbetter his condition , although to the affecting thereof , there needed no more then that he should will it to be so ; nor did he demand tythes though a priest after the order of melchizedeck indubitably ; but whilest he went through the cities and castles preaching the gospel , and instructing men for the kingdome of heaven , and twelve with him , several women , as mary magdalen , joane , susan and others did minister unto him of their substance , luke 8. 1 , 2. nor did he otherwise instruct his disciples who were to be embasadors on earth towards man kind . in the beginning when he sends them out , he did not bid them for to receive tythes or teach people to pay them , but bids them to live upon alms ; carry not with you gold nor silver , or any money in your purses , not a scrip , not two coats , not a staff suternumerary , for the labourer is worthy of his meat , mat. 10. 9. the disciples of christ being thus taught by their great master , for saking their livelihood and earthly possession , presumed upon the goodness of god , who would not so have sent them abroad , but that he would dispose the hearts of men accordingly in order to their subsistance ; so they relied upon their converts for necessary supplies , and received the benevolence of several pious women who ministered unto them ; for so saith paul , have not i power to eat and to drink , have not i power to lead about a woman or a sister as do the other apostles , and the brethren of our lord , and cephas ? 1 cor. 9. 5. he at large and very clearly sheweth how they who sows spiritual ought to reap temporal things . if one should aske the ministry of this age , by what right they claim tythes , they cannot say by a better right then the apostles had nor i hope will not , for they pretend to be but successors of them ; and if the extent of their commission be required , you shall have it in these words forthwith , as my father sent me , so send i you , or the like ; but if one aske if they will stand to this in all respects ; i have little hope they will comply in point of maintenance , i have good ground so to judge , even many at this day who have in times past vaunted and boasted of their call and ministry , and have thrown many in prison for these popish tythes ; now when they are like to be taken from them , would give over publication of their gospel , if they knew how to subsist for their backs and bellies , which demonstrates that they had no mission from god , or else why should taking of tythes away from them invalidate it ? or do they judge all is converted , there is no more work ? now such will be cried who have boasted of calls and commissions , and if all were gone , they would preach for nothing or freely without gifts ; i am afraid we shall hardly find one of five hundred , but will rather then quite cease the gainful trade , will traffique in such merchandize as the times allows , though they must now be content with eight for a night-wake , and four for churching a woman , and sixpence for reading over a grave , or tythe eggs at easter , and rather then they dare stand to christs allowance , will take this and such allowance as can be got under hand and seal , as the time will afford them ; but to return to that which was in my heart to shew out of antiquity , tythes no gospel maintenance . prosper saith , they do live of the gospel who will be propriators of nothing , who neither have nor desire to have any thing , not possessing their own but the common goods ; what is it to live of the gospel , but that he who labours should receive necessary supplies by them amongst whom he labours without forcing , though paul himself would not make use of his permission least he should create an offence , but laboured with his hands , being a tent-maker , and they that would receive it by voluntary contributions were the apostles and others which laboured in the gospel . cyril of alexandria speaking upon that passage of abraham , gen 14. 23 who after he had gained victory over the king of sodomes enemies and rescued lot , when the king offered him part of the spoiles , he would receive nothing but a few victuals , though saith he , the holy teachers do war in the behalf of perishing-man kind , and though they undergo much pains , yet do they not take any thing from the men of the world , nor do they heap up unto themselves riches , least the world should say i have made you rich , they only ought to receive their sustinance from the hands of those whom they have benefited ; for it is christs command saith he , that he who teacheth the gospel should live thereby ; so that it is evident that very many of antient fathers whom this generation of teachers have talked so much on , did deny tyths and forced maintenance from the word ; but in this point it is like they may be judged for eronious or weak sighted , as they do the quakers or men of weak understanding , but i see many will traduce them in words , but few in practise . peter and john saith silver and gold have i none ; behold the riches of those who were priests of christ , but let us quickly apply these things faith he unto our selves , who are prohibited by the law of christ , if we have any regard thereunto , to have possessions in the country or houses in the city , what do i say ? possessions , houses , no , not to multiply coates or money . if we have food and rayment let us be therewith content ; hiorom writing to nepotianus a clergy man , he doth much extol the poverty of the clergy , as a levite and a priest saith he , i live and am supplied with the oblations of the altar , having food , having cloaths i will be content therewith ; and naked follow the naked crosse ; i beseech you that you would not transform our spiritual warfare into a carnal one , nor imagine your self in the clergy , as if you were in an army , getting spoils , nor seek after no more then when you came first into the clergy , least it be said to you , their lot shall not profit them . the albigenses bedemontane protestants have preserved their religion incorrupt , longer then any church with a ministry indowed with tythes & hire in the world ; and likewise the primitive times never wanted able teachers as the best histories say , although they lived either upon their labour , or the free offering of them that were converted , and was not so disquieted with politicall complying opinions and curiosities , and nicities , and distinctions , and contentions , until constance began to inrich and give lands and great reveneus to the church ; and then they began to side and controvert in state matters , and grew into pride , idleness and fulness , insomuch that histories say , a voice was heard from heaven , this day poyson hath been shed in the church . so you protestants view over your fathers whom the ministers hath talked on ; and so now if they will own their practice so as to walk in it , and let them never be reckoned as ministers of christ more , who cannot be content with his allowance , and let forcing alone about maintenance , and the tythes alone to the priest of the first covenant , and let bargining alone for wages , and seek not hire of them you work not for ; and if your gospel will not maintain you , you have good cause to question it , whether it be the very same the apostle preached and the primitive fathers , and never such a cry be heard more among people for maintenance and hire , for wages and tythes ; but he that hath the gospel , let him preach the gospel , and live of the gospel , not upon tythes and forced maintenance and set stipends , for the gospel condemns this , a cloud of witness is against it , both in former and latter ages , yea it is inconsistent unto reason to require tythes in this age by the ministry . first the levites were one of the twelve tribes , if they were not the twelve part of the people , but so is not the priests now . secondly , they had no portion among the rest of the tribes , but the teachers and priests now have equal to other men , in lands and revenues . thirdly , the priests were but to have the tenth of all clean things , but now clean and unclean beasts , birds and fowls , piggs , eggs , turnups , and every thing , which were not tythable under the law. fourthly , their service was great at the tabernacle and temple , and in time of the war and sojourning , it is not so with priests , who staies over a few families all their life long . fifthly , seeing the service is abrogated for which the levites had tythes , and none of the service performed now , no reasons that tyths should be required now , when the work is not done unto which the tythes belonged . sixthly the levites were of aarons priesthood , of which tribe christ came not ( but of the tribe of juda ) but these priests are not after aaron nor levi neither their successors , therefore hath no right to tythes . seventhly , that which was given by the command of god only to aaron and his sons and levites , and never to any other priesthood or ministry ; now seeing the law is changed and the priesthood changed , christ being come , these priests are unreasonable who demanded them contrary to the command of god , which belongs only to that priesthood . chap. xix . respecting of persons and complemental bowings and worshipping one another , and flattering titles no good manners , but are in the transgression , and hath been antiently reproved and condemned . although this generation have so far run after every invention and vain custome and tradition , into complements and flattery and deceit , and respecting of persons , which is a thing in high esteem , as a piece of good breeding and education , and good manners accounted not only among the prophaner sort , but even among christians so called , who have conformed unto every vain custome of the nations ; yet they that know the life of christ , cannot do so , and they that abide in his doctrine must not do so , though things be never so applauded by fallen men , whose glory is in that which is earthly ; yet god beholds not nor looks not as man , but his thoughts are contrary to mans in that state , and that which the sons of men in the fallen estate do highly esteem of , is disesteemed by the lord. the best manner of walking is , that which the lord directs and leads into , which is pure and holy and incorrupt , and the saints practise who were taught of god , is the best example to follow , and their manner and deportment among the sons of men are chiefly to be followed ; although that which is from below , doth and hath ever disesteemed their way and the honour that comes from above , although the heathen had many lords and many gods , yet it was said to israel , thy god is but one , and him shalt thou bow unto alone and reverence his name ; israel was not to follow the vain customes of the nations , neither follow their example who served not the living god with their hearts , & multitudes are not to be followed in doing evil ; custome without truth is but a bad plea , antiquity with unrighteuosnesse is but bad proof , that which leads into degeneration is not to be minded , but that which leads into restoration and innocency . the redeemed of the lord and the israel of god , now who works after the directions and leadings of gods holy spirit , upon whom peace resteth , are otherwise taught then to follow vain customes which begets one another into pride and deceit , and unbelief , christ reproved the pharisees for seeking honour one of another , and told them they could not believe who sought it ; was it reprovable then , is it commendable now ? are there not many that seek it now ? yes , that which is offended when it is not complemented and bowed unto , seeks it and would have it , and is in the unbelief ; what capping and cringing , what bowing and scraping , in which many spends much of their time , what complements and fained speeches is daily invented , and gestures and ceremonies , of which there is hardly any end , which people runs into now , who calls themselves christians , many generations before cannot paralel it , and yet this must be counted good manners and be reckoned as such ; oh! the lord is grieved with these things , and they are abominable in his sight , & will provoke the lord to anger , if they be persisted in , and the honour which is from above they despised ; and what invented words and names which puffs up the proud minds , is people run into , and like ephraim in the transgression seeds upon wind , and that which will vanish as a buble and pass away as a morning dew ; god will stain it all , and the pride and glory of all flesh , and bring contempt upon all the honourable of the earth , for the saints knew who were come out of the respect of persons , that the fashion of the world and the custom● and manners , and glory , and honour , and esteem thereof should pass away , and that all that come to the beginning again , to union with god , must die to all these things which is got and entred into the hearts of men since the transgression , and while these things are loved they alienate the mind from the living god , and from the honour due unto his name . and oh what strangers are men to the doctrine & practice of christ and his apostles and to the primitive saints , that it is even become a dispisable thing in their eyes , and then practise and manner of walking is now become an offence and reckoned unmannerly ; and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but it is counted such an offence and a crime as diserves punishment ; o● for shame look back upon the saints practise for your example , unto their manners for your ●mitation , and not unto the vain custome of the n●●ions , not unto mou●tibanks , s●●ge pl●iers , fidlers , roysters and ru●●●●● , who make a mock of sin ; and live by the sins of the people . will it be a good plea do you judge before the lord ( when the secrets of all hearts shall be opened , and every action brought unto righteous judgment ) that you have followed the fashion of a nation , the custome of a court , city or county , or the most in the world ? doth not the scripture say , that the saints should not fashion themselves like unto the world , neither be conformable to it , but rather be transformed in your minds , & seek the things that are above ? for where the mind is transformed and changed from the earthly to the heavenly , there the actions will be new and the works new ; did the pharisees say truly of christ in this , we know thou respects no mans person , yes they knew it , though they tempted him ; and did not peter say of a truth , god is no respecter of persons ; and did not solomon say lie that respecteth persons will transgress for a morsel of bread ; and did not elihu say i know not to give flattering titles to men , in so doing my maker would soon take me away : is not this a flattering generation and full of hypocrisie and deceit ? flattering one another , when in a moment they are like to kill one another , hating one another , and speaking evil of one another when as soon as one is pa●ted from another , these things are an abhorrency in the eyes of the lord. consider what james saith the apostle of christ , jam. 2. ver . 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10. my brethren , have not the ●aith of our lord jesus christ the lord of glory with respect of persons , for if there come into your assembly a man with a gold ring , in goodly apparel , and there come in also a poor man in vile rayment , and ●e have respect to him that weareth the gay cloathing , and say to the poor stand thou there , or sit here under my footstool , are ye not then partial in your selves and are become judges of evil thoughts ; hearken my beloved brethren , hath not god chosen the poor of this world rich in faith , and heirs of the kingdome , which he hath promised to them that love him ? do not rich men oppress you , and draw you before the judgment seats ? do not they blaspheme that worthy name , by they which you are ▪ called ? if you fulfil the royal law of god according to the scriptures , thou shalt love thy nighbour as thy self , ye d● well , but if ye have a respect to persons ▪ ye commit sin and are convinced of the law , as transgressors . and the apostle concludes whosoever shall keep the whole law , and offend in one point is guilty of all , and such is the respecting of persons , and giving flattering titles unto men , and they that do it are judges of evil thoughts and transgressors of the law , and is guilty of all . marlorat out of luther and calvin saith upon this place , to respect persons here , is to have regard unto the outward habit , garb and attire , and accordingly to esteem or undervalue him , love or dread him , and that such respect of persons is repugnant unto true faith , and is inconsiste●● with it , and concludes that none ought to be honoured up●● the account of riches ; but this generation of hypocrites are gone further into the transgression of the law , into honouring or disesteeming of men because of the●● cloaths or habit , a gold ring , a gay cloak , a fan or 〈◊〉 fether , are become the only cognisa●ce or badge 〈◊〉 honourable persons in this age among professors , 〈◊〉 it was not so in the dayes of old , but modesty , gravity , sobriety , temporance , humility were the toke● of one truly honourable . jerome writing to a great person in the world name● celentia , directing her how to live in the midst of h● riches and honours , saith thus , heed not your nobility nor do you thereupon take place of any , repute not them w● are of a lower extraction to be your inferiors : our religi● admits no respect of persons , nor did it lead us to value t● outward condition of men but their inward frame of spiri● it is hereby that we pronouce men noble , and base with go● not to serve sin is to be free , and to excell in vertue is to 〈◊〉 noble ; besides it is folly for any to boast of gentility , sin● all are equally esteemed by god , nor is it material in wh● estate a man is born , the new creature hath no distinctions ; or was this the doctrine of one single person alone , for paulinius bishop of nola reproved sulpitius severus for writing himself in the title of a letter to paulinius ( your servant , ) he saith in the title of my letter , i have not imitated your excellent brotherhood ; because i thought it more secure to write truth ; take heed hereafter how you being from a servant called out unto liberty , do subscribe your self servant unto one who is your brother and fellow-servant , for it is a sinful flattery , not a testimony of humility to pay those honours unto a man , which are due to the one lord , one master , one god ; so this is no new doctrine to deny respecting of persons , and flattering titles and complements , although it seem strange to this generation , in whom the corruptable part is exalted , and that which is below , the truth and the power of god elevated in their minds , which dispiseth the honour which is from above , and the humility and lowlinesse of the saints , and their plainness and innocency ; but all that comes unto christ and to believe in him and follow him for their example will come out of all these vain complemental flattering titles and respecting of persons , and give all honour , and glory , and reverence unto him alone unto whom it is due , and to respect him who is their life , and have a respect unto all his commandments , and unto that which leads out of the vanity of the world and to the beginning again , before deceit , pride and flattery had a being in the pure innocency and uprightnesse , where truth is spoken from the heart without flattery and dissimulation in all plainness . chap. xx. universities and schools of natural learning are of no use , as to the making of ministers of christ in the primitive times , but a thing introduced , & brought in in latter ages by the apogates who had erred from the spirit , who then admired and set up natural languages and philosophy , that thereby they might be furnished to make discourses , speeches and sermons to get money by , and as they are holden up at this day , are made an absolute idol ; and as to their practise it s generally known to be prophane , and no way meet to advance the church of christ. christ jesus the everlasting high priest and minister of the tabernacle , when he was manifest in the fulness of time , to fulfill the work which was given him to do of the father , he chused unto him twelve disciples which believed in him , men who were not brought up at universities , neither had studied philosophy nor natural tongues , but some fishermen and such as were illiterate , to be ministers of the glad tidings of the gospel of peace to the nations ; and their ability stood in the spirit where the ability of all the ministers of christ now standeth , viz. not in the letter , not in philosophy , not in natural languages , not in gramar and musick , but in the spirit which qualified them , and from whence they received abilities to declare the word of righteousness , and by it they had skill to divide it aright , and to give every one their portion , and to minister to every one suitable to their state in which they were , and they were skilled in the word of righteousnesse , and many did believe through their testimony , though they had not the wisdome that was from below , nor much read in natural languages , and some not learned ( at all ) yet they wanted not wisdome and utterance , and words meet and suitable to declare and demonstrate the heavenly mind of christ , although it is true many of the jews and learned rabbies opposed them , and set them at nought , the philosophers , stoicks and epicures resisted , yet they desired not to be approved in that wisdome which man teacheth , but in the wisdome which is from above , which the natural man with all his natural parts does not understand , and natural men with their naturall parts despises the simplicity of the gospel , and they seek qualifications which the lord never sought , and such will not heed the qualifications which is laid down by them that were ministers of christ , for they that had received the spirit and were made ministers by it , were qualified by it , and their holy conversations preacht unto others , they were vigilent , they were watchful , they were sober , they were in temptations and tryals , but their lives were of good report , no covetous persons , seekers for their gain from their quarters , no lords over mens faith , nor masters over mens consciences , but were servants unto all for christs sake ; not like the ministers in these dayes who will assume the office but has not received the gift of god , neither are so qualified or fitted as they were who had no universities nor schools of learning , and these are they that cries up natura tongues and languages as the chief abilities of a minister of christ , and that none are fit to dispence the word of god , but such who are bred up and educated in these things , and such in former daies dispised the cross of christ , and the simplicity of the gospel , and set up tongues above it , and so do they now ; but let us consider whether soon after the primitive times they had any such universities , or seven years prentiships as they have now , or whether it was their practise to be studying these things which be bu● natural , and whether they did esteem them as any way helpfull to the ministry . but that i may not be mis-understood , i know each language and each tongue hath a proper signification , and is not evil in themselves ; schools of learning i am not against , natural languages they may be servicable for natural uses , natural transaction in civil affairs betwixt nation and nation , man and man ; but as they are extolled and cried up to be nurseries of piety , and to fit men for the ministry as to make it effectual , is utterly false , and more mischief is learned and impiety practised in these universities then in any other parts of the nation , and indeed it is one of the main props and pillars of antichrists throne and kingdome , and that which upholds his seat ; and that they only are the only fitted and called men to minister , who have natural tongues , and have read a little in a few heathen authors , and thereby is able to comment and make a discourse to the hearing of the ear , ( but gods witness is not reached at all ) and such dispises the spirit , and sets light by them that enjoy it , which clearly evidences they are out of the power of god which was among the first christ●ans , who received the spirit and spoke from it , which is only sufficient and able to make a minister of christ ; so let us see what antiquity saith . gaudentius de mor. secul . justinian saith , we do not read that ever the antients did ever openly in schooles teach philosophy , since they did rather abhor it ; and saith a good author i would fain see a man that could shew that christians either before or in the time of justinian did openly teach philosophy ; and hadrian saraviah informs us the primitive christians had no accademicall schooles like to those now adayes , yet there was one at alexandria , but in these schooles they read only catachristicall lectures ; and we do not read of any universitie of the waldenses , albigenses and bohemians , for most of their ministers were tradsemen and handy-crafts men , and did not spend their time in reading tongues or studying authors . herrald anaimad . in ar . nob . the christians in the primitive times , living excluded from all honours and magistracies , did neglect these studies which were for the discharge of civil imployments , because that sophisters and philosophers were the principal enemies of christianity ; therefore upon this account they condemned also all politie , learning , they condemned tragedies and comedies and other poetical writings , being the main part of humane learning , as judging they did not conduce to solid knowledge . tertullian liber de idolatr . page 138 , 139. judged that schoole-masters professing learning were guilty of great idolatry , because they only explained names and genealogies and fabulous acts of heathen gods : and generally believers in those dayes harbered a very bad esteem of natural learning , & generally the christians were provoked thereunto , because the gentiles did upbraid them that the teachers were illiterate persons , as combers of woolls , weavers , fullers and the like : these things being objected a-against the christians ; the christians on the other side rejected all learning , as an useless thing and no way advantagious to salvation , though their adversaries boasted of it : origen lib. 3. saith the christians did declare that men of any condition might be saved , servants , idiots and rusticks , and such as the world valued as fools , and that god did confound the wise in their own wisdome ; and selsus as origen in his book saith , that christians did proclaim it in their assemblies , ( let none that is wise enter , none that is learned , none that is prudent , for thus it is appointed us in the gospel ; but if there be any unwise , unlearned , any foolish , let him approach with confidence , for these were fit to be the servants of god. ouzetius in his animadversions page 25 saith , that the gentiles did object against the christians , their rude stile , their harsh language , and how they were destitute of all addresses , calling them rusticks and clowns ; so the christians did again term the gentiles the politie , the eloquent and the learned ; clemence romanus saith in his writing , lib. 2. chap 6. abstain from all the books of the gentiles , for what have you to do with strange discourses or laws or false prophets which seduce weak men from the truth . in the council at carthage there was a canon made distinct , 37. cap. epist. citante , jac. laurentio de lib. gentil . page 41. let not a bishop read heathen authors , gracian saith , we see that the priests of the lord neglecting the gospel and the prophets , they read comedies , and read love verses out of beuchlies , they peruse virgil ; and what is a sin of enforced necessity in children is become their delight , doth not he seem to walk in vanity and darknesse of mind , who vexes himself day and night in the study of lodgick , who in the persuit of phisicall speculations one while elevates himself beyond the highest heavens , and afterwards precipitates himself below the neather parts of the earth , and diveth into the abisse , and chargeth his memory with the distinct knowledge of verses . petrus belonius saith , in greece amongst the christians which were very many , there were very few learned men , because they esteemed not of it , as of nenessity to christianity , though they could speak greek and some latine , but few could write or read , in their libraries were severall manuscrips of divinity , but no historians , no philosophers , for those were anathomized ; and all christians were exhorted not to study poetry nor philosophy ; yet reader thou mayest understand that the greek church is highly owned for a true christian church , and highly owned by the protestants , yet neither they nor the pickards nor waldenses in bohemia did value learning , so far were they from esteeming of it as the proper true religion , luther de institu . puer . inter . aper . wittenburg , to 7. fol. 444. paul exhorteth to beware of philosophy and vain deceit , col. 2. he had been at athens and had acquainted himself with that vain-glorious humane wisdome , and knew the multiplicity of contradictions which it had procured ; what then hath athens to do with jerusalem ? what fellowship hath the epicures and stoicks with the church of christ ? jerome lib. 1. contra , pelag. what hath aristotle to do with paul , or plato with peter ? a multitude of testimonies might be brought to this effect , how the christians did in former ages reject philosophy and heathen authors , and all such frivilous stories as no way lawfull for christians to meddle in ; nor any way good to propagate christianity . bishop usher in vindication of the waldenses by way of apologie , he saith god did chuse fisher-men that so he might not give his glory to another , for asmuch as the little ones had asked bre●d came to receive it , and the learned being busied about vain contentions and disputations were sent empty away ; the waldenses saith bishop usher de success chap. 6. 28. we are not ashamed of our teachers , because they labour with their hands , procuring thereby a livelihood to themselves , because both the doctrine and example of the apostles doth lerd us to such apprehensions . and as for the ceremonies which are found in these universities and colledges and popish superstitious practises , i shall leave the reader to read thém else where , which are so many and so superstitious that they come little behind rome in idolatry ; and as for their consecration of priests , and the endlesse rabble of ceremonies which do attend as such times as they take degrees is well known to many in this nation , and yet these universities and schools are elevated in some mens minds as though they were the chief propagators of christianity , when as indeed they are an in-let of heathenism and idolatry and no way of necessity usefull for the true church of god. and it is judged by some learned men and that upon good ground , that the present fashoned universities orders and habits was from the dominicans ; an order instituted by the pope to suppress the waldenses , and their doctoral degrees by the learned are judged to be no other then noval and accounted antichristian , by the reformed churches so called , in scotland , france , holland , switzerland and the calvinists in high germany ; and so many doctors there are in the universities who never knew how to divide the word aright , nor what it is to convert one soul unto god ; a doctor that is no teacher he is a dumb dog and an insignificant piece of formality in the universities , which carries a shew of something , but is nothing in substance , and the chief practise is several ridiculous solemnities , together with constant wearing of a coull and some other vestments fetcht out of a popish wardrobe ; it was an article of john wicklifs condemned at constance , who suffered as a martyr , that graduations and doctorships in universities and colledges as they were in use then did conduce nothing to the church of christ , acts and monuments , page 449. didoclavius in his book alte damascanum page 891. saith that hoods , tippets and square caps were introduced by antichrist to promote his splendor , and it is a stage-play dresse and altogether ridiculous , being a distinguishment of some men from others by signes useless and destitute of all ornament ; upon their shoulders ( saith he ) there hangs down a hood such as fools used to wear , being neither handsome nor convenient . bucer refused to wear a square cap , and being demanded the reason , he answered that god had made his head round . philpot chused rather to be secludvd the convocation of the clergy then to wear a hood and a tippet , who died a martyr for the faith of the protestant church , as fox tells us in his acts and monuments , and the superstitious hoods is but a product of the old monkish mettel , grounded upon the superstitious exposition of that place , heb. 11. they wandred abroad in sheeps skins , &c. and whether such men are fit to be ministers of christ who gives such expositions upon the scriptures , or whether it is not altogether detestable and idolatrous , and savours altogether of ignorance , as to expound such a scripture as this , stand fast having your loyns girt , &c. and this must signifie the episcoparian girdles with which they tye their canonical coats or long black frocks ; and whether this is a good foundation for the colledge doctors to stand booted and spurd in the ( act ) because there is mention made in scripture of being shod with the preparation of the gospel ; see statute accad . oxon. tit. 7. parag . 17. and whether this be not ridiculous and foolish to give for their armes the book with seven seales ? is not that a gross abuse of what is laid down in the revelation , as if the liberal arts ( two whereof are grammer and fidling ) are typified by these seals , which none were worthy to open but the lamb ? and as for their habits and black gowns and black coats , these have been borrowed from rome or else from the chimerians , a sort of people of old among the jews who were idolaters , hosea , 10. 〈◊〉 . some of the kings of israel who drew people into idolatry , and countenanced idolatrous priests , 2 kings 23. who were attired in black ; these were prophesied against by hosea 10. chap 5. they were supprest by josiah and zephany chap. 14. saith he , stretch forth his hand upon judah and upon all the inhabitants of jerusalem , and cut off the remnant of baal and the name of the chimerims or black-coats with the priests ; jerome bids nepotian being to enter upon the clergy to avoid black attire . in tertullians time every one that did turn christian or was made a presbyter , did renounce his gown which was the romane vestment , and afterwards the clergy relinquisht dark coloured cloaks for coats , and the clergy and laity in fine were both alike habited ; and a bishop was condemned of the council of ga●grae for introducing the fashon of long sad coloured cloaks that was condemned by the assembly unbeseeming the priesthood ; all this is clear out of tertullians writings de pallio with the notes of salmasius thereon ; and all these things had but a bad original , and were never commanded by god ; and seeing they are made such idols of ought no longer to be imitated but to be quite abolished ; but some may object though the original were popish and antichristian , yet since they are employed to better uses , ( viz ) for distinction , order and decency they may lawfully enough be retained ; to this is answered , might not the jews have given the same reason to their reformers , that the golden calfs and their groves might not be consumed and turned into ashes , because they might be better employed to good uses afterwards , or might not the brazen serpent have continued as well as the pots of ma●na ; yet when it was become an id●l away it must go ; but the sum of all is , all these habits & attir's have been used for superstitious ends , and pride , and pomp , and vain glory ; so they that retain them , they do no more then the levite that stole away michals gods from mount ephraim and set them up at dan , where idolatry became a more publick worship ; so all this innovated superstitious trumpery is no way advantagious to the church of christ , neither conduceth to any true order , neither hath any congruity with the primitive times , & is to be denied by all that comes out of babylon , and out of the apostacy into the primitive order and the true churches practice and the saints example . as for parish churches which i mentioned before , some say it was the decree of the lattern council in the year 1180. but cambden saith that dyonysius did onely distribute into diocesses , and others judge into parishes ; and as concerning church-yards to bury the dead , its original is superstitious , and all the ringing and singing and the reading before and over the dead is iddlatrous and superstitions ; gaudentius saith that of old times , ( and so saith the scriptures ) they did bury their dead in their own ground , which custome was taken away by pope innoteat the third , he prohibited that any should cause themselves to be buried in unconsecrated ground , forsaking the sepulchers of their fathers . hospinian saith that at last it became so superstitious in being buried in order near the church that they judged it material even to their salvation . de orig. temple lib. 3. chap. 1. the waldenses said the uses of church-yards is superstitious and invented only for lucre sake , and it is no matter in what ground any one is buried , see usher de suc●es . eccles. christ. chap 6. and how much there is of this superstition in england now , and what excessive rates are paid for breaking up ground all is sensible of that , it is only one of the popish nets which is holden up to get money by . and so i shall conclude these things and say with john , come out of of babylon , and be not partaker of her sins , least you be partakers of her pla●●es , for the hour of her judgment is come , and the time wherein her filthiness and loathsomeness shall be made manifest to the nations , and her skirts shall be uncovered , and her abominable practises discovered , of which in part i have declared unto all in this discourse , that all may see the abominations , and depart out of the snares that leads to death , and these practises which tends to destruction the end . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a44790-e2770 claudius espontius ordain●d a●a counsel at pysoy in france , that infants baptism should be received by tradition , because it could not be proved as a command from the scriptures . ignatius bishop of rome was the first ordainer of infants baptism , and that they should have godfathers and godmothers , &c. victor bishop of rome instituted that children might be christned by lay-men and lay-women in case of necessity . notes for div a44790-e3060 pius bishop of rome built the first temple after the apostacy , in bonour to prudentia . dionysius in the year 267 divided both in rome and other places into parishes and dioceses for bishops . abraham and his wife buried in hebron , in a piece of ground he bought . notes for div a44790-e3640 justinian the emperour ordained that men should swear by the gospel or book called the gospel , and lay their hands thereon and kiss it , saying , so help me god. silvester bishop of rome ordained that all churches should be christned and should be anointed with oyl . clement bishop , ordained confirmation of children , and said none was a perfect christian if he wanted this , and thus children should be smo●e on the cheek signed with this cross. notes for div a44790-e3890 * at lions in france they apointed holy dayes to increase their religion . boniface , the fourth ordained stephen , innocents , lawrence michael , martin , john baptists , and all saints to be kept holy . corpus christi day ordained by urbanus the fourth . sylvester bishop ordained lammas day in memorial of peters pain● . gregory ordained that mass , or short prayer , should be said over the tombs of the dead . gregory appointed wednesday and friday should be fasted . soulmass day was ordained by odilo . notes for div a44790-e4440 sextus commanded that no lay-people should touch the priests garments , sabinianus ordained that people should come together to hear service by ringing bells . john 22. bishop ordained bells to be tol'd three times a day . notes for div a44790-e4800 singing of mattens at set times hierom appointed . pelagius the second commanded priests to say them dayly . ●elesphorus appointed that lent should be kept before easter and fasted . concerning mass and letany many authors patched it up at sundry times . notes for div a44790-e13990 acts and monuments vol. 2. fol. 55. euseb. lib. 6. chap. pag. 98. in his book de succes . cap. 6. acts and monuments , vol. 1. fol. 527. fol. 653. exodus 20. 7. acts and monuments vol. 2. fol. 701. de succes . cap. 6. notes for div a44790-e15440 acts 11. 29. 1 cor. 16. 2. eusebius lib. 4. chap. 22. cyprian . epist. 27. 34. 36. hom. 11. in actn hom. 16. in evan. and dist . 5. de consecr . acts and mon. p. 435. acts and mon. p. 536 , 537. prosper de vita contempt lib. 2. chap. 14. cyril de adorat . in spir . & ver . lib. 4. ad finem . origen . homil . 15 in levit.