<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2007-05-07</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Robyn Anspach</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Added TYPEs to DIVs in order to validate. Proofed title page(s). Checked for N=""s. Checked for GROUP tags. Checked ^s. Reviewed structure. Checked division-marking material at heads and feet of divisions (HEADS,  CLOSER, OPENER, ARGUMENT, EPIGRAPH, SIGNED, BYLINE, etc.). Checked for signatures. Checked placement and completeness of PBs. Checked for damage GAPs, #s, @s, --s, and UNCLEARs. Corrected ** $s and $word$s etc. of **. Converted __ $$s to GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="[vendor name]". Checked spacing of foreign GAPs.  Checked for LBs. Checked for startqs, endqs, oes, q;s, and Qs. Checked proofsheets and made corrections found there.  Checked for FIGUREs and decorated initials. Checked for missing-page GAPs. Revalidated. </ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="A75884">
<STC T="W">A579</STC>
<STC T="T">E1084_6</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99867020</BIBNO>
<VID>119310</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>A Fannaticks Letter Sent out of the DUNGEON OF THE Gate-Hou&s;e Pri&s;on OF VVESTMINSTER: TO ALL His Brethren in the three Nations at liberty; and al&s;o in the &s;everal Goales and Dungeons therein, that are under all the Principles of the Do|ctrines of Chri&s;t, <HI>Heb.</HI> 6. 1, 2.</P>
<P>By <HI>HENRY ADIS,</HI> a Baptized Believer, undergoing the Name of a Free-Willer; and al&s;o mo&s;t ignomineou&s;ly by the tongue of Infamy, called a <HI>Fannatick,</HI> or <HI>a mad man.</HI></P>
<Q><BIBL><HI>Gal.</HI> 5. 1.</BIBL>
<P>Stand fast therefore in the Liberty wherewith Chri&s;t hath made you free, and be not entangled again with the yoak of Bondage.</P></Q>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed by <HI>S. Dover</HI> for the Author, and are to be Sold at Book-Sellers Shops, 1660.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB REF="2">
<PB N="3" REF="2">
<HEAD>A Fannaticks Letter Sent out of the DUNGEON OF THE Gate-Hou&s;e Pri&s;on OF VVESTMINSTER, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Dearly and well beloved Brethren in the Lord,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_IT is the de&s;ire of my Soul, that <HI>Grace, Mercy, Truth, Peace, Love, Gentlene&s;&s;e, Goodne&s;&s;e, Faith, Meekne&s;&s;e and Temperance,</HI> to you be multiplyed, with <HI>all long-&s;uffering and knowledge.</HI></P>
<P>Brethren, When I enter into a &s;erious con&s;i|deration of what the flock of God gone before endured in their dayes, not onely by cruel <HI>Mock|ings, Deridings,</HI> and <HI>Evil Speakings,</HI> but al&s;o by <HI>Whipings, Impri&s;onments, Buffettings, Bani&s;hments,</HI> and <HI>painful Deaths, Patiently, Chearfully, Readily</HI> and <HI>Willingly;</HI> And all this that they might <HI>keep a good Con&s;cience towards God,</HI> in order to their
<PB N="4" REF="3">
producing his <HI>Glory,</HI> and their own <HI>Eternal good.</HI></P>
<P>I &s;ay, The &s;erious con&s;ideration of this, is that which doth much encourage me, notwith&s;tanding the <HI>many difficulties</HI> of this our day, to take up a re&s;olution, to go on in my Chri&s;tian progre&s;&s;e by Divine a&s;&s;i&s;tance, and not to look back, le&s;t with <HI>Lots wife, I become a &s;tand|ing Monument of Gods everla&s;ting Di&s;plea&s;ure;</HI> and therefore, the&s;e are earne&s;tly to de&s;ire you al&s;o in Gods Fear, to per&s;evere in that Path, and to run &s;wiftly towards perfection, in that race you have already made &s;ome progre&s;s in, beginning at <HI>Heb.</HI> 6. 1, 2. And &s;o chearfully to pa&s;&s;e thorow this valley of Tears; for he that runneth, obtaineth not the Crown unle&s;&s;e he &s;trive lawfully, 2 <HI>Tim. 2&punc; 5. Let us there|fore &s;o run that we may obtain,</HI> 1 Cor. 9. 24. <HI>Let us labour hard to get up Sions Hill, having a &s;ingle Eye to Gods Glory;</HI> In which narrow way, you mu&s;t expect the Hedges to be lined on both &s;ides, with mul|titudes of <HI>Amalakites,</HI> &s;hooting out their Arrows, even bitter words, <HI>who&s;e Teeth are as &s;harp as Arrows, and their Tongue a <HI>&s;harp Sword,</HI></HI> P&s;alm. 57. 4. <HI>Who whet their <HI>Tongue</HI> like a <HI>Sword,</HI> and bend their Bow to &s;hoot tho&s;e Arrows,</HI> even bitter words, <HI>P&s;alm.</HI> 64. 3. who are ready to &s;ay with tho&s;e in <HI>Jer. 18. 18. Come and let us <HI>&s;mite</HI> him <HI>with the Tongue,</HI> and let us not give heed to any of his words;</HI> to whom let me beg you in Gods Fear; as you tender the <HI>Honour</HI> of the <HI>Go&s;pel,</HI> and the <HI>Reputation</HI> of your <HI>Ma&s;ter; King Je&s;us,</HI> whom (Jew-like) they &s;o Mock, Scoff and Jeer at, <HI>not to render to them <HI>evil</HI></HI> for <HI>evil,</HI> nor <HI>re|viling</HI> for <HI>reviling; <HI>but contrariwi&s;e ble&s;&s;e, knowing that you are</HI> there|unto called, <HI>that ye &s;hould inherit the</HI> Ble&s;sing; <HI>for he that will love Life and &s;ee good dayes, let him refrain his</HI> Tongue from evil, <HI>and his</HI> Lips that they &s;peak no guile; <HI>let him</HI> e&s;chew evil, and do good, <HI>let him</HI> &s;eek peace and en&s;ue it; <HI>for the Eyes of the Lord are over the</HI> Righteous, <HI>and his Ears are</HI> open <HI>unto their</HI> Pray|ers; <HI>But the Face of the Lord is</HI> again&s;t <HI>them that do</HI> evil; <HI>And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? And if ye &s;uffer for</HI> Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e &s;ake, <HI>happy are ye;</HI> and be not affraid of their Terror, neither be troubled, <HI>but &s;anctifie the (Lord in your Hearts, and be ready alwayes to give an an&s;wer to every man that asketh you a rea|&s;on of the Hope that is in you, with Meekne&s;&s;e and Fear, having a</HI> good Con&s;cience; <HI>that whereas they &s;peak evil of you as evil doers, they may be</HI> a&s;hamed, <HI>when they &s;hall</HI> fal&s;ly accu&s;e your good conver&s;ation in Chri&s;t; <HI>for it is</HI> better <HI>if the</HI> Will <HI>of God be &s;o,</HI></HI> that ye &s;uffer for <HI>well doing, <HI>then for</HI> evil doing; <HI>for Christ al&s;o hath &s;uffered for &s;in<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" RESP="apex" EXTENT="3+ letters"> the Ju&s;t for the unju&s;t, P&s;alm. </HI> 3. 9. <HI> &amp;c.</HI></HI> Therefore let us look <HI>unto Je&s;us the Author and Fini&s;her of our Faith, who for the joy that was &s;et before</HI>
<PB N="5" REF="3">
<HI>him, endured the <HI>cro&s;&s;e,</HI> and <HI>de&s;pi&s;ed</HI> the <HI>&s;hame,</HI> Heb. 12. 2. Who is the <HI>Captain</HI> of our <HI>Salvation,</HI> and was made <HI>perfect</HI> through <HI>&s;uffer|ings,</HI></HI> Heb. 2. 10. <HI>Who was led as a Lamb to the &s;laughter, and as a &s;heep before the &s;hearer was <HI>dumb,</HI></HI> &s;o <HI>opened he not his mouth,</HI> Acts 8. 32. <HI>For even <HI>hereunto</HI> were ye called, becau&s;e Chri&s;t al&s;o &s;uffered for us, <HI>leaving</HI> us an example that ye &s;hould <HI>follow his &s;teps,</HI> who did no &s;in, neither was <HI>guile found in his Mouth;</HI> who when he was <HI>reviled, reviled not</HI> again, when he <HI>&s;uffered,</HI> he <HI>threatned not,</HI> but <HI>committed him&s;elf to him</HI> that Judgeth Righteou&s;ly,</HI> 1 Pet. 2. 11, 12, 13. Therefore &s;eeing we have taken his yoak upon us, <HI>let us learn of him who is <HI>Lowly</HI> and <HI>Meek;</HI></HI> and we &s;hall find re&s;t for our Souls, <HI>Mat.</HI> 11. 29. And let us not think to be above our Ma&s;ter, for if they have called the Ma|&s;ter of the hou&s;e <HI>Belzebub,</HI> how much more them of his hou&s;hold? And if they have &s;o done to the green Tree, what will they not do to the dry Tree? It is enough for the <HI>Di&s;ciple</HI> to be <HI>as his Ma&s;ter,</HI> and the <HI>Servant as his Lord;</HI> And therefore let us con&s;ider what Legacy our Ma&s;ter hath left us, who &s;aith, That in the World we &s;hall have tri|bulation; for behold &s;aith he, <HI>I &s;end you forth as &s;heep in the mid&s;t of Wolves, be ye therefore wi&s;e as Serpents, but harmle&s;&s;e as Doves; But beware of men, for they will <HI>deliver</HI> you up to the <HI>Coun&s;els,</HI>&mdash;and they will <HI>&s;courge you in their Synagogues,</HI> and ye &s;hall be <HI>brought before Governours, and Kings, for my names &s;ake, for a te&s;timony again&s;t them and the Gentiles;</HI> And ye &s;hall be <HI>hated</HI> of <HI>all men</HI> for my names &s;ake,</HI> Mat. 10. 16. 18. 22. Yea, <HI>the time will come, that if they &s;hall <HI>kill you,</HI> they will think they do <HI>God good &s;ervice;</HI></HI> and Chri&s;t hath &s;poken the&s;e things, <HI>that we &s;hould not be offended, John</HI> 16. 12.</P>
<P>Therefore in <HI>our patience let us po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e our Souls;</HI> And ble&s;&s;ed is he that &s;hall not be offended in him; <HI>for our light afflictions which are but for a <HI>Moment,</HI> worketh for us a <HI>far more exceeding</HI></HI> and <HI>eternal weight <HI>of</HI> Glory; <HI>while&s;t we</HI> look on <HI>the things which are</HI> not &s;een,</HI> and <HI>not on the things that are <HI>&s;een,</HI> for the things that <HI>are &s;een</HI> are <HI>Tem|poral,</HI> but the <HI>things</HI> that are <HI>not &s;een,</HI> they <HI>eternal,</HI> 2 Cor. 4. 17.</HI></P>
<P>And although <HI>no cha&s;tening at the pre&s;ent &s;eemeth <HI>joyous but grievous,</HI> yet neverthele&s;&s;e afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable Fruit of <HI>Righteou&s;|ne&s;s,</HI> unto them that are exerci&s;ed thereby, Heb. 12. 11.</HI> And were it not (that to the rejoycing of my &s;oul) I heard that your Joy is full, as well in <HI>Newgate, White-Lyon, Mayd&s;tone, Alisbury,</HI> and in all other Pri&s;on-Holes, as it is &s;uper-abounding in the dark <HI>Gate-hou&s;e Dunge|on</HI> with us; I &s;hould then have de&s;ired that the Hands hanging down, and the feeble knees &s;hould have been held up and &s;trengthened; but &s;eeing I hear that Faith is every where upon the Wing, and that the
<PB N="6" REF="4">
Omni-pre&s;ent God is plea&s;ed to vi&s;it us in all our <HI>Pri&s;on-holes,</HI> with the incomings of his <HI>comforting Spirit,</HI> even to joy un&s;peakable and full of <HI>Glory:</HI> I &s;hall conclude with our Apo&s;tle, and &s;ay, and that upon a good account to, that by the good hand of our God upon us, I &s;ee it is given unto us in the behalf of Chri&s;t, not onely to <HI>believe,</HI> but al&s;o to <HI>&s;uffer</HI> for his name &s;ake; And herein we have cau&s;e to joy and rejoyce in the Lord, who by the incomings of his Spirit, hath &s;upported both you and us in this Tryal, &s;o as that we can with his people of old, <HI>joy in <HI>tribulations,</HI> knowing that tribulations <HI>worketh patience,</HI> and <HI>patience</HI> Experience, and Experience Hope, and Hope maketh not a&s;hamed, <HI>becau&s;e the Love of God is &s;pread abroad in our Hearts.</HI></HI> So that we can with our Apo&s;tle upon a good account &s;ay, that, <HI>Though we are troubled on every &s;ide, <HI>yet not de&s;tre&s;&s;ed,</HI> we are perplexed, <HI>yet not in de&s;pair,</HI> per&s;ecuted <HI>but not for&s;aken,</HI> ca&s;t down <HI>but not de&s;troyed,</HI> alwayes bearing about in our Body the dying of the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t; for we which live, are alwayes delivered unto death for Je&s;us &s;ake;</HI> And therefore let every &s;oul of us, in &s;inglene&s;&s;e of heart, eye Gods Glory in our pre&s;ent &s;ufferings, and take up that good re&s;olution of our aged and faithful brother <HI>Paul, Acts</HI> 21. 13. And &s;ay (if thereto called) that we are willing in the behalf of Chri&s;t, not onely to be bound and lie in bonds, but al&s;o to die for his Name &s;ake.</P>
<P>And this is that which is the rejoycing of my &s;oul, that in the mid&s;t of the&s;e Sufferings, both by you and us, <HI>I</HI> cannot hear of one man of our Society, that is found an evil doer in what is charged upon us, as to plotting, contriving or undermining, or in any Act of ho&s;tili|ty in di&s;turbing the Peace of the Nation; for herein we can &s;afely and upon a good account appeal to our God, the &s;earcher of all hearts, and can with confidence and boldne&s;&s;e, in the faithfulne&s;&s;e of our &s;ouls, to the faces of the greate&s;t of men, affirm and &s;ay, <HI>We are not guilty of what we are charged withal, and that we are oppre&s;&s;ed in Judgements, and are injuriou&s;ly torn from our callings and Families, and mo&s;t barbarou&s;ly penned up in Pri&s;on-holes; and my &s;elf &amp; &s;ome others of our Society, thru&s;t into a damp, dark dirty Dungeon, without either Light or Air, Bed or Bedding, fir&s;t nine, and after twelve of us together, &s;carce able to lie down one by another;</HI> being thus u&s;ed, <HI>not for what we have done, but for what we are; nor for what is found in our Hou&s;es, as to Arms or Ammunition:</HI> And that you may be &s;atisfied in a mea&s;ure with the truth of what my Sufferings are and have been in this juncture of time, in this our cruel leading into captivity; <HI>I</HI> &s;hall lay down &s;omething upon the account of report, &amp; al&s;o upon the account of Action. And
<PB N="7" REF="4">
as for fal&s;e rumors rai&s;ed upon me, <HI>I</HI> was reported to &s;ay, <HI>That I hoped to wa&s;h my hands in the Kings Blood;</HI> this was rai&s;ed by one Hopping <HI>Jane,</HI> commonly &s;o called, a notorious drunken &s;wearing per&s;on, who&s;e common conver&s;ation is, to go ranting, raving and &s;inging like a Bed|lam along the &s;treets, (to the admiration of tho&s;e that know her not) pulling and haling Gentlemen as they go along the &s;treets, to get money of them, to buy Ale to drink the Kings health; and this was reported that <HI>I</HI> &s;hould &s;ay at my &s;hop door, on Wedne&s;day morning, the ninth day of the eleventh Moneth, vulgarly called <HI>January,</HI> 1660. when <HI>I</HI> was not down my &s;tairs in the &s;hop all that morning, as <HI>I</HI> pro|ved by three Witne&s;&s;es to the <HI>French Papi&s;h Fencer,</HI> that carried me a|way, for &s;aying the&s;e words after he, and they that were with him, had &s;earched my hou&s;e for Arms; the which words, or any other tending to that, or any &s;uch horrid and wicked tendancy, God the &s;earcher of all hearts knows, <HI>I</HI> never entertained &s;o much as a thought of in the lea&s;t; and for my tongue to utter that which never came in|to my thoughts, &s;eemeth to me a very &s;trange thing, the which &s;he her &s;elf hath &s;ince &s;aid to my Wife, before &s;ome that heard her words, as to that particular, was not &s;o.</P>
<P>It is al&s;o further reported by others far and near, <HI>That I my &s;elf, that &s;aid Wedne&s;day night, had killed one of the Con&s;tables Watch-men;</HI> when <HI>I</HI> was in cu&s;tody as is afore&s;aid, by nine of the clock in the morning, and was that night with &s;ome forty more upon the main Guard at <HI>White-hall,</HI> and was &s;ent on Thur&s;day morning to the <HI>Gate|hou&s;e</HI> Pri&s;on <HI>Dungeon,</HI> where <HI>I</HI> now am.</P>
<P>And further, it is commonly reported, that in my hou&s;e when it was &s;earched, <HI>There were &s;everal Arms and Ammunition found, with Barrels of Gun-powder; and that there was a Barrel of white Gun-powder left at one</HI> Mr. Hor&s;es <HI>hou&s;e in</HI> Stannop-<HI>&s;treet, a Coach-maker, to be conveyed to me;</HI> When in truth <HI>I</HI> had no Arms at all, nor any manner of Powder; but was &s;o far from any &s;uch thing, as that <HI>I</HI> can boldly affirm it in the pre&s;ence of God, that <HI>I</HI> have not had, nor car|ried &s;o much as a defen&s;ive Weapon this fifteen or &s;ixteen years.</P>
<P>And in 1659. <HI>I</HI> declared again&s;t the acting with the Carnal Weapon, and pleaded the unlawfulne&s;&s;e thereof, as by the &s;aid Declaration, in the end of my <HI>Fannatick's Mite ca&s;t into the Kings Trea&s;ury,</HI> is evi|dent. More <HI>I</HI> might &s;ay as to Matter of Report, but <HI>I</HI> &s;hall forbear and let you know, that my hou&s;e was &s;earched nine &s;everal times, twice before <HI>I</HI> was taken into Cu&s;tody, and &s;even times after <HI>I</HI> was in Cu|&s;tody, and &s;ix times of that &s;even in one night, and by &s;everal par|ties; <HI>So that I may &s;ay as to the malice of men, I am &s;et up as</HI>
<PB N="8" REF="5">
<HI>their Mark to &s;hoot at,</HI> although my Actings towards them are inno|cent and harmle&s;s.</P>
<P>For I know nothing on my part as a Cau&s;e of it, unle&s;s in my <HI>Fannaticks Mite,</HI> my bearing my Te&s;timony again&s;t the Abominati|ons of the Times, in &s;aying what I &s;ay therein, as to the madne&s;s of the rude Multitude; And in the revived and daily continued Acts of Folly in Stage-Playes, and the many bitter Oaths and Execrations uttered by unlawful Game-Players, &amp; in the abominations of Dammy and Debauch'd Bawdy-hou&s;es, the foul dete&s;table &s;hame of a Chri|&s;tian Kingdom; or in what I &s;ay in <HI>Page</HI> 49, 50, 51. of that <HI>Mite,</HI> in that U&s;e of Examination to the Nation, Con&s;idered as a Nation; Or at my down-right and &s;ingle-hearted Conclu&s;ion of my <HI>Epi&s;tle</HI> therein to the <HI>KING</HI> Dedicated; Or in my <HI>After-Writing</HI> to the <HI>KING,</HI> in that I give Him &s;ome <HI>REASONS,</HI> why <HI>I</HI> could nei|ther Swear nor Fight for Him: If the&s;e, or any thing of this kind, Cau&s;eth them thus to become mine Enemy, becau&s;e <HI>I</HI> tell them and Him the Truth; if it be this that renders me vile in their Eyes, <HI>I</HI> mu&s;t let them know in the words and <HI>Re&s;olution</HI> of <HI>David,</HI> and &s;ay, <HI>If this be to be vile, I according to the Ability received, &s;hall be yet more vile.</HI></P>
<P>But I &s;hall proceed to Di&s;cover to you what was Acted, as to Searching my Hou&s;e, and by what manner of Per&s;ons, that &s;o you may be &s;en&s;ible, whither we are Po&s;ting, if they were legally Com|mi&s;&s;ionated.</P>
<P>The Second time that my Hou&s;e was Searched, was by one <HI>John Go&s;ling,</HI> a known Papi&s;t, and Servant to Mr. <HI>Hillyard</HI> an Apothecary in <HI>Long-Aker,</HI> who beyond his Commi&s;&s;ion (if he had one) car|ried away (he and his Party and Confederacy, Captain <HI>Wharton</HI> and others) near 30 of my <HI>Fannaticks Mite,</HI> and got Two &s;hillings in Money of me, pretending it for the Souldiers. And about a Week after, Captain <HI>Wharton</HI> and another of them, came and took forcibly out of my Hou&s;e, Two more of my Books, demanding more; which he would have had, had there been any ready.</P>
<P>And the next time that my Hou&s;e was Searched, was when I was taken into Cu&s;tody, and that was by <HI>Moun&s;eir Lawrence</HI> an <HI>Italian,</HI> a Papi&s;t, who keepeth a <HI>Fencing School</HI> in <HI>Sta~nnop-&s;treet.</HI></P>
<P>The next was by Moun&s;eir <HI>De la Mane,</HI> a <HI>French-man,</HI> and a known Papi&s;t, living in <HI>Long-Aker,</HI> a Gilt-Leather man.</P>
<P>The next time, or Another time, by one Mr. <HI>Kirbey,</HI> a Cloth-Drawer, in our own &s;treet; a known Papi&s;t al&s;o.</P>
<P><PB N="9" REF="5">And another time by <HI>Anthony Welch,</HI> a limping Porter, living in Mr. <HI>Roberd's</HI> Celler, in <HI>Drury-Lane,</HI> near <HI>Ru&s;&s;el-&s;treet;</HI> who&s;e horrid Oaths, Execrations and Debauch'd Actions, both to us, to Mris. <HI>Whitaker, Richard Day,</HI> and others, do be&s;peak him to be no better than an Athie&s;t.</P>
<P>And as if all the&s;e Actions and Reports, were not enough to render me and you &s;ufficiently odious to the view of the World, the weekly News-monger, Fal&s;ly, Injuriou&s;ly, and mo&s;t Ignomineou&s;ly in his weekly Pamphlet, hath Branded us with that mo&s;t Stigmatical Title of Traytors.</P>
<P>To whom <HI>I</HI> would give this Chri&s;tian Caution, that for the time to come, <HI>he take a &s;pecial care of venting and inventing Lies,</HI> le&s;t the Lord Chri&s;t &s;ay One day to Him, as once He &s;aid to &s;ome of <HI>Abra|hams</HI> fle&s;hly Seed, <HI>John</HI> 8. 44. Ye are of your father the Devil, and the works of your father ye will do; he was a Murtherer from the beginning, and abode not in the Truth, becau&s;e there is no Truth in him; when he &s;peaketh a lie, he &s;peaketh of his own, for he is a ly|ar, and the Father of it; And therefore <HI>I</HI> would have him further to con&s;ider the &s;hame of it, for as <HI>the Lip of Truth &s;hall be e&s;tabli&s;hed for ever, &s;o the <HI>lying Lip is but for a moment,</HI></HI> Prov. 12. 19. <HI>And as a Righteous man hateth lying, &s;o a wicked man is loath&s;ome, and cometh to &s;hame,</HI> Prov. 13. 5.</P>
<P>And if we may believe the wi&s;e&s;t of men, he telleth us, <HI>that he that <HI>hideth hatred</HI> with <HI>lying Lips,</HI> and he that uttereth <HI>a &s;lander,</HI> is a Fool,</HI> Prov. 10. 18.</P>
<P>And farther, I would have him con&s;ider the great danger of it; for fir&s;t, <HI>lying Lips <HI>are an</HI> Abomination <HI>to the Lord, but they that deal tru|ly, are his delight,</HI></HI> Prov. 12. 22.</P>
<P>Secondly, The&s;e <HI>&s;ix things the Lord <HI>hateth,</HI> yea, &s;even are an <HI>Abo|mination</HI> unto him, a proud look, a <HI>lying Tongue,</HI> and Hands that &s;hed <HI>Innocent Blood,</HI> an Heart that devi&s;eth wicked Imaginations, Feet that be &s;wift in running to Mi&s;chief, <HI>a fal&s;e Witne&s;&s;e that &s;peaketh Lies, and him that &s;oweth Di&s;cord among&s;t Brethren,</HI> Proverbs</HI> 6. 16.</P>
<P>Thirdly, It will exclude him Heavens Glory; <HI>For without are Dogs, and Sorcerers, and Whoremongers, and Murderers, and Idolaters;</HI> and who&s;oever <HI>loveth and maketh a Lie,</HI> Rev. 22. 15. <HI>For there &s;hall in no wi&s;e enter into it any thing that defileth, neither what&s;oever worketh Abomination, or <HI>maketh a Lie,</HI> but they which are written in the Lambs Book of Life,</HI> Rev. 21. 27.</P>
<P><HI>But the Fearful, and Unbelieving, and the Abominable, and Murthe|rers,</HI>
<PB N="10" REF="6">
<HI>and Whoremongers, and Sorcerers, and Idolaters, and <HI>all Lyars,</HI> &s;hall have their part in the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone, which is the &s;econd death,</HI> Rev. 21. 8.</P>
<P>But leaving the man to con&s;ider of his wicked action, in &s;uffering his Pen to run to that exce&s;&s;e, that cau&s;eth men to rai&s;e fal&s;e reports upon the Innocent; I &s;hall in love to his &s;oul, earne&s;tly de&s;ire him to &s;et him&s;elf upon the effectual work of Repentance, that &s;o he may make his peace before he go hence and be no more; that when time &s;hall be no more, he may then have a well-being with him, who gives a being to all beings, in that Kingdom that &s;hall never fade away; the which that you my Brethren and I may make &s;ure, let us work out our own Salvation with Fear and Trembling, and let us not be &s;loth|ful, but be followers of them, who thorow Faith and Patience, in|herited the Promi&s;es, <HI>Heb.</HI> 6. 12. And let us be found in Gods Way, doing Gods Work, being Fortified with Chri&s;tian Courage and Bold|ne&s;&s;e, following the foot-&s;teps of the flock of God gone before us, not at all fearing what man can do unto us; for this is the requirement of our Lord and Ma&s;ter, <HI>Mat.</HI> 10. 28. Who &s;aith, <HI>Fear not him that can kill the Body onely, and afterwards can do no more, but rather fear him, that after he hath killed the Body, can ca&s;t both Body and Soul into Hell, I &s;ay, Fear him:</HI> And in his Fear, let us be found in well-doing, en|deavouring as much as in us lyeth, to &s;ee that the Peace and Welfare of the Nation be &s;ecured; For if every mans particular intere&s;t be involved in the General Good, then it &s;tands every particular man in hand, to &s;tudy the Good, Peace, Safety and Welfare of the whole.</P>
<P>To this end, let us take the advice of our Apo&s;tle, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2. 3. Even as good Souldiers of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, to endure hard&s;hip, and take to us the whole Armor of God, that we may be able to with&s;tand in the evil day, and having done all, to &s;tand; let us &s;tand therefore, having our <HI>Loyns</HI> girt about with <HI>Truth,</HI> and having on the <HI>Bre&s;t-plate</HI> of <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> and our <HI>Feet &s;hod</HI> with the <HI>Preparation</HI> of the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> of <HI>Peace;</HI> above all, taking the <HI>Shield</HI> of <HI>Faith,</HI> wherewith we &s;hall be able to quench all the fiery Darts of the Wicked; and take the <HI>Hel|met</HI> of <HI>Salvation,</HI> and the <HI>Sword</HI> of the <HI>Spirit,</HI> which is the <HI>Word</HI> of <HI>God,</HI> praying with all Prayers and Supplication for all Saints, <HI>Ephe&s;. </HI> 6. 13. <HI> &amp;c.</HI> and for all men, for Kings, and all that are in Autho|rity, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2. 1, 2. yea, for our very enemies, and all that hate us, <HI>Mat.</HI> 5. 44. and of them that per&s;ecute us, let us cry out, and &s;ay, in the Words of that Holy Martyr and Brother <HI>Stephen, Lord, lay not this &s;in to their charge, Acts</HI> 7. 60. and in the Words of our Lord
<PB N="11" REF="6">
and Ma&s;ter, <HI>John</HI> 13. 13. the Captain of our Salvation, <HI>Heb.</HI> 2. 10. our Elder Brother, <HI>Heb. </HI> 2. 11. <HI> Let us cry out and &s;ay, Father forgive them, they know not what they do, Luk.</HI> 23. 34.</P>
<P>And thus being <HI>furni&s;hed with the Armour of Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, on the right Hand, and on the left, 2 Cor.</HI> 6. 7. Let us behave our &s;elves manfully, fighting the Lords Battel, even to the re&s;i&s;ting unto Blood, &s;triving again&s;t &s;in, <HI>Heb. 12. 4. striving together for the <HI>Faith of the Go&s;pel,</HI> Phil.</HI> 1. 27. not for the <HI>Wealth, Pomp, Plea&s;ure, Pa&s;|times, Preferment, Power</HI> nor <HI>Dominions</HI> of the <HI>Earth;</HI> neither in the behalf of our &s;elves nor others, no not in the behalf of our Lord and Ma&s;ter <HI>King Je&s;us,</HI> to &s;et <HI>Him up as King;</HI> For though I do really believe that Je&s;us Chri&s;t &s;hall Per&s;onally Reign, yet his Kingdom is not to be &s;et up as &s;ome would have it; For the &s;eventh Angel Sounded, and there were great Voices in Heaven, &s;aying, <HI>The Kingdoms of this World, are become the Kingdoms of the Lord, and of his Chri&s;t, and He &s;hall reign for ever and ever, Rev.</HI> 11. 15.</P>
<P>For the &s;tone that was cut out of the Mountain without hands, that &s;mote the <HI>Image</HI> on the Feet, became a <HI>great Mountain,</HI> and <HI>filled the whole earth,</HI> Dan. 2. 35. <HI>And this was the confidence of that Holy Man, Job</HI> 19. 25. For &s;aith he, <HI>I believe that my Redeemer liveth, and that <HI>he &s;hall &s;tand at the la&s;t day upon the earth:</HI></HI> So al&s;o &s;aith the Prophet, <HI>Zech. 14. 4. For his <HI>Feet &s;hall &s;tand</HI> in that day upon the <HI>Mount of Olives,</HI> which is before</HI> Jeru&s;alem, <HI>on the Ea&s;t; and ver&s;e 9. And the Lord &s;hall be King over <HI>all the earth;</HI> in that day, there &s;hall be <HI>one Lord,</HI> and his <HI>Name one;</HI> and his <HI>Dominion</HI> &s;hall be from <HI>Sea</HI> to <HI>Sea,</HI> and from the <HI>River,</HI></HI> even to the <HI>ends of the earth; <HI>for he mu&s;t reign, till he hath put all</HI> enemies under his Feet;</HI> the la&s;t <HI>ene|mie <HI>that &s;hall be de&s;troyed,</HI> is Death,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15. 25, 26. Yet this Kingdom &s;hall not be &s;et up by force of Arms, neither &s;hall his Ser|vants prepare it for him, <HI>but he</HI> for them; for &s;o &s;aith he him&s;elf, <HI>John 14. 2. In my Fathers Hou&s;e are many Man&s;ions, And I go to prepare a place for you; And I will <HI>come to you again,</HI> and <HI>receive you to my &s;elf,</HI> that <HI>where I am, there ye may be al&s;o.</HI></HI> And therefore <HI>he &s;pake unto them a Parable, <HI>becau&s;e</HI> he was nigh to <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> and <HI>becau&s;e</HI> they thought that the <HI>Kingdom of God</HI> &s;hould <HI>immediately appear.</HI> And a certain <HI>Noble-man,</HI> went into a <HI>far Countrey;</HI> to <HI>receive for him&s;elf a Kingdom, and to return,</HI> Luke</HI> 19. 11, 12. So that he &s;hall give the Kingdom to them, if we may believe him&s;elf; for &s;aith he, <HI>Fear not, <HI>little Flock,</HI> for it is your <HI>Fathers good plea&s;ure</HI> to give you the Kingdom,</HI> Luke 12. 32. <HI>And <HI>I appoint unto you a Kingdom, as</HI> my Father hath <HI>appointed</HI> unto <HI>me,</HI> that ye may eat and drink at my Table;</HI>
<PB N="12" REF="7">
<HI>in my <HI>Kingdom,</HI> and &s;it on Thrones, Judging the twelve Tribes of I&s;|rael,</HI> Luke 22. 29.</P>
<P>But we are yet in the Kingdom of Chri&s;ts Patience, and not in the Kingdom of his Power; for if we may believe him&s;elf, he telleth us, <HI>John 18. That his Kingdom is not of this World; for this is</HI> E&s;aus <HI>Kingdom;</HI> And &s;o &s;aith the Lord to <HI>E&s;dras, For when</HI> Jacob <HI>and</HI> E&s;au <HI>were born unto</HI> I&s;aac, Jacobs <HI>hand held fa&s;t the Heel of</HI> E&s;au; <HI>for</HI> E&s;au <HI>is the End of this World, and</HI> Jacob <HI>is the Beginning of that which is to come,</HI> 2 E&s;dras 6. 8, 9.</P>
<P>And indeed this is <HI>E&s;au,</HI> or the evil ones Kingdom; for Satan is the god of this World; And &s;o &s;aith our Apo&s;tle, 2 <HI>Cor. 4. 3, 4. If our Go&s;pel be hid, it is hid to them that are lo&s;t, in whom the <HI>god of this World,</HI> hath blinded the Minds of them that believe not, le&s;t the Glori|ous Light of the Go&s;pel of Je&s;us Chri&s;t &s;hould &s;hine unto them;</HI> and &s;o &s;aith the Devil to Chri&s;t, <HI>Mat.</HI> 4, 8, 9. when he &s;et <HI>him upon an high Mountain, and &s;hewed him all the Glory of the World, and &s;aid unto him, All this will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and wor&s;hip me.</HI> And the Lord Chri&s;t is &s;o far from reproving the fal&s;hood of it, as that he &s;aith, <HI>John</HI> 14. 13. <HI>The <HI>Prince</HI> of this World cometh, but he ha<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">h no part in me,</HI> and John 16. 11. <HI>The Prince of this World is Judged.</HI> And to evidence that Antipathy, that there is between the&s;e two Kings King|doms, and the Subjects thereof, the Apo&s;tle queries with tho&s;e that had engaged for that King and Kingdom, when they were fighting and quarrelling for the things of a Temporal Kingdom, <HI>From whence</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>comes Wars and Fightings among you, come they not hence even of your Lu&s;ts, that War in your Members? Ye Lu&s;t, and have not, ye kill, and de&s;ire to have, and cannot obtain; ye <HI>Fight</HI> and <HI>War,</HI> yet ye have not, becau&s;e ye ask not; ye ask, and receive not, becau&s;e ye ask ami&s;s; ye <HI>Adulterers</HI> and <HI>Adultere&s;&s;es,</HI> know ye not, that the <HI>Friend&s;hip</HI> of the <HI>World</HI> is <HI>emnity with God;</HI> Who&s;oever therefore will be a <HI>friend to the World, is an enemy to God,</HI></HI> James 4. 1. <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>And becau&s;e ye are cho&s;en out of the World, therefore the World will hate you, yet that hatred is not to be requited with hatred again, but with Love and good Works, according to <HI>Mat.</HI> 5. 44.</P>
<P>So that no Acts of Violence or Ho&s;tility, is to be found in the hands of <HI>Canaans</HI> Subjects, but they are patiently to wait for the coming of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>For &s;o per&s;wadeth our Apo&s;tle, <HI>Be <HI>patient,</HI> brethren, unto the coming of the Lord; Behold, the husband-man <HI>waiteth</HI> for the precious fruits of the earth, and hath long <HI>patience for it,</HI> until he receive the early and latter rain: be you al&s;o <HI>patient, &s;tabli&s;h your Hearts,</HI> for the coming</HI>
<PB N="13" REF="7">
<HI>of the Lord draweth nigh,</HI> Jam. 5. 7. And although we are redeem'd with the Blood of the Lamb, and are made <HI>Kings</HI> and <HI>Prie&s;ts <HI>to God, and to Chri&s;t, and &s;hall Live and Reign with Chri&s;t a thou&s;and Years, Rev. 20. </HI> 4. 6. <HI> Rev.</HI></HI> 5. 10. yet we ought to have no Acts of violence found in our hands to procure or &s;et it up; but this is the mi&s;take between tho&s;e that are &s;o eager to &s;et up Chri&s;ts Kingdom by Violence, and undermining of States and Governments, and us that expect it, and yet <HI>can act</HI> no <HI>Acts</HI> of <HI>violence:</HI> They expect him to Reign <HI>Spiritually in his Peo|ple;</HI> and we according to the Scriptures, do look for him to come and <HI>Reign Per&s;onally with his:</HI> They look to have <HI>Dominion, Power</HI> and <HI>earthly Authority</HI> by him, and to have their <HI>Judges re&s;tored as at the fir&s;t,</HI> and that on <HI>this &s;ide the Grave;</HI> while&s;t we wait for a Manife&s;ta|tion of <HI>Chri&s;t from Heaven;</HI> at which appearance we do expect, and that upon a Scripture account, that tho&s;e that fall a&s;leep in the <HI>Faith of Je&s;us,</HI> &s;hall then appear with Je&s;us; and that them that are then found in the <HI>Actual Faith of Je&s;us, &s;hall live together with them with Je&s;us, 1 The&s;.</HI> 4. 14. When that &s;ame Je&s;us which was taken up in|to Heaven, &s;hall &s;o come in like manner as he went into Heaven, <HI>Acts </HI> 1. 11. <HI> For behold, he cometh with Clouds, and every eye &s;hall &s;ee him, and they al&s;o which pier&s;ed him,</HI> Rev. 1. 7.</P>
<P>In which patient waiting of ours, we mu&s;t expect, according to the &s;aying of our Apo&s;tle, <HI>That we mu&s;t through many tribulations, en|ter into the Kingdom of Heaven,</HI> Acts 14. 22.</P>
<P>Our Lord and Ma&s;ter was plea&s;ed to <HI>&s;trip him&s;elf</HI> of <HI>Glory,</HI> and became obedient to that ignomineous death of the <HI>Cro&s;s for our &s;akes, to bring us to Glory,</HI> and &s;hall we then <HI>grudg for his &s;ake, to go by the Cro&s;s to inherit that Glory?</HI></P>
<P>O my Brethren, in Gods Fear con&s;ider what ye do, turn not your backs upon Je&s;us Chri&s;t, but as ye have &s;et your hand to the Plow, &s;o look not back; for if any man draw back, my Soul &s;hall have no plea&s;ure in him, <HI>Heb.</HI> 10. 38. And who&s;oever will deny me before men, him will <HI>I</HI> al&s;o deny before my Father which is in Heaven, they were his own Words, <HI>Mat.</HI> 10. 33. in who&s;e Mouth there was &s;ound no guile; who al&s;o telleth us, <HI>That the time will come, that if they kill us, they will think they &s;hall do God good &s;ervice, John</HI> 16. 2.</P>
<P>And &s;eeing we do at this day both &s;ee and feel &s;o much in order to the fulfilling of this Scripture, in this juncture of time, wherein iniquity doth &s;o much abound, and that the love of many do wax cold; Let us con&s;ider in Gods Fear, <HI>what our work is in this our Day,</HI> that &s;o we may be &s;ound doing Gods Work, in Gods Way, although
<PB N="14" REF="8">
it be to the lo&s;&s;e of our Liberty, Goods, yea and Life and all, ra|ther than lo&s;e all to eternity.</P>
<P>And therefore for my part, <HI>I</HI> &s;hall re&s;olve, God a&s;&s;i&s;ting me ac|cording to the ability received, to make u&s;e of that Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, to the hewing down of all Iniqui|ty, Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion and Sin, both Root and Branch, as near as <HI>I</HI> can in all, (and to &s;peak Scripture Language) from him that &s;itteth on the Throne, to him that grindeth at the Mill and draweth Water: And to endeavour &s;uch a Reformation in all, as that God may build up the Na|tion, and make our Land as it is now, abounding in all exce&s;&s;e of ry|ot, to be as one day it &s;hall be &s;aid of <HI>Jeru&s;alem, even a Prai&s;e of the whole Earth;</HI> And if in this <HI>I</HI> am looked upon to be vile, <HI>I</HI> &s;hall by Divine a&s;&s;i&s;tance, re&s;olve to be yet more vile; and &s;hall fir&s;t begin this work at Home; and now <HI>I</HI> &s;peak of Home, <HI>I</HI> &s;hall begin to look Home, and as the <HI>Husband-man</HI> and the <HI>Merchant,</HI> take the time of their be&s;t lea&s;ure to make up their <HI>Inventory;</HI> So &s;hall <HI>I,</HI> for being haled from my lawful employments, having little el&s;e to do in my <HI>Dark, Dole&s;ome, Drow&s;ie, Damp Dungeon, I</HI> &s;hall &s;ee what <HI>I</HI> am worth, that &s;o <HI>I</HI> may &s;et my Hou&s;e in order while&s;t <HI>I</HI> have time; for Age tells me, <HI>I</HI> cannot live long, and almo&s;t every day an Alarm for death is &s;ounding in mine ears, Tear me and Ram me, Sink me and Dam me, telling me, &s;ome to my Face, and others behind my back, <HI>That I am not long liv'd, and that I mu&s;t &s;uddenly prepare for Death, becau&s;e of my Judgement,</HI> notwith&s;tanding the <HI>Kings</HI> Word pa&s;&s;ed to us from <HI>Breda</HI> and &s;ince, <HI>For a peaceable enjoying our Meet|ing upon our good behaviour,</HI> the which <HI>I</HI> &s;hall bid defiance to any man that can &s;ay, it was ever tainted; <HI>I</HI> have therefore &s;et Pen to Pa|per, and have added this my <HI>Inventory,</HI> the which haply may &s;eem impertinent in this place, yet <HI>I</HI> judge the conclu&s;ion may be very comfortable; and as the <HI>Husband-man</HI> and <HI>Merchant,</HI> &s;o &s;hall <HI>I;</HI> the <HI>Husband-man</HI> making his <HI>Inventory,</HI> which we will &s;uppo&s;e thus,</P>
<P><HI>Imprimis, Hay Barns empty, and Hay-&s;tack-Roomes railed round, with Corn Barns, and Graineries empty, &s;wept and garni&s;hed, in which there is nothing of</HI></P>
<P><TABLE>
<ROW>
<CELL>l.</CELL>
<CELL>s.</CELL>
<CELL>d.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>any</CELL>
<CELL>con&s;iderable</CELL>
<CELL>value.</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P>But that which will make a mends for all, is,</P>
<P><HI>Item,</HI> in the Harve&s;t Crop, abundance of Hay, to the rai|&s;ing of Stacks, and filling the Hay Barn and Lofts; and of Wheat, Rie, Barlie, Oats, Beans and Pea&s;e, to the filling
<PB N="15" REF="8">
the Barns and Graineries, having increa&s;ed &s;ome thirty, &s;ome &s;ixty, and &s;ome an hundred fould, with the multiplicity both of Summer and Winter Fruits, both of the Orchards and Cherry Grounds, with the abundance of Wall Fruits, and Fragrant-Flowers, &s;weet Herbs of all kinds appearing, like the Hour of Plenty; together with the &s;weet encrea&s;e of that little, yet profitable Creature, the Bee; the which being added to the fore part of the Inventory, being as afore|&s;aid, not of</P>
<P><TABLE>
<ROW>
<CELL>l.</CELL>
<CELL>s.</CELL>
<CELL>d.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>any</CELL>
<CELL>con&s;iderable</CELL>
<CELL>value.</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P>Doth in the whole amount to,</P>
<P><TABLE>
<ROW>
<CELL>l.</CELL>
<CELL>s.</CELL>
<CELL>d.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>a good</CELL>
<CELL>con&s;iderable</CELL>
<CELL>&s;um.</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P>And the Merchant, when he maketh his Inventory, he doth it at his be&s;t lea&s;ure, when the Venture is out-bound; the which we will &s;uppo&s;e this,</P>
<P><HI>Imprimis,</HI> Two or three large va&s;t Warehou&s;es, empty and neatly clean&s;ed, onely in one Corner two or three empty Casks, with &s;ome odd Pack-cloaths and Cording; And all</P>
<P><TABLE>
<ROW>
<CELL>l.</CELL>
<CELL>s.</CELL>
<CELL>d.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>not worth</CELL>
<CELL>&s;etting</CELL>
<CELL>down.</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P>But <HI>Item</HI> the return of the Venture, a gallant, lu&s;ty &s;tout tall Ship, of a va&s;t burthen, deeply laden, and well man'd, in-bound at the <HI>Havens&punc; Mouth,</HI> ready the next Tide, being a &s;pring and a fre&s;h &s;mart gale of Wind, filling the <HI>Fore Sale,</HI> the <HI>Top Sale,</HI> the <HI>Sprit Sale,</HI> and the <HI>Mizen,</HI> running before the Wind, like the <HI>Po&s;t</HI> that sides for his Life, the <HI>Antient</HI> flying, and the <HI>Pilat</HI> for the &s;afe convey of the <HI>Ve&s;&s;el</HI> carefully in&s;tructing the <HI>Steers-man</HI> at the <HI>Helm,</HI> as occa&s;ion &s;erves, with a <HI>Star-bord, Lar-bord, Port, Steady, Loof, Non-neer;</HI> and the Ma&s;ter <HI>Gunner</HI> and his <HI>Mate</HI> fiering, to the rejoycing the Heart of the <HI>Owner,</HI> 13. 17. 19. or 21. great <HI>Guns,</HI> the <HI>Sea-men</HI> and <HI>Mar|riners</HI> with all &s;peed, <HI>&s;triking</HI> and <HI>furling</HI> their <HI>Sails,</HI> coming to <HI>Anchor,</HI> and making to <HI>Shore,</HI> to liver the <HI>Ship,</HI> being Richly La|den with the be&s;t and choi&s;e&s;t <HI>Indian Trade,</HI> and being home bound, coa&s;ting from one Countrey to another <HI>Port,</HI> being enriched with the choi&s;e&s;t and be&s;t Commodities of tho&s;e Countries and Havens, by
<PB N="16" REF="9">
which means, though the <HI>Inventory,</HI> as to the former part of it, a|mounts to</P>
<P><TABLE>
<ROW>
<CELL>l.</CELL>
<CELL>s.</CELL>
<CELL>d.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>no</CELL>
<CELL>great</CELL>
<CELL>matter.</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P>Yet the return of the Venture &s;o &s;uppo&s;ed, as afore&s;aid, doth rai&s;e the total &s;um to</P>
<P><TABLE>
<ROW>
<CELL>l.</CELL>
<CELL>s.</CELL>
<CELL>d.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>hundreds</CELL>
<CELL>thou&s;ands</CELL>
<CELL>ten thou&s;ands.</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P>Thus we &s;ee the <HI>Husband-mans Harve&s;t,</HI> and the <HI>Merchants</HI> Return after their patient waiting, makes a mends for all.</P>
<P>Therefore by the way, a Word to my Brethren, that are already in Pri&s;on, with my &s;elf, and tho&s;e that do every hour expect the &s;ame mea&s;ure to be met to them; and that not upon the account of any real mi&s;-actings found or known, either by them or us, as by Plotting, Contriving or Undermining the pre&s;ent Government; but onely and alone, becau&s;e we de&s;ire and endeavour to keep <HI>the Te&s;ti|mony of a good Con&s;cience,</HI> and to prove <HI>Faithful</HI> and <HI>Loyal</HI> to our <HI>Head</HI> and <HI>Soveraign,</HI> our <HI>Supream,</HI> our <HI>King,</HI> our <HI>Lord</HI> and <HI>Ma&s;ter Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> who&s;e Laws teach the be&s;t Loyalty to our Earthly Kings, and pure&s;t love to our Princes, nay to our very enemies.</P>
<P>I &s;ay to my Brethren Impri&s;oned, and the re&s;t yet at Liberty, I &s;hall give the advice of the Spirit, recorded in <HI>James 5. </HI> 9. 10. <HI> Be patient therefore Brethren unto the coming of the Lord;</HI> behold the <HI>Hu&s;|band-man</HI> waiteth for the precious Fruits of the earth, &amp;c. Be ye al&s;o patient, &s;tabli&s;h your Hearts, for the coming of the Lord draw|eth nie; <HI>and let us not be weary in well doing, for in due time we &s;hall reap if we faint not, Gal.</HI> 6. 9. the which reaping time is, that which fills up my <HI>Inventory,</HI> and will make a mends for all, and rai&s;e my total Sum to a con&s;iderable value; For as I am a Trades man, my E&s;tate as to Temporals, amounts but to a &s;mall value; as,</P>
<P><HI>Imprimis,</HI> My Hou&s;hold Goods and wearing Apparil, being very little, and very mean, and therefore of</P>
<P><TABLE>
<ROW>
<CELL>l.</CELL>
<CELL>s.</CELL>
<CELL>d.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>very</CELL>
<CELL>little</CELL>
<CELL>worth.</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P><HI>Item,</HI> In my Shop and Ware-hou&s;e, what is left by the hand of oppre&s;&s;ion; is,</P>
<P><TABLE>
<ROW>
<CELL>l.</CELL>
<CELL>s.</CELL>
<CELL>d.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>&s;carce</CELL>
<CELL>worth</CELL>
<CELL>valuing.</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P><PB N="17" REF="9">So al&s;o as I am a Chri&s;tian, my condition in gro&s;s is this, not</P>
<P><TABLE>
<ROW>
<CELL>l.</CELL>
<CELL>s.</CELL>
<CELL>d.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>worth</CELL>
<CELL>&s;etting</CELL>
<CELL>down.</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P><HI>Imprimis,</HI> My foot&s;teeps watched, and my Actions weighed by an unju&s;t weight and ballance, and mete by a fal&s;e mea&s;ure, by which means is produced fal&s;e Reports, Opprobious Speeches, cruel Mock|ings, Scoffings, Jeerings and Deridings, fal&s;e Accu&s;ations, and Evil Surmi&s;ings; and my whole Trade Heaven-wards, Arraigned, Judged and Condemned as utterly Lawle&s;&s;e and unlawful; and my Commodities &s;ent me from thence, Counterfeit and Carnal, Adul|terated and Abominable, Sinful and Schi&s;matical, Wavouring and Un&s;table, Whim&s;ical and Giddy, Fanta&s;tical and Fannatical, Formal and Faithle&s;&s;e, Papal and Prophane; by all which it may evidently appear, that as to my pre&s;ent E&s;tate and Condition among men, I have</P>
<P><TABLE>
<ROW>
<CELL>l.</CELL>
<CELL>s.</CELL>
<CELL>d.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>very</CELL>
<CELL>little</CELL>
<CELL>comfort.</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P>And to &s;peak in the Words of our Apo&s;tle, <HI>If in this Life onely we had Hope in Chri&s;t, we were of all men mo&s;t mi&s;erable; but now is Chri&s;t ri&s;en from the dead,</HI> 1 Corinthians 15. 19, 20. And there|fore,</P>
<P><HI>Item,</HI> In the Re&s;urrection Day, <HI>They that have done good, &s;hall ari&s;e of the <HI>Re&s;urrection of Life,</HI></HI> John 5. 39. <HI>For if we have been plan|ted into the likene&s;&s;e of his <HI>Death,</HI> we &s;hall al&s;o be in the likene&s;&s;e of his <HI>Re&s;urrection;</HI> And Chri&s;t being rai&s;ed from the Dead, <HI>dieth no more,</HI> Death hath no more <HI>dominion over him,</HI></HI> Rom. 6. 5. 9. <HI>So al&s;o is the Re&s;urrection of the Dead, it is &s;own in <HI>Corruption,</HI> it is rai&s;ed again in <HI>Incorruption;</HI> it is &s;own in <HI>Di&s;honour,</HI> it is rai&s;ed in <HI>Glory;</HI> it is &s;own in <HI>Weakne&s;s;</HI> it is rai&s;ed in <HI>Power;</HI> it is &s;own a <HI>Natural Body,</HI> it is rai&s;ed a <HI>Spiritual Body.</HI> And as we have <HI>born the Image</HI> of the <HI>earthly,</HI> &s;o al&s;o &s;hall we bear the <HI>Image</HI> of the <HI>Heavenly,</HI> 1 Cor. 15. 43, 44, 49.</HI> And thus &s;hall we be recompenced at the <HI>Re&s;ur|rection <HI>of the Ju&s;t,</HI></HI> Luk. 14. 14. This &s;hall we have after we have li|ved in <HI>Reproach, Infamy</HI> and <HI>Ignomy; <HI>This &s;hall we have if we</HI> Wor&s;hip not the Bea&s;t, <HI>nor his</HI> Image, <HI>neither Receive his</HI> Mark <HI>in our</HI> Foreheads, <HI>nor in our</HI> Hands;</HI> though we have been Villified and Undervalued, Railed at and Reproached, Buffetted and Whipped, Bani&s;hed or Imprin&s;oned; nay, though we &s;hall lo&s;e our Lives, pro|vided
<PB N="18" REF="10">
it be only for the Witne&s;s of Je&s;us, and the Word of God, we &s;hall have our part in the fir&s;t Re&s;urrection: <HI>And ble&s;&s;ed and holy is he that hath Part in the <HI>Fir&s;t Re&s;urrection,</HI> on &s;uch the Second Death &s;hall have no Power; but we &s;hall be Prie&s;ts to God and to Chri&s;t, and &s;hall Reign with Chri&s;t a Thou&s;and years,</HI> Rev. 20. 4, 5, 6. <HI>For he mu&s;t Reign till he hath put all Enemies under his feet: And when all things &s;hall be &s;ubdued unto him, then &s;hall al&s;o the Son him&s;elf be &s;ubject unto him, that put all things under him, that God may be All in All,</HI> 1 Cor. 15. 25, 28. <HI>For it is a faithful &s;aying,</HI> That if we be Dead with him, we &s;hall al&s;o Live with him; if we Suffer, we &s;hall al&s;o Reign with him, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2. 10, 11.</P>
<P>Therefore, <HI>Item</HI> in the Harve&s;t Crop, abundance of Plenty, <HI>for in due time we &s;hall Reap if we faint not: And what&s;oever a man &s;oweth, that &s;hall he al&s;o reap; for he that &s;oweth to the Fle&s;h, &s;hall of the Fle&s;h reap <HI>Corruption;</HI> but he that &s;oweth to the <HI>Spirit,</HI> &s;hall of the <HI>Spirit reap life everla&s;ting,</HI></HI> Gal. 6. 7, 8, 9. <HI>And he that goeth on <HI>weeping, bearing precious &s;eed,</HI> &s;hall doubtle&s;s <HI>come again</HI> and <HI>bring his Sheaves with him;</HI></HI> For <HI>they that <HI>&s;ow</HI> in <HI>Tears,</HI> &s;hall <HI>reap</HI> in <HI>Joy,</HI></HI> P&s;al. 126. 56. <HI>Thus <HI>Weeping</HI> may endure for a <HI>Night,</HI> but <HI>Joy cometh in the Mor|ning.</HI> In the</HI> Morning of the Re&s;urrection, Sorrow and Mourning &s;hall vani&s;h away as the dew before the Morning Sun; <HI>for God &s;hall <HI>wipe away</HI> all <HI>Tears</HI> from their <HI>eyes;</HI> and there &s;hall be no <HI>more death,</HI> nor <HI>&s;orrow,</HI> nor <HI>crying,</HI> neither &s;hall there be <HI>any more pain,</HI> for the <HI>former things are pa&s;&s;ed away,</HI></HI> Rev. 21. 4. <HI>And the Lamb that is in the mid&s;t of the Throne &s;hall lead them unto <HI>living Fountains</HI> of Water; and God &s;hall <HI>wipe away</HI> all <HI>Tears</HI> from their Eyes,</HI> Rev. 7. 17. Yea, <HI>He will &s;wallow up <HI>Death</HI> in <HI>Victory,</HI> and the Lord God will <HI>wipe</HI> away <HI>Teares</HI> from all <HI>faces,</HI> and the <HI>Reproach</HI> of <HI>his People</HI> &s;hall be <HI>taken away</HI> from off all the <HI>earth, for the Lord hath &s;poken it;</HI> And it &s;hall be &s;aid in that Day, This is <HI>our God,</HI> we have <HI>waited</HI> for him, and <HI>he will &s;ave us;</HI> this is the Lord, <HI>we have waited for him,</HI> we will be <HI>glad</HI> and <HI>rejoyce in his Salvation,</HI> I&s;a. 25. 8, 9.</HI> For in his Pre&s;ence is fulne&s;s of Joy, and at his Right Hand are Plea&s;ures for evermore, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 16. 11.</P>
<P>Thus our <HI>Pre&s;ent Sufferings are not <HI>worthy</HI> to be <HI>compared</HI> with that <HI>Glory that &s;hall be revealed in us,</HI></HI> Rom. 8. 18. <HI>For our <HI>Light A<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="bleedthrough" RESP="apex" EXTENT="3 letters">i<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="bleedthrough" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1+ letters">i|ons,</HI> which are but for a <HI>Moment,</HI> worketh for us a far more Exceeding and Eternal weight of Glory, while&s;t we look at the Things that <HI>are not &s;een,</HI> and not on the Things <HI>that are &s;een;</HI> for the Things that are &s;een are <HI>Temporal,</HI> but the Things that are <HI>not &s;een</HI> they are <HI>eternal,</HI></HI> 2 Cor. 4. 17.</P>
<P><PB N="19" REF="10">And now my Brethren, &s;eeing it is &s;o, that there comes &s;o much, and &s;uch great benefit to us by our Sufferings, let us Chearfully go on in Gods Way, continuing Faithful to the Death, that &s;o we may attain the Crown of Life: And let us follow the Lamb where&s;oever he goeth, though to the Cro&s;s, that &s;o we may attain the Crown, we &s;hall be great Gainers by it: And if we make that U&s;e of our Suf|ferings that God intendeth, our Faith, our Patience, our Joy, our Love, our Peace, and all will be tryed, &s;trengthened, and much bet|tered. And in Conclu&s;ion we &s;hall reap the benefit of it, &s;o as that we &s;hall have cau&s;e to &s;ay with his Servant of old, <HI>P&s;al. 11</HI> 9. 75. <HI> I know O Lord, that thy Judgements are right, and that thou of Faithful|ne&s;s ha&s;t cau&s;ed me to be troubled.</HI> And again, By our Afflictions we &s;hall Evidence our &s;elves to be Sons and not Ba&s;tards; <HI>For whom the Lord <HI>loveth</HI> he <HI>Cha&s;teneth,</HI> and <HI>&s;courgeth</HI> Every Son whom he <HI>Receiv|eth;</HI> If ye endure <HI>Cha&s;tening,</HI> God dealeth with you as with <HI>Sons;</HI> For what <HI>Son</HI> is it whom the Father <HI>Cha&s;teneth</HI> not? But if ye be <HI>without</HI> Cha&s;tizements, whereof all are partakers, then are ye Ba&s;tards and <HI>not &s;ons,</HI></HI> Heb. 12. 6, 7, 8.</P>
<P>God is now <HI>Preparing</HI> a People for him&s;elf; and as Per&s;ons are to be <HI>fitted; hewen</HI> and <HI>&s;quared</HI> for the building of God, before they can be fit matter for his Building here, as they mu&s;t be lively Stones be|fore they can be duly put into his building, the <HI>Church;</HI> &s;o he is now trying his <HI>Stones</HI> for his <HI>Heavenly Building;</HI> he now &s;itting as a <HI>Refiner</HI> and <HI>Purifier</HI> of <HI>Silver;</HI> And is now <HI>Trying</HI> the <HI>Sons</HI> of <HI>Levi,</HI> and &s;hall Purge them as <HI>Gold</HI> and <HI>Silver;</HI> and he that is not now found Gold, Silver or Precious Stones, will be Con&s;umed, his out-&s;ide Formality will be proved to be Hypocri&s;ie: He that now hath not Oyl in his Ve&s;&s;el will walk in the Dark, for Profe&s;&s;ion is almo&s;t out of fa&s;hion, and he that now hath not <HI>Habakkuks</HI> Faith will not &s;tand: He that now finds out a by-way to Deny Chri&s;t, vvill not be found Worthy of him; novv the Day vvill try him; he that vvould not leave his Lu&s;t, his Pride, his Vanity, his Hunting after his Profit, will now Evi|dence him&s;elf who he was; For Two men walking together, and a Third following them as a Servant, it is hard to gue&s;s who&s;e Servant he is; but when they part, the Servant will follow his own Ma&s;ter: Chri&s;t and Reputation, Credit or Fame have in this Nation walked hand in hand a long time together; but now they are parting, it will &s;uddenly now be Evidenced who&s;e Servants Profe&s;&s;ors are: And the Ma&s;ter without all que&s;tion will Pay them their Wages; the Lord is now Dealing with his People, as once <HI>Con&s;tantius</HI> dealt with his Sub|jects: And would King <HI>Charles</HI> the Second have done &s;o, he would have had far better Attendants, then now he hath.</P>
<P><PB N="20" REF="11">
In the Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Hi&s;tory, <HI>Eu&s;ebius Pamphilius</HI> in his Fir&s;t Book of the Life of <HI>Con&s;tantine,</HI> in his <HI>Twelfth Chapter,</HI> &s;peaketh to this Purpo&s;e;
<Q><P>THat the Magi&s;trates in every Province, by the Command of the for|mer Tyrannical Emperors, did cruelly and grievou&s;ly Oppre&s;s the Chri&s;tians, and brought them to Martyrdom, in &s;o much that Godly Men were very &s;carce; At which <HI>Con&s;tantius,</HI> the Father of <HI>Con&s;tantine,</HI> was much troubled; who when he came to Succeed in the Empire, and ha|ving a de&s;ire to try his Courtiers <HI>(&s;aith the &s;tory)</HI> he began to contrive a &s;trong and Admirable Plot; for he Granted Free leave to all his Officers, and Men of Dignity, to offer Sacrifices unto Devils; and yet to give their Attendance in Court, and keep their Places; And tho&s;e that would not perform tho&s;e accur&s;ed Sacrifices &s;hould be bani&s;hed the Court and di&s;|mi&s;&s;ed his Service: Whereupon his Courtiers being divided into a double Faction, pre&s;ently Di&s;covered their Minds and Affections: And many were the number of Idolaters; whereupon this worthy <HI>Con&s;tantius</HI> Di&s;|covering his own Plot, he Reproved tho&s;e that were fearful and de&s;irous to keep their Places, Approving and Commending the other for their Con|&s;tancy in Gods Cau&s;e, Rejecting the Idolaters as Traytors to God, and not worthy of his Service: For how <HI>(&s;aid he)</HI> can they be Faithful to me their Emperour, who have Revolted from their God? So that he pre&s;ently Bani&s;hed them from his Court, and made tho&s;e that were Approved to be Con&s;tant in giving their Te&s;timony to the Faith, near Officers unto him for the Securing of his own Per&s;on, &s;aying, That &s;uch men were to be ac|counted as his mo&s;t familliar Friends, and to be e&s;teemed of more then great Trea&s;ures. Thus we have briefly Characteriz'd the Father of <HI>Con&s;tan|tine</HI> by the Actions of his Life, by which any one may clearly di&s;cern that God gave him pro&s;perous Succe&s;s in his Affairs, and gave him a different Heart from his Predece&s;&s;ors: For having a long time performed many vertuous and royal Actions, at length having &s;uppre&s;&s;ed the Super&s;titious Adoration of their Heathen gods, he acknowledged the only true God, Go|vernor of all things; And &s;trengthned his Family by keeping Religious men to Pray for him and his; and &s;pent the re&s;idue of his Life with great Commendations in Peace and Tranquility, living without Troubles, or be|ing trouble&s;ome, which the Vulgar account a great Happine&s;s; So he Go|verned his Wife, Children and Family very quietly and peaceably all the time of his Reign; and Devoted them and him&s;elf to the Service of God, &s;o that his Royal Palace &s;eemed to be a Religious Temple, in which there were Holy and Religious men, that offered up their Incen&s;e of Prayers for the Emperours &s;afety, even then when among the Heathen it was a dan|gerous thing to be called a Religious man, or one that &s;erved God.</P></Q></P>
<P><PB N="21" REF="11">
And all the harm I wi&s;h King <HI>Charles</HI> the Second is, that he were but a &s;econd <HI>Con&s;tantius,</HI> that he had &s;uch a Court, and &s;uch a Guard, &s;uch a Mini&s;try and &s;uch a Magi&s;tracy, &s;uch a Nobility and &s;uch a Gentry, &s;uch a Yeomandry and &s;uch a Pea&s;antry; that all from the highe&s;t to the lowe&s;t were &s;uch as truly feared God and hated Cove|tou&s;ne&s;s, that every Relation might Act &s;o faithfully towards their God, and each to other in Love, Peace and Unity, that the God of Peace might take a delight to dwell among&s;t us, when all abomina|tion (<HI>Babylon</HI> like) might be ca&s;t into the Sea of Forgetful|ne&s;s.</P>
<P>And &s;eeing &s;uch a People would make &s;o happy a Prince: O Friends! let us hold fa&s;t our Integrity, that &s;o we may be a ble&s;&s;ing to our Prince here, and obtain the ble&s;&s;ing hereafter.</P>
<P>For they that &s;hall be with the Lamb are &s;uch as &s;hall be found Faithful, and Worthy, and Cho&s;en, for they are Virgins, and have not defiled them&s;elves with Women, they have not intermingled them|&s;elves with the Abominations of the great Whore, nor her Adul|terous Brood.</P>
<P>And if we will have one like the Son of God, Comforting and Sup|porting, Walking with and Refre&s;hing us in that hot Furnace of Af|fliction that is Heating for us; let us with <HI>Shadrach, Me&s;hach,</HI> and <HI>Abednego,</HI> keep clo&s;e to our God, and let us not be careful to An|&s;wer the de&s;ires of men, <HI>Dan.</HI> 3. 25. but in all Humility let us pa|tiently Suffer under them, in &s;o doing our Comfort will be great, though our Sufferings be many; yea though our lives lye at &s;take, and we al&s;o lo&s;e them; yet if our Saviours words be true, we &s;hall find them; for if we with our Apo&s;tle do fight the good fight of Faith, we may expect to lay hold of Eternal Life; <HI>This is a faithful &s;aying, For if we <HI>&s;uffer</HI> with him, we &s;hall <HI>Reign</HI> with him; but if we <HI>Deny him,</HI> he will al&s;o <HI>deny us,</HI></HI> 2 Tim. 2. 12.</P>
<P>And therefore let us take up a Re&s;olution to follow him in this our Day, in &s;inglene&s;&s;e of Soul, and in our Innocency, <HI>That we may be <HI>Blamele&s;s</HI> and <HI>Harmle&s;s;</HI> the Sons of God without <HI>Rebuke</HI> in the mide&s;t of a Crooked and Perver&s;e Generation, among whom <HI>&s;hine ye as Lights</HI> in the World,</HI> Phil. 2. 15. <HI>giving no Offence in any thing that the <HI>Mini&s;try</HI> be not <HI>blamed;</HI> But in all things <HI>Approving our &s;elves</HI> as the <HI>Mini&s;ters of God</HI> in <HI>much Patience,</HI></HI> in <HI>Affliction,</HI> in <HI>Nece&s;&s;ities,</HI> in <HI>Di&s;tre&s;&s;es,</HI> in <HI>Stripes,</HI> in <HI>Impri&s;onments,</HI> in <HI>Tumults,</HI> in <HI>La|bours,</HI> in <HI>Watchings,</HI> in <HI>Fa&s;ting;</HI> by <HI>Purene&s;s,</HI> by <HI>Knowledge,</HI> by <HI>Long-&s;uffering,</HI> by <HI>Kindne&s;s,</HI> by the <HI>Holy Gho&s;t,</HI> by <HI>Love Un|feigned,</HI> by the <HI>Word of Truth,</HI> by the <HI>Power of God,</HI> by the <HI>Ar|mour</HI>
<PB N="22" REF="12">
of <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> on the <HI>Right hand</HI> and on the <HI>Left;</HI> by <HI>Honour</HI> and <HI>Di&s;honour,</HI> by <HI>evil Report</HI> and <HI>good Report,</HI> as <HI>De|ceivers</HI> and yet <HI>True,</HI> as <HI>unknown</HI> and yet <HI>well known,</HI> as <HI>Dying</HI> and behold <HI>we Live,</HI> as <HI>Cha&s;tened</HI> and <HI>not Killed,</HI> as <HI>Sorrowful</HI> yet <HI>alwayes Rejoycing,</HI> as <HI>Poor</HI> yet making <HI>many Rich,</HI> as <HI>having Nothing</HI> yet <HI>po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ing all Things,</HI> 2 Cor. 3. <HI>For ye &s;ee your Calling Brethren, how that not many <HI>wi&s;e men after the Fle&s;h,</HI> not many <HI>Migh|ty,</HI> not many <HI>Noble are called;</HI> but God hath Cho&s;en the <HI>Fooli&s;h things</HI> of the <HI>World,</HI> to <HI>Confound</HI> the <HI>Wi&s;e;</HI> And God hath Cho&s;en the <HI>Weak Things</HI> of the World to <HI>Confound</HI> the <HI>Things that are Mighty,</HI> and <HI>Ba&s;e Things</HI> of the World, and Things that are <HI>De&s;pi&s;ed,</HI> hath <HI>God Cho&s;en;</HI> yea, and Things <HI>which are not, to bring to nought the things that are,</HI> that <HI>no Fle&s;h &s;hould glory in his pre&s;ence.</HI></HI> And &s;eeing it is &s;o, my Brethren, I &s;hall Earne&s;tly De&s;ire you in the words of our A|po&s;tle, That you al&s;o who are <HI>Troubled, re&s;t patiently with us when the Lord Je&s;us &s;hall be <HI>Revealed from Heaven with his Mighty Angels</HI> in <HI>flaming Fire, taking Uengeance on them that know not God, and that Obey not the Go&s;pel of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, who &s;hall be puni&s;hed with everla&s;ting De&s;truction from the pre&s;ence of the Lord, and from the Glory of his Power,</HI> when he <HI>&s;hall come to be Glorifi|ed in his Saints, and to be Admired in all them that Bel&eacute;eve, be|cau&s;e our Te&s;timony among you was Bel&eacute;eded.</HI></HI> So that as you have Cau&s;e to Joy in us, &s;o we have great Cau&s;e of rejoycing in you, that we yet &s;tand fa&s;t in one Faith; <HI>And the Churches of God have Cau&s;e to Glory in you for your <HI>Patience</HI> and <HI>Faith</HI> in all your <HI>Per&s;ecutions</HI> and <HI>Tribulations</HI> that ye endure, which is a manife&s;t token of the Righteous Judgment of God, that ye may be <HI>counted worthy</HI> of the <HI>Kingdom of God, for which we al&s;o &s;uffer,</HI></HI> 2 The&s;&s;. 2. <HI>And thus, if any of us &s;uffer as Chri&s;tians, let us not be a&s;hamed, but let us glorifie God on this behalf.</HI></P>
<P>As for you, my Brethren, that are of <HI>Kent,</HI> and other Places, who have all your <HI>Livelihoods,</HI> and &s;ome of you all that you could be <HI>Tru&s;ted for;</HI> as you are <HI>Servers</HI> in of <HI>Stores</HI> and <HI>Officers</HI> in <HI>Ships,</HI> and <HI>Seamen,</HI> and <HI>Labourers</HI> in the &s;everal Yards <HI>appertaining to Shipping,</HI> my trouble is great for you, to hear of your <HI>deplorable</HI> and <HI>&s;ad Conditi|on,</HI> in that <HI>Officers</HI> make &s;uch u&s;e of your <HI>Tenderne&s;s</HI> of <HI>Con&s;cience</HI> in that you cannot <HI>Swear,</HI> &s;o barbarou&s;ly to u&s;e you, <HI>Refu&s;ing</HI> to let you have <HI>Supplies for the Relieving your poor Families;</HI> yet be of good Comfort, and <HI>Roul your &s;elves</HI> upon the <HI>All-&s;ufficient God:</HI> For mine own part I cannot but be a <HI>fellow Feeler</HI> of your &s;ad Conditions, <HI>for the Ca&s;e is mine own,</HI> with one that is <HI>too Great for me to deal withal,</HI> and for more then I am worth; but wait we upon God, and in his due time he will Relieve us.</P>
<P><PB N="23" REF="12">And therefore let us <HI>Comfort our &s;elves in the Lord,</HI> and here what the Apo&s;tle &s;peaks, <HI>James</HI> 5. 1. who &s;aith, <HI>Go to now ye <HI>Rich men, w&eacute;ep and howl</HI> for your <HI>Mi&s;eries</HI> that &s;hall <HI>come upon you,</HI> your <HI>Riches</HI> are <HI>Corrupted,</HI> and your Garments Moth-eaten; your <HI>Gold</HI> and <HI>Silver</HI> is <HI>corrupted,</HI> and the <HI>Ru&s;t</HI> of them &s;hall be a <HI>Witne&s;s again&s;t you,</HI> and &s;hal <HI>eat</HI> your <HI>fle&s;h</HI> as it were Fire: Ye have <HI>heaped Trea&s;ure together for the la&s;t Dayes;</HI> Behold the <HI>Hire</HI> of the</HI> Labourers <HI>which have</HI> reap|ed down your fields, <HI>which is of you</HI> kept back by fraud, Cryeth, <HI>and the</HI> Cry <HI>of them which have</HI> reaped <HI>are</HI> entered into the Ears of the Lord of the Sabbath: <HI>Ye have lived in</HI> Plea&s;ures <HI>on the Earth, and been</HI> Wanton; <HI>ye have</HI> nouri&s;hed your Hearts <HI>as in the</HI> Day of &s;laughter, <HI>ye have</HI> Condemned <HI>and</HI> Killed <HI>the</HI> Ju&s;t, <HI>and he doth</HI> not re&s;i&s;t you: <HI>Be</HI> Patient <HI>therefore Brethren unto the</HI> Coming <HI>of the Lord.</HI></P>
<P>And Con&s;ider, that there is one in <HI>Power</HI> in <HI>Heaven</HI> above them; and one in <HI>Earth</HI> that is his <HI>Vicegerent intru&s;ted under him, and &s;et up by him,</HI> to be a <HI>Terrour</HI> to <HI>evil-Workers,</HI> and a <HI>Prai&s;e</HI> to them that <HI>do well;</HI> who in due time may be made acquainted <HI>of it,</HI> and give a Re|medy <HI>in it.</HI></P>
<P>In the mean time, my <HI>Beloved Brethren,</HI> be ye <HI>&s;teadfa&s;t,</HI> unmoveable, alwayes <HI>abounding in the Work of the Lord,</HI> for as much as ye know that your <HI>labour is not in vain in the Lord.</HI></P>
<P>To Conclude, I &s;hall impart unto you my Re&s;olution freely, and &s;hall let you know as to my pre&s;ent Condition, though I am in a <HI>Dungeon,</HI> yet I had rather be there, (<HI>as through Mercy I can &s;ay I am with a clear Con&s;cience</HI>) then be in the <HI>Kings Palace</HI> with a <HI>clogged Con&s;cience;</HI> For mine own part I with others have had <HI>Tenders</HI> of <HI>Li|berty upon Engaging</HI> as others did; the which we <HI>dare not do lea&s;t we en&s;nare our &s;elves;</HI> for now we are as to our <HI>Meetings,</HI> in this Condi|tion, we have yet the <HI>Word of a King</HI> for the <HI>quiet Enjoyment of our Meetings,</HI> the which we had from <HI>Breda,</HI> and <HI>&s;ince Confirmed</HI> to <HI>&s;ome of our Friends</HI> by <HI>verbal Expre&s;&s;ions,</HI> as well as in the <HI>Act of Oblivion,</HI> and in his <HI>Declaration for Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Affairs,</HI> and that upon <HI>Condi|tion;</HI> which <HI>Condition</HI> is not yet, nor (God a&s;&s;i&s;ting) never &s;hall on our part be broken: For as we have <HI>Publickly Declared</HI> our &s;elves in for|mer times under the <HI>other Powers,</HI> to be a <HI>Peaceable People,</HI> and utterly again&s;t both <HI>Swearing and Fighting,</HI> as by my <HI>Declaration</HI> annexed at the End of my <HI>Fannaticks Mite</HI> is apparent, the which through Mercy I &s;hall Re&s;olve rather to <HI>Die,</HI> then in the lea&s;t to <HI>violate;</HI> And here &s;ome men are ready to &s;ay as once the Brethren of <HI>David</HI> did to him, who Queried the Rea&s;on of <HI>Davids</HI> forwardne&s;s in the Work of God; Who&s;e An&s;wer was, <HI>Is there not a Cau&s;e?</HI> 1 Sam. 17. 29.
<PB N="24" REF="13">
So mu&s;t I &s;ay at this Day, <HI>Is there not a Cau&s;e? Is not the</HI> I&s;rael <HI>of God now Defied by the Great</HI> Goliahs <HI>of our Times?</HI> Therefore I mu&s;t &s;ay as once <HI>Jeptha</HI> did in another Ca&s;e, <HI>Judg. 1</HI> 1. 35. <HI> I have opened my mouth to the Lord, and I cannot go back:</HI> And when I am Solicited and Per|&s;waded to betray the Cau&s;e of Chri&s;t, and break his lawes by Com|plying with <HI>Engagements</HI> and <HI>Oathes;</HI> I mu&s;t &s;ay as once that Servant of the Lord &s;aid, <HI>Nehem. </HI> 6. 11. <HI> Should &s;uch a man as I take Sanctuary? Should &s;uch a man as I Betray and break the Lawes and Cau&s;e of Chri&s;t?</HI> I that have been <HI>Evil &s;poken of</HI> by the <HI>Separation for SEPARATING from the Separation,</HI> though I have <HI>never been Condemned ju&s;tly by the</HI> Separation <HI>for any &s;uch Separation;</HI> I &s;ay, <HI>If &s;uch a man as I, &s;hould</HI> now &s;eek to <HI>&s;ecure my &s;elf after all my Separation,</HI> I &s;hould be the <HI>mo&s;t abomi|nable&s;t Per&s;on in the World, and might Ju&s;tly be Condemned with the World.</HI></P>
<P>I know that by what I have &s;aid, I mu&s;t &s;et up my &s;elf more pub|lickly for <HI>a Mark to be &s;hot at:</HI> yet I mu&s;t <HI>Di&s;charge</HI> my <HI>Con&s;cience</HI> as to <HI>what I have been,</HI> and <HI>what I am;</HI> that &s;o I may not be thought <HI>ei|ther better</HI> or <HI>wor&s;e than what I am:</HI> and if therein <HI>I become nothing</HI> as to my <HI>Earthly Being,</HI> yet <HI>I matter it not, &s;o I keep a good Con&s;cience void of Offence,</HI> both <HI>towards God,</HI> and <HI>towards Man:</HI> And if in the <HI>Inno|cency of my Soul I peri&s;h, I peri&s;h:</HI> And I &s;hall rather chu&s;e to <HI>Peri&s;h a Thou&s;and times,</HI> then in the lea&s;t (knowingly) either to <HI>violate the lea&s;t Law of God,</HI> or <HI>Betray the Cau&s;e of Chri&s;t,</HI> or do <HI>any thing</HI> that may <HI>Di&s;honour</HI> the <HI>Go&s;pel of Chri&s;t,</HI> or <HI>cau&s;e his Name to be Evil &s;poken of:</HI> And although there be &s;uch a Charge (as I hear there is given) to have &s;uch a &s;pecial Eye to me; I know not for what, unle&s;s for <HI>my good Advice to the King:</HI> yet it &s;hall neither force me to <HI>Violate my Con|&s;cience,</HI> nor <HI>Forfeit my Liberty</HI> as to our <HI>Meetings;</HI> but I &s;hall Pati|ently bear <HI>my Impri&s;onment</HI> till the <HI>Lord</HI> &s;hall in his Mercy <HI>Relea&s;e me;</HI> Hanging yet upon <HI>the Kings Word</HI> to be made <HI>good to me,</HI> and the <HI>re&s;t of our peaceable Judgement,</HI> who are <HI>fal&s;ly Accu&s;ed,</HI> and &s;ome of us <HI>un|ju&s;tly Impri&s;oned,</HI> and to the wounding of our good Names as <HI>Tray|tors.</HI></P>
<P>Yet I &s;ay again, I &s;hall Re&s;olve (God A&s;&s;i&s;ting me) to continue, faithfully waiting upon God in his own Way, in the Integrity of my Soul, Becau&s;e <HI>better is the Poor that walketh in his Integrity, then he that is Perver&s;e in his Lips, and is a Fool,</HI> Prov. 19. 1. <HI>For the Integrity of the Upright &s;hall guide them, but the Perver&s;ne&s;s of Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ors &s;hall De&s;troy them, and the Righteou&s;ne&s;s of the Upright &s;hall direct his way, while&s;t the Wicked &s;hall Fall by his own wickedne&s;s, Prov.</HI> 11. 3, 5. And thus <HI>while&s;t the Ju&s;t man walketh in his Integrity, his Children are Ble&s;|&s;ed</HI>
<PB N="25" REF="13">
<HI>after him,</HI> Prov. 20. 7. The Premi&s;es Con&s;idered, It &s;hall be the de&s;ire of my Soul to go on waiting upon God, Earne&s;tly begging in the behalf of the <HI>King</HI> and his <HI>People,</HI> That there may be &s;uch a <HI>Right Under&s;tanding</HI> of things, that <HI>Ju&s;tice</HI> be &s;o <HI>duely Admini&s;tred,</HI> as that the <HI>Righteous</HI> be not as the <HI>Wicked,</HI> nor the <HI>Innocent</HI> as the <HI>Guilty,</HI> le&s;t the Cry of the many Oppre&s;&s;ed Families come up into the Ears of the <HI>Great</HI> and <HI>Ju&s;t JEHOVAH,</HI> that <HI>Sin-Revenging God,</HI> who is of a more purer Eye then to behold Iniquity, &s;o as to approve of it, or tho&s;e that act in it.</P>
<P>Thus having given you an Accompt both of my <HI>Innocency</HI> and <HI>Inte|grety,</HI> both <HI>what I am,</HI> and <HI>what</HI> (by Divine A&s;&s;i&s;tance) <HI>I &s;hall Re&s;olve to be,</HI> notwith&s;tanding the noy&s;omne&s;s of the Place I am in, and the Hard&s;hips that I, and tho&s;e that are with me, do undergo therein; our Livelyhoods chiefly depending upon our daily handy Labours, being torn from our Callings, and Families, tyed up from getting our own <HI>Bread,</HI> and brought into wor&s;e then an <HI>EGYPTIAN</HI> Bon|dage, and Contrary to the Law both of <HI>NATURE</HI> and <HI>NATIONS;</HI> who though we are the <HI>Kings Pri&s;oners,</HI> yet we have not (as I &s;aid before) neither <HI>Beds</HI> nor <HI>Bedding, Meat</HI> nor <HI>Money,</HI> nay, not &s;o much as <HI>a Drop of Water</HI> but what we are forced to <HI>purcha&s;e</HI> with our <HI>Money;</HI> the <HI>which if we have not,</HI> nor <HI>Friends</HI> to bring them to us, we mu&s;t in rea&s;on inevitably peri&s;h, the which notwith&s;tanding, though we un|dergo, yet I &s;hall Re&s;olve &s;till to endure, rather then &s;et my <HI>Hand to Folly,</HI> either to <HI>Violate my Con&s;cience,</HI> by breaking the <HI>lea&s;t Law of God,</HI> or in the lea&s;t to <HI>Give my Con&s;ent</HI> to the making my &s;elf <HI>Guilty</HI> by Paying <HI>Traytors Fees,</HI> which is double <HI>Fees,</HI> or any <HI>Fees at all,</HI> &s;ee|ing I am not <HI>Guilty</HI> of what I am <HI>laid in for;</HI> but &s;hall Re&s;olve to go on in my <HI>Chri&s;tian Progre&s;s,</HI> as a <HI>Chri&s;tian</HI> ought to do; and &s;hall de&s;ire to wait upon God in <HI>Prayer</HI> and <HI>Supplication</HI> for &s;uch a Right Under|&s;tanding of things, as that the <HI>Evil Doer</HI> only may be <HI>Puni&s;hed,</HI> &amp; that the <HI>Meetings</HI> of the <HI>peaceable People of God,</HI> according to the <HI>Kings Pro|mi&s;e,</HI> may be &s;till Continued; Praying for the <HI>King</HI> and his <HI>People,</HI> al|though at pre&s;ent my <HI>Profe&s;&s;ed Enemies,</HI> And to Remain till Death,</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED><HI>Your Faithful Brother and Fellow Pri&s;oner for Chri&s;t,</HI>
HENRY ADIS.</SIGNED>
<HI>From my Clo&s;e Con&s;traint, The Kings Courte&s;ie,
For my Chri&s;tian Coun&s;el, The Gate-Hou&s;e Dungeon;
Damp and Dark, Void of Light, Darker then Night;
Once a Den for Thieves, But now a Hou&s;e of Prayer;
My Contented Ca&s;tle, Till Chri&s;t Clear me.</HI></CLOSER>
<TRAILER>THE END.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
