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<DATE>2008-3-17</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Elspeth Healey</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<TEXT>
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>The Grand Impo&s;tor EXAMINED: OR, The Life, Tryal, and Examination OF <HI>JAMES NAYLER,</HI> The Seduced and Seducing QUAKER WITH The Manner of his Riding into BRISTOL.</P>
<P>Whereunto is added, The Sentence pa&s;&s;ed upon him by the High Court of Parliament.</P>
<BIBL>JOH.19.7.</BIBL>
<Q>We have a law, and by our law he ought to die; becau&s;e he made him&s;elf the Son of God.</Q>
<P>LONDON, Printed for <HI>Henry Brome,</HI> at the Hand in S. <HI>Paul</HI>'s Church-yard. 1657.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>To the READER</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Courteous Reader,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_I Do here give thee an ac|count of what pa&s;&s;ed be|tweene <HI>James Nayler</HI> and his Judges, as think|ing it a part of my duty towards God and man; that thereby thou may&s;t &s;ee and know there is but one onely God, and one onely Je&s;us, which is
<PB REF="3">
the Christ, who was crucified by the Jews at <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI>: Which who|&s;oever denies, let him be accur|&s;ed.</P>
<P>It hath been the Custome in form|er times, to Immure, Stone, or other wayes puni&s;h with Death &s;uch as did fal&s;ly &s;tile them&s;elves the onely Sons of the most High God; As thou maye&s;t &s;ee in that faithful Chro|nologer, <HI>John Speed</HI>; who affirm|eth, that in the Reign of King <HI>HENRY</HI> the third, there appeared a <HI>Grand Impo&s;tor</HI> &s;omewhat in wicked|ne&s;s re&s;embling this of whom we are to treat: this (Man or rather De|vil) thinking him&s;elf to be &s;ome-body, boa&s;ted him&s;elf to be no-body in the eyes of the World, but as being &s;ent from Heaven; And having a grave
<PB REF="3">
and impudent a&s;pect, pretended him|&s;elf to be no le&s;s then the Saviour of Mankinde: And to &s;trike a be|lief into the ea&s;ily-&s;educed People, he had wounded his Hands, and Feet, and Side; Affirming the&s;e to be the Wounds which the Jews had given him at <HI>JERUSALEM.</HI> For which bla&s;|phemous and horrid Doctrine, he was &s;entenced to be &s;tarved to death between the Walls of a &s;trong Pri&s;on; Where he and his Doctrine died: Even <HI>So let all thine enemies peri&s;h, O Lord.</HI></P>
<P>Thou wilt in his Examination di&s;|cover &s;ome difference to be between him and <HI>George Fox</HI>: but I &s;uppo&s;e they are again reconciled.</P>
<P>I &s;hall not trouble thee with all the many Letters which were conveyed
<PB REF="4">
from him to others, or from them to him, lest I make my Relation &s;well too big: I &s;hall onely give thee one or two of the chiefe&s;t; Out of which if thou can&s;t pick but a little &s;ence, and le&s;s truth, thou can&s;t do more then</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Thy loving friend.</SIGNED>
<DATELINE><DATE>Decemb.16, 1656.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="discourse">
<PB N="1" REF="4">
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>James Naylors <HI>Examination.</HI></HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>READER,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>THinking it a very good foundation to my building, to give you the manner of his progre&s;&s;e, before you come to his confe&s;&s;ion; or before his bla&s;phe|mie a&s;pires to the &s;toole of Repentance. I &s;hall thus begin: <HI>James Naylor</HI> of <HI>Wake|field</HI> in the County of <HI>Yorke,</HI> a deluded and deluding Quaker and Impo&s;ter, rode <HI>October</HI> la&s;t through a Village called <HI>Bed|min&s;ter,</HI> about a mile from <HI>Bri&s;tol,</HI> accom|panied with &s;ix more, one whereof was a young man, who&s;e head was bare, leading his hor&s;e by the bridle, and another unco|vered before him, thorow the durty way in which the Carts and Hor&s;es and none el&s;e u&s;ually goe. And with them two men
<PB N="2" REF="5">
on hor&s;eback with each of them a woman behind him, and one woman walking on the better way or path. In this po&s;ture did they march, and in &s;uch a ca&s;e, that one <HI>George Witherley</HI> noting their condi|tion, asked them to come in the better rode, adding that God expected no &s;uch extremity: but they continued on their way, not an&s;wering in any other notes, but what were mu&s;icall, &s;inging <HI>Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabbath,</HI>&amp;c. Thus continued they, till by their wandring they came to the Alm&s;ehou&s;e within the Suburbs of <HI>Bri&s;tol,</HI> where one of the women alighted, and &s;he with the other of her own &s;ex lovingly marcht on each &s;ide of <HI>Naylor</HI>'s Hor&s;e. This <HI>Witherley</HI> &s;aith, he &s;uppo&s;es they could not be le&s;&s;e deep in the muddy way then to the knees, and he &s;aith they &s;ang, but &s;ometimes with &s;uch a buzzing mel-<HI>ODIO&V;S</HI> noy&s;e that he could not under&s;tand what it was. This the &s;aid <HI>Wi|therley</HI> gave in upon his oath. Thus did they reach <HI>Ratcliff-gate,</HI> with <HI>Timothy
<PB N="3" REF="5">
Wedlock</HI> of <HI>Devon</HI> bare-headed, and <HI>Mar|tha Symonds</HI> with the bridle on one &s;ide and <HI>Hannah Stranger</HI> on the oher &s;ide of the Hor&s;e; this <HI>Martha Simonds</HI> is the wife of <HI>Thomas Simonds</HI> of <HI>London,</HI> Book|binder, and <HI>Hannah Stranger</HI> is the Wife of <HI>John Stranger</HI> of <HI>London</HI> Combmaker, who &s;ung <HI>Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of I&s;rael.</HI> Thus did he ride to the high Cro&s;&s;e in <HI>Bri&s;tol,</HI> and after that to the <HI>White-hart</HI> in <HI>Broad&s;treet,</HI> vvhere there lies two eminent Quakers, by name, <HI>Dennis Holli&s;ter,</HI> and <HI>Henry Row</HI>; of vvhich the Magi&s;trates hea|ring they vvere apprehended and commit|ted to pri&s;on.</P>
<P>Long it had not been after their con|&s;inement in the Goale at <HI>Exeter,</HI> from whence pa&s;&s;ing through <HI>Wells</HI> and <HI>Gla&s;&s;en|bury</HI> this party be&s;trewed the vvay vvith their garments. But to be &s;hort they were &s;earcht, and Letters were found about them, infinitely filled vvith profane non|&s;en&s;icall language; vvhich Letters I &s;hall not trouble you with, onely &s;ome of the
<PB N="4" REF="6">
chiefe, le&s;t your patience &s;hould be too much cloyd. We &s;hall ha&s;t now to their axaminations; and becau&s;e <HI>Naylor</HI> vvas the chiefe actor 'tis fit he have the prehe|minence of leading the vvay in their Exa|minations, we &s;hall therefore give you a full account of vvhat pa&s;&s;ed betvven the Magi&s;trate and him, vvhich take as fol|loweth:</P>
<P>He entred the Court with a confident re&s;o|lution, his Hat on, which he offered not to take off, but without u&s;ing any civil re&s;pect to any one, he An&s;wered in this manner to the&s;e following que&s;tions.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="5" REF="6">
<HEAD>The Examination of <HI>James Naylor,</HI> and others.</HEAD>
<P>BEing asked his name, or whether he was not called <HI>James Naylor,</HI> he replied: The men of this world call me <HI>James Naylor.</HI> hhy <HI>Q</HI> Art not thou the man that rid on hor&s;e|back into <HI>Bri&s;tol,</HI> a woman leading thy hor&s;e, and others &s;inging before thee <HI>Holy, holy, holy, Ho&s;annah, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>A. I did ride into a Town, but what its name was I know not, and by the Spirit a woman was commanded to hold my hor&s;es bridle; and &s;ome there were that ca&s;t down cloathes, and &s;ang prai&s;es to the Lord, &s;uch &s;ongs as the Lord put into their hearts; and its like it might be the Song of <HI>Holy, holy, holy, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Q. Whether or no did&s;t thou reprove tho&s;e women?</P>
<P>A. Nay, but I bad them take heed that they
<PB N="6" REF="7">
&s;ang nothing but what they were moved to of the Lord.</P>
<P>Q. Do&s;t thou own this Letter (<HI>whereupon a Letter vvas &s;hewed him</HI>) which <HI>Hannah Stranger</HI> &s;ent unto thee?</P>
<P>A. Yea, I do own that Letter?</P>
<P>Q. Art thou (according to that Letter) the faire&s;t of ten thou&s;and?</P>
<P>A. As to the vi&s;ible I deny any &s;uch attri|bute to be due unto me; but if as to that which the Father has begotten in me, I &s;hall own it. <HI>But now Reader, before I pa&s;&s;e further, I hold it not impertient to deliver you the vvords of the &s;ame Letter, with another, vvhich were the&s;e</HI>:</P>
<Q><TEXT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<HEAD>A Letter to <HI>James Naylor</HI> at Exeter, <HI>by</HI> Hannah Stranger.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>J. N.</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>IN the pure feare and power of God, my &s;oule &s;alutes thee, <HI>Thou everla&s;ting &s;on of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e and Prince of peace</HI>; oh how my &s;oule travelleth to &s;ee this day
<PB N="7" REF="7">
which <HI>Abraham</HI> did and was glad, and &s;o &s;hall all that are of faithfull <HI>Abraham</HI>: O &s;uffer me to &s;peake what the Lord hath moved. There is one temptation neere, the like unto the fir&s;t, and is like the wi&s;|dome of God, but it is not, and therefore it mu&s;t be de&s;troyed. Oh it de&s;ileth and hateth the innocent; I be&s;eech thee wait, my &s;oule travelleth to &s;ee a pure Image brought forth, and the enemy &s;trive to de|&s;troy it, that he may keep me alwaies &s;or|rowing, and ever &s;eeking, and never &s;ati&s;|fied, nor never rejoycing: But he in whom I have believed will &s;hortly tread &s;atan under our feet, and then &s;halt thou and thine return to <HI>Zion</HI> with everla&s;ting re|joycings and prai&s;es. But till then better is the hou&s;e of mourning then rejoycing, for he that was made a perfect example, when he had fa&s;ted the appointed time of his father, vvas tempted to eate, and to &s;hew a miracle, to prove him&s;elfe to be the Sonne of God: But man lives not by bread, &s;aid he, and now no more by that
<PB N="8" REF="8">
vvi&s;dom &s;hall he live, on vvhich he hath long fed as on bread, and as his food hath been &s;o mu&s;t his fa&s;t be, and then at the end temptation, to as low a thing as a &s;tone, that if it vvere po&s;&s;ible the humi|lity and the miracles vvould deceive the elect, innocent, and righteous branch of holine&s;s. But be his vvils never &s;o many, the time comes he &s;hall leave thee, for he is faithfull, vvho hath promi&s;ed he vvill not leave the Throne of <HI>David</HI> vvithout a man to &s;it thereon, vvhich &s;hall judge the poore vvith righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and the World vvith equity. This &s;hall &s;hortly come to pa&s;&s;e, and then &s;hall the vi&s;ion &s;peak and not lie. O let innocency be thy beloved, and righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e thy Spou&s;e, that thy fathers lambs may rejoyce in thy pure and cleare un&s;potted image of holi|ne&s;&s;e and purity, vvhich my &s;oul believeth I &s;hall &s;ee, and &s;o in the faith re&s;t. I am in patience, vvait, and the power vvill pre|&s;erve from &s;ubtilty, though under never &s;o zealous a pretence of innocent vvi&s;dom
<PB N="9" REF="8">
it be, yet &s;hall the Lord not &s;uffer his holy one to &s;ee corruption, nor his &s;oule to lie in Hell, but will cau&s;e the mountain to melt at his pre&s;ence, and the little hills to bring him peace; O I am ready to fear as a &s;ervant, and to obey as a child. If I have &s;poken words too high, love hath con&s;trained me, which is as &s;trong as death, and with the &s;ame &s;pirit cover them as they are &s;poken with, and then &s;hall the &s;pirit of <HI>David</HI> be witne&s;&s;ed, who refu&s;ed not words though from his &s;er|vants mouth; if they were in the fear, I am his &s;ervant, and he my Ma&s;ter, whom I love and fear, and tru&s;t I &s;hall do unto the end.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Hannah Stranger.</SIGNED>
<DATELINE>From London, <DATE>16. day, of the 7th. month</DATE>.</DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT></Q>
<P>Hereafter followeth the Letter wherein <HI>John Stranger</HI> calleth <HI>James Naylor</HI> Je&s;us.</P>
<Q><TEXT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB N="10" REF="9">
<HEAD>Another from the &s;ame.</HEAD>
<P>OH thou faire&s;t of ten thou&s;and, thou onely begotten Son of God, how my heart panteth after thee; O &s;tay me with flagons, and comfort me with Wine. My well beloved thou art like a Roe, or young Hart upon the mountains of Spices, where thy beloved Spou&s;e hath long been calling thee to come away, but hath been but lately heard of thee. Now it lies &s;omething upon me that thou mind&s;t to &s;ee her, for the &s;pirit and power of God is with her; And there is given to her much of excellent and innocent wi&s;e|dome ari&s;&s;en and ari&s;ing in her, which will make all the hone&s;t-hearted to prai&s;e the Lord alone, and no more &s;et up &s;elf. And therefore let not my Lord and Ma|&s;ter have any jealou&s;ie again of her, for &s;he is highly beloved of the Lord, and that &s;hall all &s;ee who come to know the Lord. And now he doth ble&s;&s;e them that ble&s;&s;e his, and cur&s;e them that cur&s;e his: for this hath the Lord &s;hewed me, That her por|tion
<PB N="11" REF="9">
is exceeding large in the Lord; and as her &s;orrow hath been much, &s;o &s;hall her joy be much more, which rejoyceth my heart, to &s;ee her walke &s;o valiantly and faithfully in the work of the Lord, in this time of &s;o great tryals as hath been laid upon her e&s;pecially.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>And I am <HI>Hannah Stranger.</HI></SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT></Q>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="postscript">
<HEAD>The Po&s;t&s;cript.</HEAD>
<P>Remember my dear love to thy Ma&s;ter. Thy name is no more to be called <HI>James</HI> but <HI>Je&s;us.</HI></P>
<P>John Stranger.</P>
<P>This <HI>John Stranger,</HI> is Husband to this <HI>Hannah Stranger</HI>; and this was added as a Po&s;t&s;cript by him to his Wives Letter, as is acknowledged,</P>
<P>Remember my love to tho&s;e friends withthee. The &s;eventeenth day of the eighth month &s;u|per&s;cribed this to the hands of <HI>James Naylor We &s;hall now return to his examination.</HI></P>
<P>Q. Art thou the only Son of God?</P>
<P>A. I am the Son of God, but I have many Brethren.</P>
<P>Q. Have any called thee by the name of Je&s;us?</P>
<P><PB N="12" REF="10">A. Not as unto the vi&s;ible, but as Je&s;us, the Chri&s;t that is in me.</P>
<P>Q. Do&s;t thou own the name of the King of <HI>I&s;rael</HI>?</P>
<P>A. Not as a creature, but if they give it Chri&s;t within I own it, and have a Kingdom but not of this world, my Kingdome is of another world, of which thou wat&s;t not.</P>
<P>Q. Whether or no art thou the Prophet of the mo&s;t high?</P>
<P>A. Thou ba&s;t &s;aid, I am a Prophet.</P>
<P>Q. Do&s;t thou own that attribute, the Judge of <HI>I&s;rael</HI>?</P>
<P>A. The Judge is but one, and is witne&s;&s;ed in me, and is the Chri&s;t, there mu&s;t not be any joyned with him: if they &s;peak of the &s;pirit in me, I own it only as God is manife&s;t in the fle&s;h, according as God dwelleth in me, and judgeth there him&s;elf.</P>
<P>Q. By whom wert thou &s;ent?</P>
<P>A. By him who hath &s;ent the &s;pirit of his Son in me to try, not as to carnal matters, but belonging to the Kingdome of God, by the in|dwelling of the Father and the Son, the judge of all &s;pirits to be guided by none.</P>
<P><PB N="13" REF="10">Q. Is not the written word of God the guide?</P>
<P>A. The written word declares of it, and what is not according to that is not true.</P>
<P>Q. Whether art thou more &s;ent then others, or whether others be not &s;ent in that mea&s;ure?</P>
<P>A. As to that I have nothing at pre&s;ent given me of my Father to an&s;wer.</P>
<P>Q. Was your birth mortal or immortal?</P>
<P>A. Not according to the Natural birth, but according to the Spiritual birth, born of the immortal &s;eed.</P>
<P>Q. Wert thou ever called the Lambe of God?</P>
<P>A. I look not back to things behind, but there might be &s;ome &s;uch thing in the letter; I am a lamb, and have &s;ought it long before I could witne&s;&s;e it.</P>
<P>Q. Who is thy mother, or whether or no is &s;he a virgin?</P>
<P>A. Nay, according to the naturall birth.</P>
<P>Q. Who is thy mother according to thy &s;pirituall birth?</P>
<P>A. No carnall creature.</P>
<P>Q. Who <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2+ letters">n?</P>
<P><PB N="14" REF="11">A.&mdash;To this he refu&s;ed to an&s;wer.</P>
<P>Q. Is the hope of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> in thee?</P>
<P>A. The hope is in Chri&s;t, and as Chri&s;t is in me &s;o far the hope of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> &s;tands; Chri&s;t is in me the hope of glory.</P>
<P>Q. What more hope is there in thee then in others?</P>
<P>A. None can know but them of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> and <HI>I&s;rael</HI> mu&s;t give an account.</P>
<P>Q. Art thou the everla&s;ting Son of God?</P>
<P>A. Where God is manife&s;t in the fle&s;h, there is the everla&s;ting Son, and I do witne&s;s God in the fle&s;h; I am the Son of God, and the Son of God is but one.</P>
<P>Q. Art thou the Prince of peace?</P>
<P>A. The Prince of everla&s;ting peace is be|gotten in me.</P>
<P>Q. Why do&s;t thou not reprove tho&s;e that give thee the&s;e attributes?</P>
<P>A. I have &s;aid nothing unto them but &s;uch things are written.</P>
<P>Q. Is thy name Je&s;us?</P>
<P>A.&mdash;Here he was &s;ilent.</P>
<P>Q. For what &s;pace of time ha&s;t thou been &s;o called?</P>
<P><PB N="15" REF="11">A.&mdash;And here.</P>
<P>Q. Ith ere no other Je&s;us be&s;ides thee?</P>
<P>A. The&s;e que&s;tions he forbore either to af|firm or to contradict.</P>
<P>Q. Art thou the everla&s;ting Son of God, the King of righteou&s;ne&s;s?</P>
<P>A. I am, and the everla&s;ting righteou&s;ne&s;s is wrought in me, if ye were acquainted with the Father, ye would al&s;o be acquainted with me.</P>
<P>Q. Did any ki&s;&s;e thy feet?</P>
<P>A. It might be they did, but I minded them not.</P>
<P>Q. When thou wa&s;t called the King of <HI>I&s;|rael,</HI> did&s;t thou not an&s;wer, thou &s;aye&s;t it.</P>
<P>A. Yea.</P>
<P>Q. How do&s;t thou provide for a livelihood</P>
<P>A. As do the Lillies without care, being maintained by my father.</P>
<P>Q. Who do&s;t thou call thy Father?</P>
<P>A. He whom thou calle&s;t God.</P>
<P>Q. What bu&s;ine&s;&s;e had&s;t thou at <HI>Bri&s;toll</HI> or that way?</P>
<P>A. I was guided and directed by my father.</P>
<P><PB N="16" REF="12">Q. Why wa&s;t thou called a Judge to try the cau&s;e of <HI>I&s;rael</HI>?</P>
<P>A. &mdash;Here be an&s;wered nothing.</P>
<P>Q. Are any of the&s;e &s;ayings bla&s;phemy or not.</P>
<P>A. What is received of the Lord is truth.</P>
<P>Q. VVho&s;e Letter was that which was writ to thee, &s;igned <HI>T.S.</HI></P>
<P>A. It was &s;ent me to <HI>Exeter</HI> Gaol by one the world calls <HI>Tho. Symonds.</HI></P>
<P>Q. Did&s;t thou not &s;ay, it ye had known me, ye had known the father?</P>
<P>A. Yea, for the father is my life.</P>
<P>Q. VVhere wert thou born?</P>
<P>A. <HI>At</HI> Ander&s;low <HI>in</HI> York&s;hire.</P>
<P>Q. VVhere lives thy wife?</P>
<P>A. She whom thou calle&s;t my wife, lives in <HI>Wakefield.</HI></P>
<P>Q. VVhy do&s;t thou not live with her?</P>
<P>A. I did, till I was called to the Army.</P>
<P>Q. &V;nder who&s;e Command did&s;t thou &s;erve in the Army?</P>
<P><PB N="17" REF="12"><HI>A.</HI> Fir&s;t, under him they call Lord <HI>Fairfax.</HI></P>
<P>Q. Who then?</P>
<P>A. Afterwards, under that man called Col. <HI>Lambert</HI>: and then I went into <HI>Scotland,</HI> where I was a Quarterma&s;ter, and returned &s;ick to my earthly habitation, and was called into the North.</P>
<P>Q. What went&s;t thou for to <HI>Exceter</HI>?</P>
<P>A. I was &s;ent to <HI>Law&s;on</HI> to &s;ee the brethren.</P>
<P>Q. What e&s;tate hast thou?</P>
<P>A. I take no care for that.</P>
<P>Q. Doth God in an extraordinary manner &s;u&s;tain thee, without any corporal food?</P>
<P>A. Man doth not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Father: the &s;ame life is mine that is in the Father; but not in the &s;ame mea&s;ure.</P>
<P>Q. How art thou cloathed?</P>
<P>A. I know not.</P>
<P>Q. Do&s;t thou live without bread?</P>
<P>A. As long as my heavenly Father will: I have ta&s;ted of that bread, of which he that eateth &s;hall never die.</P>
<P><PB N="18" REF="13"><HI>Qu.</HI> How long hast thou lived without any corporal &s;u&s;tenance, having perfect health?</P>
<P>A. Some fifteen or fixteen days, &s;u&s;tained without any other food except the Word of God.</P>
<P>Q. was <HI>Dorcas Erbury</HI> dead two days in <HI>Exce|ter</HI>? and didst thou rai&s;e her?</P>
<P>A. I can do nothing of my &s;elf: the Scripture beareth witne&s;s to the power in me which is e|verla&s;ting; it is the &s;ame power we read of in the Scripture. The Lord hath made me a &s;igne of his coming: and that honour that belongeth to Chri&s;t Je&s;us, in whom I am revealed, may be given to him, as when on earth at <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> ac|cording to the mea&s;ure.</P>
<P>Q. Art thou the un&s;potted Lamb of God, that taketh away the &s;ins of the world?</P>
<P>A. Were I not a lamb, wolves would not &s;eek to devour me.</P>
<P>Q. Art thou not guilty of horrid bla&s;phemy, by thy own words?</P>
<P>A. Who made thee a Judge over them?</P>
<P>Q. Wherefore camest thou in &s;uch an unu&s;ual po|&s;ture, as, two women leading thy hor&s;e; others &s;inging <HI>Holy, holy,</HI> &amp;c. with another before thee bare-head|ed, knee-deep in the high-way-mud, when thou might&s;t have gone in the Cau&s;ey; and at &s;uch a time, that it
<PB N="19" REF="13">
raining, thy companions received the rain at their necks and vented it at their ho&s;e and breeches?</P>
<P>A. It tended to my Fathers prai&s;e and glory; and I ought not to &s;light any thing which the Spirit of the Lord moves.</P>
<P>Q. Dost thou think the Spirit of the Lord moved or commanded them?</P>
<P>A. Yea.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>Whom mean they by</HI> holy, holy, holy, &amp;c.</P>
<P>A. Let them an&s;wer for them&s;elves; they are at age.</P>
<P>Q. Did not &s;ome &s;pread their cloaths on the ground before thee, when thou rid&s;t thorow <HI>Glan&s;tenbury</HI> and <HI>Wells</HI>?</P>
<P>A. I think they did.</P>
<P>Q. Wherefore did&s;t thou call <HI>Martha Simons</HI> mo|ther, as <HI>George Fox</HI> affirms?</P>
<P><HI>A. George Fox</HI> is a lyer, and a firebrand of hell: for neither I, nor any with me, called her &s;o.</P>
<P>Q. Thou ha&s;t a wife at this time?</P>
<P>A. A woman I have, whom by the world is called my wife; and &s;ome children I have, which according to the fle&s;h are mine.</P>
<P>Q. Tho&s;e books which thou ha&s;t writ, wilt thou main|tain them, and affirm what is therein?</P>
<P>A. Yea, with my deare&s;t blood.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="judicial sentence">
<PB N="20" REF="14">
<HEAD>The Sentence which it plea&s;ed the high Court of Parliament to pro|nounce against <HI>James Nayler.</HI></HEAD>
<P>THat he &s;tand in the Pillory on Thur&s;|day (being <HI>Decemb</HI> 18. 1656.) in the new Palace at We&s;tmin&s;ter, for two hours; and then by the Hangman to be whipped from We&s;tmin&s;ter to the Old Exchange, London; and there al&s;o to &s;tand in the Pillory two hours, on Satur|day next, between Eleven and one; with an In&s;cription fa&s;tned to him, relating his Crimes: and at the old Exchange, to have his tongue bored thorow with an Hot|iron; and in the forehead &s;tigmatized with <HI>B</HI>: and that he be conveyed thorow Bri&s;tol with his face towards the hor&s;es tail, and there likewi&s;e whipped; and after returned to London, to remain a pri&s;oner in Bridewel, during the plea&s;ure of the honourable Parliament.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="21" REF="14">
<P>ACcording to the &s;entence pronounced, he was whipped from We&s;tmin&s;ter to the Old Exchange; and from thence conveyed to Newgate, where (the next day) there came unto him one <HI>Robert Rich</HI> (&s;o called) who when he was approaching neer him &s;ang, but what it was, I know not: but when he &s;aw <HI>James Nayler,</HI> he &s;aluted him, by bowing to him: and having asked whether he had prayed for him; <HI>James</HI> an&s;wered, Yea, he had. Whereupon, this <HI>Rich</HI> took him round the middle, &s;troaked his face, and ki&s;&s;ed him. And having took his leave of <HI>James Nayler,</HI> he de&s;cended the &s;tairs, &s;aying, <HI>Oh ye hard hearted people, and unbelieving Generati|on, will ye not believe, although ye &s;ee &s;uch wonders, &s;igns and miracles wrought before ye</HI>?</P>
<P>Another came to him, and &s;aid unto him thus: <HI>James, none will venture to come and &s;ee thee, but Paul, Nicodemus, and I.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="22" REF="15">
<P>ON <HI>Decemb.</HI> 20. was pre&s;ented a Pe|tition concerning <HI>James Nayler,</HI> the effect of which was, that the &s;entence might not be wholly executed at the time appointed, by rea&s;on of &s;ome di|&s;temper in his body: whereupon it was ordered that he &s;hould &s;tand in the Pillory at the old Exchange on the Saturday fol|lowing, &amp; to &s;uffer the re&s;t of his puni&s;h|ment, which &s;hould before have been in|flicted.</P>
<P>On the 24 of the &s;ame month the a|fore&s;aid <HI>Robert Rich</HI> pre&s;ented a Petiti|on, the effect of which was, that he him|&s;elf might &s;uffer the re&s;t of the puni&s;h|ment which was to be inflicted on <HI>James Nayler</HI>; but that not being granted, <HI>James Nayler</HI> was <HI>Decemb.</HI> 27. conveyed to the Exchange; where, according to former order, the re&s;idue of his puni&s;hment was executed.</P>
<P><PB N="23" REF="15">Being mounted the Pillory, <HI>Robert Rich</HI> accompa|nied him, with comfortable words, ki&s;&s;es, and &s;troakings on his face, until the remainder of Ju|&s;tice was executed; <HI>Nayler</HI> having &s;tood till two of the clock, he was let out: the Executioner then addre&s;&s;ing him&s;elf in order to what followed; he took a cap and put it on the head of <HI>James Nayler,</HI> below his eyes: which cap, <HI>Robert Rich</HI> ha&s;tily &s;natched from him, and put it on below his no&s;e: then the Executioner having bound his arms with cords to the Pillory, he bad him put forth his Tongue, which he freely did; and the Executi|oner, with an Iron. about the bigne&s;s of a Quill, bored the &s;ame, and by order from the Sheriff, held it in a &s;mall &s;pace, to the end the Beholders might &s;ee and bear witne&s;s that the &s;entence was truely executed: then having took it out, he marked him in the forehead with a <HI>B.</HI> at the which he not &s;o much as &s;tirred: but having been marked, he took the Executioner in his arms, and hugged him; and <HI>Robert Rich,</HI> through his ardent affection, licked the wound on his forehead. The &s;uper&s;cription over his head was, <HI>For HORRID BLASPHEMY, GRAND IMPOSTURE, and SE|DUCING OF THE PEOPLE</HI>: which in&s;cription <HI>Robert Rich</HI> endeavoured to &s;mother, by clapping another over it, which was, <HI>THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.</HI> Thus having given you an ac|count concerning him, I &s;hall now proceed to the examination of his accomplices: which take in order.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="deposition">
<PB N="24" REF="16">
<HEAD><HI>MARTHA SIMONDS</HI> Her Examination.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>She confe&s;&s;eth &s;he knew <HI>James Nayler</HI> formerly: for he is now no more <HI>Iames Nayler,</HI> but re&s;ined to a more excellent &s;ub&s;tance: and &s;o &s;he &s;aith &s;he came with him from <HI>Bri&s;tol</HI> to <HI>Exceter.</HI></P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>Q. VVHat made thee lead his Hor&s;e into <HI>Bri&s;tol,</HI> and &s;ing, Holy, holy, holy <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and to &s;pread thy garments before him?</P>
<P>A. I was forced thereto by the power of the Lord.</P>
<P><PB N="33" REF="16"><HI>Q.</HI> He is &s;tyled in <HI>Hannah Strangers</HI> Letter, the faire&s;t of ten thou&s;and, the hope of I&s;rael, and the onely begotten &s;on of God: Do&s;t thou &s;o e&s;teem him?</P>
<P>A. That <HI>James Nayler</HI> of whom thou &s;peake&s;t, is buried in me, and he hath promi&s;ed to come again.</P>
<P>Q. Do&s;t thou like of that attribute as given to him?</P>
<P>A. I cannot tell, I judge them not.</P>
<P>Q. Whether didst thou kneel before him?</P>
<P>A. What I did was in obedience to a power a|bove.</P>
<P>Q. Do&s;t thou own him to be the Prince of Peace?</P>
<P>A. He is a perfect man; and he that is a perfect man is the Prince of Peace.</P>
<P>Q. Ha&s;t thou a husband?</P>
<P>A. I have a man which thou calle&s;t my Hus|band.</P>
<P>Q. What cau&s;ed thee to &s;ing before <HI>James Nayler</HI> in &s;uch a manner?</P>
<P>A. It is our life to prai&s;e the Lord; and the Lord my &s;trength (who filleth heaven and earth) is manife&s;t in <HI>James Nayler.</HI></P>
<P>Q. Oughte&s;t thou to wor&s;hip <HI>James Nayler,</HI> as thou did&s;t upon thy knee?</P>
<P>A. Yea, I ought &s;o to do.</P>
<P>Q. Why oughte&s;t thou &s;o to do?</P>
<P>A. He is the &s;on of Righteou&s;ne&s;s; and the new man within him is the everla&s;ting &s;on of
<PB N="34" REF="17">
Righteou&s;ne&s;s; and <HI>James Nayler</HI> will be Je&s;us, when the new life is born in him.</P>
<P>Q. By what Name calle&s;t thou him?</P>
<P>A. Lord.</P>
<P>Q. Why do&s;t thou call him Lord?</P>
<P>A. Becau&s;e he is Prince of Peace, and Lord of Righteou&s;ne&s;s.</P>
<P>Q. What rea&s;on can&s;t thou &s;h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">w for thy calling him King of I&s;rael?</P>
<P>A. He is anointed.</P>
<P>Q. Who hath anointed him?</P>
<P>A. A Prophet.</P>
<P>Q. What Prophet was that?</P>
<P>A. I will not tell thee.</P>
<P>Q. Thou confe&s;&s;e&s;t that thou did&s;t &s;pread thy cloaths.</P>
<P>A. Yea, I did.</P>
<P>Q. Tell me, Doth that &s;pirit of Je&s;us which thou <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ayest is in <HI>Nayler,</HI> make him a &s;ufficient Je&s;us to o|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1+ letters">ers?</P>
<P>A. I tell thee, there is a &s;eed born in him, which above all men I &s;hall (and every one ought to) ho|nour.</P>
<P>Q. Is he king of I&s;rael as thy Husband &s;aith?</P>
<P>A. If he &s;aith &s;o, they te&s;timony is double.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="deposition">
<PB N="35" REF="17">
<HEAD>HANNAH STRANGER, <HI>her Examination.</HI></HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>She &s;aith, She came from <HI>Bri&s;tol</HI> to <HI>Exce&s;ter</HI> with <HI>Iames Nay|ler,</HI> and that &s;he flang her Handkerchief before him, be|cau&s;e commanded &s;o of the Lord; and that &s;he &s;ung <HI>Holy,</HI> &amp;c. and that the Lord is ri&s;en in him.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>Q. WHerefore did&s;t thou &s;ing before <HI>James Nayler</HI>?</P>
<P>A. I mu&s;t not be mute when I am commanded of the Lord.</P>
<P>Q. Wherefore did&s;t thou &s;ing before him?</P>
<P>A. My con&s;cience tells me, I have not offended any Law.</P>
<P>Q. Was that Letter thine? and did&s;t thou &s;pread thy garments before him?</P>
<P>A. Yea, and my blood will maintain it.</P>
<P><PB N="36" REF="18"><HI>Q.</HI> Do&s;t thou own him for the Prince of Peace?</P>
<P>A. Yea, he is &s;o.</P>
<P>Q. What dost thou call his Name?</P>
<P>A. It hath been &s;aid already, I have told of his Name.</P>
<P>Q. Do&s;t thou not know it to be bla&s;phemy to give him &s;uch and &s;uch attributes?</P>
<P>A. If I have offended any Law, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Q. Did&s;t thou &s;end him that Letter wherein he was called the Son of God.</P>
<P>A. Yea, I do own the whole Letter.</P>
<P>Q. Did&s;t thou call him Je&s;us?</P>
<P>A. &mdash;She would not an&s;wer.</P>
<P>Q. Did&s;t thou ki&s;&s; his feet?</P>
<P>A. Yea.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="deposition">
<PB N="37" REF="18">
<HEAD>THOMAS STRANGER His EXAMINATION.</HEAD>
<P>HE owneth the Po&s;t&s;cript of the Letter in which he calleth <HI>James Nayler</HI> Ie&s;us, but could not be got to an&s;wer any more que&s;ti|ons, any further than, <HI>If I have of|fended any Law,</HI> &amp;c. Hee confe&s;&s;ed hee called <HI>James Nayler</HI> Ie&s;us, and &s;aith he was thereto moved of the Lord</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="deposition">
<PB N="38" REF="19">
<HEAD>TIMOTHY WEDLOCK, <HI>his Examination.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Q. DO&s;t thou own <HI>James Nayler</HI> to be the one|ly Son of God?</P>
<P>A. I do own him to be the Son of God.</P>
<P>Q. Wherefore did&s;t thou and the re&s;t &s;ing before him, <HI>Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of I&s;rael</HI>?</P>
<P>A. I do own the &s;ongs of <HI>Sion.</HI></P>
<P>Q. Thou wilt go through a great rain bare-headed, why then wilt thou not be uncovered to a Magi&s;trate?</P>
<P>A. What I did was as the Lord commanded.</P>
<P>Q. What is your opinion concerning Religion?</P>
<P>A. I own no Opinions, nor any Judgements.</P>
<P>Q. Wherefore did&s;t thou honour him in Towns, and not el&s;ewhere?</P>
<P>A. We did as well in commons; but in both as the Spirit of the Lord directed us.</P>
<P>Q. Wherefore did&s;t thou kneel before him?</P>
<P>A. The Truth made us.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="deposition">
<PB N="39" REF="19">
<HEAD>DORCAS ERB&V;RY, <HI>her Examination.</HI></HEAD>
<P>Q. WHere do&s;t thou live?</P>
<P>A. <HI>With</HI> Margaret Thomas.</P>
<P>Q. Wherefore did&s;t thou &s;ing Holy, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>A. I did not at that time; but tho&s;e that &s;ang did it in di&s;charging their duty.</P>
<P>Q. Do&s;t thou own him that rode on hor&s;e back to be the Holy One of I&s;rael?</P>
<P>A. Yea, I do; and with my blood will &s;eal it.</P>
<P>Q. And dost thou own him for the Son of God?</P>
<P>A. He is the onely begotten Son of God.</P>
<P>Q. Wherefore didst thou pull off his &s;tockings, and lay thy clothes beneath his feet?</P>
<P>A. He is worthy of it, for he is the holy Lord of I&s;rael.</P>
<P>Q. Knowe&s;t thou no other Je&s;us the onely begotten Son of God?</P>
<P>A. I know no other Saviour.</P>
<P>Q. Do&s;t thou believe in <HI>James Nayler</HI>?</P>
<P>A. Yea, in him whom thou calle&s;t &s;o, I do.</P>
<P>Q. By what name do&s;t thou call him?</P>
<P>A. The Son of God, but I am to &s;erve him,
<PB N="40" REF="20">
and to call him Lord and Ma&s;ter.</P>
<P>Q. Je&s;us was crucified, but this man you call the Son of God, is alive.</P>
<P>A. He hath &s;hook off his carnal body.</P>
<P>Q. Why, what Body hath he then?</P>
<P>A. Say not the Scriptures, Thy natural body I will change, and it &s;hall be &s;piritual?</P>
<P>Q. Hath a &s;pirit fle&s;h and bones?</P>
<P>A. His fle&s;h and bones are new.</P>
<P>Q. Chri&s;t rai&s;ed tho&s;e that had been dead: &s;o did not he.</P>
<P>A. He rai&s;ed me.</P>
<P>Q. In what manner?</P>
<P>A. He laid his hand on my head, after I had been dead two days, and &s;aid, <HI>Dorcas ari&s;e</HI>: and I aro&s;e, and live as thou &s;ee&s;t.</P>
<P>Q. Where did he this?</P>
<P>A. At the Goal in <HI>Exceter.</HI></P>
<P>Q. What witne&s;s ha&s;t thou for this?</P>
<P>A. My Mother, who was pre&s;ent.</P>
<P>Q. His power being &s;o much, wherefore opened he not the Pri&s;on-doors, and e&s;caped?</P>
<P>A. The doors &s;hall open, when the Lords work is done.</P>
<P>Q. What apo&s;tles hath he?</P>
<P>A. They are &s;cattered: but &s;ome are here.</P>
<P>Q. Je&s;us Chri&s;t doth &s;it at the right hand of the Father, where the world &s;hall be judged by him.</P>
<P>A. He whom thou calle&s;t <HI>Nayler,</HI> &s;hall &s;it at the right hand of the Father, and &s;hall judge the world with equity.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="account">
<PB N="33" REF="20">
<HEAD>Here followeth a Relation con|cerning one of his Companions.</HEAD>
<P>ONe of <HI>James Naylers</HI> Di&s;ciples ha|ving attained to &s;ome knowledge in the French-tongue, went over into France to a City called Burdeaux, where entring into a Congregation of the Pro|te&s;tants, he began after his wonted man|ner here in England, to cry out in the open Congregation again&s;t the Mini|&s;ter, calling him conjurer, lyer, impo|&s;tor, deceiver; and the elders and peo|ple being a&s;toni&s;hed at the novelty, and reputing him a mad-man, came and told him, that they had laws in France, to protect the Congregations either of Pa|pi&s;ts or Prote&s;tants from any di&s;tur|bance; and thru&s;t him forth of their Church.</P>
<P><PB N="34" REF="21">Vpon which, he went into the Church-yard, and upon a &s;tone conti|nued his di&s;cour&s;e, which drew the whole Congregation out of the Church, after him, and cau&s;ed the Mini&s;ter to give over, and the elders coming again to him, told him, that he being a &s;tranger they were willing to favour him; but &s;eeing he did continue his di&s;turbance, they would commit him to ju&s;tice: he told them, Ju&s;tice was never in that place until his appearance.</P>
<P>Vpon that, they took him away to the Governour where being brought, with his hat on, he asked the Governour what he was; who told him he was the Go|vernour of that place, under the King of France: he &s;aid, that he would not an|&s;wer him as Governour, his Government being carnal: and a certain Bi&s;hop being with the Governour, who was a Papi&s;t, de&s;iring that he might que&s;tion him, and demanding what he was, he told him he was an Engli&s;h-man, and &s;ent of the Lord to prepare his way: he demanded
<PB N="35" REF="21">
of the Bi&s;hop what he was, who told him he was a Bi&s;hop: whereupon he re|plied, That again&s;t him he was &s;ent, who was one of the Locu&s;ts that was &s;ent forth of the bottomle&s;s pit; and that the wea|pons he had with him was fitted to de|&s;troy him and the whole Kingdom of Antichri&s;t, who was held in darkne&s;s and blindne&s;s; and that he was to pour out Vials of the Fathers Wrath upon him: The Governour perceiving &s;everal of the People to be infected with his Do|ctrine, demanded if there was any &s;hip ready to &s;ail for England; which being informed of, he therein &s;hipt him; being not willing to u&s;e extremity to a &s;tranger, but cau&s;ed &s;ome &s;ix or &s;even who had been infected with his Doctrine, to be whipped through the &s;treets.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="account">
<PB N="36" REF="22">
<HEAD>A Relation concerning &s;ome others of the &s;ame Tribe.</HEAD>
<P>SEven or eight others went over in a ve&s;&s;el to New-England, where being arrived, they began to &s;pread them&s;elves; but the Governor having notice, cau&s;ed them to be clap'd up clo&s;e in a Ca&s;tle, and would not &s;uffer any to come to &s;ee them under penaltie of five pounds; in the mean time he &s;ent for the Ma&s;ter of the &s;hip that brought them, and commanded him immediate|ly to carry them back into old England; which he refu&s;ing, was al&s;o clapt up clo&s;e pri&s;oner until he con&s;ented and took them aboard again: at their departure, they &s;hook off the du&s;t off their feet, as a te&s;timony again&s;t that place.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="37" REF="22">
<HEAD>Now, Reader, I &s;hall clo&s;e up all with a word or two of the Life and Actions of <HI>James Nayler.</HI></HEAD>
<P>HE is a man of &s;o erroneous and un&s;anctified a Di&s;po&s;ition, that it is hard to &s;ay whether here&s;ie or impudencie beareth the greater rule in him, as will appear,</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, in what he te&s;tifieth before &s;ufficient wit|ne&s;&s;es; &s;ee the brief Relation of the Northern Quakers, pag.22. that he was as holy, ju&s;t, and good as God him&s;elf. And</P>
<P>Secondly, That he in a Letter to one in Lan|ca&s;ter, expre&s;ly &s;aith, That he that expected to be &s;aved by Je&s;us Chri&s;t that died at Jeru&s;alem, &s;hall be deceived: &s;ee Mr. <HI>Billing&s;ly</HI>'s Defence of the Scriptures, pag.16. The Perfect Phari&s;ee, pag. 8. And &s;o &s;aid another of that Sect:
<PB N="38" REF="23">
he was not &s;uch a fool, as to hope to be &s;aved by Je&s;us Chri&s;t that died at Jeru&s;a|lem &s;ixteen hundred years ago: See Mr. <HI>Farmer</HI>'s My&s;terie of Godline&s;s and un|godline&s;s: Thus they glory in their ignorance, and count that fooli&s;hne&s;s which is the true Wi&s;dom.</P>
<P>Thirdly, in a letter I had in my po&s;|&s;e&s;&s;ion, but now lent to a friend, &s;ub|&s;cribed by the Pa&s;tor and other mem|bers of that Congregation in the North, whereof <HI>Nayler</HI> once was a member, till for his apo&s;tacy he was excommunicated, It is offered to be proved, and by them te&s;tified to be true, that one Mris. <HI>Roper,</HI> her husband being gon on &s;ome occa&s;ion from her a long voyage, this <HI>Nayler</HI> fre|quented her company, &amp; was &s;een to dan|dle her upon his knee, and ki&s;s her la&s;ci|viou&s;ly: and in that time of his &s;ociety with her, &s;he was brought to bed with a child, when her husband had been ab&s;ent &s;even and fourty weeks to a day from her; and on a time he was &s;een to dance her in a private room; and having ki&s;t
<PB N="39" REF="23">
her very often, &s;he took occa&s;ion to &s;ay, Now <HI>James,</HI> what would the world &s;ay if they &s;hould &s;ee us in this po&s;ture? to which he &s;aid &s;omewhat, but he was &s;o low, that it could not be heard. This was objected again&s;t him, but he denied to an&s;wer it before the &s;aid Church; al|ledging, that he would not &s;peak to them that &s;poke not immediately by the Spirit.</P>
<P>Fourthly, in that when I had di&s;cour&s;e with him concerning perfect perfection, at the Bull and Mouth, he &s;aid I was a liar to &s;ay he owned it; then <HI>I</HI> proved it from his own writings, as that he &s;aid, they that &s;ay they have faith, and their life is not the life of Chri&s;t, and them that &s;ay they have faith, &amp; yet they cannot be &s;aved from their &s;ins but in part in this world, them &amp; their faith I deny, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> To which he hypocritically &s;aid, that I was a lyer to &s;ay that he owned it in him&s;elf, though he di&s;owned it in others. And when I had objected any thing again&s;t what he &s;aid, he would deny it &s;o &s;oon as
<PB N="40" REF="24">
he had &s;poke it: which to convince the people of his lying deceits, I de&s;ired them that &s;tood by me, to Remember that he &s;aid, All that are in the world are of the world, in direct oppo&s;ition to that &s;aying of Chri&s;t, <HI>Joh.</HI> 17. I pray not holy father that thou &s;hould&s;t take them out of the world, but pre&s;erve them from the evil of the world; which I pre&s;ent|ly accu&s;ed him with: for which he called me lyer; for he &s;aid, he &s;aid not &s;o: I then de&s;ired them that heard him to te&s;tifie to the truth, again&s;t the lyer and his deceit; which they did: but his fear|ed impudence was &s;uch, that he &s;aid, &s;hould a thou&s;and &s;ay &s;o, they were all lyers: with much more to the like effect.</P>
<DIV3 TYPE="subpart">
<PB N="41" REF="24">
<HEAD>For his Character.</HEAD>
<P>HE is a man of a ruddy complexion, brown hair, and flank, hanging a little below his jaw-bones; of an indif|ferent height; not very long vi&s;aged, nor very round; clo&s;e &s;haven; a &s;ad down|look, and melancholy countenance; a little band, clo&s;e to his coller, with no band&s;trings; his hat hanging over his brows; his no&s;e neither high nor low, but ri&s;ing a little in the middle.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Something concerning &s;ome others of them al&s;o.</HEAD>
<P><HI>DI&s;borough</HI> not much inferior to <HI>Nayler</HI> him|&s;elf, attempting to lie with one <HI>Rebeccah</HI> (who was fir&s;t &s;educed to be, and then was of their here&s;ie) &s;he asked him what his wife would &s;ay if &s;he &s;hould know what he attempt|ed? <HI>Di&s;borough</HI> replyed, that he gave her the
<PB N="42" REF="25">
&s;ame liberty that he took him&s;elf (that was, to be a whore, as he was a whorema&s;ter) but in &s;hort, he having obtained his de&s;ire of her, &s;he asked him how if &s;he &s;hould prove with child, he an|&s;wered, &s;he mu&s;t be content to be numbered with the tran&s;gre&s;&s;ors, and to make her grave with the wicked (&s;o that he followed not that light which is pure, but &s;inned again&s;t knowledg) and &s;he the &s;aid <HI>Rebeccah,</HI> as bewailing her &s;in, confe&s;&s;ed it to one Mr. <HI>White</HI> a <HI>Lincoln&s;hire</HI> Gentleman, to whom &s;he added that <HI>Nayler</HI> attempted to defile her al|&s;o; &s;o that in &s;tead of perfect Saints, they are ra|ther perfect Sophi&s;ters.</P>
<P>This Relation under the &s;aid Gentlemans hand, and the aforementioned letter from the Church, whereof <HI>Nayler</HI> was once a member, were offered to be proved and made good, in the publick meeting at the Bull and Mouth to <HI>Nayler</HI>'s face, more then once or twice, who was unable to &s;ay ought unto it, but left his &s;tanding and &s;ate down &s;ilent. They that offered it &s;o to publick trial, were, one Mr. <HI>Per&s;ivall,</HI> and Mr. <HI>John Deacon</HI> au|thor of the Publick di&s;covery of their Secret de|ceit.</P>
<DIV3 TYPE="list">
<PB N="43" REF="25">
<HEAD>Some of their Opinions are the&s;e:</HEAD>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. They deny the Scriptures are the Word of God.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. They e&s;teem their own Speakings to be of as great authority.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. They hold it unlawful to expound or interpret the Scriptures.</ITEM>
<ITEM>4. They &s;ay, that he that preaches by a text of Scripture, is a Conjurer.</ITEM>
<ITEM>5. That the holy letter is carnal.</ITEM>
<ITEM>6. That the Bible ought to he burn|ed.</ITEM>
<ITEM>7. That Je&s;us Chri&s;t inhabits in their fle&s;h as man.</ITEM>
<ITEM>8. Some have &s;aid, that Chri&s;t never a&s;cended into heaven.</ITEM>
<ITEM>9. That to pray that their &s;ins may be pardoned, is needle&s;&s;.</ITEM>
<ITEM><PB N="44" REF="26">10. They believe not that there is another world.</ITEM>
<ITEM>11. Some of them deny the Re&s;urre|ction.</ITEM>
<ITEM>12. That they cannot &s;in, but that they are perfect.</ITEM>
<ITEM>13. They make no di&s;tinction of per|&s;ons.</ITEM>
<ITEM>14. That the power of the Magi|&s;trate is Antichri&s;tian.</ITEM>
<ITEM>15. That they have no other Guide but the Light within them.</ITEM>
<ITEM>16. They deny all civil re&s;pects to men, as putting off the Hat, bow|ing, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>17. That it is &s;inful to wear any &s;u|perfluous Ornaments.</ITEM>
</LIST>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="45" REF="26">
<P>A Friend of mine being de&s;irous to be re&s;olv|ed of a doubt, as, Whether that which was reported of that Heretical Sect were more then they erred in, or le&s;s then they erroneou&s;ly maintained contrary to the Truth; he went un|to their Meeting within Alder&s;gate: where he had no &s;ooner entered that Synagogue of Satan, but the then-&s;peaker (namely, <HI>George Fox</HI>) cried out, (but on what occa&s;ion, he knoweth not) <HI>Quakers, Quakes, Earth's above God,</HI> in the open hou&s;e, before hundreds then pre&s;ent. At which my friend wondered: and pre&s;&s;ing forwards a little into the multitude, he &s;aw &s;ome di&s;puting upon the &s;ame words: who demanding what was the matter, one an&s;wered, that <HI>George Fox</HI> &s;aid <HI>Earth is above God</HI>; and here is one &s;aith, that what&s;oever <HI>George Fox</HI> &s;hould or did &s;ay, he would maintain: (pointing to a young man then &s;tand|ing by) to whom my friend replyed, he had un|dertaken a harder task then he was able to per|form: for God was the Creator of the earth, and all things el&s;e; and therefore above the earth, and not the earth above him that created it, fora&s;|much as the workman is above his work: for al|though
<PB N="46" REF="27">
an Artificer &s;hall by Art compo&s;e any thing that is never &s;o excellent, yet it can claim no equality with the maker, in regard that what is excellent in it, is the makers excellency, and not its own: for, de&s;troy the work, and the workman can make the like; but de&s;troy the workman with the work, and both peri&s;h. To which he replied, He did not mean the earth under our feet, but earthly &s;in in man. To which my friend replyed, that now his bla&s;phemy was wor&s;e then it was before: for take the earth &s;imply in it &s;elf, it hath no prejudice towards God; but &s;in is that which &s;eeks Gods de&s;truction, and therefore he was not to be conver&s;ed with, being of &s;o diabo|lical an opinion.</P>
<P><PB N="47" REF="27">ONe <HI>Stephens</HI> of <HI>London</HI> being on a time at their Meetings, with an intent to oppo&s;e what he &s;hould there hear, not agreeing with Truth; which, at his fir&s;t coming, he did for a &s;hort time, till one of them, taking him by the hand, and rubbing his wre&s;t very hard; which put him to very &s;ore pain: and &s;o altered his re&s;olu|tion, that he was &s;o transformed by their in|chantments, that he &s;ince confe&s;&s;ed, that &s;hould any one what&s;oever, have dared to oppo&s;e or re&s;i&s;t them, as he ju&s;t before did, he would have &s;tab'd them to the heart, what&s;oever had come of it.</P>
<P>There is one <HI>Stephens,</HI> (and 'tis &s;uppo&s;ed the &s;ame) a Quaker, that now lieth &s;tark mad, and hath &s;o been a pretty while, through the di&s;tur|bances of that Spirit which ruleth in the old Quakers.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>John Deacon.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
