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<DATE>2009-08-02</DATE>
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<NAME>Scott Lepisto</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Checklist:
x Add TEMPHEAD, change DATE, validate
x Add DIV TYPEs, validate
x Review structure, use BODY or rarely GROUP
x Check PB placement and completeness, ensure sequence of N=""
x Proof title page(s)
x Check HEAD TRAILER ARGUMENT EPIGRAPH OPENER CLOSER SIGNED SALUTE BYLINE
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x Correct illegibles from proofsheet
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<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="A86912">
<STC T="W">H3765</STC>
<STC T="T">E821_7</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99866424</BIBNO>
<VID>118697</VID>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>TRUTH CLEARED FROM REPROACHES, AND SCANDALS, Laid upon it by tho&s;e, who goes by the name of Judges, and who went the Northern CIRCUIT.</P>
<Q><BIBL><HI>Math. 5.11.</HI></BIBL>
<P>Ble&s;&s;ed are yee when men &s;hall revile you and per&s;ecute you, and &s;hall &s;ay all manner of evill again&s;t you fal&s;ly for my &s;ake.</P>
<BIBL><HI>Heb. 11.26.</HI></BIBL>
<P>E&s;teeming the reproach of Chri&s;t greater riches then the trea&s;ure of <HI>Aegypt.</HI></P>
<BIBL><HI>Micah 3.10, 11.</HI></BIBL>
<P>They build up <HI>Sion</HI> with bloud, and <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> with iniquity; the Heads thereof judge for rewards, and the Prie&s;ts thereof teach for hire, and the Prophets thereof divine for mony, yet will they leane upon the Lord, and &s;ay, is not the Lord among us? no evill can come upon us.</P></Q>
<P>Al&s;o &s;ome Examinations of tho&s;e whom the World calls QUAKERS.</P>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed in the Year of our Lord, 1654.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB REF="2">
<PB N="1" REF="2">
<HEAD>The fourteenth day of <HI>Augu&s;t</HI> at the generall A&s;si&s;es hol|den at <HI>Lanca&s;ter.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_IUdge <HI>Nudigate</HI> &s;aid openly in his charge at <HI>Lanca&s;ter</HI> in the face of the whole County, giving reproachfull language upon tho&s;e people whom the world calls <HI>Quakers,</HI> and many &s;candals and fal&s;e a&s;pertions he ca&s;t upon them in his charge: and he &s;poke there publickly, and &s;aid, that the Principles that they held, which is the light within, would lead into all manner of &s;in: and he &s;aid further, that there was a man before them at <HI>New|ca&s;tle,</HI> which had committed adultery with a woman, and when they asked him why he did &s;o, he &s;aid, he was moved of the Lord, this he affirmed in his charge at <HI>Lanca&s;ter,</HI> the truth of which will appear as followeth.</P>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD><HI>Newca&s;tle</HI> &s;eventeenth day of the month called <HI>Septem|ber.</HI></HEAD>
<P>THe&s;e may certifie all Friends, concerning the accu&s;a|tion of the Judge of me <HI>Cuthbert Hunter</HI> of adultery and fornication, in the Towne and Court of <HI>Newca&s;tle</HI> the &s;econd day of the &s;ixt month called <HI>Augu&s;t,</HI> which is here briefly, and &s;imply, and plainly, as followeth: An Information being red, wherein I was accu&s;ed of fornica|tion, and adultery, and divers other things, as that I
<PB N="2" REF="3">
was not married, and I an&s;wered and &s;aid, that in for|nication I deny, for it is fal&s;e, for I am married: He asked me where I was married? I &s;aid, I took my wife &s;even miles from this place; he asked me if I was marri|ed with a Ju&s;tice? and I &s;aid no; he &s;aid I had broke the Law, for there was an Act that all that was to be married was to be married with a Ju&s;tice: I asked him, why the Prie&s;ts did marry? then he asked me when I was marri|ed? I &s;aid I was married in the year 1653. the third month of that year, called <HI>May:</HI> he asked me if I were marri|ed? with a Mini&s;ter? and I &s;aid, no I was not; and he &s;aid, I had broke the Lawes of man and the Law of God, for which I was to be puni&s;hed: then I de&s;ired him to prove before that people wherein, and he &s;aid, take him away and let him either find &s;ureties or goe to pri&s;on; and I &s;aid, I would find none, for I &s;aid, I know no Law I had bro|ken, but that which is contrary to the Law of God: and then his Officers called of the Jayler to take him away and the&s;e are the words which were &s;poken at that time.</P>
<P>As for that when he asked me, why I did &s;o, I &s;aid, I was moved of the Lord, is fal&s;e, and was never thought non &s;poken by me.</P>
<P>Dear friends, this is to certifie of the manner of my marriage, and when I was married, and how I took to me a wife, according to the example I found in the Scripture, that holy men of God did take to them&s;elves wives, but I could not find where ever any of the Mini|&s;ters of God took mony for marrying of any, as the&s;e Mini&s;ters did then, therefore according to that example I found among the Saints, we did bequeath to each other before witne&s;&s;e, in the pre&s;ence of the Lord, before whom we &s;hall give an account, the Father of the wo|man being there, &s;o I became to her a husband, and &s;he to me a wife, and &s;o I own her before all people; this was in the year 1653. in the third month of that year, called <HI>May,</HI> it was about half a year before I owned the
<PB N="3" REF="3">
Truth, as a te&s;timony of which I &s;ub&s;cribe my name <HI>Cuth|bert Hunter.</HI></P>
<P>We who&s;e names are here &s;ub&s;cribed are &s;atisfied that this is a true te&s;timony, <HI>George Arey, Tho. Arey, Ag|nus Ewbanck, Mary Arey, Tho. Turner, Richard Ew|banck, Lamclet Warde<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ll.</HI></P>
<P>Whereas Judge <HI>Nudigate</HI> did &s;ay in his charge at <HI>Lan|ca&s;ter,</HI> that <HI>the light, the principle which we hold in every one, doth lead unto all manner of &s;in.</HI></P>
<P>The light which comes from Chri&s;t Je&s;us, which he doth enlighten every one that comes into the world withall, is the condemnation of all &s;in, wickedne&s;&s;e, un|cleanne&s;&s;e and ungodline&s;&s;e, and the light, which is our principle, as he calls it, in every man, will witne&s;&s;e a|gain&s;t the &s;aid <HI>Nudigate,</HI> who is called a Judge, and doth witne&s;&s;e again&s;t &s;inne, and the &s;ame Light will witne&s;&s;e Chri&s;t, and make every tongue to confe&s;&s;e, and is the condemnation of all that hate it, who&s;e deeds be evill. Oh that ever &s;uch &s;hould be &s;et up to be a Judge, who utters forth &s;uch bla&s;phemy, that to &s;ay (the light which he doth enlighten every man that comes into the world withall, <HI>John</HI> 1.9. to it in every man, which we &s;peak of, which is the light of Chri&s;t, which is the condemnation of all &s;in and unrighteou&s;ne&s;&s;e of all them that hate it) it &s;hould lead to commit all manner of &s;in, as Judge <HI>Nu|digate</HI> &s;aid in his charge: Here thou art manife&s;t to be no Judge for God, but judged with the ju&s;t. And the light in every mans con&s;cience, which comes from Chri&s;t, will and doth witne&s;&s;e again&s;t thee, that thy judgement is fal&s;e, and &s;peakes a lie, who is out of the truth, and &s;peaks of thy &s;elf, and the light in thy own con&s;cience, which comes from Chri&s;t, witne&s;&s;es again&s;t thee: For to the light in every ones con&s;cience, Judge <HI>Nudigate,</HI> with it &s;halt thou be proved, whether it leads into all manner of &s;in, or whether it te&s;tifies again&s;t all manner of &s;in, let it in all con&s;ciences, the judge, whether thou be a Judge for God yea or nay; that in thy con&s;cience &s;hall be a
<PB N="4" REF="4">
witne&s;&s;e again&s;t thee, and witne&s;&s;e me, and be a wit|ne&s;&s;e for God again&s;t thee. That which &s;hews thee un|godline&s;&s;e and &s;in, and manife&s;ts it, is light, and the light doth not lead into the &s;in, but leads out of the &s;in, and te&s;tifies again&s;t it: And this am I moved to give forth, who am a witne&s;&s;e to the light in all tender con&s;ciences, which is a witne&s;&s;e again&s;t all &s;in, who&s;e minds are turned with the light towards Chri&s;t. And thou who &s;hould be a Judge upon the evill, art found to be a Judge upon the good (the light) let the light in all con|&s;ciences bear witne&s;&s;e again&s;t thee, which witne&s;&s;es a|gain&s;t evil, and leads not into it, who here hath manife&s;t|ed thy &s;elf, that thou art darkne&s;&s;e, and doth not compre|hend light, but at it &s;tumbles; and the Scripture is fulfil|led upon thee, the &s;aying of <HI>John, Light &s;hines in darkne&s;&s;e, and darkne&s;&s;e doth not comprehend it: And if you walk in the light you have fellow&s;hip one with another: and the bloud of Je&s;us clean&s;eth from all &s;in:</HI> and here again thou may &s;ee how contrary to the Scripture thou art, for in the light which leads out of &s;in is the unity, for the Law of God takes hold upon them who act contrary to the light the light witne&s;&s;es the law, and the law witne&s;&s;eth the light, and the law is a Judge upon them who walk contrary to the light, and it is not a Judge upon them who walk in the light; here let the light in all con&s;ciences be a wit|ne&s;&s;e again&s;t thee, the which light witne&s;&s;es again&s;t all &s;in, and finds thee in the &s;in and the bla&s;phemy, who &s;aith, the light leads into all &s;in, which light is thy condemnation, the light of him that doth evill and hates the light, as you may read <HI>John</HI> 3. And for the fal&s;e accu&s;ation of the &s;aid Judge <HI>Nudigate,</HI> which did accu&s;e <HI>Cuthbert Hunter</HI> for adultery and fornication, becau&s;e he took a wife be|fore witne&s;&s;e, and was not married with the Prie&s;ts of the world, which marry people for mony, and for giving of them a form of words for mony, but took a wife accor|ding to the manner he found in the Scripture (witne&s;&s;es) the holy men of God, and did not goe to the Prie&s;ts to
<PB N="5" REF="4">
give them mony, but took before witne&s;&s;e, and denied the Prie&s;ts for giving them mony for marrying, for there is no &s;uch example in the Scripture, that the Prie&s;ts were to have &s;o much for marrying people. And this Judge <HI>Windham</HI> &s;aith, it is contrary to the Law of God, and contrary to the Law of man, which all may &s;ee it is a fal&s;e accu&s;ation, for the Law of God witne&s;&s;es the &s;ame, that which Judge <HI>Nudigate</HI> calls adultery; &s;o <HI>whom the Lord joyneth together let no man put a&s;under, the marriage that is honourable, the bed that is not defiled,</HI> all the children of the light doth it witne&s;&s;e, and honour it, but all mar|riages that are contrary to the light, God does not joyn together; that marriage is not honourable, that bed is defiled, all that is joyned there in that nature contrary to the light, together with that which is contrary to the light, all this is with the light to be condemned, and not honou|rable, for there the bed is defiled, all Covetou&s;ne&s;&s;es, and the Whoremongers, and the Adulterers, &s;uch marriages, contrary to the light, God doth not joyn together, but is with the light &s;een and condemned; the bed that is defiled is not honourable, and there is hardne&s;&s;e of heart, and putting a&s;under, but whom <HI>God joynes together let no man put a&s;under,</HI> and &s;uch whom God doth joyn to|gether with his Light, for God is Light, and the children of light, which be in his Light, doth witne&s;&s;e his joyning, as the Scripture declares; and &s;uch doth the world call Adul|tery: As for example, Judge <HI>Nudigate,</HI> becau&s;e they are not married with a Prie&s;t, or joyned together with a car|nall Law, but takes one another before witne&s;&s;es, as the manner of the holy men of God was.</P>
<P>And though the &s;aid <HI>Cuthbert Hunter</HI> did take his wife after the example of the Saints in Scripture, he was not then brought into the truth, for it was half a year before he owned the truth; and as for &s;aying to the Judge, that the Lord moved him, that was another fal&s;e accu&s;ation.</P>
<P>And all the children of light, which &s;ees God and are of God, doth the marriage &s;ee that be honourable, and doth
<PB N="6" REF="5">
them &s;ee whom God joynes together, let no man put a&s;under, and the marriage that is not honourable is with the Light &s;een and judged, and all the Whoremongers and Adulterers, which is contrary to the Light comprehended and condemned, in which light all the children of light dwell, and have unity, prai&s;es, prai&s;es to the Lord God for ever. And the &s;aid Judge that &s;tumbles at the light, and &s;aid it led into all &s;in, knowes not the marriage that is honourable, who&s;e condemnation is with the light, the light in thy con&s;cience is my witne&s;&s;e; and all who are not joyned together with God are not moved of the Lord, and a condemnation mu&s;t goe upon all the marria|ges that are not moved of the Lord, and joyned together by the Lord, for they are not honourable, and them that men or women joyn together, contrary to the light, are with the light condemned, and &s;undred from the honou|rable mariage in the defiled bed.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>The examination of them the world calls <HI>Quakers</HI> at <HI>Lan|ca&s;ter.</HI></HEAD>
<P>VVE are moved to declare the Triyall betwixt us, the pri&s;oners of the Lord, and <HI>Tho. Shaw</HI> Prie&s;t of <HI>Aldingam,</HI> who by his three Con&s;tables did appre|hend our bodies, and bring us to <HI>Lanca&s;ter,</HI> to an&s;wer &s;uch accu&s;ations as Prie&s;t <HI>Shaw</HI> could lay to our charge. We were brought into the Court by the Prie&s;t and his Con&s;tables, before the Judge there &s;itting: We coming &s;ingle before him, cying the Lord alone, and not man, with our hats on, they took them off our heads, &s;tanding before him a little &s;pace; the Warrants again&s;t us was read before the Judge: The Judge asked Prie&s;t <HI>Shaw</HI> what witne&s;&s;e he had; <HI>Shaw</HI> an&s;wered <HI>James Chambers.</HI> We an&s;wered to our names as we were called, and to com|mitted into the Jaylors hand too among theeves behind the barre, and &s;aid little, but that <HI>Thomas Hatton</HI> told the Judge, he was moved of the Lord to &s;peak again&s;t
<PB N="7" REF="5">
the deceit in him; whereupon the Judge told Prie&s;t <HI>Shaw</HI> he might goe and get his Inditements drawn again&s;t us: whereupon the Prie&s;t went forth of the Court to get them done again&s;t the afternoon, and in the afternoon we were brought before the Judge again, and the Indite|ments which the Prie&s;t had drawn again&s;t us was read; then the Judge asked the Prie&s;t if he had no more witne&s;&s;es, the Prie&s;t &s;aid, none but my &s;elf and <HI>James Chambers,</HI> whereupon they were both &s;worn, that we came maliti|ou&s;ly to di&s;turbe him.</P>
<P>And the Judge asked the Prie&s;t, what <HI>Waters Mires</HI> &s;poke to him when he was preaching, the Prie&s;t an&s;wered the Judge, that he &s;aid come down thou lyar: The Judge asked the Prie&s;ts man what he heard him &s;peak, he an&s;wer|ed and &s;aid, that <HI>Waters Mires</HI> &s;aid come down thou foul bea&s;t, and they &s;wore both, the Prie&s;t and his man, that <HI>Waters Mires</HI> &s;poke the&s;e words the la&s;t <HI>New-yeares</HI> day: whereupon the Judge asked <HI>Waters Mires</HI> what he &s;aid, to this that the Prie&s;t and the man laid to his charge, <HI>Waters Mires</HI> an&s;wered, that he was not at <HI>Tho. Shaw</HI> the la&s;t <HI>New-yeares</HI> day: the Iudge &s;aid, was you not there, did you not di&s;turb him? <HI>Waters Mires</HI> &s;aid, I was there, but it was a year and a half &s;ince: The Iudge &s;aid unto the Prie&s;t, he confe&s;&s;eth he was there, but it is a year and a half &s;ince; whereupon Prie&s;t <HI>Shaw</HI> an&s;wered, he had other things in his mind, he could not certainly tell the words: the Iudge asked <HI>Waters Mires,</HI> if he called him lyar and foul bea&s;t, <HI>Waters Mires</HI> an&s;wered, that he called him bea&s;t, but not foul bea&s;t, &s;o that that was a lie: The Iudge asked him, how he could make it appear that he taught lyes? <HI>Waters Mires</HI> an&s;wered, in acting tho&s;e things that Chri&s;t forbids, in taking the chiefe&s;t place in the A&s;&s;emblies, being called of men Ma&s;ter, and is a hireling, which Chri&s;t cried woe again&s;t, and in taking Tithe: The Judge ask|ed if he had any more to &s;ay, or any for him?</P>
<P><HI>Thomas Hutton</HI> an&s;wered, he was a covetous hireling, and took Tithe of tho&s;e that had their children going a beg|ging,
<PB N="8" REF="6">
which Chri&s;t gave no &s;uch commi&s;&s;ion to tho&s;e he &s;ent forth, but &s;ent them forth without bag, or &s;crip, or two coates, or a &s;tick to defend them, but freely they had received freely give, this is the commi&s;&s;ion, fir&s;t and la&s;t, that Je&s;us Chri&s;t gives to tho&s;e he &s;ends forth, if any know of another let them &s;peak, but all was &s;ilent; but the Judge &s;aid, <HI>them which &s;erve at the Altar &s;hould live by the Altar; Thomas Hutton</HI> an&s;wered no other rule but what the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>If any man plant a Vineyard he may eat of the fruit thereof,</HI> and all was &s;ilent.</P>
<P><HI>Thomas Hutton</HI> was called, to an&s;wer to the bill of In|ditement laid again&s;t him by <HI>Thomas Shaw:</HI> the Judge asked <HI>Shaw</HI> what witne&s;&s;es he had, he &s;aid, <HI>James Cham|bers</HI> and my &s;elf; and they &s;wore, that <HI>Thomas Hutton</HI> came while he was preaching, and &s;aid, he was a dtun|kard, and a liar: whereupon the Judge asked if he made a di&s;turbance in the Congregation; the Prie&s;ts man &s;aid yes, many of the people went out with him, and had more mind to hear him then to &s;tay in the Church: Where|upon the Judge asked <HI>Thomas Hutton</HI> how he could an|&s;wer the&s;e things; the Prie&s;t &s;aid, my Lord, my neigh|bours knowes I am no drunkard nor lyar: <HI>Thomas Hutton</HI> an&s;wered, I was moved of the Lord to cry again&s;t him for deceiving the people, and in teaching lies, which was as a fire in my bo&s;ome untill I had delivered it, he made them believe this lie, that the Steeple-hou&s;e was holier than another place, by his old form of prayer, in &s;aying, <HI>how dreadfull is this place,</HI> as if the Temple were up again, which was a figure of Chri&s;t in his Saints; and further, <HI>that we may &s;pend this &s;acred day in this &s;acred place,</HI> and &s;o deceives the &s;imple, in making them believe, that a hou&s;e of wood and &s;tone is the Temple or the Hou&s;e of God, which is a horrible lie and deceit: the Judge &s;aid, did not Chri&s;t preach in the Temple, and whip out them that bought and &s;old; <HI>Thomas Hutton</HI> &s;aid, the Temple was a figure of Chri&s;t in his Saints, which they witne&s;&s;e him to whip out all &s;in; &s;o <HI>Steven</HI> went into the Tem|ple,
<PB N="9" REF="6">
and witne&s;&s;ed forth the Sub&s;tance, and told them, that <HI>God that made the world and all things therein, dwelt not in Temples made with hands:</HI> And the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>yee are the Temples of the living God, as God hath &s;aid, I will dwell in you, and walk in you:</HI> And Chri&s;t told the wo|man, that <HI>neither in this place, nor at</HI> Ieru&s;alem, <HI>but they that wor&s;hip the Father mu&s;t wor&s;hip in &s;pirit and in truth;</HI> And <HI>Thomas Shaw</HI> was telling the people, that none could be perfect here, and yet his Text was, <HI>&s;trive to make your calling and election &s;ure,</HI> whereupon <HI>Thomas Hutton</HI> told him before the people, that election was perfect, and who&s;oever witne&s;&s;eth election witne&s;&s;eth perfection, yea, &s;in and tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion fini&s;hed: The Judge &s;aid, I wi&s;h we were perfect: <HI>Thomas Hutton</HI> an&s;wered, <HI>he that is born of God &s;inneth not,</HI> but doth witne&s;&s;e the birth to be perfect, the Temple holy and the Kingdome pure; and further, <HI>Thomas Hutton</HI> told <HI>Thomas Shaw</HI> that he and the people &s;ung lies to God in &s;inging <HI>Davids</HI> conditions, which they could not witne&s;&s;e, nor his Spirit: the Judge an|&s;wered, hath not P&s;almes been &s;ung in the Churches of <HI>England</HI> continually? <HI>Thomas Hutton</HI> &s;aid, none ought to &s;ing further than they can witne&s;&s;e his condition: And they asked him, how he could prove Prie&s;t <HI>Shaw</HI> a drun|kard: <HI>Thomas Hutton</HI> an&s;wered, he was drunk in &s;in, in covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e and pride, taking Tithe of tho&s;e that have their children goe a begging; &s;o the Iudge &s;aid, we mu&s;t goe on according to Law.</P>
<P><HI>Thomas Curram</HI> was called to an&s;wer to the bill of In|ditement laid again&s;t him by <HI>Thomas Shaw;</HI> the Iudge ask|ed Prie&s;t <HI>Shaw</HI> what witne&s;&s;es he had? the Prie&s;t &s;aid, none but him&s;elf and <HI>James Chambers,</HI> who &s;aid he could not remember what <HI>Thomas Curram</HI> &s;aid, and yet after|wards he was called again, and &s;wore, that <HI>Thomas Cur|ram</HI> &s;aid, come down thou lyar: The Iudge asked <HI>Tho|mas Curram</HI> what he &s;aid to it? <HI>Thomas</HI> an&s;wered, he &s;poke no &s;uch words: the Iudge &s;aid, was you not there? <HI>Tho. Curram</HI> &s;aid, I was there: the Iudge asked him what
<PB N="10" REF="7">
he did &s;ay? <HI>Thomas</HI> an&s;wered and &s;aid, he was a blind guide; the Prei&s;t &s;aid, <HI>Thomas,</HI> wherein am I a blind guide? <HI>Thomas</HI> an&s;wered, God is to be wor&s;hipped in &s;pirit and in truth, but all thy preaching and praying, and &s;inging is in formes.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>At the la&s;t A&s;&s;izes holden at <HI>Apulby Augu&s;t</HI> the tenth. I <HI>Henry How&s;man</HI> was to appear about two fellowes there.</HEAD>
<P>CAll <HI>Henry How&s;man,</HI> &s;aith the Clark, <HI>Henry How&s;man</HI> of <HI>Lupton</HI> come near, &s;o I coming nearer, the Offi|cers cryed, put of thy hat, but I not regarding much, one took it off, and gave it me again; &s;o going into the nearer room before the bench, I put it on again, which cau&s;ed many to cry out, put it off, and the Iudge began to be angry with me, and &s;ome of them &s;truck it off: and the Iudge &s;aid, he would teach me what I did in that place; I &s;aid, I was in the pre&s;ence of God every day about my labours as well as then, and my con&s;cience told me, that I did work and had my hat on before the Lord; well, &s;aith the Iudge, I know that, and that I am no bet|ter than thou, neither think better of my &s;elf, but I mu&s;t teach thee to give honour here, hold him the book, &s;aid they, lay on your hand and be &s;worn, &s;aith the Iudge, con|cerning the&s;e two men: I am &s;worn to &s;peak the truth al|wayes and now al&s;o, and that book &s;aith, <HI>&s;wear not all:</HI> well, &s;aith the Iudge, that is in your Communications, but when you are before Authority you mu&s;t &s;wear the truth to end controver&s;ie: I &s;aid, I did witne&s;&s;e the life in mea|&s;ure that gave forth that book, which would witne&s;&s;e a|gain&s;t me afterwards if I did not &s;peak the truth, as the Scripture &s;aith, <HI>I will be a &s;wift witne&s;&s;e again&s;t the fal&s;e &s;wearer and the fal&s;e accu&s;er:</HI> &s;aith the Iudge, <HI>Fox</HI> tells you &s;o, he hath learned you that doctrine; and I &s;tood quiet and &s;ilent: come, &s;aith the Iude, lay on your hand, and others cryed the &s;ame thing, el&s;e the Iury cannot believe you; I &s;aid, I could not help it if they were unbelievers:
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the Iudge &s;aid, well friend, if you will not you will forfit your Q<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">u ni&s;ants, for you are tyed to pro&s;ecute the Law a|gain&s;t the&s;e men, I &s;aid I was, &amp; as I heard done &s;o I &s;hould doe then, I was willing to hold up my hand as a &s;ign, which I hope is not contrary to the Law: well &s;aid he, you had be&s;t take heed, for there are many fal&s;e <HI>Foxes;</HI> but I was &s;ilent; and he &s;aid moreover, that he would lay a fine up|on my head for not pro&s;ecuting.</P>
<P>Chri&s;t Ie&s;us &s;aith, &s;wear not at all, who &s;poke with au|thority, and thou, who art a Iudge, &s;aith, when one is be|fore authority he mu&s;t &s;wear the truth, and here thy autho|rity is contrary to Chri&s;ts, and who is in the truth is in the doctrine of Chri&s;t, who &s;aith, &s;wear not at all, and he that &s;weares is out of the truth, for Chri&s;t Ie&s;us is the truth, the way and the life, and he &s;aith, &s;wear not at all, and thou &s;aith, this is but in their Communications, and yet in this thy Communication thou would have him to &s;wear, and all who are out of the truth acts thus in confu&s;i|on.</P>
<P><HI>Thomas Raling&s;on</HI> being moved to goe to <HI>Lanca&s;ter,</HI> and walking in the &s;treets, he that was the Sheriffs Trum|peter that &s;ounded before the Iudge, fell upon the &s;aid <HI>Thomas Raling&s;on,</HI> that had been &s;peaking to a Prie&s;t, and threw him down, and &s;truck him rudely, wickedly and de|&s;perately, and afterward run after him, and got a &s;tick and &s;truck him before many people, and abu&s;ed him that did not give him any word: And another day he met the &s;aid <HI>Thomas Raling&s;on,</HI> and &s;truck him, and abu&s;ed him, and drew bloud on him.</P>
<P>Now you that be Rulers, Iudge and Sheriffe, who hath no more rule over your own men, but bring &s;uch peace-breakers and &s;trikers in the high-way, without any mole&s;tation, here all may &s;ee, you that &s;uffer &s;uch things, how you &s;trengthen the hands of evill doers, of &s;trikers and bloud-&s;hedders again&s;t the innocent, and you &s;uffer this to goe unpuni&s;hed: &s;ay you, they &s;hould keep peace,
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and you keep a man to break peace, and the &s;aid Trumpe|ter went up to the Goale, and threw a &s;tone into the Goale among &s;ome pri&s;oners, which have lain in a year becau&s;e they could not pay the Prie&s;t Tythes, and he broke there|with the face of <HI>Richard Mire,</HI> one of the pri&s;oners, and made him bleed &s;ore, &s;hedding much of his bloud, and of <HI>Thomas Raling &s;ons</HI> before, this was the Sheriffs Trumpeter, that &s;ounded before the Iudge, who after that went up in|to the pri&s;on among the pri&s;oners, and beat <HI>Richard Asburner</HI> in the pri&s;on, and then opened a Coffer which was in the Goale, where the pri&s;oners had things, and took out of it many bookes and packs, and carried them away.</P>
<P>The word of the Lord to thee <HI>Nudigate,</HI> who goes by the name of a Judge, and &s;hould take upon thee the &s;eat of Iu&s;tice, and in the execution of thy place thou goes about to accu&s;e the ju&s;t, and to flander the innocent, and to &s;peak evill of things thou knowe&s;t not, and goes about to &s;trengthen the hands of the wicked again&s;t the people of God, and &s;uffered them to be beat, and abu&s;ed, and per&s;ecuted by tho&s;e that was under thy own authority. and that thou &s;aw with thy own eyes, but for which know a&s;&s;uredly, that the ju&s;t and righteous God will be avenged of all &s;uch unrighteous ones as thou, before him who is the righteous God of heaven and earth &s;halt thou, and all &s;uch as thou, be arraigned to give an account for the thing done in the body, for all thy actions is upon record before the Lord God of heaven and earth, that thou ha&s;t done and &s;uffered to be done to the &s;ervants of the mo&s;t high God, and the Iudgements of God thou &s;halt not e&s;cape: Thou that &s;hould be a Mini&s;ter of the Law, and a Mini&s;ter of Iu&s;tice and equity over the people, but in thy place thou ha&s;t mini&s;tred untruths, &s;candals and re|proaches and fal&s;e accu&s;ations upon the innocent, and hath bla&s;phemed the Name of God in &s;aying, that the light leads into &s;in: And whereas Chri&s;t Ie&s;us &s;aith, <HI>I am
<PB N="13" REF="8">
the light of the world, and doth enlighten every one that comes into the world;</HI> And this light every particular hath a mea|&s;ure of, which, thou &s;aith, leads into &s;in, and this is the condemnation of the world, the light, and &s;uch as thou loves darkne&s;&s;e rather than light, becau&s;e thy deeds are evill, the light is thy condemnation; and thou that &s;aith, the light leads into &s;in, hath made it manife&s;t, that thou art not a child of light, but a child of darkne&s;&s;e, for God is light, and in him is no darkne&s;&s;e at all; and in thy dark naturall mind, which knowes not the things of God, which art in the envy and &s;trife, which is out of the light, which is with the light to be condemned; in this mind thou ut|ters forth &s;candals and reproaches upon the children of the light, which live in the light, and walk in the light, which thou knowes nothing of, but art an enemy too, but to the light in thy con&s;cience I &s;peak, which &s;hines in darkne&s;&s;e, and darkne&s;&s;e comprehends it not, which light, if thou hearken to it which checks thee, it will let thee &s;ee that thou ought not to lie, nor to &s;tander, nor to bla&s;|pheme the Name of God, nor to &s;peak evill of things thou knowes not; and if thou would hearken to it, it would lead thee to Iu&s;tice, Equity and Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, for the light of God in every ones con&s;cience is ju&s;t and righteous, and leads to Iu&s;tice, and Equity, and out of &s;in, and if thou would hearken to it, it would let thee &s;ee thy gro&s;&s;e darkne&s;&s;e and bla&s;phemy, that thou &s;hould &s;ay, that leads into &s;in, which is pure and cannot &s;in, the light which is and ever was the Saints Teacher, and it &s;hall be thine eternal condemnation, for all thy hard &s;peeches that ever thou ha&s;t &s;poken; Oh be a&s;hamed and tremble be|fore the Lord God, that thou &s;hould utter forth &s;uch un|truths, and make thy folly &s;o manife&s;t in a place where thou ought to doe ju&s;tice.</P>
<P>And a Warning to thee, and all that ever takes upon them that place, to beware of &s;peaking evil of things you know not, you may read your portion in <HI>Jude;</HI> and the
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children of the light, who walk and dwell in the light, and bring their deeds to the light, that they may be proved and tried, them you cannot touch, and the &s;candals laid upon them by the children of darkne&s;&s;e, are by the chil|dren of light made manife&s;t, and &s;et in their own places where they ought to be, and herein is the truth cleared, and fal&s;e accu&s;ers of truth are made manife&s;t; and the light, which thou &s;aith leads into &s;in, &s;hall &s;tand, and make manife&s;t all works of iniquity, and by it thou art eternally condemned.</P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV2>
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</EEBO>
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