And we suffered in the days of the Presbyterians, Independents, and Anabaptists, and now by the Episcopalians.

And the chief cause of all our sufferings, that have been by all these that have had power, was, for denying and not joining to the Popish and Jesuitical ways, and the relics of the Papists, which they held up and allowed of amongst them.

As first, for our not paying the Presbyterian priests, Independents, and Baptists, and now the Episcopalians, their tithes, easter reckonings, midsummer dues, and mortuaries, and such like, and surplices, pulpit clothes, and cushions, and steeple-house or old mass-house rates, and clerks' wages, and such like services.

Now, hath not the Pope and the Papists been the founders of all these things, and not Christ nor his apostles? And do not all these things stink of Popery? For Christ saith to his ministers, that he made and sent forth to preach, 'Freely you have received, freely give.' And the apostle saith, he coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel; but kept the gospel without charge;' and declared against covetous teachers.

And Christ said, 'the outward temple should be thrown down, and not one stone left upon another;' for he would build up a temple of living stones, a spiritual household, in his new covenant, whose household the true christians are.

And Stephen and the apostle said, the Most High did not dwell in temples made with hands.'

And moreover, the apostle said, that 'the bodies of the saints were the temples of God and of Christ, and of his holy ghost.'

So then they were not like to mend or repair the old temple and houses, and call them churches, when, as they said, 'the Most High dwelt not in temples made with hands, but their bodies were the temples of the Holy Ghost.' And so Christ preached or prophesied, that they should be thrown down;' and the apostles preached them down, and said, the bodies of the believers were the temples of the living God.'

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Secondly. We have suffered because we would not bring our infants, and give the priests money to sprinkle them; and church our women; and because we would not marry with the priest, and bring him a ring to put on, and give him money for that service.

And hath not this also been derived from the Pope, Papists, and heathen, who married with the ring, and not from Christ and his apostles? which practice of theirs herein they could never prove, or make good by scripture, from Christ and the apostles.

And also, we have suffered for bearing our testimony against their priests' education at schools, and their taking of degrees, as bachelors and masters of art, and doctors of divinity, &c. and against their garbs

of white coats, and black coats, and their being called of men masters, like the proud Pharisees, and to be called lords, like the Gentiles.

And are not all these things from the Pope, and Papists, and the heathen? and not from Christ and the apostles.

For Christ forbids his ministers to be called of men masters; for you have but one master, even Christ; and you are all brethren;' and that 'they should not exercise lordship one over another, like the Gentiles; and be called lords; for it should not be so amongst them.'

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And the apostle Peter exhorted, that they should feed the flock of God, but not to be as lords over God's heritage,' as in 1 Pet. 5. In the world there be lords many; but to us but one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom were all things made; and one Lord God, the creator of all; and one faith, and one baptism;' and Christ alone is the one saving baptiser.

And therefore, how can the Pope, and his bishops and cardinals say, 'they are the successors of Peter,' when they are called lords? which Peter forbids any of his successors to be called lords; but to be examples to the flock.' And so in this they are transgressors of Peter's doctrine and command, and Christ's, who hath said, they should not be called lords, like the Gentiles.'

And Christ saith, Whom God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.' So he doth not say, whom the priest shall join together, or marry with the ring; but, whom God joineth together, let no man put

asunder.'

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But amongst the sects aforesaid, the priests have money for joining; and will also put asunder and divorce.

Thirdly. Because we will not bow and put off our hats, and cannot say 'you' to a single person, but 'thou;' and because we will not swear at all.

And is not all this from the Pope and Papists, and not from Christ and his apostles? For where did ever they cast any into prison for not putting off their hats to them, though every knee must bow to the name of Jesus?'

But the apostle doth not say, that every one must bow the knee to the apostles or the pope, and that they must be uncovered to them; for the apostle taught, that they must be uncovered (in their praying or prophesying) to the Lord, because man is the image of God.' But he doth not say, they should be uncovered to men, or bow the knee to them, but to the name of Jesus, and to God the Father.

Fourthly. And because we cannot swear and take oaths, have we suffered and been cast in prison. And hath not this come from the pope, and Papists, and heathen, and Jews too, amongst the Christians, and not from Christ and his apostles?

For Christ said, Swear not at all:' though they had sworn in the old covenant; and they then in the old time were not to swear falsely, but truly, and to perform their oaths to the Lord; but Christ, in his new covenant of grace, and in his gospel, saith, 'Swear not at all; but let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than this, cometh of evil.'

And the apostle James said, 'Above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, nor by earth, nor by any other oath, lest you fall into condemnation.'

So, whether must we follow Christ and the apostles, or the pope and his Papists and Jesuits, and the heathen, Jews, or others that uphold their principles?

So, in most of the things and causes that we have suffered, it hath been for bearing a testimony against Popery, and the heathenish and Jewish inventions and traditions.

For are not tithes, easter-reckonings, and midsummer-dues, their old mass house and clerks' wages, with their preaching funeral sermons, and their mortuaries, and churching of women, and sprinkling little infants, and signing them with the sign of the cross, and god-fathers, and godmothers, and their swearing, and their preaching for money, and by the hour-glass, and their making of ministers at schools and colleges, with their titles of bachelors, masters, and doctors, and calling bishops 'gracious lords;' and their taking of their degrees, and their expectation of being bowed unto, and having 'you' said to one of them, with their distinguishing garments, and white and black coats, &c. Is not all this trumpery, and much more of the same sort, from the pope, Papists, heathen, or Jews, and not from Christ nor the apostles? And have not these been, many of them, the chief things for which we have been imprisoned and persecuted, and some banished? and for meeting together in houses, as the apostles and saints did; yea, Christ himself had his meetings upon mountains, and preached out of ships. Yea, many thousands of us have suffered imprisonment and spoiling of goods; and some were banished in Oliver's days, and since, for not joining to these things, which originally came from the Papists, or heathens, or Jews; which practice of theirs in these things we have borne testimony against, they could never make good by scripture of the new testament.

And therefore, how can either the Presbyterians, Independents, Anabaptists, or Episcopalians, brand us for being Papists, or Jesuitically affected, when our sufferings have been these thirty years, or more, some of us, for not conforming to those things aforesaid, which came from the pope and Papists, Jews and heathens?

And they that live in those Popish things, which they cannot make good by the scripture of the new testament, and yet say, it is their rule, such are Popishly affected themselves.

But we are the true Protestant Christians, and in the same power and spirit the apostles were in, and do protest against all that which the apostatized spirit hath set up, which is erred from that power and spirit the apostles were in.

So the doctrines, commandments, ordinances, and traditions, that this spirit of error hath set up, which is erred from that power and spirit the apostles were in, we cannot touch, taste, handle, nor join with.

5thly. Is not all the observing of holy days, and making of holy days, as Christmas, Candlemas, Michaelmas, Easter, Whitsontide, and their Lents, and calling their days and months by the heathen's names, as is in their almanacs, from the pope, Papists, heathens, and Jews, and not from Christ nor the apostles?

And have not we suffered imprisonment and spoiling of goods, for not observing their holy days, so called?

And was it not the work and labour of the apostle to bring people off from observing days, months, times, and years? and them that did go into such things, to wit, observing of days, the apostle told them, that he was afraid he had bestowed labour in vain upon them.'

Therefore, as I said before, how can any in truth and righteousness, brand us as papists, when we have suffered by you that call yourselves Protestants, for denying such Popery as you allow of; and have spoiled our goods for not observing your Popish holy days, and other Popish things? And yet you say, the scripture is your rule, when you have no such commandment in the new testament, to observe days, nor those things aforementioned, but the contrary.

And so, for bearing a testimony, and protesting against such things which you have not from Christ nor the apostles, and were not set up by that power and spirit the apostles were in; and for bearing a testimony against the works and fruits of this erring spirit, have we suffered by you called Protestants, and by the Papists also.

So our sufferings have been because we could not join to that which you have had from the Papists, heathens, and Jews, and not from Christ nor the apostles.

I say, we who are of the household of the true catholic faith, in which the church was in the apostles' days, have suffered by you, and been branded as Papists; whereas in truth we are the true Protestant Christians, bearing testimony against all Popish, heathenish, and Jewish inventions, which have been set up by that spirit which is erred from that power and spirit the apostles were in.

So as Moses the servant was faithful over his house in the old covenant, and the law of works; so Christ the son of God is over his spiritual house, in his new covenant of light, life, and grace, whose house we

are.

Concerning the upright and good conversation of the Saints in Christ, and in heaven.

DAVID saith, The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of an upright conversation: their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bow shall be broken.' Psalm xxxvii. 14.

Here is David's judgment upon such that cast down the poor and needy, and do slay such as be of an upright conversation.

'But whoso offereth praise, glorifieth me,' saith the Lord; 'and to him that orders his conversation aright, will I show the salvation of God.' Psalm 1. 23.

So all that will see the salvation of God, you are first to see your conversations to be ordered aright with the light, power, and spirit of God; for the apostle saith, By the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world,' &c. 2 Cor. i. 12.

So now are all by the grace of God to have their conversation preserved from the wickedness of the world, which grace brings their salvation.

And the apostle saith to the Ephesians, how that we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of our flesh, and of our mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as well as others.' Ephes. ii. 3. And therefore he exhorts them to put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt, according to the deceitful lusts, and be ye renewed in the spirit of your mind, and only let your conversation be as becomes the gospel of Christ, &c. that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel; for our conversation is in heaven, from whence we look for the saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body.' See Ephes. iv. 22. Phil. i. 27. and iii. 20.

So here the apostles and the saints had put off their former conversation according to the world, whose conversation was in heaven, where all the true saints or christians had their conversation.

And the apostle exhorted Timothy, and said, 'Be thou an example VOL. VI.

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