HOly men of God both acted and spake as they were moved of the holy Ghost in all ages, whose testi­monies stand as an outward Witness of the inward and spiritual Life of righteousnesse that was in them, which in all ages was opposed by the con­trary spirit of the World, which the children of disobedience are led by; and this is the ground of difference, they being led by a Spirit opposite to God and his children of obedience; and as the spirit of the World in them that are led by it, acts them differently from the Children of God; so doth the Spirit of Truth act its children contrary to the children of the World, and their practice stood in all ages as living Witnesses against them, and that Spirit they were led by, and is written for our learning and edification, on whom the ends of the World are come, which is to know an end of that spirit's leadings in us, which leads from God into the World that lieth in wickedness, and its fashions and customs which are heathenish, sensual and devillish; and thus being taught by the Spirit of God, our actions stand Witnesses against the vain conversation and tradi­tions of the World, and condemns and judges that Spirit now as ever it did in the days of old, whereby they became suffer­ers in that day; as for the same Testimony we are become suf­ferers in this day.

But blessed are they that suffer for righteousnesse sake, who keep the Word of God's patience in this his day; they are, and shall be kept by the power of the Word of Life, til all that which riseth up against them, be brought down under them, that God alone may be exalted over all, and they in him, trea­ding upon the high places of the Earth, and all its vain shews of holinesse, which are but the inventions and traditions of those who are erred from the Spirit of Truth, and from the practise of the holy men of God, who were separated from the World by the Life of righteousnesse which they lived, and so dyed the death of the righteous, which was a death to all [Page 3] that which separated from the Lord; and so being dead to sin, were alive to righteousnesse; which Life immortal stands a Witnesse in all ages against the idolatry and superstition of the present times they lived in, bearing a true testimony against them in life and death; and the mortal body or tabernacle be­ing dissolved or laid down, the living Spirit in their Brethren leads them to inter or bury their bodies apart in their own bu­rying-places (as was the practice of the holy-men of God in former ages) bearing a testimony against the idolatry and su­perstition of hallowed ground, and Popish Consecrations, and vain traditions, which the living Spirit of the party deceased, whilst in the body, stood a Witnesse (for God) against; and now being out of the body, yet in the union with his brethren in the body, cannot fulfil and satisfie the wil of the contrary spi­rit, and therefore it is disturbed and tormented about the dead body, and exceedingly rageth in many places; and as the Devil did strive with Michael about the body of Moses (who was a faithful servant of God in his life, and the God of his life would not suffer the wicked spirit to satisfie his wil with his body being dead) and the Angel brought not a railing accusa­tion against him, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. So you may see what Spirit it is that is to be rebuked by the Lord, that spi­rit that strives against his Servants, and beats, rages and strikes them, and sometimes takes away the dead body from them for a time, til the Lord rebukes them, and then they have let it go to be laid in its own place of burial, which when it was alive, might purchase or contribute to for that end, to be laid in, be­ing dead.

You may see the children of Heath were not so unreasonable to Abraham, as to hinder him to bury his dead after he had bought their Land for that purpose; and is it not a shame to be called Christians, and to be in practise more unreasonable then Heathen? Is it not high time to separate from such a generati­on both in life and death; and finding such unreasonable deal­ing while we are in the body, it must needs be a grief to us if we were necessitated for want of a place, to leave our dead bo­dies to their courtesie; and if there were nothing else, it were sufficient to cause us to provide for our selves, and not stand to [Page 2] [...] [Page 3] [...] [Page 4] the mercy of that spirit whose cruel hatred hath slain the bo­dy being alive, we cannot expect should decently bury it be­ing dead; for we have had experience of the contrary; And therefore as we have denied that Spirit that would slay the bo­dy because of its Religion, so also have we denyed the Wor­ship that spirit leads into, and the place which that Spirit hath consecrated and set apart to worship in, and that Way, that Worship, and that place we cannot uphold, for the Lord is a­gainst it, and them that uphold it, that Worship (I say) and Worshippers that would kil [...] ▪ persecute or spoyle the goods of those that cannot for Conscience sake worship with them; and against them, their Spirit, their Worship and their place, we are gathered forth by the Spirit of the Lord to stand faithful Wit­nesses against, and in patience and long-suffering, through the love of God, are made willing to endure what he shall permit the evil spirit to act against us for the tryal of our Faith, and the glory of his power that hath kept us hitherto, and is able to keep us to the end▪ in which I and the rest of his Flock all lying down in his Will, are safe; into which safety the desire of my soul is, that all who seek after righteousnesse may come.

FIrst, you may read that Abraham and Jacob did buy two par­cels of ground, that it might be their own possessions for the burying of their dead, Gen. 23. 16, 17. Josh. 24. 32, 33. Now that Abraham and Jacob, and the rest of the holy men of God, were led and directed by the Spirit of God, I hope none dare deny; therefore why should it be a strange thing to any that the Quakers (so called) have purchased parcels of ground for the burying of their dead, seeing it is proved that the holy men [Page 5] of God did so above 1600. yeers ago, and the Spirit of God is the same, and changeth not; so the Quakers (so called) are not out of the way, but in that good old way as Abraham, Isaac, Ja­cob and Moses walked in; therefore let it be no strange thing.

2dly, You may read that Abraham and his Wife, Jacob and Isaac and his Wife, and Leah, with many more, were buried in their burying-places after they had bought them, as you may read Gen. 49. 30, 32. Now Abraham, Moses and Jacob, with the rest of the holy men of God, were no new Upstarts, but old, grave, godly men, of a great Age, as you may read Deut. 34. 16, 17. Gen. 47. 28, 30. Therefore why should any account the Quakers (so called) young upstart people for burying their dead in their own burying-places? And if any do account them so, they may as wel account Abraham the faithful, Isaac, Jacob and Moses so, with the rest of the holy men of God; therefore far be it from any so to do.

3dly, You may read that Moses the great Prophet of the Lord was buryed in a Valley in the Land of Moab, and he did quake and tremble at the Word, or the voice of God, therefore why should it be a strange thing if any of the people (called Quakers) are buryed in a valley, and quake and tremble at the Word or Voice of God. Now whether any did call Moses a Quaker, I know not; but this I know, many are in scorn called Quakers only for doing that which Moses did; and I believe if Moses were now living, he would be called a Quaker by this generati­on. The proof of Moses being buryed in a Valley, and that he did quake and tremble, read Deut. 34. 6, 7. Heb. 12. 21. Act. 7. 32

4thly. You may read that Samuel the servant of the Lord was buryed in his own house at Ramath, and all Israel assembled to­gether (not to hinder him to be buried there) but to bury him there, as you may read Sam. 25. 1. and mourned for him; there­fore why should any endeavour to hinder the people called Quakers to bury their dead in their houses, or near their hou­ses, seeing the Servant of the Lord was buryed in his house, as is proved? Therefore why should any endeavour to hinder them to bury their dead, as the true Prophets and dear Chil­dren of God did, in their own possessions?

[Page 6] 5thly, You may read that Joshua the servant of the Lord was buryed in the border of his inheritance, on the North-side of the Hil; and the son of Aaron was buryed in the Hil of Phineas which was given him; therefore why may not the people called Quakers bury their dead without offence in their own inheritances where­soever it is, either on a Hill, or in a valley, or in or near a house, or in a Garden, seeing Moses, Joshua, Aaron's son, Samuel, and Christ Jesus, with many more, were buryed in such places, as you may read Josh. 24. 28, 29▪ 33. Joh. 19. 41. Therefore you have no just cause to be offended with the people called Quakers for so bu­rying.

6thly, You may read that Uzziah the King (who did uprightly in the sight of God) was buryed with his Fathers in the field of the burial, (mark) not in any place called Church or Churchyard, but in the field of the burial: Therefore let it not be a strange thing that the people called Quakers do deny to bury their dead in the places called Churches or Churchyards; for Abraham refused to bury his Wife in any of their Sepulchres, though earnestly desired so to do, but buryed her in his own burying place; and King Uz­ziah with many more, were buryed in their own burying-places, and not in places called Churches or Church-yards, as you may read Gen. 23. at large, Chron. 26. 33. Josh. 24. 25, 33. Now I be­lieve it was far from the heart of King Uzziah to hearken, or in the least to condescend to any is hinder the burying of their dead in their burying-places, which was their own possessions, but I ra­ther believe did justifie their so burying, and was buryed himself in the Field of the Burial, which is before proved. Therefore far be it from the hearts of any to desire a Law to be made to hinder the Quakers (so called) to bury their dead in their inheritances, which ought to be preserved by the Laws of the Land; and far be it from the hearts of any to make any such Law, because their practice in so burying; was the practice of the holy men of God, agreeable to the Word of God which was in the beginning, as it is recorded in the Scriptures of truth, which holy men of God spake forth as they were inspired by the holy Ghost, to be read, believed and practised, and to wait to have them fulfilled, and not to make a Trade of them, as they are made of, for dishonest gain.

[Page 7] 7thly, You may read that Jacob (being 147. years old when he dyed) did desire his sons to carry him out of Egypt to be buryed in the burying-place, and did engage them so to do, being a far way, which they did accordingly, as you may read Gen. 47. 28, 30. Gen. 50. 12, 13. Now Jacob was not unsensible, but very sensible in so doing▪ none I hope dare say otherwise: Therefore if any of the Quakers (so called) before they dye, do desire their Friends to bury them in their burying-place wheresoever it is, which was the desire of the party deceased, (being called a Quaker) why should it be a strange thing, seeing Iacob did desire such a thing!

Now lest any say, I judge all to be heathenish people that bury in your places called Churches and Church-yards, or that I per­swade all from burying there: My answer unto such is this, I am very cautions in so judging all, but shall leave all judgement un­to the Lord God of Heaven and Earth, who will judge every one according unto the doings of every one; and as every one is perswaded in the particular, in the heart of every particular, by God's Witnesse, which is God's Light shining in the heart, so let every one do in the thing; & if any of you make choice of your pla­ces called Churches or Churchyards for the burying of your dead, or for any other use, it is fit you should keep them up, and repair them upon your own cost and charges, & take heed of taking any goods from such who make no use of them, for in so doing you wil do such great wrong, and such that stealeth, cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven, who breaketh the Commandment of God. Therefore it is dangerous, take heed of so doing, and this I truly know▪ having perfect knowledge of them, the Quakers, so called, are taught by the Principle of God, which is a noble Principle, not to require, beg or desire any thing of you to keep up, or repair their burying-places, which are their own inheritances, very wel walled, or very wel paled, except such as are yet unready, which in time are intended so to be made up on their own cost & char­ges, and so are not your places called Churches or Church-yards your own inheritances, neither walled nor paled in many places in England and Wales, for Swine have been seen in some of your yards in this County; and some say the people called Papists claim them to be their places, and that they built them, and that they will keep them up upon their cost, if they shal have them, as some [Page 8] say: But I shall not contend for them, they are of age, let them speak for themselves; only this J may say, and in so saying none will have just cause to be offended. There is a Cross of Wood or Stone, or in painting, in the inside or outside of the most of them, or in the yards belonging unto them, if not all, and you that are called Protestants that casually go there, take notice whether it be not so; then is not that the mark of Popery? J leave it to you to judge, and say as the wise man saith, A word to the wise is enough. So if you look upon your places convenient for the burying of your dead, be contented with them, and let the people called Quakers have their liberty to bury their dead in their burying-places, which are their own possessions, which they are very well contented with, which is proved to be according to the Word of God as it is recorded in the Scriptures of truth, acted above 1600 years ago. Therefore let this satisfie all such as are unsatisfied touching it; much more might be written, but this may satisfie in short, being written by one who desireth the good and welfare, and prosperity of all that desire to know God and his Way; well known unto those that are in perfect knowledge with God, but unto the World by the Name of