IT is not unknown to those who know any thing (of order and course in former dis­pensations) that when God began to make himself more manifest to the sons of men (then in former ages) and to ap­pear strongly for the making his name glorious, in chusing out and delivering some people from the evils and bon­dages of the world: we see upon such occasions, what hurly burly was alwayes raised in those Kingdoms, where such a work was to be brought to pass; as in Egypt when God was about to deliver Israel, and like­wise when Christ appeared in the flesh, though at that time the world had peace, and the Land where Christ was born was brought into a quiet condition by Caesar: yet when Christ was born, indeed what tumults were raised, the history of Scripture will declare. Now we see it plainly recorded, that those who were the greatest and most emi­nent in raising those persecuting tumults, were the Priests and holy people, so called, and the Magistracy, who were blinded by the Priests; in all ages it hath been found that the generality of the national Priest-hood, and formal holiness, were the greatest oppo­sites to God; the truth of this is verified by the Prophets in many places, being so well known, it needeth no further proof: and in the time of Christs appearing in the flesh (which was the neerest [Page 2]appearance of God to men, of all his former appearances) yet the more neer that God appeareth to the Son, the more violent will the Priests and outward formalities appear also; and as the truth of this was made apparent when Christ came in the flesh, so this shall be come to pass and be compleated when he shall come in a far more neerer appearance then ever; viz. when he shall appear in Spirit, and maketh himself manifest in the hearts of his people, the which appearance shall be as far hid from the beholding and believing of the generality of the national Priesthood and outward formality, as his appearance in the flesh was to the Priests, Scribes and Pharises in those dayes; and as in these days the looking at the observation of some part of the Law and Circumcision blinded them by reason of the lust in their hearts, so that they could not close with Christ in the flesh; even so shall it be when he beginneth to appear in Spirit, the Priests and outward formalities shall be blinded by looking at Christ in the flesh, & by their carnaland fleshly apprehensions of him, whereby they shall create a Faith to themselves, which being joyned to the lust in their heart from whence they shall be made the greatest enemies and persecutors of Christ in spirit and his Saints, in whom he is, and who are to bear witness of the truth thereof, for the my­sterie of God must be fulfilled in its time; and in the fulfilling of this Mysterie there will be Persecutors, and people to be persecuted, and the more neer that the Mysterie of God becometh fulfilled, the more mystical will the persecution be; and will it not be thought very strange to see any such thing now amongst us in this present age, when so many mens lives have been lost for the peace, and liberty of the Saints, as is pretended, and when the present Government seems to be established amongst us, tending to the very same end? yet who can believe that under all this, any persecution of Christ and the Saints should arise? but for all the blood that hath been spilt, and for all the fair raised forms of worship, and for all the liberty that is yet attained, do not think that the persecution of the Saints is at an end, for under all, and out of all this outward holiness and liberty, so much spoken of, shall arise a persecution, which shall be suitable for the time of the Mysterie; and whosoever you be that are true Saints indeed, take notice of this, for the peace is not yet compleated, for the Mysterie of God is not yet finished, and he that rides on the white Horse with his Army, is not yet unmounted, nor will be, un­til the Saints warfare be accomplished, and the Kings and great [Page 3]men, the Dragon and the Beast, and all the false Prophets, and the worshippers of the Image, and those who have received the mark of the Beast, be all of them overcome; but in the interim be of good comfort, and valiant for the truth, though the Devil prevail to cast some of you into prison, for so it must be until the time of the end; I need not go far for proof of this truth, who am a prisoner my self for no other cause, but for the testimony of the mysterie of the truth, as it is in Jesus, and for my plain discovering of the false Priests, and for the clear demonstrating between the shaddow and the substance of truth; setting forms in their proper place, and the sub­stance in its place, he which is a thing so far beyond the understanding of our blinde Priests, that they have combined together (though secretly) to take away my life, if possible; and yet will they not be seen to act any thing against me themselves, but make others to be­come their stalking horses, and to shut the bolts that they have made, as thou shalt see hereafter; but before I come to the thing intend­ed, I will give the Reader a short discovery of some things that tend to making more plain to the understanding the things that are to follow.

In the first I would have thee to know that it was put upon me a year and a half since to write some things which might be useful for the present times, either to convince, or to be as a wit­ness against many, which things thou mayest see in a book penned and owned by me, called, The Arrow of the Almighty, shot out of the Creatures bow, &c. In which book there is something that hath not pleased as many of the unsent Priests as have seen it; for therein I believe they have found such truth laid to their charge, as they can no wayes turn their eyes from beholding, but yet their pride and covetousness is so great, that many of them do grievously grumble at me, and many long furrow have they ploughed upon my back; yet to this very day not one of them would come to my face to gain-say any thing contained in that book, though I live amongst the very croud of them: nor ever did any of them so much as oppose any thing in it by writing against me; yet see the subtilty of some of them, for though they durst not come to my face, to answer for themselves, yet by their secret instigation of others, they go about to take away my life for my friendly and plain dealing with them; and to bring about their devilish desire, some of their poor blinde proselytes, who being fitted for that purpose, being of the murther­ing [Page 4]principle, have appeared openly to take away my life, that thereby they might have my blood to satisfie the hungry desire of their greedy God, whose hunger cannot be stayed but by the sacri­fice of the blood of the Saints.

Now Reader, I will plainly shew thee who are mine accusers, and what I am accused of, and who were my Judges, and what their Judgement against me was, at the last Sessions holden at Durham, the fifth of April, in this present year, 1654. and by this, if thou be not wilfully blind, thou shalt see the strangest work that ever hath been heard of in England; the which when thou hast rightly under­stood, I leave to thee to Judge, what wise, honest, upright Justices we have in this County of Durham; for which thou mayest praise God if thou wilt.

Now in my proceeding, I come to shew thee who it was that appeared to be mine accusers; the one called by name Henry Eddan, and the other Richard Raw, who being men fitted for such a work, being strongly Priest-ridden, or if they stumble at this expression, their understandings are so saddled and bridled by the doctrine of the Priests, that they have them at command, in turning them what way they please: as for Richard Raw, I have not much to say unto him, because I have not had any acquaintance with him, but onely as he appeared against me with Henry Eddan; the which, as far as I could perceive by outward expression was not much, but that might be because the poor blind man had but little to say openly to my face; therefore what he said against me when he whispered se­cretly with the rest of the Justices upon the bench, he best knoweth; only thus much I am apt to believe, that he is so zealous for the glory of his God, that he would give consent to kill Christ, if he were in the flesh, if he should but cross him in his principles; and thus much I can witness against him, by his giving consent to have me impri­soned for holding out Christ in his Divine Nature, which seemed to thwart his Christ of flesh, blood and bone. I will not say much more of him at present, but as far as he is guilty in acting against me with his fellow Eddan: Let him read and apply to himself what here I lay open against him—As for this Eddan, I am some­what acquainted both with his person and his principles: As for his person, I say nothing but onely this, and would not have said so much, but that his actions make manifest what was presented to me the very first time I saw him, where I took good notice of his phi­siognomy, [Page 5]which told me that he was a man very much addicted to earthly mindedness, and malice, and envy, for I clearly viewed all these to be figured out in his very face; and for his principles, I know them to be such as suite very well with such natural addicti­ons; and these are the Presbyterie principles, the which I sometimes call the murthering principles, for where these be, they lead the persons to persecute to very death any that will not own these principles; witness his saying once in a discourse to one of a con­trary judgement, That he was bound in conscience to persecute him to death, because he would not go to Church, as he called it; as is too truly manifested in all places where these principles were ac­companied with power: and I hope many in this Nation can witness to this, and do truly know that they are as a gangren in our Com­mon-wealth, and will be gnawing at the very heart thereof, if by any means to overspread the whole body; and when the chief go­vernors of our land have any mind to persecute any for conscience sake, let them but let loose the Presbyterie Principle, and give it pow­er, and it will persecute to purpose, &c.—Now this Eddan, who is very well furnished for such a work, both by principles and by na­ture, and the devil driving both, he wanted nothing but power; but was it not pitty that such a suitable person should not have power also? yea, I believe some thought so, and may be he thought so himself likevvise; and to come by this povver, I do not say that the Priests in New-castle petitioned to Authority to get him and Richard Raw the povver they vvanted; neither do I say that Henry Eddan made use of some friends at London to get himself and his fellovv Richard Raw established in povver; no, I do not say any such thing, but they have something vvithin them that can tell vvhether these things be so or not; and in case the Priests in New-castle did so, and shevved Authority vvhat suitable men they vvere for having povver conferred upon them, I cannot blame them; for every thing that hath life, vvould preserve its ovvn life, if it vvere vvith the death of its equall; and for the Priests I think they are not such fools, but knovv vvhat vvould pull them dovvn, and vvho vvill hold them up in their places, and this I think that they believe in part, and vvhat they vvant of believing in the vvhole, I can be­lieve for them, and upon my belief may they depend, that if they have not Authority and Magistracy to uphold them, dovvn they must, for God vvill not uphold them in the vvay they are in, there­fore [Page 6]they had best devise all means possible by vvay of Authority to stay themselves by, or down they go root and branch; but let me tell the unsent Priests once again, Authority shall not be able to keep them from what is determined with God, and what I have foretold them, shall as surely come to pass as the skin is on their face, and that ray of light which is in rising shall not go down un­till the thing determined be brought to pass, for few as yet can see how or what will be the pullers of them down, and that peradven­ture which they least suspect, shall be the thing shall overturn them; I can do no more but give them warning, and if they will not believe, I cannot help it; and if they should hang me for my faithful dealing with them, I should forgive them; but I have digressed a little.

But now to come to speak a little more of Henry Eddan and Ri­chard Raw. I find them now in Authority, being made Justices in the County of Durham; I wish they may do good in their places: and this I will say for them, that if they be but as well fitted in parts, and as vvell acquainted and read in the Lavvs of the Land, as they are fitted vvith the persecuting Principles, all the other Justices may give them the right hand of fellowship. Now Reader, by this time thou mayest understand, that those who were mine ac­cusers, are now become my Judges also; mayest thou not think that here would be a goodly piece of Justice acted? But to let that pass a while, I will truly inform thee with the particulars charged upon me in their information, there being five Articles in all, and three of them wrong stated, and one of them a very false Article, not so much as ever either spoken, or written by me, and another of them was right stated, and that I owned; but what they were, and as they were stated, I give thee the true Copy thereof, as followeth:

The first Article: That I called the Ministers of the Gospel un­sent Priests. For proof hereof they quoted the first page of my book, which they called by the name of a seditious book.

The second Article. Which they quoted, out of the second page of the same book; Was that I most wickedly said, that who so lendeth a hand to pull them down, shall be accounted happy, and shall receive a reward of God for their work.

And the third Article, they quoted out of the 37. page of the same book, where they say I positively speak against the obser­vance [Page 7]of the Lords day, and saith it is not by Divine institution, but the precepts of Priests.

And the fourth Article was: That I was heard in publick to speak against the Ascention of the glorified body of the Lord Jesus.

And the fift Article was: That deridingly I asked the question whether he was seen to ride on horse back, or go on foot to heaven. These were the things laid against me most falsly, as thou shalt see in my answering all the particulars in open Sessions, the day and year beforesaid, there being upon the Bench at that time (to be my Judges) Sir George Vane Justice, Mr. Leddal Justice, Mr. VVhitingam Justice, Mr. Hallyman Justice, Mr. Dailles Maior of the City of Durham, Justice, Mr. Raw, the one of mine accusers, Justice, Mr. Eddan, the other of mine accusers, Justice, seven in all. But before I proceed, take notice of this, viz. I was attending the Court in the forenoon that day, but was not to be called untill the afternoon; but when the Justices rose to dinner, they gave me a charge to attend the Court at two of the clock, the which I was willing to observe: Now in the forenoon, Justice VVren, and Ju­stice Dolnell, and Justice Clavering, sat upon the Bench with the other seven, but in the afternoon they withdrew themselves from the other, and would not appear to be Judges against me; the rea­son (as I conceive) was because they understood my cause better then the other, and might see that what was charged upon me (in case all had been true) was out of the compass of any known Law in England, and so their wisdom might cause them to with­draw. But now to proceed, I will give thee a true Relation of things as they were carried on in the afternoon between the seven Justices and me; At two of the clock I attended the Court, and my Information was presented to the Bench by the Clerk of the Peace, the which they read amongst themselves; and what debate they had about it they know best, for it was secret, and they paused upon it about half an hour, and if I may guess at their thoughts by their outward appearances, I believe they were at a stand what to do with it, insomuch that some judged they would have passed it by, if they could have shut themselves of it, without being notice ta­ken of; for I do believe they knew well enough the Law of the Nation could not take hold on me for any thing therein con­tained; and to Judge me by the Law of their own wills, was a thing to be taken notice of; thus they paused, till at last Justice Ed­dan, [Page 8]mine accuser, and my Judge, stepped nearer the other Justices, and whispered something in their ears, what it was themselves best know; but this I say, Truth seeketh no corners, neither feareth who hear or see it; but after that whispering, the Bench gave order to the Clerk of the Peace to call me, and let me hear my informa­tion read, and so it was, and I commanded to stand up and give an­swer to my charge, the which I did immediatly, without any fear or dread, my spirit being carried up above its wonted condition, and having no guilt at all upon my conscience, being I knew who was my guide both to write that book, and likewise enabled me with courage to answer in the defence thereof; by which my very countenance, which was smiling, did plainly manifest my spirit was above the reach of the malice of men, the which thou shalt see pre­sently what my Judges censured thereupon, and what Judgement they passed upon me for it.

My charge being read, I desired to know who were mine accusers, so the Bench ordered the Clerk of the Peace to read the names of mine accusers, where Justice Eddan was found chief, who had in­formed the Grand Jury with these things, and they poor men, not able to judge of these things, took all for good, and so presented the same to the Justices: but I do not question the Grand Jury for the breach of their oath in this thing, because ignorance blindeth men, and malice maketh them oft-times do things which they may be for­ry for afterwards, and for my part I wish God may pass by them for any thing done to me, for I do freely forgive them. Then Justice Vane spake to me, and asked me if I would own what was in my charge: To which I answered, What is truly stated therein I own, but what is falf I will not own it; he asked me what I owned in it, I answered, if they were pleased to examine me upon every particu­lar, they should know, and withall I propounded these things to them; and said, Gentlemen, I desire to know of you whether you have called me before you this day for matter of disputation, or to be Judged by the known Laws of the Land, or by the Law of your own wills? if it be to dispute any thing rightly stated in my charge, or in my book, I am willing to answer you; or if I have offended against any known Law, I am willing to submit to the penalty of such Laws as I have transgressed, onely let not your own wills be Law. Then answered Justice Vane, and said, we have not called thee to dispute, nor to Judge thee by our own wills, God forbid, but by [Page 9]the Laws of the Nation, [All was well thus far, so said and so done had been true Justice] Then it was concluded to examine the parti­culars in my charge, to know what was true, and what was false; so the Clerk was caused to read the first Article in the charge, which was, that in page the first of my book, I railed against the Ministers of the Gospel, calling them unsent Priests: Then said Iustice Vane, what sayest thou to that, is it true, or no? To which I answered, that was false, for whosoever were the Ministers of the Gospel, I owned and reverenced them. He answered, thou hast written in generall against all the Ministers of the Gospel; Then I asked him if he did take all the National Ministry to be Ministers of the Gospel, the which he would not conclude; Then I answered, to those amongst the Nationall, who are not the true Ministers of the Gospel, the things in my book are written, and these are they which I call unsent Priests; who they be, let him that is guilty Iudge himself, for I have named none, and though I have written in generall to them all in some respect, yet have I made exception of some amongst them, as my book it self will witness for me; which book I own, and shall bear witness against mine accusers, in things wrongfully stated in my charge; with that I pulled the book out of my pocket, and said, Sirs, here is the book, I own it, and will maintain all that is in it against any that will oppose it, and will seal the truth there­in contained with my blood; if blind ignorance lead Authority to put me to it, and more, I freely offer this unto you, if you be pleas­ed to accept of it: Take to you as many of the Priests of the Coun­ty, or all if you please, and I will give them a meeting to maintain any thing in this book, whatever any of them can except against; to which they gave no answer, but bid the Clerk read the second Article in my charge, the which he did, which was, that I most wickedly said, That who so lendeth a hand to pull them down, shall be accounted happy, and shall receive a reward of God for their work, &c.

Then Iustice Vane asked me if I would own that, to which I said, I own it, for so it is in my book; the which is spoken by way of prophesie, as may be seen in the book, the which in time shall as­suredly come to pass; and said unto all the Iustices, I pray take no­tice of what I say, and if you please, Record it: will you not think it a very strange thing, if some amongst your selves who are so strong at present for the upholding of the Priests, vvill it not be strange to [Page 10]see some of you lend even your ovvn hand to pull them dovvn? vvhich saying made some of them to laugh, it being a thing so un­like to be. So they passed on to the third Article in my charge, quoted out of the 37. page of my book, the which they stated thus, my charge saying, that I positively spoke against the observance of the Lords day, and saith it is not by Divine Institution, but the precepts of Priests, &c. Then asked they me what I said to that—To which I answered, I did not own that Article, being wrong stated, as I should prove by my book it self: So Iustice Hallyman desired to see the book, the which I delivered to him, and so they turned to the 37. page, and found it otherwise then was stated in my charge, and could say nothing against what I had laid down upon that subject; at which Iustice Eddan, and Iustice Raw, mine accusers, were not well pleased, but were struck dumb, not having so much as one word to say against me, but with a shameful blushing countenance sate si­lent on the Bench; now when they saw they could not catch me in any of these Articles they had alledged out of my book; Iustice Hallyman, who had my book, would seem to be some body (and to do some great piece of justice in the place he was in, that the rest of the Iustices might see his great skill, and the Country take notice of his something he thought himself to have)—He asked me if I set that book abroad, and if I would own it, although he had heard me own it formerly; I told him again, I was the penman of it, and owned what was in it, and would answer for it against any that had any mind to oppose; with that he gave it to the Clerk of the Peace to keep, thinking thereby to skare mee; at which I said, you need not except against that book only, for there is a thousand of them in England; with that he begun to rail against me and the book, and said I was a bold blasphemous person, and vvorthy to be punished for my contempt of Authority: To vvhich I said, Sir, is it your knovvledge or your ignorance that causeth you to say so?

Then he asked me what religion or profession I was on? to which I said, if you would know that, you may satisfie your self in a book I wrote in answer to Tho. Ledger, that is all the account I will give you at present.

Then they proceeded to examine me upon the other Articles in my Charge, which were not quoted out of my Book, but what mine accusers affirmed to be spoken by me in publick; which is as fol­lovveth; [Page 11]That I was heard in publick to speak against the Ascention of the glorified body of Christ, and deridingly to ask the question, whether he was seen to ride on hors-back, or go on foot to heaven?

Then Justice Vane asked me what I said to that? To which I an­swered, I never spoke these words, and asked the Clerk of the Peace what day it was that I spoke the words, who looked in my Charge, and found no day set down; the want of which by Law should have made void my Charge in that particular, yet the Justices not willing to let it pass, asked me if I had never spoken these words, or some words to that effect: To which I answered, I confess at sometime I had occasion to speak something, though not to the same effect; and if I may but be allowed the benefit of my own words, I will truly rehearse them over again, for I did not fear what any could do to me, for any thing I had spoken, if they were but rightly understood; they bad me rehearse them; Then I answered & said, The occasion I had to speak what I spoke, was from Mr. Eddan, who was affirming against me, that I denyed the glorious body of Christ, the which I never did, and I knew him to maintain a corpo­real body of Christ; to thwart his popish principle, I said, if you affirm that Christ hath a corporeal body in heaven, tell me positively whether he be on horse-back, or on foot in heaven? this was all, and this I confess I spoke, make of it what you can: with that looks up a Scotch Priest, he being in the company, and said Gentlemen, I am a Minister of the Gospel, and am bound in conscience to speak against that blasphemer, and to stand for the corporeal bo­dy of Christ; with that he speaks two or three Scriptures, some about his body ascending, and some about his coming again in the same body, and asked me if I would deny these? I tur­ned to him, and said, friend, whatsoever the Scripture saith I own, and my belief shall go with yours as far as the Disciples saw him; but this I say to you again, if you can prove it, that Christ hath a cor­poreal body in heaven, then I say still I will prove it as well, that there are horses in heaven; with that the poor Priest for proof went to his own belief, and said, that Christ was in heaven, having a bo­dy of flesh, blood and bone, just such a one as himself had where he stood; The most of the Justices ascenting to what the poor Priest affirmed, because it suted with their own principles, took the tale out of his mouth, and did conclude the truth of what he said, and [Page 12]then asked me if I would deny that Christ had a corporeal body of flesh, blood and bone in heaven?

I still replyed to them, if they could prove him to have such a body, I could as well prove it that there were horses in heaven; which saying was such a strange saying to them, that they knew not what to make of it but blasphemy at least, and so would they have it re­corded, — When I perceived the great ignorance of the most of the Justices, I said unto them, Gentlemen be pleased, for I shall end the controversie, and clear the truth hereof in one word, and that shall be by Scripture too, and I hope you will not deny Scri­pture; look into the 19. Chap. and 11. verse of the Revelation of Saint John, and there you shall see that the last vision that John had of Christ, he saw him on a white-horse, therefore think not strange at what I say, being I speak but what I can make good by Scripture; yet for all this, though the Scripture be so plain in many places, to this very purpose, in the literal sense, yet could they not get by this horse to be in heaven; but this they can believe, that Christ is in heaven with the foresaid body, and much murmuring was amongst the bench about this horse, but still they stumbled at him, because he seemed to make gross what they affirmed of Christ; but here were the most of them still at a stand; and I perceiving them so puzled in this clear thing, and found them so weak in understanding the very letter of Scripture; I told them plainly, that I perceived them ig­norant, and if they had not better knowledge in the Law of the Land, then they had in the mysterie of Divinity, that they were too ignorant for the place in which they were; the which when they heard, they were not a little displeased, that they should in the least be questioned for their ignorance in Divinity, though they had made themselves fully known to be ignorant in the very letter of Scripture; but the horse in heaven stumbled them not so sore, but this other saying pinched them twice as hard, and then Will begun to work; And Justice Vane said unto me, they would make me know my con­tempt of Authority; to which I said, let not your own wills be Judge, but let me know what Law I have transgressed in any thing laid against me in my Charge, which is truly stated, or in any of my behaviour before you, or in any contemptible speeches given you, and wherein I have transgressed, I shall yield my self to suffer what can be justly imposed upon me for the breach of that Law; this I de­sired [Page 13]of them divers times, but could not in the least shew me what Law I had transgressed; when I could not obtain this reasonable and lawful request of those who were the elder Justices, I turned to the new Justices, viz. Mr. Eddan, one of my Accusers, and my Judge, and said unto him, Mr. Eddan, you who are one of the new Justices, I desire you to let me know what Law I have transgressed, and wherein I have offended, that I may satisfie Justice; but he could not answer me one word, but blushed exceedingly: so I could not obtain this favour, though but just and lawful, neither of old Justice, nor new, but being inraged against me, they caused the Clerk to Record my words as they fell from my mouth, and would have wrested all that I spoke, but that the Clerk of the peace and some other bare true witness of what I said: and so out of what I had spoken, they caused the Clerk to draw up a new Charge against me, to be presented to the Judges of the next Assizes, a true Co­pie whereof I here present to thy view,—

Now Reader thou mayst be judge by what law they have commit­ed me to Prison, and thereby mayst thou see how things are carried [Page 14]on among the Justices of this County; and for thy better satisfaction, I will discover unto thee what it is they have charged upon me for my misbehaviour and evil carriage in the Court.

That which they charge me with for misbehaviour and evil car­riage in the Court, is, because I sometimes smiled upon them in my speaking to them, the which is my ordinary gesture in speaking to any man, it being a natural instinct belonging to my complexion, and can no more be removed then my bodily life, and whoso hath any judgement in natural addiction, will conclude, that where such an instinct is, anger, malice, and envy hath no great residence in that heart, the which I know by experience, and as many as have known me, are able to witness, that to smile in my speaking is as ordinary as to draw my breath; and let others Judge of me what they please, I am in as much favour with my own constitution, as any that I know, and praise God for it, &c.

Now when some of the Justices saw me smile in my speaking, they censured me that I laughed them to scorn, and said they would make me know my contempt of them; and thus they gave it the names beforesaid, the which when I heard that they took offence where none was given, I said Gentlemen, be not offended at me for my boldness, and my smiling upon you, I am no God to change my own nature, and it is an instinct in my nature, and do not censure so, as that I do it in any contempt to you, but rather judge justly; for I profess unto you all, I have neither anger nor malice upon me, nor towards you for any thing that you have said or done to me, for I plainly tell you, God beareth up my spirit, and I know my cause is just, and there is no guilt upon my conscience, and therefore I cannot fear before you; may you not rather judge by my smiling, that I am not offended at you; but nothing would stand for cur­rant but what their own wills led them to, and no way but Record my favourable countenance for misbehaviour and evil carriage in the Court, and so it stands upon Record: Now Readers you may learn something out of this, to know how to behave your selves before our Justices; if you tremble and look sadly, and speak weak­ly, and question nothing that they say, be it with or against you, then is your behaviour right; but thou hadst best take heed to thy self as thou comest before them with any infirmity of body, which they are ignorant of; for in case thy lips be so short that they will not [Page 15]cover thy tooth, its two to one they will say thou girnnest at them, and then thou mayst to Goal for thy misbeha­viour in the Court. But Reader, I must tell what difference I found amongst the Justices on the Bench, and must freely confess that Justice Leddell hath more judgement in the things of God, then all the other six that sat with him, and I clear­ly acquit him for having any hand at all in my commit­ing to Goal, and when he perceived the ignorance of the other Justices, he would gladly have made them under­stand the truth of things as they were in Scripture, and would have had them to have understood me right in all things, but all to no purpose; for their Wills must be Judge, and neither the Law of God, nor the Law of the Nation was to come in place.—

And likewise when the Jaylor himself saw how things were carried on against me, was forced to speak, and said, Gentlemen, it is but reasonable and lawful, that you should judge the man by the Law, for in case he were a Theif or a Mur­derer, or any other Felon, he ought to be judged by the Law, and you ought to shew him what part of the Law he had transgressed, for where there is no Law, there is no transgression: Then Iustice Vane answered, and said, he had best hold his peace, for in answering for me, he was as bad as my self, and should be made a party with me, if he would not hold his peace.

So nothing vvould serve, but to prison I must go, and the Clerk of the Peace vvas to let me hear the order of the Court, vvhich was, that I must to prison untill I found sufficient Sureties for my good behaviour, and to ansvver vvhat they had laid against me at the next Assises; So vvhen I heard the order of the Court, I told them I had not broken any knovvn Lavv of God or of the Land, and my behaviour had been such, that I vvould find no Surety at all, but rather chused to take the porti­on of a prisoner, and so continue untill the next Iudge release my bonds, either by setting me free by the Lavv of the Nation, or to bring me into further bonds by the same Lavv; for to Authority I submit, and desite nothing but to be Judged by the known Laws, either for freedom or bonds; yet let [Page 16]me say thus much more for Iustice Leddel; when the rest of the Iustices gave order for my committing, he would not in the least give his consent, but disclaimed from what they had done.

When I saw their full determination, I turned to Justice Ed­dan, who was one of my accusers, and one of my Judges, he being a man of great note amongst fools for his religion, and seeking to advance Gods glory; and I said unto him, Sir, you are a great religious man, and I know you take your self for a Christian; let me plainly know whose example you fol­low: can you prove that either Christ or any of his followers did ever persecute, or bring any before Magistracy, and so into bonds for their principles? At which he blushed again, and could not so much as answer me one word: but before I conclude, I will plainly demonstrate to Justice Eddan, who is his God, and what his religion is, and what reward he may expect when every one is to be rewarded according to their work. Now for his religion, I very well know what it is, being made up of the Presbyterie principles, and doth not much differ from the Papists, but onely in a few gross circum­stances, but in substance one and the same, and yet doth his principles hold a more nearer correspondency with the Scribes and Pharisees then with the Papist. Yet the Scribes and Pharisees out-passed him for zealous walking according to the rule of Scriptures, the which I can very well prove; and herein were they to be preferred before him; now herein standeth the great­est difference between him and them; and that is, the Scribes and Pharisees had Circumcision, and the Ceremonial Laws, and he hath a fleshly apprehension of Christ, and some duties, and when they come to be well compared together, there is not much difference in the substance, onely the difference doth chiefly, consist in the circumstances; now herein he and they agree in one, and that is, in persecuting: Now the Scribes and Pharisees had the Scriptures, and owned God upon that account, and walked most circumspectly to what they knew of God by Scripture; and yet our Saviour plainly told them they were of their father the devil, because they went about to kill him, for telling them the truth, and sheweth further the [Page 17]nature of their father by a twofold character, viz. that he was a murderer, and a lyar, Joh. 8.40, &c.

Now this I plainly prove, that though Justice Eddan pretend faith in Christ, and call God his father; yet he is of the devil his father, and his works he lusteth to do, and that is to lie and murther, as I shall plainly shew him; for herein I prove him to be a lyar, in stating things wrongfully upon me in my charge, consisting of five Articles, and four of them false, as was plainly proved; and herein I prove him to be a murde­rer, in stating lies in my Charge, the which he thought to be contained within the Act against blasphemy, that thereby he might take away my life. And further, when nothing could prevail of what he had falsly charged upon me, yet gave con­sent to put me in prison without any Law, but onely the Law of Will; let him not turn his eyes from his own dealings, for he is caught in his own snares, and without repentance let him make ready to receive his reward, the which is due to him for his work, and let him own his portion amongst those set down in Rev. 21.8. amongst which liers and murderers are stated.

Now I proceed to speak a word in generall to all the Justices who were the cause of my committing to pri­son.

Sirs, you who have been the cause of inclosing my body with­in the stony walls of the prison-house of the City of Durham, to you I speak, and do truly own Magistracy as an excellent ordinance of God; and the persons in that place ought to resemble God in the true executing of Justice, in punishing the evil, and in shewing mercy to the good, and for the delivering the oppressed from the hands of the cruel and bloody man; is it so with you? then will your deeds make the same manifest: but for my part I must tell you, (whether you will see or no) that I have found to the contrary, and have cause to cry for true Justice and right Iudgement, but long may cry to you before I shall attain it, I much doubt, seeing your own will is the Law you have Judged me by; it is not unknown to you, I hope, how oft I desired in open Sessions, to be tryed by the known Laws of the Land, in any thing you could object against me, or in what mine accusers could truly charge upon me, the [Page 18]which you would so oft have turned into blasphemy, and yet could shew no law against me for any such offence, nor for any other breach of Law, either of God or of the Nation; yet your wicked wills were so bent against me, that instead of setting me at liberty, you sought all occasions to increase my bonds, and when you could find no just occasion in me, ra­ther then the bent of your own wills should be frustrate, you would institute new Laws to Judge me by; as may appear by these things you have charged upon me in open Sessions, for which things you have committed me to bonds, the which will truly be made apparent, the like hath not been done in any Christian Kingdom where there hath been known Laws to Judge men by: are you offended at me for saying, if you had no more knowledge in the Law, then in Divinity, that you were not fit for your places? How can you turn your eyes from the truth here of, seeing you have laid your selves open to the view of understanding men, in not understanding the very letter of Scripture; much more will your ignorance appear in Divinity, which is chiefly included in the mysteries in Scrip­ture? How can you say that you have read the Scriptures, and yet be so ignorant in understanding this plain thing which I affirm by Scripture, viz. That if you will maintain Christ to have a corporeal body of flesh, blood, and bone in heaven, that I will maintain horses to be in heaven also; Ignorant men! for so I cannot chuse but call you: where would you be, or what is it that you would be, at or what would you make of this, if you vvere to be the onely Judges of this thing? Surely blasphemy on my part, but great honour to Christ on your part; I pray you, if you vvould be honoured your selves, or if you think you honour God in vvhat you main­tain, let me have part vvith you; for vvhat I affirm is as true as vvhat you affirm, if Scripture may be Iudge; neither doth vvhat I affirm, in the least make void vvhat you affirm, though your ignorance cannot apprehend it; and if vvhat I affirm be blasphemy, yours is no less: therefore you must take part of the punishment vvith me, or else both parties are vvronged. I need not much trouble my self vvith proving you to be ignorant in Divinity, for this very thing it self vvhich you have charged [Page 19]upon me, will make manifest what your knowledge is, when the thing comes to be laid open before men of wisdom.

And think you not that I have broken a great part of the Law of the Land, in that other thing you have charged upon me? viz. That when I could not obtain so much Right of you (who were Justices of a longer standing) as to be Judged by the known Laws of the Nation; sure you think when I demanded the same of those who were of a latter being, (and yet could not obtain it) that I had committed a great transgression against the Law, or else you would never have been so mad as to Imprison me for it, and keep me in bonds, until the Iudge of the As­sizes should hang me for it; and I am sure if the Iudge have not more wisdom and descretion in judging of my cause, then you had when you committed me for the cause, I am sure enough to lose my life for it, but I hope to see the thing better cleared.

Sirs, Consider where you are, and what you have done to me; for if he that executeth justice without mercy, shall be judged himself without mercy, how much more judge­ment will you have for Judging me without either mer­cy, or true Justice? Let not your pride and malice blinde your eyes, nor let not flatterers deceive you, in making you do things contrary to Law; for the most high will finde you out one day, who will judge rightly both of you and me, for he knoweth all the secret turnings and windings in your hearts, though you may hide them from men; and do not think it a great honor to you when you see some of your poor fellow-creatures stand trembling before you, and not knowing how to speak for fear of offending you, or for being catched in their words. Neither think it any contempt or dishonour to you, when men stand boldly be­fore you, and when they be able to speak to you things that are right, and no offence to the Laws of God or man; and have a care, as you call such things misbehaviour, and evil carriage, and commit them to prison for such things as you have done me, the which I hope to bear, or what ever beside injustice can inflict upon me; for so long as I [Page 20]know my cause to be good, I will maintain it against you all; and if you take away my life for so doing, I cannot fear the face of any of you, and never shall I desire any favour at any of your hands, but what the Law it self will afford me, and wherein I am found guilty, do not spare me; for I assure you, where I finde you as you ought not to be, when I have to deal with you, I shall hardly keep silence, except you sew up my lips, and cut off my hands; I at present say no more to you, but here­after its possible you will hear more of me, if occasion serve.