Some said He is a good man; others said, Nay but he is mad, and hath a devil.
He is a wine-bibber a glutton and a drunkard; a friend of publicans and harlots.
But wisdom is justified of her children.
I Having patiently, cheerfully, and silently sustained (All fl shly interests, carnal Gospellers, and pretenders to Religion, with some secret enemies (though seeming friends) to the State, combining together to incense them against me, because I have faithfully and boldly declaimed against their hypocrisie, pride, covetousness, self-seeking, and villany, covered under the cloak of fleshly holiness and Religion, &c. through the malice, ignorance mistake, and blinde zeal of Informers) a tedious twelve-months imprisonment in the common Goals of Warwick, Coventry, and that most infamous Goal of Newgate, Have been within these few days informed by my dearest friend, That
The twoWhich were put out [...]lf a y [...]er after mine imprisonment. Acts of May 10. and Aug. 9. 1650 were put out because of me; thereby secretly intimating that I was guilty of the breach of them. Whereupon, ( [...]fter my long, and by many admired patience and silence) I thought good, not so much for mine own sake, (for my pure innocence supports me, and lifts up my head above all these things) but for the sakes of others,
To present
This ensuing Remonstrance Vindication, and Attestation▪
Resolving, by the help of the Omnipotent, Omnipresent JEHOVAH (whom I purely worship in the spirit, having no confidence in the flesh) to enlarge my self (when I enjoy my liberty) upon these things; and to all unprejudiced spirits (and perhap [...] to the silencing of them also) to give an account of my self, in reference to those Various Dispensations past and present, that I have been and am led into and thorow: as also, the removing of all stumbling-blocks, the clearing up of those mistakes, [Page 2] and the wiping away those aspersions, which (through malice, weakness, ignorance, and mistake) have been cast upon me; who have been so covered with a cloud, that not one amongst a thousand know me.
But for the present, I shall address my self to the Acts; and begin with that of Aug. 9.
In the Preamble of this Act, the Parliament express their desires (by all GOOD MEANS) to propagate the Gospel, &c. Which is the desire of my soul. And it is always my fervent prayer to Him whose it is, That He the Prince of peace, (whose burden is easie, and whose yoke is light; who ruleth in righteousness; who judgeth not according to outward appearance, but judgeth righteous judgement) that he would, by his own out-stretched Arm, set it up. And I resolve never to give mine eyes any rest, till I see it flourish: for it is my Life.
They farther express
Their desire to suppress [Prophaness and Wickedness, Superstition and Formality, &c.]
The two former, my soul abhors, and I hate them with a perfect hatred; and have, by Life and Conversation, by Doctrine and Example (for many yeers) decried them; yea, even since I have been by all men (except those that knew me) cried up (as my fore-runner before me was by all sorts even of the most religious and righteous men, except a handful that knew him) for the worst of sinners, the vilest of persons; for a Blasphemer, a Devil, &c.
And as for Idolatry, Superstition, and Idolatrous Formality; Have any been Boanerges upon this account? (I speak as a fool.) I have thundered more against them then they all. And for my zeal herein, and against finer and subtiller pieces of Formality, the coals were first kindled against me. And now the fire is at the highest: whereat I laugh; having sweet union and communion with the Father and the Son; living in that Kingdom wherein dwelleth righteouness and peace; triumphing in joy unspeakable, and full of glory: sweet Peace and pure Content being my continual repast. Neither do I repent,
That the Almighty (whose I am, and who will do with his [Page 3] own what he pleaseth) Hath set me (as formerly he hath most of his holy Prophets and Servants) asIsa. 8.18, 14, 15. Zech. 3.3, 8. ☞ [Men wondered at.] Their words wondered at, their carriage wondered at, their actions wondered at, &c. * As was Hosea, Hos. 1.2. A SIGNE and a WONDER.—And—as a stumbling stone, and ROCK of OFFENCE to both the houses of Israel, &c.
But to proceed.
The Act is bent against these ensuing Execrable Opinions &c. As (first) [The denial of the necessity of Civil and Moral righteousness amongst men.]
If there are such a generation of men, they stand or fall to their own master. As for me, I say concerning them, O my soul! come not thou into their secrets: unto their assemblies, mine honour, be not thou united, Gen. 49.6.
This Opinion (in the presence of the All-seeing God, in whose presence I am, and whom I serve) I utterly protest against. And in the same presence, I most joyfully (to his praise) affirm, That that Golden Law, which is the Basis of all Civil and Moral righteousness among men; (Viz. Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, even so do you to them, &c.) is by the finger of God (in indelible letters) written as a Law of Life in my heart.
And here I can boldly (as in reference to the grace of God) though in all humility (as in reference to my self) challenge the whole world, and say, Whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or to whom have I done any wrong? Whom have I dealt unjustly with? where is ever a drop of blood that I have shed? whom have I defrauded of a shoo-latchet or a thred? &c.
Herein do I make my boast of God all the day long, and in him do I triumph and rejoyce, though I am (to my joy also) numbered amongst Transgressors, and the chiefest of them preferred before me; many of them being released, andAt which I envie not, &c. but take notice of, as do some hundreds also besides me. set at liberty; and I (patiently and silently) lie by the walls, as having a visage more marred then any man's, &c.
But I proceed,
And avowedly protest, that I hate and detest, yea (in the presence [Page 4] of God) protest against all those blasphemous Opinions or Tenents recited in page 980, from the thirteenth line thereof, to the seven and twentieth line of pag. 981.
And many, or most of them, I will particularly hint at;
As primely this.
I do not vainly, ignorantly, and blasphemously affirm my self, or any other meer creature, to be very God: neither was this Tenent (or any of the rest that follow) ever mine.
But this I have and do affirm, and shall still upon the house tops affirm, and shall expire with this wholesom sound, and orthodoxal opinion That God Christ is in the creature.
[—CHRIST IN YOƲ except you are reprobates, 1 Cor.] The contrary assertion, is the Blaspemie of Blasphemies, &c.
Again, I disavow, disown, detest, and protest against that Opinion which holdeth, That [God dwelleth in the creature, and nowhere else, &c.] I live in that sound and orthodox opinion of Omnipresencie; of which I can speak feelingly knowingly powerfully: whereof I formerly (in the time of mine own righteousness, which wasIsai. as menstruous rags; and in the time of my fleshly wisdom, which was1 Cor. enmity to God) spake of formally, ignorantly, notionally (onely) like a Parot in a Cage.
And as for the Righteousness, Holiness of GOD, &c. I had rather be cut to pieces then speak against it: for it is my Life. And whatever I have spoken against Righteousness and Holiness, it hath been against that righteousness of Man, which isIsai. as menstruous rags &c. and against that carnal mock-holiness: pseud-holiness of man which is a cloak for all manner of Villany; upon which the vengeance of God is and hath been poured forth &c.
And as for Vncleanness, prophane Swearing, Drunkenness, Filthiness, Brutishness, &c. I declaim against them, as unholy▪ &c.
As also, for Lying, Stealing, Cozening, and defrauding others, my soul abhors.
Further, I hold, declare, and maintain, that Murther, Adultery, Incest, Fornication, Vncleanness, Sodomie, &c. are things sinful, shameful, wicked, impious, and abominable, in any person, &c.
Or that Heaven and Happiness consisteth in the acting of these or such things; and the rest, as they follow in pag. 981, are things that I disown, disavow, and protest against.
I shall conclude with this Affirmation and Asseveration:
That there is Heaven, and Hell; Salvation, and Damnation. Heaven for all those that repent of their sins, that cease to do evil, and learn to do well. Heaven, for all them that are washt, purged, and cleansed, by the Spirit of our God. Heaven, for all them that have Christ, the King of Glory, Eternal Majestie, in them. And Hell, and Damnation, to all that touch the apple of his eye, that oppose the Lords Anointed, and that do his Prophets any harm.
It was in my thoughts to have said something concerning the Act of May 10; but, upon reading thereof, I see nothing in it but what is contained in that of August; and therefore my labour is saved.
And I shall onely adde a word or two concerning Liberty and Community.
As for Liberty, I own none but the glorious liberty of the sons of God which I and the whole creation groans after. And I do from my heart detest and protest against all Sinful liberty, or that is destructive to soul or body.
And as for Community, I own none but that Apostolical, Saint-like Community spoken of in the Scriptures. So far I either do or should own Community, that if flesh of my flesh be ready to perish, I either will or should call nothing that I have mine own: if I have bread, it shall or should be his; else all my Religion is vain. I am for dealing bread to the hungry, for cloathing the naked, for the breaking of every yoke, for the letting of the oppressed go free. I am or should be as my heavenly Father, who is kinde to all, loving to all, even to the ungodly, &c. Mat. 6. I can (through grace) pity those that are objects of compassion, and out of my poverty and penury relieve those that are in want. And if this be to be vile,— &c.
Yet,
Know all men by these Presents, That I am utterly against that Community which is sinful, or destructive to soul or body.