ERRAND TO DAMASCUS,

WITH

HIS PACKET OF LETTERS FROM THE HIGH PRIESTS AGAINST THE DISCIPLES OF THE LORD.

OR,

A FAITHFUL TRANSCRIPT

OF

A petition contrived by some persons in Lancashire, who call themselves ministers of the gospel, breathing out threatenings and slaughter against a peaceable and godly people there, by them nick-named

UAKERS.

TOGETHER WITH

The defence of the persons thereby traduced, against the slanderous and false suggestions of that petition and other untruths charged upon them.

Published to no other end but to draw out the bowels of tender compassion from all that love the poor despised servants of Jesus Christ, who have been the scorn of carnal men in all ages.

"Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you, falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."-Matt. v. 10, 11, 12.

LONDON, PRINTED 1654.

PHILADELPHIA :

MARCUS T. C. GOULD, No. 6, NORTH EIGHTH STREET.

NEW YORK:

ISAAC T. HOPPER, No. 420, PEARL STREET

J. HARDING, PRINTER.

1831

TO ALL THAT LOVE THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.

DEAR HEARTS,-You love the Lord Jesus Christ, and not him alone, but Christ, with all his train. Great shall be your compensation: for your love you shall have loves, (Cant. vii. 12.) Amores, a plurality and infinity of loves; which none but God in Christ hath to bestow. The best of his relations upon earth, have but single love (and it is happy they have love) to the brethren; but Christ hath loves for the meanest of you, the least of his. May you and all his, (in whom there are yet but buds, scarce visible appearances of graces,) prove fruitful vines, grow from buds to blossoms, from blossoms to abundance of fruits; that when the Lord shall get up early to visit his yineyard, you may feast him with pleasant fruits, new and old; you may bless him for his loves of former and latter days, and be ever to him an humble, holy, and thankful, and to his brethren a comforting people. Glory in your habit; you wear the signal favours of the King of kings, and Lord of hosts, the great and mighty Jehovah, LOVE: by which I know to whom ye belong, because ye love the brethren.

To the contrivers and subscribers of the petition.

POOR HEARTS,-Is this a time to chide and be angry, and pick quarrels? and (if you must needs do so) can you find no other objects of your indignation, but the Lord's disciples? but peaceable, holy, humble, selfdenying men? Is not the work of the ministry to preach the gospel? Is not the sword of the magistrate appointed to the punishment of evil doers, and to the praise of them that do well? Are you incumbent in your duties? Are you laying out your talents to the end they were given you, or are you mistaken in the thing? When did you proclaim war against drunkards, swearers, common blasphemers, enemies to the Lord and his people? Have you none of those amongst you? or are your high-flown contending spirits gone beyond such slender wrestlings, that you scorn to encounter with any below the degree of a saint? The Lord open your eyes and let you see, and give you hearts to consider your several duties. But tell me, ye sons of Levi, (as ye call yourselves,) ye that pretend a Jus Divinum to persecution; what will ye say, when the son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, and shall sit upon the throne of his glory, and all na

tions shall be gathered before him? Mind ye what will be the great work of that great day; your petition will surely then be heard. I beseech you read the paper of causes set down to be first heard at that tribunal, in Matt. xxv. 31. to the end of the chapter: and the Lord let it dwell upon your hearts for ever.

To the Christian Reader.

THESE are to let thee know that the only wise God at this time hath so by his providence ordered it, in the north parts of Lancashire, that many precious christians (and so for many years accounted, before the nickname Quakers was heard of) have, for some time past, forborne to concorporate in parochial assemblies, wherein they profess themselves to have gained little of the knowledge of Jesus Christ. And it is, and hath been put upon their hearts to meet often (and on the Lord's day constantly) at convenient places, to seek the Lord their redeemer, and to worship him in spirit and in truth, and to speak of such things, (tending to mutual edification,) as the good spirit of the Lord shall teach them; demeaning themselves without any offence given to any that truly fear the Lord.

But true it is that some men and interests of those parts do take great offence at them, and their christian and peaceable exercises; some, because they have witnessed against pride and luxuriant fulness, have therefore come armed with sword and pistols (men that never drew a sword for the interest of the commonwealth of England, perhaps against it) into their assemblies in time of their christian performances, and have taken him whom the Lord at that instant had moved to speak to the rest, and others of their assembly, (after they had haled and beaten them,) and carried them bound hand and feet into the open fields, in the cold of the night, and there left them to the hazard of their lives, had not the Lord of life owned them, which he did in much mercy. Others have had their houses broken in the night, and entered by men armed as aforesaid, and disguised, when they have been peaceably waiting upon God with their own and neighbouring families. And yet these humble persecuted Christians would not (even in these cases of gross and intolerable affronts, acted equally against the peace of the nation as against them) complain, but expressed how much (in measure) of their master's patience was given them, in breathing out their master's gentle words, 'Father, forgive them; they know not what they do.' Who have at any time borne such unheard of persecution with so mild spirits? Only they in whom persecuted Christ dwells: these poor creatures know

how their master fared, and rejoice to suffer with him, by whom alone they hope to be glorified; and are as well content to suffer, as to reign with Christ. But how unwillingly do we deny ourselves, and take up our cross and follow Christ: and yet a necessity lies upon us, if we will be the Lord's disciples, to take up our cross daily, and follow him. How is it then, that the crown of pride is so long upon the head of persecutors? how is it that such men should dare to divide the people of England, to trouble the council of state (in the throng of business concerning the management and improvement of all the mighty series of glorious providences made out to this infant commonwealth) with such abominable misrepresentations of honest, pious, peaceable men, who desire nothing more than to glorify their God in their generation, and are and have been more faithful to the interest of God's people in the nation, than any of the contrivers of the petition, as will easily be made appear if we may take for evidence what they themselves have often said of the parliament and army, and their friends and servants, publicly and privately; and it is well known their judgments are the same; but that the publication thereof will not safely consist with the enjoyment of their large vicarages, parsonages, and augmentations, whereby they are lifted up above their brethren, and exalt themselves above all that are called God's people in these parts.

However, reader, we need not fear; we hope the Lord will never suffer that monster, persecution, again to enter within the gates of England's Whitehall. They that sit in council there, know well enough who it was that so often assembled to consult how they might take Jesus by subtlety and kill him: they were men of no lower condition than chief priests, scribes, and elders of the people: and if ever these petitioners should but appear before them to whom they have directed their petition, my heart deceives me if they be not accounted such.

Reader, I would not preface thee into a good opinion of these suffering objects of such men's wrath; but read their paper here put into thy hand, by them written, upon the occasion of this petition, and several snares and temptations laid before them, on purpose to entrap them; and if by them thou canst find cause to pity these oppressed little ones, have them in thy remembrance when thou goest to the throne of grace, where my prayers shall meet thine, for them.

To the Right Honourable the Council of State.

The humble petition of several gentlemen, justices of peace, ministers of the gospel, and people, within the county of Lancaster, whose names are subscribed, showeth,

That George Fox and James Nayler, are persons disaffected to re

ligion, and the wholesome laws of this nation; and that since their coming into this country, have broached opinions tending to the destruction of the relation of subjects to their magistrates, wives to their husbands, children to their parents, servants to their masters, congregations to their ministers, and of a people to their God: and have drawn much people after them; many whereof, (men, women, and little children,) at their meetings, are strangely wrought upon in their bodies, and brought to fall, foam at the mouth, roar, and swell in their bellies. And that some of them affirmed themselves to be equal with God, contrary to the late act, as hath been attested at a late quarter sessions, holden at Lancaster, in October last past; and since that time, acknowledged before many witnesses; besides many other dangerous opinions, and damnable heresies, as appears by a schedule hereunto annexed; with the names of the witnesses subscribed.

May it therefore please your honours, upon the consideration of the premises, to provide, (as your wisdom shall think fit,) that some speedy course may be taken for the speedy suppressing of these evils. And your petitioners shall ever pray, as in duty bound.

1. George professed and avowed that he was equal with God. 2. He professed himself to be the eternal judge of the world. 3. He said he was the judge of the world.

4. He said he was the Christ, the way, the truth, the life.

5. He said, whosoever took a place of scripture, and made a sermon of it, and from it, was a conjuror, and his preaching conjuration. 6. He said that the scripture was carnal.

James Milner, a follower of the said Fox, professeth himself to be God and Christ; and gives out prophecies.

1. That the day of judgment shall be the 15th day of November. 2. That there shall never judge sit at Lancaster again.

3. That he must ere long shake the foundations of the great synagogue, meaning the parliament.

Leonard Fell professeth that Christ had never any body but his church.

Richard Huberthorn wrote, that Christ's coming in the flesh was but a figure.

The answer of George Fox, to the matters falsely charged upon him, by the petition and schedule aforesaid.

Object. 'THAT George Fox and James Nayler, are persons disaffected to religion.'