things to come, and the duties of sacrifice (which is far from the Emmanuel state); and the latter, viz. the rule and judge, to be the scriptures; which are but an account of those things that others were ruled to, and directed in, by the Holy Spirit, before they were ever recorded or made scripture; and no other rule or judge can so regulate: for as the faith and experience, so the rule and judge of that faith and experience, must be one. God by his spirit begets faith; God by his spirit rules faith, and governs the life of his children; "for as many as are children of God, are led by the spirit of God." The scripture, much of it, is but a declaration of faith and experience; therefore not the rule, or judge: for as faith and experience were before scripture, (because, as I said before, there must be a rule and judge where there is faith) therefore the scripture is not that rule or judge: and before that declaration be answered or fulfilled by any, they must come to the faith, rule, and judge, of which that is a declaration. So that faith is yielding up to the requirings of God's spirit in us, in full assurance of the remission of sins that are past, through the Son of his Love, and life everlasting;' from whence daily flow works of holiness, well-pleasing to God: which is more than a mere assent of the understanding to a verbal, though a true proposition. Again, the life of a true Christian stands not in bodily exercise, which, says the apostle, profits little nor in an imitation of the ancients in temporary and shadowy things, which the hypocrite, as well as the saint, can do; but in self-denial, and walking in the spirit, to bring forth the fruits thereof unto all godliness, which is the pure and spiritual obedience, resulting from the living spiritual faith of God's elect: and the rule and judge thereof is their author and begetter, even the spirit of truth, which alone gives saving understanding, faith, and obedience, and searcheth the deep things of God.s

:

O ye professors of religion, that you would but seriously weigh these things, and examine yourselves in God's sight (for he respects none for their fair outside), if this saving faith be your faith, and this heavenly life be your life, and if the Holy Spirit be your ruler and leader? If not, you are but legal, formal, and in the oldness of the letter, and will-worshippers, which obtains not with God in which state, not the wisdom from above, but that which is from below, of the old creature, is your rule: in it you read scripture, expound it, pray, preach, sing, and perform all your duties; and this is not to walk "according to the rule 'Rom. viii. 14, 15. 1 Tim. iv. 8. Col. ii. 20, 21, 22, 23. Gal. v. 16,

22, 23.

of the new creature." but in a legal spirit to make a gospel profession; the end of which, from the Lord, I am to tell you, "will be a bed of sorrow," Therefore resist not the light and spirit within, but turn at the reproof thereof, that you may come to walk in the way of life, daily life to your souls; that so you may be quickened and made alive to God in all your duties, and live to him, while you live in that life which is hid with Christ in God; that being thus born again, and become renewed in your inward man, you may perform that pure and spiritual worship, which is of a sweet savour with the Lord; so shall he bless you with his heavenly blessings, and daily replenish your souls with the unspeakable joys of his love and salvation. This I heartily desire, and through all difficulties incessantly travel for, in body, soul, and spirit, that the all-wise, good, omnipotent God may be known, served, and obeyed by you, to your comfort, and his eternal honour, who alone is worthy to receive it, now and for ever. Amen.

TREATISE

OF

OATHS:

CONTAINING

SEVERAL WEIGHTY REASONS

WHY THE PEOPLE CALLED QUAKERS

REFUSE TO SWEAR.

And those confirmed by Numerous Testimonies

OF

Gentiles, Jews, and Christians,

BOTH

FATHERS, DOCTORS, AND MARTYRS.

Presented to the KING and the Great Council of England in Parliament.

"But I say unto you, Swear not at all. Mat. v. 34. "Above all things, my brethren, swear not. Jam, v. 22. "Because of oaths, the land mourneth. Jer. xxxii. 10." He ought to swear neither this thing nor any thing. Theognis. It is a great good for a man not to swear at all. Maimonides. It is not lawful to swear, neither in a just nor unjust cause. Chrysostom

TO THE

KING,

AND

GREAT COUNCIL OF ENGLAND,

ASSEMBLED IN PARLIAMENT.

The Case of the people called QUAKERS, relating to OATHS, farther represented, and recommended to their consideration, in order to a speedy and effectual redress.

THE Common benefit of the free people of England being undoubtedly both the first and greatest reason for the ancient, just, and necessary constitution of Parliaments; and being also informed that it is your resolution to employ this session to the redress of public grievances; and since we cannot but repute ourselves a member of this great body you represent, by birth and English descent, and are not only involved in the common calamities of the kingdom, but in particular very cruelly treated in our persons and estates, because we cannot, for pure conscience, take any oath at all (though we have again and again tendered our solemn yea or nay, and are most willing to sustain the same penalty in case of lying, that is usually inflicted for perjury); to the end we may not be interpreted to decline the custom out of mere humour or evasion (though our frequent and heavy sufferings, by fines and tedious imprisonments, sometimes to death itself, should sufficiently vindicate us against such uncharitable censure) we do. with all due respect, present you with our reasons for that tenderness, and many testimonies and precedents in their defence; and we intreat you to express that care of a member of your own civil body, which nature and christianity excite to. We mean, that it would please you to consider how deeply we have already suffered in person and estate, the inconveniencies we have daily to encounter, and those injurious not only to ourselves, but others we commerce with, in that both they and we, because of our tenderness in this matter, are constantly at the mercy of such as will swear any thing to advantage themselves, where they are sure that a contrary evidence shall be by law esteemed (however true) invalid; under which difficulty several of us at this hour fruitlessly labour: that being sensible of our calamity, you may please to endeavour, as for others, so for this grievance, both a speedy

and effectual redress; otherwise, besides ordinary cases, wherein many of us extraordinarily suffer, we may perhaps prove, in this of oaths, the greatest, if not the only sufferers of the kingdom; a cruelty, we hope, you do not design against us.

God Almighty, we beseech him with all sincerity of heart, incline you to justice, mercy, and truth. Amen.

London, the 25th of the third month, 1675.

Subscribed on the behalf of the rest of our friends, by

Alexander Parker,

George Whitehead,

Stephen Crisp,

William Mead,
Gerrard Roberts,

William Welsh

Samuel Newton,

Thomas Heart,

John Osgood,

James Claypool,

Thomas Rudyard,
Richard Richardson,

and William Penn.

Some inducements offered to answer this request, from a consideration of the cause and end of an oath, and those reasons and testimonies given by us against the use and imposition of it.

The ground or reason of swearing.

This, we think, all will agree to have been the degeneration of man from primitive integrity, at what time yea and nay were enough; for when men grew corrupt, they distrusted each other, and had recourse to extraordinary ways to awe one another into truth-speaking, as a remedy against falshood; else, what need had there been of an oath, or any extraordinary way of evidence, when every syllable was freighted with truth and integrity? It had been a mere taking of God's holy name in vain truth then flowed natu rally, and wanted no such expedient to extort its evidence. Thus Polybius, though an Heathen, in his story of the Romans, saith, among the ancients, oaths were seldom used in judicatures themselves; but when perfidiousness increased, oaths increased,' or then the use of them first came in*.

Basilius Magnus saith, oaths are an effect of sint."

Gregorius Nazianzenus, in his dialogue against swearing, saith, an oath is nothing else but a certain consummation of mischiefst.'

He lived before Christ two hundred years. H. Grotius on Mat. v. Bishop Gauden of Oaths, p. 36. + In Psalm xiv. Jamb. 20.