By conference also with him here in my Prison-chamher , I understood how long since , and upon what occasion , the Lord had taken him by the hand , and brought him into his spacious Galleries to walk and take a prospect of that part of Christs Kingdom , and glory , which is now ready to bee revealed in these last times .

So that I now plainly discern this , in regard his day was to be so short , he was thereupon spirited from the Lord to do much work in a little time ; for those Generation-works of his ( his Books so called ) together with his knowledge of the times , are no question a special product of Providence in this season , and may serve for the rouzing up and quickening of such as are upon their watch , to look about them , that they may not be surprized .

And for the rendring unexcusable , that Generation of drousie Professors and Apostate pretenders , which this Nation swarms with at this day .

Neither let it seem strange to thee ( whosoever thou art that readest this ) that the learned Rabbies , and the Orthodox Doctors of these times are so exceeding dumb as to this point , for first , consider , It is not the high-way to Ecclesiastical promotions ; it is impossible they should get or keep any great Church-livings ; if such Doctrine should be preached by them , or imbraced by the people , as these Fift-Kingdom-men desire and indeavor to leaven the land withall . And then secondly , It is according to the tenor of Gods working in the Generations before us ; such mysteries use to be hidden ( in their first discoveries at least ) from the wise and prudent , and were revealed unto Babes , that so no flesh might glory in his presence .

Wherefore let no man find fault , that the Lord takes such unlikely Instruments to break the Ice , to prepare the way , nor yet take offence at that diversity of Opinions and Apprehensions which is and will be found for a little while , among the Assertors of this Doctrine of Christs Kingdom in the approaching , glorious ministration of it .

It is true , such a thing is intimated and handled by this Author in his second Sermon concerning the signs of the times , at the 52 page , &c. But this will occasion the true children of the true light to search the Scriptures daily , whether those things there discussed be so or no ; I confess I have some hope to be successful in reconciling the matter betwixt those good men , by communicating ere long to publick view , ( if not prevented ) what I apprehend to be the mind of God in that particular . In the mean time I desire the Lords little remnant ( whom he hath reserved to himself in this general Apostacie ) waiting for the breaking forth of the next dispensation , from under this dark cloud , to entertain these Sermons , of this Disciple lately deceased ( taken in short-hand from his lips , & ( because death prevented ) not perused nor perfected by himself ) with that respect , which is due to the memory of such a servant of Christ , whose praise ( as we hear ) is in all the Churches throughout Norfolk and Suffolk , besides other places where he hath travelled , teaching and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ .

Object . But many men , who favour not my righteous cause , will be apt to say , This is strange , could there not be found another friend of the Authors more acceptable among the people , and who should have recommended these his last words and works unto them , with more advantage to the cause , &c. We know that this man is a sinner ; He is an evil doer , or else why is he in Prison ? undoubtedly he was not put there , neither is he kept there , for his good deeds ; It is much he should be made use of in such a work as this , for laudari a laudato viro , illa , illa demum laus est , &c.

Answ. 1. I have , in some measure learned of Job , not to stand upon my terms with the Lord , in point of innocency , I know it is so as you say , Job 9.2 . for how should a man be just before God ? if he will contend with him , Vers. 15. he cannot answer him one of a thousand . Though I were righteous , yet would I not answer him , but would make my supplication to my Judge . 1 Joh. 1.8 . And if I say I have no sin I deceive my self , and the truth is not in me .

Ans. 2. But as to men , I may plead my integrity with a good conscience , and say with boldness , if things were examined from the bottom , from the beginning , I make no question in the least , but I should be justified by the children of Wisdom ( I mean , not the wisdom of this world , nor of the Princes of this world , who are coming to nought , but the wisdom of God in a mystery ) for they would not judge according to outward appearance , but would judge righteous Judgement . Their Judgement ( like the Lords , Rom. 2.2 . ) would , I am sure , be according to truth , and not according to interest , as the manner of Machiavel and Achitophel was .

And ( which is also the Lords mercy , I am perswaded to all his imprisoned servants now suffering for the good old cause ) with me it is a very small thing , that I should be either commended or condemned by the men of this old evill world , 1 Joh. 5.19 1 Cor. 5. 1 Pet. 4.5 . which lieth in wickedness , for when we all come to give an account , to him who is ready to judge the quick and the dead , as the Apostle speaks ? such a sentence will be pronounced , and such an exact distribution of Justice will be made , that we are sure , our subtle , proud persecuters will be stript naked and bare of all their Swords , and Guns , their Gaolors , and their Catchpoles , and besides all this , their Clergy , which stands them instead here , will not be allowed them in that Court .

Answ. 3. It doth not necessarily follow , that because I am a prisoner , therefore I must bee an evill doer , or a transgressor , for we know Joseph was a prisoner , and Jeremy , and the Apostles were imprisoned , yet who will reckon them with transgressors , that pretend to be Christs Disciples ? yea , Christ himself was numbered among the greatest Malefactors of that time , wherefore , let no man be rash to speak evil of persons and things which they have no acquaintance with .

But to give the Reader a brief account , for the present , reserving a larger Narrative to a fitter opportunity ; I have been twice imprisoned by the Man , whom the people call His Highness , and their Lord Protector .

The first time there was an Arbitrary Power exercised by him , in causing me to be apprehended , for giving two general Observations , and nine particular Characters of the Little Horn ( mentioned in Daniel the seventh ) that day wherein he was proclaimed , as they say , this should have been preached the week before , but by providence I was prevented . So that here could be no colour for imprisonment , considering I applied it to no person , for , as I told the people , ( and I spake the truth ) God had not revealed it to me as yet ( but the day would declare it ) to whom properly to apply it .

And accordingly , when I was examined by him , as a Prisoner , in the Councel Chamber , concerning the application of those Characters , I told him what I had spoken in the presence and hearing of hundreds concerning this matter , but withal I then declared to him in the presence of his Creatures , That if the Lord had revealed unto me , who it was that the Holy Ghost meant by that Little Horn , I would have told the people , though I had died for it , when I had done : And then I added these other words ; — But to deal plainly with you , my Lord , and to tell you my very heart , the reason why I did not apply those Characters unto you ( at that time ) was , because , I thought ( or judged ) that you would not persecute the Saints . For indeed till then , I never knew or heard that he had so done . But since that , what he hath done , and now doth , in this kind , let the spiritual man , who best discerns the difference of things , give his judgement . Hitherto , I know assuredly , that I was not in any fault , worthy of the least reproof from man , much lesse of bonds .

Besides this , there was another material passage , which I declare with all faithfulness : I perceived by his large Speech , that which he fixed upon , as matter of Charge , was , that I was an Enemy to Government , and all my quarrel was against Government . These were his very words , to which I chose to make my defence at large , declaring first , my manner of education , as Paul did ( for I made his Apology my Pattern ) and the manner of the Lords putting me into the Ministry ( 1 Tim. 1.12 . ) And then in the next place , I shewed him , how I had indeed preached against Episcopal Government , and then against the Kings Government , and that his Monarchy should be destroyed ; Then I declared also that I had indeed preached against the Presbyterian Government ( as set up by the Parliament ) and against the Assembly , or new fashioned Synod , of Lords , Commons , and Clergy-men ; And lastly , against the Parliament ( but not against that kind of Government which they declared for ( for that I owned , so far as it was a Government for the Commonwealth , and the publick good . )

But withall , as I declared these things freely concerning my self , so I shewed him likewise from point to point , how He Himself had pulled down all these Governments one after another . First , The Prelatical Government , next the Kingly , then the Presbyteriall ; after that , the long Parliament ; so finishing this part of my Defence ; I looked him stedfastly in the face , without fear , and said in these very words , So that , my Lord , I conclude , if I am against Government , YOU are against Government ; and if I have a Quarrel against Government , YOU have a Quarrel against Government also .

The truth is , I have much mused upon this Charge of his , for of all the men in the world , I admired ( and do still wonder ) with what face HEE could find fault with me , and with what conscience HE could accuse me , and impute this as a crime worthy of close imprisonment ; when he knew in his own soul , that he had pulled down whatsoever I had preached down , from first to last ( except his own new Instrument which was not then published to the world ) neverthelesse to close prison I must go .

And yet do not know any colour of Reason or of Law for that usage , unto this moment , neither is it possible I ever should , for that imprisonment was contradictory to all principles of Reason , Justice , and Conscience . All that can be said , is this , he presumed to give the Congregation to whom he was preaching , several Characters of the Little Horn , upon that very day , when the people cried ( or should have cryed , if they did not ) God save His Highness , taking the Lords name in vain , after the old mode in King Charles his dayes .

There hath been also ( I understand from very many friends , who come to visit me in Prison ) a great noyse at Court ( from whence it is spread up and down the City and Country ) that I sunk under him , when I was brought before him , and had not a word to say for my self , and Mr. T. was perswaded I was convinced , and would forbear to preach as formerly , &c. and this his said Secretary will witness ; this businesse is frequently repeated in my absence , being twenty miles off in prison . I commend the Master and the Man , they would make the Saints , my friends , beleeve strange things against me , when I am far enough out of the hearing ; But the Lord knows I never was conscious to my self of any thing in that kind ; neither did I give occasion for any man so to judge and report , for the truth is this , I was not affraid either of his looks or his threats in the least , from first to last ; neither was I at all convinced ( by any thing that he said ) that I have done any evil in the sight of the Lord , or of man , in whatsoever I preached concerning the Little Horn ( which ( as I judge ) was the cause of mine Imprisonment on his part , ) nevertheless , This I must needs say , and it is truth ; When I heard the General speak at such a rate concerning IMPULSES ( upon occasion of somewhat I had a little before toucht upon ) magnifying the fruits of such Impulses , as came upon his own spirit , as all excellent and glorious , I began to wonder , and thought it somewhat strange to hear such language , savouring of self-exaltation ; but when I heard him vilifie those Impulses which other Saints had experience of , judging their Impulses to be from the Devil , condemning that spirit by which they spake , saying , Wee had forsaken the Head ( Christ ) and were under the Ministration of evil Angels , &c. My Countenance ( I verily beleeve ) was very much changed , because of that great trouble which fell upon my spirit in hearing such words , bordering ( as I then conceived ) upon Blasphemy ; Hereupon , casting my eyes up towards the wall over against me , and shaking my head , with much grief of heart to hear him , I considered in my self , whether I should reply to him concerning those grievous expressions of his , or not , and even as I was resolving in the negative , these words came into my mind ( or were put into my mind ) with power , Answer him not a word , Answer him not a word . Whereupon when he had done speaking , I kept silence , and did not return a word , that I can remember ; from this passage I am apt to think , they supposed I was convinced by what had been spoken by him , and had nothing more to say for my self , and thereupon have spread this untrue report , but they were , and are deceived in that matter .

But at the end of three dayes and an half , I was set free , not making any promise , or yeelding to any terms which were propounded to me : I supposed they were not able to justifie what they had done ; ( for This Imprisonment was contrary to the Law of God , and of the Land , yea and contrary to his own Oath , which he had solemnly taken , but five dayes before in the presence of many witnesses ) and so I have done for the present with my first Imprisonment .

As for the cause of this second Imprisonment : It is as far from my knowledge as the former , unless it be for bearing my testimony publickly against the open and notorious Abominations of the times ; wherein the General and his Army are so involved , together with the Parochial Church-men , and the Luke-warm Professors , that certainly there will overtake them a most sore visitation from the Lord , which will destroy their Refuge of lyes , and tear their Instruments all to peeces ; If this be to be vile , I will be more vile ; If I must suffer Persecution , Imprisonment , and reproach for this , the will of the Lord be done ; I am made more than a Conqueror through him who hath loved mee . Shall not I be as bold to plead for the Lamb against the Beast , as they are to plead the cause of Antichrist , against the Lord Jesus ? God forbid !

I was indeed , after I was apprehended this second time , brought before a Committee of the Council , as they called it , where they caused to be read in my hearing some passages of a Sermon at Alhallows two dayes before , and would have me to answer , whether I had spoken those things , which some of their Pursevants or sneaking Spies had brought unto them . It put me in mind of the persecuting Prelates , who laid snares to intray the Servants of God in their faithful preachings to the people . I told them , I would neither affirm nor deny any thing ; but when they brought the Accusers , and the witnesses face to face , I would give them an Answer , and so we parted . After four or five dayes , they sent me to Winsor Castle , and here I have been nineteen Months and more , and know not when I shall come to a Trial , they are a long time , methinks , in preparing the charge against me , surely they are to seek it , for I was in prison before their Law was published ; And where there is no Law , there is no transgression .

Now I would willingly know of such as reproach me as an evil doer ( and therefore I suffer justly ) what is my transgression , and what is my sin ? for if I am an Offender ( as Paul saith ) or have committed any thing worthy of death , I refuse not to dye , or otherwise to be punished according to my demerits , in case I have transgressed any Law of Righteousness whatsoever .

Wherefore I humbly conceive that mine Imprisonment , doth not render me uncapable of writing to the Lords people , and therefore , these things not being intended for any but the followers of the Lamb , I shall desire them not to condemn me , before they find me manifestly convicted of those notorious evils , which are reported against me .

And seeing the Lord hath given me an opportunity to testifie the truth , for the Cause sake , wherein I suffer , and which the Author of these Sermons did own to his death ; I hope no inconvenience can arise from this brief Apology thus briefly represented to the little Remnant of the Womans Seed , who ( in these dayes of Hypocrisie and Apostacy ) keep the Commandements of God , and have the testimony of Jesus Christ .

One word to my Fellow-prisoners , in this glorious Cause , from the Word of the Lord ; and it is a part of those glad tydings , which they , through Grace , may bee abundantly refreshed in the remembrance of , as I have been in this long time of Oppression , THERE REMAINETH A REST FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD. A Sabbatisme , so the Word is , an holy , solemn Rest ; and it hath reference , to the World to come , even the state of the Saints in the Thousand years : This hath been in all Ages good news to so many , as being pilgrims and strangers for the Lords sake in this present evil world , have been alwayes hated , reproached , oppressed , persecuted , tormented , slaughtered , by the four great cruel wild Beasts , Dan. 7. Oh what a voluminous Martyrology would that be , which can comprehend all the cruelties , bloody Massacres , and despiteful dealings with the Saints of the most High , which have been perpetrated upon this earth , since Cain slew his brother Abel , which can exemplifie in punctual narrations of truth , all the Methods , Stratagems , Pretences and Policies , which Persecutors , have , and will make use of , for the suppressing of that spirit , which with boldness , doth justly contradict them , in their wickedness and Abominations . It s not a work for a finite creature to undertake , none are sufficient Historiographers of these things , but the Three , who bear Record in Heaven , where there is a Book of Remembrance written for those which feared Jehovah , and thought upon his Name in their Generations .

Blessed be the Name of the Lord our God , and our Father , how sweet is his presence in a prison , to his suffering servants ? Moses esteemed the reproaches of Christ greater Riches than the treasures of Egypt . And wee from the overflowings of Divine Love , have such glorious Incombs , that we would not exchange , the least of them , for all the gold and silver , which is coming from the West-Indies to the New Court. As the noble Marquess Galeacius Caracciolus , when Golden Temptations were presented , Let their money perish with them , saith he , who account all the gold in the world worth one dayes communion with Jesus Christ in the holy Spirit .

Dear Brethren in Bonds , for the Lords sake , How is it with you ? Have you cheerful lively spirits ? Do you live in the sense of the love of God , shed abroad in your hearts , by the holy Spirit which is given to you ? Doth your faith grow exceedingly ? Doth your love and zeal abound more and more for the Lord Jesus and his Interest ? What ripeness , and readiness of spirit , soul and body do you find , to arise , to come forth , and to march in the honorable Expeditions of the Lamb against the Beast : Are you prepared to follow the Lord fully ? Oh let us ( for I desire to be of that number ) let us never give the Lord rest , till he burn with fire , that Mother of Harlots , and Abominations of the Earth , together with all her Daughters , and until Jerusalem ( the New Jerusalem ) be established the praise of all the Earth .

We cannot but wait and hope , till the Spirit cloath 〈◊〉 ( as it did Amazia , 1 Chron. 12.18 . that we may speak , saying in a mystery , Thine are we , David , and on thy side thou Root of Jessai , peace , peace be unto thee , and peace be unto thine Helpers , for thy God helpeth thee .

And I make no Question but ●re it be long there will be a coming to our David day by day , to help him untill it become a great Host , like the Host of God , and so to turn the Kingdom of Saul unto him ( whose right it is ) according to the word of the Lord . For do the Kings of the Earth , at home , or abroad , think of setling and establishment at this time of the day ? Alas poor creatures , their glass is almost run out ! The God of Heaven is numbring their Kingdoms , and finishing them ; The God of Heaven is weighing the new and old Tyranical Monarchies , and will find them too light ; The God of Heaven will work Divisions in their Kingdomes , and will give them all to his Son , and his Saints . It is true , their ghostly Fathers , and their Court-Chaplines do put this evil day afar off , and perswade their Majesties , their Highnesses , and their Excellencies , &c. that we are possessed with on evil spirit of Sedition and Emnity against Government , but we dare say to our Father , who sees in secret , and tryes the reins , that they Lye , and speak not the truth , for he knows , who knows all things , that the desire of our souls , is , to be under the best Government that ever was , or will bee in the world .

We confess we groan to be delivered from that Bondage which we are in under the Tyrants of the world we would not have the Beast , nor any of his Horns to exercise such cruel domination over us , as in time past , because we had a little reviving from our former yokes , by the out-stretched Arm of the Almighty , and it was sweet unto us , and we long for a full possession ; wherefore let us , oh let us beleeve ( and the Lord increase our faith ) that we shall take them captives whose captives we are , and we shal rule over our oppressors . We shall meet and magnifie the Lord together , and those followers of the Lamb who have prayed and wrestled in prayer for us , and for the present , it will be of use to look into those good works , and comfortable words , which this servant of the Lord ( who lived and dyed in the testimony of this truth ) doth spread before you , who purposed to visit you , and to incourage your hearts , and to strengthen your hands in God , yea , and to be refreshed by you , I mean , you who are removed far off , and thrust into holes , and corners , contrary to All Rules of Righteousness . But though he purposed , Jehovah preverted , who doth all things according to the counsel of his own will , and it becomes us who remain alive , and have , through grace , received a Kingdom which cannot be shaken , to serve the Lord in our Generation acceptably , with reverence and godly fear , for our God is a consuming fire . And now oh that those precious truths handled by him , might through the blessing of the Almighty , become spiritual nourishment to us in our captivity ; The first Kingdom is founded upon the New Covenant , Christ Jesus is the onely foundation , &c.