WHoever thou art , or of what degree , quality , or place thou may be in in this world , into whose view this little Paper may come , let prejudice be laid aside , and in Gods fear let it b●●ead , and let that which is just and equal ( that never did nor will deceive any ) even Gods Witness in thy heart and conscience be Judge in this Matter .

I having seen and read the News-book published the Munday 18 of April ( so called ) 1664. could not but be grieved in my spirit to see the audaciousness and impudency of the Publisher thereof , who by insinuating and lying would incense both Rulers , Magistrates , and People against an innocent and peaceable people , who in scorn are called Quakers , who are well known to be a people that seeks the good , welfare , and prosperity of the souls and bodies of all men , and are found walking in the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles , who said , Love your enemies , and follow peace with all men and holiness , without which no man shall see the Lord .

And now friends and people into whose hand this may come , the everlasting God of Compassions having so far manifested his love unto my soul , as to make known his living and unchangeable truth unto me from all the deceivable wayes and changeable Worships which are in the World , and not only so , but hath also inclined my heart to walk therein , unto his holy name be the praise and glory over all for ever ; And having thus tasted of the love of God , and many a time been overcome therewith , even to the begetting of love again in my heart unto the Lord , and unto his truth which lives in my heart , and is become more dear unto me then all things beside it ; I judge it to be no less then my duty , according to my measure and the ability that God hath given me , to bear my testimony for the Lord at this time , as my being concerned therein , and represented unto the Nation as a person that makes it my business , to provide , fit up , and disperse seditious Pamphlets : and I can truly say in the fear of God , it is not out of any ambition or desire that I have to appear in print , or any self seeking or self end whatsoever , but simply and nakedly that the truth may be cleared from those false and scandalous aspersions which this Enemy of Godliness hath cast upon it , and for the better information of those that desires to know the truth of this Matter . I shall not much meddle with those whom the scoffing seed of Ishmael calls Hobby-horses , or others wherein the truth is not so much concerned , but leave them to answer for themselves .

And first of all , the Intelligencer is pleased to signifie the fair hope and expectation he hath that somewhat will be done ere long for the suppressing of Conventicles ; the necessity whereof ( saith he ) discovers it self dayly , for it is not now enough for the Phanatiques to have their private Meetings in corners , and to enjoy them with all freedom and impunitie , unless they may triumph over Authority in the open streets .

Answer . Now Cains nature is made manifest , who was the first persecutor for Religion , and the Wolfs teeth begins to appear under the sheeps cloashing , notwithstanding the sinceth words and soft out-side , yet will bire fore when it hath opportunity . And as for Conventicles , the Meetings of the people of God ( scornfully called Quakers ) cannot truly be called such , for their Meetings are publick and their doors stands open , that all that comes may both hear and see what is spoken or done : Surely this zealot for the Church of England had forgotten ( when he writ this Intelligence ) what his Godsather and Godmother ( so called ) did promise and vow in his name ; viz. that he should forsake the Devil and all his works ; and is not Lying the work of the Devil ? and doth he not lye when he saith , It is not now enough for the Phanatiques ( as he calls them ) to have their private Meetings , and to enjoy them with all freedom and impunity , unless they may triumph over Authority in the open streets ? To prove this to be a Lye , we need not go far for evidence ; Let the Goals and Prisons throughout this Nation testifie how many innocent persons are at this very time sufferers therein , for no other cause but meeting together in Gods fear to wait upon him : and many thousands in and about this great City of London are eye-witnesses how we have been and are with Staves and Holberds kept out of our own hired houses and meeting-places , and so many times have been necessitated to meet in the street ? and this he calls triumphing over Authority ; and all that have any true knowledge of our practice , principle , or doctrine can bear us witness that the tendency thereof , hath not been to triumph over Authority , or to the countenancing or encouraging of any in the least so to do , or to oppose , resist , or rebell against those in Authority ; but on the contrary , we have been willing and ready to obey all and every just and lawfull commands of our Superiours , and that not for fear of wrath but for conscience suke , and wherein they have required our obedience to any thing contrary to the minde and will of God revealed and made known unto us , we have in the sear of God and in the spirit of meekness born our testimony against it through our patient suffering of whatever they have bin permitted to inflict upon us & have rather chosen to lay down and part with all that is near and dear unto us , then to fin against the Lord , or to deny him before men , or to give that unto man which only and alone belongs unto God , even the rule and dominion over our Consciences , and the Lord our God through his tender mercy hath preserved us hitherto , and still doth in the same minde firm and stedfast , unmoveable , and without wavering , well knowing on whom we have believed , notwithstanding all the cruel threatnings that are dayly breathed against us , yet our confidence is in the Lord , and in the power of his might ; and though the Furnace may be heat yet 7 times hotter , our God is the same as ever he was , who never leaves nor forsakes them that put their trust in him ; but is and will be present with his Chosen Inheritance , and the People in whom he hath placed his Name , and made his Power known ; but the hope of the hippocrite shall perish , and the expectation of the ungodly shall utterly fail .

Further , the intelligencer , ( or rather foul informer ) saith it is past that time of day with us now , to discover the danger of schismatical meetings , yet concerning their wayes and practices , a word perhaps of Information may not be amiss .

Answer . That Information which is contrary to Truth must needs be amiss , and he would have come off with more credit if he had told of some news far remote , and saved his labour as to this which may so easily be disproved , and it is but reasonable and equal ; that first he should have proved the Quakers meetings to have been schismatical by the Scriptures , before he had concluded them so to be ; or at least wise have procured some of his pious Clergy , or dignified Bishops as he calls them , to have come to our meetings , and openly in the audience of the people , by righteous reason and sound Arguments grounded upon the holy Scriptures of Truth convinced us , that the way we walk in is error , and that the way and practice they walk and are sound in is Apostolical , and according to the Scripture , then people would have believed them ; otherwise , will not people be ready to say , they are lazy and idle shepherds ; and conclude that they have not Truth on their side ; notwithstanding their Spiritual Courts Carnal Laws and Carnal Weapons , by which they would force and compel people to come to their Church , and bow and conform to their worship , when as yet they have not con●inced them that it is the way that God would have them worship in ; and so it being contrary to their saith they would force them to be Hypocrites , for Whatsoever is not of faith is sin : Therefore consider this all you that would force people to conform to your worship contrary to the perswasion of the Spirit of God in their hearts and consciences , and be well advised what you do ; for the Lord hath opened the eyes of many people , and you can never being them into blindness again : and though you build your nests on high and say in your hearts you have the strength and power of the three Kingdoms on your side , and so trust in the Arm of flesh , and so forget the Lord and his dealings with you and your Fathers in the years that are past : It may be worth your serious consideration , to consider what was the ground or cause of the Lords giving of you into the hands of your enemies then , and leaving you as it were without hope of ever enjoying such a day , as he hath miraculously given you again , and once more entrusted you withal : and now search and try your wayes , and see whether the same ground and Gause that caused the anger of the Lord to be kindled against you , and your Fathers then , be not sound amongst you now , and if upon diligent search you find it so to be , what reason can you produce to your selves that the same effect will not follow ; For the Lord is just in all his wayes , and righteous in all his doings and now count me not your enemy for telling you the truth .

But hearken unto the witness of God in your own hearts , which condemns you in secret for your evil deeds , for that will deal plainly with you , and testifie to the truth of these things ; for in Gods holy sear I declare that I write not these things out of any enmity to the Persons or person of any of you , but in tender bowels of love , that if happily any of you may hearken and consider , and turn unto the Lord before your day be turned into night , and the patience and long suffering of the Lord come to an end as to you-ward , and the houre of your visitation be wholly over ; surely the time hastens , whither you hear or forbear , I am clear , and remember that you were once more warned .

And further , the Intelligencer saith ; At the Bull and Mouth in St Martins near Aldersgate ( a spacious building and the common meeting place of the Quakers ) there are first 2 schools where the Children are taught by Catechisms express , that the Ceremonies of the Church of England are Idolatrous , and the Ministers Antichristian ; there are likewise under the same roof a Book-seller , & a Book-binder , both Quakers , whose business it is to provide and fit up seditious Pamphlets to disperse at their meetings , medling with no other but what are against the Government , as may appear by divers pestilent Libels that have been lately seized in several quarters of the house , and from the same place and person , Books of that quality have been taken no less then five times in the space of a fortnight .

Answer , As for the Catechism that he seems to be so much offended at , the Author thereof hath proved by the Scriptures of Truth the things therein asserted ; which is more then Roger Lestrange , hath done or any of the Bishops or Clergy so call'd , as to prove by the holy Scriptures the Quakers meetings to be schismatical , & their Books to be seditious pamphlets & pestilent libels , before he had so represented them to the Nation ; neither he , nor the Bishops and Ministers of the Church of England would willingly be so represented themselves without any further proof then a bare affirmation , ye● if any one should call them Antichristian , they would not be pleased though they are found walking contrary to the cōmand of Christ , who said unto the true Christian● , as ye would that men should do unto you , so do ye unto them , did Roger Lestrange do so when he took away my books 5 times in less then the space of 14 dayes as he confesses they were taken away , he had as much & more cause to be asham'd in the taking of them away as to be ashamed to confess who took them away ; for he that discovers theft ought also as much as in him lies to discover the theef , and do such as persecute for Religion , do as they would be done by ; would they have their goods spoyled ? would they be separated from their Wises and tender Children , and from their honest and lawful imployment , by which they provide for their Families and are serviceable in their generation ; would they be thrust into noysom prisons and stinking Dungeous , and there endure a stifling and a languishing Martyrdom ( as thany hath done whose innocent blood cries for vengeance as righteous Abels did ) would they be banished out of their native Country ? would they be proceeded against as felons , and to be put to death without mercy ? and for no other cause , but for doing that which they are perswaded by the spirit of God ( in their hearts and consciences ) they ought to do ; and if they should not do it they should sin against the Lord ; or on the other hand for refusing to do that , which by the same holy Spirit of God they are perswaded they ought not to do ; and if they do it they should therein also sin against the Lord . And now you who would be called Christians , would you be so done unto , and for no other cause but as afore mentioned ? let Gods witnesse speak in your hearts and it will answer no ; then remember Christs words ( it s no vain repetition , ) as yee would that men should do unto you , so do you unto them , and if any man say that he loves God and keeps not his Commandements he is a lyer ; and again , if ye love me keep my Commandements saith Christ Jesus ; so try your selves and see what spirit you are on , for if any man have not the Spirit of Christ , he is none of his , then far from being a true Christian , for the Spirit of Christ never persecuted any , but was persecuted in all Ages and Generations , neither came he to destroy mens lives , but to save them , therefore let none deceive themselves with a name or profession of Christianity , only for except men and women be born again , and so become new creatures , there will be no entrance into Gods Kingdome , but their place will be with the goats on the left hand , and sad will be their sentence

And as for our medling with no other books , but such as are against the Government , it is utterly false , and the lye return'd upon his own head that published it , for we meddle with none such , but our books are well known unto thousands that they are not against the Government ; but against all unrighteousness where ever it is ; whether in Kings , Rulers , Priest or people ; and this is not contrary but agreeable to the Scriptures of Truth , as it is written , thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart , nor suffer sin to lie upon him , have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness , but rather reprove them : and for this cause was Christ Jesus hated of the world , because he testified against them that their deeds were evil and so are and have been his followers in all ages , and herein is the Scripture fulfilled , they that will live godly shall suffer persecution , and saith Christ Jesus , Marvel not if the world hate you , it hated me , before you ; the servant is not greater then his Lord , and if they have done so to the green tree , what will they do to the dry ?

And as for his calling those books which he took from the Bull and mouth pestilent Libels , it is the proper name of his own lying phamphlet , and most sutable to the nature and quality thereof ; as every sober and impartial reader may easily judge , for the tendency of a great part of his phamphlet is to misrepresent an innocent people , unto the King , Parliament , and the whole Nation , as Haman did the Lords people unto Ahasuerus , there is a certain people scattered abroad , and dispersed among the people in all the Provinces of thy Kingdome , and their lawes are divers from all people , neither keep they the Kings lawes . Therefore , it s not for the Kings profit to suffer them , if it please the King , l●t it be written that they may be destroyed . Est . ● . 8.9 . And does not Roger Le-strange what in him lyes , seek to render the Lords people so now , by calling their books pestilent libels , and against the government , & so endeavours what he can to paralel wicked Haman , and to stir up the spirit of persecution , that the innocent may be destroyed , and is not the spirit of persecution both pestilent , infectious and destructive to men , Countries , and whole Nations , as may be seen more at large in a book called A special Warrant for the apprehending of the Spirit of persecution : and is not the spirit that is now in this man one and the self same with that in Haman , or are his hopes now more fair , or his exspectation more strong then Hamans was ; then when the Letters were sealed with the Kings ring , and sent by posts into all the Kings provinces to destroy , to kill , and to cause to perish , all Jews , both young and old , little children and women in one day : and did not the Lord deliver then , and is not he as able to deliver now , and did not the just hand and judgement of the Lord overtake Haman then , and will he clear the guilty now , surely nay , if ye are sound in the same spirit whoever you are , though high and exalted and think your selves secure : yet the hand of the Lord will finde you out , and his just judgements will overtake you and sweep you away as with the besom of destruction , except you speedily repent ; then shall you remember with sorrow and anguish , and confess to the truth of what is here written ; for the day is at hand wherein the mournful people of the Lord ( who now are made willing to give their backs to the smiters , and their cheeks to them that plucks off the haire ) shall sing for joy of heart , when their persecutors shall howl for vexation of spirit , so having cleard my conscience in this matter though some may be offended at my plainesse , and because I have told them the truth , and for this my testimony may yet be the more hated by such as have eyes and see not , ears and hear not , and hearts and understand not the things that belongs to their everlasting peace , yet my reward I feel with the Lord , and am well contented with my portion , and rests in the will of God , and in perfect love and good will towards all men , who am known by the name of