IN the name of God Amen. We Mo [...]deford Bramstone Knight, &c. do on the complaint of Henry Burrat and Alexander Faithful, Guar­dians of the Parish Church of lower Wallop within the Diocess of Winton, as followeth.

Answer,

IT is written, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; & these things following are not written in the name of God, nor gi­venforth from his spirit, though his name be mentioned but are rather found to proceed from that which oppresseth and resisteth the spirit of God, and perse­cuteth his servants, there being untruth written therein; and wherefore is it that you force them to complaint, and then herein as it were complain of them for complaining, but can you say that Henry Burret and Alex. Faithful are made Guardians or Overseers by the Holy Ghost to guard your Temple made with hands.

First, That thou Edmond Gearle art and hast been of the Parish of ne­ther Wallop in the Diocess of Winton, and of right subject to the Court, &c.

Answ. Of right I now belong to God, whose name I see is prophaned by such as are called spiritual men, and of right my soul belongs to Christ the Bishop thereof, who is the power of God, which is the highest power, to which every soul is to be subject, he being exalted at the Fathers right hand far above all principalities and powers, Eph. 1. 20. 21. and in conscience to the Lord I am ready to submit unto the ordinance of men, yea though they be wicked men, that pro­phane the name of God.

2. Also, That the foresaid Henry Burret and Alex. Faithfull in the Moneths of March, April, May, June, July, August, September, Octo­ber, November, December, January, February, and March, in the years of our Lord 1659. 1660. 1661. and March, April, May, June, July, August, September, in the years of our Lord, 1662. now going on, and at present are Guardians of the Parish Church of lower Wallop, and are lawfully ele­cted, admitted and sworn, &c.

Answ. Whereas it is said they are lawfully elected and admitted, by what Law was it they were elected, so long since as three years and a half? and if by lawful is meant humane or temporal, then how comes it to passe, that men now by temporal matter are admitted in­to spiritual office; or by that which is humane or temporal made Guardians over, or fitted to guard that which is spiritual, or must [Page 4] the temporal oversee the fpiritual, or else is the Church they guard temporal also. If it be, why then do spiritual men uphold a temporal Church. But if by, lawful elected, is meant divine or spiritual, then let themselves declare what divine power they received from God or men, when they were elected; and let it be proved by what di­vine or spiritual Law of God or Christ they were admitted and sworn, and when had any of the Apostles or true Ministers any men sworn or swearers to guard their Churches.

3. Also that all and singulaer lands, messuages, tenements, within any parish within the Diocesse of Winton aforesaid, are liable and subject to pay to­wards the repairing of the parish Church, when there shall be occasion to repair the same according to the value of the same lands and tenements, &c.

Answ. These are words, wayes, and things of this world, which passeth away, and of the earth that waxeth old, as if it proceeded from earthly minded men, who themselves are liable to covetousnesse, & by ambition and vigour force parishioners to be liable to such pay­ments, taxes, and cruelties, that they already begin to be weary thereof, and these lines have not the least shew of any Scripture au­thority, nor Apostolical example, neither doth this prove that such as are not of the world, as Christ is not of the world, but are followers of him, that they ought to pay towards the repairing of a house made with hands, and yet be called a Church, which is another thing then that for which Christ shed his bloud, Acts 20. 28.

4. Also that in the years or moneths aforesaid, or in some of those years or moneths in the time of the rate or tax made, thou Edmond Gearle didst have, hold, and occupy a certain message or tenement, with certain lands to the same, belonging and appertaining within the parish of lower Wallop foresaid, and thou wert said, and commonly reported to be the possessour and occupier of the said message or tenement and lands aforesaid,

Answ. This is written more like the critical subtil Lawyers, such as Christ cried wo against, who took away the key of Knowledge, Luke 11. 52. As you keep knowledge from our eyes, and not like men endued with the Spirit of God, though at first you take his name in your mouths, and then go on like them tha [...] did so, and hated to be reformed. But by your words, it was sometime, or never that I did possesse something or nothing, and it was so, or else said or reported to be so, which words opene [...]h like a wide mouth, but brings forth little or nothing: but if it be so, that once or never I did possess [Page 5] a tenement or piece of land, and that your tax was assessed upon the same, then not upon my person; therefore you should have sought it from the land according to your own way, whilst it was in my pos­session, and not upon my person, now it is not in my possession.

5. Also that in the year of our Lord 1659. and in the moneths in the same year, or in some or one of them, the parish Church of lower Wallop afore­said, was much ruinated, and out of repair in the walls, and tower, seats, and ornaments▪ and other things to the same parish Church belonging and appertaining, and this was and is true and manifest.

Answ. Then it seems your buildings have been once going down, and so out of repair already, so that I perceive it is possible your buildings may decay, and if so, then at last fall, and come to an end: but now you appear like them that said, The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewen stone. But take you heed least you weave the Spiders web, and hasten Gods wrath against your selves, and then he brings down your high Towers, and makes your walls like a tottering hedge, and remove your seats though you have set your nests on high, and exalted your selves above the stars of God, like those that act spiritual wickednesse in high places, from the which when the Lord God brings you down, and rewards you accor­ding to your works, which he will surely do, then shall you know that this is true and manifest.

6. Also that in the year and moneths, and in the year of our Lord 1659. aforesaid, and in the moneths of the same year in the time of the rate and tax, making the aforesaid Henry Burret and Alexander Faith­ful guardians, &c. had not within their hands or possessions, neither were to receive or have any rents, or lands, or tenements to the same Church be­longing or appertaining, or any other means to repair or amend the same parish Church, otherwise then by m [...]king and imposing a rate and tax on themselves, and other Parishioners and inhabitants of the same Parish li­mits and precincts of the same Parish, and that this is true and mani­fest, &c.

Answ. There you have as it was told a large story, how a rate or tax was made, but here is not one word of the Law of God, nor of the Gospel of his Son, nor so much as three words of Scripture language, but non-sence put in the stead thereof, as though there were both years and moneths in the year 1659. and if you have neither Rents, Lands, Tenements, nor any other means to uphold your Church [Page 6] walls from going down, nor to repair the ruinations thereof, but what you get by force and violence like Hophni and Phinias, then that is the ready way to make all people weary both of you and your Church too, and this is true, and may come at last to be manifefl.

7. Also that in the aforesaid year 1659. in the moneths in the same year or in one of them, &c. the Guardians, Parishoners, and Inhabitants of the Pa­rish of lower Wallop aforesaid, according to forewarning at certain dayes, or a certain day and place, &c. or the greatest part of them came together, and with unanimous assent and consent did tax and impose Rates and Taxes in and upon all Parishoners & Inhabitants, and other Messages, Lands or Tenements within the Parish aforesaid, and within the limits and precincts of the same Parish, the holders and occupiers of the same, according to the value of the Messages, Lands and Tenements of every person for and toward the repaira­tion and amendment of the defects of the faid Church, and ornaments, and o­ther things belonging to the same Church, and amongst other Parishoners and Inhabitants of the said Parish, thee the aforesaid Edmond Gearle for a Mes­sage, or Tenement and Lands by thee within the Parish aforesaid, limits and precincts, &c. in the year and moneths, &c. held possessed, and occupied, and according to the quantity, quality, and value of the same did rightfully and lawfully tax the summe of two shillings and two pence to be paid to the Guardians aforesaid, for and towards the repairation and amendment of the defects of the said Church, and ornaments, and other appurtenances to the said Church belonging; and this is true and manifested, &c.

Answ. Herein you shew again in what year (but very doubtfully) what moneth the Tax was made, and how it came to be, but not the least example thereof from any of the Ministers of Christ, though you do mention it is for and towards the repairations and amend­ments of the defects of your Church, and the ornaments belonging to the same, whereby it seems your called spiritual men are seeking to repair the defects of a temporal Church, for your Church and the ornaments thereof are things that are seen, and the Apostle saith the things that are seen are temporal, & such things will wax old & decay and at last may vanish away, as better things then them did; and it seems your Church ornaments are defective, and the Church it self defective, and it may be the upholders thereof defective, and the wor­ship defective, and the faith vain, and then what shall we do there, or why should we pay mony to have such defective stuffe renewed, and it may be your upholding such defective stuffe is not only defective, [Page 7] but also to us destructive or hurtful both in body, soul, and state, which nothing can be so to us, that is truely spiritual of God; but that this Tax of two shillings two pence to be paid by me towards the repairing of the defective Church is rightfully according to any Gospel order imposed upon me, or lawfully according to any Levi­tical Law assessed upon the Lands I then held, according to any Scrip­ture direction I do deny, neither do I believe that most of the Parishi­oners were together at the seasing of this Tax, neither can you prove the same, and therefore this is false, and not manifest.

8. Also that after the rate made Tax or Imposition as abovesaid, &c. all the Parishioners and Inhabitants of the Parish aforesaid and other Pro­prietours, Possessours and Occupiers of Messages, Lands, and Tenements within the said Parish, limits, and precincts, or the major part of them have paid or are ready to pay the foresaid Guardians the Rates and Taxes upon them Imposed notwithstanding they have been disswaded from paying the same by thee and others, &c.

Answ. As for the major part paying the said rates or tax, the ma­jor part go the broad way which leads to destruction, who being in the worlds nature follow their blind leaders, like weary horses under their heavy burthens, notwithstanding they see their Teachers reel to and fro in the matter of their worship like the waves of the Sea, and stagger about the manner thereof like drunken men, and cast off their professions like serpents, and change themselves in other ha­bits like Taylors, and into other colours, shews, and fashions, like Camelions, and turn with the times, like the wind, and change every season, like the Moon, and conform to any thing, like time-servers, yet not so much as transform themselves into the likenesse of the true Apostles of Christ, neither do they bear the image or shadow there­of; but if most of the Parishioners aforesaid have paid your Tax, I question not but they had rather kept their money, some of them to relieve their Families, and some out of saving, or covetousnesse, and it may be some of them, had as willingly have gone to the Ale-house with it, so little zeal may fome of this major part have to­wards your defective Church, and some that did pay it, might pay because you rule with such force and cruelty over them, that they dare not do otherwise, and so those are not chearful givers, nor wil­ling payers, and so you have not much to boast therein; and their souls having so little benefit by that decayed and defective Church [Page 8] that they have several sufficient reasons in themselves to disswade them not to pay without being perswaded thereunto by me and others.

9. Also that thou the aforesaid Edmond Gearle, though thou hast been asked and called upon for the abovesaid summe of two shillings two pence oft times or once by the aforesaid Henry Burret and Alexander Faithful guardians, or by one of them, for and towards the reparation of the Church aforesaid, yet thou hast denied, or refused, or yet dost delay or defer at pre­sent to pay the same, &c.

Answ. Yea, I had good reason so to do, and if I had met but with such reasonable dealing as usually is among heathens, they had not need to have asked more of me, nor have had that unreasonable covetousnesse to seek any more from me towards their defective Church, for the which there being taken from me by John Cox, and Nicholas Thomas in the year 1658. one brewing kettle, one washing kettle, one peuter dish, worth about twelve shillings, though their own demand was but five shillings five pence, which was also for re­pairing the defective Church, so that above three years since the guardians of the said Church have had from me about six shillings seven pence aforehand, which is about three times two shillings now demanded, so that of right and by good reason, if not according to your own way there remains due to me near four shillings five pence, and therefore as I said I had good reason not to pay any more to­ward your defective Church.

10. Also that thou knowest that the aforesaid Henry Burret and Ale­xander Faithful guardians abovesaid for all and singular the matters and things abovesaid, and on their parts have rightfully and lawfully complain­ed unto us and our office in this behalf, &c.

Answ. This is utterly false that I do know, that you called guar­dians to your foresaid defective Church, did rightfully and lawfully complain unto your office for all and singular matters and things aforesaid, nor yet any part thereof, being utterly false, is turned back unto you as a filthy thing, which is not in the name of God, though at first you did take his name into your mouths, and now ap­pear something worse then those that began in the Spirit, and end in the flesh, if you have only begun with his name in your mouths, and at the end lies proceed out of the same mouth, like blessing and cursing.

[Page 9] 11. Also that thou knowest, believest, or hast heard to be said, that all and singular of the premises have been and are true, and concerning which, and all the said premises, the aforesaid Guardians do require Justice to be administred, with the effects, &c,

Answ. What I know & believe is one thing, and what I have heard to be said may be another, for I may know and believe the truth, but if I should harken much to such lying men as the Priests of En­gland, who have now sufficiently shewed themselves, I may not only hear what is said, to be lies, but the lyes themselves, for they said and pretended they led us the right way before, and now they would lead us another way, and say this is right, and they said they were Mini­sters of Christ before, and now they deny their own profession and practice, and yet pretend they are Ministers of Christ now, and though they for filthy lucre turn every way like the wind, and creep for dust or earthly things like Serpents, yet still they pretend to be right; and as for your said Guardians justice from you upon me, it is more like they are forced by you, and your wicked oaths imposed upon them to do what they do, when they had rather be quiet with their neighbours, who by these unchristian like proceedings are sometimes now set at variance, and so you shew your selves like fools that stirre up strife, and as for the justice of your Court which shew­eth little mercy, I have neither known, nor do I believe, nor certainly hear that you have full power according to your own Law by special Pattent or Broad Seal for what you do, but remember you must re­ceive from God according to your works.

JAcob was a plain man and the Lord loved him, and we are plain men and are perswaded that Gods love is towards us; however men may hate us and seek occasion against us, and use us hardly as our Fathers were in Egypt, but we having the love of God shed a­broad in our hearts we dare not offend him, in doing or upholding that which the Lord hath shewed us to be evil, and though we have not much knowledge in the Law, yet we know what is just & reason­able; & though we have not much heretofore known the proceedings in this which you call a Spiritual Court, yet we see and plainly un­derstand [Page 10] that you who are the upholders thereof are not guided by the spirit of God who is Love, nor by the spirit of his son, who said, love your enemies, but by another spirit, the fruits whereof both to­wards us and before our faces hath appeared to be quite contrary to the spirit of God which is shewn by the Apostles, Gal 5. yea, and you have shewed forth works of darknesse towards us, throwing away our hats, and even abusing them and us, as once by prophane cursing of us, and then give us writing wherein (it may be) is declared what is demanded, but by reason it is written in such a dark way, not only in Latine, but in such an unsound and un­certain or unknown way, that if we were willing to pay it, we can scarce come to know how much it is, whereby also it appears you are men of such a spirit that seeks to keep us in darknesse and blind­nesse, and from the knowledge of those things which concerns our bodies and estates as well as our souls, that by no means we might understand it, though we much desire the same; and we know no rea­son that we or any else should give any unto you for so doing, nei­ther can we be free or clear in the sight of God to pay towards the maintenance of such a Priesthood, which is to be upheld by men of such a spirit, nor to uphold or repair such Temples in which they (not we) do worship, but we confesse Christ come, and him to be our Priest for ever, and the Bishop of our souls, and our bodies are a spi­ritual house built up of living stones, of which Christ is the Head we own, which is not a Temple made with hands, for ye are the Temple of the living God, and I will dwell in them, and walk in them, saith the Lord; but as for that place built with mens hands called a Church, we own it not for the Church, and therefore we cannot pay to the upholding of the same.

AFter that we had delivered into the Court these our Answers, having been abused in words, and our hats taken from our heads, and thrown from us; and also one of the Parators cursing of us (which is of the spirit of the wicked one whom they obey) and having thrust us forth of their Court, could not be satisfied, but proceeded to excommunication (or cursing) of us from out of fel­lowship with them (whom we dare not to have union with) we say the Priest of the defective Church he proceeded to sentence of excom­munication, and cursed us from amongst them, with the which we rested well satisfied, and had peace with the Lord whom we obey (though detected and rejected by those whose actions shew by what spirit they are guided, as may be seen in open view▪) Now after they had thus dealt with us in summoning us from time to time to our great hinderance (who are husbandmen, and got our bread by our labour) telling us divers times that we should have our articles) or in writing that which they alledged against us, wherein also they pro­ved liars, and so to be of their father the Devil; for when we came ac­cording to appointment they shuffled us off, and would bid us come another time, and so we did several times before we had it. But to come to the thing, this Priest after he had proc [...]eded to excommu­nication in publick before his hearers, then he came to us, and de­manded tithe, and coming to Iosiah Wickhams house, he asked him how many sheep he had shorn (he being but Vicar, having the tithe of wooll, lambs, calves, apples, plumbs, &c.) unto which he gave him answer, that it mattered not how many sheep he had shorn, for they were none but his own, at the which he raged; also his wife said unto him, that she thought he would not have offered to come to them for wages, seeing he had before cursed them forth of his Church, unto which the Priest like a (dumb dog) was silent, and afterward like a fox he went far about to bite, and sub poena'd us to appear at the Ex­chequer on such a day (it being nominated) and then we went to the Priest to speak with him about it, but he put us by and told us, that he would speak with us another time, and likewise he having before dep [...]ived us of the benefit of Law, he then sued us at the Law (which is double wickednesse in the sight of God, and will appear odious in [Page 12] the sight of any reasonable man, and seems ridiculous; according to that Proverb, First cut off their legs, & then bid them go. And then for Non-appearance we were served with a processe by a Bayliffe, and at that time also we went to speak with the Priest to know what he in­tended to do with us, and he said, we must go to prison, if we would not pay him, whom before he had renounced as Hereticks. Mark peo­ple, this man who professes himself a Minister of Christ, would be maintained by us whom he hath cursed; some of his Church hath also told us, that they must not buy or sell with us, & yet this Priest would have maintenance from us. Surely he and his brethren are not to be parallel'd, nay the false Prophets of old, of whom we read, were not found in such actions. Would not Hophni and Phineas, wicked men, (who took the offerings by force) have been ashamed to have a­cted as this man hath done, who though they did take the of­ferings by force, it was of them who were of Israel (and not of the heathen) But these Priests manifest themselves, yea they are already manifest to us, that can see, hear, or understand, to be absolute wolves, whose sheeps cloathing (though now its but nar­row) by these and such like actions will be wholly stripped off, and appear they shall even as they are, before the eyes of all. But to pro­ceed, this Priest perceiving that we were resolved to go to Prison, ra­ther then to uphold or maintain his belly (which is his God) he then began to fawn and to wipe his eyes (Crockadile like) pretending he was sorry, and bid us we should not go, with other words which he used; yet our minds he could not alter, who had faith in our God, and did trust in his name, who hath been a tower of refuge unto us; and so we were brought to this prison, where we have been kept about twenty five weeks from our honest labours, yea, this serpent was so subtil, that he chose (as he thought) the best time throughout the year for his purpose, and so by that thought to get over us, it being then the beginning of harvest, and we had not any man-servant to take care for our corn, and so to outward appearance it was in danger (or some of it) of being spoiled. But the God whom we serve, and for whose cause and testimony we this day suffer provided for us beyond our expectation, and even raised some that were our enemies, that they profred to assist our wives and chilbren. So our harvest was brought in (though it was something more charge to us) in season­able time, praises to him that ruleth over all, & since we were brought [...]ither, some of his flock hath spoken with him about us, and as we [Page 13] hear, he gave one of them this answer, That if he should let us alone, others would serve him so likewise, and none would pay him, and so he might starve. Mark how far this man is from that Spirit which ru­led in the Apostle Paul, who said, They laboured day and night, be­cause they would not be chargeable, 1 Thes. 11. 9. But this Priest Iohn Hayes he is so far from purposing to work with his own hands, that he intends to make others maintain him, whether they are wil­ling or not, and so little love hath his hearers towards him, that if there were not a law he might starve, as appears by his own words. Oh what a flock hath this man gathered, and what a vineyard hath this man planted, and what fruitlesse trees (that cumbers the ground) hath this man set, who would yield him no fruit to satisfie his belly, & what unruly flocks (but more like herds) hath these Priests of England ga­thered who would give no milk. Surely they are carelesse shepherds, they gather not, they heal not, they bind not up the wounds of the sheep, they seek not the lost, nor regard those that die in pollution. They eat of the fat, and cloath themselves with the wooll, sitting at ease in their houses, and fill themselves with wine at their pleasures: they waste the creation on their lusts, and rule over people with ri­gour: their wives sit as Ladies at their feasts, and they have the upper­most room in the Synagogues; the people labour in the earth, and God gives the increase, and these Caterpillers eat the fruits of their labours. But the whirlwind of Gods fury ariseth which shall scatter them as the chaffe, and drive them into the lake of woe and misery, unlesse they repent with speed.

Wherefore all ye people that reads the foregoing with a single eye, and considers the thing with an upright heart; hearken, was there ever such oppression as this? read the Scriptures, and trace the false Pro­phets of old, and parallel them wi [...]h this man, and you may easily perceive and understand that there was not the like found among them, for though they were wicked, and their sins great, and though their abominations reached unto heaven, wherefore their solemn As­semblies God could not away with, but their sacrifices were abomi­nation unto him, and their incense which should have been a good savour in his nostrils became as a stink before him, yet we do not read that any of those Priests dealt so cruelly with the people, as to thrust them from among them, and afterwards to cast them into prison, if they would not maintain them, though by the Law of God there was [Page 14] authority given for them to have tithe; but these Priests are so far from acting by the Law of God, that many times they do contrary to the Law of man, in taking away their goods, and keep them in pri­son also. Surely greedy dogs they are, and have manifested them­selves to be. Isaiah in his dayes complained of such, ch. 56. 10, 11. The watchmen are all blind, they have no knowledge, they are all dumb dogs, greedy dogs, that never have enough, looking every one for his gain from his quarter. So read people, mark your shepherds, behold and see, can they understand, are they not dumb unlesse they have their gain, yea do they not all seek it every one from his quar­ter, for they never have enough, but sue at Law, and cast honest men into prison, hunt for greater benefices, as witnesse Iohn Hayes of Wal­lop who is not satisfied with the tithe of one parish, nor is not con­tent with sixty pounds a year, but hungers for more of these earthly things (which is the Serpents meat) yea in stead of being servant, as Paul was, 1 Cor. 9. 19. He rules as Lord over them, suing and con­tending at Law with his Parishioners; but the day makes him mani­fest, though the beasts go to their dens, yet the light is broken forth that discovers them all, and they can no longer hide themselves from it; wherefore they foam, roar, and rage (and why) but because their time is short, for the night is over with thousands, and they are and shall be more manifest; a day of trembling is coming upon them, wherein rocks nor mountains shall not hide them from the powerful stroke of the Lamb who is coming to reign; wherefore fear all people, and dread the Lord God ye inhabitants of the earth, for a day of howling is coming upon all the workers of iniquity, all ye Priests, Proctors, Deans and Parators, with the rest of the uncircumcised, dismal is the day which hastens, and black unto you (who have resi­sted the light) a day of trouble and anguish, a day of torment, and perplexity, and of great sorrow shall compasse you, from the which there is no way to escape but by speedy repentance and amendment of life; wherefore consider it before it be too late.