Truth defended, or, Certain accusations answered cast upon us who are called Quakers by the teachers of the world, and the people of this generation with a clear discovery who are the false prophets and when they came in, and how they may bee known, and who they are that deny Christ and that preach another gospel ... / by one who is a labourer in the vineyard ... Edward Burrough.

The Epistle.

To all you who call your selves Ministers of the Gospel, and all peo∣ple in all Relations under what form of Worship soever in En∣gland, or in all the world, who profess your selves Christians.

THe mighty day of the Lord is come, according as he promised of old, and this day is witnessed, wherein he is establishing his Mountain, and exalting it above all Mountains, and is gathering his people which have been scattered in the dark and long night of Apostacie, which Christ and his Apostles saw coming into the churches then, and hath had dominion long over the world, and hath reign∣ed till now, and reignes now in all the Professors in all Forms everywhere. But now the time is come wherein the king∣doms of the world are become the kingdoms of the Lord, and of his Christ; and thousands witness it to the praise of his everlasting Name. And therefore the Nations are angry and the Princes of the earth, because Michael our Prince is arisen to plead with all who make war against him. And now H••r••d and Pilate and all Jerusalem are in an uproar, and Am∣nion and Amaleck and the Egyptians and the Philistines are joi∣ned now against him. And all you who live in Forms, and know not the Power, do now persecute and joine your selves together being in the same nature as the Persecutors of old which were born after the flesh. And now you Sons of Bon∣dage and of Hagar are to be cast out; and now you are all made manifest that you are in the flesh; for all your bows are bent, and all your arrows are shot at a people which are ac∣counted by you as the filth of the world, and as the off▪ scou∣ring of all things whom the world calls Quakers, in whose fore-heads is written the Name of the living God; and unto

you I say that make war against them, and now take part with the Dragon against the Lamb, you shal all drink of the cup of fury and indignation of the Lord. And unto the li∣ving God who is holy and jealous for his own glory and his name, which hath manifested his minde and will by his Eternal Spirit unto us, shall you all bow and stoop. For now the Lord hath rent the vail of the covering which hath been spread over all the nations in all professions; and you are all seen by the eternal eye which is opened in thousands; even all from the highest to the lowest, who have stollen and paint∣ed your selves with other mens words. And all your Images which you have set up, and all your traditions from men in which you have walked, are all seen to be stubble, and will not abide in the day of the Lord. And all your Churches which you have gathered together by imitation from the let∣ter shall all be scattered; and there you all are, for you all de∣ny Revelation, and say it is ceased; and so you call the Letter the Light and the Word: but with that which was before the Scripture you are seen and judged, even with that which shall endure for ever. And seeing you have cast reproach up∣on the Name of the God of Heaven and Earth whom we worship, and which you call delusion: for the truths sake are we moved to lay open your nakedness, that you may be judg∣ed by that which you say is your rule. Here in this little book thou who hast any honesty in thee, or any desire of truth and wilt search the Scripture, thou wilt see that all the teach∣ers of the world in all Forms, and all Professors ever cryed out (who had but the Form) against them who had the life and power, as you all do now against them who worship God in the Spirit, and have no confidence in the flesh: and there∣fore in this following Discourse which is written by the same spirit that gave forth the scripture, thou shalt see who are the false Prophets, and who they are that preach another Gospel, and who they are that deny the Scriptures; and thou may see

when the false prophets came in, and who they are clearly proved to be by their own rules. And all you who call your selves Magistrates and Christians, you may see your selves to hold up that which Christ, the prophets and apostles cryed out against, and persecute them who stand in the counsel of God, and them that declare against all the deceit, as the holy men of God did: and so you are the beast which holds up the false prophets and those whom the Scripture declareth a∣gainst. God is arisen to dash to pieces al them vvho withstand him: and therefore come out of Babylon, and out of all your painted forms, and come to own the first Principle which wil change your mindes, even the Light of Christ which he hath enlightned every one withal; and by it you shall see what you are doing. Now if you deny this, you deny the Corner-stone, and you stumble and shall be broken; and by that which you call natural shall all your Image of gold and silver, and all your mixed invented worship be dashed to pieces and be for the Pit. Therefore all be silent and speak not evil of those things you know not; for now you are all seen, you who say you are Jews and are not, but are of the synagogue of Satan, and your voice is known, for none is turned from the evil of his way; and therefore is wrath coming upon you to the ut∣most.

A lover of your Souls, but am a Witness against all your deceit Francis Howgill.