A collection of the several books and writings of that faithful servant of God, Richard Hubberthorn who finished his testimony (being a prisoner in Newgate for the truths sake) the 17th of the 6th month, 1662.

To the READER.

MEN of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lye, and the heart of man is desperately wicked and deceitful above all things. Hear this ye wise men and foolish; The more ye strive against the Lord, the more is your wound made incurable; and the higher you rise in

envy, always the deeper is your fall in confusion. And now Christian Reader, whose heart God hath opened to see and behold the things that be eternal, and can truly discern of different causes, and between the good and the evil, and between the light and the darkness; This Book is sent forth in the pursuit, and after a Book called Hos••nna to the Son of David, &c. by a nameless Author, whose work indeed was hardly worthy of an honest mans Name, though very subtilly and craftily he prosecutes his purpose, and traverses his steps full cunningly, as this worlds wisdom could guide him, in which wisdom he cannot know or receive the things of God, and there∣fore it cannot be expected that the things of God should be received from that wisdom; and though he hath confounded in his words his description of the Light of Christ, sometimes speaking well of it, a••d sometimes other∣wise, and not knowing hardly whereof he hath affirmed, his words are so confounded and mixed in his corrupt reason, in giving forth his knowledge of the things of God, which he seems to be ignorant of, but only as he hath the knowledge of them from the Letter, by which no man can come to the knowledge of God, nor of the things of his Kingdom, without the revela∣tion of the Spirit of Jesus, and the operation of the same Spiri••: But Friends, the Testimony of God stands sure for ever, though men would confound it in their own reason: And this is the Testimony, That Christ lighteth every man that cometh into the world, which Light is sufficient to lead every man to God, or else to condemn every man from God; and this Testimony is true, notwithstanding all the opposition against it; and it shall abide sure for ever, though men strive never so much in the gain-saying of it. And this is the Testimony which we have born, and shall bear to the end; and who believes it, and who believes it not, this is the hand of the Lord according to his pleasure, and to him we leave it, and so we do and must clear our consciences from time to time, while the Lord gives us a being. And herein we are a good savour to God, and our reward is with him, whe∣ther Israel be gathered or no, Isa. 49. And also this nameless Author, which is supposed to be one John Jackson, known in this City, hath taken some seeming occasion against us by searching our Books, and (as he saith) hath found some contradictions in them, which may appear to be so to his dark mind; yet in the sight of the spirit of the Lord, that is truth, which he sees to be no other than error: However this is sent forth for the true in∣formation of peoples minds, that they may know that truth is bold and confident, and that it is Armour which defendeth from all Enemies, and giveth strength to answer the craftiness of men. And this same

John Jackson hath shewed himself now to be one with the common Priests of the world; for as they have done, so hath he opposed the way and people of God, and with the very same arguments, shewing that he is of the very same spirit with them, his discourse and arguments being of the same nature as theirs are; yea he hath shewed himself to be of the very same spi••it with all the open prophane wretches which doth revile, and scorn, and abuse in every Town and Countrey, the Lords people; and as they do so, so hath he written with subtile Arguments to the very same end, as they reproach and scorn (to wit) in a derision, and de∣spising the way and servants of the Lord; so that his self-separation is now seen what it is, to be a very cheat and hypocrisie, who while he professeth a separation fr••m the World, doth practice the very same wickedness▪ and is not changed from them in nature, though he be in appearance. But what a poor work hath he brought forth in two years time? which he saith his work hath been as Embers raked up in ashes, yet a work that gains no praise of God, nor very little of the praise of any man: It seems he hath hatched mischief upon his bed, and brought it forth in the morning: Who would have thought but a wise man in that time would have brought forth a larger piece, and more to purpose? I am sure he might have made better use of his time in another exercise, than to have writ against the servants of the Lord: It had been more honest for him to have set his pen to paper, and studyed to have given his testi∣mony against the Prid••, and Drunkenness, and Oppression, and Whore∣doms, and Wickedness in this great City. I say, it had been more honest, and liker a Saint, to have sought the reforming of prophaneness and wicked∣ness that greatly abounds in this City, than to have studyed two years to bring forth his invented stuff against a harmless and innocent people, which he, nor any can justly charge with evil, but as he hath digged deep by his imaginations, in recollecting a seeming-contradiction out of our writings, which is no contradiction, no more then Christs words are, who saith, Except ye eat my flesh, and drink my blood, ye have no life in you: And yet in the same discourse saith, The flesh profits nothing: And for Isaiah to go with the Word of the Lord to Hezekiah, to tell him he should dye and not live; yet in the same instant of time, told him he should live and not dye: Would not John Jackson have counted these contradictions? But what he hath done in this, in sending forth a Book against the Quakers, he hath been so far from beating down sin, drunkards, and rude scorners, and abusive

men, that he hath fully strengthened their hands, and the wickedst people in this Nation are very glad of his work; he hath given them matter to oppose truth withall; but his reward and theirs shall be both with one hand, and he shall drink his portion in the same Lake with such whose hands he hath strengthened; and let him know, and them all, God hath established us upon a sure Mountain, which the Gates of Hell and Death cannot pre∣vail against. So his work is counted of us, and cast by as our spoiled prey of Babylons treasure; onely this is sent abroad after it in the pursuit of it, which is not done with multitudes of words of mans wisdom, but in the plain nakedness of innocent truth, which is more strength than all his ar∣guments of guile whereby he would deceive the people; but he can deceive none but such as are deceived already; for all that are in the Light, and in the Truth, sees beyond all that he can say, and are established where his words can never reach them, to take away their peace, or disquiet them; for as I said, we are established upon a sure foundation, and are tryed and proved, and cannot be blown away with any windy Doctrines of men, which begets into strife, and not into true sincerity of heart, but wo unto that man that works offence, and doth cast stumbling-blocks in the way of the simple. And though the Lords people be a suffering people, yet wo unto them that cause thom to suffer. And though he and some others in their spirits were elevated, thinking thereby to trample upon the innocent by that occasion happ••ning concerning J. N. which was not suffered of the Lord to be as an occasion to destroy his people, but as an occasion to try them, and to prove them, and thereby are they tryed and proved, and the more setled rather than confounded; and John Jackson and such like may glory in such things for a moment, because the appearance of it seems evil, yet the Lord will make their glorying void, for the Lord hath ways enough to pre∣serve his people; and this we have found in many needful times. And as concerning this thing which was looked upon as a breach among us by ma∣ny, yet it's over, and Truth stands a top of it, and the beauty of Truth ap∣pears through it all, and Truth is more lovely when it is proved and pur∣ged: What if the Lord suffer his to be led and tempted for a season, let not the wicked boast of this; for though the righteous fall, he shall rise again; but the wicked fall into mischief. But yet we learn something by this, what a great use the Devil hath made hereof, and how many Books and lying Scribblers hath been sent forth about it concerning us, which are all counted by us no better than the most corrupted Treasure that ever grew in Babylon; and the best of it is but baubles to please vain minds; for

men of sound understandings can take no pleasure therein. And we see how by all means the Devil and his people seeks occasion against the ways and people of Gods and how glad are the wicked when they get an occasion against the Lords people! And how do they glory in it, and boast in it for a time, thinking that their hands are strengthened in a greater boldness to do mis∣chief! And John Jackson is one of those that takes pleasure in these things, and he hath managed his business with a great deal of craft, but there are none that will praise him for it, except such whose wicked hands he strengthens, and such as he must have stumblings, after the way of the Lord hath been so fully manifested, and they receive it not, and they must fall and be broken. And seeing that the wicked doth take occasion, and seeks occasion against the innocent, this will make many more watchful and more circumspect, and more to walk in God's wisdom, and to deny their own wayes, lest offences come by them: And let him put off his Armor, and lay down his Weapons, and I wish he may spend the next two years to come better than he hath done these last, aod that the little fire in the Embers may kindle to the burning of his corruption, rather than into a blind zeal against the innocent people. And what in this Book is written, is not to contend or strive for mastery, but to clear the Truth, and to remove all cause of stumblings from before the face of all the upright in heart.

A Friend to all people, E.B.

London the third of the ninth month, 1657.