I Having patiently, cheerfully, and ſilently ſuſtained (^**All fl ſhly intereſts, carnal Go­ſpellers, and pretenders to Religion, with ſome ſecret enemies (though ſeeming friends) to the State, com­bining together to incenſe them a­gainſt me, becauſe I have faithfully and boldly declaimed againſt their hypocriſie, pride, covetouſneſs, ſelf-ſeeking, and villany, covered under the cloak of fleſhly holineſs and Re­ligion, &c. through the malice, ignorance miſtake, and blinde zeal of Informers) a tedious twelve-months impriſonment in the common Goals of Warwick, Coventry, and that moſt infamous Goal of Newgate, Have been within theſe few days inform­ed by my deareſt friend, That

The two^††Which were put out••lf a y•er after mine impriſonment. Acts of May 10. and Aug. 9. 1650 were put out becauſe of me; there­by ſecretly intimating that I was guilty of the breach of them. Whereupon, (•fter my long, and by many ad­mired patience and ſilence) I thought good, not ſo much for mine own ſake, (for my pure innocence ſupports me, and lifts up my head above all theſe things) but for the ſakes of others,

To preſent This enſuing Remonſtrance Vindication, and Atteſtation ▪

Reſolving, by the help of the Omnipotent, Omnipreſent JE­HOVAH (whom I purely worſhip in the ſpirit, having no con­fidence in the fleſh) to enlarge my ſelf (when I enjoy my li­berty) upon theſe things; and to all unprejudiced ſpirits (and perhap•to the ſilencing of them alſo) to give an account of my ſelf, in reference to thoſe Various Diſpenſations paſt and preſent, that I have been and am led into and thorow: as alſo, the re­moving of all ſtumbling-blocks, the clearing up of thoſe miſtakes,2 and the wiping away thoſe aſperſions, which (through malice, weakneſs, ignorance, and miſtake) have been caſt upon me; who have been ſo covered with a cloud, that not one amongſt a thouſand know me.

But for the preſent, I ſhall addreſs my ſelf to the Acts; and begin with that of Aug. 9.

In the Preamble of this Act, the Parliament expreſs their de­ſires (by all GOOD MEANS) to propagate the Goſpel, &c. Which is the deſire of my ſoul. And it is always my fervent prayer to Him whoſe it is, That He the Prince of peace, (whoſe burden is eaſie, and whoſe yoke is light; who ruleth in righteouſneſs; who judgeth not according to outward ap­pearance, but judgeth righteous judgement) that he would, by his own out-ſtretched Arm, ſet it up. And I reſolve never to give mine eyes any reſt, till I ſee it flouriſh: for it is my Life.

They farther expreſs Their deſire to ſuppreſs [Prophaneſs and Wickedneſs, Superſtition and Formality, &c.]

The two former, my ſoul abhors, and I hate them with a per­fect hatred; and have, by Life and Converſation, by Doctrine and Example (for many yeers) decried them; yea, even ſince I have been by all men (except thoſe that knew me) cried up (as my fore-runner before me was by all ſorts even of the moſt re­ligious and righteous men, except a handful that knew him) for the worſt of ſinners, the vileſt of perſons; for a Blaſphemer, a Devil, &c.

And as for Idolatry, Superſtition, and Idolatrous Forma­lity; Have any been Boanerges upon this account? (I ſpeak as a fool.) I have thundered more againſt them then they all. And for my zeal herein, and againſt finer and ſubtiller pieces of For­mality, the coals were firſt kindled againſt me. And now the fire is at the higheſt: whereat I laugh; having ſweet union and com­munion with the Father and the Son; living in that Kingdom wherein dwelleth righteouneſs and peace; triumphing in joy unſpeakable, and full of glory: ſweet Peace and pure Content being my continual repaſt. Neither do I repent,

That the Almighty (whoſe I am, and who will do with his3 own what he pleaſeth) Hath ſet me (as formerly he hath moſt of his holy Prophets and Servants) as^**Iſa. 8.18, 14, 15. Zech. 3.3, 8. ☞ [Men wondered at.] Their words wondered at, their carriage wondered at, their actions wondered at, &c. * As was Hoſea, Hoſ. 1.2. A SIGNE and a WONDER. — And — as a ſtumbling ſtone, and ROCK of OFFENCE to both the houſes of Iſrael, &c.

But to proceed. The Act is bent againſt theſe enſuing Execrable Opinions &c. As (firſt) [The denial of the neceſſity of Civil and Moral righteouſneſs amongſt men.]

If there are ſuch a generation of men, they ſtand or fall to their own maſter. As for me, I ſay concerning them, O my ſoul! come not thou into their ſecrets: unto their aſſemblies, mine honour, be not thou united, Gen. 49.6.

This Opinion (in the preſence of the All-ſeeing God, in whoſe preſence I am, and whom I ſerve) I utterly proteſt againſt. And in the ſame preſence, I moſt joyfully (to his praiſe) affirm, That that Golden Law, which is the Baſis of all Civil and Moral righ­teouſneſs among men; (Viz. Whatſoever ye would that men ſhould do unto you, even ſo do you to them, &c.) is by the finger of God (in indelible letters) written as a Law of Life in my heart.

And here I can boldly (as in reference to the grace of God) though in all humility (as in reference to my ſelf) challenge the whole world, and ſay, Whoſe ox have I taken? or whoſe aſs have I taken? or to whom have I done any wrong? Whom have I dealt unjuſtly with? where is ever a drop of blood that I have ſhed? whom have I defrauded of a ſhoo-latchet or a thred? &c.

Herein do I make my boaſt of God all the day long, and in him do I triumph and rejoyce, though I am (to my joy alſo) numbered amongſt Tranſgreſſors, and the chiefeſt of them pre­ferred before me; many of them being re­leaſed, and^**At which I envie not, &c. but take notice of, as do ſome hundreds alſo beſides me. ſet at liberty; and I (patiently and ſilently) lie by the walls, as having a vi­ſage more marred then any man's, &c.

But I proceed, And avowedly proteſt, that I hate and deteſt, yea (in the pre­ſence4 of God) proteſt againſt all thoſe blaſphemous Opinions or Tenents recited in page 980, from the thirteenth line thereof, to the ſeven and twentieth line of pag. 981.

And many, or moſt of them, I will particularly hint at;

As primely this. I do not vainly, ignorantly, and blaſphemouſly affirm my ſelf, or any other meer creature, to be very God: neither was this Tenent (or any of the reſt that follow) ever mine.

But this I have and do affirm, and ſhall ſtill upon the houſe tops affirm, and ſhall expire with this wholeſom ſound, and orthodoxal opinion That God Chriſt is in the creature.

[— CHRIST IN YOƲ except you are reprobates, 1 Cor.] The contrary aſſertion, is the Blaſpemie of Blaſphemies, &c.

Again, I diſavow, diſown, deteſt, and proteſt againſt that Opinion which holdeth, That [God dwelleth in the creature, and nowhere elſe, &c.] I live in that ſound and orthodox opinion of Omnipreſencie; of which I can ſpeak feelingly know­ingly powerfully: whereof I formerly (in the time of mine own righteouſneſs, which was^**Iſai. as menſtruous rags; and in the time of my fleſhly wiſdom, which was^**1 Cor. enmity to God) ſpake of formally, ignorantly, notionally (onely) like a Parot in a Cage.

And as for the Righteouſneſs, Holineſs of GOD, &c. I had rather be cut to pieces then ſpeak againſt it: for it is my Life. And whatever I have ſpoken againſt Righteouſneſs and Holineſs, it hath been againſt that righteouſneſs of Man, which is^**Iſai. as menſtruous rags &c. and againſt that carnal mock-ho­lineſs: pſeud-holineſs of man which is a cloak for all manner of Villany; upon which the vengeance of God is and hath been poured forth &c.

And as for Vncleanneſs, prophane Swearing, Drunken­neſs, Filthineſs, Brutiſhneſs, &c. I declaim againſt them, as unholy ▪ &c.

As alſo, for Lying, Stealing, Cozening, and defrauding others, my ſoul abhors.

Further, I hold, declare, and maintain, that Murther, Adul­tery, Inceſt, Fornication, Vncleanneſs, Sodomie, &c. are things ſinful, ſhameful, wicked, impious, and abominable, in any perſon, &c.

Or that Heaven and Happineſs conſiſteth in the acting of theſe or ſuch things; and the reſt, as they follow in pag. 981, are things that I diſown, diſavow, and proteſt againſt.

I ſhall conclude with this Affirmation and Aſſeveration:

That there is Heaven, and Hell; Salvation, and Damnation. Heaven for all thoſe that repent of their ſins, that ceaſe to do evil, and learn to do well. Heaven, for all them that are waſht, purged, and cleanſed, by the Spirit of our God. Heaven, for all them that have Chriſt, the King of Glory, Eternal Majeſtie, in them. And Hell, and Damnation, to all that touch the apple of his eye, that oppoſe the Lords Anointed, and that do his Prophets any harm.

It was in my thoughts to have ſaid ſomething concerning the Act of May 10; but, upon reading thereof, I ſee nothing in it but what is contained in that of Auguſt; and therefore my la­bour is ſaved.

And I ſhall onely adde a word or two concerning Liberty and Community.

As for Liberty, I own none but the glorious liberty of the ſons of God which I and the whole creation groans after. And I do from my heart deteſt and proteſt againſt all Sinful liberty, or that is deſtructive to ſoul or body.

And as for Community, I own none but that Apoſtolical, Saint-like Community ſpoken of in the Scriptures. So far I ei­ther do or ſhould own Community, that if fleſh of my fleſh be ready to periſh, I either will or ſhould call nothing that I have mine own: if I have bread, it ſhall or ſhould be his; elſe all my Religion is vain. I am for dealing bread to the hungry, for cloathing the naked, for the breaking of every yoke, for the let­ting of the oppreſſed go free. I am or ſhould be as my heaven­ly Father, who is kinde to all, loving to all, even to the ungodly, &c. Mat. 6. I can (through grace) pity thoſe that are objects of compaſſion, and out of my poverty and penury relieve thoſe that are in want. And if this be to be vile, — &c.

Yet, Know all men by theſe Preſents, That I am utterly againſt that Community which is ſinful, or deſtructive to ſoul or body.