Friends, Thomas Crafton and Cuthbert Studholm,

‘Goods of People have you made within these few Years, unlike Men;
‘as though you had never read the Scriptures, or had not minded
‘them! Is this the End of Carlisle’s Religion? is this the End of your
‘Ministry ? and is this the End of your Church, and of your Pro-
‘fession of Christianity ? you have shamed it by your Folly and Mad-
‘ness, and blind zeal. Was it not always the Work of the blind
‘Guides, Watchmen, Leaders and false Prophets, to prepare War
‘against them, that would not put into their Mouths ? And have not
‘you been the Priests-Pack-horses and Executioners ? When they spur
‘you up, to bear the Sword against the Just, do not you run on against
‘the Creatures, that cannot hold up such, as the Scriptures did always
‘testify against? Yet will you lift up your unholy Hands, and call up-
‘on God with your polluted Lips, and pretend a Fast, who are full of
‘Strife and Debate. Did your Hearts never burn within you ? Did
‘you never come to question your Conditions? Are you wholly given
‘up to do the Devil’s Lusts, to Persecute ? Where is your Loving
‘Enemies? Where is your Entertaining Strangers ? Where is your
‘Overcoming Evil with Good ? Where are you Teachers, that can stop
‘the Mouths of Gain-sayers, and can convince Gain-sayers, and such as
‘oppose themselves ? Have you no Ministers of the Spirit, no Soldiers
‘with Spiritual Weapons, displaying Christ’s Colours ? But all the Dra-
‘gon’s, the Murderer’s, the Persecutor’s ; Arm of Flesh ; Cain’s Wea-
‘pons ; Chief Priests taking Counsel; Judas and the Multitude with
‘Swords and Staves ; Sodom’s Company raging about Lot’s House ; like
‘the Priests and Princes against Jeremiah ; like the Dragon, Beast and
‘great Whore, and the false Church, which John saw should cast into
‘Prison,andKill,andPersecute? Whose Weapons are you bearing? doth
‘not the false Church, the VVhore, make Merchandize of Cattel, Corn,
‘VVine and Oil, even to the very Souls of Men? And hath not all
‘this been, since the true Church went into the Wilderness? Read Re-
‘velations the 12th, with the 18th : Do you not read and see, what
‘a Spirit you are of, and what a bottomless Pit you are in ? And have
‘not you dishonoured the Place of Justice and Authority ? What!
‘turned your Sword backward, like Mad-Men, who are a Praise
‘to the Evil-Doer, and would be a Terror to the Good, with all Force
‘and Mightto stop the way of Justice ! Doth not the Lord, think
‘you, behold your Actions ? How many have you wronged? how
‘many have you Imprisoned and Persecuted, and put out of your
‘Synagogues ! Are you they, that must fulfil the Prophecy of
‘Christ, Matth 23. John 16. Read the Scriptures, and see, how
‘unlike you are to the Prophets, Christ and his Apostles : and what a
‘Visage you have; like unto them, that persecuted the Prophets, Christ
‘and the Apostles ! You are found in their Steps, wrestling with Flesh
‘and Blood ; and not with Principalities, and Powers, and Spiritual
‘Wickedness : And your Teachers imprisoning and persecuting for
‘outward things, you being their Executioners ; the like whereof

‘hath