_In answer to the book._
‘The day is come that the Scripture is fulfilled, which the
Lord spoke by his prophet, Isa. xliv. 25. That he will make the
diviners mad; and that the prophets shall be ashamed, every
one of his vision, Zach. xiii. 4. The which doth now evidently
appear, and their folly is made manifest unto all, that will
see and behold it, according to 2 Tim. iii. 9. And is not this
manifest madness and folly in them, called orthodox and divines,
to present unto the king their packet of lies, which have been
seven years told over, and so long since disproved and confuted,
as may be seen in a book called, Saul’s Errand to Damascus, &c.
printed in the year 1653, and in several other books since. It
already hath been, and is now manifest unto all men of sober
understandings, that these men, falsely called orthodox and
divines, have had no defence, either to vindicate themselves,
or disprove the people called Quakers, but this refuge of lies,
which they first presented to the parliament sitting in 1652, and
likewise to other parliaments which have been since that time,
and to the two protectors, and which now to this present king is
directed; and you presumptuously charge him to be the patron of
it, requiring him to defend those lies which you falsely call the
faith. But this we know, according as it is written, Prov. xxix.
12, 19. that “if a ruler hearken to lies, and his servants are
wicked; but a wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the
wheel over them.” Chap. xx. 26.
‘These pretended divines are such as have bowed and crouched
under every appearance of a power, and by flatteries seem to
cleave unto them, that they might uphold, maintain, and satisfy
their God, which is their bellies. These were of them which
said, that Oliver Cromwell was the light of their eyes, and the
breath of their nostrils: so that now with shame they might
rather confess that they are blind, and dead, (from the light and
life of God,) than to multiply lies in their accustomed manner
as formerly. These also were of them that said, Oliver Cromwell
was Moses, who had led them into a sight of the good land; and
that Richard his son was Joshua, which should lead them into the
possession. But we, with many more, do see that their hope is
false, and their faith also proved vain, and that they are not
yet in the land of promise, for there no liars come. And those
former rulers hearkening to their lies, were deceived by them,
which was the cause of God’s judgments, and utter destruction
coming upon them; which while they put into the priests’ mouths
they cried peace unto them, calling them Moses, Aaron, and
Joshua; but when they ceased, and could not put into their
mouths, then they cried out, that Moses and Joshua were tyrants
and oppressors: and so will they do unto the king now, who are
seeking to cleave unto him by flattery and deceit; and if he
deny to be the patron and defender of their lies, will be apt to
cry as much against him. So that he, or they, are blessed, whose
ears are not open to their clamours, but whose hearts are joined
to the Truth, and who are led by the Spirit of God as their
instructor; for such shall discern hypocrites, and false-hearted
men, under every pretence of flattery or dissimulation; for the
folly of these begins to be manifest unto all men. 2 Tim. iii. 9.
‘Now in answer to the history concerning John Toldervey, asserted
by a company of priests, as Brooks, Cocking, Goodwin, Jenkins,
Jacomb, Alderry, Tombs, and Pool, who themselves say, that they
have but perused a part, as page 99, and yet pretend to witness
the whole; whose witness is disproved and denied by the said
John Toldervey, both by his own book given forth from him, and
by his life and conversation, being now, (since his return
from his out-going,) a living witness, not against, but for
the way, doctrine, principle, and practice, which the people
called Quakers do live in, against those lies published abroad
concerning him.
‘And as for thy charge thou hast against J. Nayler, through the
everlasting mercy of my God, I have yet a being amongst the
living, and breath to answer for myself, though against the
intents of many cruel bloody spirits, who pursued my soul, unto
death, (as much as in them lay,) in that day of my calamity,
when my adversary was above, and wherein I was made a sign to a
backsliding generation, who then would not see nor hear what now
is coming upon them; but rejoiced against this piece of dust, and
had little pity towards him that was fallen into their hands;
wherein God was just in giving me up for my disobedience, for a
little moment, as a father to correct; yet should not they have
sought to aggravate things against me, as thou dost; for it was a
day of deep distress, and lay sore upon my soul, and the merciful
God saw it, who, though he was displeased for a time, yet his
thoughts were not to cast off for ever, (but extend mercy,) as
it is at this day; glory be to his name from my delivered soul,
eternally.
‘And in that day there were many spirits flocked about me, and
some whom, (while the candle of the Lord shone upon my head,)
I ever judged and kept out from me, who then got up and acted,
and spoke several things not in the light and Truth of God, by
which they who sought occasion against me, were then strengthened
to afflict this body, and he that watches for evil in thee and
some others, makes use of still against God’s Truth and innocent
people; whose mouths the God of my mercy stop, and so finish the
trouble on my heart as to that thing; for my soul hath long dwelt
among lions, even among them that are set on fire, whose teeth
are spears and arrows, and their tongues a sharp sword, speaking
mischievous things to shed blood.
‘But, O man, or men, whoever you be, whose work it is to gather
the failings of God’s people in the time of temptation, or
night of their trial, and aggravate them, and add thereto the
wickedness and mischievous lies of your own hearts, as thou
hast done in thy book, and then come out with those, against
God’s everlasting holy Truth, it to reproach; I say you are set
on work by an evil spirit, and you do but show yourselves to
be enemies to God and his children; and it is our sorrow, that
any of us should give occasion to blaspheme; and it hath been
trouble of soul to all the people of God, that have ever loved
righteousness, when they have thus occasioned the joy of the
wicked, or to feed the man that watches for iniquity, and feeds
on mischief; yet know this, you that are of that brood, God will
not cast off his people; though he be sometimes provoked to
correct them, even before their adversaries, (which is a sign
to them,) yet is his anger but for a moment, and his favour
shall return as streams of life; then shall the food be taken
out of the mouth of the viper, and the prey from between the
teeth of the devourers; and God will feed them with their own
vomit, and the poison that hath long lain under their tongues,
shall be bitter in their own bowels. Thus will God certainly
plead with Zion’s enemies, as he bends her sons for himself,
and God will make up her breaches: and this hath my soul seen,
Jacob’s captivity restored, and the diggers of the pit are fallen
therein; neither hath he smitten him as he smote them that smote
him, nor is he slain according to the slaughter of them that are
slain by him, but this is all his fruit to purge away his sin.
‘So he that hath long watched for my faultering, then got
advantage against me; yet had I then power to bear his utmost
envy, through Christ Jesus, whom I then confessed before men, who
then was my support in all, and under all, and who is over all,
blessed for ever of all who have proved him in the depth.
‘But that which was, and is the sorrow of my heart, is the
advantage the enemy then took against the name of Christ, his
Truth, and his despised people, in that time of temptation, which
is that which thou art now pursuing with hatred and lies, as that
I was suspected to have a woman in bed with me, the night before
I suffered at Bristol, when there were six or seven persons in
the room that night, and a man, (to wit,) Robert Rich, in bed
with me. But this, and several other false things, thou hast
written in thy book, of which I am clear before the Lord, so
they touch me not at all; nor shall I here mention them against
thee in particular; but to God alone I look, in his time, to be
cleared from all offences in his sight, who only knows my heart
in this thing, in whose presence I can say, that nothing is more
odious and burdensome to my soul, than that any of the glory or
worship which belongs to God or to Christ, should be given to
flesh and blood, in myself, or others: and how it was with me
in that day many talk of, but few know; so the judgment of such
I bear; desiring that none in judging me, might have condemned
themselves in God’s sight; whose counsels are a great deep, and
the end of his work past finding out, till he himself reveal
them; but in the end he will be justified of all, and in all he
doth, that all flesh may be silent before him.
‘And however myself, or any others, may be left to themselves, to
be tried in the night, yea, should any utterly fall, or whatever
may be acted by any man or woman, that is not justifiable in
God’s sight, yet in vain dost thou, or you, gather up sin, or
watch for iniquity, to cast upon the light, which condemns it in
every enlightened conscience, and there will clear himself to be
no author nor actor therein; and I know by the Spirit of Jesus,
which I have received, and which worketh in me, that this is not
his work, nor his seed; and in him that loves his enemies, thou
art not; but the old accuser of the brethren it is that worketh
strongly in thee; and in the light which thou reproachest, art
thou seen to be the man that makes lies, and carries tales to
shed blood.’ Ezek. xxii. 9. 12.
Thus much and more J. Nayler writ to answer the falsehoods whereof he
was accused, and to apologize for the doctrine of which he had made
profession, and to show that the fault of his crime must no ways be
attributed to the same as many envious persons in those times asserted,
to wit, that his fall was a consequence of the doctrine that men must
take heed to the saving grace, the inward anointing, or the light
wherewith every man coming into the world is enlightened from God.[18]
[18] J. Nayler was a man who had been highly favoured of God with
a good degree of grace, which was sufficient for him, had he
kept to its teachings; for while he did so, he was exemplary in
godliness and great humility, was powerful in word and doctrine,
and thereby instrumental in the hand of God, for turning many
from darkness to light, and from the power of satan to the
power of God. But he, poor man, became exalted above measure,
through the abundance of revelation; and in that exaltation did
depart from the grace and Holy Spirit of God, which had been his
sufficient teacher. Then blindness came over him, and he did
suffer himself to be accounted of above what he ought: here he
slipped and fell, but not irrecoverably; for it did please God
of his infinite mercy, in the day of his affliction, to give him
a sight and sense of his outgoings and fall, and also a place of
repentance. And he, with the prodigal, humbled himself for his
transgression, and besought God with true contrition of soul, to
pardon his offences through Jesus Christ. God, I firmly believe,
forgave him, for he pardons the truly penitent. His people
received him with great joy, for that he who had gone astray from
God, was now returned to the Father’s house, and for that he who
had separated himself from them through his iniquity, was now,
through repentance and forsaking of it, returned into the unity
of the faith, and their holy fellowship in the gospel of Christ.
And I do hereby testify, that I do esteem it a particular mark
of God’s owning his people, in bringing back into unity with
them, a man who had so dangerously fallen, as did James Nayler.
And here let none insult, but take heed lest they also, in the
hour of their temptation, do fall away. Nor let any boastingly
say, Where is your God? Or blasphemously suppose his grace is
not sufficient for man in temptation, because the tempted may go
from, and neglect the teaching of it. David and Peter, as their
transgression came by their departing from this infallible guide,
the Holy Spirit, so their recovery was only by it.--Jos. Wyeth’s
Anguis Flagel.
Yet to proceed further with J. Nayler: he wrote, after his recovery,
many papers and edifying letters: he also answered two letters,
which, when the persecution in New England burnt so fierce, were
sent over from thence in defence of that fact; one under the name of
John Endicot, governor of Boston, and the other in that of Richard
Bellingham. All the arguments for the persecution of the Quakers to
be lawful and necessary, he answered at large, and showed how little
agreement their crime of pursuing persecution had with the name
wherewith they had called themselves, for a distinction from other
persuasions, namely, Independents, by which they would have it known,
that they were independent of all, except the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
on whom they pretended alone to be dependent: and yet, nevertheless,
it now appeared manifestly, that it was the fleshly arm whereby they
supported themselves. He wrote also some papers to the parliament, and
the rulers, to check the vanities that were publicly committed, and
to mend their faults; to ease the oppressed, and to take care for the
maintenance of liberty.
At length[19] he died at Huntingdonshire, in the latter end of the
year 1660, about the 44th year of his age. About two hours before his
death, he spoke, in the presence of several witnesses these words:
[19] He was a man of great self-denial, and very jealous of
himself, ever after his fall and recovery.--At last, departing
from the city of London, about the latter end of the Eighth
month, 1660, towards the North, intending to go home to his
wife and children, at Wakefield, in Yorkshire, he was seen by
a friend of Hertford, (sitting by the way-side in a very awful
weighty frame of mind,) who invited him to his house, but he
refused, signifying his mind to pass forward, and so went on
foot as far as Huntingdonshire, and was observed by a friend,
as he passed through the town, in such an awful frame, as if he
had been redeemed from the earth, and a stranger on it, seeking
a better country and inheritance. But going some miles beyond
Huntingdon, he was taken ill, (being, as it is said,) robbed
by the way, and left bound: whether he received any personal
injury, is not certainly known, but being found in a field by a
countryman toward evening, was had, or went to a friend’s house
at Holm, not far from King’s Rippon, where Thomas Parnel, a
doctor of physic dwelt, who came to visit him; and being asked
if any friends at London should be sent for to come and see
him; he said ‘Nay,’ expressing his care and love to them. Being
shifted, he said ‘You have refreshed my body, the Lord refresh
your souls;’ and not long after departed this life, in peace
with the Lord, about the Ninth month, 1660, and the 44th year
of his age, and was buried in Thomas Parnel’s burying ground at
King’s Rippon aforesaid.--J. W.’s account.
‘There is a spirit which I feel, that delights to do no evil, nor
to revenge any wrong, but delights to endure all things, in hope
to enjoy its own in the end. Its hope is to outlive all wrath
and contention, and to weary out all exaltation and cruelty, or
whatever is of a nature contrary to itself. It sees to the end of
all temptations. As it bears no evil in itself, so it conceives
none in thought to any other: if it be betrayed, it bears it;
for its ground and spring is the mercies and forgiveness of God.
Its crown is meekness, its life is everlasting love unfeigned,
and takes its kingdom with entreaty, and not with contention,
and keeps it by lowliness of mind. In God alone it can rejoice,
though none else regard it, or can own its life. It is conceived
in sorrow, and brought forth without any to pity it; nor doth it
murmur at grief and oppression. It never rejoiceth but through
sufferings; for with the world’s joy it is murdered. I found it
alone, being forsaken. I have fellowship therein with them who
lived in dens, and desolate places of the earth, who through
death obtained this resurrection, and eternal holy life.[20]