For the Justices of the Peace for ye County of Berkes & the
Bourough of Reading.
|
The Eternall God from whome no secreets can bee hid sees yo[ur]e
doings And ye Eye of the Lorde behowlds the way you nowe walke in,
& the Workes yt [that] you are aboute, who are persecuting
his Lambs & imprisoning his People, who for the fullfilling of
his Comands & walking in his Wayes have Chosen ye sufferings of
this present World, rather then all ye Glory & pleasures that
this World can afforde them; And wee have Counted up o[u]r Cost &
doe finde upon serious Deliberation yt [that] it is better
for us to Dye by the hands of the hardhearted & Cruell Men of
this worlde in & under ye favour Love & frenshipp of the Lorde
then to Loose our peace w[i]th him by makeing Shipwracke of our faith
& peace of Consience w[hi]ch the Lorde hath Given us, And wee
have truely debated, pondered, & Considered (this our present
State of hard & Cruell Sufferings) in our owne Bosoms & Waighed
our hearts in the Balence of Gods Truth & there is Nothing in
all this World yt [that] coulde make us Leave our Wifes &
famylyes our Callings, Estats & Imployments, But this very thing
Namely ye Truth of o[u]r God, & the Worshipp of Christ Jesus the
profession & practice of which at this day is the Grownde of this
our Suffering, And whereas you press us so hard to Take ye Oath of
Allegience, & Come to yo[u]r Church, wee doe Declare, in the Sincerity
of o[u]r hearts; That the Grounde & Cause why wee Cannot take
an Oath in any Case (although it bee to the Losse of our Estats &
Lives) is because Jesus Christ & his Apostles, hath Comanded us
not to Sweare at all, And it is not Lawefull for us (in any Case)
to Breake Christs Comands, & if any of yo[u]r Ministers, Doctors,
preists or Bishops can make it appeare by Gods Word, or the Scriptures,
that it is Lawfull for us to Sweare & yt [that] wee may
Sweare & not fall into Condemnation, wee will take it And therefore
Cease calling to us to Sweare & breake Christs Comands till yo[u]r
Doctors, Bishopes, Curats, or Ministers or some of them have convinced
us yt [that] it may bee done & Christs Comands not broken
for there is to much Swearing alredy & because of Swearing ye
Land
|
| [notation in left-hand margin] Mathew: 5.34. Jea [James]
5:12: |
|
