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that whatever fine they laid on me, or whatever hole or prifon, faid I, you thruft me into, I fhall find God's living prefence with me, as I feel it this day and fo ended my speech.

Upon this a juftice of the peace, one Rupert Humpatch, got up, went to the judge, laid his hand upon the judge's fhoulder, and faid, my lord, I know this man to be an honeft man; and what I fay, I speak not by hear-fay, but experience; for I was his next-door neighbour three years. Alfo, another justice spake to the fame effect. Then the judge spake to me; Mr. Elwall, I perceive you have studied very deeply into this controverfy; but have you ever confulted any of our reverend clergy and bishops of the church of England? I answered, Yes, I have; and among others, the archbishop of Canterbury himself, with whom I have exchanged ten letters, viz. four I have had from him, and fix he has had from me (at which words all the priests ftared very earnestly). Well, fays the judge, and was not the archbishop able to give you some fatisfaction in these points, Mr. Elwall? I faid, No; but rather quite the reverfe; for that in all the letters I fent to the archbishop, I grounded my arguments upon the words of God and his prophets, Chrift and his apoftles; but in his answers to me, he referred me to acts of parliament, and declarations of state, &c. whereas I told the bishop, in one of my letters, that I wondered a man of

his natural and acquired abilities, fhould be fo weak as to turn me over to human authorities, in things of a divine nature; for though in all things that are of a temporal nature, and concern the civil fociety, I will be fubject to every ordinance ef man for the Lord's fake; even from the king upon the throne down to the meaneft officer in the land; but in things that are of a spiritual nature, and concern my faith, my worship of God, and future ftate, I would call no man father here upon earth, nor regard either popes or councils, prelates or priests of any denomination, nor convocations, nor affemblies of divines, but obey God and his prophets, Chrift and his apoftles. Upon which the judge answered, Well, if his grace of Canterbury was not able to give you fatisfaction, Mr. Elwall, I believe I fhall not; and fo fat down and refted him; for I think he had stood up for near an hour and a quarter.

Then he ftood up again, priests talked fcftly to them.

and turning to the

I did not hear what

he faid, or what they said to him; but I guessed from what the judge faid next; for, says he, Mr. Elwall you cannot but be fenfible that what you have writ, being contrary to the commonly received doctrines of the church, it has given offence to fome of your neighbours, and particularly to the clergy; are you willing to promise, before the face of the country here, that you will not write any

more

more on this head? I anfwered, God forbid that I should make thee any fuch promife; for when I wrote this book, I did it in the fear of God; and I did not write to please the church of Rome, nor the church of England, nor the church of Scotland; but to please tha. God who gave me my breath; aud therefore, if at any time I find myself drawn forth to write in defence of this facred first commandment, or any other of the ten, I hope I fhall do it in the fame spirit of fincerity as I have done this. And I perceived the judge was not in any wise difpleafed at my honest, plain, bold answer; but rather his heart feemed to be knit in love to me; and he foon declared me acquitted: and then the clerk of the arraigns, or affizes, ftood up, and faid, Mr. Elwall you are acquitted; you may go out of court when you please.

So I went away through a very great croud of people (for it was thought there was a thousand people at the trial) and having fpoke long I was a-thirft, fo went to a well and drank. Then I went out of town by a river-fide, and locking about, and feeing no one near, I kneeled down on the bank of the river, and fent up my thank-offering to that good God who had delivered me out of their hands..

By the time that I returned to the town, the court was up and gone to dinner a justice of peace and another perfon met me, and would have me to

eat

eat and drink with them, which I did; and afterwards, as I was walking along the street fome perfons hove up a great fash-window and invited me up to them; and when I entered the room, I found ten or a dozen perfons, most of them juftices of the peace; and amongst them a priest, whom they called doctor. One of the juftices took me by the hand, and faid, Mr. Elwall, I am heartily glad to fee you, and I was glad to hear you bear your teftimony fo boldly as you did. Yes, fays another juftice, and I was glad to fee Mr. Elwall come off with flying colours as he did: upon which the priest said (in a very bitter manner) He ought to have been hanged. I turned unto him, and faid, Friend, I perceive thou doft not know what spirit thou art of; for the fon of man came not to destroy, but to `fave: but thou wouldest have me destroyed. Upon which one of the juftices faid, How now, doctor, did not you hear one of the justices say, that he was an honeft man, and that what he faid was not by hear-fay, but by experience, and would you have honeft men hanged, doctor? Is this good doctrine? So that the priest faid but little more for some time: So I took leave of the justices, and took horse for Wolverhampton, for I knew there would be great joy in my family, for the common people all expected to hear of my being fined and imprifoned. But a farmer that lived. near, who had been upon the jury at Stafford, got

to

to town before me, and the people went all up and afked him, What have they done to Mr. Elwall? Have they put him in prifon? He anfwered "No, he preached there an hour together, "and our parfons could fay never a word. What "muft they put him in prifon for? I told our "foreman of the jury, Mr. Elwall was an honest 56 man, and his father was an honeft man, I knew "him very well." So they were all damped; but there was great joy in my family, and amongst all my friends Praises, living praises be attributed to that good God who delivered me out of their hands!

Chrift never told us of that fcandalous popifhinvention, of his human nature praying to his divine nature; but, like a true obedient fon of God, fubmitted to death, even that cruel death which the hatred and envy of perfecuting wicked priests inflicted on him, because he had fo plainly and truly told them all of their blindnefs, covetoufnefs, pride, and hypocrify. And therefore God raised him from the dead; and for his faithfulness God has exalted him to be a prince and a faviour to allthofe that obey that pure doctrine which God gave him to teach; that denying ungodliness and finful lufts, we should live foberly and righteously in this world. Then are we bis difciples indeed, when we do thofe things that he hath commanded. Then fhall we be faved, not by the merits of Chrift, that is another popish invention; for he never did any thing but

what

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