A salutation of love from a prisoner for the testimony of Christ Jesus to his loving and kind neighbours. J. B. (John Bowater), d. 1704. 1679 Approx. 9 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 1 1-bit group-IV TIFF page image. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2009-10 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A77146 Wing B3870A ESTC R170730 45789171 ocm 45789171 172484 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A77146) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 172484) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English Books, 1641-1700 ; 2634:6) A salutation of love from a prisoner for the testimony of Christ Jesus to his loving and kind neighbours. J. B. (John Bowater), d. 1704. 1 sheet ([1] p.) s.n., [London : 1679] Signed: John Boweter, Worcester ... 1679. Reproduction of original in: Friends' Library (London, England). Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Society of Friends -- England -- Pastoral letters and charges -- Early works to 1800. Broadsides -- England -- 17th century. 2008-07 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2008-09 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2008-11 Mona Logarbo Sampled and proofread 2008-11 Mona Logarbo Text and markup reviewed and edited 2009-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A SALUTATION of LOVE FROM A Prisoner for the Testimony of Christ Jesus To his Loving and Kind Neighbours . FRIENDS and Neighbours , in and about Bromsgrove , amongst whom I have had my abode from my Childhood , I understanding many of you are concerned for me , and dissatisfied concerning my present Sufferings , which with a Spirit of Meekness and Moderation I shall endeavour to satisfie , if it may be . Now Friends , we have all one Master , that we must either stand or fall to ; for we must all give an Account to God of our Deeds done in the Body , whether they be Good , or whether they be Evil , which I desire to stand Approved before . And although some may account my Sufferings Frivolous , or out of a Stubborn Will , I do desire to appeal unto the Lord , who knoweth the Integrity of my Heart , and that knoweth all things , that it is not in a Stubborn Will , nor in Contempt of Authority , but in Obedience unto to the Lord , to bear a Testimony against those who profess themselves Ministers of the Gospel , and walk contrary to the Command of Christ , and Examples of the true Ministers in the Primitive Time. Now it may be said , That every Soul ought to be subject unto the higher Powers ; which my Soul desires to be , and to submit to Magistrates in their places , so that I may keep my Conscience clear unto the Lord ; and to pay Tribute to the King , who is set over us , as a Ruler to defend our Just Rights in outward things ; but our Conscience we must keep clear unto the Lord , for he must Rule there : for God must have his Due as well as Caesar his . We do not read in the Scriptures , that it belonged to Caesar to chuse Prophets or Priests in the Time of the Law ; that was God's Due and Work , and belonged unto him , who made use of Aaron to be as a Mouth and Priest unto Israel ; and chose the Tribe of Levi to perform the Priesthood under the Law , & gave them the Tenth of the Encrease , who were to have no other Inheritance amongst their Brethren ; but the Tenth was their Portion in the old Covenant , who stood until the time of Reformation , and remained for the offering up of Sacrifices , until Christ , the acceptable Sacrifice , was offered up , Who offered himself up once for all , and put an end to that Priesthood under the Law , which continued not by Reason of Death ; and so stands as Priest forever , who ever liveth to make Intercession for us , Heb. 7.23 , 24 , 25. And so this Priesthood which was maintained by Tythe , is Changed , and that Law also , vers 12. for Christ is to be Prophet , Priest and Law-giver : And it is he only and alone that chuseth Ministers and fitteth them for his Use and Service , and sends them forth and takes Care of them , who sent them forth as Lambs amongst Wolves , and were not to take thought what to eat or what to put on , but to enquire , Who was worthy , and to eat such things as were set before them : They were not to Compel a Tenth of Peoples Labours , for they had no such Command ; for that Priesthood that took Tythe was to cease : Christ's Ministers received Freely of him , and were to administer Freely . And so it was not Caesar's Due nor Place to chuse Ministers and appoint Maintenance for them , but God's and Christ's Due : And so we must give Caesar his Due in outward Things , and God and Christ their Due in spiritual Things , and in chusing Ministers for themselves , and appointing them a Maintenance . The Apostle said , He was not made a Minister by the Will of Man , nor received his Gospel from Man , neither was taught it of Man , but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ , Gal. 1.1 , 11 , 12. And the holy Ghost said , Separate Barnabas and Saul for the Work I have for them to do ; and they were sent by the holy Ghost , Acts 13.2 , 3 , 4. And these whom the Lord chose were not sent to Schools to learn Latine , Greek and Hebrew to make them Gospel-Ministers , which are but Natural Languages , and then to a Colledge to take their Degrees , as Batchelors of Art and Masters of Art , for Christ commanded his Ministers not to be called Masters , Mat. 23.10 . and Batchelors of Divinity and Doctors of Divinity ; and if they can make Friends with Money , or otherwise , they may be made Lord Bishops , or Deans , and have Hundreds or Thousands by the Year ; which all is come in since the Apostles Dayes , and since Popery came up , in the dark Night of Apostacy : For we do not read in the Scriptures of Truth of a Lord Bishop ; they were not to be Lords over God's Heritage , 1 Pet. 1.1 , 2 , 3. There you may read they were not to compel a Tenth of Peoples Labours ; but to feed the Flock of God , taking the over-sight thereof , not by Constraint , but Willingly ; not for filthy Lucre , but with a ready Mind : And when the chief Shephard shall appear , they shall have a Crown of Life that fa●eth not away . But these who are made Ministers by Man , taking their Degrees from Schools and Colledges , they Exercise Lordship over People ; he that for Conscience-sake cannot answer their Corrupt Greedy-Mind , they soon make use of a Law against them ; and it may be , for the value of Five or Six Shillings will cast a man into Prison , and there keep him , it may be , Moneths , Years , or for Term of Life : We do not read of such Proceedings amongst the True Christians . And they will tell us , It is the Law that takes hold of us , like the Jews , who were stirred up by the chief Priests , against Christ , our Lord and Master , to put him to Death ; Pilate finding him a Just Man , and nothing worthy of Death , they said , We have a Law , and by our Law he ought to Dye , John 16.6 , 7. Now some may say , Do you compare your selves to Christ ? I say , no otherwise but as Christ Our Lord and Master , and We his Servants and Followers , who said , The Servant is not greater than his Lord ; they have persecuted me , and they will persecute you . And so that is our Portion from these that exercise Lordship over People , that bind heavy Burdens , and lay them on mens Shoulders , grievous to be born , and they themselves not touch them with one of their Fingers . And so , Friends & Neighbours , having something cleared my Spirit , I leave it with you , to consider well of it ; and the Desire of my Soul , and Prayer of my Heart unto the Lord for you , is , That an understanding may be opened in you . And loving Neighbours , I desire you in the Bowels of Love & Tenderness , That you judge not of things before the Time ; for the Day will discover all things , and bring every hidden things before to light ; and then it will be known who are they that serve the Lord , and they that serve him not ; and a Separation will be betwixt the Precious and the Vile . And in the mean time I do desire to rest satisfied in my Condition , until the Lord please to set me Free , which I believe will be in his appointed time : He who knows our Grief , and Bottleth up our Tears , will Ease the Oppressed , and set the Prisoners Free. And Loving and kind Neighbours , I call you Loving and Kind , because you have been so to me , I take my leave of you , and rest your Friend and Neighbour , willing , in what I may , to serve you in Love , Worcester County-Goal , the 16th of the 8th Moneth , 1679. John Boweter . Postscript . WHo goeth a Warfare at his own Charge ? ( some may say ) Are not Ministers to have a Maintenance ? Were not they that waited at the Altar , to partake of the things of the Altar ? And is not he that preacheth the Gospel , to live of the Gospel ? and he that soweth Spiritual , to reap Carnal things ? To this I Answer : He that preacheth the Gospel is to live of the Gospel : It doth not say , he that preacheth the Gospel shall live of the Law , or Sue men at the Law for a Maintenance ; for the Gospel is a Free Thing , which is the Gift of God , and received Freely , and is not to be bought and sold for Money , Acts 8.18 , 19 , 20 , 21. Now the Apostle had a Necessity laid upon him , who said , Wo is to me if I preach not the Gospel , 1 Cor. 9.16 . yet he was not limitted , but that he might reap Carnal things ; For the Work-man is worthy of his Meat : But it is not reasonable to compel it of them that set them not at work , neither own their Work. Now he that should come in the Name of the Lord , and have the free Gospel to declare , and being Necessitated , I could freely , according to my Ability , administer of my Carnal or Temporal Things to him for his Relief . Farewell . J. B.