A COPY OF A LETTER, Written by John Lilburne Leut. Colonel. To Mr. William Prinne Esq (UPON THE COMING OUT OF HIS LAST BOOK, Entitled Truth triumphing over Falslhood, Antiquity over Novelty) In which he lays down five Propositions, which he desires to discuss with the said Mr. Prinne.  
Sir,  
YOU and I have both been Sufferers, by the hands of the Prelates, the comnon and open Enemies of Christ● Kingdom; and the eyes of the people of God are therefore the more upon us, and are subject with less jealousy to receive those things that come from us for truth, not imitating the noble Bereans, who daily searched the Scripture, to see whether those things they heard, were according thereunto or no, Acts 17.11. the Law and the Testimony of Christ being the str●ight Rule, by which we are to walk espeacially in matters of worship, and whosoever he be that practices and speaks not according to this Rule, it is because there is no light of truth in him, Esa. 8.20. I have seen some of your late writings, which a little diving into, I have found them full of bitter and unsavoury Language against the poor Saints of God, and the unspotted ways of Jesus Christ, and finding your Confidence very great but your Arguments very weak and unsound having received a Talon from the Lord, I conceived myself bound in Conscience to employ it, and lay it out for my Ma●ers best advantage) and I was determined some weeks since, to have writ you a few lines in a public way, and to have told you, you err not knowing the Scriptures. Math. 22.29. (but being that you, and the Blacke-Coate? in the Synod) have not dealt fairly with your Antagonists in stopping the Press against us, while things are in debate, yea robbing us of our Liberty (as we are Subjects) in time of freedom, when the Parliament is sitting, who are sufficiently able to punish that man (whatsoever he be) that shall abuse his pen. So that while we are with the hazard of our dearest lives, fight for the Subjects Liberty, we are brought into Egyptian bonds in this and other particulars, by the Blacke-Coates, who I am afraid, will prove more cruel Taskmasters than their dear fathers the Bishops: who Cowardly sit at home, in my apprehension, for no other end but to breed faction and division amongst the well affected to the Parliament, promoting thereby their own interest, which is Lazines, Pride, Covetousness and Domination, endeavouring to lay lower than the dust a generation of men whom they falsely call Sectaryes, that have in the uprightness of their hearts without Syodianlike ends, ventured all they have in the world for the good of the Parliament, and the Commonwealth of England, and who may bid defiance to all their Adversaries that brand them with unfaithfulness. so that by mean● of which, I have not been able that way yet, to accomplish my earnest desire: and truly it argues no manhood nor valour in you nor the Blacke-Coates, by force to throw us down and tie our hands, & then to fall upon us to beat and buffet us, for if you had not been men that had been afraid of your cause, you would have been willing to have fought and contended with us upon even ground and equal terms, namely that the Press might be as open for us as for you, and as it was at the beginning of this Parliament, which I conceive the Parliament did of purpose, that so the freeborn English Subjects might enjoy their Liberty and Privilege, which the Bishops had learned of the Spanish Inquisition to rob them of, by looking it up under the Key of an Imrpimatur, in whose tyrannical steps the Synod treads, so that you and they think you may rail at us own privilegio, and rank us amongst the worst and basest of men, as rooters up of Parliaments and disturbers of States and Common wealth's, and so think to carry it away without control, but it may be you will be mistaken, for though we cannot print so fast as you, we can speak and lay down as strong Arguments for ourselves, as you can for yourselves, and therefore being desirous to try a fall with you, though one of your friends not long since told me, there was as great disproportion betwixt you and me, to write upon controverting the things of God, as there is betwixt a tall Cedar and a little shrub: unto which I replied, go you, and tell the tall Cedar, the little Shrub will have about with him: And therefore, that I may be as good as my word, I send you these ensuing Propositions, upon which I will dispute with you, hand to hand before any Auditory in and about the City of London when and where you will choose, giving me four or five days warning before hand.  
First, That the Ordinances, Laws, Rights and Ceremonies of the Church of the Jews were types and figures, which were only to last and endure till the coming of Christ, which he by his death did abolish, Gen. 49.10. John 19.30. Acts 15.24.29. & 21.21: 28. Heb. 7.11: 12. & 10.1. and he himself with his Institutions in the New Testament are the Antitypes of them, Acts 3.22. Heb. 1.8. & 6.20. & 7.17.18.19. & 8.1 2.6. & 9.11.12.  
Secondly, That Jesus Christ being apppointed by God his Father to be Mediator, hath a Kingdom given unto him, Dan. 2.13.14. Mat. 2.2 & 28.18. Luke 1.32.33. Heb. 1.8. which he hath erected, and set up in the world, amongst his Saints, where visibly and spiritually he governeth, ruleth and dwelleth, Psal. 2.6.22.27.28: and 46.4: and 48.1. etc. & 132.13: 14. Esa. 6.9 7. & 33.23. and according to that trust the Father hath reposed in him Acts 3.22.23. he hath been faithful to every thing requred of him, Heb. 3.25. compared with Exod. 39.43. and unto this his visible Kingdom by his last Will and Testament he hath bequeathed perfect and complete Laws, which are unalterable and unchangeable, in all times, ages and places by any of the sons of men, Acts 1.3. 2 Thes. 2.15. 1 Tim. 6.13.14.20. 2 Tim 3.15.16.17. Heb. 10.28.29. & 12▪ 25.  
Thirdly, that the matter, form, Laws, Worship, Ordinances and Administrations of this Kingdom are not carnal, nor of this world, but all and every one of them spiritual, John. 4.22.23. & 18.36. Act. 1.15. & ●. 41.47. & 11.23.24. Rom. 1.7. 1 Cor. 1.2. & ch. 5: 2 Cor. 2.6.7.8.  
Fourthly, that no Parliament, Council, Synod, Emperor, King, nor Magistrate hath any spiritual Authority, or jurisdiction over this Kingdom, or the Subjects thereof, Mat. 20.25.27. 1 Cor. 4.5. Ephes. 1.21.22 23. and 5.24.25. Col. 4.17. 1 Pet. 6.5.3. Rev. 17.17.  
Fiftly, that to persecute for conscience is not of nor from God, but of and from the Devil, and Antichrist, Esa. 2.3.4. & 11.6: 7: 9 Micah 4.2.3. Luke 9.54.55, 2 Cor. 10.4. 1 Tim. 1.20. Rev. 13.2.4.15 16.17.  
Sir, In your last Book that you put out, you spend a great deal of pains in citing old rusty Authors, to prove that Kings, Counsels, Synods and States have for so many hundred years meddled with matters of Religion, I grant you they have; but I demand of you, by what Right, or by what Authority out of the Word of God they have so done? Hath God the Father, or Jesus Christ his Son given them any allowance in thi●? Or have they not hereby rather fulfilled the Prophecies of the Scripture, which saith, (Rev. 17.17.) that the Kings of the Earth shall give their power unto the Beast, till the Word of God be fulfilled, which they have done in assisting the Pope, to join the Ecclesiastical and Civil State together, making the golden Laws of Christ, to depend upon the leaden Laws of man; yea, upon such Laws, as was just suitable to their tyrannical lusts, and which might the most advance their wicked ends and designs, and in the doing of this, they have set up a perfect Antichrist against God's Christ; yea, England is not free from this; for though King Henry the right did shake of the Pope's Supremacy, yet by the advice of the Clergy, the sworn enemies of Jesus Christ, he assumed the same, calling himself Head in all causes Ecclesiastical and Civil, and so though he jusled out the Pope, he set himself in the Throne of Christ, and his Successors have done the same, for opposing of which, the Saints that were burnt in Queen Mary's days have not only smarted, but also those that were hanged and murdered in Prisons in Queen Elizabeth's days, and those that were banished and destroyed in King James his days, and myself and many others, that have suffured worse than death in King Charles his days, and this is the great Contrversi●, that God contends with the whole Earth for, and for which God will make the greatest of Princes and States to taste a Cup of trembling, yea, and to drink the dregs of his fury and wrath; for he will give people and Nations for his Saints, Esa. 43.3.4.14. And if England drink yet deeper of this Cup, amongst other causes, they may thank Mr. Prinne for it who hath incited them to wage war with the King of Saints, (and his redeemed one's) who will dash all the Nations of the Earth in pieces in being revenged of them, for that which they have done unto them already in this particular, Rev. 18. ch. & 19.1.2. For Sir, let me tell you, it is the incommunicable Prerogative of Jesus Christ alone to be King of his Saints, and Lawgiver to his Church and people, and to reign in the souls and consciences of his chosen ones, it being too high a throne for all the creatures in the world to reign in; and therefore, were your eyes but open, it would make you quake and tremble, to consider what you have done, in endeavouring to set the Potentates of the Earth together by the ears with Christ (who is to rule all Nations, Rev. 12.5.) to pluck his Crown from his head, his Sceptre out of his hand, and his Person out of his Throne of State, that his Father hath given him to reign gloriously in.  
Oh Sir! consider the time is not long, before Jesus Christ will come again in glory triumphantly, and say it out of his own mouth before the eyes of the sons of men, bring those mine enemies before me, that will not have me to rule over them, that I may slay them, Luke 19.17.  
Sir, If your Positions be true, that there is no rule left in the world, how we may worship God, but that Kings and States may set up what Religion● they please, or may mould it to the manners of their people; 〈◊〉 Queen Mary did justifiably in burning the Saints in her days that would not stoop and submit to that Religion she and her Parliament had set up: Truly, had I not seen your name to your Books, I should rather have judged them a Papists or a Jesuits than Mr. Prinnes, and without doubt the Pope when he sees them will Canonize you for a Saint, for throwing down his enemy Christ, who you say hath been less faithful than Moses, and so had need of the Pope, or some others to supply what he hath been deficient in; Surely you have given away your ears, & suffered as a busy body in opposing the King and the Prelates; without all doubt, all is not gold that glisters; for were you not a man, that had more than truth to look after, namely your own ends and particular interest, which I am afraid you strive more to set up then a public good, you should rather importuned the Parliament, to have continued their favours and respects to that people, that cannot prostrate their consciences to man's devises though never so great and famous; (and who yet with their bodies and estates to the utmost of their power, yea and divers of them beyond their abilities) have done the Parliament as sincere, upright, faithful and good service as either yourself or any generation of men in England whatsoever they be) then to enforce them to destroy them: But truly the Son of God, and his saints (those beloved ●ewels of his) are but a little beholden to you, that will not suffer his ransomsed one's to enjoy the Liberty of their Conscience to serve their Lord and King, that hath bought them with his own blood, [are you not in this as cruel a Taskmaster as Pharaoh] nor to have footing in the Land of their Nativity, though Christ himself hath given them a true right to all things present in this world, and all things in that is to come, 1 Cor. 2.21.22.23. and they themselves (many thousand of them) have endeavoured more than yourself to redeem their native Country from bondage and slavery with their dearest blood: And therefore I say, the Lord judge betwixt you and us in this particular.  
Sir, It may be instead of satisfying my desire, you'll run and complain to the Parliament; and press them upon their Covenant to take vengeance upon me, if you do I weigh it not; for I bless God I am fitted to do, or suffer whatsoever the Parliament shall impose upon me, but if you do, take these two along with you.  
First, That I am not against the Parliaments setting up a S●te-Government for such a Church as they shall think fit, to make the generality of the Land members of, for I for my part leave them to themselves, to do what they shall think good, so that they leave my Conscience free to to the Law and Will of my Lord and King.  
Socondly, If you put them in mind of their Covenant, tell them, I think they have sworn to root out all Popery, and therefore have lately abolished the Common Prayer (that great Idol) but yet have established Tithes, etc. the very root and support of popery, which I humbly conceive, is a contradiction to their Covenant, and which willbe a greater snaire than the Common Prayer to many of the precious consciences of God's people, wh●se duty is in my judgement, to die in a prison before they act or stoop unto so dishonourable a thing as this is to their Lord and Master, as to maintain the Blacke-coates with Tithes, whom they look upon as the professed enemies of their Anointed Christ, he that pays Tithes, is bound to the whole Law of Tithes, in which there was a Lamb to be brought for a Sin-offering, which is abolished; also he that was to take Tithes, was one that was to offer sacrifice daily for sin, which if any do so now it is to deny Christ come in the flesh, and to be the alone sacrifice for sin by his death, and so overthrow all our comfort, joy and hope. So desiring to receive your Answer to the things I propound to you, I rest  
LONDON, this 7. Jan. 1645. Yours more than you are the Truths JOHN LILBURNE.  
FINIS.