‘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.