The Oppressed Close Prisoner in Windsor Castle, Title page – Preface
The Oppreſſed Cloſe Priſoner In WINDSOR-Caſtle, HIS DEFIANCE TO The Father of Lyes, In the ſtrength of The God of Truth.
Occaſioned by ſome late, ſcandalous and ſlanderous Reports, raiſed and diſperſed to the Diſhonour of that noble Cauſe, wherein He (with others of the Lords ſervants) is ſo deeply engaged.
AS ALSO, A Seaſonable Word, concerning the Higher Powers: concerning the payment of Taxes and Tribute-money by the Saints to thoſe Powers: And how far a Miniſter of the Goſpel may intermeddle in State-Affairs without ſin.
By CHR. FEAKE, in his Priſon-Watch-tower.
Prov. 25.18, 19. A man that beareth falſe witneſs againſt his neighbour, is a M…ul, and a Sword, and a ſharp Arrow. Confidence in an Unfaithful man in time of trouble, is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joynt.
foreign. Zor. coram Dario.
London, Printed for L. Chapman, at the Crown in Popes-head-alley. 165….
The Preface.
THat ſpace of time, which remains to that old Serpent, the Devil and Satan, before the beginning of the thouſand yeers, being but ſhort *Which according to my computation will expire within leſs then 50 yeers from this yeer 1654:; It is no marvel that he is ſo much inraged at the Woman, and that he continues to go forth to make war with the remnant of her ſeed, which keep the Commandments of God, and have the Teſtimony of Jeſus Chriſt.
My expectations alſo are abundantly confirmed, that the poor Nations will be moſt ſadly deceived by him, for the forementioned ſpace of time; inſomuch that whilſt the power of his Sophiſtry and Seduction is upon them, they will freely expoſe themſelves and all that is dear unto them, to extream hazards for his ſervice. The certain and particular knowledge of theſe things, doth much affect my heart with pity; and I would gladly be at work with others, to give forth Antidotes among the children of men.
But behold, he hath (by divine permiſſion) caſt me, and ſome other Brethren into Priſon, that we might be tried; and I have had tribulation neer ten months of days, a great part of which time, I have alſo been ſhut up in a very narrow compaſs from the common air, and (which is far worſe) from the ſweet ſociety of the Saints. But my dear Lord bids me be of good cheer, and exhorts me moſt lovingly to be faithful to the DEATH, and he will give me a CROWN OF LIFE.
Thoſe moſt incouraging communications from Heaven, whereof my ſoul hath had more ſweet and plentiful experience, then in any condition formerly, will have, I am perſwaded, a very effectual influence upon my ſpirit, to cauſe it to bear up againſt all the *foreign.Devices, and Wiles or Methods of that wicked one, yea, through Chriſt ſtrengthning me, having taken the ſhield of faith, I ſhall be able to quench all thoſe fiery darts *foreign.which are ſhot againſt me, to cauſe me to fall or quit the field, and ſo deſert that moſt noble Intereſt, wherein I have (with my fellow-workers unto the Kingdom of God) been ſo long, and ſo publickly engaged, againſt the Kings, and other Supream Powers of the Earth.
The cunning craftineſs of this God of this world, and of his Purſevants, (for the Devil alſo hath his Purſevants or Meſſengers, deceitful Workers *foreign, 2 Cor. 11.13.) hath raiſed and ſpread falſe reports and ſlanderous reproachful rumours, as if I alſo had recanted, as if I had renounced my Principles, & that now I begin to droop: theſe lyes have begotten ſtrange effects in the mindes and affections of the ſimple, who are apt to believe every word; and of the adverſaries, who would greatly rejoyce if it might be found a Truth.
Aſſuredly, it is mater of ſome importance in this conjuncture of time, for every one of the faithful followers of the Lambe, to be fellow-helpers to the Truth, *foreign, 3 John 8.and to the cauſe and work of Chriſt, which ere long ſhall have a moſt glorious reſurrection; although ſo many (like the ſouldiers and Prieſts of old, when the Lord of glory was dead and buried) deſire they may lie in the grave of oblivion, ſo as never to riſe again.
If it were onelyonly a perſonal reproach, particularly intended againſt me, and reflecting upon me alone, a poor inconſiderable inſtrument in the Lords hand, I could through grace have borne it patiently without anſwering again, according as I have endured a thouſand, for neer this ten yeers, both in City and Country: but this reacheth to the heavens *Captutinter nubila condit.; and, rides p…ſt through the Nations, to the diſhonour of my Lord and Maſter, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, whoſe I am, and whom I ſerve; and to the further diſparagement of that known great affair of His, which hath been ſo ſlighted of late yeers, by the quondam zealous aſſertors of it.
Wherefore if I ſhould altogether hold my peace at this time, as Mordecai ſaid to Hester, (and in this matter) how could I give an account with comfort to my Lord the King of Saints, when he ſhall make enquiry after the ſervice he expects ſhould be done by me in my day, for his Name and his Kingdom, according to the truſt he repoſed in me, when he did firſt chuſe and call me forth to ſuffer for his ſake?
But before I proceed to the buſineſs intended by me, I ſhall declare, ſo far as I have attained true intelligence in the general, the firſt and laſt occaſion of all this noiſe, both among the Churches and elſewhere, and then ſubjoyne a plain-hearted explication of thoſe Truths (concerning the matter in controverſie) which have ſweetly wooed and won my underſtanding and judgement, (ſuch as they are) to entertain and to improve them, as God ſhall providentially adminiſter opportunity by the teachings of his Spirit.
But if in any circumſtance, I ſhould miſs the white at which I aim; it muſt be imputed to my preſent incapacity of obtaining a full Relation, partly becauſe I am ſtill a cloſe Priſoner (notwithſtanding my preſent breathing in the open air) and ſo cannot converſe with ſuch as would give me a more perfect and punctual Narrative in matter of fact; as alſo, becauſe there hath been, (as it was always in the like caſes) a monſtrous multiplication of new miſhapen births even every day.
That Congregation which I am over in the Lord, ſent not many weeks ſince, an Epiſtle to me, teſtifying their love in the Lord, and that brotherly ſympathy with me in my ſufferings, which is meet; withal, ſignifying, they ſhould rejoyce to be ſerviceable to Chriſt and me in obtaining my enlargement, if they did but once underſtand what means to uſe in order thereunto: but they could not do what their ſouls deſired to do, without owning the Powers in being; the doing of which, ſaid they, is accounted a bowing of the knee to the Image of the Beaſt.
This laſt mentioned paſſage, gave me juſt occaſion, according to my Office, as their ſhepherd, to feed them with knowledge and underſtanding in this point, and therefore accordingly I ſpent ſome time in clearing it up unto the Congregation, in a ſecond Epiſtle written in anſwer unto theirs.
It ſeems ſome of them through anacquaintedneſs with Scripture-diſtinctions in this doctrine, and otherwiſe, did not make a right interpretation of the Truths therein expreſſed; but miſtooke my minde and meaning, and ſo, whether weakly or willingly, divulged, or ſuffered to be divulged abroad, ſome paſſages in the Letter, which ought not to have been done, conſidering the Letter was intended for their uſe and edifying onelyonly, and not for open publication.
I had ſome hint of this in a ſhort time; but not being conſcious to my ſelf, of any alteration in the leaſt, no not in thought and purpoſe of heart, toward a compliance; and well knowing that no part of the Letter could ſignifie any ſuch thing, if rightly underſtood, I neglected the rumour, as onelyonly one of the petty ſtratagems of the devil, whereby to do me ſome miſchief.
But afterward, finding that that ſecret whiſper and murmur was ripened ſuddenly into an infamous report; Letter after Letter alſo repreſenting this, as of very ſad conſequence to that Name and Cauſe for which I am bound with this Chain: I was brought under a neceſſity of preſenting to publick view the Epiſtle it ſelf, ſo far as it concerns this Cauſe;
Eſpecially, when I finde it certified, that one (well known to all ſorts of people in the City) coming where ſeveral were together in company, did in a laughing and ſcoffing maner draw forth a paper, and ſay, There was my Recantation, pretending it was mine own Letter, or a Copy of it, wherein I wrote, That I was now ſatisfied, that the Government was a lawful authority, &c.
It appears to me, that the envious One and his Emiſſaries are altogether in extreams, in their ſuggeſtions againſt my Good Name; ſometimes the world muſt be made believe, yea, and the Elect alſo, that I am againſt Magiſtracie and Miniſtery, that I am an enemy to Government, a moſt dangerous man in my Principles that way, &c.
Again, ſometimes it is for his advantage, to perſwade ſuch as would have it ſo, that I am come over to my Adverſaries and Oppreſſors of mine own accord, and that ſuddenly too, without any Overtures made, or Arguments uſed to draw me to a compliance or conformity. But how improbable and irrational a practice ſuch an haſty return would appear to ſolid Chriſtians to be, I refer it to themſelves to ſay, and judge.
No, bleſſed be the Lord, I ſhall not ſo far be forſaken by him, or left to my ſelf, as to gratifie the foes, and grieve the friends of my dear Redeemer, by turning Apoſtate after all my ſufferings in ſo good a Cauſe; HIS GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR HIS SERVANT: yea, let all my Friends and Enemies alſo, know aſſuredly, that I ſtand my ground by divine aſſiſtance; yea, I get ground, and am abundantly confirmed, that I am out of the reach of the earthly powers, inſomuch, that if they ſhould ſlay me, they could not hurt me. Let God in all things be glorified by Jeſus Christ, to whom alſo be glory for ever, Amen.
The Epiſtle followeth, together with a further manifeſtation of the Truth.