‘You, who are without Christ, and yet use the words which he and his saints have spoken, consider, neither he nor his apostles did ever imprison any; but my Saviour is merciful even to the unmerciful and rebellious. He doth bring out of prison and bondage: but men, while the carnal mind doth rule, do oppress and imprison. My Saviour saith, “Love your enemies, and do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you:” for the love of God doth not persecute any; but loveth all, where it dwelleth: “he that hateth his brother, is a murderer.” You profess to be Christians, and one of you a minister of Jesus Christ, yet you have imprisoned me who am a servant of Jesus Christ. The apostles never imprisoned any; but were imprisoned themselves: take heed of speaking of Christ in words, and denying him in life and power. O friends, the imprisoning my body is to satisfy your wills; but take heed of giving way to your wills, for that will hurt you. If the love of God had broken your hearts, ye would not have imprisoned me; but my love is to you, as to all my fellow-creatures: and that you may weigh yourselves, and see how you stand, is this written.’ About this time he gave forth a paper to those that were convinced of the truth, to show them the deceit of the world, and how the priests had deceived the people, viz. ‘Christ was ever hated; and the righteous, for his sake. Mind who they were, that did ever hate them. He that was born after the flesh, did persecute him that was born after the Spirit; and so it is now. And mind, who were the chiefest against Christ; even the great learned men, the heads of the people, rulers and teachers, that did profess the law and the prophets, and looked for Christ; they looked for an outwardly glorious Christ, to hold up their outward glory: but Christ spake against the works of the world; and against the priests, and scribes, and Pharisees, and their hypocritical profession. He that is a stranger to Christ, is an hireling: but the servants of Jesus Christ are freemen. The false teachers always laid burdens upon the people: and the true servants of the Lord did speak against them. Jeremiah did speak against hirelings, and said, “It was an horrible thing;” and said, “What will ye do in the end?” for the people and priests were given to covetousness. Paul did speak against such as did make gain upon the people; and exhorted the saints to turn away from such as were covetous men and proud men, such as did love pleasures more than God; such as had a form of godliness, but denied the power thereof. “For of this sort, (said he,) are they that creep into houses, and lead captive silly women, who are ever learning, but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth; men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith; and as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so, (saith he,) do