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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30035	The pilgrim's progress, from Quakerism to Christianity containing, a farther discovery of the dangerous growth of Quakerism, not only in points of doctrine, but also in their politicks, respecting their government, and opposite to it, together with their fund or common bank to support the same : with a remedy proposed for this malady, and the cure of Quakerism : to which is added an appendix, discovering a most damnable plot, contriv'd and carrying on by New-Rome, by an united confederacy, against the reformed religion and professors thereof, as will appear from the designs of their silent meetings, their monthly, quarterly, second-day, six-week, and yearly meeting, all which are particularly herein treated on / by ... Fr. Bugg.	Bugg, Francis, 1640-1724?	1700 (1700)	Wing B5383; ESTC R20744	232,865	530

Abstract 69 They Vindicate the Socinians 71 Quaker-Teachers about Hospitality 73 They come like Mice and Flies ibid. Hypocrisie their Mysterium Maximum 76 The Quakers Yearly-Meeting 79 G. Keith like Luther at Worms 82 Ellwood about Tythes 84 Acts of Parliament virtually Repealed 86 Letters to appoint Meetings 91 The Qua. against Liberty of Conscience 97 Their Treasonable Practice 101 Their Teachers Self-Preservation 103 Their Usurpation of Government 104 Their Excommunication of Fr. Bugg 106 Their Excommunication of J. Barnard 110 John Ainsloe's Condemnation 113 Thir Black Book 114 Their Power to Bind and Loose 115 About their Fund or Bank 118 W. Rogers's Scourge 120 Ann Docwra against their Fund 121 Tom Tell-Troth Ellwood 125 Their Pretence to Write freely 126 Compared by Ann Docwra to Jesuits 129 Ann Docwra's Verses on Fox 133 Their Six-Week-Meetings Craft 136 VV. Mather's Discovery 137 A Petition of 7000 against Tythes 140 Their way to spread Books 143 A Minister's Zealous Letter 147 The Quakers Horrible Deceivers 150 Their Grand Cheat discovered 155 Against Kingly Government 157 They Justifie the Murder of K. Charles I. 163 Still against all Kings 167 Their Fling at Dissenters 168 Their Popish Design therein 171 Their Inveighing against the Clergy 173 A Hunting of the Fox 174 Letters of the Clergy 175 Of their not Praying for K. W. 178 And their Praying for the late K. J. II. 179 Observation thereupon 182 Their Stopping Joan Whitrow's Book 183 A Proclamation against Penn 185 Observations thereupon 187 The Act of Association 189 The Quakers Refusal to joyn 192 Their Grand Deceit therein 194 At large handled to 205 Luther's Example very good 211 Fox's Ambition about Learning 213 His Battledoor for our Clergy 215 His Liturgy for Churches 217 A Sermon for G. Whitehead 222 A System of their dark Divinity 224 Read with Patience to 248 A Cage of Unclean Birds 249 Their Rage against the Clergy 250 Their Idolatry set forth 253 The Cage full of Birds 254 G. Fox taken out and examined 256 How the other Birds Adore him 260 For their Bright and Morning Star 262 Six of their Unclean Birds 265 Their Features and Feathers display'd 284 Names given me by these Birds 286 My Lord of Norwich his Certificate 292 A Psalm of Praise 295 Mr. Meriton's Letter 299 A Proposition very Necessary 302 A Certificate Signed by four Persons 305 A Word of Encouragement 307 The Parable of the Gulf unfolded 308 Six Queries proposed 1678 302 Bold VVhitehead boldly Answered 313 A Pensilvanian Trumpet 316 Christ's Holy Example 320 An Appendix 323 G. Whitehead's Proposition answered 324 And that by a threefold Method 325 Another grand Fallacy of G. W.'s discern'd 326 D. Leeds's Trumpet sounded 327 W. Penn's Challenge answered 329 Two Quaker-Traytors rebuked ibid. A Damnable Plot discovered 332 The Quakers Suffering above all 333 A Simile of Humility 335 A Cure proposed for Quakerism 336 A Word of Encouragement 343 Fr. Bugg's Challenge continued 345 G. VVhitehead not Triumphant 347 G. VV.'s Grand Fallacy 348 THE PREFACE Christian Reader SINCE December 1689 the Quakers have put forth many Books relating to the West-Dereham Conference and have as industriously spread them under these Titles viz. I. An Apology for the People called Quakers and an Appeal to the Inhabitants of Norfolk and Suffolk c. II. A Letter to the Clergy of the Diocese of Suffolk and Norfolk c. III. A Defence of the People called Quakers being a Reply to the Priests in Norfolk c. IV. An Apostate Conscience Exposed c. V. A Defence of the Apology for the People called Quakers c. VI. Truth and Innocency Vindicated c. And besides these they have Printed a Book Intituled Anguis Flagellatus c. the first Six I have answered which Answers may be had at Mr. Janeway's a Book-Binder next Door to Child's Coffee-House in St. Paul's Churchyard London and the last I shall now take some Notice of not that I shall enter far into the Province of that Reverend Author of the Book Intituled and that excellently well too The Snake in the Grass or Satan transformed into an Angel of Light Discovering the deep and unsuspected Subtilty which is couched under the pretended Simplicity of the Leaders of the Quakers c. And I hope it may be called an Answer according to the Pretences of the Quakers For says W. Penn in his Serious Apology c. pag. 79. My designed Method is not the Common Road of Printing my Adversary's Words at large on all Occasions c. no more is mine especially at this time tho' wherein I do take their Words I shall recite them so full as to carry the Force of their Argument and if so it will not only exceed their Practice but hold pace with their Pretence For Josiah Coale another of the Quakers Prophets in his Book The Whore Vnvailed c. printed 1665 and afterwards reprinted by the Approbation of their Second-Day-Meeting who in Answer to a Book of A. S. a Roman Catholick Intituled The Reconciler of Religions c. in his Preface thus saith Altho' A. S. in his Reconciler of Religions seem to challenge an Answer to all Particulars according to the Number of his Chapters yet I do not look upon this Challenge to be obligatory because there is an easier way to do the Work as effectually For when the Foundation of a Building is razed the whole will fall even as effectually as if a Man should begin at the top of a Building and pull it down Stone by Stone c. And in order to which I shall make some brief Remarks which may serve not only as a Forerunner to a more compleat Answer which I understand is preparing but may together with what follows in the ensuing Discourse pass for a tolerable Answer at least raze the Foundation of their Anguis Flagellatus c. and that in these following Particulars I. Touching the Title Reader you have as above seen the Title The Snake in the Grass or Satan transformed into an Angel of Light c. This Title was well given to that Book which made such a plain Discovery of the Quakers Juggles c. who as St. Paul said Eph. 4.14 lye in wait to deceive by their cunning Slights and deep Craft as the Quakers above all People shew by their double Meanings For in one Book they 'll pretend to own the Scriptures to be of Divine Authority and the best Book in the World yet in their other sort of Books they say it is Death Dust Serpents Meat Beastly Ware a Rotten Foundation c. In one sort of their Books they pretend to own a Scripture-Trinity whilst in their other sort of Books they condemn the Three Persons to the Lake and the Pit * Ishmael and his Mother cast out p. 10. by G. Whitehead c. as I elsewhere from their Books have proved And this Two-fac'd Practice gave occasion for that Title Yet now have they given their Book under

Grace-Church-Street London where there is a very large Room four square with a very large Table which is covered in Convocation time with a curious Green Carpet about which may fit Forty or Fifty of the Principal Men their President being their Light within which is to speak thro' some or other infallibly and so to be taken c. and round about there are Seats set one above another like the House of Commons where may convene about Six Hundred and their Speaker being below they can all hear him and he them with Ease and Delight Thirdly When this is done the Doors being well secured i. e. either lock'd and barr'd or else Two or Three lusty Fellows to keep Guard then the Clerk opens his Bags and takes out his Books opens the black Roll and calls over all the Quarterly Meetings in England and Wales and the Names of the Deputies and is as careful to see that none be wanting as Jehu was who said Call unto me all the Prophets of Baal let none be wanting 2 Kings 10.19 This done they proceed to examine first the State of their own Affairs next that of the Nation which any way affects them First As to their own Church Affairs it is to see that none Preach contrary to their Antient Testimony if they do they Excommunicate them and Expel them out of their Unity as in the Case of Geo. Keith which in regard it is made so Publick by several printed Books particularly his Three Narratives I think I am the less concerned to be particular on that Head as First To shew how they Summoned him to appear before them Day after Day I think 10 or 12 Days together where G. Keith as readily appeared as Luther did at Wormes (n) And there was as much need for him for New-Rome is as fatal and as dangerous to the Protestant Interest as her Elder Sister and when they could not make him truckle but that he manfully stood his Post they then cast him out as a Troubler of their Israel and called him Apostate one separated from the Holy Fellowship of the Church of Christ and one not fit to Preach and Pray in their Meetings in that unreconciled Estate until by a Publick and Hearty Acknowledgment of his Offence and Condemnation of himself therefore he return to Mother-Church c. as by the Words of his Excommunication bearing Date May 17. 1695. may more fully appear Thus then is their Boldness manifest First In presuming to Summons the King's Subjects to appear before them and then to Interrogate them Sentence and Condemn them yea and that too for holding no other Articles of the Christian Faith than what every Orthodox Church holds Secondly That he is an Apostate whilst no matter of evil Fact or false Doctrine they could lay to his Charge I say this is bold in Fact I will not deny but that Dissenters have sometimes admonished scandalous Walkers and if they have persisted therein to the Scandal of their Church-Society rejected them c. But I deny that any whether Presbyterians Independants or Baptists ever yet took upon them to call a General Council and then and there assume an Authority to call before them the King's Subjects examine try and judge them Apostates for differing from them in Matter of Faith and Doctrine especially when G. Keith held no other Articles of the Christian Faith than all sound Protestants hold This then is a Figure of their Church-Government respecting the Doctrinal Part thereof Next As to their Interfering with the Government and their calling in question Acts of Parliament and absolving their Hearers from their Obedience to them if this can be made appear I think 't is worth noticing the dangerous Consequences thereof are so Many and so Pernicious And THEREFORE observe what W. Rogers wrote in Answer to an Objection Whether it were lawful or no to pay Tythes if the Supream Powers command it c. The Christian Quaker distinguished from the Apostate in five Parts Part 2. pag. 43. Printed 1680. Ans We are so far from condemning all those who freely pay them and not by Constraint that we look upon it the Duty of all professing Christianity to contribute towards the outward Maintainance of such whom they usually hear and account to be the true Ministers of Christ in case they have need and if the Charity of any should be such as to bestow upon them one Fifth Part instead of a Tenth far be it from us to condemn it c. This Book did so startle the Foxonian Quakers that Tho. Ellwood one of their best Tools wrote an Answer to it and fearfully complains of this extensive Charity of W. Rogers and the Dissenting Quakers called Storians for Distinction c. saying In this Answer saith Ellwood you discover an Error of Judgment otherwise you would not be so far from Condemning all those who pay Tythes freely as you say you are FOR TRUTH ALLOWS NO PAYMENT OF TYTHES AT ALL UNDER THE NEW COVENANT BUT CONDEMNS IT And so would you also if your Hearts were right in Truth THEY who PAY TYTHES do THEREIN uphold a legal Ceremony abrogated by Christ and THEREBY DENY CHRIST to be come in the Flesh which IS a MARK of ANTICHRIST 1 John 4.3 (o) This Proof of Tho. Ellwood's out of 1 John 4.3 is like many of their Proofs for there is not a word of Tythes or that it is a mark of Antichrist to pay Tythes However whether you condemn or approve it the faithful Followers of the Lamb see and discern this Spirit the Nature of it and the End it tends to which is downright RANTERISM An Antidote against the Infection of W. Rogers's Book p. 78. Again p. 139. poor T. Ellwood makes a sad Complaint of some that had been convinced Ten nay some Twenty Years and yet can pay Tythes without any Acknowledgment of Evil therein (p) See what a sad thing it is to break one of Fox's Commandments Is it not savoury Language says Ellwood for such to say I must stay until I be convinced Can such as see not such manifest Evil (q) Possibly the poor Men had not seen G. Fox's Commandments or at least not well conn'd them be said to be faithful c. Well these Differences grew high and very difficult to decide but in time the Matter came up to the Terms of W. Rogers's Objection viz. the SUPREAM POWER continued the Payment of Tythes in that very Act of Parliament by which the Quakers claim their Toleration and therefore 't is worth the while to see how the Quakers take this very Act of Parliament and bring it to their Light which is say they the Higher Power all Power in Heaven and Earth being committed to it Smith's Primer p. 13. Jos Coal's Works p. 93. and how they null make void and repeal that Part of it relating to Tythes Repairs of Churches c. viz. so far as it concern the Quakers Anno Regni

free-willing Heart that thou may'st rock Nations as a Cradle † † This is their Ancient Testimony and keep thou in the Fear of the Lord and all thy Soldiers and them that are under thee This is a Charge to thee in the Presence of the Lord God I am a Lover of thy Soul and Eternal Good an Establisher of Righteousness G. FOX * * The Righteousness of G●d c. p. 11. To thee O Oliver Cromwell thus saith the Lord I had chosen thee among the Thousands in the Nations to execute my Wrath upon my Enemies and gave them to thy Sword with which I Fought for the Zeal of my own Name and gave thee the Enemies of my own Seed to be a Curse and a Reproach for ever and made thee an Instrument against them And many have I cut down by my Sword in thy Hand that my Wrath might be executed on them to the utmost G. Roffe These I affirm were your Ancient Testimonies in Print which deserves to be burnt on Tower-Hill Secondly I must acknowledge it is according to your Old Testimony with Respect to your Hypocrisie viz. in pretending to pay your Acknowledgment to the King for his Kindness and yet never mention by Name what King you mean'd when two Kings laid Claim to the Crown and for which your Paper was justly rejected as a Fruit of your Hypocrisie of which your Second-Day Meeting is full Thirdly It was according to your Ancient Deceit in not owning King William to be your Rightful and Lawful King and yet to tell the House of Lords that your refusing to Sign the Association was not in Opposition to his being declared Rightful and Lawful King of these Realms which piece of Hypocrisie the Lords soon perceived and sent you packing with your Paper Fourthly It was also according to your Ancient Testimony in wheeling about and worshipping the Rising-Sun to bring in your April Testimony with the King's Name three times over and to own him your Rightful and Lawful King and YET to leave your Promise of Signing the Association Fifthly It was according to your Old Testimony of Deceit and Hypocrisie to pretend in your said April Testimony That you owned King William III. to be Rightful and Lawful King and yet in your March Testimony to pretend your Conscience would not allow you Liberty to Sign the Association according to the Act of Parliament in that Case made and provided as above-recited in regard you could not avenge your selves But being told by my Paper which I presented to the Lord's House which was in Reply to yours That you told R. Cromwell You would be a Strength to him and stand by him in the Day of his Trouble and Defend him and his just Government c. Then in your next Paper to wit your April Ancient Testimony you left out your refusing to Sign the Association as well as the Cause why you could not Sign it * O deep Deceit 'T is well for you that the Lords did not perceive this namely because you pretended you cannot take Revenge For alas in that my said Paper I had shew'd the Lords That you had prosecuted a Man for killing a Quaker gave 50 l. for the Discovery of him got him and procur'd him to be hang'd in Chains and yet could not avenge the Blood of your Prince † T●ey can revenge the Blood of a priva●… 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 re●…ge the B●…d of their Prince H●peful Subjects They deserve Protection apace O tender Consciences Thus you make Conscience your Stalking Horse in all your Villanies besides your Indicting my self and others are Demonstrations that you can seek Revenge for Personal Wrongs and Injuries and 〈◊〉 you cannot for Conscience-sake stand by and defend King William as you promised you would Richard Cromwell in his JUST GOVERNMENT c. Some Inferences from the Eleventh Chapter IS it so then that this Second Days Meetings is as the Helm to the Ship the Wheel within the Wheel which set all going and that they can leave out of their Reprints such Prophesies as suit not with the Times This shews them arrant Impostors Is it so that neither Second-Days Meetings nor Yearly Meetings have ever yet given out one Publick Address to King William III. nor one Congratulatory Paper to acknowledge Him their Right and Lawful * For their Ancient Testimony April 3. 1696. and their late Paper presented to the King Feb. 7. 1697. were both drawn up of a Friday King and that they refused to Sign the Association with the rest of His Majesty's Subjects What reason then have they either grounded upon Reason or Merit to expect such singular Favours from the Government as they would seem to insinuate they have And why boast they so much upon their Right of Priviledges when they 'll comply with nothing but what suits with their Interest and Design And where they are call'd to any Publick Test either for their Fidelity to the Government or to stand by and defend the King they then at every turn plead their Conscience in Excuse from their Duty What! Hath no Body any Conscience but they Is it so that their Ancient Testimony is so utterly against Monarchy against Parliaments and Magistrates as to say We stand Witnesses against Parliaments Councils Judges Justices who make or execute Laws in their Wills over the Consciences of Men or punish for Conscience-sake and to such Laws Customs Courts or Arbitrary Usurped Dominion we cannot yield Obedience that the Parliament is the Beast and the Church of England the Whore of Babylon that no King is to Rule but Jesus c. See Burrough's Works p. 203 501 524. I have instanced three several Acts they 'll not obey And thereupon they 'll obey no Act of Parliament which cross their Design What reason is there for their so boasting at every turn of their being Recognized as Protestants when their Principles are not only repugnant to all Christians but their Practice to all Protestants the World over and till they repent thereof and retract their Errours they are a Scandal to Christianity and a Reproach to the Name of Protestant I have by me the Address of the Honourable House of Commons made in February 1697. and His Majesty's Gracious Answer thereto I have also His Majesty's Gracious Proclamation which consists chiefly of Two Parts the one against Vice Immorality and Prophaneness the other Part against Writing Printing or Publishing Pernicious Books and Pamphlets containing impious Doctrines against the Holy Trinity and other Fundamental Articles of the Christian Faith c. I have also by me a Copy of the Quakers Paper presented to His Majesty dated the 7th of February 1697. wherein they own him King as the Jewish Captives did Belshazzar Dan. 5.21 and thereby themselves Captives wherein they take some notice of the first Particular but not a Word of the latter But this Chapter is extended beyond what at first I intended so shall not at

about your Cottage you that can forge Certificates and set Mens Names to it without their Privity Knowledge or Consent as you did that from Huntington in your Book Judgment fixed as Anne Docwra in her Letter to Mr. Crisp March 25. 1684. says you did what credit is to be given to it And besides those three Certifiers conclude thus On credible Information we verily Believe Here then is but their belief on Information and I am credibly informed of what I wrote so the Reader is left to believe as he is perswaded The like may be said of Will. Mead touching his saying to William Harris that Fox's Journal is a better Book than the Bible this Will. Mead does not deny under his Hand I have only Geor. Whitehead's word for it and he that can forge Certificates is not to be believed Again p. 38. What Earnings didst thou F. B. make in the late Discourse before the Bishop of Norwich and the four Members of Parliament where I discovered thy repeated Falshoods Forgery Deceit and Wickedness in divers Matters And how thou wert counfounded when Matters were closely urg'd against thee c. Now George thou knowest in thy own Conscience that this is a Lie spoken in Hypocrisie on purpose to mislead thy Disciples for thou didst not prove one false Quotation Matter or Thing against me But I proved thee guilty of contempt of the Scriptures in exalting your sayings above them as of greater Authority and for the truth of this I submit my self to those Five Persons present one of them having often shewed his Approbation of my management of that Affair These things George do not redound to thy Credit and I can truly say I am sorry for thee George we both grow Ancient let us write for the good of others not for Victory for my part I do upon the word of a Christian design it and if I saw my self in an Error I should willingly submit Again P. 46. Beside the false Printing and bad English as Fr. B. has exposed my Book Ishmael there is another defect after the words The Lake is thy Portion which is the Portion of Liars the words except thou speedily repent are omitted there and in some other places To which I Answer let any body compare your Book Ishmael and his Mother cast out c. in the Original Impression in Quarto and the Reprint in my Modest Desence c. Part 2. and they shall find it for English Comma's and Points and Words the same For in the Quarto Impression p. 3. l. 15. there is we for wo as in Mod. Def. p. 7. l. 13. there is also we for wo and so in all other places where it was bad English and false Spelled and false Pointed so it is Reprinted And as for the words except thou speedily repent being left out I do positively say 't is a most horrid Lie there is not a word in the whole Book left out so careful was I. And how then canst thou pretend to be a Consciencious Writer when in the face of the Sun thou canst thus Prevaricate Dissemble and Lie and that knowingly What is become George of thy seriousness sincerity and plainness thou so often boasts of Again P. 34. He F. B. assumes the boldness to promote in Print an Abstract of two Letters of two Clergymen I pray God open the Eyes of our Governours and cause them to take into Consideration this too much and too deplorable unlimited and unbounded Tolleration especially as the Quakers both claim and use it c. as in Pil. Prog. p. 175. was not this says George a piece of insolent confidence to expose this in Print and thus openly to oppose the Liberty Granted and legally Confirmed by King and Parliament and thus to render our Governours blinds c. Now as I think this was a good Prayer so do I think it no boldness to expose it in Print For George it was not the Liberty Granted and by Law Confirmed which these Clergymen either called unlimited or unbounded for the liberty granted is both limited and bounded as from divers branches of the Laws appear and particularly by the very Act of Tolleration see p. 86 88 101 189 339. No the unbounded Liberty which the Quakers take claim and use is what the Clergy is against and which they Pray the Government would take into their Consideration and I am sure it is a base bold and insolent thing George in you to expose in Print that the Clergy would represent the King and Parliament blind But I have not herein room to set forth your baseness in calling all Kings Spiritual Egyptians all that own any King since the days of Christ Apostates that Parliaments chosen by most Voices are not like to Act for God or the Good of his People that Parliaments are the Beast that carry the Whore Nay in your Book The West Answering to the North c. you justifie the Murther of King Charles I. saying The cutting off his Head was a remarkable Record of the Righteous Judgment of God and for a true sight of these your Antimonarchical as well as Antimagistratical Principles see p. 157. to p. 175. hereafter And George you tell us in Print that your Principles are now no other than they were in the beginning And what they were in the beginning I in this Book the Pilg. Prog. c. have set forth And I think it is both bold and insolent Confidence in you to revive all these your horrid Principles destructive to Government and Humane Society by telling us you are the same in Principles still and I am afraid we may in this believe you In the next place I shall shew even thee George what Liberty the Quakers both use and claim which not only those two Clergymen but many Ten Thousands both of Laity and Clergy are against First Your sending into the Churches Challenges as your Friends did at West-Dereham Secondly Your going from House to House like the Popish Priests to seduce the People inviting them to your Meetings giving them Books which say the Quakers are the one only Church of Christ and that out of your Church there is no Salvation Thirdly That your Monthly Quarterly Six Week Second Day and Yearly Meetings where you revive your old Treasonable Principles which Meetings are expresly against the very Act of Tolleration these and the like as in the ensuing Discourse are the Meetings and the Practices both used and claim'd by you Namely to hold Convocations which the Established Church without Licence from His Majesty cannot legally do These and the like Practices of yours all good Christians and the Laws of the Land are against and I still pray God to give the Nation a sight and sence of it before it be too late In Answer to your 48th Page I query thus Whether it be not as proper for me to Address His Majesty on the behalf of the Church of England and other sound Protestants who hold the

in Answer to my Modest Defence where you say p. 7. But sure we are and always ready to make it appear that neither are our Books Blasphemous nor our Principles Pernicious Again p. 11. We are ready to undertake the Proof of every Doctrine we hold by and from the Scriptures this is False in Fact and a Notorious Lie in the Face of the Government First In that you knew I had presented to the Parliament the Reprint of an entire Book of yours stiled Ishmael c. which is both pernicious to the Fundamentals of Christianity and horridly Blasphemous Secondly In refusing to prove any one Doctrine you held at West Dereham Thirdly In refusing to meet Geo. Keith upon any of his Invitations Again p. 10. We sincerely own all that is written in the Scriptures concerning Christ respecting his Conception Birth Life Miracles Doctrines Death Burial Resurrection Ascension Mediation and Future Coming to Judgment when in reality you own not one of those Articles rightly nor as all Orthodox Christians own them as G. Keith's 4th Narrative has from your Books made evidently to appear Again p. 6. ibid. That we assume Rules of Discipline in Church Matters they are for our selves only Powers in Matters of Religion for and among our selves only Nor say they do we see how those Acts could be truly called Acts of Toleration to Dissenters if they did not tolerate each sort of Dissenters to assume Rules of Discipline Power in Matters of Religion and Forms of Church Government for and amongst themselves c. Again p. 11. And if it relate to Religious Performances as it seems to do by the next words i. e. having their Monthly Quarterly and Yearly Meetings c. From whence it is plain that these Monthly Quarterly and Yearly Meetings then when it suit their turn they own to be Religious Meetings and as such tolerated by the Act of Toleration and without allowing them the Act could not be called An Act of Toleration Yet to shew that Liars had need to have good Memories they in Contradiction to themselves when pinched from another Quarter for keeping their Doors Lock'd Barr'd or Guarded to prevent Inspection they in their Just Censure c. p. 26. confess saying These Meetings are not intended for Worship what then What For Government and to assume Rules of Discipline and Forms of Church Government which is more than the Establish'd Church can legally do without His Majesties Licence and therefore worse and more dangerous their Doors being kept Lock'd or Guarded and expresly against the very Act of Toleration in which is this Clause viz. Provided always and be it Enacted by the Authority aforesaid That if any Assembly of Persons Dissenting from the Church of England shall be had in any place for Religious Worship and such only the Act tolerates with Doors Lock'd Barr'd or Bolted during any time of such meeting together all and every such Person or Persons that shall come to and be at such Meeting shall not receive any Benefit from this Law but be liable to all the Pains and Penalties of all the aforesaid Laws recited in this Act for such their Meeting notwithstanding his taking the Oaths and his making and subscribing the Declaration And likewise as the Learned in the Law say Such Meetings with Doors Lock'd c. to assume Rules of Discipline and Forms of Church Government are expresly against the Rights of Parliaments the King's Prerogative and Liberty of the Subject and these Statutes following viz. 28 H. 8. c. 19 21. 27 H. 8. c. 15. 37 H. 8. c. 17. 3 Ed. 6. c. 10 11. 1 Eliz. c. 12. 5 Eliz. c. 1. 1 Ed. 6. c. 2. 8 Eliz. c. 1. 1 K. W. Q. M. Magna Charta c. 29. Pet. Right and that such as so meet run themselves into a Premunire But the Quakers being a united Confederacy a Body Politick Incorporated and having a Fund or Common Bank to support and propagate their Principles they are too powerful for any single Person and thereupon the Government is prayed to take it into their Consideration And that these Meetings are not within the Act of Toleration but obnoxious to the Laws and of a dangerous Consequence I have more fully shewn in my Pilgrim's Progress from Quakerism to Christianity c. 2d Edit in Octavo wherein I have more largely set forth their Monthly Quarterly Second-day Six-week and Yearly Meetings shewing they are not only for Government as themselves now confess but a Government Imperium in Imperio But one thing I cannot but observe in these Meek Harmless Quakers viz. in their representing the Justices Grand Juries and Burgesses of Norfolk and Suffolk as a Bloody-minded sort of Tyrants and that to the Right Honourable and Honourable the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons Assembled in Parliament then no wonder they treat me at that disdainful rate they do and the Reverend Clergy for my sake but as hitherto Thanks be to God the Protestant Magistrates and the Episcopal Clergy have been a Bulwark against Popery so I trust they will against the prevalency of Quakerism and the danger of them which seems to threaten both them and the Nation A just Censure c. p. 12. And consider say they whether it was decent in the Aldermen and Burgesses of Bury c. thus to Impeach the Wisdom and Conduct of the Government P. 13. That all those high Charges in the Petition exhibited against us are grounded but upon their own groundless Jealousies they how mannerly say they let others judge offer the Parliament Hobson 's Choice cut our Throats or knock out our Brains And would they have the Honourable the House of Commons undertake this Inhumane piece of Butchery to defile their Hands in the Innocent Blood of so many Thousands of harmless People to Enact such a Barbarous Tragedy only to remove the groundless Fears of a few Jealous-headed Aldermen Justices Grand Juries c. of Bury c. P. 15. God forbid they should swim into it i. e. a peaceful Life and the Enjoyment of their Religion through a Sea of Innocent Blood c. But why is all this Why 'T is only that they prayed the House of Commons to take these things into their Consideration and that the Principles and Practices of the Quakers might be Examined and their Errors Censured and Suppressed whether by obliging them to Retract their Errors or if not to order their Books to be Burnt by the Common Hangman or any other Method as to their great Wisdom shall appear to deserve c. and for this Noble Act this Generous and Christian Undertaking with that Modesty which highly became them to be thus Censured by the Quakers to Impeach the Wisdom of the Parliament to excite them to a Barbarous Tragedy to cut their Throats that they may swim through a Sea of Blood is not only a False Pernicious and Scandalous Representation of the Petitioners and their Right of Petitioning but it is Imperious in

Gulielmi Mariae Regis Reginae Angliae Scotiae Franciae Hiberniae primo May 24. 1698. this Act passed the Royal Assent N o 308. Provided always that nothing herein contained shall be construed to exempt any of the Persons aforesaid from paying of Tythes or other Parochial Duties or any other Duties to the Church or Minister nor from any Prosecution in any Ecclesiastical Court or elsewhere for the same Well after much struggling between the Foxonian Quakers that hold it Antichristian to pay Tythes tho' voluntarily paid yea a compleat Denial of Christ to be come in the Flesh quoting 1 John 4.3 yea downright Ranterism on the one Hand and the Storian Quakers who held it lawful to pay if the Supream Power gave it them nay not only the Tenth Part but even the Fifth Part if the Party thinks his Minister want it I say great Strugglings and Writings and Disputings were on both Parts about this so nice a Point and so necessary to be decided Wherefore at a Yearly Meeting held at London June 1693. and by the Authority of the same it was thus amongst other things Enacted And therefore that all due and godly Care be taken against the grand Oppression and Antichristian Yoke of Tythes that our Christian Testimony born (r) Soft Words and hard Names mixt and greatly suffered for be faithfully maintained against them in all Respects and against Steeple-House-rates That Friends at all their Monthly and Quarterly Meetings be reminded to call for the Record of the Sufferings of Friends to see that they be duly gathered truly entered and kept and accordingly sent up to London as hath been often advised both of what Tythes c. are pretended to be due and for how long a time and the time when taken and by and for whom and what Goods are taken and the Value thereof as well those not exceeding as those exceeding the Sums or Quantities demanded it being a Suffering for both for Truth-sake they being in these Particulars found defective and imperfect in divers Counties which is an Obstruction to the general Record of Friend's Suffering And THEREFORE the Monthly and Quarterly Meetings are advised to take more Care for the future that all Friends Safferings for Truth-sake may be brought up to London as FULL and COMPLEAT in ALL Respects as POSSIBLE may be Thus Reader you see That this Act of Parliament being brought to the Quakers Light the Higher Power it is condemned as a GRAND Oppression and an ANTICHRISTIAN YOKE of Bondage suitable to the Doctrine of Fox Journal p. 400 to 478. R. Pye The Antient Test p. 2. T. Ellwood and Barclay The Anarchy of the Ranters c. p. 42. Ellwood 's Antidote p. 78 139. But still there is another Clause in the said Act of Parliament above-recited which they take as little Notice of as that of Tythes viz. Provided always and be it Enacted by the Authority aforesaid That if any Assembly of Persons dissenting from the Church of England shall be had in any Place for Religious Worship with the Doors lock'd barr'd or bolted during any time of such Meeting together all and every such Person or Persons that shall come to and be at such Meeting shall not receive any Benefit from this Law but be liable to all the Pains and Penalties of all the aforesaid Laws recited in this Act for such their Meeting notwithstanding his taking the Oaths and his making and subscribing the Declaration aforesaid Another Instance I may recite to shew the Presumption of the Quakers in their Yearly Convocations viz. In the xxii of K. Charles II. there was an Act of Parliament made Entituled An Act to prevent and suppress Seditious Conventicles In which it was said Be it Enacted c. That if any Person of the Age of Sixteen Years and upward being a Subject of this Realm at any time after the Tenth Day of May next shall be present at any Assembly Conventicle or Meeting under Colour and Pretence of any Exercise of Religion in other manner than according to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England c. at which there shall be Five Persons or more Assembled together over and besides those of the same Family c. shall suffer those and those respective Fines c. Now tho' it be well known that the Exercise of the Quakers Religion is not only otherwise than according to the Liturgy but directly contrary to it yet all must be Persecution that limit them As first the Liturgy teach the Practice of the Ten Commandments the Lord's Prayer and Apostles Creed which the Quakers have not the least Shadow of either in their Meetings or in their Families the Church Liturgy teach the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Prayer together with Confession of Sin which the Quakers reject as Idolatrous and Superstitious See the Picture of Quakerism p. 94 to 100. Well no sooner did this Act take place and some did forbear meeting in this Riotous manner but their Preachers came thro' the Nation and gave out their Epistles or Mandates commanding rather than exhorting the People to meet in great Numbers in spite of Law and Law-makers I receiv'd many Letters to that Purpose one whereof I may recite to shew how presumptuous they were in Summoning the King's Subjects to meet and transgress this Law which allow'd a moderate Tolleration considering how Retrograde their Religion runs to all Instituted Religion For there might Four meet besides those of the same Family and 't is probable that many Families have 12 or 15 in a Family Here then might have been Satisfaction to such as only mean to meet for their more private Edifying eitheir by Reading or Expounding some Portion of the Holy Scriptures and which is practised by the users of the Church Liturgy but alas this was too mean too low and contemptible for these proud Boasters to submit to The Letter is as followeth viz. This for Joshua Bangs † † Poor Joshua felt the weight of their Entertainment as well as Ben. Antrobus and many others Dear Friend BY this thou may'st know that God willing Jonathan Johnson and I do intend to be at Milden-Hall Meeting the next First-Day and shall be glad Friends GENERALLY may know thereof that we may have a good LARGE MEETING I mean Friends that are afar off in the Country R. S. The like I had from John Hubbard and others to appoint Meetings for Geo. Whitehead and others tho' often therein precaution'd not to mention the Names of the Speakers no they must go like di●guiz'd Ahabs and the poor silly Sheep must suffer for them and their own Transgressions too insomuch as that in the Loss of 13500 l. by Fines and Distresses our Teachers never lost 50 l. where they were Strangers and they had more Wit than to Preach at home where they were known Well but as these Letters as well as their common Practice was bottom'd upon an Edict made at a Yearly Meeting