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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	ancient_a	church_n	time_n	2,337	5	3.6439	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51569	Tyranny and hypocrisy detected or, a further discovery of the tyrannical government, popish-principles, and vile practices of the now-leading Quakers. Being a defence of the letter, intituled, The spirit of the hat, against the deceitful, defective and railing Answer, called The spirit of Alexander, &c. With a challenge, to refer the judgment of matters of fact to the verdict of twelve impartial judges, equally chosen. Also, many of their letters, papers, and transactions among themselves are made publick; wherein they contradict one another, and attribute titles to George Fox, that are proper only to Christ.	Mucklow, William, 1631-1713.; Fox, George, 1624-1691.; Mucklow, William, 1631-1713. Bemoaning letter.	1673 (1673)	Wing M3036; ESTC R201177	45,022	73

cannot be kept inviolable against their covert enemies by whom they mean the Hat-men who are not afraid to speak evil of Dignityes G. Fox and his Adherents and despise Government they therefore do unanimously and with the Lords presence as they say testifie 1 that such as exalt themselves above the Body of good and ancient Friends G. Fox c. ought not to have any dominion office or rule in the Church of Christ 2. That such as are not in unity with the Ministry and Body have no gospel-Gospel-Authority to be Judges in the Church and their judgment ought not to be regarded that it is abominable pride when any particular will not admit of the judgment of the witness of God in Friends G. Fox's and their opinion to take place against him for he that is not justified by that is condemned in himself and harden'd a notorious Heretick 3. They testifie in the name of the Lord that the Church has power without the assent of dissenters to determine Controversies and that such Persons as will not submit to their judgment consistent with the Doctrine of antient Friends that is of G. Fox and his Party but oppose it as the judgment of man ought to be rejected together with those that countenance and encourage them They are joyned in one with Heathens and Infidels 4. That such disapproved Ministers ought what ever have been their gifts to leave off ministring till they are reconciled to the Church and if approved persons degenerate to division and countenance faction that is the Hat-men the Church has authority to deal with them in the same manner to which if they submit not warning ought to be given in General-Meetings to beware of them and to have no fellowship with them 5. They warn and charge all Friends that they have no hand in publishing the Books or Writings of such as are not of unity with the Body and we farther desire that from time to time faithfull and sound Friends and Brethren G. Fox and his Party may have the view of such things as are printed upon Truths account as formerly it hath used to be before they go to the Press 6. They advise that such as are made Overseers of the slock of God by the Holy-Spirit admit not the weak to that trust and that none be admitted to order publick business but those that seek the good of all that is submit to the great Body of G. Fox and his party They conclude thus So dear Friends believing that you will be one with us against those who would limit the Lord to speak without Instruments that is will obey the Light in themselves and not be subject to the dictates of G. Fox and his party and reject the counsel of the wise men and the testimony of the * For they perceived many of their hearers wearied and offended with their long preachings c. would have had them to return home to their Imployments and Callings but the proud way of living they had betaken themselves to they were not willing to leave and therfore strengthen themselves in it by severe Injunctions Prophets which gethered you and would not allow him liberty in and by his Servants to appoint time and place wherein to meet and call this Formal and the Meetings of Man c. 15. Now let all considering men judg whether ever such an arrogant imperious and audacious Paper was given out by such a number of Mortals The Pope hath never I think taken so much power to himself as to determin matters of this nature and in this manner but in a General Council and with their concurrence but herein these men transcend him and all that ever went before them That they did owne those men to whom they wrote to be led and guided and that they ought in all such matters to be led and guided immediately by the infallible Spirit of God and they did owne that those against whom they wrote had been led and guided by the same infallible Spirit and gave at this time no other evidence of their not being now led by it but only their dissent from these men in the matters mentioned the cheif whereof in particular was The not putting off the Hat to their prayers which things considered their giving Charges and Laws in the Name of the Lord to the persons aforesaid is nothing less than arrogating a Spiritual and Divine Power over that which they teach ought to be hearkned to as the Infallible and Divine Spirit and that in those matters which some of themselves have acknowledged might be otherwise ordered by the Holy-Spirit of God As John Whitehead who is one of them in the matter of the Hat in the Paper forementioned and Geo. Whitehead in that other Paper sent to J. Perrot And did they not own John Perrot for a true Friend and that he was sent of God according to their Principles to preach at Rome and did they not own his Sufferings there to be for the Truth and Perrot sayes in his Paper I have received by express commandment from the Lord God of Heaven in the day of my Captivity in Rome viz. to bear a sure Testimony against the Custom and Traditions of the taking off of the Hat by men when they go to pray to God the which they never had by Commandment from God To this agrees what G. Fox saith in the Book of True-honour c. aforementioned where he calls Worship with the Hat voluntary Humility and not of command by Christ and his Apostles And must now this Revelation to this eminent Prophet and Sufferer given him in his Captivity be despised and condemned for a delusion because it is not approv'd by George Fox must the apprehension of Scandal bear sway against such a Revelation amongst those People whose practice is full of Scandals and liked the better by them on the account of distinguishing them from others Is it not evident enough that the true reason of their not receiving his testimony was its contradiction to the practice of G. Fox had it been reveal'd to him first it had been receiv'd readily but now it must be rejected Here we may perceive clearly what it is that influences these men in the owning or disowning of Divine Revelations however there 's no gainsaying but that notwithstanding all the advantages that any Ruling Quaker has he may be grossly deluded and take that for an infallible Revelation from God which proceeds indeed from the spirit of deceit For thus Fox and his party say Perrot and his party did and the like might Perrot say of Fox And Fox or his party cannot give any the least solid ground whereby to decide the Controversie between them Therefore we conclude justly that these men as Rulers and Prophets are led by a Self-contradicting Proud Blasphemous and Tyrannical Spirit For they equally pretend Revelation and if there be any advantage in this matter it is on Perrot's side and not on Fox's so that

fought stoutly and killed many of the Dutch before his being taken others also in this I am about for it seems Eliz. Baily was a thorow Quaker and M. Bowman differed very little from a Quaker and had testimony given of him that he was a sober man and no Hypocrite but was not yet in the full practice of all their little Ceremonies for he would sometimes put off his Hat in Salutation These two came before the Mens Meeting and found so much favour among them that some of the Preachers declared positively as from the Lord that it was to pass whereof one Tho. Briggs was transported with such an angry zeal that he told the opposers it was of the Lord and they opposed the mind of the Lord. But the poor man was so far from knowing the mind of the Lord in that matter that he did not know who the Persons were of whom he spake others of the Elders opposed it having on their side the authority of G. Fox's Order the contest between them was high and long and in this dissention they parted for that time To this relation as set down by our Author the Answeres say nothing and so we shall take the truth of it pro confesso and make some improvement of it 1st We may see by this what the infallibility is which these Leading-men so highly glory in It is onely a daring confidence whereby they assert things to be infallible and in the name of the Lord upon such weak grounds as other men cannot build a strong probability upon 2dly That they do even in their Meetings blaspheme the Name of the Lord a sin not less than Murder or Adultery and which was under the Law to be punished with no less punishment even Death See Deut. 18.20 For whilst they contradict one another in the Name of the Lord of necessity one of the Parties what ever the other doth blaspheme God's Name 3dly That this Contradiction which they ascribe to the Name of the Lord is a proper effect of their present principle as understood by them for whilst they assert that every Quaker is to follow the immediate teaching of the Light in himself as the infallible will of God and have no way or means by their principle to discern one immediate teaching from another and are manifestly by reason of their Education Passions and Interests diversly inclined in judging it is morally impossible but that especially in lesser matters they should have contrary strong perswasions which they must account the Teachings of the Lord and assert in his name and by this and other instances we see by experience it is so And hence 4thly We see clearly what our Author asserts That in the determinations in their Assemblies when there are any hearty and conscientious dissenters they apostatize from their principles and betake themselves to the principles and practices of the Church of Rome giving the final judgment of their faith and duty to that Party man or men among them which shall have the greatest Interest in their esteem or by advantage of his witt confidence zeal arrogance c. can over-power and subdue the rest Therefore we see here when the Elders were somewhat equally divided they could not come to any determination so in Perrot's case and his Party about the Hat whilst Perrot's party was strong and numerous and himself in credit they permitted them to use their liberty then in Rich. Hubberthorne's answer to Jo. Parrot's Paper about the Hat sent by G. Whitehead to I. P. at Isaac Penington's and which was approved by G.F. c. were these words Then no such reasonings had we had if so be the free Spirit of the Lord had been minded which is not to be limitted neither to the keeping on the Hat nor off the Hat in time of Prayer And in the year 1661 there was a Meeting at W. T 's House with G. Fox F. H. G. W. R. H. and J. Perrot about the Hat they supposing that Jo. Perrot had injoyned the keeping of it on in Prayer which he denyed and declared both by words and writing that he did leave all to the free universal Spirit c. and made not a Law for any man So it was concluded upon by them all that there was to be no imposition on either hand but every one was to be left free therein Of this J. Osgood and many others are witnesses But when Perrot began to decline and lose his credit then G. Fox and his Party take the advantage condemn his principle and practice require conformity of all that will be own'd for members of their Body that is that will not be excommunicated accounted Ranting Spirits as G. F. J. B. c. called them The Papists place Infallibility in the determination of One Pope or One Council or One Pope and Council together But these Quakers place Infallibility in every particular Person and consequently no other Person or Persons whatsoever have any power to determine against him for so an equal should have power over an equal an infallible over an infallible which is absurd For a Body consists of particular Persons every of which is no more infallible one than another and there being many together adds nothing of infallibility to them because infallibility is the highest certainty and doth not admit of degrees So that a single Person that is infallible is not more or less infallible because many or none are of his mind And if this particular Person may err that also and every one of that Body consequently there can be no infallible decision of any controversy between them but that which is made by number interest force cunning or the like none of which will any man in his witts say is any ground of infallibility except upon the Arguments of the * W.P. saith that God hath given greater judgment to his Church than to the individual members of it is a true position and the Church of Rome errs not in that but in accounting themselves a true Church Church of Rome which quite subvert the Quakers principle 5thly We see by their assuming to themselves the power of judging in such matters by their severity in enforcing those things that tend to their Being and Reputation as a distinct eminent Body even against their primitive principles that their design is not as one would have thought at first to engage people to a diligent observance of the Light in their own Consciences but to make them acquiesce in those things as the infallible Law of God which they shall judge fit for the getting and maintaining of credit and glory in this world What else can possibly provoke these men thus to oppose the Name of the Lord to the Name of the Lord Suppose equity and Right on the one side which made them assert it in the Name of the Lord there must be some strong lust on the other side or else they would never have dared to oppose the Name