Remark at present I come next to shew what Slight and Contempt they have cast on the Scriptures in order to invalidate their Certainty and Authority and therein to shew G. W. how they value their unwrit Traditions above the Scriptures both in words as well as in practice as I shall shew anon for I am not picking at the Rine now but plucking at the Root And tho I must confess they are sturdy Oaks yet the Ax that is laid will level them unless they repent which I pray GOD they may if it be his Will Amen First That which is spoken from the Spirit of Truth in any is of as great Authority as the Scriptures and Chapters are and greater Serious Apology page 49. By G. Whitehead in his Serious Apology p. 49. G. Whitehead's Ishmael p. 10. Secondly That which is written is the Letter which is Death and killeth Way to the Kingdom p. 8. Thirdly The Scriptures are a declaration of the Word the Husk Fourthly The Letter of the Scripture is carnal Saul's Errand to Damascus p. 7. and the Letter is Death and killeth In one of their Books * The Quakers Refuge fix'd on the Rock of Ages p. 17. they thus query viz. Whether the first Penman of the Scriptures was Moses or Hermes Or whether both these or not one Or whether there are not many words contained in the Scriptures which were not spoken by Inspiration of the Holy Spirit Whether some words were not spoken by the grand Imposture some by wicked Men some by wise Men ill applied some by good Men ill expressed some by false Prophets and yet true some by true Prophets and yet false Now Reader setting aside the Contempt George Fox George Whitehead and others anciently threw upon the Scriptures as Carnal Dust the Serpent's Meat Husk not of that Authority with what is said to be spoken from the Spirit of Truth and the like I say setting aside THAT what can be the natural Tendency of these Queries but to prejudice the weak Readers against the Authority of the Scriptures especially such who take Examples of them in that they never read a Chapter in their Meetings for the Worship of GOD. If what the true Prophets spake be FALSE If what good Men spake be ILL EXPRESSED If what wise Men spake be ILL APPLIED Then what is there left besides what was spoken by true Prophets good Men and wise Men If there be any as you seem to suggest that 't is spoken by the grand Impostor and by wicked Men and false Prophets c. And if there be some little left that was spoken by true Prophets and is true some by good Men well expressed some by wise Men rightly applied Yet you not having made any distinction who shall know what is true from that which is false that which is well expressed and rightly applied from the contrary since you have left these three wretched Questions unresolved and the Scriptures doubtful ambiguous and uncertain robbing them of that Authority which GOD's People from Age to Age have justly attributed to them As for the five Books of Moses who wrote them Moses or Hermes is now put into the world as a Question Yea whether either or neither be the Author of those Books Yea these very Writings of Moses which I never heard question'd before are now proposed whether Moses or Hermes be the Author of them Now if Moses and Hermes be all one then why is the Query put unless you would have Moses to be Hermes and not Hermes to be Moses And so Moses being lost and Hermes only a Philosopher in Egypt being found the Books going under the Name of Moses's shall be lost also If this was not your mind why do you fill the world with such Atheistical Queries c Christ himself often quoted the Writings of Moses * See Mark 12.16 Luke 16.29 Luke 24.27 Acts 3. Luke 26.27 44. and so did the Apostles I never till now took so much notice of this your wretched Design to bring the Scriptures into Contempt that so you might exalt your own unwritten Traditions and therefore there is Reason enough in this to shew that forsaking the Quakers is no Apostacy from the Christian Faith CHAP. V. Shews that the Forsaking the Quakers is no Apostacy from the Articles of the Christian Faith IN my Book One Blow more at NEW ROME c. I gave six Reasons why I compared the Quakers to New Rome Rome's Sister c. Amongst which one was That they value their unwritten Traditions above the Scriptures five of those six G. W. never touches But that of their valuing their unwrit Traditions above the Scriptures he says is a Lye without giving any one Demonstration c. And therefore to justifie my Charge That you value your unwrit Traditions above the Scriptures I prove thus First it never was from first to last your practice to read any one Chapter of the Bible nor any one Epistle of Paul Peter or any of the Apostles in your Meetings for Worship of GOD when as you have read the Epistles of Robert Sandyland Samuel Cater William Penn George Whitehead and Stephen Crisp with as much Attention and Devotion as the Papists do their Legends and this with what is writ in Chap. IV. is sufficient to prove the Point for I take all which is written in opposition to or in competition with the Scriptures to be unwritten Traditions Now if I can make it first appear that it is a principle of the Papists not to read the Scriptures in their Churches And secondly That it was and is the practice of Protestants to read the Scriptures in their Churches and Assemblies for the Worship of GOD then I hope Geo. Whitehead will not blame me for calling them New Rome who in almost every point follows their Example And also I hope it will be a caution to many of the Quakers to look about them who shall find themselves led by their Teachers into the very Road and High way to Rome before ever they so much as thought of it nay that they are in her very Borders and Territories when they thought all had been well and that they had been as their Teachers tell them and would make them believe even in the Heights of Sion in the Truth and none but THEY and that amongst them ONLY is God known elected before the world began and the like First Then to shew that it was against the principles of the Papists to read the Scriptures in their Churches Mr. HARDING against JEWEL By the Instinct of Satan Defence of the Apol. of Ch. of England p. 580. ye have brought the People from Devotion to careless Idleness from speaking to God with Hearts and Lips to a spiritual Dumbness from Prayers to Chapters from holy Think or silent meeting to unprofitable Hearing Thus much from one of the ablest the Pope had to defend his Errors by which the Reader may observe that
the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament called the Bible were written by Inspiration of the Holy Ghost for our learning and answers to his own Testimony in all mens hearts and are A RVLE TO WALK BY And renounce all other Rules contrary thereunto or not one therewith what ever they be c. OF REPENTANCE AND REMISSION OF SIN ARTICLE VI. P. 8. I believe that Repentance and Remission of Sins are to be preached according to the Holy Scriptures successively to every Generation and to all the World ONLY in the Name and Authority of JESVS CHRIST and only by his Merits OBSERVATION Reader here is the Scripture owned as a Rule to walk by which the others viz. the Foxonian Party ever denied Here is the Merits of Christ's Death and Passion magnified and Man's deservings so abased as to have no share in our Salvation which are Sound and Protestant OF JUSTIFICATION ARTICLE IX P. 9. I believe Justification only by the Merits of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and that all our Righteousnesses are Effects of his Mercy Death and Sufferings and our Holiness we do conformable thereunto is only our Duty and not Merit OBSERVATION Reader as it is my Duty to discover erroneous Principles which are pernicious and destructive to the very Being of Christianity so I think my self obliged to publish these sound Protestant Principles in order to clear the Professors of them from the Imputation of what may justly be laid to the Charge of the Foxonian Party OF PERFECTION ARTICLE XXVIII P. 17. I believe Perfection is to be pressed after for without Holiness no Man shall see GOD. But I believe the Saints Perfection in this life is but in part and when the Beginning and End meet in him that is the Alpha and Omega then shall be COMPLEAT PERFECTION OF THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY ARTICLE XXXV P. 21. I believe the Resurrection of the Body and that Christ the Resurrection and the Life will change our vile Bodies and make them like to his glorious Body And this I do believe according to the Holy Scriptures and in opposition to the Ranters Principles and all others who deny this fundamental Doctrine of Christianity OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND JUDGMENT TO COME ARTICLE XXXVII P. 23. I believe Righteousness and Judgment to come And Sheep and Goats shall be at the last day separated And the Grave and Sea give up the dead in them And the SOUL which never dyes and BODY VNITE to receive according to the deeds done in the Body whether they be good or evil And Heaven perfectly enjoyed by those that have suffered for Christ and Hell fully comprehending all those that have loved this present World and the Vanities thereof more than GOD. OBSERVATION Reader who ever thou art examin thy own heart and try thy own Faith by the Holy Scriptures and if thou dost not believe these few Articles then question thy Condition And if thou beest one called a Quaker of the FOXONIAN PARTY and of long standing and shalt say in thy heart As for these People they are separated from us they are Apostates they hold dangerous Opinions and as for these Principles I am wholly a stranger to them having never heard such Doctrine in all our Books For they teach Perfection attainable in this life G. F. said he witnessed it They teach that the Scripture is not a Rule to walk by They do not teach to believe Justification only and alone through the merits of Christ's Death and Passion They do not believe the Resurrection of the Body as here set down If any of them tell thee otherwise and say they do believe them not until they put forth a Book in Print signifying the same For they have given grounds of Suspition that they have erred from the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ and therefore believe them not until they give publick Satisfaction to the World of what they hold concerning the Faith once delivered to the Saints especially of these Points rehearsed wherein they are thought to be most defective and that from the words of their own Principles And if thou art one of the Storian Party which for distinction sake I so term it For I had an honourable Esteem of John Story and believe he is at Rest and that he was a deep Sufferer by G. F. and his Party and that he never held the Errors which I have herein reproved nay not one of them that I ever understood Yet I say examin thy self I refer thee to the aforesaid Book which in the main is very sound and in the Close thereof methinks I perceive the very frame and temper of the Martyrs And wherever I find that low meek and self-abasing temper of mind and frame of spirit in what Society of Christian people soever I am affected therewith and he is my Brother tho' in some Circumstances we may differ See his conclusive words after a recital of hiS 37 Articles viz. This in brief is a Declaration of my Faith in these Particulars and I commit them to the Perusal of all Christians asserting That however I may be censured allho ' I may Err yet I cannot be an Heretick I say as the substance of his Matter is sound so he does not conclude that they are given forth by the eternal Spirit and that therefore they are of equal Authority with the Scriptures But contrarywise submitting them to be tryed and proved by the Scriptute concluding with St. Augustin that ancient and worthy Father Errare possum Hereticus esse non possum in an Error I may be but an Heretick I cannot be The next thing I shall remind the Christian Quaker of for such I believe there is amongst them though for want of following the example of the Bereans viz. to examine the Doctrine of their Teachers may not be so clear in their Notions as otherwise they might be is the reading and duely considering the charitable Doctrine held forth by J. Hogg in his book stiled An Answer to several material Passages c. where speaking of the Children of Abraham coming from the East West North and South c. he thus saith Those certainly was not of one external Form and Order as to Ceremonial and Shadowy things yet we find they agree the true Church is here indeed but not yet referable to any Society with respect to outward Rules and therefore ought to be waited for by all c. Oh this Charity I love it wherever I meet with it here is no boasting that THEY and none BVT THEY are the People of GOD and that the Tabernacle of GOD and the Knowledge of his Will his ONLY amongst these People who in divers Counties in England are separated from the other and they hold the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ for substance according to the Scriptures yet the more they know and the clearer their Principles are the humbler they are and the more Christian like And as their separation from the
Joy and Rest for ever c. P. 16. Whom GOD hath called and chosen to place HIS Name in and to take up HIS habitation among you above all the Families of the earth The Tabernacle of GOD is with you and HIS dwelling place is among you AND ONLY AMONG YOU IS GOD KNOWN and HIS Name is great in your Assemblies ANIMADVERSIONS HEREVPON Reader observe Was there ever higher Applause given Do not these Leaders few Pillars with a witness Read the Scriptures and you will find no Harmony between the Currant thereof and the Flattery of these Men. Here is no Confession of Sins here is no asking Pardon for Christ's sake here is no Humiliation manifested * Contrary to GOD's People in all Ages Read Luke 11.4 1 Joh. 1.8 5.9 cap. 2. ver 1. Psal 38.18 51.1 2 3. Isa 46.6 Lam. 3.41 42. Job 7.20 Dan. 9.4 5 20. 1 Tim. 1.15 No no nor not a word of the Scripture being profitable for Doctrine not a word of Christ's Sufferings Death Resurrection and Ascension No no This was only to go amongst Friends who seldom or never take notice of what CHRIST did what HE suffered how HE dyed what bitter Agonies HE went through what cruel Mockings c. Oh! poor People that they would once lay aside these flattering Epistles which are sent to them ONLY and say to their Teachers Away with these your soft Pillows you are Watchmen of the Night Physitians of no value you heal the Wound deceitfully And if we put but into your mouths you will speak Peace to us but we must tell you whatever you say to the contrary That we are Sinners and stand in need of a Saviour and therefore away with your flattering Epistles which you send ONLY to us and are ashamed as the Title thereof shews that the World as you call the true Professors of the Christian Faith should see them and if you read any thing to us read a Chapter out of the Bible that from thence we may learn our Duty to GOD and Man I say oh that they would once rouze up themselves and not be thus deluded and led by George Whitehead and his Brethren the perfect Pharisees of this Age for amongst the Hearers there are many I bear them Record that have a Zeal tho' not according to knowledge THIS IS ONLY TO GO AMONGST FRIENDS P. 7. Lift up your Voices blow the Trumpet sound an Alarum out of the holy Mountain proclaim the acceptable Year and the Day of Vengeance of our GOD. Gird on your Sword on your Loyns put on the tryed Armor and follow him for ever who rides upon the white Horse Ride on ride on my beloved Brethren and Fellow Soldiers make all plain before you thresh on with the new threshing Instrument which hath teeth beat the Mountains to dust and let the breath of the LORD scatter it Make the Heathen tremble and the uncircumcised fall by the Sword The LORD of HOSTS is with us and goes before us spare none neither Ox nor Ass neither Old nor Young kill cut off destroy bathe your Sword in the blood of Amalek and all the Egyptians and Philistines and all the uncircumcised and hew Agag to pieces Break the Rocks cut down the Cedars and strong Oaks make the Devils subject cast out the unclean Spirits raise the Dead shut up in Prison bring out of Prison cast in your Nets lanch into the Deep divide the Fish gather the Good into Vessels cast the Bad away bind the Tares in Bundles cast them into the Fire the Angel of the everlasting Covenant is come thrust in your Sickles reap the Earth Silence all Disputers and Diviners for ever trample upon all the Chaff and Dung and Mire for ever And p. 21 22. thus Put on your Armor and gird on your Sword and lay hold on the Spear and march into the Field and prepare your selves to Battel for the Nations doth defy our GOD and saith in their hearts Who is the God of the Quakers that we should fear HIM and obey his Voice Arise Arise and sound forth the everlasting Word of War and Judgment in the Ears of all the Nations sound an Alarum and make their Ears to tingle Our Enemies are whole Nations and Multitudes in number of a rebellious People that will not come under OVR LAW which ariseth up against us Stand upon your Feet and appear in your Terror as an Army with Banners and let the Nations know your Power and the stroke of your Hand Cut down on the Right hand and slay on the Left and let not your eye pity nor your hand spare but wound the Lofty and tread down the Honourable of the Earth And let none of the Heathen Nations nor their Gods escape out of your hands nor their Images nor Idols but lay waste fenced Cities and tread down the high walls for we have proclaimed open War betwixt Michael our Prince and the Dragon Your Captains are mighty Men and your Leaders * It seems here 's more Leaders and Captains than one for they understand the difference between Singular and Plural are skilled in handling the Sword and they †Still the Plural Number are riding on before you And cursed be every one that riseth not up to the help of the Lord against the mighty c. ANIMADVERSIONS HEREVPON Reader I have here Transcribed the more of this their Epistle which was designed as by the Title thereof appears to be read only amongst themselves that so thou mayst see and perceive how they can look JANVS-like two ways at once viz. For when they write what they design for the sight and view of the Professors of the Faith of our LORD Jesus Christ then they can as by George Whitehead's feigned Piece under consideration Profess sincerely that they believe profess and own the Scriptures to be given forth by Divine Authority and that they are profitable for Doctrine c. Yea That they own the Humanity of Christ his Incarnation Sufferings Death Resurrection and Ascension and that they expect Salvation by the Merits of Christ through the Imputation of his Righteousness Yea they seem to own the Man Christ Jesus the Resurrection of the Body and almost what ever you can desire to have them profess Thus they put up the Christian Flag or false Representation of their erroneous Principles * Some of which I have mention'd in this Tract which are pernicious and destructive to the very Foundation of the Christian Religion And in their Book A Question to Professors c. P. 20. Quest 6. They say To whom do the Names and Titles JESVS and CHRIST chiefly and in the first place belong Do they belong to the BODY which was took BY HIM or TO HIM who took the Body The BODY hath its Nature and Properties and the eternal WORD or SON of God †By this Argument it 's clear that they deny the BODY which suffer'd to be the Son of GOD Oh horrible
at the House of Joshua Bangs in Milden-Hall the 24th of August 1691 touching a certain Charge which I formerly exhibited against him at a Publick Meeting * As in my Book One Blow c. p. 2 3. at Milden-Hall which he then declined to accept of and to defend himself from as well as to own himself Author of his Book Judgment Fixed c. My said Threefold Charge was this First That George Whitehead is a Deceiver of the People 2dly That he is a false Accuser of the Martyrs charging their Doctrine to be corrupt tending to practical Ranterism sordid Ranterism c. 3dly That he is a Favourer or an Excuser of such Principles and Practices as border upon Blasphemy and Idolatry This was the Charge The Spectators present who heard what passed were these whose Names hereafter follow viz. PROTESTANTS QUAKERS Mr. ROBERT RVSSELL SIMON BIRGIS Mr. THOMAS BRADBVRY JAMES BIRGIS Mr. SAMVEL ' KNOWLES JOS. BANGS Mr. JOHN WALTER AMBROSE FRIEND JOHN PAPWORTH EDWARD DEEKES PHILIP CRANNISS and others BENJAMIN ANTROBVS and others THE FIRST CHARGE THAT G. WHITEHEAD IS A DECEIVER OF THE PEOPLE G. W. Come Francis I come of the Defensive part thou art the Plaintiff I expect proof of what thou chargest me with F. B. Here is a Book styled Judgment Fixed Dost thou own it George G. W. That is not material thy Charge is general without any such Condition F. B. I grant all that But did not I send you a Letter to meet you in London to prove my Charge upon you on Condition that you would own your Books and since you have now sent for me I expect you should perform the Condition proposed G. W. I did not send for thee I only told thy Wife I was here if thou hadst any thing to say thou mightst come to me I * Jos Bangs or some others of his Friends heard G. Whitehead say so and that thy coming was at thy own choice Jo. Walter But by your leave Gentlemen your so sending to him was an intimation of your desire of his coming or to what purpose did you send to him OBSERVATION Note Reader that I was surprized not knowing that G. W. was in Town till Ten a Clock over Night for I had sent G. W. a Letter to be in London the 22d of August and had sent away my Books in order to prove my Charge against him there But he wrote me an Answer that he could not wait upon me but had a Journey appointed but did not let me know it was to Milden-Hall where I dwelt but came to Town the 23d day when he might expect my being at London But that day at Ten a Clock at Night I was told of his being there so that I do believe 't is as G. W. said he did not send for me My coming was not pleasant to him And I have reason to think that he would not have come there then had he not thought I had been at London according to my Letter And so I had only I remembred his Letter in Answer which told me he had a Journey to go so then I stay'd for some Neighbours G. W. Well I do own that Book Judgment Fixed c. The Errors of Press excepted F. B. Then from thence I thus prove you a Deceiver of the People for whereas in the Introduction to that Book you pretend that GOD laid a necessity upon you to write that Book and that you was moved of GOD to write the same and there you neither consult Events nor fear Effects c. And yet in the same Book you vindicate your Brother Thomas Rudyard Samuel Cater's Lawyer see p. 219. And in the said Book p. 19 20. you justifie Blasphemous and Idolatrous Titles given to G. Fox as anon will appear in a grand Lye who in vindication of his Client Samuel Cater wrote that I paid my Money voluntarily before Distress was made of my Goods when distrained for Samuel Cater's Fine which was a Lye Now this being a Lye and you justifying him in this Lye this GOD never laid a necessity upon you to write this GOD never did move you to write For saith the Scripture he that condemneth the Innocent and acquitteth thee Guilty ar both an abomination to the LORD And you pretending that GOD moved you to this and many other Lyes in the said Book and the People believing you that you are thus moved and that you cannot err and that what you who pretend your selves infallible speak or write is of as great Authority as the SCRIPTURES herein you deceive the People OBSERVATION That I did not pay my Money voluntarily before Distress see a Certificate under the hands of Mr. Maxey and his Wife who then lived at the Sign of the White Hart to which Inn my Goods was carried c. viz. MEmorandum That we who subscribe our Names do testifie that the Goods of Francis Bugg which was Distrain'd for the Fine of 15 l. 10 s. by vertue of a Warrant from Thomas Shelly Esq a Justice of Peace since deceased c. was carried to the White Hart after Distrained where I then dwelt and was Constable And afterwards the said Francis Bugg came and paid down the Money and teok home his Goods again This my Wife and I can testifie witness our hands this 6th of September 1691. Peter and Judith Maxey G. W. I do not affirm that thou paid down thy 15 l. voluntarily See Painted Harlot c. p. 8 9 10 47 48 49. But I shewed Thomas Rudyard what thou said and reckoned a voluntary Payment and thereupon I vindicated him against thee he being at that time in better Repute with us so 't is no Position of mine but a Supposition that I went upon F. B. Well George that will not hold you have justified an arrant Lye in favour of Samuel Cater which was much to my damage And the People believing you and that in regard of your Pretence of being moved by the eternal Spirit of GOD you in that Case as well as in many others that I could mention have deceived them and unless you can clear your self the Charge stands over your head and you are found guilty thereof c. G. W. I do still say that as to the Body of the Controversie God did lay a Necessity upon me to write that Book But as to particular matters of Fact I write as a Man according to my discretion F. B. So then here is George Whitehead as a Man and G. W. more than a Man G. W. infallible and cannot err and G. W. fallible and subject to err and be mistaken This is a twofold George standing in two Capacities OBSERVATION Note that G. W. herein resembles the Pope For saith Dr. Cole I hold herein rather with Gerson that the Councel is above the Pope The Pope in one respect as he is a Man in his own single person may happen to err but in another respect as he is head Pastor and