and therefore his Cracking Vapouring Boasting and Challenging looks most silly and insolent and deserves to be slighted and contemned by all Peaceable Serious and Religious Persons His Norfolk-Priests who abetted him have greatly labour'd to acquit themselves from being the Challengers of our Friends and labour'd to cast the blame of first Challenging upon the Quakers in Norfolk as if it were a Crime to Challenge but let them read what an insulting vapouring daring Challenge their Tool and Agent F. Bugg makes in his Appendix p. 171 172. Taunting against the Quaker Teachers as he calls them viz. You may Challenge them long enough but cannot get them out of their holes they see and know they are discovered this makes them timorous Fearfulness surprizes the Hypocrite c. p. 171. And The way to deal with such cunning Sophisters G. W c. is still to pursue them with Challenges to call them into the Field and thereupon I will pitch my Standard here in behalf of the Christian Religion and Protestant Profession against Quakerism head and tail C. and let us Dispute it out fairly and above Board and thereupon I shall renew my Challenge and let it stand here as a Monument of the Quakers Cowardise and Self-condemnation C. p. 172. Now F. B. may'st thou not be ashamed thus to brag and vapour and thus basely to fling Fearfulness and Cowardise upon us What Earnings didst thou make in our late Discourse before the Bishop of Norwich and Four Members of Parliament at the Bishop's House near Jame's Square Westminster Do'st thou not remember how soberly thou wast answered both by me and the other two Friends present And how I discovered thy repeated Falshoods Forgery Deceit and Wickedness in divers matters wherein thy Quarrel much depends against us And how thou wast confounded when Matters were closely urg'd and argu'd upon thee both about the Holy Scriptures and thy charging the Quakers Prophets with giving Witness to G. Fox instead of Christ and calling him G. F. the Branch the Star the Sun of Righteousness c. Which notorious Falshood often charg'd upon thee thou could'st never produce Proof for though thou hast often repeated it against us after an insolent manner as in p. 121. and as thou hast partly done by way of Question in this thy Pilgrim's Progress p. 135. viz. Do they not all agree in the main That G. Fox was the Quakers Branch and Star yea their All in All the Bottom and Corner and Top-Stone of their Building Answer We deny any such Agreement and thou couldst never yet prove it nor hast thou shewn us any Book of ours wherein G. Fox is so called or esteemed by us no more than thou canst prove that the Quakers speak so contemptuously of the Scriptures as to call them Beastly Ware c. which old refuted Lye thou hast again repeated over and over p. 172 173. as also that they say The holy Scripture is Carnal Dust Death c. as in thy New Rome Unmask'd see Cr. 6. p. 78. And also thy fictitious Sermon which again thou falsly termest George Whitehead's Sermon p. 168. wherein thou hast grosly abused and belyed him and W. B. and profaned the Sacred Name of God with other Abuses and Defamations as it was evinced before the said Bishop of Norwich and Members of Parliament to thy shame and confusion What Ground hast thou then to Boast of our being Timerous to meet thee Or to Accuse us with Cowardise I told thee there before them at the Bishop's House That I would not go over the Door-Threshold to meet thee nor spend so much time then in Discoursing with thee if it were not for their Sakes and Information who were present i. e. the Bishop and said Members of Parliament Thy dictating lastly That they i. e. the Quakers may not be permitted to teach School publickly p. 171. This still shews a Spirit of Envy and Persecution in thee like those Papists that would not suffer Protestants to Educate their own Children or to discharge their Duty as Parents towards them according to their Consciences Thy many bitter Invectives and false Clamours against us as also thy ambitious presumptuous way of Dictating to the Government to Incense them does all bespeak a foul Persecuting Spirit in thee and that thou art fallen and caught in the Cage which thou hast feignedly formed a Figure of unjustly to represent the State of those Persons whom thou hast defamed and branded therewith As I am not bound to trace all thy numerous Lyes Calumnies and Perversions in thy Pilgrim's Progress not herein touched so I therefore refer the Reader to other Answers of mine extant in Print Entitled as followeth 1. Judgment Fixed Printed 1682. Chap. 7. from page 203 to page 259. 2. The Quakers Answer to a Scandalous Libel stiled A Letter to the Quakers in 1690. One half Sheet 3. Innocency against Envy 1681. Two Sheets and a half 4. The Contentious Apostate and his Blow Refelled 1691. Four Sheets 5. The Contentious Apostate Recharged One Sheet 6. A Charitable Essay in order to Allay the Out-Rage of a Contentious Apostate 1693. One Sheet 7. The Quakers Vindication against Francis Bugg ' s Calumnies 1693. One Sheet 8. Innocency Triumphant over Insolency and Out-rage 1693. Five Sheets 9. A Just Enquiry into the Libeller's Abuse 1693. Two Sheets Which Answers much of Bugg's Stuff though that has not his Name 10. The Counterfeit Convert a Scandal to Christianity 1694. Six Sheets and a half 11. An Answer to Francis Bugg ' s Presumptuous Impeachment 1695. One Sheet 12. A Sober Expostulation with some of the Clergy against their pretended Convert Francis Bugg his repeated gross Abuse of the People called Quakers 1697. Twelve Sheets In Answer to several of his Books Now Reader whoever peruses these Books or but Six or Seven of the last of them mentioned and compares F. Bugg's Books therewith may find that they contain full Answers to his principal Objections frequently repeated in his Books against us and what chiefly concerns Doctrine is comprehensively Answered in the 6th and 7th viz. A Charitable Essay and The Quakers Vindicated which though but one Sheet a piece I could never yet find any Reply to either from F. Bugg And the 8th i. e. Innocency Triumphant is so plain a Discovery and Confutation of his Forgeries Perversions Falshoods and notorious Self-Contradictions that the same is made obvious to every Impartial Reader So that our Innocency stands still Triumphant in Christ Jesus over our Adversaries Outrage Boasting Scorn and Contempt Glory to our God and to the Lamb who shall have the Victory and Reign in Glory and Triumph for Ever and Ever A Brief Answer to Francis Bugg 's late Book falsly stiled A Modest Defence c. HAving trac'd and observ'd the numerous bitter and accumulated Calumnies in the said pretended Modest Defence and in many more of the same Author's Books Scurrilous Pamphlets and Fictions against the peaceable People called Quakers to incense the Civil Government against them and he being therein often Refuted I am concern'd herein to take notice only of a few of his notorious Abuses Misrepresentations and Perversions viz. 1st In his Dedication to the High Court of Parliament p. 10. he tells them The Quakers tell you They own the Scriptures to be given by Divine Inspiration but mean not a word of
in the beginning we were Convinced by G. Fox that Matthew Mark Luke and John were Death Dust and Serpents Meat that the Scriptures were heastly-ware c. This Passage by the way is a gross Forgery and notorious Lie still I never thus preached nor ever were we convinced by G. Fox or any other that either the Doctrine of the holy Evangelists were Serpents Meat Dust or Death or the Scriptures Beastly-ware as 't is frequently repeated by F. B. Unto which foul Abuse he farther adds as my Sermon viz. And therefore I warn you all to take heed of Apostatising from our ancient Testimony as you have it in my Text for what we were Convinced of by our Light in the beginning to be Evil to be Death Dust Serpents meat 't is so still to be Beastly-ware and Conjuration 't is so still p. 120. Obs. This is a blasphemous Fiction not only against the Holy Scripture but against the Light which he calls Your Light For neither did the Light ever so Convince us to call the Scriptures Beastly-ware nor did I ever Preach such blasphemous Doctrine of the Light as here I am grosly misrepresented but the Contrary As no Man speaking by the Spirit can Blaspheme or call Jesus Accursed so no Man speaking by his Light can Blaspheme or Reproach his holy Scriptures which Testifie of him The Book Bugg quotes for his so often-repeated Lie of calling the Scriptures Beastly-ware is stiled A Brief Discovery of a three-fold Estate of Anti-christ printed 1653. Page 9. I have that Book by me and I have searched both Book and Page and I find no such words as calling the Scriptures Beastly-ware But Babylon's Merchants selling Beastly-wares for a large Price all the Week time heaping up a Rabble of Notions into the Brain So that the Beastly-wares intended was their Rabble of Notions and not the Scriptures Obs. Again How scurrilously F. Bugg makes me to come to a Stop in this Insolent and Presumptuous Romance which he calls George Whitehead's Sermon after this manner viz. And therefore keep up your ancient Testimony my Dear Lambs in all the part of it Ha ha ha hme hme hme silent p. 120. Thus this Scorner forges a ridiculous Tone as my Conclusion or Stop in that place somewhat resembling the Mockers of Old whom the Psalmist complains of Psalm 35. 21. Yea they opened their Mouth wide against me and said Aha aha And Psalm 40. 15. Let them be desolate for a Reward of their Shame that say unto me Aha aha And Psalm 70. 3. Let them be turned back for a Reward of their Shame that say Aha aha And then after a little Silence he most absurdly represents William Bingley as preaching in Confirmation of his Confused and Absurd Romance aforesaid which he calls George Whitehead's Sermon In W. Bingley's Name thus viz. Friends Friends I am filled I am filled as with new Wine I am ready to burst at the Joyful News I have heard to day respecting our Ancient Testimony And O magnified be our Light within which hath thus exalted us above the Prophets above the Apostles above the Martyrs and above all Christians as our dear Brother G. W. hath most excellently made it out first in opening his Text and also in the two Branches proceeding from it but more especially in the Use and Application where he hath confirmed me in not making Confession of Sin nor regarding the Ten Commandments nor those two Ordinances of Baptism and Supper p. 120 121. Obs. How shamefully he personates W. B. to asperse and abuse him as if he were highly Elevated and magnified our Light within because of what F. Bugg has most falsly feigned G. W. to Preach in Contempt of Scripture and for Exalting our selves above the Prophets Apostles c. Thus he presumptuously adds Sin to Sin Lye to Lye Forgery upon Forgery such sordid Stuff as we never heard W. B. preach but he utterly disowns and testifies against the same with Abhorrency to such Abuse of him and others And not only so but Bugg wickedly represents W. B. as making our Light within the Author of his foregoing Absurd Forgery and Romance in G. W's Name against the holy Scriptures Ten Commandments c. Consequently to blaspheme our Light within which is the Light of God and his Dear Son as if that oppos'd its own Testimony in holy Scripture and as if that led to Self-Exaltation above the Prophets and Apostles c. O wretched Man F. B How wilt thou appear before the Tribunal-Seat of Christ What a sad Account wilt thou have for such Profanation design'd Deceit and Wickedness Who further proceedest in W. Bingley's Name viz. Forgery But yet I have a short Testimony to bring in touching the Priests which I think our Friend G. W. left out unawares for I take it to be as necessary an ancient Testimony to be kept up as any other only a little more privately and prudently for they are as great Enemies to our design of Supplanting Christianity as any the World affords p. 121. Observe again Oh shameful Folly and Falshood Where and when did ever W. B. thus Preach That our Design is the supplanting Christianity Whenas our Design is well known to the contrary to such as truly fear God and to be for the Promoting of Christianity both in Spirit in Faith Life and Conversation Forgery Benjamin Bealing Clerk Let us sing an Hymn of Praise and Self-Exaltation and to the Confusion of our Adversaries as you will find it written in the Epistle of that Son of Thunder Edward Burrough prefixed to our Apostle G. Fox ' s Great Mystery printed 1658. The Waters have I seen dry'd up the Seat of that great Whore Who hath made all Nations drunk with her enticing Power Observe Now F. B. dost not thou Glory in thy Shame in such Invention as this Where did ever any in the World hear Benjamin Bealing set or sing such a Hymn as this in the end of a Meeting or any time else Observe his own Testimony viz. These are to Certifie all sober Readers That Francis Bugg's Representing me as calling to the Yearly Meeting To sing an Hymn of Praise and Self-Exaltation c. and making some Verses out of Edward Burrough's Preface to G. F's Great Mystery to be that Hymn 'T is all an idle false Invention and Forgery of his own for I never was concerned in any such thing in my Life-time and I am heartily sorry that this poor Man should be so given up in his old Age to serve the Father of Lyes with whom in the Lake he may expect to have his Portion without he unfeignedly Repents Witness my Hand Benjamin Bealing London the 4th of the 5th Month called July 1699. Oh F. B. thou appearest one of that sort who are arrived to that ill Habit of Iniquity and Hardness that they know no Shame And thy presumptuously Prophaning the sacred Name of God and of his dear Son and of his Light within using the same
it or cause payment to thee God willing How much less the publick Ministry has cost him these 15 Years that is since his Conformity as 't is a Question so there may be a Fallacy in it in that some of his Ministers have been some of his Benefactors and given him considerable Sums of Money as we have heard since he fail'd and got the Bishop's Certificate to go a begging withal 't was not likely the publick Ministry should be Chargeable to him when he has prov'd Chargeable to them I doubt more Chargeable than Judas was to the Chief Priests And pray what has the Publick Ministry cost him these 15 Years time since his turning to them May not his Gain by them overballance all that Cost suppos'd if ever they put him to any all that time But is it not to be suppos'd that the great Joy of some of them over such a Convert or Proselyte might save him that Cost or Charge which otherwise they might have put him to under such a Chargeable Ministry His Perversions Lyes Calumnies Sarcasms cruel Mockings Boastings frequent and manifold Repetitions of the same things idle Romances and gross Forgeries are so numerous both against Meetings and Persons and particularly against our Second Days Meetings Chap. XI which he falsly saith all Books Printed and Re-printed pass the Tryal of c. that I design not to spend much time in the Recital of them or to trouble my Reader therewith but to take notice of a few more of his Abuses and persecuting Invectives in this Treatise P. 48. He blasphemously brings the Pope of Rome and the Quakers Light as he scornfully calls it in their Body assembled in Council in Comparison so as to be suspected to undermine the Government but the latter most dangerous and thereupon ought to be prevented from holding such Councils as he saith And also p. 55 56. against our Monthly and Quarterly Meetings he inveighs bitterly insinuating What need there is to suppress these Meetings that he falsly saith thus alienate the Obedience of the Subjects from their lawful Soveraign and his Laws c. Here he shews his persecuting Spirit of Envy and Reproach against our peaceable innocent Meetings which are for the Exercise of Christian Care and promoting the Practice of pure Religion Love and Charity according as is fully explained in my Examination of the Three Norfolk Priests two Books Intituled Truth and Innocency Vindicated p. 39 to 44. p. 66 67 68. In his Chap. X. he undertakes to Treat of the Quakers Six Weeks Meeting in London falsly charging the same with Pernicious Consequences of which Meeting he saith viz. This Six Weeks Meeting of theirs is chiefly to Consult about and defend their own Members throughout the Kingdom of England and Dominion of Wales from the Penalties of certain Laws c. 2. This Meeting of theirs is one of the most Ancient Meetings for Government and is made up of chosen Men amongst them expert in the Laws and Customs of the Nation well skill'd in the Courts of London and Westminster and other his Majesties Courts of Records c. p. 65. Herein F. Bugg has grounded his Chap. X. upon false Suggestions which he is very apt to make as he has stuffed his Chap. XI against our Second Days Meetings with abundance of false Stories For 1st Our Six Weeks Meeting in London is not a Meeting of such Import to Consult such Defence as he relates 2dly Neither is this Meeting one of the most Ancient Meetings for Government neither is it made up of Chosen Men for many Sober Women are also concerned in it Therefore this History-Writer is greatly out in his Calculation and thus foolishly runs on to form History upon false Suggestions unjustly to make our innocent Meetings Obnoxious to the Civil Government Upon which Falshood he further goes on pretending to shew how our Six Weeks Meeting is Authorized by an Anniversary Epistle printed 1693. which he recites part of in which Recital of his are these words viz. And being sensible of the great Care of the Six Week Meeting for Sufferings still leave it to the said Meeting for Sufferings to continue their Care c. p. 66. Obs. Thus he runs on headily in his Falshood and Forgery for the words Six Week are not in the Yearly Epistle and place quoted by him of 1693. To his often quoting William Rogers against us and against me in particular as if he were of great Authority with him I shall say little now but am sorry for W. R's sake that ever he ministred such occasion for such a persecuting Apostate as F. B. now to glory in against us However I have cause charitably to hope that W. R. is now of a better Mind concerning us than to put any such Weapons again into the hands of such Implacable Persecutors as F. B. and his present Abettors or now to compare us with Rome or deem us Rome's Sister c. as p. 57. And his Commendation for G. Keith and quoting him so often against us and upbraiding G. W. with what he wrote lately to him that G. W. could further expose him c. p. 36. I say F. B's Commendation will add nothing to G. K's Reputation nor redound to his Esteem in the Eyes of any Sincere Consciencious Friends among us or Friendly People towards us But his intimacy with F. Bugg and some Envious Priests and Confederacy with the Author to The Snake in the Grass shew how readily he can close with any Inveterate Adversaries against the People called Quakers which tends to verifie that Proverb Nosciter ex Socio qui non cognosciter ex se. There is one remarkable and severe Quotation which F. Bugg seems to Summon me as the Author of viz. Come smooth George I have seen another of your Books wherein you say p. 52. Some of the Presbyterian Non-Conformists Preachers are fled beyond Sea others lurk in Corners here and there and keep private Conventicles where many times they Preach Sedition against their lawful Prince by Instigation of whom that Insurrection hapned in 1666. Again p. 53. And some of them have printed Books in Defence of the Lawfulness of making War against the supreme Magistrates c. Again p. 23. And how many Garments were rolled in Blood by the Instigation of the Presbyterian Teachers the whole Nation was a Witness so that many Thousands were made Widows and Fatherless by that War they stirred up the People unto P. 54. And in very Truth the Presbyterian Church will never be able to purge her self of the Iniquity of Killing many Thousands in the Three Nations by the Occasion of a most Bloody War rais'd up through the Instigation of the Presbyterian Teachers c. p. 81. On which he quotes in the Margent The Way cast up Now pray observe his Fallacy in this Quotation He names not the Author of the said Way cast up but calls Come smooth George I have seen another of your Books c. So
A Rambling Pilgrim OR Profane APOSTATE EXPOSED BEING An Answer to Two Persecuting Books Falsly Entitled I. The Pilgrim 's Progress from Quakerism to Christianity II. A Modest Defence WITH An Epistle Dedicatoryto his Bountiful Benefactors By G. W. a Servant of Christ. Let the lying Lips be made Dumb which Cruelly Proudly and Spitefully speak against the Righteous Psalm 31. 18. LONDON Printed and Sold by T. Sowle in White-Hart-Court in Gracious-Street 1700. AN Epistle Dedicatory To those of the Clergy and of the Two Universities whose Kindness and Bounty Francis Bugg boasts of in his Pilgrim's Progress Chap. 15. WHereas the said Francis Bugg appears highly to value himself upon the Countenance of some of the Clergy in his Contests against the People called Quakers sounding a Trumpet of the Clergy's Kindness and being very Bountiful to him and particularly of the Bishop of Norwich upon his Request to him giving him a Certificate in his Recommendation together with his Bounty which he says was very Considerable Giving also this Account of the Improvement he intended to make of the said Certificate viz. I was minded to make Application to my Lords the Bishops of the Church of England the two Universities and to some particular Clergy-Men All which I no sooner asked than he granted me and it pleased God so to open the Hearts of my Lords the Bishops and Reverend Clergy that I found help in time of need These his Incouragements considered this Epistle is therefore Dedicated to you who are concern'd therein Friends Do you design to promote Christianity indeed You must use better Instruments for it than Fra. Bugg the Author of the said Pilgrim's Progress whose Progress is apparently from Christianity into Apostacy from Truth and true Charity into Falshood and Envy As hath been evinc'd in divers Answers extant which he could never wipe off and is also further manifest in the Sequel 'T is no small Offence to God or Injury to Men to encourage such Agents as can Forge Lye Calumniate and Asperse under pretence of Contending for the Faith of Christ and promoting Christianity Profanation of the Sacred Name of God and Christ in idle Romance and Fiction is no small Dishonour thereto I hope your Profession does not allow thereof or of taking Liberty thereunto as this Agent F. Bugg is proved to take very largely and if you can either Connive at his so doing or Indulge him therein how will he and you answer it in the great Day of Account before the Tribunal-Seat of Christ the Righteous Judge of Quick and Dead What Account will be given for the Violation of these Two Commandments Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him Guiltless that taketh his Name in vain And Thou shalt not bear false Witness against thy Neighbour Both which he has notoriously violated in his forged Sermon in my Name and many other Fictions and Forgeries Do you allow thereof or gratify him for the same Or is it his own officious heady Act and Device only For what then have you been so very Bountiful to him and Contributed such Considerable Sums of Money to him Is it for his just Demerits more than others in devising how to bring Contempt upon the People called Quakers by Forgeries and Calumnies Falsly forming a Judicature Trial ridiculous Answers Pillory Cage c to scandalize honest Men of good Report as a Pack of Perjur'd Persons as in his New Rome Arraigned for denying his Calumnies and false Accusations How should ever Christianity be promoted by such Mockers who act more like Stage-Players Merry-Andrews Jack-Puddings c. than sober Christians or Persons designing to promote Christianity And 't will be no Honour for you to promote or abet such Agents but procure you great Disgrace if you glory in such shameful Treatment and Abuse as this of F. Bugg's against us Besides it will be an Indication of your own Weakness to manage your Cause if not of the Cause it self for you to be beholden to such scornful Agents to manage it What may People think of you Has all your Learning fail'd you that you must needs contribute large Money to a busie Body for his Scribbling against the Quakers Never complain against Illiterate and Lay-Preachers or Mechanick Ministers if such an one must be your Champion who whilst his great Pretence is to Contend for Christ and the holy Scriptures can take Liberty to Contradict both in Practice if to Lye Misrepresent falsly Vilifie and Reproach be contradictory to both as we are sure no Lye is of the Truth And we are not only for Confessing with the Mouth the Lord Jesus and sincerely Believing with the Heart that God rais'd him from the Dead Rom. 10. but also for a Christian Life and Conversation agreeable to such Confession and Believing as is unto Righteousness well knowing that to make good Confessions to speak good Words and live bad Lives to confess Christ in Words and deny him in Actions will not commend or prove any to be true Christians The Sincerity of our Belief in and Confession to the true Messiah the very Christ of God to whom all his holy Prophets gave witness together with the Verity and Divine Authority of the holy Scriptures as being first given by Divine Inspiration I say our Sincerity herein is known to Him who searches and knows our Hearts however we be misrepresented in these Two main Points by some ill-affected Persons perverting cutting mangling and altering the Words Sayings and Sense of both deceased and living Authors which this Agent has been and is prov'd notoriously guilty of as a Person not Consciencious in his Writing and frequent Repetitions of the same Refuted Calumnies still imposing the same over and over without making Defence thereof by any serious Answer Replication or Rejoynder his Course of Scribbling being to repeat the same Fallacies and Misrepresentations under divers Models Titles Forms and Shapes as sometime to make them in Form of a Creed another in the Form of a Trial in a Court of Júdicature another while in the Form of a Dialōgue another while in the Form of Queries another while in the Form of History another while in the Form of a Sermon Together with his Scoff and Jeers Flouts Boasts Challenges intermixt and thus he can make up numerous Books fill'd with Repetitions of the same Stuff in divers shapes without taking any serious notice of Answers or Confutation And according to his crooked perverse Manner of Writing picking mincing clipping forging and perverting Words and Sentences Ill minded Persons may easily abuse and make the best of Writings look ill And now how bitter and envious and how full of cruel Mocking this Agent is turn'd against us the said People called Quakers and with what Contempt he hath writ concerning the Light within or in Man and our Doctrine thereof that his Self-Condemnation and Apostacy may therein the more appear please to observe his own
solemn Testimony how expresly contrary it is to his present Treatment of us the said People as it is in his Book stiled The Quakers Detected c. printed 1686. about Two Years after his leaving our Communion and Conforming to the Church of England as 't is in his own words following viz. The first Point under Consideration is how I came to be a Member of their Society c. i.e. of the Quakers In the beginning they taught That all Men were enlightned according to John 1. 9. and that this Light wherewith Christ had enlightned them was sufficient if obeyed to lead to Salvation and that it was the Work of the Ministers of Christ to turn the Peoples Minds from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan to God Affirming That this Light was a sufficient Teacher Leader and Guide to every Believer without the help of outward Prescriptions Forms Orders and Decrees of Men Upon these and the like Notions I became perswaded to make Trial of their Doctrine and when I came to see and observe their Practice Conversations and Deportments in the Beginning and what Simplicity and Plainness attended their Ministry I was still more Confirmed that it was a Dispensation of the Love of God sent as a Visitation to Mankind And being thus perswaded I was resolved to bear the Cross and did utterly despise the Shame that attended them and their Message and was not behind any of my Equals both in doing and suffering for the Testimony thereof as some amongst them can still bear me Witness And in this manner we went on for many Years and loved one another with Love unfeigned and doubtless God blessed our Meetings with the Comfortable Enjoyment of his Presence p. 3. From which solemn Confession thus made by Fra. Bugg after he forsook our Communion and went to the Publick as he saith it follows naturally that he did not forsake us because of our Christian Principle or Profession of the Light or because of our Doctrine Conversation Communion or Meetings or any Dislike had thereof but because he deem'd us guilty of Apostacy from our first Principle and Profession and that by his own Confession he did not thereby make his Progress from Egypt into Canaan appears by his applying to himself the words of Joseph when in Egypt viz. But I can say as Joseph did to his Brethren Gen. 50. 20. But as for you ye thought Evil against me but God meant it unto Good And Chap. 45. 5. Now therefore be not griev'd nor angry with your selves that you sold me hither Quakers detected p. 8. How came F. B. to apply these words to his State when turn'd from us to the Publick if he did not think himself then in Egypt or turn'd from the true Light into Darkness But we sold him not thither he fled in Winter when he had let in Unbelief and Fearfulness because of Suffering and Persecution which he had felt something of but fell into Impatiency and Quarreling under it and having lost Sincerity and Truth turn'd Envious Temporizer And because he has so frequently and falsly charg'd the said People with denying Jesus of Nazareth and Contempt of holy Scripture I may acquaint you with One or Two Passages more which concern himself as recited in my Answer to his New Rome Arraigned entitled Innocency Triumphant over Insolency and Outrage printed 1693. p. 25 26. as followeth viz. And to his saying The Names Jesus and Christ are given to the Mediator c. True but what follow Therefore quoth F. B. 't is no Absurdity to say It was not Jesus Christ for whom the Body was prepared it was not Jesus Christ that came in the Flesh but the Word John 1. 1. Apol. Introd p. 3. And yet he has confessed it was the Son of God that took the Body p. 4. What Confusion and Self-contradiction does the Man blindly run into And how contrary to the Apostle John's Testimony is his Doctrine herein See 1 John 4. 2 3. Every Spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the Flesh is of God and every Spirit which confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the Flesh is not of God but this is the Spirit of Anti-Christ What Spirit is this in our Adversary which saith It was not Jesus Christ that came in the Flesh Who was it then It was the Word the Son of God As if Jesus Christ were neither the Word nor the Son of God O horrible Anti-Christianism And contrary also to that Martyr Dr. Barnes his Confession as cited by F. Bugg himself p. 4. 5. viz. I believe that without Man's Will or Power Christ Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost and took Flesh of the blessed Virgin Mary Acts and Mon. p. 610. Now If Jesus Christ took Flesh of the blessed Virgin Mary then it was Jesus Christ that came in the Flesh But it was Jesus Christ that took Flesh Therefore 't was Jesus Christ that came in the Flesh. Consequently F. Bugg's Doctrine That it was not Jesus Christ that came in the Flesh is Anti-Christian Anti-Apostolical and Contradictory to the said Martyr's Doctrine In his Book stiled De Christianâ Libertate Part 2. Chap. 1. he confesseth in the Name and Person of the People called Quakers That we told them i. e. the said People that the Scriptures were good and a true Declaration of those things which were most surely believ'd by the Apostles and by us ought to be believ'd yet not the only Rule but still the Spirit of God which was the first Principle c. And many more Confessions he has given to the Truth of our Principles both with respect to Jesus Christ his Light and the holy Scriptures Now I recommend you to the faithful Witness of Truth in all your Hearts which will Judge Righteously and desire you seriously to peruse the following Treatise and hear us in our Answers and Defence as well as our Adversary in his Accusations remembering that common Maxim To Condemn no Man before he be heard By a Servant of Jesus Christ and real Friend to your Immortal Souls G. Whitehead London the 30th of the 4th Month 1699. The CONTENTS of this Treatise PART I. OF Francis Bugg's Fictitious Profane Sermon in G. Whitehead's Name From Page 1 to p. 16. Of our Yearly Meeting p. 1 2. Of the Scriptures p. 2 3. Of one only God the Father Son and Holy Spirit and the Holy Scriptures p. 3 4. Of Confession of Sin and Prayer to God p. 5 6. Of the Ten Commandments and Moral Law p. 7 8. Of his gross Fiction against the Holy Scripture and the Light within p. 9. Of his resembling the Mockers Psalm 35. 21. and 40. 15. p. 9. His Forgery against William Bingley and Ben. Bealing's Certificate p. 10 11. His repeated Forgery about G. Fox touching the Branch the Star c. p. 12 13. Of his Counterfeit Court and Condemnation p. 13. His Forgery and Frofaneness about our Light and Exaltation p. 14.
among thy manifold Repeated and Refuted Forgeries Lyes and Falshoods is an ill Sign and bespeaks an ill Omen against thee and that thy Day hastens Thou hast almost run thy Rope-length the Lord shall laugh at thee for he seeth that thy Day is coming the Pride of thy Heart and thy abominable Presumption and wicked Designs of Contempt and Persecution against His Heritage has reached unto Heaven and for thy great Iniquity and Apostacy thou hast got a secret Wound which is not cured if cureable but will increase to greater Anguish under a Gnawing Worm that will never die but Augment thy Torment if thou persistest in thy Impenitency to defame and make Lyes and Forgeries thy Refuge Remember thou hast been often warn'd in thy Life-time and thou shalt witness me to have been thy Soul's true Friend when thou shalt not be able to make me the Subject of thy Reproach nor the Object of thy Malice and Fury Forgery You may conclude Friends that he i. e. G. Fox was the Branch the Star the Sun of Righteousness spoken of in Scripture but mark This Epistle it is only to go among Friends p. 123. Observe again This Forgery which he now makes part of my Sermon has often been detected and charg'd upon him as it is a very foul Abuse and Calumny that either I or our Friends did so call G. Fox the Branch the Star the Sun of Righteousness or preach any such Doctrine as here he represents me O Abominable Forgery I yet challenge him and his Abettors to produce that Book or Epistle of any of our Friends which so terms G. Fox the Branch the Star the Sun of Righteousness For though I have found the words the Branch the Star the Sun of Righteousness in E. Burrough's Epistle To the Camp of the Lord in England in his Works p. 66 67. yet not apply'd to G. Fox nor his Name so much as mention'd in that Epistle And Bugg knows he has been told of this over and over in Print and particularly in my Sober Expostulation p. 5. p. 54 55 56. but never had Answer or Reply from him to clear himself in this Point and many other Lyes but a Repetition of the same Forgery over and over like a wilful impertinent scornful Scribler that will be still Imposing the same Refuted Calumnies and odious Defamations This is his course of writing and scribbling Books with the same Abuses still over and over without regarding any Answer how plain so ever to his Confutation Which is a most silly bruitish Method he has enur'd himself unto still Idem per idem for Proof and that with a great deal of insolent shew of Confidence And withal he has so much studied the Art of idle Romancing Forgery and Detraction Scoffing Taunting Flouting Boasting Cracking and Insulting that he is arriv'd to a great Heighth of Impudence therein For which I may repeat this one Instance Twelve of our Friends in and about London giving Certificate against four principal Calumnies and Falshoods cast upon the People called Quakers by F. Bugg in his New Rome Unmask'd as they are related in my Charitable Essay p. 8. in 1693. This being one of his four said Falshoods viz. II. That the Quakers Prophets give witness to G. Fox instead of this Christ that they call him G. F. the Branch the Star the Sun of Righteousness and put the North of England for the Town of Bethlehem Epistle to the Bereans and p. 81. Now Observe further For our denying of this and other Calumnies in our said Twelve Friends Certificate the said F. Bugg counterfeits a Court of Judicature feigns a Jury pretends Proof out of Books perverted by him calls the Certifiers against him into Examination then forges their Answers and counterfeits the Jury to bring them in Guilty of Perjury Then has a Form of a Pillory and ugly Pictures to represent the Persons Condemned standing in it and the first Letters of their Names over their Heads and the word Perjury over them as may be seen in his New Rome Arraigned Epistle to the Bereans printed 1693. to the Scandal and Defamation of the Persons thus Reproached and Staged by him By all which it may appear what Proficiency Francis Bugg has attain'd to in his Invention of Forgery to Defame and make Men Ridiculous But when since he met with some Check for such his Audacious Abuse and Scandal and might have cause to fear the Issue then he could slily excuse the Forgery and Defamation and put it off as only a Mock-Trial and a Mock-Pillory and consequently a Mock-Sentence and a Mock-Perjury as if Persons may Defame Scandalize Steal Rob Kill and Murder Men either in their Reputations Livelihoods or Persons and then to excuse themselves from having their Demerits alledge That it was all but in Jest or in Mockery And so F. Bugg may say of his idle and profane Romance which he calls George Whitehead's Sermon that 't is but a Mock-Sermon and consequently that he uses the Name of God and Christ c. therein only in Mockery But this will not Excuse his presumptuous Profaneness no more than his Forgery and Defamation Have not some of the Priests own'd this Man for their Convert even an eminent Convert of their Church And do they not make use of him gratifie and reward him as their Agent and their Tool But will it redound to their Credit or Honour or Promotion of the Christian Religion to abet promote and assist such a profane Scorner to act for them in their Cause more like a Stage-Player a Merry-Andrew or Jack-Pudding than a Person of any Seriousness or Sobriety in Religion Forgery Again in G. W's Name viz. In the Application I have shewed how our Light within hath exalted you above the Prophets Apostles Martyrs holy Confessors and all Christian Churches to this day Our dear Brother W. Bingley hath well remember'd our ancient Testimony against the Hireling-Priests c. Benjamin Bealing hath found out a very suitable Hymn of Praise even a melodious Song of Triumph setting forth our Exaltation and the Downfal of the Christian Churches under the Notion of the False Church c. p. 125 126. Observe Thus he persists Forging such Stuff in my Name and as my Sermon like a silly Scorner playing the Fool against me to make me as ridiculous a Fool as he can What Stage-Player durst ever have adventur'd to profane Religion and the sacred Name of God Christ and the Light in their Interludes or Comedies as this Person has done Who is accountable to God for casting such Contempt upon the Light of Christ as if it led to such Self-Exaltation i. e. of our selves as he has scornfully related For such his Scorn and Contempt against the true Light which we profess he is Accountable to the righteous Judge of all and his own more serious Confession to the Light Recited in the Epistle will rise up in Judgment against him Forgery again in the said pretended Sermon
in G. W's Name I have also closed my Discourse with the Prophecy of Sam. Fisher which you need not doubt of but will come to pass it may be sooner than you are aware of c. only for the present we must be content to stay and patiently bear For as yet we cannot think we shall be made to handle the Sword But when the time does come I have shewed you the Testimony of two of our Prophets and early Champions what we shall do how we shall kill cut off and destroy and bathe our Swords in the Blood of Amaleck and lay waste fenced Cities and tread down the Honourable of the Earth and spare neither Old nor Young p. 126. Observe his evil Design by inventing and framing this in my Name as part of my Sermon as if I prophesied that we should be made to handle the Sword kill cut off and destroy c. and spare neither Old nor Young c. Which he would have understood in a literal Sense to make me and our Friends as Obnoxious and Criminal as he can which bespeaks not only an evil Design but premeditated Malice and Injury And I am apt to think the Man Sinneth knowingly against Light and Conviction in taking up and representing such words in a literal Sense as are in Sam. Fisher's Prophecy to O. Cromwel in 1656. and in Fra. Howgil's and E. B's in the same Year S. F. having these words I will beautifie my Meek Ones with Salvation and I will put my High-Praise into their Mouths and a two-edged Sword into their Hands and they shall execute Vengeance upon the Heathen c. And the other have these words viz. Out of thee i. e. the North of England Kings Priests and Prophets did come forth in the Name and Power of the Most-High which uttered their Voices as Thunders and laid their Swords on the Necks of their Enemies c. Gird on your Sword upon your Loyns put on the tried Armour c. My beloved Brethren and Fellow-Soldiers make all plain before you Thresh on with a Threshing Instrument which hath Teeth beat the Mountains to Dust let the Breath of the Lord scatter it c. p. 124. Now that F. B. renders these and such like Passages in a literal Sense observe his Notes in the Margent i. e. Are not these Fifth-Monarchy-Men Retract these bloody Books and horrid Principles Hereupon I would ask him and those Priests who abet him 1. If the Psalmist meant Literally in Psalm 149. 5 6 7 8 9 Let them read it at large and therein Samuel Fisher's words concerning the Saints High Praises of God in their Mouths and a Two-edged Sword in their Hands c. and the Honour they have And Isaiah 41. 15. Behold I will make thee a new sharp Threshing Instrument having Teeth thou shalt thresh the Mountains and beat them small and shalt make the Hills as Chaff 2. If he really thinks our Friends meant that God's Prophets in this Gospel-Day should go forth with outward Swords of Iron and Steel and with an outward Threshing Instrument having Teeth of Iron or Steel and that they were therewith to beat down and lay level the great Mountains of Stone and Earth some of them a Mile or Two high as they are in the North of England and other parts No I cannot think that Francis Bugg believed thus Literally either of the Prophet David Isaiah or of our Friends in the places recited by him for part of my Sermon p. 122 123 124 125. Therefore the more fallacious and deceiful he to represent them in such a literal and gross Sense to make us Obnoxious to the Government as a People of Bloody Principles Whereby he hath shewn what a Bloody Persecuting Spirit lodges in him against us There are many more Forgeries Lyes and perverted Quotations in the said Romance falsly stiled G. Whitehead's Sermon which for Brevity's sake are here pretermitted and waved And this Point concerning S. Fisher's Message to O. Cromwel and other Passages relative thereto quoted by F. B. is more fully spoken to in the Answer to the Three Norfolk-Priests Entitled Truth and Innocency vindicated p. 36 37 38 39 and p. 62 63 64. THE Rambling PILGRIM EXPOSED PART II. AFter F. B. has made such a large Confession to the Light of Christ within and to the Dispensation of God to Mankind and to the comfortable Presence of the Lord our God attending our Meetings it is very ill-becoming him now to speak so slightly and contemptuously of both as he doth in his Chap. III. p. 5. where he saith All were exhorted to adhere to the Light within to obey the Light within and to follow the Teachings thereof as a Guide sufficient to lead us to Salvation yea above Scriptures above Fathers above Councils and above Churches This I now confess quoth he was a Paradox not Orthodox but absolutely Heterodox This Confession of his is since he disobeyed the Light and turn'd his back of it otherwise he would still confess that Christ the true Light the Head and Lawgiver to his Church is above Scriptures Fathers Councils and Churches and was before them and is the Light of the World which whoever follows shall not abide in Darkness but shall have the Light of Life Consequently this Light of His is a Guide sufficient to lead us to Salvation and to Understand Believe and Practice according to Holy Scripture and not to oppose it It is a wicked Calumny against our Silent Meetings to say That they were designed to wean us off from so much as the Remembrance of all External Religion and also to prepare us to receive the false Notions of Quakerism p. 5. Our Externally Meeting together to wait upon God and our living Experience of his Presence and Power and Spiritual Ministry to our great Comfort and Edification in those our Meetings do testifie the contrary to F. B's Aspersions against them and us He has unjustly quoted me about the Authority of the Spirit and the Scriptures p. 6. as the Three Norfolk-Priests did as I have shewn p. 16 17. of my Just Examination of their two Books Entitled Truth and Innocency vindicated leaving out the very Explanatory Words relating to the Spirits Immediate Teaching being of greater Authority or Efficacy than the Letter of the Scriptures as divided into Chapters my Explanation being viz. As Christ's Words were of greater Authority when he spoke than the Pharisees reading the Letter and they in whom that Spirit speaks not are out of the Authority of the Scriptures c. See the Matter further explained in my said Examination referred unto For here we own the Divine Authority and Efficacy of the Holy Scriptures as spoken by Christ but the Division of Chapters and Verses and the bare Letter thereof not to be of the same Authority and Efficacy I deny his Consequence That any little Pamphlet of Our's is of greater Authority than the Bible or of as great for I never asserted the holy Doctrine in
that the Reader that knows him not may take it to be G. Whitehead's And this looks like a Fallacious Design to incense the Presbyterians against me He was loth to tell them his beloved Friend and Associate George Keith was the Author thereof as indeed he was and of all those severe Charges against the Presbyterians c. in it for I have the said Book entitled The Way cast up by me to shew Now F. B. how much Envy and Revenge so ever thou hast conceiv'd and long since harbour'd against me thou may'st be horribly ashamed of this thy fallacious and deceitful Device and Dealing against me when 't is thus evidently detected I would ask thee Francis Didst thou shew G. Keith this Passage which thou hast cited out of his Way cast up before it was printed And if thou didst did he approve of thy thus exposing it in Print in this Form thou hast done without letting the World know who is the Author of the said Way cast up Again it is a manifest Falshood That they i. e. Quakers will not pray for King William III. p. 79. And again That they refuse to pray for King William III. p. 80. And the Reasons he gives for this Lye are 1. Unless they make them Justices or Commanders 2. If he would not stand by and support Quakerism c. The contrary is well known for K. William and the Government has been often prayed for among us as well as the preceding Kings though F. Bugg has often had this false Accusation against us thereby designing to make us Offensive contrary to the Primitive Christians Practice Of making Supplications Prayers Intercessions and giving of Thanks for all Men for Kings and for all that are in Authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable Life in all Godliness and Honesty 1 Tim. 2. 1 2. That many of the People called Quaker's both Ministers and others drew up a Paper against Hellish Plots and Traiterous Conspiracies as Works of the Devil and Darkness even since the late Plots against the present King and Government as well as against all Plots and Conspiracies in the time of the preceding Kings Reigns may be truly declared though like a furious Incendiary F. B. eagerly endeavours to stir up Jealousie in the Government not only against particular Persons but against Us who are and I hope ever shall be a People Innocent and Quiet in the Land whatever mischievous Devices are by such Incendiaries and wicked Ones devised against us Only he has done us some Right in reciting the Ancient Testimony and Principle of the People called Quakers renewed with respect to the King and Government Against all Plotting Conspiracies and contriving Insurrections against the King or the Government and against all Treacherous Barbarous and Murtherous Designs as Works of the Devil and Darkness c. p. 93. But F. B. has devised a false Information again That at their Second-Day Meeting March 23. 1695 6. their Teachers assembled together and no doubt great Consultings there were and particularly about these words Lawful and Rightful King p. 92. What Ground has he for No Doubt in this Case I know no such Consultings among our Teachers or that they assembled together to consult about those words Thus F. B. vents his own false Imaginations to expose us to the Displeasure of the King and Government if he could But thanks be to God F. B. and his Confederates are disappointed of their invidious Designs and Ends. And suppose the Name of King William was not mentioned in the said Testimony yet in p. 95 96 it is twice mentioned in another as 't is recited by himself and there is enough in it to shew that King William was really intended particularly in these words viz. And we sincerely Bless God and are heartily Thankful to the King and Government for the Liberty and Priviledges we enjoy under them by Law esteeming it our Duty to be true and faithful to them Whereby we could mean no other King than K. William III. because no other King confirmed to us that Liberty by Law which now we enjoy as that of our Consciences in the free Exercise of Religion and Worship as we are perswaded of God However this Toleration and Liberty of Conscience legally Confirmed appears greatly grudged by our Persecutors such as F. Bugg and a few Priests who are his Abettors For in opposition thereunto he assumes the Boldness to promote in Print an Abstract of Two Letters from Two worthy Clergy-Men as he calls them to their Acquaintance in the City wherein as related by him is this Passage viz. 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 Toleration especially as the Quakers both claim and use it which notwithstanding all the Care and Indefatigable Labour and Pains of the Watchmen of Israel will certainly if not timely prevented be the Overthrow of our Church and Christianity it self c. p. 84 85. Was it not a piece of Insolent Confidence to expose this in Print and thus openly to oppose the Liberty granted and legally Confirmed by the King and Parliament and thus to render our Governours Blind in allowing it and praying God to open their Eyes c. and inveighing against this Liberty as too much and too deplorable unlimitted and unbounded Are not these bold Aspersions reflecting on the Wisdom and Conduct of both King and Parliament to term the said Liberty Deplorable c. But why so The Watchmen are afraid it should be the Overthrow of their Church they should rather have said Of their gainful Trade For their former Severities and Persecutions against Consciencious Dissenters which now it seems some of them would have renew'd again have been more Prejudicial and Injurious to Them and their Church than ever either the Toleration was or any Moderation or Lenity shewn by the more Moderate among them there being many now ashamed of Persecution that were formerly concerned in it To his Accusing me with Malice and calling me Mercenary Whitehead p. 98. Margent This is like the rest of his scornful abusive and false Detractions But I shall not need to insist much further on Bugg's Abuse and gross Scandals cast upon Me and many of Us to Reproach the People called Quakers with his invented Figures as that of a Pillory The Quakers Synod and his Cage to represent us among every unclean and hateful Bird as in Babylon with 34 Names in it set cross-wise p. 130. the greater part of them being deceas'd which Cage he has in many of his Books Which is all sorry Stuff meer idle Mockery Contempt and Folly and as Contemptible in the Eyes of every Serious Religious Reader and Sober Spectator And he is in the very Way himself to be left in the Cage of every unclean and hateful Bird in Babylon the Habitation of Devils and Hold of every foul Spirit which he unjustly applies against us
it like other Christians 2dly They tell you they own a Scripture-Trinity but mean not a word of it and that Your Honours will find it as difficult a thing to gain the true Meaning of the Quakers touching the Divine Authority of the Holy Scriptures and their Belief of a Scripture-Trinity as Constantinus the Emperor found it in the Examination of Arius the Heretick to get his true meaning touching the Faith of one Substance And he would have them believe The Quakers are such Enemies to the holy Scripture as that they say It is a rotten Foundation Ibid. p. 11. And that with them it is Beastly Ware c. part 2. p. 29. And that they render the holy Scriptures to be of no more Authority than Aesop 's Fables part 3. p. 40. Such abominable Falshoods this Incendiary presumes to Dedicate and Present to the Parliament expresly contrary to our sincere and publick Confession to the Divine Authority of the holy Scriptures as Eminently given by Divine Inspiration and our Estimation and Preference of the Bible to all other Books extant in the World though many of them may be given by a Degree of the same Divine Inspiration yet the holy Scripture contain'd in the Bible have not only the Priority but more Eminently and Signally Confirm'd by Divine Authority more Comprehensive and more Generally accepted than other Books or Commentaries thereupon the holy Pen-Men of the Scriptures of Truth having also a higher Degree of Illumination and Inspiration in many things than other Writers in after-Ages And Christ himself whose blessed Testimonies are from him Recorded received the Holy Ghost or Spirit not by Measure but in Fulness and to be sure we are bound in Conscience highly to prefer the Authors of Holy Scripture i. e. Christ his Apostles and Prophets above our selves or any other Writers whatsoever therefore we have cause to allow the Bible the Preference as well as Priority before other Books But our embittered Adversary to render us the said People Incredible or not to be Believ'd and such a difficult thing to gain the true Meaning of the Quakers he thus treats us with his wonted Course of Defamation and Calumny giving this pretended Relation viz. That the honest Quakers for some such there are amongst them have suspected G. Whitehead to be a Jesuite at least like them This Witness is true quoth F. B. Pref. p. 18. And farther he proceeds with this Out-cry viz. By which Evidence we may know that the Quakers like the Cretians were always Lyars evil Beasts slow Bellies but not only so but Lyars Forgers and to speak comparatively Knights of the Post Jesuits and dangerous to the Government c. Pref. p. 19 20. Thus furiously he runs on and clamours like one without Eear or Wit he is Accountable for such odious Defamation and the Righteous Judge of all I doubt not will rebuke him for such his Folly and Outrage He strives in his Persecution against us as if it were for Life even for our Lives in not only defaming G. Whitehead for a Jesuit but the Quakers in General and yet some of them Honest Quakers too Such Confusion Envy produces But who these Honest Quakers are that suspect G. W. to be a Jesuit at least like them we are to seek he tells us not who is his true Witness in this Case G. W. utterly denies the Defamation against himself and the rest of his Friends called Quakers being known to be as wholly and absolutely Averse to Popery as any People in Christendom and more than all Persecutors whatsoever Persecution being a principal Prop and Pillar of Popery commonly raised by such Clamour and Outrage as Away with them Hereticks and Schismaticks they are Seditions and Dangerous to the Government and then Imprisonment Havock Exile or Death must follow c. To his other odious Calumny viz. That the Quakers Church agrees with the Papists That our Bible is a Brazen-fac'd Book an unjust corrupt and perverse Bible part 1. p. 4. Oh Horrible The righteous Lord rebuke this Lying Spirit which possesses this Poor Creature How like a furious Incendiary in his boundless Outrage does he Defame and most unjustly Asperse the Innocent Are not the Bibles we frequently use in our Houses and Families the same used by other Protestants and allow'd by Authority Pray let this be observ'd and further inquired into that the notorious Lyes of this Adversary may more manifestly appear to the World to his own and his Abettors shame and disgrace And as I have often urg'd plain Proof from him that the Quakers call the Scriptures Beastly Ware but never yet could obtain it So I now demand Proof that they say The Scripture is a rotten Foundation as before Ded. p. 11. For Proof of this Lye he has quoted a little Pamphlet or Book which he has rak'd up and Reprinted Entitled Ishmael and his Mother cast out first printed in 1655. Upon the Margent on the 14th page he repeats the same gross Lye again thus viz. The Holy Scriptures they say are a rotten Foundation This is their ancient Testimony from which they have not varied This is F. B's Annotation against the People called Quakers but where is his Proof still 'T is upon these words viz. With the Light thou art seen to be a Wrester of the Scriptures and thy rotten Foundation being ready to fall thee c. Here is no such word as the Quakers saying The Holy Scriptures are a rotten Foundation but the contrary viz. Against that Adversary for Wresting the Scripture and that he was judged thereby And that the Scriptures of Truth proceeded from the Life and Power of God were spoken by holy Men as mov'd thereby as also a true Declaration of God the Words of God who with his dear Son Christ Jesus and Holy Spirit and the Baptism thereof are also confess'd in the said Book quoted but falsly noted on the Margent as before quite contrary to these Confessions unto the Truth and Divine Authority of the Holy Scriptures They that writ the said Book Ishmael c. did judge that pretended Pastor S. Townsend their then Adversary neither to be built upon Christ nor upon the holy Scriptures and that therefore neither of them was his Foundation but a Spirit of Enmity when he enviously writ and aspers'd those of us that were then Prisoners for Conscience sake in Norwich Goal which was in the year 1654. being 45 Years ago He then more like a busie Incendiary than a Minister of Christ with his envious defaming Pamphlet did Persecute us by Reproaches to add Affliction to our Bonds which
then were severe and we under Hardship in the depth of Winter wherein my self with the rest had my share Though I then was but weak and young being but about 18 Years of Age yet was in my Heart truly tender and sincere to God and his Presence I often felt to strengthen me in that and divers other hard Imprisonments in Cromwel's time and by his Special Divine Providence I was supported in his Work and Service blessed be his Name for ever Who also hath made me to Triumph in Christ over Reproaches and Aspersions of This and all other my most Implacable Adversaries F. B. may think he has found out a deadly Weapon against me by his raking up and reprinting the said Ishmael c. printed in 1655. But he does very ill and very dis-ingenuously in upbraiding me and my Friends with some unwarrantable Expressions which I have positively disown'd and disclaim'd in Two Books as he knows And yet from thence he unjustly asperseth the Quakers That they dissemble the Doctrine of the Trinity when they pretend to own it whilst in their Books they damn it to the Pit and Lake Ded. p. 11. And part 2. p. 22. Margent This is their ancient Testimony to damn the blessed Trinity to the Pit of Hell the like in Part 3. p. 35. I say This is not true 't is neither the Quakers Ancient nor Modern Testimony and the passage upon which he makes this Note in the Margent though never intended against either God his Son or Holy Spirit or this Scripture-Trinity as I may say Yet I say as to the said Passage noted upon on the Margent I have positively disown'd those offensive Expressions publickly in Print in Two Books The 1st Entitled The Christianity of the People called Quakers Vindicated 1690. p. 28. The 2d Truth and Innocency Vindicated 1699. p. 51. Besides many Years since I corrected them where I met with that Answer And though I writ some Passages therein yet I still affirm I was not the Author of the said Unwarrantable Expressions nor of divers other sharp ones but C. Atkinson who miserably fell into Pollution and Condemnation after my self and my other Fellow-Prisoners had left him in Prison being discharg'd before him I was sorry my Name was to that Answer without distinction between my own Words and his For though I was then but Young Weak and Low yet I still believe and am satisfied I had a Measure of Understanding given me of the Lord and a Sense of his Power and Presence And I do not deny but I writ some Part or Paragraphs in that Book aforesaid by reason whereof I suppose my Name was to it and the Substance of what I writ I cannot disown to this day namely 1. Asserting the Word which was in the beginning to be God Christ the Light and the Foundation of Faith 2. And that the Word was before the Scripture or Writing or Letter thereof was 3. That Jesus Christ was the true and only Foundation 1 Cor. 3. 11. This was in Opposition to our then Adversary's Asserting the Scripture to be the only Foundation of Faith c. And I cannot in the least believe that there ever could be any Intention of Contempt or Contemptible Expressions design'd against God or his Dear Son or Holy Spirit among us or that we could be so grosly dark and ignorant as to think to confine him in Darkness who is an Omnipresent God and he being Light in whom is no Darkness at all this hath been our Principle from the beginning But to fasten the whole Book Ishmael on G. W. F. B. saith he owns the Book viz. in Truth Defending 1659. 1. From Tho. Smith's calling it G. Whitehead's Book 2. From the words Our Book Part 1. p. 31 32. Answ. How far I then own'd it I have signified 1. As having writ some part of it 2. But not then espousing the very words chiefly objected by F. B. and disown'd by me as before but my own Construction then given partly in these words viz. And he that Dreams and tells Lyes contrary to the Scriptures of Truth which we own he with his Imaginations and Dreams is for the Lake Rev. 21. 8. Yet what the Scripture saith of the Godhead the Father the Word and the Spirit which are one 1 John 5. 7. we own Truth Defend p. 1 2. Tho' I confess I there questioned the Notion of Three Distinct or Divided Persons as not Scripture but an Imagination And in our Disputes at Cambridge in the same Year 1659. My Opponents then Arguing They i. e. the Father Son and Holy Ghost are Three Hees therefore Three Persons and that because Christ was under the Water when baptised and the Holy Ghost then descended upon him like a Dove therefore Three Distinct or Separate Persons I then thought such Arguing as much beside true Scripture-Divinity as good Logick However I cannot call to Mind That at those Disputes I had with Tho. Smith the Library-keeper c. in Cambridge 1659. I either did own or defend that very Passage now objected against us out of Ishmael which I have disown'd and disclaim'd as before If I were now Conscious thereof I should be sorry for it To conclude this Point about the Trinity I refer the Reader 1. To a Catechism in the Words and Phrases of Scripture with this Imprimatur Guil. Sill. R. P. D. Henr. Episc. Lond. â Sacris Domesticis printed 1693. wherein are these Questions and Answers viz. Q Is there any more than One God A. There is none other God but one 1 Cor. 8. 4. Q. What is said of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost A. It is said That these Three are One 1 John 5. 7. Note Here they confine themselves to Scripture-Language 2. 'T is worthy of Observation what Dr. Burnet now Bishop of Sarum in the Life of John Earl of Rochester p. 104. speaking of the Trinity saith Which for want of Terms fit to express them by we call Persons and are called in Scripture the Father Son and Holy Ghost Besides the false Printing and bad English in the said Ishmael as F. B. has expos'd it there 's another Defect after the words The Lake is thy Portion which is the Portion of Lyars the words except thou speedily Repent are omitted there and in some other places The Old Impression I have not seen for many Years nor do I know where to find it tho' it seems F. B. hath industriously sought it out and reprinted it after a fashion with his perverse Annotations in the Margent to reproach Quakers withal And now let 's a little observe F. B.'s Definition of Person part 1. p. 18 19. viz. From the words God Christ the Light the Word the Spirit the Truth the Kingdom of God within me and these are one F. B. infers viz. Reader here is in the Quakers Essence Septem Personas Also from the words Stumble not at the Light for if thou dost thou stumblest at God at