be This Witness is true Printed 1678. in the Book A Sensible Cry c. p. 6. A. M. IX BEhold you Great Goliahs your strength is in an Arm of Flesh but mine is only in the Living God before whom all your deceitful covers are manifest which will stand you in little stead in the Day of Distress that is coming upon you For he will certainly plead with you for all your Abominations You are full of Designs to keep up your Esteem among the People but the Lord by whose Power I am raised up against you will bring you low and utter disgrace will come upon you because you have not sought his Glory so much as your own Quakers unmasked c. Preface By J. P. Printed 1682 and 1691. X. A Day of Trouble Anguish and Disappointment is come and coming upon You which you can neither escape nor prevent You must reap the fruit of your own doings for as you have sowed the Wind you must expect to reap the Whirlwind wherein is nothing but Confusion Darkness Blackness and Tempest And this is the Portion of all the Builders of Babel or Babylonish Builders And tho' you may think that you have built the highest and fairest Structure of any yet know and that for a truth that not one Stone thereof shall be left upon another and all your Buildings your Inventions your Imaginations and Conceivings about your Forms your Proud Self-conceited Modes your Impositions your Prescriptions Laws and Comely Orders as you in your fallen Wisdom call them must all be thrown down laid waste and become as a By-word or Proverb of Reproach to the very Heathen and not only to them but also to those whom you have defamed and stigmatized with the blackest of Names and for no other cause but only for their Faithfulness in Discharging a good Conscience towards their God towards You and towards all Men. These are faithful and true Sayings if thou canst receive them thou mayest Printed 1680 in a Letter to G. F. by J. P. a Person well known and of an unspotted Reputation Behold that which you have Built must be Broken down and that which you have Planted must be Plucked up This Witness is true It may be they will present their Supplications before the Lord and will turn every one from his Evil Way For great is the Anger and the Fury that the Lord hath pronounced against this People THE END Advertisement IF any Person be desirous to have this Book and my former Books bound either them in Quarto or them in Octavo or Single Stitcht they may be furnished with all except them of those Impressions wholly Sold off at Mr. Janeway's a Bookbinder in St. Paul's Churchyard next Door to Child's Coffee-house London And Likewise if any Abler Men for of such there is very great need be disposed farther to unmask the Leaders of this Heresie this is to give notice that in the Library of Christ-Church Colledge in Oxford there is by a Worthy Gentleman a Divine of the Church of England Bought of me and Given by him for the Service of the Church of Quakers Books wrote by the most Approved Authors of that Sect which I think are thus Chained up from doing any more hurt First G. Fox's Journal next to it Muggleton's Journal or Works containing more than 1000 Pages Quarto and I think the best Quaker of the two next to that G. Fox's Great Mystery c. Fol. with near Twenty more of his Books next the Works of Edw. Burroughs Francis Howgill Will. Smith Sam. Fisher all in great Folio's next the Works of Jos Coale Steph. Smith R. Hubberthorn Will. Bayly Is Pennington G. Fox Junior in Quarto next divers Books wrote by James Naylor Will. Penn Christ Atkinson G. Whitehead Sol. Eccles Tho. Lawson Christ Taylor R. Farnsworth Geo. Bishop and divers others in all near the Number of Four Hundred bearing distinct Titles which may furnish any Person sufficiently with Matter of Fact A Catalogue of Books Wrote by Fran. Bugg 1 DE Christiana Libertate c. in 8 vo bound 2 The Painted Harlot stript and whipt c. 4 to 3 Reason against Railing c. 4 to 4 Innocency Vindicated c. 4 to never Answered 5 The Quakers Detected and their Errors Confuted c. 4 to 6 A Letter to the Quakers shewing their frequent Addresses to and Prayers for the late K. J. II. and not to King William III. 7 Battering Rams against New Rome c. 4 to 8 One Blow more at New Rome c. 4 to 9 New Rome Unmask'd and her Foundation Shaken c. 4 to 10 New Rome Arraigned and out of her own Mouth Condemned c. 4 to 11 A Sheet Presented to the Parliament 1693. in Answer to the Quakers Allegations c. 12 Quakerism Withering and Christianity Reviving c. 8 vo 13 Quakerism Anatomized c. 4 to never Answered 14 A Second Summons to the City Abel by way of Metaphor to deliver up Sheba the Son of Bichri namely Geo. Whitehead 2 Sam. 21. 15 The Quakers Yearly Meeting Impeached on the behalf of the Commons of England c. 16 The Quakers set in their true Light c. Presented to the House of Lords 1696. never Answered 17 A Brief Reply to the Quakers Ancient Testimony presented to the House of Lords 1696. never Answered 18 A Brief History of the Rise Growth and Progress of Quakerism 8 vo never Answered 19 The Picture of Quakerism drawn to the Life 8 vo never Answered 20 A Sober Expostulation with their Hearers touching the Mercinary Teachers never Answered 21 The Pilgrim's Progress from Quakerism to Christianity c. Printed in 4 to and Reprinted in 8 vo 22 Seventy Queries to several Quakers c. never Answered 23 A Broad Sheet with a Scheme of the Quakers Synod presented to the Parl. 1699. 24 Jezebel Withstood and her Daughter Anne Docwra publickly Reproved never Answered 25 Quakerism Exposed to publick Censure c. 8 vo 26 The Christian Ministry of the Church of England Vindicated c. 8 vo never Ans 27 A Modest Defence c. presented to the Parliament 28 The Quakers Anguis Flagellatus Examined and Refuted 29 A Brief Reply to G. Whitehead's Book Stiled A Rambling Pilgrim c. in Answer to my Pilgrim's Progress from Quakerism to Christianity presented to the Parliament 1700. 30 A Just Rebuke to the Quakers Insolent Behaviour in their Two Books i. e. A Just Censure c. the other A Sober Reply c. presented to the Parl. 1700. Besides Three Books I Wrote part of 31 W. Rogers his Seventh Part of the Christian Quaker distinguished c. about 1682. 32 A Looking-glass for the Quakers in Two Columns 33 A Postscript to the Norfolk Clergies Book i. e. A Brief Discovery of some of the Quakers Blasphemous and Seditious Principles c. FINIS
in the Power of the Highest in which thou Rules and Governs in Righteousness and thy Kingdom is Established in Peace and the Increase thereof is without end Judas and the Jews p. 44. Secondly Dear and Precious one in whom my Life is bound up and my Strength in thee stand by thy Breathings I am nourished by thee my Strength is renewed I cannot Reign but in thy Presence and Power Glory unto thee Holy One (p) Holy George for ever John Audland's Letter to George Fox Thirdly George Fox said John Blaikling is blessed with Honour above many Brethren and Thousands will stand by him in a Heavenly Record that his Life Reigns and is Spotless whose Eternal Honour and Blessed Renown shall remain yea his Presence and the Dropping of his tender Words in the Lord's Love was my Soul's Nourishment The Christian disting Part 5. p. 77. Fourthly George Fox a Prophet indeed it was said of Christ that he was in the World and the VVorld was made by him and the VVorld knew him not SO it may be said of this Prophet G. Fox The Quak. Challenge p. 6. Fifthly To confirm all this William Mead now living when he gave William Harris one of George Fox's Journals he said to him Here W. Harris I will give thee one of Geo. Fox's Journals it is a very good Book yea better than the Bible Object 1. But some may say this is only W. Mead's Judgment surely the Quakers do not hold that either their Books or Fox's Journal is better or of greater Authority than the Bible for the Fathers and Councils all submitted to the Test of Holy Scripture as the VVord of God Answ To this I answer That W. Mead is a knowing Man I will not say a wise Man unless in that one Action of his whereby he vigorously opposed W. Penn and endeavoured to exclude him out of their Ministry when he was proclaimed a Traytor to his Country for being charged to be in the Plot with the Lord Preston and others and was therefore forced to hide many Years and for which his Preface to Fox's Journal was not admitted to be bound up with the Journal but waited upon it like a poor Lacquey with its Blue Livery I say this Action of his excepted I will not say he was a wise Man yet as I said he is a knowing Man and spake the Heart of Quakerism in saving George Fox's Journal is better than the Bible First As you have heard 't is question'd by the Quakers VVhether Moses or Hermes was the first Pen-man of the Scripture indeed VVhether either or neither of them The Quakers Refuge fixed c. p. 17. But as for what G. Fox and Friends write it is from and by the Motion of God's Eternal Spirit and avouched so to be by a General Council of the Yearly Meeting (q) Held at London May 1695. And what any of our Friends speak from the Spirit of Truth is of greater Authority than the Bible and Chapters are Truth defending the Quakers c. p. 7. Now who can blame W. Mead on the Quakers Principles Is not a Certainty better than an Uncertainty Secondly The Scriptures lay many Obligations upon us it teacheth us the Observation of the Ten Commandments the Lord's Prayer the Apostles Creed Baptism and the Lord's Supper which the Journal does not at all teach nor inforce the Belief of only to listen adhere and hearken to the Light within and to obey its Dictates Therefore as the Journal is most certain so it is most easie and therefore the best Book and of most Authority and on the Quakers Hypothesis confirm all those Particulars above quoted Thirdly The Scripture teacheth to obey Magistrates as the higher Power and that we should submit our selves to every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's sake Matth. 22.21 Titus 3.1 Rom. 13.1,2,3 1 Pet. 2.13,14,17 See also Tindal's VVorks Obedience to a Christian Man c. p. 111. But the Journal p. 40 to 400. and our Friends Books teach both by Precept and Example That the Light in every Man is the higher Power to whom all must submit and obey for to it all Power in Heaven and Earth is committed Jos Coale's VVork p. 93. and that this Light is one in the Male and in the Female but to a proud heady high-minded Man there is no Honour due tho' he be in a place to Rule Smith's Primer p. 43. And if so who can say that W. Mead spake unadvisedly in saying The Journal of Fox is better than the Scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles I think him a right Quaker a knowing Man and one that loves a Certainty better than an Uncertainty Fourthly The Scriptures teach That VVomen should obey their Husbands yea that they Reverence them and live in Subjection to them as their Head Gen. 3.16 Numb 30 to the end 1 Cor. 11.8 1 Pet. 3.1 Tit. 2.5 Colos 3.18 Ephes 5.22 quoting Sarah as an Example But the Journal teaches That the Light is the higher Power that it is one in the Male and in the Female and 't is the Light in each that is to be obeyed for to that all Power in Heaven and Earth is committed Smith's Primer p. 13. The Journal p. 50 to 450. and that there is to be no respect of Persons and if the VVife conceive her Husband to be gone from the Light and the Guidance of it and she be moved to rebel against her Husband betray his Secrets to his Adversaries yea to give publick Testimony against him she does well and shall have Praise of the same The Content Apostate c. p. 5. And for this Reason the Quakers do not put in or make the VVoman promise by their Marriage Certificate to obey their Husbands which as it is contrary to the Tenure of the whole Book of God both the Old and New Testament so 't is agreeable to G. Fox's Journal and their Antient Testimony See their Marriage Certificate Fifthly In a word the Scriptures teach That Children should obey their Parents and honour their Father and Mother that Servants should obey their Masters that Subjects should submit to their Governours and obey Magistrates that Christians should obey their Pastors who are over them in the Lord who watch for their Souls as those that must give an Account But the Journal p. 20 to 320. teaches the contrary both by Precept upon Precept as also by the Practice of their great Apostle G. Fox who not only broke the Laws in disturbing the Ministers in their Churches but taught so to do not only refused to pay Tythes but taught so to do not only slighted the Magistrates Command who oftentimes commanded a strict Fast to be kept but taught his Followers so to do Nay lately one Thomas Mash an Antient Quaker living at Newberry in Berkshire was moved by his Light within to open his Shop-VVindows on the Lord's-Day as on Market Days and set out his Goods to Sale this the Journal justifies p. 200 to the
in the time of Moses with the very likeness of things good in themselves but all is but counterfeit a bare likeness appear fair like painted Sepulchers and whited Walls but the inside of their Doctrine is all Rottenness How do they send up and down to invite to their Meetings How do they disperse their Books East West North and South see p. 144. as well as beyond Sea How do they present them to the Parliament the Judges the Justices even to all Ranks and Degrees of Men And shall we sit still and declare to the World we have no Zeal for our Holy Religion which our Martyred Ancestors suffered in the Flames for Wherefore let us put on Courage and excite one another's Zeal lest God in Judgment remove the Candlestick and plant his Gospel amongst a People more deserving And therefore let us put Books into the Hands of our Magistrates to inform their Understandings in these Matters that they may be capable to be Eye-Witnesses of this dismal Tragedy now upon the Stage And into the Hands of our Christian Neighbours who at present may be unthinking and not see the Danger they are in and also caution'd to beware of the Deceivers of our Times who come in Sheeps-cloathing but inwardly they are Ravening Wolves And into the Hands of the Well-disposed amongst the Quakers for the regaining of them And this will be a Means to discover and lay waste the Design and Confederacy now on Foot And for your Comfort this I can tell you that many are now coming off Quakerism embracing Christianity and let us meet them and with all Sweetness invite them Home There are about Six or Eight of their Writers and Teachers come off and Hundreds that were caught by their Snare some of them that have been Quakers these Forty Years are now in Print against them And since I have been in London I have had many of them come to Visit me with Thanks in their Mouths to Me and Others who have dealt plainly with them bidding me keep on my Pace and not to spare Proud Babel And from others I have had Letters of the same Import And in Hopes it will be good News to many of you I will recite a Passage or two out of W. Mather's his Book Printed within this Month he lives in Bedfordshire and hath been a Quaker these Forty Years and an Old Acquaintance of mine 38 Years since viz. An Answer to the Switch c. by W. Mather p. 1 8. It is says W. Mather impossible that the Pens now in Controversie against us Quakers should be put a Stop to before there is an Order given forth from the Second-Days Meeting for the Reformation of our Preachers and also a Book of Retractations of the Errors of our Friends printed Books A Man that does but tell you G. Whitehead c. of your Mistakes that they might be amended had need have the Armour of Grace in his Heart as little David had when he encountred great Goliah yea as bold as David 's Worthies were who ventured their Lives to fetch Water from the Philistines Camp to be sure you will Scoff at him at a high rate Wound or Kill him as you account that Crisp Bugg Keith c. are Dead to the Life of Truth for opposing your Errors Wounded them it's true you have for which God will Judge you For every one of them at first only desired that you might bring your Deeds to the Light to be Tried by the Scriptures But instead of Answering their Christian Desires for your Good you fall upon them and wound them and make them grieve Pag. 9. Consider this you fierce Despisers of all those who desire your Reformation in Doctrine and Practice You know where this Cursed Thing is that causeth all this Disturbance you still hide it but out it must come and be beaten to Pouder Wherefore I beseech you to consider First what Damage hath befaln our Church by the False Doctrine couched under the fair Pretences of the Quakers next their Industry of spreading them as in p. 1.44 but moreover how they give away that Fallacious Book Anguis Flagellatus c. not only to Members of Parliament Judges Justices Lawyers and indeed Men of all Ranks but as I have been told send beyond Sea 500 together And forasmuch as there are many Excellent Books wrote by that Reverend Author of the Book intituled The Snake in the Grass c. that and his Defence of it his Book Satan Disrobed c. and that about Water Baptism and also by that Learned Author Geo. Keith and divers others which discover the Horrible Fraud and Pernicious Principles of the Quakers I say let us not let a Parliament-Man a Judge Justice or any others where we see a Service for the Church be without a Book to inform their Judgments and rectifie the Mistakes of others Let us consider the many Books wrote by our Pious Divines in Defence of our Holy Religion against the Attempts of the Church of Rome and also the great Benefit thereof and good Effects they have had both to Preserve our Members in Communion with us and to Regain many that were wavering and some that were strayed away And as a further exciting our Zeal let us be often Meditating on the Precepts of Divine Writ and Pray God to Illuminate our Understandings and thereby make us able to Read them to our Comfort I cannot but remember with what restless Zeal my self and others used to Advance Quakerism in the beginning and how we sent our Books the Nation over by Pack-Horses and otherwise I my self have given away Twenty Shillings worth at a Meeting and shall we be now less Zealous in Dispersing Books to detect their Errors than they have been to broach them and are now to defend them God forbid Oh let it not be said so of such as love God and are Orthodox in the Faith that love the Scriptures and have a true value for the Sacred Ordinances instituted by our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Thus have I imparted my Mind and I hope without Offence who am Your Humble Servant Fr. Bugg Milden-Hall in Suffolk March 1699 700. THE CONTENTS OF the Author 's Early Education Pag. 1 Of his turning Quaker 5 The Occasion and Means thereof 6 Of the Quaker's Silent Meetings 8 Fox and Muggleton compared 18 Of Muggleton's Doctrine 19 Quakers Laws to be obeyed 25 Scripture-Commands vacated 27 Christ disowned 28 The Quakers Synod 29 The Quakers Creed 33 Scripture-Authority overturned 39 G. Fox the Second Moses 42 G. Fox's Self-Exaltations 45 The Quakers Adoration of G. Fox 47 Fox's Journal preferred to the Bible 48 Distrust all they say and Why 53 Ann Docwra's Letter 54 Christ's Blood undervalued 55 Every Quaker a Virgin Mary 57 Fox's Miracles refuted 61 His Visions Diabolical 62 Who the Quakers own Poor 63 The Quakers Malicious Attempts 65 Tho. Plumstead's Running away 66 G. W.'s pretended Call fallacious 67 Their Teachers mean
Abstract 69 They Vindicate the Socinians 71 Quaker-Teachers about Hospitality 73 They come like Mice and Flies ibid. Hypocrisie their Mysterium Maximum 76 The Quakers Yearly-Meeting 79 G. Keith like Luther at Worms 82 Ellwood about Tythes 84 Acts of Parliament virtually Repealed 86 Letters to appoint Meetings 91 The Qua. against Liberty of Conscience 97 Their Treasonable Practice 101 Their Teachers Self-Preservation 103 Their Usurpation of Government 104 Their Excommunication of Fr. Bugg 106 Their Excommunication of J. Barnard 110 John Ainsloe's Condemnation 113 Thir Black Book 114 Their Power to Bind and Loose 115 About their Fund or Bank 118 W. Rogers's Scourge 120 Ann Docwra against their Fund 121 Tom Tell-Troth Ellwood 125 Their Pretence to Write freely 126 Compared by Ann Docwra to Jesuits 129 Ann Docwra's Verses on Fox 133 Their Six-Week-Meetings Craft 136 VV. Mather's Discovery 137 A Petition of 7000 against Tythes 140 Their way to spread Books 143 A Minister's Zealous Letter 147 The Quakers Horrible Deceivers 150 Their Grand Cheat discovered 155 Against Kingly Government 157 They Justifie the Murder of K. Charles I. 163 Still against all Kings 167 Their Fling at Dissenters 168 Their Popish Design therein 171 Their Inveighing against the Clergy 173 A Hunting of the Fox 174 Letters of the Clergy 175 Of their not Praying for K. W. 178 And their Praying for the late K. J. II. 179 Observation thereupon 182 Their Stopping Joan Whitrow's Book 183 A Proclamation against Penn 185 Observations thereupon 187 The Act of Association 189 The Quakers Refusal to joyn 192 Their Grand Deceit therein 194 At large handled to 205 Luther's Example very good 211 Fox's Ambition about Learning 213 His Battledoor for our Clergy 215 His Liturgy for Churches 217 A Sermon for G. Whitehead 222 A System of their dark Divinity 224 Read with Patience to 248 A Cage of Unclean Birds 249 Their Rage against the Clergy 250 Their Idolatry set forth 253 The Cage full of Birds 254 G. Fox taken out and examined 256 How the other Birds Adore him 260 For their Bright and Morning Star 262 Six of their Unclean Birds 265 Their Features and Feathers display'd 284 Names given me by these Birds 286 My Lord of Norwich his Certificate 292 A Psalm of Praise 295 Mr. Meriton's Letter 299 A Proposition very Necessary 302 A Certificate Signed by four Persons 305 A Word of Encouragement 307 The Parable of the Gulf unfolded 308 Six Queries proposed 1678 302 Bold VVhitehead boldly Answered 313 A Pensilvanian Trumpet 316 Christ's Holy Example 320 An Appendix 323 G. Whitehead's Proposition answered 324 And that by a threefold Method 325 Another grand Fallacy of G. W.'s discern'd 326 D. Leeds's Trumpet sounded 327 W. Penn's Challenge answered 329 Two Quaker-Traytors rebuked ibid. A Damnable Plot discovered 332 The Quakers Suffering above all 333 A Simile of Humility 335 A Cure proposed for Quakerism 336 A Word of Encouragement 343 Fr. Bugg's Challenge continued 345 G. VVhitehead not Triumphant 347 G. VV.'s Grand Fallacy 348 THE PREFACE Christian Reader SINCE December 1689 the Quakers have put forth many Books relating to the West-Dereham Conference and have as industriously spread them under these Titles viz. I. An Apology for the People called Quakers and an Appeal to the Inhabitants of Norfolk and Suffolk c. II. A Letter to the Clergy of the Diocese of Suffolk and Norfolk c. III. A Defence of the People called Quakers being a Reply to the Priests in Norfolk c. IV. An Apostate Conscience Exposed c. V. A Defence of the Apology for the People called Quakers c. VI. Truth and Innocency Vindicated c. And besides these they have Printed a Book Intituled Anguis Flagellatus c. the first Six I have answered which Answers may be had at Mr. Janeway's a Book-Binder next Door to Child's Coffee-House in St. Paul's Churchyard London and the last I shall now take some Notice of not that I shall enter far into the Province of that Reverend Author of the Book Intituled and that excellently well too The Snake in the Grass or Satan transformed into an Angel of Light Discovering the deep and unsuspected Subtilty which is couched under the pretended Simplicity of the Leaders of the Quakers c. And I hope it may be called an Answer according to the Pretences of the Quakers For says W. Penn in his Serious Apology c. pag. 79. My designed Method is not the Common Road of Printing my Adversary's Words at large on all Occasions c. no more is mine especially at this time tho' wherein I do take their Words I shall recite them so full as to carry the Force of their Argument and if so it will not only exceed their Practice but hold pace with their Pretence For Josiah Coale another of the Quakers Prophets in his Book The Whore Vnvailed c. printed 1665 and afterwards reprinted by the Approbation of their Second-Day-Meeting who in Answer to a Book of A. S. a Roman Catholick Intituled The Reconciler of Religions c. in his Preface thus saith Altho' A. S. in his Reconciler of Religions seem to challenge an Answer to all Particulars according to the Number of his Chapters yet I do not look upon this Challenge to be obligatory because there is an easier way to do the Work as effectually For when the Foundation of a Building is razed the whole will fall even as effectually as if a Man should begin at the top of a Building and pull it down Stone by Stone c. And in order to which I shall make some brief Remarks which may serve not only as a Forerunner to a more compleat Answer which I understand is preparing but may together with what follows in the ensuing Discourse pass for a tolerable Answer at least raze the Foundation of their Anguis Flagellatus c. and that in these following Particulars I. Touching the Title Reader you have as above seen the Title The Snake in the Grass or Satan transformed into an Angel of Light c. This Title was well given to that Book which made such a plain Discovery of the Quakers Juggles c. who as St. Paul said Eph. 4.14 lye in wait to deceive by their cunning Slights and deep Craft as the Quakers above all People shew by their double Meanings For in one Book they 'll pretend to own the Scriptures to be of Divine Authority and the best Book in the World yet in their other sort of Books they say it is Death Dust Serpents Meat Beastly Ware a Rotten Foundation c. In one sort of their Books they pretend to own a Scripture-Trinity whilst in their other sort of Books they condemn the Three Persons to the Lake and the Pit * Ishmael and his Mother cast out p. 10. by G. Whitehead c. as I elsewhere from their Books have proved And this Two-fac'd Practice gave occasion for that Title Yet now have they given their Book under
Fundamentals of the Christian Religion as it is for G. Whitehead to Address himself by Dedication to the Clergy and Universities personating a Schism which professes such Doctrine as tends to overthrow the Christian Faith Come George Answer me this Question how came you to be such a Man You know I could shew Books of your Friends Burrough Fisher Fox and others who tho' as great Imposters as any in the World ever knew yet they have Dedicated and Addressed and not only so but Dictated to Kings Lords and Commons Come G. what was your birth Whence came your breeding Were you not Rambling Pilgrims who like Gypsies lay in Barns lived upon Alms with your Feet at other Mens Tables See E. Burrough's Epist to his works What must none Address now but you Must none apply themselves to the Government but you Surely George you are a Pegg too high Come George let us reason together what power have you to summons all Ecclesiastical Courts and Officers more than I have to summon you What Power have you to Dialogue the Bishops and the whole Church more than I have to Dialogue you What Authority have you to Arraign Try Judge and Condemn all the Clergy in a Kingdom more than I have to Arraign you and Try you by your Fruit I tell you George I cannot see you mount the Stage and thus Insult Domineer and Exalt your selves not only above the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Saints and Martyrs and all Christians with respect to your so much boasted-of Sinless Perfection but above all the King's Subjects as if you and you only had right to Address Dedicate and Present Papers to the Parliament and that it were Treason to confront you I tell you as above noted that you are a pegg too high But George before you had Addrest your selves and Dedicated your Books to the King and Government you ought to have condemn'd your Books mentioned p. 154 157 167. And before you had Dedicated this Book to the Clergy you ought in prudence to have retracted your Books mentioned p. 217 249 250. And as to G. K's Book it was approved by the Quakers and you ought to have retracted the Doctrine of it as G. K. has and likewise W. Penn's and Alexander Skien's mentioned in p. 168 170. But your Temporizing is both seen and discovered to be seen by others And now for your Dedication to the Clergy A Rambling Pilgrim p. 3. An Epistle Dedicatory to those of the Clergy and of the two Universities whose kindness Fran. Bugg boasts of 30 th of the 4 th Month 1629. By George Whitehead Now George to shew you what a kind Reception your Dedication met with from my Benefactors I shall though I have no order present you with part of a Letter which one of them sent me which take as follows viz. March 11. 1699. Mr. Bugg I Cannot but thank you for the service you have done especially among the Common People by your way of Writing and for the plentiful materials you have furnish'd out to imploy others with respect both to the Principles and Practices of the Quakers and your laborious Attendance at Parliament as a Check to the Insolencies of the Quakers in their presenting their deceivable Papers in which they have been too much neglected wherefore be not dishearten'd but go on and Charge the Quakers Party through and through with their Blasphemies against the Blessed Trinity their Doctrine of Infallibility and Sinless Perfection their denying the Fundamental Articles of our most Holy Religion viz. The Incarnation of Christ the Resurrection of the Body and the Day of Judgment For to talk of Lenitives and Gentle Applications is like the old way of sowing Pillows under their Arm-holes and you may as well give Opium in a Lethargy as to fancy to cure some Men into their Senses by your mild and tender Remedies And therefore to deal plainly is the best way to work their Conversion from the Infidelity of Quakerism to the Faith of Christ Crucified which God of his Mercy grant them if it be his Will It was a notable Confession of St. Paul when he drew up an Indictment and Arraigned himself in the Murther of St. Stephen for his standing by and consenting unto his Death and holding the Garment of them that slew him I wish the Quakers were Humble enough to follow his Example whose malice I am afraid is greater and the dignity of the injured Person higher for they have Spirited away our Blessed Saviour and have left us nothing but a Notional and Chimerical Christ so that we may take up the Lamentation of Mary Magdalen They have taken away the Lord and we know not where they have laid him That was well noted in the Spirit of the Hat For I am perswaded there cannot be an Instance made in any Society of Men of that bigness that have gotten more Bastards and more unnaturally dispos'd of them that have drank deeper Draughts of stoln secret Intemperance that have fed higher and fared more deliciously every Day than have some of these Perfectionists in their shining brazen disguises of Religion I am heartily sorry for the poor Quaker I heard lately of who hanged himself * * viz. Will. Rust a Preacher at Chaterice in the Isle of Ely who opposed G. K. with G. K's Narrative in his Pocket and the more for the exact parallel I must make between him and Judas both in his Life and in his Death I pray God give them Grace to lay it to Heart and humbly to confess their Sins to God and to beg pardon by the Merits of Christ that God may give them Repentance unto Life SIR Your most Faithful Friend to Serve you c. It may be some may say why did you not Print his Name to it To which I Answer suppose I had a Friend in my Parlour and knew that if I did open the Door that the Dogs would come in and worry him can any think that if I lov'd my Friend I would not secure him from their Rage yea and with Just Lot rather venture my self out among the Sodomites than suffer my Friend to be torn in pieces And besides that I have Muzzled some and put others of them in a Cage so that they can only Grin Bark and shew their Teeth POSTSCRIPT To the Sincere amongst the Quakers whether they be Thousands Hundreds Fifties or peradventure but Ten who are of the true Berean Race FRIENDS BEsides the forenoted Six Books of the Quakers I have herein Examined and Refuted Four more at least in their principal parts VII Their Anguis Flagellatus or A Switch for the Snake VIII A Rambling Pilgrim c. by George Whitehead IX A Just Censure of F. B 's Address to the Parliament c. X. A Sober Reply c. in Answer to F. B 's Modest Defence To all which you will find in the foregoing and following such an Examination and Confutation as will give you some light into the
Controversie on foot if you be Impartial in your search and will do your selves the justice to read both sides as you ought to do before you can be capable to pass a Judgment and this to do is highly requisite since not only your Eternal Happiness depends upon a true and lively Faith in God and his Son Jesus Christ but even your Temporal Blessings also I remember well St. Paul's Doctrine 1 Tim. 3.13 who said Evil Men and Seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived and thereupon like a Careful Watchman over the Church of God over which the Holy Ghost had made him an Overseer he then and by his Doctrine now cautions all Believers in the True God and his Son Jesus Christ That we be henceforth no more Children tossed to and fro with every wind of Doctrine whereby they lye in wait to deceive And writing to his Son Titus Chap. 1. Ver. 12 13. he there does most Excellently describe the Cretians from a Testimony of one of their own Prophets or Teachers who like your Teachers were always Liars and Dissemblers and therefore he exhorted Titus to reprove them sharply and indeed it is the only way to work a Cure And this is according to the Doctrine of Tho. Ellwood one of your own Prophets or Teachers saying The only way to recover the deceived is to discover the Deceivers This Witness is true as St. Paul said of the Cretian Poet and thereupon I have for many Years laboured to discover your Teachers and if you will but search diligently read and judge impartially you may see for your selves whether these things be so or no. It 's true I have exposed some of the Immoralities of a few of your Teachers but it is for a good End namely that by your seeing them and considering their high Pretences to Infallibility and a Sinless Perfection you may be admonished to a Confession of your Sins to God and beging Pardon for Jesus Christ's Sake that God may keep and bless and preserve you to his Heavenly Kingdom to Reign with Christ for Ever and Ever You may further observe that G. W. in his Rambling Pilgrim c. has not denied one Quotation yet by a Cunning of his would represent me a Forger but that will soon vanish when you consider that in all Dialogues the like liberty is taken * See S. Eccles Dialogue Fox's and Smith's And I can Appeal to God the Searcher of all Hearts that my Chief End why I so expos'd them was after long forbearing to let them see themselves and learn not to insult over others And as it has had a good Effect upon some so I hope it will upon others And so I conclude with my hearty Prayer to God that of his Infinite Goodness he would vouchsafe a Blessing upon my Labours to the Benefit of you and your Posterity whose Information I have taken great Pains in that you might not continue in Ignorance and be led by your Blind Guides into the Ditch of Error and Heresie I rest your Faithful Friend and Humble Monitor Fra. Bugg March 25. 1700. A Just Rebuke to the Quakers Insolent Behaviour in their Two Books i. e. A Just Censure c. the other A Sober Reply c. both presented to some Members of Parliament Also a Dialogue between a Civilian and a Quaker Christian Reader THE first of these Books is Intitled A Just Censure of Francis Bugg 's Address to the Parliament This shews their Impudence or want of good Manners at least had they Confuted my Arguments or Convicted me of one False Quotation thereby to Misrepresent them they in Justice to themselves might have Confuted what was False either in Fact or Argument But not being able so to do for them in a Magisterial way to Censure my Speech to the Parliament and Address to my Superiors for which I have as an Englishman as good Right as they and every way equally Priviledged with them this was in them both Bold and Presumptuous as well as want of Wisdom not to stay their Censure until the Parliament had past theirs whose Right it was if they had seen Cause and to whom I ought to have submitted as in Duty bound but no Symptoms of that did appear but Pride as it is written goeth before Destruction and a Haughty Mind before a Fall And as it is impossible for a Blackamoor to change his Skin or a Leopard his Spots so is it impossible for the Quakers to cease their Insulting and Domineering Method as if they may present their Books and Papers Fifty Years together and none may Confront them They begin with the Man he has angred them by discovering their Errors and Blasphemies they go on with Personal Reflections against him which affects not the Cause and which he has long since repeatedly Answer'd in Print but still the Man the Man he is an Ill Man say they what Worse than the Quaker Teachers No sure for if he were believe me he were an Ill Man indeed for I think there is not worse than some of them are and have been even in Newgate notwithstanding their high pretence to a Sinless Perfection and Infallibility of Judgment many of whom have been highly guilty of Cheating Couzening Lying and Defrauding of Drunkenness Whoredom Felony and Treason Condemn'd both by the Law of God and Man and some of them Hang'd for their Just Merit some Instances you will find in the Preface to the Pilgrim's Progress c. p. 266 to p. 284. p. 329. ibid. And as I find no Name to the Books so I find no denial of Matter of Fact to Mod. Def. Nihil dicit is Confessing of Judgment and I shall wait patiently to see the Execution and thereupon I shall say the less in Answer to it since as it plainly appears that the Quakers does not deny Matter of Fact because in truth they could not so will their Silence be taken for a tacit Confession of the Charge But say they p. 40. For as we cannot quit any Point of our own Books so we abhor every one of them as given by him Fran. Bugg The English of which is They cannot quit any one Error any one Blasphemy c. in their own Books tho' they abhor them in my Books that is of my Reciting of my Transcribing of my Reprinting Oh! this they abhor with great detestation And why Because I seldom do it without using some Arguments to discover their Hypocrisies this yea this enrages them for this they are angry And therefore I would desire the Quakers to Reprint G. Whitehead's Book Ishmael and his Mother cast out c. where in p. 10. is this passage viz. And here thy Antiquity and thy Reasons and the Three Persons which thou Dreams of which thou i. e. Mr. Townsend the Minister would divide out of one like a Conjurer are ALL denied and thou SHUT UP with THEM in PERPETUAL DARKNESS for the LAKE and the PIT c. This indeed is
in Answer to my Modest Defence where you say p. 7. But sure we are and always ready to make it appear that neither are our Books Blasphemous nor our Principles Pernicious Again p. 11. We are ready to undertake the Proof of every Doctrine we hold by and from the Scriptures this is False in Fact and a Notorious Lie in the Face of the Government First In that you knew I had presented to the Parliament the Reprint of an entire Book of yours stiled Ishmael c. which is both pernicious to the Fundamentals of Christianity and horridly Blasphemous Secondly In refusing to prove any one Doctrine you held at West Dereham Thirdly In refusing to meet Geo. Keith upon any of his Invitations Again p. 10. We sincerely own all that is written in the Scriptures concerning Christ respecting his Conception Birth Life Miracles Doctrines Death Burial Resurrection Ascension Mediation and Future Coming to Judgment when in reality you own not one of those Articles rightly nor as all Orthodox Christians own them as G. Keith's 4th Narrative has from your Books made evidently to appear Again p. 6. ibid. That we assume Rules of Discipline in Church Matters they are for our selves only Powers in Matters of Religion for and among our selves only Nor say they do we see how those Acts could be truly called Acts of Toleration to Dissenters if they did not tolerate each sort of Dissenters to assume Rules of Discipline Power in Matters of Religion and Forms of Church Government for and amongst themselves c. Again p. 11. And if it relate to Religious Performances as it seems to do by the next words i. e. having their Monthly Quarterly and Yearly Meetings c. From whence it is plain that these Monthly Quarterly and Yearly Meetings then when it suit their turn they own to be Religious Meetings and as such tolerated by the Act of Toleration and without allowing them the Act could not be called An Act of Toleration Yet to shew that Liars had need to have good Memories they in Contradiction to themselves when pinched from another Quarter for keeping their Doors Lock'd Barr'd or Guarded to prevent Inspection they in their Just Censure c. p. 26. confess saying These Meetings are not intended for Worship what then What For Government and to assume Rules of Discipline and Forms of Church Government which is more than the Establish'd Church can legally do without His Majesties Licence and therefore worse and more dangerous their Doors being kept Lock'd or Guarded and expresly against the very Act of Toleration in which is this Clause viz. Provided always and be it Enacted by the Authority aforesaid That if any Assembly of Persons Dissenting from the Church of England shall be had in any place for Religious Worship and such only the Act tolerates with Doors Lock'd Barr'd or Bolted during any time of such meeting together all and every such Person or Persons that shall come to and be at such Meeting shall not receive any Benefit from this Law but be liable to all the Pains and Penalties of all the aforesaid Laws recited in this Act for such their Meeting notwithstanding his taking the Oaths and his making and subscribing the Declaration And likewise as the Learned in the Law say Such Meetings with Doors Lock'd c. to assume Rules of Discipline and Forms of Church Government are expresly against the Rights of Parliaments the King's Prerogative and Liberty of the Subject and these Statutes following viz. 28 H. 8. c. 19 21. 27 H. 8. c. 15. 37 H. 8. c. 17. 3 Ed. 6. c. 10 11. 1 Eliz. c. 12. 5 Eliz. c. 1. 1 Ed. 6. c. 2. 8 Eliz. c. 1. 1 K. W. Q. M. Magna Charta c. 29. Pet. Right and that such as so meet run themselves into a Premunire But the Quakers being a united Confederacy a Body Politick Incorporated and having a Fund or Common Bank to support and propagate their Principles they are too powerful for any single Person and thereupon the Government is prayed to take it into their Consideration And that these Meetings are not within the Act of Toleration but obnoxious to the Laws and of a dangerous Consequence I have more fully shewn in my Pilgrim's Progress from Quakerism to Christianity c. 2d Edit in Octavo wherein I have more largely set forth their Monthly Quarterly Second-day Six-week and Yearly Meetings shewing they are not only for Government as themselves now confess but a Government Imperium in Imperio But one thing I cannot but observe in these Meek Harmless Quakers viz. in their representing the Justices Grand Juries and Burgesses of Norfolk and Suffolk as a Bloody-minded sort of Tyrants and that to the Right Honourable and Honourable the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons Assembled in Parliament then no wonder they treat me at that disdainful rate they do and the Reverend Clergy for my sake but as hitherto Thanks be to God the Protestant Magistrates and the Episcopal Clergy have been a Bulwark against Popery so I trust they will against the prevalency of Quakerism and the danger of them which seems to threaten both them and the Nation A just Censure c. p. 12. And consider say they whether it was decent in the Aldermen and Burgesses of Bury c. thus to Impeach the Wisdom and Conduct of the Government P. 13. That all those high Charges in the Petition exhibited against us are grounded but upon their own groundless Jealousies they how mannerly say they let others judge offer the Parliament Hobson 's Choice cut our Throats or knock out our Brains And would they have the Honourable the House of Commons undertake this Inhumane piece of Butchery to defile their Hands in the Innocent Blood of so many Thousands of harmless People to Enact such a Barbarous Tragedy only to remove the groundless Fears of a few Jealous-headed Aldermen Justices Grand Juries c. of Bury c. P. 15. God forbid they should swim into it i. e. a peaceful Life and the Enjoyment of their Religion through a Sea of Innocent Blood c. But why is all this Why 'T is only that they prayed the House of Commons to take these things into their Consideration and that the Principles and Practices of the Quakers might be Examined and their Errors Censured and Suppressed whether by obliging them to Retract their Errors or if not to order their Books to be Burnt by the Common Hangman or any other Method as to their great Wisdom shall appear to deserve c. and for this Noble Act this Generous and Christian Undertaking with that Modesty which highly became them to be thus Censured by the Quakers to Impeach the Wisdom of the Parliament to excite them to a Barbarous Tragedy to cut their Throats that they may swim through a Sea of Blood is not only a False Pernicious and Scandalous Representation of the Petitioners and their Right of Petitioning but it is Imperious in
the Superlative degree and will give them further ground to believe that when the Government have leisure to examine them and that they are willing to wait it will let the Quakers see they have nothing to do with Queen Elizabeth's Motto Much suspected by me Nothing proved can be and that they 'll be forc'd to sing another Song and to change their Motto viz. Many things are fairly mov'd And also as fully prov'd by me Fra. Bugg Now follows a short Discourse by way of Dialogue between Jacob the Wet Quaker and a Civilian for diversion-sake after a piece of hard Drudgery viz. Civilian Oh! Friend Jacob how dost thou do Come let us have a Bottle of Red and half an Hours Chat. Quaker With all my Heart pray what 's the News Civ News I know but little I meddle not with State Affairs But to be free with you I was astonisht at your Deportment the other Day at the Commons Lobby towards Fra. Bugg when he gave away his Book to the Members of Parliament and how Imperiously you Menaced him whose grey Hairs might have commanded your better Respect and perhaps may be as good a Man as your self if your Debts were paid bidding him put off his Hat to the Members which with great respect he did and needed not your Doctrine which had been fitter for your self to have observ'd and the morose Clowns your Brethren who neither respect your Superiors nor regard your Betters Besides you cannot but know how many of your Teachers are and have been guilty of gross Immoralities as Gerard Roberts and his Son Thomas together with Newton Gosnell Billing Antrobus Archer Burr Travers Murford Taylor Clark c. besides your Hearers as Bracy Boswell Plumstead Northcott French Stone Firth Olive Goodwin Cadey c. besides what he has put in the Cage of Unclean Birds in his Pilgrim's Progress 2d Edit p. 294. Qua. Hold Friend thee seem'st to be in a Passion thou saw as soon as I perceiv'd how the Members took his Books and the People shew'd their dislike I came away Civ I am not angry but since in your Reply to his Modest Defence c. p. 8. you seem to allow the liberty of Printing why are you so angry with him since you have not power as in Pensilvania where you both Fined Imprisoned and took away the Printer's Tools for so much as Printing an Appeal since he does no more than you practice and seem now to allow Qua. Be not mistaken we are an Innocent People and vindicate Truth and Innocency Civ Again p. 7. ibid. you say You are ready to make it appear that your Books are not Blasphemous Again p. 11. We are ready to undertake the proof of every Doctrine we hold by and from the Scriptures Qua. We are ready and dare undertake it Civ To the first I answer 't is impossible for in his Book to the Parliament he has Reprinted one of your Books in which is horrible Blasphemy writ by G. Whitehead c. to the second I say Fra. Bugg has Challenged your Teachers Fifty times and G. Keith as many yet you are not ready to vindicate either your Doctrine or the Books which contain them and since that Whitehead seldom appear'd at Parliament Qua. I grant that Book has put a sad damp on our Friends but you must know that giving us G. Whitehead's Method in his Truth and Innocency c. viz. of leaving out words and adding words to and transposing words we dare meet them As for instance in the last Recital adding two words Never and Any and putting out Every and it should run thus We are Never ready to undertake the proof of any Doctrine we hold Civ This is brave Work indeed any thing may do at this rate pray what say you to p. 11. ibid. where you grant that were it not for the Act of Toleration your Monthly Quarterly and Yearly Meetings were illegal but yet they relating to Religion are allowed by the Act whilst in another Book where being charged with the Doors of their Meeting being Lock'd Barr'd or bolted A Just Censure c. p. 26. there you say these Meetings are not designed for Worship and 't is plain none besides Religious Meetings are tolerated by the Act what say you to this Qua. I perceive thou dost not know us nor our way which is to carry two Faces under one Religious Hood you must not measure us by our words but by our meaning and that of our own giving too and if thee wilt but be a Friend to us I will give thee as good a Hamper of Wine as ever thee didst tip over Tongue Civ This is all downright Hypocrisie for at this rate no Man can tell either your Faith or Principles And as to your Present I will not accept thereof for a Gift may pervert and my Religion to me is more than all nor am I so mean spirited to betray my Conscience for all the Wine in thy Cellar But Friend there is another thing in which I would be satisfied namely your answering Books wherein you falsifie the Text drop Words split Sentences and marr the Sence of your Opponant's Argument I will give you but one Instance in a Sheet presented to the Parliament by Fra. Bugg with a Scheme of your Yearly Meeting c. Col. 2. Reason 6. In one sort of their Books they pretend to Love Own and Honour the King yea to Pray for all Men for Kings and all that are in Authority but in their contrary sort of Books they tell you That all Kings and Emperors sprung up in the Night since the Days of the Apostles among the Antichrists that they own no King but Jesus nor no Government but the Government of the Lamb that they are Traytors against Christ that desire an Earthly King Do you read say the Quakers that there were any Kings since the Days of the Apostles but among the Apostate Christians That Kings are the Spiritual Egyptians Oh what a Sincerity was once in the Nation What a dirty nasty thing it would have been to have heard talk of a House of Lords among them A Parliament chosen by most Voices are not like to act for God and the good of his People It was thorow Ignorance that the People subjected themselves to Hereditary Government or to the Government standing in a single Person successively and our Nation have been under Bondage on this Account Now all that the Quakers in their Just Censure c. p. 18. recite is as followeth viz. In one sort of our Books we seem to Own Love and Honour the King yea to Pray for all Men for Kings and all that are in Authority but in the other sort of our Books we tell People that Kings and Emperors sprung up in the Night and among Apostate Christians and that we are against the English Government c. Now how short and defective they are herein is obvious by comparing each Qua. Friends Intentions are good they
Spirit of Truth in George Whitehead and George Fox the Younger See Title Page And being questioned by a Minister p. 7. VVhether the Quakers Speaking was of as great Authority as any Chapter in the Bible George Whitehead reply'd saying That which is spoken from the Spirit of Truth in ANY is of as GREAT AUTHORITY as the Scritures and Chapters are and GREATER So that the plain Consequence of this Doctrine is That the Authority of this little Pamphlet of Whitehead's and Fox's VVriting is of Greater Authority than the Bible and not only that but all their other Pamphlets which they give forth as they pretend from the Spirit of Truth or Light within The said Minister proposed another Question to Whitehead viz. Is the Moral Law or Ten Commandments a Rule to the Christian's Life or is it not p. 18. To this G. Whitehead reply'd saying Thou might as well ask If the Moral Law be a Rule to Christ for the Christian's Life and Rule is Christ meaning their Light within From whence it 's plain that the Ten Commandments are not the Quakers Rule No no not unless they be convinced by their Light within of the Reasonableness of their Obedience as Mr. Penn teaches and Edward Burroughs their great Prophet Quakerism a New Nick-name c. p. 71. Burrough's Works p. 47. And by these and the like Arguments our Teachers brought us off from believing the Scriptures to be the VVord of God And as such to have Authority over us and Binding to us whether convinced or not convinced by these Means they brought us from the Practice of repeating the Lord's Prayer the Ten Commandments and the Apostles Creed in our Families By these cunning Slights they by degrees brought us off the Ordinances of Christ as Baptism and the Lord's Supper asking Forgiveness of Sin and the like Christian Duties in which many of us had been Educated and which the Scriptures command and exhort to And by reason of this and the like Doctrine together with not reading the Holy Scriptures in our Meetings but their Epistles only as in my former Books I have at large shewed we came to forget and not regard nor have Faith in the Crucified Jesus who died for our Sins and rose again for our Justification and that in these Fundamental Points following namely 1. That Faith in Christ as he outwardly suffered at Jerusalem was necessary to our Salvation provided we hearkened diligently to our Light within 2. That Justification and Sanctification is by the Blood of Christ outwardly shed 3. That there shall be a Resurrection of the Body that dieth 4. That Christ shall come without us in his Glorified Body to Judge the Quick and the Dead at the last Day even the same Jesus that was Born of the Virgin Died Rose Ascended and now Sits at the Right Hand of God in Heaven making Intercession for us News out of the North p. 14. As also that there was little need of Preaching the Literal Knowledge of Christ's Death Miracles Resurrection and Ascension because they are generally believed by all sorts professing Christianity See Isaac Pennington's Book The Flesh and Blood of Christ c. p. 29. I say by our Teachers thus slighting the Scriptures as Death Dust and Serpents Food of which I have largely treated elsewhere and by their other Doctrine scattered up and down their Books they brought us off from the Belief and Expectation of these Things as George Keith by his Third Narrative has clearly made to appear and as a Pregnant Instance thereof with respect to my self see my First Book I printed De Chris Lib. Part 2. which altho' it treat of the best part of Quakerism and gave a mortal VVound to the Jurisdiction of their Female Government yet it set not forth any one of these four Fundamental Points For as their Hypocrisie in pretending to be plain sincere simple and innocent was a means to attract and draw me after them so the like Hypocrisie in pretending to gather to the Light leave People to their Light as a sufficient Rule Judge and Guide (c) Yet acting quite contrary as anon will appear c. was one Reason why I left them I do not look upon it so eminently my Business to set forth the admirable Advantage and Use of the Lord's Prayer the Ten Commandments the Apostles Creed Baptism and the Lord's Supper no every Bookseller's Shop is furnished with plenty of such Books which are writ by Men of great Learning and Skill which should I write after them it would be next to light a Candle at Noon-day when the Sun shines in its Brightness Tho' if I lived in a Country where such Arguments were not I thank God I could through the Study of the Scriptures and the Knowledge I have of the Doctrinal part of Christianity thereby speak somewhat to the Point and which might be useful too No I take it to be my Business and Office amongst others to unmask and discover the Errors and Pernicious Principles of the Quakers and therefore refer to Bishop Andrews upon the Commandments Bishop Pearson upon the Creed Dr. Cumber upon the Lord's Prayer and indeed what else the Church teach And to make it yet more evident if more can be that the very Design of these Silent Meetings was to bring us off and wean us from the Articles of the Christian Faith and the Principles of the Christian Religion and thereby to mould us and square us as fit Tools for their Turn to supplant and overthrow it And this I know that the more we obeyed the Doctrine of our new Teachers the more we grew dead to all Instituted Religion For as Universities and other Schools of Learning as well amongst the Jews as Christians had a tendency to prepare Men and thro' God's Assisting Grace were a means and a help to such as were to be Consecrated and set apart for the VVork of the Ministry so I do affirm and that from an Experimental Knowledge That these Silent Universities tends only to empty the Mind of all true and solid Notions of the Christian Religion and only to prepare them for the wild Notions of Quakerism which hath such a sandy Foundation that to this Day they have not been able to produce their Articles of that Faith they pretend to but are as Mr. Baxter said Penitential Confession p. 63. i. e. The Quakers are amongst us a disgraced broken Sect c. notwithstanding their pretence to Unity Uniformity and to be of one Mind referring oft to their Beginning when alas some will pay Tythes some not some shut up their Shops on Fast-Days some not some for Thee and Thou still but most of them not but are like other People some wet Quakers some not some for this some for that and some for neither this nor that as in a Hundred Things I could shew But lest any should think me partial in stating the Case and in shewing the Consequences of our Silent Meetings or Schools
end this Whitehead justifies Truth defending the Quakers p. 18. Fox's Great Mystery c. p. 77. Nay Theft by Fox is likewise justified who said And as for any being moved of the Lord meaning their Light within to take away your Hour-Glass from you BY THE ETERNAL POWER IT IS OWNED c. Nay their idolized Apostle not only disregarded the Magistrates and their Laws but declared in plain and significant VVords That he neither heeded nor valued a Cart-load of their VVarrants c. Journal p. 278. Object 2. But some Men will say How then shall we reconcile the Doctrine of W. Mead and G. Whitehead Mr. Mead saith That G. Fox's Journal is a better Book than the Bible and G. Whitehead saith VVe prefer the Holy Scriptures above all other Books extant in the VVorld The Country Convert c. p. 26. To which I answer Very well for p. 72. G. Whitehead thus saith viz. I MAY SEE CAUSE OTHERWISE TO WORD THE MATTER AND YET OUR INTENTIONS BE THE SAME c. p. 72. ibid. Very well now to make it appear that G. Whitehead means one and the same thing that William Mead meaned read his little Book i. e. That which is spoken from the Spirit of Truth in ANY is of as great AUTHORITY as the SCRIPTURES and CHAPTERS are and GREATER Truth defending the Quakers c. p. 7. And on the Title Page thus viz. WRITTEN FROM THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH in G. Whitehead and G. Fox the Younger Now if this little Pamphlet in Octavo of 70 Pages be of greater Authority than the Scriptures and Chapters are how much more G. Fox's Journal in Folio of near 700 Pages For that which is best is of most Authority generally-speaking and that which is of most Authority is the best Thus then is the Journal of Fox's better in the Quakers Esteem than the Bible and thus does Whitehead mean even as Mr. Mead spoke Object 3. But some will say How then shall we know a Quaker if not by the Import of his VVords I Answer 't is impossible to know them rightly as it ever was for the Protestants to know the Jesuits and therefore you ought to do as the Protestants did TO DISTRUST EVERY THING THEY SAY See the Book Entituled The Missionary's Arts p. 32. printed 1688. For as the Quakers stand on the same Bottom and are found in the same Steps with the same Equivocations Reserves and Double-meanings and the same Pretences to Miracles Visions Revelations Perfection and Infallibility they ought to have the same Answer viz. To distrust them in all they say until they Retract Sentence and Condemn one sort of their Books and this is highly reasonable on their part if they would be taken to be at all serious sincere and honest For many of their Hearers of the honest sort begin to think G. Whitehead little better than a Jesuit already he hath been so false in Fact such a Glosser and Defender of every Error the Quakers hold (r) Anne Docwra of Cambridge her Letter dated 26th 12th Mon. 1682. I have a Letter by me which my Cousin Anne Docwra Widow of Cambridge sent me dated 26th of 12th Month 1682. viz. G. Whitehead have sent one of his Books for me to read and there is the old Money Story in it with I know not what besides I was asked by an honest Friend if he was not a Jesuit I answered nay it is not solid enough for them to own especially when they write to a solid People there is pretty much airy conceited Stuff in it ANNE DOCWRA Thus it appears how long the honest sort of Quakers have take G. W. to be little better than a Jesuit and my Cousin Docwra was of the same Mind too else she would not have given me her honest Friend's Judgment only indeed she is thus far of my Mind That Book was not solid enough the Jesuits are more cunning than G. Whitehead then was but he is come on finely fince for of late he is grown so expert as he can Vindicate or Excuse any Blasphemy Idolatry Contempt of the Scriptures Contempt of the Magistrates Contempt of the Ministry Contempt on the Person and Sufferings of Christ yea and Undervalue his Precious Blood too And how contrary soever their Sayings are to each other yet they mean all one thing referring to their Beginning I have in my former Books shewed how their Books are of two sorts their Meetings of two sorts their Doctrine of two sorts carrying two Faces in all they do or say and yet Whitehead can tell you they mean all one thing One Example more I may give and so shall conclude this Chapter I find a Recital of a Letter writ by Solomon Eccles to Robert Porter in a Book of William Burnet's entituled The Capital Principles of the Quakers p. 41. printed 1668. viz. Robert Porter take heed of Belying the Innocent for I hear thou hast reported to a Friend of mine that I should say That the Blood of Christ is no more than the Blood of another Man I never spoke it but do very highly esteem of the Blood of Christ to be more Excellent Living Holy and Precious than is able to be uttered by the Tongues of Men and Angels I MEAN the Blood which was offered up in (Å¿) Perversion it s offered up thro' the Eternal Spirit Heb. 9.14 the Eternal Spirit Heb. 9.41 But the Blood that was forced out of him by the Soldiers after he was dead who before that bowed his Head to the Father and gave up the Ghost but thou say'st that was the Blood of the New Covenant which was shed after he was dead which I DO DENY Yet I did say That was NO more THAN the BLOOD of another SAINT These are my Words which thou art wresting to thy own Destruction I did also say That the Baptists Independants Presbyterians and Pope are all of one Ground and none of you understand the Blood of Jesus Christ no more than a brute Beast Therefore repent for God will soon overthrow your Faith and your Imputative Righteousness too for the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness which he did at Jerusalem and without the Gates the Pope the Episcopal the Presbyterian Independants and Baptists shall fare all alike and shall sit down in Sorrow short of the Eternal Rest But the true Imputative Righteousness of Christ we own but it is hid from you all till the Lord open an Eye WITHIN YOU c. Now comes G. Whitehead with his usual Paint to cover palliate and excuse his Brother Eccles saying Now whereas Sol. Eccles in p. 41. is accused of little less than Blasphemy about a Letter chiefly of a Passage concerning the Blood in these Words viz. The Blood that was forced out of him by the Soldiers after he was dead who before that bowed his Head to the Father and gave up the Ghost I did say THAT WAS NO MORE THAN THE BLOOD OF ANOTHER SAINT Now to these Words NO MORE THAN THE
c. Primitive Heresie c. and George Keith's Three Narratives and Mr. Crisp's Animadversions c. to avoid Repetition Yet least those Books may not come into some Hands which this may I thought it needful to give these brief Hints for Information Object 4. But still some may urge What! Hath W. Mead no other Reason for his saying Fox's Journal was better than the Bible Answ I do not grant that he hath any good Reason that 's far from me neither do I know of any better I know of some other which with him may go far which in brief are First George Fox's Miracles which he writ in his own Name like those of Simon Magus Acts 8.9,10 cap. 19.13 and certain Vagabond Jews Exorcists but these lying Wonders came too late some 20 some 30 Years after they were said to be done no Body knows where nor when nor who were cured nor no Witness to attest the Truth thereof Read Fox's Journal p. 167 170 171 103 27 28 407 258 70 370 371 373 503. 2 dly Because Fox pretended that God sent a Trooper to him whilst Prisoner in the House of Correction as he sent Saul to Annanias Journal p. 45. 3 dly Because he Fox pretended he had Visions as had Ezekiel p. 69. 4 thly For that Fox pretended that the Keeper of the House of Correction came Trembling to him as the Goaler did to Paul and Silas p. 37. 5 thly That he saw the Heavens open as St. Stephen did p. 47. 6 thly That he spake like an Angel in Beverly Church the wonderful Things of God p. 55. 7 thly That he was a Prophet like Isaiah spake the Word and it came to pass p. 67 78. 8 thly That he saw a Pool of Blood and and a Channel of Blood in the Town of Lichfield p. 53. when there was not a drop of Blood much less a Channel or a Pool of Blood c. However by these and the like lying Wonders †As more large in the Picture of Quakerism Part 2d the Quakers like the deluded Samaritans of old are made to believe with W. Mead That the Journal of Fox is a better Book than the Bible and that George Fox as well as Simon Magus was some great Man even the Power of God see Journal Third Index under the Letter M. and thereupon gave him Divine Attributes due only to Christ which Whitehead their Drudge to help them at a dead lift was forc'd to bring in his Innuendo's to set forth the Intents of Coale Eccles c. Innocency against Envy c. p. 18. CHAP. VI. Shews George Whitehead c. their Hypocrisie Answereth an Objection Do not the Quakers maintain their own Poor Their Vncharity thereby discovered Reader I Am now upon a fresh yet a necessary Subject for as the Quaker-Teachers have cry'd down all Protestant Ministers as Covetous Lovers of filthy Lucre and thereby raised their own Fame as the Prophets of the Lord called forth from their own Country and from their Father's Houses from both Riches Honours and Preferments to come with their Lives in their Hands for the Good of Souls this Noise I must confess went a great way with me in my young Years and I know it doth with many And therefore I think it needful to discover their Deceit in this particular as well as to shew how far they maintain their own Poor and what they mean by those Words THEIR OWN POOR for as their Hypocrisie is Misterium Maximum so it requires some Time and Skill to unfold it in order to which I shall thus proceed Object 1. But say some G. Whitehead printed F. Bugg a conceited Fool one that cannot write true English Judgment Fixed c. p. 233 243. and also of little Credit Likewise that the Author of The Snake in the Grass is a Necessitous Malicious Expulsed Priest one who writes for his Bread a Villain a Venemous Obnoxious Sculking Vermin c. with abundance more of the like nature A Sober Expostulation c. p. 2. Primitive Christianity continued c. and G. W. 's Letter to G. Keith May 3. 1698. Answ First As to my self tho' I had not that Learning which I am satisfied my Parents once designed yet I thank God and my Parents for affording me both a Competency of Learning and Judgment to deal with the Quakers who are not over-learned no not G. W. when he came first amongst us witness his Book Jacob found in a Desart Land c. printed 1656. which I am sure is so foreign from true School-Learning that there is not in the whole Book one Page good Grammar-English as well as some part meer Nonsence Yet I will not call him Fool nor yet nothing of a Scholar for perhaps he might be then entered in his Accidence And I will also grant that since that having leisure enough and lived with his Feet under other Men's Tables whilst I was occupied in Trade and Worldly Business he has acquired a greater degree of Learning yet not so much neither as always to write true English as in his Letter to Mr. Archer is manifest so that he might have pass'd by my want of Learning c. 2 dly As to his Reflection on my Credit when I came first amongst the Quakers I had sufficient to live upon and to maintain my self in the rank I was brought up in yea to give and not receive At 16 Years old I had by my Grandfather an Annuity given me of 6 l. per Annum until I was 21 Years old and then Thirty Pounds per Annum besides what my Father gave me and tho' I have met with many Losses and that in divers Kinds yet I thank God who hath hitherto enabled me to maintain my Post and to defend my Faith and Christian Reputation against the Malicious Attempts of G. Whitehead and his Confederates besides G. Whitehead might have forborn since most of my Losses have been by the Quakers having had Eight or Nine break in my Debt some paying nothing some paying 5 s. in the Pound some 2 s. 6 d. in the Pound (a) Viz. Enoch Barwick about Two Years since for 18 l. I had but 45 s. I will mention one more namely Tho. Plumstead Brother to Francis Plumstead at the Cross-Saws in the Minories London and still an Eminent Quaker living in Ireland but no Conscience he makes of paying me and that it may appear true I will recite the Note I have still under his Hand viz. May 12. 1676. Reckoned with Francis Bugg of Milden-Hall and all Accompts being then cleared there rests due to Francis Bugg Sixteen Pounds Four Pounds whereof is to be paid to him Six Months after the Date hereof and the Twelve Pounds remainder not exceeding Four Years Witness my Hand the Day abovesaid Tho. Plumstead However he never had the Honesty nor Conscience to pay one Penny of it which is now Interest and Principle between 30 and 40 l. and greater Sums than this and of as
none must touch the Hem of their Garment O Proud Hypocrites and also amongst the said Papers was one subscribed by twelve Persons directed to the Second-Day Meeting in London wherein Friends are misrepresented and greatly abused which said Paper we believe the said Francis Bugg promoted Now we being greatly grieved in our Spirits and truly sensible of his herein going from Truth do testifie We have no Unity with him nor can have whilst he is thus Acted OBSERVE First I was judged and condemned behind my Back without a Hearing Secondly The Papers subscribed by Twelve Persons they only supposed to be of my promoting Now if John Lilborn's Judges had been thus implicite in their Faith at his Tryal at Guild Hall in October 1649. he must have been Hang'd for writing The Naked Truth in Oliver Cromwell's time c. The next Instance I shall recite and which I think is to the Purpose is to shew the Quakers implacable Malice against not only W. Rogers but his Book too and no Passage in his whole Book came under the like sad Sentence as that of his admitting a Voluntary Payment of Tythes if the Supream Powers bestowed it on a National Ministry c. His Words are We are so far from condemning all those who freely pay them i. e. Tythes and not by Constraint that we look upon it to be the Duty of all professing Christianity to contribute towards the outward Maintainance of such whom they usually hear and account to be true Ministers of Christ in case they have need And if the Charity of any should be such as to bestow upon them one Fifth Part instead of a Tenth far be it from us to condemn it c. The Christian Quaker distinguished c. Part 2. p. 43. But this was such a horrible Tenet and so much of Liberty of Conscience in it that as you have heard First It was an Errour of Judgment 2 dly It came from an unsound Mind 3 dly That Truth i. e. the Quakers Light allows no Payment of Tythes at all under the New Covenant 4 thly They who do pay Tythes tho' Voluntarily do therein uphold a legal Ceremony abrogated by Christ 5 thly And thereby deny Christ to be come in the Flesh quoting 1 John 4.3 which speaks not one Syllable of Tythes 6 thly That it is downright Ranterism c. Ellwood's Antidote p. 78. 139. Well but W. Rogers was so modest as not to put this Book into the Bookseller's Hands to Sell lest thereby he might widen the Difference which both he and my self at that time thought might have been composed †For I did not then understand their Fundamental Errours but Thanks be to God that as their fair and smooth Pretences proved a Snare to catch me so their gross Dissimulations proved a Means to see them that he put it into the Hands of John Barnard a Merchant being one of the separate Quakers for him to dispose of and to disperse as he in Wisdom should see meet and some Hundreds of them he did disperse Well he was Summoned time after time to the Monthly Meeting in Devonshire-House London to Answer for his Fault and I think he as often appeared But being of too Masculine a Temper to submit to their Arbitrary Authority and Usurped Dominion he still continued selling and disposing of this so sad and so lamentable a Book of which you have heard the greatest Crime namely for admitting a Voluntary Payment of Tythes c. And to say true so it was for there is nothing upon Earth that the Quakers thirst more after than the utter Ruin of the Priesthood and the Abolishing the Maintainance thereof This is the Vein that runs fluently thro' all their Books and Sermons nay rather than the Priests should have it and that it might be a Means to starve them they are willing to pay Tythes to Secular Use For saith G. Whitehead if the King and Great Council of the Nation were pleased †The Case of the Quakers concerning Oaths defended c. p. 50. per G. Whitehead to repeal those Old Laws inforcing the Payment of Tythes and to convert them into some necessary civil Use as for the Poor Oh Judas or some National Service and Benefit Oh smooth George Here is the Face of a Lamb but the rough Paw of a Bear and the Claws of a Leopard it would appear whether we should not pay our Parts and whether the Royal Exchequer would not be conveniently supplied without the Tenths from the Priests c. Thus they could pay Tythes into the Exchequer to maintain a War which they equally Disclaim Oh but do what you will with the Tythes so the Priests do but starve and their Ministry fall and their Religion overturned then HEY BOYS UP GO WE But blessed be God the Fear of that is past Well but let us hear what became of this honest John Barnard Why in short he was Excommunicated ipso facto A Copy of it here followeth Verbatim From the Monthly Meeting at Devonshire-House the Fourth of the Eleventh Month 1681. Whereas there hath been some unruly Spirits gone out from Truth and the Unity of the blessed Power of God which hath gathered us to be a People Writing Printing and Publishing Things Hurtful and Prejudicial to Truth by corrupting of People's Minds tending also to draw them into Disesteem of many of the Lord's Servants ††A Preservative for their Teachers decaying Reputation whose Faithfulness hath manifestly appeared amongst us with whom our Unity stands to our mutual Satisfaction and Refreshment Upon Consideration of these Things we find our selves conscientiously concerned * * Oh! Deep Hypocrisie to take notice of something of this Kind befaln John Barnard Merchant formerly a Member of this Meeting who having dispersed into several Parts of this Nation divers of those Pernicious Books wrote by William Rogers called The Christian Quaker distinguished from the Apostate and Innovator in Five Parts c. which hath manifestly been proved in many material Passages Erroneous and False both in the Historical and Doctrinal Part of it was privately and publickly reproved for that unrighteous Action by several Friends at divers times according to Gospel-Order as they found it on their Spirits from the Lord ††Never was God's Name more prophaned by a People professing Religion as also admonished against it yet after all the Labour and Travel Friends have had on his Behalf being desirous if possible to reclaim him out of the Enemies Snare into which he is fallen he hath from time to time resisted their Advice and Counsel so that now we being wholly clear having used our utmost Endeavours in the good Will of God to reclaim him as aforesaid do not only testifie against that Spirit which hath led him into that disorderly Practice but also against him whilst join'd thereunto * * Both the Man and his Spirit condemned nor can we have Spiritual Communion or
been ever made to do and I am willing to do him Right herein for according to the Proverb I am willing to give the Devil his due I need not quote Book and Page to prove their Preachers Pretences to Preach freely without Money c. their Books are full of Proof and their Sermons from Dan to Beersheba But I have said they pretended to write freely and this I ought to prove which I shall do from their Great Apostle and Second Moses namely G. Fox see their Book stiled Concerning Marriages c. p. 4 5 6. printed 1659. G. Fox viz. If any Friends go together in the Power of the Lord or find a Necessity thereunto that after the thing hath been made known between themselves before any thing be concluded it be declared to Friends who are able * * Viz. Their Teachers which practice came afterwards to be abhorr'd to see and feel into it and if they see the thing in the Light and Power to stand it may be declared to Friends in the Meeting as they are moved or as they are moved they may declare it in the mid-time of the Market on the Market-day in the next Market-Town as they are moved or they may not as their Freedom is Then after a convenient time and the thing be seen and felt and had Unity with then an Assembly of about 12 Friends met together they may speak their Testimony as they are moved how the Lord hath joyned them together in Marriage and then a Certificate by Friends then present may be given of the Day Month and Year that it may be Recorded and as they are moved they may declare it to the Magistrate and they will ††G. Fox was Infallible Sence or Nonsence tot quot omnes or they may not And that nothing may be Recorded for Money in these things but freely a free People and in Love serve one another and that is it that you should feel the Thing in the Power c. George Fox Now let me subjoin a Second Testimony of George Fox's against taking of Money c. Friends you are to do the Nations Business freely and that is the way to get into the Hearts of People c. Several Papers given forth per G. Fox An. 1659. I remember there is in one of the Quakers Declarations a Reserve left for Fighting afterwards We Yet say they cannot believe he will make use of the Sword by us but for the Present we are given to Bear and Suffer c. So had G. Fox said that as Yet let nothing be Recorded for Money but for the Present i. e. till you a fair Opportunity do things freely c. then there had been a fair Plea †As there is now for Whipping Fining Imprisoning and Fighting c. then As Yet might by George Whitehead have been rendered Adhuc and not Tamen for 't is manifest that their early pretence to Teach Preach write Certificates c. freely was but to get into the Affections of the People until a more fair Opportunity and then Experientia docet they can take 50 l. per Annum for writing Certificates c. 30 l. for writing Five or Six Sheets called a Primmer to teach Children 10 l. at a time for Preaching c. See New Rome Vnmask'd c. p. 58 to 63. where I have enlarged hereon from the Quakers Books But G. W. by his Book stiled The Contentious Apostate c. p. 22. he seems to deny G. Fox's Order for Marriage where it 's said nothing is to be Recorded for Money c. as above cited But G. W. I have it and you may soon see it in the Library of Christ's Church College in Oxford where that and many others of your Books which you would be glad were extinct will remain for Ages to see and be able thereby to detect your Falacies And now follows part of the recited Declaration viz. We have chosen the Son of God to be our King and he hath chosen us to be his People and he might command Thousands and Ten Thousands of his Servants at this Day to Fight in his Cause he might lead them forth and bring them in and give them Victory over all their Enemies and turn his Hand upon their Persecutors but yet his Kingdom is not of this World neither is his Warfare of Carnal Weapons neither hath he chosen us for that end neither can we Yet believe * No stay a little longer that he will make use of us in that way tho' it be his only Right to Rule in Nations and our Heirship to Possess the utmost Parts of the Earth but for the Present †Ay be patient a little longer we are given to bear and suffer all things for his Names-sake c. To the present distracted Nation of England c. Printed 1659. p. 8. But Reader if you look back to Fox's Order for Marriage you may observe that he points to have the Matter laid before their Ministers and thereupon I shall shew you a brief Testimony of one of their Female Preachers a Woman of Note amongst them in a Letter I have by me part of that against their Hoarding up Money which is as bad as Hoarding up of Arms and Ammunition viz. * * Anne Docwra's Letter dated Feb. 26. 1684. I have heard something concerning this Controversie now on foot which I perceive arises from a Personal Quarrel about a Maid that was chusing a Husband for her self and also 't is expected she should give up her Concern in that Business to some of our Preachers which was never practis'd until of late ††Not since Popery till Quakerism came in its Room amongst any that profess'd true Religion it is that which hath made the Jesuits to be Abhorr'd amongst some of the wisest and honestest of the Papists themselves so that they would not let them come within their Houses If the Maid be a wise Woman and of Age to dispose of her self she will not let any of our Preachers meddle with her Concerns * * Why G. Fox advised to it look back of chusing a Husband for her they should only meddle with their own Business and let honest Friends make their Choice themselves c. Anne Docwra Reader The main thing I recite part of this Letter is to shew the Sense some still amongst them have of their own Teacher's Jesuitical Practice either in making or breaking of Matches according as they are pleased or displeased I could write a Book by it self only to shew the Baseness of their Teachers Practice not only in making Matches but in making Mischief in Families in setting Men and their Wives at Variance And more particularly G. W. my old Antagonist as may be seen in the Book quoted viz. The Conten Apostate p. 5. The Apost Incend p. 8. Judgment fixed c. p. 289. both relating to my self W. Muclow Tho. Crisp c. setting aside John
Testimony and they are not chang'd they tell you so as I have herein before observed Seventhly And as a Pregnant Instance of the dangerous Consequence of this their Six-Week Meeting and their common Stock or Fund observe that of Joseph Clark one of their Preachers before noticed who tho' he pretended he was moved of God their usual Pretence for their Villanies yet when J. Field and their Fund failed him he presently pays his Tythes professing also that he then could pay them as well as other Taxes which is a clear Demonstration that such as stand it out and will rather spend 20 l. then pay 13 s. is because they are supported by this Illegal Fund c. And Lastly You may by this recited Epistle observe the Confederacy of their Yearly-Meeting and Six-Week Meeting to spread their venemous Books to infect both Youth and Aged Male and Female Old and Young and all under the fine Notion of the Service of Truth meaning Quakerism For if they meant the Truth of the Christian Doctrine they would at one time or other read a Chapter in their Meetings at one time or other recommend to their Monthly and Quarterly Meetings the reading of some Portion of the Holy Scriptures But not a Word of this in their Epistles not a Chapter read in their Meetings for Forty Years together but their own Epistles their own Prophesies their own printed Exhortations These they not only read in their private Meetings in their Families but they must Record you see this recited Epistle in their Quarterly-Book and sometimes read it Oh! 't is a precious Epistle And now Christian Reader I cannot but think my self unable to give a full and compleat Caution against the spreading of the Gangrene of Quakerism and therefore give me leave in the Words of Mr. Ralph Farmer a Minister formerly of Bristol to rehearse part of his Exhortation in his Book i. e. The Myst of Ungodliness c. viz. Now beloved if thou beest a Christian what say'st thou Is not here a Mystery of Ungodliness to the Purpose Where was it hatch'd think'st thou Could any less than all the Devils in Hell keep a Conventicle to Contrive and Plot this Black and Hellish Treason against the Majesty of God Jesus Christ and the Holy Scriptures Oh! ye Christian Magistrates who rule for Christ and to whom you shall one Day give an Account of your Government how you have ruled for him and how tender you have been of his Honour what is become of your Zeal for Christ and his Glory Good Sirs if these wretched Souls have such Liberty of Conscience to think thus contemptuously of our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Gospel let them not upon Pretence of Liberty of Conscience be so audaciously Blasphemous to write and speak thus And O ye Servants of the Lord my Fathers and Brethren in the Ministry of our Dear and Ever-blessed Jesus you that are the Pastors of the Lord's Flock and the Watchmen for the Sheep of his Pasture lift up your Voices and spare not cry aloud to all your Congregations and forewarn them that they be not a Prey to Satan's Devices let the Wolves know that you are not Dumb Dogs and cannot bark and Idol Shepherds that can neither hear nor see nor understand any thing and that at a time of Need can say nothing certainly certainly such as these may ill look for their Gain from their Quarters they deserve it not who so they may be fed care not nor care to discover what devouring Beast comes to destroy the Flock of Christ But you my dear Brethren who are set over the Lord's Folds and who watch for their Souls as those that must give an Account and that have a Desire to do it with Joy and for the Profit of your People read and practise what St. Paul gives in charge to the Pastors of the Church at Ephesus Acts 20.28,29,30,31 and let me give it thee here in his own Words what he gave forth to his Son Timothy I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the Quick and the Dead at his Appearing and Kingdom preach the Word be instant in Season out of Season reprove rebuke exhort with all Long suffering and Doctrine for the time will come and it is now when they shall not endure sound Doctrine but after their own Lusts shall they heap to themselves Teachers having itching Ears and they shall turn away their Ears from the Truth and shall be turned unto Fables but watch thou in all things endure Afflictions do the Work of an Evangelist or Gospel Preacher make full Proof of thy Ministry c. CHAP. XI Shews the Quakers Second-Day Meetings and Hypocrisie thereof with its ill Consequences in order to Deceive Reader I Am now come to their Second-Day Meeting even to that Meeting where Satan dwells and where he employs his Archest Emissaries I shall not wrong them as believing I must one Day give an Account for my Actions before the Man Christ Jesus who shall Judge both the Quick and Dead at the Great Day where I hope I shall not be afraid to meet G. Whitehead with this Testimony in my Hand so on the other Hand I shall not spare them hide nor cover them who have by their Wiles by their Books of two sorts deceived the Nations deceived many of the Magistrates many of the Clergy nay my self for I could not have wrote thus Fifteen Years ago †No if I had not seen their deceitful Practices and measur'd them by the Scriptures I could not have known them rightly I took them then at least some Years before to be Prophets at least sincere and to meet there for the approving of what was Right Sound and Orthodox and for condemning the contrary But behold I have found the contrary and that by sad Experience yea I have found that their whole Business is to deceive and carry on a Design yea a Confederacy under the fine Notion of Unity and Concord I have laboured many Years under great Difficulties I have spent my Estate I have spent my Strength I grow into Years I have a Conscience to Discharge I think I cannot do it unless I compleat that Discovery which I have began Tho' I find it prejudicial to my Health and other Business I find my self conscientiously concerned in this weighty Affair I do know that the Reverend Author of the Book entituled The Snake in the Grass * To whose Works I refer the Reader c. have done exceeding well he hath done beyond what I am able to do 't is a Learned Piece and becomes a Learned Reader But I am directing the greatest part of what I say to the more unlearned †i. e. The common People who are not so well School-Learn'd to such whether Quakers or others as sometimes must spell as they read and read over and over before they can understand this makes me sometimes write over and over
of England than the Quakers did Witness their Trumpet sounded c. See their Trumpet sounded c. in the Eleventh Chapter But notwithstanding all this and a Hundred times as much which might be shewed out of their Books yet they continued villifying the Presbyterians saying Knowing that ye look on it as a Duty to fight by Military Weapons in Defence of your Principle yea to promote Your Cause by the Power of the Sword in which you are Confirmed by some of Your Preachers who are Always labouring to perswade you to this as one Evidence of your Zeal for God and not to spare to hazard your Lives Liberties and Estates in such a Glorious Cause as you call it It were worth your serious Consideration That if these Presbyterian Preachers continue to Stir you Up to Rise in Arms †No nor nothing of it but to stifle the Popish Plot and throw it upon the Protestants they have not much of Self-Interest in their Eye they being now secluded from their Places and that Power and Authority they and their Brethren had taken from them VVhether therefore they seek not to Embroil the Nations in New Wars rather than still to be thus deprived c. A plain and peaceable Advice to those called Presbyterians in Scotland c. Printed Anno 1681. p. 1 7. Thus then it appears that the Quakers to curry Favour with O. Cromwell they complained fearfully of the Presbyterians as Traytors for joining with the Church of England in the Happy Restoration of King Charles II. So now from 1660 to 1681 they all use the Craft and Policy imaginable to bring the Odium of that Reign upon the Presbyterians and thereby to make way for the Papists and to stifle all their wicked Plots and Conspiracies And that it is not my single Judgment I shall publish a Letter sent me SIR It being notoriously known That since the Discovery of the Popish Plot in England many Courses and Endeavours hath been used by the Papists and their Abettors to stifle and hinder the Discovery and Punishment thereof And particularly by pretending a Presbyterian Plot against the King and his Government in England and in order thereto it is evident what Falsities Scandals and Invectives against the Protestants in general under the Name of Presbyterians have Weekly been Published in those Libels Intituled Heraclitus the Observator and others And whereas there hath been lately Printed for Benjamin Clark in George-Yard Lombard-street London * * The Quakers Bookseller this present Year 1681. a certain Book Intituled Advice to the Presbyterians in Scotland which appears to have been written Two Years since which Book doth very much reflect upon some Principles of the Scotch Presbyterians whether rightly suggested or not is not the Intent of this Paper to examine but Twenty Years Experience of the Presbyterians in England have prov'd their Practices in England far different from the mention'd Reflections Therefore sundry well-meaning Protestants of different Persuasions from the Presbyterians for several Reasons have thought the Publication of the said Book in England * * Of Alex. Skene a Quaker-Teacher at this juncture of Time to be injurious to the Protestant Interest in general And some of the said Protestants being informed that Mr. Pennyman did intend to make a publick Protestation against the said Book this Day upon the Exchange did think it their Duty to dissuade Mr. Pennyman from the doing thereof as being probable to be the Occasion of the greater Publication of the said Book unto which he hath consented And the same Persons do likewise desire and require you as much as in you lyes to hinder thereof lest by your Neglect you strengthen the Hands of the Enemies of the Protestants and Protestant Religion in general ††Copy of this was sent to the Quakers 28. July 1681. Thus then doth it undeniably appear how enviously Malicious and of what a Persecuting Spirit the Quakers are yet poor Hearts this in them is all Innocency Meekness and the Lamb's Spirit but in others so much as to tell them of it it 's Persecution Pray why was it in G. Fox and others to call the Clergy Witches Devils Blasphemers false Prophets Jesuits Conjurers Antichrists and what not that might render them odious to the People Smith's Works p. 175. A Brief Discovery of a Threefold Estate c. p. 7 8. Burrough's Works p. 30. This is no Persecution in the Quakers no they are innocent Souls and as far from Persecution as the Meat of an Oyster is from the Shell when living in the Sea for they for the present are given up to suffer Come G. Whitehead what think you of your Brother Smith who calls the Bishops Monsters the Church of England a corrupted Womb and by him ript up What do you think of his saying the Common-Prayer-Book receives its Strength from the Pope's †Good God! was ever the like Impudence known Loins and that the Pope gives Life to it Oh that ye could but see your selves and repent of your Wickedness For if the Government should believe you that the Clergy are false Prophets what remains but Death and that according to the Law of God But I challenge the Quakers to produce one single Clergyman that have prophesied of a thing to come to pass and it did not as Sol. Eccles a Quaker-Prophet did who prophesied That John Story should die within a Year who lived Four Years after as I elsewhere have shewed Again If the Government believ'd the Quakers whose Books affirm that the Clergy are Witches and Devils they ought not to suffer them to live but presently say ☞ There goes a Witch knock him on the Head Exod. 22.18 Again ☞ There goes a Blasphemer stone him to Death Lev. 24.16 Again ☞ There goes a false Prophet let him die Deut. 18.20 Yea saith W. Penn Whilst the Idle Gormandizing Priests of England run away with above 150000 l. a Year under Pretence of being God's Ministers and that no sort of People have been so Universally thro' Ages the very Bane of Soul and Body to the Universe as that Abominable Tribe for whom the Theatre of God's most dreadful Vengeance is reserved to act their Eternal Tragedy upon †Observe the Quakers Goliah of Gath W. P. c. The Guide Mistaken c. p. 18. Thus Reader I have given thee a Relish of the Quakers Meekness and Lamb-like Nature and therefore give me leave to hunt this Fox did I say give me leave Nay I am resolv'd that if thou wilt not give me leave I shall take it What! shall these Rabsheka's be perpetually Railing and Domineering over the Gospel-Ministers without Controul Shall these uncircumcised Philistines appear in Triumph Forty Years together and their Goliah vaunting himself boasting of his Parts Learning and Interest at as the other did of his Strength and Stature whose Staff of his Spear was like a Weaver's Beam and who glorying therein defied the Armies of
Realms nor yet Sign'd their Paper And therefore they must go home and get another more Authentick or their Bill for their Affirmation to pass in lieu of an Oath would be rejected Well away they went very sorrowful and I conceive might have amongst themselves a Discourse of this Nature viz. G. Whitehead Friends our Paper is rejected for yonder was our old Antagonist Francis Bugg and he has deliver'd to the Peers a Paper suggesting that we Prevaricate he has also delivered about an Hundred of his Books to the Lords intituled The Quakers set in their True Light c. and therefore we must get another Ancient Testimony more full to the Matter lest we lose the Advantage of our Bill but let us stay awhile for if we go presently who knows but that Apostate may reply to our next Paper for he is so Eagle-ey'd that if he espy any thing that 's defective he may be instrumental in throwing out our Bill You cannot but remember that we were fair for the same Bill to pass in Anno 1693. but he then Printed a Sheet and deliver'd it to the House of Commons and in Three Hours time our Bill was thrown out of the House Indeed we Printed a Sheet stiled The Quakers Vindication c. but he having printed a Thousand of those Sheets and gave to the House about 500 and sent to all the Coffee-Houses from Westminster to Bishopsgate about 400 more he prevail'd against us Nay this is not all but presently wrote a Book intituled Quakerism Withering and Christianity Reviving c. and deliver'd about Two or Three Hundred of them to the House of Commons We saw our selves so baffled that we thought it not meet to revive our Bill that Sessions of Parliament and therefore let 's be wise let us stay until we think he is out of Town for he has been here Two or Three Weeks already and what with his Charge in Printing the Papers he gave to the Lords and the Charge of giving in so many of The Quakers set c. together with his Charges of staying one way or other it will cost him not so little as 6 or 7 l. and he having no Publick Fund to go to it will make him weary c. I say after this they got another Paper and presented to the House of Lords a Copy thereof is as followeth The Ancient Testimony and Principle of the People called Quakers renewed with Respect to the King and Government presented to King William III. We the said People do solemnly and sincerely declare That it hath been our Judgment and Principle from the first Day we were called to profess the Light of Christ Jesus manifested in our Consciences unto this Day That the setting Up and putting Down Kings and Governments is God's peculiar Prerogative and that it is not our Work or Business to have any Hand or Contrivance therein nor to be Busiebodies above our Station much less to Plot or Contrive the Ruin or Overturn of any of them but to Pray for the King and Safety of the Nation and Good of all Men * * No hold not for the Priests nor Governours unless they please you that we may live a Peaceable and Quiet Life in all Godliness and Honesty under the Government which God is pleased to set over Us And according to Our Ancient and Innocent Principle We often have given forth Our Testimony and now freely and sincerely do the same against all Plotting Conspiracies and Contriving Insurrections and against all Treacherous Barbarous and Murderous Designs whatsoever against the King or the Government as being Works of the Devil and Darkness And We believe that the timely Discovery and Prevention of the late Barbarous Design and Mischievous Plot against King William * * A forc'd put First time and the Government and the sad Effects it might have had is an eminent Mercy from Almighty God for which We and the whole Nation have great Cause to be humbly thankful to Him and to pray for the Continuance of His Mercies to Them and Us And We sincerely bless God and are heartily thankful to King William ††O brave This is the second time and the Government for the Liberty and Priviledges We enjoy under them by Law And further We are really satisfied that God by His Special Providence did bring in and set up King William * * This is News indeed Third time over these Realms and do own Him Rightful and Lawful King ††But George why did you not say so freely without Whip or Spur and are obliged in good Conscience to be True and Faithful to Him and the Government as becomes Obedient Followers of our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ At a Meeting of the said People in London the Third of April 1696. Signed by many of Us on Behalf of our selves and the rest of our Friends and presented to the King Apr. 8. 1696. Thus endeth their April Ancient Testimony Reader before I come to make Observations upon these two March and April Ancient Testimonies of the Quakers there is one thing very remarkable and worth your noticing in the whole Conduct of Quakerism and that in two Respects the first is past the second 's still to come and ought to be guarded against and which makes me so long on this Head and so plain with them in this Matter and briefly thus That altho' no one People in England did so flatter Oliver Cromwell Richard his Son the Rump and all the several Changes of Government during the Usurpation as the Quakers did nor more oppose the Restauration of K. Charles II. Nay not only so but justifying Oliver in his Murthering K. Charles I. and in carrying on the War with all Vigour against the Cavaliers and Delinquents But when the Times turned Oh! how they laid all the Blame of both the War and Usurpation upon the Presbyterians Independants and Baptists as if they themselves had all along been as Innocent as New-born Babes This puts me in mind of a pleasant piece of News we had run thro' our whole Camp when I was a Quaker viz. Anno 1674. W. Penn put forth a Book stil'd A Just Rebuke to Twenty-one Divines c. P. 25. Was it not a great Reason of the Wars that divided so many Families shed so much Blood and exhausted so great a Treasure Did it not lay Episcopacy in the Dust and excite the Parliament in these very Terms Elijah opposed Idolatry and Oppression so do ye down with Baal's Altars down with Baal's Priests do not I beseech you consent unto a Toleration of Baal's Worship in this Kingdom which is as much as to say said Penn away with Arch-Bishops Bishops and the whole Ministry and Worship of the Church of England Again The Mouths of your Adversaries are opened against you that so many Delinquents that is to say said W. Penn Royalists are in Prison and yet but few of them brought to Tryal Did
he mean said W. Penn to release them With much more of this nature c. Now tho' I do think that divers of these 21 Divines were as clear of what is suggested as my self if not all of them yet because they appeared in Print against the Errours of the Quakers they to ingratiate themselves into the Favour of the then Government expos'd these Men as Enemies to the Delinquents i. e. Royalists Well the News we soon had amongst us was that the King and the Duke of York read this Book with great Delight and Pleasure and no doubt but took the Quakers to be not only their Informers but a Parcel of Innocent Souls * See what Friends the Quakers were to the Delinquents c. For it was soon observ'd That the Dissenters Meetings was broken up and the Quakers Meetings connived at A cunning Project 2 dly The second thing observable from hence is that in a little time for I see the Quakers begin to wheel about no Man shall dare to appear in Print against them but they will fall to their old Trade of Domineerring and Insulting over them as Enemies to the Government whilst none more eminently against the present Government than themselves For as then no People were more vigorous in Print against the Restauration of K. Charles II. than the Quakers yet how did they complain of the Presbyterians Independants and Baptists as divers Instances are herein given and more might be Yet such is their cunning and sly way of Insinuation against others thereby to ingratiate themselves and to villifie and expose others that it 's hard to believe and harder to detect them therein For in one of their late Books writing against the Reverend Author of The Snake in the Grass c. They call his Labours Prim. Chris continued c. Pref. and p. 1 11. The Black Attempts of a Necessitous Malicious Priest an Expulsed Clergyman makes a Trade for Bread in part to repair his Losses which he charges the present Establishment to have brought upon him * A direct Lie I never heard him speak one Word of that Tendency tho' as some others having taken a former Oath cannot satisfie his Conscience to divert his Cares and Fears and to supply his Wants Again G. Whitehead in his Letter to G. Keith le ts forth his Fury against the said Author in these Words †Observe the Malice of this mercenary Whitehead Especially when the Injurious Circumstances of that Venemous and Obnoxious Creeping Sculking Vermin comes further to be exposed c. whilst no People have both creeped up and down sculked here and there and fled from Justice more than the Quakers Witness their great Goliah for an Instance Nor no one People in England held out to the very last against the present Government more than the Quakers But their deep Hypocrisie is both seen felt heard and understood far and near and therefore as a further Demonstration of their wheeling about and late temporizing with their twofold Testimony one presented in the Month of March the other when that was rejected presented in the Month of April as at large above-recited I shall now examine The Ancient Testimony and Principle of the People called Quakers renewed with Respect to the King and Government Answ First This I deny to be your Ancient Testimony but this which followeth is your Ancient Testimony viz. First Dreadful * * News coming up out of the North c. p. 18 19 20. Printed 1655. is the Lord and Powerful who is coming in his Power to execute true Judgment upon all you Judges and to change all your Laws ye Kings all you Rulers must down and all you Underling Officers which has been as the Arms of this great Tree which the Fowls hath lodged under all your Branches must be cut down so you must be cut down with the same Power that cut down the King ††Meaning an Usurper's Sword who Reigned over the Nation whose Family was a Nursery for Papists and Bishops Woe woe is coming upon you all the same Teachers are standing that was in the time of the King and the time of the Bishops such as take Tythes you must both be tormented together Beast and false Prophet * * Both Government and Church The Lord God will pour out his Plagues upon you the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it and except you Repent ††i. e. Of taking Tythes ye shall all likewise perish and be consumed as the King was and perish with the same Power Sing all ye Saints and rejoice clap your Hands and be glad for the Lord Jehovah will Reign and the Government shall be taken from you pretended Rulers Judges and Justices Lawyers and Constables all this Tree must be cut down and Jesus Christ in us will Rule alone Sound the Trumpet sound an Alarum call up to the Battel gather together for the Destruction draw the Sword hew down all fruitless Trees * * This was since they professed the Light which cumber the Ground hew down all the Powers of the Earth cleanse the Land from all Filthiness purge forth the Dross the Filth and Corruption slay Baal Balaam must be slain all the Hirelings must be turned out of the Kingdom c. This is their Ancient Testimony Counsel and Advice c. p. 26 27. Oh Oliver hadst thou been Faithful and thundered down Deceit the Hollanders had been thy Subjects and Tributers and Germany had given up to have done thy Will and the Spaniard had quivered like a dry Leaf the King of France should have bowed under thee his Neck the Pope should have withered as in Winter the Turk in all his Fatness should have smoak'd thou shouldst not have stood trifling about small things Sober Men and True Hearts took part with thee * * i. e. Quakers Oh! take heed and do not slight such lest thou weaken thy self and not disown such as the Lord hath owned thy Dread is not all gone nor thy Amazement Arise and come out for hadst thou been Faithful ††viz. Turned all the Priests out of the Kingdom thou shouldst have crumbled Nations to Dust for that had been thy Place Now is the Day of Tryal p. 26 27. thou shouldst have invited all the Christians upon Earth in all Nations to thee that are against Popery to come in and join with thee * * This is their Ancient Testimony against Popery for thou hast had Authority stand to it lose it not nor abuse it nor let any other take thy Crown and do not stand cumbering thy self about Dirty Priests And thou hast had Power over Nations for Nations begins to be on Heaps and invite all them that profess against the Pope in all Nations to join with thee against him and do not lose thy Dominion nor Authority nor the Wisdom of God but with that thou may'st order all and let thy Soldiers go forth with a
present note the Quakers Hypocrisie in this Point nor shew how far many of their Books and which I take to be the Reason of their Silence are within the meaning of His Majesty's Royal Proclamation which are not only express against the Blessed Trinity but other Fundamentals of the Christian Religion I pray God bless the King and preserve his Royal Person and inspire Him with Holy Zeal to go on with His Royal Resolution and let all true Protestants and good Christians say Amen CHAP. XII By way of Introduction to the Thirteenth Chapter wherein I shall shew several Reasons why I so proceed REader let none marvel why I proceed thus with these Men for they say of themselves Burrough's Works p. 507. They are Raised of the Lord and Established by HIM even contrary to all Men and they have given their Power only to God and they cannot give their Power to any Mortal Man to stand or fall by any outward Authority and to that they cannot SEEK * A grand Lie Who seeks more c. Now as they confess they were raised up contrary to all Men so have their Practice Manners and Deportment been contrary to all Men and therefore shall they be dealt with contrary to all Men. Bishop Jewel and other Reformers wrote smartly against the Papists and for the Peoples sake display'd their Errours unmask'd their Leaders and discover'd their Pious Frauds yet protested they were in Charity and desired nothing more than that they would have hearkened to them and forsake their Errours And I do solemnly say I know of no one thing which this World affords would please me better than to see this People condemn what is Erroneous amongst them and persevere in the Truth and the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ true God and perfect Man But whilst they 'll excuse justifie commend and recommend such vile Errours as no Protestant Society can endure I shall proceed and if I be blamed better Men than I am as Luther for one was who when John Eccius Jacob Hochstrat wrote to him he quickly reply'd saying By how much the more they rage so much the more I go on I leave former things that they may bark at them and go on to further things that they may have some things more to bawl at The Hist of the Reform c. p. 34. Also consider the Prophet Elijah a Man both Sober Serious and Religious yet when he beheld the Idolatry of the Priests of Baal which did not much exceed the Quakers if at all he could not but mock at them and have them in a Holy Derision in order to the more compleat Discovery of them to the View of the Spectators For it is written And it came to pass at Noon that Elijah mocked them and said Cry aloud for he is a God either he is Talking or he is Pursuing or he is in a Journey or peradventure he Sleepeth and must be awaked c. 1 King 18.27 Besides all this here is more to be said for as the Quakers were raised contrary to all Men as they confess themselves so have they dealt by others as never any besides themselves ever did And therefore give me leave to fill the same Cup to them again which they so plentifully have filled to others yea good Measure pressed down and shaken together and running over Luke 6.38 For G. Fox their great Apostle and High-Priest of their Profession who was but a Journey-man Shoemaker having heard some Body say That Tu was Latin for Thou the Second Person of the Singular Number and Vos was Latin for Ye the Second Person of the Plural Number nothing would serve his Ambitious Brain but he must make for the two English Universities the Magistrates Judges Gentry and Clergy of the Land a BATTLEDOOR to teach them the same and that in Thirty Languages of which he was not Master of one And the present Quakers in order to magnifie their Great Apostle Fox have printed him the Author of the said BATTLEDOOR See the Third Index of Fox 's Journal which is as great a Cheat put upon the present Quakers as Fox put upon us in the Beginning who made us believe he had 24 Languages given him by Divine Inspiration in one Night as my self and others still living did believe for in the Introduction he said All Languages are to me no more than Dust who was before Languages were and am come before Languages were and am redeem'd out of Languages into the Power c. For tho' Fox was not the Author yet his Name is set to it nine or ten times in order to confirm the Cheat for John Stubbs and Benjamin Furley had the chief Hand in it See the Gen. Hist of the Quakers c. p. 165. But in those early Days the Government of the Fund or Common Bank was wholly at the Dispose of Fox who like Simon Magus having a Desire to be esteem'd some Great Man in Learning he hired some Jews to his Assistance as I have been credibly informed by those which heard the Jews say the same yea and since have printed it in these Words Envy and Folly detected by way of Reply to Robert Bridgman c. p. 8. We for our own parts went to the Jews and spake with the Jew that received Eighty Pounds in Mill'd Money †O th is Dagon of the Quakers as Anne Docwra calls it What will not Money do paid by Gerrard Roberts besides the Dozen Bottles of Wine given by M. F. Widow to Judge Fell who afterwards Marry'd Fox as he did affirm for doing the chief part of the BATTLEDOOR And what a Cheat was this to the Ignorant to make them believe as if it had been revealed to G. Fox c. And when R. Bridgman to cover Fox said He George Fox had some Knowledge in Hebrew my Author goes on p. 20. viz. Some Body paid enough for his Understanding in the Hebrew Witness his 80 l. and Dozen Bottles of Wine c. Oh monstrous Oh horrible Cheat Now followeth the Form and Figure of a Penny Horn-Book for Children to learn their A B C as placed in that Book intituled A BATTLEDOOR for Teachers and Professors to learn Singular and Plural c. as set at the beginning of most of the Languages in that Book with a like Inscription Signed on the Handle of the Horn-Book as in this Geo. Fox which could have no other Tendency but to discover his great Presumption to pretend to be Learned in Thirty Languages who was ignorant of his Mother-Tongue neither did this Artifice only discover his Presumption in pretending to be what he was not i. e. a Learned Person but it shewed also his Pride and Contempt thereby designed and Domineering over both Gentry and Clergy as if they understood not the English of Tu and Vos set in the said BATTLEDOOR and with this Inscription A BATTLEDOOR FOR Teachers and Professors TO Learn Singular and Plural Thou to One You to
in the nature of them and such intolerable Scandals as had they not had more Patience than the Quakers notwithstanding the loud Noise they make of Patience Humility and Meekness c. they would never have lain under such Public Scandals And therefore when in the next Chapter I come to touch their tender Part as Erasmus once said to a Monk I shall see how patient they 'll be when they are paid in their own Coin nay I hope far better at least to a better Purpose CHAP. XIII The Quakers Convocation George Whitehead's Sermon explaining their Ancient Testimony Reader THink not the following Sermon a Romance or Fiction for the Design of it is good and intended for their Conviction Read the Books in the Margin and you 'll find it fully proved to be the Sum and Marrow of their Ancient Testimony which by their Contempt of the Scriptures shews their Antichristian Principles and how their Doctrine carries all Iniquity in the Womb of it and opens the Flood-gates to all Atheism Deism Socinianism Arianism and all other vile Errours And therefore in hopes that this following Illustration of their Principles may be of use to their Hearers I proceed in this unusual Method But with my Lord Bishop of Lincoln in his Advice to his Clergy Second Edit p. 25. I will say ' Not that this can be expected from the Leaders of that Party they have Ends to serve in the Conduct of that deluded People that will engage them notwithstanding Confutation and Conviction too QUAKEâ—… SYNOD A SERMON for George Whitehead to hold forth at their Convocation or Yearly Meeting Friends I Beg your Attention to what shall be spoken this Day upon this Solemn Occasion being met to inspect the Affairs of our Society throughout the VVorld The chief Subject upon which I shall treat is our Ancient Testimony as you will find it written in our Gospel viz. God is the same Truth is the same his People the same and their Principles the same For our Principles are now no other than what they were when we were first a People The Quakers cleared c. p. 7. so we cannot but recommend unto you the holding up the Holy Testimony of Truth which had made us to be a People Prim. Christ continued p. 6. and that in all the Parts of it for Truth is one and changes not amp c. Their Yearly Epistle Printed 1696. Beloved in the opening the VVords of my Text I am to tell you First That as God is the same so are his People the same and according to our Ancient Testimony as unchangeable Secondly That our Principles are now no other than they were in the Beginning in all the parts of our Ancient Testimony whether relating to Monarchy Magistracy the National Ministry and all Points of Doctrine News coming up p. 18 19 20. Thus having opened the VVords of my Text I shall now let you know the Doctrinal Parts I intend to discourse of and then proceed FIRST The Scriptures which the Christians profess to be their Rule shewing their great Mistake therein and the Uncertainty thereof SECONDLY The Authority Certainty and Infallibility of our Friend's Books and Sayings and both Affirmatively THIRDLY and Lastly I shall apply the same by way of Use and for your Consolation Negatively and these in their Order First then As to the Christian's Mistake about the Scriptures look into the Epistle General of our Great Apostle Geo. Fox viz. And therefore all People that are here Christ is not in the Letter nor the Life is not in the Letter nor the Word is not in the Letter This mediate Stuff has reigned long in the Cage of unclean Birds you get the Letter for the Light a Steeple-House for the Church Matthew Mark Luke and John for the Gospel c. To all the People who meet in Steeple-Houses c. p. 4 5. Printed 1657. Thus Beloved you see what great Mistakes are hapned to this People of England who by following the Doctrine of their blind Guides have taken Matthew Mark Luke and John for the Gospel that is Glad-Tidings No no 't is Beastly VVare yea Dust and Serpents Meat and this I can prove by Two Books wrote by our Apostle Geo. Fox the one stiled News coming up c. p. 14. the other Several Papers given forth for the spreading of Truth c. p. 3 4 44 45 46 viz. So Dust is the Serpents Meat their Original is but Dust which is Death so these Serpents feed upon Dust and their Gospel is Dust Matthew Mark Luke and John which is the Letter c. Thus Friends have I shewed you the great Ignorance of the VVorld's Teachers who first take Matthew Mark Luke and John for the Gospel and now see what they have got for their Rule VVho would think they should hear such a Teacher as hold a Bible in his Hand and tell People it 's the VVord of God and bid them hear it and obey the Doctrine of it at their Peril for it 's the Law say they by which you shall be judged another Day VVhen alas my dearly Beloved as I have more than once in Print affirmed saying That which is spoken from the Spirit of Truth in any meaning our selves is of as great Authority as the Scriptures or Chapters are and greater c. And I still affirm the same and do tell you that it is according to our Ancient Testimony and you know we cannot change nor alter being as unchangeable as our Light within See G. W. Truth defending the Quakers c. p. 7. Printed 1657. A Ser. Apology p. 49. Moreover the Scriptures are so uncertain that 't is questionable who was the first Pen-man thereof whether Moses or Hermes yea either or neither How then can any Man depend upon them as a Rule to walk by Thus you see how the Christians are mistaken for have not I my self told you as well as my dear Brother Christopher Atkinson That Friends do not call Matthew Mark Luke and John the Gospel and New Testament as the Ignorant Priests do David 's Enemies discover'd c. p. 7. And is it not written in the Gospel of my said Brother Christ Atkinson That for any to say that Christ is God and Man in one Person is a Lie The Sword of the Lord drawn c. p. 5. What Ground then hath any Body to hold a Trinity of Persons Nay my Brother Penn and I have jointly said in our Apology Dedicated to the King's Lieutenant-General of Ireland That we deny the Terms of three distinct Persons in the Godhead whereby we do positively deny the Creeds called the Apostle's Athanasian and Nicene Creed A Ser. Apol. p. 20. If any Object Why we refuse to acknowledge them in Words not altogether of tho' agreeing with the Scriptures seeing we our selves use many Words not Scriptural as those of calling the Scriptures Death Dust Beastly Ware Serpents Meat c. those of our calling the Clergy Monsters Bloodbounds Grinning Dogs
read a Page thereof but to tell them all are Lies all is Malice c. and they are bound to believe you * * True for never were a People held more Captive but the Blind lead the Blind according to my Doctrine in these VVords It was for your sakes and the Truth 's that I was pressed in Spirit thus to appear against this deceitful Worker VVilliam Mucklow which hath shewn his Enmity against the Truth and Us the Church of Christ and Elect People of God called Quakers And p. 16. I affirm That the true Church as above described is in the true Faith that is in God And we must believe thus as the true Church believes or else it were but both a Folly and Hypocrisie to profess our selves Members thereof c. The Apost Incendiary c. p. 3 16. So that my tender Lambs you see first That we are the true Church of Christ next That you are to believe as the Church believes and there lyes G. Fox's Journal on the Table which you have in all Quarterly Meetings and ought to have it in all Schools ††They have got it in some Schools already where their Youth read a Portion of it every Day c. yea in private Families for as our Brother Mead hath well express'd himself it is the best Book in the VVorld for our keeping up our Ancient Testimony yea better than the Bible said he And now to conclude this Head look into the Book of Canons * * Look into the Book of Church-Canons made Anno 1675. which lyes before you on the Table and turn to those Church Canons which were made Anno 1675 at a Yearly Meeting or a Convocation where in order to corroborate all that hath been said on this Head it is thus written It is the Sense Advice Admonition and Judgment in the Fear of God and the Authority of his Power and Spirit to Friends and Brethren in their several Meetings That no such slight and contemptible Names and Expressions as calling Men's and Women's Meetings Courts Sessions or Synods that they are Popish Impositions useless and burdensome that Faithful Friend's Papers which We TESTIFIE have been given forth by the Spirit and Power of God are Men's Edicts or Canons or Imbracing them Bowing to Men Elders in the Service of the Church Popes and Bishops with sueh scornful Sayings be permitted among them but let God's Power be set upon the top of that Unsavoury Spirit that uses them Subscribed by us W. Penn Steph. Crisp Tho. Salthouse Jo. Bunyeat G. Whitehead Alex. Parker c. Thirdly and Lastly Let me apply what has been said Friends I am now come to the last thing proposed to speak to on this solemn Occasion and it shall be by way of Use and Application for your Comfort and Consolation and that by way of Inference drawn from the foregoing Two Heads And First Respecting Confession of Sin shewing your Exaltation above the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Primitive Christians Saints and Martyrs and all the Christian Churches to this Day Secondly Respecting the Observation of the Ten Commandments which are not binding to you unless you receive them anew as the Inspired Prophets and Apostles did Edward Burrough's Works p. 47. Quakerism a New Nick-name c. p. 71. Thirdly Respecting the Ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper And First You being the true Ancient Apostolick Church of Christ and as Quakers elected thereto and that the Quakers are in the Truth and none but they as our Brother Sol. Eccles from the Spirit of Truth hath written See the Quakers Challenge c. p. 3. hath no need to make any Confession of Sin in our Prayers to God as our Practice for near Fifty Years do confirm nay nor all the Apostates that ever went from us nor all the Priests our Adversaries cannot prove from any one of our Books wrote by my self G. Fox Ed. Burrough Fr. Howgill Father Penn Sam. Fisher W. Smith W. Baily Richard Hubberthorn and others of our Friends in the Unity that ever we made Confession of Sins to God and asked Pardon for Christ's sake nor that ever we recommended such a Practice to our Disciples notwithstanding our Books wrote by our Friends above-named contain more than 5555555 Pages in Folio Quarto and Octavo Now Friends VVhat cause have we to Rejoice and to Magnifie our Light within which hath led us to such a State of sinless Perfection And therefore I exhort you to keep up our Ancient Testimony in all its Parts of which this is not the least For let me tell you that Jacob that worthy and godly Patriarch he was so sensible of his sinful Imperfections that when he prayed to God he acknowledged himself unworthy of the least of God's Mercies Gen. 32.10 And Isaiah the Prophet said But we are all as an unclean thing and all our Righteousness are as filthy Rags and we all do fade as a Leaf and our Iniquities like the Wind have taken us away Isa 64.6 And Jeremiah the Prophet cried under a sense of his Sins We have Transgressed and Rebelled Lam. 3.41 Yea Job that Man of God said I have sinned what shall I do unto thee O thou Preserver of Men Job 7.20 Yea David a Man after God's own Heart said For I will declare mine Iniquity I will be sorry for my Sin Have mercy upon me O God according to thy Loving Kindness according unto the Multitude of thy tender Mercies blot out my Transgressions wash me thorowly from mine Iniquity and cleanse me from my Sin for I acknowledge my Transgressions and my Sin is ever before me against thee thee only have I sinned and done this Evil in thy sight that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and be clear when thou judgest behold I was shapen in Iniquity and in Sin did my Mother conceive me c. Psal 38.18 and 51.1,2,3,4,5 Again Solomon said For there is not a just Man upon Earth that doth Good AND SINNETH NOT Eccles 7.20 Prov. 20.9 adding by way of Interrogation Who can say I have made my Heart clean I am pure from my Sin * * Besides the Quakers and the Gnosticks Yea that good Man Nehemiah Fasted Prayed and VVept before the Lord God of Israel saying O Lord God of Heaven the great and terrible God that keepeth Covenant and Mercy for them that love him and observe his Commandments * * Not G. Fox's Commandments Let thine Ear now be attentive and thine Eyes open that thou mayest hear the Prayer of thy Servant which I pray before thee now Day and Night for the Children of Israel thy Servants and confess the Sins of the Children of Israel which we have sinned against thee I and my Father's House have sinned Nehem. 1.5,6,11 Yea Daniel that Beloved of the Lord he said And I prayed unto the Lord my God and made my Confession and said O Lord the great and dreadful God keeping the Covenant and Mercy to them
the Judgment that is written in my Eternal Decree and Unchangeable Councel saith the Lord. This Honour have all my Saints this is the Heritage of my Servants saith the Lord And their Righteousness and their Reign their Salvation and Redemption and all their Dignity is of me only and of me only and not of themselves shall they acknowledgee it to be Saith the Lord God Almighty who is now doing all this his Holy Will and good Pleasure and who is he that shall ever Disannul it Given forth under my Hand as the Lord himself gave it into my Heart to see and into my Mouth to speak and unto my Hand thus at large to write it the 25th of the 7th Month 1656. Samuel Fisher Pray is not this a Fifth-Monarchy Sermon No it 's a Quaker Sermon but it 's all one Doctrine and may become one Practice p. 102. Ibid. i. e. The Quakers are the truest Catholick Church in the World c. If so then your Saints are intended for this Holy War Friends I am the longer in this Sermon because my Text requires it namely To shew you our Ancient Testimony in all the Parts of it And if any of the World's People at any time should understand this Discourse for 't is much if it do not come abroad then tell them we mean all within we are an Inward People And whether we mention War and Fighting Swords and Spears Ox or Ass Kill Cut off Destroy take Vengeance of the Heathen Subvert and Overturn Nations Kingdoms c. all this we mean within and this have and this peradventure will satisfie them And now Friends I shall instance but one Proof more to evince what our Ancient Testimony was and is in all its Parts and then I shall with Prayer conclude and it is in an Epistle intituled This is only to go amongst Friends ††Writ by Fr. Howgill whose Daughter was in Bridewell London and Edw. Burrough in Dublin Printed Anno 1656. Which Epistle contains great part of our Ancient Testimony for it answers to George Fox's Title Page News coming up c. and it answers to Josiah Coale's Letter where he saith Dear G. Fox who art the Father of many Nations whose Life hath reached through us thy Children whose Being and Habitation is in the Power of the Highest in which thou George Rulest and Governs in Righteousness And Thy Kingdom is Established in Peace and the Increase thereof is Without End * * Josiah Coale's Letter from Barbadoes recorded in the Book of Outlandish Letters and by W. Penn vindicated in Judas and the Jews c. p. 44. It answers also our Brother Solomon Eccles who said It might be said of G. Fox as it was of Christ that he was in the World and the World was made by him and yet the World knew him not The Quakers Challenge c. p. 6. For if he was a King and had a Kingdom and such a Kingdom as of the Increase thereof there was never to be an end then you may conclude Friends that he was the Branch the Star the Son of Righteousness spoken of in Scripture but mark This Epistle is only to go amongst Friends * * Indeed it was fit to go amongst none but Quakers and Fifth Monarchy-Men so very well intituled viz. And O thou North of England who art counted as Desolate and Barren and reckoned the least of the Nation yet out of thee did the Branch * * * Viz. Geo. Fox which was prophesied of and now is fulfilled c. his News out of the North Title Page Printed 1655. spring and the Star arise which gives Light unto all the Regions round about in Thee i. e. the North the Son of Righteousness appear'd with Wounding and with Healing and out of Thee the Terrors of the Lord proceeded which makes the Earth to tremble and be removed out of Thee †††i. e. Out of the North came Geo. Fox James Naylor R. Hubberthorn Geo. Whitehead Edw. Burrough c. 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 and never return'd empty from the Slaughter †††i. e. When they were in Oliver's Army Lift up your Voice 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 upon your Loins put on the Tried Armour and follow him for ever who rides on the white Horse and is cloathed with the same and makes War in Righteousness 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 the Heathen †††i. e. All the Christians 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 * * * No where the Quakers have Power expect no Quarter Kill Cut off Destroy Bathe your Sword in the Blood of Amaleck †{inverted †}††{inverted †}††{inverted †}†The Quaker's own Writings are their best Construing Books and will best Interpret their Meaning who this Amaleck is viz. Geo. Bishop in his Warnings of the Lord p. 19. Printed 1660. i. e. he cries out to the Officers of the Army Remember Amaleck says he the Soul-Murdering and Conscience-Binding Clergy-man blot out the Remembrance of Amaleck from under Heaven News out of the North c. p. 27. Proclaim thus Slay Baal Baalam must be slain and all the Hirelings must be turned out of the Kingdom p. 18. and all the Egyptians and Philistines and all the Uncircumcised and hew Agag to pieces *âŽ* *âŽ* *âŽ* Dreadful is the Lord who is coming to change all your Laws ye Kings p. 20. The Government shall be taken from you Rulers this Tree of Government must be cut down and Jesus Christ in us will Rule alone break the Rocks in pieces 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 launch into the Deep divide the Fish bind the Tares in Bundles cast them into the Fire put on your Armour 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 defie our God and saith in their Hearts who is the God of the Quakers * * * A proper Question fâ—r few if any know 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
Eye finds them as Polluted and deeply Engaged in Dishonest and Immoral Practices as those against whom they contend c. See his Book The Guide mistaken c. p. 28 29 53 55. Indeed I do not think the Quaker Teachers great Miscarriages are so visible to every Eye as the Failings and Imperfections of Mr. Clapham's c. were But let the Quakers first pluck out the Beam out of their own Eye and then they shall see the more clearly how to remove the Mote out of another's Eye But to proceed to discover this Beam let me take out another Bird namely Tho. Thurston the Eleventh Bird. Thomas Thurston is the Eleventh Bird was an eminent Preacher up of G. Fox's Orders Laws and Commandments and a great Favourite of Fox's who liv'd in America who in his Travels to spread their Truth pretended to the Deputy-Governor's VVife that he Tho. Thurston had a Motion from the Spirit to get her with Child †Come W. Venn was not this a great Miscarriage Was it not visible to the Eye of the Deputy-Governour she believing him submits to a Tryal of Skill and it proved so infallibly the VVoman's Husband being then in Old-England where he stay'd about a Year or more but at length he came home and finding things bad he examin'd his VVife strictly how it came to pass She confest that such a Friend Tho. Thurston told her that he had a Motion from God to get her with Child and she was overcome by him VVell said her Husband if you will do one thing I will forgive you which is To go to the Quakers-Meeting and declare openly how you were deluded by this Preaching Quaker She did so and he forgave her and as I am credibly informed many of the Quakers thought his Motion was true he was so eminent an Orator and he still kept on some time a Preacher And why might not G. Fox allow of the Breach of this Seventh Commandment given forth by Moses as well as he did of the Breach of the Eighth Commandment viz. And as for any being moved of the Lord to take away your Hour-Glass from you by the Eternal Power it is owned c. G. Fox's Great Mystery c. p. 77. Such Influence had Fox's Doctrine as you may see in these two Cases and a Hundred more I could mention but enough of this Bird. Come George what thinkest thou of thy Brother Preacher Tho. Thurston He Preached amongst the Infidels and if he had been a Christian Minister I do agree it might have stumbled them but being a Quaker and led thereto by the Spirit it did confirm Quakerism George I could be more particular I could tell you of several pretty Stories and W. Ingram and Walter Myres should evidence it I could tell you of a Cannon-street Story but you know that and many others I could tell you of a She-Preacher who went from her Husband Geo. Knight so long holding forth that her Husband got a By-Child or two and at last marry'd another Wife But since that your She-Preachers kept more at home I could tell you a Story of your Meeting to cleanse the Camp about John Swinton and others and of Rebecca Travers her Testimony which would make you look more like the Synagogue of Satan than the Church of the First-Born as you boast but I delight not in it were it not to humble you So that I shall only mention one Bird more at present he being a Favourite of yours and your Brother Cater who notwithstanding his gross Immoralities yet you both wrote in Favour of him in these Words viz. George Smith a poor well-meaning Man that hath been convinced about 13 or 14 Years and ever since he came amongst us hath walked uprightly according to his Measure and hath been of a blameless Conversation amongst Men from his Youth up c. Judgment fixed c. p. 207. The Lib. of an Apost Consc c. p. 18 19. Come G. Whitehead this is high Commendation but he was a Man for your turn one strict for G. Fox's Commandments and was not ungrateful to you for your high Praise and Commendation For as one good Deed requires another as the Proverb is so he Geo. Smith saith in The Lib. of an Apost c. p. 29. I have Cause to believe better things of them all i. e. the Quakers and for Sam. Cater whom thou Fran. Bugg so much abusest I know his Conversation hath been such amongst us as becomes a Man that fears God that it is not thy Lies that can hurt him for he hath a Witness in our Consciences * Thus they witness one for another excuse and justifie each other for his faithful Service and upright Conversation amongst us Come George here is hiding here is excusing nay justifying each other in your Abominations like the two wicked Elders in the Story of Susanna saying Tush God sees us not nor the World's People do not know it And G. Smith standing Suit with the Minister of Littleport about Tythes As in the Year 1697. he did he is faithful to G. Fox's Commandments and is a true Son of our Church a well-meaning Man one that hath lived uprightly ever since he came amongst us even from his Youth up Oh George your Hypocrisie must come out and therefore and for that Reason only I shall take out of the CAGE this your well-meaning upright Bird namely George Smith But first let me acquaint the Reader that since I came to London this August 1699. I have seen a Letter from a Quaker in Huntingtonshire to his Friend in London giving a Narrative of Sam. Cater's Vicious Behaviour to several Women in Huntingtonshire A. W. for one in Cambridge and in Suffolk about which Richard Jobson called him in Question and at a Meeting at St. Ives at Tobias Hardmeat's House and in the Presence of him his Wife John Everard and some few others where R. Jobson charged poor Sam. very home but he as stoutly denied it at first being as his Sister Anne Docwra said a confident Liar But A. W. the Woman with whom he had to do being present Sam. at last confessed the Fact and was sorry he had dishonoured the Truth i. e. Quakerism But to the Matter which is a Narrative of the Proceedings of this well-meaning Man G. Smith who both G. Whitehead and Sam. Cater commend as an upright Man a well-meaning Man and that from his Youth up As for Sam. Cater I shall let his Narrative alone at present only to shew the Affinity of the Birds and how they 'll commend each other to the Skies whilst they condemn all beside themselves Reader These are their Infallible Doctors these are their Sinless alias Senseless Saints and the Perfectionests of our Age viz. George Smith the Twelfth Bird. George Smith of Littleport having a Wife of his own being a Bailiff for a Gentleman of the same Town whose Wife was a handsome young Woman G. Smith in time
over me notwithstanding they were the chief Cause of my Misfortune not only with respect to the Controversie but by Six or Eight of them breaking in my Debt Upon which I went to visit Mr. Erasmus Warren a neighbouring Minister and told him my Condition and he spake comfortably to me and bad me not be discouraged for God was All-sufficient and that the Earth was the Lord's and the Fulness thereof or to this purpose and told me that if I would write a Letter of Request to my Lord Bishop of Norwich he and some others would sign it I did so and it was signed by himself Mr. Archer Mr. Davis c. So I went to Norwich and did with no little Heaviness presume to go with it to my Lord Bishop of whom I did rather expect some little chiding being sensible of my own Fault than to be so kindly receiv'd But when I came to him he examined me about my Condition and press'd me to be honest and to pay as far as I was able For said he our Religion teacheth us to do Right and Justly by all Men and when you have done rest upon God's Providence it is not your Case alone Times have been hard and Disappointments many And then asked me what I would have him do for me I told him that if his Lordship would please to give me a Certificate of his Thoughts of me Iw as 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 Reveread Clergy that I found Help in time of Need and when it was in my Heart to write this Book I asked one of my Lords the Bishops Leave to give some Publick Acknowledgment of their Kindness but he answer'd me No go thy ways home and be thankful we desire no such thing But reading the Scriptures and finding in St. Mark 's Gospel Chap. 1. 44 55. that when Christ healed the Leper he charged him saying See thou say nothing to any Man c. But he the Leper being cured went out and began to publish it much and to blaze abroad the Matter and I never read that Christ blamed the Man for his Gratitude and I trust no more will his Ministers and Servants for this my Presumption For how can I receive such unexpected and unmerited Favours and not blaze it abroad I that for about Twenty Years Persecuted the Church and drew Disciples after me †I know of no one Man drew more into the Schism of Quakerism and yet upon my Return met with no upbraiding but rather like the returning Prodigal am met half way and loaden with Kindnesses Surely this is of the Lord 's doing and it is marvellous in my Eye to whom be the Praise of all his Mercies and Providences now and for ever Amen A Copy of my Lord Bishop of Norwich's Certificate is as followeth THese are to certifie That I have known Francis Bugg some Years and that he has appear'd to me a Sober Honest and Industrious Man and to have taken much Pains to Undeceive and Convert the Quakers by Publishing useful Books and that not without Success but by the Hardness of Times several Losses and the Charge of Printing the Books he writ he is reduced to great Difficulties Wherefore I apprehend him a real Object of Charity and that he does truly deserve the Bounty of well disposed Persons unto whom I recommend him John Norwich Oct. 22. 1697. And having obtain'd this Favour together with his Bounty which was very considerable I took my Leave of him with many Thanks for his Kindness and Liberality First That I might take care not only to do what was just to others but to take care of my Family also for he that does not is worse than an Infidel Secondly That I might not lye under the Contempts and Insultings of the Quakers who as they have for many Years sought my Ruin * As they do all that oppose their Errors and Immoralities by all Ways and Methods they could devise both in Person Name and Estate so they have been observ'd like the Philistines Judges 16.24,25 to glory in my Misfortunes as thinking they had accomplished their Ends But notwithstanding all their Rejoycing I had a secret Hope that my Strength would be renewed and that God would enable me to lay hold of their two main Pillars Ver. 29. i. e. Perfection and Infallibility and putting thereto all my Might I should yet be able to shake their Building as at this Day Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath so wrought my Deliverance as to bring things thus far to pass Thirdly That thereby I might be enabled to grapple with the Quaker's Goliah that Uncircumcised Philistine Geo. Whitehead by Name who together with his Brethren have defied the Armies of Israel even all the Professors of the Christian Faith under every Denomination And not only so but Excuse Justifie Vindicate and Defend all the Idolatrous Practices Blasphemous Principles and Damnable Errors Said Wrote and Printed Broached and Spread by the Quaker Teachers enough to Infect the Nations if God had not put it into the Hearts of some Instruments to discover the same and thanks be to God who from the beginning of my Discovery of their Errors hath given me Strength Ability and Courage to go on and not to turn to the Right Hand nor to the Left in my Pursuit after Sheba the Son of Bichri that Man of Beliel 2 Sam. 20.21,22 i. e. Geo. Whitehead until I have hemm'd him in on every side altho' I have been hard beset and gone thro' many Difficulties and Streights * Which few know but my self and have been forced to climb up the Hill upon my Hands and Feet like Jonathan 1 Sam. 14.13 yet as he slew Twenty upon the spot so have I discomfited Twelve of their principal Men and maul'd Doeg the Edomite alias Jos Wyeth see my Sober Expostulation with the Hearers of the Quakers against the Mercenary Teachers c. p. 1. to the 15. that Pupil of W. Penn's who as I am informed was equally unbelieving with Mr. Penn touching the late happy Peace without a Restau such Hopes had they of extirpating the Protestant Interest c. for the time is come that One shall chase a Thousand and Two shall put Ten Thousand of them to flight and thus doth God bring to pass his Acts his strange Acts by weak Instruments to whom over all be the Glory together with the Son and Blessed Spirit Three Persons and One God now henceforth and for evermore Amen And therefore in the Words of David I will praise the Lord saying O Lord with my whole Heart I will shew forth all thy marvellous Works I will be glad and rejoice in thee I will sing Praise to thy Name O thou most
of that sort of People to every one that would convince them of their Errors 't is the Sibboleth of the Party indeed they may very well challenge to themselves the sole Priviledge of exercising the black Art of Railing because they are the only Men that I know of that can rail by Inspiration One Mouthful of Dirt I remember he squirted upon you i. e. He said you were drunk the last time you were in London Sir I doubt not in the least your Innocency but they must Calumniate still or how shall they prove themselves right-bred Children of the Accuser of the Brethren God Almighty assist and strengthen you to break the Brood of that Viperous Generation that hath so poyson'd our Nation that at last you may triumph over that old Serpent that hath commenced so Bloody a War against them that keep the Testimony of Jesus you must expect he will be fill'd with great Wrath that he will both Hiss and Sting and pour out Water as a Flood after you his time being short c. Hen. Meriton April 11. 1698. Upon my receiving this Letter I went to Stoake and asked John Hubbard what Ground he had to raise this false Accusation I told him that I did not remember that I spent a Groat at a time all the time I was in London †Which was more than a Month. He told me he heard so Pray tell me your Author at last he told me T. Belch * A Quaker in London at the Ship in Cheapside Linnen-Draper When I came to London I got Mr. Law rence of St. Gregory's Parish to go with me to him to whom I said Sir do you know me No said Tho. Belch I told him that my Name was Francis Bugg and that I understood he had raised a Report of me viz. That I was drunk in London March last I heard so said Belch if that be thy Name Who is your Author said I He is not in Town said he I reply'd What is his Name and insisted on it a good while but could not prevail with him to tell me To the Truth of this Mr. Lawrence subscribed his Name John Lawrence Reader When I saw my self thus attack'd from all Quarters by Books by Letters by Reports sometimes that I was a Drunkard as you have heard sometimes that I was distracted and so discomposed as not able to rest Night nor Day occasion'd by writing against the Quakers sometimes that I left my Wife and Son in their Society to introduce me again into their Community and Twenty Lies more I went to the Quakers-Meeting in Milden-Hall on Sunday the First of May 1687. as the most probable Raisers of these or some of these Stories and spake to them after this manner Friends This is the 15th Year since I came to this Meeting for a Certificate on my Behalf again the Suggestions of S. Cater and Geo. Whitehead c. which were That I was an Informer which at that time was a hateful Name to a Tradesman and very Prejudicial to my Reputation as well as divers other False and Scandalous Detractions in their Books And this Meeting at least the Major part of it Twenty-seven in number gave me ONE * As in The Picture of Quakerism Part 2. p. 146. with great Courage and Freedom which at that time was very useful and I now come to you for a Testification against my self and ask no Favour at your Hands touching several Reports raised on me Ut supra and upon your signing it with your Names I promise to print it and what I cannot justly deny I will fairly confess But several answer'd me and not opposed by the rest or any of them That they never heard any such Report nor knew any cause why there should be such Reports But for the farther clearing the Matter and removing Stumbling-Blocks out of the way I shall recite the Substance of several Certificates which I took FROM my Son who tho' one of them yet I hope he is sincere for I have heard him say and that before some Quakers Come what is Wrong is Wrong whether it be in Geo. Fox or my Father and I will no more stand by what is wrong is the one than I will in the other FROM Philip Craniss who was my Servant near 20 Years * He came to me in 1676. and has not been from me Three Years and as familiarly concern'd in all my Concerns in Trade both Buying and Selling having taken in and deliver'd out many Thousand Pounds worth of Goods and is still living and of known Reputation FROM William Belsham who was my Servant 15 or 16 Years and is a Quaker and one that handed my Certificate above-mention'd in 1683. a Man of known Reputation FROM Matthew Belsham his Brother both living well each having some Estate of their own He was my Servant about 16 Years tho' none of them at this time who if I were such a Person as some would represent me to be some if not all of these must know something of it Nay I do believe I could have had a Hundred of my Neighbours to avouch the same so far as my Actions have come under their Cognizance But these being Persons of Credit and that have had Experience of my manner of Life may I think ballance those Reports whose Authors cannot be found out And indeed were it not for the sake of my Testimony which the Quakers would wound thro' my Sides I should not have said so much on this Subject but rather have taken David's Patience for my Example who when Shimei cursed and reproached him in the Day of his Affliction yet he bore all patiently 2 Sam. 16.6,7,8 And tho' its true I am now made to Unmask this Painted Harlot which will still more enrage her thereby endeavouring if possible that she may see her self and repent in Dust and Ashes and be humbled before the Lord that so she may be Converted and Healed at least that hereby others may be caution'd not to embrace her Pernicious Errors yet in all this 20 Years time †Tho' about Four Years thereof I was in their Community labouring for a Reformation not then understanding their grossest Errors of my Controversing with the Heads of this Sect I never render'd Railing for Railing nor do I now neither have I taken Advantage at their Miscarriages a small Sample whereof I have now set forth in the former Chapter as my Books do manifest but have handled those Errors which they taught in their Books which indeed open the Flood-Gates to all their Viciousness see a Paper from Pensilvania intituled A Brief Admonition to the Elders and Ministers of the People call'd Quakers and with which they are so tainted as put all Christian Societies together their Number consider'd there is not so much Viciousness in any one Society Tho' if Christ had one amongst twelve it cannot but be suppos'd there is in every Society too many that do not in Life and
2.36 Heb. 5.9 cap. 12.2 Rom. 8.34 1 Cor. 15.15 Acts 7.35,36 cap. 10.38 to 44. cap. 17.3,31 cap. 18.5 John 20.31 which I have taken Pains to collect and he will then certainly find that I have on my Side the Testimony of the Glorious Angels Holy Apostles Blessed Martyrs yea the whole Tenor of the Scriptures and beside all this a Cloud of Witnesses viz. the Concurrent Testimony of the Ancient Fathers and all the present Christian Churches to this Day and that G. Whitehead will have none of his Side but W. Penn and a few of his Brethren and the Writings of Isaac Pennington W. Bayly W. Smith Edw. Burrough Geo. Fox Ja. Nayler Christ Atkinson c. But I knowing that so soon as your Teachers once espy your looking towards Christianity they will not only hinder you from reading such Books that are or shall be wrote against Quakerism but refuse you the Sight of such Books of theirs as we quote for so long as they can keep you in Ignorance so long they may keep you Quakers I shall therefore give you the same Quotations out of some of their Books which I shall in this Book let you know where to have the most of them viz. William Penn's Serious Apology c. p. 146. W. Smith's Catechism c. p. 57. W. Smith's Primer c. p. 8. W. Shewen's Treatise of Thoughts c. p. 35. Jos Coale's Works c. p. 93. News coming up c. p. 33. The Teachers of the World Unvail'd c. p. 35. The Sword of the Lord drawn c. p. 5. Edw. Burrough's Works p. 149 273. Geo. Fox's Great Mystery p. 206 207 210 211 250 254. The Quakers Challenge p. 6. Saul's Errand to Damascus p. 7 8. Some Principles of the Elect People of God call'd Quakers p. 126. A Question to Professors c. by Isaac Pennington p. 25 27 33. The Capital Principles of the People call'd Quakers Sol. Eccles's Testimony p. 24 25 41. Will. Penn's Part in The Christian Quaker c. p. 97 98 W. Penn's Sandy Foundation c. p. 10 to 30. I shall now add something out of a Book intituled News of a Trumpet sounding in the Wilderness c. Wrote by Dan. Leeds who has been a Quaker about 22 Years which is come lately out of Pensilvania Printed 1697. and for the Usefulness of it I could be glad that it was reprinted with this Title A Trumpet sounding from Pensilvania giving an Alarum to the Magistrates and People of England to beware of Quakerism That so not only the Justices of the Peace but even our Honourable Patriots might have one put into their Hands But all things in their Season Quakerism had a time to advance and it must have a time to fall But as no Heresie since the Days of Christ ever rose so fast prevailed so much nor carried on with so much Craft and curious Paint so none ever fell so fast as I am perswaded this of Quakerism will do insomuch as that in a few Years it will be a Shame for any Man of Sense to appear in the Streets who owns the Principles and Practice of the Quakers according to their Ancient Testimony And now a Hint out of the Pensilvanian Book aforesaid intituled News of a Trumpet sounding c. p. 21. viz. Tho' they i. e. Quakers clash between their Old and New Testimonies yet we see says D. Leeds that they have in their late Books dropt here and there some Christian Expressions more than formerly And what may we think they intend thereby Why Geo. Whitehead in his Counterfeit Convert p. 72. says I may see Cause otherwise to word the Matter and yet our Intentions be the same Now is it not admirable that a Man of Geo. Whitehead 's Pretences * To Seriousness to Sincerity to Reality to Fidelity to Constancy to Infallibility to Perfection to Plainness c. Ib. 42. should be grown so bold in Crafty and Deceivable Glosses to deceive his Readers Is this like the Ancient Simplicity of the Quakers to say I may see Cause otherwise to word the Matter and yet intend the same Pray who knows then when such a Man is sincere or bow to believe him in what he says that thus hides his Meanings says one thing and means another c. And now I cannot but expect says Daniel p. 42. that there will be great Devising Pulling and Drawing Painting and Glossing rather than make Confession of their Errors Confusion and Contradictions herein Manifested and Charged as also in other Books by Geo. Keith Tho. Crisp Fr. Bugg and others because they have so much accused their Opponents for the same things themselves are now justly charged with surely some curious Wire-drawing Mincing Mangling otherwise Wording and Equivocating †G. W. You must now call your Brother Ellwood and your whole Society of Jesuitical Scribes for the Alarum is sounded in your Pope's Borders we must expect but they having caught themselves in this Net the more they flutter the more they 'll fetter insnare and entangle themselves for they cannot thus dance in a Net but some Body will see them For they are now as easily seen thorough God be thanked as they pretend to see through others yea this will certainly be the Consequence till they use the only Christian Means to get out of this Net which is by Humbly Confessing and Condemning their Errors in their Books as Geo. Keith has done c. To all which I cannot but joyn and wish for their own sakes it may be so adding that if ever it so come to pass then I shall see a great Truth in what Tho. Ellwood wrote in his Epistle to Friends p. 72. viz. The way to recover the Deceived is to discover and lay open the Deceivers In the mean time taking it to be a sound Truth I have adventured to put his Doctrine in Practice and so I conclude this Passage out of that Useful and Compendious Book from Pensilvania which had that People receiv'd my Advice in my Postscript to my Book intituled De Christianae Libertate c. Printed 1682. p. 214. viz. To frequent the Holy Scriptures and read them diligently c. this might have been prevented And now to conclude my Advice lest any should prevent you taking the Advice I gave the Pensilvanians 18 Years ago as above I shall according to my further Experience in this Pilgrimage tell you that it was the Practice both of the Church of the Jews and the Christians which for Substance are one to read and expound the Scriptures in their Assemblies which the Quakers call Conjuration from Morning to Mid-day and to give the Meaning thereof to the People out of the Law of God given forth by Moses 1 Chron. 34.18,19,35 Nehem. 8.1,2 Ezra 1.10,11 and Christ himself went into their Synagogue as his Custom was where he stood up for to read And when the Book of Isaiah the Prophet was given to him he found which argues he
sought for a proper place of Scripture and when he had read he then in a friendly manner gave the Minister his Book again and did not fall upon him and call him Conjurer Beast Dog Witch Devil Bloodhound c †As the Quakers does our Ministers but preached out of what he read and expounded it to the People insomuch that the Eyes of all the Assembly were fastned on him when they heard his Gracious Sayings Luke 14.14,16,17,18,19,20,21 and at another time suitable to his own Example he bade the Jews search the Scriptures for they are them which testifie of me John 5.39 And after he was risen from the Dead how did he appear to his Disciples and reasoned out of the Scriptures Beginning at Moses and all the Prophets he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself saying unto them These are the Words which I spake unto you whilst I was with you that all things must be fulfilled which are written in the Law and in the Prophets and in the Psalms concerning me John 24.27,44 Thus did he confirm the Scriptures by his Holy Example both before and after his Crucifixion he did not question whether Moses or Hermes were the first Pen-man thereof or whether either or neither as the Quakers do in order to invalidate it and to overthrow the Divine Authority of it The Quakers Refuge fixed c. p. 17. no no he confirm'd them saying The Scripture cannot be broken John 10.35 Think not said he that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets No no it is said he easier for Heaven and Earth to pass than for one tittle of the Law to fail till all be fulfilled Matth. 5.17,18 Joh. 16.7 And St. Paul said The Law is our Schoolmaster to bring us to Christ Gal. 3.24 And it was his manner to go into the Jews Synagogue to Reason with them out of the Scriptures opening and alledging that Christ must needs have Suffer'd and Risen from the Dead proving out of the Scriptures that the same Jesus which he Preached who was Prophesied of and in due time was Born of the Virgin Mary was the Christ Read Acts 17. Micah 5.2 Psal 2.2.22.18 Isa 61.1.9,7 Deut. 18.15 Jer. 23.5 Exod. 12.46 Numb 9.12.21.9 Read New Rome Arraigned c. pag. 55 to 58. c. Here we may see that neither the Ministers of the Church of the Jews nor Christ nor his Apostles call'd the Scriptures Death Dust Beastly Wares the Husk Carnal Serpent's Food c. as the Prophane Quakers Blasphemously do as appears from the Books of their Prophets of greatest Note Fox Whitehead c. See the Quakers Plainness c. p. And if you will look into the Apology of Justin Martyr and the Writings of the Fathers as St. Cyprian St. Augustin Origen Chrysostom Isidorus Tertullian c. and into the Practice of our present Church of England you will find the same But for your further Instruction in these Matters I rather refer you to our Reverend Bishops and Clergy who can better inform you Thus having kept nothing back from you which I think may make a Discovery of the Quakers Faith Doctrine and Practice to be contrary to the Faith Doctrine and Practice of the Jewish as well as the Christian Church to that of the Apostles Primitive Christians Saints and Martyrs in all Ages I shall conclude this Chapter begging of God to bless my Labours to those Ends by me designed which are best known to him and my own Conscience which whether you believe it or not is That you may thereby be helped to understand your Errors that thereby you may be prevailed upon to beg God's Assistance to help you out of them and receive the Benefit of it Amen Fran. Bugg July 30. 1698. To write no more I long since did intend But now I hope that Work is near an end For abler Men do daily now come in To finish what I think I did begin * Respecting some particular Discoveries not but there were earlier Pens at work against Quakerism AN APPENDIX DISCOVERING A most Damnable PLOT by a Vnited Confederacy carried on by the chief Emissaries of New-Rome against the Christian Religion and Christian Reputation of the Professors thereof with a Remedy against it both Easie and Safe READER HAving gone thro' many things tho' briefly I do now say that it was not of my seeking nor my Choice I could have been glad to have seen the Quakers to have Retracted their Gross Errors and thereby remove the Cause but they have slighted all due Methods that are consistent with a Reformation Observe what Proposals I and others have made in our Books For when G. Whitehead gave forth a Sheet Entituled The Quakers Vindication c. saying Col. 2. P. 3 4. I G. W. freely offer and am willing to make it plainly appear before ANY Six Ten or Twelve Competent Witnesses who are moderate Men of common Sense and Reason That Francis Bugg has grosly wronged the Quakers both in Charge Citation and Observation c. I then did meet him and we agreed upon the Preliminaries upon which we were to debate but when I came to name Persons he flew off Now by the Contents of his Offer I had my Liberty to chuse any yea all the Men provided they were moderate Men of common Sense and Reason But to avoid his Charge of Partiality I admitted that he should have his equal Choice of one part of the Men And that he might see I would take no Advantage at his Word any whereby I was left free where to make my Choice as well as who I offer'd to chuse out of the Ministers of the Episcopalians Presbyterians Independants or Baptists I mention this here because 't is Rumour'd in Town that he offered to meet me with the Baptists a horrible Lie but none would down with him but Quakers Nay to chuse our Men out of any or of all those Four Christian Societies which had he been sincere he could not have denied since it was his own voluntary Offer Nay when he refused to close on this Bottom as if he feared he could not chuse Six moderate Men of common Sense in all those Societies I then offer'd him to chuse each of us Three Members of the Honourable House of Commons and to them we would leave our Matter in contest Viz. Whether I had wronged them in Charge Quotation or Citation c. Febr. 1693. But this he refused also and there being some Gentlemen present they advised me to send him a Letter to that end and they would subscribe it which I did their Names are as followeth viz. Samuel Grove Samuel Plaice Henry Symons John Fenn and also Danil Hassel But this Offer G. W. also rejected which the Gentlemen above-named as well as to my self and indeed to all that have since understood it was and is a Sign of great Guilt and Insincerity in him which indeed is manifest in most of his Answers to
Holy Scriptures and Ordinances of Baptism and Supper instituted by Christ Jesus also his Death and Sufferings and that in order to exalt their own Laws and Ordinances set up amongst them by their second Moses whom they said was raised up to be amongst them in the same place that Moses was amongst the Israelites tho' not in the very same Place respecting Mount Sinai where Moses's Feet stood as above observ'd But that I may not impose upon my Reader I will yet give some other or more Instances than I have given Tho' I think I have given sufficient Reasons already Read W. Penn's Apol. c. p. 150. where he saith We have a Red Catalogue that shall stand recorded against our Presbyterian and Independant Persecutors that their Names and Natures too may stink to Posterity c. Read also the Books referr'd to viz. Judas and the Jews c. p. 41. A Rejoynder c. p. 410. The Anarchy of Ranters c. p. 42. A Ser. Apol. p. 150. The Picture of Quakerism c. pag. 102 103. has them at large Reader This is the fourth Warning we have had from the Quakers themselves of this Plot which they are laying and which they are preparing for future Ages against the Christian Name and Reputation of the English Magistrate And that the Quakers Plot is against the value of the Death of Christ the Exemplary Suffering of the Apostles and Martyrs read Burrough's Works p. 273. where they say That the Sufferings of the People of God call'd Quakers in this Age is a greater Suffering and more Unjust than in the Days of Christ or his Apostles or in any time since Here you see that the Ten Persecutions the Bloody Massacres and Queen Mary's Reign are all less than the Sufferings of the Quakers in seven Years time Oh Monstrous Oh Horrible What was done to Christ and the Apostles was chiefly done by a Law and in great part by the due Execution of a Law And hereby it appears the Suffering to be more Unjust because what the Persecutors of old time did to the People of God they did by a Law and by the due Execution of a Law Now Reader consider what these new Prophets say and if thou art a Christian I do solemnly appeal to thee whether this Doctrine of the Quakers hath not a Tendency to cause the Names of the Martyrs to stink in regard it implies they were Criminals and suffer'd under the Emperors by a Law and the due Execution of their Law for it could not be a just or due Execution unless the Law were Just Do they not hereby what in them lies acquit the hard-hearted Jews the Barbarous Emperors and Bloody Papists of their Bloody Cruelties and Implicitly Charge both Christ and his Apostles and Martyrs with the Breach of some Just Laws for which their Penalties say they were duly Executed And if so is not this a Damnable Plot Not to name other Blasphemies which lye Couched under this Doctrine as also the Quakers Pride and Arrogance thus to exalt their Sufferings from 1650 to 1657. to be greater than the Sufferings of Christ his Apostles and Martyrs And this Plot is still carrying on with Vigour not only against the Presbyterians Independants and Baptists to make their Names and Natures stink in the Nostrils of future Generations when the surviving Quakers bring out their Books of Sufferings alias Martyrdom But behold this Book of theirs with the said great Sufferings greater than that of Christ and all his Martyrs since was reprinted Anno 1672. and Witnessed to by the Approbation of Geo. Fox Geo. Whitehead Josiah Coale Francis Howgill and their Hireling Ellis Hooks For what one writ the other avouch they speak all one Thing are of one Mind so that when they have gathered up all their Sufferings in the Reign of K. Ch. II. K. J. II. and K. William III. for they are still collecting all their Sufferings compleat and full as in Pag. 84. herein no doubt but they will make them to exceed all the Sufferings of the Patriarchs and Prophets from the Blood of Righteous Abel to the Days of Christ and from thence to the end of the Chapter ad infinitum O rare This will be according to their Ancient Testimony in G. Whitehead's Sermon insomuch that this Hellish and Damnable Plot is against the Patriarchs Prophets Christ and his Apostles Saints and Martyrs in all Ages and Generations And this is the main Business of their whole Body in their Convocations both in their Monthly Quarterly Six Week Second Day and Yearly Meetings which ought to be taken Care of at least Inspected tho' they have their Liberty of Meeting in those Houses Licensed to Preach and Pray for at those Meetings there are so many Spectators that they cannot do that Hurt and Damage to the Christian Religion they do in these Private Lockt and Barr'd-up Private Conventicles Thus then it appears that this Plot is carrying on against King Lords and Commons against Judges Councellors and Lawyers against the Reverend Bishops Clergy and all Protestant Ministers against Sheriffs Constables and Headboroughs and indeed against the whole Race of Mankind that profess Faith in Jesus Christ And therefore how doth it concern all Christians that have any Love to and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ that have any Respect to our Martyr'd Ancestors who suffer'd in the Flames for our Holy Religion to take Care of the Growth of Quakerism as they will answer the Neglect of it at the Great and Notable Day of the Lord. Objection I. By this time some may be ready to object saying Francis Does not thy Zeal exceed thy Judgment What wouldst thou have Fire come down from Heaven and consume them as Elias did 2 Kings 1.10 Luke 9.54 Wouldst thou have the Government fall upon them and destroy them Answer No by no means I would not be understood so for this I solemnly declare in the Fear of God as I hope for Mercy at the Great Day of Account when both they and I shall appear before his Great Tribunal I do desire neither I would not have a Hair of their Head hurt Besides if I did desire the Growth of Quakerism that is the ready way to increase them for they glory in nothing more than to be thought great Sufferers No let them have Liberty in their Licensed Meeting-Houses to Preach Pray and Exercise their Talent equal with others if the Government think fit And as this is all that other Dissenters desire or expect so if they had not a further Design this would content them being that which answers the Substance of all their Petitions and Addresses to the Parliament from one Reign to another together with not being compell'd to go to any other Worship And they having both granted I think 't is all that is necessary to answer the Ends of all their frequent and endless Solicitations And nothing of this do I desire them to be debarr'd of Object II. But then
whereby it 's manifest their Innocency so much boasted of is not Triumphant as G. W. says in his Book Innocency Triumphant c. And therefore the way to deal with these 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 on Behalf of the Christian Religion and Protestant Profession against Quakerism Head and Tail and once more challenge G. Whitehead to appear on his own Proposition to the Parliament viz. For each of us to chuse four or six moderate Men of common Sense and Reason out of the Professors I call it his because he did voluntarily offer to meet me before any Six Ten or Twelve moderate Men c. of the Christian Faith 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 Cowardice and Self-Condemnation if they 'd rather lye under this heavy Charge following than to come out and make their Defence viz. First That they deny Jesus of Nazareth who was Born of the Blessed Virgin Mary who suffer'd without the Gates of Jerusalem to be Christ the Son of the Living God Secondly That they deny the Scriptures by their speaking contemptuously of them calling them Carnal Death Dust Beastly Ware Serpent's Meat c. and that Preaching out of them is Conjuration Thirdly That they exalt their own Sayings and Writings above the Scriptures as being of greater Authority and more Certainty not only in Words but in Practice Fourthly That they undervalued the Death and Sufferings of Christ Jesus by granting they were inflicted by or for the Transgression of a Law and executed in a great Measure at least by the due Execution of a Law Fifthly That they exalt their own Sufferings as greater and more unjust than the Sufferings of Christ his Apostles and Martyrs yea even than all the Persecutions from the Days of Christ to the Year of their Rise namely 1650. Sixthly And that for these and the like Reasons the Quakers Books which thus teach are Blasphemous and their Practices in their Adorations are Idolatrous This is my Charge which I have often laid down and which I now renew and offer to make good upon them if he will chuse his Men and meet me according to his own voluntary Offer and my Acceptation thereof or otherwise because I will give him his Choice of two Methods viz. or on Condition At Oxford I offer'd Sylas Norton to prove the same Charge against the Quakers and their Doctrine that he George Whitehead will engage under his Hand to Retract their Errors if proved upon them out of the Quakers Books wrote by their approved Authors and condemn the Books which teach this Horrible Doctrine promising my self also to Engage under my Hand to Retract what he shall prove Erroneous in my Books or False in Fact relating to my Charging the Quakers thereby making them publick Satisfaction and to Burn my Books if found Guilty as a Testimony of my Injustice A Sign of my not being Conscious of Guilt herein And to this I subscribe my my Name Aug. 3. 1698. Francis Bugg This then is my Flag of Defiance which I hold out to G. Whitehead c. this is my Standard which I have pitched ON Behalf of my Saviour JESUS CHRIST which the Quakers have Contemned Disown'd and Denied to be the SON of GOD ON the Behalf of the Scriptures which the Quakers say are Dust Death Beastly Ware Serpents Meat c. ON the Behalf of the Holy Ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper which Christ Instituted ON the Behalf of the Church of ENGLAND both Magistrates and Ministers which the Quakers have most wickedly Traduced and Abused as Intolerable to bear and Seditious in its own Nature Let them come forth out of their Dens and Holes and acquit themselves like Men if they think I wrong them or else be content to lye under my Charge as self-condemned Persons and let them also know that my Book New Rome Arraigned c. stands unshaken and that George Whitehead is not Triumphant but forced by the Guilt of his Conscience to submit to the Charge above exhibited which is Ignoble and Base on his Part and will lower his Topsail to his great Abasement Shame and Confusion of Face in the Eyes of all sorts of Intelligent Persons Thus having stated the Contest between G. W. and me and advised my Friends and Fellow-Labourers not so much to Answer the Quakers Books as to Charge and Recharge them again and again till they at last being confounded with Shame Horror and Confusion be forced to come out But I shall shew Whitehead's Fallacy in his way of answering Books only by one Instance for I having in my Book New Rome Arraign'd c. pag. 47. by way of Retaliation upon the Quakers who call the Publick Ministers Antichrists and Deceivers and the World's Teachers given Fifteen Instances why the Quakers are the World's Teachers and Deceivers the second of which was this The Quakers who teach that the Name JESUS and CHRIST belongs to the whole Body and every Member in the Body as well and as amply as to Christ the Head are of the World and Deceivers New Rome Arraigned c. pag. 47. Now this was no Quotation but a Charge which rests for me to prove I grant the Word amply is by me added by way of Illustration but the Words as well that G. W. neither mentions nor disowns Isaac Pennington's Words are Doth not the Name Jesus and Christ belong to the whole Body and every Member in the Body as well as to the Head So that the Name is not given to the Vessel but to the Nature in the Vessel A Question to Professors by Isaac Pennington c. p. 27. P. 33. The Scripture does expresly distinguish between Christ and the Garment which he wore between Him that came and the Body in which he came between the Substance which was vailed and the Vail which vailed it Lo I come a Body hast thou prepared me there is plainly He and the Body in which He came there was the Outward Vessel and the Inward Life this we certainly know says Isaac and can never call the Bodily Garment Christ c. And whoever read the Scriptures may clearly see that the Quakers are False Teachers in that they first teach that the Name JESUS and CHRIST belongs to every Believer as well as to CHRIST the Head since they can first call him as you have heard A Garment a Vessel a Vail a Body but in express Words they say they cannot call Him Christ but whoever read the Scriptures by me quoted in the Sixteenth Chapter I hope they will be convinced And St. John says Then Pilate therefore took Jesus and scourged him Then came Jesus forth wearing a Crown of Thorns Then the Soldiers when they had crucified Jesus they took his Garments but one of
Man Christ do they now own to this Day if they would speak their Thoughts However their Writings prove it and till they condemn them all they alledge to the contrary is nothing worth Well however I and others were catched by these and the like fallacious Arguments not being well grounded in the Principles of the Christian Religion nor understanding the Wiles of Satan and by their smooth and fair Carriage by their suffering patiently the Affronts they then met with And I cannot but still remember how our Minister warned us of the Doctrine of the Quakers and told us they were Deceivers and Antichrists even those Deceivers which Christ foretold us should arise shewing Signs and Wonders insomuch that if it were possible they should deceive the very Elect Matth. 24.24 (b) Which I now also believe But by this their pretended Patience in Suffering by their so much insisting on the Dictates of our Consciences which prompts to Good and checks for some Evils with other fair Words and seeming nay real Truths with which they covered over their poysonous Pills of Schism and Heresie many of us were deceived Again when I saw so much Plainness and seeming Sincerity in the Quakers and consider'd how our Minister lived it was another Motive to induce me to go after the Quakers for our Minister lived with my Father I do think some Years my Father was the chief Man that got him into the Place But both then and afterwards he was such not so exemplary as he ought to have been and I not being capable to judge of the Doctrinal Part I was carried away in my Affections being more apt to be led by Example than Precept which is not always safe However I do believe it was the offensive Practice of our Minister which I beheld in divers Particulars which was one Cause of my Stumbling whereby I fell unhappily into that Schism Not that I now judge the Occasion by him given was or is warrantable for a Separation from an Established Church Observations on the Second Chapter NOW therefore I intreat all concerned in the Ministerial Office as Pastors That they beware they give no ill Example to their Flock contrary to what becomes their Sacred Function but when they Preach well let them Practice so as believing what they say so will their People believe them to be in earnest But if they Preach never so Orthodoxly and tho' their Sermons be never so much Learned yet if they do not live in some tolerable sort answerably their People will Question Whether they believe what they teach and as a Consequence thereof will take that Liberty in Living which is not becoming Christians Or else if Seducers come will be apt to separate themselves in Hopes to get under a purer Ministry which when they come afterwards to examine they may find it to be only in Shew Notwithstanding such is the Prevalency of Example CHAP. III. Gives an Account of the Quakers Silent Meetings and the Tendency of them In which I shall speak sometimes in the Person of a Quaker respecting the time I was one HAving by this time fallen in with the Quakers in a few Years I became very zealous that way and to Silent Meetings I went and sometimes we had a few Words spoken sometimes none sometime an Epistle of George Whitehead's George Fox's Sam. Cater's or some others read in our Meetings and sometimes none But the chief of what we did hear either from our inspired Infallible Teachers or from our Friends Epistles in those private Silent Meetings was To exhort us to wait in the Light out of our Selves out of our Thoughts out of our Willings and Runnings in that which is invisible and then we should receive the hidden Manna yea Manna from Heaven which the World knew not of and that we should feel Christ to come the second time to Judgment and that Judgment was to begin at the House of God which House was our Bodies And from hence divers of us fell oft into a Trembling and Shaking I have seen about five or six together in a Meeting shake like a Leaf in Winter namely Matthew Beesly Jonas Skrook William Eyson and others yea they have shaken the Forms they sat on and this not once nor twice but frequently I do very well remember that John Kilborn the Elder did one Sunday in our Meeting fold his Arms and stood upright and by and by leaped and jumped about 18 Inches at a time until he jumped round the Room I know that some are alive still that know these things are true But let it be noted not a Chapter in the Bible was ever read amongst us but all 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 Scripture above Fathers above Councils and above Churches Fran. Howgill's Works p. 602 to 627. This I now confess was a Paradox not Orthodox but absolutely Heterodox For let the Scripture command Subjects to be obedient to Magistrates Children to obey their Parents Wives to reverence their Husbands and live in Subjection to them Servants to obey their Masters Christians to obey their Pastors all this signified little the Light within our Teachers taught us was Christ and Christ the Power of God the higher Power to which every Soul was to be subject yea all Power in Heaven and in Earth was committed to the Light Perverting John 5.23,24 Acts 17 to 31. See Josiah Coal's Works p. 93. And that no Command in Scripture was any further binding than as we were convinced of the Lawfulness thereof by the Light within us Ed. Burrough's Works p. 47. So that all our Obedience to God and his Commands were bottomed and founded on our Conviction by the Light within that being the only Rule Judge and Guide both superior to the Scriptures Fathers and Councils Quakerism a New Nick-name for Old Christianity by W. Penn p. 71. For said they to us That what is spoken from the Spirit of Truth in any is of as great Authority as the Scriptures and Chapters are and greater Truth defending the Quakers c. p. 7. By which it is self-evident That these Silent Meetings 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 for had they indeed exhorted us to have regard to our Light within and the Dictates of our Consciences which prompts to Good and checks for many Evils in Obedience to the Commands of Holy Scripture this would have been safe for I believe we ought so to do and 't is the same the Ministers of the Church of England press and exhort us to Oh! but this would not do our Teachers Business they must bring us off from the Scripture Commands as inferior to their Sayings and Speakings for the Book last quoted is said to be given forth from the