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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65886	A serious account in XXXV evident reasons (to all who desire satisfaction) why the people of the lord, called Quakers, cannot go to worship at those places called churches and chappels, and to inform the magistrates and ministers that such consciencious people (as are separated from these places) ought not to be compelled (from their peaceable meetings) to their worship and churches, so called, being a short discovery of the way, worship, and principles of the true ministers and persecuted people of God, in several exceptions against the practices, worship, and principles of the priests, both of the Presbyterians, and Episcopal-men, and others of the same affinity, in some of which principles the Presbyterians are the rather concerned, but in others of them, both are concerned in the general / by Geo. Whitehead.	Whitehead, George, 1636?-1723.	1661 (1661)	Wing W1956; ESTC R20306	27,063	42

A SERIOUS ACCOUNT In XXXV Evident Reasons To all who desire Satisfaction Why the People of the Lord called QUAKERS cannot go to Worship at those places called Churches and Chappels And to inform the Magistrates and Ministers That such Consciencious People as are separated from these places ought not to be compelled from their Peaceable Meetings to their Worship and Churches so called BEING A short DISCOVERY of the Way Worship and Principles of the true Ministers and persecuted People of God in several Exceptions against the Practices Worship and Principles of the Priests both of the Presbyterians and Episcopal-men and others of the same affinity in some of which Principles the Presbyterians are the rather concerned but in others of them both are concerned in the general By Geo. Whitehead London Printed for Robert Wilson at the Sign of the Black-spread-Eagle and Wind-mill in Martins Le Grand 1661. THE CONTENTS Of the following REASONS 1. COncerning the true Worship and Meetings which God hath called us to and of what he hath called us from 2. Of the Education of the Priests 3. Of their humane Learning 4. Of Tythes and forced Maintenance 5. Of the Priests Unreasonableness in spoyling mens goods 6. Of their Persecuting and Compelling men 7. Of the manner of their Preaching 8. Of the manner of their Worship 9. Of their Sinning in their best Performances 10. Of the Trade of their Preaching Then the falshood of the Priests and Professors Principles 1. Concerning the Light 2. Their confusion about the Light 3. Of the Offer of Salvation 4. Of the Death of Christ. 5. Of Perfection 6. Of the Priests Exhorting to endeavour after it 7. Of Election and Reprobation 8. Of Original Sin 9. Of the Serpent and the forbidden Fruit. 10. Of Justification and of Sanctification 11. Of the Believer's Faith and its Work 12. Of the Priests meanings upon the Scripture 13. Of the Gospel 14. Of the Foundation and only Rule 15. Of Swearing 16. Of Revelation and Inspiration from Heaven 17. Of Sprinkling Infants 18. Of Bread and Wine which they call the Lords Supper 19. 20. Of the Church and Seal of the Covenant 21. Of Bishops and Presbyters 22. Of the Priests Ordination 23. Of the common-prayer-Common-prayer-Book 24. Of the Priests grosse Ignorance about their Publick Baptism 25. Of the true Church and its Head I. Concerning the true Worship and Meetings which God hath called us to and of what he hath called us from THe LORD GOD of Truth and Righteousness hath gathered us by his mighty Power out of the worlds Ways Worships and Traditions which were never set up by the Power of God and from the Priests and Teachers of the world which are made and set up by the Traditions and Wills of men who preach for filthy lucre and gain which thing was ever abhorred and denyed by all the true Ministers and holy People of the Lord who feared God and hated Covetousness in all Ages as also we are brought by the Power of the Lord God out of the Worlds Temples or Houses which are falsly called Churches and brought into the Worship of God which is in the Spirit and in the Truth Joh. 4. VVhich Worship Christ taught when he foretold the end of that Worship which was at Jerusalem in the Temple which once God commanded to the Jews under the Law which with the outward things that pertained to it and to the Priests and Worshippers in that Temple as outward Musick Instruments Singing Tythes Offerings were all to cease as Figures or Types when a more inward and mysterious Way and Worship in the Spirit was brought in and revealed by Christ to the Saints and Christians of the New Testament who as they grew in the power of God to enjoy the enduring Substance and end of Figures and Shadows they grew out of these outward things that were but as Figures into the knowledge of the glorious Gospel and the Mystery of its Fellowship which outshined and transcended all these shadows under the Law See Heb. 9. chap. 10. which Gospel and Mystery we are come to know and witness to the praise and glory of our God And to this Testimony did the holy Apostles and Ministers of Christ bear large Witness as did the Martyr Stephen when he preached Christ whom the people were to hear in all things and he that would not hear was to be cut off Deut. 18.18 Act. 7.37 and 3.23 and called them stiff-necked and uncircumcised in hearts and ears who were in their blind zeal for the outward Temple and so witnessing to Christ the substance and end of the Temple He told them The most High dwelleth not in Temples made with hands and for his Testimony he was stoned to death Act. 7.47 48 51. And so we being brought to hear and learn of Christ the Prophet whom the People were to hear in all things lest they were destroyed and being made a spiritual house Church and living Temples in which God dwells and walks according to his Promises 2 Cor. 6.16 who hath brought us out from the Idols Temples false Worships and Teachers we may not uphold nor joyn with that Worship that is upheld in these places which the world calls Churches and Chappels which God never commanded nor set up but the Papists and such as were apostatized from the Life of the Saints into men's Traditions and Inventions neither ought the Magistrate to compel us to these places of Worship against our Consciences but as it is the just duty of the Civil Magistrates to punish evil-doers and to be a praise to them that do well Rom. 13. 1 Pet. 2 14. So they ought rather to protect than hinder our peaceable Meetings which are in the Worship into which God hath called us by his Spirit And whether our Meetings be in houses or fields we being brought to meet together in the Name and Power of Christ we meet according to the Example of the People of God and true Christians in the primitive times when they were brought both from the Jews Temple and from the Gentiles Temples and Worships and sometimes met in houses sometimes abroad in the Fields and upon Mountains sometimes by the Sea-side c. as many examples might be mentioned See Matth. 5.1 Joh. 20.19 Act. 10.27 chap. 12.12 and 16.13 and 20.8.20 and 28.30 Heb. 10.25 Mal. 3.16 So would it have been just or righteous to have persecuted these Christians for meeting in houses and to have termed their Meetings Conventicles or to have made any Laws against them for the breaking of their Meetings and for imprisoning them for meeting in houses as many of the People of God have been dealt with for no other cause but for being in their Example and Life And it is as much against our Consciences and the Law of God in us to deny to meet together in the Name of Christ wherein we have long and often met as it was against Peter and John's Consciences to deny to speak in the

suing many honest men at Law for Tythes and spoyling their Goods and fraudulently taking away Goods many times more than the Tythes demanded As also they have cast many into Prisons for Tythes several of whom have dyed in Prisons And thus have they dealt by many that are separated from them whom they do no work for nor preach to and such as can buy none of the Priests ware nor spend their money for that which is not bread knowing the Fountain of LIFE whereto all that thirst may come freely and freely drink without money or price and the gift of the Spirit of God within and a part in his Wisdom which is not to be bought nor sold for Silver or Gold Isa. 55. Job 28. So thus the Priests forcing Tythes and Goods from them they do no work for is both contrary to all Equity Reason or Scripture and their grievous oppression upon the Poor and the Nation hath caused the Nation to groan and the Land to mourn VI. Of their Persecuting and Compelling men ANd the Priests in shewing themselves to be envious men and persecutor's and going about to compel consciencious men that differ from them in Judgment to their Worship and Religion by an outward Power or Law of man and in their Instigating Magistrates to persecute such as cannot for Conscience-sake joyn with them Herein they have greatly shewed themselves to be out of the way of the Gospel and true Ministry for the way of the Gospel and its Ministers is to convince Gain-sayers and to beget men into the love of the Truth through the meekness of Love and Wisdom and so to convert them and not to use Persecution and compulsion to force them to an outward conformity against their Consciences and Faith nor to seek to be Lords over men's Faith 2 Cor. 1.24 as the Priests do wherein they have shewed themselves to be in the way of the persecuting Jews and Papists and not in the way of the Gospel-Ministers for neither Persecution Carnal weapons nor outward compulsion can convince of error nor convert men to the love of the Truth for they that may be thereby made conformable to an outward Profession or Worship it is but in hypocrisie whilst they are not convinced in their Consciences of the thing to be true which they are compelled to and this is but to make men Hypocrites and no further can it bring them For whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin Rom. 14.23 And they who can alter their Religion by outward compulsion or for fear of suffering will change as the Times and Governments change as many of the hireling-Priests themselves do who when their Gospel will not bear them out against their opposers then they fly to the Magistrates and Persecutors for help when as the Ministers of Christ wrastled not with flesh and blood but with Principalities and Powers and spiritual wickedness in high places and their weapons were not carnal but spiritual and mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds Eph. 6.12 and therefore we finding the Priests contrary to them and in the way of the proud Persecutors and of the Beast which made War against the Saints and set up the compelled Worships and many of them in the way of Cain who hated his Brother for his Religion Joh. 3.12 1 Jude v. 11. we are commanded of the Lord not to uphold them nor joyn with them VII Of the manner of their Preaching ANd as for the PRIESTS Preaching what they have invented and gathered out of Authors and Books and not from the Spirit or Revelation of Christ within and their following such a form in their Preaching as dividing a Text into parts and branches and from their own humane knowledge raising Doctrines Reasons Uses Motives Arguments Consequences Applications c. They speak in the form and words which man's wisdom doth teach like heathen Orators and they preach by an Hour-glasse what they have gathered and imagined This the Priests manner and way of Preaching is contrary to the Preaching of the true Ministers for they ministred as they had received the gift of Christ 1 Pet. 4.10 and what Christ revealed in them and sent them to preach and they preached not the words which man's wisdom taught nor used the cunning sleights and devices of men but preached in the power and demonstration of the Spirit of Christ 1 Cor. 2. Eph. 4.14 2 Pet. 1.16 which is not to be limited to men's forms and inventions nor unto an hour-glass and therefore it is against our Consciences to sit under the Priests invented preaching by an hour-glasse it being so much contrary to the Saints preaching who were Ministers of the Spirit of the New Testament in the Revelation of the Mystery which is CHRIST within the hope of Glory VIII Of the manner of their Worship ALso it is against our Consciences to joyn with the Priests and their hearers in their formal and dead Worship at their Steeple-houses as their formal praying in their wills either in a form of their own inventing or by the Book of Common-prayer which was devised by men and then having a Clerk to say Amen which manner of worshipping we néver read of in the Scripture that the Saints used nor that the Saints in the Churches of Christ did ever sing David's Prophecies Prayers Complaints Lamentations in rime and meeter as Priests and People now do which were put into meeter by Thomas Sternhold John Hopkins and others nor that ever the Churches of Christ had drunken Clerks to give them forth what Psalms they were to sing or to give them such a tune to sing by as the Priests and their hearers now usually have whose songs shall become howlings Amos 8.3 but the Saints and true Christians in the primitive times did pray with the Spirit cryed Abba Father by the Spirit of Adoption and they sung with the Spirit with grace and understanding and made Melody in their hearts to the Lord as the Word that dwelt plenteously in them led them Rom. 7.6 chap. 8.15 26. 1 Cor. 14 15. Eph. 5.19 Col. 3.16 and so the Saints served God in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the Letter and such did not set a company of proud covetous persecuting or prophane people of the world to sing Davids Confessions Prayers Complaints and of his Fastings Roarings and Tremblings in meeter in a Steeple-house or Masse-house as the Priests and their Clerks do who many times cause scorners and proud ones to sing That they are not puft in mind they have no scornful eye Psal. 131. And such as are given to sporting and wantonness to say that all the night long they wash their bed with tears See Psal. 6. in the Rime and such as feed themselves without fear and spend the creatures upon their Lusts and live in Fulness and Fatness to sing that they fast their flesh to chast and that they weep and mone and that for grief and pain of heart in

Consciences would compel and force all to be of their Church and to conform to their Worship though it be never so much contrary to their Consciences and though they have counted them Hereticks Deceivers Seducers and what not yet if they could force them outwardly to conform to their Worship they should be received and help to make up their Church and what a confused Church of Hypocrites that would be may be easily judged but I say their lording it over men's Consciences and compelling them to their Worships and persecuting men for their Religion is never the way to convince them nor to gain them to God what outward formality soever they may force them to by an outward Power for it is the gentle meek and tender Spirit of the Lamb that must appear in Ministers and convince and regain People to God and into the love of his Truth or else they are not fit Instruments for God's work XXIII Of the Common-prayer-Book ANd we do not read in the Scripture of a Common-prayer-Book that the Saints ever had to direct them how to pray and to sing for they prayed with the Spirit and sung with the Spirit but the Common-prayer-Book was devised by men since the Apostles dayes much of which is agreeable to the masse-Masse-Book from whence it had its derivation though some of the Ceremonies of the Masse are left out yet after the Preface near the beginning of the Common-prayer touching those Ceremonies that were reserved in their Church it is said that those Ceremonies have been devised by men c. Now we being led by the Spirit of God and therein brought to worship him we must not follow man's devices and invented Ceremonies for they are not truly called the Divine Service but the Service which is in the Spirit of God is divine and not the following of men's Devices And is it not evident that they that set up the common-prayer-Common-prayer-Book were Popish from their saying in their Commination against sinners That in the Primitive Church there was a Godly Discipline that at the beginning of Lent such persons as were notorious sinners were put to open Penance and punished in this world that their souls might be saved c. Was not that Discipline Popery which there they called Godly and which Discipline they much wished might be restored again instead whereof they pronounced several Curses XXIV Of the Priests gross Ignorance about their Publick Baptism ANd what Ignorance is it for Teachers at their publick Baptism to say That God by the Baptism of his beloved Son did sanctifie the flood Jordan and all other Waters to the mystical washing away of Sin when as many are sprinkled or dipped when Infants and washed with outward water who are yet unwashed from their sins as Drunkards Swearers Lyars covetous and prophane Persons And yet to say that Infants by their Sureties must faithfully promise obediently to keep God's Commandments and that they will forsake the Devil and all his works the vain pomp and glory of the world with all the covetous desires of the same the carnal desires of the flesh and that they will not follow nor be led by them and then for them called Godfathers to answer as in the Infants name and say I forsake them all viz. the Devil and all his works when as the Infants are not capable of any such Promises neither do they that promise so for them fulfill what they promise themselves And after they say that the Children have promised to forsake the Devil and all his works c. those called Godfathers and Godmothers must see that the Infants be taught as soon as they can learn what a solemn Vow Promise and Profession they have made what Confusion and Darkness is this And yet notwithstanding all this promising to forsake the Devil and all his works and after that by this Baptism so called they say they are regenerate and grafted into the Body of Christ and say they are made the Children of God and Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven notwithstanding all this both Priests and People confess that they have offended against the holy Laws and followed the desires of their own hearts and that there is no health in them and cry as they do often Lord have mercy upon us miserable offenders And thus they confound themselves and break their Promises of forsaking the Devil and all his works and of obediently keeping God's Commandments when as they daily break them and so are in the Devil's work who is the Author of all unrighteousness and such Teachers as in whom there is no health are none of Christ's Ministers neither can we own such for our Teachers for who are Ministers of Christ have his Spirit dwelling in them and so have health in them And how can such absolve men from all their sins as they say in their Visitation of the Sick who themselves are miserable Sinners and have no health in them XXV Of the true Church and its Head MUch more of the Priests Ignorance Errors and Superstitions both in their Doctrines and Practices might be shewed which I omit mentioning for the present here being so many Reasons as may satisfie the Reasonable why we cannot joyn with them in their Worships at their Steeple-houses nor own them in their Ministry for the Lord hath united us by his mighty Power and incorporated us into the true Body which is the Church of CHRIST whom he hath espoused and married unto himself to be as a chast wife unto the husband and Christ is the Head and Law-giver to his Church and therefore we cannot joyn with the false Church that is made up of such members as profess they be married to Christ and yet they know neither the true Baptism into the true Church nor the true Communion of the Body which is the Church nor have they ever heard his Voice as to be married to him neither were they ever cloathed upon with the Wedding Garment to wit Christ's Righteousness but are in their own Righteousness and the Traditions and Devices of men which are but as filthy Rags which they have set up without instead of the Life and Mystery of Godliness within and such are in Babylon drinking of the Whores Cup and following the Beast which hath long born up the Whore which hath persecuted and drunk the Blood of the Saints and which is come in Remembrance before the LORD who is confounding Babylon So who are espoused as a chast Virgin to Christ and married to Him and come to know Him their Head and Law-giver must not commit Adultery with the Whore nor drink of her Cup anymore nor joyn with the false Church for Christ is the Head of his Church even as the husband is the head of the wife and the wife is bound by the Law to her husband so long as he liveth so that if while her husband liveth she be married to another man she shall be called an Adulteress Rom. 7. Ephes. 5.23 So that Christ being the Head of his Church as the husband is the head of the wife his Church is not to set up another Head than Christ over it and so neither to own the Pope as Supream Head of the Church nor any man else but CHRIST according to the Scriptures of Truth So blessed are they who own the LIGHT of CHRIST in their hearts that they may follow Him into the City of our God where the Lord God and the Lamb may be their Light and Teacher that they may no more be carried away captive in Mystery Babylon the false Church and her whorish practices neither be any more deceived by her Sorceries nor drink any longer of her Cup. Written in Norwich Castle about the latter end of the second Month 1661. G. W. THE END