have been so Inquisitive And in others to go to their Publick Meetings to hear and see for themselves who have thereby been so entirely well satisfied in their Principles that many lately of several Professions have united themselves to their Communion FINIS Books Printed and Sold by T. Sowle in White-Hart-Court in Gracious-street and at the Bible in Leaden-Hall-street 1700. TRuth and Innocency Vindicated and the People called Quakers Defended in Principle and Practice against Invidious Attempts and Calumnies Being a Just Examination of two Books against the said People Entituled I. A Brief Discovery c. by three Norfolk Priests II. Some few of the Quakers many Horrid Blasphemies c. Being a Scandalous Libel Containing also many of the Repeated Abuses in John Meriton's Antidote and Francis Bugg's Pilgrim's Progress Examined by G. Whitehead a Servant of Christ Price Stitch'd 9 d. The Rector Examined About his Book Scandalously stiled An Antidote against the Venom of Quakerism By John Meriton who calls himself A. M. Rector of Boughton in Norfolk And his Observations Remarked and the Christianity of the People commonly called Quakers Re-asserted and Vindicated from his Perversions and Assertions By George Whitehead Price Stitch'd 6 d. A Rambling Pilgrim or Profane Apostate Exposed Being an Answer to Two Persecuting Books Falsly Entitled I. The Pilgrim's Progress from Quakerism to Christianity II. A Modest Defence With an Epistle Dedicatory to his Bountiful Benefactors By G. W. a Servant of Christ Price Stitch'd 6 d. The Creed-Forgers Detected in Reply to a Pamphlet Falsly called The Quakers Creed containing Twelve Articles Published by some who have not joyned with Geo. Keith in his Pride and Contradiction but Testifie against both him and them that joyn with him therein Price Stitch'd 2 d. Some Observations on the Remarks upon the Quakers Or the Busie Priest's Envy Detected and Folly Manifested and his poor Ability for his Languishing Church proved Ineffectual Price Stitch'd 3 d. The Weakness of George Keith's Reasons for Renouncing Quakerism and entering into Communion with the Church of England c. Manifested and Replied to By John Feild Price Stitch'd 3 d. Robert Bridgman's Reason for leaving the Quakers upon Examination proved Unreasonable being only a Demonstration of his Envy By W. Rawlinson Price Stitch'd 3 d. The Tryal of Spirits both in Teachers and Hearers Wherein is held forth the clear Discovery and certain Downfal of the Carnal and Antichristian Clergy of these Nations Testified from the Word of God to the University Congregations of Cambridge Whereunto is added a plain and necessary Confutation of divers Gross Errors delivered by Mr. Sydrach Sympson in a Sermon preached to the same Congregation at the Commencement Anno MDCLIII Wherein among other things is declared that the Universities according to their present Statutes and Practices are not as he affirmed answerable to the Schools of the Prophets in the time of the Law but rather to the Idolatrous High Places And that Humane Learning is not a Preparation appointed by Christ either for the right Understanding or right Teaching the Gospel With a brief Testimony against Divinity-Degrees in the Universities As also Luther's Testimony at large upon the whole Matter And lastly The right Reformation of Learning Schools and Universities according to the State of the Gospel and the Light that shines therein All necessary for the Instruction and Direction of the Faithful in these last times By William Dell Minister of the Gospel and Master of Gonvil and Caius College in Cambrige Price bound 1 s. 6 d. The Defence of the People called Quakers Being a Reply to a Book lately published by certain Priests of the County of Norfolk under the pretended Title of The Quakers Challenge And containing some brief and modest Animadversions upon the Book it self Several Certificates which Detect the Errors in those of West-Dereham and Clear the People called Quakers of the said Challenge The Letters that passed between Them and the Priests Price Stitch'd 6 d. No Cross No Crown A Discourse shewing the Nature and Discipline of the Holy Cross of Christ By W. Penn. In Two Parts The Fifth Edition Price bound 3 s. The Harmony of Divine and Heavenly Doctrines Demonstrated in sundry Declarations on Variety of Subjects Preached at the Quakers Meeting in London by Mr. W. Penn Mr. G. Whitehead Mr. S. Waldenfield Mr. B. Coole Taken in Short-hand as it was delivered by them and now Faithfully Transcribed and Published for the Information of those who by reason of Ignorance may have received a Prejudice against them By a Lover of that People Price bound 1 s. 6 d.
G. K. his abetting Ministers and my Self at Turner's Hall with some Observations on his Fourth Narrative relating thereunto And that I may not be altogether Immethodical I shall consider every Paragraph wherein I find my Name specified in the same order as they are printed in his Narrative beginning with p. 21. * Fourth Narr p. 21. A Quaker call'd D. Phillips standing by near where I stood said That Book i. e. The Way cast up was approved by the Second-Days-Meeting at London which was a great Vntruth I told how I wrote that Book in Scotland and from Scotland sent it to a Correspondent in Holland who printed it there and when it come over to London in the Year 1678. it met with great Opposition from divers of the Preachers of the Quakers at London as Steven Crisp William Shewen William Mead and Samuel Newton Obser I could deny what he asserts of me here to be True because of some Additions This Mistake I would rather impute to that Officious Person that gave him the Relation of what I said than to any design in G. K. to mis-represent my Words being well satisfied he cannot say he heard me speak any thing like it For when I spoke to some that were by me concerning that Book I stood in a Corner behind him so that he could neither conveniently see or hear me because he was then directing his Discourse to his Auditory that was before him But admitting it for granted that I did say his Book call'd The Way cast up was approved by the Second-Days-Meeting at London I am apt to think no unprejudiced Person will assert I am guilty of a great Untruth i. e. great Lye for saying that That Book was approved by the Second-Days-Meeting at London when he hath Read what G. K. saith concerning that very Book in the Defence of the Snake and duly considered the Reasons advanced by him here to prove it The First Reason whereby he would insinuate that I am guilty of a great Untruth seems to run thus That Book was Writ in Scotland Printed in Holland and therefore could not be Censured by the Second-Days-Meeting at London Is it not possible that a Book may be Writ in the East-Indies Printed in the West-Indies yet may be approved or disapproved of in London The inconclusiveness of this Argument is so obvious that I am of Opinion it would be nauseous to the Reader to detain him any longer thereon Therefore shall proceed to his Second When it i. e. The Way cast up came over to London in the Year 1678. it met with great Opposition from divers of the Preachers of the Quakers at London Under this extensive term Divers only Four are here included and that is the greatest number that I have heard did then object against any of the Expressions contained in that Book Should all that he asserteth on this Subject be Credited as Truth tho' at the same time I have great cause to suspect his Sincerity in this Matter because in other Relations he has Printed Notorious Falshoods it would affect the whole Body of Quakers no more than if any should prove there were Four Ministers of the Church of England so call'd that were Socinians would affect the whole Episcopal Clergy in England neither do I conceive he would have continued Fourteen Years after this Strenuously defending their Principles as Orthodox or have said as he doth in his Preface to his Serious Appeal Printed in Pensilvania 1692. which is Fourteen Years after the Conference about this Book was managed viz. * Preface to the Serious Appeal It never yet hath been proved nor ever will be that the Religion professed by the Sincere and Faithful People called in Scorn Quakers is either Paganism or any other thing than real Christianity had he not been Convinced that they held no such Errors as by wresting of their Words he would now insinuate Had he deserted their Society immediately after this Conference it might have had some shadow of Reason to induce some to Credit this Story concerning our above-nominated Four Friends but I can scarce have so hard Thoughts of him as to imagine he would have tarried amongst them so many Years after this Conference had these Men Opinions as here related by him been the avowed Principles of the Quakers as now he seems to assert I am so far from an Opinion that he deserted them on this Account that I believe had he not been Expell'd their Society he would not have divested himself of the Title of a Quaker to this Day because several Years after he was Exiled their Communion for some Irregularities he own'd himself to be a Quaker which is almost a Demonstration to me that he did not think Antichristian Doctrines Essential to Quakerism so call'd My Sentiments are that he kept that Title as long as he was in any hopes of gaining a Party of them or any others to side with him but finding his greatest Endeavours to divide them Fruitless and it may be his Necessities very pressing partly out of Revenge and partly through the Charms of a good Stipend he makes his Intentions known to some of the Church of England so call'd who willingly received him not as I am subject to believe out of any great Esteem of his Sincerity but having a design against the Quakers c. they thought him a Tool as well qualified to stir up Persecution against them as any But to return to what more immediately concerns my self viz. to prove that Book i. e. The Way cast up was approved of by a Meeting of Friends I could produce a Cloud of Witnesses but doubting the Narrator will insinuate his Old Friends are now become his Enemies and therefore their Evidence against him is not to be Credited I shall omit theirs and only recite what G. K. saith conceiving he will not eat his own Words concerning this Treatise in the Defence of the Snake his Partiality therein I shall not now determine but shall suspend till I have seen his Opponents Answer his Words are * Defence of the Snake p. 25. In the Conclusion after there had been two Meetings about it the Persons that had accused me were desired by the Meeting to desist from their Charge and say nothing against the Book i. e. The Way cast up and whereas some Friends that were dissatisfied at my Book had forbidden the Stationer in George-yard to sell it because it was Unsound Order was given by the Meeting that the Stationer might be encouraged to Sell it that it might have its Service in City and Country as according was done It is to be observ'd that there is but one Meeting amongst Friends that doth actually concern themselves about Printing c. of Books if this Relation of G. K. is true how am I guilty then of a great Untruth I leave to the Consideration of the Unprejudiced to give in their Verdict I shall conclude my Observations on this Paragraph with one
Proteus Redivivus OR THE Turner of Turners-hall Truly Represented And the ABUSES and FALSEHOODS OF George Keith's Fourth Narrative So far as they concern the Author EXAMIN'D and DETECTED By Daniel Phillips M. D. Proverbs 24.8 He that deviseth to do Evil shall be called a mischievous Person Can any thing be spoken or written in words so clear from Ambiguity which a Perverse or Prejudiced Mind shall not be able to vex and force to another Meaning Arch-bishop Tillotson 's Works P. 680. Qui aliquid statuit parte inaudita altera Aequum licet statuerit haud aeqitus fuit Sen. Tragoed LONDON Printed and Sold by T. Sowle in White-Hart-Court in Gracious-street 1700. THE EPISTLE TO THE READER Christian Reader WE are so far from affecting Obscurity in our Credenda that could there be found a way to render our Principles as easily obvious to thy Understanding as there is of our Actions to the Eye we should be extreamly well satisfied not doubting but thou wouldest have as favourable an Opinion of the first as of the last But if thou dost only see with other Mens Eyes and judge by other Mens Understandings even those whose Interest it may be is to put a Bears Skin on us I am no ways surprised if thou hast ill Sentiments of Quakerism so called Did I believe that People held such Tenets as their Adversaries insinuate I should abominate it from my very Soul but I do certainly know they are grosly misrepresented and so may'st thou if thou hast but so much Patience or canst spare so much time as to read and consider their approved * R. B 's Apology W. P 's Key c. Authors as many have done since G. K. the Snake c. began their Malicious Clamours against them to their intire Satisfaction saying What False Stories have we heard of the Quakers We could not have believed that they are so Sound in the Christian Faith had not we discoursed them about their Principles and read their Books therefore for the future we are resolved never to credit any Reports concerning them till we have examined the Truth of them This Examination of our Principles and reading of our Books hath been of singular Service for many thereby have been lately convinced of the Truth amongst which numbers are several Ministers and other Learned Men of divers Professions By this it is evident that what our Enemies designed for an Obstruction to the Truth thro' Divine Providence is turned extreamly to the Advantage of it Had G. K. or any other of our Adversaries that have lately written against us intended it only in order to reform us in such Tenets as they imagined we were Erroneous they should in my Opinion have considered our Principles as explained by our selves and our words in the Sense we use them and in that Sense have demonstrated their Opposition to the Doctrines contained in the Holy Scriptures Had they done thus we might have acknowledged their Kindness towards us but if they think by their false Inferences to perswade us that we hold Principles whereof we were altogether Ignorant till they affirmed that they were our Tenets or to alter our Sentiments by the apparent Glosses and false Turns they give our Sayings they will be mistaken because we are satisfied this is a Method calculated by some designing Persons rather to raise Heats and Animosities and to excite the Magistrates to Persecution that to reform our Judgments wherein they suggest we are Erroneous To leave the Truth of their Allegations against us to the Decision of some Moderate Men that are either Episcopalians Presbyterians Independents or Baptists hath at the first glance some shew of Fairness But if we seriously consider the Proposal nothing is more Unreasonable than to expect that we should leave the Determination of our Cause to those Men that are or have been our Accusers and have long since pre-judged both it and our selves Will the Episcopalians stand to the Award of the Presbyterians Independents and Baptists whether there were any Lord Archbishops Lord Bishops Priests Deacons as an Order Prior to Priesthood Arch-Deacons c. or any Common-Prayer-Book Sprinkling of Infants Signing of them in the Forehead with the Sign of the Cross and the Use of Godfathers and Godmothers as they call them in the Apostles days Or any Fonts Surplices Organs Choristers c. in their Times Will the Presbyterians stand to the Arbitration of the Episcopalians whether Bishops are an Order distinct from and superior to Presbyters Jure Divino Will the Baptists abide by the Determination of the Episcopalians Presbyterians and Independents whether Water-Baptism ought to be administred by Dipping only and not by Sprinkling or Pouring also Or whether Adult Persons only ought to be admitted to Water-Baptism upon Profession of their Faith and not the Infants of Professing Parents If none of these will admit one Party's Judgment conclusive against the Opinion of the other what reason then is there for the Quakers to admit Men of another Perswasion to be their Judges as long as they submit their Doctrines to the Test of the Holy Scriptures I confess I see none what thou may'st Reader is difficult for me to determine Possibly Reader thou may'st be one of those whose Opinion is that we should Retract some Passages in our ancient Friends Books as G. K. hath done in his and then all would be well not doubting but thou wilt allow as one of the Norfolk Priests as West-Dereham did that the Quakers of this Generation are Orthodox and that thou desirest nothing more of the Quakers but that they should Retract some Expressions in their old Writings and then thou wouldst recognize them as Protestant Dissenters To thee I reply That as long as most of the Sentences oppugn'd by our Adversaries and justified by us have either been sufficiently explained already in some other part of the same Author's Works or in some other Books of our Friends there can be no need of an Index Expurgatorius And as G. K. hath vindicated most that hath been formerly objected against us as Erroneous so I am confident the latter pretended Discoveries may be if our Opponents will but grant us the same liberty to defend our deceased Friends Writings that Bishop Kidder takes to defend the New Testament against the Objections of the Jews If this may be admitted as 't is presumed no Christian will deny it then 't is not doubted but a Sense Analogous to the Doctrines contained in the Scriptures may be given to all our Ancient Friends Writings What concerns G. K's Retractations whereof he now makes a great Noise I imagined that the Bishop which Ordained him would have obliged him to a more particular Recantation especially as to his former Severe Censures of that Church whereof now he is a Pretended Member e'er he would have imployed him as an Itinerant Preacher because should they be but superficially surveyed his particular ones which are but few would appear little more
than Explications adapted to his Private Designs and his general one * Retrack p. 42. I submit all that I have at any time given forth in Word Writ or Print by way of Doctrine in Religious Matters to the Test Touch-stone and Rule of the Scriptures Renouncing Revoking Retracting Disowning and Denying whatever is contained in any of my former or latter Books that doth not perfectly agree with the Holy Scriptures is no more as I verily believe than any Quaker will readily do Had G. K. been really convinced he had acted the Part of a Sophister in defending the Quakers Opinion by putting false Glosses on the Scriptures or by using any inconclusive Arguments he should as I conceive have been as particular in his Retractations as he was in his Vindications of them and ingenuously have demonstrated wherein each particular Perversion of the Scriptures and every Numerical Sophism did consist Till this is done his former now the Quakers Arguments are as good a Defence for them against him or any other Adversary as formerly when he was one of them 'T is not enough in my Thoughts for G. K. when his own Arguments are urged against him in general to say I have Retracted I have Retracted them and that 't is great Impudence in any to object against me what I have long since Retracted We do not consider them now only as G. K's but as our own Reasons and might have used them had he never been known nor any of his Books seen by us and we may presume to use any or all the Arguments which he hath formerly Printed in our Defence let him mutter never so much till he or some of his Adherents shall shew their Inconclusiveness I am sensible Reader that many are perchance thou art also of opinion that G. K. hath discovered monstrous Errors amongst the Quakers that were never detected before and indeed he seems to insinuate as much in his Advertisement to his Fourth Narrative by saying It is my purpose to detect and discover Gross Errors and Antichristian Principles c. Whereby thou mightest be apt to inferr he was an Original and not a Transcriber To undeceive thee in this matter I shall subject to thy Consideration what one tho' I might what one Hundred of their Opposers said of them above Forty Years since conceiving thou canst discover Ex ungue Leonem And that thou may'st the more easily perceive the Harmony not to say Plagiasm of G. K. with one Jonathan Clapham who writ a Book stiled A Full Discovery and Confutation of the Wicked and Damnable Doctrines of the Quakers c. and dedicated it to Oliver Cromwel then Lord Protector Printed Anno 1656. I shall set Eight of G. K.'s Ten Calumnies as they are Printed in an Advertisement prefixed to his Fourth Narrative in a Column opposite to what J. C. also falsly affirmed that their Agreement may the easier be perceived J. C. in the abovesaid Book pretends to prove the Quakers guilty of 1. Being Enemies to the Holy Scriptures 2. Denying Christ come in the Flesh his Death Resurrection c. 3. Denying the Doctrine of the Trinity 4. Holding Equality with God and the Soul to be one Being with God 5. Corrupting the Doctrine of Justification 6. Denying the Resurrection of the Body last Judgment Heaven and Hell 7. Being Enemies to all the Ordinances of Jesus Christ 8. Being no Friends to the Lord's day making all days alike 9. Pretending to Miracles 10. Being no truly Mortified Persons notwithstanding Pretences thereunto and how Popish Monks have out-stripped them therein 11. Destroying the True Doctrine of Sanctification 12. Being the common Sink of all the Heresies of our Times and how they agree with former Hereticks in many Particulars and are Enemies to all Civility and good Manners and to avoid them as Pernicious Enemies to the Souls of Men and to have no Communion with them c. G. K. Insinuates that the Errors he intends to discover the Quakers guilty of * In his Advertisment to his 4th Narrative are 1. Concerning the Scriptures 2. Concerning Christ's Incarnation his Soul and Body and Blood his coming to Judgment at the last day 3. Concerning the Holy Trinity 4. Concerning the Soul 5. Concerning Justification 6. Concerning the Resurrection 7. Concerning Outward Baptism and the Supper 8. Concerning doing Servile Work on the Lord's day The Analogy that here is between the Contents of G. K's Fourth Narrative and J. Clapham's Book is so conspicuous that some may be induced to think he borrowed a great deal of his Darkness from this Book in composing his last Narrative But waving that 't is undeniable that the Principal Errors pretended which G. K. and others now advance against the Quakers are mostly contained in this Treatise of J. C. If so it consequentially follows that they were forged long before G. K. was a Quaker How then it should happen seeing these Objections were so publickly Printed that he should live as now he pretends Thirty Years in Ignorance of them is so surprising that it gains little Credit with me how much it doth with thee I shall not determine In fine It may be obvious to any that have the Opportunity of reading our old Adversary's Books that there is little now objected against the Quakers but what is a Reiteration of things falsly affirmed of them and answered by them Thirty or Forty Years since If G. K. who is by some thought to have made the greatest Discoveries of their Errors should have his Writings deplumed of all the Feathers which his Envious Predecessors have made use of against them his Circumstances would not be much unlike that of the Crow in the Fable and under the same Predicament may be comprehended most of the Modern Writers against them As can be demonstrated by thy Sincere Friend D. P. London Septemb. 4. 1700. Proteus Redivivus OR The TURNER of Turner's-Hall Truly Represented c. THAT Persons who have been Banished a Society whether Civil or Religious for their Irregularities should afterwards use their utmost Efforts to excite the Enemies of such a Communion to disturb its Peace is as History relates so natural to Exiles that I am subject to imagine few will be surprized either to hear or see G. K. so Sedulous in perverting the Quaker's Books violating their Sense and ridiculing their Persons when they have a true Idea of the real Motives which induced him to be so maliciously Clamorous against them It was not my Design to have concerned my self in this publick Controversie neither do I now intend to go much farther than I am actually concerned would G. K. have answered my Letter delivered to him or given me a Meeting as he promised or Personally acknowledged he was Mistaken and had not designedly mis-represented my Words But seeing this could not be obtained to undeceive his Reader I shall here expose to his view and consideration a brief Account of the Substance of the Discourse that passed between
Argument ad hominem whereby I am induced to believe that if one of G. K's Inferences is conclusive it will undeniably follow that all the Orthodox Doctrines c. contained in any of his Books that have been Countenanced by the Second-Days-Meeting at London and have been allowed to be sold by the Quakers there are to be Esteemed as their Principles from these following Words * Ancich and Sadd. p. 5. Seeing the Second-Days-Meeting at London hath Countenanced his i. e Caleb Pusey 's Book and the Quakers generally at London allow it to be sold next Door to their Meeting-House in Grace-Church-street they make his Ignorance Unbelief Sadducism and Antichristian Doctrine to be theirs Then with a parity of Reason all the Knowledge Orthodox Faith and Christian Doctrine that is contained in G. K. or any other person's Books that have been Countenanced by the Second-Days-Meeting at London or are generally allowed to be sold next Door to their Meeting-House in Grace-Church-street are theirs I asked D. Phillips what he said to my former Question Fourth Narr p. 58. Did Men by their Sins really wound God in them as some of their Preachers have affirmed After some demur he said he would not give a positive Answer but take it into further Consideration whereupon some of the Auditory did commend him Obser My Answer to his Query is here mis-stated whether Designedly or Accidentally I shall not positively affirm but this I can say He hath not related one Sentence in Terminis as it was delivered by me Therefore to undeceive his Reader I shall give him a Summary Account why a Priest did speak favourably of an Answer I gave which was on this occasion G. K. holding a little Book in his Hand read a Passage in it as soon as he had done reading it he asked my Opinion thereof I replyed D. P. I must take time to Consider it Minist That is Modestly said Another Minister But you should either have owned or disowned it D. P. Would it have been Prudence in any Man either to Justifie or Condemn a Book meerly on the reading of one or two Lines of it without considering the Context Scope or Drift of the Author Minist But you should have consider'd this Book D. P. I do not know where to procure it Minist You may have it at Mrs. Sowle's D. P. I am satisfied of the contrary because most of these Books here produced were out of Print before I was Born and if I would give Ten times their value I do not know where to buy them If thou wilt but oblige us so far as to give us the same liberty to defend our Antient Friends Books that Bishop Kidder takes in defending the Holy Scriptures against the Jews I doubt not but we may easily defend our Antient Friends Writings against all the Cavils of our Mercenary Adversaries Minist But who can tell where to have you seeing you may hereafter see cause otherwise to Word the Matter and yet your Intentions the same D. P. Yes indeed we can sometimes use Neco other times Occido and yet intend the same thing conceiving Neco and Occido to be Synonymous Terms and I am apt to think that variety of Synonymous Expressions is acceptable to most Readers Obser I always was and yet am of Opinion that it was and also is a great hardship for any Subject to be tried as a Criminal without a Copy of his Indictment even for a Fact that he himself hath Committed But a Barbarity nay a Tyranny not to be Parallell'd to impeach a Man and try him as an Offender for a Fact his Ancestors or some Friend of his Communion perpetrated and it may be before he was Born without favouring him with the sight of what he is in particular not in general Terms to be tried for This was the State of the Case of the Poor Quakers at West-Dereham they were there to be Tryed Judged and Condemned by their professed Enemies for pretended Blasphemies which their deceased or absent Friends were affirmed to be Guilty of and most if not all their pretended Proofs were to be taken out of certain Old Books and Manuscripts A Copy whereof was often and in the Opinion of very Judicious Persons justly by the Quakers desired nevertheless it was as often by the Arbitrary Priest denied To this Method of indicting People in general Termes G. K. is no Stranger How easie is it for a Critick to pick and cull a Sentence or by splitting it in two to render it thereby Obnoxious to the Ears of an Auditory to which as I conceive it would not be Prudence for any Man to give a present Answer until he had maturely consider'd the Context Scope and Intent of the Author How Unjust how Illegal how Arbitrary then is it for G. K. or any other to demand a direct Answer to a particular Sentence pick'd out of a Book which his Respondent never saw before I leave to the Determination of every moderate Man Would our Adversaries grant us that favour which I am confident they would expect if not demand from their Opponents being as it appears to me nothing but a right All Authors are Intituled to viz. where a Writer treats on any Subject Concisely or Dubiously if the same Person Writes on the same Matter more Prolixly and Perspicuously in some other part of his Works that is to be the Standard whereby the former is to be regulated If this would be admitted I doubt not but to demonstrate that all our Primitive Friends were sound in the Christian Faith even in express Terms as worded by themselves but it hath been our Lot to have our Writings wrested by our Enemies to the worst whereas Christian Charity should have given them the best Sense they will bear and many times directly contrary to the Scope Intent and formal Expressions of the same Author in some other Page of his Writings The very Errors of the Press I am satisfied are imputed to us as often as they render the Sense Obnoxious Should any without Prejudice seriously consider that noted Expression of G. F. which was objected against him as a vile Error about 45 Years since by his Adversaries and as I am subject to believe hath been Reprinted against us with the greatest Aggravations imaginable a Hundred times as a most horrid Error viz. * Saul's Errand p. 8. He that hath the same Spirit that raised up Jesus Christ is equal with God may easily by considering the Context and the Text of Scripture there cited in the Margin Rom. 8.11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the Dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the Dead shall also quicken your mortal Bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you determine what he meant and that there is a word or two either Redundant or Deficient take away what is Redundant i. e. he that hath and it will read thus The same Spirit that raised up Jesus Christ
to consider here the Reasons G. K. advances to prove the Scriptures are the Word of God because in reading his Fourth Narrative I met with a Passage where he positively asserts p. 22. The Scriptures are the Word of God Fourth Narr p. 22. and the Word most frequently so called in Scripture To confirm his Reader in a belief that he had good Authority to prove so bold an Assertion he cites Three Texts of Scripture out of the New Testament viz. 1. Thes 1.5 John 15.25 Acts 1.1 May I presume to look into the 7th page of G. K. Presbyterian and Independent Visible Churches in New England printed Anno 1691. I doubt not but I shall find George there in Opposition to Parson Keith because in that Book he positively saith That Logos 1 Thes 1.5 Signifies word of talk or discourse Now by Logos there is meant Doctrine and that Logos Acts 1.1 Signified Treatise but now it signifies Word how to reconcile these seeming Contradictions of this Weather-Cock I profess I am in a Quandary On the other hand should I say as it appears to me that he is Guilty of a perfect Contradiction he might thereby imagine that I did Insinuate That he was stark Mad and Crazed in his Understanding because he lays it down as a Maxim in his Preface to his Exact Narrative That none but stark mad Men and Crazed in their Understanding will hold perfect Contradictions That things may be put into a true Light and that the Reader may be capable to judge for himself I shall here subject to his Consideration the original Texts and their Translations into Latin Dutch French and English whereby it may be the more facile for him to determine whether G. K. hath not to serve a turn given them a Sense different from all others nay from himself a few Years since is not this in effect to make a Nose of Wax a Lesbian Rule of the Scriptures by giving them this Year one signification the next a different one What advantages this may give to the Enemies of Christianity I shall not now Demonstrate The first of these Texts is 1 Thes 1.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quoniam Evangelium nostrum constitit apud vos non locutione duntâ—â—â—â— sed etiam Virtute Spiritu Sancto Want on s Evangelium en is onder uniet alleen in Woorden gheweest maer oock in Kracht ende in den Heyligen Grest Car nostre Predication de l'Evangile n'a point este en vostre endroit seulement en Parole mais ausi en vertu en Saint Esprit For our Gospel came or more properly was not unto you in Word only but also in Power and in the Holy Ghost It may be observed that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not Translated came in the Latin Dutch or French Versions neither in the Bible that was Printed in Queen Elizabeth's Time Anno 1578. Should I confine my self solely to the Modern English Translation I do not perceive any advantage that G. K. will get thereby seeing the Apostle Paul's Sense of this Verse is obvious to any unprejudiced Person that the Gospel which he Preached to the Thessalonians was not only to be believed because of the perswasiveness of the Word Talk or Discourse he made use of when he Preached the Gospel to them but principally because the Power and Efficacy of the Holy Ghost accompanied it that this is the literal Sense of this Text I conceive none will deny By what figure then this 1 Thes 1.5 proves that all the Books of the Old and New Testament are the Word of God I confess my self Ignorant and am likely so to remain unless G. K. or some of his Disciples can inform me better The Second Text of Scripture that I shall consider is John 15.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sed oportet ut impleatur Sermo qui in lege ipsorum Scriptus est Maer dit gescheit op dat het woort vervult worde dat in hare wet geschreven is Mais c ' est a fin-que soit accomplie la parole qui est ecrite en leur Loi But this cometh to pass that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their Law It is evident from all these Translations of the Greek Text that G. K. hath seen cause otherwise to word the Matter here than either the Latin Dutch French or English Translators have but whether his Intentions are the same I shall leave that to the uninterested to determine As G. K. in his former Proof gave us only the English version of the Text so here he omitteth that being little for his purpose and favours us only with a scrap of the Original viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and translateth it Written Word should it be admitted for a Genuine interpretation though different from all others of the Original it would only prove that Sentence in their i. e. the Jews Law was called the written Word yet it is altogether insufficient to prove the Bible collectively i. e. as it contains all the Books of the Old and New Testament to be the Word of God because the Evangelist restricts it here to Four Words which are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they hated me without a Cause The Controversie between G. K. c. hath not been whether one particular Sentence in the Bible but whether all the Books therein contained are the Word of God all Citations of the Scriptures that do not prove that are in my Opinion far remote from the subject of this Dispute and till this is proved in express Scripture Terms by him or some other I hope he will be so favourable to us as not to Stigmatize us with the Name of Hereticks especially if he hath not forgot what he lately said viz. * Retract p. 34. I still adhere to my former Advice that nothing be required by one sort from another as an Article of Faith or Doctrine in common to be believed but what is expresly delivered in the Scriptures in plain express Scripture Terms The Term Logos is variously used and translated in the New Testament G. K. recites * Presb. and Inde Vis Chur. p. 7. Ten different Significations it hath Had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 been translated in John 15.25 as it in 1 Cor. 15.54 the saying that is written there would be scarce any shadow of an Argument to be deduced from that Citation to have proved that the Scriptures are the written Word of God unless wheresoever the Term Written is to be found in the Scriptures he will say Word is there meant tho' not expressed Perchance G. K. may have so much Effrontery as to deny that Logos signifies Saying because he hath not given that Sense of it in the Book and Page above-cited If he will but please to Read Bishop Kidder's Demonstration of the Messias p. 11. p. 251. there he may see the Bishop affirming that Legos signifies Saying or Thing and translating the very Words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Saying
Hydropical shall rise with a Belly not much less than a Tun he that dyes of a Consumption shall rise extreamly emaciated resembling a Skeleton he that dies without his Legs and Arms shall arise without them and he that dies Gibbous shall arise Hunch-back'd This is so gross an Opinion of the Resurrection that I am subject to believe G. K. doth not incline to Patronize any such Carnal Notions of the Resurrection of the Dead tho' he did not condemn it in his Brother Priest who said at Turners-Hall that he believed Christ was now in Heaven with the same Stomach Guts c. that might be out of Policy not being willing to disoblige any of them into whose Society he daily expected to be initiated Secondly As to his Civility towards his quondam Friends if he dislikes their Discourse being perhaps better Orators than himself he orders his Janisaries to pull them down if they do not do it without a Command as soon as they are down they are hurried out of Doors with Violence scarce admitting them to speak a word in their own defence altho' it may be he bespatters them at the same time with some personal Reflections Thus Thomas Kent was served at Turners-Hall a partial account thereof may be seen in the ninth Page Other times tho' it may be he was the Aggressor he will complement them with the grateful Titles of Fool Madman Lyar c. especially when he is foiled by his Opponent He will not be more Civil when he invites them into his Friends House In confirmation hereof I will give the Reader a brief account how he treated me A few days after his pretended fourth Narrative came out I writ to him intimating that he had grosly misrepresented me desiring his Answer but with none could I be favoured to his day Some time after I accidentally met him in Cornhil he told me that he had received my Letter and if he had done me any Wrong he would give me Satisfaction inviting me into his Bookseller's Shop without any Hesitation I followed him where some of his Fraternity were who would have Catechised me I replied I am come in with G. K. in order to receive Satisfaction from him for some things he hath Printed concerning me in his last Narrative I charged him with misrepresenting me first in Page 21. concerning his Book called The Way Cast up and shewed them what he said concerning it in the Defence of the Snake how that Book was approved by a Meeting of Friends and that by his own Concession then there was no Meeting but the Second-days-Meeting that did authorize Books consequentially it could be no great Lye in any Person that had read his Books to say that his Book called The Way Cast up was approved by the Second-days-Meeting they assented to it I also there told him That I did not say that I did not know what Meritorious signified He replied He thought I meant so I told him If he had done candidly by me he should have given my own Words and not his Conjectures of my Meanings Insisting a little warmly on this Subject to clear himself of this apparent Forgery he said He did verily believe that I spoke as 't was Printed I replied 'T was abominable False He fell into an Exorbitant Passion calling me Mad-man Lyar c. One that belonged to the Shop seeing the little Man in so great a Disorder and People gathering about the Shop-door pulled me from the place I stood and with violence thrust me into the Street Perchance some may have so favourable Opinions of him as to say he did not order his Friends to abuse me To them my Answer is Neither did he reprove them in my hearing for their Incivilities which in some Mens Judgment is a tacit Approbation Thirdly What concerns his Definition of Substance it is deficient having no differentia specifica whereby one Classis of Beings is discriminated from another But why should I spend time in anatomizing the Defectiveness c. of his Definition when it is obvious to all that know the Nature of a Definition I could not have imagined that G. K. who would be esteemed a Philosopher would have entertained his Auditory with such a nauseous Dish of Philosophy Perhaps some may think I am too Censorious that are of Opinion he is introducing a new System of Philosophy from his saying at Turners-Hall My Philosophy teacheth me this and my Philosophy teacheth me that Whatever Sentiments any of his Admirers may have of his Philosophy I shall have a mean Esteem of it till I have seen a Vindication of his late Definition of Substance c. Ibid. I ask'd him i. e. D. P. again Was our Lord's Body Earthly when it was on Earth D. P. It was like unto ours in all things Sin excepted G. K. But was it Earthly or Terrestrial D. P. The Scriptures are very plain in this matter for which reason I do not conceive there is any necessity for me to use any Unscriptural Terms nevertheless I do sincerely believe that it was as the Scripture says like ours in all things Sin excepted Min. By his confessing it was like ours he hath confessed it was an Earthly Body G. K. To them that are Sound in the Faith 't is so but not to the Quakers for they will not allow that an Earthly Body and a Heavenly Body can be the same in Substance or that a Natural Body and a Spiritual Body are the same in Substance Obs The unsettled Sense of this Term Substance is as I conceive the sole Cause of several Differences that arises amongst them that Discourse about it Those that have not been Tinctured with the Notions of the Schools concerning Substance consider it as a material Being having Length Breadth Thickness Figure Colour and as a thing Cognizable to the External Senses G. K. and the School-men talk of it as a Being that hath neither Length Breadth Thickness Figure Colour nor as an Object perceptible by the Eye c. but only as a Substratum of certain Qualities commonly called Accidents But what this Substratum is I never could yet meet with any that could give me a clear distinct Idea of it If G. K. hath a clear distinct and comprehensive Idea of the Term Substance and would communicate it to G. W. it is very probable their Notions about it might easily be reconciled but if one talks of it as a Creature of the Mind invented by the Schools to support their Notions of Accidents actually existing per se no where unless it doth in the Mind as Substance distinct from all Accidents really doth not And the other considers it only as a visible material Being as the Scripture does Gen. 7.4 They may endlesly dispute about it till the precise Signification of that Term is settled when that is done this Controversie may then appear to be a Strife meerly thro' the Ambiguity of words Ibid. I told the Auditory how the Quakers Ignorance and
Accidents from a Material Substance and what remains G. K. may put in his Eye without injuring his Sight not doubting to prove this my Supposition when G. K. in intelligible words demonstrateth the Truth of his Assertion But wherein to place the Sameness of a Spiritual Substance that was once a Natural One we suspend dictating any thing positively concerning it conceiving that we shall never have a certain adequate and comprehensive Notion of the Qualities of a Resurrection-Body till the last Day we actually experience it in our selves Nevertheless tho' we do not affect School-Terms which have been Midwiv'd into the World by Heathen Philosophers as Substance and Accidents nor Magisterially determine wherein the Identity of the Resurrection-Body shall consist yet we do unfainedly believe as our ancient Friend J. Crook in his Treatise called Truth 's Principles Printed Anno 1663 saith The Dead shall be raised with the same Bodies as far as a Natural and Spiritual Corruptible and Incorruptible Terrestrial and Celestial can be the same Having thus answered what is said concerning me in G. K.'s Fourth Narrative I submit to the unbiassed Reader 's Determination how great his Victory is and what Reason he hath so Boastingly to say * Page 92. That in all his Answers he i. e. D. P. gave on this or other Heads he greatly foyled himself In the Opinion of some this Boast had been more becoming a Man that had put off his Armour than one that is putting it on POSTSCRIPT BEsides what is related by G. K. in his Narrative concerning his Discourse with me there are several things omitted and I remember among other things he told his Auditory after this manner G. K. It is a Custom among the Quakers to advise their Proselytes to read none of their Adversaries Books D. P. That is False George Min. How long have you been a Quaker D. P. My Parents were Quakers and I may denominate my self one from my Cradle being always educated in the way of Truth and in all my Life I never heard any such Caution given to me or to any other Person Obser Had this been a General Maxim I am confident I should not have lived so long in Ignorance of it having had the Curiosity for several Years to read most Books that were Printed against the Quakers not privately but publickly even in the presence of some of their Chiefest Preachers but never was blamed for so doing nor advised to the contrary by any of them G. K. would not oblige me a little if he would favour me so far as to tell me how many he had advised not to read Adversaries Books in 25 or 30 Years that he was amongst them it is not to be doubted but if it was a common Method he who thought himself not one of the least of their Advocates can remember some of them by Name to whom he gave such Advice if he doth not give us the Name of one of our Friends now in Fellowship with us it will be reputed by me as a Fiction of his own Brain As G. K. was giving his Auditory an account of the extraordinary Success he had in reclaiming the Quakers from their Gross Errors as he falsly calls them I put one Query to him he having proposed several to me before and this is the only Query as I remember that I started all the time I was there after he had been glorying in the number of his Proselytes about Reading D. P. Now thou hast given us an account of thy Proselytes at Reading Prithee let us know how many thou hast in other places G. K. About Huntington there is Robert Bridgeman and Margaret Everard who was a noted Preacher amongst the Quakers D. P. Now thou hast given us a Catalogue of thy Country Proselytes Prithee give us an account of thy City Converts Here he demurred and tho' urged to give an Answer yet would not name one being ashamed as I am subject to believe publickly to own that he had not got one Quaker who was in Fellowship with Friends when he came to England and had not forfeited it by some Irregular Act to joyn with him in exposing of their quondam Friends in this populous City Obser The number of his Proselytes are in reality whatever he Bounces very small if such only as were in Fellowship with the Quakers and owned by them as such when he came into England were enumerated all these I am fully satisfied will not exceed the number of his Narratives which are but Four But if all those who have been ejected their Society for some notorious Immoralities c. should be included the number would be greater by his carrying away those rotten Branches they freely acknowledge and are apt to think he would have no great cause to boast if he could perswade more such to unite themselves to his Lax Communion because by their Scandalous Lives when amongst Friends they brought a publick Disrepute to their Holy Profession I saw one of G. K.'s chiefest Converts at his right hand on the Stage at Turners-Hall when G. K. was Comically delivering his last Narrative who had been banished their Society for Actions that were extreamly Scandalous Tho' G. K. omits reciting the Number and Names of his new Adherents in its proper place yet in the Postscript I observe there is mention made of Two Men and as many Women that he hath been instrumental in reconciling to the Church of England so called viz. Robert Bridgeman Margaret Everard William Mather and his Wife the two first we shall not deny that they were once reputed as our Friends But as for William Mather we have not owned him as one these many Years long since he appeared publickly in Print against us It is much that he who hath been so Industrious these five or six Years to Sow the Seeds of Dissention amongst the Quakers in all that time should not be able to nominated Four of that Communion by Name who were once reputed ones but to fill up that Number should be forced to crowd in William Mather an elder Adversary than himself Should the Benefit and Prejudice be weighed in equal Scales wherewith G. K. hath affected the Quakers I am well satisfied the former will considerably out-ballance the latter He did them a notable Service First In dividing the Separate Meeting in Harp-lane whereby it was dissolved upon its Dissolution several of its Members that were honest and well-meaning People returned to Truth and their former Friends Secondly By carrying away some scandalous and disorderly Persons whose Immoralities c. were a daily Exercise to them Thirdly By freeing them from some turbulent and unruly Members that did too often disturb the Quiet of their Meetings Now these are become Nominal Members of another Society they presume that their Immoralities will never more be thrown in their Teeth Fourthly By his Clamours he hath excited a Curiosity in some to read their Books who probably without them would never