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A64448
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A Testimony against John Pennyman's lyes, slanders, and false accusation of blasphemy &c.
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1671
(1671)
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Wing T805; ESTC R29542
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3,615
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1
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A TESTIMONY Against JOHN PENNYMAN's Lyes Slanders and False Accusation of Blasphemy c. If nothing more had been said or done touching that Wicked Action attempted by John Pennyman of the City of London Draper concerning the publick Sacrificing of the Holy Scriptures and other good Books and Writings of the Faithful Prophets and Servant of God at the Exchange to his own deluded distracted Imaginations which was no better then Cain's Sacrifice who Slew his Brothers it cannot yet be buried in Oblivion But what hath the frequent giving out of many Papers by him against us the People of God call'd Quakers but reviv'd the Remembrance thereof Against which said Action this Testimony was by us given forth viz. WHereas John Pennyman of late did bring or cause to be brought unto the Exchange in London several Books and Writings and amongst others the holy SCRIPTURES of Truth which testifie of Christ with other Writings and Testimonies recorded of the holy Servants of God and Martyrs of Jesus with intention to destroy and burn the same as by his outward Actions and Expressions might justly be judged and suspected Now we the People of the Lord called Quakers do declare unto all People That we do utterly disown and testifie against that Action of the said John Pennyman touching the said Books and Writings so far as he had any Intention or did give just Cause of Jealousie or Suspition of such Intention to destroy and burn the same and that he therein was instigated by the Devil what ever otherwise his pretences are or might be even by that spirit that ruled in those who in the dayes past crucified Christ and persecuted and shed the Blood of his Holy Servants Prophets and Martyrs and in endeavouring to Burn and Destroy their Writings manifests that it would do the same things now if it had the same Power And we do further declare and testifie That we dearly and truely own the holy Scriptures before mentioned given by inspiration as a true and infallible Testimony of Christ spoken forth by his own Spirit which is our Guide and Leader and that they are written for our learning and the Writings and Testimonies of and concerning the Lord's faithful Servants and Martyrs are a good savour to us and their memorial i◠blessed forever And we further declare and testifie That we have no union nor fellowship with the said John Pennyman nor that spirit that now rules in him he being departed from that pure meek Holy Spirit which sometimes he had some knowledge of And that he hath given just cause before the said Action and since also of jealousie and fear that he is in measure broken and discomposed in his Mind and Understanding nor can he have any union or fellowship with us until he shall publickly condemn this Action of Folly and Wickedness committed by him and give a full Testimony of his unseigned Repentance for the same And we also testifie That if any Person whatsoever shall Act or Speak any thing that is evil under pretence of a Motion from the Spirit of God we utterly deny that Motion to be of God for the Holy Spirit of God never did nor never will move to that which is evil and all evil is of the Devil And this we have though fit thus publickly to declare for the vindication of Truth and the Lord's People who profess and enjoy it that the Innocency of the Upright may be cleared and manifested and all Iniquity and Unrighteousness judged and condemned and God and his pure holy Truth exalted over all Unclean Dark Deluded Arrogant and Imaginary spirits whatsoever Given forth the 10th day of the Moneth called August 1670. By us Who are in scorn called Quakers ANd our Design and End in giving forth this Testimony was that if possibly the said J. P. might have been awaken'd to a sense of his Condition and come to Repent of his Wickedness or otherwise to clear God his Truth and People of such Works and Workers of Darkness But the said J. P. instead of answering our desire in his return to a Sense of his Condition hath manifested himself to be one of those in Restless Torment that repent not neither give Glory to God pouring out his Floods of Wickedness against us that testifie against him if possible to destroy our Testimony or otherwise to destroy us by his Lyes Slanders and false Accusations of Blasphemy and raking up and publishing what Evil he can against us as by his several Papers given out against us appears thereby rather then to answer our good Desires for him to work his utmost Revenge upon us which if his Power could reach but as far as his Envy and Malice would it reach short of our Destruction Body and Soul in all which he hath made full Proof of our said Testimony against him And now on the consideration of the whole matter the many Papers given out against us the Envy Malice Confusion Madness Folly and Wickedness therein manifested and the Ground thereof for our Testimony against his Wickedness and all being weighed in the Righteous Ballance we may safely conclude that in the Eye of Moderate Unprejudiced Persons it more and more demonstrates himself and needs no Answer of ours thereunto but may sufficiently serve for his own Confutation and our Vindication But yet for the sake of the Simple and as far as possibly lies on our parts that all Stumbling-Blocks may be remov'd it seems good unto us to give a few words in answer to that Paper of his in which he so Enviously charges Blasphemy against Solomon Eccles G. F. and the Quakers from S. E's words in that Paper call'd The Quaker's Challenge And first we say in general All Blasphemies and Blasphemers are denied by us neither do we judge such a man as J. P. who through the strength of his Malice and Envy or Craziness of his Brain is not fit for things of less concernment to be a fit Judge of Blasphemy which is a speaking against God and reproaching of him knowingly and maliciously But to believe and worship that for a God which is no God is Idolatry but both are judged by the Spirit of Truth and us that walk therein Now as to the words mention'd in Solomon Eccles's Paper No man in his Wits will believe that S.E. doth believe that G.F. made the World who is not yet Sixty Years of Age and is known to Solomon and us all to be a man subject to the like Infirmities of Cold Sickness and Age as others so that except any be so Mad to think that Solomon Eccles doth believe that G.F. made the World they cannot believe him to be a Blasphemer in that Particuler for the mis-placing of words cannot be found to be Blasphemy where the Mind and Judgment is not corrupt And mark it is said of Christ He was in the World the World was made by him and the World knew him not So saith S. E. it may be said of this Prophet not leaving out or excepting those words The World was made by him which should have been done but if that were done the Serpent would seek something else this is the spirit that makes a man an Offender for a word yea less then a word for the mis-placing of a word but this Spiders nature will at last be caught in his own Web to his own Destruction And as to those words whom John said he was not John said not that he was not G. F. but that he was not Christ and both being mentioned before these words What reason hath J. Pennyman to think that S. E. should mean G. F. who is not mentioned in the Scripture and not Christ who is mention'd but only to shew his Envy which is sufficiently seen both against Christ and against this Prophet G. F. as well as against S. E. but it will return upon his own Pate in due time And whereas he speaks of G. F. owning S. E's Blasphemy in being gone to Sea with him the more shame to J. P. that he should imagine to have a Charge against 〈◊〉 and let them go to Sea before he charged them with it and now 〈◊〉 a peevish manner to cry out against them when their Backs are turned and are not here to answer for themselves which is far from either Christian or Manly civil Dealings but things of this kind have been ordinary with J. P. since he fell into this Folly and Madness and turned from the Way of God But this We can safely say concerning G. F. who is not here We having had long acquaintance with him that he hath never sought any Titles nor own'd any but what became a Servant and Child of God and when any such Titles were given by some unto J. N. he bore his Testimony faithfully against it as is known to the Magistrates of Bristol who took his Letters and Testimony against the same from the said J. N. and Company And so not judging the said J. P's Reproaches worth much answer but a few words in plainness and simplicity being we hope sufficient to satisfie all that desire satisfaction We need say no more but this We do own G.F. to be a Servant of the Living God who is Redeem'd by Jesus Christ from the World's Conversation and called and sanctified by the holy Spirit to bear a Testimony in this his Generation unto the Power of God and in and by it to turn many to Righteousness and whoever he be that shall judge or say more of him or any other Man then what tends to Gods Glory and Honour that we do deny for it is his Honour we seek and the wel-fare of all Mens Souls and profess our selves Servants for the Truth sake Which shall out-live the Race of Cain Esau and Ishmael with all their Malicious Bloody and Treacherous Designs And thus we have given our answer in the simplicity of Truth but let not this busie mind expect to be pursued in his restless imaginations to obtain Answers to all his confusion lest we might be thought like himself but to all moderate unprejudiced Persons this may be sufficient satisfaction Given forth the 4th of the 7th Moneth 1671. From us whom the World calls Quakers