Truth and Innocency VINDICATED And the PEOPLE called QVAKERS 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 Psalm 37.12 The Wicked plotteth against the Just Plalm 35.20 They devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the Land LONDON Printed and Sold by T. Sowle in White-Hart-Court in Gracious-street and at the Bible in Leaden-Hall-street 1699. TO THE Ingenuous Reader WE knowing the Foundation of God which standeth sure the Tried Stone Elect and Precious and that the goodness of the Lord endures for ever to all who truly love and fear him and that he will prosper his own Work in the Earth that the Kingdom of Christ may be Promoted and Renowned to the Subduing and Overthrow of the Kingdom of Satan and Antichrist which God will accomplish fully by his own Power in his own Day and Time We are not dismayed nor discouraged at Satan's Rage nor at the Fury or Envious Attempts of any of his Agent 's strenuous Endeavours or Designs for renewed Persecution against the Innocent But through the Lord's Power and Goodness his Faithful People and Children are the more strengthned and confirmed in their most holy Faith and Confidence in Christ Jesus and his Divine Power that as thereby the Kingdom of Satan and Anti-Christ is already greatly shaken so therefore Satan's Rage is the more increased and heightned because of the shortness of his Time And because the Lord our God is secretly at work by his Invisible Power in many hearts seriously inclining them towards himself his blessed Truth and People that they may flock to his House and Family as Doves to the Window Therefore Avaricious Self-interested Persons whose Gain is their Godliness and Lucre their Religion and their Ministry Mercenary are the more uneasie and offended at our Religious Freedom and Liberty which through God's Goodness Over-ruling Power and Providence influencing the King and Government we do enjoy as we have of late years done For which we are humbly thankful to Almighty God and Gratefully acknowledge the same to the King and all our Superiors who are made Instrumental therein And to be branded and persecuted with Calumnies Reproaches and virulent Invectives as Blasphemous Hereticks movers of Sedition Treasonable and what not of the like import is no new thing or surprizal to us to have these black Characters put upon us they being included in the All manner of Evil spoken of against the true Followers of our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ according as he himself hath expresly foretold his Disciples pronouncing thereupon a Blessing unto them for their Incouragement against their Revilers and Persecutors Malicious Men's Plotting against the Righteous and the Wicked's devising Mischief against the Innocent and the Quiet in the Land we doubt not but as their Mischievous Designs have taken Air and come to Light and thereby become weakned so the just and holy God will frustrate and make them void in the end to their perpetual Shame and Confusion who are therein concern'd 'T is a great sign that our present busie Adversaries are at a Low Ebb and they are very feeble and independent upon God and their Cause without Divine Support seeing that they are fain to make use of such perfidious Agents as invidious Apostates and Angry Restless Backsliders as F. Bugg c. whose mercenary and perverse work of implacable Envy and Reproach Forgeries and Contempt against us to defame and scandalize us both as to our Christian Profession Religious and Civil Reputations will no ways redound to their Honour or good Fame who gratifie and encourage him in such his injurious work against the innocent and quiet in the Land but it will turn to their great shame and disgrace who abet him and reward him with higher sums of Mony than ever Judas had of the Chief Priests for betraying Christ into the hands of his Persecutors That the World may know what Famous Learned Men these are who are join'd with F. Bugg in the present Quarrel and high defaming Charge against us they have afforded us their Names and Titles in the Title-page of their Brief Discovery set down in this Order viz. Edward Beckham D. D. and Rector of Gayten-Thorp NORFOLK Henry Meriton Rector of Oxborow NORFOLK Lancaster Topcliff L. B. sometimes Sen. Fell. of Gon. and Cajus Coll. Cambr. NORFOLK And now Reader that thou mayst understand what Eminent Doctors and Victorious Champions these Persons would make themselves in their Reply to our Friends in Norfolk dated Nov. 16. 1698. They insultingly tell them thus viz. Nay did not you reject F. Bugg for this Reason because he had been answered as you pretend over and over again and was unreasonable as if we had nothing to do but Actum Agere And may we not say the same of your Hackney-Disputants they have drudged so long in that Road and have been spurr'd and gaul'd by us enough already and therefore in reason we ought to turn them off a while and give them Rest till another occasion as in their Relation unduly stil'd The Quakers Challenge p. 21. See here the Boasting Scorn and Insulting of these Men and what Language they give us whilst they are very Teachy if but a little Toucht with Plain Dealing But pray how agrees this their Insulting Derision against our Disputants with their Confession in thesâ— words viz. We Ingenuously told them that we never had so right an Vnderstanding of their Principles as of late p. 6. How have they then spurr'd and gaul'd our Hackney-Disputants as they call them enough already How could they spur and gaul us by dispute when they did not rightly understand our Principles if they had not a right understanding thereof till of late We have for many years refused to be Priest-ridden especially to be made Hackneys of by them in the Dark where they do not see their way But their pretended Conference with the Quakers in Norfolk is turn'd into Petitioning and Soliciting the Parliament of late against us for more Knocking Arguments than their Disputes will afford How came they of late to understand our Principles How long hath F. Bugg and G. Keith been their Tutors furnish'd them with Quotations or their Authority been of value with them Who tho' they have strenuously laboured to bring us under Contempt and Reproach 't will be to their own Shame and Trouble being expresly contrary to their former extant Testimonies in behalf of our Christian Principle and of us as the People of God and True Christians under his Spiritual Dispensation of the New Covenant But it seems these Learned Doctors have been greatly beholding to their Tutor F.
which Created all things c. Where 's the Blasphemy in all these Surely none feeing God is Light and in him is no Darkness at all 1 John 1.5 The Lord is my Light and my Salvation Psalm 27.1 And there is one God the Father who is above all and through all and in you all Ephes 4.6 And know you not how that Jesus Christ the true Light is in you except you be Reprobates 2 Cor. 13.5 God who is Light and Christ the Light of the World is so in all as he enlightens all Mankind God who commanded Light to shine out of Darkness hath shined in our Hearts 2 Cor. 4.6 Now it is evident what these Adversaries call Blasphemous is testified in Holy Scripture 3. Charge of Blasphemy p. 3. In Geo. Fox's Book styled The Pearl found in England c. Printed 1658. where speaking in the Person of the Quaker's Light he hath these Passages p. 15 16. I 'll break in Pieces I 'll make Nations like Dirt I 'll tread them into the Mire c. With divers other Prophetical Passages partially pick'd up minced and curtailiz'd and many Lines left out where the dashes are as against Pride Hypocrisie Covetous Practices Hypocrites False Prophets c. All within the Threats and Prophesied against in the Name of the Lamb and Life of God and if truly read agreeable to the Holy Prophets in Scripture Thou shalt crush them with a Scepter of Iron or with a Rod of Iron and break them in Pieces like a Potters Vessel prophesied of the Son of God Psal 2.6 7 8 9. And will not the Lord tread down his Enemies I will Tread them in mine Anger and Trample them in my Fury Isa 63.3 Now is it not great Presumption to deem such Prophesies Blasphemous These words are also quoted and included in their charge of Blasphemy i. e. The Wrath of the Lamb is risen upon all Apostates who are gathered in the Apostacy Apostatiz'd from the Prophet's Life the Apostles Life the Life of the Lamb the Lamb is Risen c. the pure Life of God is Risen c. the Just will Rule the Lamb will have the Victory Woes Woes and Miseries are out-going upon all the Heads of the Wicked What our Hands have Handled and what our Eyes have Seen what was from the Beginning the Word of Life this declare we unto you What a strange Presumption is it that these Men should charge us with Blasphemy for such passages as these which are directly concurring with Holy Scripture Prophecies against the Wicked and for the Lamb's Power Dominion and Judgment against them Apostates and others And for our handling and seeing the Word of Life which was from the Beginning we knowing and sincerely professing the Lord God and the Lamb to be our Light and no other see Isa 14.5 Jer. 21.5 Nahum 1.2 Zeph. 1.14 15. Zech. 7.12 John 3.36 Rom. 1 18. and 2.5 8. 1 Thes 2.16 Rev. 6.16 17. and 14.10 and 15.1.7 and 18.3 See Wo and Woes and to whom Isa 5.8 11. and 18.20 and 10.1 4th Charge of Blasphemy p. 4. Again G. Fox in his Book stiled The Teachers of the World Vnvail'd c. in p. 27. thus saith I am the Light of the World him by whom the World was made if you love the Light with which you are enlightened withall you love Christ who saith Learn of me But if you hate that Light there is your Condemnation from him who is one with the Truth in every Man who of the Lord was moved thus to write whose name of the World is called G. Fox Obs Here are several Lines left out before the last words relating to G. F's name wherein mention is made of what he means that 't was the Light which the Apostles were in Which could not be meant of G. F. himself who was not in the Apostles days nor born into the World until many hundred Years after their days thus perverse and impertinent are these Men in their Charge and Proofs 'T is evident G. F. here speaks in the name of Christ and for him and not of himself or in his own name but of Christ the Light who Enlightneth every Man and who is Lord over all And G. F. writes as his Servant moved by him and therefore 't was very unjust as well as great Envy in these Persons to make this an Instance of the Quakers Blasphemy see John 1.9 and 3.19 5. Their next Charge of Blaspemy against us p. 4. Is viz. And to This another of their Eminent Teachers one of their Prophets says Amen in his Book The Quakers Challenge c. printed 1668. Of G. F. 't is said who is a Prophet indeed and hath been Faithful in the Lord's Business from the Beginning It was said of Christ that he was in the World and the World was made by him and the World knew him not So it may be said of this true Prophet George Fox added whom John said he was not But thou wilt feel this Prophet George Fox again added one day as heavy as a Milstone upon thee And altho' the World knows him not yet he is known p. 5. These words whom John said he was not we disown in that place they are confusedly misplaced And the Author was not one of the most Approved or Eminent among us as falsly represented tho a more Honest and well Intending Man than Skilful in Expression as in this case his Intention ought to be considered He could not intend that the World was made by G. F. as he did after explain himself in Print but by Jesus Christ by whom God Created all things Ephes 3.9 Heb. 1.2 but that the World knew him not he intended relative both to Christ and to his Servant as 't is said of the Sons of God 1 John 3.1 The World knoweth us not because it knew not him As there could be no Blasphemy or Reproach to God or Christ intended in the aforesaid recited Passage so neither can the People call'd Quakers be justly charged therewith That we-may see cause to word some things otherwise than some have and yet mean the same thing is often repeated by F. Bugg and these Persons tho I see no real advantage they get by it against us For suppose any one does unsafely or untelligibly or dubiously word any matter And I find his meaning to be safe and give a true Explication thereof according to the Honest or Innocent meaning of the Author from other passages his meaning therein is agreeable to mine which I safely and sincerely express tho' his words are not altogether the same 6th Charge of Blasphemy Edw. Burroughs In his works p. 149. Has an Answer to this Question is that very Man with that very Body within you Yea or Nay He saith the very Christ of God is within us we dare not deny him Obs To Instance this for a Proof of Blasphemy against us is to Charge the Holy Apostle with Blasphemy 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves
any such Gift nor depend upon any such Immediate Miraculous Revelation from Heaven To which G. E. Answers Then all may see now in this what ye have receiv'd that hath been from Man which is not from Heaven Immediate nor the Gifts of the Spirit nor receiv'd the Gospel by the same Means the Apostles did who are not the Eye-witnesses as the Apostles were Neither have ye attained to the same Knowledge and Understanding as the Apostles did nor receiv'd it from Heaven Now let all People question Whether it is the same Gospel which is not receiv'd from Heaven nor immediately nor by Revelation for the Gospel is Immediate which is the Power of God Rom. 1. They i. e. Quakers are in the same Power Vnderstanding Knowledge and Immediate Revelation from Heaven that the Apostles were in Obs The last Part is Partially quoted to abuse us i. e. Quakers is added and the Sense perverted by leaving out the last Words of the Sentence as after the Words they are in the same Power Understanding Knowledge and Immediate Revelation from Heaven that the Apostles were in That Vnderstand the Gospel left out As also And they that be in another cannot understand the Gospel Now for these Men to charge us with Blasphemy for Confessing to Immediate Revelation and Inspiration from God by the Gift of the Spirit and thence receiving the Gospel and a Spiritual Understanding and Knowledge thereof by Revelation from Heaven Herein have they opposed the True Knowledge of God and Jesus Christ and consequently charged his own and his Apostles Doctrine and Testimony as Blasphemous For neither knoweth any Man the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal Him Mat. 11.27 And the things of God knows no Man but by the Spirit of God as they are reveal'd unto us by the Spirit 1 Cor. 2.9 They who oppose this Evangelical Doctrine shew themselves both Ignorant of God of Christ and of the things of God and of his Teachings which he has promised his Children They shall all be taught of God John 6.45 Isa 54.13 Jer. 31.33 Where on Isa 54.13 It is noted in the Margent in the old Bible of Queen Elizabeth By the hearing of his Word and inward moving of his Spirit And on Jer. 31.33 it is also noted viz. Under the Kingdom of Christ there shall be none blinded with Ignorance but I will give them Faith and Knowledge of God for Remission of their Sins and daily increase the same so that it shall not seem to come so much by the Preaching of my Ministers as by the Instruction of my Holy Spirit 17th Charge p. 8 9. G. F. further tells us p. 213. That the Priest says Thou dost not speak in that degree of the Holy Ghost as the Prophets and Apostles did that spoke forth Scriptures To which he Answer Then thou must take heed of Exalting thy self above thy Measures for thou canst not know Scripture but by the same degree of the Spirit the Prophets and Apostles had Obs 1. The Caution against Self-Exaltation was Seasonable 2. The Scripture i. e. the whole Scripture cannot be truly known but by a high degree of the Spirit if not the same degree the Prophets and Apostles had who gave it forth But if any true Knowledge of Scripture be receiv'd it must be by a Degree of the same Spirit as I suppose the Words before cited should be so Transpos'd and so intended 18th Charge p. 9. News coming out of the North c. Printed 1655. p. 14. Your Original is Carnal Hebrew Greek and Latine and your Word is Carnal the Letter Obs The Letter it self is not made up of Spiritual Matter or Lasting Materials but of such as will decay and turn to Dust but the Matter contain'd that is the Holy Doctrine will continue and is permanent And this is no Vilifying or Contemning of Holy Scripture i. e. the Holy Doctrine thereof Though this News out of the North is quoted against us yet it is very Partially and unfairly done For in the same Book the Holy Scripture is clearly own'd As Spoken by the Lord and his Holy Prophets Christ and his Apostles p. 5.8 But the Promises and Words of the Prophets Christ and his Apostles misapplied by the first Birth and Serpent p. 11 12 13 16. The Law of God and the Prophet of the Lord who spake freely from his Mouth expresly so owned page 23 28. Though they that put the Letter for the Light Preaching their own Words and Imaginations thereupon are disowned page 12. Consequently the Holy Scriptures are own'd but the Perverters and Perversions disown'd 19th Charge p. 9. Tho. Lawson in his Brief Discovery of a Threefold Estate of Anti-Christ printed 1653. written from the Spirit of the Lord p. 9. calls the Ministers Babylon 's Merchants Selling Beastly Wares for a large Price the Letter which is Dust and Death Obs Their Injustice and False Quotation in this Passage also and and how they vary it from their Agent Bugg's who often over has herein accused us with calling the Scriptures Beastly Ware in divers of his Books and also in his late great Sheet stil'd Some Reasons Humbly Offered to the Honourable House of Commons p. 1. col 1 4. He has this Gross Lie twice over after divers times detected for it So that these Three Priests and F. Bugg do not agree in what they witness like the False Witnesses against Christ For in the said Brief Discovery quoted the words are these Babylon's Merchants Selling Beastly Wares for a large Price all the Week-time heaping up a Rabble of Notions into the Brain c. So that Beastly Wares relate to their Rabble of Notions of their own heaping up and not to the Holy Scripture nor to the Letter thereof but to their bruitish Imaginations and Divinations of their own Brain neither was this spoken of the Ministers without Exception as in the Quotation much less of Christ's Ministers or Ministery but of the False Ministers as the Title of that part is p. 7. 20th Charge p. 9. Saul's Errand to Damascus printed 1654. p. 7. Q. against G. F. All that study to raise a living thing out of a Dead to raise the Spirit out of the Letter are Conjurers and draw Points and Reasons and so do speak a Divination of their own Brain c. Obs Here they are partial in Quotation again leaving out the preceeding Passages which distinguishing between the Letter and the Light the Letter and the Spirit judging them Blind that put the Letter for the Light and say The Letter and the Spirit are inseparable When the Spirit says The Letter is Death and Killeth according to 2 Cor. 3.6 7. now who will Study to raise a living thing out of a Dead or to raise the Spirit out of the Letter Is such studying warrantable Who dare justifie it And will not the Lord make Diviners Mad Isa 44.25 and does not such studying to raise a Living thing out of a Dead
deny with all outward Wars and Strife and Fightings with outward Weapons for any end or under any pretence whatsoever And this is our Testimony to the whole World And we do certainly know and so testifie to the World that the Spirit of Christ which leads us into all Truth will never move us to Fight and War against any Man with outward Weapons either for the Kingdom of Christ nor for the Kingdom of this World c. said to be subscribed by G. F. Sam. Fisher and many more Now let it be farther observed that notwithstanding this Innocent and Christian Declaration against our use of the Carnal Weapon these Adversaries make another Marginal Note to the contrary upon Sam. Fisher's Message from the Lord to O. Cromwel and the Parliament of England printed 1656. and in his works Re-printed 1679. p. 19 20. after the note against the use of the Carnal Weapon their other note is Although none before so much for it as they Their proof is S. F's said Message which they have thereby greatly perverted to render us Seditious and Dangerous to the Government as their Title imports Whereas S. F. writ the said Message in the name of the Lord agreeable to what God's Holy Prophets have formerly foretold He saith I will hold my Peace now no longer saith the Lord as concerning this Evil which they so profanely commit and do daily against my Chosen i. e. by Persecution but will utterly subvert and overturn them This is according to Ezek. 21.25 26 27. and bring the Kingdoms and Dominions and the Greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven into the hands of the Holy Ones of the most High This is according to Dan. 7.18 27. And give unto my Son and his Saints to reign over all the Earth and to take all the Rule and Authority and Power that shall stand up against my Son in his Saints This also is according to Rev. 20.4 5. and to Dan. 7.18 27. and to Psal 2.8 9. and 45.5 and 110.1 2 5. And I will put my high praises into their Mouth and a two-edged Sword into their hands and they shall Execute Vengeance upon the Heathen and Punishments upon the People and shall bind their Kings in Chains and their Nobles in Fetters of Iron and Execute upon them the Judgment that is written c. Thus far S. F's Message recited agreeable to plain Scripture Psal 149.5 6 7 8 9. please to read it at large Surely these Persons who stumble at such Messages and would make us Criminal for such Prophesies understand not the Voices of the true Prophets They take things literally which are Metaphorical and Spiritually intended as that of the Two-edged Sword they put Sword in Capital Letters to make People believe that none before 1660. were so much for the Vse of the Carnal Weapon as the People called Quakers according to their said Note as if they supposed it must needs be a Carnal Sword the Quakers are minded to make Use of when they can have an opportunity tho' their patience and long-suffering under various Persecutions and Severities and Revolutions have sufficiently proved the contrary But if the Saints Two-edged Sword mention'd Psal 149.6 must be taken for an Outward Material or Carnal Sword why not the Rod of Iron wherewith the Son of God shall break the Heathen Psal 2.9 for an outward material Rod of Iron or Steel But these Persons might have better considered the point in a Spiritual Sense that there is another sort of Rod or Sword than that Outward Material one of Iron or Steel There is the Rod of his Mouth i. e. of Christ's Mouth Isa 11.4 Out of his Mouth went a sharp Two-edged Sword Rev. 1.16 There is the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God which the Saints took unto them Eph. 6.17 And he hath made my mouth like a sharp Sword Isa 49.2 Therefore have I hewed them by the Prophets I have slain them by the words of my Mouth Hos 6.5 So that there 's both the Rod the Sword hewing and slaying as well as binding Mystically and Spiritually spoken of by the Holy Prophets Christ and his Apostles These things are hinted for better information and moderating these our Adversaries and that their Hearers may not be influenced with their Anger against us As to what they quote in p. 21. First some broken pieces out of something they call The Quakers Declaration to Oliver and out of Geor. Rofe's Book Entitled The Righteousness of God and something to Cromwell in 't these two I have not But in short may say thus much that Oliver and his Officers and Army had a day and Power given them and were a Dread for a time to their Adversaries when the one was for seeking God in Prayer and the other for Swearing Cursing and Damning c. But they i. e. O. C. c. lost their Power and Day through their Abuse of it Which was plainly told them and their downfal as plainly foretold them by G. F. E. B. and divers others of our Friends These are Matters of Fact I am not concern'd to vindicate them or their Form of Government The Lord has laid them aside who is no Respecter of Persons nor doth he accept the Persons of Princes Job 34.19 As to what they quote out of a Letter directed To the Council of Officers of the Army and out of a Declaration wrote by E. B. in the Naâ—ne of the Quakers and subscribed by several of the Principal Leaders of them as these Men say Printed 1659. I shall forbear Commenting upon these forementioned Instances in their 21st and 22d pages they being in Substance fully answered in a Book of mine Intitled Christ's Lambs defended from Satan's Rage Printed 1691. being first writ in the Year 1677. particularly in p. 19 20 21 22 23. and in many other places throughout that Book as in p. 34 35 36 37 c. where the said Declaration in particular with the import of the foregoing is fully spoke to and Objections explained To their other Marginal Note p. 22. viz. And may reassume it again when they shall judge it meet The Antecedent of this Note I understand to be their foregoing two Margent-notes p. 20. which three Notes joined together run thus viz. which Government that they i. e. the People called Quakers might not support they declare against the Vse of the Carnal Weapon in 1660. altho' none before so much for it as they and may reassume it again when they shall judge it meet This looks like a very Invidious Design to raise Suspicion and Jealousie in the Civil Government against us But we hope and trust in the Grace and Goodness of our God that we shall both constantly and sincerely approve our selves Innocent and Clear from these Mens prejudicial Insinuations and Jealousies and to their diappointment Of our Assemblies c. Now concerning our several Religions Christian Meetings as in good Conscience we affirm they all are
These our Accusers appear most invidious against them as if influenced by some treacherous Judases or envious Apostates They begin to quote Mr. Bugg and Mr. Kieth as they stile them their Authority against us And what says their Mr. Bugg They tell us Mr. Bugg's Pilgrims Progress Chapters 7 8 9 10 11. give an account of their several Meetings and of their Fund Exchequer or Common-Bank And what says there Mr. Kieth to it seeing he is join'd with F. Bugg for a witness against us Mr. Keith say they who has been a Quaker above thirty Years more shame for him now to vilifie them in his Second Narrative p. 5. says I am not able to Print Books as they Quakers can they are many and have a Common-Stock I am but one To which we Answer we deny their Terms of Fund Exchequer or Common-Bank we know no Common-Stock we have that can properly be called a Fund or an Exchequer for improvement of a Stock or advancing and increasing Mony upon as a Fund Foundation or setled Bottom c. What Fund for Improvement can a Collection for poor be that is soon distributed and spent Tho' we have free and voluntary Collections in our Monthly and Quarterly Meetings for the Charitable Supply and Relief of the Poor and Indigent among us that they may not be Chargeable or Burdensome to our Neighbours of other Persuasions nor to the Parishes wherein they dwell Thus we relieve our own Poor and also pay our share or Proportions severally to other Poor of the respective Parishes and Places where our Friends inhabit And now as we are a People we must needs have divers Charges upon us as Our Poors Rents and charge of Meeting-Houses Rents and Reparations in many Places As also for the necessary Supply and Relief of our Friends when impoverished or disabled under or by extream Suffering and Distress in this or other Countries as in Ireland when they had greatly suffered by reason of the late War and of late in Scotland where in divers parts they have wanted Bread and Subsistence through the late Years great Failing of their Harvests And also for the Relief of our Friends who have been for many Years Captives in Algiers Macqueness and Sally under sore and miserable Hardships and Extremities whereby many have lost their Lives Upon these and other Occasions and Necessities relating to our suffering Friends and Brethren our Friends in this Nation who are capable have been free and willing without any Compulsion to contribute their Christian Assistance Charitable and Necessary Supplies and accordingly Distributions have been made thereof pursuant to these good and necessary Ends So that we have no Fund of Improvement nor any Tax imposed by any of our Meetings but the necessary Occasions tenderly recommended in the Love of God in these Matters and accordingly left to every ones free Liberty as God shall incline their Hearts to consider the Poor and Needy and Distressed c. And if these our Accusers who seek to Jealous and Criminate us in these matters were charitably disposed as Christians they would not render us Criminal Dangerous or Seditious for such Religious Acts of Charity and Christianity But would better consider the Primitive Christians Practice in such Cases than to misrepresent our Meetings wherein such Christian Care is taken as opposite to the Government This Savours rank of an Uncharitable Persecuting Spirit as their long Marginal-Note on p. 22 23. doth beginning with these words They have a Government within the Government independant from it and opposite to it This is like Judas and the Priests and the False Witnesses against Christ to make him an Enemy to Caesar thus they would make us the People of God called Quakers greatly obnoxious as if we promoted Regnum in Regno not only Independent but Opposite to the Civil Government which none of our Meetings are being all Peaceable and Innocent both for the Worship of Almighty God and Service of one another in true Christian Love in order to promote the real Practice of Piety Christianity and true Religion among us as a People and to prevent the contrary as much as in us lies by Warning and due Admonition against all disorderly loose Conversation Immorality and Profaneness tending to the Scandal of our Holy Profession And for such good Ends there were Helps in Government in the true Church 1 Cor. 12.28 and all in Subjection to Christ's Government who is Head and Law-giver to His Church and upon whose Shoulders the Government is laid And this is not opposite to the Civil Government in the Nation neither hath the King the Government or the Nation ever sustained any Hurt or Prejudice by these our Meetings or by the Christian Care or Service thereof and their being Monthly Quarterly and Yearly is for conveniency of the Times and due Notice and in no wise to Confront the Government no more than our First-Days and Weekly Meetings for our Meetings are Innocently upheld in the Name of the Lord for his Worship and Service and have accordingly been manifest these many Years under the various Revolutions of Government and we hope we shall in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ stand for and innocently Vindicate our Christian and Just Liberty therein against this Persecuting Spirit which unjustly seeks to Influence Authority against us and our Religious Exercise in the Practice of our Christian Religion But blessed be the Lord who by his Power hath better inclin'd the King and Government to Moderation and Gentleness towards all their Peaceable and Serviceable People As we do not assume to our selves a Government or Dominion over our People or their Faith nor place a Supremacy or Headship in Persons or Assemblies but in Jesus Christ our Head and Governour so we know no such Supream Assembly among us as gives Laws and makes Orders for the Government of our People and suppressing Books writ against us as is falsly suggested we know no such Supremacy or Dominion exercised among us though we have Christian Assemblies both general and particular held only in the Name and Power of Christ Jesus Neither have we our Laws and Orders for the Government of our People to make by Assemblies but to see those put in practice which Christ our Head and Law-giver hath taught us and revealed to his Servants and that agreeable to the Holy Scriptures of Truth and no ways injurious to the outward Government But for the promoting of Truth and Righteousness in the Earth and as Fellow-helpers in Christ provoking one another to Love and Good Works And as for Passing Censure upon Offenders so did the Primitive Christians And what have they against Passing Censure upon Offenders Why may we not as a Christian Society Censure Offenders and Disorderly Walkers and such as cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrine of the Gospel It is evident the Primitive Christian Churches did both Instruct Exhort Reprove Rebuke and Reject These our Persecutors over and over
twit us with a Fund raised in all Counties by way of Collection This their false pretence of a Fund is spoke to and detected already As for what is Collected as they say the Disposal thereof is neither Order'd nor Govern'd by our Second Days Meeting as is very falsly related nor is the Mony so Collected for Stipends for our Teachers that is grosly false also we have no Mercenary Teachers for Stipends or Wages nor among us Attendants upon the Houses of Parliament that have Money either of that which is Collected or any other for Attending as is also falsly Insinuated For those among us that Attend the Parliament do it Gratis and freely as to their own Labour and Time As for the Maintenance of the Poor and those that are impoverished and made Indigent or Necessitous either by any Calamity befallen them or through great Sufferings and Oppressions for Conscience sake 'T is not meet they should starve for want but be Ministred unto for their necessary Relief All our Charitable Contributions and Collections for these good Ends as afore-mentioned are warrantable and warranted by the Primitive Christians Practice See Rom. 15.26 For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain Contribution for the poor Saints which are at Jerusalem See also 1 Cor. 16.1 2 3. Now concerning the Collection for the Saints as I have given order to the Churches of Galatia even so do ye Vpon the first day of the Week let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him that there be no Gatherings when I come And when I come whomsoever you shall approve by your Letters them will I send to bring your Liberality to Jerusalem See also 2 Cor. chap. 8. how Paul commendeth their abounding in Contribution to the Saints And chap. 9. How he stirreth them up to a Bountifulness in that case See also Psal 112.9 and Psal 41.1 and Heb. 6.10 for the Saints Incouragement in that Ministration Now therefore the Invidious Design of these Men in their false Noise of the Quakers Fund and supporting of their Government thereby to render them Obnoxious Dangerous or Seditious the Righteous Judge of all who knows our Innocency will Judge these and such unjust Insinuations and Invectives and to Him we commit our Innocent Cause who hath hitherto helped us and stood by us and in Him we Confide and doubt not He will plead our Cause As to G. Keith's Book called The pretended Yearly Meeting of the Quakers their Nameless Bull of Excommunication Printed 1695. out of which these Priests take a large Citation in their 22 23 24 Pages I shall not need to insist upon it nor upon his Envious Comparison between the way taken by our said Yearly Meeting and the Spanish Inquisition but refer the Reader to Tho. Ellwood's Answer to G. K. Intituled Truth Defended and the Friends thereof Cleared from the false Charges foul Reproaches and envious Cavils cast upon them by G. K. from p. 59. to p. 64 c. As to the Door of our Yearly Meeting being kept by some Person or Persons this we hope is no Offence in it self whatever these Persons or their Tool F. B. would make of it the Door not being lock'd barr'd or bolted as prohibited 'T is meet such Doors should be attended in such a Populous City to prevent disorderly Intruders and Busie-bodies and I think no Civil Society who have the necessary concerns thereof to Inspect will be offended at such Attendance and Care at the Doors For why should Intruders or Busie-bodies be admitted to gratifie their meer Curiosities or evil Eye or to meddle in other Peoples Affairs which concern them not The Care of our Poor and of the Lives and Conversations of those among us lies upon us and not upon others who are not of us or our Society As to our Testimony against Tythes and forc'd Maintenance of a Ministery c. 't is no new Testimony among us but what we have believed to be a Christian Testimony ever since we were a People as did divers of the Martyrs and of the best Reformers in their Day and Time witness John Wickliff Will. Swinderby Walter Brute Will. Thorp the Bohemians with others mentioned in the Book of Martyrs who did bear Testimony against Tythes and Compelled Maintenance and other Corruptions of the Popish Clergy This their Testimony against Tythes in the Gospel Times was made a principal Article against them by the Papists as more largely appears in the First Volumn of Martyrs in the Reign of Richard II. Henry IV. and Henry V. And especially Will. Thorp in his Examinatian before the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury gives an ample Testimony against Tythes and the Pride of Priests since the old Law for Tythes is abolish'd by Christ He expresly tells the Arch-Bishop viz. Those Prissts that will challenge or take Tythes deny that Christ is come in the Flesh and do the Priests Office in the Old Law for whom Tythes were granted for else Priests take now Tythes wrongfully See Book of Mart. vol. 1. p. 700. printed 1641. And as to our Caution to those concerned among us against Printing or Publishing any thing not of Service for Truth or Scandalous Reproachful or to uphold Division and Faction warning given by our said Meeting against such Books or Writings we hope will neither be Offensive nor deem'd Seditious by any Moderate or Ingenous Persons And for the Care of our Meeting to have Records of the Sufferings of our Friends for Conscience sake duly gathered truly entered and kept c. Such Caution was also honest and just but such Records are not intended to render the Governours and Government odious for Persecution to Posterity as it is now unjustly noted against us in their 25 Page without making any distinction between the present favourable Government and those under which we have formerly suffered severe Persecutions and our Records thereof are not designed to render the Government odious but to have recourse to for Application to be made to our Superiours for Relief that they may not be Ignorant thereof And as to the Author to Satan Disrob'd p. 82. quoted his Informing That in this Register there are many groundless and downright Falshoods which it is very fit the World should know because they take great Care to swell this Register and have threatned to publish it to after-Ages p. 26. Pray observe what a likely Story this is How he should he know what 's recorded in such a Register if he never Saw it nor Read it As I presume he has not it not being published neither do I know of any among us that have so threatned to publish it to after-Ages But this is not the first Aspersion that the said Author of the Snake and Satan Disrob'd hath uujustly cast upon us What they quote against E. B. in his Works p. 273. under the Year 1657. viz. The Sufferings of the People of God here they add that is Quakers in
old Incendiaries to Mischief and the best to be spared of Mankind c. Against W. P. Quakerism a new Nick-name p. 165. This is not the Quakers Treatment of Dissenters in general or without exception as hereby falsly represented But W. P's occasional Treatment of Such a Proud Railing Busie-body and such a sort of Priests who think their Coat will bear out their worst Expressions for Religion and practise an haughty Reviâ—ing for Christ as one of the greatest Demonstrations of their Zeal as in his antecedent words After these words of W. P. Against whom the boiling Vengeance of an Irritated God is ready to be poured out These Men leave out viz. To the Destruction of such if they repent not and turn from their Abominable Deceits Certainly neither the fore-going Citations under their 18th Head nor that which they subjoyn against the bitter Stock of Hirelings and their Sin-pleasing Principles c. could ever be intended for the Quakers Treatment of Dissenters Indefinitely or without Exception for we always distinguish between the Moderate and Immoderate the Charitable and Vncharitable the Ingenuous and Disingenuous even among Dissenters of several sorts and others also When Men are charging Blasphemy and Sedition upon a People out of Books and Quotations as these Men do they should be more fair and just therein than these Men have been They are very Injurious and Offensive both in Charge and Citation we only Defensive and not under a necessity of reciting and reprinting their whole Citations in every part Let their Books and ours be compared to evince them more fully and clear our Innocency from these Adversaries gross Calumnies Perversions Misapplications Misrepresentations and fruitless Attempts Ingenuous Reader please to take W. P's own following Answer to several Charges against him LIBEL p. 4. quotes W. P's Sandy Foundation p. 20. thus viz. That Finite and Impotent Creature speaking of Christ Which is so gross a Strain of Envy and Abuse that no Ingenuous Person can read it without an Abhorrence of the Author's Temper and Work and shews how little Credit ought to be given him in the rest of his Work For it is plain W. P. made the Absurdity lie here That the Doctrine he oppos'd makes it Impossible for God to forgive without a rigid Satisfaction and yet Man who is a Finite and Impotent Creature is not only capable of it but commanded to do it See Sandy Foundation p. 18. Sect. 7. Again Libel p. Ibid. Christ's Co-essentiality and Co-eternity with his Father of his being made Man Dying for Sins Rising and Ascending into Heaven c. they make W. P. to call Confused Babble and by Rote-Canting By-paths of vain Tradition and Invention Romancing dark Results of Factions and Corrupted Counsels c. Whereas 't is plain from his Book at large as well as from the Words themselves which they have cited he writ not in Contempt of the Matter but in Reproof of the Man For he taxes him with Babbling by Rote-Canting and Romancing over the weighty Mysteries of Eternal Life which words they left out because being in they would have disappointed them of an Opportunity of Abusing W. P. So that in short he reproved the Rambling and Insensible Manner of the Priest's Writing and not the Matter treated of which W. P. expresly calls the Weighty Mysteries of Eternal Life Which yet plainer appears from p. 28. upon occasion of some Queries made by W. P. to shew the Indistinction and confused Way of the Priest's Writing viz. Thou must not Reader from my Querying thus conclude we do deny as he hath falsly charged us those glorious Three which bear Record in Heaven the Father Word and Spirit neither the Infinity Eternity and Divinity of Jesus Christ for that we know he is the Mighty God nor what the Father sent his Son to do on the behalf of Lost Man declaring to the whole World we know no other Name by which Attonement Salvation and plenteous Redemption comes But rather to let thee see how unsatisfactorily he has imposed Religion on the World and how exceeding open he lays his Principles to the Objection of every reasonable Inquirer For the Priest's Book was intituled A Guide to the true Religion after going forward and backward four times in his Religion and therefore deserved an Answer as W. P. did in his Book intituled The Guide Mistaken Page 19 and 20 The Libel quotes W. P. giving hard words to the Clergy which W. P. is far from disowning allowing him as in Reason his own Sense and Intention Are they not Idle Gormandizing Priests that Feed the People with that which is not Bread and yet live upon theirs That teach for Hire and make a Trade of the Ministry Have not they been the Bane of Soul and Body through Ages that have either been the Ground or Fomentors of the most bloody and infamous Revolutions of the World Go ask the Martyrologies of all Nations who are the Fire and Faggot Men against Tender Consciences and Reformation W. P. does not charge every Person of the Clergy some being of a more Moderate Temper and better Principles but he would have these of the Clergy that take his Words hardly or any of their Hearers inquire how many of the Clergy stood to their Principles in the Times of K. Henry VIII Edward VI. Q. Mary and Q. Eliz. they will find of the whole Ecclesiastical Body containing about 12 Thousand Persons not 5 Hundred of all Ranks and Degrees that shewed Conscience for their Religion but took their Turns at all And how few through the many Revolutions since our late Civil Wars began have been true to their Principles many yet living know to the Scandal of Religion as well as the Nation After this W. P. thinks himself very little accountable for what he has said to a most Temporizing and Hypocritical Parson J. C. of the Men of his Qualifications for he having excluded the Quakers Socinians c. from Salvation must not take it hard of any of us called Quakers if they think such Turn-Coats and Hypocrites have nothing to do there Libel p. 4. That the outward Person which suffered was properly the Son of God we utterly deny Against W. P. Serious Apology p. 146. The Answer is That if what W. P. hath said and plainly meant is not true then the Body that Suffer'd must be of the Divine Nature and consequently that which is of the Divine Nature is Mortal But that which is properly the Only-begotten of God must naturally be Immortal So that properly and strictly speaking that which could die cannot be the Only-begotten Entire Son of God and yet it was his Body that died and as such it may in a Sense be said He died and in no other respect does W. P. deny that which died to be the Son of God See his Book Serious Apology at large upon this Passage which sufficiently explains it self and exposes their great Disingenuity that Cite it Page 146. Priest Jenner chargeth us with Denying the Lord that bought us because as he falsly says we deny that Person the Son of God that died at Jerusalem to be our Redeemer Which most horrid Imputation says W. P. has been Answer'd more I believe than a thousand times that is That he that laid down his Life and suffer'd his Body to be Crucified by the Jews without the Gates of Jerusalem is Christ the Only Son of the Most High God But to Assert the Body which Suffered and Died was properly the Entire Son of God this brings Him more under the Charge of making him but a meer Man than us who acknowledge Him to be One with the Father and of a Nature Eternal and Immortal For he was Glorified with the Father before the World was And that it may yet farther appear that what we give for our meaning is such besides what is already cited turn over Leaf to Page 149. and observe what Confession the said W. P. then made as to the Matter Controverted We do Believe in One Holy God Almighty who is an Eternal Spirit the Creator of all things And in One Lord Jesus Christ his Only Son and Express Image of his Substance who took upon Him Flesh and was in the World and in Life Doctrine Miracles Death Resurrection Ascension and Mediation perfectly did and does continue to do the Will of God to whose Holy Life Power Mediation and Blood we only ascribe our Sanctification Justification Redemption and Perfect Salvation And we Believe in One Holy Spirit that proceeds and breaths from the Father and the Son as the Life and Virtue of both the Father and the Son a Measure of which is given to all to Profit with And he that has one has all for those Three are One who is the Alpha and Omega the First and the Last God over all Blessed for ever Amen FINIS