that concerned my own Trial was mine But that I charged him either with Drunkennâ—ss or Riding an Horse-Race or some other things simply narrated by way of Relation in that book as is common in books called Tryals c. I deny it and he cannot prove it therefore I did nâ—t shrink from my charge nor do I know that any of them that were so concerned with me did so charge him our charge being against him that he had given false Judgment against us and was guilty of Persecution and acting unchristianly and unjustly towards us which charge we did not shrink from but sufficiently proved against him and all his silly Evasions and Quibbles have not cleared him nor ever can clear him Nor do I find that the said book of the Trial doth positively charge him either with Drunkenness or Horse-Racing but simply as to that narrates the Proceedings of the Court how things did pass there XLVIII p. 33. He perversly accuseth us as doing neither manly nor honestly for not declaring who were the Authors of the rest of that book because some of us gave this for our Reason of our concealment That S. J. might take the advantage of the Law against them And he querieth Will they to defame a person do that which shall subject them to the correction of the Law yet do it clandestinely to avoid the stroke of Justice and plead conscience and Christian constraint for it too I answer to his Query 1. I know nothing in all that book that doth defame or wrong him if his own Actions had not defamed him for books that give an account of mens Trials at Sessions and Assizes being commonly simple Narratives cannot be said to defame the Persons tried if they do no other but give a true Relation of things 2. The concealing the Authors Name or Names was not to avoid the stroke of Justice but to avoid any farther occasion of S. J. his Injustice and Persecuting them unjustly for I know not that the Authors of that book have writ any thing in it that can justly in the least submit them to the correction of the Law But we know how oft men abuse the Law and under pretence of Justice act unjustly as S. J. hath manifestly done But if concealing mens Names lest Persecutors be gratified be such a Crime by the same Argument S. J. makes many Friends guilty yea many Friends of the Ministry who have concealed their Names when asked in a meeting when they have been declaring when the Act of 20l. for preaching in an unlawful Assembly as it was called was in force Also divers Friends that have writ books of Trials and Court-Proceedings have concealed their Names witness W. Pen's and W. Mede's Trial and by S. J. his false Logick this was done to defame persons and a doing of that which did subject them to the correction of the Law and done clandestinely to avoid the stroke of Justice But if his Logick be bad in the last as doubtless it is it is so in the first XLIX He most falsly accuseth me That I knew that divers matters of charge against him therein were false whereupon he inferreth that I have finned against Knowledge and maâ—â—â—iously and premeditately abused him But his Antecedent is false and he brings no shadow of Proof for it and therefore so is his Consequent L. He most uniustly blames me for spreading some of the said Books called The Trial. But until he prove that the Authors of that book have any way wronged him he is unjust in blaming me for spreading of them nor will the spreading of them if I had so done intitle me to own all to be true that is in every Line of that book for he is so confident that he hath Reprinted the private Letter of Peter Bosse sent to him which was also printed in the book called The Tryal and yet he will not say that doth intitle him to own every thing charged on him in that Letter Therefore his Reason as a man not to say his true Logick for he is innocent of that in this as in other things hath utterly failed him for his prejudice blinds him and takes away from him the use of his common Reason as a man as any may see that is not as blind as himself LI. page 34. That he saith He can prove me guilty of that called a Lyar proves himself guilty of it until he bring his proof which yet he hath not done for no man ought to be accused of a thing and for a Groâ—â—â— of his Accusation say he can prove the thing true for which he is accused and yet give no proof for at this rate he may accuse a man of Felony 〈◊〉 Murder and give no other Ground for his Accusation but to say he can prove it LII p. 34. He most impudently and as with a Forehead of Brass doth justifie his calling me an Apostate and worse than profane all his proof being that it is so evident that to go about to prove it were a work of Supererrogation But at this rate he might have spared all his pains and so may every one when his proof fails him say it is so evident that to prove it were a work of Supererrogation But this is meerly to trifâ—le and more like a man that either hath not common sense or shame But if the thing be so evident that I am an Apostate and worse than profane how is it that the Yearly meeting hath been so far from passing any such Judgment on me that they did not in the least forbid Friends to receive my Ministry but rather recommended it to them to be kind to me and most of the Ministring Friends at the Yearly meeting at London as above-mentioned joyned with me in Prayer and so have City-Friends at some of the publick meetings of Friends in London Doth he not here grievously reflect on them all as being guilty of joyning with a man in Prayer that is an Apostate and worse than profane But he hath not shewed nor can he shew wherein my Apostacy doth appear either in Doctrine or Practice LIII He is guilty of gross perversion in misconstruing my just charge against him in my calling it Rank Popery in him and his Faction to require an absolute submission from me to the Judgment of their Meeting in a matter of Faith and Conscience as that was for that it is Rank Popery all sincere Protestants will say to require an absolute submission to the Judgment of any man or meeting in a matter of Faith and Conscience for no Profession in Christendom that I know but the Papal Church requireth absolute submission to her Judgment in matters of Faith for to require it implies that such who require it think themselves absolutely infallible which is another branch of Rank Popery Now his misconstruction is this that my allowing a conditional submission in the case hath this sense if the Party or Parties like the Judgment they will yeild to
falsly he saith he will do candidly cautiously and truly the general cause of this unhappy breach and difference The General Cause saith he I take to be an unbounded Ambition in G. K. But he gives no proof of this his unchristian and uncharitable assertion and therefore I return it on him as false and fictitious XXXIV His perversion in making it a Crime in me to have some Religious Controversie with some called Preachers in New England and challenging some of them to dispute with me alledging that I managed it with great Heat and Rage and common Insâ—lts when I thought I had advantage designing Victory and Vain Glory rather than Edification And of this he brings no proof but his bare Authority he being then in New England with me But he should have brought either some of my Words or Actions to prove me guilty of his charge which he not doing proves him to be evidently guilty of deep Prejudice as well as gross Hypocrisie for he being with me and judging me so guilty as he alledgeth he was unfaithful in not admonishing me seasonably which he cannot justly say that he ever did all that time we were together but professed great Unity with me And for my book of Controversie against some Preachers at Boston in New England called The Presbyterian and Independent Visible Churches brought to the Test c. before it was printed the most of it if not all of it was read in his hearing and in nothing disapproved by him and was generally approved by all that heard it read being an appointed Number of them called Friends of the Ministry the which book was so well accepted by Friends at London and over England that it being Re-printed at London most of them were sold and many Friends bought of them and tho I have heard divers both in City and Country speak well of it I have not heard any shew the least dissatisfaction against it yea divers of the professing people in N. England spake well of it and tho I used some sharp Words towards some Preachers at Boston who did too much justifie the Persecution raised against Friends in N. E. yet as any that have a spiritual savour to judg who read my book will say I writ with great moderation and sincere expressions of Love and charity towards many of the people and I think I can say it without Vanity few have exceeded me in moderation in my way of writing Controversie among the people called Quakers But if seeking to dispute with persons of other Professions be an argument of Vain Glory by the same way of Arguing he maketh some of the best Account of the Speakers among the people called Quakers equally guilty And that he saith how little it redounded to Truth 's advantage he is a witness he being then in N. E. with me If it be enough to make a man guilty by the single Evidence of a prejudiced Adversary he hath hit the Mark but if otherwise he only sheweth his Enmity and Prejudice But that my Labour in N. E. was not without success there are at this day in N. E. who will bear witness to it as also the Certificate I had from the Meeting in Rhode Island declaring the Vnity they had with me and the great benefit they had by my labour of love among them which Certificate I can produce but the witness of God in my conscience hath always been unto me and ever shall be more than all witness of men and is a sufficient defence unto me against this prejudiced adversary and others of his Stamp XXXV page 13 14. His falsly accusing me of a Spirit of Wrath and Bitterness and hating my Brother c. But sharp Words of Reproof against them to whom they duely belong are no Argument of Hatred or that I had not then or now have not the true Love of God in my Heart For let my books in these late differences as well as any others be compared with most of the Friends books that have writ against Adversaries and it will be found they have generally exceeded me in sharp Words and how far Sam. Jennings and his Party have exceeded me in sharp Words the printed sheet called An Expostulation c. doth sufficiently prove And tho sharp words of Reproof be no infallible Argument of Hatred or of an unchristian Spirit yet to be sure Persecution in fining or imprisoning men for matters of conscience is whereof S. Jen. hath shewed Himself sufficiently guilty and who hath discovered Himself Esau-like not only by his threatning words but by his rough hands XXXIV His unjustly complaining against me for my just complaint of too great a laxiness of Church-Discipline among them and my presenting a Paper to Ministring Friends in order to have it amended But he mentions nothing wherein that Paper is reprovable and until He or some for Him can shew the default of it his blaming me for it is but another Instance and Evidence of his Prejudice and Enmity against me XXXVII His unjustly accusing me of impeaching as he terms it Friends Testimony and way of preaching publickly as well as privately And what could I do less hearing so frequently such false Doctrine preached and the Scriptures so grosly perverted to the publick Scandal of Strangers that were not of our Profession Nor was I forward to do any such thing but very sparingly and modestly did at times correct their false Doctrine and most of the Opposition that ever I shewed to them in publick was in defence of the Truth of the Christian Doctrine and Testimony I did bear which they did boldly contradict and I dealt orderly with them by private Admonition which they rejected And when after I made my complaint to them called Friends of the Ministry they did not regard it so as to pass any due censure upon the guilty as is sufficiently made apparent in my former printed books as well as from what is in this before-mentioned XXXVIII page 15. His accusing me of tedious dry and insipid Discourses in their Meetings at Philadelphia is as false as it is improper for him so to accuse me for how can it be expected that such a professed Adversary and open Persecutor will speak well of me But when the Jews accused our blessed Lord of Blasphemy I need not think strange that Sam. Jennings accuseth me But for dry and insipid disccurses he may take it home to himself for very many affirm it to be true of himself and how an open Persecutor that rather glorieth in his Wickedness than repents of it can have any other Ministry but dry insipid yea and burdening is easie to judge and which some have judged him for and some that have been too much prejudiced against me yet have disliked him that they have publickly disowned his Prayer But however I may be to him and some like him a favour of Death as the true Ministers of Christ were to some formerly yet to such as have Salt in
A FURTHER DISCOVERY Of the SPIRIT of Falshood Persecution IN Sam. Jennings And his Party that joyned with him in Pensilvania and some Abettors that cloak and defend him here in England In Answer to his scandalous Book called The State of the Case IN Order to this further Discovery I think fit to follow this Method First to set down in order the grossest Falshoods and Untruths I find in his Book and for which he giveth no other Proof but his and their bare Affirmation who are his Confederates which ought to be of no Authority or Credit with them who know him and them to be our prejudiced Adversaries in the Case and whom I can and doubt not to prove both him and them guilty of affirming diverse gross falshoods in this following Treatise and for brevity sake to give little other Answer to many of the whole Summ Number or Tale of them but this That they are gross downright Falshoods Fictions and Forgeries of his and their devising hatch'd and invented by him and them whereby as with so many Fig-leaves to cover his and their Nakedness And as I go along to answer particularly to his seeming Reasons so far as they may seem to weak and unwary Readers to be some sort of covering to him and his Party and his particular Charges against me so far as they seem to contain any thing of Truth in them in matter of Fact briefly to reply unto For the first some of the grossest downright Falshoods and Untruths Fictions and Forgeries asserted by him are these in order following I. That he saith in his Title page The state of the Case impartially given c. he had said more truly The state of the Case partially falsly and perversly given c. II. That some few have been seduced by me into a separation c. but on the contrary I have not seduced any but have been made an Instrument of God for which I desire to praise him to preserve many and to recover some from being deceived III. That we are backsliders and have reproached and abused him This is his own Character and not ours IV. That he might have made his Innocency his Sanctuary But instead of that he maketh Falshoods and Fictions his Sanctuary V. That I said to him That it was not for any love I had to him that I had sought his Friendship c. This I solemnly declare is utterly false and I acknowledge I did love him and still love him as I ought to love my Enemies but the bond of brotherly love he himself broke it and not I. VI. That I flatter to gain him to my Party This is false VII That I consult the old Proverb Throw Dirt enough and some will stick This most truly belongs to himself VIII That it's matter of Malice and not Conscience that hath occasioned me to appear against him But my appearing against him was only in my just defence and what I have said or Printed against him respecting some former Passages of his Life before he appeared an unjust Adversary against me were such as I had not the full knowledge and certainty of them before and beside they were of that natâ—â—e or quality that had it not been for his intolerable Pride and Arrogancy as well as Injustice in charging me â—hen Innocent of what he was most guilty himself they might have been buried even with them that knew him to be guilty more than I did and it might have been hoped that he had repented of such things but he proceeding to shew himself worse then formerly not amending but more degenerating might give just occasion in our just defence to let him know what sort of Captain these twenty seven false Judges had chosen to follow in that unjust War they had undertaken His Argumentum ad hominem sheweth him as ignorant in fair Reasoning as he knoweth himself to be in the Latin Tongue which yet he would make some shew of as if he skilled it for his transferring my Complaint against Arthur Cook citing Reasons and Causes of the Separation page 18. to his Complaint against me is not paraâ—lel nor equal But so heedless he is in what he writes as in what he saith that he miscites the Book for that Complaint of mine against Arthur Cook is not in Reasons and Causes c. but in the Plea of the Innocent that was in Answer to his and his Brethrens Paper of false Judgment against me for my Complaint against A. C. was That he transgrest Gospel Order in concealing a matter so many years and then bringing it forth against me while I was in the same Profession of Church Membership with them when he so accused me and the matter it self was also false But what I blamed Sam. Jennings for with respect to some years past was only in way of my just defence and was most properly Argumentum ad hominem it being most unreasonable in him to require an absolute Submission from me in the greatest matters of Faith and Conscience when he refused to submit in some worldly matters and I made not this Complaint against him in my just defence until by his and his Parties false Judgment given out against me We were no more of one Society and it stands well consistent with Scripture That if a Man depart from his Righteousness not only his former Righteousness is to be forgotten but his former Vnrighteousness may be justly remembred against him IX That the noise we make of Persecution he doubts not but the Reader will find by what follows is a sham and abuse put upon the World And I refer it to the Impartial Reader whether this his Book be not a sham put upon the World and whether the Sufferings we did undergo for matters purely of Conscience were not really Persecution as much as what many Friends have suffered here in England in former times That he saith page 3. of his Preface How can any thing deserve to be called a Suffering or Persecution that is so much desired and sought for sheweth him extreamly ignorant what true Suffering is and that he is better acquainted with the Spirit of Persecution than with the Spirit of Suffering and also that he is little conversant either in Scripture or Church History for Christ the Prophets Apostles and Martyrs not only desired to suffer for Righteousness sake knowing the Blessedness that belonged to that State but rejoyced at their Suffering not simply for the Suffering but that God might be honoured and the Truth advanced nor did they desire Suffering in any evil will towards Persecutors but prayed for them as so I have done and have them for my Example X. That my and our greatest Suffering from the Government was That we could not provoke them to do more against us This is utterly false we neither gave them just Provocation nor desired to provoke them XI That our Crimes were so gross and enormous as no other Government would have been guilty of
such Impunity I suppose he means Iniquity to suffer to pass with so slight a Correction This Assertion is so extravagantly false that it may be justly questioned whether ever any Government in the English Dominions was so extreamly severe ridgid and cruel to punish Men for asserting the same Principles in common professed both by the Punishers and punished as was our Case For it is well known it is a profest Principle among the People called Quakers That it is lawful to reprove Pride or any other Sin in a Magistrate as Injustice arbitrary and unlawful Proceedings of Magistrates also it is their known Principle neither to fight nor to hire Men to fight and yet for our practising the former viz Reproving Pride in Sam. Jennings and asserting the latter as the Quakers Principle we were persecuted by him and his Party And I know not if many Instances or Examples can be found in England or in the Kings Dominions in America that they did punish any called a Quaker for his simply reproving Pride or other the like Sins in Magistrates But there is not wanting plenty of Examples out of the Printed Books of the People called Quakers that they have largely and much more aggravatingly reproved Pride Oppression Injustice and arbitrary Proceedings in Magistrates than what we have done in Pensilvania See for proof G. F. his Letter to Justice Savrey in his Journal page 94. Will. Pen and Will. Meeds Tryal and G. W. his Tryal at Norwich XII He chargeth it to be Deceit in the Pen-man of the Book of the Tryal to assert it that Will. Bradford and John Micomb were under any hard usage or close confinement after they were put in Prison and for this he bringeth only the Credit of John White then Sheriff and Jailor both as well as a prejudiced Adversary and who had appeared Attorney against us a Man of as bad Credit as Sam. Jennings himself But it is well known to many in Philadelphia who came to see them in Prison That they were kept for some time so close in Prison that by no Entreaty they could have their Freedom to go home to visit their Families though John Micembs Family greatly needed him his Wife being newly brought to Bed and dangerously ill XIII That John White offered them upon their first coming in if they would promise to come to him upon notice given them they might go about their business till then This is notoriously false and is easily proved to be so by the express words of the Mittimus signed by Sam. Jennings and Robert Ewer both Preachers that saith the said Persons being required to give security to answer it at the next Court but they refusing so to do c. Now can it be supposed that the Justices refusing them liberty to go home without giving Security that the Jailor would dare to contradict their strict Order the very first Night they were committed to Prison But that they refused to give Security by entring into Bonds for their Appearance is that which Friends generally have refused to do when they have been committed to Prison both here in England and elsewhere and as these two honest Men viz. Will. Bradford and John Micomb acted like faithful Friends in refusing to enter into Bonds having done nothing worthy of Imprisonment So their Persecutors whereof Sam. Jennings was the chief acted like the worst of our Persecutors here in England formerly in requiring such Security of them But it seems after some time their proud Hearts fell and without requiring any Bonds of them they had more liberty allowed them afterwards more regarding the cry of the generality of the People both in Town and Country against such notorious Injustice and Oppression than any real Mercy and Compassion towards the Prisoners they had in Custody But what cloak hath he to cover the other parts of their Cruelty acted on these two honest Persons having from the one viz. John Micomb taken his License which he paid dear for before the time was expired for which he paid the said License being to keep an Ordinary the outward means of his Livelyhood and having taken from the other viz. Will. Bradford so much of his Printing Letter as was in value worth about Ten Pounds to his great detriment and was not restored to him so long as these unjust and violent Men possessed the Government But after they went out by Order of the new Governor his Printing Letter was restored to him to their great shame that had so long unjustly and cruelly detained it And also by another Order of the said New Governor Peter Bosse after a Months unjust and undue Imprisonment upon the change of the Government was set at Liberty and divers other abuses were then rectified And what saith he to that act of both Injustice and Cruelty that he viz. Sam. Jennings and his Party did take away from Will. Bradford the Printer his yearly Salary of Forty Pounds per Annum they had bound themselves by Indenture to pay him for some years to come without the least just occasion given them or the last breach of the Indenture on his part the only pretence they made being his Printing the Sheet called The Christian Faith of the People of God called in scorn Quakers in Rhode Island c. A Paper which hath been well received by many Friends here in England and elsewhere And his Printing it without their License or Knowledge they made so highly criminal in him as to take from him Forty Pounds per Annum for some years to come being such an unparallel'd Instance of Oppression that I think few parts in Europe in a thing of that Nature can produce the like he being left at liberty by the express Terms of the written Indenture betwixt him and them to Print what he pleased or might be for his Profit that was not against the Government as nothing of this could or was pretended to be nor indeed was ever any thing that he afterwards Printed in the least against it he never refusing to print for them whatever they required which none of them can say he did but shewed himself always most willing to serve them in his Art of Printing And it is but Deceit in Sam. Jennings to charge these two honest Friends with Deceit for their Signing a Paper from the Prison when they signed it in the Entry common to the Prison and the next House for the Entry belonging to the Prison it was no Deceit nor Lye to sign it from the Prison it happening at that time they had a little Liberty to go home and they being Prisoners still by order of the Justices it was most proper for them to sign their Paper from the Prison being if I well remember a Paper to the Justices requesting farther Liberty and the Prison-house Room hapning to be shut at that time who can blame them with Deceit for signing it in any place or part belonging to the Prison except such as Sam. Jennings
themselves I have been and still am through God's mercy a savour of Life unto Life XXXIX His falsly accusing me that I said to a meeting of Ministring Friends There were more damnable Heresies and Doctrines of Devils among the Quakers than among any Profession of the Protestants which he saith was taken from my own mouth at that Meeting and a Minute read to me and not denied by me tho since he saith I endeavour to evade it But he bringeth no other Proof for this but his and his Parties bare Allegation which as I have formerly denied so I still deny that ever I charged it indefinitely upon the Quakers or yet upon that Meeting viz. met at Burlington first month 1691. but only upon a Party in that Meeting there being in that Meeting about a 3d part of them that stood with me and for my Christian Testimony particularly George Hutcheson and Thomas Budd who have declared that I said not the Quakers indefinitely but them viz. a Faction of that Meeting who had sufficiently shewed themselves guilty of the charge both then and formerly Yea as I took notice at the Yearly Meeting at London 3d month last 1694. when that Paper he hath now printed to his shame was read in the Yearly Meeting and a Copy of it delivered to me to answer In my Answer to it I shewed them how that notwithstanding S. J. had named the Name of God in asserting I had charged the Quakers yet that very Paper signed by S. J. in contradiction both to it self and to him doth clear me that my words were That they were met together see his printed book page 18. from line 14. where they say they repeated my words to me and I declared the same again to cloak Heresies and Deceits and that there were more damnable Heresies and Doctrines of Devils among them Note it is not said amongst the Quakers but them which word them did only relate to a Party or Faction of that Meeting Or suppose it did relate to that whole Meeting which it did not yet unless they will say that meeting did represent the Body of the people called Quakers which I judge they will not say over all parts of the World where they are it is evident to be a false accusation to put the word Quakers for them not exceeding in number above 13 persons which is as false and injurious as to charge the English with a thing that only 13 or a few are guilty of And when I re-minded both S.J. and also the Yearly meeting that he named the Name of God to a Falshood which many present did greatly notice and some did charge him with he had no other Evasion but that by them was meant the Quakers which is as palpable a perversion as to charge the English with a Fault that only 13 persons are guilty of And I at the same time with true Reverence naming the Name of God to clear my Innocency saying in the presence of God to the best of my remembrance I said not the Quakers but them some of the Yearly meeting did severely speak to us one saying we had rent the Name of God betwixt us another saying one of us two behoved to be greatly guilty S. J. having said in the fear of God he affirmed that I said the Quakers And afterwards I produced the Paper of their meeting signed by S. J. bearing date the 6th of the 7th month 1672. wherein they declare that my words were as above-mentioned which they say the two Friends repeated unto me Now Reader judge what small credit S. J. is worthy of who by his own declaration hath printed himself guilty of falsly accusing me by perverting my words putting most fraudulently Quakers for them when yet in the Paper of that meeting signed by him he and they declare my words were as I have above-mentioned them XL. And as concerning that Paper called The present Case c. he hath printed to his own shame in his book with other the like shameful Papers as standing Monuments of his unchristian Proceedings given out by his Party 20th of the 4th month and signed by himself it containing palpable contradiction and giving the â—ie to it self as is above noted I need not say much to it but to deny what they falsly charge me with as that in a wrathful and better Spirit I reviled and abused the said Meeting they charging me with brittleness of disposition but my being preserved by my gracious God constant in my Christian Testimony and Conversation proveth them false accusers in this as in other things for had I been brittle their unchristian Practices towards me had long a-go broken me but God has mercifully preserved me and to him alone I give the praise charging me with the breach whereof they and not I were guilty and with calumniating several persons not giving them Gospel-Order in any Church-way all which are false charges As also that they say in their Paper Notice was given me of the time to which the Meeting was adjourned viz. to a fortnight longer having appointed some Friends to visit me But in this they use great prevarication hiding their deceit in ambiguous Words That two came to me in the Evening of that Meeting before their fortnight Adjournment I own it but that they told me either the precise day hour or place of their meeting I altogether deny it or that they did in the least desire me to come to it yea their Paper signifieth no such thing but only that Notice was given me of the time but what particular time or place they mention not for that called a Fortnight sometimes includes 14 days sometimes 15 or 16 But what if I had known the precise day hour and place which I did not for sometimes they met at one place and sometimes at another and sometime at one part of the day and sometime at another is that enough to excuse their proceeding so violently and furiously against me without calling me to hear things charged and proved against me But their Paper doth not so much as alledg that I had any call to come to their meeting therefore it is a plain case they are fallacious and seek to deceive the simple with their fallacious words And what if they had called me and I had refused to come as was not so If they had been endued with the patient and long-suffering Spirit of Christ they would have again and again at least twice or thrice calld me before they had past such a severe Judgment against me as not only to Un-Minister and Un-Christian me but to represent me as one of the worst of men was this like the restoring me in a spirit of meekness Do not humane Judicatories condemn them in this case who commonly before they pass censure in many cases call or summons them twice or thrice who are accused as guilty persons and in case of not appearance on the first â—â—tation do not pass a positive sentence
against them till they have another citation or some considerable time allowed to make their appearance in case of absence which was my case XLI He falsly accuseth my printed Treatise called The Plea of the Luâ—â—cent and so doth his Party see his book page 20. to be a furious condemntion against them But it was only a Just Defence and Vindication of my Innocency and Christian Testimony and Reputation which they most â—nchristianly had laboured to destroy with their most false Accusations and biâ—ter Revilings and Invectives And yet S.J. is so impudent as to call thâ—s scandalous Paper of their meeting aforesaid signed by himself only The Act of such a Meeting as cannot in charity be suspected to be partial or unjust therein But it is now new thing to hear Darkness called Light Falshood Truth c. XLII In their Postscript to their said Paper there are also a great many Fallacies and Falshoods too tedious to enumerate To give an instance in some particulars 1. That one of my followers as he scornfully calleth him read part of our Paper that he calleth a Challenge while Thomas Jauney was at Prayer Here they use a Fallacy for while that person was civilly reading that Paper to interrupt his reading as was usual to them in other cases T. J. kneeled down to prayer so the disorder was in T. J. not in that other person And his standing up in the Window was but in order to be heard And if he did come in at the Window being as open as the Door which I know not that he did it is like it was that the throng of People was so great in the Door that he could not have access Are not these silly and pitiful things to print so as to make such small innocent circumstances to be crimes But when he wants better stuff he must build with straw and stubble 2. They say They promised to give me a suitable hearing to my Appeal provided I would stay till the day appointed for business But this was nothing but a meer evasion for they knew in their conscience that many Friends as well as Friendly People would be gone home before that time they appointed besides they had no power to appoint a time to us and to delay a matter of such great concern to the last day of the meeting which would have required several days to have things fairly heard and examined 3. That we refused to hear them that were sent of their side with a Message to us But their fallacy is great in this that they conceal the rude carriage of those they call Messengers that while one of our Friends was reading a Paper these called Messengers came in a most tumultuous manner and one of them stood up on a bench and read his Paper while our Friend was reading and they that came in with him or them called Messengers raised such an hideous Noise with Voice and Feet that was a great shame to hear of and this was the occasion of our removing not willing to stay to see such disorder 4. Their saying in their Paper That we set up those who made little or no profession of Truth for our Judges is both a falshood and a fallacy It happened that one person set his Name to the Paper unknown to us generally that was not under the profession of Truth but after we knew of it we razed out his Name but I never heard nor knew of any more being all generally not only under a profession of the Truth long before the separation but of Good Report among Friends But we can prove and have proved that divers of them that signed their scandalous Paper of their Yearly meeting against us were guilty of scandalous conversation 5. That that Paper given out from our Yearly meeting was drawn up and compleated according to my direction This is an absolute falshood 6. As for some hard words that I gave some of them on extraordinary provocation they have far exceeded me as have been sufficiently proved calling me not only Hypocrite but Raunter wiâ—ed man even when I have been at prayer in great tenderness and S. J. owneth that he called me Apostate and at the same time when he professed to come and visit me in Love and deal with me by admonition in a Church-way he called me not only Apostate but worse than profane And is it not great Hypocrisie in S. J. so to aggravate some hard words of mine and to pass by so many much more hard as well as more in number of theirs without the least noticing Do a few hard words of mine prove me a wicked man as S. J. and his party conclnde and yet their many more and more hard words against me prove them to be Saints But let the merit of the cause be examined and a just account be cast up and I fear not but S. J. and his party will be found to have far exceeded in giving hard words But whereas they labour to represent me as extraordinary passionate and impatient they are most unfair and partial Judges in the case It is known to many that well know me that God hath endued me with a good measure of patience and what I have born with much patience is best known to God As for the Terms Blood-thirsty Hounds it is well known to many on what occasion I gave it to some that accused me in a publick meeting of a thing most falsly that had it been believed against me tended to destroy my Natural Life and I might as well call such Blood-thirsty Hounds as Fox in his Book of Martyrs called some Papists Hell-Hounds who sought to destroy the Natural Lives of some good Christians in the days of the Martyrs The man I called impudent Rascal I meant it in the Scripture-sence to wit as being a vile person the Hebrew word Nebal translated vile person in our English Bible signifying properly Nebulo in Latin and that is Rascal in English and this for boldly asserting a vile Error having said before divers Witnesses he did not believe to be saved by that which died at Jerusalem and most unchristianly falling upon me in a monthly meeting saying Doth the Spirit speak in Trees I Having asserted that God was present in all the Creatures as Trees Herbs Grass which some of that meeting even Ministers did dispute against and the above-mentioned Person with others urging me most unchristianly to promise an absolute submission to the Judgment of that meeting and I not giving they refused to give any Judgment in the case tho I have appealed to them And at this Meeting S.J. was present but takes no notice of the Blasphemy some of that Meeting was guilty of against both God and Christ but only of some hard words given to one or two men which is a great Argument of his Hypocrisie and that to him Blasphemy against God and Christ is a lesser offence than an hard word against man Beside is it not great hypocrisie
at my door is a Falshood and Perversion for I have shown in my Answer to Tho. Elwood that they lay not the whole blame of it upon me but in part if not mainly upon them see my Book called A seasonable Information page 26 And what he calleth a clear Demonstration done by T. E. charging me with the blame of the Separation I have sufficiently demonstrated to be no such thing but a demonstration of his Ignorance Folly and Perversion XLV page 31. He proceeds in some new Charges against me some of which are partly true and partly false and some of them utterly false 1. That I said to John Wilsford Friends were not the People but that there must come another People That I said these express words I remember not but if it be meant that I did or do expect that there will be a People raised up more pure then that greatly mixed People that are called by the common Name of Quakers and are generally known by the single Language of Thee and Thou to one Person plain Habit and other small 〈◊〉 called by some but most improperly The form of Truth bearing as 〈◊〉 proportion to the form of Truth as a piece of the outmost skirt of a Mans Garment doth to the whole Garment I freely declare I do expâ—â—t that God will raise up a purer People than the generality that go under that Name it being generally owned and lamented by the faithful among us that there is a great mixture among us both of Ignorance and evil Conversation But when a greater Reformation cometh I hope and believe that faithful Friends will still belong to that more reformed and refined People who shall then be found alive 2. That I told Caleb Pusie and others That there were not six Friends in America nor in England 〈…〉 in the whole World that preached Christ aright This I disown as an absolute Forgery my words were That I knew not six in Pensilvania that preached Christ aright at that time and no more I did 3. That I had that to preach that was never yet preached by any Quaker But what if I had so said 〈◊〉 meaning any new fundamental Principle but some further opening of some Places of Scripture not yet understood perhaps by any other among us If this be a Crime in me then they must needs judge they are come to the highest degree and top of all divine Knowledge and nothing is further to be discovered But who think so I cannot but pitty their great Ignorance as well as Arrogancy and Presumption 4. That I had lâ—ss now against water Baptism than formerly I do not remember the words It is known by my former printed Books I have been moderate in my Judgment concerning both water Baptism and the Supper in the outward use of Bread and Wine chiefly blaming the great formality in Mens praâ—tising these things and resting in the outward Practise of them but not universally judging or concluding that God neither did nor would move any â—y his Spirit to practiâ—e them since the Apostles days but rather allowing it might be possible that some were or might be moved wherein I have the printed Testimonies both of John Crook and Geo. Bishop in their Treatises concerning Friends Principles and also the Testimonies of other Friends to the same effect concurring with me And if I had so said as is alledged what great Offence could it be considering that I did find too many in these American parts that together with rejecting these Outward signs have rejected the things signified by them viz. the Body and Blood of Christ as being any Necessary matter to be believed for Justification and Salvation And I have said and say again it is far better to receive both viz. the signs and things signified by them than to reject both as some do 5. That I saw now that Hicks and Faldo had more Reason to write as they did concerning the Quakers than I then thought they had But this is an absolute falshood as laid down It is like I have said If they had but charged only some particulars called Quakers some of their charges would have proved true for I have found some of them true to my sad Experience but I ever blamed them and 〈◊〉 that they charged these things universally which I know 〈…〉 and some of them falsly charged upon me 6. That if I should appear in opposition to friends I could do more hurt than all that yet had appeared against them It is a false and invidious charge which I utterly â—eject and abhor I hope I shall never appear in opposition to faithfull â—â—ends nor ever was it in my heart to hurt any nor ever I hope shall it be But if it be any hurt by word and writ to testifie against vile Errors and wicked Practices it is only to hurt the Devil's Kingdom But that he saith All these things will be proved against me if I deny them and much more of a like tendency I ask him Why hath he not now done it For until he prove them None that are impartial will believe them Beside by whom will be prove them seeing he hath none but his own Party to give proof in the case which as it is no Authentick Proof among men so especially not in this case whom I have sufficiently proved partial and unfair For his unchristian and uncharitable insinuations against me in the latter part of his page 31. grounded upon falshoods and perversion I pass as not worth further noticing XLVI page 32. He falsly insinuates against me not only that I am gone from Truth but that I have dealt treacherously with the Yearly Meeting by appearing in print against them instead of submitting to their Advise and Judgment But there is nothing appeareth in that called The Judgment of the Yearly Meeting as if it were their sense that I am gone from Truth And it is a most false suggestion that I have dealt treacherously with them ' for I took their Advice in clearing Truth and faithful Friends by what I printed And that I printed any thing against the Yearly meeting I deny and he cannot prove it But if I have printed against them it could not be called Treachery seeing Treachery signifieth some breach of promise or underhand dealing none of which I am guilty of for what I have printed I declared before them that gave forth that Paper that I had a mind to do it for clearing the Truth and my innocency XLVII He grosly perverteth and abuseth his Reader when he accuseth me and them with me at the Yearly Meeting that we shrunk from the charge when called upon in the Yearly meeting at London to make it good none of us having courage enough to own or stâ—nd by that as he calls it malicious scandalous Libel called New England s Spirit of Persecution c. for I freely declared in that meeting That I was not the Author of all that book but that that part
of the Quakers Principle Now if to reprove Pride and other Sins as Injustice Oppression c. in Magistrates be an abuse done to the Government and worthy of Punishment then many Friends of best Note among us are equally guilty or rather indeed more guilty by S. J. his Argument as G. F. who hath more severely charged Justice Sawry and the Magistrates of Derby with such things than ever we did any of the Magistrates in Pensilvania See also a printed Book called The second part of the Peoples ancient and just Liberties asserted in the Proceedings against and Tryals of Francis Moor Richard Mâ—w John Boulton Job Boltoun and divers others at the Sessions begun and held at the Old Bailey in Lond 6th mo 1670. where the Publishers of that Book charge the Magistrates more severely than ever we did they saying that in the said Book their Oppression and Injustice are manifested their Wickedness and Corruption detected See also the Tryal of W. P. and W. M. and the Tryal of G. W. at Norwich and generally it hath been the way of Friends in their printed Books of Tryals at Sessions to charge the Justices with Injustice and Arbitrary Proceedings c. And seeing this was no abuse to Magistracy but their Christian Complaint and bearing witness conscienciously against Mens Sins as holy Men of old did as is largely recorded in holy Scriptures no more can it be esteemed in us any abuse to Government to have reproved S. J. for his Pride And as concerning our querying or witnessing against some called Quakers in Philadelphia in our printed appeal for hiring Men to fight this can be no Sedition nor having any tendency to Sedition or to the subversion of the Government seeing it is well known for manyyears past that the People called Quakers have declared it to be their Principle That it is not lawful for them to fight and yet the Government hath been so tender here in England that they have not charged them with being guilty of Sedition or subversion of the Government for asserting any such Principle and the like tenderness and moderation have the States of Holland shewed to the Mâ—nâ—ste there who are a great People and have publickly asserted it to be their Principle as well as the People called Quakers here neither to fight nor to swear yea and learned Grotius who hath writ a learned Treatise de jure belli pacis reckoneth it at least among the Evangelical Counsels which any Man may lawfully obey not to fight or make War Is it not therefore a very strange thing that a Justice of Peace in Pensilvania and others of his Party shall make that to be Sedition or a subversion of the Government there viz our publickly asserting it to be our Principle not to fight and yet the Government here to charge nothing upon us but to be tendet to us in that respect as well as in other things of Non-conformity Doth not this shew an extraordinary height of Ambition in them as well as degeneration from their former Principle and will it not too much confirm the Jealousie that some have had that if the Government shall happen to come into the hands of some of that People called 〈◊〉 they will persecute others for Conscience sake although they have cried out against their being persecuted for Conscience sake unless some publick Testimony be given forth against these severe and unfair Proceedings of these Men against us in Pensilvania and that by some solemn declaration in print given forth in behalf of that People LXV His Perveâ—â—ion in bringing his and their most illegal and scandalous Proclamation against me which they caused to be read at the Market Place by the common Cryer and after that posted it up both in Town and Country as a proof of my being guilty of endeavouring to raise Sedition and to subvert the Government Certainly if this Man were not past all fear or shame he would not have dared to print such an illegal and scandalous Paper that makes so much against him and expose it in the face of the World the which I having so fully answered in Print to the several Falshoods Fallacies and Perversions in it I shall not now repeat only I think fit to notice one particular that doth sufficiently show their illegal unjust and Arbitrary Proceedings that whereas they say It hath been proved before them that G. K. being a Resident there did contrary to his Duty publickly revile the said Deputy-Governor Note Reader they say It hath been proved before them c. But they fallacionsly omit to tell that I was not called before them to have that or any other thing proved against me but that they did was altogether in my absence in and without the least Summons Call or Citation to come before them at that they call their private Sessions which may rather be called a private Conspiracy to subvert Law and Justice though I was known to be at home in the same Town And whereas they have called two other Justices of Peace viz. Lacy Cock a Lutheran and John Homes a Baptist to connive with them in this work of Darkness viz. to proclaim me at the Market Place a Person so highly Criminal without all Conviction or calling me before them to hear any thing proved against me these two Justices aforesaid acting like men of Conscience as well as Understanding what was legal refused to joyn with them in signing such a Proclamation because it was done without any Conviction or legal procedure But they desired I might be called for and legally convicted and if I were found guilty they should joyn with them to punish me accordingly But this not being granted without them they gave forth that scandalous Proclamation against me and I appeal not only to all Persons called Quakers but to all others who may hear or read concerning this Matter and especially to all that are in the least acquainted either with the English Laws or with the Law of Nations whether their thus proceeding against me be so severe a Penalty as to proclaim me at the Market Place c. a Person so highly Crâ—â—inâ— without all Conviction and whether to take the Evidence of 〈◊〉 against me in my absence without any call to be present is not wholly 〈◊〉 and contrary to the fundamental Laws of England LXVI page 46. His Perversion in making the presentment of the Grand 〈◊〉 at Philadelphia an Evidence or Proof against Th. Budd and me of 〈◊〉 being guilty of reviling the Magistrate and endeavouring to raise Sedition anâ— subvert the Government and to do this to his own shame and as an instance of hiâ— solâ—y he prints the Presentments of the said Grand Jury against T. Budd and me and against W. Bradford see his page 52. Now let us see how unlike a Magistrate or a man of common Sense he doth argue The Grand Jury hath presented us to be guilty of reviling S. J. being a Magistrate therefore we
are guilty But if this be a true conclusion without any further proof then it follows by the same Argument that what ever any Grand Jury presents a man to be guilty of that man is guilty of the same and if so there is no room left for any further Tryal of a Petty â—ury which is another perversion of the fundamental Laws of England But why S. J. is wholly silent of the Verdict that the Petty Jury gave in the case of Th. Budd I having pleaded in the Court that I was not presentâ—ble being my only Plea the thing being No Nusance to the County nor Offence against the Government they fined me without any more a-do is â—afie to conjecture their Verdict not being any Verdict against Th. Budd in the Terms or Words of the Presentment but a special Verdict in these following words viz. That Thomas Budd was guilty of saying Sam. Jennings had behaved himself too highly and imperiously in worldly Courts But this was no proof that T. B. was guilty of reviling Magistracy more than the special Verdict of the Jury at the Old Baily that W. P. was guilty of speaking in Grace-Chuack-Street was any Verdict against him of being guilty of a Riot Rout or unlawful Assembly LXVII p. 54. His perversion in blaming me and some others Joyned with me in our exposing their defects if they were so to the world before ever we had spoken to the Parties thus abused by us as he phraseth it But for answer what he calleth our exposing their defects was but in the just defence of our Innocency and Christianity which he and 27. unjust Judges had endeavoured to rob us of by exposing to the world tho not in print yet publickly enough otherwise their false Judgment against us and causing it to be read in all the Meetings not only in the Province of Pensilvania but in the Meetings of the Neighbouring Provinces And it is false that we had not spoke to them for we had made our complaint and shown our dislike at a monthly meeting at Philadelphia where they read their False Judgment against us and at several other Meetings before we printed a line against them but received no Redress but abusive language And herein we have done but what many other good and worthy men have done in the like case when oppressed and they could have no Remedy Printing being the last Remedy And this Remedy hath been used by many Friends of good Account among us who having been oppressed and unjustly dealt with by Justices of Peace have exposed their Injustice in print to the world some of their books having this Title The Cry of the Oppressed Nor can this be called the exposing of our brethrens weakness for they had denied us to be their brethren before either the book called The Plea of the Innocent or the Appeal or the book called The Tryal was printed and they had begun the Separation and refused and rejected all Gospel-Order before we ever printed a line against them therefore Sam. Jennings his words in p. 54. I may justly retort upon himself which touch not us What conscience is in this for him to fill his book with so many falshoods forgeries and perversions I leave to any but a feared conscience to determine LXVIII His perversion in taking great pains to prove that some part of my worhs did respect his Magistracy and that therefore I am guilty of reviling his Magistracy Now the part of my words which he laboureth to prove did respect his Magistracy was That he had behaved himself too high and imperious both in friends Meetings and worldly Courts And will this prove that I reviled Magistracy any more than that he who writ W. Pea's and VV. Meâ—e's Tryal which some say was W. P. himself was guilty of reviling Magistracy or that Friends who have been oppressed and injured by proud and oppre â—sive Magistrates in former times that have charged them in print both with Pride and Persecution or will it follow that the true Prophets were guilty of reviling Magistracy because they did witness publickly against Pride and Oppression in Judges and Rulers in former days Surely these men in Pensylvania were come to an extraordinary height of Ambition to think that their place of Magistracy had raised them up so high as to be above all Reproof or witnessing against their Pride Injustice and other sins when many far greater in Authority here in England have born all that and much more than we have said against them in Pensylvania without the least noticing it by such severity a great shame to such men who pretending to be Teachers of others in the great Christian Duties of Patience and long-suffering should fall so short in the practice of it beneath many who make not so high Profession And it is but a poor excuse and evasion for him or any other that may be supposed to have assisted him in this Work to say as he or they do p. 45. In the Infancy of the settlement of Pensilvania the Legislators saw cause to make provision by a Law to secure the Reputation of the Magistrates from the contempt of others foreseeing no doubt and perhaps perceiving something of it then that people by reason of their equality in other things might be under greater tentations to run into this evil there than where the condition of the Magistrates had raised them above and set them at a greater distance from the common people It was therefore enacted saith he That whosoever should speak contemptuously or slightingly of a Magistrate should be punished by a fine according to the Nature of the Offence But was this consideration enough to raise the Magistrates in Pensylvania so far above their Brethren who are otherwise not only equal to them but some perhaps far above them that tho a man do ever so conscientiously reprove their Pride Injustice and Oppression in case such a thing happen as is not impossible he must not do it otherwise he must be punished as a reviler of Magistracy Were it not much more advisable that the Magistrates in Pensylvania did labour to excel and exceed all others in that Province in all Christian and civil Vertues who are otherwise equal to them than Shâ—bna like to grave them out an habitation in so high a Rock that no Man dare reprove them tho ever so conscientiously or having ever such just cause so to do such Height was the fore-runner of S. J. and his Brethrens â—â—lly in being soon after driven out of their station as God threatned Shebna Isa 22. 16 19. And if they happen to be promoted again they will do well to behave themselves more moderately and Christianly To revile Magistracy I acknowledge is a great sin but 〈◊〉 the reproving of Pride and Injustice in a Magistrate when he is not in the publick discharge of his Magistracy as sitting in the seat of Justice especially is no reviling of Magistracy so far as I can learn