THE DEFENCE Of the PEOPLE called QVAKERS BEING A REPLY To a Book lately Published by certain Priests of the County of Norfolk under the pretended Title of The Quakers Challenge And Containing Some Brief and Modest Animadversions upon the Book it self Several Certificates which Detect the Errors in those of West-Dereham and Clear the People called Quakers of the said Challenge The Letters that passed between Them and the Priests Mark 14. 10 11. And Judas Iscariot one of the Twelve went unto the Chief Priests to betray him unto them When they heard it they were glad and promised to give him Money And he sought how he might conveniently betray him London Printed and Sold by T. Sowle in White-Hart-Court in Gracious-street and at the Bible in Leaden-Hall-street 1699. THE PREFACE Friendly Reader 'T Is not the design of these Introductory Lines to endeavour the Pre-possessing of thy Mind with more favourable Sentiments concerning Vs and our Cause than what Truth and Justice may and do require But to lay before thee plain Matter of Fact by way of Preface to our following Defence to the End thou may'st see what steps our Adversaries have taken to draw us into this Controversie what Provocations they have given us thus to appear and the necessity of making this our Reply and Vindication Publick For tho' we are Represented by the Priests as the Stirrers up of Strife and Contention and the Beginners of this Controversie yet by the following Account we hope the contrary will appear and that they themselves were the Authors thereof assisted by F. Bugg they having Challenged us in General Terms and Charged us with Blasphemy against God against Christ and against the Holy Scriptures c. which we are not guilty of and appoined us Time and Place viz. on the 8th of December 1698. in West-Dereham Church so called Then and There to hear the said Charge proved against us and several Letters passed between Them and Vs relating thereunto wherein we Demanded a Copy of their Charge namely the Authors Names Titles of the Books and Pages which we thought Just and Reasonable for them to give us because they pretended to Charge us out of our Friends Books that if the Authors were Living they might Explain for themselves or if Dead we might have time to make due Preparation for our selves And their Vnfairness was such that we could not prevail with them but that they were resolved to proceed whether we would meet them or no upon their own Terms that is without giving us the Particulars of their Charge We judged it needful to make our Appearance at the Time and Place by them appointed not to Comply with their Challenge upon the Measures which they had fixed but to insist upon our former Demand in the face of all the People then and there Assembled and in Case of Refusal to except against their Proceedings as Unjust and Unreasonable which we accordingly did For notwithstanding our Endeavours both by Sober Reasoning and Earnest Intreaties they still positively denied us This we thought was very hard Dealing from those who would be accounted Ministers of Christ but our Wills being Resigned to the Will of God whose we are and whom we serve we concluded to be at Quiet and Patiently to bear our Burden not in the least intending to Print a Narrative of what passed between Them and Us And the more especially because at the End of the Meeting some of the Priests were heard to say Now we have done with the Quakers And one of the Quakers desired to know when they would meet again the Priests answered Let it end here But these appeared to be Words of Course and not of Reality as the Sequel soon demonstrated For quickly after came forth in the Printed News a very Partial and Erroneous Account of the West-Dereham Conference which we were willing to Hope was not done by the Direction or Consent of any of the Priests that were concerned therein But our Hopes were soon frustrated for in another News Paper soon after that it was affirmed to be done by their Approbation and then came forth their Printed Relation falsly called The Quakers Challenge with several of their own Names to it and some other Persons In which as we conceive are many Falshoods undue Reflections and Insinuations contained And for Proof hereof we intreat the Perusal of this ensuing Reply For the Manifesting of Truth and Clearing Us and for the Undeceiving those that have been or may be misled by that untrue Relation which is Attested by some Persons of Note whom we believe were the more easily perswaded to Subscribe it because they had not a Right Understanding who were the Aggressors and Fomenters of the Controversie and the Priests further Design against us who are their Peaceable Neighbours and True Friends Richard Ashby Thomas Bonnet John Hubbard John Fiddeman Daniel Phillips Tho. Buckingham Some Brief and Modest ANIMADVERSIONS UPON THE Norfolk Priests Relation of the West-Dereham Conference RElation p. 1. Some Quakers in the County of Norfolk having by a Letter Challenged the Clergy of the Church of England Time and Place leave from our Superiours first obtained were at length fixed Animadversion This is precariously Asserted by the Priests and therefore lies upon them yet to prove for it is not their Prefixing an undue Title to our first Letter and then calling it by the Name of the Quakers Challenge that will make it so If they had owned themselves the first Challengers of the Quakers they had done themselves Justice and the World too whom they have Impos'd upon by that Fictitious Frontis-piece For we did in our Letters to them and do hereby deny both to them and all that shall read our Defence that we were the Aggressors and first Challengers And for the clearing our Innocency in this Matter we have herewith caused Certificates to be Printed which we conceive will fully Evince and Manifest that the Aggression lay at their own Doors and their Mercenary Agent and Accomplice F. Bugg's And had those whom they stile their Superiours had a right Information hereof and also of their Taunting at us and Daringly Saying That if we came not at their Summons it should be a Token of our Insincerity and Cowardise for ever we are Charitably Perswaded they would not so far have Countenanced these Priests as they suggest they have And whereas they say Time and Place were at length fixed they ought also to have told who fixed them for that was their own Act. But this they have concealed here to blind the Reader and hide their own Forwardness However their Letter dated the 27th of October 1698. is an undeniable Witness against them as to the fixing of Time and Place and though we told them in our Letter on the 23d of the 9th Month following Seeing you resolutely Refuse our Just Demand viz. of a Copy of their Charge we do not look upon our selves obliged to meet you under the Limitation
Asserted c. among the People that they might speak for us And whereas it was Suggested that the Book being without a Name it was to serve a Turn and might be denyed afterwards Now We do Declare That Book was first Printed in the Year 1689. in Behalf of the said People and given to the Parliament and since Reprinted to serve no other Turn but Truth and to shew in brief what we Own and Hold concerning the things mentioned therein and that they are not Contrary but in all respects Agreeable to the Holy Scriptures And as to their Resolution of not leaving the Matter thus and Intention of Proving their Charge at a more Favourable Opportunity viz. When the Days are long and the Weather good as also their Permitting any of Us to Appear and Signifying how Civilly they will Treat Us viz. By Taking us by the Hands and leading us out of Doors We think not to take much notice of it but Commit our Cause to the Lord who knows our Innocency to whose Will we are Resigned and in whom we Trust that he will Defend us from their Evil Designs Threatned and Attempted against us Rel. p. 6 7. It being near the Evening one of their Speakers made mention of our Lord Bishop's Name and that he had waited on him at Norwich and discoursed with him about this Matter in the presence of the Arch-Deacon Dr. Jeffery's And insinuated to the People as if my Lord had now a more favourable Opinion of their Challenge than before since he had given him a more Just Relation as he said of the Circumstances but none of us could believe his Relation Animad We hope 't was no Offence to wait on the Bishop of Norwich but we deny what they say was Insinuated for we neither did nor do Esteem our selves the Aggressors or first Challengers And though they could not Believe the Relation he gave ' was nevertheless True Rel. p. 8. We hope we have stopt the Gangrene that it spreads no further in our Corner the People being generally satisfied and do believe them now to be Blasphemers because they refused to come to a Trial. Animad If they have stopt the Gangrene as they falsly call it what need they then seek the Remedy of the Parliament by Petitioning them Doth not this shew what Spirit they are of But our Defence against them is The Shield of Faith which is able to quench all the Fiery Darts of the Devil By it the Elders obtained a good Report subdued Kingdoms wrought Righteousness obtained Promises stopped the Mouths of Lions quenched the Violence of Fire escaped the Edge of the Sword out of Weakness were made Strong waxed Valiant in Fight turned to flight the Armies of the Aliens Heb. 11. 2 33 34. Are these Ministers of Christ Are these Ambassadors of the Prince of Peace who endeavour the Subversion of their Neighbours Peace both Civil and Religious But what a weak as well as false Affirmation is it to say The People are generally satisfied and do believe us now to be Blasphemers because as they speak we refused to come to a Trial For we were willing to come to a Trial as appears by our Letters and their own Relation of the Conference upon such reasonable Terms as the Justice of England allows by the Common Law even to Malefactors viz. A Copy of their Charge but this they Peremptorily Denied us Now is it probable that the People should be so Generally Satisfied and Believe that we were Blasphemers when the Cause assigned for this Pretended Satisfaction and Belief is Evidently and Notoriously False This Triumphing of these Priests before they have got the Victory both loudly Proclaims their own Weakness and manifestly Imposeth upon the Credulity of the People Note Moreover that these Priests who first Challenged and Charged Us the former of which they now deny did at the Conference use Various Ways to divert us from Proving them what they really were and are viz. The first Challengers and did Insultingly Demand our Names and whence we were as if they had been the King's Justices of the Peace and would Impose upon and Question us as if they had a Jurisdiction over us and would as if we were Children have Catechised us which gave our Friend Occasion to tell them If they would prove themselves Ministers of Christ he would be Catechised by them but not one of the Challengers would undertake that as before is hinted Yet one Queried of us Whether we own'd the Resurrection to which Answer was given We did own it according to the Holy Scriptures And then We were ask'd Whether Christ was Born of a Virgin and whether that Christ that was born of the Virgin Mary was now Glorified To which we Replied That he was and is Glorified according to his own Prayer John 17. Then the Priests Accused G. W. and Charged him with Preferring our own Writings to the Holy Scriptures But we denied that G. W. hath so done or that we Prefer our Writings to the Holy Scriptures Then they Suggested That our Teachers have Asserted some Blasphemies against the Priestly Office of Christ which we utterly Deny as a Gross Slander cast upon our Teachers For howsoever we may be Accused and Misrepresented by these Men that seem to be in a Confederacy against us and say Page 1. We could make nothing appear under their Hands that they were the Challengers we hope we have now done that to the Satisfaction of the Impartial beyond only urging some Stories we had heard as a Provocation as they say Page 1. And as to the Liberty Page 4. that they allow us to Charge any of the Church of England-Writers with Blasphemy and without giving them Book Line or Page before hand and their saying We will either Disown or Justifie it We Reply that when we Answer their Proposal therein we shall be more Just to them than they have been to us for we shall give them Authors Names Book and Page Something Briefly but truly laid down by Way of Reply to Hen. Meriton John Meriton and Lau. Park their Charging the Quakers in Norfolk with Challenging them c. Proving by Certificates that the first Challenge lay not on the Quakers Part but on the Persons above-named in Conjunction with F. Bugg FRancis Bugg their Mercenary Agent Printed a Challenge upon the Quakers bearing Date the 30th of August 1698. in which he says Friends you cannot but remember your Ancient Practice in going into the Churches disturbing the Established Ministers your Challenging them into the Field to Dispute with you But behold here is a Change with you We may now Challenge you and Charge you again and again Fearfulness doth Surprize you that you dare not appear but remember it is a sign you cannot defend your Errors and that your Innocency is not Triumphant as G. Whitehead boasts Let this Charge and Challenge therefore be a Touch-Stone to try your Sincerity and let it be a Monument of your
Authors themselves for by owning them you become joynt Authors and your Plea for them will be the Plea of Parties and not of Proxies But now When your Court of Equity will not Relieve you you Fly to Common Law but if you give us no better Proof of your Skill in it then in this Instance we shall have little Reason to take your Counsel in Law Business Friends 'T is Matter of Fact we Charge you with that we find such and such Blasphemous Expressions in your Books For Matter of Right whether such Expressions are to be esteemed Blasphemy we shall leave it to the Judgment of the Auditors The Matters of Fact your Authors have already owned them at least so much as will make good our Charge And for Matter of Right whether such Expressions be Blasphemous or no we think the Common Law will not allow the Accused Malefactor when he 's accused of the Fact aright to Judge of the Law or whether his Fact hath been a Breach of it Suppose we had Charged some of your Friends with Common Swearing by their Maker and they should not deny Matter of Fact that they have said such words only they excuse them with a great deal of Artifice that they were spoke in Passion that they dropt from them rashly or their Minds did a little run out or truly they do not affect such Speeches or they may see Cause otherwise to word them is there any Law or Equity such Men should be admitted in any Court in the World to Plead and Apologize for Common Swearing If Matter of Fact be prov'd or own'd may not the Judge turn such Men out of the Court and pass the Definitive upon them The Fact is own'd by the Men themselves that such Expressions are in their Books so much at leastwise as will prove the Charge and let the Auditory whom we Appeal to as Judges in this Case Determine whether Blasphemy or no. We dare Affirm it will be easier for the People to Judge that such and such Words are Blasphemy then that such words are Swearing And we are Sorry to see you are so Zealous for such Authors only to give them an an opportunity to excuse Blasphemy At last you direct us to the Golden Rule in Divinity to do as we would be done by and think you have Gravell'd us with Three Questions which you suppose we cannot Answer if we stick to our former Measure without apparent Violation of it Now Sirs what are those hard Measures I pray Why truly after we have Charged some of yours with Blasphemy in some Books Printed Ten Twenty Thirty some Forty Years ago that were never Corrected nor Censured by your Church in your Second Days Meeting Erected on purpose to Examine Books and Licence them but have been Approved and Commended to us and Admired by almost all of you we Demand that you would either Justifie or Disown them Publickly under your Hands And now you ask us very Pertinently Whether we are willing to be Charged with all the Old and New Books and Pamphlets that our Brethren of the Clergy have Written or Printed to stand or fall by them Such an Impertinency as this is would be almost Intolerable but that we are so commonly used to them by your Party Do but Scratch your Heads a little and consider seriously the Force of such a Consequence We are bound to Justifie or Disown all the Books of our Brethren as to every little Error or Mistake because we call upon you only to Justifie or Dosown the Blasphemies of yours We doubt not but there have been some tolerable Errors in ours which are no great Blot to an Author that acknowledges himself to be a Man viz. Fallible but a Mighty Prejudice against the Infallible Club whether at Rome or Grace-Church-street that pretend they cannot Err And we are only obliged to a Charitable Forbearance in such Cases when you will be obliged for every Error you find in yours by reason of such a Pretence to disown them as Cheats But if any of our Authors have Wrote or Printed Blasphemy we are sure such have not been approved or allowed of by our General Meeting our Convocation who have made bold to Censure them without asking the Authors leave or if there be any such that have escaped the Knowledge of the Convocation and therefore not Censured by them perhaps they have been Condemned if not Burnt by Parliaments and Vniversities or if they have escaped such a Censure bring out such Books of ours when you will and you shall see we will either Justifie or Disown them without calling for the Authors to come and plead their Cause To the Second Question we Answer You shall have equal Liberty with us Produce our Books and your Charge against them Supposing it to be of Blasphemy when you will after you have first Answered ours and we will give you leave to reserve your particular Instances to the very Time and Place of Meeting if you please For we are assured that Blasphemy is of so strong and rank a Scent that every Christian that hath not his Nose quite stop'd that as St. Paul says can but exercise his Senses never so little about Good or Evil as soon as ever it 's open'd or discover'd will presently nauseate and turn away from it And we are sorry that so many of you have got such a Stuffing in your Heads as not to perceive it nay you think them sweet Odours sure that you will not be satisfied till you be allowed Advocates to Plead for them as sound and wholsome and therefore to be continued in the best Room of the House the Church The Third Question is Co-incident with the First but we must answer it or you 'll say we dropt it for its Weight for there is no reason we should appear in the Person of all those our Brethren so as to be Charged with every little Error out of their Books in their stead but this we will do bring forth their Books and Blasphemies as we have said before and we will either Justifie them or Disown them without consulting the Authors of them And this is all that we desire of you either to Justifie or Disown Yours and Their Blasphemies under your Hands which we may expect from you by the same Rule you lay before us Do as you would be done by And why may we not expect this of you seeing you have Abandoned your Authors in lesser matters as in their Orders about Ribbonds Lace Slit-wast-Coats Prancing Steeds Costly Habits Fine Clothes Stately Buildings in forbearing to Thee and Thou and Sir your Betters Seeing many of you have opposed their Orders in Paying Tithes Womens Meetings Swearing in Courts of Judicature of carrying no Guns in their Ships or using the Carnal Weapon Last of all We take notice with much joy to see you so much fall off from the former Rude and Rugged Behaviour of those Men whose Cause you Espouse towards the Clergy It
made in the Year 1562. by another Convocation which declares The Church hath Authority in Controversies of Faith If they will own it then whether the Sin against God be the Sin against the Holy Ghost or no We do not see how they can Quit themselves of the Blasphemy the Article speaks of For do they not of Malice Rail upon the Truth of God's Word manifestly perceived and as Enemies thereunto Persecute the same in Charging so many Blasphemies upon the Light within as taught by the Quakers For the Light within is Christ and Christ is the Truth of God's Word The Way the Truth and the Life John 14. 6. The Word that was in the beginning with God and was God Chap. 1. 1. The Sum and Substance of the Gospel and that which the Holy Scriptures give Testimony of and we Believe and Teach But whether the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost be Unpardonable we shall not Determine A great Doctor of their own Communion was of the Opinion it was not see Hammond's Annot. upon Mat. 12. If they Print again we intreat them to be Plain and Open and not Talk great Words in the Dark to Endeavour to Fright People and to Exasperate them against us without any just Cause or Provocation Rel. p. 5. And now we began to Charge them with Blasphemy against God Animad Whom did they begin to Charge Not the Quakers of this present Generation for they were then acknowledged Orthodox and yet at first all were by them Charged to be Blasphemers see their Contradiction Rel. p. 5. And as soon as we began to prosecute our Charge one gets upon a Form and Bawls aloud to the People c. Animad It 's true one got up on a Form and made a Solemn Confession of Faith in Scripture-Terms yet did not Bawl but in words of Sobriety Declared to this Effect We Believe in God the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth and in Jesus Christ his only Begotten Son our Lord and Saviour who was Born of the Virgin Mary whom the Holy Ghost overshadowed who appeared in the World in that Body prepared for him who died for our Sins and rose again for our Justification And we Believe in the Holy Spirit and own the Three that bear Record in Heaven and that these Three are One. We Own the Holy Scriptures of Truth and Believe they were given forth by Divine Inspiration and that they are profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness and are able to make the Man of God wise to Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus And We Esteem the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the best Book in all the World and could be glad that People did spend more of their time in Reading of them And the Ordinances of Jesus Christ his Baptism and Supper according to the Holy Scriptures and that we neither Preach Teach nor Believe in any other Light than the Life of that Word which was in the beginning with God and was God And therefore this Light as taught by us could not expose us to Error or Blasphemy And we own Magistracy to be the Ordinance of God for the Punishment of Evil-doers and Praise of them that do well Rel. p. 5. This Disorder hindred us from Prosecuting our design to any Purpose tho' we permitted every one of them from London or from Rome if they pleased to have free Liberty to Dispute if they will do it fairly without Noise or Clamour Animad Whatever their Design was it seems they did not Prosecute it to any Purpose But what an unjust and unkind Insinuation is this from London or Rome As tho' we had Romish Emissaries among us who Blessed be our God do equally Renounce all the Corrupt Doctrines Anti-Christian Spirit Lord-like Power and Grandeur Idolatrous Worship Superstitious Ceremonies and Wicked Practices both of Pope and all Others who Persecute for Religion and Conscience towards God it being Romish And this we Testifie and Declare that Whoever they are that promote Persecution upon any Pretence whatsoever they are Friends to Rome and not to England being Profest Enemies to Christian Liberty and Property and Publick Disturbers of the Peace of their Native Country Rel. p. 5. And whereas we brought a great Number of the Quakers Books both Old and New and all of them of their most Celebrated Authors they cried no Books no Arguments which occasioned great Laughter and Shouting among the People Animad Who said so We would willingly have discoursed upon Books Regularly but when we demanded a Copy of their Charge which was but Justice then the Managers of the Conference who should have been Examples to the People of Gravity and Soberness did turn it off to Laughter and Shouting with a Company of vain Persons there present to Joyn them therein Rel. p. 6. And ever and anon they would have been Charging us Insolently urging us to prove our selves Christians Animad They gave us great Occasion to Question their Christianity by reason of their frequent Hissing and Hollowing which made us take Notice of it to the Auditory that they might Observe what Fruits some of them brought forth Rel. p. 6. And by and By we must prove our selves Ministers of Christ which was answered Animad We do not remember that any of them did but if they did Why did not they Insert it here that we might have seen it They gave the Occasion by their frequent Examining our Friends whereupon One of them said If they would prove themselves Ministers of Christ he would be Chatechized by them but they Declined the Proof of that and when one in the Pulpit made an Essay towards it they discountenanced him saying He was a Young Man and not concerned with them in this Affair or to that Effect yet we Acknowledge he Behaved himself more gravely then most of them Rel. p. 6. And it was a Cunning Design of theirs to divert us from our Charge so much dreaded by them Animad It rather seems they were upon Cunning Designs and afraid to give their Charge than that we were affraid to take it For we offered to pay for the Writing if we might have had it and once we had a promise from Dr. Beckham but were afterward denied by Rector Meriton Now being thus imposed upon and denied just Measures we told the Auditory that seeing these Persons had refused us Justice we Appealed to the Lord of Heaven and Earth the Judge of All and in His Name and Fear we made our Confession of Faith in Opposition to their Charges and then some of them Laughed Hissed and Hollowed and one of them called for the Stocks and a Watch-man came near the Scaffold which we were upon and held up his Bill at us And they appearing with such seeming Threatning and Violence and we could not be heard some of our Friends took Occasion to disperse certain Books called The Christianity of the People called Quakers
Catch at any little escape of yours which did at least relate to the Letter if not the Cause But to proceed As in our last we Judge the Term Challenge not proper to the Offer we made whatever the Judgment of your Selves or Betters may be concerning it As for its Boldness and Pertness as you are pleased to Term it we take it to be another Escape of your Memories to suppose it herein to exceed any of those as you say which were sent to the whole Host of Israel But such as it is we doubt not to make Good and that in Truth void of Wrath. As to Francis Bugg you did Espouse his Charge Blindfold as appears by your after Inquiry and Reading of our Books and did Espouse it by more Ways than that of Witnessing to the Delivery of the Charge which none of our Honest unprejudicate Neighbours would As for Quotations made by Bugg from our Books you say the petended Answerers deny the Truth of them but betake themselves to their Usual Palliating and Painting Tricks This Assertion we have no Cause to Credit but for the present will say that we know that in several Answers of ours to Books of this sort there is frequently Detected false Quotations and his Apparent Forgeries which if either you have not Read or not Observed it might have been well enough to forbear that Scurrility of Painting and Tricks Now for your Charge you Acknowledge it to be upon the whole Body of us and therefore as in our former we think you are not just in your Limitation nor does your Threat if you will have a little Patience c. fright us from still Insisting on our Exceptions for as our last did declare our Acceptance of such of your Propositions as were Equal and Fair and desired the rest might be agreeable and such as we are Perswaded no Ingenuous or Just Persons would Evade or Deny us So we still insist on them not knowing any Power or Dominion you have over us to over rule what we have so fairly offered to qualifie your Limitations For if you intend to confine us as Respondents only who are within this Diocess it is Reasonable to confine you not to Charge Persons or their Books more Remote or Absent For why should a Man whom you may Charge be obliged to Answer by Proxy when perhaps he can better Defend himself the Justice of the Common Law in this Case much exceeds your pretence of Edification and this being denied by you we take it for granted your Design is to Censure and pass Judgment on Persons Unheard And if your Charge be to be drawn from Books it is as reasonable by the Common Voice of Mankind that their Titles and Pages be given the Authors of which if Living have an undoubted Right to Explain for Themselves or if Dead such Notice is reasonable for our due Preparation to Answer Till which we shall only say that the Living Labours of the Dead have this Justice due to Them viz. that the whole be considered and the Scope and Intent of the Writer be taken and not Rigidly much less Falsly to pervert his Words to a Sense Contrary and Repugnant to the Scope of the whole The refusal hereof will speak a Design Partial Injurious and Precipitant but we hoping on better Consideration you 'l do otherwise do expect as above to be sent us in such convenient Time as we may Examine them which cannot be in less time then Three Weeks at least This Demand it 's true you Laugh at and call it a Foolish Generosity yet it being Reasonable we insist on it For the Frightful Apparitions which by opening our Books you say sent you to your Prayers we doubt your Frights or Feavers have been so great as to prevent your having any true Idea of Them or any loving Concern for Vs therein And not finding our Selves Haunted as you Suggest we rather desire you to speak Truth than offer false Sacrifice For Conclusion to this and to Try your Ingenuity whether your Method be to do as you would be done unto we put these following Questions I. Whether you are willing to be Charged out of all the Old and New Books Pamphlets and Sermons that your Brethen the Clergy have Wrote and Printed to stand and fall by them II. Are you willing we should Publickly Charge you with Errors or Mistakes out of any of the abovementioned and not beforehand give the Particular Instances to you For know ye that we expect Equal Liberty with you to Charge as well as to be Charged III. Will you Personate all your Brethren as above both Dead and Living so as to be Charged out of their Books in their stead Your direct Answer we expect without further Evasion Boast or Menace in the interim conclude Your abused because not sufficiently known Friends Richard Ashby John Hubbard Daniel Phillips Richard Case The Reply dated November the 16th 1698. Friends YOUR last does not a little astonish Us. 1st That you should deny your Challenge which is as plain an one as Words in English can make it and truly very brave to all our Cloth that is to Nine or Ten Thousand of Us. 2ly That you affirm that we espoused Bugg's Cause which you or some of you cannot but know the contrary by one of us For when the last Summer you demanded of Hen. Meriton whether he would Justifie Bugg's Books Written against you he Answer'd They contained Matter of Fact which he was not capable of judging of having not the Books to compare them with Francis Bugg's Writings yet told you that if his Citations were true you see then he made an If of it and therefore did not justifie them he would justifie such Expressions were Blasphemy But you are still offended at our Unreasonable Limitation of you as to the Place whence you are to fetch your Disputants But Friends did not you begin with us Did not you limit us when you rejected Francis Bugg And all others too that were not of our Cloth some of whom you know too well might have been very useful to us in this Service Nay did not you reject Francis 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 not we say the same of your Hackney Disputants they have trudged so long in that Road and have been Spur'd and Gall'd by us enough already and therefore in reason we ought to turn them off a-while and give them rest till another occasion more plainly they have been Answered over and over already and are unreasonable Besides Your Church which you profess your selves to be so Zealous Members of have owned and approved of those Books we intend to quote and your selves have been known to admire and almost adore them and their Authors And therefore till you disclaim them you are as much concern'd to Vindicate them as the