very Devil Thus Readers I have shewed you by their Convocation Canon that Tithes are an Antichristian Yoke and by Burrough's Works Antichrist is the Devil so that 't is the Devil's Yoke by Interpretation See also another of their Books stiled The Ancient Testimony c. p. 2. So it is no new thing that the People of the Lord call d Quakers have suffer'd so deeply for but the ancient Testimony to the Coming Death and Resurrection of Christ which they that plead for Tithes in this Gospel-day do in effect deny c. O horrible this is yet higher and higher What Antichrists yea Devils that plead for Tithes What Absolute deniers of the Coming Death and Resurrection of Christ that plead for Tithes What then are they that take Tithes pay Tithes nay that make Laws that Tithes shall be paid Surely there never was such a censorious Brood ever hatch'd into the World before Quakerism came up From all which note That the Quakers hold a Government within the Government and not only so but which is still worse against the Government which is bold with a witness and that from plain Matter of Fact For whereas 't is enacted by the King Lords and Commons in Parliament That the Subjects of this Nation shall pay their Tenths to such Persons and for such Uses as the Law directs And by Virtue of this Law and Civil Sanction the Clergy and Improprietors receive them as a Civil Right But in opposition hereunto the Quakers Summons two or more of their most eminent Elders belonging to each Quarterly Meeting in England and Wales if not the Town of Berwick upon Tweed who together with their Teachers from all parts of the English Nation besides Forreign Parts beyond the Seas sit in Council by way of Convocation and Ordain and Enact That Tithes are an Antichristian Yoke a Grand Oppression and as such ought to be withstood testified against and that in all Respects And the like may be said touching their prohibiting the Payment of Church Rates and Lays carrying Guns which the Quakers by their Edict repeal so far as their Power reaches in their Convocation the Laws and Statutes made by King and Parliament which sute not their Inclination and Absolve the King's Subjects from their Active Obedience to the Laws of the Land and cause them to adhere to a new Jurisdiction lately erected by a few Usurpers who hold a Convention Annually at London by way of Convocation to make Laws and Ordinances contrary and repugnant to the Laws and Statutes of the Realm which tend to subvert the Government and if not timely prevented may be of dangerous consequence to say nothing of divers other of their Laws and Canons Ecclesiastical in other of their Yearly Epistles as spreading â—heir Books up and down the Nation unlicenced c. Read 25 H. 8. c. 19 21. 27 H. 8. c. 15. 3 Ed. 6. c. 10 11. 1 Eliz. c. 2. 13 Eliz. c. 12. Magna Charta c. 29. Petition of Right 5 Eliz c. 1. 1 Ed. 6. c. 2. 37 H. 8. c. 17. 8 Eliz. c. 1. And to warrant my Impeachment not only from plain Matter of Fact shewing that the Quakers proceeding particularly in the Instance of Tithes as well as in twenty things more that might be mentioned is against the known Laws of the Land but also against the declared sence of the Commons of England assembled in Parliament I shall recite the Votes of the House of Commons in the Year of our Lord 1640. upon the Bishops for some certain Incroachments being impeach'd by Serjeant Wild though not the tenth part so bad nor of such dangerous consequence as the proceedings of the Quakers who have not the least colour of Authority for what they do for the Bishops had not only a share in the Legislative Power but the King's Majesties Licence to confirm what they did c. The VOTES concerning the Bishops late Book of Canons in the House of Commons That the Clergy of England convented in any Convocation or Synod or otherwise have no Power to make any Constitutions or Canons or Act whatsoever in matter of Doctrine or otherwise to bind the Clergy or Laity of this Land without the common consent in Parliament That the several Constitutions and Canons Ecclesiastical treated upon by the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and York Presidents of the Convocation for their respective Provinces and agreed upon by the King's Majesties Licence in their respective Synods began at London and York 1640. do not bind the Clergy or Laity of this Land or either of them Thus we see the sence of the then House of Commons who would suffer no Competitors nor no Laws nor Ordinances made to bind the People under any pretence whatsoever notwithstanding the Bishops Power and the King's Majesties Licence but what was made by common Consent in Parliament what then can the Quakers say for themselves if a sight of all their yearly Epistles which contain their Laws and Ordinances for 20 years past should be demanded wherein and whereby they have absolved his Majesties Subjects from their Active Obedience to divers Laws of the Land as in this Instance of Tithes Object Possibly some may say Were it not better to have Friendly Conferences that so where any thing hath been done or said either in things Religious or Civil that cannot be justified might be Retracted and Condemned rather than thus to expose each other Answ I grant it so and from time to time I have proffer'd to meet George Whitehead on those terms but he would never assent to it and unless he would ingage a Retractation if need were or leave Matters of Fact to the Judgment and Decision of disinterested Persons I always refused to discourse him Indeed in his pretended Vindication c. in answer to my Sheet delivered to the Parliament Decemb. 1693. he made this seeming fair offer p. 4. viz. I George Whitehead freely offer and am willing to make it plainly appear before any six ten or twelve competent Witnesses who are moderate men of Sense and common Reason That Francis Bugg has grosly and wickedly abused and perverted Truth and wronged the People called Quakers both in Charge Citation and Observation Now in answer to this I came up to London the February following as I remember and accepted his offer and offer'd to leave it to any six ten or twelve Persons by us equally chosen out of the Episcopalians Presbyterians Independants or Baptists to judge whether I had so wronged them But he refused so to do manifesting thereby that he could not find six ten or twelve moderate men of common Sense amongst them all or else that the Quakers Principles were so erronious as that I did not wrong them either in Charge Citation or Observation For otherwise since I left him so much Field-room to choose his six ten or â—welve moderate men of common Sense and Reason as there is in the recited four Christian Societies and he refused to comply therewith
surely it must be either because he hath not Charity to think there is six ten or â—welve moderate men to be chosen out of them all or else that he was conscious to himself that the Quakers Principles are so erroneous their Books so blasphemous as that I had not wronged them either in Charge Citation or Observation See Quakerism Withering and Christianity Reviving p. 1. to 12. And since I came to London this present May 1695. I presented their Yearly Meeting with certain Accusations against George Whitehead the Substance of which is as follows viz. 1. That G.W. is a continual contentious Scribler guilty of giving base and skurrilous names as Beasts Dogs Wolves Devils Incarnate c. 2. That George Whitehead is guilty of vindicating his own and hâ—s Brethrens Books which teach to deny Jesus of Nazareth to be Christ and the efficient Cause of Man's Salvation To deny the Scriptures by speaking contemptuously of them calling them Death Dust and Serpents Meat That to Preach out of them is Conjuration That it is doubtful whether Moses or Hermes was the first Penman of the Holy Scriptures or whether either or neither preferring their own Books and Epistles before the Scriptures To slight neglect and despise the Ordinances of Jesus Christ as Baptism and the Lord's Supper To under value the Death and Sufferings of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ exalting their own Sufferings as greater and more unjust 3. That G. Whitehead is a publick Defamer a wicked Forger a wilful Lyer a gross Perverter a false Glosser a great Deceiver of the People a Counterfeit Christian a Scandal to Christianity These things I have and now again I offer to make good against him before any six ten or twelve moderate men of Sense and common Reason equally chosen by us both out of the Episcopalians Presbyterians Independants and Baptists or out of any one of those four Societ es always excepting against Quakers and Muggletonians and do desire that you may bring him forth and put him to Answer like the wise Woman of Abelâ— Not that I would have you throw his Head over the Walâ— No but either let him acknowledge his Wickedness Retract the Errours in his own and his Brethrens Books which he hath vindicated or else let 24 of the chief amongst you come forth and Condemn the same under your Hands upon proof thereof made to you if not I shall take it for granted that you stand by him and justifie him in his Abominations and thereupon I shall Impeach your Yearly Meeting and maintain your Proceedings to be against the Fundamental Laws of the Land Object But grant they will not come forth and meet you upon these reasonable terms nor suffer their Brother Whitehead in regard they foresee their Books are erroneous their Principles dangerous tending to subveâ—t the Christian Faith and that the natural consequence of such a Meeting would necessitate a Retractation which would be the utter ruin of Quakerism yet for Peace sake is it not better to let them alone who in time will fall of themselves for what is not of God cannot stand long Answ I have not room in this sheet fully to answer the Objâ—ction But it sufficeth that we have the Example of the Apostles and Martyrs as a Cloud of Witnesses who did not assent nor tamely suffer that Woman Jezabel to teach and seduce the Nations but as Instruments in God's hand witnessed against all kind of Heresies in their day and many of them sealed their Testimony with their Blood And what Hereticks ever held greater Errors than the Quakers and prevail'd more with the People to suck them in even whilst the Wise and the I earned take little notice of their growth and the danger of it I grant the Ariâ—n Heresie continued long even 300 years before it dwindled and withered away and lamentable were the consequences of it yet they were witnessed against by divers Bishops and Learned Men. The Pope and his Superstitions have not gone on without many Testimonies against the dangerous consequences of his Errours and that with good Success too Our famous John Wickliff an Oxford Scholar as History saith wrote more than 200 Volumes against the Pope and his Religious Orders yet none but Papists accounted him a contentious Apostate No he was an eminent Instrument in the hand of God and I hope we have some such Scholars still in that and the other famous University who as they become sensible of the dangerous Errours of our Quicksilver Tribe I mean NEW ROME and know where to fix upon them and their invisible Tenets which at present they mask under disguise pretending to own in Words being examined what by their Books they deny And indeed their Books are of two sorts and carry two faces the one to the World the other to be read only amongst their Friends as I elsewhere have largely manifested insomuch that 't is hard to know a Quaker who as Irenaeus of old said in his third Book against Hereticks viz. Whilst Hereticks speak like the faithful they not only mean otherwise than they say but clean contrary and by their Tenets full of Blasphemy they destroy the Souls of those who with their fair words suck in the Poison of their foul Opinions c. Insomuch that what the Learned Dr. Stillingfleet now Bishop of Worcester said in his Discourse of Idolatry c. p. 282. is more than probable viâ— Yet any one who compares them i. e. Quakers and Jesuits would imagin the Life of Ignatius had been their great Exemplar I know not said the Dr. whether any of that Innocent and Religious Order of the Jesuits had any hand in forming this new Society amongst us as hath been frequently suggested but if one may guess the Father by the Child's likeness Ignatius Loyola the Founder of the Jesuits was at least the Grandfather of the Quakers c. Of which more hereafter if need be However our famous Wickliff pav'd the way for great Luther in Germany who was wonderfully carried on even as upon Angels wings who both by word and writing testified against the Pope and his holy Cheats which made the Papists rave and roar fret and fume calling him Apostate Self-condemn'd Apostate insomuch that all mens minds stood as it were upon their Tiptoes to see the Issue of Pope Leo's rage and brave Luther's courage who went on undauntedly writing many Books and by verbal Disputations until he finished both his Days and Testimony of whom Beza said Rome tam'd the World the Pope tam'd Rome so great Rome Rul'd by Power the Pope by deep Deceit But how more large than theirs was Luthâ—r's Fame Who with one Pen both Pope and Rome doth tame Go fictious Greece go tell Alcides then His Club is nothing to great Luther's Pen. POSTSCRIPT NOte Reader that as their Books are of two sorts so are their Meetings at one sort the Doors stand open that all may go in and hear some general Truths a little mixt with Nonsence and Errour the other sort viz. their Yearly Meetings the Doors shut and a Guard to keep out and let in whom they please for I was willing to appear at New Romes Yearly Meeting to demand Justice against G. Whitehead who pretended to meet me before any six ten or twelve men to make it appear that I had wronged them in Charge Citation and Observation yet refused but they would not let me come into their Meeting which shews thaâ— New Rome grows timerous and that her Foundation is shaken and that her two Pillars upon which she leans to wit Infallibility and Perfection begin to totter and shake so that she cannot stand long Francis Bugg LONDON Printed for the Author and are to be sold by John Guillam in Bishopsgate-street 1695.
The QUAKERS Yearly Metting or Convocation Impeached on the behalf of the Commons of England by Francis Bugg An Apologitical Introduction Courteous Reader MArvel not that I pursue the Quakers into their strong Hold That I have besieged their City Abel 2 Sam. 20. and cast a Trench about it and hem'd it round on every side insomuch that Sheba the Son of Bichri alià s George Whitehead cannot get out nor clear himself unless he Retract and Condemn those Errors and pernicious Principles which he hath vindicated in his own and his Brethrens Books with which he and them stand charged in my Book Quakerism Withering and Christianity Reviving c. p. 3 4. and New Rome Arraigned c. both sold by Mr. Guillam Bookseller in Bishops-gate-street London No thou hast no cause to think it strange that the same Cup this painted Harlot hath so plentifully fill'd to others should be now fill'd to her yea even the Dregs thereof For who have wrote more than the Quakers whoever expos'd the Professors of Christianity more than they Have they not this forty years and more laid Siege against the Christian Reputation of both Magistrates and Ministers rendring the first in their Narratives of their Trials the Pharoahs Nebuchadnezzars c. and themselves the only Daniels of the Age. The second in their Book stil'd A Discovery of a threefold Estate of Antichrist c. Conjurers Thieves Antichrists Witches Devils Baal's Priests yea Hell-hounds whose Commission and Call came from Oxford and Cambridge crying Woe and Misery to the upholders whether Kings or Parliaments of that treacherous Crew and deceitful Generation But William Pen in his late Book stiled The Guide Mistaken c. goes a little farther viz. Whilst the idle gormondizing Priests of England run away with above 150000 l. a year under pretence of being God's Ministers And that no sort of people have been so universally through Ages the very bane of Soul and Body of the Universe as that abominable Tribe for whom the Theatre of God's most dreadful Vengeance is reserved to act their Eternal Tragedy upon c. I say can'st thou behold these their Pamphlets spread up and down the Nation and not be amazed at their Impudence 'T is not a year since it fell to my lot to Administer on the Goods of a deceased poor Widow a Quaker whose Substance did not amount to 10 l. yet she was so well stored that she had by her more than 200 printed Books and Pamphlets of the Quakers writing enough to infect a Nation their chief tendency being against Magistracy and Ministry and all instituted Religion and yet none so bad none so gross none so blasphemons but George Whitehead the Quakers Bellarmine will undertake to vindicate them who for this 40 years and upward hath been like Ishmael his hand against Episcopalians Presbyterians Independants and Baptists and theirs against him Thus much by way of Introduction The IMPEACHMENT THat George Whitehead and his Brethren at a Convocation began at London the fifth day of May 1693. ending the eighth day of tâ—e same Month did contrive make and promulgate several Constitutions â—nd Canons Ecclesiastical containing in them divers Matters and Things contrary to the Fundamental Laws and Statutes of the Realm against the King's Prerogative against the Rights of Parliaments against the Property and Liberty of the Subject and Matters tending to Sedition and of dangerous Consequence as will abundantly appear by the recited Epistle and that Epistle of 1692. a few Instances thereof as proof I shall recite c. The IMPEACHMENT prov'd The Quakers yearly Epistle 1693. p. 1. And therefore that all due care be taken against the grand Oppression and Antichristian Yoke of Tithes that our Christian Testimony born and greatly suffer'd for be faithfully maintain'd against them in all respects and against Steeple-house Rates and Lays as also against the Burden and Imposition of Oaths That Friends at all their Monthly and Quarterly Meetings be reminded to call for the Records of the Sufferings of Friends to see that they be duly gathered truly entred and kept and accordingly seâ—t up to London as hath been often advised both of what Tythes c. are pretended to be due and for how long a time and the time when taken and by and for whom and what Goods are taken and the value thereof as well as of those not exceeding as those exceeding the Sums or Quantities of Tithes demanded it being a Suffering in both for Truths sake they being in these Particulars found defective and imperfect in divers Counties which is an Obstruction to the General Record of Friends Sufferings c. OBSERVATION Friendly Readers and Country men I having proved my Charge and Impeachment I cannot but observe to you That the Ground upon which the Quakers refuse to pay their Tithes and Church-wardens Rates is not bottom'd upon Scripture proof but the sole Authority of these their Canons Ecclesiastical made and promulgated at their Yearly Convocation And where is there a Parish in the Dominion of England but feels more or less the sad Effects and Consequences of these their Anti-Magistratical Incroachments you also may see their great Ingratitude to the present Government who notwithstanding these their Affronts have indulg'd them in the Exercise of their Perswasion who at the same time call Tithes An Antichristian Yoke yea they will and require their Proselytes to maintain their Testimony against the Payments of Tithes in ALL respects and that their Monthly and Quarterly Meetings fail not at their perilâ— to send up to London a true and perfect Inventory of all and singular the Distresses taken for Tithes whether no more than the value due or whether five times the value all must be equally recorded A Suffering to Posterity that after Generations may see in what perillous times the poor Quakers liv'd in and what storms of sore Persecution there was under the Government of King William the Third O horrible ingratitude thus to render our Legislators so many Antichrists so many Persecutors nay worse See some proofs out of their Books to corroborate and strengthen their Canons that so their Loyal and Obedient Subjects may stoutly oppose Tithes and Church-Rates An Antidote c. by Tho. Ellwood p. 78. Truth allows no payment of Tithes at all under the New Covenant but condemns it They who pay Tithes do therein uphold a Legal Ceremony abrogated by Christ and thereby deny Christ to be come in the Flesh which is a mark of Antichrist c. And to prove it he quotes 1 John 4.3 which place of Scripture does not so much as mention Tithes O how miserably are their poor Disciples deluded well may it be said The blind lead the blind The next Book I shall mention is Burrough's Works p. 780. Tithes says he as received and paid in these days are of Antichrist Again read his Works p. 869. Antichrist in himself is the Man of Sin the Son of Perdition which is indeed and in truth the