seek to Earthly Powers to make or establish our Religion for if we could what need had we ever to have suffered by them Nevertheless we may seek to Authority and thereby own Magistracy to be eased from Unjust Oppressions and desended from unreasonable men in our civil Rights and Properties without infringing God's undoubted Prerogative and Power over our Consciences Note That the Instances Bugg has chopt out and given in pag. 7. to prove the Quakers contempt of Governours being between the year 1654 and 1659. 'T is evident therein that E. B. testified against the corruption of O. Cromwell and his Ministers and Magistrates in that day for which Bugg has past this heavy Judgment upon the Quakers not only that they contemn Governours which is without exception pag. 7. But also that they are Those wretched Impostors who revile Christ's Magistrates and reproach his Ministers pag. 8. This is sad indeed when 't is very clear that the Magistrates and Ministers which he has here instanced and which Edward Burrough's reprehended were those very Persecutors and Usurpers over Conscience in Cromwell's days whereby to do us an ill turn Bugg has at unawares run his own Head against a Wall and at once justified those Magistrates or Governours in those days as Christ's Magistrates and consequently the Usurpation of that Government testified against by E. Burrough's and others But we now Query of F. Bugg wilt thou indeed stand by it pursuant to thy Charge 1. That those Magistrates and Ministers in O. Cromwell's days were Christ's Magistrates and Ministers 2. That to testifie against and reprehend them for their Corruptions Persecutions and Arbitrary Usurpations over Conscience c. as E. Burrough's did was a reviling Christ's Magistrates and reproaching Christ's Ministers Answer directly and ingenuously if thou wilt adventure to stand by thy own Charge and Instances as proof thereof 3. Dost thou really believe that no Compassion ought to be shewn to us because E. Burrough's reproved O. Cromwell and his Ministers for their Corruptions Concerning Humbling our selves in Fasting and Prayer His Insinuation against us as slighting Authority is still unjustly to render us obnoxious for the Intent Substance and end of a true Fast Humiliation and Prayer to Almighty God for an universal Humiliation and Repentance through the Nation c. for the Sins thereof that God in Mercy may avert his Judgments and turn away his Wrath this we are frequently mindful of in our Solemn Assemblies and sincerely desire to be manifest unto God in the Spirit of Grace and Supplication for the good of our whole Nation and safety thereof knowing also that the FAST that God hath chosen and accepts is described by the Prophet Isaiah Is it such a Fast as I have chosen saith the Lord a Day for a Man to afflict his Soul Is to bow down his Head as a Bull-Rush c. Is not this the Fast that I have chosen to loose the Bands of Wickedness to undo the heavy Burdens and to let the Oppressed go free and that ye break every Yoke Is it not to deal thy Bread to the Hungry c see Isa. 58. 5 6 7. 'T is farther observable that by Bugg's course of chopping mangling and perverting an Atheist may grosly abuse and Injure the best Writings extant in the World even the holy Scripture it self and make them to look with another Face than they naturally import or ever were intended by the first Writers F. Bugg tells us of a brief History of the Rise Growth and Progress of Quakerism which in time possibly you may see But who will believe him to be an impartial Historygrapher Or what rational man will be so credulous of his partial and perverse Works against a People whom he hath so grosly defamed and abused And now suppose any particular Person amongst us have formerly or at any time been defective in the manner of some expressions is it just or ingenuous in F. Bugg captiously to take advantage thereat and then charge his ill Constructions upon the whole People When the same Persons in the same Books have elsewhere better explained themselves and safely laid down what might else seem more doubtful His accusation That a Spirit of Persecution hath been among us from the beginning is manifest in the Tryal of G. K. c. Is absurd in him to say 1. We have not heard the noise of the said Tryal till very lately how then could that manifest a Spirit of Persecution among us from the beginning Did that Tryal continue from the beginning And how contrary is this to his own confession before cited that we went on for many Years and loved one another with Love unfeigned c. 2. The said Tryal at Phyladelphia mentioned by him is forreign to us and we have had no other Account that any such Tryal was but from one party Nevertheless if any thing turbulent unwarrantable or Arbitrary on either side was acted or done we shall not espouse nor justifie the same when it shall so appear to us 'T is observable that Bugg in his Book of Christian Liberty or Liberty of Conscience 2d part p. 28. approves of the testimony of those very Authors viz. I. Pennington E. Burrough's c. whom he now condemns as blasphemous and wretched Impostors So that they were good men and sound in testimony while alive but wicked men and blasphemers when dead such is the Folly and Contradiction of this Perverter Note also that F. Bugg in his said Book of Christian Liberty printed 1682. 2d part pag. 83. affirms THAT CONFORMITY is a Monster conceived by the great Whore Mystery Babylon the Mother of Harlots a Monster because of its Deformity and degenerate Birth it can be no other for the Devil is the Father of it I speak of a forced Conformity upon Mens Consciences saith he And yet in about two Years after in 1684. he himself turned about and conformed contrary to his own Testimony what credit then can be given to this unstable and partial man's Scribling or pretending to give Account or History against the Quakers so grosly Reviled and Calumniated by him In Bugg's Q. 4. 2d Edition That we seemed to embrace the Whore in King James 's Reign in presenting Addresses to him but not one to King William Bugg is false and envious in both For 1st Our gratitude for our Liberty was no embracing the Whore 2 We have more publickly expressed our hearty Thanks several times even in Parliament to the present Government for the Kindnesses we have now received by Law which is more than we could do before Bugg pag 2. 4. That We the Quakers undermine the Christian Religion and Principles to overthrow it Is both false and Contradictory to Bugg's own Confession Of the Christian Quaker's being Innocent and what they hold SOUND and that tho' they do dissent from the Established Religion yet they hold the true Faith at least for Substance Thus Bugg in his New Rome Unmask'd pag. 68. printed but in 1692. And yet those Christian Quakers he mentions declares against Swearing under the Gospel and against Tythes as being no Gospel Ministers Maintenance Artic. 25. and 27. of the same Book he quotes for his Authority for the Christian Quakers These foregoing Citations were examined and compared by divers intelligent Persons And further seeing F. Bugg has shewn his Hatred and Revenge against George Whitehead especially for discovering his Self-condemnation and Malice c. I the Person concerned freely offer and am willing with the Lord's Assistance to make it plainly appear before any Six Ten or Twelve competent Witnesses who are moderate men of Sense and common Reason that F. Bugg has grosly and wickedly abused and perverted Truth and wronged the People called Quakers both in Charge Citation and Observation in his said Pamphâ—et And that in his late Book New Rome arraigned he has forged notorious Lyes in other mens Names to Ridicule Desame and Scandalize divers Citizens of London and Men of good Repute condemning them also to the Pillory as Perjured Persons in his pretended Tryal in a way of Judicature unwarrantably acted by himself assuming the place of both Judge Accuser Jury Condemner and Executioner with a form of a Pillory and Effigies in it to represent the Persons so grosly Scandalized by him I say for these Ends mentioned I do proffer God willing to meet F. Bugg before Witnesses at any convenient Time and Place within the City of London that the Persons so defamed by him may be present To which Proposal I subscribe George Whitehead To the Members of PARLIAMENT And others to whom Bugg's said Pamphlet has been delivered WE whose Names are underwritten being in Christian Society with the People commonly called QUAKERS Do in good Conscience Declare and Certifie all Persons concerned 1. That we sincerely believe and Confess That Jesus of Nazareth who was born of the Virgin Mary is the true Messiah the very Christ the Son of the Living God to whom all his Prophets gave Witness And we do highly value his Death Sufferings Works Offices and Merits for the Redemption and Salvation of Mankind together with his Laws Doctrine and Ministry 2. That this very Christ of God was and is the Lamb of God that takes away the Sins of the World who was slain was dead and is alive and lives for evermore in his divine eternal Glory Dominion and Power with the Father 3. That the HOLY Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are of divine Authority as being given by Inspiration from God 4. And that Magistracy or Civil Government is God's Ordinance the good ends thereof being for the Punishment of Evil doers and Praise of them that do well And we know of no other Doctrine or Principle preachead maintained or ever received among or by us since we were a People contrary to these before mentioned Signed in Behalf of the said People Thomas Lower William Crouch William Ingram William Meade William Macket Philip Ford Francis Camfield John Edge Thomas Hutson Charles Marshall Josiah Ellis Gilbert Latey Theodor Eccleston Joseph Wassey Thomas Cox John Bowater Benjamin Antrobus William Philips Edward Brook William Townsend John Hall George Oldner Thomas Barker Abraham Johnson Tho. Twinbarrow Michael Russel John Harwood John Danson John Stringfellow Will. Paul Fra Etteridge Benj. Bealing The Quakers Vindication and Buggs Testimony against Bugg's Calumnies
THE QUAKERS VINDICATION AGAINST FRANCIS BUGG'S CALUMNIES In his Scandalous Pamphlet stiled Something in Answer to the Allegations of the Quakers in their Printed Case Presented to the House of Commons December 1693. But his second Edition Stiled The Converted Quakers Answer Together with Francis Bugg's own Vindication of the People called Quakers since he left them and turned to the Church of England Conveniet nulli qui secum dissidet ipse First IT 's not unknown unto you that we are Dissenters from the Church of England and as such we injoy our Liberty by Law under you who are in Authority which we have and do thankfully acknowledge and consequently not to be reputed Criminal for being such 2. That Francis Bugg himself did not account us Criminal for our Principles two Years after he had left our Communion and joyned himself unto the Church of England see his Book The Quakers detected c. printed 1686. The first point under Consideration is how I came to be a Member of their Society In the beginning they taught that all Men were Inlightned according to John 1. 9. And that this Light wherewith Christ had enlightned them was sufficient if obeyed to lead to Salvation and that it was the work of the Ministers of Christ to turn the Peoples minds from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan to God Affirming that this Light was a sufficient Teacher Leader Guide to every Believer without the help of outward Prescriptions Forms Orders and Decrees of Men upon these and the like Notions I became perswaded to make tryal of their Doctrine And when I came to see and observe their Practice Conversations and Deportments in the beginning and what Simplicity and Plainness attended their Ministry I was still more confirmed that it was a Dispensation of the Love of God sent as a Visitation to Mankind and being thus perswaded I was resolved to bear the Cross and did utterly despise the Shame that attended them and their Message and was not behind any of my Equals both in doing and suffering for the Testimony thereof as some amongst them can still bear me witness And in this manner we went on for many Years and loved one another with Love unfeigned and doubtless God blessed our Meetings with the comfortable enjoyment of his presence Thus far Francis Bugg which plainly shews himself very Inconsistent with himself and renders his late Work abusive malicious and not to deserve any Credit against us And although this is enough to Clear us from his Calumnies from what he now pretends or alledgeth against our Doctrine and Conversation with all Impartial Men. Yet as F. Bugg hath vindicated our Doctrine and Ministry as aforesaid we shall herewith give a general Account by many credible Witnesses of our Belief and Innocency in opposition to Bugg's great Scandals So we beseech you to peruse the following particular Examination of his Calumnies Partialities and Perversions of our Friends Writings Which Writings be pleased to note were extant in Print many Years before he left us or gave the aforesaid ample Vindication of our Doctrine and Ministry and although he confesseth he was more than 25 Years a Member of our Society Yet in all that time and some time after he left us found no fault with our Doctrine or Testimony but own'd and confest the same as aforesaid And he himself must needs then know that neither he nor we held any such Doctrines as he would now represent Upon which we query 1. Didst thou Francis Bugg when a Quaker deny Jesus of Nazareth 2. Didst thou Francis Bugg when a Quaker 25 Years account that the Quakers denyed Jesus of Nazareth 3. Didst thou F. Bugg contemn the holy Scriptures 4. Didst thou F. Bugg when a Quaker account the Quakers contemned the holy Scriptures 5. Didst thou F. Bugg disown Magistracy 6. Didst thou F. Bugg when a Quaker account the Quakers disown'd Magistracy Bugg pag. 5. Concerning his Charge of our denying Jesus of Nazareth We utterly deny it How proves he it 1. Observe some of his Instances viz. pag. 5. Thou must wait to know something of God in thee which in thy own Conscience he makes manifest 2. That of God within us is so viz. the Foundation for we know it is Christ we know Christ in us c. 3. We believe that Christ in us doth interceed the Father on our behalf 4. The very Christ of God is within us We dare not deny him By these four Instances of his he endeavours to prove that The Quakers deny Jesus of Nazareth but doth not he himself hereby deny the Mystery of Christ in Spirit and implicity accuse the holy Apostles with denying Jesus of Nazareth for the same Testimony 1. Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them Rom. 1. 19. 2. Examine your selves whether ye be in the Faith prove your own selves know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is IN you except ye be Reprobates see 2 Cor. 13. 5. Query 1. Was this another Jesus Christ than Jesus of Nazareth No sure there was but one Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 8. 6. 3. Query 2. And was it not Jesus of Nazareth whom Saul persecuted in the Primitive Christians Yea sure see Acts 22. 8. I am Jesus of Nazareth whom thou persecutest And tho' Bugg cannot conceive this Mystery of Christ IN us and WITHOUT us also yet the Apostle says It was manifest to his Saints 4. To whom God would make known what is the Riches of the glory of this Mystery amongst the Gentiles which is Christ IN you the hope of Glory Col. 1. 27. 5. God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your Hearts crying Abba Father Gal. 4. 6. Another of his Instances to prove we deny Jesus of Nazareth Is out of W. Smith's Primmer or demonstration of the New and Living Way viz. They that are false preach Christ without and bid People believe in him as he is in Heaven above but they that are Christ's Ministers preach Christ within We confess there is one Edition in Octavo reads it as he quotes it But the other Edition in Folio bound up with his Works The Paragraph runs expresly thus in the fourth Leaf of his said Demonstration viz. Why they that are false preach Christ without ONLY and bid People believe in him as he is in Heaven above in opposition to his being within but they that are true Ministers they preach Christ within and direct People to wait to feel him in themselves and so to believe in him as he makes himself manifest in them whereby they truly confess his being without also Thus far W. Smith And this said Author W. S. is yet more full and express in this point and that too in the very Edition quoted by Bugg in his confessing the same Christ both WITHOUT and WITHIN viz. We believe all things which are spoken by the holy Prophets and Apostles concerning Jesus Christ are true
of Christ 5. If thou believest all these pray produce us plain Scriptare-Rule for thy Faith that we who believe the contrary may be convinced or else do not impose an implicit Faith upon us Reader observe what the Author Bugg quotes in this point chiefly here opposed was the Popish Notion or Opinion That no man can enter into the Kingdom of God nor into the fellowship of Holy Church without Water Baptism as held by the Rhemists see their Annotations upon John 3 5. And therein opposed by the Protestants as appears in Dr. Fulke's Answer viz. It is not necessary in this place by Water to understand Material Water but rather the purifying Grace of Christ as in 4. ch ver 11. 14. where 't is called Living Water whereof he saith washing with Water in Baptism is an outward Sign So that the reformed Protestants did not esteem the outward Element Essential to Salvation And Bugg pag. 3. quotes W. Smith unfairly also out of his Primmer where he speaks of these things which arose or had their Institution from the Pope Bugg leaves out what these things were he meant viz. Sprinkling Water in a Child's Face and signing its Forehead with the Sign of the Cross and intimating his not owning Bread and Wine to be the Body and Blood of Christ or calling the Bread the Body of Christ broken for them when saith he People neither discern the Body nor the Blood of Christ pag. 39. 40. What great Error was this Did he not here chiefly oppose Infant Baptism with the Sign of the Cross and the Doctrine of Transubstantiation and Receiving unworthy Communicants to eat and drink their own damnation Which we think was not to oppose any Command of Christ nor to Contemn his Disciples taking the Bread and the Cup in Remembrance of him c. As to the Publick Ministry and Tythes If we could in Conscience have been satisfied with them we should not have dissented from them nor suffered by them Yet his Charging us with Contempt of the Publick Ministry is too general and harsh we charitably distinguish between the more moderate sort and the ridgid Persecutors As for those termed Priests of the World namely the Covetous and Persecuting sort mentioned as greedy Dogs c. pag. 4. So the Prophet terms such Isa. 56. 11. for which F. B. accuseth us with Reproaching Christ's Ministers pag. 8. We do not believe him herein nor proves he that such were either qualified as Christ's Ministers or their Call to be Divine We confess some did give them as hard Language as the Prophets of Old did those in the same Steps but their severe Persecution spoiling our Friends Goods and causing many to indure long Imprisonments some till Death sometime for Tythe of a small value it may be for the value of a Tythe-Pigg Goose or Hen c. This sure was far harder Treatment Bugg pag. 4. quotes a Brief discovery writ by some body in which he has Collected ten Lines against the Covetous Persecuting Priests of the World out of 4 Pages and places them together as one intire Paragraph but neither tells us the Author's Name nor the date of the Book nor can we find the Book it self F. Bugg pag. 4. accuseth some body for objecting against paying of Tythes under the New Covenant because abrogated by Christ c. on which he makes his Observation 1. That the Quakers by this have condemned the Martyrs and all Christians c. but herein he Unfairly imposeth on us without Proof and his Observation is too general upon the Martyrs c. for both John Wickliff William Swinderby Walter Brute William Thorpe the Bohemians with others mentioned in the Book of Martyrs and others did bear Testimony against the Corruptions of the Popish Clergy and against Tythes and compelled Maintenance And were not these Martyrs Christians This was made a Principle Article against them by the Papists as more largely appears in the first Volume of Martyrs in the Reigns of Richard the Second Henry the Fourth and Henry the Fifth 2. Bugg argues That if the Quakers are of the same mind still how can they have the Face to ask Favour meaning of the Parliament So that if we cannot for Conscience sake pay Tythes Bugg will neither allow us to seek nor to have any Favour from the Government and consequently our heavy Sufferings Imprisonments Sequestrations and Spoil to the Ruining of many Families must be continued upon us if his Uncharitable Attempts may take effect Oh! Unmerciful Man But let it be remembred that the House of Commons not long since were of a better mind and of more tender Inclination when they passed two Bills for the more easie Recovery of small Tythes being without Imprisonment of the Persons or Ruining Families thereby Bugg's charging the Quakers with contempt of Governours We sincerely deny and we had need to examine his Proofs seeing in his Observation he gives this severe and Mandatory order thereupon viz. Let the Quakers first recant of their Errors and condemn their Books and make a Confession of the Christian Faith and all under their Hands and then and not whilst then let Compassion be shewn unto them Is not this an Imperious and presumptive Dictator to the Government trow ye How now F. Bugg thou wast more merciful when a Quaker but now since thou art now gotten among the Priests and Levites thou hast lost all Mercy and Compassion towards us Now observe that Bugg quotes Edward Burrough's Works for proof pag. 507 501 621 53 522 524. here out of six pages thus far remote from each other he has Pickt and Catcht up a few Words here and there to prove the Quakers Contempt of Governours which is a very foul Abuse and Perversion for any Reasonable Man that reads those Passages may easily perceive that the Author did not testifie against Magistracy or Government it self nor against Governours in general but only against Persecuters and Usurpers over Conscience who frustrate the just ends of Government As between Anno 1654. and 1659. as appears in the pages quoted see what pains this Adversary takes Unjustly to pick out Words that he thinks make against us and leaves out at the same time what more explains the matter for us As pag. 501. E. B. speaking of Arbitrary Usurpt dominion over the Consciences of Men to which says he we cannot yield our Obedience within two Lines after he goes on We Preach Jesus Christ alone in the things of God to be our Lawgiver and own Magistracy in civil things Which last Words Bugg leaves out basely to infinuate that we contemn Magistracy And as for the Power the said People ascribe only to God which they cannot give to Man or any Earthly Power it is that Power which God only has given them in point of Conscience Religion and Worship which no Mortal Man nor Worldly Powers have dominion or prerogative over it only appertaining to God's Prerogative and 't is on that account we cannot