our selves more than him Thus he that pretends to exalt the Love of God hath debased it above all men I hope some learned Bishop or Clergy-man will soon take this conceited Man and cut him up and send him to the Tribes in Israel with a see consider and speak your minds who hath asserted that the Quakers Cause calls for their most Learned Pens and they may triumph in the Victory if they get it The Quakers ignorance discovers it self on all occasions G. Fox would call Preachers Conjurers But to do him right he was none as all know that read his Books or heard him talk George Whitehead that hath writ so much is a Notorious Dunce as proved before Mr. Speed Mr. Vickris of Bristol never speak among them who are Men of Parts and Sense I will imitate the Quakers way of speaking and judge what if you heard such stuff as this though sometimes better in their greater Meetings where contrary to their first Principles many of them forbid Womens speaking or the speaking of Nonsensical Fools that talk at this or the like rate Frunds I am moved by the to speak unto you though I know not what I shall say Noah was a Perfect Man yet some say Men cannot be Perfect or without Sin yet Noah was so and his Son Cham was Cursed for uncovering his Father's nakedness when drunk Judas was the Traytor and bore the Bag and cared not for the Poor It is said he that taketh Kirjah Sepher Now that is the Spirit of the Book Now look Fruâ—ds the Heart is the Book and the Spirit is the Light within It is said indeed I forbid a Woman to speak in the Church but the Priests are in the dark mind and understand it not by the Woman is meant the Flesh and by the Husband is meant the Devil but they in the Witchcraft cannot see it but I say look to the Light within you Frunds If you have motions to a Woman and do not do the act or desire to take another Man's goods and do not do it you Sin not Mary Fisher had leave from the Lord to go froâ— New-England to save her life when otherâ— had not Now they used carnal Weaponâ— Paul said These hands have ministred to â— necessities And whatsoever doth makâ— manifest is Light Now we abhor thâ— Papist Transubsistation and Infannibility and many things be taken figuratelâ— When I shoed a Horse the other day thâ— Horse went the better so you if you loâ—â— to the Light within you ah the pure Lighâ— The Priests use Heathenish words such aâ— be not in Scripture as Sacrament c. Thâ— word of the is come upon mâ— I am to read a Letter from Friend F. oâ— P. though we read not Scripture thâ— was of old yet we may what comes froâ— the pure streams One came to me 〈◊〉 know where John Steeplehouseman dwelâ— whom he prophanely call'd Mr. Churâ—â— man but I bid him defiance for Woâ—shipping the Beast They say if you 〈◊〉 Persecuted from one City flee to anothâ—â— But these Hell-hounds understand noâ— they be Baals Priests Hirelings a Geneâ—tion of Vipers for it is revealed unto 〈◊〉 Flee to another is to the City Heaveâ— O Frunds flee there flee there Frund There is none that doeth good they say 〈◊〉 not one but David said after O that the salvation of Israel were come out of Sion The Priests say this world shall in time end but they be in the dark and make Solomon a Lyar who sayeth yea he sayeth One generation passeth away and another cometh but the earth abideth for ever now mark Frunds what abides for ever shall never end but they be Sorcerers Wolves in Sheeps cloathing They say That when the outward fleshly Christ was Crucified the vale of the Temple was rent in twain and the Rocks rent and the Graves were opened But they be blind Guides that lead the blind and so both fall into the Ditch I am moved to tell you Frunds and now the two thumbs must be put against the Breasts that this is meant Mens Hearts were torn Hearts as hard as Rocks what think you Doth the Scripture tell you of outward Temples and outward Books Do not Fâ—unds strike any one after the manner of Men for Paul saith Lay hands suddenly on no man The world is angry if we Honour them not by putting off our upper Covering and say Thee to them but abide you in the Light c. They talk much of Paul's Epistles But what do they tell us of the Epistles of Apostatizing Jews And they talk of Abraham's Faith we must be better than they in their day They telâ— us what David and what the Apostles did 〈◊〉 but being led by Example hath undonâ— the world Now my Frunds the People of God of old were Quakers Moseâ— was a Quaker for he said I exceedingly quake and fear and Habakkuk was a Quaker for his lips quivered yea they were all Quakers for they taught Righteousness which is the very Principle of the Quakers yea I say so do the Quakers sayâ— Now the world saith That the Body of Christ is gone to Heaven but it turned to the dust They say the Scriptures be Gold's Word but they lie they be dirt Serpent's meat some Frunds threw their Bibles into the fire and they perished and therefore are not God's word Frunds It is often said and truly the Scriptureâ— and the Body of Christ be the Two great Harlots that have deceived the world many things in Scripture are evil in onâ— place Circumcision is commanded in another place forbidden c. That such and worse Speeches have been made in thousands of their Assemblies 〈◊〉 doubt not and I am ready to give an account of the things as their assertions that I have read in their Books or heard in hearing them or talking with them Because many are decoyed by the Quakers mode of Speaking as most agreeable to Scripture as Thou to a Single Person not you which word we use Thou not You to God I will consider it We are no more bound to Scripture modes of communication than to Scripture dresses and because many many weak ones are deceived by these specious pretences I will plead this case Bildad said to Job only 18. Job 1 2 3. How long will it be ere You make an end of words How long shall we appear vile in your sight for be teareth Why may I not say You to one as well as Thou to many When God delivered the Law on Mount Sinai Thou shalt not kill Spoke he not to Thousands We borrow this from the French Vouz for they have no other word to a single Person we took You from it We despise not the word Thee to a King as they often say in all cases he that Marrieth him to his Queen saith Wilt thou have this Woman He that gives him the Lords Supper saith The Body of Christ given for Thee preserve thy Body and Soul What if men agree such a word
Papist and a Quaker The Doctrine of Perfection or a Sinless State began among the Pharisees who thought mental sins nothing therefore Christ reproves them convinceth them that a Wrathful thought is Murther an Unchast thought Adultery a Covetous thought Theft for these are contrary to the Divine Law and stain the Heart of Man The greatest wickedness that ever was acted by the most Profligate man in the world was at first but a Thought and his greatest sin virtually therein The greatest Oak was once no bigger than an Acorn the Fire that Burnt London but a Spark I trouble not the Reader with the usual distinctions among the Learned of a Perfection of Parts and a Perfection of Degrees Not that I think them unuseful but not so intelligible to all Capacities He sinneth in his highest acts of Love to God that cannot say I love God so well it is not my duty to love him more neither have I reason to bewail the want of it So I might enlarge about Time Prayer c. Now as this Doctrine began among the Hypocritical Hereticks in the Church of the Jews so it was taken up by such in the Church of Rome and carried on by such in the Protestant Church I affirm and am able to prove it The Quakers borrowed their Expositions and Arguments out of Popish Authors Let any man compare Kellison the Jesuit his Survey of the New Religion and Barclay's Apologia pro Theologia vere Christiana together and speak his mind in this point I could never get any of our Perfectionists for so I often call them as detesting them for this worst of Doctrines to Answer this first Question They desire no Pardon of God for any Imperfection in the end of a Day For fear I think God should take them at their word few of them now pretend to it or talk so much of it for fear it may be they should be laught at so many living and conversing with them see so much pride passion unfair dealing neglect of all Family and secret Duties I remember one of Bristol a Scholar who tells us in Print his outward name was Lawrence Steel a Novice lifted up with Pride and so fell info the Condemnation of the Devil he once said to the Reverend Mr. Fairclough of that City Not that I am Perfect would I were yet going on in Disputing or rather Prating he urged that much mistaken and abused place He that committeth sin is of the devil then you are so said Mr. Fairclough to him on your own confession according to the wrong gloss you give of the words Instead of an argument for an answer he fell into an angry fit and so into angry words Question 2. Whether George Bishop of the City of Bristol a Scholar writing a Book call'd A Looking-Glass for the Times was not a most deceitful Writer though then their grand Champion He saith in the Title page That the quakers were most like to the ancient Christians as was proved in the Book out of Eusebius Socrates Scholastieus Evagrius and Dorotheus Yet in the Folio is so far from such a proof that he doth not attempt it But to do him right he gives a true account out of those Authors but such a description of Ordination by Laying on of Hands Singing of Psalms Swearing against the Arians and all other things that prove them to be altogether unlike the Quakers and like us It is true by the ble in a few leaves he speaks of Jerom and it may be some others who were against taking of Oaths which if true is not material for I knew one worthy Minister against it and some private Christians and would to God this were all the Controversie between us and our Perfectionists The Book cur'd me of the temptation which I confess induc'd me to read it Tell me Was there ever such a cheat since Writing or Printing were known in the world Did he think we would look no further than the Title Page and take his word for all the rest One of these Books for this rare admirable Discovery was sent to every Doctor in the University in my time which was twenty seven year since for their Conviction and Edification If any say the Quakers were like them for Sufferings so were the Protestants much more in Queen Mary's days the Papist in Queen Elizabeth's days the Nonconformists in the Reign of King Charles the Second that Papist in Masquerade as he confessed on his Death-bed No he pretends likewise in Principles and Practice Since the Reading of his Book I could never think of the Author without great detestation as the greatest piece of Falshood and Impudence that ever appear'd in the world Yet our Perfectionists never testified against this man have call'd me a Persecutor for thus telling the truth I could name other Quakerish Writers of History but will not Question 3. Whether the Quakers in the time of the violent Proceedings against Dissenters begun about almost Fifteen years since and continued about Five years leaving the Places of their Publick Worship for fear of Confiscation of Goods Imprisonment or Banishment were not either Notorious Impostors or Notorious Apostates acting on our Principles after the severest Censure of them They have asserted in many many many of their printed Books Speakings and private Conference That it was unlawful for any to leave the Place of their Publick Worship for any Persecution whatever That they were moved by the Holy Spirit sent by the Ever-living God to testify to us in the Name of the Lord That we were Hypocrites Carnal Persons Lovers of the World more than of God for not appearing openly So Pen and others Though we declared we so far were from thinking such an open Appearance to as they phrase it bear our Testimony to be Duty that it was Folly Either say I when they themselves lest their Meetings which they generally did all England over where the then Rage was fiery and burning their Minds were changed about this thing or not If they were not they were Notorious Apostates to live in the sinful omission of open Duties so many years as many did going up and down about their business till not Conscience but King James's illegal deceitful Toleration brought them to those Places again They observ'd not their own Message from God to us And if we through ignorance must be damned they much more for acting against their Light and that after thousands of Protestations to God and man of the contrary If their Minds were changed as Richard Vicarr confessed privately to me he believed they were then were they Notorious Impostors to bring us a Message from the Devil in the Name of the Lord. Then have they blasphemed the Name of the Eternal God and belied the Holy Ghost Then have they defamed slandered the Generation of the Righteous and reprobated and damned them for an innocent lawful justifiable Action Know Reader that we ever asserted That it was lawful to flee in a
there is no Name given under Heaven by which men can be saved but the Name of Jesus There is no Salvation in any other Acts 4.12 If it be asked Why I am sometimes Comical and Reflect so severely on some of their Leaders I answer Quacks and Jugglers and foolish Pretenders to any thing are not to be treated as wise and sober men Answer says the Wisest of Men a fool according to his folly lest he be wise in his own conceit Prov. 26.25 Says the serious Worshipper at Mount Carmel that approached the Altar of God with all imaginable Reverence and not as a Stage player when he saw the Priests of Baal seemingly most devout cut themselves and leap upon the Altar Cry aloud 1 Kings 18.27 either he is talking or in a journey or sleepeth and must be awaked A goodly God! For my severe Reflections on some Men I lived nigh them knew them well they were some of the great Advocates for their Cause talk'd of all England over for their Zeal among the Quakers who spared not the most Learned Religious Ministers and People in the world for want of self-denial which little appeared in the Accusers for leaving the Places of their open Meetings the Ministers were Hirelings 10. John 12 13. who did flee when the wolf came that cared not for the sheep and that because the sheep were not their own As if to flee from a Place were to flee from an Office And after they had call'd them and the People Hypocrites Children of the Devil Haters of Christ Lovers of the World that should be damned for ever for this their great open Sin and Wickedness they did the same thing themselves when their Fund failed Either what I have Charged them with is True or False if it be False let me be accounted the greatest Defamer upon Earth a Persecutor or what they please If it be true as I call Heaven and Earth to Record it is and can justifie the Charge before God and Man I do say it on mature Consideration and with great Composure of Mind That Pen and the Quakers are Impostors or Apostates Know Reader I have made no use of Books nor Men to help me in this Work tho it is said by some it were impossible I could thus describe them without help from some Man that had been a Quaker I have not troubled you with some stories of Quakers upon common fame though I doubt not the truth of them yet cannot prove them if required as that one Friend came to another and said The Lord hath sent me to thee to tell thee thou must lend me Twenty pound It was a lying Spirit sent thee said the other for the Lord knows I am not worth half the Money Neither have I troubled you with their denying such a sense of Scripture when writing against us and asserting the same sense to serve their own turn and all from one and the same Infallible Spirit Penn is a notorious instance who in a Book call'd Judas and the Jews said on those words Tell the Church 18. Matt. 17. That the Church was to judge of matters of wrong between Man and Man but not of Faith or Conscience yet in another Book to all Protestants asserts The Church had Power about matters of Faith and Conscience when he pleaded for the Church-Quakers Nor much of what I have read of some of them many y s since I remember in the time of a long continued Drought about Twenty year since when many fear'd and talk'd of a Famine out comes Fox and tells us What reason we had to expect a Famine That before the Plague he saâ— the Angel of the Lord with a drawn Sword over the Court. See the Cheat. Rain soon pour'd down You false Prophets tell us your Prophecies before not after their accomplishment I must recommend to you the aforementioned Book The Snake in the Grass If you are Dissenters pardon some warm passages proceeding from intemperate Zeal for Bishops and Liturgies In the Book may you be informed of The Authority of the Church-Quakers for so Penn's Faction are call'd who often Assemble at London and assume to themselves power over the Light within especially in the Separate Quakers for so are the Followers of George Keith call'd a Scholar once Master of Arts who owns Faith in an outward Christ crucified him that died at Jerusalem The Resurrection of the Body Defects to be bewail'd The insufficiency of the Light within without Scripture and speaks favourably of Baptism and the Supper All this George Keith hath printed and told me He proves George Fox their Great Apostle to be a Blasphemer and impostor That he said before some Governors That he said he was equal with God and Judge of the world He receiv'd the Title and Worship of Christ from many who lay prostrate before him he smoothing them on the face and blessing them So did Sabbata Sevi his deluded Followers and Nathan the Prophet in the Year 1666. till he turned Turk to save his Neck Penn pleads for this Fox attributes his abuse of many Terms to his Ignorance What! and yet inspired and sent of God! That he call'd on the Army to fight against Rome and the Turks That Balaam must be slain and all the Hirelings turn'd out of the Kingdom He bad them pull down Mass-houses and Colleges Give the Priests Blood to drink for they are worthy said Burroughs The Blasphemy of many of their Leaders who said they were as holy as God not only in quality but equality and that the preternatural distortions of their Bodies and their Quakings at first were of the Devil Though the Numen that then inspired them hath now left them Though Solomon Eccles a Quaker before the Fire of London went up and down with a Pan of burning Coals yet he was proved to be a false Prophet in other things That the Quakers moved not their Goods believing it was a Delusion and knowing that almost every Week one Quaker or another would go up and down the Streets in London and cry Thus saith the Lord Fire Pestilence Sword c. And if Solomon Eccles prophecied of the Burning of the City all know so did Oliver's Porter That Muggleton hath his Prophecies too to be printed How soon Josiah Coal died after he testified against him That Muggleton a Taylor and Fox a Shoemaker set up for Inspired Persons together Though Fox at first condemned all outward teaching by Man till he had gotten men from the Ministry then he set up Preaching but Muggleton doth not but keeps to the old Principle He saith The Father to whom Christ pray'd was Elijah who governed in Heaven when Christ was on Earth because in his absence there was no God there And such Blasphemous stuff They pretended to the Spirit of discerning Persons and Things and could tell what Men were on the sight of them They now Damn one another the Muggletonians and Quakers call one another Sorcerers Serpents and say
a better diversion to shake off Melancholly THou scoffing persecuting Ishmael thou blaspheming Devil thou Limb of Antichrist I testify to thee in the Name that thou hast belied the People called Quakers yea I say unto thee the People called Quakers hast thou belyed They are an innocent people and to that do I bear witness Therefore thou Devils Bloodhound thou Thief and Robber that never didst come in at the door but didst climb up some other way Thus saith Thou art not able to judge for thou art blind Thou Beast thou Sot thou Incarnate Devil I am full of Zeal yea with Zeal I am filled ready to burst in testifying against thee thou scarlet-colour'd Beast thou canker'd Apostate thou Son of Belial Thou greedy Wolf in Sheeps Cloathing thou Dog thou dumb Dog thou barking Dog thou Emissary of Satan thou Beelzebub the Chief of Devils Repent and know that this People whom thou hatest and dost not love are dear precious ones To this will I set my Seal and do I bear witness Hear O thou Serpent fiery Serpent biting hissing Serpent thou unclean Spirit thou Devil-driven Sot I am sent to thee to declare against thee I am sent as Mary Fisher was to the great Turk who could speak nothing but English when she came to him as honest Friend G. Bishop is forced to confess in his New-England tryed Now I speak to thee in the same Language she did to him If any of you intend thus to set upon me I wish it may be when I am so costive that no other Physick would make me soluble I am sorry for the Dishonour that such bring to Religion and the Wrong they do themselves and the scandal they give to the Prophane but as for me I find nothing more easy than to forgive them pity them and love the Men though not the Quakers I must despair of understanding any thing or of proving any thing if in this little Book I have not sufficiently proved and that ex abundanti That William Penn and the Quakers are either Impostors or Apostates which they please from their Avowed Principles and Contrary Practices BUT methinks I hear some say We see what it is for men to talk of the Spirit which is nothing else but a warm Fancy following a deluded Judgment What may we think of Prophets of old and their Inspirations and Prophecies so much talk'd off We doubt all were such as these of the Quakers Stop Reader if these thoughts be in thee let us reason together Though I doubt not but that this giddy People have contributed very much to the increase of Scepticism and Atheism and Contempt of Religion Yet why Because there is so much bad Coin adulterate Coin Case-Pieces Clipp'd-Money is there therefore no Good Money or Money of full Weight Is it all alike Because there is so much False News going and so many Mistakes and idle Stories pass for Truth is there therefore no True News or True Relation of things Because we are so often mistaken in men who are often said to be good-natur'd wise and pious whom in our nigh approaches to them we find ill temper'd half-witted and scandalous are there therefore no good-natur'd no wise no pious Men in the World To talk of the Spirit is a Cant among some Men almost a Community of Men who own Scripture and read Lessons out of it They will talk of God and of Christ but nothing or next to nothing of the Spirit I desire them to read Neh. 9.20 Thou gavest also thy good Spirit to instruct them 2 Cor. 1.22 Who hath given the earnest of the spirit in our hearts Rom. 8.9 He that hath not the spirit of Christ is none of his John 3.5 6 8. Except a man be born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God That which is born of the Spirit is spirit Rom. 8.16 The spirit it self beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God Psalm 51.11 After David sinn'd so foully he prays Take not thy holy spirit from me Consider their abuse of such Phrases should not take us off from the use of them Because the Papist have abused the words of Christ This is my Body by their monstrous Doctrine of Transubstantiation and so to worship a Wafer for a God we are not therefore to deny the Bread the honourable Name Christ gave it The Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit is not so call'd from his Essence and Nature for so we might as well say The Holy Father or the Holy Son as the Holy Ghost but from his Office Whom the Father elects the Son redeems and the Holy Ghost sanctifies and makes holy Now a skilful Physician is not to be despised ridiculed because of some Quacks nor a good Lawyer because of some ignorant Pretenders nor a Spiritual Man because of some sensless vain Talkers of the Spirit Though I have written more already than I intended when I begun yet give me leave to add some Directions to cure this Malady which we find occasion'd for want of these things you are now prest to and that our Perfectionists little mind Direction 1. 1. Keep up a due Veneration for the Scriptures and their Authority He that cannot see a God one would think could see nothing Infinity and Eternity must be lodged in somewhat Some Cogitative Being which word with Mr. Lock I like better than Intelligent suited means to end Read him in that excellent Chapter of Human Vnderstanding Mr. Perkins's Cases of Conscience of the Being of God Is the Soul of Man made for God to serve and injoy him Not to say any thing of the Reflex Acts of the Soul That Matter cannot act on it self The tip of my finger that toucheth thousands of things cannot return upon it self touch it self But my Understanding that understands other things reflects on it self and understands it self and therefore the Spirit of a Man is not as the Spirit of a Beast The Poet could say Sanctius his animal mentisque capacius altae Pronaque cum spectant No Creature but Man can turn up his eyes to Heaven for Man hath a Muscle more than they to help to look up to God Doth it not convince you Good Readers as well as this Pagan Ovid Met. That though Man was made in this world yet not for it Are not some men designed for the Recovery of the Lost Love and Favour of God That is hoped by all What then will follow That there must be some Rule whereby Man may know this God and serve him Now this must be either by Revelation or there must be some standing written Rule The former we see is gone and our giddy Pretenders to it prove it Therefore the latter Then say I The Scriptures must be the standing Rule or some other thing But no other thing Therefore the Scriptures If any thing What is it Mahomet's Alcoran I need not confute it None plead for it Nay It is worthy observation
Bishop that false deceitful vile Corrupter and Abuser of History c. What were the Titles of the Books Who were the Authors He could not afterwards tell me This Friend of his told me very soberly and calmly That if the Charge against the Quakers of leaving their Meetings in a time of Persecution were true for which they condemned us I had a just Charge against them and they ought to give me satisfaction No Book meddles with these Questions The next morning I sent him another Letter and told him what Excuses I had heard why he would not meet with me which he knew not to be true that I did believe he knew no Reply could be given and therefore declined it and that he had as good tell me so in plain words as thus practically and by interpretation I had promised him if he could give me a satisfactory rational Answer to my Queries I would turn Quaker but not till then And that I had some more Questions to propose to him about which I desired his sober Consideration and that I challenged him to a publick Disputation about them Question 5. Whether it were not great Folly or worse to say That bowing to a man was Idolatry a Breach of the second Commandment a Sin which rather than Mordecai would commit he would run a Risk for his own Life and the Lives of all the Jews and yet after all this Harangue turn this Custom of bowing to men into a common Practice When we were reasoning with them once Did not Abraham bow to the Children of Heth c They would reply If Abraham were satisfied in it we are not following Scripture-Examples hath undone the world and yet of late years they observe that civil decent Ceremony By the way Reader give me leave to tell a pleasant though plain Story I knew two Grave Learned Divines who parting bowed one to another A zealous Quaker in a great Fury runs to them and said to one of them a facetious man Dost thou not know it is written Thou shalt not bow down The Minister looking on this ignorant impudent Fool with Contempt said to him Dost thou not bow down when thou dost Sh The Quaker replies Thou art a Beast to talk so And said the Minister Thou art a veryer Beast if thou dost not do so Nay Priest said he why talkest thou like a Beast Why said be quotest thou Scripture like a Devil alluding to that Scripture where the Devil setting on Christ cites Scripture of Angels preserving men that they hurt not their feet against the stones but left out in all thy ways Mat. 4.6 So the Quaker names Thou shalt not bow down but left out to graven Images Question 5. Whether it were not unheard-of Dissimulation to tell Oliver Cromwell Thus saith the Lord I have put the Sword into thy hand to to destroy Idolaters the Stuarts and Maâ—nants And yet after all to tell Kâ— Charles II. That all this was Rebellion 〈◊〉 that they gave their Testimony against the mâ— ther of his Father What George Fox and Burroughs did well known He that would fully undâ—stand this wickedness let him read a liâ—â— Tract done by a curious hand call'd 〈◊〉 Snake in the Grass The best Thing tâ— ever was written on this Subject 〈◊〉 Pennyman's Papers once a Quaker wâ— hath out of their Authors shewn hâ— they always shuffled Principles about â—vernment Scriptures Ministers c. Question 7. Whether it were not great wickedâ— to pretend to Inspiration Infallibility Pâ— phecies Miracles and yet expound so 〈◊〉 congruous and contrary to Scripture As Pen and I heard George Whitehead to in Bristol on Prov. 9.1 4. Wisdom hâ— built her a house She cryeth Whose simple let him turn in hither and for 〈◊〉 that is void of understanding A simâ—â— thing said he is a thing unmixt pure So he that is Holy hâ—th no Sin Now â—hough the latter part of the Verse explains the former yet this mighty man of theirs that hath printed so many large Books could not see it Besides though the word Simple be an equivocal word in English yet not so in Hebrew for here it fignifieth foolish That a Quaker about a year since in Cullington prophesied from the Lord All Women that are with Child this Year shall die in Childbirth which was far from being true though some in that Case were in great fear If this cost any of them their Lives I cannot contradict it if any should say that this false Prophet deserved to die as much as any Thief or High way-man whatever Reader know these men condemned all Human Literature and asserted Inspiration But can the Spirit in a Quaker contradict the Spirit in the Scripture They say That as if a man speak through a Cane it is not the voice of the Cane though it pass through it but the voice of the Man So it is not the voice of the Quaker but the voice of the Spirit I needed no more to prove them Deceivers but hearing them Yea some have pâ—â— tended to Miracles One came into a House where a Chillay dead and said to the People Weep no the Child is not dead but sleepeth And iâ— imitation of the Prophet 2 Kings 4.3 Stretcht her self on the Child saying In 〈◊〉 Name of Jesus of Nazareth arise I suppose Reader I need not tell thee that thâ— Soul of the Child returned not to it againâ— A Story well known and by whonâ— among Bristol Friends A Quaker told me that it was said George Fox could by Inspiration speak aâ— Languages where the Lord sent him anâ— restored a Man to Life who broke hiâ— Neck Impudent Falshoods I knew a Woman about 22 years since who must fast 40 days and 40 nights bâ—â— soon died and would have eat but couâ— not L S of Bristol before named asserted he was as much Inspired as waâ— the Prophet yea as Balaam's Ass Thiâ— Inspired Ass after a continued idle Life fell ill of the Diabetes by drinking alwayâ— Red-streak Cyder When on his Death Bed he said to his Physician Dr. Griffin who told me the Story I shall not die â— shall be in such a place by such a day If should now die the Lord would reveal it to me But the Fool soon turn'd up his Trotters and died The Spirit say they is Infallible What then doth it make us so God is Omnipotent Omnisicient doth he make us so This L S the Inspired Ass once found out a notable place of Scripture for taking away Baptism and the Lord's Supper Isa 3.1 For behold the Lord takes away the stay of bread There is the Supper said he and of Water there is Baptism as honest Mr. Blinman a Minister had it from him and told me the Story Now who would talk with such profane Wretches thus playing with Scripture AFter this I receiv'd a Letter from William Penn who told me That he had consulted some Bristol Friends and they told him I was a Hot-headed man and a Persecutor
of them and that if I were Sober and Temperate he would spend an half hour with me though much business lay before him To whom I presently replied in a Letter That I was never taken for a Wet Dissenter that it was very unfair to put me off with such an excuse For what if I should say I had consulted my Friends about him and that they told me 〈◊〉 was a Roman Catholick a Plotter for â— Popish Tyrant against the best of Kings But said I away with such trash Thaâ— I did suppose R.V. was the Man noâ— with him who was my Accuser hâ— knew the contrary that I received him civilly in my house he me in his thaâ— many Quakers could testifie that I haâ— been very kind to many of them shewâ— kindness to their Sick when I was in thâ— same Goal with them that I once paiâ— the Fine of one and caused his Goods tâ— be returned He bids me in his Letter to take my course but I observed added not hâ— feared not as men commonly do which now I have done and let him try what he will gain by it READER Seeing William Penn would not that is in plain English could not Answer my Questions I will treat thee more fairly Iâ— will Answer thine which may be in thy Heart Question 1. What is William Penn I will tell you some things he wrote and what I have heard from credible Witnesses that knew him then judge you not I. He in the Reign of King James the Second saluted him thus That he was the most Illustrious Example of Integrity that for his Conscience sake ventured the loss of Three Kingdoms Now it is well known the excluding Parliaments never Treated with him nor made him any Proposals about Religion He also then told the world there are not Papists enough in London to make the Coal fires and yet here is such a cry of the danger of Popery To that Objection Shall we Tolerate Idolatry If Popery said he be Idolatry He makes an If of it Now he that at that time should say There was no danger of Popery must be a Knave or a Fool a Fool if he thought as he said a Knave if he said as he thought not Now Penn was no Fool. There were Papists enough in London once to burn the City whether enough or no then to make the Coal-fires One that knew him very well told me he was no more a Christian than a Mahumetan for they believe Christ to be a Good Man and that W. Penn as he thought believed not now either Christ's Divinity or Humanity I will tell you one Story more of William Penn and then speak your Minds I have had it from good hands that Mr. Charles Nicholets hath often declared that when the late K. J. preferr'd him for a Paper of Verses in commendation of his Vertues offering him first to be Ranger of his Park which he refus'd afterwards by making him Licenser of the Press that he gave a License to a Book against Popery William Penn ask'd him What he meant to License a Book against the King's Religion Why said Mr. Nicholets I am no Papist and though I have Licensed Popish Books which I know I should not yet I will not deny a License to a Protestant Writer So Penn was much displeased and caused him to be turn'd out of his Office My Friend told me he would give it on Oath Mr. Nicholets so told him Question 2. What are the Quakers Quakerism is the sink of all Heresies Some Quakers are Socinians believe not the Trinity nor Divinity of Christ some be Sabellians they believe Christ's Divinity but not the Trinity some of them have respect to Scripture-Authority others regard them no more than an old Almanack not containing any Duty for us but for others in their day Some are for others against Womens speaking A Quaker came from a Meeting and told a friend of mine I have heard Nine Women speak this day but a Man may put in an Egg-shell all the sense they spake Every Whâ—m was once a Message from the Lord but now that folly is so manifest to all Men that they are more sober One came to another and said Thus saith the Lord to thee James Nobbs thou art this and that the Man heard all patiently and then said Hold thy Tongue thou prating Fool for the Lord knows I am not James Nobbsae Another had a Revelation to go with a Message from the Lord from Oxon to Abbington Five Miles when he return'd in the close of the day his Wife who was no Quaker ask'd him Whether he had delivered his Message No said he the Man was not at home he is gone a great journey O thou Child of a Man said she Dost thou think the Lord sent thee to a Man that was not at home Which as I remember made the Man more sober In my younger days on a Temptation I confess I sought converse with the chief of them I could meet with to try their Perfection and Attainments above all others I found as others know that went amongst them on the like Temptation their hearts heads and hands were all in the world no Family or Secret Prayer minded their Children's Souls neglected some of them said they would teach them to be Sober and no more I first read G. B's Book then Conversed with R. B. of Oxon a great Quaker but he was a vile Jester said he to one I can prove thou art an Atheist How said he Thus Art thou a Wise Man or a Fool No Wise Man replied the Man then said B. Is it not said The fool hath sâ—id in his heart there is no God c. J. L. of Plimouth who for his Bounty which indeed was very great was a most frothy abusive Jester though his Name founds with a delicious Air every where among them yet a filthy and wicked Jester was he J. M. of Pensilvania hardly escaped whipping a few years since for Lying with his Maid who had thus Punish'd others for the same Vice he being there a Justice of the Peace and a great Speaker How they painted out one another in Print in their open Meetings in Bristol for Drunkenness and other Vices is well known He that would read their Blasphemies let him read Rogers's Book a Quaker of that City what he says of Fox and others and yet these were the Perfect Sinless Creatures all the while In their Letters one against another they would begin on both sides This is the word of the Eternal God from me to thee Thou art an Hypocrite Some must Blaspheme Reviling of Ministers was a Meritorious work Some reported of Mr. Hughs once of Plymouth the best Man that ever that Town was blest with that he would drink Fifty Glasses of Sack at one Meal Say it as often as they would I dare say not one believed it Every common thing was from God Read the Snake in the Grass a Book worth Gold Let Penn or any
Powerfully Poor sense and a powerful Voice will not do I cannot believe ever God sends Fools about his work and such as expose it to contempt Too many justifie the Quakers in their affected tones theatrical gestures contrary to plain express words of Scripture 2 Titus 7. In doctrine shewing uncorruptness gravity sincerity Vncorruptness respects the soundness of the matter of our Doctrine Gravity the manner of our delivering it Sincerity the Principle from which all should come and end to which all should be directed And for our Hearers many of them are much more ignorant than any one would suspect I know a Man of a great Estate an Entertainer of Ministers who asked lately one of them at his house Whether Abraham were not a Protestant and the Canaanites Papists Whether Joseph that we read of in Genesis that was sold into Egypt by his Brethren was not the same Joseph that we read of in the First of Matthew who was Espoused to the Virgin Mary If you say What difference then between their ignorant Speakers and ours Much every way Theirs despise Scripture and helps Providence puts into their hands of being better informed and pretend to Inspiration and so blaspheme the Spirit and talk how they can confound any of the Priests by the Spirit when others are ashamed of their folly and not flee in the face of an Instructor I have heard such say Wilt thou talk to me against what I feel and handle of the word of Life Alluding no doubt to the 1 Epistle of John ch 1. v. 1. John lay in the bosom of Christ and his natural hands handled the natural body of him who is call'd the Word of life To question them is to question the Spirit I am unwilling to say all I think and know of such filthy dreamers clouds without water Jude 12. Is it not able to make a Wise Man sick to hear what I have heard in their Assemblies remote from Religion Reason and Gravity For a half-witted Fellow and a Jackpudden that unmans himself to stand up and say I have been in many places in Kersendom and I will never sell my reason to think Christ came to save men from sin and yet sin to be in them And now my Freinds ah may you fe feel ah the life ah and the power ah Now you must suppose this was some notable Traveller that had compass'd Sea and Land to make Proselytes according to 3 Matthew 15 verse and sure if his reason were to be sold he would be most lamentably chous'd in a woful pennyworth that should buy it Thou fool and blind said Christ in another case to your elder Brethren 23 Matthew 15. Cannot you believe a Physician should come to give Physick or give a Man ease in order to perfect Health in time if pains atches or any disorders be in him from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot The Women I observed and Women like Men when they heard their affected modes would according to their frequent custom say La La La La c. Now tell me Reader Whether such a speech of incoherent Blasphemies were not able to make a Man purge both ways In the time of great danger when Twenty pound was to be paid by the Speaker they would seldom speak Therefore I remember when an Informer came into a Quakers Meeting he was very busie to find the Speaker that he might pay the Money Where is your Speaker said he Up stood a Quaker Thou art he In many Meetings nothing is said some times only one place of Scripture I have heard that when they sate a long time and said nothing a Quaker was moved to speak a place of Scripture and in my opinion he chose the most suitable place for them he stood up and said O ye fools when will ye be wise and down he sate again When indeed When these sinless Creatures fall out which is not seldom you would think they had gone down to Hell to fetch their Rhetorick from thenee fouly charging and condemning one another But presently the Devil transforms himself into an Angel of Light the Old Man was stirr'd in them nay their chief Leaders complain of one anothers Pride and ill Temper and say Their hearts are ready to break for Friends Disorders And yet they the Perfect Sinless Pure Innocent Lambs all the while I am not more assured that Turcism is not of God than that Quakerism is not or than that I have proved it in this Book I declare before all the world That I am ready at an open Dsputation to prove my Charge against them If what I have writeen recover any Quakers I shall rejoyce Why should we despair seeing the recovery of the Honest and ingenious George Keith Pennyman and many more However I cannot but hope or more than hope this will prevent the fall of not a few who till now knew not the Men as I and others have long known them to be some of the greatest Doctrinal if not Practical Enemies to Christ that ever were in any Age that would sometimes call themselves by the Name of Christians Reader I do assure thee by my Observation and the Observation of others that this People that were wont to talk against Pride are some of the proudest Persons upon Earth so Proud that though they have condemned putting off the hat and kirching as Sins yet some tell you in plain terms they expect it of you and take it amiss if you do it not as the abovenamed L. S. said to a Friend of his and mine And as great is their Pride so great is their ignorance so that some Wise Men leave them and are ashamed Mr. S. of Bristol seldom if at all goes to their Meeting though at their first appearing one of their most Learned Advocates he troubleth not himself much now about Mens Souls but is well acquainted with what is good for their Bodies especially his own by which he much obligeth his Friends not Quakers but any Men of Civility Churchmen and others A late Writer Mr. Norrice hath made this People not a little to value themselves by favouring their Opinion about the Light within and by telling the world That he more dreaded one Barclay than an Army of Bellarmines or Stapletons which make me doubt he is not well acquainted with the latter though with the former I doubt that young rash though ingenious Gentleman hath a design to make a new Party bearing his Name whose grand Particularity is this that we must love nothing complacentially but God I hope whilst he retains this Notion he will continue in Celibacy for he is not fit for Marriage forgetting that of Solomon Let her breasts satisfy thee at all times and be thoâ— ever ravisht with her love Yet by the way observe he asserts That God not absolutely considered but relatively is to be the Object of this Love This is indeed to make our selves the end God the means To love
notorious secret Drunkard as his Wife confessed but would have hid it she being a Quaker too I have known others that selling strong Waters would let the vilest of the Parish drink as much as they would till Drunk and yet one such would say to me Wilt thou tell me against what I feel and handle of the word of life Wet and drie Quakers is a distinction in other places besides Bristol Question 3. Are they not very humble Persons No They are more proud of their plainness than others of their bravery Baptism and the Lords Supper are things too mean for them Shells c. but they were not too mean for the Son of God What good will a little Water a little Bread and Wine do me It is true the things be not changed in their Nature though in their Use What good will a little Paper a little Ink a little Wax do me may a Pardoned Man say when he reads the King's Pardon to him Some now use the Lord's Supper Barclay in his Apol. says He would not condemn them that do Question 4. Are they not more just in their dealings than others and most careful not to tell a Lie and say one thing and do another These things are among some of them and among others too yea Turks themselves Yet by the way It is not unlawful to say one thing and do another on the change of the mind 19. Gen. 2 3. The Angel was desired by Lot to come into his House Nay said he but we will tarry in the street all night yet when Lot pressed upon them they went in They observed Providence their intentions altered If they had Sinned had Lied they had never found their way back again to Heaven By the way let all look to it of what perswasion soever if they lie for Gain they are not upright To say things Cost them so much They never sold them Cheaper They are as Good as can be had for Money and know all to be false and continue in this Sin they may call themselves Christians and others may call them so but Christ will call them workers of iniquity The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tost to and fro by them that seek death saith Solomon 21. Prov. 16. Death seeks not them but they court it When I wrote to you did I use lightness according to the flesh saith Paul that with me it should be yea and nay but as God is true he makes God his Example But as Christ is true saith Paul to the Corinthians 2 Cor. 1.17 18 19 20. all the promises of God in Christ are yea let ours be so To say I will do such a thing bring it to you at such a day and know you cannot or resolve you will not and so for paying of Money and to make this a common practice is no more consistent with Grace than Drunkenness or Theft Complemental Lyes are an abomination in the sight of a Holy God To say I am glad to see you I thank you for your good Company Pray eat You eat nothing When not a word of this is true and the person that says it was weary of their Company as it may be vain and therefore undesirable and know they eat very freely or more than they need Some Quakers are careful here and so are others would all were so such as are not are cursed The Quakers the great ones in Talking and Printing are not free from Lying George Bishop in his Book of Martyrs called New-England judged not by man's Spirit but the Spirit of the Lord How doth he represent the Whipping of the Quakers there What Strokes were fetch'd Flesh brought off with the Whips Which Mr. Blinman then of New-England professed to me he never there heard of They cursed Magistrates and Ministers in the street blasphemed Christ and Scripture If they were banished they returned again so that some were put to death I know some of their Chief Leaders whose Tenderness this way was not very great but spoke as if they thought a Lye now and then for Friends might be excused Q. Have not the Quakers more of the Spirit than others No nor as much They poor men must not run before their Guide Must wait for the Spirit 's Call to Prayer I pray How came they and the Spirit such strangers that it calls them not all the Day long all the Week long all the Month long all the Year long to pray alone or in their Families Always to pray in their sense is never to pray and every day a Sabbath is no day so I knew a Quakers Meeting where I believe was not a Sentence spoken from Month to Month in a time of danger but when a Toleration came out then they were inspired by it to purpose They all talk of The Light within a Phrase that was never used but once in Scripture and that too what was seeming Light but real Darkness Mat. 6.22 yet they mean not the same thing by it Commonly they understand by it Conscience and that this Light tells a man when he doth evil and when he doth good and that it was in all men always And when we press'd them with such places as these They that kill you shall think they do God good service John 16.2 I verily thought with my self that I was bound to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth saith Paul when he persecuted They could not tell what to say But now Barclay tells us The Light comes in the time of the Lord's Visitation or day of Grace to every man if it be received it abides if not withdraws That this Light is not God yet some inspired Friends by the way said it was nor a Quality but a Substance and calls it a Vehiculum Dei That the Turks have a Light sometimes that tells them Mahomet was a Deceiver the Christian Religion is true Away Poor Robin with thy borrow'd Collections out of the Fathers Now says he this is a Supernatural thing that comes not at the will of the Creature therefore we are no Arminians yet it is a Resistible Work and so we are no Calvinists but our way is a middle saith he between both I was surprized when I read it knowing all the Quakers I conversed with had no such Notions of the Light within I pray How shall I appeal to the Lord's Witness in every man and the Testimony of God in his Conscience Why it may be I speak too soon the Light is not yet come or too late now it is gone Any thing Now it is not God which some Friends said and that it was to be worshipped as if a man should worship his own Convictions and this made some call the Quakers Idolaters as the Scots and others and now R. Vickris defends Barclay against Norris Any thing Though some Quakers know not the depth of Satan and seem to speak Orthodoxly of God Christ the Soul c. yet their
God did him good Noah was a Preacher and no doubt a Liver of Righteousness an Hundred and twenty years To have seen but one Convert a year had been sad but he sees none at the end of Twenty Forty Threescore an Hundred years No pricks of Conscience did them good The Spirit strove for a time Men may roar that never Repent No threats of God do them good when they were told of a Deluge they feared not Yet Man's Nature before Sin was conformable to God's Image his Will to God's Law he was designed to serve God here and enjoy him for ever yet after Sin he is call'd Flesh as if dispirited a Worm as David saith of himself a Dog for without are dogs saith Paul nay a Devil so Christ called not only Judas but Peter when he would hinder him from Suffering Get thee behind me Satan 16. Mat. 23. What Devils are the best and much more the worst for Pride Passion c. Now how little the Quakers regard the Fall is notorious Some make Adam Paradise the Tree of Life Serpent and all an Allegory and laugh at Original Sin and believe all come Sinless Creatures into the world Here is the foundation work this makes Man loathe himself Another thing the Scripture teacheth as necessary to be known and which our Perfectionists will not understand is 2. Man's recovery by a Crucified Christ the Son of God Who so fit as he who was the Son of God by Eternal Generation to be so by his Conception Who so fit to make Man the Son of God by Adoption as he that was the Son of God by Nature Who so fit to be a Mediator that in some respect was so for ever Mr. Ainsworth well observes from 3. Gen. 21. God made of Skins Coats and cloathed our first parents That this represented Man's being cloathed by the imputed Righteousness of Jesus for saith he their Cloathing was not of the Skins of Beasts eaten for no Beasts were for food till the time of Noah's Deluge was over 9. Gen. 3. Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you even as the green herb have I given you all things Nor yet of Beasts that died of themselves for there was a Ceremonious work of Sacrificing as did Cain and Abel therefore it was saith he of Beasts Sacrificed which were Types of Christ's As Men be Redeemed by the Blood of Christ so are they cloathed by his Righteousness Bishop Hall in his excellent savory Paraphrase thinks this is the sense of the words of Solomon in the Book of Canticles 8. Can. 5. I raised thee up from under the apple-tree there thy mother brought thee forth there she brought thee forth that bare thee as Christ speaking thus to the Spouse O my spouse I raised thee up from under the tree of offence there Eve brought thee forth under the curse she brought thee forth that bare thee Now Mr. Cotton observes when the Church commends Christ She commends his hands but when Christ commends the Church he commends not her hands Canticles chap. 4. and 5. Man is Justified by Christ's Obedience not his own Now Paul preached a Crucified Christ to all the Gentiles idolatrous and prophane Gentiles But when do any Quakers hear any thing of this in their Christless Assemblies God the Father chose some from everlasting gave them to Christ to be Redeemed to the Spirit to be Sanctified else we cannot as some observe talk of a Predestination but may of a Postdestination if Men be Saved on foreseen Holiness 2 Ephes 5 6. By grace are ye saved and are made to sit down in heavenly places in Christ Jesus The Church is the lower Heaven they above and they below make one Family in whom the whole Family in Heaven and Earth is named saith Paul As the Kitchin below and best Room above Christ may say to every Believer as Pharoah's Daughter of Moses I drew him out of the waters Justice placed us all at the mouth of Ruine the Son of God as the Daughter of Pharoah comes and hath Compassion Without understanding Salvation by Christ there is no hope They that reject the outward Crucified Christ reject life Now they once took all in a Mystery an inward Christ was inwardly Crucified This is saith Penn and Whitebread The Lamb slain the Light within opposed by the Sons of Men. 2. Another thing the Scriptures shew is the way God and Christ have appointed to Salvation so we call the Scripture the word of God Christ is seldom so call'd 1 John 1.19 Rev. 13. The Word was God His Name is called the Word of God Why He declareth the Mind and Word of God to men but 30. Proverbs 5 6. Add thou not to his word What is that to Christ You received our testimony not as the word of man but as it is indeed the word of God saith Paul If they are called Gods to whom the word of God came and the Scriptures cannot be broken said Christ You read of them that corrupt the word of God What did they corrupt Christ The Quakers have thousands of times cursed them that call the Scriptures the word of God Heathens could not find out the way to life by any Light within but by Scripture-Revelation Many Atheists and Quakers object against it though now some more sober Some object Moses 1 Gen. 16. makes the Moon greater than the Stars which all Astrologers know to be so only in appearance What an unnecessary noise do some Divines make to answer this to tell what it is Subjectively what it is Objectively Doth Moses say he made the two greater Bodies the Sun to rule the Day the Moon to rule the Night No Now though a Star is a greater Body than the Moon yet the Moon is a greater Light sure So 9. Acts 7. it is said They that were with Paul heard a voice but saw no man yet in the 22. Acts 9. They that were with me saw indeed the light but heard not the voice of him that spake There is an Inarticulate and an Articulate sound or voice they heard the sound but not the voice not the sense spoken How do some triumph in such trifles If any Learned Men be perplexed about things of this nature let them read Searphius his Symphonia If any Unlearned Man be let him read a Book call'd The dividing of the Hoof both which Books have done this work incomparably well of reconciling seeming contradictions in Scripture Our Perfectionists care not to direct their Children to Scripture Consider how the Old Testament ends and the New begins I have sometimes pleased my self not a little with this Meditation Mal. 1.4 5. what a Prophecy is here of Christ and John Baptist and it is a good Providence that the Jews though in unbelief never added any thing to the Cannon of Scripture since none comes now to tell them how large read Isaiah 53. and the Gospel May not he well be call'd the Evangelical Prophet If you be
stumbled regard it not As now How often is it objected That the Jews borrowed of the Egyptians Jewels of Silver and Jewels of Gold with an intent never to pay them and one gives one answer God bade them another another they had abused the Jews For my part I think the matter is clear they gave them for as the Jews borrowed so the Egyptians lent now did they think when God by a mighty Hand brought them out of Egypt they should see the Men more no nor the Jewels neither How often have I seen others mock 4. Matt. 8.9 The Devil took Christ on a high mountain to shew him the kingdoms of the world Why I hope the higher the Mountain was the more he might see and how high he was lifted up above the Mountain who can tell Divines say there was a Map and Idea of all to Christ Hobs himself in his Leviathan seems not to be scandalized here take his Opinion rather than blaspheme That all was done Visionary Many places in the Old Testament mentioned in the New are carried from their primary intention to a secondary one Out of Egypt have I call'd my Son 11. Hos 1.2 Matt. 15. is clear 8. Psalm 4. What is man is true of all though carried in a high sense of Christ And because some cannot be persuaded but that of the Prophet Isaith A Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son 7. Isa 14. was of the Prophetess to whom Isaiah went who bare a Son one that was a Virgin when Isaiah made the Prophecy might not be so after They say That what was true in sensu diviso of that Prophetess was in sensu composito of the Virgin Mary a Maid and Mother at the same time as the Prophetess in a different time If this be yeilded I know not but some are sooner and more fairly silenced I will not tell my thoughts if any conjecture they shall but conjecture Now the Scripture direct about matters of Faith and matters of Practice without which we should not know the one or the other Direction 2. Timely instruct your Children and endeavour to transmit Religion from Family to Family Do your Children love History What is better than that of Joseph and his Brethren of Esther Haman and Mordecai and Ahasuerus The Creation of the world Fall of Man Call of Abraham Plagues of Egypt Contract some things in hints and Books in Verses English ones such there are others in Latin as the Ten Plagues of Egypt are express'd in four Verses Fit cruor ex undis conspurcant omnia vanae Dat pulvis cimices postea musca venit Dein pectu post ulcera grando locusta tenebrae Tandem proto tocos ultima plaga necat Convince them of their natural state you may say 9. John 20. That this is our son we know and that he was born blind we know blind in Spirituals Look well to their Company Mr. White adviseth Parents to invite sober Lads to their House and make them their Childrens Companions He that walketh with the wise shall be wise a companion of fools shall be destroyed saith Solomon Above all duties teach them secret Prayer 6. Matt. 6. shew them the necessity benefit sweetness of this this gives life to all other duties Talk most against the Sins they be inclined to Pride Passion Idleness Stealing taking God's Name in Vain c. Allow them convenient time for Diversions and Recreations Look well they be such as for nature are Lawful for time Seasonable for use Moderate Avoid Plays suspiciously Evil. Mr. Perkins condemns in his Cases of Conscience Playing at Cards as an Evil in it self Dr. Taylor in his Ductor Dubitantium doth not so yet doth disswade from the use of them You will at a full Table let alone a suspicious Dish not proper for you when many safe ones Plays are lawful and the matter of God's Promise The Quakers have condemned all as well as Family Prayer and other Duties How feebly doth Robert Barclay the great Quaker in his Apology write against playing at Bowls and Nine-pins we have Bodies as well as Souls 8. Zech. 5. The streets shall be full of boys and girls playing Paul took delight to think of the Family Timothy came from 2 Tim. 1.5 When I call to mind the unfeigned faith which first dwelt in thy grandmother Lois and thy mother Eunice and I am persuaded that in thee also Not the same numerical Faith which could not be without a Transmigration of Souls but specifical like for kind Qui studes patrimonio terrestri magni quam caelesti filios tuos commendas Diabolo magis quam Christo I remember Cyprian somewhere says Pray consider he that minds his Child's Body more than his Soul is like one that if Child and Dog were like to he drowned should take care to save the Dog but let the Child be drowned To make your Childrens lives Religious is to make your own comfortable Let the Spirit teach my Children I will not say some Perfectionists If you will not an evil Spirit you see early doth Catechise them often and well Direction 3. Endeavour to retain what you hear or read to confirm your Faith against all unsound Doctrines Pray to God for good Heads and Memories as well as for good Hearts and Affections many are turn'd to and fro with every wind of Doctrine Many take want of Memory to be only their infelicity which I say is their fault To help you here take these Directions 1. Mind the chief word in a sentence direction story or comparison on which all depends revolve that in your mind over and over 2. Chuse some good Companions whose good Memories may help your bad ones ask them what they remember tell them what you do Thus let one hand rub another till both be warm 3. Write down if you can what most concerns you you do so in other things Debts Directions for Distempers New Affections many years hence will make old things heard new 4. Beware of Meats and Drinks for Quantity or Quality that indispose you to dullness in hearing 5. In the close of a Sabbath and in the opening of the next day in your Beds repeat what you are willing to retain in your mind 6. Use some mark with a Pen or Pencil in reading excellent Books where you are most willing to remember O what a shame it is for Men to remember every thing except what they should can tell all the News going long stories of Contentions or Pastimes but what is said to strengthen Faith they have forgot here Fuller in his Meditations says thus I heard a merry story long since and that I remember I heard a good Sermon lately and that I have forgotten thus Lord is my Memory like a filthy pond where Frogs live and good Fish dye Mind these Directions so may you give an account of the reason of the Hope in you so may you convince Gainsayers so may you be kept in an hour of Temptation for Heresies
must be to try Men. Who could believe the Quakers Sins possible Sins if he saw them not for an ignorant Creature to say not only practically but some in words I have no Sin to confess or beg Pardon for I need no Scripture nor Ordinances they be low things I need no outward Christ to save me We may write over their doors as over the doors of them that have the Plague Lord be Merciful to them REader Having told you before how the Quakers thought Reviling of Ministers a meritorious work and in particular how some of them with others slander'd Mr. Hughs of Plymouth where was the place of my Nativity and to whom I ow'd my self I shall give an account of a great defamation of that great Man on the Return of King Charles the Second it was commonly reported that he was with his Vertuous Consort so drunk with drinking that King's Health that he knock'd under the board a Paper of Verses were Printed on this occasion but all borrowed out of Cowly with some additions about him and her which I shall not now Name as about S S S c. This Drunkard's Song on this report was in all Mens Mouths THE thirsty Earth drinks up the Rain And drinks and gapes for drink again The Plants suck in both Earth and Air By constant drinking fresh and fair The Sea it self which one would think shou'd have but little need of drink Drinketh ten thousand Rivers up So fill'd they overflow the Cup. The Sun it self as one may guess By 's drunken fiery Face no less Drinks up the Sea and when that 's done The Moon and Stars drink up the Sun They drink and dance by their own light They drink and revel all the Night Nothing in Nature sober's found But an eternal Health goes round Then fill the Bowl then fill it high Fill all the Glasses there for why Shall every Creature drink but I Thou Man of Morals tell me why A very dull Reply was Printed with this but by whom I could never certainly know at last I met with the following ingenious Reply which pardon me if I think one of the best Replies ever I saw wherein Cowly is baffled in all his Altitudes THE thirsty Earth when one would think His dusty throat requir'd most drink Wets but her lips and parts the Showres Among ten thousand Plants and Flowers These take their small and stinted size Not Drunkard like to fall but rise The Sober Sea observes her Tides Even by the drunken Sailors sides The roaring Rivers pressing high Seek to get in her company She rising seems to take the Cup But other Rivers drink all up The Sun And who dares him disgrace With drink that keeps his steady pace Baits at the Sea and keeps good hours The Moon and Stars and mighty Powers Drink not but spill that on the flore The Sun drew up the day before And charitable Dews bestow On Herbs that Dye for Thirst below Then fill no more then let that dye That would the Drunkard kill for why Shall all things live by Rule but I Thou Man of More-Ale tell me why It is a great pleasure to me many times to think when Debauchees and Hereticks have gotten all the Knavery they have not gotten all the Wit I cannot indeed understand the Quakers were the Inventers of this story against that Worthy Man whose Name will be sweet there when the Names of others will stink though they helped to publish him as a notorious Drunkard as before If the Quakers can get a Story against a Minister from his Wife though she be infamous for an Unquiet Spirit they care not for that I remember I was once with a discreet well-bred Quaker and some talking of a Minister reputed very famous for Piety whose Name is well known all England over for a good Book he printed the Quaker said Ah Poor Man His Wife knows I enquired into the Story and found she had given a hard Character of him and was a sore Affliction to him as he confessed on his Death-bed I never regard the Charge of a Zipporah I believe God who saith Mâ—ses was the meekest man in all the earth Not Zipporah who said He was a bloody Husband Hear how the Virago talks throwing it at his feet She circumciseth the Child for so with the leave of Mr. Joseph Mead and his new Reading I believe You see she makes nothing to invade the Office of the Man and that in the highest Act too You Ministers If God and Conscience know you be meek Mofes's never be concerned if Zipporahs say You be Bloody Husbands You have excellent Company in this Abuse I care not to hearken to the Charge of any Wife against the Husband I believe Socrates was the most Patient Philosopher in the World though Xantippe chide never so much and throw upon his head One of the best Ministers that ever I knew for Piety Learning and Good-Nature famous for Learned Tracts had a hard Name because of his Wife's Complaints He would say All was a little Domestick Talk but that Domestick Talk broke his heart that before he dyed he said God hath blessed me with some Parts that now I begin to be useful in the World and must I now go out of the World through the Humour of a Woman Many dye of the same Disease Poor Men they may pity one another whose Case is such but cannot help one another The true Reason of all is this These Good-natur'd Men when first married thought to win their Wives by throwing up their Authority and all to them but in this they wanted discretion They sought for Peace out of God's way and therefore no wonder if they miss'd it Gen. 3.16 He shall rule over thee saith God to Eve concerning Adam Yes verily it is so You Husbands especially Ministers keep your ground Look to it Rule over your Wives or else they will soon rule over you One Head or Governor there must be in a Family God and Nature hath appointed the Man so Never buy your Peace at so dear a rate to throw away the Image of God stamped upon you Make them to be Obedient it is the Apostle's Command and Word Titus 2.5 Bishop Vsher drank of this Cup. The great Hooker also Author of Ecclesiastical Polity and they that must pledge such Great Men Drink round patiently It may be good Physick though unpleasing stuff The Worthy Dr. Fuller Author of the Church-History c. was one of your Brethren and see how excellently well he describes the Unquiet Wife on this Theam No Pleasure like Chiding SOme men delight at Sea to sail As others do in Riding But all their Pleasures do them fail There 's no such Joy as Chiding When in the Morn I ope mine eyes To entertain the day Before my Husband can arise I chide and then I pray And when at Dinner I take place Whatever be the Meat I first do Chide and then hear Grace If so dispos'd
time of Persecution Christ hath said it plainly If they persecute you in one City flee to another Matth. 10.23 Be wise as Serpents said the same mouth and almost in the same breath that said be innocent as Doves Had any of us been let down in a Basket over a Wall as Paul was for fear of the Jews Acts 9.24 25. they would have made sport of us though none were so weak in those days to do so of him We told them That in a time of danger it was lawful to withdraw from the Example of the Prophets Christ the Apostles The Holy Jesus in this respect was not Holy enough for his Holy Brethren in pretence observe Christ did as we do his Brethren who are said not to believe in him objected and censur'd him almost in the same words as the Quakers their Followers do us the Followers of Christ John 7.1 4. Jesus walked no more openly in Jewry but walked in Galilee because the Jews sought to kill him There is no man that doeth any thing in secret and he himself seeketh to be known openly If thou do these things shew thy self to the world said his unbelieving Brethren to him All our Martyrs did as we did These said Barclay Apol. and Thousands of them that by this were they known to be the People of God That they were not found in Corners kept the Places of their Publick Worship which if pull'd down they stood on the Rubbish of them and would have done so even to the death But say I since they are known not to be the People of God for they left those Places in the heat of Persecution I being once a Bristol man will tell you what was done there where were the chief Quakers I will inform you what I know of this Lawrence Steel of Bristol once a Candidate for the Ministry who left us and turned a Perfectionist because of this Principle of theirs yet left their Meeting-place a long time At last when driven here by some hot quakers he was taken only with six or seven persons as I remember He was sent to Gaol a half-year for refusing the Corporation Oath after the expiration of which he never went-more and so continued to the time of his death R. V. another great man especially in his own eyes did the like and all the rest only Elizabeth Sterring and Dorcas Dole two zealous Women wrote a Book against them all damning them in the Name of the Lord for leaving their Testimony contrary to their Manifestation from the Lord. They tell them of Daniel's opening his Windows contemned their Plea that God can hear in secret and they drop this charitable and I doubt not true passage by the way Had many of the Professors for so they call other Dissenters been of your Persuasion they would not have done as you now do Honestly said Heaven forbid Is it not worth while to ask William Pen how he bore his Testimony Did not he flee Not Whitehead after all his mockings of others They would set some to watch at doors to see whether Informers did espy any of them coming into a House warily as others did for a private Meeting This was the great thing these men ever gloried in it was a good Providence before this Liberty was given that these men were tried and cast else how had they now triumphed and exalted themselves above all others The reason of all was this If there were taking away of Goods in one place it was not so in another till now therefore the Sufferers were helped by the Non-sufferers out of their Fund a commendable Practice but now the Storm comes on all and no help Every Quaker now must stand or rather run away on his own Legs Question 4. Whether it were not horrid Impiety to leave Ministers because of their Learning and yet follow Pen and others because of theirs Latin was once the Language of the Beast not fit for the mouth of a Christian This with Greek and Hebrew were the Three Languages nailed at Christ's Cross but they have since cryed to them as the Jews to Jesus Come down from the Cross That Philosophy was Aristotle's Vomit Serpents Meat in us and yet Angelical Food in him In short How can Learning make us like Devils and William Pen like an Angel So that the Light within was almost turn'd to the Light without Pen's Dictates Only some were more eagleâ—ey'd and could look through men Meade told a Friend of mine That all Pen's Party were Factors for Popery But that he himself was so Loyal he would spend his All his Blood in the Service of this King Honestly said Meade I believe thou speakest thy heart Reader I must stop thee here for a while and tell thee Since the sending of this Question I have been informed by some who knew Pen as much as one man can know another That Pen is indeed a grand Politician a great Statesman one that hath great command of words but an Inventer of some which the Quakers use as to Un-religion a man and the Bowed-downness of Souls but that he could not talk plain Latin with any man They believed he could not turn a plain piece of English into Latin That he was no Grecian That he understood little Logick or Philosophy and told me some of his Blunders in Natural Philosophy too Comical now to relate I was surprized And now William Pen seeing I am better informed concerning thee that thou hast more escaped the Pollutions of this Learned Age than I and Thousands of others imagin'd I beg thy pardon for abusing thee and clapping this Indignity on thee and if Reformation may be thy security and Repentance that younger Brother to Innocency set matters right thou needst not fear such foul Aspersions for the future However something of Learning thou hast Barclay more but Samuel Fisher most of all that makes my Question to deserve an Answer I know the Learned Quaker that gave Barclay the Collections in his Apology out of the Fathers as he told me Sam. Fisher and others could come with their old heathenish way of Disputing testified against by the Spirit of the Ever-living God by Syllogisms Major Minor Conclusion and Poetry too condemned in others I wrote W. Penn I would not trouble him with one Question more Whether it were not Hypocrisy to condemn all Wars even Defensive as unlawful and Murther when they were called to serve in this way Protestant Princes and yet all was well for a Popish Tyrant Because I knew he did not dare on many Accounts to give me a Reply After I had sent him these Queries I went to his Lodgings but he was not there One of his Friends there knew of my Letter and told me that William Pen said He loved not Controversies that is I suppose Questions he cannot answer for Controversies are his work and trade and that Books might inform me But I know none and I presume he neither What Books vindicated George
other answer it if they can I am sure it much concerns them to do it I saw a Letter from a Quaker to his Sweetheart no Quaker and he began thus In my Bed the other Night a word passed through me Here was my Person but my Heart was with thee I can remember no more of the stuff such bring all Religion into Contempt What saith the Scripture said one to me Every Tub must stand on his own bottom They saluted one of their Leaders as the only begotten Son of God who lay from everlasting in the bosom of the Father He received of some Divine Honour as was proved I knew a Minister disturbed in Preaching by a Quaker Woman He got her at last into discourse of practical matters in which she betrayed so much ignorance that she got away as fast as she could An unhappy Boy followed her to the Church-door I pray thee said he tell me who sent thee here to day Who said she God No said the Boy I am sure God never sent thee here for if he had thou hadst never spoken so many things contrary to Scripture And for my part said he I cannot tell what to say to it for I cannot easily imagine the Devil sent thee here for I thought be had more wit than to send such a Fool as thou art about his work She never disturb'd them after The heads of many of their Children are Dungeon dark about Scripture only learn some of their Cants Question 3. Do not many Ministers mistake and that grosly in some words and in their Exposition and in their Doctrines too and many Hearers talk ignorantly as well as Quakers The Answer is easy They pretend not to Infallibility or Inspiration but acknowledge the imperfection of their Understanding as well as Faith and Affection and the necessity of Human Literature and much studying But this is not the Case of the Quakers but the quite contrary Now if I prove a man that pretends to Inspiration in all that he preacheth and that therefore he needeth not the knowledge of Tongues to speak quite contrary to the Scripture and says the Spirit tells him that is the meaning of such a Scripture which is as obvious as the Sun to be quite contrary to what the Spirit there intended I prove that man to belie the Spirit and so to be a Cheat and an Impostor And this is done thousands of times by these Quacks in Divinity The great mistakes of some of our Ministers arise from their want of the culture of good Education How often is it with us as in those times of Jeroboam 1 Kings 12.31 He made priests of the lowest of the people They expose themselves and work to Contempt I pray all true Protestants under what Denomination soever to take care in this respect that their Preachers be not gifted with Ignorance and Confidence like Quakers Speakers The Stories of the three motions of the Sun and the one was when he stood still and the four sort of Seekers one was them that never sought are well known but I will name some not commonly talkt of which I had from worthy persons who know the truth of them by men which are it may be adhuc in vivis One preaching on that Text Psal 139.14 I am fearfully and wonderfully made Read I am fearfully and wonderfully mad The e being left out by a mistake of the Printer this Observation was drawn from the words and drawn to purpose it was That the best Saints may fall into mad Fits On goes Mr. Parson to shew what mad Fits the Saints may fall into 1. Of Anger Anger is a short Madness Till the Hearers thought he had been wonderful mad indeed Another Tradesman sets up for a Preacher and to work goes he on that Text Nahum 3.8 Art thou better than populous No which No is taken to be Alexandria in Egypt Now Beloved saith the powerful Preacher I shall inquire into two things 1. What No was 2. Why he was call'd populous No was the eighth person a Preacher of Righteousness and he was call'd populous because all the world was once in his Ark. Another Reverend Mechanick very lately preach'd a Sermon and a Funeral one too on that Text Psal 39.13 O spare me that I may recover strength before I go hence and be seen no more And you must suppose this warm Man laying about him beating the Air O! my Friends said he is one Scripture word and is used by Daniel three times in one Verse Dan. 9.19 O Lord hear O Lord forgive O Lord hearken Spare is another Scripture word and is joined with Shield and Buckler I remember Col. Crook told me a Story of Col. L preaching in a great Church in Ireland on that Text The Spirit and the Bride say Come Rev. 22.17 The i by a mistake of the Printer that should have been put after the Letter r was put before it and now most devoutly and fervently goes our Preacher to work and reads And the Spirit and the Bird say Come Now enquiry is made what is meant by the Bird the Church what Bird was the Church here compared to Some said he think the Nightingale As if the Man had consulted many a Commentator to find out the Mystery Others thought the Dove and now a Comparison is made between the Church and the Dove for Innocency Chastity Purity Another setting up for a Preacher in a Parish I knew would speak something from those words from no doubt nothing to that in all things he might have the preheminence when he came to this hard word he could not read it well but said That in all things he might have the p r e pre h e he m i mi n e n c e nence preheminence Colos 1.18 I lately saw the Notes of a Tradesman that had been a Speaker thirty years leaving his Trade full of prodigious nonsense The world abounds with them The Bishops have too often Ordained such I knew one who gave a Spiritual receit Take a pint of Repentance with a quart of Faith and so walk forth into the fields of Meditation I knew also one that was made Deacon and told this story at his return When we sate down at Table my Lord bid me Eat he had Two or Three Questions to ask me Eat thought I I fell a sweating sure my Lord will ask me Questions in Divinity and in Divinity said he I am one of the silliest Rogues in the world pray said my Lord Is such a Great Man come to Town No my Lord O thought I that the other Questions may be no harder pray said the Bishop When doth he come to Town He is expected my Lord very speedily Where doth he lodge when he comes said the Bishop My Lord at such a place When said he I heard what the Questions were I fell to it Now such Fellows justify our Quakers in their work If one Tradesman why not another Obj. But the Quakers say some Preach very
old Teachers or rather Deceivers taught otherwise The Soul was a part of God came out of him and returns to him again You sensless Wretches could a part of God ever sin or be made miserable That Christ was the Anointings of God which were once in the Man called Christ when he died his Body turned to dust and since the same Anointings are in others and they are the Christ of God as really as he was and therefore some have been so worshipped as he was The Scriptures are no Rule to them Let therefore the Reader remember what I doubt few consider If they dispute with you by Scripture it is but to take you in your own way if he casts you he hath you but if you him he is where he was before Why He cast you by your Rule Scripture but you cannot him by his that is The Light within So that the Quakers Judgment must be tried by his Judgment and his Opinion by his Opinion and his Light by his Light I know some Quakers will say Were it not for the Scriptures we had been in a miserable condition and they will believe nothing said against them but these know not the bottom of Quakerism The Quakers generally are very ignorant and yet very conceited For Ignorance In opposition to us they say It is not true Christ had but Three Offices 1. Of a King 2. Priest 3. Prophet But go on 4. Bishop 5. Pastor 6. Teacher c. as if variety of Names did make variety of Offices For Pride I could give notorious Instances which are not convenient Luther in his Table-talk speaking to some to whom the Devil did sometimes visibly appear with his Temptations To be rid of him said he remember he is a Proud Spirit Let a F He will soon be gone for he cannot endure Contempt It may be some when the Quakers in the heighth of Pride Talk backwards answer them so if I have err'd in my Manners I have err'd by a great Example Luther And now as I have considered William Penn the Quaker so I will apply my self to him according to his Grandeur or Magnificence To WILLIAM King of Pensilvania May it please Your Majesty I Humbly offer it to Your Consideration 1. Whether the first Leaders of the Quakers being proved not to be inspired or sent of God coming with Blasphemies and yet pretending to Inspiration Prophecies all which are proved to be Delusions are not evidently Cheats and the worst sort of Deceivers 2. What induced the Quakers not to trouble the Churchmen in their Assemblies as they did the Presbyterians of old Some say they were much worse than the Churchmen for they were Hypocrites but these shew what they are Others say They were much better than the Churchmen and there was a Seed of God among them to be called out and all from the same Infallible Spirit May not all these be Pretences and the true Reason this Should they disturb or come in naked in their Churches or there prate or rave they shall be punish'd now though they often escaped then 3. Though they so often talk of The Light within where do they ever read the Phrase in Scripture except in one place as if wrote on purpose for them 6 Mat. 23. If the light that is in thee be darkness how great is that darkness 4. Whether You and Your Brother James late King of England were not mere Pretenders for Liberty of Conscience when You rowed one way and look'd another both oppressing Your Subjects contrary to Your Protestations 5. Do not You know more Instances of Quakers pretended Miracles false Prophecies than some of us can tell you I care not to name Persons nor Circumstances for the sake of their Relations Know You not of them that have openly declared in the Name of the Lord That by To morrow or within such a Month such a Judgment should come on a Place that came not I will tell you if you ask me but I suppose You may as well tell me who put Stones into the Oven saying They should be made Bread but when not Bread but Stones came out said to his Wife Woman because of thy Vnbelief is it thus To whom she replied If my Vnbelief continued some of the Stones Stones one would think your Faith should have made half of them Bread Govern your Subjects without Carnal Weapons for they are not lawful If they smite one another on the one Cheek let the other be turned also If any one take away their Cloak let him take the Coat also lest their fighting by virtue of Your Majesty's Commission should be told in Gath and published in the streets of Askelon Great are the Complaints there in Your Kingdom Many because they are not Quakers are much imposed on and abused I pray remember what became of Your great Friend and Brother James late King of England when an Oppressor lest being Brethren in Iniquity Your Majesty should flee into France and there once again keep him company And therefore William King of Pensilvania I pray You to imitate Your Brother William King of England a Man who shineth in His Integrity Wisdom and great Conduct of all His Affairs a Man whose Life is a System of the best Morals in the world So keep Your Subjects from some late abominable Practices of Drunkenness Whoredoms and Oppressions lest the Prophecy of John Owen against Friends should be verified That their Light that Ignis Fatuus would at last lead them into a Bog or Quagmire of Filthiness and Prophaneness For if such great Wickedness should abound among the Perfect Ones Your Majesty may say to them and they to Your Majesty what was said to Simeon and Levi Brethren in Iniquity You have made me stink in the nostrils of the inhabitants of the land Your Majesty's Humble Servant Anonymus NOW Friends How will you answer me I am sure no Sober Rational Answer can be given Either you must deny the Principles laid down or Practices though proved Either that they never asserted That the Place of Publick Worship must not be left for any Persecution Or That they kept to those Places in the greatest Heat Or that Ministers were not testified against for their Learning or Fisher followed for his real as Penn for his imaginary Learning Or that bowing to man was never condemned or not now practised c. But this would be unheard-of Impudence What must I expect now I have hedged them in A Confession and Humiliation No. I know them too well to expect it yet without despairing of it if lying and and railing may be their Resuge Scripture and Reason are gone out of sight I expect they will talk of me to me or send Letters in the old Dialect they were wont to do to the best of men and now sometimes do one to the other when they fall out about Doctrinals or other things as may be seen in Books before-named Were it not for the sin I would not desire