this person who doubtless had he been told formerly he should thus have appeared against the Truth and them that are in it would have been ready enough to have said with Hazael of old Is thy Servant a Dog that he should do this thing I could also observe that in this his work of darkness and traducing my Father he useth the word We and Our but knowing none that will own themselves concern'd herein I shall the less insist thereon As for Thomas Crisp who hath put forth a Book called The Testimony of Isaac Penington c. he confessed to me in the presence of Philip Ford That he had never read or seen that Book of my Fathers but only gathered it out of William Roger's Book Now whether this be fair and equal to take things thus upon trust without once Boerean-like searching his writings to see whether the things were so or no and then to add wide inferences of his own as of a liberty in paying Tythes as a Civil Right c. far from my Father's sence and constant practice And lastly to publish them from the sole Authority of a professed Adversary who had already mangled the Book and took things piece-meal be not very injurious and unbecoming a man much more a Christian and which many Turks Jews and Infidels would have scorned let the impartial consider But what can be expected of men that are departed from the just Principle in themselves and are daily doing despite to the Spirit of Grace Indeed the very Title is fallacious to call it The Testimony of Isaac Penington and is an imposing upon his Reader whereas at best it is but Part of his Testimony and that Part so craftily managed as to speak his sence but in Part. By this W. R. also may see what Spirit his Book gratifies even a loose libertine Spirit without Yoke that would run back again to Aegypt and weaken the hands of the faithful Sufferers even to death for that oppression of Tythes which Friends in the beginning and to this day assert to be a denying Christ come in the Flesh which I believe W. R. himself will not seem to gainsay But this man ranks it and the use of plain Language which is the only true Language the other being a Lie amongst Friends Orders and Traditions Which says he I fear you take more care for the strict observations of than the Truth in the heart as if these things had not been delivered from the Spirit of Truth through Instruments it made choice of at the first breaking forth of Truth but were taken up and held by Tradition only as the beggarly rudiments of the world are and therefore queries If one cannot do so must he therefore judge his Brother adding That may be required of one which may not be required of another see p. 14 of his Pamphlet Will W. R. stand by him herein Will he thus encourage Tythe-Payers Will he open this gap for Libertinism Will he thus oppose the Truth to the Truth making it to require one thing of one and the contrary of another to call one to bear a Testimony against Tythes with jeopardy of Life and Estate and allow the other to pay it as a Civil Right What will God's Spirit be thus inconsistent with it self But if he say Nay and fall not in with this man's work yet hence he may see what it is joyns with him and shelters it self under his wing even that which shuns the Cross and seeks ease in the Flesh That which W. R. cites as Edward Borrough's Paper and which T. C. takes upon trust as his Vision is a Question to several first Whether E. B. ever wrote that or any such Paper 2 dly For satisfaction it is demanded of W. R. and T. C. to prove that cited by them to be E. B's own intire Paper and to acquit themselves that they have not prevaricated here as W. R. has done in my Father's Case however fair he would seem to be confessing pag. 84. part 5. That adventuring to add to another man's words and I may hope I say or to diminish from them either especially when he avers he has taken them altogether as they lay rendring them as another man's words materially altering the sence is accounted plain Forgery J. P. My Mothers Account is as followeth IT is very contrary to my judgment and the frame of my mind to make any other appearance in publick than an Innocent and Righteous Conversation but I see a necessity to give some account of the cause of my dear Husband Isaac Penington's Imprisonment in Reading as also to speak something in reference to the settling of my Rents thereby to remove out of the way of the tender the stumbling-block that W. R. in his Book entituled The Christian Quaker c. par 5. p. 43 to 47. may have laid before the upright to the lessening of my Testimony to the undefiled Truth unvailed with covers or pretences As for his charging G. F. with advising me I never had any advice from him contrary to my own conscience nor in the least to lessen Truths Testimony But this I say My honourable and dear Husband suffered five times Imprisonment in the Gaol of Alisbury in the County of Bucks for the space of seven years being but little at home but Imprisoned many months at a time once three quarters of a year another time a year and a half in all which Imprisonments I through the Lord 's great kindness to me never consulted provision or security in any point though sollicited by my Relations to have done somewhat to preserve my Estate all my Husband 's being gone upon his Father's account But so clearly and fully was I given up to suffer the loss of Estate and spoil of Goods in his pure Testimony to Truth that I never so much as attempted any securing it or them and never had but once so much as an inclining in my mind to put by any thing though of value and not of very necessary use in the Family but at that very time before I could lay hand on any thing for that purpose it was said in me Do not provide Do not contrive Leave all with the Lord and immediately let the thing fall And further when sufferings for Meetings by Imprisonment gave way to Proceedings by Fines upon Preachers Hearers and Masters of the Houses where Meetings were the Lord gave me a clear quiet submitting to it though I had in my view the ruine and havock that 40 l. a week could procure to us my Husband being engaged in at least two meetings a week and having a Testimony for Truth by the Gift bestowed on him to minister in All this I make mention of to manifest that whilst my dear Husband suffered purely for Truth 's Testimony I never went about in the least way to shun or fly the suffering Now the cause of his suffering in Reading Gaol was not in the first place upon a necessity
John Penington's COMPLAINT AGAINST William Rogers Relating to the Abuse and Injury done to the memory of his worthy Father Isaac â—â—nington in mis-representing and perverting some of his Writings in his Book entituled The Christian Quaker distinguished from the Apostate and Innovator c. Whereunto is subjoined Somewhat to manifest his Mother Mary Penington's not shunning Sufferings for Truth c. occasioned by W. R's suggesting the contrary Evil men and Seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived but continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned 2 Tim. 3. 13 14. Nevertheless the Foundation of God stands sure chap 2. v. 19. London Printed for Benjamin Clark Bookseller in George-Yard in Lombard-street 1681. John Penington's Complaint c. THat men that profess Religion yea which is more gross the Truth it self should imploy their Skill Wit and utmost Endeavours to smite and vilifie such as were and are honourable therein and that not through Ignorance but wilfully and designedly is truly sad to consider An instance whereof I shall here give in this my Complaint against William Rogers wherein I wish I could charge him with only rashness and indiscretion and not with premeditated and palpable falshood of which he is notoriously guilty This let not the Reader take upon my bare word only as I doubt from his seeming fairness too many have his but read his Book and observe the drift thereof then he will see whether I had not just cause thus to reflect on him and by comparing my Father's Book with his quotations be able to judge whether it did not behove me to vindicate whom he had thus traduced and lay the load at his own door But that I may not divert him too long from the proof I hasten to make good my Charge William Rogers in part 3. pag. 88. of his Book falsly stiled The Christian Quaker c. saith We think it necessary to cite a Testimony published in Print by Isaac Penington the younger in the year 1660. being part of a Discourse entituled The Authority and Government which Christ excluded out of his Church c. as it lies all together word for word and not taken by parts and pieces here and there Who would have desired fairer dealing than this But here I charge him with a down-right falshood and impious prevarication who with a Judas-kiss I mean a shew of candour and integrity with which he would prepossess and beguile his unwary and credulous Reader labours to betray the Truth and its sincere Professors into the hands of the wicked and ungodly For notwithstanding he so solemnly professes to give the Testimony not by parts and pieces but as it lay altogether and calls it The Testimony of the said Isaac Penington as if it were the whole yet instead of keeping touch herein he hath leapt over some leaves at the beginning explanatory of the rest and left out an intire sentence at the close which he knew would nâ—â— serve his turn but if fairly and impartially set down would have both rendred his work insignificant and detected the falseness of his dealing as it could not but have manifested to every considerate Reader That W. R's deduction was not genuine but forc'd which I cannot believe him unsensible of and therefore with design to have done it For he could not but see that what was there laid down did infer a necessity of Church-Government a thing he would insinuate neither my Father nor Friends in the beginning owned or allowed And to make this good indeed there was no surer way than to let fall what spake to the contrary which course W. R. hath taken and begins his quotation with the latter part of an Answer to a Question which he was so unworthy as well as untrue to his word as never to transcribe nor the first part of the Answer neither These base under-hand dealings are so far from becoming a pretended Friend that they are not like a fair Adversary and so unsuitable to a Christian Quaker that they would be cause of shame to a moral Heathen The Question propounded by my Father was as may be seen part 1. p. 238. of his Works Quest But is there to be no Greatness no Authority among the Disciples of Jesus or in the Church of Christ Is every one to do what he will to be subject to his own Fancies and Imaginations to the Inventions of his own corrupt heart What a confused Building will this be Sure this will not long remain a Zion but soon become a Babylon even an heap of disorder and confusion To which my Father replied as followeth Answ There is to be no such kind of greatness no such kind of Authority yet there is both a Greatness and Authority suitable to the state of Disciples suitable to that kind of Kingdom whereof they are There are Laws there are Governments there are Governours there is Ruling and there is Subjection but all in the Spirit all suitable to that which is to be governed but no government of or according to the Flesh As Christ's Kingdom is not of this world so the government of his Church and People is not according to this world but as that which gathers is his Spirit and that which is gathered is spiritual so that which is governed is the Spirits of his People and they are to be governed by his Spirits and spiritually and not after a fleshly manner Thus Christ himself though he ministred to his Disciples yet he was also their Lord and Master and in the Spirit and Life of the Father ruled over them and thus the Apostles and other Ministers of Christ had likewise in the Spirit the care of the Churches and Authority in the Lord by his Spirit to govern the Spirits of his People not to govern after a fleshly manner by their own wills not to prescribe them in a lordly way either what they should believe or practice but in the Light and in the Power of the Spirit to make their way into every ones Conscience in the sight of God ministring to every one in the Spirit according to their capacity and growth and waiting patiently for God to convey the food and nourishment and to build their Spirits up in the Faith thereby The Spirit of the Prophets is subject to the Prophets Here is the Government here is the Law of rule and subjection in the Life Every one feeling a measure of the Spirit in himself is thereby taught to own and subject to a greater measure of the same Spirit in another He that hath no measure of the Spirit of God he is not of God he is none of Christ's and he that hath received a measure of the Spirit in the same Spirit feels anothers measure and owneth it in its place and service and knoweth its moving and cannot quench it but giveth way to it with joy and delight When the Spirit moves in any
one to speak the same Spirit moves in the other to be subject and give way and so every one keeping to his own measure in the Spirit here can be no disorder but true subjection of every Spirit and where this is wanting it cannot be supplied by any outward rule or order set up in the Church by common consent for that is fleshly and lets in the Flesh and destroys the true Order Rule and Subjection Thus far my Father All this W. R. never so much as mentions which was the occasion of all that he quotes and to which it was relative but what follows more immediately relating to the Government and Authority Christ excluded rather than to what he allowed we find him cite at large till the subject pinch'd him anew again which was a few words conclusive of the whole and that wound up his sense which it seems W. R. was not pleased to give us And had he not had the confidence to say That he had not taken it by parts and pieces but All together I should have the less wondered But that a man pretending to Truth should thus prevaricate in the face of the world I cannot sufficiently admire Yet whither will not men run to propagate an Interest or defend a blasted Cause O that they would consider it O that they would lay it to heart That which W. R. left out at the close were these words as may be seen part 1. p. 242. of my Father's Works And the unity being thus kept all will come into one outwardly also at length as the Light grows in every one and as every one grows into the Light but this must be patiently waited for from the hand of God who hath the right way of effecting it and who alone can do it and not harshly and cruelly attempted by the rough hand of man This would fully have evinced that my Father did not only point at an inward Government of God's Spirit in particulars but also laid down That as the Life grew in every one and every one grew into the Light it would bring into one outwardly also at length which is far from W. R.'s purpose and therefore designedly left out For the whole drift of that very part of W. R's Book as the very Title-page exhibits is to tie up all to an inward Government of Christ exclusive of any outward Form of Government Order or Discipline And he cannot be content to be thus principled himself but would make it appear as my Father's sence too though these his words with many more omitted by him are of a contrary tendency which he durst not for all his shew of candour and promise to take altogether as it lies trust his Reader with lest his untrue inferences should be too conspicuous Thus much of his quotations which being first compared with the Book are now attested by Benjamin Clark Now I dare appeal to any unbyassed judicious Reader whether W. R. hath not dealt fallaciously deceitfully and surreptiously as well as unrighteously thus to insist as if he had been so fair and conscientious in his quotations when he hath been so egregiously the contrary And since his scope and design in printing that part of my Father's Testimony seems to be that he might thereby insinuate as if my Father at the writing of that Testimony was in judgment one with himself and opposite to or different from the Government Established and now practised in the Church of Christ among us as some of that Party have traduced him by word of mouth let the Reader take the following instances out of that part of the same discourse which W. R. hath knowingly omitted And first at the beginning of the Answer to the Question p. 238. par 1. transcribed already above my Father hath these words There is to be no such kind of greatness no such kind of authority meaning as was exercised among the Gentiles p. 236. yet there is both a greatness and authority suitable to the state of Disciples suitable to that kind of Government whereof they are Again There are Laws there are Governments there are Governours there is ruling and there is subjection but all in the Spirit all suitable to that which is to be governed but no Government of or according to the Flesh Again Thus the Apostles and other Ministers of Christ had likewise in the Spirit the care of the Churches and authority in the Lord by his Spirit to govern the Spirits of his People not to govern after a fleshly manner by their own wills not to prescribe them in a lordly way either what they should believe or practice but in the Light and in the Power of the Spirit to make their way into every ones conscience in the sight of God c. Again Every one feeling a measure of the Spirit in himself is thereby taught to own and subject to a greater measure of the same Spirit of another Now let us see whether even out of that very part W. R. hath quoted there be not words to the same effect as where p. 94. par 3. of W. R's Book my Father saith Care must be had that nothing govern in the Church of Christ but the Spirit of Christ that nothing else teach nothing else exhort nothing else admonish and reprove nothing else cut off and cast out Again Every Member is to wait in that measure of the Spirit which he hath received to feel the goings forth of the Spirit in him that teacheth and governeth and so to subject not to man but to the Lord to receive from the Lord to obey the Lord. Whence W. R. might have easily observed that my Father though he placed the Government of the Church in the Spirit of Christ only as the Principal and Efficient yet he acknowledgeth the Administration of that Government is committed both to Ministers and Members as Instuments But for a more full and additional satisfaction to any that may desire further information in this matter I refer the Reader to a Book entituled Somewhat relating to Church-Government wherein the Necessity Vsefulness and blessed Effects of the true Church-Government is here and there hinted at c. published since his death but written by himself in answer to some Apostates and Innovators who probably may account themselves Christian Quakers as well as W. R. Indeed I am surprized not expecting such kind of dealing nor could have thought his heart had been so hardned as not to value the justness of a cause so he could but promote his tottering Fabrick Will he prostitute Soul Reputation and all in a stiffness against the Lord and his People The Lord keep me in a tender sense of and regard to them and that living Testimony they are entrusted withal that I may not through prejudice fight against any thing that is of him either in my own particular or through his Servants whom he is blessing and honouring in his Work having seen the ill effects of it in
immediately laid upon him from the Lord for his Testimony but he was betrayed for the sake of my Estate as was confessed by the person that committed him to a Woman of Condition that lived near Reading who being earnest with him on my Husband's behalf and could not allay him said What will ye get by premuniring him He hath no Estate all being forfeited to the King for his Father's being one of the King's Judges To which he replied I know that but his Wife hath a good Joynture The Gaoler also confessed to me that he had orders a year before to stop him in the Prison when he came thither to visit the Prisoners and to give notice of it which words he said to me upon my charging him with betraying my Husband And I answered to it What to be thus dealt with without an Offence But he was silent to that Nay his very going to Reading was very accidental I being from home and he intending in my absence to visit three several places but was disappointed in them all upon which a Friend that was with him said Go with me to Reading and visit Friends in Prison which he did And when he had visited those of the fore-side of the Prison he crossed the Gaoler's Yard to see the Friends on the other side The Gaoler seeing him asked a Friend what that man's name was who simply told him Isaac Penington Immediately he goes or sends to one called a Justice to acquaint him who sends an Officer and a Servant to fetch him before him and he and another called a Justice tendring him the Oath upon his refusal committed him I coming towards home and being met with this unpleasant account was I confess greatly sadned his going being so accidental only in an innocent freedom and not upon a constraint I weighing that this was a great suffering to his person which threatned ruin also to me and my Children Now chiefly looking upon it as indeed it was a trepan for my Estate I had great freedom in the endeavouring the securing of it and preventing the Devourers of their prey so I did in clearness send to London and had the Arrears and Rents that hereafter should be due for the Estate it self they could detain no longer than my Husband lived made over to a Friend of mine for the use of me and my Children As also I put out of the House some Plate and other Goods as was mine when I was a Widow and made over to a Kinswoman of mine before marriage but what was necessary for a Family was left to a considerable value which things were more immediately my Husband's Goods who was then in Prison And now I have given this true Relation I sum up all thus That what I have here asserted to be done by me was no shift or carnal hiding from spoil in that that was a Testimony but a clear acting to disappoint the Betrayer of the Innocent who was made a Transgressor for to be prey'd upon and in freedom from the Lord to secure him my self and Children from the Treachery and evil Stratagems of his Prosecutor I do in God's fear say to every one that reads or hears these lines That in the tenderest composedst rightest frame of mind that ever I felt since I was never condemned for it nor shewed that I erred in it but rather acquitted and am satisfied in it at present as in reference to its being no hiding from Sufferings For I do believe that if I had appeared to suffer for Truth and at that time had secretly secured my Estate it had been a very evil thing and that which I have hitherto been preserved from who in the midst of many infirmities and weaknesses have this to boast of in the Lord's mercy and strength that I have suffered without guile or covering by secret Contrivances or Provisions for my safety This the all-seeing God knows and to him I commit my Cause and the Causes of those innocent Servants of the Lord aspersed by W. R. in his Book called The Christian Quaker c. Mary Penington POSTSCRIPT NOw upon the whole give me leave to make these remarks 1st My Mother was not the person under prosecution for the Worship of God 2d My Mother did not go to secure her Estate from any prosecution against her upon that account 3dly From my Father's bare going to visit Friends in Prison they who laid in wait for the Estate took an occasion to clap him up thereby to ruin both him my Mother and us their Children in their Estates and Livelyhood and not for any Offence alledged against my Father for the breach of any Law relating to Religious Worship 4thly The Estate thus secured was partly Joynture settled upon my Mother by a former Husband partly Land of Inheritance devolved to her from her Parents so that what was done was in order to save the Right of Possession in my Mothers hands from any illegal seizure of her real and personal Estate which was her sole Property and not legally seizable for my Father's supposed Offence which is no ways parallel to any persons making over their own proper Estate for fear of or to shun suffering for their own particular Testimony in meeting to worship God 5thly His bringing the names of G. F. my Father and Mother thus publickly upon the Stage in Print and yet not producing his Informers but only saying to G. F. If thou deny it I shall bring Testimony under the hand of a credible Friend in Truth c. is an Addition to his other unfair dealings for he ought to let us be Judges of that and not thus both by Manuscript and Print impose upon us and never tell us who this credible Friend is 6th and lastly To which let me add That W. R's so often and so full-mouth'dly giving G. F. the Lie his assigning the reason of G. F's not denying he advised my Mother to secure her Estate to be fear of losing his Interest in my Father and her if he had denyed what they knew to be true and with them in many more as p. 53 54. of par 5. his insinuating that G. F. advised the Rich to secure their Estates thereby rendring him partial his reflecting as if G. F's not giving him the like advice or judging what he did in making over his was that G.F. never was so friendly to him as to take so much care of him and his Family and lastly his scoffing and upbraiding G. F. as if the reason why he was reproved for his skulking were because G. F. had not given him a dispensation so to do see par 5. p. 43 to 47. is notoriously wicked and abominable as if all the godly concerns to keep up Truth 's Testimony in a suffering day were but a juggle in which such as could seek to G. F. for a dispensation as he prophanely flouts were patroniz'd and all others rendred Criminal Well I am satisfied no care for the prosperity of Sion was the ground of this foul suggestion And if Ham was accursed for not covering his Father's nakedness what Anathema Maranatha's must they undergo who under the shew of Truth would raise and foment such false surmizes and slanderous accusations against the faithful Brethren and that even among Vnbelievers which had they been as true as they are impiously false a man that were far less than what he pretends to would never have thus told it in Gath nor published it in Askalon to make the Uncircumcised rejoyce J. P. Let this be dispersed only where W. R 's abusive Book hath gone This very passage answers much of W. R's contest in his Book See also part 2. page 400. of his works