just that any should Charge them Condemn and Consure them 2 dly They exhort To do to others as they would that others should do to them 3 dly p. 5. We say they pray for all Men for Kings and all that are in Authority 4 thly p. 7. We say the Quakers have and always had a high Value for the Scriptures above all other Bookâ— 5 thly p. 1. They i. e. Clergy Incense those in Authority against this Innocent People i. e. Quakers that the Monster of Persecution might be again raised to Suppress them c. Ans As to the First Would the Clergy account it just to Charge and Condemn them c. Just or unjust they are both Charged and Condemned at the Quakers Bar as above quoted yea and in Smith's Works p. 157 161. the Quakers Dialogu'd the Bishops and summon'd all Ecclesiastical Courts and Officers and not only by their Authority Condemn them but call the Bishops Monsters and into the Bargain say The Book of Common-Prayer is conceived by an Adulterous Womb and that it receives its Strength from the Pope's Loins And 2 dly That therein you Quakers do not do as you would be done by and therein gross Hypocrites and Dissemblers with God and Man But 3 dly your Pretence to pray for all Men for Kings c. This is so False and Falacious that I challenge the whole World to produce one Instance of your praying for King William or any King save once at a Meeting at Milden-Hall where Sam. Cater prayed for the late K. J. II. and how should you be found in that Practice since all Kings with you are but Spiritual Egyptians by your Ancient Testimony from which you have not deviated in one Point But your Principles the same they ever were tho' as Whitehead says You can now word the Matter otherwise 4thly That you value the Scriptures above any Books in the World This is false with a witness when you in Print tell us We may as well burn the Bible as your Writings see p. 9. herein calling the Scriptures Dust Death Serpents Meat Beastly Ware and that Preaching out of them is Conjuration And G. Whitehead tells us in his Book Truth defending the Quakers c. p. 7. That what is spoken from the Spirit of Truth in any is of greater Authority than the Bible And many of your Books nay even that are said to be given forth from the Spirit of Truth the Holy Ghost and spoken from the Mouth of the Lord. How then do you value the Bible above all Books in the World But as Solomon said Prov. 26.3 A Whip for the Horse a Bridle for the Ass and a Rod for the Fools Back and so you must give me leave to whip this John Feild for his deep Hypocrisie and Deceit and I wish it may do him Good What! to pretend that the Quakâ—rs value the Bible above all Books then consequently above their own This is such a Lie that it stabs it self when you exalt and value your own as of greater Authority and are commanded by your Teachers to read them in your Meetings and never read a Chapter of the Old and New Testament in your Religious Meetings if such I may call them since you were a People neither is it agreeable to your Ancient Testimony Nay I am perswaded that should the Government think fit for a Proof of your Sincerity herein to injoin you to read a Chapter of the Bible at the beginning of your Meeting I mean by such of your Teachers as can read a Chapter you would be so far from submitting to Authority that they 'd first go to Jayl and then call it Persecution and record it to Posterity But would it therefore ever the more be Persecution I trow not since it was the Practice of Jewish as well as the Christian Church in all Ages of the World But 5 thly and lastly That the Petitioners would Incense these in Authority to raise that Monster Persecution upon you Now tho' I do profess my self a Member of the Church of England I have often and do now again tell you that I am against Persecution and will add that Persecution for the Name of Jesus or for Righteousness sake is a Badge of a false Church of which your Schism in Pensilvania has given a Demonstration And had you Power in your Hand which God grant you may not I doubt not but we should soon feel your little Finger as heavy as ever you felt a Parliaments Loins Witness your Indicting me for Printing unlicenced your own frequent Practice at that time and your Persecuting of G. Keith c. in Pensilvania but I hope all Suffering is not Persecution Shall Men fire House and poyson Rivers and not be Controuled Limited nay Punished if they will follow their own Light blind Zeal and Imaginations In like manner such as poyson the Streams of the Christian Religion subvert the Faith undermine Christianity broach and maintain Heretical Opinions and Damnable Errors even denying the Lord that bought them as you have in Print which I take to be a Fundamental Error and by me proved upon you I hope then it will not be raising Persecution to have you examined about these things which is the main thing you fear whilst you make the World believe you fear Persecution Thus referring Jâ—… Fâ—ild to my former Books I subscribe my self the Quakers Friend tho' I tell them the Truth Francis Bugg Feb. 18. 1698. FINIS
the Quakers that Saints were not to do Duties by or from a Command without but from a Command within and that the word Command in Scripture was not a Command to them till they had a Word within them He Answers ' That is no Command from God to me what he Commands to another neither did any of the Saints which we read of in Scripture act by the Command which was to another not having the Command to themselves And thou or any other who goest to Duty as you call it by imitation from the Letter without which was a Command to others in your own Wills and Time your Sacrifice is not Accepted but is Abomination to the Lord for you go without the moving of the Spirit in your own Wills and Strength which God Hates and which his Wrath is upon ' Agreeable to which William Penn in his Quakerism a new Nick Name c. Printed 1673. p. 71 72. Asserts ' No Command in the Scripture is any further Obliging upon any Man than as he finds a Conviction upon his Conscience otherwise Men should be ingaged without if not against Conviction a thing unreasonable in a Man So that Conviction can only Oblige to Obedience And when any Man is Convinced That what was Commanded another is Required of him then and not till then he is rightly Authorized to perform it ' And also assert That the Scriptures are No Rule A Shield of the Truth written from the Spirit of the Lord by Jam. Parnell Printed 1655. p. 11. ' He that saith the Letter is the Rule and Guide of the People of God is Without feeding upon the Husk and is Ignorant of the True Light ' Edw. Bur. p. 515. tells us ' That the Scriptures are not the Rule and Guide of Faith and Life unto the Saints but the Spirit of God that gave forth the Scriptures ' And further in a Testimony from the Brethren met together at London in the Third Month 1666. to be Communicated to the faithful Friends and Elders in the Countries by them to be read in their several Meetings and kept as a Testimony among them Signed by Rich. Farnsworth Alex. Parker George Whitehead and Eight more who by the Operation of the Spirit of Truth being brought into a Serious Consideration of this present State of the Church of God c. Declare in the Third Section ' If any Difference arise in the Church or amongst them that Profess themselves Members thereof we do Declare and Testifie That the Church with the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ have Power without the Assent of such as Dissent from their Doctrines and Practices to Hear and Determine the same If any pretend to be of us and in Case of Controversie will not admit to be Tried by the Church of Christ Jesus nor submit to the Judgment given by the Spirit of Truth in the Elders and Members of the same but kick against their Judgment as only the Judgment of Man it being Manifested according to Truth and Consistent with the Doctrine of such Good Antient Friends as have been and are Sound in the Faith agreeable to the Witness of God in his People then we do Testifie in the Name of the Lord if that Judgment so given be Risen against and Denied by the Party Condemned then he or she ought to be Rejected as having Erred from the Truth and persisting therein Presumptuously are joined in one with Heathens and Insidels ' And pursuant to which Mr. Keith was Proceeded against in Pensylvania as guilty of Heresie not from the Scriptures as he desired but from Friends Books and was told by Sam. Jennings a great Teacher and Justice of Peace there in the Publick Meeting ' We are not to prove it from Scripture but from Friends Books for the Question between us and G. K. is not who is the best Christian but the best Quaker ' And accordingly they produced instead of Scripture a Citation out of William Penn's Christian Quaker to prove him a Heretick See G. K's Heresie and Hatred Printed at Philadelphia 1693. 6. They assert that Christ's Flesh is a Figure Saul's Errand to Damascus p. 14. The Question was put to Geo. Fox Whether Christ in the Flesh be a Figure or not and if a Figure How and in What To which he Answers Christ is the Substance of all Figures and his Flesh is a Figure And in Truth defending the Quakers by G. Whitehead c. p. 20. It is said expresly That Christ's coming in the Flesh is but a Figure And that Christ was Crucified within us and any other was Anti-Christ G. F. Gr. Myst p. 206. ' The Apostles Preached Christ that was Crucified within and not another him that was Raised up from the Dead was Risen that Lord Jesus Christ within It was he that was manifest in the Saints that was and is not another FOR THE OTHER IS THE ANTI-CHRIST Now I say if there be any other Christ but HE THAT WAS CRUCIFIED WITHIN HE IS THE FALSE CHRIST And he that hath not this Christ that was Risen and Crucified within is a Reprobate the Devils and Reprobates may make a talk of him without ' 7. They Vilifie and Deny the Sacraments viz. Baptism by Water and the Lord's Supper by Bread and Wine G. F. News coming up c. p. 14. ' Your Baptism is Carnal And their Sacrament as they call it is Carnal And their Communion is Carnal a little Bread and Wine ' And p. 34. 'A Voice and a Word to all you Deceivers who deceive the People and Blasphemers who utter forth your Blasphemy and Hypocrisie that tell People of a Sacrament and tell them it is the Ordinance of God Blush Blush and Tremble before the Almighty for Dreadful is he that will pour forth his Vengeance upon you ' Smith's Primer Printed 1668. p. 6. ' I would know Father saith the Child how it is concerning those things called Ordinances as Baptism and Bread and Wine which are much used in their Worship The Father Answers Why Child as to those things they arose from the Pope's Invention who hath had Power in the Night of Apostacy And hath set up his Devices which are yet continued in England tho' he seeming'y is denied And the whole practice of those things as they use them had their INSTITUTION BY THE POPE and were never so Ordain'd of Christ ' William Penn's Reason against Railing Printed 1673. p. 108 109. ' I affirm by that one Scripture Hebr. 9.10 that Circumcision is as much in force as Water-Baptism and the Paschal-Lamb as Bread and wine they were both Shadows and both Elementary and Perishable For a Continuance of them had been a Judaizing of the Spiritual Evangelical Worship the Gospel would have been a State of Figures Types and Shadows And we can Testifie from the same Spirit by which Paul renounced Circumcision that they are to be rejected as not now required Neither have they since the False Church Espoused
A Brief DISCOVERY Of SOME of the Blasphemous and Seditious Principles and Practices Of the People Called QUAKERS Taken out of their Most Noted and Approved Authors Humbly Offered to the Consideration of the KING and both Houses of PARLIAMENT BY Edward Beekham D.D. and Rector of Gayten-Thorpe Hen. Meriton Rector of Oxborow Lancaster Topcliffe L.B. sometimes Sen. Fell. of Gon. Caius Coll. Cambr. NORFOLK LONDON Printed for John Harris at the Harrow in Little-Britain MDCXCIX A Brief DISCOVERY of some of the Blasphemous and Seditious Principles and Practices of the People called Quakers 1. The Quakers teach That the Light within by which they are guided is not Conscience GEO. FOX the first Founder and great Apostle of this Sect Gr. Myst p. 209. saith against his Opponent thus ' This Light that doth Enlighten every one that cometh into the World which he calls Conscience is not Conscience ' And in p. 331. he further saith ' The Light which every one that cometh into the World is Enlightened withal is not Conscience for the Light was before any thing was made or Conscience named ' But the True Eternal God and Christ And G. F. Jun. in his Works Reprinted 1665. p. 50. ' I the Light will fall upon you and Grinde you to Powder All who will not own me the Light in you And I will make you know That I the Light am the True Eternal God which Created all things and that by me the Light all things are upheld and that there is not another besides me that can Save ' In Geo. Fox's Book styled The Pearl found in England for the Scattered ones in Foreign Nations the Royal Seed of God and Heirs of Salvation called Quakers who are the Church of the Living God per G. F. Printed 1658. where speaking in the Person of the Quakers Light he hath these Passages p. 15 16. ' I 'll break in Pieces I 'll make Nations like Dirt I 'll tread them into Mire I 'll make Religions Professions and Teachings Gatherings on Heaps Gatherings of Multitudes Gatherings which they call Churches I 'll make Mire of them I 'll make Mortar I 'll make Dirt of them The wrath of the Lamb is Risen upon all Apostates who are gathered in the Apostacy Apostatized from the Prophets Life the Apostles Life the Life of the Lamb The Lamb is Risen The Scepter is gone out The Throne is Set You shall be Shaken ye Diviners ye Dreamers ye Notionists I 'll Whirl you under Hailstones Viols Plagues Thunders Woes Judgments are come amongst you upon your Heads all Nations The pure Life of God is Risen From the Life of my Apostles of my Prophets have ye been all Scattered and Apostatized But the Rod i. e. our Light is over you which must Rule all Nations Trumpets sounding and Sounded the Just will Rule The Lamb will have the Victory Woes Woes and Miseries are out-going upon all the Heads of the Wicked What our Hands have handled and what our Eyes have seen what was from the Beginning the Word of Life this Declare we unto you ' Again G. Fox in his Book stiled The Teachers of the World unvailed c. who in p. 27. thus saith ' I am the Light of the World HIM by whom the World was made If you love the Light with which you are Enlightened withal you love Christ who saith Learn of me But if you hate that Light there is your Condemnation From HIM who is one with the Truth in every Man Who of the Lord WAS moved THIS to WRITE Whos 's Name of the World is called Geo. Fox ' And to this another of their Eminent Teachers one of their Prophets say Amen in his Book The Quakers Challenge c. Printed 1668. in these Words p. 6. ' Stand up Muggleton the Sorcerer whose Mouth is full of Cursing Lies and Blasphemy who calls thy last Book A Looking-Glass for GEO. FOX whose Name thou art not worthy to take into thy Mouth who is a PROPHET indeed and hath been Faithful in the Lord's Business from the beginning It was said of Christ That he was in the World and the World was made by him and the World knew him not SO it may be said of THIS true Prophet Geo. Fox whom John said he was not But thou wilt feel this Prophet G. Fox one Day as heavy as a Milstone upon thee And although the World knows him not yet he is known ' And pag. 2 3. ' Come Protestants Presbyters Independents and Baptists the Quakers denies you all The Quakers are in the Truth and none but they ' c. Now from such Protestants as these Good Lord deliver us notwithstanding their now Wording the Matter otherwise whilst they mean the same thing and their Principles the same that ever they were as they themselves say and that in every part of which here is but a Specimen Edward Burroughs stiled a Son of Thunder and Consolation a true Prophet and faithful Servant of God in his Works Reprinted 1672. p. 149. has an Answer to this Question ' Is that very Man with that very Body within you Yea or Nay ' He saith ' The very Christ of God is within us we dare not deny him ' 2. That they are one Soul with God G. F. Great Myst p. 91. ' They shall see the Bishop of their Souls Christ the Power of God which is Immortal brings the Immortal Soul into the Immortal God Christ their Sanctification who sanctifies their Spirits and Bodies and brings the Soul up into God from whence it came whereby they came to be one Soul ' p. 100. ' And is not that which came out from God which God hath in his Hand speaking of the Soul taken up into God again which Christ the power of God is Bishop of is not this of God's Being ' That their Soul is part of God Idem p. 273. The Priest says ' That it is Horrid Blasphemy to say the Soul is part of God ' G. F. Answers ' It is not Horrid Blasphemy to say the Soul is a part of God for it came out of him and that which came out of him is of him and rejoiceth in him ' And p. 100. ' God who hath all Souls in his Hand and is not this that cometh out from God which is in God's Hand part of God ' That it is Infinite in it self without Beginning or Ending Pag. 90. ' Is not the Soul without beginning coming from God And Christ the power of God the Bishop of the Soul which brings it up into God which came out from him Hath this a Beginning or Ending And is not this infinite in it self and more than all the World ' They make themselves Equal with God G. F. Saul's Errand to Damascus Printed 1654. p. 8. ' He that hath the same Spirit that raised up Jesus Christ is Equal with God ' Fr. Howgil's Works Printed 1676. p. 232. saith to his Opponent ' The first thing
Fisher and many more Altho' none before so much for it as they The aforesaid Sam. Fisher in his Works Printed 1656. and Reprinted 1679. and recommended to the World amongst others by William Penn who tells us That these things came not to him by Flesh and Blood but by the Revelation of the Father of Lights And thus the said Sam. Fisher speaks in a Message from the Lord to O. Cromwell and the Parliament of England p. 19 20. ' I will hold my Peace NOW no longer saith the Lord as concerning this Evil which they so profanely Commit and Do Daily against my Chosen but will utterly SVBVERT and OVERTVRN them and bring the Kingdoms and Dominions and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven into the Hands of the HOLY ONES of the most High and give unto my Son and his Saints to Reign over all the Earth and take all the Rule and Authority and Power that shall stand up against my Son in his Saints And I will put my High Praises into their Mouth and a Two Edged SWORD into their Hands and they shall Execute Vengeance upon the Heathen and Punishments upon the People and shall bind their Kings in Chains and their Nobles in Fetters of Iron and Execute upon them the Judgment that is written in my Eternal Decree and unchangeable Council saith the Lord. Given forth under my Hand as the Lord himself gave it into my Heart to see and into my Mouth to speak in part and unto my Hand thus at large to write it this Twenty fifth Day of the snme Month viz. the Seventh 1656. Samuel Fisher ' Witness also the Quakers Declaration to Oliver viz. Oh! Oliver arise and come out for thou hast had Authority stand to it Nor let any other take thy Crown And let thy Soldiers go forth with a free and willing Heart that thou mayest Rock Nations as a Cradle This is a Charge to thee in the presence of the Lord God Also Geo. Roffe in his Book Intituled The Righteousness of God c. Printed p. 11. hath these words 'To thee Oliv. Cromwell thus saith the Lord I have Chosen thee amongst the Thousands of the Nations to Execute my Wrath upon mine Enemies and gave them to thy Sword with which I fought for the Zeal of my own Name and gave thee the Enemies of my own Seed to be a Curse and a Reproach for ever and made thee an Instrument against them and many have I Cut down by my Sword in thy Hand that my wrath might be Executed upon them to the Uttermost ' Subscribed Geo. Roffe And Geo. Fox in his Letter directed to the Council of Officers of the Army 1659 c. Complains of many Quakers Disbanded out of the Army as well as Justices of the Peace in these words p. 5. ' And many Valiant Captains Soldiers and Officers have been put out of the Army by Sea and Land of whom it hath been said among you that they had rather have had one of them than Seven Men and could have turned one of them to Seven Men who because of their Faithfulness to the Lord God being Faithful towards him it may be for saying Thou to a particular and for Wearing their Hats have been turned out from amongst them ' And may Reassume it again when they shall judge it meet As appears to us by a Declaration wrote by Edw. Bur. in the Name of all the Quakers and Subscribed by several of the Principal Leaders of them Printed 1659. p. 8. They speak thus ' We are Dreadful to the Wicked and must be their Fear for we have Chosen the Son of God to be our King and he hath Chosen us to be his People and he might Command Thousands and Ten Thousands of his Saints at this Day to FIGHT in his Cause he might lead them forth and bring them in and give them Victory over all their Enemies and turn his Hand upon all their Persecutors ' But say they p. 9. ' We cannot YET believe that he will make use of us IN THAT WAY tho' it be his only Right to Rule in Nations and OUR HEIRSHIP to possess the uttermost parts of the Earth but for the PRESENT we are given up to Bear and Suffer ' 11. They have a Goverment within the Government Independent from it and Opposite to it First their Monthly and Quarterly Meetings which are after the mannerof the Justices Monthly Meetings and Quarterly Sessiâ—…s in the Country which are Subordinate to the Yearly Meeting which Yearly Meeting consists of Deputies from all the Counties in England and Wales as well as Agents from beyoâ—d the Sea and it their Supreme Assembly which gives Laws to the whole Body of the Quakers wheresoever they are And there they make their Orders for the Government of their People For Suppressing of any Books wrote against them and pass Censure upon Offenders And there also they take an account of their Fund which is raised by an Order of this Yearly Meeting in all the Counties of England and Wales by way of Collection And the Money when Collected is Transmitted to London and lodged in the hands of Six Feoffees who as to the Disposal thereof are to be Governed by the Second Day Meeting held on every Monday throughout the Year which Money is for divers uses viz. Stipends for their Teachers Wages for their Clerks Attendants upon the Houses of Parliament For Printing and Dispersing of their Books For the Maintenance of the Poor For the Relief of such as have suffered for Non-payment of Tythes and the Breach of other Laws and for several other things tending to the Propagating of their Doctrines and Supporting of their Government Mr. Bugg's Pilgrims Progress Chapters 7 8 9 10 11 give an Account of their several Meetings and of their Fund Exchequer or Common Bank Mr. Keith who has been a Quaker above Thirty Years in his Second Narrative p. 5. says I am not able to Print Books as they Quakers can they are many and have a Common Stock I am but one And in his Book called The Pretended Yearly Meeting of the Quakers their Nameless Bull of Excommunication given forth against him c. Printed 1695. p. 5. speaks thus 'To my certain Knowledge and Observation I saw the Door of the Meeting where that called the Yearly Meeting Sat kept by Three or Four Persons that Refused to let in some that desired to come in and yet were owned by them And it is sufficiently known they who keep the Door let in or keep out such as they think fit But again such as they let in if they be not of the Ministry nor any of the Two Chosen out of every County they are allowed only to be there as Standers By and Spectators but have no allowance to give any Judgment in the Case which hath been a discouragement to some honest Friends owned by the Yearly Meeting as Friends from coming to the Meeting being only permitted to
Pennyman and others who Exclaimed against this as a great Deceit made a shew as if they would turn off the Clerk of this Register one Ellis Hooks but as we are informed they did not turn him off 13. Whereas they have published of late Yours several Confessions of their Faith which seem to be much more agreeable to the Word of God and more conformable to the belief of the Church of England than formerly we have just cause to distrust these their Professions as being designed to Serve a Turn because they are so far from disowning their Ancient Books in which these Blasphemies are contained that they tell us they have not deviated from any one Point of Doctrine which they first held Joseph Wyeth in his Primitive Christianity continued Printed 1698. p. 6. Afferts thus 'Our Principles are NOW no other then what they were when we were first a People for Truth Changes not ' And pag. 53. he repeats it again saying ' That our Principles are NOW no other then what they were when first a People ' And in their Yearly Epistle Printed 1696. they say ' We cannot but Recommend unto you the holding up the Holy Testimony of Truth which had made us to be a People and that in all the parts of it for TRUTH is one and CHANGES not ' And in The Quakers Cleared Printed p. 7. they speak thus God is the same Truth is the same his People the same and their Principles the same And for Conclusion Geo. Whitehead in his Brief Remarks on T. Cs Book annext to the Counterseit Convert Printed 1694. p. 72. saith I may see Cause otherwise to Word the Matter and yet our Intentions be the same A Postscript by another Hand to the Quakers Friends HAVING observed your Timerousness about the Petition since I came to Town I take leave to tell you that it seems to me to arise from a sensible Knowledge and Conviction of your Errors tho' you have the boldness to Impose upon the World in your late Book An Apology for the Quakers and an Appeal to the Inhabitants of Norfolk c. to say Who can Convict us of any Errors in Fundamentals c. Who can I can I have And God willing shall continue to do it still unless you Retract them And so have many others and this you are deeply sensible of else you would not be so startled and affrighted because of the Petition which neither Incite to Persecution nor any Alteration of the Act of Toleration of Protestant Dissenters but only That the Quakers Principles and Practices may be strictly Examined and Censured or Supprest as they upon Examination shall appear to deserve and as to the Wisdom of the Government shall seem meet c. This is the Substance of what is desired in the Petition which doth so startle you which is a great sign that you are Convicted of Errors in Fundamentals You formerly blamed others for flying to the Powers of the Earth as a sign that they had lost the Lord p. 18. calling the Parliament the Beast that carry the Whore yet now none are so industriously concerned nor more tedious in their solicitations to the Parliament than the Quakers Sic mutantur As for your Term Apostate which you often throw upon me and others 't is no more than you cast upon all People read the 16 page herein that Love Own and Honour the King yea any King since the Apostles time and thereby charge all to be Apostates and in the Apostacy whether Lords and Commons in Parliament Judges Justices c. Yea both Clergy and Laity of all Ranks and Degrees who either are or have been Loyal to this or any other King in any Age since the Days of the Apostles all are by your Ancient Testimony Apostates and the Kings are with you Spiritual Egyptians These are your Primitive Principles you came into the World withal which in your Yearly Meetings or Convocations as well as in your late Prints you Revive and Renew in all its parts and tell us you are not changed Only G. Whitehead in your Name says We may see cause otherwise to word the Mattor and yet our Intentions the same c. as above quoted And that your Principles are now no other notwithstanding your new late Creeds to the contrary than what they were when first a People and what your Principles then were here is both Authors produced Book Page and Line What can you desire more They do not go behind your Backs to Try Judge and Condemn you when you challeng'd them they met you and would have proved their Charge upon you but to my Knowledge being present you refused to own your Books or the Doctrines therein contained or make any Defence to the Charge upon you I say they did not go behind your Backs to Try Judge and Condemn you as you have done them See Burrough's Works P. 223. viz. A just and lawful Trial of the Teachers and Ministers of this Age Reprinted 1672. by a perfect proceeding against them and they are Righteously examined Justly weighed Truly measured and Condemned to be contrary to all the Ministers of Christ in former Ages and to Agree and Concarr with all the false Prophets and Deceivers and being brought to the Quakers Bar of Justice these things are truly charged and legally proved upon them and found Guilty c. Now Friends consider and be cool do you think this was fair Dealing in you thus to condemn the Clergy of all Ranks at once If not how can you have the Face to go to the Bishops for Favour until you have retracted these your abominable Antient Testimonies Printed in 1657 and Reprinted 1672. And you tell us you are the same still only you can word the Matter otherwise I know I anger you for bringing to Light your hidden Works of Darkness and 't is for that you account me unreasonable But if it be unreasonable in me to Recite these your Clandestine Trials Judgments and Sentences of the Clergy behind their Backs and a Hundred more of your horrible Tenents how much more unreasonable are your old Prophets and present Teachers who first writ and publish'd these things and now justifie and defend them Again This your Prophet and Son of Thunder in his Works P. 273. tells the World that the Sufferings of the Quakers are greater yea and more unjust too than the Sufferings in the Days of Christ his Apostles and Martyrs yea all the Ten Persecutions by your Doctrin were nothing to the Quakers Sufferings See Page 26. herein But that I may shew the Vanity of this your Presumption as well as the Quakers Design I shall once more give a Hint of the Nature of the Sufferings of the Quakers and of the Apostles and Martyrs and let the World judge what Principles you came into the World withal In order to which take this short Parallel Of the Quakers Sufferings see their Book stiled A horrible thing committed in the Land
hold according to Scripture ' Now for your Friends at West Dereham to avoid the force of these Arguments when urged as a Reason for you to defend your selves from the Charge the Clergy exhibited against you pursuant to your Challenge as that they were written 25 or 30 Years since this could be no Argument since you pretend to write from the Mouth of the Lord moved thereto by the Holy Ghost And as such of greater Authority than the Bible for the Writings of Moses and the Prophets Christ and the Apostles are much older yet still of Force But this your Shuffle shew'd the Justices of Peace the Gentry and Clergy as well as the Protestant Dissenters that your Principles are so destructive to common Christianity as that they did not dare to stand the Test and this yea ONLY this so far as I know put them upon a Petition to the Honourable House of Commons to do that for God and the Christian Religion which they could not do namely to examine your Principles and censure your Errors as to their Wisdom should see meet And in this they both Church of England-Men and Protestant Dissenters are Unanimous and this disturbs you this perplexes you and for this your Tool John Field call and compare them to Herod and Pilate Hamon and Judas And say Field Do not blame till you examine I tell you they have examined and therefore blame and they find your Blasphemies so Great so Apparent and Manifest that they also desire their Superiors to examine and when they have so done no doubt but they 'll blame and censure your Errors And this starties you this makes you look about you and cry Persecution Persecution when no Body designs it nay no Body desires it for that 's the Way to encrease you who are for Boldness like a Flint Stone which lay it on a Table and smite it with a Hammer and it will abide Obdurate but lay it on a soft Cusheon and a little Stroke will make it fly into many â—…hivers And though none solicite against your having the same Liberty that other Dissenters have yet I must say there is not the same Reason for you to expect it For when the Baptists in your dear Friend Oliver Cromwell's time had said They thought it their Duty to preserve them i. e. Bishops and Clergy from all Violence your Teachers Assauâ—ted them from all Quarters even for so much as Tenderness towards the Bishops as to preserve their Persons from Violence and Injuries much more for thinking of granting them any Toleration Edward Burroughs your great Prophet and Primitive Pillar wrote a Tract on purpose against this Declaration of the Baptists and says 〈◊〉 them P. 618. of his Works as Reprinted 1672 What! Are you about to make a League and Covenant with Antichrist Do you look upon them to be Ministers of Christ or of Antichrist And P. 619. What are you now for Tolerating Episcopacy And if Episcopacy why may not Popery be tolerated seeing they are one and the same in Ground and Nature c. He was seconded by another of your Teachers of great Name amongst you viz Richard Hubberthorne in his Works Reprinted 1663. who also attacked this Declaration of the Baptists P. 229 of his Works saying Why will you not tolerate Popery as well as Episcopacy Have not the Professors of Episcopacy murthered and slain and do labour to murther and slay the People of God as well as the Papists And will you tolerate the Common Prayer among the Episcopacy and not the Mass Book among the Papists seeing that the Mass was the Substance out of which the Common Prayer was extracted c. And much more to the same purpose in these and others of your Early Writers which shew sufficiently your Antient Principles and you tell us they are now no other than what they were when you were first a People as in my Books I have more largely set forth which may be had at Mr. Kettleby's at the Bishops-Head in St. Paul's Church-yard And for the Truth of my Quotations I am ready to justifie under the greatest Penalties my Superiors shall think fit to assign and for my Arguments every Man is left to his Judgment of Discretion as I desire my self and this may serve in Answer to all your Clamours and what I have yet to say you 'll see in my next which is ready for the Press which is a Proof of my own Charge against you at West-Dereham Church in Norfolk the 9th of December last Where not only the Quakers were forced to confess the Truth of my Quotations but four Clergymen of known Reputation have under their Hands certified the same As to your scattering your Books both in the Church and the Country round it is in Obedience to G. Fox's Doctrine and Example in his Book The Vials of the Wrath of God c. Printed 1655 P. 2. This Book is to be scattered among the Ignorant Simple and Blind People c. I am satisfied your Ancient Testimony was design'd to bring the Clergy to a Morsel of Bread but hitherto you have been disappointed For says G. Fox in his Paper concerning Poets c. P. 8. But I shall tell you the Scholars of Oxford and Cambridge It would be more pleasing to God for you to get a Spade on your Backs and a great old Glove and a Bill in your Hand and stop Gaps and make up old Hedges and thresh out Corn and go amongst Day labouring Men for 3 d. a Day c. And indeed if it be as Burrough's their great Prophet said in the recited Trial and Condemnation of the Clergy in his Works P. 223 227 234 viz. That they Agree and Concur with all the false Prophets and Deceivers in former Ages that they are Ministers of Antichrist and for which all honest People have left them yet have 1500000 l. a Year for their Antichristian Service as his Antient Testimony sets forth Printed 1655. and Reprinted by the Approbation of Geo. Whitehead c. 1672. then indeed 3 d. a Day is enough nay too much But that this Antient Testimony from which they say they do not deviate might be renewed and kept fresh in Memory W. Penn in his Guide mistaken c. Printed 1668. P. 18. saith Whiist the idle Germandizing Priests of England run away with above 1500000 l. a Year under Pretence of being God's Ministers and that no sort of People have been so universalâ—y through Ages the very Bane of Soul and Body to the Universe aâ— that Abominable Tribe for whom the Theatre of God's most Dreadful Vengeance is reserved to act their Eternal Tragedy upon c. And if so it 's time for them to get a Bill a great Glove mend Gaps and Thresh for 3 d. a Day as their Apostle Fox prescrib'd But J. Feild in his Book An Apology for the Quakers and an Appeal to the Inhabitants of Norfolk and Suffolk c. P. 9. 1 st Would the Clergymen account it