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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A63474	An epistle of caution to Friends to take heed of that treacherous spirit that is entred into W.R. and his abettors (as appears in his malicious book, falsly called The Christian-Quaker, &c.) ... : with wholsome advice and counsel, by way of information, that the simple-minded may not be ensnared by the crafts and wiles of Satan through faith fallen antichristian instruments is W.R. and such as are encred into the same malicious spirit with him / C.T.	Taylor, Christopher, ca. 1615-1686.	1681 (1681)	Wing T262; ESTC R20258	17,842	24

your own Lamps And now having cased my Spirit of what lay upon me to write I shall at this time conclude with the Apostle Paul to the Ephesians Cap. 4. vers 1 2 3 I therefore beseech you that ye walk worthy of the Vocation wherewith you are called with all Lowliness and Meekness with Long-suffering forbearing one another in Love endeavouring to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace John Bringhurst An Epistle of Caution to Friends to take heed of that Treacherous Spirit that is entred into W.R. and his Abettors as appears in his Malicious Book falsly called The Christian-Quaker c. HAving seen a Book written by W.R. I have considered the end of his Writing and Printing it which is to abuse and misrepresent the faithful People of the Lord who in scorn are called Quakers especially such as have been faithful to God in their Day and Generation eminently known to have been such in this our Day by being Instrumental to turn Hundreds and Thousands to Righteousness especially that dear and eminent Servant of God G.F. who for his Works sake in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus many do esteem and honour and honourable he is to this day though such as W.R. and his Adherents who because of Prejudice and Malice endeavour what in them lies to asperse him and abuse him and contradict his blessed Life in which he is still made Instrumental in the hand of the Lord to bring forth blessed things for the Service of God and his Truth from the Oracles of the divine Breath to the Praise of his Name forever The Title of his Book he has Printed is The CHRISTIAN QUAKER Distinguished from the APOSTATE and INNOVATOR Sad it is to consider the Work of the Enemy and the Spoil he endeavours to make in the blessed Church of God and First-born in this our Day blessed be the Lord and honoured be his Name forever who has kept a Remnant faithful from Back-sliding into Error Heresie and Schism who retain their First Love and the Sense they first received in his Eternal Power and Spirit and by this and through this Sense they are able to judge of things that differ And if the Devil say or any whom he has deluded and led into Blasphemy They are Apostatized or are become Innovators and so would cast an Odium upon them and falsly accuse them We know this is the same Spirit though it may be under another Profession that alwayes hated the Truth and despised the heavenly Counsel and order of it and there were such in the Apostles dayes who were unfaithful to God who abused such as kept the Faith and yet retained the Profession of Faith and Christianity in those Primitive Times yea Paul that eminent Servant of God and such as were his faithful Companions in the work of the Gospel were not spared by them who loved to reign as Kings without them and set up themselves as Apostles and Ministers to lord over Gods Heritage and to seduce the Simple-hearted from the Obedience of the Faith and so became Instruments in the hands of Satan to bring in the Apostacy which entered by departing from the Power of God and setting up themselves over the People by usurping Authority over their Consciences yet under the Profession of Faith and a good Conscience which notwithstanding they had made Shipwrack of This cursed Spirit of Satan is now entred into the Heart and Soul of W.R. and such of his Abettors as own the Printing and Publishing of his Wicked Book aforesaid wherein he has accused the faithful Brethren at large and with a full Mouth of that which he himself is grosly guilty of that is Apostacy and Innovation And for his calling his Book The Christian Quaker c. it is notoriously Blasphemous and far unlike the True Christian Quaker and let him prove when at any time any true Christian Quaker was Instrumental to bring forth such a Work as he has done in his Book and to gratifie such a People as he has done by Printing of it to the view of the World as it were to call and invite the Wickedest of men and most Malicious against Truth to see and behold the Quakers Differences and as much as in him lies to represent the Best of the Quakers as I may so say naked to the view of the Rabble and the worst of the Instruments of Satan by them to be Derided Mocked and Persecuted as their Lord and Master Jesus Christ was to render them Bad and Ungodly to put Weapons into the hands of the Wicked to War against them with and as much as in them lies to destroy their Lives and Testimonies in the Truth of Jesus Oh! what shame is this that W.R. and such as own him in his Writing and Publishing of his Book should call it The Christian Quaker c. when it is manifest to the wise in Heart that it was written from a worse Spirit than that of Ham who uncovered his Father's Nakedness to his Brethren and therefore was accursed Now Ham what he did may be said to be a hasty rash Action done on a suddain without Premeditation but W.R. his Work is far worse for he hath long premeditated and laboured to bring forth his Wicked Book in Print and by so doing hath endeavoured to uncover the Nakedness of such as once he counted his Brethren and Elders or Fathers whom God hath clothed but he hath as it were endeavoured to present them naked to the view of the whole World by the Publishing of his Book which already has been read and perused by People Priests and Professors who are great Enemies to the Truth and so at once has gratified them all by Printing and Publishing his Wicked Book against Gods faithful Servants but that alwayes was the Work of the Enemy in all Ages to do Wickedly For Cain Apostatizing from the Faith and Fear of God became Wroth because God accepted his Brother Abel's Offering and rejected his and therefore he turned against him and slew him Of this Line of Cain is W.R. and his Abettors and not of the Line of Abel for he envyed not nor hated his Brother nor sought to do him the least Injury so that his Wicked Brother Cain sell upon him without a Just cause as now W.R. does in Print against Gods faithful Servants whose Offerings are pure before the Lord and Ti●e will clear their Innocency that in what they do they seek God's Glory and the Prosperity of his blessed Truth Well this Blood will cry for Vengeance to God against W.R. and his Adherents as ever the Blood of Righteous Abel cryed against Cain for Murdering him Cain murdered his Brother's Body but W.R. does what in him lies to shed and let out the Life of his Brethrens Souls by rendring them Dead and Apostatized from the Truth that lives forever Those Apostates and Innovators Korah Dathan and Abiram and their Company with the Hundred and Fifty Princes of the Assembly

AN EPISTLE OF Caution to Friends To take heed of that Treacherous Spirit that is entred into W.R. and his Abettors As appears in his Malicious Book falsly called THE Christian-Quaker c. Who under the Profession of Primitive Truth are betraying it to the World and putting Truth 's Lambs into their Bears Skins for the World to worrey because they have no Power to do it themselves who have published their Wicked Book in Askelon the Fire of their Infamy and have told it in Gath the Wine-press to press out their sowr Grapes to set the Peoples Teeth on edge against the Lambs of God With wholsome Advice and Counsel by way of Information that the Simple-minded may not be Ensnared by the Crafts and Wiles of Satan through such Fallen Antichristian Instruments as W.R. and such as are entred into the same Malicious Spirit with him C. T. When the Vnclean Spirit is gone out of a Man he walketh through dry places seeking Rest and finding none Then he saith I will return into my House from whence I came out and when he is come he findeth it empty swept and garnished Then goeth he and taketh with himself seven other Spirits more Wicked than himself and they enter in and dwell there and the last State of that man is worse than the first Mat. 12.43 London Printed for John Bringhurst at the Sign of the Book in Grace-Church-street near Cornhill 1681. READER THe following Epistle of Caution to Friends being given me to Print it hath several times rise in my Mind to joyn a short Testimony to it against that Spirit of Division and its Fruits by way of Caution also that no more may be led astray through the subtil Wiles and Insinuations of the Enemy of their Souls who this day I am well satisfied makes it his business first to divide and scatter the Sheep from the Fold and then make a Prey upon them for thus it was with me for some time before I knew of W. R's Book being to be Printed and I being thus prepared by the Enemy needed no Arguments to induce me to that which was become so natural to me Wherefore Reader it rises in my Heart to Caution all such whom it may concern to take heed how they hear lest they hear amiss and how they speak lest by their speaking they add strength to those who are already in some measure led astray by the Enemy to look out at others when they should look at Home and not to harbour up anything one against another or against the Body though seemingly never so small for Prejudice will eat as a Canker nor construe every thing in the worst sense as I did for whoever do the Hurt will be their own as it was mine And as to W. R.'s Book which is part of the Fruits of that dividing Spirit gotten up of late among some professing the Truth entituled The Christian-Quaker Distinguished from the Apostate and Innovator c. it cannot but be expected that I who was in so large a manner concerned as to get it Printed and afterwards disowned it should shew some Reason for my so doing especially since it has been so noised about both in City Country by the Propagators and Encouragers thereof that a Friend Printed it I can do no less in Conscience to God and for the clearing his Truth and People than declare publickly that I was led thereto by the Enemy of my Souls Peace though I saw it not at first to be of an Evil Nature and when I saw my Peace was departed a weight lead came upon my Mind I would have had the peace of the Lord restored unto me while I was concerned in the Book but instead thereof my Trouble was encreased and I saw not a way to escape the Reward I then was sensible would be my Portion if the Lord was not merciful to me in which time of Exercise Breathings often went up to the Lord that if I might find favour in his sight he would be pleased to show me the way how I should come out of this snare great sin against him and enjoy his Peace and the answer I in that day received was That I was not to expect Peace with the Lord while I persisted in the thing which caused his Displeasure which was the real cause of my putting the Book out of my hands before finisht the Spirit of the Lord pursuing me from time to time shewing me of what an Evil Tendency it was till I had rid me of it though now I stand accused of Injustice for so doing and then did the Lord who had given me Trouble speak Peace to me and gave me access in measure to the Throne of his Grace for which blessed Work I desire he may be forever Praised and Magnified by and through me whilst I have a Being here And as to the Publishers of this Book of W.R. it rises in my Heart to entreat you all to sink down and wait low in the Valley of Humillity before the Lord and hearken to hear what Counsel the pure meek Spirit of the Lord who is the Healer of Breaches saith to you and yield unto it for if things were as is pretended in that Book which I cannot believe I aver the Lord is against any ones discovering the Nakedness of his Brethren or Fathers in his spiritual Israel this day as in the dayes of Ham or laying stumbling Blocks in the way of the weak as in the dayes of Balaam c. And let me ask you What advantage will it bring to the Lord's blessed Truth and what Edification will be reaped by it and what Honour will it bring to his Name When I was considering the thing after my Eye began to open a dread from the Lord seized upon me and the Lord shewed me that it would be a hanious offence committed against him and that I should thereby become Instrumental to declare in Gath publish in Askelon all the dirty villifying stuff therein inserted which was forbidden to the People of the Lord in the dayes of Old lest the Vncircumcised in Heart and Ears take occasion to rejoyce over the People of the Lord And what will Truths Adversaries at this day do less think you Well Oh Lord my God who hast shewed Mercy unto me if it be thy will extend thy Mercy unto others who are yet concerned in the spreading and publishing of that Book that they also may come to see their Error and great Sin against thee and Repent and so come to obtain Mercy at thy Hand before it be too late Amen And to all such who have or may have an itching Ear to read that Book it rises in my Heart to caution you to forbear satisfying your minds therein for the Enemy may take advantage upon you thereby to draw out your minds to take every thing for granted that 's therein inserted so cause you to look out at others instead of looking after the triming

and done away and the living innocent-hearted Ones may be encouraged in their Obedience and Faithfulness to God helped and assisted in their Sufferings and the Disobedient and Vnfaithful may be exhorted to Obedience and instructed in things relating to their Conditions that all Loose Liberty may be kept out of the Church of God and Youth or Young People whether Male or Female may not be encouraged to a Loose Liberty in any thing but may be truly subject to the Power of God and the Order of it in his Church that all may be kept pure and clean And what God hath joyned together let no man or men put assunder or divide in crying down Womens Meetings some rude ungodly-spirited Ones calling them an Idol and an Image and presenting Marriage before them they call Dancing about an Idol and such filthy and unsavoury stuff as that is is cast out from the unclean Spirit of foul and unsanctified minds and some say They deny Womens Meetings Root and Brauch and much more such Unsavouriness and Abusive Language proceeds from them who would be sticklers in the Church of God and would reign as Kings without their faithful Brethren to set up themselves in an abusive presumptuons proud scornful and disdainful Spirit And these are such as are Sticklers and Promoters of W. R's Printed Book aforementioned and some such are his Factors in selling them for him though J. S. their great Friend and Elder sayes He is not against Womens Meetings So see what confusion they are in Now faithful Womens Meetings are blessed of God and we are living Witnesses of God's heavenly presence with them and Wo-will be to those who endeavour to scatter them and pull down the Services which they are appointed unto better they had never been Born except they Repent and that which is their great Confirmation against all the Opposition of the wicked Spirited that rise up against them is the feeling of God's blessed heavenly Power and Presence in the midst of them which is a manifest sign of God's accepting of them in their coming together to wait upon him and present themselves before him to do that Work and Service in his Fear and Dread which they are appointed to do So let all slanderous Tongues forever be silent in calling such Meetings or the Services performed in them in the good Order of Truth and Gospel Power Innovations and Apostatizing from the Truth and a setting up empty Forms Images and Idols but God's Power in all Ages hath had its Form and Manner of Appearance and who shall limit it and say Thus far shall it bring forth and no farther Therefore I charge every one in the fear of God to take heed of kicking against the Pricks and turning against any thing the Power of God brings forth to be done and observed and that all be tender of the Services one of another which God may appoint unto that the Spirit of God may not be quenched in any or that either Men or Women be discouraged from going on in the Work of the Meetings in what the Lord may have for them to do but rather let us encourage them as much as in us lies that so without Interruption the heavenly Power of the living God may still have its Passage through Men and Women Male and Female Young or Old both in their Meetings and out of Meetings and let all take heed of a cross Cankered Spirit which through Prejudice is ready to carp at every thing that good and honest Friends do in their Meetings and pleased with little or nothing for they that are entred into that Spirit are become Fighters against God in a large Measure and Disturbers of the Church's Peace But some may object These things were not in the Beginning when Truth broke forth amongst us but are Innovations brought in since and are of a dangerous Consequence to the establishing and setting up Forms and bringing in the Apostacy I Answer What was in the beginning we very well know and far better than many do who talk so much of it We know the Power of God was in the Beginning and raised up many to Life who had been dead in Sins and Trespasses that was its first Works and the effects of it was Righteousness and so the Lord is raising and hath raised up a People that they may serve him and may be his in this Day wherein he is making up his Jewels and these blessed Jewels are not made up at once but through the divers Operations and Ministrations of his Power and before there was a People raised there was no occasion for Men and Womens Meetings but by degrees Truth encreased and many were raised and afterwards some can out into Scandalous and Disorderly Practices in Marrying and in Disorderly Living c. And also besides these things other true Necessities called for Men and Womens Meetings to be established gradually and settled as now is by the Power of God But some who in the beginning as was in the Apostles dayes may have known the breaking forth of the Power of God and divers Operations of it and in that day had good desires raised up to persevere in the way of his Judgments until Judgment should be brought forth to Victory and so begun in the Spirit and served God in what he called them unto as they were faithful yet notwithstanding this though Truth might be precious to such then and alwayes is to every one that keeps in it and wait to know the way of it in submitting their Will to the Will of God that his divine Wisdom and heavenly Spirit may still guide them and direct them yet notwithstanding we know some have stept out of the Simplicity of Gods Truth and have entred into their own Reasonings and dark Wisdom and bruitish Knowledge and so have stumbled at what God hath and now is bringing forth concerning our Men and Womens Meetings aforesaid and the like and the Services of such Meetings appointed by the Power of God and so seeing the Prosperity of such Meetings and Services they are entred into a fretting peevish-spiritedness against such things and so gradually hardning through setting up their own Reasons in their own Wills and leaning to their own Understandings have grown into such a Confidence either against such Meetings or some of the good Services of them that at last they have become so prejudiced that that which at first seemed to be but as a little Fault-finding or Jealousie in their Minds is gradually come to be grown into a Mountain of Opposition and for want of a perseverance and enduring to the end in that Spirit in which they begun well some have fallen and are falling from the Power of God and from the Sense of their Elders and Brethren in the Truth and have run out against them and some at last have Printed and Published as now W. R. hath done who could not abide sound Life and Doctrine And therefore I pray and beseech