Name set to it he did not absolutely own it nor disown it but laugh'd and said That Paper was true In the Year 1684. I had heard he had Conformed to the Church of England I asked him the cause his answer was What will you have me do the Statute of 20 l. a Month will be put in Execution against me and I have suffered enough already Last Year he came to my House I charged him with this his answer was That the Statute was laid aside in the Year 1684. I told him That was false and that I knew that That Statute was put in Execution both in Cambridgeshire and Suffolk the County where he dwelt that very Year My Maid was by when we had this Discourse This Year he came to my House again a Clergy-Man came with him one of the Fellows of Sidny-Colledge I charged him with his Apostacy again and told him of what he said the Year before That the Statute of 20 l. a Month was laid aside in the Year 1684. he look'd down and said They did not meddle with me he had Conformed then to the Church of England and that was the reason the Statute was not put in Excution against him nor any else that Conformed I do intend now to take notice of some of his Books of some passages in them but not so far as entirely to Answer one of them they have been answered already mostly for he writes but the same thing in most of his Books as to matters of Religion and Government and writes them over and over in divers of his Books and very many times over in his late Book I will shew one passage in his Fifth Book Entituled The Quakers detected c. this Book was written two Years after he Conformed to the Church of England F. Bugg says The first Point under Consideration is how I came to be a Member of their Society viz. In the beginning they taught that all Men were inlightned according to John 1. 9. and that this Light wherewith Christ had inlightned them was sufficient if obeyed to lead to Salvation and that it was the Work of the Ministers of Christ to turn People from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan unto God affirming that this Light was a sufficient Teacher Leader and Guide to every Believer without the help of outward Prescriptions Forms Orders and Decrees of Men upon this and the like Notions I became persuaded to try their Doctrine and when I came to see and observe their Practices Conversation and Deportment in the beginning what Simplicity and Plainness attended their Ministry I was still more confirmed that it was a Dispensation of the Love of God sent as a Visitation to Mankind Being thus persuaded I resolved to bear the Cross and did utterly despise the Shame that attended them and their Message and was not behind any of my Equals both in doing and suffering for the Testimony thereof as some among them can still bear me Witness and in this manner we went on for many Years and loved one another with Love unfeigned and doubtless God blessed our Meetings with the Comfortable Injoyment of his Presence This is a sufficient Explanation of his Apostacy since it is a Truth that will stand for ever that the Quakers preach that the Light and Grace of God is Sufficient both to lead and bring us to Salvation if it be obeyed For the Light and Grace of God are all One tho' under divers Names 't is one Principle not divided if this be not a sufficient Guide I know no Man is able to procure Salvation to himself or others without it nor with it except they be obedient to it it were Blasphemy to set any Man's Learning or Natural Parts above it or against it neither have they any Scripture to disprove the Sufficiency of the Light the Grace of God except they Expound one place of Scripture to make it Repugnant to another which the Clergy are Sworn to the contrary see the 20 th Article of the Church of England those Articles are called The Faith and Doctrine of the Church of England And in the first of Eliz. Chap. I. An Act to Restore the Crown to the Ancient Jurisdiction over the State Ecclesiastical and Spiritual and to Abolish all Foreign Power repugnant to the same By this Statute all Commissioners are limitted that have Authority to Hear and Determine the Offences of Error Heresies Schisms Abuses and Enormities so that they shall not in any wise have Authority or Power to Order or Determine or Judge any Matter or Cause to be Heresie but only such as have formerly been Adjudged so to be by the Cononical Scriptures exprest in plain words c. This Statute says further That there must be Two sufficient Witnesses to prove the said Offences mentioned in this Statute and the Witness brought Face to Face if the party requires it I write this to put the Magistrates in mind of this Statute and also to inform such Persons as are ignorant of this Remarkable Law of the Protestant Religion And whereas we are accused of all or most of these Crimes mentioned in this Statute by the said F. Bugg in his three last Books mostly and Countenanced by the Bishop of Norwich and some of the Clergy it is my Request That We the People called Quakers may clear our selves so as our Innocency may appear to the Civil Magistrate and not lie under such Scandals and Reproaches as we do from every Unjust Charge that may render us Obnoxious to the Government and my reason is Because the Bishop of Norwich and some of the Clergy have given Countenance to his Quarrel against us and some of them have given Credit to what he says but if the Truth be known I am fully persuaded it will not be for their Credit that have incouraged him in this Work I have Propounded nothing but what is the Right of every Free-Born Subject of this Nation that the Civil Magistrate should understand our Innocency I believe there are but few ignorant of what we have suffered many Years by a long Grinding Persecution both in our Persons and Estates And now Liberty is granted we stand upon equal Terms of Justice and Right with our Opposers and in Matters that concerns Religion we are Accountable to God and have as much Right to common and civil Priviledges as other Perswasions have We never were found in any Plots or Rebellions since we first appeared to be a People in this Nation but always yielded true and real Passive Obedience under all our Cruel Sufferings I will now take notice of some Passages in his Three last Books the 18th the 19th and the 20th Book the 18th Book Entitituled The Picture of Quakerism drawn to the Life there is not much in them but what may be found in his former Books which have been answered already for he writes the same thing over and over again meerly his Books are without method
a common Bank or not neither had I any discourse with any of them about any such thing untill F. Bugg had printed this Story then I took notice of it to a Magistrate that was then a Parliament-man him I told that the Quakers had no common Bank that ever I heard of F. Bugg had the Confidence to send me this 19 th Book to read and a short time after he came to my House a Clergy-man came with him one of the Fellows of Sidny College I charged him with this aforesaid Forged Letter that he said I sent him he stood stifly in it that I did send it to him then I asked him who that J. C. was mentioned in the Letter he could not tell me that then I asked him who was the Man I writ the Letter to he could not tell me that also I suppose he did not know who I writ my Letter to then but I told the Clergy-man who the J. C. was and so F. Bugg came to know his name and printed it in his 20 th Book it is the same Man that gave me the aforesaid Certificate viz. John Clements of Cambridge aforesaid I will say something concerning the Prelacy he charges me with the matter concerning a common Bank do not belong to a Prelate it concerns the Magistrate only if he had called me a She-Lawyer he had had some grounds for this for when I was about 15 Years of Age my Father finding me reading some Idle Books he took them from me and told me he would have me read better Books and pointed to the great Statute Book that lay upon the Parlor Window and bid me read that and said it was as proper for a Woman as a Man to understand the Laws because they must live under them as well as Men I soon applied my self to obey his commands and was very diligent in learning them My Father was a Justice of the Peace in the Days of King Charles the first many Years but not afterward although he lived about Seven Years after the Wars began I have read several Law-Books besides the Statute-Book which were very beneficial to my self and others in the time of the Persecution F. Bugg knew that I had some understanding in the Laws and Statutes of the Land therefore he might have given me a more rational Title than a She Prelate Most of this little Pamphlet is writ against G. Whitehead who hath answered most of his Books as well as such rambling Stuff full of Tautologies can be answered G. Whitehead hath so gauled him with his Answers that he is the object of his Malice in most of his Books I come now to his 20 th Book Entituled The Pilgrims Progress c. In the front is his Picture and in the first and second Page his Pedegree and Education he says his Father's name was Robert Bugg second Son of Francis Bugg who was Chief Constable many Years his Parents were of a good Yeoman Family and lived in good Repute and brought him up in the Profession of the Church of England I will say somthing concerning this matter as it was related to me by my Uncle Docwra of Hinton which is as followeth he told me that there was one Bugg a Serving Man in the Family of the Docwra's this Man Debauched one of the Daughters of that Family when he was a Servant then Stole her away and Married her as was supposed This Francis Bugg's Grandfather was one of the Posterity of the aforesaid Serving Man and was a Poor Boy some of the Docwra's bound him out Apprentice to the Wool-Trade and when his time of Apprentiship was expired Money was gathered in the Family of the Docwra's to set him up he grew Rich yet he was troublesome to some of the Docwra's preying upon them by indirect means that I perceived he was much slighted by the whole Family at the time I was Married to my Husband which is above 52 Years ago Robert Bugg Father to this Francis Bugg that writes now against us was a melancholly down look'd Man by Relation and dwelt with his Son this Bugg some Years after F. Bugg was Married he arose from Dinner one Day and went out and was found Drowned in a Water where he had no occasion to go to that place as F. Bugg and his Wife related I had some discourse about it with her and other Persons with him so that they both concluded he Drowned himself nevertheless the Jury was favourable they had no proof he drowned himself and did not find it wilful Murther which saved the 30 l. a Year that F. Bugg boasts of in Page 31. for he cannot prove that he had 30 l. a Year before his Father's Death which was long after he came of Age although he writes of much more It was the Advice of Friends to be tender to F. Bugg least some such Misfortune should befall him when he was amongst us and that was one reason that he was humer'd in giving him Certificates when he required which he hath since printed As to his Religion he says he was brought up in the Profession of the Church of England this I believe is not true because he told me many Years ago that he was a Presbyterian when he came amongst the Quakers This agrees with his Books where he Cavils much with E. Burroughs's Works which were written against those People when he was Persecuted by them in the late professing Times when the Church of England was turned out of Doors In Page 4. he speaks concerning our Silent Meetings in the beginning of his Declaration he speaks something of Truth in this weighty concern although it is not so well worded nor confirmed by Scripture Texts as our Preachers declares it But afterward he goes on and makes them as ridiculous as he can calling them Schools of Ignorance There hath been much written by the Quakers concerning them and never contradicted in Print by any Clergy-Man that ever I heard of I have seen the same Exercise allow'd by a dignified Clergy-Man in Print of late Years which he calls Vigils but it is in a more Dark and Unprofitable manner than they ought to be for he speaks of the use of them but in Saints Eves or the Night before a Saint's day so called In Page 7. he says He hath given a Mortal Wound to the Female Government as appears in my first Book Entitued Liberty of Conscience c. the Second Part Page 33 34 35 36 37. a Wilder Imagination never appeared amongst the People in Bedlam This he means by the Womens Meetings which are alive and whole as ever they were they were set up to take care for the Poor and where there is need of them they are in as much use as ever they were where Friends are numerous The Men cannot perform so great a Work without the assistance of the Women the Women meet together to take Care of the Poor and to inform the Men what is wanting for that Service
that was by way of Paraphraise so at first when he writ Lyes his Pen run too quick and now his Lyes are Paraphraises and such crafty or rather crazy foolish Stuff his Books are composed of if he had been well in his Wits he would not have scribled away a fair Estate and run many hundred Pounds in debt beside to no purpose I really believe all that he lost by the Quakers does not amount to 32 l. see page 31. where he names their names and the Sums also but in page 148. F. Bugg says That the Quakers are the chief Cause of my Misfortune not only in Respect of Controversie but Six or Eight breaking in my Debt If they had been real Quakers he would have named them every Man for he writes at large upon such Matters but to my Knowledge there was some that died in his Debt that were of his own Fraternity that went about to make Division amongst us It was his restless Spirit and shattered Head that was the Cause of his Misfortune They that are well acquainted with his Books may perceive it In the Title Page of divers of his Books shews his wild Fancy I will quote some of them His second Book the Title Page The painted Harlot stript and whipt c. The Title Page of some of the rest his 7 th Book battering Rams against Rome c. His 8 th Book One Blow more against New Rome c. His 9 th Book New Rome unmasked and her Foundation shaken c. His 10 th Book New Rome arraigned and out of her own Mouth condemned c. This Book is the strangest Fiction that ever I read His 15 th Book A Second Summons to the City Abeb by way of Metaphor deliver up Sheba the Son of Bichri 2 Sam. 20. i. e. George Whitehead by Name This shews his Malice against G. W. I know of a certain that shatter-headed People are very malicious and not to be qualified and the Reason is because their Imagination works so strong that it serves for nothing but to make a Grave for their Reason I have something to say concerning Edward Burrough one of our Preachers he was before my time I not being acquainted with him only by reading his Books where I find him to be a Man both for Natural and Supernatural Parts extraordinary well Qualified But F. Bugg says that he finds in his Works that he said That the Sufferings of the Quakers were greater than the Sufferings of Christ and his Apostles There is something upon Record to that purpose as I understand and this was in Oliver's Days which he did say That the Quakers Sufferings were worse in some respect than the Sufferings of Christ And his Reason was because the Jews pretended Law for what they did and the Quakers Sufferings were very much upon the account of small Trivial Things and no Law so much as pretended Although no Quakers do justifie this Passage yet it may be excused in some measure and that according to Truth Some of the best of Men have broke out into Passion under Sufferings and E. Burrough's Sufferings were great at that time not only for himself but seeing so many of his Innocent Friends under great Afflictions and Sufferings Under the Agony of Sufferings the best of Men have shewed much Weakness and Passion when God had forsaken them or hid his Face from them for a short time And this was witnessed by Job and the Prophet Elijah and others our Saviour Christ upon the Cross when he cried out under the Agony of his Suffering My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Now God's hiding his Face from the best of Men for a short time was his Love to Mankind to shew to Man his Weakness That no Flesh should Glory but in the Lord. But F. Bugg and his Clergy makes a great Noise to have us retract our Books if they can prove Error in them we have answered what they can Charge us withal already and will do further if God Almighty requires it but will not concern our selves with F. Bugg and his Clergy any further than God requires us to do Our Books are a Testimony of the Sufficiency of the Light and Grace of God in our Hearts to bring us to Salvation if it be obeyed to it we have many Testimonies For that and our Sufferings upon that Account which we shall preserve God willing that the Generations to come may Rejoice in our Testimony as we do Rejoice in the Testimonies of the Suffering People of God in all Ages under what Denomination soever they are Recorded For such People injoyed a large Measure of the Light and Grace of God in their Hearts that bore them up above all their Sufferings in a publick Testimony in all Suffering Times which do witness that such People are the Chosen People of God to set forth his Praise from one Generation to another I am now come to the Bishop of Norwich's Certificate These are to Certifie That I have known Francis Bugg some Years and that he hath appeared to me a Sober Honest and Industrious Man and that he hath taken much Pains to Undeceive and Convert the Quakers by Publishing Useful Books and that not without success but by the Hardness of Times several Losses and the Charge of Printing the Books he writ he is reduced to great Difficulties Therefore I apprehend him a real Object of Charity and that he doth truly deserve the Bounty of Well-disposed Persons unto whom I recommend him October 22. 1698. John Norwich It will be Matter of Admiration to all Inquisitive People when the real Truth of this Concern is known that a Bishop of the Church of England should appear so publickly to Vindicate F. Bugg and his Books which the Bishop calls Useful and that F. Bugg hath taken great pains to Undeceive and Convert the Quakers and not without Success c. This were a Matter of great Concernment if it were true I intend to take notice of the several Passages in the said Certificate First As to his Honesty and Industry if he had been Honest and Industrious as the Bishop says he would not have lost his Time and neglected his Trade for near Twenty Years as I can make it appear out of his own Books and spent a good Estate in Scribling against the Quakers to no purpose as will further appear and run many Hundred Pounds in Debt more than he was able to pay and his Creditors must needs have lost much Money by him if this Project with the Bishop and some of the Clergy did not take which was a thing doubtful by his own Confession In his 20th Book p. 147. there may be much more said upon this account I will Instance but few of them In or about the beginning of the Year 1697. he Married his Daughter made great Feasting and Entertainments that was said to be very Chargable and promised 300 l. Portion with her upon the Marriage And at the same
time he was Indepted many Hundred Pounds more than he was worth He also gave Bond to make his Wife a Jointure of some part of his Estate which he hath since Sold to his Son These things he has confessed to me and others And a few Months after the aforesaid Marriage of his Daughter he broke and was sculking about in the Isle of Ely He then writ to me to conveigh a Paper-parcel to Milden-Hall for him the Letter bears Date as followeth June Saturday the 19 th or 20 th Day 1697. When I received this Letter I was much surprised that F. Bugg should make such a Request to me which had held no Correspondence with him for above Twelve Years nor so much as read any of his Books in that time only I had seen the Answers to them This Request to me I looked upon as a Trapan that he might have some Colour to pretend that I was one of his Party in Print I did not intend to concern my self with any of his Paper-parcels if they had been brought to me and I writ to him an answer to that purpose And in my Letter I reproved him for his Apostacy also So I cleared my self of his Concerns at that time These aforementioned things concerning his Daughter's Marriage his Defrauding his Wife of her Jointure and Scribling away that which should have pay'd his Debts shews that the Bishop lies under a great mistake as to F. Bugg ' s Honesty and Industry The Bishop in his Certificate further says That F. Bugg took great Pains to Undeceive and Convert the Quakers by publishing Useful Books and that not without Success This is a Matter of great Concernment if it were true I and many more can Witness that he neither proved us in Error neither were we so far Influenced by F. Bugg as to give Credit to what he writ although F. Bugg counted me to be one of his Proselytes in his 20th Book Pag. 133. where he says That I opposed G. Fox ' s Tyranny I never had any Controversie with G. Fox from the time I was first acquainted with him to the time of his Decease And when I had heard the Controversie on both sides I found that there was many Lyes Forged of him which made me pitty him and have the better esteem of him I never heard any of the Separate Quakers that opposed him except F. Bugg say that he was a Tyrant But some of them have said to me that now in his old Age he was Childish and Wilful I did not perceive any Childishness in him after that but I pleaded that G. Fox had done much Service for Truth and if I had a Dog that had done me good Service I would not hang him in his old Age nor use him ill when his Service was at an end that shewed an ill Nature to do so But to return to my former Discourse of what Proselytes F. Bugg hath made amongst the Quakers I have as good Intelligence as the Bishop in our own Concerns and I hear of none that owned F. Bugg or his Books except he counts those that Conformed to the Church of England in the time of the Persecution to save their Estates and they may be more properly accounted the Persecuting Magistrates and the Bishop's Proselytes than F. Bugg's yet I never heard that those People owned F. Bugg's Books But F. Bugg may plead That there are some Separate Quakers that own him and his Books that was before he conformed to the Church of England that many of them did own his first Book and his second Book was owned by some of them which occasioned me to write to one of them of my Acquaintance That F. Bugg had written Lyes in his second Book to give the Separatists warning of him I believe it will be hard for the Bishop and F. Bugg to produce five Persons that ever was Quakers that do own any of his Books that have been written for these last seven Years and more even those that were called Separate Quakers It is true that he spent his Time and Estate in making Divisions amonst us and a Separate Meeting was set up in London which continued divers Years called Harp-Lane Meeting but have been disolved about two Years and those People excepting a very few comes now to our Meetings as I understand There are divers honest People amongst them they might see the inconveniency of Separate Meetings and withdraw from it which might happen by George Keith and some others making Divisions amongst them by rasing new Notions of Religion which was not entertained amongst most of them but they held the same Principles as to Religion and Worship as we do although F. Bugg says to the contrary but he does not say true for I was at one of their Meetings and there was two Preachers and they preached the same Doctrine that all other Quakers do the Differences that F. Bugg raised at first was about some particular Men that was owned by some and dis-owned by others about Church Government F. Bugg and some others were for Liberty without true Measure this was Rantisnt as appears by F. Bugg's own Books there came down from London some Orders for Church Government that were friendly recommended to us about several things But that which was made a Controversie of in these Parts Was an Order to prevent Clandestine Marriages and some other necessary Things Also Men and Women's Meetings that should take care for the Poor This was all the principal Matter of F. Bugg's Quarrels and not about any of our Principles of Religion I heard his complaints often and they were only these things I have here inserted I did not contradict him lest I should disturb his Head and set him a scribling against me at a time when I was not willing to enter into Controversie with him to put him to Charges it concerned others at that time that he had much abused in Print to take him in Hand And although I declined him then yet there is now a Bishop and some part of the Clergy that have not only countenanced him but incouraged him also which hath imboldened him to be so insolent as to Charge us in General and me in Particular with Crimes that are meerly his own Invention which will not stand with his Bishop or Clergy's Reputation if things be rightly understood See his Pilgrims Progress Page 59. in the Margent where F. Bugg says I told a Lye to the Magistate with design to Deceive as bad as Perjury Altho' I have cleared my self and my Friends as to matter of Fact in this case in the fore-part of my Book yet there remains a further Consideration in this point that we may have some Satisfaction from F. Bugg's Bishop and Clergy if they do not make good F. Bugg's Charge against me and others by credible Witnesses which is no less than the Laws of the Land requires It is a disparagment to my Friends and Relations to have one of them
AN Apostate-Conscience EXPOSED AND THE Miserable Consequences thereof DISCLOSED FOR Information and Caution By an Ancient Woman and Lover of Truth and the sincere Friends thereof A. D. LONDON Printed and Sold by T. Sowle in White-Hart-Court in Gracious-Street and at the Bible in Leaâ—â—…-Hall-Street 1699. AN Apostate-Conscience EXPOSED c. IT is not unknown to many of you what Contests have been about Religious Concerns in this Nation and what Unmerciful Means have been used to bring all Protestant Dissenters to the Church of England and altho' the Penal Statutes allowed both a lawful and reasonable Excuse that would not be allowed but some of the most sottish and busie Men of the Clergy always obstructed it under pretence that no Law was to be allowed but in case of Old Age or Infirmities of Body by which means the Magistrates that were most ignorant and busie were meer drudges to those Clergy-men of the immoderate sort and would hear nothing of Reason many times nor suffer Consciencious Dissenters to speak for themselves But our Merciful God looking upon the Afflictions of his People moved in the Heart of the King and Civil Magistrates to grant Tole in a do the Protestant Dissenting Subjects of this ation for which we are truly thankful and I do really believe that God hath a Blessing in store for all Kings that are so well disposed as to grant Liberty in the Exercise of Religion to Dissenting Subjects although of different Persuasions in matters of Religion 't is of greater concern than any worldly Interest or Profit and will be a great means to root Hypocrisie out of this Nation for forced Conformity makes Hypocrites but never makes good Christians or Subjects to any Prince Now Liberty is granted there can be no pretence of quarrelling with the Government that is kind to them whatsoever some have lately pretended to the contrary which hath been some cause of my undertaking this Work to Vindicate my Self and some Others that are unjustly charged with matter of Fact Some of the Clergy I Charge not all either being uneasie under the Liberty granted to the People called Quakers or by reason of their Ignorance of the Principles of their Religion have of late Years entertained a Poor Indegent Person viz. Francis Bugg of Milden-Hall in the County of Suffolk to abuse and clamour against the said People in Print but Lam persuaded it will not be for their Credit iâ— the Civil Magistrate would be so kind as to bear both Parties in their Book Impâ—â—â—â—â—â— Michael Dalton in his Book call'd Thâ—â—â—â—â—try Justice Printed Cum Privilegio 1630. exhorts the Magistrates to hear both Parties and brings several places of Scriptures for it one more remarkable than the rest in the Eighth Page Where God Almighty gives you an Example exprest in these Words Gen. 18. 21. in the case of Sodom I will now go down and see if it be altogether according to the Cry that is come up unto me Thus he shews the Magistrate how to perform his Office in true Justice in the ordering the affairs of the Nation Now because the said Francis Bugg hath accused us of matter of Fact high Crimes and Misdemeanors against the Government It belongeth to the Civil Magistrate to take notice of such things and we do desire it that they would read our Answers to his Aspersions that our Innocency may be cleared of what we are accused off This Francis Bugg says that he was a Quaker 25 Years He was but a Poor Man when he came first among us and Suffered Imprisonment several times upon the account of his Religion when he was Poor afterward he grew Rich and increased in Wealth very much his Father Died and there fell to him near 30 l. a Year by Relation he also purchased an Estate at Milden-Hall aforesaid with a fair Brick House upon it Built by a Knight Baronet for himself to dwell in for his Pleasure because his Estate lay in a durty Country I knew the Person that Built it he was my near Relation This F. Bugg had also a great Stock he was a Wool-man and used the Wool-Trade and a Shop besides of Cloaths and Stuffs and divers other things and an Adventure at Sea in a Coal Ship at Ipswich which he withdrew because of the smallness of the Profit he received by it this shews he was a Rich fore-handed-man and now Poor and blames the Quakers of being the chief cause of it which may be easily proved to the contrary neither was his Sufferings more than other Rich Men but still continued Rich so long as he was amongst us but being uneasie under his Sufferings he begun to contrive how to avoid them by subtle indirect means he writ two contentious Books against us before he conformed to the Church of England and when he was in danger of having the Statute of 20 l. a Month put in Execution against him he conformed to the Church of England and went on Writing against the Quakers until he had scribled away his Estate and run many Hundred Pounds in Debt and now goes about a Begging with a Certificate from the Bishop of Norwich About the Year 1682. he came to my House at Cambridge and made great complaint of George Fox that he had brought in Innovations into the Church about Marriages that all Marriages must be published at twice in the Men and Womens Meetings whereas they used to be published but once formerly I heard him but did not give my Judgment in this concern but let it rest until I had inquired further of it at last I understood it was an Order of Marriage of his own Recording in the Quakers Meeting Book in the Isle of Ely and partly of his own making as I understood by John Ainslo of Over in the County of Cambridge he also told me that F. Bugg was quarrelsome and that he see no way to prevent it he was so given to Contention This I can prove by his first Book he writ against the Quakers that he began the Quarrel and hath continued it to this Day F. Bugg came again to me and renewed his complaints against George Fox and George Whitehead that they were the cause of bringing Innovations into the Church he also brought a Book to me of his own Writing which he had got Printed I bought it of him the Title Page was Liberty of Conscience upon its true and proper Ground This Book Doctor Gunning Bishop of Ely read and said that it was an Envious Thing but the chief matter which was the Grounds of his Contention was that he would have been a Ruler over the Quakers to make Laws for them that all Preachers should tell their Names when Informers came into a Meeting to convict it whether they were asked their Names or no and pay their 20 l. Fines themselves if they were able if Poor then Money should be gathered at the Meetings for that purpose if he were fined for a Preacher that he might pay
only his own Fine that did not exceed 10 s. this may be proved out of his own second Book intituled The Painted Harlot c. no Quaker that I knew would consent to this F. Bugg might have kept from the Meetings if he was not free to suffer what Fines the Magistrate laid upon him for his complaints concerning the due order of Marriages that was but a Cavil to cover these designs but after we were Rid of him we have had no Contention about that or any matter in this County or the Isle of Ely But when he see he was slighted by his Friends in these parts he travelled about into other places to make Division amongst the Quakers in other parts of the Nation and so went on Writing until he had Written 20 Books against the Quakers first and last some of them are above 300 Pages which must needs be a great Charge the Printing besides his neglecting his Trade and giving himself wholly to Contention and Travelling about upon that account until he was forc'd to fly to the Clergy for relief The Bishop of Norwich hath so far taken him under his special Care as to give him his charitable Recommendation and he and those Clergy-men that have incouraged him in his Writing Books ought to pay his Debts and provide for his Livelihood if they do not they must needs come of with some Disgrace in this Business At that time when F. Bugg brought me his first Book I knew nothing of the grounds of his Quarrel I had not inquired into the whole business and knowing nothing to the contrary but that he was morally Honest he being at my House with his usual Complaints against G. Fox and G. Whitehead I told him That I had not been at London many Years but I did intend to go thither in the Spring and examine the cause of his Complaints One of my Sisters hearing of my Intention sent to me to take up her Lodgings but they were to remote from my business In the beginning of the Month called April 1683. I took my Journey to London in the Stage-Coach a Maid Servant with me when I came at my Inn there met me a Woman in a Coach to conduct me to my Lodging she was a Stranger to me but very Civil and Kind to me she told me That F. Bugg had provided me Lodgings at her House I went along with her it was a Whole-Sale Mercer's House I shall forbear to name him at length but by T. C. I was very kindly used by him in all respects but he was something reserved about the Differences between G. Fox G. Whitehead and F. Bugg but he referred me to a Manuscript that lay in his Ware-House in Folio of a verry large Vollume I read in it divers times when I was at leasure and looked over some of it the greatest part of what I read was about the Controversies between the Quakers and the Clergy of the late Professing Times called Oliver's Days and something concerning the Magistrates also I told T. C. that it did little concern the present Differences that was now in Controversie which might be written in a very small Vollume he told me he had some thoughts of Printing a few of them I was unwilling he should be at so unnecessary a Charge which signified little or nothing I disswaded him from it I saw that it would not quit Cost to satisfie any Party whatsoever F. Bugg's Charges and Arguments I take to be mostly in that Manuscript that he hath writ against the Quakers and not proceeding from his own Genius except it be some of his Fantastical Whimsies and Perversions that he hath added to the Work I had never seen George Fox before this Journey to London nor George Whitehead but once and that but a very short time I went to his House where I met with George Fox I had but little Discourse with them the Woman of the House was Sick at that time but G. Fox directed me to the Meeting-Chamber for Business and the Clerk that kept the Chamber would satisfie me in any business I desired when I came there he shewed me some Books one was writ against F. Bugg and some others I looked into it and perceived the Differences were too wide for me to Compose I stay'd a Month in Town in that time I writ an Epistle of Love and Good-will to my old Friends and Fellow-Sufferers in the late Times the old Royalists and their Posterity c. and carried it to G. Whitehead who got it Printed for me When I had finished my Concerns at London I paid T. C. what he asked for my Bord and he was very reasonable then I returned home to Cambrige Soon after I came home I writ a Paper of the most material Passages of the Controversie that hapned in those parts where I dwelt I sent it to T. C. aforesaid to be Printed it was Printed upon a Sheet of Paper upon one side only with no Person 's Name in it T. C. sent me down about a Quire of them and disposed of the rest himself about a Month after he sent me this Paper I received from him the same Paper Reprinted in half a Sheet printed on all sides with an Addition of Characters and Names in it viz. G. F's party G. Whitehead and T. Ellwood with my name to the Paper I complained in a Letter to T. C. that I was abused in Printing that Paper without my Consent or Knowledge and to set my name to it T. C. writ me word That if I would not own it I might put out a short Advertisement in Print to disown it and he would get it printed for me and it should cost me no more than a Burying-Ticket which was Five Shillings I soon sent up a quarter of a Sheet of Paper with a short Advertisement in it the substance of it was That I did disown the half Sheet with the Characters and Names in it and what I writ in my whole Sheet was not against Parties nor Persons but against the wrong Spirit when he had received this small Paper and the 5 s. he soon got it printed and sent me down some of them and writ me word that he had carried the rest to the Meeting Chamber for Business and delivered them to the Clerk therein T. C. did honestly and shewed me kindness but F. Bugg I always found to the contrary as may be seen hereafter When I went next to London I made inquiry who was the cause of the putting out the aforesaid half Sheet T. C. would tell me nothing I was acquainted with none of F. Bugg's Friends but old John Penniman I went to him to know if he had a hand in the Printing the half Sheet he said he had seen it but he scorned to do such an unjust thing the next time I see F. Bugg I examined him if he had a hand in that piece of Deceit the half Sheet that was printed without my knowledge and my
most-rambling Stuff not worth the regarding had not some of the Clergy Countenanced him and owned his Books which gives us occasion to take notice of them to clear our selves of what we are wrongfully Accused of In his 18th Book page 60. F. Bugg says That there was a Rumour in the Country in the Year 1663 or 1664. that George Fox had in one Nights time 24 Languages given to him by Divine Inspiration and I did believe says F. Bugg and divers others for Twenty Years That he did believe it this I know to be true but for divers more I never heard of but one and he was accounted a Shatter-headed Man by all that knew him I heard this Story many Years ago and took notice of it and spoke of it to my Brother G. Barnadistone of Clare in the County of Suffolk a Man well known to be a Wise and Honest Man I told him that we had some Shatter-brained People amongst us and if they went on so we should want a Religious Bedlam for such Mad Folks my Brother Replied that it was true there was some Shatter-headed People amongst us and the best way was to use them kindly so long as they were morally Honest for some had recovered being sincerely Honest but they were not to be disturbed for that would make them worse I I always used F. Bugg kindly for I saw nothing to the contrary but that he was morally Honest for divers Years after this only I perceived he had some Freaks and Whimsies at times which I took no notice of to him I saw he was a Man capable of managing his own Concerns well enough and some other Peoples business if he undertook it In his 18th Book the Second Part page 148 149 and 150. there is a Letter concerning a Common Bank this Letter hath no Name to it in that Book but in his 19th Book he chargeth this Letter upon me I read over his 18th Book twice and did not in the least suspect it to be mine it was so Metamorphosed but I do not charge F. Bugg with the false Transcribing it the Man is dead I writ to concernig a Common Bank and I suppose it came into F. Bugg's hands of late Years since the Man died for if he had had it sooner I suppose that it would have been Printed before the Year 1697. which is the Date of his 18th Book the Date of the Letter is 1684. After I understood he charged me with this Printed Letter I sent for a Cambridge Man that I used to imply to send Letters into Harfordshire for me that was acquainted with some of my Concerns I shewed him a Copy of a Letter concerning a Common Bank he remembred the Letter very well for I read it to him before I sealed it because he was concerned in this Letter as well as my self and sent it by him he since gave me a Certificate of the whole sum of the Letter which is as followeth WHereas Francis Bugg hath accused the People called Quakers of having a common Bank in several of his Books printed 1697 and 1698. by reason of a Letter he has printed that concerns Ann Docwra and my self bearing date the 11 th Month 1684. This is to Certifie those that desire to know the Truth of this concern that about Twenty Years ago a Warehouse in Roystone was robbed wherein I had above 30 l. worth of Goods which I lost then soon after this loss my Friends in Hertfordshire at a Meeting gathered 10 l. and sent it to me towards my loss I knowing nothing of it until the Mony was brought me for I did neither desire nor expect any Mony from them their Mony remained in my Hands about six Years until my eldest Son was about taking a Wife which was obstructed by one of the separate Quakers then a Prisoner at Hertford and the aforesaid 10 l. was demanded by him pretending it was but lent me there was at that time in the Prison about 13 more of my honest Friends they all declared that the Mony was given by them and some other honest Friends Ann Docwra understanding by me how I was dealt with by the Man that claimed the Mony did bid me ask him what he would do with it his answer was he would put it into a common Bank She soon after writ a Letter to him which she read to me and gave it me to send it to him which I did in that Letter she charged him with a common Bank and none else besides him for all the rest of the Friends in the Prison disowned his common Bank nevertheless lest he should make a noise for the Mony and use further means to obstruct my Son's Marriage I sent him the 10 l. Some Months after he had a great loss by Fire so that he said he could not subsist without some help then some Friends told him that it was a just Judgment from God upon him for defrauding me of my Mony and setting up a common Bank This is a real Truth I herein Testifie Cambrige the 17 th Day of the 8 th Month call'd October 1698. Witness my Hand John Clement MEmorandum That Whereas Francis Bugg saith in his Book called A Sober Expostulation c. in the name of John Peacock c. We have told the Bookseller at St. Ives that if he Sells any of Francis Bugg ' s Books he shall lose his Trade with us I do hereby declare that neither John Peacock nor any other Person called a Quaker forbid me Selling or spake to me not to Sell Francis Bugg's Books nor any thing tending to that purpose Witness my hand this 19th of December 1698. Thomas Stockre Sign'd in the Presence of Chistopher Kay John Rogers In his 19 th Book entituled A Sober Expostulation c. in Page 10. F. Bugg writes to John Peacock of St. Ives Draper viz. Why do you suffer your She-Prelate i. e. Ann Dockwra to tell solemn lyes to the Magistrate to serve a turn which being by the Magistrate asked whether the Quakers had a common Purse or Bank she answered No which said she in her letter to me gave them great Satisfaction yet in the same letter to me confesses to me that you have a Bank or common Fund and that it would never be well whilst the Quakers put away their Dagon as at large in her letter to me printed in The Picture of Quakerism c. p. 148 to 150. This is such a piece of Forgery as is seldom heard of that I should write to him about a common Bank after he had conformed to the Church of England and charge him with those things in that letter this is the true liberty of an Apostate-Conscience to Forge lyes of me that always used him kindly and never disobliged him until after he had printed these things and then I reproved him sharply I have dwelt above 18 Years in Cambridge and I can truly say that no Magistrate asked me such a Question whether we had
and agree about Visiting the Sick and Lying-in Women that are poor and to help young Maids to Services and all such Works of Charity These Works are Ordinances of God although Men and Women are his Instruments to perform them But in some places where we are but few and can do that Service without a distinct Womens Meeting and in divers Monthly Meetings the Men and Women meet together for the Care of the Poor and other Services needful and not meerly for Formality sake as F. Bugg would make the World believe we do some things F. Bugg makes a great noise in divers of his Books of the Quakers Address to King James for granting liberty in the exercise of Religion and he says we have made no Address to King William our Address to King James is as justifiable as any other Perswasion whatsoever in the 3 d. Month called May 1687. in a Gazette I find the Bishop of Durham presented an Address to the King in the behalf of the City of Durham and the Bishop of Chester also another Address in the behalf of himself and the Clergy in general belonging to his Diocess also the Independants and Anabaptists of the City of Bristol and the Presbyterians also of the same City and it is likely there was more for I find all these before-mentioned in one Gazette and all these Addresses were concerning liberty in the Exercise of Religion In my Judgment they did well to incourage the King to keep his promise for Liberty in the Exercise of Religion is a good thing and whatsoever is good in it self comes from God altho King James was Instrumental to procure it yet it stands to this day and there was no doubt but that King William would confirm it coming out of a Country where Liberty is allowed and hath been so beneficial to that Government there was no need to incourage King William in this concern I have not seen any Address made to him by any Dissenters yet I believe they are all thankful for their Liberty F. Bugg says in Page 7. That Quakerism is such a Sandy Foundation that they are not able to produce the Articles of their Faith they pretend to The Quakers are no Faith makers they say that true Faith is the Gift of God Only This shews what a Quaker he was when he was amongst us altho ' the Quakers are no Faith makers yet they have the Principles of their Religion contained in a small Book about three Sheets of Paper entituled Truth 's Principles Or those things about Doctrine and Worship which are most assuredly believed and received amongst the People of God called Quakers And other Books also these are our Ancient Principles and hath been reprinted three or four times since I came amongst the Quakers which is above 35 Years I bought a dozen of them at one time and gave them amongst the most Eminent of the Clergy whereof Doctor Gunning afterward Bishop of Ely was one of them I desired an answer of him and others also but never received one from any of them at last a Clergy-man came to my House that was related to my Husband I desired him to answer them he promised me before he read them that he would but when he had read them he said that I should have no other answer than this that he did not intend to be a Fool in Print these Principles declares that our Faith is not a Man-made Faith Also they treat of the Substance of true Religion in General I believe there are but few Magistrates that are not Priest-ridden but may understand so much of the Priciples of our Religion as to clear us of those Aspersions that F. Bugg has cast upon us in divers of his Books upon the account of our Religion he charges the Quakers with preferring their own Books above the Scriptures this is as false as any thing can be for the Scriptures are often quoted and expounded in our Meetings as most People that comes to our Meetings can witness but for our Books they are never quoted nor mentioned in our Meetings by our Ministers in Preaching that I know But F. Bugg pleads that we read Epistles from our Ministers and never read a Chapter in the Bible these Epistles are read after our Meetings for Worship are over at the end of the Meeting and that not once in a Year scarcely In Page the 25 th F. Bugg says I have a Letter by me which my Cousen Ann Docwra Widdow of Cambridge sent me dated the 26 th of the 12 th Month viz. G. Whitehead hath sent me one of his Books for me to read and there is the old Mony-Story in it with I know not what besides I was asked by an honest Friend if he was not a Jesuit I answered nay it is not solid enough for them to own especially when they write to a solid People there is pretty much airy conceited Stuff in it This Letter is a meer forged thing I can truly say I never writ any such Letter to him neither did G. Whitehead send me any Book to read with a Mony Story in it or without one I was not so well acquainted with him then as for him to send me Books to read But I remember F. Bugg came to my House about that time this Letter was dated and complained of G. Whitehead very much and of a Book he had writ that concerned him I remember'd I had seen such a Book in our Booksellers hands but I read but little of it because I did not buy it but what is in this forged Letter he spoke to me then by word of Mouth and not I to him he calls me Cousin there is no reason for that I am sure he is nothing a-Kin to me neither can he make it appear that he is Kin to my Husband I have seen my Husbands Pedegree and there is not the name of F. Bugg in it I will now take notice of something of Concernment in his Book Page 58. he says that the Preachers take Mony for Preaching This is a strange Story to me that such a thing should be amongst us and I not know it which have been above 35 Years amongst Them and never heard any Body say so but F. Bugg a pritty many Years ago I asked him who paid them He answered They were George Fox ' s Pensioners This shews that F. Bugg gave them no Mony for if he had he would have printed it and the Sum also in some of his Books I can truly say I never gave any Mony upon that account of Preaching neither was I ever asked for any only upon the account of a great loss a Preacher had by Fire I gave Mony upon that account But if Preachers be Poor they ought to be relieved I know no honest Friend that will see them want or grudge what they do upon that account but to my knowledge some Apostate Quakers have done so In Page 34. F. Bugg says That his
no better than a Pillory'd Person I and my Husband and my Father also were of the old Royallists and suffered much in the time of the civil Wars in England in the days of King Charles the first upon the Account of Loyalty Therefore I thought good to let the Bishop of Norwich know what my Family and Relations are not out of any Ostentation but to give some satisfaction to my Friends and Relations that I am so much abused and stand upon Record no better than a perjured Person in F. Bugg's Books and the Bishops Certificate countenances it I was the eldest Daughter of William Waldegrave of Buers in the County of Suffolk Son and Heir to Sir William Waldegrave the Younger so called because Sir William his Father and he deceased both in less than a Years time as I have heard my Grand-mother say It was an Ancient Protestant Family I heard my great Uncle my Father's Uncle Henry Waldegrave say That his Grand-father Sir William Waldegrave was persecuted in Queen Mary ' s days by the Bishop of Norwich and so closely beset by his Emissaries that he did not go home to his House but was fed in his Tenants Barnes until he got out of the Bishop's Diocess to a House he had in another place where he ended his days in Peace Now is a time of Liberty that we are not persecuted in our Persons and Estates as we have been formerly yet we are persecuted even to the murdering of our Reputations altho' we were never found in any Plot or Rebellion against the Government since we first appeared to be a People in England under the name of Quakers that I ever heard of yet some Men are so uneasie at our Liberty and restless as appears by some of the Clergy that they have entertained such a wicked Emissary as this F. Bugg is whose desperate Fortune hath made him so resolute that he is not ashamed to Abuse and Scandalise a great Body of People in General and vent whatsoever the Devil puts in his Heart who is the Father of all Lyers and those that incourage them also Yet it is the desires of our Hearts that they may come to Repentance and Amendment of Life if it be God's gracious Will that we may live peaceably in this day of the visitation of our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ wherewith he hath visited us by his Light and Grace in our Hearts and Consciences to bring us to Salvation and not to have any dependency on any fallible or blind Guides for as the Apostle says 1 Cor. 14. 8. For if the Trumpet gives an uncertain Sound who shall prepare for the Battle Now a true Christian's Life is a continual Warfare against the Enemies of their Souls and they ought to put on the Armour of Light Rom. 13. 12. This is the infallible Guide to those that live in Obedience to the Teaching thereof this is the gift of God that he hath given to all Mankind to lead them into the way of Righteousness if Man do not resist it or be not lead out from it to follow the devices and desires of his own Heart to imbrace the Delights Vanities and Deceits of this wicked World which is the cause that too many have laid down their Heads in Sorrow altho' they have had all the injoyment this World could afford I have a request to my Reader that he would not be biased by any interest but sincerely mind the Light and Grace of God in his own Heart and Conscience and then shall my end be answered in what I have written and that the Bishop of Norwich may read the Ancient Principles of our Religion in the Light and if he find any Error in them to shew it us in Love and if he find none to give a Testimony he owns them to be true which is the satisfaction that I desire for my Self and my Friends for all the uncharitable Censures and Defamations he hath at unawares given Credit to by owning and incouraging F. Bugg's abusive Books full of mis-representations against us that desire to live peaceably with all Men. Our Ancient Principles are inserted before in this Book I may repeat them that they may be known more amply in this place 't is Entituled Truth 's Principles Or those things about Doctrine and Worship which are most surely believed and received amongst the People of God called Quakers These Principles are a Declaration of the Light and Grace of God which shews that That is the Quakers Teacher and Belief concerning Doctrine and Worship but this is accounted a dangerous Principle amongst those Teachers that keep People always in teaching that they may be always paying them These would spoil their Trade if People would come to be taught by the Light and Grace of God in their own Hearts and Consciences which is my Desire for all Mankind that they may no more be led away by the Craft and Subtelty of those Men that make a Money Trade of Religion and are always obstructing the blessed Light and Grace of God which would shew unto all Mankind the true and real Way to Salvation and will no ways deceive them that be obedient to it which will give more Satisfaction to the humble and contrite Heart than all Worldly Injoyments which is witnessed by me and many more that have had full Experience of it and desire that all Mankind would be so kind to themselves as to make their Calling and Election sure by being obedient to it Farewel Your unfeigned Friend in the Light and Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ ANN DOCWRA Cambrige the 13th Day of the Month called December 1698. FINIS BOOKS Printed and Sold by T. Sowle in White-Hart-Court in Gracious-Street and at the Bible in Leaden-Hall-Street near the Market 1699. An Epistle of Love and good Advice to my Old Friends and Fellow-Sufferers in the late Times the old Royallists and their Posterity and to all others that have any sincere Desires towards God By Ann Doâ—wra A Defence of a Paper Entituled Gospel-Truths against the Exceptions of the Bishop of Cork's Testimony against the Quakers By W. Penn. Price Bound 1. s. The Tryal of Spirits both in Teachers and Hearers Wherein is held forth the clear Discovery and certain Downfal of the Carnal and Anti-christian Clergy of these Nations Testified from the Word of God to the Vniversity Congregations in Cambrige By William Dell Minister of the Gospel and Master of Gonvil and Caiâ—… College in Cambrige Whereunto is added a plain and necessary Confutation of divers gross Errors delivered by Mr. Sydrach Sympson in a Sermon preached to the same Congregation at the Commencement Anno MDCLIII Wherein among other things is declared that the Vniversities according to their present Statutes and Practices are not as he affirmed answerable to the Schools of the Prophets in the time of the Law but rather to the Idolatrous High Places And that Humane Learning is not a Preparation appointed by Christ either for the Right Vnderstanding or Right Teaching the Gospel With a brief Testimony against Divinity-Degrees in the Vniversities As also Luther's Testimony at large upon the whole Matter And lastly the Right Reformation of Learning Schools and Vniversities according to the state of the Gospel and the Light that shines therein All necessary for the Instruction and Direction of the Faithful in these last times Price Bound 1 s. 6 d