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
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
she being an Ingenious Industrious Woman imployed in a Trade so that between twenty and thirty Years she got enough to maintain them well in their Old Age now they have given over Trading F. Bugg quarrels with T. Green for not entertaining him at his House when he and his Wife came to London It cannot be the Custom of our Preachers to entertain every one that comes to London although they have been entertained in their Travels when they visited the Meetings in the Countries where they preached if they should do so their Houses would be like Inns. But F. Bugg accuses him for not keeping one of his poor Brothers there was no reason for that for what Ellen Green got by her Indudustry should be spent by such an extravagant woman as his Brother's Wife was by Relation what they gave him he should be little the better for his Wife would devour it But T. Green kept his own Mother and his Wife's Mother many Years in Meat Drink and Cloaths during their Lives and hired them a House to dwell together and found them all other necessaries as I have heard I never went to London but they always gave me entertainment although T. Green seldom came to my House in the Country and both Thomas and his Wife were very serviceable to me in providing me Lodgings or any other thing I desired Samuel Cater I have known about Thirty Years he hath been a great Sufferer upon the account of his Religion Imprisoned many times Six Years at one time a close Prisoner for Three Years of the time not stirred out of the Prison F. Bugg says that he was a poor Journey-man Carpenter and now a Rich Man worth Hundreds of Pounds What then shall an Industrious Man work more than Forty Years and get nothing His Trade was a gainful Trade if it be wisely managed and yet he is not a Rich Man he hath a Commendable House and the Lot that belongs to it when the Fenns were taken in at little Port in the Isle of Ely and two Acres and a half of Arable Land in the Fields and this is all his visible Estate that I can hear of besides a small Stock to carry on the Butter Trade for he is a Factor to send Butter to London altho' he is about seventy Years of Age yet he gets his living by that Trade F. Bugg makes a great noise against S. Cater about a Meeting where S. C. was Fined for Preaching and had his Timber siezed but Had it again says F. B and had 10 l. sent him by his Friends towards his Loss That he had his Timber again appears to me to be a false Story of F. B's making for S. Cater does affirm that he never had his Timber again and that the Officers sold it his Goods in his House were siezed at the same time them he had again a Neighbour bought them of the Officers and sent them to him This shews what a Malicious Lyer F. B. is and if any of his Friends were so Charitable as to send him 10 l. to help to pay Debts or to carry on his Trade they did well in so doing better than F. B. in upbraiding him Now I come to George Whitehead F. Bugg hath vented his Malice against him in an abundant manner in most of his Books the Cause whereof is because he hath answered most of them and laid him open effectually It is hard to recount how bitterly malicious this F. Bugg hath been against him the slanderous Lies that he hath vented against him are hard to be numbred his own Books will witness against him that what I say is true for G. Whitehead I have not known him but by Report till of late Years F. Bugg reports him a poor Boy came out of the North on foot his Father dwelt in a poor Cottage not worth above 50 s. His Education from his Youth shews to the contrary although I was not acquainted with him but of late Years yet I can say something to prove his Education and Learning in his Youth which is to be preferr'd before F. Bugg's that was but a Wool-Comber George Whitehead when he was a Young Man travelled in the Service of Truth into Suffolk I had an Aunt a Person of Quality according to the World's Account she was a wise Woman and inquisitive after Religion and desired that a Quaker might be brought to her to discourse with G. Whitehead was brought to her and after her Discourse with him she told me and others That the Quakers held the same Opinion that her Cousin Barrow did that was hanged for his Religion in Queen Elizabeth ' s Days and that this Barrow was Chaplain to her Grandfather Sir Nicholas Bacon I heard my Grandmother say the same thing that Henry Barrow was her Father's Chaplain and Tutor to his Children whereof she was one of them and that the Bishop of London was the chief Cause of his Death and said further that he was a very religious good Man and for G. Whitehead my Aunt said that she did believe that he was a Gentleman born or brought up under the same Education with them and call'd him the Gentleman Quaker always when she spoke of him In Pag. 137 F. Bugg tells a long Story of Stephen Crisp deceased and Samuel Duncon's Wife of Norwich deceased I have examined the Truth of this Matter and I find it to be very false and a wicked Report of Bugg's raising He names Joseph Carver and Thomas Buddery both of Norwich for his Witnesses Since I read this Book Joseph Carver hath been at my House I examined him and he said that his Wife was Samuel Duncon's Sister and that he went often to S. Duncon's House and if there had been any thing as F. Bugg says he should have heard something of it which he never did I desired him to send a Letter of what Tho. Buddery could say in this Case Tho. Buddery says in the Letter he sent me That this Story is like F. Bugg's old Way of belying the Dead as much as the Living and says further That Sam. Duncon ' s Wife was well known to all her Neighbours to be a sober honest Woman This Woman was lame and made use of a Surgeon for Help and Bugg makes an Evil of that also F. Bugg in Pag. 33. says That Stephen Crisp was a poor Weaver at the Beginning and died a very rich Man What then if it were so This does not conclude him a dishonest Man He married a second Wife that was a Dutch Woman that had Children by a former Husband It was said that she was very rich She died before him and I have heard that when she died S. C. gave all she brought to him to her Children and did not inrich himself by her therefore I have no Reason to believe that he died a very rich Man He was a good Lawyer I have made use of his Counsel and it was very beneficial to me but he took no