Goods was Distrained yet not a Penny worth sold and he kept this Ten Pound and never returned it and yet this is not all but in their Quarterly Book it was not long since Recorded as a Suffering Such Cheats there are amongst them and Thirty Pounds at a time for Writing five or six Sheets of Paper Fifty Pound per Annum for Clarks Wages as standing yearly Sallery and Twelve Pence for Writing a Marriage Certificate of Ten or Twelve Lines sometimes your people might publish their Intentions of Marriage at the Market-Cross or before a Magistrate if they were free so that here is Ambo-dexter indeed sometimes Liberty and by and by its taken away again by these Infallible Legislators so that when all comes to all it s no Body knows what but the Leading Quakers are all in all tot quot omnis Thus the Quakers Priests who talk for self Is fangling talk against it self ' Gainst Truth a prate a pitious preachment That can't make good its own Impeachment As Penn 's and VVhitehead 's Doctrine do Who heeds not well which way they go Fox and Sam. Cater dances round And round again in th' self same ground It staggers to and fro and reels Skips up and down and runs on wheels Starts aside like some broken Bow Crosses Christ like Cris-cross in the row Who so can feel in it may feel As 't were a wheel within a wheel A net gin trap a snare's in 't A whirlpool gulf a bottomless pit Wind dusk husk chaff no stable steeple A tale that takes unstable people A toy a cloud mist smoke a fog Right Quakerism yea a quavering bog A quick sand a quagmire that sucks Who 's in 't his feet out-seldom plucks Himself who 's in get seldom out It 's self's more seldom in than out It flutters like some night-blind batt Now here now there this way now that Now it is one thing then another And now and then nor t 'one nor t'other Sometimes it 's this sometimes it 's that Sometimes it 's this and this and that Sometimes it 's either this or that Sometimes 't is neither this nor that Now this not t'other anon it 's either Then by-and-by both both and neither One while it looks like so not no Another while like no not so One way it seems or so or no Another way nor no nor so Some way it shews both so and no So 't is a mere endless no and so Postscript To write no more I long since did intend But none but God knows now when I shall end For still I find when I think all is done As much to write as when I first begun Jan. 1. 1686. Fra. Bugg Reader I have transcribed the more of this former Book of mine Intituled The Quakers detected and their Errors confuted c. by reason George Whitehead in his Book styled The Contentious Apostate c. recites the first Point then under Consideration which was How I came to be a Member of their Society But the second Point under Consideration which was How I came to see and perceive their Apostacy and leave them And the third Point under Consideration which was How and by what means I came to have satisfaction in going to the Publick I say these two last Points G. W. takes no notice of For I having in the first Point acknowledged what I then apprehended he represents it as if I was of the same Judgment when I went to the Publick for if that be not his intent he speaks in the Air and to no purpose Now if I at the time of my going to Church was in the belief that the Quakers were in the true Faith true Worship spiritual Testimony attended with that Simplicity c. which I in 86. thought them to be in as I did in 1660 c. Then I grant I had gone self-condemned because I had acted contrary to my belief But to answer that so long as I had those thoughts I kept to them nay longer But when I went to the publick that part of my Book now recited shews my mind sufficiently and my judgment concerning them to which I refer the Reader Obj. Well but still George seems to object that I did once own them to have been the true Church and therefore to leave them is SELF-CONDEMNED APOSTACY Answ I marvel G. W. should think that to be Apostacy for if that be sound Arguing then I will prove most of the Ancient Quakers self condemned Apostates since they have separated from the Church of England or some other Protestant Churches which they once owned to be a true Church And to confirm this my opinion and judgment I will produce a good Author in my Esteem whatever he be in G. W.'s and that is Archbishop Cranmer that Innocent Martyr whose life is worthy to be had in Imitation by all English Protestants for he was the principal Instrument under GOD and the King that threw off the Popes yoke of Supremacy c. Foxes Acts and Mon. p. 1488. Well let us hear what he says In the beginning the Church of Rome taught a pure and sound Doctrine But after the Church of Rome fell into a new Doctrine of Transubstantiation I marvel that any man would allow it if they knew what it is But whatsoever they bear the people in hand that which they write in their Books have neither truth nor comfort Now George was this Martyr a self-condemned Apostate let me have your opinion in your next He said as much in commendation of the Roman Church as I ever said of yours and by the way I believe upon better grounds For I must tell you I am not of the same mind I was in in 1686. concerning you in the beginning since I have of late examined your ancient Errors and observed the consequences of them but of that more anon I say was this Arch-bishop an Apostate for that he owns she was once a true Church And yet he separated from her and says there is neither truth nor comfort in their Books though perhaps she pretended like her youngest Daughter See your 6 principle that she gave forth her Papers and Printed Books from the eternal and immediate Spirit of GOD and that they were of greater Authority than the Scriptures yet you hear Dr. Cranmers opinion that there is neither truth nor comfort in their Books And I am of the same opinion concerning most of yours and do as much marvel that the people will allow your Books many of them at least which you pretend to be of such Authority so immediately given forth by GOD's holy Spirit when they are filled much with nonsense lyes forgeries false doctrine blasphemies yea I do as much wonder at your People Defence of the Apology of the Church of England p. 460 461. as this good Man did at the Papists your Ancestors since the Papists could not be worse And if you will see the 460 and 461 Pages in the
their Quarterly Book in Hadenlam in the Isle of Ely viz. It is ordered and agreed upon at this Quarterly Meeting that no Friends for time to come may permit or suffer Marriages without the Consent of Friends at two Mens and Womens Meetings and the Man and Woman to come both to the said Meetings to receive the Answer of Friends c. as more at large in my Book de Christ Libert p. 60 c. And it was against this and the like Orders which they imposed upon their Brethren as terms of Communion which had no Authority from Scriptures nor yet a President from any Christian Church the Papists only excepted that I brought this Testimony not to accuse the Martyr no surely but approving of his Doctrine I quoted him in vindication of Christian Liberty For if the leaving out the word SUCH being but an over-sight be so ill what art Thou that in thy Books leave out the word OTHER which is the distinguishing word c. and that knowingly and as such G. W. opposed the same and called the said Quotation Ranterism Loosness And for which I charged him as an Enemy to the Doctrine of the Martyrs which maintain Christian Liberty against Implicit Faith and Blind Obedience which they like the Papists endeavoured to introduce tending to enslave the People See a Recital out of G. W's Book Judgment Fixed c. p. 259 260. viz. I must tell thee Francis that this Position makes void all Christian Discipline Good Order and Church-Government leaving all loose and uncertain and we are sure thou hast here asserted corrupt Doctrine tending to practical Ranterism itself See now if this be not sordid Ranterism this loose gain saying Spirit leads thee into Come G. W. is it not plain That thou hast accused the Martyrs recited Doctrine to be loose to be sordid Ranterism to be practical Ranterism Thus have I Re-charged thee and leave it upon thy head until thou dost retract the same Object But some may say That tho' the Quotation of Dr. Barnes is sound and Orthodox in itself fairly quoted and rightly applied the recited ORDERS of the Quakers consider'd and their Imposing them and Recording or Excommunicating such as do not conform to them c * See my Book de Christ Libert p. 36. to p. 70. where the said Orders and the Authority given them at a yearly Meeting 1675 is at large recited c. And that G. W's terming it Ranterism as by the last Recital is manifest and thereby have accused the said Martyr according to my Charge c. yet possibly G. W. passed this Sentence on the said Martyr and his Doctrine as a Man in his own single capacity Answ No that he did not tho' possibly he upon occasion may so pretend for it came forth in Print in his Book styl'd Judgment Fixed c. which was printed as their Books generally are viz. by the Authority and Approbation of the 2d second days Meeting viz. by their Church Authority And to confirm that they in this their Doctrine of imposing the Observation of and exacting Conformity to their Orders whether their People believe it a Duty incumbent upon them yea or nay agree with the Papists See a Book put forth by W. Penn Intituled A brief Examination and state of Liberty spiritual * It might rather have been styled An Antidote against his former Book Intituled An Address to Protestants For 't is as much contrary to that as Popery is against Protestantism or Imposition to Christian Liberty c. c. where he says p. 3. It is a dangerous Principle and pernicious to true Religion and which is worse 't is the Root of Ranterism to assert that nothing is a Duty incumbent upon thee but what thou art persuaded is thy Duty c. The Papists say viz. We tell you that you ought to eat Fish and Flesh on those days the Church appoints on pain of deadly Sin You ought to have shaven Crowns long Beards c. And the Quakers now say Womens distinct Meetings as set forth by their Church that the rise practice setting up and establishing of Womens distinct Meetings is according to the Councel of God and done by the leading and ordering of his eternal Spirit †See de Christ Libert c. p. 36 43 44. to p. 70. And this tho' we produce not one Verse of Scripture to confirm it you ought to believe for we viz. the Quakers and Papists agree in this fundamental Point i. e. THAT YOV OVGHT TO BELIEVE AS THE * See your 12th Principle in Chap. 1. but more largely amplified in the first Part of the Christian Quaker distinguished c. p. 9 10 11 12. CHVRCH BELIEVES And if you refuse Conformity on pretence you are not persuaded that 't is your Duty to obey the Church and shall dislike our Position That Ignorance is the Mother of Devotion And shall tell us That Conformity ought not to precede or go before Conviction nor Force before Persuasion We now tell you that it is a dangerous Principle and very pernicious to our Design and therefore and for that very Reason we will and have given it out That it is Ranterism sordid Ranterism tending to lay waste our LAWS and GOOD ORDINANCES as our Brother Solomon Eccles called Womens Meetings Thus Reader thou mayst perceive my Charge made good upon and against G. W. First by the Quotation I brought of the Martyrs words against their Impositions 2dly that the said Quotation as it is sound in itself so it is fairly done against which he brings his heavy Charge and grim Sentence OF CORRVPT DOCTRINE TENDING TO PRACTICAL RANTERISM YEA SORDID RANTERISM c. 3dly that it is rightly applied against their unscriptural Traditions and then imposing the observation †See The Quakers Detected c. p. 5. of their Womens Meetings which as John Hogg in his excellent Book Intituled An Answer to several material Passages in a Book published by W. Penn call'd A brief Examination of Liberty Spiritual c. p. 12. says MAY NOT WE SAY THIS BEARS FOR ROME c. Yea surely and the very Complexion of Rome too in many Parts Principles and Practices to which excellent Book which overturns all their Popish Subterfuges and unlocks all their secret Mysteries and close Juggles relating to their Impositions and displays their Errors to every Capacity I refer the Reader * This J. Hogg is a Minister amongst the separate Quakers a Man of good Parts and of good Repute It s true G. Whitehead makes a noise at the word SUCH being left out by my Printer or Compositor as a distinguishing word but then G. W. is more to blame in leaving out the word OTHER as I have said which word OTHER with the foregoing and subsequent words did sufficiently distinguish and set forth that I only intended them as a Protestant proof against their Romish imposing different things as necessary and as terms of Communion And
even the Protestants began with blood for meer Religion and taught the Romanists in succeeding times how to deal with them See also Judgment fixed p. 259. by Geo. VVhitehead more of this hereafter c. 11. The Quakers Principles 11. That the Martyrs were Persecutors and asserted corrupt Doctrine 12. The Quakers Books 12. The Apostate Incendiary by Geo. VVhitehead p. 16. In Answer to VVilliam Mucklow 's Liberty of Conscience Asserted c. 12. The Quakers Principles 12. I affirm that the true Church is in the true Faith that is in God and we must either believe this as the true Church believes or else it were but both a folly and Hypocrisie to profess our selves Members thereof G. VV. Apostate Incendiary p. 16. CHAP. II. Shewing that the forsaking the Quakers is no Apostacy from the Articles of the Christian Faith BEfore I proceed to shew the dangerous Consequences which these erronious Principles produce as in the first Chapter set forth I may speak something to their uncharitable sensure of me calling me an Apostate but had they left off there I could have born it because 't is not equal with Heresie and something must be born by any body that hath to do with them but when I see by their last two Books that they expose me to the World a self condemned Apostate an apparent Apostate a contentious Apostate c. with all the aggravating Circumstances which they could possibly invent and all this publick besides several private Letters sent me by Post both in Verse and Prose as full of cursing Language as Muggleton could have filled them withal calling me Julian the Apostate * Which are said to be Stephen Crispâ—'s but had no Name to them for which there deserves another Hue and Cry which all put together gives me just cause to vindicate my self since my Name Credit Estimation and all that is dear to me and my Relations are under a very severe sensure For a self condemned Apostate in plainer English is an Heretick and if so had they the power that the Papists had in King Henry the VIIIth's time I might rationally expect the same fate which Doctor Robert Barns and others met withal But thanks be to GOD as 't is no Apostasie from the Christian Faith to separate from them neither have they now a Popish King to animate and incourage them neither do I fear what they can do and therefore am bold to call them out of their holes and challenge them into the Field and bid defiance to all their Weapons of War and all their Malice they can invent either publick Print or private Letters Well however to justifie my self from this their sensure of Heresie or self condemned Apostate I would premise to the Reader that according to the Judgment of St. Augustin every Error doth not make a Man an Heretick or a self condemned Apostate for says he errare possum hereticus esse non possum in an error I may be but a Heretick I cannot be for their is says he three things necessary for just proof of Heresie First That it be an Error that I hold Secondly That it be an Error against the Truth of God's word for otherwise every Error maketh not a man an Heretick Thirdly And that it be stoutly and wilfully maintained otherwise an Error against the Truth of God's Word without wilful maintenance is no Heresie Object But G. W. objects by his Book The content Apost recharged p. 1. viz. The charge is evident by his own Confession to the Principles Foundation Doctrine Ministry Faith Love spiritual Testimony of the said People as in the beginning being that Church whereof Christ Jesus was the Head and Law-giver c. And consequently that the said People called Quakers were once a true Church the People of God in the true Faith and bore a true Testimony according to Fra. Bugg's ample and solemn Confession in the second part of his Book de Chr. lib. c. printed 82. c. and seconded in his Book The Quakers detected c. Answ Having taken in enough out of Geo. VVhiteheads Book to shew what my Mind and perswasion was once of them and for that Reason G. VV. no doubt quoted them I do still say whatever were my Thoughts of them in the beginning they were not so of them at the time when I wrote them Books as the ample Testimony against their walking and acting contrary to what in the beginning they pretended too as will sufficiently appear out of the same Book quoted by G. VV. see * Part of my Book The Qua. detected c. is recited Qua. detect an abstract whereof followeth viz. And having thus mounted the seat of Government rich and poor high and low bond and free must submit to their Church Government And it became a vain thing to plead the sufficiency of the Light of Christ to lead direct or guide us thus have they by their late Doctrine and Example rendered their Ancient Doctrine and Example a meer Decoy to catch simple Souls by and being once caught it is altogether in vain to pretend the Sufficiency of the Light of Christ to Lead Teach and Guide no no the Church now hath given forth Rules Laws and outward Directory and by Vertue of her Apostolical Authority as she pretends she imposes them on her Members whether they believe that what she imposes be a Duty incumbent on them to practice yea or nay And your Edicts must be obeyed whether motion or no motion nay tho a motion against the observation of it or else they cannot be looked upon in the Unity These Commands of yours are binding and obligatory upon all though the Scripture commands to one See their 5th Principle you say are not binding to another Thus do you make the Commands of GOD of none effect throw your Traditions What shall I say unto you Oh ye Leaders of this People Who would impose your unscriptural Practices upon your Brethren and record such out of your Unity that are not conformable thereunto for I have surveyed your Old and New Doctrine and measured your past and present Practices and I have compared your fair pretences with your foul Hypocrisies and when I have done all this I want words to set forth your deep Hypocrisies Deceit and Self-contradictions who sometimes are against giving Respect to your Superiors but by and by your own Servants and Apprentices in your own Houses and Shops must stand bare-headed before you This piece of Hypocrisie I testified against near 18 years since which was before S. Cater's difference for as I saw Errors arise amongst us so I withstood them and testified against them sometimes you are for Preaching freely and Teaching and Instructing people freely and for Suffering and Recording Marriages freely but now they can take Three Pounds at a time for Preaching Ten Pounds at a time for Suffering * Sam. Cater took Ten Pound for his Suffering a Fine and though his
against thee and thou art bound with two Bonds for the Church and Brethren have bound thee on Earth and thou art surely bound in Heaven And this is the Testimony of Jesus to thee neither shalt thou be able to get from under these Bonds till thou art reconciled to the Brethren O haste to to the Work abovesaid least the wrath of the Lord overtake thee before it be done and be reconciled to Geo. Fox who is Gods Friend and the Servant of the living God and great Apostle of Jesus Christ haste away to the North for thy time is short and go quickly thou and thy Brother if possibly you may bring again to the Body of Jesus Christ those ye have scattered least that their Blood be required at your hands Arise quickly and be going For this is the word of the Lord to thee That this year shalt thou John Story dye because thou hast taught Rebellion against the living God The first Day of the first Month 1677. Soll. Eccles. See the first part of Babels Builders unmasking themselves by Thomas Crisp p 15. Oh the Impudence of this Imposture and false Prophet of G. Fox In that First he avouched Womens Meetings to be the Good Ordinances of Jesus Christ which he had set up in his Church Secondly In saying that to the reconciled to the Body of the Quakers which he deemed to be the Body of Christ was the only way to find Mercy Thirdly In delivering that great Lye in the Name of the Lord. This year shalt thou John Story dye who at that time was very ill and not like to recover but it pleased God that he lived about four years after Fourthly This was he even he that burnt his Fiddles on Tower-hill Fifthly This was he yea even he that went as a great sign and notable wonder stark naked with a Pan of Coals on his Head to Bartholomew-Fair enough to deceive the very Elect as Christ said if it were possible Sixthly This is he who in his Musick Lector c. p. 22. said viz. I do affirm that if John the Apostle had said he had been a Sinner he had lyed Seventhly This is he yea even that false Prophet who writ thus of G. Fox his Master viz. A Prophet indeed it was said of Christ he was in the World and the World was made by him and the World knew him not So it may be said of this true Prophet G. Fox whom John said he was not Quakers Chal. p. 6. Now Reader Upon our Christian Creed this is down-right Blasphemy But according to the Quakers Principles it harmonizes with their Creed which is doubtless the very reason why they never to this day condemned it by publick Censure mark the fifth Branch of their Creed which is as followeth The Quakers Creed V. THE Light Christ The Great Mist c. by G. Fox p. 254. by which all things were made and created glorified with the Father before the World began which the Scripture testifies of is above the Scripture before the Scripture was they that be not in this Christ are Reprobates in which the Scripture end and testifie of and so is Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever that the Saints came to witness within them not another Christ nor many Christs c. Remark Now who can blame Soll. Eccles upon the Quakers Creed for saying first That G. Fox was in the World secondly that the World was made by him thirdly that the World knew him not as to the first my self and Thousands more can bear him witness as to the second according to their Creed last recited the same Christ by which all things were made and Created is in them which if true then that proves sufficiently what Eccles says and as to the third see p. 1. of G. Fox his own Book call'd News coming out of the North c. which says viz. Writ from the Mouth of the Lord Cloathed with Righteousness whose Name is not known in the World risen up out of the North which if true who can blame Sollomon For though he was not a wise Man he was a Prophet I mean one of Geo. Fox's Prophets According to the old Proverb as was the Master so was the Man viz. Both false Prophets false Pretenders and great Impostors Indeed G. Whitehead in his Vindication of Solomon in his Book Serious Search p. 58. does a little complain in a little failer in Syntax but to amend it and to help Sollomon Eccles John Blackling and other Idolaters in the right wording the Matter he says Judgment fixed c. p. 19. For I affirm G. Fox doth deny the same in reference to himself as a perticular Man or Person whose Days and Years are limited only the truth of the Immortal Seed Christ in him he stands to maintain against all Opposers and Persecuting Gain-sayers and Apostates See also his Innocency against Envy c. p. 18. to the same purpose so that had Solomon said the Light in G. Fox was in the World and the World was made by him and the World knew him not he had then acted according to their innate Principle and suitable to their Creed which had been I say equally Idolatrous and Blasphemous The Quakers Creed VI. A brief Discovery of a Three-fold Estate of Antichrist p. 15. ALL teaching which is given forth by Jesus Christ is to bring up the hearers to Perfection even to the Measure Stature and Fulness of Christ this the Scripture witnesseth and I witness the Scripture fulfilled in me G. Fox * See your Book Intituled A New England Firebrand quenched being an Answer to a Book put forth by Mr. Roger Williams intituled Geo. Fox digged out of his Burrow c. in two parts containing 488 pages in Quarto one thing is worthy of observation that where the said Firebrand takes notice of G. Fox's great Mistery Yea and may well also be ashamed of the said Firebrand which is as full of Errors almost as Leafs and yet G. VVhitehead in the second part p 236 assists G. Fox what he can with a Marginal Note c. of which perhaps more hereafter It is no horrible Blasphemy to say the Soul is a part of God c. G. Fox's Answer to the Westm Pet. p. 33. If ever you own the Prophets Christ and the Apostles Writings you will own our Writings which are given forth by the same Spirit and Power Truths Defence c. p. 21 to 24. You might as well have condemned the Scriptures to the Fire as our Queries for our giving forth Papers oâ— Printed Books it is from the immediate Eternal Spirit of God p. 92. we are elected to Salvation we have the Witness within us Praises be to the Glorious Lord God for ever who hath elected and chosen us before the Foundation of the World But thou meaning the Querist art ordained of old for Condemnation and Perdition among the ungodly ones and art a Reprobate one that hates
Moral is That it is no Sin to destroy a Man's Reputation c See Jesuits Moral P. 347. with many other gross Lyes and Slanders And this at such a time when the Name of an Informer was so odious that it was in danger of a Mans Life to be known to be an Informer in some places c. upon which I went Sept. 83. to S. Cutor and G. Smith who both refused to own what they had VVrite I also offered on the Forefeiture of a 100 l. to prove them Lyars in divers Cases so when they would neither own their Books nor accept of my said Proposition I then went to their Publick Meeting at Mildenhall the 21st of October 1683 and there complained of their Ministers unchristian proceeding and desired a Certificat under their hands who had known me many Years which they gave me very readily as followeth viz. Whereas there is a Book put forth by Samuel Cator and others Wherein our Ancient Friend Fran. Bugg is called and often Termed Informer and we knowing what an Informer is According to common Acceptation and that he is clear of their Practices and not only so but one of the greatest Sufferers by Informers in all these parts and also in Remembrance of his Labour of Love and great Exercises for the Truths sake we can do no less then signify our dislike thereunto and Testify against the said Treatment as not being of Christian Tendency †Then t is of an Antichristian Tendency to be sure With much more to the same purpose too large here to Insert The Quakers Testimony against the practice of their Ministers c Here followeth the Names of the Quakers who gave me the said Certificate and set their hands to it publickly which gave the Design of Jos Bangs and his Confederates such a Stab as that Amb. Friend Tho. Brewster and a few others of G. F. party turned Pale being troubled not only at the Certificat but also at the Verbal Testimony they gave against their Antichristian practice viz. Tho. Bird. Jos Ellington John Thrift Will. Rolf Will. Belsham John Poell Will Tayler John Kittson John Harvy Robert Suckerman Will. Howkins Jos Mason Ja. Mason Fra. Suckerman Sarah Bird Margaret Belsham Fra. Folks Sarah Holton Eliz. Root Eliz. Thrift Eliz. Rolf Rachel Ellington Margaret Hattly Darcus Abbot Katherine Handslip Anne Hibble Sarah Bird jun. And for more of this see my Book Intituled Reason against Railing and Truth against Falshood Being a Conclusive Poscript to my Book The Painted Harlot c. Wrot 1683 which is this day as hardy as they are they have not Answered I say these with divers other Books wrote by my self Thomas Crisp W. Rogers and others by which their Errors are displayed and their Hypocrysies unmasked I refer the Reader too By which together with what followeth they may be seen in their proper Colours and manifested to be as great Dissemblers Deceivers and Deluders of the People as any Age since Noah's Flood ever produced And therefore Good Reader if thou wilt Examine our Doings I beseech thee To search and prove what hath been wrote on both sides and judge uprightly and do not suffer thy self by shews and shifts to be beguiled for what man will seem to deal so plainly as a Juggler he will stroke up his Sleeves and make bare his Arms and open his Hands and Fingers and lay all things before thee and bid thee behold and then thou will think him to be a good plain Man and marvel thou shouldest possibly be Deceived and yet indeed his whole Skill and Design is nothing else but to deceive thee and the more simply and plainly he would seem to deal so much the sooner he will deceive thee otherwise he were no Jugglar Thou shalt think thou seest all and yet seest nothing then thou shalt think thou feelest it sensibly with thy fingers that thou holdest it fast and canst not loose it and yet shalt open thy hands and find notheng so easie a thing it is to enveagle thy sences Tell Geo. Whitehead that 't is a piece of Hypocrysie to pretend that it is not Lawful to fight and to make his Disciples believe so and yet at the same time incourage O. Cromwel his Army and Officers to Fight saying Oh Oliver Cromwel Thou shouldst have Invited all Nations upon Earth that are against Popery to come in and joyn with thee against Popery Let thy Soldiers go forth with a free willing Heart that thou mayst Rock Nations as a Cradle Thus saith the Lord I have chosen thee O Cromwell amongst the Thousands of the Nations to Execute my Wrath upon my Enemies See Bat. Rams p. 3. and give them to thy Sword with which I fought for the Zeal of my Name Oh Oliver hadst thou been faithful and thundred down deceit the Hollanders had been thy Subjects and Tributaries and Germany had given up to have done thy will See Qua. Unmasked p. 6 7 8. the great Column and the Spaniard had Quivered like a dry Leaf thou shouldst not have stood Trifling about small things Sober men and True Hearts took part with thee Oh take heed and do not slight such least thou weaken thy self And do not disown such as the LORD hath owned thy Dread is not yet all gone This is in the present Tence and of the Imparative Mood which Bids and Commands nor thy Amasement Arise and come forth for hadst thou been Faithful thou shouldst have Crombled Nations to dust c. With much more to the same purpose Incouragement enough to Fight I say Is not this Great Hypocrisie to make their People believe that Fighting is unlawful for Christians and yet at the same time to Exhort Excite and Incourage Oliver his Army and Officers to Fight and not to leave off till they had set up their Standard at the Gates af Rome And yet to Salue this and to make his Deciples believe Jugglar like that there is no such Mateer See his Book Imronecy Against Envy p. 9. he says the words have Incited and have Chosen relate former simes he shews his Schollarship in that the Word have is the sign of the Preter Perfect Tence which denotes the time past but this Cuning shift will not do for their words Arise and come forth are in the present Tence and of the Imparative Mood which bids command yet thus much we may Learn from hence that in the same Book p. 7. In his Answer to my charge that they neither make Confession of their Sins to GOD nor ask Pardon for Christs sake he hath this passage for Answer viz. VVe have done it unfeignedly viz. the Word have must have its true Gramatical sense and then he means he did make Confession of Sin and ask Pardon for Christs sake when he was a Boy of Eleven Years of Age when he learned his Christian Catechism for the word have in G. Ws. sense and construction does signifie the time perfectly past
Defence of the Apology of the Church of England you will find Bishop Jewel of Archbishop Cranmer's Judgment c. Obj. But G. W. in his Book styled The Contentious Apostate c. p. 17. argues a little learnedly viz. But Francis Bugg is fallen back-sliden and apostaliz'd from his Testimony which he bore amongst the said People THEREFORE HE is the APOSTATE and not WE So that he cannot be right now if he was right then But if he says he is now of another judgment then this is to condemn F. B's own testimony to the truth of our Doctrine and Conversation which he hath given since he turned to the Clergy and Church of England And I could not find that either F. B. or his Minister could clear him of this Dilemma if ever he was in the truth while he was among the People called Quakers or in society with them he must be in the error now in his turning back to the Priests and Church of England Answ Come George I think it is easie to clear my self from this Dilemma and to escape your Snare for tho I thought well of you in the beginning yet you abuse your Reader to make him believe and think I thought so well of you in 86 No far was such a thing from me Viz. The Quakers Detected c. as may very well be seen by what I have herein incerted of THAT Book which you boast so much of for my Testimony of you INDEED I must say I had in 86. better thoughts of you with respect to your beginning than I now have and if by reason of them good thoughts I had of you I was in an Error as if it will do you any good I will tell you I was yet this doth not render me an Apostate for if so you will make all the Martyrs and Protestants that had ever any good thnughts of the Romish Church APOSTATES then you will be Rome indeed and she ought to give you the right hand of Fellowship But I would hope you are not gotten so far as yet tho I think you are marching on apace for she accounts all Apostates and Hereticks that are not of her Faith And truly you do little less in that you charge me to be A SELF-CONDEMNED APOSTATE for that I gave my charitable opinion of you in the beginning If you were not what you then pretended to be as I now believe you were not I was then the more mistaken and in the greater Error all this I grant But who was in the fault you or I I am sure you ought to have been sincere humble and meek as I took you to be and the fault was yours if you were not so and the more you make People believe you to be what in reality you are not the more you will have to answer for And if I was in an Error in taking you to be what you were not even so was Martin Luther who was a zealous Fryer who said * Foxes Acts and Monum p. 410. If the Lord refused not to have Testimony given against his Doctrine how much more I that am but vile Corruption and can do nothing but err c. Here you see that if I was in an Error a better Man than either G. W. or F. B. does not think himself too good to own he was in an Error And that it may still appear that good Men have been mistaken in and by the cunning crafty Papists as much as I was in your fair Pretences and smooth DEMURE Carriage as if you could not hurt a Worm when the poyson of Asps was under your Tongue I will produce one Instance more and then proceed to shew more Reasons why the forsaking you is no Apostacy from the Christian Faith I am said Hugh Latimer that laborious Preacher and blessed Martyr Ignorant of things which I trust hereafter to know as I do now know things Foxes Acts and Monum p. 1325. Humility indeed In which I have been Ignorant heretofore Ever learn and ever to be learned to profit with learning I thought in times past that the Pope was Christs Vicar had been Lord of all the World as Christ is so that if he should have deprived the King of his Crown it had been enough for he could do no wrong Now I think otherwise and I thought in time past that and if I had been a Fryer in a Coul I could not have been damned nor afraid of Death and by occasion of the same I have been minded many times to have been a Fryer Namely when I was sore sick and diseased and now I abhor my superstitious Foolishness It were too long to tell you what blindness I have been in and how long it were e're I could forsake such Folly and thus far Humble Latimer Come G. W. What do you think was Hugh Latimer right when he was amongst the Papists or right when he gave this plain Testimony against them You will say he could not be right then if right now but if right now he could not be right then Now I will not say but he was in an error in being so zealous for rhe Popish way but yet thus far I will venture to go on the Martyr's side that he was right in his intention and in Sincerity when he was thus deluded by the crafty Frier's carriage but they being so subtile and crafty that we see this worthy-learned Preacher was carried away viz. with the â—eaven of the Pharisees for possibly they said THEE and THOV possibly they did not wear LACE possibly they pretended to preach FREELY nnd pretended many fair things but when Hugh Latimer once saw their Craft and Subtilty and that there was nothing but Self-Ends and Self-Righteousness in the bottom then he soon left them But for his pains they called him Heretick and Self condemned Apostate Contentious Apostate And had this young Harlot power I have reason to expect the same Fate Come G. W. and the rest of your infallible Tribe who pretend you have a Spirit given to you beyond all the Forefathers indeed if you had said contrary to all the Forefathers you had spoken truth to purpose for here you may see the blessed Martyrs Men of Parts of Learning of Sincerity Integrity and such Christian Courage as the flames of Fire nor all the Taunts Reproaches and Slanders of your Predecessors were able to cast or inflict upon them could not daunt nor discourage them yet such was their Humility that they acknowledged themselves ignorant of some things which in time they did hope and trust to know and modestly said they did they trust know some things which formerly they were altogether ignorant of yea that they once had as erronious opinion of the Pope as John Blackling Josiah Coale Solomon Eccles John Audland and their Brethren had of George Fox But you see their humble acknowledgment of their superstitious opinion and that it was a long time ere they could forsake such Folly
first Principle c. 2dly That he was elected before the World began * Fourth Part of the Christian Quaker distinguished c. p. 84. 3dly That he had power to bind and to loose †The Quakers unmasked c. p. 27. 4thly That his Marriage was above the state of the first Adam in his Innocency and that he never fell nor changed See the same page 5thly If ever you own the Prophets Christ and the Apostles said G. Fox you will own our Writings which are given forth by the same Spirit and Power * G. F's Answer to the Westmorland Petition p. 30. 6thly You may as well condemn the Scriptures to the Fire as our Queries Our giving forth Papers and printed Books it is from the immediate eternal Spirit of God You are now answered from the mouth of the Lord †Truth 's Defence G. F. and R. H. p 2. 89 104. 7thly He that hath the same Spirit that raised up Jesus from the dead is equal with God G. Fox * Saul's Errand c. p. 8. Thus Friendly Reader I have herein as well as in divers places in this Treatise manifested that G. F. gave out himself to be some GREAT MAN to whom the Quakers for many Years my self for one gave heed almost from the least to the greatest and I think that neither Simon nor Becket could give out more to shew themselves GREAT MEN. Next follows what divers of their Preachers and People attributed to him and tho such Letters were in his Life-time frequently sent to him yet I never heard that he ever rejected them nor yet reproved the Authors of them See Fourth Part of the Christian Quaker distinguished c. p. 83 84. See first Josiah Coal in Letter of his from Barbadoes recorded in their Book of Audland's Letters Dear G. Fox who art the Father of many Nations whose Life hath reach'd through us thy Children even to the Isles afar off to the begetting many again to a lively hope for which Generations to come shall call thee Blessed whose Being and Habitation is in the power of the Highest in which thou rulest and governs in Righteousness and THY KINGDOM IS ESTABLISHED IN PEACE AND THE INCREASE THEREOF IS WITHOVT END Next that of Solomon Eccles. who writ of G. Fox these words which were not fit to be said of any Mortal viz. A Prophet indeed It was said of Christ that he was in the world and the world was made by HIM and the world knew him not SO it may be said of this true Prophet whom John said he was not but thou shalt feel this Prophet one day as heavy as a Milstone upon thee and though the world knows him not yet he is known c. Quakers Challenge p. 6. Next that of John Audlands in a Letter of his to G. Fox from the West of England viz. See the 5th Part of Babel's Builders p. 7. Dear and precious one in whom my life is bound up and my strength in thee stands By thy breathings I am nourished by thee my strength is renewed Blessed art thou for evermore and Blessed are all that enjoy thee life and strength comes from thee Holy One. Daily do I find thy presence with me which doth exceedingly preserve me for I cannot raign but in thy presence and power Pray for me that I may stand in thy Dread for evermore I am thine begotten and nourished by thee and in thy power am I preserved Glory unto thee Holy one for ever See also part of a Certificate that John Blaikling gave forth on the behalf of George Fox Fifth Part of the Christian Quaker distinguished c. p. 77. against William Rogers That G. Fox is blessed with Honour above many Brethren and that thousands will stand by him in a HEAVENLY Record unto the integrity of his Soul to truth that still lives with him That his LIFE REIGNS and is spotless innocent and still retains his Integrity whose ETERNAL HONOUR and BLESSED RENOWN shall remain yea his presence and the dropping of his tender words in the Lord's love was my Soul's nourishment c. Yea so sacred or so dreadful was G. F's Name to the People beyond Seas that they printed and published it to the World viz. That mentioning the Name George Fox did prick them to the heart See their Book A true Account p. 42. This is enough to shew that Josiah Coal Solomon Eccles John Audland and John Blaikling and others too many here to enumerate together with those Preachers who preached at his Funeral where they stiled him the great Apostle a Prophet the Jacob of the Age c. I say 't is enough to shew that they walk hand in hand with the Papists in this matter as well as in almost every thing else G. W. I question whether they be their Letters as cited F. B. But if they be proved theirs will you stand by them or retract them G. W. If they be theirs might there not be a more favourable Construction put upon them than Idolatry and Blasphemy May not a Man write a Letter to his Friend to pray for him is there any hurt in that F. B. What! did they pray to G. Fox to solicit the Virgin Mary to pray c G. W. No I do not say to a Saint departed but to a living Saint Mr. R. Russell Indeed Mr. Whitehead I do not understand those Sayings in those Letters to be any other than Blasphemy G. W. I do not approve of those Letters so that whether theirs or not theirs I do not own them OBSERVATION Note That John Blaikling's Certificate on the behalf of G. Fox I did not read at the Conference For tho' I had seen it before yet being surprized and not knowing of G. W's being in Town till late over Night I could not find it but being one in Nature with the other three I thought it meet to incert it in the recited Parallel in two Columns c. F. B. Well George then be plain if you do not own them deny them in writing under your hand c. G. W. I do not care to write I will not trouble my self to write F. B. Then I will write for you if you please G. W. So thou may'st if thou wilt F. B. As for those three Letters said to be wrote by Sol. Eccles Josiah Coal and John Audland I am apt to believe they are none of theirs as cited but if they be I do disown them George dost thou like this Is this thy Sence If so subscribe it G. W. I do say before all these People that whether they be or be not of their Writing I disown them F. B. Well George then subscribe what your Sense is that we may be at a Certainty F. W. I will not write after thee thou shalt not be a Dictator to me S. B. George I only write your sense and when I missed you gave me apt words to put in and make it your sense thereby making
in their quarterly book as in Painted Harlot p. 60 62 63. Yet not being under Hand and Seal when I put forth my Book De Chr. Lib. c. They wrote me word that if I did not call in and condemn that book that they would come out with their Narrative c. By which I saw the popish Maxim fulfilled viz. No Faith or Covenant to be kept with Hereticks And when they saw me thus resolved not to trust their Promise nor to take their Words they then chose rather to give me a Deed to secure me under the Feoffees Hands and Seals and Jos Bangs and Philip Cranniss are witnesses to it which being large I shall only recite a few words out of it shewing that I have power to hold a Meeting to appoint a Meeting to speak in a Meeting to write in the Meeting in a word whatever in former days I did my Power is the same So that I fear not G. W's other CONSEQVENCES I am provided against their Arbitrary Wresting my Property out of my Hands as they have done to too many viz. Memorandum That on the 15th day of August 1678. We who are Feoffees for the Meeting-House in Hallowel-Row in Milden-Hall in the County of Suffolk do by this our present Writing acknowledge That Fra. Bugg of the same Town and County gave towards the purchasing the Burial Place and building the said Meeting-House with the out House appertaining to the same the Sum of twenty-Pounds and five Shillings And thereby hath as great an Interest in the Meeting House as any of US or any OTHER PERSON WHATSOEVER * What think you George had not I as good a right as you that never gave penny to it viz if you will keep Covenant And we do by these presents as well in Consideration of the said twenty pounds towards the Purchase aforesaid as also for divers other causes and considerations according to the Power resting and residing in us do Covenant grant and agree to and with the said Fra. Bugg That he the said Francis Bugg shall from time to time and at all times hereafter have possess and enjoy the same Ingress Egress and Regress Vse and Possession which he the said Francis Bugg formerly enjoyed †Mark that without the Let Hinderance or Molestation of the People called Quakers § Be sure you keep Covenant I shall tell you of it else Now George I think I am out of the reach of your other CONSEQVENCES yea out of your power of thrusting me forth of your Meetings as you have done others and then call them distracted and the like I will assure you they had not need be distracted that deal with you but have their wits about them or else they shall soon feel the effect of your other CONSEQVENCES but I now am past the fear of your Councel-Table your Friend Penn's Interest or Geo. Whitehead's other Consequences Obj. Well but some may say what will they go to Law or what other Consequences can G. W. mean We thought them to be great Sufferers and not so subject to go to Law Answ That they will go to Law and upon small Trifles too I can shew it their Judgment For Tho. Crisp in his books had but mentioned 2 of the Letters of the Names of some of their Ministers that lived in some immoralities and Richard Richardson their then Clerk to their second days meeting who wrote for the Church viz. their Society and on their behalf sent him a Letter to consult his interest c. The Abstract of which follows c. Tho. Crisp London the 31 5 Mon. 1682. Thy Book I have not read others have them only thy Letter remains by me wherein I find thee charging Friends with Whoredom Theft Cheating Breaking and other Immoralities thou mayest consult thy own safety this is not matter of Religious Controversy but civil Moralities the Church will require no such satisfaction from thee But they cannot restrain men in their civil concerns from seeking Justice in a legal way ††G. W. If that be your opinion that 't is lawful to seek Justice in a legal way what makes you so angry with me for getting a Justice Warrant for you to the intent that I might get you to own your scandalous book Judgment fixed c. Did not I seek Justice against a publick Defame in a legal way which I have in part obtained viz. Your owning your Book c. which is in order to farther satisfaction You seemed very kind to the Justice in omitting his Name but you have pointed at him saying there ☞ he dwells viz. at DORNHAM IN SUFFOLK which is all one to telling his Name which when he saw it he saw through your Sophistry and gave a right Character of your temper in that Affair c. c. And if so that the very mentioning 2 Letters of a Name put them in such a Fret and Passion I hope they will bear with others if they seek a Remedy against them for their slanderous Tongues and Pens Neither did I think it necessary to trust to their promise whom I have found so false in so many cases for my security if I had I should soon have felt G W's other CONSEQVENCES And as to their being great Sufferers I know that many of their Hearers are but it was ever the way of their Ministers to save themselves as my book the Painted Harlot c. sets forth But yet I remember one thing which will discover how they love to magnify their Sufferings and account such great Sufferings which indeed are no Sufferings at all as the next Chapter will sufficiently make appear so that it is no Apostacy from the Articles of the Christian Faith to separate from the Quakers and their Errors CHAP. IX Sheweth that the forsaking the Quakers is no Apostacy from the Articles of the Christian Faith SAmuel Cater one of their insignificant Preachers had a Meeting at Phakenham in Norfolk which as it stands in their Quarterly book will tell after ages that Sam. Cater was fined 20 l. and distrained * See their Quarterly Book at Hadenham in the Isle of Ely c. and that for Preaching too And this will look great and exalt his Name and crown his Memory tho indeed he did not suffer one Shilling however there it stands as an honourable and valiant Suffering unless it be lately cancelled and blotted out as it ought to be The Passage which I having a providential opportunity took out of their Quarterly book stands thus Samuel Cater for being at a Meeting at Phakenham in Norfolk on the 4th day of the 5th Month called July Anno 1670. preaching and publishing the Gospel of Peace One Ann Wats a Woman Informer told the Officers who came with a Warrant and had him before one Christopher Colthorp a Justice who fined him Twenty Pounds which Warrant and Conviction was sent to the Justices in the Isle of Ely namely John Laney Henry
a Dispensation for then I doubt not but you would have construed the words AS YET to relate to time and ought not to be render'd tamen viz. Nevertheless and that you was but to do things freely for the present viz. until you could get money for doing it then Adhuc had been the Grammatical Sense of the words As Yet and not Tamen And who knows but your minds may alter when you see it for your purpose We see your Interest will lead you to change and who knows but W. P. in PENSILVANIA may understand both the Latin and English Sense of that your Declaration which says viz. We have chosen the Son of GOD to be our King and he hath chosen us to be his People and he might command Thousands and Ten Thousands of his Servants TO FIGHT in his CAVSE But yet his Kingdom is not of this World Neither can we YET believe that he will make use of us in that way But for the PRESENT we are given up to bear and suffer c. I say if in G. Fox his Order that nothing about Marriages and Church-business should be done for money he had said That AS YET let nothing be recorded for money but FOR THE PRESENT do things FREELY c. Then you might have lawfully taken 50 l. per Annum according to G F. his infallible Law But since there is no such words of Exception in the recited infallible Order you are found Transgressors thereof and do take money contrary to your Pretences If you say the Business is more now then there is more Persons to do it But if you can thus alter then who knows but the word YET may in time be rightly understood especially in PENSILVANIA as 't is in your said Declaration G. Fox also said in his several Papers given forth about the Year 1658. Friends you ARE to do the Nations Business freely and that is the way to get into the hearts of the People * See Painted Harlot c. p. 47. c. A notable Stratagem indeed and as well improved but says G. W. †The Contentious Apostate and his One Blow c. p. 22. We think this is not true we know no such Order printed in that Year if at all Here is another of his Equivocations for tho' in my Book One Blow c. p. 6. it is said to be printed in 1650 which is an Error in the Press and corrected by an Errata in p. 14. viz. 1659. Thus he shuffles and seeks ways to evade the matter which is certainly true for I have the Book by me and still contrary to his Pretensions for in Judgment Fixed p. 365. he thus saith For I examin the Errata's even of my Adversaries Books as they are noted before I answer the matter c. Now this is either true or false i. e. he either examins the Errata's or he does not If he does not then he proclaims himself a Lyar to the whole World in Print If he does and yet takes no Notice of the Correction of an Error but publish the Error as he hath done this of 1650 instead of 1659. then is he still the more like himself A grand Deceiver one that pretends fair yea so fair as that he pretends to examin the Errata's even of his Adversaries Books before he answer them And yet behold it is no such matter thus deceitfully false do I find him in many places too large to recite and therefore I do hereby resume my Charge as in Battering Rams p. 11 12. viz. In this you deceive your People in that you pretend to Teach Preach Suffer and Record Marriages and other Publick Offices freely without Money Gifts or Rewards And by reason of this fair Pretence you not only have deceived the Simple but also taken occasion thereby to vilify and speak contemptuously of all other Publick Preachers First the National for taking Tythes and other Dues as a setled Maintenance by Law Established which is not so burthensom as you are to many of your Hearers notwithstanding your smooth Pretences to the contrary And next the Presbyterians and Independents whom you bespatter about their Bason c. wherein perhaps their Hearers put their free Contributions for their Ministers Subsistence and all this while VALVE your selves upon your FREE PREACHING FREE SVFFERING FREE WRITING c. And at the same time you know 't is common for all these Church-Officers amongst you to take money c. These things discover your Hypocrisie and you cannot abide to hear of them but T. Ellwood hath confessed them W. R. manifested them the recited Letter suggests them and I do affirm them CHAP. XI Shews that the Forsaking the Quakers is no Apostacy from the Articles of the Christian Faith BY this time it may be expected That whereas in my former Books I have made some distinction between the Foxonian Party and the Storian Party amongst the People call'd Quakers sometimes terming the one Christian Quakers the other Antichristian the one Protestant the other Popish c. And that if there be a real difference in their Principles I should and ought in point of Justice to continue the distinction and not to condemn the Innocent with the Guilty c. To all which I do say there is great Reason so to do and in order to it as I have set forth the Principles and Practices of the Foxonian Party so now I shall set forth what the Storian Party holds and shew it to be sound And that tho' they do dissent from the established Religion yet they hold the true Faith at least for substance as may be seen by the Articles of the Faith of John Cox whilst he was a Minister amongst the Storian Party which I call the Christian Quakers in a little Book printed Anno 1689. intituled The Articles of the Christian Faith believed and written by me John Cox c. And I never heard that any of his Hearers contradicted the said Book or any part of it and therefore in Charity I am oblig'd to think they hold the same Faith First in his Epistle to the Reader he thus saith And to explain my self I agree in every Particular with those called the Apostles Nicene and Athanasius Creeds c. OF JESUS CHRIST ARTICLE II. P. 6. I believe in one Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ the onely begotten eternal Son of God the Father conceived by the Holy Ghost manifested in the Flesh born of the Virgin Mary and suffered and dyed for our Sins without the Gates of Jerusalem and rose again the third day for our Justification And I believe all else concerning him according to the Holy Scriptures OBSERVATION The difference betwixt the recited Article in this fundamental Point and their Article set forth in their 2d and 3d Principle in the first Chapter is obvious I shall recite some few passages more and so leave it with some few Observations c. OF THE SACRED SCRIPTURES ARTICLE IV. P. 7. I believe
others are as justifiable as the Protestants separation from Rome and upon the same bottom in many things so will their Understandings increase in the Knowledge of our LORD and Saviour Jesus Christ who is GOD over all blessed for evermore Amen The next books I refer to are Dr. Hammonds and Bp. Sandersons c. which W. Penn says were of his mind in his book Good Advice to the Ch. of England Roman Catholick and Protestants c. p. 22 23 24. Where he highly commends them for their Principles when he was their most invetterate Enemy and grand Temporiser as may be seen in the Looking-glass for the Quakers c. in two Columns Yea and in that very Book of his p. 39. Charged Archbp. Cranmer with compelling Edw. VI. to sign a Warrant to burn Poor Joan of Kent a famous Woman for meer Religion which I do not believe but charge it upon him G. W. and the rest of his Adherents as a Lye until they prove it by a Protestant Author ending his Paragraph thus Thus even the Protestants began with Blood for meer Religion and taught the Romanists in succeeding times how to deal with them Thus when he had flatteringly spoken well of the Protestant Principles as Christian-like saying certainly those Gentlemen as Dr. Hammond and Bp. Sanderson c. were of my Mind and yet a few Pages off tells the World that their Principles are so very wicked and their Practices so abominably Antichristian as that they began with Blood and meer Religion too yea and the very Teachers and Instructers of the Papists how to deal with them and how to exercise their bloody Projects Oh shamefully wicked and base Flattery which meets with a just Recompence May it not justly be said He sitteth in the lurking places of the Villages he lyeth in wait secretly as a Lyon in his Den Psal 10. VVell notwithstanding this digression I still refer to the said worthy mens books and to Bp. Brownrigg's and other Divines of the Church of England who have so excellently set forth the Principles of the Church of England That should I put Pen to paper after them upon the subjects they treated on it would be but like lighting of a Candle at Noon-day when the Sun shines bright in its Lustre And whatever may be suggested by G. W. c. I bless the day in which I went into Cripplegate Parish to hear Mr. Smythies I find their Principles to be more Christian than his or his party more charitable more humble more self denying Not having in 6 or 7 years in which I have frequented the Public heard so much railing Language and hard Speeches in all the Sermons against the Quakers and Dissenters as I have heard in one Month nay I may say I think in one Sermon against the public Ministry I Remember G. W. in his Content Apostate and one Blow c. p. 11. says thus viz. Now Isaac Archer thou having thus far appeared an Abettor and Assister of F. B. and he being one of thy Flock and Church we may take it for granted that he hath secret Incouragement from thee to divulge his Books against us Now serious George I perceive you are fallible and need that some body give yoâ— discerning and that you may have somebody to furnish you with discerning and judgment I do tell you that you have taken an absolute Lye for a certain Truth and what a sad thing is this You that pretend None need to give you discerning or judgment Christ hath furnisht you already See Judas and the Jews p. 58. and doth on all Occasions Here you see you are not furnished in this small occasion and for want thereof presumptuously take for granted an arrant Lye for a certain infallible Truth oh that you could measure your self by these Delusions And I would to GOD that your Hearers would take these your erronious principles into their serious Considerations and Berean like examine whether they have any likeness and bear any Relation to the Writings of the Apostles Prophets Martyrs Professors of any Christian Society of Protestants whatever and if like none but contrary to all And that notwithstanding your pretence to Infallability perfect discerning c. yet you are fallible and as subject to err as any nay more subject in that many times as in this instance you upon that principle of Infallibity think you know all things when the truth is you are ignorant For I must tell you in order to let you see your mistake and give you a clear discerning that Mr. Archer did never put me upon writing against you in all his Life-time nor until this time see a Sheet of my Writing against you in Manuscript nor no other Clergy-man and now he hath not added nor yet diminished two lines that I perceive see now whence your discerning is Come G. W. did you write this Book as a Man in your own single Capacity And as for the Position in the same Page which you say is Mr. Archers he denies it as laid down by you and that what he said he is able to make good and that by the concurrent Testimony of the Scriptures and the learned Fathers But until you have answer'd his Query I have desir'd him to have nothing to do with such a contentious person as you are who writ three Books in nine Months time and yet charge your Opposer with your own Crime as if you were such a peaceable Man and yet have been a contentious Scribler these 40 or 50 Years against almost every man like Ishmael of old and that the World may see Mr. Archer's Query and your pretended Answer and how remote and evasive it is I may recite the substance of both viz. Mr. Whitehead I challenge you to shew me a Precedent for Womens distinct Meetings apart from the Men J. A's Query as by you set up since the days of the Apostles Come G. W. this is the knotty Question which Mr. Archer proposed to you in the publick Meeting the 30th of April 1691. G. W. not able to answer Mr. Archer's Query which put you to silence as not able to answer it which you left out of your Narrative as you did much more spoken by him that day as not for your purpose And when I reminded you of this you had the face to deny it under your hand but Mr. Archer resumed the Question and recharged you as well as let you know that he proposed the same in the Meeting c. And it stands over your head unanswer'd only thus much you tell him in page 8. of your last Book stiled The Contentious Apostate recharged c. That in the City of Blois there was in the time of Martyrdom nine Women met together with their Daughters and prayed with and for each other c. which is as remote as if you had told us of Queen Hester and her Maids and the like which no body ever disputed But had they a Clerk Did
they set up a Meeting in order to govern the Church Had they power to forbid the Banes of Marriage or to confirm them Were they to meet by their Patent at Ten a Clock to raise a Bank or Common-Purse c Come G. W. pursue the Terms of the Question and produce a Precedent if you be able if not let your Silence be a token that Mr. Archer hath put you to a Non-plus ultra CHAP. XII Shews that forsaking the Quakers is no Apostacy from the Articles of the Christian Faith HAving with as much Brevity as I may answered the principal things contained in G. Whitehead's three Books I am now come to the Contentious Apostate recharged c. page 5 6 7. containing a denial of several things by me at divers times charged on G. W. and his Brethren in several of my Books formerly writ against their Errors and Hypocrisies charging them to be False c. And to evince this Charge he takes one line here and two there and sometimes five words out of the middle of a line as in p. 12. l. 10. in Battering Rams c. not touching the matter either immediately before it or after it viz. some 50 l. per Annum c. A notable way to confute an Adversary and answer his Book Surely as this way of Confutation is singular and by itself without Proof Reason Demonstration or Precedent so if he did not look upon his Disciples strangely infatuated and ready to believe what ever he writes whether True or False Sense or Nonsense I should think setting his infallible Capacity aside he should Yet his parts consider'd as a natural Man he might be ashamed to appear in Print again hear this Criticiser this notable serious G. W. and behold his Answer in his 5th Instance which runs thus Your way is when Cash grows low to issue out And then he gives a Leap out of this Line having took the middle of it into the middle of the next Line and then takes a letter and two words viz. A General Epistle And from thence he skips to the last three words of the next Line i. e. Your own Service And now he hops to the next Line and takes one word viz. for and leaves the next word as and then takes the next word money And then gives a good Leap into another Line and gets a good pretty parcel of words viz. 'T is a great Encouragement to your Preachers and Parasites which being put together as we use to put Syllables when I was four or five years old it runs thus viz. Your way is when your Cash grows low to issue out A General Epistle Your own Service for money 'T is a great Encouragement to your Preachers and Parasites c. And now Reader do you think G. W. was not sorely put to it to answer these Charges And is not his way and manner of charging his Adversary very singular who is forced to take this unheard-of way to take five words there three words here and then the middle of a Sentence and then because he would make it look like something he takes out of another line one word and leaves a word then he 's too 't again and takes another word and then when he has jumbled all this Hoch-poch together and play'd all the Ledgerdemaine his subtle Pen and profound Wit can invent perverting the Sense mincing the Argument into small parcels leaving out what was not for his turn and which was the Argument and then cryes This is one of Francis Bugg 's Lyes F. B. is Vnconscionable F. B. is disingenuous in writing malicious in his divulging Books c. making as great a Noise against me as his Brother Harding did against Mr. Jewell as I have observed already * See the Introduction And thus and after this manner G. W. spent near three Pages of his said Book which in all is but eight Pages And yet this is the Man that is against curtailing against mangling and marring the Sense nay his 11th Charge in this last recited Pamphlet is only because my Printer or Compositer left out in a Quotation I took out of the Works of Dr. R. Barns the Martyr the word SVCH and for this he there charges me to be a false Accuser of the blessed Martyr a Perverter a Forger and what not that may make his poor credulous Disciples believe that Francis Bugg is a very sad Man to leave out a word when yet 't is his own practice For at the same time and in the same Page wherein he charges me with leaving out the word SVCH he hath left out the word OTHER as I have already observed and now he leaves out not only a word but half a line a whole line takes one word and leaves another and then takes the next mangling and mincing into bits and scraps curtailing and perverting and thereby altering the Sense by his unrighteous and nonsensical proceeding on purpose to abuse me his Reader and amuse the World Indeed if I had charged the Doctrine of the Martyrs to be corrupt tending to Practical Ranterism as he hath done If I had charged the Martyrs to be the Authors of Persecution and to burn People merely for Religion and thereby taught the Papists the way how to proceed in their bloody and unheard-of Cruelties as his Brother W. P. hath done that worthy Martyr true Protestant and brave English Man who under GOD and the King was a chief Instrument in throwing off the heavy Yoke of the Pope's Supremacy here in England viz. Archbishop Cranmer and at the same time too and in the same Book * See Good Advice to the Church of England Rom. Cat. and Pro. Disent p. 39. per W. P. wherein he flatteringly seemed to magnify the Principles of the Church of England speaking well of her eminent Doctors and grave Bishops At the same time when with a Dagger in his hand was wounding the Reputation of one of her Noblest Martyrs bloody Joab-like I say If I had done thus or any thing of this Nature tho' not of so deep a Dye you might have had some Colour to have exposed me a false Accuser of the blessed Martyrs and a Sider with the Papists c. And thus as I have said having answer'd the most considerable Matters contained in G. W's three last Pamphlets And by what is said shewed the Nature of his handling and prosecuting his 3d and last Charge which is by mincing cutting and mangling my Arguments into Scraps and Bits in order to spoil the Sense c. I refer the Reader to what I have said in this Treatise wherein the most material Passages which he hath curtail'd and mangled are answer'd and to make that appear view my said Books by G. W. quoted And now G. W. if you will be plain and prove what you have said or retract what you cannot maintain both with respect to your Principles which you hold and which I have fairly collected out of
your printed Books as in the first Chapter quoting Book and Page c. And with respect to what you have wrote which is false and which I charge upon you and recharge you again as in One Blow c. according to the terms in the first Chapter taken out of Edward Burroughs's Works even the words of your own Propositions then let me have Notice of it a Month and GOD willing I shall readily wait upon your motion And if you will be plain and retract what is false and erroneous and vindicate only what is sound I shall be glad of it but if the contrary I may deal with you accordingly Now if you still shall refuse to come out of your Dens and lurking places and think it your most secure way to save your self by keeping your People in Ignorance then my Advice to you is that you answer my Queries propounded in Battering Rams c. p. 20 21 22 23 24 25. and those referred too in the 9th Query p. 21. and Mr. Archer's Query above recited and as yet unanswered and the Jacobites Query in this Treatise and at the end of them this which followeth viz. Query Whether 't is not possible to write against you who are called QUAKERS and not to write against Truth And lastly Whether it be not possible for a Man to leave and forsake you and write against you but that the Consequence of his so doing renders himself a Self-condemned Apostate which is only a softer word for an Heretick Answer these things fairly and you may hear more from me but if not you may rail forge pervert invert lye and slander I shall rest satisfy'd in that I have thus far discharg'd my Duty to GOD and my Country at this time Milden-Hall April 3. 1692. FRA BVGG THE CONCLVSION SInce I writ the foregoing Treatise I have seen George Whitehead's Book Antichrist in Flesh Vnmasked c. in Answer to a Book Antichrist in Spirit Vnmasked Or Quakerism a Great Delusion c. wherein G. W. seems to hold forth the Principles of the Christian Religion And had I a good ground to believe what he therein sets forth in the Quakers Name to be really so indeed I would stop the Publication of what I have at this time writ against their Errors But until they by some Publick and General Act first Renounce and Condemn under the Hands of some of their principal Leaders and Teachers their manifest Errors laid down in Print and hitherto owned by them a few whereof I have herein related I have no reason to believe that they mean as they say but like deceitful Workers they transform themselves into the likeness of what they really are not that is to say into the likeness of the Ministers of Christ and true Professors of the ancient Faith and thereby deceive the simple with their feigned words and jugling tricks who like our Enemies at Sea either to defend themselves from our stroke or to draw us into their snare will put up the English Flag So these now make a shew of their owning the Scriptures to be Holy which formerly they frequently call'd CARNAL LETTER (a) West Pet. Answ p. 13 23. News out of the North p. 14 35 39. and Truth 's Defence p. 28 56 60. EARTHLY LETTER (b) Idem p. 14. the HVSK (c) Idem p. 53. and Way to the Kingdom p. 8. DVST (d) Discovery of Antichrist p. 9. and DEATH (e) Idem p. 9. and G. Whitehead's Ishmael p. 10. but now tell us they are Holy What! Is that which is Carnal and Earthly Holy Is the Husk Dust and Death Holy This is Jugling with a Witness but blessed be GOD these Jugles and these Juglers are discover'd daily even so Amen They own the Humanity of Christ his Death Suffering Resurrection and Ascension and hoping for Salvation through the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness and meritorious Death and Passion * See their Paper stiled The Christianity of the People commonly called Quakers c. But when I look into their former printed Books and especially their Epistles which they frequently sent to their Friends to be read in their Church Assemblies there is not a word of any such Confession so that what G. W. hath now writ is but like the French Men when they put up the English Flag merely a Trick and Sham and ought not to be taken notice of any otherwise than as such And therefore to make this evidently appear I may first recite part of George Whitehead's Book aforesaid and secondly two or three Passages out of one of their Epistles wrote by two of the most eminent amongst them when living namely Edward Burroughs whose Works they Reprinted in Folio of whom Josiah Coal in his Testimony for him hath this passage viz. That he Edward Burroughs was a Man endued with the ALMIGHTY Power of GOD which lived and reigned in him c. Yea and that He was a Man in whom the FVLNESS dwelt of Grace and Vertue * See the Testimony of his Life c. put forth 1662. by G. Fox G. Whitehead and Josiah Coal c. p. 24. c. The other was Francis Howgil whose Works they also Reprinted in Folio of whom great things are also spoken in the Testimonies writ in favor of him which by the Consent and Approbation of their Church are prefixed to his Works These two Sons of Thunder and Consolation as the Titles of their Books do bespeak them wrote from Ireland to the Camp of the Lord in England called Quakers which they thus Intituled viz. THIS IS TO GO ONLY AMONGST FRIENDS By which the Reader will easily perceive that what G. W. hath lately wrote by way of Confession and in the Quakers Name is only to amuse his Reader and delude the World For in the whole Epistle containing 23 pages in Quarto there is not a word which sets forth the Scripture to be profitable for Doctrine not a word by way of Confession of Sins to GOD or asking Pardon for Christ's sake not a word about their owning or valuing the Incarnation of our blessed Saviour his Sufferings Death Resurrection or Ascension not a word of their hopes of being saved through the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness and Merits as G. W. would now insinuate which sufficiently shews that they are of a different Faith to what the Holy Apostles and blessed Martyrs were of And Thirdly I shall make some Observations or Animadversions upon the said Epistles in order to shew the Fallacy of the seeming serious Confession of G. Whitehead and how Janus-like they look two ways viz. when they write to their Friends certain Epistles to be read in their Church Assemblies to inculcate their Principles and wild Notions into their unsteady Heads and unstable Souls and another thing when they write to be seen of Men and to be viewed by the true Professors of Christianity And now to the first viz. A Recital of part of G. W's words in his
W. R 's Scourge for G. Whitehead c. p. 12. notwithstanding they have both challenged us thereto Thus Reader have I in brief ripped up the Craft of this G. W. and yet there is so much still to be said concerning his Cruelty his Subtilty his Baseness his Unconscionable Dealing that were I to follow him into every By-hole and Corner it would require a great deal more time pains and expence than I am willing to bestow upon him however I hope I have said enough to shew that its no Apostacy to forsake the Quakers CHAP. VIII Shews that the Forsaking the Quakers is no Apostacy from the Articles of the Christian Faith I Am now come to consider two particular passages in G. W's Book The Contentious Apostate and his Blow c. p. 3. viz. Fra. Bugg and his Company being got to the Meeting before G. W. AND INTO THE Gallery WHERE our Ministring Friends used to be c. 2. F. Bugg premising his property as Feoffee in Trust for the Meeting-house c. These two passages with many other being false renders his Narrative a false and partial Narration And if in their former Narratives as their Tryals at Assizes and Sessions they have dealt so falsly it is no marvel that the Magistrates were brought into such Contempt as unjust Judges illegal Proceedings arbitrary and the like for there is a 100 ready to testifie that there was not with me in the Gallery one man of my Company when G. Whitehead came into the Meeting and yet to render me turbulent sets forth to the world that I and my Company were in the Gallery when he came into the Meeting-house which is as false as false can be Yea so ashamed their own People were of that downright lye that they blotted it out of the Books they dispersed hereaway but that it might go in other places for an Infallible Truth they did not so much as put it in the Errata I do believe that he hath left out in p. 5 6 7. not only words but half lines and whole passages to make it look like something and when all is done none but a few of his own Proselites and infatuated Disciples will give credit to it nay some of them have in my hearing declared themselves so out of love with it as that they will not read it so false and scandalous are most of his books that they begin to be burdensome Secondly Whereas he says as above observed That I premised my property as a Feoffee that is altogether false too Upon these and several other notorious Lyes asserted and many material passages spoken by my self Mr. Archer and others being left out I wrote to G. Whitehead reminding him of his partial Narrative Forgeries Lyes and apparent Pervertions and wilful Omissions and in his answer touching the word Feoffee he thus writes viz. If thou didst not openly mention the word Feoffee I and others are mistaken which yet I am not convinced of for I was then something concerned that thou shouldst be so much interested in the Meeting-house But I am glad thou sayst now thou art no Feoffee wherein then stands thy property legally as Owner of the Meeting-house If so our Friends are much beholden to thee if not is it not as one intrust for them and the use intended Or is it upon thy free and charitable Contributions to the House If THAT was the intention IT will ADMIT of other CONSEQUENCES than a claim to such a property in the Meeting-house Now being willing to clear all passages of any weight and considering that this may come out in his next I shall speak fully to it and grant first That I am no Feoffee secondly I am not owner of the Meeting-house nor thirdly As one in trust for them and the use intended But fourthly As a free Contributer to the house I own my self to have a property Well G. W. but this thou sayst will admit of other Consequences than a claim c. Yes George I was not unsensible of it And that though Mr. Pennyman and others have had properties by being Contributers to the purchasing building and repaiting of Meeting-houses yet when they have opposed your errors then you have denied them the use they formerly had And therefore I knowing your Injustice in this point notwithstanding your seeming Innocency I took care in time to prevent the other CONSEQVENCES you mention viz. to be turned out of all right priviledge and advantage tho I was at the fourth part of the charge of the House and Burying-ground for I having the Original Deeds in my hands the Feoffees upon a time desired me to deliver up the said Deeds to them but I answered No I have a property in the house and until you secure that to me and my Heirs I will deliver no Deeds So then it rested a while and soon after I had a Letter from their Lawyer an Abstract whereof followeth Mr Bugg Here hath been with me one Sam. Waldingfeild * * This S. W. is one of their Preachers a London Quaker talking about your withholding the evidences of the Meeting-house I promised him to write to you about it and do earnestly perswade and advise you to deliver the the deeds for you cannot jmstify the detaining them And if the King * * K. James II. should be petitioned about it Mr. Penn hath such an Interest as may occasion you to be called to the Council-Table Notwithstanding the threat of Mr. Penn's Interest at Court I returned answer that I was very willing to appear at the Councel-table for unless they would some way secure to me my property I would not deliver the Deeds how great soever their interest was at the Councel-table unless by Law forced c. Well soon after the Feoffees were at me again for the DEEDS I still told them that unless they would take some care to secure my interest in the house I would not deliver the Deeds unless by Law forced So then they asked me what how and after what manner would I require security so then I did propose an even Method and equal Terms as I thought viz. Either repay me my twenty pounds again which I had in it or give me an Instrument under your hands that I shall have possess and enjoy the same benefit I formerly had Now said I to them take your choice for unless you perform one of these two things I will never deliver up the Deeds unless by Law forced I am not afraid to appear at the Council-Table * Pray G. VVhitehead S. VValdingfield let us know the reason why VV. P. will not appear himself now neither will I fear you nor trust you in any point where Holy Church is concerned remembring how you like the Papists will keep no Faith with such as you account Heretics or Self-condemned Apostates †For I remember the Agreement between S. Cater and G. S. and I which was so firmly done and recorded