the Quakers that Saints were not to do Duties by or from a Command without but from a Command within and that the word Command in Scripture was not a Command to them till they had a Word within them He Answers ' That is no Command from God to me what he Commands to another neither did any of the Saints which we read of in Scripture act by the Command which was to another not having the Command to themselves And thou or any other who goest to Duty as you call it by imitation from the Letter without which was a Command to others in your own Wills and Time your Sacrifice is not Accepted but is Abomination to the Lord for you go without the moving of the Spirit in your own Wills and Strength which God Hates and which his Wrath is upon ' Agreeable to which William Penn in his Quakerism a new Nick Name c. Printed 1673. p. 71 72. Asserts ' No Command in the Scripture is any further Obliging upon any Man than as he finds a Conviction upon his Conscience otherwise Men should be ingaged without if not against Conviction a thing unreasonable in a Man So that Conviction can only Oblige to Obedience And when any Man is Convinced That what was Commanded another is Required of him then and not till then he is rightly Authorized to perform it ' And also assert That the Scriptures are No Rule A Shield of the Truth written from the Spirit of the Lord by Jam. Parnell Printed 1655. p. 11. ' He that saith the Letter is the Rule and Guide of the People of God is Without feeding upon the Husk and is Ignorant of the True Light ' Edw. Bur. p. 515. tells us ' That the Scriptures are not the Rule and Guide of Faith and Life unto the Saints but the Spirit of God that gave forth the Scriptures ' And further in a Testimony from the Brethren met together at London in the Third Month 1666. to be Communicated to the faithful Friends and Elders in the Countries by them to be read in their several Meetings and kept as a Testimony among them Signed by Rich. Farnsworth Alex. Parker George Whitehead and Eight more who by the Operation of the Spirit of Truth being brought into a Serious Consideration of this present State of the Church of God c. Declare in the Third Section ' If any Difference arise in the Church or amongst them that Profess themselves Members thereof we do Declare and Testifie That the Church with the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ have Power without the Assent of such as Dissent from their Doctrines and Practices to Hear and Determine the same If any pretend to be of us and in Case of Controversie will not admit to be Tried by the Church of Christ Jesus nor submit to the Judgment given by the Spirit of Truth in the Elders and Members of the same but kick against their Judgment as only the Judgment of Man it being Manifested according to Truth and Consistent with the Doctrine of such Good Antient Friends as have been and are Sound in the Faith agreeable to the Witness of God in his People then we do Testifie in the Name of the Lord if that Judgment so given be Risen against and Denied by the Party Condemned then he or she ought to be Rejected as having Erred from the Truth and persisting therein Presumptuously are joined in one with Heathens and Insidels ' And pursuant to which Mr. Keith was Proceeded against in Pensylvania as guilty of Heresie not from the Scriptures as he desired but from Friends Books and was told by Sam. Jennings a great Teacher and Justice of Peace there in the Publick Meeting ' We are not to prove it from Scripture but from Friends Books for the Question between us and G. K. is not who is the best Christian but the best Quaker ' And accordingly they produced instead of Scripture a Citation out of William Penn's Christian Quaker to prove him a Heretick See G. K's Heresie and Hatred Printed at Philadelphia 1693. 6. They assert that Christ's Flesh is a Figure Saul's Errand to Damascus p. 14. The Question was put to Geo. Fox Whether Christ in the Flesh be a Figure or not and if a Figure How and in What To which he Answers Christ is the Substance of all Figures and his Flesh is a Figure And in Truth defending the Quakers by G. Whitehead c. p. 20. It is said expresly That Christ's coming in the Flesh is but a Figure And that Christ was Crucified within us and any other was Anti-Christ G. F. Gr. Myst p. 206. ' The Apostles Preached Christ that was Crucified within and not another him that was Raised up from the Dead was Risen that Lord Jesus Christ within It was he that was manifest in the Saints that was and is not another FOR THE OTHER IS THE ANTI-CHRIST Now I say if there be any other Christ but HE THAT WAS CRUCIFIED WITHIN HE IS THE FALSE CHRIST And he that hath not this Christ that was Risen and Crucified within is a Reprobate the Devils and Reprobates may make a talk of him without ' 7. They Vilifie and Deny the Sacraments viz. Baptism by Water and the Lord's Supper by Bread and Wine G. F. News coming up c. p. 14. ' Your Baptism is Carnal And their Sacrament as they call it is Carnal And their Communion is Carnal a little Bread and Wine ' And p. 34. 'A Voice and a Word to all you Deceivers who deceive the People and Blasphemers who utter forth your Blasphemy and Hypocrisie that tell People of a Sacrament and tell them it is the Ordinance of God Blush Blush and Tremble before the Almighty for Dreadful is he that will pour forth his Vengeance upon you ' Smith's Primer Printed 1668. p. 6. ' I would know Father saith the Child how it is concerning those things called Ordinances as Baptism and Bread and Wine which are much used in their Worship The Father Answers Why Child as to those things they arose from the Pope's Invention who hath had Power in the Night of Apostacy And hath set up his Devices which are yet continued in England tho' he seeming'y is denied And the whole practice of those things as they use them had their INSTITUTION BY THE POPE and were never so Ordain'd of Christ ' William Penn's Reason against Railing Printed 1673. p. 108 109. ' I affirm by that one Scripture Hebr. 9.10 that Circumcision is as much in force as Water-Baptism and the Paschal-Lamb as Bread and wine they were both Shadows and both Elementary and Perishable For a Continuance of them had been a Judaizing of the Spiritual Evangelical Worship the Gospel would have been a State of Figures Types and Shadows And we can Testifie from the same Spirit by which Paul renounced Circumcision that they are to be rejected as not now required Neither have they since the False Church Espoused
given to the Priests be given to the Poor And let all the great Houses Abbies Steeple-Houses and Whitehall be for Alms-Houses for all the Blind and Lame to be there ' c. And they are of the same Principles still they tell you so as in the Conclusion you will see it proved from their late Writings Again in their Book stiled These several Papers sent to the Parliament the Twentieth of the Fifth Month 1659. Inscrib'd by above Seven Thousand Quakers there is these Passages p. 63. ' Sell all the Gleab-Lands and the Bells except One in a Town or Two in a City to give Notice of Fire And all the late King's Parks and his Rents and the Abbies and deny your selves of his i. e. King 's Parks Houses and Rents So let them be sold and the Colledges sold For we Declare with our Hands and with our Lives and Estates against the Ministry that take Tythes and the Setters of them up and the first Authors of them and the Laws that Upholds them ' c. And they are the same still they have not Deviated from their Old Principles as they themselves say only they think it Prudent otherwise to word the Matter as afterwards you 'l hear And House of Commons Geo. Fox Junior in his Works Reprinted 1665. p. 87 88. Intitles his Epistle ' A few Plain Words to be Considered by those of the Army or others that would have a Parliament Chosen by the Voices of the People c. Wheren is shewed unto them according to the Scriptures of Truth That a Parliament so Chosen are not like to govern for God or the good of his People Consider these things says he which I Declare unto you which in waiting upon the Lord he by his Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding Opened in me concerning the Chusing of Parliaments by the Voices of the People ' And p. 89. he says ' You are not like to see your desires fulfilled by a Parliament Chosen by the Voices of the People Now if you believe these Scriptures Joh. 15.19 Math. 7.13 Rom. 9.27 then may you see That a Parliament that is Chosen by most Voices are not like to act for God and the good of his People ' And p. 91. ' And likewise the Chusing of Parliament Men according to the Custom of England which is called its Birth-right stands in respect of Persons and not in Equality for the Rich Covetous Oppressing Men who Oppress the Poor they have the only Power to Chuse Law-makers and they will Chuse to be sure such as will uphold them in their Oppression ' And p. 92 93. ' And we see the People have been in great Blindness in contending for Parliaments so Chosen ' Pag. 149. ' Again it is God's proper right to give Laws unto Man Now in this particular also Man have set himself in the Seat of God and so have Dishonoured the one Law-giver by setting up many Law-givers ' Pag. 150. ' Now Mark and Consider these things seeing that the Righteous are fewer in Number than the Unrighteous and that the Law-makers are Chosen by the most Voices and that of the Richest People outwardly how are the Righteous like to be preserved in outward Freedom by the Laws that are so made ' Pag. 159. ' And I must deal plainly with you saith he in the sight of God who hath made me a PROPHET TO THIS NATION ' Again Edw. Burroughs in his Works p. 522. 'A Running to the Powers of the Earth What have you Ministers lost the Lord to be your Strength that you must flee for help to Men Must they make Laws to Establish you and Set you Up Is not this the Whore that Rode upon the Beast and that the Beast Carried ' Again p. 524. to the Parliament thus viz. ' You do but cause people to drink of the Whores Cup and you are but them i. e. Beast which Carry the Whore viz. the False Church And this is plain dealing to tell you the Truth for we are Gathered up into the Life which the Holy Men of God Lived in and are fallen from the World and its Ways and Nature ' p. 50. ' For even the FATHER bears Witness of us and therefore our Witness is True ' Against Judges Justices and Constables News coming up c. Geo. Fox p. 18. ' Dreadful is the Lord and Powerful who is coming in his Power to Execute true Judgment upon all you Judges and to Change all your Laws ye Kings and all you Rulers must down and cease And all you Underling-Officers which have been as the Arms of this great Tree which the Fowls have lodged under All your Branches must be CUT down for you have been all the Fruitless Branches grown on the Fruitless Tree ' Pag. 20. ' Sing all ye Saints and Rejoice Clap your Hands and be Glad for the Lord Jehovah will Reign and the Government shall be taken from you pretended Rulers Judges and Justices Lawyers and Constables all this Tree must be Cut down and Jesus Christ in us will Rule alone So you must be Cut down with the same Power ' p. 19. ' that Cut down the King that Reigned over the Nation ' And in Edw. Bur. Works Printed 1659. and Reprinted in 1672. and Recommended by the same Geo. Fox Fran. Howgil Geo. Whitehead Jos Coale c. p. 501. he saith ' We stand Witnesses against Parliaments Councils Judges Justices who Make or Execute Laws in their Will over the Consciences of Men or Punish for Conscience sake And to such Laws Customs Courts or Arbitrary Usurped Dominion WE cannot yield OUR Obedience ' c. Against Lawyers Again Geo. Fox to the Parliament of the Common-Wealth of England c. saith p. 5. ' Away with Capmen and Coifmen as they are called away with all those Counsellers that will not tell Men the Law without Ten Shillings Twenty Shillings or Thirty Shillings And away with those Lawyers Twenty Shillings Counsellers Thirty Shillings Serjeants Ten-Groats Attorneys ' Against Lords of Manours Again p. 8. ibid. ' Let all those Fines that belong to Lords of Manours be given to Poor People for Lords have enough ' 10. Which Government that they might not Support they Declare against the Use of the Carnal Weapon in 1660. A Declaration from the People of God called Quakers against all Plotters and Fighters c. presented to King Charles II. 1660. ' All Bloody Principles and Practices We as to our own Particulars do utterly Deny with all outward WARS and Strife and Fightings with outward WEAPONS for any end or under any pretence whatsoever And this is our Testimony to the whole World And we do certainly Know and so Testisie to the World that the Spirit of Christ which leads us into all Truth will never move us to Fight and WAR against any Man with outward Weapons either for the Kingdom of Christ nor for the Kingdom of this World ' c. Subscribed by Geo. Fox Sam.
Fisher and many more Altho' none before so much for it as they The aforesaid Sam. Fisher in his Works Printed 1656. and Reprinted 1679. and recommended to the World amongst others by William Penn who tells us That these things came not to him by Flesh and Blood but by the Revelation of the Father of Lights And thus the said Sam. Fisher speaks in a Message from the Lord to O. Cromwell and the Parliament of England p. 19 20. ' I will hold my Peace NOW no longer saith the Lord as concerning this Evil which they so profanely Commit and Do Daily against my Chosen but will utterly SVBVERT and OVERTVRN them and bring the Kingdoms and Dominions and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven into the Hands of the HOLY ONES of the most High and give unto my Son and his Saints to Reign over all the Earth and take all the Rule and Authority and Power that shall stand up against my Son in his Saints And I will put my High Praises into their Mouth and a Two Edged SWORD into their Hands and they shall Execute Vengeance upon the Heathen and Punishments upon the People and shall bind their Kings in Chains and their Nobles in Fetters of Iron and Execute upon them the Judgment that is written in my Eternal Decree and unchangeable Council saith the Lord. Given forth under my Hand as the Lord himself gave it into my Heart to see and into my Mouth to speak in part and unto my Hand thus at large to write it this Twenty fifth Day of the snme Month viz. the Seventh 1656. Samuel Fisher ' Witness also the Quakers Declaration to Oliver viz. Oh! Oliver arise and come out for thou hast had Authority stand to it Nor let any other take thy Crown And let thy Soldiers go forth with a free and willing Heart that thou mayest Rock Nations as a Cradle This is a Charge to thee in the presence of the Lord God Also Geo. Roffe in his Book Intituled The Righteousness of God c. Printed p. 11. hath these words 'To thee Oliv. Cromwell thus saith the Lord I have Chosen thee amongst the Thousands of the Nations to Execute my Wrath upon mine Enemies and gave them to thy Sword with which I fought for the Zeal of my own Name and gave thee the Enemies of my own Seed to be a Curse and a Reproach for ever and made thee an Instrument against them and many have I Cut down by my Sword in thy Hand that my wrath might be Executed upon them to the Uttermost ' Subscribed Geo. Roffe And Geo. Fox in his Letter directed to the Council of Officers of the Army 1659 c. Complains of many Quakers Disbanded out of the Army as well as Justices of the Peace in these words p. 5. ' And many Valiant Captains Soldiers and Officers have been put out of the Army by Sea and Land of whom it hath been said among you that they had rather have had one of them than Seven Men and could have turned one of them to Seven Men who because of their Faithfulness to the Lord God being Faithful towards him it may be for saying Thou to a particular and for Wearing their Hats have been turned out from amongst them ' And may Reassume it again when they shall judge it meet As appears to us by a Declaration wrote by Edw. Bur. in the Name of all the Quakers and Subscribed by several of the Principal Leaders of them Printed 1659. p. 8. They speak thus ' We are Dreadful to the Wicked and must be their Fear for we have Chosen the Son of God to be our King and he hath Chosen us to be his People and he might Command Thousands and Ten Thousands of his Saints at this Day to FIGHT in his Cause he might lead them forth and bring them in and give them Victory over all their Enemies and turn his Hand upon all their Persecutors ' But say they p. 9. ' We cannot YET believe that he will make use of us IN THAT WAY tho' it be his only Right to Rule in Nations and OUR HEIRSHIP to possess the uttermost parts of the Earth but for the PRESENT we are given up to Bear and Suffer ' 11. They have a Goverment within the Government Independent from it and Opposite to it First their Monthly and Quarterly Meetings which are after the mannerof the Justices Monthly Meetings and Quarterly Sessiâ—…s in the Country which are Subordinate to the Yearly Meeting which Yearly Meeting consists of Deputies from all the Counties in England and Wales as well as Agents from beyoâ—d the Sea and it their Supreme Assembly which gives Laws to the whole Body of the Quakers wheresoever they are And there they make their Orders for the Government of their People For Suppressing of any Books wrote against them and pass Censure upon Offenders And there also they take an account of their Fund which is raised by an Order of this Yearly Meeting in all the Counties of England and Wales by way of Collection And the Money when Collected is Transmitted to London and lodged in the hands of Six Feoffees who as to the Disposal thereof are to be Governed by the Second Day Meeting held on every Monday throughout the Year which Money is for divers uses viz. Stipends for their Teachers Wages for their Clerks Attendants upon the Houses of Parliament For Printing and Dispersing of their Books For the Maintenance of the Poor For the Relief of such as have suffered for Non-payment of Tythes and the Breach of other Laws and for several other things tending to the Propagating of their Doctrines and Supporting of their Government Mr. Bugg's Pilgrims Progress Chapters 7 8 9 10 11 give an Account of their several Meetings and of their Fund Exchequer or Common Bank Mr. Keith who has been a Quaker above Thirty Years in his Second Narrative p. 5. says I am not able to Print Books as they Quakers can they are many and have a Common Stock I am but one And in his Book called The Pretended Yearly Meeting of the Quakers their Nameless Bull of Excommunication given forth against him c. Printed 1695. p. 5. speaks thus 'To my certain Knowledge and Observation I saw the Door of the Meeting where that called the Yearly Meeting Sat kept by Three or Four Persons that Refused to let in some that desired to come in and yet were owned by them And it is sufficiently known they who keep the Door let in or keep out such as they think fit But again such as they let in if they be not of the Ministry nor any of the Two Chosen out of every County they are allowed only to be there as Standers By and Spectators but have no allowance to give any Judgment in the Case which hath been a discouragement to some honest Friends owned by the Yearly Meeting as Friends from coming to the Meeting being only permitted to
be there as Cyphers And yet further it is sufficiently known the way that they take either by Perswasions or Terrifications to gain the Universal and Unanimous Consent of them called Commissioners or Chosen Members from every County as doth plainly appear by the late most Absurd and Insolent Method more like the Spanish Inquisition than a Free Assembly of sincere Christians they did take a Preacher one of their Commissioners or Chosen Members who having said in Private out of the Meeting He could sooner Die or lose his Right Hand than Sign to a Paper Disowning G. K. which coming to their Intelligence that there was such a Person but not knowing who he was they were so earnest to find him out that they caused to call over the Roll or List of the Names of the Persons sent from the respective Counties to find out this Person asking them one by one to find him out And the poor Man not daring to Lye owned he was the Person and being Terrified lest he should be severely Proceeded against by them he came with some others to be Witnesses of his Recantation and disowned to me what he had formerly said tho' a few Hours before he profess'd so great a Concern and Tenderness of Conscience towards me This Passage is so Considerable an Advance towards the Erecting the Spanish Inquisition among the Quakers that I hope some will be awakened to take notice of it and withstand it ' And tho' the King and Parliament were so Gracious as to include the Quakers in the Act made primo Gulielmi Mariae For Exempting Their Majesties Protestant Subjects Dissenting from the Church of England from the Penalty of certain Laws c. wherein it is Expressed That nothing herein contained shall be Construed to Exempt any of the Persons aforesaid from paying of Tythes or other Parochial Duties or any other Duties to the Church or Minister Yet notwithstanding the Quakers in their Yearly Epistle sent forth from their Yearly Meeting held in London the Fifth Sixth Seventh and Eighth Days of the Fourth Month 1693. to the Monthly and Quarterly Meeting of Friends in England Wales and elsewhere thought fit to Order ' That all Due and Godly Care be taken as they word it against the Grand Oppression and Anti-Christian Yoke of Tythes that our Christian Testimony ' say they born and greatly Suffered for be faithfully Maintained against them in all respects and against Steeple-Houses Rates or Lays And in the fore Cited Testimony from the Brethren met together in the Third Month 1666. they take Care to Stifle and Suppress what they can all Books wrote against them Ordering thus ' That if any Man or Woman which are out of the Unity with the Body of the Friends Print or cause to be Printed or Published in Writing any thing which is not of Service for the Truth but tends to the Scandalizing and Reproaching of faithful Friends or to beget or uphold Division and Faction then we do Warn and Charge all Friends that do love Truth as they desire it may Prosper and be kept clear to beware and take heed of having any Hand in Printing Republishing or Spreading such Books or Writings And if at any time such Books be sent to any of you that Sell Books in the Countrey after that you with the Advice of Good and Serious Friends have Tried them and find them Faulty to send them back again whence they came And we further desire from time to time Faithful and Sound Friends may have the View of such things as are Printed upon Truth 's Account as formerly it hath used to be before they go to the Press that nothing but what is Sound and Savory and that may answer the Witness of God even in our Adversaries may be exposed to Publick View ' They have also a Six Weeks Meeting Which Meeting is one of the most Ancient Meetings for Government made up of Chosen Men amongst them expert in the Laws and Customs of the Nation well skilled in the Courts of London and Westminster and other His Majesties Courts of Record and such as understand the way and manner of Soliciting the Parliament And to support them in all these things they have the Common Bank to assist them F. B. Pilg. Prog. p. 65. ch 10. 12. They have also a Register of their Sufferings which have been inflicted for their Breach of the Laws thereby to render the Governors Government odious for Persecution to Posterity And do threaten in After-ages to publish the same when the reasons of the things and matters of Fact may be forgotten In their fore-cited Yearly Epistle from their Yearly Meeting held 1693. they Ordered ' That Friends at all their Monthly and Quarterly Meetings should be reminded to call for the Records of the Sufferings of Friends to see that they be duly Gathered truly Entred and Kept and accordingly sent up to London as hath been often advised both of what Tythes c. are pretended to be due and for how long a time and the time when taken and by and for whom And what Goods are taken and the Value thereof as well of those not exceeding as those exceeding the Sums or Quantities demanded it being a Suffering in both for Truth 's sake they being in these particulars found Defective and Imperfect in divers Countries which is an Obstruction to the General Record of Friends Sufferings And therefore the Monthly and Quarterly Meetings are advised to take more Care for the future that all Friends Sufferings for the Truth 's sake may be brought up as Full and Compleat in all respects as possible may be ' The Author of Sathan Disrobed Printed 1698. p. 82. Informs us that in this Register there are many Groundless and many downright Falshoods which it is very fit the World should know because they take great Care to swell this Register and have threatened to publish it to After-ages when the Facts cannot be Disproved whereby they hope to make their Suff rings for the Truth as they call it to exceed all the Ten Persecutions and to be more Undeserved than the Sufferings of Christ himself or of the Apostles as Edw. Burr their Second Piller next to Geo. Fox express'd in his Works p. 273. ' The Sufferings of the People of God that is Quakers in this Age is greater Suffering and more Vnjust than in the Days of Christ or of the Apostles or in any time since What was done to Christ or the Apostles was chiefly done by a Law and in great part by the DUE Execution of a Law ' c. And p. 85. saith he It is here worth Notice That the first Difference betwixt Mr. Pennyman who was a Quaker about Twenty Years and the Quakers was the False Returns of their Collections from the several Counties in England of the Sufferings of the Friends and Entring them tho' proved to be False in their General Register of Sufferings at London For this they to quiet Mr.
c. Page 8. Taken from Robert Minter the 4th of the 4th Month 1658. by Priest Alexander Bradley of Elmston in Kent First Two Feather-Beds Three Bolsters and one Pillow One Flock-bed and Bolster One Bedstead and Curtains Iron Rods and Cords for two Beds Ten pair of Sheets and one Rug. Five Table-cloths and six Towels One Dozen of Trenchers and one Spade A Mattock and Dung-fork 45 double Clouts for a Child 12 Beds and 4 Blankets Six Caps for a Woman Two Neckcloths and four double Crosscloths for a Woman One Mantle and seven Chin-stays Three Shirts and three Biggins A Swadling-band and Back-band Two double Bibs and one Dressing Three Bushels of Barley Three Milk-Pails and half a Cheese Three Forms and two Tables Three Pin-cusheons and Pins Besides a Thousand Pins more c. Of the Sufferings of the Apostles and Martyrs as I find them in Hist John Baptist St. Stephen St. James Philip Andrew Matthew Mark c Some of whom were flee'd alive Some their Brains knockt out Some Crucified Some burn'd alive Some put in Boiling Oil and the like Again One hang'd and her Skin flee'd off One had his Tongue cut out One broken in a Mortar One put in a Cauldron of boiling Oil. One fry'd in a Pan. One whipt and her Dugs cut off Some bound to Axle-trees and burnt Some thrown to Lions and Tygers c. Some toss'd on the Horns of wild Bulls Some their Brains beat out with Clubs Some burn'd at Stakes Some press'd to Death with Lead Some hang'd on Gibbets Some hang'd on Trees till dead Some hewn in pieces with Swords Some sawn in pieces Some Womens Bellies ript up Some torn in pieces with wild Horses Some hung on Tenter-hooks till dead Some hang'd by the Hair till dead Some had their Noses and Ears cut off Some their Mouths slit to their Ears c. Thus much by way of Parallel the Disproportion I leave to your Consideration not to mention your Sham-Sufferings as that of Sam. Cater who pretended and got it recorded that he suffer'd 20 l. for Preaching at Phakenham in Norfolk when he suffer'd not a Penny but by his Subtilty got 10 l. sent him from their Fund at London as at large elsewhere I have shewed I come next to shew your way of Canonizing your Saints and what Persons they are you Canonize and I think Rome do not outdo you as also your Design to render our Magistrates Infamous to Posterity in order to exalt your own Horn. For in another Book stiled A Word of Reproof to any Fellow-Soldiers c. Printed 1659. P. 79. you say ' Here followeth some Signs Examples and Judgments for the Accursed Generation who desire a Sign but they are Miracles to them that believe ' And saith E. B. let such reach hither their Hands and with me feel and see the Wounds that the Lord of Life hath received in his Members c. 1. In Sussex Priest Cossme caused Tho. Leacock to be Imprisoned for speaking a few Words after he had done and soon after the Priest was cut off by Death 2. John Chatfield Priest of Horsham caused Tho. Leacock to be Imprisoned who soon after fell into a Dropsie and in Six Months died 3. Priest Cutfly of Arundel being Instrumental in Tho. Leacock's Persecution suddainly after died 4. Edward Hunt Norwich Goaler who after G. Whitehead was discharged brought his Action against him for Four Pence a Night soon after cut off by Death 5. Rob. Allen of Bath who abused Tho. Morford in the Street had a Boy scall'd to Death and Parson Feak beat Chris Atkinson Reader Here is a few of the Examples there being about 80 more in 9 Years in England and Wales and still they are collecting else how will they outstrip Rome It remains now to shew what manner of Saints these are you now Canonize and for whom these Judgments and miraculous Wonders were wrought 1. Tho. Leacock your Teacher was a great Drinker who on a time at a Gentleman's House in Emny near Wisbech drank till he was so drunk that going out to make Water fell backward into a Rain Cistern brake his Bladder was forced to carry a Dish in his Breeches to catch his Water who soon after died miserably But whether in Judgment for your Presumption his own Sins or a Warning to others I will not determine lest therein I turn Quaker again 2. Tho. Murford was a more vile Person who being one of your Teachers pretended to be a Surgeon and applied Remedies to the Female Sex where he ought not many in Norwich can give you a larger Account than I will do here 3. G. Whitehead is still living and I could be glad he would Improve his Time by seeking Repentance while it may be found for his great Sin in making a Schism in the Church c. 4. Chris Atkinson thus Canonized and one of your Prophets Companion to G. Whitehead in Writing Printing Preaching Travelling and Suffering got a Wench with Child at Norwich tried since for Felony and hang'd one of your now Teachers of Fame amongst you gave me an Account lately of his Execution But as this shew your Design not good thus to record such Trifles even to a Row of Pins and a Double Clout so is it wicked with a Witness to Record such as Persecutors who execute the Laws and that such as die after it is in Judgment and Presumptuous in you to sit in the Judgment-Seat But why should your being examin'd about these and the like Insolencies put such a Dread upon you and thus startle you since it is agreeable to your own Proposition in Burrough's Epistle to his Works who thus wrote viz. ' And so gladly would we Quakers be made manifest to all the World that if any especially the Heads and Rulers have any Doubts concerning us For that End let any propound that we with the Consent of Authority 10 20 or more of us give as many of the ablest Priests and Professors a Meeting for Dispute at any Place and Time and for what Continuance they please Let the Priests and Professors object what they can against us our Principles Practices and whole Religion and let such that cannot prove our selves of the true Church and Religion but is found in Error let such deny their Worship and Religion and renounce it under their Hands and confess they have been deceived ' c. I find in another Book of yours to the same Purpose intituled The Copies of several Letters written by undry Friends as they were moved by the Holy Ghost c. Printed 1660. where Geo. Whitehead in his Admonition to King Charles II. P. 53. hath these Words ' And if any of the Priests do Inform the King against the People call'd Quakers or against our Principles it is but a reasonable thing that thou hear both Parties Face to Face that we may answer them this was upon me to lay before the King that we are free to vindicate any Principle we
hold according to Scripture ' Now for your Friends at West Dereham to avoid the force of these Arguments when urged as a Reason for you to defend your selves from the Charge the Clergy exhibited against you pursuant to your Challenge as that they were written 25 or 30 Years since this could be no Argument since you pretend to write from the Mouth of the Lord moved thereto by the Holy Ghost And as such of greater Authority than the Bible for the Writings of Moses and the Prophets Christ and the Apostles are much older yet still of Force But this your Shuffle shew'd the Justices of Peace the Gentry and Clergy as well as the Protestant Dissenters that your Principles are so destructive to common Christianity as that they did not dare to stand the Test and this yea ONLY this so far as I know put them upon a Petition to the Honourable House of Commons to do that for God and the Christian Religion which they could not do namely to examine your Principles and censure your Errors as to their Wisdom should see meet And in this they both Church of England-Men and Protestant Dissenters are Unanimous and this disturbs you this perplexes you and for this your Tool John Field call and compare them to Herod and Pilate Hamon and Judas And say Field Do not blame till you examine I tell you they have examined and therefore blame and they find your Blasphemies so Great so Apparent and Manifest that they also desire their Superiors to examine and when they have so done no doubt but they 'll blame and censure your Errors And this starties you this makes you look about you and cry Persecution Persecution when no Body designs it nay no Body desires it for that 's the Way to encrease you who are for Boldness like a Flint Stone which lay it on a Table and smite it with a Hammer and it will abide Obdurate but lay it on a soft Cusheon and a little Stroke will make it fly into many â—…hivers And though none solicite against your having the same Liberty that other Dissenters have yet I must say there is not the same Reason for you to expect it For when the Baptists in your dear Friend Oliver Cromwell's time had said They thought it their Duty to preserve them i. e. Bishops and Clergy from all Violence your Teachers Assauâ—ted them from all Quarters even for so much as Tenderness towards the Bishops as to preserve their Persons from Violence and Injuries much more for thinking of granting them any Toleration Edward Burroughs your great Prophet and Primitive Pillar wrote a Tract on purpose against this Declaration of the Baptists and says 〈◊〉 them P. 618. of his Works as Reprinted 1672 What! Are you about to make a League and Covenant with Antichrist Do you look upon them to be Ministers of Christ or of Antichrist And P. 619. What are you now for Tolerating Episcopacy And if Episcopacy why may not Popery be tolerated seeing they are one and the same in Ground and Nature c. He was seconded by another of your Teachers of great Name amongst you viz Richard Hubberthorne in his Works Reprinted 1663. who also attacked this Declaration of the Baptists P. 229 of his Works saying Why will you not tolerate Popery as well as Episcopacy Have not the Professors of Episcopacy murthered and slain and do labour to murther and slay the People of God as well as the Papists And will you tolerate the Common Prayer among the Episcopacy and not the Mass Book among the Papists seeing that the Mass was the Substance out of which the Common Prayer was extracted c. And much more to the same purpose in these and others of your Early Writers which shew sufficiently your Antient Principles and you tell us they are now no other than what they were when you were first a People as in my Books I have more largely set forth which may be had at Mr. Kettleby's at the Bishops-Head in St. Paul's Church-yard And for the Truth of my Quotations I am ready to justifie under the greatest Penalties my Superiors shall think fit to assign and for my Arguments every Man is left to his Judgment of Discretion as I desire my self and this may serve in Answer to all your Clamours and what I have yet to say you 'll see in my next which is ready for the Press which is a Proof of my own Charge against you at West-Dereham Church in Norfolk the 9th of December last Where not only the Quakers were forced to confess the Truth of my Quotations but four Clergymen of known Reputation have under their Hands certified the same As to your scattering your Books both in the Church and the Country round it is in Obedience to G. Fox's Doctrine and Example in his Book The Vials of the Wrath of God c. Printed 1655 P. 2. This Book is to be scattered among the Ignorant Simple and Blind People c. I am satisfied your Ancient Testimony was design'd to bring the Clergy to a Morsel of Bread but hitherto you have been disappointed For says G. Fox in his Paper concerning Poets c. P. 8. But I shall tell you the Scholars of Oxford and Cambridge It would be more pleasing to God for you to get a Spade on your Backs and a great old Glove and a Bill in your Hand and stop Gaps and make up old Hedges and thresh out Corn and go amongst Day labouring Men for 3 d. a Day c. And indeed if it be as Burrough's their great Prophet said in the recited Trial and Condemnation of the Clergy in his Works P. 223 227 234 viz. That they Agree and Concur with all the false Prophets and Deceivers in former Ages that they are Ministers of Antichrist and for which all honest People have left them yet have 1500000 l. a Year for their Antichristian Service as his Antient Testimony sets forth Printed 1655. and Reprinted by the Approbation of Geo. Whitehead c. 1672. then indeed 3 d. a Day is enough nay too much But that this Antient Testimony from which they say they do not deviate might be renewed and kept fresh in Memory W. Penn in his Guide mistaken c. Printed 1668. P. 18. saith Whiist the idle Germandizing Priests of England run away with above 1500000 l. a Year under Pretence of being God's Ministers and that no sort of People have been so universalâ—y through Ages the very Bane of Soul and Body to the Universe aâ— that Abominable Tribe for whom the Theatre of God's most Dreadful Vengeance is reserved to act their Eternal Tragedy upon c. And if so it 's time for them to get a Bill a great Glove mend Gaps and Thresh for 3 d. a Day as their Apostle Fox prescrib'd But J. Feild in his Book An Apology for the Quakers and an Appeal to the Inhabitants of Norfolk and Suffolk c. P. 9. 1 st Would the Clergymen account it
just that any should Charge them Condemn and Consure them 2 dly They exhort To do to others as they would that others should do to them 3 dly p. 5. We say they pray for all Men for Kings and all that are in Authority 4 thly p. 7. We say the Quakers have and always had a high Value for the Scriptures above all other Bookâ— 5 thly p. 1. They i. e. Clergy Incense those in Authority against this Innocent People i. e. Quakers that the Monster of Persecution might be again raised to Suppress them c. Ans As to the First Would the Clergy account it just to Charge and Condemn them c. Just or unjust they are both Charged and Condemned at the Quakers Bar as above quoted yea and in Smith's Works p. 157 161. the Quakers Dialogu'd the Bishops and summon'd all Ecclesiastical Courts and Officers and not only by their Authority Condemn them but call the Bishops Monsters and into the Bargain say The Book of Common-Prayer is conceived by an Adulterous Womb and that it receives its Strength from the Pope's Loins And 2 dly That therein you Quakers do not do as you would be done by and therein gross Hypocrites and Dissemblers with God and Man But 3 dly your Pretence to pray for all Men for Kings c. This is so False and Falacious that I challenge the whole World to produce one Instance of your praying for King William or any King save once at a Meeting at Milden-Hall where Sam. Cater prayed for the late K. J. II. and how should you be found in that Practice since all Kings with you are but Spiritual Egyptians by your Ancient Testimony from which you have not deviated in one Point But your Principles the same they ever were tho' as Whitehead says You can now word the Matter otherwise 4thly That you value the Scriptures above any Books in the World This is false with a witness when you in Print tell us We may as well burn the Bible as your Writings see p. 9. herein calling the Scriptures Dust Death Serpents Meat Beastly Ware and that Preaching out of them is Conjuration And G. Whitehead tells us in his Book Truth defending the Quakers c. p. 7. That what is spoken from the Spirit of Truth in any is of greater Authority than the Bible And many of your Books nay even that are said to be given forth from the Spirit of Truth the Holy Ghost and spoken from the Mouth of the Lord. How then do you value the Bible above all Books in the World But as Solomon said Prov. 26.3 A Whip for the Horse a Bridle for the Ass and a Rod for the Fools Back and so you must give me leave to whip this John Feild for his deep Hypocrisie and Deceit and I wish it may do him Good What! to pretend that the Quakâ—rs value the Bible above all Books then consequently above their own This is such a Lie that it stabs it self when you exalt and value your own as of greater Authority and are commanded by your Teachers to read them in your Meetings and never read a Chapter of the Old and New Testament in your Religious Meetings if such I may call them since you were a People neither is it agreeable to your Ancient Testimony Nay I am perswaded that should the Government think fit for a Proof of your Sincerity herein to injoin you to read a Chapter of the Bible at the beginning of your Meeting I mean by such of your Teachers as can read a Chapter you would be so far from submitting to Authority that they 'd first go to Jayl and then call it Persecution and record it to Posterity But would it therefore ever the more be Persecution I trow not since it was the Practice of Jewish as well as the Christian Church in all Ages of the World But 5 thly and lastly That the Petitioners would Incense these in Authority to raise that Monster Persecution upon you Now tho' I do profess my self a Member of the Church of England I have often and do now again tell you that I am against Persecution and will add that Persecution for the Name of Jesus or for Righteousness sake is a Badge of a false Church of which your Schism in Pensilvania has given a Demonstration And had you Power in your Hand which God grant you may not I doubt not but we should soon feel your little Finger as heavy as ever you felt a Parliaments Loins Witness your Indicting me for Printing unlicenced your own frequent Practice at that time and your Persecuting of G. Keith c. in Pensilvania but I hope all Suffering is not Persecution Shall Men fire House and poyson Rivers and not be Controuled Limited nay Punished if they will follow their own Light blind Zeal and Imaginations In like manner such as poyson the Streams of the Christian Religion subvert the Faith undermine Christianity broach and maintain Heretical Opinions and Damnable Errors even denying the Lord that bought them as you have in Print which I take to be a Fundamental Error and by me proved upon you I hope then it will not be raising Persecution to have you examined about these things which is the main thing you fear whilst you make the World believe you fear Persecution Thus referring Jâ—… Fâ—ild to my former Books I subscribe my self the Quakers Friend tho' I tell them the Truth Francis Bugg Feb. 18. 1698. FINIS