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
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
that they were greatly mistaken for Christ did not come according to the Flesh out of the North of England but out of the Town of Bethlehem Micah 5.2 But thou Bethlehem ephratah though thou be little amongst the thousands of Judah yet out of THEE shall HE come forth unto me that is to be Ruler in Israel whose goings forth have been from of old from everlasting And to this Testimony of the Prophet St. Matthew the Evangelist agrees Matth. 2.6 so that they mist in their Calculation take them in the best sense and therefore not led by an infallible Spirit that is infallibly certain for the Town of Bethlehem is not in the North of England And they say that this STAR this BRANCH this Son of Righteousness which gives Light to all the Regions round about came out of that barren and desolate place which is reckoned the least of the Nations i. e. the North of England Well but to confirm that they meant G. Fox Hear G. F. himself in his Book News out of the North Written FROM THE MOVTH OF THE LORD from ONE i. e. G. F. whose Name is not known in the World risen out of the NORTH which was prophesied of and NOW is fulfilled * G. F 's News out of the North c. See Title-page printed 1655. c. I say they believing this no marvel they were so deceived to write as they did And likewise others of their Preachers gave him such Divine Attributes as belong only to Christ And so did he give himself viz. THE SON OF GOD †Man of Sin p. 3. and said He had power to BIND and to LOOSE * Spirit of the Hat p. 27. c. As Dear George Fox who art the Father of many Nations whose Life hath reached 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 without end c. And all this Blasphemy justified by William Penn Judas and the Jews * Which Book was put forth by their chief Leaders and is particularly owned by G. W. in his Apostate Incendiary p. 24. so that 't is plain he owned and justify'd as well as W. P. these blasphemous passages See also his Book Serious Search p. 58 59. touching S. Eccles Blasphemy c. c. p. 44 45 46 47. So that the Coherence of their Writings consider'd 't is very probable they do account that G. Fox was that Star that Branch that Sun of Righteousness which gives Light to all the Regions round about even to the Isles afar off yea and as justifiable too as to say that his G. Fox's Kingdom is established in Peace and that of the increase thereof there is no end for this I prove to be a Title and an Attribute due only to Christ who is GOD over all blessed for evermore and that from Luke 1.32 33. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest And the LORD GOD shall give unto HIM the Throne of his Father David And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever and ever and of his Kingdom there shall be no end c. Again to put it yet more out of doubt if more can be I will prove by the Prophet Isaiah's words and now I hope they will come into force at least with G. W. if not with his Brethren since he hath whether at unawares I cannot tell confessed that the Holy Scriptures are given by Divine Inspiration that to say G. Fox's Kingdom is establisht in Peace and that the increase thereof is without end is both Idolatrous and Blasphemous forasmuch as those Titles and Divine Attributes are due only to Christ See Isa 9.6 7. For unto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulders and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor The mighty GOD The everlasting Father The prince of peace Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever the zeal of the Lord of HOSTS will perform this Now G. W. with what Face couldst thou appear in Print in the Name of the Quakers who robs Christ of his HONOVR and blasphemes HIS Holy Name and not first condemn these abominable and odious Tenents and downright Blasphemies Oh! Blush and be ashamed and humble your selves and publickly condemn these and the like Errors and pernicious Principles and then let a Confession of Faith be signed by as many as condemn your Errors and then many will be glad of such a happy Reformation which that it may come to pass in the sight of the Nation is my hearty Prayer to GOD. Again THIS IS ONLY TO GO AMONGST FRIENDS P. 13. Come away my beloved Ones drink abundantly and be refreshed and praise his Name for ever eternally I am shed and spilt among you Never so as now never to be separated out of the eternal Oneness sound forth HIS praise declare HIS word Let it go forth as Thunder let the Heathen bow let the Princes of this world fall O! Beloved Ones who are the Children of my eternal FATHER who have eaten at HIS Table and drunk of the new Wine of the Kingdom of GOD who are nourished and dandled upon the lap of everlasting love who suck at the breasts of everlasting consolation P. 14. Your beauty is comely I am ravished I am filled I am filled with love to you all I am sick of love Your beauty hath ravished my heart come sit down my dear Lambs together in the Fold where no Wolf can come and let us rejoice together and sound forth HIS praise who hath washed us and cleansed us and covered us and made us worthy to enter into the Fold the Bride-chamber to eat with HIM of the bread of Life for ever at the eternal Table of life The Bridegroom is come Friends of HIM I know you rejoyce greatly because of his voice And now ny dearly beloved Ones follow HIM for evermore in the eternal light and life where we were bred brought forth * Viz. In the North of England 'T is well this high Applause of the Quakers was to go only amongst themselves surely never higher Applause was given to any Mortals than they give to one another accounting all besides themselves ignorant of GOD HEATHENS the WORLD c. and nourished and are unknown to all the world but me you know And I know you in One who is the condemnation of the world and in HIM I meet you and leave you in HIS Arms. I lie down with you in the bosom of eternal Love Life Peace
that the Prosperity of his Affairs and our peaceable Fruition of the Exercise of our Consciences beareth the same Date Dated June 1637. Thus Reader you see that from England to Scotland and from Scotland to England they sounded his Fame in the Highest strain of words praying GOD for his Preservation and praising GOD for defeating his Enemies But alas Has King William been without Enemies Hath their been no Plotting against him I will not say by some of themselves No Contrivance nor no Conspiracies against his Royal Person Yea against the Kingdom that they cannot afford one Prayer for his long Life one Praise to God for his Deliverance Hath not he granted all they can reasonably desire of him I know they will be angry at me for reminding them of these things but why should they be hid that never hid any body Why should not they be discovered and known to be really what they are that for 30 years have made it their business or a great part of it at least to render all sorts of People as odious as they could and what they really were not and their end could be nothing but to exalt their own Horn c. But Providence hath so ordered it that the same Pit they digged for others they are justly fallen into themselves and are left as Mr. Baxter says in his Penitential Confession p. 63. 1691. viz. A disgraced broken Sect as the Quakers be amongst us now c. A broken Sect indeed divided wholly in many places One sort shut up the Meeting-house against the other divided in Cities and Towns yea almost in every Village The Foxonian Government is in many places quite thrown off See J. Hogs book and in others weakening every day Well but to return see another of their Addresses viz. The Humble Address of the People called QVAKERS to K. James II. from their Yearly meeting in London The 6th Day of June 1688. WE the Kings loving and peaceable Subjects from divers parts of his Domimions being met together in this City after our usual manner to * * Rather inâ—ect inspect the Affairs of our Christian Society THROVGHOVT THE WORLD think it our Duty humbly to represent to him the blessed Effects the Liberty he has gratiously granted his People to worship God according to their Consciences hath had both on our Persons and Estates For as formerly we had ever long and sorrowful Lists brought to us from almost all parts of his Territories of Prisoners and the spoil of Goods by violent and ill men upon account of Conscience We bless God and thank the King the Goals are every where clear except in cases of Tythes and the repair of Parish Churches and some few about Oaths And we do in all Humility lay it before the King to consider the hardships our Friends are yet under for Conscience sake being in the one chiefly exposed to the present anger of the Offended * * Oh! They knew how taking this would be cunning Foxes Clergy who have therefore lately imprisoned some of them till Death And in the other they are rendred very unprofitable to the publick and themselves both in reference to Freedoms in ††They thought this a good motive that so their Voices c. Corporations Probates of Wills and Testaments and Administrations Answers in Chancery and Exchequer Tryals of our just Titles and Debts Proceeding in our Trade at the Custom house serving the Office of Constable c. they are disabled and great Advantages taken against them unless the King's favour do interpose As we humbly hope he may relieve so we confidently assure our selves he will ease us what he can Now since it hath pleased thee O King to renew to all thy Subjects by thy last Declaration thy gratious Assurance to persue the Establishment of this Christian Liberty and Property upon an VNALTERABLE Foundation And in order to it to hold a Parliament in November next at furthest we think our selves deeply ingaged to renew our Assurances of Fidelity and Affection and with Gods help intend to do our parts * * To Vote c. for the effecting so blessed and glorious a work that so it may be out of the power of any one Party to hurt another upon the account of Conscience And as we firmly believe that God will never desert this Just and Righteous cause of Liberty NOR THE KING in maintaining of it so we hope by God's Grace to let the World see we can honestly and heartily appear for LIBERTY of CONSCIENCE * * And yet at the same time great Oppressors of it in your dissenting Friends but Hypocrisy will have its reward and be inviolable true to our own Religion whatever the Folly or Madness on that account may suggest to the contrary Thus Reader you see here is nothing wanting but bended Knees Here is in ALL Humility in ALL Fidelity with ALL Affection yea ALL ALL ALL All Prayers for him for long Life for prosperous Raign Laud and Praise in the highest for his deliverance for the defeating his enemies yea it would be too long to enumerate them besides Book after Book in favour of the Government and one Epistle after another and printed Letters first second and third sounding his fame throughout the World But since King William and Queen Mary came to the Crown as in the Letter to the Quakers was well observed NO Salutation NO Message NO Prayer for nor NO Address to K. W. and Q. M. made Publick NO Book writ in favour of him NO In all Humility NO In all Fidelity NO In all Affection NO Publick Prayers for his long and prosperous Reign NO Laud and Praise that his enemies are defeated here is all NO NO NO NO Tho thanks be to GOD he is now settled peaceably in his three Kingdoms COME what can you say for your selves Are you like those 1 Sam. 10.27 The children of Belial who said How shall this man save us And they despised him See your 12th principle and brought him no presents no Prayers no Addresses I know you have too much espoused the Romish principles some of which are 1. We must believe as the Church i. e. your Church believes 2. That the your Church cannot err 3. That she hath power to bind and loose 4. And that it is abominable Pride not to submit to her i. e. your Judgment You may remember you have had many Favors by Their Majesties particularly Liberty of Conscience established by Law which is one and not the least and yet having had three Annual Meetings in London not one Address c. Nay worse than so And as an aggravation of your Ingratitude you made an ORDER for the calling in the Widow Whitrow's Books she being formerly of your Society which was writ but in favour of this Government what Scripture had you for that You say that Christ and his Apostles did not require you to pray for Kings by Name I say so too
at the House of Joshua Bangs in Milden-Hall the 24th of August 1691 touching a certain Charge which I formerly exhibited against him at a Publick Meeting * As in my Book One Blow c. p. 2 3. at Milden-Hall which he then declined to accept of and to defend himself from as well as to own himself Author of his Book Judgment Fixed c. My said Threefold Charge was this First That George Whitehead is a Deceiver of the People 2dly That he is a false Accuser of the Martyrs charging their Doctrine to be corrupt tending to practical Ranterism sordid Ranterism c. 3dly That he is a Favourer or an Excuser of such Principles and Practices as border upon Blasphemy and Idolatry This was the Charge The Spectators present who heard what passed were these whose Names hereafter follow viz. PROTESTANTS QUAKERS Mr. ROBERT RVSSELL SIMON BIRGIS Mr. THOMAS BRADBVRY JAMES BIRGIS Mr. SAMVEL ' KNOWLES JOS. BANGS Mr. JOHN WALTER AMBROSE FRIEND JOHN PAPWORTH EDWARD DEEKES PHILIP CRANNISS and others BENJAMIN ANTROBVS and others THE FIRST CHARGE THAT G. WHITEHEAD IS A DECEIVER OF THE PEOPLE G. W. Come Francis I come of the Defensive part thou art the Plaintiff I expect proof of what thou chargest me with F. B. Here is a Book styled Judgment Fixed Dost thou own it George G. W. That is not material thy Charge is general without any such Condition F. B. I grant all that But did not I send you a Letter to meet you in London to prove my Charge upon you on Condition that you would own your Books and since you have now sent for me I expect you should perform the Condition proposed G. W. I did not send for thee I only told thy Wife I was here if thou hadst any thing to say thou mightst come to me I * Jos Bangs or some others of his Friends heard G. Whitehead say so and that thy coming was at thy own choice Jo. Walter But by your leave Gentlemen your so sending to him was an intimation of your desire of his coming or to what purpose did you send to him OBSERVATION Note Reader that I was surprized not knowing that G. W. was in Town till Ten a Clock over Night for I had sent G. W. a Letter to be in London the 22d of August and had sent away my Books in order to prove my Charge against him there But he wrote me an Answer that he could not wait upon me but had a Journey appointed but did not let me know it was to Milden-Hall where I dwelt but came to Town the 23d day when he might expect my being at London But that day at Ten a Clock at Night I was told of his being there so that I do believe 't is as G. W. said he did not send for me My coming was not pleasant to him And I have reason to think that he would not have come there then had he not thought I had been at London according to my Letter And so I had only I remembred his Letter in Answer which told me he had a Journey to go so then I stay'd for some Neighbours G. W. Well I do own that Book Judgment Fixed c. The Errors of Press excepted F. B. Then from thence I thus prove you a Deceiver of the People for whereas in the Introduction to that Book you pretend that GOD laid a necessity upon you to write that Book and that you was moved of GOD to write the same and there you neither consult Events nor fear Effects c. And yet in the same Book you vindicate your Brother Thomas Rudyard Samuel Cater's Lawyer see p. 219. And in the said Book p. 19 20. you justifie Blasphemous and Idolatrous Titles given to G. Fox as anon will appear in a grand Lye who in vindication of his Client Samuel Cater wrote that I paid my Money voluntarily before Distress was made of my Goods when distrained for Samuel Cater's Fine which was a Lye Now this being a Lye and you justifying him in this Lye this GOD never laid a necessity upon you to write this GOD never did move you to write For saith the Scripture he that condemneth the Innocent and acquitteth thee Guilty ar both an abomination to the LORD And you pretending that GOD moved you to this and many other Lyes in the said Book and the People believing you that you are thus moved and that you cannot err and that what you who pretend your selves infallible speak or write is of as great Authority as the SCRIPTURES herein you deceive the People OBSERVATION That I did not pay my Money voluntarily before Distress see a Certificate under the hands of Mr. Maxey and his Wife who then lived at the Sign of the White Hart to which Inn my Goods was carried c. viz. MEmorandum That we who subscribe our Names do testifie that the Goods of Francis Bugg which was Distrain'd for the Fine of 15 l. 10 s. by vertue of a Warrant from Thomas Shelly Esq a Justice of Peace since deceased c. was carried to the White Hart after Distrained where I then dwelt and was Constable And afterwards the said Francis Bugg came and paid down the Money and teok home his Goods again This my Wife and I can testifie witness our hands this 6th of September 1691. Peter and Judith Maxey G. W. I do not affirm that thou paid down thy 15 l. voluntarily See Painted Harlot c. p. 8 9 10 47 48 49. But I shewed Thomas Rudyard what thou said and reckoned a voluntary Payment and thereupon I vindicated him against thee he being at that time in better Repute with us so 't is no Position of mine but a Supposition that I went upon F. B. Well George that will not hold you have justified an arrant Lye in favour of Samuel Cater which was much to my damage And the People believing you and that in regard of your Pretence of being moved by the eternal Spirit of GOD you in that Case as well as in many others that I could mention have deceived them and unless you can clear your self the Charge stands over your head and you are found guilty thereof c. G. W. I do still say that as to the Body of the Controversie God did lay a Necessity upon me to write that Book But as to particular matters of Fact I write as a Man according to my discretion F. B. So then here is George Whitehead as a Man and G. W. more than a Man G. W. infallible and cannot err and G. W. fallible and subject to err and be mistaken This is a twofold George standing in two Capacities OBSERVATION Note that G. W. herein resembles the Pope For saith Dr. Cole I hold herein rather with Gerson that the Councel is above the Pope The Pope in one respect as he is a Man in his own single person may happen to err but in another respect as he is head Pastor and
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
New Rome Vnmask'd AND Her Foundation Shaken BY A farther Discovery of the Grand Errors Deep Hypocrisies Popish Practices and Pernitious Principles of the Teachers and Leaders of the People call'd QUAKERS Containing also A Brief Answer to three Books wrote by G. Whitehead one of her chief Cardinals in Nine Months time against Fran. Bugg The 1. Entituled Innocency against Envy c. The 2. The contentious Apostate and his Blow c. The 3. The Contentious Apostate Recharged c. As also a brief Narrative of the Conference between the said G. Whitehead and Fran. Bugg whereby his notorious Lyes are manifest his Errors and deceitful practices confuted and detected All which is plainly demonstrated to the Capacity of every Impartial and Intelligible Reader by one who was more than 25 Years a Member of their Society being carried away with their Dissimulation By FRANCIS BUGG Her Foundations are fallen her Walls are thrown down for it is the Vengeance of the LORD to take vengeance upon her As she hath done do unto her Jer. 50.15 Rase it Rase it even to the Foundations thereof Psalm 137.7 Licensed May 4. 1692. London Printed for the Author 1692. And are to be sold by John Gwillin Bookseller in Bishopsgate-street over against the Royal-James and John Dunton at the Raven in the Poultry and Sam Manshi◠〈…〉 To the Honourable Sir H. N. Barronet Honoured Sir THE Apostle Paul being Accused by the Malicious Jews and many grievous Complaints laid against him saying he was a Pestilent Fellow a Mover of Sedition or Contention And that before Felix the Governour and Agrippa the King yet in this the Apostle comforted himself and thought himself happy in that those Noble Persons gave him leave to speak for himself and to make his Christian Defence And in like manner do I think my self happy Honoured Sir in that I have the Benefit of my Pen and the Press to make my defence against the loud out-crys and heavy Clamours of this People who have in Print exposed me under as odious Names as their Tongue can invent And altho' my defence against their causless Accusations may not hold parallel with what that great Apostle made for himself and his Christian Profession which the Jews accounted Heresie Yet have I adventured to spend some leisurable hours to set forth to the World some reasons why it is no Apostasie from the Christian Faith to separate from the Quakers Be pleased therefore That under your Name and Patronage they may appear as a Covert to vail their Imperfections for Defective they must needs be in many respects First For that I am not endued with that Spirit the Apostles had Secondly I am not Accomplish'd with Parts and Learning sufficient to graple with such Schollars as are some of the Chieftains of the Quakers Thirdly My Trade and other Business which I have upon me are great Impediments and Hindrances from that study which is requisite to such a work And Fourthly My distance from the Press occasions many Omitions and Mistakes Yet forasmuch as when I first appear'd publick against their Errors in Anno 1682. I presum'd to Dedicate the same to your self in hopes of your favourable sensure and meeting then with no reproof gives me ground to presume this once more to present you with what followeth in hopes still to obtain your favourable Construction of whose Goodness Moderation and Impartial Justice I have had more than Twenty Years experience as well as your bearing with and forbearing me in some scruples I have had whether by reason of my long time of Education among that People or other Infirmity I cannot tell God knoweth yet such has been your Christian Condiscention to me therein as well as to others that should I enlarge upon it it might rather diminish than add to you In the Eyes of some who are not that way inclined and therefore it doth sufficiently suffice that I have reaped the benefit of it which as it ever did so it ever will Oblige me to your Service with all Respect and Grateful Acknowledgments of your Especial Favours I am Sir Your Devoted And most Humble Servant FRAN. BUGG Milden-Hall September the 3d. 1692. To the Noble Bereans of this Age. Christian Friends SInce there are none Recorded in holy Scripture on whom the Holy Ghost conferr'd so Honourable a Character as the Bereans of that Age In that they searched after truth Impartially and when they found it Embraced it readily and for which they were justly accounted Noble Therefore it is that to you the Progeny of that worthy Stock and Noble Bereans of this Age that I chuse to Dedicate the ensuing Discourse and therefore I beg of you not to degenerate from the Example of your Progenitors if you do you are no longer true Bereans And to such I do not Design this work if you do not I may assure my self of the justice of a fair Inquiry and an equal Judgment I remember the Athenians June the 14th 1692. by their Tenth Question demanded of the Quakers where to find their Creed or an Account of their Religion Will you said they Subscribe to any of the three Creeds Nicean Athanasian or Apostolical If not Will you give us one of your own that the World may know what to make of you To this I find Geo. Whitehead and others in their Answer stiled The Doting Athenians c. saying Come and see come into the true Light and see and you may find our Creed c. Now lest the way to find out their crooked Creed which lies dispersedly in their Pamphlets should prove too hard a Task for the searching Bereans I thought it needful to lend them my hand and that it may the more plainly appear not to relate either to the Nicean Athanasian or Apostolical Creeds I think it necessary to recite the sum of the Apostolical Creed which includes the substance of the other two and which is believed by all Christians whether called Episcopalians Presbyterians Independants and Baptists for when contraries meet their disagreement does the more manifestly appear viz. The Christian Creed I Believe in God the Father Almighty And in Jesus Christ his only Son who was born of the Virgin Mary who suffered under Pilate was Crucified Dead and Buried Rose again the third Day from the Dead And Ascended into Heaven and sitteth on the Right Hand of God in Majesty on High As an Advocate making Intercession for us And I believe that from thence he shall come to judge both the Quick and the Dead I believe in the Holy Ghost the Lord and Giver of Life who proceedeth from the Father and the Son who with the Father and the Son together is Worshipped and Glorified who spake by the Prophets And I believe one Catholick and Apostolick Church I acknowledge one Baptism for the Remission of Sins I look for the Resurrection of the Dead And the Life of the World to come Amen To God the Father Son and Holy Ghost be
Dust which is Matthew Mark Luke and John which is the Letter p. first Written from the Mouth of the Lord from one who is Naked and stands Naked before the Lord Cloathed with Righteousness G. W. Behold your Creed and view your Book Antichrist in Flesh c. p. 24. and blush for ever for take away your new word Holy and your needless word but and your Change is answered fully whose Name is not known in the World risen up out of the North which was Prophesied of but now it is fulfilled the Army is coming up out of the North p. 15. I am the same Door that ever was the same Christ to day yesterday and for ever Remark Come and see the Quakers sensorious Creed their uncharitable Creed their Blasphemous Creed First they believe the Publick Ministers are Deceivers Blasphemers Hypocrites and Witches and why so because they tell People of a Sacrament and that Matthew Mark Luke and John is the Gospel of Christ away with it all say they 't is Dust your Sacrament is Dust your Ordinance is Dust which is the Serpents Meat your Church is Dust your Gospel is Dust Matthew Mark Luke and John is Dust which is the Serpents Meat which is Death c. But Secondly who is this that says so See Antichrist in Flesh c. p. 24. Why 't is Geo. Fox who says he unites from the Mouth of the Lord who stands Naked who is cloathed with Righteousness as with a Mantle Yea invisible George for if you will believe him his Name is not known in the World Oh horrible Lye there was not ten Mens Names in England known better Well But this is not all he is risen out of the North which was Prophesied of and is now fulfilled O notably done And let me for once make Proclamation O yes O yes Can George Whitehead William Penn or any Man else tell me what Prophet it was from Genesis to the Revelation that Prophesied of Geo. Fox's rising out of the North and that he should be such an Imposter as to call the holy Scripture Dust which is the Serpents Meat and be the Head Sect-master of such a compound of Heresies as hath almost filled the World If they can let them come to me and I will give them Content for their searching for I profess I cannot find one Verse unless you will accept of Mat. 24.24 and by what follows it should be that very Scripture for p. 15. viz. the last recital of this fourth Branch of their Creed G. Fox writes thus of himself I am the Door that ever was the same Christ yesterday to day and for ever c. Here is Christs words fufilled who said There shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great signs and wonders insomuch that if it were possible they shall deceive the very Elect c. And this Prophesie is fulfilled in this our Day and happy are all who escape their Delusions And that G. Fox upon his own and the Quakers Principles can mean no other but the Christ in him viz. In proper Language he himself is the Christ he there speaks of first because he doth not say I am the Door saith Christ no he takes it wholly and solely upon himself and therein he was the more like himself See his Book styled Saul's Errand to Damascus c. p. 7. The old Man cannot endure to here the new Man speak which is Christ And Christ is the way And if Christ be in you must he not say I am the way the Truth and the Life c. I think this very place may serve as a Key to unlock their Misterium Magnum Christ in them which in their sence See the second Branch of your Creed is in the same manner that he was in him that suffered And to put all out of doubt that they do so mean see their Book styled The Watcher c. p. 37. To the end of all Disputes and Arguments I am come for before they was I am c. Saith James Parnell now who would think but that James herein told a notorious Lye in saying he was come to the end of all Disputes and Arguments when Geo. Whitehead and my self also are two Witnesses that they are not yet ended though James hath been dead more than Twenty Years Again that he should say before all Disputes and Arguments was I am when Disputes and Arguments was thousands of years before J. Parnell was born even in Moses's time and yet J. Parnell upon the Quakers Creed and Blasphemous Principles told no Lye for ye must Interpret the I am to be Christ in him As in the days of Christ when the Jews told him John 8.57 Thou art not yet Fifty Years old and hast thou seen Abraham Christ answered him ver 58. Verily verily I say unto you before Abraham was I am Now upon our Christian Creed this was true in Christ but Abominably false and Blasphemous Lye in Parnell O dreadful I tremble to behold these unheard of Blasphemies See also Josiah Coal's Testimony for E. Burroughs printed in his Works in Folio viz. He E. B. was a Man endued with the Almighty Power of God which lived and reigned in him and the Treasury of pure divine Wisdom was opened in him c. This is the most they will allow to be in him they will grant that in him that suffered upon the Cross there was the Heavenly Treasure the Substance the Life the Anointing the Power but I do not remember that ever they granted the Almighty Power to be in Christ I am sure not more Eminently than in themselves But that it may yet further appear that our dear Saviours Prophesie as above is fulfilling which says There shall false Christs and false Prophets arise c See Soll. Eccles Lying wonder and false Prophesie of the Death of John Story * * Very like that of G. Whiteheads to S. B. viz. O John Story What hast thou done against the Lord and thy own Soul thou hast divided the Herritage of the Lord and the good Ordinances which Christ Iesus hath set up in his Church i. e. Womens Preaching and Womens Meetings * * The Christ in them ordained these Ordinances but Christ that was born of the Virgin ordained Baptism and the Lord's Supper now chuse which Christ ye will follow and obey therefore will the Lord throw Contempt upon thee and if thou dost not repent speedily miserable will be thy end If ever thou findest Mercy with the Lord go home to the North with speed and break up the divided Meetings which thou and John Wilkinson have been Instrumental to divide from the Body of our Lord Iesus Christ *âŽ* *âŽ* Mark the Christ in G. Fox for he is the first Founder of the Womens Meetings which Soll. Eccles calls the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ See de chr Libertate c. 2d part p. 33. to 70. The Anger of the Lord is chiefly
Christ and art blind Saul's Errand c. p. 8. He that hath the same Spirit that raised up Jesus Christ from the Dead is equal with God See also G. F.'s great Mystery p. 78 127. 283. where their being equal with God is not denied * Saul's Errand p. 14. but strongly implyed Christ is the substance of all Figures and his Flesh is a Figure All that do study to raise a living thing out of a Dead to raise the Spirit out of the Letter are Conjurers and draw Points and Reasons and so speak a Divination of their own Brain they are Conjurers and Diviners and their Teaching is from Conjuration which is not spoken from the Mouth of the Lord the Letter of the Scripture is carnal and the Letter is Death and killeth p. 7. And as for any being moved of the Lord to take away your Hour-Glass from you G. Fox's great Mistery p. 77. by the Eternal Power it is owned The Priests of the World are 1. Conjurers 2. A brief Discovery c. p. 7.8.9.10 Thieves and Robbers 3. Antichrists 4. Witches 5. Devils 6. Lyars 7 A Viperous and Serpentine Generation 8. Blasphemers 9. Scarlet coloured Beasts 10. Babylon's Merchants 11. Whited Walls and painted Sepulchres 12. Ravening Wolves 13. Greedy dumb Dogs 14. Eminent and Ambitious Pharisees Remark Come and see once more this dark dismal Antichristian and Uncharitable Creed of these deluded Souls the Contents of this sixth Branch thereof followeth viz 1. They like the Pharisees hold a sinless Perfection yea G. F. said he witnessed being come up to the Measure and Stature and Fulness of Christ 2. If ever we own Christ or his Apostles we must necessarily own them yea and their Writings too they being equivalent with the Apostles Writings 3. They affirm that as Quakers they are elected and chosen before the Foundation of the World And contrarywise they Sentence and Condemn their Opposer the Querist being of a contrary Opinion and as such without shewing any other Cause to be a Reprobate ordained of old for Condemnation and Perdition one that is Blind and a Hater of Christ 4 They do assert such as have the eternal Spirit to be equal with God which Spirit they say they themselves have and by it they give forth their Papers and Printed Books 5. They assert the Flesh or Body of Christ to be but a Figure which elsewhere they call'd a Garment and say they cannot call him Christ 6. They say the holy Scipture is Carnal Dust Death and Killeth and that studying therein is Conjuring 7. They Justifie Fellony under a pretence of being moved by the Spirit of God 8. It s lamentable to behold their Incharity in calling the publick Ministry without exception restriction or distinction Conjurers Thieves Robbers Antichrists Witches Devils Serpents Vipers Blasphemers Wolves Beasts Dogs c. Surely 't is needless to enlarge especially in an Epistle since their erroneous Creed is manifest and that by this time the Athenians and all wise Men who are not wilfully blind may know what to make of them for the Tree is known by the Fruit least I make the Porch bigger than the House Thus Courteous Reader I have as it were led thee by the Hand thro' the crooked Paths and by ways of the Quakers intrioate Wilderness and be wildred wild and unheard of extravagant Notions dangerous Errors and pernitious Principles Not to have thee in Love with them no that it is not my design but to beware of being Insured by them as I once was And thus much touching the Quakers Creed which is neither Nicean Athanasian nor Apostolical but I affirm it to he Antichristian Blasphemous Idolatrous if not a Compound of all Heresies For If as they write they do believe indeed Then I affirm this is their Creed Who can with safety them believe Who Write and Print the Simple to deceive Object But some may say its true their Creed is very well set forth from the words of their own printed Principles and you give them a fair opportunity to meet you to make their exceptions against what you charge upon them and their Principles yet this Method I presume they will not take but rather chuse to use their old Method of Printing thinking by their false glossing and Jugling tricks to cast a Mist over the Minds of the Simple as in their Answer to the Quak. unmask'd c. They think they have done and therefore I desire to know what Method is best to use when I come into their Company Answ What you say is very true they can write fair and plausable holding forth one thing to their People and another thing to the World See p. 78. to the end and by the Authority of their Yearly Meeting impose these Controversial Books upon their Countrey Friends I was the last Month at Melton-Mowbery The Quaker's Book-seller in George-yard in Leicester-shire where one Thomas Earl a Quaker dwells and he told me that Thomas Northcot sent him some Books wrote against me but he sent them back Tho. Northcot sends them to him again tells him his Commission viz that the Yearly Meetings Order was that two of a sort should be sent to every Meeting He returned them again and would not be imposed upon for which he is to be commended and all such manly Men. However by this we may observe that their own People begin to be weary of their Books and that the Press begins to be Burthensome notwithstanding their publick Purse c. Well but to the Method I know of no better Method to advise to And to use my self than what William Penn did once excellently chaulk out in his Book styled A Caveat against Popery c. which is first to shew the Papists their Errors as I have done the Quakers next to shew their double dealing viz. one thing to the World and are indeed another to themselves and their under Graduits all which I have set forth as the practice of the Quakers and lastly call them to recant and condemn them to their errors before he will either take their words for what they say or trouble himself more with them whose Methods I purpose to take pray here W. Penn to his late Friends the Papists p 5. Tho' to argue against a Tribe of Men who esteem all reason carnal and Scripture imperfect might rightly be judged a meer beating the Air. Yet to prevent those who may be deceived and if possibly to reclaim such as are and lastly to clear my own conscience most of all in my Eye c. Now how far my old Friends the Quakers resemhle Will. Penn's late Friends the Papists in accounting both Scripture and Reason both Carnal and imperfect I leave to the Judgment of all Christians who shall read their Creed and other passages in this Treatise which I have fairly quoted and kept to the sence of what they write Again p. 3. of his Caveat c. They are grown so complisant
as none seem more exasperated at Persecution than themselves whilest the very Fathers of it decrying the fierceness of some Countreys whose Incendiaries they were and still are Nay for all their venerable esteem of the Pope's Infallability they have not stuck to censure his roaring Bulls though procured by their own means That many unacquainted with their practices are ready to believe them what they say themselves to be whose Morral is to have two strings to their Bow to be Ambo dexter and furnisht with meanings to suit the compass of all occasions Now As this was a most grand piece of Hypocrisie in W. Penn's now Friends the Papists so it is the same in my old Friends the Quakers of which for these three Instances of his I could give Thirty had I room to inlarge See p. 78. to the end of this Treatise to avoid repetition Next for his method a Caveat c. p. 35. To conclude If we would not receive a Thief until he has Repented let the Papists yea and Quakers too first recant his volumnious Errors not known in Scriptures nor ever heard of for 300 nay respecting the Quakers we may say 1600 Years together after Christ c. And altho' I do not approve of all W. Penn hath writ who sometimes have writ against Popery so warmly as no Man did exceed him yet when 't was like to be Rampant here his Applause thereof was too apparent yet in this case I like his method and do intend to abide by it Object But some may say if their Tenents be thus bad as their own Books sets forth would it not be a proper Method to go to their Meetings and there to make it manifest to and before their young Disciples Answ I sent a Letter to them sometime in July last of the same Import and though I have a Propriety in their Meeting-House as set forth p. 51. yet they not only refused to grant that I might freely come but in that they have their Religion as they call it established by Law as they Dream they gave me threatning words c. An Abstract of the Letter they sent me is as followeth viz. FRAN. BUGG Thine received I conceive that neither thy Twenty Pounds in the House nor the Covenant with our Friends dated 1688. will justifie thee for taking up the time by us set apart to worship God In controversie either as a Subject under the present Government or as a Christian For darest thou say that the Settlement by Law of an undisturbed worship to all Dissenters is not good and commendable and that a penalty upon the Violators thereof is not just Francis beware of such consequences and disturb our Meetings no more least such thy pretended Vindication proves thy great disadvantage both as a Man and as a Christian c. To which I returned this Answer Joshua Bangs I dare not say but that a Settlement by Law of Gods worship is good and commendable And I am glad you so deem it and begin to own your Establishment by Law though I must tell you that yours is rather indulg'd than establisht and you stand upon your good behaviour And as to your second Proposition i. e. That a Penalty upon the Violators of it just I agree with you also but withal I must tell you that neither that Law that thus settle and establish you of which you make a great boast nor yet your License either doth or can take away my Right in the Meeting House c. But if you according to your new Opinion did always account it commendable to have God's Worship establisht by Law and a Penalty upon Violaters of it is just do not you therein condemn your Brethren whose ancient practice was frequently to disturb the establisht Worship of God And do you not therein justifie the practice of such as Whipt Stockt Imprisoned and Fined your Brethren for violating and disturbing such a Worship so establisht by Law Yea you acquit them of the Sin of Persecution with which you formerly charged them but now you begin to threaten me to beware of the consequences which may fall on me both as a Man and a Christian c. By which Letter from Josh Bangs 't is plain what they would be at had they Power which God grant they never may But if they had so long as my property in the House remains so long God permitting me Life and Health I shall at times visit them in order to shew them their Errors still resuming my frequent Challenge That if they will give me a Months notice I will meet any four six or ten of their ablest Preachers in Milden-Hall and prove them guilty of the Errors in this Book laid to their Charge Thus Noble Bereans have I finished my Epistle to you in which I have truly and fairly stated the Quakers Creed shewed the way how to deal with them and by their recited Letter what they would be aâ— had they Power so that unless they publickly recant of their Errors and under the Hand of six or more of their Chieftains condemn their pernitious Principles have nothing to do with them beware of their gilded Pills and remember Ireneus 's saying Whilst Hereticks speak like the Faithful they not only mean otherwise than they say but clean contrary and by their Tenents full of Blasphemy they destroy the Souls of those who with their fair words suck in the Poyson of their foul Opinions See his third Book against Heresies c. and now shall conclude with these words I writ in 1668. viz. 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 Sept. the 7th 1692. Francis Bugg The Contents of this Book IN the Epistle to the Bereans the Christian Creed the Quakers Creed Remarks upon them and a Method prescribed to deal with the Quakers In the Introduction the Quakers against the Quakers Martin Luther's Resolutitn and Dr. Barns his Example pursued desiring to read both sides THE Quakers Proposition to dispute page 2 Twelve Errors charged on the Quakers Doctrine p. 3 Separation from the Quakers no Apostacy p. 8 Arch-Bishop Cranmor once mistaken in the Papists p. 12 Hugh Latimer once mistaken in the Papists p. 14 Martin Luther's Humility manifested p. 14 The Quakers deny Christ p. 16 Dr. Barns Martin Luther and John Bradford's Confession of Sin p. 18. 19. The Name Christ the Quakers attribute to themselves p. 20 The Quakers make their Writings Equivolent to the Scripture p. 21 The Quakers render the Scripture uncertain and fallible p. 23 The Quakers and Papists agree in not reading Scripture in their Worship p. 24 The Quakers not Addressing nor Praying for King William and Queen Mary p. 27 The Conference between F. B. and G. Whithead p. 33 A large Quotation of Dr. Barns against Imposition p. 37 G. Whitehead's Narrative confuted p. 50
F. Bugg's property in their Meeting-House maintained p. 51 Sam. Carter's Sufferings a Sham and Trick p. 55 A Challenge propos'd about Wives against Husband p. 57 The Quak. common Bankers or Purs-mongers p. 61 Thom. Ellwood's Confession that their Ministers take Money p. 64 The Quak. preach for Money Hirelings amongst them p. 62 The Christian Quak. Creed differ from the Foxonians p. 69 Mr. Archer's Query which Silensed G. Whitehead p. 74 As the true Prophets bear witness to Christ Acts 10. 39. to 43. so do the false Prophets with one Mouth bear witness to G. F. p. 78 An ERRATA Redar My distance from the Press and other Accidents have occasioned some Errors in this Treatise both in points Letters in spelling and Words the most material whereof are here noted which thou art desired both to Excuse and Correct The Introduction Page 1. line 18. for lote read late p. 1. l. 25. for thus r. the. p. 2. l. 10. for Rolick r. Pollitick p. 2. l. 14. for surely r. sorely p. 2. l. 23. for Cuter r. Cater p. 3. l. 24. for stroke r. strike p. 4. l. 27. for bids Commmand r. Bids or Command p. 4. l. 35. for this r. his p. 4. l. 36 for as craved r. and craved p. 6. l. 40. for Qua Volumne r. Quae Vnmaskt p. 5. l. 33. for pole r. pale p. 6. l. 44. for Ludam r. Ludum p. 8. l. 24. for first r. false p. 9. l. 13. for be noe r. be more p. 9. l. 14. for the r. by the. p. 10. l. 10. for matter r. Martyr p. 12. l. 6. so a Rinn r. Rind The Book Page 2. line 6. for at every read at any p. 2. l. 23. for race r. foot p. 2. l. 28. for discorded r. discovered p. 3. l. 31. for Rayment r. Garment p. 6. l. 5. for Quak. Chal. p. 6 r. p. 3. p. 8. l. 28. for either r. either by p. 10. l. 32. for omnis r. omnes p. 18. l. 36. for stratched r. stretched p. 22. l. 34. for rine r. Rind p. 23. l. 8. for Imposture r. Imposter p. 25. l. 13. for proclaim r. practice p. 25. l. 18. for Advice of r. A device of p. 26. l. 2. for Pologitico r. Pologetico p. 26. l. 20. for Apostate r. Apostasie p. 40. l. 13. for different r. indifferent p. 42. l. 36. for mundam r. in mundum p. 43. l. 14. for Audland r. outland p. 45. l. 13. for S. B. r. F. B. p. 45. l. 15. for make r. made p. 45. l. 27. for transcribe r. subscribe p. 45. l. 34. for freely r. fairly p. 50. l. 10. for as r. at p. 51. l. 18. for the forth r. near the fourth p. 53. l. 32. for Defame r. Defamer p. 53. l. 32. for Dornham r. Downham p. 66. l. 18. for the primer r. A primer p. 73. l. 9. for And meer r. And that for meer in l. 10. for And the r. And taught Advertisement Several Books wrote by the same Author and Sold by Mr. Gwillim in Bishopsgate-street against the Great James Book-seller in London viz. The I. Entituled De Christiana Libertate c. The II. The Painted Harlot both stript and whipt c. The III. Reason against Railing c The IV. The Quakers detected c. The V. Innocency vindicated c. The VI. Battering Rams against New Rome c. The VII One Blow more at New Rome c. The VIII New Rome unmaskt and her Foundation Shaken c. THE INTRODUCTION Friendly Reader HAving already wrote several Books against the Errors and evil Practices of the People call'd Quakers and finding their Answers so Evasive and Remote from the Point in Question so filled with Railing and Abusing Language Equivocations Pervertions and Forgeries That were it not to make a further Discovery of their dangerous Principles which are very Pernicious to the Christian Religion I should rather chose to be Silent and bear all their Reproaches Slanders and Scandalous Defamations with which their Books are filled Then to trouble my self or my Reader with any Reply to their Contentious Pamphlets For though G.W. charges me to be Contentious yet he hath Wrot Three Books against me to my one against them viz. in nine Months time especially Considering that by several Books already Extant they are very much unmasked And their Vizard in a great measure is taken off particularly by that Excellent Book Intituled The Quakers Unmasked their Double Dealing and Falshartedness Discoverd c. in Quarto Printed Anno 1691 which doth Amply set forth their Temporizing As well as their Writing and Printing against the Presbyterians and Independants for being engaged in the Lote Wars in the most Revengful and Aggravating Terms their Pen could Express Notwithstanding they themselves were equally concern'd with them in the same Cause and Quarell Exhorting and Incouraging Oliver his Army and Officers Not to leave off till they had set up their Standard at the Gates of Rome let your Soldiers go forth said they with a free and willing Heart that you may Rock Nations as a Cradle * Bat. Rams p. 5. and the Qua. Vnmasked p. 5 6 7. Thus next Book I refer to is that Intituled A looking Glass for the Quakers in two Columns which sets forth their two fast Practice in writing against the Papists when under and on their behalf when uppermost viz. in the Reign of the Late King James c. both which Books are Sold by Mr. Gwillim Bookseller in Bishopsgatestreet and stands unshaken by their Answers And remain firm Testimonies against their Temporizing their turning with the Times their Base Insinuations against others more Righteous then themselves c. The next Book I Refer too is that of mine Intituled Battering Rams against New Rome c. And that Intituled The Painted Harlot both Stript and Whipt c. The first reciting Ten Instances of their deep Hypocrisie which they have not been able to confute The Second discovers the Imperiousness of their Ministers and the mischief of their Impositions who in the Year 1675 made an Un-Scriptural Law or Ordinance at their Yearly Meeting that their hearers should constantly meet And Neither forsake nor Remove nor Decline their Meeting like Worldly Fearful and Rollitick Professors And they themselves Refused to stand in a like suffering Capacity with them By telling their Names and Habitation See Paint Harlot p 5. insomuch as that in the loss of 13550 lib. Odd money their Ministers never lost 50 lib. But this Book did surely vex these Mediantes for it touched their tender part as Erasmus once said of the other Monks and to be Revenged on me they Printed and Exposed me to be an Informer though at the same time they knew me to be no such manner of Person But so far from it as that they knew me to be one of the greatest sufferers by Informers in all these Parts yet such was their Implacable malice that they therein followed the Example of the Jesuites whose
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
Reputation from their Malitious Charge of Self condemned Apostate and with Dr. Martin Luther say See M. Luther Commentary upon Gall. p. 51. viz. VVherefore GOD Assisting me my forehead shall be more hard than all Mens Foreheads here I take upon me this Title according to the Proverb Cedo nulli I give place to none Yea I am glad with all my heart to be called Rebellious Contentious and Obstinate and here I confess I am and ever will be Stout and Stern and will not one Inch give place to any creature Charity giveth place for it suffereth all things believeth all things hopeth all things but Faith giveth no place yea it can suffer nothing according to this Ancient Verse Non patitur Ludam fama sides occulus that is Mans good Name his Faith his Eye will not be dallyed withall wherefore a Christian as touching his Faith can never be too stout neither must be Relent or give Place no not the breadth of an hair Thus Reader you see Martin Luthers opinion that a Mans good Name is not to be dallyed with all as well as his Faith nor yet his Faith no more than his Name And as it ever was the Papists practice to fix some ill Name upon the Martyrs and to Cloth them as the Heathens of old with Bears Skins that their Doggs might fall upon them and worry them the more fiercly so hath it been the practice of New Rome witness the Names that G. W. and his Brethren have given my self and others * De Chr Lib. p 15 but as Luther was tender of his Name and Ready to Vindicate his Faith and Christian Profession from the Infamy of the Papists slanderous Tongue so I hope to follow his stepts therein and also to shew that I am not Contentious in the sence G. W. Represents me as may appear by a Letter I sent him an Abstract thereof is as followeth viz. To George Whitehead these GEorge I have seen your Book The Contentious Apostate and one Blow c. wherein I find you so false and unworthy as that your Brother Rudyard does not exceed you Oh George did I once think when I visited you in Norwich Goal Anno 1660 to find such Fruit from you I tell you nay I had then better thoughts of you George are you not ashamed to pertend that God the Righteous Judge knows the Integrity of your Soul viz. That you have sought Peace in the way of Peace and for a quiet Composer of Differences See his Book Judgment Fixed c. p. 356 And do you not blush to tell God in this your Printed Prayer that you are indowed with a Spirit of Righteous Judgment c. And yet in the same Book justifie your Brother Rudyard Samuel Caters Lawyer in a most abominable Lye And in this book The Contentious Apostate you tell the World that I and my Company were in the Gallery where your Ministers usually sit when you came in Altho there was not one Man of my Company with me in the Gallery as Hundreds can testifie with many other Gross Lyes c. with what Conscience can ye then appear in Print so wretchedly false and thus Appeal to God the searcher of the hearts well Notwithstanding this and all your former Provocations Lyes and Slanders yet if S. Cater G. Smith Jos Bangs and your self will meet me at a convenient place and Retract what you have Printed that is false and which you cannot make appear to be true * * Mark the Condition and the Equallity of this Proposition I do promise to cease all further Prosecution whether by Print or otherways and that not for your sake who as you have said in Print neither Consult Events nor Fear Effects ††See his Introd to Judgment fixed c. but for the sake of the well meaning thô misled People Amongst you for you like Abner have raised the War and have been the chief Instrument of the Young Mens thrusting each other thorow but will not with him say shall the Sword devour for ever Nor yet seek Peace in the way of Peace according to your pretences and that to Almighty God but through your Cunning and Malicious Craft thinks to wound Asahell but he pursues you more warily and desires no weaker Adversary notwithstanding all your weapons of War And your boasting Goliah like Thus I leave this proposition to you and give you Fourteen days to consider of it to prove whether you mean as you say viz. to seek Peace in the way of Peace Fra. Bugg Sept. 13. 1691. BUt instead of Answering this Equal Proposition about a Month after I saw his Third Book in Print Stilled The Conten Apost Recharged c. which after I had read and considered I drew up certain Principles of theirs This is the Third Book G. W. wrote against me in Nine Months time which renders him the Contentious Makebate Collected out of their own Books as at large in the First Chapter following which upon the 22 day of November last I carryed to their Meeting and their told them that I had Received another book of G. Ws. against me which I could prove first in divers parts yet if G. W. or any four of their Preachers would appear in Vindication thereof I with the the like number would meet them and prove them First Errors and very pernicious to the Christian Religion And Secondly That it is no Apostacy from the Christian Faith to separate from a People who are Erred so manifestly from the Faith once delivered to the Saints and that they might be prevailed with all to come out of their Holes Dens and Lurking places to dispute according to their own Proposition in the Epistle of Edw. Burrous in the Front of his works in Folio where to any mans thinking they seem ready to Dispute they striki up their Sleeves they make bare their Arms they open their Hands and Fingers and life up their Voice and say come Priest come Professor * See the first Chapter following We would gladly be made manifest to all the Worlds that we may freely give as many of the Wisest and Ablest of the Priests and Professors a meeting for to Dispute at any place in England and upon this we will engage with them and with any of our Enemies of what Sect and Profession soever to the Intent only that Truth may be Manifest and Imbraced and Deceit and Error discovered and denyed let them appoint time and place and profer terms at their own pleasure c. Now Reader what could be said more what could be said plainer and to ones thinking we have them fast enough but behold all this is to deceive and Inveagle thee into a belief of their Simplicity Plainness and Integrity when alas they mean nothing so they design no such Plainness 't is but a Sham a Trick to dazle thy Eyes and to deceive thee and this I shall prove to their shames viz. I took
certain of their Principles in Print out of their Books And upon the 22th of November 1691 carried them with an Abstract of the recited Epistle to their Publick Meeting and there Read the Charge Read my Challange In the words of their own Proposition to the intent that if they would have answered my Challange and Dispute the Points according to their said Proposition in their Epistle the world should never have seen them by all which 't is plain that I have not been Contentious in the sense G. W. would represent me as also it may appear the recited Letter to G. W. Dated September 13th 1691. But if contending for the Faith once delivered to the Saints and against the Errors of the Times be a Crime I will say with David I am resolved to be no more Criminal and thereing follow the Example of the Christian Raco and that it is so would farther appear if all my Charges Challenges Querry's Protestations Allegations Impeachments Appeals Propositions Remonstrances Speeches Passages and Letters which from time to time I have wrote upon this foot against their Illegal Arbitrary and Tyranical Usurpations Erronious Principles and Dangerous Tennets I say as it would shew with what great Cost Labour and Travel I have herein Discharged my Duty so if they were made Publick they would declare to all the world that I have not been vainly Contentious as George Whitehead in his three last Pamphlets would represent me I Remember that when their Predecessors the Papists charged Dr. Barns the Martyr with Apostacy Blasphemy and many other Crimes he offered the Popish Bishops this fair Proposal viz. * Dr. Barns Works P. 216 217 218. As for me I do promise them by this present writing and by the Faith I ow to Christ Jesus and by that fidelity I owe to my Prince That if they will be bound to our Noble Prince after the manner of his Laws and after good Conscience and Right that they shall do me no Violence nor VVrong but Discuss and Dispute these Articles and all other that I have written Then will I present my self to our most Noble Prince there offering my self to his Grace And I will either prove these things by Gods Word against you all or else I will suffer at his pleasure whom the Father of Heaven preserve in Honour Amen And if you refuse this Condition then say that you are neither good nor charitable for I dare say you can desire no more of a Christian Man Thus this Good Man who was Hampered and Perplexed with this Popish Crew who would Accuse but not Prove who would Bragg and Boast of their Skill of their Learning of their Religion and of whatever they held let it be never so Erronious but let this Good Man offer what Terms he would tho' never so just never so reasonable it is all one He could never get them out of their Holes and Dens and Lurking places And how agreeable to the method of these Protestants See my Books in print viz. de chr Lib. c. and the Painted Harlot c. and Reason against Railing c. hath my Propositions from time to time been I leave all to judge who shall read what I have from time to time wrote which to incert here would be too tedious And how like the Papists my Adversaries have shewed themselves to be in all their shiftings and evadings declining and rejecting all my offers though in their own way and in the words of their own Proposals c. Well hear this Matter once more on this foot and how he supplicated the Kings Grace That he would be pleased to hear the Matter disputed between the Popish Bishops and him for he desired nothing but that truth might be manifested and imbraced viz. Most Gracious and Mighty Prince God hath set your Grace in the same Honour and Dignity that you by God's Ordinance ought to defend those Men that are oppressed wrongfully wherefore humbly and meekly and in all lowliness and reverence I beseech your Grace to minister unto me Gracious Justice and let me be heard Indifferently * But this the Papists and this New Rome could never abide whether that I justifie my cause with Learning or not if I cannot justifie it your Grace is a Minister of Justice I will refuse no manner of pain that shall be due for my Transgression Wherefore once again with all meekness and lowliness in the way of Charity and in Christ's Name and for his sweet Blood sake * How this poor Martyr pleaded to have his cause openly and publickly heard betwixt him and his Adversaries that he shed for your Grace yea and also by vertue of your Authority that God hath given to you I do desire and require of your Grace Audience and Iustice I and my Parents be your natural Subjects born Wherefore in my Name and in all our Names for all they are rebuked in me with all Meekness and Reverence I beseech your Grace of Gracious Audience and favourable Justice this thing I trust your Grace will not deny me nor yet take any displeasure against me your poor Subject for thus requiring for I have none other Prince nor Lord to seek unto here on Earth but unto your Grace only Nor can I come to any charitable and with my Adversaries wherefore I am compelled by extream violence thus to complain unto your Grace for my Name and Fame and Estimation and all things that belong to an honest poor man in this world It is and ever was the practice of the Papists and this New Rome to detract and take away the Name Fame and Estimation which their Opposers had thinking thereby to uphold their own Cause is taken wrongfully from me hereby and have been by the space of Nine or ten years which is no small time compelled to live in misery and obloquy or Scorn c. Thus Reader you see how importunately this innocent Martyr pleaded to be heard in defence of his cause with respect to his Religion which the Papists reckon'd heresie which is a self-condemned Apostasie or falling knowingly and wilfully from the Doctrine of the Christian Faith as Julian did * To this Julian did they compare me in divers Letters sent to me without any Name to them but I have reason to think Step. Crisp the Author when alas he kept the Faith and only separated from such as had erred concerning the Faith But however all his Endeavours proved fruitless for he could not get Audience he could not get them out of their Holes and Dens though he pleaded never so much first for Christ's Name sake for his sweet Blood sake that was shed upon the Cross And secondly for his own sake for his Kindred and Family sake whom he found slandered in him by them who took away his Name Fame and his Estimation And why did he thus Humbly and Reverently plead and beg of his Prince this favour you see it was that the
Truth and Equity of his cause might appear that his Name and Fame his Estimation and Reputation in this World both as a Man and Christian might not be blasted by the slanderous Tongues and Pens of the malitious Papists who then as their off-spring now studied how they might blast the Name Fame and Reputation of such as opposed them and himself to live no longer in Obloquy or Scorn under the Name of Heretick or a self-condemned Apostate as he had for Nine or Ten years together In whom also he found his Family and Kindred rebuked and under some reproach for his sake and he no way able to clear himself unless his Prince would grant him Audience And as this was his case so have I found something of the same Nature from Geo. Whitehead Sam. Cater and the rest of that Tribe who in most things so far as their power reaches follow the Track of the Papists And for proof of what I here lay down I must refer the Reader to my Book Intituled The Painted Harlot Whipt and Stript c. and other Books of my Writing where I have defended my self from the venome of their poysoned Arrows For first they printed me an Informer as hateful a Name as was then in being And when I obtained the Certificate before recited and that they saw that would not do then they call me in print Beast Dog Woolf Enemy of all Righteousness Child of the Devil Devil Incarnate Fool Novice and what other ill-bred Language their Tongues could invent Then in my Book The Quakers Detected c. I made them also ashamed of such Billingsgate-Language And now the Crime they would fix upon me is An Apostate A self-condemned Apostate An Apparent Apostate which are the worst of Names and had they power to their Wills I might justly fear the Fate which others met with from their Predecessors the envious Papists But as it hath pleased God to enable me to graple with the Lyon * viz. Their Term Informer and the Bear †That it is their railing Language as Devil Beast Dog Woolf and the like so I trust he will enable me to overturn this great Philistine I mean this Bullwark of theirs raised against my Name and Reputation I mean the charge of a self condemned Apostate I have read of M. Luther's Resolution Zeal and Christian Courage against the Pope and his pretended Infalibility and other holy Cheats saith the Historian He charged the Pope not with Life but with Learning not with his Doings but with his Doctrine not picking at the Rine but plucking at the Root not seeking the man but shaking the Kingdom yea and charging him with plain Heresie And still urging and reducing things to the Foundation and Touchstone of the Scriptures * See Fox's Acts and Monuments p. 402 to 417. opened the Eyes of many c. How far my weak endeavours may be said to bear the same Complexion with Respect to this People I will not determine but this I am sensible of there is as much need now to unmask their Leaders and to let their Hearers see their crafty Jugglings whereby they mislead them as there was in the days of Luther and under a sense thereof I am willing to lay out my Talent assuredly believing that though what I now write may not prevail with their present Infatuated Disciples yet both in this Age and Ages to come It will be a means to prevail upon the examining Bereans even such as will search the Scriptures whether what they hold and teach be according to them yea or nay Obj. But 't is objected by G. Whitehead in his Third Charge in his Book stiled The Conten Apostate recharged c. p. 5 6. That Francis Bugg is neither Conscienciously a Religious nor Ingenuous in his writing c. for that he makes no conscience of writing malicious Lyes notorious odious Forgeries and Slanders to villifie and defame others c. And for particular instances to evince his charge he cites sometimes four words in a line then skips to another part of a line taking a bit here and a bit there without the least demonstration or Convincing Argument Thus he jumpeth and leapeth this way and that way floating as a Ship without either Helm or Anchor still shewing himself like the Papists great Champion Mr. Harding against Bishop Jewel as you may read in the Preface to the Defence of the Apology of the Church of England c. where Mr. Harding saith Mr. Jewell is the open Enemy of the Church Mr. Jewell is worse than Ananias that condemned St. Paul Mr. Jewell playeth the part of Antichrist Mr. Jewell is proud Mr. Jewell is Lucifer and serves the Devil Mr. Jewell is a Forger Mr. Jewell is a Lyer an Impudent Lyer Mr. Jewell most falsly corrupteth c. But as I believe Mr. Jewell was clear of the Papists foul Charges So have I been very careful not to mis-represent these People or their Principles much less to forge a Lye a thing I abhor for truth is plain and hath no need of such wicked acts to uphold it and therefore good Christian Reader peruse what is writ on both sides endeavour to know the cause thorowl◠and then judge uprightly And if after a thorow Examination thou dost not find that they pretend to have a Spirit beyond the Fore-Fathers and thereby know who are Saints who are Devils and who are Apostates and that none need to give them discerning or Judgment but that by vertue of this extraordinary Spirit they pretend that on all occasions and at all times they are sufficiently furnished c. Then I have wronged them and mis represented them which would indeed be both disingenuous and unconscionable But if they do thus pretend and set these things out as their principles in print and thereby deceive the simple and by vertue thereof and of the like prodigious errors then I think it my duty publickly to Reprove them when all private means will not reclaim them Again If after a thorow Examination thou findest that they deny the second person of the Trinity that they do not own Him that was born of the Virgin Mary that sate upon Jacob's Well that was spit upon smote with the Palms of their Hands thrust a Spear into his Side hanged on the Tree wrapt in the Linnen Cloths Died was Buried and rose again the third day to be the Christ of God Then wilt thou see it high time for a Testimony to be born against such false and erroneous Doctrine and dangerous Principles which are Pernitious to the very Foundation of the Christian Religion Again If upon a thorow Examination thou shalt find that they set it forth in print as their principle that the Name Christ belongs to every Believer as well as to him that was born of the Virgin as aforesaid Then wilt thou find Christ's words fulfilled who said Mat. 24.5 Many shall come in my Name saying I am Christ and shall deceive
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
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
But tho Josiah Coals c. Letters to G. Fox be not only Superstitious but Blasphemous and Idolatrous yet you excuse justify and say well done to such Abominations See their 10th Principle You may also see that tho these blessed Martyrs confessed that the Papists once taught sound and pure Doctrine and doubtless did then commend their Practice Conversation and Deportment and accounted such Doctrine so taught a dispensation of the love of GOD to Mankind yet when they saw that they Apostatized from these things and began to impose Transubstation and other Novelties as GOD's Ordinances you see they then forsook them left them And not only so but did hear a full and ample Testimony against their Pride their Haughtiness their infallible Pretentions their grand Errors and deep Hypocrisies not always picking at the Rine but striking at the Root until at last what by disputing what by writing what by printing and with GOD's blessing upon their endeavours the Pope's Authority in England quite expired But oh what sad Bawling the Pope and his Cardinals Priests and Fryers Jesuits and Nuns and all your Kindred made against Luther Barns Jerom of Prague John Huss Philip Melancthon and the rest of that noble blessed and for ever renowned Army calling them Apostates Self condemned Apostates apparent Apostates manifest Apostates contentious Apostates c. And having then the Law of their side which I thank GOD you have not burnt many of them Thus I hope you may see a lively Figure of your selves and also that as I have acquitted my self of that Dilemma which you dreamed you had cast me into I have left you with your Kindred in that Dilemma which nothing but Repentance and Amendment will deliver you from which GOD of his mercy grant you may CHAP. III. Shews a third Reason why forsaking the Quakers is no Apostacy from the Christian Faith FOR it is plain That they deny Christ Jesus who was born of the Virgin Mary who suffer'd without the gates of Jerusalem and rose again and ascended up into Heaven and there sits at the Right Hand of GOD From their 3d Principle making Intercession for us And since they err in this fundamental Article of the Christian Faith Search these Scriptures viz. Mat. 13.16 17. Luk. 10.23 24. cap. 1.42 45 68 69 70. cap. 2.20 to 39. Mat. 2.1 to 12. Mat. 21.5 to 17. Mat. 11.1 to 18. Luk. 19.29 Psal 72.15 17. Zach. 9.9 and that against the Testimony of Men and Angels Holy Scripture and the concurrent Testimony of the Prophets Apostles Martyrs and Confessors from the beginning I upon that foot and upon that bottom account it no Apostacy to forsake such a People who themselves have so apparently erred from the Faith Search these Scriptures and abundance more to confirm this And that they have so erred see their 3d Principle and that it is against Scripture and the Angel's Testimony Luk. 2.10 11 16 20. Mat. 2.25 Acts 18.5 Rom. 14.9 1 Cor. 15.3 John 11.35 read Luke 2.10 11 16 20. Then the Angel said unto them be not afraid for behold I bring you tydings of great joy that shall be to all the people that is that unto you is born this day in the city of David a SAVIOVR which is CHRIST the LORD Now as HE was GOD from all Eternity HE was not born of the Virgin did not hunger was not cold did not dye was not spit upon was not smote with the palms of their hands But as he was God-Man the Man Christ Jesus who was born of the Virgin according to that heavenly Testimony of the blessed Angels Luke 2. he was the SAVIOVR CHRIST THE LORD which you say was but a Garment a Vail a Vessel WHICH YOV CAN NEVER CALL CHRIST * Question to the Professors p. 33. Nay it is said in plain words by George Fox viz. Christ is the substance of all Figures and his FLESH is a FIGVRE †Saul's Errand c. p. 14. This is I confess an uncouth Saying but I will unriddle their meaning viz. CHRIST as HE is the Light they own HIM but as to HIS Flesh that is only a Figure a Garment something or other which People do love and speak well of but as for George Fox and the Heads that know what they say the Flesh is of little value and to confirm this my opinion see Isaack Peningtons one of their most learned and knowing Writers whose works they have taken care to reprint in Folio who saith thus A Question to the Professors p. 33. viz. Now the Scriptures does expresly distinguish between CHRIST and the GARMENT he wore between HIM that CAME and the BODY in which he CAME between the SVBSTANCE which was VAILED and the VAIL which VAILED it There is plainly HE and the' Body in which HE came there was the outward Vessel and the inward Life This we certainly know and can never call the bodily Garment Christ So that 't is plain The Quakers who are certain and infallible in this are of a contrary Spirit to all the Forefathers Prophets Apostles and Christian Professors to this day See Luk. 2.10 11. Zach. 9.9.10 11 Cap. v. 12 13. Math. 2.6 Micah 5.2 Psal 2.7 16.10 Acts 2.22 23 36. 3.13 4.10 and 10.43 according to this their Doctrine the Angels message was only of a Garment that was born it 's true it 's allowed to be a bodily Garment a Vail a Figure c. which they can never call Christ and if they can never call him that was born of the Virgin Mary Christ the consequence unavoidably follows that they can never own him to be Christ the Saviour of the World And to confirm this my sense of their principle to all the People called Quakers I will yet add two Reasons more viz. First In that they never in their publick meetings for worship of God nor yet in their Families make confession of their sins to God asking pardon for Christ Jesus sake This is one reason to confirm their Disciples that their Leaders deny Christ Jesus who was born of the Virgin to be both Lord and Christ Secondly In all their books you never yet found that ever they confessed their Sins and asked Pardon for Christ's sake whereby it is manifest that as thereby they deny Christ as aforesaid so they render themselves of a singular Spirit to all the Prophets Apostles Saints Martyrs and Confessors since the world stood as may be seen by the Scriptures in the Margin beginning with Moses Psal 90. to the very Martyrs Yea Psal 51.2 3. Psal 90. Job 7.20 Lam. 3.41 42. Isa 64.6 Dan. 4.9 to the end 1 John 1.8 1 Tim. 1.15 Rom. 7. so singular that without the breach of Charity I may conclude that instead of having a Spirit given to them beyond all the Forefathers so as to know who are Saints who are Devils and who are Apostates as they have vainly boasted They have a
Remark at present I come next to shew what Slight and Contempt they have cast on the Scriptures in order to invalidate their Certainty and Authority and therein to shew G. W. how they value their unwrit Traditions above the Scriptures both in words as well as in practice as I shall shew anon for I am not picking at the Rine now but plucking at the Root And tho I must confess they are sturdy Oaks yet the Ax that is laid will level them unless they repent which I pray GOD they may if it be his Will Amen First That which is spoken from the Spirit of Truth in any is of as great Authority as the Scriptures and Chapters are and greater Serious Apology page 49. By G. Whitehead in his Serious Apology p. 49. G. Whitehead's Ishmael p. 10. Secondly That which is written is the Letter which is Death and killeth Way to the Kingdom p. 8. Thirdly The Scriptures are a declaration of the Word the Husk Fourthly The Letter of the Scripture is carnal Saul's Errand to Damascus p. 7. and the Letter is Death and killeth In one of their Books * The Quakers Refuge fix'd on the Rock of Ages p. 17. they thus query viz. Whether the first Penman of the Scriptures was Moses or Hermes Or whether both these or not one Or whether there are not many words contained in the Scriptures which were not spoken by Inspiration of the Holy Spirit Whether some words were not spoken by the grand Imposture some by wicked Men some by wise Men ill applied some by good Men ill expressed some by false Prophets and yet true some by true Prophets and yet false Now Reader setting aside the Contempt George Fox George Whitehead and others anciently threw upon the Scriptures as Carnal Dust the Serpent's Meat Husk not of that Authority with what is said to be spoken from the Spirit of Truth and the like I say setting aside THAT what can be the natural Tendency of these Queries but to prejudice the weak Readers against the Authority of the Scriptures especially such who take Examples of them in that they never read a Chapter in their Meetings for the Worship of GOD. If what the true Prophets spake be FALSE If what good Men spake be ILL EXPRESSED If what wise Men spake be ILL APPLIED Then what is there left besides what was spoken by true Prophets good Men and wise Men If there be any as you seem to suggest that 't is spoken by the grand Impostor and by wicked Men and false Prophets c. And if there be some little left that was spoken by true Prophets and is true some by good Men well expressed some by wise Men rightly applied Yet you not having made any distinction who shall know what is true from that which is false that which is well expressed and rightly applied from the contrary since you have left these three wretched Questions unresolved and the Scriptures doubtful ambiguous and uncertain robbing them of that Authority which GOD's People from Age to Age have justly attributed to them As for the five Books of Moses who wrote them Moses or Hermes is now put into the world as a Question Yea whether either or neither be the Author of those Books Yea these very Writings of Moses which I never heard question'd before are now proposed whether Moses or Hermes be the Author of them Now if Moses and Hermes be all one then why is the Query put unless you would have Moses to be Hermes and not Hermes to be Moses And so Moses being lost and Hermes only a Philosopher in Egypt being found the Books going under the Name of Moses's shall be lost also If this was not your mind why do you fill the world with such Atheistical Queries c Christ himself often quoted the Writings of Moses * See Mark 12.16 Luke 16.29 Luke 24.27 Acts 3. Luke 26.27 44. and so did the Apostles I never till now took so much notice of this your wretched Design to bring the Scriptures into Contempt that so you might exalt your own unwritten Traditions and therefore there is Reason enough in this to shew that forsaking the Quakers is no Apostacy from the Christian Faith CHAP. V. Shews that the Forsaking the Quakers is no Apostacy from the Articles of the Christian Faith IN my Book One Blow more at NEW ROME c. I gave six Reasons why I compared the Quakers to New Rome Rome's Sister c. Amongst which one was That they value their unwritten Traditions above the Scriptures five of those six G. W. never touches But that of their valuing their unwrit Traditions above the Scriptures he says is a Lye without giving any one Demonstration c. And therefore to justifie my Charge That you value your unwrit Traditions above the Scriptures I prove thus First it never was from first to last your practice to read any one Chapter of the Bible nor any one Epistle of Paul Peter or any of the Apostles in your Meetings for Worship of GOD when as you have read the Epistles of Robert Sandyland Samuel Cater William Penn George Whitehead and Stephen Crisp with as much Attention and Devotion as the Papists do their Legends and this with what is writ in Chap. IV. is sufficient to prove the Point for I take all which is written in opposition to or in competition with the Scriptures to be unwritten Traditions Now if I can make it first appear that it is a principle of the Papists not to read the Scriptures in their Churches And secondly That it was and is the practice of Protestants to read the Scriptures in their Churches and Assemblies for the Worship of GOD then I hope Geo. Whitehead will not blame me for calling them New Rome who in almost every point follows their Example And also I hope it will be a caution to many of the Quakers to look about them who shall find themselves led by their Teachers into the very Road and High way to Rome before ever they so much as thought of it nay that they are in her very Borders and Territories when they thought all had been well and that they had been as their Teachers tell them and would make them believe even in the Heights of Sion in the Truth and none but THEY and that amongst them ONLY is God known elected before the world began and the like First Then to shew that it was against the principles of the Papists to read the Scriptures in their Churches Mr. HARDING against JEWEL By the Instinct of Satan Defence of the Apol. of Ch. of England p. 580. ye have brought the People from Devotion to careless Idleness from speaking to God with Hearts and Lips to a spiritual Dumbness from Prayers to Chapters from holy Think or silent meeting to unprofitable Hearing Thus much from one of the ablest the Pope had to defend his Errors by which the Reader may observe that
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
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