desired that some few might speak yet the Men and Women let loose their Tongues at their Pleasure some railing and gnashing on us with their Teeth Rep. But Francis why hast thou not set down the Names of those that did so Oh shameless Man to publish such Lyes in Print dost thou think to hide thy self under this pitiful Covering but Francis I have not yet forgot thine and thy Brother Odde's rude Speeches and unsavoury Carriages some of which are already in Print what he said at his coming in and going out of the Meeting calling us Dogs Dogs and Vipers too In page 4. Francis saith Know you Deceivers that many already see by the Light of the Word of God and many I hope more daily shall that these are no slanders but a faithful witnessing given by us against you Reply And to prove us Deceivers he tells us of some of his Brethren he calls Ministers have writ Books against us which Books have been already answer'd by us and their dark Works detected but Francis if thou wast not wholly in Darkness thou would'st see thy Folly in taking this Way to prove the Matter for if this be the only Way to prove thee and thy Brethren Deceivers then remember how many Books have been published in Print with our Names to them against you Hireling Priests Envious Professors these twenty Years whereby you have been marked out by your Fruits and Doctrines to be apostatized from the true Faith and Practice of the true Apostles and Ministers of Christ and are discovered thereby to be walking in the Steps of the false in whose Steps I number you who appear to be Enemies to the true Light Page 5. F. H. saith He is falsly reported of to have said and affirm that every one is enlightned with the Light of Christ is cursed Idolatry and again he is falsly reported to say that every one is enlightned I grant but not with the Light of Christ Reply But F. H. art not thou ashamed thus to tell Lyes in Print and to deny that which thy Tongue spake then in the hearing of many Witnesses and which thy Hand here hath set down whereby thou contradictest thy self for say'st thou at the very following Words by which thou chargest us for wronging of thee in saying that the Light of Christ is cursed idolatry say'st thoâ— What the Idolatry is you shall hear more largely whereby thou hast acknowledged the Charge Again page 5. F. H. saith Thus I constantly affirm that all Men are by Christ who is the true God and Eternal Life enlightned with the Light of Nature of which you shall hear more hereafter and what he saith of this Christ which he saith gives unto all Men a Natural Light Page 5. S. C. asks what is it then that they are enlightned with F. H. A Creature S. C. What Kind of Creature c. passing by your absurd asking whether it be a Man or a Beast I answer I said Deceivers that the Light in all Men is created c. Rep. I shall place this to thy Account which increaseth thy Lyes and Slanders of the Innocent for thou didst say that the Light was a Creature and now thou say'st that the Light in all Men is created but what Advantage thou hast gotten by telling this Lye and altering thy Word from a Creature to Created I cannot see except it be to abuse us by thy Lyes whose Reward will be according to thy Work if thou repentest not And whereas thou say'st That we rend thee or rail on thee because thou wilt not blaspheme the true God with the Quakers and term the Light that is in all Men by Nature is the one Jehovah I say this is a false Accusation and to call the Light that lighteth every Man that cometh into the World Natural is gross Darkness and are thy Words and not ours nor Scripture-Words for we say and affirm that Light that shineth in and unto every Man and which gives him the Knowledge of what is good and what is evil is pure and spiritual and comes from God who is a Spirit Page 6. F. H. saith Col. 1.27 To whom God will make known what is the Riches of the Glory of this Mystery amongst the Gentiles which is Christ in you the Hope of Glory this saith he they prophainly with daubing Flattery apply to all men and the Light that is in all men this is Christ in them all the Hope of Glory Rep. Here thou hast ignorantly or willingly belyed us for we never did fo say or affirm that the Light of Christ that shines and appears unto all Men is Salvation unto all or the Hope of Glory in all for many there be that are condemned by it because they hate it and as Christ saith will not bring their Deeds unto it because their Deeds are Evil Joh. 3.19 20. So that the Light of Christ is the Hope of Glory in them that believe in it and obey it which is according to Simeon's Testimony a Light to lighten the Gentiles and the Glory of thy People Israel Luke 2.32 Page 6. F. H. saith Another Scripture they bring to set up their false God is Rom. 10.8 The Word is nigh in thy Heart and in thy Mouth that is the Word of Faith which we preach this they compare with John 1. and from these Words here spoken of is Christ the Word who was in the Beginning Christ the Light who is God who is they say in the Heart of every man Rep. Now Francis if thou were not wholly in Darkness thou would'st not thus manifest thy own Shame and give me so fair an Opportunity to lay open thy Weakness unto all People but the Day is come in which the Secrets of all Hearts are to be made manifest and the hidden Things of Esau sought out and the Lord is uncovering the Skirts of the Whore and stripping her of all her various Dresses and uncovering the Nakedness of her and her Merchants and now at the Light of this glorious Day the Heathens rage and the People that live in Darkness are angry and now consider thy own Confusion who art speaking against us for accounting that to Christ or the Appearance of Christ which is spoken of Rom. 10. now read what the Scriptures say and see if thou canst make any Thing else of it without wresting of the Scriptures but Christ and his spiritual Appearance to the Heart and Soul of Man Bâ—â— the Righteousness which is by Faith speaketh on this wise say not in thy Heart who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring Christ from above or who shall descend into the Deep that is to bring Christ again from the Dead but saith it the Word is nigh thee even in thy Heart c. And John 1. In the Beginning was the Word and that Word was with God and that Word was God c. And so we declare it to be as we have received it even as the Scriptures testifie of it
THE Innocent Cleared AND THE Guilty Made Manifest Being a Reply to a Printed Paper lately come to my Hand titled Apostacy of the People called Quakers from the Faith once delivered to the Saints subscribed by Francis Houlcroft and Joseph Oddey who call themselves Ministers of Christ but upon true Examination are made manifest by their Fruits to be otherwayes That is to say Ignorant of the True God and Jesus Christ and Enemies to his Appearance and their Lyes and Slanders that they cast upon the Innocent concerning a Paper printed in which we gave a true Account of the late Meeting at Thriploe turned back upon themselves and their Folly made manifest Their Contradictions compar'd and their Wresting Perverting the Holy Scriptures of Truth discovered and their Rude and Unsavoury Words and Hard and Ungodly Speeches against God his Truth and People Reproved How they wrest our Words and add to our Words that which we never said and then cry out against us and endeavour to render us and our Principles thereby Odious Also A Testimony of the Universal Love of God in Jesus Christ as it now appears unto all men witnessed by the Scriptures of Truth By a Servant of Truth and one that desires the Good of all men known by the Name of SAMUEL CATER Printed in the Year 1676. The Disciple is not above his Master nor the Servant above bis Lord it is enough for the Disciple that he be as his Master and the Servant as his Lord If they have called the Master of the House Beelzebub how much more them of his Houshould Matthew 10.24 25. Jesus answered and said unto them Ye do Err not knowing the Scriptures nor the Power of God Matthew 22.29 THE INNOCENT CLEARED AND THE GUILTY Made Manifest AND now all may see what Francis Houlcroft and Joseph Oddey have said and given under their own Hands and sent abroad in Print which if I should have reported of them and not have had it under their own Hands they would without all question have denyed their own words as they have already done what they spake before many Witnesses at that Meeting at Thriploe which will witness to their Faces that the Account which we have published in Print concerning their Words and Carriages is true And now see their own Words which I have here faithfully set down and collected out of their own Books which is as followeth Page 1. sayes Francis Holcraft and Joseph Oddey The forged Lyes of a late Pamphlet of theirs Reply But F. H. and J. O. you had been wiser and honester if you had proved it so to be before you had published it so for we still affirm the Truth of it and there are three of our Names to it and you have not yet proved the contrary and we whose Names are here subscribed do promise if the Lord permit to give us Life and Health To give you another Meeting at any Time or Place which may be equally agreed upon between us to maintain and prove all that Relation to be true that we have before published in Print before any People that may come to hear it which we desire may be before the time of these Citations of J. O. in pag. 14. who would put us off unto the Day of Judgment Samuel Cater John Web Jacob Baker And now I shall take notice of your words as you have set them down and sent them abroad in Print And I do tell you that I am glad that you have thus appeared whereby you are further made manifest And as for your Railing against me and Miscalling of me and the rest of us who believe in the true Light which God hath made manifest to our Souls for the leading and guiding of us in the Way of Life its little matter to us only this it s an Evidence of Salvation to us and that of God for it was ever the Portion of God's Servants and Children to be Reviled and Evil spoken on by those that hate the Light and live in Darkness Pag. 3. Lin. 4. F. H. When I came near the Barn where these People were met I heard one speaking and I made a stay without resolving that I would not go in till he had teased his Service of his False Christ the Light that is in all men a New God which neither we nor our Fathers have known Rep. First 'T is to be taken notice of how this man knew or understood what it was that our Friend did declare to the People at that time seeing he would not come into the House until he had done speaking But however he is resolved to give Judgment against him contrary to that equal Law which judgeth no Man until he is heard But further Here thou art judged out of thy own Mouth to be in the Steps of thy Fore-fathers the Pharisees who said concerning Christ unto the Blind Man whom Christ had opened his Eyes As for this Fellow we know not whence he is John 9.29 so sayest thou now concerning God and Jesus Christ which the Scripture fully declares to be the true Light and which lâ—ghteth every man that cometh into the World a God sayest thou which neither we nor our Fathers have known in this thou hast spoken the Truth which I believe concerning thee and all such as thou art who hate the Light and love Darkness O! blush and be ashamed thou Vain Babler and Unprofitable Talker who sayest thou art Oâ—e of the Eleâ—â— and callst thy self a Minister of Christ and yet knowest neither the Father nor the Son who is Light and in him is no Darkness at all And now thou Blind Guide that walkest in Darkness and knowest not whither thou goest nor wherâ—of thou dost affirm Read the Testimony of the True Ministers of Christ whom thy Fore-fathers the Pharisees commanded to preach no more in the Name of Jesus 1 John 1.5 the words are these This is the Message which we have heard of him and declare unto you that God is Light and in him is no Darkness at all Vers 6. If we say we have Fellowship with him and walk in Darkness we lye and do not the Truth but if we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have Fellowship one with another and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all Sin which Scriptures already are sufficient to convict thee and to manifest thy gross Darkness and Ignorance of the true God and Jesus Christ and all else that are of thy Mind but I do desire thou mayst come to see thy self and to know the Darkness and Blindness that thou art in and however I may be clear of thy Blood and thy Folly made manifest to all I shall not spare my Pains to endeavour to do thee good for the Evil thou hast rendred unto me and the rest of my Friends who from time to time hast made it thy Business to Rail of us and to render us and the Truth that we profess
be and I not hear it I forgot not wholly the Contention with Mr. Holdcraft about the altering of the Reading of it from what it is ordinarily in our English Bibles Rep. Here thou hast granted that thou knowest that he did not read it as it is in our Bibles whereby thou hast contradicted him who saith he read it no other Way then it is in our Bibles and thus these two Brethren in Iniquity contradict and confound one another But saith J. O. I call God for a Record upon my Soul that I know nothing of this you say But Joseph I must tell thee I do greatly question whether thou now speakest Truth or no but however I shall leave that to God and thy own Conscience But if this be true thou dost say that thou knowest nothing of it hast thou done wisely to call me a Lyar for saying that that I know to be true and have several Witnesses to prove it and thou say'st thou know'st nothing of it then I tell thee thou had'st been wiser and honester if thou had'st held thy Tongue and now tellest us thou thinkest thou had'st thy Hearing as well as I c. This is like thy Brother who saith in page 3. observing as I thought in some of these People that Lightness c. and page 13. where F. H. speaks concerning the Grace of God Now take all men here for every particular man I have thought it not agreeing to the Rule of Faith I tell you both that your Thoughts have deceived you and your Folly is made manifest and whereas you thought to have done proudly in exalting your Names and dark Imaginations above the Light and Truth of God and to have insulted over them that believe therein and are led and guided thereby your Weakness is thereby made manifest and your Deceit laid open Page 14. Joseph Oddey saith I appeal to all that were present whether any such Thing was spoken only I desire to know their Names According to his Desire here is a Testimony under the Hands of some of them that were there and many more remember the same and are also ready to witness it if there were Need for it This we testifie whose Names are here under-written who were Eye and Ear-Witnesses to what was said at the Meeting at Thriploe the 15th Day of the 2d Moneth 76. that Francis Holdcraft when he read Tit. 2.11 left out the Word ALL and said it was not in the Greek John Harvey John Claydon John Butcher Giles Waklen Samuel Reader John Salmon Richard Web Matthew Duy Jonathan Johnson Henry Bostock John Cathen John Love Thomas Miller Robert Salmon And now concerning the Grace of God spoken of in Tit. 2.11 which these Men are so angry with me for detecting their Folly therein and now see what he saith and hath given under his Hand as his Thoughts and Judgment concerning that Scripture and compare his Words and F. H. in page 13 in their own Book with what they spake concerning tâ—e Grace of God and its Appearance that Day at Thriploe which we have given a true Account of in Print whereby all may see what Wrong we have done them in saying that of them which here they have spoken as much themselves Page 14. J. O. saith Thus the Grace of God though it brings Salvation to all men where the Gospel comes in Respect of the Proffer and Tender thereof yet it doth not appear to all men in that Largeness you contend for And in page 13. F. H. saith concerning the second of Titus 11. Now take all men here for every particular man I have thought it not agreeing to the Analogy and Rule of Faith to say The Grace of God that brings Salvation hath appeared or shined on all men In the same page J.O. calls me a Lyar for saying that he said that some Children before they are born were guilty of Original Sin and were Vessels of Wrath and for Destruction Rep. Which I am able to prove he did at that Time say and hath at other times often declared the same and further hath here declared as his Judgment page 14. toward the latter End Children while they are in the Womb before they are born so soon as they have Life and are a living Soul are guilty of Original Sin I own this for Truth c. Now the same Scripture that proves them to be guilty of Original Sin proves them to be Children of Wrath and under Condemnation By this all may see that to be his Judgment that he calls me a Lyar for reporting of him whereby his Envy and Folly is made manifest and my Innocency cleared and out of his own Mouth that is proved which I have charged him with so that it is proved that this Man hath calâ—ed me a Lyar out of Envy and not that I have wronged him which Doctrine of theirs is false and altogether contrary to the Mind and Will of God declared in the Scriptur s of Truth as I told them before that is to say that Children are guilty of Sin before they are born and under Condemnation and are Vessels of VVrath which to say is a Damnable Doctrine and altoge her contrary to the Equal and Just VVayes of God who saith Are not my Wayes Equal and there is no Scripture that saith Children are guilty of Original Sin and it is a dark Imagination for any to believe or affirm it and the Scripture proves the contrary Ezek. 18.2 The Soul that sinneth it shall dye the Son shall not bear the Iniquity of the Father c. Jer. 31.29 They shall say no more the Fathers have eaten sour Grapes and the Childrens Teeth are set on Edge but every Man shall dye for his own Iniquity he that eateth his Teeth shall be set on Edge S. C. Pag. 15. line 27. Joseph Oddey bids me ask Henry Bostock whom saith he knows our Doctrine whom I think would have done us so much Right as to have told you what our Doctrine is concerning Children before they are born And now here follows a Testation under the Hand of Henry Bostock concerning the Doctrine of Francis Houlcraft and Joseph Oddey which is That some Children before they are born are in a State of Damnation This I have known to have been their Principle this Seven Years and at that Meeting at Thriploe Joseph Oddey did affirm the same Henry Bostock Now see these Mens CONFUSION and how they CONTRADICT Themselves F. H. PAge 5. line 16. I Constantly affirm that All Men are by Christ who is the true God and eternal Life enlightned with the Light of Nature F. H. pag. 7. lin 4. Who clothes their False Christ and Cursed Idol the Light which is in All Men by Nature F. H. pag. 7. towards the latter end saith Christ the Word made Flesh enlightens Every Man with Natural Knowledge and Light F. H. pag 8. lin 5. The Light which is in every man is Darkness F. H. pag. 10. lin 5. I call to
not believe us which Christ is the true Christ that lighteth all men and witnessed so to be by the Scriptures of Truth spoken by the Prophets and Jesus Christ himself and the holy Apostles which I have before largely proved and in whose Light the Church of Christ had Fellowship one with another 1 John 1.7 And it s said by the Apostle That they that say they have Fellowship with God and walk in Darkness they lye and do not the Truth amongst whom I number thee who hast manifested so much Envy against the Light and the Servants of it and tells us until we cast that away namely Christ the Light which is the Guide and Way to Heaven as before I have proved you will look upon us as Deceivers that we cannot help but I say the more is the pity that thou or any man should be so overcome and led captive by the Power of Darkness that you will not own us nor our Testimony unless we will deny the true God and Jesus Christ I tell thee Francis thou hast set us too dear a Price for us to give you for your Approbation of us nay although you had as much to proffer as your Master the power of Darkness proffered Christ if he would fall down and worship him I hope neither I nor any one amongst us who loves the Light and believes therein and hath seen and felt how good the Lord hath been unto our Souls thereby shall ever so deny the Lord that bought them as in casting away so precious a pearl as this Heavenly and Divine Light of Christ which hath ever been and yet is to all them that believe in it and no man ever was nor can be truly happy without they believe in it and obey it which thou sayest we must cast away but I tell thee that if thou dost expect it thou art mistaken and thy Eyes will sink in their Holes and thy carnal Imaginations will rot in thy Head before thou seest that That ever a People should turn from the Light and Truth of God made manifest in our Hearts and Consciences for the purifying of our Hearts and saving of our Souls to turn unto your dark Imaginations who are such bitter Enemies unto the Light which gives the Knowledge of God and r veals the Mysteries of Life unto all them that believe therein 2 Cor. 4.6 Now I testifie That Widdowhood and Loss of Children must be the Portion of all you Professors as it hath been ever since we have been a People to bear Testimony unto the blessed and spiritual Appearance of God in the Light of his dear Son And I am not without Hope that some that are late turned from you and your dark Imaginations are and will be the more confirmed in this precious Truth unto which their Minds are turned and that those that yet sit under your Dark and Confused Teaching who hate the Light and are Reproachers and Railers against the Lovers of it may thereby be awakened to consider what they are a doing in following such Teachers who are against the True Light and Universal Love of God held forth to all men thereby for there is but Light and Darkness and they that hate the Light must needs be in Darkness And the Apostle John saith They that walk in Darkness they lye and do not the Truth Now I would have all People take notice that F. H. doth not Rail against us for Darkness and express his Envy against us as being led by the power of Darkness for he intitles us that and saith the Quakers God and Christ as you may see all along in his Book the Light that is in All Men which the Scripture witnesseth to be the True God and Jesus Christ which I have before proved by the Scriptures only this I would have all People take notice of which I have hinted at before which is the Practice of him and all such Blind Gâ—ides as he is to call that which is True False and that which is really True he calls False and that which is the True Light he calls Darkness For there is nothing that giveth Light to every Man but the True God and Christ and thus he puts Light for Darkness whereby it appears according to the Scriptures he is under the Wo Isa 5.20 And now I shall take a little Notice of what Joseph Oddey saith page 14. who writes to one Samuel Cater a Deceiver amongst the Quakers who at that Meeting at Thriploe And for what he hath said now in this Paper he deserveth just Reproof for his rude and unsavoury Words which do not become a Man that professeth himself to be a Minister of Christ Rep. And now J. O. I do tell thee that the Light of Christ tâ—at I with many more have received teacheth us not to render Evil for Evil nor Railing for Railing but contrarywise to speak the Truth in Soberness and with sound Words to demonstrate and declare the Truth as it is in Jesus And now thou hast called me a Deceiver which is a false Accusation and thou might'st better have left it until thou hadst proved me so which thou nor thy Brother could not do although promised to do it and thou called'st us a Generation of Vipers and said'st Thou would'st prove us so to be before you went away and did'st not then do it so that it appears it is an easier Matter to cast Reproaches and Slanders upon a People then it is to prove it when you have done But Joseph thou manifests by thy Fruit what Spirit rules thy Heart for saith the Scripture An Evil Man out of the Evil Treasure of his Heart brings forth Evil Things from that cometh Railing and Evil-speaking and Backbiting Page 14. he pretends to examine me with what Face I could say that his Brother Holdcraft did not read the Scripture right Tit. 2.11 The Grace of God that brings Salvation hath appeared unto Men and that he left out the Word ALL and impudently said it was not in the Greek can this be a bare mistake in thy self and others Rep. I say no it is no Mistake we do still affirm the same to be true of him as we have published and there are three of our Names to it and many more will witness it to your Faces to be true if an Opportunity be afforded and further there was a Man that at the same time when Francis said that the Word ALL was not in the Greek as it is in our Books reproved him and asked him why he brought his Bible hither if it were wrong translated a Man that stood by as a Hearer well known in the Country to be a Man of Estate and Credit who was not then nor is now one with us in Principle or Practice Page 14. How J. O proves that I have belyed his Brother Holdcraft saith he I stood next him on the one side had my Hearing through God's Goodness I think I may say as well as you could this