only and absurd G.VV. p. 18. acknowledges that they have plainly and often confest That the DIVINE NATURE or Word cloathed with the MOST HOLY MANHOOD and as having taken Flesh of the Seed of Abraham was and is the Christ Yet says he we must own that if he was the Son of God BEFORE he took Flesh he was Christ And in p. 19. he grants he doth not own the Humane Nature is the Christ for want of Plain Scripture that saith so and says some do conscientiously scruple it and pretend it is a deviating from Scripture-Language which they cannot do in their Creed 2. Reply What a pretty medly of Hypocrisie Quibbling and Confusion here is I will now shew you For Hypocrisie how palpable is it in that they pretend they conscientiously scruple owning in their Creed THAT THE HUMANE NATURE IS THE CHRIST because it is a Deviating from Scripture-Language and they pretend they find no plain Scripture that says so when yet at the same time they tell you they have often confessed that the DIVINE NATURE or Word as CLOATHED with the most HOLY MANHOOD is and was the Christ and this they do without scruple of Conscience And yet there 's no plain Scripture that I know of that says so yea and it is a Deviating from Scripture-Language for where can they shew me this Language in Scripture CLOATHED WITH THE HOLY MANHOOD or such a word there as MANHOOD and until they have done that I must charge them with HIPOCRISY and their pretended Scruples to be nothing but pretences and DECEIT 3. As to their Quibbling herein it plainly appears that to blind the eyes of the simple they sometimes pretend as in p. 18. to own the Holy Manhood to be Christ And yet p. 19. Deny the Humane Nature to be Christ By the first they would seem as if they owned the Humane Nature to be Christ when-as indeed they utterly deny it as you may see by the Latter But since they own the Divine Nature Cloathed with the most Holy Manhood and as having taken Flesh of the Seed of Abraham not only was but is the Christ and yet say that the Light which is in every Man is the Christ I considered with my self whether this most holy Manhood was in every Man and the Manhood was the Light in every Man or a part of that Light Taking these words in their proper and common signification among us English Men but so I could not find it consistent with their Doctrine of the LIGHT WITHIN and therefore would it not appear a pretty Quibble if some of them do mean by MANHOOD not MAN really and essentially but only a GARMENT or a certain quality as Power Fortitude or Valour So when they confess Christ Cloathed with the most Holy Manhood they mean Christ was Cloathed with the most Holy Power Valour c. or Cloathed with a Garment Or else if they deny this they must confute their other Principle of the Light within every Man being the Christ or speak as absurdly if they say Christ's Manhood as he is really and essentially Man is within every Man 4. And then I further enquire of the Quakers Whether the most Holy Manhood be indeed the Christ or a real part of Christ And whether the Flesh that Christ took of the Seed of Abraham since AS SUCH G.VV. sometimes viz. p. 18. confesses he IS the Christ be or can be the Christ the Light or a part of that Light which at other times the Quakers say is in every Man Or will they say that Christ's Flesh which he took of the Seed of Abraham is in every Man or is it another Christ See their confusions and absurdities 5. And when they say before Christ took Flesh let them deal plainly with us and tell us WHEN Christ FIRST took Flesh and whether they do not Believe he took Flesh BEFORE he was Conceived and Born of the Virgin Mary and what plain Scripture they have that saith so And if Christ took Flesh BEFORE whether it was Real Flesh and what sort and whether hâ—s Flesh that was born of the Virgin Mary was the same or had Christ at the time of his Birth two different sorts of Flesh not Figuratively but Really and Properly so called and all this will shew their Confusion and the Ridiculousness of their Fancies for by I. Pennington's Question p. 20. it seems the Quakers do hold that CHRIST's OWN FLESH BLOOD AND BONES are of an ETERNAL NATURE And that the FLESH AND BLOOD which Christ took of OUR NATURE was only OUR GARMENT and so of an EARTHLY PERISHING NATURE And thus would make Christ's Flesh Blood and Bones to be GOD for nothing can be of an ETERNAL NATURE but GOD. Monstrum Horrendum hear O Heavens and hearken O Earth What can be either Confusion or Equivocation in the World not to say worse of iâ— if this be not 6thly G.W. pag. 19. and in several other places says The Quakers must have not only Plain Scripture but Express Scripture viz. Scripture that saith so or else they cannot admit it into their Creed So in G.F. and J. Stubb's Epistle before G. W's Book intituled The Divinity of Christ Their very first Words are Whether do the Scriptures speak of three Persons in the God-head in these express words Let us see where it is written Come dâ— not Shuffle for we are resolved that the Scriptures shall buffet you about and that you shall be whipped aboâ—â— with the Rule Give us Plain Scripture for it without adding or diminishing or shuffling We charge you Presbyterians to give us Printed Scriptures for these following Words and let us see in whaâ— Chapter and verse they are Printed viz. Concrete Abstract Relative c. and so in this manner they arâ— giving Names to CHRIST and God besides the Rulâ— of Scripture c. And so they run on with it over and over again But now since they Impose Command and Charge others at this Rate and not only so but also pretend that they cannot admit of any thing in their Creed but what they have plain and express Scripture that saith so How Reasonable and Just is it to Charge them and accordingly I do here Charge them to produce where it is written in Scripture in these express words The Divine Nature or Word Cloathed with the most Holy Manhood was and is thâ— Christ which they have admitted into their Creed Let us see in what Chapter and Verse it is Printed So p. 24. The distinction of Father and Son is Real in the Divine Relation known as Co-workers in the Order and Degrees Where 's Chap. and Verse for these words Come G.W. Come Quakers shew me or any other the Chapter and Verse where these words are written viz. Manhood entire Manhood the most Holy Manhood Divine Relations Co-workers in the Order and Degrees Or henceforward be ashamed of your silly doings and such ridiculous scribbling I might think W.P. may yet have so much Ingenuity left in
by this Mr. Keith and thou must understand and mean Either That these Three are Three Christs in Three distinct Persons Or that these Three are but One Christ in One distinct Person Or that these Three are indeed No Christ at all in No distinct Person And when thou hast plainly and honestly declared this then we shall easily discern your Quibbling or understand your Meaning better in the mean time for your condemning using Distinctions in others and yet using them your selves you fall under the Apostles Sentence and Condemnation Rom. 2.1 Therefore thou art inexcusable Oh Man whosoever thou art that judgest for wherein thou judgest another thou condemnest thy self for thou that judgest dost the same things In the beginning of this Epistle Intimated to thee the Gifts and the Power of the Spirit indeed that the Christians the members of the true Church in the Apostles days were Gifted with viz. Such as were visible and demonstrable to others and for the proof quoted several Scriptures which I thought fit to alledg That thou might seriously Consider and I leave it to the Consideration of all sober and truely understanding men When thou comest to Condemn or Correct the Baptist Church or and Church with design to set up thy own as the true Church Whether thou oughtst not to prove and Demonstrate thy Church to be truer then their Church which thou Condemnest as false or Vnchristian or Antichristian and that thou oughtest to pretend to and bring something for Proof thereof which they nor no false Church can pretend to and produce as thou doest Is not this equitable just and rational agreeing to common Justice and Equity and according to the sound understanding of all men Nay and is it not what the true Christian Church had and could and did on all necessary occasions Demonstrate Otherwise suppose it be granted theirs to be false that will not prove thine to be true Thine may be false also But if proving theirs alone to be mistaken or False would prove another Church to be true the Romanists and all the Churches in the World might then as well by this prove theirs respectively to be true as you yours To make this yet more plain it being worthy thine and every mans serious thoughts I will give thee an Instance or two As for Example Here are great Contests and Disputes betwixt the Baptists and your Church the Baptists say we are true Christians and you Quakers are not The Quakers say we are the true Christians and our way is the true way and you Baptists are not Now I and thousands of poor Souls besides would willingly know which of you two are undoubtedly in the Right and which of you indeed are false and pretenders only If any of thy Friends shall tell me We are in the Truth and therefore we are the true Church Thou knowest in thy Conscience that is so far from an Answer that it is only a shameful begging of the Question For the Baptists they pretend as much that they are in the Truth as thou dost and it is yet to be decided betwixt you so that that is still the Question If thou sayest the Light within me will testifie to thy Way I profess really I have minded and inquired of the Light within me what it says in that Particular and it testifies no such thing If thou sayest it is Demonstrable by the Effects and Fruits very well I have inquired into that also and I find none among You but what may be found amongst the Baptists also Except it be keeping on the Hat and saying Thou and Thee c. which also the Baptists or any others may and can do if they please as well as you Or if thy Friends should tell me That ye have the Spirit and are in the Power of God so say the Baptists that they have And wherein does the Power of God or the Spirit shew it self more in you than in them If thou shouldst say it is Within but does not Demonstrate it self Outwardly Why then do you trouble the Minds of People Can you not let it keep in its place in every one where you say it is and then thereby thou wouldst acknowledg the Baptists to be Externally as good Christians as your selves and so may be Internally for ought thou canst see if it cannot demonstrate it self outwardly So that here I profess in the fear of God I see no real discriminating Character that Demonstrates you to be either truer or better than they if thou canst shew any I shall be glad to see it Another Instance is this in a higher nature at your own doors also viz. In Mr. Maggleton and his Disciples Why shouldst thou or thy Friends be believed more than Muggleton or an Impostor THE QUAKERS AND THE Muggletonians Compared 1. MVggleton says He hath received a Commission from Heaven and so do the Quakers that they have and both much about the same time but of the two I think Muggleton's pretence was the first and ancienter 2. Muggleton saith he had it by Divine Revelation and so do the Quakers that they had it 3. Muggleton saith He hath or is inspired by the Spirit of God and so do the Quakers that they are 4. Muggleton pretends to Infallibility and so do the Quakers 5. Muggleton says He is one of the two Witnesses spoken of in the 11 th Chapter of the Revelations that God hath given Power to Prophesie and the Quaker they say They are the true Witnesses to the Light and have received Power to Preach the Everlasting Gâ—spel to Prophesie c. or to the same effect 6. Muggleton denies that the Father and Son are two distinct Persons and so do the Quakers 7. Muggleton pretends to and produces Scripture and yet doth not really own it for the Rule of Faith and Practice and so do the Quakers 8. And all this Muggleton assertâ— with the highest Confidence imaginable as great as it is possible for the Quakers to assert theirs 9. Muggleton hath several Disciples and Followers that Believe him and are Convinced of the Truth of whaâ— he asserts as a Seal of his Ministry and so have the Quakers several Followers that are Convinced and believe them which they say are a Seal oâ— their Ministry 10. And yet for all this Muggleton Curses and Damns the Quakers and that by the Heavenly Power and Commision he pretends to have received And the Quakers Judg and Damn Muggleton and that by the Light thâ— Heavenly Power and Commission they preâ—end is Revealed to them See the Book Intituled the Quakerâ— Neck broken writ by Muggleton and answered by G.F. Now then Consider Is it not highly necessary one should know which of these two be the Impostors or whether since they both pretend with such Confidence and yet both Damn one another and all others that Contradict them both of them may not be Impostors for it is possible What canst or dost thou produce or pretend to more than Muggleton
there such an expression in the Scripture as Proper least Proper c. are not these Philosophical Terms SECT III. In Reply to his third Section shewing G. W's and the Quakers Ignorance of the true Spirits Evidence who deny the Gift of Tongues Prophecy Signs c. to be such 1. IN my Epistle to W.P. p. 8. I minded him of the Apostle Paul's words 2 Cor. 12.12 13. Truly the SIGNS of an Apostle were wrought AMONG YOU in all Patience in SIGNS and WONDERS and MIGHTY DEEDS For what is it wherein ye were INFERIOR to other Churches Here was a Church indeed that had the Spirits evidenee and here was an Apostle indeed that had Divine Revelation the Gift of Prophecying Tongues and Interpretation of Scripture such an Apostle was one who indeed was not of Men neither by Man but sent by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead Gal. 1.1 But no such Apostles nor Friends of the Ministry can I find amongst the Quakers who yet pretend to be Apostles not of Men nor by Man but immediately sent by God and pretend to have the same Spirit Calling and Power that the Apostle Paul had And yet alas do not EVIDENCE it any MORE than OTHERS do who pretend to it with as much Confidence as themselves Nay and so far are they from that that I do not see they are able to produce any MORE or give any better Demonstration of it than those who do not pretend at all immediately to it and therefore I told W.P. if he had had the GIFT OF TONGUES given him by the SPIRIT IMMEDIATELY upon his turning QUAKER Or if he could shew but ONE in all his Church that had such a spiritual Gift or Gifts upon his Conversion to their way it would put a clear difference betwixt them and the Baptists Churches and herein would the Quakers plainly then exceed and excel them and that one such Testimony if true in the Quakers Church would more confute the Anabaptists and Convince their Auditors than a hundred such days brawling disputes where the Quakers shew'd no more POWER OF THE SPIRIT than their Adversaries only fenced with words as well as they could as their wits would serve them best to Distinguish Evade or Answer And therefore I told W.P. I found his Church as Poor and Low as the Baptists whom yet they condemned I finding he had the words of Man's Wisdom in making plausible Orations but askt him Where was the Demonstration of the Spirit in Power and Sign 1 Cor. 2.4 5. 2. Now at this I find George is put to a great loss saying p. 14. What if God will not bestow such Gifts and Signs now Being afraid to say God will and yet not daring to say God will not what George art thou in a Maze Is not this Scripture-Phrase Is not this according to Scripture-Language 1 Cor. 4.19 20. I will know not the Speech of them that are puffed up but the Power For the Kingdom of God is not in Word but in Power see also Revel 2.2 And is not this according to your own Language G. Foxes Epistle before thy Book Divin of Christ have you the same Power and Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures And such miraculous Gifts are no more than what we find testifyed to have been and remained in the Christian-Church about two hundred or three hundred years after Christ Irenaeus who lived one hundred and eighty years after Christ affirmeth that in his time the working of Miracles the Raising of the Dead the casting out of Devils healing of the sick by laying on of hands and Prophesying were in being and that some that were so raised from the dead remained among them alive long after Niceph. Eccles. Hist Tom. 1. lib. 4. cap. 13. Tertullian and Cyprian which last lived till above 250 years after Christ do both make mention of the ordinary casting out of Devils and challenged the Heathen to come and see it 3. But says he p. 31. this is very strange But what then George It is not more strange than true And I say Is it not very strange that you will pretend to the Power and the Spirit and talk of being sent immediately by God as Paul was and have a Dâ—vine Commission to Prophesie and yet cannot bring any Evidence to prove it more than Others And instead of Producing one such Apostle Prophet or Minister in thy Church the best thing which yet alas is bad enough thou canst say for thy self Oh! our opposers do argue as just like the Papists and Jesuites as if they had served seven years at Rome Reply Ah Quibbler this will not serve thy turn above all Persons for who Argues more like a Papist or Jesuite than your selves about proving the Scriptures not to be the Rule of your Faith Who uses the Jesuites Arguments to prove good works the meritorious cause of our Justification more than you Was it not one of the most eminent and learnedst Men that ever you had amongst you that positively asserts THE SCRIPTURE TO BE A NOSE OF WAX yea and says it is CAPABLE of being NO OTHER Sam. Fisher Additional Appendix p. 21. And is not this the Jesuites Phrase in terminis And none but Papists except your selves use it Andrad Orth. Explic. lib. 2. p. 104. What had S. Fisher served seven years at Rome Nay I can shew you and others may see if they mind it that almost all the Arguments that Mr. Fisher uses to prove the Scripture is not the Rule of Faith are the very same that the Papists and Jesuites have used these hundred years and so G.F. in the Epistle before thy said Book says where doth the Scripture say that it self is the Word of God Just so do the Papists Argue What now George Is the Argument the better or the worse because the Jesuites have used it Dost thou think in thy Conscience this is a good Answer You can sometimes tell us that the Papists may use good Arguments and so the Jesuites make use of the Scriptures yet never the worse for that nay do but see how thou hast Answered this matter thy self in thy own Book Divin of Christ p. 38. It is but a mean way of Arguing to accuse or miscal any for owning any Truth that any sort if they do err in some things do hold for by that way I may as well be reckoned a Papist a Jew or a Turk c. How now George and yet dost thou use this mean way of Arguing against me For shame do not forget thy self and shuffle backwards and forwards thus but use some Consciencâ— in thy Scribling if thou hast any tenderness and plainness in thee lay thy hand upon thy Mouth 4. But further I 'le tell thee that I have oft used this Argument against the Papists and to chuse would use it before any other and the first and best thing as I verily think that I could use if I was to Dispute with a Iesuite
and that 's all I ask of them 15. And thus G.W. says amiss when he talks as if I did not acknowledg the sufficiency of the Spirits Evidence and Teaching for I do fully acknowledg it where it APPEARS indeed to be and do more fully own it than yet the Quakers seem to do who are loath to own Real Miracles and the Gift of Tongues to be a certain EVIDENCE of the SPIRIT But must I therefore own that to be the Spirits Evidence which every one calls so or will G.W. himself acknowledg it so I dare say not why then it remains that G.W. others must Evidence to us That that is indeed the Spirits-Evidence which they call so Before that either he or they can justly call us UNBELIEVERS or accuse us for not owning the sufficiency of the Spirits-Evidence and this G.W. and all the Quakers in England must confess or else I may as justly accuse them for not acknowledging the sufficiency of the Spirits Evidence and Teaching in the Church of Rome or in Muggleton and let them clear themselves of it if they can 16. Now since the Quakers will not produce any of their Miracles I would not have them angry with me if I should produce one or two that are the likeliest that I know of if that which they say be true I never found any upon Record in their own Writings except this may be Recorded for one viz. in G. F's Professors Catechism p. 13. And is not the POPE the MOTHER of all your observing of Days Saints days as you call them According to this it seems G.F. their Grand Prophet Converted a MAN into a WOMAN and that a POPE too which if true must needs be a Miracle and that it was not the Printers fault his next words assured me And is not SHE your Example and not the Scripture And again in another place in the same Page is not the POPE the MOTHER Then I considered what Pope this was whether it might not be Pope-JOAN that did first Institute Saints Days and so G.F. the Prophet by a strange impulse speak more Truth than he thought of But my Authors assure me 't was not Pope-JOAN but that it was a MAN Pope and the name Pope signifieth as much as FATHER and yet for all this G.F. hath turned the HE into a SHE and Converted the MAN into a WOMAN yet this is the Man that hath helpt to set out a whole Book in Folio shewing the sinfulness and impurity of saying you and not thou to one in the singular What a Prophet What a Scholar is this that cannot tell the MASCULINE Gender from the FEMININE was he can any one think skill'd in so many Languages as he hath set his Name to that does not write true English 17. The other thing which I shall leave to your own Judgments whether it be a Miracle or not is what is Recorded of them in the Court of Chancery THAT THE QUAKERS CAN TAKE AN OATH AND YET NOT SWEAR AT ALL If this be so some think it must be miraculous That they cannot swear that they swear not at all is their Principle That several of them have taken Oaths and have been sworn in Chancery is upon Record in that Court as Jer. Ives hath satisfied the World by Certificates in his Questions for the Quakers and yet the Quakers still say they did not Swear nor take an Oath which if true must be wonâ—erful at least But these are not such Miracles and Evidence as lie necessarily incumbent on the Quakers to produce for the better Evidence and Proof of what they say and pretend to and therefore I shall say no more of it here but refer them to produce such Evidence as will indeed prove them to be sent of God to go forth as Apostles Prophets c. more than all others and be satisfactory in Answer to the foregoing Particulars SECT IV. In Reply to his fourth Section shewing the Comparison betwixt the QUAKERS and MUGGLETON to be both Just Rational Honest and Necessary G.W. P. 35. TO compare Muggleton and them he says is both Idle Quibbling and Envious Canting What if W.P. does not pretend to more than Muggleton does will it therefore follow the Quakers are Impostors or like him who holds many Blasphemies The Baptists may be ashamed of such gross and abusive Insinuations as these Reply Stay George be not so hot run not so fast give me leave to call thee back again and tell thee that if the Comparison in my Epistle was any abuse that it was not the Baptists that did it but I and therefore if so I am to bear the blame of it But neither they nor I need to be ashamed of doing it that I see as I shall now shew you and if you had exercised a good Conscience you might have seen it your self and spared me the Labour 1. Then I say That if W.P. does not pretend to more than Muggleton yet if he or the Quakers pretend to have received immediately a Commission from Heaven and Divine Revelations and inspired by the Spirit of God to go forth as Apostles Prophets c. as Muggleton does and yet he be an Impostor as he is then if the Quakers can produce no more for theirs than Muggleton does for his it will follow that the Quakers are also Impostors And do thou Answer it if thou canst and so thou hast thy idle Quibbling and envious Canting return'd on thy self 2. And for thy accusing Muggleton with Blasphemies it is as certain that he accuses you with Blasphemies and many others have condemned you also as holding apparent Blasphemies then by this thou art as well condemned as Muggleton is condemned by thee so that this will be no Proof and besides How wilt thou evidence to others That all what thou sayest and callest Blasphemy is such indeed or doest thou think thy bare word is sufficient for all others to give Credence to and build their Faith on so that here the doubt and Question will remain still 3. I am verily perswaded in my heart that many Quakers have censured several Doctrines for Blasphemy which yet are not truly so as if they had the Romish Authority and every one of them a Pope within him Take an Instance out of G.W. himself Ishmael p. 9. For a Man's saying That it is all one to say the Scripture saith and God saith G. calls him thou Blasphemous Beast dost thou make no difference between the Scripture and God here let all that reads this see thy Blasphemy Now George let me ask thee if a Man should affirm it is all one to say thy Book Ishmael saith and the Spirit of God saith whether this would be Blasphemy since in thy Title Page thou asserts it was given forth from the Spirit of the Lord in us and was not that given forth by Scripture Writing or Speech If thou sayest no then thou hast condemned the Man wrongfully unless thou wilt say that that Book
WHICH IS DEATH and KILLETH Oh horrid abominable and wicked besides the falshood of it how near to Blasphemy is it Not to say much to his words in p. 5. where he maketh himself a Judge for others to be Judged by viz. Let all that read these Scriptures Judge thee BY ME to be a Lyar. Nor to their words in the Title Page where they say these their Words or Writings were GIVEN FORTH from the SPIRIT of the Lord IN VS You may enough ghess at it and the Impudence of it your selves Will not the Impartial Reader now think this Book ISHMAEL a Rare Piece for the bigness of it for 't is but about three sheets I must needs think that many Sober Readers that shall see and duly Consider these Words will almost conclude it incredible it being so abominably gross but that they may see it with their own Eyes in the Quakers own Book if they dare give Credit to their Eye-sight more than to the Quakers false Tongues and therefore I refer all such to the Book it self for better Satisfaction Sect. 2. Sam. Fisher in his Addit Appendix p. 21. Speaking of the Holy Scriptures says Which Transcriptions and Translations were they never so certain and entire by Answering to the first Original Copies yet are NOT CAPABLE to be to all Men ANY OTHER than a Lesbian Rule or NOSE OF WAX Forasmuch as even where Men have them as half the World has not they are lyable to be wrested and Actually twisted Twenty ways by Interpreters whose Expositions Sences and meanings which are as many and various as the Thoughts Conceits and Inventions of men are who Comment upon them must be the Rule to such as can Read them neither in Hebrew and Greek nor in their own Mother-Tongues neither And further the said Sam. Fisher in the same page tells us that He and the Quakers have put it to the Question How it may be known assuredly uncontroulably infallibly that the Scripture is at ALL of God and not a cunningly DEVISED FABLE and INVENTION of Men Do ye not think now Impartial Readers that the Quakers are High Honourers of Holy Scripture to use such Terms and Language in Querying about it as a cunningly devised FABLE and INVENTION of Men And in his very next words he gives us and the World to understand that the Church and Clergy of England do but go-round or Dance in a Circle when they tell the Quakers and us That the Scripture may be known to be of God by the Testimony of the Spirit and that we may try and find assuredly that Spirit to be of God by the Scripture Sect. 3. Ed. Burroughâ— p. 834. The ONELY perfect Rule of â—onscience in the Exercise to God is the SPIRIT of Christ and not any other thing G.W. Again the Question being put Do you esteem of your speakings to be of as great Authority as any Chapter in the Bible makes this Answer in his Serious Apol. p. 49. viz. That which was spoken from the Spirit of Truth in ANY â—s of AS GREAT Authority as the Scriptures and Chapters are and GREATER c. Sect. 4. W. Pen also that he for his Worthiness and sincerity may not Complain as left out shall give in his Verdict in his Spirit of Truth Vindicated p. 38. Thus the Scripture is much like the shadow of the True Rule c. Now all men know a shadow is an empty and vain thing and the most uncertain thing in the World sometimes shorter and sometimes much longer than the Substance it self Sect. 5. But now to wheel about and run round again though one would think no man possibly that pretends to Honesty or common Reputation could either have the Face or Confidence to do it having so rivetted and fixed the Contrary in Print as above nay some cannot believe that any Ordinary Romancer would Publish it in Print with such a Stupendious confidence as the Quakers have lately done viz. G.W. Quakers Plainness p. 70 71. Nor did we EVER prefer our Books before the Bible as unjustly we are charged but do prefer the Bible BEFORE ALL other Books extant in the World Our Intention and Principle NEVER was to bring our Books in Comparison to the Scriptures No G Is this True Does not thy own Conscience smite thee and fly in thy Face Nay is this possible to be true When G.W. himself calls the Scriâ—ture which the Minister asserted was the Foundation of Faith as I have already told you NATURAL and CARNAL the LETTER which is DEATH and KILLETH What can be worse than Natural Carnal that which is Death and Killeth Are your Writings worse than that Then further do but consider the Titles and Epithets this very G.VV. gives to some of his own Books viz. The Glory of Christs Light within Expelling Darkness Another The Light and LIFE of Christ within well go thy ways GEORGE not onely for a QUIBBLER but an AUDACIOUS CONFIDENT surely Geo. thou hadst not forgot that your Book ISHMAEL was given forth from the SPIRIT of the Lord in you Or did you deal therein falsely with the World And with God too Was any of the Holy Scriptures any more than given forth from the spirit of the Lord And if that you say be true I am sure your Books must be EQUAL at least with the Scriptures but what need I talk of that when Geo. himself assures me that some of their Writings or speeches were GREATER if ever the spirit of Truth spoke in any of them it is of AS GREAT Authority says he as the SCRIPTURES and CHAPTERS are and GREATER Sect. 6 And to face quite about again G. Keith told us positively That W.P. hath the Scripture as the Secondary Rule of his Faith and Practice Narrative of the Second Dispute published by the Quakers themselves p. 57. Who doth not see now that these men will say any thing Or care not what they say Mr. Pen himself at best does but say The Scripture is much like the SHADOW of the true Rule so far is it from being any either Primary or Secundary true and Substantial Rule to him but onely much like the shadow of it and a shadow is sometimes three or four times longer or shorter than the Truth and Substance and in that Respect says VV.P. it may be a KIND of a Secondary Rule Observe Reader how mincingly and Quibblingly VV.P. words it 1. In that Respect as it is much like the shadow 2. a kind of Secondary Rule a shadowy Kind but neither the true substantial or certain Rule and it all comes in with it may be suppositively now which of these two Quakers is the Quibbler Both May be one Must be But that is not all neither for worse absurdities will still follow for if that be true which G.VV. said then that which is DEATH and KILLETH is A RULE of VV. Pen's Faith and Practice and that which is Natural and carnal is A RULE of the Quakers Faith and Practice then an
ridet Qui non videt suo se jugulavit gladio Unprejudiced Readers IT is no small thing but well worthy of your serious taking notice that G.W. being by many reputed so close so cunning and crafty a Man as no doubt but that in some things he is yet should be so far infatuated and over-shoâ—t himself here as to let fall from his Penn and publish in Print to the World two such Sentences the one by way of Interrogation and the other of Position Which if duly weighed and applied absolutely destroys his own Cause and answers himself in effect in all he writes Argumentum ad hominem The first by way of Interrogation effectually enervates and plucks up by the very Roots the whole of the Quakers Religion 1. For put the Case the Dispute be about immediate Revelation from God which the Quakers assert as one of their grand Principles and deny others to be true Christians that have it not Why G. W's words will as well serve for an Answer against himself What if God will not bestow such Gifts now as immediate Revelation must we therefore be no Christians 2. So as to Divine Inspiration now immediately by the Spirit as the Apostles had Why G. What if God will not bestow such gifts and signs now must we therefore be no Christians 3. So as to being sent and Commissioned by God and called by the Spirit to Prophesy and Preach the Gospel as the Apostles indeed were in the Primitive Church and the Quakers now pretend to Why alas George What if God will not bestow such Gifts and Signs now Must we therefore be no Christians 4. So for the Light within which the Quakers so much talk of and pretend to as their great Principle What if God will not bestow such Gifts and Light now must we therefore be no Christians 5. So for their Doctrine of Infallibility What if God will not bestow such a Gift now must we therefore be no Christians 6. So for their Doctrine and Pretence of the Gift of discerning of Spirits What if God will not bestow such a Gift now Must we therefore be no Christians And thus you see how by this Question he cuts the throat of all their own Pretensions and shakes the very foundation of his own and the Quakers Religion BVT can any be so ignorant as to think that God will inspire call send by Commission persons immediately and give no such Gifts or Signs that may distinguish them from others whereby we may certainly know they are so inspired call'd Commissioned and sent and not Pretenders only The second by way of Position puts such an Answer into the Mouths of George Whitehead's and the Quakers Opponents that if they please to make use of it in like manner as G.W. himself hath done He nor all the Quakers in England can never be able either to confâ—te or confound their Adversaries For let W.P. or George himself object what they can against them let them but have and take the like Liberty as G.W. himself â—ath here done which they cannot refuse to others they using it themselves without the greatest injustice and unreasonableness not to say impudence and it will be impossible for the Quakers to fix any thing upon them let them but say as why may they not as well as the Quakers if they have but so much confidence such titles or words are not strictly but figuratively placed in or on our Books And all 's done And therefore here I think I might on this ground of the Quakers if they will have that to be admitted undertake to do Mr. Hicks that service Gratis and G.W. also though I never promised it to one or other nor was desired by either of them to do it as to answer all G. W's second part of the Quakers Plainness or at least to enervate the chief sinews of it only using of George's own words Mutatis Mutandis As for example how silly is it for thee G.W. to take exceptions against the Title of his Book and that was one of the chiefest matters of the Charge at the first till the Anabaptists had pretty handsomly handled you and beat you off from that by producing a Book or Books of your own Friends who writ after the same manner A DIALOGUE betwixt a Christian and a Quaker why cannot T. Hicks tell thee like as thou thy self art so silly in thy own case to tell him that such a Title was not STRICTLY but FIGURATIVELY placed on his Book and then for all the rest of his words wherein W.P. and thou chargest him with Forging and Forgeries Slanders and Lies Thou hast here taught him a short way to the wood and so may Answer thee if he please all in few words Such Titles such words or sayings are not strictly but figuratively placed and put down in his Dialogues and thus George himself hath taken the pains to answer and confute himself and hath with one blast of his mouth blown away those dismal great charges of Lies and Forgeries laid on his Adversaries Oh! kind-natured Man But I dare say it was against his intention only he could not tell how to clear his Friends otherwise from other Mens charge of Blasphemy viz. for preferring their pittiful Pamphlets to the Holy Scriptures and so by shunning one Rock he hath split himself on another I am of the Opinion that when T. Hicks comes to understand this he will say that he is as much beholden to G.W. for making his way so easie by this one Sentence as by any advice twenty of his Friends could give him Now I would not have any Quaker mistake me and say I deny all figures for I own that there are some Metaphors in the Scriptures and that some Parables are therein written which must necessarily be interpreted Metaphorically and Figuratively but this I deny that therefore the whole Scripture is a Figure or all of it to be figuratively interpretted This I only hint on purpose to prevent the Quakers mistake who when they please I find will wilfully mistake others if they think they can make any advantage by it though never so base But this I say 1. That the Quakers have excluded themselves from using of Figures they having so long and so often witnessed that all Figures were ended and they were come to the end of all Figures and were come to Christ the Light which was the substance and the end of all Figures 2. That if notwithstanding the Quakers in contradiction to themselves will take the Liberty to make use of Figures in their words and writings and the Interpretation of them then they cannot without gross injustice and impudent partiality deny to others the same liberty and the use of the same thing they take themselves and so the matter will hold good all along The Apostle says Rom. 14. and 22. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth And thus Courteous Readers you see that G.W. hath
and Canting-Language c. By which one may perceive the Man has learned to Cant for in his Book you have this Canting-Quibbles Envious Canting and Canting Language and much more of the like Nature How now Quakers Is this your impartial plain Man Is this one of your US GOD'S PEOPLE As though your Sect ALONE had a Patent to be God's People Or is it not an Impropriation Can you think he hath well palliated-matters either with indifferency moderation or impartiality between us or that such work will make a Pacification or end the Controversie No No. Such deceitful dealing Hypocritical pretences will stand you in no stead And yet I must think he hath dealt kindly with me too that he hath not been pleased to afford me some of his and his friends Old Language of Conjurer Sorcerer Blasphemer Serpent Sott and thou Reprobate thou Dragon thou Antichrist thou accursed thou Cain thou dead Beast thou art unredeemed from thy vain Conversation and so art not justified 〈◊〉 nor never shalt be Oh! thou dark Beast and Conjurer with much more which Ed. Burroughs did use in the compass of about three Leaves the like I never heard in my Life before from one Man And what think you should be the occasion of all this no more but a Ministers sending or proposing twenty Questions to him whereas he and they have put hundreds and hundreds of Questions to others I am of the Opinion that any sober Man which shall read this would hardly think it credible but that he may see it in Ed. Burroughs work pa. 29. and so on And Reader that thou mayest know that George Whitehead himself hath been no ill Proficient in this Quaking School of Quakers Complements and by the way note these are the men that are offended at using the word Sir or Sirs I will give you but a taste only what you may find in a leaf and two lines more in one of his Books I dare affirm you will say it's proof enough and too much for a thousand leaves of any sober man's The Book is intituled ISHMAEL AND HIS MOTHER CAST OUT INTO THE WILDERNESS among the Wild Beasts of the same Nature in Answer to Mr. Townesend Minister in Norwich set forth by G. Whitehead and three other Quakers which they say was GIVEN FORTH FROM THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IN THEM p. 11 12. THOU PRIEST OF BAAL FOR THAT IS THY NAME thy lies are made manifest shamâ— covers thy face THOU FULL OF ROTTENNESS and most FILTHY Dreams THOU BLIND SOT SEE thy Confusion They that are not stark blind may see thy Rottenness and thy Foundation to be in tâ— mâ—re and dirt and may see Thee to be a SENSLESâ— NATURAL BRUIT-BEAST Who with thy liâ— art MADE to be taken and DESTROYED OH THOU BLASPHEMER and Slanderer of the Juâ— when wilt thou cease from thy LIES and BLASPHEMY Priest to conclude thy filthy rotten stuff thâ— sayest they that make not the Word of God the Rule fâ— their Actions are led either by their own Fancies or tâ— Devils Temptations or both Thou PRIEST TOWNâ— END art here laid open thou art uncovered and heâ— thou art found to be a denier of the Word and Rule anâ— Foundation and thou art led by thy Dreams and Faâ—cies and thy Foundation is in the Dust THOU ARâ— RESERVED IN EVERLASTING CHAINS VNDER DARKNESS FOR EVERLASTINâ— FIRE And here thou in all these thy Lies ARâ— SHUTOUT FROM GOD and all the Children â— God among the DOGS and SORCERERS and THâ— LAKE IS THY PORTION which is the portion â— all Lyers THUS have we returned a FVLL Answer unto thy senseless stuff c. Pag. 10. THOâ— BLIND BEAST Thou that sayest that thâ— SCRIPTURES REVEAL GOD THOV ART A LYAR These are his words and much more which I aâ— weary of Transcribing in two Pages and two lineâ— only and the rest of the Book is much of the same sort And what do you think all this was for that should be so high a Provocation Only the Ministers saying that the Scripture was our Rule so long as we live on Earth or to that effect Now for G. Whitehead and his fellows to entitle and Father on the HOLY GHOST such Beastly rotten stuff on SUCH AN OCCASION and say that this their rayling cursing and damning a man everlastingly for such a cause was given forth by the SPIRIT OF GOD as they audaciously do how nigh it borders on BLASPHEMY INDEED I leave the serious Reader to Judg and consider whether these Fruits do not more resemble those of the FLESH than them of the RIGHT SPIRIT do but compare them with the notes the Apostle gives you Gal. 5.19 c. Let the Quakers at other times make what fair pretences they will By their Fruits you shall know them and our Saviour saith out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh This was not done in haste only on a suddain surprise of passion which might have been the more excusable or upon the highest provocation but upon such deliberation as Men use to take in writing of Books and upon a Consultation and Approbation of three or four Quakers together UPON NO OTHER OCCASION THAN WHAT YOU HAVE HEARD which seems so abominably gross that I am doubtful while I am writing my Reader may suspect it and some Quakers pretend I have wronged G. Whitehead Wherefore that all doubtful persons may be satisfied that I have not wronged them it 's my intention if conveniently I can to procure the Bookseller to let G. Whitehead's Book be shown at the Shop for their satisfaction If this be their Spiritual Heavenly Doctrine their immediate Revelation and infallible Inspiration God preserve me from it and from spiritual pride and keep me humble and little in my own eyes still to confess my fallibility whil'st it pleases him we should be in this state and condition Possibly one may find thâ— worst of the Rabble the very dregs and wickedness oâ— the World INSPIR'D with such-like RAILING and damning language upon slight occasions But hardly any where else that I know of except among the Quakers or Muggletonians who have used it so frequently as if they took the greatest Pride in it As though they think themselves set over all others to to judg and damn them in a serious manner at their pleasure If I should believe such a cursing damning Spirit in the Quakers to be the Spirit of God then on the same ground I must believe Muggleton's Spirit to be the Spirit of God for his is likewise a cursing damning Spirit to such as oppose him But in this respect Muggletons spirit is the more charitable of the two that he curses only the Ministers and such as pretend they have a Commission to be teachers But the people that hear them he says may be saved iâ— they do not personally oppose him or his Commission Then judg sober Reader where you think theâ— malicious Spirit reigns most now which is the
say again that 't is no new thing for a Mountebank or Stage-Player to have a grateful utterance or fluent Tongue c. and so that being a natural or an acquired gift in VV.P. proves not him to be any more immediately inspired than it will so prove a Mountebank or Stage-player and do thou deny it if thou canst But whoever the Author be G. hath it over once more his work will further declare what dark spirit it came from and that it much resembles that of a Prejudiced angry ANABAPTIST only disguised c. This surely should be G 's Master-piece though he does not know mens Bodies yet he knows their Spirits yet I wonder how the Man should come acquainted with dark Spirits I thinking he had pretended to have no Converse but with Spirits of Light However I can and do assure him he is mistaken and as ignorant of one as he confesses himself of the other I denying all prejudiced angry Anabaptists Spirits as much as he lawfully does or can do As to this pretended Answer in General I do further observe that he craftily all along takes me for a Baptist or would jumble me with them whether I will or no though I did so ingenuously profess to VV.P. and the World in my Epistle that I was none nay never was which he does wilfully that so he might in like manner jumble his Answer and so instead of Answering me as at first he pretended he palpably and deceitfully evades it and shuffles me off sometimes to and sometimes with the Anabaptists and this I and you must it seems take for the Quakers plainness Now how he could possibly think that I or if I that all other understanding Readers would be so fob'd off I cannot imagine As Dark as I am I am clear enough sighted to see that and so some think I had no need to make a Reply because he hath wrote almost nothing in Answer to me but talks to the Baptists Oh poor shift Oh pittiful shuffle seen through as it runs through thy Book with half an eye Yet however that G. might have no occasion vainly to boast of his Quibbling undertaking the QUAKERS-QUIBBLES I shall endeavour to enlighten him where he is wilfully blind and shew him where his real Fallacy is instead of Pretended Plainness And to take that false Cover from him and vindicate the baptists as to their Innocency in that particular and for further satisfaction to all People I do hereby declare once more and affirm as in the presence of God That no Baptist or Anabaptist so called did see that my Epistle to W.P. till after â— had writ it nor had I any of their Advice or Counsel for the writing of it or in the writing of it as G. W. would maliciously falsly insiâ—â—ate to the abuse of them and me and the world besides I say if this be the Quakers-plainness it is neither Christian-plainness nor honesty But I being one of the Auditors at the Meeting and really observing as I told VV.P. in my apprehension a great deal of unfairness subtilty and Quibbling in the words and carriage of VV.P. G. VV. and G. K. it came into my heart to signifie as much in an Epistle to VV.P. not out of Pride Envy or Malice but in Sobriety and Love yet faithfully to admonish him and because I was plain and down-right with them in telling them of their unreasonableness in some particulars and my desire of being informed in Truth and plainness without Railing or Quibbling of their Doctrines in others Oh how they Censure my Epistle and me But I value it not for that I am assured from a better and higher Authority than theirs THAT THE CURSE CAUSELESS SHALL NOT COME SECT I. Wherein the Author clears himself of those self-Contradictions that G.W. charges him with and the Answerer charged with several self-Contradictions or Inconsistencies IN His First Section he is pleased to accuse me with these four things p. 9. 1. Partiality 2. Confusion 3. Hypocrisy 4. Envy But makes not good one of them now if alone to accuse would make a Man Guilty who shall nay who can be innocent As to the First G. VV. acquits me himself p. 14. where he says I have condemned the Baptists as well as them for wrangling and fighting in the Dark c. And yet if the Baptists promote the said Epistle as such an ingenious or excellent piece 't is more than I desire of them however thereby they shew more of Ingenuity in Commending a Piece or owning it may be Ingenious notwithstanding it reproves them than you are willing to shew because it reproves you who are hardly got so far as to be willing to own any thing for excellent that reproves or condemns you So here 's your own partiality demonstrated more than mine As to the Second of Confusion and self-contradictions He is so kind to nominate but four Particulars he might as well have pretended there had been forty-four for who could hinder him But since the number he finds is so small I thank him for easing me for if he had made ten times as many they might have been as impertinent and false and have put me to the more trouble to blow away the dust he would raise to hinder my Readers Eye-sight I have heard say That this man hath such a rare Art of making Men contradict themselves that if one should but say a Groat at one time four pence at another he would go nigh to make his silly Disciples believe that the Man had contradicted himself and much after the same rate it fares with me as I shall now clear to you 1. The first self-contradiction he charges me with p. 11 is Between my commending W.P. for an excellent Rhetorician and fluent Tongue and so was Cicero and yet telling them you give occasion to persons to think and judg you a perverse Generation without Order or Rule Rime or Reason says he was Cicero such an one then Reply Does it follow That if one says VV.P. be like Cicero in one thing that therefore he and all the Quakers are or that I said they are like Cicero in all things no surely let him shew me such a word Again in p. 6. I spake of a particular person viz. VV.P. and a particular Act and in p. 25. I spake of the Quakers carriage generally and then did but say you gave occasion to persons to think and judg you so I never had such high thoughts of the Quakers in general as to think them fit to be compared to Cicero in many things and where 's now the Contradiction Here nothing remains but one of the Quakers-Quibbles So this I note for the first Quibble of his New Edition 2. The second he Charges me with p. 11. is for saying If W.P. had this Gift of a fluent Tongue and good Voyce meerly by turning Quaker it would more convince me of the Truth of W. P ' s. Christianity than all the
him as that he would be ashamed of it when I consider his Learning but that his undertaking to vindicate G.F. for notorious falshoods and nonsence evident to mens Eyes and Senses and against his own senses and ocular demonstration makes me much to doubt it see Contr. ended p. 39. being sorry to see that so ingenuous a Man as W.P. once was should Sacrifice his own Senses Reason Honour and Reputation to keep up the Credit of such a Man as G. F. who hath written in many things so ridiculously that it's impossible for any Man to vindicate him without making himself more ridiculous and by his Tautologies and incoherency a sober Man would take him to be Craz'd witness his Professors Catechism Testimony of the True Light and his Primmer for the Scholars and Doctors of Europe And which is yet more G. I have this to add That I do not think Thoâ— nor all the Quakers in England can bring Express Scripture for that which is your First and Grand Principle of all whâ—ch you talk of so much above all viz. The Light of Christ within every Man or Christ the Light within every Man Now to speak in G.F. and J. Stubb's words I charge you Quâ—kers Let us see where the Scripture speaks thus in these â—xpress words Let us see where it is written come do not Shuffle for we are resolved that the Scriptures shall buffet you Quakers about and that you shall be whipped about with the Rule Give us plain Scripture for it without shuffling adding or diminishing I charge you QUAKERS to give us Printed Scriptures for all these foregoing words and let us see in what Chapter and Verse they are Printed and if they do that I think I may promise them to turn Quaker presently But besides this their Hypocrisie herein is more gross For to what end except to deceive should they pretend that they cannot own this or that in theâ— Creed if it be not expressed in plain Scripture wheâ— they have so often and so plainly avowed That thâ— Scripture is not their Rule either for Faith or Prâ—ctice But now for the Protestants to call for plaiâ—-Scripture is but according to their Principle becausâ— they own it for their Rule 7. So again p. 19. G.W. confesses that JESUS CHRIST is MAN one at first view might think hâ— spoke well so he does if he did but mean truly whâ—â— he speaks But that you may plainly see he doth not and may see what kind of Man he means in the samâ— Page he gives you to understand that it is such â— Man as hath not HUMANE NATURE and p. 24 such a Man as is not a Person without us and whâ—â— kind of Man think you must or can this be Is noâ— this a fine Quibble Judg you That this their Equivocation may appear more plain even to the Capacitâ— of the Vulgar consider That when the Quakerâ— say that Jesus Christ is Man They must meaâ— either That he is truly and substantially a Man a created Body and Soul or that he is an Imaginary and Fictitious one only If the first then they must own he is a distinct Person haâ—h as essential to him Humane Nature For to be a Man is to have the Nature of Man and every substantial Man is a distinct Person But this they deny of Christ therefore they do not mean he is such a Man If the other viz. an Imaginary or Fictitious Man let them say so if they dare and consider how Blasphemous it would be and what horrible Consequences would follow thereon And therefore to go round again let the Quakers equivocate as much as they will they must hold that indeed Christ is not Man or else fall into the BLASPHEMY or Absurdity abovementioned In plainness G. is Jesus Christ a Man and not a Person Seeing thou dost define a Person to be a MAN c. In the Introduction of thy Book intituled the Divinity of Christ What meanest thou by the word MAN A Created Body and Soul or some uncreated thing Now G. use plainness and honesty in this particular if there be any in thee or whoever he be that undertakes to Answer for thee Generally all Men in the World that use the Term Man as properly an English word understand by it a PERSON or a RATIONAL CREATURE distinct from all other Men one that is in some certain Place and cannot be in distinct Places at the same time that hath in respect of his Body Dimensions of Length Breadth and Depth that is visible one that began to exist at a certain time one that hath a head and a body so closely united that when-ever they two are severed the Man ceases to be But the Quakers they seem to mean quite another thing by the term MAN sometimes one thing and sometimes another I believe themselves know not well what By the term MAN Do you not mean one that is not a Person or Rational Creature but Flesh Blood and Bones of an eternal Nature J. P's Qu. p. 20. an infinite Soul One whose Flesh is and he is in a multitude of Men and Women in distant Countreys at the same instant of time Myst p. 68. Christ ascend p. 18. One that is not in Heaven as a place to live in remote from Men that live on Earth Spir. of Truth p. 12. Christ ascen p. 21. one that is not VISIBLE Christ ascend p. 37. one that begâ—n not to be for he was eternal one that is as far remote from his Body as Heaven is from Earth and yet lives See Quak. Plainness p. 23. In fine it seems Jesus Christ is a Man whose Glorious Body in Heaven is not a Humane or Man 's Body see the same p. 23. and doth not the Quaker use now admirable Plainness in his Confession of Faith in Scripture-Language Doth Europe or America afford such Equivocation 8. G.W. p. 19. says further That Christ's Body of Flesh and Blood that was born of the VIRGIN-MARY and that suffered was Crucifyed Dye++d and Rose again the third day is called the Body of Jesus But yet G. thou wilt not say nor own That that Living Body is Jesus or that BODY is so much as a part of Jesus Consider this serious Reader here 's still the Quakers Quibble and a clear proof of the Quakers Mystery whereby their poor unwary Hearers are deluded and deceived So they will say the seventh day of the week called Saturday and the eleventh Month called January and the Scripture called the word of God and the Writing or Declaration of Matthew called the Gospel of St. Matthew and abundance the like Which yet they do not one whit the more Believe it for Truth for saying it is called so But Believe quite the Contrary as they believe the Scripture is not the Word of God though it may be called so so they can say by their Equivocation The Body that was born of the Virgin Mary is called in Scripture the Body of Jesus and
CONFIDENCE of the Leading Quakers of the Foxonian Tribe audacious Attempts in such Evasive Replies to their Opponents daubed over to beguile the simple-hearted or deceived Quakers with seeming Vindications when their dreadful accusing Consciences if not absolutely seared at the same time cannot but tell them how greatly the sincerer sort of Quakers have been burthenâ—d yea grievously afflicted these many years under the sence of Guilt that rests on those called the BODY I may say even to the highest Degree of Perplexity witness J.P. W.M. J.O. W.G. T.M. M.S. T.F. J.F. M.P. A.M. with many more and although some of them may have trâ—ckled under the TYRANNICAL power of this BODY so called i. e. their Church though it be indeed Principally but of G. Foxes Building yet their Consciences cannot but bear Witness to what I have said in this Respect Here 's all that can be said in favour of such wicked Practices that it seems they must by Decree to uphold their Cause as long as they can set SOMETHING forth in Print as an Answer or that bears the Title of an Answer to all that comes out against them 6. It must be a very strong and notorious Delusion these Leading-Quakers are under if they do not see themselves manifestly Guilty of Abominable Equivocations and Quibbling in the greatest matters of Faith and Religion controverted between them and others Insomuch that notwithstanding their now loud pretences of professing Christ according to the Holy Scriptures so long as they do not nor will disclaim their Forâ—er Professions to the Contrary and their former abuses put upon the Scriptures and notwithstanding their loud Clamors against the Socinians as denying the Divinity of Christ yet themselves must know that they deny CHRIST to be either God or Man in the sence that Christians acknowledg him to be so see Contest for Christianity p. 115 116 117. and Controv. ended p. 44. to 54. And consequently they Introduce into the profession of Religion and the Scriptures such Equivocations and ambiguous Quibbling as Renders the most Religious Confessions Profound Deceits and the Words of God Recorded in Scripture no better than a Nose of Wax most dangerous and false 7. There are five or six little Books that do very ingeniously and fully set forth and give an accompt of the Deceit Impostures intolerable Pride Hypocrisy and Tyranny with the Popish Principles and vile Practices of some of your Leaders and Ministers of the Foxonian party chiefly in Matters of Fact which are visible to the Eyes and subject to the Senses of Men viz. The Spirit of the Quakers tryed Controversy ended The Spirit of the Hat Tyranny and Hypocrisy detected Questions for the Quakers to which may be added The Quakers Spiritual-Court The which or some of them at least I should advise all Persons Judiciously to peruse that would be inforâ—ed concerning them For notwithstanding that the Quakers have Printed something that bears the Name of Answers I do seriously think and hereby advertise them that those Books are IN EFFECT as much un-answered as if they had not writ twenty lines about it for indeed what these Quakers have writ in Reply is but ABOUT it not TO it They beat about the Bush and that 's all they make the greatest noise like the Lapwing when indeed they are farthest off What shall I say to your poor pittiful slight shifting evasive and equivocating Replies to these Books What shall I say to that heavy Charge of TYRANNY and HYPOCRISY exhibited against you in the Book bearing that Title What shall I say to that equal just and fair Proffer made to you therein and your not-accepting of it p. 49. and Title-Page 'T is offered over and over again to the Quakers To refer the Judgment of matters of Fact to the verdict of twelve impartial and honest men EQUALLY to be chosen and that in case the Quakers the others should not agree in the choice of the Persons it was proposed that the Vmpirage should be referred to the LORD-MAJOR of London or any Alderman on the Bench or to any one of twenty Common Council-men and if the Quakers would put it to this just honest and fair Issue that they should signifie it in writing and leave it with Francis Smith Bookseller dwelling in Cornhil and they should find their Accusers ready to comply therewith Now why dare and do you not thus adventure the Tryal of it And why will W.P. notwithstanding Cry out for Proof and exclaim that you are horribly belied and slandered and that they are all Lies Slanders and Forgeries and this is the chiefest part of your Answers If they are so indeed or ye Quakers so innocent therein as you would pretend nothing could possibly more honour and advantage the Quakers and their Cause here as clearly to Evince it and have this Judged for them by honest and impartial Men on both sides and it being only matter of Fact such men are capable to judg of it for shame then W.P. and ye Quakers do not any more cry out Gross Lies Slanders and Forgeries till you have agreed to this fair propose and have had the matters indifferently heard as so long profferred you and it be proved so what will ye thus decline the Proof and Tryal and yet exclaim as wronged oh unreasonable 8. What shall I say What can be said to such Men What can be expected from them Or who that is not infatuated can believe them or approve of their Confidence whereby they make themselves ridiculous and manifest to the world that some of them have neither tender Consciences nor shame in them to stand in things with such perverseness of Spirit not to say Impudence against not only Common Sense and REASON But OCULAR DEMONSTRATION saying any thing Backwards or Forwards as they please and that without Blushing I will name but three Instances now 1. Witness those many Texts of Scripture perverted â—ltered changed and corrupted by G. Fox when he charges others with falshood corrupting and perverting the Scriptures for doing the like or less as is set forth in several particulars in the Spirit of the Quakers tryed where in some places G. Fox puts THEM for HIM Col. 3.10 Conscience for Thoughts Rom. 2.15 he puts Christ's Belly for the Believers Belly John 7.38 puts another person into the Text John 10.29 Leaves out the SPIRIT in 1 Cor. 2.10 puts IT for WE in 2 Cor. 2.16 IS for WAS in 2 Cor. 5.19 Leaves out the word WILFULLY in Heb. 10.26 puts speaking for Prophecying 1 Cor. 14.31 c. Now as that Author says well any one that can but Read and understand English and knows that A is not B or HIM is not THEM or that IT is not nor can be WE may know that G. Fox hath committed Falshoods altered changed and corrupted several Scriptures and yet Mr. Penn hath undertaken to vindicate him in these matters though against his own other Mens Eyes and yet if you will credit W. Penn
this is the Spirit of Truth or the Truth that he vindicates 2. Nay let G. Fox their grand Prophet not only speak the greatest NONSENCE but Write it and publish it also to the World in Print yet Mr. Penn will vindicate it and Justifie him also G. Foxe's words are these And so to the word Christ Jesus him by whom the World was made before it was made and this G. Fox says SEVEN times over in his Book and another time thus By which the World was made before it was made Now if any Man that understands English and Sence except a Quaker will not say this is absolute NONSENCE that G. F. here ascribes to CHRIST and not fit for any Man of Ingenuity and that is a Schollar or regards his Credit to vindicate then I am wonderfully deceived and know not my Mother-Tongue and yet if you will believe W. Penn this is the Truth or Spirit of Truth still which he vindicates oh horrid 3. Nay more Write and Print BLASPHEMY and then stand in it and Justifie it when they have done Witness Solomon Eccles one of these Quaking Ministers in his Book called the Quakers Challenge he says of GEORGE FOX whose name thou art not worthy to take into thy mouth who is a Prophet indeed and hath been faithful in the Lords business from the beginning 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 Iohn said HE WAS NOT But thou wilt feel this Prophet one day as heavy as a Mill-stone upon thee c. And yet G. Whitehead undertakes to vindicate this BLASPHEMOUS SPEECH and says it is a LITTLE FAILURE in Syntax for so his Conscience will serve him to call BLASPHEMY when it is utterred and published by a QUAKER though against the Lord CHRIST ah George canst thou call it but a LITTLE FAILURE is that a Truth At the best surely it is no less than a GREAT FAILURE 9. And as for George's DIRECTION of Sol. Eccles INTENTION in G. W's serious search p. 58. I pray my Reader and you Quakers but to peruse the MYSTERY of JESUITISM particularly Letter ninth Letter seventh and Letter sixth beginning at p. 122. and see whether it may not be concluded George is almost as good an Artist at it as they or at least if he be not fit and a towardly Youth for their School to teach people how to equivocate not to say â—ly neatly by DIRECTING the INTENTION and if George or Solomon Eccles may direct the Intention in THIS why not in OTHER things And if George why not the Jesuites Or if the Jesuites Why not George And this being once set thus on foot who hath power to stop it or who can tell where it may center except GEORGE FOX or the POPE For if George or SOL. may in DOCTRINALS or Cases of BLASPHEMY why may not the Jesuites in MORALS and in Cases of THEFT LYING and ADULTERY I desire you Friends seriously to weigh and consider this and what can certainly satisfy you and others herein When the Quakers shall speak or write one thing and tell you themselves they mean another or do not intend all they speak or write But here 's the misery on 't If Mr. Hicks or any of your Opponents do but write A for THE or do but say a DIALOGUE and not BY WAY OF DIALOGUE or do but say YOU for THOU or the like Oh then it is Forgery Lies Blasphemous Slanders Sinful impure and Corrupt then it is not a little Failure in Syntax only which the Law of Charity would not take notice of But let a Quaker say or write that which is a hundred times worse nay though it be in it self Blasphemy against Christ Yet then it is only a little Failure in Syntax and against the Law of Charity to reflect on a Man c. 10. Upon this occasion I could not but lament 't is not unlikely another would have smiled to see that G.W. in his serious search p. 24. hath such a rare Invention I will not say Black-Art that if Jer. Ives does but say if you dare appoint time and place to discourse about the Quakers Religion and Ministers George can and hath transform'd I will not say Conjur'd it into an Insolent frothy Challenge and like the common Hectors and Sword-men of the times But three or four Challenges that three grand Quakers viz. G. Fox E. Burroughs and Sol. Eccles made wherein the very same words are and abundantly more audacious as a Challenge at two Weapons Name Persons Time and Place a Duel and if you DARE as is worth your seeing more at large in J. Ives Quest for the Quakers yet George's Holiness hath Pope-like sanctified them and they are serious Challenges on a serious Religious Account Oh excellent Religion But the other he Condemns as if it were Curst with Bell Book and Candle in p. 19 20 and 23. Oh wonderful George that hath such a POWER to Sanctify and unsanctify words with a small dash of his Pen as he pleases Here I say is the Misery and this is the most gross abominable Hypocrisy unreasonableness Partiality and uncharitableness that can be heard of against the Light of Nature the Light of Conscience and the Light of Scripture That the same things or ten times worse should be no faults or but little trivial ones in Quakers and yet gross falshoods horrible lies and Forgeries in other men The Lord open your eyes that you may first learn to Judg your selves and Cast the Beam out of your own eye before you go to cast the Mâ—â—e out of anothers 11. Now for your saying unsaying Backwards and forwards I have particularly manifested it in this my Reply G.F. condemning what G.W. uses and G.W. condemning what G.K. used and W.P. condemning what G.W. Teaches and sometimes G.W. condemning and confuting G.W. himself and so round and round again But now notwithstanding all this considering what their Practices above related have been and that they are generally such I do expect and must not doubt in the least but that they will have that stupendious Confidence as to deny all this or not confess it yea and will say it is false and horrid Slanders though we read it we see it with our eyes and hear it with our ears yet our sences must be all deceived and the Quakers only in the Truth and if any will they may believe them not only before but against their own Eyes I cannot help it neither shall I concern my self much at it But only to express my real sorrow for to see any one so strangely deluded What else may I What must I nay what can I expect from such Men that have in this manner so often declared themselves in Print already who can undertake to vindicate falshoods and nonsence and their grand false Prophet G.F. and call this a vindication of the Truth
a Man of no Conscience nor Credit in what Relates to them i. e. the Quakers he did not dare say he was a man of no Conscience nor Credit in what Râ—â—â—ted to others because then he might have been disâ—â—â—ved but onely to the Quakers they themselves being Judges also when as you must note if a man does but oppose the Quakers that That is enough to make him a man of no Conscience or Credit with them Oh neat Quibble pray let the Quakers name you ONE man that does oppose and Contradict them that they will say is a Man of Good Conscience and Credit in what Relates to them Who is so silly that cannot see the baseness of such slie and Quibbling Suggestions Pray before I leave this Section hear another of them about the same Person p 39 Mr. Pen says he had as good as confest that he had been Hired by some Professors to disturb us who sees not the Quibble in the words as good as confest That is in plain English he did not tell him so neither is it at all likely but well on the contrary I have heard that some Years since a Quaker would have Hired him to have let them alone the Story runs thus He owed a Quaker a certain sum of money and the Quaker would have forgave it him and writ or would write him an Acquittance as Received so much money of him provided he would not disturb them any more Mr. Chadwel Answered him to this purpose that if he writ he had Received so much money when indeed he Received none that would be a Lye and he would not consent to it So here it seems Fran. Chadwel had more Conscience than the Quaker Sect. 8. And besides the Truth of their abusing punching haling thrusting and throwing the said F. Chadwel out of their meetings by main Force depends not upon his Testimony alone but there are some scores that have been Eye-witnesses of it that can testifie it And if the Quakers can Justifie doing thus to one whom themselves shall alone Judge to be a man of no Conscience nor Credit then they may do it to another and another and to Twenty on the same Ground and at last to whom they please as far as they dare And to be sure none shall want their Judgment and Censure of being Forgers Lyars or Tiplers Men of no Credit nor Conscience if they do but oppose them And so at present I 'le leave them with their Apostatized Persecuting Spirit as to this particular wishing they may for the Future learn more Honesty Humility and the Royal Law of Charity which never fails and that they may put on Bowels of Compassion and Lowlyness of mind to others for if they shew Love to their own Friends onely what are they better than the Publicans Don't they do so SECT IX The Quakers Quibbles and Hypocrisie in their former Practice of Disturbing of Ministers in Parish-Churches with reference to their Practice now Sect. 1. THat it was the Common Practice of the Quakers for many Years to pretend They were sent and moved by the Lord and by the Spirit to come into the Parish-Assemblies to oppose the Ministers and accordingly did commonly every Moneth and sometimes oftner come in and disturb the Ministers and Congregations with their Messages Visions and Revelations from the Lord as they said is so generally known that I need bring no Instances and I think they will not deny it Sect. 2. But now since His MAJESTIES Happy Restauration and Government I do not find but those ORACLES are generally ceased or at least for the most part and now their Common Practice therein is altered which shews either their great Hypocrisie now they think they cannot do it but with more danger or that these motions were only pretences and so very unreasonable as most likely they were or if true motions from the Lord then the Quakers have rarely if any of those true motions from the Lord now among them nor do grow in MORE Experience of such Revelations but are withered Where 's G. Foxe's Lambs of CHRIST which have been sent forth to reprove Sin in the Gates of Cities Markets High-ways and Countries What are they all asleep G. F's Professors Cat. p. 22. What is there no Sin to be Reproved within the Gates now as then What no such Messages from the Lord now Oh Hypocrisie Sect. 3. By this it would appear that Muggleton is the best Prophet of the two and that his Sentence and Curse hath taken hold of the Quakers viz. Because I saith Muggleton have passed Sentence upon the Quakers they shall never grow to have more Experience in Vision and Revelation but shall wither See G. Fox his Answer to Muggleton's Book The Quakers Neck broken p. 11. SECT X. The Quakers Quibbles about the Holy Scriptures Sect. 1. THis is a very weighty Point Dear Friends and Countrey-men consider it well you shall first hear what G.W. himself and three more Quakers say in Answer to one Sampson Townsend a Minister in Norwich in their Book Entituled ISHMAEL c. The Ministers Propositions which he and they opposed were these two 1. That the Scriptures contained in the OLD and NEW Testament Commonly called the BIBLE is the Revealed Will and Word of God 2. That the Scripture which is the Word of God is the onely Foundation of our Faith and onely Rule for our Obedience Now in their Answer to thiâ— I onely desire the Reader to Observe the several Epithetes G.W. gives to the SCRIPTVRE viz. that commonly called the Bible which ONELY the Minister affirmed to be the Foundation and Rule of our Faith and Obedience as above THIS G.W. calls NATVRAL and CARNAL p. 3. Obscure something without them p. 3. Bids him prove that ever it was called by the Saints a Written Word of God and that with these thy Lyes thou hast deceived the Blind p. 4. That which is Written is the Letter which is DEATH and KILLETH p. 10. Thou that sayest that the Scriptures Reveal God thou art a Lyar p. 10. Where did ever any of the Holy men of God say that the Scripture Converts the Soul or makes Laws for mens thoughts p. 11. He calls it a Lye to say the Scripture is the means by which Faith is wrought p. 11. Now that which Matthew Mark Luke and John wrote of Christ could not give Life for that is called a Declaration of those things which was freely delivered among them Luke 1.1 And that thou callest the Word which is DEATH and KILLETH as thou mayst Read 2 C. 3. p. 9. And that which the Minister then called the WORD as G.W. himself and the Quakers tell you just before in the same page was the sayings and doings of our SAVIOVR which are frequently Recorded in the NEW TESTAMENT and hence IT the New Testament is called the word of CHRIST says he and in the Quakers Answer to this G.W. and they tell the Minister and that thou callest the WORD
if he can and till then he may with more Justice keep his Title to himself But when these Men cannot bite yet they 'l bark Sect. 2. Sleighted a true word â—or as he hath Published it 't is to say SHIFTED or dealt deceitfully and Craftily with and in the Apostle Paul's Time we find there were some such Eph. 4.14 Be no more carryed about with every wind of Doctrine by the sleight of Men and cunning Craftiness whereby they lye in wait to deceive But G. art thou no wiser to play Hocus Pocus and shift me but that thou must tell me and the World of it in thy Title Sect. 3. But suppose his Intention is slighted for it seems a Quaker can hardly speak or Print much now without the Art of Directing the Intention or speaking by a Figure Then we have a slight Title fit for such a slight silly sheet yet Proud and Arrogant denoting rather the Pride of Quakers than the Humility of Christians alias we have a new-coyn'd Quibble for Evading an Answer or an Old term for running away and timerously quitting the Contest Sect. 4. Slighted no wonder they that have slighted the Protestant Churches beyond the Seas slighted the Church of England slighted 21 Learned Divines at a Clap slighted all the Baptist's Churches yea and slighted all Teachers and Professors in Europe besides themselves how is it possible but that I must be slighted too except I 'le Banish my self to the Indies They that have slighted the Writings or Books of Holy SCRIPTURE so far as I have shewed you out of their own Books and more particularly G.W. himself in his own words but in the last precedent Section can you reasonably expect they should not slight other Mens Books and mine too Are these the Despised People or the Despisers by G. W's own Testimony What they cannot so well Answer they pretend to slight a poor shift For thereby they manifest but their silly scorn and disdainful Pride and Arrogance Though it is not yet six Moneths since that his Brother Pen could take Notice of a ridiculous sorry Mouse as he calls it and so turn Mouse-catcher and are the Quakers thus Elevated on a sudden Sect. 5. A Reprehension what for want of an Answer It is indeed well known you are free enough of the first however timerous as to the latter Their Confidence though usually too great yet at this time it seems did not serve them to say it was an Answer Sect. 6. But by some suspected to be the Author of the two Pamphlets the one Entituled The Spirit of the Quakers tryed the other Controversie ended VVhat Infallible and yet suspect How now what suspitious George Other Men's Fallibility then is as good as the Quakers suspicious Infallibility Is this your Gift of Discerning and Prophecy But that 's not the worst of it For the Suggestion is of a matter absolutely false Satan owing them a shame as the Proverb goes hath suggested a false thing which the Quaker hath here Published to the VVorld as true to their own dishonour and shame Besides this Quaker hâ—th hereby wronged me and abused another Person whom Mr. Pen in his winding sheet says is Hâ—n Hedworth by Name Sect. 7. First G.W. hath here grosly wronged me in Publishing a Suggestion and that in Print that I was the Author of the two Books Entituled The Spirit of the Quakers Tryed and Controversie Ended when as I was not nay did not so much as see or hear of either of them till after they were in Print But in these Books Mr. Pen hath in the Quakers Name declared to the VVorld there are several falshoods scandals lyes and Forgeries and yet here G.W. hath endeavoured to fix and fasten them all if any such be there upon me as suggesting or representing me to the VVorld as the Author of them Now ye that are Quakers of G. W's Church and pretend to be the true Church of God I will try your Truth Honesty Conscience and Justice in this particâ—lar viz VVhether you will cause G.VV. to make me satisfaction for the Offence and wrong he hath done me in spreading abroad a suspition and suggestion of me in a Matter that 's absolutely UNTRUE and UNJUST in the same manner as he hath done it viz. in Print I hereby require it and demand it of you and him as you profess yourselves to be a true Church And that you may not say I am or may be unreasonable I hereby Declare that his bare acknowledgment of the wrong in Print I shall accept of as satisfaction And for your further and full assurance of the falshood of the Matter I do hereby Declare and solemnly Testifie IN THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY GOD That I who did write and was the Author of the late Books Entituled The Quakers Quibbles was not the Author of the two Books Entituled The Spirit of the Quakers Tryed and Controversie Ended and if there be any need I doubt not but that Common Justice will Oblige Mr. Hedworth if called thereunto to witness the same thing in the presence of your Church he being it seems better acquainted with you than I am or desire to be with such unreasonable dishonest and dis-ingenuous People as some of you thus demonstrate your selves to be And that you may not make your being unacquainted with me any Excuse of not doing me Right I shall here take that off before hand For if your Minister G.VV. can abuse and wrong me in Print by a false suggestion though unacquainted with me he may and can as well and easily give me in Print the satisfaction required though unacquainted with me viz. onely acknowledge it so you having it evidenced by my own solemn Testimony and if that be doubted though you can have no Reason to doubt thereof it being the Highest Testimony that Men can give And you desâ—re further Evidence signifie it to the Book-seller and I presume Mr. Hedworth will be so Just as to clear me he being the best Evidence that it is possible for you or any one to have to clear me in this Matter if so be he was as Mr. Pen says he was the Author of the two Books before mentioned but is not the Author of the Quakers Quibbles So that ye Quakers can have no just Excuse and therefore I do again complain to you as wronged and demand that you see that just satisfaction given me that I require from G.VV. If not I 'le mark you and declare you to the world to be Abettors and Publishers of false suggestions Sect. 8. Secondly By this G.VV. hath wronged and abused the said Mr. Hedworth in raising or spreading abroad a false suggestion touching him as if he was the Author of the Book Entituled The Second part of the Quakers Quibbles in which Book G.VV. hath Asserted and published to the world there are gross perversions and abuses p. 4. Yea manifest perversions lyes and slanders that he is chargeable with and as yet he
lyes under the Guilt of p. 2. and so represents and suggests to the world Him to be the Author of all those abuses lyes and slanders which in truth he is innocent of Therefore it is hoped that Mr. Hedworth will be at least so just to himself and his own Name as to require satisfaction for such wrong and injustice done him when as it is another Person that ought to be charged with all those manifest abuses lyes and slanders if any such there be Sect. 9. VVas it the Light within that led thee G.VV. to the publishing this suspition or not If thou sayest not then G. where was the Light or thy sincerity to it If yes Then thy Light leads thee to publish suggestions of Persons and things that are false It must come from a false Spirit it being a false Suggestion Sect. 10. I should not have said so much about this but upon these two Considerations 1. Because these are the Persons that pretend to Infallibility and a Gift of Discerning MORE than others that are not of their way If G.W. had indeed a Gift of Discerning by the Light within how wicked or silly was he not to inquire of it whether this suggestion was true or false and the suspition right or wrong before he published it Or if he did inquire and the Light within him could not tell him what is false and what is true then how doth he and his Light exceed others or make him MORE Infallible How evident here and plain is either this Man's wickedness or vanity in his Pretensions to a Gift of Discerning 2. Because of this Man 's base unworthiness and unchristian carriage in publishing such a thing when I had before in a Letter to him seriously assured him that Mr. Hedworth was a Person no more acquainted with me than G. himself was but this Man being so guilty himself of asserting and writing so many untruths and falshoods he thinks others are like him and no more to be Credited But now let the unbyassed Reader Judge of it do they think to Grace their Cause by such doings Where is thy Conscience and Religion George Is this the Quakers Christianity Oh silly Scorner blush and be ashamed SECT II. About the Author 's NAME and LETTER Sect. 1. THE Ingenious and Impartial Reader may easily Conclude how he hath managed the rest of the Work by puâ—â—â—g such a false suggestion even in his Front and that so basely and unchristianly and at the same rate he goes on with these words Looking upon thee to be an unworthy Cowardly base Spirited Man who shuffles about to hide thy self How now Friend What such as M.Y. saw through the Key-hole or so as one G.W. did in the Matter of Mrs. Bat when accused at T. Y's According to thy own way with Mr. Danson this is but a Query Mr. Sleights thou better knowest the Mystery Sect. 2. Thou art very cautious thy Name should be discovered But alas poor Men that are put so hard to it that they are now forc'd to make use of such slight shifts for Excuses For the time was when the Quakers could tell you that even the Blessed Name of JESVS and CHRIST it self without that they call the Power are but EMPTY WORDS Princip of Truth p. 12. And yet behold what a considerable thing does this Quaker now pretend to make of my Name Oh the Folly and Hypocrisie of these Men can the Knowledge of an Empty word be of such weight to them which yet they cannot tell but that they do know to be sure they will not own that I am in the Power what is this Man so base then as to make my meer literal Name to be of more concern to them than they have declared the meer literal Name of the Lord CHRIST to be to them What wouldst thou make thy being unacquainted with an EMPTY WORD an Excuse Blush for shame Sect. 3. But to take that false Cover from him and cut all short I do hereby tell them for a certain Truth That my real Name is in Print as a witness against them and my Books as a Testimony against several of their Principles and let them either Answer or Confute them if they can Though this is more than 〈◊〉 â—as Obliged either by their Civility or any other Law that I know of to tell them what if I should ask them whose Name is to the Epistle to the Hebrews and the Acts of the Apostles whose Name is to the Books of Judges Kings and Chronicles Can the Quakers tell with all their Light uncontroulably what Men writ them And will it not thence appear it may be both good and honest enough though a Man's Name should be concealed And neither the Man the worse nor his Book the worse what have they to say against Paul's changing his Name Besides the continual Custom of many good Men amongst us nay and of the Quakers themselves sometimes if they will admit themselves to be good Pray G. whose Name is put to that Printed Paper Entituled A Paper sent forth into the World c. accusing the Ministers of the Nation and several Teachers of many gross things Pray who writ The Principles of the Quakers Defendable by Scripture who is it that cannot see now most strange Hypocrisie in these Men And what small twigs they would catch at and hang upon any thing rather than to deal honestly and give an Answer in plainness Oh Timerous Man what sorrowful shuffling art thou fain to make use of Sect. 4. And whereas I said suppose the Author be a private Person what if he Dwells fifty or sixty miles from London or what if the Author had subscribed M.A. could not W.P. have joyned N. according to Mr. L's way of Addition and then have read it a MAN and that it was happy that their Light left them in so much darkness of the Author that they could not tell whether it was the Author's real Name or no when they read it to this G.W. says Hast thou not bewrayed thy own Equivocation and that the Author's Name is not Tho. Thompson I Answer no But I have bewrayed the Quakers Folly and Vanity and that was one part of my aim thereby to try Experimentally whether their high boasted Light would reveal any more to them than others or stand them in stead when they had need of it whereby they might know and have a DISCERNING beyond others But alas Experience which is one of the surest Masters now tells me that the Quakers are as easily mistaken and do as foully deceive themselves as other Persons in the World do Their Light will not so much as help them to know really a Man's Name when they read it except the Person himself or some other Man Reveal it to them And thus we see that I or a meer man may Reveal more to them if we please than their Light within Sect. 5. Besides to make this Man's Folly more manifest how silly is he to