sort of Persons that would be Innovators and given to change and introducing New Doctrines and Practises not only differing but contrary to what were deliver'd in the Beginning reflectingly treating on such kind of Language as this I must stay until convinced Book of Government which is objected against by us or doth contradict any Subject Matter that we have treated upon which clearly shew that we put no Constructions on his Fathers words but left the Reader free without endeavouring to impose any sense relating to these words And yet his weakness if not wickedness is so great as to declare that my Deduction which in reality was none at all was not genuine but forced and that my Inferences are not true But suppose that I had not worded my meaning so cautiously as to have signified 't was only a part of his Fathers Discourse I appeal to all men of Understanding whether in that very case all Christian Professors that ever appear as publick Preachers or Writers might not by the same Rule be reflected on when they have quoted by way of Testimony or Illustration a part only of anothers Testimony but that which yet seems to aggravate John Penningtons abuse of me Note John Pennington cites not all the rest of his Fathers Testimony but a part thereof I therefore query whether by his Rule he hath not proved himself worthy of worse Reflections than he gives me since he informs not his Reader that what he hath written to mend the matter as he may think is only a part of the rest of his Fathers Testimony is this after he had cited what he thought meet of his Fathers words to manifest that I misrepresented and perverted his Fathers words he then in the 6th page of his Book thus saith Now let us see whether even out of that very Part William Rogers hath quoted there be not words to the same effect as where Page 94 Part 3d. of William Rogers 's Book My Father saith Care must be had that nothing Govern in the Church of Christ but the Spirit of Christ that nothing else teach nothing else exhort nothing else admonish and reprove nothing else cut off and cast out again every Member is to wait in that Measure of the Spirit which he hath received to feell the going forth of the Spirit in him that teacheth and governeth and so be subject not to Man but to the Lord to receive from the Lord to obey the Lord. To every unprejudiced Reader that may rightly weigh what I have now written and compare John Penningtons Lines with the pretended occasion thereof I doubt not but it will be manifested that I have not misrepresented nor perverted his Fathers Writings and yet John Pennington for no other cause than already mentioned reflects on me on this wise That I do not through Ignorance but wilfully and designedly endeavour to smite and vilifie such as were and are honourable that I am guilty of premeditated and palpable Falshood that I have traduced his Father and so proceeds to charge me with down right Falshood and impious Prevarications and with a Judas Kiss meaning as he saith a shew of Candor c. I labour to betray the Truth and its Sincere Professors into the Hands of the Wicked and Vngodly that I was untrue to my word further adding on this occasion these very words viz. These base and under-hand Dealings are so far from becoming a tender Friend that they are not like a fair Adversary and so unsuitable to a Christian-Quaker that they would be cause of shame to a Mortal-Heathen and that I prevericate in the Face of the World and so appeals to any Vnbyased Judicious Reader whether I have not dealt fallaciously deceitfully and surreptitiously as well as unrighteously that I appear against the Truth and them that are in it All which undeserved Reflections together with the heaps of the like in Christophers Taylors Epistle seem to shew that the Approvers and Subscribers act like such as have had their Educations at Billings-gate amongst the Scolds rather than under the Roofs of sober Families One thing I have yet omitted that was with me to take notice of John Pennington in favour as he supposeth of his Father tells his Reader that I have leapt over some Leaves at the beginning explanatory of the rest and left out an entire Sentence at the close from whence I observe that what I quoted might reasonably be termed Explanatory of that which did proceed and not that which proceeded be explanatory of what I quoted which did follow The Sentence left out at the Close was this And the Vnity being thus kept all will come into one Outwardly at length as the Light grows in every one and as every one grows into the Light but this must be patiently waited for from the Hand of God who hath the right way of affecting it and who alone can do it and not harshly and cruelly attempted by the rough hand of man Touching this Sentence John Pennington saith that I knew it would not serve my turn but if fairly and impartially set down would have both mended my Work insignificant and detected the falseness of my Dealing as it could not but have manifested to every considerate Reader that my Deduction was not genuine but forced to this I say First That I made no Deduction or Inference from his Fathers words as I have already proved Secondly His Fathers words are Prophetical signifying what will come to pass not what was come to pass and since the occasion of my citing his Fathers words was only in relation to a Discourse touching what had been I should have shewn my self very impertinent to quote his words Prophetically spoken of what should be However since John Pennington is pleased to say I knew it would not serve my turn but would have rendred my Work insignificant I shall take the liberty to tell him that those very words may justly be termed to be a sufficient Testimony against some Actions whereof George Fox and some of his Party are guilty in an high degree Witness the Persecution raised against P.S. and I.W. whereof some mention is made in the 1st and 4th Parts of my Christian-Quaker and Proceedings against John Ainloe at a Quarterly-Meeting in the Isle of Ely For it is certainly known that he and some of his Party have harshly and so far as was in their Power truely persecuted some Persons for not conforming to the Outward Prescriptions of others but had they instead thereof exhorted them to wait on the Lord for a further growth in the Light in order to the being led into an Outward Vnity or Conformity to such Prescriptions by the Hand of the Lord who alone as John Penningtons Fathers Testimony is hath the right way of effecting it it would have more agreed with his Fathers Testimony and the Principle of Truth To conclude my Observations on John Penningtons Book I have this to add that John Pennington
THE SIXTH PART OF THE Christian-Quaker Distinguished from the Apostate Innovator BEING A JVST DEFENCE Against the Reproach of Scandalous Tongues and Pens AND A PROPER LOOKING-GLASS for a Meeting in London termed The Second-days Meeting who are reputed the Approvers of three Books or Papers against a Treatise Entituled The Christian-Quaker c. in Five Parts given forth by W. R. on behalf of himself and other Friends in Truth concerned By W. R. 2 Tim. 3.13 But Evil Men and Seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived London Printed for W. R. In the Year 1681. The SIXTH PART OF THE Christian-Quaker Distinguished from the Apostate and Innovator c. The INTRODUCTION DID my own Reputation as a Man or Christian lie only at Stake I might the sooner satisfie my self to remain in silence patiently to undergo the unjust Reproach of scandalous Tongues and Pens and solace my self with the Enjoyment of that Inward Peace which the Lord through his Mercy hath in the midst of all my Exercises for the clearing of my Conscience made me Partaker of But when I consider what Multitudes of the weaker sort of People are apt to be deceived by imbracing Shadows instead of Substance and Lies for Truth taking their measures of some Friends more from the reproachful and scandalous Terms undeservedly given by our Opposers than from Matter of Fact committed or any real ground of Conviction that such have merited our Opposers recriminating Reflections it hath been one Motive amongst others occasioning me once more to appear in Print and one part of my end therein is that some short discovery in a few Lines may be made so far as at present I find freedom in the Truth of the ways and meanes by which some simple-minded Friends have been betrayed to reproach their Friends and Neighbours when in reality they have had no just cause so to do unless a declared Dissatisfaction touching George Fox or others of Party with him on just occasion shall without any manner of Examination be deemed such In order to what I have premised I shall take a little notice of three Printed Books or Papers against the Book Entituled The Christian-Quaker c. The First In the Name of Christopher Taylor contains two Sheets three Quarters and is Printed for John Bringhurst The Second In the Name of Thomas Laurence containeth a part of a Sheet and the price thereof as he tells his Roader is an half-penny Printed for Benjamin Clark The Third Is partly in the Name of John Pennington and partly in the Name of his Mother Mary Pennington and contains two Sheets Printed also for Benjamin Clark Before I take notice of any thing therein contained I think meet to inform the Reader that the scope of their writing * Note A Reply to the said Book is ready for the Press and Names of Persons for whom they are Printed compared to what I find written in the 12th Page of the Immoduction of a Book against the Christian-Quaker in the Name of the Second-days Meeting are sufficient Evidence to Intelligent Persons among the People called Quakers that they are given forth by the Approbation of a Meeting usually consisting of uncertain numbers of uncertain qualified Persons called the Second-days Meeting in London who though they may pretend themselves to be invested with Spiritual Power to correct or suppress what is brought before them yet let all Friends know that these few Lines will remain as a Record to the Infamy and Shame of such as have approved such undeserved unchristian-like Language and Treatment wherewith the aforesaid Books or Papers are stuft as by these few Lines is made appear The Consideration hereof occasions me to signifie that one part of my Concern to take notice of the aforesaid Books or Papers is more to discover what is acted under Pretence of that Church-Government whereof the said Second-days Meeting is a part than to detect the Persons whose Names are subscribed to them and so leave every Readers Judgment free how far this Discovery renders them guilty of abominable Wickedness and Deceit 'T is frequently brought to my Ears that our Opposers common Discourse is That I have written a wicked Book against the Faithful Friends of Truth that if all I had therein written were true yet the Spirit that gave it forth must be wrong and the same with Hams because it discovers the Nakedness of a Father and publisheth it in Gath and Askalon to make the Vncircumcised rejoyce and such as dislike it on this ground have desired that it might be called in again This Discourse I am willing first to take notice of because by the scope of the aforesaid Books it seems to be the sense of the Givers forth and Apprevors there of If the meer discovering of Nakedness by one * Note John Pennington in the first page of his Complaint acknowledgeth me a Professor of Truth Professor of Truth against another be a Sin then doubtlese Paul was such a sort of Sinner in leaving it on Record That he withstood Peter the Eldest Apostle to the face because he was to be blamed for his Dissimulation Read the 2d Chapter to the Galatians and if any say Paul published it not in Gath and Askelon To this I answer that from the 14th verse of the said Chapter we learn that Pauls Reproof was before all men his words are these But when I saw that they went not the right way to the Truth of the Gospel I said unto Peter before all men If thou being a Jew livest as the Gentiles and not like the Jews why constrainest thou the Gentiles to do like the Jews I shall now leave it to the consideration of such as are acquainted with George Fox's Actions whether Peters Dissimulation be not a proper Looking-Glass for George to behold his Face in witness his Advice to Mary Pennington to secure Worldly-Estate from the Spoiler when 't was likely to be seized for Obedience to Christs Command compared with his reflecting Paper touching making away Estates from the Spoiler in time of Persecution for Worship of God according to the Apostle's Counsel witness his advice to Nathanael Crips and Robert Arch to buy their Tithes compared with his known Severity at other times against Payment of Tyths Witness his Advice to Friends in general not to Judge one another nor to lay open one anothers Weakness behind one anothers back nor yet to Back-bite and yet behaves himself in his Travel as if 't was great part if not the chief part of his Business so to do Witness his Counsel to follow Reports until the Original Reporter was found and yet take liberty to hear and receive Backbiting Reports against his Friends and not only so but to hide the Reporter when the Matter hath been denied that this hath been his State I am capable for to prove see Christian-Quaker 5th Part Pages 42 43 44 45 46 24 25 54 55 8. 'T is also observable as
Method of Lying because Charity obâ—iges me to think Thomas Laurence makes Conscience not to tell a wilful and known Lye and I am the more engaged to call them by the name of Mistakes because of his Age which he saith is 81 Years and that in the numbering the Sheets of my Book he hath mistaken many for he saith they are 100 Sheets when as they want of 90. A part of his Mistakes in his own words are these First Thou hast abused George Fox double 1st Judged him by Hear-say 2dly Judged him for advising to hide Goods in any Case Secondly You Preach up Doctrine but leave out Christs-Government and so you are rightly called Seperates putting asunder what God hath joyned together parting Husband and Wife cutting off the Body from the Head as if they were all Traytors Thirdly That we have asserted many things that are not true but proves it not Fourthly That George Fox was the first that did begin the difference amongst Friends by setting up Monthly and Quarterly Meetings Fifthly That the Seperates a nick-name put upon us will have no increase of Christs Government and yet in the 28 p. of the Third Part of my Book I assert in these words And since 't is undoubtedly so that of the Increase of Christs Government there shall be no End Sixthly That we charge our Opposers with Folly and Hypocresy that profess themselves Members of the True Church and Believes as the Church Believes Thomas Laurence quotes the Words of Christ as cited by me viz. As I hear I Judge that is saith Thomas Laurence hear the Party not report and so by his own false Construction of Christs words cited by me gives himself trouble to no purpose he further cites these following words That the Lord hath anointed and chosen George Fox to be in that Place amongst the Children of Light in this our day as Moses was amongst the Children of Israel in his day to set up Forms of Church-Government The Substance of the Words are laid down by me as seeming to be deducible from an Objection raised in the 9 pag. of the First Part he also saith that in the 29th page of the First Part I assert That the Place of Christs Government is only within in the Heart and further also that I assert It is repugnant to the Light in our Consciences to believe that Christs Government should rest upon any Man or Men to be Rulers over others He quotes not the Page that I may examine whether these last words are so laid down or not At present I have no Concern to trouble the Reader with what he saith thereto nor yet the rest of his Sheet which for the most part is touching his sense of Christs Government and to exalt the Service of George Fox above the Service of John Wilkinson and John Story his own Lines compared with his Title-Page and my Book is without any further Reply sufficient to shew his weakness my end in citing what Thomas Laurence hath cited of my words is chiefly to signifie that what I have so noted is all that he hath cited out of my Book to prove it Antichristian which when compared with the aforesaid Catalogue of Mistakes will no way erect the Title-Page Note A very Eminent Preacher as Tho. Laurence hath said dictated that Title unknown to him and contrary to his Mind nor yet the Person that was Dictator thereof nor yet the Second-days Meeting at London Observations on the Book partly in the Name of John Pennington and partly in the name of his Mother Mary Pennington The Title-Page runs thus John Penningtons Complaint against William Rogers relating to the Abuse and Injury done to the Memory of his worthy Father Isaac Pennington in misrepresenting and perverting some of his Writings in his Book Entituled the Christian-Quaker c. Whereunto is subjoined somewhat to manifest his Mother Mary Penningtons not shunning Sufferings for Truth c. occasioned by William Rogers his suggesting the contrary From the Title-Page two things may be expected by the Reader to be proved First That I misrepresent some of his Fathers Writings and Secondly That I pervert them They are both notoriously false and so will appear to any unbiassed Understanding Reader the Proof given by John Pennington is words of mine which he cites out of the 88 pag. of the Third Part of the Christian-Quaker viz. We think it necessary to cite a Testimony published in Print by Isaac Pennington the Younger in the Year 1660 being part of a discourse Entituled the Authority and Government which Christ excluded out of his Church As it lies altogether word for word and not taken by Parts and Pieces here and there these are all the Words of mine which he quotes for Proof and having done he treats thereon as if my words imported that I here would cite the whole Testimony of the said Isaac Pennington word for word and not by Parts and Pieces here and there when as my very words as they are cited by the said John Pennington clearly shew that my Intent and Purpose was to quote only one part of his discourse Entituled The Authority and Government which Christ excluded out of his Church as it lay altogether word for word and not taken by parts and Pieces here and there which I faithfully performed beginning at the beginning of a Paragraph after a full stop and so quoted about eight or ten sides without adding or deminishing a word and at length left off at a full stop nothing said by Isaac Pennington contradicts this the reason occurring in my Mind wherefore I so worded my meaning could not be to insinuate that I cited the whole Testimony because my very words declare that 't was but a part and the Motive wherefore I inserted these words as it lay altogether and not by parts and Pieces here and there was chiefly to quit my self from Jealousie that I had acted according to the Example of one of my Opposers within the City of Bristol who on a certain occasion had taken out of my writing a part of a Sentence in one place spoken on an occasion administred one day and a part of a Sentence in another place on an occasion administred another day and renders them in Manuscript as one entire Sentence spoken by me And forasmuch as John Pennington hath not laid down any of my words to shew wherein I have perverted some of his Fathers Writing I think it necessary to cite all that I say in relation to that Part of his Fathers Testimony which I have cited out of which words Perversion must be proved against me or else none can be proved at all the words do immediately follow what he hath cited to shew Misrepresentation and are these Our End in citing this Testimony is that the Impartial Reader may consider whether the said Testimony hath any Coherence with that part of the * Note meaning Rob Barclais 's Book of Government wherein he writ of a
published being above fourscore Sheets to manifest the reasonableness at least of one recriminating part of his Title but that he hath not done nay he is so far from it that he doth not pretend to cite one word out of all my Book more than the beginning of my very Title viz. The Christian Quaker distinguished from the Apostate and Innovator yet his Impudence is so great as page the 3d. to accuse me that my end in writing and printing is to abuse and misrepresent the faithful People of the Lord and especially such as have been Faithful Especially that Dear and Eminent Servant of God George Fox and to contradict his Blessed Life in which saith Christopher Taylor he is still made Instrumental in the Hand of the Lord to bring forth Blessed Things for the Service of God and his Truth from the Oracles of the Divine Breath to the Praise of his Name for ever As to Christopher Taylors last cited word for ever if his meaning be with relation to George Fox I say that if he had added if he keeps his Place and Habitation in the Truth to the end it would have shewed a better Understanding since we learn from the Holy Scriptures That if a Righteous Man turn from his Righteousness and commit Iniquity his Righteous Deeds which he hath done shall not be remembred To be plain if his meaning be as aforesaid Note his Brother John Blaykling ascribed Eternal Honour to George Fox See the Fifth Part of the Christian-Quaker page 77. it is cause of Jealousie that Christopher Taylor thinks that George Fox is more than a man as a publick Preacher on Discourse had touching George Fox once told me and not only so but such an one as shall never err nor fall else what is the meaning that Christopher Taylor should not only use the word for ever so unwarily if he spoke it with relation to George Fox but also reflect upon me at that ungodly rate as he hath and yet not mention any one particular thing distinct from a general Reflection more than what he saith of me touching George Fox as aforesaid for if a meer Opposition to George Fox or some other Man against whom I have written be not in it self Evil even as a meer Opposition to the Son of God that never erred is there is no reason for any one to take notice of one word written by Christopher Taylor against me especially since what I have brought forth in Print touching George Fox was after I had written to him many Letters of my Dissatisfaction concerning him and used my utmost Endeavour by writing to the General Meeting by speaking and writing to many Eminent Friends in the City of London and at length by Travel into divers Parts of the Nation on purpose to manifest the necessity that lay upon me to clear my Conscience in Print unless Satisfaction might be so far given as that I might obtain a hearing before Friends in Truth but that could not be obtained and my naked end was that if my complaint should appear to them to be just even as it was in it self it might without respect of Persons be taken notice of accordingly For a more particular account of my Christian Proceedings and Reasons for appearing in Print I refer to the Preface and Postscript to the first five Parts of the Christian-Quaker 'T is worthy Observation that there is a Preface to Christopher Taylors Epistle subscribed by John Bringhurst wherein he thus saith To all such who have or may have itching Ears to read the Book meaning the Christian-Quaker it rises in my Heart to caution you to forbear satisfying your Minds therein for the Enemy may take advantage upon you thereby to draw out your Minds to take every thing for granted that is therein Inserted and so cause you to look out at others instead of looking after trimming your own Lamps The Consideration of these Lines compared with one Part of Christopher Taylors Title viz. with wholsome Advice and Counsel by way of Information that the simple-minded may not be ensnared leads me to observe That the best way as to me appears that our Opposers have to keep the Simple-Minded from being insnared is to pin their Faiths on such as John Bringhurst and Christopher Taylor are and an uncertain number of uncertain qualified Persons called the Second-days Meeting 'T is easy to discern what a Body of Darkness is comprehended under such sort of Council for if it take place then those who are Simple-minded are no longer to see and hear for themselves but in the most favourable Construction must according to a late Doctrine have their Eye to the Brethren and yet me-thinks I behold a confusion amongst our Opposers even relating to this matter for the Substance of this Doctrine hath been of late also published in publick Meetings for Worship as before is hinted at viz. As in the natural Body the Eye is placed to see for all the rest of the Members so also in the Spiritual and hath been explained so as that it hath sometimes been taken That George Fox is an Eye for the whole Body and other times As if some other Person were an Eye for a Meeting neither of which Explanations agrees with this Doctrine Have your Eye to the Brethren Many Heads and Hornâ— may be exalted with such kind of Doctrines as these by which the Preachers of the Light of Christ as in the beginning may become a scorn and dirision Oh Babylonish Building the God of Heaven saith My Soul appear in his due time to pull it down Root and Branch that so that bright and glorious day wherein we were made Partakers of a measure of Christs Light Spirit and Grace renewing the Mind unto God by the vertuous Operation thereof in our own illuminated Hearts whereby we came to drink clear and pure water out of our own Cisterns may not at length be so obscured and overshadowed with such a Vail of Darkness as that any one of us may be zealously affected to partake of the muddy waters of anothers Cistern and reject our own that is pure So much at present may suffice to say on the occasion taken from Christopher Taylors Epistle I now come to take a little notice of Thomas Laurence's Sheet the Title runs thus William Rogers his Christian-Quaker manifested to be Antichristian he tell the Reader That he hath written a Book against Seperatists That the Price thereof is a Half-penny That he is 81 Years of Age and that two chief Points in Writing is to be Plain and Short That mine is neither Plain nor Short but Ambiguous Tedious Doubtful loaded with many Lerters Suppositions and Jealousies Reiterations and Parenthesis many and long Objections that will both trouble and weary the Reader I confess Thomas Laurence hath avoided the Rock that I by his Account have run upon however as short as he is he is not free from many Mistakes I will not call it his Brethrens