this account Now he would not be thought that his Principle is against visible Order and Form of Government under Christ's Dominion Nor against some visible Persons being exercised in some outward Order under his Government Thus far the point is granted and gain'd upon him and his Concession thereto the farther confirm'd in deeming our rendring his great Book to be against Church-Government outward Methods Orders and Rules c. A false Assertion Though we cannot reckon that Book of his to look with a better Face in the mian purport and Series of it especially considering his Third part from what 's mentioned in the Title and against R. Barclay's Book for Church-Government and in many other places and passages of that Book and in his Epistle in this his 7th part he is smiting at Establishing an outward Vniformity outward Things outward Directory c. But now we must take his meaning and principle to be not against visible Order and visible Form of Government under Christ's dominion nor against visible Persons being exercised therin How then shall we understand his meaning and principle Why did he not then more plainly distinguish it first and brought the Controversie into a more narrow compass and not have writ thus confusedly and shatteredly one while against another while for visible outward Order and Form of Government under Christs Dominion in his Church As in this Treatise the matter is further Evinced against him hereafter But wherein lies his Charge of Prevarication He gives us to know it is in twining the Word REPRESENTED into CONCERNED pag. 43. We are yet to seek and study how to find this Prevarication pretended considering the purport tenure and conexion of his Words For though now he owns visible Persons to be exercised or concerned in an outward Form of Government and Order under Christ's Dominion yet not that his inward Government is represented by them yet his Distinction before excluding visible Persons not only from representing Christ's inward Government but also from being invested with Power to execute i. e. to minister give forth or put in practice outward Laws Edicts c. in an outward Form of Government Visible appears to bespeak his sense than to exclude them from being concerned in an outward Form of Government and Order in the Church of Christ under his Dominion For if they do in no sense or degree represent Christ's Government how are they concern'd in it And if they have no power to execute minister or put in practice outward Order and Form of Government visible How are they either exercised or concerned in an outward form or order of Government under Christ's dominion But this is now granted us in the Affirmative So then wherein must we understand W. R's opposition to lie against outward Order outward Form of Church-Government outward Laws Edicts Rules Prescriptions c I presume not against any of his own making but against such as he calls G. Fox's c. as he has told us of a slighting G. F 's Rules Methods and Orders with respect to Church-Government see the Accuser c. pag. 83. But then I would know whether it is against all or some that G. F. has writ or given out If he says not against all but some then I intreat him to let 's know what SOME they are particularly What Instructions Rules or Methods they are he Condemns and that he deems condemnable as evil or unlawful in themselves We have divers times prest for a Catalogue of them that the Controversie might be more plainly distinguishable and brought into a narrow compass which now lies not only prolix and tedious in W. R's Books but also scattered confused and ambiguous in his Writings wanting in many places the supplement of his latter Thoughts and Meanings So that when he has write one Book it wants another to declare its meaning he has taken a great compass to write a very little matter in § 4. For his distinction between the words Represented and Concerned he says That many thousands are exercised in an outward Order under the Government of the King who if they should thence declare that they are the Representatives of his Government 't would be deem'd a Mood of Speech tending to the annihillating of the King's Prerogative And concludes the like in relation to Christ's Prerogative p. 43. But herein the man is under a Mistake in this Allusion his skill in the Law and the King's Prerogative and Government has fail'd him in this point For the King's Government is represented in all Courts of Judicature legally acting in his Name and by his Power whereby the King is look't upon to be present in all his Courts Yea every legal Minister and Conservator of the King's Peace even from the Justice to the Sheriff Constable or Peace-Officer does in his place and legal Office in some degree represent the Kings Government in the doing Justice and Conservation of his Peace And this no ways lessens but promotes the King 's legal Prerogative For the King in the Eye of the Law is Justitiarius Capitalis the Head or chief Justice and hath his subordinate Ministers and Justices under him legally impowered by him according to his just and legal Prerogative Now seeing W. R. is so much out and has lost his aim in his Comparison these things are mentioned to rectifie his Judgment And the Comparison as now stated may be better applied to Christ's Kingdom and Government who though he be the chief Overseer and Shepherd the great Apostle and Minister the great Ruler and Governour c. he has his Overseers his Apostles his Ministers and Servants and Helps in Government which is none other than Christ's Government in his Church and Kingdom and under his Dominion which I hope our Opposer dare not deny however he differ with us in the Application § 5. As concerning an Angry Waspish Pen wherewith thou twice over chargest the Pen-man adding That the more he stirs therewith the more will the Cause which he espouseth stink pag. 17 44. I must tell thee first I never met with a more Angry Waspish Pen than thy own though thy Malice and Wickedness hath been in divers parts of our Book deservedly reprehended thou hast in much thereof been mildly treated 2 dly I know no cause espoused by us therein than the Cause of Christ his Church and People which will live and remain sweet and pretious to all the upright in Heart when thy malicious Work and corrupt Cause will more and more appear naucious loathsom and stink above ground till swept into the Pit from whence it came and which thou art very near and without Repentance canst not escape it 3 dly What occasion have we or any of us given thee to rage and roar against us and like a persecuting Informer to go about to expose us in Print tending to disgust Authority and to bring more severe Persecution upon us as seeming to be at Vnion with the Papistical party
Place or Person At that rate it may be a hard matter to prove Negatives against thee indeed Though thy charge be never so false so long as thou canst prevaricate and also vary the matter from a popular and publication to a particular Person Time and Place and neither tell us who when or where as FROM these kind of Declarations frequently publisht among the People called Quakers TO this Doctrine had been publisht amongst us Yet I did not mention either Time Place or Person p. 47. Like as to say You must take all the matter upon my Credit You must pin your Faith upon my Sleeve If you deny and judge what I say as an abuse I have a cunning way to shift it instead of making probation I can tell you I did not mention Time Place or Person 'T is void of sound Argument for you to go about to prove any sort of Negatives c. But William this kind of shifting and then retorting and scorning will not gain thee Credit nor Reputation in thy mean and feeble attempts to prove the People called Quakers frequently under such a kind of Ministry as is in it self Popish and tending to Introduce Popery it self according to thy own Inference that is Ignorance instead of Wisdom Bondage instead of Freedom in Christ Ignorance as the Mother of Devotion c. Answered in our Treatise ACCVSER c. p. 6 7 8 9. And not only so but that some blind Zealots are Principled to have an Eye to the Brethren instead of the Light in himself as in thy Postscript to thy Christian-Quaker But we can as well and truly deny that such Declarations as afore are frequently published among the People called Quakers and judge it a horrid abuse and reflection on the said People as we can deny that Jesuits frequently Preach among them which is also an Abuse of some and which thy Charge resembles And 't is no absurdity to prove Negatives in some cases either in Popular or Personal actions if Testimonies of Eye and Ear witness may be of any Credit As for Instance The Question was put to a Meeting here in London the greatest part being antient grave Friends Where ever they heard such Doctrine preacht among the People called Quakers as To exclude or shut out Wisdom Reason of all kinds without Distinction and to have an Eye to the Brethren instead of the Light in themselves And they never heard such Preaching nor any such Doctrine preached among the People called Quakers at all either in City or Country much less frequently And their with many others negative Testimony may be of credit in this case else how should we answer those that falsly accuse us with Jesuits frequently preaching among us but by our negative Testimony from our certain knowledge of those that do preach among us that they are no such Put case any of our peaceable Meetings should by our Persecutors be charg'd with committing a Riot at such a time and place We deny the Charge and declare it to be utterly false and produce evidence and proof sufficient and credible in contradiction to it that our Meeting at such a time and place was in a peaceable posture and nothing of violence or hurt done offered or threatned c. Here we prove a Negative that our Meeting was no Riot by proving the Affirmative that it was Peaceable And what 's frequently preached among us in our publick Meetings is as publick as they And set case a Person be falsly accused for committing Burglary at such a time and place and he produces sufficient Evidence that he lodged at an Inn twenty or thirty or forty Miles off at that very same time when the fact was done Here he proves a Negative i. e. that he did not commit the fact § 2. To thy saying viz. If in his sence I mis-express my self then my meaning shall not be taken to excuse the defect p. 47. That 's not true for wouldst thou be so low in thy Mind and so ingenious as either to confess such mis-expressing or defect where we meet it and clogg thee with it in thy writings and not be tenacious therein it would the more excuse thee and shorten the Debate I do not at all find that thou canst come clearly off as either a just or righteous man in thy Allegations and Instances in thy Postscript for thy proceeding to print and publish thy great Book by thy principal instance of the printed Epistle of two Sheets by Anne Whitehead and Mary Elson which thine when nigh printed did occasion for that could not be the occasion of thine when 't was not in being till thine was almost finished in the Press Thou producest no Plea to clear thy self but what 's presupposed anticipated and way-laid in our said Treatise pag. 26 27. However by thee impertinently slighted as Impertinent That the said Epistle was thy principal Instance for thy so proceeding is no false Assertion as thou wouldst make it is evident from thy own account on which 't is grounded The matter is fully evinced in our said Treatise under the tenth Disaffection from page 19 to pag. 37. Thy alledging Thou only assertedst Promulgation of the said Epistle to shew that they were the first Publishers in Print but not the first Printers Of what That there are Divisions c This will not clear thee nor evince thy Righteousness in proceeding to print and publish thy Book on thy Instance of the said Epistle of two Sheets which on this occasion was chiefly thy concern to evidence and mention and that in pursuance of thy own Justification to prove thy Righteousness in proceeding to Print which the other Instances given by thee about the publication of Divisions by Declaration by Manuscript do not answer nor seem to parallel but that chief one of Printing And what the said printed Epistle of two Sheets though the greatest part of thy great Book was printed before that was writ To thy now confessing That they i. e. Mary Elson and Anne Whitehead c. were the first Publishers in Print but not the first Printers Then their Publication could be no just plea nor instance for thy proceeding to Print as thou didst Thy not being the first Publisher but they does neither excuse thy intention as Righteous nor thy act of first Printing 'T was the bulkiness of thy Book that prevented its first Publication and the smallness of theirs though not writ till after a great part of thine was printed that did expedite its publication Thy saying Thou only assertedst Promulgation of the said Epistle is an evasion 'T was in pursuance of thy pretence of Righteousness in thy proceeding to Print as well as to promulgate or publish thy Book of Divisions that thou gavest that instance of the said Epistle being printed And as a supplement in thy Postscript to what thou hadst writ in thy Preface and Introduction which thou judgedst might give sufficient satisfaction to every Impartial Reader but
Christian-Quaker c. in five parts Instead of a solid Answer or sober Vindication of thy self from their Charge against thee as being of an abusive lavish Tongue of a rude insolent and imperious Behaviour in Men's Meetings and speaking prophanely of the Power of God To these things thou sayst viz. All which I return as Dirt unworthily cast on me Such their Calumniations are meerly because of my zealous opposing them and others c. And then further sayest There are few men so weak as on serious consideration to believe GENERAL CALVMNIATIONS against a man once well esteemed by the Calumniators Let this be minded and their Answer duely weighed and then 't will appear that nothing of weight in the said Book is written against me p. 79. Thus far thou Oh miserable Evasion Fallacy and Falshood with what Conscience couldst thou thus write William as if their said Book and Answer consisted but of General Calumniations against thee What reason is there to credit thy general denyal which I am sure is a shameful and notorious Untruth Take one instance out of many more wherein they charge thee with particular matter of Fact and that is about the Paper of Condemnation or Submission which was exhibited and owned by J.S. and J. W. at the Meeting at Drawell in Yorkshire Anno 1676. when afterward they were minded to extenuate or take off the weight of it not owning it according to the common acceptation of A Condemnation c. as the said Friends of Bristol relate Hereupon they do particularly charge thee William about the same Paper in these Words viz. And William Rogers who confessed he drew it for J. S. and J. W. reported There was nothing in it and that the most Innocent man amongst us might own it and never hurt himself and that it was not better than a RATTLE to please Children See their said Book entituled An Exalted Diotrephes Repre p. 13. And not only in this but in divers other particular matters they also charge thee home in their Book and also signifie that they do not think it necessary at present to particularize thy prophane speaking concerning the Power of God no more than they have already done concerning thy horrible unsincere dealing with the Brethren at Drawell c. Exalt Diotreph p. 17. Now William didst not thou render thy self horribly unsincere in declaring the said Paper which thy self drew up no better than a Rattle to please Children after thou knewst that J. S. J. W. had tendered it as satisfaction to their Brethren and the Church of God in general as their own and thy Words are in it Didst thou think to please those Brethren and the Church of God in general with a Rattle for Children Oh William was not this particular matter of Fact and that very gross and absurd How didst thou resemble the Ranters therein and bewray great and horrid Deceit to have entred thee I cannot in Charity think that the Devil had got so much hold of thee at that instant when thou drewst up that said Paper at Drawell as to intend it only as a Rattle to please Children for thy own Narrative bespeaks better and more serious things of Friends and Brethren in their proceedings there towards J. S. and J. W. Surely then thou wast in a better and more serious and sincere mind at that time But I rather think the Devil prevailed with thee afterward after thou hadst eaten the Sop among the Disciples and in the time of thy and parties discontented and murmuring Consultations Satan entred thee to devise that deceitful and Ranter-like cover and evasion of the said Paper being but As a Rattle to please Children Though at first tendred as Satisfaction to the Church of God in general Thus thy Fallacy in particular matter of fact is detected also in slighting and huffing off the said Friends Book but as General Calumniations and therefore nothing of weight in it when there 's such particular matter of notorious Fact charg'd upon thee in it as thou canst not get over nor acquit thy self of And what men are so weak on serious consideration as to believe thy general Calumniations against either Persons People or Society once well esteemed by thee a Calumniator Or to esteem thee and thy Abettors The Christian-Quaker and all whom thou calumniatest to be Apostates and Innovators according to thy Judgment How wilt thou clear thy self from a meer begging the Question in both which is never likely to be granted to thee as the case stands according to thy own terms and supposition cast upon us for our owning our selves to be the Church of Christ p. 45 61. thou having been once in society with us and didst well esteem of us but now not only gone out from us but turn'd bitter Enemy against us whilst no probation made on thy part either of our violating or disserting our first Principles of our Christian Union and Society which thy Brother F. Bugg hath most sillily yet maliciously attempted to prove against William Penn Stephen Crisp John Burnyeat Alexander Parker Thomas Salthouse and My Self from a Paper signed by us from a yearly Meeting Anno 1675. wherein the sence and tender advice of the said Meeting is propounded in several matters of moment all which in conclusion are recommended to the Evidence of Gods holy Witness in the Hearts of his People Where 's now the Imposition Antichristian Apostacy or Violence done to our first Principles of Union charged on us by Francis Bugg from this very Paper aforesaid in his Book De Christiana Libertate W. R. dost thou allow of the said Paper thus recommended as a sufficient proof of the Subscribers Apostacy and Imposition I am sure thou hast exprest the contrary Now W. R. and F. B. clear your selves from begging the Question if you can by plain Evidence of your own Christianity and our Apostacy William thou farther calumniatest and abusest our said Bristol Friends in thy Postscript saying R. V. is known to be as busie to go in the Second day's Meetings Errands as an hired Apparitour is to go in the Errands of a Bishops Court And that R. S. and C. H. thou takest to be fitly qualified to say ANY THING right or wrong to defame thee accusing one of them with a Lying Spirit entred him p. 79 80 These Persons of Bristol whom thou calumniatest are well known both to their Neighbours and others who I am perswaded will not give credit to thee therein Thy scornful Invectives against them will go but a little way with those who know the honesty and good Repute of the Persons whom thou here writest against and their deep suffering with many more for Conscience towards God which it appears thou hast little regard to or sence of who whilst they are suffering under strait Confinement and Duress in a Nacious Goal in the City of Bristol for their tender Consciences as they were when this thy Book 7 th part came forth and as
many yet are thou art secure in a Corner studdying and scribling against them to calumniate and defame them in Print as men of no Conscience towards God fitly qualified to say any thing right or wrong a Lying Spirit entred c. Such is thy Treatment to the Prisoners of Jesus Christ to add Affliction to their Bonds and to make void their Testimony and Suffering for his Names sake And not only thus but thou art cruelly mocking flouting and deriding at them telling a story against one of these suffering Friends of Bristol which thou sayst occasioned Derision and Laughter and that by a Lying Spirit entred them thou sayst they may become a derision both to Professor and Prophane and a scorn to Fools themselves p. 80. No doubt thy scornful and malicious Work against them though otherwise under Persecution and Suffering and against many others fearing God is to make them as ridiculous and as much the Subjects of scorn and derision as thou canst but 't will all return upon thy own head thou wilt reap the fruit of thy own doings Thy pretended Love Christian Charity Lamentation for thy Brethren c. in thy hypocritical Epistle directed to the flock of God go but a little way it seems but that and other Instances of thy Insincerity and Dissimulations are numerous § 6. And with what Sincerity or Conscience couldst thou not only pretend an inclination toward an accommodation of the Controversie but also propose to our second day's Meeting for thee To read thy Answer viz. thy 7th part when in Print amongst us and after so done to leave it with us and to pretend thy end was that if the Meeting should that day propose any expedient answering the Witness of God in thy Conscience to stop the Publication thereof thou shouldst then answer the same by forbearing a further Publication thereof as in thy Letter dated London the 17 th of the 2 d Moneth 1682 pag. 80. I do still question with what sincerity or conscience thou couldst make such Proposition and pretend such an end in it to that our Meeting when thou hadst already prejudged the same Meeting in Print as being Apostate Innovators c What capacity could such be in to answer the Witness of God in thy Conscience if apostatiz'd from it in themselves And what ground couldst thou have to expect such a change in them from Apostacy as that Now when thou proposedst the reading thy Book they might be in a capacity to reach thy Conscience as thou sayst p. 82. Besides can any in reason suppose thee real or sincere in thy Proposition for an expedient to stop the Publication of thy Book of about twelve Sheets when already Printed Was not the design of thy Proposition rather for a pretence to excuse thy self and for a flourish over us as thou hast made an empty one and what hast thou got by it And was it not manifest that thou wast still at least jealous of our said Meeting as being Apostate in thy not being free then to answer our three Questions which were very proper to try the reality of thy own Proposition and thy end pretended thereof in order to our hearing thy said Book read The Questions were these viz. Question 1. Whether thou art sensible thou hast done evil or hurt to Truth in the Publication of thy great Book entituled The Christian-Quaker distinguished c Quest. 2. Whether thou hast any better thoughts of our Second day's Meeting now than thou hadst when thou wrotest that Book as not now to esteem the said Meeting Apostate c Quest. 3. Whether thou lookest upon the said Meeting now in a capacity to answer the Witness of God in thy Conscience To which thou only gave us this return viz. I am not free to answer at present Our Reason for the Questions was That we might not spend our time in vain or to no effect in hearing thy Book read which we should do if we should undertake it and have no assurance of thy having any better thoughts then of our said Meeting than to deem it Apostate Or if thou didst not then look upon it as capable to answer the Witness of God in thy Conscience To which thou not being then free to answer we might very well then not be free to hear thy Book read among us nor be so imposed upon as to spend our time upon such uncertainty having no probability of thy performing thy own Proposition with respect to the end proposed whilst not prov'd sincere or Christian on thy parts Therefore thy Reflection upon our said Meeting and supposing us like a Company of lazy or guilty Priests for our refusal to suffer the reading of thy said Book amongst us is both very unjust and scornful and bespeaks thy Lording Imposing Spirit thus infamously to upbraid us for not implicitly giving up to spend our precious time to answer thy prejudicate will and humour upon thy reserved dark uncertainty And also as a farther aggravation of thy Injustice and Prejudice thy taking our said Meeting 's Treatment of thee on this occasion to be an Evidence of our affection to sit on the Seat of Vnrighteous Judgment This also is thy unrighteous Conclusion and false Judgment upon our affection and is no ways naturally deducible from our forementioned Treatment of thee I have omitted many other Instances of thy abuse of Truth and Friends leaving the righteous God to reckon with thee for all thy injurious dealing and hard speeches as thou seemest to refer the Pen man to such a Reckoning pag. 46 63. The Lord awaken thee out of this hardened gain-saying state and deliver them that are betray'd by the Enemy and preserve his Heritage in love and peace over this scornful exalted conceited crooked quarrelsom apostate Spirit The Lamb shall have the Victory CHAP. VII A Letter in Two Parts Which was sent in Manuscript to Francis Bugg Except two Passages left out in favour to him unless he will further expose himself to danger thereby IN the first part his fraudulent dealing against Samuel Cater about the 15 l. Fine His Abuses against him and others His Conceitedness Pride Scorn and Shallowness are detected and reprehended In the Second part of the Letter relating to Francis Bugg's Book is evinced 1. His unjust Reflection on the people call'd Quakers and his being turned Informer 2. His Judgment in espousing and presenting false Doctrine against the divine Light of the Son God in man 3 His unjust Charge and the collection thereof against certain Persons among us by name who are the Servants of Christ and against our faithful Womens Meetings 4. His Instances for Proof of his Charge and Contempt no proof thereof 5. His Opposition to our Testimony for Mens and Womens Meetings in the Church of Christ and his scoffing and smiting thereat no proof of his Charge nor of their having No Relation to Scripture 6. His upbraiding our sober and faithful Womens Meeting as an Idol and comparing it to