nay when they say 't is Blasphemy to say they are the Word of God and they are no rule at all to us All is for the wonderful deference they have for those â—â—â—â—ed Books For shame â—ir after all the Wounds you have given to the Scriptures to add Mockery and Scorn to Stripes and after you have spit upon them reviled and buffeted them to put the Purple and the Crown upon them as the Jews did upon their Author after such Indignities to cry out O how we love and honour them after the Treason to bestow the Kiss See Will. Penn's Courtship to the Scripture * Reâ—â—inder p. 1â—â— but especially Sam. Fisher's †Additional Append. p. 21. He calls the Scripture a Nose of Wax and it 's capable of being made no other a Character he took from the mouth of a Jesuit Andradius but Quakers we hope like it never the worse for that We could easily shew you that all the Arguments that Fisher and Pen use to prove the Scriptures are not the rule of Faith are the same the Papists have used this 100 years if they had been 7 years at School at Rome they could not have spoke Italian plainer than they have done A little further Fisher tells us he and the Quakers have put it to the question how it may be known infallibly that the Scripture is all of God and not a cunningly devised Fable He tells us of the uncertainty of Translations the various Lections and the loss of many Portions of them which they needed not have taken such pains about for the Papists have done that before and Penn in the forecited place hath mustered up a great many more such Popiâ—â— Objections against the Scriptures which were cast in our dish by Papists and as often answered before Quakery was born but all that you must understand is said for the great respect they bear to the Scriptures Reader if thou desirest to see more of such respect to the Scriptures see Parnel p. 16. You Teachers are doting upon Scriptures without with your dark Minds with the blind Pharisees seeking for life where it is not to be found P. 18. We can do all things without the Scriptures or any thing without Solomon Eccles coming into a Church at London naked and besmeared with T d carrying his â—ands fuâ—l of the same Filth compared it to the Bible which the Minister carried in his hand into the Pulpit Fisher in his Velara Revelata p. 845. says Such Men as the Scribes are ever scraping in the Scripture to find God yet never know him nor see his Shape To call our love to the Scriptures a senseleâ—s Dotage to compare David's Hony and Hony-comb as he calls the Word to a stinking Excrement and our reading the Scriptures to a Brute's scraping or rooting in a Dunghil must needs manifest a mighty respect they have for those Writings By the way does not Fisher deserve to be accounted Angelicus Doctor for talking of the Shape of God how glad would some Papists be if he could shew it them that they might draw his true Picture by it Lorreto Market would go near to be spoiled by it and most of her Votaries would come thronging hither sure to worship an Original But as a further Testimony of their respect for Scripture hear what Smith Morning-Watch p. 22 23. says Reading in the Scripture that there were some that met together exhorted one annother edified and comforted one another they observe and do as near as they can what is the Saints practice and so conceive a Birth in the same Womb and bring it forth in the same strength that others do these are Bastards and not Sons for these adulterous Births have provoked the Lord and gâ—â—â—â—â—ed his Spirit What an hellish Smâ—ak is this a Belch sure from the bottomless Pit to say that our meeting together according to Scripture Examples to exhort comfort and edisy one another is no better than going to a Brothel-house for there can be nothing but Bastards got by it and adulterous Births This may pass for another Quaker-Panegy rick upon Scripture Penn calls Searchers of Scripture as Faldo quotes him p. 113. and in his Answer Penn does not deny it Lettermongers We suppose though he differ in expression from his Brother Smith his intention is the same he means Whoremongers or Bastard-getters All these Quotations have we brought to prove Friend Whitehead's Assertion That Quakers have a marveilous Honour for the Scripture though we believe heâ—ll hardly be so grateful as to give us thanks for our pains In a Testimony from the Brethren in London met 66 together signed Farnsworth Parker Whitehead see Brief Discovery p. 11. l. 5 they say If any difference arise in the Church we declare and testify that the Church with the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ hath power without the assent of those that differ to hear and determine the same and if any of ours will not submit so to be tried nor submit to the Judgment given by the Spirit of truth in the Elders and Members of the same being consistent with the Doctrine of such good antient Friends as have been and are found in the Faith agreeable to the witness of God in his People viz. the Light within then we testify in the name of the Lord that he or she is to be rejected and joined with Heathens and Infidels Mark we pray if he or she kick against their Judgment consistent with the Doctrine of antient Friends and agreeable to the Light within Here is no notice taken of the Scriptures how agreeable or disagreeable soever it be to them And p. 23. l. 26. yet Whitehead hath the face to say this makes nothing against them It seems to be a small fault or none with G. to take away the Commission God hath given to the Scriptures to be Judg of Controversys in matters of Faith The Question G. is not whether the Church hath any Power in matters of Religion which is all thou provest from Mat. 18. 17. and we know none deny it 1. If it be exercised about indifferent matters in Discipline and Worship we allow her not only a Judgment of discretion to discern what 's fit to be imposed but also an authoritative Judgment to oblige her Members to obedience or else she would have less Authority over her Members than every Master hath over the Servants of his Family 2. As for things that are necessary to Salvation we think our selves only obliged to submit our Faith and Practice to the Authority of God in the Holy Scriptures and not to the Authority of any Church pretending to Infallibility meeting together in Treat or in Gracechurch-street So then that which we find fault with you for is a profane neglect of Holy Scriptures in determining matters of Faith or Doctrine that your Church should censure its Members only for this cause that you will not submit to the Authority of the Churches Judgment
that ruffle indeed and make a noise for the present but would e're long wither and fall of themselves We could wish the Issue might make good their Presage But tho many of them are absurd and unreasonable Men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that have no Topick to build a rational Discourse on but are given rather to railing and raving the Logick of Bedlam yet are there some among them that pretend to Art and do express much cunning in their evasive and elusive ways of Discourse whereby they are apt to deceive the simple and wellmeaning and 't is for the sake of these weak Ones Children as the Apostle calls them who are too easily spirited away with good words and fair pretences that we have undertaken this but we hope there will be no occasion for us any more to appear upon the Stage in vindication of these great Truths of our Religion but that the more worthy Sons of our Mother whose Learning and Authority may conciliate a greater reverence to their Writings will espouse so excellent a Cause and by their clear and close Discourses stop the mouths of these proud Boasters who truly know nothing but doat about Questions and strife of Words from whence come poâ—â—erse Disputings of Men of corrupt Minds and destitute of the Truth Being in the following Pages to discourse of Blasphemy we think it necessary first to settle the Notion thereof BLASPHEMY is originally a Greek Term which signifies at large to hurt and injure ones Fame with evil words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 famam laedere calumniando vel maledicendo and thus 't is oft used by our Holy Writers Tit. 3. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to speak evil of no man Eph. 4. 13. Let all evil speaking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be put away 1 Cor. 4. 13. Being defamed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we intreat we return Prayers for their Reproaches and speaking evil of us Rom. 3. 8. As we be slanderousâ—â— reported 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But Blasphemy strictly taken denotes 1. A speaking evil or reproachfully of God 2. A vilifying or speaking contemptuously of those things which have a peculiar relation to God 3. An attributing to others or an assuming to our selves that which is proper to God alone 1. A speaking evil or reproachfully of God That this and the next particular also is Blasphemy that place Rev. 13. 6. does evince The Beast is said to open his Mouth in Blasphemy against God to blaspheme his Name and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven And Naboth was charged to blaspheme God 1 Kings 21. 13. to speak evil or reproachfully of him 'T is true this like other Crimes admits of Aggravation and degrees of Guilt for there is a Blasphemy of impious outrage and downright defiance against God such as was that of Rabshakeh openly denying the Power of the God of Israel as sufficient to rescue out of his Master's hand Such that of Mezentius in the Poet Dextra mihi Deus telum quod missile libro And this sort of Blasphemy in an Israelite was that which as we conceive was punish'd with Death Levit. 24. 11 15 16. Again Blasphemy against God may be charged upon Men when from their avowed Professions Principles or Practices it follows by clear Evidence and uncontestable Reasoning that the peerless Majesty Holiness Immutability Truth Unity or other Perfections of God are rival'd vilify'd injur'd or deprav'd because there is none Holy as the Lord and because in him is Light and no Darkness at all Thus to ascribe to God a sinful Impulse or a lying Divination to detract and derogate from his adorable Perfections can never be excused from a deep Tincture of this dangerous Crime 2. A vilifying or speaking contemptibly of those things which have a peculiar relation to God as in the forementioned place Rev. 13. 6. the Beast is said to blaspheme his Tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven The mocking and abusing our Saviour who as the Messiah had a peculiar relation to God sent by him as his Servant for a particular Office and Imploy is called Blasphemy Luke 22. 63 64 65. Thus also the denying him to be the Christ of God being attended with speaking vilely and contemptibly of him is upon this account reckoned Acts 18. 5 6. Blasphemy and was the Blasphemy St Paul was guilty of before his Conversion Jam. 2. 7. and which he compelled others to Depraving the Doctrine of the Gospel 1 Tim. 1. 13. and thereby renouncing of it is reckoned Blasphemy as we find in Hymeneus Acts 26. 11. 1 Tim. 1. 20. for it gives occasion to speak evil of the Doctrine and Ordinances of Christianity upon which account the vilifying and depraving the speaking evil and contemptibly of Baptism by Water and the Supper of the Lord by Bread and Wine which not only were but are yet the Ordinances and Institutions of Christ as we hope is made evident in the following Discourse is no less Jude v. 8. than Blasphemy they having so near and peculiar a relation to God and Christ 2 Pet. 2. 10. Hence reviling Magistrates is in several places stiled Blasphemy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Kings 21. 13. they speak evil of Dignities 'T was laid to Naboth's charge that he blasphemed the King Speaking evil of the King is blasphemy because of the peculiar and special relation he bare to God being his Vice-roy and Representative Thus reproachful words against the Temple and the Law they bearing a special Acts 6. 13. relation to God were accounted Blasphemy This man ceasâ—th not to speak blasphemous words against this Holy Place and the Law Yea speaking contemptuously and by way of derision against the Mountains the Land of Israel is for the same reason reckoned Blasphemy as we read Ezek. 35. 12. I have heard all thy Blasphemies which thou hast spoken against the Mountains of Israel saying They are laid desolate they are given us to consume Much like that of Tully's Quam chara Diis immortalibus esset quod eam victa quod elccata c. deriding Jerusalem for accounting it self the peculiar Care and Darling of Heaven whenas it was storm'd and taken by Pompey And if reproaching and reviling Things and Persons that have a near and special relation to God and Christ be Blasphemy then those we fear are guilty thereof who affix to the Ministers of the Gospel such vile Names as Conjurers Thieves Witches Devils Orat. 24. pro L. Flacco Blood-hounds and the like We hope we shall not bring a railing Accusation against them only say as Michael the Arch-angel did to him that inspires this Earthly Sensual and Devilish Temper into the Minds of Men The Lord rebuke thee 3. An attributing to others or an assuming to our selves that which is proper to God alone Upon this account Idolatry is so often in Scripture said to be Blasphemy because men attribute to the Idol that which is peculiar
against it this is in a Quakers Book where Foreign Letters are recorded p. 4. Whitehead in his Lambs Defended owns it p. 34 35 36 37. see the Remarks p. 4. Burrows in a Declaration in the Name of all the Quakers * Printed 59. says he might command 1000 and 10000 of his Saints in that day to fight in his Cause as the Pensilvanian Quakers did for their Sloop but P. 8. then it was as Magistrates not as Quakers Wars belonged to the Jewish Administration †See Leeds p. 145. which had its End says Geo. Bishop in his Looking-glass p. 203. Quakers deny that it is lawful for Christians to fight and kill one another in fighting Barclay in Q. no Popery p. 100. But others of them have both allowed and followed Wars and John Tompson owned by others as a Quaker was Master of a Ship fought stoutly and killed many of the Dutch Tyranny and Hypocrisy Detected p. 22. see Christianity no Enthusiasm Cap. 7. p. 108. The Spirit in Quaker Plainness p. 23 24. tells them the Distinction between the Father and the Soâ— is not only nominal but real The Spirit in G. Fox tells us another story that Christ is not distinct from the Father Gr. Myst 142. Quaker Plainness p. 24. The Spirit in Whitehead teaches him that God the Father and God the Son were Coworkers But in his Light and Life p. 47. we see the Light face about again What nonsense says it there is it to tell of God being Cocreator with the Father In Quaker Plainness the Light tells us p. 24. the title of Person without us is too low to give to Christ but their Spirit in Pen's Sandy Foundation p. 15. changes its note saying the Son for many hundred of years in person testified Thus the Spirit teaches one thing to day and another thing tomorrow and if it chance to hit upon it the same as at the first again John Swinton as we are told Tyran Hypocr detected p. 39 42. and Spirit of the Hat p. 35 wrote a Paper in the express Motion of God who justified him in every tittle of it and yet after this about four or five years he retracted and denied the Spirit in which 't was wrote saving 'T was sit for the fire and was done in an hour of temptation and weakness the account is large and deserves reading says the learned Author of Christianity â—o Entâ—â—â— p. 112. Sure the Christian must do his business very ill that goes by such a waxen leaden Rule that bends every way and sits it self either to strait or crooked as you please things are true or false just or unjust by that Rule according as fancy or interest sways it it hath authorized Tyrannies and changes of Tyrannies to be all from God Almighty and when they obtained it fawned upon and flattered them as much as lawful Governments of late which before it had condemned as Antichristian as one observes 4. The Light within cannot assure us of this Fundamental Principal of the Quakers that the Light within is to be our Rule a general Rule to all of us as Pen asserts because that Light tells none so but Quakers besides that is to bear witness to it self and resolves it self into this Argument It is so because we are sure it is so which is the ground that every Man hath for his Error for every one that holdeth it thinks he 's sure of the Truth of it his Inward Light tells him so Judgment fixed p. 268. G. Whitehead commends Ben. Furly's Letter of Retractation where he says That Actions of Men are sometimes influenced by good and evil Spirits tho they perceive it not So then they may casily think all Actions are influenced from the good Spirit having no certain measure to try the Spirits by and neither Pen nor Whitchead can tell for want of such a Standard any more than Furly when they are acted by a good Spirit and when by a bad 5. To conclude If the Light be our Rule we hope no Quaker will think amiss of us for what we have wrote against them for every Man hath the Light within him and must act according to it which we seriously declare we have here done and if you should say what we have wrote is false and erroneous How could we help it It seems our Light ought to be our Rule to square our Actions by which God knows we have done exactly 2 ly We shall prove the Affirmative against Quakers and Papists that the Scriptures are such a Rule as we spoke of before tho this Truth be sufficiently vindicated by our Divines against the Romanists and lately by G. Keith in his Deism of W. Pen yet we shall ex abundanti cast our Reason into the Balance 1. Then if matters contained in the Scriptures be such a Declaration of the Mind of God that whosoever believes and practises neither more nor less as necessary to Salvation shall be saved then they are a Rule of Faith and Life to them to whom they are given but they are so Ergo. Psal 19. 7. The Law of the Lord is perfect viz. Such a Declaration as thus bounds us on both sides or it could not be perfect if it did not bound us thus viz. give Salvation to him that believes all things it makes necessary and nothing more as so Without doubt the Scripture is such a Rule according to their agreement or disagreement to it all things are right or wrong in Spirituals for if a Man deviate from it in any thing it makes necessary he 's wrong and perishes and if he touches it and squares with it in all such Points he 's right and shall be saved hence 2 Tim. 3. 16 17. All Scripture is given by Inspiration from God and is profitable for Doctrine Reproof Correction and Instruction that the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnish'd c. Howghil denys the word is to be in the Text he tells us 't is an addition of the Translator and it should be thus All Scripture given by inspiration of God is profitable c. No Atheist or Papist could be more industrious to find out every little Criticism that they think may weaken the Authority of the Scripture as if there were some Scriptures that were not of Divine Inspiration speak out Man Are there any such Scriptures yea or nay and tell us which they are and rescue our Faith from its bondage to such an Impostor Thou Wretch to go about to take away the Bread of Life from us that Divine Nourishment of our Souls and think to feed us with thy whipt Bubbles We could better spare the Sun than this Candle of the Lord and have nothing left to guide us but the Quakers Snuff or a few Sparks from their Forge know then tho 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be not exprest in the Text yet the Conjunction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is there tho thou hast made so bold as to
Discovery in their Margin have noted the Quakers as against Kingly Government Pag. 32. against the House of Lords the House of Commons against Judges Justices and Constables against Lawyers and Lords of Mannors they should says he rather have added against Covetous Persecuting Priests but this they omitted it touching them to the quick Good Man the Men who wrote those things are known to be as little of a Covetous Persecuting Temper as any of the Meek and Lamb-like Teachers amongst the Quakers one of whom Preached and Commanded in the Name of the Lord that all the Cavaliers that were then Prisoners taken in St. George Booth's George Bishop's Book of Warnings printed in the beginning of the year 1660. business should be put to death Harmless Man that never wish'd them ill for all this for the same Person tells the King Archbishops and Bishops the very next Year That they were fellow-sufferers with them and had great good will towards them But alas there was Corruption says George Whitehead p. 32. in the Monarchy House of Peers House of Commons amongst the Judges Justices Lawyers and 't was the Corruption not the See Defence of the Snake part 1. p. 86 87. Office George Fox spake against if you please to believe Whitehead Truly we find no Government will please the Quakers long because there is Corruption in all and so there will more or less whilst Men are Men but we judge them of a very turbulent and unquiet Spirit that will therefore be content under none But for a while we must leave the Civil Government and pursue another Game whereunto we are led Now slay the Priests of the Lord Neve foret Terris securior arduus aether Affectasse ferunt Regnum Coeleste Gygantes Heaven 's no more safe from Gyants fury now Than once the Kingdoms of the World below Let the Tythes and Glebes be sold saith George Fox and given to the Poor a small Box of Oyntment for our Saviour a slender Portion devoted to Christ and his Ministers and yet repined and grudged at by these Wretches What need such waste say they and to palliate it they are taken with a Judas-fit of Piety to bestow it upon the Poor although God hates Robbery for an Offering neither can a pretence of Charity ever hallow or sanctifie such a villanous and profane Sacriledge They had cursed us sufficiently before Num. 23. 9. these Balaams not standing upon that nicety which their Brother Balaam did How shall I curse whom God hath not cursed but from every place without either fear of God or reverence for Man from Hill to Hill from Pisgah to Peor have they poured out the most bitter execrations against the Servants of the Most High though to their great grief they found Nos non habemus Deum sequacem that with all their Offerings they could not bribe him to their parts our God not being a God that will lye who hath promised to be with us to the end of the World God hath blessed and all the Balaams in the World cannot reverse it They have called us Greedy Dogs Wolves Babylon's Merchants Gormondizing Priests and doom'd us to the Pit and the Lake but now they find their causeless Curses have done us no hurt our Innocency proving a Sovereign Antidote against the venemous bites of these Vipers they are for trying another method and 't is a blow at the Roor which they doubt not but will do the business and that is the taking away our Maintenance the denying us Oyl to feed our Lamps which will then go out of themselves Oh! these Priests these naughty Priests are they that spoil our designs like St. Ambrose's being in the Room hindered all the Conjuring and therefore we must Plut. in Demost get rid of them some way or other Demostenes's Apologue will sute our Case very well When the proud Macedonians insisted vehemently upon the Athenians delivering up their Orators into his hands who had disswaded the Citizens from a Surrender he tells them the Wolves offered to make Peace with the Sheep upon condition the Sheep would give up all their Dogs to them who never left bawling and barking so that the poor Sheep could not take a minutes rest the silly Sheep gull'd with such specious pretences yielded to the motion You may imagine how the Wolves were overjoy'd at the News who could now rend and tear and feast themselves without interruption Oh! 't is these waking Priests that discover us we can't break into the Fold but they are presently opening upon us we can't steal a Lamb from thence but we hear them bawling incessantly there 's no good to be done till these Priests be either hanged or starved this Whitehead p. 32. l. 21. neither denies nor palliates but a upbraids the Priests for having so tender a sense for so much Injustice “ I suppose says he this most touches and offends some Priests concerned indeed George it could not but concern us to have a Company of Banditi and Thieves break in and rob us of all we have but blessed be God there 's a better watch kept over the Church by God and the Government than to suffer her to be plunder'd and spoil'd by such a Crew That Quaker who wrote a Perswasive to Moderation printed 1685 speaks as if he had forsaken such Company and resolved to live honestly for the time to come he 'll have nothing to do with the Priests Lands or Goods Far be it from me saith he in his Preface to solicit any thing in diminution of the just Rights of the Church of England let her rest protected where she is This Man if not honester is yet wiser than his Brethren in kindly yielding us our Tythos and Glebes that he cannot keep from us Next all the King's Parks and Rents must be sold for the relief of the Poor and White-hall with all his great Houses and all the Steeple-Houses made Alms-Houses for the Blind and Lame 't is some comfort they have provided us such good Company they intend to starve King and Priest together and we verily believe that Tythes Glebes Whitehall the King's Parks and Rents whenever they go will be sold at one time God preserve us from Quaker Rage who like mad Folks fly upon every one they meet and are fitter to be confuted with Chains than Arguments for when our Bell and Dragon had devoured the Lands of the King and Church the Monster was not satisfied without a second Course of Lords Fines and Lawyers Fees Let the Fines which belong to the Lords of Mannors be Fox to the Parliament of the Common-wealth of England p. 5 8. given to the Poor saith George Fox and away with Cap-men and Coif-men Twenty Shilling Counsellors Thirty Shilling Serjeants and Ten Groats Attornies which will not tell Men the Law without 10 s. 20 s. or 30 s. These Gentlemen of the Long-Robe are best able to plead their own Cause against such Scoundrels as understand
nothing of the Charge of an ingenuous Education besides the great Pains and Study must be undergone to fit Persons for such a worthy Employment But Priests and Lawyers are reckoned by them as the See Whitehead p. 33. great Oppressors of the Land as George Fox jun. speaks and if any Lawyers be now offended thereat we leave them to plead their own Cause saith Pag. 35. Whitehead if they can But Whitehead tells us some were rather for Common-wealth duly qualified Pag. 31. than a Monarchy that was oppressive and persecuting A Common-wealth if duly qualified wou'd it seems please some very well But how shall we get one duly season'd for the Pallate of a Quaker as for Baptists Presbyterians Independents Episcoparians they deny them all it must be such an one as is dress'd up and is served in from Grace-Church-Street Oh delicious Government This no doubt would go down rather than this oppressive persecuting Monarchy There are some it seems amongst them for a Common-wealth duly qualified then if they could get Monarchy laid aside you cold make a shift with some other Government besides that of Jesus tho Fox in his several Papers saith Christ is King alone and News cut of the North tells us Jesus Christ Pag. 18. will rule alone yet some of you we see can be content that Christ should make room for a Common-wealth to govern but by no means a King But Whitehead wou'd put us off with this That many honest Men were Pag. 31. lin 17. rather for a Common-wealth than for an oppressive persecuting Monarchy tho by the way we must tell him that the Primitive Christians were not so nice of their Skins but could submit to be scratched and rent by a tearing Bramble when set over them by God as well as cheared by the fat and resreshing Olive But what is this to the purpose here Is not Fox's Outcry Judg. 9. against Earthly Kings Peruse again Fox's several Papers and News out of the North as before quoted and see if thou can'st find the least Title of a persecuting Monarch mentioned their Besides may not a Common-wealth be as prosecuting as a Monarchy withous doubt and therefore George it was warily said That there were some for a Common-wealth whilst others more agreeably to their first Apostles Principle could willingly throw off all that their Christ might be King alone See Pennyman's Quakers Contradictions sect 17. p. 6. Whereas they had been charged with great Inconstancy like the Polypus changing Colours according to every thing that was next it for Oliver now for Richard afterwards then for the Committee of Safety then for the Rump the Council of Officers for any thing that is uppermost Whitehead to excuse them gives us an Instance in Samuel who could calmly pay his Allegiance unto Saul tho before he was against it and displeased at the Peoples desiring a King Pag. 31. l. 30. But the true Case was this The People were under a Theocracy God was their King and by desiring an Earthly King they rejected the Rule and Government of God which Samuel was bound in Duty to deter them from and yet when God had said to Samuel Hearken to their Voice and make them a 1 Sam. 8. ult King he submitted as became him and anointed Saul And could they have shown us such a Command from God to set up Oliver the Ruâ—p the Committee of Safety c. whom they adored alternately as their Idols We shall cease to reproach them for the Agility of their Consciences in turning so quick at every Change There was once a famous Doctor Andrew Pearn by Name Master of Peter-house in Cambridg who had a Conscience so flexible as to comply with every Governour which was uppermost King Edward Queen Mary Queen Elizabeth he caused a Fane to be set upon the Chappel with a Crown on the top of it and A P wrote on the sides and being told how nimbly A P turned about with every Wind he answered A P never turned but when the Crown turned too A P could not turn so nimbly but A Q can turn as fast and give the same reason for it also if they say these some had a Command from the Spirit their Light within we think such a Spirit deserves to be look'd narrowly to tho but in some of you since it is so changeable that it can creep and cringe to any Wat Tyler or Jack-Straw that has but Power enough to ravish the Crown froâ— the right Owner and will but cherish this Nest of Vipers under their warm Wing tho they have no other Title thereunto than a Highway-man has to the honest Travellers Putse the greatest strength and most outrageous boldness But can you forbear smiling at Whithead's boasting of the Non-Resistance and Passive Obedience of the Quakers in bearing pariently so many Fines and Imprisonments in the late Times which is no more Evidence of it than what Raynard gives us in his Chain How passive soever their Obedience was then 'T is yet remembred how active their Rebellions had been in the Days of Oliver and the Rump the Glory of which they were as loath to lose then as of their Passive Obedience now and theresore boasted of it But alas saith George Whitehead There was Corruption in the Monarchy E. Burroughs's Advice to the â—arl 1659. but this Paper is it seems left out in his Works reprinted 1672. See Pennymâ—n's Quakers Contradictions sect 20. House of Peers and Commons amongst the Judges Justices and Lawyers and 't was the Corruption not the Office which George Fox here speaks against 'T is not we confess good Breeding to give the Lie to any Man but should we do it to him in this thing our being necessitated thereto wou'd be a just excuse having no other way to answer him and we appeal to any who will but impartially read what is cited out of Fox and Burroughs how they brand all Earthly Kings without exception good and bad as Arbitrary Usurpers with House of Lords and Commons chosen by the People railing at that Method tho called the Birthright of the People and own'd as the right Constitution of that part of the Government As George Fox Jun. does in his Works Had not Burroughs a very loyal Heart when he said 'T was thro Ignorance that the People subjected themselves to Hereditary Governours or to the Government standing in a single Person successively and our Nation hath been under the Bonds of Slavery in this respect c. But we wou'd fain have G. Whitehead consider what work his Explication â—makes of G. Fox's Reasonings when Fox said Did any Elders in the Days of Christ or his Apostle cry up any King he meant did any of them cry up the Corruption of a King when he says Do not the Priests and Presbyterians cry up an Earthly King he meant the Corruption of an Earthly King and when he said That Kings are Spiritual Egyptians he meant the