the same Cause and Quarrel c. First let it be here noted That John Pennyman in his great Zeal for the Nonconformists and enmity against us hath still proceeded upon his great Lye against the People called Quakers ☞ As what People setting these aside could have had the Face when they themselves had beening aged in the same Cause See what an apparent Lye this is and I charge him with it To prove where the People called Quakers were so ingaged in the same Cause as to preach up Battles Spoils Plunders c. Garments rowled in the Blood of Kings Princes Rulers and People worldly Armies and Battles Victories Trophies Spoils Sequestrations Decimations c. from which he doth not vindicate and acquit John Faldo and his Brethren but only cries out of Reproach Revengeful and Aggravating Terms vilifying c. Such an Agent have the Nonconformists as John Pennyman who instead of vindicating them from these Matters commemorated against them on their occasion first given he belies the people called Quakers as being ingaged in the same and as if John Faldo and his Brethren were so big and eminent in John Pennyman's Eyes and such awful and formidable Persons he put this admiring question viz. What people setting these aside could have had the Face and Confidence to have writ such Language as this Oh wonderful is John Faldo and his Brethren the Nonconformists grown so potent so awful so austere or formidable that it is such a dangerous business to affront them by reminding them of their former Concerns in the Late Wars their preached up Battels c. even at such a Time when John Faldo Thomas Hicks the Baptist Forger of Dialogues and others both Presbyterians Independents and Baptists and their Learned and Reverend one and twenty Divines as they call them have endeavoured with all their Force not only to unchristian us but to render us as odious and obnoxious in the Face of the Nation not only to Religion but to Government as possibly they could with their Pens as Cheats Impostures yea the vilest of Men thus putting us in Bear-skins to make People destroy us in the open Streets or as if they would swallow us up at once witness the mustering up their Forces at Barbican Thomas Hick's Dialogues J. Faldo's Quakerism no Christianity and his Vindication thereof there rendring us as inconsistent with Human Society destructive of Government c. in our Principles wherein some Baptists and other persecuting Spirits plainly shewed its Sting and Venom but it cannot penetrate our Armour of Light nor hurt us These Occasions against us John Pennyman is pleased to take no notice of and yet counts it a heinous piece of Confidence to remind such Nonconformists of their former Preachings of Battles Sequestrations c. contrary to the Gospel of Peace and good Will towards Men wherein John Pennyman himself dares not adventure to excuse them though now he strikes in with them against us however he may see that there are some among us that has the Face and Confidence to oppose both John Faldo Thomas Hicks and John Pennyman in their great Enmity against us and I do not see that John Pennyman's espousing their cause and quarrel and abusing us as he hath done will stop our Pens considering the many occasions given against us not only in their late Invectives but also in the former cruel Persecutions and Sufferings which many of us indured both by Presbyterians and Independents their Ministers Magistrates and People in Oliver Cromwel's days Yea how many caused they in those days to be Imprisoned till Death Stocked Whipped besides the Stoning Beating and Abusing by the rude Multitude when incensed by their Ministers and Leaders c. of these things John Pennyman cannot be altogether ignorant nor of the Professors in New-England's Cruelty in putting several of our faithful Friends to death for their righteous Testimony whose innocent Blood the Guilty there have not washed their hands of nor have they here given a publick Testimony against that cruelty that we know of So let John Pennyman consider what credit he will gain by closing in with such Presbyterians and Independents I wish both he and they who are alive may examin themselves and repent and if he and they be still of the mind that our Pen hath been too sharp we are sure their cruel Hands their Goals in Old England and Gallows in New-England have been far sharper And now with their malicious Tongues and Pens not having Power to persecute as before by their Forgeries they would make the World believe that we are no Christians c. but we are better known to Christ and honest Men As also our so much bearing and suffering John Pennyman and his Party in their publick outrage and frequent disturbances and interruptions in our Meetings without exercising or seeking Revenge against them being so far from encouraging any to beat or lay violent Hands on them that we have laboured to quiet those People that have had much ado sometimes to keep their Hands off them by reason of their turbulent Provocations all this sufficiently evidences that our Principle and Spirit is against Fighting for I am confident that had I. P. look't on us as Fighters c. he durst not have adventured to have given us such frequent and publick occasions of Provocation as he and his Party have done which he knows his Friends the Nonconformists would not suffer in their Assemblies but would have paid him and his Company off to purpose had he abused them and their Meetings as he hath done us and ours And to manifest John Pennyman and his two or three late Followers and Disciples what hideous disturbances have they frequently made in some of our publick Meetings in London And more particularly his Disciple B. Boyce who hath shewn a very venerable respect to him and T. P. little less for him in proclaiming him openly to be an upright or sincere Man and yet this John Pennyman's upright Man after his various attempts to the Magistrates to swear the Peace against divers that never did or intended him harm his outrage and violence in several Meetings has been notorious And John Pennyman's own Envy surpasses all this against the People called Quakers in rendring them obnoxious to the Government contrary to his own pretence as will yet further appear Now we come to his pretended Contradiction and Temporizing unjustly charged upon us the People called Quakers from our Writings which as he reckons are so placed that those of the meanest Capacity may easily see them to be as great Dissemblers Deceivers and Deluders of the People c. and this hideous outcry and clamour he makes as 1st wherein he set G. Fox against G. Fox in his judgment concerning Kingly Government and withal let it be remarked that his Observations and Objections are chiefly made against those Declarations made to the King and present Powers signifying our innocent Intentions of living peaceably under their
Liberty to tender Consciences taking off Oppression and particularly that of Tythes which he promised to remove when he was low in his Mind in the Time of the Wars praying to God weeping saying Our Eyes are towards thee O Lord c. Surely if J. P. cannot say That he had no Success in those Days much less can he determine what Success he might have had against the Pope as he pretended if he had performed his Promises and he was reproveable for puting out honest Men for their Consciences the more because that was a Breach of his Promise of Liberty to tender Consciences but there were many when they saw the Self-endedness of O. C. and his Apostacy from the Cause which so many ventured and lost their Lives for they deserted the Army without being put out of it and I am perswaded That reproving him for putting such out of the Army for their Consciences was more upon his Breach of Promise than with an Intent to have them always continue in it in order to War and fight especially under so much as the Notion of Quakers who conscientiously deny fighting and Blood-shed But here seems to be the main Objection They were sober Men and such as feared God therefore they must need be Quakers and to continue them in Arms to fight kill and shed Blood must needs be contrary to what the Quakers have since declared to the King That they must needs be absolute Quakers because faithful to what they then knew does not follow for Paul was sincere from his Youth upward to what he professed before his Conversion and divers had some Convincement and Fear of God upon them in the Army before they were either converted so far as to be Quakers or did clearly see That Wars and Fighting did not consist with the Gospel Dispensation and New Covenant but many when they did see it came out from them and did leave them voluntarily therefore it is a false Observation and Inference that G. F. his Judgment was That Quakers might Fight but rather that it was a Breach of Promise and reproveable in O. C. to turn truer Men than himself out of the Army before so far convinced as to lay down their Weapons And if he should argue That Christ was contradictory to himself in suffering Peter one of his Disciples to wear a Sword before fully converted because he saith my Kingdom is not of this World this would not be taken for any good Argument especially among Christians so that this Man's deridingly calling the Quakers these peaceable Men and maliciously inveighing against them as Temporizers because of their Declarations to the King neither proves them such nor can he thereby invalid those Declarations and particularly that to the King in the Year 1660. viz. All Bloody Principles and Practices we as to our own Particular do utterly deny with all outward Wars and Strife and Fighting with outward Weapons for any End or Pretence whatsoever so those that use any Weapon to fight for Christ or for the establishing his Kingdom or Government both the Spirit Principle and Practice that we deny c. And this Testimony we still maintain and stand for and where 's the Contradiction and Temporizing Have we ever declared That we have owned Bloody Principles or Practices or that we would fight with Carnal Weapons for Christ or for the establishing of his Kingdom and Government while he cannot prove this where 's the Contradiction and then where is the Temporizing is it in denying Bloody Principles and declaring our peaceable Intentions to live quietly in Godliness and honesty under the King and Government or in giving Testimony against those that would fight for Christ or the establishing his Kingdom by Carnal Weapons of War and would build up Sion with Blood Have we not all along been against such a Practice And have not our peaceable Conversations declared the same Were not the Primitive Christians exhorted to be subject to the Higher Powers seeing they were ordained of God And dare he say this was a Temporizing in the Primitive Christians No does not the Apostle plainly say Ye must needs be subject not only for Wrath but for Conscience-sake Rom. 13. 1 2 3 4 5. This Subjection for Conscience-sake surely was not temporizing and the Subjection we owe to the Civil Powers whether Active or Passive so as we may keep our Consciences clear to God in doing or suffering and as the Apostle further exhorted put them in mind to be subject to Principalities and Powers to obey Magistrates and to be ready to every good Work Tit. 3. 1. And this was without exception against the Name King or other and submit your selves to every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's sake whether it be to the King as supreme or unto the Governours c. sent for the Punishment of Evil-doers and the Praise of them that do well 1 Pet. 2. 14. So that the Primitive Christians did not boggle at the Name King and for this Cause pay ye Tribute also rendring to all their Dues c. Ow no Man any thing but Love c. Rom. 13. 6 7 8. And the true Christians though they suffered for Christ and underwent many Injuries from Men yet they were to live peaceably with all Men they were not so much as to avenge themselves but rather to give Place unto Wrath for vengeance is mine and I will repay saith the Lord Rom. 12. 18 19. Herein they granted a Vengeance was due but were not to avenge themselves To our Adversaries saying That the Soldiers were charged to go forth with a free willing Heart c. Here is a Perversion in this for their Charge was they should keep in the Fear of the Lord that they might not lose the Dread of the Lord And dare this Man say That none of them had the Dread of the Lord at any Time upon them And that Advice given to O. C. Do not stand cumbering thy self about dirty Priests c. This he cites but to what Purpose it shews for his cumbering himself with such Covetous Priests he was reproveable and the setting up and promoting such Priests hath not consisted with the Good of our Nation under any Government Again I find in his Notes against Francis Howghill where it is said That it is no Rebellion to call away those in Power he hath this Aggravation added viz. by which he means to Depose those in Power that perform not their Trust for the Good of the People p. 4. See here how obnoxious to the Government he hath gone about to render the Quakers by this perverse addition of a meaning he hath put upon F. H. as if to call away and to Depose were both one in common Acceptance and yet this is the Man that pretends to abhor that Practice of rendring us obnoxious to the Government Pray how can we trust him c. he should have been so charitable as not to have aggravated the matter with such a Meaning
taken share and deeply drunk in that persecuting Spirit and to aggravate his Matter against us on their behalf he has that Passage reflecting upon the Nonconformists twice over cited in his Preface from our Pen as his Phrase is quoting Quakerism a new Nick name As also in p. 27. he has the same Passage over again with another out of William Penn's Book styled A just Rebuke to one and twenty Divines reminding the Presbyterians of their former Proceedings c. so that he appears so much disgusted at a Reflection upon the Presbyterians c. that he begins and almost concludes his invective and bitter piece about it as offended that they were upbraided such a deeply concerned and zealous Presbyterian Agent is John become I may give the Reader a hint of one Fling that John has at me if he had had Sedition or Treason against me to be sure I should have heard of it and many more besides His Fling is this viz. about F. B. who he saith was one of the chief Preachers of the Quakers and in very great esteem among them This Man is charged by Jer. Ives to have justified the late War against the King and is defended by George Whitehead another of their chief Preachers p. 9. To all which I answer as a Man not Conscious to my self herein Do but see how fallaciously and deceitfully the matter is stated by this peevish Incendiary as namely upon his repeating the Anabaptists charging E. B. with justifying the late War against the King without any Distinction he addeth and is defended by G. W. which looks like as if I do defend such a Justification of the late War against the King What is this but Malice and Wickedness to render me obnoxious and seditious to the Government and so uncapable of so much as the Act of Indemnity As for a present defending of that War which I never was concerned in nor is there any Words of that import in my answer to Ives see Serious Search which John quotes but leaves out the principal Matter wherein I defend E. B. in his testifying against the Men then in Power and the Quakers from Ives his most unjust Accusation against them in these general Words viz. You justifie the late War against the King What Impostors c. This our Adversary has most enviously seconded as one beholding to the Anabaptist Preachers and was not he a zealous Chaplain more than a little concerned in the Old Army against the King himself who not very long after his open scurrilous Behaviour boasting vapouring and malicious Work against us was soon cut off by Death Now J. P. has enlarged upon his Work against us to render us odious to the Government and me in particular as defending such a Justification of the late Wars against the King as his Words may be easily taken rather than defending our Friend or Friends from that Charge which not only my self but also many thousands of us and among us are wholly clear of nor did I ever like Wars and Blood-shed being a simple-hearted harmless People towards the King and all Men and do eye the over-ruling Hand and Power of God and dayly fear him for our Preservation being in his Holy Will resigned to be patient and passive under what Government he is pleased to set up Moreover let the Reader please to take notice how evident John Pennyman's Abuse Deceit and Falshood is on some Passages he cites out of a Paper entituled A Declaration from the People called Quakers to the present distracted Nation of England 1659. p. 12. where upon these Passages viz. We have chosen the Son of God to be our King and he hath chosen us to be his People and he might command thousands and ten thousands of his Saints at this Day to fight in his own Cause and give them Victory over all their Enemies and turn his Hand upon their Persecutors but yet his Kingdom is not of this World neither is his War-fare with Carnal Weapons c. neither hath he chosen us for that End neither can we yet believe that he will make use of us in that way c. But for the present we are given up to bear and suffer all things for his Name 's sake c. Upon which John Pennyman has this Observation viz. So that they were not then of that Mind That the Spirit would never move them to fight And this he brings to contradict their Declaration to the King 1660. Testifying that the Spirit of Christ which leads them into all Truth will never move them to fight and war against any Man with outward Weapons 1. In the first place I intreat all that read this to take notice That the aforesaid Declaration which J. P. has the said Observation upon viz. That the Quakers were not then of that Mind That the Spirit would never move them to fight was as he saith true subscribed by many but tells not the Reader That he even John Pennyman himself was one of those many who subscribed it As I am sure his own Name is to it with thirteen or fourteen more wherein he hath dealt most disingenuously and deceitfully thus to reflect upon the Quakers and E. B. about it without giving any notice how far himself was concerned in it by subscription which he must needs see and call to mind if his Malice did not befool him to overlook or not heed the Subscriptions but his casting it upon E. B. as being moved by his Spirit to give that Paper forth shews that he has of late looked on the Conclusion of it it being there said That the Substance of this was given forth the twentieth Day of this tenth Month being moved of the Lord by his Spirit thereunto through Edward Burroughs and is now judged meet to be published to the Nation in the behalf of us and our Friends under our Hands viz. Ger. Roberts Thom. Hart Gil. Latey John Anderdon Joh. Osgood Robert Benbrick John Boulton Ellis Hooks William Crouch Gobert Sikes James Strutt John Pennyman John Crook E. Billings and Ben. Furley See now here is J. Pennyman among the rest espousing and highly owning the Declaration aforesaid as the Substance of it being then given forth at the Motion of the Lord by his Spirit and published in the behalf of them who subscribed it and their Friends Well I have seriously perused the said Declaration and I must confess it looks so impartially and with so much Innocency and Freeness from a fighting Spirit and so plainly confessing our Choice of the Son of God to be our King and his Choice of us to be a People and that his Kingdom is not of this World and that his War-fare is not with Carnal Weapons as also that neither is his Victory by the murthering and killing of Men's Persons nor hath he chosen us for that end c. with divers other Passages to the same purpose as in p. 8. viz. We do not war against any with
out which had you lived in you and the Nations had been quiet therein and all the Oppressed had had Liberty and the Lord had been the Joy of every ones Heart and the Spoil of the Enemies had not taken up the Possession of the Heart as it hath so that the Lord hath no place nor his People but the just hath been troden under Foot and made a Prey on every hand Left out by J. P. Observ. A just reproof of and Testimony against their Oppression Unfaithfulness and Persecution when many of us lay in Goals at that Time for whom several hundreds went several Times to the Parliament to offer up themselves to lye in Goals and Dungeons for them and in their stead that were in Prisons that they might come forth but instead of granting Friends Desire in that Case they threatned to whip them And when our Friends were excommunicated in Scotland that they might neither buy nor sell A poor Man who had bought a Loaf had it fetched from him because he was excommunicated by the Presbyterians upon which Colonel Ashfied being a Justice of Peace in that Country made an Order That in such Case People might buy and sell with our Friends though they were excommunicated so that had not G. F. good reason to write to the Council of Officers against their displacing such Men that were so tender towards us when the ruder sort of Soldiers came with Swords and Pistols and tore Friends from off their Knees when at Prayers And the persecuting sort of Justices and others frequently breaking up our Meetings under pretence that we were plotting to bring in King Charles c. And the Words by which Nations about you are lifted up and stand at your Doors are left out by J. P. Observ. This came from a Prophetical Sense of their declining and downfal After Cause of God and his Truth he leaves out without any End to your selves but the good of all People for the Releasement of all People out of Thraldom Bondage and Captivity J. P. p. 8. Observ. This was the End for which the Army was told of going to Rome c. viz. the breaking down Oppression and not to destroy kill and take possession But when you lost the Power then came the Innocent to be cast into Prison above twenty hundred have been persecuted and imprisoned within these few Years for Conscience-sake towards the Lord. Left out After God's Cause he leaves out That set open the Prison Doors that will let none be persecuted for Religion But now you have Prisons to break down at home where lyes about two hundred Prisoners in Dungeons and nasty dark Holes for the Word of God Left out P. 3. Those things at home to be thrown down which are destructive to the being of Creatures Ibid. For above twenty of the Innocent Lambs have been persecuted and their Blood shed in the Streets and high Ways and imprisoned till death in this Nation within these few years And godly and peaceable Meetings have been broken up by Men with Bills Staves and Pistols and their Blood lies upon this Nation and God hath required it and will require it of their Heads who might have stopt this Martyrdom a great while ago which was in their power and did it not For Bonds Prisons Fetters Houses of Correction Dungeons do yet attend the Lambs and Babes of Christ in this Nation who have been tryed these several years c. whose Blood hath been shed and they beat and cruelly bruised and tortured and whipped as Vagrants their Flesh tortured till it has been ragged and yet this hath not asswaged the Adversary For the Lord is risen who will plead the cause of the Innocent not by Sword nor by Spear but by his power c. Left out Observ. Here was no cause for a charge of Temporizing nor any dependance on Sword or Spear nor any siding with those Oppressors but very plain and faithful dealing Ibid. p. 5. Who obeys Christ loves his Enemies and is in him the Truth who saves Mens Lives but who is out of the Truth will kill and compel and persecute to death Observ. See how plain this is against Killing Compulsion and Persecution and for the saving of Mens lives Before many valiant Captains c he leaves out many Justices of Peace Faithful c. to keep the Peace and to keep down the rude Multitude you have put out whereby you have been the cause of letting all the Bruits upon them that matter not Law nor Religion c. J. P. p. 8. After many valiant Captains Soldiers and Officers have been put out of the Army he leaves out whereby the Rude have fallen upon them and they been counted as a thing of nought c. Oh the Blood that hath been shed in this Nation for Truths sake This related to the cruelty inflicted on many called Quakers Oh what knocking down in Markets and Steeple-houses and going to Meetings and sending Men up and down with Passes as Vagrants Men worth three or fourscore Pounds a Year These Men that persecute and whip Men of three or fourscore Pounds a Year c. p. 5. Observ. Was there not great Cause to reprehend them for turning out such Captains Officers and Magistrates as laboured to keep the Peace to quiet the rude Multitude and to preserve the Innocent And were not such to be commended in their Place Had we not cause to own and esteem such as endeavoured our Preservation and not to shew our selves ungrateful much more than those that sought to destroy us What has J. P. against this when we went in the hazard of our Lives daily Oh how are Men fallen from that which they were at first when thousands of us went in the Front of you J. P. p. 8. Observ. But this was not as Quakers but before they were such and it is known G. F. was never a Soldier as before And were with you in the greatest Heat c. Thus far J. P's Quotation The reason whereof was in the precedent Words which he takes no notice of viz. Oh what breaking of Windows unthatching of Houses Men coming in disguised with Swords and Pistols into Meetings binding some Hand and Foot carrying them into the Fields leaving them there all Night in the Winter-Season Oh what Havock hath been made of the People of God that they have rode in and trampled among them with their Horses and pluckt him up by the Hair of the Head that was on his Knees praying to the Lord whereby the Persecution in this Nation hath given an ill Savour unto the Nations hereabout and rings abroad in the World That when Friends are moved of the Lord to go into other Nations to declare the Truth of God and his Word they cast it upon them and imprison many and say they will serve them and do to them as their own Nation does Then follows Oh how are Men fallen from that which they were in at first when