Sanctified People of God So likewise it was the Rule of Life and Practice first and before any other Rule and always had the Preheminence in our Testimony from the Beginning F. B. p. 68. Ibid. To me it seems easie to write a History of the Rise Growth and Progress of their Church-Government and that monster Womens Meetings c. and how the Spirit of Persecution hath been among them from the Beginning Even when we loved one another with love unfeigned and how did our love abound one towards another and when doubtless God blessed our Meetings with the Comfortable Enjoyment of his Presence And if any question the Truth of what I have here affirmed then for Proof thereof I referr them to the Testimonies of Isaac Pennington Edward Burroughs George Bishop c. Published by T. Crispe together with the Writings of Francis Howgill Richard Hubberthorn and many other Antient Friends c. Thus far Francis Bugg's Confession to the Truth of those Testimonies and Authors which he has now declined and not only most basely Revolted from but Opposed and shamefully Reproached divers of the same Authors as with his Mock-Cage Scorn and Envy c. whose Testimonies he has here so manifestly Assented unto Owned and Asserted which shall Rise up in Judgment against Him whose Judgment lingereth not and whose Condemnation slumbereth not SOME REMARKS Upon F. B.'s former CONFESSIONS FARTHER Arguing and Evincing his Self-condemnation and Apostacy his Hypocrisie and Temporising PRay impartial Readers observe what excellent Testimonies and Characters he has here before given of the Principles Foundation Faith Religion Profession Church and Christ as Head thereof Ministry Christian Love Society Enjoyment and Conversation of the People called Quakers both as in the Beginning and for many Years together wherein he walked among them Come F. B. now do thou observe and consider well 1. That in all these foregoing ample and solemn Confessions and Commendations thou hast given of the Christian Doctrin Society and Conversation of the said People and their Ministry both before and after thou forsook them and conformed to the Priests c. Thou wast either Sincere or Insincere therein To be Insincere therein I suppose thou wilt not charge thy self If Sincere then thy Conformity was Insincere and Hypocritical and Self-condemned it being thy own and our professed Principle and Testimony in the beginning and for these many Years when thou wast conversant among us according to thy own Confessions made in the Year 1684 and 1686 before and since thy conformity 2. Thy new Pretence Thou art not now of the same mind thou wast in in 1686 concerning us in the beginning and that thou hadst then a charitable Opinion and better Thoughts of us with respect to our beginning than now thou hast and that thou wast in an Error mistaken c. As in thy New Rome Vnmasked p. 12 13 16. Then thy good and charitable Thoughts of us our Ministry Doctrine and Society respecting our beginning and for many Years continued until Anno 1986 until near two Years after thy conformity Wherefore thy turning to the Priests and Church of England in 1684. proceeded not from inward conviction of Conscience nor from the Spirit of Christ but self-condemned Hypocrisie and Temporising For in the beginning the Quakers were in a clear Separation from the National Priests c. And the same is continued by all of them who are sincere and faithful to their Principle And that thou knewest when thou suffered among them for Meeting and Nonconformity then thou hadst a Testimony against all Mercenary Priests against Tythes and their Persecutions Oppressions c. Wast thou mistaken therein all that Time and mistaken in thy Testimony for the Light of Christ and our Ministry and Doctrine as in the beginning both before and since thy conformity If so then why dost thou not retract thy mistaken Books in that Case And then who will credit thy Scribling It seems thou knewest not thy pretended mistake till some Years after thou hadst turned about and conformed which if so it was therefore in a blind Obedience Didst thou go blindfold to Church so called Such slim Shifts and mean Subterfuges will not cover or acquit thee from Self-condemnation nor thy telling us Thou art not of the same mind thou wert in in 1686 concerning us in the beginning p. 12. Thou art very mutable then no doubt thy Thoughts grow worse and worse and thy Charity very cold and why so Why are thy Thoughts grown of late so bad of us Thou sayest thou hast of late examined our ancient Errors and observed the Consequences of them New Rome unmask'd p. 12. that is when we were a true Church and Christ our Head and Law-giver found in Doctrine and Christian in Conversation Love and Society according to thy own Confessions in 1682. before thou went out to the Parish Church so call'd and in 1686. after thou so went out and conformed thereunto It seems then thou knewest no such pretended Errors in 1686. two Years after thy Revolt and Conformity then 't was not Error in Doctrine that was the cause of thy deserting us and turning to the Priests what then was it outward Prescriptions Forms Orders Decrees of Men Laws Canons Ecclesiastical c. as thou pretendest Qua. Detect p. 3.4 Thou cannot be sincere in any such Pretence unless thou hadst conformed to a Church that hath no Order nor Discipline Canons or Rules in it and where 's that Church that will own its self to be without Order or Discipline in it Thy comparing thy Case with Bishop Cranmer's and the Protestant Martyrs p. 13 14. appears more thy Ambition then Pertinent or Sincere If Bishop Cranmer said in the Beginning the Church of Rome thought pure and sound Doctrine but did he say he was mistaken and in Error in so saying No he own'd her as such But after the Church of Rome fell into that new unsound Doctrine of Transubstantiation c. He disowned Her He could be no self-condemn'd Apostate therein whilst he neither diserted the pure sound Doctrine nor conformed contrary to his own Testimony thereunto as thou hast done Thou in Words hast owned and commended of a Church and People i. e. call'd Quakers as once pure and sound in Doctrine and Conversation both before and since thou left them and joyn'd to another in Opposition to that Church and People and now to excuse thy whirling about and base temporizing pretendest thou wast mistaken even in such thy solemn Commendation Thus uncertain Unstable Self-contradictory and self-condemn'd thou art both ways Insincere and Self condemn'd in acting contrary to the Principle Profession and Conversation of a Church and People whilest highly commended by thy Self and thou appearest a Self Condemned Temporizer in retracting that Commendation as an Error and Mistake Self Condemned in now pretending thou hast of Late examin'd and observ'd our ancient Errors as thou callest them Being some Passages in some ancient Books writ by some
falsly Greatening the Popish Interest as in and by a People who are wholly averse to Popery Let the wisest in Heart and impartial Judge the Nature and tendency of this Adversaries work of Division and Discord and whether it will excuse him therein to shelter and shroud himself in the Church of England and to assume the Testimonies of Protestant Martyrs and Authors for his cover and Authority Also he might have been so discreet as not to question nor upbraid us about paying Ten Pounds c. towards carrying on a Vigorous War against the French King because scrupling to pay 2 d. or 4 d. towards the Militia-Arms accusing us with deluding the World p. 65. and 49. He might in prudence have considered how far this may affect the Government under which we live and Charitably have excused those who conscientiously scrupling actively to raise or bear Arms yet in a sense quietly pay the penalty by patiently suffering distress Christ and his Servants of old would not Fight yet payed Tribute to Caesar. Because of our Solemnly declaring to the King and Parliament that we believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament were given forth by Divine Inspiration and that they have accepted this our Declaration F. Bugg thus grosly reflects upon us viz. The more shame for you to be so deceitful to give in a Testimony so contrary to your belief p. 40. further That this we pretended to the Parliament to serve a Turn p. 24. Pray observe the horrid Envy and Insolency of this Incendiary herein and not only the reproach he casts upon us but what reflection upon the Civil Government as if the same were deceived and cheated by us and thereupon granted us our Liberty O horrible Mischievous and deadly Malice What will nothing less satiate his Fury but our Destruction by Persecution again Oh! O thou Backslider and malicious Man the Lord rebuke thy envious Spirit thy deadly Hatred and Outrage And he will signally rebuke thee I doubt not And moreover thou F. B. hast no great cause to boast nor thy Priests to glory in thy Conversion to the Church of England from the People called Quakers with whom thou wast conversant for twenty five Years as thou pretendest if such thy Conversion was a being Sold into Aegypt as thou hast granted in thy Pamphlet Stiled The Quakers detected p. 8. by thy applying to thy self Joseph's words Gen. 50.20 and Chap. 45.5 on which thou sayest thou canst say as Joseph did to his Brethren viz. But as for you ye thought evil against me but God meant it unto good Now therefore be not grieved nor angry with your selves that you Sold me hither Didst not think this Applicable to thy Condition If thou didst then where art thou now but in Aegypt But we Sold thee not thither thou art gone down into Aegypt for help and therefore art not a Joseph who trusted in and feared the living God And woe is to them that go down into Aegypt for help Art not thou rather like Judas turn'd to the Priests to betray and persecute the Innocent and to gratifie them that hate us with thy refuge of Lies and Calumnies Even against Innocent People unto whose Principle Foundation Doctrine Ministry Faith Love Unity Spiritual Testimony and as being the Church of Christ Jesus Thou hast made large and solemn Confession both sometime before thou quite left us in thy Book De Christina Libertate Printed 1682 Chap. 1. p. 24 25 26 27 c. as also in thy said Quakers Detected Printed in the Year 1686. about two Years after thy Conformity to the Church of England wherein thou hast given large Testimony to the Truth of our Principle and high Commendations of the People called Quakers their Doctrine and Ministry as in the beginning even as being a Dispensation of the Love of God sent as a Visitation to Mankind together with their Christian Society love unfeigned and blessed Estate for many Years and how God blessed their Meetings with the comfortable Enjoyments of his Presence as may be seen more at large in the said Quakers Detected Insomuch that thy Self-condemned Back-sliding Apostacy and Envy against God's People and Heritage is the more apparent in thy now exclaiming against us for dangerous Errors pernicious Principles Blasphemies Heresies Impostures and saying thou wast more than 25 Years a Member of their Society meaning the Quakers being carried away with their Dissimulation see Title Page of thy New Rome Arraigned thus self condemn'd and self-contradictory thou art And I cannot rationally Perceive how F. B. can warrantably excuse himself by pretending the Approbation of his Minister Isaac Archer for the Substance of his Book or the Approbation of another Divine of the Church of England as he calls them and of Letters both from Conforming and Non-Conforming Ministers which he pretends brevity constrains him not to recite Epist. to Bereans p. 12. 1. As to Isaac Archer's Approbation F. B. saith he recites only an Abridgment thereof viz. I do own the substance of this Book as a defence of those Eternal Truths by which I hope for Salvation c. But why did not F. Bugg recite the whole Was he so tied up to brevity in this concern that he allowed his Teacher no more room in a Book of ten or eleven Sheets But it was very warily done of Isaac Archer to own the substance of F. B's Book that is so much of it as he esteems to be in defence of those Eternal Truths by which he hopes to be Saved that is so much of it as is Scriptural in behalf of Jesus Christ. But this will not Excuse nor Warrant those circumstantial passages of F. B's in his Book which consists of Perversions Railery and false Accusions and of his Errors justly Inverted upon him in my Charitable Essay 2. That Divine of the Church of England so called who gave his Approbation of F. B's Book as a most acceptable peice of Service to his Country in unvailing the falshoods errors and hippocrisies of the Quakers as he saith pray what is his name Why does not he appear and make proof of F. B's malicious confused Work against the Quakers He may be ashamed of such his Approbation if any such pretended Divine did give such Approbation 3. And if F. B. has Letters by him of the same Import both from Conforming and Non-Conforming Ministers what are their names and why do not they appear I am perswaded many of their Brethren would be greatly ashamed of such their Approbation upon serious perusal of F. Bugg's bitter Invectives and our Answers and see that all such Approbations will be of no Reputation or Honour either to Conforming or Non-conforming Ministers As to Bugg's comparing the People called Quakers with the Papists as he has frequently done he has fairly contradicted himself therein by quoting W. P's Caveat against Popery saying Let them renounce their Errors c. And what follows but Therefore the People called Quakers are no
Papists according to F. B's way of arguing concluding all by one But many others of our Friends have sincerely testified against Popery Superstition and Idolatry both in the root and branch and for the Protestant Religion considered in the purity of it and therefore free from excusing Idolatry as falsly charged on their Teachers in his third charge p. 23.44 which hath been refuted both in some other answers to this false Accuser as also in our Answer to the Athenians so called and more particularly in my Just Inquiry into the Libeller's abuse from p. 17. to p. 30. concerning the pretended Letters of John Audland and Jos. Coale Now Bugg acknowledges himself to have a Hand in and to own the Composing the Book he should have said Scandalous Libel or Pamphlet Intituled Some of the Principles and Doctrines Laws and Orders of the Quakers c. Introd p. 10. which is fairly answered in the said Just Inquiry Some of F. B's Abuses in Citation 1. OBject p. 33. News coming out of the North p. 15. He cites G.F. thus I am saith G. Fox The Door that ever was the same Christ yesterday and for ever This is a plain perversion rendring G.F. to speak this of himself whereas these quotations in the Margent John 14.6 and Chap. 10.3 Luk. 11.34 and Joh. 1.9 clearly shews that he speaks it of Jesus Christ and not of himself and so do the foregoing words viz. Jesus Christ is the Way the Truth and Life he is the Door that all must pass through which words are very unfairly left out in Bugg's citation 2. Risen up out of the North which was Prophecied of but now is fulfilled Here he leaves out The Armies coming out of the North against you terrible ones This was Prophesied of see Jer. 23.8 Isa. 43.6 Jer. 16.15 and 51.48 he could not mean that G. Fox's being risen up out of the North was Prophesied of by Isaiah and Jeremiah 3. Your Baptism is Carnal Here he leaves out Sprinkling Infants which God never Commanded 4. Their Sacrament as they call it left out Is Carnal and their Communion is Carnal a little Bread and Wine left out Query if their Bread and Wine be Spiritual If he saith it is Query then is it Transubstantiated Are there not Carnal Ordinances and Washing mentioned in Scripture Their Church is Dust a heap of Lime and Stones gathered together left out 5. That the Quakers Teach that the Gospel is Dust p. 47. This is false also here he puts the Gospel for their Gospel whose Gospel The Covetous false Minister's who put the Letter and their own conceivings thereupon for the Gospel Moreover F. B. pursuant to his old Lye viz. That we deny Him to be Christ who was born of the Virgin Mary c. saith It doth appear by Jo. Coales Testimony that Christ after he Ascended had no other Body but his Christ consequently did not Ascend in his Body which was seen apparently Act. 1.9 10 11. Quoting p. 332. of Josiah Coales's Works Which consequence I must needs look upon as unjustly deduc'd from J. C's words in the very Page Quoted For he does not only own the Church of Christ as his Body under Affliction now on Earth but also that this his Body shall be Fashioned like unto his glorious Body whereof notwithstanding all they are Members who are Members of the true Church So that the Body of Christ in it's Union and fulness is one Body I take notice of what an Abusive fling he has at me about a little Book Intituled The Christian Doctrine and Society of the Quakers c. relating to some differences in America Accusing me with Peeping and Creeping and with Turning and Winding this way and that way hither and thither and centring no where but Janus like looking two ways c. with other false and scurrilous detractions And why so Why am I vilified in this Case also Bugg saith He meaning my self seems to own the Doctrine i. e. of one Party but dare not own his Testimony nor him in it He seems to blame the Doctrine i. e. of the other Party but dare not blame their Persons nor give Testimony against their Doctrine as their's c. pag. 37. To pass by his scornful Abuse of me herein Did not the Holy Apostles testifie against Divisions in the Churches sometimes without naming or reflecting on the Persons by name concerned therein Did Paul name those of Corinth whom he charges with Strife and Devision c. and therefore Carnal Where one saith I am of Paul another of Apollo c. was this to reflect on them by name And what 's more usual among Judicious and Impartial Men who know common Law and Justice than to give Judgment or Counsel only upon the Case in difference where the Parties differing are absent without reflecting on the Persons of either Party Because it is not Judicial nor Just to pass Judgment on Persons unheard Face to Face in their own respective Pleas and Defence But such an Imperious Arbitrary and unjust Judge is this our Implacable Enemy that he can presume not only to be both Accuser Judge and Jury but also to Trie Sentence and Condemn Persons in their absence both to Perjury Pillory and Cage without either hearing their own Just Defence or taking Cognizance of their respective rational Pleas and Answers for themselves But instead thereof Forging and Framing Answers in their Names which never were their's nor in the least resembling them as he hath done against us whom he hath most ignominously and scandalously Traduc'd Condemn'd and Sentenced both to Perjury and Pillory And this is not all But because I cannot be as Unjust and Wicked as himself to Condemn Persons in their absence and they as far remote as America Therefore he Flouts Scoffs Scorns Rages and Rails Foaming out his own Shame And I doubt not but the Just God will rebuke him in his own time for his Injustice and Cruel Envy with all his Secret Abettors therein let him Scoff Boast Insult and Scribble out of old Books as long as he can it will not rescue him from the stroke of that Divine Hand that will seize upon him I wish it may at last humble him unto Repentance If yet there be a place thereof to be found for him He complains of Personal Defamations and Detractions which have had such an Effect not only saith he of our profession in Religious Matters but upon our Persons and Imployments which in time may be farther taken notice of p. 37. 'T is very strange he should thus complain of Personal Defamations and Detractions when he is so deeply and notoriously Guilty thereof who hath used Personal Defamations and Detractions so gross as he himself What presume to set himself up as both Accuser Judge and Jury and Sentence and Condemn honest Men of good repute as a pack of Perjur'd Persons to the Pillory and also to the Cage of unclean Birds and yet complain of Personal Defamation and
Commons the 16th Instant stiled Something in Answer to the Allegations of the Quakers in their printed Case presented to the House of Commons Decemb 1693 on purpose to Calumniate the said People and to interrupt and gainsay their Conscientious Case for their not Swearing c. before presented as he saith Whereby Bugg did not only shew himself a busie-body in other Mens Matters but also in the very height of deadly Malice Therein falsly accusing the said People 1. With Contempt of Scripture and Ordenances without exception 2. With Contempt of the Publick Ministry without exception also 3. With Denying Jesus of Nazareth 4. With Contempt of Governours as if he eagerly thirsted for Persecution again for our utter Ruine Some of his Instances to prove that the Quakers deny Jesus of Nazareth are 1. William Smith 's asserting something of God in Man for him to wait to know 2. Our knowing Christ the foundation in us 3. Our believing that Christ in us doth intercede the Father on our behalf 5. Edw. Burrough 's confessing the very Christ of God to be in us and that we dare not deny him 5. The Answer formerly given by James Naylor viz. If I cannot witness Christ nearer than Jerusalem I shall have no Benefit by him but I own no other Christ but that i. e. Christ who witnessed a good Confession before Pilate which Christ I witness suffering in me now These are some of his Instances to prove that the Quakers deny Jesus of Nazareth Wherefore according to F. Bugg's Doctrin since he turned from the Quakers to the Church of England the ancient Christian and Apostolical Doctrin and Confession of Jesus Christ in you except ye be Reprobates and Christ in you the hope of Glory and the Spirit of the Son as sent into your Hearts crying Abba Father and making intercession c. This all with Bugg is a denying Jesus of Nazareth Oh! horrible Antichristianism and Apostacy The Lord preserve all honest simple Hearts from such gross darkness of Envy and Apostacy against which I propose 1. That Christ's being in Glory and Majesty in the Heavens does not wholly exclude him out of the Souls of his People 2. That Jesus Christ who is in his own Glory and Majesty in the Heavens yet is spiritually in the Hearts of his true Followers in his Church and Sanctuary and Minister thereof See Heb. 8.1 2. London the 19th 10 month 1693. FINIS ERRATA PAge 5. line 24. for be read he p. 17. l. 4. for to read of l. 14. dele the p. 18. l. 9. read Cavillers p. 14. l. 21. for 2. read 23 p. 31. l. 2. read wise P. 38. l. last for Christ read Church P. 42. l. 15. read taken P. 46. l. 5. 2 Col. for wherewith read wherein BOOKS Printed for and Sold by Thomas Northcott in George Yard in Lombard Street THE Works of that faithful Servant of Jesus Christ Robert Barclay in Folio Price Bound 13 s. Truth Exalted in the Writings of that Eminent Servant of Christ John Burnyat in 4 to Price bound 2 s. 6 d. Robert Barclay's Apology for the People called Quakers in 4 to Price 4 s. Francis Howgil's Works in Folio 10 s. Samuel Fisher's Works in Folio 12 s. The Spirit of the Martyrs revived in 4 to 4 s. George Keith's Visible Churches in 80. Price bound 1 s. 6 d. His Way to the City of God described in 80 Price bound 1 s. His Fundamental Truths of Christianity by way of Question and Answer in 8 vo 8. d. His true Christ owned in 8 vo 4 d. Stephen Crisp's Epistle concerning the present and succeeding Times 2 d. Robert Barclay's Possibility and Necessity of Inward and Immediate Revelation Price 3 d. Just Measures in an Epistle of Peace and Love by G. P. The Harmony of the Old and New Testament by I. T. with an Appendix by W. P. Price 9 d. Some Fruits of Solitude in Reflections and Maxims relating to the Conduct of Humane Life Price bound 9 d. A Key opening a Way to every Common Vnderstanding How to discern the Difference betwixt the Religion professed by the People called Quakers and the Perversions Misrepresentations and Calumnies of their several Adversaries The Third Edition with Additions By W. Penn. Price 3 d. (1) This is a deceitful and false Insinuation I have a true love and respect to them both and a real honour to the very Memory of W. D. If he means William Dewsbury (2) I positively deny this Story against A. P. and my self as a base lying Story and demand of Bugg to produce his Author for it (3) I know in my own Conscience these to be lying Stories and again Challenge Bugg to bring out his Author for them (4) This also is as deceitful and false an Insinuation as the first and I do not believe that either T. G. or J. C. if he means John Cook do question my love to them By me George Whitehead * Psa. 16.10 Act. 2.31 and 13.37