action as is above related to be done in Grace-Church-Street-Meeting Nor did I ever attest to any such Action As witness my Hand Rich. Smith Ibid. p. 107. But to come to further Evidence and give you even a Judicial Determination of the Quakers about the Year 1658. Thomas Padle accused John Chandler at a Meeting of the Quakers at the Bull and Mouth up one pair of Stairs I give it thus particularly that the Friends may not pretend Ignorance and because I have Eye and Ear Witnesses to produce if it be in the least disputed for saying That he prefer'd the Scriptures before the Friends Books which accusation John Chandler did not deny but being reprov'd for it by the Meeting said The People urg'd him to it One Principal Reason they gave for preference of their own Books to the Scriptures was That tho' the People had had the Scriptures many years yet they had not Converted so many to the Truth as Their Books had done It is a strange degree of Assurance which this Snake frequently shews in boldly and falsly averring that in Gross and in the Lump of which he can give no Proof thus in p. 62 63 c. foregoing I have shewn the nullity of that Charge of his which he says was prov'd in Legal Form c. against G. F. and others And that both He and They accused were discharged because the Matter was not proved as the Snake falsly hath alledged of which see more in the place refer'd to And now here with like false Assurance he says upon the Credit of Eye and Ear Witness such as himself that the Quakers gave a Judicial Determination and Solemn Judgment against the Scriptures Yet shews not what this Determination and Judgment was Which if there had been any such thing no doubt but his Witness would have obtained a Copy of the Determination and Judgment so Judicially and Solemnly made and given as well as have preserved any of the Reasons on which that Judgment was grounded But of this so necessary a thing as a Copy of that Judgment is We have not one Syllable the true Reason of which is because there was no Original from whence to take it But then why the Snake should baulk at that and not forge a whole Paper and give it the name of an Original as well as forge the Title viz. Judicial Determination and Solemn Judgment or as well as he hath forged that Slanderous and False Charge in a matter of this same nature against R. S. of Wansworth which thou wilt find in Sect. 8. hereafter or as well as he hath with no less impudence to use his own Term related divers other things which have no footstep of Truth in them of which the Reader may herein find many Instances But after all I also have Eye and Ear Witnesses to produce in opposition to his Eye and Ear Witness who do say That that Meeting wherein the Difference between T. P. and J. C. was mentioned did not give any Determination nor any Judgment against the Scriptures is as falsly said by the Snake Nor did that Meeting give any such reason as is mentioned by the Snake or any other reason why Books writ by any of our Friends should have the preference to the Scriptures of Truth Ibid. p. 108 109. Edward Burroughs p. 47. of his Works determines clearly that the Scriptures are not now of any Authority at all to us at this Day Whether this be E. B's Determination or the Snake's pray Reader consider the following true Quotation from p. 47. of E. B's Works That is no Command from God to me what he Commands to another neither did any of the Saints which we read of in Scripture act by the Command which was to another not having the Command to themselves I Challenge to find an Example for it They obeyed every one their own Commands One was sent to Baptize and to Preach the Gospel Another was sent not to Baptize but to Preach the Gospel and thou J. Turner or any other who goes to Duty as you call it by Imitation from the Letter without which was Commands to others in your own Wills and Time your Sacrifice is not accepted but is an Abomination to the Lord for you go without the moving of the Spirit in your own Wills and Strength which God Hates This Quotation the Snake hath pickt in two or three places leaving out the particular Instances and Examples and put it together that so it might answer what he hath boldly and falsly asserted as above of E. B. as before p. 160. I have detected him in the same manner upon this point abusing of W. Penn. Now Reader pray consider the Snake says E. B. has determined the Scriptures to be of no Authority to us at this Day because he saith the particular Commands from God to the Apostles are not sufficient warrant for us to do the same things which they were so particularly commanded to do But to do the work of the Gospel we must know the movings of the Holy Ghost to call us to it And now I will shew thee that if this be to determine clearly that the Scriptures are not of any Authority at all to us at this Day Then according to the Snake's words the Church of England have clearly so determined For he shewing what Enthusiasm she owns p. 316. speaking of their Church Offices saith This is the first Question demanded by the Bishop from those who are to be ordained Do you trust that you are inwardly mov'd by the Holy Ghost to take upon you this Office Do you think that you are truly called according to the Will of the Lord Jesus Christ Here is according the Snake's perversion a clear Determination against the Scripture for if the Commands from God to the Apostles were sufficient not for themselves only but for all succeeding times to call them to the Work of the Ministry what occasion is there for the Bishop to ask or any to know whether they are thereunto inwardly moved by the Holy Ghost Or that they thereunto are truely called according unto the Will of Jesus Christ To do thus can it be faulty in us and do we thereby deny the Scriptures and yet the Church of England not thereby deny them Ibid. p. 110. And therefore it was no strange thing to hear G. W. in his Serious Apology p. 49. Prefer not only their own Writings but their Ex Tempore Preachments and even all whatsoever they speak upon any account to the Holy Scriptures It would raise some Admiration in a Man to find one in his words p. 16. thus Boldly and Impudently asserting so notorious a Lye as the experience of all that knows us must know this to be Not only Writings and Ex Tempore Preachments but all whatsoever we say on any account are preferred to the Scriptures So that according to the Snake what is spoken in Common Conversation in the transacting our Civil Affairs and Business of
advance himself above his Bishop or withdraw from under his Government And the Snake gives us a Reason why this strict Subjection must hold Pref. p. 41. Because Corruptions in the Church are better amended by living in the Communion of the Church and there-by Exhorting Admonishing and Shewing Good Example to Reclaim Thus the Snake And Reader Let me now shew thee how in all this he hath combated the Reformation and thrown down the Church-Services as Schismatical which in Sect 22. he calls Divine Enthusiasm That I may shew this It hath been acknowledged by Members of the Church of England in Dispute with those of the Church of Rome That there is Possibility of Salvation in the Church of Rome She being truly a Church though Corrupt Now if so according to the Doctrine of the Snake the first Reformers from Popery how Eminent soever nay if endued with Miraculous Gifts had not sufficient Pretence to advance themselves Above their Bishop who being their Spiritual Governour and Head they did owe a due Subjection to him And this the Snake endeavours to enforce Pref. p. 40. That notwithstanding the Wickedness of the Priests and People of the Jews Yet the Holy Prophets sent from God set not up opposite Altars to the Altars of those wicked Priests nor invaded their Office Readers who are in Communion with the Church of England See your Advocate is gone to Rome in his Preface and to his Power hath struk at the Root of the Reformation not only here in England but throughout Europe By which Key we may open his meaning in Pref. p. 42. where he would be understood to have a Flaming Charity for the good of the Body and the Vnity of the Church And now for a Man that has in such large Characters Apologized for Rome and endeavoured to weaken the Reformation in the nullity of those Arguments on which it is partly built to be so much in Passion as in Page 189. he is with Josiah Coale for Reprinting in a piece of his what he calls A Sensless but bitter Libel against the Church of England written by A. S. a Papist is very odd it shews his Disposition to be very Uncertain by the Unsettledness of his Reason But hitherto I have only apply'd his Doctrine to the Reformation It 's true it fits not there but there may be some Excuse in that he might in hast not think of squaring his Doctrine by that Rule But then let 's Examine his Doctrine by his own Practice which being under his Daily Observation or else he is very forgetful it is not so likely to run Counter to that Yet such is this Man's blindness That Reader what he objects against us called Quakers and all other Dissenters from the Church of England for Instances of Schism are directly within the Line of his Practice For this doughty Champion who with so much Confidence in Page 336. does Demand Reparation in the Name of the Church of England did yet withdraw himself from his acknowledged due Subjection to his Spiritual Head and Guide his Bishop in not acknowledging of the present Government and has been more apt to Censure others than himself and to Divide than Heal which in Pref. p. 43. he saith We ought not Hence his Momus-like Disposition in Ireland And Hence the Occasion of the Warrant for his Apprehension while endeavouring to escape to France when at War with us in which Practices I doubt not but he is disowned by that Church as that Church must be acknowledged to be disowned by those who tho' in Corners set up private Altars against her Thus in Examination His private Practices run Counter to his publick Pretences which is a Mark of Hypocrisie to which more may be spoken anon But besides all this If Corruptions in a Church are best mended by living in the Communion of it and there by Exhorting Admonishing and Shewing Good Examples Does the Church of England give Liberty so to do to those that continue in her Communion If not what is this but to sham and deceive the unwary Reader But we are rather to take the account of his disposition towards us by the Character which he makes of 30 or 40 different Sects as he calls all Dissenters Pref. p. 43. that they are like the Spawn of the Viper And I cannot think they or he would like the Exhortation and Admonition of such Spawn Pref. p. 44. He advises to be willing chearfully to submit our selves to our Superiours both in Church and State Here he would again impose upon the Reader as if himself did both when in truth neither which if he did it might be hoped in Charity he would be more a Christian and a better Subject The Introduction considered HAving dispatched the Preface before I reply to the Book I shall here observe to thee Reader the Profaneness Hypocrisie and Injustice of this our Adversary in some few collected Instances that I may not postpone thy inquiry to a distinct survey of the whole And first for his Profaneness He doth in a stile not Grave or Serious but Light Airy Deriding and Scoffing treat of Matters most Grave and Serious at least herein equalling if not outdoing the Stage Hereby stirring up Levity in the Wild and Wanton and keeping the Reader from a Sober and Serious Consideration of things rather than make it his endeavour to convince Gain-sayers satisfie the Scrupulous reduce the Erronious propagate the Gospel or to bring Converts or Honour to the Church he pretends to be of And it is not to be imagined that Persons of solid Judgment Sobriety and a serious Sense of Religion should endure much less be taken with an attempt running counter to these purposes Of this sort is his whole 23 Sect. where in most Prophane Manner he redicules the Operations of the holy Spirit calling it p. 330. a mad Joy and p. 336. Enthusiastick Madness And of G. Fox says p. 330. he was a Liberal Cursing Prophet a Journey-man Shooe-maker the Ground and Occasion of whose Enthusiasm was Despair p. 331. So Ignorant p. 335. that he knew not before but God dwelt in a Church as Man does in a House so as to be locked up and to be no where else when he is there And that George Magus as he is pleased to call him owned no other holy Ghost than what was within himself of which he was the possessor and owner p. 150. And speaking to George Whitehead p. 42 43. he does in scoffing Mood bid him by yea and by nay hold up his Face be Brisk and look like a Man This with abundance more scatter'd throughout the whole Book He says p. 6. he is forced to now and then in answer to such sensless Arguments and Pretences as deserve no otherwise to be confuted And on this account it is that of Dissenters in general he can afford no better Character or Simile than that they are like the Spawn of the Viper Now sober Reader pray consider Do
whatever thou mayst read on in the Scriptures of Truth and do not abide in the Light and feed on the Body of Christ whence the Gift springs but feed on the Gift thou mayst be up for a while in thine own sight but certainly thou wilt wither and die to God and Darkness will come upon thee and thy Food will turn to Condemnation in the Sight of God And this I have learned in the Deep and in Secret when I was alone and now declare openly in the Day of thy Mercy Glory to the Highest for evermore who hath thus far set me free to praise his Righteousness and his Mercy and to the Eternal Invisible Pure God over all be fear obedience and glory evermore Amen James Naylor Ibid. p. 48. These are much more Dreadful Failings than those of the Flesh than of Hallelujah Fisher of W. W. the Saints know who I mean and several others whom I could name All those dreadful failings which Men are overtaken with whether the Lust of the Flesh the Lust of the Eye or Pride of Life they all happen to Men when they are gone off their watch and are departed from the guidings of the Grace of God This Hallelujah Fisher did and this others may do not through any shortness in God or weakness in his Grace but through their own default and all that can be done by a Community professing Christianity is after endeavours to restore in the Spirit of Meekness and their impenitency to reject that Brother who thus walks disorderly this was done by H. F. and is by any other whatsoever when known Ibid. p. 48. But tho' God Omnipotent and Infallible did create all things that are yet there is weakness error and sin in the World Did God create Weakness Error and Sin as the Snake here insinuates If he dare so say let him speak in plain terms The Scripture says otherwise for Gen. 1.31 it is said God saw every thing that he had made and behold it was very good Tho' it is true that through Disobedience to that Power which made all things very good Weakness Error and Sin are entred into the World Yet it is as true that the end for which Jesus Christ came into the World Suffered and Died for Man was according to the Vision which Daniel saw Chap. 9.24 To finish Transgression and to make an end of Sin And as many as come through obedience to his Spirit to witness the Power of his Resurrection may measurably say they know him to be Binding and Casting out the Strong Man and spoiling his Goods I come now to his Seventh Head of Distinction VII But let such consider that it is a just Judgment from God c. It might indeed with some shew of probability be objected against us by this Snake that the Defection and Failings of particular Persons pretending to be of us were a Judgment from God upon the whole Body Nay and it might probably be that that Judgment came upon that Body because of their Separation from the Church If that Church he pretends Membership in could boast she had none such but the contrary is too true in the several instances which may be given as of himself and some others Scandalous Members who in their ill Practices are no Credit to the Church of England which they may pretend to be of Yet this by the Snake's Argument is a Judgment upon the Church of England Who they are the Snake's words of their own Heads durst to leave those Guides the Bishops of the Church under whose Government God hath placed them and to rend the Body of Christ by a causless and desparate Schism of which see more p. 16 17. foregoing This Reader is another Stroak at the Reformation and will it not be a pretty Argument for the Romanists against it Ibid. p. 49. So that even their Error may in this sense come from God that is as a Judgment upon them I suppose truly much in the same degree for that it is a Judgment upon us to have naughty Persons under our Profession and that it is not a Judgment upon the Church of England to have at least as many in her Communion may be boldly and impudently as the Snake says p. 16. averred but not proved and as he cannot prove it a Judgment so I have already proved it no Error in Principle of Us because I have abundantly shewn that the Grace of God is sufficient for the purposes for which God hath given it viz. the Salvation of Man Ibid. p. 49. And for this cause says St. Paul 2 Thes. 2.11 God shall send them strong Delusion that they should believe a Lye And if the Prophet be deceived Ezek. 14.9 I the Lord have deceived that Prophet And it was the Lord who put a Lying Spirit into the Mouths of Ahab's Prophets 1 Kings 22.23 Now whether it be such a Spirit or not which is in the Mouths of the Quaker Prophets we have a plain rule whereby to know Deut. 18.2 22. the Prophet which shall presume to speak a word in my Name which I have not commanded him to speak even that Prophet shall Dye And if thou say in thine Heart How shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken When a Prophet speaketh in the Name of the Lord if the thing follow not nor come to pass that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken but the Prophet hath spoken it presumptuously thou shalt not be afraid of him Here is a plain touch-stone which cannot be mistaken c. Thus the Snake But the Snake is much mistaken in applying this touch-stone for the first text viz. 2 Thes. 2.11 He has done by that as he does by our Books cut off the Conclusion For the Apostle does there give the reason why they were given over to strong Delusion because they received not the Love of the Truth that they should be Saved And for the other texts it is not to be concluded from them that every Prophesie spoken in the Name of God is therefore false because not fulfilled in the terms pronounced for then should those Prophesies mentioned Exod. 32.10 14. 2 Sam. 24.16 Psal. 106.40 44 45. Jer. 26.18 Amos 7.3 Jonah 3.10 be false and the Prophets that gave them forth be false Prophets but that is not so And the reason why the Prophets and their Prophesies are true is given by Jer. 18.7 8 9 10. At what Instant I shall speak concerning a Nation and concerning a Kingdom to pluck up and to pull down and destroy it if the Nation against which I have pronounced turn from their evil I will repent c. And accordingly God hath as is recorded in Holy Writ often repented himself of the Evil he hath threatned and in great Mercy and Compassion upon Sinners relenting hath lengthned out their day of Visitation Ibid. p. 50. And the case of the Quakers is so hard that if we can prove but one false Prophet among them the
Tythes as being due to that Order of Priesthood That Tythes were due to Melchisedec or to the Order of his Priesthood is gratis Dictum a begging of the Question which I deny the Snake to prove That the Evangelical Priesthood is after the order of Melchisedec is a false Notion deny'd and disprov'd by some of great Note in the Church of England I instance for the present Andrew Willet in his Synopsis of Popery fifth General Controversy p. 315. where writing against the Popish Priests who claim'd by this same Plea which the Snake now claims says It is great Blasphemy to say that every Popish Priest is after the order of Melchisedec And that none may think he says this only of Popish Priests because they are Popish he afterwards adds The Scripture maketh this difference between the Priesthood of Aaron and the Priesthood of Melchisedec that the Priests of the Law were many because they were taken away by Death But Christ 's Priesthood is Eternal he Dyeth not Heb. 7.23 But if there should be many Priests after Melchisedec 's Order there should herein be no difference at all Wherefore seeing Melchisedec's Priesthood only resteth in Christ and is not translated to any other c. Thus far he which plainly shews that he excludes all Priests even the Gospel Ministers from being of the Order of Melchisedec which he confines to Christ only and herein he hath the Warrant of Heb. 7.24 Where the Apostle speaking of the Priesthood of Christ after the order of Melchisedec saith But this Man because he endureth ever hath a Priesthood which cannot pass from one to another To the same purpose Edw. Reynolds Bishop of Norwich in his Works printed 1658. p. 528. speaking of the Priesthood of Christ and shewing that the Popish Priests who as well as the Priests in the Reformation pretend to the Evangelical Priesthood were not after the order of Melchisedec saith thus The Priesthood of Melchisedec as Type and of Christ as the Substance was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Priesthood which could not pass unto any other either as Successor or Vicar to one or the other and it was only by Divine and Immediate Vnction But the Papists make themselves Priests by Humane and Ecclesiastical Ordination Thus he And if the Snake follow his own Principle viz. That a Bishop be to be follow'd as Christ's Vicegerent I see not how he will avoid throwing away his idle and false notion That the Evangelical Priesthood is after the order of Melchisedec because the Priests of England are made such by Humane and Ecclesiastical Ordination Thus Reader by the Testimony of two Eminent Doctors of the Church of England one of them a Bishop is refuted his bold but groundless Assertion that the Evangelical Priesthood is after the order of Melchisedec and consequently his Claim to Tythes as due to that order does of necessity fall to the Ground with it Ibid. p. 267. Nor is Melchisedec 's Tything of Abraham mentioned as the beginning or first rise of Tythes but it is told only occasionally and as a thing well known and received in those early Ages How proves the Snake that it is not there mentioned as the beginning of Tythes or that it was then well known and received since this of Gen. 24.18 is the first mention of Tythes in the Bible But it may here be observed that tho' the Snake would place himself and the rest of the Priesthood Blasphemously as Dr. Willet aforequoted stiles it to be Priests after the order of Melchisedec yet he would have Tythes given them after the order of Aaron Why else would he by a little piece of Priest-craft persuade us that these Scriptures Numb 18.24 Deut. 18.1 and Levit. 27.32 33. which appointed the Tyâ—he to Aaron's Priesthood are now payable to his falsly pretended Evangelical Priesthood after the order of Melchisedec But further if we should suppose according to his Blasphemous as before observ'd pretence that the Evangelical Priesthood were after the order of Melchisedec and that Tythes were payable to them after the order of Aaron which is most absurd and ridiculous to believe let us a little see how the payment of Tythes at that day quadrate with the Exaction of Tythes in this For the better clearing of which I will set down those four Texts which the Snake quotes but gives not the words because that would have done him Disservice as we shall see anon for this purpose The first Numb 18.24 But the Tythes of the Children of Israel which they offer as an heave-Offering unto the Lord I have given to the Levites to Inherit Therefore I have said unto them among the Children of Israel they shall have no Inheritance The second is Deut. 18.1 The Priests and the Levites and all the Tribe of Levi shall have no part nor Inheritance with Israel They shall eat the Offerings of the Lord made by Fire and his Inheritance The third and fourth are Levit. 27.32 33. And concerning the Tithe of the Herd or of the Flock even of whatsoever passed under the Rod the Tenth shall be Holy unto the Lord. He shall not search whether it be good or bad neither shall he change it at all then both it and the change thereof shall be Holy it shall not be redeem'd From these Texts of Scripture it appears First that the Tythes were Ceremonial in that they were not given to the Levites till they were first offered as an Heave-offering unto the Lord. Secondly The Priests and Levites who had a portion of the Tythes for their use after they had been so offered as an Heave-Offering had not that portion only for their Service in the Tabernacle c. but because Among the Children of Israel God said they shall have no Inheritance And when thus by a particular Command of God concerning them they were cut off from their portion of Land a twelfth among the Tribes it pleased God to appoint them a Tenth for that their Deprivation But then it is also further to be considered that Tythes were of two sorts 1 st those of every Year Deut. 14.23 24 25 26. of these every one that paid them was also to eat his share ver 23. Thou shalt eat before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall chuse to place his Name there the Tythe of thy Corn of thy Wine and of thine Oil c. And if by reason of distance from the Tabernacle or Temple the Person paying his Tythes cou'd not bring them in kind he was then at Liberty to turn it into Money ver 25. and bestow that Money ver 26. for whatsoever his soul lusteth after for Oxen or for Sheep or for Wine or for strong drink And thou shalt eat thereof before the Lord thy God and thou shalt rejoice thou and thine Houshold This for the Tythes of every Year Then Secondly There was those of every Third Year and they were not only given to the Levite but also to the Stranger
we meet with such Instructions for Profaneness in the Example and Precept of our Saviour The Examples and Precepts of his holy Apostles Or in the Example and Precept of of such who in a true sense of Religion have declared the end of their endeavours were to reclaim and reduce the Erronious and convince Gain-sayers Is it possible Reader that supposing me in Error and Gain-saying I should think a Man so profanely Scoffing should have any real Concern for the Salvation of my Soul so as to be reduced by him Or if I be not in Error that he can have any consciencious Concern for my preservation Nor will the example of Elijah do him any service here he by a warrantable Irony did confute the pretended God-head which hath Eyes and sees not Ears and hears not thereby to reclaim the Idol-worshippers But we the Quakers nor any other Dissenters in England that I know of do or ever did acknowledge any other God than that one Almighty Being the Father of all Things and Jesus Christ his Eternal Son and the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son who is one God blessed for ever This hath been so often declared that the Snake could not be ignorant of it wherefore he is the more Inexcusable Secondly Of his Hypocrisie p. 2. I have says he great Charity for the Generality of the Ignorant sort of them some of whom I know to be very Honest and Well-meaning Men and Devout in their Way I do freely own that I have a real Kindness and good Wishes for every one of the Quakers that I have hitherto been acquainted with and I never received any sort of Disobligation from any of them in my whole Life And yet treats the Quakers with all the marks of Bitterness Baseness Contempt and Disdain and with all the marks of open Enmity that can be shewn in the most Scurrilous manner insomuch that he implicitly denies One Dram of the Spirit of Christianity to be in all the Quakers p. 182. and in p. 177. to George Whitehead he says Come George we are near an end and we know not if ever we shall meet again tell me in the Plain Down-right Honesty and Simplicity of the Light within See Reader not only the Prophaneness but the Hypocisie of Pretended Kindness and Good Wishes and the base Returns for no Disobligation Page 202. the Picture of the Quaker Spirit he says he feels sees and abominates by the very Conviction of his Sense Then what grand Hypocrisie must it be to pretend as he doth that he hath real Kindness and good Wishes for such whose Spirit he abominates I have shewn before from his Profane and Scornful Treatment of us that he cannot wish well to our Souls and himself declares he abominates our Spirit which being both absent what would his kindness to our Bodies be Why there is sufficient Ground to believe that his kindness to them is much what the cruel Emperor's was to the Romans when he wished them all but one Neck and then their dispatch would be speedy And to shew that it is not meer Conjecture I now proceed Thirdly To his Injustice which is manifest not only in Wresting our Writings and Perverting our Plain Meanings therein and that knowingly and wilfully since they have been explained by our selves but also by false Quoting our Books sometimes by packing Sentences which stand at distance close together as one continued Quotation or else only with the distinction of a Break without any regard to his breaking off the Sense of the Writer Of which in my way through his Book I shall shew abundance of Instances Add to this his Injustice in urging against us our Adversaries false Charges some upon bare hear-say and often out of Books written against us by open Enemies and that without taking notice of our Answers which is equally Unjust As to have urged the Writings of Celsus Porphyry or other Heathens against the Primitive Christians or the Writings of the Romanists against the Protestants as Eckius against Luther Harding againg Juel c. without any regard had to their Answers Which whosoever should do might have the name of a Bold and Confident but not Wise or Honest Man Yet such is this Snake's Practice and that he might not come short in any thing wherein he can be Injurious he hath purposely mis-stated our Principles that thereby he might make himself an Advantage to fasten upon us what in him lies such Absurd Extravagant and Impious Consequences as he pleases Of this sort I shall have frequent proof to shew thee Reader and now go on to the Book Page 1. The Controversie with the Quaker Dissenters has not been pursued by the Church of England with the like Zeal and Pains as those against the Presbyterians Independants and other Dissenters because the Quakers were not so considerable But their Numbers increased by being neglected are become Formidable It is not my business here to inquire what the Zeal and Pains of the Church has been against other Dissenters it shall suffice me briefly as I may to shew how warm her Zeal and how great her Pains towards us Tho' I here declare it is not pleasant to me afresh to object the Unchristian Treatment Zeal and Pains wherewith very many Members of that Church have pursued us and I would rather have let it slept in Oblivion than called to mind that Harsh Treatment had it not been necessary to remember it and object it for Confutation to the false Pretences of one who pretends to personate her Cause wipe his Mouth say what Harm have we done and to tell the World a most Egregious Lye how the Quakers have been Neglected and thereby Increased For Confutation of this I say I shall briefly Hint to the Sober Reader that we have not come behind our Neighbours in Sufferings in the several Capacities of Name Person and Estate and give some short Specimen of each And first for Sufferings in Name and Fame The many Books written against us even from the very first are Witnesses For the Priesthood in many places in the Days of our Infancy did not only write against us themselves but these incouraged their Flocks whereby there frequently came forth many Books against us insomuch that to the Year 1660. if occasion did require I could produce a Catalogue of many Hundreds which is no mean Beadroll of Adversaries And while Pens were thus imploy'd against us Lying Tongues were not idle for Report and Fame spoke of us in blackest Characters from the Envious and the Ignorant which yet hath often been of advantage for when some in Curiosity have been inclin'd to see for themselves what Monsters of Men they must needs be of whom such ill Fame and Report did go and have seen and found that Fame and Report false they have been inclined to love what that was designed to have made them to hate Nay so general hath our Suffering in this sort been I may say
call their Souls a Part of God of his Being and Essence O Injurious Perverter Christ who truly lives in all that obey him as say the Scriptures aforecited hath said of his faithful followers John 17.21 23.14.20 I in them and they in me and hath promised At that day shall ye know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you and hath prayed That they all may be one as thou O Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us And when through Obedience this Oneness for which Christ hath prayed comes to be witnessed by any faithful Soul such may without Blasphemy speak it to the praise of God But here as in other places the Snake imploys a critical pedantry about words not chosen by us but used by our Adversaries Such as are Essence Infinite Infinity Equal Equality and some others not being content with the plainness of Scripture Language which words when returned to them again it hath mostly been with quotations of Scripture thereby shewing that they were owned only in a Scriptural Sense of this sort many instances will occur herein and which by great Perversion the Snake hath drawn to purposes never intended by G. Fox or any other acknowledged Quaker Ib. p. 8. This Monstrous Notion of the Light within is the ground and â—oundation of all their other Errors and Blasphemies Then this Ground being false all the other vanish Ib. p. 8. They Laugh at us for confessing our selves to be Sinners or praying to God for Mercy We â—augh not at all at Men in Misery nor at the Snake when confessing himself a Sinner because we know he is such but were it not in re serie tragica it might occasion a Smile to think that one resolving to continue to do so should pray and expect mercy because we know the conditions on which Mercy is promised are forsaking of Sin and leading an Holy Life Ib. p. 9. Alas poor Souls says Mr. Penn of the Church of England are you not at Have mercy upon us miserable Sinners there is no Health in us from Seven to Seventy And for this he upbraids the Church of England W. Penn upbraids not the Church of England for confessing their Sins or for praying for Mercy But when Men do go on from Seven to Seventy in a round of sinning and confessing confessing and sinning and not come to witness the work of regeneration and in some Degree a putting on of the New Man who after God is created in Righteousness such confession is but mocking of God who requires Men to put away their Sins before he will reason with them Ib. p. 9. Vpon this account they reprobate and Damn all the Christian World from the Days of the Apostles to G. Fox And since all but themselves That this is false I have already proved p. 13 14. and shall more largely in reply to the Section bearing this Title Ib. p. 9. While at the same time they commit wild Idolatry to one another worshipping and adoring one another especially their Great Fox and other of their Rabbies All these things I will shew in their order It is false that any Idolatry Worship or Adoration hath been given by us to G. Fox or any other of our Friends nor do I remember that I have ever seen or heard any Quaker hath gone so far in this as I have seen some Members of the Church of England to their Bishops with whom it is a frequent practice to kneel at coming into their presence which yet they that so do I do in Charity believe do it not with purpose of Idolizing them tho' the reason why they do it is from a supposed Vice-Gerency they have under Christ and that they bear and have greater marks of Divinity than otheâ—â—en And if this be not Idolatry why is it Idolatry in any of us if one should say and acknowledge of a particular Man That he is his Father in Christ and instrumentally his Saviour or to this purpose for which also Holy Writ is sufficient Authority Ibid. p. 10. However I would ask them this Question Whether a man may leave that Light without knowing that he does so If he may then all the Quakers have left it for ought they know If he cannot then all who leave it do it maliciously I ask again Whether a Man can Sin while he follows the Light If he can then that Light may lead him wrong and so is not infallible But if he cannot sin while he follows this Light and cannot leave this Light without knowing of it as in the first Quaere then there can be no Sin of Ignorance Which is contrary to the Law for there Expiations were appointed for Sins of Ignorance And it is likewise contrary to the Gospel for Christ tells us of those who know not their Master 's Will. They know not what they do said he of those who Crucify'd him Luke 23.34 The time shall come said he to his Apostles John 16.2 that whosoever killeth you shall think that he doth God service And it is said 2 Thess. 2.11 That they should believe a Lye Christ has foretold Mat. 6.32 That the Light which is in some Men that is what they take to be Light is Darkness And if they be so mistaken how great is that Darkness But there can be no such mistake as our Saviour supposes if the Light within be infallible Ibid. p. 11. St. Peter says to the Jews who Crucify'd Christ I wot that through Ignorance ye did it Acts 3.17 and St. Paul says 1 Cor. 2.8 That had they known it they would not have crucify'd the Lord of Glory Reader I have been thus large in my quotation of him that our Adversary might not object that I had left out the difficult part of his Questions or Arguments arising from them but chiefly and principally that in a matter of so great moment I might shew the great evidence of truth and necessity there is That man should certainly know his Duty and knowing of it should certainly and powerfully if he disobey not be assisted to the performance of it Wherefore to the first Question I say Man cannot leave the Light of Christ in him without knowing that he does so and therefore all that do leave it are self-condemn'd That this is true does appear as follows First Our Saviour John 16.8 hath promised that his Light should reprove the World of Sin c. And the Apostle testifies of this Light Ephes. 5.13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the Light for whatsoever doth make manifest is Light Hence it appears that Jesus Christ by his Light does reprove for sin striving with Men by discovering it unto them and during the Day of their Visitation by reproofs and discoveries it is impossible for Man to withstand and leave the reproofs and discoveries of this Light of Christ without knowing that he does so And if any Man does continue
said Lord what wilt thou have me to do Which shews his inward sense of Mind But the Apostle Rom. 7.9 is large in the account of the Work of his Regeneration and he does acknowledge he was alive without the Law once But when the Commandment came Sin revived and I died Which plainly shews the Command was inward and it was hard for Paul to kick against this Command which did thus slay him as in the 11th verse Our Adversary does acknowledge that the Pricks there are to be understood the Power of Christ. And this Power it was Acts 2.37 That prickt them at the heart who were witnesses of the sheddings abroad of the Spirit at the time of Pentecost And of this Power David speaks Psal. 73.21 Thus my heart was grieved and I was pricked in my reins Whence thus in short Paul a zealous Man and a Persecutor is by the Power of Christ let see that he was opposing his Power in his Saints by such Persecution At this in the Apostle's language Sin revived i. e. the sense of it whereby he saw his guiltiness and then he died from any further Life in it And whether this be not a heart work all experienced Readers may judge Ibid. p. 12. Besides they are in great confusion and contradictions amongst themselves concerning their Notion of the Light within denying and affirming backwards and forwards as you may see in Mr. Tho. Crisp his just and lawful Tryal of the Foxonian Quakers Reader This is one of those Instances wherein the great Injustice of this adversary appears in that he takes this false Charge from a Book writ against us by an open Enemy and takes no notice of any reply by us Which was largely and fully given to this Adversary by our Friend Ed. Penington And if after the same manner I should object and say The Church of England are in great Confusions and Contradictions amongst themselves in their Notion of the Trinity which has been abundantly treated of here of late affirming backwards and forwards and recommend for proof of this some Book disowned by that Church the Proof were much the same Or if I should object and say They are in great confusion and contradiction in their Notion of any other Article and bring for proof Harding Stapelton or any of the Romish Church who being Adversaries have so affirmed having no regard to the disallowance of the first or answers to the last I might deservedly be accounted a confident and prejudic'd but not a fair or reasonable Man Yet Reader this is the practice of this Snake with us SECT II. Shewing that we do not make our Souls of the same Person and Substance with God nor aspire to an Equality with him I Shall here consider and reply to his Second and Third Sections together the Charge being the same and the distinction unnecessary For in his mode of speaking a Sameness of Person and Substance imply an Equality concerning which before I procede to the Quotations in the Snake I shall observe to thee Friendly Reader That having in the beginning of the foregoing Section given a brief but real and true account of our Scriptural Belief concerning The Light of Christ in Men. Shewing that the Soul of Man being subjected thereunto he may by the guidance and assistance thereof without it he cannot attain unto Salvation I say having shewn thus much concerning our belief herein it is impossible that we so believing as we do should make our Souls to use his phrase of the same Person and Substance with God or Aspire to an Equality with him Our Friends according to Holy Writ have frequently said and writ and may safely That those who by walking in the Light are become Children of it are such for whom our Saviour Jesus Christ did pray to his Father John 17.21 22 23. That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee That they also may be one in us That they may be one even as we are one I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me This Oneness in the Holy Spirit our Friends have pressed and contended for in Opposition to the hurtful belief that had too much prevailed upon Men of an imagined Distance of God from Man at this Day and that Man was now no more to expect the Revelation of the Holy Spirit without which our Saviour hath testified Mat. 11.27 And no Man knoweth the Son but the Father neither knoweth any Man the Father but the Son and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him This testimony of Jesus Christ with many more to the same purpose do shew the certainty of Revelation as in many others the absolute necessity of it is shewn First By our Saviour who saith John 12.50 And I know that this Commandment is Life Everlasting and the Apostle 2 Cor. 13.5 Know ye not your own selves that Jesus Christ is in you except you be Reprobates And for our acknowledging to and witnessing of the truth of these Testimonies declared in Holy Writ have we met with great opposition and misrepresentation of which Reader there follows now divers instances in these Sections of the Snake's which he thus begins p. 13. Thou sayest says G. Fox to his Opponet Great Mystery p. 247. Christ doth not dwell in them Personally Doth not Christ dwell in his Saints as he is in the Person of the Father the Substance Reader This our Adversary gives for a quotation from G. Fox his Great Mystery and that we might see at what he carps he puts it in Large Black Characters which yet are not blacker than his Envy and Injustice which will appear thus First In that he hath left out the Priests Words which are unsound and unscriptural Secondly In that he hath left out the beginning and end of G. Fox his Answer For thy more certain knowledge of which I subjoin first the Priest's Words and then G. Fox his Answer Priest The Scriptures are the Word except yâ—u dare to deny Christ is God Let the Word of God meaning the Scripture dwell in you richly To this G. Fox thus Answers So he makes the Scripture Christ and God and he doth not say Let Christ dwell in you but means the Scripture and God dwells in you The Apostle saith Let Christ Dwell in your hearts by faith and God will dwell in you But thou sayst Christ doth not dwell in Them Personally Doth not Christ dwell in his Saints as he is in the Person of his Father the Substance And are they not of his Flesh and of his Bone Here Reader thou mayst see that the plain meaning and drift of G. Fox's words are to assert and maintain that Spiritual Oneness of which I have been speaking and shewing that Christ prayed that his Followers might witness and not to make the Soul of the same Person
we were to the Height Blasphemous and Mad. For the proof of this G. Fox's Great Mystery is quoted oftner than any other Book But the Modern Quakers are abated c. and for proof of this G. Fox's Great Mystery is quoted oftner than any other Book So that the same Book shall answer contrary purposes and it is only owing to his Viperine Love or else from that Book he might have attempted to prove us any thing but what we are But his Malice is seen and dispised Ibid. p. 26. I have before quoted Mr. Penn upbraiding the Church of England as opposers of perfection and rediculing us for confessing our selves Sinners and imploring God's mercy And I have in answer to it p. 41. shewn that W. Penn neither upbraids nor ridicules the Church of England for confessing of sin and imploring God's mercy But he speaks against sinning and confessing confessing and sinning and so to go on from seven to seventy this He and this all good Men must speak against because it is against the Law and Will of God Ibid. p. 26. Now hear G. Fox 's Great Mystery p. 101. It is the Doctrine of Devils that preacheth that Men shall have sin and be in a Warfare so long as they be on the earth What can it be other than that Because we know not only from what was promised but by the fruits of true Faith that it giveth victory over the World And it 's impossible for any Men to be Victors over Sin while they are in bondage to it Ibid. p. 26. A quotation from Great Mystery p. 111. They that pretend coming to God and Christ out of Perfection they be in Error And it is doubtless true for there is no coming to God through Christ whilst in sin and according to this God by his Prophet calls to the House of Israel to put away their sins Then come let 's reason together But he would not reason with them while they were led captive with the Love of their Iniquities Ibid. p. 26. From Great Mystery p. 231. All who come to Christ they come to perfection 'T is very true for out of Christ I am sure there is none Ibid. Great Mystery p. 231. They attain to perfection in the Life of God There is no other way to attain it than through that Life which is the Light of Men. Ibid. Great Mystery p. 271. For who are sanctified have perfect Unity perfect Knowledge perfect Holiness Who are sanctified are in Christ in the Apostle's phrase have put on Christ and who have him have perfect Unity Knowledge and Holiness Ibid. Great Mystery p. 281. The Life of the Saints is Christ not sinful at all The Evangelist hath testified of the Life of Christ that it is the Light of Men And the Apostle says when Christ who is our Life c. Col. 3.4 And this Life Christ is not sinful at all And I do hope that the Snake will not be so impudently Blasphemous as to say of this Spiritual Appearance and Life of Christ in Man as the Jews said of him while he dwelt on the Earth John 9.24 As for this Man we know that he is a Sinner Snake p. 26. William Shewen a great Quaker Preacher in his Treatise concerning Thoughts and Imaginations Printed 1685. p. 25. represents a Quaker as Meeker than Moses Stronger than Samson c. The Snake does here grosly pervert W. Shewen's words which by the comparison he uses are only to shew How that a Christian by following of Christ the Light the Saviour of the World and Captain of Salvation may be brought to the Stature of a perfect Man in Christ. And least the Comparison should stumble or offend any he adds Least thou should stumble at these sayings consider that John was the greatest Prophet born of a Woman yet the least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he Matt. 11.11 Ibid. p. 26. Their great Scribe T. Elwood in his answer to G. Keith 's Narrative 1696. p. 202. takes upon him to justifie G. Whitehead for denying that there is continual need of Repentance upon this ground that the Quakers are free from all Sin and therefore have not continual need of Repentance It is false he did not justifie G. W. upon this ground Tho. Ellwood's words are these G. W's meaning only was that there is no continual need of Repentance from a necessity of continual sinning for where true Repentance is wrought and the Fruits of it brought forth it is attended with a real forsaking of Sin and Transgression and this is unto Salvation never to be repented of Ibid. p. 26 27. Edw. Borrough's the mighty Pillar of the Quakers next to the Old Fox determines positively p. 32. of his Works Printed 1672. That God doth not accept of any where there is any failing or who do not fulfil the Law and doth not answer every demand of Justice I suppose a main reason why the Snake is offended with E. B's so saying is because himself has so many failings does not fulfil hardly any part of the Law and answers few or no Demands of Justice But be that as it will E. B. for his so saying hath produced good Authorities viz. 1 John 3.8 1 Pet. 2.9 which if the Snake can refute let him Ibid. p. 27. I could heap up many more Quotations to the same purpose but these will suffice till answered That 's now done and thy deceit and falshood in perverting and mangling our Books is herein in some measure detected and laid open and therefore shall proceed to his 4th Section SECT IV. Concerning our Belief of Immediate Revelation BY what I have already said in the foregoing Sections concerning the beginning and progress of the Work of God in Man how that it is wrought by the Operations of the Holy Spirit It may be well seen what Immediate Revelation it is of which we speak and what we mean by it viz. the Influences and Operations of the Holy Spirit which the Snake dare not deny but owns that in some sense they may be called Revelations and immediate too p. 27 28. which according to the Apostle's Doctrine Col. 1.27 Is Christ in you the Hope of Glory And we do say that the first appearances of Christ immediately by his Spirit in Men is as himself hath said John 16.8 to reprove the World of Sin c. This as it is truly and properly Immediate Revelation So in this degree it is universally given to Men during the day of their visitation in order that they might know the Masters Will. Snake p. 28. But the Holy Prophets and Apostles had Revelations of a much higher Degree than this viz. To foretell things to come to work Miracles to go with particular Messages from God 'T is very true their Degrees of Revelation were much higher but differ'd not in Nature and so it is at this Day For such whom Christ doth now Prepare Fit Furnish and Qualify with and by his Holy Spirit and
be true Prophets still His Fourth and last Instance here is of whom in Scorn he calls the Great Edw. Burroughs p. 57. quoted from p. 540 535 536 537. of his Works the words he quotes are these and stand in this order The time is come their Church meaning Rome cannot stand long And as sure as the Lord lives so shall it come to pass Here the Snake is himself to some purpose having in as deceitful and false manner as well can be represented the words of E. Burroughs in the pages quoted I will give thee Reader the several Instances from the several pages quoted by the the Snake The first page he here quotes it 540. where the Snake says he advises the Army to carry their Arms to the Gates of Rome But minds not that he there tells the Army That might be a work honourable in its day and season And that there is a Victory more honourable to wit the Victory over Sin and Death and the Devil in your selves and that you are to mind And at the bottom of p. 535. speaking of the Romish Church But their Weapons are Carnal and Devilish and by Murders Oppressions and Tyrannies they do defend themselves and when these things are broken down then their Church cannot stand long He continues p. 536. And as sure as the Lord lives so shall it come to pass a Generation shall accomplish it and in the Generation of the Righteous it shall be finished And in p. 537. E. B. saith thus Whether the Lord will revenge the grievous blood-guiltiness that lies upon them by himself without an Instrument or whether by you speaking to the Army or others as an Instrument Whether this way or another that God will do it I determine not But this I know that the time is not long that he will one way or other avenge and revenge the Blood of the Just upon the Murderers Head By all this Reader it abundantly appears that E. B. doth not assign Time or Means by or in which it shall be accomplished and so much any Good Man may warrantably speak concerning the finishing and putting an end to those Carnal and Devilish Church-Weapons of Murder Oppression and Tyranny Which tho' this Adversary would hug yet thanks be to God they are out of his power So that this Prophecy if the Snake will have it one must doubtless in its season be accomplished I come now to his Ninth Head of Distinction which is little else than one vehement Invective against the Authority of the Reformation I will briefly consider its parts p. 58. Extraordinary Inspirations are not to be credited unless vouched by Miracles which God always sent to attest his Extraordiry Commissions The Inspirations of the Prophets Joel Amos Obediah Micha and others mentioned in the Old Testament and of Agabus Acts 21.11 were all of them Extraordinary Inspirations But I find no Miracles that these their Extraordinary Inspirations were vouched by John the Baptist the Greatest Prophet born of a Woman his Mission was very extraordinary yet not attested by Miracles Now let us see where the Doctrine of the Snake will lead us Why he says Extraordinary Inspirations are not to be credited unless vouched by Miracles These Inspirations I have now spoken of are not to us so vouched are they therefore not to be credited This will break an Article of the Snake's pretended Faith and make imperfect the Scriptures which he says are a perfect Rule of Faith and Manners Ibid. p. 58. Let us take this one mark more to judge when such Inspirations are from God or from the Devil Yes we will Those from the Devil generally tend to Schism and Rebellion as in that of Jeroboam and the Ten Tribes who broke off from the Priesthood of Aaron as well as from the House of David and set up opposite Altars to that at Jerusalem This does deserve to be mark'd in that it First gives the Lie to the Scriptures and then kicks against the Reformation It gives the Lie to the Scripture for that God by his Prophet Shemiah 2 Cron. 11.4 when Rehoboam would have fought against Israel that he might have brought the Kingdom from Jeroboam to himself and that they were ready to fight they were of God forbid and the reason God by his Prophet gives is For this thing is done of me But the Snake says it 's done of the Devil Thus much for the Kingdom now for the Priestood That they broke off from the Priesthood of Aaron and set up opposite Altars is a mark applicable at this day or to what purpose does the Snake make it And say that separation from the Priesthood at this day is from the Devil And now if the Snake please let him prove how many of these separations which have been made within three hundred years from the Priesthood of the Roman Pontiff have been made by the Devil and let him not forget the Reformation in England But of this kind of arguing we have more Ibid. p. 58. But as they paid all Dutiful Obedience to their persecuting Kings and suffered Martyrdom under them without Resistance So did they always keep in the Communion of those same Priests whom they had provoked and reproved c. That Dutiful Obedience was paid by the Holy Prophets to persecuting Kings in their Days and hath been paid by us to persecuting Kings in our Days is very true But as for the Doctrine of Resistance if that be it the Snake quarrels at he may find Opponents enough in the Communion of that Church he pretends Membership in as he also may have the Voice of the Church of England against him Justifying themselves in that they did not keep the Communion of the Roman Priesthood but did set up a Separate Communion and Opposite Altars See Reader this Doughty Champion as he pretends for the Church of England under the false pretences of esteeming and valuing her Communion does in truth and reality as much as in him lies scandalize the Reformation by putting upon it very gross imputations as if it were from the Devil But worse yet Ibid. p. 59. And when our Saviour himself came into the World he did not separate from the publick Worship and Communion of the Jewish Church And to shew that the receiving of Christianity it self was no exemption from paying all Obedience to them he commands his own Disciples as well as the Multitude to pay them all manner of Obedience Our Saviour is declar'd Rom. 10.4 the end of the Law Then he must of necessity be the end of that Worship and Communion which was grounded on the Law And that the receiving of Christianity was an exemption to Obedience in that Worship and Communion The Apostle Paul is positive Gal. 5.2 for Christianity was not to be blended with Judaisims And when our Saviour said Matt. 23.3 Whatsoever they bid you observe that observe and do He did not thereby continue the observance of the Ceremonial Law beyond the date of
the Sealing his own Testament with his Blood For if he had then all who are not in Communion with the Jews at this Day are Schismaticks and which is worse the Snake says it is from the Devil Ibid. p. 59. And the Apostles after our Saviour frequented the Jewish Temple Luke 24.53 And observed their hours of Publick Worship Acts 3.1 This Adversary would here falsly and Hypocritically insinuate as if the Apostles hereby joined in Communion with the Jews which was against the whole Scope of their Commission The Business of the Apostles in the Temple and wheresoever else their Lots were was to preach up Faith and Salvation through Repentance in and by that Jesus whom the Jews had Crucified For this purpose they went to the Jewish Temple and no wonder they went at the hour of Prayer because then they might find the People together That this was the Reason why they went at the hour of Prayer is fully seen by the Sermon of Peter Acts 3.12 to the end of the Chapter Ibid. p. 60. But the Quaker-notion of the Light within and their pretence to Infallibility as consequential to it does totally root up and destroy all Church Covernment and Order For if the Light within be God it must be self-sufficient and not to need the Rules and Directions of any other The Apostles it 's allowed were infallibly assisted by the Holy Ghost God in them yet this was so far from rooting up and destroying all Church Government that they by the Directions of the Holy Spirit did give Rules and Directions for Discipline in the Churches where they laboured to bring the People to be partakers with them of the same Promise which was Christ in them the hope of Glory Ibid. p. 60. Vpon this Ground the Quakers broke off from the Church and refused to be under the Government of any outward Authority 'T is false the Quakers broke not off upon this Ground but rather to carry on that Reformation which the Church of England began here when she broke off from Rome Neither did the Quakers ever refuse to be under the Government of any outward Authority for we always for Conscience sake have been Obedient to Authority by actively doing what in Conscience we could or by passively suffering for what in Conscience we could not do Let the Snake say so much for himself if he can and prove it Ibid. p. 60. And thus they stood several years in the Infancy of their State till they began to grow numerous and rich 'T is false we never were even when first a People without Government and Discipline such as might answer the good end of the Gospel of Christ. But that there may be occasion as the Community enlarges to add some points of Discipline for the same good end for which the first were appointed Holy Writ does sufficiently justifie The Disciples while in their Infancy had Acts 2.44 and 4.32 All things common afterwards particular Churches made Contributions for the Poor c. When they grew more numerous the Question of the Circumcision began to trouble the Churches in Syria Antioch and Cilecia concerning which the Apostles sent a Determination by Paul and Barnabas Acts 15.25 And in after times as the Churches and their Necessities did increase the Apostle Paul 1 Cor. 8.4 and 10.25 27. did yet enlarge the Borders of that Discipline which was before setled And to other Churches according to their Necessities such was their prescribed Discipline Thus at first while the Professors of Christianity were few there necessities were so too but as their Numbers increased so did their Necessities and the Apostles and Overseers of the Church did provide accordingly that they might in all things adorn the Doctrine of Christ Tit. 2.10 who is a God of Order And as the fullest state of their Discipline was no contradiction to their few first Precepts so neither was a contradiction to the infallible Spirit of God Tit. 11.12 to the Guidings whereof the end of their Preaching was to bring People I come now to his Tenth and Last Head of Distinction Concerning that Church Government which is among the Quakers Ibid. p. 61. The Quakers pretence to Infallibility has been disproved First In particular Instances of several of their Prophets Secondly In whole Floods and Parties for F. Bugg and many others have come openly off from their Communion c. The particular Instances which the Snake hath brought have been above sufficiently disproved being either falsly or insufficiently by him pretended But had they been all such as the Snake hath pretended yet then they couâ—â— not have answered his purpose to overthrow the Infallibility of the Spirit of God as is also largely before declared Secondly That whole Floods and Parties have left us F. Bugg is with the Snake an Instance and indeed a particular single weak one But had the Floods and Parties been much greater than ever yet any were that did Apostatize and backslide from us They may indeed be Instances of such Backsliders as those mentioned 2 Pet. 2.22 but no Argument that the Holy Spirit of God is not Infallible for as by the power of that in times past these backsliders were in some degree washed so had they continued under its Guidings it would have made them altogether clean Whereas by deserting it they are returned to wallow in the Mire again This Through Disobedience hapned to many in the Primitive times Nay so general was the Defection and Backsliding of that People that the Holy Spirit expresseth it by the Church going into the Wilderness For Darkness and Apostacy did overspread all Lands Ibid. p. 62. Now if their above-told pretences to Infallibility do hold then it will follow that these their former Opinions which the Separatists now condemn were true Then and false Now. Nay that they are both true and false even now because some Quakers do hold them to be true A fine Conclusion and spakes thus much If the Declared Claim of the Church of England to Loyalty do hold then it will follow that that Declared Claim which the Snake and other such Separates now condemn was true then and false now Nay that it is both true and false even now because that Church doth still declare that Claim Thus Reader thou seest the folly of this Snake's reasoning and it cannot be otherwise when Men shall attempt to prove by the precarious and evil practice of Particulars the Unsoundness of Principles Good Principles do always abide the same whatsoever the Practice of their Professors may be Thus the Grace and Spirit of God continues Infallible let whosoever will backslide from it and Loyalty continues to be Loyalty still if the Snake never practice it Ibid. p. 62 63. But if Keith and Bugg were true Quakers then true Quakers are not Infallible And then G. Fox c. who said they were Infallible were led by the Spirit of Delusion and not the Spirit of Truth Keith and Bugg with whosoever else
that can be nam'd that have Apostatized While they were led by the Spirit of Truth were by that Infallibly led and it was no Delusion to affirm so much of them or others while in their obedience to that Infallible Guide But G. Fox c. did never say that any were or could be Infallibly led but by the Holy Spirit Therefore G. F. c. were not herein led by the Spirit of Delusion but by the Spirit of Truth Ibid. p. 63. The Infallibility of the private Spirit or of each particular Quaker is now damned by their Church and their Infallibility is now reduced by them to that of their Church 'T is a notorious Falshood that ever Infallibility was by us placed in the private Spirit of any or every Quaker as it is by this Snake asserted or that it is now reduced to the Church Infallibility is now by us placed where it ever was that is in the Infallible Spirit of God privately or particularly working in the Hearts of Men. Ibid. p. 64. All I am concerned for at present is that their Churches have censured these Separatists and given Judgment against the Light within particular Persons which was the Original Pretence and only Infallible Guide of the first Quakers And upon this only ground they exclaim'd against any Church assuming Authority over any Man 's private Spirit or his Light within as Anti-christian and Diabolical and gave this as the reason of their Separation from the Church of England One but not the only reason and ground of some that separated from the Church of England might possibly be Her Hierarchy and Government or assumed Authority over Conscience as she in her turn made it part of the reason for her Separation from Rome as see Apologia Ecclesiae Anglicanae printed 1617. But that bond of Union and spiritual Fellowship which united us to be a People was First and Principally The Light of Jesus Christ shining into our Hearts whereby through obedience we had and have Unity with all who in any measure are turned to it and walk in it and by this Union of Spirit we were gathered into one Body of external Fellowship and Society in matters of Doctrine and Discipline and being so gathered into particular Assemblies or Churches with respect to place at unity The Authority which these our Assemblies do claim towards them that do so declare themselves Members and who do believe and profess the same Doctrines and Principles of Faith and are so distinguish'd and denominated is grounded in this That every such Member is gathered as above and not by any external constraint or outward respect but only by the real force of Truth upon their Understanding And of such as do profess to be so gathered into Unity and Fellowship with us If any shall Innovate in Doctrine and Discipline and make Defection from the Spirit of Love contrary to that Belief and Profession which by the force of Truth and Convictions of God's Grace on their Hearts they did make and declare at their coming into Unity and Fellowship with us Such the Church or Assembly hath Power to declare Separated from the Body because by this their Innovation and Defection they have dissolved that bond of Union by which they became Members and when censure is denounced against these who are thus separated It cannot be accounted or esteemed A giving Judgment against the Light within particular Persons Because the Light of Jesus Christ is not contrary to it self and if by the inshinings of that it was that they through obedience came into Fellowship and did profess and declare to believe as above it does necessarily follow that their Innovation and Defection must proceed from being darken'd and decay'd from that Life of Righteousness in themselves which was the first Principle of true Union And when we have declared against any Church assuming Authority towards any Man and that Light of Grace which is in him it hath been because such Church hath assumed that Authority without that previous bond of Union which is above declared Having thus briefly but truly stated the Ground and Nature of that Government which is among us and the reason of our refusing Church Government not so constituted it will serve to dispatch all the Objections of the Snake upon this head with greater speed I shall here in fit place acquaint thee Reader that the Snake takes up a considerable part of the following Pages in this Section and some in that concerning Tithes particularly about G. Keith and our Controversy with him I shall take little more notice of them than as they relate to Government that being what the Snake says p. 118. foregoing He is chiefly concerned for Besides that Controversy which Books may be had of Tace Sowle in White-Hart-Court Gracious-Street is in such hands as I doubt not are still ready to maintain the Justice of that Cause they are concerned in if G. K. or the Snake for him shall think fit to reply to what they have written that is yet unanswered by him and also the compass of this Tract will be too short to allow room for a matter so much controverted as that has been Therefore what I shall chiefly say concerning him and what the Snake is most concern'd for will be as above with respect to his quondam Society and Fellowship with us and to shew that the Judgment given against him was not against that Light of Jesus Christ which he once acknowledged for his sufficient Teacher The like for brevity sake I would be understood concerning John Wilkinson John Story Bugg and others who may have Separated or Apostatized as these have done From p. 64. to 68. The Snake is wholly imploy'd on G. K. giving in them some short and false bits of Stories relating to that difference with him in Pensilvania which I should have wholly passed by but that in one Instance the Snake is remarkably false That is p. 66. G. K. was accused for Preaching two Christs i. e. a Christ without besides the Christ within This Sam Jennings after their manner of mumbling Thistles will not confess but dare not deny That G. K. was so accused Sam. Jennings does deny so far as it came to his Knowledge but the Snake carps at S. Jennings because he does not affirm or deny upon such incompetent Authority and Evidence as himself uses which has as I have already shewn and may hereafter shew led him into notorious Lyes and false Stories For S. Jennings says State of the Case p. 6. In the Judgment given forth against him G. K. by Friends they say W. Stockdale denyed the words so spoken as in the Charge above and Ibid. p. 7. which I have heard him W. S. often solemnly to deny Is this mumbling of Thistles or does it not rather shew that S. J. took care to speak Truth to the utmost of his Knowledge and is a full denial of G. Keith's Charge Snake p. 66. Why was this the business of
found And of as many as keep in their first Love E. B. hath truly said with the Apostle Acts 4.32 And the Multitude of them that believed were of one Heart and of one Soul Ibid. p. 73. The very same Division is still kept up in the opposite Quaker-Churches of Harp-Lane and Grace-Church-Street 'T is false the Meeting in Harp-Lane is dropt Ibid. p. 75. There is yet a Fourth Church of the Quakers It is true they are disowned by all the rest but as much disowning them We have the Snake's Authority for it that they are none of us But however consider them a little further and see to whom they do belong P. 76 77. The Snake Relates how truly I know not a great many bad Tenets they hold and bad Actions that they do He says They Dance as well as Pray by the Spirit Their Ringleader whom he calls Tho. Case he says Preached in a Surplice By the Principles I could not tell to what Church this Case belong'd but for the Surplice we know what Church uses it Ibid. p. 78. And I can name one who reasoning with one of these concerning the outward Christ Oh horror to repeat it he bid that Christ kiss his And if so what relation hath that to us For the Snake had said just before that we disown them and they disown us so that he might as well have mentioned for any relation it has to us Julian the Apostates Blaspemies against Christ and insinuated Snake like that they were owned by us Ibid. p. 78. And it was not behind this which a Quaker Preacher now in London said to one I can produce who was endeavouring to persuade him that Christ was now a Man the Preacher replied The Man Christ a F rt The villany of this expression is indeed not much behind his last For I do deny that any Preacher own'd among us hath at any time so spoken and Dare the Snake to prove to the contrary if he can We have now another Quotation how fairly made the Reader shall see Ibid. p. 79. Quoted from Brief Examination and State of Liberty Spiritual Printed 1681. p. 11. He tells those Quakers who stuck to their own Light within rather than the Orders of G. Fox and his Church And this I affirm says he from the understanding that I have received of God that the Enemy is at work to scatter the Minds of Friends by that loose plea What hast thou to do with me leave me to my freedom and to the Grace of God in my self and the like Here the Snake makes a break leaving out three Lines and then continues a long Quotation The Snake says that W. P. speaks this to those Quakers who stuck to their own Light within Now whether he did or not pray Reader by the following Lines which the Snake left out at the Break as I have before hinted thou mayst observe they are thus And the like but this proposition and expression as now understood and alledged is a deviation from and a perversion of the ancient Principle of Truth Thus Reader thou sees what W. P. objects to them was that they did not stick to their own Light within but were in that Plea and explanation of it deviated from the Ancient Principle of Truth which in time past they professed So that the Judgment was not against the Light within but against the deviation and perversion This is great injustice Reader I doubt not thou wilt grant thus to curtail a Man's words but if greater may be here is an instance for thee The Snake by a horrid perversion quotes W. P's words to the direct contrary purpose to which he uses them Ibid. p. 81. But what if these Quakers whose Light within should allow them to take off their Hat or Bow c. appeared by all other circumstances to be Good Honest and Conscientious Men That would not do For Mr. Penn in his address to Protestants p. 245. says Holy Living is become no Test among us unless against the Liver The Tree was once known by its Fruits 't is not so now the better the Liver the more Dangerous unless if not a Conformist This Reader is the Quotation and the perversion is this If he be not a Conformist in these things to pull off the Hat and Bow Holy Living is no Test nor is the Tree Known by its Fruits A sense as remote from W. P's Mind as any thing can be And what shews it plainer is the place it self as it lies in that Book where having numbred up six several causes of persecution he proceeds The Seventh and Last Cause I shall now assign for persecution is this That Holy Living is become no Test among us unless against the Liver The Tree was once known by its Fruit but now it is not so The better Liver the more dangerous if not a Conformist This has made way for Persecution There was a time when Virtue was venerable and Good Men admired that 's derided and Opinion carries it The Snake was in the wrong Box considering how much he is used to play when he brought to remembrance by his perversion this Quotation For the Persecution here spoken of was that managed by the Church of England and the Conformity then required was to her self the Test c. and was not a Holy Life for Virtue was then derided and Opinion carried it It is one of her Blemishes and if this rebellious Son had not herein been to her what Ham was to his Father Noah it might at this time have been covered for me Ibid. p. 82. But have they not worldly Coertion here Yes beyond what the Church of England or any other Church have in their Power For they being mostly a trading People and chiefly among themselves whoever is disowned By their Church does Ipso facto lose his Trade among them and there is not one of an hundred of them but must be thereby broke and undone We have not any Worldly Coertion either to whip Men into the Temple or keep them there for as is shewn p. 135 136 c. All who are truly Members of our Body and are in true Fellowship with us were gathered so to be not by Worldly Coertion or outward respect but only by the real force of Truth upon their Understanding and the Convictions of God's Grace upon their Hearts and we disown not any in their fallings away who have not first thus pretended But the Church of England much beyond this hath lately claim'd Power over all the Subjects of the Realm by whipping some into the Temple and some for going out and by her pretended Spiritual Excommunication hath deprived many who never were of her Communion of their Civil Benefits For one Excommunicate might not be an Executor receive a Legacy or sue for his Just Debts In fine it deprived him of his Property and put him out of the King's Protection Now Reader see whether this Worldly Coertion be not beyond our Power as
and Answers which are in p. 8 9. of W. Smith's Primmer and which are as follows Child But do they Ministers not all preach Christ in words Father Yes the false Ministers can speak of the Name of Christ as the true do but they want his Power Child But how may I then know which is true and which is false by their words seeing words may be the same Father Why they that are false preach Christ without and bid People believe in him as he is in Heaven above but they that are true Ministers they Preach Christ within and direct People to wait to feel him in themselves and so to believe in him as he makes himself manifest in them and this is true Doctrine that brings People to mind that principle of God in their own Consciences which comes down from Heaven and goes thither again and such as are in the earthly wisdom they do not know Heaven above Child This is a great Difference in their Doctrine for one to preach Christ without and another preacheth him within Father Yes it doth make a great Difference and hath no more fellowship together than the East hath with the West Thus W. S. And this is so far from preventing the least tincture of Christianity that it is a sound initiating Lesson for Children it being no other than a plain and short Paraphrase of divers Texts of Scripture and particularly of 2 Cor. 5.16 17. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the Flesh Yea tho' we have known Christ after the Flesh yet henceforth know we him so no more Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new Creature old things are passed away behold all things are become new Col. 1.27 That God would make known what is the riches of the Glory of this Mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ in you the hope of Glory In which places according to the whole tenour of the Gospel-dispensation the Apostle labours to bring People to give up to the workings of the Spirit of Christ in them Yet does not hereby slight or undervalue much less deny Christ in his appearance in the Flesh nor the Office of his Mediatorship in Heaven by whom it is that the Gifts of the Holy Spirit are given to Men. And agreeable to this was the Labour and End of W. S. in that Primmer of his But further if we make but a small amendment of the word only to the second Answer what will become of the Snake's Cavil and then read it thus They that are false preach Christ without and bid People believe in him only as he is in Heaven above c. It will be past his Cavil and he ought not for such an Elipsis to have forfeited all his Pretended Charity nor falsly to have declared it an admirable Cue to prevent the least tincture of Christianity I expect that this amendment may be opposed by him and that he may urge that our Writings are by no means to be added to But if it be so urged I would then answer The Church hath given abundant encouragement to supply Eliptick Defects by her Example and Practice in the Holy Scriptures in which there are a thousand I believe Instances of a word or words added with purpose I would in Charity think of more fully expressing the Mind of the Holy Ghost And what is so familiarly done with Holy Writ surely we may do with our Friends Books Ibid. p. 145. The Snake makes a curtail'd quotation from p. 17. of E. B's Preface to G. F's Great Mystery thus We differ in Doctrines and Principles and the one thou must justifie and the other thou must condemn as being the one clean contrary to the other in our Principles E. B. in this place was speaking of those Doctrines and Principles of the Priests which were opposed in that Book some of which I have mentioned p. 155. but not indefinitely of all the Principles they did or might hold and that there was reason to oppose them I question not but the impartial Reader will agree not simply for that they are clean contrary to us but for that they are so to true Christian Doctrine And of these and such as these E. B. speaks thus p. 17. ut supra And besides their Petitioning which the Priests and others did the Magistrates against us and Preaching and Praying against us and all the evil and wickedness in Work Word and desire brought forth against us from time to time Yet here sober Reader thou hast a Catalogue and whole number of Books printed and written against us and abundance of their Doctrines uttered against us and in opposition to us gathered up in this Volume in a sum with our Answers to them And if thy Mind and Heart be single thou mayst hereby understand in measure the difference in Doctrine between them and us and compare each of them with the Scriptures and see whether their Doctrines and Principles laid down as the subject of their Books or our Doctrines and Principles laid down in answer to theirs be according to and and agree with the Scriptures And if thou be impartial in this business and single in this Search and Judgment I doubt not but thou wilt in a great measure satisfie thy self and be resolved concerning their Priests and Professors in England and us who are called Quakers And when thou hast thus done own and deny whether them or us for thou mayst fully perceive we differ in Doctrines c. Now Sober Reader what just exception can there be to the tryal of Doctrines and Principles where the Holy Scripture is assigned for the Touchstone and such persuasion as the Lord shall give is to be Leader But this is a Tryal the Snake dreads because it wholly destroys Implicit Faith and blind Obedience Ibid. p. 146. And therefore this difference of Doctrine betwixt the Quakers and us which they say is as wide as from East to West must be more than concerning the Light within c. Yes so it is it is concerning the Separation and Incommunication of the Deity mentioned p. 189 foregoing It is concerning the Holy Scriptures alone being the Object of Faith It is concerning the Letter of the Scripture being the Sword of the Spirit It is concerning the Letter of the Scripture being God It is concerning the Scriptures being the Power of God and the Iudge by which all Men shall be judged And in fine it is concerning many other things mentioned in that Book Great Mystery several of which I have refer'd to in their several pages as I have met with them Ibid. p. 146. The Quakers do positively determine their Light within to be not a Secondary Agent or sent from any other but that it is it self the Principal The Quakers do indeed determine according to the Testimonies of our Saviour and his Holy Apostles Mat. 10.20 John 14.17 20. and 15.4 Rom. 8.9 10 11. 1 Cor. 3.16 and 6.19 Gal. 4.15 Col. 1.27 1 John 4.4 That the
of Richard Scoryer's And we do also certify that some Part or Portion of the Old or New Testament is daily Read in the said School beginning at Genesis and so Reading on in the said Scriptures untill both the Old and New Testament are Read throughout Wansworth 22 d August 1698. Law Ball Edm. Phillips Tho. Darking Steph. Webb Nich. Lesow Sam. Webb Thus Reader thou here hast this Story to a Demonstration proved a Lye as is also done in divers others foregoing and may be hereafter done in other Instances And if this our Adversary had not a natural propensity to tell Lyes he could not thus err from Truth For hiding and sculking as he generally does in the City he might with small pains have gone by Water to Wansworth 5 Miles or with less cost have sent a Penny-Post Letter to many Persons of that Town who could have better inform'd him herein if he had not been both Hypocritical and Unjust in that he pretends care to our Souls while he wilfully tells Lyes with purpose to destroy us This his practice leads me to observe of him that he is fitter to all the purposes of Destruction and Hate than to that one great purpose to which he falsly pretends viz. to promote the Vnity of the Church 〈◊〉 indeed pretends Great Charity Real Kindness and Good Wishes for the Generallity of us yet tells Lyes of us which in their end and design are to raise Persecution by influencing the Government against us if they would but take the Alarm from him But as it hath pleased God who hath the Hearts of all Men in his hand to incline the Government to give us some security against the evil practices of ill designing Men by affording us a Toleration in the matters of the Worship of our God so we are truly thankful to God and the Government herein and are at no time backward to give an account of the Faith which is in us and our agreeable practice however misrepresented by this Incendiary in Religion Ibid. p. 148. I will end this Section with shewing that the Quakers have in their Blasphemies against the Divinity of Jesus and Humanity of Christ only lick'd up and improv'd the Ancient most Anti-christian Heresies And I may fitly end this Section with shewing that whatsoever the Marcionites Manichees Eutychians and Saturnians might hold as to the Divinity and Incarnation of Christ yet we have always said and believed according to Scripture that Jesus so fore-named by the Angel and born of the Virgin in Bethlehem of Judea was truly and properly Man and in all respects Sin only excepted like unto us and that in this Man Jesus the Godhead dwelt Bodily and that through the Power of the Godhead in him he did open and consecrate a New and Living Way for Men to Salvation and Eternal Life through the Veil that is to say his Flesh And this Truth the Apostle does not deny when he allegorizes Eph. 5.30 The Spiritual Union and Fellowship of Christ with his Followers under the terms of being Members of his Body Flesh and Bones and in a like acceptation are very many other such expressions in Scripture to be understood yet is it not thence to be concluded unless falsly as this Snake does that they are Heretically agreeing with the Cerdonites the Eutychians and Manicheans Ibid. p. 149. But lastly because I must not stay here to deduce and compare all their Heresies those Ancient Heretickâ— the â—bonites and Naâ—areens from whom our Modern Socinians and from them the Quakers do derive their Doctrine did mightily undervalue the Scriptures Some of them pretended to mend the Scriptures and did boldly Adulterate them and set up other Scriptures against those received by the Church And this the Quakers have done beyond any that went before them The Snake does p. 336. Demand Reparation in the Name of the Church of England insinuating his real or assumed Power and if I should now do the like for or in the name of the People called Quakers I may be as much to seek for Reparation from him for this his abuse as I am to seek for proof in this Charge However I do at least demand a proof where ever the Quakers pretended to mend the Scriptures or did boldly Adulterate them or did set up other Scriptures against those received 'T is no Proof of this Charge to say p. 150. We have cannonized our own Writings If that were true it 's no proof but it is false We may have said and said truly that Writings given forth from the movings of the Spirit of God in any are given forth from the same Spirit which gave forth the Scriptures But we have always readily offered and submitted our Words and Writings to the Testimony of the Holy Scripture because tho' the Spirit of God in his People at this day is the same Holy Spirit which was in the Holy Apostles yet they had greater Manifestations of it So that tho' it is both now and then the same in kind the Degree of Manifestation differs But to return I do as above demand proof where ever we have pretended to mend the Scriptures or have boldly Adulterated them or set up others against them As Euseb. Hist. l. 5. c. 28. Theod. Haerit Fab. l. 2. c. 5. do mention instances of some that did and as he says we have beyond any that ever went before us yet gives not one instance The Snake's Ipse Dixit is no Proof and if he cannot give better it will at least be a fresh Proof both of his Impudence and Lyes SECT X. Concerning the Satisfaction of Christ in Opposition to the false Charges of the Snake herein IN the Section immediately foregoing the Divinity and Incarnation of Christ is largly treated of and I have therein shewn that we own and believe both as declared fully and truly in the Holy Scriptures and also that our Books rescued from the perversions of this our Adversary do speak according to that acknowledged Rule It remains that in this I now shew that we have always owned in like Scriptural sense that Jesus Christ in Life Doctrine and Death did fulfil his Father's Will and did offer up himself a most Satisfactory Sacrifice for the Sins of Mankind in opposition to the false Insinuations of the Snake herein who says p. 151. Herein the Quakers are direct Socinians for they positively deny the Satisfaction Under which cloudy Charge he insinuates as if we did deny what the Scriptures do declare herein Which is false and he might with equal Sincerity have said the Church of England do deny The Satisfaction For to come nearer The Satisfaction which is positively denied by us is as positively denied by the Church of England which is that rigid and strict Notion of Satisfaction which some had Doctrinally but unscripturally laid down in the terms following viz. That Man having transgressed the Righteous Law of God and so exposed to the Penalty of Eternal Wrath it 's
of the Heart and Spirit this work the Law could not perform because as the Apostle says Heb. 7.19 The Law made nothing perfect Nor can Outward Water or Outward Bread and Wine That can only be done by the Inward Operation of the Spirit of God upon the Heart and Spirit This is that which is as useful and indispensable to Christians as the Outward Law was to the Outward Jew To which Outward Law Christ who was greater than Moses having put an end He hath established not another Outward Covenant but the Inward Dispensation of Grace and Truth which comes by Him Ibid. p. 171. Only let me tell the Quakers That their Objections which are answerd in that Treatise a piece writ by the Snake particularly upon this Subject are mostly the same which the Socinians have set up And let me tell the Snake that if the Socinians Arguments herein were sound and according to Scripture it can be no Objection to ours if they were not only mostly but altogether the same And it does not follow that they who err in some things are therefore right in nothing But if what the Snake tells us of our Arguments being mostly the same herein with those of the Socinians It will I hope be of as good purpose for me to tell the Snake that his Objections which are answered in this Treatise are mostly the same which the Romanists did make to the Reformation And then his Witty Remark may be of use to himself To see out of whose Quiver those Arrows came which he hath shot against us Ibid. p. 171. Thus the Socinians having thrown off or slighted the Sacraments have lost the true Faith in the Divinity of Iesus and have rejected him from being the Christ or Word of God which they say only dwelt in him or inspired him but was not Personally united to him Thus say the Quakers What the Socinians have thrown off and lost is not now my business to enquire But that the Quakers have not Thrown off or Lost the True Faith in Christ either as He is the Divine Word or as he was truly Man and dwelt on Earth I have already abundantly shewn in the Section foregoing wherein is particularly treated of and owned the Divinity and Incarnation of Jesus Christ. SECT XIII That Popish Emissaries did not first set up Quakerism in England as is said by the Snake THE Snake that he might be compleat in all the parts of his false and abusive Attempts against us having before by many ill practices in vain endeavoured to make us Heretical in points of Faith would here shew that our Original and Rise was from Popish Emissaries But in this I hope to shew his falsity and abuse as I have already done in those In order to which I desire my Reader to observe that the Snake's first Argument is drawn from the time of our Appearance which he makes to be about 1650. and 1654. And of these dates of time he says P. 187. Then it was that Rome was reaping a plentiful Harvest which they had long been sowing by setting up in that Universal Toleration Multitudes of Various Sects on purpose to Divide and so Confound their only Substantial Adversary the Church of England And here let it be observed that he imposes upon his Reader and would have it taken for granted upon his bare Word that about them Years there was a Vniversal Toleration and that during that time of Toleration there were by Romish Emissaries set up Multitudes of Various Sects Neither of which is true in Fact but contrary to the Faith of the History of them times and also to the Experience of many who are yet living who were eye witnesses of the Transactions of them and some who were Sufferers in them But first to the Toleration which the Snake calls Vniversal I doubt not but upon second thoughts the Snake will allow that at that time the Church of England was in Exile so that it was not Vniversal And as to the Quakers then Beginning they were not included in the Vniversal Toleration As our Testimonies easy to be produced of Imprisonments Blows Fines c. which our then few Friends suffered and underwent can testify These Instances I give to which others it's like may add more to shew that there was no such thing as a Vniversal Toleration Now to his Multitudes of various Sects which he says were then set up It is only a Romantick Story of his own Brain which has no truth in it For should it be supposed that there were in them Years People gathered into Religious Societies under Twelve distinct Denominations tho' I know not of one quarter that number What Multitudes can Twelve be called It may be he may say that Multitudes is an Hyperbole And indeed so it is for it so far beyond Truth that the Expression has nothing of Truth in it And now having briefly hinted at his falsity both with respect to his Toleration and Multitudes I shall proceed to shew That had there then been that Vniversal Toleration and such Multitudes of various Sects as the Snake hath falsly alledged Yet it doth not follow that these Multitudes or various Sects were set up by Rome Because there were various Dissents from the Church of England even from the first Reformation And it was objected to Her by the Author of an Apology for the English Seminaries Printed 1581. That there was Contention and Dissention among themselves This was not in 1650. but in 1581. at such time that if there was not Vnviersal Toleration yet the Church at least was Tolerated and who sowed the Dissentions then And if the Snake will not be angry with me as he is with Josiah Cole p. 189. for Reprinting something of a Papist's which he calls a Sensless and Bitter Libel though it is his practice often to repeat part of our Adversaries Bitter and Sensless Libels against us for which it may be he would have us thank him I will briefly quote that Apology Printed 1581. p. 60. His words are these We charge them with rebelling against Christ's Church Laws and Ordinances with disobedience to their Lawful Pastors with contempt of Holy Councils Fathers and Doctors with falsifying corrupting denying divers Books and Places of Holy Scripture With Contention and Dissention among themselves Disturbances of Kingdoms and Countries desire of Liberty and Novelty in-constant and daily change of their Opinions Presumptuous Arrogance and Vaunting of their Knowledge above all Antiquity with Singularity Sacriledge Apostacy c. Thus he And now what Reader but would take this to be the Snake's Declamation against the Quakers were it not for its Title and Date of Print And that we know it to have been a Papist's Declamation against the Church of England So like the Snake it is that to use his words we see out of whose quiver his Arrows came But as we have now to this Snake's so the Church of England did to this and such like Charges of
he has left us to guess who set it up in England For he having enumerated some Instances in which Enthusiasm is owned in the Liturgy and Offices of the Church Does declare p. 317. There is not one Book of Devotion used among us that does not tell us the same What Same Why the same Enthusiasm or Inspiration p. 119. Full as much as any sober Quaker can mean by the Light within Now if this same Enthusiasm came chiefly from Rome and Labade a Jesuit set it up in Holland he will be yet more particular if he can help us to his Name and Character who set it up in England But the Snake says R. B. was tinctur'd with it in his younger Years in the Stotch Convent at Paris What it was R. B. tinctured with If with the same Enthusiasm that he says is allow'd and own'd in the Church full as much as any sober Quaker can mean by the Light within Can there be any fault in that And that it was not the same Enthusiasm he has no where prov'd nor attempted to do it no more than he has attempted to prove that it was the same Enthusiasm with which R. B. as he says was tinctur'd and which Labade set up in Holland But the Snake's Argument has yet another Branch to shew that Popish Emissaries set up Quakerism c. viz. John Vaughton and William Southby formerly Roman Catholicks are now Preachers one in London the other in Pensilvania Therefore c. Reader It may be worth thy while a little to consider the unconcluding Rodomantade of this our Adversary in this point Enthusiasm came chiefly from Rome Labade a Jesuit set it up in Holland Therefore Popish Emissaries first set it up in England Robert Barclay when Young was at the Scotch Convent in Paris J. Vaughton and W. Southby were formerly Roman Catholicks tho' neither of them were more than Infants if born when Quakers first appear'd in England yet he will have it hence follow that Popish Emissaries first set up Quakerism in England Besides that his reasoning is false I take it to be foolish for if all the Religious Societies of Men in England who have in their Communion Persons formerly Roman Catholicks were set up by Popish Emissaries it will be harder for the Snake to shew which of them Popish Emissaries did not set up than which they did because there is hardly any Community in which there is not one or more who have formerly been Roman Catholicks And to carry his Folly to its full length he might with as great force of concluding say That the Quakers set up the Church of England for Francis Bugg formerly a Quaker is now a Member of that Church Ibid. p. 188. But God has punished them by sending the same Spirit among themselves and has made a Great Fraction in the Church of Rome Here is a Soloecism could Rome dress Enthusiasm in several Shapes and set it up in Holland before they had it among themselves I think they could not But as much a Novelty as the Snake would insinuate Fraction to be in the Church of Rome If he will rub his Eyes and look upon the Church of England's Apology afore quoted p. 21. Art 50. He will find her there to object against the Romanists Vix enim unquam inter se conveniunt nisi forté ut olim Pharisaei Sadducaei aut Herodes PÃlatus contra Christum They scarce ever agree among themselves unless perchance as the Pharisees and Sadduces or as Herod and Pilate against Christ. This Character was given by at least as good an Authority as is the Snake's and that long before Robert Barclay was at Paris or John Vaughton and William Southby were Preachers nay indeed many years before they were born Ibid. p. 188. The Quaker-Infallibility was contrived on purpose to bring Men back to the Infallibility of the Church of Rome It is both false and impossible that there should have been any such contrivance because they stand in direct opposition to each other For that Infallible assistance of the Holy Spirit of which we speak we say continues not with any Man or Men longer than they continue subject and in obedience to the workings of it But the Infallibility to which Rome pretends is from the Person of the Holy Apostle Peter by a Continual Succession or by Ordination not Qualification not alienable from the Church Concerning which I have more largely spoken in the Section particularly treating of Infallibility Ibid. p. 188. First the Infallibility was placed by G. Fox and all the Primitive Quakers in every single Quaker And all the Modern Quakers do continue to say with the Primitive ones that not only every single Quaker but every single and individual Person hath given him from Christ a manifestation of his Grace Light or Holy Spirit to which as People come to be obedient it will infallibly guide them into all Truth in all those things that pertain to Salvation Redemption and Eternal Life This tho' the Snake in his profane manner calls a Ridiculous pretence yet it is a Gospel Truth and will continue when his Profane and Ridiculous Attempts against it shall vanish Ibid. p. 188. And now there is but one step behind and that is to dispute the Infallibility betwixt the Two Churches that of Rome and that of the Quakers Yes there is one step more behind and that is the Infallibility of the Snake which is also to be disputed For it cannot be doubted but he too set up for Infallible certainty because of the frequent great assurance with which he delivers himself in Matters utterly false If the Snake had not an Infallible certainty that what he calls the Qua-Quaker-Infallibility was contriv'd on purpose to bring back Men to the Infallibility of the Church of Rome and that it was impossible it should be so contriv'd I have shewn what confidence must it be in him to affirm that to another of which he hath no such certainty himself Ibid. p. 188. And the Issue of this who does not see when their Succession and other Marks of the True Church come to be compared together The Issue may with more certainty be seen when the Dispute is ended and the Comparison made Tho' for the present I can see that if the Snake be the Manager Rome will not lose in any Question with any Protestant Dissenters whatsoever Ibid. p. 189. Of all the Dissenters now in England the Quakers have come nearest to the Church of Rome They only have taken the pretence of Infallibility unless they will bring in Muggleton for a Third Man none other except Papists and Quakers do set up for it Neither any of the Dissenters nor the Church of England do hold more Negatives in Doctrine to Rome than do the Quakers for we do not only hold all the Negatives which any of them do hold but also more And in the Doctrine of Infallibility as held by Rome there is not any manner of
agreement or likeness to Her in our Sense and Declaration thereof as I have already largely shewn Sect. 5. foregoing to which it is unnecessary to add more for the conviction of him whose Character is in nothing so eminent as in a Dogmatical Falshood of which a Notorious Instance now next follows Ibid. p. 189. The Snake doth implicitly charge Josiah Cole with Reprinting and Publishing with great Approbation a most violent Invective of the Church of Rome against the Protestants and chiefly against the Church of England in a piece of his Entituled The Whore Vnvailed Now Reader for thy more particular Information and the discovery of the Hypocrisie and Falshood of the Snake herein I shall acquaint thee That there was a Book Writ and Subscribed A. S. a Roman Catholick against the Church of England and other Potestants among which by the way the Quakers were included which he Entituled The Reconciler of Religions or a Decider of all Controversies in Matters of Faith In which Book there was divers Reflections upon our Principles as well as upon others who he pretended to Reconcile Josiah Cole writ an Answer to it which he Entituled The Whore Vnvailed or The Mystery of the Deceit of the Church of Rome Revealed By this Title it should not seem to be Repinted by J. C. with Great Approbation nor indeed was it For Josiah Cole as he quotes several parts of it he subjoins his own Answer detecting the Deceit of its Author A. S. very particularly And there being in this Book of A. S's a part which he made his 14th Chapter that did more particularly reflect upon and relate to those who in the Title of his Chapter he calls Protestant or Sectarian Ministers charging them not to be true Preachers or sent by God Josiah Cole with intent that the Persons charged might answer that which related to themselves does put it at the end of his Book and declares concerning it in his Title Page I thought meet to publish this herewith that the Sectarians or Episcoparians may answer for themselves This Reader is the Reality of that Business of which the Snake with so great Confidence and Falshood grounds that manifest Slander of his in saying The Quakers have more barefac'd than any openly sided with the Papists against the Protestants And I defy the Snake to produce any one piece written about that time which J. C's was that does more particularly detect and lay open the Deceit and Falshood of the Romanists than that of J. C's does So little reason had this Snake falsly as he does to bring in J. C. saying this Charge viz. the 14th Chapter against their Bibles and Ministers whose Cause says he I am not engaged in When J. C. hath no where said that he was not engaged in the Cause of the Bible But said he was not engaged in the Cause of them who A. S. had called Sectarian Ministers This briefly is the true state of that Matter on which the Snake makes near two pages of most false and scandalous Insinuations and Charges Ibid. p. 190. They have exceeded them in every thing and improv'd the Errors which they had learn'd from them Here the Snake will have the Quakers exceed the Romanists and that they have improv'd their Error even in a Question which himself determines p. 32. that our simplicity has depriv'd us of every one of these helps which the Romanists have But we having been from p. 32 to p. 190. under the Snakes hand it is no wonder if his Viparous Fancy having formed a Monster at first that he should think the proportions encreas'd Ibid. p. 190. G. W. asserts that the Righteousness which God affects in us is not Finite but Infinite Voice of Wisdom p. 36. And the reason which the Snake has left out is this For Christ is God's Righteousness and Christ is formed in us Gal. 4.19 and so that Righteousness which God works in us by his Spirit it 's of the same kind and nature with that which worketh it for the Saints are made partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 Ibid. p. 191. But if you will ask how could Infinite Righteousness fall G. Fox will answer you who wrote That he was beyond the state of the first Adam that Fell in the state of the second Adam that never Fell. But where G. Fox hath so writ the Snake tells not yet if he hath so writ what is it more than the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.22 45. hath said concerning our Death by Sin through the first Adam and our Regeneration through obedience to the Quickning Spirit the second Adam the Lord from Heaven And they who through the Operation of his Quickning Spirit have witnessed a being regenerated and born again may truly say that they are beyond the state of the first Adam that Fell. Ibid. p. 191. And in a Printed General Epistle of his to the Quakers which I have now here before me he says Who hath any thing against my way who never fell nor changed And he concludes This is the word of the Lord God to you all and spread this abroad The truth of the words is not less General than the Epistle for it is a General and a Standing Truth that the second Adam that never Fell Jesus Christ the Just Man's Path is the Everlasting Way to the Father which did never Fall nor never Change Therefore G. Fox might well ask who hath any thing against this Way And the Word and Command of the Lord through all Generations by his Servants hath been to call People to walk in this Way But that I may not forget I would now ask for that Answer which the Snake hath just now said G. Fox will give to the Question How could Infinite Righteousness Fall The Snake was willing to start some strange thing but not being then furnish'd with a seemingly probable Lie or forgetting to add such an one he hath omitted to say any thing which he calls G. F's Answer to that Question But the Snake is not more forgetful in this than he was in adapting the Matter treated of in this Section to the Title of it The Title he gives it is That Popish Emissaries set up Quakerism in England And to prove his Title he brings in G. F. saying That he was beyond the State of the first Adam that fell in the state of the second Adam that never fell That is He was born again by the Operation of the Quickning Spirit of Christ Jesus our Lord. See Reader How far this proves that Popish Emissaries set up Quakerism in England If this Argument be insufficient he hath others of like sort of which one is That G. Fox hath said of Jesus Christ his Way Who hath any thing against my Way who never fell nor changed A fine Argument that Popish Emissaries set up Quakerism in England He hath also given a Quotation from G. W's Voice of Wisdom p. 36. That the Righteousness which God effects in us is
it How can they who read and believe that saying of Christ Mat. 16.18 The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against his Church believe that Church to be His whose Total Ruine wou'd follow if Tythes were taken way Now least the Snake should glide away and make his Escape through the words in his Parenthesis as they suppose which I suppose he left for a starting hole Pretending that it is only a Supposition of the Quakers that if the Clergy be depriv'd of their Subsistence Tythes they would sink of Course and so the Total Ruine of the Church wou'd follow It will be convenient to remember That one of the Clergy in a Book writ on purpose in Defence of Tythes Entituled The Right of Tythes Asserted c. p. 13. compares Tythes to the Oyl that nourishes the Lamp without which the Lamp would not burn nor give any Light at all and comparing the Priests to an Army says Because they dare not engage this Army they attempt to force them to disband for want of Pay And p. 15. From a saying of Tacitus concerning the State which he says May be applied to the Church in this Case viz. There can be no Quiet to the Nations without Soldiers no Soldiers without Pay nor no Pay without Tribute on which therefore the Common Safety doth depend He infers Even so no Peace in the Church without Ministers no Ministers without Maintenance nor no Maintenance without these Publick Contributions namely Tythes on which therefore the safety of Religion doth depend I hope the Reader will here consider that it is not as they the Quakers suppose but as they the Clergy suppose that the Total Ruin of the Church would follow as also I wou'd desire my Reader to consider what Religion what Church what Clergy that is that doth so depend on Tythes that if Tythes were taken away these must sink in Course Ibid. p. 245. And this R. Barclay does not conceal That Antichristian Apostatiz'd Generation says he the National Ministry have receiv'd a Deadly Blow by our Witness against their forc'd Maintenance and Tythes So that their Kingdom in the Hearts of Thousands begins to Totter and shall assuredly fall to the Ground Anarchy c. p. 41. Printed 1676. This is a Truth which it was not proper to Conceal for it is fit their Kingdom in the Hearts of People should fall because they have but usurped it they have no Right to have a Kingdom in the Hearts of People and the Reason why it Totters and why it and they will fall is because they are not built upon the Rock Christ Jesus but depend upon a forc'd Maintenance by Tythes of which if they be depriv'd the Clergy will it seems sink in Course Ibid. But what if the Light within some Quakers should allow them to pay Tythes and think they ought in Conscience to do it as being Legally Established c. Whether Tythes be Legally Established is neither my business nor purpose here to discuss but supposing them to be Legally Established is a Legal Establishment by Civil or Human Authority a Bond to bind Conscience in things relating to Religion and the Worship of God Time was when the Sacrament of the Altar Auricular Confession the Caelibate or single Life of Priests and the rest of the Six Articles were in this Nation Legally Established Did that Establishment bind the Conscience to the performance of those things Unhappy Martyrs then who gave their Bodies to be burnt rather than they wou'd comply with those things tho' so Established Legal Establishments are of equal force in one Country as in another Are not these Six Articles not only practised by the Popish Party but reputed to be legally established in Popish Countries and vigorously impos'd and press'd in some particularly in France Are the Poor Protestants there to be Condemned as acting against Conscience while they have suffered such Ravages and Inhumane Cruelties for not complying with those things which are there Legally Established Who but a Snake wou'd thus hiss at them in his envy against Us But says he if the Light within some Quakers should allow them to pay Tythes Wou'd the Quaker Rulers allow them Liberty of Conscience and give them leave to follow their Light within The words Quaker Rulers as scoffingly used by him I reject and know of no such that the Light within ought to be the Rule for every one to walk by I assert But it is not impossible for some who may pretend to walk by it to put Darkness for Light and take that to be the Allowance of the Light to them especially in a case where either advantage or danger outwardly is likely to follow which is contrary to the Light This is not to be wondred at especially by them who call the Scriptures their Rule of Faith and Manners since there is hardly any thing more common nor more evident than that some in all Communions of them do think and are persuaded that according to the Scriptures they ought to believe and practise such things and after such manner as others not only of other Communions owning the same Rule but those of the same Communion with themselves deny to be the meaning of that Rule and oppose or condemn them for If a Bishop or other Clergy-man of the Church of England or any Minister or Member of any other Religious Society should so far mistake himself as to think the Scriptures which he takes for his Rule does allow not to say require him to say Mass to pray to Saints departed or other distinguishing Doctrines of Popery or to practise any abrogated Jewish Rite as Circumcision or the like wou'd the Church of England or any of the other Communions allow such an one the Liberty of his Conscience therein and give him leave to follow that which he says is the sense of the Scripture and yet continue to be of the Clergy of the Church of England or a Minister or Member in those other Communions If not but that they wou'd as they ought disown or deny such a one to be of them let not them condemn themselves in condemning us who have done no more as we ought not to have done less This I judge sufficient answer to his Idle Cavil about T. Crisp and other Apostates from us whose pretence to an allowance from the Light within to act those things which are contrary to the General direction and Testimony of the Light within has been fully laid open in several printed Treatises The Snake to swell his Libel not strengthen his Argument here brings in two Quotations from G. Fox and R. Hubberthorn nor relating to Tythes to which I need say little being already before answered and therefore shall here only add to what is already said that if he intend hereby to deny the Hypothesis only That any of our Writings are given forth by the same Spirit by which the Holy Scriptures were given forth I am content to leave it to the Witness
of God in the Consciences of them that without prejudice and with an equal mind do read them But if he denies the Thesis viz. That God can speak and make known his Mind now to Men Immediately by the same Spirit in and by which he spake to the Holy Prophets and Apostles Let him shew when and where God hath imposed that Silence upon himself and bound himself to speak no more in that Immediate manner by his Spirit to Men. Ibid. p. 246. And from the same Mouth of the Lord Tho. Ellwood denounces that they who pay Tythes c. How knows the Snake that Thomas Ellwood did not say he delivered it from the Mouth of the Lord Yet what he there delivered is true But if T. E. did not deliver it from the Mouth of the Lord but laid it down as a plain proposition deduced from Scripture and this abdicated Snake positively says he did From whose Mouth did the Priest denounce that Lye Unless from the Mouth of him who is the Father of them which is the more likely in that he wrongs T. E. in the Quotation also which he gives thus T. E. denounces That they who pay Tythes thereby deny Christ to be come in the Flesh which is a Mark of Anti-christ But T. Ellwood's words are They who pay Tythes do therein uphold a Legal Ceremony abrogated by Christ and thereby deny Christ to be come in the Flesh which is a Mark of Anti-christ 1 John 4.3 The Snake by leaving out those words do therein uphold a Legal Ceremony abrogated by Christ hath conceal'd from his Reader that part of T. E's proposition on which the remaining parts depended which he hath also done in p. 254. and repeated the same again with some addition in p. 273. to make the more noise for the proposition consists of three parts 1. That they who pay Tythes do therein uphold a Legal Ceremony abrogated by Christ. 2. That by upholding a Legal Ceremony abrogated by Christ they deny Christ to be come in the Flesh. 3. That to deny Christ to be come in the Flesh is a mark of Anti-christ for proof of which Tho. Ellwood quoted 1 John 4.3 Now if the Snake can without nibling and taking T. E's words by piecemeal disprove them or the Authority on which they are built it may answer his purpose otherwise the Conclusion is Firm. Ibid. G. Fox in his decretal Epistle bearing date the 3 d. Month 1677. commands Severely that the Friends Testimony against Tythes be kept up with Vigor And yet none of these words Command Severely nor Vigor are in that Epistle which this Scoffing Snake calls Decretal The Quotation he gives out of that Epistle begins thus For any to cry against the Priests in words and yet to give them means and put into their Mouths he has left out here that they may not prepare War against you as not willing to publish that their Unchristian Practice is a Contradiction And is it not so Then he goes on And therefore take heed for if the Lord God do bless you with outward Creatures and you do bestow them upon Baal 's Priests the Lord may justly require the Outward Things from you again Here the Snake stops and covers with a what follows in the Epistle thus Who i. e. the Lord saith that his Christian Ministers should freely give as they have freely received of Jesus Christ. This the Priests don't love the People should hear of no by no means giving Freely is what they care not for And if for a Reason they offer and say they have not freely received though it be Truth yet it will be of no great Advantage But it seems by the Snake's quarrelling with this Quotation that he would have God's Creatures bestowed upon Baal 's Priests for which I should want a reason had I not this viz. That he himself might hope to get a share of them But we have not yet done with G. F's Epistle The Snake goes on with the Quotation thus So all the Preachers for Tythes and Mony and the Takers and Payers of Tythe must be testified against in the Lord's Power and Spirit Here he leaves off again dashing out several lines which mention the Spoil that had been made by the Tythe-mongers upon such as refused to pay them and the Judgments that have come upon those Persecuting Spoilers And therefore said G. F. in the next words In the Power of the Lord maintain the War against the Beast that is that Persecuting Spirit in the Priests and do not put into his Mouth c. To pervert this passage the Snake has printed it Beasts in the Plural that he might make way for a false and wicked Comment of his own that is says he as well Payers as Receivers of Tythes and that adds he is the whole Kingdom King and Parliament Whereas by those words and do not put into his Mouth c. which the Snake has left out it is very plain that G. F's words in that place related to those that exacted not to those that pay'd Tythes But as he hath perverted this Quotation to render the Quakers Obnoxious to the Government by insinuating as if they set up an Outward Authority against it So he craftily but falsly says G. F. concludes his Epistle abovesaid with these words Keep your Authority and Dominion Whereas that is not the Conclusion but after those words Keep your Authority and Dominion it follows in the Power and Spirit and Name of Jesus Which shews the War before mentioned was a Spiritual Warfare to be maintained by a Suffering Testimony and this also shews the Malice and Falshood of this Adversary Ibid. p. 247. There they wou'd perswade us that all they have said against the Payment of Tythes was only meant by them against the Payment of them to the Popish Clergy But by no means against the Right of the Church of England to their Tythes as settled upon them by the Civil Government This is false and the words he quotes from that Paper Signed on the Behalf of Friends and their Yearly Meeting do not say or imply it There is not in them any acknowledgment of any Right the Church of England hath to Tythes He goes on and quotes from that Paper We are not convinced that it can be against the Fundamental Laws of the Land either to deny Tythes What when the Law enjoyns them The Law and that made in the same Reign and not much after that which was the first express Statute-Law for Tythes enjoyn'd owning of the 6 Articles viz. Transubstantiation in the Sacrament of the Altar Auricular Confession c. Was that a Fundamental Law of the Land The Martyrs that then chose rather to suffer Death in Flames of Fire than keep it did not think so Again are not all Acts of Parliament though made in Popish Times Fundamental Laws of this Realm Tho' such as were made about Religion for if they had either the Popish Religion must have yet
7.12 compar'd with ver 5. and 18. Ibid. He T. Ellwood quotes 1 John 4.3 which has no more relation to it than Neh. 10. to the 28 ver Did not the Snake sit playing at Tables a Sport he uses by him till his Eyes were dim when he read it he might one wou'd think have seen that T.E. did not quote that Text 1 John 4.3 to prove Tythes abrogated by Christ which he needed not do in that Controversie his Opponent then owning it but to prove that to deny Christ come in the Flesh is a Mark of Anti-Christ which that Text was aptly urg'd to prove and follow'd immediately after those Words is a mark of Anti-Christ So that both his foolish Cavil at T. E. for 1 John 4.3 and his frothy Squib upon the Prophet Nehemiah shews as well the weakness of his Cause as the levity of his Temper Ibid. p. 275. The Snake summons a great many Names without naming Books or Pages where to be found which he says F. Bugg an Apostate produces out of our Books but that Bugg's Charges upon us and Quotations from our Books have been repeatedly Answer'd not one Word No it will serve the Snake's base ends better either to be ignorant of our Answers or else knowing them not to consider them as they are but wickedly to pervert and false quote them of which two Instances now next follow The first is a Quotation borrow'd from this same Bugg out of the Guide Mistaken by W. P. Printed 1668 p. 18. which the Snake says was for the Church of England but it may appear otherwise by W. P's Words which are left out in this Quotation they are these But lest I may be Censur'd by the Reader for too Severe let me beseech thee to Inquire throughout the Story of the World where any kind of Religion has been or is Establisht by Authority and thou wilt doubtless find upon a diligent Search that the People's Judgments have ever been and are fast Chain'd in the Priest's Inquisition c. And of these Priests it is who through all Ages have thus Chain'd the Peoples Judgments in their Inquisitions that W. Penn does here speak And I think the Snake will hardly more own that they have done this than he can make it appear that the Church of England as now denominated hath been through all Ages If he can he will help her to one Mark which the Romanists say is a mark of the true Church And to another Mark which all will say is a mark of the false one The Second is a Quotation which he makes from W. P's Quakerism a new Nick Name c. p. 165. which the Snake says is For the Dissenters for he deals his blows round so Insinuating as if what W. P. there said did relate to all Dissenters which is notoriously false his Words are otherwise and do fully shew that they were only Relative to such grosly abusive Men as his then Adversary was to which I may add and as the Snake now is For his Words are these Is this the Man that must be thought fit to vaunt it over us with such Impudent Scurrility ungodly as well as unmannerly Reflections But in the Earth there is not any thing so fantastical conceited proud railing busie-body and sometimes ignorant as a sort of Priests to me not unknown among whom our Adversary is not the least who think their Coat will bear out their worst Expressions for Religion and practice an haughty Reviling for Christ as one of the greatest demonstrations of Zeal And of such as these it is that W. Penn said and said truly that they are an ill bred Pedantick Crew the Bane of Reason c. for so they really are And of such as these it was that W. P. in his Serious Apology speaks p. 156. as quoted by the Snake p. 275 276. And how strange soever he may make of it the Holy Prophets in the Scriptures do abundantly shew and denounce Woes and Plagues to those who made the People Drink and laid thâ—m to sleep on Downy Beds of soft Sin-pleasing Principles To such Isaiah spake Chap. 28.7 8. The Priest and the Prophet have erred through Strong Drink they are swallowed up of Wine they err in Vision they stumble in Judgment For all Tables are full Vomit and Filthiness so that there is no place clean And therefore he denounces from the Lord vers 18. And your Covenant with Death shall be disannulled and your Agreement with Hell shall not stand when the overflowing Scourge shall pass through then ye shall be trodden down by it And vers 22. he tells them I have heard from the Lord God of Hosts a Consumption even determined upon the whole Earth And in like manner Jeremiah 6.13 14 15. And from the Prophet even unto the Priests every one dealeth falsly Also the hurt of the Daughter of my People slightly saying Peace Peace when there is no Peace Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination Nay they were not at all ashamed neither could they blush And for this the Prophet says vers 26. For the Spoiler shall suddenly come upon us And the same Prophet Reproving the Great Wickedness of the Priests c. Jer. 23. denounces from the Lord vers 19. Behold a Whirlwind of the Lord is gone forth in Fury even a grievous Whirlwind it shall fall Grievously upon the Head of the Wicked These with abundance more of the Just Denunciations of God's Judgments upon the Wicked and such who pervert the right way of the Lord are to be seen in the Scriptures of Truth And it is not unlikely that those to whom these denunciations were sent did as this Snake now does ask What flaming Ovens are the Hearts of these Men Belching forth nothing but Hell and Damnation They who are hard enough through Rebellion against God to draw down Judgments seldom fail of being hard enough to Ridicule and Dispise the Monitors of them Ibid. p. 276. Bugg tells us in the same place how industriously these Books are spread amongst the Quakers insomuch that a Poor Widow-Quaker to whom he administred whose Substance did not amount to Ten Pounds had more than two hundred of them And in this place I do tell the Snake that we should be wanting to our selves if we were not as industrious to spread our Defences as the Snake or any Apostate may be to spread their Defamatory and False Charges As to what Bugg may brag of having Administred to a poor Widow-Quaker I have no need to question the truth of it nor what the Substance she left really was tho if it was but ten pound yet it was a Real tho but small Substance which if himself could have pretended to no more his Debts being paid and discharged I see not what just account or reason he can give for his compounding with his Creditors And if this Quaker-Widow had 200 of them Books of ours which I take to be false she was the better stored so
a good Champion in the Snake's Army and well enough to serve to Revile a People more Righteous than himself and for whom his Iniquities would no longer admit him a Companion and was therefore denied by them p. 10. And though now he is grown so hard in Impiety as to revile them that denied him for his Uncleanness Yet while some little tenderness was remaining he agreed to the Judgment of our Friends against him as may further appear by his own acknowledgment cited also p. 7 8. Thus Be it known to all People unto whom these presents shall be read that I H. W. and A. my Wife do acknowledge and confess before the living God and all People that we have sinned and done that which we ought not to have done in suffering the Temptations of Sin in the Flesh to overcome us So this know all People that it was not because the Quakers Judgment or Doctrine or way of Worship is false that it caused us to fall from them But our Fall was of our Selves So here 's H. W. and his Wife against the Snake his reviving this false matter was to vilifie the Quakers and their Holy Doctrine H. W. confesses to his Shame there Fall was of themselves And on their Heads and his let it rest till they Repent and Ask Pardon of God they for their Transgressions and he for his Revilings on their behalf SECT XX. Of Enthusiasm or Inspiration as said by the Snake to be Owned by the Church of England Ibid. p. 314. THe Word Enthusiasm signifies Inspiration and may mean a good as well as an evil Inspiration I am no more in doubt of the Truth of this than I am certain that the Snake did affirm falsly when in Pref. p. 43. he said There is no Enthusiasm where there is not Pride Ibid. These poor misled Quakers are made to believe that the Church of England does wholly throw off all Inspiration of the Holy Spirit The Snake has told us as above quoted there is no Enthusiasm where there is not Pride And if he would so mislead the poor Quakers as to believe that she does wholly throw off all that it would be in him no less a fault than it is to bely the poor Quakers and mislead his Reader concerning what the Quakers do or do not believe Ibid. I will here briefly set down the Doctrine of the Church of England in this Point To which if the Snake could have truly added and my Agreeable Practice as it would have been for his Credit so it would have dwindled his Libel to a much less bulk than that which his numerous and many fork'd Falshoods have swell'd it to But now he spends 4 or 5 Pages in giving Instances from the Service and Liturgy of the Church of England concerning her Doctrine in this point of Inspiration of the Holy Ghost with which I am so far from being displeased that I could with pleasure have read them all over if he had given as many more and am glad that so Essential a Truth as is the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit is owned by her tho' this is not the first Knowledge I had of it for I have some Years since read the same in her Liturgy And after the Instances he has given of the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit he says p. 319. It is made necessary to every good word and thought and the Cause of all the Good that is in us And we are directed to it to Follow and be Guided by it and are assured that it will lead us to all Truth that is requisite and necessary for our Eternal Salvation It is this which opens the Scriptures to us and our Vnderstandings rightly to apprehend the true sense and meaning of them c. In all this the Snake as he hath said what is agreed to and believed by every Sober Quaker So he hath herein declared the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost to be as Infallible as we believe it is And now before we part from a point in which we do as he says so exactly agree let us a little reason upon it and examine whether he has Squared his foregoing Sections by this Infallible Rule And first I shall observe the Snake says We are directed to it to Follow and be Guided by it and are assured no doubt by a certain Knowledge that it will lead us to all Truth that is requisite and necessary for our Eternal Salvation Supposing this to be true the Snake did very Scandalously not to say worse when he made the Devil as Infallible as any of their Church For in p. 39. speaking of that Light or Knowledge which comes from God which is the Inspiration of the H. Spirit he saith If that Knowledge which comes from God be Infallible then while the Devil follows that Light or Knowledge he must be Infallible And if this be all the Infallibility which the Quakers ascribe to themselves it seems it is all the Snake ascribes to the Church It Distinguishes them not from Wicked Men or Devils This is very hard but there is worse yet For though he does here say That the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost will lead us to all Truth requisite and necessary to our Salvation and so consequently will bring them that follows it to Heaven Yet this they are his own Words p. 40. will no more prove it to be Infallible or sufficient of it self to bring us to Heaven than it will follow that Man cannot die because God breathes into him the breath of Life or that he is Omnipotent because his Strength comes from God These Instances from the Snake though they clash yet in some that follow they will be found to cut one another up by the Roots For here in p. 319. He is very confident That the Church of England does agree with us concerning what we mean by the Light within And I must needs say the same Yet in p. 60. He gives the Light within in which he says we do so much agree with the Church of England a very evil Character and says It does totally root up and destroy all Church Government and Order Nay in p. 96. speaking of this Enthusiasm he says It is Inconsistent to the Government either in Church or State or any Security from all the Dismal and Enthusiastical Murthers Rapines and Outrage of the Zealots among the Jews who went upon the same Principle Fye Snake what the same Principle with the Church These are very ill Characters to recommend that Inspiration in which he is Confident the Church of England does agree with us Indeed he endeavours with a strange Contradiction to make all whole again by adding in the next Words yet shew'd no evil signs of it I would not willingly tire my Reader with Observations of the Snake's Contradictions upon this Head and therefore I shall but gather and add a few more of which this is one worthy of notice That though here in Page 319. he has made
Discoveries are often small not only to try the Obedience but to encourage to Faithfulness And they who will not thankfully receive its lowest Manifestations and obey the Discoveries of the Light of Christ in the forsaking and denying vain Honours and Language are not likely to be obedient to greater Discoveries if they had them Ibid. p. 332. But G. Keith for his Christian Doctrine of a Christ without was condemn'd by their Late Yearly Meeting in their Bull of Excommunication It was not for Christian Doctrine but Unchristian Practice which G. Keith was denied as the Testimony given against him does fully shew in these words George Keith of late hath been and yet is acted by an Unchristian Spirit which hath moved and led him to stir up Contention and Strife in the Church of Christ and to cause Divisions Separations and Breaches amongst them that Profess the Truth and that the tendency of Divers of his late Writings and Actings hath been to expose the Truth and Friends thereof What has Christian Doctrine to do with such Unchristian Actions They have no agreement and this was the Cause there assigned of our denying him The Snake now gives p. 333. part of a Letter which he says W. P. sent to R. Turner of Pensilvania in which speaking of G. Keith are these words I love his Spirit and honour his Gifts and his Peculiar Learning especially Tongues and Mathematicks his Platonick Studies too all being sanctified to the Truth 's Service which is worthy to have the Preheminence Upon which the Snake says here will be a sad account of that Infallible Discerning Spirit which the Quakers do appropriate to themselves To which I shall first say that it is utterly false that the Quakers have ever appropriated to themselves the Spirit of Discerning It is only appropiated to the Holy Spirit and what true Discerning of Spirits is given to Men must be from that Fountain Now as to the Letter the words above quoted do well consist with that Spirit of Discerning because in order of Time it appears not but that that Letter was writ some Years before the Testimony of the Yearly Meeting against G. K. which I have before quoted And if G. Keith's accomplishments in Learning had continued to have been all sanctified to the Truth 's Service as it is there exprest which was the ground of that Love therein declared He could not have stirred up Contention and Strife nor caus'd Divisions Separations and Breaches which was the reason of his being denied But further If that Letter was writ when there was some small beginnings of Misunderstanding betwixt G. K. and those in Pensilvania Yet the words of that Letter referring the Love declared to his Spirit and Learning to be as all are sanctified c. they are very safe as G. K. would also have been had he kept to the Holy Spirit which sanctifies and that would both have prevented further Disturbance and removed all Misunderstanding Ibid. p. 336. I do here demand Reparation in the behalf of the Church of England But particularly in behalf of one whom they have most Scandalously Robb'd The Person wronged is Mr. Selden and the Thief is Francis Howgil A Snake turn Knight Errant the Scandal of the Church presume to set up for her Representative O Monstrum But to his Ridiculous Arrogance I do here demand c. What mighty I is this What Ratling Snake Why an Anonymous who is as fear ful of putting his Name to his Demand as he is to appear before Justice One who Jugler-like plays Tricks in the Dark Therefore sure no true Pleni-Potent of the Church not one Legally Delegated by Her And he is not less the Church's Delegate than he is John Selden's who in his time was one of the Glories of this Nation one whose Living Labours may at once endear and preserve his Memory with those who know his Works And with what Forehead one so differently qualified as is the Snake should pretend to demand Satisfaction if the Demand were just in his Behalf is no small wonder But the Demand is Arrogant Trifling and Impudent in that he says F. Howgil has stoln whole Paragraphs verbatim out of J. Selden's History of Tythes I have with what care I can examined the Charge by comparing the Books and cannot find one whole Paragraph so taken I find that F. H. does in some places treat of Tythes in the same manner as J. Selden does and the Books which are his Authorities he puts mostly in his Margin And among others which he quotes J. Selden by Name is one in his History of Tythes and upon this Subject of Tythes he is twice quoted by F. Howgil viz. p. 482 and in p. 567. which is sufficient to shew that F. H. is no Plagiary But since the Snake hath thus taken upon himself to be a Knight Errant I will direct him to a piece of Work of the sort he here speaks of and if he can get satisfaction he may pretend to be Captain of the Band of Knight Errants He may find it in John Daille's Treatise of the Right use of the Fathers first Book p. 104. In these words St. Hilary St. Ambrose and others who robbing poor Origen without any Mercy do not yet do him the Honour so much as to name him scarcely This is certain that you shall find in St. Ambrose many times whole Periods and whole Pages too taken out of St. Basil but unless my Memory fail me very much you shall never find him once named there Thus he I spare to give more such Instances till the Snake shall here have demanded Reparation in due form But now we are speaking upon the vice of Stealing it may not be improper to remind him that it had been highly necessary for him to have surveyed himself and considered with what Face he could unjustly object Theft to F. Howgil because he speaks of the same Subject in the same manner with John Selden whom he also names While himself if he had been duly prosecuted for Theft must of necessity have been hang'd if at least the Law of the Country where he stole the Virgin whom he made his Unhappy Wife be in that case agreeable to ours But as to the Punishment I shall not now enquire nor yet what Reparation he made to the injur'd Parents or Relations But as to the Fact it had the Forms of Theft in that he had not their good leave before he took her and whether the Canons do not declare the Theft of Souls the Stealing of a Wife to be in the same Class of Crimes in which himself puts Obedience to the King de Facto It may be proper for him to consider which if he find and that he squares himself in his Repentance for that by his practice in this his Repence will be as singular as his tenacious Disobedience hath been observable But of this now no more nor had there been so much nay here none at all had
Answers to F. B. or J. P. in their black Charges relating to Treasons c. my Conscience excuses me and that the mistake the one for the other was no designed Injury to either nor yet to this their Credulous Advocate And as to my Answer to John Pennyman Entituled Christ's Lambs defended c. However slighted by this Adversary as Impertinent Shuffling c. There is more in it to purpose and to the same subject of his 18th Sect. than he is able to answer I am perswaded though not to all he quotes upon G. Bishop which I had not read out of his own Books that I remember neither have I those Books or Papers of G. B's relating to State Affairs or Government And what tho' John Pennyman does not mention his large Quotations out of G. B's Works Ibid. It follows not that my Book Christ's Lambs c. contains not an Answer to the Substance or most Material part of his said 18th Section which I still think it does It is very Remarkable how confident the Snake is in notorious Falshoods as in what follows p. 355. viz. For to tell thee the Truth George I have undergone the Pennance of reading over thy â—edious Answer to John Pennyman Even thy Christ's Lambs and there is not one word in it from Top to Bottom one tittle to the purpose but such Shuffling and Cutting as in this present Answer to the Snake Only thus much it serves for that you may have it to say there is an Answer to such a Book c. Thus by the Lump he has passed his false Sentence upon my said Answer to J. P. as not one word or tittle of it to the purpose but as if both it and my Answer to the Snake i. e. my Antidote were made up of Shuffling and Cutting c. and that only they may serve â—s for the Name of an Answer But if the first was so very Impertinent Why did not John Pennyman make Reply and clear himself by shewing its Invalidity And if the latter i. e. the Antidote be so very silly and of no Vâ—lidity 〈◊〉 comes iâ— that this Author is so deepâ—◠〈…〉 at it as that when he has leasur◠〈◊〉 â—onsider it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he intends it p. 350. It appears he has passed judgment on it by wholesale without such consideration but what need of any such strict and particular consideration or replication if it be so siâ—ly and impertinent â—s he renders it Lyars have need of good Memories to make all their Falshoods hang together His Black Charge of Traiterous Principles and Actions Blasphemies and Treasons Blasphemers and Traitors c. which I took notice of in the Antidote p. 24. was not only upon particular Persons but as extended against the Quakers in General wherein he shewed the greater Injustice and Malice seeing what he calls Their Traiterous abetting Oliver and the Rump many Thousands of the People called Quakers were then Unborn in his day and chose that warred under him tho' they did it from a Principle of Conscience it was before they were Quakers and those of them that believed there was for a time a Providence of God with him and his Army in a way of â—â—dgment whereby they were a Terror to their Adversaries their 〈◊〉 therein is no ways 〈…〉 the Snake's Hissing at or against them on that account unless he can prove that God had no hand in that Judgment and those Revolutions and over-Turnings That the then Clergy abetted Oliver and highly applauded him and his Son Richard as their Moses and Joshua c. He denies not but saith As for the then Clergy as he calls them let the Quakers and them reckon about their Equal Treasons and Rebellion The Clergy of the Church of England are not herein concerned they then suffered for their King and with him p. 356. Observe here 1st In the first place the Quakers still without Exception are charg'd with Treasons and Rebellion and the then Clergy charg'd Equally with them therein so that those of his Brethren do not escape his foul hands no more than the Quakers tho' the latter cannot be justly charged with those high applauses which the other gave to O. C. and his Son 2 d. In the next place he will not now own them for the Clergy of the Church of England who were the Clergy in their time but only those few that suffered for the King and with Him And what then does he think of the Clergy now Who are the Clergy of the Church of England but those that have the Tythes and get into the Pulpits as did those in O. C's time But perhaps this Incendiary may have as much against the present Clergy and Government as against them only he hides and dares not utter it as yet What he and such Sowers of Discord may hereafter do if they have opportunity may be nearly guessed at by the course he now takes He Quarrels with us now about Past-times and Proâ—idence which neither he nor his Brethren of the Clergy nor we either could avoid no nor help if he were now more disposed to a peaceable and charitable Mind and Conversation towards others it would bespeak more of Christianity than to Quarrel and upbraid others about former Transactions and Revolutions wherein Divine Providence over-ruled Mens Contrivances and Actions considering that the most high Rules in and over the Kingdoms of Men and he giveth them to whomsoever he pleaseth Dan. 4.6 and none can stay his hand or may say to him What dost thou None may charge him with Treason or Rebellion neither do the Instruments he makes use of act merely of themselves nor is it just to upbraid or condemn others unconcerned for their actions as this Incendiary does us And 't is observable what a Valliant Warrier this Author of the Snake appears in his so severely Cudgelling Cromwell and Banging the Rump and Paying off the Old Army and Insulting over them now so many Years after they are Dead and laid Aside and not only so but upbraiding the Living and unconcerned with their concerns when as he and his Brethren of the now Clergy should rather be humbled and humbly consider the Cause and Reason of those Revolutions and of the Judgment of War and Devouring Sword why they came to pass or were suffered Had God no hand therein think they Many Men of Judgment and Valour have other considerations thereof than now to Boast and Insult over the Dead I doubt not but some yet alive can remember upon what Principle and for what end they acted whom he bitterly commemorates and inveighs against and how Religiously inclined in their way I have had credible Information from some of that Old Army and how they were often Preaching and Praying when many of the other were Drinking Swearing Cursing and Damning and what Service did they thereby do for the King when they came to Engage Were not such sometimes upon a Shout ready to run for it Did
stood or the Reformers must all be guilty of breaking the Fundamental Laws of the Realm which is a Charge that the Modesty of this Snake will hardly forbear to put upon them after having so warmly endeavoured to prove them Schismaticks as I have before shewn But while I am upon this point of Fundamental Laws I would ask the Snake to give if he can some Reason why the Act of Parliament made in the 27th H. 8. for setting out of Tythes was more a Fundamental Law of the Land than the other Act made in the 31st of the same Reign for Establishing the 6 Articles Tythes are rightly deem'd Anti-christian as impos'd by Popes and Popish Laws because they were so imposed by vertue of the Levitical abrogated Law Besides by Popish Laws there mentioned I take our Friends to mean not Acts of Parliament made in Popish Times which the Snake would craftily twine it to but Decrees or Constitutions of Popish Bishops or Councils because Popish Laws are joyned there with Popes impos'd by Popes and Popish Laws not Papists in their Civil Capacities only but Papists quatenus Papists in their Ecclesiastick Capacities and for Establishing not Civil Government but the Popish Religion and Church And indeed the Stature in the 27th H. 8. was not properly imposing of them for they were impos'd by the Lateran Council long before and the Impositions of them was intirely Popish And upon that Imposition Tythes being supposed to be due to God and Holy Church as the Preamble of that Statute shews the manner of Payment and direction for Recovery were appointed by that Statute and the other Statute made in the 2 d Edw. 6. is grounded on that of H. 8. and refers to it and expresly declares it is made to the intent the said Tythes may be hereafter truly paid according to the mind of the makers of the said Act. And that being made by H. 8. and his Parliament about four Years before the Act for the Six Articles was made sufficiently shews what the mind of the Makers of that Act was and whom they would have Tythes then paid to who profest Communion with the Church of Rome tho' they quarelled with the Pope and burnt the Protestants as fast as they appear'd so that if it should be supposed that Tythes were imposed by those Statutes it will be hard to free them from being a Popish Imposition Ibid. p. 248. There were no Tythes paid to any Popish Priests in England ever since Quakerism appear'd amongst us Nay rather was there any Tythes paid to any Priests but what in their Original here in England were demanded by Popish Priests Are not all Priests that take Tythes what ever other Denomination they may go under in that and so far at least Popish And this may serve for Answer to his Interrogative in the same Page Why do you not now pay your Tythes to the Ministers of the Church of England Ibid. Why do you boast of your Sufferings and Imprisonments c. We do not boast nor have we any thing to boast of that we can do or suffer it is the Lord that hath carried us through our Sufferings as he did his People in former times and the Glory belongs to him which it is fit we should give unto him by Commemorating his Goodness therein towards us But it is an Aggravation of Cruelty and an unusual sort of Barbarity to put Men to pain and then blame them for Groaning to oppress Men and not suffer them to Complain or seek Redress Ibid. p. 249. Why do you Persecute and Disown those of your Communion who pay their Tythes c. We Persecute none but in disowning such as pretending to own our Principle do act contrary to it we do but our Duty Ibid. Why are you so Zealous herein as not to leave them to their own Conviction or Light within c. We leave them to take their own way if they will persist therein after frequent Admonition and Endeavours to bring them to the right way Ibid. Why will you not allow them what your selves so much plead for Liberty of Conscience in this Case We do allow all such the same Liberty we our selves plead for For we don't plead for a Liberty to act contrary to the Principles of any other â—ociety and oppose them and yet require them to receive and own us as Members of that Society we oppose We meddle no further with any of those who have deserted our Principle than to declare they are gone from us and are no longer of us and to Defend our Principle and us against Assaults And if other Societies which we departed from had done no more nor otherwise by us we should not have complain'd of them Ibid. The Quakers are not fewer by the lowest Computation than One Hundred Thousand here in England I wish he speak true Let Joab's wish 2 Sam. 24.3 go with it The Lord add unto the People how many soever they be an hundred fold But since the Quakers are known to all and acknowledged even by their Enemies to be an Industrious People it may be hop'd this Intimation of their Numbers may occasion our Governours to consider How much more useful an Hundred Thousand working Bees may be to the Civil Government than Ten or Twenty Thousand Drones Ibid. If the Tythes first of all the Quakers and then of all those who to avoid Payment of their Tythes will pretend to be persuaded by them herein were Substracted there would not be Sufficient left to keep half the Clergy in England from Starving By this one wou'd think either that there are great Numbers of those who Pay their Tythes with an ill will and would gladly be eased of the Payment of them which I hope we may be allow'd to say is very good News because it bespeaks a growing Sense of the Oppression and Evil of Tythes For since the Clergy as they love to call themselves are not the hundredth part of the People if the Tythes of the one half of all those who Pay to them were Substracted they should have instead of the Tenth but the Twentieth nay the Thirtieth Part of the Increase they would have more than double or near treble to their Proportion than all the rest of the Inhabitants besides of the danger of whose Starving this Snake seems not at all apprehensive What he says Ibid. was Threaten'd or Prophesied he can't tell which it seems by Rich. Huberthorn seems to be a Reproof of the Priests Pride and Luxury who would be likely rather to Beg or suffer want than set their Bones to Work for their Living as others are glad to do And this being spoken of the Priests of that time when that Book was Written before the Year 1660 who were not of that Church which is now call'd the Church of England when they were turn'd out and the Law of the Land ceas'd to maintain them which came sooner upon them than they expected they might have begg'd their
Bread or Perish'd for want for any Care or Pity these Priests who call themselves the Clergy of the Church of England took of them or shewed to them Ibid. p. 250. They did not think it sufficient to Preach and Print against Tythes but they went about and got Subscriptions of many Thousand Quakers throughout all England against Tythes and sent them to the Parliament in a Humble Threatning Manner By this he must mean That this was Subscriptions of Men For he adds And as if this had not been sufficient the Women too must be Assembled And they too must sign the like Subscriptions Yet this Subscription of the Men which he says they sent up in an Humble Threatning Manner he confesses in the next Page he had not seen I have not yet seen the Subscriptions of the Men p. 251. So that he throws out his Scoffing Lye of an Humbling Threatning at a venture on hear-say from others or his own bare Surmise of which when he brings truer Proof it may be further considered And for the Subscriptions of the Women I have already spoken to it p. 345 346 fore-going Yet for further Discovery of the Malice and Falshood of this Adversary herein I will Remark upon his Quotations from those Papers of the Women's Subscriptions against Tythes concerning which he says p. 251. The Women do positively declare for Annulling of Tythes if the Parliament wou'd not alter the same He begins his Quotation thus The Commands of Men say they p. 3. must be Annulled that takes Tythes and not be obeyed by them that live in the Covenant of God Here he stops and dashes out what follows as he left out what went before these Words The Commands of Men must be Disannulled How By the Covenant of Life which Abrogates the Levitical Law that gave Tythes And if the Covenant of Life hath Abrogated the Levitical Law that gave Tythes which Law was given by God Shall it not also Annul the Commands of Men upon that Abrogated Law I think it must But how Must it be as the Snake says If the Parliament wou'd not alter the same Insinuating that they then wou'd Rebel which is a most false Insinuation Yes if they wou'd not it must be Annulled to as many as are in the Covenant of Life because such Witness as the Words in p. 3. immediately foregoing the Snake's Quotation are the End of the Command of God to the Jews that gave Tythes Thus much for the Words left out at the beginning which sufficiently shews the Malice of the Snake Now for what he hath dash'd out at the end of this Quotation which is this Now if you the then Parliament act in the same Power that hath held up Tythes since the Apostles Days which hath taken away many of our Friends Lives that have been Imprison'd till Death in nasty Holes and Corners for bearing their Testimony against that unjust Oppression of Tythes This the Snake Conceals it is not with him worth minding if Quakers are Imprison'd till Death But whether he will mind it or not I think it did very highly concern them who were exposed to such Sufferings for their Testimony against an Abrogated Jewish Law to represent as they did to the then Powers their Case and warn them that they stood not in that same Power by and from which they had known such Sufferings The Snake continues thus And they tell p. 4. That they bear their Testimony for the Lord Jesus Christ in Opposition to Tythes against the Commands of Man set up in Opposition to him since the Days of the Apostles c. which to you say they is the Word of the Lord God In the Compass of this short Quotation here are three Abuses which the Snake was willing to do to this Place that thereby he might twine it to his purpose The first is he gives for our Friends Words Bear their Testimony c. Whereas it is Printed Bearing But that would not suit his purpose therefore it must be chang'd for that wou'd have spoil'd his Connection and given cause to suspect that it was Relative to something that went before which he was very desirous should be conceal'd but now it must out It is this There are many in Prison at this Day in nasty Holes bearing their Testimony c. I find the Snake wou'd have us lye so close in Nasty Holes as neither to be seen nor heard of His Second Abuse is his Parenthesis in Opposition to Tythes which he puts as looking with a better Grace than the Words which really are in a Parenthesis in this Quotation in the Book it self for they are these That Disannulled the Command that gave Tythes But he thought that it was not proper to have it seen that the Reason why our Friends did lye in Nasty Holes was for bearing their Testimony for the Lord Jesus Christ that Disannulled the Command that gave Tythes His Third Abuse is after these Words since the Days of the Apostles c. he adds which to you is the Word of the Lord God Now these last Words stand not thus in that Page but five or six Lines higher and are a Warning from the Lord to that Parliament in these Words Let not the Nation be ruin'd and the People Prison'd to Death and the Blood of the Innocent be drunken as abundance of it hath been within these few Years which lies upon the Heads of some therefore keep it clear from off your own Heads we warn you which to you is the Word of the Lord God c. The Snake now takes for his Quotation from p. 21. these Words The shout of a King is amongst us the Lord God omnipotent And then gives a Dash instead of these Words which follow Who will throw down all that is come up since the true Church went into the Wilderness And it is no doubt a great Truth That when Jesus Christ the Spiritual Head of the true Church comes to take that Power which of Right belongs to Him He will throw down and deliver his Church from all that Deceit and Oppression which hath come up since his Church went into the Wilderness And it is the Duty of all true Christians to bear their Testimony accordingly Ibid. p. 252. He quotes thus from those Papers of the Womens Subscriptions p. 40. This Priesthood which takes Tythes now this was not the Popish Priesthood says the Snake we in the Power of the Lord God deny them And a very good Reason is in this p. 40. given why we do deny them which is Because there was never no Priesthood that took Tythes who was made by the Law of God but what was in the time of the Law c. And if the Priest-hood now taking Tythes are not so Constituted by the Law of God under the Gospel Is there not very great and good Reason why it should be denied Ibid. He goes on and quotes from the aforesaid Papers page 63. We Declare with our Hands and