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
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
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
Revelation p. 74. Sect. V. Concerning Infallibility p. 85. Sect. VI. Concerning the Authority of the Holy Scriptures p. 150. Sect. VII Concerning Idolatry p. 173. Sect. VIII Concerning the Holy Three Bearing Record in Heaven p. 184. Sect. IX Concerning the Divinity and Incarnation of Christ. p. 191. Sect. X. Concerning the Satisfaction of Christ. p. 230. Sect. XI Concerning the Resurrection p. 239. Sect. XII Concerning Baptism and the Supper p. 258. Sect. XIII Shewing Popish Emissaries did not set up Quakerism in England p. 276. Sect. XIV Shewing that we do not Damn all but our selves p. 293. Sect. XV. The Quakers clear'd from the Charge of Venom and Nastiness and it shewn to be his own True Character p. 308. Sect. XVI Of Fâ—ghting and Loyalty p. 316. Sect. XVII Concerning Tythes p. 376. Sect. XVIII Shewing that the Pretensions of the present Quakers as of the former to the Spirit of Prophecy Infallibility c. is according to and agreeable with the Scriptures of Truth p. 434. Sect. XIX Visible Possessions by the Devil Examin'd and Refuted p. 442. Sect. XX. Of Enthusiasm or Inspiration as said by the Snake to be own'd by the Church p. 462. Sect. XXI His Falsly Entituled Impartial Comparison between G. Fox L. Muggleton and Oliver's Porter shewn to be Prophane c. p. 472. A Supplement by G. Whitehead p. 486. Sect. XXII A Reply to some Remarks upon as it is call'd by the Snake G. W's Creed p. 486. Sect. XXIII Some Reflections by G. W. upon A Supplement pretended upon occasion of his Answer to The Snake in the Grass p. 343. p. 507. ERRATA PAge 32. l. 24. things r. thing p. 34. l. 23 it r. is p. 64. l. 17. Teâ—â— r. Fell p. 76 l. 16.21 r. 28 p. 91. l. 7. after gave us add to discenâ— p. 94. l. 5 swearing r. to swear p. 111 l. 17 after have add little 〈◊〉 p. 126 l. 32. it r. is p. 144 l. 27 dele unless p. 152 l. 27 after is 〈◊〉 as p. 168 l. 1. after was add said to be ib. l. 22. r. as before is p. 180. â— 34 word r. world p. 197 l. 19 after that add it p. 202 l. 30 〈◊〉 here add desire him to p. 216 l. 9. after to add the ib. l. 10 land 〈◊〉 lamb p. 272 l. 28 after what add it p. 286 l. 13 dele Qua p. 398 〈◊〉 28 after of dele the p. 413 l. 30 dele all p. 431 l. 5 drink r. druâ—â— Anguis Flagellatus OR A SWITCH FOR THE Snake in the Grass INTRODUCTION Wherein also the Preface and Introduction of the Snake are Consider'd and Reply'd to AGainst the Venome of the Snake as it at first appeared an Antidote has been already given in an Answer under that Title by George Whitehead to the First Edition of the Snake in the Grass Of which Answer the crafty Sophister having gotten notice hastned a Second Edition of the Snake so different from the First that it might rather seem a New Book than a New Impression of an Old One. For besides the Additions which he made he alter'd the Frame and Contexture of it by choping and changing the Parts and melting as his Phrase is a Preface of above 350 Pages and bigger than the Book it self into the Body of the Book which as himself says in his Account of the Second Edition renders it in a manner a New Work and he calls it a pulling down the whole and rearing it in a new Form Thus the Snake cast its Skin chang'd both Colour and Shape in the several Subsequent Editions By which Artifice the Answer which was designed and adapted to the First Edition was render'd less Serviceable and Useful The Reader not knowing by the Pages referr'd to in the Antidote where to find in the later Editions the Matter treated of As this together with the Adversary's Allegations in his latter Editions that in the Answer to his first his Quotations were not disproved was the Ground or Motive to this Second Answer So also the Reasons why this Answer came not sooner forth were partly that we might see in what Shape this Proteus who has transform'd so often would at length settle that we might not be again obliged Actum Agere And partly that we might have had his Reply to G. W's Antidote which is his Third Edition p. 358 and 366. He hath as good as promised that That also might have been considered But since our Adversary has thought fit to suspend if not wholly to throw off his pretended Intention of giving a particular Reply to the Antidote I was not willing longer to delay this Answer to the Third and Last Edition of the Snake And do here acquaint such Readers who have the Second Edition of the Snake that though the Pages differ so that the References by them do not agree yet the Sections in both the Second and Third Editions standing in the same Order and bearing the same Titles and this Answer being adapted to each Section mostly separatim it will not be very difficult for the Reader herein to find the Matter referr'd to in the Second Edition of the Snake also Thus having given some short Account both of the Reasons why this Answer was delay'd till now and why written now It will be necessary to proceed to the Work in which that I may not omit any thing in the Snake deserving notice I shall begin with his Preface The Preface considered THE Snake that he might not miss any occasion of shewing the World the Squint Opinion he has of us is pleased to link us in his Preface with one Antonia Bourignon of whose Principles he pretends to give some Account and that she perfectly agrees with us Pref. p. 11. even in those things wherein himself says she hath writ against us and takes up a great part of 44 Pages of which his Preface consists to shew some Instances of those Wild Heretical and Barbarous Notions which in Pref. p. 4. he says Antonia holds and which he in order bestows upon us thereby to prepossess his Reader Not unlike the Fellow who to shew his Squint and Blasphemous Opinion of the Apocalyps bound up St. John's Revelations and Aesop's Fables in one Volume But as St. John's Revelations had another Origin than the Imaginary Fables of Aesop So the Revelations of the same Holy Spirit at this day do vastly differ from all Imaginary Flights from all Heretical Wild and Barbarous Notions and does give Solid Reasons of that Faith it begets in us and which we are ready to give to the Sober Inquirer As for Bourignon her Errors concerns not us if she be what the Snake says she appearing an Enemy as well as he by having writ against us not but that there is some reason to suspect he wrongs her from the certainty we have of his often and greatly abusing us Pref. p. 11 12. The great design of the Devil is and has always been to beat down the Priesthood and outward
other Books Writ about that time do abundantly testifie of the like evil Practices in other Counties And that they might the more effectually Convince their Persecutors of the wrong they then did them they Expostulate with them P. 78 79. concerning the Pretences on which these their Persecutors had proceeded against others for what they called Arbitrary Actings while they themselves were then found in Practices not less Arbitrary and Illegal The Words are these To what purpose have been the Hangings by the Neck the Cuttings of the Throat at Tyburn the Imprisonments Confiscation of Estates and other exemplary Punishments executed on Judges Justices and Ministers of State for Arbitrary Acting of which the Records of this Nation speak Why was Strafford's Head cut off and Canterbury's and Charles Stuart's as Traitors for Endeavouring to Subvert the Fundamental Laws of England and what Justice was there in all these c This it 's plain is not Exulting but Quaerying not Praising but Questioning yet the Snake by his Art in Splitting Sentences puts it in another face than this its true one Another Instance the Snake quotes p. 221. from the Book aforesaid p. 96. Multitudes of People flock'd up out of the City to Westminster to complain of their Sufferings which Charles Stuart call'd Tumults But the place as it lies in that Book is thus In the beginning of the Long Parliament some such thing viz. Guards was set at White-hall-gate to hiâ—â—er the Multitudes of People which flock'd up out of the City to Westminster to Complain of their Sufferings by the Bishops and Oppressions c. The last Words it seems the Snake would have kept under the Thumb and by no means have it known that the cause why the People then flock'd to Westminster was their Oppression and Suffering by Bishops No by no means the Snake can much more willingly have it known that King Charles the First was counted faulty than that those Bishops should stand Recorded for Oppressors and Persecutors This must not be Published in Gath nor had I now reviv'd it in this Instance but to Detect the Injustice and Falshood of this Partial Adversary I come now to a Book Entituled Several Papers given forth by G. Fox Printed 1660. From which the Snake in the same manner as from the last quoted gives many Scraps of Quotations with purpose that they may Answer the Title of this Section and to prove his Solecism That all their Fighting has been chiefly against the King But alas his base and nasty practice of Splitting Sentences Curtailing Periods and Perverting the Sense Scope and Purport of them will never be able effectually to do it as who shall read the Pages referr'd to by him viz. p. 8 9 12 15 16. and from which in an interwoven manner he hath plac'd the several Bits he picks will more fully see I omit to Transcribe them for Brevity but their Purport is this George Fox does in those Papers which were Writ long before the King's Restauration though not Printed till the Year before fore-warn and reprehend those who would have Constituted and Set Up an Oppressing King which it was fear'd some in Oliver's Days would have done thereby to Establish and Impose their Religion upon the Nation contrary to their former great Pretence to the Headship and Kingship of Jesus Christ over the Church And thus much as it hath the warrantable Example of Precedent from Holy Writ so neither was it any Fighting against the King When the Jews 1 Sam. 8.5 would have a King to Judge them like all the Nations it is said in the very next Verse according to the Hebrew It was evil in the eyes of Samuel yet Samuel was not therefore accused of Fighting against him whom God in anger gave them to be their King Samuel had a sight of that Declension which was in the Jews contrary to their former Practices in this their desire that displeased him and seemed evil unto him in that there should be such Declension in them Thus some there were who once had some beginnings of the Work of God in their Hearts and while they continued under that Sense were willing that Jesus Christ should have his proper Headship and Government in his Church and that all should be persuaded in their own Minds in the Exercise of their Religious Worship towards God But having declined from this they were endeavouring to set up the contrary viz. a Governour and Government by which they might impose upon those with whom they had formerly Unity as relating to the Freedom of the Conscience Against this it is G. Fox in those Papers speaks which shews the Snake in his scornful Flout p. 223. Alas wretched George now must all Men know that thou even thou thy self didst quench the Spirit and deny the Light c. does of none speak so properly as of himself concerning whom all Men that read him must know by this his Falshood and Malice that he does quench the Spirit and deny the Light which will further appear in the falsity of his saying P. 223. Thee G. F. didst Change just as the times did Change and just as soon The Instance which the Snake gives that G. F. did so Change is a Declaration which he with other of our Friends did give unto the King at his Restauration importing their Truth and Fidelity to him 'T is thus Entituled A Declaration and an Information from us the People of God called Quakers To the Present Governours the King and both Houses of Parliament c. And was delivered to the King the 22 Day of the fourth Month 1660. From p. 4. of this Declaration the Snake p. 224. quotes thus We therefore Declare to take off all Jealousies Fears and Suspicions of our Truth and Fidelity to the King and these present Governours That our Intentions and Endeavours are and shall be Good True Honest and Peaceable towards them and that we do Love Own and Honour the King and these present Governours what follows the Snake has cut off so far as they do Rule for God and his Truth and do not impose any thing upon Peoples Consciences but let the Gospel have its free passage through the Consciences of Men which we do not know that they have by any Law as yet imposed And if they Grant Liberty of Conscience towards God and towards Man then we know that God will bless them So that the ground of that Love and Honour which our Friends did then profess to have for that Government was their Ruling for God and his Truth and not impposing upon the Consciences of Men. And I must needs say that there never was any Governours in the World who have so Ruled but the People of God in every Age have lov'd and honour'd them as they have been always True Honest and Peaceable towards all and must continue to be so through every Age of the World and such Kings Princes and Governments God will bless But in all this where
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
Understanding and so the Disputer was raised to Life and that which was for Condemnation having darkned the Light of the Sun form'd it self in the shape of the True Light and so Deceit got the Power and led out of the true Obedience in things before related by which the Simple be-became exceedingly deceived But when he was restored by the Clear Light of Life being guided in that Obedience which was professed by those People among whom he was being the Quakers and his Witness Here is a Clear Testimony that the Truth and Light professed by the Quakers leads out of the Works of the Flesh to worship God in Spirit and in Truth And that by this J. Toldervy's Understanding was opened What hinder'd then that the Work of Regeneration did not go on in him Why they say that he being of a hasty and forward Mind it was in part a Covenant of his own which raised a Fiery Zeal by which he lost his Vnderstanding and thereby the Sun was darkned a very natural consequence of that Covenant which was his own and not of the Spirit of God and here it was that that which was for condemnation formed it self in the shape as they express it of the True Light And thus indeed the Enemy of Man the Devil works in a Mystery to drive Men to make Covenants in their own Wills for their Regeneration which as they can never last so according to the various Disposition of the Person so Covenanting are the extreams which they run into Thus they acknowledge in direct opposition to the Snake that that Deceit which was in J. Toldervy was so far from encouraging him in the Principles of Quakerism that it did lead him out of the True Obedience to that Prinliple which they say he learned from the Quakers Ibid. p. 291. He made a sort of a half Vindication and half Recantation not of the matters of Fact of his aforesaid Delusions for these were undeniable but to free the Quakers from the Imputation and Scandal of them and to clear himself to have been and still continue a true Quaker which makes the Cause much worse on their side Supposing John Toldervy did endeavour to clear himself to have been and still continue a true Quaker at a time and in things wherein we had by Word and Writing denied him I pray how shall that make the Cause much worse on our side any more than it makes bad of the side of the Church of England because the Snake a former Scandalous Member does pretend to have been and still continue a True Member in her Communion But to proceed the Snake is here forc'd to acknowledge that J. Toldervy did free the Quakers from the Imputation and Scandal of his Delusions which whether he had or not the Quakers had freed themselves from them by denying of him both by Word and Writing And as he stood thus denied by them so they could not be chargeable with any of his after Actions But if he had sincerely repented of his great Wickedness and thereby found favour in the sight of God to have restor'd to him the Light of his Countenance and had so been received again into fellowship with those from whom he had been separated this would have been far from making the Cause much worse on their side For with respect to their own satisfaction it would make the Cause much better Because the People of God in all Ages did always rejoice when one that had err'd and stray'd from the Fold did by sincere Repentance return into it again Ibid. p. 292. That same Year viz. the 24th of October 1656. all the Good and Evil Spirits entred into Naylor himself Profane Snake why must both Good and Evil Spirits be thus flouted It shews no true Sense of Religion in one who can with so much ease ridicule both the beginning of all true and saving Religion in Man viz. the entrance of the Good Spirit of God and the beginning of all Misery viz. the entrance of the Evil Spirit into Man But with respect to Jame Naylor and his Great Fall and yet greater deliverance from it I have already spoken from p. 111 to 118. and therefore need not enlarge further here The Snake now turns to Quotations again where in p. 295. he quotes Patrick Levingston in a Piece of his Entituled Plain and Downright Dealing with them that were with us and are gone out from us in p. 10 of which Book P. L. makes an Allusion of the Operations of Physick upon the Body to the Operation of the Spirit or Power of God upon the Soul and shews thence what melting into Tears and Shakings he had known upon his own Body and also what some others had known when the Lord did first appear with a mighty hand as he says p. 9. to bring his People out of Spiritual Egypt in this our Age. And he here goes on and shews that these emotions of Body and terrible breakings the Soul were but for a little time and that the Voice of the Lord was not distinctly discerned there they being only preparatory of that way of Peace Stilness and Quietness in which as they continued obedient they came to be established This briefly is the substance of what the Snake hath pick'd and quoted from p. 10. And I will now shew thee Reader his strange perversion of all this Ibid. p. 296. Now here is a Comparison made betwixt the State of the Quakers from 1650 to 1660. and from thence to this time No Snake the Comparison does not lie in any date of Years but in the Progress of the Work of God in Men. Ibid. Their first State was their time of Physick The first State of all who have been Regenerated and Born again may by allusion be called a time of Purging or Cleansing and so it hath been frequently term'd in Holy Writ Our Saviour speaks of this first State in such Pathetick Terms Mark 3.27 as does evidently denote it to be a State of Trouble For the binding the Strong Man of Sin by the Stonger Power of God is not to be effected while the Soul is at ease and secure in Sin Nor can the Strong Man's Goods be spoil'd in Man unless through Obedience he comes under the Workings of the Power of the Holy Spirit and that will not give Deliverance to Man before he sees the great necessity he is in of a Deliverer Ibid. But there was worse than that For as Levingston here informs us The Voice of the Lord was not distinctly discern'd among them the Mind was so Hurried and tossed so that there was not a clear discerning what might be done or left undone in many things This is a very sad Reckning For what will become of the first Quaker Infallibility This is nothing so Sad a Reckning as the Snake is like to make when he shall account for all that Profaneness Injustice and Hypocrisie which he hath delivered under the gilded pretence of advancing the Glory