tho' they Thee and Thou the Worlds People yet they do not care to be Thou'd by them They Love very well to be Master'd and Mistress'd by them And will say to them sometimes when they call the Quakers after their own fashion by their Bare I had almost said Christen'd Names why do'st thee speak our Language seeing thee do'st allow of giving Titles Thee shoud'st speak in the Language thee do'st approve of V. Again if you object the Common Place which All the Quakers Insisted upon so much at the Beginning when they were Poor That it was Anti-Christian for any Man to Sue another at Law And a Plain mark of the Reprobate and People of the World In the Describing of whom G. Fox in his News out of the North. p. 19. Among many other Wicked and Abominable Practises as he Reckon'd them sets this down as a Main one These wicked Folks Are such says he as Sue Men at the Law which Christ forbade Yet now that the Quakers are Grown Rich and have something to Sue for They Sue as fast as the World's People Yet this is no Contradiction to their Principle No. But only a Contrary Testimony to Clear the other when Objected VI. 1. If you object their not observing of Times Set apart by the Church as Festivals c. They can shew the Contrary Principle of their General Councils their Yearly Meetings in London which they always Appoint to be Celebrated in Whitson-Week that being the Great Festival ordained to be kept in Memory of the Miraculous Descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles at the Feast of Pentecost If it be said That this time is appointed only upon Account of the Season of the Year because the Quakers come yearly to attend this their most Solemn Meeting from Foreign Countries even from the West-Indies That Excuse will not do for this Feast is Movable sometimes a Months difference And if they Respected only the Season of the Year they wou'd keep to some Constant Month that all might know But that they shou'd Always stumble just upon Whitsun-Week will not pass merely upon Chance But their Reason is plainly because they Pretend to the Greatest Effusions of the Holy Ghost which they have made Peculiar to Themselves And therefore keep their General Meetings in Whitsun-Week and at no other time which is a most Solemn Observation of that Great Festival of the Church And yet they Exclaim most Bitterly against the Observation of Times as being Carnal and forsaking of the Truth c. Nay G. Fox in his News out of the North. p. 23. Names Whitsuntide with Christmas and Easter among the Holy-Days which he Runs down So that here are Contrary and Re-Contrary Testimonies 2. They now Generally observe The Lord's Day for their Publick Worship But if any shou'd object this as an Observation of Times they have Ancient Testimonies to Produce where the Quakers have Preach'd and Printed against the observation of That Day as Superstitious Carnal c. And Solomon Eccles and others of their Prophets have got themselves into Churches before the People Met and carry'd with them a Pair of Briches Gloves or something of their Trades and set themselves in the Pulpit or upon the Communion-Table and there were found busie at work when the People came to Church and some of them have Opened their Shops on that Day purposely as a Contempt of the Day and to bear their Testimony against it Which G. Whitehead Vindicates in his Truth Defending the Quakers Printed 1659. p. 20. 21. where he Repeats this Question that was put to him Did that Quaker Sin therein or not who brought lately on the Lord's Day an old Dublet into Dr. Gell 's Church in London and sat upon the Communion Table mending it while the Doctor was Preaching the Parishioners forbidding him And his Answer is in these words What wilt thou Continue a Papist that thou Countest it such a Great Crime to Work upon the Communion Table as if it were a more Holy Place than another And like a Papist thou callest the Steeple-House the Church which thou hast no Scripture for And if any Quaker did as thou sayest whether thinkest thou was his working there or a Priest 's Preaching for Money and setting forth his ware to Sale there as in the Market-house the Greater offence And where do'st thou Read in Scripture that men must do no work on the First days of the week Thus he Yet now the Quakers Cease from Work on that Day And set up for the Observation of it as well as others Tho' formerly they us'd to make up their Accounts on that Day to Pay and Receive Money c. which I can Prove from those to whom they have come upon that Errand But to save them on all sides the Quaker Infallible Spirit can go both ways For and Against the Observation of the lord's-Lord's-Day And Both as Directed by the same Spirit Thus G. Fox Determins in what he calls An Epistle to All the Christian Magistrates and Powers in the whole Christendom London Printed An. 1659. p. 12. So all Friends says he of the Lord God that be Moved to set open your Shops or to do any work on the First Day which the false Christians call their Sabbath Do not ye Judge all that do not as ye do that be not moved to do the Service as ye are to do that Day And all that doth not do that service on that Day as ye do as are not moved by the Power of the Lord God do not Judge them that doth such a Service on that Day Here he makes them the False-Christians who call the First-Day their Day of Sabbath or Rest. And if the calling it so be such a Crime sure the Observation of it as such must be much Greater Yet he Graciously gives the Quakers leave to be such False-Christians if their Light so Direct The meaning is That their Light is Equally Infallible when it Commands Contradictions But he casts the Ballance against the Observation of the Christian Sabbath only wou'd not have those Precious ones to be Judged who do Observe it I cannot Refrain from giving you his Reason against the Observation of it which is Worthy of his Infallibility You will find it in his Great Mystery p. 101. viz. That it was not the Seventh but the Eighth Day That is It was the Eighth of the Seven Days Unless the Quakers make more than Seven Days in a Week And if it was the Eighth Day why do the Quakers call it the First Day But it is well enough if the Light so Direct Was this too from The Mouth of The Lord Yea Verily or else G. Fox has Decreed Himself to be a Conjurer But the best of it is No body will believe him who ever knew him or have Read his Books VII 1. Let me give Another Instance of the Contrary Testimonies of the Quakers At their first setting up when they were Poor and Beggarly it was their
they Profess'd from the Beginning How then came they to Excomunicate any for Receiving of Baptism as for Instance John Cox And call'd it a Drawing back to the Weak and Beggarly Elements Come Friends speak out in Plainess and tell Us wou'd you own any for a True Quaker who shou'd Receive Baptism and frequent the Holy Sacrament of The Lord's Supper wou'd you neither Censure not Condemn them if they made a Conscience of it as their Duty Wou'd you have Greater Tenderness towards these than for William Wilkins whose Excommunication is put in the Collection at the End of this for Marrying one that was not a Quaker and for Marrying by a Priest Was this a greater offence than the Receiving of the outward Baptism But in good Earnest did you never Censure or Condemn Baptism Is this new Moderation of G. W.'s no other than what you always did Profess In the Quotation before brought of Edw. Burrough's it is Rank'd amongst the Damnable Heresies even to the Denying the Lord who bought Vs And it is call'd The Doctrin of the Devil And p. 644. of his Works he says That it is not Lawful for the Saints of God to Join themselves to your Ordinances Yet now G. W. will let them go and neither Censure nor Condemn them He has forgot a Book of his own to which he gave this Title The Authority of the true Ministry in Baptizing with the Spirit And the Idolatry of such men as are Doting about shadows and Carnal Ordinances and their Ignorance of the Spirits Baptism of which water-Baptism was but a Figure Discover'd And herein is shewed that Water-Baptism is neither of Necessity to Salvation nor yet is now Practised either by Authority from Heaven or by any New-Testament Law that is in force upon Believers seeing the Substance and the End of things Abolished is come and Enjoyed wherein the Types Shadows and Figures are Ended Yet George now will neither Censure nor Condemn them if they be Conscientiously Tender in the Observation of these Abolished Types and Shadows tho' he calls it Idolatry nay and Doting Idolatry yet these men never Vary'd they always said the same since they were first a People that they say now Appen p. 5. slighting all the Authorities brought for Baptism in Prim. Her within the first 150 years after Christ they care for no Antiquity or Fathers says Indeed if he can absolutly Determin the Question by the Scriptures the work is done And yet in the Discourse of Baptism the Arguments are all Limited only to the Holy Scriptures and for any thing the Quakers have said to the contrary the Question is there Absolutely Determin'd They Referr to a Book of one Dell against Baptism This is their Great Assylum Yet he was not a Quaker he was one of the Professors whom they call Children of Darkness and Damn them All to the Pit of Hell And a Cambridge Schollar too another Mark of Reprobation with them and yet they fly to this Man to Help their Light against the Divine Institutions of our Blessed Saviour And they have Printed and Re-Printed this Book as oft as they have been Attack'd upon this Point of Baptism And out it has come since the Discourse of Baptism was Publish'd This made me Curious to look into it And there I found not one Objection but what is fully Answer'd in that Discourse Tho' I am satisfy'd that Author had never seen it before that Discourse was Printed Yet still they Referr to that Book which is only a Put-off because they have nothing to say and shews them to be Self-Condemn'd Their Appealing from their own Printed Books to the Original Copies 7. They have yet another Contrivance which is the Prettiest of all to avoid the Quotations brought out of their Books When none of the former ways will do then they say They have not the Book as if they cou'd not come at their own Books or otherwise they Appeal from the Print tho' themselves have Publish'd it to the Original Copy which if Extant none can have but Themselves Yet they do not Produce the Copy or tell how it is worded there or that it is otherwise than in the Print Thus p. 9. of the Prim. Heres ther is a Bloody Quotation out of a Book of G. Fox's call'd News out of the North. p. 14. where he makes it as unlawful to Return to Baptism as to Circumcision and calls the Lord's Supper The Table of Devils and Cup of Devils which is in the Generation of Serpents c. and p. 39. where he Denies the Books of Matthew Mark Luke and John to be the Gospel and calls them Carnal c. To this says Appen p. 32. I cannot Examin it not having the Book by me but I much Question the Truth of the Quotation And this is all that is said to it Now I can assure the Reader that this Quotation was taken out of the Book it self and not from any second hand And will he believe that this Book which is Common enough for I have seen more than one of them cou'd not be Procur'd among the whole Quaker Sanhedrin or that if this Quotation were much Question'd the Quakers are so Good Natur'd or so very Remiss as not to be at the Pains to look into that Book if they thought to Catch that Author at one False Quotation which they have not yet been able to do or whether every sober Person will not rather Judge that the Quakers do herein Plead Guilty I leave it to their consideration But hear another Pleasant Instance G. W. being Press'd with a very untoward Quotation in Sat. Dis. Glean Sect. iv p. 82. out of the Works of Edw. Burrough p. 273. where he Blasphemously makes the Sufferings of the Quakers not only Greater but more Vnjust than the Sufferings of our Blessed Lord Himself He comes to give an account of this in his Antidote p. 254. and he says after the old Fashion that E. B. is Cited Vnfairly and Partially in this Point But he tells not wherein These are only words of Course in all their Answers Nay himself finds no Fault with the Quotation that ther is a word Added or Diminished or Alter'd But says he Whether it was so Verbally stated by E. B. himself or by some mistake since I shall not undertake to Determin unless I see his Original Copy This Justifies the Quotation out of his Printed Book And if ther was any Mistake it was not in him who Quoted it So that G. W. if he Reguarded Instice ought to make Satisfaction for saying that this was Vnfairly or Partially Cited But in the next place this was Printed by E. B. in the year 1657. And Re-Printed in his Works An. 1672. And these Works were Collected and Published by an Junto of the Chief of the Quakers whereof George Whitehead was one and his Epistle particularly among others Praesix'd in High Commendations of the Author and the Works Yet now he wou'd turn it
Meant than to Keep to his Light within Cou'd that have told him all that was Commanded in the Law of Moses How came all the Heathen then not to Know it for they had the Light within As little cou'd it of it Self without the Help of outward Revelation have Discover'd a Messiah the Son of God to be Incarnat and offer'd up a Sacrifice for the Sins of the World This Faith as the Apostle truly Says All men have not None Ever had it by Means only of their Light within But either by Express Revelation such as was Given of it to Adam to Abraham and the Prophets or by the outward Means of Hearing as the Apostle says in that same Chap. of the x. Rom. ver 17. Describing how that same Faith commeth of which he spoke ver 8. And he says That it cometh by Hearing viz. The outward Preaching of it For as he says ver 14. How shall they Believe in Him of whom they have not Heard And how shall they Hear without a Preacher So Mad and Void of all Common Sense as well as most Impious and Heretical Is that Quaker Exposition of Deut. xxx 14. And Rom. x. 8. Whereby they wou'd Exclude the outward Christ from being the Object of the Christian Faith And Blasphemously Translate it to Themselves that is to their own Light Within And by this make the Christian Faith Common to all Mankind even to those who never Heard of the outward Christ Which is To make Him His Blessed Death and Passion Vseless and Vn-necessary to the World Another Text they urge mightily for the Vniversality of their Light within is Joh. 1.9 That was the true Light which Lighteth Every man that cometh into the World This they Understand of Faith the True Saving Faith and so suppose that Every Man must have it But the Apostle from the beginning of this Chap. was speaking of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Divine Word by whom All things were Made And therefore not only what Light but what Life Every man or any Creature has is from Him Act xvii 25.28 Seeing He giveth to All Life and Breath and All things For in Him we Live and Move and have our Being Now that Light which He giveth to All Men is not the Light of Faith which All Men have not But the Natural Light of our Vnderstanding which is Common to All Men. And is a Ray Communicated from the Supreme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Reason The Quakers to Avoid this set about that Mad Task of Proving that All men have not Reason as before is shewn And yet wou'd give All men Faith of which no man is Capable without supposing him to have the use of his Reason Otherwise a Tree or a Stone might Believe as well as a Man I will Name but one Text more upon which they Chime Exceedingly that is 1 Joh. 2.20 27. But ye have an Vnction from the Holy one and ye know All things And ye need not that any man Teach you but as the Same Anointing Teacheth you of All things This they Interpret of the Light within which is Common to All Men. But then by this it wou'd follow That All Men do know All things Quite contrary to what the Apostle there Supposes who speaks of those who Knew not the Truth And Applys this of the Anointing only to those who Knew the Truth Ver. 21. I have not written unto you because ye know not the Truth but because ye Know it c. Therefore this of the Anointing was spoken only To and Of the True Believers and not of Infidels or Generally of All Men as is Plain to any who Read that Chapter These are the Chief Texts they Insist upon for the Vniversality of Faith which they call The Light within And they All prove Directly against them Ther are others so Forc'd and Strain'd as need not Confutation As 2 Pet. 1.19 We have also a more sure word of Prophesy c. which they apply to their Light within Whereas it was plainly spoken of the Holy Scriptures as the next Verse do's Expressly Determin it Knowing this first that no Prophesy of SCRIPTVRE is of any Private Interpretation I wish the Quakers wou'd Reflect Seriously upon this It wou'd correct the Exorbitancy of their Private Interpretations by what they call their Light within Different from the Sense of the whole Catholick Church in All Ages And let them see and Consider that ther was Great Reason for that Caution given in this same Epistle Ch. iii. 16. That the Vnlearned and Vnstable do wrest the Scriptures to their own Destruction The Quakers pretend sometimes to be Determin'd by Scripture and to admit of no Interpretation which is not in Express words of Scripture See a Book of theirs call'd The Divinity of Christ Wrote by G. Whitehead and G. Fox where in the Epistle they speak thus Where do the Scriptures speak of three Persons in the Godhead in these Express words Let us see where it is written Come do not shuffle for we are Resolv'd the Scriptures shall Buffet you about And where doth the Scripture speak of a Human Nature of Christ in Heaven And where doth the Scripture say the Soul is Part of Man's Nature Give us plain Scripture without Adding or Diminishing Come let us see Chapter and Verse c. Now the Quakers cannot Refuse the same Measure which they have Meated to others Therefore let us see Chapter and Verse where The Light within is spoke of In these Express words wher is ther any thing of Faith in the Light within of Believing In The Light within as this Appen do's often speak Where is it said that Christ was not the Lamb but that the Lamb was in Christ where is ther a word of the Manhood of God of Christ's Heavenly Flesh Blood and Bones of His Flesh that was Crucify'd when Adam Fell Where is His Body call'd a Garment or a Vessel where shall we find the Distinction of Christ Without and Within of an Outward and an Inward Christ of the Shedding of His Blood within Vs of the Blood and Bones of our Light within where is it said that the Person who Suffer'd upon the Cross was not Properly the Son of God He is oft call'd The Son of God what Text says that He was not Properly so In these Express words Come Produce Chapter and Verse Where are the Holy Scriptures call'd Beastly ware Serpents meat Death and Dust Where is the Text for Theeing and Thouing and for not taking off your Hats For your Silent-Meetings For the Ceasing of Baptism and The Lord's Supper For Womens Preaching and Womens Meetings which you call the Good Ordinance of Jesus Christ what Text do's Abolish Tythes in these Express words or Declare all going to War to be unlawful To keep Holy-Days or Marry by a Priest Where is it said that the Quakers are Infallible That their Preachings are of as Great Authority as the Scriptures and GREATER And
Feet of the Rebels But in the Re-Printing of the Works of this Son of Thunder after the Restauration of the King An. 1672. that whole Chapter is left out And is as follows To all you who are and have been always Enemies to the very appearance of Righteousness who are call'd Delinquents and Cavaliers THus saith the Lord my controversie is against you even my hand in judgement is upon you already and you are become cursed in all your hatchings and endeavours and from time to time my hand hath been against you in Battle and you have been and you are given up to be a prey to your Enemies for the purpose and intents of your hearts have been known always to be against the form of Truth and much more against my powerful Truth it self and because you attempted to take my throne Conscience therefore I rose in fury against you and will have war with all your followers herein for ever and though my hand hath been evidently against you yet to this day you remain in rebellion in your minds in hatching Murder and Cruelty in your wicked hearts and though your Kings and Princes and Nobles have been cut off in wrath and your cruel desperate Inventions and plots of wickedness conceived in your cursed womb have been broken and you cut short in your desires yet you repent not nor will not see how you are given to be a curse and a desolation and a prey in houses and lands and persons to them whom I raised against you and gave power over you yet you are hardened and your cruelty in the persecution of my servants cannot be measured where you have any power you smite with the fist of wickedness and count it your glory to despise my Name in the Vallies of vain hopes you feed and on the Mountains of foolish expectation and conceive in your cruel womb of Tyranny the overthrow of the Nations but in the bringing forth your selves are overthrown and it is not for well doing that you suffer but my hand is against you and my judgments are upon you and except you repent shall continue upon Earth with you and follow you and pursue you to the Lake of destruction where there is no repentance and you and your Kings and Lordly power by which you have thought to exercise Lordship over my heritage shall be enslaved by the Devil in the Pit of darkness in everlasting bondage where he shall reign your King and Lord for evermore 2. Ther is likewise and for the same Reason left out in Burrough's Re-printed Works a Paper of Council and Advice directed To the Parliament of the Common-Wealth of England Dated at Lon. 6. of 8. Mon. 1659. It is too long to Insert the whole here But take these few Passages which the Quaking Editors knew would lay them open to objections after the Restauration of the Royal Family to their Hereditary Right and of the People to the Freedom of their Election in the choice of Members to serve for them in Parliament Which at that time when this was wrote An. 1659. was Obstructed by the then Army and other Short-Liv'd Rouling-Vsurpations as well upon the Privileges of the People which they had made the Great Pretence for their Rebellion as upon the Prerogative For when the Members who had been by Force Secluded were Restor'd to their Places in the House of Commons they Immediately Voted in the King and Ancient Hereditary Monarchy Against which and the Freedom of Parliaments this Burrough thus Belches forth in Justification of the then present Government that was in being p. 2. of his Council and Advice to those Vsurpers who then call'd themselves The Parliament of the Common-Wealth of England as follows And while thus it hath been in our Nation that our Kings have attained to the Throne of Government Hereditarily and by Succession of Birth And our Parliaments and Rulers have attained to the Place of Judgment over us by such a way of Traditional Choice as hath been the Custom in our Fore-Fathers days that knew no better being in the days of Apostacy and great Ignorance themselves and thus it hath Continu'd for many Ages whereby the Inhabitants have been always suffering under and liable to great Oppressions and Vexations being subjected under such a Government falling as aforesaid from Parents to Children after the manner of the Heathen Nations and being subjected to such Laws made and Executed by Men not truly call'd and ordained of God thereunto insomuch that nothing hath been perceiv'd or intended by Men of the hand of the Lord and of his good Spirit in the calling of our Kings and choosing of our Rulers but these things have comed to pass and been after the Traditions of Men and not after the order and Councell of the Lord God And our Nation hath been under the bonds of Slavery in this respect even because Men have Govern'd that ought not And while the Great and Rich men have been set to Rule over the Poor and while Men for earthly Honour and for Riches sake in Birth and Breeding have Claimed to be Princes over us Successively And to be chosen our Rulers according to Custom And have com'd into the place of Authority over us otherwise than by appointment and Right calling from the Lord as I have said and thus the Government of our Nation hath been out of Course and not as the Lord requireth it even until this Day p. 3. But now in as much as the Lord God our Deliverer hath begun to appear for the Freedom of the Nations and hath shewed us the Captivity and Bondage which our Fore-Fathers hath Liv'd under and we our selves been subject and lyable too by reason of the Government standing in a Single Person Successively and we being Forced to live under the Authority of such Men as had no Right from God thereunto as I have said And now our Eyes are opened to behold better things and we are in good expectations that the Lord will suddenly so Appear as to free us from future Oppressions in this Respect c. p. 6. Wherefore it is upon me to lay it before you even you as the First Asserters of and Contenders for England's Liberty and whom the Lord hath Honoured in Beginning to Remove Tyranny and Oppression and Reaching after our Long Lost Liberties c. Here to Flatter the Taile of the Rump-Parliament which then Rul'd the Rost the Quakers Run down all the several sorts of Rebels who had Usurp'd before them Each of whom the Quakers had Worshiped in their Day as fully shewn in Sn. Sect. xviii p. 215. to p. 219. c. call'd them Restorers Deliverers Chosen Instruments in the Hand of God by whom he did Great things But now that they were all Gone This last Parliament were the First Assertors of the Liberty of England and were Honour'd in Beginning to Remove Tyranny All the Rest had done nothing before them And upon these the QVAKERS built their Hopes
to Inspect the Quotations which he had brought out of their Printed Books And Timely notice was sent to Will. Penn G. Whitehead c. of this meeting and they or what other Quakers pleas'd were Invited to come and vindicate their Doctrin and Principles But they were still the same men they wou'd not come unless a few for Spys but Reprinted their former Reasons new vaump'd against any such Meetings And they cry'd out that Printing was the only method to Decide their Controversies and they wou'd take no other But G. Whitehead is as much Displeas'd at that And Appeals to his Reader p. 2. and 3. whether The Snake be not as severe a Persecution To Destroy and Murther our Reputations says he both as men and Christians And I am told that they are Resolv'd to write no more Defences for they have had as ill luck that way as in Personal Disputes It is a Grievous Persecution this that men can neither Speak nor Write but it is the worse for them G. Whitehead their present Champion seeks to Hide his Head behind an Act of Parliament and wou'd Gladly find shelter under the Plenitude of that Indulgence lately Granted to Dissenters which he says p. 2. to the Reader these Malicious People whom he calls The Devil and his Agents do Envy them because they will not give over writing against them This Plea was put in by Council Learned at the Law for Mitigation of Damages upon their Declining so many meetings for the Defence of their Cause at Turners Hall And that they Fled for the same But they sent in their Room A solemn Protestation in behalf of the Act of Toleration which they thought Reach'd even unto them and that it was a sufficient Justification of their Principles But the Reflections which were soon after Publish'd 8. May 1697. upon that Protestation and which they have not yet Attempted to Answer has Disarm'd them of the Advantage they propos'd by that Act of Indulgence and left them no other Choice but to Defend their Cause either by word or writing tho' that be a downright Persecution or by their future Silence to let it Sink His Address to his Work IV. Therefore since it must be George let not your noble Courage be cast down Cock your Hat Look Bigg and Enter the Lists with the Best Grace that you can And he do's it in the Rode he is most us'd to the old Blasphemous Rant of putting all upon The Lord. I confess then says he p. V. a holy Zeal the Lord raises and has raised in my very Heart and Soul against such Bitter Implacable and Persecuting Spirits And the Lor'ds Power I have felt and do feel it to Aecompany and Inable me in Defence of His Blessed Truth and People Now this Power which he calls the Lord 's was nothing else but the Spirit of Rancor and Revenge which soon Discovers it Self for in the very next words instead of Justifying or Defending his Cause he falls upon Threatning his Unknown Adversary 'T is pitty says he but this Defaming Author shou'd be Publickly Exposed by Name for his Folly and Outrage that he may not be suffer'd to sculk and Hide himself like a Snake under the Grass That was witty There he was Even with the Snake in the Grass Here he had some body in his Eye tho' he knows not whom and some mischeif or other which he thinks it a Pitty shou'd not be Inflicted upon him by those in whose Power it is whom he thus Instigates to do it This was the Holy Zeal which was Rais'd in his very Heart and Soul His Meek Heart that hates the thoughts of Persecution If he had found such an Indication towards it in all the Sn. what Tragical Improvements cou'd his way of Reasoning have made upon It But George the Author gave some Reasons for Concealing of his Name at the close of Sect XXIII to which he thinks not fit to add any thing now but only this That if G. Whitehead and Will. Penn will set their Names to all that they have Printed Incognito he promises to put his Name to the next Edition of the Sn. His Shuffle about their Answer to the seven Queres With a short Scheme of the Quakers Principles and the Monstrous Foundation of them V. All that follows in G. W's Ep. to the Reader is concerning the 7 Queres which were sent to their yearly Meeting 1695. the Provocation that was given them to Answer two of them Directly since they wou'd not the whole as they Pretended for their Length and Intricacy And what G. W. says to this is consider'd in the Suplement to the Sn. N. VII All to be added here is the Queres themselves which was Promis'd in the Sup. and are Inserted in the Answer which the General Meeting of the Reformed Quakers at Philadelphia in Pensilvania Return'd to these Queres Which I have Added in the Collection at the End of this to shew the Difference of those who Answer sincerely and those who when forc'd to it Answer with Craft and Dissimulation And that we may see the Honesty and sense of that Excuse given in the Answer of the London Quakers That these Queres were not so Plain and Direct as that a Plain Yea or Nay cou'd be given to Each Quere as was Desir'd And therefore That they Give one General Answer against which they were Caution'd But wou'd not be Forbidden For the same Reason given in the Conclusion of the Sn. and in the Sup. N. VII Because they cou'd not otherwise Cover their Frightful Heresies Tho' this has not done it To shew which Effectually I will give a short Scheme of the Quakers Principles And lay open the Monstrous Foundation of them whereby not only the Foul Fallacy of their Answer is Detected but their Blasphemous Heresies made more Apparent First then I will Grant that that Paragraph in their Answer to the Queres We sincerely Believe in Jesus Christ c. is set down in most Orthodox words mostly in the Terms of the Creed Why then shou'd we Quarrel with them Why will we not let men tell their own Meaning Why will we not Believe what they Profess Wou'd this seem Equal Dealing with other Men What more ought to be Expected from them than to bring them to subscribe the very words of our Creed What Better or other words can we find as a Test for them But it was told in the Conclusion of the Sn. That they cou'd Subscribe the whole Creed and yet not mean one word of it of a Personal Christ Existing now in Heaven in His own true Human Nature without all other men c. Therefore they were Desir'd to give a plain Yea or Nay but to Two short Queres upon that Head Which they will not do Now lest this shou'd seem an Unreasonable Imposition upon them and to shew the Reader that ther was good Grounds and even Necessity for all this Caution with them I will set
can be no Returning while we keep in that Principle the Scriptures can be no Reproof or Cheek to us while we think that what we call our Light with in is Superior to the Scriptures and by which the Scriptures themselves were given forth And Reason which is Human and as these Men term it Carnal can never be admitted by them to Rectify what they think to be Divine So that all Avenues are stopt to their Recovery This is the most Dreadful condition that any Man can be suppos'd to be in It is Desperate to any thing but a Miracle Therefore you see what Reason we have to Remove Men from this Principle And this is the Heart of Quakerism They Reckon themselves Secure without Reason They are sure because they are sure And this sort of Assurance proceeds from the Imagination and therefore is strongest in Mad-Men And the Maddest of the Quarkers the most highly Enthusiastick have the strongest Assurance of this kind How different are these Men from those sort of Christians to whom St. Peter writes and admonishes them To be Ready always to give an Answer to every Man that asked them a Reason of the Hope that was in them 1 Pet. 3.15 But our Quakers give no Reason they cry out upon Reason as Carnal and are against It because It is against them For no Reason can be given for any Hope or Inward Perswasion which is not Grounded upon Reason Fancy and Reason are two things And no Reason can be given for Fancy This is the Difference betwixt that Perswasion or Assurance which comes from the Sobriety of Religion and that which comes from Enthusiasm Enthusiasm is Imagination and no Reason can be given for what Assurance comes from thence But the Assurance of Religion is a Sober and a Rational Persuasion Grounded upon Reason and therefore ther is always a Reason to be given for it This do's not take away or lesson the Necessity of the Ordinarie Assistances and Inspirations of the H. Spirit which are in a sound sense call'd likewise Enthusiasm This is Explain'd and the difference of Enthusiasms clearly laid down in the Sn. Sect. xxii But I have said so much of it in this place that Line upon Line Precept upon Precept here a Little and there a Little I might by any means Instill this Difference of the Quaker from the Divine Enthusiasm into their Minds and Guard them from this Fundamental Error which carries in its Belly all the others into which they are led And of which they must first be Cur'd before they can be Retriv'd from any other And to Repeat it again that they may keep their Eye still upon this One Point all I desire of them is to let their Enthusiasm or Inspiration be Subject to the Scriptures and not set up Above them This was the Rule in all Holy Enthusiasms they submitted to be Try'd and Examin'd by the Rule of the Scriptures Then we have some Rule some Compass to Steer by But if we set our Enthusiasm Above the Scriptures this is the Wild the Mad the Diabolical Enthusiasm of which I have been speaking And of which if the Quakers were once Cur'd they wou'd with the Blessing of God soon Return to a Sober Mind 4. G. W. is very Angry it shou'd be said that the Quaker Principles do make men more susceptible of the wild Impressions of Enthusiasm than other Men. And says against this that as few of them have run Mad as of other Men. And p. 8. he Provokes his Adversary to produce his Catalogues of the Quaker Mad-Men Why truly if Catalogues had been kept of them I believe they wou'd be found to Exced any of such a Number of Men by the Instances which we have seen of them All of which G. W. wou'd throw off by Instancing in a Few whom he says they have Disowned Thus says he p. 3. 4. His Instances of John Gilpin in 1653. James Milner and John Toldervy cannot affect the Quakers since they have Long since testifi'd against the Madness of those Persons he Mentions Ans 1. Other Persons were Mention'd besides these And ther are Many More of the Like Ans 2. These Persons above Nam'd have not been Testify'd against as Mad-men by the Quakers But on the Contrary James Milner is Justify'd for a True Prophet by G. Fox after all the Madnesses he was Guilty of Which is shewn in the 2d Part. Sect. ii N. 7. G. F. calls him a True Prophet of The Lord. And G. W. Now calls him a Mad-Man which I know not how to Reconcile but by owning of the Truth That the Quaker-Prophets are Mad-Men If G. W. can find any other way let him shew his Parts In the next Place as to Toldervy he went Back and Forward And the Quakers did Own or Dis-own him as he went To or From them But I know not that they have made a Mad-Man of him before this time now in this Antidote If they thought him Mad they spent their time well in writing so Many Books against him And Answering of his Books But as for Gilpin he left them Quite after he had by the great mercy of God Recover'd from his so Monstrous Possessions by the Devil while he was a Quaker He had enough of them Therefore they Laid Load upon Him But what was it they Charg'd him with It is Horrible to Repeat it They Mistook the Devil for God! They Attributed the Possessions he was under to the H. Spirit And said That they were the Workings of The Light within or Christ in his Heart subduing the Devil or his Corruptions which Trembled in him And that this was the Cause of his Dreadful Convulsions That his Charging them upon the Devil was Blaspheming of God whose Work they were That his seeking for Relief from them which they call'd the Cross of Christ And not being willing to Ly Under them was his Deserting of God And Returning under the Power of the Devil being Weary of Bearing the Cross c. All this Appears by the Answers which the Quakers put out to this Relation which Gilpin gave of himself call'd The Quakers Shaken An 1653. One is in G. Fox's Gr. Myst p. 297. Ther is an other call'd The Standard of the Lord c. by Atkinson Burrough Howgil and 15 or 16 more whose Names are Subscrib'd the same year An. 1653. This Book I Forc'd my self to Read over with Horror and Reluctancy because of the Diabolical Fury Rage and Blasphemy which fill every Page in it There p. 23. They Answer Gilpin's saying that that Trembling which seiz'd him was of the Devil thus I manifestly witness against thee that it was the Lord of Heaven and Earth that made thee Tremble And p. 11. Concerning the Power that struck thee down from thy Chair that I own to be of God And that which spake to thee Bidding thee be Humble and brought the Low down upon thy Knees That I own to be of God c. Now what this
his Confufusion And in his Returning to the External means God did wonderfully Deliver him from that Confusion which the Quakers call his Condemnation his being Weary of the Cross c. However now G. W. calls him a Mad-Man But do's not say that these Possessions was his Madness No the Quakers think he was Mad in seeking to be Deliver'd from them And that when he grew Sober then was he Mad But G. W. says that they have long since Testify'd against the Madness of these Persons viz. Gilpin c. We have seen how they Testify'd against it By Justifying it as a Divine Inspiration If G. W. can shew any other Testifying of theirs let him But when did they Testify against Gilpin never till he Testify'd against Them In all the time of his monstrous Possession they stuck to him and Accompany'd him even John Andland himself and William Dodding who Declar'd he had no Power to leave him for he was Acted by the same Spirit These and other Quakers went along with Gilpin to the Fidlers and thro' the Streets when he Blasphem'd Proclaming himself to be The way the Truth and the Life And none of them Rebuk'd him or then found any Fault at all with him But on the Contrary thought him a Chosen Vessel and then Actuated by the H. Spirit of God But when he Return'd to the Ordinances and Declar'd that to be a Cursed Spirit by which he was Acted Then Then and not till Then they left him Then they Accused him of Blaspheming Their God that is the Devil Let them shew that ever they Testify'd against him before that time Yet now they bring their Testifying against him as an Argument by Innuendo not That but As if they had not own'd him in his Madness And so were not Chargeable with it Whereas they own'd him only in his Madness But when he Return'd to a Sober mind then they Disown'd him He was no longer Fit Company for Them So that he must after all their Dodgings stand still in the Catalogue not of our but of Their Mad Men. He was ours only when he was Sober And Theirs only while he was Mad and no Longer But now we will go to other Instances of Madness 1. First then Proofes of the Quakers being Mad. In those who went Naked suppose you saw a Man go Naked thro' the streets and Besmer'd all over with Excrements and to come into a Publick Church in that Condition as Solomon Eccles one of the Chief Quaker Preachers did in the Church at Alderman-bury in London when the People were there Assembl'd to Divine worship wou'd not every body conclude such a Man to be Mad for we know Madness only by the signs which men do shew of it And if this be allow'd as a sign of Madness or a Disorder'd Mind then we shall have a Large Catalogue among the Quakers and that Cheifly of their Ministers and Apostles for this was Common with them at their first Setting up And to this Day we have seen several of them Naked in our streets denouncing Woes Judgments c. If it be said that these were Prophets and that this was an Effect of their Prophetical Furie This will make them Madder still if it be not True And whether it be True or not I refer to the Sn. Sect. vi N. viii where their Prophetick Talent is Examined And will the Madness of Solomon Eccles appear Less because when he came into the Church at Alderman-bury all Naked cover'd only with vile Excrement he did this as an Emblem of the Nakedness and Filth of the Minister in Preaching out of the Bible which G. Fox calls Conjuration see Sn. p. 22. and that he might as well come thither with that T d in his hand as the Minister with his Bible A comparison full of Reverence to the Holy Scriptures And George Whitehead in his Light and Life of Christ within c. Printed 1668. p. 38. Vindicates this same Sol. Eccles for this his going Naked as a Sign Says G. W. of the Nakedness of such Dark Professors and Priests as he S. E. witnessed against And instead of being Asham'd of such a Beast he there Blasphemously compares this Brutality of his to Isaiah's being Commanded to go Naked for a Sign to Egypt Not knowing that the sackcloth or Garment of Hair which Isaiah was Commanded to Loose from his Loyns it being worn Girt close about the Loyns was a Rough sort of a Mantle or Vpper Garment Made of Hair which the Prophets did usually wear and by which they were known See Zech. xiii 4.2 K. 1.8 Matth. iii. 4. Rev. xi 3. Which being Vngirt it was being Vndrest and appearing so is in the Common way of speaking call'd being Naked as if a man came out all Vndrest into the streets they wou'd say why do you appear thus Naked And to Cloath the Naked is meant of their Poverty not of their Shame Or if a man shou'd Strip off his Cloaths to Fight Run Work or to do any thing upon which he was very Intent as David when he Danced before the Ark in a Linen Ephod this was call'd being Naked and that Shamelessly too 2. Sam. vi 20. that is for a King to be so Naked or Vndrest Thus it is to be Understood when it is said 1 Sam. xix 24. that Saul Stript off his Cloaths and Prophesied Naked before Samuel that is he lay'd by his Robes It was a Mark besides of Respect to Samuel as to the Doctor and Master there of that College of the Prophets As with us Scholars will not come in their Cloaks to take their Lesson from their Master nor do Men appear so muffl'd up where they intend to shew Respect Yet not altogether naked no nor Vndrest Loose or Slattering that is a Greater Contempt and Vndecency and may be call'd being Naked Thus it is said that Peter was Naked Joh. xxi 7. and that he Girt his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his upper Garment which was Loose before when he knew that it was The Lord Jesus who appear'd unto them But if the Vpper Garment were not only Vngirt but quite laid aside this wou'd be call'd a Going Naked yet not such a Nakedness void of Modesty to Discover our Shame as the Quakers did And Ignorantly and Impudently wou'd vouch the H. Prophets as a Precedent To whom if any such Command for Extraordinary Reasons had at any time been given it wou'd not have Excus'd the Immodesty or the Blasphemy of any who shou'd Pretend the like Command from God But this Mad-Freak was Common to their She-Prophets as well as the Men. The Wife of Edmund Adlington of Kendal went Naked thro' the Streets the 21. Nov. 1653. As did Mary Collinson another Quaker in the same Town who Rebuked those that cover'd her Nakedness telling them That they had hindered the work of the Lord. If you ask my Authority for this I have it out of a Book Intituled A further Discovery of that
p. 301. Add to this another Instance given in the Further Discovery before Quoted wrote by Five Ministers p. 91. of a Quaker woman who came to Disturb one of their Congregations at Kellet in Lancashire she fell into a Trance her Belly puffed up her sides Extended her Back-bone thrust out her whole Body as a Bladder when it is in Blowing c. This is attested under the hand or Mr. Moore Minister at Kellâ—t But Instances are Endless See the General Account of it in a Book Printed at that time 1653. call'd A brief Relation of the Irreligion of the Northern Quakers Wrote by Francis Higgison p. 15. Those in their Assemblies that are taken with these Fits fall suddenly down as it were in a Swoon as tho' they were surpris'd with an Epilepsis or Apoplexy and ly Groveling on the Earth and strugling as it were for Life and sometimes more Quietly as tho' they were Departing While the Agony of their Fits is upon them their Lips Quiver their Flesh and Joints Tremble their Bellies swell as tho' Blown with Wind they Foam at the Mouth and sometimes Purge as if they had taken Phisick In this Fit they continue sometimes an Hour or two sometimes Longer before they come to themselves again And when it leaves them they Roar out Horribly with a Voice Greater than the Voice of a Man The Noise those say that have heard it is a very Horrid Fearfull Noise and Greater sometimes than any Bull can make The Speaker when any of them falls in this Fit will say to the rest that are sometimes Astonisht at this sight especially if they be Incipients let them alone trouble them not the Spirit is now strugling with the Flesh if the Spirit overcome they will Quickly come out of it again though it be sorrow now it will be Joy in the Morning c. And when they have said a few words to this Effect they go on with their Speaking Sometimes they carry those wretched Patients to Beds when they are near them and let them Ly on them till their Fit be over These Quakings they Maintain Saul's Errand p. 5. and in their Books and Papers call them the Marvelous works of the Lord Battels of Shaking and Trembling before the Presence of the Lord and call them that speak against them Ishmaelites that scoff at the works of the Lord They say also those that speak against this Quaking shew themselves to be Blasphemers and that it is Presumption and Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost to speak against it Thus that Account Take another two Years after this Wrote by Mr. Edmund Skipp then Minister of Bodenham in Hereford-shire but who as himself tells us had been before seduc'd by the fair Pretences of the Quakers and was one of them But by the Great Mercy of God having Discover'd their Gross Deceits he Return'd from them and then Gave notice of them to the World in a Book printed 1655. which he Intituled The Worlds wonder or The Quakers Blazing-Star c. there p. 22. he tells of these Mysterious Deceits of Anti-Christ Which I gather says he from those strange and unheard of Passions and Agonies those Great Burthens and Exercitations of Body in so much that they are sometimes in Trances and Soundings and if they are not brought into such a state of Deadness as it were yet they suffer most Extreme Tortures of Body that hath been Visible to me and several others many times nay so much Extremity that it maketh them Roar out for very Bitterness And I do clearly Judge that if the Lord did not Limit the Devil in their behalf as he did for Job saying Thou shalt not touch his Life it wou'd be Impossible for their Concaves to hold their Inwards in those Violent Motions for they are made under those Agonies to Tremble and Quake as though their Flesh must part from their Bones and Ligatures like unto Men in the strongest Fits of an Ague that ever you saw as tho' they had seen Belshazzar's Vision Dan. 10. that made his knees smite one against another In those strange Passions they are Exercised with so much Heat I know not of what sort that it maketh them cry out for Drink and maketh them Sweat like men in most violent Feavers Now they call these Agonies the Fiery-Trial and say it is the Power of the Holy Ghost burning up and Destroying their Corruptions and Purifying them like Gold that is tried seven times in the Fire And that which is very strange when they are thus in the midst of these Extreme Shakings Quakings Trials Roarings and Perplexities that one wou'd think ther cou'd be no more Torment upon the Damn'd Spirits than is upon them at the Present yet many times when they begin to come to their Speech for it falleth out often that they are not able to speak for a long time they will speak how much Joy and Pleasure they have mix'd with that Torment in such an Inseperable Manner as they themselves Express as Heat and Fire mix'd together that they cou'd wish to be in it for Ever and Ever This they call Drinking of the Cup or the Undergoing the Curse and wrath of God as Christ did for here they speak to my Understanding most Blasphemously and say they must be brought to suffer as Christ did and to Undergo as Great a sense of Wrath as He did when he Cried out My God My God why hast thou forsaken me In a word as far as ever I cou'd Understand their Apprehensions by their Expressions in this last particular I did Judge this to be their Delusion that they must suffer Eternal Burnings bearing the full weight of Divine Justice and wrath as fully as though ther never had been any Christ Crucifi'd or acceptation of His Sacrifice untill as they say ther shou'd be no more left in them but the Pure seed of God in its own Perfect Likeness And they say that Condition or state which is call'd in Scripture Hell or Everlasting Torment is but a Dispensation which shall End at such a time as that Burning and Torment of the Soul and Conscience shall have Refin'd it and brought it into its former Purity and Likeness of God Thus far I have transcrib'd out of this Author not only as to this of their Quaking but because he do's withal open to us the very Heart and Bottom of the Quaker Heresie viz. That the Meritorious Cause of our Justification is not the Sufferings of Christ in His Body upon the Cross but that the same sufferings must be wrought over again in us that we must Bear our own Sins in our own Bodies and must be Healed by our own Stripes which likewise they call the Sufferings of Christ or the Light within them And that what he suffers thus within every man is the only Meritorious Cause of his Justification and Reconciliation to God That what He suffer'd Outwardly upon the Cross is nothing to us but an Example a History
Westminster and how many more he says he knew not But that is not the Business now We have sufficient Testimony of their Firmness to the King and Royal Interest at that Time That which I wou'd Reason with them now upon is Their Annulling of our Laws as of Tythes Not being Lawfully Authoriz'd so to do Their setting up Weekly Monthly Quarterly Yearly Synods or Parliaments wherein they Issue Orders and Laws to All the Quakers And Excommunicate those who Refuse to be Obedient They Leavy Money by Benevolence which none of them Dare Refuse under Pain of being Dis-own'd as they Phrase it which to most of them who Trade Chiefly with one another is to be Broke and Vndone By these Voluntary Taxes per Force they have Fill'd and Maintain a Treasury or Publick Stock to Carry on their Common Cause Among other things to enable any Poor Friend to support a Law-Suite against the Priests for Tythes Of which several Instances can be given That these Baals-Priests may have no other Choice but either to Loose the Tythes of the Quakers or Pay more for them than they are worth Especially the Poorer sort of the Clergy who are Easily Tyr'd out at Law Unless they had such a Fund as the Quakers have to support them Let me Entertain the Reader with one Instance upon this Head which happen'd Lately And has Conduc'd to open the Eyes of some Deluded Quakers particularly of William Mather who writes the Account himself by his Letters Dated from Bedford 12. July 1698 And tells That one Joseph Clark a Quaker Preacher being sued for his Tythe by the Priest John Feild an Eminent London Quaker Preacher and one of the Principal Directors of the Court of Second-Days-Meeting which is the Helme of the whole Quaker Government it is the Conclave which Preseribes even to their General Council the Yearly Meeting at London and which is more Commands their Bank or Publick Treasury This John Field Encourag'd Joseph Clark to stand out the Suite with the Priest and Promis'd to secure his Goods from the Priest if it came to the worst But Jos told W. Mather to keep him Firm to the Cause That it was The Lord who Moved him not to Pay his Tythes to the Priest However so it fell out whether thro' Multiplicity of Business in John or want of Due Solicitation in Joseph or from whatever Cause That John did not Perform as Joseph Expected who having waited till the Day before the Assizes at Bedford and no Relief coming was Forc'd to surrender And sent to Agree with the Priest And then told Will. Mather That The Lord gave him Freedom to Pay Tythes as well as other Taxes Which with other things has much stumbl'd Mather as to their Infallibilty and even Sincerity especially Their Inscribing every thing they Do or Think to The Name of The Lord God! And that both Backwards and Forwards But it is the Treason and not the Blasphemy of their Practice herein that I am now upon Which they have made Treason as before Quoted in others And therefore must come under their own Law or Confess themselves to be Lyars and Deceivers If they say That their Testimonies against Tythes c. are not Laws or Commands only Advices and Recommendations That is sufficiently Answer'd in the Sn. Sect. xix where it is shewn That they made it no less than Rebellion for any Quaker to Pay Tythe upon any Account And in their Rabshakeh against Mr. Crisp. An. 1695. p. 90. They call his Marrying by a Priest and Paying of Tythes Transgressions and such as Cut him off from the Vnity of the Faithful Now where ther is no Law ther is no Transgression And it is no Mean Transgression that will Cut a Man off from the Vnity of the Faithful That must be some Dreadful Damning Sin And such they make our Laws And Require Obedience in opposition to them to their own Laws and thus Set Themselves above the Laws and Tread them under their Feet And render those whom they do so Bind their Slaves and Vassals And so by their own Sentence are Guilty of Treason N. B. The above Mention'd John Field is he who wrote the Letter Printed in the Collection N. 5. to the Lord Mayor of London wherein he Endeavours to Prove That the Setting up of Tythes is in Effect to say That Christ is not become Man or suffer'd Death for Man c. call's them Slanderous Covetousness And threatens the Government both Lords and Commons with God's Vengeance who suffer Priests Charitably i. e. Who have any Charity or Favour for them The Quakers had much more Charity for the Impropriators And some Quakers allow'd themselves to Pay Tythes to them which shews That their Rage against Tythes Proceeded Chiefly from their Malice to the Clergy Nay some of the Quakers themselves as I am Inform'd have been Impropriators and Received their Tythes They will tell us whether the Quaker Squire Fettiplace in Gloucester-shire was not of this Number They wou'd not Refuse to Buy an Estate because there were Impropriations Annex'd to it Much less wou'd they Give up the Impropriat-Tythes after they had Bought them VI. Their Treasons in Abetteng Oliver and the Rump He comes next p. 24. to the Charge against them of their Treasons and Rebellion And their Abetting of the Vsurpations under Oliver and the Rump Which according to Custom he Denies but offers not to Disprove one single Quotation of those many which you will find Sect. xviii of the Sn. This is Reply'd to in the Sup. N. 11. And I cou'd give many other Instances besides those in the Sn. Ther was a Book Printed by the Quakers A. D. 1656. Intituled The Cry of Blood Subscrib'd by these Eminent Quakers Geo. Bishop Thomas Goldney Henry Roe Edw. Pyott Dennis Hollister in name of all the Rest then about Bristol where Complaining of their sufferings from the then Government they say in the Title Page that it was contrary to The Righteous Ends of the War i. e. of their Rebellion against the King and p. 25. they say For which i. e. subverting the Fundamental Law the Late King Strafford and Canterbury were Impeached Attainted and Executed as Traytors And p. 31. they accuse some that Affronted them whom they call'd Royeters to be Cavaliers and that Charles Stuart was Publickly mentioned by the Name of King p. 69. They Plead as Merit in behalf of John Camm and John Audland See his Blasphemous Letter to G. Fox Annex'd at the end of the Sn. two of their Famous Preachers That they had been Six or Seven years in Arms for the Parliament and had Fought and performed Eminent Service in the Field And. p. 90. That Thomas Robertson another Preacher was Five or Six years in Armes for the Parliament an Officer in Colonel Brigg 's Regiment was at Preston Fight at the Engagement at the Bridge in Scotland and Carlise living on his own Estate and bearing his own Charges in the Wars except a
Christ and the Garment which He wore between Him that Came and the Body in which He came between the Substance which was Vailed and the Vaile which Vailed it Lo I come a Body hast thou Prepared Me. There is Plainly He and the Body in which He came Ther was the outward Vessel and the Inward Life This we certainly know and can never call the Bodily Garment Christ but that which Appeared and Dwelt in the Body So that by this Jesus was not the Christ only the Prepared Body Garment or Vaile in which Christ Dwelt The same Argument is Prosecuted by Will. Penn in his Part of the Serious Apology p. 146. and in the like words with Is Penington to shew the Unanimous Consent of the Quakers in this the Heart of their Christianity These are his words He that laid down his Life and suffer'd his Body to be Crucify'd by the Jews without the Gates of Jerusalem is Christ the only Son of the most High God But that the outward Person which suffer'd was Properly the Son of God we utterly Deny A Body hast thou Prepared me said the Son then the Son was not the Body tho' the Body was the Son's i. e. The Body was the Son's as a man's Garment or Vaile is his who owns and wears it as the Body of Will. Penn is the Son's who he supposes Dwells in it But the Son was not the Body that is Jesus in whose Body Christ Dwelt was not the Son not Properly the Son of God but in a Large sense as other men are call'd the Sons of God And Christ Suffer'd His Garment or Vaile the Body of Jesus to be Crucifi'd But that the outward Person which suffer'd was Properly the Son of God the Quakers do Vtterly Deny And as that Person which Suffer'd was not Properly the Son of God it follows as certainly that the Son of God was not Properly that Person or was not Properly a Man This was the Meaning of Will. Penn in his Sandy Foundation p. 20. calling Christ a Finit Impotent Creature He did not mean the Eternal word Or that this Word was Properly a Man in our Nature for then tho' the Manhood was a Creature and Finit yet the Man or Person was not so As a Man's Body is Corruptible yet the Person Consisting of Body and Soul is not so Tho' the Properties of Each Nature whereof a Person do's Consist may be Attributed to the Person as a Man is said to Dye to Eat Drink Sleep c. tho' these are Proper only to the Body And likewise he is said to Think to Reason to be Immortal tho' these are Proper only to his Soul Thus God is said to Dye to shed His Blood c. tho' this be Proper only to the Manhood which the Word assum'd into His own Person And Man is said to be God Infinit Almighty c. tho' this be Proper only to the Divine Nature of Christ who is likewise Truly and Properly a Man And none who had a True Notion of this cou'd ever have brought himself to call Christ a Finit Impotent Creature Such a Blasphemous Contempt of our B. Lord and God cou'd never have Dropt from the Pen of a Christian But upon Will Penn's Scheme that the Word was not Properly a Man it must follow that the Person who Suffer'd was not Properly the Son of God And Consequently that the Person who Suffer'd which is the Christians Christ was but a Finit Impotent Creature and not Truly and Properly the Christ J. Pennington asserts that the Name of Christ did not belong to the Person of Jesus which he calls only the Vessel or Vaile as in his Quest to Professors p. 25. but only to the Light or Christ which Dwelt in Jesus as in the Quakers So that the Name Christ says he is not given to the Vessel but to the Nature to the Heavenly Treasure to that which is of him In the Vessel And he Contends That it was not the Flesh and Blood of the Vaile which was the Sacrifice that Cleanses i. e. not the Flesh and Blood of Jesus but The Flesh and Blood within the Vaile i. e. the Spiritual Flesh and Blood of their Light within Not the Flesh and Blood says he of the outward Earthly Nature but the Flesh and Blood of the Inward Spiritual Nature Not the Flesh and Blood which Christ took of the first Adam's Nature but the Flesh and Blood of the Second Adam's Nature And What is the Laver of Regeneration says he p. 24. wherewith the Soul is washed Is it the water which ran out of the side of the Natural Body when it was Pierced with a Spear or the Water which floweth from the Spirit And Can outward Blood Cleanse the Conscience c. Now G. W. is not against telling the History of the Life and Death of Jesus that is as he puts the Caveat Truly Consider'd i. e. so as not to lay the stress of our Salvation upon Faith in those outward Sufferings or to make that Necessary to us That Prerogative they Reserve only for the Sufferings Blood-shedding c. of Their Christ the Light within That only is sufficient without any thing else And when you come to this say they in a Book Intituled The Doctrin of Perfection vindicated Printed 1663. p. 19. you will cease Remembring His Death at Jerusalem and will come to see how He hath been Crucify'd In you c. His outward Death is to be Forgotten for the stress do's not Ly upon that And as Mr. Penn says in his Quakerism a new nick-name c. p. 12. Since they believe that appearance of Christ in the Flesh at Jerusalem they need not Preach what is not to be again See Satan Dis-Rob'd p. 11. Ther is an End of any more Preaching or Faith in that Nay it do's Hurt as taking men off from Trusting wholey and soley in the Light within as sufficient without it Which is the very Heart and Soul of the Quaker-Faith And therefore they think the Heathen in a Better Condition than those Christians who lay so much stress upon the outward Christ His Death and Sufferings for that the Heathen have not that Encombrance to Divert them from Trusting wholly to their Light within and to nothing else And they think the Faith in the outward Christ so very Destructive that G. Fox Denounces them to be Reprobates and Possest with the Devil who Expect to be sav'd by Faith in the outward Jesus and as wholly Ignorant of the Inward Presence of Christ in the Heart For thus he Replies upon Christopher Wade who had in a Book he wrote call'd Quakery Slain asserted the Necessity of Faith in the outward Christ but withall he is Full and Large upon as Great Necessity of the Inward Presence and Operation of the Spirit of Christ in our Hearts In his Inspections Influences and Operations and by His Spirit Dwelling even in the Hearts and Societies of His People as he words it
else did they Oppose and that so Vehemently those who Preached this Doctrin and who also own'd the Inward Presence and operations of Christ by His B. Spirit in our Hearts not only as Beneficial but Absolutely Necessary towards our Salvation and without which That the outward Sufferings of Christ and all His Ordinances wou'd be to us as if they were not at all or Worse as before Quoted Why did G. Fox G. Whitehead and all the Quakers oppose this They have Nothing left to say But that those whom they Oppos'd did Deny the Inward opperations of Christ in the Heart and that in this only they did oppose them Which being most False and they not being able to Produce one Single Person who did Oppose them In this shews what that was wherein they did Oppose them Or if they cou'd find such a Single Person why did they oppose Others who had sufficiently Explain'd themselves In this such as these before Nam'd Why did they call These Devils Anti-Christians Sorcerers for Preaching of Faith in Jesus of Nazareth Why did they Belch out in Fury such Spitefull and Blasphemous Contempt as before Quoted against the Person of our B. Lord Jesus Why did they call Him Accursed Let them hear the Apostle That no Man Speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus Accursed 1 Cor. xii 3 And that no Man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost Therefore till they come not only to say but to Believe this they may be sure That it is not the Spirit of Christ but of Anti-Christ by which they are Acted And they cannot Truly Believe this without not only being willing but in an High Degree Zealous to Confess Retract and Condemn the Above Quoted and all other their vile Contempts and Outrages against our B. Lord and only Saviour Jesus Christ I cou'd bring Multitudes of Quotations to the same Purpose of these before Produc'd be sides what are offer'd in the Sn to which G. W. has not answer'd which we may easily suppose he wou'd have done if he cou'd have found any thing tolerable to have said to them And till he or some other of the Quakers shall think fit to Answer to these it is needless to Cloy the Reader with more These being sufficient to let him see into the Depth of the Quaker Heresies and Clear his way from their Little Subtleties with which they use to Hide and Cover them G. W's Immethodical way has carry'd me from p. 30. of his Antid to p. 38. because both speak of the same thing and I wou'd save Repetitions for which Reason I must pass all he says from p. 30. to 35. which is a going over and over the same again and again Denying the Charge but not Answering of the Proofs Their Contempt of the Holy Scriptures XI He comes p. 35. to the Charge against them of Contemning the Holy Scriptures calling them Beastly-ware Death Dust and Serpents-meat c. He cou'd not nor do's he Deny the Quotations where these names are given to the Holy Scriptures for the Quaker Books and Pages are Particularly set down Yet he most Impudently Denies that they have call'd the Scriptures by such Names Tho' perhaps says he p. 36. making a Trade upon Scripture or Preaching for Hire or Moncy hath been so call'd by some or other Here is a Perhaps and a some or other to throw us off again And to make us believe that such Names were never given to the Scriptures but only to the making a Trade of them For which I must Desire the Reader to look again into the Quotations in the Sn. and he will there see what a Guilty and utterly False Excuse and Put off this is For these Names are given to the Holy Scriptures to Matthew Mark Luke and John So that his Perhaps is most Certainly and most Certainly G. W. knew it to be so tho' he with a Quaker Sincerity and Plainess wou'd have it only pass for a Perhaps And for his some or other as if he knew not who it was that said any such thing ther is mention made before of a Passage and it is Quoted in the Sn. p. 342 of the First Edit it is p. 110. of the Third Edit of one George Whitehead in his serious Apology p 49. where he says that what is spoken by the Spirit of Truth in any i. e. of the Quakers is of as Great Authority as the Scriptures and Chapters are and Greater Mark that George of Greater Authority than the Scriptures so that by this all Thy Preachments and of others Thy Quakers which you say are spoken by the Spirit of Truth are not only of as Great but George of Greater Authority than the Holy Scriptures And what more Vile Contempt cou'd be put upon those Sacred Oracles than to compare them to the most Sensless and Blasphemous Ramblements that ever came out of the Mouths of Men Nay to Prefer these and all their Cursed and Furious Venome and Beastly Nastiness see Sn. Sect. xvii to the Holy Scriptures of God! Now George are The Scriptures only the Preaching for Hire when you Question whether the First Pen-man of the Scripture was Moses or Hermes whether ther are not many words contained in the Scriptures which were not spoken by Inspiration of the Holy Spirit whether some words were not spoken by the Grand Impostor some by False Prophets and yet True and some by True Prophets and yet False c. And thy own Excuse for all this that this was meant only against some Parts of the Scriptures as in Sn. p. 86. Was all this only against Preaching for Hire When G. Fox said in his Gr. Mystery p. 302. That the Scripture is not the ground of Faith That the Scriptures being outward Writings Paper and Ink is not Infallible nor is not Divine And p. 246. when he says of the H. Scriptures that They are not the word of God And in his News coming out of the North. p. 39. where he argues against those who Plead for the Scriptures he says Hebrew Greek and Latin is your Original you say that Mathew Mark Luke and John is the Gospel which is Carnal c. was this only Preaching for Hire Now George be Asham'd and Blush if Thou Canst and Confess and Retract if Thou be'st a Christian all your Horrid Contempt and Blasphemy against the H. Scriptures of God and Preferring all your own Gross Delusions before Them which are your Life Deut. xxxii 47. This is all that G. W. says to this Point And yet in his Contents he Intituls this The Quakers clear'd from Calumnies in that Point This is the Clearing But some Read the Contents of Books who Read not the Books And such must think that something Material is Perform'd where so much is Promis'd And such only can be Satisfi'd with this and other Quaker Answers and Defences See more upon this Head of the H. Scriptures in Sect. xiv xv xvi Their Conforming
the Scripture Now throwing off the Authority of Scripture that is of Outward Revelation is Direct Deism And the Quakers are Downright Deists as shewn in Prim. Heres p. 28. They Differ in Nothing but in Expressing the same thing in Different Words The Deists own a Light within and that it is Divine i. e. Planted in our Minds by God and that it is a Ray or Communication of the Divine Light Wherein then do they Differ from the Quakers only in this That they call this Light within by the Name of Reason Which word the Quakers do not like because they Resolv'd to go out of the Rode of all Common speaking But they Mean the Same thing For they Deny any other Light in the Soul but that which is Divine And this Light within the Quakers and Deists make the Supreame Rule not Controulable by Scripture or any thing else but Sufficient of it self Without any thing else i. e. without Faith in the outward Jesus For that God Requires no more of any man but to Follow this Light within And This is all the Christianity which the Quakers do own This they say is To have Faith in Christ Hence they conclude All Moral Deists whether Jews or Heathens to be Christians G. Fox in his Gr. Myst p. 56. Sets down an Objection against the Quakers viz. That they say that any can have The Sight of the Godhead without Faith in Christ And he do's not Deny this to be their Principle but Justifies it He Answers Can any see the Godhead have a sight of the Godhead and not see Christ and have Faith in Christ By this the Jews have Faith in Christ for they Acknowledge the Godhead And the Gentiles too Because that which may be known of God is Manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them Rom. 1.19 20. For the Invisible things of Him from the Creation of the world are Clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even His Eternal Power and Godhead In the same manner the succeeding Quakers do Chime in after G. Fox T. Elwood in his late Answer to G. Keith 's Narrative An. 1696. p. 75 76 77. do's Quote and Justifie Will. Penn his Address to Protestants p. 118 119. where he makes Christ not to be any Person but only a Principle in men's Hearts which is Common to All Men. For thus he Describes Christ What is Christ but Meekness Justice Mercy c. Can we then Deny a Meek man to be a Christian And putting the objection against a Moral Heathen thus Why tho' this Person be a Sober Liver yet he is but a General Believer his Faith is at Large 'T is true He believes in God but I hear little of his Faith in Christ Then as T. E. says W. P. Replies very well Do's he not therefore believe in Christ For As he that believes in Christ believes in God so he that believes in God believes in Christ For an Answer to this Mighty Argument of the Quakers see Sat. Dis. Sect. 1. n. x. I am now only shewing That the Quakers are Deists and no more Nay I will say not so much Christians as any the Vilest and most Absur'd of any other Deists Of whom none that we know of but the Quakers will own that most sensless Blasphemy of making Themselves to be God by making their Souls to be Vn-Created and without Beginning and Infinit which is to be God As shewn 2. Par. S. vii n. 2. Quakery is a Scandal even to Deism And as the Quakers out-shoot the other Deists vastly in Non-sense and Blasphemy so they come not nearer to Christianity in any thing that might Ballance No not as to the Acknowledgment which they make to the H. Scriptures For the Deists too as the Quakers will speak sometimes Honourably of the Scriptures say they are Good Books and many Good things in them And Delight to Read them But then not to Trust to Every thing that is in them Only so far as is Agreeable to their own Light within And in this they Endeavour to support themselves by the Various Readings Copies and Translations of the H. Scriptures to Render them Vncertain and Suspected And from them the Quakers have taken up the same Argument against the Authority of the H. Scriptures Tho' they have the least skill in that Critical part of Learning of any sort of Men upon the face of the Earth Yet they Borrow Arrows out of Every Quiver against the H. Scriptures as of the Papists against our Translation as shewn in Sat. Dis Glean Sect. iii. n. 3. p. 79. so of the Deists against All. But All Translations do agree in what is Material either as to Faith or Manners And therefore these and the various Readings of Copies Different both as to the Countries and Ages in which they were Transcrib'd and Translated instead of Militating against the Truth and Certainty of the H. Scriptures are a Mighty Confirmation of Both because this is a Demonstration that such Copies cou'd not have been wrote by Consert And the Differences between them is no more than what was Natural and Easie and almost Unavoidable to fall out in the Common Mistakes of so many Several Amanuenses and Translations But all agreeing in the Full of the Faith therein Deliver'd and Differing in nothing that can make any Alteration in that Gives us the Greater and an Undoubted Assurance of Trusting to the Scriptures so Agreeing in all their various Translations and Editions as a Sure and Certain Rule both as to Faith and Manners But the Ignorant Quakers having got this Objection by the end see what use they make of it even to Render the Scriptures so Precarious and Vncertain as not at all to be any longer Trusted as a Rule to Us And the Consequence is That the Scriptures be now laid aside as now Vseless and Vnprofitable nay more as Dangerous and Hurtful to Us because if Corrupted they may give us Poison for Meat and so Help forward our Destruction Thus that Renowned Quaker Samuel Fisher in what he Blasphemously calls The Burden of the Message of the Lord it self p. 3. and 5. it is p. 19. and 21. of a Collection of such sort of his Messages Printed 1656. comparing of the Light within and the Scriptures says That Prophet whose voice soever hears not and obeys not even in all things whatsoever he saith to them shall be cut off from his People who by a Measure of Light from himself hath Enlightned Every one of you Whose voice is within and not without to you nor heard now without by any of you for the Scripture is not his voice for the Scriptures not as written by the men that were Inspired but as since then Mis-transcribed even in the very Greek and Hebrew Copies how much more as we have them Mis-translated in many things and in so many several Translations these are in some things Fallible and so not fit to be the Rule as in
from the Drudgery my Self I. Therfore I will turn to shew that the worst Payers are the Hard est Cravers 2. The Quakers Insolence and Threatning to any who Oppose them That these Quakers who take so free Liberty with others are the most Impatient to have any thing said to Themselves They are Touchy upon the least Punctilio and Improve any Reflection upon them to the utmost Strech George Whitehead last year Printed a Book which he Intituls A sober Expostulation with some of the Clergy c. wherein he writes in a very Threatning stile to two of the Establish'd Clergy Mr. Smithies and Mr. Archer for the suspicion that lay upon them of shewing some Countenance to Francis Bugg in his writing against the Quakers If thou says he p. 11. doth not put a stop to his mischievous Attempts it will Affect thee and the Cry will ascend Higher than to thy self Here is an Innuendo against the whole Clergy And p. 20. says he Bugg's Abuses are in their own Nature Intolerable and we do not Intend to Lie under his Foul Calumnies Pag. 106. If you will be mute in this matter says he to these Clergy-men and suffer him to Persist without your Publick Dislike then may you be further Justly call'd in Question and Expos'd thereupon for your neglect of Justice This is Magisterial indeed Here Whitehead Acts the Metropolitan and corrects these Clergy-Men with a Super-Episcopal Authority What! must they be Accountable for Bugg's writing against the Quakers And if they do but stand Mute in the Case that is if they do not take Part with the Quakers against Bugg or any who shall hereafter come over as he has done from the Quakers to the Church of England and Endeavour to Detect the Errors of the Quakers What then Here Whitehead threatens that they shall be call'd in Question for it and Expos'd thereupon He says that Bugg's Abuses are in their own Nature Intolerable I am sure such Insolence as this is in its own Nature and according to the Nature of all Government or but the Shadow of a Church very Insufferable To see a Sniveling Quaker thus Brave it in the Face of the whole Church and in Print to Threaten Her Clergy for doing of their Duty It is not Toleration will serve these mens turns Ex Pede Herculem We may know by a Little what a Great Deal means Their Principles are Calculated for Empire Their Motto is Do no Right and take no Wrong John Gilpin in his Narrative call'd The Quakers Shaken before Mentioned happen'd to call them a Faction saying of a Pamphlet That it was set forth by some of that Faction in York To which they Answer in The Standard c. Quoted before p. 8. Thou full of Subtilty is this thy Revenge to Nick-Name the Truth calling the Children of the Lord by the Name of a Faction Which is Invented by the Devil whose servant thou art The Provocation was Greater to which Will. Penn Replys in his Scirmisher Defeated p. 10. In answer to this viz. That the womb of Iniquity was in the Quakers writings upon which W. P. Crys out He has Invaded my Body and Soul Religion and Life for Lam by my Doctrin if the Priest may be believ'd an Heretick a Blasphemer an Atheist c. And what remains but that the Dogs or Lyons devour me the Rabble or the Government sacrifice me c. And if Will. Pen may be Believ'd what are our Priests as he calls them That Cursed Bitter Stock of Hirelings who have made Drunk the Nations whilst they have Cut their Purses Serious Apology p. 156. and Pick'd their Pockets Tophet's Propared for them to Act their Eternal Tragedy upon whose Scenes will be Renewed Direful Anguishing woes of an Eternal Irreconcilable Justice The Idle Gormandizing Priests of England run away with above 150000 l. a year Guide mistaken p. 18. Printed 1668. under Protence of God's Ministers No sort of People have been so Vniversally thro' Ages the very Bane of Soul and Body of the Vniverse as That Abominable Tribe for whom the Theatre of God's most Dreadful Vengeance is Reserv'd to Act their Eternal Tragedy upon c. And for the Dissenters he calls them An ill-bred Pedantick Crew Quakerism a new nick-name c. p. 165. the Bane of Religion and Pest of the world the old Incendiaries to Mischief And the best to be spared of Mankind against whom the Boyling Vengeance of an Irritated God is ready to be Poured out And now has not he to use his own words Invaded their Body and Soul Religion and Life for besides Damnation which he never misses he makes them Cut-Purses and Pick-Pockets and The best to be spared of Mankind Do's not that look like throwing them to the Dogs or the Lions or setting on the Rabble or Government to Sacrifice them All this is made the Tragical Inference of Disputing against the Heresies and Blasphemies of the Quakers And yet the above Language and Furie of Hell which is Belch'd out with the Utmost Virulence against the Church of England and the Clergy of all sorts must be Ramm'd down their Throats while the Quakers will Fly in any mans Face and send him to the Devil who Dares call Them but a Faction And if any of our Clergy seem to Countenance the Conversion of any from Quakerism or but stand Neuter and not Hinder others from Writing against them he shall be Magisterially Threatn'd as here by Whitehead that is by the Body of the Quakers who own his and the other Books Licens'd by their Second-Day's-Meeting as has been told before And I think they have here Given a very Good Handle to Return their Complement upon Themselves That if they stand Mute and not Censure Will. Penn and the Rest of them who have spu'd their Venom in the like Furious and Standalous Manner against the Church of England And Disown their Books at least the Fore-Nam'd and other such like Passages that are in them then that the Cry shou'd Ascend Higher than to these Particular Authors even to the Second-Day's-Meeting that owns them if they will stand Mute and not shew their Publick Dislike as Whitehead here Requires from the Clergy-Men then That they may be further Justly call'd in Question and Expos'd thereupon for their Neglect of Justice Who will not do Justice let Justice be done to them Do's Bugg's Disputing against the Quakers and Giving them less than their Due seem Intolerable to Them And do they tell us plainly That they do not Intend to Ly under his Foul Calumnies And must the whole Church of England and the State too Ly under the Thousand times Greater and more outragious Calumnies that the Quakers have over and over again Loaded upon their Backs And they will not to this Day Retract one word or Letter on the Contrary they vouch it in several Places of this Appendix And have Printed it in the Post-man See Collection N. 6. That they are the
Quakers As a Christian Testimony and Heavenly Expression And to shew what Solid Instruction he had Learn'd among the Quakers it is told of him p. 5. and 6. That seeing some little Lyons of China upon the Chimney-piece he said Take away those Images for they are to be Trodden under foot And seeing another Piece of China which had several Hands he said Take away that Piece that is Covered for it hath Eyes and seeth not and Ears and Heareth not Then he took offence at a Pair of Guilded Tea-Pots And said you may take away the other things that are Guilded and wash it off And after they were taken away says the Relation He was at ease This is told to shew the Aversion of the Quakers to Idols and how Tender this Young-Man was upon that Head And this was Printed for the Instruction of those that come after To shew how Exactly this Precious Youth kept up to the Doctrin of their Great Master Fox who in his Iconoclastes makes it Heathenism and Idolatry to have the Likeness of any Creature Painted upon a Sign see Sn. Sect. xxi p. 299. And I suppose it is the same upon a Chimney-Piece See with what Froth and Chaff these Poor Quakers are Fed And Glory in at their Death And yet do not Believe themselves For if they did they wou'd not have the Likeness of Creatures Lyons Bulls c. Painted upon their Signs as is Common with them now in London Yea and China Birds Beasts and Men upon their Chimney-Pieces Guilt Tea-Pots too and moreover do Sell them for Gain and all the Rest that offended this Tender Youth upon his Death-Bed But not his Sins for Alas he had none he was one of the Perfect ones And his Example is set out to Encourage the Rest of the Quakers to follow it Now if you shou'd tell any Quaker who had the Likeness of some Creature Painted upon his Sign that he was an Idolater He wou'd take it very Ill and tell thee Thou art a Lyar a Satan c. If you shou'd Ask him again whether G. Fox was Acted by the Infallible Spirit when he call'd this Idolatry He wou'd Answer That G. Fox was above thy Shallow and Dark Mind That He was sent from God And Endowed with Power from on High And Taught the way of the Lord in Truth That thou wert one of those who made a Man an offender for a word He wou'd bid thee Read within And Hearken to The small still voice And such Banter nothing to the Purpose And then think that he had sufficiently Answer'd thee This is the Method they take to Reconcile Contradictions And no other will you get from them This brings me to another Topick they use in Answering Objections made against them 3. Bringing of Contrary Testimonies which is To bring Contrary Testimonies to those Objected without offering to solve those that are Objected not minding or Hoping the Reader wou'd not that this only Proves them Guilty of Contradictions which is one of the Great Objections made against them And indeed of this their Writings are so Fertile that hardly a Page can escape you wherein you will not find some of them For they are all Confusion and Contradictions This is the Method thro' all this Appendix which we are considering They bring Contrary Testimonies or so seeming to those which are Objected and think but they cannot so think that this has done the work and Clear'd their Cause 1. Thus Sect. vi In answer to their Contempt of Magistracy and Government their Manifold Treasons and Rebellions they bring Testimonys from p. 41. to p. 45. of their Acknowlegement to the Government And I cou'd have fill'd ten Pages more with the same for they made Submissions and Acknowledgments to all the Vsurpations and Governments that ever happen'd in their time as Each had the Fortune to get Vppermost And then they Beslav'd that which was Down which they had Worship'd before Of this Many Instances are given in the Sn. Sect. xviii To which not one word of Answer either in the Antidote or this Appendix But ther is an Answer which they have under their Thumb to some of the Passages there Produc'd which I must not Conceal tho' it shou'd fore-stall their Market because it will afford some Diversion to the Reader These Passages are in the Sect. above Quoted of the Sn. p. 222 223. out of a Book wrote by G. Fox which carries this Title Several Papers given forth by George Fox c. The Book I never saw yet will answer for the Quotations which notwithstanding I take not upon trust of any ones Memory or my own And can give them further Quotations out of that Particular Book which G. Fox Mark'd with his own Pen or Aule which he cou'd handle much better for I have seen of his Hand or Foot writing tho' not in that Book and it look'd rather like the Ingravings of a Sciver or the Scratches of an Aule than the Draughts of a Pen. Besides his Delicate Spelling of which I can Present the Reader with a Sampler out of that same Book Which shews how much he was oblig'd either to his Amanuensis or the Corrector of the Press that we had one Line right Spelt in all his Works tho' his Dictating has hardly afforded Us one Paragraph either of Sense or English The Book I Quote is in the Possession of the Friends where neither I nor any I can Employ can have Access I mention this as a Tryal for their Spirit of Discerning and will venture their Reproof for the Mis-Spelling but of a Word The above-Mention'd Quotations out of that Book are Bitter Invectives against the King Char. 2. to obstruct his Restoration and against All Kings and Kingly-Government It was Printed in the beginning of the year 1660 when things were coming on fast towards the Restauration But soon after when the King was Establish'd then it was time pursuant to their old wont to turn about and Tack with the wind Then G. Fox wrote Marginal-Notes upon one of these Books the same that I have mention'd to Reconcile those Treasons and Rebellions which were in it according to his Skill that is after the Manner of this Antidote and Appendix by giving a Contrary Testimony without Retracting the other In p. 5. ther are these words That the Christians were not to do any thing in the Name of an Earthly King And again The setting up of these Kings and Emperors and Protectors and giving them the Names of Excellency and Majesty amongst the Christians hath been since the Days of the Apostles amongst the Apostats in the Apostacy from the true Wisdom and Life Here he writes upon the Margin I give it you in his own spelling This was in the Days of Olefer Cromell who wou'd be King G. F. And the like upon the Margin of p. 8. where more of his Treasons were express'd This was the time when the was so besy of making Olefer Cromell King
Constant Theam to Rail at Fine Houses and Costly Furniture particularly against Coaches which they Despis'd as the Fox did the Grapes that were out of his Reach They made these the Infallible Marks of Pride and of The worlds People No man Denies but that Pride is a Sin And that Men may be Proud of these things But the Quakers made the Having of these things or Vsing of them to be Pride They Puplish'd a Book with this Magnificent Title The Trumpet of the Lord Blown c. An. 1655. which Begins thus Wo unto you that are called Lords Ladies Knights Gentlemen and Gentlewomen in respect to your Persons who are called of men Master and Sir and Mistriss and Madam And you must have your Wine and Ale and all your Dainty Dishes And you have your Fine Attire Silk Velvet and Purple Gold and Silver and you have your waiting-Men and waiting-Maids under you to waite upon you and your Coaches to Ride in and your High and Lofty Horses And here you are Lords over your fellow Creatures and they must Bow and Crouch to you And you will be called Masters upholding that which Christ in his Doctrin forbids who saith Be not ye called Masters The Lord abhors all your Profession Your Works are the Works of the Devil in your Dainty Dishes in your Lofty Horses in your Curious Buildings in your Earthly Honour which is all the fruits of the Devil You are too High and Fine and too Lofty to Enter in at the straight Gate c. Yet now None are more High and Fine grown than the Quakers None have more Dainty Dishes and Curious Buildings None wear Finer Silk and Velvet They have their Wine and Ale too Their Lofty Horses yea vâ—rily and their Coaches to boot They have their Waiting-Men and Waiting-Maids And are Master'd and Mistress'd by them without fear of that Command Be not ye call'd Masters For the Case is Alter'd quoth Plouden They had then poor Souls None of these Tentations G. Fox was known by the Name of The man with the Leathern Briches which he tells full oft in his Journal And his first Followers had few of them a Tatter to their Taile Tho' they came after to upbraid others by the Name of Thread-bare Tatterdemallions See Sn. p. 200. They were their own waiting-Men and waiting-Maids And Rode upon their own Hobby-Horses None of them had been in the In-side of a Coach That was an Exaltation far above their Thoughts As were Fine Houses and Furniture to those who Pigg'd in Barns or Stables and under Hedges Therefore they Rail'd at all these Fine things because they had None of them or ever Hop'd to have Silly Dirty Draggle-Tayls And Nasty Slovens But now grown Fine and Rampant Yet still Pretend to keep to their Ancient Testimonies To be the same Poor in Spirit and Self-Deny'd Lambs they were at the Beginning Tho' they Now stive to out-do their Neighbours both in Fine Houses and Furniture They have got Coaches too Ay marry But you must not call them Coaches for that Name they had vilify'd and given it for a Mark of the Beast But as one of them said when his Coach was objected to him as Contrary to their Ancient Testimonies he Reply'd That it was not a Coach only a Leathern-Convenience Like the Traveller who told that they had no Knives in France And being ask'd How they cut their Meat Said with a certain thing they call a Couteau I cou'd Enlarge upon Quotations out of the Ancient Testimonies of the Quaker Authors against Fine Houses Coaches c. But I am afraid of tyring the Patience of the Reader Therefore shall Content my self with one more for it is a Pleasant one 2. Ther was nothing they Inveg'd against more severely than the use of Periwigs G. Fox had a Mind to be a Nazarite like Samson and wore Long streight Hair like Rats-Tayls just as Muggleton did But Will. Penn coming in among the Nasty Herd cou'd not so easily forget his Genteel Education He first Began with Borders at last came to plain Wiggs And after his Example it is now become a General Fashion among the Quakers to wear Wiggs G. Whitehead himself is come into it Therefore I must Mind them of their Ancient Testimonies against it Of which I have Annex'd one in the Collection N. 7. Because it is short and very Extraordinary for the Learning Wit and Quaker vein of Poetry It will be an Entertainment for the Reader But I wou'd not Force it upon him therefore I have put it where he may Read it or Let it alone There the Quakers make the wearing of a Wig to be downright Sin and Confusion And bring several Texts of Scripture to Prove it They Compare those that wear them to Hermophradites and for Rime to Catamites Nay they make them Calvinists to shew their Wit and that you might not lose the Jest they put Calvus Bald upon the Margin So all that Shave their Heads are Calvinists This too was from the Mouth of The Lord They Abuse the Clergy for wearing Wiggs ay and of a Light Colour too That was Abomination Especially if the Hair was Crisped or Curled That they make a severe Aggravation They shou'd have put in Clean too For G. Fox his Heart-breakers were Long Slank and Greasie It has been observ'd of Great Enthusiasts that their Hair is Generally Slank without any Curl Which proceeds from a Moisture of Brain Inclines to Folly It was thus with Fox and Muggleton But the Quakers Wiggs now hinder us from the Observation And Will. Penn G. Whitehead c. wear not only Fair but Curl'd Wiggs For none other are Made They shou'd set up some Quaker Wigg-makers to make them Wiggs of Downright Plain Hair without the Prophane Curl of the Worlds People It wou'd best fit the Quakers Plainess and Down-rightness or Right-downess I Recommend to W. Penn G. Whitehead and the Rest of the Wigged Quaker Preachers these sweet Lines of their Poet Laureat out of his foresaid Declaration against Wiggs What wonder Women wear Gay Gold and Pearls When Men Religious wear Gold Locks of Girls Should Christian Guides affect a Whorish Guise c. Then they put the Question whether Wiggs ought to be Permitted in Case of Health when it may be Necessary to cut off ones Hair And it is Rul'd in the Negative That they must rather go Bald. This pretence for Pride say they is no better than what is for Drunkeness and Whoredom And they Propose the Example of Elisha who as they have found it out wore no Wigg when the Children call'd him Bald-Head And they do not beleve that Peter or Paul wore Wiggs For if they had then say they very Smartly The Women Christians might have Retorted upon them thus Was that the Cause Peter and Paul that you bad Vs leave off our Locks that you and such like might get them your Selves to make Periwiggs of Now may not the Innocent Lasses and Daughters of Sion
make the same Repartee upon Will. Penn and G. Whitehead Was it for this Cause Good William and George c. They Examin another Excuse for Wiggs viz. Some say shaving is to Prevent the Pox. To which they Answer Small honour to wigwearers to Incur such a suspicion of it This suspicion comes Near some of the most Able Holders-forth among the Quaking-Friends See Sn. p. 4.7 I know not whether G. Archer or if C. Atkinson wore a Wigg But he might have had Occasion for it from what you will find in the Sn. p. 43. c. And a Quaker said lately at the Conference in Norfolk That he was at Last Hanged for a High-way-Man A pretty Life and Death for a Quaker Apostle And therefore that they did Disown him It was full time They will Quit any of their Friends at the Gallows But they will not yet Disown his Books which G. Fox G. Whitehead c. have Defended and owned For then they must disown Fox Whitehead Howgil and Burrough c. who wrote a Preface to one of his Books call'd The Standard of the Lord And with 15 or 16 more of the Eminent Quakers Subscrib'd to it And they never Disown'd any of Atkinson's Books but Defended and Justify'd them when the Professors brought Quotations out of them But to Return In that Precious Declaration against Wiggs it is said That the Apostles went with Sandabs and a Single Coat whose Examples the famousest Primitive Christians followed yea and Primitive Quakers too who Generally went Bare-foot because they had no Shoos And few of them were Worth Two Coats or had one Good one Which might have been one of the Causes why they brought up the fashion of going Naked And they Urg'd the Example too of the Prophets for that They Boast ibid. how John Millner a Friend about Northampton a Wigg-maker left off his Trade and was made to Burn one in his Prentices sight and Print against it And that John Hall a Gentleman of Northumberland being Convinced sitting at a Meeting was shaken by the Lords Power Pluck'd off and threw down his Wigg c. When shall we see such a Power in the Quaker-Meetings now To see their Wiggs fly about or left for Mops to clean the House and they come out all Elisha's They must do this or else Renounce their Ancient Friends and their Precious Testimonies Else that is not True which they say in their yearly Epistle for the year 1696 That what their Light Convinced them of to be Evil in the Beginning it Reproves still For it Convinced them of these things Fine-Houses Coaches Wiggs c That they were very Evil In The Trumpet of the Lord Blown before Quoted p. 2. They made All those to be mere Heathens who us'd these things especially the Priests who Suffer'd them Thus say they And you say he is a Minister of Christ and he saith you are Christians Whereas you are All Heathens both Priest and People And so sure were the Quakers then of the Truth of this And of the Force of these their Doughty Arguments That they say ibid. p. 5. And if you will not believe this you wou'd not believe Dives and he shou'd Rise from the Dead Yet ther are not now more Dives's among any sort of People than the Quakers They are Rich and fare Sumptuously And they Direct these their Dictates to Christ Himself for thus say they ibid. To the Light in all your Consciences I speak Now they make this Light to be Christ and God Himself And thus they take upon them to Instruct and Teach the Light This Confounds All their Preaching and Teaching For has the Light has Christ need of being Taught by Them But this belongs to another Head And is spoke of in Prim. Heres to which this Appendix is said to be an Answer But says nothing to it Therefore I Return and go on with the Present Subject VIII Their Primitive Principle was That none shou'd Preach or Pray but as the Spirit mov'd them And they brought it as an Argument against all other Professions that they did not Preach c. by the Spirit because they had set and stated Times for it as if the Spirit were oblig'd to come at their Appointment Yet now the Spirit moves Them just at such Times as they Appoint And they have their Stated Days and Hours of Worship like other People IX They now Swear in the same Terms which before they Declar'd to be a Direct Oath and yet Pretend to stand still to their former Principle against the Lawfulness of taking an Oath See Sat. Dis. Sect v. N. vii p. 54. It wou'd be Endless to Pursue their Contradictions see a Catalogue that Mr. Peniman has Printed of them This I hope will be sufficient to shew that the Method taken in this Antidote and Appendix of bringing Contrary Testimonies is no Clearing of the Objections brought against the Quakers while they Refuse to Disown those Heresies c. which are plainly Prov'd upon them It is as if a Man Accus'd of Treason shou'd bring Testimonies where he spoke Honourably of the King but did not offer to Disprove any Part of the Evidence brought against him Double meanings and Cross-purposes 4. Ther is another Method of Great service to the Quakers in Answering their Adversaries and Deceiving of them which is The Double-Meanings they have in their words whereby tho' they speak the same Words that you do and know your Meaning fully in them yet they Mean them in a Quite Different Sense And so in Quakers Plainess make their Escape But ther being so much said of this in the First Part § v. p. 9. c. I need Add no more here tho' I cou'd Exemplify this their Artifice in Many other Instances were I not Tender of the Reader 's Labour and Mine own And that I think these are sufficient at least till Answer'd Ther is Another Trick of the Quakers may come in with this Head And I cannot give it a Better Name than Cross-Purposes that is They will not Answer Directly but as we say About the Bush But ther is always a Reason for it when they so do Thus if you Ask them whether they are Perfect even as God They will Answer Be ye Perfect as your Heavenly Father is Perfect And As He is so are we in this World If you Ask whether the very Body of Christ Flesh Blood and Bones be in them They will Answer We are Bone of His Bone and Flesh of His Flesh If you ask How they Understand these Scriptures whether Strictly and in a Literal Sense They will Answer Let him that Readeth Vnderstand And He that hath Ears to Hear let Him Hear And no other satisfaction will you get from them But the meaning is They Dare not Assert their Blasphemies Broad-Fac'd And wou'd thus Hide them But this shews them Plain And to what Sense they wrest the Scriptures which they thus Quote These are the sort of Answers you
will Generally find in Fox's Gr. Mystery But we know what they Hold by what they Oppose Of a Kin with this is their never failing Allegories by the Force of which they can Wrest any Text in Scripture From or To what Meaning they Fancy Much has been said as to this Point in their turning the Humanity of Christ His Birth Passion Resurrection and Ascension the Resurrection of our Bodies and Future Judgment with the Sacraments of Baptism and The Lord's Supper and other outward Ordinances into an Inward and Allegorical Sense to the Total overthrow of the Whole Christian Faith I find some Pleasant Instances of this Kind in William Haworth his Quaker Converted to Christianity An. 1674. p. 7. 8. of his Prefatory Epistle to John Crook Where the Quakers turn this Text He brought his Son out of Egypt thus out of the Egyptian Darkness of our Hearts And this The only Begotten Son thus Begotten in Vs And speaking of those who were Beheaded for the Testimony of Jesus they Explain it thus That to part with Carnal Wisdom and Reasonings that is Beheading And thus we must Allow what they so much Boast in viz. That they have Beheaded their Carnal Wisdom and Reasoning And it is a very full Proof of it which Mr. Haworth tells us ibid. p. 3. I told says he Christopher Taylor a Quaker who Disputed with him What Will. Penn said to a Friend of mine viz. That G. Fox was as Good a Prophet as Isaiah And Taylor did not Deny it but did Affirm it likewise Nay the Quakers must think so Mr. Penn must think so if He or They believe the Half of what He and They have written of George Fox particularly in the Preface to his Journal Their Reason Mr. Penn his Wisdom and Reasoning was Beheaded Murder'd Drawn and Quarter'd when he cou'd believe thus of so Consummated a Brute as this Fox And which is more strange he must by the same Rule think thus of Himself See in the First Part. p. 32 33. the Quaker-Interpretation of Gal. iii. 13. Cursed is Every one that Hangeth on a Tree i. e. on the Tree of Knowlege that is what Knowlege is got by the outward Carnal means of Hearing Reading Catechising c. Tho' they cou'd bring Contrary Testimonies to this of Their own Hearing Reading Catechizing c. But here is that Carnal thing of Knowlege Wisdom Reason their Mortal Foe Hang'd and Crucify'd as before they had Beheaded it Here is Their Plain Easie Natural way of Interpreting the Scripture But why shou'd it be Natural For the Natural Man knoweth not the things of God! And the Letter Killeth Therefore they will take Nothing according to the Letter But they Mistake the Letter or the Spelling sometimes As one that I have seen who lately being Press'd with Christ being so often call'd The Son of Man in the Gospel And that their Light within cou'd in no Sense according to their Notion of it be call'd the Son of Man seeing they believe it to be God and Christ from Everlasting The Quaker Answered very Gravely Ah Friend ther is much in those words Mind mind them then Pointing upwards to the Sun said The Sun of Man that is The Light of Man or the Light in Man And so the Matter was solv'd Another of their Preachers Holding forth in a Publick Meeting I can Produce witnesses obviating that Text 1 Thess iv 17. We shall be Caught up in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Air did thus Learnedly Expound We must meet the Lord in the Heir that is in the Light which is Christ who is the Heir of All things Another speaking of the Resurrection of the Body And having heard some say That we shall then have Angelical Bodies Thence Prov'd that the same Body which Dies do's not Rise again Because our Bodies now are not made of Angelico As it is said they will be then being Angelical Bodies This is like what is told in Sat. Dis. p. 42 43. of Another of their Preachers mistaking that Text Joh. xiv 2. In my Father's House are many Mansions where instead of Mansions he cry'd Manchets And thence Improv'd what a Good House God kept There was Plenty of Bread many Manchets And Another Applying that Text Matth. xi 30. My yoke is Easie and my Burden is Light to the Light within I cou'd Multiply upon such Fooleries of the Quaker-Infallibility But you must Excuse such Blunders in their Learned Clerks for many of them Learn by the Ear and not by the Eye They cannot Read And so know not the Difference of words which sound alike as Son and Sun Air and Heir c. This is one of the Reasons that they Play with Us at Cross-Purposes and is one of their Glorious Methods in Answering what is Wrote against them Not to take an Answer Upon which I will Insist here no Longer But go to the Next 5. Another Method they have in Answering is never to take an Answer But to Insist upon the same thing over and over again without taking any Notice of the Answers that are Made to them of which some Instances are given above And then on the other hand if they Publish any thing which they call an Answer to such a Book if any thing in that Book tho' not touch'd at all in the Answer shou'd after be objected they Cry that is Answer'd already Confuted overthrown c. Thus in this Appendix p. 10. the Quakers say no more to all those several Charges which are laid against them in the Sn. And to save Repetition Referr'd to in Primitive Heresie but That these Charges are near All of them already Answered by George Whitehead in the Antidote This was spoke a little Guiltily Near All of them That confesses ther were Some not Answer'd If you mean a Fair and Full Answer then the truth is not one of them is Answer'd But ther are a Great Many and not Near All that are not so much as once Mention'd or the least Notice taken of them in that Antidote and these of the Greatest Consequence yet this must serve for an Answer to them All And to afford this Appendix to say in the same place That His Abuses and Falsities are therein lay'd at his Door Yet is ther not one Abuse or one Falsity in the Sn. made appear in either the Antidote or this Appendix Thus that Author's Discourse concerning Baptism is serv'd At the end of the Antidote ther are not two Leaves spent upon it with this Title Some Notice taken of the said Author's Discourse for Water Baptism And it is Some Notice indeed it is Nam'd and Rayl'd at that is all Not one of his Arguments Consider'd or Objections Answer'd Yet this passes among the Quakers as a Full Confutation And when I have urg'd something out of this Book to some of them they have said O that is Answer'd tho' not one word of it in this Some Notice of Whitehead's And this Appendix p. 34.
upon the Author of the Sn. to Justify these Works and to produce the Original Copy But may not that Author more Reasonably Ask him how this Passage of E. B's came to be Twice Printed without any Correction And why it was never taken notice of as any Mistake these Forty years that it has been Printed till just now Suppose that Author had been taken Napping at any False Quotation or Charge upon the Quakers and shou'd put it off from the Printed Sn. and bid the Friends Produce the Original Copy and accuse them of Quoting him Vnfairly and Partially because they Quoted out of his Printed Book I desire to know from the Quakers particularly from G. W. Come George I 'll take thy word for once but not to make a Custom of it tell it now in good sober sadness woud'st thou have so Excused him woud'st not thou have made an Hideous Out-Cry and Clapt thy Wings for Victory But mark me George I do not mean only a bare Error of the Press or what cou'd possibly be so constru'd but a whole Passage such as this of E. B's and not only saying such a thing but going about to Prove it as he there do's That the Sufferings of the Quakers were more Vn-just than the Sufferings of Christ Why Because says he What was done to Christ was Chiefly done by a Law and in great part by the Due Execution of a Law c. But that it was not so with the Quakers which he there Indeavours to shew most Horridly Blaspheming As to his Arguments I Referr to Sat. Dis. p. 82. But as to our present business G. W. is brought at last to say in the same page p. 254. We will not stand by the Comparison Well This is something This is the first Confession that ever we got from the Quakers They will not stand by the Comparison of their Sufferings and Christ's But what then will they do as to E. B. who made the Comparison Will they say that he was in an Error No. Barr that For he gave forth all he Wrote as the Immediate Word of The Lord God And all his Editors G. W. c. have Attested this for him And he stood the Highest among the Quakers next to the Great Fox himself Who has Determin'd as before Quoted That whoever speaks and not from the Mouth of the Lord is a False Prophet and a Conjurer And if E. B. was a Conjurer then G. W. may come in and All of them And then let the Quakers see how they have been Led Let them Now see Here G. W. says it in the Name of the Rest We will not stand by E. B's Comparison for indeed it is Blasphemous to the Highest Degree And thereby you are given to understand That you are not hereafter to Trust any Quaker Books that are Printed even tho' Publish'd and Recommended by the Greatest amongst you For such are E. B's Works And if now after they have been put so many years into your hands as the Words of The Lord Part of them is Disown'd how can you be secure of other Parts of them or any Part of them at all How are you secure of G. Fox's Writings or of any others of your Prophets Have you seen all their Original Copies You must either Disown G. W. in this Affront he has put upon E. B. or Down comes All whole Quakerism at one Blow Ther is but one Book amongst you that I can hear Except G. Fox's Marginal Notes of Oleser c. before mention'd which will Escape by this Rule if that will It is Humphry Norton's for I have seen a very Ancient Manuscript of it which for ought I know may be the Original It was Printed at London for so I sind it Quoted in a Book of Roger Williams's call'd The Great Fox duggâ— out of his Burrows p. 45. And this Precious Passage cited out of him where he is after the Quaker-fashion Ridiculing the Second Coming of Christ in these words Is not Christ God and is not God a Spirit You look for a Christ without you From what Coast or Country shall He come What Country-Man is He you stand Gazing up to the Clouds after a Man but we stand by you in White chiding of you Thus as he is there Quoted How it is in the Print I know not for I have not seen it but in the Ms. it is p. 71. thus Whence must this Christ come you wait for And in what Generation And of what Family And out of what Country And of whom must He be Born That they may no longer be Deceiv'd by you who have kept them Gazing after a False Christ Well may it be call'd Gazing but leave it and mind those in White Apparel which Reproves you for it Act. 1.10 11. by which they mean their own White Lights within I suppose R. Williams might take it short These are among several other Queres of the like Nature which Humphrey put to the Professors Ther is Abundance of such Blasphemous Hideous stuff in that Book which shews Demonstratively what the Genuine Doctrine of the Quakers is concerning the Resurrection Ascension and Second Coming of our Lord Jesus turning it only to the Rising Ascension and Coming of the Light within them The outward Christ H. Norton here calls a False-Christ He was a Great Apostle of the Quakers sent into Ireland thence to the West-Indies And most Highly Recommended by Edw. Burrough and Francis Howgil two Principal Pillars to be Receiv'd by the Friends as a True Messenger of the Lord. But because this Book is but in Few hands and those of the Friends who will not now let it be seen I have in the Collection added a Trans-script out of the Ms. of some Passages in it worth the Readers Notice which Abundantly Confirm the Charges given against the Quakers and I thought this more Proper than to Thrust them in here out of their Place where we are Considering of the Quakers Manner of Defending themselves against these and other such like objections 8. The Last of their Cleanly and Clever Method Their falsifâ—ing the Sense of what is Objected against them For which by W. Penn's Rule they are Excluded from being Christians of Answering which I shall Mention at Present is Their Ignorant or most Commonly Wilful Mistaking of what is objected against them and so Answering Quite out of Purpose That by starting of new Game they may Divert the Pursuer from the Cent of an Absurdity or Heresie in Distress This they think a venial Politique in Themselves But this Mote becomes a Beam in their Brothers Eye And when they Charge it against others then they can see Clearly into the Heinousness and Utmost Deformity of this Sin Then they Improve it into a Total Loss of the Character or Name of being a Christian. This is one of the Heads upon which W. Penn wou'd Prove Thom. Hicks his opponent not to be a Christian in his Reason against Railing p. 158.
because the Devil is said to Limit Him Then the Israelits were Stronger than God for David says that they did Limit Him But as C. W. said no such thing do's G. W. think that C. W. Believ'd the Devil to be Stronger than God No. he cou'd not think so for who ever thought so And then he said this against his own Conscience Without doubt he did And for this calls C. W. a Deceiver Now here are some small Mistakes First of G. Fox's in taking God for the Devil That was All Next of G. Whitehead's in saying that C. Wade did Affirm That the Devil was Stronger than God Now Recollect Will. Penn's Rule before Mentioned That he that gives that for a Man's Answer that is not his Answer is a Forger and so no true Christian The Application is Easie and Unavoidable That neither Fox nor Whitehead are Christians because they are Notorious Forgers and Give that for a Man's Answer which is not his Answer Nay more The very Objections which are put against them they Retort as being the Principles of the Objectors Thus five Ministers wrote a Book against the Quakers call'd The Perfect Pharisee An. 1654. And another in Defence of it the same year Intituled A further Discovery of that Generation of Men call'd Quakers in Reply to an Answer the Quakers had put out to the Former In both these they Charge the Quakers with Seventeen Gross Positions of which this is the Third That the Soul is a Part of the Divine Essence Thus plainly put down p. 5. of the Further Discovery Num. 3. of the Quaker Positions which are there first Rang'd in order And then particularly Disprov'd under their several Heads And coming to this Head p. 31. they call this Position as truly it is Blasphemy G. Fox Answers to this in his Gr. Myst p. 227. and sets down this as the first of the Ministers Principles That the Soul is a Part of the Divine Essence And thence Inferrs p. 229. That in calling this Blasphemy they had given Judgment against themselves And so you five says he have Judged your selves to be Blasphemers who said the Soul was Part of the Divine Essence and yet 't is Blasphemy to say so This is Giving that for a man's Answer which is not with a witness And if Will. Penn can any Longer Defend G. Fox even Dear George who Excelleth All the Quakers to be a Christian by his own Rule he will Exceed himself and Out-do all that he has Ever yet Done At least I hope he will Alter his Opinion if he spoke it sincerely That George Fox was as Good a Proas Asaiah which has been Mention'd before But not only Putting words upon a Man which he did not say nay Quite Contrary to what he says but Leaving out the Material part of a Man's Answer and giving that for his Answer is Belying of a Man and comes under Will Penn's Rule Let me give one Instance of this among many that I cou'd Produce Matthew Caffyn in his Damnable Heresies of the Quakers Discover'd p. 29. gives his Charge thus The Quaker saith that Christ is already Come the second time And George Fox Affirmed in Plain words before many Witnesses that he knew him come within him and he looked for Him to come NO OTHERWISE And James Parnal affirmeth That by Preaching of a Christ in Heaven the Devil gets his work done on Earth as appears in his Book call'd Satan's Design discover'd p. 19. 25. This Fox Answers in his Gr. Myst p. 141. And first he leaves his Brother Parnel to shift for himself He Denies not the Quotation But says nothing to it Then as to what is Charg'd upon Himself he Quotes the Page in Caffyn but Repeats his words thus And George Fox said that he knew Christ come in him p. 29. Then he Crys that Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates As if Caffyn had Deny'd the Inward Presence of Christ by the Influence of His H. Spirit in the Hearts of Believers which no Christian ever did Deny But they Deny the Person of Christ His Flesh Blood and Bones in Men as the Quakers Blaspheme And Caffyn found no Fault with Fox's saying that He knew Christ come within him On the Contrary he Justifies the Indwelling of Christ by His Spirit But he laid the stress upon G. Fox's saying That he Looked upon Christ to come NO OTHERWISE whith was put in Capital Letters to shew that the stress lay upon that as being a Denyal of Christ's Second Coming to the Final Judgment Of all which G. Fox took no Notice at all but gives his words short as above Quoted Whereby it appears which I have often observ'd before That without looking into the Books which this Fox Answers ther is no knowing of their Meaning or what they object by his False and often Absurd Chopping and Changing of their Words Caffyn ibid. p. 35. Charges thus The Quaker saith that the offering of Christ's Body to be Broken and His Blood shed Avails not so as thro' Faith therein to set free from Sin But Blood in a Mystery and a Body in a Mystery which we know not what it is saith Lawson in his Book p. 18. which was Typified by the Fleshly Body of Christ and His Blood And says Caffyn p. 36. Wherefore he saith Boldly but Blasphemously That the Lord Jesus whom we Profess is Accursed professing a Spirit within him to be the only Christ To this G. Fox Answers Gr. Myst p. 142. And Repeats the Charge only thus They say they own Christ that suffered meaning the Spirit within Page 36. Here he Quotes the Page in Caffyn's Book whereby we cannot mistake to what it is that he Answers And instead of Denying he Justifies in his Squinting way this Hideous Blasphemy by laying the whole upon the Light within But Denies nothing of the other part of the same sentence of calling that Jesus whom we Profess Accursed c. Blessed God Defend Us The Pen is like to Drop out of my Hand while I am forc'd to set down this Greatest Outrage that Ever the Devil durst Presume to Belch out against our Blessed Lord and Saviour thro' these the most Wretched of all his Instruments the Quaker Tongues which are set on Fire of Hell I cannot stay longer upon this Subject Ther is Infection in the very Air. Let us Return to their Moderate Sins of Lying and Mis-representing the Answers of their Adversaries and Rid Christianity of them at the Back-Door which Will. Penn has Pointed But not open the Mouth of the Gulph at once of Blasphemies not fit to be Heard upon Earth lest the Stench shou'd carry Plagues with it thro' the World Christoph Wade in his Quakery Slain p. 7 8. tells of a Quaker Wizard one James Milner who Pretended that he must Suffer as Christ did to save the Souls of two Women Dorothy Barwick and the Wife of Brian Fell of Ulverston and in a Juggling Inchanting Manner with a Knife and a
And they Bow after the same Fashion Who wou'd speak Three words to Purchace their Ungainly Conges as Stiff and Grave as an Elephant's or to see them thrust out a Limb for a Salute as if they were going to make a Pass at you But ther is a Mystery at the Bottom of Iniquity and Rebellion All that was Couch'd under the Parallel that is made to them of Judas and his Gaulonites And we may the Rather Believe this because the Quakers in this Appen do in plain Terms Justifie Judas for having Repeated his Principle as given in Prim. Heres out of Josephus That he and his Followers wou'd Expose themselves to all Torments rather than call any Mortal Man Lord or Master Appen Answers p. 49. Now Believe me Friends I cannot See the Heresie of this Doctrin Here then the Charge is Confess'd And the Parallel Acknowleg'd to be Just betwixt Judas and the Quakers who own That they Maintain the same Principle with Him And who can Doubt but that it is to the same End They Quarrel Prim. Heres for bringing the Testimony of Josephus as they wou'd make the Reader believe instead of one of the Primitive Fathers which Appen p. 48. calls Canonizing this Jew Whereas Josephus is only Quoted to shew the Principles and Sect of Judas Galilaeus not for the Condemning of them That is shewn from the Apostles And what Canonizing is hear of Josephus Can the Reader bear with this Trifling But these men will Complain nay Boast if they are not Answer'd But whether is this so much a Canonizing of Josephus as Appen do's of Judas who Justifies his wicked Heresie And Consequently must Rank his Sufferings for it upon the score of Martyrdom as of the Quakers for the same Cause And is Every Primitive Father that is Quoted therefore Canoniz'd But what Patience can hold out to see these Quakers make objections for want of Primitive Fathers And to Quote them too as Gibson before and others Do they lay any stress upon the Primitive Fathers or Pretend to Follow Them O yes by all means They wou'd fain be in Good Company And they call Quakerism now of Late Primitive Christianity in which Book ther is not one Syllable of what the Primitive Fathers held not one Quotation from one of them nor any of them so much as Nam'd How then do's their Christianity appear to be Primitive No matter for that Primitive is a Good word especially to stand upon a Title-Page which 100 Read for one that Reads the Book This shews They wou'd be Primitive or have the Reputation of it And so they have As Primitive as Judas whose Doctrine they Espouse and the Apostles Oppos'd But if they are so much for Primitive what say they to those Quotations which are brought in Prim. Heres out of the most Ancient and Vn-doubted of the Fathers And which Confront their Tenets very Expresly For them They care not two pence for as many more of them Appen p. 10. 11. calls them Stale Tracts of Vncertain Persons Do's he shew how they are Vncertain No not he Let them look to that or have the Quakers any Better Editions or other Works of those Fathers than those which are come to our Hands No no no They have None of them they Hate and Abhor them they were a Company of Bishops and Doctors But ne'r a one among them like George Fox or Edw. Burrough or G. Whitehead or Little Appen No not one of them Therefore says Appen p. 10. We shall not need to be at all Afrighted if we do find our selves to Differ from what is to be found under the specious Names of Ignatius Polycarp c. tho' Living within 150 years after Christ nor under the Great Names of them call'd Fathers in the Succeeding Ages And p. 5. It will not Avail tho' he bring many Clouds of such Witnesses And notwithstanding he calls this a Cavil we learn'd from Elder Dissenters we are not Afraid to stand by it and therefore Pay little Reverence to those nor any thing not Purely Apostolical But Ignatius and Polycarp liv'd in the Apostles Days and were Disciples to the Apostles What is that to Us Quakers It is no matter what they were or where they were We will have None of them So set your heart at Rest We have Better at Home We never Lik'd G. Keith since he was so Insolent to Compare the Books of our Friends to them call'd the Greek and Latin Fathers as supposing Friends Books to have been written by no Better Guidance See Sat. Dis Sect. iv n. v. p. 47. nor Clearer Light than theirs who Lived and wrote in those Dark times For which Thom. Ellwood has Pay'd him to Purpose And it is no wonder that he has left Us. For when any once get Fathers and Councils and Antiquity and such stuff into their Heads they can never Endure Us afterwards Therefore we Hate all Schools and Colleges and Learning and Human Reason for all these things make against Us. And now that we are Setting up Schools c. of our own I 'm afraid we shall not be Long-Liv'd That by the bye Therefore Appen wisely throws off all your Fathers and Primitives which serve us only for Title-Pages But says p. 5. Indeed if he can Absolutely Determin the Question by the Scriptures the work is done Yet in the Last Case against Judas and the Quakers the Proof was brought from Scripture and from nothing else And yet the work is not done For then you call'd for the Fathers then he has not Perform'd his Promise of Giving us Quotations out of the Fathers but puts Josephus upon us and Canonizes him for a Father But will the Scriptures do Then indeed the work wou'd soon be done Will you let the Scriptures be the Rule we will Ask no more Appen Denies it as shewn before Yet they will stand to what the Scripture Commands Provided the same thing be Requir'd by Their Own Spirit Anew See Sn. Sect. vii p. 92 93. that is if they Like it They cannot Deny but that the Scripture Requires Honour to be Pay'd to Magistrates Or that Taking off the Hat is not a Paying of Honour as Prov'd above And therefore Except the Reason I have Given which they will not Give I cannot Conjecture the shadow of a Reason for their Refusing it They say as Howgil before That God has not Commanded it Not Particularly as to the Hat Neither has He Commanded to take off our Hats at Prayer Why then did they Contend so zealously for that They Render themselves Self-Condemn'd They will as Judas call no man Lord or Master Why then do they call any Man Father for both are Forbidden in the same Place Matth. xxiii 9. And in whatever Sense they take the one they may take the other But their Practice shews their meaning They do call their Quaker Masters by the Name of Masters And they do now use the word Lord Speaking of or to Noble-Men but
If by Natural says he p. 14. he meant a Created thing as man is or any thing that is Requisite to the Composition of a Man I Deny it For Man can no more be a Light to his Mind than he is to his Body he has the Capacity of seeing objects when he has the help of Light but cannot be a Light to himself by which to see them Wherefore as the Sun in the Firmament is the Light of the Body and gives us Discerning in our Temporal affairs so the Life of the Word is the Glorious Light and Sun of the Soul c. By which Logick the Vnderstanding has no more Light in it self than the Eye only a Capacity to Receive Light ab Extrà And consequently has no Natural Light only a Natural Capacity to Receive it when sent from another And this is Quoted and thus Urg'd in Prim. Heres p. 21. Yet Appen has Look'd and cou'd not see it By which he offers us an Experiment if we cou'd Believe him of the Natural Dulness of Human Vnderstanding But ther is an Old saying None so Blind as they that Will not see These men do their best to Divest themselves of Reason and they have gon very far towards it And had done it if Disowning of it and Disputing Against it cou'd have done it Rich. Hubberthorn was an Eminent Apostle of the Quakers His works were Collected and Re-Printed An. 1663. with Mighty Encomiums from G. Fox G. Whitehead c. There in a Treatise which he calls Truth and Innocency Clearing its self c. p. 41. he Denies Reason to be the Common Principle of Mankind or that Men have any Natural Light but only the Divine Which he Endeavours to Prove thus Some says he are Vnreasonable Men and so all have not Reason and some are Idiots and so have not Understanding So then all are not Enlightned with Reason and Vnderstanding If being Ideots or most Extravagantly Vn-Reasonable cou'd Prove this the Quakers have done it to Demonstration But it is that small Pittance of Reason which they have Debauch'd that Enables them to Dispute against Reason Reason can never be Totally Extinguished more than Life while Man Remains It Remains tho' Dreadfully Clouded even in Bedlam And therefore it is an Vniversal Principle or Light which is Essential to Mar as Man And the Quakers whether they will or not 't is a sad Story must have it Yes and must be Confounded by it or else Converted They say that All Men have not REASON But were it not much more true to say that All men have not GRACE that is the Divine and Saving Light And that the Light in some men is Darkness I hope they will not say the Divine Light which they make to be God Himself is Darkness Therefore they must find out some Fallible Light in Man that is Capable of being Darkned At least other men have found it and see it Plainly in Them tho' They cannot see it themselves it is so Darkned or will not Own it But Christ says Hubberthorn ibid. calls it not Reason nor Vnderstanding But where were Hubb's Eyes did he never Read Isai 1.18 Come now let us Reason together saith the Lord. And Prov. iii. 5. Lean not unto thine own Vnderstanding And 1 Cor xiv 15. I will Pray with the Spirit and I will Pray with the Understanding also Then sure they were Two things For ver 14. it is said My Spirit Prayeth but my Understanding is Vnfruitful Did Christ then never call the Light that is in Man by the Names of Reason or Vnderstanding or is ther no Light of Reason in Man besides the Light of the Spirit How then is the Light of the Spirit Distinguish'd from that of the Vnderstanding If it be said that Hubb Meant no more but that Christ did not call the Divine Light Reason or Vnderstanding That was a mighty saying upon the Quaker Principle that the Divine Light in Man is God And makes this Sense That Christ did not call God Reason or Vnderstanding But what was it which the Holy Scriptures call Reason or Vnderstanding in Man If it is not God it must be a Creature And if it be Created in Man and is Part of the Composition of a Man then it is of his Nature And is Justly and Truly call'd a Natural Light or Natural Reason And is Distinguish'd from the Divine Light which is God It was to this Natural Light or Vnderstanding of our own that we are Commanded not to Lean that is to Follow it Absolutely without a Due Sense of its weakness and therefore Acknowleging the over-Ruling Hand of God to put our whole Trust in Him The Foundation Principle of Quakerism is To Follow the Light within But here is a Light within which God Commands Us not to Follow Therefore this Light cannot be Himself And therefore ther must be Another and a Fallible Light in Man which it is Dangerous to Follow without a Guard And this is our Natural Light or Reason Which do's Manifest God to us in a Great Measure even His Eternal Power and Godhead Rom. 1.19.20 Which Renders all Sinners even of the Gentiles without Excuse who do not Worship and Serve that God Infinit and Eternal Sutably to those Discoveries which by their own Natural Reason they can Make of Him Rom. 2.14.15 And the Same Natural Concience do's also bear Witness and Accuse or Excuse according as men follow that Law written in their Hearts by Nature as the Apostle of the Gentiles did Admonish them But Hubb says ibid. That that Light in Man is not Natural He do's not Square with Paul there as one of them said unless as W. P. says Extraordinarily p. 15. It is Natural to Man to have a Super-Natural Light For which he is Spar'd in Prim Heres for if it be Natural to have any thing that is Super-Natural how is it Super-Natural Or if it be Super-Natural how is it Natural This looks very like a Figure they call a Bull. But to Proceed W. P. says in the same p. 15. of his Primitive Christianity as before Quoted That Man can no more be a Light to his Mind than he is to his Body To this says Appen p. 54. That W. P. adds afterwards About those things that more Immediatly concern our Better Inward and Eternal Man He might have added too Or about any thing Else For if ther be no Light in the Vnderstanding it cannot see these or any other things Why did you not likewise say That ther was no Light in the Eye but that you meant only to see Dun Colours For if the Vnderstanding can see no more than the Eye as W. P. says without an Adventitious Natural Super Natural Light then it can see Nothing for the Eye without Light can neither see Dun nor if it were Dipt in Yallow And if ther be nothing in a mans Vaderstanding more than in his Eye to shew it Light or as W. P. words it
no Medium And not only thus Negatively have they Asserted it But Positively and in the Affirmative They say that the Soul is Infinite even Infinitness it self and without Beginning Which nothing can be but God And if the Soul be God it must follow that ther is no Soul but God Which R. Farmer p. 27. above Quoted do's charge upon the Quakers That they say Ther is no Spirit but One and so Deny any Angel or Spirit Which page G. Fox do's Quote in his Answer Gr. Myst p. 173. but says nothing at all to this he cou'd not Deny this to be the Quaker Principle And the Consequence of this is That ther is nothing Natural in Man for if all in Man be God then ther is no Nature of Man but only the Nature of God This is the true Ground why the Quakers will not allow any Light that is in Man to be Natural no not that Light or Reason which is Common to All Men. Nor will be Content to say That this comes from God No. They will have it nothing Less than God Himself It was Granted to G. Fox That the Eternal word Enlightneth All men with the Common Light of Nature This G. F. Repeats and Opposes The Light says he which Every Man that cometh into the world is Enlightned withal is not Natural Gr. Myst p. 172. What is his Reason Because says he The Light was before any thing was Made and all things that was made was made by it which Lightneth every Man that cometh into the World By this Argument nothing at all can be Natural to Us because not only our Light but out Life and Every thing we have is from God And Consequently we nor any other Creature can have any Nature at all And then ther can he No Creature at all but All is God This was the Ranters Blasphemous Notion That God is Every thing And Every thing is God Thus they Understand that Text That God is All in All. i. e. That Every thing comes by Emanation from God or that Every thing is the Nature and Essence of God Extended and Vary'd which Returns again into its self as Rivers come from and Return into the Sea And so All things Return into the Nature of God whence they Came. And that ther is no Nature or Being but only that of God And this the Quakers have Lick'd up from the Ranters from whom they came And tho' they seem to oppose them yet from them they Learn'd And still Propagate this with others of their Vile Errors This is the very Language of the Quakers Is not this that cometh out from God which is in God's hand Gr. Must p. 100. Part of God and from God and to God again is not this of God's Being And doth not the Scripture say God is All and in All Is not the Soul without Beginning ib. p. 90. coming from God Returning into God again who hath it in His hand Which brings it up into God which came out from Him hath this a Beginning or Ending And is it not Infinite in it self and more than all the world Now Consider what a Condition they call'd Ministers are in ib. p. 29. They say that which is a Spiritual Substance is not Infinite in it self but a Creature That which came out from the Creator and is in the Hand of the Creator which brings it up and to the Creator again that is Infinite it self And thou says ib. p. 91. the Soul is a Spiritual thing and yet a Creature But the Bishop of their Souls Christ the Power of God brings the Soul up into God from whence it came whereby they come to be One Soul Thus G. Fox which he had learn'd from his Lear-Father as he was call'd John Hinks a Chief man among the Ranters Who allow'd no Distinction at all betwixt God and Creatures but said that All was God And after him the other Quakers proceed in the same strain Christoph Atkinson sets down this as a False Principle which he opposes viz. That God who is Creator Sword of the Lord. p. 3. is Eternally DISTINCT from all Creatures in His Being and Blessedness And Replies in these words The Being of God is not Distinct from them that are Begotten of Him for as the Father and the Son are one without Distinction so are they that are Begotten by Him And p. 5. he Denies that Christ or God is a Distinct Person from all Saints and Angels For says he Christ is but one in All and not Distinct And this says he in his Title-Page I was moved by the Lord God of Life to lay open as it was made Manifest in me from the Lord. And now we see the Reason why G. Fox did not oppose what R. Farmer charg'd upon the Quakers of their Denying and Created Angel or Spirit and holding no other Spirit but God This G. Fox cou'd not Deny to be the very Principle of the Quakers Nay he Contends and Disputes for it In his Gr. Myst p. 207. he sets this as an Error of the Professors that they say God hath a Christ Distinct from all other things whatsoever whether they be Spirits or Bodies And Answers God's Christ is not Distinct from His Saints nor His Bodies So that by this not only all Spirits but all Bodies are God's Bodies nay every Body as well as Spirit is God For so it must be if God is not Dictinct from them This is true Ranterism And is the Dreggs of that old Corrupt Heathen Philosophy which made God to be only Anima Mundi the Soul of the World and consequently every thing to be Part of God of His Essence and Being The Blasphemous Absurdity of which has been Expos'd by many of the Heathens themselves And is now lick'd up again by the most Gross of Heathens the Quakers Mr. Farmer in his Book before mention'd is Large p. 58. c. in shewing now the Quakers took up this from the Ranters That they Approv'd of the Ranters Principles But Blain'd them for not keeping up to them to the Light that was in them as they say of their own Quakers when they Listen to the Flesh and are taken Napping In a Book wrote by G. Fox and Jam. Naylor An. 1654. call'd A word from the Lord unto all the Faithless Generation of the World c. p. 13. they give this Testimony to the Ranters You had a Pure Convincement I witness which did Convince you and you started up to be as Gods And Gods they thought Themselves and were thought by the Quakers till their Vileness as of the Quakers now was so fully Discover'd that meer Shame Drove all People from them Their Great Edw. Burrough and Fr. Howgill wrote an Answer to some Quaeres put by one Reeve of which this is the Second viz. What the true Creator was in his own distinct Essence Nature and Glory from all Eternity in Time and to all Eternity And wherein Elect men and
Angels differ in their Natures and Glory Distinct from their Creator in their Persons And the Answer of the Quakers is That the Nature and Glory of the Elect differs not from the Nature and Glory of the Creator For the Elect are one with the Creator And thy word Distinct Essence I Deny For the Elect is not Distinct from the Creator The First Quaere Asks How God is Distinct from all Living Creatures And the Answer is He is not Distinct from Living Creatures for in Him Living Creatures Lives Moves and hath their Beings This shews how the Quakers and Ranters their Predecessors understand that Text. Act. xvii 28. Not as there Explain'd and ver 25. That God gives us all these things But that these things are Part of God's Essence and not any Distinct Essence from Him That ther is but one Essence or Being which is God Of which All Creatures do Partake in their several Degrees By which Hypothesis as Sebastian Frank one of this Horrid Gang in Germany did Impiously Blaspheme In Trunco Dcum esse Truncum in Porco Porcum in Diabolo Diabolum O Astonishment to Repeat it That In a Block God is a Block in a Swine a Swine and in a Devil He is a Devil These last Quotations I take from Mr. Farmer not having seen that Answer of Burrough and Howgil to Reeve But G. Fox in his Answer to this Book of Mr. Farmer do's not Deny them which ther is no Doubt he wou'd have done had they been False Nay on the Contrary he do's Justify the Doctrin and stand by it He Quotes the very Place in Farmer where these Quotations are viz. p. 60 61 62. In p. 61. is that Dreadful Blasphemy above Quoted of Sebast Frank there call'd one of the same Gang with the Quakers and in the same page and beginning of p. 62. it is Compar'd with what I have above Quoted out of Christopher Atkinson's Sword of the Lord c. where he Denies God to be a Distinct Being from All Creatures And G. Fox in his Gr. Myst p. 174. Quotes this same Page of Farmer viz. p. 62. and sets down this as one of Farmer 's False Principles which he Opposes He saith says Fox That God is Distinct in His Being and Blessedness from All Creatures and that God who is the Creator is Eternally Distinct from All Creatures He Quotes the same again from p. 53. of Farmer thus He saith That this God who is the Creator is Eternally Distinct from All Creatures And from p. 55. That Christ being God only in one Man's Person remains a Distinct Person from All Creatures and Angels And G. Fox's Answer is This is Contrary to Scripture And he Quotes some of the Scriptures which they use to wrest to this Blasphemous Purpose as That God is All in All. In Him we Live and move c. And he Disowns not Sebast Frank or his Blasphemy Thus they hold That Christ is God not only in One Man's Person i. e. in the Person of our Lord Jesus of Nazareth but in Every one of their Persons and as much Incarnat in Them as in Jesus Nay as much in Every other Man ay and Beast too by this Principle which Degrades God into a Stock to a Swine to a Devil O Horror who by this Means wou'd Maintain His Equality with God And has Taught it to the Quakers Who from his Inspiration think Themselves to be Infinit and Eternal as God is Thus says G. Fox in the Introduction to his Battle-doore for Teachers and Professors c. All Languages are to me says he no More than Dust who was before Languages were And p. 214. Next follow a few words by George Fox Who is before Confusion or Many Languages were In the same Strain says James Parnell in his Book Intituled The Watchers c. p. 37. To the End of all Disputes and Arguments I am come for before they was I AM. And thus it must be if their Soul be not a Creature and have no Beginning as before has been Quoted out of their Books It will not now seem Strange That they Allow no Created that is no Human Soul to Christ Since they Deny it to themselves This you may see in George Whitehead his Answer to Thomas Danson his Synopsis of Quakerism Printed An. 1669. p. 18. There he says As to T. Dansons telling of the Son of God's Incarnation the Creation of his Body and Soul the Parts of that Nature he Subsisted in c. To this I say if the Body and Soul of the Son of God were both Created doth not this render him a Fourth Person for Creation was in Time Where doth the Scripture say That his Soul was Created The Consequences of this Horrid Opinion Engages the Quakers to believe That God may Grow and Encrease be Born and Suffer because they find it so with Themselves They Suppose that what they call the Seed in their Hearts do's Grow from a Seed to become a New-Born Child Thence to be a Son that is in the Perfection of a Man And thence by Degrees to Encrease till it be God! This is the Climax of the Quaker-Perfection for they Cannot say that they were Perfect at first Thus Will. Penn gives it Us in his Christian Quaker An. 1674. p. 98. When says he what was but in the Condition of a SEED or NEW-BORN CHILD shou'd become the ONLY SON the WONDERFVL COVNCELLOR the MIGHTY GOD the EVERLASTING FATHER This is the same Language with Will. Bayly in his Works p. 291. CHRIST is known says he to be first a Holy thing then a CHILD given and a SON Born Which is EMANVEL God with Vs a Saviour a Wonderful Councellor the MIGHTY GOD the PRINCE OF PEACE c. And this is not said of Our Blessed Lord Jesus of Nazareth his Conception in the Womb of the Virgin MARY and being Born of her Body But the Quakers Mean it as all fulfill'd Within Themselves viz. The SEED Sown or Conceiv'd in their VIRGIN Hearts which at the first in Embrio is only a Holy thing But Encreasing it becomes a Child in the Womb of the Heart thence Repening it has a Spiritual BIRTH and is a SON Born Which SON Grows up to be at last the MIGHTY GOD the EVERLASTING EATHER Nor do they Suppose that Christ was any otherwise Born of the Blessed Virgin than as He is thus Born in Themselves They Allegorize all the History of His Incarnation into this Spiritual Birth of the Light which they Call CHRIST in their Hearts The Virgin MOTHER of God is a Virgin HEART wherein God is Conceiv'd and Born They have Spiritual Shepherds too heeping their Flocks by Night A Spiritual STAR in the EAST Spiritual WISE MEN who follow'd it to a Spiritual BABE in a Spiritual INN MANGER c. And all this Perform'd Within them Now at this Day Awake therefore NOW says Will. Bayly p. 292. of his Works Ye Shepherds who have been keeping your Flocks by Night and Look
their Sufferings more Vnjust than the Sufferings of Christ That the Blood of Christ was no more than the Blood of another Saint That ther is no Heaven or Hell but Within Men That ther shall be no Resurrection of our Dead Bodies or General Judgment at the End of the world These are the men who call for Scripture for every thing And will allow of no Inferences But will have All in Express Words And yet they have set up the most Vn-scriptural Jargon that ever was heard of in the world They Demand Scripture for Christ's having any Human Nature in Heaven because they Deny it They Require Scripture for the Soul being Part of Man's Nature because they make it a Part of God as before shewn Let them then Produce Scripture for the Soul being a Part of God Gr. Mystery P. 90. for its being Infinit and without Beginning which they Assert in these Express words Will. Penn speaking of Baptism and The Lord's Supper Denies them to be Ordinances of Christ And for this Reason says he Reason against Railing p. 108. The Appellation Ordinances of Christ I therefore Renounce as Vn-scriptural and In-Evangelical Yet the Quakers call Womens-Preachings and Womens-Meetings set up by G. Fox The Good Ordinances which Christ Jesus hath set up in His Church And Accus'd those who oppos'd them Solom Eccles â—â—tter to 〈◊〉 Sto-John Babels Builders 1st Part. p. 15. of no less than Rebellion against the Living God This to all Considering men is sufficient to Render them Self-Condemn'd But they have a Salvo which will carry with their Deluded Followers that is That their Appealing to Scripture is only an Argumentum ad Hominem against those who do own the Holy Scriptures for their Rule which the Quakers do not but Resolve all into the Guidings of their Light within which they make the only True Gospel and Faith And my Design is not so much to Confound as to Convert them Therefore I wou'd Intreat the Sober-Minded among them to Consider of that Gospel and Faith which the Apostles Preached Whether they Taught a Faith in the Light within or rather a Faith in the Outward Jesus What was it which St. Peter Preach'd to Cornelius Ther was not a word of the Light within or Reading within Listning to that Within or the like But of Faith in the outward Jesus of Nazareth Act. x. 38 c. That through His Name whosoever Believeth in Him shall receive Remission of Sins And Cornelius had the Light within before and the Attestation of God that he had truly Follow'd it ver 2. And if that had been sufficient for Remission of Sins what needed another Faith in an Outward Man Jesus of Nazareth have been Preach'd to him And why was that Faith which Peter Preach'd call'd Words by which Cornelius and all his House shou'd be saved And that God had granted to the Gentiles Repentance unto Life Act. xl 14 18 by allowing the Faith in Jesus of Nazareth to be Preached unto them if Faith in the Light within and obedience to that had been Sufficient without any thing else If Good Cornelius had Dy'd before the Gospel had been Preach'd unto him as I before have said I will not take upon me to Determin of him but leave him to the Vn-covenanted Mercy of God But if Cornelius had Rejected the Faith in Jesus of Nazareth for the Remission of his Sins when Preach'd to him all his Former obedience to his Light within had not been Sufficient to Save him And therefore the case of the Vn-converted Gentiles upon which the Quakers do so much Depend will be no Relief to them who do after the Preaching of the Faith in Jesus of Nazareth set up their Faith in their Light within as Sufficient without It for the Remission of their Sins I do beseech these Quakers likewise to consider that large Description which the Apostle Paul gave of the Gospel which he Preached whether it was the Faith in Jesus of Nazareth His Outward Sufferings Death and Resurrection or the Faith in the Light within Moreover Brethren says he I Declare unto you the Gospel which I Preached unto you by which also ye are saved 1. Cor. xv 1 2 c. if ye keep in memory what I Preached unto you unless ye have Believed in vain For I Delivered unto you first of all that which I also Received how that Christ Dyed for our Sins according to the Scriptures And that He was seen of Cephas then of the Twelve After that He was seen of above Five hundred Brethren at once After that He was seen of James then of all the Apostles And last of all He was seen of Me also This cannot be Apply'd by any means to the Light within which cannot be seen of any body And this Great Article of the Resurrection of Christ was the Chief thing in consideration of which Matthias was Chosen in the Room of Judas Wherefore of these men which have Company'd with us Act. 1.21 22. all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us beginning from the Baptism of John unto the same Day that He was Taken up from us must one be Ordained to be a witness with us of His RESVRRECTION This was the Great Foundation of the Christian Faith 1 Cor. xv 14. for says St. Paul If Christ be not Risen then is our Preaching vain and your Faith is also vain Do's not this make the Faith in the Light within to be a Vain Faith At least this is a Demonstration that it was not the Faith which the Apostles Preached For the Apostles do Testify that the Faith which they Preached had been Vain if Christ be not Risen Yea and we are found False Witnesses of God say they because we have Testify'd of God that He Raised up Christ whom He Raised not up ver 15. if so be that the Dead Rise not But against all this Conviction the Quakers will not let this be Meant of the outward Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth but of the Rising up of the Light in their Hearts And therefore they come in for Witnesses of the Resurrection of Christ jointly with the Apostles Which is Monstrous to Believe But it is true For thus says Edw. Burrough in his works p. 42. We witness the same Christ made Manifest in Vs and His Resurrection not because Paul said so But we have seen it And are Witnesses of it And Will. Penn in his Primitive Christianity p. 103. Describing those who are True Ministers of Christ says Ministers of Christ are his Witnesses And the Credit of a Witness is that he has Heard Seen or Handled And thus the Beloved Disciple states the Truth and Authority of their Mission and Ministry 1. Joh. 1.1 3. That which we have Heard which we have Seen with our Eyes which we have Looked upon and our Hands have Handled that Declare we unto you I say if Christ's Ministers are His Witnesses they
must Know what they speak that is they must have Experienc'd and Past through those States and Conditions they Preach of and Practically know those Truths they Declare of to the People or they come not in by the Door but over the Wall and are Thieves and Robbers Thus Will. Penn. And in the Contents of this Chapter p. 97. He Intitules this Fourth Sect. thus Christ's Ministers True Witnesses they speak what they Know not by Report So that by this the Quakers know nothing of the Resurrection of Christ by Report of the Apostles or others who saw it But only that sort of Resurrection which they say they have Experienc'd Pass through themselves and Practically Known of Christ in their Hearts And they Pronounce all those who Now Preach the Resurrection of Christ which they have not Seen or any other Christ but whom they have Seen with their Eyes whom they have Looked upon whom their Hands have Handled they Pronounce all such Preachers that is All the Christian Preachers that are Now or Ever were in the world since Christ Left it to be Thieves and Robbers In the same Manner do's G. Fox Conclude against them Who are not the Eye-Witnesses as the Apostles were Gr. Mystery p. 242. of whose Resurrection say the Quakers we are Eye-Witnesses Of whose Resurrection Will. Bayly's works Re-printed 1676. p. 173. Was it of the Person of Christ to the Resurrection of which the Apostles did Witness No. For they lay no stress upon that Resurrection neither do All of them Believe it I have heard some even of their Preachers Deny it But however they make it of no Consequence to us For says the same Quaker Quoted on the Margin ibid. p. 307. What was his Person being Mean and Contemptible to them his Disciples more than another Person I can hardly believe my Eyes tho' I take these words out of the Book now before me For who cou'd think that such vile Contempt of the Person of our Blessed Saviour cou'd have come out of the Mouths of any who call themselves Christians But they Deserve not that Name who turn the Faith in Christ to Faith in their Light within and thus overturn the whole Foundation of the Gospel Their Light is Darkness even that may be Felt Which has led them as thus to Allegorize the Resurrection of our Blessed Lord See Sn. Sect. xii p. 160. 161. into the Rising of their Light within so Downright to Deny the Resurrection of our Bodies Which Will. Penn do's utterly Deny to be Meant at all in the xv Chap. of the 1 Ep. to the Corinthians Which if it be true then by the Apostles Argument ver 16. the Quakers must likewise Deny the Resurrection of Christ as they Do but will not always Confess For if the Dead Rise not then is not Christ Raised And hence I Recommend to their Consideration the next verse And if Christ be not Raised your Faith is vain ye are yet in your Sins Are they not then in their Sins and is not their Faith vain who Preach That Christ was never seen with Carnal Eye nor His voice heard with any Carnal Ears These are the words of one Worlidge a Quaker in his Declaration to the Baptists p. 13. And Justify'd by G. Whitehead in his Light and Life p. 39. For if Christ was never seen with Carnal Eye how cou'd the Apostles be Witnesses of His outward Resurrection What do's the Apostle mean by saying That He was Seen of Cephas then of the Twelve c Did none See that is Fcel the Light within but these only Was it to keep the Light within from Kising that the High Priests Desired Guards to be set upon the Sepulcher of Jesus our Lord Did not Thomas see Christ when he thrust his Hand in his side And upon that Conviction said to Him My Lord and My God! What did Christ mean when He said to him Thomas because thou hast seen thou hast Believed Blessed are they who have not seen and yet have Believed Is not here a Plain Difference put betwixt Seeing and Believing Believing is the Inward Seeing Therefore the other must be meant of the outward Seeing with the Carnal Eye Christ said to His Disciples Many Prophets and Kings have Desir'd to see what you see and have not seen them Did not the Prophets see the Light within that is Inwardly in their Hearts Did not Christ say The Poor ye have always with you but Me ye have not Always Is not the Light within Always with Us Was not this then Spoke of His outward Person which was to be taken from Us Yet the Quakers will not Allow that He is Absent from Us even as to His Person or we from Him Tho' the Apostle says Whilest we are at home in the Body 2 Cor. 5.6 we are Absent from the Lord. Which G. Fox Opposes in his Gr. Myst p. 8.210.222.247 c. and many other Places where he Denies that Christ is Absent from Us As touching His Flesh and as to His Bodily Presence And do's not Answer but Confront the above Text with others as That Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates c. Now from the words of St. Paul above Quoted I leave it to the Consciences of the Sober among the Quakers whether it be True which Will. Bayly so Positively Averrs p. 600. of his Works That Paul did not Preach a visible Christ with Flesh and Bones But the word says he that is the Light within But Paul Preached That Same Jesus whom the Jews Took down from the Tree and laid him in a Sepulcher Act. xiii 29. Did they take the Light within down from the Tree I am Asham'd to offer Proofs for a Point so Obvious to Every Christian But it is Necessary for these Miserably Deluded Quakers who have thrown off the Lord Jesus and turn All that is said of Him to their Christ their own Light within Even his being the Seed of Abraham according to the Flesh as Will. Bayly says p. 210. This Seed of Abraham which is Christ In Vs which He hath Raised to offer up Living Sacrifices acceptable in His Sight So that by this the Living Sacrifice and only Acceptible Offering for Sin is Christ or the Light within Offer'd up IN Us But this has been Sufficiently Expos'd before And ten times more Authoritys than here Produc'd are Ready when ther shall be need To the Authority of the Holy Scriptures I will add the Experience and Confession of the Quakers themselves that their Faith in what they call their Light within is a Vain and Vncertain Faith That they can never be sure of it or know when they have it Right G. Whitehead in his Judgment fixed Printed 1682. Inserts with Approbation a Letter which he calls a Testimony of Benj. Furly's Retracting some things he had formerly wrote against Fox and Whitehead where he says thus p. 268. As for those Papers so long since given forth by me not Discerning
by their subtilty to ensnare them yet now George Keith has given a plain answer to their Question he tells them Christ's Body is Ascended into Heaven and is in Heaven Note this fallacy G. W. knew well enough that what I had asserted about Christ's Body his Ascension into Heaven did contradict both his and his Brethren's Doctrine He doth Contradict what Friends had formerly said but is possitive and plain in his answer to the Professors question So my opposers ceased any more to object against me upon that Head The Second Particular they charged against me was that in my Book I had said the Friends did pray to Christ Jesus and did Worship and Pray unto the Mediator betwixt God and Man the Man Christ Jesus the Anointed King Priest and Prophet of his People who also is God over all blessed for ever pag. 123. of The way cast up And whereas I had set down some words of prayers that I had said I had heard some use in our own Meetings and I had used as Jesus son of David had mercy on us pag. 121. O thou blessed Lord Jesus that wert Crucified and Dyed for our sins and shed thy Precious Blood for us be gracious unto us c. the which prayer containeth a whole page in Print wherein also the forgiveness of our sins is prayed for a thing many say they never heard in a Quaker's Meeting to this these two men observed that it was a sort of Popery but with this difference that the Papists prayed both to the Mother and the Son George Keith though he prayed not to the Mother yet he prayed to the Son Some present said it was a part of Common Prayer to say Son of David have mercy on us but these two before mention'd Persons my chief opposers put me hard to it to give some Instance where ever I heard any ancient Friend of the Ministry that was an English man pray to Christ Jesus It is possible said they thou hast heard some Scotch Friends pray so whom thou hast taught so and were thy Proselites I confess I was at a stand to name any one English man that ever I heard so pray though in Scotland I would have named one But William Penn prevented me and said Friends I am an English man and a Freind of the Ministry I have oft prayed to Christ Jesus to my great comfort and have been answered And not long ago being under some great weight upon my Spirit and like to have been swallowed up by a power of Darkness I uttered these words its true I was in private Lord Jesus who was Crucified for me have mercy on me and immediately I was eased and comforted They objected that William Penn was but a young Minister Let George Keith give an instance what ancient English Friend of the Ministry he ever heard pray to Christ Jesus As I could remember none so nor did any in all the Meeting give an Instance But said George Whitehead it is not what William Penn or George Keith saith let the Scripture decide it whereupon he call'd for the Bible and reads in 1 Cor. 1.2 Vnto the Church of God which is at Corinth to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus call'd to be Saints with all that in every place call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ both theirs and ours What say ye to this Friends ye see that Paul did-approve the Corinthians that called upon the name of the Lord Jesus Note Reader one would think that if G. Whitehead had made it his practise to pray to Christ Jesus being an ancient Minister and using to pray frequently in the publick Meetings of the people call'd Quakers he would have named himself to have been one who had prayed to Christ Jesus or some that had oft heard him ther present might have given him for an instance but no instance was brought of any English ancient Friend of the Ministry who had ever been heard so to pray and had it been a frequent practise among them to call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ it could not be supposed to be possible that these two men my opposers could have objected it against me as a novelty or such a singular practise as that no English ancient Friend could be produced as a witness for that practise their answe to George Whitehead's Question was Paul was dark and ignorant in that thing as George Keith is for our parts we know better George Whitehead reply'd hold Friends say not so Ye know we have been accused by divers that we esteem our selves equal to the Apostles which for my part I never did how will this be received by Professors if they shou'd hear that we did set up our selves above them and above Paul one of the chiefest of them after he had so plentifully received the Holy Ghost and had planted so many Churches Pray let us not exalt our selves above Paul it is very well if we be where he was But they still continued blaming my assertion in my Book for saying that Christ was to be prayed unto and especially they blam'd the manner of praying to him by the name Son of David objecting against one of the prooffs in my Book how Bartimeus pray'd to Christ in these words Son of David have mercy on me Poor blind Bartimeus said they had George Keith no better Arguments for him than blind Bartimeus he was as blind in his Soul as he was in his Body Thomas Hart replyed to them Friends say not so ye are under a great mistake to think he was blind in his Soul he was greatly enlightned in his Soul and had a great Faith and Christ answered him and said thy Faith hath saved thee which proveth he was not blind in his Soul when he so prayed They still remaining dissatisfied and greatly blaming that manner of expression Son of David as improper William Penn said Friends we know that Christ after his Ascension call'd himself the root and off-spring of David Now why may it not be supposed that a Friend may be moved in prayer to say O thou root and off-spring of David have mercy on us Some also brought that place in Acts. 7.59 how Stephen being fill'd with the Holy Ghost at his death call'd saying Lord Jesus receive my spirit so after several words of discourse made by other Friends present mostly approving my assertion they passed to their Third particular charg'd against in my Book the passage in my Book that they blam'd is in pag. 123. Compared with pag. 136. where I had said pag. 123. He is that mighty one upon whom the Father hath laid help for that although the Father himself loveth us and is most willing and ready to help us in all our Necessities yet we can no otherwise receive his help but as it comes to us by the Conveyance of the Man Christ Jesus our alone Mediator And pag. 136. I had said But still as in respect of Union Manifestation
truth and not from truth God having been pleased further to Enlighten me for which I desire to Praise him and I have shewed my adversaries both William Penn and George Whitehead to be much more guilty of Contradictions than any thing that any have laid to my charge as in my first Narrative of the proceedings at Turners-Hall and in other late Books And wherein they charge me to contradict some passages in my former Books as in relation to Baptism and the Supper and the having a better understanding of some places of Scripture than formerly I had this is properly no Contradiction but a Retractation But my adversaries are justly chargable with many contradictions that without any Retractation hold contradictory propositions at once to be both true This is contradiction with a Witness Now judge Reader whether as the above said Relation of the particulars mentioned in the first Sheet is not some Apology for me to excuse my praising G. Whitehead and William Penn as Orthodox and sound Men as to Christian Principles they having by their seeming Orthodox at that time Deceiv'd me so hath not the late discovery of their insoundnesses in the Christian Faith given me a farr greater ground of Apology to excuse my charging them to be guilty of Vile Anti-Christian Errors as I have largely shewn in my late Printed Books particularly my three Naratives of the Proceedings at Turners-Hall the Second and Third of which has as yet received no shadow of answer and what shadow of answer the First received by Thomas Elwood hath been sufficiently demonstrated to be a meer Shadow by the Book call'd Satan Disrob'd and also by my Second and Third Narratives all which lye on their hand unanswered and yet they falsely glory in Print that they have answered all my former Books And their most partial siding with my Adversaries in Penselvania to cloak their vile Errors as well as unjust Practises is another ground of my just Apology for my changing my thoughts of them besides other great Prooffs I have to manifest their unsound and Anti-Christian Principles Some Passages taken out of Humphry Norton's Ms mentioned in the II. Part p. 99. 100. I Begin with a Letter of George Fox's which is not only Inserted but Attested in this Ms of Humph. Norton's Part of which Letter being Quoted in The Snake p. 113. The Quakers in their Last Answer which they call A Switch for the Snake p. 175. say That it may be either Adulterated by the Snake or some Apostate or Forged by them And if they were G. F 's words why did not the Snake give the whole Letter To what purpose hath he made a Break in it And what is Left out at it Therefore you shall have the whole and sufficiently Attested Together with H. Norton's Impious Parallel of Oliver to our Lord Jesus Christ his Death Burial and Resurrection Which take as follows out of the Ms p. 21. The Message from O. Cromwell to G. Fox upon 5th day of the 1st Month. That it was required by Oliver Cromwel from G. F. that he would promise that he would not take up a Carnal Sword or weapon against the Lord Protector or Government as it is now And that G. F. would write down the words in answer to that which the Protector required And for G. F. to set his hand to it THIS was demanded of G. F. in our presence and hearing p. 21. whose names in the Flesh are called Tho. Aldam and Robert Craven Upon the Sixth day of the First Month G. F. was moved to give forth these words following which were written and given to Oliver Cromwell by Capt. Dury Ans I who am of the world called G. F. doth deny the carrying or drawing any carnal Sword against any or against thee O. C. or any man in the presence of the Lord I declare it God is my witness by whom I am moved to give this forth for the truths sake from him whom the world calls G. Fox WHO IS THE SON OF GOD who is sent to stand a witness against all violence and against the works of Darkness and to turn the People from Darkness to Light and to bring them from the occasion of the War and from the occasion of the Magistrates Sword which is a terrour to the evil doer which acts contrary to the light of the Lord Jesus Christ which is a praise to them that do well which is a Protection to them that do well and not the evil and such Soldiers as are put in place no false accusers must be no violence must do but be content with their Wages And that Magistrate bears not the Sword in vain from under the occasion of that Sword do I seek to bring people my weapons are not Carnal but Spiritual and MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD therefore with Carnal weapon I do not fight but am from those things dead from him who is not of this world call'd of the world by the Name of G. F. and this am I ready to seal with my Blood this I am moved to give forth for the truths sake who a witness stands against all unrighteousness and all ungodliness who a Sufferer is for the righteous Seeds sake waiting for the redemption of it who a Crown that is mortal seeks not for that fadeth away but in the Light dwells which comprehends that Crown which Light is the condemnation of all such in which Light I witness the Crown that is Immortal which fades not away from him who to all your Souls is a friend for establishing of righteousness and cleaning the Land of evil doers and a witness against all the wicked inventions of men and Murderers Plots which answer shall be with the Light in all your Consciences which makes no covenant with death to which Light in you all I speak and am clear G. F. who a new Name hath which the World knows not We are witnesses of this Testimony whose names in the flesh are Tho. Aldam Robt. Craven A call to O. Cromwell OLiver thou art shut up the Stone is sealed p. 37. and the watch is set and Christ suffers And the Lord God hath sent his Angel to call thee and to rowl away the stone and if thou wilt come forth come forth This call is to thee through his Servant Humphry Norton A Question put with others to all that stumble at the Light p. 31. WHat Child is it Eve shall be saved by she Continuing in Faith and Sobriety Norton's Ms p. 31. Seeing the Apostle gave this Advice to the Un-Married that could so abide not to Marry for he did better that did not give in Marriage than he that did N.B. The Meaning of this is plain viz. That the Child by which Eve and consequently the rest of Mankind was to be saved was not to be an outward Child of Flesh and Blood born of a Woman Because that if so it wou'd have been better for Men to have Marry'd in order
to John Draper by H. Norton p. 84. of Ms WHether Christ Jesus suffered not upon that Cross which he Preached when he was in the Body and said He that will be my Disciple must take take up his Cross Daily Luk. 9.23 Or what Cross he suffered on And how oft he hath suffer'd since the beginning See Second Part. p. 114. Ms p. 81. Wherein thou asketh me what do I understand by the Eternal Judgment Or whether ther shall be a time when God shall Judge all Men and make their works manifest and also give to every Man according to his Deeds Ans The Eternal Judge is upon his Throne and the time of his Judgment is come and the Hearts of all Men are made manifest before him And the wicked shall not Escape but shall Receive a Portion according to their Deeds Therefore say I arise ye Dead and come to Judgment for the Hour is Coming and now is when the Dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall Live Joh. 5.25 N. B. This shews in what sense they Vnderstand the Scriptures viz. That the Resurrection of the Dead and the Final Judgment is already Come as before Quoted which they bid us Mark That the End of the World was Come in the Apostles time which they Infer from 1 Cor. 10.11 Ms p. 57. in a Letter to Lieut. Scot. NEver hereafter suffer such words to proceed out of thy Mouth as to say that the Glorious God was in a Wall because thy Dark Wisdom finds it Written that He fills Heaven and Earth But this I say unto thee That that Heaven and that Earth which he fills thou knowest not neither can any Vulturous Eye see into it H. Norton N. B. The Quaker Means the Inward Heaven in the Heart which he says no Vulturous Eye can see into And they Acknowledge no other Heaven or Hell See First Part. p. 62. Snake p. 164. And Sat. Dis p. 55. For the Outward Heaven the Quaker Eyes can no more see into than those Eyes which they call Vulturous I will close my present Excerptions out of this Precious Ms with an Account which this Norton and one Will. Shaw gave of their Examination before John Bret Governor of Wexford in Ireland p. 86. of the Ms Governor Are you the Men Quakers Yea. Gov. Why did you Disturb the Minister yesterday Hum. Norton Examine the business to the bottom we were forc't out of our Meeting and brought to the Steeple-house And if there was any wrong done we had it Gov. By whom Hum. By a Lieutenant Gov. But not to disturb the Minister Humb. A Minister of Christ cannot be disturb'd neither is it contrary to the order of the Church of Christ for all to speak one by one Gov. But you have transgrest the Law in disturbing our Minister Hum. What 's your Law contrary to the Law of God Gov. Nay Hum. He is no Minister of Christ neither have we transgressed any Law of God Gov. Why is he not a Minister of Christ Hum. He was found in the Idols Temple having the chief seat in the assembly standing Praying in the Synagogue Gov. You all say so Hum. Send for him hither let us speak with him Gov. I have no command of him but I shall axamine the Lieutenant and if he have transgrest let him suffer Hum. Be not partial but let it be before us Gov. Take these men into your charge Gaoler Hum. Well mind the fear of God This was the effect of what was spoken so near as can be remembred Hum. Norton Will. Shaw The Recommendation of the above named Humphrey Norton by E. Bourrough and Francis Howgil when he went to Ireland and Answered and put the above Queries NOw dear Friends I rejoyce in the Lord that his care is towards you and his love abids for you who are unto him begotten and not of him forgotten in visiting you with his power to the refreshing of you in sending this my dear Brother and faithful companion in the Kingdom of Jesus call'd Humphry Norton who cometh to you in the name and fear of the Lord and not of his own will but according to the will of God as being moved thereunto by the spirit of the Father And unto you all I do him recommend as a faithful Labourer to be received by you in the name of him that sends him in tender pitty for you all and the blessing of the Lord upon his Faithfulness I doubt not But the flock will receive refreshment the weak will be strengthened the weary laden will be comforted and the body will be edified and for this cause hath the Lord chosen him into this service to manifest further unto you the power of the Gospel of God by his Ministry upon which the blessing of the Lord be for ever And with my dear Love in the Lord saluting you all that are faithful farewel in the Lord. London 10th of 3d. Month 56. to the Churches in Christ in Ireland by a lover of your Souls and a Labourer in the Gospel of Jesus Christ E. B. Receive Hum. Norton in the Lord whom the Lord hath moved to come unto you who is a brother and faithful in the Lords work and be subject unto him in the Lord all unto him for I much desired that he might come unto you and so the Lord hath orderd it And as you receive him you receive me Francis Howgill Some Few of the Many OMISSIONS and ALTERATIONS in the Re-printing of the Works of the Deceased QVAKERS tho' said to have been given forth by the SPIRIT of the ETERNAL GOD to Trim with every Turn of Government And Cover the Deceit of their Horrid Principles 1. EDWARD BVRROVGH the Second in Honour to the Great FOX among the Apostles of the Quakers Printed a Book An. 1656. to which he gave this Title A TRVMPET OF THE LORD Sounded out of Sion Which gives a Certain Sound in the Ears of All Nations And is a True Noise of a fearful Earth-Quake at hand which shall shake the whole Fabrick of the Earth and the Pillars of its standing shall Fall and never more be set up again Or Fearful Voices of Terrible Thunders uttered forth from the Throne And is an Alarum and Preperation for War against all Nations where Gog and Magog resideth And sheweth the Wounding Sword of the Mighty God from whose Blow the Kings nor the Captains nor the mighty Men cannot Fly to Escape Declared and Written by a Son of Thunder In an unknown Language which none can Vnderstand save the Redeemed of the Lord. By one whose Name is truly known by the Children of the same Birth but unknown to the World though it be called EDWARD BVRROVGH Ther is more than here set down in that Magnificient Title-Page But I would shew the Reader thus much to let him see the no ordinary Stile of the Quakers In this Book p. 9. Ther is a Chapter against the King and his Cause then under the
them over night next day when I sent for them not one of them was to be had When he is Dead that too must pass the Index Expurgatorius with the Rest of his Works If Quakerism be not out of Fashion before that time which I Hope he may Live to see If they wou'd Call in or Commit to the Flames all their Old Editions I shou'd be very well Pleas'd to Rake no More into them But let them and their Heresies Die together And let the Present Quakers slide Gently from their Errors without the Shame of Recanting For it is their Conversion not Victory over them that we seek But when these Old Quaker Books are still kept as Sacred Relicts by the Generality of the Ignorant and Besotted Quakers And their Now Governing and Subtile Teachers in all the Apologies they have of Late Published still Pretend to stand by and Confirm All the Testimonies and Writings of their Ancient Friends and that In all the Parts of them And that they are thus Enjoin'd by the Yearly Epistle of their General Council as supposing them all Infallible and Dictated by the Immediate Inspiration of the Holy Ghost as they Horridly Pretend yet are not Afraid to Alter Correct and Amend them It becomes Necessary and our Duty to Search out and Expose them That being the Most Likely Means to Open those Eyes which are not Seal'd up to their own Destruction And now let others think That if the Figure of Quakerism be so Abhorrent even as Represented to Us in their Re-Printed and Corrected Books How ten times more Deform'd and Frightful it wou'd Appear if taken off their first Rude Draught if their Original Books were Expos'd to Publick view if the Publick wou'd take some Method to have them Collected and Reserv'd in some safe Place till ther shou'd be no Longer Use for them but what they first Deserv'd the Animadversion of the Hang-Man and a Faggot In the mean time Let the more sober among the Quakers Reflect how the Words of their Prophets give a Certain sound as Boasted in the Title-Page of BVRROVGH's Trumpet before Quoted when they are Chopt and Chang'd as we have seen and made Speak the Language of Every Turn tho' in Direct Opposition to one Another And if their Words are the Immediate Dictates of the Holy-Ghost as they Blasphemously Pretend then must the Curse of Adding to or Diminishing from the Word of God Light upon those who have Added or Substracted or Alter'd any thing in Any of these Quaker-Writings Which Curse they May Read in the Book of Rev. xxii 18 19. To have their Part taken away out of the Book of Life and out of the Holy City and from the things which are written in this Book And to have the Plagues which are written in this Book added unto them This they must take to Themselves or else Confess as the Truth is That the Words of these Quaker-Prophets were not Wrote from the Spirit of God And if so then because they do Pretend to be so Written they must be Acknowleg'd to have been Wrote by the Spirit of Blasphemy that is the Devil And that this is the Spirit which has Possess'd these QVAKERS To Sir Thomas Lane Lord Mayor of London HAving been Lately Summoned before Thee by Dr. Linford and Marmaduke Hopkins who are more Diligent to seek thy Warrant to take Our Goods than to seek us thereby shewing That it 's Ours more than We they desire and Love Which to us shews That they have no more Right to esteem themselves Ministers of Christ than as such to take Tyths or Plead for them For Christ said to his Ministers freely ye have received freely Give He did not Advise nor Teach That if any would not Give they should take from them whether they would or nay Therefore Consider whether such who take by force abide in or transgress the Doctrine of Christ If they Transgress as certainly they Do who abide not in his Doctrine Then his Apostle declares their Condition 2. John 9. And we Intreat thee Mayor seriously consider how he either bids God speed to such or assists them in such a Work For Thou and All must receive a Reward from the hand of the Righteous God According to your Works We have also herewith sent a small Collection out of the Book of Martyrs Fol. 669.670 To shew that the Priests have no Right to Tythes and that it was anciently so Testified by other Consciencious men besides us and made an Article against them as well as it is against us Read and consider the following Collection is the Request of us who are Sincere Well wishers to the Mayor and All men and truely desire that We nor any Other may Do that here that we cannot Answer hereafter in the Great Day of Account John Feild Will. Bingley The Collection IN the New Law neither Christ nor any of his Apostles took Tythes of the People nor Commanded the People to pay Tythes neither to Priests nor Deacons But in the 1000 year of Our Lord 211. One Pope Gregory the 10th Ordained Tythes First to be Given to Priests Again Paul saith He was not Chargeable unto them but with his hands got his Own Living It were Good Councel That all Priests took Good heed to the Heavenly Learning of Paul not Charging the People for their Bodily Livelyhood And Paul saith since the Priesthood is Changed its necessary a Change also be made of the Law so that Priests Live without Tythes For the Priests that Challenge Tythes say in effect That Christ is not become Man nor that he Suffered Death for man's Love Again the Taking of Tythes and of such other Duties that Priests Challenge now wrongfully neither Christ nor his Apostles Challenged nor took such Duties Therefore these taking of Priests now are to be called and holden The Sclanderous Covetousness and because of the Covetousness of Priests and Pride it stirreth God to take Vengeance both upon Lords and Commons which Suffer Priests Charitably This is Verbatim according to the Original Letter which I have in my Possession The Collection added out of Fox's Martyrs is not as here set down But gather'd out of several places of the Answers of one Will. Thorp an Ignorant Zealous Man but no Martyr in the Reign of Hen. 4. I wou'd not Mend any of the words to make sense of them as In the 1000 year of our Lord 211. but give them just as Quoted by the Quakers Who took what was for their Purpose 1. To make Tythes to be Anti-Christian as being a Denyal of Christ's having Come in the Flesh 2 That the Clergy are not to be supported Nor so much as God Speed be given to them 3 That the Vengeance of God is upon both Lords and Commons who suffer Priests Charitably The Arguments of the Quakers against Tythes I have Promised to Consider in a Treatise by it self But I have Printed this Letter of theirs to shew what Moderation they now at