which of the Kings sworn subjects have minded the Spirit of truth when they took those oaths By their so swearing have they not done that which comes of evil or of the Devil the evil one Is not this rare quaking-stuff according to this Quakers false doctrine it is altogether unlawful for any of the Kings subjects to swear subjection to him any more lest they fall into condemnation as for any oaths which are truly lawful they are so condemned by this Quaker as that there is no Scripture-warrant for them in this day to plead Scripture for those oaths that are in truth righteousness and judgment it 's like using an old Almanack out of date it may well be said To what end did St. Paul tell the Christian Hebrews of God swearing by himself and that an oath is to put an end to all strife for had this Quaker been in St. Pauls time he would have catechized him otherwise that he did not understand the Scriptures that St. Paul had taught other doctrine than the Lord Jesus had done for he faith Swear not at all but let your yea be yea That solemn oaths are as bad now as vain oaths That swearing was lawful under the old dispensation but unlawful now Then St. Paul might have known this new-light-doctrine That Christ ended the dispensation of oaths where strife was If all this be not ungrounded abominable doctrine delivered by this Quaker then let wise unbiassed Readers judg Q. p. 50 51. Q. Numb 52 Ch. Father inform me concerning the observation of days as holy-days and Sunday which some call Sabbath-day and some the Lords-day and whether the Lord requires that I should observe them Fa. If thou observest a day observe it to the Lord but he requires not the observing of particular days for the Seventh day was holy in which he rested from all his works and that was the Jews Sabbath and they observed it to the Lord as he commanded but Christ Jesus hath fulfilled it and ended it and those called Holy-days are set up in the Apostacy in which the Saints have been killed and martyred upon which days the Apostles rejoyced and feasted and they are called Festival days and thou art to abominate the observing of them because they were set up in the blood-thirsty spirit and for that called the Lords-day or Sabbath-day people do not understand what they say for the Sabbath is the Seventh day and the observing of that is ended in Christ and that called the Lords-day is the first day of the week and the name Sunday is from the heathens who celebrated that day to the Sun and so called it Sunday but Child every day is the Lords day and thou art to observe them all unto him and who come to Christ and believe in Christ come over the observation of days into the one day of the Lord which is as a thousand years Pr. Pr. In this Quakers long discourse the set-time for Gods publick Worship is run down at an ignorant rate from observing a day to the Lord it 's ignorantly asserted That God requires not the observing of particular days when the King and Parliament made the last Act for the better observation of the Lords-day then according to this Quaker they did nothing but make a Law to establish Will-worship for as this Quaker saith the Lord requireth not the observing of any particular days it 's here confest notwithstanding what was said by this Quaker to the contrary that the Seventh day was the Jews Sabbath-day as the Lord commanded behold here was a particular day required by God to be observed by the Jews behold again how this Quakers spirit hath inspired him to write a contradiction but as for us Christians under the Gospel there is no particular day to be observed to the Lord there are no Holy-days owned by this Quaker these days are like so many brats of Babylon rejected by him these days he saith were set up in the Apostacy at that time when the Saints were killed and martyred doth not this Quakers ignorance in effect count all Holy-days to be Apostatical days Are not these the Festival days which his Child is instructed to abominate the observing of What is more plain from these Quakers words than this That Holy-days observed by the Reformed Churches abroad and the Church of England at home are abominable days not fit to be observed But why are Holy-days to be abominated This Quaker gives this reason Because they were set in the blood-thirsty spirit it 's hard to understand the meaning of these words however we have no Holy-days which this Church observes but such as were at first set up by a blood-thirsty spirit surely if this Quaker had lived in those days of old he would have faln as strangely foul upon the Jews Feast of Purim as being from another blood-thirsty spirit but this Quakers aking-tooth is at the Lords-day or Sabbath-day in this matter the Prophane and the Quakers are well agreed they do neither of them make conscience to observe this day to the Lord for that called the Lords-day or Sabbath-day this Quaker saith that the people do not well understand what they say to speak according to this Quakers own words both King and Parliament were faln low in their understandings when they made an act for the better observation of the Lords-day in their debates they said they knew not what who named it either Sunday Lords-day or Sabbath-day had this Quaker been consulted they might have known thus much that the seventh-day-Sabbath is ended in Christ that the Lords-day is the first day of the week that Sunday is from the Heathens but in truth every day is the Lords-day so that to declare this Quakers mind truly there is indeed no such day as the Lords-day to be observed by any Christians for every day of the week is to be observed as the Lords-day and this is not this Quakers single opinion for he saith that they who come to Christ and believe in Christ do which is strange come over the observation of days is not this Quakers meaning this That all real Quakers do neither observe Holy-days nor the Lords-day not Holy-days as this Church appoints nor the first day of the week as being the Lords-day which is their degenerating from the practice of the Primitive Christians to say no worse of them but whither do the Quakers come when they are gotten over the observation of days for my part I cannot tell this Quaker is of age let him speak for himself who saith that they come into the one day of the Lord which is as a thousand years and here I leave him I Shall transcribe no more out of him but proceed to some of James Parnel's Pamphlets the Book which is made use of is called Q. A Collection of the several writings given forth from the spirit of the Lord through the servant of God James Parnel who bore a faithful testimony for God and died a Prisoner
darkness and delusion of Antichrist both Priests and people your leaders cause you to err by their lyes you are lost for want of true knowledg only differing from the heathen in name and profession Pr. Pr. These quaking-lines serve to tell us that this quaking-watcher hath seen a base vision concerning the true Christian Religion and the Church of England in particular according to this brain-sick Quaker there hath been in the whole world no true profession of the Gospel since the Apostles days behold a black mark is set by this Quaker upon all Christians since that time to speak this Quakers mind more fully in all ages of the Christian Church since the Apostles days instead of Christ Antichrist hath reigned over the world under a Gospel-profession instead of true Gospel-light he saith there hath been only a long time of cruel darkness and ignorance as for the Lord this Quaker saith he hath been a long time ever since the Apostles days as a stranger in the earth behold according to this Quaker there hath been no true Christianity nothing but Antichristianism cruel darkness and ignorance and estrangedness from the Lord in all ages of the Christian Church ever since the Apostles days now let us proceed this Quaker is still bold to tell us that ever since the Apostles days all the believing on God or Christ hath been nothing else but an unprofitable looking at him as a God afar off in the Heavens without they knew not where according to this Quaker you may perceive that there have been no truly faithful Christians in the world since the Apostles days to speak this Quakers mind ever since the Apostles days they were only vain believers who said they believed that that was the Christ that died at Jerusalem rose again sits at the right hand of God c. who thus believing were baptized with water and called Christians behold how by this Quaker believing in Christ that died c. is slighted and likewise the baptizing of those Christians who did so believe in Jesus Christ in effect all this is lookt upon by this Quaker to be a pitiful piece of Christianity as for the Scripture this Quaker saith that was the Letter whereof these called Christians were the keepers which they took for their rule according to this Quakers mind the Scripture hath been the mistaken rule of all Christians to walk by ever since the Apostles days as for any Commentaries written upon the Scriptures since the Apostles days this Quaker saith they were but their own meanings and imaginations behold how all Expositors of the holy Scriptures both ancient and modern are basely asperst by this Quaker their Expositions have been no more but their own meanings and imaginations obtruded on the Scripture As for Infant-baptism used in all ages of the Christian Church this Quaker like an Anabaptist saith there is no Scripture nor example for it that it is in vain called an Ordinance of Christ then saith this Quaker that is in the reign of Antichrist they had their two Sacraments but without any Scripture-warrant for the word Sacraments as for the Sacrament of the Lords Supper this Quaker calls it only carnal bread and wine thus in the reign of Antichrist this Quaker saith the Church was planted in England and other places behold according to this Quaker both the Church of England and other particular Churches planted since the Apostles days in any part of the world are all under the dominion of Antichrist their baptism with water is no Ordinance of Christ the Lords Supper is only carnal bread and wine both Sacraments without Scripture-warrant but mark what follows Then that is in the reign of Antichrist in the long time of cruel darkness in the time of the Lords absence from the earth were as this Quaker saith Bishops set up and Archbishops Deans Priests Deacons Popes the Bishops bearing rule by their Means Priests preaching for hire Behold how this Quaker gives us a distinct sound of the Antichristian Hierarchy which hath continued since the Apostles dayes Thus according to this Quaker in all Centuries of the Christian Church since the Apostles days not Christ but Antichrist hath set up his Kingdom under the profession of the Gospel thus the Christian Church hath since those days had no Ecclesiastical Governours but such as were Antichristian thus all Bishops Archbishops Deans Priests Deacons as well as Popes have been in this Quakers account Antichristian for above sixteen hundred years by-past being masked under a vain profession of the Gospel Then that is when Antichrist reigned Tythes saith this Quaker came up contrary to any rule of the Gospel behold how Tythes are made by this Quaker to be Antichristian too a maintenance contrary to the Gospel Then that is in the Reign of Antichrist Universities saith this Quaker were set up to make Ministers or Priests behold Universities by this Quaker are all made to be so many Antichristian Schools thus according to this Quaker after an Antichristian manner were Priests set up by the will and tradition of men as the false Prophets always were of old then in the foresaid reign of Antichrist University-Priests had their long robes like the Pharisees according to this Quaker Ministers habits are both Antichristian and Pharisaical then that is when Antichrist reigned Idols Temples called Churches or houses of God were set up according to this Quaker all publick places consecrated and set apart for Gods publick Worship are neither the material Churches or Houses of God but Idols Temples and Antichristian too then that is in the reign of Antichrist the Priests got into their Pulpits the chiefest places in the Synagogues being proudly called of men Master Doctor according to this Quakers mind Pulpits for Priests are become Antichristian too and the Antichristian Priests are got into them like so many Scribes being proud Masters and Doctors having the uppermost rooms at feasts and greetings in the market like the old Pharisees Scribes and hypocrites then that is in the reign of Antichrist began to speak this Quakers mind the Ecclesiasticall thieves who stole the Apostles words as the false Prophets did who took a verse and studied from it a divination of their own brain just as the Priests do now they run like the false Prophets according to this Quaker ever since the Apostles days all Gods Priests have been thieves like the false Prophets preaching a divination of their own brain like false Prophets running without God sending them then that is in the reign of Antichrist thorough covetousness they made merchandize of the people with feigned words like wolves upon sheep they preyed upon the people they sought about for great livings for fat benefices they ran from a lesser to a bigger living the beloved which they sought for like the false Prophets they sought for the fleece not regarding the flock they cried peace to them that put into their mouths they prepared war sued lawed those that did not feed them
thus they sought their gain from their quarter and ruled like tyrants with rigor according to this Quakers mind you see that since the Apostles days all Priests in the Christian Church have been basely covetous vile cheats bloody wolves sordidly self-seeking minding the fleece more than the sheep like the false Prophets greedily seeking their gain from their quarter ruling like tyrants with rigor thus according to this Quaker our Priests old fathers planted their Church and so set every thing in form and tradition according to their own imaginations behold since the Apostles days to speak this Quakers mind fully there hath been no Christian Church but such as was planted by the old fathers of our Priests and this Church was planted by them after the worst fashion according to their own imaginations that we may not mistake this Quaker he tells us plainly his particular thoughts of our own Church saying here is the ground and foundation of the Faith and Church of England here are the old Fathers and old Authors that their Priests have so much talked of even the Popes and Bishops behold according to this Quaker both the Faith and Church of England are Antichristian Popes and Bishops in this Quakers account Antichrists creatures are those old Fathers who planted this Church and Faith according to their imaginations who are so much talked of by our Priests but he saith Thus Antichrist hath long deceived the Nations under the profession of the faith of Christ behold according to this Quaker not only the Church of England but all other Christian Nations since the Apostles days have thus long been deceived by Antichrist under the profession of the faith of Christ according to this Quaker there hath not been one jot of true Christianity in this Church or in any part of the world for many hundreds of years by-past he saith one generation hath gone and another come but they have not known the Lord that bought them behold ever since the Apostles dayes all Christians in the world have not known the Lord Jesus Christ their Redeemer according to this Quaker they have all been Antichristian I may truly say That this Quaker is so taken with this Antichristian glass as that he saith many may now see strange sights what lyars the people are how they came up and were ordained that they are the Ministers of Antichrist that they do shut up the Kingdom of heaven against men the people may also see saith this Quaker how ignorantly they have been led estranged from the Father of Light carried after vain traditions customs forms ordinances imaginations of man deceived with a vain profession and feigned faith kept strangers from the God of life and from Christ the Saviour and Redeemer behold according to this Quaker what base persons all the Priests of the Church of England are for in his account they are all lyars Ministers of Antichrist as bad as the Scribes and Pharisees were in Christs time for they shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men blind Teachers of the people estrangers of the people from God the Father of Light such as have carried them after vain traditions and imaginations of man deceivers with a vain profession and feigned faith such as have kept the people strangers from the God of life and from Christ the Redeemer but this is not all for this Quaker saith That both Priests and people do lye under the power of darkness and delusion of Antichrist behold in the Church of England according to this Quaker it is like Priests like people the power of darkness belongs to both they are both so far from true Christianity as that they are both under the delusion of Antichrist but according to this Quaker the Priests are the greater offenders of them two for they are he saith the peoples Leaders who cause them to err by their lyes they destroy the people for want of true knowledg they lead them captive in their sins they do only differ from the Heathen in name and profession Behold once more that according to this Quaker the Priests of the Church of England are teachers of lyes by which they cause the people to err soul-murtherers destroying the people for want of true knowledg like the Devil they lead the people captive in their sins they are nothing else but Heathens in truth Thus you see that this quaking-Watcher hath seen nothing belonging to true Christianity for a long time even ever since the Apostles days in the world or in the Church of England as for this Church and Kingdom according to this Quaker there is nothing but Antichrist and what is Antichristian to be found in them Q. p. 145 to 149 Q. Numb 80 You are fighting killing and devouring one another as they do whom you account Heathen you are drunkards swearers lyars scoffers revilers back-biters whoremongers adulterers proud covetous idolaters high-minded oppressors as they are both Priest and People you are envious and malicious both Priest and people you are dissembling cozening and cheating and defrauding one another of the earth What sin is there among those you account Heathen that is not amongst you and doth abound Be ashamed you Priests of England to see the fruits of your Ministry so laid open before you you are those who come near the Lord with your mouths but your hearts are far from him you are hypocrites and your hearts are full of deceit envy wrath bitterness covetousness pride earthly-mindedness self-love self-wisdom you are out of the life and practice of the Apostles and the children of light your Teachers are such as bring another doctrine and climb up another way who are shut out for Thieves and Robbers Pr. Pr. In these quaking-lines we have railing without reason and Scripture abused to this end behold all the people and Priests of the Church of England are by this censorious Quaker declared to be guilty of most notorious crimes they are all according to this Quaker either as bad or far worse than any Heathens are behold how bad this Quaker hath made all Priests and people of this Church and Kingdom to be without exception quarrellers murderers drunkards swearers lyars scoffers revilers backbiters whoremongers adulterers proud covetous idolaters high-minded oppressors by these black names doth this Quaker point them out behold is this the Christian Charity that thinks no evil Is this the Christianity that speaks evil of no man But in p. 146 this Quaker doth a little seem to eat his own words but they are soon disgorged As for those people and Priests that are not drunkards swearers c. this Quaker makes them as bad as the rest as if he were in Gods stead he ransacks their hearts to make them no better than those heart-wicked Pharisees were of old according to this Quaker in the Church and Kingdom of England the peoples Priests are no Christians but idolaters their conversations are worse than heathens for they abound in gross wickedness more than they as
under the hands of a persecuting generation in Colchester-Castle in the year 1656. Published 1675. Pr. Pr. This Quakers scribbles are in no small request with his quaking-friends here you see they are said to be given forth from the Spirit of the Lord which is a profane equalling of them with the holy Scriptures this quaking holy man of God was in the Quakers account no less inspired by the Holy Ghost than the holy Pen-men of Scripture were it 's no slander to say that the Quakers are not a little fly-blown with spiritual pride not a little of it is here published in print behold this James Parnel was the Quakers martyr that bore a faithful testimony for God even unto death in Colchester-Jayl with respect to this Quakers great worth they were a persecuting generation who did persecute this Quaker according to his true demerit This Collection was published in the year 1675 to tell this generation that this Quaker was like Abel who being dead yet speaketh but I shall truly say not like righteous Abel Let us look into some of his Pamphlets for with them all I shall not trouble your patience The first of the Pamphlets is called A trial of Faith which is thus put to the test Q. p. 4. Q. Numb 53 You believe you shall never overcome your sins so long as you are here or be made free from sins here you shew your faith is not built upon Christ who came to destroy the works of the Devil and to cleanse from all sin Pr. Pr. This is the corrupt testimony of this quaking-martyr that they are no sound believers whose faith doth not cleanse them from all their sins that the faith of Christians is not built upon Christ if it doth not make them free from their sins peccatum ne sit a sinless estate reserved for the Kingdom of Heaven is no true Divinity in the Quakers School according to this high-flown Quaker we must either be wholly free from sin like the angels or we can be no true believers in Christ St. Paul burthened with his body of death was a wretched man in the worse sense one that was not built by faith on Christ no truly faithful Christian suppose this Quaker to be in the right what then then St. John was grosly mistaken in saying thus If we say that we have no sin which the Quakers usually do we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us this Quaker is certainly for a more holy faith than God himself did ever require it 's not the ruling power but the being of sin which this Quakers faith makes free from without doubt this is to be righteous overmuch in this world I leave it to others to judg if the ill spirit of the old Catheri was not gotten into this young Quaker however it 's most clear that unless the Quakers idolized perfection be owned as the true only touchstone of faith the best grounded the most stedfast and saving faith of any Christian is not worth a rush it is an unholy faith to speak this Quakers mind that doth not cleanse from all sin in being thus this Quaker being dead hath unrighteously spoken a lye in the name of the Lord by his false Doctrine he hath concluded the Church of England at home all reformed Churches abroad under unbelief for being of this right sound mind that they shall never be made free from all their sins as long as they are here Q. Q. The next Pamphlet of Parnel's is called Christ exalted into his Throne Pr. Pr. Here is seemingly great honour done to our Saviour Christ but it is only in shew not in truth as of old he was arrayed like a King to his own greater disgrace so he is now cried up by this Quaker to the high dishonour of the holy Scriptures which is no honour to our Lord Jesus Christ Q. p. 15. Q. Numb 54 The Scripture was spoken from the Light but is not the Light nor the word nor the life nor the judg nor the rule nor the guide nor the trier of spirits for all this belongs to Christ Pr. Pr. I may truly say without offence this is none of Abel the righteous his language nor a faithful testimony born for God except another Quaker Atheist or Antiscripturist none would have laid such base things to the charge of the holy Scripture except a Quaker no man did ever call Christ the rule this Quaker is guilty of weak reasoning because Christ is the word the light the life therefore Scripture is not the word of God a light the word of life a judg a guide a trier of spirits behold is not this rare quaking Logick is it not a great shame that such dull reasoning as this is should be fathered on the holy Spirit who is God without question it 's for want of good Catechizing that the Quakers vent such irrational things in print these quaking-lines are fitter for pity than a more serious answer however let it be duly considered that at this door hath been brought in all the filth that hath been cast upon the holy Scripture the Scripture is not the light what is it then darkness saith one Quaker not to be minded in any thing saith another not the word what then the letter a dead letter say several Quakers not the life what then putrefaction and corruption not the judg what then it's the spirit alone which gives true discerning saith another Quaker not the rule what then the Scripture is not the rule of my faith and practise saith another Quaker not the guide what then the Light within is the true guide say all Quakers not the trier of spirits what then the Scripture cannot help to discern betwixt true and false saith another Quaker Thus you see clearly how the Scripture the word of God is become like a dung-cart to receive what filth the Quakers and the Papists have to throw into it is it not very sad that the Quakers way of exalting Christ is by debasing the good word of God what manner of spirit it is that leads the Quakers let all wise men hence judg Q. p. 16. Q. Numb 55 Of this Light you people and teachers of the world are ignorant and so are doting upon the Scripture without with your dark minds there with the blind Pharisees seeking life where it is not to be found Pr. Pr. The voice of righteous Abel is not yet in these quaking lines with this Quaker both people and Priest are alike they are both alike ignorant of Christ the Light because neither people nor their teachers are fond of this Quakers false Christ the Light within therefore this Quaker saith they do fondly dote upon the Scripture without and this is done with dark minds behold as this Quaker thought this is our great fault because we make the Scripture not the Quakers Light within the rule of our faith and life therefore as this Quaker saith we are ignorant of Christ the Light doting on