birth from running into Duties catching of Openings and laying hold of Promises and to feel the Heir born of the Immortal Seed to whom all belongs and the other Birth never afterwards get up above him but be subdued and brought into Subjection Again sayeth the Apostle Take heed of doing any thing doubtingly be not forward be not hasty wait for the leading wait for the Manifestation of the Spirit Be sure thou receive what thou receives in the Faith and Practise what thou practisest in the Faith For whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin being an Errour from the Principle of Life which is to guide and thereby thou losest ground and dishonourest Christ and comest under Condemnation And so the Apostle warns Believers To take heed of drawing one another on too fast or of Judging one another in such things as some of them might have Light in others not He that eateth not to Judge him that did not eat and he that did not eat not to Judge him that did eat yea in Matters of Worship he that observed a Day and kept a Sabbath not to Judge him that observed not a Day or kept not a Sabbath For the Jews which were truly converted yet were hard to be drawn off from the Observation of their Sabbath and could hardly bear with the Believing Gentiles who were never taught to keep their Sabbath with them but were taught to esteem every day and sanctifie it to the Lord Rom. 14.5 And those who esteemed every day and dedicated it to the Lord ceasing from Sin and resting to him for under the Gospel we are not to set up a new Type but to enter by Faith into the true Rest which is the Substance of what the other signified could hardly bear with them who observed a Day Even in the Apostles Days Christians were too apt to strive after a wrong Vnity and Vniformity in Outward Practices and Observations and to Judge one another Vnrighteously in those things And mark it is not the different Practice from one another that breaks the Peace and the Unity but the Judging of one another because of different Practices he that keeps not a Day may unite in the same Spirit in the same Life in the same Love with him that keeps a Day and he who keeps a Day may unite in Heart and Soul with the same Spirit and Life in him who keeps not a Day but he that Judgeth the other because of either of these Errs from the Spirit from the Love from the Life and so breaks the Bond of Unity And he that draws another to any Practice before the Life in his own Particular lead him does as much as in him lies to destroy the Soul of that Person Vers 15. This was the Apostles Rule for every one to perform singly to the Lord what he did and not for one to meddle with the Light or Conscience of another undervaluing his Brother or Judging him because his Light and Practices differed from his Vers 10. of that 14th Chap. but every one to keep close to their own Measure of Light even to that proportion of Faith and Knowledge which God of his Mercy hath bestowed on them and here is the true Unity in the Spirit in the Inward Life and not in an Outward Vniformity that was not necessary in the Apostles Days nor is it necessary now and that Eye which so dotes upon it overlooks the one Thing which is necessary Men keeping close to God the Lord will lead them on fast enough and give them Light fast enough for he taketh care of such and knoweth what Light and what Practices are most proper for them but for Men to walk on faster than the Lord holds forth Light to them this overturns them raising up a wrong thing in them and the true Birth hereby comes to suffer to shrink and be driven back And Oh! how sweet and pleasant is it to the truly Spiritual Eye to see several sorts of Believers several Forms of Christians in the School of Christ every one learning their own Lesson performing their own peculiar Service and knowing owning and loving one another in their several Places and different Performances to their Master to whom they are to give an Account and not to quarrel with one another about their different Practices Rom. 14.4 For this is the true ground of Love and Unity not that such a man walks and does just as I do but because I feel the same Spirit of Life in him and in that he walks in his Rank in his own order in his proper way and Place of Subjection to that and this is far more pleasing to me than if he walked just in that track wherein I walk nay so far as I am Spiritual I cannot so much as desire that he should do so until he be particularly led thereto by the same Spirit which led me And he that knows what it is to receive any Truths from the Spirit and to be led into Practices by the Spirit and how prone the Fleshly Man is to make haste and how dangerous that haste is will not be forward to press his Knowledge or Practices upon others but rather wait patiently till the Lord fit them for the receiving thereof and fear lest they should receive and practise too soon even in that part which cannot serve the Lord. And this I can truly say concerning my self I never found my Spirit forward to draw any either to any thing I believed to be true or to any Practice or Way of Worship I observed or walked in but desired that the Power and leadings of Life might go before them and was afraid lest men should receive things from my hand and not from the Lords Yea and this I very well remember that when I walked in the way of Independency as it hath been commonly called I had more Unity with more Love towards such as were single-Hearted in other Ways and Practices of Worship whose Spirits I had some feeling of in the true Simplicity and in the Life than with divers of such who were very Knowing and Zealous in that way of Independency in whom a wrong thing in the mean time had got up which had caused them to swerve from the Life and from the Simplicity So that the true Church Government being in the Spirit and over the Conscience as in the Sight of God the great Care must be to keep it within its Bounds that nothing else govern but the Spirit and that the Government be extended only unto that which is to be Governed First Care must be had that nothing Govern in the Church of Christ but the Spirit of Christ that nothing else teach nothing else exhort nothing else admonish and reprove nothing else cut off and cast out Every Minister in the Church is to watch over his own Spirit that it intrude not into the work of God that it take not upon it to be the Teacher the Exhorter the Reprover c. And
they are though under ever so specious Pretences that have indeavoured to Establish Outward indispensible Rules and Orders in matters relating to Conscience for the Church of Christ in this Gospel Day to Walk by neglecting to commit and Commend every one unto the Word nigh in the heart that thereby they may be preserved from subjection to any thing outwardly ordained which they may either scruple in Conscience or are not led by the Word nigh in the Heart to Practise are such as in the best and most Fovourable Construction act from Zeale without Knowledge in which kind of Zeal Paul himself Phil. 3.6 though as to the Righteousness of the Law blameless yet Persecuted the Church This kind of Zeal is accompanied with that Ignorance which the chief amongst Apostatized Churches have accounted the Mother of Devotion by which Thousands in Ages past in the Dark Night of Apostacy have been led into the Observation of many Unsavoury Dictates Erroneous Decrees Unwarrantable Traditions and Superstitious Examples either of one Man or assemblies of men not knowing what they have either believed or Practised to be an incumbent duty upon them through an inward evidence from Gods Witness in their Consciences or Tryal thereof by the Light of Christ May not the same Cloud of Darkness overshadow any of the Children of Light in this our day saith our Souls Moreover 't is observable that if Report be true this doctrine hath of late been exalted NO UNITY BUT IN CONFORMITY which if applyed to the Outward Prescriptions of one Man or Assemblies of men assuming to themselves authority to act and determin in matters appertaining to the Gospel and its Order thereby to become a Bond upon the Consciences of those who have Believed in the Everlasting Light of Christ Jesus as the great Order and Ordinance of God in this Gospel Day may occasion the Continuation of Discord Distraction and Division contrary to the Gospel and Doctrine of Truth which hath been publisht received and believed amongst the Children of Light in these latter days who neither have nor can receive any Doctrine contrary to this Testimony of the Apostle 2 Cor. 3.6 The Letter Killeth but the Spirit giveth Life We now appeal unto every understanding ingenious and impartial Reader whether since the Labour of the Apostles of Christ in the primitive dayes was to draw the Outward Jew off from the observation of these ordinances which were realy established by the appointment of God himself having exalted instead thereof the word nigh in the heart and Law written therein as a fulfilling of that which according to the Word of the Lord by the mouth of his Prophet was to come to pass under the new Covenant which was not to be like unto the Old can consist with the tenour of the new Covenant for any to attempt the establishment or giving forth of Outward Orders Prescriptions Sentences or Decrees to be on that foot a Bond upon the Consciences of those who have believed in the Everlasting Light Especially if they are of the Gentile Stock according to the Flesh unto whom the Law appertained not for so the People of England are and if not whether those who are otherwise perswaded and according to such a perswasion may be found acting may not though under the Outward Profession of Truth it self justly be numbered amongst those of whom in the best sense it may be said They have Zeal without Knowledge and Ignorance is the Mother of their Devotion And now as to those who have Knowledge without Zeal Charity doth not Oblige us to conclude that such in that state chiefly design to live well that so they may dye well for as Christ said so may we Luk. 12.48 Unto whomsoever Much is given of him shall be Much required the want of Zeal in a known Good Cause is as we take it the neglect of a Known Incumbent Duty wherein God hath given Power else how could it have been said to the Luke-Warm Church of Laodicea after an understanding was given unto her how she might come to see viz. by anointing her eyes with Eye Salve Lev. 3.19 be Zealous amend for doubtless Power was given of God into her to amend as well as direction how to see but of the want of Knowledge it cannot be so said as of the want of Zeal Because 't is not equally in our Powers to attain unto Knowledge when we want it as it is Zealously to Practise what we know to be our duty we may therefore conclude that where Knowledge is not accompanyed with Zeal though requisite t is in the best sense a token of a Luke-warm Spirit and in some where it hath predominated we have clearly discerned that first they have been over-awed by the Frowns of man or men and then under the Pretence of bearing all things neglect to give their Testimony for the Truth without respect to any Person whatsoever more than the Truth might require and by this means some have undoubtedly been the occasion whereby many have been caught in the Snare of the Evil one not Knowing through a Neglect of their Inward Teacher which way to turn and that Loads and Burthens have been the Portions of others who whil'st they have kept Stedfast unto the antient Doctrine Exalting the appearance of Christ by his Light to be our Law Rule and Guide have beheld some of their Brethren not only captivated with a kind of a slavish Fear but also in their Practices receeded from what their first Principle would have led them to having used politick Contrivances to retain the Favour and Affections of some who perhaps in their View have appeared to be like unto the rising Sun and so have given more way to a Temporizing Spirit than to acquit themselves as Good Christians in the sight of God by which the Conscience comes to be kept voyd of offence towards God and Man and all this as with respect to some 't is doubted for fear lest they should be termed Sect-masters by such as in this Gospel-day have assumed a Pretended Authority to establish Outward Orders to be a Rule for and Bond upon the Children of Light to walk by without any exception thereby to avoid oppressing a tender Conscience But this is far wide of that Zeal which accompanyed the Apostle Paul in his Converted State who was termed a Ringleader of the Sect of the Nazerenes by the Unbelieving Jews that would have Judged him according to their Law which undoubtedly would then have inflicted Severe Punishment on him which being duly considered we may well say 't is far wide of Pauls Zeal to fear under this Gospel-day the Title of a Sect-Master on the score of refusing Outward Conformity to Outward Rules and Orders relating to the Conscience under the Notion of Gospel-Orders establisht amongst the People called Quakers not only Because they have no Law whereby corporally to Punish but also because we have no Ground either from the Word of the Lord by the
Men on the Part of our Opposers in publick Meetings for Worship of God have frequently been Cause of Stumbling to some so that 't is to be doubted that Jealousies have been ready to enter many that though the Name of Christianity is retained amongst the People called Quakers yet that the Nature Life and Doctrine thereof hath suffered Shipwrack amongst them if all under that Name ought at this Day to be measured by the Deportment and Doctrine of some The particular Instances of such Deportments and Doctrines whereof I have been Eye and Ear-Witness might fill a large Volumn And therefore if this be granted it cannot but by every Considerate and Impartial Reader be thought needful enough that a Testimony unto the Principles of Truth antiently held forth amongst them might once more be Revived and Committed to Posterity on behalf of that Party amongst them who account themselves Persecuted Reviled and evilly Intreated when they know no other Cause thereof than in their stedfast Adhering to and Persevering in the Way of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus and having begun in the Spirit cannot be in Unity with such as to them seem to expect Perfection through a zealous Exalting of other Mens Lines made ready to their Hands And thus the Generations to come as well as at this Day may know that though some Lovers of Preheminence Innovators and Unskilful Preachers that know not how to divide the Word aright have been pleased to stigmatize others with these Terms viz. Dark Leavened Rending Dividing Separate Spirits yet it hath been manifest that 't is because such others cannot in a Temporizing Spirit change their Way and depart from their Antient Path which by the Spirit of God they have been led into and wherein they have had Fellowship with their Antient Brethren whom the Lord Anointed to publish his Everlasting Gospel and to gather others from the Lo here 's and the Lo there 's to take heed unto the Holy Unction in themselves as a Sufficient Guide unto the Father of Life Quer. 3. Whether thy Publishing this Treatise in Print may not in probability give unto others a Knowledge of the Differences amongst us and so obstruct the Encrease of our Meetings and the gathering of some yet walking in the Broad Way into the True Faith and cause many already gathered thereunto to stumble and fall Answ Nay The Considerations inducing me so to Answer are these Though this Treatise declares that there are Divisions amongst the People called Quakers yet that 's no more than what to my Knowledge is publickly known both to Professor and Prophane and that from Observations of such in the Publick Meetings for Worship for many Moneths if not Years past as are not reputed to be of the People called Quakers The Occasion of such Observations in some Meetings hath been so frequently given as that it seems to me to be as impossible to cover the Knowledge thereof as that which hath been Proclaimed by a common Bell-Man and the Instruments which for the most part have been the Proclaimers hereof have been such as under the Notion of Preachers in God's Name though in a Reality but idle ignorant Praters in the Will of Man by their Declarations run against the Friends of Truth sometimes by Name and other times not so particular though intelligible enough and yet incapable to detect such as is Evil either in Conversation or Doctrine Which being considered and compared with many Imaginary Discourses in Publick Meetings for Worship of God whereby the Publishers thereof appear Unlearned in the School of Christ 't is irrational to expect that any Person Conscientiously seeking after the Way of Truth should be gathered to such as are at Variance each with other and whose Publick Assemblies have been at some times the very Stages of Contention and if they should 't is most certain they would not therein be gathered unto such as are in an Heavenly Fellowship each with other but if on the contrary such as are seeking after the way of Truth amongst the People called Quakers have been disaffected with them in general from a certain Knowledge of their divisions and the unsound Doctrines held forth by some and yet shall but seriously ponder this Treatise it may become a means unto such to eschew the Evil and embrace the Good by inclining their hearts unto the Principles of Truth herein held forth and not suffering the offence given by such amongst them as have retained the Name but not the Nature nor yet in some respects the Doctrine of Christianity so to enter as to hinder their Perseverance and Growth in the true Faith untill at length they may come into Union and Fellowship with the faithful Friends thereof Moreover to me it seems impossible that the seasonable asserting the Truth and pleading for it can occasion any to stumble and fall from it but rather the Contrary However I must confess 't is probable enough that it may occasion many to disregard such kind of Preachers or rather Praters whose Doctrines and Practices have not only caused the Name of the Lord to be evil spoken of but whose Necessities have seemed to be a Bait unto them to Follow for the Loaves and no marvel if these instead of Gathering to God Gather to themselves and as a proper expedient to obtain such a gathering publish in the open Meetings for Worship of God such like Doctrines as these according as I have already hinted and which I am a witness from the hearing of my ear have in publick meetings for worship been publisht viz. Have your Eye to the Brethren meaning thereby Publick Preachers If you do not see your selves follow us that do see And frequently exhort to shut out the reasoning the Wisdom and the Iealousy without distinction which being compared with these primitive and wholesome Exhortations and Doctrines Wisdom is Iustified of her Children look not unto us but unto the Lord take heed unto the Light of Christ in your own consciences Draw water out of your own Wells let it be your own and not anothers it seems to me more like the Language of those Shepherds who as the Prophet said Sought for their gain from their Quarters than the Language of such whom the Lord hath anointed to cherish and feed his Sheep To Conclude this Preface 't is with me to say unto every one through the Nations called by the name Quaker on this wise Let the remembrance of the dayes that are past come before you wherein the Servants of the Living God Labourers in the Gospel in the beginning of the latter Day of the Ministration of Light sounded by his trumpet an Alarm to the Nations And what said the voice of the Eternal Power through them It spoke to this effect unto the inhabitants of the Earth Awake Awake from the sleep of Death that the Lord may give unto you Life He that was and is and is to come is arisen in a remnant and Christ the Son
of the Eternal God who was with the Father before the Foundation of the World was laid is become the Horn of their Salvation and hath brought Immortality to Light in them and revealed that Teacher that can never be moved into a corner and therefore these cannot depend any longer on the teachings of man nor yet on outward Canonical Articles Creeds Directories or Church-Faiths prescribed by man but on the teachings of Christ alone by his Light and Spiritual appearance in themselves to lead and guide unto the Father of life The sound of this Alarm as many can yet witness became a joyful sound to that soul which was hungring after the Lord though piercing as a Dart through the liver to the man of sin so that astonishment and amazement seemed to take hold on many whereby they became a By-word a Mock and a Taunt unto such whose dependencies were on their outward Teachers c. as aforesaid I say again Oh Friends let the Remembrance of this Day come before you and consider further what was the voice of the Eternal Power unto such who were struck with amazement after they believed the appearance of that power whereby they were so struck to be the appearance of the Power of God I well remember the voice was on this wise To your own To your own To your own Meaning thereby that they should turn in their minds to the Light of Christ in their consciences which was declared to be that teacher which could never be removed into a corner that so they might witness the fulfilling of that loud voice uttered by the Angel flying through the midst of Heaven Having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the Earth c. Fear God and give glory to him for the Hour of his judgment is come and worship him that made Heaven and Earth c. For no doubt but the Spirit of the Lord revealed unto those first labourers in the Gospel that there was a pronenesse in the Sons and Daughters of Men to admire to depend upon and sometimes through an affectionate part or blind Zeal to worship such are were instruments to give forth outward Directories or Church-Faiths For we find that the Apostle tells us of worshipping Angels which are Messengers whom God hath sent by him that intrudes into things which he hath not seen therefore I am perswaded that the voice of Truth through them was not only thus viz. To your own which being observed leads into an independency upon others but also frequently on this wise We preach not our selves look not unto us In the Consideration of these things I cannot but cry aloud in the aforesaid words of the Angel that had the everlasting Gospel to Preach Fear God and give Glory to him And then no doubt but every such one that hath concerned himself to condemn his Brother on no better ground than from the example and prescription of another will come to see that therein he hath not kept to his own and so hath been led into a By and Erring Path. Oh Friends let therefore this cry pass through every heart To our Own To our Own To our Own That is to say to every one 's own measure of Christ's Light or Grace of God Received which the Apostle saith is sufficient with this secret breathing of Spirit unto the God of our lives that all may be thereto retired For if that Counsel might but take place it seems to me that there could then be no room for any to impose or press the observation of other mens Lines upon any which no doubt is one great occasion of the religious differences treated on and not only so but it would mould all who retain the name of Christianity into the very nature thereof and so consequently a reconciliation in the everlasting Truth might quickly ensue For if that Door be but once shut through which variance and disunion entred there may then arise a hope of cessation to such contention and strife as is out of the Truth but if not I may then say how can the effect cease whilst the cause remains I well Remember and many with me that whil'st friends kept to their Own and concerned not themselves to promote a zealous observation of other mens Lines made ready to their hands we then heard not of so much contention strife and debate both publick and private as of late years hath been but since the promotion thereof Confusion Disorder Emulation Malice and Envy hath been its Offspring which hath been manifested by publick unjust revilings against some when zealously contending for the Faith of Gods Elect and though these are of that number that prefer obedience to their own measures of Grace received before obedience to the measures of others yet other some there are who have endeavoured to bring Friends into conformity to the pretended Dictates of the Spirit through others or at best through that one man G. F. before spoken of and that under the penalty of being accounted guilty of Corah's sin for scrupling to conform and thus the variance is like to continue unless the God of Heaven for his Names sake by the Arm of his own Power shall put a stop thereto And forasmuch as I could not but say in all seriousness of Spirit for the clearing of my conscience Let the remembrance of the dayes that are past come before you wherein the Servants of the living God sounded by his trumpet an Alarm to the Nations and that the Servant of the Lord Edward Burrough many years deceased is honourably spoken of by some if not by all of both parties of the People called Quakers at variance one that had the Trumpet of the Lord to sound and hath therewith sounded as a Son of thunder as well as of consolation many Alarm unto the Nations I shall conclude with the citation of a part of an Epistle written by him in the Year 1658. to the Friends of the City of London and so leave the consideration thereof to the Impartial Reader to savour whether according to the sense of his counsel we ought not to know the Spirit of God in our selves to be the ground of all our actions and if so then to practise from other mens Lines without an inward conviction by the Spirit in our selves can be no more accepted as indeed it is not than the offering of the halt and the blind for a Sacrifice under the first Covenant was Here follows the citation out of Edward Burrough's aforesaid Epistle YEa it is peace to the Soul and gladness to the Heart and refreshment to the Life to feel and witness the teaching of the Spirit of the Father leading into all Truth and preserving out of all transgressions wherefore I beseech you all let this be your whole desire and the full practice in your life and then shall the Countenance of the Lord shine upon you and his face shall make you glad if in all things you look unto
ninety four Miles to London out of all the throng of his other Occasions or if in London to wait for George Fox's coming thither when near it to ask him by Word of Mouth that which hath been before asked by Writing and no Answer given signifying the least assent to meet as hereafter will appear This indeed will be a very ready way to bring Outward Blasting according to the Prophesies of some of my Opposers if they could but create a Belief in me that on I. C's notice that G. F. will be in London I must then run after him and attend upon him on no other Foot but to know whether he will meet me without any assurance that he would be willing notwithstanding I have laboured and endeavoured so long before to obtain it and all in vain On this Occasion two things are worthy of some Enquiry First Whether George Fox is really so dignifyed as that 't is an Additional Errour in one whom he accounts a lost Sheep not to run after and wait on him If he were in reality the great Apostle of Christ as esteemed by some methinks he should have in his Remembrance the Parable spoken of by Christ touching leaving the Ninety nine Sheep to seek the One that was lost and so account it his Duty to seek after much more be ready to meet one accounted a Lost Sheep that hath been so desirous to meet him as I have been Secondly Whether James Claypoole be in reality so dignifyed as that on his Notice 't is the duty of a friend having a concern upon him relating to George Fox to ride ninety four miles or wait out of all his urging occasions many days to attend on G. F. When not willing to Answer the end to be waited for or else must incar such like Censures as are pat upon me for such an Omission I cannot but conclude that the Lord hath not so dignifyed either of them and that the Occasion of this Enquiry is the Fruit of Pride or a Gentilian sort of Lordship which the God of Heaven is determined to abase As to the report That I came up to the City of London to read a Charge behind George Fox's Back I thus Answer as 't is above represented the Action seems vile and unchristian-like because from that Representation it may be understood as if I would in a Secret way endeavour to back-bite and reproach George Fox and avoid all Occasions of meeting him Face to Face which I abhor and as on the one hand I so do so on the other hand I account it vile and unchristian-like to spread such a Representation of the matter and not declare the whole Truth and End for which my coming then was which if it had I might not then have had Occasion to have added this Postscript but since it is so I think it needful to inform the Reader of the very naked Truth from whence I take that evil Insinuation or partial Report to arise After I had by several Letters signifyed to G. F. divers Things touching which I expected Satisfaction from him and had sufficient ground to believe that he would not give it and having a Jealousie that many under the Name of Quakers looked upon him as Infallible I was constrained in my Spirit to prepare a Manuscript to discover his Errours out still with this reserve that if Friends would so assist as that I might have Justice among them in relation to him I might forbear Amongst other Places I came to London and spread the matter before James Claypoole and three other antient Friends reputed of the chiefest from whom I could have no hopes that a Meeting would be assented to on the Occasion desired to clear my self and therefore a concern of Conscience was upon me to write the ensuing Letter to James Claypoole and those other three Friends to give cover unto the ensuing Remonstrance to the Friends of London from both which the purpose of my Mind may be collected and whether or no I did not therein Act Christian-like and do as much as in me did lie with a clear Conscience that G. F's Nakedness might not be so publickly discovered as now it is William Rogers his Letter to James Claypoole and three other Antient Friends of London London 25th of 12th Month 1679. James Claypoole c. FRiends you may remember that when I parted with you Yesterday you were desirous to know where I would be in the Evening I told you to this purpose I knew not certainly but yet also acquainted you to this purpose That if you would appoint me to meet you I should readily assent thereto and though you did not appoint me yet I was in Expectation that you or at lest some of you might have had a Desire to speak with me again but understanding nothing thereof I am clear in my Spirit to depart the City and to let you have the Enclosed with an earnest breathing unto the Lord that he may direct you to make that use thereof as may tend to his Honour And that I may not be wanting to open unto you that Counsel which I believe is the Counsel of the Lord in this Case I thus say that my Perswasion is 't will tend most to the Honour of God not to keep the enclosed from the Knowledge of the Friends of the City and if you are not free to appoint a Meeting for the reading thereof then to consider of some other Way to communicate the same unto the Flock of God in this City For you know not but that a Word from the Lord may arise out of the Breast of a Babe or Suckling that may in this Case be piercing as a Dart to cause the High and Lofty to bow to Justice and no longer give Occasions of Jealousy that any one amongst those who profess the Truth should stand as an Infallible and Justifyed Person when such an One being charged with things reproachful to the Truth endeavours to evade the stroke of that Justice which in like Cases he hath prescribed for others Oh Friends In the presence of the Lord I affirm the Sins of G. Fox to have been notorious God in his Mercy hath manifested him to be a Fallible Man and according to a Gospel Method his Errours have been laid before him and he will not hear and now my Concern of Conscience is to cry aloud for justice and to signifie that I am constrained to detect him for his Evil and Errours by a printed Record unless some Expedient may be found agreeable to Truth to satisfy my Conscience otherwise And if you and others appear not to take Notice of the Call and Cry so as in Truth you and they ought then since he will not hear the word of Truth from my Pen let both you and all such unto whom this Cry and Call may or shall come stop your Mouthes from gainsaying my proceeding to clear my Conscience in the method that may seem to me most expedient
upon some others to obey and submit and that such as are in the true Feeling and Sense will find it their places to obey and be one with the Church in such like cases and that its such that have lost their sense and feeling of the Life of the Body that discent and are disobedient under the false pretence of Liberty To this we answer First that General Meeting doth usually consist only of such Persons as pretend a Freedom in their Spirits to go thither or have Outward Business calling them to the place where it is usually held and though it hath been accounted a Meeting of Ministring Friends yet of late Years we are very certain it hath consisted and so for the future may of some other Persons professing the Truth that will take upon them to assemble amongst them and to be very plain we cannot but appeal to the Consciences of all such Honourable Friends who are both intelligent and impartial whether some who have usually there assembled or may pretend right to be Members thereof have not been false Accusers and Man-pleasers and many of them a sort of Persons who being Lovers of Preheminence and Time-servers take that as an Opportunity to appear unto others that which they are not in themselves On the whole matter 't is evident to us that some Persons uncertain in number as well as to Persons and Qualifications do take upon them to call themselves a General Meeting and though such when met may on that foot take upon them to ordain and appoint certain things condemn some Friends as Rending Seperate Spirits and approve of others as Faithfull Bretheren and that as they may say in the Name of the Lord yet it is not likely to have any more place with us on that account than if they spoke in their Own Name since 't was never evidenced to our Consciences that they had any Call from God to act and give forth all those things which they have taken upon them Objection But suppose some Persons in their respective Countries should undertake to Meet together Quarterly and at such Quarterly Meetins choose two Persons to go to the said General Meeting as was endeavoured the last Year To this we answer We deny that it can be agreeable to the Truth for such to assert that from thence they are invested with Power to Ordain and Appoint certain things unto which others as Members of Christs Body ought therefore to yeild Obedience whilst not perswaded by Christs Light in their Consciences of their Duty therein First Because though such Quarterly Meetings as men may be capable to choose Persons yet they are not capable to invest them with a suitable Power since 't is taken for granted that the Authority of all those Meetings ought to be the Power of God which man is not capable to confer neither have those Meetings affirmed they are Secondly Because no Outward Order Counsel or Advice is sufficient Ground for any man to Practise this or t'other thing so as thereby to find Acceptance with the Lord until the Conscience of such an one by the Light of Christ Jesus be convinced thereof For every Action in relation to the things of God that springs not from an enlightned convinced Conscience is but the fruit of a liseless Form without the Power and seems not to square with this Doctrine draw water out of your own Wells let it be your own and not anothers nor yet with that Doctrine which hath often been sounded in our Ears to gather us from the Lo heres and the Lo theres But yet we are sensible that this further Objection may be raised viz. Obj. * Note in the manuscriptfirst made mention of in the Preface the Ground of this Objection from the Words and Writings of divers Persons is cited out of the second part of the said Manuscript but their Names for the reasons in the Presace are omitted here 'T is true Friends in the Beginning were turned to the Light in their own Consciences as their Guide but when it pleased the Lord to gather so great a Number into the Knowledge and Belief of the Truth as were in few Years gathered then the Heavenly Motion came upon G. F. as the Lords Anointed and Chosen having the Care of the Churches as being the great Apostle of Christ Jesus and as one whom the Lord had ordained to be in that place amongst the Children of Light in this our Day as Moses was amongst the Children of Israel in his Day to set forth Methods and Forms of Church Government and to establish Monthly and Quarterly Meetings of Men and of Women distinct from Men and these Meetings since are called the Church whose Counsel Advice and Judgment as Occasion should offer is to be submitted unto by every one who professes himself a Member of the Church of Christ and that we ought to believe as the Church believes else why should an Eminent Friend in the sixteenth Page of his Bookthus say I affirm that the true Church is in the true Faith that is in God and we must either believe thus as the true Church believes or else it were but both a Folly and Hypocrisie to profess our selves Members thereof And so in the same Page proceeds to manifest that he who seems to own the Church of Christ as a Member of her and yet tells the World that it is a most dangerous position that we are to believe as the Church believes is a treacherous Enemy to the Church of Christ From this Objection these three Positions seem to be deducible First That the Lord hath ordained G. F. to be in that Place amongst the Children of Light in this our Day as Moses was amongst the Children of Israel in his Day Secondly That monthly and quarterly Meetings are called the Church and ought to be submitted to Thirdly That 't is Folly and Hypocrisy to profess our selves Members of the true Church and yet not believe thus as the true Church believes SECT II. An Answer to the First Position deducible from an Objection raised toward the conclusion of the first Section to wit That the Lord hath ordained G. F. to be in that place amongst the Children of Light in this our Day as Moses was among the Children of Israel in his Day THe Lord under the First Covenant promised To raise up a Prophet like unto Moses whom the People were to hear in all things Deut. 18.15 This Prophet spoken of was Christ Jesus who in the fullness of Time appeared upon the Earth and then 't was the Duty of the Sons and Daughters of Men to hearken unto his Voice since he ascended on high the Father according to the Testimony of his Son Christ hath sent unto us the Comforter the Spirit of Truth who is to lead and guide us into all Truth this Spirit we witness to be in us according to the Testimony of the Scriptures It shall be in you Our Testimony now is that it 's
not agreeable to the Second Covenant to expect that any one should be ordained of God to be amongst the Children of Light like unto Moses save Christ Jesus our Lord and Master who by his Spiritual Appearance in us is become our Leader and Lawgiver and therefore we have no Ground to believe that any one Mortal Man ought to assume that place amongst the Children of Light at this Day as Moses by the Appointment of God did amongst the Children of Israel in his Day especially if we do but consider that the Promise of the Lord through his Prophet Jeremiah Jer. 31.33 34. with relation to that Time and dispensation of the New Covenant under which we are was on this wise I will put my Law in their Inward Parts and write it in their Hearts and they shall teach no more every man his Neighbour and every man his Brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them saith the Lord. SECT III. An Answer to the Second Position deducible from an Objection raised toward the Conclusion of the first Section viz. That Monthly and Quarterly Meetings are called the Church and ought to be submitted to T Is well remembred that that one Man G. F. went some years past into many parts of this Nation advising Friends to hold such Meetings viz. Monthly and Quarterly and in many places his Counsel was readily embraced but for our parts we understood not at that day that it was designed by him or any else that those Meetings should not only be accounted the Church but also such as professed the Truth ought to believe as this Church believes had he so exprest himself Testimonies would have arisen as a Flood against such Darkness for this would have plainly appeared to us to have opened a Door whereby that Babylonish Rubbish which we had been long testifying against might have been exalted in one day And to be very plain we cannot but now declare that we are fully satisfied in our Consciences that by this very Door a Body of Strife Contention Emulation Malice and Envy together with a Rending Dividing Seperate Spirit from the Truth is entred amongst many hundreds who before walked together with us in an Heavenly Union and Fellowship in the Life of Righteousness which doubtless may if it hath not already occasion many Honest Simple-hearted Friends thus in their Hearts to say Where are the People whom we shall now follow But if such retire into the Sanctuary of the Lord there in stilness to wait what God will say they will undoubtedly have this Answer You have a Teacher within you which cannot be removed into a Corner follow that Teacher lest peradventer your Feet do slip by going from your Inward Guide and following the Footsteps and Dictates of Man But to return 'T is now our Concern as to the second Position thus further to declare That whosoever hath or shall testifie that all those Meetings as usually held were the Church of God hath and will appear to be such as know not whereof they affirm for such a Testimony carries with it neither inward nor outward Evidence though we dare not conclude that none in those Meetings were Members of the Church for the Church of God consists properly of such as are by one Spirit baptized into one Body 1 Cor. 12.13 and so are in the Possession as well as Profession of Truth But yet whoever they were that did but so much as profess the Truth were admitted to be Members of such Meetings whilest they appeared in the outward Form thereof and were not then of Scandalous Conversations All which might appear in such as were far remote from witnessing the Circumcision of the Heart and the Answer of a good Conscience towards God which must be witnessed as the proper Product of the Baptism of the Spirit before a Possession of the Truth be known And whether Mens Meetings have not often consisted of such Members and are like so to do whilest the Door is open for any under the aforesaid Qualifications to sit there as it yet is we recommend to the Serious Consideration of the Impartial Readers and if so we desire them further to weigh and Consider First Whether it can be agreeable to the Truth to account every thing acted and done by every such Meeting to be the Product of the Church of Christ and accordingly to be submitted to Secondly Whether the Judging of some conscientiously refusing to submit to be dark leavened rending dividing or seperate Spirits because they refuse be not the fruit of that Spirit that would remove us from that Teacher that cannot be removed into a Corner to follow the Dictates of Fallible Men. Thirdly Whether a Plea for Obedience to the Orders of such Meetings from Persons Conscientiously Refusing to Obey hath not a tendency to Justify Usurpation since they have never evidenced to the Consciences of those from whom they have seemed to expect Obedience any other Call to that Service than their own Fourthly Whether a Plea for such Meetings to Govern in matters relating to Conscience hath not a tendency to Justify Confusion since according to the reputed Order of such Meetings None that are to be Ruled are excluded from being Rulers Let those who cannot believe this our last Assertion peruse Robert Barclay's Book of Government approved by such as have been accounted Ministring Friends at the second Days Meeting in London wherein 't is said Page 33. We are not so foolish as to concern our selves with those who are not of us None of which are according to the Import of the said Book of Government as we take it excluded from such Meetings nor yet to give Judgment therein witness Page 79 and 82. of the said book and since we are now treating of those Meetings we are not without a sense but that some may be ready thus to query viz. What Order is either prescribed or used whereby the sense of such Meetings is collected To this we say An eminent Person professing Truth being at Bristol did take occasion to signify at a Mens-Meeting held in that City to this effect That in London and other parts of this Nation where such Meetings were usually held the sense of the generallity hath been taken for the sense of such Meetings Comparing this with this Doctrine frequently of late publisht amongst us That the Apostacy shall never enter the generality more doth give us Just occasion to be Jealous that our opposers for the carrying on of their designs against us have contrived this method of carrying all things by the generality or major number of voices which Limitation we know hath been heretofore and by the faithfull to this day utterly disowned as contrary to the Truth and also by the approvers of R. B's Book of Government as in Page 81. and though the counsel of that one man who first advised to the aforesaid Meetings in some parts was
Spiritual Guide and Teacher which is infailible and cannot be removed into a Corner with confidence then may we conclude that none such will ever more boast of the possession which they have taken as Heirs of the Gospel with respect to things that are without Secondly As to this part of the aforesaid Objection viz. that nothing but Dryness Deadness and Barrenness appears in those who are opposed by such with whom thou art at Unity we say This seems not strange unto us for the Apostle thus Testifies We are unto God a sweet Savour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish to the one we are the Savour of Death unto Death and to the other the Savour of Life unto Life This give us occasion to put every one that has or may Judge the sound form of words to be Deadness Dryness Barrenness especially when Springing from such whom thou hast known to be in the Life upon this search is not the reason thereof because I am watching for evil and have let in a Spirit of Prejudice believing an evil Report when perhaps it may not be Truth If this be thy State we must plainly tell thee they are the very Tokens of a Perishing Condition and then though it be the Word of Life that is Preached yet it can be no other according to the Testimony of the Apostle but the Savour of Death unto thee Besides we have this further Observation to make that some at least of those thus Testified against as Dead Dry and Barren are chiefly such unto whom God hath given a Portion of Understanding above many of their Brethren and have and yet do as far as ever we know appear Sound in Doctrine and as blameless in Life and Conversation as any friends we have ever known and so cannot run with the Current of the Times we desire therefore that every one of the Opposers of or Judges over such will yet more thoroughly search their own Consciences and in a Godly Jealousy over themselves put these queries unto their own hearts and try things in the equal ballance Have not I many times heard Unsound Doctrines and beheld Disorder and Confusion brought forth even in Publick Meetings for worship by those who cry against Dark Seperate Spirits and yet not been a Reproof thereto Concluding notwithstanding that there did a Freshness and Life appear Have not I been often affected with an Outward Tone and strength of Lungs when there hath been little to the Information and Building up one another in the most Holy Faith Have not I been better Contented to hear a Thundering kind of Voice Crying out against a Seperate Spirit though without Distinction when not a word was spoken to shew the Way to the Kingdom than to hear the Way of Eternal Life Plainly Demonstrated by a soft and moderate Voice We know there is great cause for many to put these questions to their Consciences and to be cool in Spirit that so they may have an Answer from the Lord whose appearance is not in the strong winds but in the still Voice SECT IV. An Answer to the Third Position deducible from an Objection raised toward the Conclusion of the first Section viz. That 't is Folly and Hipocrisy to profess our selves Members of the True Church and yet not Believe thus as the True Church Believes TO this we say we are altogether dissatisfied especially when we consider what a Body of darkness hath entered under the Belief of this Position we must believe as the Church believes amongst the Professors of Christianity in Ages past as well as at this present Day that such Language can become the mouth or pen of any one that professeth not only Faith in Christ but also that such his Faith is grounded upon the Inward Manifestation and Revelation of Gods Spirit in himself mark we say in himself Those who are accounted Apostate Christians have from such Assemblies which they call their Church set forth their Creeds by which it may be known what the Members of their Church do and ought to Believe and since 't is so that no Person is able to make out that ever any Assembly under the Notion of the true Church amongst the People called Quakers have published their Creed by which we mean a certain number of Articles of Faith recommending them as those things which every Member of the true Church ought to believe or else not be accounted a Member of the true Church we cannot account it unreasonable if any one that liketh not the Language touching Believing as the true Church Believes should ask the Publisher thereof this Question Hast thou not spoken this with respect to the People called Quakers as those whom thou accountest the True Church And if so is it not folly to talk of believing as this Church believes when no assembly under the notion of this Church have to this day declared and published their Creed for the ends aforesaid Nay may it not further be said we know how Papists and Protestants describe their Church but at the day wherein that which occasions this present discourse was given forth it was not discovered by any reputed Quakers publickly in Print that we know of who or were the true Church is with respect to visible persons more than what is to this effect given forth by the Author occasioning this present discourse viz. That the People called Quakers are the Church Wherein we do not take his meaning to be that all called Quakers were the Church of God but the Elect amongst them for he also saith The Church signifies the Elect and so the Reader is left without any certain Description who or where this Church is with respect to visible Persons since the Elect amongst them are not outwardly described For the clearing of the Truth and the opening of the Understandings of such as may be muddled about this matter 't is with us thus to Testifie 'T is well known that it pleased the Lord to reach unto many of our Consciences at the beginning of this latter Day that hath dawned amongst us whereby we came to Believe in the Everlasting Light of the Lord and as others held forth the Visible Orders and Written Faiths of a Visible Church to be as a Lanthorn to their Paths and as a Ground of their Faith so this Light of Christ was preach't up as a Lanthorn to our Paths and as the Ground of our Faith and then as our Understandings came to be more and more opened we clearly saw that as other Churches had outward Marks and Tokens whereby a man might manifest himself to be a Member of their Church when received into Society with their Church so we who had Believed in the Light of our Lord Jesus Christ and had the Evidence in our selves that we were of the true Brotherhood and Members of Christ's Body were at a loss infallibly to manifest unto others by any Outward Marks or Tokens that we were in
Reality Members of the true Church Because this Light in which we had Believed did reveal unto us that those who were but in the Gentile Nature and had come no further than the Outward Court that was given to the Gentiles might have all the Outward Marks and signs of a Member of their Churches and yet know very little of the washing by the Water of Regeneration and Sanctification through the Spirit which every Member of the true Church that 's Built on the Rock Christ comes to be Witness of And therefore when our Opposers who professed not the Truth would reflect upon us on this wise You are a confused People you gather not into Church-fellowships you have no certain Way to know one another to be Members of the Church as we have And why do you not put forth your Creed that so we may know what and how many the Articles of your Faith are and what you stand for and what you stand against The best Answer that ever as we could understand we were capable to give in Truth unto such was this The True Church is in God who is the Author and Finisher of our Faith we have believed in the Sufficiency of his Grace unto which if we are obedient according to the respective measures thereof given of God and Received by us we then have the Witness of God in our Consciences giving Evidence that we are of the True Brotherhood and of the Church of the First Born whose Names are written in Heaven though we do not alleadge any outward Marks and Signes whereby our Bodies being Temples wherein the Holy Ghost doth dwell ought to be accounted within the pale of the true Church And albeit no Outward Society of Men amongst us calling themselves the Church have put forth any certain number of Articles of Faith with this Testimony that every one that professeth himself a Member of the Church of Christ ought so to Believe or else not be accounted of the True Church yet many of our Freinds unto whom the Lord hath given Divine Understanding have written divers Books according as the Spirit of the Lord hath moved upon their Hearts out of which the sound Doctrines we hold and stand for may be collected though others so reputed may thorough Weakness have erred To conclude as to this particular we further thus testifie In the Church of Christ there are Babes Young Men and Fathers there are the Weak and the Strong Suppose a Weak Brothers Faith Differs from his Brethren must he be accounted a Fool or an Hipocrite Nay Nay Charity measures not so We find this very Case happening amongst the Romans and what said Paul in that Case Read Rom. 14.3 4 22 23. and there Paul thus adviseth Let not him that eateth dispise him that eateth not and let not him that eateth not Judge him which eateth for God hath received him Who art thou that condemnest another Man's Servant To his own Master he standeth or falleth Hast thou Faith Have it to thy self He that doubteth is condemned if he eat because he eateth not of Faith and whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin Hence 't is evident the Members of the Church differed in their Faith he that did eat was not to be Judged because he was Received of God he that did not eat was so far from being Judged that the Apostle condemnes the very eating whilest there was a Doubt though the abstaining from eating was the Fruit of Weakness We now leave it to the Conscience of every Impartial Reader in the Light of Christ Jesus to weigh and consider whether it can be Service to the Truth and agreeable to the meaning of the Spirit at this day for any person under the name of Quaker to give forth this Doctrine 't is folly and hipocrisy to profess our selves Members of the True Church and yet not believe thus as the True Church believes though the giver forth thereof may to this purpose also declare as to give the publisher thereof his due he hath That they never did preach up such a Position as a great Argument to enforce People into their Faith SECT V. What we stand for viz. Truth and Righteousness and that Christ's Government may be exalted in every Heart under which we are instructed not to depend on Man but on the sufficiency of God's Grace A Testimony against Tythes and for Meeting together in time of Persecution the neglect whereof may be the Fruit of Weakness or disobedience The Government of Christ and the Laws thereof are inward Some part of the Fruits brought forth under the said Government are discribed An Objection relating to the Securing any part of a mans Estate on a fore-sight of a Premunire or Fines for meeting answered HAving thus far eased our selves 't is with us in short to inform the Reader what we stand for and what we stand against that so the understanding impartiall Reader who cannot be principled to shut out all Reason and all Wisdom notwithstanding publick Exhortations to the contrary as if Wisdom and Reason of all kinds were condemnable may perceive more clearly what we are and what we are not That then which chiefly we stand for is Truth and Righteousness and that Christ's Government may be exalted in every Heart which might be branched forth into many particular Doctrines and Practices but forasmuch as that hath largely been treated on by many antient honourable Friends to Truth and Righteousness who were Instruments in Gods Hand to gather us into the Belief of his Light and Sufficiency of his Grace though since fallen asleep and that we intend more particularly to treat thereon in the second part of this Treatise we shall not much enlarge thereon in this part yet think it necessary for the sakes of some here to signifie That Truth and Righteousness for which we stand under the Government of Christ hath Instructed us not to depend on Man for teaching but on the Sufficiency of Gods Grace nor yet to put into the mouths of false Prophets or Hireling Shepherds and on this foot we have had a Testimony against paying of Tythes as being that Antichristian-Yoak which in the dark Night of Apostacy hath been spread over Nations and as we came to believe in the Light of Christ Jesus and to depend upon the Sufficiency of his Grace and to know the benefit of our assembling our selves together to wait upon the Lord for the arising of his pure immortal Life to the refreshing and consolating our immortal Souls we have been made willing Praises be to our God to continue the assembling of our Selves together waiting upon the Lord in the day of Persecution and Hour of Tryal though Sufferings might therefore attend believing that whatsoever society of People had been in the Life of Christianity and yet should for Fear of Man or the Lawes of Men forsake the assembling of themselves together as the manner of some hath been in dayes past when the will of the Lord
was they should not forbear might thereby come to lose their strength in the Lord for that we believe 't is the duty of every Christian to think nothing too dear to offer up for the Lord when he commands or calls for it Mark We do not say at every time that any Informer that thirsteth after our ruin and Estates thorough Malice especially when not prompted thereto by such as are Ministers of the Law calls for it but we say when the Lord Commands or Calls for it And if peradventure any should be so overcome as through Disobedience Fear or Weakness not to stand stedfast to the Testimony of Truth in the day of Tryal even in that manner that the Lord willeth it is then the Duty of those that are strong to deal gently with such and in that Charity spoken of by the Apostle 1 Cor. 13. That beareth all things that endureth all things endeavour to convince them of such their weakness that so their Faith and Strength in the Truth may come to encrease and not be so remote from bearing the Infirmities of the Weak which was the Apostles Counsel to those who were Strong as instead thereof to publish such their Weakness by way of Recrimination through the Nation especially whilest such Weakness might truly be termed want of Sight or clear Conviction We also do believe that the Government of Christ is an Inward Government that the Laws thereof are Inward and that the only place wherein they are to be exalted is in the Heart of Man for that Christ's Appearance is there to be waited for and that this Government cannot be established by Man because 't is already on Christ's Shoulders and he that sits on the Throne of David is to establish it Notwithstanding 't is well known that some called Quakers by writing under their hands have declared themselves to be the Establishers of the Churches in the Holy Order of Truth We also do believe that those who have lived under this Government of Christ bring forth the peaceable Fruits of Righteousness strive not for Preheminence nor yet like the Gentiles exercise Lordship over one another but are meek gentle humble and easie to be entreated ready to pass by and forgive Offences even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven us and so shew forth the Fruit of that Love whereof Christ our Lord and Master did declare when he said By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye Love one another But on the contrary we cannot but testify that those who are so far from following Peace with all men which was the Apostles Counsel as to raise Contention amongst their Brethren endeavouring to make them Offenders for those things which in the Sight of the All-seeing God are no Offence do not appear to be Subject unto Christ's Government though they may stile themselves Establishers of the Churches in the Holy Order of Truth Object But perhaps some may here Object How come you and those your Opposers who run against you as dark leavened superate Spirits thus to disagree for certain we are that we have heard them testifie to the sufficiency of Gods Grace in Opposition to the Teachings of Man magnifie the Light of Christ Jesus as the Guide to the Father and bear witness against Tyth-payers and Fleers in time of Persecution Answ Yes verily we believe so too but yet we are not of those who can hold an Unity with such who sometimes tell us We must walk according to the Measure of Gods Grace in our selves and that magnifie the sufficiency thereof as the only unerring Rule and yet be Judging their Brethren because they cannot have an Eye to some Outward Rules and Orders given forth by such who have said Look not unto us but unto the Lord when at the same time such as may be so Judged shall solemuly affirm it reaches not to their Consciences unto which all Papers Outward Rules and Prescriptions are to be brought that so by the Light of Christ Jesus therein they may be tryed and not our Consciences brought unto Papers or any thing Outward to be a Bond thereon before an Inward Conviction from the Measure of the Grace of God received neither can we be at Unity with the Appearance of that Spirit in any one that villifies others for Fleers in time of Persecution Backbiting instead of endeavouring to restore in the Spirit of Meekness such when such an one hath appeared a Fleer at such like times himself neither can we be at Unity with the Appearance of that Spirit be it in whomsoever it will that can recriminate men as Tyth-payers who have been Faithful in their Testimony relating to Tythes and yet advise a Friend to Purchase Tythes which is G. F's Case with relation to his Advice unto Nathaniel Crips and Robert Arch according as is treated on and proved by Certificates under their hands recorded in the 21th Section of the Manuscript first mentioned in the Preface ready to be seen We are now sensible that some of our Opposers may take occasion from a part of our fore going words thus to Object Obj. This your Language of Offering up all seems not according to the sence of some to square with the practice of securing any part of your Estates when you foresee a probability of incurring a Premunire or being fined for Meeting which as report saith hath been the Case of some of you and not only so but that you have Justified the same notwithstanding some whom we account faithful have in Publick Meetings for Worship declared against it instancing the words of Christ when he said unto Peter Get thee behind me Satan thou art an Offence to me for thou savourest not the things that be of God which was so spoken by Christ because Peter said unto him Be it far from thee Lord this shall not be unto thee meaning as the Context shews that he would not have Jesus go to Jerusalem there to sufer though 't was manifested to him that he must go thither and suffer c. Read Mat. 16.21 22 23. and so by consequence it appears that Christ reproved that Spirit which exhorted to save Self Besides 't is well known that on this occasion the rebellions and condemned Action of Saul in saving Agag and he best of the Sheep and Oxen alive being a part of what by the Commandment of the Lord he took of the Amalakites hath frequently been brought as an instance against some of you to shew that all ought to be offered up Read 1 Sam. 15. Answ Forasmuch as this very Objection hath been made use of as a prevailing Argument to affect some ignorant People against the Friends of Truth 't is needfull it should receive a particular Answer and Observation which now followeth Peters words had a tendency to divert Christ from what he knew to be his Duty Sauls Action was known and confest Rebellion in saving that which was no part of his own proper Substance but
Exaltation of one of his Disciples as an Head or Supream unto whom the rest ought to have had an Eye in a more peculier manner than ordinary he would have undoubtedly signifyed so much but doubtless he saw that their Eye and Dependency was too much on his Outward and Bodily Appearance and therefore signifyed 'T is Expedient I go hence that the comforter come agreeable to which are the meaning of the Apostles Words though we have known Christ after the flesh yet henceforth know we him no more that is to say after the flesh no more All which doth clearly demonstrate unto us it s not according to the Will of God that under this Administration we should have our Eyes out unto Man but that our great Dependency should be on that Comforter the Spirit of Truth which Christ Testifyed the Father would send in his Name to teach us all things and that this Comforter should be in us And therefore on this occasion 't is with us to give this further Testimony that every Member of the Body of Christ is thorough the Death of Christ made dead unto any other Law save the Law of the Spirit of Life manifested thorough the arising of Christ by his appearance in every such Member and so as perticuler Members are become maryed unto him and having all Fellowship each with other in the Spirit those who are such ought to demean themselves each towards other full of Love Charity Bowels of Compassion Longsuffering forbearance Meekness Humility Patience Gentleness and of all other vertues that are the Fruit of the Spirit of God but as to Obedience every Member owes that unto Christ his Head unto whom every thought according to the Testimony of the Apostle Paul ought to be brought into obedience SECT VIII A manifestation that the Variance hath originally risen from a Different Sense touching G. F. the General Meeting or Womens-Meetings c. The End for which Womens-Meetings were assented to ON the whole Matter the great Variance amongst some once at Unity we have cause to know hath risen from a different sense touching one some or all of these three particulers following The first relates to George Fox that hath taken upon him to give forth Directions and Instructions to others and his Proceedings The Second to the General Meeting and their Proceedings The Third To Womens Meetings and their Proceedings As to the First we say many there are amongst us who Affirm that they have more than ordinary cause to believe that many Professing the Truth do look upon G. F. as one whom the Lord in these latter dayes hath raised up and set in the like Place amongst the Children of Light as Moses was amongst the Children of Israel and that whosoever shall Oppose him shall never prosper which we are perswaded hath so over-awed many that they become Sacrificers of their own Sense and Understandings to the Will of Man and doubtless on this Foot many may think those who told him his Book about Womens-Meetings is Notoriously Erronious will never prosper though they have evidenced it to be so to his Face and that in the view of several Hundreds of Friends at a Meeting assented to by himself and those of Party with him when at Bristol in the 12th Moneth 1677. As one instance of the Errours of the said Book take this Pag. 43. he thus saith And was not Micah's Mother a Virtuous Woman Read Judges 17. and see what she said to her Son and a few Lines after he saith So these and such Women are recorded for their Wisdom and their Virtue and their Faith For our parts we cannot understand that any thing of Wisdom Virtue or Faith is recorded touching Michah's Mother unless Blessing or Cursing out of one Mouth from an Idolatrous Woman may be accounted the Fruit thereof Many other things might be quoted out of his said Book notoriously Erronious and therefore will certainly remain on Record to his shame until he repent And 't is not his proselited Parties saying None shall Prosper that Oppose him nor yet his saying That he knew what he did and saw it would be a Stumbling-Block for so William Rogers positively affirms he did say to him will excuse him in the Day of the Lord for we firmly believe that unless he repent he will become Despised and Vile before the People even as the Lord made those Priests in the time of the Law who as the Prophet said Mal. 2.8 9. caused many to stumble to be therefore despised and vile before all the People we know he hath been an Instrument to cause many to Condemn their Failings we desire that he may be so Ingenious as once to Confess his own Secondly We are perswaded some others have lookt upon the General Meeting as that unto which they ought to have an Eye being principled to receive own and stand by whatsoever comes from thence as the Oracles of God without bringing the Matter they appear at Unity with to the Test of Christ's Light in their own Consciences and no marvel if such as are principled to shut out Reason Wisdom and Jealousie without Distinction thus do And when any Papers are given forth by that Meeting or G. F. such as are at Unity with them bring them to the Mens Meetings for Outward Business which oft times occasions Strife and Contention the one party accounting themselves oblieged as we take it to receive and stand by what comes from them the other Party do the same also when it reaches to the Witness of God in their Consciences as Matter proper to be brought to such Meetings but if not they cannot receive it though an Angel from Heaven bring it then the other Party accounts this the Fruit of a Jealous Dark Leavened Spirit and thus Contention and Debate hath arisen even amongst those who formerly before the Outward Form of Government was so much pleaded for walked together in Peace and Concord Thirdly There is amongst many Friends a Difference touching the Meetings of Women seperate from the Men which though not hitherto treated on yet it may not be improper to be spoken to on this Occasion But first we think it necessary to answer this Question which naturally seems to arise for the Information of the Reader viz. How came those Meetings first to be held and for what end To this we answer that G. F. so far as we understood exhorted thereto and the End thereof in sum was to take care of the poor in some cases the Meeters themselves according to their Freedom * Note This Method of raising Monies for that Service was though very unreasonable because it reached not all by whom the Charge of the outwardly poor Members of the Church of Christ ought to be born raising Mony which caused the Charge to light much on some who were most constant in Meeting whilest others for want of another Method to collect Monies were very little concerned in the Charge of the Poor But in
Mouthes of his Prophets or from the Appearance of Christ by his Light in us or from the Scriptures of Truth given forth by inspiration since the appearance of Christ in the flesh to Expect that any should be Invested with Power from on high to Establish such things relating to the Conscience much less to Expect that the Children of Light under the New Covenant should be led by the Eternal Spirit and Word nigh in the Heart unto such a conformity Moreover 't is Observable Pauls Plain confession thus was After the Way which they call Heresy so Worship I the God of my Fathers Believing all things which are Written in the Law and the Prophets c. And herein do I Exercise my self to have always a Conscience Void of offence towards God and towards Men. If all those unto whom God hath given the Knowledge of his Truth in this Gospel-day had had so much Zeal as to have walk't according to this example they might have all become Honourable in their day have kept a Conscience Void of offence towards God and towards men and then none of them would have been afraid of being Stigmatized as Sect-Masters by such who Like the Outward Jew have Gloryed in things Outwardly Pretended to be Established in this Gospel-day and have made such things to be as a Rule whereby they have indeavoured to try their Brethren who at this day have approved themselves Jews in Spirit Zealously exercising themselves in the Word nigh in the Heart according to Knowledge even as the outward Jews would have done by Paul For such a Reflection would never have hurt them in the Breasts of those that had continued truly Faithfull and this many are given to Understand from that Honourable esteem that some antient and faithfull Brethren have in the Hearts of such as have not in a Temporizing Spirit changed their Way notwithstanding they are Stigmatized with the name of Sect-Masters even by those who Like the Gentiles appear to Exercise Lordship over their Brethren In the Next Place we come to take a little notice of those who abound in Confidence without either Knowledge or Zeal this sort may be well compared unto those Beasts with whom 't is reputed Paul Fought at Ephesus which if it were so was doubtless a contest had with Unreasonable Men. The bait by which this sort are enticed to appear Some-Body in probability is this The Door is open for any under the Profession of Truth whose Lives are not Outwardly Scandalous to appear amongst some of the Society of the People called Quakers as Governours and though 't is hard for us to suppose who amongst such are the Persons that are to be Governed when Liberty is taken and admitted as aforesaid whereby none of the society is excluded to appear as Governours yet so it is and of this have our Eyes and Eares been Witnesses A Part of the Doctrine of this sort we have understood to be on this wise If you do not see your selves you must follow us that do see Alass 't is easily to be savoured where all may then run if such an Exhortation from any one thus qualified and that with respect to follow the Exhorter should take place he then that leads and those who might be led would quickly fall into the Ditch together and so the Kingdom of Sathan come to be advanced instead of being Destroyed But Blessed be the Name of the Everlasting God that Sun which hath arisen amongst us that Glorious Appearance if the everlasting Light which hath shined in many Hearts is not yet set in Obscurity and our Faith is that it will not The Lord hath had a regard to his own Name and to the Glory of his Eternal Power so that though many ancient and honourable Brethren whom the Lord Commissioned in these latter Days to publish his Everlasting Gospel Exhorting all to yield Obedience unto the Appearance of Christ by his Light in them are fallen asleep yet there are many of the same Stock yet remaining upon whom he hath not only poured forth of his Spirit and Anointed them to publish his Everlasting Gospel but also hath kept them in Integrity and their Garments undefiled from the Spots and Polutions of this World and not only so but hath given unto them True Zeal according to Knowledge thorough which the Way unto the Kingdom of God in the Demonstration of his Spirit hath been declared and hath continued them in the Service whereunto they have been called and these have not in a Temporizing Spirit for fear of the Threats and Frowns of Men changed their Way nor yet followed any for the Loaves and though some of these have of late been accounted dark Spirits leavened Spirits Troublers of Israel Sect-masters Leaders into a Seperation and into down-right Independencies Parishes and Schisms yet this Testimony lives with us that the Power of the Eternal God on which alone we are perswaded their Dependencies have been and are hath accompanied such when thus Judged Despised and Reviled by that Generation who unto us appear as if their Dependencies were upon Men that labour and travel to gather unto themselves To conclude this further Testimony lives with us that the Righteous God bears us this Day Record that the very Reason wherefore this Treatise is now prepared is because our very Consciences on the behalf of God's Truth and People are concerned and therefore we cannot but encourage this so necessary a Work having amongst many other our Brethren long waited and born in Patience to see if peradventure the Lord might change the Hearts of those who have occasioned Contention Strife and Division to arise amongst the Families of the Lords People for what-ever Measures others may take of us yet this Evidence we have in our selves that our Souls Desires are That the bright Appearance of the Everlasting Day might not set in Obscurity in any Heart where it hath been both manifested and received nor yet that any of the Lords People might be ensnared to build again the things which in the Light of Christ our Lord they have destroyed William Rogers William Forde Here now follows that Paper made mention of in the Title Page touching the Scattered of Israel given forth in the Year 1661. by Edward Burroughs Minister of the Everlasting Gospel ON the 22th of the 8th Month 1661. I was grieved in my Spirit for the Scattered of Israel and my Thoughts troubled me very much for the Afflicted in Jerusalem for I also was greatly afflicted with them and I prayed unto God that he would shew me his Purpose concerning them and these words came unto me Abide thou in me thou helpless Lamb and I will shew thee great things only stir not from me for thou hast no Helper but me and if thou goest never so little from me behold a Wild Beast seeketh to devour thee therefore I say Abide and then I weeped greatly because I saw what great danger I was in for I
all Men were to praise him or to speak of his Wonders for they were altogether past finding out then I wept greatly and desired only that he would permit me to sit at his Feet and he swore unto me by himself That he would deliver me from all my Troubles within without and truly it was his own free Promise for I durst not ask it of him but was contented to have waited still in my Sorrowfull Condition all the Days of my Life that I had to spend amongst Men. But what shall I say I am contented with his Will and rest at his Feet Friends I am constrained by the Spirit of Endless Love to warn you all that you may forbear Judging of any Man any more upon any Pretence whatsoever but commit all Judgement to the Son for he cryeth in me that he will shortly appear with righteous Judgment upon the Earth and Wo was upon him that hath took upon him to sit upon my seat of Judgment and hath not Judged Righteously for the same Measure that he meeteth shall be met to him again for whosoever I find upon my seat of Judgment when I come if he be not as I am Holy Just and Mercifull without any mixture him will I destroy with the Breath of my Mouth for he is as unclean Smoak before me Therefore Dear Friends let all Unrighteousness be far from you for thus saith the Voice in me Whosoever I find in Envy the same Envy shall be his Torment and whosoever in Covetousness or in Pride or any unclean Mind that same shall be their Cloathing and they shall stand behind me and all that is with me having no other Garment but their own Filthyness For the Envious shall have their Envy for their Reward and the Covetous shall have his Covetousness and whatsoever his work shall be here that shall be his covering when I appear Therefore all People mind your own Souls and let nothing but what is like the same Holiness Righteousness Mercy and Love without respect of Persons in any-wise appear and let Covetousness be far from you and be you as he was in this World that you may be like him in his Glory for verily you cannot be like him in his Glory further than you are in his Nature of Holiness Therefore all Friends look into your Hearts and let no spark abide there of the old nature for if there be it will drive you to look out at others and in that time 't will gather Strength and kindle a great Fire in you which is not easily put out which many at this day may know Edward Burroughs Though many things are very worthy notice from the above-cited lines given forth through the Servant of the Lord Edward Burroughs and obvious enough to many yet for the sakes of some 't is thought meet to take notice of two particular Matters which seem very pertinent on this Occasion First That some of the young unlearned Dogs not well acquainted with the Masters Manner in gathering the Sheep did run from the Flock with fierceness after the Sheep that staid behind and did affrighten them and bite some of them neither would they be led nor yet stay at home but would always be going abroad and barking at the Lambs to affrighten them being ready to devour them for there was something of the Nature of the Wolf in them and them the Shepherd bound up in Chains to fulfil his purpose on them Secondly That some of the Dogs well acquainted with the Masters Manner did wisely goe behind the Sheep and such did drive them gently along without hunting of them or wearying themselves From these two Citations out of the aforesaid Paper we may learn that the Spirit of the Lord thorough his Servant hath in a Parable very lively described a part of what hath happened amongst the Flock of God in these latter Days for of certain knowledge we can say that there are such as are learned in the School of Christ who being well acquainted with Christ Jesus their Lord and Masters Manner of gathering the Sheep do not over-drive the Flock nor yet weary themselves for meer Vanity and there are also the Unlearned who are not acquainted with the great Masters Manner in gathering the Sheep and these in a great Measure have occasioned the Encrease and Continuation of Division amongst the People called Quakers by their fierce contending for an outward Unity and Conformity with respect to Forms of Government in the Church so that they seem not only ready to bite but also to devour others that see not clearness in themselves to practise according as they in their hunting Spirit would as much as in them lies constrain and inforce Nay there are some not only unacquainted with Christ Jesus's Manner of gathering the Flock like a Shepherd that gathers his Lambs in his Armes and gently leadeth them that are with Young but also have laid blame on such as have exactly Walked in his Footsteps And indeed so Foolish and Confident have some been that the masters manner of gathering the Flock hath become as a By-Word or a Mock and not only so but Matter of Evil Fact in the sense of some Witness the Forty Four Articles Relating to Church-Government drawn up against J. S. and J. W. two Ancient and Honourable Friends in the Truth a part whereof is for that they should say THEY WOULD NOT HAVE FRIENDS OVER-DRIVEN To Conclude We also know that some of these have been by the Spirit of Truth Reproved as not fit to say they speak in the Name of the Lord When the Lord hath not spoken by them nor yet to appear as if they were sent of God to gather the Flock or to Proclaim themselves Keepers of other Folks Vineyards when they have not kept their own Vineyard by which it appears that the will of the Lord touching such hath been that they should Hearken unto the Word of Reproof and be led by his Spirit which if they had they would have stay'd at home until they had been Instructed and Learn'd in the School of Christ but yet notwithstanding some have contrary hereunto gone abroad and their great Work hath been to cry out against Honest Friends under the notion of Dark Spirits levened Spirits Troublers of Israel Corah's Judases c. just like unto those Young Unlearned Dogs signified in the Parable that would not be led but would be going abroad and Barking at the Lambs to affrighten them being ready to devour them for as in the Parable 't is said there hath been something of the Nature of the Wolf in them But Blessed be the Lord many are Witnesses that of late some of them have been as in Chains and Fetters of Iron so that they are not able to Prey upon those who are upon the Rock Christ who doubtless in his own time will fulfil his Purpose on them Oh! that all Concern'd herein at this Day would seriously Consider Proceed no farther in
their Hunting Biting Devouring Spirit nor yet Weary themselves for meer Vanity lest the Eternal Decree of God should be sealed against them to their Destruction for ever more To conclude this first part we have yet to add that since 't is signified that the forty four Articles before cited relate to Church-Government and that we say they were drawn up against two Antient and Honourable Friends in the Truth viz. John Story and John Wilkinson we think it proper to cite one Passage as an evidence thereof out of the 4th Section of the Second part of the Historicall Manuscript Mentioned in the Preface to the Reader with the omission onely of the Names of Persons for the Reasons already given in the said Preface The Passage is as Followeth Before we shall make any Observation on the aforesaid Articles or Preamble thereto 't is needfull to Inform the Reader that nine Persons Concerned in Exhibiting the said Forty Four Articles against the two Friends spoken of before thus Declare concerning them in a Letter to nine others Chosen by the Accusers to be Judges over them viz. And Friends it is not any Personall Trespass against any of us that we Charge them with nor any Particular Concern of our own as Men that we are in the Defence but the Cause of Almighty God and in the sense of the Wrong they have done to him but yet notwithstanding in the same Letter they say that they have born a dear Love and Honourable respect unto them in the Holy Truth comparing his with what is Written in the third Article of the 44 Articles before cited viz. Slighting the Heavenly Motion on George Fox his Spirit in that Case in the Unity Pretiously felt and closed with meaning the Rule or Form of Church-Government set forth by George Fox pretending the motion of the Spirit as by the said Article appears 't is evident to us that in their sense a slighting of George Fox Rules Methods and Orders with Respect to Church-Government is a slighting of the Cause of God And though 't is said in the Unity Preciously felt and closed with yet that is Notoriously Erroneous if thereby is meant in the Unity of all Friends for that some of his Papers and Prescriptions in many Parts of the Nation amongst Friends have been little taken notice of as is well Known to us and credibly reported by many Moreover 't is evident to us that some have had so great esteem for the Prescriptions or Papers given forth by him as that they have concluded it to be no less than the Fruit of Confusion and Darkness to Believe that what he hath given forth was not intended by him to be urged with Severity which is no other than an inforcing and this doth thus appear John Story One of those two Brethren Articled against as aforesaid in their Answer to the said Forty Four Articles took occasion to give his sense touching such things which George Fox had given forth on this wise viz. That he did not Believe that George Fox intended any such thing that they Meaning his Papers Directed to the Churches should with Severity be urged upon any of Gods Faithfull People but as Instructions or Directions Commended them to the Churches Leaving the Effect thereof to God and his Leading Grace in his People to make use thereof as he should manifest a need of such Direction Counsel or Advice To this sense Robert Barrow and eight Persons Part of those who were Concerned in Exhibiting the said Forty Four Articles Replied a part whereof was on this wise Truly thy Darkness and Blindness is easy to be felt and they must be very dim of Sight that see thee not oh the confusion thy Dark Spirit is in To this we say This Answer seems so very Dark as if Blindness were the Lot of their Inheritance who so writ forwe well remember that the Testimonies of our ancient brethren who were skil'd in gathering and carefull not to scatter the Flock did not encourage any to follow any Outward Directions whatsoever without an inward Conviction from the Leadings of Gods All-sufficient Grace Freely given to Profit withall of the needfulness of the Direction Counsel or Advice contain'd therein and Why But Because an Observance not grounded on their Sufficiency of Gods Leading Grace in our selves of Outward Instructions or Directions in this Gospel Day may find no more Acceptance with the Lord of Life who is now to be worshiped obeyed and reverenced not otherwise than in and by the Spirit and Light thorough which he doth appear in Man than an offering of the Halt and the Blind which was forbidden in the time of the Law for a Sacrifice might and this our sense may well be vindicated from such like Testimonies as these frequently utter'd by our antient Brethren We Preach not our selves Let not your dependency be on us we are not neither desire to be Lords over your Consciences you ought to Be lieve for your selves and see for your selves and therefore we Counsel you to draw Water out of your own wells let it be your own and not anothers We now appeal to Gods Witness in all Consciences how this Kind of Language and Discourse can agree with such as render it the Fruit of Confusion and Darkness not to believe that the Outward Instructions or Directions of G. F. amongst the People called Quakers were Intended to be Urged with severity upon Gods Faithfull People Besides that which seemes to aggravate the Darkness is this That the Faithful must have Outward Precepts Directions or Instructions Imposed upon them Had the sense of those whose sense we cannot own been only with relation to the Unfaithfull it might have seem'd a little better The Consideration of these things is great cause of lamentation and mourning especially when we Consider that we have no Ground to believe either from the Scriptures of Truth given forth by Inspiration or from the Light of Christ in our Consciences that any man according to the motion of Gods Spirit in this Gospel-Day ought to take upon him the giving forth any Outward Rules or Prescriptions relating to Faith or Discipline in the Church with an intent that they should become a Bond upon others to submit thereto further than from a recommendation unto the Conscience a service may be seen therein according to the measure of Light given from him who is the fullness but whether this our sense is not by many others besides the aforesaid nine Persons amongst the People called Quakers slightly esteemed and a combined sort of Submission contrived as we suppose by a few though entered into by many at this Day we shall leave it to the unprejudiced understanding Reader to Judge on mature Consideration of what yet Follows Some few yeares past many Friends in the County of Westmoreland having been a long time burthened in monethly and quarterly Meetings by such as endeavoured to introduce the practice of some things under the Notion of Church-Government
which the enemy of the Soul of Man hath spread before him since his first coming forth to Preach the Light c. to concern himself so much as he hath against some that cannot own an urging with severity his Directions or Prescriptions on Gods Faithfull People and in Particular to appear a Persecutor of such which can certainly be proved against him if endeavouring unjustly to take away a mans Good Name and Reputation can be termed such To this the Answer is As the Serpent beguiled Eve so Eve beguiled Adam in prevailing upon him to eat of the Forbidden Fruit which she had eaten and the Argument used by the Serpent to tempt Eve was this Ye shall be as Gods Even so are we persuaded that there hath not been wanting unto him to speak comparitively a tempting Eve which hath been too aspiring after such a State which with respect to humble self-denying Persecuted Members of Christs Church is neither fit nor presidented and yet 't is to be doubted that this aspiring Mind hath had so much place with him as that he hath taken too much upon him which hath occasioned Rents and Divisions amongst the flock and sometimes to pretend that he hath seen things in the Vision of the Almighty which hath been no other than the Imagination of his own Heart and having given way thereto and finding a fear upon Friends thorough a tender respect unto him to Judge or dislike what he might bring forth under pretence of the Motion of the Spirit it in Probability encreast his Confidence especially when he considered what had been written unto him by some Friends in the Day of their Infancy which being in such Language as was suitable to an aspiring mind might tend to his hurt At length his fame grew so great as that amongst some Weak Friends it became even as a Proverb that none would prosper who should oppose him This by others hath clearly been seen to be a subtil way to obliege all such as should so believe to be Servants to his Will and for ought we know this Perswasion hath the more easily obtained him the repute with some of being set by the Lord in the like place amongst the Children of Light at this Dayas Moses had amongst the Children of Israel in his Day and this we doubt is the Occasion that the Rebellion of Corah Dathan and Abiram is much treated on to affrighten Simple People in our Publick Meetings for Worship of God since the Divisions amongst Friends especially in those Places where G. F's Papers relating to Church-Government have little place But alas those who are sound in the Faith cannot be affrighted with such things no more than they can be convinced with the sight of such False Certificates * Note The Reader may peruse the Fifth Part of the Christian Quaker and therein the said Certificates are more largely treated on recorded in the 21st Section of the Manuscript first mentioned in the Preface and ready for perusal of any Friend desiring the sight thereof as of late have been spread abroad in his Favour to render him an Innocent Man and to acquit him from the Guilt of some Matters of Fact laid to his charge when the Certifiers knew nothing at all thereof and of this he himself could not be Ignorant though the Occasion of spreading such Certificates abroad if he knew what was contained therein which would have been proved to his Face had he been but so Just to the cause of Truth as to have submitted to a hearing according as was desired and in the Preface signified before Friends of things Reproachful to the Truth whereof he is guilty But notwithstanding all this we dare not say that his Preaching the Light in the beginning of his Travels abroad as well as the Preaching the Light by others his Fellow-Servants in the Beginning with him was not the Ministration given them of God for at the sound thereof many Faces gathered Paleness Horror and Amazement seized many who then became sensible of their Lost State and Condition whilest they were admiring their Teachers and busied in Outward Ordinances more than in the Cross of Christ And that Day wherein many were not only so strucken with Amazement but through Faith received the Testimony given touching the Light of Christ might truly be termed The Day of their Infancy in the Truth and so the more likely to be prevailed upon by the Enemy who in that Day as in Ages past sought how he might destroy that Tenderness to the Truth which was so begotten for 't is certainly known that many whose Eyes ought to have been unto the Creator Admiring and giving Glory unto him for his Gifts of Grace and Ministration of Light then revealed did on a sudden admire the Creature in such an abundant manner as if not only the planting and watering were by him but the Encrease also and in that Day some whom the Lord hath made as Watchmen in the House of Israel were concerned thereat and Jealous with a Godly Jealousie and though at present 't is not with us to declare what that Jealousie was yet if the Tree may be known by its Fruit we may with Boldness affirm that the then admiring the Creature might be truely paraleld with that State out of which the Lord through the Ministration of Light or Spirit of Life had led many at that Day who had so learned the Truth as according to the Testimony thereof to have their Eye to the Light within viz. the Light of Christ and not instead thereof to any Outward Person through whom amongst other Brethren the Ministration of Light was revealed But yet notwithstanding some there were as before is signified that admired the Creature which not only became unto them a snare but 't is much to be doubted unto the Creature also that was admired for the Acceptation of more respect than was meet stands in the same ground with the Offering thereof and 't is too much to be feared that the imprudent Acceptation of what was unduely offered hath begot a Spirit of Pride and Exaltation in G. F. which the Lord is determined for his Name-Sake to bring into the Dust and if he did but seriously mind his State and Condition and was but more ready to appear little in his own eyes than to be accounted Great in the Eyes of others and not give way to such a false Imagination that true Judgment was committed to him in all things which can now be Testified was spoken by him and that at that time wherein his Judgement was known to be false and that he may take a Liberty knowingly to put Stumbling Blocks in the way of Gods People and yet be justified therein * Note When William Rogers discoursed with him touching this particular Passage in his Book of Womens Meetings And was not Micahs Mother a virtuous Woman Read Judges 17 and then a few Lines after though she was an Idolotrous Woman sayeth these and such
hath opened that there is not any other way by which all things relating unto the Kingdom of God and Salvation of mankind comes to be revealed and this appears agrecable to the Scriptures of truth John 14.26 2 Cor. 4.2 3 4 5 6 7. 2 Tim. 3.15 16. We are now sensible that some who may peruse the foregoing Scriptures may be ready thus to say You seem to propound two ways by which the things appertaining to the Kingdom of God and Salvation of Mankind have been and are revealed viz. the Spirit of Truth or Appearance of Christ by his Light as One Way and the Scriptures of Truth as Another Way To this we answer The Way we propose is but One though the Manifestation thereof may seem various to Man viz. sometimes through Instruments and sometimes through Himself For though Paul wrote unto Timothy unto whom he was made an Instrument and therefore called him his Son telling him 2 Tim. 3.15 16. That the holy Scriptures were able to make him wise unto Salvation and that they were profitable for Doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness yet 't is spoken with respect to those Scriptures that are given forth by inspiration of God and with this limitation viz. thorow the saith that is in Christ Jesus Whereon we observe that the Scriptures given forth by inspiration are but as an Instrument made serviceable to the Reader through the Spirit whereby faith in Christ comes to be raised even as a Man indued with the Spirit of God may in the hand of the Lord be an Instrument through sound Doctrine and wholsom exhortation to open the inward Eye of the Mind which hath been darkned and to awaken the Conscience which hath been defiled that so man may come to be renewed in the spirit of his Mind unto God through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and the Conscience purified from Dead Works through the blood of the Covenant to serve the Lord in Truth and Righteousness and therefore we reasonably conclude That there is but One way though various in Operation and Manifestation through which the Things appertaining to the Kingdom of God and Salvation of Mankind comes to be revealed which is by the powerful appearance of Christ by his spirit and light convicting the Conscience converting and renewing the Mind unto God sometimes through Scriptures given forth by inspiration sometimes through Man as an Instrument and sometimes by the appearance of the Spirit and Light in Man without the Assistance of such Instruments but yet the end of all is that faith in Christ may be raised wherein as the Evidence of things not seen by the Carnal Eye the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ is beheld which is that Treasure whereof the Apostle spoke that is hid in our Earthen Vessels that the excellency of that Power might be of God and not of man These things being duly considered this Testimony doth naturally arise that neither the Scriptures of Truth nor any other writings whatsoever though given forth by the Spirit of God itself can properly be termed so profitable a Rule unto us as the Light and Spirit from which they were given forth and therefore the Eye of our Mind ought chiefly to be unto the Spiritual Appearance of Christ by his Light and Spirit in us as that Unerring Guide which never can be removed into a corner Besides we find the Scripture itself testifying That no Prophecy of the Scripture is of any Private interpretation 2 Pet. 1.20 that is it ought not to be interpreted but by the Holy Ghost through whose Motions 't was given forth for all other Interpretations may truly be termed Private From whence we observe that if the Prophecies in the Scriptures of Truth should be read unto us from Morning to Evening and from Evening to Morning again we might receive little Benefit or Profit thereby unless the Eye of our Mind come to be stayed in the Unchangeable Light and Spirit of God whereby the meaning of the spirit through them out of all Private Interpretations hath been and is signified unto Man CHAP. II. Touching the Light of Christ within and Exhortation to Obedience thereof THose Faithful Messengers of the Gospel of Christ whom the Lord in these latter daies sent forth for the gathering of the Nations unto the Faith and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ who is the Way the Truth and the Life that their souls might be saved in the Day of the Lord frequently sounded in our ears on this wise Turn in your minds unto the Light within meaning thereby the Light of Christ within which shews you that a Tye is not of the Truth and as through Faith you come to be Obedient unto the Light Within and that measure of Grace given by God and received by you so will you come to be made Partalters of that great Salvation This Doctrine was acceptable to many who in the Love of Truth received the joyful Sound thereof but unto others mean and despised who notwithstanding that Testimony accounted the Scriptures of Truth a More Sure Rule and Guide unto the Father The consideration whereof at this time hath been as an obligation to examine whether the aforesaid Doctrine so acceptable to some and despised by others be consonant to the Scriptures of Truth which task is the more freely undertaken because the aforesaid Doctrine hath become so great a stumbling block unto many as that they have thought it a sufficient evidence that the professors thereof have been out of the path of truth readily objecting on this wise Objection Do you not think that those Jews who crucified Christ acted not from the Light Within Since some of them at least verily thought they did God good service therein Having thus premised 't is now needful to examine what may be spoken from the Scriptures of Truth for the Light within and to turn in the Mind unto the same to obey it c. In order thereunto we find John the Evangelist thus testifying Joh. 1.4.9 In him meaning the Word which was God was Life and the Life was the Light of men That was the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world I am the Light of the World John 8.12 he that followeth me shall not walk in Darkness but shall have the Light of Life Joh. 12.46 I am come a Light into the World that whosoever believeth in me should not abide in Darkness These Scriptures plainly shew that we are to believe in and follow Christ who is that Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world Objection However some objecting may say What 's this to a Light Within 't is very plain that John the Evangelist meant nothing of a Light Within in your sense but of the Personal Appearance of Christ Without as that Word which was made Flesh and as Evidence produce what the same Evangelist saith Chap.
9th and 5th As long as I am in the World I am the Light of the World And Chap. 12.35 Yet a little while is the Light with you walk while you have the Light And ver the 36. While ye have the Light believe in the Light that ye may be the Children of the Light To this may be answered That these last recited Scriptures do in the most favourable construction on the objectors part intimate that Christ the Son of God while he was in the World was the Light of the World but doth not say that he is or would be no longer the light of the world Such a saying or sense would limit the Appearance of Light to that Body only and dispensation of time wherein the said Body appeared on Earth which is contradictory to the very words of the Evangelist before quoted viz. That was the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World Which Scripture sentence relating to every man is so universal that it cannot but extend to those who never beheld the face of Jesus in his fleshly and Bodily Appearance nor yet came to be informed by any outward Instrument of his Doctrine though Partakers of his Light which therefore may properly be termed by such his Light within that is the Appearance of Christ by his Light shining in their hearts agreeable whereunto in effect we take the Testimonies of the Apostle to be viz. That which may be known of God Rom. 1.19 is manifest in them For God hath shewed it unto them Seeing you seek a proof of Christ speaking in me 2 Cor. 13.3 which Riches is Christ in you Col. 1.27 the hope of Glory Who shall descend into the deep that is Rom. 10.7 8. to bring Christ again from the dead but what saith it the Word is near thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart this is the word of faith which we preach And all this appears agreeable unto what the Prophet Isaiah hinted at who speaking of what should be in the last daies signified Isa 1.2 3 5. That the God of Jacob will teach us of his Ways and therefore said Oh house of Jacob come ye let us walk in the Light of the Lord which being compared with what the same Prophet said in relation to a people Isa 5â— â— In whose hearts was the law of the Lord and with what the Prophet Jeremiah saith I will put my law in their Inward Parts Jer. 31.33 34. and write it in their Hearts and they shall teach no more every man his Neighbour and every man his Brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest 'T is evident to us that this written Law in the Heart is that Light Within whereof the faithful Messengers of the Lord in our day have born witness unto and whereof the same Prophet gave testimony when he said as before O house of Jacob come ye let us walk in the Light of the Lord. Besides such a limitation as aforesaid would have a tendency to make void the virtue and efficacy of the blood of Christ who was offered up a sacrifice to take away the sins of many and on this score doth the author to the Hebrews testify Heb. 9.28 that unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without Sin unto Salvation which is a clear Evidence unto us that the benefit of the blood of Christ is not witnessed effectually in this our day but by those who having looked for his second appearance have received him in his Appearance this Appearance we take to be his Appearance by his light and spirit in the hearts of those who through faith in his blood have known their Consciences purified from Dead Works and so come to serve the living God in Truth and righteousness 'T is now to be considered Whether these words Turn in your Minds be agreeable to truth for that this kind of objection may be raised Objection Doth not this put the Creature upon Action in his own Self-will when as the Will of Man cannot bring forth that Birth unto which power is given to become the Sons of God For answer hereto 't is necessary to consider that the faithful Labourers in the Gospel of Christ commended their Exhortations and testimonies to the Consciences of the Hearers in the Sight of God and the reason doubtless was because there is a Capacity in Man which through the assistance of the Grace of God renders Man capable to do the will of God in righteousness unto life and those who are so acted cannot be said to be acted in the Self-will of Man And on the contrary the same Capacity letting in Tempration and joyning thereto renders Man a servant of Sin unto Death and being once so dead in Sin no redemption comes to be obtained but through Christ as the Apostle testifies Ephes 2.1 You hath he quickned that were dead in Trespasses and Sins These things considered 't is evident that through the Appearance of Christ those who have cast off the Old Man are become renewed in the Spirit of their Minds unto God and so have put on the New Man which after God is created in Righteousness and true holiness and therefore since there is such a capacity in man as aforesaid 't is agreeable to Truth to exhort the sons of men to turn in their Minds unto the appearance of Christ by his Light that through the Assistance thereof the will of God may be done in their earthen vessels The next thing to be considered is whether there is any weight in this objection Do you not think that the Jews who crucified Christ acted not from the light within since some of them at least thought they did God good service therein To this may be answered That the friends of Truth never preached up the Light Within but with respect to the Appearance of Christ by his Spirit as that Light Within intended by them and since Christ cannot be divided to act against himself therefore the Jews did not therein act from that Light Within unto which we have been directed From what then may the objector say did those of them act who verily thought they did God good service therein Ans Phil. 3.6 From Zeal without knowledge not having their Minds staid and ordered according to that universal Principle of Truth Acts 26.9 11. which if hearkned unto would teach all men to do as they would be done by in which zeal Paul verily thought in himself that he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus and in that Self-thought being exceeding mad persecuted the Church of God consented to the death of the Saints and compelled them to Blaspheme but when the Lord was pleased to appear unto him and to make him a Minister of his everlasting Gospel he was sent unto the Gentiles to open their eyes that they might turn from
darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God Acts 26.16 17 18. This eye that was to be opened was not the Carnal Eye that so thereby they might be turned from outward darkness to outward Light for though Paul beheld the Light that shone from Heaven which we take to be a Light visible to his Carnal Eyes yet he after continued three days blind through the Glory of that Light and then afterward the Lord appointed him to be his witness and sent him to the Gentiles to open their eys that they might turn from Darkness unto Light and from the Power of Satan unto God This Eye that he was sent to open was the inward eye of the mind and the Darkness spoken of was that wherewith their Hearts and not their Outward Eyes were overshadowed so that they could not behold the Light of the Glory of God shining in their Hearts to give unto them the knowledge of the Truth CHAP. III. Touching Infallibility and Perfection THe Doctrine of Infallibility held by the People called Quakers hath been accounted ridiculous because either Occasion hath been given through Weakness amongst them or else taken by their Opponents whether given or no to assert that the People called Quakers are infallible Be it as it is such a bare Assertion without Distinction or Explication must be either the Fruit of Weakness if proceeding from any really of that People called Quakers or else Slander and envy if proceeding from their opposers without occasion given them so to say That therefore the enquiring Reader may be truly informed what Doctrine in relation to Infallibility is held forth owned and received by such amongst them unto whom God hath revealed of the mysteries of his Kingdom 't is not remote from the present purpose on this occasion to give this ensuing Testimony There is an outward man and an inward man according to the Apostle's Testimony 2 Cor. 4.16 and therefore the word Infallible or Infallibility may have relation to External and Internal things Touching External things the outward man with his outward senses is excreised but as to things internal the inward man with his inward senses Acts 1.3 't is thus said To whom also he presented himself alive after that he had suffered by many Infallible tokens being seen of them by the space of forty days and speaking of those things which appertain to the Kingdom of God Obj. This shews there is an Infallibility but then it may be said This seems to respect the outward senses of the Apostles in seeing Christ their Lord and Master and in hearing the things he spoke which appertained to the Kingdom of God and this Infallibility is readily confest unto but how can it be proved that there is an Infallibility accompanying the inward senses of the inward Man seeing many have pretended to give true Infallible Judgment from their inward Sense which hath proved notoriously wrong and detectable by our outward Senses Answer It must be confest if any should so object 't is very true but yet it may in truth be asserted that there is an Infallibility viz. the Spirit of God accompanying the inward Senses of the inward Man whereof the Faithful have an Assurance from the Evidence of the Light of Christ and Spirit of God in their own Hearts and if any pretend to any other Infallibility accompanying them we understand it not Obj. How then comes it to pass that men endued with the Spirit of God are deceived and fallible Ans We ought to distinguish betwixt Man and the Spirit by which he came to be renewed in the Spirit of his Mind unto God That by which man comes to be renewed and circumcised in Heart which is the Spirit of God is infallible but that which is so renewed may be deceived if not exercised in and by that Spirit in which preservation is for there is no Estate on this side the Grave wherein it is not needful to watch and therefore did Christ our Lord thus say What I say unto you I say unto all watch It hath been a common Assertion That the Church of Christ is infallible and cannot err and therefore have many assemblies of men assuming the title of the Church of Christ declared their Sentences Judgments and Decrees infallible To this may be said That since the Apostasieentred it is not unknown what Visible and Outwardly Glorious Church hath publish'd this Doctrine with Application to her self by which Door a Body of Darkness Usurpation and persecution hath entred and on this score thousands have been deceived and led from the Gift of God in themselves to follow the Dictates of fallible men But yet as it hath been so 't is the Faith of many that the Lord never will raise any people whom by his Spirit he will lead to publish such a Doctrine with respect to outward and visible Societies of Men on Earth that may be outwardly describable as needful to be believed in order to the building up one another in the most holy Faith this Faith being not inconsistent with the Testimonies of the Scriptures of Truth is grounded on the Evidence of the Light of Christ within for that the contrary would have a plain tendency to draw the Sons and Daughters of men from the Anointing in themselves to the Lo here 's and the Lo there 's again For what religious assembly in Unity and professing themselves Christians will scruple to say We are the Church of Christ And albeit we must acknowledge that that Church which is built on the rock Christ cannot whilst abiding on the rock be prevailed against yet no Argument from hence may rationally be brought to prove any one Member of this Church whilst on this side the grave not liable through temptation to Err and depart from the Rock whilst there is an enemy ready to enter all if they watch not And now as to Perfection we have this to say Though we do believe that all the Gifts of God and Works of Righteousness brought forth through the Operation of his Spirit are perfect and that in that sense it may be said we are Partakers of a Measure of that which is Perfect even as the Apostle testifies Jam. 1.17 Every perfect gift is from above if any man offend not in word Jam. 3.2 the same is a perfect man Yet we do not believe that there is any such perfect estate attainable on this side the Grave wherein it is not needful for man to watch and wait in the Light of Christ that so he may not only be preserved in that perfect state whereunto in measure he hath already attained but also come to know a Growth and Encrease in the Encreases of God For though Paul had attained unto such a state as appears by these his words Let us therefore Phil. 3.15 as many as be perfect be thus minded Phil. 3.14 Yet we find that that very exhortation had relation unto a pressing toward the
Adam did through his Rebellion in eating of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge CHAP. V. Touching Magistracy and Obedience thereto ON this Subject 't is necessary to treat as it relates to the Magistracy and People of England whereof the people called Quakers are a part 1. We acknowledge that we owe Obedience either Active or Passive unto this Magistracy and that such obedience is as well grounded on the Light of Christ within as warrantable from the Scriptures of Truth without for when the Magistrate doth command Obedience unto any Law which is agreeable to the Law of God as indeed no Laws of England according to the Constitution of its Government and those maxims which are declared for Law ought to be contrary thereto then we ought to yield Active Obedience and whilst the Magistrates are in Execution of such Laws they are as occasion requires Punishers of those that do Evil 1 Pet. 2.13 14. and a Praise unto them that do well which is agreeable unto the testimony of the Apostle's touching Magistracy unto whom in such cases Active Obedience is to be given for the Lord's sake Obj. You speak very well so far as you have limited your Obedience to Good Laws but what if those in power should make such Laws which you account bad and not grounded on the Law of God but directly against those whom you term God's People dare you then say that 't is agreeable unto the Light of Christ within and Scriptures of Truth without to yield Obedience in such Cases To this we answer 't is agreeable to the Light within and Scriptures of Truth without that a Christian yield Passive Obedience since for Conscience sake chusing rather to obey God than man Act. 5.28 29. which was the Apostle's Case he cannot yield Active Obedience For we find the Counsel of Christ to be on this wise Resist not evil Mat. 5.39 but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek turn to him the other which clearly shews 't is against the Doctrine of Christ to resist and so consequently we ought to be Passive and therefore since we have not at any time pleaded for any other Light within save the Light of Christ it is as well agreeable unto the Light of Christ within as with the Counsel of Christ in the Scriptures of truth without that men under the profession of Christianity put in practice that wholsom Counsel which was given by Christ the Son of God whose ways are unchangeable viz. Resist not evil Obj. This shews you principled against outward Wars and Fightings to work your own deliverance from under oppressive Magistrates Ans Yes verily for so we the People of God and Children of Light are desiring to walk in the Light of the Lord according as the Prophet said Isa 2.5 O house of Jacob come ye let us walk in the Light of the Lord when he spoke of the last days touching which the same Prophet thus prophesieth Isa 2.4 He shall judge among the Nations and shall rebuke many people and they shall beat their Swords into Plow-shares and their Spears into pruning-hooks Nation shall not lift up sword against Nation neither shall they learn war any more This being spoken Prophetically of Christ and his reign in the hearts of men shews that all outward Force and Wars is to be denied by the Members of his Body which is his Church to work their own Deliverance A farther proof whereof is manifested unto us by Christ himself when he said unto Peter Put up thy sword into thy sheath and therefore in a sense of the Mercies of God unto us whom as his peculiar People he hath chosen to follow his Precepts and Example We can say blessed be the Lord many there are in this our day who by the peaceable Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ that was led like a Lamb dumb before the shearer are retired in their Spirits unto the Lord out of all outward Warrings and Fightings resigned up unto him in whom preservation is Knowing this that the same occasion may be given in this our day to testifie as Paul did in his day 2 Tim. 3.12 viz. All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution and so on this score are led by the Light of Christ not to resist evil lest they should be found Opposers of that which the Lord hath thought good to suffer to come upon his Heritage for the Tryal of their Faith and Patience which is much more precious than Gold That now also our perswasion touching Government in general might be fully known we refer to the 3d part of the Christian-Quaker being a Treatise on that Subject CHAP. VI. Touching Respect of Persons Plain Language disuse of the word Master unless by a Servant to his Master of Customs and Fashions of this World and of the Cross of Christ IT is not unknown that the Outward Deportment of Friends in Truth hath become as a Stumbling-block to many concluding that our manner of Habit Gesture and Language distinct from others was either the Fruit of Pride or Ignorance or else of both and therefore on this occasion it was thought needful to add something in relation to this Subject wherein our intent is not to make an Apology for any Action that in itself is really Rude Whimsical or Imaginary but rather to give in our testimony on behalf of our selves and all those who through Obedience unto the In-shinings of Christ's Light in their Consciences are made or making Partakers of the Vertue and Efficacy of the Blood of Christ by which those whose Consciences are purified from dead works come to serve the living God in Newness of Life and therein to have their Conversations ordered aright so as not to give any just Occasion of Offence either to Jew or Gentile or to the Church of God but that keeping themselves unspotted of the world nor yet fashioning themselves according to their former lusts they might not have whereof to glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the World is crucified to them and they unto the World On the behalf of our selves and all such our Testimony now is that when the everlasting Light of our Lord Jesus shining in every Conscience was exalted as that Spiritual appearance of the Son of God which was to lead and guide into all truth we are witnesses that it became a Discoverer that man in his fallen estate was puffed up in Pride using many Vnnecessary Attires and Complemental Expressions to please and affect that mind which was alienated from God and estranged from the Cross of Christ neither did this Light only make such a Discovery but also prompted to bear a Testimony against the same by Example and Conversation and therefore we did not dare to go after the vain Fashions and Customs of this World but rather had our eye unto that which was incorruptible viz. The ornament of a Meek and Quiet
accounted Crucifyers of the Son of God afresh and Putters of him to open Shame read Heb. 6.5 6. And though we have repeated the 23 24 25. Verses yet they being chiefly a Repetition of the Words of Christ already spoken to in this Chapter we shall say the less thereto and at present take notice only of these words therein contained viz. This do in Remembrance of me Had these Words been omitted by Luke as they are by Mathew and Mark on the same Occasion there would be no Pretence from the Scriptures of Truth to call Christ's Breaking of Bread at his Last Supper an Ordinance of Christ to continue for-ever Moreover 't is worthy our Observation That John the Evangelist wholly omits that Narration given by Mathew Mark and Luke John 13. from whence the Sacrament of the Supper so called is contended for more than to say He riseth from Supper and yet doth expresly unto his Disciples after Supper was ended thus say 4.13 14 15. Ye call Me Master and Lord and ye do well for so I am if I then your Lord and Master have washed your Feet ye ought also to wash one anothers Feet for I have given you an Example that you should do as I have done to you These Things being the Things of God ought to be weighed John 5. and pondered by his Spirit and those who so do will clearly discern that Christ by that Outward Action of washing the Disciples Feet did not only shew unto his Disciples a Pattern of Humility and an Example of Readiness to serve one another in Love but also to figure forth unto them the Necessity of being Washed Cleansed and Purifyed in the Inward Man and that Otherwise there is no having a Part in Christ and this is clearly signifyed in the Words of Christ unto Peter Then cometh he to Simon Peter John 13.6 7. and Peter saith unto him Lord Dost thou wash my Feet Jesus answered and said What I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt know hereafter Which clearly shews that there was a Spiritual Signification hinted at by Christ's Outward Washing for that Peter did know his Outward Washing and therefore said Verse 8. Thou shalt never wash my Feet Whereupon Jesus answered him thus If I wash thee not Thou hast no Part in me All which being duly weighed it appears that there is as much Ground at this Day from the Scripture of Truth to practise the Washing of one anothers Feet and call such a Practice a Sacrament to figure forth the Blood of Christ in which the Sins of those who are quickned unto God are washed away as the Eating of Bread and Drinking of Wine in Imitation of what was Practised or Commanded by Christ the Night before he was Betrayed may And now on the Behalf of our Selves and all the Children of Light amongst those called Quakers may it at this Day be said That though we are not found in that Outward Practice of Washing one anothers Feet as a Religious Exercise after that Outward Example which was given by Christ unto his Disciples the Night before he was Betrayed and enjoyned as their Duty nor yet are found in the Practice of Appointing certain Times and Seasons on purpose to eat Bread and drink Wine as that which we ought Religiously to do in a more solemn Manner than at other times Yet we can boldly say Christ our Lord and Master speaks no more Condemnation unto us as Persons in that respect neglecting any thing that he hath instituted for us to practise than he doth to many Elders of the Church at this Day who Visiting the Sick neglect to anoint with Oyl in the Name of the Lord and to others who being of the Gentile-Stock according to the Flesh Do not abstain from eating Blood and yet in neither of these respects Condemned though expresly Exhorted to by the Apostle read Acts 15.20 James 5.14 Moreover it is to be considered that though the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper so called is by some reputed to be Instituted by Christ Exod. 12.13 in the Room of the Passover and to continue as an Ordinance forever Heb. 9.10 14. even as Water-Baptism is taken to be Instituted in the room of Circumcision yet both are groundless For though the Scripture Testifies That the Feast of the Passover was to be kept by an Ordinance forever yet when the Time of Reformation came it ended even as all those Outward Services and Ordinances which stood only in Meats and Drinks and divers Washings and Carnal Ordinances imposed until the Time of Reformation did Now forasmuch as the Time of Reformation was the Time wherein Christ through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without Spot unto God we query Whether after this Time of Reformation it can be consisting with the Spirit of Truth for any one to impose upon the People of the Lord or for the People of the Lord though not imposed upon to practise such Ordinances as consist in Outward Meats Drinks and Washings as the Ordinances of Baptism and Sacrament of the Supper so called do as needful in order to the Salvation of Mankind Since not only the Author to the Hebrews testifies That the like Ordinances under the First Covenant had an End when the Law was changed but that Paul likewise exhorts against the Use of Ordinances after the Commandement and Doctrines of Men as is largely declared to the Colossians Chapt. 2.8 14 16. to the End And Whether the Introducing thereof at this Day is not a Building again the Things that have been according to the Doctrine of Truth rejected To conclude This is the Testimony of Truth that is with us to give on this Occasion That we are not at this Day convinced in our Consciences That there is any better Ground for the Practice of Water-Baptism and Breaking of Outward Bread as Ordinances under the Dispensation of the Gospel in this our Day than the Commandments and Doctrines of Men but yet are Witnesses that Christ is come in Spirit unto the Children of Light and that at the Hearing of his Voice they have opened the Door of their Hearts Col. 3.1 whereby they have Supped with him and he with them according to this Testimony Revel 3.20 If any Man hear my Voice and open the Door I will come in to him and will Sup with him and he with me and so these being Risen with Christ seek those Things which are above Rom. 14.17 knowing that the Kingdom of God consists not in Meats and in Drinks but in Righteousness Peace and Joy in the Holy-Ghost And therefore having received an Earnest of that Life which is Eternal through Faith in the Blood of Christ who was offered up a Sacrifice unto God for the Redemption of Mankind do inwardly feel the Benefit of that Offering and so being sensible Heb. 9 10. Chapters that the Flesh profiteth nothing are made Partakers of that Quickning Spirit which was signifyed by Christ
4th Month 1677. which now follows We whose Names are here unto Subscribed do Testify that on the Sixteenth day of the Fifth Month 1677. we were present in a Meeting usually held in the City of Bristol for the taking Care of the Poor and promoting of other Christian Duties when a Paper Subscribed by Sixty Six Persons and Dated from a Metting held at Ellis Hookes his Chamber in London the Twelfth of the Fourth Moneth 1677. was there Read and therein John Story and John Wilkinson are Reproved and Judged in these Words viz. We do hereby Reprove and Judge that Jealous Rending and Separating Spirit and them meaning John Story and John Wilkinson and their Separate Company as being in that Spirit of Separation and that by the Power and Spirit of our God and we warn all to whom this Comes to beware of the said John Story and John Wilkinson whose way at present is not the way of Peace c. The aforesaid Judgment we do now Declare that we do not own to be Righteous nor yet dare we deny the said John Story and John Wilkinson lest we sin against God and despise those unto whom a Dispensation of the Gospel of Christ is committed especially since that the aforementioned Paper doth sufficiently manifest to our Consciences That the Spirit of God did not move in the hearts of the sixty six Subscribers to give forth the same though the Name of the Lord his Power and Spirit is frequently made mention of in the said Paper and that this is so we thus manifest First The great Crime against John Story and John Wilkinson is for that as report saith They have been instruments to set up or at least incourage a Separate Mens-Meeting in the North wherein the outward affairs of the Church are managed and so consequently is esteemed besides that Form of Government which is contended for Now it doth not appear to us from the said Paper that the Meeting from which the aforesaid Paper was given forth was a Meeting held according to the Form of Government contended for and so we are dissatisfied that the Actions of that Meeting are Justifiable by the Rule of those who oppose John Story and John Wilkinson on the foot of the Separate-Meeting so called For it doth not appear that the aforementioned Meeting was the General Meeting by any thing therein contained not being so much as Dated from thence nor yet within the time wherein it was appointed to be held besides if the Paper did not prove that yet by a Post-script thereto it appears that there were several Brethren that had left the City before the said Meeting wherein the said Paper was Subscribed and so had it been within the appointed time of the General-Meeting it could in the best sense be but from a part of the said Meeting The aforementioned Meeting by the said Paper Appears not to be the second day's weekly Meeting for its Date is on the Third Day and when any thing is given forth from that Meeting 't is usually Dated from the said Meeting Besides we find that the Hands of many Antient Labourers in the Gospel and the greatest part by many of the Body of the Elders and Ministring Friends dwelling in and about the City of London are not thereto Subscribed and not only so but we are Credibly Informed that though 't was discoursed in the Second Days Weekly Meeting yet 't was not unanimously Assented to therein And if so it follows by natural Consequence that it could not be the action of the said Meeting had it been Dated on that Day and that this Expression in the aforesaid Paper viz. And blessed and sweet and very pretious to our Souls is the Heavenly Unity of Life amongst us wherein at this Meeting the Lord our God hath Crowned us with Glory Dominion and Peace cannot in Truth be spoken with respect to the aforesaid Second Days Weekly Meetings Unity as to the matter contained in the aforesaid Paper The afore-mentioned Meeting cannot be reasonably supposed to be from the Mens-Meeting of the City of London for that the generality of the Members thereof have not their Hands thereto neither is it said Signed on behalf of that Meeting or any other setled Meeting in England nor yet from it or any other such Meeting All which Considerations confirm us in this Perswasion that the aforesaid Paper was given forth from a Meeting held out of the Form of Government contended for and so by their own Rule ought to be disowned by the Meetings to whom it is directed Secondly It appears that the Sixty Six Subscribers in their Paper have given forth these Sentences viz. At this Meeting the Lord our God hath Crowned us with Glory Dominion and Peace at this time as on the like Occasions hath been frequent with us the Care of the Peace and Welfare of the Churches of Christ came upon us And are your Servants for his meaning Christs sake By that Salt that we have in our selves from the Lord are we enabled to savour between the Transformation of the Enemy and the Scruples of the Innocent And as to be tender of one so to give Judgment against the other And truly that which hath encouraged us in this Epistle is that good success God hath blest our like endeavors in his power with We are Unanimously your Dear and Faithful Brethren in the labour travel tribulation patience hope and rejoycing in the Kingdom of Jesus our Lord. On these last Six Sentences we thus Observe that where they have Credit it 's but too probable that it may gain a Perswasion or Belief that the Sixty Six Subscribers are Apostles and so may become a means to obtain the better Credit to their Paper Should any thus be Perswaded they therein would be Mistaken for three or four from the City of Bristol who are well known to us are not Exercised in the work of the Ministry besides others from other Countries and Places Thirdly We find in the said Paper these two following Sentences And forasmuch as it appears to us that they will not come to us nor near us in the peaceable Truth which we have frequently truly desired for their good but that they will go on in their Opposition refusing to dissolve their Separate-Company in the North c. And because we are sensible that they have made an ill use of our Forbearance even to strengthen themselves in their Separation c. On which we thus Observe That these two Sentences are assigned as a part of those considerations wherefore the Sixty Six Subscribers were as they say constrained after continued Waiting and Exhortation slighted by them meaning John Wilkinson and John Story more publickly to Reprove and Judge them in these things as by their Paper doth plainly appear which being duly considered it naturally follows that if every one of the Sixty Six Subscribers have not frequently desired John Story and John Wilkinson to come to them they are
He never advised to the Erecting the same The Sixty Six Subscribers in their Paper are found Accusing John Wilkinson and John Story to this Effect viz. That they have Evil Designs and persevere in them by Word Writing and Practice That they despise Heavenly Dignities That they set up continue and promote False and Pernicious Iealousies Murmurings and Secret Smitings and that thereby they are Darkned in their Vnderfrandings That through the Power of the Enemy of the King of Righteousness His Peace they set up a kind of Standard of Separation from that blessed Fellowship and Communion that the Churches of Christ sweetly possest together to the Dishonour of God His Truth and People That they go on in Opposition Evil Smiting against the Faithful Brethren and Practice of the Church of Christ That the offering of their Gifts is not a Peace but a Division-Offering That they are Obstinate and Obdurate and gone into Self-wil That they cast Tender Love behind their Backs Amongst the said Sixty Six Subscribers we Read the Names of four Persons Inhabiting the City of Bristol by which they became Accusers since John Story and John Wilkinson were not before them at any time as Judges in their Cause and so having been Persons who at some times have Assembled with us in the aforesaid Meetings held for Relief of the Poor c. within the said City of Bristol where John Story and John Wilkinson have often published the Gospel of Christ for above twenty Years to our knowledge they have been desired to appoint a Meeting to make forth their Accusations to Iohn Story 's Face that so if the Accused be Guilty it may be sufficient Proof of Matter of Fact be manifest to us who in that Case shall then account it our Duty To Disown the Accused also But if they cannot prove Matter of Fact to render them so Guilty we may then justly expect the said Persons to own the Wrong they have done them by their False Accusation and give Satisfaction for the same But they will not as yet Admit a Meeting for that end before such Friends of Truth whereof one half may be Chosen by Vs and others Dissatisfied though they have liberty to Choose the other half themselves Neither will they as yet Admit a Hearing before any Meeting wherein the Witnesses to these Accusations shall be Excluded from being Iudges with other Friends And so what Issue this Matter may Admit amongst us is at present uncertain and whether this be Christian-like We Appeal to Gods Witness in all Consciences We Observe that in the said Paper the Subscribers Exhort Friends To be Zealous for the Lord and to stand up in his Spirit and Power for the Peace of his Church which Exhortation in it self is sound and wholesome But we are very Jealous that the said Paper hath notwithstanding given Life to a Contentious Spirit For on the Fifteenth Instant being the first Day of the Week John Story came to our Meeting and almost immediately after he had sate down there was one stood up who as we can prove declared Unity with the said Paper given forth against John Wilkinson and John Story and testified to this Effect The Trumpet of the Lord is sounded to Battle and the War is begun and so Exhorted on this Wise Come up to Battle and help the Lord against the Mighty using also these Scripture Words Curse ye Meroz And in the afternoon of the same day in our publick Assembly Francis Lea whilst John Story was declaring the Word of Truth stood up and thus began If any thing he Revealed to another that sitteth by let the First hold his Peace which was a clear Demonstration of his Hypocrisy for that 't is publickly known he Judges John Story out of Unity with the Church and so 't was altogether wrong in Fr. Lea to introduce his Discourse by a Scripture which if proper to be spoken in Order to the silencing of one declaring yet it ought to have been with Respect to one in Unity with the Church But as we said he ownes not John Story so to be and so it may reasonably be concluded that his Hipocrisy was not only thereby made Manifest but also his Discourse being Considered that he had no Revelation to Declare from God on that Occasion to the People But yet John Story observing how he introduced his Discourse not as an open Opposer of his VVords did for the People's sakes and that he might Administer no occasion of Discord give way and in a few words after drew to a Conclusion but Francis Lea's Discourse was such both Morning and Afternoon as gave occasion both to Professors and Prophane publickly to Manifest that we are now Divided Now whether this be a standing up in the Power and Spirit of God for the Peace of the Church of Christ or a Peace-Offering Let those who are Wise in Heart Judge But that which further Manifested Francis Lea's Rudeness is this After Francis Lea in the Morning-Meeting had ended his Declaration wherein he laid down seeming contradictory Assertions viz. That Two Hundred and Fifty Princes and Renowned Men in Israel were Revels and wicked Men and yet also said to this Effect as if they were Blameless and Harmless VVilliam Rogers stood up and took up his Words and spoke thereon in the Words of Truth and Sound Doctrine that so the People might not go away with a Misunderstanding and not as an Opposer of any Truth that Day Delivered nor yet as an Opposer of Francis Lea further than Francis Lea's own words Opposed himself And yet after VVilliam Rogers had ended Francis Lea in a Rude manner poured out Iudgments against VVilliam Rogers calling him Rebel and using that very Language as was used to Elimas the Sorcerer and this is become a Common talk amongst Professors and Prophane in Country as well as City which we and many Friends more do Account the Fruit of great Malice and Un-Christian-like Dealing for we know not any thing wherein VVilliam Rogers hath forfeited his Reputation as a Man or a Christian These things Considered and that also it is not made Appear to our Consciences that John Story and John VVilkinson are guilty of such Crimes and Offences as are laid to their Charge which if they were we also should disown them we dare not as we said before own the said judgment to be Righteous nor yet deny the said John VVilkinson and John Story lest we sin against God and despise those unto whom a Dispensation of the Gospel of Christ is committed And now our Counsel to the sixty six Subscribers is that they mind the Peace of the Churches of Christ by Calling in their Paper for we are well satisfyed that their Paper is not given forth from the Motion of Gods Spirit and if any of the sixty six Subscribers as men leaning upon others have asserted in the Name of the Lord when the Lord hath not spoken by them and that to Defame the
designed to be treated upon is the Government of Christ which we do not believe to be represented by visible persons certainly known by outward Names distinguish'd by outward marks and tokens and invested with Power from him to execute Outward Laws in an Outward Form of Government visible by our Carnal Eyes as aforesaid That the Government of Christ is an Inward Government is evident from the words of the Prophet Jeremiah Jer. 31.31 32 33. I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel c. not according to the Covenant that I made with your Fathers but this shall be the Covenant that I will make c. After those days I will put my Law in their Inward Parts and write it in their Hearts and will be their God and they shall be my People and they shall teach no more every man his Neighbour and every man his Brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord. This we believe was spoken with respect to the Reign of Christ by his Spirit in the Hearts of the Sons and Daughters of Men and clearly shews that the Laws of Christ's Government under the new Covenant are written in the Hearts of his People and therefore an Inward Government Objection But if any shall object That the words of the Prophet relate not to those who are of the Gentile Stock of which Stock according to the Flesh it may be said that we are We thereto say That the words of Paul do effectually answer that Objection Rom. 10.12 There is no difference between the Jew and the Gentile for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him Col. 3.9 10 11. Lie not one to another seeing that you have put off the Old Man with his deeds and have put on the New Man which is renewed in Knowledge after the Image of him that created him where there is neither Gentile nor Jew Circumcision nor Uncircumcision Barbarian Scythian Bond nor Free but Christ is all and in all Many other Scriptures both out of the Prophets and Apostles Writings might be quoted to evidence the matter intended We are yet sensible that this further Objection may be raised Viz. Objection That neither the words of the Prophet nor of the Apostle cited by us make mention of Government over Jew or Gentile but doth shew as from the scope of the Scripture appears that the Apostle so writ to convince the Jews of the difference between the Righteousness of the Law and that of Faith and to shew unto Believers whether Jews or Gentiles that though some might appear in a Voluntary Humility Worship Angels intrude into those things they had not seen and be vainly puffed up in their fleshly minds and not give all Obedience unto the Head Christ through whom alone there is an increase in the increases of God yet they were therein reproveable as not being risen with Christ and further also to shew that those who were dead with Christ from the Rudiments of the world ought not to be subject to nor yet to touch taste or handle such Ordinances as were after the Commandments and Doctrines of Men. To this Objection we answer That though the word Government is not expressly mentioned yet there are words in what is cited out of the Prophet Jeremiah importing the three material Objects of Government viz. A Lawgiver the Place where the Law is to be found written and the People for whom it is given Besides from these words of Paul viz. The same Lord over all a Governour is implied viz. Christ Jesus our Lord and so consequently a Government over that All. And from what hereafter follows it will appear that the End of this Government is to lead into all Truth Moreover it leades us to observe That there are divers true Marks whereby the Opposers of Christ's Government may be distinguisht First They are such as are in a Voluntary Humility Secondly Such as Worship Angels which may reasonably be taken to be a Worshipping of some Messengers whom God hath sent because the signification of the word Angel is a Messenger Thirdly Such as intrude into those things they have not seen Fourthly Such as are puft up in their fleshly minds Fifthly Such as give not all obedience unto the head Christ And lastly Such as are Subject to Ordinances after the Commandments and Doctrines of Men. And to be very plain for the clearing the Truth we must give this our Testimony that we are really perswaded from what our Eyes Ears have been witnesses that many of those amongst the People called Quakers who have Zealously contended for the Observation of Outward Rules and Orders given forth by One Man bear all the aforesaid Marks for whosoever they are that pretend Zeal to promote submit unto and exercise themselves in other mens lines made ready to their hands and that on a pretended religious score when thorow the word of true Faith they see it not their duty or if they shall pretend they do and thereupon strive to enforce others to submit thereto there being no ground from the Scripture of Truth or Light of Christ so to strive it naturaly follows that the aforesaid Marks accompany such and this we confidently aver that thorough the whole Scriptures of Truth there is not one word from whence we may rationally expect and that according to the meaning of the Spirit that Christ hath or will Commissionate any One Man or Men to prescribe Outward Rules and Orders relating to Faith or Discipline in the Church to be binding on the Consciences of the Subjects of his Kingdom whether they should see it to be their duty from the Law written in their hearts or no. Besides if we consider the nature of Christ's Kingdom and Government it will appear to be such unto which outward written Laws visible by our carnal eyes and to be executed by perishing objects according to an outward Magistratical or Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction are wholly unsutable becaus Christs Kingdom is not of this world but is an Everlasting Kingdom and therefore 't is said That of the encrease of his Government there shall be no end and though John in the Revelations Chap. 11. V. 15. gives this Testimony That there were great voices in heaven saying the Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ And he shall Reign forever and ever Isa 61.11 yet there is nothing said to signify that the manner of his Reign was or should be otherwise then as before is described Moreover if any Man or Men have or may pretend him or themselves to be such on Earth on whom the weight of Christs Government which is Spiritual is laid it is not like to have any Evidence in our Consciences First Not only because we find no such Prophecy or Promise in the Scriptures of Truth but also for that we rather find the contrary for
Member or Members of the Church may be Witnesses thereof in their Own Hearts we are sorry for such weakness However it gives us occasion to add this Testimony That if we consult the Scriptures of Truth and Light of Christ we have no Ground to believe that under the dispensation of the second Covenant God hath or ever will move by his Spirit in any Mortal Man or Men to take upon him or them so to appoint certain dayes for others to meet upon to manage the outward Affairs of a Christian Society as that if any of that Society assent not thereto or endeavour to alter them to another day then such may be Justly censured as men of loose Spirits or led by a corrupt Spirit of Darkness for every Member of such a Society ought first to be fully perswaded in their own minds in all things relating to Faith or Discipline and not to be Judging one another about any thing wherein they may differ when the matter it self springs from a Conscientious Scruple and not Obstinacy contrary to Knowledge for from the Holy Scriptures we learn that that which is not of faith is sin and that there was the Day of Ignorance accompanyed some at which the Lord Winked And yet to our Greif we may say that such a Day of gloominess and thick Darkness hath overtaken some amongst the People called Quakers who appear zealous for some Outward Forms of Discipline which they as we take it foollishly imagin are establish't as by a Decree from Heaven that they seem to make void the Law of Charity and humane Society and as if their Religion were most Effectually demonstrated by appearing in such a kind of Spirit that Christ reproved in his Disciples when they asked him on this wise Wilt thou that we Command Fire to come down from Heaven and consume them meaning the Samaritans that did not receive Christ because his Face was as though he would go to Jerusalem To return again we farther say That whoever hath given Occasion for such an Objection to be raised as aforesaid 't is to be doubted it sprange from one that aspires to give Rules to others whilest he will not be subject to the same himself for if it were not so it s very probable we might have escaped the severe judgment of being guilty of Corahs sin and that only because we have endeavoured to convince some that that * Namely G. F. one Person intended in the Objection See the fourth and fifth Parts of the Christian-Quaker hath acted contrary to the outward Rules and Orders that he himself hath prescribed for others to walk by As to the word Establish't we further add That the word as used in the Objection is disowned by us for though the Children of God may be Instruments in the hand of the Lord to establish one another in the Faith of God's Elect yet 't is not in their power or of any one of them positively and without exception to establish what ought to be believed and practiced whether it respect Doctrine or Discipline and if any one or more have atempted so to do it may Justly be said of such that he or they have endeavoured to invade Christ's Prerogative Besides we observe That the Objection is made with respect to one man which to us seems as if in the Objectors sense that one man amongst the People called Quakers had Power given him of God to establish an Outward Form wherein all God's People ought to walk or else severely to be censured for Rebellion whether they see it their Christian Duty or not but this we deny as that which may Justly be termed an Abomination either so to endeavour or so to submit Secondly If we enquire what is establish't we know if any Answer be given to what by the Question we intend it will be on this wise Certain Meetings to be held by the People called Quakers or at least some of them on certain prefixt dayes But if we ask Who are the Meeters that are to make up the establish't Meetings none can give such a certain Discription as that the Meeters may be certainly known and therefore the use of the word Establish't applicable to outward Societies of People so uncertain to be known or outwardly describable seems to us vain and ridiculous By this discourse the Reader may gather that we are remote from owning those Meetings mentioned in the last Objection to be establish'd as a part of Christ's Government and as to their having any share as a Church in Church Government 't will be time enough for us to answer when any shall pretend that they have manifested that those uncertain qualifyed Persons usually Assembled in such Meetings were then Members of the Church of Christ and that as Members thereof they had right to stile themselves Church-Governours However we think it needful to signify That the chief Ends as we understood wherefore the said Meetings were assented to by many Friends were to relieve the Poor and to perform other necessary Services relating to the Truth and Friends concerned therein in which we thought our selves and doubtless all the Faithful with us Servants one unto another and not Masters Governours or Rulers over one another for that did not so much as enter into our Hearts But when we perceived that some Upstarts that to us seemed to love Preheminence as Diotrephes did lookt upon themselves as Somebody from their appearing and being encouraged to appear Members in such Meetings and to lay a stress on the prefixt Dayes for Meeting affirming that they were Established by the Power of God that Friends who were Heirs of the Power might come and take their Possessions therein a sort of Language not well understood by such as are Indued with Wisdom from above then many Friends began to startle thereat fearing that some through Weakness and Blind Zeal would Idolize the same and run into an indispensable Form and endeavour to bite and devour one another about Outward Things and so at length some Friends in Truth moved to alter the Days of Meeting in some places but others not assenting thereto Contention arose and a Fire hath been kindled about Church-Government at so high a rate as that Publick Meeting Places for the Worship of God have sometimes become meer Stages of Contention and other times the keeping on of Hats in Prayer by some whilest others have been uncovered hath become as an Ensign of divisions the knowledge whereof being no longer to be hid hath more vigorously occasioned the bringing forth of our Treatise Intituled the Christian-Quaker distinguished from the Apostate and Innovator in five Parts whereof this Treatise touching Government is one that so all may now know that Darkness is not so overshadowed but that the Lord hath preserved a Remnant amongst the People called Quakers that cannot bow their Knee to any Image or Image-Maker nor yet to acknowledge that Salvation is attainable through Faith in any other Name than
the Name of Jesus who is given of the Father to be Salvation to the Ends of the Earth I now come to give the Reader a perticular Account of some Assertions and Scripture Quotations relating to Government amongst one part of the People called Quakers published in Print by Robert Barclay together with Answers thereto contained in a Manuscript given forth by my self who was concerned in my Conscience so to do for the sakes of such as being weak are apt to be precipitated into a Zealous Observation of other mens Lines made ready to their hands when not led thereinto by a Measure of Gods Gift and Grace in themselves and so may justly be termed like unto those who render for Doctrine the Traditions of Men. The aforesaid Assertions Quotations and particular Answers thereto some Years past sent to Steven Crisp and another publick Person as well as the Author of the said Book doth follow as proper in relation to this Treatise touching Government and if the Reader shall find any thing therein which hath been herein already treated upon or in the first part of the Christian-Quaker distinguish'd from the Apostate and Innovator I hope he will not be offended thereat since the ensuing Lines were written on a Particular Occasion though of a General Concern relating to the People called Quakers and that also before it was designed that the said first part should be prepared much less committed to the Press However that which may well plead my Excuse for the Readers Expence of Time on such an Occasion is this There is very little Discourse of which hath been mentioned before and that which is is very material to be observed as a proper Looking-Glass in some respect to distinguish the true Christian termed in Derision Quaker from the Apostate and Innovator The Innovations AND Scripture-Misapplications of R. B. Detected BEING Part of some Observations on his small Treatise Intituled The ANARCHY of the RANTERS c. Wherein he saith The Antient Apostolick Order of the Church of Christ is Re-establisht amongst them meaning the People of the Lord called in Derision Quakers This small Treatise being weighed in the equal Ballance this ensuing Discourse is become a two-fold Defence for those of the People of God called Quakers who have retained their First Love and Integrity for the Truth and Right Understanding of the only Fundamental Principle thereof viz. the Light Wherein they are vindicated from the Aspersions of those who may accuse them of despising of Christ's Government and indulging that Liberty which Truth condemns on the one hand and from such who may calumniate them for endeavouring to establish the outward Orders and Prescriptions of Men under the Notion of the Orders of the Church of Christ to become a Bond on others to obey though they see it not their Duty on the other hand Shewing that the Place where Christs Government hath been is and ought to be exalted is in the Heart and that 't is not in the Power and so cannot be the Duty of man to establish that Government which is already on Christs Shoulders Given forth in the Year 1676. By WILLIAM ROGERS 1 Cor. 3.11.21 For other Foundation can no man lay than that which is already laid Let no man Rejoyce in Men. To the READER THE afore-mentioned Treatise of R. B. is the first that to my Remembrance or Knowledge is under the Name of one called a Quaker extant in Print whereby the Adversaries to that Antient Truth whereof they have been Witnesses may have Cause to be Jealous First That that People who have been so great Contenders against that Spirit which would have enforced Outward Forms and Orders of Men relating to Conscience though under the Notion of Assemblies calling themselves the Church of Christ should now be more exercised to encourage their Brethren to follow the Orders Traditions Examples or Commandments of any relating to Matters of Conscience and the Things of God though under the most plausible Pretences whatsoever than that never-erring and infallible Guide which hath been so often exalted amongst them viz. Christ's Light in the Conscience Secondly That though the People called Quakers have pleaded much for the Exercise of their Consciences and for the Liberty thereof which one Eminent amongst them hath described to be a meer Liberty of the Mind in believing or dis-believing c. Yet there is amongst them who hath endeavoured to insinuate a Belief that the Church in matters of Conscience may not only give positive Sentences which may be Obligatory upon Believers but also that the Pretences of any refusing to submit on account they see it not will not excuse them from being really guilty of disobeying God and yet doth not manifest by any outward Description Where or What Assembly is the Church of Christ Now though I cannot vindicate the Author of the said Treatise from giving occasion of these and such like Jealousies yet I know there are many of those People yet in being whose Integrity to God is so great whose Steadfastness in the Unchangable Truth is so sure and whose Understanddings in the pure Principle thereof are so clear that they give not occasion for such Jealousies but have a Testimony in their Hearts against all such that do knowing this that whosoever builds on any other Foundation than that which hath been already laid viz. Christ the Lord to whom all Power is given to Rule and Reign and who alone is Lord over the Conscience and the only Law-giver shall be confounded and brought to nought W. R. The matters occasionally discourst in this ensuing Treatise are in some measure described in what followes First I Affirm that though there hath been and ought to be a Government in the Church of Christ unto which every Member of the said Church ought to be subject yet it doth not appear that the Outward Form thereof and all Matters cognizable thereby are so exactly described in the Scriptures or else where as that the Members thereof by any such outward Description as a sufficient meanes may so exactly be exercised therein as to find acceptance with the Lord of Life That at this day nothing can be truly called the Exact and perfect Order of this Government but the Power of God and so hath it often been testifyed by the People of the Lord called Quakers which power is of Ability to establish Man but Man not of Ability to establish it and that the Power brings forth its own Form in every Member according to the measure of God's Grace inwardly given received and obeyed and yet I am abundantly satisfyed that Set and Appointed Meetings on certain Prefixt Days being with the joynt concurrence of those Members assembling and from time to time to be assembled to take care of the Poor and discharge other charitable Duties to inspect Marriages that none come together disorderly and to take care that Truth may not be Scandlized through the Backslidings of such who have been in
Basis and Foundation To which I thus say This kind of Language with respect to divers Practices in Discipline amongst the People called Quakers or any outward Form and Order which is or hath been by any called the Order of the Gospel I do not understand to be rightly applicable to those amongst the said People who have retained their first Love to and Savour of the Truth and right Understanding of the Principle thereof not that I would hereby be understood that it s not necessary to be in the Exercise of Outward Order with respect to that Gospel-discipline which becomes the Church of Christ but that which I understand not to be rightly applicable unto them is manifested in what follows Though the principle of Truth in these latter dayes hath and may further lead into the Practice of Outward Order in Discipline with relation to the Church of Christ yet I affirm that part of that Outward Order in Discipline wherein divers of the People of the Lord called Quakers have been acted is such as that there is not the least Footsteps thereof to be found in the Scriptures as exhorted to or as practised by the Apostles I could give many Instances hereof but one shall suffice viz. The Form of Proceedings in Marriages wherein the Scriptures are wholly silent as to the Primitive Christians and tho the Papists pretend to Tradition yet the People of the Lord called Quakers do not Besides 't is evident by the Scriptures of Truth that the Apostles were found in the Practice of that which the People called Quakers do not only out of Conscience to God forbear but have had many Contests with others touching the same as esteeming it though permitted for a season by reason of the Weakness of the People amongst the number of those Outward Ordinances out of which the Lord hath at this day gathered his People witness Water-Baptism The word Order with respect to Outward Government Establish't by the Church of Christ over it self I remember not in the Scriptures of Truth yet much of late is spoken of the Order of the Gospel and of establishing the same and that with respect to Outward Prescriptions and Orders practised or endeavoured to be introduced amongst the People of the Lord called Quakers and in perticular R. B. Page 40. speaks of the Truth and Faith we have been and are in the Lords Hands building up To which I say The Consideration that Christ is the Truth and the great Power of God and that an Establishing in the Faith cannot Properly be termed A building up of Faith gives me occasion to treat a little touching the words establish and build up We know from the testimony of truth in our selves as well as from the Scriptures of Truth without us that we may be Instruments in the hands of the Lord to build up one another in the most Holy Faith in Christ the Truth the Power of God but 't is neither agreeable to the Testimony of Truth in us nor yet the Scriptures of Truth without us for any to account themselves of Ability to establish God's Power for its that by which the World was made Now the Order of the Gospel is the Power of God and nothing else according to the declared sence of our ancient Friends can properly be called the Order of the Gospel but the Power of God for though some outward Form or appearance may be according to the Order of the Gospel yet it can no more properly be called the very Order of the Gospel than the Fruit of a Tree can be called the Tree it self and therefore those who pretend to establish the Order of the Gospel may as well pretend to establish the Power of God it self 'T is true this Power is of Ability to establish Man in the Faith of God's Elect but Man is not of Ability to establish it those who understand the Nature and Tenours of the two Covenants may easily discern the Truth hereof Under the First Covenant which was outward the mind of God was manifested to the People from the Priests Lips which were to preserve Knowledge and this Covenant did consist in divers Outward Ordinances c. establisht and impos'd upon the People until the Time of Reformation Under the Second Covenant being the New Covenant or Gospel dispensation the Mind and Will of God is manifested in his People through the Revelation of his Spirit according to that of Paul Rom. 1.19 That which may be known of God is manifested in them Christ also said John 14.26 The Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name he shall teach you all things The Law under this covenant is written in the heart Heb. 8.10 11. I will write my Law in their Hearts they shall not teach every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for all shall Know me c. Here 's not the least ground of encouragement for any man under the New Covenant which was not to be like unto the Old to pretend that Gods Spirit doth or will lead any to establish Outward Orders relating to matters of Conscience as the Order of the Gospel for if that which is to be known of God is manifested in us then though it may be needfull to stir up according as the Lord shall move in his servants the pure Mind in us that so we may be in the Exercise of what God requires through the maifestation of himself in us there is no need to establish any thing without us to shew it If the Spirit of Truth is to lead into all truth those who would be leading us in another way will prove little better then Thieves and Robbers which Climb up another way to enter in than by the door If the Law be written in the heart and that no Obedience finds Acceptance with the Lord but Obedience to his Law from an inward Impulse and Drawing of his Spirit thereunto in our selves there 's no need of establishing Outward Indispensible Rules which may relate to the Conscience to walk by for were it possible so to do and any should yield Obedience on no better ground then because'tis so establish't by such a Man or Assembly of Men this sort of Obedience would find no more acceptance with the Lord than the offering of Swines flesh or the Halt and Blind for a Sacrifice under the First Covenant did For though many may be so Weak as not to know the difference between the two Covenants in some respects yet there are Few of the Lord's People called Quakers but have this undoubted Truth sealed in their hearts That none of their Outward Practices under the Exercise of Christ's Government find's acceptance with the Lord but as they have an Evidence in their Consciences that therein they Answer the measure of Truth in themselves Paul writing to the Colossians thus saith As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk in him Rooted and built up
in him stablished in the Faith Col. 2.6 7. And then the very next verse saith Beware lest any man spoyl you through the Traditions of men according to the Rudimnets of the World and not after Christ If the following outward Decrees Precepts Sentences Decisive Judgment or Traditions of any sort of the Church had been in Pauls ' Eye a real and certain Indication of being Establish't in the Faith or rooted in Christ or that 't was the Practice of the Church to be Establishing Outward Indispensible Orders relating to the Consciences of Believers I leave it to the Judicious Reader to savour whether Paul would have so immediately and as it were in one breath caution'd them to beware of being spoyled through the Traditions of Men c. without a further Caution to take heed lest they should account the Commands Sentences Decrees or Traditions of the Church such These things considered and compared with the Measure of Light in our selves I am satisfyed 't is not agreeable to Truth for any Man or Assembly of Men to atempt an Outward Indispensible Establishment of Outward Orders Rules and Decrees relating to Matters of Consciences under the New Covenant as the Orders Rules and Decrees of the Church of Christ Moreover if Christ did stand in need of Assistance to Establish his Government how is it possible that Man whose dayes are but as a span long should be capable to Establish that Government of whose increase there shall be no end but so it is that he doth not stand in need thereof For the Son that is given shall Order his Government and Establish it with Judgment and with Justice even from henceforth and forever read Isa 9.6 7. Besides if we do but consider where and after what manner the second appearance of Christ hath been and yet is to be expected and waited for those who know the Truth as preach't received and believed amongst the People of the Lord called Quakers in the Beginning do know That his Second Appearance hath been and yet is to be expected and waited for in the hearts of the Sons and Daughters of Men and the manner of his appearance hath been and is by his Spirit in us this hath often been testifyed and that in opposition to those who have been looking for his Second Coming in some Outward Bodily Appearance to reign as Lord and King I now appeal to Gods Witness in all Consciences Whether the Outward Establishment of Outward Government under the notion of Christ's Government doth not seem to square more with the Principles of such who look for his Second Coming in some Outward Bodily Appearance than with the Principles of those who conclude his Second Coming to be by his Spiritual Appearance in the heart and whether it be not inconsistent with Right Reason and Truth to conclude that Christ Jesus the Lord will Establish his Government otherwise than by his Spirit and in the heart where his Appearance hath been and is to be expected and waited for And since it is undoubtedly so that of the increase of Christ's Government there shall be no End I cannot understand to what End any Man should concern himself to consider how far it may extend yet R.B. hath so done Witness his 37 Page where he thus saith It is next to be considered in what Cases and how far it may extend To which I cannot but thus reply Those who are not Puft up with Spiritual Pride or Zeal without Knowledge may easily discern from such kind of language a Spirit that would Limit the Holy One of Israel by putting Bounds unto that Government of whose increase there shall be no end and though I speak of Man's inability to Establish Christ's Government yet I would not be understood as one accusing the aforesaid Author or any else to assert Man's Ability so to do For I know not any Men that will pretend themselves in that Case other than Instruments in God's Hands But yet this is to be Observed that since there is no Ground to believe that God everwill make use of Man under the New Covenant to Establish outward indespensible Orders Rules or Decrees to be as a measuring-line whereby those who are under Christ's Government shall be known therefore 't is reasonable to conclude That the endeavours of such who may exercise themselves therein may proceed from no better Power than that Ability which is of Man And notwithstanding he hath considered how far it extends yet I find not that he hath made any mention of the Business or at least a part of the business of one considerable Meeting which is a part of that Government or Order which he pretends to discribe and that is a Meeting held every second day of the week wherein writings treating of Divine Matters and which are intended by the authors for publick view are first viewed in Order to an approbation or the contrary * Witness the Paper at the latter end of this third part signed by Charles Marshal and thirty six more at which meeting his Treatise was past which gives occasion to treat a little of that Meeting since those of that Meeting are as well concerned in the said Treatises as he that writ it The Scriptures of Truth as far as I Remember are wholly silent as to any such Service acted in any Meetings amongst the primitive Christians and therefore I do not understand that there can be any real Ground or tolerable pretence that this is a part of the antient Apostolick Order of the Church of Christ We find the Apostle Acts 3. directed to chuse seven men full of the Holy Ghost to take Care that the Widdows should not be neglected in the dayly Ministration If the Holy Ghost in the Apostles days directed to chuse a certain select well qualifyed Number of men for such a Service as doubtless it did it s against right reason to suppose that the Apostles would in their day have left the consideration of such weighty matters as Treatises of things relating to the Kingdom of God and the salvation of mankind to the Approbation of an uncertain unselected Assembly for such I call that Meeting wherein many of the Writings of the People of the Lord called Quakers intended for publick View are approved or disapproved for that no Certain Select Number of Persons are chosen for that service but any Persons who have Publick Testimones for the Truth though but by way of Exhortation and are owned as Friends of Truth and come where that Meeting is appointed are the Persons by whom such Writings whether given forth by a Paul a Father or a Timothy a Son as are for publick service are approved or disapproved I now appeal to the impartial understanding Reader whether according to this form of Government one that is in the place of Paul a Father who according to the aforesaid Author hath right to rule over and command may not have the testimony which he hath through the motion
Christ's Light and in Subjection unto the Laws appertaining unto his Government which are not written in Tables of Stone but in the Heart according to the Tenour of the New-Covenant Heb. 8.9 10 11. And that those who are Invested with Power from on high may be Instruments in Gods Hand according to the Dispensation thereof given them of God to stir up the Pure Mind in others sometimes by way of Admonition Exhortation and sound Doctrine and sometimes by Charge or Command according as the Spirit of the Lord moves and operates and yet every one of these Operations according to the Dispensation of God is only to stir up the pure Mind that so through a sensible Closing with the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God shining in the Heart God's Witness in the Conscience may be raised in Dominion for that 't is according to Truth to affirm that the Admonition Doctrine and Exhortation Charge or Command of any whatsoever cannot be rightly received and imbraced otherwise than according to the Leadings of Christs Light that so it may appear that the Excellency of that Power is of God and not of Men read 2 Cor. 4.5 6 7 8. That the Holy Scriptures give not the least Testimony that the Apostles nor any Persons under the Notion of the Church of Christ endeavoured to Establish any Outward Orders and then term them the Order of the Gospel the Power of God much less so to Establish any Outward Order or Form of Discipline in the Church as that not only a Deviation therefrom but a not Imbracing those Outward Forms or Orders by such Believers who were never in the Practice thereof should be a Token that they were departed from the Faith but their Labours were to Establish the Churches in the Faith and in the Power rather than to build up Forms or Orders having them so Establish'd to be in the Practice of that Form which the Power either had or should lead them into and therefore the Apostle might well say Be ye not unwise but understand what the Will of the Lord is he doth not say what the Will of the Church is but what the Will of the Lord is submitting your selves one to another in the Fear of God According to which Submission I appeal to Gods Witness Whether it may not become as well the Duty of the Brethren to submit to one or two as one or two to submit to the Brethren and whether these kinds of Submission have not been practised amongst the People of the Lord called Quakers in these latter Days And though I say as aforesaid not the Church but what the Will of the Lord is yet hereby I would not be understood to render Christ and his Church divided but rather to shew that his Will who cannot Err is a surer Foundation to Build upon than the Wills of those who if they depart from Christ their Rock may Err. R. B. in his sixth Section treating how far this Government extends Page 39. thus saith This Order reacheth the composing differences as to outward things And further saith We do boldly aver as a People gathered together by the Lord unto the same Faith c. that we have Power and Authority to decide and remove these things amongst our selves On which I thus observe If Differences happen between two Brethren and not through the least intention to wrong each other then the Power of Truth in themselves will constrain such to choose Faithful Brethren skil'd in the Matters wherein they differ to decide the same and accordingly to submit and all this of a willing and ready Mind through the Power of Truth in themselves and not through constraint of others and so in this case here 's no need for any to come to their Brethren and say We do Boldly aver we have Power and Authority to decide c. But suppose this ensuing case should happen viz That two Brethren are at variance touching their Properties and Outward Concerns relating to Meum and Tuum as R. B's terms are and one of them is so departed from Truth in himself as that he will not of a ready Mind submit his Cause to the hearing of Persons to be chosen by themselves indifferently but being Contentious will either go to Law or else so abound in his own sense as nothing shall serve but to be Judge in his own cause If we now enquire what Christ the Truth doth in general direct and wherein this Case may be comprehended which is so great an offence to the other Brother whom Truth constrains to submit his Cause to the Hearing and Judgment of Persons indifferently chosen and that of a willing and ready mind we shall find he thus saith Mat. 18.15 16 17. If thy brother shall Trespasse against thee go tell him his fault between thee and him alone but if he will not hear thee then take with thee one or two more if he shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the Church if he hear not the Church let him be unto thee as an heathen man Christ's words do not here import that the Church hath Power over any man's Worldly Property or Outward Concerns it only saith If he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an Heathen Man And when a Brother is through the declaration of the Church become so to the other Brother against whom he hath trespassed then the Offended Brother may Justly seek his Remedy if the Offence and Trespass be touching Outward Concerns according to the Just Lawes of men relating to Property But perhaps some may Object thus This relates not to Outward Affaires but to Offences that are of a Spiritual Nature In Answer it may be said As to that the Scripture is wholly silent and therefore every Case wherein one Brother may trespass against another may according to Right Reason be comprehended in it and since the Case is stated between two Brethren and that on an orderly proceeding and admonition of the Church the sentence for not hearing the Church is Let him be unto thee as an Heathen Man to me it seemes to import that the Trespass intended was such an one as in a particular manner is against one Brother more than another and so as probable to be about their outward concernes as any thing else Besides if we do but consider that if a Brother be so much departed from the Truth as after Admonition by the Church not to Joyn with his Brother with whom he is at Variance in the choice of one or more to decide the matter 't is a certain Token that he is out of that which was the bond by which he became center'd into the Heavenly Fellowship of Christ's Body the Church And so then if it really were so that any Assembly under the Notion of the Church of Christ should assume to themselves Power and Authority to decide in Cases relating to Property yet in this and the like Case there can be no
ought to Believe and though there have been so many Diversities of Creeds in the World according to the various Apprehensions of divers Assemblies assuming to themselves the Title of the Church of Christ yet to this day I find not amongst the People of the Lord called Quakers that any certain number of Articles of Faith are given forth from any General Assembly or Particular Congregation under the Notion of the Church of Christ as their Creed and as a Measuring-Line by which those who are either in or departed from the Faith may be known and the reason hereof is evident because 't is against the Fundamental Principle viz. the Light to exalt any other Measuring-Line than that by which we were Baptized into the one Body of Christ viz. the Spirit Having thus promised as a more particular Answer to the Question I thus say I confess the true Church is in the true Faith and every Member thereof is in some measure at least of the same Faith that all the Elect of God are of so that it may in Truth be said every Member of the Church doth in some measure Believe as the rest of the Members do I say in some Measure because as there were diversities of Gifts and Operations so also were there Differences in Measures of Faith and therefore doth the Apostle wisely say to this purpose Let him that Prophesieth Prophesy according to the Proportion of Faith Rom. 12.6 But should any arise to say 't is Folly and Hypocrisy to Professones self a Member of the true Church yet not Believe thus as the true Church Believes without any further Explanation of the words or of what is intended thereby such may subject themselves to censure for by the words True Church in this Sentence and yet not Believe thus as the true Church Believes will be understood the rest of the Members from whom one or more differs in Faith Now there may happen to be a weak Brother whose Faith in some particular Matters may be otherwise than the rest of his Brethren's is this Case happened amongst the Romans to whom Paul thus writ Rom. 14.3 4 22 23. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not and let not him that eateth not Judge him that eateth for God hath received him Who art thou that condemnest another Mans Servant to his own Master he standeth or falleth Hast thou Faith have it to thy self He that doubteth is condemned if he eat because he eateth not of Faith and whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin Here a Diversity of Faith is Evident and that between Brethren and Members of the Church and yet neither appear to be Fools or Hypocrites he that did eat was not to be Judged because he was received of God and he that did not eat was so far from being Judged that the Apostle condemnes the very Eating whilest there was a Doubt though the Abstinence was the Fruit of Weakness These things considered I appeal to Gods Witness in all Consciences whether Truth can be served at this Day by asserting under the name of one called a Quaker such Principles as give occasion of Jealousie that this Doctrine is promoting amongst us We must Believe thus as the Church Believes without removing those Objections which for want of an Explanation may necessarily follow 'T is a true saying That the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against the Church that 's built upon the Rock Christ and that the Elect cannot be deceived but notwithstanding 't is thus said yet we know that particular Members of the Church of Christ have erred Objection Yet some may be ready to object and say * Note This Objection is so lay'd to â—n in the same Book wherein the last answered Query is written Though some particular Members may be liable to err 't is neither reasonable nor just to conclude the whole Body or Church of Christ is liable to err To this I say God forbid that the whole Church of Christ should err yet I say neither the Light within us nor the Scriptures of Truth without us do evidence that any Member one more than another is by any peculiar Election exempted from being liable to err no more than Particular Persons were from all Eternity Elected and others Reprobated and so it appears to me that the Promise was not with respect that some should continue still Faithful and not liable to err though others being liable thereto should err but with respect to every Member of the Church whilest establish'd on the Rock Christ so that not only a part of the Church but every Member thereof whilst built on the Rock Christ shall be so preserved as that the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against any one of them and this seems to me to be evident from the very Connection of the words of the Scripture Mat. 16.18 And upon this Rock I will Build my Church and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it that is against the Church built and whilest remaining on the Rock Christ But if any Assembly through Unwatchfulness and Disobedience depart from the Rock Christ whereon they were built then in that State they cannot properly be called the Church built and remaining on the Rock Christ and so having been liable to be overcome the Gates of Hell do prevail and therefore though 't is impossible that any one Member of Christ's Church whilest abiding in the Seed in which the Election stands and to which the Promise is can be deceived yet notwithstanding I affirm that every Member of Christ's Body and if every Member than the whole Church is liable to err if they wait not in and keep not unto that in which their Preservation stands Christ said Watch and Pray that ye enter not into Temptation this was spoken not with respect to some particular Members in the Church of Christ that were lyable to err and as if there were others that were not And therefore its reasonable to conclude that all may thorough Temptation be in danger to err if they watch not but yet my Faith is that a remnant will be preserved so watchful as that being built on the Rock Christ the Gates of Hell shall never prevail against them These things being duely weighed and considering what great Abuse hath been made of Scriptures that speak to this purpose That the Gates of Hell shall not prevaile against the Church of Christ and that what they bind or loose on Earth shall be bound or loos'd in Heaven and that also to maintain an Antichristian Yoak of Bondage under the pretence of Christ's Church saying That it cannot err it appears not much more like one call'd a Quaker if we consult the Writings of some of those antient and Honourable Labourers who were Instruments in the hands of the Lord to turn Thousands unto the Light within us as the unerring Guide to treat on such Scriptures if applyed to outward and settled Assemblies as such as are not
copy of a Letter pretended to be given forth by W. R. Friends IT was upon me for several weeks past if any occasion would in any wise permit to come up to the City of London to be present among Friends from divers parts of the Nation at this time that so I might have Opportunity to confer with Friends who were dissatisfied with me touching what I had written in Answer to Robert Barclays Book of Government And a few dayes before my coming up Robert Barclay being in London writ unto me to come up that we might have a Conference at large touching the same This his Request had the greater Obligation upon me to be present in London at this Time On Conference had with him we agreed that a Free-Meeting might be had with Friends in whose Presence Robert Barclay and my self might in all Coolness and Moderation conferr together that so all Mis-understandings might be removed and the Truth be evidenced to the Consciences of the Brethren then present The Meeting for this End was this day had and a very Christian and fair Debate was had to the Satisfaction of both of us as far as I can understand and the matters chiefly objected by me were fairly and Brother-like and in much Love discoursed and upon the whole Matter I am satisfied that Robert Barclay is not Principled so as I and others have taken his Book to import In particular he doth declare That his Book teacheth not that the Church of Christ hath Jurisdiction over the Outward Concerns of Friends in case of Difference without the Assent of the Differing Parties and that it was far from his Intention For his Intention as he declares was only to manifest that Friends ought to submit their Cases of Difference to the Decision of the Church and in Case of Refractoriness that Such Persons Ought to be Disowned That though Robert Barclay in one Place affirms to this purpose That there never will or can be wanting in case of Controversy the Spirit of God to give Judgement through some or other in the Church of Christ so long as any Assembly can properly or in any tolerable Supposition be so term'd He declares that the words were Sound and further sayeth that thereby he intends no other but such Assemblies as in reality and Truth may be termed the Church of Christ And whereas he sayeth to this purpose That 't is Disobedience to God not to submit to the Sentence of such Assemblies though the Persons refusing to submit pretend they see it not yet he declares that his meaning thereby is not that if they submit before Conviction of Conscience they therein find Acceptance with the Lord but rather to shew that their want of Sight is through Disobedience or unwatchfulness to the Grace of God in themselves which if they did take heed thereunto would shew it their Duty to obey We also had Discourse touching his Assertion that Principles and Doctrines c. believed through the Force of Truth on the Understanding are as it were the Terms and in another Place the Book produced it appeared that he asserted there was a more Inward Bond viz. the Life of Righteousness and that the Book declareth that we are gathered into the Belief of the Principles and Doctrines by the Truth and its Power and Influence upon our Hearts and the very Bond by which we became Centered into one Body and Fellowship c. and on a Debate thereof he acknowledged that his meaning was not they were the Original Bond but rather as Fruits and Branches of that Bond and so in that respect might be as an Outward Bond whereby we are United in an Heavenly Society We had also some Discourse touching his Title Page wherein he asserts that the Ancient Apostolick Order of the Church of Christ is Re-establish't on its right Basis and Foundation touching which he declareth That his meaning is not only with respect to all the Outward Orders and Forms of Discipline in Government amongst us but also with respect to the Power of God which in the Primitive Dayes was and now is the great Order of the Gospel And though Robert Barclay hath given these Explications of his meaning yet the very Explication as he sayeth are to be found in his Book if duely weighed Having given you an account in short of what was discoursed this day amongst Friends this further lies upon me to signifie unto you on the behalf of R. Barclay I am satisfyed that he is not Principled as I and many by some Passages in his Book took him to be and since it is so that many have taken an offence against him for that Cause as may be doubted even so far as to Reject his Testimony and Service for the Truth it lyeth upon me as my Duty even for his and the Truths sake to warn all that they take heed not to entertain Prejudice against his Testimony or Jealousyes that may enter on the score of any apprehensions or mistakes of his Book and that Answer that I have given thereto but rather in an unprejudiced Spirit to wait on the Lord to feel and Savour his Testimony even as if the occasion taken had never been And I do Freely confess that inasmuch as I Publisht my Book before I gave Robert Barclay notice of my Objections and Intentions therein I acted in that Respect not according to Gospel Order but am Justly worthy of blame therein It is with me also to signifie to you that I am abundantly satisfied that Robert Barclays Book of Government was Written at or before the time of its Date for that he Solemnly Affirms it was so William Rogers The Coppy of a Paper given forth by Charles Marshal and Thirty six Persons more Forasmuch as William Rogers of Bristol hath lately written a Manuscript against a Book of Robert Barclays Entituled The Anarchy of the Ranters and approved at the Second days Meeting at London and hath dispersed his Manuscript in Several Parts of this Nation without so much as first giving either to the said Robert Barclay in Particular or the Second Days Meeting in General any account of his Scruples or Dissatisfaction concerning the said Book of Robert Barclay contrary to all Rules of Brotherly Love Christian-Fellowship Gospel-Order and the Exemplary Practice of the Church of Christ to the Defamation of the said Robert Barclay the great Derogation from the Christian Authority of the said Meeting and the general Dis-service to Truth especially being sent unto Persons who at present are Disaffected to the present Unity of the Body of Friends And whereas on the Seventh Day of the Fourth Moneth 77. We whose Names are Under Written were met together in the City of London in the pure Fear and Holy Dread of the Lord God Almihty to hear what the said William Rogers had Objected against the said Book of Robert Barclay it appeared to us upon a Deliberate Serious and Impartial Hearing of the Matter in controversy that the
far the Citation out of the afore-said Manuscript And now to return again to the Consideration of the Matter contained in the afore-said Queries 'T is evident that granting the Answers of John Wilkinson and John Story to be true it renders them Innocent Men so far as related to the Matters queried And yet 't is too plain to me that this gave not G. F. Satisfaction to which I intend to speak more particularly here after And forasmuch as it could not be Just according to his own Rule who hath often exhorted Friends To follow Reports until the Author was found to conceal the Informers had the Answers of John Wilkinson and John Story given him satisfaction then I query Whether 't was not much more unjust to Conceal them when the Answers gave not Satisfaction especially since John Wilkinson testifieth That he writ to those who pretended G. F. desired an Answer to the Queries to desire G. F. to give the Names of the Informers with the witnesses That now which satisfies me that the Answers gave not Satisfaction is this Robert Barrow and others concerned at the Request of G. F. with John Wilkinson and John Story touching the said Queries were amongst other Subscribers to the Forty-Four Articles of Accusation drawn up against John Wilkinson and John Story either jointly or severally wherein the Matters queried were reduced into Articles of Accusation And not only so but were concerned in writing a Letter unto others touching this Business wherein they gave this Description of Iohn Wilkinson and Iohn Story viz. And Friends it is not any Personal Trespass against any of us that we charge them with nor any Particular Concern of our own as Men that we are in the Defence of But the Cause of Almighty God and in the Sense of the Wrong they have done to him But yet notwithstanding from the same Letter they say They have born a Dear Love and Honourable Respect unto them in the Holy Truth Comparing this with what is written in the Third Article of the Forty-Four Articles before-cited viz. Slighting the Heavenly Motion on G. F's Spirit in that Case in the Unity preciously felt and closed with meaning the Rule or Form of Church-Government set Forth by G. F. as by the said Article appears 't is to me evident that in the Sense of all who are Espousers of those Articles a Slighting of G. F's Outward Rules Methods and Orders with Respect to Church-Government amongst the People called Quakers is a Slighting of the Cause of God I now appeal to all such as are not ignorant of that Respect that is given by Robert Barrow c. unto G. F. whether 't is Rational to suppose that Robert Barrow c. would have concerned themselves in Subscribing and Abetting such Articles as related to the said Queries without his Approbation or Permission Besides I well remember that in a Reply made by Robert Barrow and others to John Wilkinson and John Story their Answer to the Forty-Four Articles afore-said John Story is accounted a Man of a Dark Spirit and in Confusion because he did not believe That what was given forth by G. F. was by him intended to be urged with Severity upon any of God's Faithful People but as Instructions and Directions commended to the Churches c. Which being disliked by many Friends unto whom the Knowledge thereof came I was the more concerned to query of G. F. when I had Opportunity Whether he owned that Sense given of John Story on that Occasion And thereupon being in his House at Swarthmore before the Meeting at Drawell occasioned by the said Differences in the North I spoke to him of it which occasioned him to call for the Answer wherein I affirmed it was And when the Passage relating thereto was produced I also well remember that he spoke not one word to Condemn the same nor yet to manifest the least Disapprobation thereof Which seriously pondering many Months after on Receipt of a Letter Received from him Dated the 14 th of the 11 th M on 1676. and comparing it with something written therein which within a few Lines herein after will be Cited I thought it a sufficient Demonstration that Whatever was pretended to be John Wilkinson's and John Story 's Failing yet nothing would give Satisfaction but Submission to him and his Outward Orders Prescriptions or Rules whether led thereinto by the Grace of God or no. Object Why dost thou speak of Submission to him Would not a Submission to his Outward Orders c have given Satisfaction I answer I am not satisfied it would because G. F. in his Letter last mentioned thus writes of them I tell thee Them that thou calls Accused are not Right for had they been Right and in the Light and Power of God as at the first they would have come to me when I sent for them Which seems not to me to be like unto the Language of that Good Shepherd who was Principled to leave the Ninety-Nine and seek after the One that which was lost After the Receipt of the Seven Queries by John Wilkinson he writes to John Blaikling and the rest to shew unto them the Inconveniency of his Answering such Questions whose Tendency were to gender Strife who not taking Warning thereby and still pressing for an Answer John Wilkinson at length Answers them the Substance whereof is before Cited And after that saith That he was Moved of the Lord a second time to write unto those who concerned themselves about the said Queries advising them to call in their Papers and tell how far they had been spread Warning them in the Word of the Lord that came unto him the 20 th Day of the 6 th M on 1675. to Repent and Turn from their Proceedings and leave God's People to the Order of his Gospel and Command and that if they would not then the Lord himself would break them and turn them one against another about their Orders But yet they desisted not I am now sensible that some who may industriously indeavour to clear G. F. from what is from the fore-going Lines justly as I take it laid at his Door in relation to the said Queries proposed to John Wilkinson and John Story may thus say We are not satisfied from all thou yet hast signified that G. F. was an Abetter of Robert Barrow and those others who concerned themselves about the afore-said Queries and Proceedings therein and we believe if G. F. should be Interrogated touching it that he would disown that it was done by his Authority or Approbation For the sakes of such I desire them seriously to consider the Observations which I make on these following Words mentioned in a Post-script to a Certificate writ by John Blaikling owne was one of those concerned with Robert Barrow touching the Queries and Proceedings thereon in favour of G. F. cited toward the latter-End of the Fifth Part of the Christian-Quaker viz. What do you think to do with your vainly Attempting
into the North much Writing was occasioned in Relation thereto which being not my present Purpose to Treat of I here omit That now the Reader may have an Understanding of that Sense and Judgment that was with John Wilkinson and John Story in relation to those Five Heads from whence all the before-mentioned Forty-Four Articles do spring I think meet to Cite their Testimony in Relation thereto read at the Meeting at Drawel And then comparing such their Sense and Judgment with those Antient and Faithful Testimonies of many labouring Friends in the Gospel of Peace who changed not their way since they became Publishers thereof to the Day they fell asleep it may then easily be savoured from what Spirit all the Mire and Dirt that hath been cast up against our Antient and yet Honourable Friends John Wilkinson and John Story hath sprung Their said Testimony now follows ON the whole Matter in the Fear and Presence of the Amighty God we declare That as we do approve of Monthly and Quarter-Meetings for the necessary Service of the Truth so we further say That as these or any other Meetings of Friends in Tenth shall be continued to answer these Services we believe that as it now is it also will become our Duty to be at Vnity with our Brethren in the Services thereof And though one of us viz. John Wilkinson did condescend to subscribe to a Paper for the Execting a Womans-Meeting in the Country to answer the Ends in the Paper proposed which he testifies he then did in Singleness of Heart for Vnity's sake Yet according to that inward Sense we now have there appears to us no Absolute Necessity to continue Womens-Meetings in this Country distinct and separate from the Men and therefore do Conscientiously forbear to Assent or Encourage to lay the Intentions of Marriages before them Yet that Inward Sense and Heavenly Vnderstanding we haue received from God hath and yet doth confirm us in this Iudgment That 't is not agreeable with the Line of Truth to oppose others in the Exercise and appointed Service of the said Meetings as here-to-fore and yet settled and agreed upon who being Conscientious therein are otherwise minded than we are And if any of our Words and Actions have had any Tendency to oppose c. which we are not Conscious of but if we were we would readily confess we say the Truth in us would have Condemned it even as it now doth And if it shall please the Lord to manifest unto us a Service in those Meetings in the Country as well as Cities the same Integrity towards God which hath dwelt with us these many Years past we believe will become a Bond on us to joyn Hand and Heart with others our Brethren and Sisters therein But till then our Desires are That this may not become an Occasion of Straitness of Spirit each towards other but that Embracing the wholesom Counsel of the Apostle in another Case If in any thing ye are otherwise-minded wait till God reveal we may walk together in that pure undefiled Love of our God which thinketh no Evil. That though many of our Brethren see a Service in Recording Condemnations and Leaving them upon Record to Posterity yet from that Inward Sense and Heavenly Vnderstanding we have we see no Necessity to leave them upon Record to Posterity or retain them when the Sin is blotted out and remitted by the Lord neither to be extended further than the Offence is known nor yet to continue longer than the Memory of the Offence abideth But if any see meet from an Inward Sense of Truth in themselves to leave such Testimonies relating to themselves to Posterity we have there-with Vnity That this our Sense may be no Occasion of Straitness of Spirit each towards others is the Earnest Desire of our Souls who desire the Prosperity of Truth and Peace amongst all the Churches of God As to Tythes We can in truth say 'T was never so much as in our Hearts to speak any Words whatsoever with the least Intent to Strengthen any in the Payment thereof nor yet to weaken the Faith of any having a Testimony in our Hearts that Tythes as at this Day paid are Anti-christian That as Groanings Sighing Soundings and Singings may proceed from Deceitful Spirits so also we declare Groanings Sighing Soundings and Singings may be the Fruit of the Spirit of the Lord amongst God's People And that as the First is Discouraged the Second ought to be Encouraged And the Earnest Desires of our Souls are That as to these Things nothing but the Spirit of Truth and sound Iudgment may appear either to Reprove or to Encourage And though we have been Accused as if we were Opposers of such Groanings c. which the Truth approveth yet God is our Witness we know it not That though we have been represented as Persons Encouraging Fleeing in Time of Persecution We say we are not Conscious to our selves of so doing For we believe those who stand not to their Testimony but flee there-from in the Day of Persecution may truly be accounted either Weak in the Faith or Departing from the Faith And thus having given our Inward Sense according to the Vprightness and Integrity of our Hearts concerning these Five General Heads from whence all the Forty-Four Articles do arise we shall with this conclude That the God of Heaven is our Witness our Desires are to approve our selves Men of Peace in the Abhorrency of all Fleshly Liberty and Loosness and to follow after Truth and Righteousness that the Regin of the Power of the Eternal God may be over all so will the Kingdoms of this World become the Kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ As to the Two Questions Answered by the Friends and Brethren met on this Occasion We in the Fear of the Lord say We in the Proposing thereof had not the least Thoughts to obtain your Yea and Nay with intent thereby to strengthen such who may be accounted our Party in any thing that 's contrary to Truth nor to encourage Loosness or Bad Spirits But conscientiously to remove the Scruples of some And further we say We are better satisfyed with your Explication therein than with your bare Yea and Nay For that we as well as you are sensible Apostates and Bad Spirits seeking a Fleshly Liberty have made use of Arguments deducible from such Principles of Truth to oppose the Power of God it self and the Practice of God's People in the Power John Wilkinson John Story 'T is now worthy the Readers Notice That G. F. takes occasion to write unto John Wilkinson and John Story sometime after the Meeting at Drawel which being Cited in the Eighth Section of the Second Part of the before-mentioned Manuscript together with Answer thereto pertinent on this Occasion I think meet here to Transcribe the same together with those Observations that are made thereon in the said Section THis is the Word of the Lord to you John
our Way was before the Devil was and all the Words Wayes and all Apostates and will be when they are gone and this I tell Thee and Them But these Words of thine are not from the Light of Christ nor the Spirit of God for I know no New Way nor New Form carryed on with Church-Authority as thou Reproachfully sayest But here thou hast manifested thy Separate Spirit and Mind For the Authority of our Men and VVomens-Meetings is the Power of Christ Jesus who is the New and Living Way and never changes And all Men and Women that believe in his Light and receive him he gives them Power to become the Sons of God and such are Heirs of the Power which is the Authority of the Meetings And they ought freely to come and go to that which they are Heirs of without your Imposition or Opposition And all that receive him in the Light he gives them Power and they are Heirs of his Power and his Life So they are Heirs of the Authority of the Men and VVomens-Meetings and every Man and Woman that is an Heir has Right to the Authority and they have taken their Possessions and are taking their Possessions And you in your Separate Spirit from the Divine Light of Christ say Your Chosen Men and them whom you have given Power unto And say Usurpers of Authority have come amongst your Chosen Men whom you have given no Power unto And that None shall sit amongst your Chosen Men neither of your own County nor others but to tell their Message and go their wayes And so this kind of Church-Order amongst you as you call it is worse than any Court or Assizes or Sessions or Courts And much I could say to it but you may read your Paper though you make a great Pretence of Liberty in it But I have not heard yet of any that like your Prescription that keep their First Love and Habitation And therefore as I said before the Way to come into Unity is to Condemn it all and give over your Spirit of Strife and Fightings and come into that which did first Convince you that by it you may be made true Members and so come into Meekness and Unity For I saw many Years before I went forth that such should rise in Opposition and so it is nothing to me because it is the same Spirit that hath risen formerly in many others and the Peaceable Truth and Gospel of Peace is over it and it is out of the Kingdom that stands in Peace And the efore what I write is for your Good and it had been well for Thee and You had you taken what I writ before patiently For I see the more you stir the more you will heap upon your own Heads and the further ye will put your selves except you come to Repentance and come down in the Humility for thee and you are too high and I Judge this Spirit as I said before and its Works with the Spirit and Light of Christ For in the Spirit and Light of Christ is my Unity that is atop of this Spirit and its Works and in that is my love to all for their everlasting good whether they will hear or forbear and my Life is out of your Spirit of Strife and over it for the Seed of Life reigns which had you kept in it you would have seen me the same now as I was in the beginning and being gone from that and gone into Doubts Jealousies and Questions and Evil Surmisings by which you are blinded so as you see not me as I was in the beginning as many others have done the same before you and when they are gone from the unlimited Spirit of Christ then they are afraid to be limited And therefore be advised and come to judge that Spirit lest your Bonds be made strong and you grow worse and worse and find not a Day of Repentance and the Lord give you up to Hardness of Heart and to your Hearts Lusts and that your Latter-End be not worse than your Beginning for it is the Universal Spirit and Life that your Spirits fight against which as I said before God will blast And so mind your End for it will manifest it self and has manifested it self to all you that be in the Light which I fay once again come unto and condemn this Spirit and its Works and your Separation that in it you may have Unity for it s out of the Paradise in the Transgression I thought to have written nothing to thee but to have sent thy Letter back unto thee again knowing what Spirit it came from which indeed was not worth Answering but only to the intent that thou and you might Repent and come into that which you were brought into in the beginning and in that you will see what a spirit is gotten up in you that by it you may judge it and not die and perish in your Gainsaying for the word which I writ to you will stand and you will find it and I shall be manifest to that of God in all though it be the Condemnation of them that walk not in it and my Unity is with them that walk in it and such need no outward Prescriptions that are written with the Spirit of God in one anothers Hearts to gather them withal who are written in Heaven and whose Names are written in the Book of Life before the Foundation of the World was Glory to God for Ever And I shall not much take notice of You if you continue in Strife except it be by publick Testimonies And the Jewes might have reflected against the Prophets who spoke the Word of the Lord often to them but they did not regard it neither would they be convinc'd who stood in their Own Wills And truly John I must needs tell thee Thou and You are gotten up into the same and I have been sorry for You and my Spirit has sometimes Travelled but I saw there was a perverse Spirit in thee when thou wert at Swarthmore though I dealt tenderly and plainly and faithfully with you and spoke the word of the Lord to You and told You that If You did not come to that which did first convince You and bring all others whom you had drawn into a separation with You to Condemn it the Blood of all them would be required at your Hands and that was and is the Word of Truth which will stand and is Sealed And I was grieved that the Glory of the Lord which had appeared in the North and his Name should be dishonoured by your cross thwarting Spirit and that You should bring an Evil Report upon it into the South of any difference but that was and is a true Word You are got up into a wrong Spirit that is Rough and Course which I feel and see that is not savoury nor gracious which had you retained your primitive Love and Light and Faith that works by Love and been in the quiet meek Spirit and
Faithful Friends under the Notion of Dark Spirits and whether otherwise the Prophesies of those who have prophesied blasting and withering outwardly might not quickly come to pass where Persecution is The aforesaid queries my desire is that thou George Fox mayest answer that so the simple-hearted Friends may plainly know what thy Iudgment is in things of this nature for I have cause to believe that many such are at this day drawn into the Belief and Practice of some things for which they have no sufficient ground from the Conviction of Conscience in themselves but rather as prompted thereto by such who are like unto those who lay heavy Burthens on others which they themselves will not touch with their little fingers but blessed be the Lord there are Eyes that see and do perceive there are Ears that hear and do understand and have boldness and Confidence given them of the Lord to stand in the Gap as Witnesses against such who cry against Fleers in time of Persecution and yet are Fleers at such times themselves that blame others for securing their Goods from the Spoilers and yet Secure their own that prompt the Poor to offer up their ALL and yet take Care to advise the Rich to secure their Estates that cry against others as Unruly because they will not be subject to them and yet think themselves not obliged to be subject to any Rule but their own that testifie against Libertines and yet take Liberty to Backbite Slander and False Accuse that declare against Tale-bearers and yet be the chief Nourishers and Upholders of such that bear witness against Wickedness and Dark Spirits and be so dark as to record * * Read G. F's book touching Womens Meetings page 43.44 an Idolatrous Woman for a Virtuous one and as it 's said to try the Bad Spirits that cry against loosness and yet be so loose as to quote a meeting of Men and Women where * * Viz. The Meeting before the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation where old Ely's Sons lay with the Woman as in G. F's book of Womens-meetings Lewdness was committed to prove Womens Meetings as G. F. hath done that would be accounted Watch-men watching for Good Healers of Breaches Removers of Stumbling-blocks and yet appear Watching for Evil and not for Good Increasers of Differences by adding Fewel to the Fire and casting Stumbling-blocks in the way of the Simple that appear Reprovers of such for Tythe-Payers who ever bore a Faithful Testimony against it and yet advise others to buy their Tythes that say God hath given them Infallible judgment in all things and yet appear notoriously Fallible How far thou G.F. art concerned in such things as these will appear in the day of the Lord when every mans Words and Works must be brought to judgment for I firmly believe thou art the man that hast been guilty in all these things and in the mean time take this as the fourth Warning Caution or Advice from the Hand of thy Friend who never knew the Moment wherein I had more Peace in any one Action of my Life than in what I now am writing let the time past be sufficient repent for thy many Miscarriages which God hath raised me as an Instrument in his Hand to discover unto thee for the Imperiousness of thy Spirit hath but an ill Savour in the Noscrils of God's people and as it was said of the priests of old whereof the prophet declares that because they caused many to stumble therefore were they despised and made vile before all the People so it may in time be said of thee unless thou Repent because thou hast laid Stumbling-blocks before many The Righteous God is Witness between thee and me when no mortal Ear that I know of did hear save our own that thou toldst me after thou grantedst my Request of having an hours private Discourse with thee at my being at London this last spring That thou knewest what thou didst in that Quotation of Micha's Mother that Idolatrous Woman though thou rendredst her as one recorded for her Wisdom and her Dirtue and that thou sawest 't would be a Stumbling-block I therefore cannot but take this opportunity seriously to put it to thy Conscience dost thou think thou hast done well to put a Stumbling block before the people of the Lord dost thou think a blessing can attend such an Action in thee when Christ himself hath pronounced a general woe against those who are guilty thereof Oh George consider before it be quite too late do not continue an instrument to raise Divisions Strife and Contention amongst the professors of the Truth for if thou dost the loss of many souls may be laid at thy door which in one day may be a burthen too heavy for thee to bear Perhaps some may think many things I hint at are groundless especially the matter relating to G. F's advising the rich to secure Worldly Estate and to buy Tythes and therefore to come a little closer I add these two queries I. Whether thou G. F. whilst Isaac Penington was in prison and in Erpectation of being premunired didst not thou advise or at least encourage Mary Penington to secure her or their Estate and whether afterward thou G. F. didst not speak in discourse with another Friend about the same matter to this effect viz. What a condition she viz. Mary Penington had been in had it not been for thee meaning as to outward Estate If thou G. F. deny this I will undertake to prove it or bring Teltimony under the hand of a Credible Friend in Truth that Mary Penington did signifie so much as is queried in the first part of the query and also prove or bring under the hand of a Credible Friend in Truth to whom thou G. F. spoke according as is queried in the latter part II. Whether thou G. F. didst not advise Nathaniel Crips of the County of Glocester to buy his Eythes both of Priest and Impropriator If thou deny it I will undertake to prove it or bring it under the hand of Nathaniel Crips that thou so didst Bristol the 20th of the 7th Month 1678. William Rogers The aforesaid answer was read in the Mens Meeting of Friends of the City of Bristol at which some of the Party with G. F. seemed very uneasie whereupon some Priends to VVilliam Rogers proposed to this effect That William Rogers was in the City for he acquainted a Friend that he would be within at his House if Occasion should be to send for him and ready to stand by what he had done and that if they pleased they might appoint a Meeting on purpose with William Rogers on this Occasion but none of the Party with G. F. appeared to appoint a Meeting the secret Cause whereof we believe was because that some of the Party with him were conscious to themselves that G. F. in many things was represented no otherwise than he had manifested himself to be Thus far
committed to prove Womens Meetings as G. F. hath done that would be accounted Watch-men watching for Good Healers of Breaches Removers of Stumbling-blocks and yet appear Watchers for Evil and not for Good Increasers of Differences by adding Fewel to the Fire and casting Stumbling-blocks in the way of the Simple that appear Reprovers of such to Tythe-Payers who ever bore a Faithful Testimony against it and yet advise others to buy their Tythes that say God hath given them Infallible judgment in all things and yet appear notoriously Fallible How far thou G.F. art concerned in such things as these will appear in the day of the Lord when every mans Words and Works must be brought to judgment for I sirmly believe thou art the man that hast been guilty in all these things From these last words George Fox Page the second thus saith And thou hast many queries upon my Epistle and on thy conclusion sayest Thou believest that I am the Man that is guilty of them all So by this it appears they are charges against me This Construction of G. F. is utterly wrong for my words from whence he draws that conclusion cannot in common sense and according to the Connexion of words so import they being only relative to the preceding matter contained in a distinct Paragraph after I had done with the Queries but yet I would not have any to think that I asked one Question as having no ground so to query Moreover 't is observable my aforesaid words will not amount unto a Charge because to believe and to charge are two distinct things for a man may believe a Charge and yet have no hand in giving the Charge but a man cannot honestly charge another and yet pretend he doth not believe the Charge G. F's manifested Weakness doth not end here for suppose his Construction had been my Meaning he might then have justly accused me of Folly but not justly have rendred me one charging him with False Accusations as on this occasion he hath done since the Queries were not answered by me without which no certain Accusation could be really manifested because questions may be answered in Truth sometimes by Yea and sometimes by Nay On this false Assertion G. F. is become guilty of as many Lyes as my Queries before proposed are in number viz. thirteen Besides if G. F's Judgment manifest in his reply touching me viz. That I have manifested Madness and Folly were true yet my Folly hath not been so great as to write one Lye eight times over and thirteen particular Lyes and all on the foot of two False Assertions besides many more as hereafter in this my reply will appear and that also dotectable from the view of my Paper and G. F's Answer thereto as he hath done I will not adventure to say this in him was the Fruit of Madness and Folly though 't is evident he doth not heed what he writes and in the most charitable Construction that I can put thereon the Reason he so doth as I take it springs from an Imagination possessing his heart that he concludes whatever first arises in his mind on the sight or hearing of any thing is fit to be brought forth and stood by And truly 't is to be doubted the like Imagination hath possessed many amongst whom I take John Blaykling to be one by giving forth a False Certificate to cover G. F. in his Defence of a Lye against the Truth of which more anon I now come to signifie that G. F's sending those Queries was more like the Action of a Friend to a company of Hireling Priests than the Action of one Friend to a Meeting of Friends accounted by some the Church and that what I writ by way of Answer to him by name was more plain than his smiting in general terms so far as Queries may be called Smiting Neither was my reading my Answer in the Mens Meeting against my former declared sense and Judgment though G. F. doth so insinuate instancing the case of Thomas Cam which is remote from his purpose 1. Because Thomas Cam was never opposed by me or any that I know of to read any Paper in the Mens Meeting And 2. when an Agreement was appointed between Thomas Cam and John Wilkinson in order to prove John Wilkinson an Encourager of Wickedness Friends were not willing to hear Thomas Cam read Papers to prove other men wicked not present because the business of the Meeting was to prove John Wilkinson Wicked and though 't is not proper for one Friend to bring forth Accusations against another Friend in order to obtain a Judgment against the Accused behind his back which was the case of John Blaykling and twenty five more Accusers and Informers against John Story and John VVilkinson in order to have nine persons chosen by those Informers to sit in Judgment on John Story and John Wilkinson when they refused to own their Authority over them yet if one that hath professed the truth hath sent abroad his Papers having a tendency to put one Friend against another about securing Outward Estate when he hath advised the like and not only so but hath made Lyes his Refuge thereby abusing honest men that cannot submit to his will 't is proper enough for me or any that may have a Concern of Conscience as I have to discover the fruits of such a Deceiving Betraying Spirit though behind the back of him in whom it appears But should I choose nine persons and summon G. F. before them as Judges over him without his Assent and if he would not own their Authority proceed to accuse and obtain such Judges to judge the matter and spread that Judgment over a Nation to his Defamation right or wrong it would not add to my Credit though I might quote nine who have been taken to be of the party with G. F. for a President in the very like Case and not only so but might also quote several others judging me with respect to my Answer to G. F. without either hearing what I could say to manifest the Reasonableness of my so writing or G. F. to plead his Innocency to all the matters written by way of Reflection on him And whereas G. F. saith that I said to Bray Dayly that I sent it meaning my Answer to G. F. three weeks before it was read in the Meeting I say that 's utterly false 't is probable I might acquaint him 't was written so long before or left some time before with Charles Jones senior of Bristol to be sent to G. F. for so I did but he desired more time to consider whether he would send it or no than I was willing to grant Page 32th of George Fox's Manuscript he thus saith Here it is evident thou hast fulfilled my former words that these thy pretended Queries were all of them real Charges seeing here thou saist thou firmly believest that I am the Man that hath been guilty of all these things before-mentioned and
a part 2d Part p. 85 to 92. Iews An Objection raised Whether they acted not from the Light within in Crucifying Christ An Answer to the said Objection 2 d. Part p. 9 10. Ignorant The way how the Ignorant have been Ensnared 4 th Part p. 32 33. Imposer See Church-Government Independency The written Words of a Publick Preacher insinuating as if the Tendency of some of our Spirits were down-right Independencies are treated on shewing That we are Principled to depend on the Sufficiency of God's Grace and not on Man c. 1 st Part p. 38 to 42. Infallibility As relating to Internal Things annexed only to the Spirit of God 2 d. Part p. 11 12. How Men endued with the Infallible Spirit are Deceived Fallible 2 d. Part p. 12 13. An Animadversion on this Sentence That the Church of Christ is Infallible and cannot Err 3 d. Part p. 13. Iniquity not distinguish't by our Opposers from Conscientious Scruples 3 d. Part p. 50 51. Innovation See Apostacy Innovators 3 d. Part p. 49. A Part of their Doctrine 3 d. Part p. 50. Iohn Story and Iohn Wilkinson Some concerned in drawing up Forty-Four Articles against them confessed under their Hands That 't is not any Personal Trespass against any of them that they charge Iohn Story and Iohn Wilkinson with nor any particular Concern of their own as Men that they are in the Defence of but the Cause of Almighty God and the Wrong they have done to him But yet some of us know and that from their own Writings that their pretended Wrong to God is a Slighting some of George Fox's Rule c. which in some of John Wilkinson's and John Story 's Opposers Sence are to be urged with Severity which is no less than an Enforcing on God's Faithful People 1 st Part p. 86 87 88 89. Iohn Wilkinson writ to some who of late were his Opposers That the Word of the Lord came to him the 20 th Day of the 6 th Moneth 1675. the Import whereof is That the Lord would break his Opposers and turn them one against another about their Orders if they Repent not 4 th Part p. 28. John Wilkinson and John Story their Accusers chuse Judges to Judge the Matters whereof they Accuse them 4 th Part p. 29 30. The Testimony of John Wilkinson and John Story in Relation to Five Heads from whence the Forty-Four Articles of Accusation were drawn up against them relating to Church-Government wherein they particularly bear their Testimony against Payment of Tythes 4 th Part p. 37 38 39 40. Isaac Penington his Testimony touching That Authority which Christ excluded out of his Church and Of the Danger of running into Religious Practices before led thereinto by the Spirit and Of receiving Things for Truths because others see them to be Truths and That the great Error of the Ages of the Apostacy hath been to set up an Outward Order and Uniformity and to make Mens Consciences bow thereto 3 d. Part p. 89 to 98. Iustification and Salvation through Faith in Christ owned and cleared from the Objections of such as have seemed to extend the Benefit of Christs Obedience unto Persons whil'st Sin is reigning in their Mortal Bodies shewing That though such as are in Christ are Redeemed from under the Law which consisted in Carnal Ordinances yet they ought to be subject to the Law of Faith which is accompanyed with Works of Righteousness wrought in Man by the Spirit of God 2 d. Part p. 61 to 71. K KIngdome of GOD Things relating thereto are revealed to the Creature but by one way viz. the Spirit though the Manifestation may be various viz. sometimes through Man or the Scriptures as Instruments and sometimes through Himself 2 d. Part p. 2 3 4. Knowledge without Zeal Some Part of the Fruits thereof discovered 1 st Part p. 73 74 75 76. The Want of Knowledge the Cause of a Perishing Estate and Bowing to Men 2 d. Part p. 25. The Meaning of these Words of the Apostle Knowledge puffeth up 2 d. Part p. 26 27. L LIberty and Forbearance in Robert Barclay's Sence refuted 3 d. Part p 80 81 82. Liberty of Conscience A Description wherein it doth consist 3 d. Part p. 17 18. What that Liberty of the Conscience is that is according to the Gospel In particular it admits of no Liberty to Sin 3 d. Part p. 86 87. Light of Christ What the Measure of it is and the Effects of Obedience to it 1 st Part p. 3 4. See the 2 d. Part p. 2 5 6 7 8. Those who this Day say We were taught to follow the Light in our Consciences and not the Orders of Men and That we will not have Men to Rule over us thereby meaning such Men as being in a Separation from the Establish't Religion by Law would yet be accounted Church-Governours over us utters Language becoming Christians And though Robert Barclay hath reflected on such kind of Language yet 't is proved to be Sound 3 d. Part p. 43 44. M MAgistracy Obedience Active or Passive due to it 2 d. Part p. 30 31 32. Master On what Ground and to whom the word Master is dis-used by us 2 d. Part p. 34. Meetings Some part at least of Nine Meetings for Worship of God in Westmoreland submit their Affairs without Restriction either to Temporal or Spiritual Affairs to Establisht Monthly and Quarterly-Meetings and Discharge the Separates so termed who are reputed to be of Party with John Wilkinson and John Story to concern themselves in their Affairs meaning as by the Scope of their Words appears the Churches Affairs 1 st Part p. 89 90. Such Submission may be by us reasonably taken to be in the Sense of such Submitters a Mark to know a Member of the Church at least in those Parts p. 90. And such their Discharge seems a Token of some Imaginary Authority and Designe of the Exaltation of One Man namely George Fox for which several Reasons are given in the Defamation of others and that the Name of Monethly and Quarterly-Meetings are but as a Conduit to convey it to him p. 90 91 92. See also what is written touching Monethly and Quarterly-Meetings in 1 st Part p. 11 12 13 14 and then consider whether 't is not wholly Irrational that such should assume unto themselves the Title of Church and on that Foot expect Submission p. 14. The Order in Collecting the Sence of such Meetings spoken of 1 st Part p. 14 15. And in what Sence the Counsel in holding such Meetings was embraced and the End thereof 1 st Part p. 15 16. Monethly Quarterly-Meetings of Men and also of Women distinct from Men not owned by us to be Established as a Part of Christ's Government 3 d. Part p. 8 to 14. Womens-Meetings distinct from Men how they came to be held and for what End 1 st Part p. 63 to 67. The General-Meeting hath usually consisted of uncertain Numbers of uncertain Qualifyed Persons 1 st