tho' they Thee and Thou the Worlds People yet they do not care to be Thou'd by them They Love very well to be Master'd and Mistress'd by them And will say to them sometimes when they call the Quakers after their own fashion by their Bare I had almost said Christen'd Names why do'st thee speak our Language seeing thee do'st allow of giving Titles Thee shoud'st speak in the Language thee do'st approve of V. Again if you object the Common Place which All the Quakers Insisted upon so much at the Beginning when they were Poor That it was Anti-Christian for any Man to Sue another at Law And a Plain mark of the Reprobate and People of the World In the Describing of whom G. Fox in his News out of the North. p. 19. Among many other Wicked and Abominable Practises as he Reckon'd them sets this down as a Main one These wicked Folks Are such says he as Sue Men at the Law which Christ forbade Yet now that the Quakers are Grown Rich and have something to Sue for They Sue as fast as the World's People Yet this is no Contradiction to their Principle No. But only a Contrary Testimony to Clear the other when Objected VI. 1. If you object their not observing of Times Set apart by the Church as Festivals c. They can shew the Contrary Principle of their General Councils their Yearly Meetings in London which they always Appoint to be Celebrated in Whitson-Week that being the Great Festival ordained to be kept in Memory of the Miraculous Descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles at the Feast of Pentecost If it be said That this time is appointed only upon Account of the Season of the Year because the Quakers come yearly to attend this their most Solemn Meeting from Foreign Countries even from the West-Indies That Excuse will not do for this Feast is Movable sometimes a Months difference And if they Respected only the Season of the Year they wou'd keep to some Constant Month that all might know But that they shou'd Always stumble just upon Whitsun-Week will not pass merely upon Chance But their Reason is plainly because they Pretend to the Greatest Effusions of the Holy Ghost which they have made Peculiar to Themselves And therefore keep their General Meetings in Whitsun-Week and at no other time which is a most Solemn Observation of that Great Festival of the Church And yet they Exclaim most Bitterly against the Observation of Times as being Carnal and forsaking of the Truth c. Nay G. Fox in his News out of the North. p. 23. Names Whitsuntide with Christmas and Easter among the Holy-Days which he Runs down So that here are Contrary and Re-Contrary Testimonies 2. They now Generally observe The Lord's Day for their Publick Worship But if any shou'd object this as an Observation of Times they have Ancient Testimonies to Produce where the Quakers have Preach'd and Printed against the observation of That Day as Superstitious Carnal c. And Solomon Eccles and others of their Prophets have got themselves into Churches before the People Met and carry'd with them a Pair of Briches Gloves or something of their Trades and set themselves in the Pulpit or upon the Communion-Table and there were found busie at work when the People came to Church and some of them have Opened their Shops on that Day purposely as a Contempt of the Day and to bear their Testimony against it Which G. Whitehead Vindicates in his Truth Defending the Quakers Printed 1659. p. 20. 21. where he Repeats this Question that was put to him Did that Quaker Sin therein or not who brought lately on the Lord's Day an old Dublet into Dr. Gell 's Church in London and sat upon the Communion Table mending it while the Doctor was Preaching the Parishioners forbidding him And his Answer is in these words What wilt thou Continue a Papist that thou Countest it such a Great Crime to Work upon the Communion Table as if it were a more Holy Place than another And like a Papist thou callest the Steeple-House the Church which thou hast no Scripture for And if any Quaker did as thou sayest whether thinkest thou was his working there or a Priest 's Preaching for Money and setting forth his ware to Sale there as in the Market-house the Greater offence And where do'st thou Read in Scripture that men must do no work on the First days of the week Thus he Yet now the Quakers Cease from Work on that Day And set up for the Observation of it as well as others Tho' formerly they us'd to make up their Accounts on that Day to Pay and Receive Money c. which I can Prove from those to whom they have come upon that Errand But to save them on all sides the Quaker Infallible Spirit can go both ways For and Against the Observation of the lord's-Lord's-Day And Both as Directed by the same Spirit Thus G. Fox Determins in what he calls An Epistle to All the Christian Magistrates and Powers in the whole Christendom London Printed An. 1659. p. 12. So all Friends says he of the Lord God that be Moved to set open your Shops or to do any work on the First Day which the false Christians call their Sabbath Do not ye Judge all that do not as ye do that be not moved to do the Service as ye are to do that Day And all that doth not do that service on that Day as ye do as are not moved by the Power of the Lord God do not Judge them that doth such a Service on that Day Here he makes them the False-Christians who call the First-Day their Day of Sabbath or Rest. And if the calling it so be such a Crime sure the Observation of it as such must be much Greater Yet he Graciously gives the Quakers leave to be such False-Christians if their Light so Direct The meaning is That their Light is Equally Infallible when it Commands Contradictions But he casts the Ballance against the Observation of the Christian Sabbath only wou'd not have those Precious ones to be Judged who do Observe it I cannot Refrain from giving you his Reason against the Observation of it which is Worthy of his Infallibility You will find it in his Great Mystery p. 101. viz. That it was not the Seventh but the Eighth Day That is It was the Eighth of the Seven Days Unless the Quakers make more than Seven Days in a Week And if it was the Eighth Day why do the Quakers call it the First Day But it is well enough if the Light so Direct Was this too from The Mouth of The Lord Yea Verily or else G. Fox has Decreed Himself to be a Conjurer But the best of it is No body will believe him who ever knew him or have Read his Books VII 1. Let me give Another Instance of the Contrary Testimonies of the Quakers At their first setting up when they were Poor and Beggarly it was their
them over night next day when I sent for them not one of them was to be had When he is Dead that too must pass the Index Expurgatorius with the Rest of his Works If Quakerism be not out of Fashion before that time which I Hope he may Live to see If they wou'd Call in or Commit to the Flames all their Old Editions I shou'd be very well Pleas'd to Rake no More into them But let them and their Heresies Die together And let the Present Quakers slide Gently from their Errors without the Shame of Recanting For it is their Conversion not Victory over them that we seek But when these Old Quaker Books are still kept as Sacred Relicts by the Generality of the Ignorant and Besotted Quakers And their Now Governing and Subtile Teachers in all the Apologies they have of Late Published still Pretend to stand by and Confirm All the Testimonies and Writings of their Ancient Friends and that In all the Parts of them And that they are thus Enjoin'd by the Yearly Epistle of their General Council as supposing them all Infallible and Dictated by the Immediate Inspiration of the Holy Ghost as they Horridly Pretend yet are not Afraid to Alter Correct and Amend them It becomes Necessary and our Duty to Search out and Expose them That being the Most Likely Means to Open those Eyes which are not Seal'd up to their own Destruction And now let others think That if the Figure of Quakerism be so Abhorrent even as Represented to Us in their Re-Printed and Corrected Books How ten times more Deform'd and Frightful it wou'd Appear if taken off their first Rude Draught if their Original Books were Expos'd to Publick view if the Publick wou'd take some Method to have them Collected and Reserv'd in some safe Place till ther shou'd be no Longer Use for them but what they first Deserv'd the Animadversion of the Hang-Man and a Faggot In the mean time Let the more sober among the Quakers Reflect how the Words of their Prophets give a Certain sound as Boasted in the Title-Page of BVRROVGH's Trumpet before Quoted when they are Chopt and Chang'd as we have seen and made Speak the Language of Every Turn tho' in Direct Opposition to one Another And if their Words are the Immediate Dictates of the Holy-Ghost as they Blasphemously Pretend then must the Curse of Adding to or Diminishing from the Word of God Light upon those who have Added or Substracted or Alter'd any thing in Any of these Quaker-Writings Which Curse they May Read in the Book of Rev. xxii 18 19. To have their Part taken away out of the Book of Life and out of the Holy City and from the things which are written in this Book And to have the Plagues which are written in this Book added unto them This they must take to Themselves or else Confess as the Truth is That the Words of these Quaker-Prophets were not Wrote from the Spirit of God And if so then because they do Pretend to be so Written they must be Acknowleg'd to have been Wrote by the Spirit of Blasphemy that is the Devil And that this is the Spirit which has Possess'd these QVAKERS To Sir Thomas Lane Lord Mayor of London HAving been Lately Summoned before Thee by Dr. Linford and Marmaduke Hopkins who are more Diligent to seek thy Warrant to take Our Goods than to seek us thereby shewing That it 's Ours more than We they desire and Love Which to us shews That they have no more Right to esteem themselves Ministers of Christ than as such to take Tyths or Plead for them For Christ said to his Ministers freely ye have received freely Give He did not Advise nor Teach That if any would not Give they should take from them whether they would or nay Therefore Consider whether such who take by force abide in or transgress the Doctrine of Christ If they Transgress as certainly they Do who abide not in his Doctrine Then his Apostle declares their Condition 2. John 9. And we Intreat thee Mayor seriously consider how he either bids God speed to such or assists them in such a Work For Thou and All must receive a Reward from the hand of the Righteous God According to your Works We have also herewith sent a small Collection out of the Book of Martyrs Fol. 669.670 To shew that the Priests have no Right to Tythes and that it was anciently so Testified by other Consciencious men besides us and made an Article against them as well as it is against us Read and consider the following Collection is the Request of us who are Sincere Well wishers to the Mayor and All men and truely desire that We nor any Other may Do that here that we cannot Answer hereafter in the Great Day of Account John Feild Will. Bingley The Collection IN the New Law neither Christ nor any of his Apostles took Tythes of the People nor Commanded the People to pay Tythes neither to Priests nor Deacons But in the 1000 year of Our Lord 211. One Pope Gregory the 10th Ordained Tythes First to be Given to Priests Again Paul saith He was not Chargeable unto them but with his hands got his Own Living It were Good Councel That all Priests took Good heed to the Heavenly Learning of Paul not Charging the People for their Bodily Livelyhood And Paul saith since the Priesthood is Changed its necessary a Change also be made of the Law so that Priests Live without Tythes For the Priests that Challenge Tythes say in effect That Christ is not become Man nor that he Suffered Death for man's Love Again the Taking of Tythes and of such other Duties that Priests Challenge now wrongfully neither Christ nor his Apostles Challenged nor took such Duties Therefore these taking of Priests now are to be called and holden The Sclanderous Covetousness and because of the Covetousness of Priests and Pride it stirreth God to take Vengeance both upon Lords and Commons which Suffer Priests Charitably This is Verbatim according to the Original Letter which I have in my Possession The Collection added out of Fox's Martyrs is not as here set down But gather'd out of several places of the Answers of one Will. Thorp an Ignorant Zealous Man but no Martyr in the Reign of Hen. 4. I wou'd not Mend any of the words to make sense of them as In the 1000 year of our Lord 211. but give them just as Quoted by the Quakers Who took what was for their Purpose 1. To make Tythes to be Anti-Christian as being a Denyal of Christ's having Come in the Flesh 2 That the Clergy are not to be supported Nor so much as God Speed be given to them 3 That the Vengeance of God is upon both Lords and Commons who suffer Priests Charitably The Arguments of the Quakers against Tythes I have Promised to Consider in a Treatise by it self But I have Printed this Letter of theirs to shew what Moderation they now at
was as oft Deceiv'd by it Cou'd this then be a Good Spirit which so oft call'd it self the Evil Spirit For it is plain by his Story That it was the same Spirit which all along Possess'd him till he was finally Deviver'd from it by Returning to the outward Ordinances of the Church which he had Forsaken Was it a Good Spirit which Mov'd him as he came from the Fidlers to Proclaim through the streets as he went I am the way the Truth and the Life And William Dodding the Quaker in his Company who did not Reprove this Blasphemy for it was Common with the Quakers See § vii But said that he had no Power to Leave him as he tells p. 7. This was the Power Tormented Gilpin which was surely no other than the Devil who Tempted him thus to Blasphemy and Self-Murder But this G. Fox will not allow but says Gr. Myst p. 299. That it was The Devil who was made to Tremble in Gilpin Not that it was the Devil who made Gilpin to Tremble No They say that was God And that it was the Devil not who Tormented but who was Tormented in Gilpin I will not Detain the Reader with the Rest of Gilpin's story which is indeed Prodigious only make this Observation upon it that if it be True ther can be no Doubt of what many Now a days will not Believe That ther are Diabolical Possessions And that it is True we have not only Gilpin's own Account but it is Attested by the then Mayor of Kendal where Gilpin then Liv'd And was so Possess'd by the Minister and several other Persons of Credit there Present But now suppose it was not True Is it not as Great a Degree of Possession to make a Man Believe That he had been so Possess'd and Heard such Voices c. if it had not been so And the Transports he was in were many of them such as Exceeded the Power of Nature which any one will Acknowledge that Reads his Narrative Nor can this be put upon the Common Effects of Madness for no such Effects were ever seen in Gilpin Before or after he Return'd from the Quakers Or if it was Madness of what ever sort it was Visiby Caus'd by the Quaker Preachings and their Doctrine And Cur'd by Returning from them And no doubt but Possessions of the Devil when to a great Degree will Transport Men even unto Madness Their is an Enthusiastical as well as a Natural Madness It is observ'd hereafter that neither the Apostles or any other Recorded in the H. Scriptures were Converted to Christianity by such Violent and Monstrous sort of Convulsions of their Bodies These are the Transports of Euries But the Spirit of the Gospel is all Meekness Sobriety and Gravity But how will G. W. Reconcile his charging this of Gilpin's upon Madness and G. F's saying Gr. Myst p. 298. That he came to be almost a Distracted Man How will they Reconcile this with what others of the Quakers nay and themselves at other times say that these Extraordinary Quakings and Convulsions of Gilpin were the Workings of the H. Ghost in him Do the B. Influences of God's H. Spirit bring Men to Distraction and Madness G. Fox says ibid That the Lord smote Gilpin that he came to be Almost a Distracted Man That is true it was the Lord who smote him but how by Delivering of him to Satan for the Destruction that is the Punishment of his Flesh that his Spirit might be Saved in the Day of the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 5.5 which Punishment God did usually Inflict in the beginning of the Gospel upon Excommunicated Persons who Despis'd the Authority of His Church for the Terror of others as well as the Reclaiming of Themselves And in these later days God has Exerted His Power in the same signal manner upon many of those who have willfully Excommunicated Themselves and Trampled under their Feet that High Authority with which Christ has Invested His Church even the same that the Father gave unto Him Of these Scorners the Quakers are the most Outragious and Blasphemous And therefore this Judgment from God has fallen most upon Them And this is the greatest Part of their Judgment that they know it not to be such But mistake the Strokes of God's Executioner the Devil for the Workings of the H. Spirit of God And so Construe that as an Approbation of their Cursed state which was sent to Reclaim them from it At least to be a Warning to others how they fall into their Snares who are by the Just Judgment of God deliver'd up to the Devil both Soul and Body even in this Life This is a most Material Point Therefore I Insist so long upon it And I desire the Quakers and all others to Consider that as this Gilpin was thus Deliver'd over to Satan upon his Forsaking of the Church and Publick Ordinances of the Prayers and Sacraments So upon his Return to these Holy Institutions he was by the Great Mercy of God Rescu'd from the Power of the Devil and Restor'd to his Former State Which he Amply Acknowledges and Desires the Christian Reader to joyn with him in Returning Praises unto the Lord for his Goodness towards him p. 14. This Provok'd the Rage of that Cursed Spirit which Possesses the Quakers to the utmost which Return'd this Answer p. 23. of The Standard c. The Reader if he be a Christian will Return Plagues upon thee thy Praise is Abomination And as to the outward Ordinances being Means of Grace in the Conscientious use whereof God hath Promis'd to Reveal Himself to His People and to give them Comfort as Gilpin says p. 13. That same Spirit which Tormented him Return'd Answer p. 22. of The Standard I Deny that God ever did or will ever Reveal Himself by any of those things And says ibid of Gilpin's charging these Possessions of his upon the Devil that all this was Only to Reproach the Living God which the Saints Witnessed in them This was their Light within which they say is God Whose Workings they suppos'd those Possessions of Gilpin's to be And therefore that it was Blaspheming of God to say that these came from the Devil To the same Purpose Answer'd G. Fox in his Gr. Myst. p. 298. where he Repeats the words of Gilpin thus He saith he began to Consider how he had offended God by his neglect of the use of External means Reading Hearing and Prayer and Rejecting the Revealed will of God in his Word and Hearkning to the Voice of God only within And in Answer falls like the Rest upon Running down all External Means of Reading Praying c. for a whole Page together And Directs Only to the Light within as that which is Wholey and Soley and of it self sufficient So when that Voice was neglected says he then was John Gilpin Confused c. whereas as himself tells and the thing shews it self it was the Hearkning only to that Voice which brought him into all
Generation of Men call'd Quakers Printed 1654. subscrib'd by five of the then Ministers p. 83.84.85 where you will find more Instances as of Edmund Nuby's wife who went Naked through Kendal and after in Dec. 1653. came in the same manner into the Church at Kendal Another in the Same Posture about the beginning of January into Hutton Chappel at the time of Exercise as they word it Elizab Levens and Miles Newby Here they go by Couples Male and Female like the Beasts into the Ark went Naked up the streets at Kendal This was attested by Mr. Walker Minister at Kendal under his hand by his Letters baring Date 31. January 1653. Thom. Castel went as Naked as he was Born thro' the streets at Kendal the 10. January 1653. On Monday 28. Octob. 1653 one Thom. Holme of Kendal went as Naked thro' the Market-Place at Kirby Steven upon the Market Day and at his turning he said It is not I but God that goeth Naked And the week following another Great Ring-Leader of the Quakers one Taylour came to that Town And Denounced Woes against it for Rejecting that Prophet of The Lord whom He had sent to do signs and wonders in it All these Instances were in one Year within the Compass of 4 Months in and about Kendal when Quakerism was but 3 years old You may Imagin then how many more Examples might be Produc'd in other Places throu-out this and other Kingdoms and Nations where they have spread themselves in 48 years time now since they came into the World But if you say that these Testimonies are taken from Adversaries the 5 Ministers before Mentioned I Answer that in things of such Publick and Notorious Nature it cannot be suppos'd that they wou'd Print a Lye so soon that is Presently after as by the date of their Book such things were done when it wou'd have been in the Power of Every body in those Towns to Contradict and Expose them And if these Instances had been False it is not to be Imagin'd but that the Quakers in those times wou'd have Deny'd them But further we have both George Fox and James Naylor their Answer to this book of these 5 Ministers And they Both do allow these Instances to be True Boast of More of them And Defend and Justifie the thing as being Divine and From God G. Fox's Answer is in his Great Mystery p. 233. where as to these Persons going Naked he says This hath been a Figure of your Nakedness who are Egypt Spiritual and the Ethiopian Black And speaking of the Holy Prophets having been Signs to those in their Generations he adds such the Lord hath moved his Servants to give a True Sign amongst you and not a Lying who have their Cloathing of the Spirit which ye want which ye shall witness the Truth of the Lord God in the Sign if ever ye come into the True Cloathing of the Spirit of God By this no man can be sav'd who will not Allow and Receive these Beastly Im-Modesties of the Quakers as Divine and Heavenly Signs James Nayler in his Answer to this Book of the Five Ministers which he Intituls A Discovery of the Man of Sin Printed 1655. coming to that Point of their Going Naked he says p. 48. God hath made as many Signs among you as to go Naked in your Steeple-Houses in your Markets in your Streets as Many in the Northern Parts which is a Figure to you of all your Nakedness Here he owns many Instances of the like Nature in other Places I cou'd Produce more by name as of Daniel Smith Distiller of Malborrough in Wiltshire who about Twenty years ago went from Malborrough to Hull on purpose to shew himself stark Naked in the Church there which he did And I suppose the Friends have not forgot at least the Quaker that Marry'd her has not that Precious Servant Maid at Putney who came Quite naked into the Room where her Master had Company at Dinner and when some wou'd have cover'd her shame she thank'd them for their Love but wou'd not admit of that sort of Kindness But said that she was moved of the Lord to march quite round the Table in that same Posture which she did But why shou'd I heap up Instances of this their Beastliness seeing it is not Disputed but Justify'd And the Receiving such Obscene Bruts as Signs sent from Heaven made necessary to Salvation as you have heard from Fox But all sober Christians will rather look upon them as Signs of the Prodigious Delusions of the Devil to make Men believe even Women that Divesting themselves of all Natural Modesty And Exposing themselves Naked in Publick Naked Men and Women together as before is told and out-doing the very Impudence of the Stews is Consistent with that Shamefastness and Sobriety which is so strongly Inculcated in the Gospel of Christ But to think such Highly Englightned beyond the ordinary Measure and thereby to Commence Prophets and Prophetesses sent from God what is this but to have their Brains turn'd with this Enthusiastical-Madness and without straining the Matter to be Literally out of their Wits and Distracted What Greater Signs are shewn of it even in Bedlam And are not they as Mad who Defend and Justify these in their Madness Of which more hereafter 2. But as those who thus Expos'd themselves Stark-Naked In their Strange Singularities are to be Computed no otherwise than as Stark-Mad so these who in lesser Degrees act contrary to the Common Reason and Sense of Mankind are to be suppos'd Maddish for ther are Degrees of Madness Now if we see a man Abstract himself from all Human Conversation to be always alone to Grow surly and Morose silent and sullen when Accosted Exotick and Phantastical in his Dress shunning what any body else do's wear loving to Appear Singular in all his words and Gestures who will neither Speak Look nor Go like other men the Common observation of Mankind reckons of these as Growing towards Madness But if they say such a stress upon these as to think it a Sin to use the Common Language Habit or Salutations this is a Heightning of their Madness To make it as G. Fox do's a Sin for Women to have slit-Peaks on the Skirts of their Wastcoats Short Black Aprons or Vizard-Masks or for Men to wear Skimming-Dish Hats as he calls the little Hats or Vnnecessary Buttons on their Coats or Cloaks And to Pronounce all this stuff as from the Immediat Spirit of God! see Sn. p. 299. If this be not Madness I think Olivers Porter had hard measure to have his Preaching Confin'd to Bedlam when G. Fox was suffer'd to go Loose who said in his Journal p. 24. When the Lord sent me forth into the World He forbad me to put off my Hat to any and I was Requir'd to Thee and Thou all Men and Women they wou'd Down with all wordly Honour as long as they had no share in it Now in all the fore-mention'd
Westminster and how many more he says he knew not But that is not the Business now We have sufficient Testimony of their Firmness to the King and Royal Interest at that Time That which I wou'd Reason with them now upon is Their Annulling of our Laws as of Tythes Not being Lawfully Authoriz'd so to do Their setting up Weekly Monthly Quarterly Yearly Synods or Parliaments wherein they Issue Orders and Laws to All the Quakers And Excommunicate those who Refuse to be Obedient They Leavy Money by Benevolence which none of them Dare Refuse under Pain of being Dis-own'd as they Phrase it which to most of them who Trade Chiefly with one another is to be Broke and Vndone By these Voluntary Taxes per Force they have Fill'd and Maintain a Treasury or Publick Stock to Carry on their Common Cause Among other things to enable any Poor Friend to support a Law-Suite against the Priests for Tythes Of which several Instances can be given That these Baals-Priests may have no other Choice but either to Loose the Tythes of the Quakers or Pay more for them than they are worth Especially the Poorer sort of the Clergy who are Easily Tyr'd out at Law Unless they had such a Fund as the Quakers have to support them Let me Entertain the Reader with one Instance upon this Head which happen'd Lately And has Conduc'd to open the Eyes of some Deluded Quakers particularly of William Mather who writes the Account himself by his Letters Dated from Bedford 12. July 1698 And tells That one Joseph Clark a Quaker Preacher being sued for his Tythe by the Priest John Feild an Eminent London Quaker Preacher and one of the Principal Directors of the Court of Second-Days-Meeting which is the Helme of the whole Quaker Government it is the Conclave which Preseribes even to their General Council the Yearly Meeting at London and which is more Commands their Bank or Publick Treasury This John Field Encourag'd Joseph Clark to stand out the Suite with the Priest and Promis'd to secure his Goods from the Priest if it came to the worst But Jos told W. Mather to keep him Firm to the Cause That it was The Lord who Moved him not to Pay his Tythes to the Priest However so it fell out whether thro' Multiplicity of Business in John or want of Due Solicitation in Joseph or from whatever Cause That John did not Perform as Joseph Expected who having waited till the Day before the Assizes at Bedford and no Relief coming was Forc'd to surrender And sent to Agree with the Priest And then told Will. Mather That The Lord gave him Freedom to Pay Tythes as well as other Taxes Which with other things has much stumbl'd Mather as to their Infallibilty and even Sincerity especially Their Inscribing every thing they Do or Think to The Name of The Lord God! And that both Backwards and Forwards But it is the Treason and not the Blasphemy of their Practice herein that I am now upon Which they have made Treason as before Quoted in others And therefore must come under their own Law or Confess themselves to be Lyars and Deceivers If they say That their Testimonies against Tythes c. are not Laws or Commands only Advices and Recommendations That is sufficiently Answer'd in the Sn. Sect. xix where it is shewn That they made it no less than Rebellion for any Quaker to Pay Tythe upon any Account And in their Rabshakeh against Mr. Crisp. An. 1695. p. 90. They call his Marrying by a Priest and Paying of Tythes Transgressions and such as Cut him off from the Vnity of the Faithful Now where ther is no Law ther is no Transgression And it is no Mean Transgression that will Cut a Man off from the Vnity of the Faithful That must be some Dreadful Damning Sin And such they make our Laws And Require Obedience in opposition to them to their own Laws and thus Set Themselves above the Laws and Tread them under their Feet And render those whom they do so Bind their Slaves and Vassals And so by their own Sentence are Guilty of Treason N. B. The above Mention'd John Field is he who wrote the Letter Printed in the Collection N. 5. to the Lord Mayor of London wherein he Endeavours to Prove That the Setting up of Tythes is in Effect to say That Christ is not become Man or suffer'd Death for Man c. call's them Slanderous Covetousness And threatens the Government both Lords and Commons with God's Vengeance who suffer Priests Charitably i. e. Who have any Charity or Favour for them The Quakers had much more Charity for the Impropriators And some Quakers allow'd themselves to Pay Tythes to them which shews That their Rage against Tythes Proceeded Chiefly from their Malice to the Clergy Nay some of the Quakers themselves as I am Inform'd have been Impropriators and Received their Tythes They will tell us whether the Quaker Squire Fettiplace in Gloucester-shire was not of this Number They wou'd not Refuse to Buy an Estate because there were Impropriations Annex'd to it Much less wou'd they Give up the Impropriat-Tythes after they had Bought them VI. Their Treasons in Abetteng Oliver and the Rump He comes next p. 24. to the Charge against them of their Treasons and Rebellion And their Abetting of the Vsurpations under Oliver and the Rump Which according to Custom he Denies but offers not to Disprove one single Quotation of those many which you will find Sect. xviii of the Sn. This is Reply'd to in the Sup. N. 11. And I cou'd give many other Instances besides those in the Sn. Ther was a Book Printed by the Quakers A. D. 1656. Intituled The Cry of Blood Subscrib'd by these Eminent Quakers Geo. Bishop Thomas Goldney Henry Roe Edw. Pyott Dennis Hollister in name of all the Rest then about Bristol where Complaining of their sufferings from the then Government they say in the Title Page that it was contrary to The Righteous Ends of the War i. e. of their Rebellion against the King and p. 25. they say For which i. e. subverting the Fundamental Law the Late King Strafford and Canterbury were Impeached Attainted and Executed as Traytors And p. 31. they accuse some that Affronted them whom they call'd Royeters to be Cavaliers and that Charles Stuart was Publickly mentioned by the Name of King p. 69. They Plead as Merit in behalf of John Camm and John Audland See his Blasphemous Letter to G. Fox Annex'd at the end of the Sn. two of their Famous Preachers That they had been Six or Seven years in Arms for the Parliament and had Fought and performed Eminent Service in the Field And. p. 90. That Thomas Robertson another Preacher was Five or Six years in Armes for the Parliament an Officer in Colonel Brigg 's Regiment was at Preston Fight at the Engagement at the Bridge in Scotland and Carlise living on his own Estate and bearing his own Charges in the Wars except a
their Discourses tho' they were otherwise valuable most Nauseous to all men of Sense or Breeding For which Reason I have Insisted so long upon it in this to Cure them if Possible of what is so just a Prejudice against them that we may get them to be a little Sociable and Tame to Converse like other men tho' we Differ from them without Flying in our Faces But if they still continue to Bite they must be Muzl'd If they say that they never Snarle but where they are Provok'd It is Impossible to Begin with them without Provoking of them for if you oppose any of their Errors then they Rave and Rage like Furies Ther is no Provocation like it And the Truth of it is the Author of the Sn. did Begin with Them And has got his Reward for thrusting his Hand into this Nest of Hornets But will they be more Moderate where they Begin with others Invite and Provoke them to the Dispute No. It is all one They are as Fierce upon the Attack as in their Defence Ther was one John Wigan an Annabaptist Preacher who was Prisoner with George Fox and others of them in the Castle at Lancaster in the Year 1664. And without his ever opening his Mouth to one of them only Passing thro' a Common Room where they were they Attack'd him and the first words were Leave off thy Deceiving the People Thou art a Deceiver To which he return'd no more Provoking an Answer than to Ask wherein he was a Deceiver and how they cou'd Prove him to be such Then they Challeng'd him to a Dispute To which he not being over Forward They Drew up a Paper of 24 Queres against him which they Fixt upon the Hall Door This Forc'd him to Undertake a Publick Dispute with them in the Hall of the Castle of which has given a Particular Account in a Book Intituled Anti-Christ's strongest Hold overturned Printed 1665. But this Debate not sufficing them they fix'd up many other Papers upon the Door and Gave him a Paper wherein as he tells p. 52. They Challenge All the Sons of Adam to Discourse with them of this their Fundamental Principle viz. The Light within Which was the subject of their Debate with Wigan who held That Christ doth not Lighten Every man that cometh into the world with a saving Light p. 10. This was all the Provocation he Gave them Besides Proving it so Effectually that they were not Able to Answer him But when their Arguments were spent they fell to their old Artillery of the most Bitter and Beastly Rayling and Pronouncing Curses against Him In the Name of the Lord. To All which he Return'd Answers truly Christian and which shew'd that he Deserv'd that Character which Jos Wyeth gave to the Author of the Sn. That he was a man of Temper Yet all this notwithstanding see how they Treated him not only in the Heat of Dispute when their Passions who have none but in Absolute sway might be put upon the Frett But in Cold Blood by Letters under their Hands Some of which he has Added to his Book by way of Appendix from p. 56. Thomas Curwen who was the Man first spoke to him and call'd him a Deceiver going thro' the Hall in the Castle at Lancaster and Challeng'd him to the Dispute writes thus to him John Wigane Oh the Plagues of God will be thy Portion and be Poured out upon thy Head Thou filthy Deamer who Vomits up thy own shame Thy Book will be thy overthrow For it 's no more to me than Chaff and Dirt under my Feet This was a Full Confutation However it do's not Deny the Matters of Fact and Truth of Wigan's Relation of this Conference and therefore we may Depend upon this Book of Wigan's for so far True as it Concerns the Quakers that they are not thereby Mis-Represented But what they found fault with Curwin tells him in another Paper which he sent him Thy ill-bred Behaviour says he to Wigan thy ill-bred saucy Tongue un-nurtured and un-bred And besides thy saucy Language Thy Hypocrisie and saucy Tongue and unmannerlines and ill-breeding To see Quakers set up for Breeding And Reprove Sauciness But Wigan Provok'd them to Instance any the least Ill-Breading or Sauciness which he had shou'd towards them and they cou'd not for he carry'd it all along the Dispute with great Moderation But it is all one for that when the Quaker-Blood is up it minds neither Right nor Wrong Friend nor Foe True nor False G. Fox and Margaret Fell whom he afterwards Marry'd were Both Present at this Dispute Chief Managers and most Obstreperous as Wigan words it in his Narrative p. 12. where he Describes George Fox Entring the Hall after the Dispute was Begun and strutting like the Colosus at Rhodes he clapt one foot upon a Seat and the other upon the Table about which the Rest were standing And with his Vnwieldy Bulk look'd as Big as Both the Giants in Yield-Hall It was Present Death to any Man that he Fell upon And it shew'd the Courage of Litle Wigan who Durst Dispute betwixt his Legs But George was this Breeding Did this look like Good Manners No Matter If it was not Civil it was very GREAT In this Posture Fox propos'd some Scriptures in support of his Light which when Wigan had Answer'd without one word of Reflection or Abuse upon the Quakers only giving a Fair and Calm Exposition of those Scriptures which the Quakers had Strained in Favour of their Notion of the Light within Margaret Fell seeing her Huge sweaty Lover Reduc'd to his Principles first Open'd in his Rescue and Cry'd out to Wigan having now the Giant at his Mercy Thou art a Miserable Creature This was seconded by James Brown says Wigan p. 20. with great Fierceness saying Thou art an Enemy of God Thomas Davenport put in his Thrust and said Thou hast Deny'd Christ to Day Richard Cubban wou'd not be behind he said Thou hast Deny'd the Lord that bought thee and wou'd undertake to Prove that Wigan was one of those False Prophets mention'd 2 Pet. 2.1 This was struck home like Brutus But they had not Leasure in that Fray to his hear Proofs and so the Knight escap'd for that time But afterwards the Fox Giant having Recover'd Breath and Courage yet but Faint Attack'd Wigan in these words Thou art not a Rational Man This was much below his ordinary Mettle He was out of Breath But he was Seconded to Purpose by a young Hardy Champion John Berley who Hewed him thus The Eternal Judgments of God will fall upon thee and Burn the up as Chaff Thou art worse than a Drunkard At which the Knight Fled but did not Escape so For James Park Pursu'd him to his Chamber and there gave him the Parting Blow with great Vehemency says Wigan p. 21. in these words Thou art a Lyar and a Deceiver and the Curse of God will be upon thee in thy Bed-Chamber and Closet and wherever thou
Bason he pretended his Blood was shed and said that he Gave up the Ghost as Christ did Thus C. Wade And hence he Charges Milner with Luciferian Pride to Save Souls as Christ did To this G. Fox Answers in his Gr. Myst p. 246. And Repeats no more of the Charge but these words He Crys says Fox Oh Luciferian Pride to save Souls And thence falls upon Wade as if he were an Enemy to the Saving of Souls and asks him What good then doth all your Preaching do And Quotes the Apostles who watched to save Souls by turning People from their Sins Now wou'd not any one have suppos'd upon G. F.'s Quotation of C. W.'s words That C. W. had been against all Methods or Means to Save Mens Souls and that he had call'd it no less than a Luciferian Pride for any one to Attempt it either to Preach or Pray or do any other Office of Religion Who cou'd have Imagin'd from this Quotation as G. F. gives it That C. W. only spoke of Attempting to Save Souls as Christ did that is by Shedding of our Blood and Giving up the Ghost as an Atonement or Propitiation for the Sins of others I will spare my Pains to Exemplifie the Truth and Faithfulness of this Quotation And when Will. Penn can make a 〈◊〉 of G. F. for this by his own Rule I will Promise Twenty and Twenty more of the â—ike if need be out of that one Book the Gr. Mystery In which p. 298. And in his Saul's Errand p. 9. G. F. Justifies this Wretch Milner And notwithstanding that he cou'd not nor did Deny this Matter of Fact and much more of the Like Blasphemy as Giving forth Twelve several Prophesies in the Name of the Lord all of which prov'd False Pretending to Fast Forty Days as Christ did and other Madnesses of High Enthusiasm yet G. Fox Justifies Milner says Ther was a Pure seed in Him And that The Lord did open True Prophesies and Mighty things to Him And calls those Persecutors and Wicked Men who wou'd go tell the Nation as he words it of the Above mention'd and such like Infirmities of that Precious Quaker Prophet And now that I have given the Reader a Taste of Rich. Hubberthorn's G. Whitehead's and G. Fox's sincerity in Reciting the Answers of other Men out of the Fountain that is behind of the like Instances in their Works and those of the other Quakers Approved and Recommended by W. Penn And by his standing Rule before Mention'd He himself and all the Rest of that Herd turn'd out of the Pale of Christianity together to Graze in the Common with Deists Jews and Pagans Themselves the worst of the Company Let me for a Concluding stroke upon this Head Divert my self a little with Witty Ap-Pen from whom I have thus far Digress'd to his more Considerable Brethren Now then you shall see Ap-Pen shew his Parts in behalf of Himself and Partners at the End of the Preface he gives their Authority for their so Frequent calling the Author of the Sn. a Serpent a Viper a Snake Will. Penn has lately Improv'd it to a Rattle-Snake and they say it is A Title of his own Choosing As I said before it is not very Material what they call him He is neither the Better nor the Worse for that They have call'd others by the same and worse Names where they had not the Pretence for such a witty Pun as this But that which I take notice of this for is to shew them the Consequences which Themselves have laid down of Mistaking or Mis-Representing the words of other Men. Did the Author of the Sn. then mean that Title for Himself or for the Quakers How you can Turn it upon him is not the Point free Leave you have But to say That you wou'd not Abridge him a Title of his own Choosing and to give this as a Reason of your calling him so is Expresly to Mistake and that Wilfully his words And then out of Christianity with you according to Will. Penn. If you may call him a Snake by this Argument you may as well call Him the Devil and say that too his A Title of his own Choosing for another of is Books is Intitul'd Satan Dis-Rob'd Therefore both Will. and Ap-Pen cum Sociis must either Renounce their Christianity and then they will be just where they were or else Correct the above Mention'd Rule which W. P. has Infallibly laid down to Thrust others from thence Thus Justly in the same Trap which they set for others is their own Foot taken SECT III. The Quakers Clear'd from Contradiction in those Seeming Contrary Testimonies which are Produc'd in this Appendix to Defend them from the Heresies Charg'd upon them WHAT I have already said may be thought sufficient in Answer to this Appen wherein ther is nothing like an Argument but the Contrary Testimonies which are Produc'd against the Charges Exhibited And these are Reply'd to without Considering of them in Particular in Sect. ii N. 3.4 Whereby it appears First That tho' these Testimonies produc'd were Contrary to what is Charg'd from other Testimonies of the Quakers yet that this is no Justification but rather a further Argument of Contradictions against them Secondly That by the Contrary Meanings which they have these Testimonies tho' seemingly Contrary yet are not so and do not Contradict the Charges laid against the Quakers To make the which more fully Appear I will go over the Contrary Testimonies Produc'd And shew the Deep Deceit of these Quakers 1. These Testimonies begin Appen Sect. 2. p. 12. with this Title Some Testimonies to Christ Jesus as the Son of God and Come in the Flesh The first is of Rich. Farnsworth An. 1651. in his Confession and Profession of Faith where he Confesses to the Father Son and Holy Spirit but he calls them not 3 Persons so that this is no Contrary Testimony to the Quaker-Heresie concerning the Blessed Trinity which makes them to be only three Manifestations or Operations of the same Person as the Sabellians Socinians c. But then how is this a Testimony to the Son of God as Come in the Flesh if the Son be not Distinct from the Father as G. Fox affirms in so many words Great Mystery p. 142. and 293. c. if so then it was God the Father who took Flesh as Muggleton said Ay and Fox too Gr. Myst p. 246. where he falls upon Chr. Wade for offering to say That not God the Father but the Son said Wade took upon him Human Nature This Fox opposes and brings as an Argument against it that Christ is call'd The Everlasting Father Isa ix 6. The truth is these Quakers make no Distinction at all betwixt God and Christ they mean the same thing by Father Son Spirit Christ Light or Light within which they make to be God If otherwise let them tell us how the Son took Flesh and not the Father if the Son be only a Manifestation of the
Human Nature of an Human Soul and Human Body And likewise Truly and Properly the Son of God Contrary to Will. Penn. And that He is not such in Any Other Person Whatsoever Not in the Person of Will. Penn G. Whitehead or Any of the Quakers Reader forgive me for using so many Words Less Particular and Positive will not do with these Men. It is for their sakes that I do it That I may by any Means if Possible Open their Eyes to Discover their Horrible Delusions They have by this Means of Allegorizing the Incarnation and Birth of our Blessed Saviour from the Letter to their Imagined Conception Birth Passion Death and Resurrection of the Light within taken away all Certainty whereby we may know Whether ever ther was Such a Man in the World as Jesus Christ or that He ever did any Miracle or had any Attestation from Heaven for His Ministry That Most Express of the Glorious Appearance of a Light from Heaven Descending Leasurly and Hovering upon the Head of Jesus at His Baptism after the Manner that a Dove Lights upon the Ground the Quakers have Deny'd that is turn'd it to an Allegorie Doest thou believe says G. Whitehead to his Opponent in his Truth Defending the Quakers p. 42. That it was visible to the Carnal Eye as a Created Dove is or its Lightning I believe he Meant Lighting upon Him as a Dove was in respect of its Nature and Comliness By this they Mean That Innocency and Simplicity like that of a Dove was all that did Light upon Jesus or which Exprest His Nature and Comliness at that Time And then indeed they might well Ask Was it visible to the Carnal Eye But by this they have Quite Overthrown the Validity of that Miraculous Attestation given to Christ And so they have done to all the Rest That as I said they have not left One Single Proof that Ever ther was such a Man in the World For that can not be known but by Outward Acts and Attestations And if they can be thus Turn'd ther is an End of all Proof from them But they wou'd have no other Proof for Christ or His Mission than ther is for their Own Since they vouch Themselves to be Christ and God! Indeed as many Gods as ther are Quakers For if as they say the Seed in them can Grow up to be God That God do's BEGET Himself in them Then I do not see how they can avoid the Consequence of a Multiplication of Gods Of God's having a Beginning and being Created For if He be Begotten in Time Every Day in Every New Quaker He must be Created and so is both the Creature and the Creator If He be Capable of Encrease of Growing up from a Seed to a Child c. He must likewise be Subject to Dissolution He must be Lyable to Infirmities and Passions as We are And this the Quakers do not Deny Nay they Argue Expresly for it They take in a Literal Sense those Expressions in Scripture Where God is said to Repent to be Weary to Suffer c. several of which G. Whitehead Quotes in his Divinity of Christ p. 56. as Isai 63 10. Amos. 2.13 Hos. 11.8 9. Psal 95. Gen. 6.6 Psal 78.40 Isai 1. and chap. 43.24 These he brings as an Answer to the Argument of Thomas Vincent against whom he Disputed That Christ as God Cou'd not make Satisfaction for our Sins because as God He cou'd not Suffer The Contrary of which G. W. here Endeavours to Prove and brings these Texts to shew That God can Suffer These are the Natural and Necessary Consequences of this Mad Foundation of the Quaker Faith in Setting up their Light Within for Christ and God I am Weary in Pursuing their Blasphemies But it is Necessary in Order to Un-Deceive the Simple and Deluded among them Who know not these Depths of Satan into which they have been Led Especially Considering the Tenacious Obstinacy of their Leaders Who tho' they know these things Yet for Popularity or other Ends will not Suffer their Implicit Followers to Repent But Buoy them up with all the Artifice and Cunning they are Able to Believe That all is Well And to adhere firmly to All that they haue Taught them from the Begining And that IN ALL THE PARTS OF IT Some Texts Rescu'd from the False Glosses of the Quakers to favour the Universality of what they call The Light within 3. Let me for a Conclusion Rescue some Texts of Scripture which the Quakers have wrested to their own Destruction And upon which they build their wild Notion of the Light-Within That being undeceiv'd in this they may by the Blessing of God see their Error and Return Their Chief Text which they have Constantly in their Mouths is Rom. x. 8. The word is Nigh thee even in thy Mouth and in thy Heart that is the word of Faith which we Preach This word of Faith they take to be the Light which is in Every man of the World and not to Refer to the outward Christ or to the Faith in Him His outward Sufferings and Death but to the Faith in their Light within which Every man has even those who never heard of Jesus of Nazareth But the very next words ver 9. shew the Apostle's Meaning to be quite otherwise and to Refer wholy to Faith in the outward Christ This is the word of Faith which we Preach says he That if thou shalt Confess with thy Mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt Believe in thine Heart that God hath Raised Him from the Dead thou shalt be saved Now that by Faith the Apostle did not mean that Light which is Common to All men is plain from 2 Thess iii. 2. For all men have not Faith Says he You see here That in the very next verse following Rom. x. 8. which is the Quakers Text the Apostle do's Limit it Expressly not to the Light within but to Faith in the outward Jesus So in Deut. xxx 11 12 13 14. Whence the Apostle Quoted it the very next Verse immediately Before viz. Ver. 10. do's Limit these words in Moses to the outward Book of the Law and not to their Light within For thus says he If thou wilt hearken unto the Voice of the Lord thy God to keep His Commandments and His Statutes which are Written in this Book of the Law For this Commandment which I Command thee this Day is not far off It is not in Heaven or Beyond the Sea c. And Chap. xvii 18 19 20. The King is Commanded to Write him a Copy of this Law in a Book out of that before the Priests the Levits And to Read therein all the Days of his Life That he might thereby Learn to Fear the Lord his God to keep all the words of this Law and these Statutes to do them Was he to write a Copy of the Light within in a Book out of the Levits Book And by Keeping the words of this Law was no More
what Spirit did then Influence me for so it is that the Actions of men are many times Influenced both by Good and Evil Spirits tho' they Perceive it not I did many years since Recall them c. Now if so it is that the Quakers as Furly here may be Influenced by Evil Spirits and yet not Perceive it how know other of the Quakers how knows Penn or Whitehead but they are so Influenced tho they Perceive it not yet others do Perceive it and have Prov'd it But their Light within has not told them No. For then they wou'd Perceive it Therefore they may be Deceived and yet their Light within not Reprove them And therefore by their own Confession it can be no Sure Rule to them And their Faith in it is Vain And in that it leads them from the Sure Rule of the Holy Scriptures to Trust wholly to it it is Pernicious and of most Destructive Consequence to them Their Divisions among themselves who All pretend to be Guided by the Light within were Sufficient to Convince them if they had any Liberty of Judgment left that this can be no Sure Rule When G. Fox by opposing all Order and Decency in the Worship of God had Gather'd a Party and then Endeavour'd to Reduce them again to some Decency under himself so far at least as to be Vn-cover'd at Prayer No. That wou'd not Do. The Principle of their Light within wou'd Endure no Limits but what every one Pleas'd to put to Himself Thus some of them Argue against him from the Principles which he had Taught them Hidden things brought to Light An. 1678. Preface George Fox says they has attain'd to Great Reputation among the Quakers and is become of an Inconsiderable Shooe-Maker or Mean Servant a Great Teacher and Leader of a Numerous Company of Men and Women who All Profess to be Guided by the Light within them which they say Errs not but leads Every one of them and every man that is Obedient to it into all Truth Righteousness c Hence it is Manifest that according to their Doctrin every man who knows himself to be Sincere and obedient to his Light and sees not Absolute Truth and Goodness in Geo. Fox and the Quakers Principles and Practices is a Full Evidence against them that they are Notoriously Defective both in Truth and Goodness For whilst they are Sincerely Obedient to the Light in Themselves it is certain that according to Geo. Fox 's Principles they are Justify'd before God and then if G. Fox Condemns them he Condemns whom God Justifies he casts out whom God Receives Neither can he Pretend against these as against others That they were never Obedient to their Measure for as to Appearance they were as Obedient as Himself And therefore he can have no Ground upon which to Condemn them but meerly his Pride Censoriousness or the like Exorbitant Passion Behold here how they have openly Betray'd their Great Principle of The Light in Every Man his Vn-Erring Guide And say they p. 35 36. of the Book In as much as you Claim this Privilege to your selves why shou'd you Deny it to others to Walk as God Enlightens them Thus the Quakers not only See but Feel the Vanity and Vncertainty of their Rule The Light within It turns upon Themselves And Confounds them amongst Themselves It Countenances all the Schism Violence Outrage that can be Committed For having no Rule it is a Rule to it self And sets men Loose from all Tyes of Scripture Reason Laws or any Restraint whatsoever Of which Will. Penn became so Sensible in their own Concerns that he Run it down and call'd it a Loose Plea as shewn at large in the Sn. Sect. vi n. x. par 12. p. 79. Yet since has wrote Books in Defence of it So that he has given it two Handles viz. That it is a Loose Plea when Urg'd by others against Them But when Urg'd by them against others then it is Infallible Indefeasible c. He has Represented the Quakers and Twisted or Vn-Twisted their Light in such a Fashion it Looks like playing of Booty That as he says of the Papists Many Vnacquainted with their Practices A seasonable Caveat against Popery p. 3. An. 1670. are ready to believe them what they say themselves to be whose Moral is to have two strings to their Bow to be Ambo-Dexters and furnish'd with meanings to Sute the Compass of all occasions We know they have so far Master'd their Ancient Fierceness and Mask'd their Sanguin Looks with those more Modest and Familiar That tho' we need not more Reason than before we need more Skill and Caution Or else we may fatally Experience the force of that Vulgar Proverb LAVGH IN THY FACE AND CVT THY THROAT This Hits two sort of Folks with whom Will. Penn is very well Acquainted And the Law that he lays down for the one cannot in Justice be Refus'd to the other Since one Sauce will serve them Both Therefore as he says ibid. p. 35. To Conclude If we wou'd not Receive a Thief till he has Repented Let the Papist Quaker first Recant his Volumnious Errors But above all let Vs have good Testimony of his Hearty Sorrow A COLLECTION OF SEVERAL PAPERS Which Relate to the Fore-going DISCOURSE Numb I. Dr. Lancaster's Queries to the Quakers with the Christian Quaker's Answer Given at their General Meeting in Philadelphia in Pennsilvania the 18 day of September 1695. Sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always to give an Account to every man that asketh you a reason of the Hope that is in you with Meekness and Fear having a good Conscience c. 1 Pet. 3.15 16. Printed in the Year 1695. THE PREFACE Christian Reader SInce the Breach and Division has happened a-among the Quakers here in America about the chief Doctrines Principles of the Christian Religion great has been the Noise they have made in the World one against another each endeavouring to clear themselves cast blame upon the contrary party so that many who live remote are amazed at this Difference not knowing where to lay the fault both Parties pretending to Christianity But there lately coming some Papers to my hand which seem pertinent to make some further discovery in this Controversie I thought my self obliged to commit them to publick view for the Information of all Christian Enquirers And further I do understand that this Difference among the Quakers first began in Pennsilvania in the year 1691. occasioned by Mr. George Keith's more earnestly preaching up the Person of our Saviour the Necessity of Faith in him as he Dyed was Buried Rose again and Ascended and as he is now in Heaven in the true Nature of Man our Mediator Intercessor and as he shall come again outwardly at the end of the World to judge the Quick Dead c. But this sort of Doctrine was disliked by many of the Quakers caused many private Conferences among
truth and not from truth God having been pleased further to Enlighten me for which I desire to Praise him and I have shewed my adversaries both William Penn and George Whitehead to be much more guilty of Contradictions than any thing that any have laid to my charge as in my first Narrative of the proceedings at Turners-Hall and in other late Books And wherein they charge me to contradict some passages in my former Books as in relation to Baptism and the Supper and the having a better understanding of some places of Scripture than formerly I had this is properly no Contradiction but a Retractation But my adversaries are justly chargable with many contradictions that without any Retractation hold contradictory propositions at once to be both true This is contradiction with a Witness Now judge Reader whether as the above said Relation of the particulars mentioned in the first Sheet is not some Apology for me to excuse my praising G. Whitehead and William Penn as Orthodox and sound Men as to Christian Principles they having by their seeming Orthodox at that time Deceiv'd me so hath not the late discovery of their insoundnesses in the Christian Faith given me a farr greater ground of Apology to excuse my charging them to be guilty of Vile Anti-Christian Errors as I have largely shewn in my late Printed Books particularly my three Naratives of the Proceedings at Turners-Hall the Second and Third of which has as yet received no shadow of answer and what shadow of answer the First received by Thomas Elwood hath been sufficiently demonstrated to be a meer Shadow by the Book call'd Satan Disrob'd and also by my Second and Third Narratives all which lye on their hand unanswered and yet they falsely glory in Print that they have answered all my former Books And their most partial siding with my Adversaries in Penselvania to cloak their vile Errors as well as unjust Practises is another ground of my just Apology for my changing my thoughts of them besides other great Prooffs I have to manifest their unsound and Anti-Christian Principles Some Passages taken out of Humphry Norton's Ms mentioned in the II. Part p. 99. 100. I Begin with a Letter of George Fox's which is not only Inserted but Attested in this Ms of Humph. Norton's Part of which Letter being Quoted in The Snake p. 113. The Quakers in their Last Answer which they call A Switch for the Snake p. 175. say That it may be either Adulterated by the Snake or some Apostate or Forged by them And if they were G. F 's words why did not the Snake give the whole Letter To what purpose hath he made a Break in it And what is Left out at it Therefore you shall have the whole and sufficiently Attested Together with H. Norton's Impious Parallel of Oliver to our Lord Jesus Christ his Death Burial and Resurrection Which take as follows out of the Ms p. 21. The Message from O. Cromwell to G. Fox upon 5th day of the 1st Month. That it was required by Oliver Cromwel from G. F. that he would promise that he would not take up a Carnal Sword or weapon against the Lord Protector or Government as it is now And that G. F. would write down the words in answer to that which the Protector required And for G. F. to set his hand to it THIS was demanded of G. F. in our presence and hearing p. 21. whose names in the Flesh are called Tho. Aldam and Robert Craven Upon the Sixth day of the First Month G. F. was moved to give forth these words following which were written and given to Oliver Cromwell by Capt. Dury Ans I who am of the world called G. F. doth deny the carrying or drawing any carnal Sword against any or against thee O. C. or any man in the presence of the Lord I declare it God is my witness by whom I am moved to give this forth for the truths sake from him whom the world calls G. Fox WHO IS THE SON OF GOD who is sent to stand a witness against all violence and against the works of Darkness and to turn the People from Darkness to Light and to bring them from the occasion of the War and from the occasion of the Magistrates Sword which is a terrour to the evil doer which acts contrary to the light of the Lord Jesus Christ which is a praise to them that do well which is a Protection to them that do well and not the evil and such Soldiers as are put in place no false accusers must be no violence must do but be content with their Wages And that Magistrate bears not the Sword in vain from under the occasion of that Sword do I seek to bring people my weapons are not Carnal but Spiritual and MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD therefore with Carnal weapon I do not fight but am from those things dead from him who is not of this world call'd of the world by the Name of G. F. and this am I ready to seal with my Blood this I am moved to give forth for the truths sake who a witness stands against all unrighteousness and all ungodliness who a Sufferer is for the righteous Seeds sake waiting for the redemption of it who a Crown that is mortal seeks not for that fadeth away but in the Light dwells which comprehends that Crown which Light is the condemnation of all such in which Light I witness the Crown that is Immortal which fades not away from him who to all your Souls is a friend for establishing of righteousness and cleaning the Land of evil doers and a witness against all the wicked inventions of men and Murderers Plots which answer shall be with the Light in all your Consciences which makes no covenant with death to which Light in you all I speak and am clear G. F. who a new Name hath which the World knows not We are witnesses of this Testimony whose names in the flesh are Tho. Aldam Robt. Craven A call to O. Cromwell OLiver thou art shut up the Stone is sealed p. 37. and the watch is set and Christ suffers And the Lord God hath sent his Angel to call thee and to rowl away the stone and if thou wilt come forth come forth This call is to thee through his Servant Humphry Norton A Question put with others to all that stumble at the Light p. 31. WHat Child is it Eve shall be saved by she Continuing in Faith and Sobriety Norton's Ms p. 31. Seeing the Apostle gave this Advice to the Un-Married that could so abide not to Marry for he did better that did not give in Marriage than he that did N.B. The Meaning of this is plain viz. That the Child by which Eve and consequently the rest of Mankind was to be saved was not to be an outward Child of Flesh and Blood born of a Woman Because that if so it wou'd have been better for Men to have Marry'd in order
Feet of the Rebels But in the Re-Printing of the Works of this Son of Thunder after the Restauration of the King An. 1672. that whole Chapter is left out And is as follows To all you who are and have been always Enemies to the very appearance of Righteousness who are call'd Delinquents and Cavaliers THus saith the Lord my controversie is against you even my hand in judgement is upon you already and you are become cursed in all your hatchings and endeavours and from time to time my hand hath been against you in Battle and you have been and you are given up to be a prey to your Enemies for the purpose and intents of your hearts have been known always to be against the form of Truth and much more against my powerful Truth it self and because you attempted to take my throne Conscience therefore I rose in fury against you and will have war with all your followers herein for ever and though my hand hath been evidently against you yet to this day you remain in rebellion in your minds in hatching Murder and Cruelty in your wicked hearts and though your Kings and Princes and Nobles have been cut off in wrath and your cruel desperate Inventions and plots of wickedness conceived in your cursed womb have been broken and you cut short in your desires yet you repent not nor will not see how you are given to be a curse and a desolation and a prey in houses and lands and persons to them whom I raised against you and gave power over you yet you are hardened and your cruelty in the persecution of my servants cannot be measured where you have any power you smite with the fist of wickedness and count it your glory to despise my Name in the Vallies of vain hopes you feed and on the Mountains of foolish expectation and conceive in your cruel womb of Tyranny the overthrow of the Nations but in the bringing forth your selves are overthrown and it is not for well doing that you suffer but my hand is against you and my judgments are upon you and except you repent shall continue upon Earth with you and follow you and pursue you to the Lake of destruction where there is no repentance and you and your Kings and Lordly power by which you have thought to exercise Lordship over my heritage shall be enslaved by the Devil in the Pit of darkness in everlasting bondage where he shall reign your King and Lord for evermore 2. Ther is likewise and for the same Reason left out in Burrough's Re-printed Works a Paper of Council and Advice directed To the Parliament of the Common-Wealth of England Dated at Lon. 6. of 8. Mon. 1659. It is too long to Insert the whole here But take these few Passages which the Quaking Editors knew would lay them open to objections after the Restauration of the Royal Family to their Hereditary Right and of the People to the Freedom of their Election in the choice of Members to serve for them in Parliament Which at that time when this was wrote An. 1659. was Obstructed by the then Army and other Short-Liv'd Rouling-Vsurpations as well upon the Privileges of the People which they had made the Great Pretence for their Rebellion as upon the Prerogative For when the Members who had been by Force Secluded were Restor'd to their Places in the House of Commons they Immediately Voted in the King and Ancient Hereditary Monarchy Against which and the Freedom of Parliaments this Burrough thus Belches forth in Justification of the then present Government that was in being p. 2. of his Council and Advice to those Vsurpers who then call'd themselves The Parliament of the Common-Wealth of England as follows And while thus it hath been in our Nation that our Kings have attained to the Throne of Government Hereditarily and by Succession of Birth And our Parliaments and Rulers have attained to the Place of Judgment over us by such a way of Traditional Choice as hath been the Custom in our Fore-Fathers days that knew no better being in the days of Apostacy and great Ignorance themselves and thus it hath Continu'd for many Ages whereby the Inhabitants have been always suffering under and liable to great Oppressions and Vexations being subjected under such a Government falling as aforesaid from Parents to Children after the manner of the Heathen Nations and being subjected to such Laws made and Executed by Men not truly call'd and ordained of God thereunto insomuch that nothing hath been perceiv'd or intended by Men of the hand of the Lord and of his good Spirit in the calling of our Kings and choosing of our Rulers but these things have comed to pass and been after the Traditions of Men and not after the order and Councell of the Lord God And our Nation hath been under the bonds of Slavery in this respect even because Men have Govern'd that ought not And while the Great and Rich men have been set to Rule over the Poor and while Men for earthly Honour and for Riches sake in Birth and Breeding have Claimed to be Princes over us Successively And to be chosen our Rulers according to Custom And have com'd into the place of Authority over us otherwise than by appointment and Right calling from the Lord as I have said and thus the Government of our Nation hath been out of Course and not as the Lord requireth it even until this Day p. 3. But now in as much as the Lord God our Deliverer hath begun to appear for the Freedom of the Nations and hath shewed us the Captivity and Bondage which our Fore-Fathers hath Liv'd under and we our selves been subject and lyable too by reason of the Government standing in a Single Person Successively and we being Forced to live under the Authority of such Men as had no Right from God thereunto as I have said And now our Eyes are opened to behold better things and we are in good expectations that the Lord will suddenly so Appear as to free us from future Oppressions in this Respect c. p. 6. Wherefore it is upon me to lay it before you even you as the First Asserters of and Contenders for England's Liberty and whom the Lord hath Honoured in Beginning to Remove Tyranny and Oppression and Reaching after our Long Lost Liberties c. Here to Flatter the Taile of the Rump-Parliament which then Rul'd the Rost the Quakers Run down all the several sorts of Rebels who had Usurp'd before them Each of whom the Quakers had Worshiped in their Day as fully shewn in Sn. Sect. xviii p. 215. to p. 219. c. call'd them Restorers Deliverers Chosen Instruments in the Hand of God by whom he did Great things But now that they were all Gone This last Parliament were the First Assertors of the Liberty of England and were Honour'd in Beginning to Remove Tyranny All the Rest had done nothing before them And upon these the QVAKERS built their Hopes
And Prophesy'd of the Mighty things which GOD had to do with them In order to which the QVAKERS gave them their Directions from THE LORD how to Manage But their SPIRIT of DISCERNING Fail'd them here as it us'd to serve them For within seven Days after the Date of this their Address to that Parliament they were Turn'd out by Lambert Which they little suspecting but thinking that they were to hold the Reins of Government for a longer time gave their Wise Instructions in the above Quoted Councel and Advice to Employ the QVAKERS in their Affairs And then all would do well without Doubt Tho' by the Advice they Gave the Quakers were of all Men the least Fit to be Employ'd They Hit Themselves Exactly in the Description they gave of other Men For they Advis'd not to Employ WILLFVL and HEADY Men not VN-CONSTANT and CHANGEABLE Men nor TRAYTORS that have Turn'd for self Advantage and will CHANGE with the TIMES to any way of Government c. But especially they Guarded against the Return of Hereditary Monarchy as before Quoted Yet as soon as that Return'd in the Restauration of the Royal Family which was within 7 Months after this was wrote then the Quakers were for the King and Monarchy And without any Blush Vpbraided and Accused the other Dissenters to the King as Changeable Men who Turn'd to Every Power and every Government as it Turn'd And therefore not fit to be Trusted See their Two Declarations in Sn. p. 224. and p. 227. And from this time they Began to Chop and Change Curtail and Alter their Former Books in the Re-printing of them And this not only in leaving out whole Chapters and some Intire Treatises as those before Instanc'd which were so Rank as could not possibly be Screw'd to mean any thing short of Bare-fac'd TREASON and REBELLION But they took care likewise of Words and Expressions that might give Offence for Example 3. In The Trumpet of Burrough's before Quoted p. 7. he Accuses the Officers and Souldiers for Exercising the like Tyranny as the King had done The same Oppression says he and Kingly Power of Cruelty stands in Dominion under another Appearance But in his Works Re-printed p. 99. the word Kingly is left out 4. In a Letter to Oliver with whom he Rejoyceth and Congratulats for the Many Victories Honourable and Remarkable which says he to OLIVER were given thee over them who had Exalted themselves above God And Ruled in Tyranny over his People whom the Lord pitied and thou an Instrument in his Hand was ordain'd by him to lead forth a People whom he Blessed with thee against a Cruel People and Generation of Oppressors who Exercised Tyranny over the Lord's Heritage till they were taken away and cast out and is a Reproach unto the Lord and his People unto this day and even so shall all be that follows their Example and are Oppressors and Tyrants over the seed of God as they were And this thou knowest c. This Letter is in p. 552. of Burrough's Works Re-printed But all within the Crotchets in Roman Letters is left out which I have Copy'd out of the First Edition of what he Intitules Good Councel and Advice Rejected Printed An. 1659. p. 4. And it bears this Direction For the hands of the Protector This Book consists of Letters from Burrough to Oliver and Richard Protectors And on the Title-Page he says Put to Publick View by one that wished well to them in their Day But this is likewise left out in the Re-print Ther are several other such like Passages of this Book left out in the Re-printing of it among the Rest of Burrough's Works As 5. In p. 17. Where Instigating Oliver against his Enemies Scatter'd through all these Nations who is full of Wrath and Ravening Envy towards thee Even of those known by the Name of MALIGNANTS party in whose hearts to this day ther is continual Hatred and evil surmising lodgeth against thee and all thy offspring And not slipping any Advantage how to Revenge themselves and the Cause of their King The above words within the Crotchet viz. Those known by the Name of MALIGNANTS Party are left out in p. 559. of Burrough's Works And the last words in this Quotation viz. The Cause of their King are Changed thus To Promote their Cause 6. In the same Page he says thus to Oliver of the King and the Malignants I know the Lord hath Cursed them and their Endeavours to this day and thou hast had Dominion and Power given thee of God to Bruise them and Break them to Pieces And what thou hast done unto their KING should not be Reckoned against thee by the Lord if now thou wert faithful to what he Requireth of thee for because of the Wickedness of that Generation which was Grown to the full did the Lord Raise thee up c. These words within the Crotchets are left out in his Works p. 560. Whereby neither King nor Malignants being Nam'd the Quakers may have a Latitude to Pretend when Challeng'd That they did not mean Them but some other Wicked People Especially they wou'd not Desire to have it known That they Pronounced Absolution from the Lord to Oliver for his Murther of the King 7. In p. 38. He writes To the Protector 's Kindred his Wife and Children and says God gave you the Palace of Princes And threw out the High and Mighty before you because of their Wickedness which was Great in the sight of the Lord Even for that Cause was the Generations of the STEWARTS cast out And if you walk in the same steps c. These words within the Crotchets are left out in p. 569. of Burrough's Works Tho' in the same above cited p. 38. he says Remember that you are now Warned from the Lord God by whom I am moved to Write this unto you in Dear and Tender Love to you all What Spirit then was it which moved the after Quakers thus to Diminish and Curtail these Words which Burrough said he was Moved of the Lord to Write 8. The following words in p. 64. are left out in p. 580. of his Works viz. And as concerning the Armies abroad let Faithful and Just Men that will not seek themselves be put in trust for the Army is of Great Consequence to thee to stand or Fall by them as to Mans account And the War against Spain be faithful to God in it and let Trusty Men have Authority The Lord may Accomplish something by it to his Honour and to Thine if thou be Meek and Humble and Walk with the Lord. And to say no more about it ther is something in it known to the Lord and he may bring it to pass in his Season The after Quakers left out this Prophetical Admonition for it was Given to Richard in the Beginning of his short Protectorship the 18. of the 8. Month. 1658. And they had Reason to be Asham'd of those Auspicious Hopes which their Light within
them in England in the year 1657. will not Amount to near that Sum. Well then having bethought himself he after this in p. 25. Inflames the Reckoning thus Considering all things it can come to no less their Funeral Sermons their Great Tythes and Small Tythes and Marriages and Sprinkling of Infants and Churching of Women with other such Penuries claimed by the Priests in the Re-print it is changed into the Church of England with what is given to them out of the Nations Treasure which is many Hundreds of pounds a year Here he confounds the times of the Dissenters and of the Church of England For the Dissenters did not use the Churching of Women in 1657. And the Clergy now have not Stipends or Annuities out of the Treasury as some of the Dissenters had But put all these together it will not come near 150000 pounds Therefore his Editors have endeavour'd to help him out by Adding to what is before Quoted thus Also considering how much a year is spent at 2 or 3 Colleges in this Nation c. as to bringing up some to Attain to the Ministry with abundance of such Charges consumed the Nations Treasure which is wasted as in Relation to this Ministry spoken of I do not speak against Good Education and Learning which is in its Place a vertue as for Travellers and many others neither do I account such Money wasted But only as to the Ministry of Christ or Inable them thereunto but that Money which is spent is Wasted And how much is spent for such an end only wise Men Judge which will make up a long Sum in the whole All this is Inserted in the Re-print And yet do's not help this Lame-Dog over the Stile They may as well Reckon the Charge of Nursing any Child his Parents design for the Ministry if he should Prove fit for it for on that Condition it is that they send their Children to Schools or Colleges in order to Qualify them for the Ministry And to Reckon this a spending the Treasure of the Nation to Swell the Account To call the Charges of Education which comes out of Private Pockets a Burden upon the Nation is as Ridiculous as it is over and above Malicious to Account this among the Expences which the Clergy put the People to And this must go in to make up Will. Penn's Reckoning who in his Guide Mistaken p. 18. Ann. 1668. gives the same Account of the Revenues of the Clergy then whom he calls Idle Gormondizing Priests of England who Run away with above 150000 pounds a year c. as be fore Quoted 2 P. p. 34. He comes up last of all with the same Bill Alt a Mall But this is not the subject I am upon I am now shewing how the Quakers deal with their Dead Prophets in the Re-printing of their Works And the Instances Increase so fast upon me that I will shorten my Labour for the present because it wou'd make a Volume by it self to go through with them And a larger Collection is Ready if it be thought serviceable In the mean time the Reader will I suppose be easily Persuaded from the Tast that is here given out of two or three of their Small Pamphlets wrote by E. Burrough that their is not one of their Books which they have Reprinted of their Deceased Friends that is given to us Truly as they were first Printed Tho' God knows they have left enough behind to make them the Greatest Monsters that this or Perhaps any other Age has Produc'd Ther are are several Instances scatter'd in the Sn. of this their Mutilating Adding and Altering the Testimonies of their Ancient Friends to serve New Turns as p. 216 217 218. you will see some Instances in the New Edition of of Howgil's Works But especially p. 212. ther is a Passage Greatly to be notic'd of their Concealing and Leaving out in the New Edition a most Material Bloody and Threatning Clause in a Declaration they Publish'd An. 1659. wherein they Assert their Right even to the Fighting with Carnal weapons and Killing of Mens Persons to Establish their Heirship to Possess the Vttermost parts of the Earth And that they do Expect the Time to come tho' they say it is not YET come This is in p. 8. and 9. of the said Declaration and left out in the New Edition of Edw. Burrough's Works p. 603. This is put among his Works because he was the Pen-man And the Declaration ends p. 14. with these words The substance of this was given forth the Twentieth day of this Tenth Month being moved of the Lord by His Spirit thereunto through E. Burrough and is now Judged Meet to be Published to the Nation in behalf of Vs and our Friends under our Hands GER ROBERTS THO. HARTE GILB LATYE JOH AND ERTON J. OSGOOD and others of them to the Number of Fifteen all whose Names are subscrib'd But the Names are left out in the New Edition together with these last words viz. And is now Judged Meet to be Published to the Nation in behalf of Vs and our Friends under our Hands It was then Meet in December 1659. when Tumults in London the Rump Re-admitted and an Abjuration of K. Char. II. and the whole Line of K. James when ther was no settl'd Government in the Nation but all things in that Confusion that it seem'd a fit Time for the Quakers to strick in and Assert their Vniversal Heirship But in 1672 when the King was happily Re-Established and the Kingdom Strengthned in his Hand then this was to be kept Close till some other fit Occasion should Offer The Disclosing of it then wou'd have given the Government a Just Jealousie of them Therefore it was stifl'd at that time in the New Edition of E. B's Works And instead thereof the Quakers Printed Declarations full of Loyalty and Affection to the King and Renouncing the Principle of taking to the Carnal Sword upon any Pretence whatsoever as shewn in Sn. p. 224. 227. and 229. In the Re-Print of the said Declaration ther are several other things Left out and Alter'd according to the Times as in p. 4. 7. 12. c. the words Kings and Tyrants are left out in their Railings And other such like Amendments The 15 Instances which are before related of the Quakers new Coyning Adding to and Diminishing from the Works of their Ancient Friends are all taken out of two or three small Pamphlets only of Edw. Burrough which came to my hands Judge then what a Volume it wou'd make if we had the First Editions of that Great Folio of his Works which is Re-Printed to Compare all the Alterations they have made in them And so in the Many and Large Volumes of the Works of their other Prophets which they have Re-Printed Of which I will give but an Instance in two or three and so Leave them for this time 1. In Sn. p. 113. ther is a Notorious Instance of this Forgery of the Quakers in the
this time of Day have put on towards our Clergy And do their Vtmost to stir up the Civil Power against them Even to Destroy them And not to Suffer them tho' Charitably This was in the Year 1695 when Sir Thomas Lane was Lord Mayor of London In the Post-Man 14 January 1699. The Quakers have Publish'd the following Paragraph WHereas there have been several Fabulous Accounts in the Post Boy concerning a dispute at West Deerham in Norfolk between some of the Clergy of the C. of E. and some Quakers which by reason of its partiality the Quakers were willing Charitably to suppose the said Clergy were not the Authors of Since which there is a larger account called the Quakers Challenge made to the Norfolk Clergy which altho far from an impartial relation yet in it may be seen notwithstanding the Title that the Quakers were not first in the Challenge but Defendants to the Clergys Charge of Blasphemy c. taken as they say out of their Ancient Writings which the Quakers offered to meet them upon provided they might have a Coppy of their Charge Authors Names Titles and pages of such Books with convenient time to prepare their Defence which was denyed them altho timely demanded and at the said meeting was insisted upon and again prest thereto THE QUAKERS NOT QUESTIONING BUT TO ACQUIT THEIR ANCIENT FRIENDS AND THEIR WRITINGS FROM THOSE BLACK CHARGES NOT BEING CONSCIOUS OF DEVIATING IN ANY ONE POINT OF DOCTRINE FROM WHAT THEY FIRST HELD And that no people have a greater detestation of the Sin of Blasphemy against God Jesus Christ and the Holy Scriptures then they and one of the said Clergy was heard to say that he believed the Quakers of this Generation to be Orthodox N. B. This has been fully Answer'd by the Norfolk Clergy-Men I insert it here only to shew That the Quakers Adhere still to All the Blasphemies Errors and Heresies that can be found in Any of their Ancient Writings For which Purpose it is Referr'd to in the foregoing Sheets A DECLARATION Against Wigs or Periwigs Phil. 3.3 Jer. 22.24 Wigs no Peri-wigs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Peri in composition signifies Excellency as well as about 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 excellent cut as well as cut about SEveral Testimonies having been given by Friends against Pride in Apparel relating to Women 't is considerable whether Women being reflected on may not reasonably reflect on Men their artificial frizled Hair for Womens Hairs on Mens Heads swarm like one of Egypts Plagues and creep in too much upon and among Christians And a Nehemiah is desirable that might pluck off this strange Hair of strange Women lusted after Nehem. 13.25 And the Heathen may rise up against us for an Ambassador coming before a Senate with false Hair a Grave Senator said What credit is to be had to him whose very Locks do lie And if upon necessity the Locks of any amongst us do lye 't is fit they should lie to purpose viz. so as not to be discerned from native Locks For to seek to deceive so as to be perceived argues as much want of Wit as of Sincerity and a want of an endeavour in it not to be perceived argues a want of Humility and Moderation Isocrates a Famous Wise Virtuous Graecian seeing his Neighbour wear his Hair of another colour than Natural because in Fashion gave this ironical excuse for him viz. That it was lest any should ask Councel of him intimating that none should seek Wisdom in so Fantastical a Head Philip King of Macedon put a Courtier of his out of his Office because he wore Hair of another colour than Natural saying He would not be true to the Publick that was treacherous to his own Hairs And the Emperour Titus thrust one from him because he smelt of Perfume saying He had rather he had smelt of Garlick and denied him his Suit Plato in the Tyrant Dionysius's Court said He would not wear Womens Attire Then What wonder Women wear Gay Gold and Pearls When Men Religious wear Gold Locks of Girles Should Christian Guides affect a Whorish Guise Which Heathen tempt by Tyrant did dispize I have read in our Chronicles I think it was about the twelfth Age that the Clergy wore Periwigs of a light Colour as our Priests and others do now though I have heard that of late the Bishop of Exeter censur'd his Priests in his Visitation for wearing them The Physician is but a course Covering as if wearing of Gold and shaving of Heads were Wholesome This pretence for Pride is no better than that which is for Drunkenness and Whoredom for they will say 'T is Physick to be Drunk once a Month And Oxford Scholars had half a Crown a Month allow'd to go to a Whore ad purgandos renes But the Protestants of Bohemia disputing at the Council of Basil about Fifty Days on Four Questions one of them was That no Sin should be Tolerated to prevent a greater Then much less to prevent a bodily Infirmity which may be done by other lawful means and not by working Confusion in wearing Womens Coverings Deut. 22.5 1 Cor. 11.15 Some say Shaving is to prevent the Pox Small honour to Wig-wearers to incur such a suspition of it or of any Infirmity or Defect If Heat cause Head-ach sure a Wig under a Hat is not a means to cure it The Prophet Elisha likely had neither when Bethel Boys cried A bald Head Polling of Heads came first in Fashion by occasion of the Emperour Charles the Fifth his being troubled with the Head-ach whose Example all his Court followed and all Europe theirs see ye the force of Example and the abuse of it yet they wore no Wigs Insomuch that a Ruffian with long Hair meeting Earl Cromwell and excusing himself that he had a Vow for it the Earl told him He should lie in Prison till 't was ended One would think that they that have for wearing Wigs the most excuse should have most care to stop the abuse coming by Example that it may not produce the taking of an Ell through the allowance of an Inch and that they should stir up Sober Virtuous People to take notice how far they that wear them are necessitated thereto and if so what Modesty they used therein This as cold Water to dash them expects something a coming hotter than a Crisping-Iron to burn them John Milliner a Friend about Northampton a Wig-Maker left off his Trade and was made to burn one in his Prentices sight and Print against it John Hall a Gentleman of Northumberland being Convinced sitting at a Meeting was shaken by the Lords Power pluck'd off and threw down his Wig so 't is considerable whether care may not be taken that conceited counterfit Calvinists may not continue amongst us Calvus bald nor that any of the People of God make themselves bald for Pride now as they did of old for Sorrow Levit. 21.5 Objection Wigs may be worn not only for Vse but