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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A41270 An apology for the people called Quakers, and an appeal to the inhabitants of Norfolk and Suffolk, or whom else it may concern Field, John, 1652-1723. 1699 (1699) Wing F861; ESTC R15981 8,513 18

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AN APOLOGY For the PEOPLE called QVAKERS And An APPEAL to the INHABITANTS OF Norfolk and Suffolk Or whom else it may Concern But this I confess unto thee that after the way which they call Heresie so worship I the God of my Fathers believing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets Acts 24. 14. London Printed and Sold by T. Sowle in White-Hart-Court in Gracious-Street 1699. TO THE INHABITANTS OF Norfolk and Suffolk And all to whom these may come SUffer me to Expostulate with you on behalf of those abused People in your Counties that have of late been render'd Blasphemers and to Apologize a little for them whom some among you have lately often Assembled and Consulted together how they might by Subtilty and Misrepresentation Incense you and by you those in Authority against this Innocent People and your peaceable Country-Men and Neighbours that the Monster of Persecution might be again raised and let loose on them to suppress them But consider are there not many things in your Counties Towns and City more needful to be suppressed than these Industrious and Well-meaning People viz. reigning Evils yea gross Vices and abominable Oaths and Execrations to the Blaspheming the Name of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Swearing by his Blood and calling upon God to Damn their Souls against which crying Sins many wholsome Laws are made Is there not more need that these Oaths and all ungodly Plays and Bear-baitings and Bull-baitings and things that tends to corrupt the Youth defile the People and to provoke God should be presented and Application made to the Parliament and Endeavours used that they should be suppressed rather than your Neighbours those sober and honest People among you called Quakers whom you know are not such but those that fear God love their Neighbour and do good to all and pray for their Enemies and only for their Religious Dissent from the Established Religion in this Nation and matter relating to the Worship of their God have been great Sufferers in this Land and among you especially in the City of Norwich in whose Goals and Dungeons they have lain like Men buried Alive to the imparing their Healths and weakning them in Body and Estate and to the Endangering their Lives and making their Wives Widows and their Children Fatherless And now the Lord by his Divine and Over-ruling Providence Glorious and Eternal Power in tender Mercy and Compassion to his Suffering and Afflicted People hath inclined the Heart of the King and those in Authority to Indulge them in the free Exercise of their tender Consciences in their Peaceable and Religious Assemblies for which they are truly Thankful unto God and those in Authority And whatever evil things have or may be suggested against them by Men of corrupt Minds and evil Designs who are of Cain's Nature in Hammon's Pride of Ishmael's and Judah's Spirit and of that Seed of Evil-Doers that shall never be Renowned and that do not consider what the Lord hath said and will certainly perform viz. I will punish the World for their Evil and the Wicked for their Iniquity and I will cause the Arrogancy of the Proud to cease and will lay low the Hautiness of the Terrible And the Destruction of the Transgressors and Sinners shall be together and they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed But these People for whom I Apologize and Appeal to you however they are or may be Rendered and Represented by Men of Evil Designs and Persecuting Spirits Have Do and and by the Lord's Assistance are Resolved to continue Quiet in the Land and in their Christian Duty and Practice of making Supplications Prayers Intercessions and giving of Thanks for all Men for Kings and for all that are in Authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable Life in all Godliness and Honesty for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour who will have all Men to be saved and to come unto the Knowledge of the Truth Notwithstanding some called Clergy-Men in your Counties have as the Chief Priests Scribes and Elders in days past did our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ accounted his Followers your Neighbours called Quakers to be Blasphemers and Deceivers and have made them the Objects of their Wrath and what they cannot do would incite you and stir up others too and as Herod and Pontius Pilate and the People gathered together against the holy Child Jesus so one or two Presbyterian Preachers now joyned with the rest and thereupon owned in Print Ministers of the Gospel and notwithstanding the Difference that hath been between them they are so far become Friends now as to unite against this poor People The Lord behold their Threatnings and grant unto his Servants that with all boldness they may speak his Word But Charity obligeth me to hope it is but some whose Interest and Enmity are against these Christian and Dissenting Protestants and who are so officiously concerned and have espoused the Cause of one who hath broke the Bond of Charity and let in secret Enmity which as a Canker hath eat out what was Good so that he hath Apostatized and left those I am perswaded he once enjoyed the presence of God amongst and whose Power he hath acknowledged was with them and by the Ministry of some of them was reached But now like a Flood hath he poured forth Lyes against them and by Forgeries and gross Misrepresentations hath and doth seek to bespatter them and to kindle Strife which as Solomon said is As Coals are to burning Coals and Wood to Fire so is a Contentious Man to kindle Strife And those few Clergy-Men in those Counties that have espoused him May well be compared to him that passeth by and medleth with Strife belonging not to him Who is like one that taketh a Dog by the Ears and as a Mad-man who casleth Fine-brands Arrows and Death so is that Man that deceiveth his Neighbour and saith Am not I in Sport Be not therefore in Love I intreat you of this Number let not the lying Stories base Suggestions or wicked Insinuations of any or their false Pretences be they what it will prevail with you to joyn with such or to become of that Number That speak evil of their Neighbours without Cause or that lay to their Charge things that they know not of But rather observe the Conversation and Examine the Doctrines of those your Neighbours called Quakers against whom this great Rage and Combination is and take not things upon Trust nor Report Remember the Excellent Advice of Wisdom follow her Direction take her Councel for she is worthy who said Blame not before thou hast examined the Matter first understand and then Rebake Inspect their Conversations and see if you can find that they are such that either Curse Swear Revile Blaspheme or speak Evil of God or Jesus Christ or if any of them Contemn Magistracy as they are falsly
away much People But Demetrius was so Ingenuous then as to confess it was That Craft by which he and his Brethren got their Wealth that was in Danger and plainly intimated that was the Cause of his Wrath And when they heard those things they were full of Wrath. But Remember the Town-Clerks Advice when this Vproar was he said Ye ought to be Quiet and to do nothing Rashly for these Men are neither Robbers of Churches nor Blasphemers of your Goddess Wherefore if Demetrius c. hath matter against any Man the Law is open And Oh my Friends to you I appeal whether ever ye knew or did observe the Demetrius's of our Age present any Man or prosecute him at Law or Incense or Stir up the Magistrates and endeavour by Petition to Incense the Government against him whilst he lived in Pride Gluttony Drunkenness or any Excess of Riot But this hath often been seen that when those or any have turned from their Evil Ways become Conscientious and could not pay their Tithes or comply with some other things that are acknowledged but Outward and Visible Signs of an Inward and Spiritual Grace Then Oh then how have these been prosecuted if but for a few Farthings a few Pence and Shillings the Justices and Officers troubled the Courts and Lawyers imployed and Mony spent Revenge vented and Havock and Spoil made Two Three or Four times more taken then demanded And yet these Suffering People are exclaimed against as Men of Pernicious Principles the great Growth and daily Increase of whom threatens the Nation with Mischiefs and Dangers And although the Law is open to Punish Romish Emissaries yet these Petitioners cannot be content to take that way but would falsly insinuate there were such among the Teachers of the said People And yet are not many of these Clergy-Men in Romish Practices viz. Bowing to the Alter and to the East and having God-fathers and God-mothers as they call them and Signing Children with the Sign of the Cross and their Surplace and their Absolution in which the Minister is to say I absolve thee from all thy Sins are not these things Romish see the Mass Book And also their Prosecuting for Mortuaries and Smoak-Penny c. Oh! consider all People to whom this may come and know assuredly this that the Great and Everlasting God who hath measured the Waters in the hallow of his Hand and meted out the Heaven with a Span and comprehended the Dust of the Earth in a measure and weighed the Mountains in Scales and the Hills in a Balance He sees and beholds these things for the Lord is a God of Knowledge and by him Actions are weighed and he marks the ways of the Children of Men and records their doings as with a Pen of Iron and Point of a Diamond in the Books that shall be opened when the Dead both small and great shall stand before God and him that John see sat on a great white Throne from whose Face the Earth and the Heaven fled away and there was found no more place for them that went on the breadth of the Earth and compassed the Camp of the Saints about and the Beloved City and Fire came down from God out of Heaven and devoured them And the Devil that deceived them was cast into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone where the Beast and the false Prophet are and shall be tormented Day and Night for evermore And therefore let all consider their Ways and amend their Doings for Time here is short and our Moments uncertain but sure it is that God will bring every Work to Judgment with every secret thing and there are none can appear before him with boldness nor give their Account with joy that take pleasure in Unrighteousness and die in their Sins such can never go where Christ is as he said Therefore in Bowels of tender Love and in Good-Will to your never dying Souls I tenderly beseech you Turn to the Lord and from the Evil of your Doings and put away the Violence that 's in your Hearts and against this Innocent People entertain no Prejudice neither hearken to the lying Stories and false Suggestions of Men whose Fruits and Works declares they neither follow the Doctrine and blessed Ensample of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who taught not as the Scribes and Pharisees but as one having Authority and who enforced his Doctrine by his Ensample and said Learn of me I am meek and lowly in Heart He was full of Love and was moved with Compassion on the ignorant and them that are out of the way and come not to destroy but to save and by him Grace and Truth is come and it appears to all and his Light shines in all and his Spirit strives with the Children of Men it 's he shews Man what is good and what the Lord requires at your Hands it 's he that by his Spirit Convinces of Sin and reproves for it in the secret of Mens Hearts it 's he that is the great Wisdom of God that calls to the Simple Ones saying How long ye Simple Ones will ye love Simplicity and ye Scorners delight in their Scorning and Fools hate Knowledge Turn ye at my Reproof Behold I will pour out of my Spirit unto you and make known my Words unto you Oh! It 's this and the Grace that Comes by him that appears to all and would teach all if they would come to him believe in him and learn of him to deny all that which is the cause of God's Wrath and would teach them to live Soberly and Righteously and Godly Therefore while ye have Time prize your Time and the Day of your tender Visitation which God through Christ is affording to you that the things that belong to your Peace you may come to know before they are hid from your Eyes these things will be of profit to you and your so doing will bespeak you Christians indeed for if you bear that Name and are not guided and led by Christ's Spirit you will be found none of his nor Sons of God profess what you will if you remain Workers of Iniquity Christ will profess he knows ye not and will bid you depart from him into Everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels And therefore if you would be of that Number which he will say unto Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World then you must be Righteous and that you cannot be unless ye do Righteousness for said the Apostle He that doeth Righteousness is Righteous even as he is Righteous He that committeth Sin is of the Devil And none can do Righteousness but those that learn of his Grace that teached to deny all Unrighteousness and are guided by his Spirit which he promised should guide into all Truth And walk in the Light as he is in the Light where the Blood of Jesus Christ is known to cleanse from all Sin And this is the Doctrine the Holy Scriptures and this People teach against whom this great Rage is And if you would come to that Spirit the holy Pen men were moved to write the holy Scriptures by and in and by that Compare the Doctrines of these People and their Practice and the Practice of those Men that preach against this People and their Doctrines and that charge them with Error Blasphemy and Pernicious Principles you would quickly find whose Quodrat most with them and are most agreeable to the true Prophets and Ministers of Jesus Christ Therefore remember the Excellent Counsel of the wise and learned Apostle Paul Prove all things and hold fast that which is good you may remember it was said of the Christians that they were a Sect every where spoken against And yet the true Ministers in all things approved themselves as the Ministers of God in much Patience in Afflictions in Necessities in Stripes in Imprisonments in Tumults in Labour in Watchings in Fastings by Pureness by Knowledge by Long-Suffering by Kindness by the Holy Ghost by Love unfeigned by the Word of Truth and by the Power of God by the Armour of Righteousness on the right Hand and on the left by Honour and Dishonour by evil Report and good Report as deceivers yet true Observe they were not impatient they did not Afflict they had not great Revenues nor large Benefices or forced Maintenance they did not Stripe and Imprison nor cause Tumults by incensing the People against their Peaceable Neighbours they were not idle nor exercised in Feastings received not the Honour nor high Title did not Lord it over God's Heritage but by Pureness Knowledge Long-Suffering Kindness and the Holy Ghost Love unfeigned and by the Word of Truth c. approved themselves the Ministers of Christ they were not defiled ignorant hasty angry or hateful Consider these things seriously and let all endeavour to amend what 's amiss in themselves and rather mend faults where they are than suggest faults where they are not let every Man be fully persuaded in his own Mind and so let him act and hate nothing but the Devil and Sin but love God and one another So having in Love and Plainness discharged my Spirit of what as a concern remained upon me in the Love of him that hath loved and died for us all I Conclude and Remain Your sincere Friend and hearty Well-wisher to the People called Quakers and all Men. J. F. FINIS Isa 13. 11. Isa 1. 28. to the end 1 Tim. 2. 1 2 3 4. Acts 4. 27. Prov. 26. 21. Prov. 26. 17. 18. Psal 35. 11. John 13. 35. 1 John 3. 15. Job 5. 2. Gen. 4. 7. Mat. 22. 38. 39. Lev. 19. 18. Rom. 13. 9. Gal. 5. 14. James 2. 8. Acts 19. Isa 40. 12. 1 Sam. 2. 3. Rev. 20. John 1. 21. Mat. 11. 29. Mark 6. 34. Luke 9. 5 6. John 1. 17. Titus 2. 13. John 1. 9. Micah 6. 8. John 16. 8. Prov. 1. 22. Titus 2. 13. Rom. 8. 9. 14. Mat. 7. 23. Mat. 25. 41. Mat. 25. 34. 1 John 3. 7 8. John 16. 13. 1 John 1. 7. 1 Thes 5. 21. Acts 28. 22. 2 Cor. 6. 4 to 9.