Assemblies are intended must needs be consistent with the same Principles of Love and Union and tend to the Increase thereof and not to the Violation thereof as thou hast falsly charged Upon our Admonition Not to discountenance or weaken their Hands in the Work and Service of the Lord. Thou maketh this observation viz. See what a strict and severe admonition is uttered forth even as if it had come from the Pope's Council of Jesuits and crafty Fryars Scoffing and Smiting still at the Womens Meetings p. 46 47. How now Francis is this thy treatment and comparison of us Hadst thou no better than the Pope's Council of Jesuits and crafty Fryars to compare us unto in our Testimony and Admonition Oh! be ashamed of such foul sordid and scornful and false treatment who instead of proving thy Charge of Inconsistence and Violence as before now abuseth us mocks and scoffs and scandallizeth us like a conceited proud Fool. 6 thly Be ashamed also of thy scornfully upbraiding us with our Womens Meetings as an Idol of our own erecting and asking Why should it not publickly be brought to Light and made as manifest as the Lord Cromwell made the Papists great Idol to wit the Rood of Grace which had goggling Eyes and would smile when a good Gift was offorded to it when he caused it to be brought to Paul's Cross where the People tore it all to pieces in King Henry the 8 ht's time p. 47. Oh thou ungodly Wretch and malicious Informer is this a fit Comparison and Instance to present the Magistrates with against our Christian Religious Charitable and Sober Womens Meetings And dost thou under such an abominable and odious Comparison thus expose them to the Magistrates for their Meetings to be torn to pieces Thou vile Wretch blush and be ashamed of such malicious scornful and defaming Impertinences thus instead of proving thy before-cited Charge to act the malicious reviling and false accusing Informer against God's People then scornfully concludest thy Observation with these words viz. This notable not Scriptural but Anti-scriptural Edict p. 48. Which is a false Conclusion without Premises and a shameful begging the Question wherein thou art an Imposer for not one sentence or word in all that said Paper of our sence and Advice hast thou proved ANTI-SCRIPTVRAL or directly contrary to Scripture as thy terms are p 79. Thou shouldst then have shewn us what Scripture forbids either faithful Womens Assembling or those Religious and Charitable ends and services proposed which their Meetings are intended for I dare challenge thee in this to prove thy charge of Anti-scriptural 7 thly I do affirm thou art so far from making good thy Charge that for all thy Attempts I have still occasion to return the same charge upon thee that we did upon William Rogers which for a pretence thou citest but dost not answer it p. 39. viz. What new and unchristian Doctrines and Practices are we fallen into We find no proof nor discovery thereof in all thy Book I do profess seriously however thou scoffingly callest me a notable serious George I see no cause nor reason thou shewest for the great noise rumble thou makest about outward Laws Prescriptions Orders Edicts or Decrees outward form of Government Apostacy Innovation Impositions Lording over Faith over Conscience c. To which I may add thy terms Womens Charter Grant Confirmation New Order Decretal Order New fashion'd Edict Popes Council Papists great Idol Canonical Rules New spiritual Lords Decrees Canons Edicts of Men Tyrannical proceedings c. whilst thou shewest to us no unjust no unlawful nor uncomely Order or Proceedings amongst us as a People nor yet givest us any Catalogue or Instance of those Impositions Innovations New Doctrines or Practices brought in and received amongst us which are INCONSISTENT with our first Testimony to the Light and Grace of God within and teaching thereof or thereby condemned as Evil or wholly unnecessary in themselves as our words are 8 thly This thou dost not answer but Marvellest that G. Whitehead should have the Confidence thus to call for a Catalogue of New Orders that are introduced among us or rather sayst thou Impudence to deny such things as are every Moneth put in practice among us And therefore sayst thou wilt bring forth Proof and President first the Confirmation of the Foundation of the Womens Meetings namely G. F 's Order by a general Council held at London 1675. To all which I must tell thee thou dost not follow the terms of the Challenge but ramblest impertinently telling us of New Orders such things the Confirmation of the Foundation of the Womens Meetings c. but provest not those things nor one thing practised among us as a People or that first Confirmation as thou falsly callest it to be Inconsistent with or contrary to our first Testimony to the Light and Grace of God within and teachings thereof 'T is not thy making a noise with New Orders Decrees c. shall serve thy turn in this point but I challenge thee to prove that the setting up and encouraging our faithful Womens Meetings are contrary to the Light and Grace of God within and teachings thereof This is matter thou hast undertaken to bring proof and president for This is close to the terms of our Challenge and thou hast but made shuffling slubbering work about it 9 thly Moreover what we propounded in our Paper aforesaid which thou callest The Confirmation by a general Council held at London Anno 1675. and which thou hast instanced for proof of thy Charge of Inconsistency and Violence and consequently as Antichristian was tenderly concluded in these terms viz. All which we recommend to the Evidence of Gods holy Witness in the Hearts of his People Why didst thou not take notice of this Conclusion to have prevented thy false charge of Imposition wherein thou hast contradicted thy Brother William Rogers for he hath divers times assented to and own'd the giving advice and counsel by way of Recommendation distinguishing that from Imposition as his own Books and Words are evidence But thou cryst out Impositions Inconsistency Violence to our first Principles of Vnion on that very same Paper which is concluded by way of Recommendation to the Evidence of Gods holy Witness in the Hearts of his People And to this and other Papers of Advice Judgment c. thou hast opposed Liberty of Conscience and so made void Spiritual Censures contrary to the very Author thou hast printed owned and espoused as being of the same Judgment with thee where he saith pag. 138. part 1. 'T is very fit that wheresoever you will suppose Errors to be sprung up all the means Christ hath appointed for that end should be used to suppress them and reclaim Men from them Let their Mouthes be stopped with sound Doctrine and Spiritual Censures The only Question is about the use of the Temporal Power in such things Principles and Opinions in the Mind were never extinguished by
Iudgment fixed UPON THE Accuser of our Brethren AND THE Real Christian-Quaker VINDICATED From the Persecuting OUTRAGE of Apostate Informers Chiefly from W. Rogers F. Bugg T. Crisp John Pennyman and Jeffery Bullock their Malicious Confused and Unjust Opposition and Imputation of Apostacy Imposition Popery c. in their abusive Books and Pamphlets herein specified Beginning with W. R's Seventh Part. By that Contemned Servant of Christ George Whitehead Psal. 109.3 They compassed me about with words of Hatred c. vers 4. For my Love they are my Adversaries but I give my self unto Prayer Jude v. 13 Raging Waves of the Sea foaming out their own Shame c. London Printed and Sold by Andrew Sowle at the Crooked-Billet in Holloway-Lane near Shoreditch 1682. An Introductory Epistle To my beloved and tender-hearted Friends called Quakers who are lovers of Peace and Unity in our Lord Jesus Christ Greeting in the holy Spirit of Life IF I did not feel the Lord my God laying a real necessity upon me to be publickly concerned in this Controversie and that for the sake of simple Hearts and poor Lambs to warn them against such grievous Wolves as seek to prey upon them rend and tear them and that the weak of the Flock may not be hurt scattered or perverted by those that speak perverse things to draw Disciples after them I would chuse rather to sit down mute and silently bear the Revilings Outrage and fierce Despisings of crooked Spirits than spend time in Controversie with them or against them But the Lord has laied the necessity and knows best my Conscientious concern and for what end and to what effect and for whose sakes And in discharging my Duty I neither consult Events nor fear Effects but leave all to God for I feel his divine Power and Counsel In whose Name and in the Patience Forbearance Long-suffering and Bowels of our Lord Jesus Christ my Soul hath had a share in deep Travail and Exercise with many more of his faithful Servants my Brethren for a quiet Composure of this Breach 1st With Respect to Truth 's Reputation 2dly With respect to that Compassion that 's to be had on some where a difference ought to be made for the regaining and delivering them who have been at unawares taken captive by the Enemy I have no self-Interest nor end but the Churches Peace and the Salvation of Souls and Prosperity of the Lord's Work in the Earth God doth bear me Record I have not been awanting in Christian Endeavours private and friendly with divers principally concerned in this Opposite Rending Self-Separating Spirit Christian Patience and Forbearance have not been awanting in the Exercise of my Spirit and Testimony But when all our Christian Endeavours on these accounts have been rejected by some Conceited Exalted Pufft up Luciferian Spirits Despisers and Mockers that have of late time lusted to be Contentious and at open War and Defiance against many of the faithful Ministers and Servants of our Lord Jesus Christ who have kept their Garments and Stations in Truth and Uprightness and whom they have most grosly abused in Print in their Books and Pamphlets On this extream Occasion and Offence given against the Truth and Gods Heritage I find my Spirit stirred and moved within me by and in the same Long-suffering tender Spirit and Power of Christ Jesus my Lord saying Why should God's Heritage lie under their publick Lyes and Defamations without open Rebuke and to withstand oppose weaken and repel these their Wicked Attempts and Insolent Abuses and to vindicate the peaceable Christian People called Quakers in their blessed Society Order and Church-Discipline c. from the cruel Envy Scorn Outrage Madness and Confusions of certain Persons turned Apostate Informers Treacherous Hypocrites False Brethren and Deceitful Workers Betraying Judases Devils Incarnate for Christ called Judas a Devil who having lost their First Love to Truth and gone out from us are become Degenerate without Natural Affection Dogs that are without Wolves and Raging Waves of the Sea that foam out their own Shame whom the strength of Truth is turned against in Judgment and God in ten Thousand of his Saints is coming to execute Judgment upon them as the Patience of Christ in his Saints comes to be fulfilled towards them and their Iniquity ripened for open Discovery and Condemnation as they have not spared publickly to defame the Innocent But they that are at unawares betrayed deceived or only mistaken and not willful contentious are to be had Compassion of and distinguished from the other And in Righteous Judgment will the great Judge of all decide the Controversie with all them who would be counted true Jews and are not Christian-Quakers and are not but of the Synagogue of Satan and Antichrist whose Works the Day of Christ our Lord will yet more clearly declare and fully manifest and the Day and Time hastens blessed are they that watch and keep their Garments that their Nakedness appear not Amen Ingenuous Reader Note that the Contents of the ensuing Treatise are mostly placed before each Chapter respectively in several Sections directing to the Passages therein And also please to take notice That William Rogers who is first concerned in this Treatise is not ignorant what great Labour and Pains I have taken with him more privately to inform his Vnderstanding and allay his Heat by divers large Answers in Manuscript unto his Gain-saying Accusing and Reviling Letters and Papers amounting to much more than what 's herein contained in Answer to his seventh Part of his Christian-Quaker but instead of any fair ingenuous Reply or acknowledgment of the Truth from him he hath slighted me and my Christian-Labours and Endeavours sometimes casting Dirt upon me yet giving the GO-BY to the greater part of my Writings seeming rather desirous to be some-body in Print against us as one affecting Popularity though in a perverse Work the more publickly to manifest his Revengeful Spirit in Abusing Scandalizing and casting undeserved ODIUMS upon those whom his Spight and Malice is most bent against and I expect no better Treatment from him and such exalted Spirits I expect the Hatred of Scorners for rebuking them and for this my Christian Conscientious Labour Howbeit I doubt not but this shall have its Effect for the clear Information and Advantage of many simple honest Hearts And I can say Surely my Judgment is with the Lord and my Reward is with my God Isa. 49.4 Several Testimonies and Answers are already extant in Print against William Rogers's wicked Books as by Thomas Ellwood his ANTIDOTE and divers others Surely it would be more reputable for him to desist and lay aside his daring Confidence and evil Attempts against the Servants of Christ and ingenuously and humbly submit to the Truth for our God nâ— doubt will finally and signally rebuke that Rebellious Exalted Spirit of Strife and Contention To him who is the Righteous Judge of all I freely commit my Cause with my Friends in
the punishing the Body Here his Liberty of Conscience pleaded is not from spiritual Censures as thou hast perverted it but from corporal Punishments 10 thly Whereas in our Book Accuser c. pag. 127. we signified that having these things in our Eye viz. The great ends of true Religion and Christian Society a godly Care over one another provoking one another to Love and good Works we can the more easily concur and accord as to Circumstances and outward Methods and in the Wisdom of God so to condescend one to another and accommodate matters as not to divide about them c. Against this thou exceptest in these words viz. p. 96. I marvel that the Author of the Accuser c. which is said to be G. Whitehead should have the Confidence thus to appear in Print when his own Conscience tells him the contrary instancing R. Smith of Colne as not admitted to have his Wife because he would not go into the Womens Meeting The grand Opposer was G. W. It may evidently appear how far G. W. was from Accommodation or Condescention which he fallaciously pretends to the World in order to deceive them to cover their Deceit Hypocrisie and Arbitrary Church-Government Dominion and Lordship c. p. 97. And to aggravate the matter against G. W. in page 129. thou sayst That the pretence of the Author of the Accuser to Condescention and Accommodation is fallacious and false and a meer piece of feigned Hypocrisie to amuse the Reader and delude the World And likewise in pag. 150. thou art smiting at G. W. on the same account Here thou hast brought my name upon the Stage in Print but hast most grosly belyed me and abused me as to my Conscience in saying it tells me the contrary Be ashamed of this thy presumptious bespattering and abusing me in Print for my Conscience tells me I was real in what I proposed in Condescention and Accommodating matters and that I was no deceiver therein as thou proudly slanderest me The Condescention and Accommodation was to those that had the great ends of true Religion Christian care and love one to another in their Eye it was to the upright and tender hearted and not to the exalted hard and wilful And I gave my Christian and tender Advice to the Person who then proposed his Intention in order to convince him of the reasonableness of what I proposed and he shewed no reason against it but remained stiff and pertinacious which I cannot impute to a real tender Conscience the woman was tender and flexible and of a better Spirit Therefore be ashamed of abusing and belying me in Print as for appearing in Print contrary to my Conscience as thou hast shamefully belyed me and so falsly informed the Magistrates against me as about Condescention and Accommodation and divers other things about which I must farther tell thee The condescention of primitive Christians was to them of low degree the strong in bearing with the weak bearing one anothers burthens and so fulfilling the Law of Christ. The Persons unto whom the Condescention was were in a measure of the same faith and love it was not to false Brethren such as thou art or to false Apostles deceitful Workers who caused Divisions c. false Brethren that watched with an evil Eye to such the true Apostle gave not place by subjection no not for an hour What Apostolical condescention was then given to them There was an Apostolical authority and sharpness against such evil Agents of Strife and Division such as thy self that they should be marked as well as a condescention to weak yet upright-hearted Brethren 11 thly In the Certificate printed by thee from Huntington-Meeting to the Quarterly-Meeting in the Isle of Ely about the said R. S. his publishing his Intentions of taking to Wife A. O. of Aldred but grieved some Friends by rejecting their Counsel After some Friends there 's this Parenthesis added viz. Perhaps Richard Jobson and Tobias Hardmeat G. Fox 's two principal Studs in that Country This looks like a scornful Forgery of thy own framing and addition And I find no Advertisement to distinguish or except it as thy own as thou hast done in thy Letter to W. P. about the Copy of Orders Recorded as Your Canon as thou scornfully callest them in the Quarterly verbatim Parenthesis excepted sayst thou p. 139. Remember thou hast confessed That to expose and falsly represent a People would be very wicked and such a Practice is and ever was hated of God good men p. 208. Yet after thou hast promised to recite the said Certificate p. 96. thou hast as before inserted the said scornful Parenthesis viz. Perhaps R. Jobson and T. Hardmeat G. Fox 's two principal Studs in that Country p. 97 98. Unto which thou hast subscribed Jasper Robins Edward Neel William Whitehead James Parris Thomas Bundy Richard Tayler Thomas Bagly Nathaniel Cawthorn Nathaniel Neel Now I am perswaded that these very Persons Jasper Robins and the rest if they come to observe the said scornful Parenthesis inserted in their said Certificate unto which their Names are subscribed as well as the rest of it and that without such Advertisement or Exception as before they 'l look upon it and judge it as thy own Scurrility and gross Forgery and thereupon they may testifie against thee for exposing and falsly representing them in Print to that which is none of theirs and that therefore thou hast done that which is very Wicked a practice that is and ever was hated of God and good Men according to thy own Sentence 12 thly Whereas in thy printed Letter to Friends of our Meeting in London thou sayest That R. R. needed not be admired by G. W. in Print for his great Learning nor perhaps had not only he hath found out some History or Popish Author which sayes there were Deaconesses as well as Deacons which sayst thou was helpful to G. W. in his Preaching and Disputing for Womens Meetings lately in Huntingtonshire and elsewhere c. p. 178. Thou mightest have forborn these and other scornful Detractions cast upon R. R. and my self and upbraiding him with Oh! Profound Learning Logick c. He can easily answer thy Impertinencies and Silliness and evince thy Pride and Conceit in meddling with Learning and Logick which thou hast so little of As for R. R. he is known to be learned both as a Man and a Christian yet not admired by me for any acquired parts though without offence he may be allowed his due in those things without admiration or boasting and therein to be prefered to thy self who neither writest good English nor understandest divers words of Learning thou makest use of improperly and impertinently which I do not mention to detract from and upbraid thee meerly because of such defect in Learning but rather as a Reproof to thy high Conceit and busying thy self so much in Scribling and that about matters beyond thy capacity to mannage or render a Reason to