THE SKIRMISHER CONFOUNDED Being a Collection of several Passages taken forth of some Books of John Cheyney's who stiles himself The Author of the Skirmish upon Quakerism In which is the Baseness Wickedness Contradictions Lyes Hypocrisie Unbelief Confusion and Blasphemy of that Skirmishing Priest discovered and he laid open to the View of every one who shall read with a single Eye Collected by a Friend to the Truth and a Well-wisher to the Souls of all People Roger Haydocke Isa 55.17 No Weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper and every Tongue that shall rise up in judgment against thee thou shalt condemn this is the Heritage of the Servants of the Lord and their Righteousness is of me saith the Lord. Psal 7.15 He made a Pit and digged it and is fallen into the Ditch which he made Printed in the Year 1676. THE Skirmisher CONFOUNDED IOhn Cheyney's Book entituled A Call to Prayer c in the Preface to the Reader saith thus I would be loath to fasten any Error upon any Person which I can perceive him not to hold and I would candidly interpret all words so far as I can with Conscience and Justice to the Truth The next page of the same Preface to the Reader thus I do not know but by their Opinion of the Light within Devils and damned Souls may be saved In his Book entituled The Skirmish c. p. 4. Penn's Position doth just fiâ— the Irish Rebellion the French Massacree the Marian Persecution the Ten Persecutions of the Primitive Churches the Gun-powder Treason Page 13. of the same Book I would be glad to make the best I can of your Position Animadversion Caâ— there be greater Baseness then under Pretence of Candor to be thus Absurd Is it not great wickedness in this Skirmisher to make such Ungodly Consequences of so Harmlesâ— a Position and yet afterwards say He would be glad to make the best he can of it Here followeth the Priest's Contradictions John Cheyney The Skirmisher against OR fighting John Cheyney Himself Assertion Contradiction 1. CAll to Prayer pa. 117. I dare say let the Light within alone and say nothing to it and it shall never move any Quaker or ungodly Soul to pray till Death or the Flames of Hell shall awake them 1. CAll to Prayer pag. 119. For though the Light may move yet it will be but a weak Motion and the Motion of the Darkness or Fleshly Part will overcome 2. p. 119. A Qua. or any other may live a secure flesh pleasing life all his dayes never have one effectual motion to prayer if he be ruled by the Light within 2. Pag. 119. That which should Move them to Prayer the Light within is over powered by the Darkness 3. Pag. 119. The Quakers could hardly devise a more sin-pleasing Doctrine then never to pray without a Motion from the Light within 3. Pag. 118. I 'le tell thee what keeps me from Prayer when my Conscience the Light within moves me to Prayer my Sloath and Laziness my Deadness want of Life and Hunger and Spirit in my Soul 4. Pa. 109. Their grand Principle of the Light within is not consistent with right Prayer 4. Pag. 3 4. Right Prayer is not meer words nor a meer work of Nature nor bare humane industry and striving without the special Grace and Concurrance of God 5. P. 76. The Spirit of God is a Spirit of Supplication he commands and moves to prayer p. 20. The Spirit doth intercede in us we could do nothing without the special help of God's spirit without the special help of God's spirit we can do no special Work 5. Pag. 115. Their great Assertion that Prayer is not to be done without the Motion of the Light within some have confessed they never pray without a Motion from the Spirit of God Pag. 98. You need no Motion of the Spirit to tell you when to feed and clothe your Bodies but you need a motion from the Spirit to put you upon to dress and feed your Souls 6. Quakerism subverted p. 18. The Light within tells me there is a God 6. Pag. 101. Trust not that blind deceitful Guide within you the Light within you lest it lead you into everlasting darkness 7. Skirmish p. 13. The Light within which should be man's Guide takes part with the flesh and Satan against God 7. Pag. 61. When God and Conscience have called to this Duty a lazy carnal self-willed Mind has kept us away 8. Call to Pray p. 111. They are no people of prayer and make no use of prayer p. 101. A prayerless people of a prayerless Religion Prayerless Pretenders to Holiness 8. Pag. 114. If Report be true when they do pray for I have heard believe that sometimes they pray 9. Skirmish p. 13 If the Scriptures go farewel God and Christ and Heaven and all Law and Rule 9. Pag. 62. Must a hungry man need a Scripture to tell him how often he must eat no more doth a hungry Soul need a Scripture to tell him how often he must pray Besides these Contradictions out of his Books I shall add one more out of two Manuscripts written with his own Hand which I think he will not deny and I am certain in this be hath no Cause to Blame the Printer as some time he did but if he deny it I can both produce and prove it 10. O Lord thou knowest that I am what I profess my self to be thy Servant sincere and upright 10. Given forth by a weak believing Christian and disobedient Servant of Christ John Cheyney John Cheyney I shall here set down some of his Confessions to the Light Grace and Spirit of God and then discover his Lyes c. Page 120. THe Light then prevails Habitually and there is a kind of continual Exercise of the Soul by internal Prayer Pag. 122. The Soul and Heart of Prayer is within seen to God Pag. 4. There is a great deal of Praying outwardly which is not right and sincere praying outward Balling and Canting Pag 90. He that turneth away his Ear from hearing the Law even his Prayer shall be Abomination R. H. queries Is not the Law Light and where is this Law and the Ear also that should be turned to it without man or within man Pag. 7. All right Prayer must be in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ The bare naming of Christ is not enough Pag. 12. Whilst there is Grace in the Soul there will be a Root of Prayer Pag. 28. What is God to me if I have no Life or Spirit in me wherewith to seek him and apply my self to him R. H. queries Whether all men have not need of Life or Spirit in them as well as priest Cheyney wherewith to seek God and apply themselves to God and if so why does this priest tell the people The Quakers mangle God and Christ and cut them in pieces because they say God hath given people a Measure of Life Light and Spirit
wherewith they may seek after and apply themselves to God Pag. 20. The spirit doth intercede in us by a kind of continual restless Motion and importunity towards God Pag. 57. Wicked people were it not to still their Consciences they would not pray that little which they do R. H. queries Doth not the Light in the Conscience move them to pray is it as a drunken negligent Coach-man or rather doth it not do its Office truly and is clear of the Priest's wicked Charge Hear him further Pag. 84. This is the Language and Practice of Wordliness stand by God stand by Christ and Eternal Life cease Conscience away Spirit let my Soul sink R. H. Sure God and Christ the Light and Spirit are not to be blamed since they are bidden stand by and are turned from before the Soul can sink but what a Strait doth this bring the Skirmisher into who in his Book intituled Quakerism subverted p. 31. tells us If the Light be blameless or in Effect he saith for his Words admit of the Consequence If there be any thing in man though of God and not of man that is Innocent and Blameless before God then the Quakers are in the Right and all that he hath writ as also his Skirmish must fall to the Ground and he must acknowledge himself to be utterly defeated and to have lost the Day Now that there is something of God in man he also grants p. 28. of the same Book in these Words There is something of God something of Satan Flesh and Spirit Light and Darkness Now to the Conscience of the Reader in the â—ight of God do I leave it that Judgment may be given betwixt the Skirmisher and the Quakers whether the Skirmisher be not utterly routted Hear him further Call to Prayer p. 103. So dangerous it is to resist the Spirit of the Lord and to imprison the Truth in Vnrighteousness and to go about to salve an Vlcerous Conscience by false â—ures they may serve for a while but the Day is at Hand when God wâ—ll search us all R. H. The Priest grants the Spirit of the Lord may be resisted and the Truth in Unrighteousness imprisoned Now I query whether this Resisting the Spirit and Imprisoning the Truth be within man or without him Pag. 41. A Gracious Man saith the Priest may silently worship God and speak to God and so as none may hear but himself and yet he most fervent in Prayer and yet this Priest scoffingly saith p. 101 102. How many dumb and silent Meetings have you without either prayer or preaching P. 19. Men may give us Words and Forms to use but they cannot give us the spirit of Grace and Supplication p. 17. Who knows how to pray to God further then God shall teach and enable him R. H. querieth whether it be not safe for all then to feel God's Spirit with them to teach them in Prayer Hear what the Priest himself saith Pag. 21. When the spirit of the Lord is from man he can do nothing Prayer sticks in his Mouth like choak-Cheese Thus much by the Priest in Honour of the Light Grace and Spirit of God in Prayer I shall here add some of the Priest's Lyes and so proceed Pag. 122. The Quakers declare themselves to be Hypocrites Pag. 50. Christ answers get you gone away with you to wit the five Foolish Virgins ye are Workers of Iniquity I never knew you Page 140. I am passed through the Red-Sea Egypt is behind me I am escaped out of Sodom I am from under the Bondage of spiritual Pharoah the Devil who once was my Father and Master Skirmish p. 2. The QUAKERS PROFESS to build their Religion and Hopes upon the Scriptures Call to Prayer p. 15. God hears wicked men in their Distress and grants them many Good things in Answer to their Prayers Answ This contradicteth the Scripture If I saith David regard Iniquity in my Heart the Lord will not hear me Psal 66.18 Besides these there are many other forged Lyes in his Books which for Brevity Sake I pass by at this time he tells the World p. 115. That he hath discoursed with some Quakers who have confessed to him that they never pray without a Motion from God's spirit R. H. querieth Why should they pray without God's Spirit J. C. himself confesseth elsewhere as I have hinted before that nothing can be done in Prayer without the especial Help of God's Spirit yet he blames the Quakers for refusing to pray without the Spirit move them but had they not better do so then to go before or without the Spirit and have their Prayer stick in their Mouthes like Choak-Cheese and said John Cheyney before But in this I have Reason to suspect Forgery that those Quakers should confess to him they in many Years have not had a Motion to Prayer Now if his tale be true let him give us the Names of such if it be false let his Iniquity stop his Mouth and let Shame come over him But to proceed Call to Prayer p. 42. God is a spirit and be requires the spirit in every Performance and nothing but the Life and Spirit and Zeal and Fervency in all our Duties and Services will please him Mal. 1. last Cursed be the Deceiver which hath a Male in his Flock and voweth and sacrificeth unto God a corrupt thing R. H. Well enough for the Downfal of this Skirmisher The Priest confesseth he hath a Male asserts God requireth nothing else neither will be pleased with any thing else but Spirit Life Zeal and Fervency he grants that the Deceiver who hath a Male may sacrifice to God a corrupt thing to wit A Cold Distracted Life-less Dead Prayer and such Prayers Offerings and Sacrifices are Abomination to God no more pleasing to him then was the cutting off of a Dogs Neck or offering Swines Blood and unto such Deceivers the Curse is due Now how near this Priest Cheyney's Prayers are thereunto read in his own Words published to the World which need little Animadversion because they speak fully of themselves he ought not to be angry with me for repeating them since he hath caused them to be printed if he be ashamed of them let him call them in and recant and what I have in my Custody he shall have freely but to the Matter in order to signifie his Hypocrisie Call to Prayer p. 45 46. We all come under reproof for our coldness and deadness in Prayer there is much detestable hypocrisie and coldness committed by us in our solemn Prayers to God both in secret in private and in publick Doth not this speak forth it self But hear him further What is this but to mock the Almighty God and to sport with consuming Fire and dally and play with Everlasting Torment and be in jest and complement with Heaven and Hell and make a light matter of sin and eternity What is this but a prophanation of God's Name and going to Hell upon our Knees and a
provoking God to deny us those Mercies which we so faintly beg Why do we pray like canting Beggars like Dreamers and Sleepers Pag. 135. O my God forgive me all my Omission of prayer all my Coldness Deadness Lukewarmness and Distractions in Prayer Pag. 139. I am distracted in Prayer I am soon weary I come poorly off my Foes are too hard for me Why go I mourning all the Day long when the Comforter which should relieve my Soul is gone from me Pag. 145. It is a great Misery as well as Sin to be lukewarm in Prayer Tremble to have my lukewarm Prayers abhorred by God and spued out of his Mouth and cast in my Face as Dung. If I get to Heaven it must be by this Trade of begging Pag. 143. This Priest Cheyney tells us If he be idle in prayer he shall have but a ragged tattered Soul Mark he saith I shall not be able to cover or conceal my Wickedness from the World R. H. querieth whether this be not a Hypocrite indeed who by distracted prayers thinks to hide his Wickedness from the World Hear him further Pag. 47. O loytering Souls unprofitable and unfruitful Servants all of us to our heavenly Master Let us be ashamâ—d of our Doings and mend our Prayers lest God spâ—e them out of his Mouth Pag. 131. Hadst thou O my Soul but a right Sense of Gods thou couldst not but be fervent in Prayer thou prayest but how Exceeding coldly R. H. The Priest grants he hath not a right Sense of God and that he prayes exceeding coldly yet in page 141 he saith But the Lord is with me and shall preserve me unto his heavenly Kingdom but mark Reader what follows in the same page But yet my Soul is much sadded cast down when I consider what Strivings and Fightings there is in my Prayer against it self one part in me would be more holy and another part contradicteth it and would be as I am and have leave to be unholy one side is for God and for Heaven and the other side savoureth Earth and is all for the Flesh and grudgeth every painful sigh for Heaven O how is my Soul tossed between these two Contenders and I am compelled to pray Hypocritically and Dissemble with God and utter Vntruths to him that searcheth the Hearts and delighteth not but in Vpright Lips But this is not all though enough to confound this Skirmisher Yet he shuts up himself in Unbelief hear him But either it must be so in part or there will be no praying in this World R. H. querieth Must there either be Hypocritical Praying Dissembling with God and uttering Untruths to him that searcheth the Hearts or no praying in this VVorld God forbid Let this Lying Dissembling Hypocrite's Mouth be stopt the Spirit of God inditeth better Matter it teacheth all the Sons of God who are led by it to pray with it and with Understanding not rude or distracted like Priest Cheyney but to offer to God what God hath prepared for he prepares the Morning and the Evening Sacrifice which as sweet Incense is accepted of him he hears his own Spirit and another Spirit he will not hear Hear what he saith of their Congregations Call to Prayer p. 30. O how little of Prayer is there in our Congregations indeed there is praying in many Congregations but it is rather a Mocking of God most vile Hypocrisie so often as the publick Prayers are read and repeated by the Minister and People so often the Name of God is taken in vain exceedingly by many Hypocritical Ministers and people and yet the Priest saith of himself p. 142 I am the most Rude and Vnskilful of all thy Ministers I shall now touch his Confusion and so discover his Blasphemy Call to Prayer p. 16. Prayer is a Holy and Reverend Communion of sinful Dust and Ashes with the great and glorious God Pag. 108. He tells of a Quaker that had so much of Christ's Spirit and Religion Outwardly in Him as to pray Pag. 52. I think there are but few Hypocrites that keep up a constant Course of Prayer and yet I cannot say but there may be some and Many Pag. 145. Though Christ be not present upon Earth Corporally and Carnally he is truly present by his Spirit and he dwells in his Saints This latter is for the Quakers Pag. 66. The Priest saith Behold we are lean exceeding lean like blasted Corn there is Husk but no Corn. Pag. 72. Thence it is that we are like raw Flesh unsodden Christians Milk-sops Quakerism Subverted Pag. 27 28. The Priest saith In every man since the Fall there is something of God and something of Satan Flesh and Spirit Light and Darkness Page 34. he saith This Light which is something of God by him placed in Opposition to Satan Spirit in Opposition to Flesh is guilty of all sins of Omission and Commission which the Soul is charged with guilty of it hath a Hand in all Thought sins Hears sins Tongue sins Life sins This is the Language of this Blasphemer Hear him further Pag. 21. The worst of men hath a Light within him and so we say that Jesus Christ is the true Light which enlightneth every man that cometh into the World John 1.9 Page 23. He calls this Light within the Quakers Diana Call to Prayer p. 112. The Quakers Dagon In Blasphemy of the true God and Christ once more hear him Quakerism subverted page 33. The Light goes down with the Soul into Hell p. 34 The Light within in Hell is turned into a Self-tormenting Light What is this but to say The Light of Christ tormenteth it self in Hell Confusion and Blasphemy But for all this this skirmishing Priest would not be called a Deceiver Lyar Hypocrite no more would his Generation the Scribes and Pharisees of old yet he tells us himself Call to Prayer p. 113. I could bring many that could not endure such Ministers as I. No marvail Skirmisher many see thee to be a Cloud without Water but if this Priest mean his own Generation it is no Wonder for though it be not very long since he turned Parson and crept in among the Chimmerims or men of the Black Robe for formerly he was a Justice's Clark and thirsted eagerly after the Quakers Money but as yet I hear not that he returned them their Money again yet in this short time he hath defiled his own Nest charged his Brethren with vile Hypocrisie stilled them Hypocritical Ministers yet of himself saith I am the most rude and unskilful of all thy Ministers hath he not marked his own Nose What constrained him to pray Hypocritically dissemble with God and lye to the Almighty Not the Truth for there is no Lye of it not the Spirit of Truth for that leadeth into all Truth He hath been acted by another Spirit Well he is seen by many to be what he is an Hypocrite And whereas he saith many will not endure such Preachers as he I add no Doubt but from henceforth some that have heard him and approved of him being simply betrayed by him now seeing him will hear him no more but quite turn their Backs of that Rude Distracted Hypocritical Dissembling Lying Minister all which his own Confession proves him to be also a Base Wicked Confused Blaspheming Priest all which his own Works prove him to be Now if any moderate Inquirer shall ask a Reason why I heap these things upon him I answer I am only an Instrument in the Lord's Hand and the God of Heaven is pouring Contempt upon him he hath lift up himself and not by the Lord and therefore the Lord is casting him down For the Truth 's Sake and for the Sake of the simple hearted where this may come have I collected these passages out of his Works giving the Title of the Book and Page in which whoso desires may in his Books read them more at large many Gross things I have past by in his Books especially Quakerism subverted as also in his Skirmish the latter being fully answered already It is for Truth 's Sake and the Sake of Peoples Souls which are misguided that thus far I have run through his dirty Channel what I have written I commend to every Man's Conscience in the Sight of God who am Truth 's Friend and the Soul's Friend but an Enemy to that which misguideth it Roger Haydock THE END