doctrine and conversation In the Communion upon the Feast of Trinity They pray that their sinful bodies may be made clean by the body of Christ and their souls washed through his pretious blood and that they may evermore dwell in him and he in them c. Here again is that confessed in words and prayed for which the Quakers hath long travelled and laboured to see accomplished who hath been long cried against as absurd and Heretical for affirming that they dwelt in Christ and he he dwelt in them which is no more then this Collect plainly holds forth and for saying they were washed by his pretious blood by the chief Priests and Rulers of this generation as many can witness yet they themselves can confess such things in words though in works they wholly deny them and not onely so but stirs up the Rulers to persecute all those who practise the same in life and conversation if they will not bow to every ceremony which they have woven in amongst the sound truths which will remain for ever as living witnesses against them and their Idols And therefore the Quakers do own what is truth in the Common-Prayer and what is collected out of the Scripture of truth which they practised and lived in and suffered for when they who now so highly magnifies the Common-Prayer durst not shew themselves but now for their own bellies extols that which they will as much cry against if another thing arise In their Prayer before sprinkling of Infants They pray That all carnal affections may dye in them and that all things belonging to the spirit may live and grow in them and that the new man may be raised up in them In this Prayer is several good things if rightly applyed and understood but whether they now who are Minsters and hearers of the Common-Prayer either knowes what they ask or beleives that ever they shall receive what they pray for is greatly questionable their principles being so much for a body of sin to be in young and old while they live on the earth which is not death but life to all carnal affections and death to all things belonging to the spirit and to the raising up of the new man which cannot be raised up in any nor put on but as the old man is put off with his deeds which is the body of sin In their Prayer for Sunday They desire the Lord to grant them his holy spirit to bear witnesse with their spirits that they being his children and heirs of his kingdome and that by the operation of the same spirit they may kill all carnal lusts and unlawful pleasures concupicences and evil affections contrary to his will What man or people can be more perfect before the Lord then they who come to attain all those things here desired which is the highest degree of perfection for if all carnal lusts and unlawful pleasures concupissences and evil affections be killed the ground and root of all â—â—n is killed and there can be no more living in sin nor branches of the same for where the root of sin is killed the branches cannot remain but if many in this age who now reads over these prayers would but recollect their memories they would perceive that those prayers is not sutable to their faith and so cannot be an acceptable sacrifice to God out of their mouthes Prov. 15. 8. and 27. neither can they ever receive those things they pray for unless they had more faith in the asking of them so whether the Quakers or they have more right to those Prayers let them who best knowes their lives and doctrines only judge In their prayer for the morning They desire Christ to take them into his tuition ruling and governing them with his holy spirit that all manner of darkness and all carnal affections may be utterly chased and driven out of their hearts and that they may be justified and saved both in body and soul If any should ask one of these Metamorphosed men called Ministers if they do beleive that all these things desired can be received while they are in the body they would say no I verily beleive it is so common with them to plead for Satans kingdome to stand while people live upon the earth and so hath kept thousands from being justified or saved either in body or spirit as by sad experience we have seen overthrowing the faith of many through cunning devised Fables which hath been more pleaded for then the sound truths therein prescribed for if it be asked any of them for what the Quakers are persecuted their answer is presently because they will not come to Church nor be conformable to the ceremonies thereof or some such like frivolous thing which hath no strength nor authority in it nor is of substance to convince any that they err in this so long as they retain the antient truths declared and testified unto in the Scripture of truth which their persecutors have erred from in principle and practise and therefore the Quakers denies them and all their inventions and are come out from among them according to the word of the Lord Isa 52. 11. 2 Cor. 6. 17. In another of their Prayers for the morning They desire Christ to shine into their minds that they may not any where stumble nor fall into any sin Here is the light within prayed for to guide them out of stumbling and falling into any sin which is a principle that they have cried against this several years counting it heresy to acknowledge a light to shine in peoples minds to guide them out of stumbling nay they have been so far from beleiving that this light would keep them from falling into any sin that they have leavened all people with the contrary mind that will beleive them so here again their faith and their Prayers are as much opposite one to another as light is to darkness and therefore the Quakers hath good grounds to deny them they certainly knowing that such sacrifices did alwayes stinck in the nostrils of the Lord and though they make many Prayers he will not hear because their hands is full of blood Isa 1. 14. 15. Pro. 1. 28. Jer. 14. 12. and their fingers is polluted with iniquity and they can never beleive any other thing but that people must continue in sin during life and so manifests themselves to be such as Iames spoke unto Ia. 4. 3. In their Prayer for Wednesday They pray that they may overcome the chief enemies of their Souls viz. the desires of the world and the pleasures of the flesh and the Suggestions of the wicked spirit according to their promise in Baptisme In this prayer is many good weighty things desired if the desirers had but faith as a grain of Mustard seed these mountains before mentioned would be removed and cast into the Sea never more to arise Mat. 17. 20. but while they remain in unbeleif they may pray and use many vain repetitions as
even in things appertaining to God wherefore things ordained by them as necessary to salvation have neither strength nor Authority unless it may be declared that they be taken out of the holy Scriptures Therefore this invention of sprinkling Infants with Godfathers and Godmothers being not taken out of the Scripture neither can be proved thereby hath no strength nor Authority neither is to be beleived as requisite to salvation but is judged deemed and taken to be an error first of Pope Iginus and since of the general counsels according to the abovesaid Articles Furthermore our plea is that forasmuch as the contrivers and setters forth of the book of Common Prayer hath collected many good and true sayings out of the Scripture and hath put them into divers Prayers in which they desire to come into the same condition which the holy men of God witnessed in former ages of which things the Lord hath made us witnesses at this day in life and practise and in measure have obtained of the Lord according to our desire haveing asked the same in faith without wavering which are set down in divers places of the Common-Prayer book which the Priests and professors of this generation affirmeth can never be obtained while men live and therefore these prayers set down in the Common-Prayer-book and the things prayed for therein is quite contrary to their faith as hereafter shall be made appear In the Collect upon the Circumcision of Christ They pray to God to grant them the true Circumcision of the spirit that their hearts and all their members may be mortified from all worldly and carnal lusts and that they may in all things obey Gods blessed will c. Now let the wise in heart judge of this thing whether they do beleive that their hearts and all their members can be mortified from all worldly and carnal lusts and whether they can in all things obey Gods blessed will while they are upon the earth for after it is impossible they should and if they beleive they can why are the Quakers persecuted for being of the same faith and praying for the same things but if they beleive these things cannot be attained then what is their prayers worth For whatsoever is not of faith is sin Rom. 14. 23. So these good desires are turned into sin by this faithless generation of teachers who instead of propagating these prayers they are found depravers of them but the Collossians witnessed the body of sin put off by the circumcision of Christ Coll. 2. 11. So whether the Apostles testimony or the Priests testimony is according to the Scripture let the honest heart judge In the Collect for the first Sunday in Lent They pray to God to give them grace to use such abstinance that their flesh being subdued to the spirit they may ever obey his godly motions Herein they seem to own the spirits motion in words which they do and have so long cried against scoffing and scorning them who witness this spirit to lead them calling it error and Heresy in the Quakers thus to affirme though they read these things dayly in their assemblies yet they do not mean that ever they shall come to pass for if people were subdued to the spirit and came to obey the Godly motions thereof they know people would soon leave them as the Quakers have done so whether the Quakers or them are enemies to those good things in the Common-Prayer let sober minded people judge In the Collect for the third Sunday after Easter They affirme that God sheweth to all that be in error the light of his truth to the intent they may return into the way of righteousnesse This is most true and that which the Quakers from the beginning have testified of for which they are and have been all along oppressed and persecuted for if men that be in error be lighted with the light of Gods truth which is Christ and that to the intent they may return into the way of righteousness then they who turnes people to this light turns them into the way of righteousness but they who instead of turning people to this light cries against it and keeps people from following of it such doth not bring people into the way of righteousness as we see by dayly experience and so are not promoters of the truth in the Common-Prayer book though for their own gain they may read it outwardly yet it is manifestly seen that these blind guides are more for the promoting of Superstitious Ceremonies in the said book which hath no ground nor proof in the Scripture and so by the 20. and 21 Article of the book of Canons is declared to be of no force nor strength yea far more then the testifying and vindicating the sound fundamental truths therein which is collected out of the Scripture of truth which the Quakers both own and practise in life doctrine and conversation which light being followed and regarded would lead people to life and salvation if it were not eclipsed and veiled through these faithless generation of men who seeks to take away the Key of Knowledge which is the true light of Christ the truth wherewith he hath lighted every man that cometh into the world John 1. 9. and so will neither enter themselves nor suffer them that would so let any judge whether the Quakers or the Priests ought to be protected by the Lawes of King Edw. the sixt Queen Eliza. King Iames and King Charles and whether of them lives more in obedience to the sound fundamental truths in the Common-Prayer book In the Collect for Whitsunday They say God hath taught the hearts of his faithful people by the sending to them the light of his holy spirit and they desire by the same spirit to have a right judgement in all things If this affitmation be true as certain it is then what need hath people of their teachings unless it be to keep them in blindness of heart from the dictates of this spirit whereby the hearts of his faithful people is taught according to this Collect which is agreeable to the Scripture which saith All thy children shall be taught of the Lord Isa 54. 13. Joh. 6. 54. And again the Apostle saith to confirme this The grace of God which bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us c. Titus 2. 11. 12. all which the Quakers own and witness and therefore they deny them who denies these things and would have people ever learning of them that they may ever feed them with money and if people have a right judgement in all things by the holy spirit of God according to this collect then they who are against this spirit in its teachings and leadings must of necessity have no right judgement in any thing and this the Priests hath manifestly appeared against both in word and righting and therefore let their own Common-Prayer book be a witness between them and us whether we or they walks more according thereunto in
and then they will suddenly see whether of these ought by law and right reason to be upheld and countenanced In the Collect for the 6th Sunday after Epaphany Wherein they desire God to make them his sons and heirs of eternal life and that they having this hope may purifie themselves even as he is pure c. This is a good desire indeed and that which the Lord hath granted to many at this day who are now the sons of God and heirs of life but who are made more objects of the worlds wrath then such even by them who are praying for the same condition in words though their works shews them to be more like the sons of Belial in whose steps they tread who are far from being pure as God is pure neither I do think they ever believe they shall though they pray for the same but are not these the principles which the Quakers have been condemned for owning and counted Hereticks for professing which is now the publick Praiers of this Nation established by law all which as they are taken out of the Scripture we both have practised since we were a people and do at this day if they had never been written in the Common praier book Object But if it be objected that these are not principles but good desires and godly Prayers Answ That cannot be a good desire nor a godly praier wherein the thing desired cannot be beleived to be obtained for whatsoever is not of faith is sin Rom. 14. 23. and therefore the Quakers cannot own them who turns the truth of God in these foregoing lines into a lye and sin and worships they know not what as it is too too manifest and therefore the Quakers pleads the general issue of all these things which I hope there is not a rational man who reads the aforegoing passages with understanding but will bring in their verdict for them and against the faithless prayers of these times yet nevertheless these men cannot handsomly denie but all the aforesaid Collects either is or ought to be the substance of things hoped for and if they will not own them to be principles they must own them conditions attainable to the children of God or else why do they pray for them and if so then they must either own the Quakers Doctrine or deny that part of the Common-Praier which may be proved by the Scripture and is taken out of the Scripture and so vindicate none but that part which is neither taken out of the Scripture nor can be proved by the Scripture which they are most ready to do and alwaies have done though it is of no strength nor authority nor ought to be forced upon any as necessarie to salvation as may appear by the 6th Article of their own Canons and also by the 20. and 21. Articles of the same So whether the Quakers are to be condemned for vindicating that part of the Common-Prayer which is taken out of the Scripture which hath strength and authoritie in it or the Priests for vindicating that part of the Common-Praier which is not taken out of the Scripture nor can be proved thereby is left to the verdict of every judicious man Here followeth several perticulars of the Priests practise which is not taken out of the Scripture nor can be proved thereby which the Quakers judges of no strength nor authority neither ought to be forced upon any as necessary to salvation as may appear by the 21. Article of the book of Cannons 1. First their sprinkling Infants with water and signing them with the signe of the Cross in their foreheads is not taken out of the Scripture nor cannot be proved thereby therefore it is of no strength nor authority 2. Having Godfathers and Godmothers standing at the Font is not taken out of the Scripture nor cannot be proved thereby therefore of no force 3. Their saying that people must have a body of sin as long as they live cannot be proved by the Scripture nor is not taken out of the Scripture therefore is an error in all the beleivers thereof 4. Their saying that none can keep the commands of God is not taken out of the scripture nor can be proved by the scripture herein they shew they are led by the spirit of error 5. Their abstaining from slesh in the time called Lent is not taken out of the scripture nor can be proved thereby 6. To read and Preach in a Tippet-hood or surplice is not taken out of the scripture nor can be proved thereby 7. To keep so many daies in a year from working calling them Holy daies and therein tollerating drunkenness wantonness and plaies and vice is not taken out of the Scripture nor can be proved thereby 8. To take a Text of scripture and raise so many arguments and doctrines reasons and uses from it is not taken out of the scripture nor can be proved thereby 9. To erect an Altar in their Church and to bow so many times thereunto is not taken out of the scripture nor can be proved thereby 10. To give bread and wine to people kneeling twice a year is not taken out of the Scripture nor can be proved thereby 11. To have ten shillings more or less as they can get for a Funeral sermon as they call it is not taken out of the Scripture nor cannot be proved thereby 12. To cause women to come into the Steeple-house in a white cloath and to have money for speaking words over them after child birth is not taken out of the scripture nor can be proved thereby 13. To have a Sexton to ring the bells three times before their service is not taken out of the scripture nor can be proved thereby 14. To take so much a year of every Parish for preaching or reading is not taken out of the scripture nor can be proved thereby 15. To take Tythes and offerings of people for the aforesaid work yea of those for which they do no work cannot be proved by the Scripture So all the particulars and many more which now are and have been used practised by the teachers of this generation which they have no ground in the scripture for which hath been set up in the night of Apostacy from the life and spirit of God by the false Prophets and Antechrists which entred into the world above 1600. years ago being prophesied of by Christ Matt. 7. 15. 16. 17. by their fruits he then said they should be known comparing them to thorns and thistles of which men cannot gather grapes nor figs as appears at this day for neither of these can be gathered of these false Prophets of our age and are they not inwardly ravening wolves according to Christs words for if any come to receive and follow the light of Gods spirit within to guide them such they seeks to devour with all their strength though outwardly they will cover themselves with the same words as appears by the aforesaid Treatise that they may