your own good too in hopes that our Government will find a time to Examin these things and prevent your walking in Masquerade as well as your deep Design to supplant Christianity 11. And I am willing further to observe that as the Proceedings of Francis Bugg has been a Check upon you so has he been useful in keeping on foot the Petition till a Convenient Season as also in Answering your Books by which you Banter the Grand Juries the Corporations and the Justices of Peace which will be no small Motive to the Prosecution now in hand 12. Not that I believe or desire Persecution will ensue no. I am not for punishing the Swearers and Damners of the Age with Cutting their Throats or a Sea of Blood but that as God permits them to Live so the Nation suffers them tho' not tolerated by an Act of Indulgence no more 't is hoped will you in your Blasphemous Errors and Pernicious Principles unless you do heartily and sincerely retract them and thereby make some Atonement for the great Scandal you have been to the Reformed Religion and so Adieu ERRATA PReface p. 1. line 4. for 1689 read 1698. p. 9. l. 18. f. as r. is p. 37. l. 13. f. have to r. to have Page 28. line 2. Smith's Works and Penington's Question p. 35. l. 15. f. 1560. r. 1650. p. 52. l. 14. f. Country r. Counterfeit p. 61. l. 24. f. writ r. wrought p. 78. l. 15. f. Reason r. Harlot p. 128. l. 4. r. till you have p. 172. l. 27. f. why r. what p. 250. l. 14. f. Reason r. Religion l. 17. r. Boyling Vengeance p. 227. f. every r. ever p. 303. l. 3. f. is r. in p. 305. l. 6. r. which to p. 154. l. 8. r. the Lord. THE Pilgrim's Progress FROM QUAKERISM TO Christianity c. CHAP. I. Giving an Account of my Education in the Profession of the Christian Faith and how I came to Apostatize from it and fall in with the Schism of Quakerism I Was Born at Milden-Hall in the County of Suffolk on the 10th Day of March Anno 1640. and Baptized into the Church of Christ the 14th of the same Month promising then by my Sureties to Fight manfully under Christ's Banner My Father's Name was Robert Bugg second Son of Francis Bugg and Margaret his Wife who was Chief Constable many Years my Mother's Name was Joan the Fourth and Youngest Daughter of Thomas Holman and Mary his Wife who was Baptized the 16th Day of March 1619. living at Lakenheath-Hall My Parents were of a good Yeomen-Family and lived in good Repute and brought me up in the Profession of the Church of England and when I came to Years capable of Instruction they Taught me the Lords Prayer the Ten Commandments and the Apostles Creed and very severe they were in Teaching me the Rudiments of the Christian Religion I remember my Mother who was a very good and pious Woman and religiously inclined would not suffer me to Sleep when I went to Bed e're I had said my Prayers and sometimes part of my Catechism And on the Lord's Day she made me to frequent the Church and at Home on that Day as well as most other Days to read some Portion of the Holy Scriptures They brought me up to School Learning until I attained to the Age of about Fifteen Years whereby I was capable to Write and Read English very well as also to cast Accompt few Lads went beyond me As also the Grammar wherein I was well instructed in the Rules thereof insomuch that I began to make a Piece of Latin but my Father living in a great Farm at Undley-Hall in the Parish of Lakenheath of 200 l. a Year besides a Fen-Farm in his Hands of 100 l. per. Ann. more he had in the Summer-time great Occasion for my Assistance and thereby was prevented of attaining to that Degree they once designed And afterwards being an Apprentice and so fell into Business that I soon lost a great part of that Learning I once had attained I must also confess I was in my Youth inclined to Company especially to Dancing and Musick yet I had in my early Years a Love to Religion and delighted much in Reading the Holy Scriptures sometimes Eight or Ten Chapters together I also lov'd much to hear good Preachers I very well remember that sometimes I went to Milden-Hall where we formerly liv'd on the Lord's Day on purpose to hear Mr. Watson who was accounted a famous Preacher being Four Miles from my Dwelling Thus much briefly touching my early Education Observations on the First Chapter REader I am the more particular in these Remarks for that the Quakers how much soever I was in esteem whilst with them since I left them have traduced me and laid all the Reproaches on me which Malice can invent (a) Non patitur Ludum fama Fides Oculus i. e. A Man 's Good Name his Faith his Eye will not be dally'd with said Luther in his Comment upon Gal. p. 51. as shall be shewed hereafter as well as to shew how excellent a thing it is for Parents to bring up their Children in the Nurture and Fear of the Lord to instruct them in the Principles of Christianity teach them the Lord's Prayer the Ten Commandments the Apostles Creed and the Church Catechism These Things together with Reading and Hearing the Scriptures Expounded being instiled into them in their young Years they will scarcely forget it when they are Old But if they should yet at one time or other the Remembrance of them may so far be brought to mind that they may thereby be brought to a Sense of their Condition And I speak what I know by Experience for the first Sermon I heard which was Preached by Mr. Smithies of Cripplegate London after I was about 25 Years amongst the Quakers and the very hearing of the Lord's Prayer the Ten Commandments the Apostles Creed and Confession of Sin did so strike me and bring things to my Memory that it shak'd all my Self-Confidence and brought me to the Consideration of Times past CHAP. II. An Account of my Apostacy and how I came to be carried away by the Quakers Dissimulation ABout the Year of our Lord 1657 Thomas Symonds of Norwich came to Lakenheath and appointed Meetings and many Quakers came from Thetford and other Places And tho' I went to Church on the Forenoon yet I had itching Ears to hear the Quakers and my Mother being dead and much of my Restraint thereby taken off I went to their Meetings in the Afternoon and gave great heed to what was spoken whose chief Subject was The Light within every Man and this Light to be Christ And their great Argument was from Christ's telling the Woman of Samaria her Thoughts saying Come see a Man which told me all things that ever I did is not this the Christ c. John 4.29 Therefore said the Quakers this Light within must needs be the Man Christ and no other
Spirit of Truth in George Whitehead and George Fox the Younger See Title Page And being questioned by a Minister p. 7. VVhether the Quakers Speaking was of as great Authority as any Chapter in the Bible George Whitehead reply'd saying That which is spoken from the Spirit of Truth in ANY is of as GREAT AUTHORITY as the Scritures and Chapters are and GREATER So that the plain Consequence of this Doctrine is That the Authority of this little Pamphlet of Whitehead's and Fox's VVriting is of Greater Authority than the Bible and not only that but all their other Pamphlets which they give forth as they pretend from the Spirit of Truth or Light within The said Minister proposed another Question to Whitehead viz. Is the Moral Law or Ten Commandments a Rule to the Christian's Life or is it not p. 18. To this G. Whitehead reply'd saying Thou might as well ask If the Moral Law be a Rule to Christ for the Christian's Life and Rule is Christ meaning their Light within From whence it 's plain that the Ten Commandments are not the Quakers Rule No no not unless they be convinced by their Light within of the Reasonableness of their Obedience as Mr. Penn teaches and Edward Burroughs their great Prophet Quakerism a New Nick-name c. p. 71. Burrough's Works p. 47. And by these and the like Arguments our Teachers brought us off from believing the Scriptures to be the VVord of God And as such to have Authority over us and Binding to us whether convinced or not convinced by these Means they brought us from the Practice of repeating the Lord's Prayer the Ten Commandments and the Apostles Creed in our Families By these cunning Slights they by degrees brought us off the Ordinances of Christ as Baptism and the Lord's Supper asking Forgiveness of Sin and the like Christian Duties in which many of us had been Educated and which the Scriptures command and exhort to And by reason of this and the like Doctrine together with not reading the Holy Scriptures in our Meetings but their Epistles only as in my former Books I have at large shewed we came to forget and not regard nor have Faith in the Crucified Jesus who died for our Sins and rose again for our Justification and that in these Fundamental Points following namely 1. That Faith in Christ as he outwardly suffered at Jerusalem was necessary to our Salvation provided we hearkened diligently to our Light within 2. That Justification and Sanctification is by the Blood of Christ outwardly shed 3. That there shall be a Resurrection of the Body that dieth 4. That Christ shall come without us in his Glorified Body to Judge the Quick and the Dead at the last Day even the same Jesus that was Born of the Virgin Died Rose Ascended and now Sits at the Right Hand of God in Heaven making Intercession for us News out of the North p. 14. As also that there was little need of Preaching the Literal Knowledge of Christ's Death Miracles Resurrection and Ascension because they are generally believed by all sorts professing Christianity See Isaac Pennington's Book The Flesh and Blood of Christ c. p. 29. I say by our Teachers thus slighting the Scriptures as Death Dust and Serpents Food of which I have largely treated elsewhere and by their other Doctrine scattered up and down their Books they brought us off from the Belief and Expectation of these Things as George Keith by his Third Narrative has clearly made to appear and as a Pregnant Instance thereof with respect to my self see my First Book I printed De Chris Lib. Part 2. which altho' it treat of the best part of Quakerism and gave a mortal VVound to the Jurisdiction of their Female Government yet it set not forth any one of these four Fundamental Points For as their Hypocrisie in pretending to be plain sincere simple and innocent was a means to attract and draw me after them so the like Hypocrisie in pretending to gather to the Light leave People to their Light as a sufficient Rule Judge and Guide (c) Yet acting quite contrary as anon will appear c. was one Reason why I left them I do not look upon it so eminently my Business to set forth the admirable Advantage and Use of the Lord's Prayer the Ten Commandments the Apostles Creed Baptism and the Lord's Supper no every Bookseller's Shop is furnished with plenty of such Books which are writ by Men of great Learning and Skill which should I write after them it would be next to light a Candle at Noon-day when the Sun shines in its Brightness Tho' if I lived in a Country where such Arguments were not I thank God I could through the Study of the Scriptures and the Knowledge I have of the Doctrinal part of Christianity thereby speak somewhat to the Point and which might be useful too No I take it to be my Business and Office amongst others to unmask and discover the Errors and Pernicious Principles of the Quakers and therefore refer to Bishop Andrews upon the Commandments Bishop Pearson upon the Creed Dr. Cumber upon the Lord's Prayer and indeed what else the Church teach And to make it yet more evident if more can be that the very Design of these Silent Meetings was to bring us off and wean us from the Articles of the Christian Faith and the Principles of the Christian Religion and thereby to mould us and square us as fit Tools for their Turn to supplant and overthrow it And this I know that the more we obeyed the Doctrine of our new Teachers the more we grew dead to all Instituted Religion For as Universities and other Schools of Learning as well amongst the Jews as Christians had a tendency to prepare Men and thro' God's Assisting Grace were a means and a help to such as were to be Consecrated and set apart for the VVork of the Ministry so I do affirm and that from an Experimental Knowledge That these Silent Universities tends only to empty the Mind of all true and solid Notions of the Christian Religion and only to prepare them for the wild Notions of Quakerism which hath such a sandy Foundation that to this Day they have not been able to produce their Articles of that Faith they pretend to but are as Mr. Baxter said Penitential Confession p. 63. i. e. The Quakers are amongst us a disgraced broken Sect c. notwithstanding their pretence to Unity Uniformity and to be of one Mind referring oft to their Beginning when alas some will pay Tythes some not some shut up their Shops on Fast-Days some not some for Thee and Thou still but most of them not but are like other People some wet Quakers some not some for this some for that and some for neither this nor that as in a Hundred Things I could shew But lest any should think me partial in stating the Case and in shewing the Consequences of our Silent Meetings or Schools
World in Righteousness by that Man whom he hath Ordained whereof he hath given Assurance unto all Men in that he hath raised him from the Dead I say Is it so And have the Quakers perverted these Texts in St. John and put on a new Translation saying All Power in Heaven and Earth is committed to their Light Quoting John 5.23 Josiah Coal's Works p. 93. This is a bold Attempt this is most Horrible if not Blasphemy thus to subvert the Gospel to serve their Corrupt Ends. How wary then had People need be of receiving the Quaker's Doctrine Is it so that People being thus caught in a Snare and brought over to their Silent Meetings and thereby weaned and drawn off from the Principles and Practices of the Christian Churches in all Ages as Baptism the Lord's Supper the Lord's Prayer Ten Commandments the Apostles Creed Confession of Sin and reading the Scriptures in their Meetings in the Worship of God Oh! what Care ought to be taken that these People should be shunned and these false Worshippers be rejected as a contagious Disease Is it so that the Quakers hold that what is spoken from the Spirit of Truth in any is of greater Authority than the Holy Scriptures which was ever since the Days of Christ and his Apostles brought as a Proof to cast the Ballance in all Controversies And do they indeed hold as their Books teach That that is no Command of God to me what he commanded to another and that no Command in the Scripture is any further obliging upon any Man than as he finds a Conviction upon his Conscience as W. Penn and their Prophet Burroughs teach Burrough's Works p. 47. Quakerism a new Nick-name c. p. 71. This surely is the Womb of all Iniquity in the World this opens the Flood-Gates to all Errour Atheism Deism Socinianism Arianism and what not This therefore ought to precaution all People to beware how they receive the dangerous Pill of Quakerism how excellently soever it is covered with some plausible Pretensions and fair Arguments Is it so that the Quakers have not nor ever had since the Days of Symon Magus none like them amongst the Christian Churches who denied the Ordinances of Baptism Supper and Confession of Sin but John Reeve and Lodowick Muggleton How then does it behove their Followers to examine the Doctrine and Practice of their Teachers and to turn from them and flee as for their Lives CHAP. IV. Shews that this Anarchy did not last long but a Government was set up Sometimes a Single Person as Pope over us and sometimes the Light in the Body of Friends claimed a Power over the Light in the Particular FOR after we became dead to the Rudiments of the World as we accounted those Christian Duties commanded by Christ and his Apostles and practised by Christian Churches downwards as Baptism Supper Confession of Sin c. and became stedfast and fixed in the Notion of Quakerism of which I gave only a Hint as I passed thro' my Pilgrimage in that Particular then our Teachers began to bethink themselves of the Necessity of a Government in our Church as well as our Neighbours and if a Government then a Governour and this Government must be either Inward or Outward The Inward we had tried and found defective for the Disciple pretended he was enlightned as well as the Apostle and he thought he had as much Right to follow his Guide i. e. his Light within as to follow and obey the Light in his Teacher or the Light in any Man Upon this the Teachers met in Council at London in the Month of May 1666 to settle this so necessary as well as difficult Point and many Arguments passed between the Clergy and Laity viz. between the Teachers and the Deputies At last it was decided That the Body should govern and the Light in the particular should submit to the Light in the Body But still this Body being without a Head seemed like a Monster so that there was a Necessity to find a Head to clap upon this Body Well this Head must either be visible or invisible the latter it could not be for then the least Hearer would plead his Light his Guide his Judge his Leader as the Teachers told them in the beginning when they decoyed them over to them So then it was resolved it must be George Fox he being the first must become our Great Apostle who together with the Body was to Govern from East to West and from North to South Since which time it was in vain for any single Person to plead the Sufficiency of his Light or the Authority of it for to the Light in the Body was all Power in Heaven and Earth committed Jos Coal's Works p. 93. And to support this Glorious Cause Will. Penn wrote a Book wherein he affirmed That it is a Dangerous Principle and Pernicious to True Religion and which is worse it is the Root of Ranterism to assert That nothing is a Duly incumbent upon thee but what thou art perswaded or convinced is thy Duty c. A Brief Examination and State p. 3. This was Printed in 1681 and and written by the same W. Penn who in the Year 1673. wrote his Book stiled Quakerism a New Nick name for Old Christianity where he then Judged it so far from Ranterism to act as they were perswaded that Page 71. he saith No Command in the SCRIPTURE is any farther OBLIGING upon ANY Man than as he finds a CONVICTION upon his Conscience otherwise Men said Mr. Penn should be engaged without if not against Conviction a thing unreasonable in a Man c. Thus then it 's plain That with respect to the Commands of God recorded in the Holy Scriptures Men are to be at Liberty they are to obey if they be convinced or perswaded it 's their Duty so to do if not they may by Mr. Penn's Doctrine be at Liberty And so saith E. Burroughs for says he That is no Command from God to me what he commands to another neither did any of the Saints that we read of in Scripture act by the Command which was to another not having the Command to themselves c. Burrough's Works p. 47. And if we read on in the same Page we may find that these Commands of God thus rejected by the Quakers unless they have them anew as the inspired Apostles and Prophets had were Baptism and other Ordinances And now let me return to see what things Will. Penn would have done and obey'd Conviction or no Conviction and this will give us some Light into their Mystery of Iniquity thus to reject the Commands of God recorded in Scriptures and teach that none need to obey them unless convinced of the Usefulness of them as they have done these 40 Years GO TEACH ALL NATIONS BAPTIZING c. DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME c. When you Pray say FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE c. Matth. 28.19,20 Luke 22.19,20
Testimony and they are not chang'd they tell you so as I have herein before observed Seventhly And as a Pregnant Instance of the dangerous Consequence of this their Six-Week Meeting and their common Stock or Fund observe that of Joseph Clark one of their Preachers before noticed who tho' he pretended he was moved of God their usual Pretence for their Villanies yet when J. Field and their Fund failed him he presently pays his Tythes professing also that he then could pay them as well as other Taxes which is a clear Demonstration that such as stand it out and will rather spend 20 l. then pay 13 s. is because they are supported by this Illegal Fund c. And Lastly You may by this recited Epistle observe the Confederacy of their Yearly-Meeting and Six-Week Meeting to spread their venemous Books to infect both Youth and Aged Male and Female Old and Young and all under the fine Notion of the Service of Truth meaning Quakerism For if they meant the Truth of the Christian Doctrine they would at one time or other read a Chapter in their Meetings at one time or other recommend to their Monthly and Quarterly Meetings the reading of some Portion of the Holy Scriptures But not a Word of this in their Epistles not a Chapter read in their Meetings for Forty Years together but their own Epistles their own Prophesies their own printed Exhortations These they not only read in their private Meetings in their Families but they must Record you see this recited Epistle in their Quarterly-Book and sometimes read it Oh! 't is a precious Epistle And now Christian Reader I cannot but think my self unable to give a full and compleat Caution against the spreading of the Gangrene of Quakerism and therefore give me leave in the Words of Mr. Ralph Farmer a Minister formerly of Bristol to rehearse part of his Exhortation in his Book i. e. The Myst of Ungodliness c. viz. Now beloved if thou beest a Christian what say'st thou Is not here a Mystery of Ungodliness to the Purpose Where was it hatch'd think'st thou Could any less than all the Devils in Hell keep a Conventicle to Contrive and Plot this Black and Hellish Treason against the Majesty of God Jesus Christ and the Holy Scriptures Oh! ye Christian Magistrates who rule for Christ and to whom you shall one Day give an Account of your Government how you have ruled for him and how tender you have been of his Honour what is become of your Zeal for Christ and his Glory Good Sirs if these wretched Souls have such Liberty of Conscience to think thus contemptuously of our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Gospel let them not upon Pretence of Liberty of Conscience be so audaciously Blasphemous to write and speak thus And O ye Servants of the Lord my Fathers and Brethren in the Ministry of our Dear and Ever-blessed Jesus you that are the Pastors of the Lord's Flock and the Watchmen for the Sheep of his Pasture lift up your Voices and spare not cry aloud to all your Congregations and forewarn them that they be not a Prey to Satan's Devices let the Wolves know that you are not Dumb Dogs and cannot bark and Idol Shepherds that can neither hear nor see nor understand any thing and that at a time of Need can say nothing certainly certainly such as these may ill look for their Gain from their Quarters they deserve it not who so they may be fed care not nor care to discover what devouring Beast comes to destroy the Flock of Christ But you my dear Brethren who are set over the Lord's Folds and who watch for their Souls as those that must give an Account and that have a Desire to do it with Joy and for the Profit of your People read and practise what St. Paul gives in charge to the Pastors of the Church at Ephesus Acts 20.28,29,30,31 and let me give it thee here in his own Words what he gave forth to his Son Timothy I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the Quick and the Dead at his Appearing and Kingdom preach the Word be instant in Season out of Season reprove rebuke exhort with all Long suffering and Doctrine for the time will come and it is now when they shall not endure sound Doctrine but after their own Lusts shall they heap to themselves Teachers having itching Ears and they shall turn away their Ears from the Truth and shall be turned unto Fables but watch thou in all things endure Afflictions do the Work of an Evangelist or Gospel Preacher make full Proof of thy Ministry c. CHAP. XI Shews the Quakers Second-Day Meetings and Hypocrisie thereof with its ill Consequences in order to Deceive Reader I Am now come to their Second-Day Meeting even to that Meeting where Satan dwells and where he employs his Archest Emissaries I shall not wrong them as believing I must one Day give an Account for my Actions before the Man Christ Jesus who shall Judge both the Quick and Dead at the Great Day where I hope I shall not be afraid to meet G. Whitehead with this Testimony in my Hand so on the other Hand I shall not spare them hide nor cover them who have by their Wiles by their Books of two sorts deceived the Nations deceived many of the Magistrates many of the Clergy nay my self for I could not have wrote thus Fifteen Years ago †No if I had not seen their deceitful Practices and measur'd them by the Scriptures I could not have known them rightly I took them then at least some Years before to be Prophets at least sincere and to meet there for the approving of what was Right Sound and Orthodox and for condemning the contrary But behold I have found the contrary and that by sad Experience yea I have found that their whole Business is to deceive and carry on a Design yea a Confederacy under the fine Notion of Unity and Concord I have laboured many Years under great Difficulties I have spent my Estate I have spent my Strength I grow into Years I have a Conscience to Discharge I think I cannot do it unless I compleat that Discovery which I have began Tho' I find it prejudicial to my Health and other Business I find my self conscientiously concerned in this weighty Affair I do know that the Reverend Author of the Book entituled The Snake in the Grass * To whose Works I refer the Reader c. have done exceeding well he hath done beyond what I am able to do 't is a Learned Piece and becomes a Learned Reader But I am directing the greatest part of what I say to the more unlearned †i. e. The common People who are not so well School-Learn'd to such whether Quakers or others as sometimes must spell as they read and read over and over before they can understand this makes me sometimes write over and over
Roberts his Son who Married this Fortune also broke and run away and left his Family like a Wilderness 3. Sam. Newton a great Preacher and Merchant having got into considerable Debts and cheated many fled beyond Sea and paid his Creditors nothing yet still continued a Preacher at Virginia and Maryland 4. Will. Gosnel another Preacher broke and fled beyond Sea and cheated many 5. Benjamin Antrobus another of their Infallible Preachers about Twenty Years together He broke against whom a Statute of Bankrupt was awarded imprison'd in Ludgate paid 5 s. in the Pound but whether his Journeyman Joseph Wyeth got what he lost I will not determine however he is now set up and serves to be the Cat 's Foot for the Quakers 6. Likewise Rebecca Traverse another of their Shee-Preachers and an Entertainer as well as a great Adorer of G. Fox yet the Fox was too many for her he grew Rich and she a Poor Zealot and could not pay her Debts 7. Tho. Burr another of their Infallible Guides and Chief Speakers broke and cheated many 8. Edw. Billing another of their great Writers and Infallible Doctors broke and cheated many 9. George Archer another of their great Preachers cast into Prison for Debt who was guilty of several Crimes also 10. I shall end their Teachers with Christopher Tayler of whose cheating some are still alive Joseph Clark is by himself and must go into the Cage for a Sodomite Now as to their Hearers 1. Brasy a Goldsmith broke for many Thousands against whom a Statute was awarded 2. As also against James Boswell by whom a Brother-in-law of mine lost 100 l. and a Kinsman of mine with his share in the Charge of the Statute 500 l. 3. One French 4. Northcott the Quakers great Bookseller 5. One Olive 6. Robert Goodwin 7. Henry Stone who never yet paid his Composition Money at 5 s. in the Pound 8. Tho. Plumstead 9. Cade of Norwich 10. And Edw. Firth of Mildenhall a great stickler for Quakerism who in his Life-time cheated many by borrowing Money and buying Goods and died not worth any thing so that many of his Creditors and that for great Sums too had not a Penny of their Debts These were all Followers of their Darkness within which they call Light And the Question being put can any Sin that follow this Light It may says J. Wyeth be safely Answered No by which they seem to say that these and the like practices are not Sinful If they shall answer me no these are Sins I then ask why they do not then ask forgiveness for their Sins George Whitehead's Fallacy Reproved In his ANSWER to My Pilgrim's Progress c. GEORGE I Have seen thy Book A Rambling Pilgrim c. said to be an Answer to two Books of mine i. e. The Pilgrim's Progress c. A Modest Defence c. which is so far from being an Answer that it doth not touch at the Tenth part of the Books and that little you spoke to have to them who will compare the Books rather confirms what I charge you withal than otherwise But that I may shew for your Peoples sake how you wilfully mistake me and the state of the Charge and then mislead your People c. I find the first part of your Book is chiefly to insinuate that I said the Sermon was Geo. Whitehead's of his Forming of his Preaching and that in so many Words and thereupon you call it Forgery Now George this is all Fallacy For thou knowest George in thy Conscience that I never intended to have it believed that you at your Yearly Meeting Preached that very Sermon in so many Words but that I did it to expose your Errors contain'd in your Books out of which that Sermon was by me form'd and in p. 108. and p. 222. of the Second Edition it is expresly said A Sermon for George Whitehead to hold Forth c. And the Chapter before gives several Reasons why I proceeded in that unusual method So that your way to have done your Cause good and your People good had been to have confuted me first Touching your Doctrine which I alledged out of your Books Secondly That your Practice is otherwise than by me represented This had been your way to have confuted my Arguments and to have established your People But for you thus to act against Light and Knowledge is such a self-condemn'd Practice that as for your own sake as well as your People whom you mislead I could be glad to see you leave it now in your Old Age. Take one instance A Rambling Pilgrim c. p. 5. Francis Bugg makes Geor. Whitehead thus speak Friends I am now come to the last thing propos'd to speak to on this Solemn Occasion first Respecting Confession of Sin shewing your Exaltation above the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles c. as at large in p. 221. of this Book so that I need not repeat it Now what Answer George dost thou make to this Dost thou say 't is your Friends Practice to make Confession of Sin to God in your Prayers Not a word of it Dost thou prove in any one page of those 5555555 I there mention that you ever recommended the practice of making Confession of Sin to God and begging his Pardon for Christ's sake Not a word of it Dost thou prove out of any of those Books wrote by thy self Fox Burroughs c. that ever you recommended the Practice of the Ten Commandments the Lord's Prayer the Apostles Creed either to be read in your Families or in your Religious Meetings practiced or the reading the Scripture in your Meetings Not a word of it No here is no denial of Matter of Fact out of your Books nor the natural Consequences deduceable therefrom or your practice agreeable to the same And that it may appear so take your Answer in your own words viz. Thus Fran. Bugg represents me Preaching such stuff as I never preached in my Life nor ever own'd any such flattery or deceit as to exalt any Auditory above the Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles c. or to disswade any from making Confession of Sin or asking Pardon for Christ's sake who have need of both or who have not received forgiveness of their Sin First It 's not what you did not disswade from that we are examining but what you perswade to We want not Negatives but Affirmatives here you leave your Reader in the Dark Can you prove that in all those Books and Pages recited that you ever made Confession of Sin that you ever asked Pardon for Christ's sake that you in your Religious Meetings or in your Families practiced the Lord's Prayer the Ten Commandments the Apostles Creed that you ever read the Holy Scriptures in your Meetings or further that you ever in all or any one of your Books recommended the practice thereof If not the Charge lyes still against you and your Negative Answers rather confirm what is said than otherwise As to your Certificate p. 28.
in Answer to my Modest Defence where you say p. 7. But sure we are and always ready to make it appear that neither are our Books Blasphemous nor our Principles Pernicious Again p. 11. We are ready to undertake the Proof of every Doctrine we hold by and from the Scriptures this is False in Fact and a Notorious Lie in the Face of the Government First In that you knew I had presented to the Parliament the Reprint of an entire Book of yours stiled Ishmael c. which is both pernicious to the Fundamentals of Christianity and horridly Blasphemous Secondly In refusing to prove any one Doctrine you held at West Dereham Thirdly In refusing to meet Geo. Keith upon any of his Invitations Again p. 10. We sincerely own all that is written in the Scriptures concerning Christ respecting his Conception Birth Life Miracles Doctrines Death Burial Resurrection Ascension Mediation and Future Coming to Judgment when in reality you own not one of those Articles rightly nor as all Orthodox Christians own them as G. Keith's 4th Narrative has from your Books made evidently to appear Again p. 6. ibid. That we assume Rules of Discipline in Church Matters they are for our selves only Powers in Matters of Religion for and among our selves only Nor say they do we see how those Acts could be truly called Acts of Toleration to Dissenters if they did not tolerate each sort of Dissenters to assume Rules of Discipline Power in Matters of Religion and Forms of Church Government for and amongst themselves c. Again p. 11. And if it relate to Religious Performances as it seems to do by the next words i. e. having their Monthly Quarterly and Yearly Meetings c. From whence it is plain that these Monthly Quarterly and Yearly Meetings then when it suit their turn they own to be Religious Meetings and as such tolerated by the Act of Toleration and without allowing them the Act could not be called An Act of Toleration Yet to shew that Liars had need to have good Memories they in Contradiction to themselves when pinched from another Quarter for keeping their Doors Lock'd Barr'd or Guarded to prevent Inspection they in their Just Censure c. p. 26. confess saying These Meetings are not intended for Worship what then What For Government and to assume Rules of Discipline and Forms of Church Government which is more than the Establish'd Church can legally do without His Majesties Licence and therefore worse and more dangerous their Doors being kept Lock'd or Guarded and expresly against the very Act of Toleration in which is this Clause viz. Provided always and be it Enacted by the Authority aforesaid That if any Assembly of Persons Dissenting from the Church of England shall be had in any place for Religious Worship and such only the Act tolerates with Doors Lock'd Barr'd or Bolted during any time of such meeting together all and every such Person or Persons that shall come to and be at such Meeting shall not receive any Benefit from this Law but be liable to all the Pains and Penalties of all the aforesaid Laws recited in this Act for such their Meeting notwithstanding his taking the Oaths and his making and subscribing the Declaration And likewise as the Learned in the Law say Such Meetings with Doors Lock'd c. to assume Rules of Discipline and Forms of Church Government are expresly against the Rights of Parliaments the King's Prerogative and Liberty of the Subject and these Statutes following viz. 28 H. 8. c. 19 21. 27 H. 8. c. 15. 37 H. 8. c. 17. 3 Ed. 6. c. 10 11. 1 Eliz. c. 12. 5 Eliz. c. 1. 1 Ed. 6. c. 2. 8 Eliz. c. 1. 1 K. W. Q. M. Magna Charta c. 29. Pet. Right and that such as so meet run themselves into a Premunire But the Quakers being a united Confederacy a Body Politick Incorporated and having a Fund or Common Bank to support and propagate their Principles they are too powerful for any single Person and thereupon the Government is prayed to take it into their Consideration And that these Meetings are not within the Act of Toleration but obnoxious to the Laws and of a dangerous Consequence I have more fully shewn in my Pilgrim's Progress from Quakerism to Christianity c. 2d Edit in Octavo wherein I have more largely set forth their Monthly Quarterly Second-day Six-week and Yearly Meetings shewing they are not only for Government as themselves now confess but a Government Imperium in Imperio But one thing I cannot but observe in these Meek Harmless Quakers viz. in their representing the Justices Grand Juries and Burgesses of Norfolk and Suffolk as a Bloody-minded sort of Tyrants and that to the Right Honourable and Honourable the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons Assembled in Parliament then no wonder they treat me at that disdainful rate they do and the Reverend Clergy for my sake but as hitherto Thanks be to God the Protestant Magistrates and the Episcopal Clergy have been a Bulwark against Popery so I trust they will against the prevalency of Quakerism and the danger of them which seems to threaten both them and the Nation A just Censure c. p. 12. And consider say they whether it was decent in the Aldermen and Burgesses of Bury c. thus to Impeach the Wisdom and Conduct of the Government P. 13. That all those high Charges in the Petition exhibited against us are grounded but upon their own groundless Jealousies they how mannerly say they let others judge offer the Parliament Hobson 's Choice cut our Throats or knock out our Brains And would they have the Honourable the House of Commons undertake this Inhumane piece of Butchery to defile their Hands in the Innocent Blood of so many Thousands of harmless People to Enact such a Barbarous Tragedy only to remove the groundless Fears of a few Jealous-headed Aldermen Justices Grand Juries c. of Bury c. P. 15. God forbid they should swim into it i. e. a peaceful Life and the Enjoyment of their Religion through a Sea of Innocent Blood c. But why is all this Why 'T is only that they prayed the House of Commons to take these things into their Consideration and that the Principles and Practices of the Quakers might be Examined and their Errors Censured and Suppressed whether by obliging them to Retract their Errors or if not to order their Books to be Burnt by the Common Hangman or any other Method as to their great Wisdom shall appear to deserve c. and for this Noble Act this Generous and Christian Undertaking with that Modesty which highly became them to be thus Censured by the Quakers to Impeach the Wisdom of the Parliament to excite them to a Barbarous Tragedy to cut their Throats that they may swim through a Sea of Blood is not only a False Pernicious and Scandalous Representation of the Petitioners and their Right of Petitioning but it is Imperious in
not the Son of God only a Vail a Garment or a Vessel in which the Son did inhabit which now inhabit in us Believers and for which Reason the Names JESUS and CHRIST belong to us as well as to him that suffer'd For saith George Fox our great Apostle and High Priest of our Profession the Jews had a Law that if any one said he was the Son of God he was to die and so the Law in the Will doth persecute THE SON OF GOD NOW where HE is MADE MANIFEST as the NORTH PART of this Nation doth witness who hath fulfilled that Law in Persecuting and Imprisoning THE SON OF GOD where HE is MADE MANIFEST i e. within us those who quaked at the Word of the Lord was ever hated and scorned and in such THE SON OF MAN is manifest We believe an Inward Resurrection with the Light within but deny the Resurrection of the Body laid in the Grave Books of the Quakers which prove these to be their Tenets and a Hundred times as much are these Geo. Fox Jun.'s VVorks Edw. Burrough's VVorks Saul's Errand G. Fox's Journal Truth defending the Quakers c. A Lamentation by one of England's Prophets c. Judgment fixed c. Jos Coal's Works The Quakers Refuge c. W. Smith's Primmer c. A Discovery of Man's Return by W. D. Ishmael and his Mother cast out by G. Whitehead and three other chief Speakers A Brief Discovery of a threefold Estate of Antichrist c. News coming up out of the North Ste. Crisp's Primer printed 1682. The Apostate Incendiary W. Penn's serious Apology The Quakers Challenge A Question to Professors by Is Pennington A Lamentation by one of England's Prophets c. printed at York 1653. A Dispute at Chesterfeild 1655. See the Fifth Chapter following upon which I conclude thus If as they write they do indeed believe Then I affirm this their very Creed If not who can with Safety them believe Who Write and Print the Simple to deceive 2. The Commandments of G. Fox the Quakers second Moses somewhat Abbreviated and taken out of several of his Books I. Thou shalt not pay Tythes to the covetous Priests nor to the Antichristian Improprietors II. Thou shalt not Marry by or with a Priest III. Thou shalt not put off thy Hat in Respect to thy Superiors IV. Thou shalt not shut up thy Shop on the VVorld's Holy-Days Fast-Days c. at the Command of the VVorldly Magistrates V. Thou shalt not pay towards the Repair of Parish Churches VI. Thou shalt not pay towards the Trained Bands nor carry Guns in thy Ship VII Thou shalt not wear Lace nor Ribbons nor Skimming-dish Hats nor short Aprons nor Slits on your VVastecoats nor long Scarfs like flying Colours nor unnecessary Buttons VIII You shall have a VVoman's Meeting distinct from the Men once a Month at at the County-Town about Ten a Clock to get a little Stock IX Thou shalt call the Days of the VVeek First Second Third and Fourth Day c. and the Months First Second and Third Month c. X. I charge you all in the Presence of the Lord God That you judge not one another i. e. those that be in the Unity of the Ministry and Elders in the Church lest you fall into the Condemnation of the Monthly Quarterly Six VVeeks Second Day or Yearly Meeting Amen G. Fox 's Tryal at Lancaster Assizes p. 21. The thundering Voice answered I have glorified thee and will glorifie thee again and I was so filled full of Glory that my Head and Ears was filled full of it that when the Trumpets sounded and the Judges came up again they all appeared as dead Men under me I think it now necessary to insert two Passages out of two of the Quakers most learned Teachers Books the one to deter their Hearers from adhering to the Commands of Moses the other to confirm them in the Belief of G. Fox's viz. Whether the first Pen-man of the Scriptures was Moses or Hermes Or Whether both these or not one Or Whether there are not many Words contained in the Scriptures which were not spoken by Inspiration of the Holy Spirit Whether some Words were not spoken by the Grand Imposture some by wicked Men some by wise Men ill apply'd some by good Men ill expressed some by false Prophets and yet true some by true Prophets and yet false The Quakers Refuge fixed c. p. 17. This being suggested by Robert Ruckhill an Eminent and Learned Man I cannot blame his Hearers who believe that he wrote by the Eternal Spirit nor that they lay aside the Commands of God by Moses and receive the Commands of G. Fox at least not so much as I blame their Teachers For if I did question whether Moses or Hermes were the first Pen-man of the Holy Scriptures or whether both of them had a Hand in it or neither of both was concerned in the writing thereof if I question'd the Truth of what the true Prophets of the Lord said and believ'd that what the false Prophet said were true if I thought that what good Men said was ill expressed and so insignificant as hereby is suggested truly I should give as little heed to them as the Quakers do and be ready with George Fox himself to call them Death Dust and Serpents Meat See News coming up out of the North p. 14. But I thank God I have been better taught even from my Childhood For tho' by the Dissimulation of these Seducers I was carried away into great Errors yet the Love of the Scriptures ever remained with me The next Passage shall be from their Learned Barclay It is no ways inconsistent with this sound and unerring Principle to affirm That the Judgment of a certain Person or Persons in certain Cases is INFALLIBLE or for a certain Person or Persons to give a positive Judgment and pronounce it as Obligatory upon others because the Foundations and Ground thereof IS NOT because they are infallible but because in these things and at that time they were led by the Infallible Spirit The Anarchy of the Ranters c. p. 67. For more of this Quaker-Popery see The Picture of Quakerism drawn to the Life c. p. 8 to 16. By which 't is plain that as Ruckhill in the forecited Passage render the Scriptures Uncertain Fallible and of no Authority so does Barclay render Quakerism Infallible Certain and their Commands and Injunctions Obligatory upon others And why forsooth Why because at such times as the Quakers thus Pronounce thus Write thus give out their Mandates Commandments and Precepts they says Barclay are led thereunto by the Infallible Spirit Some Inferences from the Fourth Chapter IS it so then that the Tendency of the Quakers Doctrine is to undervalue the Holy Scriptures to rob them of their Divine Authority and thereby to exalt their own Horn Let this then be a Caution to their Hearers to examine the Quotations which I bring to prove my Assertions and
end this Whitehead justifies Truth defending the Quakers p. 18. Fox's Great Mystery c. p. 77. Nay Theft by Fox is likewise justified who said And as for any being moved of the Lord meaning their Light within to take away your Hour-Glass from you BY THE ETERNAL POWER IT IS OWNED c. Nay their idolized Apostle not only disregarded the Magistrates and their Laws but declared in plain and significant VVords That he neither heeded nor valued a Cart-load of their VVarrants c. Journal p. 278. Object 2. But some Men will say How then shall we reconcile the Doctrine of W. Mead and G. Whitehead Mr. Mead saith That G. Fox's Journal is a better Book than the Bible and G. Whitehead saith VVe prefer the Holy Scriptures above all other Books extant in the VVorld The Country Convert c. p. 26. To which I answer Very well for p. 72. G. Whitehead thus saith viz. I MAY SEE CAUSE OTHERWISE TO WORD THE MATTER AND YET OUR INTENTIONS BE THE SAME c. p. 72. ibid. Very well now to make it appear that G. Whitehead means one and the same thing that William Mead meaned read his little Book i. e. That which is spoken from the Spirit of Truth in ANY is of as great AUTHORITY as the SCRIPTURES and CHAPTERS are and GREATER Truth defending the Quakers c. p. 7. And on the Title Page thus viz. WRITTEN FROM THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH in G. Whitehead and G. Fox the Younger Now if this little Pamphlet in Octavo of 70 Pages be of greater Authority than the Scriptures and Chapters are how much more G. Fox's Journal in Folio of near 700 Pages For that which is best is of most Authority generally-speaking and that which is of most Authority is the best Thus then is the Journal of Fox's better in the Quakers Esteem than the Bible and thus does Whitehead mean even as Mr. Mead spoke Object 3. But some will say How then shall we know a Quaker if not by the Import of his VVords I Answer 't is impossible to know them rightly as it ever was for the Protestants to know the Jesuits and therefore you ought to do as the Protestants did TO DISTRUST EVERY THING THEY SAY See the Book Entituled The Missionary's Arts p. 32. printed 1688. For as the Quakers stand on the same Bottom and are found in the same Steps with the same Equivocations Reserves and Double-meanings and the same Pretences to Miracles Visions Revelations Perfection and Infallibility they ought to have the same Answer viz. To distrust them in all they say until they Retract Sentence and Condemn one sort of their Books and this is highly reasonable on their part if they would be taken to be at all serious sincere and honest For many of their Hearers of the honest sort begin to think G. Whitehead little better than a Jesuit already he hath been so false in Fact such a Glosser and Defender of every Error the Quakers hold (r) Anne Docwra of Cambridge her Letter dated 26th 12th Mon. 1682. I have a Letter by me which my Cousin Anne Docwra Widow of Cambridge sent me dated 26th of 12th Month 1682. viz. G. Whitehead have sent one of his Books for me to read and there is the old Money Story in it with I know not what besides I was asked by an honest Friend if he was not a Jesuit I answered nay it is not solid enough for them to own especially when they write to a solid People there is pretty much airy conceited Stuff in it ANNE DOCWRA Thus it appears how long the honest sort of Quakers have take G. W. to be little better than a Jesuit and my Cousin Docwra was of the same Mind too else she would not have given me her honest Friend's Judgment only indeed she is thus far of my Mind That Book was not solid enough the Jesuits are more cunning than G. Whitehead then was but he is come on finely fince for of late he is grown so expert as he can Vindicate or Excuse any Blasphemy Idolatry Contempt of the Scriptures Contempt of the Magistrates Contempt of the Ministry Contempt on the Person and Sufferings of Christ yea and Undervalue his Precious Blood too And how contrary soever their Sayings are to each other yet they mean all one thing referring to their Beginning I have in my former Books shewed how their Books are of two sorts their Meetings of two sorts their Doctrine of two sorts carrying two Faces in all they do or say and yet Whitehead can tell you they mean all one thing One Example more I may give and so shall conclude this Chapter I find a Recital of a Letter writ by Solomon Eccles to Robert Porter in a Book of William Burnet's entituled The Capital Principles of the Quakers p. 41. printed 1668. viz. Robert Porter take heed of Belying the Innocent for I hear thou hast reported to a Friend of mine that I should say That the Blood of Christ is no more than the Blood of another Man I never spoke it but do very highly esteem of the Blood of Christ to be more Excellent Living Holy and Precious than is able to be uttered by the Tongues of Men and Angels I MEAN the Blood which was offered up in (Å¿) Perversion it s offered up thro' the Eternal Spirit Heb. 9.14 the Eternal Spirit Heb. 9.41 But the Blood that was forced out of him by the Soldiers after he was dead who before that bowed his Head to the Father and gave up the Ghost but thou say'st that was the Blood of the New Covenant which was shed after he was dead which I DO DENY Yet I did say That was NO more THAN the BLOOD of another SAINT These are my Words which thou art wresting to thy own Destruction I did also say That the Baptists Independants Presbyterians and Pope are all of one Ground and none of you understand the Blood of Jesus Christ no more than a brute Beast Therefore repent for God will soon overthrow your Faith and your Imputative Righteousness too for the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness which he did at Jerusalem and without the Gates the Pope the Episcopal the Presbyterian Independants and Baptists shall fare all alike and shall sit down in Sorrow short of the Eternal Rest But the true Imputative Righteousness of Christ we own but it is hid from you all till the Lord open an Eye WITHIN YOU c. Now comes G. Whitehead with his usual Paint to cover palliate and excuse his Brother Eccles saying Now whereas Sol. Eccles in p. 41. is accused of little less than Blasphemy about a Letter chiefly of a Passage concerning the Blood in these Words viz. The Blood that was forced out of him by the Soldiers after he was dead who before that bowed his Head to the Father and gave up the Ghost I did say THAT WAS NO MORE THAN THE BLOOD OF ANOTHER SAINT Now to these Words NO MORE THAN THE
Tythes that belong to them thrown down P. 65. You who are the Parliament of this Nation you should have thrown down Tythes which Abundance of the sober People of the Nation hath petition'd you †What Impudence is this Pretend to petition and beg yet teach the Parliament and tell them what they should do to have taken them away which you voting them up hath voted your selves out of the sober People's Affection of the Nation among the Brutes you should have sold all the Glebe-Lands and sold all the Bells saving one in a Town and Colledges and their Lands and given them all to the Poor of the Nation P. 68. And the Priests cry to you Magistrates for Tythes the Pope's Alms and lye begging with their Petitions at your Doors * It was highly necessary then as well as â—…s now foâ— some to oppose Quakeriâ—… And we would have you maintain these begging Priests some other way than by the Pope's Alms. P. 69. AND EXCEPT YOU TAKE COUNSEL OF THE JUST YOU SHALL NOT SIT †☞ Reader I have recited enough of the Quakers Petition against the Clergy to shew the Nature of their Ancient Testimony and pointed with a Finger ☞ to two Sayings which with the rest are full of Impudence And when against the Clergy I think I may take their Word their whole Carriage and Deportment both by Word and Writing do confirm it But when for themselves they have any Favour to obtain DISTRUST THEM IN ALL THEY SAY for they II stick at no Promise as in the Case of their Indulgence witness their Acknowledging the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be given forth by Divine Inspiration That it is the Rules of Faith and Practice c. whilst they believe not one Word of what they themselves say and as a Demonstration thereof I shall recite one of their Epistles sent to the Monthly and Quarterly Meetings shewing their Care of their own Books Nay them very Books which teach that the Scriptures are Death Dust Beastly Ware Serpents Food c. Therefore From the Meeting of Sufferings in London ††Renewed Advice to the Monthly and Quarterly Meetings in England and Wales for preserving and spâ—eading Fâ—iend's Boâ—ks for Trâ—th's Serâ—ice Priâ—ted 16â—9 Dear Friends With our dear Love in the Truth unto you all these are to let you understand that our Friends have at several YEARLY MEETINGS had under their serious Consideration how all those Books that are printed for the Service of Truth and in the Unity of Friends might MOST EFFECTUALLY be SPREAD for a general Service to Truth and at the last YEARLY MEETING it was left unto this Meeting who accordingly have taken Care and Pains therein and settled as followeth That those that print Friends Books shall the first Opportunity after printed within one Month at most send to one of the Correspondents in the Counties viz. For your County two Books of a sort for each Monthly Meeting in your County if under Six Pence and but one of a sort if above Six Pence per Book for these Reasons 1 st For Friends to have general Notice what Book is printed 2 dly That they may send for what other Quantities they see a Service for And 3 dly That the Printer may be encouraged in Printing for Friends 4 thly For a Quaker Library That one Book at least of a sort that shall be printed may be kept in each Monthly and Quarterly Meetings for the Service of Truth and Friends as there shall be occasion for the future And as 't was agreed at the last YEARLY MEETING 1692. in the Printed Epistle 5 thly It is agreed that for Encouragement the Printer will allow 2 d. in the Shilling for all such Books 6 thly It 's agreed that some here shall be appointed that two or three Weeks before each Quarter Day to examine the Printer to see that they send no Books but what are approved by Friends and no more than two of a sort as aforesaid except the Friends in the Country shall write for more which it 's hoped they will not fail in ††I have heard that they begin to fail and send but slowly as they see a Service for them 7 thly It 's agreed or advised that the Printer's Accompts be fully cleared once a Year at least by those Friends the Country shall send up to the Yearly Meeting 8 thly It 's agreed that the Name of the Printer imploy'd by Friends should be sent with Directions how to write to him And Dear Friends and Brethren It 's Tenderly and in Brotherly Love advised and recommended unto you that ye be careful and diligent in the Spreading of All such Books that are printed for the Service of Truth and are either written in Defence of it or Christian Doctrine or Holy Profession or by way of Epistle Warning Caution Exhortation or Prophesie Not a Word of the Bible that so we may not be any way or in any wise Remiss or Negligent in promoting that Holy and Eternal Truth it hath pleased Almighty God to bless us with the Knowledge of and hath raised us up to stand Witnesses for in our Age and Generation nor nothing may be wanting on our parts to promote it and the spreading of it Signed on the Behalf of the Meeting for Sufferings in London 18. 6. Mo. 1693. By Benj. Bealing Postscript And this Agreement and Account herein sent we think it needful you should record it in your Quarterly Book and sometimes read it for Remembrance and general Notice Observations from hence Reader From what hath been said you may observe First That there is such a Meeting as I have set forth both from their Yearly and the recited Six-Week Meeting in case the Quakers deny it Secondly That their Business principally is to take Care of the Sufferings of their own Friends and that how plentifully they reward such as are faithful to their Church-Canons as in the Instance of Sam. Cater who for pretending to suffer 20 l. tho' he suffered not a Groat yet had 10 l. sent him as a Reward for meeting boldly contrary to the Law in that Case made and provided Thirdly That they have a Fund or Common Bank and that the Accompts are examined by a Committee chosen out of the Yearly Meeting for that Purpose Fourthly That such as suffer for Non-payment of Tythes are to send to the Quarterly Meetings Correspondents left their Sufferings be delayed Fifthly You may also perceive what a Confederacy is held by the Quakers and how they are enabled by their Exchequer to hold Suit with both Priest and Impropriator †As in the Instance of Mr. Holeman who was a Justice of the Peace a Counsellor at Law yet tired Sixthly You also may see how the Quakers solicite the Parliament for Favours as also how they Petition against the Clergy the Churches the Colledges and Bells too Yea this is according to their Ancient
of you may think that these Doctrines of ours point to or aim only at extraordinary Commands as Moses going to Pharoah with some other Temporary Commands my very Doctrine shew it to be the Ten Commandments First By telling the Priest they might as well carry the Ten Commandments to Christ the Consequence of which is that Christ had as much need to learn them as we have Secondly in that we never Recommended the Ten Commandments to our Hearers that they should teach them to their Children and so from Age to Age one Generation after another as the Churches do and ever did both Jewish and Christian Thirdly Because we never read them in our Meetings nor in any one of our Books Recommend them to be so read This therefore may confirm you in our Ancient Testimony which have been to lay them by as a dead Letter Dust Death Serpents Food and Beastly Ware c. and I exhort you to be Bold and Valiant to maintain our Ancient Testimonies and this leads me to the third and last Inference namely Touching Baptism and the Lord's Supper Dear Friends I am now come to give you the Arguments of the Christians for Baptism and the Supper which is founded upon the Letter which our Apostle G. Fox said was Dust and Death viz. Their Sacrament is Carnal their Communion is Carnal a little Bread and Wine so Dust is the Serpent's Meat Their Original is but Dust which is but the Letter which is Death and their Gospel is Dust Matthew Mark Luke and John which is the Letter Again p. 35. A Word to all you Deceivers who deceive the People and Blasphemers who utter forth your Blasphemy and Hypocrisie That tell the People of a Sacrament and tell that it is the Ordinance of God Blush blush and tremble before the Lord God Almighty for dreadful is he that will pour forth his Vengeance upon you You who live in the Witchery and bewitch the People c. News coming up out of the North c. p. 14 35. Dear Lambs I first told you that the Authority the Christians make use of for these Two Ordinances is bottomed upon the Letter I have now shewed you a greater Authority for the disannulling them namely what is said by the Spirit of Truth through our Second Moses And to prove it read the Gospel wrote by me 1659. viz. * * Truth defending the Quakers c. p. 7. That which is spoken from the Spirit of Truth in any then to be sure in Geo. Fox is of as Great Authority as the Scriptures or Chapters are and Greater Thus Friends I first told you what Authority the Christians pleaded for these two Institutions of Baptism and the Supper namely the Scriptures I have likewise told you by what Authority we have laid them aside but lest all of you should not remember the Words the Christians quote not being much used to Scripture they are these Go ye therefore and teach all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you And lo I am with you always even to the end of the World Matth. 28.19,20 Again And he Christ took Bread and gave Thanks and brake it and gave unto them saying This is my Body which is given for you THIS DO IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME. Likewise also the Cup after Supper saying This Cup is the New-Testament in my Blood which is shed for you Luke 22.19,20 Again Matthew hath it And as they were eating Jesus took Bread and blessed it and brake it and gave to the Disciples and said Take eat this is my Body And he took the Cup and gave Thanks and gave it to them saying Drink ye all of it for this is my Blood of the New-Testament which is shed for many for the Remission of Sins Matth. 26.26,27,28 Again Paul hath it For I received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you That the Lord Jesus the same Night in which he was betrayed took Bread And when he had given Thanks he broke it and said Take eat this is my Body which is broken for you THIS DO IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME. After the same manner also he took the Cup when he had supped saying This Cup is the New-Testament in my Blood THIS DO YE as oft as ye drink it IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME 1 Cor. 11.23,24,25 Beloved I cannot but allow that if the Letter viz. the Scriptures were of greater Authority than our Sayings or that the Words of Matthew Luke and Paul were of greater Authority than our Sayings I should be of the Christians side for nothing in the World is plainer said nor more possitively commanded But Friends in the beginning we were convinced by G. Fox that Matthew Mark Luke and John were Death Dust and Serpents Meat that the Scriptures were Beastly Ware that all that preached out of them were Conjurers that the Letter of the Scripture is Carnal Death and Killeth that such as once told the People of a Sacrament were Witches News coming up c. p. 14 35. Printed 1655. A brief Discovery of a Threefold State c. p. 9. Printed 1653. Saul 's Errand to Damascus c. p. 7. Printed 1654. And that therefore they ought not only to blush but tremble that such as preached Christ without and bid People believe in him as he is in Heaven above were false Ministers Witches Devils c. Smith's Primer p. 8. That it was Blasphemy to call the Scriptures the Word of God Fox's Great Mystery p. 240. Printed 1659. That Circumcision is as much of Force as Water Baptism and the Paschal-Lamb as Bread and Wine for says my dear Brother W. Penn the Continuance of those Two Ordinances as the Lord's Supper and Baptism would have been a Judaizing of the Evangelical Worship and to assert their Continuance would be as much as in us lies to pluck up the Gospel by the Roots Hence says our dear Brother that Appellation Ordinances of Christ I do renounce as Unscriptural and Unevangelical and can testifie from the same Spirit by which Paul Renounced Circumcision that they to wit Water-Baptism and the Supper are to be rejected as not now required c. W. Penn's Reason against Railing c. p. 108 109. And therefore I warn you all to take heed of Apostatizing from our Ancient Testimony as you have it in my Text for what we were convinced of by our Light in the beginning to be Evil to be Death Dust Serpents Meat 't is so still to be Beastly Ware and Conjuration 't is so still and therefore keep up to your Ancient Testimony my dear Lambs in all the Parts of it Ha ha ha hme hme hme silent After a little Silence Will. Bingley c. Friends Friends I am filled I am filled as with new Wine I am ready to burst at the joyful News I have heard to Day respecting our Ancient Testimony And oh
over me notwithstanding they were the chief Cause of my Misfortune not only with respect to the Controversie but by Six or Eight of them breaking in my Debt Upon which I went to visit Mr. Erasmus Warren a neighbouring Minister and told him my Condition and he spake comfortably to me and bad me not be discouraged for God was All-sufficient and that the Earth was the Lord's and the Fulness thereof or to this purpose and told me that if I would write a Letter of Request to my Lord Bishop of Norwich he and some others would sign it I did so and it was signed by himself Mr. Archer Mr. Davis c. So I went to Norwich and did with no little Heaviness presume to go with it to my Lord Bishop of whom I did rather expect some little chiding being sensible of my own Fault than to be so kindly receiv'd But when I came to him he examined me about my Condition and press'd me to be honest and to pay as far as I was able For said he our Religion teacheth us to do Right and Justly by all Men and when you have done rest upon God's Providence it is not your Case alone Times have been hard and Disappointments many And then asked me what I would have him do for me I told him that if his Lordship would please to give me a Certificate of his Thoughts of me Iw as minded to make Application to my Lords the Bishops of the Church of England the two Universities and to some particular Clergy-men All which I no sooner asked than he granted me and it pleased God so to open the Hearts of my Lords the Bishops and Reveread Clergy that I found Help in time of Need and when it was in my Heart to write this Book I asked one of my Lords the Bishops Leave to give some Publick Acknowledgment of their Kindness but he answer'd me No go thy ways home and be thankful we desire no such thing But reading the Scriptures and finding in St. Mark 's Gospel Chap. 1. 44 55. that when Christ healed the Leper he charged him saying See thou say nothing to any Man c. But he the Leper being cured went out and began to publish it much and to blaze abroad the Matter and I never read that Christ blamed the Man for his Gratitude and I trust no more will his Ministers and Servants for this my Presumption For how can I receive such unexpected and unmerited Favours and not blaze it abroad I that for about Twenty Years Persecuted the Church and drew Disciples after me †I know of no one Man drew more into the Schism of Quakerism and yet upon my Return met with no upbraiding but rather like the returning Prodigal am met half way and loaden with Kindnesses Surely this is of the Lord 's doing and it is marvellous in my Eye to whom be the Praise of all his Mercies and Providences now and for ever Amen A Copy of my Lord Bishop of Norwich's Certificate is as followeth THese are to certifie That I have known Francis Bugg some Years and that he has appear'd to me a Sober Honest and Industrious Man and to have taken much Pains to Undeceive and Convert the Quakers by Publishing useful Books and that not without Success but by the Hardness of Times several Losses and the Charge of Printing the Books he writ he is reduced to great Difficulties Wherefore I apprehend him a real Object of Charity and that he does truly deserve the Bounty of well disposed Persons unto whom I recommend him John Norwich Oct. 22. 1697. And having obtain'd this Favour together with his Bounty which was very considerable I took my Leave of him with many Thanks for his Kindness and Liberality First That I might take care not only to do what was just to others but to take care of my Family also for he that does not is worse than an Infidel Secondly That I might not lye under the Contempts and Insultings of the Quakers who as they have for many Years sought my Ruin * As they do all that oppose their Errors and Immoralities by all Ways and Methods they could devise both in Person Name and Estate so they have been observ'd like the Philistines Judges 16.24,25 to glory in my Misfortunes as thinking they had accomplished their Ends But notwithstanding all their Rejoycing I had a secret Hope that my Strength would be renewed and that God would enable me to lay hold of their two main Pillars Ver. 29. i. e. Perfection and Infallibility and putting thereto all my Might I should yet be able to shake their Building as at this Day Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath so wrought my Deliverance as to bring things thus far to pass Thirdly That thereby I might be enabled to grapple with the Quaker's Goliah that Uncircumcised Philistine Geo. Whitehead by Name who together with his Brethren have defied the Armies of Israel even all the Professors of the Christian Faith under every Denomination And not only so but Excuse Justifie Vindicate and Defend all the Idolatrous Practices Blasphemous Principles and Damnable Errors Said Wrote and Printed Broached and Spread by the Quaker Teachers enough to Infect the Nations if God had not put it into the Hearts of some Instruments to discover the same and thanks be to God who from the beginning of my Discovery of their Errors hath given me Strength Ability and Courage to go on and not to turn to the Right Hand nor to the Left in my Pursuit after Sheba the Son of Bichri that Man of Beliel 2 Sam. 20.21,22 i. e. Geo. Whitehead until I have hemm'd him in on every side altho' I have been hard beset and gone thro' many Difficulties and Streights * Which few know but my self and have been forced to climb up the Hill upon my Hands and Feet like Jonathan 1 Sam. 14.13 yet as he slew Twenty upon the spot so have I discomfited Twelve of their principal Men and maul'd Doeg the Edomite alias Jos Wyeth see my Sober Expostulation with the Hearers of the Quakers against the Mercenary Teachers c. p. 1. to the 15. that Pupil of W. Penn's who as I am informed was equally unbelieving with Mr. Penn touching the late happy Peace without a Restau such Hopes had they of extirpating the Protestant Interest c. for the time is come that One shall chase a Thousand and Two shall put Ten Thousand of them to flight and thus doth God bring to pass his Acts his strange Acts by weak Instruments to whom over all be the Glory together with the Son and Blessed Spirit Three Persons and One God now henceforth and for evermore Amen And therefore in the Words of David I will praise the Lord saying O Lord with my whole Heart I will shew forth all thy marvellous Works I will be glad and rejoice in thee I will sing Praise to thy Name O thou most
sought for a proper place of Scripture and when he had read he then in a friendly manner gave the Minister his Book again and did not fall upon him and call him Conjurer Beast Dog Witch Devil Bloodhound c †As the Quakers does our Ministers but preached out of what he read and expounded it to the People insomuch that the Eyes of all the Assembly were fastned on him when they heard his Gracious Sayings Luke 14.14,16,17,18,19,20,21 and at another time suitable to his own Example he bade the Jews search the Scriptures for they are them which testifie of me John 5.39 And after he was risen from the Dead how did he appear to his Disciples and reasoned out of the Scriptures Beginning at Moses and all the Prophets he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself saying unto them These are the Words which I spake unto you whilst I was with you that all things must be fulfilled which are written in the Law and in the Prophets and in the Psalms concerning me John 24.27,44 Thus did he confirm the Scriptures by his Holy Example both before and after his Crucifixion he did not question whether Moses or Hermes were the first Pen-man thereof or whether either or neither as the Quakers do in order to invalidate it and to overthrow the Divine Authority of it The Quakers Refuge fixed c. p. 17. no no he confirm'd them saying The Scripture cannot be broken John 10.35 Think not said he that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets No no it is said he easier for Heaven and Earth to pass than for one tittle of the Law to fail till all be fulfilled Matth. 5.17,18 Joh. 16.7 And St. Paul said The Law is our Schoolmaster to bring us to Christ Gal. 3.24 And it was his manner to go into the Jews Synagogue to Reason with them out of the Scriptures opening and alledging that Christ must needs have Suffer'd and Risen from the Dead proving out of the Scriptures that the same Jesus which he Preached who was Prophesied of and in due time was Born of the Virgin Mary was the Christ Read Acts 17. Micah 5.2 Psal 2.2.22.18 Isa 61.1.9,7 Deut. 18.15 Jer. 23.5 Exod. 12.46 Numb 9.12.21.9 Read New Rome Arraigned c. pag. 55 to 58. c. Here we may see that neither the Ministers of the Church of the Jews nor Christ nor his Apostles call'd the Scriptures Death Dust Beastly Wares the Husk Carnal Serpent's Food c. as the Prophane Quakers Blasphemously do as appears from the Books of their Prophets of greatest Note Fox Whitehead c. See the Quakers Plainness c. p. And if you will look into the Apology of Justin Martyr and the Writings of the Fathers as St. Cyprian St. Augustin Origen Chrysostom Isidorus Tertullian c. and into the Practice of our present Church of England you will find the same But for your further Instruction in these Matters I rather refer you to our Reverend Bishops and Clergy who can better inform you Thus having kept nothing back from you which I think may make a Discovery of the Quakers Faith Doctrine and Practice to be contrary to the Faith Doctrine and Practice of the Jewish as well as the Christian Church to that of the Apostles Primitive Christians Saints and Martyrs in all Ages I shall conclude this Chapter begging of God to bless my Labours to those Ends by me designed which are best known to him and my own Conscience which whether you believe it or not is That you may thereby be helped to understand your Errors that thereby you may be prevailed upon to beg God's Assistance to help you out of them and receive the Benefit of it Amen Fran. Bugg July 30. 1698. To write no more I long since did intend But now I hope that Work is near an end For abler Men do daily now come in To finish what I think I did begin * Respecting some particular Discoveries not but there were earlier Pens at work against Quakerism AN APPENDIX DISCOVERING A most Damnable PLOT by a Vnited Confederacy carried on by the chief Emissaries of New-Rome against the Christian Religion and Christian Reputation of the Professors thereof with a Remedy against it both Easie and Safe READER HAving gone thro' many things tho' briefly I do now say that it was not of my seeking nor my Choice I could have been glad to have seen the Quakers to have Retracted their Gross Errors and thereby remove the Cause but they have slighted all due Methods that are consistent with a Reformation Observe what Proposals I and others have made in our Books For when G. Whitehead gave forth a Sheet Entituled The Quakers Vindication c. saying Col. 2. P. 3 4. I G. W. freely offer and am willing to make it plainly appear before ANY Six Ten or Twelve Competent Witnesses who are moderate Men of common Sense and Reason That Francis Bugg has grosly wronged the Quakers both in Charge Citation and Observation c. I then did meet him and we agreed upon the Preliminaries upon which we were to debate but when I came to name Persons he flew off Now by the Contents of his Offer I had my Liberty to chuse any yea all the Men provided they were moderate Men of common Sense and Reason But to avoid his Charge of Partiality I admitted that he should have his equal Choice of one part of the Men And that he might see I would take no Advantage at his Word any whereby I was left free where to make my Choice as well as who I offer'd to chuse out of the Ministers of the Episcopalians Presbyterians Independants or Baptists I mention this here because 't is Rumour'd in Town that he offered to meet me with the Baptists a horrible Lie but none would down with him but Quakers Nay to chuse our Men out of any or of all those Four Christian Societies which had he been sincere he could not have denied since it was his own voluntary Offer Nay when he refused to close on this Bottom as if he feared he could not chuse Six moderate Men of common Sense in all those Societies I then offer'd him to chuse each of us Three Members of the Honourable House of Commons and to them we would leave our Matter in contest Viz. Whether I had wronged them in Charge Quotation or Citation c. Febr. 1693. But this he refused also and there being some Gentlemen present they advised me to send him a Letter to that end and they would subscribe it which I did their Names are as followeth viz. Samuel Grove Samuel Plaice Henry Symons John Fenn and also Danil Hassel But this Offer G. W. also rejected which the Gentlemen above-named as well as to my self and indeed to all that have since understood it was and is a Sign of great Guilt and Insincerity in him which indeed is manifest in most of his Answers to
Man Christ do they now own to this Day if they would speak their Thoughts However their Writings prove it and till they condemn them all they alledge to the contrary is nothing worth Well however I and others were catched by these and the like fallacious Arguments not being well grounded in the Principles of the Christian Religion nor understanding the Wiles of Satan and by their smooth and fair Carriage by their suffering patiently the Affronts they then met with And I cannot but still remember how our Minister warned us of the Doctrine of the Quakers and told us they were Deceivers and Antichrists even those Deceivers which Christ foretold us should arise shewing Signs and Wonders insomuch that if it were possible they should deceive the very Elect Matth. 24.24 (b) Which I now also believe But by this their pretended Patience in Suffering by their so much insisting on the Dictates of our Consciences which prompts to Good and checks for some Evils with other fair Words and seeming nay real Truths with which they covered over their poysonous Pills of Schism and Heresie many of us were deceived Again when I saw so much Plainness and seeming Sincerity in the Quakers and consider'd how our Minister lived it was another Motive to induce me to go after the Quakers for our Minister lived with my Father I do think some Years my Father was the chief Man that got him into the Place But both then and afterwards he was such not so exemplary as he ought to have been and I not being capable to judge of the Doctrinal Part I was carried away in my Affections being more apt to be led by Example than Precept which is not always safe However I do believe it was the offensive Practice of our Minister which I beheld in divers Particulars which was one Cause of my Stumbling whereby I fell unhappily into that Schism Not that I now judge the Occasion by him given was or is warrantable for a Separation from an Established Church Observations on the Second Chapter NOW therefore I intreat all concerned in the Ministerial Office as Pastors That they beware they give no ill Example to their Flock contrary to what becomes their Sacred Function but when they Preach well let them Practice so as believing what they say so will their People believe them to be in earnest But if they Preach never so Orthodoxly and tho' their Sermons be never so much Learned yet if they do not live in some tolerable sort answerably their People will Question Whether they believe what they teach and as a Consequence thereof will take that Liberty in Living which is not becoming Christians Or else if Seducers come will be apt to separate themselves in Hopes to get under a purer Ministry which when they come afterwards to examine they may find it to be only in Shew Notwithstanding such is the Prevalency of Example CHAP. III. Gives an Account of the Quakers Silent Meetings and the Tendency of them In which I shall speak sometimes in the Person of a Quaker respecting the time I was one HAving by this time fallen in with the Quakers in a few Years I became very zealous that way and to Silent Meetings I went and sometimes we had a few Words spoken sometimes none sometime an Epistle of George Whitehead's George Fox's Sam. Cater's or some others read in our Meetings and sometimes none But the chief of what we did hear either from our inspired Infallible Teachers or from our Friends Epistles in those private Silent Meetings was To exhort us to wait in the Light out of our Selves out of our Thoughts out of our Willings and Runnings in that which is invisible and then we should receive the hidden Manna yea Manna from Heaven which the World knew not of and that we should feel Christ to come the second time to Judgment and that Judgment was to begin at the House of God which House was our Bodies And from hence divers of us fell oft into a Trembling and Shaking I have seen about five or six together in a Meeting shake like a Leaf in Winter namely Matthew Beesly Jonas Skrook William Eyson and others yea they have shaken the Forms they sat on and this not once nor twice but frequently I do very well remember that John Kilborn the Elder did one Sunday in our Meeting fold his Arms and stood upright and by and by leaped and jumped about 18 Inches at a time until he jumped round the Room I know that some are alive still that know these things are true But let it be noted not a Chapter in the Bible was ever read amongst us but all exhorted to adhere to the Light within to obey the Light within and to follow the Teachings thereof as a Guide sufficient to lead us to Salvation yea above Scripture above Fathers above Councils and above Churches Fran. Howgill's Works p. 602 to 627. This I now confess was a Paradox not Orthodox but absolutely Heterodox For let the Scripture command Subjects to be obedient to Magistrates Children to obey their Parents Wives to reverence their Husbands and live in Subjection to them Servants to obey their Masters Christians to obey their Pastors all this signified little the Light within our Teachers taught us was Christ and Christ the Power of God the higher Power to which every Soul was to be subject yea all Power in Heaven and in Earth was committed to the Light Perverting John 5.23,24 Acts 17 to 31. See Josiah Coal's Works p. 93. And that no Command in Scripture was any further binding than as we were convinced of the Lawfulness thereof by the Light within us Ed. Burrough's Works p. 47. So that all our Obedience to God and his Commands were bottomed and founded on our Conviction by the Light within that being the only Rule Judge and Guide both superior to the Scriptures Fathers and Councils Quakerism a New Nick-name for Old Christianity by W. Penn p. 71. For said they to us That what is spoken from the Spirit of Truth in any is of as great Authority as the Scriptures and Chapters are and greater Truth defending the Quakers c. p. 7. By which it is self-evident That these Silent Meetings were designed to wean us off from so much as the Remembrance of all External Religion and also to prepare us to receive the false Notions of Quakerism for had they indeed exhorted us to have regard to our Light within and the Dictates of our Consciences which prompts to Good and checks for many Evils in Obedience to the Commands of Holy Scripture this would have been safe for I believe we ought so to do and 't is the same the Ministers of the Church of England press and exhort us to Oh! but this would not do our Teachers Business they must bring us off from the Scripture Commands as inferior to their Sayings and Speakings for the Book last quoted is said to be given forth from the