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sin_n	church_n	day_n	remission_n	4,096	5	10.5817	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30035	The pilgrim's progress, from Quakerism to Christianity containing, a farther discovery of the dangerous growth of Quakerism, not only in points of doctrine, but also in their politicks, respecting their government, and opposite to it, together with their fund or common bank to support the same : with a remedy proposed for this malady, and the cure of Quakerism : to which is added an appendix, discovering a most damnable plot, contriv'd and carrying on by New-Rome, by an united confederacy, against the reformed religion and professors thereof, as will appear from the designs of their silent meetings, their monthly, quarterly, second-day, six-week, and yearly meeting, all which are particularly herein treated on / by ... Fr. Bugg.	Bugg, Francis, 1640-1724?	1700 (1700)	Wing B5383; ESTC R20744	232,865	530

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

that love him and to them that keep his Commandments WE have sinned and committed Iniquity and have done Wickedly and have Rebelled even by Departing from thy Precepts and from thy Judgments and whilst I was Speaking and Praying and Confessing my Sins and the Sins of my People Israel and presenting my Supplication before the Lord my God c. Dan. 9.4,5,20 Yea John the Evangelist said If we say that we have no Sin we deceive our selves and the Truth is not in us 1 John 1.8 Moreover St. Paul himself cried out of a Body of Sin saying For the Good that I would do I do not but the Evil which I would not that I do I find then a Law that when I would do Good Evil is present with me O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death This is a faithful Saying and worthy of all Acceptation That Christ Jesus came into the World to save Sinners of whom I am Chief Rom. 7.19,21,24 1 Tim. 1.15 All which Practice is according to Christ's Command and Precept Matth. 6. Luk. 11. who said Whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my Name he will give it you John 6.23 And when our Brethren the Donatists and Pelagians who professed a sinless Perfection as we do told the Ancient Christians that a constant Practice of Confession implied a constant Course of Sinning St. Augustine replied to them saying Confess always for thou hast Matter always to confess Augustine in p. 99. Tho. Bilney confessed that he was a miserable Sinner And said he therefore with all my Power I teach that all Men should first acknowledge their Sins Fox's Acts and Mon. Ps 467 468. Dr. Robert Barnes said The whole Church prayeth Lord forgive us our Sins Wherefore she hath Spots and Wrinkles but by acknowleding them thro' the Merits of Christ her Wrinkles be scratched out See his Works p. 254. Martin Luther saith But thou wilt say the Church is Holy the Fathers are Holy it is true notwithstanding albeit the Church is Holy yet is she compelled to pray Forgive us our Trespasses So tho' the Fathers are Holy yet are they saved thro' the Forgiveness of Sins See Luther's Commentary upon Gal. p. 36. Next hear what Humble Bradford said to his London Friends John Bradford an Unworthy Servant of the Lord be merciful to our Sins for they are great Let us heartily bewail our Sins repent us of our former Evil Life c. Fox's Acts and Mon. p. 1167. Thus my Well-beloved Friends and Brethren I have shewed you many Instances both of the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Primitive Christians and Martyrs who have all along confessed their Sins to God and begg'd Pardon for Jesus Christ's sake and go you but to the Windows or Doors of the Churches and other Christian Assemblies but besure you go no further and you may still hear them i. e. Episcopal Presbyterians Independants and Baptists crying out of a Body of Sin saying They have erred and strayed from the Ways of God from Seven to Seventy as our Brother Father Penn has well observ'd we have done Despite to the Spirit of Grace we have broke thy Commandments we have added to the Guilt of Original Sin by our many and repeated Actual Sins and therefore we prostrate our selves and humbly beg thy Pardon for the alone sake of thy dear Son and our blessed Redeemer Jesus Christ our only Advocate and Mediator to whom with thee and thy blessed Spirit be all Honour Glory and Dominion for ever Amen Truth exalted in a Short but Sure Testimony c. p. 9. Now Friends what a happy thing is this that you need not trouble your selves with any Confession of Sins since you are not like other Men nor like these Publicans And therefore I exhort you to keep to your Ancient Testimony in all the Parts of it make no Confession of Sins nor besure you do not recommend the Practice of it by Word or Writing but keep to our Ancient Practice nor is there any need for our Hearers to follow those Christian Precepts viz. And whatsoever you do in Word or Deed do all in the NAME of the LORD JESUS giving Thanks to God the Father BY HIM whether therefore ye EAT or DRINK or whatsoever ye do do all to the Glory of God Col. 3.17 1 Cor. 10.31 Matth. 15.36 First Because the Name Jesus belongs to every Believer I should say Quaker as well as to him that suffer'd at Jerusalem according to our Ancient Testimony A Question to Professors c. p. 20 27 33. Secondly Because you know that we our selves to be seen of Men do make a kind of a Prayer to our Light within when we are at their Tables when Company is present but if alone either at Home or Abroad we seldom give Thanks for our Food and seldomer with our Eyes towards Heaven as Christ did as Stephen did or as the Martyrs did No you know we are of another yea of a different Faith and Practice from all the Ancient Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martyrs and Holy Confessors and all Christian Churches to this Day being exalted above them for we sit in Heavenly Places singing the Songs of Sion in the Beauty of Holiness without Sin or any Imperfection which all the Recited were chargeable with as imply'd by their Confessions and their relying upon the Merits of another to wit The Man Christ Jesus as believing they shall one Day appear before his Tribunal and be judged by the Law of God recorded in their Scriptures but for our parts we differ from them in all Respects having our whole God within us as safely as the Papists have their Crucifixes in their Pockets And thus much to shew you the great Happiness and Excellency of our Dispensation so no need of Confession according to our Ancient Testimony The Second Inference i. e. The Ten Commandments And Friends whereas the Christians propose to us sometimes the Use of the Ten Commandments whether we own them as a Rule to a Christian Life look into one of my Gospels and you will find it thus written Thou may'st as well ask if the Moral Law or Ten Commandments be a Rule for Christ c. Truth defending the Quakers c. p. 18. Again Ed. Burrough one of our Prophets said That is no Command from God to me what he commands to another neither did any of the Saints which we read of in Scripture act by the Command which was to another not having the Command to themselves I challenge to find an Example for it they obey'd every one their own Command Burrough 's Works p. 47. And in Defence of this Position hear what Father Penn says i. e. No Command in the Scripture is any further obliging upon any Man than as he finds a Conviction upon his Conscience otherwise Men should be engaged without if not against Conviction a thing unreasonable in a Man Quakerism a new Nick-Name c. p. 71. And now that none

in the Church or amongst them that profess to be Members thereof WE do declare and testifie That the Church with the Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ HAVE POWER WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF SUCH WHO DISSENT FROM THEIR DOCTRINE AND PRACTICE TO HEAR AND DETERMINE THE SAME All Property is now lost unless there be Conformity and Submission like the Star-Chamber and High Court of Justice c. And if any pretend to be of us and in Case of Controversie will not admit to be TRIED by the Church i. e. the Body nor SUBMIT to the JUDGMENT given by the Spirit of Truth in the Elders and Members of the same but kick against their Judgment as only the Judgment of Man WE testifie in the Name of the Lord That if any Judgment so given be risen against and denied by the Party condemned then He or She ought to be rejected as having erred from the Truth and persisting therein presumptuously are joined in ONE with Heathens and Infidels George Whitehead Josiah Coale Stephen Crisp John Moone Thomas Loe Thomas Greene John Whitehead Thomas Briggs James Parke Alexander Parker Rich. Farnsworth c. Having by this time shewed First How our Teachers in order to bring us over to them and to decoy us told us the Light within was a sufficient Guide Teacher and Leader even sufficient to lead to Salvation yea above Scriptures above Fathers above Councils and above Churches I have in the last Instance shewed the Fallacy of their so early and smooth Pretences and that from the beginning they have been a false perfidious and treacherous Tribe of Deceivers as ever the World produced Well now they appear plainly to be a Body and I having found who is the Head of this Body namely George Fox it will not be amiss to recite the Quakers Creed and his Commandments which whatever Quaker do not submit to convinced or not convinced of the Reasonableness of their Obedience it 's now plainly seen what will befall them I need not Comment upon the recited Canon Creed Fox's Commandments nor their Zeal to maintain them as their Ancient Principles altho' God's Commandments by Moses the Apostles Creed and all the Scripture the Quakers slight and reject as not to be read in their Meetings not to be taught their Children nay so proud is G. Whitehead that he tells you as above The Jews might as well have carried them to Christ in the Days of his Flesh Viz. the Ten Commandments for him to learn observe and obey them as for the Christians to carry them to the Quakers to learn observe and obey them Truth defending the Quakers c. p. 18. For saith he What is spoken by the Spirit of Truth in any is of as great Authority as the Bible and Chapters are and greater Burroughs Works p. 47. This is the Tenure and Purport of his Doctrine and I do affirm it 's right Quakerism For Edw. Burroughs said That was no Command from God to me what he Commands to another And W. Penn confirms the whole saying No Command in Scriptures is any further obliging upon ANY Man than as he finds a Conviction upon his Conscience otherwise Men should be engaged without if not against Conviction a thing unreasonable in Man c. Quakerism a New Nick-name for old c. p. 71. But for their poor infatuated Disciples to plead whether to conform or not whether to obey or not the Commands of G. Fox i. e. not paying Tythes not to be Married with a Priest not to put off the Hat not to open their Shops on Feasts or Fast-Days I say to plead to be left to their Freedom herein and the Grace of God in their Hearts Oh! no Says W. Penn This is a dangerous Principle this is a pernicious Plea this is perfect Ranterism VVhat to have Liberty whether to obey the Commands of the Body given out by the Head thereof This is wicked indeed as by their Yearly Epistle above-recited is plain However I shall recite both the Quakers Creed and the Commands of G. Fox Viz. 1. The Quakers Creed WE believe that the Light within us is the True and Eternal God which Created all things and that by me the Light all things are upheld and that there is not another besides me that can save and thereupon we believe we are endued with the Almighty Power of God and thereby have wrought Miracles and conclude we are equal to God and that our Speaking is of greater Authority than the Bible VVe believe our Light within is Jesus Christ the Son of God the Man Christ Jesus to whom all Power in Heaven and Earth is committed tho' we cannot believe that this our Light within to whom we direct our Disciples to expect Salvation by was ever crucified by Nailing to a Cross nor that he Died or was Buried nor that he was Buffered Spitted upon Smote with the Palms of the Hands of the Jews for he never was seen with Carnal Eyes nor that he Rose from the Dead the Third Day nor that he Ascended in the Sight of the Galileans into Heaven and there Sit at the Right Hand of God but that all Apostate Christians that so teach are false Ministers nor do we believe that our Light within shall come at the last Day to judge both Quick and Dead For the Light within us is the Judge and the Book is opened within the Sentence of Death and Judgment is pronounced within from the Mouth of our Light within against every idle VVord and all the Deeds of the Body within and Judgment is executed within and the flaming Sword within which proceedeth out of the Mouth of the Lamb i. e. our Light within which will cast thee into Hell within where is weeping and wailing within sealed down under the Wrath of God's Eternal Judgment within We believe the Light within us is the Holy Ghost and that these three are one and not distinguishable and that such as talk of three Persons in the Godhead like Conjurers are to be shut up with their three Persons they dream of which they would divide out of one in perpetual Darkness in the Lake and the Pit That the Scripture which the Apostate Christians build their Faith upon for this their Trinity of Persons in the Godhead is a rotten Foundation yea Dust Death and Serpents Meat and therefore their Ministers that tell their People the Scriptures are the Word of God are Deceivers For the Father Son and Spirit the World and their Teachers call three Persons but they speak they know not what therefore believe them not We believe our selves the only Catholick Church and Elect People of God and that none are in the Truth but we our selves We never did in any of our printed Books or printed Prayers from 1560 to 1690 make any Confession of Sin nor ask Pardon of God for Jesus Christ's sake who was Born of the Virgin and why We testifie that the outward Person that suffered at Jerusalem was

Gulielmi Mariae Regis Reginae Angliae Scotiae Franciae Hiberniae primo May 24. 1698. this Act passed the Royal Assent N o 308. Provided always that nothing herein contained shall be construed to exempt any of the Persons aforesaid from paying of Tythes or other Parochial Duties or any other Duties to the Church or Minister nor from any Prosecution in any Ecclesiastical Court or elsewhere for the same Well after much struggling between the Foxonian Quakers that hold it Antichristian to pay Tythes tho' voluntarily paid yea a compleat Denial of Christ to be come in the Flesh quoting 1 John 4.3 yea downright Ranterism on the one Hand and the Storian Quakers who held it lawful to pay if the Supream Power gave it them nay not only the Tenth Part but even the Fifth Part if the Party thinks his Minister want it I say great Strugglings and Writings and Disputings were on both Parts about this so nice a Point and so necessary to be decided Wherefore at a Yearly Meeting held at London June 1693. and by the Authority of the same it was thus amongst other things Enacted And therefore that all due and godly Care be taken against the grand Oppression and Antichristian Yoke of Tythes that our Christian Testimony born (r) Soft Words and hard Names mixt and greatly suffered for be faithfully maintained against them in all Respects and against Steeple-House-rates That Friends at all their Monthly and Quarterly Meetings be reminded to call for the Record of the Sufferings of Friends to see that they be duly gathered truly entered and kept and accordingly sent up to London as hath been often advised both of what Tythes c. are pretended to be due and for how long a time and the time when taken and by and for whom and what Goods are taken and the Value thereof as well those not exceeding as those exceeding the Sums or Quantities demanded it being a Suffering for both for Truth-sake they being in these Particulars found defective and imperfect in divers Counties which is an Obstruction to the general Record of Friend's Suffering And THEREFORE the Monthly and Quarterly Meetings are advised to take more Care for the future that all Friends Safferings for Truth-sake may be brought up to London as FULL and COMPLEAT in ALL Respects as POSSIBLE may be Thus Reader you see That this Act of Parliament being brought to the Quakers Light the Higher Power it is condemned as a GRAND Oppression and an ANTICHRISTIAN YOKE of Bondage suitable to the Doctrine of Fox Journal p. 400 to 478. R. Pye The Antient Test p. 2. T. Ellwood and Barclay The Anarchy of the Ranters c. p. 42. Ellwood 's Antidote p. 78 139. But still there is another Clause in the said Act of Parliament above-recited which they take as little Notice of as that of Tythes 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 with the 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 aforesaid Another Instance I may recite to shew the Presumption of the Quakers in their Yearly Convocations viz. In the xxii of K. Charles II. there was an Act of Parliament made Entituled An Act to prevent and suppress Seditious Conventicles In which it was said Be it Enacted c. That if any Person of the Age of Sixteen Years and upward being a Subject of this Realm at any time after the Tenth Day of May next shall be present at any Assembly Conventicle or Meeting under Colour and Pretence of any Exercise of Religion in other manner than according to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England c. at which there shall be Five Persons or more Assembled together over and besides those of the same Family c. shall suffer those and those respective Fines c. Now tho' it be well known that the Exercise of the Quakers Religion is not only otherwise than according to the Liturgy but directly contrary to it yet all must be Persecution that limit them As first the Liturgy teach the Practice of the Ten Commandments the Lord's Prayer and Apostles Creed which the Quakers have not the least Shadow of either in their Meetings or in their Families the Church Liturgy teach the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Prayer together with Confession of Sin which the Quakers reject as Idolatrous and Superstitious See the Picture of Quakerism p. 94 to 100. Well no sooner did this Act take place and some did forbear meeting in this Riotous manner but their Preachers came thro' the Nation and gave out their Epistles or Mandates commanding rather than exhorting the People to meet in great Numbers in spite of Law and Law-makers I receiv'd many Letters to that Purpose one whereof I may recite to shew how presumptuous they were in Summoning the King's Subjects to meet and transgress this Law which allow'd a moderate Tolleration considering how Retrograde their Religion runs to all Instituted Religion For there might Four meet besides those of the same Family and 't is probable that many Families have 12 or 15 in a Family Here then might have been Satisfaction to such as only mean to meet for their more private Edifying eitheir by Reading or Expounding some Portion of the Holy Scriptures and which is practised by the users of the Church Liturgy but alas this was too mean too low and contemptible for these proud Boasters to submit to The Letter is as followeth viz. This for Joshua Bangs † † Poor Joshua felt the weight of their Entertainment as well as Ben. Antrobus and many others Dear Friend BY this thou may'st know that God willing Jonathan Johnson and I do intend to be at Milden-Hall Meeting the next First-Day and shall be glad Friends GENERALLY may know thereof that we may have a good LARGE MEETING I mean Friends that are afar off in the Country R. S. The like I had from John Hubbard and others to appoint Meetings for Geo. Whitehead and others tho' often therein precaution'd not to mention the Names of the Speakers no they must go like di●guiz'd Ahabs and the poor silly Sheep must suffer for them and their own Transgressions too insomuch as that in the Loss of 13500 l. by Fines and Distresses our Teachers never lost 50 l. where they were Strangers and they had more Wit than to Preach at home where they were known Well but as these Letters as well as their common Practice was bottom'd upon an Edict made at a Yearly Meeting

which both repealed this Law respecting the Quakers who adhered to them as the Higher Power alienated their Obedience from the Magistrates and the Laws of the Land Which Edict is as followeth viz. Concerning our open Testimony by Publick Meetings in Times of Sufferings That as it hath been our Care and Practice from the Beginning that an Open Testimony for the Lord should be born and a Publick Standard † † High boasting Words but the Snake lay in the bottom i. e. Disobedience to Authority their Light being the Higher Power for Truth and Righteousness upheld in the Power and Spirit of God by our open and known Meetings against the Spirit of Persecution that in all Ages hath sought to lay waste God's Heritage and that only thro' Faithfulness Constancy and Patience Victory hath been and is obtained SO IT IS OUR ADVICE and JUDGMENT That all Friends gathered in the Name of Jesus * * Meaning their Light in opposition to the Doctrine and Practice of the Apostles and all Christian Churches as well as against the Commands of Jesus of Nazareth Go teach all Nations Baptizing c. Do this in Remembrance of me c. When you Pray say Our Father c. Forgive us our Sins for c. Read Luke 11.14 Matth. 28.19,20 Luke 22.19 John 1.8 Psal 38.18 50.15 51.1,2,3 Isa 64.6 Lam. 3.20 Job 7.20 Prov. 20.9 Eccles 7.20 Nehem. 1.6 1 Tim. 1.15 Dan. 9.4,5,20,23 See Pict of Quak. p. 63 to 70. keep up those Publick Testimonies in their Respective Places and not DECLINE FORSAKE or REMOVE their Publick Assemblies because of Times of Sufferings as WORLDLY FEARFUL and POLITICK Professors have done because of Informers and the like Persecutors For such Practices are not consistent with the Nobility of the Truth and therefore not to be owned in the Churches of Christ Subscribed by G. Whitehead W. Penn Tho. Salthouse Al. Parker Jo. Burnyeat St. Crisp London the 23d of the Third Month 1675. Thus have I given two Instances as particular Demonstrations That as their Books teach so their Practice confirm it That their Light is the Higher Power to which they require Obedience contrary to the Practice of God's Saints and Servants in all Ages where nothing that is sinful and so against the written Word of God is commanded Read Mat. 22.21 1 Pet. 2.13,14,17 Rom. 13.1,2,3 Tit. 3.1 See Tindal's Works i. e. The Obedience of a Christian Man c p. 111. and compare these Holy Sayings with their Practice unless where Idolatry or Things sinful are commanded and then 't is better to obey God than Man but this the Quakers could never produce But as they thus slighted and trampled upon the Government so did their great Apostle glory in it saying He did not heed a Cart load of Warrants Journal p. 278. And now I shall briefly run through several of their other Methods and Ways at their Yearly Meeting reserving their Doctrinal Part which support and influence them to a distinct Chapter by it self First They oft refer to their last Yearly Epistle that the Contents of it be seriously reminded in all Monthly and Quarterly Meetings but not a Word of Scripture referred to therein as their Rule of Faith and Practice 2 dly Against that grand Oppression and Antichristian Yoke of Tythes yea Antichristian in the Law-maker in the Payer and in the Receiver 3 dly Against the paying of Churchwardens Rates by which we have much Trouble in the Country otherwise things might be easie but from this Fountain spring their Antimagistratical Practices 4 thly That all their Sufferings may be brought up to London in order for a Martyrology both full and compleat that nothing may be wanting to reproach the Magistrates and extol their own Sufferings which they are not already asham'd to say are Greater and more Unjust than in the Days of Christ's Apostles the Ten Persecutions and all the Massacres for the Name of Christ see Burrough's Works p. 273. tho' many of them are meer Shams as in the Case of Sam. Cater who pretended and got it Recorded that he suffered 20 l. for Preaching at Phakenham in Norfolk altho' he never did for that Meeting suffer a Groat yet for that Pretence had 10 l. sent him out of their London Exchequer or Fund And yet this is not the whole of this grand Cheat but Nine Years after he printed a Book intituled The Lamentable Cry of Oppression c. p. 14 44. wherein he had the Impudence still to complain of Sir Christopher Colthorp's Injustice and Persecution concealing his having his Goods again and 10 l. to boot And by this their Chronicles they so much boast of † Yet no Chronicle appears What are they asham'd of their Sham-Sufferings may be measured 5 thly Against their People using Guns in their Ships which in 1693. When this Advice was given His Majesty had need of such as would Fight c. But tho' the Quakers in Pensilvania can Fight as Magistrates yet they cannot Fight as Quakers and 't is not time yet to throw off their Coats of Quakerism and put on the Robes of Magistracy 6 thly To receive Applications Epistles and Embassies from the Foreign Parts beyond the Seas mentioned in the former Part of this Chapter and grant them Orders Edicts and Laws for the governing themselves in Subjection to their Light the Higher Power especially when met in a Body as the Epistle Anno 1660. before recited shew 7 thly To refer the Sufferings of their own Poor i. e. such as by breaking the Laws lying in Goal for Non-payment of Tythes c. For otherwise tho' their own Brothers they may starve e're they 'll take any charitable notice of them Nay Fathers as in the Case of T. Ellwood who suffer'd his Father to go from Door to Door as John Rauce's Relation is or of a Woman that wears a Lace of a Groat on her Head or a Man that puts off his Hat no many of these are God's Poor but the Quakers Poor are of another sort and they having merited the Quakers Kindness by obeying their Laws These are plentifully rewarded so that what they call their Unity is rather a Confederacy which ought to be noticed 8 thly They take care that all their Erronious Books may be dispersed by all their Monthly and Quarterly Meetings for the spreading of Truth but not a word of dispersing the Bible however it may serve for a Motive to our Clergy for to take Care to Disperse such Books as discover the Quakers Errours and Hypocrisies the Neglect of it has been very hurtful 9 thly They every Year order a Committee to be chosen to view the Accounts and to examine the State of their Cash i. e. the Quakers Exchequer which some say now run over They likewise nominate their Feoffees for the time being who by the Order of their Superiors give out sometimes 5 l. sometimes 10 l. sometimes 20 l. at a time to their Preachers and such as

whole Nations and Multitudes in number a Rebellious People that will not come under Our Law † † † Meaning Geo. Fox's Ten Commandments which ariseth up against us and will not have our King to Reign * * * See Sam. Fisher's Prophecy but tramples his Honour under Foot and despise his Law and his Statutes and accounteth his Subjects as Slaves and Bond-men stand upon your Feet and appear in your Terror as an Army with Banners and let the Nations know your Power and the Stroke of your Hands cut down on the Right Hand and slay on the Left and let not your Eye pity nor your Hand spare but wound the Lofty and tread down the Honourable of the Earth and give unto the great Whore double and give her no Rest Day nor Night but as she hath done so let it be done unto her and give her double into her Bosom * * * The first Reformers did so and I am giving the little young Whore a double Cup. As she hath loved Blood so give her Blood and dash her Children against the Stones and let none of the Heathen Nations nor their Gods escape out of your Hands nor their Images nor Idols but lay waste Fenced Cities † † † Hark! Are not these Fifth Monarchy-men and tread down the High Walls for we have proclaimed open War your Captains are Mighty Men and your Leaders are well skill'd to handle the Sword * * * This cannot be meant within What Leaders and Captains within and they are Riding on before you against the Beast and the false Prophet and Cursed be every one that riseth not up to the Help of the Lord against the Mighty The Beast is Mighty † † † i. e. The King and Parliament and the false Prophet is Great * * * i. e. The Clergy and they keep the Nation under their Power But O thou Beast and thou false Prophet You shall be Tormented together thou Beast upon which the false Prophet sits * * * You 'd fain Ride too but I hope she 'll throw you off unless you Retract these Bloody Books and Horrid Principles whom thou upholds by a Law and defends by thy unrighteous Power and into the Pit and Lake shall you be turned to have your Resting Place And thou false Prophet which hath deceived the Natitions the Decree of our God is sealed against thee † † † No marvel then they cannot pray for them unless for their Destruction as Fox said See Truth 's Defence c. p. 15. thy Smoke shall ascend for ever and ever and of thy Sin there is No Forgiveness nor of thy Torment No Remission over you do we and shall for ever rejoice and fing and over your God and your King the Dragon that Old Serpent cursed be he and his Memorial for ever Written in Ireland 1655. by Edw. Burrough and Fr. Howgill * * Note This was to go only amongst the Friends and Printed in Quarto with this Title This is only to go amongst Friends Thus Friends have I shewed you our Ancient Testimony in all the Parts of it First Touching the World's Peoples Mistake in the Scriptures for a Rule to Walk by Secondly Of the Certainty of our own Papers and Epistles which are the Word of God and a certain Rule to Walk by Thirdly And in the Application I have shewed how our Light hath exalted you above the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martyrs and Holy Confessors and all Christian Churches to this Day Fourthly Our dear Brother William Bingly hath well remembered our Ancient Testimony against the Hireling Priests for with them and against them we began to War and that with Indignation too Fifthly He hath also shewed you who we account false Ministers and what they are and the very Names by which they are described both in Oliver's time and since Sixthly Ben. Bealing hath found out a very suitable Hymn of Praise even a melodious Song of Triumph setting forth our Exaltation and the Downfal of the Christian Churches under the Notion of the false Church the Mother of Harlots Mystery of Babylon in which my Heart was and still is refreshed as with new Wine Seventhly I have also closed my Discourse with the Prophesie of Sam. Fisher which you need not doubt but will come to pass it may be sooner than you are aware of * * If the Six-Week Meeting mind their Business every Session of Parliament for he gave it forth as it came to him from the Lord and no otherwise the 25th Day of the Seventh Month which the World's People call September Anno 1656. so that it cannot it cannot miss only for the present we must be content to stay and patiently bear for the present for as yet we cannot think we shall be made to handle the Sword but when the time does come I have shewed you the Testimony of two of our Prophets and early Champions what we shall Do how we shall Kill Cut off and Destroy and Bathe our Swords in the Blood of Amaleck * * Viz. The Priests and Rulers as in the large Marginal Note and lay waste Fenced Cities and tread down the Honourable of the Earth and spare neither Old nor Young Ox nor Ass Male nor Female that will not come under our Law and Worship our God And now I shall conclude with a Prayer and that also without any Confession of Sin for all my Sins were pardoned in Oliver's time For the Prince of this World was cast out of me 1652. and Hell was conquer'd and Death and the Grave overcome and the Kingdom that cannot be removed was given ME and this the Lord did do for ME from his Fore-knowledge of ME and the Lord then brought ME into Sion which I then did Witness See his Book Truth defending the Quakers p. 8. Moreover I was then moved to witness against the Priests and Hirelings Diviners and Deceivers and to judge the Whore with her Enchantments and to torment the Beast * * i. e. The Governours and plague the false Prophet whose Judgment torment and Misery was then begun and will never have end which I Witness whom God hath set to root out and pull down Jacob found in a Desart Land c. p. 7 8. And thus much shall suffice at this time to shew you our Ancient Testimony in many Particulars which you are exhorted to Maintain Defend and to Vindicate and not at any time to Retract any one Syllable of it for the Government of our Church even Men and Women's Meettings were Ordained * * The Quakers Ordinances as in Sol. Eccles Prophesie by Christ within Geo. Fox as at large in my Book Judgment fixed c. p. 317 318. is made clearly out and out of which Book p. 354. I shall use this short Form of Prayer because the Day is far spent viz. Let us Pray O God I make my Appeal and Supplication against