Pardon which he pretends so greatly to respect It appears that these Passages tending to clear us our Adversary designedly left out the more to recriminate and abuse us In p. 12. he cites a Passage out of E. B's Works p. 442. That all Governours and Rulers ought to be accountable to the People and to the next succeeding Rulers upon occasion and that the chiefest of the Rulers be subject under the Law and punishable by it if they be Transgressors c. No doubt when our Adversary writ this he thought he had a great advantage against the People called Quakers but he argues nothing nor infers any thing from the words If his Intention thereby was pursuant to his general charge against us to render us guilty of double Dealing false Heartedness and Temporizing this Passage cited by him against us proves no such thing but is a plain Indication to the contrary or if it was to render us obnoxious he hath missed his End It plainly concerns such Rulers and Governments as were Elective as E. B. his precedent words for choosing them by the Consent of the People do plainly intimate and it was first writ in the Days of the Commonwealth-Government And for Rulers or Representatives that are chosen being accountable to the next succeeding Rulers if there be Cause what has he against the matter it self What could be J. P's Design in this Citation before without Observation or Remark upon it If he tells us plainly and make his Objection I think it will be no difficult matter then to answer him both on a Religious Account and secundum Hominem which at present I find no necessity for Moreover Reader we find much of the same Stuff and envious Quarrels raked up against us in divers other Pamphlets as are in John Pennyman's Book particularly in Fr. Bugg another Apostate his Pamphlets though not so largely as in J. P's but as malicious which are elswhere answered In p. 13. he again charges us with baseness and temporizing and having out-done and even surpassed the Deeds of the Wicked that he says he is stopt for Words are too short to manifest us he saith Whereby it seems he wants Words bad enough for us in so much that he is stopt he saith But how is he stopt Does his Envy and Malice rise up to his Throat and like to choak him He has given us Language and Words hard and bad enough to render us as Infamous as he can as charging us with such Wickedness as can hardly be paralleld and as great Dissemblers Deceivers and Deluders as have appeared in our Age Lyers false Prophets Hypocrites c. But now he wants Words to manifest us The Railery he has belched out has not manifested us can he not study and invent some worse and harder Language against us However he is far louder in his Clamour and Revilings than in his Proofs In p. 13. he reflects upon a Book entituled Truth 's Character of Professors for laying open the Addresses and Applications which others had made to O. C. and R. C. with long Animadversions thereupon which he falsly saith was to stir up the Powers against them charging G. F. and his Friends as having been most highly guilty themselves of those very things Wherein he hath also dealt very unfairly and unjustly we do not believe there was any such Design in W. C's setting out that Character as either to defame others or to stir up the Powers against other Professors but that it was to shew their Priests c. their manifold Flatteries and Temporizing in their superlative Characters Applauses and Addresses which he cannot parallel from our Friends Applications either then or since In p. 14. our Adversary again deals very unfairly and unjustly by G. W. about some of our Friends saying They give forth Writings from the Immediate Eternal Spirit of God and by the same Spirit and Power that was in the Prophets Christ and Apostles unto which he falsly addeth viz. And their so speaking G. W. saith is of as great Authority as the Scriptures and Chapters are and greater His Words and their so speaking are J. P. his own Abuse and Perversion where did ever G. W. say That the Quakers so speaking of their own Books and Writings is of such Authority He denies the Comparison and Charge as stated and I the person concerned do solemnly declare It was never in my Heart Judgment or Intention to undervalue the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament but to esteem them not only as given by Divine Inspiration and to prefer them before all other Books and Writings extant in the whole World J. P. injuriously mistates the Case and leaves out the explanatory part of G. W's Answer in that Case and J. P. has been better informed therein than now he represents it Therefore Impartial Reader please to take our Answer in this Case as it is laid down in our Book Entituled the Christianity of the People called Quakers Vindicated p. 13. We always confess the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be given by Divine Inspiration and prefer them before and above all other Writings or Books and in no wise question the Truth of them yet we must needs allow the Holy Spirit from whence they came the Preference and its immediate Teaching and Speaking in the Soul as of greater Efficacy Power and Authority to that Soul than the bare Writing or Scripture without or only Reading thereof though it contain the same Words immediately taught And so Christ and his Apostles living and powerful Preaching in and from the powerful motion of the Holy Spirit as being of greater Efficacy Power and Authority than the outward Writing or Scripture it self simply or abstractly considered as distinct from that Spirit though the words preached and the words written may be the same For the Gospel as livingly preached came not in Words only but also in Power and in the Holy Ghost 1 Thess. 1. 5. For the real Authority Efficacy and Service the Holy Scripture has upon a Soul is from the Holy Spirit or word of Life giving the true belief and right understanding thereof Again our Adversary proceeds to give Judgment and Sentence against us as helping forward our own Destruction and presumptuously addeth these words and seeing there is no hopes of their Repentance or Forbearance all other ways or means that have been used proving ineffectual It 's now thought meet thus to expose them c. p. 14. Thus he has proceeded to give Sentence upon us and to justifie his manner of exposing of us and Printing his Invective against the People called Quakers His Self-contradiction is notorious where in p. 15. he saith I abhor that Practice that is to render us obnoxious to the Government when but in the Page before he concludes that there being no hopes of our Repentance it 's now thought meet thus to expose us as he has done though he seems to extenuate his own Fact and
Columns about Contradictions and Temporizing and this as relating to the several Revolutions and Governments since we were a People together with some Observations thereupon by another Hand as he saith but we have only Joh. Pennyman's Name to the whole Charge so that what other Hand soever it was that has helped him to compose this Piece of Malice he has espoused the whole Matter not only against particular Persons some dead and some alive but also against the People called Quakers in general wherein his deadly Malice hath exceeded all common bounds And yet upon his Paper against G. F. he has placed this Note in the Margent viz. But is this to render him obnoxious to the Government No I abhor that Practice but base and self ended Spirits are to be humbled saith he Now I affirm and it may be obvious to any unbyassed and intelligent Readers that John Pennyman hath shamefully lied dissembled and temporized lied and dissembled in pretending that he abhors that Practice of rendring us obnoxious to the Government for a very mean capacity may see that the tenour of his work is to render us obnoxious and particularly it is more apparent in certain passages as 1. from a Paper of one of our Friends he questions us all in these words viz. How dare these Men appeal to the King and Council's Consciences that they are harmless and would do them no harm c. p. 9. Now is not this to render us obnoxious as not being harmless but such as would do them harm And yet this is the Man that abhors such a Practice as rendring us obnoxious to the Government 2dly Whereas in the Quakers Plea 't is said on the behalf of the Quakers that though some that are now called Quakers were once in the Army against the King when their Knowledge and Judgment were not otherwise fram'd c. yet being altered in their Judgments to the contrary and that it is not lawful in the Administration of the Gospel to go to war with carnal Weapons and that there is now no danger of us and now we are all of that mind c. Upon this I pass this Note viz. that this pretended changed Judgment in the Men that are Quakers is not to be taken for a change of Judgment in the Quakers c. Oh Malicious Insinuation Is not this to render us obnoxious to the Government as to make them believe for all this that the Quakers count it lawful in the Administration of the Gospel for them to go to War with carnal Weapons Yea that themselves may take up Arms and fight against the King as some have done in the former Wars before convinc'd and brought under the Gospel Administration And what is all this but to render us the very People called Quakers as vile perfideous and obnoxious to the Government as he could possibly do And not only perfideous to the Government but to their own Gospel Profession and Principle and what 's the Nature and Tendency hereof but to influence and incense the present Government with an evil Eye and prejudice against us to ruin and destroy us as a People not fit to live in a Common-wealth or under any Government but that blessed be the Lord our God he hath raised a better perswasion and sense of us in the Hearts of many in Power with respect to our peaceable Conversations which loudly have all along proclaimed our Innocency and Clearness from such Faction and Perfideousness against the Government under which we live as this Apostate Adversary would maliciously insinuate so manifestly contrary to his own pretences as abhorring the practice of making us obnoxious to the Government 3dly Against the People called Quakers he observes that they formerly exhorted Men to fight and would fight themselves and now deny all fighting on any pretence is to be imputed to their temporizing and deceit See here again how base and contradictory he is to himself his objection lyes chiefly against their denying all fighting or to fight themselves for this he cries out of temporizing and deceit Is not this still to render us obnoxious Let the Impartial judge and see how he endeavours to invalid and bring contempt upon all our Declarations and Applications to the King and Council for our Innocency and peaceable Living under the present Government according to the practice of the Primitive Christians To his Accusation that they viz. the Quakers formerly exhorted Men to fight and would fight themselves I utterly deny it as a Slander and put the Question to him John wast thou of such a Principle whilst thou own'd the Quakers as to fight thy self and exhort others thereunto If thou wast it was time for thee to be gone as one not of us We know none such in our Society so it s most wicked and unjust to charge us as a People therewith Another Instance he has in his Obeservations of this kind viz. again touching fighting they have taken care to record what one of their Ministry saith we directed all People to the Spirit of the Lord God in them and if that led them to fight I had nothing against it for this he quotes Fol. 4. but tells us not what Book This I do greatly question for I never read it that I know of however I cannot believe without better evidence that any Minister of ours did ever preach such Doctrin to Friends or People as that the Spirit of the Lord might lead them to fight with carnal Weapons c. since our Testimony and Judgmment has always been to the contrary to wit that our Weapons are not carnal but spiritual and mighty through God and we wrestle not with Flesh and Blood but with spiritual wickedness and we war not after the Flesh nor with a carnal Sword but with the Sword of the Spirit which is the word of God And if any one hath writ to any in Power to this effect viz. That if they would walk with the Lord and preserve his People the numberless number of this now distressed People would be to them a Strength and stand by them in the day of Trouble and be a Defence unto them according to what is cited Howbeit this is not a Proof that the People called Quakers intended to fight for R. Cromwel or any in Authority seeing there are other and better ways of defence for a Government than fighting by carnal Weapons as Righteousness which exalts a Nation the Prayers and Faith of true Christians and Believers which was the Mind and Practice of the Primitive Christians for those in Authority not excluding their civil Contributions Taxes Customs and Dues which has been our Practice to pay since we were a People and that Nations and Governments are not always defended by fighting carnal Weapons c. but by a better way and means to wit the fear of the Lord according to his Law observe this instance in the time of King Jehosaphat's Reign when he sought to the Lord God
Government our honouring the King c. Against this lyes the charge of Hypocrisie Temporizing and Apostacy c. But why should it become a heinous crime in his view for Subjects to signifie their Intentions of peaceable Living and respect to a King or Kingly Government although some of them have for merly expressed a Fear and Zeal as he grants about Kingly Government which is thus to be understood of an Earthly oppressing King as it was feared some in O. C's days would have constituted and set up when they were doting for an earthly King to establish and impose their own Religion upon the Nation contrary to their great pretence to Jesus Christ his Headship and Kingship over the Church this was the very thing for which G. F. and others fore-warned and reprehended them Now where 's the contradiction Is it between opposing an earthly Kingship over a Christian Church and owning Jesus Christ as the only King Head and Lawgiver to his Church Sure no true Christian nor reasonable Man will conclude a contradiction here And where 's the Temporizing or Apostacy Have we ever declined Christ's Kingship over his Church throughout the whole World and set up an earthly King over the Church instead of Christ We affirm we have not and this is our present case still having this distinction between Christ's Kingly Office over his Church in Spiritual Divine Matters and the Office of National Kings or Rulers in Civil Matters it having been always our principle to render to God his dues and to Caesar his dues distinctly But to come more particularly to the business objected against us as contradiction and temporizing c. the matter lies here viz. Between what one formerly said some time before the King was Restored viz. do not the Priests and Presbyterians c. cry for an earthly King Are not all these Elders Christians that will dote â—o much of an earthly King Traytors against Christ And the Quakers declaring since the King was restored viz. that our Intentions and Endeavours are and shall be good true honest and peaceable towards the King and present Governours and that we do love and honour them c. Where 's the contradiction here Is it between warning Professors of going to set up an earthly King in Christ's stead and declaring our honest Intentions towards the King c. after brought in and set up by a providential Hand of God Or does it follow that because some of us have declared a dislike of having a rigid persecuting King set over us to intrench upon Christs prerogative that therefore we must not submit to the over-ruling Hand of God in bringing in a King whether in Mercy or Judgment or both We shall not dispute that now must we be counted Temporizers for quietly submitting to the over-ruling Power of God in this matter See how obnoxious our Adversary renders himself for those who formerly feared it would be worse for the Nation to have a Monarchy as to Impositions c. he hath this Salvo that it was out of Zeal that some particular Persons did write against Kingly Government among whom he ranks G. F. c. The former Writings against Kingly Government as he apprehends them were out of Zeal and Fear of greater Impositions and Bondage but for such to signifie their peaceable Intentions and Respect to the King when restored this is counted an earthly Temporizing How now J. P. is this thy Conscience that thou dischargest What art thou offended at our innocent plainness But how shallow art thou who when thou hast excused all that thou apprehendst against a Kingly Government from G. F. or others as being from a Fear and Zeal yet now makes it a contradiction and temporizing for the Quakers to declare their Truth and Fidelity to the King and present Governours with their Intentions of Honesty and Peaceableness towards them Oh shallow Man Is here either contradiction or temporizing It had been contradiction if they had said they intended neither Truth Fidelity Honesty or Peaceableness towards the King and it had been temporizing if they had said they now submit all cases of Conscience Religion and Worship to an earthly King to be disposed ordered and determined at his discretion and not to Christ the heavenly King and Head of his Church But blessed be God we are clear of these things and out of the reach of thy malicious Spirit who hast thus grosly slandered us with Contradiction Temporizing Dissembling c. and thou canst not be ignorant how many of us have suffered for our tender Consciences under the several Powers since we were a People and still dayly exposed to Sufferings therefore thou art the Temporizer in going about thus to render us obnoxious to the Government and thereby to add to our Afflictions and Sufferings and note that whatsoever G. F. or others did formerly write to Presbyterians c. which thou apprehendst to be against Kingly Government whether it concerns the Persecution Oppression or Bondage which they feared might happen thereby according to the instance given of Herod Saul c. this thou dost not go about to disprove as being from a fallible Spirit but hast salved the matter with this being out of a Fear Zeal c. But thy hideous outcry is against any of our Friends declaring their honest Intentions of Fidelity Peace and Respect to the King here thou art offended at the words Loyal Subjects in a Declaration which thou sayst were highly opposed in an Assembly And I ask thee wast not thou one of them who opposed and caused them to be left out How now John what a Labyrinth art thou fallen into through thy Envy and Malice but to come yet more closely to the business to evince thy malicious silliness set case that some of our Friends did really fear that a King set up by those that were then our Persecutors as a Creature of their forming designed to carry on their own Interest would not be for the universal Interest and Liberty of the Nation both in matters Religious and Civil and thereupon warned them which is our present case in debate and yet when it pleased the Lord providentially to bring in the King quietly to acknowledge their Submission and Peaceableness and to prevent further censure of a temporizing Insinuation in this case I do declare that what Form of Religion soever a King be of he must so far distinguish between his Regal Power and his Religion as to be tender to his Subjects under several persuasions and grant a free Tolleration and Liberty of Conscience or else if he rule either as a Presbyterian a formal Episcopalian or severe Papist c. and endeavour to enforce his form of Religion upon all it will not answer the wisdom of God or his Counsel nor tend to the universal Good or Satisfaction of the People so not to his own Prosperity and Quiet but on the contrary an universal tenderness and free liberty in Religious matters will
added especially since it concerned a Man who is deceased and dyed a Prisoner for the Testimony of Jesus and at rest and who in his Life-time bore a faithful Testimony for Truth and Righteousness 'T is a most base and revengeful Spirit in J. P. to rake E. B. out of his Grave to bring Infamy upon his name his Gospel Testimony which he bore and Prophetical Spirit which was in him now he is not here to answer for himself and not rather have prevented both by Friendly Advice in his life time when they were in Society but instead thereof it may be rather questioned whether he was not in those Cases too much beset with such unstable Spirits as J. P. who now might have put more charitable Constructions upon E. B. and us than he has done namely that he feared the effects of a Monarchy and that he was so zealous against the great persecuting Whore that has made her self drunk with the Blood of the Saints that therefore he would have had the Beast that has long carried her so to hate her as to cast her off as being a Man who in his Spirit simpathized with the Martyrs of Jesus and those Souls under the Altar of them that were slain for the word of God who cryed with a loud voice how long O Lord Holy and True dost thou not Judge and AVENGE our Blood on them that dwell on the Earth Rev. 6. 10. And whatsoever in any of the Writings cited by J. P. may seem disgustful as to Monarchy we have still this cure for it all that John Pennyman has prescribed namely that these things were writ out of these Mens Zeal and Fear that Monarchy would be oppressive and cause more Burthens or Impositions to be laid upon the Nation than before And this excuse was pretty warily contrived for if he had flung all that former Zeal and Fear into the dirt 't is not unlikely but he might have highly disgusted his Friends the Presbyterians and Independents c. And therefore as a Person that appears rather affected with these former Passages which intimate a Fear concerning Monarchy than with our late Applications to the King c. he has taken the great pains to collect and transcribe them the more at large and sorely to chide us the People called Quakers for making Declarations and Applications to the King Council and Parliament to perswade them of our faithful and peaceable Intentions or for any Relief from the Imposition of Oaths c. for this we are sorely chidden not only as Temporizers but also for a late fawning flattering Address to the King and Parliament as he is pleased to call it We meet with no such chiding for these particular Passages that seemed to dislike of a Monarchy in Cromwel's days for the Fear and Zeal that was therein shall either cure all that or else John shall relinquish the Medicine of his own preparing and wheel about again and wholly desert his Friends the Nonconformists both Presbyters Independents and others of his private Abetters and Cabalistick Council As concerning that passage to the Officers of the Army where after they are reproved for abusing the Power of God and loosing it and putting them in Prison that struck at the Root meaning the Quakers saith he there is this passage viz. Had you been faithful to the Power of the Lord God you had gone into Spain to require the Blood of the Innocent that there had been shed and have commanded them to have offered up their Inquisitions c. and knocked at Romes Gates before now and trampled Deceit and Tyranny under And demanded the Pope and commanded him to have offered up all his Torture-houses his Racks and Inquisition c. Hereupon we have several questions put upon us viz. Could any People have declared themselves more for fighting How should the Army set up their Standard upon the top of Rome but by fighting How require the Blood that has been shed in the Inquisition but by fighting Here he may think he has sorely opposed and puzzelled us But 't is no very difficult matter to answer with clearness herein and safety to our Christian principle against killing and destroying one another for either these Passages must be spoken as from a Prophet of God or only as a Christian however conditionally First if as a Prophet then he speaks not always what is desirable or pleasant to him according to his Christian Principle nor within the compass of his Understanding as a Man nor from any Human contrivance but what 's commanded him of God as relating to Judgments or Calamities which may be of divers kinds and then he may Speak and Prophesie of Wars and Destructions c. and yet not at all be of such a Spirit or Principle in himself as to maintain or desire Wars and Fighting as the Prophet Isaiah who was an Evangelical Prophet and against Wars and Fighting and saw the end thereof Isa. 2. 3 4 5. and the Indignation of the Lord upon all Nations and his Fury upon all their Armies Isa. 34. 2. yet this Evangelical Prophet said O Assyrian the Rod of mine Anger c. I will send against an Hypocritical Nation c. see Isa. 10. 5 6. And further all yee Beasts of the Field come to devour Isa. 56. 9. And Christ Jesus himself who said my Kingdom is not of this World for if it were my Servants would fight yet prophesied of the sad and miserable destruction of Jerusalem and of those Murderers that slew the Heir and said to those Hypocrites fill ye up the measure of your Fathers Iniquities and this was that all the Righteous Blood shed might be required at their hands And several Instances of Gods Judgments might be brought out of the Revelation of John against the great Whore c. So that a Man may speak as a Prophet and be yet a Christian of divers Calamities and Judgments which he cannot be active in and yet not destroy his Christian Principle Secondly But if as a Christian only and within the compass of a Christian Freedom and understanding these aforesaid Passages are spoken then I may lawfully conclude that the design thereof was not to incite to Fighting Killing or Bloodshed but rather that it was writ from a Belief that if they had eyed the Lord and aimed at the removing Oppression and Persecution they might have been such a dread of Nations as is expressed in the same Paper that possibly they might not have met with such Resistance if any in that case for who knows not that they were formidable for a time And what success they might have had for such an end our Adversary cannot determine However to require their Inquisition and to knock at Romes doors proves no violence all this might have been done by Embassies as in the case of the D. of Savoy that persecuted the poor Piedmontors the Stock of the Waldenses For he proves not an incitation unto Bloodshed and Slaughter
further appears I. First from his being cast into the Dungeon in Darby Goal in the year 50. where he lay six Months space because he would not take up Arms for the Commonwealth against the King II. From his and others refusing considerable Places in the Army when invited by the Committee of Safety III. From his Answer then that he abhorred it viz. to accept of such Place or Preferment in the Army as that of a Colonel proffered him and that he was in the Covenant of Peace that takes away the occasion of Wars for he knew from whence all Wars did rise even from Mens Lusts. Yet notwithstanding in the year 1654. he was brought up from Leicester to London being accused for a Plotter to bring in King Charles And in the year 1655. after Major Ceeley had cast him into Prison in Doomes-dale at Lanceston before Judge Glin at the Assizes there he brought a Man of Belial to swear that he could raise 4000 Men to involve the Nation in Blood and bring in King Charles Now considering his deep Suffering then as also that he was then suspected to be as much for King Charles as J. P. can suspect or insinuate that he was against him and yet now to own and honour him which is the great crime in this Adversaries evil Eye But that he was then guilty of Plotting for the King and now in his owning the King in the civil Government a Temporizer are both alike unrighteous Calumnies and Forgeries of his and our guilty and Persecuting Adversaries But that he and others refused Preferments in the old Army and to take up Arms in the Commonwealth's days against the King and his and our Testimony both then and now being to the Covenant of Peace and against even the very occasion of Wars to wit Men's Lusts these are true and still do plainly evince our constant Consistency with our selves and Christian Testimony from the beginning against all Plotting carnal Wars and Fighting Moreover be it remarked that after G. F. came to London and was brought before Oliver Cromwel he said That there was a People now gotten up or risen that he could not win with Gifts Honours Offices or places of Preferment as he could all other Sects To which G. F. answered viz. That we have forsaken our own and are not like to receive any thing of him nor the Glory of the World and so he was not like to choke us with such things as he had done all others c. Observe here his and our faithful Friends faithfulness to our Christian and Gospel Testimony and clearness from Temporizing or aiming at worldly Interests which is the character and design of Temporizers Again as to his hideous clamour against the Quakers as far more guilty and more abominable in these matters than any other Party what soever whilst they so contumeliously upbraid others and have done the same things themselves This is a plain lie against the Quakers considering that but a few lines before p. 20. he tells the Readers the Quakers reproach and rail on the Presbyterians and Independents for their joyning to and abetting the late War and approving the Execution done upon the late King and his Party Now that the Quakers have so done and joyned is an apparent Falshood before detected and that the Quakers have so done to wit approved the execution done upon the late King c. is a most aggravating Falshood to expose us to the severity of the Government who were not then in being Now Reader judge what 's the tending of all this our Adversaries inveterate work against us but to expose and render us obnoxious to the present King and Government as possibly he can to ruin and destroy us so directly contrary to his pretence of abhorring that Practice do but see the Man's gross Hypocrisie deadly Malice and most base Temporizing to bring us under into our Graves with contempt if possible Howbeit as we fear not him nor his Invectives nor the Devil that old Murderer that has set him on work So we doubt not but through divine assistance we shall still close to our Christian Testimony faithfully witnessing that Christ's Dispensation Kingdom and Government among his People is above Wars and Fighting for it is established in Righteousness and Peace and of the increase of his Government and Peace there shall be no end but God will make Wars to cease to the ends of the Earth and in Salem shall be his Tabernacle where he breaketh the Bow and the Spear and Weapons of War c. And we the People called Quakers can in defiance of all Envy and Malice stand up for Christ Jesus and his Kingdom and still plead the same things that J. P. quotes out of our Friends Declarations to the King of England c. and that with a good Conscience in the sight of God and Men both what he cites out of Quakers Plea 1661. viz. No better Testimony can be given of us and of our peaceableness and that we shall not Plot nor Rebel against the King than experience it self experience is the best witness that we are peaceable and free from Plotting and Rebellion for we have always been so since we were a People both before and since the King came in As also a Declaration quoted by him given forth in behalf of the whole Body of the elect People of God who are called Quakers and signed by G. Fox and Richard Huberthorn John Stubbs Francis Howgill Ger. Roberts John Boulton Leonard Fell Samuel Fisher Hen. Fell John Hind John Furley Junior Tho. Moore these Names he has mentioned to expose them to the World as Temporizers Appostates c. though Men far more Righteous than himself and I am perswaded most of them if not all more Conscientious in what they say than ever John Pennyman was since he entertained prejudice and envy Hear what he has against these Men as Temporizers viz. That they have suffered because they would not take up carnal Weapons to Fight withal against any and made a prey upon because they say we are the Innocent Lambs of Christ and cannot avenge our selves as he cites and further in the Postcript All Wars and Fightings with carnal Weapons we do deny who have the Sword of the Spirit Again this the People called Quakers do witness viz. and this is both our Principle and Practice and hath been from the beginning so that if we suffer as suspected to take up Arms or make War against any it is without any ground from us for it neither is or ever was in our Hearts since we owned the Truth of God neither shall we ever do it because it is contrary to the Spirit of Christ his Doctrin and the Practice of his Apostles c. Well this Testimony we stand by against all the contrary whatever and do affirm it was conscientiously writ and not from a Temporizing Spirit as our Adversary all along endeavours to insinuate to prejudice and cloud our
Carnal Weapons neither shall we ever provoke the Nation against us otherwise than by our Righteous and Holy Walking c. That I wonder J. Pennyman should have or allow of such a Construction upon the said Declaration as That the Quakers were not then of that Mind That the Spirit would never move them to fight Unless John himself had such a Reserve when he signed that Paper which if he had it was most gross Dissimulation to tell the World That he with the rest had chosen the Son of God to be their King and that his War-fare is not with Carnal Weapons nor his Victory by killing Men's Persons nor hath he chosen us for that end Now if J. P. when he signed this believed that the Spirit of Christ might for all this move him or any of them to fight What abominable Hypocrisy was he guilty of therein 1. To proclaim to the World That he and the rest are become subjects to such a King as will never allow them to fight 2. And yet have this private Reserve That he may move him to fight But I am perswaded the rest of the Signers of the said Paper had no such deceitful Reserve If J. P. had he was very deceitful and has now bewrayed the foulness of his own Nest. As for the Words he carps at in the said Paper to which his own Name is viz. That the Son of God might command thousands and ten thousands c. That 's no Proof that they then believed he would do it unless it must be taken for granted That because he had Power to command thousands to fight therefore he would do it and so argue from his Power to his Will which but mean Logicians would be ashamed of when it is as plainly told That Christ's Kingdom is not of this World and his Warfare is not with Carnal Weapons and that he has not chosen us for that End as to kill Men's Persons c. As that Christ by Prayer could have obtained more than twelve Legions of Angels to have rescued him But how then should the Scripture be fulfilled That he must suffer As for the other Words Neither can we yet believe that he viz. the Son of God will make use of us in that way viz. of fighting For our Adversary to infer from the Particle yet where 't is intimated That yet they could not believe that Christ would move them to fight that therefore the Quakers were not then of that Mind That he would never move them to fight He might as well have inferred from their saying That yet his Kingdom is not of this World Therefore they were not then of the Mind That Christ's Kingdom would never be of this World but that it might become a worldly Kingdom and his Servants turn Fighters Thus absurd is our Adversary's Consequence against us upon a mere small Circumstance or Ambiguity of a Word yet nevertheless is construed by him for yet as yet as putting the signification of adhuc for tamen And for the present we are given up to bear and suffer all things for his Names sake As for the Word present I grant if it had been left out it had appeared more absolute in concurrence with the Substance of the Declaration which as 't is said was given forth by E. B. But that diminutive Phrase for the present is not essential to the Substance of it but rather to the manner of speaking John it may be can give account of those Particles which he has construed so much to the Disadvantage of the whole seeing his Name is to the Paper and he can give or own such an Interpretation of it as that they the Quakers were not then of that Mind That the Spirit would never move them to fight though there be enough in the Paper to evince the contrary as is before hinted And if John had any such Reserve in espousing and signing the said Paper or did cause the putting in those Words as that the Spirit of Christ might move him to fight it is high Time for him to write a Recantation for that and many other Passages wherein while he endeavours to render us suspicious and obnoxious to the Government he has greatly bewrayed his own dark envious and perfideous Spirit whose Practice and Method in his Book generally is to snarle snatch and catch at such Passages in our Friends Books as he thinks most to make Advantage of to render us Temporizers odious and obnoxious to the present Government and commonly to pass by and leave out such Passages Threats and Prophecies as were directly against the former Men in Power and their Oppressions and Cruelties that were inflicted in the Protector 's Days But as for the aforesaid Declaration to the distracted Nation of England subscribed as aforesaid 't is so Impartial and Plain and against the Oppressions c. under the several Governments in this Nation lamenting the Judgments and Calamities thereof that I wish he had published it all to the Nation for it would very much have tended to clear our Innocency from his unjust Imputations and Insinuations against us as a People And to manifest our clearness from Temporizing and Parties and our Testimony against Fighting Warring and Killing c. as inconsistent with Christ's Government and Kingdom And now pray further consider did not our Lord Jesus Christ in his Parable concerning them that Intreated the King's Servants spightfully and slew them acknowledge the Justice of his Father in sending forth his Armies and destroying those Murderers and burning of their City Mat. 22. 7. and also against those Husbandmen who slew the Heir whom the Lord miserably destroyed Mat. 21. 7. and Luke 20. 14. were not these Parables against Jerusalem and the Jews who persecuted and slew the Prophets of God and his Son Christ the Heir Did not he therein Prophesie against Jerusalem and of the destruction thereof and so far recognize that War and miserable Destruction that came upon them as a just judgment from God and yet his Kingdom being not of this World his Servants might not fight being under an Injunction to the contrary was Christ therein contradictory to himself or to his Testimony for his Servants not fighting no sure And the Apostle Paul acknowledged the Magistrate or Rulers place as owning his Office in not bearing the Sword in vain but as being the Minister of God a Revenger to execute Wrath upon him that doth evil Rom. 13. and yet exhorted his Brethren the Saints not to avenge themselves but rather give place unto Wrath Rom. 12. 19. did the Apostle herein contradict himself or his Christian Testimony pray consider it Now suppose a Government according to their own principles in one Nation should require their Subjects or Friends innocent Blood unjustly shed in another Nation by Murders Massacres c. would not this be just and may not God in vindictive Justice and Judgment stir up a Power or Government whose Principle is accordingly to
Christian Testimony Again he cites these words to the King and Parliament 1661. viz. our Allegiance to the King our Lives have and shall manifest to him and you and all Men subscribed he saith by George Fox Edward Burroughs Francis Howgill John Crook Samuel Fisher Richard Huberthorn John Whitehead Samuel Thornton Leonard Fell John Boulton and twenty more and these he has ranked up for Temporizers Dissemblers c. having rendred all our Applications to the King of this kind but Hypocrisie and Temporizing Deceits as not to be trusted and this still to render us obnoxious more especially if his Book be Printed for see what he saith not only to cloud but to murder our Christian Testimony viz. and yet under all these Dissimulations and Temporizings do like the Whore in the Proverbs wipe their Mouths and proclaim themselves an innocent and harmless People and near his Conclusion charges G. F. and his Adherents with a late fawning flattering Address to the King and Parliament How now John is this thy abhorring to render us obnoxious to the Government God will smite thee thou malicious Hypocrite our Innocency shall out-live thy Envy and causeless Revenge and rise up in Judgment against thee What wilt thou be still be mad against us because our Friends gave Testimony against the Man that attempted to burn the Bible among other Books at the Exchange And wilt thou be still revengful because some were moved to testifie against thy extravagancy and riotous work with thy twenty seven Venison Pasties or so esteemed exposed to the Multitude And was not this thy wedding Dinner for Jews and Gentiles whom thou hadst invited to Merchant-Taylors-Hall And what was thy intended Mystery in all this Answer plainly for it was a very publick Frolick and whether or no had not the Bible been burned if the Officer at the Exchange had not prevented be plain and do not always smite at others and hide thy self nor put us off with telling us Thou wouldest not do it at the Will of any Mortal What immortal one would move any to attempt it An immortal God or an immortal Devil Couldst thou imagin that the immortal God would ever move to it And what moved thee now thus to vent thy Malice and Clamour not only against the People called Quakers in general but also against many particular Persons by Name the meanest of them more Righteous than thy self Dost thou not know that Edw. Burrough Fr. Howgill Sam. Fisher R. Hubberthorn Joh. Stubbs Edw. Piott George Bishop George Rose and Miles Hallhead are all deceased Yea some of them many Years in their Graves who dyed Prisoners sufferers for their Consciences towards God and yet thou wilt rank them among Temporizers Oh unrighteous Man is thy Conscience wholly seared since thy Essay towards the burning of the Bible for thou hast as little Recourse or Regard to the Scriptures or Truth 's Principle in thy Writing though once professed by thee as thou hast to Conscience which is none at all in sincerity Malice and the Gall of Bitterness has swallowed thee up and Darkness is become thy Habitation Dost thou not remember that Fr. Howgill dyed in Prison and that both E. B. R. H. and others were Prisoners when taken sick and dyed And dost thou not know that not only Sam. Fisher but John Crook John Boulton and many others have been great Sufferers since the King's Restauration and must all these be now infamously ranked among Temporizers Dissemblers c. Is this thy Conscience and Charity John Pennyman And is thy Malice so great against William Deusbury so that thou must needs endeavour to expose him to the Displeasure of the present Government to add Afflictions to his Bonds who is known to be a sincere upright peaceable Man and great Sufferer both in the Time of the late and present Powers yea and in present Suffering and Confinement for his Conscience and Testimony And what Hurt has honest Tho. Salthouse done thee that thou must needs go about to expose him too And also Isaac Pennington who is known to be an Innocent Harmless Man and hath been a great Sufferer even under the present Power What would not thy Malice suffer thee to let him alone but thou must needs render him obnoxious for writing something to the Parliament and Army printed 1659. about their backsliding and turning aside from the Good Old Cause c. And to aggravate the Business against him thou puttest the Question Was not then the Armies Cause just in his Opinion and their Fighting Lawful c. p. 17. How now John Pennyman hast thou neither a regard to Men nor Truth Hast thou done as thou wouldest be done by thus to expose Men and question them for that which thou thy self darest not adventure openly to oppose Therefore I would ask thee What is thy Opinion concerning that Cause called the Good Old Cause to wit Liberty to tender Consciences removing Oppression and preserving Men's Properties formerly pretended to in the Old Army though not well mannaged and pursued was this Cause pretended to just yea or nay in it self Why dost thou cover thy Deceit desert Truth in any Case and peevishly expose Conscientious Men for formerly confessing it One Passage to the Parliament and Common-wealth 1657. Let the Reader a little take notice of it for perhaps he may smile at John Pennyman's Design in citing it The Passage as he cites it runs thus p. 28. viz. Let all these Abbey-Lands Gleab-Lands that is given to the Priests be given to the Poor of the Nation and let all the Great Houses Abbies Steeple-houses and Whitehall be for Alms-Houses or some other use for all the Blind and Lame to be there What could be J. P's Design in citing this Passage If it was to make the King and Court angry with our Friends for advising to make White-Hall an Alms-house for the Blind and Lame as that seems most likely to be his Design I dare say he will miss of it for I am perswaded the King would have been better pleased and thought it more Charitable that his House should have been an Alms-house for the Poor Blind and Lame than that Oliver and his Crew should there set up their Nests pamper feed and gluttonize themselves for the Humility serious Praying and Tears were lost when they had killed and taken possession were got to White-hall and there settled at Ease in fulness pride and idleness even while many innocent Men were deep Sufferers for their tender Consciences in cold noisom Goals Holes and Dungeons with Bread and Water their Victuals being snatched from them their Bed-cloaths taken from them by Force and they forced to lye upon Straw in cold low dark Goals for above a Year together In these and such like Sufferings I my self with many others of our Friends had a deep share in Oliver's Days and that under Presbyterians and Independents I affirm and yet they have not manifested Repentance nor made Satisfaction J. P. has