and his Apostles which how true soever it may be of them I am sure is False enough of us for those hideous Consequences he makes are not deducible from any unperverted Saying to be cited out of Truth 's Defence And least any should think we deny with the Papists the Perusal of the Scriptures to Ignorant People from what our Adversary sayes know that they spoke of such Ignorant and Unlearned Persons as in reading wrested them to their own Destruction now unless it be not Dangerous to read to Destruction they are not chargeable witâ— Bâ—ame in that Matter But who are the Knowing and Learned The Jewish Doctors and Greek Philosophers No but Fishermen and poor Mechanicks discipled in Christ's School for the Excellency of whose Knowledge Paul reputed his Gamaliel-Acquisitions but Dross and Dung So that their Knowing and Learned are many times the Ignorant Unlearned we speak of whose Wisdom God will confound and whose Understanding he will bring to nought His last Comparison of us in this Chapter is with Marcus an old Heretick The Agreement he makes betwixt us lyes in our mutual Pretences to Inspiration and Prophecy For as he reports him to have abused many silly Women under colour of conferring on them the Gift of Prophesying and that he had a familiar Spirit by which 〈◊〉 brought himself into Credit with his deluded Followers So he tells us that he has had it confidently affirmed That about the first rise of the Quakers in the North of England several Persons by Gloves and Ribbands and divers Charmes were really bewitched by them And doubtless many of their Quaking fits were real Possessions by the Devil Answ What Marcus was is nothing to us If he has done amiss he has answered for it by this time I confess I am not over-fond of the Characters left us of ancient Hereticks knowing what kind of Creatures the best Protestants are with Papists and what fearful Monsters several sober Separatists are reputed among some Protestants But this I know if what he hath said of several Ancients be no Truer then what he hath said of us he has grosly abused their Doctrines and their Memories For the Witchcraft of our Gloves Ribbands and Charmes 't is scarce worth my Notice his Folly in mentioning it being a sufficient Reproof and Confutation to himself A Story fit for none at this time of day to report or believe but a Man of his size I thought they had been worn out by this time But let the sober Reader judge which savours most of Satan's Design this Idle yet Scandalous Story or our Fearing and Trembling at the Word of the Lord and those Terrors that broke in upon our Souls because of Sin and Iniquity 'T is but the old Spirit of Mockery that acted the Jews and Heathens against the Christians and Papists against Protestants and too many Protestants of several Sorts against some more reformed Separatists For had the Reverent Fear of God possessed our Adversary's Heart in the writing of this Discourse there had been no room for such Irreligious Scoffs against an inoffensive People But the Devil because he would be God calls God the Devil Christ Beelzebub Light Darkness and the Power of God the Power of Satan and the Fear and Trembling brought by the one the Possessions and Witchcrafts of the other Certainly such Men live in a dry Land they see not when Good cometh But what will not an Enraged Tything Priest do to destroy us who he knows are Discoverers of such Deluders CHAP. III. His pretended Agreement between the Authors of Familism and the Quakers considered His Objections answered I Now come to consider the Reason of the Title of his Book and what Ground he had to name us the Revivers Propagators of Familism with the most weighty Objections he makes against us if in Truth I may repute the strongest of them such and that with what Brevity Truth and Faithfulness I can The great Authors of this Doctrine of Familism he sayes were David George and Henry Nicolas but more especially the latter as having more improved and disseminated the pernicious Errors introduced by the former He bestows many severe Expressions upon them more I think then becomes a Man of any Charity to give I am not their Advocate But so much Splene and so little Reason against Dead Men can be neither Christian nor Manly What he sayes they held and how far we are concerned in it it is our Business to enquire § 1. Of Christ's Ministration And first he tells us that H.N. should say that not only the Law of Moses but the Ministration of Christ and his Apostles were only Temporary things instituted to bring Men to the perfect Reign of the Spirit and then like Horn-Books and Primers to grown Understandings to be thrown away pag. 10 11. And that this is the full Sense of the Quakers sayes our Adversary Hear John Crook a Quaker We believe by the same Gift of Grace that there are several Ministratitions and several Operations according to 1 Cor. 12. And all by the same Spirit as before and after the Law by Moses and after by John the Baptist and Christ and his Apostles And by this Spirit were the Scriptures given forth and the Holy Men of God did speak prophesy preach and pray as they were moved and to answer the Service God had for them to do they were to wait as Christ commanded his Disciples to receive the Promise of the Father And therefore as it was the Practice of the People of God in old time to wait for the Moving of this Spirit that they might speak as it gave them Utterance in the Evidence and Demonstration thereof so do this People called Quakers now Upon which our Adversary dares to observe that we with the Familists deny the Ministration of Christ to be the Ministration of the Spirit and consequently a Blasphemous Derogation from the Honour of our Blessed Saviour who said to his Apostles Joh. 16.14 He shall receive of mine and shew it unto you Answ If our Adversary's Weakness has run him into this strange Parrallel he is to be pittyed but if his Envy he is severely to be rebuked Will any Man that has Sense or Honesty say it is all one to affirm that Christ's Ministration is an Horn-book that time casts off with Infancy and that it is a Waiting to receive the same Spirit Christ commanded his Apostles to wait for as the Promise of the Father and the peculiar Gift and Priviledge of his own Ministration Does not J. Crook expresly draw a Parallel between the Holy Men of God of old and the Quakers of our time that as they then so the Quakers now wait to be taught moved and ordered by the same Eternal Spirit through which all come to be baptized into One Body How was that then no Spiritual Ministration when we desire to be conformed unto the Spirit and Holy Example thereof not making this anew
Water which say we must be as Spiritual as the NewBirth it produceth but also the Renewing of the Holy Ghost to answer being born again of the Spirit That as the washing of Regeneration or Renewing of the Holy Ghost are Synonymous or Expressions to the same Purpose so being born again of Water or being born again of the Spirit are equivalent But if our Adversary will have this Water to be material in Honour of his Baptism Let him never refuse the like Liberty to us in Construction of that great Water-Baptist's own Words But he shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with Fire that is material Fire My Judgment is if that were the Church of Englands Baptism he had never been her Son though such Sons are ready to Christian many with that Fiery Baptism But if such an Interpretation be absurd let him not esteem his own Rational And if it must be the holy Ghost or Fire then let it be Water or Spirit for indeed they are but so many Words intimating the various Operations of one Divine Power In short John was but a Forerunner therefore not to be perpetuated He was the Water but Christ the great Spiritual Baptist The Former to decrease the Latter to increase And the least in Christ's Kingdom which is not of this World is greater then John not then his private State but outward Administration Paul whose Commission was larger then any Priests in England tells us He was not sent to baptize with Water but to Preach And instead of enjoyning the Practice of it upon others he thanks God that he baptized but very few himself which surely he had never done if it had been part of his Commission or the durable Baptism of the Gospel For he had just Reason to suspect some disaffected would make that Ill-Use of his Liberty that it was to ingratiate and set up himself being conscious that he had no Authority for what he did This he further gives us to believe in that pertinent Passage to our Purpose There is One Body One Spirit One Lord One Faith One Baptism One God and Father of all If more Baptisms then one then more Bodies Spirits Lords Faiths Gods and Fathers of all who were above all and through all and in them all unto whom Paul wrote If this be absurd and that there is but one Baptism I hope it will not be denyed to be that of the Holy Ghost which is both most suitable to the Evangelical Ministration and the peculiar Baptism of Christ Jesus our Lord. I shall touch upon one Passage more The like Figure whereunto even Baptism also doth now save us as our modern Translation has it From which though our Adversary would infer that Water-Baptism is to be used as co-assistant with the Answer of a good Conscience to Salvation I doubt not unanswerably to mantain from it our foregoing Assertion This Verse admits of various readings in ancient Copies and diverse Interpretations by learned Men. We shall a little disquisite the matter that he may see we shall not refuse Learning where it may perform the Office of an honest Servant not an Usurper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some has it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the modern Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Augustin has it Vos and our old Books saith Zegerus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Vatabalus makes the truth relative to the Type Flood And saith Grotius Vox 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est communis utrique relatâ— i. tam figurae tribuitur quam rei per figuram significatae signifiing Type and Antitype or the thing signified by the Type Erasmus hath it cui nunâ— simile sive respondens Baptisma so that Baptism may answer as the thing typified not another Type 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayes Dr. Hammond a famous Man of the English Church is certainly best renderd Antitype yet there be â—wo different senses sometimes Contradiction thus Zenophon and Hesychius Then Destruction was by Outward Water now Salvation by Inward otherwise pro or in lieu of another as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that supplies the Consul's place so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in an old Coppy in Oxford is the Ark inward supplying the place of the Ark outward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Capellus understands to be Baptismum internum quo fimus mortis resurrectionis Christi participes Hujus interni baptismi typos aliquot habemus in V.T. imprimis autem arcam diluvii et arcam Noae By Inward Baptism we are made Partakers of Christ's Death and Resurrection Of this Inward Baptism we have several Types in the old Testament of which Noah's Ark was one Grotius refers us to these Scriptures for an Apostolical Exposition Rom. 6.3 4. Ephes 4.5 Gal. 3.27 Col. 2.12 all which refer to Man's being baptized into Christ's Death his putting on of Christ and to the One Lord One Faith One Baptism And indeed Beza shewed them the Way who will have it that the Baptism which answered to Noah's Ark was not material Water but the Power of Christ within wich preserves us cleansed and enables us to call on God with a good Conscience Nor is Doctor Hammond of a different Judgment in this Case who not only will have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendred Antitype but the Baptism that is that Antitype answering to Noah's Ark to be the Inward Washing of Men's Consciences from Pollution and delivering them from the Deluge of Sin and Destruction Not only from all this do I conclude the Baptism mentioned in that place to be the Antitype or Truth answering to the outward and typical Salvation of Noah's Ark but for those Reasons which were with me before my Perusal of these Authors and which I shall now briefly offer First If 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were but a Type or Figure one Type would answer another which is not proper 2 dly It were both to suppose that the Gospel were a State of Figures which is the Substance of all and of such Figures too as are less demonstrative or significant for what is that Sprinkling Baby-Baptism for Dipper or dipped I suppose our Adversary to be neither to the Worlds Deluge and Noah's Ark. 3 dly The Baptism in the Text must be such a one as hath Efficacy enough in it to save which outward Water can't do Besides the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or saveth hath Relation to Noah's Ark wherein the eight Souls were saved Therefore the Antitype or Truth answering to That as Type 4 ly It is such a Baptism as saves by the Power of Christ's Resurrection answerable to Rom. 6.3 4. Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his Death that like as Christ was raised up from the Dead by the Glory of the Father even so we also should walk in Newness of Life 5 ly And this the Parenthesis in the Verse undeniably proves
of what ever stands in his Way and refuses to receive his Mark in his Forehead or in his Right Hand This has occasioned so much Trumpery in Religion Ceremonies Shew and meer Formality have swallowed up the greatest part of It Now were Men brought to God's Heavenly Gift in themselves it would reclaim and leaven the Mind chain the Affections and bring Religion into Holy and Selâ—-denying Living and erect an Holy Regiment in the Heart and Soul by which the Heavenly â—mage would be renewed and Man become as one born again without which Translation there can be no entring into God's Heavenly Kingdom This the first Protestants made to be their Reason of their Revolt from Rome For though 't is true that they charged the Papists with making God's Tradition the holy Scriptures void by their numerous dark Traditions yet That which begot that holy Loathing of Rom's Superstitions Idolatries and Will-Worship was God's Grace in their Hearts their best Argument against Rom's Assault was this The Scripture which I believe from the Testimony of the Spirit of God in me which I can only understand from the Illumination thereof owns no such thing and therefore I reject it Such as converse with Luther and his Followers Zuinglius and his Followers will find this to have been the Foundation of their whole Work And our own Martyrology is full to our Purpose particularly Tindal Times and Philpot. I omit to mention a whole Cloud of Witnesses because I intend not to dwell here only this I would be at and I intreat you all to weigh it If any thing can give to understand aright and enable to practise those things of God which it is necessary for Man both to know and do then God's Light Grace or Word in the Heart What else can give us to relish the Divine Authority of the Scriptures themselves or to believe the Things therein treated of to be undeniable Truths Indeed the Want of This has been a great Occasion of Atheism for Man making practising and enacting That for Religion of which People has had no Assurance in themselves But if they should speak their Hearts 't is more probable They do not believe it but instead thereof deride it and so under a Shew of Religion live as Men without God in the World To prevent which and to bring Men to the true Understanding of what God expects from them in order to that great Account they are to give unto Him at the Revelation of his Righteous Judgments when he will judge the Secrets of all Men by Jesus Christ we do exhort all to Christ's Pure Unerring Light in the Conscience which is sufficient to daily Understanding Duty that what they believe and profess in Matters of so high Importance They maybe convinced in their very Conscience by the good Understanding the Inspiration of the Almighty gives of the Truth and Necessity thereof and not suffer themselves to be carried away with the Torrent of Fathers Councils Synods Doctors Scholars National Constitutions c. big and most times untrue and too often empty Words without that inward Conviction and Testimony of God's Good Spirit in Your Own Consciences the old Protestant and only primitive Ground of Truâ— Faith and Obedience I know and shall alwayes acknowledge that in the time of Ignorance the Almighty winked and that in every Age he has expressed his Regard to those under the various Forms of Religion ever in the World who have been Sincere-hearted and of Sober and Conscientious Conversation But I must also tell you that by how much the more needless and unwarrantable Customs Will-Worship and Human Religion built upon the dark and uncertain Conjectures of Men are receeded from and the Minds of People engaged in a diligent attendance upon that Divine Principle which only can clear up their Understandings and give them an experimental Knowledge of the True God and that Way of Worship and Service which may be most acceptable with him by so much more certain will they be of the Truth of their Religion in as much as they have over and above all external Record the Assurance of Unquestionable Convictions in their own Consciences Thus God that made Heaven and Earth knows we came to receive that Knowledge of him Which we now expose our selves to all Hardships to mantain We profest God but like our Neighbours in Works we denyed him We worshipt him after Men's Conceivings insomuch that I may say we worshipt the Unknown God in a False Way No doubt but we were stockt with the Common Talk of Religion but the Cross of Christ we were Strangers to His Blood we extolled whilst by Wicked Works we trod it under Foot And believ'd our selves Saved by it Who were Uncleansed from Sin The whole End of His Coming we esteemed the top of all Love but never knew enough of It truly kindled in our Hearts whereby to work such Faith and Resignation as could give us Victory over the World Thus were we Jews-like Children of God whilst we crucifyed the Son of God and of the Seed of Abraham whilst the Serpents Seed reign'd Heirs of the Kingdom yet not born again Free yet the Bondslaves of Vanity Oh! at this time of day it was that God â—ound us out and broke in upon our Souls with his Righteous Judgments for Sin and laid Judgment to the Line Righteousness to the Plummet within us the Book of Conscience was Opened and great Fear surprised us and Deep Sorrow fell upon us which brought that sudden and Strange Change that made us both the Derision of Prophane and Wonderment of Sober Men. The Author of the Account of Familism for want of more Skill and Seriousness calls it the Hypochondria as if it only had been a Flux of Melancholy overpowring the Strength of Reason and carrying the Understanding captive at the Impetuosity of its Fancies But having been thus made sensible of the Terrors of the Lord for Sin and being brought into a True Understanding of that Religion and Worship which most please God some of us were constrained and in Conscience bound to go forth into the World and publish these Tidings of Judgment for Sin and Conversion through Righteousness wrought by the mighty Power of God in the Conscience that all might be awakened to try their Works Faiths Worships and whole Religions whether they were of God or Men or they had been doing their own Wills or the Will of God that so they might be brought to experience God to be a God nigh at hand reconciled in Christ blotting out Sin and renewing a Right Spirit within by which their Religion might not longer stand in the Traditions of Men nor only Education of Parents but upon the Convictions and Operations of God's Grace in the Conscience And thus is all that Christ did without brought nigh and home to the very Soul The Seed of the Woman is known to Bruise the Head of the Serpent Christ the
God has ever been Sufficient to his People in every Age And since they only are Children of God who are led by the Spirit of God and that it is the Spirit of God alone which leads into all Truth It follows that the Law of the Spirit of Life writ in the Heart and not a Law writ on Paper a State less excellent then the Jews whose Law was written upon Stone is the great Evangelical Rule of Living Yeâ—â—re the Scriptures an Holy Declaration of thâ— Word of God and of the Rule and Guide in â—atters of Salvation And we reject for ever that Spirit which leads into those Principles and Practices that in the least contradict the standing and permanent Truths therein mentioned For they were written by Holy Men of God being inspired thereto and contain Godly Reproof Admonition Exhortation and Prophecies for the Edification of the Church and perfecting the Man of God to every good Word and Work through Faith in Christ Jesus and as such many Directions Precepts and Rules are therein laid down yet they all refer to the Grace Light Spirit Word or Anointing within as That by which Man ought to be Ruled governed and ordered to God's Glory and his own Comfort as they first were who gave them forth for they were Witnesses of the Truth of what they writ So that they are an Holy Declaration of the Way of God and that Holy Principle which leads to it and in it without which the Book is sealed the Scriptures are unknown and consequently not the Scriptures but that holy Key of David is the Rule how far and which way we are both to understand interpret believe and practise them This may be enough to shew the Disingenuity of our Adversary in representing us to his Knight For because We cannot give that Title and Office due to Christ himself from him to his bare Declaration he would insinuate that we refuse all Conformity to the Holy Examples and Testimonies therein related and exprest as if we were a most dissolute Crew of Libertines But he tells us that this Person whose Name I suppose we shall prove he has made too bold with so well knowing our obstinate and perverse Humor in the Discharge of his Trusts committed to him under his MOST SACRED MAJETSY he could do no less then present him with this Treatise that going under the Name and Protection of so worthy and accomplisht a Person it may in some measure obtain its desired Effect by putting a Stop to the growing Evil and confirming those who are not seduced in the Truth of their Profession A most non-sensical Expression Answ But I am willing to hope better things of him then that be should go upon the Priest's Message or turn their Knight Errant But what 's the Matter that the Quakers are so Perverse They cannot say right Worshipful because they think that of right belongs to God nor most sacred Majesty that being fit for no mortal Man Neither can they ly and flatter with Your most Obliged and Affectionate Servant for they are more obliged to God then Man and to one Man more then another He either knew not forgot or sleighted the Rebuke of Paulinus to Sulpitius Severus who said It becometh not Christ's Free-Men to subscribe themselves Servant c. But it is nothing with such as our Adversary to Cog Ly and Flatter 'T is one Part of his Manners I would fain know what Rule he had for all this Did the Holy Prophets and Apostles teach him any such Trash Will he prate of Scripture for a Rule and yet bridle his Flattering Tongue no better The Customes of the Heathens have entred the Profession of Christianity and that Old Spirit under this New Trim goes off for a very Good Christian Oh but the Quakers are Obstinate in other Cases for all this Answ Why so Because they will by all means stand to their Principles They will not play the Sycophants Threats do not fright them nor Promises gain them They love their Conscience above their Conveniency and seek to please God rather then Men. Perhaps this sort of Men the Knight has found them but could have wisht them more pliant to the Laws it may be that he might have some colour to be kind must therefore this Busy-Body entitule his Name to all his own Follyes Lyes and Slanders against us What can any moderate Person think but that the Patron of such a Discourse has been an eminent Persecutor whose Protection is so plainly called for to a Book that without doubt would have him so For my Part I think the Knight ought to repute that Ignorant and Disingenuous Discourse so far from being a Testimony how much the Author is his most obliged and affectionate Servant that for Interesting his Name and Power therein he should hereafter look upon him as an Enemy to Him his Name and Family Before I conclude give me leave to ask him why he sought for Protection Is his national Cause defended by Princes Parliaments Navyes Armies the Learned Rich and Powerful Clergy both Universities the generality of the Gentry and Commonality so weak and gasping or are the poor despised traduced and trodden down Quakers so potent and terrible that a Book of eight Sheets dare not peep out against them but a big Title must be got to recommend and patronize it But how Worthy soever the Knight be that will not hinder my Proceeding to shew the Unworthiness of the Book therein of the Author as well to his Patron as the despised Quakers CHAP. II. Containing an Answer to his first Chapter in which he pretends an Agreement to be between the Quakers and other Ancient and Modern Hereticks The Comparison examined and proved defective OUr Adversary that he may the better prejudice his Reader against us introduceth his Discourse with a Comparison of us to the most noted and odious of the reputed ancient and modern Hereticks doubtless hoping that what he wants of Argument to render us such may be supplied by that ill Opinion Men have of those he brings us into parallel with The first Man he thought fit to pitch upon is Simon Magus a Man famous for his infamous Sorceries with whom he wickedly yoaks that faithful Minister of God George Fox because saith he Simon Magus gave out that he was God the Father And George Fox before the Justices at Lancaster that he was equal with God Answ There is no believing a decimating persecuting Priest against a Quaker till he makes more Conscience of telling Lyes who have given too many Demonstrations of their Desire to have us run down at any rate to be credited by those who love Truth more then Partiality George Fox denyes the Words they were never so spoken by him much less were they ever intended in that Way our Adversary takes and improves them For though there be not an Equality yet there is an Unity as testifyeth the Scripture Let the same Mind be
let the first hold his Peace For when it pleased God to REVEAL his Son in me For I neither received the Gospel of Man neither was I taught it but by the REVELATION of Jesus Christ If any be other-wise minded God will REVEAL it to him As I said before so again Who uttered these excellent Sayings and for what End If no Inspiration no Understanding If no Revelation no Knowledge And if the Spirit cease to teach as it can never teach but by Inspiration or Revelation then the Administration of Christ and his Apostles is ceased indeed And so not the Quakers but their Adversary overturns the Gospel-Ministration as begun and preached by Christ and his Apostles And be it known to all the World we think Revelation no Disgrace to our Cause Parrats may learn Scripture but can never experience it And those know little better who know not by Experience They are unprofitable Canters indeed who confidently talk of what they never felt and Idle Boasters who bo◠up themselves unto the Reputation of Ministers and Christians with a loud talk of their Travels Tryals Inspirations and Experiences whom they plainly mock in their Posterity concluding all blind because they cannot see In short Let it be the Character of the despised Quakers and we glory in it that all the Councils Synods Universities Doctors Scholars and the most Unanimous Decrees Learned Books and what ever the Power and Art of the Spirit of Man can produce will never be able to give or rule that true Faith which overcomes the World For that which may be known of God is manifested within Man And though outward Records may testify of and direct to that Unerring Light and Spirit by which Man comes both to know God and to be made conformable to his heavenly Image yet nothing below the Discoveries Convictions and Effectual Operations of the Eternal Spirit can give Man the certain Knowledge of God nor that daily Ability by which alone he may be enabled to obey him But he opposeth to us Miracles and Reason insinuating that we have no more of the last then the first and therefore not to be believed To the first I say we pretend to no other Religion then what was professed and practised by the Apostles and therefore need no new Miracles after that Manner to confirm that which has been confirmed by Miracles already especially by those who believe those Miracles And to deny Revelation where there are no Miracles is to discard many of the Prophets and to deny the Pouring forth of the Spirit upon the primitive Christians But above all hear the Man's Interpretation of Deut. 18.22 When a Prophet speaks in the Name of the Lord if the thing follow not nor come to pass that is saith this horrible Perverter of holy Scripture if he do no Miracle whereas the Verse intends no such thing Is this to rant over the Quakers for Idiots as if he were some Doctor of the Chair that where the Scripture speaks of Prophecy he should render it Miracle as if he that is a Prophet is a Worker of Miracles and that Miracles and Prophecy are equivalent But Argumentum ad hominem let us see how it will hold He that is a true Prophet must necessarily work Miracles But the Priests of England cannot work Miracles therefore the Priests of England are all False Prophets A true Conclusion yet false Premises A Paradox Now for the Reasonableness of our Doctrine He thinks a very mean Capacity can find none in it for how should there be any Reason in what they teach when they themselves sayes he deny the Use of Reason But none have less then they which pretend to so much This Man dares swagger for Reason and yet cryes out Heresy as soon as he sees it His Reason is the Authority of his Church The SAY-SO of some University Doctor finally The Workes of some learned Men and offer never so much Reason Conscience against them and your Reason is Sophistry and Conscience Enthusiasm The justest Separation in the World is with such but Schism and which is the last Stratagem such Persons must be Enemies to Caesar But I may say of those Men as Heraclitus said of their Fore-Fathers If blind Men were to judge of Sight they would say Blindness were Sight God is the Fountain as well of Reason as Light And we assert our Principle not to be without Reason but most Reasonable Whence it is frequent with us in our Reproof of Cruel Men to say they are Unreasonable whether it be to Man or Beast making good what the Prophet saith For his God doth instruct him to Discretion and doth teach them Again Come let us Reason together And Tertullian will have the first Verse of John thus rendr'd In the Beginning was Reason and that Reason was with God and that Reason was God by that were all things made c. And this seems no forreign Interpretation for in the 10th Verse of Jude we have sensual Men not having the Spirit called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Unreasonable Creatures according to which the Apostle Peter speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to him that askes Reason ready to give it Thus much to overlook our own Translation in Paul's second Epistle to the Thessalonians where he calls such Unreasonable Men that have not Faith concerning Reason So that it is very evident by our Adversary's denying and the Quakers asserting an unerrable Principle to be in Man and the Refusal of the one and the Readiness of the other to be governed thereby not the Quakers but their Enemies are Unreasonable both in their Faith and Practice §. 3. Of Forms of Prayer Our Adversary spends two or three Pages in proving the Necessity of Bodily Worship and he doth it so lamely that if it were so much my Judgment to deny it as it is to practise it I know nothing he has said to encline me to it This he makes an Introduction to that Agreement he sayes there is between D.G.H.N. and the Quakers in their mutual Renouncing both Bodily Worship and Visible Ordinances For Bodily Worship I need say no more then that our publick Meetings judge him guilty of great Dishonesty For his Visible Ordinances we shall proceed to consider them The first is concerning a Form of Prayer hear him With the like silly and weak Confidence they exclaim against Forms of Prayer wheras our blessed Saviour taught his Disciples a Form Math. 6.9 After this manner therefore pray ye c. And least sayes he we should think that this was only a Pattern Saint Luke Chapt. 11. expresses it when ye pray say Our Father c. that is do it in these Words Moreover John taught his Disciples and one of Christ's Disciples desired that he would teach them where we are told first that John delivered a Form of Prayer to his Disciples 2. That Christ's Disciples besought him that he would also give them
us and instigate the Civil Magistrate to Destroy us then by solid Argument to Refute or Reclaim us He that has but half an Eye may see his Aim was not so much our Conversion as Disgrace and if possible our utter Ruin But till our Adversary's Labours prove as Dangerous to us as his Design no doubt was Wicked we have little Cause to dread the Success of his Attempts And that he may see a little of himself if he thinks himself worth looking upon Let him be pleased to take a view of some of those many Reviling Scoffing Rude and Contemptible Epithetes he is pleas'd to bestow on us an entire Body of People Heretical Generation of Quakers Slaves to Pride Covetousness Lust possest by the Devil a Diabolical Spirit Apostates Phanaticks Spiritualists Black impure hearts and mouthes bewitched with their Sorceries and Inchantments Impertinent Cavilling Fellows Rebellious Quakers Cheats and Mountebanks A Beastly Quaking Generation Juglers Quaking Impudent Hereticks a Sottish Sect Illuminados Inspirados Their Cheats Impostures Enthusiastical Hereticks A Goatish Herd And of our Principle thus Their Light leads to Hell and the Devil and carries a Man like an Ignis Fatuus causing him to fall into the Pit of everlasting Destruction who are led by this are made obnoxious to all the Impostures and Injections of the Devil and to lye under everlasting Errors and Deceits To all which I have no other Answer then what it is to itself for it contains that Charge against its Author that I shall leave him to clear himself from both to God and the whole World only I cannot be so wanting of Civility to the Person he dedicated his Book to as not to let him know that it is unworthy of his Quality and Repute amongst Men to have his Name used to the Protection of so much Rudeness Irreligion and Abuse I cannot think so meanly of him as that the Endeavours of so Scurrilous an Author should excite him to any Severity against that poor People he has so basely wronged For such a thing were not only beneath that place he holds amongst Men but would be to intitle himself to all our Adversaries Shameful Miscarriages encourage him to persist in what it greatly behovs him to Repent of which God grant for his Mercy sake which is my whole Answer to his Ill Treatment of us worst Wish I have for him A Conclusion to those to whom the Discourse is Dedicated SInce then it is so evidently proved by Scripture Reason and Undoubted Presidents that it is no new or unwonted thing for National Churches to be deceived notwithstanding they have been endowed with Power Learning Nobility Wealth and Worldly Glory And that it hath pleased Almighty God in the most signal Reformations that have been wrought upon the World to employ a sort of Plain Simple and Illiterate People Let not our Meanness Plainness and Simplicity be any Argument with you against us in the Mouthes of that Decimating Tribe whose Trade it is to Oppose that Reformation which in Conscience can neither own nor pay them The old Enemies of God's Appearance in the World who therefore dread a Free and Universal Preaching because the Ingrossment of it to themselves has proved so profitable Be Gamaliels at least I beseech you and fight not their Battels If we are not of God we cannot stand And if of God they must fall Leave us therefore with our Spiritual Weapons to decide this Controversie without interposing your Worldly Power 'T is strange that we should be such Ignorants and Hereticks too whilst they bless themselves with the Name of Learned and Orthodox and yet dread the Consequence of being left by you to a fair Field with us Are not their Universities Bishops and Dectors enough to silence such Illiterate Whifflers as our Adversary is pleased to call us without the Argument of your Carnal Sword Certainly they ill deserve Fifteen Hundred Thousands Pound a Year if at last You must do the Business for Them What less can we expect from the worst of Persons and Causes But as this Employment is below the Dignity of their Office who are publick Magistrates and much too narrow for that Universal Influence it should have for publick Good so remember that great Saying of the late King to the then Prince of Wales Always keep up solid Piety and those Fundamental Truths which mend both Hearts and Lives of Men with impartial Favour and Justice Your Prerogative is best shown and exercised in remitting rather then exacting the Rigour of Laws there being nothing worse then Legal Tyranny Again A Charitable Connivance Christian Toleration often dissipates what rougher Opposition fortifies Which had been the Saying and Counsel of King James before him It is a sure Rule in Divinity That God never loves to plant his Church by Violence Bloodshed And in his Expositions on Rev. 20. he saith That Persecution is the Note of a False Church Heresie must be cut off with the Sword of the Spirit saith Jerom. The Church doth not Persecute but is Persecuted saith Hillary If you will with Blood with Evil with Torments defend your Worship it shall not thereby be defended but polluted said Lactantius I will conclude with Chrysostom It is not saith he the Manner of the Children of God to Persecute about their Religion but an evident Token of Antichrist So let your Moderation be known unto all Men the Lord is at hand I am a Friend to all Men who would have Vice Punisht Conscience Tolerated and Righteousness Establisht whose End is Peace Assurance forever The 16th of the 5th Moneth 1673. William Penn. Psalm 50.19 20 21. Joh. 8.12 1 John 1.5 6 7. Job 32 8. Jer. 31.33 34. Hebr. 8.10 Jam. 1.27 John 14. Acts 7.37 Tit. 2.11 12. John 3.19 20 21. Rom. 8 13 14. 1. Joh. 2.27 Read Quakerism a New Nick-Name for old Christianity from pag. 24. to p. 202. also Reason against Railing from p. 24. to p. 47 pag. 3. Phil. 2.6 Heb. 2.11 1 Joh. 3.7 pag. 3. Jam. Nailer ' s Posâ— L. Faith pag. 4. 1. Jo. 5. Pag. 4. Pag. 4 5 6. pag. 6. Pag. 7 pag. 10 11 12 13 14. pag. 15. vers 16 17 18 19 20. Math. 28.20 pag. 13. Pag. 16. Deut. 18.18 Job 32.8 Isa 59.21 Jer. 33.6 Matth. 11.25 27. Jo. 6.44 1 Cor. 2.10 11. Chap. 14.30 Gal. 1 12 16. Phil. 3 15. pag. 16 17 18. Pag. 18. Isa 28 26. Isa 1.18 Joh. 1. â— 1. Pet. 3.15 p. 20 21 22 23 24 25. P. 26 27 28. Acts 1.4 5 6 7 8 9. Chap. 3. v. 5 Math. 3.11 1 Cor. 1.15 16 17. Ephes 4.4 5 6. Pag. 28 29. Jacob Capell Salm. SÃ c. ling. Profess in loc p. 30 31. Jo. 13.5 14. Acts 2.13 A Sad contr mon. Burd J. Reynold J. Jewel A. Willet pag. 34.37 38 39. Col. 2.17 18. pag. 34.42 43 44 45. p. 47 48 49. Act. 1 13. Act. 2.1 2