the false Sects and Churches upon the earth and it must be so Babilon is divided and confounded in its self and one part of it against another so the distractions is among your selves among Papists Prelates Presbyters and the rest tearing and rending one another about Church-worship and Religion all like Wolves in sheeps cloathing biting one another being divided in civil and spiritual things one crying for this and another for the other way of Government in Church and State and you are out of the true love and true communion in holy duties and interrupts one another and what one saith is right another saith is wrong and all this is in Babilon among your selves and none of it among them that are in the true Religion and in true Church-Vnion who are gathered by the Spirit of the Lord Your second Evidence of the distracted estate of Religion as you say is the many horrid and hideous errors which for some years past have abounded amongst us against the Authority of Scriptures the Diety of Christ the Holy Ghost Trinity of Persons Immortality of Souls Doctrines of Repentance Humiliation Sanctification Resurrection from the Dead the eternal recompence of Heaven and Hell yea divers Sects encreasing every day in numbers power and malice and under the names of Quakers Ranters Seekers c. oppugning the received Doctrine and unquestionable interest of Christ Iesus amongst us Answ. That many horrid errors have abounded amongst you that 's very true as in many particulars might be instanced But why do you maliciously charge the Quakers with opposing the interest of Christ Jesus The Lord shall judge you in his day when he makes it appear to all the world that those whom you charge with the contrary are the very friends of Christs interest and have been patient sufferers for his Name sake under the wickedness of your Generation and as for the Ranters Seekers and others whom you have reckoned up together with the Quakers it is well known that we are in opposition in spirit unto all these and have given large testimony in the fear of God against them though it is certain that there is many as upright and sincere men towards God amongst these Sects you have mentioned as any of your Congregations and though in some things they are condemnable yet in some things they are as justifiable as you are before the Lord And what the Seekers Ranters Familists and the rest mentioned by you do hold as in these things you have charged them with I le leave that for I am not now pleading their cause but the Cause of God and his People whom you in scorn call Quakers and though you have joyned them in accusation with others yet I must separate them from others in my Answer and must tell you in the fear of the Lord that you have belied them and falsly accused them out of your malicious hearts for they do not deny the Authority of the Scriptures but gives that authority to them which the Spirit of God that gave them forth have formerly given neither do they deny the Deity of Christ but do say in him dwelleth the fulness of the Godhead neither do they deny the Holy Spirit nor the Father Son and Spirit but say there are three and these three are one but as for your Trinity of persons that is language besides the Scriptures and we do affirm the Soul is immortal and as for the Doctrines of Repentance Humiliation Sanctification Resurrection from the dead the eternal recompence of Heaven and Hell these Doctrines are publickly held forth by them in words and also in practise more than by your selves therefore with what face you could charge them with the denial of these things it is almost wonderful and there are thousands of your Congregations that are and have been sometimes hearing in your City that shall bear witness against your accusations and give evidence that they have heard them whom you call Quakers give faithful witness of and for all these things which you charge them with denial of Do you think that your Congregations are all so blind as to receive for truth what you herein have spoken nay I must tell you some of them are offended with you because hereof First in that you have reckoned the Quakers with Ranters and others between whom there is absolute opposition and not agreement neither in doctrine nor practise Secondly That you should charge the Quak with such things as they are altogether clear of and known to be so by many but this is that your folly and weakness might appear and as you speak of encreasing every day in number power and malice some part of this is true for the Lord doth encrease his people daily in number and power by his spirit but not in malice and that is your torment the encrease of the Quakers which as they have begun to encrease so the Lord will continue them and you nor mortal men shall not be able to hinder neither the Magistrates persecution nor the Ministers instigation thereunto though you have joyned hand in hand against them for the Lord is with his people and his authority and power is their defence and they are not in empty formes as you say but in the power of Godliness and as for your Ordinances and Ministry of which you speak something I have said to it already and more I shall say hereafter Your third Evidence is the odious scandalls of those that profess themselves to be the people of God as their self seeking their unparaellel'd breach of all civil and sacred oaths whereby the mouth of iniquity is opened and the reverence of religion abated so that to us say you there appeares no visible way of repairing the credit of strict profession but by a severe punishment of Professors c. Answ. It is true many that do professe themselves the people of God but are not but by their lives and practises gives odious scandalls and are self-seeking as you say but upon whom the guilt of this may truly be charged that remains to be sought out doubtlesse it lies as neer your doors as any others for is not your pride and oppression by taking tithes and suing people at law for wages and casting them in prison because for good conscience sake they cannot pay you your seeking for your gain from your quarter and your taking great sums of money and preaching for hire taking so much yearly are not these odious scandalls and very self-seeking practices which you are guilty of while you pretend publique good as for breaches of oaths and covenants I wish you to search your own hearts for that iniquity doth lye as near your generation as any others witnesse that you and your brethren have from time to time engaged to such and such things as first did not you engage for the government to be without King and House of Lords And did not you then cry up the Protector contrary to your engagements and
A RETURNE TO THE Ministers OF LONDON By way of Answer to their SEASONABLE EXHORTATIONS so called directed to their Congregations With sober reproof sent unto them because of their secret Smitings against the despised People called QUAKERS whom they have secretly reproached in their said EXHORTATION And this is written for the better information of them and their particular Congregations and that truth may be exalted and deceipt and iniquity may bow and tremble By E. B. LONDON Printed for Robert Wilson at the Black-Spread-Eagle and Windmill in Martins near Aldersgate 1660. A Return to the Ministers of London by way of Answer to their Seasonable Exhortation so called c. 1 FOrasmuch as you the Ministers in and about London have sent forth a Seasonable Exhortation as you call it to the people of your Congregations which I have seen read and considered and do find something therein worthy of Answer for the end that people may be satisfied concerning things doubtful which are in controversie this day among many for it is well known the controversie hath been long and is grown very high between us and you concerning Church Ministry and Religion And divers things in your Exhortation are doubtful unto many and that all doubts may be removed if possible therefore I do return what follows as an answer unto you Whereas you say you are not ignorant of the prejudices and prepositions wherewith the carnal world is leavened concerning your Calling Office and Doctrines and what clamours and fiery contentions abound for them every where that pleads Christs Cause in the gates c. Answ. As for your Calling Office and Doctrine there is much to be said against them in and by the Spirit of the Lord for your Calling and Office is not according to the example of Scriptures though the Calling and Office of Ministers of the Gospel hath example in the Scriptures yet as you are called into your Office that is not according but rather contrary to the Scriptures And as for your Doctrine it is in some things unsound also Now as for Seasonable Exhortations of Ministers to people I do acknowledge that is a duty which ought to be done but how seasonable and sound your Exhortations are that remains to betryed and it is not only the carnal world as you speak that are doubtful concerning your Calling and Office but it is the best of the people whose eyes the Lord is opening to see and behold the false imitations of the Calling and Office of Ministers as you have stood for many Generations And it is true them that pleads Christs Cause they all cryed out upon and contended with but this fully belong not to you though you apply it to your selves but it pertains more to others for the World speaks well of you as it use to do of false Prophets And you say We the Ministers of the Gospel in the City of London do with earnestness exhort the people of this City to awaken as out of sleep and to lay to heart the great dangers that threatens you which you represent under a threefold consideration 1 The fear of the return of Popery 2 The distracted estate of Religion amongst us 3 Other symptomes of Gods wrath hanging over your heads Answ. That you are Ministers of the Gospel this is doubtful unto many and many more testimonies might be given to the contrary than can be given for it But this is not the present debate and therefore no more of it And what is the people of your Congregations yet asleep Have not you awakened them in so many years time Have you been preaching over them and taking their money so long and are they yet to awaken as out of sleep Will not the blame of this and the condemnation of it fall upon you their Watchmen who hath not yet awakened them And may not they say that you have dealt unjustly by them who are left as asleep under all your preaching and are yet unsensible of the danger that threatens them Oh friends will you consider and your people with you what you have been preaching and what they have been hearing for so long a time seeing you now acknowledge they are yet asleep and unawakened Now as to the first of your considerations The fear of the return of Popery for which you lay down divers things to make the people believe it First The union of forreign Popish Powers Secondly The vast numbers say you of Popish Emissaries and Iesuites that swarms amongst you Thirdly The vending and printing of so many Popish Books every year c. Answ. As for Popery I know it is idolatry and their Church and Worship and every part thereof abomination to the Lord and the spirit that leads them is not the spirit of Jesus and as for Popery it was never yet truly cleanse out of the Nation but there hath been and are great remainders yet standing which may indeed easily prove its former strength For is not the most part of the worship of the Church of England made up of such things as was first instituted and practised amongst the Papists witness the making Ministers by natural learning at Schools and Colledges and their maintenance by tythes and yearly stipends and their way of Parochial settlements are not all these things Papistical and witness sprinkling infants calling it the Baptisme into the Visible Church and witness the singing of Davids Psalms as now they are sung among you these things for the most part are of Popish institution and many other things also pertaining to your Church Religion and Ministry so that Popery was never clean cast out of the Nation though the Lord hath wounded it yet there is the remainder of it yet standing in great force so that while tythes are pleaded for by you and those things practised by you it may indeed be feared the return of Popery seeing you stick so fast in those practises which were of Popish institution and the cause of fear lies at your door and upon your selves principally and if there be vast numbers of Popish Priests and Iesuites swarming amongst you if you be Ministers of Christ why do you not discover Wolves in Sheeps cloathing and fright then away Why do you not lift up your Spiritual Weapons if you have them as the Apostles did whose weapons were powerful and mighty through God and who shall bear the blame but you if Wolves in sheeps cloathing tear your Flocks that is a sign you are lazy idle Shepherds and that you want the Power and Authority of God and when the powers of the earth fails you and your carnal weapons are all broken then you are like to be overcome with the swarming of Popish Priests and Iesuites if there be any such among you look you to it for I know not any and if you know any by name and where they are you ought by your Law to discover them Now you say they are acting under the disguise of Sectaries and subtilly
be troubled that any should speak to you or ask you a question or exhort you to repent if any out of good conscience query with you concerning your practise and Doctrine and if any exhort to good and cry against evil amongst you this you call interrupting of you in your Ministerial duty and to prison houses of Correction and to Whips and Stocks must such go which was never the Apostles practise never was any sent to prison for opposing of them and what if the Ministers of England be called Hirelings and false Prophets and greedy dumb dogs the practise of some of them doth prove it that they are so these things you must bear as coming deservedly and not unjustly upon you for the servants of the Lord in all Ages ever cried against deceivers and false Prophets and called them deceivers and greedy dumb dogs and Serpents and vipers and evil beasts and slow bellies these names and terms did Christ the Apostles and Prophets use unto such as are some of the Ministery of this Nation and not with revilings and reproachings but with the Spirit of Authority from God that reproves the wickedness of Prophets Teachers and people and tell me have not some of you sued men at the Law and cast them into prison in this City because they would not give you money and tythes and hire though such as have not heard you nor received you as Ministers not received any thing from you and such as you did never any work for have you sought wages from and caused them to be imprisoned that would not give you And tell me in good earnest can any less be said of such who thus walk but that they are insatiable hirelings and as bad as Baals Priests and even cheaters and greedy dumb dogs let the Witness in your own consciences answer and you shall have a reply Now I come to your third particular which is other causes and symptomes of Gods wrath hanging over your heads the frequent disappointment from time to time of all hopes of coming to any settlement in Government in the Nation occasioned by strange confusions which is a clear evidence that God hath in displeasure darkened our eyes and bid counsel from us say you Answ. It is very true that from time to time of late daies the Lord hath disappointed the purposes of men even concerning settling of Government and there hath been almost strange confusions in changes but to what can this be attributed Have not your fins been as great a cause of it as any others And have not you and your Generation been the Councellors in all these matters Was not some of you or your Brethren in Olivers daies and in Richards daies and in the Armies daies and in the Parliaments daies and are not you and your Brethren busie at this day in ordering a settlement of Government in this Nation But the Lord hath hitherto disappointed you and them that you have counselled and broken you into confusion and distraction and turned backwards even the proceedings of Rulers and Teachers and the spirit of deep sleep and of slumber is powred upon you all and the vision of these things is as a sealed book unto you even because of Gods displeasure against you and in that you say your eyes are darkned and counsel is hid from you in that you say true though to your own shame And what trust can be put in such Watchmen What confidence can be placed by your people in you when as you acknowledge that your eyes are darkned and counsel is hid from you the Scriptures mentioned by you doth prove there was darkness upon the Land but Isaiah doth not say nor David that counsel was hid from them or that their eyes were darkned neither did ever the Apostles say so but witnessed that the Lord was their light and in him their eyes were opened and counsel was revealed to them Secondly You say This sadly presages of unchurching the Nation or the departing of the glory of God from you Answ. By unchurching the Nation I suppose you mean making the Church no Church which if this can be done then the Gates of hell may prevail against the Church contrary to the words of Christ who said the Gates of Hell should not prevail but I must tell you the Nation of England as to the general part of it hath been long and yet is unchurched that is ungathered by the Eternal Spirit into the true fellowship in the Body of Christ for the night of Apostacy and Darkness hath been over the world since the Apostles daies and over this Nation in particular and your Churches hath been no true Churches nor the people under your Ministry truly joyned and united in true Church Order and under true Church Government though I do not say but that there are thousands of sincere people that loves the Lord yet remaining among you and the day of the Lord is appearing which will confound the Whore the false Church which hath been set up in this Nation and through the world and Assemblies which hath had the name of the Churches of Christ will be found to be otherwise in the judgement of the Lord and all the false Ordinances Practises and Ministers must be thrown down that the glory of the Lord may again appear Further you seem to charge your selves with leaving your first love and former zeal for the truth and worship of God but the present coldness and indifferency in the things of God together with your barrenness and unanswerable walking to the Gospel of Christ c. say you Answ. Though to your own shame yet I do believe this is truly acknowledged that you have lost your first love and zeal which once was in you in the daies when you were persecuted under the Bishops you were full of love and zeal for the truth and worship of God according as it was made manifest and then you were sufferers your selves but now you are causers of others to suffer and there is indeed much coldness and dryness and barrenness amongst you and your people I do truly desire you may repent you thereof that if so be the Lord may heal you and your walking indeed is unanswerable to the Gospel of Christ to wit your taking of tythes and so much by the year for preaching and suing people at the Law that will not give you wages though you do no work for them these with many other things which you practise is an unanswerable walking to the Gospel of Christ and seeing you have confessed your sius in some measure repent and sin no more that your iniquities may be blotted out Again you complain of the prevalency of Atheisme and doting upon error endless separations common ignorance unbelief prophaneness the prejudice against wholesome doctrine and all order of discipline in the Church and many other confusions are upon us say you Answ. Alas So it is but where is the blame Oh you Watchmen Should not you