THE Apostate Incendiary REBUKED And the People called Quakers vindicated from Romish Hirarchy and Imposition IN A Serious Examination OF VVilliam Mucklows Liberty of Conscience asserted against Imposition But proved a Liberty of the Flesh Self-Will and Confusion repugnant to the Liberty which is in Christ Jesus and against Unity and Order in his CHURCH By one whose Rejoycing is the Testimony of a good Conscience towards God and Man G. Whitehead Now I beseech you Brethren mark them which cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them Rom. 16. 17. They crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to open Shame Heb. 6. 6. But if any Man seem to be contentious we have no such CUSTOM neither the Churches of God 1 Cor. 11. 16. Printed in the Year 1673. A SHORT EPISTLE To Friends who love the true Light and desire Sion's Prosperity Dear Friends WHo have received and do retain the Love of the precious Truth it was for your Sakes and the Truth 's that I was pressed in Spirit in a godly Zeal thus to appear against this deceitful Worker and treacherous Spirit which at length hath shewn it self in open Enmity against the Truth and us the Church of Christ and elect People of God called Quakers otherwise we were unwilling these Controversies should have been brought into the World being occasioned by some that have walked among us who should have been reclaimed by the Strivings of God's holy Spirit with them and the Churches Admonition therein to them but they had kickt against the Lord and spurned at his People hating to be reformed and therefore open Rebuke is just upon such treacherous Betrayers and deceitful Workers one of whom this W. M. hath shewn himself to be even an Engine of Sathan and Member of Anti-christ not only in his being an Informer of Truth 's Adversaries against us but also in publishing and delivering near our Meeting Door to the People his malitious lying and confused Papers striking at Elders and ancient Friends among us in this City of London whereby he hath gratified Scorners and afforded a Theam and Text to that insolent Scoffer and irreligious Agent of Hypocrites Fra. Chadwel that old disturber of our Assemblies who frequently abuseth the Name of Christ and whom the Truth hath often confounded and discovered his Wickedness and Lyes This is the Fruit of W. M. his Work to animate Scornes and Blaphemers the Lord will reward him and all such perfidious Apostates who crucifie to themselves the Lord of Life afresh and put him to open Shame who most unworthily have eaten and drunk among and been convinced of the Power and Presence of the Lord being with us in our Assemblies and that thereby he hath chosen us to be his People and Church but they went out from us because they were not of us and now are become open Enemies in their self-Separation Conceit and whimsical Motions opposing the Power of God in his People rendring his Church fallible subject to err and under an Apostacy and setting up themselves as the infallible Judges over the Church even over the antient Friends and Elders who have kept their Integrity to the Lord and such as therein are grown in that divine Understanding Wisdom and Power as many are among us wherein all the Apostates and Anti-christs in the World cannot come near nor touch them blessed be the Lord for ever And as for our confessing that we are the Church of the first-born let our Doctrine Testimony Lives and Sufferings bear witness and God's Power which is with us and his Witness in Men's Consciences be our Proof beyond all that can be spoken being therein manifest in men's Consciences that are tender in the Sight of God having such a Place in the truly tender Consciences that we need not impose upon them as it was never our Principle to force or drive them or impose or infringe upon their real Liberty which is in the Gospel and Power of God out of which there is no true Liberty but for the feared and hardned Consciences of Apostates Judasses and deceitful Workers whose hypocritical Conformity is not at all desirable to us we leave them to the Judgments of God to awaken who in his Day will further discover them and kindle a Fire in them that will burn to the lowest Hell and be to their incessant Torment and Anguish if they seek not a place of Repentance before it be too late therefore dear Friends be ye diligent and watchful in the true Light to retain the Love of the Truth unto the End and beware of deceitful Workers and Sowers of Discord for they are Abomination to the Lord And mark them that make Division and cause Offences contrary to the Gospel for they serve not the Lord Jesus Christ nor his People but their own Bellies the Flesh and Self-Will Your Faithful Friend and Servant in the Lords Work G. W. London 30th 11th Month 1673 A Serious Examination OF William Mucklow's Liberty c. To his Title Liberty of Conscience asserted against Imposition proposed in several Queries THe first part makes a great Shew and proclaims him an eminent Asserter of a conscientious Liberty against some great Infringement and Bondage but he varies in his very next Words proposed in several Queries as if he could not write consistant Matter for this contadicts his great Pretence before and discredits it to those that understand the Difference between asserting Liberty and proposing Queries which are about the Imposition as well as Liberty However we will take the Substance of them insinuating Aspersions upon us as positive as his Title but the ground of his Queries and Charge implyed throughout them against those of the People called Quakers is as false as is his Work inconsistent and in order to make it so appear Let us inquire First What this Imposition is in his Sence that he pretends to oppose 2ly Who those of the Pople called Quakers that have assumed to impose contratry to their former Testimonies as he saith 3ly What this Liberty of Conscience is in the Exercise of it that he pretends to assert First To the first This Imposition in his Sence and an inforcing Uniformity and Unity in outward Ceremonies and Gestures yea and that upon Persons before they found Convictions in themselves thereby retaining and letting in the complying Hypocrite that should be cast out 2ly Those of the People called Quakers thus charged and some Persons counted famous and renowned in the Congregation at the City of London Ancient Heads Elders in God c. that have reduced the People under this Yoak of Bondage 3ly The Liberty of his Conscience is to keep on his Hat in the time of publick Prayer to God in our Assemblies when owned by him an unreverent Posture and causless Sign as among Beleivers contrary to that Order and Custom in the Churches of Christ w ch was at first brought forth
implyed and yet he grants Christ to be the Head of the Body and is not that Body the Church which he hath owned See what Contradiction Envy leads this Man into who also saith That the Chuch was then to be in Subjection to her Head and every Member governed and exercized according to the Order of the Head but now the Body the Church claims Authority over their Fellow-Members as peculiarly having the infallible Spirit c. These latter Words from BUT contain two false and Unjust Reflections upon the Church for First the Body or Church claims no such Authority over their Fellow-Members it is gross Confusion in him for to affirm it for all Fellow-Members thereof are included in the same Body in Subjection to one and the same Head which is Christ. 2. None of the Fellow-Members of the Body of Christ are excluded from having the infallible Spirit in some degree as if it were peculiar only to some few whenas its universal throughout the whole Body though there be diversities of Gifts given as the Lord sees meet to every Man his proper and peculiar Gift which all tends to Unity and Edification of the whole Body But this Man seems to claim a Member-ship in the Church or Body as he calls us and yet judges and reviles the Church what then would he be a Member of Is it of such a Body that he represents as torn to peices and rent from the Head or fallen under Apostacy for we cannot look upon the Church to be made up of himself and John Pennyman or a few of their Spirit and that were also contrary to J. P's writing himself One of the least of the Thousands in Israel but whether he had such low Thoughts of himself or not let God's Witness and his People who have beheld his Deportment and Luceferian Spirit judge W. M. saith Friends That which was declared of and testified unto in the beginning was to direct our Minds unto the Heavenly Gift not to the Church but to the Manifestation of the Spirit in the particular waiting there to feel its Motions and to hear its Voice which would infallibly teach us our Duty towards God our Neighbour and our selves and not to go forth into Reasonings to promote comely Orders after the Manner of men nor to be found in the Exercise of any thing in his pure Worship but what the Lord not the Body required else to stand still c. Herein he hath intermixt his perverse Parenthesis falsly charging us in divers Respects as if the Heavenly Gift and the Church were now separate and what the Lord and his People require in Oppositior or as if we were promoting a Body without the Spirit or Subjection to what the Lord requires as if our Testimony were now so much varied from what it was in the Beginning these are all most falsly suggested his saying It was to direct our minds to the Heavenly Gift not to the Church to what the Lord not the Body required See what Division this would make between the Lord and his People but he mistakes Not to the Church for our Testimony was in the beginning and still is to promote the Unity of the Spirit in our directing the Minds to the Spirit and to them that love the Lord to dwell in Love and Unity which all come unto who come unto the Heavenly Gift and to follow the Lord's Requirings therein which is unerring and what is this but to preach up a true Church-State which hath been the real Intent and Tendency of our Testimony from the Beginning And had this Man been faithful to what was testfied in the Beginning as he pretends a great Esteem thereof the Unity and Society of the Church and People of God called Quakers would have been of more value with him then now so enviously and confusedly to quarrel with them or any comely Order or reverent Custom in the Church as he doth which he did not in the Beginning for when his Mind was directed to the Manifestation of the Spirit which would infallibly teach us our Duty towards God our Neighbour and our selves as he saith then he and the rest concerned in the Beginning did not irreverently sit with their Hats on in publick Prayer among us nor say that the contrary among us was a going forth into Reasonings to promote comely Orders after the manner of Men for what needed that when the infallible Spirit which was then owned to be their Teacher freely led them into it Nor did the Apostle so go out into reasoning when he exhorted the Saints to think on whatsoever things were true honest just pure lovely of good Report c. But this Man is offended at our vindicating that Order which was made both lovely and comely by that Spirit that set it up since he is gone out from that infallible Spirit which he was directed to in the Beginning which then moved and led them into both Reverence to God Respect to his People and how to behave themselves in the Church of Christ both in Decency and in Order Note that W. M. in so plainly professing and in Words owning the Truth 's Testimony and Infallibility of the Spirits Teaching as it was in the Beginning testified to among us he hath therein said more for the comely Order that then was brought forth in our Assemblies and for the Church having the infallible Spirit to know Truth from Error and the right from the wrong Spirit then ever he can say or produce for the contrary viz. for his keeping on his Hat in Prayer for his accusing the Church with Fallibility Apostacy or the Antient Friends with Imposing Usurping c. Out of his own Mouth he is condemned as one apostatized from the Heavenly Gift from his first Love Convincement and Order and hath wilfully excluded himself from the Union and Society of the Church of Christ. He still boggles and seems offended at the Body the Church having the infallible Spirit the certain unerring Judgment reciding with them upon all Occasions to know Truth from Error and the right from the wrong Spirit will you limit the Lord saith he Answ. Is it a limitting the Lord for the Body or Church of Christ to have his Spirit which is infallible and an unerring Judgment so far as we received from the same Spirit What gross Darkness is come over this Man Doth not the spiritual Man judge all Things And the Saints shall judge the World and dare he say that the Spirit of Christ hath not taught the Church Truth from Error nor to know the right from the wrong Spirit Whenas the Principle we direct unto and our Testimony concerning it he dares not say is fallible but seems to justifie our Testimony as it was in the Beginning and in Words to own Inward Motions Voice and Teachings of the infallible Spirit and the measure thereof within to try the Verity of our Doctrine And why should it be rendred a limitting of the Lord
and setled among us by his Power and in the Unity of the Spirit and not by any Man's Imposition whatsoever and therefore the Foundation of this Man's Work against us is both groundless and he hath stated the matter very falsly and disingenuously for in the same Spirit and Power of Christ we have endeavoured to remove Joh. Perrot's Imposition who was the great Examplar of disorderly keeping on the Hat in time of publick Payer among us as they may remember he first gave the Occasion and Offence to the Church of Christ by severely imposing it and judging our innocent Practice of putting of our Hat in publick Prayer to be Accursed Idolatrous a Romish Tradition and to be repented of as his Soul had done c. Whereby together with his Example some were seduced into a Party and Prejudice this in the Name and Power of our Lord Jesus Christ we witnessed against and that imposing exalted Spirit as repugnant to that Unity and good Order which in the beginning the Lord led us freely into upon which J. P. the Imposer being frustrated of his singular Rule and Sect-Mastership did grant a Relaxation leaving all to the free Spirit of God in keeping on or putting off the Hat in Prayer contrary to his judging the latrer Idolatry Accursed c But afterward his pretended Liberty of Conscience extended to this that he might do that to day in Truth and Righteousness which to morrow he might be ashamed of or be denyed in by the same Spirit Sordid Ranterism and Blasphemy and after he went into Jamaica he could get into worldy pomp and preferment put of his Hat to Men and in officiating the place of a Clark most strictly tender Men Oathes c. insomuch that some that had admired him then were ashamed of him and his Ranterism and some of them who for a time were drawn aside and darkned who were of the more honest and conscientious after some Labour of Love used with them to convince them came to a Sence of the Power of God which rent the Vail and broke their Hearts brought them to judge that dividing Spirit and reduced them back to their first Love and primitive Order therefore his Charge of inforcing Uniformity and Unity in outward Gestures upon Men before Conviction and so far retaining and letting in the complying Hypocrite which he flings upon those that are accounted renowned Elders among us in the City of London Is all of it utterly false and also contains a slanderous Aspertion against those that are let in and owned among us as being complying Hypocrites which he cannot prove nor instance any of them that hath thus hypocritically complyed before Conviction nor that we have Unity with such I doubt not but many can with good Conscience testifie against him in this Matter and he might have given a more honest Account if his Conscience were rightly exercized for hath not he himself been sought in Love and Tenderness both by perswasive Means for his Conviction with Patience and long-Suffering by Friends that wished him well to reduce him out of that Spirit of Prejudice and Opposition which would cover it self with the Hat that he might have come into the Unity of the Spirit and Society of the Lord's People But he hath rejected Counsel and persisted in Hardness and Wilfulness crucified and slain the just one in himself and become an open Enemy having entred into Judas's Way both to the Grief of God's Spirit and People with whom we include his tender Wife or Mother or those Relations whose Respect to the Truth and People of God might have some Influence upon him if he were not a surly wilful and conceited Man yet his great Pretence is for Liberty of Conscience but what a tender Conscience he hath we may casily judge from what follows First In his Query viz. Whether it hath not been experienced how difficult it is to root out such when once they have reduced a People to this Belief and they in the Exercise of this Authority because the Honour of being invested in such a Capacity doth obliege Men to secure themselves in this superior Orbe and stirs up Men of Parts and Ambition to support such an Hirarchy in Expectation that it will at last fall unto themselves 2dly By his insinuating against us in Print as supporting such an Hirarchy as usurps the Place of the Head breaks in sunder the Unity of the Body sets up another Head besides Christ with Romish Positions such kind of Apellations Principles and Pretences as the Church of Rome did obtain her unlimitted Power by How now William Is this thy tender Conscience Moderation Love and Charity professed towards the People of God called Quakers O envious Man and peevish Incendiary who art thus reviling and slandering them in the Sight of the Sun do not these thy invective Insinuations savour of the Malice of Satan in the height Tending to stir up Persecution to destroy and root us out if the Lord were not a Wall about us and to beget that Jealousie in the Powers against us that 's more cruel then Death and even at this Juncture when the Stream appears against the Papists and Rome's Hirarchy Let the Lord and all that fear him or are charitable judge concerning thy Conscience and Charity towards us in these inveterate Suggestions who yet knowest in thy Conscience that we deny the Pope and Rome's Hirarchy But though the Romish Hirarchy usurping the Place of the Head enforcing Men to an Uniformity before Conviction making them Hypocrites Arbritary Rule or Judicature excommunicating Persons meerly for their tender Consciences be all utterly denyed and detested by us Yet in the true Church which Christ was and still is the Foundation and Head of God was known to be the God of Order and not of Confusion and he afforded Helps and Governments in the Church which could be no such Usurpation or Arbritaries as this Man falsly insinuates against the ancient Friends and Elders amongst us There were Elders that did rule well Overseers made by the Holy Ghost and they had Power from God therein to set divers things in order and not only to exhort perswade and admonish Persons among them but also to reprove rebuke and in the Name and Authority of Christ to command charge enjoyn and in that Sence to impose among themselves matters or things telating to Society and good Order in the Church as we know no religious Society but hath a Care of its Preservation as in the Wisdom of God they saw Cause the Churches of Christ had also Power and Authority in his Name to reject withdraw from exclude out of their Communion obstinate and disordily Walkers among them and all this before Rome's usurped Hirarchy See Mat. 18. Ch. 17. ver 18. 1 Cor. 12. 28. Ch. 11. ver 34. Ch. 5. 4 5 2. 2 Thes. 2 15. Ch. 3. 6. ver 14. Tit. 1. 5. Rom. 16. 17. 1 Tim. 1. 19 20. Phil. 4. 8 9. 1 Cor. 14. 37.
Ch. 4. 17 19. with many more Now let us consider W. M's tender Conscience as to the Lord his further Manifestation c. for his wearing his Hat in time of publick Prayer where he tells us that we greatly err who say the keeping on the Hat is a Practice introduced unless we can prove it is done upon a religious Account when as in Truth it is only a Custom left which they formerly practized this agrees with what they say in their Spirit of the Ha p. 24. That they keep it neither off nor on upon a religious Account Then this bespeaks their meer Indifferency in the Case if not upon a religious Account there is no such tender Conscience nor farther Manifestation in the matter on their parts wherefore their Pretence of both is a meer Dissimulation and Cheat and if then this Man's Conscience were not asleep or much hardned he might see it is in his Wilfulness and Opposition that he hath persisted in such a reproved and offensive Gesture as he hath neither the Exercise of Conscience nor Religion in See what his asserting Liberty of Conscience amounts to he should have rather entituled his Paper Liberty of self-Will and a perverse Spirit asserted against the Unity and Order of the Church of Christ and People of God called Quakers And how do we err in saying their irreverend Posture is introduced when it was both brought in and imposed long after they accustomed the contrary in the Church But his main Allegation is He wants or finds not the Lord's Requiring for the Practice of him How should he know his Requiring for that which he is prejudicially engaged against And in such a hardned wilful State that feels not the living Union wherein he hath resisted the holy Spirit in his People and quencht it in himself and how should such a one that despises the Church of Christ and reviles the Lord's People in that State joyn with them either in the Unity or Order of Life This Man therefore playes the hardned Hypocrite and Dissembler while he seems to complain of being excluded out of our Communion when he desires it not with us having excluded himself and odified us as grosly as he can to the World His Complaint of Excommunication denying him and others the Benefit of Marriage and Burial having a Propriety therein only for the Omittance of keeping of the Hat in time of Prayer is neither fully nor truly stated for first we do not deny them Marriage in it self but among us and as being out of Unity and Charity with us which is more then only for the said Omission we may not in Conscience be their Witnesses 2dly Denyal of him Burial He hath not Cause to cast that upon us without Distinction 3dly Yet our Friends have Reason to take Care whom they admit Burial among us to prevent Reproach as much as in them lies His saying They give that Meeting this Appellation THE BODY is not true but also falsly scornfully given in the Spirit of the Hat to the Meeting in Devon-shire-House for the Lody is but one and hath many Members so also is Christ which is not made up of one particular Meeting but of the universal Church of Christ or general Assembly of the first-born and the Tryal of Motions and Unity is by that Life and Spirit which searches all things and whereby the spiritual Man judgeth all things and not by a few that seek Preheminence nor do such sway over us or our Body as he falsly insinuates who himself is one of the same Spirit Many are filled with Prayer and Praises to the Lord in silent Meettings who notwithstanding sometimes requires some outward Expressions thereof both in Words and Gestures and that in deep Humility of Soul with unvailed Spirits and Heads too which for this Man to oppose and shew a publick Sign against is no token of Humility but of Hardness and self-Exaltation As for what Gestures we may use in our private Devotion and Prayer whether walking by the Way or on our Beds it follows not that we must needs be in the same posture in publick Prayer in Meetings any more then we are to follow our usual Labours or Vocations in our publick Meetings and we are not accountable to Apostates of the manner of our private Devotion What we do is singly to the Lord without Respect to Spectators none being present but in our Assemblies he who is the God of Order and not of Confusion hath called us to express or shew forth Reverence and Order for the Sake of others and to do all things to Edification and God's Power Presence we feel with us in what we do but one while this Man is heaping Questions against our Practice another while his Complaint is only about imposing Postures upon our Fellow-Members which is false for they give us no such Occasion nor hath he approved himself as our Fellow-Member who hath slighted our Testimony and Exhortation and refused to hear the Church being one of them that went out from us for that they were not of us for had they been of us they would have continued with us To his Query Whether the Head mentioned in Cor. 11. may not be covered with a Hat off and uncovered with a Hat on Answ. The Head Christ whom he means may but this Man hath nor rightly considered the Apostle's Words in restraining them only to that Sence of the Head when they also relate to an outward Order or different Postures of Men and Women see ver 5 6 7 13. which argue that the Women would be uncovered then which was not comely in them as in the Men and the men's being uncovered appears to be in Opposition to the Jews Vails and Coverings under the Law as for the Head Christ he ought not to be covered in the Women any more then in the Men. Que. Have not some kneeled sat and stood in publick c. Whether a Cap is not as real a Covering to the Head as a Hat Answ. No that it is not but these Questions are to excuse himself and recriminate our Friends he states not the Ground of the Difference which lies chiefly in that Spirit of Division and Opposition in himself and some others which should it seek to make Discord and Parties either about kneeling Cap on or Cap off in Prayer the Life and Power of God in the Church would rise up in Judgment against it and the Discord-Makers he triffles touching wearing a Cap standing or sitting for God allows a Conveniency and what is expedient for the Necessity of the weak and aged and feeble in Body who are not in Prejudice or Opposition in what they do yet however where the substantial part of true Worship is known which is in Spirit and Truth with a naked bowed and broken Heart before the Lord there will be no Straitness nor Scruple to express it with uncovered Head and bended Knees as to the Lord which was practiced among
the Saints of old but the Liberty we have in Christ touching these lesser matters we are not bound to give a particular Account of to an Apostate who with an evil Eye hath sought to spy it out and with a prejudiced Mind heaps a Multitude of Queries to us but for no serious or good End to be sure having slandered and traduced us as Usurpers Imposors self-Seekers Romish and what not However God and our own Consciences bear us Witnesses that we would not use or strain our Liberty to give either Offence or Occasion of stumbling to our weak Brethren as false Brethren give by their fleshly Liberty of Self-Will wherein this Man cannot excuse himself by his pleading the Apostles for bidding to judge one another in Meats or Drinks or Dayes so he was so tender of offending his weak Brother about Meat thar he would rather forbear eating Flesh which may condemn thit man's Hardness who would not so much as forbear his Hat a littls space in Prayer to shun such an Occasion so little Regard hath hee either to his weak Brethren or to the Church for their Sake howbeit when abstaining from Meats came to be imposed the Apostle opposed it as a Doctrine of Devils which is to our Purpose of opposing John Perrot's Imposition about the Hat Que. Why not in prophesying he meanes keep off the Hat This Query is because men's praying or prophesying with the head covered is forbidden wherein he seems to tell us we fail in the latter which if it were so is no ground to oppose us in the former or to gain-say that part of Obedience that appears But he is mistaken in taking the whole Course of preaching to be that Prophecying intended that is brought in with Praying for all preaching cannot be that intire or peculiar Prophecying which where any one is immediately called to I grant that its most comely to stand up with the Hat of besides there is a difference between praying to God and preaching to Men I could say more to this Matter but the Man is unworthy also I am informed W. Penn did privately answer him to the Substance of his Queries which he takes no notice of as an Answer which he might have published with his Queries but that he is willing to heap upon us and reitterate a Multitude of triffling Questions as if he would not regard any serious Answer and most unjustly and peevishly reflects like some angry Anabaptist in saying When you can pretend Scriptures prove your Practices then they shall be your Rule and Touch-Stone but when you are out of their Practices and Commands then the Spirit and not the Scriptures is your Rule Whereas we have alwayes preferred the Spirit of Truth as our Rule and Touch-Stone and to produce the Scripture to prove our Practice is not to make them our Rule and Touch-Stone instead of the Spirit which therefore shews our Belief and Esteem of the Scriptures in their place Oh envious and confused Man How dishonestly and perversly hast thou stated the Controversie our citing that 1 Cor. Ch. 11. was not the Ground Touch-Stone and Rule of our Practice for the Spirit of Life which moves us to pray singly brought us into it in the beginning without any such outward Consideration but it was truely cited to prove that our reverent Order and Practice in Prayer was not a Romish Tradition brought forth in the Apostacy and Curse as J. P. and some of his Disciples falsly charged this our Order and Custom in the Church of Christ after they themselves had been some time therein with us His alledging different Measures Growths Motions further Manifestation Addition and how abâ—ndantly different Gestures will contend the Unity of true faith for his contradictory and offensive Behaviour in time of publick Prayer these are but false Covers and savor of meer Ranterism in the bottom like the Ranters VARIETY IN UNITY AND UNITY IN VARIETY for their fleshly Liberty wherein they contemptuously have stood staring at us with their Hats on in time of publick Prayer whose Spirits we Judged in the beginning whereas different Measures Growths or further Manifestations in the true Church which must relate to one and the same Light and Truth do neither change the Property of the thing nor make it another Dispensation nor can they cause Contradiction Opposition or Division in one Member against another as is between this Appostatized Ranting Spirit that Quarels about the Hat and the Spirit of the true Church which acts in Unity Peace and good Order His pretence of a further Manifestation Growth or Addition for that his irreverent Custom which is not upheld by him upon a Religious Account is a manifest and gross Contradiction and his further Manifestation Growth and Addition pretended must be beyond us all and above the whole Church if we will believe him for therein he assumes an Authority to judge and revile both Elders and Ancient Friends and infamously to notifie particular persons to the World as he pleaseth and to set a Mark upon them and all this without either dealing with them as Christ injoyned Mat. 18. 16 17. or having the least Consent of the Church which he hath owned among us and indeed contrary to all Gospel and Christian order in the Church Thus while he is accusing ancient Friends with Usurping a Head-Ship setting up a Romish Hirarthy he himself is acting the part of an usurping Pope proud Prelate and exalted Diotrophes that loved Preheminence and yet would make the World believe that he is a man of a very tender conscience and great Humility but this is as real as his Brother John Penyman entituling himself One of the least of thousands in Israel or the Popes being a Servant of Servants Howbeit his great Capital and Charge is That we assert those Romish Positions which having enslaved Nations and destroyed thousands and is of a most dangerous unutterable Consequence Mark Reader by the way how he acts the part of a most malitious Incendiary what more envious an Instigation to Persecution could he have brought forth at this Juncture against us Oh Treacherous Apostate Judas the Lord Rebuke thee But what are those Romish positions They are namely 1st That we are to believe as the Church believes 2dly That the Church cannot err 3dly That she hath Power to bind and to loose 4thly That it is abominable Pride not to submit to her Judgment she having alwayes the infallible Spirit c. However to his own Confutation he seems herein to clear us from setting up an usurped Hirarchy of some that seek Preheminence over the Body limitting the Power to persons as he falsly suggests for here the Power is attributed to the Church in general yet in these Positions he deals very unfairly for to believe as the Church believes c. May be taken as if we use to preach those bare positions as our great Arguments to enforce People into our Faith which we never did but commend
our selves to every man's Conscience in the Sight of God and therein are we manifested yet that I may loose nothing of Truth 's Testimony To the first I affirm That the true Church is in the true Faith that is in God and we must either believe thus as the true Church believes or else it were but both a Folly and Hypocrisie to profess our selves Members thereof this man hath treacherously betrayed both his own Conscience and Testimony who while he would seem to own the Church of Christ as a Member of her yet tells the World It is a most dangerous Position that we are to believe as the Church believes Oh Treacherous Enemy to the Church of Christ. 2dly Is it so dangerous that this Church or universal Body of Christ cannot err Whenas the Church signifies the Elect and Christ implies an Impossibility that the very Elect should be deceived Mat. 24. 24 Or that the Gates of Hell should prevail against his Church and promiseth his Presence to the End of the World Were it either reasonable or just to conclude the whole Body or Church of Christ is liable to err because some particular Members may Observe the Darkness and perverse Spirit of this Apostate and Accuser of not only the Brethren but the whole Church for he states not this Charge against a false Application made of the said Positions by the Church of Rome but against the Positions themselves as being destructive and dangerous and as asserted concerning the Church not this nor that particular Church Congregation or Assembly but it s the Church his Quarrel lies against 3dly He is even also against the Church having Power to bind and to loose though this was a certain Priviledge given of Christ Jesus unto the Church who in him received a living Sence of both Judgment and Mercy even to bind and to loose by the Power of the holy Ghost given unto her see Mat. 18. 18 Joh. 20 22 23. If it must needs be accounted dangerous to assert this then it s dangerous to confess the power of Christ that is in the true Church the man hath greatly wronged and out faced his own Conscience 4thly If he will not hear the Church let him be to thee as a Heathen man c. what is it but abominable Pride for any one especially that professeth himself a Member of the true Church to Refuse to hear her or submit to her judgment when demonstrated for she must needs have both the infallible Spirit and true Judgment if every living Member pertake thereof he that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his and God is come in ten Thousand of his Saints to judge the Ungodly and the Saints shall judge the World and doth not W. M. profess the Spirit of Christ that he hath it Yet tells the Word It is a Romish Position destructive and dangerous to assert that the Church hath alwayes the infallible Spirit that is the Spirit of Christ but did not Christ promise the holy Spirit the Comforter to his Church saying He shall abide with you forever and is not this infallible and the Church's Judgment therefore of Value Oh how sadly hath this Opposer violated his own Conscience perverted the right Wayes of God and abused the pretious Testimony of Truth And seeing his Charge is so high against us for asserting those four Positions afore-said on the behalf of the Church and that they are both Romish Destructive and of a most dangerous Consequence it naturally follows that he deems it not dangerous nor destructive for him to assert the contrary namely 1. That we are not to believe as the Church believes but rather as W. Mucklow and his Brother J. Pennyman believe seeing that they have assumed a Jurisdiction over the Church and a Power to judge her 2. That the Church can err is fallible or is liable to be deceived and apostatize as he questions us 3. That she hath no such Power as to bind and to loose Wherein he sets his Judgment above Christ's in Opposition to his express Promise to his Church 4. That the Church hath not alwayes the infallible Spirit which is Christ's and therefore it is no Pride but great Humility in W. M. and J. P. as being the lowly Ones not to submit to the Church in matter of Judgment So that at this Rate they will claim a Superiority and Preheminence above the Church which heretofore they have owned and confessed to the Power of God in her as if this had the Infallible Spirit when the Church wants it if this be not a Head-ship and Usurpation a degree higher then the Pope himself pretends to let all intelligent Readers judge is so be the Pope pretends to an Infallibility not as in a Separation from the Church but as professing Unity with her still though he be really Anti-christian in his usurping the Headship that he doth and so are these Men who like evil Spies have brought Evil Reports upon the good Land and despise the Church of God even his People called Quakers contrary to their first Love Testimony and Conviction As for W. M. his Addition to his Queries it contains both apparent Untruths Folly and Confusion against the Church of Christ implying the Churches Apostacy Declension or Fall from what was testifyed in the beginning among us which is as good Doctrine as to tell us that Christ's Spouse Bride or the Lamb's Wife is become an Adulteress where then is the Church's Security or Care taken over her by the Head But this Man himself is fallen and not the Church nor Ministry in it though most grosly slandered in the Spirit of the Hat which J. P. pretended in publick he would prove but instead thereof exhibited divers Articles against particular Persons to prove that our Preachers and Leaders are not so infallible as they prâ—tend to be which was much besides and short of the slanderous Charge given in the Spirit of the Hat p. 43. But how infallible they ever pretended themselves to be he told not he was not so ingenuous did we ever preach up meerly our selves as Infallible or pretend Infallibility any otherwise then as instructed by the Spirit of Christ which is Infallible Or did we ever place it upon human Understanding as meer Men but upon that divine Understanding that God giveth But these Apostates judge others from their own Darkness and evil Thoughts and therein render the Body as divided from the Head and rent to peices within it self which is that the Devil the old Divider hath sought and now sets his Agents on Work to make the World believe a Lye viz. That he hath made such Division in the Church as where W. M. saith In the Beginning Christ within us was then to be Head but now the Body without us A manifest Slander against the Body of Christ never such a Doctrine was preached or owned among us That now the Body without us is to be the Head and not Christ as
for the Church to claim this Priviledge as thus having the unerring Spirit And that we have it to guide and give discovery in the weighty matters of Faith and Salvation and to try Spirits whether they be of God or no Surely then we need not want true Understanding and Judgment in things of lesser Concernment And we are so far from limitting the Lord his Power and Church to Persons or such as would exercise Authority above their places that we affirm as we experience that the Power is universally free and unlimitted and the whole Church even every living Member of the Body of Christ pertakes of it though every Member is not an Eye and we further testifie that wheresoever two or three are gathered together in Christ's Name there he is in the midst of them to aid and assâ—st them whether it be to make Agreement on Earth end Differences give a true Judgment in matters as there shall be need in the Church among the weak or only to wait in Truth of Heart upon the Lord to receive inward Advantage unto their Souls and God beareth us Record that our Eye is to his Power and our Dependence is upon his Counsel upon all weighty Occasions in our Assemblies and not upon our own Understandings meerly as Men. Now it were very gross and impious to deny that Priviledge to the whole Church Body or general Assembly which two or three met in the Name of Christ pertake of namely his Presence in the midst of them and if his Presence be in the midst of two or three met in his Name surely he will not be absent from a greater number so met but saith W. M. Cannot he reveal to a particular yea such things as the Church would he startled at yea and be ready to question the Verity thereof yet he confesseth that it hath pleased the Lord to reveal himself unto the lowly Ones that are little in their own Eyes to inform the Church and Elders thereof And are not these lowly Ones Members or included in the Church then Or is the whole Church or Body which he confesseth Christ to be the Head of in such an Exaltation over the lowly ones Oh what confused Work doth this man make yet we will grant him that that may be revealed in some particular Cases to a Prophet or Apostle which is not to all in the Church but then such Prophets or Apostles are no self-Separators but included in the Church as having one Head and then the Church will not be startled thereat nor question the Verity thereof but be in Subjection to the Power or Head Christ which reveals and the Spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets John to the Angells of the seaven Churches in Asia Moses Isaiah Jeremiah c. to the Jews had particular Discoveries and Reproofs who thereby did not make Divisions nor Schisms in the true Evangelical Church nor oppose any comely Order or Custom therein but then his Comparison is unequal between the Church or Body of Christ now and the Carnall Jews fallen Angells Elders that sat in Moses Chair who Resisted the Appearance of Christ both in Flesh and Spirit or between the Spirituall Church and Congregation of Israel whom Caleb and Joshuah withstood is there not a manifest disparity between the Carnal Jews Under the Law and the Spiritual Church now Under the Gospel from whom his Work still drives at a Separation in those he counts the lowly Ones that may have such things revealed as the Church may be startled at who then are those lowly Ones that are not of the Church And what are those peculiar Revelations or Motions Are they such as John Perrot John Pennyman W. Mucklow c. whose perverse Spirits and Works of Darkness are denyed by the true Church among us as J. Perrot with his Motion To be ashamed to morrow of that which he might do in Truth and Righteousness to day or J. Pennyman with his Motion to have the Bible and Testimonies of Martyrs with other good Books to the Exchange in order to burn Or to invite both Jews and Gentiles to the Publication of his Wedding at Merchant-Taylors Hall and to his many Venson Pasties voluptuous Extravigancy and there to act a Fool 's Tragedy and to tell the People I have taken M. B. but when and where he had before taken her he told not so how should they witness to his clandestine Proceedings they hoped they should have come to his Wedding but were cheated and deceived of their Expectations And afterwards his Motion to cry against us in our publick Assemblies which whimsical Motions and mad Actions of his the Church hath utterly denyed and condemned and also W. M. with his Motion to deliver his envious confused Papers neer our Meeting-House Door to all sorts of People to render the People of God called Quakers odious and obnoxious it seems he values his own Reputation which he pleads for more then the Church's He saith Of what hath been said this is the Sum A Church limitted to Persons may impose an Error and cast out the most spiritual Seeing his great Matter against the Church is summed up in this narrow Compass let it be noted that his Charge against the Church or Body which he hath confest Christ to be the Head of is varied into a Supposition against a Church limitted to Persons that such a Church may err and cast out the most spiritual And that is not true as it s universally stated of a Church limitted to Persons which is any Church or selected number of persons whereas there are Persons in the true Church that are grown in the Truth and VVisdom of God who being chosen out by the Lord and his People for any Service of Truth they are a Church and fitted to do the Service they are called to and so are two or three gathered in the Name of Jesus whom he is in the midst of And to be sure if this Man will own that there is any Members in the Church of a sound Judgment or any Eyes in the Body there may be a Church or select Number chosen out that will give a true Judgment and make a right Distinction between the pretious and the vile and we know there are such Persons in the Church of Christ now Men growa in the Light and Wisdom and Counsel of God and of old the Church had Power in some Cases to chuse out Men of honest Report full of the holy Ghost and Wisdom and there were Elders and Overseers made by the holy Ghost however the Elders and ancient Frieâ—ds now who have kept their Integrity be slited by Apostates who are fruitless withered Branches as for this Man's Vindication of his Innocency from being one of the Cabal with the Author of Tyranny and Hypocrisie in that he saith He hath not the least Aâ—◠〈…〉 with him that is said to bâ— the Author thereof We do not look upon this to be sufficient to clear
him from being one of the Cabal or Correspondent with some of those that had a Hand in that slanderous Pamphlet because some of the matter came from himself he was an Informer at least confessing himself to be concerned in page 50. and 52. and he hath appeared in the very same Language of the Spirit of the Hat and Tyranny c. against us however he seems to clear himself more from being directly the Author of the latter then of the former for that Spirit of the Hat shews forth W. M's perverse Spirit and Language against the Body and our Ministry and Elders reiâ—terated in this late Paper His Reflection upon J. W. and T. M. is answered before in our Book against Judas and the Jews However he hath not dealt either like a Brother or Christian with them in notifying them to the World in such an infamous manner if they had been culpable of all that 's reported against them which they are not he should have first admonished them in private and not to have dealt with them as with Heathen in this publick manner unless they had refused not only to hear him and two or three more but the Church also I appeal to his Conscience hath he taken this Course to gain his Brother according to Christ's Precept and dare he say that T. M. hath not been dealt withall for his Miscarriage though we never understood it was so gross as rendred in Tyranny and Hypocrisie wherein J. W. and many others are abused However is it equal to cast that upon us which we have condemned and are clear of Or to upbraid any with what is past that have repented received Mercy and Forgiveness from the Lord Would he be so dealt by Oh hard-Hearted perfidious Man To his saying It is denyed that he accused G. F. to be a Respecter of Persons in Judgment but he positively affirms he did so accuse him But I ask how is it denyed that he did so accuse him when it is confest that some pronounced Woes upon W. M. Judas and the Jews p. 22. which sure was on some Occasion given by him therefore his Accusation was condemned by the Meeting and so in the said Book as false and Wo belongs to that treacherous Spirit that was the Author of it and since hath spread it to the World he saith He is ready to make good his Charge if they deny it c. It seems it is not made good yet then but still he violates Christ's Precepts for if he could have made it good he should have done it before two or three Witnesses and the Church if there had been need and not have publisht it to the World unless there had been a refusing to hear the Church but on the contrary the Church hath given Judgment and Pronounced Woes against this ACCUSER OF THE BRETHREN who hath refused to hear the Church His accusing us with justifying the accused when guilty and condemning the Accusers when Innocent and saying until you take Shame unto your 〈◊〉 lie low before the Lord for these Abominations c. If he had apprehended any Injury done him of this kind by any among us he should have told the party of it particularly that the matter might have been heard and determined within the Church and not have in this general Way of charging divulged it to the World tending to beget a general Suspition against us but its manifest that his Accusations proceed from an envious Heart which God will judge and favour of an exalted Luciferian Spirit in him that assumes such an Infallibility in Judgment and Power to exclude and excommunicate others which he will not allow the Church or Body that Christ is Head of among us whilst all along he suggests that the Church may err in Judgment and Tryal of Spiritâ— but he would have his Judgment against us believed as Infallible no doubt or else he would not be so positive in it but rather have â—â—â—ted it as Queries proposed which is not Liberty of Consâ—ienâ—◠〈◊〉 His admonishing us to let Judgment pass upon the Transgressors and â—â—â—are no Person whatsoever for Favour or Affection implies then that we as the Church must have infallible Judgment and Power to pass it How well this agrees with much of his Work against the Church I leave to them whose Eyes are open to judge To his pretending that he hath discharged his Conscience towards us in Faithfulness VVe are sure that his reviling us openly to the VVorld and infamously notifying Persons among us without any faithful friendly or Gospel-Proceeding with them within the Church these do neither savour of any tender Conscience nor Christian Spirit Oh gross Dissimulation and manifest Hypocrisie and Treachery thus to place his own Malice and Shame he has fomed out against us upon Conscience and Faithfulness And so his conclusive Title to himself savours of meer feigned Flattery and deceitful Insinuation in calling himself One who greatly desires to see Moderation Love and Charity to be mutually extended unto all those whose Hearts are upright and Consciences tender towards the Lord though in several Forms Thus he would ingratiate himself into a popular Affection whenas he hath shewn neither Moderation Love nor Charity but the contrary towards the House-hold of Faith among whom he sometime walked not long since namely among the People of God called Quakers having represented them as no better than a Church made up of 1. Imposing usurping Elders 2. Complying Hypocrites 3. Fearful Enslaved and Ignorant Persons who comply for Fear or Self-Interest and not from a real Conviction in themselves The very Tenour of his VVork doth at least implicitely thus charge us And as we are a People professing the Name of God and bearing witness to his pretious Truth we do commit our Cause to him to plead and vindicate our Innocency from these Aspertions and Slanders not doubting but he will rebuke that Treacherous Spirit that hath so grosly abused and mis-represented us to the VVorld AS concerning B. Furly's Paper long since writ but lately part of it inserted in Tyranny and Hypocrisie and which that Scoffer Fra Chadwel and others of Truth 's Adversaries have boasted of against me this may signifie that as it was writ when B. F. was clouded by this Spirit of Division since through the Lord's Mercy he hath been brought to a better Understanding and to see and judge his former Prejudice and VVorks thereof being satisfied also that the Apostates and Baptists had not in the least B. F's Consent in the Publication of his Paper which I did presently after I had it give a plain and full Answer to in the Light of Truth and J. Pennyman was privy to those Controversies being intrusted in conveying the Letters between us but he was not pleased to publish my Answer but rather to abuse my Name in Print without Cause accusing me with subtil and dark Imaginations But he should look at home and see his own dark Imaginations Judge serious Reader what Respect these Men have to the Truth and People of God in their reviling the Innocent despising the Church of Christ in print publishing Weaknesses and Failings of particulars that have been judged by them long ago raking up condemned Stuff to cast upon us telling those things in Gath and publishing them in Ashkelon that cause the Uncircumcised to triumph All which have necessitated us thus publickly to appear in Truth 's Vindication against them G. W. Some Defects and Faults escaped in the Press thus to be corrected EPistle page 3. Line 12. read have kickt P. 4. The Margin-Note relates to Fra. Chadwell L. 9. r. among us P. 7. L. 1. for and r. is L. 6. for and r. are L. 8. for Heads r. Friends P. 8. L. 2. for in r. him L. 33. for or Mother r. and Mother P. 9. L. 33. r. Arbitrariness P. 12. L. 19. for nor r not P. 15. L. 19. dele and. P. 17. L. 4. for Word r. World L. 28. for this r. they P. 18. L. 10. for hat r. that THE END * Whose false Doctrines Blasphemies against the true Light we have also upon Record * Howbeit it hath been a Mark of our disowning the Prayers of the wicked and Unbelievers and the same Spirit that hath led us to deny doffing our Hats to Men or to honour proud Flesh hath led us to doff them in Prayer to God in our Assemblies * Which I could yet produce if need were * In his Paper dated London 3. Day of Aug. 1671.