Circumstance of time he fetches their Original but from the year two hundred and seventy but I find them above two hundred years sooner even in St. Paul's time as may be seen in my next Chapter This Difference is not very great But for the other point That the Quakers can plead more for themselves from the first two hundred seventy years then Mr. Baxter for the present Orthodox Religion laid down in the Saints Rest or the Confession of the Assembly I do heartily profess I differ from him as much in my opinion as he doth that loves to speak truth from him that will say otherwise for advantage and as a Protestant different from a Papist And in this Difference I have all Learned Protestants of my side the Papists and Quakers I think are for him CHAP. III. The Quakers chief Predecessors in the several Ages of the World since Christ AS to the main design of the Spirit of Hereticks viz. The disgracing and opposing of Christ and his Gospel both the Scripture Ministry and Ordinances The Quakers are the chiefest Instruments upon the earth as will appear by their Opinions and Practices And these were the chief of their Predecessors in the several Ages of the World since Christ was upon the earth 1. The false Apostles that did so oppose the true ones and teach Justification by the workes of the Law that they occasioned Saint Paul to write the Epistles to the Romans and Galatians against them and charge them with setting up a new Gospel which infection proceeded so far that those who before would have plucked out their eyes for him did now take him for their enemy 2. Simon Magus a Leader of a deluded Society and an opposer of the Apostles and the Gospel of Christ pretended himself to be God and Christ that seemed to die at Jerusalem denied that Christ was really come or did suffer also the Resurrection of he body and brought in the promiscuous use of Women Jacks Chron. 186. 3. Menander his Disciple And 4. Saturnius his Disciple who said that Marriage and Generation were of Satan many of whose followers would not eat of my living sensitive creature 5. Basilides taught that it was not Jesus but Simon of Cyrene in his shape that was crucified And that saving Faith did not terminate in him that was crucified but in Jesus that came in the shape of a man and was thought to have been crucified 6. Carpocrates and the Nicolaitans some of them made themselves to be equal with Christ and some the same with him they used multitudes of amazing words Inchantments and were familiar with Devils The Cerinthians Cordonites Ebionites Valentinians and Marcionites who had all the general name of Gnosticks from their own proud pretences of the Knowledge of such mysteries as the Catholick Church was ignorant of but were called by the names of their respective succeeding Leaders because every one added to or altered somewhat from the Doctrine of the former yet holding the same in the main These were as Irenaeus shews Lib. 1. cap. 30. all the Disciples of Simon Magus the Witch and continued the substance of his Doctrine with some additions though some of them would not own his name All the fore going were against the Christian Doctrine Ministery and Ordinences The Arrians who denied the Divinity of Jesus Christ and that he was the only begotten Sin of God Coequall and Coeternall with the Father and the holy Spirit and consequently his Merit and Satisfaction and Justification by the imputation thereof and his Ministers The Katharoi who affirmed that they being justified were perfect and free of all sin as the glorified in Heaven Anno 1118. Adamites devised a Church to be as a hot house to keep them from cold The Service time they were all naked men and women the Virgins preached unto the rest their Church they called Paradise and themselves Adam and Eve Epiphan haeres 52. Priscilianus a Gnostick said the Soul was of one Substance with God mans actions were governed by the Stars condemned the eating of flesh parted married Couples ascribed Creation of the flesh to wicked Angels Aug. lib. de Haeres Pelagius a Monk of Bangor he held that man without the grace of God was able to fullfill all the commands of God that the Just have no sin in this life that Children have no original sin Aug. de Haeres See Baxters sin against the Holy Ghost All these Hereticks with their Heresies and Blasphemies were in the Church many hundred years ago and condemned by Councils and Fathers and many of them witnessed against from Heaven by dreadfull judgements For the truth of my Collections I appeal to all that have read the ancient Histories of the Church which are of as clear evidence as the Chronicles that give us the Names and Reigns of William the Conquerour Henry the Eight and Queen Mary So that it is not lawfull for any man to say these Stories are lies untill after diligent search he find them to be so or untill upon his enquiry of honest learned men they say so which will never be Mahomet growing famous for Wealth and Magick by the advice of Sergius a Monk called himself the great Prophet of God denied the Sufficiency Perfection and Authority of the holy Scriptures but stole abundance of the words names and things therein contained to make up his Speeches and his Alchoran also the Trinity He held Community of Women was an Enthusiast pretending to Revelations and Infallibility CHAP. IV. Of the Quakers of Germany in Luther and Calvins time that opposed Christ at his then coming to reforme the Church COme we now to the Quakers of Germany though not so called These were some of the principal of them Nicholas Stork Tho. Muntcer Dr. Belthazer Hubmore Melchior Rink John Hut Jo. Deuter Lodovick Hetzer Phifer John Becold Rotman Harman Staxrede Henry Rolles Knipperdoling Cipperbroke Creching John Mathews David George Conradus Jo. Trajer Seekler David George Gasper Swenckfield Baxters Sin against the Holy Ghost When Satan perceived that he could no longer keep up the Tyranny and Errors undisturbed but that Christ would send out such a light as should disgrace and dispell his darkness he renewed his old attempts again and setteth upon Christ in his own Kingdome and falls upon the Reformation in its own quarters to disgrace it by the diversity of evil Doctrines and practices of those who pretended to be Reformers They began in a seeming simplicity of harmlesness as if the Reformers had not reformed enough but they must carry on the work where we left it and cast out children from the Church as we cast out Superstition and Errors But when the spirit within them had once vent and field-room for agitation it soon discovered it self to be of the great Deceiver as will abundantly appear by the ensuing Epitomy of the Stories of some of them Muntzer and his company at Mulhuze chose a new Senate of their Party to seize upon the
the Reader to all bookish men that have read the Histories of those years wherein these things are said to fall out and they will tell us that these things are asserted by so many credible Authors at that time living agreeing in the same as takes away all doubt of forgery and slander Or the Reader may find them in Bullinger adv Anabaptist Sleiden hist Heresbachius hist Anabaptistica Lambertus Hortensius of the same Spanhem Diatr hist de Anabap. Joannis Clopenburgius gangrena Anabaptist And also Mr. Robert Baily Mr. Rutterfords Survey And a Peece lately transsated by a Minister of New-England and published by Mr. Hook of the Savoy entituled Johannis Becoldus Redivivus will further satisfie the Reader Anno 1528. Ludovicus Helster Joannis Trajer Seekler and other Enthusiasts were in the matter of Oaths Magistracy c. confuted by Hollerus and Kolvius at Bern and driven to say The Spirit taught them otherwise then the letter of the Scripture spake Rutterfords Surv. p 7. David George born in Delph austere as any Capuchin Frier that did often fast three dayes together by trade a Painter in 1540. did vend these Heresies among others That he was the Son of God the true and spiritual David born of the Spirit whereas Jesus Christ was born of the flesh That the Doctrine of Moses the Prophets Christ and the Apostles was imperfect carnal litteral That his Ministry was the time of perfection when all Ordinances shall be useles That it was the sin against the Holy Ghost to refuse the Spirit in David George his Ministry and to go back to the Prophets and Apostles These seeds he sowed in Germany and Transilvania Rutterfords Survey Gasper Swenck field in Luthers time a great opposer of the Reformation taught That the Doctrine contained in the Scripture is not properly the Word of God but improperly by a Metonimy where the sign is put for the thing signified That Faith and Conversion come not immediately by the Word preached but immediately from heaven by inspiration That the preachers of his time Luther Bucer Calvin Peter Martyr Beza Musculus Grynaeus Tossanus Melancthon c. were not sent of God and that no man was converted or the better for their preaching That no Doctrine in the Scripture CONDUCETH TO SALVATION That God is to be sought in his naked Majesty in dreams inspirations and revelations of the Spirit That our Righteousness and Justification is not in the imputed obedience and righteousness of Christ but in a conformity with Christ in glory by the in-dwelling Spirit of Christ Rutterfords Survey out of the Germne Authors CHAP. V. Of the Quakers of England since the Reformation HEnry Nicholls the head of the Sect called the Family of Love here in England wrote an Epistle to two Daughters of the Earl of Warwick in King Edward the sixth's dayes disswading them from Regeneration by the Word of God read or preached he denied Christ to be God This Epistle was answered by Henry Ainsworth he ascribed his blasphemies and heresies to the holy God as the Author of them saying of himself That he was annointed with the holy Ghost in the old age of the holy understanding of Jesus Christ Goded with God in the Spirit of his love illuminated in the Spirit with the heavenly truth the true light of perfect being That Christ was not God nor man but the state of perfection in believers or annointing or Sabbath or the holy disposition or Godliness That all Ordinances Hearing Preaching Scripture Scripture-learning Baptisme the Lords Supper all confession of Christ before men all externals in Religion are things of no worth indifferent free trivial laid on us by no Law of God That our second Birth is our Saviour Christ. Rutterford That he could no more erre in what he said then could the Prophets of God or Apostles of Christ His Prophet of the Spirit Cl 13. See 8. quoted by Rutterfords Surv. p. 169. Of this Tribe were Hacket Coppinger and Arthington and that great number called Grundletenians from a Village in York-shire where they met in Queen Elizabeths and King James his dayes concerning whom Mr. Richard Baxter affirms in his Treatise of the sin against the holy Ghost p. 149. I had an old godly Friend that lived near them and went once among them and they breathed on him as to give him the holy Ghost and his Family for three dayes after perceived him as a man of another spirit as half in an extasie but coming to himself he came near them no more The hanging of Hacket in Cheapside 1591. who died blaspheming did much marre their matters and Arthingtons Recantation in a Book called His seduction did stay many CHAP. VI. Of the Quakers of New-England BEcause some Enthusiastis agreeing in many heretical and blasphemous Opinions with the Quakers did sail to New-England in the Reign of King Charles among those godly Ministers and people that went thither to free themselves from Prelatical Monarchy let 's follow them and take a view of them Mrs. Hutcheson and her Disciples taught That Love in the Saints is the very holy Ghost As Christ was God manifested in the flesh so is he incarnate and made flesh in every Saint The new creature or new man love or the Armour of God Eph. 6. is not meant of grace but of Christ himself The Faith that justifieth hath not any actual being out of Christ it is Christ believing in us The search and knowledge of the Scriptures is not a safe way of searching and finding Christ A Christian is not bound to the Law as a rule of his Christian walking In the Saints there is no inherent grace but Christ is all Frequency and length of holy duties argues the Party to be under a Covenant of works All Doctrines Revelations and Spirits must be tryed by Christ rather then by the Word The soul need not go out to Christ for fresh supply but is acted by the inhabiting Spirit In the Saints Christ loves prayes believes praises formally in them and they are wholly Christed and Godded A Christian is not bound to pray nor to any spiritual acts but when the Spirit exciteth and moveth him thereunto He that hath the Seal of the Spirit can infallibly judge of another whether he be elected or not No Minister can convey to another more then he hath experience of in his own soul The Law is no rule of life to a Christian Mrs. Hutcheson said Her own Revelations about future events are as infallible as Scripture the holy Ghost is Author of both That she is obliged with certainty of Faith to believe the one as well as the other Rutterfords Surv. out of Welds Narrative Almost every one of these Errors and Blasphemies are the same for Substance with what the present Quakers hold as may be seen by comparing The Errors and Blasphemies of the Gortinians from Sam. Gorten banished out of New-England about the year 1646. That the Ministers and Churches of New-England that are not
who believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness 2 Thes 2.10 11. 5. The impudence of sin that with a Brazen Whoorish forehead dare hold forth its abominable Doctrines of Devils and rebellious practices for precious truths and holy workes as may be seen in this History 6. The patience of God that a Nation of the greatest provocations is not utterly destroyed That London the source of these Abominations hath not been yet made more miserable than blasphemous Cracovia 7. The nature and consequence of scisme and causeless separation from the Church and Churches of Christ Where as many as will may turn Masters and orderless no marvell if confusion and every evill work follow besides one sin many times causes God to give a man up to another and so on 8. What great need all that think they stand have to take heed least they fall Oh let us watch and pray be jealous of our selves and trust in the Lord in the use of all the meanes that he hath appointed A great reason of falling from the truth is peoples pride and selfe-confidence and want of that tenderness of Conscience and fear of sinning that puts a man upon care pains and diligent inquiry in the matters of saith and life to prevent our miscarrying 9. How wicked a thing it is and how highly displeasing unto God to call all persons whatsoever that pretend to godliness and though free from common notorious and unmasked wickedness a godly party or godly persons whenas many such pretenders hold forth such opinions as deny the Lord that bought us and maintain the works of the flesh and damnable Heresies And woe be to him that calls good evill and evill good which respects persons as well as things 10. How much it concerns all the Servants of the most high God the Disciples of Jesus Christ both Magistrates Ministers and People from this Alarm to Arm themselves as the faithfull Souldiers of Jesus Christ and by all holy wayes and meanes to set themselves against this flood of Blasphemy and Error and the Captain thereof who strives to be sole Prince of England This this with all his Armies is the common enemy he hath many Armies great Revenues he hath great experience craft and policy which never appeared so much as it would if he could perswade the Christians of these Nations that error is truth and wickedness godliness and the incouraging of them a good old Cause 11. What cause we have to fear that while persons of such corrupt minds and heads increase our Judicatures even from the highest to the lowest will be in danger of being corrupted because they are made up of the distributed people unless it were made a fundamentall Order of those Courts that none who are either by Apostacy or Education enemies to Christ and the known avowed Christian Religion shall be members thereof 12. That the Quakers have no reason in the world to cry out of perfection nor to boast of their sufferings as they do for it s as plain as the Sun that they have suffered as evill doers for being uncivill to Magistrates disturbing Gods People in their Assemblies for being busie bodies or some other known wickedness and if so all their charging the Courts Justices Constables and those that assisted or abetted them with persecution falls flat to the ground 13. What a great mercy of God it is that though there are so many thousands of them their number is not greater they being such an unruly people and so full of deadly hatred against Jesus Christ his Ministers People and Ordinances If they had power to their will they that now frequently affront and disturb a Minister and Congregation would pull the Minister out of the Pulpit and instead of being turned out of the Church would turn out the Congregation and then our bloud might be mingled with our Sacrifice And moreover would not they that scorn to petition a Parliament or be uncovered before the greatest Throne of a Nation pull them out by the eares if they were able unless all Civill power were in their hands and then what Persecutors they would be may be easily concluded from the sight of their teeth before hand 14. That it is high time for all the Redeemed ones the Sanctified ones the Children of the great God the Favourites of Heaven honest godly sincere Christians Children that will not lye to improve their interest in God through Jesus Christ for this poor sinfull divided Nation that God would not impute unto the Nation the Abominations of many and so depart from us and suffer us to relaps into Popery or Paganisme But that he would arise for the recovery of the interest of true Religion that is brought very low in England as indeed it is abroad in other Nations It s time for God to arise for men have made void his Law That God would either deliver us from unreasonable men and give us such Magistrates as shall be nursing Fathers to his Church Or prepare us so for sufferings that we may be ready to dye for the Name of the Lord Jesus his Person Natures Word Offices Ministry Ordinances thereby demonstrating as much as in us lies the power of godliness the transcendent exceilency of true Religion above the honours pleasures profits of this world and life it self that so through God blessing our very sufferings may indeere our Religion unto surviving Generations When they shall consider not only what it cost their Ancestors by way of testimony to the Truth but what it wrought their hearts unto as the Instrument of the Spirit of God making them to forgoe all for God their portion and Jesus Christ their Redeemer CHAP. V. AS to Satans design in stirring up such kinds of people I had a purpose to have done it more fully than now I shall for having taken up more Paper already than agrees with the small price I intended this Book to be sold for that so it might come into the more hands of such as I Writ it for viz. those that do not know so much as myself I shall at this time say but thus much Satans design is That he may solely rule in and over every Man and Woman in these Nations to their everlasting damnation that not one of our Children and Posterity may be saved To which end he would reduce us unto Popery or Infidelity as abundantly appears by the foresaid Doctrines which according to his will are propagated all the Land over by all the ranks and orders of his Kingdome These Opinions following are affirmed to be the Opinions of the Quakers by Toldervey who was a Quaker which he affirmes in his Retractation Intitled The foot out of the snare THat the Word of God is not the Scripture but the life or the substance whence the Scriptures are spoken That the substance the Word of life is the measure of God manifested in man the gift of the holy Spirit manifest in flesh made known in all That