is the World and the Civil States and several Nations thereof which howbeit the Bishop takes Nations for Churches by whole-sale here as if the words Church and Nation were Synonima's yet qua Nations are not Churches to grow together with the Wheat until the harvest or end of the World and that with this Caveat least men in the midst of their Busslings and busie minds mistaking should under a pretence of plucking up the Tares root out the Wheat it self also which what Kingdom or People soever doth Bishop Gaudens Counsel and Caveat to the contrary notwithstanding who sayes he is not for such a â—…ame permission of Tares to be among the Wheat least that good seed of Religion which is sown by the Publick Ministry by which he means no other then their own and fenced by Legal Authority should be â—…hoaked had better busie it self wholly about other and meer secular matters of wrong and wicked Lewdness which reason wills they should be Totally taken up with in the exercise of their Civil Power those being the things which not onely properly but indeed alone appertain to them to be exercised in or take Congnizance of For if the Wheat which are indeed those true worshippers only who worship the Father of Spirits who is a Spirit and seeketh such onely to worship him in Spirit and in Truth in reference unto whom all other outside worshippers are as nothing for what is the Chaff to the wheat saith the Lord and which onely must go into the garner when all chaffy Formalists must in this day wherein the Lord is sifting out the house of Israel from among the Nations or several Sorts of Professions as Corn is sifted in a Sieve fall to the ground be driven away with the Wind and burnt up with the unquenchable Fire of that great day of the Lord which now burns as a Oven against all Flesh and fleshly Christianities if we say the foresaid true worshippers be of God then they cannot be withstood in a way of Safety to it self by any Nation Sith to withstandâ—… them is not onely to resist that People which are the Chariots and Horsmen thereof but also to be found fighters against God himself against whom and his People it is as impossible finally to prevail as it was for Egypt to prevail against Israel which when God arose to Redeem them from their bondage increased upon them so much the more by how much the more they were opressed and intended to be for ever suppressed by them God himself taking part with his own chosen against the other who hath said he will give Kingdoms for their ransome and Nations for their Life rather then his own Seed shall go unredeemed We say that this were the way to setle all in Peace to change all setled Lawes that are for Persecution into a Law for the Tolleration of all Religions much more of that one which though it be struck at both by and before all the rest will be found at last to be the onely true one which yet must unavoidably suffer Violence in some place or other while that Principle of Persecution hath place in Peoples hearts for as all Nations are not of one and the same but of many respectively so all men are not of one and the same Religion in any one Nation whereupon in case it happen that any Nation by Law Establish that Religion which is not Truth that Nation suppressing by outward Violence all Religions besides its own whether that be Heathenish Turkish Iewish Popish Prelatical Presby erian or any other must necessarily ex officio in point of duty Persecute and tread down the Truth it self for if the Civil Magistracy as such ought de jure to root out all Religions but that which it judges to be Righteous and convenient then even those that are heathen Magistrates who would be no more as to that capacity of Magistrates then now they are if they should turn Christians must root out quoad posse all that 's Christian and every Magistrate being a Magistrate as well as any one the notion of Christian adding nothing to mens Power as Civil Governors according to that rule of quatenus ipsum which includes de omni what ever belongs to any thing as so belongs also to every thing that is so not onely those Nations which happen to be of the true Religion must Persecute all those that are found in false ones but each Nation that is found in any false Religion must seek the utter ruine not only of all the rest but even of those also which are Established in the Truth But this is the way which the Bishop in no wise approves of for any Nation or at least for this to renounce the unsound Principle of forcing under Penalties all Dissenters to conformity in Religion unto it self because saith he it is not consistent with the Piety Prudence Honour or Safety of a Nation and Church when it judgeth its Constitutions to be Religious Righteous and Convenient But what a contrary conclusion is this not only to all Scripture Reason as is shewed above but also to all common Experience in this our Nation in which it hath been seen in the dayes both of Edward the sixth Elizabeth and Iames his times neither can it be denyed by the Bishops themselves unless they will deny themselves to be conscientious Dissenters from that Popery which stood here of old how much it was for the piety prudence honour and Safety of the Nation which did before generally judge those Popish constitutions it was then establisht in to be Religious Righteous and Convenient and yet upon further and more mature deliberation saw good ground for the sake of that small yet more enlightned Protestant Party that dissented to change the then and long before establisht Lawes concerning their Mass and many other matters as the Statutes themselves declare at large The Bishop therefore by this reasonless Reason both condemns that course of all the Protestant Princes of England that changed the Popish Laws before establisht for the sake of tender Protestant Dissenters as not savouring of piety prudence nor yet either safe honourable or convenient for the Nation but also secondly justifies the Pope himself and all Popish Princes in Persecuting such Protestants against him as are found within these Precincts and Dominions and in not changing their establisht Laws against the Truth for their sakes sith as the Bishops judge the English Constitutions so to be whereby they stand So other Nations judge their own Constitutions to be Religious Righteous and Convenient and thirdly makes a fence against the spreading of all sorts of Protestanism not that only which is so at large but of that which is Christianity so truly called Moreover where ever the alteration of any suppressive Lawes for the sake of a few Dissenters tends to the encrease of Love and Amity Peace and Unity which is a better thing than Uniformity in a Nation the preservation of
outward Penalties to punish and Persecute the Saints who to themselves who are not of the Light and Day but Night and Darkness seem Sinners then they are Condemned in themselves as men not faithful trusty or honest to their yet Erring Consciences about those Lawes of men against Christs Disciples in the Execution of which they dinily Divine they do God service but if they do act according to their own thoughts whilst they think in their Conscience as Paul once did they do God good service when they kill his Servants then they can never flee from that Wrath which is to come upon all the ungodly and Children of Disobedience who are found Rebelling against the Light and revelling in the ruines of its Children which Wrath is no other then the Condemnation of Hell it self the Lake of Fire the due Portion of all the abominable ones which is the Second Death Rev. 21. Rev. 22. The best way to escape this Snare is for all men to take heed which must be by following the Light within of that Spirit of Truth it self which by degrees leadeth all that faithfully follow it into all Truth that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Iudgement of their Conscience be according to Truth first and then as B. G. sayes truly indeed to act accordingly for while men say they have fellowship with God and do him service yet walk in Darkness besides the Light of God in themselves in which God himself is manifesting his own minde more or less in each mans Conscience they lie and do not the Truth 1. Iohn 1. howbeit there is the most hopes of them that when in the same Zeal as Saul of old they Persecute the true Church of God do it yet ignorantly and in unbelief that all such as have now any hand in Persecuting and spoiling us who excepting that new-nick name of Quakers by reason of which we are not yet known so to be are in truth the self same Church and sort of Christians as were of old Persecuted by Saul and others and in Imprisoning and Impoverishing us through simple ignorance may obtain the same Mercy that Paul did is the hearty wish and true desire of our Souls who can say of such as Christ also did Father forgive them for they know not what they do and with Stephen while they were stoning him Lord lay not this their sin to their Charge But if there be any that believe we are the People of God and yet Persecute us out of meer malice against his Image which they hate having by long Custome and exercise of themselves in murderous and bloody wayes contracted so compleatly to themselves that Image of their Father the Devil who hath begotten them from God and Goodness to the doing of his own will who was a Murderer and a Lyar from the beginning so that now they cannot but contradict the known Truth and blaspheme against the Holy Spirit of it through what Vessel soever it utters it self the Sin of such being evidently unto Death we are not bid to pray for that it having forgiveness neither in this World nor in that to come yet we leave them to stand or fall to their own Master Having in part discovered the Pittifulness of some of those Pious and specious pretences of Pitty and Christian Charity to the Quakers which Bish Gauden makes and under which as under a Vizard he seeks to hide the severity of his Visage we shall proceed to unmask him further by some observation of some other Passages much what to the same purpose in both his Book and his Epistle Bish. He saith in his Epistle pag. 4. Thus the Cudgol Sword Prisons and Banishments Plundring and Sequestrations were the Late Cruel and Flagellant Methods of our most Tyrannous Times which had nothing of Reason Law or Religion to support them but these are not in my Iudgement either the first or the fittest means to Confute the falsities of mens Private Opinions or to rectifie the obliquities of their inconform but Innocent Actions flowing from them upon the account of Conscience and Plea of Religion Answ. By these words Bish. Gauden seems to give his Countrymen and fellow Christians to understand that as the Times are changed so in his Opinion ought to be also the Method of proceeding against the Quakers and other dissenters from themselves and that as we were dealt with then but very unjustly by the Cudgel Sword Prison Banishment Plundrings and Sequestrations proceeding from the Tyrannousness of those Times from men void of Reason Law and Religion so now it ought to be onely by good life and sound Doctrine from such as have true Reason Law and Religion intimating also that the Case is not so desperate as to need any such sharp inflictions seeing it is but to Confute the falsities of mens Private Opinions and to rectifie the obliquities of their inconform yet Innocent Actions unto which saith he there must be more tender and softer applications accounting it no less then even unreasonable and unchristian to follow the Example of Tyrants in such proceedings so that hereby one would think there were some good ground to judge that this Bishop and Father of the Church so called would prove a Tender Nursing Father indeed that did with no small disdain decline all kinds of Cruelty and Persecution yet notwithstanding behold how in the very next words he unsaith in effect all that again in this wise Viz. Bish. It may be as just as necessary to represse by Legal Coerciâ—…ns and Penalties those Petulant obstinacies which do resist all safter applications and endanger the Publick Tranquility by giving Affroâ—…ts to setled Religion or obstructions to the proceeding of Iustice by Established Lawes By which words he not onely gives us to discern as Ex pedâ—… Herculem ex unque Leonem what is his rigid resolution and harsh disposition towards tender Consciences notwithstanding his desire to be counted of a Contrary Complexion but also like an unskilful builder plueks down with one hand what he built up newly with the other for howbeit these words of his are not de sure applicable to us who are called Quakers we having never been found in any Petulant obstinacies nor resisted in any sence all softer applications nor ever yet endangered the Publick Tranquility by affronts yet the Bishop writing the said words with reference to them and falsely applying them de facto to the Quakers whom throughout his Book as well as here he seeds with a Bit and a Knock makes void as well to the Contradicting of himself as to the Interdicting of that Liberty he would â—…ain be believed to allow the Quakers what he himself had said immediatly before so ministreth to us just occasion of Iealousie that by those words of his viz. resist affronts obstructions c. he intends no other then our denyal of Obedience the Bishops meere minds and wills and bare non-submission to such Lawes of men as without wounding and
only upon the score of Religion without such an exceptions clause as he intermingles among this his most merciful and pittiful matter whereby he snatches back again all his Christian Charity and Pitty and ingrosseth it onely to himself and his own Party viz. farther then is necessary for the cure of offenders and the Conservation of the publick Peace under which clause of curing offenders and preserving the Publick Peace the very Pope himself who pretends to Pitty and Christian Charity as much in words as the Prelates does not onely Ushers in but secures it self amongst his own Children from the censure of that bloody Tenet of Persecution for cause of Conscience under all that Severity Wrath and Rigor that he hath ever exercised towards those Dissenters from his See and Counsel Chair that have at any time fallen under his Clerical Cruelties Then he would not err on the right hand as he seems to do to himself though in reality he is far from it his Error being yet very much rather on the left but walk uprightly by that right golden Rule of Chaist which he commends but comes not near the Practice of which onely hath in it the true Humanity of a man and the Charity of a Christian viz. to do as he would be done unto for the Primitive Christians did so indeed and as they would not have had the Iewes their own Country-men Persecute them as they did so they never did Persecute any nor would they had they had the outward Power so to do no not Iews that denyed Christ upon the score of that both then and still blasphemous Religion of theirs in order to such an end as the cure of Offenders and preservation of the Publick Peace for they knew 't was the publick preservation of Truth which was the onely thing that would break that Nations publick peace and that nothing was so safe for the Civil Powers and so clearly consistent with their Peace as to let the Truth and its Children alone for the sufferings of which by persecution among them when they had filled up the measure of their fathers who slew the Prophets Wrath at last came upon them to the uttermost But this Bishop who I am sure would have his own way have perfect Liberty would have It and It only to have not onely all Liberty but all outward Emoluments and Advantages also in a way exclusive of all others to whom he would indeed have Facility and Gontleness exercised with abhorency of all Severity and Rigors upon the score of Religion onely yet with this bit in their mouth whereby he can pull in all he gives and grants viz. So far onely but no further than is necessary to the curing of Offenders as he counts all dissenters are in one sence though to go round again some not offending but obeying God in another and than is for the conservation of the publick Peace Neither is he less unrighteous in condemning the Innocent with the guilty and giving Sentence against a People whom he confesses to be as elsewhere he doth possibly of no evil minds at present for what they may be in future time before they are so He would think it unjust if we should say he and his Brethren let them say what they will and speak in never so much simplicity and appear never so harmless yet are not to be trusted in their most innocent smiles on us because as some called Bishops have formerly so these in present being though Facile and Gentle yet may hereafter prove Bloody and Deceitful And thus he manifests himself though called a Father to be not only without Compassion but without the Spirit of Iudgement and a sonnd Mind also and if we were indeed ignorant and out of the way of Truth as we are not we find him not such a High-Priest as is truly touched with the feeling of our Infirmities as knowes how to have compassion on the Ignorant and on such as are out of the Way Nevertheless that he may seem the more excusaâ—…ble after he hath pleaded seemingly for indulgence in his counterplea for non-indulgence again he covers and coulers himself over very frequently with such pretences as this that followes Bish. The insolent and seditious Expressions that bring 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and violent Actions especially in Pulpits and Presses ought with great Penalties to be suppressed there being nothing more unreasonable than for any man rudely to Blaspheme and Reproach that Religion which his Prince and Country profess Answ To blaspheme and reproach that Religion which the Scripture doth profess to be the true one as Iames 1. and which Christ the King of all Princes of the Earth and his People profess which is to keep unspotted of the World is more unreasonable than to blaspheme that which at a venture a mans Prince and Country Professes for That most assuredly is the true and pure Religion undefiled before God while 't is more then possible that This last may be a false one and by so much the more unreasonable by how much more it 's unreasonable to speak evil of Good than of Evil it self Secondly As to this passage let every other dissenting party as far as they are found Innocent vindicate themselves but if this be spoken with reference to the Quakers to whom the Bishops Book mainly doth relate the thing is sooner said than proved that any such insolent or seditious Expressions from whence as from the Cause thereof any Tumultiousness or Violence hath proceeded have been yet found among the Quakers or that we are found such rude Blasphemers or Reproachers which things we justisie not in any where they are found yet are able to justisie our selves as not guilty of ought that can justly come under such a notion on a true account but since we who look better both to our Spirits and to our Speeches than to give way by either to the sowing of Sedition Tumults Rudeness Blasphemy Reproach or Violence against any men for their Religion are falsely counted as sowers of such things as Blasphemers and Reproachers of that Religion which our Prince and Country do profess for no other Cause then our testifying to the Truth and our publishing that Gospel of Peace that brings out of all War and Strife and for declaring against the meer Traditions and Inventions of men We would know the Bishops mind if he be able to resolve us First Whether his meaning be as his Words here import of every Prince and Country as a Prince and Country as well as of any one without respect to this or that Form of Religion in it If yea Then Secondly Whether will not this Shift serve the chief Priests of the Turke Pope Tartar Pagan and all other Ethnick Princes to their several sorts of Religious People as well as the Bishops of England to say Nothing is more unreasonable than for men to reproach that Religion which their Prince and Country do profess And so Thirdly Whether by consequence this doth
not block up the way for ever unless unreasonableness it self must make the way against Turks and Heathens ever rejecting their own false Religions for the true one Sith every man who shall come to be any further enlightned in the Truth than the dark Body of the whole Nation he belongs to must stop his mouth from ever declaring it in order to the Illumination of others and say as that Divine Heathen or Prophetical Poet of old who rebuked the rude manners of his Generation at Rome Me mutire nefas nec clam nec cum serobe nusquam Fourthly Whether the Apostles who very roughly reproved the religious Superstition of the Iews which their then King and Country also did profess calling them stiff necked and uncircumcised resistters of the holy Spirit calling the High Priest now out of date though supposing himself to stand then by divine Institution as those did before Christ crucified whited wall stiling the circumcision the concision preaching against the Prohibitions of the High Priests and their threatnings of them for speaking in the name of Iesus from whence often tumultuousnesse was occasioned though caused only by the Malice of the Priests themselves still stiring up their People to strife and wrath against them were truely to be counted what by the Priests they then were counted and as we are now by the same Generation viz. so insolent and seditious in their Expressions as to be the Causers of Tumultuous and violent Actions whether they were truely counted Unreasonable ruâ—…e Blasphemers and Reproachers of the Religion of their Prince and Country And Fifthly Whether this Bishop himself and such of his Brethren who count us as such for doing no other than the very same in the same Spirit and Power would not have counted the Apostles so then as the High Priests then did had these hapned to have lived in their times and in the Religion of their Prince and Country But no marvel if great Penalties be called for against men as seditious and tumultuous who but that they are so nicknamed are more peaceable People than their Accusers where only Self-interest Self-safety and outward Security in Prosperity are sought after But why had we not this mans mind herein before it may be thought surely that either this that nâ—…w is so was not his mind in the late times he speaks of or else that those times not favouring the Episcopal Religion so much as these do he had not then so much Zeal for it as now he hath being made a Bishop himself nor so much courage as to bear witness to it and appear so eager against Dissenters from it as now he doth in the juncture of these late times of his own exaltation And no marvel there is such a loud cry for the suppressing under penalties to Dissenters of both their Pulpits and their Presses for then all that is either Preached or Printed by the Clergy alone may pass for truth without reply controul or examination and so that People whose principle it is aut solus aut â—…ullus to stand alone or not at all may all others that pretend to it being removed out of the way have alone that title of Christs and the Gospels Ministers for they usually win all in the dispute who have none to contradict them but themselves Nevertheless how suspitious the truth of that Religion and its Ministry is that fears reproof and is loath to stand the Tryal by whatever in preaching or printing may never so openly appear against it all such may easily discern who know that Truth seeks not to creep in corners And how far from the true one that Religion is that by violence oppresseth others the Bishops own forecited Words tells us in which he saith It was the genius of primitive Christians to abhor all Severity and Rigors onely upon the Score of Religion c. out of whose practice they must needs be found who seek contrary unto that which he calls Christ's golden Rule of doing to others as they would by others be done unto to cause men to become Christians by compulsion and to oure such as are made Offenders only for not being so by cutting thâ—…s off from their common Priviledges as men and to conserve the publick Peace by that common succesâ—…ess conserve of publick Persecution Bish. There are but those four wayes of treating any party that dissents from the publick Establishment of Religion and its Laws in any Church and Kingdom First either to Impoverish Imprisan Banish and Destroy all Dissenters as the King of Castile did the Moores of Granada which is a very rough barbarous unwelcom and unchristian way disallowed by all Wise Men of all perswasions Answ. Turpe est Doctori cum culpa rederguit ipsum That there hath been no other way of treating us as Dissenters but this first way of the four which is as yet also likely to continue is evident enough by the Act 's commencement against the Quakers on the 24th of March so called long before the Bishops Book which he may possibly call a more gentle way of treating came forth in publick which Book had it been the fâ—…test yet therefore was not the first sith it comes and so to little purpose so long a time after the other Which way of proceeding by Impoverishment Imprisonment â—…anishment which is the very way of the Bill to the passing of which he hath consented 't is so much the more shame to him that he did consent seeing he here also passes so severe a Sentence on it as to compare it to the King of Castiles destroying the Moores of Granada which himself condemneth as a very rough Barbarous unwelcome and Unchristian way disallowed by all wise men of all perswasions And we also appeal to himself and all wise men of all perswasions whether as he consented to that very thing he here so much Condemneth so he hath not greatly Condemned himself as one Acting and so sinning against his own Conscience and so against God the very contrary to which he commendeth the Quakers for in his so consenting and whether he doth not in his Sentencing the Quakers to distruction by Fines Prisons Banishments Sentence himself also to be both Cruel Rough Barbarous Unwelcome and Unchristian and unlike to all wise men of all perswasions and also contrary to that Charitable Method and Temper as he calls it of those Ancient Fathers of the Church Irenaeus Turtullian Cyprian Austin Prosper Cyrill Hillary Optatus Ierom and others guided by the Word and Spirit of God who as he saith never used any other means but the Sword of the Spirit the Word of Truth in Meekness of Wisdom and did not call the severity of the Secular Sword to their assistance as many now do before or until they found that depraved Opinions put men upon desperate Actions which as yet neither hath nor can be justly charged upon the Quakers so that here is a Cloud of Witnesses all added by himself
will turn wise men backward and make their knowledge foolish and carry away Counsellors spoiled and send his Son a new as a Light into the world that those that see not may see and that those that see as the Seers seem to themselves to do may be made blind Does he any more then was wont to be done of old Is there any new thing thereby done under the Sun Is it any more then what hath said he will do And must he cease to do as he ever hath done and hath said he ever will do because the wise men in their own eyes cannot trace him in his footsteps which are in the great deep Alas poor foolish men that are glorying in your own wisdom and strong men in your strength while Gods People glory in the Lord alone and rejoyce in his highness who is the God of their Salvation Little do you think how he that sits in Heaven hath them that oppose his Image in derision how the Virgin Daughter of Zion shakes her head as she did of old against the Insolent Assyrian at the Arogant Antichristian which Reproaches and Blasphems and Exhalts himself and lifts up his haughty Eyes on high for so the Eminent Ecclesiasticks now do against the Light of Israel that is as a Fire and his Holy One that is as a Flame that shall kindle upon Thickets of the Forrest even all that vast wast Wilderness of External Tâ—…tionary Religion that is sprung up out of the bottomless Pit of â—…er mans Invention and Imagination which knows no bounds of adding Ceremony to Ceremony till the Substance and Power of Godliness is eaten out of doors as Pharoahs seven thin ears of Corn and lean Kine did devour the Fat and and Well-liking Yea verily a little of that Honesty Simplicity and Truth in the inward Parts which is the Sacrifice God delights in and of that harmless Simplicity which with the Bishop goes for Silliness and never well Catechised Ignorance Plain Breeding Unpollished Manners and suck like of that Wisdom that makes Poor men and Women Wise to the Salvation of their Souls from their Sin will in the day that 's coming weigh down in the Ballance of the Sanstuary all that Subtilty Pollicy Prudential Piety and Wisdom of Words wherein the greatest Doctors and Dictators who are out of the Spirit are found Teaching and Dictating by which they never obtain or bring others to obtain the Conquest over their own hearts Lusts and Corruptions nor bring themselves or others forth of all Iniquity into God's Righteousness nor as that Primitive Bishop Timothy was bid to do ever save either themselves or those that hear them witness their belief of a necessity of Sinning and non-belief of any possible attainment by the gift of Gods Grace to live without Sin while there is any Being in the Body So that however the Bishop Jeers at the Quakers Writings and Undertakings as some odd Way of Folly drest up with some Scripture Phrases void of any true Life and Beauty within yet so much more efficacious are the meanest of their Testimonies to the Light not only to the Convincing but Converting men from Sin and Errour and to the vindicating of Truth and omiting the impertinencies of outward Ceremonies which are not so much as accessary to Salvation the necessary Points of Duty and Morallity then all the Life-less Preachings of those Painted Sepulchers which flourish their Sermons as with Sweet Flowers and fair Colours with Phrases of Iunior Fathers and Sententious Sayings of more modern Authors that in the Name of the whole Body of that People we say to the Bishop of that strange hidden Divinity of the Quakers which he scoffs at as nothing but Canting and Chymical in the Words of the Poet Hoc ego opertum Hoc ridere meum tam nil nulla tibi vendo Iliade Bish. My design is not to ravel into all the petty Opinions Enthusiastick raptures and odd practises of the Qâ—…ers nor will I severely perstringe them c. Answ. We would have the Bishop to understand that there is not any no not the most petty Opinion nor odd practice that is owned by the Body of that People called Quakers though every thing that 's done by every one that may possibly bear that Name may not be owned by them which however Jeer'd at by him under that old Scholastick scoffing term of Enthusiastick rapture will not be made good against the whole Body of those Bishops that believe they have so much ground to except against it were they once made as willing to condescend from their high-mindednesse as the Scriptures require they should Rom. 12. in all plainnesse of speech which most becomes the weighty matters of the Gospel to be discussed in to confer with men of no evill minds though of such low Estates plain breading and unpollished manners as the Quakers for the most part seem to him to be and whom he perstringes much more severely by his condemning of their Opinions and practises by whole-sale and in the Lump as odd heriticall and erroneous which yet is the wonted way of all the Clergy with those they Quarrel with then if he took account of us concerning them in particular Bish. I have a great pitty for them First because I perceive them to be very unlearned and unstable People ever Learning but never coming to any solid knowledge of the Truth or any great improvements in Christian gifts men of low parts and small capacities as to any point of true Wisdome and Understanding in things Humane or Divine tossed to and fro with every Wind of Doctrine easily seduced with specious pretentions and strange notions even to Raptures and Enthusiasms which are presented to them as novellies by some that are Masters of that Art and Agitators for that Party for what designe Private or Publick Forreign or Domestick God knowes some suspect Iesuitick Arts to be amongst them Answ. If these and such like Contemptuous Disdainfull and Iâ—…onicall terms as he uses here as well as before and after were at all seemly from a Bishop yet are they so much the lesse savâ—…ry and seemly from him in sundry Respects First because these expressions which savour of nothing lesse then such a thing proceed from him under a Pious pretence of his great pitty towards the Quakers Secondly because himself hath declared this his own practice to be contrary to that of the Holy men and Fathers of Old whom he commends as men guided by the Word and Spirit and so worthy to be imitated by him for those holy men saith he did not at any time despise the meannes of any Christians outward Condition or the fatuity of their Opinions Thirdly For as much as himself elsewhere brands it as a prophant and Atheisticall Carriage to disdain the plainnesse of the way which the Wisdome of God sees fit to hold forth the Gospel of Salvation in witnesse his own words then which we scarce need any other in most Cases
seduced back again nor ever will be from that true Primitive Doctrine and Principle of the Light of Iesus nor from that foundation of God on which their Faith is built by all those various winds of Priestly Doctrine about the Forms of their several Woiships for which they contend with one another more than for the Power of Godliness which winds have blown now this way now that way of latter years in this Nation nor by any of that cunning Craftiness whereby the Clergy hath lain in wait to deceive them nor by any of those above said or any other specious Pretensions whatsoever And as for those Transactions of the Quakers which like some Great Master of that Art of Taunting and Agitators for his Party against the Quakers he flouts at under the wonted Ironical Terms of Raptures and Enthusiasms by which what he intends God knowes but if thereby he quips at the Quakers Petty Opinions and odd Practises as he speaks above of blindly Censuring boldly Dictating in their abrupt and obscure Way their good Words and godly Phrases bâ—…bbling forth many specious Notions short-liv'd Conceptions obtruding their Rudeness Silliness and crude Fancies in an Agâ—… of so much Learning against their Ecclesiastical Prudence We give the Bishop to understand that though it grieve him that it is not yet the Spirit of the Lord which blows where and on whom it lists will be never the more straitned for his forbidding it though he knows not the way of it nor which way it goes from himself who smites the Lords Prophets to speak unto those Prophets of his who are smitten by him Nay verily as little as the Bishop's Eyes are open to see and their Hearts to believe what is so palbâ—…bly declared to them of these last Dayes in the very Scripture of which they deem themselves to be such Divine Interpreters yet upon Young men who shall see Visions as well as Old men who shall dream Dreams will the Lord pour out of his Spirit even the fulness of that in these latter Ages which the primitive Churches had but the first Fruits of so that the Glory of this second house that is crected after the long treading down of the holy City and true Worship by the Nations that have got into the outer Court viz. the meer name of Christians and external Forms of Christian Worship shall exceed the Glory of the former that was before the Romish ruinations of it yea upon his Daughters and Hand-maids as well as on his Sons and Servants though the Mockers shall say as of old they did Acts 2. they are Drunk and Mad and they shall Prophefie and grand Gamaliels and great High Priests that have pass'd for Prophets shall cover their Lips because they have no answer of God and either Learn or mâ—…urn in silence while Doctorem et Dictraorem induit â—…xor not only young and mean Men as Timothy and Titus shall be old in sober-mindedness Examples of Gravity Paterns of Purity honourable for their Honesty regenerated into Primitive Innocency Grace and Glory Beautiful for Holiness Eminent in Righteousness Fathers for Experience of Gods Power upon their Spirits but very Women also be as mothers in Gods Israel though they seem at least in the apprehensions of some that go for Fathers who are yet strangers to that Chimical Divinity that God is declaring forth the misteries of his Kingdom by to be no better than meer Canâ—…ens Bablers and bubblers forth of such fine Fancies and short liv'd Conceptions from an empty airy Brain as cannot endure the firm touch or breath of any serious Iudgement Finally as to that Insinuation and suspition of Iesuitick Acts to be among the Quakers in order to some designe but whether publick or private forreign or domestick God knowes We say God knows and it is well for us sith men are and yet will be willingly ignorant of it let them have never so much experience of our Integrity that he does know it who will also once clear our Innocency as the Light and our Righteousness as the noon Day to whom principally we appeal to judge between us and our Mis-representers We say God knowes we have no other designe at all but to promote the Truth and Power of Godliness Liberty of Tender Consciences and the Gospel of Peace in the flourishing of all which the Peace of this Nation is so eminently concerned that if ever it come to know perfect Peace if any one Ecclesiastical Power whether Papal Prelatical or Presbyterial shall be permitted by the civil Power which is supream de jure to exercise such a superintendency and supreamacy de facto as to suppress as well the Quakers as all others called Christians but it self then the Lord hath not spoken at all by us Mean while this is the Ioy and Rejoycing of our hearts whatever the Bishops count of us or can do to us the Testimony of our Consciences that in Simplicity and Godly Sincerity we have our Conversation both towards God and among all men being far from so much as seeming save that the Bishop looks upon us with an eye of groundless and needless jealousie to conspire with any crafty Loiolists or to bear an implacable Hatred to the Church of England the worst evil that we do as 't is the best good in Love we can wish to which is that it might once arise purely out of that grand Apostacy into the hundreds of pithless Forms of it up into the Life and Power of Truth it self and become as Apostolical as the Quakers are much less under any Religious Pretensions whatever do we seek to undermine the civil Peace amongst any Factions or factions Ones whatever Nevertheless if this Bishop had been such a Wise Man and Sober Christian as we perceive he accounts himself to be in comparison of the Quakers his Wisdom would certainly have justly restrained him here and have instructed him better than to seem so publickly as he does in his Book to be so much afraid of such a mean company of silly Fools or to suspect Iesuitick Acts among such sensless Simpletons un-catechized Ignoramus's such home spun plain-bred unpollisht Manner'd Petulant Incapacious shallow Brained Easie Unwary Blind People as he counts the Quakers seeing Iesuits are known and own'd to be Rabbies of no small Renown for Parts and Pollicy as well as their pretended Piety throughout the World Herein the Bishop hath utterly loosened his own Tackling so that he cannot well strengthen his Mast to bear him up in this battle against the Quakers but that he 'l sink before them as to one or other of his Assertions which can no more than two Contradictories be both true at once Ad Hominem What can such mean People as the Bishop represents the Quakers to be for Birth and Breeding for Reason and Understanding as well as Estates men so Unlearn'd and Unstable of such Rudenesse Sillinesse and Crudity of Fancy and possibly of no evil Minds People that have
against swearing p 39. that they would not swear in Iudicature any more than out of Iudicature for Iosephus sayes of them That whatsoever they say is firmer than an Oath and to swear is among them counted as a thing superfluous This the Bishop might have noted in that Book call'd the Antidote as well as many more matters which by sundry passages of his Book it seems to us â—…e hath read there save onely that he is loath to seem to cite any thing out of our Books lest thereby his weakness in not answering them should the more bewray it self And perhaps what we quote out of Iosephus in English he to hide both himself and it quotes in Greek both in the 22 and 24. pages of his â—…ook 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iosephus de Essenis And now it comes under consideration since the Bishop states the case upon those Terms of Swearing in Iudicial proceedings as if he were 〈◊〉 really so he seems to be sometimes and sometimes not again 〈◊〉 against all swearing whatever whether rash or serious prophane or solemn private or publike save onely in publike Iudicature or Iudicial proceedings We have often marvelled in our selves to see the Bishop state his Question so narrow concerning that by which he entitles his Book on the top of every page from one end thereof to the otherâ—… viz. the Lawfulness of Swearing in Iudicial Proceedings and yet wanders so wide off from it aâ—… he does in his Disputation for it For he comes not whatever the matter is so much as near any proof of the warraâ—…tableness of such kind of Swearing but all that pâ—…tty proof he puts forth at all for the lawfulness of present Swearing if it were of weight to warrant any swearing at all is more pertinent to prove the lawfulness of Oaths in private ordinary conversation and common communication than of Oaths in publike Courts and Consistories in order to judicial proceedings there Indeed if by Courts of Iudicature he should mean as we see not how he can the Synodical Councils of Clergy-men in inferior Ages 'T is true he tells us of Oaths imposed and taken as in the 〈◊〉 the Ephesine Council 't was so and so ordered and in the sixth Synod of Constantinople Yea nor did any Canons of the Church saith he p. 44. forbid such swearing Yea we read of old saith he p. 45. some condemned by the Orthodox part of the Church for this error that they denied all swearing to be lawful And we know thâ—… Bishops that were so backward as Basilius was at Calceden to be done to as they did to others and looking on themselves to be priviledg'd to the contrary unwilling to take and be imposed upon in the point of Oaths were ever or else were not like their wonted selves free and forward to impose Oaths on others and to bind that heavy burdâ—…n upon other mens backs which they were not willing to toucâ—… with the least of their own fingers But what 's all this to us as to convince us of the warrantableness so to do because those men who call'd themselves the Orthodox still as they saâ—…e at the 〈◊〉 condemned of old all others as Heterodox that did not dance after their Pipe and sing to the same Tune with them in swearing and every thing else when they had once got up into a 〈◊〉 Lordly Dominion over mens Faith And what is that consonant Iudgement of those mordern Eminent Divines as he Calls them of the Romanists as well as Reformists agreeing against Pâ—…rjury and Prâ—…phane Oaâ—…hes and yet assenting to the Lawfullness of Iudicious and Solemn Swearing and not thinking them by any positive Law of Christ become unlawfull what 's this in respect of the Quakers satisfaction who know hundreds of things wherein as much as they fall out and fight even to blood with each other about their fanâ—…ied Formalities they all agree against the Light of God the Power of Godliness and the very appearance oâ—… the â—…mage of him in his holiness who is the substantial Truth it self We say what is that 〈◊〉 rather Tri 〈◊〉 Ecclesiastical Authority agreement of the Clergy to the Quakers whose Faith standing higher than the wisdom and thoughts of men cannot as the Bishop both thinks and sayes truly enough p. 41. 45. value them not much be moved by any such Engine so as to lead their Faith and Reason captives after them 〈◊〉 any Lydium Lapidem or infallible Touch stone whereby to try this or any other Truth But if by swearing in Iudicâ—…ture in Judicial proceedings he intends that sort of Swearing that is now impos'd and us'd by and before Iustices men in Authority or Magistrates in their civil Courts saving that its one of those many customs of the Nations which the Scripture sayes Ier. 10. 3. are vain Where does the Bishop produce any evidence or so much as an Inch of Instâ—…nce out of the Scriptures of either Testament of such a thing in order to the Quakers satisfaction 'T is true he tells us as others tell him p. 43. Certain stories which make more against than for him that other Christians were impos'd upon and had Oaths by Officers Civil and Military exacted of them Some whereof 〈◊〉 swear as he sayes being required by Authority and some did not as 〈◊〉 who when promised dismission by the Prefect if he would swear by the Fortune of Caesar refus'd saying Christianus sum I am a Christian. And 〈◊〉 the Martyr who replied to the Officers It is not lawful for me to swear at all being a Christian And he tells us as 〈◊〉 tellâ—… him that the Christian 〈◊〉 took Oaths in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit to obey their Commanders not to dissert their colours and dye for the common welfare which was called Sacramentum Militare before and so after Christianity prevail'd in the Empirâ—… Whence that name Sacrament came to be apply'd to Christian Misteries But where 's his proof of the warrantableness of such exactions of Oaths by Officers and of such swearings of those Christians from whom they were exacted in Courts of Judicature from either old or new Testament or in order to Iudicial proceedings among all the texts which he â—…russes together and thwacks one upon another out of the Old-Testament p. 36 37. in proof of what we deny not viz. that swearing by God himself was then lawful not one of them speaks out the legallty of that solemn swearing by Gods Name any more in Iudicial proceedings than in private communication and conversation And as for what he alledges out of the New p. 37 38 39. from the example of Gods Christs Pauls Angels Swearing if any oâ—… all that would prove any swearing lawful for us now as we have shew'd heretofore in our Books at 〈◊〉 it possibly cannot for the reasons therein sufficiently rendered or if those words of Christ Amen Amen Verily Verily were an Oath as the Bishop would sain râ—…ad them if possibly
that are not burden'd with them but onely from our own that are We are pretty well content to part stakes with the Bish. in the Controversie and as he sayes of himself and his sort of Christians viz. As Christians of evil hearts manners full of dissimulation and fraud abounding in iniquity encreasing in persidiousness uncharitableness distrusts jealousies unsatisfactions insecurities As weak and unworthy to be trusted they cannot be without Oaths but Oaths are necessary not absolutely nor morally or preceptively but as a remedy against those Diseases when yet possibly were they Christians truly such they would need no swearing in publike or private So we say of our selves and those true Christians call'd Quakers as Christians truly such in whom is no iniquity guile fraud dissimulation deceit who walk in truth out of strife who can say in truth We are Christians indeed non nomine tantum tenus sed reapse which is security enough in all cases we need no Oaths to be us'd among or impos'd upon us But this being that snare and dilemma that hypocritical Formalists and Christians not truly such but so in Name onely not in Nature fall into that one sin that they are fallen into begets a necessity of another one inconvenience and mischief subjects inavoidably to another as posito uno absurdo sequntur millia Such being yet under the bondage of their own corruptions and lying dead in their trespasses and sins pull thereby upon themselves a number of cumbersome remedies which are oft as bad as the diseases but at best needless if the diseases were not And thus God's Law is added as a lash to the lawless liver or transgressor and as a School-Master to bring to Christ the life and to his life who is the Truth it self And such Christians living in all dishonesty â—…righteousness â—…ying falseness theft cozening cheating enmity hatred malice envy and strife the heavy yoke bondage and charge of mans Laws and Lawyers hireling Priests and covetous Preachers are put upon them to keep them in peace and honesty â—…ill they come to know and â—…e led by that Light of him in themselves who onely guides their feet in the way of Truth and true peace which they yet yet know not there we say with the Bish. Oaths as de facto they are so de jure might be used at least if credit could be given any more than to lyars to such Christians solemn swearing for posita causa ponitur effectus And so if the Church of England be not a Church of Christians truly such as the Bish. seems to intimate by his own words it is not we have the less to say to them as concerning their swearing they have a liberty for us and they would have so much the less to answer for in the day when God takes a final account of them if they would let us have the same liberty from them to decline it rather than force men to sin against their Consciences to swear as they do and as much as they will and that not onely solemnly but prophanely since none of their own Laws against that can reclaim nor restrain them from it for while men are yet the servants of sin as Christians not truly such are as much if not more then Heathens so called they are free from that righteousness that Christ requires of his which is that of the Gospel which far exceeds that of the Law and all legal chief Priests Scribes and Pharisees But such Christians as are by Christ made free from sin as the Quakers are though once as well as others under the power and dominion of it these are bound as servants to that perfect righteousness of the Gospel which as that of the Law to the natural deceitful contentious Iew was forswear not but perform thy Oaths to God if thou make Oaths to end strife and controversies is to the true spiritual Iew or Israelite in whose heart is no guile even to Christs Disciples neither go to law one with another nor swear at all And if England ever come to be a Church constituted of such Christians as are truly such as the primitive Christians were and as the Quakers are who by the Light are led out of strife into the love that casts out all feaâ—…s and jealousies and workâ—… no ill to the Neighbour we shall expect as God does another matter and other fruits than that of swearing and forcing each other to swear on pain of Ruine and we shall not need to clear our selves of that which they call our crime of not swearing for the Light of Christ will lead all that follow it into the same and so as posita causa ponitur so sublata causa tolliâ—…r effectus Sin and Deceit standing Oaths stand though to little purpose where solemn swearers being prophane swearers also are no more to be believed than Lyars but where sin deceit and strife cease there swearing hath no use nor place and so the Bish. doth confess while he says p. 23. The Eutopian desire and aim of these Quakers is not to be found fault with if it were feisable And feisable we say it is if perfection so far as to freedom from sin deceit hatred malice and strife is attainable And that that is attainable in the body even in this very humane nature if the Light of Christ which is that of the Gospel be attended to what need we prove it against our Adversaries in that point when the Bishop confessâ—…s it to our hands And that he so does let him take his own words at large as they lye p. 27 28. where speaking of the design of Christs Sermon Matth. 5. and how the righteousness he calls to must exceed that of Scribes and Pharisees He says Our Saviour gives many singular Lessons or Precepts of more eminent diligence patience charity mortification self-denial sincerity conspicuity perseverance and perfection of obedience required now under the Gospel above mark what either the Letter of the Mosaical Law seemed to exact or by the Pharisaical interpretations nere taught to the Jews and however by Divine Indulgence and connivance or by the hardness and uncharitableness of their own hearts and the customary depravedness of times and manners they might seem to have some temporary dispensation heretofore granted to them or at least to take it to themselves yet now under the Evangelical strictness to which Christ came to restore or raise the Church they might not fancy to themselves any such liberty but were to keep themselves in thought look desire word and deed to that sanctity and severity that was required by the Law and most conform to the holy Will Attributes and Nature of that God whom they ought to imitate as their heavenly Father in all sacred perfections which humane Nature assisted by the Light of the Gospel the Grace of Gods Spirit and the visible example of Christ was capable to attain at least sincerely to aim at and endeavour Which whoever doth
exclusive of all Oaths and then surely of Oaths by the Name of God as wel as ought else on pain of condemnation Swear not by Heaven Earth c. nor any other Oath but let your yea be yea your nay nay lest ye fall into condemnation 5. And because the Bish. sayes it 's agreed on all all hands that both places are a strict prohibition against the sin of Swearing but not against such swearing as is no sin taking it for granted before it be given him by us that there is now as under the Law there was some swearing which is no sin but an act of duty according to which conceit of his he states p. 20. a threefold Question about the interpretation scope and meaning of the two Texts 1. Whether all swearing be utterly forbidden because it is and ever was in its nature a sin against Morality Or 2. Whether all Swearing is therefore now a sin because thus forbidden by a positive Law of Christ under the Gospel 〈◊〉 3. Whether onely some sort of Swearing which is a sin is forbidden but not such swearing as is no sin but an act of veneration To all this we reply 1. That howbeit we affirm net all swearing is forbidden because it is and ever was in its nature a sin against Morality for swearing that now is sin was one of those Ceremoâ—…ialities of the Law which in their nature were not sin but duty for the time then being being as all legal rites were subservient to but not against the morality of the Gospel for the shadows were not against the substance nor the Ceremonials against the Morals and Fiducials nor of them so as to be de esse to them as Paul sayes the Law is not of Faith yet not against it For as Ministerial as the Law was to the Gospel then yet the Gospel may be and now is without it Yet 2dly We own not any swearing to be now a duty or act of Iustice as some swearing once was under the Law but affirm all swearing to be now a sin upon the second account viz. because thus forbidden by a positive Law of Christ under the Gospel who by his death ended the Iuâ—… or Right of that and many more Legal Rites and Rudiments so that however they may de facto be continued not more without the guilt and sin at least of superstition then pompous High-Priests Sacrificings and Circumcisings New Moons days meats drinks and other holinesses of the Law which though accessiry to the Gospel yet so little pertinent to it that whoso pleads the necessary practice and performance of them now among Christ's Disciples made Christ of so little effect to himself as that he shall profit them nothing So then even that sort of swearing which was not sin simpliciter and ex suâ natura in its nature under the Law as a thing against the Morality of the Gospel is now a sin upon the account of his universal prohibition of all swearing who was of Authority to put an end as he did also by his death unto the Law And as some things are prohibita quiâ—… mala as they speak forbidden because they are sin and evil in their very nature as envy hatred deceit injury unrighteousness being all not onely not of the Gospel Grace and Truth that came by Christ but eternally against the morality of it so some things are mala quia prohibita sin and evil because they are forbidden and of this sort are these ceremonies circumcisings sacrifices swearings and other Ordinances of the Law once commanded by Moses since ended and forbidden under Christ of an indifferent nature in themselves having so much good in them that they have no evil and so much evil that they 〈◊〉 no good but meerly according as they are respectively commanded by the Servant or prohibited by the Son in their respective Houses Now against that universal acceptation of the Texts as a general prohibition of all swearing seeing no exception can be found in all the Scripture the Bish. puts in three things by way of exception He presumes p. 36. those after-evidences in the Gospel as he calls them of Christ's verily verily and Paul's calling God to witness do sufficiently clear the limited meaning of our Saviour But his presumption in that particular to be vain is sufficiently proved â—…bove He urges also against the said universal acceptation by way of â—…xception the moral nature end and use of an Oath which saith he p. 36 God hath instituted without any repeal by Christ or his Apostles In disproof of which morality of the nature of an Oath we have said enough before as also how whatever Oaths God instituted of old by Moses the Servant who de novo gave out and so was said to gâ—…ve or institute sundry things that were before him and nâ—…t of him but of the Fathers as Circumcision 1 John 19. 22. Sabbath Sacrifice as well as Swearing those he ended in his Son and hath repealed both by him Matth. 5. and his Apostle Jam. 5. which Texts whether they be Repeals or not sub judice lis est is the main point in Question in evidence of which that they are we have said so much already for our Yea in confutation of what the Bish. hath brought for his Nay But whereas he urges by way of exception against the universal sence of the prohibition the occasion scope and end of Christ's and the Apostles words to which his own instance by way of explication of his meaning do best direct us as to what he forbids and enjoins We say those matters rightly weighed do all plead the Cause of the Quakers more than the Bishops and that is evidently manifest by sundry passages wherein the Bish. in his examination of the said matters most manifestly manages his own business against himself In order to the opening of the true occasion of Christ's words the Bish. siyes thus of the whole Sermon of which these words swear not at all c. are a part viz. Bish. Our Saviour gives many singular Precepts of more eminent diligence patience charity mortification self-denial sincerity conspicuity perseverance and perfection of obedience required now under the Gospel above what either the Letter of the Mosaick Law seem'd to exact or by the Pharisaical interpretations theâ—…ws â—…ws c. And p. 27 28. However by Divine indulgence and connivance they might seem to have some temporary Dispensation heretofore granted them yet now under the Evangelical strictness to which Christ came to restore or raise the Church they might not fancy to themselves any such liberty but were to keep themselves in thought look desire word and deed mark not onely to that sanctity and severity which was required by the Law but also most conform to the holy Will Attributes and Nature of God whom they ought to imitate as their heavenly Father in all sacred perfections which humane nature assisted by the light of the Gospel the grace of God's Spirit