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
upon the Husk c. p. 11. See way to the Kingdome p. 8. See perfect Pharisee p. 17 18. 22. That the Scriptures are not the Saints Rule of knowing God and living unto him but that which was before the Scriptures were written This is also your own concerning which anon more at large Atkinson ubisupra p. 1. Parnell p. 11. 23. That there is no need of outward teachings by reading or hearing of the Scriptures opened and applyed See perfect Pharisee p. 20. 24. That no mens interpretations of the Scripture or Arguments from them are to be received except those that give them are infallible See Quakers Cat. published by Mr Baxter where the Quaerists require Infallibility in a Minister And perfect Pharisee p 23. This is generally their strain We renounce and deny all your meanings interpretations arguments calling them adding to the Scriptures And concerning it we must have a brush or two with you anon 25. That the light in them is the Gospell and the more sure word of Prophecy so sure that some of them say That it is a like for to take a sentence out of their Letters and Preach from it as to take a sentence out of Pauls Epistles Discovery of mysticall Antichrist displaying Christs Banners p. 15 and 33. 26. That there is no call to the Ministry but an immediate Call which is generally proclaimed by them See perfect Pharisee p. 29. J. Parnell p. 16. 27. There is no Baptisme of Christ but with the holy Ghost and fire And no Supper of the Lord but in the spirituall part for as for the visible part The Bread which the world breakes is carnall and naturall See perfect Pharisee p. 28. and J. Parnell p 12 13. 28. That singing Davids Psalmes in English Meeter is to sing the Ballads of Hopkins and Sternhold King James his Fidlers And to sing them is to turn the Scriptures into lies and blasphemies One of them in a Letter here at Reading Henry Clarke in his description of the Prophets p. 9. 29. That God made not man to be Lord over Man but over Creatures and therefore amongst them there are no Superiours after the flesh But are there any Superiours over them then that are not among them see in the next Article J. Parnell p. 22 23. 30. That Christ comes to fulfill and end all outward Lawes and Government of man Ja. Parnell p. 18 19. The righteous are from under the outward Law for they are a Law to themselves Especially if Magistrates be wicked that is not of them the Author quoted in the Margin denies them utterly 31. Ja. Parnell p. 37. That there is no Sabbath now but an everlasting Sabbath and that our Sabbath is but a shadow of which they have the substance and that the first day in the week is no Sabbath 32. That we may not pray before and after Sermons or at set times daies and houres because these things were in the Generation which were enemies to Christ Quaeries sent to the Congregation at Stopport printed in a Book of Mr Eaton 33. That the Ratters themselves had a pure convincement which did convince them And what their convincements were most men know To wit that there is no Heaven Hell Resurrection Judgment to come that there is no sin but what a Man thinks to be so that all that they did was done by the Eternity in them c. Geo. Fox and J. Nailor in a book called A word from the Lord p. 13. 34. That that word 1 John 1.8 If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves was spoken by the carnall man Fr. Gawler See Antichrist in man by Mr Miller of Cardiff p. 7. Idem ibid. 35. That if a man hath sin in him he hath none of Christ 36. They will not acknowledge that Christ ascended with his body into Heaven Idem ibid. Since my Catalogue of the Errors and Blasphemies of the Quakers was Printed off I thought good to make this Addition following Of the Trinity WE deny the term of three distinct Persons which you call God the Father God the Son and God the holy Ghost Whitehead and Geo. Fox against Mr. Smith the Library keeper of Cambridg p. 2. Printed 1659. Of the Authority of the speeches and writings of the Quakers Quest Do you esteem of your speakings to be of as great Authothority as any Chapters in the Bible Answ That which is spoken from the Spirit of Truth in any is of as great Authority as the Scriptures or Chapters are and greater as Christs words were of greater Authority when he spake then the Pharisees reading the Letter This was Writ and Published by Geo. Whitchead and Geo. Fox the younger in their Truth defended against Mr. Tho. Smith of Cambridge 1659. And themselves say it was written from the Spirit of Truth in Geo. Whitehead and Geo. Fox the younger see the Title Page of Truth defending the Quakers and p. 7. here it is plainly though most grosly and blasphemously affirmed that the Quakers speakings are of greater Authority than the Scriptures Of the Morall Law or Ten Commandements No Rule to the Christians life Whitehead and Geo. Fox against Mr. Smith p. 18. In which Book also these Doctrines are owned That Christs coming in the flesh was but a Figure p. 20. That it s no sin to mend an old Doublet on the Communion Table on the Lords Day in Sermon time though forbidden by the Parrishioners p. 20 21. Of Justification Good works are the meritorious cause of our Justification Fisher the Quaker in the Dispute with Mr. Tho. Danson at Sandwitch Printed 1659. These following Stories I had from my very good Friend Mr. W. Allen of London who will if occasion be satisfie any concerning the truth of them By which as well as by some of the former may be seen that the Devill doth extraordinarily act in and by many of the Quakers A Maid in London being met by a Quaker who addressed himselfe to her with suits of Love was perswaded to drink with him The Quaker took something out of a Paper and put into the drink and in discourse told her she should come after him and that he need not come after her The Maid after this found pressing inclinations within her selfe to go to the Quakers Meeting and was brought into strange Raptures and found her mind exceedingly turned against the Bible And some Christian Friends of hers having observed her to have been under sore distempers as well of body as mind for a certaintime at last kept a day of fasting and Prayer for her having her then in their company though not without much relactancy on her part Whilst they were thus seeking God for her she found her selfe greatly tormented and her body sweld so much that they were fain to unloose her Cloathes to give her ease But before they had finished that daies work she found her selfe delivered and since acknowledged to me the great mercy of God to her in recovering her
Hell broke loose OR AN HISTORY OF THE QUAKERS Both Old and New Setting forth many of Their Opinions and Practices Published to antidote Christians against Formality in Religion and Apostasie By Thomas Vnderhill Citizen of London LONDON Printed for Simon Miller at the Starre in St. Paul's Church-yard 1660. TO THE HONOURABLE THE Officers of the Armies OF England Scotland and Ireland SIRS SVpposing that possibly your heads have been so taken up for a long time with these Questions How shall we keep the Power in our own hands And What is the end of Government For you answer that last Question very well in your late Plea that you have not seriously viewed the complexions and spirits of people in the glasse of such Books as are daily dispersed all the Lands over And therefore sith you are uppermost and under God may do much good or harm as his grnce shall incline you or leave you I thought good to dedicate this small Piece to you that you may see what Spirit they are of that are the enemies of the Ministry and our Christian Religion and Assemblies who if you nurse encourage and protect in their ungodliness and blasphemy it will be under the notion of Godliness reckoning them Godly and so you 'l be like them in calling evil good And will not you thereby in Gods just account be reckoned among them and judged with them And how can you possibly please Gods enemies and not dsplease both God and his servants Gentlemen be serious God will not be mocked If you are not as bad as Infidels who are resolved to play with Religion you will bear with me if I tell you That though you seem to be much doubting what sort of people are good Christians and therefore you include all that do but say they are such to the apparent ruine of all true Religion and piety if God prevent it not by you or some other way Yet you do know That the Scripture is Gods written Word and a holy perfect Rule of faith and practice That this Scripture holds forth an Infinite God in three Persons A Mediator who is true God and true man that gave his bloud as a price for mans Redemption who was buried Rose again Ascended and now is in his humane glorified body in Heaven That there is an everlasting state of misery and happinesse A Gospel-Ministry to be continued by a mediate Call to the end of the world That the Ministers of Christ must be entertained honourably as his Embassadours And you know that he that believes in Christ shall be saved and that he who obeys not his commands shall be damned That the objects of Saving Faith and Obedience are without us though the capacitated faculties by which we act Faith and Obedience are within us and a part of us That Faith Repentance New-Obedience are the free-gifts and Graces of God which he works in those whom he will save by his holy Spirit and that the Spirit works and increaseth them in a man by the Ordinances of the Gospel That it is most equitable and well-pleasing to God that one day in seven should be set apart for Rational Souls to mind the things of eternity and have more intimate communion with God by hearing his Word and calling upon his Name That Uniformity and Unity in what is good is well-pleasing to God and beautifull and profitable unto men That it is well done in any Governour of a Family to ordain Vniformity in his Family as to what is good both in reference to Duties and the time of performing them and therefore no lesse well done in the Magistrate effectually to appoint the same to his Subjects I mean in things absolutely necessary to the salvation of souls and the well-being of the publick That it is the duty of Parents both Natural and Political to cause all their children and Subjects to learn the will of God I say most certain it is that we may presume that you that make such a great profession of Religion do know and believe these things If you do not you are no Christians and we shall have cause to mourn that ever we had such Rulers were it not for our hopes that God will sanctifie unto us the worst that you can do unto us If you do so know and believe as no doubt but you 'll say you do then let it appear by your practice by your love to and care of Gods truths Ministers and Ordinances otherwise there are many thousands of the Children of the most high God who are the excellent upon the Earth that will not believe you and you will prove that your Knowledge and Faith are but Historical at the best And how then can you scape the wrath to come Unfeignedly I dare foretell that if God will make you instrumental for the setling of us upon a holy and righteous foundation he will incline your hearts to be nursing Fathers unto his Church and enemies to the enemies thereof especially Blasphemy and Blasphemers And the more good you do the more you shall be loved and honoured and the more God shall be praised for you by all his people and in particular by him that desires your everlasting happiness and is Your fellow-souldier Tho. Vnderhill Postscript IF any enemies of the Christian Ministry and Ordinances shall take offence at my seeking to the Civil or Military Power to support Religion contrary to the Great Church-door which is erected for the letting out of the Reformed Religion and the letting in of Popery I mean this Assertion That the Magistrate qua Magistrate is not to meddle with matters of Religion My Defence is this That the contrary is my belief and my addresse is the exercising the Liberty of my Conscience And why may not I that so believe more acceptably move the Higher Powers for Religion then they against it who therein cross their own professed opinion as they have very much done of late years by the multitude of motions in Councels Books Papers Letters which they have sent or delivered unto every pretended Authority for these many years for the pulling down the Ministry and the Steeple-houses and the obtaining leave to disturb all the Ministers and Assemblies contrary unto their way Their very importuning the Magistrate to pull down the publick Ministry and worship is a yeelding the cause and an owning his Authority in the matters in question though thereby they contradict themselves while they say he hath no such Authority which if they did believe to be a truth they would move him in stead of pulling them down to let them alone as matters beyond the sphere of his calling And undoubtedly if the Magistrate as such ought not to meddle with the things of Religion then it is a sinne for him to pull down as well as build Oh the worth of a truly tender conscience how rare is it TO THE REVEREND AND Wellbeloved in the Lord the Pastors and People of the Church of Scotland