that thy dark mind stumbleth at is that some have said That they that have the Spirit of God are Equal with God ' Whereunto he Replies ' He that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit there is Unity and the Unity stands in Equality it self When the Son is revealed and speaks the Father speaks in him and dwells in him and he in the Father in that which is Equal in Equality it self there is Equality in Nature tho' not in Stature ' 3. That they Assert themselves to be Infallible G. F. Gr. Myst p. 107. He saith speaking of the Priest ' The Holiest Man that is is not able to give an Infallible Character of another Man ' To which he Answers ' Hast not thou in this discovered thy self to be no Minister of Christ or of the Spirit who cannot give an Infallible Character of another Man How canst thou Minister to his Condition ' Pag. 96. ' And thou not being Infallible thou art not in the Spirit and so art not a Minister of Christ and art not able to judge of Powers that is not Infallible nor Magistrates nor Kingdoms nor Churches ' Pag. 33. ' And are they Ministers of Christ that are Fallible ' Edw. Burr p. 862. ' Such i. e. Hereticks are Infallibly known and discerned by the Spirit of God in the True Church of Christ and by every Member of the same ' That they are Perfect as God Geo. F. Gr. Myst p. 282. Whereas Mr. Cawdry said ' Surely they cannot be Perfect here or hereafter in Equality but only in Quality ' Fox Answers ' Christ makes no distinction in his Words but saith Be ye Perfect even as your Heavenly Father is And as he is so are we And that which is Perfect as he is Perfect is in Equality with the same thing which is of God and from God ' That they are without Sin G. F. Myst p. 101. saith ' It is the Doctrine of Devils that Preacheth That Men shall have Sin and be in a WARFARE so long as they be on Earth ' Pag. 231. ' All who come to Christ the Second Adam they come to Perfection and all who attain to him they attain to Perfection in the Life of God out of the First Adam ' Pag. 271. ' For who are Sanctified have perfect Unity perfect Knowledge perfect Holiness ' And William Penn in his Truth Exalted Reprinted 1671 p. 9. laughs at the Church of England-Men for Confessing themselves Sinners or Praying to God for Mercy ' Alas poor Souls saith he are not you at Have Mercy upon us miserable Sinners there is no Health in us from Seven to Seventy ' And Edw. Burr p. 33. saith ' That God doth not accept any where there is any Failing All who do not fulfil the Law and Answer every Demand of Justice ' 4. That they have Immediate Revelation Equal with the Prophets and Aposiles In Truth defending the Quakers written from the Spirit of Truth in George Whitehead and George Fox Junior Printed 1659. p. 7. The Question being put ' Whether the Quakers did esteem their Speakings to be of as great Authority as any Chapter in the Bible ' 'T is Answer'd ' That which is spoken from the Spirit of Truth in any is of as great Authority as the Scriptures and Chapters are and GREATER ' G. F. Gr. Myst p. 242. tells us that the Priest saith ' That the Apostles were Eye-Witnesses and understood by Immediate Revelation from God Inspired with the Gift of the Spirit more than any Man could hope for since ' And saith ' They do not pretend any such Gift nor depend upon such any Immediate Miraculous Revelation from Heaven ' To which G. F. answers ' Then all may see now in this what ye have received that hath been from Man which is not from Heaven immediate nor the Gifts of the Spirit nor received the Gospel by the same means the Apostles did who were not the Eye-Witnesses as the Apostles were Neither have ye attained to the same Knowledge and Understanding as the Apostles did nor received it from Heaven Now let all People question Whether it is the same Gospel which is not received from Heaven nor Immediately nor by Revelation for the Gospel is Immediate which is the Power of God Rom. 1. They i. e. Quakers are in the same Power Understanding Knowledge and Immediate Revelation from Heaven that the Apostles were in ' Geo. Fox further tells us p. 213. that the Priest says ' Thou dost not speak in that Degree of the Holy Ghost as the Prophets and Apostles did that spoke forth Scriptures ' To which he Answers ' Then thou must take heed of Exalting thy self above thy measure for thou canst not know Scripture but by the same Degree of the Spirit the Prophets and Apostles had ' 5. They Vilifie and Speak Contemptuously of the Scriptures News coming up out of the North written from the Mouth of the Lord from one who is Naked and stands Naked before the Lord Cloathed with Righteousness whose Name is not known in the World risen up out of the North which was Prophesied of but now it is fulfilled CALLED G. F. Printed 1655. p. 14. ' Your Original is Carnal Hebrew Greek and Latin and your Word is Carnal the Letter and the Light is Carnal the Letter Their Original is but Dust which is but the Letter which is Death And their GOSPEL IS BUT DUST MATTHEW MARK LVKE and JOHN which is the Letter ' Tho. Lawson in his Brief Discovery of a Threefold Estate of Antichrist Printed 1653. written from the Spirit of the Lord p. 9. Calls the Ministers ' Babylon's Merchants selling Beastly Wares for a large Price the LETTER which is DUST and DEATH ' Saul's Errand to Damascus Printed 1654. p. 7. It was Objected to the Quakers that they had said Whoever took a place of Scripture and made a Sermon of it or from it was a Conjurer and his Preaching was Conjuration To which G. Fox Answered ' All that do Study to Raise a Living Thing out of a Dead to Raise the Spirit out of the Letter are Conjurers and draw Points and Reasons and so do speak a Divination of their own Brain they are Conjurers and Diviners and their Teaching is from Conjuration which is not Spoken from the Mouth of the Lord. ' Truths Defence given forth by the Light and Power of God appearing in G. Fox and Rich. Hubberthorn Printed 1653. p. 101. It is DANGEROVS to read viz. the the Scriptures which the Prophets Christ and the Apostles spoke forth freely And p. 2. speaking of some of their Queries which were lookt upon as frivolous and should have been Burnt They said You might as well have Condemned the SCRIPTVRES to the FIRE And p. 104. they give their reason why saying Our giving forth Papers or Printed Books is from the Immediate Eternal Spirit of God Edw. Burr p. 47. of his Works having this Charged upon him as the Principle of
A Brief DISCOVERY Of SOME of the Blasphemous and Seditious Principles and Practices Of the People Called QUAKERS Taken out of their Most Noted and Approved Authors Humbly Offered to the Consideration of the KING and both Houses of PARLIAMENT BY Edward Beekham D.D. and Rector of Gayten-Thorpe Hen. Meriton Rector of Oxborow Lancaster Topcliffe L.B. sometimes Sen. Fell. of Gon. Caius Coll. Cambr. NORFOLK LONDON Printed for John Harris at the Harrow in Little-Britain MDCXCIX A Brief DISCOVERY of some of the Blasphemous and Seditious Principles and Practices of the People called Quakers 1. The Quakers teach That the Light within by which they are guided is not Conscience GEO. FOX the first Founder and great Apostle of this Sect Gr. Myst p. 209. saith against his Opponent thus ' This Light that doth Enlighten every one that cometh into the World which he calls Conscience is not Conscience ' And in p. 331. he further saith ' The Light which every one that cometh into the World is Enlightened withal is not Conscience for the Light was before any thing was made or Conscience named ' But the True Eternal God and Christ And G. F. Jun. in his Works Reprinted 1665. p. 50. ' I the Light will fall upon you and Grinde you to Powder All who will not own me the Light in you And I will make you know That I the Light am the True Eternal God which Created all things and that by me the Light all things are upheld and that there is not another besides me that can Save ' In Geo. Fox's Book styled The Pearl found in England for the Scattered ones in Foreign Nations the Royal Seed of God and Heirs of Salvation called Quakers who are the Church of the Living God per G. F. Printed 1658. where speaking in the Person of the Quakers Light he hath these Passages p. 15 16. ' I 'll break in Pieces I 'll make Nations like Dirt I 'll tread them into Mire I 'll make Religions Professions and Teachings Gatherings on Heaps Gatherings of Multitudes Gatherings which they call Churches I 'll make Mire of them I 'll make Mortar I 'll make Dirt of them The wrath of the Lamb is Risen upon all Apostates who are gathered in the Apostacy Apostatized from the Prophets Life the Apostles Life the Life of the Lamb The Lamb is Risen The Scepter is gone out The Throne is Set You shall be Shaken ye Diviners ye Dreamers ye Notionists I 'll Whirl you under Hailstones Viols Plagues Thunders Woes Judgments are come amongst you upon your Heads all Nations The pure Life of God is Risen From the Life of my Apostles of my Prophets have ye been all Scattered and Apostatized But the Rod i. e. our Light is over you which must Rule all Nations Trumpets sounding and Sounded the Just will Rule The Lamb will have the Victory Woes Woes and Miseries are out-going upon all the Heads of the Wicked What our Hands have handled and what our Eyes have seen what was from the Beginning the Word of Life this Declare we unto you ' Again G. Fox in his Book stiled The Teachers of the World unvailed c. who in p. 27. thus saith ' I am the Light of the World HIM by whom the World was made If you love the Light with which you are Enlightened withal you love Christ who saith Learn of me But if you hate that Light there is your Condemnation From HIM who is one with the Truth in every Man Who of the Lord WAS moved THIS to WRITE Whos 's Name of the World is called Geo. Fox ' And to this another of their Eminent Teachers one of their Prophets say Amen in his Book The Quakers Challenge c. Printed 1668. in these Words p. 6. ' Stand up Muggleton the Sorcerer whose Mouth is full of Cursing Lies and Blasphemy who calls thy last Book A Looking-Glass for GEO. FOX whose Name thou art not worthy to take into thy Mouth who is a PROPHET indeed and hath been Faithful in the Lord's Business from the beginning It was said of Christ That he was in the World and the World was made by him and the World knew him not SO it may be said of THIS true Prophet Geo. Fox whom John said he was not But thou wilt feel this Prophet G. Fox one Day as heavy as a Milstone upon thee And although the World knows him not yet he is known ' And pag. 2 3. ' Come Protestants Presbyters Independents and Baptists the Quakers denies you all The Quakers are in the Truth and none but they ' c. Now from such Protestants as these Good Lord deliver us notwithstanding their now Wording the Matter otherwise whilst they mean the same thing and their Principles the same that ever they were as they themselves say and that in every part of which here is but a Specimen Edward Burroughs stiled a Son of Thunder and Consolation a true Prophet and faithful Servant of God in his Works Reprinted 1672. p. 149. has an Answer to this Question ' Is that very Man with that very Body within you Yea or Nay ' He saith ' The very Christ of God is within us we dare not deny him ' 2. That they are one Soul with God G. F. Great Myst p. 91. ' They shall see the Bishop of their Souls Christ the Power of God which is Immortal brings the Immortal Soul into the Immortal God Christ their Sanctification who sanctifies their Spirits and Bodies and brings the Soul up into God from whence it came whereby they came to be one Soul ' p. 100. ' And is not that which came out from God which God hath in his Hand speaking of the Soul taken up into God again which Christ the power of God is Bishop of is not this of God's Being ' That their Soul is part of God Idem p. 273. The Priest says ' That it is Horrid Blasphemy to say the Soul is part of God ' G. F. Answers ' It is not Horrid Blasphemy to say the Soul is a part of God for it came out of him and that which came out of him is of him and rejoiceth in him ' And p. 100. ' God who hath all Souls in his Hand and is not this that cometh out from God which is in God's Hand part of God ' That it is Infinite in it self without Beginning or Ending Pag. 90. ' Is not the Soul without beginning coming from God And Christ the power of God the Bishop of the Soul which brings it up into God which came out from him Hath this a Beginning or Ending And is not this infinite in it self and more than all the World ' They make themselves Equal with God G. F. Saul's Errand to Damascus Printed 1654. p. 8. ' He that hath the same Spirit that raised up Jesus Christ is Equal with God ' Fr. Howgil's Works Printed 1676. p. 232. saith to his Opponent ' The first thing
and Exalted them ever been taken up afresh by God's Command or in the Leadings of his Eternal Spirit and the Lord will appear to Gather a People out of them but never to Establish or Keep People in them No they Served their time and now the False Church has got them yea and the Whore has made Merchandize with them and under such Historical Shadowy and Figurative Christianity has she managed her Mystery of Iniquity unto the beguiling of Thousands ' G. F. News coming up c. p. 4. ' Your Baptism and Sacraments as you call it and all your Ordinances and Churches and Teachings it is Cain's Sacrifice ' p. 14. 8. They allow No Liberty to any who differ from them One Quaker writes to another in a bemoaning Letter called The Spirit of the Hat Printed 1673. p. 12. Complaining of Geo. Fox's not allowing any Liberty He speaketh thus ' My Friend Observe what difference is there in these things between G. F. and the Papists The one saith No Liberty out of the Church the other No Liberty out of the Power Saith the Papist What! Liberty to the Sectary No. What! Liberty to the Heretick No. And G. F. saith What! Liberty to the Presbyter No. What! Liberty to the Independent No. What! Liberty to the Baptist No. Liberty saith he is in the Truth The difference lies only here the one has greater Power to Compel than the other ' William Penn in his Brief Examination and State of Liberty Spiritual Printed 1681. p. 3. where the Question is Must I Conform to things whether I can receive them or no Ought I not to be left to the Grace and Spirit of God in my own Heart To the first he says Nay to the last Yea. But he bids them Consider Whether it is from their Weakness or Carelesness telling them It is a dangerous Principle and pernicious to True Religion Nay it is the Root of Ranterism to Assert That nothing is a Duty Incumbent upon thee but what thou art perswaded is thy Duty And in p. 11. I affirm from the Vnderstanding I have received of God not only that the Enemy is at Work to scatter the Minds of Friends by that loose Plea What hast thou to do with me leave me to my Freedom and to the Grace of God in my self But this Proposition as now Understood and Alledged is a Deviation from and a Pervertion of the Ancient Principle of Truth c. And in p. 12. ' Some under pretence of Crying down MAN FORMS AND PRESCRIPTIONS are Crying down the Heavenly Man Christ Jesus his blessed Order and Government which he hath brought forth by his own Revelation and Power through his Faithful Witnesses ' Which Revelation p. 13. was concerning Men and Womens Meetings ' Wherefore I warn all saith Penn that they have a Care how they give way to the Outcry of some falsly intituled Liberty of Conscience against Impositions c. Nor is it the least Evil this Spirit of Strife is Guilty of that useth the words Liberty of Conscience and Impositions against the Brethren in the same manner as our Suffering Friends have been accustomed to intend them against the Persecuting PRIESTS AND POWERS of the Earth ' 9. They Declare themselves against Kingly Government Edw. Bur. his Works p. 244. ' The Lord is risen to Overturn to Overturn Kings and Princes Governments and Laws And he will Change Times and Laws and Governments and there shall be no King Ruling but Jesus nor no Government of Force but the Government of the Lamb nor no Law of Effect but the Law of God All that which is otherwise shall be ground to Powder ' And p. 507. he saith further ' But as for this People i. e. Quakers they are Raised of the Lord and Established by him EVEN CONTRARY TO ALL MEN and they have given their Power only to God and they cannot give their Power to ANY MORTAL MEN to stand or fall by any OUTWARD AUTHORITY and to that they cannot seek but to the Lord alone ' And G. F. in his Gr. Myst p. 31. saith ' That the Quakers are in the Power of God and in the Authority of the Lamb above all Houses and into Houses Creep not BUT ARE UPON THE THRONE ' And in Truth defending the Quakers Printed 1659. p. 9 10. Geo. Whitehead and G. F. Junior being asked Whether they did not say That the Magistrate who made Acts of Parliament and doth not receive them from God as Moses doth act contrary to the Law of God They Answered The Magistrate that is sent of God he receives the Law from the Mouth of God and he is the Prophet whom Moses spake of Deut. 18.18 And rebukes them for thinking Men should make Acts and not receive them from God They say again The Man-Child appears who must Rule the Nations with a Rod of Iron G. Fox in his Bcok Several Papers given forth c. to Presbyterians c. just before the Restoration Writ Anno 1659. and Printed the beginning of 1660. he hath these Passages ' Friends to all you that desire an Earthly King in England c. whether Presbyterians or others Did the Elders of Old in the Days of Christ or the Apostles Cry up any King but Christ to have any King to Rule over them but Christ And doth not the Priests and Presbyterians Cry for an Earthly King and will have Caesar And do they not in this CRUCIFY Jesus Are not all these Elders that will Doat so much of an Earthly King TRAYTORS against Christ Do you read that there were any Kings since the Days of the Apostles but among the APOSTATE CHRISTIANS For Christ is King alone I say That is the False Church that doth not live upon the Head of the Kings They that be True Elders never go about to Set Up an Earthly King over them to Rule Herod the King was Mad at the Child Jesus there is the Fruit of Earthly Kings And hath not this been Witnessed in England c. Ignorant and Foolish People that would have a King And what work Joshua made with the Kings how he brought them out of the Cave A FIT PLACE FOR THEM And all these Novices Christians that are Crying up Earthly Kings And we know that these Kings are the SPIRITUAL EGYPTIANS got up since the Days of the Apostles ' c. Thus much briefly touching their Ancient Anti-Monarchical Principles and they are the same still and have not Deviated in any one Point only G. Whitehead tells us they may see Cause otherwise to Word the Matter c. Against the House of Lords ' Oh! What sincerity was once in the Nation ' says G. F. to the Council of Officers 1659. p. 7. ' What a Dirty Nasty thing it would have been to have heard talk of a House of Lords amongst them ' Again G. F. to the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England c. p. 8. saith viz. ' Let all Abby-Lands Gleab-Lands that 's
given to the Priests be given to the Poor And let all the great Houses Abbies Steeple-Houses and Whitehall be for Alms-Houses for all the Blind and Lame to be there ' c. And they are of the same Principles still they tell you so as in the Conclusion you will see it proved from their late Writings Again in their Book stiled These several Papers sent to the Parliament the Twentieth of the Fifth Month 1659. Inscrib'd by above Seven Thousand Quakers there is these Passages p. 63. ' Sell all the Gleab-Lands and the Bells except One in a Town or Two in a City to give Notice of Fire And all the late King's Parks and his Rents and the Abbies and deny your selves of his i. e. King 's Parks Houses and Rents So let them be sold and the Colledges sold For we Declare with our Hands and with our Lives and Estates against the Ministry that take Tythes and the Setters of them up and the first Authors of them and the Laws that Upholds them ' c. And they are the same still they have not Deviated from their Old Principles as they themselves say only they think it Prudent otherwise to word the Matter as afterwards you 'l hear And House of Commons Geo. Fox Junior in his Works Reprinted 1665. p. 87 88. Intitles his Epistle ' A few Plain Words to be Considered by those of the Army or others that would have a Parliament Chosen by the Voices of the People c. Wheren is shewed unto them according to the Scriptures of Truth That a Parliament so Chosen are not like to govern for God or the good of his People Consider these things says he which I Declare unto you which in waiting upon the Lord he by his Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding Opened in me concerning the Chusing of Parliaments by the Voices of the People ' And p. 89. he says ' You are not like to see your desires fulfilled by a Parliament Chosen by the Voices of the People Now if you believe these Scriptures Joh. 15.19 Math. 7.13 Rom. 9.27 then may you see That a Parliament that is Chosen by most Voices are not like to act for God and the good of his People ' And p. 91. ' And likewise the Chusing of Parliament Men according to the Custom of England which is called its Birth-right stands in respect of Persons and not in Equality for the Rich Covetous Oppressing Men who Oppress the Poor they have the only Power to Chuse Law-makers and they will Chuse to be sure such as will uphold them in their Oppression ' And p. 92 93. ' And we see the People have been in great Blindness in contending for Parliaments so Chosen ' Pag. 149. ' Again it is God's proper right to give Laws unto Man Now in this particular also Man have set himself in the Seat of God and so have Dishonoured the one Law-giver by setting up many Law-givers ' Pag. 150. ' Now Mark and Consider these things seeing that the Righteous are fewer in Number than the Unrighteous and that the Law-makers are Chosen by the most Voices and that of the Richest People outwardly how are the Righteous like to be preserved in outward Freedom by the Laws that are so made ' Pag. 159. ' And I must deal plainly with you saith he in the sight of God who hath made me a PROPHET TO THIS NATION ' Again Edw. Burroughs in his Works p. 522. 'A Running to the Powers of the Earth What have you Ministers lost the Lord to be your Strength that you must flee for help to Men Must they make Laws to Establish you and Set you Up Is not this the Whore that Rode upon the Beast and that the Beast Carried ' Again p. 524. to the Parliament thus viz. ' You do but cause people to drink of the Whores Cup and you are but them i. e. Beast which Carry the Whore viz. the False Church And this is plain dealing to tell you the Truth for we are Gathered up into the Life which the Holy Men of God Lived in and are fallen from the World and its Ways and Nature ' p. 50. ' For even the FATHER bears Witness of us and therefore our Witness is True ' Against Judges Justices and Constables News coming up c. Geo. Fox p. 18. ' Dreadful is the Lord and Powerful who is coming in his Power to Execute true Judgment upon all you Judges and to Change all your Laws ye Kings and all you Rulers must down and cease And all you Underling-Officers which have been as the Arms of this great Tree which the Fowls have lodged under All your Branches must be CUT down for you have been all the Fruitless Branches grown on the Fruitless Tree ' Pag. 20. ' Sing all ye Saints and Rejoice Clap your Hands and be Glad for the Lord Jehovah will Reign and the Government shall be taken from you pretended Rulers Judges and Justices Lawyers and Constables all this Tree must be Cut down and Jesus Christ in us will Rule alone So you must be Cut down with the same Power ' p. 19. ' that Cut down the King that Reigned over the Nation ' And in Edw. Bur. Works Printed 1659. and Reprinted in 1672. and Recommended by the same Geo. Fox Fran. Howgil Geo. Whitehead Jos Coale c. p. 501. he saith ' We stand Witnesses against Parliaments Councils Judges Justices who Make or Execute Laws in their Will over the Consciences of Men or Punish for Conscience sake And to such Laws Customs Courts or Arbitrary Usurped Dominion WE cannot yield OUR Obedience ' c. Against Lawyers Again Geo. Fox to the Parliament of the Common-Wealth of England c. saith p. 5. ' Away with Capmen and Coifmen as they are called away with all those Counsellers that will not tell Men the Law without Ten Shillings Twenty Shillings or Thirty Shillings And away with those Lawyers Twenty Shillings Counsellers Thirty Shillings Serjeants Ten-Groats Attorneys ' Against Lords of Manours Again p. 8. ibid. ' Let all those Fines that belong to Lords of Manours be given to Poor People for Lords have enough ' 10. Which Government that they might not Support they Declare against the Use of the Carnal Weapon in 1660. A Declaration from the People of God called Quakers against all Plotters and Fighters c. presented to King Charles II. 1660. ' All Bloody Principles and Practices We as to our own Particulars do utterly Deny with all outward WARS and Strife and Fightings with outward WEAPONS for any end or under any pretence whatsoever And this is our Testimony to the whole World And we do certainly Know and so Testisie to the World that the Spirit of Christ which leads us into all Truth will never move us to Fight and WAR against any Man with outward Weapons either for the Kingdom of Christ nor for the Kingdom of this World ' c. Subscribed by Geo. Fox Sam.
just that any should Charge them Condemn and Consure them 2 dly They exhort To do to others as they would that others should do to them 3 dly p. 5. We say they pray for all Men for Kings and all that are in Authority 4 thly p. 7. We say the Quakers have and always had a high Value for the Scriptures above all other Bookâ— 5 thly p. 1. They i. e. Clergy Incense those in Authority against this Innocent People i. e. Quakers that the Monster of Persecution might be again raised to Suppress them c. Ans As to the First Would the Clergy account it just to Charge and Condemn them c. Just or unjust they are both Charged and Condemned at the Quakers Bar as above quoted yea and in Smith's Works p. 157 161. the Quakers Dialogu'd the Bishops and summon'd all Ecclesiastical Courts and Officers and not only by their Authority Condemn them but call the Bishops Monsters and into the Bargain say The Book of Common-Prayer is conceived by an Adulterous Womb and that it receives its Strength from the Pope's Loins And 2 dly That therein you Quakers do not do as you would be done by and therein gross Hypocrites and Dissemblers with God and Man But 3 dly your Pretence to pray for all Men for Kings c. This is so False and Falacious that I challenge the whole World to produce one Instance of your praying for King William or any King save once at a Meeting at Milden-Hall where Sam. Cater prayed for the late K. J. II. and how should you be found in that Practice since all Kings with you are but Spiritual Egyptians by your Ancient Testimony from which you have not deviated in one Point But your Principles the same they ever were tho' as Whitehead says You can now word the Matter otherwise 4thly That you value the Scriptures above any Books in the World This is false with a witness when you in Print tell us We may as well burn the Bible as your Writings see p. 9. herein calling the Scriptures Dust Death Serpents Meat Beastly Ware and that Preaching out of them is Conjuration And G. Whitehead tells us in his Book Truth defending the Quakers c. p. 7. That what is spoken from the Spirit of Truth in any is of greater Authority than the Bible And many of your Books nay even that are said to be given forth from the Spirit of Truth the Holy Ghost and spoken from the Mouth of the Lord. How then do you value the Bible above all Books in the World But as Solomon said Prov. 26.3 A Whip for the Horse a Bridle for the Ass and a Rod for the Fools Back and so you must give me leave to whip this John Feild for his deep Hypocrisie and Deceit and I wish it may do him Good What! to pretend that the Quakâ—rs value the Bible above all Books then consequently above their own This is such a Lie that it stabs it self when you exalt and value your own as of greater Authority and are commanded by your Teachers to read them in your Meetings and never read a Chapter of the Old and New Testament in your Religious Meetings if such I may call them since you were a People neither is it agreeable to your Ancient Testimony Nay I am perswaded that should the Government think fit for a Proof of your Sincerity herein to injoin you to read a Chapter of the Bible at the beginning of your Meeting I mean by such of your Teachers as can read a Chapter you would be so far from submitting to Authority that they 'd first go to Jayl and then call it Persecution and record it to Posterity But would it therefore ever the more be Persecution I trow not since it was the Practice of Jewish as well as the Christian Church in all Ages of the World But 5 thly and lastly That the Petitioners would Incense these in Authority to raise that Monster Persecution upon you Now tho' I do profess my self a Member of the Church of England I have often and do now again tell you that I am against Persecution and will add that Persecution for the Name of Jesus or for Righteousness sake is a Badge of a false Church of which your Schism in Pensilvania has given a Demonstration And had you Power in your Hand which God grant you may not I doubt not but we should soon feel your little Finger as heavy as ever you felt a Parliaments Loins Witness your Indicting me for Printing unlicenced your own frequent Practice at that time and your Persecuting of G. Keith c. in Pensilvania but I hope all Suffering is not Persecution Shall Men fire House and poyson Rivers and not be Controuled Limited nay Punished if they will follow their own Light blind Zeal and Imaginations In like manner such as poyson the Streams of the Christian Religion subvert the Faith undermine Christianity broach and maintain Heretical Opinions and Damnable Errors even denying the Lord that bought them as you have in Print which I take to be a Fundamental Error and by me proved upon you I hope then it will not be raising Persecution to have you examined about these things which is the main thing you fear whilst you make the World believe you fear Persecution Thus referring Jâ—… Fâ—ild to my former Books I subscribe my self the Quakers Friend tho' I tell them the Truth Francis Bugg Feb. 18. 1698. FINIS