Bishop that false deceitful vile Corrupter and Abuser of History c. What were the Titles of the Books Who were the Authors He could not afterwards tell me This Friend of his told me very soberly and calmly That if the Charge against the Quakers of leaving their Meetings in a time of Persecution were true for which they condemned us I had a just Charge against them and they ought to give me satisfaction No Book meddles with these Questions The next morning I sent him another Letter and told him what Excuses I had heard why he would not meet with me which he knew not to be true that I did believe he knew no Reply could be given and therefore declined it and that he had as good tell me so in plain words as thus practically and by interpretation I had promised him if he could give me a satisfactory rational Answer to my Queries I would turn Quaker but not till then And that I had some more Questions to propose to him about which I desired his sober Consideration and that I challenged him to a publick Disputation about them Question 5. Whether it were not great Folly or worse to say That bowing to a man was Idolatry a Breach of the second Commandment a Sin which rather than Mordecai would commit he would run a Risk for his own Life and the Lives of all the Jews and yet after all this Harangue turn this Custom of bowing to men into a common Practice When we were reasoning with them once Did not Abraham bow to the Children of Heth c They would reply If Abraham were satisfied in it we are not following Scripture-Examples hath undone the world and yet of late years they observe that civil decent Ceremony By the way Reader give me leave to tell a pleasant though plain Story I knew two Grave Learned Divines who parting bowed one to another A zealous Quaker in a great Fury runs to them and said to one of them a facetious man Dost thou not know it is written Thou shalt not bow down The Minister looking on this ignorant impudent Fool with Contempt said to him Dost thou not bow down when thou dost Sh The Quaker replies Thou art a Beast to talk so And said the Minister Thou art a veryer Beast if thou dost not do so Nay Priest said he why talkest thou like a Beast Why said be quotest thou Scripture like a Devil alluding to that Scripture where the Devil setting on Christ cites Scripture of Angels preserving men that they hurt not their feet against the stones but left out in all thy ways Mat. 4.6 So the Quaker names Thou shalt not bow down but left out to graven Images Question 5. Whether it were not unheard-of Dissimulation to tell Oliver Cromwell Thus saith the Lord I have put the Sword into thy hand to to destroy Idolaters the Stuarts and Maâ—nants And yet after all to tell Kâ— Charles II. That all this was Rebellion 〈◊〉 that they gave their Testimony against the mâ— ther of his Father What George Fox and Burroughs did well known He that would fully undâ—stand this wickedness let him read a liâ—â— Tract done by a curious hand call'd 〈◊〉 Snake in the Grass The best Thing tâ— ever was written on this Subject 〈◊〉 Pennyman's Papers once a Quaker wâ— hath out of their Authors shewn hâ— they always shuffled Principles about â—vernment Scriptures Ministers c. Question 7. Whether it were not great wickedâ— to pretend to Inspiration Infallibility Pâ— phecies Miracles and yet expound so 〈◊〉 congruous and contrary to Scripture As Pen and I heard George Whitehead to in Bristol on Prov. 9.1 4. Wisdom hâ— built her a house She cryeth Whose simple let him turn in hither and for 〈◊〉 that is void of understanding A simâ—â— thing said he is a thing unmixt pure So he that is Holy hâ—th no Sin Now â—hough the latter part of the Verse explains the former yet this mighty man of theirs that hath printed so many large Books could not see it Besides though the word Simple be an equivocal word in English yet not so in Hebrew for here it fignifieth foolish That a Quaker about a year since in Cullington prophesied from the Lord All Women that are with Child this Year shall die in Childbirth which was far from being true though some in that Case were in great fear If this cost any of them their Lives I cannot contradict it if any should say that this false Prophet deserved to die as much as any Thief or High way-man whatever Reader know these men condemned all Human Literature and asserted Inspiration But can the Spirit in a Quaker contradict the Spirit in the Scripture They say That as if a man speak through a Cane it is not the voice of the Cane though it pass through it but the voice of the Man So it is not the voice of the Quaker but the voice of the Spirit I needed no more to prove them Deceivers but hearing them Yea some have pâ—â— tended to Miracles One came into a House where a Chillay dead and said to the People Weep no the Child is not dead but sleepeth And iâ— imitation of the Prophet 2 Kings 4.3 Stretcht her self on the Child saying In 〈◊〉 Name of Jesus of Nazareth arise I suppose Reader I need not tell thee that thâ— Soul of the Child returned not to it againâ— A Story well known and by whonâ— among Bristol Friends A Quaker told me that it was said George Fox could by Inspiration speak aâ— Languages where the Lord sent him anâ— restored a Man to Life who broke hiâ— Neck Impudent Falshoods I knew a Woman about 22 years since who must fast 40 days and 40 nights bâ—â— soon died and would have eat but couâ— not L S of Bristol before named asserted he was as much Inspired as waâ— the Prophet yea as Balaam's Ass Thiâ— Inspired Ass after a continued idle Life fell ill of the Diabetes by drinking alwayâ— Red-streak Cyder When on his Death Bed he said to his Physician Dr. Griffin who told me the Story I shall not die â— shall be in such a place by such a day If should now die the Lord would reveal it to me But the Fool soon turn'd up his Trotters and died The Spirit say they is Infallible What then doth it make us so God is Omnipotent Omnisicient doth he make us so This L S the Inspired Ass once found out a notable place of Scripture for taking away Baptism and the Lord's Supper Isa 3.1 For behold the Lord takes away the stay of bread There is the Supper said he and of Water there is Baptism as honest Mr. Blinman a Minister had it from him and told me the Story Now who would talk with such profane Wretches thus playing with Scripture AFter this I receiv'd a Letter from William Penn who told me That he had consulted some Bristol Friends and they told him I was a Hot-headed man and a Persecutor
there is no Name given under Heaven by which men can be saved but the Name of Jesus There is no Salvation in any other Acts 4.12 If it be asked Why I am sometimes Comical and Reflect so severely on some of their Leaders I answer Quacks and Jugglers and foolish Pretenders to any thing are not to be treated as wise and sober men Answer says the Wisest of Men a fool according to his folly lest he be wise in his own conceit Prov. 26.25 Says the serious Worshipper at Mount Carmel that approached the Altar of God with all imaginable Reverence and not as a Stage player when he saw the Priests of Baal seemingly most devout cut themselves and leap upon the Altar Cry aloud 1 Kings 18.27 either he is talking or in a journey or sleepeth and must be awaked A goodly God! For my severe Reflections on some Men I lived nigh them knew them well they were some of the great Advocates for their Cause talk'd of all England over for their Zeal among the Quakers who spared not the most Learned Religious Ministers and People in the world for want of self-denial which little appeared in the Accusers for leaving the Places of their open Meetings the Ministers were Hirelings 10. John 12 13. who did flee when the wolf came that cared not for the sheep and that because the sheep were not their own As if to flee from a Place were to flee from an Office And after they had call'd them and the People Hypocrites Children of the Devil Haters of Christ Lovers of the World that should be damned for ever for this their great open Sin and Wickedness they did the same thing themselves when their Fund failed Either what I have Charged them with is True or False if it be False let me be accounted the greatest Defamer upon Earth a Persecutor or what they please If it be true as I call Heaven and Earth to Record it is and can justifie the Charge before God and Man I do say it on mature Consideration and with great Composure of Mind That Pen and the Quakers are Impostors or Apostates Know Reader I have made no use of Books nor Men to help me in this Work tho it is said by some it were impossible I could thus describe them without help from some Man that had been a Quaker I have not troubled you with some stories of Quakers upon common fame though I doubt not the truth of them yet cannot prove them if required as that one Friend came to another and said The Lord hath sent me to thee to tell thee thou must lend me Twenty pound It was a lying Spirit sent thee said the other for the Lord knows I am not worth half the Money Neither have I troubled you with their denying such a sense of Scripture when writing against us and asserting the same sense to serve their own turn and all from one and the same Infallible Spirit Penn is a notorious instance who in a Book call'd Judas and the Jews said on those words Tell the Church 18. Matt. 17. That the Church was to judge of matters of wrong between Man and Man but not of Faith or Conscience yet in another Book to all Protestants asserts The Church had Power about matters of Faith and Conscience when he pleaded for the Church-Quakers Nor much of what I have read of some of them many y s since I remember in the time of a long continued Drought about Twenty year since when many fear'd and talk'd of a Famine out comes Fox and tells us What reason we had to expect a Famine That before the Plague he saâ— the Angel of the Lord with a drawn Sword over the Court. See the Cheat. Rain soon pour'd down You false Prophets tell us your Prophecies before not after their accomplishment I must recommend to you the aforementioned Book The Snake in the Grass If you are Dissenters pardon some warm passages proceeding from intemperate Zeal for Bishops and Liturgies In the Book may you be informed of The Authority of the Church-Quakers for so Penn's Faction are call'd who often Assemble at London and assume to themselves power over the Light within especially in the Separate Quakers for so are the Followers of George Keith call'd a Scholar once Master of Arts who owns Faith in an outward Christ crucified him that died at Jerusalem The Resurrection of the Body Defects to be bewail'd The insufficiency of the Light within without Scripture and speaks favourably of Baptism and the Supper All this George Keith hath printed and told me He proves George Fox their Great Apostle to be a Blasphemer and impostor That he said before some Governors That he said he was equal with God and Judge of the world He receiv'd the Title and Worship of Christ from many who lay prostrate before him he smoothing them on the face and blessing them So did Sabbata Sevi his deluded Followers and Nathan the Prophet in the Year 1666. till he turned Turk to save his Neck Penn pleads for this Fox attributes his abuse of many Terms to his Ignorance What! and yet inspired and sent of God! That he call'd on the Army to fight against Rome and the Turks That Balaam must be slain and all the Hirelings turn'd out of the Kingdom He bad them pull down Mass-houses and Colleges Give the Priests Blood to drink for they are worthy said Burroughs The Blasphemy of many of their Leaders who said they were as holy as God not only in quality but equality and that the preternatural distortions of their Bodies and their Quakings at first were of the Devil Though the Numen that then inspired them hath now left them Though Solomon Eccles a Quaker before the Fire of London went up and down with a Pan of burning Coals yet he was proved to be a false Prophet in other things That the Quakers moved not their Goods believing it was a Delusion and knowing that almost every Week one Quaker or another would go up and down the Streets in London and cry Thus saith the Lord Fire Pestilence Sword c. And if Solomon Eccles prophecied of the Burning of the City all know so did Oliver's Porter That Muggleton hath his Prophecies too to be printed How soon Josiah Coal died after he testified against him That Muggleton a Taylor and Fox a Shoemaker set up for Inspired Persons together Though Fox at first condemned all outward teaching by Man till he had gotten men from the Ministry then he set up Preaching but Muggleton doth not but keeps to the old Principle He saith The Father to whom Christ pray'd was Elijah who governed in Heaven when Christ was on Earth because in his absence there was no God there And such Blasphemous stuff They pretended to the Spirit of discerning Persons and Things and could tell what Men were on the sight of them They now Damn one another the Muggletonians and Quakers call one another Sorcerers Serpents and say
what was inflicted by the Civil Magistrate on one another was just That Penn defended and engaged so to do Pensilvania by Soldiers and Arms against the Indians Commissions were given to Fight for the recovering of a Sloop taken from some Privateers that they Imprisoned some Quakers for Printing some Books without a License though but in their own defence That Burroughs said God could Arm Thousands of his Saints yea and Ten Thousands to Fight his Cause but for the present must not be so till Christ command them and this Christ is the Light within He asks this one plain Question of Friends Is not force of Arms necessary in England and all other Nations though condemned and that by the Spirit of God as Antichristian and Diabolical This Gentleman entertains you with a very pleasant Comedy how they play their Infallibilities Inspirations Prophecies one against another how they damn all the Christian world and yet assert the Salvation of Heathen How Fox and especially the Old Cheat George Bishop told Oliver How much they loved him and stood by him and what should be done to prevent the coming in of Charles Stuart And yet when he came in told him They acted not against him but mourned for him And talk much how they suffered as he did and what was their Loyalty till Billin a great Quaker Protested That if it cost him his life he would declare against any such pretences for said he we were not for the King but against him Howgil stole whole Paragraphs out of Mr. Selden of Tythes verbatim Yet this in others hath been highly condemned where not practised but injuriously charged He gives you an account of their horrid Blasphemies about Scripture as Serpents Meat dust about Christ and the Light within about Perfection Ordinances c. AND now I advise all Persons of Parts and Wisdom that look into the Controversie between us and the Quakers especially Gentlemen and Ministers to buy and peruse the aforenamed Book the best in my opinion that ever I saw I have given you some of the dainties there to invite you to a more plentiful eating What shame is it for Men to pretend as Preachers to convince Gainsayers and yet know not the most convincing Arguments to confute their Folly whom they know to be the worst of Hereticks and oppose them as such Or what a shame is it for Gentlemen who should be advocates for truth not to know what can be said against such Deceivers as these These are Hereticks indeed some of the worst when others cannot be so call'd though they are too often so but rather Erraticks and perhaps we are all such though some more than others As I have recommended the Snake in the Grass so I will Pennyman's Paper call'd The Quakers Contradictions according to the Times and their Interest Once a Quaker but left them for their Folly and Madness Some have said as he proves out of their Writers That their Writings are equal to the Scriptures and of as great Authority Some That the Scriptures are Carnal Dust Death Others have declared before the Lord That such words were never spoken by Friends which if not great impudence must be great ignorance For it may be Friends in one place know not what Friends in another place do say or Print I therefore commend Pennyman for sometimes repeating their words and no more He proves that they that have denied the Scripture to be the word of God have called their own Writings so Some have said That they are no Ministers but are under the curse that be not infallible and speak not immediately from God that cannot resolve all doubts and convince all Gainsayers What a cursed sort of Teachers then say I are most of the Quakers Teachers who are so far from this that they cannot speak tolerable sense nor pronounce right many common words They also have said That they that have not the Spirit of discerning and know not Mens state infallibly upon the sight of them cannot apply themselves to them accordingly not knowing whether they be holy or unholy But did they know all the Priests and Jesuits that came among them whom they almost adored Bedlo told my Brother how often Whitebread and he as well as other Papists had been at Quakers Meetings that Whitebread Executed was a Speaker Why discerned they not such Speakers that have been found to have lived in Drunkenness Whoredoms Must you know hearts too this is the work of Christ Judas was not smelt by the Disciples Some say they know Thousands of Friends that are free from Sin Once they all pretended to be so and that they that were not so were not of God but of the Devil Some say That Friends be all of one Mind and Soul Yet we know there are great divisions among them here at home and beyond Sea He tells you of a Quaker's stealing the Hour-glass out of a Church and that Fox said If a Friend be moved to such a thing by the Lord by the Eternal Spirit it is defended Now you Priests and Steeple-house Wardens look to the Silver Vessels used in the Sacrament for if a Friend should be moved to take them away by the Eternal Spirit it would be defended Some of the Separate Quakers have desired Liberty of Conscience in things not Evil as was once pleaded for but they cannot be heard Some have condemned asking any thing of outward Rulers Others have often Petitioned King and Parliament The Quakers Speakers take the chief Seats in their Assemblies now though once they condemned it Many now in Disputes and Discourse use terms others condemn as wicked Some have said It is laid on them by Christ not to Sue any Man at Law others I say have done it and as I have been credibly informed they that would not take an Oath in Bristol have in London Pennyman tells you how Penn blamed the Church of England in the Reign of the Late King James for Censuring the King's Acts and Reflecting on Roman Catholicks as not Manners nor Justice He cites the Book Some have said If the Spirit direct to fight we have nothing to say against it Others say they can never be directed by the Spirit to any such thing for it is not of God He speaks of their rudeness to him saying he deserved to be whipp'd at a Carts tail that they thrust him in the side with a stick Yet all these were Inspired and Infallible in contrary Doctrines Now having given an account of these two excellent Writers Let me a little consider the Plea of some among us for this People Question 1. Are not the Quakers more sober than once they were Yes and many know not the Opinions nor Practices of their first old Leaders No Men or Women run up and down Naked now c. Question 2. Are they not a People very Temperate above others Let every Man speak as he finds I lived long next door to one who was found out to be a
a better diversion to shake off Melancholly THou scoffing persecuting Ishmael thou blaspheming Devil thou Limb of Antichrist I testify to thee in the Name that thou hast belied the People called Quakers yea I say unto thee the People called Quakers hast thou belyed They are an innocent people and to that do I bear witness Therefore thou Devils Bloodhound thou Thief and Robber that never didst come in at the door but didst climb up some other way Thus saith Thou art not able to judge for thou art blind Thou Beast thou Sot thou Incarnate Devil I am full of Zeal yea with Zeal I am filled ready to burst in testifying against thee thou scarlet-colour'd Beast thou canker'd Apostate thou Son of Belial Thou greedy Wolf in Sheeps Cloathing thou Dog thou dumb Dog thou barking Dog thou Emissary of Satan thou Beelzebub the Chief of Devils Repent and know that this People whom thou hatest and dost not love are dear precious ones To this will I set my Seal and do I bear witness Hear O thou Serpent fiery Serpent biting hissing Serpent thou unclean Spirit thou Devil-driven Sot I am sent to thee to declare against thee I am sent as Mary Fisher was to the great Turk who could speak nothing but English when she came to him as honest Friend G. Bishop is forced to confess in his New-England tryed Now I speak to thee in the same Language she did to him If any of you intend thus to set upon me I wish it may be when I am so costive that no other Physick would make me soluble I am sorry for the Dishonour that such bring to Religion and the Wrong they do themselves and the scandal they give to the Prophane but as for me I find nothing more easy than to forgive them pity them and love the Men though not the Quakers I must despair of understanding any thing or of proving any thing if in this little Book I have not sufficiently proved and that ex abundanti That William Penn and the Quakers are either Impostors or Apostates which they please from their Avowed Principles and Contrary Practices BUT methinks I hear some say We see what it is for men to talk of the Spirit which is nothing else but a warm Fancy following a deluded Judgment What may we think of Prophets of old and their Inspirations and Prophecies so much talk'd off We doubt all were such as these of the Quakers Stop Reader if these thoughts be in thee let us reason together Though I doubt not but that this giddy People have contributed very much to the increase of Scepticism and Atheism and Contempt of Religion Yet why Because there is so much bad Coin adulterate Coin Case-Pieces Clipp'd-Money is there therefore no Good Money or Money of full Weight Is it all alike Because there is so much False News going and so many Mistakes and idle Stories pass for Truth is there therefore no True News or True Relation of things Because we are so often mistaken in men who are often said to be good-natur'd wise and pious whom in our nigh approaches to them we find ill temper'd half-witted and scandalous are there therefore no good-natur'd no wise no pious Men in the World To talk of the Spirit is a Cant among some Men almost a Community of Men who own Scripture and read Lessons out of it They will talk of God and of Christ but nothing or next to nothing of the Spirit I desire them to read Neh. 9.20 Thou gavest also thy good Spirit to instruct them 2 Cor. 1.22 Who hath given the earnest of the spirit in our hearts Rom. 8.9 He that hath not the spirit of Christ is none of his John 3.5 6 8. Except a man be born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God That which is born of the Spirit is spirit Rom. 8.16 The spirit it self beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God Psalm 51.11 After David sinn'd so foully he prays Take not thy holy spirit from me Consider their abuse of such Phrases should not take us off from the use of them Because the Papist have abused the words of Christ This is my Body by their monstrous Doctrine of Transubstantiation and so to worship a Wafer for a God we are not therefore to deny the Bread the honourable Name Christ gave it The Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit is not so call'd from his Essence and Nature for so we might as well say The Holy Father or the Holy Son as the Holy Ghost but from his Office Whom the Father elects the Son redeems and the Holy Ghost sanctifies and makes holy Now a skilful Physician is not to be despised ridiculed because of some Quacks nor a good Lawyer because of some ignorant Pretenders nor a Spiritual Man because of some sensless vain Talkers of the Spirit Though I have written more already than I intended when I begun yet give me leave to add some Directions to cure this Malady which we find occasion'd for want of these things you are now prest to and that our Perfectionists little mind Direction 1. 1. Keep up a due Veneration for the Scriptures and their Authority He that cannot see a God one would think could see nothing Infinity and Eternity must be lodged in somewhat Some Cogitative Being which word with Mr. Lock I like better than Intelligent suited means to end Read him in that excellent Chapter of Human Vnderstanding Mr. Perkins's Cases of Conscience of the Being of God Is the Soul of Man made for God to serve and injoy him Not to say any thing of the Reflex Acts of the Soul That Matter cannot act on it self The tip of my finger that toucheth thousands of things cannot return upon it self touch it self But my Understanding that understands other things reflects on it self and understands it self and therefore the Spirit of a Man is not as the Spirit of a Beast The Poet could say Sanctius his animal mentisque capacius altae Pronaque cum spectant No Creature but Man can turn up his eyes to Heaven for Man hath a Muscle more than they to help to look up to God Doth it not convince you Good Readers as well as this Pagan Ovid Met. That though Man was made in this world yet not for it Are not some men designed for the Recovery of the Lost Love and Favour of God That is hoped by all What then will follow That there must be some Rule whereby Man may know this God and serve him Now this must be either by Revelation or there must be some standing written Rule The former we see is gone and our giddy Pretenders to it prove it Therefore the latter Then say I The Scriptures must be the standing Rule or some other thing But no other thing Therefore the Scriptures If any thing What is it Mahomet's Alcoran I need not confute it None plead for it Nay It is worthy observation
time of Persecution Christ hath said it plainly If they persecute you in one City flee to another Matth. 10.23 Be wise as Serpents said the same mouth and almost in the same breath that said be innocent as Doves Had any of us been let down in a Basket over a Wall as Paul was for fear of the Jews Acts 9.24 25. they would have made sport of us though none were so weak in those days to do so of him We told them That in a time of danger it was lawful to withdraw from the Example of the Prophets Christ the Apostles The Holy Jesus in this respect was not Holy enough for his Holy Brethren in pretence observe Christ did as we do his Brethren who are said not to believe in him objected and censur'd him almost in the same words as the Quakers their Followers do us the Followers of Christ John 7.1 4. Jesus walked no more openly in Jewry but walked in Galilee because the Jews sought to kill him There is no man that doeth any thing in secret and he himself seeketh to be known openly If thou do these things shew thy self to the world said his unbelieving Brethren to him All our Martyrs did as we did These said Barclay Apol. and Thousands of them that by this were they known to be the People of God That they were not found in Corners kept the Places of their Publick Worship which if pull'd down they stood on the Rubbish of them and would have done so even to the death But say I since they are known not to be the People of God for they left those Places in the heat of Persecution I being once a Bristol man will tell you what was done there where were the chief Quakers I will inform you what I know of this Lawrence Steel of Bristol once a Candidate for the Ministry who left us and turned a Perfectionist because of this Principle of theirs yet left their Meeting-place a long time At last when driven here by some hot quakers he was taken only with six or seven persons as I remember He was sent to Gaol a half-year for refusing the Corporation Oath after the expiration of which he never went-more and so continued to the time of his death R. V. another great man especially in his own eyes did the like and all the rest only Elizabeth Sterring and Dorcas Dole two zealous Women wrote a Book against them all damning them in the Name of the Lord for leaving their Testimony contrary to their Manifestation from the Lord. They tell them of Daniel's opening his Windows contemned their Plea that God can hear in secret and they drop this charitable and I doubt not true passage by the way Had many of the Professors for so they call other Dissenters been of your Persuasion they would not have done as you now do Honestly said Heaven forbid Is it not worth while to ask William Pen how he bore his Testimony Did not he flee Not Whitehead after all his mockings of others They would set some to watch at doors to see whether Informers did espy any of them coming into a House warily as others did for a private Meeting This was the great thing these men ever gloried in it was a good Providence before this Liberty was given that these men were tried and cast else how had they now triumphed and exalted themselves above all others The reason of all was this If there were taking away of Goods in one place it was not so in another till now therefore the Sufferers were helped by the Non-sufferers out of their Fund a commendable Practice but now the Storm comes on all and no help Every Quaker now must stand or rather run away on his own Legs Question 4. Whether it were not horrid Impiety to leave Ministers because of their Learning and yet follow Pen and others because of theirs Latin was once the Language of the Beast not fit for the mouth of a Christian This with Greek and Hebrew were the Three Languages nailed at Christ's Cross but they have since cryed to them as the Jews to Jesus Come down from the Cross That Philosophy was Aristotle's Vomit Serpents Meat in us and yet Angelical Food in him In short How can Learning make us like Devils and William Pen like an Angel So that the Light within was almost turn'd to the Light without Pen's Dictates Only some were more eagleâ—ey'd and could look through men Meade told a Friend of mine That all Pen's Party were Factors for Popery But that he himself was so Loyal he would spend his All his Blood in the Service of this King Honestly said Meade I believe thou speakest thy heart Reader I must stop thee here for a while and tell thee Since the sending of this Question I have been informed by some who knew Pen as much as one man can know another That Pen is indeed a grand Politician a great Statesman one that hath great command of words but an Inventer of some which the Quakers use as to Un-religion a man and the Bowed-downness of Souls but that he could not talk plain Latin with any man They believed he could not turn a plain piece of English into Latin That he was no Grecian That he understood little Logick or Philosophy and told me some of his Blunders in Natural Philosophy too Comical now to relate I was surprized And now William Pen seeing I am better informed concerning thee that thou hast more escaped the Pollutions of this Learned Age than I and Thousands of others imagin'd I beg thy pardon for abusing thee and clapping this Indignity on thee and if Reformation may be thy security and Repentance that younger Brother to Innocency set matters right thou needst not fear such foul Aspersions for the future However something of Learning thou hast Barclay more but Samuel Fisher most of all that makes my Question to deserve an Answer I know the Learned Quaker that gave Barclay the Collections in his Apology out of the Fathers as he told me Sam. Fisher and others could come with their old heathenish way of Disputing testified against by the Spirit of the Ever-living God by Syllogisms Major Minor Conclusion and Poetry too condemned in others I wrote W. Penn I would not trouble him with one Question more Whether it were not Hypocrisy to condemn all Wars even Defensive as unlawful and Murther when they were called to serve in this way Protestant Princes and yet all was well for a Popish Tyrant Because I knew he did not dare on many Accounts to give me a Reply After I had sent him these Queries I went to his Lodgings but he was not there One of his Friends there knew of my Letter and told me that William Pen said He loved not Controversies that is I suppose Questions he cannot answer for Controversies are his work and trade and that Books might inform me But I know none and I presume he neither What Books vindicated George
our selves more than him Thus he that pretends to exalt the Love of God hath debased it above all men I hope some learned Bishop or Clergy-man will soon take this conceited Man and cut him up and send him to the Tribes in Israel with a see consider and speak your minds who hath asserted that the Quakers Cause calls for their most Learned Pens and they may triumph in the Victory if they get it The Quakers ignorance discovers it self on all occasions G. Fox would call Preachers Conjurers But to do him right he was none as all know that read his Books or heard him talk George Whitehead that hath writ so much is a Notorious Dunce as proved before Mr. Speed Mr. Vickris of Bristol never speak among them who are Men of Parts and Sense I will imitate the Quakers way of speaking and judge what if you heard such stuff as this though sometimes better in their greater Meetings where contrary to their first Principles many of them forbid Womens speaking or the speaking of Nonsensical Fools that talk at this or the like rate Frunds I am moved by the to speak unto you though I know not what I shall say Noah was a Perfect Man yet some say Men cannot be Perfect or without Sin yet Noah was so and his Son Cham was Cursed for uncovering his Father's nakedness when drunk Judas was the Traytor and bore the Bag and cared not for the Poor It is said he that taketh Kirjah Sepher Now that is the Spirit of the Book Now look Fruâ—ds the Heart is the Book and the Spirit is the Light within It is said indeed I forbid a Woman to speak in the Church but the Priests are in the dark mind and understand it not by the Woman is meant the Flesh and by the Husband is meant the Devil but they in the Witchcraft cannot see it but I say look to the Light within you Frunds If you have motions to a Woman and do not do the act or desire to take another Man's goods and do not do it you Sin not Mary Fisher had leave from the Lord to go froâ— New-England to save her life when otherâ— had not Now they used carnal Weaponâ— Paul said These hands have ministred to â— necessities And whatsoever doth makâ— manifest is Light Now we abhor thâ— Papist Transubsistation and Infannibility and many things be taken figuratelâ— When I shoed a Horse the other day thâ— Horse went the better so you if you loâ—â— to the Light within you ah the pure Lighâ— The Priests use Heathenish words such aâ— be not in Scripture as Sacrament c. Thâ— word of the is come upon mâ— I am to read a Letter from Friend F. oâ— P. though we read not Scripture thâ— was of old yet we may what comes froâ— the pure streams One came to me 〈◊〉 know where John Steeplehouseman dwelâ— whom he prophanely call'd Mr. Churâ—â— man but I bid him defiance for Woâ—shipping the Beast They say if you 〈◊〉 Persecuted from one City flee to anothâ—â— But these Hell-hounds understand noâ— they be Baals Priests Hirelings a Geneâ—tion of Vipers for it is revealed unto 〈◊〉 Flee to another is to the City Heaveâ— O Frunds flee there flee there Frund There is none that doeth good they say 〈◊〉 not one but David said after O that the salvation of Israel were come out of Sion The Priests say this world shall in time end but they be in the dark and make Solomon a Lyar who sayeth yea he sayeth One generation passeth away and another cometh but the earth abideth for ever now mark Frunds what abides for ever shall never end but they be Sorcerers Wolves in Sheeps cloathing They say That when the outward fleshly Christ was Crucified the vale of the Temple was rent in twain and the Rocks rent and the Graves were opened But they be blind Guides that lead the blind and so both fall into the Ditch I am moved to tell you Frunds and now the two thumbs must be put against the Breasts that this is meant Mens Hearts were torn Hearts as hard as Rocks what think you Doth the Scripture tell you of outward Temples and outward Books Do not Fâ—unds strike any one after the manner of Men for Paul saith Lay hands suddenly on no man The world is angry if we Honour them not by putting off our upper Covering and say Thee to them but abide you in the Light c. They talk much of Paul's Epistles But what do they tell us of the Epistles of Apostatizing Jews And they talk of Abraham's Faith we must be better than they in their day They telâ— us what David and what the Apostles did 〈◊〉 but being led by Example hath undonâ— the world Now my Frunds the People of God of old were Quakers Moseâ— was a Quaker for he said I exceedingly quake and fear and Habakkuk was a Quaker for his lips quivered yea they were all Quakers for they taught Righteousness which is the very Principle of the Quakers yea I say so do the Quakers sayâ— Now the world saith That the Body of Christ is gone to Heaven but it turned to the dust They say the Scriptures be Gold's Word but they lie they be dirt Serpent's meat some Frunds threw their Bibles into the fire and they perished and therefore are not God's word Frunds It is often said and truly the Scriptureâ— and the Body of Christ be the Two great Harlots that have deceived the world many things in Scripture are evil in onâ— place Circumcision is commanded in another place forbidden c. That such and worse Speeches have been made in thousands of their Assemblies 〈◊〉 doubt not and I am ready to give an account of the things as their assertions that I have read in their Books or heard in hearing them or talking with them Because many are decoyed by the Quakers mode of Speaking as most agreeable to Scripture as Thou to a Single Person not you which word we use Thou not You to God I will consider it We are no more bound to Scripture modes of communication than to Scripture dresses and because many many weak ones are deceived by these specious pretences I will plead this case Bildad said to Job only 18. Job 1 2 3. How long will it be ere You make an end of words How long shall we appear vile in your sight for be teareth Why may I not say You to one as well as Thou to many When God delivered the Law on Mount Sinai Thou shalt not kill Spoke he not to Thousands We borrow this from the French Vouz for they have no other word to a single Person we took You from it We despise not the word Thee to a King as they often say in all cases he that Marrieth him to his Queen saith Wilt thou have this Woman He that gives him the Lords Supper saith The Body of Christ given for Thee preserve thy Body and Soul What if men agree such a word
shall signifie such a thing is not that sufficient Quem penes arbitrium est jus norma lequendi Barclay's Objection is vain What if Apol says he a â—cholar should say to his Master Vos amas Vos legis I say we put the Verb al 's in the plural number in English we say not You lovest you readest but You love you read I put it to their Conscience Is it Sinful thus to speak If not Why then trouble they the world about nothing I am not willing to run out much into other things that many have written well of Read Faldo's Quakerism no Christianity who hath done his work like a Workman and the aforementioned Tract which will commend it self and to which little need be added And now tell me Reader What thinkest thou Was there ever such a giddy Generation upon Earth As great Apostates from Reason most of them are as from Religion It is true some few Men among them have shap'd their Notions for them and made them more intelligible than once they were When such a Question as this hath been under Consideration Whether it were Lawful for their Women to Speak in their Meetings I have been Answer'd That Jesus Christ was Crucified and that the Priests accused him and Pilate condemned him c. I remember I have read Where dost thou read thou Hireling that ever any of God's Messengers stood on a Carnal Pulpit When that Scripture hath been urged 8. Nehem. 4. And Ezra stood on a pulpit of wood and read the law and gave the sense the Answer hath been What hast thou to do with Ezra Ezra was a Holy Man and thou art an Hypocrite Or when the Question hath been about Swearing and that Scripture hath been urged 10. Rev. 6. The Angel swore by him that liveth for ever and ever Time should be no more the Answer hath been But to which of the Angels said he at any time Thou art my Son to day have I begotten thee Some say That Ministers must not be paid because it was said The Priests bear rule by their Meant 5. Jer. 31. That Ministers must not use helps in Reading for Paul would not meddle in another man's Line Some have asked one another Hast thou experienced that Scripture in thee The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood The Answer hath been Yea The Spirit was in them and the Spirit was not to be tried by any thing Scripture nor Man's Reason So that a Man had almost as good go into Bedlam and talk with the Wise Men there as with many of our Inspired Quakers I advise any that engage with them to get a Promise of Two things 1. To end one Argument before entrance be made on another 2. To have as much time allowed you to speak as you allow them So have I understood some of them and there hath been some coherence or consistency in our discourse When they have multiplied words and crack'd many of them and run on to things nothing to the Question they go away and say That such Ministers could not say a word to them or could not resist the Spirit by which they spake that a She Friend should silence any Priest of them all though they have talk'd such prodigious Nonsense that might make any Man sweat to hear them If I knew such glorious nonsense among their Leaders by my little and yet too much converse with them I may easily imagine how much they that hear them often meet with such triflings May what I have said be an Amulet to prevent infection from their poisonous Doctrines especially such as are incompatible with true Grace As the Doctrine of Perfection of a Christ within in opposition to a Christ without This word Outward is in great Contempt with them The outward word the Scriptures the Outward Christ Christ Crucified and some an Outward Heaven that Glorious State above Baptism and the Lord's Supper were Outward Ordinances But why do not these Men Contemn Outward Meats and Outward Drinkâ— and Outward Cloathing If they did the Controversie would soon be at an end And now William Penn I once more declare to thee and all the world that I am ready to meet with thee at an open Disputation when thou wilt to deâ—â—te the Questions before us or the main Question which is this Whether your putting in practice our Principles by you condemned as you say from the Lord in the time of Persecution doth not most certainly and evidently prove you to be either Notorious Impostors or Notorious Apostates There is nothing more evident to me and I suppose to thee that so it is Then is the Mask fall'n off thy Forehead and let me ask thee or rather thou thy Conscience a few Questions Question 1. Art thou not ashamed to hear Folly Falsehood Ignorance father'd on the Holy Spirit by thy Followers Question 2. Dost not thou frequently do what they condemn us for use Philosophical Terms and Distinctions in thy Writings which they say is from the Serpent Question 3. Couldst thou understand any Physician or Lawyer speaking of Physick or Law in that way these do of Religion Here for a diversion will I present thee with a Paper given me above twenty years since and which lately I saw in Print and tell me how much like hath been the old common way of the talk of our Perfectionists A Welsh Letter Good Cousin A Coording to my promise I am to let you understand the unkind dealing of Edward towards Marmaduke when Thomas was arrested by Henry at the Suit of Leonard Charles came in with Robert to entreat Richard to go to John to certify William who was sorry that Jeffery had been at variance with Anthony considering that Matthew had done so much for Bartholomew when old Father Timothy was contented to take wrong of Gregory notwithstanding his Kinsman Ralph was abused by Rowland sending for James without the consent of Cuthbert when Edmond for the love he bore to Silvester gave warning to Hugh that in case George should make much of his Vncle Peter little thinking that Simon had play'd the knave with Nicholas in causing of Walter to give Clement knowledge how that Martyn had invited Humphrey to Bernard 's house to Breakfast Now cunning Roger perceiving by Godfrey what was told by slie Ambrose that if Alexander was not reveng'd upon Lawrence for the Love that he bare to Oliver whereas Erasmus had it not been for Jarvase had like to have slain Nathanael which Jasper perceiving had certified Luke that Tell-tale Francis was the cause of all their falling out and all this was for Adam 's White Nag which was left in Erastus 's Stable by Andrew and because Hopping Giles would not believe him without Philip would bring him some money whereupon Barnaby and Christopher sent for Arthur who by the help of Felix brought the same to a general Conclusion and was thus ended VALE St. Taff'y's Day I declare such kind of
Harangues have I often heard from the Quakers as incoherent and unintelligible and so have many others which makes us weary of conversing with some of them who after all triumph for Victory Would not such a profound Speech stun the wisest Judge that ever sat on the Bench And might not the Welchman say after all Her had baffled Her so that Her had not one word to say to Her not being able to remember no nor understand what her said And now William Penn not to convince thee for I think thou art convinced already of the madness of this People for Blaspheming the Name of the Lord for Railing for Incoherencies for vain Predictions I will suppose any of us should accost thee as the Quakers do us many a time Wouldst thou not say We were so far from being Christians that we had forfeited the Name of Men I shall leave out the words after Thus saith the Eternal God Living God the Lord. Let none be offended if their Folly be thus display'd Suppose I should thus say FRiend For this is the Name by which you speak one to another and Christ to Judas the Traytor the Son of Perdition thy elder Brother and to no single Person but to him I say by the same Figure Christ said to Judas Friend Penn though I and others have taken pains to intellectuate and prudentiate thee yet all in vain Bray thee in a Mortar thy Folly will not depart from thee and therefore in the Bowed-downess of my mind I do declare unto thee Thou hast Unreligion'd thy self Thou Croaking Frog of Egypt Thou Babylenish Brat Thou goest up and down the world in the pride of thy heart O Lucifer Son of the Morning Where are all thy mortified Self-denying Garments that Friends of Old went up and down with Thou who art of many years in the world hast lately gone after Flesh Young Flesh Yea I say unto thee Very Young Flesh And because thy mind hath thus stray'd after the Visibles I bear my Testimony against thee Thou art yet in the Carnal Mind This is the word of to Thee Repent Repent For thou lovest the Things of the world yea the things of the world dost thou love William Penn hear O William Penn I testify to thee in the Name that because thou haft loved the Man pull'd down and contrived yea hatched mischief against the Man set up Thou shalt die this year because thou hast committed Rebellion for which thou Friend deservest now the Captivity of the outward Tabernacle so one Quaker lately wrote to another that lived four years after Now thou Serpent thou Deceiver thou Scarlet-Whore that fittest upon many Waters What if all thy Converses with Jesuites and Popish Enemies to WILLIAM the King were written in thy Forehead where yea where wouldst thou hide thy impudent Face thy brazen Face thy iron Forehead Friend William it is a great Principle and common Saying among you That what you once hold you always hold for the Spirit is the same and it dictates the same but in this thou liest Thou art changed in many things yea thou art fallen Thou Apostate Thou Conjurer my Spirit testifieth to thee in the Name that thou art full of all Subtilty the Child of the Devil one of his Imps if thou sayest I speak not the Truth I know I do it by the Light within me the infallible Testimony And I know I have stab'd thy Doctrine to the heart for so it is revealed unto me yea to me is it revealed As I was looking yea as these fleshly Eyes of mine were looking I saw thee in thy fine Attire and Things of this World And I looked and beheld and lo thou wert much like to the Sons of Men the Children of Men Thou art an Offence unto me c. PArdon me you that read this for I declare at this rate do many of the Quakers whom Penn owns as Inspired speak sometimes to the best Men Ministers and Christians and so have they written Now what mad Discourse would this be and worse should I so apply my self to him But if William Penn should die this year then were I a famous Prophet But if he should not die not a word must be said of it or some other sense must be put on the words And now I humbly beseech and intreat all that are serious in and zealous for the Protestant Religion to consider whether their Time and Parts and Zeal used one against another who are sound in the Fundamentals of Religion and so Brethren were not better used against the Quakers who have crafed the Foundation of Christianity and so are the worst of Hereticks The design of the Holy Scripture is to bring man to the sense of two things 1. His own vileness deficiency in the best of his Duties his imperfect state when in his Zenith for Wisdom and the love of God O how much do we debase the most High in our apprehensions of him when they are most refin'd and rais'd How imperfect is our Love to God and Christ when most flaming What an infinite disproportion is there between our Love and its Object What if our wandring Thoughts in the heart in Prayer or other good Duties should or must have vent through the mouth and gush out into words how should we flee from one another or whither should we go Thoughts are before God what Words are before men How fail the best in Principles and Ends Humble Nehemiah when zealous against Prophaners of the Sabbath 13. Nehem. 22. Spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy The Quakers disdain thus to pray When Isaiah beheld the King the Lord of Glory he cries out Wo is me for I am undone I am a man of unclean lips Isa 6.5 These make no such Confession and were he now alive they would say he was of the Devil 1 John 3.8 These if they sleep in the time of their Worship if Passion never so much break out among themselves and hateful Words and many notorious visible Enormities they disdain to say what Christ taught his Disciples to whom God was a Father to pray Mat. 6.12 Forgive us our trespasses So that I am not more sure of any one thing in Religion than this That no Perfectionist can be saved 2. To shew man the Want and then the Worth of Christ the Saviour The Apostle preached nothing more he tells the Corinthians 1 Cor. 2.2 I determined to know nothing among you but Christ and him crucified Nothing in comparison of this Now it is well known in their Meetings they determine to know nothing less than Christ and him crucified Salvation by an outward Christ is disowned Penn and Whitehead expounded the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world in a large Folio to be the opposing the Lamb-like thing The Light within Thou talkest they were wont to say of the Man crucified at Jerusalem sixteen hundred years ago Dost thou believe to be saved by Blood shed upon the ground Now
notorious secret Drunkard as his Wife confessed but would have hid it she being a Quaker too I have known others that selling strong Waters would let the vilest of the Parish drink as much as they would till Drunk and yet one such would say to me Wilt thou tell me against what I feel and handle of the word of life Wet and drie Quakers is a distinction in other places besides Bristol Question 3. Are they not very humble Persons No They are more proud of their plainness than others of their bravery Baptism and the Lords Supper are things too mean for them Shells c. but they were not too mean for the Son of God What good will a little Water a little Bread and Wine do me It is true the things be not changed in their Nature though in their Use What good will a little Paper a little Ink a little Wax do me may a Pardoned Man say when he reads the King's Pardon to him Some now use the Lord's Supper Barclay in his Apol. says He would not condemn them that do Question 4. Are they not more just in their dealings than others and most careful not to tell a Lie and say one thing and do another These things are among some of them and among others too yea Turks themselves Yet by the way It is not unlawful to say one thing and do another on the change of the mind 19. Gen. 2 3. The Angel was desired by Lot to come into his House Nay said he but we will tarry in the street all night yet when Lot pressed upon them they went in They observed Providence their intentions altered If they had Sinned had Lied they had never found their way back again to Heaven By the way let all look to it of what perswasion soever if they lie for Gain they are not upright To say things Cost them so much They never sold them Cheaper They are as Good as can be had for Money and know all to be false and continue in this Sin they may call themselves Christians and others may call them so but Christ will call them workers of iniquity The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tost to and fro by them that seek death saith Solomon 21. Prov. 16. Death seeks not them but they court it When I wrote to you did I use lightness according to the flesh saith Paul that with me it should be yea and nay but as God is true he makes God his Example But as Christ is true saith Paul to the Corinthians 2 Cor. 1.17 18 19 20. all the promises of God in Christ are yea let ours be so To say I will do such a thing bring it to you at such a day and know you cannot or resolve you will not and so for paying of Money and to make this a common practice is no more consistent with Grace than Drunkenness or Theft Complemental Lyes are an abomination in the sight of a Holy God To say I am glad to see you I thank you for your good Company Pray eat You eat nothing When not a word of this is true and the person that says it was weary of their Company as it may be vain and therefore undesirable and know they eat very freely or more than they need Some Quakers are careful here and so are others would all were so such as are not are cursed The Quakers the great ones in Talking and Printing are not free from Lying George Bishop in his Book of Martyrs called New-England judged not by man's Spirit but the Spirit of the Lord How doth he represent the Whipping of the Quakers there What Strokes were fetch'd Flesh brought off with the Whips Which Mr. Blinman then of New-England professed to me he never there heard of They cursed Magistrates and Ministers in the street blasphemed Christ and Scripture If they were banished they returned again so that some were put to death I know some of their Chief Leaders whose Tenderness this way was not very great but spoke as if they thought a Lye now and then for Friends might be excused Q. Have not the Quakers more of the Spirit than others No nor as much They poor men must not run before their Guide Must wait for the Spirit 's Call to Prayer I pray How came they and the Spirit such strangers that it calls them not all the Day long all the Week long all the Month long all the Year long to pray alone or in their Families Always to pray in their sense is never to pray and every day a Sabbath is no day so I knew a Quakers Meeting where I believe was not a Sentence spoken from Month to Month in a time of danger but when a Toleration came out then they were inspired by it to purpose They all talk of The Light within a Phrase that was never used but once in Scripture and that too what was seeming Light but real Darkness Mat. 6.22 yet they mean not the same thing by it Commonly they understand by it Conscience and that this Light tells a man when he doth evil and when he doth good and that it was in all men always And when we press'd them with such places as these They that kill you shall think they do God good service John 16.2 I verily thought with my self that I was bound to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth saith Paul when he persecuted They could not tell what to say But now Barclay tells us The Light comes in the time of the Lord's Visitation or day of Grace to every man if it be received it abides if not withdraws That this Light is not God yet some inspired Friends by the way said it was nor a Quality but a Substance and calls it a Vehiculum Dei That the Turks have a Light sometimes that tells them Mahomet was a Deceiver the Christian Religion is true Away Poor Robin with thy borrow'd Collections out of the Fathers Now says he this is a Supernatural thing that comes not at the will of the Creature therefore we are no Arminians yet it is a Resistible Work and so we are no Calvinists but our way is a middle saith he between both I was surprized when I read it knowing all the Quakers I conversed with had no such Notions of the Light within I pray How shall I appeal to the Lord's Witness in every man and the Testimony of God in his Conscience Why it may be I speak too soon the Light is not yet come or too late now it is gone Any thing Now it is not God which some Friends said and that it was to be worshipped as if a man should worship his own Convictions and this made some call the Quakers Idolaters as the Scots and others and now R. Vickris defends Barclay against Norris Any thing Though some Quakers know not the depth of Satan and seem to speak Orthodoxly of God Christ the Soul c. yet their