Passage cited But he thinks G.F. has made much for his Purpose who in his Great Mystery p. 207 210. saith Christ is not distinct from the Saints and he that eats the Flesh of Christ hath it within him And what of all this Is Christ divided from his Saints Was he not in them of Old the Hope of Glory He that 's with you shall be in you And at that day ye shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you For the other Part I wonder he cited it Certain it is That unless Men eat the Flesh of Christ they have no Life in them Now how a Man can be said to eat any thing and not have it within him is a Distinction past my Understanding But Geo. Fox saith p. 206. If there be any Christ but He that was crucified within he is a False Christ and He that hath him not within is a Reprobate Answ Our Return to this will be very short 1st By Christ crucified within he does not deny that he was once crucified without as the same Page proveth as our Adversary would insinuate 2ly There can be no False Doctrine in it unless the owning of Christ being crucified within through Wicked Works necessarily should imply our Denying that he was ever crucify'd without from the Danger of which Consequence the Scriptures of Truth sufficiently secure us Heb. 6.6 Seeing they crucify'd to themselves the Son of God afresh Also Rev. 11.18 3ly And that such are Reprobates in whom He lives not remember that unanswerable Passage 2 Cor. 13.5 Examin your selves whether you be in the Faith prove your own selves know you not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is IN YOU except you be Reprobates But sayes our Adversary Ric. Stubbs a Quakeâ— told Eliz. Wetherly That the Jesus who was born of the Virgin and dyed at Jerusalem was a False Christ and an Antichrist But this needs no long Answer for it is an absolute Untruth raised by the Devil within and his Envious Emissaries without to bring us the poor despised People of God into Infamy with all who have any Reverence for the Name of Christ And God will plead our Innocency in this Mans Conscience by that Holy Light which he blasphemously saith leads down to Hell and the Devil carrying Man like an Ignis Fatuus into Bogs and Ditches causing him at last to fall into the Pit of everlasting Destruction For this I would have all the World to know that God Who is the Searcher of the Heart and Tryer of the Reins who alone sheweth unto Man his Thoughts is the great Spiritual Light John 1.1 â— And 't is as such â—hat he setteth Man's Sins in order before him as saith the Apostle Whatsoever makes manifest is Light Ephes 5.13 And saith the same Apostle Whatsoever may be known of God is manifest within men for God hath shewed it unto them Rom. 1.19 Such as bring their Deeds unto this Light may know whether they are wrought in God or no. And for this End hath the Eternal Word enlightened every Man that cometh into the World that he may come to the Light and walk and grow up in it For as all have given unto them out of his Fulness Grace for Grace so from his Fulness of Light hath he given all Men Light for Light not a meer natural Capacity or creaturely Understanding but that Divine Light or Grâ—ce which is able to teach sanctifie and govern the Soul to God's Glory and its own Everlasting Happiness In the Word by whom all things were made was Life and that Life was the Light of Men And as it was then so is it now the Condemnation of the World that Men love Darkness rather then Light because their Deeds are Evil. Some with the Pharisee prefer their Formal Literal and Ceremonial Religion and Others their Pleasures Pastimes Worldly Honour and Profit before this Inward Pure Light and Law of the Spirit of Life the Leaveâ— of the Kingdom and Truth in the inward Parts which frees from Sin and brings into the Heavenly Liberty of the Sons of God And we do testifie in the Name of God that it is only by this Measure of that Divine Fulness which above One Thousand Six Hundred Years ago was manifested in the Flesh that any Man or Woman can ever come to a right Sight Sense Relish and Enjoyment of the Blessed End and Effects of his Gracious Appearance Heavenly Gospel Mighty Miracles Holy Life Death and Sufferings his Powerful Resurrection Glorious Ascension and Constant Mediation and Intercession And that all Knowledge Faith and Worship not grounded upon this internal Sight Sense and Operation of this Divine Measure of Grace Light and Truth in the Inward Parts are but Historical and Pharisaical making up but the Jew outward and Christian outward who are not Children of the Free-Woman nor Heirs according to the Promise And if for this blessed Testimony we must be thus abused defamed and set at nought by the Black-robed-Rabbies of this World as they did against the Prophets and Christ God will be our abundant Recompence who is the Author of that Good Reformation begun and will I hope be the Finisher of it to his own Immortal Honour and our Unutterable Rejoycing World without End CHAP. VIII Of some of our Adversary's Lyes and Slanders HIs next Chapter containing a short Account of the Quakers Pretences to Immediate Revelations hath been already effectually considered only I shall take notice of two or three Particulars First That he would have the Sadness and Dejection of those that turn Quakers and the Zeal and Fluency of those that Preach among them to be the Effect of the Hypochondria Answ This shews what an easie Religion our Adversary lives in who yet knows not the Terrors of the Lord How unfit is he to Warn Men He that ever knew God's Word to be as a Sword an Hammer an Ax a Consuming Fire and Everlasting Burnings against Sin and Iniquity the Pangs of a New Birth and how hard it is to become a True Disciple through the dâ—ily Cross he would never have made such a frothy dark and envious Construction of our serious Convictions But God's Fire will one day burn up his peaceable Habitation and in that Day of Alarm he and the rest of his Jâ—vial Crew shall know the Meaning of these Words They that pierced him shall see him and all the Kindreds of the Earth shall wail because of him But whatever Disease we have his frequent and sensless Scoffs at us and our Holy Way shew that the Spleen is very prevalent in him For his Reflection on Edw. Burroughs it will do him no Harm his Soul is with God and his Memory shall out-live his Enemies Hate And for this Ranting Scribbler he is not worthy to carry his Books after him For his Gentle-man of New-Castle who affirmed Some Quakers came to Kendal Church and said They had a
we would tyranically use our selves But he thinks he has enough against us in this Expression All Governours ought to be accountable to the People and to the next succeeding Rulers for all their Actions which may be enquired into upon occasion This sayes our Adversary with a great Rant borders upon Treason respecting his Majesty the King of England Answ But what if he was not then in England but a sort of People that held this very Principle and who had sworn to God before Angels and Men to mantain it and broke their solemn Oaths Was it not Argumentum ad hominem to such a Generation And does not our Adversary know that there are Elective Governments in the World and annual Choice of Officers in our own Country that are accountable both to the People and their Successors But since he has brought the King of England's Name on the Stage upon this Occasion I shall briefly tell him and the World two things and let Men relish them as they please First That it is not for the Interest or Honour of his Government for any to be over officious in the enlarging his Prerogative beyond those bounds the excellent fundamental Laws of England have circumscribed the whole Government with No Princes Crown in Europe stands more firm then his upon English Law The Law gives both Right and Might It has been the part of such as dare not trust their Lives and Actions with the Law to whisper unlimited Power into the Ears of Prines but their ultimate Aim was not their Soveraigns Greatness but their own Protection We are no Sycophants yet we fear God and honour the King 2 ly It is not our Business to meddle with Government but to obey or suffer for Conscience sake can our Adversary ask more Several of us have been the faithful Servants both of Him and his Father and God knows their Kindness is not changed with their Religion though it admits not of their former way of shewing it And this I may truly say in general That not only our Principle leads to no such Nice and busy Medlings but we are actually unconcerned in any such things We speak not this out of Fear or Flattery the Truth has placed us far above both but knowing the World will never be good till every one mends one and that God's Grace has therefore universally appeared and yet doth in the Hearts of Men It 's both our Desire Duty Practice to endeavour after that Holy Righteous and Innocent Life it leads to and that as well for others as our selves Of Swearing But he sayes Inasmuch as we refuse to swear before a Lawful Magistrate we contradict the Word of God and throw away the greatest Tye any Prince hath upon his Subjects Insinuating as if we had been dabling with the Jesuit in this matter Answ 'T is strange that such an Illiterate sort of Mechanicks and Rustick Rabbyes as he is pleased to call us should hold such Correspondence with one of the most learned Classes in the World But as there is more Difference between us and the Papists then the Protestants the Papists by how much the Protestants have many things that are Popish and we have not so have I ever found these silly thred-bare Slanders to be the Refuge of Shallow Heads and Weak Causes But I would have all know as I have else-where said The Ground of Swearing is either through Distrust of Honesty in Him that swears or Weakness in Him to whom the Oath is made The first takes in all the Swearing that is now in the World the last those Oaths God condescended to make to the Jews So that it is either an extraordinary way of Evidence to awe Witnesses into Truth or an extraordinary Way of Promising to work Belief in the Incredulous Now Incredulity and Dishonesty are both Unchristian For as none are Christians but those who are buried with Christ by Baptism and are raised up unto Newness of Life so in that pure Law of the Spirit of Life Swear not at all is recorded And so far is this from Contradicting the Word of God that the great Word of God hath so enjoyned us for all our Adversary's Paraphrase upon it to wit Swearing in Communication for the Swearing prohibited was such as the Law allowed as Bp. Sanderson well observes It was not needful that Christ should forbid what was forbidden in it self or was alwayes Unlawful which Swearing in Communication was is as by the third Commandment Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain Christ brought forth a Righteousness that needed it not for that Grace Faith and Truth which came by Jesus Christ take away the Necessity of an Oath Consequently so far as any are in that Incredulity or Dishonesty which needs it so far they are not the Followers and Disciples of Christ nor qualified with his Evangelical Righteousness Indeed 't is a shameful thing and very dishonourable to the Christian Religion that they who pretend themselves to a Christian Society should be so un Christ-like to want and use the scareing and affrighting Asseverations dispensed with in some of the weakest times of Knowledge by which to assure one another of their Faith and Truth In such Cases where is their Evangelical Link and Tye of Unity Certainly a true Christian 's Yea should be Yea and Nay Nay that is in Answer to all Questions whether it relate to matter of Evidence or Promise they should speak the Truth and mean and do what they say which is enough This Truth is so natural that it is familiar with some to say I had rather take his Word then the other's Oath which shews how much Honesty is more credible then Swearing This made the primitive Christians not only Refuse to Swear by the Fortune of Caesar but to swear at all telling their Judges in their Answers It was Unlawful for a Christian to swear And Bp. Gauden himself assures us that they were so strict and exact that there was no need of an Oath among them Yea they so kept up the Sanctity and Credit of their Profession among Unbelievers that it was Security enough in all Cases to say Christianus sum I am a Christian And that if any urged them further they repeated this as the only Satisfaction they would give The Veracity of their Word And that he might further shew how dishonourable and needless a thing it was for Good and Holy Men and true Christians to Swear he brings in the Whole Body of the Essaeans several wise Heathen Christian Fathers Indeed it was a primitive maxim Non oportet ut vir qui Evangelice vivit juret omnino It behoves not that a Man of an Evangelical Life should swear in any Case And this Doctrine was closely follow'd by Crysostome Theophylact and several other ancient Christian Doctors Nor were the Heathen wholly insensible of the Truth of this Matter as Bp. Gauden further informs
God has ever been Sufficient to his People in every Age And since they only are Children of God who are led by the Spirit of God and that it is the Spirit of God alone which leads into all Truth It follows that the Law of the Spirit of Life writ in the Heart and not a Law writ on Paper a State less excellent then the Jews whose Law was written upon Stone is the great Evangelical Rule of Living Yeâ—â—re the Scriptures an Holy Declaration of thâ— Word of God and of the Rule and Guide in â—atters of Salvation And we reject for ever that Spirit which leads into those Principles and Practices that in the least contradict the standing and permanent Truths therein mentioned For they were written by Holy Men of God being inspired thereto and contain Godly Reproof Admonition Exhortation and Prophecies for the Edification of the Church and perfecting the Man of God to every good Word and Work through Faith in Christ Jesus and as such many Directions Precepts and Rules are therein laid down yet they all refer to the Grace Light Spirit Word or Anointing within as That by which Man ought to be Ruled governed and ordered to God's Glory and his own Comfort as they first were who gave them forth for they were Witnesses of the Truth of what they writ So that they are an Holy Declaration of the Way of God and that Holy Principle which leads to it and in it without which the Book is sealed the Scriptures are unknown and consequently not the Scriptures but that holy Key of David is the Rule how far and which way we are both to understand interpret believe and practise them This may be enough to shew the Disingenuity of our Adversary in representing us to his Knight For because We cannot give that Title and Office due to Christ himself from him to his bare Declaration he would insinuate that we refuse all Conformity to the Holy Examples and Testimonies therein related and exprest as if we were a most dissolute Crew of Libertines But he tells us that this Person whose Name I suppose we shall prove he has made too bold with so well knowing our obstinate and perverse Humor in the Discharge of his Trusts committed to him under his MOST SACRED MAJETSY he could do no less then present him with this Treatise that going under the Name and Protection of so worthy and accomplisht a Person it may in some measure obtain its desired Effect by putting a Stop to the growing Evil and confirming those who are not seduced in the Truth of their Profession A most non-sensical Expression Answ But I am willing to hope better things of him then that be should go upon the Priest's Message or turn their Knight Errant But what 's the Matter that the Quakers are so Perverse They cannot say right Worshipful because they think that of right belongs to God nor most sacred Majesty that being fit for no mortal Man Neither can they ly and flatter with Your most Obliged and Affectionate Servant for they are more obliged to God then Man and to one Man more then another He either knew not forgot or sleighted the Rebuke of Paulinus to Sulpitius Severus who said It becometh not Christ's Free-Men to subscribe themselves Servant c. But it is nothing with such as our Adversary to Cog Ly and Flatter 'T is one Part of his Manners I would fain know what Rule he had for all this Did the Holy Prophets and Apostles teach him any such Trash Will he prate of Scripture for a Rule and yet bridle his Flattering Tongue no better The Customes of the Heathens have entred the Profession of Christianity and that Old Spirit under this New Trim goes off for a very Good Christian Oh but the Quakers are Obstinate in other Cases for all this Answ Why so Because they will by all means stand to their Principles They will not play the Sycophants Threats do not fright them nor Promises gain them They love their Conscience above their Conveniency and seek to please God rather then Men. Perhaps this sort of Men the Knight has found them but could have wisht them more pliant to the Laws it may be that he might have some colour to be kind must therefore this Busy-Body entitule his Name to all his own Follyes Lyes and Slanders against us What can any moderate Person think but that the Patron of such a Discourse has been an eminent Persecutor whose Protection is so plainly called for to a Book that without doubt would have him so For my Part I think the Knight ought to repute that Ignorant and Disingenuous Discourse so far from being a Testimony how much the Author is his most obliged and affectionate Servant that for Interesting his Name and Power therein he should hereafter look upon him as an Enemy to Him his Name and Family Before I conclude give me leave to ask him why he sought for Protection Is his national Cause defended by Princes Parliaments Navyes Armies the Learned Rich and Powerful Clergy both Universities the generality of the Gentry and Commonality so weak and gasping or are the poor despised traduced and trodden down Quakers so potent and terrible that a Book of eight Sheets dare not peep out against them but a big Title must be got to recommend and patronize it But how Worthy soever the Knight be that will not hinder my Proceeding to shew the Unworthiness of the Book therein of the Author as well to his Patron as the despised Quakers CHAP. II. Containing an Answer to his first Chapter in which he pretends an Agreement to be between the Quakers and other Ancient and Modern Hereticks The Comparison examined and proved defective OUr Adversary that he may the better prejudice his Reader against us introduceth his Discourse with a Comparison of us to the most noted and odious of the reputed ancient and modern Hereticks doubtless hoping that what he wants of Argument to render us such may be supplied by that ill Opinion Men have of those he brings us into parallel with The first Man he thought fit to pitch upon is Simon Magus a Man famous for his infamous Sorceries with whom he wickedly yoaks that faithful Minister of God George Fox because saith he Simon Magus gave out that he was God the Father And George Fox before the Justices at Lancaster that he was equal with God Answ There is no believing a decimating persecuting Priest against a Quaker till he makes more Conscience of telling Lyes who have given too many Demonstrations of their Desire to have us run down at any rate to be credited by those who love Truth more then Partiality George Fox denyes the Words they were never so spoken by him much less were they ever intended in that Way our Adversary takes and improves them For though there be not an Equality yet there is an Unity as testifyeth the Scripture Let the same Mind be
and his Apostles which how true soever it may be of them I am sure is False enough of us for those hideous Consequences he makes are not deducible from any unperverted Saying to be cited out of Truth 's Defence And least any should think we deny with the Papists the Perusal of the Scriptures to Ignorant People from what our Adversary sayes know that they spoke of such Ignorant and Unlearned Persons as in reading wrested them to their own Destruction now unless it be not Dangerous to read to Destruction they are not chargeable witâ— Bâ—ame in that Matter But who are the Knowing and Learned The Jewish Doctors and Greek Philosophers No but Fishermen and poor Mechanicks discipled in Christ's School for the Excellency of whose Knowledge Paul reputed his Gamaliel-Acquisitions but Dross and Dung So that their Knowing and Learned are many times the Ignorant Unlearned we speak of whose Wisdom God will confound and whose Understanding he will bring to nought His last Comparison of us in this Chapter is with Marcus an old Heretick The Agreement he makes betwixt us lyes in our mutual Pretences to Inspiration and Prophecy For as he reports him to have abused many silly Women under colour of conferring on them the Gift of Prophesying and that he had a familiar Spirit by which 〈◊〉 brought himself into Credit with his deluded Followers So he tells us that he has had it confidently affirmed That about the first rise of the Quakers in the North of England several Persons by Gloves and Ribbands and divers Charmes were really bewitched by them And doubtless many of their Quaking fits were real Possessions by the Devil Answ What Marcus was is nothing to us If he has done amiss he has answered for it by this time I confess I am not over-fond of the Characters left us of ancient Hereticks knowing what kind of Creatures the best Protestants are with Papists and what fearful Monsters several sober Separatists are reputed among some Protestants But this I know if what he hath said of several Ancients be no Truer then what he hath said of us he has grosly abused their Doctrines and their Memories For the Witchcraft of our Gloves Ribbands and Charmes 't is scarce worth my Notice his Folly in mentioning it being a sufficient Reproof and Confutation to himself A Story fit for none at this time of day to report or believe but a Man of his size I thought they had been worn out by this time But let the sober Reader judge which savours most of Satan's Design this Idle yet Scandalous Story or our Fearing and Trembling at the Word of the Lord and those Terrors that broke in upon our Souls because of Sin and Iniquity 'T is but the old Spirit of Mockery that acted the Jews and Heathens against the Christians and Papists against Protestants and too many Protestants of several Sorts against some more reformed Separatists For had the Reverent Fear of God possessed our Adversary's Heart in the writing of this Discourse there had been no room for such Irreligious Scoffs against an inoffensive People But the Devil because he would be God calls God the Devil Christ Beelzebub Light Darkness and the Power of God the Power of Satan and the Fear and Trembling brought by the one the Possessions and Witchcrafts of the other Certainly such Men live in a dry Land they see not when Good cometh But what will not an Enraged Tything Priest do to destroy us who he knows are Discoverers of such Deluders CHAP. III. His pretended Agreement between the Authors of Familism and the Quakers considered His Objections answered I Now come to consider the Reason of the Title of his Book and what Ground he had to name us the Revivers Propagators of Familism with the most weighty Objections he makes against us if in Truth I may repute the strongest of them such and that with what Brevity Truth and Faithfulness I can The great Authors of this Doctrine of Familism he sayes were David George and Henry Nicolas but more especially the latter as having more improved and disseminated the pernicious Errors introduced by the former He bestows many severe Expressions upon them more I think then becomes a Man of any Charity to give I am not their Advocate But so much Splene and so little Reason against Dead Men can be neither Christian nor Manly What he sayes they held and how far we are concerned in it it is our Business to enquire § 1. Of Christ's Ministration And first he tells us that H.N. should say that not only the Law of Moses but the Ministration of Christ and his Apostles were only Temporary things instituted to bring Men to the perfect Reign of the Spirit and then like Horn-Books and Primers to grown Understandings to be thrown away pag. 10 11. And that this is the full Sense of the Quakers sayes our Adversary Hear John Crook a Quaker We believe by the same Gift of Grace that there are several Ministratitions and several Operations according to 1 Cor. 12. And all by the same Spirit as before and after the Law by Moses and after by John the Baptist and Christ and his Apostles And by this Spirit were the Scriptures given forth and the Holy Men of God did speak prophesy preach and pray as they were moved and to answer the Service God had for them to do they were to wait as Christ commanded his Disciples to receive the Promise of the Father And therefore as it was the Practice of the People of God in old time to wait for the Moving of this Spirit that they might speak as it gave them Utterance in the Evidence and Demonstration thereof so do this People called Quakers now Upon which our Adversary dares to observe that we with the Familists deny the Ministration of Christ to be the Ministration of the Spirit and consequently a Blasphemous Derogation from the Honour of our Blessed Saviour who said to his Apostles Joh. 16.14 He shall receive of mine and shew it unto you Answ If our Adversary's Weakness has run him into this strange Parrallel he is to be pittyed but if his Envy he is severely to be rebuked Will any Man that has Sense or Honesty say it is all one to affirm that Christ's Ministration is an Horn-book that time casts off with Infancy and that it is a Waiting to receive the same Spirit Christ commanded his Apostles to wait for as the Promise of the Father and the peculiar Gift and Priviledge of his own Ministration Does not J. Crook expresly draw a Parallel between the Holy Men of God of old and the Quakers of our time that as they then so the Quakers now wait to be taught moved and ordered by the same Eternal Spirit through which all come to be baptized into One Body How was that then no Spiritual Ministration when we desire to be conformed unto the Spirit and Holy Example thereof not making this anew
cry out with our Adversary Enthusiasm Familism Quakerism But if this must be the alone Judge of Qualification let him for Shame give over Vilifying our publick Labourers and Incensing our Superiors against us who honestly plead Conscience in the Case and us for Refusing the National Priesthood which we believe in the Presence of God Angels and Men to be not so qualified For Covetousness Bargaining Stealing their Neighbours Words Preaching their Experiences not their own not knowing experimentally whereof they affirm nor turning People to Righteousness but persecuting them that love it and daubing Sinners with untempered Morter are altogether inconsistent with it For their Outward Call it is too notorious to answer By what Flatteries Bribes and Shifts some of them are said to get their Places How basely they back-bite undervalue and undermine one another for Advantage How ready to leave them for fatter Benefices with abundance more of this Ungodly Anti Christian Stuff The World is so well informed from their own Practice that it saves me the Labour of any further Discovery For the Laying on of Hands it is well known to be a Jewish Ceremony And we read that Saul and Barnabas preached before the Apostles laid Hands upon them Besides it is not every Body's Hands will serve they must be Men inspired upon our Enemies Concessions and not every Foul Fist Nor did it give Authority but as many other Jewish Ceremonies it was made use of to express that Mission which had a more Inward and Spiritual Ground They were named Apostles from one of the meanest Offices that belonged to the Temple not Lord Primats Lord Arch-Bishops Lord Bishops May it please your Grace May it please your Lordship Right Reverent Fathers in God c. These things came from the Pope and thither they will and must return To conclude because our Adversary tells us that the Church from the Dayes of the Apostles has had a successive Apostleship and Ministery to confer whether he will or no he must imply that there has been a true Apostolical Church ever since which is to give the Lye to the Holy Ghost that prophesied of a falling away and a great Apostacy 2 Thes 2. 2 ly That if the Ministry of the Church of England be lawfully descended and are true Successors of the Apostles and so primitive Ministers they must be Apostolically qualified but they are not so Apostolically qualified either as to the Work of God in themselves the Gift of the Holy Spirit daily Inspiration the Effect of their Ministry that Patience Meekness plain-Dealing Perseverance Godly Hospitality continual Labour self-denying Conversation consequently not lawfully descended nor true Successors of the Apostles primitive Ministers Nor do we think it such an intollerable Presumption for Mechanicks and Tradesmen to preach the Gospel as he would have it For we well remember that those who believed and followed the Son of God were reproached by the Scribes and Pharisees the Learned and National Teachers of the Jews for Illiterate Persons crying out in that Day Have any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him but this People who knows not the Law and are cursed It was that Generation that called him and his Disciples so often This Fellow Away with this Fellow This pestilent Fellow after the rate our Adversary doth treat us as we may have occasion anon to observe In short Peter John were found Unlearned Ouzelius in his Animadversions on Minutius Felix saith that as the Gentiles did object to the Christians their rude Style Ill-bred Language destitute of all Address or civil Salutation calling them Rusticks Clowns so did the Christians by way of Irony Contempt term them the Well-bred the Eloquent and the Knowing This he proves by ample Testimonies out of Arnobius Lactantius Isidorus Pelusiota Theodoret and others In the Constitutions of Clemens Romanus as supposed it is enjoyned abstain from all the Books of the Gentiles Also the Council of Carthague had an express Canon against Reading Heathen Authors then Aristotle and all that Philosophy which fits Priests at both Universities Gratian hath also such like Passages as these by way of Complaint We see that the Priests of the Lord neglecting the Gospels and the Prophets read Comaedies or Play-Books and sing Love-Verses c. Cardan tells us that Gregory though a Pope burnt several Lascivious Latin Authors as Caecilianus Affranius Naevius Licinius c. Nor had Plautus Martial and Terence now School Books escaped him could he have helped it In like manner Gregory Nazianzen the Father suppressed several Greek Authors as Diphiles Apollodenus Philemon Alexis Sappho c. And Petrus Bellonius that inquisitive Traveller when at Mount Athos where lived 6000 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Monasteries he did not so much as find no nor in all Greece one Man acquainted in the Conversation of these parts For though they had several Manuscripts of Divinity in their Libraries yet not one Poet Historian oâ— Philosopher That they Anathematized such Priests as studied Poesy or transcribed Books not treating of Religion And Dominicus a Soto strongly pleads not only the Liberty of every Man 's Teaching any Good that he knows but that it is his Duty to teach it Machiavel assures us the first Promoters of Christianity commanded all Poets and Historians which treated of the Gentiles vain Conversation and Worship to be burned Farther concerning the Illiterateness Meaness and Novelty the Gentiles did object against the Christians see Dr. Cave's Primitive Christianity By all which it appears that the Quaker-Preachers are never the less Orthodox for being ignorant in Human Science since the most Orthodox Preachers have been generally such and that both before and after the coming of Christ In short that Ministry which is Experimental and Powerful for the Turning of many from Dâ—rkness to Light and from the Power of Satan unto God is the only True and Evangelical Ministry and such an one we both own and enjoy blessed be the Name of our God for ever CHAP. V. His fourth Chapter considered Quakery as he calls it no Sâ—duceism as he would suggest His Measures of us Wrong HIs great Ill-Will to the Quakers puts him upon flinging any thing upon them that he thinks will stick at least that he would have to do so We must this Turn be with all Familists Saducees but the fierce Will of the Man has precipitated him into a strange Mistake Hear him H.N. owns No other Immortality then the Continuance of his Doctrine nor Judgment-Seat of Christ nor Heaven nor Hell but what are in this Life The Quakers sayes he do the like for T. Foster sayes in a Book Called a Guide to the Blind that the second Appearance of Christ is in Spirit to end Sin and finish Transgression Now if this proves the Agreement I never saw the like taking for granted what he represents H.N. to have held in which I know he
Commission from the Lord to pull down the Steeple-House And another in Sermon-time to pull down the Hour-Glass I must tell him That we know no such thing and if he were a fair Adversary he would have told us who this Gentle-man was and who the Quakers that we might have informed our selves of the Truth of the Matter though we have great Cause to conclude it a down-right Forgery For the other it is altogether as likely to come of the same Stock but if such a thing ever were I dare say the Priest was in a worse Taking then the Quaker however it was no Theft because they all saw it was done for that End And every Body knows the Priest can tell how to call for another Glass for the Truth is some of that Profession can hardly preach without them for they elevate them above his Quaker's Hypochondria That the Wife of one Williamson should call Ja. Milner the Eternal Son of God at Apleby is an arrant Falshood for we have particularly enquired and can find no such thing That a Woman at Weighton in York-shire of that Goatish Herd as he is pleased to call them went Naked to another Woman's Husband's Bed and bid him open his Bed to her for the Father had sent her is a Slander hatcht in Darkness We deny it in the Name of the Lord God And I charge this disingenuous Man if he has any Regard to his Reputation or those he belongs to to prove if he can the Truth of this Story And that he should at last call this A Taste of the Quakers deluded Dreams melancholick Phancies Impostures Injections everlasting Errors and Deceits is the top of what Impudence and Forgery Man can well be guilty of against his Neighbour But why our Goatish Herd above all others Unjust and Uncivil Man Look at Home for Shame How often are Quakers brought to Ecclesiastical Courts for Uncleanness We know they are too often summoned thither for Tythes It would be almost endless to tell the Stories of both Priests and People's Wickedness that follow them one would think that no Church of England Man that knew any thing of the present Age or that thought we did could believe that forging one unclean Lye against the Quakers should invalid their Religion who believes his own to be true notwithstanding those numerous Incests Adulteries Fornications Concupiscences Murders Lyes Perjuries Dissimulations Thefts Injuries and such like that have been and daily are committed by his Dear Fellow-Communicants The Sons and Daughters of the Church of England Let him therefore draw in his Horns and leave off pushing at us with his Forgeries and Defamations and Repent of this Ungodly Way of dealing with us that he may find Mercy to his Soul CHAP. IX Of Perfection I Perceive the Man would fain say something of every Controverted Head held by the Quakers â—hough as little to Purpose as may be There is but one thing commendable in his whole Chapter and that is its Brevity He stumbles at the very Entrance and never recovers himself to the End The Quakers talk much of Perfection from Sin in this Life and that they have already attained to it Quote he scorns his Word is Credit enough at least he would have it so but to let him go on This says he is the Pharise's Litany God I thank thee I am not as other Men are The Antinomian Liberty the Doctrine of Dell Saltmarsh Town all Antinomians and Familists And that Malice and Railing perpetually make up the greatest part of the Quakers Speaking to the People But what of Argument can be found in such meer Assertion and Reflection I leave with sober Men to judge He neither understands Antinomians Familists nor Quakers And truly I am ready to think him some raw unfledged ungraduate who by this Essay aims at that Proof of his Abilities as may induct him to some Fat Benefice or else One that thought we deserved no larger Testimony of his Ability Honesty and Discretion in his Endeavours against us In short A perfect Principle we plead for and press the Necessity and Benefit of Man's Conformity to it That though it be a little Leaven it is able to leaven the whole Lump That this Grace brings Salvation from Sin by the Power it gives them that obey it to mortifie Sin else what a Riddle would those Scriptures make that speak of Sanctification throughout in Body Soul and Spirit That He that 's born of God sins not Old things are done away behold all things are become new I write unto you Young Men because ye have overcome the Wicked One. Be ye Perfect as your Heavenly Father is Perfect Unto a Perfect Man Let us cleanse our selves from all Filthiness of Flesh and Spirit perfecting Holiness in the Fear of the Lord. The God of all Grace make you perfect c. Wherein not only a Perfection from Sin but the going forward to a perfect Man in Christ is exhorted to and prayed for therefore not inobtainable To conclude We do not teach People the Perfection of our Persons but the Principle of God and our Experience of its Converting and Translating Power Christ is stronger then the Devil And for this was and is he manifested To end Sin and destroy the Works of the Devil a Doctrine the Church of England teaches in her Baptism Nor do we say That every Man is perfect from Sin as soon as he is convinced of Sin No there is a great War a long Wilderness to travel through many Enemies to subdue and Difficulties to surmount and those Enemies are mostly those of a Man 's own House We therefore exhort all to wait for God's Arising that his Enemies may be scattered that witnessing a Victorious State over Hell and Death by the Power of Christ Jesus such may obtain the New Name which is written in the Lamb's Book of Life and promised to all that Over-come Which is far from that Ungodly Rantism he would fasten upon us and our Principles And I doubt not but Time Patience and our Blameless Conversation shall dispel those Mists Malice and Ignorance may have raised to darken and blemish the â—eputation of our Practice Persons and Principles in the World CHAP. X. His Ninth and Tenth Chapter of the Wayes and Arts that the Quakers use in gaining Proselytes with the Advantage their Way has over other Heresies honestly considered and briefly confuted THe first Artifice he sayes we use is To come in Sheep's Clothing Now what is this Sheep's Clothing sayes he but only the Innocence and Purity of the Christian Doctrine when as their main Purpose is to devour credulous Souls Answ If we have the Sheep's Clothing and if the Sheep's Clothing be the Purity and Innocence of Christian Doctrine then is our Doctrine Innocent Pure and Christian And since he avers the Doctrine of the Church of England to be so remote and opposite this Character must necessarily imply that her Doctrine is Hurtful