so that nothing can be justly charged against them that is apparently Wicked and Gross yet in the mean time their Hearts not right nor â—ound before the Lord something that is â—bominable offensive and grievous to his Holy â—pirit Thus hath it been with many of the seperate party is secretly lodg'd â—nd privately enterâ—ain'd as their beloved Delila which at â—ast may be breaks forth into some Extravagancy or other I say one as a Hypocrite may be thus dressed up with a specious shew and fair cover appear so and so Yea and for their interest sake Conform to that which is good and praise-worthy and which in its self is commendable and laudible but in the bottom rotten and deceitful yet though these do so it will not follow in good reason that those who are truly and inwardly sanctified cleansed and purified in their Conscience from dead works and whose Hearts are Sincere Honest and Upright should not so and so appear as to the outward in an holy harmless Life and innocent Conversation and also in a Conformity and Submission to that which is Orderly and Decent and to be subject to follow that which is convenient needful and profitable amongst a People no more then that 's true though as the common Proverb is It is not all Gold that glisters And as we say All are not in the Possession of what they are in the Profession of Yet is there no true Gold that glisters And surely those who do possess of the living Vertue of Truth and are faithful to the Lord they are ingaged publickly to appear in Profession of and Confession to the same In the beginning of the Preface page 7 F. B. says The main thing intended by this Discourse is to shew the Mischief of Impositions on tender Consciences in matters Spiritual c. Thus he insinuates as a false charge upon the whole Body of our Friends to be guilty of which indeed is their main principal Basis or ground from whence doth proceed all their fierce violent Clashings bitter and malicious Invectives base and unchristian Reflections viz. Their Imaginary formed and groundless supposition and envious suspicion That we endeavoured to compel and force tender Consciences in matters Spiritual to be conform'd and in subjection to that contrary to the perswasion of their minds and Light of Christ in their Consciences this is easily disprov'd and has been fully confuted by many living Testimonies that we have given forth on this account both by word and writing and for a further confirmation thereof thus do I affirm on the behalf of all my dear Friends who are thus abused by these foul perverse and scoffing Spirits That the Almighty God the searcher of Hearts and tryer of Reins he knows we never endeavoured nor designed to compel any to subject in a Conformity to that which we know was both just and reasonable who were not fully satisfied in their own Consciences and not freedom and clearness in their minds thereto For they who received Truth in the love thereof and continue in subjection to it the power and force of it will inable and make them willing to obey the voice of God immediately in their own Hearts and in the Mouths of his Servants which Voice of God calls unto Holiness without which none shall see him and there being an aptness or proneness in many after they are reached to by the Lord to neglect that Duty he requires of them therefore in his tender Love hath he given Gifts for the work of the Ministry for the perfecting of the Saints for the Edifying of the Body till we all come in the Vnity of the Faith into a perfect Man unto the measure of his Stature of the fulness of Christ Eph. 4.8 c. And well said the Apostle Peter Yea I think it meet as long as I am in this Tabernacle to stir you up or to stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance that we may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the Holy Prophets and of the Commandement of us the Apostles of the Lord and Saviour knowing this first that there shall come in the last days scoffers walking after their own Lusts 2 Pet. 1.15.3.1 2. c. Which also was practised by the Apostles in Exhortation Admonition Counsel Reproof and Condemnation as the Spirit of Truth Directed them and according to the several states of People to whom they Ministered by Word or Epistle And Reader it is well known that any who were really scrupulous from a true tenderness of their Spirits careful or fearful to do any thing but what they found to be their Duty and in the Light of Christ Jesus did see they were called to be obedient to the same over these we have been very tender and have encouraged and counselled them Singlely to wait upon the Lord for a sight and sense from him by the in shinings of his pure Light of that which they ought to do and if we could inform their understandings and in the good hand of the Lord be instrumental to clear their Judgments by opening to them the profit and great advantage reaped by those who have found it their place to be in Unity with their Brethren in a Christian Condescention to those things that are decent orderly and profitable in the Church of Christ that we have endeavoured to do and blessed be the Lord our labour of Love and pains therein hath proved successful and many have been helped thereby to see through the Mysterious wiles and subtle workings of the Enemy both immediately and instrumentally So thou mayst be assured we never pleaded for a conformity or submission of any to the Christian Order and wholesome Discipline amongst us but as they came to be Convinced in their own Consciences and well perswaded in themselves from a clear and sensible Conviction That it was their bounden duty so to do And therefore I say and thou mayst see that this Authors false Charge with all the rest of his confederacy in all their lying Clamours proceed from a base perverse Spirit that does surmise to People that we were bringing in an implicit Faith and blind Obedience by forcing a Conformity before Conviction which is opposed by us with our utmost endeavours and is of the Devil the Father of lyes who is the original Author of all this mischievous dark work of Separation c. and makes use of those his wicked Agents to defend the same under the specious pretence of Liberty of Conscience Liberty of Conscience and influences them to defame the Lords faithful and innocent Servants by malicious abusive Reflections and false Insinuations to amuse People as if the end of all their labours and travels in the Service of Truth for the preservation of Gods Heritage were to bring them into a Vniformity of such and such Canons Decrees and Orders that tended to an Apostacy Imposition and what â—ot Now I hope Reader thou wilt plainly see that the
a Judas amongst Christs Disciples from the beginning of the Creation since the Lord gather'd a People to himself to this our Day or Age thus to be attended with various deep Exercises by Oppositions Violence and Persocutions from the World on the one hand and by Distraction Discord and Separation on the other hand of those who have appeared as amongst us but were not of us and therefore that they might be made manifest what Bottom and Evil Spirit they were of notwithstanding they lurked under and were cover'd for a time with a Profession of the Way and Holy Truth of God they have gone away from us as the Apostle writ concerning the Antichrists They went out from us but they were not of us and the Reason he gives is clear For says he if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us But they went out to what end That they might be made manifest that they were not all of us 1 John 2.19 We may observe the Church of Christ in his time was then sadly troubled with these Antichrists such as rose up in Appearance for Christ against Christ in opposing the Blessed Divine Manifestations of his Spirit through the Members of his Church And I remember he makes particular mention of one Diotrephes who it seems as many like unto him in our day following his very foot-steps Ioved to have the preheminence and who prated against them with malicious Words and good Paul was he not very sensible in fore-seeing that this would attend the Churches and therefore forewarned them thereof in his farewel to the Elders of Ephesus Take heed therefore unto your selves and to all the Flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers for I know this that after my departing shall grievous Wolves under the form or appearance its like of Lambs not sparing the Flock also of your own selves shall Men arise speaking perverse things to draw away Disciples after them Acts 20.25 26 c. And in his Salutation to the Romans Chap. 16. v. 17. saith Now I beseech you Brethren mark them which cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrine which you have learned and avoid them So that we may clearly perceive it is no new or strange thing that hath happened to be our sad Exercise as indeed I do look upon it to be the most grievous of all the Exercises that could have befallen us I mean as with respect of the Body of Friends And now amongst many of the chief Agents of Cruelty Slander and Envy whom the Devil that great Enemy to the Peace of Christs Church hath made use of and this pernicious work of opposition to and seperation from the good Order and wholesome Discipline thereof I find lately one called Francis Bugg in Aragon a proud self-conceited person and yet as confused and malicious as any which I hope anon to Evince by some brief Animadversions on the Second Part of his Book called De Christiana Libertate the first part only relating to Liberty of Conscience none of his Work but by a nameless Author So far now as I feel my self concern'd for the Truths sake and the vindication thereof to give forth my Testimony as well against the great weakness as the gross wickedness of this Hellish dark piece of deceitful work of Envy and Folly and to detect his groundless Suggestings unchristian Reflections and uncivil Informations not at all designing thereby to undertake the Answering of every particular passage that hath relatition to particular persons ingaged in the differences betwixt our Friends and the separate party for that would be a work both more tedious and also would require more pains then at present I can take to undertake the same which I leave to them as they find themselves concerned in Truth to take notice of my present work then only is to make some shor Observations of that which in General I am concerned with and lies most obvious in my view Righteous Judgment placed upon the Heads of our Malicious Opposers CHAP. I. HAving perused the Second Part of Francis Bugg's Book he miscalls De Christiana Libertate I do not so much as find any one page or passage to have the least resemblance of I doubt very much whether he knows what the true Chrsstian liberty means or Relation to Christian Liberty in a true and proper sense I mean what he has wrote himself and not what is Transcribed from other Authors abstracting which there will be but a small parcel of his remaining Besides thou may take notice of the Pride and Self-conceitedness of this vain Man who gives his Book a Latin Title which signifies no more in Latin then in English and has no more Emphasis nor Authority in it therefore only useful for Vain Ostentation especially considering that the Book it self is no ways correspondent to the Title In his Epistle page 4. He alledges two principal Reasons why we look upon him and his Adherents to be no Quakers or consequently as he says no Christians First He says Our Non-submission and Non-conformity to the New Order of the Women He begins thus in his flouting Airy mind And Secondly That their way of compelling and Antichristian way of proceeding to bring to and force Vniformity is by us slighted and contemn'd Answer But we know right well there is a Third and a more weighty Reason than either of these and that is We have a certain inward sense and sure discerning from the Infallible Spirit of Truth which I know they will not regard or admit of that the wrong wicked perverse Spirit hath entered into them and thereby are Adulterated in these minds from the blessed pure Spirit of Christ Iesus and departed from the Truth in the inward parts whereby they are degenerated and were so in their Spirits before ever they durst publickly appear in this treacherous work of Separation and before it waâ— so notorious as it is now And so they having Apostatized from the Truth and the living Vertue and sensible Operation and Experience of the Life thereof firsâ— in their own particulars thus They and not We have rendred themselves nâ—â— Quakers or no Christians For we never concluded any person to be truly a Christian simply because of his outward Conformity to the Profession of Truth and because of his Submission to the Holy and Decent Order of Christs Church in respect there is nothing visible can rightly constitute and properly denominate any Man or Woman True Christians in the sight of God who regards more the inward bent frame and disposition of the Minds of People than their outward appearance however glorious it may be and therefore it is of absolute necessity that their hearts and spirits be uprightly stated in his sight if ever they attain to the Nature of true Christianity Now though it be confest that many outwardly may appear in the view of others for a time seemingly strict and serious in their Conversations
Advertisement THere is now in the PRESS a Book Entituled The Liberty of an Apostate Conscience being a plain Narrative of the Controversie long depending Between Francis Bugg on the one part and Samuel Cater and George Smith on the other part whereby F. Bugg's Liberty of Conscience is proved not only Unchristian but Immoral and Injurious Righteous Judgment Placed upon the Heads of Malicious OPPOSERS AND Persecuting Apostates In some brief Animadversions upon Francis Buggs Book entituled De Christiana Libertate In which his great Weakness and gross Wickedness is Detected his foul Defamations and uncivil Reflections are Reprehended With a seasonable Warning to him and the rest of his Abettors in their Mischievous Work of Opposition to and Separation from the Lord and his People By a Lover of Peace Robert Sandilands Together with an Ingredient by another hand Now I beseech you Brethren mark them which cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them Rom. 16.17 For there are many Vnruly and Vain Talkers whose Mouthes must be stopped T it 1.10 11. I will remember his Deeds Prating against us with Malicious Words 3 John London Printed by John Bringharst at the Sign of the Book in Grace-Church-street 1683. THE PREFACE TO THE READER READER ALthough this with divers other Testimonies may prove as Water spilt on the ground and seem altogether as ineffectual so as to produce any real conviction upon the Spirits of some of our Opposers who are become many of them so obstinate stout and hard-hearted that the most clear demonstration that may be produced to convince them of their folly appears partly impossible to prevail so as to perswade or bring them to a true sense of their unchristian proceedings and malicious endeavours Yet I am not without hope but the sober unbyassed persons whose minds are not pre-possessed neither with partial selfish designs of Interest on the one hand nor with private Affection on the other hand may reap of the profit and gain a right understanding by their serious perusal and deliberate examination of this and other Testimonies And therefore is it mainly for such we are incouraged to open and give a true naked relation of matters as plainly before the All-seeing Heart-searching Divine Majesty Who will bring all the hidden things of dishonesty to Light and indeed had it not been upon this Account I do reckon that the confused rambling impertinent stuff made up with most notorious lyes and malicious Insinuations grievous Slanders and Reflections were not worth while to take notice of for I mind well the saying of a Wise Man Contra verbosos noli contendere verbis We are not to contest by words against windy Men or Men of words and he gives a good Reason Sermo datur cunctis animi sapientia paucis Many have the Gift of Speech but few comparatively attain to Wisdom and therefore we are advised in the Holy Scriptures Answer not a Fool in his Folly lest thou become like unto him But lest advantage should be catched the simple ensnared and the true Enquirers misinformed we are not willing to be quite silent The Reader may also take notice what dreadful hardness of Heart some of these contrary opposite Spirits are fallen under that they have had the daring boldness most insolently to deny the very power of God in its Operations and Effects when it hath wrought upon his people true tenderness and brokenness of Heart and if they have thus impudently slighted the same no wonder then that they so basely abuse us at such a rate as W. R. T. C. and this F. B. and others have done Now Reader if so be that through he good hand of God thou art not one tinctured with this dirty foul prophane flouting and I may say in some respect Blasphemous and Atheistical Spirit O! praise it highly I beseech thee as thy great mercy as I do and I pray God keep thee with my self and all Gods faithful honest-hearted people from the Snares of this murdering Spirit that hath destroyed in such in whom it hath prevailed the inward tender sense of the precious life of Jesus that they have as openly denied and violently opposed the same as any of our former or present publick Enemies among the Professors ever did or can do Obs Crying out Away with our inward sense away with our discerning of Spirit which I have heard some of them to say And if Reader thou be one of a mild sober retired mind and desires not to be much concerned with these Controversies then Ladvise thee regard well the prosperity of the work of Truth and feel thy daily experience thereof in thy own particular and Oh! well had it been this day with many That they had looked more at home than abroad Beware I pray thee of a cold luke-warm indifferent Spirit which would appear neutral and it is not but is neerer to that which is wrong than right and this I know lies neer to enter many well-disposed persons who are of a good natural temper and mean well and if it happen thou be at any time exercised concerning the differences of Opinions or in things in themselves indifferent be not stiff in maintaining thy own Judgment of them but rather be of a condescending mind and so let thy humility and meekness appear thereby that thou art rather willing to acquiesce in thy Sentiments to the understanding and sense of others when especially there is a reason and a cause requires the same then seem to be of such who are heady high and self-conceited in their own imaginations there is a notable expression of a certain Devout Person wort by of observation It s true saith he that every one willingly inclines to follow those who are of the same Opinion with him Sedsi Deus est intra nos â—ecesse est ut relinquamus etiam quandoque nostrum sentire propter bonum pacis i. e. But if God be amongst us there is a necessity that we sometimes also for the good of Peace forsake or leave our own Opinion for who is he that is so Wise that can fully know all things And if so be thou art one that hath suffered thy Affections to corrupt thy Judgment and cloud thy Vnderstanding that thou cannot discerne nor judge of things clearly as they are on neither sides and yet some true tenderness and good-will to both and a reverend regard to the Testimony of Truth remaining in thy heart Well Reader I would counsel thee in the first place be still patient and quiet in thy mind and then draw in the Affections of thy Soul from all visible presentations and so singly wait upon God to feel him reveal that to thee which thou sees not and in the interim have a special care that hardness of heart insensibly come not over thee and steal in upon thee as too many have been thus sadly betrayed especially after once that their Affections have been catched with
very main thing intended by this angry Author as the principal foundation of his work is notorious false and abominable seeing it is so without all doubt then thou mayst safely conclude all the rest of his work I mean his ensuing Treatise is a piece of perfect Forgery absolute designed Lyes and Slanders so much of it as insinuates and has a tendency to introduce a false report and beget a wrong belief concerning us whose Innocency is well known both in the sight of God and sober-minded people that it was never our business directly or indirectly to drive any to a forced subjection contrary to their perswasion inclination of their own minds And for my part I do ingeniously declare that I could never perceive any such thing less or more amongst Friends where ever I have been in any of our Meetings neither truly do I yet see and I hope never shall I desire never to see it whilst I live that by all the vain Scribling Prating and Tattling of their Idle Ridiculous Stories either by Words or Books of our Opposers that they have produced any convincing solid proof rational or clear demonstration to any judicious understanding Persons that the Body of Friends are so and so Apostatized and do so and so drive impose force and compel any to a Conformity to the wholesome Christian proceedings in their Men and Womens Meetings or that G. F. that faithful Servant of the Lord is become an Apostate or Innovator as W. R. c. most maliciously suggests As for this of F. B's I have considered it and I find much weakness attended with a great deal both of extream Wickedness and also of foolish Drollery Malice and Envy and I doubt not but the impartial and such as are not prepossessed with prejudice will easily discern and readily observe the same by what follows For in Page 8. he brings in an impertinent parallel saying And now I will shew you a Parallel betwixt the Treatment which the Protestants met withal from the hands of the Papists for their pains and betwixt the Treatment W. R. T. C. and others have met withal from the hands of G. F. and those of party with him for their pains and so sets down at large in page 11 12 13. the manner of the Papists Cursing Thomas Bennet for publishing and manifesting their Error Ans Is not here the height of Malice and extream wickedness first to insinuate most falsly our being like to the Papists for which F. B. thou deserves a dreadful reward and shall unavoidably meet with it from the hand of the just God of Heaven and Earth if thou speedily repent not And Secondly To compare what several of us have given forth from the Spirit of the Lord in a true living Zeal and from a holy Constraint and Detestation against that rending tearing and dividing Spirit that is cursed of God for ever which weighty Testimonies through his People shall stand over thy head and all those joyned with thee in that mischievous work of Separation from the Lord and Opposition to his Work and that which would divide and scatter his Heritage I say to bring in Parallel betwixt what the Lord gives forth in the Authority of his Eternal power through his Children either singly as with respect of themselves or joyntly as a Body of People gathered together by his power to give forth a true Sentence and Judgment upon that which is wrong with what the Pope or Papists have done in their dark and blind minds by their Bulls and Curses Oh! what a wicked and abominable thing is this And as if this was not sufficient to shew thy Rage thou also basely insinuates page 15. As if we were not a suffering People our selves and had but once the Law to assist us in our Church Censures c. We would expose People to Fire and Faggot Curse and Excommunicate them and deprive them of their Priviledges and Advantages Temporal as well as Spiritual as ever the Papists did And that Reader this is the true English and natural Consequence of this Mans unsuitable Parallel and not by bare Inferences there-from he expresses the same more fully in plain legible Characters falsly saying page 200. A Man may transgress the Scriptures days without number but yet never be Excommunicated by G. F. and his Party this is largly inserted but not at all proved in his Book but I. B. never sold but one Book namely that of W. R. his publishing that ever I heard of but I ask how many did I. B. vend and dispose of them into the Country and I doubt he sold many more then one which I believe himself will not deny And so you see he is dismembred no Spiritual Followship no spiritual Communion they can have with him that 's true nor with thee either or any such Rambling Ranting Loose Libertine Spirits like W. R. and thy self yet here no Curse though no Concord no deprivation of Temporal Priviledges though an Exclusion of Spiritual Communion Nay says F. B. they do not only testifie against that Bad Spirit as they account it but him also viz. the Man also Oh that we could but say Take him Iaylor and that effectually and further as a compleat Draught of thy Divellish Malice in page 203. where thou says Had I all the Books of Controversie by me I presume it were a thing too hard for me to undertake so that I must take a step into the Papists Road of Cruclty and Severity c. Oh! the most Envious Cruel Hard-hearted Man full of Malice and Mischief what shall I say unto thee Certainly the Lord God will call thee to an account for this perverse deceitful devillish piece of Treachery Lies and implacable Enmity and remember I tell thee in the fear of the great God if thou do not deeply lament for unfeignedly and speedily repent of it most dreadful shall thy Portion be and most terrible shall the Judgment and Indignation be which thou must feel from the hand of the Righteous Judge of Heaven and Earth Being much astonished to see the great boldness and strange Impudence of this unruly Person and other Rambling Disorderly Opposite Spirits that dare give forth in Print and publickly also report such manifest Forgeries Notorious and Apparent Calumnies against the Faithful Innocent people of the Lord and in the serious consideration of all their ungodly Railing Expressions with many scurrilous Mockings abusive and scoffing Reflections May not I say and many also with me as they of old expressed their Admiration of that unusual passage mentioned in Judges 19. And it was so that all that saw it said There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the Children of Israel came up out of the Land of Egypt unto this day Consider of it take Advice and speak your minds Was there ever such Wickedness and Folly done Was there ever such Madness and Envy seen in any People since the time the Lord appeared unto
her Husband that we may hear both parties And if he make a matter of Conscience of this to let the Meeting hear what she saith but we must take his word without hearing the Woman what she says and if he be ashamed of her to appear before the Meetings together is not this wilfulness We have no Unity with such If a Man should come to one of our Meetings and say I would take such a mans daughter to Wife you will impose upon us that we must have Unity with it and he will not bring the Woman with him nor Relations that we may have satisfaction from their mouths or by a Certificate and hear what they say to it such Marriages we can have no Unity with And if W. R. F. B. and T. C. that was married with a Priest can nurse up such we say we have no Fellowship nor Unity with them as be not decent civil modest and of good report for we would have the satisfaction of the Man and Woman and their Relations also that all things may be done decently and in good Order that no Man or Woman or Relations may be wronged for our God is a God of Order and not of Confusion Now Reader thou may'st easily discern whether we or they be the Imposers and Innovators F. B. and W. R's new Order Traditions Prescriptions Impositions and Innovations is that J. A. or another Man must tell his intention of Marriage without the Woman being there to know her mind and this is their new Way new Order and new Method And this was J. H's way at the Peel and the Woman M. P. was not there who when she heard of it she utterly denied him And another in Kent did so foolishly declare he pretended to take a Woman not present there which grieved her sore when she heard of it And so by this new Order Prescription and Innovation which F. B. and W. R. would impose on us to have Unity with Women may be greatly wronged and their Relations abused by every bad loose Man and make people believe that their consent is to it when it is not and so be scandalized and offended therefore to prevent which we do judg that in the Wisdom of God the Man and Woman ought both to come together when they lay their intentions of Marriage before a Meeting and their Relations to be satisfied and if they live far off beyond Sea or in another County then to have a Certificate from them that they are satisfied And this I understand hath been our Friends practice before thee F. B. came amongst us and will remain I doubt not when thou art gone Other particulars I would mention whereby it may be justly repelled upon W. R. F. B. c. that they are the Innovators and Imposers but what I have set down already may serve as a sufficient proof at present In pag. 74. there are some Queries strange sort of ones as I have read viz. Whether Christ Jesus the true God and eternal life in whom the fulness of the God-head dwelt bodâ—ly be the Head of the true Church Or whether George Fox who is but a Man unto whom the Spirit is given but by measure be head thereof His second Query is an Answer to the first and the third to the second c. I wonder much F. B. has shewn so much discretion and civility as to confess but I believe he cannot otherways do that we acknowledg Christ Jesus to be both the Head Ruler and Lawgiver of the true Church But then in his Fifth Query he seems to boast greatly and brag at a high rate as if forsooth poor Man he had gained all how wise is a fool in his own vain conceit what his empty noddle or brain doth apprehend that he judges none can disprove If you say that Christ nor his Apostles left neither command example nor president for Womens Meetings c. then I query further of you the said Imposers where had you your power or from whence had you your Authority to institute such a way of Government in the Church by Women or other ways containing such Rites and Ceremonies and in whose name do you compel to an Vniformity and Conformity thereto What I have formerly said in Chap. 4 may be enough to answer the foresaid Query but in short I say again from the Lord God of Heaven and Earth his People have received power and therewith are they endued to perform those Holy Christian Practices in their Men and Womens Meetings and thereby are they invested with Authority and Dominion to stand up as Noble Witnesses for the Standard of Righteousness against all opposition and by how much the more we are saithful and singly resigned in a holy Zeal and due diligence to attend and wait upon the Lord in our Meetings to perform that which tends to his Glory and the good of one another c. by so much the more doth he countenance us with his divine comfortable presence and therefore we are not careful nor need we be troubled what unruly disorderly loose ranting Spirits such as are given to a Fleshly liberty and wanton mind say to the contrary question or condemn us therefore And I may say as an encouragement to you that are faithful to the Lord in your services both in your Men and Womens Meetings as the holy Apostle said in his day to the Philippians Whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue and if there be any praise think on these things and not onely so but those things says he which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in me do and the God of peace shall be with you Phil. 4.8 9. And Francis that 's an absolute plain forgery to imply by way of Query taking it for granted that it were really so in whose Name do we compel to a Conformity c. For we do deny it as feigned and false and many living powerful Testimonies arise in the hearts of Gods Children against this wicked malicious abusive Spirit that would defame us by falsly suggesting we did compel force and drive People nolens volens against the perswasion of their own minds whether they will or not comply they must We never endeavoured such driving forward work to bring any to an uniformity and subjection to that which we know of certain to be according to the mind of God and the counsel of his eternal Spirit consentaneous or correspondent to the Principles of Truth or the true Christian Religion and no ways repugnant to but congruous with the sentiments of sound Reason c. and it s our desire that every one should be fully perswaded in their own minds and we direct them to wait upon the Lord that he may reveal that to them which would tend to his glory and their good and I know
that hath called them c. and that that is not a necessary occasion And furthermore observe we have mens monthly meetings and must they not meet at the time appointed if no business should present And if they meet not pray how should they know whether they have business or not And if they may meet why not the women likewise If neither except as before why is any time appointed This looks as if they would have Friends only meet when they can tell of outward business to be proposed so if any but say he knows no business he is excused Oh what a disorder and confusion would they lead into Well may they be termed Babell's-builders and compared to the foolish woman c. 3 ly Moreover Reader I desire thee to consider that notwithstanding F. B. so much abuses that Epistle of G. F's concerning Womens meetings which he transcribes in p. 33. and brings in as a proof of an alteration and violence done to our first Principles of union whereof I have already taken notice See Chap. IV. p. 50. Yet this very same paper was approved of by John Wilkinson and others of his party and for thy further satisfaction and to shew thee both how much they have contradicted this foolish conceited man F. B. and likewise thou mayst clearly see how much they are degenerated and Apostatized from what they once owned I shall present a paper writ from the Quarterly meeting at Kendall the 6th of 8th month 1671. where the foresaid Epistle of G. F's was read and joyned with and with an unanimous Consent to be Practised as appears by what follows It is further agreed upon that this paper be read in every particular Meeting that the WOMEN-friends who are faithful may be stirred up to a serious consideration in the light of the Lord to examin themselves and feel his requirings and so to answer the Lord with diligence and willingness of mind that so every one that profess the living truth of God may be serviceable Instruments in his hand to Extol his Name and to perfect his praise in our day and time And in the womens assembling together to see and consider that all women young and old who profess the Truth do walk therein in good order in modesty and moderation in Charity out of the Customs fashions of the World and that nothing be lacking and so herein the femals will become very sensible of the necessities of the body and so you will rejoyce with them that do rejoyce and suffer with them that do suffer and mourn with them that do mourn who are not gotten out of the bondage and Captivity of the adversary and so be ready to lend unto such a helping hand and encourage every such good desire and reprove the willful and obstinate And so every one acting in the just Principle of God in our selves justice will be exalted and righteousness established and herein Male and Female is serviceable in our place and calling in this our day generation And so all Women-Friends who feel sincere desires in themselves to be instrumental of good unto others let them meet together as aforesaid n = * viz as is expressed in G. F's paper wherein it s found thus so it would do well for the Women to have a distinct meeting by themselves as it is in other places and to see that nothing be lacking So once a month to have a Womans meeting in the County-Town or other places convenient then the other Neighbouring Women may come go home they meeting together about the 10th hour of the day c. and in this desire certainly the Lord will assist you in his Wisdom and Counsel to act speak that which is convenient and all the faithful women who are inclined and affected herewith may signifie their minds and intents to the Mens meetings and so be encouraged by us whose names are hereafter subscirbed John Wilkinson Henry Story Richard Stephenson Henry Garner c. CHAP. XI THE last part of my present business is in something by way of tender Counsel and Brotherly advice unto all Friends of truth both here and also beyond Seas c. That which will render you in a true Capacity in your several stations to be a good savour in your places before the Lord and Instrumental in his Blessed Hand to be serviceable in advancing this great and glorious Work of the universal Restoration of the Sons and Daughters of men is as you are kept in the continual daily subjection of your Spirits to the Leadings of that holy pure power of Almighty God who hath called you unto a high and Honourable vocation For that hath been as well the ground of our preservation in a right state and good condition as the alone foundation of the infinite loving kindness and continuation of the tender Care of our heavenly Father towards us till this moment of time And because of the want of this holy subjection in the particulars of those who have been convinced of the blessed Truth and publickly have appeared for it but having gone from the life of it in themselves and because that they have not kept in the Constant dependency on the Lord in the dayly self-denyal and in the Cross to their own wills and so have not abode in the lowlike humble meek and quiet peaceable Spirit of Jesus therefore is it that a disorderly treacherous loose libertine reaching high perverse Spirit hath entered into them and hath so far prevailed upon them as to influence them thus to appear in such an abusive heady Cross opposite willful and stubborn mind that they become like those mentioned in Jude likewise also saith the Apostle These filthy dreamers mark well the sayings they are so apposite to illustrate and clearly demonstrate the very Characters of these Apostates defile the flesh despise dominion and speake evil of dignities and of those things which they know not and what they know naturally as bruit Beasts in those things they corrupt themselves Wo unto them for they have gone in the way of Cain and perished in the gain-saying of Core these are Spots in your feasts of Charity feeding themselves without fear Clouds without water Carried about with Winds Trees whose fruit withereth twice dead plucked up by the roots raging waves of the Sea foaming out their own shame wandering starrs to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever But beloved Remember ye thâ— words which were spoken before by the Apostleâ— of our Lord Jesus Christ How that they told you there should be Mockers in the last time who should walk after their own ungodly lusts and at last very evidently concludes demonstrating what persons these are as a signal mark to know them by These be they that SEPARATE themselves sensual having not the Spirit And Observe further how the Apostle Peter describes them more fully for when they speak great swelling words of vanity they allure through the lusts of the
flesh through much wantonness While they promise them liberty they themselves are servants of corruption For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than after they had known it to turn from the holy Commandment delivered unto them but 't is happened according to the true Proverb the Dog hath turned to his own vomit again and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire 2 Pet. 2. Every one of these passages are so Correspondent with and agreeable to the practices and wayes of this dividing opposite party who have seperated themselves from our blessed unity First as with respect to the good Spirit of God in their own particulars and next which of necessity and so naturally follows as to fellowship concord and Communion with his People and methinks one neer parallel and a more close comparison could not be drawn as to every circumstance betwixt those in the Apostles time and those in ours it is so apparent that people of small understanding may readily observe the same And it s my firm Faith and certain perswasion that as on the one hand they are daily discovering their own shame by their uncivil defamations abominable lyes and malicious suggestions so on the otherhand shall their folly thereby be the more laid open For as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses So do these also resist the Truth but saith he they shall n = * Obs In Gods appointed time all the resiâ—â—ers and Rebellers are stopped in their envy and malice against his People proceed no further why so the reason is clear as followes for their folly shall be made manyfest to whom not only to a few or a little remnant who from that inward sense and true discerning the Lord hath indewed them with do see and have seen when first they began their wicked work of separation and before it was so notorious as it is now but unto all men as theirs was Now to return unto that which was most weighty in my view having made some little digression seeing it hath thus sadly befallen such who have not kept their habitation in the Truth by reason of their woful departure from that due constant subjection of their Spirits thereunto having also the advantage of observing the Rock they have split upon and as this F. B. saies in his word of advice to the Pennsylvanians in his last Chap. such a slender pitiful dry one as it is and indeed I think better could not be well expected from him for as I remember the substance of what he saies that's worth observing much like to the dead professors strain keep the Scripture in esteem amongst you c. But never so much as a syllable of the antient Principle of Truth viz. To mind the light of Christ you may perceive what hath been one Impediment to the increase of love and Charity which Blessed be the Lord God of Eternal Glory plentifully abounds amongst Friends in Scotland Ireland other places where this opposite dividing party hath not gain'd any Interest among them and so in most Counties of this Nation of England where it hath not prevailed there is great amity blessed unity sweet concord Peace Heavenly harmony daily increases amongst them O Blessings and glory and Honour unto the Lord our God for ever for the same Therefore my tender Counsel and brotherly advice in the love of our Lord Jesus unto you all is be very Careful that at all times above all things whatsoever and on all occasions you may be found in that holy Reverend subjection of your Spirits to the blessed Divine power of the living God that hath reached unto you and by which you are Called to be his holy pure People and then in this holy frame I do right well know shall you be kept neer unto and in unity with himself and in concord and fellowship one with another in the unity of his Spirit and in the bond of peace bundled up in the bundle of everlasting Life and so thereby shall you be preserved from that rending tearing and devouring Spirit and the same God of blessings who as he hath graciously attended you here in your various exercises will also favourably accompany and be present with you his faithful honest right-hearted ones in all your several services for the advancement of his glorious work even the Salvation of Souls the promotion of the pure name and the exaltation of the glorious fame of holy Jesus amongst the Heathen and all the World over And our Confidence is that notwithstanding of the great fury and wrath of the Devil the implacable malice and envy of his cursed agents against the Lord his faithful Children yet I am fully perswaded Truth innocency shall over all prevail as John saw and said behold a white horse and he that sate on him had a bow and a Crown was given unto him and he went Conquering and to Conquer So I recommend you all to the saving Word of Gods Grace that by it you may be guided and under the safe conduct thereof preserved to the End of all those various Changes Tryals and troubles here that you may finish your time and testimony and lay down your heads in peace and in the close of all return to your God and my God the Father of Spirits from whence we came with all the Heavenly Host Laud and Extol his holy worthy Name with everlasting Songs of pure thanksgivings and living praises and so receive the product of all your labours and excercises in the Lord even the immortal Crown of eternal Glory and perpetual Renown is the sincere supplication of my Soul for you all as for my self and who earnestly prayes for the establishment preservation of all the Lords people upon the everlasting Rock that unchangeable Foundation against which the Gates of Hell cannot prevail The Conclusion AND now Francis Bugg I think I have done with thy book and spent more time then I Judge it either deserved or I designed in answer thereunto and indeed never expected to have been concerned with thee or any upon this Account in publick especially I being altogether a Stranger to unacquainted with thee and therefore assure thy self what I have written or may yet say unto thee and others of thy Adherents is not from any Rancour Heat or Prejudice but really from that good-will true tender love and earnest desire which the Lord hath begot in my soul for the eternal welfare and happiness of all the Sons and Daughters of Men but more singularly for the restoration of such whom God in any measure hath visited with his Glorious Blessed Day and reached unto by his everlasting pure power and thereby has tendered their Spirits and broken their Hearts and given unto them a feeling and sence of that Precious divine life the constant enjoyment of which is above and beyond all what this fading transitory World can afford But what shall I say unto
of the evil of thy doings repent thereof and so obtain Mercy from the God of all Mercy whom thou hast grievously provoked to wrath against thee by the many abusive slanders and unchristian Calumnies reproaching his holy Innocent Heritage But in Case I should not be answered therein and thou rather prove more obstinate perverse and peevish against me and the Lords people and so should take occasion by this to bring forth and Publish to the World more gross lyes impertinent and ridiculous stories or such-like to thy forme I do not intend to take much notice thereof or spend my time so as to enter into a list of Controversie with thee For as I said already it was farr beyond my expectation ever to have been Concerned with thee or any of thy party on this score in these things where there is little or no satisfaction found especially when we have to do with Cross heady and unreasonable brutish Persons And so farr now as I have cleared my Conscience and discharged my Duty I shall enjoy Peace with my God and rest satisfied being singly given up to follow him and honestly to perform that Service he hath allotted for me in my generation and which as most proper for me to attend in that station he shall place me though I should never set Pen to peaper or thus Publicly appear again in these comfortless Contentions and endless debates for I do well understand in my small measure wherein the true Victory is obtained and which I know cannot be by all the blusterings Noises and Clamours of wrong rambling and bragging Spirits detained from such who are kept in a meek quiet harmless and Innocent mind whose Souls are possessed in Patience and whose habitations are preserved in that vertuous Blessed truth in which alone is the true overcoming experienced Everlasting Glory to God on High Amen saith my Soul R. S. ANOTHER INGREDIENT Against The Venom in E. B's Book F. BUGG abetting W. R. c. Like a Conceited man Entitles his Book to the Primitive Discipline but Handles it not but names Evagrius and New Sirnames him Scholasticus as if it were to get himself thereby the opinion of a Schollar And Dedicates his Book to his Honoured Friend H. N. Kt. as writ many years since as if he Honoured Antiquity arguing from it p. 7. If so let him hear the many Authors following many Ages Ancienter disclam the later Author's Error which is also his Author 's which bears its own Evidence of its utmost Age with it The Dutch Wars which it mentions Into whose Errors he leads his Honoured Friend as for his part and his Readers to whom he commends his Book to be read after the Scriptures and Ri. Hub. and F. H s. works p. 215 without any exception caution praemunition or anuotation in his Episile Preface or Margin but owns his judgment as his own in this subject Praef to the 2d part Now Conscience is the Subject of the position that Conscience is free and is not that the Subject of the Book In the beginning whereof he makes the light therein in some at â—ast onely Natural and not Divine Universally in all men Contrary to the Scriptures John 1 9. And makes Conscience at least in some a reflect Act of the Soul Whereas the Scripture saith the Conscience also witnesseth with them Rom. 2 15. and thoughts between themselves accuse or excuse one another Dialogue wise then there must needs be two Diologismos And the word Conscience seemes to be used as it were in the Concrete as they term it that which exercises 2 Pet. 1 4. Jam. 3 4. of God that which is exercised of man as Nature Naturizing the Creator Naturized the creature And Calvin himself though a main man for the Presbyterian Doctrin inclines to the Divinity of the light in men Universally though a little shy of speaking more positively for fear of abuse by Phanaticks as he calls them But to go higher to those Fathers as Clemens Alex. Justin M. and other cited already by our Friends ss by Wm. Pen G. Keith and others of our Friends I hope I may have leave without reflection n = * And let not F. B. swel as raising all the dust because on thewheel For t is to the Reader I bring them whom he seeks to pervert proselyte as Simon did the Deputy make worse than himself Mat. 13. Acts 13. on this occasion to add some other writers I not known or remember have yet observed by others to shew ourjudgment agrees with the ancients though many of late years call it a new light some no mean men as W Prin though it may seem strange that perjudice should so blind such a great Antiquary John Selden the greater if not the greatest of late times is not so blinded but that he both sees and approves the general acknowledgment of the Learned before the year 1400. that the light in the Soul of man Universally is Divine De jure Naturali Gent. lib. 1 cap. 9. As first The Gentiles in whom Paul says that which may be known of God is manifest Epicharmus says mans reason sprung from God which is agreeable to what Paul alledges out of Aratus which reason must be understood of the Divine Reason Acts 17.28 as Justine Martyr Irenaeus and others understand it Logos theos Antoninus Emp says the understanding agent is that which God hath given to every one for a Guide of the Divine Nature So Plato Priscianus Lydus Alexander Aphrodusaeus Marinus Neopolitanus Aristotle Themistius n = * Thought to be about Moses time The Author of Pimander Hermes speaking of Divine Preaching without which men are Ignorant for what they are made and whereby The Antient Hebrews say that the understanding that acts is God and in their later Discipline an intermediate Minister as appears by Maimonides citing their Doctors Shechinah ruahh and that not onely for general principles of good and evil but also for particulars what they are the Conclusions and propositions to be shewen perpetually So the Arabians Avicenno Avorroes Argazel c. say That the understanding that acts is a thing separate by Divine Ordination though they agree not of its degree And that it is not humane form nor a part of it but something more Divine More of the Heathen Arabians John Philoponus hath l. 3. c. 5. de an l. 2 de Intel ag and Albertus Magnus Bonaventure Zabarella and others The contrary opinion That F. Bugg's First part owns his Second disowns not that I find was coming in or growing on about 400 years since Anno 1250. And therefore opposed by the Universities of Oxford and Paris and the Chief in them in those tâ—mes as Robt. of Lincoln W Avern of Paris Adam de Marisco c. R. Bacon M. S. to P. Clem. 4. c. 28. Cited at large by J. Selden opposes the Modern that said A. 1290. The Agent Intelect was part of the Soul All the Ancients saith he till