Christ much endangered by secret and unweared actings of the Emissaries of Rome Answ Though thou dost endeavour in this thy Disswasive Exhortation to perswade the Inhabitants of Kendall That wee called Quakers are Romes Emissaries by which the Truths of Christ are much endangered yet Romes Emissaries we are not neither are the Truths of Christ endangered or opposed by us as thou thy self hast confessed in the fourth position of the leaventh page of thy Pamphlet where thou confesseth Wee never opposed any fundamental truths that thou heardest of Therefore in this position thou hast cleared us from being Romes Emissaries by which truth is indangered which in thy Disswasive Exhortation thou hast endeavoured to perswade the Inhabitants of Kendall wee are Here the Inhabitants of Kendall may see thy envy and confusion who would have them to believe That wee are such by whom the truth is endangered And yet thy own tongue in contradicting thy envious disswasion is made to cleare us saying That wee never opposed any fundamental truths that ever thou heardest of which is truth For fundamental truths wee have not opposed at any time And as concerning the Church of Christ I say this It is builded upon the Rock which Romes Emissaries nor the gates of Hell can never prevaile against For all who are of the true Church and body of which Christ Jesus is the head and in his light dwells and walks by it they see and is able to diserne betwixt Truth and Error the doctrines of Christ and the doctrines which are preached by the Papiâ—…s and thee which thou wouldest instigate into the inhabitants of Kendall to cause them to believe that we their country men well known to some of them are Papists and that our doctrines are Popery but all thy labour in slandring us is in vain and thy asserting that our doctrines are Popery to no purpose for thou neither hast or ever canst confute them by the holy Scripture and Truth therefore in the end thy slanders will returne upon thy own head and unrighteous sayings be thy burden whereas thou speaks of a Quaker Jesuite at Bristol mentioned by Mr. Prynne as thou calls him That his sayings was made appear to be false and a slander I shall refer the Reader to the Answer of his scandallous paper Intituled The Quakers unmasked Put forth by William Prinne wherein his slanders is made to appear and he is found with a lye in his mouth Whereas thou goes on saying occasioned a late serious publique disswasive of you from the Church and Doctrines of Romes under what name soever and by whomsoever they were propounded to you and especially as they are propounded by the Quakers Answ It is utterly false to say the Quakers propounds Romes Doctrines either to the Inhabitants of Kendal or any other people for no other doctrines have we preached but the doctrines of Christ which we are able to prove and maintaine by the sound Arguments of Truth and Scriptures to be the doctrines that tends to the Salvation of Souls And when thou writes again give under thy hand positively what doctrines they are thou calls Romes doctrines propounded by the Quakers and name the man or men that is owned to be Ministers of Christ among us that thou call'st Quakers that did propound or preach them and till then let this slander reture into the uncleane bottle from whence this and all the rest of thy slanders hath come And thou sayest the charge of false-hood against me by them hath produced this demonstration of the truth of what I had publiquely asserted which I hope will tend to settle you against their way Answ This demonstration of Lies and Slanders doth not any way clear thee from my charge against thee in the â—ight of any who rightly understands the controversy betwixt thee and us but rather is an adding sin to sin and a heaping up wrath unto thy self against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God for the thing that was desired of thee by me was as thou behind our backs had devulged publiquely in the Steeple-House that our principles and doctrines was Popery That thou would give us a faire Meeting where all might heare the discourse betwixt ther and us And if thou could by the Scriptures prove our doctrines to be Popery or contrary to the Scriptures and distructive to mens Salvation then would we lay them down if not but we on the contrary could manifest our doctrines to be truth and according to the Scriptures then as thou had publiquely spoken against our doctrines calling them Popery thou shouldest publiquely confess thy fault and this was the substance of what I said to thee in the street of Kendal and thou being not able to manifest that to be true which thou had publiquely asserted concerning our principles and doctrines this charge is still good against thee till thou publiquely acknowlege thou hast wronged us And whereas thou further sayest in these doctrines which are peculiarly Romes doth the doctrines of the Quakers conspire and may therefore be called Popery without falsehood Answ I say of this as of the rest of thy slanders that it is altogether untrue for no doctrines do we preach and hold forth but the doctrines of the Gospel of Christ and for the defence of them and manifestation that they are true against thee and all that oppose them we can bring pertinent testimonyes out of the holy sayings of the Prophets Christ and his Apostles Words who preached the same Gospel and Doctrines before us and no doctrine of ours if rightly stated and as we preach them hast thou parallel'd with the Papist and thier doctrines but thou mightest as well have parallel'd the doctrine of the Apostles with the doctrine of the Papist as it will after more fully appear in our own stating the vindication and proof of our doctrines to be true which thou hast not neither ever canst confute or disprove by the truth or Scriptures Therefore thy slander of our doctrines will returne back upon thy selfe having replyed against some of thy slanders and untruths cast upon us and our doctrines I shall go on to the right stating and more full manifestation of our doctrines to be the sound and wholesome doctines of Truth though thou hast parallel'd them with the Papists that it may appear more fully that wherein thou hast parallel'd our doctrines with any thing they say which is truths in themselves thou might as well a parallel'd the Apostles with them because they may hold some of the same truths in the unrighteousnesse which the Apostles held forth and we hold in the righteousnesse and thou thy self confesses they hold some truths I. Doctrine that light which John came for a witnesse of that all men through his testimony might believe which doth light every man that comes into the world which is Jesus Is sufficient to convince of sin and lead to repentance all them thâ—… to his call hearken and is
able to save to the utmost all them that his light love and obey for the Author to the Hebrews speaking concerning Jesus the true light of the world that lighteth every man saith he being made perfect he became the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him Heb. 4. 9. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him Heb. 7. 25. II. Doctrine we say that the perfection of the Saints was and is attainable in and through Christ even while they were and are upon the Earth or else the work for which the true Ministry was given had been void if the work for which they were begifted among the Saints which was Ephes 4 11 12 13. For the edifying of the body of Christ till they came all to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the Stature of the fulness of Christ Could not have been accomplished while they were upon the Earth but Saints are redeemed from Sin and have escaped the pollutions of the world and by the word of God are sanctified according to what the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 6. 11. Such were some of you but you are washed but you are sanctified but you are justified in the name of our Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God And Jude in his general Epistle to the Saints saith they are santified by God the Father and preserved in Christ Jesus And the Author to the Hebrews speaking of himself and the Saints saith by the will of God we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Christ once for all Heb. 10. 10. And the same Author saith in the 14th of the same chapter by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified and yet he and the Saints that was sanctified and perfected for ever even while they were upon the earth and preached it and exhorted the Saints to press after it were not Papists nor rightly could be compared with Idolators in their Generation no more can we that preacheth perfection and exhort to press after it and believe it to be attainable in and through Christ be rightly compared to the Papists in our Generation And as concerning the third which thou states as out of our Doctrines in which thou compares us with the Papists we do deny it it is not any of our Doctrines either held or preached by us as thou hast stated it and in stating that we hold Justification by obedience thou hast not done honestly was not thou formerly answered that we are not justified by any obedience that is of the Creature but by the free gift of God in Christ Therefore I further say that we are not justified by our obedience or for our obedience but in and through the Lord Jesus Christ to whom we are obedient Whereas thou further saith and eminent speaker among them in the hearing of multitudes asserted that the righteousness that was wrought by the Power of God in the hearts of the Gentiles mention'd Rom. 2. 14. 15. is a righteousnesse whereby they were justified in the sight of God Answ To this I say concerning the Gentiles in doing well and working righteousnesse they were accepted and justified in the sight of God according to that of the Apostle where he saith God is no respecter of persons but in every Nation he that fears him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him Acts 10. 34. 35. Whereas thou sayest in the hearing of multitudes why dost thou call so few people as were there multitudes except thou would have some to believe thou gave us a fair meeting in some publique place which thou denyed to do though much urged to it but it is no wonder seeing thou had accused our doctrines to be Popery and our practices to be fetcht out of the rules of Popish Monks altogether without any true ground as is and will be fully manifest by the proof of our doctrines to be sound and true and our practices to have example among the Prophets and Ministers of Christ And whereas thou accuses James Naylor in the fifth page of his Book tituled The salutation to the Seed To say the Doctrine of Faith is the work of the Devil Answ Thy Accusation is utterly false as that page of his Book and all that reads it may bear Testimony against theâ— And whereas in the fourth thou speaks of Judas Being a godly man until Christ gave him the Sop the Devil thereupon entered into him Answ In that thou hast stated these words again thou hast not done honestly because thou hast formerly been answered that we did not own this Principle as it is stated to wit That Judas was a godly man till he received the Sop and we had ground for the denying of this Principle and others as they were stated because the young men themselves did affirm they were not so written as they spoke them but this we do affirm that Judas who was numbred with the Apostles and had obtained part of the Ministry and others fell away as we can fully prove by the Scriptures of truth where it is said Acts 1. 25. That he may take part of this Ministry from which Judas by transgression fell and Heb. 4. 5 6. and 2 Pet. 2. 20 21 22. where it it is said It had been better for them not to have known the way of Righteousness then after they have known it to turn from the holy Commandment delivered unto them but it is happened unto them according to the true Proverb the Dog is turned to his vomit again and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire more Scriptures might have been mentioned as Ezek. 18. 24. and others but by the mouth of two or three witnesses every truth shall be confirmed but these Scriptures I have not asserted to plead for falling away from grace and truth but to beare witnesse to the truth of our judgement in this particular and to manifest the wickednesse of our adversary who counts that Popery that is plain Scriptures as some of which he himself hath quoted doth bear testimony but it is no wonder seeing he saith the proofs themselves which is Scriptures is fetcht out of the Councel of Trent Bellarmine and others Fifthly that Pagans and Turks living justly and honestly may be justified and saved To which I say further that there is no respect of persons with God but in every Nation whether they be Jewes or Gentiles Turks or Pagans yet if they fear God and work righteousnesse of him they are accepted and whether he be a Turk or Pagan if he come to believe in Christ and follow his Spirit and light which leads to live justly and honestly he may be justified and saved in and through Christ And this doctrine is no Popery nor rightly can be parallel'd with theirs any more than the Apostles doctrine was to be parallel'd with the Papists
BABILONS DEFENCE Broken down and one of Antichrists Warriours DEFEATED In an Answer to a Scandalous Pamphlet Intituled THE QVAKER-JESVIT OR Popery in Quakerisme Put forth by one William Brownsword who calls himself Minister of the Gospel at Kendal In which the Doctrines of the Quakers so called are more truly stated than he hath stated them and fully manifested and clearly proved by the Holy Scriptures to be the sound doctrines of Truth In opposition to his false Slanders of them to be Popery In which also it is fully manifest that our practices are the practices of truth for which we have the holy Prophets and Ministers of Christ for our Example Wherein it is clearly manifest that he hath no more true ground to compare us to the Monks than the Enemies of truth had in Generations past to compare the holy Prophets to Idolators who practiced such things in obedience to God in their Age as we practice in obedience to God in our Age being a true testimony that many of the things that he hath said concerning us and our Religion are false With a few Queries to him concerning those Doctrines and Practices in which he hath compared us with the Papists By John Stoery Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake Mat. 5. 11. As many were astonied at thee his visage was so marr'd more than any man and his form more than the sons of men Isai 52. 14. LONDON Printed for Robert Wilson at the Black-Spread-Eagle and Wind-mill in Martins near Aldersgate 1660. Babylons Defence broken down and one of Antichrists Warriours Defeated In an Answer to a Slanderous Pamphlet Intituled The Quaker-Jesuite Or Popery in Quakerisme c. WHereas a Lying Pamphlet being come to my hands of William Brownswords who professes himself to be a Minister of the Gospel at Kendal but his Fruits and Practices doth rather demonstrate him to be a Minister of Anti-Christ and of that Generation that cryed Report and we will report it who ever did and doth report their lies and slanders against the Innocent to make the truth odious who are of that generation that shuts the Kingdome of God against men neither entering by Christ the light themselves nor suffering them that would but endeavours to perswade people that it is Popery and dangerous to hearken to the light of Christ within them and so endeavours to divert them from the means of recovery out of the shaddow of death and grosse darknesse which hath over spread the whole world out of which there is no way or means but in and through Jesus who is the true light of the world and did so testify of himself that all people might believe in him to have Life and Salvation who redeems mankind out of sin and saves from destruction and gives Eternal Life to as many as believes in him and leads out of darknesse all them that follow him in whose light all Nations of them that are saved must walk In which light is the Saints Union known and the Blood of the Lamb witnessed which was shed for many to remit sin And thou who would instigate people against the light of Jesus and endeavours to perswade that it is Popery to exhort people to hearken to the spirit of truth or light of Christ in them neither enters by him thy self nor is willing to suffer others but the day is appeared and the everlasting light is manifesting which will discover all thy deceits and thy refuge of lyes shall be swept away and thy slanders will return upon thy own head in the day when the Lord pleads with thee for all thy hard speeches and rewards thee according to thy doings Whereas Thou calls thy Pamphlet the Quaker-Jesuite Or Popery in Quakerisme Answer The people of God who are by the world in scorne called Quakers do deny thee and the Jesuites and all theirs and thy doctrines that are contrary to the truth and distructive to mens salvation and as for thy saying there is Popery in Quakerisme No Popery thou hast or canst prove to be amongst us or any doctrines that 's contrary to the holy Scriptures and Gospel of Christ therefore will these thy sayings and slandrous words that there is Popery in Quakerisme return upon thy own head and be thy burden at last Except thou confess thy fault and Repent And whereas thou further calls thy Pamphlet A cleare discovery that their doctrines with their proofs and arguments are fetch out of the Counsel of Trent Bellarmine and others Answ Our doctrines which are the wholesome doctrines of the Gospel of Christ which we have not received of man neither were taught by men but by the Revelation of Christ are not fetch out of the Counsel of Trent Bellarmine and others but it is no wonder that thou being blind saith that our doctrines are fetch out of the Counsel of Trent Bellarmine and others when thou sayest those good and wholesome sayings Of the holy Scriptures and Apostles of Christ which thou thy self hast quoted as proofs which we bring for our doctrines are fetch out of the Counsel of Trent Ballarmine and others was the Counsel of Trent Ballarmine and others the Original of those Scriptures or are they Popery and we Papists for bringing them to beare testimony of our doctrines Canst thou behold thy work again and not be ashamed when thou seest thy folly and Ignorance made manifest unto all that have the least measure of true knowledg Is thy Pamphlet a cleare discovery that our arguments are fetch out of the Counsel of Trent when here is not not any of our arguments in all thy Pamphlet but onely a few doctrines stated in such a manner as hath pleased thee to state them but our doctrines which are the wholesome doctrines of truth which thou hast not nor canst not disprove but thy own self hast quoted the Scriptures which doth in effect prove the things of which we say Therefore let that mouth be for ever stopped that sayth they and their proofs which is the words of the holy Scriptures are fetch out of the Councel of Trent Bellarmine and others And so thy slanders of us and our doctrines and the holy Scriptures shall returne back upon thy own head until thou confess thy folly and repent and do no more so wickedly And thou further saith that their practises are fetcht out of the Rules of Popish Monks Answ It is utterly false for our practises have we not received as traditions from them neither do we walk by their rules but by the rules of the Spirit of Truth by which we are led from that which is evil and through which we receive power to practice that which is good which spirit is become our leader into all truth and will abide with us for ever Whereas thou begins thy Disswasive Exhortation saying Beloved The respect that I beare to your Souls the Trvth's and Church of
the world And whereas thou accuseth us to be wanting in the esteem of true practices of Religion when thou writes again set downe in particular what those practices are which thou calls or can prove to be the true practices of Religion which thou accuses us to be wanting in the esteem of Ninethly thou sayest they carry a shew of self-denial abnegation of the world contempt of riches envy against the Ministers of Christ for having maintenance as if themselves had nothing yet thrives fast payes their debts makes purchases getts good Estates wear of late rich Cloaths Answ Thy assertion in this is utterly false as the rest have been for we do not envy against the Ministers of Christ for having maintenance but acknowledge that they that preach the Gospel may live of the Gospel according to Gods Ordinance and they that sow spiritual things may reap carnal things but having food and rayment are therewith to be content and there is no example amongst them for being hired at a Parish or making a bargain for so much as fourescore or a hundred pounds more or less as they can get it by the year or tithes of all the people possesses as the hireling Priests and Papists in England have done and for thy saying they thrive fast and paying depts and gets good estates to which I say when thou writes again instance one that is owned as a Minister amongst us that through gain made of the Ministry who had nothing that hath done any of these things aforementioned and till then let this slander returne back upon thy self as the rest have done and if God blesse any of his people with outward encrease why doest thou envious wretch reproach them because of Gods mercyes Thou sayest further that we wear rich Cloaths To this I say how fully hast thou contradicted thy self in the first of thy assertions in which thou parallel'd us with the Monks in thy saying that we lay much stress upon plain and mean apparel and now hast so far forgotten thy selfe that the same tongue saith now we weare rich Cloaths but in this thy envy against the truth is manifest and however they go that walk in it whether well in cloaths or mean in cloaths it will not please thee nor the envyous generation that loves not their neighbour as their selves And further thou tells of having stocks of money out of which thou supposes we have great and large sumes when wee have a mind to travel To which I shall answer thy supposition is false as the rest of thy sayings have been and if there be any such thing as stocks of money for the maintaining of the poor and other necessary uses among Friends is not this of good report and like Saints more than they in your Churches where your Members is like to starve and begs Tenthly thou sayest wee are a seduced people and active in seducing others being ignorant and unlearned yet an importunant and unweared people compassing Sea and Land to make one proselyte yet not for themselves but for those Sophisters of Rome whose factors they are Answ This is altogether false as the rest of thy slanders have been for Romes Factors we are not nor for them do we make proselytes And for thy saying that we are a seducing people and acting in seducing others I Answer this is altogether false as thy other assertions concerning us hath been for we are not seduced nor active in seducing others nor yet ignorant and unlearned in the things that appertains to Gods Kingdome our Salvation and the Salvation of them that hears us Eleaventhly thou sayest now I hope I have made it evident that the hand of a Jesuite is in the Quakers Religion how could they else be so well verst in their absur'd doctrines Answ The hope of the hypocrite is vain and his trust is like the spiders web for thou neither hast or can manifest the hand of of a Jesuite to be in our Religion nor any doctrine that is truly ours hast thou manifest to be absur'd or proved to be contrary to the truth and doctrines of the Gospel of Christ But it is manifest thou art verst in the Papists writings and doctrines otherwise thou could not have stated so many of them and their practices therefore thy saying that we are verst in their absur'd doctrines is false and may returne upon thy self who art guilty therein and thou goes on saying I will conclude with a re-inforcement of my disswasive of you from their doctrines and practices They are from Antichrist therefore avoid them Answ Our doctrines which is the doctrines of truth and our practices for which we have example among the Prophets and Ministers of Christ all the lyes and slanders which thou and all the Merchants of Babylon can cast upon us or upon our doctrines cannot disswade from our way which is the way of God any of them who hath the least measure of true knowledge therefore the adding thy reasons as thou calls them to imprint in people a deep hatred against our way which is truth shall not be effectual for thy refuge of lyes shall be swept away and unrighteous slanders turned back upon thy own head in the dreadful day of the Lord when he rewards thee and all the wicked according to their doings In the first of thy reasons thou sayest they are miserably divided among themselves about their principles Answ This is false for we who are in the truth and walks in the light have unity and are not divided amongst our selves about our principles though we did deny several of those things as they were stated having good reason so to do because they were stated in thy manner and as thou our adversarie pleased to state them and the young men affirm not in the very same words and form as they spoke them Whereas thou sayest the fourth of these reasons was again owned in a discourse viz that we are justified by obedience To which I say it is utterly false for no such thing was owned by any of us neither of it was there any discourse betwixt thee and us that day And whereas thou further calls it a contradiction to say that every man is lighted with the true light which is Christ And yet not spiritually enlightned with the knowledge of God Answ In this thy ignorance and want of understanding in the things of God is manifest in calling that a contradiction which is no contradiction for both these sayings in effect may be proved by plain words of Scriptures as John 1. 9. where it is said that was the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world and Jeremiah saith poure out thy wrath upon the heathen that know thee not Jer. 10. 25. So it is evident that the heathen know not God therefore may it truly be said without contradicting Johns testimony that every one is not enlightned with the spiritual knowledge of God though that testimony is true that saith
worshipped him after the strictest manner then held forth and this from our Infancy and upon what ground thou should charge us with being Jesuites and Papists I know not except it be to prove and shew thy self both ignorant slanderous and ridiculous amongst thy own hearers who doubtless some of them may say we know they are not such as thou hast said and the Witness in their consciences may prove thee a lyar and out-date thy book as an old Almanack â—it for the fire and thou hast wholly missed thy mark if thou thoughtest to lay a stumbling-block before thy Flock concerning us by this means of accusing of us falsly this shall do thee no good but turn to an offence against thy own self and as thou thought to do to others so shall it be done to thee and thou and thy work shall be rejected the one as ignorant and vain the other as ignorance and vanity for we are known to thy hearers to be neither Jesuits nor Papists but they can tell that thou art a false accuser in this And for thee to accuse us where we have been so well known renders thy selfe both ignorant and hatefull And it doth many wayes appear That wee are not Papists partly as I have said we were not such in the dayes of our Infancy neither educated nor practised therein but were zealous against Popery even from our childhood as the People of Kendal very well knows who can witness for us and against thee that we were neither such nor yet lovers of them but were altogether zealous against them from our childhood as I have said And it is evident we have been no such since we were reproached by the name of Quakers for we have given divers testimonies by writing in divers particular books which I might mention against the Church of Rome as knowing Her not to be the true Church of Christ but a false Church made up of Apostates originally and being Idolators in their Worship Church Ministry and whole Religion this testimony we have borne at sundry times and upon divers occasions sometimes we have given our testimony by writing against them plain affirmations and sometimes in answer to their writings against us and divers of us have been moved to go into their Dominions and declare the Word of the Lord against their Idolatryes And also divers of our friends forbearing their witness against the Church of Rome have suffered great and cruel things some until death and some at this day are in their Inquisitions and Goals and under suffering by them even for this cause for we have a large testimony and witness to give against the Church of Rome And by what we have testified in word and writing and by what we have suffered from them for so doing it well appears that we are not Jesuites nor Papists and with what face thou could accuse us it makes us to wonder at thy impudency seeing thou hast so little ground for it but hast upon thy malice thus falsly accused us without any just cause at all but this thy work which thou hast done shall return into thy own bosome with the reward of Judgement except thou repent and sin no more Yes but sayest thou you are Papists for why Such and such doctrines and practises you hold forth and the like is held forth by the Papists and this proves that you are so Answ Alas friend thou hast mightily discovered thy ignorance and folly in thus proceeding and in thus judging for doubtless the Papists may hold the profession of some truths in doctrines and practises unto this day even as thy own Brethren did confess at a certain Meeting of Dispute they affirmed to me that there were many saving truths held by the Church of Rome and seeing that they hold that Christ Jesus is the Saviour of the World and that by him people comes to eternal life and that he was born and died and rose again and seeing they hold that Saints must deny the world and forsake sin and the evil of the world These doctrines and practises with many others they do hold in words and appearance which are saving doctrines and practises in themselves though not to them but because they hold these things must the People of God either deny these doctrines and practises or else be accounted Jesuites and Papists for holding of them And would not this be unrighteous Judgement according to which thou hast judged us But I must tell thee we do hold the truth in righteousness both in doctrine and practises even upon this account because the Spirit of the Lord hath and doth lead us into all truth both in doctrine and practises And though the Papists may hold the profession of the same truth in words and outward appearance yet this is no ground for us to deny the truth as it is in Jesus nor yet a sufficient ground for thee to accuse us to be Papists but because thou art both ignorant and wicked therefore thou hast thus proceeded and thy work is a very scorn to many that are not Quakers and they see thy errour and ignorance in thy proceedings And wouldst thou thus be dealt withall And you Priests of England shall we judge you according to thine own rule might not I lay you to the line of Judgement and may not I instnace many particular things both in doctrines and practises which are held forth by the Ministers and Church of England and the Jesuites and Papists they hold the very same and shall we therefore conclude lawfully that all the Ministers of England and their People are Papists Oh man behold thy folly and what a snare thou hast laid for thy self and how thou art fallen into the pit which thou hast digged for others And further consider some of those doctrines and practises which thou hast charged upon us are proveable and exemplary in the Scriptures even by the Apostles who held forth and practised the same things and because we hold and practise the same therefore we are accounted Papists from this rule because the Papists profess the same like as if it were errour to say Christ is the Son of God because the Devil said so and like as if it were an errour to believe there is a God because the Devils believe so and by thy false proposed rule thou might have proved the one as soon as the other and thou might have said the Quakers are Devils why because the Devils confest Christ and they believe there is a God and therefore they are devils and would this be good Logick And such is thy Logick thou illiterate man Why this is thy work the Papists they hold such and such things and the Quakers they hold the same and therefore the Quakers are Papists Behold the substance of thy work thou vain man thou and thy work are both ridiculous to sober-minded people Now indeed if thou couldst have instanced such doctrines and practises held forth by us which the Papists do
daies he said False Prophets should come and should arise and deceive many and the Apostle John he said in his time that there was then already many false Prophets gone out into the world and the world went after them and the false Prophets which Christ prophesied of should come in the last times the Apostles saw were already come and coming in their daies and it was then the last time 1 Joh. 4. and such were they as you may read that were covetous and taught for filthy lucre and through covetousness made merchandize of people and such were they that preached for hire such as these even Wolves in Sheeps cloathing Christ said should come and the Apostles saw were coming in even in their daies and abundance of such as these have over-spread the Christian Nations for many ages so it is not as though the false Prophets were but coming now for that Scripture signifies and plainly saith that the false Prophets and Antichrist did come in even in the Apostles daies and most of the Apostles themselves were Martyred and the Churches of Asia were running into Idolatry and back-sliding from the truth even before the Apostles decease and John in the Revelations he saw what was to come to pass that Power should be given to the Beast and to the Dragon the Devil over all Nations Kindreds and Tongues and that the Martyrs blood should be shed and the Witness slain and the Woman the true Church should fly into the Wilderness and that the Whore the false Church should cause all Nations even the Kings of the earth should drink the Whores Cup and Antichriâ—t should rule and Myâ—…ery Babylon as a Quean should sit upon Peoples Multitudes and Nations and the Saints Blood should be drunk by the false Church the Whore These things John saw was to come to pass in his time as you may read in the Revelations and since Johns daies within these sixteen hundred years we know they have been brought to pass and fulfilled so the present time is not now as though deceivers were but newly comed in for the Nations of the earth have long been deceived by Antichrist in sheeps cloathing and the Lord is now again gathering People from them so be not deceived in your hearts neither be ye ignorant concerning the times and seasons for its the time of the Womans returning out of the wilderness and she shall be adorned with the same gifts and parts that she had in the Apostles dayes and all shall walk in the light of the Lamb and the marriage of the Lamb shall come and the Devil shall be chained to deceive the Nations no more these things will the Lord bring to pass and we are hapned to be even in the beginning of this time of the Churches returning and the fulfilling Gods promises for the light of the Lord hath appeared and the everlasting Gospel must be preached again through the world and this is Gods promises as you may read in the Revelations Therefore be not ignorant but now consider and let the fear of God be in your hearts for the day of vengeance will suddenly come upon the ungodly and them that are not prepared but wants the Oyl in their own Lamps they shall be shut out and left in utter darkness therefore consider now you have time the day of the Lord is at hand And yet though great darkness hath been over the Nations yet the Lord had his people that is a few in every Nation some in every age that were sincere in their hearts did fear the Lord in Spirit and did desire after him and that were in a measure humble before him some such have been among Papists and Protestants in all ages who have according to their present time been zealous in their way towards God and such have been dear to the Lord at all times who sought after him and suffered for him for their present testimony against sin and iniquity as it was manifest to them and such sincerity of heart in any we never have judged Though we say as for the matter of Government Discipline or Ordinances and as for Ministry the Call to it and maintenance of it all this both among Papists and Protestants of all sorts for the generality of it hath been wholly Antichristian Their Church Government Ordinances Worship their Ministry its Call its Maintenance hath been Antichristian and not according to the example of the Apostles And this we judge even by the Spirit of the Lord Though the sincerity in no man nor amongst any sort of people do we judge yet the constitution of Churches and the Worship and Ordinances and Ministry as it hath stood for many ages both among Papists and Protestants we do judge and deny by the Spirit of the Lord. Much more might be said as in these things but if any of you Parishioners of Kendall desire any further knowledge of these things or to be acquainted with our Principles we have given forth divers Books though they have been rejected hitherto yet the time is at hand when those truthes which we have declared both by word and writing shall be pretious throughout the world And we do not impose our Religion upon people by force of external laws as Papists and Protestants have done by Antichrian power But we do leave what we declare by word or writing to the witnesse of God even in all mens consciences thereby to be approved and though we have been sufferers and yet may for good conscience sake yet we are not ashamed of the truths which the Lord hath given us the knowledge of But in all boldnesse and in the fear of God we confidently give forth our witnesse by the Spirit of the Lord. And as for this our answer it is sufficient to you and your Minister and no more needs be said till we hear a reply and further then it is possible the testimony of truth may be given and I would desire that you and he would sincerely compare this and his together and then judge of the one and of the other even by the witnesse of God in your own consciences Here follows certain proposalls which was sent to William Brownsword about a year ago which are worthy here of Inserting that he may yet answer to these things for he would neither meet me to dispute these things nor give me any answer by writing And indeed it had been more equitable for him first to have answered these things than to have gone and sent forth such a foolish book against us and all these things being compared together I doubt not but some of you may be truly Informed and your understandings opened which is my earnest desire that so it may be unto you and that ye may come to a good understanding and perfectly disern betwen truth and error and true Ministers of Christ and deceivers London the 12th Month 59. FOrasmuch as a Paper I have seen which is given abroad in the Country the
substance of which as the Subscribers say is an earnest and Cordial invitation and free Call to one which they name Mr. William Brownsword to exercise his Ministry at Kendall And now in the behalf of the Parishoners amongst whom this Paper goes abroad to obtain the Subscription of their hands This following Paper am I moved to send to the said William Brownsword and to others of the Inhabitants of Kendall that are of his party for them to consider of it and to compare it with the former Paper and I shall wait expecting his and their Answer I am a lover of your Souls and a friend to Righteousnesse and dayly travelleth in the work of the Gospel to the intent that Sinners may be converted to God and the Saints strengthned in the Faith which gives them victory over the world and I wait for Sions Redemption and for the overthrow of great Babylon that hath ruled over the Kings of the Earth and whereas it is manifest to me that there is a great dissatisfaction in the spirits of people in this Town and Country hereabouts concerning the Ministry and the great cry is who is a true Minister of Christ and who is is not some crying up one man and some another and it appears to me that there is a great strife in the mindes of people about Ministers and Ministry and about the Worship of God and Religion some saying This is the way others saying That is the way and some crying This is Truth and others crying That is Heresie Now to the intent that all people may be satisfied and that the way of Truth may be clearly known from all the false wayes of Error and that the true Ministers and Ministry ma be perfectly known and distinguished from all false Ministries and that the Truth may be exalted over all and all Deceipt confounded Upon these Considerations with that dear and tender love which is in my heart unto the soules of all people but more particularly to the people of this my native Countrey therefore upon these accounts I am moved of the Lord to send these unto thee that thou wouldst meet me in some publick place in the Town or at the Steeple-house where the people of the Town and Countrey may conveniently come together to hear our discourse of these things which is doubtful to them that they may be satisfied as aforesaid and these things I do propose which I do Judge are things which are most needful that the people should be informed in and no Question but the unfolding of these Particulars underwritten by the Spirit of the Lord in sober Arguments may tend to satisfie many FIrst Whether thou canst prove thy Call to the Minisâ—ry to be the same and by the same means as the Ministers of Christ was in the dayes of the Apostles in the true Christian Churches Secondly Whether the maintenance of thy Ministry and practise in thy Ministry and the fruits and effects of thy Ministry be the very same as was the maintenance and practice and fruits and effects of the Ministers of Christ and of the Apostles in the time of the true Churches before the Apostacy And if these things thou canst prove then he that denies thee and thy Ministry shall be accounted a transgressor and thou shalt be free Thirdly What are the marks and evident tokens of the false Ministers and whether thou canst clear thy self according to the Scriptures from all the signes and tokens of a false Minister and deceiver and wilt thou be tryed according to the Scriptures Fourthly Whether any man without the gift of the Holy Ghost can be a Minister of Christ and of the Gospel and whether through thy Ministry sons and daughters do receive the pourings forth of the Spirit upon them as in the dayes of the true Churches of old and whether the annointing that teacheth all things dwelleth in every member of that Church whereof thou art a Minister Fifthly What the true state of the true Church is at present and hath been for many ages and whether the Church of England as it stood in the time of Prelacy or as it now stands in Presbytery be the true Church of Christ the Lambs wife or who are the true Church and what name of people doth the true Church of Christ go under at this day Sixthly Whether the time hath been or now is or is yet to come that the true woman fled into the Wilderness and what is the Wilderness into which she was to fly and what is the state of the true Church at this time and if she hath been fled into the Wilderness how much of the time is expired that she was there to remain and what was these flocks with which the Dragon did persue her and how was the Dragon in Heaven and how and when was he cast out into the earth And these things with some others which I have to propound being fully opened in the way of a fair and sober dispute may try thy Ministry and satisfie many that are doubting and truth be made manifest and deceit confounded And these things I am willing to travel through in discourse with thee the said William Brownsword or any other that shall accept of the Propositions with the consent of the Mayor and Aldermen of the Town who may preserve the place and people in peace and soberness also provided that each of us on both parts may have full deliberation to speak forth our mindes pertinently to the matter and that each may have silence from the other whilst the other is a speaking and that all fair and sober dealing be amongst us and the fear of God but if these things proposed for subjects to dispute be not agreed to to fall upon then any other particulars which is necessary for edification which may be named by the Mayor or any other sober man in Kendal provided I may propound one thing for another And send thy Answer to this whether thou agree to it or not if thou or any other dost consent hereunto let the time be appointed to be in a convenient time after the date hereof and I shall expect an Answer to this either in agreement to dispute these Particulars or to give me an Answer to the Queries in writeing and I shall wait for an Answer hereof The 12th day of the 12th month 1659. E. BVRROVGH THE END