he would not be uncovered though he were in the Parliament house Yet let him know that he that resisteth or contemneth the Powers resisteth the Ordinances of God and he that resists See Mr. Bourn p. 41. receiveth unto himself damnation And it is a most sad thing indeed with Korah Dathan and Abiram to play with and contemn the wrath of God-lest the bowels of the earth chastise their presumption Rom. 13.2 3. I both would and shall endeavour brevity in what convenience may require yet for the good of those that stand between two not knowing whether they were better to backslide or stand fast where they are I shall endeavour in a few words to shew you what I apprehend to be the cause of the Lords for saking him and giving him over tp his own lust and as I often told him and George Fox Borows and Hoberthorn c. I observed a Learned Author laid this down as maxim in Divinity that when a man ceases with this quaking Sect to be guided by Gods Laws God gives him over to be ruled by his own lusts and therefore I wished them not to whet and provoke the anger of the Lord which is a consuming fire And in a word I am cleerly of this opinion that had he had true faith he could never have finally fallen to reprobation and blasphemie It is probable he might have faith but not true faith for as saith Dr. Holmes there is a faith of adherance and there is a faith of assurance c. The true faith must be exercised in true worship the end whereof is true happiness and all worship not agreeing with Gods revealed will is prophaness and irreligion the end whereof is not happy but wretched For this is life eternal to know God and whom he hath sent Jesus Christ and not James Naylor And he that expects to reign with nim must believe that he is able to save to the uttermost Heb. 11.6 John 1.11 2 Cor. 5.7 John 20 29. Heb. 11.1 Ephes 2.8 and all other that pretend so to doe besides him are seducers and let him pretend what revelations he will this a true believer must know and relye on That no man hath seen Gods essence that is greater then any finite apprehension so that let Quakers and their seducing teachers say what they please this is truth and no lie we walk by faith the eye of the soul and not by sight and therefore Christ when he had assumed a visible nature in his incarnation for that work of our Redemption would not be long conversant on earth in his publique Ministry that our salvations might not be in sense but believing blessed are they that have not seen yet have believed The necessity of faith appears in that the just shall live by it by faith we are justified without it we cannot please God Habakkuk 2.4 and what is not of faith is sin the excellency of it in that it apprehendeth the riches of Christ and in him the unspeakable treasure of Gods mercy peace of conscience reconcilation with God remission of sin indemptnity from the guilt and punishment c. In fine all things which concur to the compleating true happiness It stiled Abraham Gods friend and us his sons it is the sanctuary of a troubled spirit the first fruits of the heavenly Paradise In a word precious is that faith which believeth all the word of God is true and to be obeyed and saith that Jesus and not James is the true Christ and that there is Salvation in no other name under Heaven They best know how sweet a Jewel faith is that can value the enjoyment by the want of it but to such as Naylor and his sect who are deluded with false light and temptations of security there appeareth no want of it in themselves because they are secure but I heartily wish they knew and would believe there is a common faith which reprobates may have and that is either historical such at the Divels have Jam. 2.19 or temporal as Mat. 13.20 Acts 8.13 and this is either a faith of miracles or a delusion of security There be many degrees but one onely object of true and saving faith and that is Jesus Christ and not James Naylor and that which we are to believe and obey is the infallible truth of God the first God the second his Oracles and his Will concerning our Salvation revealed in his Word The word and testimony of man may be the ground of opinion which is of things probable but true faith can stand on no other basis but the Word of God which is infallible certain and can have no falshood in it and he that goeth without this guide runneth like those Israelites to the mountains of the Cananites Numb 14 40. to their own destruction as this Sect and particularly him of whom we now speak gives too sad a testimony of this truth I desire thy excuse Courteous Reader if I have been transported too far on this Subject be thou pleased to read it but with as much patience as I writ it and 't will extenuate the Teadiousnesse of it I shall rest no longer here but presse onward to what I intend and that leads me to the second ground which argues the spirit by which he is acted to be not divine but diabolical Which is this Secondly By his actions in general but chiefly by reason that the first step he took after his apostacy gives strong suspicion nay plain assurance that he is guilty of inconstancy and adultery to the clearing of which I shall proceed and in so doing it will be requisite to trace him along from the beginning when he first left that Church whereof he was a member and in so doing observe what is worth the noting as shall seem most convenient Naylor being a member of a Congregation at Wool-Church in Yorkeshire he was there excommunicated for his blasphemous Tenets as Mr. Christopher Marshall Pastor of that Church whereof he was a member confessed 〈…〉 who is also well known to be an able godly and sincere Minister of the Word of God who also in a Letter to a friend a Copy whereof I read is related this story that James Naylor since he was a Quaker having gotten into the acquaintance of a woman named Mistris Roper and her husband being gone away from her on some occasion a long voyage he the said James Naylor used greatly to frequent her company being more then ordinarily and to be plain more then civily familiar with her using frequently to dandle her on his knee imbracing and kissing her more then was either fitting or beseeming civility and in the time of her busbands absence either by some other or as is most likely and is supposed by James Naylor she was gotten with child and when her husband had been absent from her and Naylor acquainted with her seven and forty weeks she was brought to bed of a Bastard-child and this was
according to the flesh are mine I was obedient and after I had been there a while it was given me what I should declare and ever since I have been obedient to that which is pure in me and in you all Christ manifest in mortal flesh Whereupon I asked him whether that friend or any else besides himself heard that same voice or how should it be known to be a truth since we had nothing but his own word for it He answered it was not a carnal audible voice to be heard with an earthly ear for it was heavenly and that it is true the spirit beaereth witnesse and I know his witnesse is true Q. I asked him whether the voice were external or internal and to whom he gave his estate A. He said that that which is pure in all your consciences which convinces you of the evil you do Christ in you the true light spoke to that of God in me and I heard it and will witnesse to that of God in you all or words to this purpose that it is pure and eternal Q. I asked him to whom he gave his goods and estate A. He said to his Wife and children When indeed I had thought in imitation of the Pharisees he had boasted of some deeds of charity he had done with it before men not but that it was well bestowed as it was disposed of for I think as they had most need of it so they had most right to it and the promise he faith is fulfilled in that God hath witnessed to his doctrine but what that Witness what that Power and what that voice is and from whence is evident First By his Apostacy in that when he had associated himself with a people that endeavoured to live and walk with and in the Lord that he should backslide from those ways of truth and embrace such errors as have led him unto the height of blasphemy when as the Apostle saith They and so he went forth from us because they were not of us but like tares among Wheat disagreeable and fit for nothing but Destruction Secondly By his Actions the first step whereof led him to such art Act as gives much suspition nay even assurance of inconstancy and adulteries c. as hereafter shall be made evident in this discourse Thirdly His Doctrine in that he preacheth down all truth and up all errors as denying either Magistracy or Ministry or either Gospel or civil Laws or Discipline c. Fourthly By his Blasphemies of which he is justly convicted and for which he hath partly suffered by the Supreme Authority as that he is the Son of God and the Son of God is but one and then he being one and the Son of God as he saith there is by that account no other and questionless he hath been long of this judgement though not so publique in it For long since he said he was as holy just and good as God himself thereby claiming anequality with God though at a farther distance then now for then he onely claimed an equality by purity but now by dignity affinity as being the Son of God and one with the Father See Mr. Farmer 's Satan inthron'd in his Chair of Pestilence c. I have first laid down those four Heads as a ground-work to what I intend to enlarge upon in prosecution of this Treatise but before I proceed to doe so I shall speak a word or two concerning the proceeding of the Supreme Authority against him of whom we now treat by reason that many though some indiscreetly say The sentence pronounced against him savours of a harsh judgment thereby endeavouring to scandalize the supreme and high Authority with cruelty to which I shall speak a word or two impartially Since it is esteemed not onely in this but in all other Nations an act of high in justice to sentence him to die the very worst of deaths that shall assume unto himself the title of his Prince or Governour or that shall any waies endeavour to impair the titles and glory of him how much more ought he to die or suffer a worse punishment that shall commit a greater offence and make himself the Son of God the King of righteousnesse I have read of them that for bearing in their Coats of Arms that which belonged onely to the Crowne have suffered as Traytors as Lord Howard Duke of Norfolk with his son the Earle of Surrey in the dayes of Henry the 8th though men in great and high esteem and of no less honour for this offence and no other were arraigned convicted and condemned as Traytors then how much more ought he that shall make himself the Son of God c. to die if it were possible a hundred times for look how much God is above man so much ought he to suffer a just torment more then death if it were possible And therefore the sentence which was past upon him and he hath partly undergone was more in mercy then justice could well admit and they with honour pronounce against him but 't is true indeed mercy shall find mercy and its a signal token of a tender charity in that mercy was exalted in the midst of just Judgement I shall now proceed to treat upon and examine the several things before laid down First That it is an evidence that that voice that power and that witnesse is not of God or goodnesse that spoke to him goeth with him and testifieth of him Firft by reason of his apostacy it is a precept in the word of God concerning him which backslideth from the faith which stands in Jesus Christ the onely reall and eternal Son of God the Father after the first and second admonition if he repent not give saith the holy Ghost or deliver such a man over to Satan which is excommunicate or exclude him so then he being delivered over to Satan is no more of God in respect that power which is given to the Church to excommuninate false members hath been exercised on him as a backsliding brother we ought to look on him as one under the power of Satan and not to bid him good speed lest we be partakers with him in his evill deeds And indeed if we consider him in the state of a falne brother we cannot wonder to see him raign in all manner of wickedness in respect the Holy Ghost saith that false Prophets mnst come and false Christs shall arise it is just with God to give him over to believe lies because he hath pleasure in unrighteousness 2 Thes 2 10 11 12. 1 John 4.8 Heb. 12.29 For as God is light and so able to discern all things so is he all-sufficient to understand and do all things and as he is all love to his children so is he all judgement yet merciful to his enemies Therefore let him repent him of and not persevere in his blasphemies 1 Tim. 1.23 for though he can contemn Authority and say in the mind he is in
several times profered by my self and my loving friend Mr. Persival to be proved and made good before any Magistrate if they durst put it to tryal and I profered to read the Letter or at least a Copy of it at their publique meeting provided that Naylor or any other should but ingage that I should have neither violence offered to me nor to the paper but it would not be granted and Naylor himself when accused with it in his meeting was unable to clear himself any further then with silence which gives consent A weak excuse yet as strong as his innocense and leaving his standing he said This is a priest lie And without question had he been able to have said any thing that might have savoured of an excuse he would have been ready to have spoke that with much addition his tongue being free to run commonly not only beyond reason but truth also and one passage in the said Letter must not be omitted which was Naylor being on a time in private with her the said Mistris Roper dandling imbracing and kissing her lasciviously she in a jesting manner thus exprest her self as glorying in their stolen wickdness Now James what would the world say should they see thee and I in this posture but what his ananswer was I cannot say but it may easily be supposed to be such as should incourage her in her sin with greater impudency if it might be and though he nor his friends durst not bring it to the Bar of justice he knowing his own guilt and fearing the punishment on the Law in that case provided yet Providence hath so disposed of that businesse that since he was in question for that horrid and scarce to be paralel'd blasphemy it hath been a matter disputed of before the Seat of Justice for Mr. Persival our a zeal to Piety by having impiety corrected went to the Honourable Bramfield a known godly pious Gentleman and Churchman of the Committee chosen to examine his misdemeanors and gave him to understand the matter and told him that if his Honour pleased to send for Mr. Lamb at Elie-House he had in his custody the original Copy of the Letter containing the whole proceedings before the said Church under Mr. Marshall's own hand Which Mr. Lamb being sent for and producing the said Papers they were read to the said Naylor's face in the open Court who being asked what he could say for himself as to this did not nor indeed could not deny the action but only denied the time as being not since he was a Quaker but when he was a Souldier and he said it was not in that nature in which those Letters presented it as in any dishonest or lascivious way but only he then kiss'd her in the way of courtship To which answer was returned that it was no such thing as he pretended but since he was a professed Quaker and not before which when he see it would be made so evident that it would be rendered inexcusable he was silent as to that and that it is so by consequence hereafter shall be verified Thus much for this particular act I shall now come to treat of some of his actions in general Here followeth a brief Narrative of some Actions committed by him with severall other Passages of the like nature since and not before he was a Quaker JAmes Naylor being on a time in a meeting at Sedbergh in the North peremptarily asked one who is reputed to bean honest sincere Christian named Samuel Handley whether he were free from sinne or no who replied he was sensible of his own infirmities and therefore a sinner with that Naylor railed at him with the uncivil terms of Thief and Murtherer Cane and the like and justified himself to be perfectly free from sin And here may I fitly insert a passage between one whose name I omit because he is well known about where he lives and my selfe at the Bull and Mouth within Aldersgate I being on a time at the said meeting fell by chance in discourse with one who by his signal termes as thou and thee I supposed to be a Quaker with whom after other things I had some speech concerning present and perfect perfection which he in part denying I said that Naylor owned and preached to maintain it as in a Letter extant in the Quakers whitest Divel unvailed whereupon the aforesaid A.A. called me lyer and child of the divel till producing the book it selfe I read unto him Naylors own words which when he heard he said doth James say so I answered yes nay then said he It is truth So far are they bewitched with his delusion as to steer their faith by his unstable and vitiated brain Naylor hearing of a Bull-baiting in Chesterfield whereof Mr. Billingsly was Pastor he writ a Letter to the said known godly Minister wherein he said that swearing cursing bulbaiting and blaspheming of God was the fruits of John Billingsly's Ministry thereby indeavouring to scandalize the man that had done him no prejudice See Learned Reverend Mr. Bourn's defence of the Scritures p. 17. 18. which indeed was his usual practice as is evident in many particulars too tedious to name which is a signal demonstration ofa malicious spirit but when he was in publique he was accused with this act of falshood indeed the proper fruits of his spirit he denied it calling him lyer that laid it to his charge till his Letter was produced which proved him in an untruth when he wanted not impudence to excuse but grace to repent for that lying accusation A Poor honest Country-man of Wingerworth in the County of Derby having heard Naylor prate after his usual manner error and blasphemy was so infused not with pure light as they pretend but with a desperate divelish humour that he destroyed and drowned himself which plainly speaks by what power and spirit they are acted Not unlike to this was that of Mary White who by the damnable sedition of Burrows Howgall and Hoberthorn the orators for the promotion of the man of sin James Naylor not the but their Christ and his cause was miserably be witched and inchanted to death after several and sad motions and fits as heaving and strugling like Convulsion fits with strange out-cries as barking like a Dog lowing like a Cow c. witnessed by Bartholomew Leâ—ald See a sheet called quakers or enchanters Sold by Mr. Dod Susannah Green and William White on oath before Edmund Harvey Esq And the like that of Gilpine and also Cotton Crosland that hanged himselfe who pretended he knew more and higher things himself them any or all the Ministers in England did the truth whereof the end demonstrates And another in the North See Gilpin towards the latter end whose name I think was Birch who was seen in the act committing Buggery with a mare and for it fled all then professed Quakers It were in vain to cite every slight passage and to treat
tongue with a red hot Iron he bored a hole quite thorow which having done and pulling the cloth off that covered his face he put a handkerchief over his eyes and so putting his left hand in his pole he taking the red hot Iron-letter in his other hand put it to his forehead which gave a little flash of smoak which being done Rich licked the same as did the dogs the wounds of Lazarus and then sang which he did often before both stroaking and kissing him which he suffered with an admired impudence so Naylor was first conveyed back to the Black-boy and thence again to Newgate where he rests till he sets forward to suffer deserved shame in like manner at Bristoll What I have said in this I saw and therefore can witnesse I shall now proceed to lay down some of their wicked and erroneous Tenets not held out to my knowledge by any one man but by them all in General 1. They deny distinction of the persons in the God-head see Fox's Sauls errant to Damascus p. 18. there he affirms that it shews only a busie mind to enquire whether there be any individual God distinguished into the Father Son and holy Ghost 2. They hold the holy Scriptures to wit the writings of the Prophets Evangelists and Apostles as not being the Word of God but some of them call it carnal and all of them a dead letter 3. They deny any Exposition except such as they themselves make and call expounding conjuration and he that takes a Text to expound it they say is a Conjurer 4. They hold their own licentious and erroneous writings and speakings to be equal with the written Word of God and George Fox said to Jos Killet that it was all one and the same to take a Text out of his writings and Paul 's Epistles See the discovery of a Treacherous design c. p. 5. and to preach upon it this is an evidence by what spirit these men are under See Mr. Bourn p. 22. 5. They hold that Jesus Christ is come into their flesh that the man Christ dwels in them and that he is savingly in all men even Turks and Infidels but that in them he is held under corruption 6. They deny the Ascension 7. Some deny the Resurrection Saints errand to Damascup p. 57. 8. They disown Christs imputative righteousness and depend upon that which is inherent in themselves 9. They hold that in Regeneration there is no new matter no habit of grace or seed of God infused but that Christ that was in man before is then onely raised up in them out of Prison and from under corruption 10. They hold the full enjoyment of present purity and immortality See my Publique Discovery c.. as who so reads my Publique Discovery may find it cleerly proved with fulness of glory that they enjoy God Christ the Resurrection Judgement and all they look for they enjoy here in this life not expecting any other World or Kingdome but deny any local Heaven or Hell 12. They hold that they neither do nor can sin 13. They hold that to pray that our sins may be forgiven is needless and to ask any thing of God is folly for he knows our wants 14. They deny all Ordinances and concerning Prayer Preaching the Sacraments c. Fox said away with them for he denyed them all And I heard Edward Borowes say that they were an abomination to the Lord with much more of the like nature But think not that I shall accuse any one man as holding all these but onely that amongst them this they believe some in a lesser and some in a greater measure I shall only make mention of some absurd actions and opinions practised and upheld amongst them that now are and were of their society in general A brief Narrative of some very Remarkable passages and absurdities committed by and amongst that heretical Sect of Quakers ANd whereas Christopher Atkinson was once as famous as most that now stand with and among them I shall in a word give you to understand that last Spring at a Sessions held at Norwich he the said Atkinson was indited arraigned and found guilty of adultery and then confessed the Fact and since hath left their society and lives civilly with his Wife in the said City as a Letter I once saw from thence testifyed to be true this Atkinson was once adored rather as an Angel then respected as a man amongst them But it is evident that he was rotten at the Core and his heart was not found George Fox before sufficient witness See the Perfect Pharisee p. 3. as Doctor Marshall Col. West and one Mr. Sawro said that he was equal with God himself See Mr. Bourn's Defence of the Scriptures p. 90. see the relation of the Northern Quakers p. 2. who also said he was the eternal Judge of the World as George Beket Adam Sands testifyeth c. He hath also avowed himself to be the Christ as George Beket and Isaac Bourn affirmeth see the same Author p. 3. so did James Naylor say also that he was God and Christ as testifyeth three witnesses Here followeth a story no lesse strange then true though the strangenesse of it may render it some what incredible which is as followeth LAst Spring or thereabouts were met together in Yorkshire about an hundered and six score men women and children of all ages and sects except sucking babes about eight a clock in the evening where they continued their usuall discourse till about eleven of the clock at night Rom. 2.22 23 24. and when their speaker had done his rable they all very lovingly like swine in a stye went to bed together in the straw stark naked save what men and women were in beds An act not becoming Christians but rather Infidels This was often times in my hearing offered to be proved in their publique meeting place but they never durst put it to trial And but a little before that there were as I was informed for a certain truth some of this factious heresie presumed so far on their delusions that they slew a child presuming to raise it from the dead which when they saw they could not accomplish they were apprehended and at the Sizes condemned and executed for the said murder Not much unlike this was that bold peremptory part of George Fox who neer Kendal commanded a cripple to cast away his crutches and walk which he did but remained a cripple still and Fox wrought his own disparagement see the irreligion of the Northern Quakers p. 29. Many more be the absurdities that I could name of this like nature but I shall only instance two or three in brief A man came stark naked to the Market-crosse in Kertby-more and there stood speaking in that posture to the people with this excuse That he stood naked by the command of the spirit that he might speak the naked truth What father that was whether of