demand Thy proofless Affirmation will not stand â—…ch less dark Hints Come name the man that went A preaching at G. F's commandment Without an inward Motion from the Lord To sound abroad his everlasting Word 〈◊〉 solemnly profess I do not know One Friend amongst us all that e'er did so Thou sayst The Church hath cry'd once and agen 'Gainst Black-Coats for their being sent of men Thou Envy-blinded art and much unlearn'd 〈◊〉 Truth nor hast thou Right from Wrong discern'd See'st thou no odds Put'st thou no difference then 'Twixt those that run as only sent by men Who neither waited for nor yet believ'd The Spirit 's motion was to be receiv'd And did 〈◊〉 Mission too from such men take As have against the Spirit 's sending spake And them that â—…wait for and in Truth rejoyce At hearing in themselves the Spirit 's Voice Giving a certain Echo to the sound Of the same Voice when in another found Hast thou not read how in the purest state Of Christian Faith as Scripture doth relate The blest Apostles sometimes others sent And sometimes also sent by others went How oft did Paul send Timothy and Titus Beloved Tychicus Epaphroditus Onesimus Erastus and some others True Gospel-Preachers and beloved Brothers Was this like Black-Coats sending Blush for shame That e'er thy Envy did thy Black-Coats name Canst thou imagin they who thus were sent On the meer Motion of th' Apostle went No They no question in themselves did find The same good Motion stirring up their Mind With what the good Apostle did advise The holy Ghost in them did harmonize Titus his case so clearly is exprest That it may serve to open all the rest Him Paul to Corinth had desir'd to go He thereunto a Readiness doth show But why God put it in his heart to do What the Apostle did exhort him to Peter and Iohn Luke tells us being sent By the Apostles to Samaria went The Church too after Stephen's fatal Stroke Sent Barnabas as far as Antiock Examples of this kind are many found The holy Scriptures do therewith abound One Instance more is in my mind to give Of some that in the purest Age did live Ev'n holy Barnabas and blessed Saul Whose Christian Name was after called Paul That these were sent by Simon and the rest In Scripture positively is exprest Yet in the very words that follow next It is recorded in the holy Text That they were by the holy Ghost sent forth Whence plainly follows and indeed 't is worth Our Observation that what those men did Is to the holy Ghost attributed And there 's great Reason that it should be so Since what they did did from the Spirit flow Yet think I not the other two did go Without a Motion in themselves thereto But William that which frets thee most of all And makes an overflowing of thy Gall Iâ—… that the Church hath Money to supply The just occasions of her Ministry When they to preach the Word are mov'd to travel Beyond the Seas At this thou thus dost cavil Sâ—…h Church men unto Christ's Church strangers are And most rely upon their Churches car Unlike those whom Christ sent i' th' Ministry Without a Scrip to sound the Gospel free â—…d therefore when her Cash was empty'd she â—…v'd Money for to serve the Ministry Hence prating Preachers turn'd the Silver Bait â—…ught not a few o' th' Church with zeal to wait As favour was obtain'd by Parasites They labour'd hard to gaâ—…n more Proâ—…elites Thus like a troubl'd Sea thou ' castest up The Mire and Dirt that 's in thy filthy Cup Then in a paltry kind of Balâ—…d Tone Like scoffing Ishmaâ—…l thou thus go'st on At length her Papers like to Briefs did eâ—…y For Money Money for the Ministry Aâ—…d in thâ—… fifth page having given a yerk Aâ—… Râ—…chardson for being an hired Clerk Thou sayst It s true that some do frequent say Both Clâ—…ks and Priests from th' Flock obtain their pay Thy envious term of Priests as 't is apply'd To Friends is by the Truth in Friends deny'd Th' Apostle Peter call'd the Saints of old A Royal Priesthood We no other hold But that Christ's Ministers should be supply'd With necessaries by the Church his Bride Is such a known and certain Truth as none Perhaps hath e'er oppos'd but thou alone Read but the Scriptures in the Margin set And thou 'lt be forc'd to grant though with Regret That 't is the Churches duty to supply Thâ—… needful wants of all her Ministry I know these Texts which I have here inserted Have oft been misapply'd and much perverted Bâ—… Parish-Preachers who these Scriptures strain To draw unto themselves dishonest Gain But what of that Truth must not be refus'd Because it is by Evil men abus'd And truth it is too plain to be deny'd Christ's Church should for Christ's Ministers provide What carp'st thou at then William Would thy Muse Plead that St. Paul did not his Priv'ledge use I grant he did not in some special cases And that too only in some factious places And I perhaps if need requir'd could name Some scorâ—…s of Friends too that have done the same That at their own charge have a Warfare gone And crost the Seas being chargeable to none But what of that Th' Apostle Paul we find His Right assertâ—…d though he had no mind To takâ—… it there And else-where doth declare That other Churches did of him take care That what was lacking to him privately The Macedonian Brethren did supply Thus it appears th' Apostle did partake Of that Provision which the Church did make And what but Envy hath bewitcht thy Mind With what was then approv'd now fault to find Pretend thou canst not that the stock is given To such as have no need thereof for even Thy self here sayst The Church supply'd the need Of those that wanted Monies to proceed To go beyond Seas What a groundless Cavil Is this of thine How should such Preachers travel Beyond the Seas whom Christ thereto doth move And whom the Church as faithful doth approve If neither have they Monies to proceed Nor Church may with her Stock supply their need May none beyond Seas go but who can spare Sufficient of their own the charge to bear Must Christ be so confin'd he may not send Any but such as have Estates to spend God bless us from such Doctrine and such Teachers As will admit of none but wealthy Preachers Peter we read nor Silver had nor Gold So he the Cripple at the Temple told Yet after that he travell'd far and near By Sea and Land pray who the Charge did bear Unless the Church And is that now a Crime Which was a Virtue in the purest time No sure Though Dissolute Apostates slight Her care the Church then did and now doth right Christ's Messengers to furnish and their need Supply when they want Monies to proceed In
Rogero-Mastix A ROD FOR William Rogers In Return for his Riming Scourge c. By Thomas Ellwood Printed in the Year 1685. TO such as ask why I in Verse have writ This Answer I return I held it fit Verse should in Verse be answer'd Prose in Prose My Adveâ—…ry his oâ—… Weapon â—…se 〈◊〉 chose â—…ore in Prose to wriâ—… and thâ—… I ansâ—… him in Proâ—… 〈◊〉 now agen Since he his Stile from Prose to Verse hath chang'd And in the Muses Walks hath boldly rang'd In his own Method him I chose to Treat Lest he should wise be in his own Conceit Prov. 26. 5. A Rod for William Rogers in return for his Rhyming Scourge c. THe Preacher tells us that beneath the Sun There 's no new thing for That which shall be done Hath been before And what is now a doing Shall acted be again in Times ensuing â—…t none be shaken therefore in his Mind 〈◊〉 he Gods People now Reviled find Reproach't with bitter Words and Vilifi'd With filthy Slanders loaded and bely'd By Wicked men Such was the Churche's state Of old as sacred Story doth relate That Railing Herauld of th' Assyrian Host The foul-mouth'd Rabshakeh that man of Boast Who from Senacherib Assyrian's King Did a proud Message unto Iudah bring When he design'd the faithful Iews to draw From their Observance of the holy Law He labour'd to perswade them they had left The way of God already and bereft Themselves by that means of all ground of hope That God would them defend This was the scope Of his false Reas'ning with them If said he 〈◊〉 answer In the Lord our God trust we Is not that He whose Altars and High-places Your Hezekiah takes down and defaces And hath to Judah and Jerus'lem said Your Worship at this Altar shall be made By this he hop'd their Confidence to shake In God the Lord and them 〈◊〉 make Of God's Protection and from thence afford An open Ear to his seducing Word And that he might the more amuze them he Pretends his Mission from the Lord to be Am I says he come up without the Lord Against this place to put it to the Sword The Lord adds he for in a Lye he 'll stand Unto me said Go up against this Land Then let nâ—…t Hezekiah make you trust Still in the Lord saying The Lord who 's just Will surely us deliver and this City Shall not be subject to Assyria 's Pity To this effect that Wretch with strained Voice Proclaim'd and in his Lewdness did rejoyce A little while but e'er 't was long the Rod Taught him what 't was to Rail at Israel's God When Treacherous Sanballat and Tobiah Perceiv'd the godly zeal of Nehemiah The care and pains he took his Diligence The holy City with a Wall to fence How hard he labour'd in despite of them To build the Breaches of Ierusalem Set up the Gates thereof and hang the Dore That they no longer could as heretofore Go in and out at pleasure and prophane With unclean Mixtures Iacob's Seed again Bring in mixt Marriages and thereby make God's People him offend him them forsake At first it griev'd them sore to hear some tell Of one that sought the good of Israel Then when they found the Work would be begun They laught and into scornful Scoffs did run And by Derision and Disdainful Cries Declar'd how much they did the Work despise But when they understood the Work went on And was in likely posture to be done They waxt exceeding wroth and strait combin'd Together to oppose it with them joyn'd Th' Arabian Ammonite and Ashdodite In League against Jerusalem to fight And all to the intent to bring to nought The Work which God had by his Servants wrought Their War-like Preparations proving vain They use a Stratagem they lay a Train To catch the Innocent thus him they greet Come let us in one place together meet Fair the Pretence appeared but their Thought Was by that Medium to have Mischief wrought Good Nehemiah saw their Snare and scap'd The hands of them that for his Ruin gap'd I am quoth he about a Work too great To leave it and come down with you to treat Four times so did they long to circumvent The Righteous They the self same Message sent And the same Answer did as oft receive I may not stop the Work 's too great to leave When thus Sanballat saw his Counsels fail That nor by Force nor Guile he could prevail With Rage and Envy swell'd at length he burst And cast up Gall and whatsoe'er was worst Not only Nehemiah to defame But bring an Odium on the Jewish Name And that he might his Slander publick make As publick as he could this way did take He gave unto his Servant a command To bear a Letter open in his hand In which he did suggest an Accusation Upon Report a sly Insinuation That Nehemiah had imploy'd the Iews To build the Wall that he might them abuse And thrust himself upon them for their King And thereby double Bondage on them bring And that he might the Crown the better reach He had appointed Prophets too to Preach So of him at Jerusalem and say There is a King in Iudah at this day Thus wrought Tobiah Sanballat and those That with them joyn'd the Work of God t' oppose One while by Scoffing Scorning and Deriding Another while by Force and Factious Siding Then by Deceit and many a subtil Wile In hopes they might the Innocent beguile And lastly by a publick Defamation To make the Iews a Scorn to Gentile-Nation When proud Diotrephes whose swelling Breast Love of Pre-eminence had long possest Had by Surmize and false Insinuation Leaven'd a Party in the Congregation The Rancour of his Venom'd heart brake forth Against some in the Church of greatest Worth Prating against them with Malicious words As in his third Epistle Iohn Records Nor only Prating but from Words proceeds To work Division by Mischievous Deeds Opposing what the Inspir'd Apostle writ Conducing to the Churches Benefit By these Examples plainly it appears How Satan plaid his Pranks in former years What Arts he us'd how craftily he wrought What Instruments wâ—…ereby to work he sought One while professed Enemies and then Another while he chose false Brethren And though those Agents now are dead and gone Satan remains the same the Evil One. He Mischief always to the Church intends And Mischief to effect his Agents sends Though Rabshakih be dead Tobiah Rotten Sanballat and Diotrephes forgotten The Wicked Spirit that in them did strive Against Gods Truth and Church is still alive And other Instruments doth daily raise To hinder Truth 's fair Progress in these dayes He Agents has great store of ev'ry size And sort How num'rous are Truth 's Enemies Yet blest be God! A greater Number 's those That stand for Truth than those that it oppose I list not here
a kind of Warrant sign By which you took upon your selves O base To Order him that kept the Meeting Place That Friends he should not there to Meet permit Because forsooth to you it seem'd not fit By Thee I say who but a while agoo Didst keep Friends out at Olston-Meeting too And didst to such their Meeting-House deny As had therein a rightfull Property By thee whose Party to your foul disgraces Hath done the like in divers other places Now after all these Arbitrary Tricks The same which now on Friends the World inflicts Who can without a just Abhorrence view Thy charge 'gainst Friends for persecuting you Thou spend'st some pages William to inherse Thy John in dobefull Weeds of Threadbare Verse â—…mickle Pains thou tak 't to gain some glory â—…king Rimes unto thy lifeless STORY 〈◊〉 dead His Memory perhaps may want 〈◊〉 Odours than his Friends can cast upon 't â—…ll make the best on 't I no pleasure have â—…et my foot upon a Dead Man's Grave 〈◊〉 William let me tell thee Couldst thou free 〈◊〉 Story from the Faults that fastned be â—…n him by The Line of Truth A Book â—…hich thy Title page some notice took â—…ld unto his Credit more conduce 〈◊〉 all the hobling Rimes thy fumbling Muse 〈◊〉 tag together to Revive his Name â—…ile still that Book unanswer'd Speaks his shame â—…t leaving Iohn to moulder in his Urn â—…en doth William unto thee return â—…d to thy Work Some notice I have took 〈◊〉 what seem'd most material in thy Book 〈◊〉 all the Filth that Thou and Others Spaul 〈◊〉 honourable Friends in course will fall â—…pon your Selves On them it ne'er can stick 〈◊〉 selves your Vomit up again must lick â—…iam Thy work is weigh'd thy Spirit try'd â—…d both thy Work and Spirit are deny'd â—…y Spirit is the same that wrought of old 〈◊〉 Sanballat Tobiah and the bold â—…yrian Railer Rabshakeh who sought â—…d's Work and People to have brought to nought 〈◊〉 thou hast done And what the Prophet cry'd 〈◊〉 that case may to thee be well apply'd â—…he Virgin hath despis'd thee Zion's Daughter â—…akes thee the Object of her Scorn aâ—…d Laughter 〈◊〉 Daughter of Ierusalem hath shook 〈◊〉 thee her head with a disdainfull look â—…or whom hast thou Reproached and Blasphem'd And against whom hast thou so loudly Scream'd And life thine Eyes on high Thy spleen doth swell Against the Holy One of Israel To this effect the Prophet did declame Against the proud Assyrian from whom came That cursed Railer who ev'n seems to be In railing Blasphemies a Type of thee What Nehemiah to Samballaâ—… said When he foul Slanders to his charge had laid That I to thee of all thy Slanders Thus There are no such things acted amongst us As thy abusive Pamphlet doth contein But out of thine own heart thou dost them feign And where thou carp'st at what we do aright We can for Truth 's sake in Reprocah delight The Lord rebuilding is his Holy City Which thou and Others envy more 's the pity And put forth all the strength and Art you have The work to stop the Workmen to deprave But never be so vain to think you can The work obstruct 't is not the work of man The God of Heaven he will prosper us And therefore we his Servants strengthned thus Will rise and build as God shall us indue With courage Strength and Counsel for 't But you No Portion have who do the work condemn Right Nor Memorial in Jerusalem My soul laments your state who once have felt That tend'ring Pow'r which stony hearts can melt And have been in some measure tend'red by it But now so hardned are as to defy it All you I mean who have in Print appear'd With Envious hearts and Conscience doubly sear'd To fight against the Truth and to expose God's People to the Fury of their Foes And all you too who do that work abet Although your Names thereto ye have not set Ah? had ye kept unto the heav'nly Grace Which in your inward Parts the Lord did place And not in discontented Humour run After Lo-heres Lo theres as you have done Ye miâ—…ht in Truth the Bond of Peace have known And in the Spirits Unity have grown Which is the Churches Girdle highly priz'd By all the Faithfull though by you despis'd Whereas by letting in first false Surmisings Of others which ere long Produc'd Despisings And so made way for Prejudice to enter Till cancred Malice in your hearts did center Ye now are broke and into pieces Shatter'd And from the Body and the Head are Scatter'd Without the Camp ye stand Oh dismal State â—…rling amongst the Dogs without the Gate â—…elching forth Slander and Calumniation â—…ainst those that in the Light have kept their Station Oh! may the God of Heaven stop your Way That Ye no more the Simple may betray THE END Eccles. 1. 9. and 3. 15. 2 Kings 18. Vers. 22. Vers. 25. Vers. 30. Nehem 2. 10. Vers. 19. Ch. 4. 7. Vers 8. Vers. 11. Vers. 15. Ch. 6. 2. Vers 3. Vers. 4. Vers. 5. Vers. 6. Vers. 7. Vers. 10. a P 11. b p 3. 11. 16. c p. 9. 17 d p. 5. e p. 20. See more p. 12. Pag. 1. Acts 9. 5. 1 Cor 4 16. and 11 1. Phil. 3. 17. 〈◊〉 Tim. 4. 12. 1 Thes 1. 7. and 2. 14. 1 Pet. 5. 3. Antidote p 17 c. Isa. 30. 20. Ephes. 4. 11 12. 1 Tiâ—… 2. 7. 2 Tim. 1 11. Luke10 16. Mat 10 40. Joh. 13. 20. Pag. 2. 1 Cor. 14. 26. Pag 3. Acts 6. 1 Cor. 7. 17. and 16. 1. Pag. 3. Rom. 14. 17 18. a 1 Cor. 4 17. Phil. 2. 19. 1 Tim 3. 2. b 2 Cor. 8. 6. and 12. 18. c Ephes. 6. 21. Col. 4. 7 8. 2 Tim. 4. â—…2 d Philâ—… 2. 25. e Col 4. 〈◊〉 f Acts 19. 22. g 2 Cor. 8. 18 22 2 Cor. 8. 6. V. 16 17. Ch 13â—… 〈◊〉 V. 3. 1 Pet. 2. 9. 〈◊〉 â—…0 10 〈◊〉 107 â—…im 5. Cor 9. â—…l 6 6. â—…r 9. 2 Cor. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 〈◊〉 9. Phil. 4 〈◊〉 18. Acts 〈◊〉 Tit. 3 a In 1681. 1 Cor. 16. 2 Cor. 8 9. Mat. 13. 5â—… Pag 4 5 6 7 8. Pag. 8. Pag. 9. Pag 10â—… 1â—… Prov. 26. 3. Pag. 98. c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Line of Truth pag. 14. 〈◊〉 Gen. 〈◊〉 Numb 25. Ezra 9 2. Neh. 13. 24 Mat. 18. Vers. 17. 1 Tim. 1. 20 1 Cor. 5. 5. Rom. 16. 17 Gal. 5. 12. P. 17. 18. 〈◊〉 Tim. 1. 19. 20. 2 Tiâ—… 1. 15. 2. 13. 18. 4. 10. R. Sading Chippenham Clan 2 Kings 19. vers 21. 22. Neh. 6. 8. Neh. 2. 20. Rev. 22. 15
a Muster-Roll to make Of all who from without in hand did take To Battel against Truth and shake their Spears At Israel's Camp within these twenty years Nor do I purpose to enum'rate all Who in that time themselves did Quakers call That through Misguided Zeal or Discontent Their Bows against their Brethren have bent But since some few of late appear to be With Rage and Envy fill'd to that degree That with more Bitterness than all the rest Their Malice against Truth they have exprest My purpose is to single out from these Him that appears as their Diotrephes And that is ROGERS For though Crisp and Bug With other some do at the same Oare Tug And Toil hard at it too with all their Might Yet can they do no more but shew their Spite And for the rest that lie behind the Skreen And move the Wheels but like not to be seen Although they help to carry on the Work I take less notice of them while they Lurk Them therefore leaving I return again To view Will. Rogers his Poetick strain Who having been too often foil'd in Prose To try his Fortain now in Verse hath chose If Verse without Offence that may be call'd Which is delivered in Rhimes so bald So flat so dull so rough so void of Grace Where Symphony and Cadence have no place So full of Chasmes stuck with Prosie Pegs Whereon his Tired Muse might rest her Legs Not having Wings and take new breath that then She might with much a doe hop on agen His Words to that effect Why so How so Hence I observe Hence I conclude do show His Puâ—…sy Muse was often out of Wind And glad when she a perching place could find What drew thee William to this Rhiming fit Having no more pâ—…opensity to it Could'st think such hobling and unequal Rhimes That make a Iangling like disorder'd Chimes Could of a Poem e'er deserve the Name Or e'er be read without the Author's Shame What Clouds of Darkness in thy Lines appear How is thy Stile perplext how far from clear Thy Muse is wrapt in thickest Fogs of Night Which shews thou art departed from the Light Nor Sun nor Moon nor Star throughout thy Book Is to be seen No Spring nor Christal Brook Glides through thy Margin No thy Waters run Black like the Streams of Styx or Phlegeton I will not William take the pains to trace The Snakey Windings of thy crooked Race Nor do I mean to give my self the trouble To hunt thee foot by foot through ev'ry double Nor do I purpose here to spend my time To sweep away the stinking Mud and Slime The Sanious matter of a Putrid Brain Which doth well nigh each page of thine distain Which in base Terms and for the basest Ends Thou belchest forth against those worthy Friends Who maugre all thy foul Calumniation Have in the Church an honourable Station I hold it needless now to make Defence Against plain Envy for plain Innocence Besides they are more able far I know Thy Vomit back upon thy face to throw 〈◊〉 they think fit or with a noble Scorn â—…nd silent set their feet upon thy Horn. â—…oiding therefore that Scurrility â—…herewith upon some Persons thou dost fly â—…purpose more especially to look â—…to those envious Parcels of thy Book â—…hich seem to have a more extencâ—… relation To all the faithful Friends in ev'ry Nation â—…ot only those whom God hath call'd to be â—…is Servants in a publick Ministry â—…t even all beneath the Cope of Heaven Now living who their Names to Christ have given And in this Search I make no doubt to find And manifest that with malicious Mind Like Sanballat Tobiah and the rest Whose envious workings are before exprest â—…ou either chargest Friends with what 's not true 〈◊〉 blam'st their doing what they ought to do After thou hast in Misty Phrases told What those call'd Quakers us'd to preach of old Which yet thou dost in Language so unclear That common sense doth not therein appear Thou slily dost suggest That Friends are gon From that great Truth they first insisted on But thy Suggestion's false We firmly hold The sure Foundation that was laid of old Quakers thou sayst in Christ's Name thus did preach Christ's Light 's our Guide it fallen Man doth teach And Quakers still say I do preach the same Christ's Light 's our Guide and preach it in Christ's Name And that it fallen man Would teach if he Would be perswaded by it taught to be â—…ut fallen man rebels and often kicks Against this inward Teacher when it pricks And that 's the soundest Reason can be brought Why thou being fall'n from Truth remain'st untaught Christ's Teaching by his Spirit few deny'd Thou say'st Why Few Let Truth the case decide If few relates to Friends there was not any If to the World not few but very many Christ's Teachings by his Spirit did deny And 'gainst immediate inward Teachings cry Now take which course thou wilt 't is plain in view That what thou hast asserted is Untrue Thus run'st thou on till thou thy way hast lost And run'st thy heedless head against a Post. Look not said they to us 't is our concern That you from th' Light within your duty learn So thou report'st The same concern remains Upon Friends still say I Their Care their Pâ—…ns Is exercis'd in this that all may learn From Light within their Duty and discern The Light 's true Voice which never did oppose In some what from the same in others rose And if some said Look not to us which yet I ne'er saw prov'd in aught that thou hast writ It cannot well in other sence be took That they would not others so should look To them as thereby to neglect or slight The inward Teachings of the heav'nly Light And that all faithful Friends at this day are As careful to prevent as e'er they were But that Friends ever â—…eemed it unright To look to one another in the Light To help encourage comfort any Brother Be good Examples one unto another To stir the pure Mind up provoke to Love And to good Works â—…s God thereto doth move That ever this by Friends condemned was I never heard â—…or to believe see cause We read that the Apostles chiefly Paul On the believing Christians oft did call To follow them as they themselves were found The followers of Christ Was this unsound In them If not how comes it now to be Exclaim'd on as so high a Crime by thee But of this Subject William thou hast writ Before and I at large have answer'd it What in thy Book comes next is very dark And as it stands seems quite besides the Mark. From th' Scriptures they Light such a Teacher prov'd As into Corners could not be remov'd These are the words If Printer be in fault Which I to know have the Errata sought â—…t find no mention of it there then he The blame must bear and
this Work As for what thou add'st to wit If they their Motion freely did submit To â—…h ' London Church and do as she thought fit I count it a malicious Slander and Of thee an Evidence thereof deand â—…duce one Iâ—…iance if thou canst declare One Person 's Name with whom it did so fare Name one or else thou may'st be thought a Lyar Of whom the Church in London did require That he his Motion freely should submit To her and do therein as she thought fit I know 't is usual with thee to suggest The false Surmizes of thy envious Breast Void of all Proof and many a Calumny By thee flung at us yet unprov'd doth ly I know the Friends of London to whose Care And Trust those Services committed are Are faithful men and tender of the good By whom true Motions will not be withstood They 'r such as would not break a bruised Reed Nor quench the smoaking Flax. Yet they had need Be satisfi'd how they dispense that Stock Which is the Free-Will Offering of the Flock Not limitted to any single use As thou insinuatest in Abuse But is implâ—…d in a more gen'ral way The Churches common Charges to defray And William ask thy Friends T. C. E. M. If the Accompts were not perus'd by them Within these few years and each set his Name Thereto to shew he did approve the same Thou sayst Her Papers like to Briefs did cry For Money Money for the Ministry But thou sayst falsly I thy words deny Prove them or Falshood at thy door shall ly Thy naming Briefs on this occasion shows Thy Cavil from a Scoffing Spirit flows Paul to the Church did his Epistles send In which he to their care did recommend Collections for the Saints Why dost not flout At those Epistles too Why cry'st not out Against the Papers of th' Apostle Paul That They like Briefs for Money Money call Thy Cavil doth as mach against him ly Is against us and 't was thy subtilty Not openly of Paul to shew dislike But rather through our sides at him to strike Thy Work is seen thy Undertaking's vile Thy Spirit scornful frothy is thy Stile But William art thou sure thou never yet To what thou termest Briefs thy Name hast set Take heed lest while thou Stones dost upward throw They fall not back and give thy self a blow Thy flurt at Richardson for taking pay for what as Clark he writes doth much bewray Thy Folly and Injustice Is 't not fit Who works for others should be paid for it And that by them who him to work desire The Labourer is worthy of his Hire Have you no things call'd Clerks From whom I pray Do your Apostate-Clerks obtain their pay Save from the Herd to which they do belong And is Reward due only to the Wrong Come William come one Heav'n instructed Scribe Will weigh down all your Pharisaical Tribe Thou mention'st Impositions Humane Laws â—…ms Yokes Decrees Pales any thing to cause Strange Apprehensions Fears and Jealousies Whence Discontent and Prejudice might rise In some professing Truth who have not taken Root deep enough therein not to be shaken And that thou also mightst the Church expose To the Contempt and Fury of her Foes But blest be God though thy mischeivous Heart Be desperately Wicked yet thy Art Hath fail'd thee for thou art so full of Fiction Confusion Envy and Self-Contradiction That he must be already more than blind Who to believe thee can perswade his Mind One while thou sayst but in deriding-wise The Churches Laws are to her Members Eyes This is a plain Acknowledgment that she Would have her Members with their own Eyes see Yet ten Lines further off thou sayst she cryes Dark Spirits he that sees not with our Eyes This needs no Comment 'T is so plain that he Is blind that don't the Contradiction see But William here 's not only Contradiction But a foul Slander too a Lying Fiction Thou speaking of the Church here say'st She cryes Dark Spirits he that sees not with our Eyes This is a down-right Falshood I declare Make Proof on 't if thou canst and do not spare Acquit thy self thereof or it shall ly Upon thee as a Badge of Infamy 'T is by such base dishonest tricks as these Thou thy misguided Party seek'st to please And captivated hold But Truth thee strips And thy deceitful workings open rips Fox is term'd Head thou say'st I ask By whom Such terms ne'er from the Church of Christ did come This is another Slander One would think Thy Heart were full of Falshoods to the Brink And these run over What a horrid Sin Is this of Lying when it s once let in And thou hast let it in so deep that now Thou tumblest out thy Lyes thou car'st not how Thou sayst External Forms by Fox decreed Are set as Marks to know the Chaff from th'Seed This is another Whisker like the rest Hatcht by the Lying Spirit in thy Breast â—…rought forth by cancred Envy with design To shake the weak and cause them to decline The way of Truth Thus doth the Serpent lay His baited Hooks the simple to betray â—…ut by the Truth his Wiâ—…es discover'd are That the most weak may see and shun the Snare â—…n thy last cited words I do detect â—…o most notorious Falshoods and expect Thy Proof for what thou chargest I deny â—…nd turn't back on thee as a double Ly. One That External Forms have been decreed â—…y FOX This is a shameless Lye indeed Bring that Decree forth that it may be seen 〈◊〉 ever any such Decree hath been That ev'ry one may with his own Eyes see â—…nd not be fain to pin his Faith on thee Thy other Falshood is Those Forms decreed â—…e set as Marks to know the Chaff from th' Seed â—…his also as a Slander I reject By which thou would'st unstable Minds infect â—…o Forms as Marks to know the Seed are set â—…he Seed is known by weight and Vertue yet 〈◊〉 is not void of Form but doth receive â—…s proper Form which thou can'st not bereave 〈◊〉 of with all thy Railing Truth remains â—…e same not blemished by Envy's stains The Chaff too William is by lightness known â—…y lightness hath thy chaffy Spirit shown â—…rnt up the Chaff shall be with quenchless Fire â—…h William unto thee that day is nigher â—…han tho'rt aware My Spirit mourns to see Thee raving on the brink of Misery Some scatt'red flurts with hideous Exclamation Thy Pamplet has at Excommunication Wherewith thou mak'st a rumbling noise to scare â—…ch as thou apprehend'st unsettled are Thou talk'st of BULLS and Persecution too And with thy BULLS thou mak'st a great a-do Rome thou upbraid'st us with but prethee whence Had'st thou thy Bullish Term if not from thence Spâ—…ak plainly William tell us who thee hope Uâ—…o that title BULLS unless the Pope 〈◊〉 â—…ham'd the Pope should thee so gull To make thee take a Paper for a Bull That