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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57953	Quakerism is paganism, by W.L.'s confession; in a book directed to Mr. N.L. citizen of London: or, Twelve of the Quakers opinions, called by W.L. The twelve pagan principles, or opinions; for which the Quakers are opposed to Christians examined and presented to William Penn. By W. R. a lover of Christianity.	Russel, William, d. 1702.; Roberts, Daniel, 1658-1727. aut	1674 (1674)	Wing R2358; ESTC R219761	57,659	96

Christians Whatsoever is a command to me I must not receive from any man or thing without me nay not the Scripture it self And Edw. Burroughs in his Works p. 62. saith He that perswades people to let the Scriptures be the Rule of Faith and Practice would keep people in darkness Now I hope T. H. is no Forger But whereas my Author doth endeavour to cover their nakedness by some pitiful Evasions that covering of his is too narrow the Light in every man doth see their folly and is above them justly condemning them by the Light of the Holy Scriptures which they do wickedly reject And their great pretences to Light and Knowledg are seen to be the manifest effects of Darkness and Ignorance To the Law and to the Testimony because they speak against this Word there can be no Light in them Quest W. L. askes this Question What Scriptures do they disown for a Rule but such as relate to some external parts of Worship and do not we our selves do the same Answ I answer They deny the Scriptures yea as Geo. Whitehead phrases it as quoted by W. L. himself the BIBLE which contains all the Books of holy Scripture both in the Old and New-Testament to be a Rule and therefore t is idle for him to talk as if it were some part of it only that related to external Worship Quest But saith W. L. Do not we our selves do the same Answ There is one thing I would be satisfied in what W. L. means by saying WE VS and OVR in this Discourse I suppose he doth it on purpose to insinuate as if himself were a Baptist because he hath been so some years ago If that be his meaning then I must tell him it 's unbecoming a man professing Religion so to carry it for I do declare That he hath not had Communion with any Baptized Church in England nor been owned by them as worthy their Communion for several years unless he hath gone to any place where he is unknown and got it surreptitiously which I think the method used in such cases among our Churches will hardly admit him to do And to my knowledg they have refused long ago to admit him to preach among them because of his corrupt and dangerous Principles And yet the chief of the Quakers in a scurrilous Book of theirs in the Title-page call him a Sober Baptist Preacher signifying to the World that he is owned so now which is a most abominable untruth But they seem to have no regard to Truth and Honesty neither with their Tongues nor Penns For as Mr. Ives sheweth in his Questions for the Quakers That two of these Publishers i. e. William Mead and John Osgood have both of them with others took their Oaths in Chancery one before Sir William Beversham and the other before Sir William Child and yet it 's known to all that this is the Quakers avowed Principle That it is sinful to swear at all or in any case For as Geo. Fox saith in his Catechism quoted by Mr. Ives p. 107. All that swear are out of the Power of Jesus Christ and his Truth and the Doctrine of the Apostles c. AND ARE FALSE CHRISTIANS c. Now though they can rail against others at pleasure yet if we do but tell them of their faults though it be with the greatest mildness that may be they presently fall a raging and raving as if they were possest with and under the power of some unclean Spirit I will therefore leave them and return to W. L. whom I know to be a man that hath adhered to and contended for the Quakers Principles for divers years And I would say thus much to W. L. by way of advice That he would either be what he pretends to be or profess to be what he is Why dost thou halt between two Opinions Be in earnest and don 't trifle thus about Religion God is a jealous God and he is very angry with Lukewarm Professors but more with Apostates Take heed to thy self and to the Holy Scriptures for thereby thou mayest be made wise to Salvation through faith in Christ And if thou shalt reject the same know of a truth that Gods Word will certainly stand against thee for evil for I perceive thou hast drunk down too large a draught of their poysonous Doctrines as is manifest in this very instance under consideration besides many other for thou sayest There is as much truth in this Position That the Scriptures are no Rule of Faith and Practice unto Christians as thou desirest Where is then the difference between W. L. and a Quaker But we shall find much more of this in his Book There is some other rambling nonsensical Discourse under this head which I shall pass with this Observation upon it 1. That W. L. confesses T. H's Charges are matters of Opinions 2. W. L. saith We read of no punishment denounced against men nor rewards given for their Opinions at the last day 3. That if W. L. hath no reward from the Quakers for this service he hath done for them in contending about Opinions he is like to have none in the last day 4. That a man may hold and maintain the most wicked and abominable Opinions that are in the World though never so Atheistical and Antichristian and not be condemned for it at the last day But sure W. L. forgets The corrupt Principles lead to corrupt Practices as he will certainly find this corrupt Principle will do if prosecuted in denying the Scriptures to be a Rule of Faith and Practice Do but debauch a mans Conscience with wicked Principles and you will quickly see him a man of a debauched Conversation Why doth God appoint the Gospel to be preached Surely besides its Office in the revelation of himself and Son it is that by it we might come to have an evil opinion of the ways of sin and so forsake them And by presenting God therein as an Holy God and the Beauty Glory and Excellency of Holiness we might come to have our minds influenced thereby fall into a love and liking of it which begets holy Principles in us and so leads us to a holy Life And herein lies much of that difference betwixt the obedience of a man that is meerly Moral and one that is Evangelical The one being taught by the Law of Nature doth that which is good for the matter of it the other as he is farther enlightned doth not only obey in doing more but in all the parts of his obedience he acts from higher Principles and to a more noble end But whilest others are slighting good Principles I desire to prize and improve them for the honour of God and my own Salvation to believe and obey as God hath commanded in the Holy Scriptures 6. Pagan Principle THe sixth charge is That the speaking of the Spirit in any is of greater Authority than the Scriptures W. L. His Answer is There is no reason in my opinion

when they are in a strait Touching these Pagan Principles as W. L. calls them I am more confirmed in my Opinion that these are the very Principles of the Quakers from what he hath written being perswaded That if he continue writing for the Quakers and against the Baptists as he hath begun not only in this Book but also in that Impertinent Letter of his to Mr. Ives he will do the like kindness for the Baptists as that Man did for his Enemy of whom it 's Storied That he thrust his Sword into his Body with an intent to kill him but instead thereof let out an Imposthume which was a means of his preservation And my Reasons for it are these 1. Because he doth not deny any one of those Charges laid upon them by Mr. Hicks but under each Head he acts the part of an Advocate I wish he had better Clients and a better Cause The Principles he saith are Pagan and the Men are no Christians Neither indeed do they impose upon us to believe them so nor have they that Appollation given them bur instead thereof they call themselves and are called by others Quakers He endeavours to Excuse them from what they cannot Excuse themselves without a manifest injury to their own Opinions And where this will not do he labours to Extenuate the Fault by substracting from and adding to the Quakers Sayings and then tells us it is but a little word as putting in OF and taking away IRRELIGIOVS But sure less than either of these may totally destroy the sence as will appear by these following instances 1. The first is That a Compositor that was a Papist being imployed at the King's Printing-House in the Days of King James took out of the 7th Commandement the Particle NOT and then it was thus read Thou shalt Commit Adultery and that was less than the word Irreligious and it was then esteemed so great a crime that it 's said the Printer was fined a 1000 Pounds In the 1 Cor. 15. 51. where it 's said We shall not all sleep but we shall all be Changed leave out but C and then it must be read we shall all be Hanged and yet this is less than OF Such liberty as this being allowed I will make my Antagonist speak what I list but this is the practice of this Author I hope I may be allowed the liberty of thinking that the man is in a strait 2. Because where he cannot deny but those words were spoken by the Quakers which T. H. charges upon them and that they do also bear the same sence which he puts upon them there he endeavours to perswade us that they may also bear another sence and saith It 's a sign of hatred to catch at the worst Now from thence I perceive if W. L. say true That the Quakers Words are delivered as Ambiguously as the Heathen gods used to deliver their Oracles that so the falsity thereof may be the less capable of detection A Man of great credit among the Graecians named Oenomaus who for that he had been much delighted with Oracles and more deceived wrote a Book in the end of their Falshoods and Lyes and yet sheweth That in many things wherein they deceived it was not easy to convince them of open Falshood for that they would involve their answer on purpose with such Obscurities Generalities Equivocations and Doubtfulness that they would always leave themselves a Corner wherein to save their Credits when the event should prove false As for Example When Craesus that famous and rich Monarch of Lydia consulted with the Oracle of Apollo whether he should make War against the Persians and thereby obtain their Empire or no Apollo desirous of Bloodshed as the wicked spirits are gave his Oracle in these words for deceiving of Craesus If Craesus without fear shall pass over Halys this was a River that lay between him and Persia he shall bring to confusion a great Rich Kingdom Vpon which words Craesus passed over his Army in hopes to get Persia but soon after he lost Lydia by an evil understanding of this doubtful Prophecy Eusebius Lib. de Praep. Evan. Cap. 10. Surely all such dark unintelligible language in my understanding ought to be exploded by all the Ministers of the Gospel and all true Christians for it hath no better tendency than to deceive and beguile ignorant and unstable Souls This was not the Practice of the Holy Apostles of our dear Redeemer the Man Christ Jesus who delivered their Doctrines in the most plain and intelligible words that might be for the instruction and information of their Auditors especially about the great and most important Truths of the Gospel as the blessed Apostle Paul doth testify 1 Thess 2. 3 4. For our exhortation was not of Deceit nor of Vncleanness nor in Guile but as we were allowed of God to be put in Trust with the Gospel so we speak for if the Trumpet give an uncertain sound who shall prepare himself to the Battle So likewise you except ye utter by the Tongue words easy to be understood how shall it be known what is spoken for ye shall speak into the Air 1 Cor. 14. 8 9. The direct contrary is found in the Quakers as appears not only by this Man's Confession but also by their Writings and Expressions as is obvious to all that have experience of them Surely they are not guided by the Spirit of the Lord their Practice being so contrary to the first Ministers of the Gospel and so agreeable to the Method used by the False gods among the Heathen whose Words and Writings are like their Oracles i. e. full of Deceit and Ambiguity And if W. L. thinks this to be the way to make Men in Love with Quakerism it must be such that are men of corrupt Minds Reprobate concerning the Faith As for me I will say of all such vile and deceitful Practices as Jacob said of Simeon and Levi touching that wicked Act of theirs Gen. 49. 6. O my Soul come not thou into their Secret unto their Assembly mine honour be not thou united 3. Because in these 12. Pagan Principles he hath cleered T. H. of those Black Charges the Quakers have laid upon him in calling him Lyar Forger Slanderer c. For if these words were spoken by the Quakers or written in their Books then he cannot be a Lyar Forger c. And that they are so take W. L.'s Confession under each Head as they stand in his Book in the method following 1. Pagan Principle THe first Opinion Charged upon the Quakers is That the Light in every man or the Light with which every Man is enlightned is God W. L. His Answer is How small a Word would stop this Breach put in but OF and all 's well Rep. By the same Rule where the Apostle John saith He that doth good is of God John 3. Epistle v. 11. Take out but OF and then it is thus He that doth good is God

Properties of a Humane Person were found in Christ Ergo he was a Real and True Man To deny the consequence of the Major is to take away the very Rule of Distinction between the Species of different Creatures so that if that be denyed then they may call a Man a Horse and no body can contradict them The Minor I prove thus The Scripture tells us that Christ was made Flesh and made of the Seed of DAVID according to the Flesh made of a Woman did partake of the same Flesh and Blood that Children do that he was Born of the Virgin Mary he did hunger and thirst eat and drink speak and sleep was lyable to all our Temptations yea was Tempted in all points as we are did Travel from one place to another was exposed to so many Sufferings that he was called A MAN of Sorrows and lastly as the greatest Demonstration thereof He who had a Reasonable Soul and a True Body did lay down his Life as a Ransom for us being himself Subject to Death even the Death of the Cross from all which I draw this Conclusion Christ was a Real and true Man But saith W. L. God manifest in the Flesh is yet so great a Mystery that I know no Catechisms free from some seeming incongruities attending the questions about it 〈◊〉 Sure he should have excepted Smith's Catechism and the Catechism of the Quakers great Prophet George Fox for they say they speak and write by an Infalliable Spirit unless he doth not believe they have Immediate Revelation for the Rule of their Faith and Practice notwithstanding they so confidently Assert it But perhaps we are to understand him thus That though there be some seeming Incongruities in them yet they are not Really Incongruous if so then the dispute about that point may soon be ended But to take him as I conceive he would be understood and as indeed his words do signifie then it 's to make this Doctrine so doubtful that in his sence it is lost labour to enquire about the Truth of the Proposition viz. Whether Christ be Really a distinct Person without us or no and a thing not to be Resolved To that I would give this Answer It doth not follow that because there may be some Questions asked about the Manner how that great Work was Accomplished of God's being Manifest in the Flesh which is the wonder of Men and Angels that cannot be resolved by any Man That therefore we should disown it as the Quakers do and conclude that no man can know de facto that such a thing was For though I do not know what moved W. L. to write nor what reward he expects for writing yet I know he did write W. L. cannot tell me how the Bones do grow in the Womb of her that is with Child and yet he knows they did grow there or else they had not been He cannot tell me how the Corn that is cast into the Earth doth grow to be what it is at Harvest and yet he knows it is so A Stalk an Ear c. By the same Argument that W. L. makes it doubtful whether Christ be a distinct Person without us and the Quakers deny him so to be a man may make it doubtful yea deny that ever the Heavens and Earth were made and so not only be no Christian but an Atheist for it 's evident when the most learned Men come to examine every point concerning the Creation of the Heavens and Earth and the things therein as how and what and where and in what manner and when things were done it doth astonish them all to consider the difficulties which they find and the depth of such infinite and inscrutable Mysteries We may as well by William Luddington's way of reasoning conclude that these things had no beginning nay that they are not notwithstanding the Scripture saith so plainly Gen. 1. 1. In the Beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth and we see them with our Eyes And by the same parity of Reason because our Saviour saith John 3. 8. That the Wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth A Man may conclude that the Wind hath not its Origination and Termination but how absurd such a conclusion would be I leave to the Judicious to determine I hope W. L. will acknowledg That it is the Indispensable duty of all Men to know God and to believe that he is and yet there may be some Questions asked about it that no man living can resolve I believe the Quakers themselves though they say their Soul is a part of God and the light they have in them is God himself yet they would be as much puzzled and find as hard a Task on 't as W. L. saith one Simonides did when he took upon him to define what God was But must we therefore turn Fools and Atheists like him that Holy David speaks of Psalm 14. 1. And say in our Hearts there is no God Reader I am greatly offended when I find men trifle as this Man doth about the most Sacred and Divine Truths of the Gospel and strain their Wits to root up Religion out of the minds of Men for I know through grace that nothing can make a man so happy as to be truely Religious that inriches the Soul with Divine Truths and Heavenly Graces but these Men take away him whom the Father hath anointed and filled with Grace and Truth and appointed to reveal unto us the most glorious Truths of the Gospel and to give us Grace to inable us to obey his Will from whom the Apostles and first Christians did receive BOTH John 1. 16 17. And of his fulness have all we received and Grace for Grace For the Law was given by Moses but GRACE and TRUTH came by Jesus Christ It 's not sufficient for them to say they do own there is a Christ when they intend not the MAN Christ Jesus but a Christ of their own setting up and adoring as such to wit the Light within them For our Saviour saith If ye believe not that I am HE ye shall dye in your Sins John 8. 24. The JEWS could have said asmuch for themselves as that and more too for they did not deny a Messiah but believed he should come yea and be a MAN also when he did come yet they and the Quakers are both agreed that the Man Christ Jesus that is come in the Flesh is not HE and that the True Christ can never dye and be made a Sacrifice for Sin That the Jews were of this Opinion see John 12. 32 33 34. And I if I be lifted up from the Earth will draw all men unto me This he said signifying what death he should dye The People answered him We have heard out of the Law That CHRIST abideth for EVER And how sayest thou the SON of MAN must be lift up Who is this SON of MAN That made

there be no defect in either But to proceed In p 69. he saith The Apostles Doctrine contains Rules but the Light within that gave it forth was the Rule the chief or highest Rule for Guidance and Power and that wherein was the Power of Rule and Government to all true Christians And in p. 58. he is displeased much because his Antagonist doth not believe that their Light is sufficient to direct men to believe in Jesus Christ But is it not manifestly insufficient for that the Quakers who pretend to be guided by that Light do not believe in him as I have made appear Now when G. W. hath thus asserted the sufficiency and infallibility of the Light at the close of his Introduction p. 16. Dictator-like he comes forth like a Pope and General Council with a most dreadful Sentence against all that will not believe him in these words To deny the true God who is Light is Atheism But to deny his immediate Light in man is to deny the true God Surely this is a higher piece ofVncharitableness than Mr. Ives can be supposed to be guilty of in saying The Quakers are no Christians I could have alledged many more Testimonies but these are sufficient Now to prove that this is no new Doctrine let us hear what the Popish Priests say to this point The Papist saith It is that Body called the Church or Divine Revelation which is the Infallible Rule A Book entituled A Manual of Contr. written by a Pomish Priest lays this down for an Article of Faith That the Church of Rome is Infallible in all her Propositions and Definitions of Faith and is so to be received under pain of Damnation And this is known to be their professed Principle Bellar. de verb. Dei Interp. Those that speak against the Popes Decrees and Humane Institutions are false Teachers For the Pope hath Power and Authority to judg in all Controversies in Doctrine and to give forth the right meaning of the holy Scripture and no man may appeal from his judgment Charon's Third Truth chap. 2. having said That the Church and the Scripture are Judges together He adds But the Church is primarily and principally and with great preheminence and a little after The Scripture is not nor cannot be the last Rule and Soveveign Judg of Doctrine And chap. 3. p. 2. Faith that is necessary to Salvation comes from the Churches speaking and not from the Reading of the Scripture Without knowing of which after a sort yea and without believing or obeying it expresly a thousand millions are saved And to be short a man may be a Christian and a good Christian and be saved without the Scripture but not without the Church for the Scripture hath no Authority Weight or Power over us but only so much as the Church doth allow and assign unto it In a Boook entituled Reason against Railery c. p. 7. are these words It may be asked when one pitches upon a determinate sense of any place beyond what the Letter inforces by what light he guides himself in that Determination And then answers That that Light whatever it is and not the Letter is indeed the formal Revealer or Rule of Faith 〈◊〉 in the next Paragraph The Letter-Rule secluded I advanced saith he to prove That Tradition or that Body called the Church taken as delivering her thoughts by a constant Tenor of living Voyce and Practice visible to the whole World is the absolute certain way of conveying down the Doctrine taught at first In 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stillingfleeton c. Part 2. p. 19. it 's said That Divine Revelation is firmer and more Authentick than either Scripture or our seeing and again It is the sole standing unextinguishable general Light set up for the assured Guidance of all men And p. 27. They are certain and know themselves certain and declare so much before the face of the Sun and all the eyes of Heaven by their stability fixedness and immovability in Faith In another Popish Book entituled A Rational Compendious way c. p. 31. The Roman Catholick Religion doth not teach any thing as an Article of Faith which is either an Error or a Corruption And p. 30. The Roman Church is infallible and perpetual Now from what hath been said we may draw this Conclusion 1. That if W. L. say true That he is no Christian who denies the Divinity of Christ If he means in the common sense viz. as he is the Second Person in the Divine Essence then the Quakers are no Christians for in that sense they deny the Divinity of Christ in denying the Trinity of Persons 2. That they do really deny the Humane Nature to be a part of Christ and that Sacred Person whom God hath Anointed with the Holy Spirit who is both God and Man The man Christ Jesus to be the Christ the Saviour of the World And so fulfil that Prophecy Even denying the Lord that bought them 3. From hence it follows That the Quakers have no Christ at all but one of their own setting up and adoring For the name Christ cannot be properly applied to the Divine Nature taken Abstractively as I have fully proved And they confess they own no other Christ but the Light within them which they say is only God though in truth it is but a created Light and they Idolaters in worshipping a Creature instead of the Creator 4. If he be no Christian that hath no Rule for his Faith and Practice then the Quakers are no Christians for they have no Rule for their Faith and Practice For 1. They confess the holy Scriptures are not their Rule 2. It 's apparent notwithstanding their high pretences they have not Divine and Immediate Revelation for their Rule for they cannot demonstrate it by Scripture right Reason nor any other way Thus I have used my endeavour according to the Exhortation of the Apostle 2 Tim. 2. 25 26. In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them Repentance to the acknowledging of the Truth And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the Devil who are taken captive by him at his will The Lord open the eyes of their understanding and bless this Treatise to all those good ends and purposes for which it is intended To whom be glory in the Churches by Christ Jesus throughout all Ages World without end Amen William Russel Here followeth a Letter from the Baptized-Congregation in Reading concerning William Luddington Brother Ives I Received yours and advised with the Brethren about it and the Answer which is That we do not own William Luddington in any such Relation as Communion with us neither do we know any Principle of Religion that he is stedfast to But about ten or twelve years since he was here in Prison and blamed much for refusing to give God thanks for any of his Mercies or to joyn with them that did with many other strange Humours as Mr. Mason can tell you not suiting with Christian Religion But was looked upon by all to be a Quaker and sometimes a supposed Behmenist which uncertain Fictions best suited his wandring Fancy Sometimes he is for universal Communion with all sorts as he calls it And sometimes speaking against Forms and says He never preached for Baptism nor never would For that Text Mat. 28. 19 20. To the end of the World he says was to the end of that Age. And he had wrote a Book two years since to that purpose and going to print it But Mr. Maynard perswaded him to the contrary So that for this Ten years past we have been so far from any Communion that we have had little Religious Converse neither did we ever find he desired any with us And as for his writing on the behalf of the Quakers he hath done them so little service here that he hath only discovered his folly and made his best Friends ashamed of him and many others say they were deceived in him So that we may say He hath here met with the just reward of his folly and is discerned by all sober rational Christians and left only to be supported if by any by such giddy Brains that will lay hold on any rotten Post to support a Tottering Building But at last yours came and was so acceptable that your Enemies say you have gained great Credit by your discrcet managing that Business And you have morae raised the hearts of all your and the Lord's truly loving Friends towards you And as it is common for men that want Wisdom or good Argument for what they would have to supply it with Railing and abundance of words so your Adversaries have done But God hath furnished you better as appears by your managing this business To whose guidance we leave you with our prayers that you may be kept to the end And rest Your Brethren in Christ Signed by consent By Daniel Roberts Reading this 6th of Decemb. 1674.