of the Quakers but of their own Writings viz. out of both the Old and New Testament and that they were such is very evident and that the Jews and Heathens acknowledged them to be the only People to be hearkned unto is undeniable and that God not only owned such but that he required them to be such is very plain and how you will answer scoffing and taunting of them without coming under the Apostles Reflection I leave you to make your Defence Come Papists Protestants Presbyterians Independents and Anabaptists answer me a Query How came you to give credit to these ancient Quakers Writin s viz. Old New Testament and now Mock Scorn Scoff Jeer Taunt Flout and Reproach the present Quakers whose Principles and Practice run parallel with the ancient Quakers Are you not like your Fore-Fathers of old who said to Christ the Head of both the Ancient and Present Quakers that Abraham was their Father and God was their Father yet they went about to kill him but he said unto them You are of your father the Devil else you would not go about to kill me John 8.39 40 41 42 43 44. So you may see how your Ancestors owned the ancient Quakers before their time but mocked taunted jeered scoffed and persecuted the present Ones and put them to Death as witness Matthew Mark Luke and John's Narration of Christ and other Histories of the Cruel Persecutions of the Apostles by the great Professors in that Generation And so you like them profess to own the former Quakers and make their Writings the Rule of your Faith but like your Fore-Fathers that owned the ancient Quakers and persecuted the present Ones You pretend to own the ancient Quakers both Prophets and Apostles but deny scoff and persecute the present Quakers whose Faith is one with the ancient Ones both Prophets and Apostles as having Dependence on the one Foundation which it 's in vain for any to lay any other then that which is laid even Jesus Christ So the Work of the present Day all who were out of the Truth hated and sought to shelter themselves by adhereing to or owning the Work of former dayes as you may see at large how the Scribes and Pharisees adhered to Moses and the Prophets but killed Christ Jesus whom they prophesied of and so do you in words like them adhere and seem in words to own the Prophets and Christ and his Apostles but now deny his present appearance in our day and time viz. the Light and Principle of God in you which checks and reproves you for Sin Come Papists Protestants Presbyterians Independents and Anabaptists how comes it to pass that you make such a stir with the former ancient Quakers Writings and carry them about with you and keep them in your Houses and call them the Bible and the Word of God and your Rule but cannot abide the present Quakers and their Writings but are afraid to read their Writings although there be nothing in our Writings but what is largely testified of and pointed unto in the Writings of our traduced Brethren the Quakers of old And seeing you thus calumniate scoff mock and taunt the present Quakers and their Writings how can you for shame I mean you Priests of all sorts make such a Trade and Gain of the former Quakers Writings And may not I say without doing any of you Wrong that that is one great Reason why you so highly own the ancient Quakers Writings because the Trade you drive with them brings in most Gain of all Trades And is not that the Reason why you so abuse the present Quakers and their Writings because they tell you that it's Symony so to do and that you ought to preach freely according to Christ Jesus his appointment as his Apostles the then persecuted Quakers did and the present Ones now do And oh you Priests both papists protestants presbyterians independents and anabaptists when I think of you I cannot but take up a Lamentation for you for God knows that as you are a part of Mankind I love you and unfainedly desire your Welfare when I consider at what a Loss you are all about the Meaning of the ancient Quakers Writings one saying Lo this is the Meaning of it and another saith Lo that 's the Meaning and a third fourth and fifth The other is the Meaning and what 's the Reason but that you all deny to make use of the Key of David an ancient Quaker that unlocks the Mysteries of all his Brethren's Writings which the Quakers have at this day But you not having the Quakers key to unfold the Mystery you like Pharaoh of old that called his Wise Men Magicians Southsayers and Astrologers to make known the matter so I say do you you having lost the key of David a Quaker you run to your Magicians to your Schools Tongues and Languages and with them you perplex your selves as Pharaoh did and as Nebuchadnezzar did and in that nature would as of old build a Tower reaching heaven But behold you builders are confounded you magicians and schollars cannot tell the mystery nor unfold the meaning of the ancient Quakers Writings but Pharaoh's Proviso and Nebuchadnezzar's Proviso was more discreet by far then their's are who trust in you for each of you with your Tongues pretend to unfold the thing and you Bargain and make the poor blind people give you great Gifts and Sums by the year although the Mystery be not unfolded until this day And are you not they that Christ the ancient Quakers head said would come Luke 17. who would say Lo here and lo there but believe them not for saith he the Kingdom of God is within you Now if you would hut honestly consider what did and doth induce you to believe the verity of the ancient Quakers writings viz. the Scriptures the same Light wou'd induce you to believe the present Ones for it 's the same thing in you that doth assert unto you the Truth of the Scriptures as doth assert that sin is sin but although each of you before-mentioned do believe the ancient Quakers Writings yet you differ in your Faith as touching the ancient and present Quakers Principles held forth in the ancient Quakers writings and so you being wrong in the principle of your foundation or building how then is you Edifice but like to fall First It was the ancient Quakers faith Iohn 1.9 That it was the true Light that lightned every man that comes into the World But you deny it to be that true Light but say It 's the light of Nature or of a natural Conscience The ancient Quakers said Rom. 19. that Whatever may be known of God is manifest in men for God hath shewed it unto them But each of you in Contradiction to the ancient Quakers that writ so and in Contradiction to the present Ones that now write so you say That which may be known of God is not manifest within men but without them In the ancient Quakers
fear of thee and I am afraid of thy Judgments Mark this you Scoffers this Prophet and King was not ashamed to own himself to be a Quaker Isa 32.11 Tremble ye Women that are at ease be troubled ye Careless Ones strip and make ye bare and gird Sackcloth upon your Loyns And truly I judge that many of the Women of our time had as much need to take this Counsel as them to whom he wrote but rather then repent in Sackcloth and turn Quakers they had rather gird themselves in every Frenchified new Fashion and scoff at the Quakers Isa 64.2 As when the Melting-fire burneth the Fire causeth the Waters to boyl to make known thy Name to thine Adversaries that the Nations may tremble at thy Presence Here you may see that the Prophet Isaiah had a Desire that the Nations should be Quakers Isa 66.5 Hear the Word of the Lord ye that tremble at his Word your Brethren that hated you that cast you out for my Names sake said Let the Lord be glorified but he shall appear to your Joy and they shall be ashamed You may see here how the Quakers were served as you serve them now however I have Faith to believe that the Lord will appear to our Joy and to the Shame of them that cast us out Jer. 5.22 Fear ye not me saith the Lord will ye not tremble at my Presence Observe here the Lord requires Trembling at his Presence but you Scoff at Trembling Jer. 33. and the latter-end of the 9th verse And they shall fear and tremble for all the Goodness and all the Prosperity that I procure unto it But instead of Fearing and Trembling when you receive Goodness and Prosperity you scoff at such as Fear and Tremble Ezek. 12.18 Son of Man eat thy Bread with Quaking and drink thy Drink with Trembling Mark how God doth injoyn his holy Prophets to be Quakers and yet you can scoff at quaking and trembling Ezek. 26.16 Then all the Princes of the Sea shall come down from their Thrones and lay away their Robes and put off their Broidered Garments they shall clothe themselves with trembling they shall sit on the Ground and shall tremble at every moment and be astonished at thee And hast not thou O England had many Threatnings as well as Tirus had but instead of trembling thou scoffest at such as do tremble Dan. 5.6 Then the King's Countenance was changed and his Thoughts troubled him so that the Joynts of his Loyns were loosed and his Knees smote one against another But had it been in our time no doubt but it would have served to droll on Dan. 6.26 I make a Decree that in every Dominion of my Kingdom Men fear and tremble before the God of Daniel See how Zealous King Darius was at the time of his Convincement to have all in his Dominions to be Quakers but you say It 's a New Thing and scoff at it Dan. 10.7 And I Daniel saw the Vision for the Men that were with me saw not the Vision but a great Quaking fell upon them so that they fled to hide themselves It seems you read the Scripture but little that scoff at quaking and say It 's of Late Date but you may see if you be not stark blind that the Quakere were before you Dan. 10 1â— And he said is to me O Daniel a Man greatly beloved understand the Words that I speak unto thee and stand upright for unto thee am I now sent and when he had spoken this Word unto me I stood trembling See was not Daniel a Quaker in your Eyes that Scoff at trembling Joel 2.1 Blow ye the Trumpet in Sion sound an Alarm in my holy Mountain let all the Inhabitants of the Land tremble for the Day of the Lord cometh and it is nigh at hand And hath not the Trumpet been blown in thee O England and Wales my Native Country and the great Day of the Lord that is near at hand proclaimed that the Inhabitants might with Fear and Trembling prepare for it but instead of so doing thou hast fed thy self without Fear and scoffed at such as fear and tremble before him Hab. 3.16 he said That his Belly trembled and his Lips quivered and Rottenness entered into his Bones and he trembled in himself that he might rest in the Day of Trouble And would not you have scoffed him and called him Quaker if he had been in our time Luke 8.47 Mark 5.33 But the Woman fearing and trembling knowing what was done in her came and fell down before him and told him all the Truth Mark how this Woman trembled at the Work of God but you scoff at it Mark 16.8 And they went out quickly and fled from the Sepulchre for they trembled and were amazed Come you Scoffers were not these Quakers good Christians who trembled at the Resurection of Jesus and if ever you come in your selves truly to witness the Power of his Resurrection it will make you also to quake and tremble although now you scoff and deride such as do witness it and tremble at it Acts 7.42 you may read When Moses heard the Voice of the Lord in the mount he trembled Yet the Scoffers in our Age that call themselves Christians say That there were no Quakers but of late Acts 9.5 6. And he said Who art thou Lord And the Lord said I am Iesus whom thou persecutest it is hard for thee to kick against the Pricks And he trembling and astonished said Lord what wilt thou have me to do Here you may see a Persecuter turned Quaker of a sudden But suppose any of you should send any of your Company with a Packet of Persecuting Letters as was with him and that by the Light and Power of God he should be convinced and fall a Trembling as Paul did would not you soon fall a Scoffing and calling him Fool Puppy Loggerhead Phanatick with many more Derisions if not to Blows and Imprisonment So you may if you please see what kind of Christians you are Acts 16.29 30. Then he called for a Light and sprange in and came tremling and fell down before Paul and Silas and brought them out and said Sirs what shall I do to be saved Come you Scoffers did not this poor Goaler turn Quaker 1 Cor. 2.3 And I was with you in weakness and Fear and in much Trembling Would not our Scoffing Professors have said that this was Canting and have called Paul Quaker Phil. 2.12 Work out your Salvation with Fear and Trembling Here you may see that the Prophets and Apostles were Quakers by which you may judge what you are that scoff at them who tremble because of God's Power in our Age. Oh my dear Country-men I beseech you be calm a little while and reflect upon your selves and consider whether you do not scoff and taunt all the Prophets and Apostles who were Quakers as well as we who you now reproachfully call Quakers And now since I have proved the Antiquity
Writings one of them said 1 John 2.27 We have an Anointing in us and we need not any man teach us but as the same Anointing teacheth us But in contradiction to him you will not trust that Anointing in you to teach you but hire Men without you who do not teach from that Anointing within but what they have scraped from Books and Histories without them In the ancient Quakers Writings you may find a Proclaimation made to all People Isa 55.1 thus Ho every one that thirsteth come buy Wine and milk without money and without Price And in another place in the ancient Quakers Writings thus The Spirit saith Come and the Bride saith Come and let him that is athirst Come and take of the Water of Life freely Rev. 22.17 21.6 And if you will read the present Quakers Writings you may see that they are of the same Mind but each of you in contradiction to both ancient and present Quakers will not allow of your pretended Milk Honey nor Wine without Money or Price and have got Laws made that if any will not give you your Price for your Ware you will sue them at Law and recover treble Dammage and put their Bodies in Prison until Death and drive away their Cows Oxen Horses Swine Pigs Geese Beds and Blankets and their Wearing Apparel not leaving a Skellet to boyl poor Children Meat nor a Bed to lie on Oh! how diametrically opposite are you all to the ancient and present Christian-Quakers who Gave all and now do freely Give without Money or Price but you have Money and Price not only of them that willingly give you Money for that which is not Bread but of them also who have Bread of Life freely given them and have no Want And now you might say the present Quakers were Phanaticks and mad-men indeed if they should forsake the Fountain of Living Waters and the Bread of Life that 's given them freely and come to you and give you Money for that which is no bread Oh you Priests of all sorts I beseech you for Christ's sake do not run thus headlong to Destruction and draw the poor blind People after you it would be far better for you to accept of the Bread and Water of Life freely without Money or without Price For what Profit will it be to you as Christ the Head of the Quakers said to pull down your old Barns and build new and fill them with ill-gotten Treasures when you know not but this Night God may require your Souls of you The ancient Quakers Writings viz. the Scriptures of Truth Mich. 3.11 are very full of Testimonies to this purpose Isa 56.11 sharply reproving all such as in their day did preach for Hire Jer. 5.30 31. and divine for Money Ezek. 13. and 34.2 3. and were for the Fleece and Wool and made a Prey on the People and Merchandize of their Souls And in the latter-end of the ancient Quakers Writings one of them named John in his Revelations speaks of a time coming that no man would buy their Merchandize any more The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who is the Head of both the ancient and present Quakers Prophets Apostles and Children of the Most High at this day hasten that day that all people may come and take of the Water of Life freely for the Spirit and the Bride the Lamb's Wife at this day invites all to come freely without Money and without Price Revel 22.17 And it 's said unto all that do come even as it was said to the Church in the Canticles Cant. 5.1 I am come down into my Garden my Sister my Spouse I have gathered my Myrh with my Spices I have eaten my Honey with my Honey-Comb I have drunk my Wine with my Milk Eat oh Friends drink yea drink abundantly O Beloved Oh! blessed State Oh! happy Estate is this to witness and experience Christ Jesus his great Love unto us who is now come down unto us and hath made us of so near Relation to him as Sister and Spouse and doth give freely the Bread of Life even the hidden Manna and the Water of Life and sayes unto us and unto all that will come Take of it freely yea eat oh Friends yea drink abundantly O beloved Rev. 2.17 And now the Visitation and Invitation is to you both Papists Protestants Presbyterians Independents and Anabaptists both Priest and People to come and take of the Waters of Life freely and lay out your Money no more for that which is no Bread nor make a Trade no longer of the ancient Quakers Writings but believe and obey the ancient and present Quakers Principle the Glorious Light which shineth in the Darkness but the Darkness comprehendeth it not and that will bring you to be of one Heart and one Mind and one Soul and to serve God with one consent and then you will know your Teacher in you which Christ promised and said could not be removed into a Corner which is the Anointing in you which the Apostle said there was no need of any other Teacher for all other Teachers may be removed into a Corner and therefore as you prize the welfare of your Immortal Souls Cease from Man and Man's Teaching although he may transform himself so like Truth that he might dâ—ceive the Elect if it were possible and own and believe the Light the Anointing in you for you need not any Man teach you but as the Anointing in you teacheth you which is Truth and no Lye for it 's a measure of the Light of Christ God's Anointed Objection But do not you teach your selves and allow some Teachers among you Answer It 's true we do allow the Children of the Light to declare to people what God hath done for their Souls as the same blessed Anointing in them teacheth and directeth them so we may say as the Apostles said What our Ears have heard and what our Eyes have seen and our Hands handled of the Word of Life that we declare according to the blessed Experience God hath given us which Teaching only can edifie the Hearers And that 's the Reason that sometimes we sit silent in Meetings without any Word waiting diligently in quietness with reverent Attention hearkening with the inward Ear of our Mind for the Voice of our Beloved Christ Jesus the Anointing in us to teach us and if any do teach from this Anointing Christ Jesus we own it and have Unity with it although we own the Teaching enjoyed by waiting in silence to be before and beyond any man's teaching although he teach immediately from the Anointing in him for that 's but at second hand to the Hearers but what we are taught by the Anointing every one in his own particular is at first hand he that hath an Ear to hear let him hear and we may say as the Church in Canticles said Cant. 5.2 It 's the Voice of my Beloved that knocks saying Open to me my Sister my