doctrine and conversation In the Communion upon the Feast of Trinity They pray that their sinful bodies may be made clean by the body of Christ and their souls washed through his pretious blood and that they may evermore dwell in him and he in them c. Here again is that confessed in words and prayed for which the Quakers hath long travelled and laboured to see accomplished who hath been long cried against as absurd and Heretical for affirming that they dwelt in Christ and he he dwelt in them which is no more then this Collect plainly holds forth and for saying they were washed by his pretious blood by the chief Priests and Rulers of this generation as many can witness yet they themselves can confess such things in words though in works they wholly deny them and not onely so but stirs up the Rulers to persecute all those who practise the same in life and conversation if they will not bow to every ceremony which they have woven in amongst the sound truths which will remain for ever as living witnesses against them and their Idols And therefore the Quakers do own what is truth in the Common-Prayer and what is collected out of the Scripture of truth which they practised and lived in and suffered for when they who now so highly magnifies the Common-Prayer durst not shew themselves but now for their own bellies extols that which they will as much cry against if another thing arise In their Prayer before sprinkling of Infants They pray That all carnal affections may dye in them and that all things belonging to the spirit may live and grow in them and that the new man may be raised up in them In this Prayer is several good things if rightly applyed and understood but whether they now who are Minsters and hearers of the Common-Prayer either knowes what they ask or beleives that ever they shall receive what they pray for is greatly questionable their principles being so much for a body of sin to be in young and old while they live on the earth which is not death but life to all carnal affections and death to all things belonging to the spirit and to the raising up of the new man which cannot be raised up in any nor put on but as the old man is put off with his deeds which is the body of sin In their Prayer for Sunday They desire the Lord to grant them his holy spirit to bear witnesse with their spirits that they being his children and heirs of his kingdome and that by the operation of the same spirit they may kill all carnal lusts and unlawful pleasures concupicences and evil affections contrary to his will What man or people can be more perfect before the Lord then they who come to attain all those things here desired which is the highest degree of perfection for if all carnal lusts and unlawful pleasures concupissences and evil affections be killed the ground and root of all â—â—n is killed and there can be no more living in sin nor branches of the same for where the root of sin is killed the branches cannot remain but if many in this age who now reads over these prayers would but recollect their memories they would perceive that those prayers is not sutable to their faith and so cannot be an acceptable sacrifice to God out of their mouthes Prov. 15. 8. and 27. neither can they ever receive those things they pray for unless they had more faith in the asking of them so whether the Quakers or they have more right to those Prayers let them who best knowes their lives and doctrines only judge In their prayer for the morning They desire Christ to take them into his tuition ruling and governing them with his holy spirit that all manner of darkness and all carnal affections may be utterly chased and driven out of their hearts and that they may be justified and saved both in body and soul If any should ask one of these Metamorphosed men called Ministers if they do beleive that all these things desired can be received while they are in the body they would say no I verily beleive it is so common with them to plead for Satans kingdome to stand while people live upon the earth and so hath kept thousands from being justified or saved either in body or spirit as by sad experience we have seen overthrowing the faith of many through cunning devised Fables which hath been more pleaded for then the sound truths therein prescribed for if it be asked any of them for what the Quakers are persecuted their answer is presently because they will not come to Church nor be conformable to the ceremonies thereof or some such like frivolous thing which hath no strength nor authority in it nor is of substance to convince any that they err in this so long as they retain the antient truths declared and testified unto in the Scripture of truth which their persecutors have erred from in principle and practise and therefore the Quakers denies them and all their inventions and are come out from among them according to the word of the Lord Isa 52. 11. 2 Cor. 6. 17. In another of their Prayers for the morning They desire Christ to shine into their minds that they may not any where stumble nor fall into any sin Here is the light within prayed for to guide them out of stumbling and falling into any sin which is a principle that they have cried against this several years counting it heresy to acknowledge a light to shine in peoples minds to guide them out of stumbling nay they have been so far from beleiving that this light would keep them from falling into any sin that they have leavened all people with the contrary mind that will beleive them so here again their faith and their Prayers are as much opposite one to another as light is to darkness and therefore the Quakers hath good grounds to deny them they certainly knowing that such sacrifices did alwayes stinck in the nostrils of the Lord and though they make many Prayers he will not hear because their hands is full of blood Isa 1. 14. 15. Pro. 1. 28. Jer. 14. 12. and their fingers is polluted with iniquity and they can never beleive any other thing but that people must continue in sin during life and so manifests themselves to be such as Iames spoke unto Ia. 4. 3. In their Prayer for Wednesday They pray that they may overcome the chief enemies of their Souls viz. the desires of the world and the pleasures of the flesh and the Suggestions of the wicked spirit according to their promise in Baptisme In this prayer is many good weighty things desired if the desirers had but faith as a grain of Mustard seed these mountains before mentioned would be removed and cast into the Sea never more to arise Mat. 17. 20. but while they remain in unbeleif they may pray and use many vain repetitions as
A true Prospect For the BISHOPS Priests and Deasons And all other within the jurisdiction of the Church of England who are Professors of the Common Prayer through which they may see how far they are short in Faith Principle and practise of divers sound truths therein specified Also the proper right of the Quakers to divers good things therein vindicated and pleaded for which no other people upon the earth can justly challenge And instead of being persecuted the Quakers ought to be protected by the Laws of King Edward the sixt Queen Eliz. Charles the 1st and Charles the Second which established the book of Common-Prayer in Equity and Right Reason which is the life of all just Lawes VVhereunto is annexed divers of the Priests practises for which they have no proof in the Scripture Published by a lover of truth and Righteousness where ever it appears known by the name of Ambrose Rigg And this is the confidence that we have in God that if we aske any thing according to his will he heareth 〈◊〉 John 5. 14. But let him aske in Faith nothing wavering for he that wavereth is like a Wave of the Sea driven with the winds and to sâ—ed Jam. 1. 6. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing from God Verse 7. Printed for M. W. To the moderate and Courteous READER MY principle end and aime in this small Treatise is to set forth and vindicate the sound and antient Truth in the Common-Prayer Book as it is now established and to bring the same forth as the Sun from under the Clouds that they may shine in brightness to the ends of the earth which thou wilt find true if thou reade over this small book with a single eye and not stumble at my plain down-right dealing with the men who so much cries up that book at this day and yet cannot away with those who answers the same in life and practise even every particular thereof which is gathered out of the Scriptures and onely denies those things and them for practising those things which are not taken out of the Scripture wherein doth lye the great difference between them at this day wherein the Lord is bringing to light many things which long hath laid hid and vaild in secret and is revealing the Mysteries of his Kingdome unto his sons and daughters servants and handmaids And all Superstition and superstitious Ceremonies he will utterly deface and demolish though never so strongly fortified outwardly and will set up his own righteousness and way of worship which is in spirit and truth according to the testimony of his Son in former Ages Iohn 4. 24. In which alone he will manifest his love power presence and vertue unto mankind again in the way of their recovery from the snares of death and darkness under which their souls have long mourned that they may set forth his noble Acts and declare his wondrous works unto generations to come And for this cause he hath raised up many at this day to testifie unto his Name and power and is leading them from one Nation to another people 〈◊〉 testimony unto his Son who is come into the world to save sinners and to finish transgression in the earth that his praise may be perfected among the Sons of men and he will suffer one Potshard of the earth to dash in pieces another until this be accomplished and no weapon formed against this decree shall prosper for this is that cause for which he ever appeared in any age and time whatsoever and for which he hath manifestly appeared in divers manners in this our age and hath overturned many high Mountains of the earth that he might fully vindicate his own truth where ever it appeareth without respect to rich or poor bond or free male or female high or low but in every Nation they who fear him and work righteousness he will accept that no flesh may glory before him who is rich in mercy and tender in compassion to all who early seek his face inrighteousness Therefore be not rash nor inconsiderate in these things which are of great moment but weigh every sentence in the ballance of equity so wilt thou come to a right understanding of the truth herein declared And my end is not in this treatise that the Priests who so grosly abuses their own principles and Prayers should be destroyed with a carnal weapon for my weapon to them is not carnal but that they may come to repentance and find mercy with the Lord and that the people may be truly founded upon the Rock of Ages never more to slide nor fall and for this doth my soul travail in suffering and heavinesse even to this day waiting for the promotion of that truth spoken of in the book of Common Prayer which the Scriptures of the Prophets Christ and the Apostles bears witness unto in patience induring all things till the words of God be fulfilled written the 22. day of the 4th month 1663. Who am a lover of Righteousnesse and truth and a sufferer for the same Called Ambrose Rigge A true prospect for the Bishops Priests and Deacons and all other within the Jurisdiction of the Church of England c. GOd who in the beginning made man upright in his own image and likeness and gave him life and dominion over death and darkness and the power thereof making him an instrument to shew forth his praise and glory in the earth far above any other living creature which his hand made In which dominion and life while man stood he had the blessing and presence of Almighty God upon him and with him and had perfect dominion over all the Beasts of the field and the Fowls of the Aire and knew no sin neither curse death nor darkness but stood in perfect freedome as the son and heir of God in whom God had more delight then any other creature which he made insomuch that he set him in that place in which his chiefest delight was that he might dress it and keep it for his Creator to walk in where also was the tree of life which yielded food to man so that he was altogether unsencible of any misery sorrow or tribulation of body or soul neither was he in bondage to any creature but Lord and Ruler over all the whole creation according to the word of the Lord Gen. 1. 28. in which free covenant of life he perfectly stood till the Serpent grudged his glory and in the envy sowed a cursed seed which took root in his heart since which time hath brought forth many wicked branches which hath long cumbred the ground And for receiving this and disobeying the word of the Lord he was disthroned from all his glory and was exposed to all misery and cursedness of body and soul with all his seed end race after him and was driven into the earth from the presence of the Lord and then was altogether unsencible of life and immortallity with God
it being wholly departed from him by reason of transgression so that he was only a slave in Satans kingdome wholly led captive at his will where death and darkness only was which got dominion over him and then he became a degenerate plant of a strange Vine unto God and brought forth fruit in which God had no delight therefore he hid his face from him so that man could not find him nor his power and glory Then the Lord in love and tender compassion to his stock and race did raise up Moses his faithful servant to testifie unto his righteousness though one not elloquent but of a slow speech as he himself testifieth Exod. 4. 10. yet him he chose to go unto Pharaoh King of Egypt to declare his power and glory to man again from which he was seperated by transgression by whom he gave forth his righteous Law John 1. 17. as a flaming sword which turned every way upon man in his fallen state under the power of which he was to remain till the promised seed was come to break the head and power of the Serpent which had thus captivated man unto his will as is abovesaid For the recovery of which the Lord raised up many faithful witnesses to testify unto his power as Isaiah Ier. Ezeck Dan. and the rest yet in their dayes did the false Prophet appear who violated the Law which Moses had given forth and sought for their gain from their quarter as many do now and could never have enough Isa 56. 11. and Ieremiah cryed woe unto the Pastors that did destroy and scatter the sheep of the Lords pasture who cryed peace unto them who despised the Lord as such doth now Ier. 23. 1. 17. and Ezek. said they fed of the fat and cloathed of the wooll but they killed them that were fed unto such he cryed woe Ezek. 34. 1. 2. 3. and Hosea said they were like troops of robbers Hosea 6. 9. and Micha said they built up Zion with blood and Ierusalem with iniquity Micha 3. 11. 12. and said the best of them was as a bryer and the most purest of them sharper then a thorn hedge Mic. 6. 4. and Christ said in Matt. 7. Do men gather grapes of Thornes for so he described the false Prophets who did rent and tear the wooll from his Lambs which he had chosen even as they do at this day bearing the same mark as the same doth at this day and for this purpose was the Son of man manifested to convince man of all his ungodly deeds words and thoughts and to make him an instrument of his glory again and to restore him into that freedome which he lost by transgression out of the curse death and darkness into which he was cast and for the full perfecting of this great work did the Son of God lay down his life which life after it was offered up was manifested in mortal flesh and raised up many from the Graves in which they had long laid dead by reason of sin and by the vertue thereof many was brought into unity with God and the full enjoyment of his presence again as man had before he fell and was more then conquerors over death darkness and him that had the power thereof though into this state they came through many and great tribulations which they sustained from them in whom the seed of enmity did rule who alwaies hated and persecuted them wherever they appeared as a cloud of witnesses in the Scripture of truth doth testify hereunto In that estate did the serpent appear as a beast having great power and made war with the Lamb and the Saints of the most high and overcame them and power was given unto him over all kindreds tongues and nations Rev. 13. 7. to impose what kind of worship as he would then he set up the whore spoken of in Rev. 17. who made all Nations drunk with the wine of her fornication yea the Kings of the earth also was made drunk with her cup verse 2. Since which time all nations hath gone a whoring from the Lord and hath worshipped the beast and received his image through imposition being forced by violence into that which the Lord was not found in so then a dark and gloomy night overspread the whole earth which endured many generations in which many stumbled and fell and went astray like lost sheep and were made a prey upon by the Owles of the desert who then croppe out and ravened for their bellies and sought to the Kings of the earth who was made drunk as aforesaid to exercise Lordship over the consciences of thousands which was granted them then they invented divers kinds of punishments for them who would not worship the beast and receive his image Rev. 13. 15 16. till the earth was wholly voyd both of the knowledge of God and his power and then the night came over the earth wherein no man could work then the Devil wrought in darkness and filled the earth with his power and violence till Popery was fully rooted and sprung up into many great branches and brought forth much cursed fruit as fire faggot inquisition racking and renting of the persons of men and women to set up and maintain the beast in his throne who had got power over all the kindreds of the earth in which dominion he long stood and magnified himself in the greatness of his strength saying who is like unto the beast and who is able to make war with him In this power he stood compleat in this Nation untill the dayes of King Edward the 6th whom the Lord raised to do mighty and notable acts against this monster insomuch that he utterly abolished his power and worship in that way and form as it then stood and erected another more near unto the truth and way of God as he then judged and called it the Common Prayer which he established by Law enjoyning all his Subjects to a conformity thereunto into which the Priests readily crept though such as formerly had read the Mass because it was like to bring them in some gain yet notwithstanding there was a thirst in thousands after righteousness and the way thereof yea even in the contrivers of the aforesaid book though now the Merchants of Babylon doth make a trade thereof for dishonest gain who neither desireth righteousness nor the way thereof So here I shall pass by all the vain Superstitions in he said book which hath no ground in the scriptures for my principle aim is in this discourse to instance only those things which are of weight and concernment which is the sound truths laid down and inserted in this book which is collected out of the scriptures and many things prayed for in that book which the Priests say now cannot be received nor attained to as hereafter I shall make appear So that if any should question us who are called Quakers why we come not to hear them read the Common Prayer or persecute us for not
even in things appertaining to God wherefore things ordained by them as necessary to salvation have neither strength nor Authority unless it may be declared that they be taken out of the holy Scriptures Therefore this invention of sprinkling Infants with Godfathers and Godmothers being not taken out of the Scripture neither can be proved thereby hath no strength nor Authority neither is to be beleived as requisite to salvation but is judged deemed and taken to be an error first of Pope Iginus and since of the general counsels according to the abovesaid Articles Furthermore our plea is that forasmuch as the contrivers and setters forth of the book of Common Prayer hath collected many good and true sayings out of the Scripture and hath put them into divers Prayers in which they desire to come into the same condition which the holy men of God witnessed in former ages of which things the Lord hath made us witnesses at this day in life and practise and in measure have obtained of the Lord according to our desire haveing asked the same in faith without wavering which are set down in divers places of the Common-Prayer book which the Priests and professors of this generation affirmeth can never be obtained while men live and therefore these prayers set down in the Common-Prayer-book and the things prayed for therein is quite contrary to their faith as hereafter shall be made appear In the Collect upon the Circumcision of Christ They pray to God to grant them the true Circumcision of the spirit that their hearts and all their members may be mortified from all worldly and carnal lusts and that they may in all things obey Gods blessed will c. Now let the wise in heart judge of this thing whether they do beleive that their hearts and all their members can be mortified from all worldly and carnal lusts and whether they can in all things obey Gods blessed will while they are upon the earth for after it is impossible they should and if they beleive they can why are the Quakers persecuted for being of the same faith and praying for the same things but if they beleive these things cannot be attained then what is their prayers worth For whatsoever is not of faith is sin Rom. 14. 23. So these good desires are turned into sin by this faithless generation of teachers who instead of propagating these prayers they are found depravers of them but the Collossians witnessed the body of sin put off by the circumcision of Christ Coll. 2. 11. So whether the Apostles testimony or the Priests testimony is according to the Scripture let the honest heart judge In the Collect for the first Sunday in Lent They pray to God to give them grace to use such abstinance that their flesh being subdued to the spirit they may ever obey his godly motions Herein they seem to own the spirits motion in words which they do and have so long cried against scoffing and scorning them who witness this spirit to lead them calling it error and Heresy in the Quakers thus to affirme though they read these things dayly in their assemblies yet they do not mean that ever they shall come to pass for if people were subdued to the spirit and came to obey the Godly motions thereof they know people would soon leave them as the Quakers have done so whether the Quakers or them are enemies to those good things in the Common-Prayer let sober minded people judge In the Collect for the third Sunday after Easter They affirme that God sheweth to all that be in error the light of his truth to the intent they may return into the way of righteousnesse This is most true and that which the Quakers from the beginning have testified of for which they are and have been all along oppressed and persecuted for if men that be in error be lighted with the light of Gods truth which is Christ and that to the intent they may return into the way of righteousness then they who turnes people to this light turns them into the way of righteousness but they who instead of turning people to this light cries against it and keeps people from following of it such doth not bring people into the way of righteousness as we see by dayly experience and so are not promoters of the truth in the Common-Prayer book though for their own gain they may read it outwardly yet it is manifestly seen that these blind guides are more for the promoting of Superstitious Ceremonies in the said book which hath no ground nor proof in the Scripture and so by the 20. and 21 Article of the book of Canons is declared to be of no force nor strength yea far more then the testifying and vindicating the sound fundamental truths therein which is collected out of the Scripture of truth which the Quakers both own and practise in life doctrine and conversation which light being followed and regarded would lead people to life and salvation if it were not eclipsed and veiled through these faithless generation of men who seeks to take away the Key of Knowledge which is the true light of Christ the truth wherewith he hath lighted every man that cometh into the world John 1. 9. and so will neither enter themselves nor suffer them that would so let any judge whether the Quakers or the Priests ought to be protected by the Lawes of King Edw. the sixt Queen Eliza. King Iames and King Charles and whether of them lives more in obedience to the sound fundamental truths in the Common-Prayer book In the Collect for Whitsunday They say God hath taught the hearts of his faithful people by the sending to them the light of his holy spirit and they desire by the same spirit to have a right judgement in all things If this affitmation be true as certain it is then what need hath people of their teachings unless it be to keep them in blindness of heart from the dictates of this spirit whereby the hearts of his faithful people is taught according to this Collect which is agreeable to the Scripture which saith All thy children shall be taught of the Lord Isa 54. 13. Joh. 6. 54. And again the Apostle saith to confirme this The grace of God which bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us c. Titus 2. 11. 12. all which the Quakers own and witness and therefore they deny them who denies these things and would have people ever learning of them that they may ever feed them with money and if people have a right judgement in all things by the holy spirit of God according to this collect then they who are against this spirit in its teachings and leadings must of necessity have no right judgement in any thing and this the Priests hath manifestly appeared against both in word and righting and therefore let their own Common-Prayer book be a witness between them and us whether we or they walks more according thereunto in