since he himself hath testified in a General Epistle Printed for M. W. in these words They that do so viz. Set up Outward Things gathers to themselves not unto God which is a notable Proof that for many years past he hath been gathering to himself not unto God and what is the Fruit of such his gathering To answer that question would require a large volumn I shall only say it hath scattered many of the Flock from the green Pastures whereon they were feeding and Shilohs Streams wherewith their own Cisterns were filled to feed upon the four Leaven of some Hypocritical Pharisees to drink of their muddy waters If any shall think this a digression from the Matter expected to be treated on to such I say The ill Savour and groundless occasion of our Adversaries aforesaid words Confusion Rebellion Looseness and Ranterism from one whom I took to be in his own sense a Dignity were the occasion thereof and I question not but such as are gifted to discern things as they are will perceive that those words as applyed by the Pen-man of the Accuser are only to represent Men fearing God and loving Righteousness in a Bear-Skin to be worried 'T is very apparent that our Opposers have frequently shewn their Teeth by their clamorous Treatment but blessed be the Lord they have no power to Bite And having rejected many Warnings are now worthily discovered according to their Merit whereby if they are rendred a Derision to the Heathen and a Scorn to Fools Let them know 't is but a part of the Reward and Recompense of the Fruit of their own doings I shall now return to speak more particularly to the matter which from the Title Page may be expected In the Third Page of a small Tract Stiled A Brief Examination and State of Liberty Spiritual lately Published I find it written in these words 'T is a dangerous Principle and pernitious to True Religion and that which is worse 't is the Root of Ranterisme to assert That nothing is a Duty incumbent upon thee but what thou art perswaded is thy Duty This Doctrine is near of kin to the aforesaid Doctrine mentioned in the Accuser c. and as it relates to Christian Religion is Repugnant to the Testimony of W. P. in his Adress to Protestants Page 144. in these words Christian Religion ought to be carried on by that way by which it was Interoduced which was Perswasion But yet to do the Penman of the Tract Stiled A Brief Examination c. Right He in his following words makes the Application to seared dark and dead Consciences as if thereby such were uncondemned To take his meaning thereon yet it cannot reasonably be understood otherwise than thus Viz. That his aforesaid Notion must have a Tendency that some Religious Performance is incumbent on such though they are not perswaded thereof Let us now suppose that the seared dark and dead Conscience should strictly perform some Religious Exercise as his Duty meerly from the direction of another we are now to enquire What is the benefit thereof to such To this let W. P. in his aforesaid Adr. to Prot. pag. 146. answer his words are these If I believe what she that is to say the Church believes only because she believes it and not because I am convinced in my Understanding and Conscience of the truth of what she believes my Faith is false though hers be true And indeed well might W. P. so testifie for if a blind Offering under the Law was condemnable it is not justifiable under a Gospel Dispensation Having laid down the Doctrines on which our Opposers ungodly Constructions are founded I need not enlarge to remove such Constructions let the Reader peruse what he is already referred unto in the Christian-Quaker and compare the same with W. P. his Adress to Protestants pages 77. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 140. 141. 144. 146. and divers other Parts and the Righteousness of what we stand for and against will be sufficiently manifested One other Doctrine pertinent to my purpose occurs in my Memory it is in the eleventh Page of the aforesaid Tract stiled A Brief Examination c. namely that this is a loose Plea Viz. ' What hast thou to do with me ' leave me to my Freedom and the Grace of God in my self which leads me thus to Observe If our antient Friends John Story and John Wilkingson when articled against for not * acting in things against their Conscience PLACE = marg Witness a part of the 44 Articles exhibited against them should have told the busie Persons concerned therein What have you to do with us leave us to our Freedom and the Grace of God in our selves might not this have merited a just Approbation from the Primitive Preachers of Christs Light in these latter days whose Doctrine hath been That the Grace is sufficient and that every one is to be left to his own measure antiently understood by this manner of speech Viz. Our own Freedom Every Reader is now left free to consider whether a rendering such a Plea of being left to our own Freedom and the Grace of God in our selves to be a loose Plea is not the mark of one that is departed from the antient Principle of Truth a Discourager of having a Dependency on the measure of Grace in our selves and so by natural consequence may be looked upon as one holding forth a loose or false Liberty the tendency whereof is to depart from the Blessed Spirit of Truth and rebel against the perfect Law of Liberty in the Heart It needs no large Coment to shew that such as slightly esteem of a Plea to be left unto our Freedom and the Grace of God in our selves may easily be led like Blind men into any Ditch It is observable that G. F. his Party have not only slighted such a Plea of being left to the Grace of God in our selves but have a sort of Veneration for the Outward Directions of another C. T. his Epistle and the Accuser c. are to me an evidence of such a Veneration How much credit this may add to any so minded that have manifested a dislike of the Presbyterian Directory not altogether for the matter therein contained but also that an outward Directory should be exalted as a Christians Rule under the Ministration of Light in this Gospel Day let the wise in heart judge But to state a case in favour of the Doctrine which we oppose let us behold how it will then look Suppose that the Lord had in every Age under the Gospel Dispensation placed one outward and visible man to be an eye to see for the rest of the Body which I dare not grant and that on that foot G. F. should be declared to be that Eye in this our day yet it would be irrational to require submission to his Prescriptions or Decrees from such as are not convinced that he is placed as such an Eye If thus much be
THE EIGHTH PART OF THE Christian-Quaker Distinguished from the Apostate Innovator WHEREIN Certain DOCTRINES Vindicated in Print by such as are reputed of Party with G. Fox are Examined and in order to a Decision of the Controversie which seemes to depend on the Truth or Falshood thereof an Adress is made to a Book Entituled An Adress to Protestants Given forth by W. P. Anno 1679. and may now be termed a Proper Vmpirage in the case By W. R. BEfore I proceed to say any thing in pursuance of the Title Page I think it meet to give a brief account of the chief matters aimed at or treated on in the first seven Parts of the Christian-Quaker not knowing but that this small Tract may be extended amongst the People called Quakers farther than the rest and so may occasion such as are desirous more fully to know what * The Reader may Note that when I use the Words us or we 't is with respect to such besides my self as encouraged the Publication of other Parts of the Christian Quaker we stand for and against to enquire after other Parts of the Christian Quaker In the First Part a part of those things touching which we were once at Unity the ways and means whereby that Unity was broken are manifested In the Second Part Doctrines of Truth cleared from Objections are laid down that so it may be known more perfectly than by the First Part what the Christian-Quaker standeth for In the Third Part Government is more largely discoursed on than in the two foregoing Parts Shewing That the Christian-Quaker owns but two sorts The one is the Outward Government under which we live unto the Laws whereof we owe either Active or Passive Obedience and ought not by outward Force to endeavour deliverance from under such Laws as we have or may tern Oppressive The other is The Inward Government of Christ who alone is Lord over the Conscience which is not represented by persons visible by carnal Eyes invested with Power from him to execute Outward Laws Edicts or Decrees in an Outward Form of Government visible as aforesaid In the Fourth and Fifth Parts 'T is manifested That G. F. hath Erroneously concerned himself in the Divisions amongst the People called Quakers and is therein become a Reproach and Scandale to the Truth which the Children of Light profess and walk in In the Sixth Part is manifested The wickedness of Two small Tracts written on the occasion of the Publication of the first Five Parts of the Christian-Quaker One by Christopher Taylor Wherein he hath abused me at a sordid rate as by his Book appears and yet hath not quoted one Word out of my Writings to prove any Recriminating Reflection on me more than the beginning of my Title Page viz. The Christian-Quaker distinguished from the Apostate and Innovator Had not the said Christopher Taylor supposed himself as he is a Publick Preacher a Church-Governour and that 't is the Duty of some others to pin their Faith on his Sleeve How could he have attempted so unconvincing a Work Had he no Credit on a Religious score to loose me-thinks he should never have hazarded his Reputation as a Man if ever he had any to write at so Envious a rate as he hath telling his Reader That the very Title of my Book was Blasphemous 'T is hard to Imagine wherein the concludes the Blasphemy to be unless in these Words George Fox Detected which then must imply That in his sence G. F. is at least the Christ of God The other small Tract taken notice of is given forth in the Name of John Pennington worthy of no better Character than that of C. Taylor the matter therein aimed at is to shew That I abused his Father and performed not my word in not citing all his Fathers Testimony whereas If I had quoted all his Fathers Testimony I had been worse than my word But that which adds to his Sin is this he hath charged me with making Inferences or Deductions that were untrue when as I made no Inference nor Deduction at all from his Fathers words as is manifested more fully in the said 6th Part. I do not doubt but that the aforesaid Treatises were approved by the Second-days Meeting else why have they in their Book Entituled * See 12th Page of the Introduction The Accuser c. Signified that the Names of some are already concern'd in Print meaning in relation to the Christian-Quaker in Five Parts What man of Reason Conscience and Religion can conclude other than on this wise That the pretended Government under which such irreligious and unchristian-like treatment is approved is a meer cheat giving a kind of safe conduct so far as is in their Power to the Instruments of Satan when fraited with Antichristian-Arrows to wound the Children of Light and Lambs of God But notwithstanding this evil Treatment the said 6th Part contains Christian Propositions for a Reconciliation Therein is also something said to discover the emptiness and weakness of Thomas Laurence his three quarters of a Sheet who telling the Reader that he is 81 years of age Charity oblieges me not to be severe upon him In the Seventh Part are detected a part of the Forgeries Prevarications and Errours wherewith a Treatise Entituled The Accuser c. given forth in the Name of the Second-days Meeting against the Christian-Quaker in Five Parts is stuft and is an additional Evidence against the said Meeting that they themselves are espousing the Cause of Apostacy and Innovation and by the scope of some Parts of their Treatise of nameless Authors referred to Richard Richardsons small Tract stiled A few Ingredients c. sufficiently Papistical have shown themselves more nearly related to Popish Principles and Practises than to the Principle and Practise of the Antient and Christian Quaker This small Tract is now written for the sakes of such among the People called Quakers as are not yet principled to pin their Faiths on anothers Sleeve but rather to hear to see and understand for themselves in matters relating to the Kingdom of God and Salvation of Souls In confidence that 't will find acceptance with such t is now publish't chiefly to evidence what from the Title may be expected Of late days this Doctrine hath been published by such as are reputed of George Fox's Party That in some Cases that Consciences of Believers ought to be bound by the positive Sentence of others meaning other Believers pretending to Authority as a Church and not by election of Persons without leaving any liberty for a Believer to refuse on the account of not seeing it his Duty to submit and forasmuch as the Submission treated on had no relation to my Power given to others by the Believer from whom Submission might be expected but in stead thereof to the Power wherewith the Church as is pretended is invested we therefore as disliking the aforesaid Doctrine did thus assert This Meaning and Government over the
Consciences of Believers we take to be contrary to the Principle of Truth and Liberty we have in Christ Jesus for that no Outward Sentence or Matter whatsoever can obliege the Conscience to be approving this or that Exercise or Practice or to be in the Belief of this or that Sentence Judgment or Decree until such time that the Conscience through the inshining of Christs Light therein comes to be satisfied and thereby to be bound and oblieged see Christian-Quaker First Part pag. 48. and Third Part pag. 53. to 69.128 and therein the Reader will not only find that the Book of Government given forth by R. B. wherein the said Doctrine is held forth was approved by the * Note 'T is certainly known that great Endeavours are frequently used to obstruct the Printing of Friends Papers unless they can submit the Contents thereof to the Second-day Meeting Sentence Let but the Description of the said Meeting be considered and that the Office assumed by such uncertain unselected Persons is that which renders them Judges in a Spiritual Concern of another mans Conscience whether gifted therein or no and I am perswaded that not one Canon of the Church of Rome admits of greater Darkness or more unwarrantable Presumption nor yet that any one Principle with respect to Government was ever read or heard of to be espoused by any sort of People on the Face of the Earth with respect to such as were accounted Members of their Society that hath a greater tendency to abridge the Conscience of her free Exercise or to introduce a more perfect Map of Confusion and Anarchy See more on this Subject the Third Part of the Christian-Quaker c. pag. 29.30.31.32 Second-days Meeting at London being a Meeting of uncertain numbers of Persons unknown by any Constitution of whom to consist before assembled but also a confutation from the Scriptures of Truth of these Arguments and Reasons given for the same further shewing that the Scriptures quoted for Proof thereof are misapplyed and remote from the purpose But yet notwithstanding I find in the aforesaid Treatise Stiled the * Note If by the word Rebellion they mean Rebellion against the Dignities which in a Tract Entituled Accuser c. That occasion is taken by the Pen-man thereof to render our Assertion PLACE = marg See Pages 64.65.66.108.109 or the Consequences deduced by him from it tending to Confusion * An exalted Diotrephes the Authors say I poured out contempt upon then I conclude the Rebellion is against sixty six Subscribers of a * Note The said Paper is detected in the 2 d. Part of the Christian-Quaker p. 72. to 92. Paper against John Story and John Wilkingson in the year 1677. Rebellion and Ranterism c. And forasmuch as it hath been declared that the said Paper was the Act of the Second-Days Meeting as well as of the Yearly-Meeting I may then reasonably query Whether the word Rebellion used on the aforesaid Occasion may not be taken as the Symptom of Abominable-Pride by subjecting the Authors thereof to the repute of sounding a Trumpet to their own imagined Dignity But should I now make three distinct Columes viz. one for the Names of the said sixty six Subscribers another for their qualifications and abilities or rather inabilities with respect to their being * See the Accuser c. p. 116. 117. and consider well the Contents of the 42 d. Disafection Representatives of Christs Inward Government and then in the third signifie these are the Dignities proclaiming something tending to Rebellion against themselves and that the Matter of Rebellion as well as the Rebels are known by this Doctrine viz. No outward Sentence can oblige the Conscience in point of faith duty before conviction by Christs Light Would they not then appear most miserable Objects of Derision and Scorn especially if in that dress presented to one of their learned Richard Richardsons Authors cited in favour of G. F ' s Errour namely * Note Who can otherwise think but that G. F's Cause is at a low Ebb since he is now beholding to a Presbyterians Works heretofore much despised by him to bear it up See R. R's Tract stiled A few Ingredients c. pages 13.18 Richard Baxter of Kiderminster great amongst the Presbyterians whose Directory I suppose doth not teach any thing so contradictory to their fundamental Principles as the aforesaid Doctrine rendred tending to Rebellion is known to be contrary to the antient Doctrine of the People called Quakers for thousands were convinced of the truth of these two plain Sentences namely First That every man that cometh into the World was lighted with a measure of Christs Light in his own Heart Secondly That 't was safer to have a dependency on this measure in our selves than to have an Eye out to the measures of others But if the first Publisher of these Doctrines did thus design that such as were convinced thereof should at any time after be excomunicated if they should not follow some Outward Order of his before convinced of its need or service from the measure of Light in themselves then it may in truth be said That a greater cheat never appeared under a religious pretence But I conclude that no such design was in the beginning and that when G. F. one of the first Preachers of the Light in these latter days did begin his Declaration with these words I am the Light of the World his meaning was that Christ was that Light and not himself To return to my Concern with the Second-days Meeting again But if this discourse should come to the view of the Author of a small Tract stiled Controversy ended 't is to be doubted that the Second-days Meeting though they may account themselves Dignities would then be more derided And why Because he was rendred a very Night-bird a Wanderer one that looks and creeps up and down like a Vagrant as in a small Tract Entituled A Winding-Sheet for Controversy ended appears being also reputed to be approved by the Second-days Meeting and the reason why he was so termed was because he put not his Name to his Book Of the like crime the Second-days Meeting are now guilty in relation to the Book stiled The Accuser c. and therefore very unfit to be accounted Dignities for dignified men are not usually ashamed of their Names Alas Who so blind as not to know that the Business of Church-Government amongst one part of the People called Quakers is so engrost between the Yearly and Second-days Meeting or amongst a few of them as that a Dislike whether by particular Churches or Persons to either of their Papers Prescriptions or Orders is become matter of scandal if not of Excommunication and now as worthily reprehended as those aimed at by W. P. in his adress to Prot. pag. 115. were by these his words Alas who knows not that loves not to be blind that the Church amongst them is the Priest-hood