together to ease my self and my Reader of impertinencies and tautologies I was confounded with his disorder True in his page 25. he begins with my Title page but in the very next page he leaps to page 30. 31. And in the next to 44. of my book and then in his page 28. to the 30 of mine and 39. and then presently to the 30. again and some seven lines after back again to my 17. then to my 45. and within two pages after to my Epistle to the Reader and instantly to page 48 of my book and shortly after to my title page again and so runs Fox-like skipping up and down that it would tire any man in the World to follow him speaking to the same things in several places as if hee did it on purpose to make work for one that had nothing else to do but to be so idle as to follow him And truly if his skill in Martial affaires were no better to order and muster his forces hee is fitter to bee a Captain to lead Apes and Monkies than reasonable creatures And I am half jealous that this was done by him upon design to take up so much of my time and leisure to follow him in his Serpentine motion that I might glut my reader with these litigations that so hee might have less stomach to what I have to say to George in particular And therefore as to my Narrative and relation for the truth of it I say thus much in the general That when hee hath said and I have said wee must leave it to the judgement of those who live here in this City to conclude of the truth of either And I have said Only thus much further I desire it may be observed that in my Epistle to the Reader I did profess I had not inserted all the letters nor all the examinations and page 4. I expresly said I should give in so many so much of their letters and papers as was pertinent to their discovery and no more as being unwilling to make my book swell too much in bulk and price so that if I have not inserted all that might have been and George would have I am not I cannot therein be found a liar because I have not gone against my promise for I did not propose nor intend an exact and full relation of all things concerning it as I have exprest my self Sufficient it is to mee that there is nothing therein contained but what is truth which was that I promised and have performed And as to the order of time wherein things were acted when I came to a close in that particular I told my Reader page 59. that I had not been exact to observe the order or circumstance of time in every particular for as I there say I intended not an exact Diary but had been careful to give in the substance in truth and reality which as in Gods sight I was careful to observe and do if any thing therefore be short or mis-timed it doth not follow that I am a liar and deceiver c. as hee most uncharitably and unchristianly charges mee with to all which I say the Lord rebuke him and give him repentance for it and these two things being observed will serve to answer much of his cavils and reproachings of mee But yet I must not pass over all so lightly but I shall make answer to some things which I conceive of concernment in special leaving the rest as not worth the troubling my self or the Reader with and in this I shall study brevity and in them observe how short this man comes of that Christian perfection which hee pretends to And passing by his railing and sending mee to the lake to be tormented with the devil and his Angels who hee sayes is my father and portion I shall make a stand a little at his charge against mee in his page 27. concerning the Oath of Laurence Raymond And herein I shall discover the wretched nature and practise of this Quaker and his fellow I having heard that this Laurence Raymond had heard that blasphemous and unchristian expression spoken by Audlands Wife That whosoever did think to be saved by that Jesus Christ that died at Jerusalem should be deceived and being assured from his own mouth of the truth of the relation I did some time after that these Wretches might be discovered desire the Magistrates to send for this young man and to take his testimony upon oath for greater satisfaction as occasion should require which accordingly at their own leisure they did I not being present or speaking any further with the young man in it Now this testimony my friend George would invalidate because in my Narrative the place where the words were affirmed and expressed by the young man in his deposition to be spoken were left out which to be done upon design as hee affirmed I utterly deny nor can or could there be any design in it for any thing that did appear to mee for I doubted not nor had heard any thing that might occasion mee to doubt of the truth of his oath either in the substance which was that I onely look'd at or the circumstance which was not by mee much considered which possibly made mee less wary and observant of the omission in that as of another passage and non-moment anous sentence in Foxes letter to Naylor of which George took notice but it would not afford him ground to cavil upon as this it seems doth And for the Readers satisfaction here I desire him to know that the discoursive and declarative part of my Narrative was wholly written to him who coppied them out again for the Press with mine own hand But as for those letters examinations and other things which I had in loose papers I only marked the place in my discourse where they were to be inserted leaving it to him to inscribe and write them and in hasty examination I might as it seems I did pass over and not take notice of an omission especially in a matter of circumstance which my thoughts were not as I said so much upon as here the main thing intended to be declared was that such words were spoken by this Quaker And as for the truth of the oath in every particular which this Caviller would enervate by this nicity I did upon the publication of his Pamphlet and observation of this passage repair to the young man Laurence Reymond and there I discovered a notorious piece of jugling and wretched practise of these Quakers for shewing to him what George had written and asking him what hee could say unto it in that hee had charged him as a liar and forsworn Hee made mee this answer that Hollister had got him over into his shop and had been tampering with him to intrap him or draw him from his testimony affirming it was false using many words to that purpose till the young man was weary and left him but then asserted and maintained the
estate by it either in land or money for what I earned I expended in their service and this will appear to the world when my God shall take mee hence of whom it will or may be said as once was spoken of one I well knew who lived in an imployment by which many others grew rich Hee was an honest man for hee died poor This I speak in respect of any addition to my estate since that imployment No George I have neither Bishops or Deans and Chapters Lands nor King or Queens or Delinquents lands And as for moneys I am beholding to my friends to provide for my wife and children so little have I been grasping after the world whatever else may bee mine infirmities otherwise and whether you George can say this doth appear to the world by your manner of living without your trade which you would not do before and by what will bee declared afterward and therefore to go on Whereas you charge mee page 100. with light scoffing and slanderous stuff and that by dark intimations of the business of Faulconer of set purpose to wound your reputation and to reproach the truth which you witness I shall now therefore to do you right speak no longer darkly and by way of intimation but expresly plainly in words at length and not in figures by which I suppose every one that runs may read what a Saint you are and what a truth you witness But the Proverb is here verified Like lettice like lips a truth and witness well met and because I would do you all the right I can and for that possibly some may read mine that will not read yours I will here set down in your own words all you say for your self in this matter in your page 100. and 101. and then consider it Georges protestation in the matter of the Lord Craven For the stopping of thine and all slanderous mouths say you and the satis of such as desire not nor delight in the defaming of others I do declare in the presence of the Lord before whom I fear who searcheth the heart and tryeth the reines and bringeth every work to judgement that I am clear and innocent therein nor have I used nor do I know of any indirect proceeding in that whole business of Craven and Faulconer nor done otherwise than in the faithful discharge of my duty And further that during the time of my publike ingagements which have not been a few and my whole conversation as I have received mercy to have a witnesse so have I born my testimony against unrighteousnesse and dishonesty especially such as thou dost intimate in whoever as I have had opportunity or have been called thereunto neither fearing the face of any man nor preferring my life or outward concernments to the clearing of my conscience therein as is well known unto which I have also the witness of him who is greater than all and a large time of Tryal I have had wherein I have neither wanted enemies for the sake of truth nor thy malice and opportunity to lay to my charge could they finde or were there any thing to bee found to the contrary and thus much to say thou hast compel'd mee Thus hee Here is you see Reader a bold high daring confident appeal of his innocency in the matter of the Lord Craven and of his honesty and uprightness in all other particulars in the time of his publike ingagements Now what if it shall appear notwithstanding all this that hee George Bishop who made this dreadful protestation did not only know of indirect proceedings in that matter but that hee also was one a chief one that used them and that as to this matter Faulconer who died in prison for perjury was in comparison of him an honest and innocent person If I say all this shall appear will you believe that hee doth believe there is a God that searcheth hearts and tryes reines and brings every work to judgement Or can you bee perswaded that hee rightly entertains that Article of the Resurrection though hee seems to do so And before I give you an account of what I have to deliver unto you that you may know the daring spirit of this man and how little respect and reverence there is in him of the Almighty and that it is an easie and light thing with him to make such appeals to God as this is Let mee minde you of the like in that his Pamphlet which I think few men in the world besides himself would offer and by that judge of this Whereas in my Narrative I charge him and Hollister and other of their relations and adherents that they joyn'd themselves to the wretched Quakers upon faction humour and discontent In page 44. hee makes this appeal and protestation Another of Georges protestations I do here for clearing of my conscience and the satisfaction of all the sober-minded to whom this may come and for the stopping of thine and all slanderous mouths in the dread and presence of the living and eternal God who is Judge of heaven and earth before whose Judgement-Seat thou and wee must all appear that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that hee hath done good or bad In my own and the name of those servants of the Lord whom thou reproachest declare and affirm that neither faction discontent disaffected humour pride affected-singularity which are all of them thy slanders nor any other thing was the cause of our joyning unto them But having many of us c. And so goes on speaking of waiting in the use of outward means c. how God had now visited them by the Ministery of these men and how hee had reach'd by his Eternal Power to that of himself in them and so they became joyned to the Lord and to the immortal word c. And seeing him who is invisible c. they hunger no more nor thirst nor wonder as heretofore c. speaking highly of their high attainments as if they were now perfect so that neither faction humour pride c. nor any other thing but the mighty and pure work of God was the ground of their becoming Quakers so sayes George But now if hee were to bee cleared by Compurgators viz. such as should upon their consciences affirm that what hee here sayes they are perswaded is true he would finde very few if any besides Quakers that would dare to do it For suppose hee might bee believed for himself who or what man in the world that truly fears God and knows what it is to make appeals to his most glorious Majesty and with what righteousness and judgement it ought to bee performed would or can dare to make such a protestation in the behalf and in the name of others as hee here doth If hee had said hee had believed or been perswaded or the like that they did it not upon such grounds or motives but upon a pure account which
a Gospel and the old devill who upon pretence of teaching our first Parents in another way than God had declared made their children blinde ever after till restored and recovered of their sight by a new Creation and till then no marvell if they go on in their wickednesse with resolution as too much to be feared this man hath done in many particulars For to come to his dealings and practises and to begin and to consider what he begins with how vainly and like the bragging souldier in the Comedy how Thrasonically and with long-winded expressions doth he lift up the hands of that blaspheming wretch James Naylor And how daringly doth he ask the question What law hath he broken Or what offence against man hath he committed Whom the Parliament hath censured and in part punished as a horrible blasphemer It 's free to this man Geo. Bishop to arraign and censure the actions of the Parliament but is James the Champion of the Lord of Hosts before whom none of the Priests could stand as George sayes And was his light so clear so infallible so sure How comes it to pass that this glorious son of the morning is like Lucifer so cast down and darkned by that woman and her company Martha Simons with all their filthiness and deceit as he phrases it page 5. beg What Spirit was that and what darknesse was that which he speaks of page 4. that clouded him When began it And is it not still upon him And how came it to pass that being delivered he became dark again page ead These things would be known that so wee might say when James is in the dark or when he is in the light that so we might not be mistaken in him for we must not be altogether led by George Bishop lest wee agree not with those who notwithstanding his and his fellow Foxes disclaimes did and do still own James Naylor But to let this pass for he is not worth inquiring after by the wisdome of God that fore-sees all things sayes he page 5. it was so ordered that there was found among the papers that were about James Naylor one paper wherein that spirit good or bad the woman and her company Martha Simons and their practises were expresly discerned and judged This was the Letter sent from Fox and Bishop to Naylor mentioned both in my Narrative and Geo. answer In which Letter they disclaim and judge James Naylor and his crew as deceivers But now mark horrendum facinus the false and mischievous spirit of the Priest that publish'd that Narrative and his foul and dishonest dealing and how unfaithful he is in his relation The Priest out of devillish wickedness Georges words forges such a word as had it been truly so might have rendred George Fox a blasphemer under his own hand and this is such a fact that words need not further to express it which in its very face is so manifestly wicked and abominable a wickedness not found in the roll of those evils which the Apostle mentions should make the last daies perillous and 't is manifest this act is wilfull All this and more page 7 8. of his Pamphlet and part of the 9. To all this out-cry by way of answer one would have expected that one so eminently perfect in charity as George is for if hee have not charity hee is nothing hee is not what hee pretends would have judged the best which is one main property of charity it would have taught him as v. 5. not to be ready to think evil of another 1 Cor. 13. 1 2. and not to have triumph'd and rejoyced in my sin and made so many words of it and to aggravate it so highly Charity would have suggested this or the like Possibly through his the Priest and his Scribes neglect or mistake or the hand of the Clerk from whom hee received the Copy of that Letter being obscurely written there being not much difference between these two words own and am as they may be written might mislead both or either of them Or it may be a mistake of the Printer and the Priests over-sight in correcting Or if none of this could have pleaded my excuse to clear me from so great a crime as foul forgery he might have in reason considered me from his own condition before he became so singularly illuminated For I ask was he never in the time of his darkness and ignorance guilty indeed of forgery of which hereafter Or was it not because he had been so often criminous in such practises that hee so easily so readily and so confidently charges others I leave it to his light within him But to satisfie every honest person the truth is It is just so as I have set it down in the Copy of the Letter which I received from the hands of the Clerk who took the examination and that as plainly written as any words in the world which Master Dorney will acknowledge and which the Copy it self will justifie which I have to shew to all that desire it As for the Letter it self it was sent up to London to the Parliament and there continues And as Mr. Dorney said upon sight of the Copy it might be so as I have exprest it for ought hee knew in the original which whether it be or no in this case is not material I am clear I did not forge it and yet upon this base doth he build the great weight of his discourse charging and re-charging like a doughty Captain again and again in several places of his Pamphlet making this his great Achilles And so much in discharge of that great calumny which he makes so much use of And I wish him to consider whether hee did not willingly take it up as a matter to reproach mee when as probably hee might bee informed I followed my Copy For sure I am I have been divers times asked before the publication of his scurrilous Pamphlet how it was in my president or copy To which I gave satisfaction if he did it wilfully the Lord humble him and forgive him And whereas he sayes page 9. that what I have publish'd in my Narrative p. 10 11. of the examination of Martha Simons is enough to prove mee my design and title and book to be a lie Surely he presumes highly upon the blindness ignorance or negligence of his Reader for it clearly demonstrates that Fox and his Crew were against Naylor and his and so that they were not all guided by one spirit or at best by that spirit which is the spirit of division which was part of the design and title of my book and so not a lie But that which sticks much in the Captains teeth and puts him to picking from page 11. of his Pamphlet to 24. is the Quakers confusion with which I charge them And truly I believe had he been left at large to choose his own testimonies and to have suborn'd and produc'd his own witnesses