they themselves now confess that notwithstanding all that and all their Preaching up and confidence of the Light Spirit and Voice of the Lord WITHIN them they yet had not a distinct discerning of the Lord's Voyce not their minds brought into so much as a CAPACITY to discern it how can they be MORE confident and Infallibly evidence they are MORE certain of it now Or why may they not be mistaken and mistake the Lords Voyce now as well as fifteen or sixteen Years ago or not well discern which or what is the Lords Voyce And why may they not change again and again fifteen or sixteen Years hence and say then they had not before a distinct discerning of the Lords Voyce If the Quakers say but they know now they have it so the Quakers formerly said they knew it they felt it they handled it they witnessed it IN themselves and yet the Quakers now say they were so far out then as not to have a distinct discerning of the Lords Voyce And so then may the Quakers now for all their pretences and confident talk Let my Reader take Notice and they Consider what 's become of their Quaking and Shaking their mighty Motions and pretended Voyce of the Lord within And I think this may be enough for Quaking to shew that the present Quakers I deal withall have little more than the Name now in this particular Sic mutantur SECT II. The Quakers Quibbles about Set-days and Set-places Sect. 1. PRinciples of Truth p. 42. per E. Burroughs We believe his True Worship required and accepted of him is not by the Tradition of Men in outward Observances or Set-days or Places but he is Worshipped onely in Spirit and Truth without respect of Times Places or Things And this was one while the Quakâ—rs general Doctrine that they should not run nor be enjoyned by others to come to Meetings but as they â—re moved of the Lord thereto and that without that it was but Will-Worship See Principles of Truth p. 24. 51. Every Man ought to be left FREE as the Lord shall perswade his own mind in doing or leaving undone this or th' other practice in Religion Sect. 2. But to whirle about and run round again at other times P. Livingstone can tell you Idem p. 5. It is a dark Spirit clearness and FREEDOM is not in it but it hath and doth lead into Bondage And here Satan by Transforming himself hath obtained his End and purpose in such for which cause he first Transformed himself in the matter of the Hat and the Hand and not coming to Meetings until they should be moved of the Lord untill at last he obtained his end to get them not to come at all and not to let them rest therewith but also made and makes them believe lyes as namely that they be moved of the Lord to cry against Meetings c. And we are certain enough what that Spirit leads to in the end for all its fair appearance if it be followed to the end c. And who now Observes more their set-days and hours too their first and fourth days meeting and set places Built on purpose aâ— the Bull and Mouth and Grace-Church-street c. than the Quakers And thus are they run into Forms as those whom they once condemned and now deny that FREEDOM they once allowed and cry'd for which is all but a Quibble SECT III. The Quakers Quibbles about Forms and the Church Sect. 1. THat the Quakers at first did cry out against Forms and several external Ordinances and all Formality in Divine Worship and the Church of God is so generally known that I think I need not trouble the Reader with Instances yet if any should doubt it see G. Fox Mystery p. 65. Paul brought the Saints off from things that aâ—â— seen and water is seen and it's Baptism Here is a few words will serve for all Sect. 2. But then to go round again when others of the Quakers Object against them That taking off the Hat in prayer and taking by the Hand are but Formal and that by setting up this Friends were setters up of Forms now hear the Quakers Quibble P. Livingstone Idem p. 12. in Answer to that Objection The Form of Truth we own that which Truth appears in that is the Form of Truth Friends do not chuse a Form for the Truth but Truth chuseth its own Form and moveth in it at its pleasure Oh Excellent then it seems taking off the Hat or taking by the Hand is the Form among the Quakers that Truth appears in and this is the Form that the Truth chuseth for its own Oh rare Formalists Sect. 3. Then P. Livingstone goes on p. 13. And we know those that do the contrary pretend what they will it is by and in that Spirit which is opposite and opposes the Truth of God and its Children and we know if they were lead by the Spirit of the Body id est the Church they would be led to the same things it leads the Body and acts the Body in for the Body is one though many Members it being guided by one Life and they agree in these things and one stands not with the Hat on and another with it off nor one doth not give the Hand and another refuseth which is a contradiction but we see further into the thing than the Hat and Hand We see and know the Spirit of Enmity in the ground and it is truly testified against to be that Spirit of ANTI-CHRIST against CHRIST and the Spirit of Truth in the Body i.e. the Church beareth this Testimony against that Spirit and them Acted by it Oh what Rents and Divisions this evil Spirit hath made How many poor simple Hearts have been drawn aside by it So far he Now is not this exactly like the Doctrine and Practice of the Church of Rome Nay the Quakers are got so far as to say Friends that stand in the Life and are the Body know that there is not NOR CANNOT BE preservation out of the Body meaning the Body of Quakers For they that are out of the Body are out of the Faith â—â—d are not of the Body Pat. Livingstone p. 20. Just as the Papists say there 's no Salvation out of the Church Yea and more that they must believe as the True Church meaning the Quakers Church Believes or else positively they cannot be saved For these are his express words viz. I bear my testimony for that People in scorn called Quakers that the Lord hath chosen them a peculiar People above all People upon the Earth and we are to turn to no other People c. And they that believe not as the true Church-Believes CANNOT BE SAVED But this we know of an INFALLIBLE certainty that WE being faithful in the Truth those that are gone from us are of another Spirit and not of the Faith of the True Church P. Livingstone p. 22 23. this is like the very top-stone of Popery and
this is the Spirit of Truth or the Truth that he vindicates 2. Nay let G. Fox their grand Prophet not only speak the greatest NONSENCE but Write it and publish it also to the World in Print yet Mr. Penn will vindicate it and Justifie him also G. Foxe's words are these And so to the word Christ Jesus him by whom the World was made before it was made and this G. Fox says SEVEN times over in his Book and another time thus By which the World was made before it was made Now if any Man that understands English and Sence except a Quaker will not say this is absolute NONSENCE that G. F. here ascribes to CHRIST and not fit for any Man of Ingenuity and that is a Schollar or regards his Credit to vindicate then I am wonderfully deceived and know not my Mother-Tongue and yet if you will believe W. Penn this is the Truth or Spirit of Truth still which he vindicates oh horrid 3. Nay more Write and Print BLASPHEMY and then stand in it and Justifie it when they have done Witness Solomon Eccles one of these Quaking Ministers in his Book called the Quakers Challenge he says of GEORGE FOX whose name thou art not worthy to take into thy mouth who is a Prophet indeed and hath been faithful in the Lords business from the beginning It was said of CHRIST That he was in the world and the world was made by him and the world knew him not SO IT MAY BE SAID OF THIS TRUE PROPHET whom Iohn said HE WAS NOT But thou wilt feel this Prophet one day as heavy as a Mill-stone upon thee c. And yet G. Whitehead undertakes to vindicate this BLASPHEMOUS SPEECH and says it is a LITTLE FAILURE in Syntax for so his Conscience will serve him to call BLASPHEMY when it is utterred and published by a QUAKER though against the Lord CHRIST ah George canst thou call it but a LITTLE FAILURE is that a Truth At the best surely it is no less than a GREAT FAILURE 9. And as for George's DIRECTION of Sol. Eccles INTENTION in G. W's serious search p. 58. I pray my Reader and you Quakers but to peruse the MYSTERY of JESUITISM particularly Letter ninth Letter seventh and Letter sixth beginning at p. 122. and see whether it may not be concluded George is almost as good an Artist at it as they or at least if he be not fit and a towardly Youth for their School to teach people how to equivocate not to say â—ly neatly by DIRECTING the INTENTION and if George or Solomon Eccles may direct the Intention in THIS why not in OTHER things And if George why not the Jesuites Or if the Jesuites Why not George And this being once set thus on foot who hath power to stop it or who can tell where it may center except GEORGE FOX or the POPE For if George or SOL. may in DOCTRINALS or Cases of BLASPHEMY why may not the Jesuites in MORALS and in Cases of THEFT LYING and ADULTERY I desire you Friends seriously to weigh and consider this and what can certainly satisfy you and others herein When the Quakers shall speak or write one thing and tell you themselves they mean another or do not intend all they speak or write But here 's the misery on 't If Mr. Hicks or any of your Opponents do but write A for THE or do but say a DIALOGUE and not BY WAY OF DIALOGUE or do but say YOU for THOU or the like Oh then it is Forgery Lies Blasphemous Slanders Sinful impure and Corrupt then it is not a little Failure in Syntax only which the Law of Charity would not take notice of But let a Quaker say or write that which is a hundred times worse nay though it be in it self Blasphemy against Christ Yet then it is only a little Failure in Syntax and against the Law of Charity to reflect on a Man c. 10. Upon this occasion I could not but lament 't is not unlikely another would have smiled to see that G.W. in his serious search p. 24. hath such a rare Invention I will not say Black-Art that if Jer. Ives does but say if you dare appoint time and place to discourse about the Quakers Religion and Ministers George can and hath transform'd I will not say Conjur'd it into an Insolent frothy Challenge and like the common Hectors and Sword-men of the times But three or four Challenges that three grand Quakers viz. G. Fox E. Burroughs and Sol. Eccles made wherein the very same words are and abundantly more audacious as a Challenge at two Weapons Name Persons Time and Place a Duel and if you DARE as is worth your seeing more at large in J. Ives Quest for the Quakers yet George's Holiness hath Pope-like sanctified them and they are serious Challenges on a serious Religious Account Oh excellent Religion But the other he Condemns as if it were Curst with Bell Book and Candle in p. 19 20 and 23. Oh wonderful George that hath such a POWER to Sanctify and unsanctify words with a small dash of his Pen as he pleases Here I say is the Misery and this is the most gross abominable Hypocrisy unreasonableness Partiality and uncharitableness that can be heard of against the Light of Nature the Light of Conscience and the Light of Scripture That the same things or ten times worse should be no faults or but little trivial ones in Quakers and yet gross falshoods horrible lies and Forgeries in other men The Lord open your eyes that you may first learn to Judg your selves and Cast the Beam out of your own eye before you go to cast the Mâ—â—e out of anothers 11. Now for your saying unsaying Backwards and forwards I have particularly manifested it in this my Reply G.F. condemning what G.W. uses and G.W. condemning what G.K. used and W.P. condemning what G.W. Teaches and sometimes G.W. condemning and confuting G.W. himself and so round and round again But now notwithstanding all this considering what their Practices above related have been and that they are generally such I do expect and must not doubt in the least but that they will have that stupendious Confidence as to deny all this or not confess it yea and will say it is false and horrid Slanders though we read it we see it with our eyes and hear it with our ears yet our sences must be all deceived and the Quakers only in the Truth and if any will they may believe them not only before but against their own Eyes I cannot help it neither shall I concern my self much at it But only to express my real sorrow for to see any one so strangely deluded What else may I What must I nay what can I expect from such Men that have in this manner so often declared themselves in Print already who can undertake to vindicate falshoods and nonsence and their grand false Prophet G.F. and call this a vindication of the Truth
of the Spirit so given must be either VISIBLE or INVISIBLE though it is apparent enough by the enumeration of those Manifestations in the subsequent Verses that the Apostle spoke of visible manifestations such as were visibly APPARENT to others and for the Profit of others without as well as within the Church and the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Apostle uses signifies plainly and clearly appearing open bare or easie to be seen as a Face uncovered Sect. 3. But let the Quakers take it which way they will it destroys their Usurped Title and vain Pretences above others whom they Condemn For if they say that the Apostle meant thereby that the manifestation of the Spirit which he speaks of is given to every one in the world Then they at the same time grant it is given to the Church of England to the Baptist Churches and to me also and if they I say that the manifestation of the Spirit is VISIBLE to others then thereby they grant they have it not more than others nay are without it because the Quakers have Censured and Condemned other Churches as being WITHOUT it and yet themselves can produce visibly NO MORE manifestation of the Spirit than those whom they say are without it And if they say the manifestation of the Spirit is INVISIBLE to others then at the same time they grant the Church of England or the Baptist Churches may have it though they may not know it or cannot SEE it for how should they if it be INVISIBLE Sect. 4. But on the other hand if they say These words of the Apostle are to be taken Restrictively that the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every Man in the Churches onely as most likely in truth it is as the word IS in the Present Tense and the whole scope of the Chapter intimates the Gifts and manifestations of the Spirit he mentions being then peculiarly in the Church and no where else that we find such as the Gifts of Healing Tongues c. mentioned in the very next Verses as some of these manifestations spoken of in v. 7. Then this of the Church at Corinths having the manifestation of the Spirit is no more to the Quakers than to the POPE OF ROME For it will not follow That because the Church at Corinth had the manifestation of the Spirit that the Quakers Church must NOW have it nor because THEY SAY they have it for at that rate the Baptist Churches and ALL the Churches in England might claim it and who can hinder them And besides G.W. hath barred himself of that and plainly told us in his Glory of Christs Light within p. 33. That which was to one State was not to every particular State and Condition among the Churches neither do we read that the Church at Corinth was to go and make the Epistle to the Church at Rome their Rule Nor that the Churches at Ephesus Philippi or Thessalonica were to go to the Corinthians for Pauls Epistles to them to compare theirs with and to be their Rule but that of the Spirit or Light within to which they were all directed and which was the Rule of the New Creature whereby the things of God were Revealed and made known unto the Saints Now then what does the Apostle Paul's writing to the Church at Corinth that the Manifestation of the Spirit was then given to every Man to profit withal signifie to G.W. or the Quakers here They are not the Church at Corinth nor can they produce visibly such Manifestations of the Spirit as they did Nay G.W. himself gives you to understand such visible manifestations were onely peculiar to the Apostles times Thus then you may easily see how much this silly Quibbler is beside the business and hath confuted himself SECT VII Of the Gift of Discerning of Spirits Sect. 1. G W. p. 3. says He cannot give away the Quakers Cause as to the Gift of Discerning of Spirits for they have sufficient evidence thereof as a Gift given to divers I suppose the two Germans Young men may be some of their most sufficient evidences who pretending to be of great Families and Convinced of the Truth of Quakerism as I have heard came or were Conducted by one S.C. a Quaking Minister into England and were Entertained at London at the common Charge of the Quaking Friends of Devonshire-House for a long time The Quakers paid for their Board and bought them Apparel Glorying in their Converts But in process of Time it seems these Men in the Prosecution of their Debaucheries fell at variance and each of them fearing to be detected by the other charged one another in a Meeting of Quakers with great and notorious Crimes did they not detect one another even of haunting of Bawdy-Houses W Pilfring c. even out of those Houses where they had been entertained Was not here in the mean while an Excellent Gift of Discerning among the Quakers Sect. 2. Another Instance and pregnant proof I have heard of also One W.W. being a Minister among the Quakers for many Years and an Active man in their Cause yea and a Sufferer for the same was not discern'd nor Discovered by the Quakers till being troubled in his own Conscience he Confessed himself to have Lived in uncleanness c. Who is it will not think now that they have a most Excellent Discerning of Spirits And that they are so very wise and have such a Rare Gift they can tell any thing that 's told them and so can others SECT VIII Of Vnbelievers Muggleton c. Sect. 1. G W. p. 3. Hast not thou plainly implyed th◠self to be an Vnbeliever who wants such a Sign to be shewn thee to evidence that WE are Divinely Inspired Observe 1. How sillily does this Mr. Sleights scribble of my implying my self to be an UNBELIEVER of their Divine Inspiration when I have often directly confest it and now do it once more That I do not believe that G.W. nor the Quakers are Divinely inspired so as the true Apostles and Ministers of Christ were and I am well assured I have very good Reason for it viz. Because they cannot Evidence it as the true Apostles did This was one of the first things I writ them that I did not nor could possibly upon any good and certain grounds believe the Quakers Pretences to a Commission from Heaven Immediate Revelations and Inspirations MORE than Muggletons's except they could produce somewhat considerable MORE than Muggleton could and therefore I prayed them to shew me what they had and to tell me but this Why I might and ought undoubtedly believe them and their Commission MORE than Muggleton's or the Baptists Which I am sure is a very Reasonable and modest Request for otherwise I should have no BETTER ground for my FAITH in Believing a Quaker than a Baptist or Muggleton 2. But I do believe and declare to all the World I am a BELIEVER that the Apostles Peter and Paul and
by this Mr. Keith and thou must understand and mean Either That these Three are Three Christs in Three distinct Persons Or that these Three are but One Christ in One distinct Person Or that these Three are indeed No Christ at all in No distinct Person And when thou hast plainly and honestly declared this then we shall easily discern your Quibbling or understand your Meaning better in the mean time for your condemning using Distinctions in others and yet using them your selves you fall under the Apostles Sentence and Condemnation Rom. 2.1 Therefore thou art inexcusable Oh Man whosoever thou art that judgest for wherein thou judgest another thou condemnest thy self for thou that judgest dost the same things In the beginning of this Epistle Intimated to thee the Gifts and the Power of the Spirit indeed that the Christians the members of the true Church in the Apostles days were Gifted with viz. Such as were visible and demonstrable to others and for the proof quoted several Scriptures which I thought fit to alledg That thou might seriously Consider and I leave it to the Consideration of all sober and truely understanding men When thou comest to Condemn or Correct the Baptist Church or and Church with design to set up thy own as the true Church Whether thou oughtst not to prove and Demonstrate thy Church to be truer then their Church which thou Condemnest as false or Vnchristian or Antichristian and that thou oughtest to pretend to and bring something for Proof thereof which they nor no false Church can pretend to and produce as thou doest Is not this equitable just and rational agreeing to common Justice and Equity and according to the sound understanding of all men Nay and is it not what the true Christian Church had and could and did on all necessary occasions Demonstrate Otherwise suppose it be granted theirs to be false that will not prove thine to be true Thine may be false also But if proving theirs alone to be mistaken or False would prove another Church to be true the Romanists and all the Churches in the World might then as well by this prove theirs respectively to be true as you yours To make this yet more plain it being worthy thine and every mans serious thoughts I will give thee an Instance or two As for Example Here are great Contests and Disputes betwixt the Baptists and your Church the Baptists say we are true Christians and you Quakers are not The Quakers say we are the true Christians and our way is the true way and you Baptists are not Now I and thousands of poor Souls besides would willingly know which of you two are undoubtedly in the Right and which of you indeed are false and pretenders only If any of thy Friends shall tell me We are in the Truth and therefore we are the true Church Thou knowest in thy Conscience that is so far from an Answer that it is only a shameful begging of the Question For the Baptists they pretend as much that they are in the Truth as thou dost and it is yet to be decided betwixt you so that that is still the Question If thou sayest the Light within me will testifie to thy Way I profess really I have minded and inquired of the Light within me what it says in that Particular and it testifies no such thing If thou sayest it is Demonstrable by the Effects and Fruits very well I have inquired into that also and I find none among You but what may be found amongst the Baptists also Except it be keeping on the Hat and saying Thou and Thee c. which also the Baptists or any others may and can do if they please as well as you Or if thy Friends should tell me That ye have the Spirit and are in the Power of God so say the Baptists that they have And wherein does the Power of God or the Spirit shew it self more in you than in them If thou shouldst say it is Within but does not Demonstrate it self Outwardly Why then do you trouble the Minds of People Can you not let it keep in its place in every one where you say it is and then thereby thou wouldst acknowledg the Baptists to be Externally as good Christians as your selves and so may be Internally for ought thou canst see if it cannot demonstrate it self outwardly So that here I profess in the fear of God I see no real discriminating Character that Demonstrates you to be either truer or better than they if thou canst shew any I shall be glad to see it Another Instance is this in a higher nature at your own doors also viz. In Mr. Maggleton and his Disciples Why shouldst thou or thy Friends be believed more than Muggleton or an Impostor THE QUAKERS AND THE Muggletonians Compared 1. MVggleton says He hath received a Commission from Heaven and so do the Quakers that they have and both much about the same time but of the two I think Muggleton's pretence was the first and ancienter 2. Muggleton saith he had it by Divine Revelation and so do the Quakers that they had it 3. Muggleton saith He hath or is inspired by the Spirit of God and so do the Quakers that they are 4. Muggleton pretends to Infallibility and so do the Quakers 5. Muggleton says He is one of the two Witnesses spoken of in the 11 th Chapter of the Revelations that God hath given Power to Prophesie and the Quaker they say They are the true Witnesses to the Light and have received Power to Preach the Everlasting Gâ—spel to Prophesie c. or to the same effect 6. Muggleton denies that the Father and Son are two distinct Persons and so do the Quakers 7. Muggleton pretends to and produces Scripture and yet doth not really own it for the Rule of Faith and Practice and so do the Quakers 8. And all this Muggleton assertâ— with the highest Confidence imaginable as great as it is possible for the Quakers to assert theirs 9. Muggleton hath several Disciples and Followers that Believe him and are Convinced of the Truth of whaâ— he asserts as a Seal of his Ministry and so have the Quakers several Followers that are Convinced and believe them which they say are a Seal oâ— their Ministry 10. And yet for all this Muggleton Curses and Damns the Quakers and that by the Heavenly Power and Commision he pretends to have received And the Quakers Judg and Damn Muggleton and that by the Light thâ— Heavenly Power and Commission they preâ—end is Revealed to them See the Book Intituled the Quakerâ— Neck broken writ by Muggleton and answered by G.F. Now then Consider Is it not highly necessary one should know which of these two be the Impostors or whether since they both pretend with such Confidence and yet both Damn one another and all others that Contradict them both of them may not be Impostors for it is possible What canst or dost thou produce or pretend to more than Muggleton
from a Quaker till they change their Morals as well as their Religion as much as Mr. Pen could which seems to be onely out of a fawning design pretend to speak in the behalf of poor morality when as it is his pretended Light and Inspiration within that indeed he so much adores No small Evidence whereof this Quakers pitiful sheet demonstrates it self to be notwithstanding the pretended Civility and Condescention in his private Letter to me yet his sheet which he since set forth publickly being made up chiefly with so many false suspicions and Railings now manifests that that was onely Hypocritical or out of Design by fair words to deceive the Author But alas the Quaker was mistaken and Geo. was too Young the Author had a better discerning without the Quakers Gift and understanding of them than so by his many Years Observation and Experience He told me in his Letter privately He took it well from me that I Ordered him one of my books and in his sheet he tells me and the World that the same Book was made up much with Scoffs Quibbles gross perversions and abuses short of all seriousness and sobriety yea manifest perversions lyes and slanders VVhat then did he take it well from me that I ordered him such a Book with so many perversions lyes and slanders scoffs Quibbles and gross abuses But as the Perversions Scoffs Quibbles and Abuses were the Quakers that my Book set forth and so was made up much of it may be true enough for I know of no such Perversions Quibbles c. there but onely the Quaker's and there was good store of Them Truly Reader some think the like Letter was hardly ever before seen to come from a Quaker one of their Chieftains too He assured me therein he was as willing to receive INFORMATION as to give it in any thing wherein any thing seemed doubtful or any mistake is or may be suppos'd about the Controversies depending between us Hereby then he acknowledges he thought the Author was able to give him Information at least in some of those matters in Controversie otherwise it was silly for him to desire that he might Discourse with the Author to that purpose viz. for mutual information as he writ he did And did not the Quaker herein finely vail his Bonnet that had been talking of or pretending to INFALLIBILITY nigh these Twenty Years if not above and yet now in 1674 5. assures the Author who yet had told him I pretended no such Infallibility he was as willing to Receive Information by discoursing with him as to Give it in any thing seeming doubtful about the Controversies depending between us And therefore for his better Information in those very matters I send him this Discourse and Remarks of mine further to try him and his reality herein and for your better satisfaction you shall have here verbatim as I think his said Letter and my Reply to it T.T. For the Author of the Book Entituled The Second Part of the Quakers Quibles To be left with Francis Smith the Book-seller to be Conveyed as above-said Friend I Lately Received thy Book Entituled The Second Part of the Quakers Quibles and take it well from thee that thou Ordered me one of them and this is to desire so much Civility from thee as that I may have an hours Discourse with thee if thou Livest in or near London which perhaps may save us several hours writing and prevent others of some charge and trouble in such Books of Controversie and possibly may afford so much mutual Information as may tend to Peace or at least to a more moderate and serious method in managing the Controversies between us than the tenour of thy said Book seems to bespeak which for Truths sake and not for any popularity or Mastery I could and do desire And if thou wilt be pleased to let me know where thou Dwellest or where I may conveniently meet with thee I am willing with a Friend or two to come to thee and two or three of thy Friends as I may have an Opportunity for I apprehend both my self the Truth and Friends wrong'd in divers passages of the said Book and not onely so but many serious and unprejudiced Readers are much disgusted and wearied and their Patience too much grated upon by such kind of Method as thou hast chosen against me Yet I 'le assure thee I am as willing to Receive Information as to Give it in any thing wherein any thing seems doubtful or any mistake is or may be suppos'd about the Controversies depending between us So desiring thy Answer if thou please and as soon as may be to what is hereby desired I Remain A Friend to thee and all Men as bearing no ill will towards any George Whitehead London 13 th 12 mo 1674 5. To Mr. George Whitehead These To be left for him at Mr. Francis Smith's Book-seller at the Elephant and Castle near the Exchange in Cornhil London Mr. Whitehead THY Letter Dated the 13 th came well to my Hands which I find to be so Civil and Moderate that I Accept of it very kindly from thee and should I not return thee the like Answer I must to save thee the labour judge my self ungrateful which is an Humour I Naturally abhor and as this Courteous temper best becomes a Christian Spirit so I assure thee I have always found it more prevalent upon my Soul than any Arrogant self-conceited huffing and censorious damning As to thy desire for thee and two or three of thy Friends to Meet and Discourse with me 't is a thing that possibly I should willingly comply with if some Circumstances of my Occasions would conveniently admit and that by your late Practice as I have heard you had not already given others to see and Experimentally know how FRUITLESS such Meetings with you have and do commonly prove For if my Information fail me not which I have not as yet any ground to suspect I receiving it from a very serious and Sober Person When you had accused one Mr. Hedworth a Person I do hereby assure thee who is no more acquainted with me than thou art and not being able or at least willing to prove it your selves you would IMPOSE upon the Gentleman to accuse himself or otherwise you would not Discourse the Matter with him when yet you had appointed him a Meeting to that purpose which surely Friend thou must know is not onely against the good Law of our Nation but against the Law of Nature and is no less than for you to set up an HIGH COMMISSION COURT which our Prudent Governors have long since abolished seeing the unreasonableness thereof and how any of thy Friends can rationally IMPOSE such Terms and Conditions on others against their consents or else refuse to Discourse with them I must confess I do not nor can understand and therefore should much call my own Senses and Judgment into Question if I should
of BLASPHEMY in it self Solomon Eccles one of their Ministers did not onely write privately but thought fit to Publish it in Print to the World That it may be SAID yea and SO said of GEORGE FOX AS it was said of CHRIST that he was in the World and THE WORLD WAS MADE BY HIM and the World knew him not whom John said HE WAS NOT as you may see more largely in the Second Part Quak. Quib. p. 93 94. G.W. In his Serious Search p. 58. In this matter undertakes according to the Jesuitical Art to DIRECT Solomon Eccles's INTENTION and gives us to understand that indeed Solomon Eccles did not INTEND as he writ and published but though he said it of GEO. FOX yet seeing People take notice of the Blasphemy of it and of the Divine Honour that they give by such words to G. FOX to the shame and dis-credit of their Cause he INTENDED it onely of CHRIST so he spake or writ one thing and meant another which yet in sincere-hearted W. Pen's sence at another time he can tell you is no better than to be one of the worst of KNAVES they are his own words in his Rebuke p. 8. And so let him share it amongst them if they please Sect. 2. You have another ingenious one in this sheet of G. VV's p. 4. concerning FIGURES yea even when they are speaking of Figures and against Figures they speak by a Figure One while the Quakers tell us ALL Figures were ended by Christ but now this Quaker is at the Old Jesuitical Art again of DIRECTING THE INTENTION and gives you to understand that though the Quaker says ALL Figures yet he does not INTEND all but onely SOME viz. The Figures under the Law I need not onely set his Quondam Master Fisher to whip him for this Rusticus ad Acad. p. 142. So on this score our Scribes scape scot-free still by their SHIFTS To meet with Quakers we need never doubt Nor need we when we meet them fear a rout If all 's but some Out 's In and In 's for out Then they are always In and never Out Thus says Fisher the Seed of the Serpent saves it self alive in its Enmity against the Holy Seed not so much by PLAIN DOWN-RIGHT DEALING as by shameful SHIFTINGS FROM SENCE TO SENCE miserable marchings from meaning to meaning so that one can hardly know well where to have them nor how to find them nor what they mean Then he complains But as for us we may not safely WITHOUT THEIR CENSURES so much as take the Scriptures to be what themselves are neither afraid nor ashamed to make them viz. a LESBIAN RULE and NOSE OF WAX which may be made yet scarcely is by any more than themselves to shew it self in 7 8 9 shapes at once Oh brave Fisher And though they dare Dispute themselves and Argue any way from Figurative and Forreign and proper and improper Literal or Mystical meanings and Importments of words and Phrases yet they can well digest or dispense with none of all this in us and LEAST OF ALL when we do as we mostly or EVER do keep to the true honest Ordinary and plain purport of the words as they lye OPEN AND CLEAR to every Ordinary and Common Capacity that is willing both to know own and do the Truth So far he and need any Man any more to Confute and Confound this Figurative Quaker Sect. 3. Nay and they undertake not onely to DIRECT their own Friends INTENTIONS but other Mens also such Masters of it are they as hear G.VV. again p. 4. If Quakers use Figures either Metonymies Metaphors or Ironies Oh then it is used and INTENDED in a Serious Sence But if T. Hicks or another use the same or the like in the Title or words of their Books Oh then it is INTENDED as palpable Slander or DESIGNED Forgery Thus indeed Geo. is so far from clearing of himself by his silly Answer from the dint of his Second Sentence against himself that all he says can amount but to thus much viz. That T. Hicks speaks or writes words which are Scoffing slandâ—rous Lyes used in a Scoffing or Ridiculous sâ—nce And the Quakers speak or write words which are serious Lyes used in a serious sence Taking both their words equally and alike in their Natural Proper and Grammatical Sence without Respect of Persons which once I am sure the Quakers pretended much to abhor and nothing worse or more unjust than Respect of Persons For if the first Accusation alone will so alter and vary the Intention and make a Man Guilty then the Quakers are as liable so to be made by T. Hicks as T. Hicks by them yea and rather more because the Quakers are Originally the first Persons Accused and impeached by T. Hicks in his first Dialogue and this Renders G. W's Cause very lame and sorely wounds it And which is worst of all Mr. Sleights is so willing to Sleight over this that he slips by his own Prophet's words which yet stood as fair to be seen as any there on the very top of the last Page in the Epistle which if he had said any thing to the purpose he should have cleared for there G. Fox speaks Directly of Figurative Speeches viz. VVe Charge thee shew us a Verse in Scripture that speaks such Language and where ONE WORD may be put for ANOTHER by METALEPSIS and so leave People in Doubts and Questions What sayest thou now Geo What couldst thou not see this If the next time thou writest thou canst not I will write to the Book-seller to buy a pair of SPECTACLES for thee to help thy Eye-sight Now for him thus slily to avoid this if he could by a Figure surely cannot be much better than one of his Devils drawn Figures Sect. 4. Another Excellent rather most grossly false one he gives us in this thread-bare sheet of his sleight stuff p. 7. where he DIRECTS his quondam Master Sam. Fisher's INTENTION though dead and Directly contrary to his words yea the main Scope Bent and Intent of his Book Well now good Readers I am fully satisfied G.VV. is a wicked Man and of no good Conscience but of an Audacious Confidence for otherwise he could never have had the face to publish such a thing that all Persons that can but Read English and understand what they Read may detect his falseness in as here Sam. Fisher in his Appendix p. 21. speaking of the Scriptures and the Scripture Text says thus in these very words VVhich Transcriptions and Translations were they never so certain and entire by answering to the first Original Copies yet are not CAPABLE to be to all Men any other than a LESBIAN RULE or NOSE OF WAX now if so far be not a plain Assertion I never saw nor heard any in my Life Then he goes on in his Proof or Confirmation of it as his word Forasmuch denotes FORASMUCH as even WHERE MEN HAVE THEM as half the world has not they
CONFIDENCE of the Leading Quakers of the Foxonian Tribe audacious Attempts in such Evasive Replies to their Opponents daubed over to beguile the simple-hearted or deceived Quakers with seeming Vindications when their dreadful accusing Consciences if not absolutely seared at the same time cannot but tell them how greatly the sincerer sort of Quakers have been burthenâ—d yea grievously afflicted these many years under the sence of Guilt that rests on those called the BODY I may say even to the highest Degree of Perplexity witness J.P. W.M. J.O. W.G. T.M. M.S. T.F. J.F. M.P. A.M. with many more and although some of them may have trâ—ckled under the TYRANNICAL power of this BODY so called i. e. their Church though it be indeed Principally but of G. Foxes Building yet their Consciences cannot but bear Witness to what I have said in this Respect Here 's all that can be said in favour of such wicked Practices that it seems they must by Decree to uphold their Cause as long as they can set SOMETHING forth in Print as an Answer or that bears the Title of an Answer to all that comes out against them 6. It must be a very strong and notorious Delusion these Leading-Quakers are under if they do not see themselves manifestly Guilty of Abominable Equivocations and Quibbling in the greatest matters of Faith and Religion controverted between them and others Insomuch that notwithstanding their now loud pretences of professing Christ according to the Holy Scriptures so long as they do not nor will disclaim their Forâ—er Professions to the Contrary and their former abuses put upon the Scriptures and notwithstanding their loud Clamors against the Socinians as denying the Divinity of Christ yet themselves must know that they deny CHRIST to be either God or Man in the sence that Christians acknowledg him to be so see Contest for Christianity p. 115 116 117. and Controv. ended p. 44. to 54. And consequently they Introduce into the profession of Religion and the Scriptures such Equivocations and ambiguous Quibbling as Renders the most Religious Confessions Profound Deceits and the Words of God Recorded in Scripture no better than a Nose of Wax most dangerous and false 7. There are five or six little Books that do very ingeniously and fully set forth and give an accompt of the Deceit Impostures intolerable Pride Hypocrisy and Tyranny with the Popish Principles and vile Practices of some of your Leaders and Ministers of the Foxonian party chiefly in Matters of Fact which are visible to the Eyes and subject to the Senses of Men viz. The Spirit of the Quakers tryed Controversy ended The Spirit of the Hat Tyranny and Hypocrisy detected Questions for the Quakers to which may be added The Quakers Spiritual-Court The which or some of them at least I should advise all Persons Judiciously to peruse that would be inforâ—ed concerning them For notwithstanding that the Quakers have Printed something that bears the Name of Answers I do seriously think and hereby advertise them that those Books are IN EFFECT as much un-answered as if they had not writ twenty lines about it for indeed what these Quakers have writ in Reply is but ABOUT it not TO it They beat about the Bush and that 's all they make the greatest noise like the Lapwing when indeed they are farthest off What shall I say to your poor pittiful slight shifting evasive and equivocating Replies to these Books What shall I say to that heavy Charge of TYRANNY and HYPOCRISY exhibited against you in the Book bearing that Title What shall I say to that equal just and fair Proffer made to you therein and your not-accepting of it p. 49. and Title-Page 'T is offered over and over again to the Quakers To refer the Judgment of matters of Fact to the verdict of twelve impartial and honest men EQUALLY to be chosen and that in case the Quakers the others should not agree in the choice of the Persons it was proposed that the Vmpirage should be referred to the LORD-MAJOR of London or any Alderman on the Bench or to any one of twenty Common Council-men and if the Quakers would put it to this just honest and fair Issue that they should signifie it in writing and leave it with Francis Smith Bookseller dwelling in Cornhil and they should find their Accusers ready to comply therewith Now why dare and do you not thus adventure the Tryal of it And why will W.P. notwithstanding Cry out for Proof and exclaim that you are horribly belied and slandered and that they are all Lies Slanders and Forgeries and this is the chiefest part of your Answers If they are so indeed or ye Quakers so innocent therein as you would pretend nothing could possibly more honour and advantage the Quakers and their Cause here as clearly to Evince it and have this Judged for them by honest and impartial Men on both sides and it being only matter of Fact such men are capable to judg of it for shame then W.P. and ye Quakers do not any more cry out Gross Lies Slanders and Forgeries till you have agreed to this fair propose and have had the matters indifferently heard as so long profferred you and it be proved so what will ye thus decline the Proof and Tryal and yet exclaim as wronged oh unreasonable 8. What shall I say What can be said to such Men What can be expected from them Or who that is not infatuated can believe them or approve of their Confidence whereby they make themselves ridiculous and manifest to the world that some of them have neither tender Consciences nor shame in them to stand in things with such perverseness of Spirit not to say Impudence against not only Common Sense and REASON But OCULAR DEMONSTRATION saying any thing Backwards or Forwards as they please and that without Blushing I will name but three Instances now 1. Witness those many Texts of Scripture perverted â—ltered changed and corrupted by G. Fox when he charges others with falshood corrupting and perverting the Scriptures for doing the like or less as is set forth in several particulars in the Spirit of the Quakers tryed where in some places G. Fox puts THEM for HIM Col. 3.10 Conscience for Thoughts Rom. 2.15 he puts Christ's Belly for the Believers Belly John 7.38 puts another person into the Text John 10.29 Leaves out the SPIRIT in 1 Cor. 2.10 puts IT for WE in 2 Cor. 2.16 IS for WAS in 2 Cor. 5.19 Leaves out the word WILFULLY in Heb. 10.26 puts speaking for Prophecying 1 Cor. 14.31 c. Now as that Author says well any one that can but Read and understand English and knows that A is not B or HIM is not THEM or that IT is not nor can be WE may know that G. Fox hath committed Falshoods altered changed and corrupted several Scriptures and yet Mr. Penn hath undertaken to vindicate him in these matters though against his own other Mens Eyes and yet if you will credit W. Penn