Man Christ do they now own to this Day if they would speak their Thoughts However their Writings prove it and till they condemn them all they alledge to the contrary is nothing worth Well however I and others were catched by these and the like fallacious Arguments not being well grounded in the Principles of the Christian Religion nor understanding the Wiles of Satan and by their smooth and fair Carriage by their suffering patiently the Affronts they then met with And I cannot but still remember how our Minister warned us of the Doctrine of the Quakers and told us they were Deceivers and Antichrists even those Deceivers which Christ foretold us should arise shewing Signs and Wonders insomuch that if it were possible they should deceive the very Elect Matth. 24.24 (b) Which I now also believe But by this their pretended Patience in Suffering by their so much insisting on the Dictates of our Consciences which prompts to Good and checks for some Evils with other fair Words and seeming nay real Truths with which they covered over their poysonous Pills of Schism and Heresie many of us were deceived Again when I saw so much Plainness and seeming Sincerity in the Quakers and consider'd how our Minister lived it was another Motive to induce me to go after the Quakers for our Minister lived with my Father I do think some Years my Father was the chief Man that got him into the Place But both then and afterwards he was such not so exemplary as he ought to have been and I not being capable to judge of the Doctrinal Part I was carried away in my Affections being more apt to be led by Example than Precept which is not always safe However I do believe it was the offensive Practice of our Minister which I beheld in divers Particulars which was one Cause of my Stumbling whereby I fell unhappily into that Schism Not that I now judge the Occasion by him given was or is warrantable for a Separation from an Established Church Observations on the Second Chapter NOW therefore I intreat all concerned in the Ministerial Office as Pastors That they beware they give no ill Example to their Flock contrary to what becomes their Sacred Function but when they Preach well let them Practice so as believing what they say so will their People believe them to be in earnest But if they Preach never so Orthodoxly and tho' their Sermons be never so much Learned yet if they do not live in some tolerable sort answerably their People will Question Whether they believe what they teach and as a Consequence thereof will take that Liberty in Living which is not becoming Christians Or else if Seducers come will be apt to separate themselves in Hopes to get under a purer Ministry which when they come afterwards to examine they may find it to be only in Shew Notwithstanding such is the Prevalency of Example CHAP. III. Gives an Account of the Quakers Silent Meetings and the Tendency of them In which I shall speak sometimes in the Person of a Quaker respecting the time I was one HAving by this time fallen in with the Quakers in a few Years I became very zealous that way and to Silent Meetings I went and sometimes we had a few Words spoken sometimes none sometime an Epistle of George Whitehead's George Fox's Sam. Cater's or some others read in our Meetings and sometimes none But the chief of what we did hear either from our inspired Infallible Teachers or from our Friends Epistles in those private Silent Meetings was To exhort us to wait in the Light out of our Selves out of our Thoughts out of our Willings and Runnings in that which is invisible and then we should receive the hidden Manna yea Manna from Heaven which the World knew not of and that we should feel Christ to come the second time to Judgment and that Judgment was to begin at the House of God which House was our Bodies And from hence divers of us fell oft into a Trembling and Shaking I have seen about five or six together in a Meeting shake like a Leaf in Winter namely Matthew Beesly Jonas Skrook William Eyson and others yea they have shaken the Forms they sat on and this not once nor twice but frequently I do very well remember that John Kilborn the Elder did one Sunday in our Meeting fold his Arms and stood upright and by and by leaped and jumped about 18 Inches at a time until he jumped round the Room I know that some are alive still that know these things are true But let it be noted not a Chapter in the Bible was ever read amongst us but all exhorted to adhere to the Light within to obey the Light within and to follow the Teachings thereof as a Guide sufficient to lead us to Salvation yea above Scripture above Fathers above Councils and above Churches Fran. Howgill's Works p. 602 to 627. This I now confess was a Paradox not Orthodox but absolutely Heterodox For let the Scripture command Subjects to be obedient to Magistrates Children to obey their Parents Wives to reverence their Husbands and live in Subjection to them Servants to obey their Masters Christians to obey their Pastors all this signified little the Light within our Teachers taught us was Christ and Christ the Power of God the higher Power to which every Soul was to be subject yea all Power in Heaven and in Earth was committed to the Light Perverting John 5.23,24 Acts 17 to 31. See Josiah Coal's Works p. 93. And that no Command in Scripture was any further binding than as we were convinced of the Lawfulness thereof by the Light within us Ed. Burrough's Works p. 47. So that all our Obedience to God and his Commands were bottomed and founded on our Conviction by the Light within that being the only Rule Judge and Guide both superior to the Scriptures Fathers and Councils Quakerism a New Nick-name for Old Christianity by W. Penn p. 71. For said they to us That what is spoken from the Spirit of Truth in any is of as great Authority as the Scriptures and Chapters are and greater Truth defending the Quakers c. p. 7. By which it is self-evident That these Silent Meetings were designed to wean us off from so much as the Remembrance of all External Religion and also to prepare us to receive the false Notions of Quakerism for had they indeed exhorted us to have regard to our Light within and the Dictates of our Consciences which prompts to Good and checks for many Evils in Obedience to the Commands of Holy Scripture this would have been safe for I believe we ought so to do and 't is the same the Ministers of the Church of England press and exhort us to Oh! but this would not do our Teachers Business they must bring us off from the Scripture Commands as inferior to their Sayings and Speakings for the Book last quoted is said to be given forth from the
World in Righteousness by that Man whom he hath Ordained whereof he hath given Assurance unto all Men in that he hath raised him from the Dead I say Is it so And have the Quakers perverted these Texts in St. John and put on a new Translation saying All Power in Heaven and Earth is committed to their Light Quoting John 5.23 Josiah Coal's Works p. 93. This is a bold Attempt this is most Horrible if not Blasphemy thus to subvert the Gospel to serve their Corrupt Ends. How wary then had People need be of receiving the Quaker's Doctrine Is it so that People being thus caught in a Snare and brought over to their Silent Meetings and thereby weaned and drawn off from the Principles and Practices of the Christian Churches in all Ages as Baptism the Lord's Supper the Lord's Prayer Ten Commandments the Apostles Creed Confession of Sin and reading the Scriptures in their Meetings in the Worship of God Oh! what Care ought to be taken that these People should be shunned and these false Worshippers be rejected as a contagious Disease Is it so that the Quakers hold that what is spoken from the Spirit of Truth in any is of greater Authority than the Holy Scriptures which was ever since the Days of Christ and his Apostles brought as a Proof to cast the Ballance in all Controversies And do they indeed hold as their Books teach That that is no Command of God to me what he commanded to another and that no Command in the Scripture is any further obliging upon any Man than as he finds a Conviction upon his Conscience as W. Penn and their Prophet Burroughs teach Burrough's Works p. 47. Quakerism a new Nick-name c. p. 71. This surely is the Womb of all Iniquity in the World this opens the Flood-Gates to all Errour Atheism Deism Socinianism Arianism and what not This therefore ought to precaution all People to beware how they receive the dangerous Pill of Quakerism how excellently soever it is covered with some plausible Pretensions and fair Arguments Is it so that the Quakers have not nor ever had since the Days of Symon Magus none like them amongst the Christian Churches who denied the Ordinances of Baptism Supper and Confession of Sin but John Reeve and Lodowick Muggleton How then does it behove their Followers to examine the Doctrine and Practice of their Teachers and to turn from them and flee as for their Lives CHAP. IV. Shews that this Anarchy did not last long but a Government was set up Sometimes a Single Person as Pope over us and sometimes the Light in the Body of Friends claimed a Power over the Light in the Particular FOR after we became dead to the Rudiments of the World as we accounted those Christian Duties commanded by Christ and his Apostles and practised by Christian Churches downwards as Baptism Supper Confession of Sin c. and became stedfast and fixed in the Notion of Quakerism of which I gave only a Hint as I passed thro' my Pilgrimage in that Particular then our Teachers began to bethink themselves of the Necessity of a Government in our Church as well as our Neighbours and if a Government then a Governour and this Government must be either Inward or Outward The Inward we had tried and found defective for the Disciple pretended he was enlightned as well as the Apostle and he thought he had as much Right to follow his Guide i. e. his Light within as to follow and obey the Light in his Teacher or the Light in any Man Upon this the Teachers met in Council at London in the Month of May 1666 to settle this so necessary as well as difficult Point and many Arguments passed between the Clergy and Laity viz. between the Teachers and the Deputies At last it was decided That the Body should govern and the Light in the particular should submit to the Light in the Body But still this Body being without a Head seemed like a Monster so that there was a Necessity to find a Head to clap upon this Body Well this Head must either be visible or invisible the latter it could not be for then the least Hearer would plead his Light his Guide his Judge his Leader as the Teachers told them in the beginning when they decoyed them over to them So then it was resolved it must be George Fox he being the first must become our Great Apostle who together with the Body was to Govern from East to West and from North to South Since which time it was in vain for any single Person to plead the Sufficiency of his Light or the Authority of it for to the Light in the Body was all Power in Heaven and Earth committed Jos Coal's Works p. 93. And to support this Glorious Cause Will. Penn wrote a Book wherein he affirmed That it is a Dangerous Principle and Pernicious to True Religion and which is worse it is the Root of Ranterism to assert That nothing is a Duly incumbent upon thee but what thou art perswaded or convinced is thy Duty c. A Brief Examination and State p. 3. This was Printed in 1681 and and written by the same W. Penn who in the Year 1673. wrote his Book stiled Quakerism a New Nick name for Old Christianity where he then Judged it so far from Ranterism to act as they were perswaded that Page 71. he saith No Command in the SCRIPTURE is any farther OBLIGING upon ANY Man than as he finds a CONVICTION upon his Conscience otherwise Men said Mr. Penn should be engaged without if not against Conviction a thing unreasonable in a Man c. Thus then it 's plain That with respect to the Commands of God recorded in the Holy Scriptures Men are to be at Liberty they are to obey if they be convinced or perswaded it 's their Duty so to do if not they may by Mr. Penn's Doctrine be at Liberty And so saith E. Burroughs for says he That is no Command from God to me what he commands to another neither did any of the Saints that we read of in Scripture act by the Command which was to another not having the Command to themselves c. Burrough's Works p. 47. And if we read on in the same Page we may find that these Commands of God thus rejected by the Quakers unless they have them anew as the inspired Apostles and Prophets had were Baptism and other Ordinances And now let me return to see what things Will. Penn would have done and obey'd Conviction or no Conviction and this will give us some Light into their Mystery of Iniquity thus to reject the Commands of God recorded in Scriptures and teach that none need to obey them unless convinced of the Usefulness of them as they have done these 40 Years GO TEACH ALL NATIONS BAPTIZING c. DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME c. When you Pray say FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE c. Matth. 28.19,20 Luke 22.19,20
in the Church or amongst them that profess to be Members thereof WE do declare and testifie That the Church with the Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ HAVE POWER WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF SUCH WHO DISSENT FROM THEIR DOCTRINE AND PRACTICE TO HEAR AND DETERMINE THE SAME All Property is now lost unless there be Conformity and Submission like the Star-Chamber and High Court of Justice c. And if any pretend to be of us and in Case of Controversie will not admit to be TRIED by the Church i. e. the Body nor SUBMIT to the JUDGMENT given by the Spirit of Truth in the Elders and Members of the same but kick against their Judgment as only the Judgment of Man WE testifie in the Name of the Lord That if any Judgment so given be risen against and denied by the Party condemned then He or She ought to be rejected as having erred from the Truth and persisting therein presumptuously are joined in ONE with Heathens and Infidels George Whitehead Josiah Coale Stephen Crisp John Moone Thomas Loe Thomas Greene John Whitehead Thomas Briggs James Parke Alexander Parker Rich. Farnsworth c. Having by this time shewed First How our Teachers in order to bring us over to them and to decoy us told us the Light within was a sufficient Guide Teacher and Leader even sufficient to lead to Salvation yea above Scriptures above Fathers above Councils and above Churches I have in the last Instance shewed the Fallacy of their so early and smooth Pretences and that from the beginning they have been a false perfidious and treacherous Tribe of Deceivers as ever the World produced Well now they appear plainly to be a Body and I having found who is the Head of this Body namely George Fox it will not be amiss to recite the Quakers Creed and his Commandments which whatever Quaker do not submit to convinced or not convinced of the Reasonableness of their Obedience it 's now plainly seen what will befall them I need not Comment upon the recited Canon Creed Fox's Commandments nor their Zeal to maintain them as their Ancient Principles altho' God's Commandments by Moses the Apostles Creed and all the Scripture the Quakers slight and reject as not to be read in their Meetings not to be taught their Children nay so proud is G. Whitehead that he tells you as above The Jews might as well have carried them to Christ in the Days of his Flesh Viz. the Ten Commandments for him to learn observe and obey them as for the Christians to carry them to the Quakers to learn observe and obey them Truth defending the Quakers c. p. 18. For saith he What is spoken by the Spirit of Truth in any is of as great Authority as the Bible and Chapters are and greater Burroughs Works p. 47. This is the Tenure and Purport of his Doctrine and I do affirm it 's right Quakerism For Edw. Burroughs said That was no Command from God to me what he Commands to another And W. Penn confirms the whole saying No Command in Scriptures is any further obliging upon ANY Man than as he finds a Conviction upon his Conscience otherwise Men should be engaged without if not against Conviction a thing unreasonable in Man c. Quakerism a New Nick-name for old c. p. 71. But for their poor infatuated Disciples to plead whether to conform or not whether to obey or not the Commands of G. Fox i. e. not paying Tythes not to be Married with a Priest not to put off the Hat not to open their Shops on Feasts or Fast-Days I say to plead to be left to their Freedom herein and the Grace of God in their Hearts Oh! no Says W. Penn This is a dangerous Principle this is a pernicious Plea this is perfect Ranterism VVhat to have Liberty whether to obey the Commands of the Body given out by the Head thereof This is wicked indeed as by their Yearly Epistle above-recited is plain However I shall recite both the Quakers Creed and the Commands of G. Fox Viz. 1. The Quakers Creed WE believe that the Light within us is the True and Eternal God which Created all things and that by me the Light all things are upheld and that there is not another besides me that can save and thereupon we believe we are endued with the Almighty Power of God and thereby have wrought Miracles and conclude we are equal to God and that our Speaking is of greater Authority than the Bible VVe believe our Light within is Jesus Christ the Son of God the Man Christ Jesus to whom all Power in Heaven and Earth is committed tho' we cannot believe that this our Light within to whom we direct our Disciples to expect Salvation by was ever crucified by Nailing to a Cross nor that he Died or was Buried nor that he was Buffered Spitted upon Smote with the Palms of the Hands of the Jews for he never was seen with Carnal Eyes nor that he Rose from the Dead the Third Day nor that he Ascended in the Sight of the Galileans into Heaven and there Sit at the Right Hand of God but that all Apostate Christians that so teach are false Ministers nor do we believe that our Light within shall come at the last Day to judge both Quick and Dead For the Light within us is the Judge and the Book is opened within the Sentence of Death and Judgment is pronounced within from the Mouth of our Light within against every idle VVord and all the Deeds of the Body within and Judgment is executed within and the flaming Sword within which proceedeth out of the Mouth of the Lamb i. e. our Light within which will cast thee into Hell within where is weeping and wailing within sealed down under the Wrath of God's Eternal Judgment within We believe the Light within us is the Holy Ghost and that these three are one and not distinguishable and that such as talk of three Persons in the Godhead like Conjurers are to be shut up with their three Persons they dream of which they would divide out of one in perpetual Darkness in the Lake and the Pit That the Scripture which the Apostate Christians build their Faith upon for this their Trinity of Persons in the Godhead is a rotten Foundation yea Dust Death and Serpents Meat and therefore their Ministers that tell their People the Scriptures are the Word of God are Deceivers For the Father Son and Spirit the World and their Teachers call three Persons but they speak they know not what therefore believe them not We believe our selves the only Catholick Church and Elect People of God and that none are in the Truth but we our selves We never did in any of our printed Books or printed Prayers from 1560 to 1690 make any Confession of Sin nor ask Pardon of God for Jesus Christ's sake who was Born of the Virgin and why We testifie that the outward Person that suffered at Jerusalem was
end this Whitehead justifies Truth defending the Quakers p. 18. Fox's Great Mystery c. p. 77. Nay Theft by Fox is likewise justified who said And as for any being moved of the Lord meaning their Light within to take away your Hour-Glass from you BY THE ETERNAL POWER IT IS OWNED c. Nay their idolized Apostle not only disregarded the Magistrates and their Laws but declared in plain and significant VVords That he neither heeded nor valued a Cart-load of their VVarrants c. Journal p. 278. Object 2. But some Men will say How then shall we reconcile the Doctrine of W. Mead and G. Whitehead Mr. Mead saith That G. Fox's Journal is a better Book than the Bible and G. Whitehead saith VVe prefer the Holy Scriptures above all other Books extant in the VVorld The Country Convert c. p. 26. To which I answer Very well for p. 72. G. Whitehead thus saith viz. I MAY SEE CAUSE OTHERWISE TO WORD THE MATTER AND YET OUR INTENTIONS BE THE SAME c. p. 72. ibid. Very well now to make it appear that G. Whitehead means one and the same thing that William Mead meaned read his little Book i. e. That which is spoken from the Spirit of Truth in ANY is of as great AUTHORITY as the SCRIPTURES and CHAPTERS are and GREATER Truth defending the Quakers c. p. 7. And on the Title Page thus viz. WRITTEN FROM THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH in G. Whitehead and G. Fox the Younger Now if this little Pamphlet in Octavo of 70 Pages be of greater Authority than the Scriptures and Chapters are how much more G. Fox's Journal in Folio of near 700 Pages For that which is best is of most Authority generally-speaking and that which is of most Authority is the best Thus then is the Journal of Fox's better in the Quakers Esteem than the Bible and thus does Whitehead mean even as Mr. Mead spoke Object 3. But some will say How then shall we know a Quaker if not by the Import of his VVords I Answer 't is impossible to know them rightly as it ever was for the Protestants to know the Jesuits and therefore you ought to do as the Protestants did TO DISTRUST EVERY THING THEY SAY See the Book Entituled The Missionary's Arts p. 32. printed 1688. For as the Quakers stand on the same Bottom and are found in the same Steps with the same Equivocations Reserves and Double-meanings and the same Pretences to Miracles Visions Revelations Perfection and Infallibility they ought to have the same Answer viz. To distrust them in all they say until they Retract Sentence and Condemn one sort of their Books and this is highly reasonable on their part if they would be taken to be at all serious sincere and honest For many of their Hearers of the honest sort begin to think G. Whitehead little better than a Jesuit already he hath been so false in Fact such a Glosser and Defender of every Error the Quakers hold (r) Anne Docwra of Cambridge her Letter dated 26th 12th Mon. 1682. I have a Letter by me which my Cousin Anne Docwra Widow of Cambridge sent me dated 26th of 12th Month 1682. viz. G. Whitehead have sent one of his Books for me to read and there is the old Money Story in it with I know not what besides I was asked by an honest Friend if he was not a Jesuit I answered nay it is not solid enough for them to own especially when they write to a solid People there is pretty much airy conceited Stuff in it ANNE DOCWRA Thus it appears how long the honest sort of Quakers have take G. W. to be little better than a Jesuit and my Cousin Docwra was of the same Mind too else she would not have given me her honest Friend's Judgment only indeed she is thus far of my Mind That Book was not solid enough the Jesuits are more cunning than G. Whitehead then was but he is come on finely fince for of late he is grown so expert as he can Vindicate or Excuse any Blasphemy Idolatry Contempt of the Scriptures Contempt of the Magistrates Contempt of the Ministry Contempt on the Person and Sufferings of Christ yea and Undervalue his Precious Blood too And how contrary soever their Sayings are to each other yet they mean all one thing referring to their Beginning I have in my former Books shewed how their Books are of two sorts their Meetings of two sorts their Doctrine of two sorts carrying two Faces in all they do or say and yet Whitehead can tell you they mean all one thing One Example more I may give and so shall conclude this Chapter I find a Recital of a Letter writ by Solomon Eccles to Robert Porter in a Book of William Burnet's entituled The Capital Principles of the Quakers p. 41. printed 1668. viz. Robert Porter take heed of Belying the Innocent for I hear thou hast reported to a Friend of mine that I should say That the Blood of Christ is no more than the Blood of another Man I never spoke it but do very highly esteem of the Blood of Christ to be more Excellent Living Holy and Precious than is able to be uttered by the Tongues of Men and Angels I MEAN the Blood which was offered up in (Å¿) Perversion it s offered up thro' the Eternal Spirit Heb. 9.14 the Eternal Spirit Heb. 9.41 But the Blood that was forced out of him by the Soldiers after he was dead who before that bowed his Head to the Father and gave up the Ghost but thou say'st that was the Blood of the New Covenant which was shed after he was dead which I DO DENY Yet I did say That was NO more THAN the BLOOD of another SAINT These are my Words which thou art wresting to thy own Destruction I did also say That the Baptists Independants Presbyterians and Pope are all of one Ground and none of you understand the Blood of Jesus Christ no more than a brute Beast Therefore repent for God will soon overthrow your Faith and your Imputative Righteousness too for the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness which he did at Jerusalem and without the Gates the Pope the Episcopal the Presbyterian Independants and Baptists shall fare all alike and shall sit down in Sorrow short of the Eternal Rest But the true Imputative Righteousness of Christ we own but it is hid from you all till the Lord open an Eye WITHIN YOU c. Now comes G. Whitehead with his usual Paint to cover palliate and excuse his Brother Eccles saying Now whereas Sol. Eccles in p. 41. is accused of little less than Blasphemy about a Letter chiefly of a Passage concerning the Blood in these Words viz. The Blood that was forced out of him by the Soldiers after he was dead who before that bowed his Head to the Father and gave up the Ghost I did say THAT WAS NO MORE THAN THE BLOOD OF ANOTHER SAINT Now to these Words NO MORE THAN THE
Sodomites Witches Devils c. those of calling Christ A Garment A Vessel The Sandy Foundation shaken p. 5 to 65. I Answer The reason why we call them so and Translate the Words of Christ John 5.22,27 from the Son of Man to the Light within us * * The Quakers Reason for denying the Blessed Trinity Is because we believe there is no other Son of Man than the Light within us which was in the Jews Gentiles c. before his Incarnation according to my Gospel and the Gospel of my Brother Jeffrey Bullock where we say Therefore the Man Christ Jesus was before He came in the Body or Flesh Judgment fixed c. p. 316 356. For to be plain with you according to our Ancient Testimony we own no other Trinity nor God than is within us for the Light is God the Light is the Son of Man the Light is the Holy Ghost and we having obtained the Repute to be a well-meaning People and tell the Priests in Answer to their Demand Do you own the Trinity Do you own the Sacraments c. We tell them we deny their Unscriptural Terms Where is the Words Trinity and Sacrament in the Scriptures Tho' we are not such Fools but we know the Word Trinity came from the Latin Word Trinitas and Sacrament from Sacra or Sacramentum a Holy Institution or Sacrament yet to hide our selves from the Dint of their Arguments we tell them They are not Scripture Terms Nay even this Sessions of Parliament when the House of Commons were preparing a Bill against such as denied the Trinity we soon perceived what might follow and we gave in a Paper intituled Some Considerations upon the Bill for the more effectual Suppressing of Blasphemy and Prophaneness Humbly offer'd saying Whereas the Bill enacts That if any Person or Persons c. shall deny any of the Persons in the Holy Trinity to be God and make it punishable by the same Bill were it not more safe and plain to put it in Scripture Terms as instead of Deny any one of the Persons to be God to insert If any one shall deny any of the Three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word or the Holy Ghost to be God 1 Joh. 5.7 Now if we can keep the Parliament to these Words we shall hide our selves and retain our Ancient Testimony unshaken Again If any of you should yet Object that notwithstanding we according to our Ancient Testimony call the Scriptures Death Dust Beastly Ware Serpents Meat c. News coming up out of the North c. p. 14. A Brief Discovery of a three-fold State c. p. 9. and say That whoever Preach out of them are Conjurers c. Saul's Errand to Damascus c. p. 7. Yet notwithstanding all this we profess to prefer the Holy Scriptures above all other Books extant in the World The Counterfeit Convert c. p. 26 27. To this I Answer That you must observe the Context as well as the Text and then you shall see we do not interfere for in the same Book p. 72. viz. I may see Cause otherwise to word the Matter and yet our Intentions be the same Besides Beloved I would have none mistake me for tho' I am the Man that did say we prefer the Scriptures above all other Books extant in the World which in one Sense is true yet not in another The Count. Conv. c. p. 26. First I hope you do not understand it of its Intrinsick Value of its Real Authority so as to be a Rule of Faith and Practice and that the Commands therein are Obligatory upon Us if you do you are greatly mistaken and that for these Reasons following And First That which is spoken from the Spirit of Truth in any is of as great Authority as the Scriptures or Chapters are and greater Truth defending the Quakers c. p. 7. Secondly That is no Command from God to me what he commands to another Neither did any of the Saints which we read of in Scriptures act by the Command which was to another not having the Command to themselves c. Burrough's Works p. 47. Thirdly No Command in the Scriptures is any further obliging upon any Man than as he finds a Conviction upon his Conscience otherwise Men should be engaged without if not against Conviction a thing unreasonable in a Man Quakerism a New Nick-name c. p. 71. Fourthly To this triple treble Cord which I think is not easily broken let me add our constant Practice ever since we have been a People and it will not only confirm these Proofs but shew our Sincerity to our Ancient Testimony I say as a Proof that we do not prefer the Scriptures above our own Books let it suffice That this Forty-eight Years never an Apostate that ever went from us can prove nay not once say if they 'll do us justice * * George what you say is true I am a Witness to thy Sincerity herein that ever we read any one Chapter in the Bible or any one Epistle of the Apostles in our Meetings whilst it hath been our frequent Practice to read our own Epistles And surely if we deemed the Scriptures best most certain and more edifying for us respecting our Ancient Testimony you may depend on 't that we would read the Scriptures in our Meetings nay we challenge all our Adversaries to shew us one Book of our Friends in the Unity that ever so much as recommended the reading any one Chapter or any one Epistle of the Apostles in our Meetings Thus much in Answer to one part of the Objection with respect to the Truth Certainty Value and Worth of the Scriptures But still I say they are occasionally good and in one Sense I do prefer the Scriptures above our own Books and then you may lay your Lives on 't above all Books in the World for sometimes the Scriptures as the Case may stand are like the Philosopher's Stone what they touch they turn into Gold And in that Sense our Confession to the Parliament with the Consequences are a Demonstration viz. I believe with my Heart and confess with my Mouth the Sacred ††Sacred an unscriptural Word yet it now will down with these new Saints to serve a turn c. Scriptures to be Divine left us by Men inspired of God as an exact Rule of our Faith and Behaviour and I profess to believe in One Only God who is the Father and in Jesus Christ his Eternal Son very God and very Man and in the Holy Spirit one and the same God with the Father and Son Blessed for evermore The Gen. Hist of the Quakers p. 112. Now my Friends tho' this Confession be as contrary to our Ancient Testimony as Light is contrary to Darkness as by our Books quoted you may see yet we kept our Meaning to our selves we mean'd at the same time The Scriptures to be Dust Death and Serpents Meat News coming up
c. p. 14. That to say Christ is God and Man in one Person is a Lie The Sword of the Lord drawn c. p. 5. But as I said We may sometimes see cause yea and great cause too otherwise to word the Matter yea contrary to our Ancient Testimony and yet mean the same thing c. The Counterfeit Convert c. p. 72. that is to say mean not a word we say And now to the Consequence and for which we prefer the Bible For Friends we no sooner Signed this Confession but we had our Liberty and we no sooner had our Liberty but all our London Preachers spread themselves like Locusts all over England and Wales * * Like Mice uncall'd for and like Flies unsent for and fall upon their Provision some went East some West yea North and South and being generally Tradesmen We not only got our Quarters free our Horses free and well maintain'd in our Travels a Silver Watch here a Beaver there a piece of Hair-Camblet and sometimes other Gifts Moreover by our Liberty obtained by the recited Confession we got into great Trades and by spreading our selves in the Country into great Acquaintance and thereby received Orders of the best of the Country Tradesmen for Parcels whilst the Protestant Tradesmen in London ††Londoners look about you for none like the Quakers but Jews and Jesuites as time will farther shew who had not this Advantage stood still and in their Shops had little to do whilst we fill'd our Coffers Witness Tho. Greene for one Instance whose Wife would scarce suffer him at home she being willing according to the Proverb to make Hay whilst the Sun shines insomuch that in a little time he raised his small Beginning to many Thousands Since I printed this Tho. Greene is dead and died worth as is said Six or Eight Thousand Pounds who was a poor Mason when he set up for a Preaching Quaker All which shew that the Scriptures are accidentally good c. And this leads me to the second Proposition namely The Authority of our Friends Books and Sayings c. First I shall shew you that as 't is Blasphemy to call the Scriptures the Word of God To all that would know the Way to the Kingdom c. p. 4. Mene Tekel c. p. 22. so I shall shew you that our Scriptures for as I told you in my Serious Apol. p. 48. Writings signifie Scripture are the Word of God and this you will find written in the Epistle of our Second Moses in these Words Friends to you all this is the Word of the Lord take heed of judging one another this is the Word of the Lord unto you I charge you in the Presence of the Lord God to send this Epistle among all Friends and Brethren every where to be read in all Meetings to you all This is the Word of God Several Papers given forth for spreading Truth c. p. 60 61 62. Again that I may corroborate and strengthen your Faith in the Exercise of our Ancient Testimony * * G. W. keeps to his Text. Read in the Gospel of our Great Apostle and High Priest of our Profession Geo. Fox where you 'll find these Words viz. You may said G. F. to the Priests as well condemn the Scriptures to the Fire as our Writings for our giving forth Papers and Printed Books it is from the IMMEDIATE ETERNAL SPIRIT of God Truths Defence c. p. 2 102. upon which our Dear Brother Thomas Ellwood saith That none can squirt any Filth on the Epistles of Friends but it will tend to be spatter the Apostles An Antidote against c. p. 1 44 57 125. And in Confidence thereof our Brother Robert Barclay hath these Words That as the true Principles of the Gospel by their i. e. Quakers Testimony are restored so is also the ANCIENT Apostolick Order of the Church of Christ re-established amongst them i. e. Quakers and settled upon its right Basis and Foundation that as thro' our Faithful Testimony in the Hand of the Lord that Antichristian and Apostatized Generation the National Ministry hath received a deadly Blow by our discovering and witnessing against their Forced Maintainance and Tythes so that their Kingdom in the Hearts of Thousands begin to Totter and lose its Strength and shall assuredly Fall to the Ground So on the other Hand we do weaken the Strength of their Kingdom who judge for Reward The Nation shall come to be disburdened of that deceitful Tribe of Lawyers as well as Priests * * Let all Lawyers Tradesmen Clergy and Magistrates guard against the Prevalency of Quakerism for they are all highly concerned I never knew any that left us prove steady to those to whom they go I find other Professors make but small Boasts of any Proselytes they get out from us I hear little of their proving Champions for the Principles of others against us The Anarchy c. p. 1 16 42. Thus Friends you see that upon Confidence of the Truth of our elder Brother Geo. Fox's Ancient Testimony viz. That it was Blasphemy to call the Scriptures the Word of God and yet laudable to call his Papers sent up and down to be read in Meetings The Word of God the Word of the Lord God I say you see how stoutly our Brother Ellwood avouched that none could squirt any Filth on the Epistles of Friends but it must inevitably fall upon the Epistles of St. Paul and he was in the right on 't ††G. W. is no Changling he keeps to his Text. and likewise R. Barclay in confidence of the Truth of G Fox's Testimony viz. That to call the Scriptures The Word of God was no less than Blasphemy whilst his own Writings sent up and down to spread Truth and in order to it to be read in Meetings was The Word of the Lord and as such to be read and as such to be receiv'd You may see I say how he built his Hopes of our Restoration and the Downfal both of the Clergy and Lawyers insomuch that he did not once think any should ever go from us to prove Champions for the Principles of others against us And therefore I exhort you this Day to stand Faithful to your Ancient Testimony which is to throw down the Scriptures and exalt our own Books and so will the Work of your Light prosper in your Hands Besides for your Encouragement and that you may see my Sincerity and Seriousness which is the sign of my writing in every of my Epistles look into one of my Gospels and you shall find these VVords That which is spoken from the Spirit of Truth in any is of as great Authority as the Scriptures and Chapters are and greater c. Truth defending the Quakers c. p. 7. VVherefore ye dear Lambs be ye encouraged and go on boldly and if any Apostate write against us besure you warn all our Friends in the Country not to
Conversation answer their Holy Profession neither do I bring these Testimonies to excuse my self from my own Infirmities I am not without Sinful Imperfections I do acknowledge Here follows the Contents of the several Certificates above-mention'd Viz. First That he Fr. Bugg neither is nor never was distracted or discomposed since any of us can remember him or that ever we heard of Secondly That in all his Time he has been moderate both in his Meat Drink and Apparel and never by any of us known to be Drunk as is reported nor yet inclined to Drinking in Excess Thirdly That he ever was a good Provider for his Family a Lover of his Wife an Indulgent Father to his Children forcing none farther than Perswasion to a Comformity to his way of Worship Fourthly That we believe he never left his Wife and Son amongst the Quakers to introduce him to them again this is a Malicious Report to render him a Hypocrite which his whole Life and Conversation has declared the contrary to his Cost Fifthly The Press being open and both Parties having equal Priviledges we look upon it utterly wrong to make use of such Indirect Methods And some of us are sorry we have no better way to confute his Arguments Sixthly That we are ready to enlarge on any of these Heads to any Man's Face that shall question the Truth hereof Subscribed by William Belsham Matthew Belsham Philip Cranniss Fran. Bugg Junior Reader As I could not pass by such Publick Mercies and Benefits as I have received without some Publick Acknowledgment without great Ingratitude both to God and Man so would I not be too particular lest thereby I do offend yet with St. Paul I can say That as Sufferings and hard Usage formy Testimony-sake abound so do not only Inward Consolation but Outward Benefits abound also 2 Cor. 1.5 and as a Proof thereof I shall add but one Instance more which is That since I came to London an Ancient Friend of mine to whom I did owe a certain Debt upon Bond who considering the hard Usages I have received from the Quakers in which he himself has had a deep share and finding me still conscientiously concern'd without my asking or once thinking of or expecting brought me the Bond and forgave me the Debt resting due to him upon it without any Covenant or Promise on my part Thus hath God opened the Hearts of his Servants and moved them to Compassion Blessed be his Holy Name for ever and Humble Thanks to all unto whom I have been oblig'd CHAP. XVI A Word of Encouragement to all who are Sincere amongst the Hearers of the People call'd Quakers who begin to be weary of the Yoke of Quakerism and are willing to embrace the Christian Faith FRIENDS HAving given you a Brief Account of my Travel in this Pilgrimage and shewed you the many Turnings and Windings which I have gone through and the many Quicksands and Quagmires that I have passed without sinking tho' oft-times in great Danger what by Enemies within and Enemies without as also in some Places pointed to Israel's Rock the Man Christ Jesus I am now come to remove one Stumbling-block which Solomon Eccles has laid in your way namely That there is as great a Gulf fixed between you and the Christians as there was between Dives and Abraham insomuch that if you would come from them i. e. Quakers you cannot his Words are these Viz. I testifie in the Spirit of Truth * Viz. By Authority greater than the Scripture Truth defending the Quakers c. p. 7. by G. W. that there is as great a Gulf between the Baptists and consequently other Christians that are NOT in Christ that is NOT in the Quakers Light and those Quakers that are in the Truth as there was between Abraham and Dives See his Music Lecture c. p. 23. Again as an Explanation of this Doctrine he saith Come Protestants Presbyterians Independants and Baptists the Quakers deny you all The Quakers are in the Truth and none but they c. The Quakers Challenge c. p. 2 3. And from this and the like Doctrine spring that Aversion in you that it is impossible to prevail with many of you either to hear a Sermon preach'd by the Publick Ministers or to read their Sermons So that when the Quakers once catch any in their Cobweb it is very hard and difficult to get you out unless here and there one that is resolv'd to observe the Apostle's Advice who said Prove all things holdfast that which is good 1 Thess 5.21 And I am not doubtful but that as there has been a Remnant that has taken this Advice and has forsaken the Quakers Errors so will there many more follow their Example For this Doctrine of theirs which alludes to Christ's Parable is falsly applied for that Parable relates to the Final Estate of the Blessed and the Damned after this Life as you may read at large Luke 16. And as for the Quakers denying all the Professors of Christianity affirming themselves to be in the Truth Only or the Only Church of Christ as in my former Writings viz. The Picture of Quakerism c. Part first I have made to appear from their Books this is all Pride yea Spiritual Pride and Self-Conceit and ought not to be any Hindrance to you in your Examination and Tryal of your selves but rather as a Spur to your Zeal lest you should be in the Wrong And if you come once sincerely so to do I no way doubt but you will soon forsake Quakerism I well remember that when I first heard it Rumour'd that G. Fox was looked upon as a second Moses to give forth Laws and Orders for us to walk by and Methods and Forms of Church-Government I presently wrote Six Queries touching Church-Government in the Year 1678 * 22 Years since which went in Manuscript far and near as Printed in my Book intituled De Chris Lib. Part 2. Page 72 80. the Tenor of which was Query 1. Whether Jesus Christ be Head of the Church or George Fox Query 2. If you say Christ then whether he be not Lawgiver to his Church Query 3. If you say that Christ is both Head and Lawgiver to his Church then whether we ought not to Follow and Obey the Commands and Precepts of Christ which are laid down in the Scripture by the four Evangelists and his Apostles rather than the Commands and Precepts of G. Fox Query 4. If you say that the Commands and Precepts of Christ ought rather to be obey'd than those of Geo. Fox then I further Query whether Christ or any of his Apostles ever commanded the Observation of Womens Meetings apart and distinct from the Men Query 5. If you say that neither Christ nor his Apostles commanded nor left any Example or President for Womens Distinct Meetings to be set up Monthly any way to intermeddle with the Government of the Church then I further Query where have George Fox or you your
in the time of Moses with the very likeness of things good in themselves but all is but counterfeit a bare likeness appear fair like painted Sepulchers and whited Walls but the inside of their Doctrine is all Rottenness How do they send up and down to invite to their Meetings How do they disperse their Books East West North and South see p. 144. as well as beyond Sea How do they present them to the Parliament the Judges the Justices even to all Ranks and Degrees of Men And shall we sit still and declare to the World we have no Zeal for our Holy Religion which our Martyred Ancestors suffered in the Flames for Wherefore let us put on Courage and excite one another's Zeal lest God in Judgment remove the Candlestick and plant his Gospel amongst a People more deserving And therefore let us put Books into the Hands of our Magistrates to inform their Understandings in these Matters that they may be capable to be Eye-Witnesses of this dismal Tragedy now upon the Stage And into the Hands of our Christian Neighbours who at present may be unthinking and not see the Danger they are in and also caution'd to beware of the Deceivers of our Times who come in Sheeps-cloathing but inwardly they are Ravening Wolves And into the Hands of the Well-disposed amongst the Quakers for the regaining of them And this will be a Means to discover and lay waste the Design and Confederacy now on Foot And for your Comfort this I can tell you that many are now coming off Quakerism embracing Christianity and let us meet them and with all Sweetness invite them Home There are about Six or Eight of their Writers and Teachers come off and Hundreds that were caught by their Snare some of them that have been Quakers these Forty Years are now in Print against them And since I have been in London I have had many of them come to Visit me with Thanks in their Mouths to Me and Others who have dealt plainly with them bidding me keep on my Pace and not to spare Proud Babel And from others I have had Letters of the same Import And in Hopes it will be good News to many of you I will recite a Passage or two out of W. Mather's his Book Printed within this Month he lives in Bedfordshire and hath been a Quaker these Forty Years and an Old Acquaintance of mine 38 Years since viz. An Answer to the Switch c. by W. Mather p. 1 8. It is says W. Mather impossible that the Pens now in Controversie against us Quakers should be put a Stop to before there is an Order given forth from the Second-Days Meeting for the Reformation of our Preachers and also a Book of Retractations of the Errors of our Friends printed Books A Man that does but tell you G. Whitehead c. of your Mistakes that they might be amended had need have the Armour of Grace in his Heart as little David had when he encountred great Goliah yea as bold as David 's Worthies were who ventured their Lives to fetch Water from the Philistines Camp to be sure you will Scoff at him at a high rate Wound or Kill him as you account that Crisp Bugg Keith c. are Dead to the Life of Truth for opposing your Errors Wounded them it's true you have for which God will Judge you For every one of them at first only desired that you might bring your Deeds to the Light to be Tried by the Scriptures But instead of Answering their Christian Desires for your Good you fall upon them and wound them and make them grieve Pag. 9. Consider this you fierce Despisers of all those who desire your Reformation in Doctrine and Practice You know where this Cursed Thing is that causeth all this Disturbance you still hide it but out it must come and be beaten to Pouder Wherefore I beseech you to consider First what Damage hath befaln our Church by the False Doctrine couched under the fair Pretences of the Quakers next their Industry of spreading them as in p. 1.44 but moreover how they give away that Fallacious Book Anguis Flagellatus c. not only to Members of Parliament Judges Justices Lawyers and indeed Men of all Ranks but as I have been told send beyond Sea 500 together And forasmuch as there are many Excellent Books wrote by that Reverend Author of the Book intituled The Snake in the Grass c. that and his Defence of it his Book Satan Disrobed c. and that about Water Baptism and also by that Learned Author Geo. Keith and divers others which discover the Horrible Fraud and Pernicious Principles of the Quakers I say let us not let a Parliament-Man a Judge Justice or any others where we see a Service for the Church be without a Book to inform their Judgments and rectifie the Mistakes of others Let us consider the many Books wrote by our Pious Divines in Defence of our Holy Religion against the Attempts of the Church of Rome and also the great Benefit thereof and good Effects they have had both to Preserve our Members in Communion with us and to Regain many that were wavering and some that were strayed away And as a further exciting our Zeal let us be often Meditating on the Precepts of Divine Writ and Pray God to Illuminate our Understandings and thereby make us able to Read them to our Comfort I cannot but remember with what restless Zeal my self and others used to Advance Quakerism in the beginning and how we sent our Books the Nation over by Pack-Horses and otherwise I my self have given away Twenty Shillings worth at a Meeting and shall we be now less Zealous in Dispersing Books to detect their Errors than they have been to broach them and are now to defend them God forbid Oh let it not be said so of such as love God and are Orthodox in the Faith that love the Scriptures and have a true value for the Sacred Ordinances instituted by our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Thus have I imparted my Mind and I hope without Offence who am Your Humble Servant Fr. Bugg Milden-Hall in Suffolk March 1699 700. THE CONTENTS OF the Author 's Early Education Pag. 1 Of his turning Quaker 5 The Occasion and Means thereof 6 Of the Quaker's Silent Meetings 8 Fox and Muggleton compared 18 Of Muggleton's Doctrine 19 Quakers Laws to be obeyed 25 Scripture-Commands vacated 27 Christ disowned 28 The Quakers Synod 29 The Quakers Creed 33 Scripture-Authority overturned 39 G. Fox the Second Moses 42 G. Fox's Self-Exaltations 45 The Quakers Adoration of G. Fox 47 Fox's Journal preferred to the Bible 48 Distrust all they say and Why 53 Ann Docwra's Letter 54 Christ's Blood undervalued 55 Every Quaker a Virgin Mary 57 Fox's Miracles refuted 61 His Visions Diabolical 62 Who the Quakers own Poor 63 The Quakers Malicious Attempts 65 Tho. Plumstead's Running away 66 G. W.'s pretended Call fallacious 67 Their Teachers mean
about your Cottage you that can forge Certificates and set Mens Names to it without their Privity Knowledge or Consent as you did that from Huntington in your Book Judgment fixed as Anne Docwra in her Letter to Mr. Crisp March 25. 1684. says you did what credit is to be given to it And besides those three Certifiers conclude thus On credible Information we verily Believe Here then is but their belief on Information and I am credibly informed of what I wrote so the Reader is left to believe as he is perswaded The like may be said of Will. Mead touching his saying to William Harris that Fox's Journal is a better Book than the Bible this Will. Mead does not deny under his Hand I have only Geor. Whitehead's word for it and he that can forge Certificates is not to be believed Again p. 38. What Earnings didst thou F. B. make in the late Discourse before the Bishop of Norwich and the four Members of Parliament where I discovered thy repeated Falshoods Forgery Deceit and Wickedness in divers Matters And how thou wert counfounded when Matters were closely urg'd against thee c. Now George thou knowest in thy own Conscience that this is a Lie spoken in Hypocrisie on purpose to mislead thy Disciples for thou didst not prove one false Quotation Matter or Thing against me But I proved thee guilty of contempt of the Scriptures in exalting your sayings above them as of greater Authority and for the truth of this I submit my self to those Five Persons present one of them having often shewed his Approbation of my management of that Affair These things George do not redound to thy Credit and I can truly say I am sorry for thee George we both grow Ancient let us write for the good of others not for Victory for my part I do upon the word of a Christian design it and if I saw my self in an Error I should willingly submit Again P. 46. Beside the false Printing and bad English as Fr. B. has exposed my Book Ishmael there is another defect after the words The Lake is thy Portion which is the Portion of Liars the words except thou speedily repent are omitted there and in some other places To which I Answer let any body compare your Book Ishmael and his Mother cast out c. in the Original Impression in Quarto and the Reprint in my Modest Desence c. Part 2. and they shall find it for English Comma's and Points and Words the same For in the Quarto Impression p. 3. l. 15. there is we for wo as in Mod. Def. p. 7. l. 13. there is also we for wo and so in all other places where it was bad English and false Spelled and false Pointed so it is Reprinted And as for the words except thou speedily repent being left out I do positively say 't is a most horrid Lie there is not a word in the whole Book left out so careful was I. And how then canst thou pretend to be a Consciencious Writer when in the face of the Sun thou canst thus Prevaricate Dissemble and Lie and that knowingly What is become George of thy seriousness sincerity and plainness thou so often boasts of Again P. 34. He F. B. assumes the boldness to promote in Print an Abstract of two Letters of two Clergymen I pray God open the Eyes of our Governours and cause them to take into Consideration this too much and too deplorable unlimited and unbounded Tolleration especially as the Quakers both claim and use it c. as in Pil. Prog. p. 175. was not this says George a piece of insolent confidence to expose this in Print and thus openly to oppose the Liberty Granted and legally Confirmed by King and Parliament and thus to render our Governours blinds c. Now as I think this was a good Prayer so do I think it no boldness to expose it in Print For George it was not the Liberty Granted and by Law Confirmed which these Clergymen either called unlimited or unbounded for the liberty granted is both limited and bounded as from divers branches of the Laws appear and particularly by the very Act of Tolleration see p. 86 88 101 189 339. No the unbounded Liberty which the Quakers take claim and use is what the Clergy is against and which they Pray the Government would take into their Consideration and I am sure it is a base bold and insolent thing George in you to expose in Print that the Clergy would represent the King and Parliament blind But I have not herein room to set forth your baseness in calling all Kings Spiritual Egyptians all that own any King since the days of Christ Apostates that Parliaments chosen by most Voices are not like to Act for God or the Good of his People that Parliaments are the Beast that carry the Whore Nay in your Book The West Answering to the North c. you justifie the Murther of King Charles I. saying The cutting off his Head was a remarkable Record of the Righteous Judgment of God and for a true sight of these your Antimonarchical as well as Antimagistratical Principles see p. 157. to p. 175. hereafter And George you tell us in Print that your Principles are now no other than they were in the beginning And what they were in the beginning I in this Book the Pilg. Prog. c. have set forth And I think it is both bold and insolent Confidence in you to revive all these your horrid Principles destructive to Government and Humane Society by telling us you are the same in Principles still and I am afraid we may in this believe you In the next place I shall shew even thee George what Liberty the Quakers both use and claim which not only those two Clergymen but many Ten Thousands both of Laity and Clergy are against First Your sending into the Churches Challenges as your Friends did at West-Dereham Secondly Your going from House to House like the Popish Priests to seduce the People inviting them to your Meetings giving them Books which say the Quakers are the one only Church of Christ and that out of your Church there is no Salvation Thirdly That your Monthly Quarterly Six Week Second Day and Yearly Meetings where you revive your old Treasonable Principles which Meetings are expresly against the very Act of Tolleration these and the like as in the ensuing Discourse are the Meetings and the Practices both used and claim'd by you Namely to hold Convocations which the Established Church without Licence from His Majesty cannot legally do These and the like Practices of yours all good Christians and the Laws of the Land are against and I still pray God to give the Nation a sight and sence of it before it be too late In Answer to your 48th Page I query thus Whether it be not as proper for me to Address His Majesty on the behalf of the Church of England and other sound Protestants who hold the
Spirit of Truth in George Whitehead and George Fox the Younger See Title Page And being questioned by a Minister p. 7. VVhether the Quakers Speaking was of as great Authority as any Chapter in the Bible George Whitehead reply'd saying That which is spoken from the Spirit of Truth in ANY is of as GREAT AUTHORITY as the Scritures and Chapters are and GREATER So that the plain Consequence of this Doctrine is That the Authority of this little Pamphlet of Whitehead's and Fox's VVriting is of Greater Authority than the Bible and not only that but all their other Pamphlets which they give forth as they pretend from the Spirit of Truth or Light within The said Minister proposed another Question to Whitehead viz. Is the Moral Law or Ten Commandments a Rule to the Christian's Life or is it not p. 18. To this G. Whitehead reply'd saying Thou might as well ask If the Moral Law be a Rule to Christ for the Christian's Life and Rule is Christ meaning their Light within From whence it 's plain that the Ten Commandments are not the Quakers Rule No no not unless they be convinced by their Light within of the Reasonableness of their Obedience as Mr. Penn teaches and Edward Burroughs their great Prophet Quakerism a New Nick-name c. p. 71. Burrough's Works p. 47. And by these and the like Arguments our Teachers brought us off from believing the Scriptures to be the VVord of God And as such to have Authority over us and Binding to us whether convinced or not convinced by these Means they brought us from the Practice of repeating the Lord's Prayer the Ten Commandments and the Apostles Creed in our Families By these cunning Slights they by degrees brought us off the Ordinances of Christ as Baptism and the Lord's Supper asking Forgiveness of Sin and the like Christian Duties in which many of us had been Educated and which the Scriptures command and exhort to And by reason of this and the like Doctrine together with not reading the Holy Scriptures in our Meetings but their Epistles only as in my former Books I have at large shewed we came to forget and not regard nor have Faith in the Crucified Jesus who died for our Sins and rose again for our Justification and that in these Fundamental Points following namely 1. That Faith in Christ as he outwardly suffered at Jerusalem was necessary to our Salvation provided we hearkened diligently to our Light within 2. That Justification and Sanctification is by the Blood of Christ outwardly shed 3. That there shall be a Resurrection of the Body that dieth 4. That Christ shall come without us in his Glorified Body to Judge the Quick and the Dead at the last Day even the same Jesus that was Born of the Virgin Died Rose Ascended and now Sits at the Right Hand of God in Heaven making Intercession for us News out of the North p. 14. As also that there was little need of Preaching the Literal Knowledge of Christ's Death Miracles Resurrection and Ascension because they are generally believed by all sorts professing Christianity See Isaac Pennington's Book The Flesh and Blood of Christ c. p. 29. I say by our Teachers thus slighting the Scriptures as Death Dust and Serpents Food of which I have largely treated elsewhere and by their other Doctrine scattered up and down their Books they brought us off from the Belief and Expectation of these Things as George Keith by his Third Narrative has clearly made to appear and as a Pregnant Instance thereof with respect to my self see my First Book I printed De Chris Lib. Part 2. which altho' it treat of the best part of Quakerism and gave a mortal VVound to the Jurisdiction of their Female Government yet it set not forth any one of these four Fundamental Points For as their Hypocrisie in pretending to be plain sincere simple and innocent was a means to attract and draw me after them so the like Hypocrisie in pretending to gather to the Light leave People to their Light as a sufficient Rule Judge and Guide (c) Yet acting quite contrary as anon will appear c. was one Reason why I left them I do not look upon it so eminently my Business to set forth the admirable Advantage and Use of the Lord's Prayer the Ten Commandments the Apostles Creed Baptism and the Lord's Supper no every Bookseller's Shop is furnished with plenty of such Books which are writ by Men of great Learning and Skill which should I write after them it would be next to light a Candle at Noon-day when the Sun shines in its Brightness Tho' if I lived in a Country where such Arguments were not I thank God I could through the Study of the Scriptures and the Knowledge I have of the Doctrinal part of Christianity thereby speak somewhat to the Point and which might be useful too No I take it to be my Business and Office amongst others to unmask and discover the Errors and Pernicious Principles of the Quakers and therefore refer to Bishop Andrews upon the Commandments Bishop Pearson upon the Creed Dr. Cumber upon the Lord's Prayer and indeed what else the Church teach And to make it yet more evident if more can be that the very Design of these Silent Meetings was to bring us off and wean us from the Articles of the Christian Faith and the Principles of the Christian Religion and thereby to mould us and square us as fit Tools for their Turn to supplant and overthrow it And this I know that the more we obeyed the Doctrine of our new Teachers the more we grew dead to all Instituted Religion For as Universities and other Schools of Learning as well amongst the Jews as Christians had a tendency to prepare Men and thro' God's Assisting Grace were a means and a help to such as were to be Consecrated and set apart for the VVork of the Ministry so I do affirm and that from an Experimental Knowledge That these Silent Universities tends only to empty the Mind of all true and solid Notions of the Christian Religion and only to prepare them for the wild Notions of Quakerism which hath such a sandy Foundation that to this Day they have not been able to produce their Articles of that Faith they pretend to but are as Mr. Baxter said Penitential Confession p. 63. i. e. The Quakers are amongst us a disgraced broken Sect c. notwithstanding their pretence to Unity Uniformity and to be of one Mind referring oft to their Beginning when alas some will pay Tythes some not some shut up their Shops on Fast-Days some not some for Thee and Thou still but most of them not but are like other People some wet Quakers some not some for this some for that and some for neither this nor that as in a Hundred Things I could shew But lest any should think me partial in stating the Case and in shewing the Consequences of our Silent Meetings or Schools
not the Son of God only a Vail a Garment or a Vessel in which the Son did inhabit which now inhabit in us Believers and for which Reason the Names JESUS and CHRIST belong to us as well as to him that suffer'd For saith George Fox our great Apostle and High Priest of our Profession the Jews had a Law that if any one said he was the Son of God he was to die and so the Law in the Will doth persecute THE SON OF GOD NOW where HE is MADE MANIFEST as the NORTH PART of this Nation doth witness who hath fulfilled that Law in Persecuting and Imprisoning THE SON OF GOD where HE is MADE MANIFEST i e. within us those who quaked at the Word of the Lord was ever hated and scorned and in such THE SON OF MAN is manifest We believe an Inward Resurrection with the Light within but deny the Resurrection of the Body laid in the Grave Books of the Quakers which prove these to be their Tenets and a Hundred times as much are these Geo. Fox Jun.'s VVorks Edw. Burrough's VVorks Saul's Errand G. Fox's Journal Truth defending the Quakers c. A Lamentation by one of England's Prophets c. Judgment fixed c. Jos Coal's Works The Quakers Refuge c. W. Smith's Primmer c. A Discovery of Man's Return by W. D. Ishmael and his Mother cast out by G. Whitehead and three other chief Speakers A Brief Discovery of a threefold Estate of Antichrist c. News coming up out of the North Ste. Crisp's Primer printed 1682. The Apostate Incendiary W. Penn's serious Apology The Quakers Challenge A Question to Professors by Is Pennington A Lamentation by one of England's Prophets c. printed at York 1653. A Dispute at Chesterfeild 1655. See the Fifth Chapter following upon which I conclude thus If as they write they do indeed believe Then I affirm this their very Creed If not who can with Safety them believe Who Write and Print the Simple to deceive 2. The Commandments of G. Fox the Quakers second Moses somewhat Abbreviated and taken out of several of his Books I. Thou shalt not pay Tythes to the covetous Priests nor to the Antichristian Improprietors II. Thou shalt not Marry by or with a Priest III. Thou shalt not put off thy Hat in Respect to thy Superiors IV. Thou shalt not shut up thy Shop on the VVorld's Holy-Days Fast-Days c. at the Command of the VVorldly Magistrates V. Thou shalt not pay towards the Repair of Parish Churches VI. Thou shalt not pay towards the Trained Bands nor carry Guns in thy Ship VII Thou shalt not wear Lace nor Ribbons nor Skimming-dish Hats nor short Aprons nor Slits on your VVastecoats nor long Scarfs like flying Colours nor unnecessary Buttons VIII You shall have a VVoman's Meeting distinct from the Men once a Month at at the County-Town about Ten a Clock to get a little Stock IX Thou shalt call the Days of the VVeek First Second Third and Fourth Day c. and the Months First Second and Third Month c. X. I charge you all in the Presence of the Lord God That you judge not one another i. e. those that be in the Unity of the Ministry and Elders in the Church lest you fall into the Condemnation of the Monthly Quarterly Six VVeeks Second Day or Yearly Meeting Amen G. Fox 's Tryal at Lancaster Assizes p. 21. The thundering Voice answered I have glorified thee and will glorifie thee again and I was so filled full of Glory that my Head and Ears was filled full of it that when the Trumpets sounded and the Judges came up again they all appeared as dead Men under me I think it now necessary to insert two Passages out of two of the Quakers most learned Teachers Books the one to deter their Hearers from adhering to the Commands of Moses the other to confirm them in the Belief of G. Fox's viz. Whether the first Pen-man of the Scriptures was Moses or Hermes Or Whether both these or not one Or Whether there are not many Words contained in the Scriptures which were not spoken by Inspiration of the Holy Spirit Whether some Words were not spoken by the Grand Imposture some by wicked Men some by wise Men ill apply'd some by good Men ill expressed some by false Prophets and yet true some by true Prophets and yet false The Quakers Refuge fixed c. p. 17. This being suggested by Robert Ruckhill an Eminent and Learned Man I cannot blame his Hearers who believe that he wrote by the Eternal Spirit nor that they lay aside the Commands of God by Moses and receive the Commands of G. Fox at least not so much as I blame their Teachers For if I did question whether Moses or Hermes were the first Pen-man of the Holy Scriptures or whether both of them had a Hand in it or neither of both was concerned in the writing thereof if I question'd the Truth of what the true Prophets of the Lord said and believ'd that what the false Prophet said were true if I thought that what good Men said was ill expressed and so insignificant as hereby is suggested truly I should give as little heed to them as the Quakers do and be ready with George Fox himself to call them Death Dust and Serpents Meat See News coming up out of the North p. 14. But I thank God I have been better taught even from my Childhood For tho' by the Dissimulation of these Seducers I was carried away into great Errors yet the Love of the Scriptures ever remained with me The next Passage shall be from their Learned Barclay It is no ways inconsistent with this sound and unerring Principle to affirm That the Judgment of a certain Person or Persons in certain Cases is INFALLIBLE or for a certain Person or Persons to give a positive Judgment and pronounce it as Obligatory upon others because the Foundations and Ground thereof IS NOT because they are infallible but because in these things and at that time they were led by the Infallible Spirit The Anarchy of the Ranters c. p. 67. For more of this Quaker-Popery see The Picture of Quakerism drawn to the Life c. p. 8 to 16. By which 't is plain that as Ruckhill in the forecited Passage render the Scriptures Uncertain Fallible and of no Authority so does Barclay render Quakerism Infallible Certain and their Commands and Injunctions Obligatory upon others And why forsooth Why because at such times as the Quakers thus Pronounce thus Write thus give out their Mandates Commandments and Precepts they says Barclay are led thereunto by the Infallible Spirit Some Inferences from the Fourth Chapter IS it so then that the Tendency of the Quakers Doctrine is to undervalue the Holy Scriptures to rob them of their Divine Authority and thereby to exalt their own Horn Let this then be a Caution to their Hearers to examine the Quotations which I bring to prove my Assertions and
Feild and others of his Stamp that I believe the very boldest of the Jesuits never exceeded them But having in my Book New Rome Unmask'd c. p. 57 to 64. shewed the evil Tendency of this their Doctrine and Practice I refer to that but since that G. W. in his Sober Expostulation p. 108. is driving on the same Trade Of which possibly more hereafter But come Thomas the chiefest Business in this Chapter is to prove That the Quakers have a Common Purse that they have a Common Fund or Bank that your Teachers are supply'd thereout that you Clerks as Hirelings are paid their Yearly Salaries and Stipends c. This and more you have confess'd which Hundreds of your Teachers have deny'd and sometimes gained the Good-will of Magistrates and their own Quiet thereby Witness Anne Docwra who telling the Magistrates they had none they were quiet after c. But I would not have the World so mistaken of thee neither as to call thee TOM TELL-TROTH no this I presume was done in a Passion even whilst the Smart and Anguish of W. Rogers's Scourge was upon thee for I dare to say TOM TELL-TROTH would be a nick-name for any Quaker-Teacher and when I view thy Poem p. 26 to 29. I hope thou may'st find in this Book an Answer to it where thou callest upon W. Rogers to name the Men I have done it if that will please thee where thou pretendest to forbear John Story yet like Joab smite at his Name which when living was precious to many and now dead is not forgotten I am well satisfied that he was a Man of a tender Spirit and had more Christianity and Charity than all the Mercenary Sixty-six Judges I remember that at the Bull and Mouth Meeting Anno 1677. W. Penn came past Eight or Ten Persons sitting on the same Bench with me to ask me to set my Hand to their Epistle of Condemnation But glad am I that I was made sensible of their evil Intent for Thomas there was thy self John Moone Ezekiel VVolley Sam. Cater and many of you concerned in that Paper as wicked a Generation of Men as void of Charity or any thing that is truly Christian as the Newgate-Birds And what a sad thing is it that such dissembling Hypocrites and wicked Impostors should claim to themselves the Name of the one only true Church of Christ And so I shall adjourn this Head until I come to the Chapter where the Cage is where I shall make good my Charge and name Particulars as thou hast desired only as a Word of Use and Application I shall recite a few Verses wrote by Anne Docwra Anno 1684. which as I printed at the end of VV. Rogers's Scourge the Original Manuscript is still by me except a Word or two which in the Correcting the Press for her I might alter to make her Verses run smooth viz. After so many strange Mishaps In Pursuit of John Story with all thy Traps I pity most thy †G. Fox last Relapse Thy VVeakness shews thy Day is done The Night o'erspreads thy Setting Sun Cabalistick Art is out of Date Thy Mysterious Allegories came too late To say the Truth it is thy Fate None can avoid what God decrees Thou' rt like a Drone amongst the Bees Thy Strength declines thy Power decay And thou ly'st hid this Trying Day To save thy self is no new way Remember now the time that 's past And how thou 'st lost thy Crown at last Thou did'st escape thy Enemies Pains With States-men's Arts and Preachers Gains But Dalilah's Wiles has crack'd thy Brains A Female Power surpriz'd thy Strength Thy Honour 's laid i' th' Dust at length Such Women as did Associate To help to Govern thy new State Whose Ambient Acts time will relate These Women they did claim a Right To wash the Ethiopian white To keep things sweet and clean say they But foul things came so in their way They work'd in vain both Night and Day Profession wipes off no such Blots The Leopard does not change his Spots To compass Sea and Land thou went To Proselite thy Will was bent So raised Storms of Discontent Thus God does blast what Man devise To infatuate the Worldly-wise This Stubble thou hast built upon Is for the Fire the time comes on To try the Work that thou hast done The secret Hand of Providence Protecteth only Innocence These Verses she wrote concerning G. Fox and tho' she being but a Woman is turned to her old Vomit i. e. Foxonian Quakers yet I hope when W. Rogers John Raunce and others who had a Hand in W. Rogers's Poem do see and behold the base Abuse of Tho. Ellwood c. in his Rogero Mastix c. will see Cause to keep at an equal distance from such a deceitful Tribe who were as cruel to that meek Man John Story as Doeg the Edomite was to the Priests of the Lord of whom David said Psal 140.2,3 Which imagine Mischiefs in their Heart continually are they gathered together for War they have sharpned their Tongues like a Serpent Adders Poyson is under their Lips CHAP. X. Treateth of the Quakers Six-Week Meeting in London and the Pernicious Consequences thereof First THIS Six-Week Meeting of theirs is chiefly to consult about and defend their own Members throughout the Kingdom of England and Dominion of Wales from the Penalties of certain Laws which they fore-know that they shall Transgress or that hereafter they may Transgress thro' their being faithful to the Laws and Commands of G. Fox and the Government of the Quaker-Church Secondly This Meeting of theirs is one of their most Ancient Meetings for Government and is made up of chosen Men amongst them expert in the Laws and Customs of the Nation well skill'd in the Courts of London and Westminster and other His Majesty's Courts of Record and such as understand the way and manner of Soliciting the Parliament and to support them in all these things they have the Common Bank to assist them which as I have observed is like Blood to their Veins and Sinews to their Bones Thirdly That I may not seem to impose my single Judgment that there is such a Meeting that the Quakers thereto belonging are thus Exercised as well as Authorized see their Anniversary Epistle This Meeting being acquainted that Endeavours have been used for Relief of Friends in relation to Oaths pursuant to the last Yearly Meeting 's Advice in that Case and being sensible of the great Care of the Six Week Meeting for Sufferings still leave it to the said Meeting for Sufferings to continue their Care and Endeavours in that Case c. And also it is agreed That each Quarterly-Meeting take Care to advise the Correspondents for the Counties and any others concerned to write only to your Correspondents in London about their Sufferings and not to other Persons lest their Suffering-Case be delay'd c. The Epistle to the Monthly and Quarterly Meetings of Friends in
in the nature of them and such intolerable Scandals as had they not had more Patience than the Quakers notwithstanding the loud Noise they make of Patience Humility and Meekness c. they would never have lain under such Public Scandals And therefore when in the next Chapter I come to touch their tender Part as Erasmus once said to a Monk I shall see how patient they 'll be when they are paid in their own Coin nay I hope far better at least to a better Purpose CHAP. XIII The Quakers Convocation George Whitehead's Sermon explaining their Ancient Testimony Reader THink not the following Sermon a Romance or Fiction for the Design of it is good and intended for their Conviction Read the Books in the Margin and you 'll find it fully proved to be the Sum and Marrow of their Ancient Testimony which by their Contempt of the Scriptures shews their Antichristian Principles and how their Doctrine carries all Iniquity in the Womb of it and opens the Flood-gates to all Atheism Deism Socinianism Arianism and all other vile Errours And therefore in hopes that this following Illustration of their Principles may be of use to their Hearers I proceed in this unusual Method But with my Lord Bishop of Lincoln in his Advice to his Clergy Second Edit p. 25. I will say ' Not that this can be expected from the Leaders of that Party they have Ends to serve in the Conduct of that deluded People that will engage them notwithstanding Confutation and Conviction too QUAKEâ—… SYNOD A SERMON for George Whitehead to hold forth at their Convocation or Yearly Meeting Friends I Beg your Attention to what shall be spoken this Day upon this Solemn Occasion being met to inspect the Affairs of our Society throughout the VVorld The chief Subject upon which I shall treat is our Ancient Testimony as you will find it written in our Gospel viz. God is the same Truth is the same his People the same and their Principles the same For our Principles are now no other than what they were when we were first a People The Quakers cleared c. p. 7. so we cannot but recommend unto you the holding up the Holy Testimony of Truth which had made us to be a People Prim. Christ continued p. 6. and that in all the Parts of it for Truth is one and changes not amp c. Their Yearly Epistle Printed 1696. Beloved in the opening the VVords of my Text I am to tell you First That as God is the same so are his People the same and according to our Ancient Testimony as unchangeable Secondly That our Principles are now no other than they were in the Beginning in all the parts of our Ancient Testimony whether relating to Monarchy Magistracy the National Ministry and all Points of Doctrine News coming up p. 18 19 20. Thus having opened the VVords of my Text I shall now let you know the Doctrinal Parts I intend to discourse of and then proceed FIRST The Scriptures which the Christians profess to be their Rule shewing their great Mistake therein and the Uncertainty thereof SECONDLY The Authority Certainty and Infallibility of our Friend's Books and Sayings and both Affirmatively THIRDLY and Lastly I shall apply the same by way of Use and for your Consolation Negatively and these in their Order First then As to the Christian's Mistake about the Scriptures look into the Epistle General of our Great Apostle Geo. Fox viz. And therefore all People that are here Christ is not in the Letter nor the Life is not in the Letter nor the Word is not in the Letter This mediate Stuff has reigned long in the Cage of unclean Birds you get the Letter for the Light a Steeple-House for the Church Matthew Mark Luke and John for the Gospel c. To all the People who meet in Steeple-Houses c. p. 4 5. Printed 1657. Thus Beloved you see what great Mistakes are hapned to this People of England who by following the Doctrine of their blind Guides have taken Matthew Mark Luke and John for the Gospel that is Glad-Tidings No no 't is Beastly VVare yea Dust and Serpents Meat and this I can prove by Two Books wrote by our Apostle Geo. Fox the one stiled News coming up c. p. 14. the other Several Papers given forth for the spreading of Truth c. p. 3 4 44 45 46 viz. So Dust is the Serpents Meat their Original is but Dust which is Death so these Serpents feed upon Dust and their Gospel is Dust Matthew Mark Luke and John which is the Letter c. Thus Friends have I shewed you the great Ignorance of the VVorld's Teachers who first take Matthew Mark Luke and John for the Gospel and now see what they have got for their Rule VVho would think they should hear such a Teacher as hold a Bible in his Hand and tell People it 's the VVord of God and bid them hear it and obey the Doctrine of it at their Peril for it 's the Law say they by which you shall be judged another Day VVhen alas my dearly Beloved as I have more than once in Print affirmed saying That which is spoken from the Spirit of Truth in any meaning our selves is of as great Authority as the Scriptures or Chapters are and greater c. And I still affirm the same and do tell you that it is according to our Ancient Testimony and you know we cannot change nor alter being as unchangeable as our Light within See G. W. Truth defending the Quakers c. p. 7. Printed 1657. A Ser. Apology p. 49. Moreover the Scriptures are so uncertain that 't is questionable who was the first Pen-man thereof whether Moses or Hermes yea either or neither How then can any Man depend upon them as a Rule to walk by Thus you see how the Christians are mistaken for have not I my self told you as well as my dear Brother Christopher Atkinson That Friends do not call Matthew Mark Luke and John the Gospel and New Testament as the Ignorant Priests do David 's Enemies discover'd c. p. 7. And is it not written in the Gospel of my said Brother Christ Atkinson That for any to say that Christ is God and Man in one Person is a Lie The Sword of the Lord drawn c. p. 5. What Ground then hath any Body to hold a Trinity of Persons Nay my Brother Penn and I have jointly said in our Apology Dedicated to the King's Lieutenant-General of Ireland That we deny the Terms of three distinct Persons in the Godhead whereby we do positively deny the Creeds called the Apostle's Athanasian and Nicene Creed A Ser. Apol. p. 20. If any Object Why we refuse to acknowledge them in Words not altogether of tho' agreeing with the Scriptures seeing we our selves use many Words not Scriptural as those of calling the Scriptures Death Dust Beastly Ware Serpents Meat c. those of our calling the Clergy Monsters Bloodbounds Grinning Dogs
this Jealous Dividing and Rending Spirit that hath appeared in Strise and open Contention against thy Servants Thou knowest the Integrity of my Soul * * * Compare G. W.'s Ser. Apol. p. 4 5. with the Epistle and Page 19 317 357. of his Judgment fixed c. and it will shew this Prayer not only Pharisaical but deep Hypocrisie especially adding p. 72. of his Coun◠Conv. c. where he tells you He can see Cause otherwise to word the Matter and yet mean the same thing c. Thou hast endued me with a Christian Spirit with Faith Patience and Rejoicing under all my Sufferings yet thou hast endued me also with the Spirit of Righteous Judgment Understanding and Zeal and hast raised me up †††As he did Pharaoh in Defence of thy Gospel So I recommend all to thee to manifest the end of all and to plead and justifie my Cause it being thy own Cause Amen Amen saith my Soul Geo. Whitehead CHAP. XIV The Cage of Vnclean Birds opened the Idolatrous Practices Blasphemous Principles and Vicious Enormities of the Quakers laid open which may be compar'd with Pope Leo X. Reader BY the foregoing Chapter you have a View of the high Value the Quakers set upon themselves and their Ancient Testimony and how they Debase all Christian Churches as the Whore the false Church the Mother of Harlots even all First All that Sprinkle Children and tell People it is Baptism and thereby an Ordinance of Christ G. Fox's Primer p. 48. Secondly All that Preach Christ without as he is in Heaven at God's Right Hand Smith's Primer c. p. 8. Thirdly All that do Study the Scriptures and Preach out of them Saul's Errand c. p. 7. Fourthly All that will not Fast with the Quakers who are in the Truth saith Solomon Eccles and that none are in the Truth but they The Quakers Challenge c. p. 3 6. Fifthly All that pay or receive Tythes An Antidote c. p. 78. Sixthly All that take Matthew Mark Luke and John for the Gospel viz. Glad Tidings and the Scriptures for their Rule G. Fox's Epistle to be read in Steeple-Houses c. p. 2 3 4 5. Nay W. Penn and Whitehead adds That a Mountebank is an honest Man to a Parson that such Wickedness as Debauchery Drunkenness and Whoredom more suiteth the Spirits of his i. e. Priests own Fraternity the Priests both Episcopal and Presbyterian whose known Drunkenness and Whoredoms c. would fill Volumes to describe Hear W. Penn again p. 165. Had James Nayler's Words been Ten Thousand times more significant earnest and sharp against that cursed bitter Stock of Hirelings they had been but enough and I would then say not enough but that the Reverence I bear to the Holy Spirit would oblige me to acquiesce in whatever he should utter thro' any Prophet or Servant of the Lord * This Jam. Naylor W. Penn's Prophet is the Person that was Hosanna'd into Bristol and Sam. Cater now a Preacher amongst them then leading his Horse and we have nothing for them but Woes and Plagues who have made drunk the Nations and laid them to Sleep on the Downey Beds of soft sin-pleasing Principles whilst they have cut their Purses and pick'd their Pockets Tophet's prepared for them to act their Eternal Tragedy upon whose Scenes will be renewed direful anguishing Woes of an Eternal Irreconcileable Justice c. Ser. Apol. Dedicated to the King's Lieutenant in Ireland c. p. 2 22 127 156. Again saith the same W. Penn in his Book The Guide Mistaken c. p. 18. And whilst the Idle Gormandizing Priests of England run away with above Fifteen Hundred Thousand Pounds a Year under Pretence of being God's Ministers and that no sort of People have been so universally thro' Ages the very Bane of Soul and Body to the Universe as that abominable Tribe for whom the Theatre of God's most Dreadful Vengeance wait to act their Eternal Tragedy upon Well let us hear W. Penn once more what he saith of the Teachers of the Presbyterians Independants Baptists c. Quakerism a New Nick-name c. p. 165. viz. An Ill-bred and Pedantick Crew the Bane of Reason and Pest of the World the old Incendiaries to Mischief and the best to be spared of Mankind against whom the Boiling of an irritated God is ready to be poured out to the Destruction of such if they repent not c. Quakerism a New Nick-name c. p. 165. Reader You see here is nothing but Hell and Damnation for the Ministers of all Christian Societies Pray let us hear their Opinion of the Church of England in general and that may give their Sense of all other Churches since I see they make little if any Difference of their Teachers viz. And as for the Purity of the Church of England it 's out of our Sight we can see a great deal of Impurity Corruption and Soul-sickness in it Indeed they say enough of themselves to cause all wholsome sound understanding People to shun them and their Church and Worship as Men shun a Contagious Disease or Infection c. The Innocency and Conscientiousness of the Quakers c. p. 7. Printed 1664. To which let me add but one Passage more tho' I might One Hundred of Mr. Penn's who can express himself as well and as much according to the Quakers Ancient Testimony as any Man amongst thern And briefly thus viz. Come tell me ye of the Church of England whence came your Forms of Prayer and Church-Government Are they not the Off-spring of that Idolatrous Popish Generation * By this who would have thought Mr. Penn had been so near of Kin to them as his latter Writings set forth See A Brief Hist of Quakerism c. p. 44 to 58 103 to 120. which is abominable to the God of Heaven Are you not at Have mercy upon us miserable Sinners There is no Health in us from Seven to Seventy Truth Exalted c. p. 9. Reader W. Penn tells his Reader in his Ser. Apol. c. p. 79. That his designed Method in his Answer is not the common Road of Printing his Adversaries Words at large on all Occasions so I tell thee yet in many Cases I recite the whole However by this time you have not only an Account of the high Value the Quakers set upon themselves as in the former Chapter but of their debasing the Protestant Ministers and Churches as a pack of Drunkards Whoremongers with an Et-caetera worse than Mountebanks a cursed bitter Stock of Hirelings a Pedantick Crew the best to be spared of Mankind against whom the Boiling Vengeance of God is reserved c. and who deserve nothing but Plagues and Woes Hell and Damnation yea Pick-pockets Cut-purses c. that the People ought to shun as a Pest-house with too much of that Nature to be here inserted especially adding what in The Picture of Quakerism c. is set forthron this Head And does
it not amount to a just Provocation to any Child to see such foul Aspersions and horrible Slanders cast upon his Mother from whose Breasts of Consolation he hath received great Consolation and Comfort both to vindicate her and to set forth what manner of Men they are that thus scandalize his Mother-Church not only privately in their Chimney Corners but in their Meetings yea in Print in all Cities Towns and Villages c. G. Whitehead said That God laid a Necessity upon him to write his Book Judgment fixed c. where he called me and others Apostate Informers Treacherous Hypocrites False Brethren Deceitful Workers Betraying Judas 's Devils Incarnate Dogs Wolves Raging Waves c. And his God laying such a Necessity upon him thus to Write and Rail in Vindication of Quakerism he adds And in the discharging my Duty I neither consult Events nor fear Effects Now in Answer I cannot pretend to such an immediate Motion as the Quakers do but I do really think my self in point of Duty and Conscience to bear these Testimonies against the foul Aspersions of these railing Rabsheka's and have both consulted and considered the Events that may ensue and hope well of the Effects that may follow even the Confutation of their Teachers and Conviction of their Hearers and I hope the Conversion of the Sincere amongst them And now to the Men and what manner of Men they are that thus undermine the Christian Religion Ministry and Worship And thus much by way of Introduction to the Cage of Unclean Birds POSTSCRIPT Note Reader That George Fox the first Bird in the Cage did cause John Fretwell Christ Gilhorn Ja. Nayler and others to go down upon their Knees before him publickly before Friends which is Idolatry and then and there upon their Knees to make their Confession and own Judgment upon what he charged them with before he would own them or receive them into the Unity amongst Friends c. To all People professing the Eternal Truth c. p. 6. per John Harwood one of G. W. 's Fellow-Preachers Babylon is fallen is fallen and is become the Habitation of Devils and the Hold of every foul Spirit and a Cage of every Unclean and Hateful Bird. For her Sins have reached unto Heaven and God bath remembered her Iniquity Rev. 18.2,5 Reward Her even as She hath Rewarded you and double unto Her double according to Her Works In the Cup which She hath filled fill to Her double Rejoyce over Her thou Heaven and ye Holy Apostles and Prophets for God hath avenged you on Her Ver. 6 20. A Cage of Vnclean Birds GEORGE FOX John Harwood George Smith Edw. Burrough Samuel Fisher Stephen Crisp Will. Warwick Jos Helling Samuel Cater Thomas Leacock Allelujah Fisher Solomon Eccles John Audland Jofiah Coale T. Thurston George Whitehead Thomas Ell Rich. Hubberthorn William Gosnell Thomas Biddle William Gibson John Whitehead Sam. Newton Christ Atkinson Daniel Wills Immanuel D Jo. Swinton Sen. Tho. Rudiard John Blaikling John Ty Ezekiel Wooley John Moon Francis Howgill Isaac Pennington Reader I am now about opening the Cage and shall take out Twelve of the Birds and open their Wings and spread their Feathers to the Intent thou maist view them and note their Features and observe their Natures and Dispositions and George Fox the Cage-Keeper shall be over and above with some little Observations upon him and the rather because G. Whitehead has denied That the Quakers call him their Branch their Star their Son of Righteousness c. in his Sober Expost c. p. 55 58. I remember that about the Year 1662. Geo. Fox came into the Isle of Ely and at his Meetings great part of his Discourse was about the Cage of Unclean Birds saying The Church of England as in his Epistle to be read in Churches and the Professors were a Cage of Unclean Birds and the Note he made them sing was thus Come ye Episcopals How do you sing in the Cage Answ No Perfection here no Perfection here Well come you Presbyterians Independants and Baptists what say you How do you sing Let us hear your Note Answ No Perfection here no Perfection here Then said George Come out of the Cage in a very comical Manner Thus did he deride the Professors of Christianity exalting themselves a Figure of which you have in Geo. Whitehead's Sermon in the Thirteenth Chapter And now you shall hear how his Birds chirrup and what Note they sing to his Lute But to understand this rightly I think it necessary to give you a brief Description of Geo. Fox that so when you hear Six of the Birds of one sort sing to his Tune and dance after his Pipe you may the better understand whether they do not call him their Branch c. First He G. Fox a great Liar like Mahomet a great Seducer like Symon Magus a vain Boaster like Ignatius Loyold saying That neither he nor his Name was known in the World Several Petitions Answered c. p. 60. when there was not Ten Men in the whole Nation more universally known Secondly In that he taught That he that hath the same Spirit that raised up Jesus Christ is equal with God that he was before Languages were and that he was come to the end of Languages Saul's Errand c. p. 8. His Battledoor the Introduction c. Thirdly In that he taught That he was come to such a Fulness of Glory as that his Head and Ears was filled full of Glory yea that a Thundering Voice answered him saying I have glorified thee and will glorifie thee again alluding to John 12.28,29 The Examination and Tryal of G. Fox at Lancaster Assize c. p. 21. Fourthly In that he said David's Sepulcher was with the Quakers and that they had seen it Truth 's Defence c. p. 56. An abominable Lie like that of Mahomet's Journey up to Heaven upon an Ass Fifthly In saying That if every People own the Prophets and Apostles Writings they will own the Writings of the Quakers and that they may as well condemn the Scriptures to the Fire as their Papers and Queries c. Several Petitions Answered c. p. 38. Truth 's Defence p. 2 104. Sixthly In that he taught That he wrought Miracles Fox 's Journal the Third Index and yet never wrought a Miracle in the Name of Jesus of Nazareth all his Days only some Lying Wonders forged out of his Luciferian Brain without any Attestation like Symon Magus Seventhly In that he taught That the Breach of the Eighth Commandment Thou shalt not steal was no Sin if moved thereto by the Spirit of the Lord. G. Fox 's Great Mystery c. p. 77. In this Fox if not a Ranter yet joined with them and so are all that own his Doctrine Eighthly In that he taught That to call the Scriptures the Word of God was Blasphemy whilst that he yea even he called his own Writings the Word of God and frequently the Word of the Lord. Way to
High for thou hast maintained my Right and my Cause thou sittest on the Throne judging Right The Lord also will be a Refuge for the Oppressed a Refuge in Times of Trouble and they that know thy Name will put their Trust in thee for thou Lord bast not forsaken them that seek thee Sing Praises to the Lord which dwelleth in Sion declare among the People his Doings The Heathen †i. e. The Quakers who denieth Jesus of Nazareth are sunk down in the Pit that they made in the Net which they hid is their own Foot taken c. Psal 9.1,2,3,9,11 But to proceed having the recited Certificate of my Lord Bishop of Norwich I presented it to several of my Lords the Bishops both the Universities as well as to divers Particulars of the Clergy of the Church of England and I humbly thank them they were very kind to me notwithstanding all the Endeavours of the Quakers to represent me unworthy of their Notice particularly at Cambridge where they carry'd to the Colledges Books against me which I had answer'd and refuted Ten or Fifteen Years since insomuch that some of the Heads of the Colledges took special Notice of the Quakers Malice and thereupon I do believe were the more kind Thus doth God bring Good out of Evil nay should I relate all the particular Methods the Quakers used in all Places where I came to prevent me of their Kindness and the Aboundings of the Favours I received it would seem almost incredible I being but a single Person and known but to a few the Quakers numerous and like the Followers of Corah Dathan and Abiram Numb 16.2 Men of Fame in some Cases But so it was they did not prevail but God in his Providence made way for my Deliverance beyond my Expectation and in him do I trust who taketh Care of the Sparrows Matth. 10.29,30,31 and this puts me in Mind of the Widow recorded in the Holy Scriptures 2 Kings 4. whose Husband died and left her in Debt and not Effects to answer insomuch that the Creditor was come to take away her two Sons This poor Woman was no doubt in Distress enough but yet she neither exclaimed of her Husband nor yet murmur'd at the Dispensation of Providence which befel neither did she sit still and use no Means But hearing that Elisha the Prophet was come to Town she resolves to make Application to him he could but deny her she knew the worst and hoped the best and therefore in Faith and full Assurance of the Mercy of God to them that trust in him and not doubting but the Inspired Prophet knew her Inside even the Sincerity of her Heart and that notwithstanding this Calamity she could appeal to him that her Husband was an honest Man a Man that feared God and served him in Uprightness and thereupon she puts on Courage and goes to him saying Thy Servant my Husband is dead and thou knowest that thy Servant did fear the Lord and the Creditor is come to take unto him my two Sons to be Bondsmen This was sorrowful News no doubt to the Prophet to hear that one of the Sons of the Prophets that professed Faith in the God of Israel should so fail as not to be able to pay his Debts Well the Prophet quickly understood the Widow and as quickly reply'd saying What shall I do for thee tell me What hast thou in the House Here is two notable Questions and so quickly proposed that he did not give the Widow leave to answer to the first but added What hast thou in the House As if he should have said Why should I ask this humble Petitioner what she would have me to do 'T is plain she would willingly be enabled to pay her Debts rescue her two Sons and have something to live on she then reply'd saying Thine Handmaid hath nothing at home save a Pitcher of Oyl Upon which the Prophet as God would have it wrought a Miracle saying Go borrow the Vessels of all thy Neighbours even empty Vessels borrow not a few and when thou art come into thy House shut the Door upon thee and upon thy Sons and pour out into all these Vessels and set aside that which is full She did so and was thereby enabled to pay her Debts redeem her Sons and had left wherewithal to live upon O the wonderful Works of God! who thus instructs his to depend upon his Providence for the Scriptures are written for our Learning and truly when I consider my own Case I think it falls not much short of this Miracle I am sure I have met with a wonderful Providence in my Deliverance considering I had no such inspired Prophet to appeal to nor such an Evidence to vouch on my part I had nothing but Reason and Demonstration to offer having prayed to God to incline the Hearts of his Servants to a Charitable Consideration of Things past present and to come Nay my Case seem'd worse than the Widow's for I do not read that she had any Enemies to Interpose but I had many The Quakers no sooner understood that the Clergy took my Case into their Pious Confideration but they sent their Emissaries with Books after me both to the Colledges and particular Persons wherein I was represented an Enemy of all Righteousness a Child of the Devil yea a Devil Incarnate a Wolf a Dog a Beast c. Judgment fixed c. by G. W. And when this would not prevail against me they then made Personal Complaints that I was a Counterfeit Convert * As G. W. had Printed me to be See his Book A Counterfeit Convert a Scandal to Christianity c. and to make this out they told some of the Reverend Clergy in Norfolk that tho' Francis Bugg pretended to be a Member of the Church of England yet he never receiv'd the Communion with you See what a Convert you have what Reason is there then for you to assist and support him so as you do Upon which this Minister writes to Mr. Archer our Minister to know the Truth of it he sends him an Answer by Letter assuring him that in Anno 1688. I receiv'd the Sacrament and if at home ever since at the usual times But when this would not do they 'd try another Project for John Hubbard of Stoake †An eminent Quaker in Norfolk and one of the twelve mention'd in my Sober Expostulation p. 1. Printed 1698. told Mr. Meriton Minister of Oxborow near him that I was drunk the last time was in London in March 1698. who sent me a Letter thereof which providentially came into my Son's Hand in my Absence An Abstract of it is as followeth SIR I gave your Book the other Day to John Hubbard who receiv'd it with a Scornful Smile I discoursed with him upon the Subject of it which he heard with much Impatience yet at last he promised to read it he could not forbear Invectives against the Author of it the usual Courtship
Power and Authority to Institute and Ordain such a way of Government And in whose Name do you compel to a Conformity and thus to impose your Ceremonies c. Query 6. Whether were not the Bereans accounted noble in that they searched the Scriptures to see whether what St. Paul taught did accord therewith And will it not become us to do the like to see whether what George Fox imposes on us accord with the Scripture If not whether we are obliged to observe his Dictates and Prescriptions Yea or Nay c. To which Queries I never received any Answer And thus it pleased God of his Infinite Mercy to give me Courage and Boldness 22 Years since for it was some Years before †Yea it was May 17. 1675. See Innocency Vindicated c. p. 8. that I wrote to their Yearly Meeting about their forcing their Apprentices to stand bareheaded before them whilst they refuse that Respect to their Superiors to appear against what I saw to be wrong in them even whilst amongst them equally according to my Understanding to what I have done since and methinks I desire no more in the Quakers than to be sincere and that for their own Good too I mean to put on Courage and say What do you tell me of G. Fox or G. Whitehead or any other Man I will stand by no Man nor no Principle nor no People †Such a Man I have not found amongst their Teachers Tho. Vpshot came nearest but when I came to ask him whether he would justifie their Books He flew off saying No he would not meddle farther than they are right at least in my Apprehension no farther than they agree with the Holy Scriptures No I am not yet Ear-bored to this nor the other Man Form or Society for Self-Ends for Advantage in Trade for a Name among Men no I am for Truth and Righteousness so far as I know it I thank God thus it was with me when I was as Famous amongst them as since they have endeavoured to render me Infamous and I desire no more of the Quakers than this let their Errors be never so great and their Understanding never so clouded if they be Sincere and willing to be informed I could heartily imbrace them and for which I have great Reason for I was as erroneous in many things as the most of them But when I find that G. Whitehead teach them first That the Quakers are the true Church next That they are to believe as this true Church believes See his Apost Incend c. p. 3 16. and that the People love to have it so i. e. like Teacher like People the Blind to lead the Blind till both fall into the Ditch of Error and Heresie together this is sad But says Geo. Whitehead No such Matter I challenge Francis Bugg and his Teachers Abettors and Congratulators to produce those Books of the Quakers with the Pages and Words wherein we deny the same Jesus that was Born of the Virgin Mary otherwise Retract and Condemn this Calumnious Aspersion A Sober Expostulation with some of the Clergy c. p. 46. This bold Challenge has been often Answer'd in The Snake in the Grass 3d. Edit p. 129 to 145. Satan Disrob'd c. p. 8 9 13 14. Gleanings p. 2. and so fully as I cannot pretend to yet since this Error of the Quakers denying Christ seems to be the Mother of all their other Errors I shall for this Challenge sake that so his Disciples may see his Impudence herein also prove that they i. e. Quakers do deny the same Jesus that was Born of that Virgin Mary And if I do so I think he is obliged to Retract his Errors and Condemn the Quakers Books which so teach by the same Rule of Arguing viz. That both I and my Abettors ought to condemn the Calumny cast on the Quakers by such a Charge if not true And now to the Matter When Jesus came into the Coast of Cesarea Philippi he asked his Disciples saying whom do Men say that I THE SON OF MAN am Matth. 16.13 Simon Peter answered and said THOU art CHRIST the SON of the LIVING GOD Verse 16. Again And WE believe and ARE SURE that thou art THAT CHRIST the SON of the LIVING GOD John 6.69 That the outward Person that suffer'd was properly the Son of God we utterly deny A Body hast thou prepared me said the Son Then the Son was not the Body tho' the Body was the Son's A Serious Apol. c. by Will Penn p. 146. Here you have the Question proposed by Christ himself Whom do Men say that I the SON OF MAN AM You also hear St. Peter's Answer which is as plain and as home to the Purpose as can be and now you shall hear Christ's Approbation and Confirmation thereof But you see the Quakers Answer is point-blank contrary yea Will. Penn does utterly deny That Person who suffer'd at Jerusalem to be the SON OF GOD. Mark Reader Christ's Reply to St. Peter's Answer to his most Gracious Question viz. And Jesus answer'd and said unto him Blessed art thou Simon Bar-jona for Flesh and Blood hath not revealed it unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven Matth. 16.17 and 17.5 I think I need say no more especially since this Point is so largely handled and so fully proved upon the Quakers by that Reverend Author in the Books above-quoted Only thus much I may add That if St. Peter be Orthodox in this Point then are the Quakers Heterodox and that herein their utter Testimony is levell'd and strikes at the very Foundation of Christianity and as a Reply to G. W. I do offer De Novo to prove the same and I do now affirm That the Quakers by their Books do deny the same Jesus that was Born of the Virgin Mary The Same Jesus to whom the Voice came from the excellent Glory saying This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him The Same Jesus that St. Paul preached Acts 17. The Same Jesus that St. Peter testified saying Let the House of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that Same Jesus whom ye have Crucified both Lord and Christ And this I offer to prove to G. Whitehead Vive Voce at any convenient time on Condition he will under his Hand covenant to condemn the Quakers Books which so Teach when proved upon him as by his own Argumentation in the Challenge above-recited he is in Equity obliged too And if I do not prove it I will burn my Books that so charge the Quakers and let this be the Touchstone to try us both in the mean time any Quaker that thinks I am in the Wrong let them look first on W. Penn's Book by me heretofore quoted as well as this before me and the Scriptures following viz. Luke 1.26,31,32,33,35 2.10,11,12,13 Matth. 16.13,16,17,20,27 cap. 17.5,9,12,13,26,29 cap. 26,27,38,50,67 cap. 28.6 Mark 9.7 John 5.22,27 cap. 6.69 Acts 1.10,11 cap. 5.30,31 cap.
the Kingdom c. p. 4. Several Papers given out for spreading Truth c. Ninthly In teaching That if Christ that 's Crucified be not within and that Christ that 's Risen be not within I say that ye are Reprobates Now I say that if there be any other Christ than he that 's Crucified within he is a false Christ and he that hath not this Christ that was Risen and Crucified within is a Reprobate Tho' Devils and Reprobates make a Talk of him without God's Christ is not Distinct from his Saints nor his Body the Church for he is within them not Distinct from their Spirits And thou say'st thou art saved by Christ without thee and so hath recorded thy self a Reprobate and they that profess Christ without them and another Christ within them here is two Christs G. Fox 's Great Mystery c. p. 206 207 250 254. And to confirm this false Doctrine see Edw. Burrough's Answer to a Question and William Smith's to his Child which are as followeth Query Is that very Man said the Minister to Burrough with that very Body within you Yea or Nay Burrough Answers The very Christ of God is within us we dare not deny him Burtongh 's Works p. 149. Query How may I know when Christ is truly Preached W. Smith's Answer They that are false Ministers Preach Christ without and bid People believe in him as he is in Heaven above But they that are Christ's Ministers Preach Christ within c. Smith 's Primer c. p. 8. Now Reader if this Doctrine be sound and Orthodox then were all the Apostles Martyrs and all Christian Ministers false Teachers and Deceivers but if this Doctrine be Heterodox then the Quakers only are the false Teachers Deceivers and Antichrists W. Penn also is one with Fox Burrough and Smith See his Christian Quaker and Div. Test p. 97 98. and his Sandy Foundation p. 21. Tenthly G. Fox speaking of his own Rise out of the North gives his Book this Title News coming up out of the North sounding towards the South written by Fox from the Mouth of the Lord from one who is Naked and stands Naked before the Lord cloathed with Righteousness whose Name is not known in the World risen out of the North which was prophesied of †Query by what Prophet and now fulfilled Thus much briefly touching this Blasphemous Bird which being the Master of the Assembly and first Founder of this Sect he shall not be of the Number of the Twelve intended viz. Six of each sort which now shall follow in their Order the first Six being of the same Feather witnessing to their Forerunner and great Apostle who tho' he once said he had a Celestial Body * Before two credible Witnesses one being still alive that he had Power to binde and loose whom he pleased yet his Body proved an Earthly one and is dead and gone and for some Years whilst living amongst them was like a Statue or an insensible Image which could scarce see or understand being grown Corpulent and in bulk of two or three Men and so dosed away his time with strong Liquors and Brandy who left these Words for W. Rogers John Raunce Anne Docwra and others who had opposed his Tyranny and Usurpation viz. And as for this Spirit of Rebellion and Opposition that hath risen formerly and lately it is out of the Kingdom of God and Heavenly Jerusalem and is for Judgment and Condemnation with all its Books Words and Works †This was Printed in their Yearly Epistle 1691. and Reprinted in Fox's Journal 1694. p. 616. Now observe how this Fox is ador'd Burrough the First Bird of the Blasphemous Six See their Book This is only to go amongst Friends p. 19. viz. Oh thou North of England who art counted as Desolate and Barren and reckoned the least of the Nations yet out of thee did the Branch Fox spring and the Star Fox arise which gives Light unto all the Regions round about in thee the Son of Righteousness Fox appear'd out of thee Kings Priests and Prophets did come forth in the Name and Power of the most High meaning Hubberthorn Howgil Burrough Farnsworth Nayler Atkinson Whitehead c. which uttered their Voices as Thunders c. Thus has Burrough ecchoed back and confirmed Fox his Imposture saying Amen to his Blasphemy alluding to Micah 5.2 to Matth. 2.5,6 as more largely handled in my Book New Rome Unmask'd c. p. 79 to 88. and New Rome Arraigned c. p. 5 6 7. And I marvel at Whitehead's Impudence to deny it In his Sober Exp. p. 57 58. but to make it clear and past his Exception if possible let 's take out more Birds but he that will deny Burrough's Book to have this Title This is only to go amongst Friends which is the only and all the Title and which Book I have by me what will not such a Fellow deny Jos Coale the Second Bird. Dear Geo. Fox who art the Father of many Nations whose Life hath reached through us thy Children even to the Isles afar off to the begetting many again to a lively Hope for which Generations to come shall call thee Blessed whose Being and Habitation is in the Power of the Highest in which thou Geo. Fox Rulest and Governs in Righteousness And Thy Kingdom is Established in Peace and the Increase thereof is without End Read Numb 24.17,19 Zech. 3.8 cap. 6. v. 12. Malachi 4.2 Luke 1.32,33 Isai 9.6,7 Thus then it is plain That both Burrough and Coale call'd G. Fox comparatively the Branch the Son of Righteousness yea Christ Sol. Eccles the Third Bird. Several Petitions Answer'd c. p. 60. Stand up Muggleton thou Sorcerer whose Mouth is full of Cursing Lies and Blasphemy who calls thy last Book a Looking-Glass for Geo. Fox whose NAME thou art not worthy to take into thy Mouth who is a Prophet indeed and hath been faithful in the Lord's 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 John 1.10 So it may be said of this true Prophet Geo. Fox whom John said he was not Several Petitions Answer'd c. p. 60. but thou wilt feel this Prophet one Day as heavy as a Millstone upon thee and altho' the World knows him not * See the first Instance of the Ten about Fox yet he is known c. The Quak. Chal. p. 6. Thus do they all agree that Fox is their Star their Branch c. For if he be Christ as Eccles saith if he had a Kingdom established of whose Encrease there never was to be an end as Coale said then he was Christ and so the Branch the Star c. as Burrough said and indeed as they all mean else they would condemn these Blasphemous Books but instead thereof this Letter of Coale's is vindicated in their Book Judas and the Jews p. 44. in