Throne c. Rev. 3.21 And John says he saw Thrones and they who sate on them Rev. 20.4 And after all the Exception that the Snake may take at it it is true that as many as through the Power and Authority of the Spirit of Christ in them do follow him in Regeneration they shall sit upon Thrones metaphorically speaking that is in the Power of God over that which heretofore while in Disobedience they were in Captivity to Ibid. p. 113. The Snake quotes part of a Letter said to be writ by G. F. but for any proof that he has given it may either be adulterated by the Snake or some Apostate or forged by them If they were G. F's why did not the Snake give the whole Letter To what purpose hath he made a break in it And what is left out at it The Editors of the Journal had no Reason why they should have left out or altered as p. 114. he says they have those words My Kingdom is not of this World and those words who is the Son of God which need not have given offence if they had been in For they whom Jesus Christ hath washed from their Sins in his own Blood are by him made Kings and Priests unto God Rev. 1.6 and to them it is their Father's good pleasure to give the Kingdom Luke 12.32 which is not of this World And for those last words said by the Snake to be omitted and instead of which he says are added I set my Name what room or place was there for all that to come after his Name was set which the Snake hath given and omitted with a Ibid. p. 114. In a Book called News coming out of the North p. 15. G. Fox says I am the Door that ever was the same Christ Yesterday to Day and for ever Reader if now upon view of G. Fox's words they shall plainly appear to be by him spoken of Christ thou wilt I doubt not agree with me that the injustice of this Adversary must be very great who hath of set purpose traduced and perverted G. F's words insinuating that he spake them of himself when in truth it is no such thing This will best appear by giving the Quotation with the Marginal Scriptures from the page quoted by the Snake and is as follows P. 15. Now to all dear Ones and dear Hearts I speak The same Seed which is Christ the same Spirit takes upon it now as ever was the same World is now as ever was the same Temptations and the same Devils and the same Worship of the World twining into one another Form and Colour And Jesus Christ is the Way the Truth and the Life he is the Door that all must pass through and he is the Porter that opens it I am the same Door that ever was the same Christ Yesterday to Day and for Ever Look at the Captain Jesus Christ who hath passed before who was tempted the Captain of our Salvation and the same temptation to Worship the Devil and if thou wilt Worship the Devil thou shalt have the Glory of the World but if thou wilt not bow down and Worship the Devil thou shalt have none of the Worlds Glory but be called a Devil as Christ was and be called a Mad-man as he was This Reader with much more of the like Import which I have omitted G. F. does there speak concerning the Power of Jesus Christ to preserve Men out of Temptation and the workings of the Devil to destroy Men by them Yet this by the Snake is accounted part of the Quakers Idolatry The Snake's Quotation from the Introduction to G. F's Battle-Door I have already reply'd to p. 149. and therefore need not say more to it here The Snake 's next Quotation p. 114. is from The Title Page of News coming out of the North from whence he insinuates and charges G. F. with saying of himself that he was prophesied of His Quotation is this Written from the Mouth of the Lord from one who is Naked and stands Naked before the Lord Clothed with Righteousness whose Name is not known in the World risen up out of the North which was prophesied of but now is fulfilled here the Snake leaves off but G. F. continues The Army is coming out of the North against you Terrible Ones whose Weapons are not Carnal but Spiritual G. F. Now from G. F's words it is plain that those words which was prophesied of relate to that Prophecy of Jeremy the 31.8 and not to himself or any Person and are only an allusion to those Prophesies of the H. Prophets concerning the Armies of the North which were to fight against and overcome the Jews and other Nations for their Disobedience and Wickedness Which as they litterally did do so by a usual allusion the People fulfilling this Prophecy Jer. 31.8 will through the Assistance of God's Grace their Weapons being Spiritual not Carnal go on in the Warfare of the Gospel-Day The Snake's next Quotation p. 114. is from Several Petitions answered c. p. 60. And he gives it thus My Name is Covered from the World and the World knows not me nor my Name G. F. Now who would not take this to be either all that G. F. had here spoken or else the words last delivered But Reader it is neither of these for G. F. is subscribed at the bottom of several lines more than these the Snake hath given and are continued by G. F. thus The Earthly Name the Earthly Man knows and he is afraid of Reproach and cannot bear it upon the Earthly Name he that overcometh hath the New Name and knoweth it Now Reader what is this but the sense of those Scriptures 1 Pet. 4.14 Rev. 2.17 and 3.12 which whether this Adversary did not know or had wilfully omitted to consider are yet sufficient to shew the falsity of his Charge of our Idolatry herein The Snake's next Quotations are from an Adversaries Book which was answered Yet such is his Injustice that he takes no notice of the Answer but objects as if they had not been reply'd to wherefore it deserves not to be taken notice of till he shall have reply'd to that Answer and disprov'd it And any Man may with equal Justice quote the Books of the Romanists to prove the Church of England Schismatical Heretical c. without taking notice of the Answers written to them Charges But whether such practice would be reasonable or not not only the Agrieved Party but all impartial Men can readily determine One of these Quotations is from part of a Letter writ by Josiah Cole to G. Fox and which had been formerly objected against by John Faldo and other Adversaries to which Objections W. P. did Answer in two several Books one Entituled Judas and the Jews the other Entituled The Invalidity of J. Faldo 's Vindication Of the first of these Books the Snake takes so much notice p. 115. as to say that W. P. does in p. 44.
altho' the Snake hath to excuse this made an Advertisement p. 346 347 348. yet he hath not clear'd himself of it in that by a most wilful perversion he saith p. 347. It lies still against Mr. Penn and the other Foxonian Quakers But besides Perversions of this Sort his Curtailing Quotations his Changing and Placing of Words and Sentences so that they might speak his Sense not ours is most notorious and such as does at once destroy both the Charity of a Christian and the Honour of a Man Thus making a Quotation from G. F's Answer to the Westmerland Petition he pretends to take these words You will own Our Writings when in that place as I have shewn p. 83. the words are You will own Them so that the words Our Writings are his Addition Thus also he makes a Quotation from Edw. Burroughs's Works p. 862. Every True Member of the Church here he gives a Dash and then goes on and leaves out these words which next follow hath its particular Measure of the Infallible Spirit of Christ c. as I have shewn in p. 93. and thus he hath done by G. Whitehead W. Penn T. Ellwood F. Howgill and others whose Writings he mentions which I have detected as I have met with them And besides this his base Practice of Clipping our Words and Coining and passing upon his Reader his own words for ours in pretended Quotations which are herein detected He also in Relations of Fact hath been equally injurious to Truth and Us. Thus in p. 148. He pretends to give an account of the Practice of one of our Schools to tell what they do and what they do not read and says Never a Chapter out of the Bible that is Beastly Ware with them Dust and Death and Serpents Meat Yet this is false as I have shewn by Certificates under the hands of Persons who well know the Practice of that School and have testified p. 225 226 227. That the Scriptures are in that School daily read by the Scholars and that there hath not been the least appearance of Slight or Disesteem shew'd to them either by the Master or any other belonging to the said School And to what I have thus prov'd notoriously false he had the Face to call upon the Publick to take some care in it which if himself had done he could not have told that Untruth Thus in p. 110. He does in the last degree of Confidence say We never heard of any Censure they have pass'd upon those many much grosser Contempts of Scripture which daily are found among them particularly of Mary Tucker c. When on the contrary his general Slander Contempts of Scripture which are daily found among them c. is no other than a general Falshood and the particular Story I have shewn p. 171 172. to be as falsly cast on us For that there was Censure past upon Mary Tucker for her gross Contempt of the Holy Scripture both by her then Master for it is now near 40 Years since W. Reyman And also by Edw. Burroughs and other of our Friends who did then deny her for that Action And of this he might easily have heard who did so well know the place of W. Reyman's abode But the meanness of his Soul follows that of his Fortune to supply his Teeth he turns Broker or Pedlar to Renegades and licks up their Spittle to use his own Phrase only that he may have the Pleasure of throwing it at us having added to its Filthiness from his own foul Mouth Thus by a strange Contradiction he can receive Information from T. C. against J. Naylor who yet hath professed so much respect to that deceased as to conclude to be buried by him which shews that while they are lashing of J. N's Memory or the faults of such as have been long since deny'd by us it 's only with design that they might reach our Backs This is the Aim and great Design in order to which the Charges which we have heretofore Answer'd over and over are now new vamp'd and chang'd by this Snake in a fresh Dress and given forth as a new discovery which tho' it be a plain proof of his Disingenuity yet is there little New in it for that Charges of these sorts have been made by our Adversaries in their Books Printed against us as well during the Days of the Common-wealth as since And though there hath been hardly any in their Writings against us but have shewn themselves to have some Rancour and Enmity Yet I think none have gone the length of this Snake herein as well in his Prophane Jesting and playing the Buffoon on the Subject of Religion some Instances of which I have Collected p. 19 20. whereby he hath shewn himself fitter for a Stage-Play than a serious Controversie as in the management of it he hath discover'd nothing more than a Persecuting Spirit by ill and false Practices endeavouring to expose us for our Christian Principles while himself for his own Principle or rather Humour is Incognito I say Humour because he was formerly as much the other way towards the late King even to Rudeness and Sedition as he hath since manifested himself to be against the Present Government Insomuch that if we fetch his Parallel from Scripture it must be Ishmael both in Scoffing and having his Hand against every Man by which his ill Practices and Un-Christian Attempts and Designs he hath given true Evidence and Reason to conclude concerning him in the Words of the Prophet Isa. 57.20 But the wicked are like the troubled Sea when it cannot rest whose Waters cast up mire and dirt Reader I shall not be so tedious in the Preface as here to touch upon the several kinds of Ills he hath done towards us they being somewhat spoken to in the Introduction What remains is That I account it in some sort an Act of Supererogation to consider him at all after the Answer which hath been already given by G. W. to the first Edition and what hath been occasionally Answer'd in former times The Substance of his whole Book being no other than a Repetition of former Calumnies from several Adversaries which as he has collected or epitomiz'd into one Volume so if thou herein finds fit Collective Answer it may in some degree ease thee of the trouble of an exact and distinct Inquiry into all our particular Answers If herein it be serviceable in that the Calumnies of the Adversary are wip'd away his Falsities refuted and Truth set in it's Native Light so far God shall hereby be Glorify'd and both my trouble in Writing and thine in Reading of it will be answer'd J. W. THE CONTENTS Sect. I. INtroduction Wherein also the Preface and Introduction of the Snake are considered p. 1. Sect. II. Shewing that we do not make our Souls of the same Person and Substance with God nor Aspire to an Equality with him p. 49. Sect. III. Concerning Perfection p. 69. Sect. IV. Concerning Immediate
Enthusiasts both born in the Year 1650. for then it was Muggleton says he got his Inspiration If Muggleton did come forth in the Spirit of Deceit in the same Year that G. F. came forth in the Spirit and Power of the Lord What can be inferr'd from thence Theudas and Judas of Galilee came forth with their Impostors not much differing in time from our Saviour's coming in the Flesh Yet to correct the Snake's Lying Chronology the Reader may please to know that G. F. did come forth in the Power and Spirit of the Lord some Years before the Date the Snake assigns Ibid. p. 6. It will be proper in this place once for all to obviate a Prejudice which some may take at a little Railery I am forc'd to now and then in answer to such Sensless Arguments and Pretences as deserve no otherwise to be Confuted The Sober and Judicious Reader will no doubt but be Prejudic'd against such prophane Railery and manifest Contradictions as frequently appear of which these Lines are one Instance In pag. 34. foregoing We are the most subtle in Distinction of any Hereticks and it is not usual for such who Distinguish Subtilly to Argue Senslesly But Contradictions of this sort are frequent with our Adversary who throughout his whole Book as the Sober Reader may hereafter Observe doth frequently Contradict himself that he may Bely Us Mistake our Principles that he might have the Glory of a Triumph and Pervert and false Quote our Books that he might have the Reputation of Great Discoveries Of all which having gone through his Introduction remains next in order to be spoken SECT I. Our Principle of the Light of Christ in Men shewn to be Scriptural and our Books herein agreeable thereto THE Light preached and testified to by us ever since we were a People is no other than Jesus Christ the Son of the Father's Love who in due time was born of the Virgin Mary dwelt on the Earth and was in all things like unto Us Sin only excepted Who was Crucify'd under Pontius Pilate died was buried and rose again the third Day and ascended into Heaven This Jesus Christ while he dwelt on Earth preached himself the Light and Way to the Father and speaking of himself to his Disciples John 14.17 said He Dwelleth with you and shall be in you And of this Jesus Christ John Testifies He was the Word in the Beginning with God and that this Word was God and that in him is Life and that Life the Light of Men and that this Light Lighteth every Man that cometh into the World John 1.1 4 9. This is that Glorious Truth testified unto by us which is not Notion except to those only who have barely an Historical Knowledge hereof For to those that do reverently attend its discoveries it is no more Notion but a Home-felt Truth With this Testimony it was that it pleased God to send forth his Servant George Fox who tho' despised mean and unlearned in the accounts of Men was of God made an Apostle in this Age and hath been instrumental in his hand for the directing of Thousands to the Light of Christ in Men. Upon which Light as Men come to attend it will fully teach them their Duty to God and enable them to perform it it will discover to them a System of Principles truly Orthodox with more certainty than Council or Synod can not taught by it for he is indeed a Wonderful Counsellor And this not in Notion not meerly Historical No! But in Practice according to their Obedience to it It will first fully and truly beyond any Casuist shew unto Man what is his Sin and if Man dispise not this Discovery but close with it it will beget in him a loathing of his Sin and then procede to work in him a repentance from Dead Works which if unfeigned it will go on to sanctify him and when Man by this Light Spirit or Grace is sanctified it will then witness to his Spirit that he is justified So will Man truly come to be redeemed This in short is the substance of what hath been by us declared concerning this Divine Light Christ in Men and which is not more than is witnessed of it in the Holy Scriptures in the words whereof our Friends have frequently given their belief in this as in other Articles and that with good reason for the Spirit of God in his Church in this Age can well agree with the Language of the same Spirit in and to the Churches in the former Ages And here I may fitly observe that too nice expressing and minute particularizing of Articles of Faith has been frequently one ground of Heresie and Schism and occasioned great disturbance in the World and indeed it 's no wonder that when Men forsake that teaching Grace which brings Salvation they should set up that Earthly Wisdom which in matters of Faith breeds confusion Ibid. p. 7 8. And this Notion of the Light within as a Ray only or Illumination from the Holy Spirit the Ingenious Mr. Penn has let us see in some of his late Books to draw us insensibly off the Scent of the Quaker Notion of the Light within This Adversary that he may scratch more undiscernedly he Hypocritically flatters W. Penn of which as we pass shall meet with divers instances But it is false that W. Penn hath in any of his Books explained our Belief of the Light within in terms contrary to what G. Fox or other our Ancient Friends have done He being a Scholar might use other terms but not contrary he might vary from the express words of G. Fox or others but not from their sense Of this Holy Writ affords instances The Holy Apostle Paul's rethorical forms of Speech might be more agreeable to the Rules of Art but not of the Holy Spirit than those of the rest of the Holy Apostles Yet his Learning and their Illiterature were both of excellent use the minds of the Persons being under subjection to the Spirit of God This was their great Rule so that though according to the Humane helps they had had they might use various yet not contrary terms in the same Article Ibid. p. 8. And that is to make this their Light within not only an Inspiration or Illumination sent from God but to be it self the Essential God and Christ. What Christ hath promised and by the Holy Spirit hath dictated concerning God and Christ's Dwelling in Men as in these places refer'd to among many others it may be seen is so experienced a Truth as well as good an Authority for such like Scriptural expressions that it will stand the Shock of any capricious Gramarian who would pretend to speak more properly and distinguish more nicely than it hath seemed good to the Holy Ghost to do John 14.17 20. Rom. 8.10 1 Cor. 10.4 2 Cor. 15.4.10.6 7.14.25.13.7 Gal. 2.20 Heb. 2.11 Col. 1.27.4.19.2.6 Ibid. 8. And from hence O Blasphemy to repeat it they
travelling Friends that went abroad c. It is not good manners to name Names upon such an occasion Yet if the Friends will plead Ignorance something may be done for their Satisfaction That Women as well as Men may forsake the Guidings of the Spirit of God and run into Wickedness is very true but that any who have so run into Wickedness are Preachers or as such Travelling Friends as he in scoffing Mood calls them and intimates is very false and I dare him to name any that are such I come now to his 6th Head of Distinction which is a continuation of Stories of particular Failings VI. But we may make a little more bold with the Mens Infallibility And I will not go to mean Ones The Great James Naylor was brought upon his knees before their Church where G. F. presided to acknowledge his Failings This James Naylor suffered himself to be Hosannah'd into Bristol as Christ was into Jerusalem Of this Adversaries Boldness and Scoffing we have great Proof but of his Honesty and Truth we have none of his Lyes here is also fresh Proof For it never was the Practice of any Church or Meeting of ours to bring any Transgressor upon their knees nor did G. F. ever preside in them or any other Person We neither have nor own in our Assemblies any Headship of Man or Men the only Head of them being Christ Jesus who dignifies whom he pleases with fit qualifications by his Holy Spirit for the Service of his Church and they that continue faithful in their Gifts such we with the Apostle esteem worthy of double Honour But now as to James Naylor of whom the Snake often makes mention I shall here at once speak concerning him J. N. was a Man who had been highly favoured of God with a good degree of Grace which was sufficient for him had he kept to its teachings For while he did so he was exemplary in Godliness and great Humility was Powerful in Word and Doctrine and thereby Instrumental in the hand of God for turning many from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan to the Power of God But he Poor Man Became exalted above Measure through the abundance of Revelations And in that Exaltation did depart from the Grace and Holy Spirit of God which had been his sufficient Teacher Then blindness came over him and he did suffer himself to be accounted of above what he ought Here he slipt and fell but not Irrecoverably For it did please God of his Infinite Mercy in the Day of his Affliction to give him a sight and sense of his outgoings and fall and also a place of Repentance And he did with the Prodigal weep bitterly and humbled himself for his Transgression and he besought God with true Contrition of Soul to pardon his offences through Jesus Christ God I firmly believe forgave him for he pardons the truly Penitent His People received him with great Joy for that he who had gone astray from God was now returned to the Father's House and for that he who had separated himself from them through his Iniquity was now through Repentance and Forsaking of it returned into the Unity of the Faith and their Holy Fellowship in the Gospel of Christ. And I do hereby testify that I do esteem it a particular mark of God's owning his People in bringing back into Unity with them a Man who had so dangerously fallen as did James Naylor And here let none Insult but take heed least they also in the hour of their Temptation do fall away Nor let any boastingly say Where is your God Or Blasphemously suppose his Grace is not sufficient for Men in Temptation because the tempted may go from and neglect the teachings of it David and Peter as their Transgressions came by their departing from this Infallible Guide the Holy Spirit So their recovery was only by it And for the Reader 's further satisfaction concerning James Naylor's Humiliation and Repentance I here subjoin his own Testimony Glory to God Almighty who ruleth in the Heavens and in whose Hands are all the Kingdoms of the Earth who raiseth up and casteth down at his Will who hath ways to Confound the Exaltation of Man and to Chastise his Children and to make Man to know himself to be as Grass before him whose Judgments are above the highest of Men and his pity reacheth the deepest Misery and thâ—s Arm of his Mercy is underneath to lift up the Prisoner out of the Pit and to save such as trust in him from the great Destruction which vain Man through his folly brings upon himself who hath delivered my Soul from Darkness and made way for my Freedom out of the Prison-house and ransomed me from the great Captivity who divides the Sea before him and removes the Mountains out of his way in the day when he takes upon him to deliver the Oppressed out of the Hand of him that is too mighty for him in the Earth let his Name be exalted for ever and let all Flesh fear before him whose Breath is Life to his own but a Consuming Fire to the Adversary And to the Lord Jesus Christ be Everlasting Dominion upon Earth and his Kingdom above all the Powers of Darkness even that Christ of whom the Scriptures declares which was and is and is to come the Light of the World to all Generations Of whose coming I testifie with the rest of the Children of Light begotten of the Immortal Seed whose Truth and Vertue now shines in the World unto Righteousness of Eternal Life And the Saviour of all that believe therein Who hath been the Rock of my Salvation and his Spirit hath given Quietness and Patience to my Soul in Deep Affliction even for his Name 's sake Praises for ever But condemned for ever be all those False Worships with which any have Idolized my Person in the Night of my Temptation when the Power of Darkness was above all their casting of their Clothes in the way their Bowings and Singings and all the rest of those Wild Actions which did any ways tend to dishonour the Lord or draw the Minds of any from the measure of Christ Jesus in themselves to look at Flesh which is Grass or to ascribe that to the Visible which belongs to Christ Jesus all that I condemn by which the pure Name of the Lord hath been any ways blasphemed through me in the time of Temptation or the Spirits of any People grieved that truly loves the Lord Jesus throughout the whole World of what state soever This Offence I confess which hath been sorrow of heart that the Enemy of Man's Peace in Christ should get this Advantage in the Night of my Trial to stir up Wrath and Offences in the Creation of God a thing the simplicity of my Heart did not intend the Lord knows who in his endless Love hath given me Power over it to condemn it and also that Letter which was sent me to Exeter by John
so many Meetings and so great stir among theâ— For G. Keith was not so much as accused for Preaching any thing else but this But now Snake who mumblâ—â—â—â—istles was not he accused of very many Turbulent and Indecent Actions and Expressions as is at large seen in The State of the Case which I have above quoted and which the Snake also quotes with perversion as I have before shewn Snake p. 67. Here is a many forked and involved Infallibility one Meeting Justifying another Condemning G. Keith and all for the very same Doctrine Ibid. p. 68. This will not only overthrow the Infallibility in each particular Person but even of their Churches or Meetings That particular Persons may make Defection from the Guidings of the Spirit of Truth and may Apostatize from that Union and Fellowship which they had once with the Friends of it I have already largly shewn and what particulars may do Assemblies made up of such particulars may also do Floods and Parties as the Snake expresses it may Apostatize as well as particulars nay a whole Community may Apostatize and yet the Infallibility of the Guide of any one particular Person who continues Faithful and Obedient to the Holy Spirit remains firm and sure Thus 1 Cor. 10.4 The Apostle testifies of the Jews They all Drank the same spiritual Drink for they Drank of that Spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ. Now this Rock could have as Infallibly preserved the whole Tribes of Israel from Egypt thro' the Wilderness to the promised Land had they been Obedient to it as it did Caleb and Joshua who were the only two of all the Thousands that left Egypt and entered in But further that Assemblies or Churches may Apostatize and Backslide the Holy Spirit is sufficient Warrant by the particular reproofs or cautions it gives to the seven Asiatick Churches mentioned Rev. 2.2 and 3. And sure the Snake will not be so hardy as to say that the Holy Spirit was able only to give Reproof and Caution suitable to their wants and defects but not to have preserved them blameless and to have guided them Infallibly in that way he appointed them to go Ibid. p. 68. Besides this first proof in Pensilvania there is yet another more express and positive called The Barbadoes Judgment c. And besides the detecting the Snake's false conclusion in that I have to say to this that according to his usual Injustice he herein makes use of an Adversary's Book Babel's Builders c. without taking notice of the Answer which was published to it Intituled A Babilonish Opposer of Truth reproved c. By S. C. I. P. and R. R. as he also passes over in Silence tho' mentioned in that Adversaries Book a Letter of G. â—'s and others writ to Barbadoes concerning this very thing wherein they are shewn their cause is not right that they had taken which Letter and the matter it relates to is fully spoken to in our Answer above mentioned wherein is also S. E's condemnation of his rashness in those words spoke by him to J. S. mentioned p. 125. foregoing Ibid. p. 69 70. I was told by one present at the Quaker Meeting at Ratcliff on Sunday the 17 th of February 1694 5 That Mr. Penn having Preached and after G. Keith rising up and expounding some Scripture in another manner than Mr. Penn had done Mr. Penn stop'd him and solemnly denounced these words against him In the Name of the Lord I pronounce him an Apostate over the Head of him Vpon which occasion I have these few Questions to ask Q. Whether this was a Sentence from Mr. Penn himself or from their Church Whether by an Ordinary Commission of Succession to Christ and the Apostles Whether by an Extraordinary Commission such as the Prophets and the Apostles had To the first W. Penn being in Unity with the Church declared this of one who had broken Unity by making defection from that term of Union which in time passed he had declared he was by the Light of Christ in him led to profess and believe Secondly All who are kept living by the Spirit of Truth in that bond of Union which that did at first lead into such have ordinary Commission therefrom to testifie against Apostates And this not by such falsly pretended Succession as the Papal Chair or others may pretend to from the Apostles But by succeeding in a measure of that same Light and Holy Spirit which they were in To the Last W. Penn tho' then knowing G. K. to have broken Union as is before expressed he might at that time in the Openings of the Spirit of Truth have a larger and fuller Sight of his Apostacy and so a Warrant to Declare it And for this there needed no new Credentials viz. Miracles it being no more than what hath been confirmed by those the Apostles wrought Ibid. p. 72. But for the present I only apply it to the point of their Church Authority over the Light within particular Persons their original and great pretence The Light within particular Persons is as much our Characteristick now as ever and we have no Church Authority over it or repugnant to it and that in the case of G. K. no such Authority was used Consider the following Lines G. Keith hath often Printed and Declared that he did believe and profess the same Doctrines and Principles of Faith with us and that he was led so to do only by the Light of Jesus Christ shining into his Heart Through and by which Light he did profess to have true union and fellowship with us and accordingly he so was denominated and distinguished Now the Light of Jesus Christ is not contrary to it self and if by the inshinings thereof and his obedience to it it was that G. K. did profess as above Then it naturally follows G. K's innovation to the contrary of what he hath so professed cannot proceed from that Light of Jesus Christ from which the above profession of Unity and Fellowship did Therefore to give Judgment against G. K. is not to give Judgment against the Light of Jesus Christ but agreeable to it even in G. Keith against himself The like is to be said of J. Story c. and others who have innovated and made defection as these did whose Works being bad the issue is the same with what Gamaliel shews Acts 5.28 They are come to naught And therefore after all the Boast which the Snake makes about Separation and Faction We may concerning all of them now declining and towards their end hope and have ground to believe that as many as are yet in a Spirit of Separation in whom are any true desires towards God for his guidance in the Truth such he will restore to the Fold they have strayed from And he will scatter them whose end is not his Honour agreeable to what the Psalmist said concerning the Wicked Psal. 37.36 He is gone I sought him but he could not be
Excuse and Justifie Josiah Cole in that Letter but has taken no pains to refute the Arguments nor any notice at all of the Book last named in which W. P. does justifie it but only Serpent-like would deceive his Reader by giving the Words in old Black English Letters as if that was Argument sufficient to shew that the sense of the Words were Black and Idolatrous But that they are not I shall Reader entreat thy patience to weigh and consider the five following Paragraphs which are the words of that Letter together with W. P's Defence and Explanation of them as they are in his Book Invalidity c. p. 354 355. First That he should call G. Fox the Father of many Nations but what is this more than to say that Men of several Nations have been begat unto Christ through him Thus Paul was a Father to the Romans Corinthians c. 1 Cor. 4.15 For though ye have ten thousand Instructors yet ye have not many Fathers for in Christ have I begotten you Secondly That his Life hath reached through his Children to the Isles afar off to the begetting of many again unto a lively Hope But what of all this The Life of God is one in all Paul lived by the Life of Christ and so did Peter Paul was present in Spirit though absent in Body 1 Cor. 5.3 4. Thirdly That Generations to come should call him blessed But is not the Memory of the Just blessed Prov. 10.7 and did not God by Isaiah promise concerning Israel I will make thee an Eternal Excellency and the Joy of many Generations Isai. 60.57 This belongs to G. Fox J. Cole and every Child of God yea and J. Faldo too if he were so good as he should be Fourthly That his Being and Habitation was in the Power of the Highest And so it should be for that is the Habitation of every Child of God for others dwell in the Power of the World In short we are exhorted to stand fast in the Power of Godliness and we read that it was the End of the Evangelical Ministry to turn People from the Power of Satan unto the Power of God which is the Power of the Highest Fifthly That he Ruled and Governed in Righteousness This is but what Paul exhorts Timothy to do in the Church of Christ as both his Epistles inform us at large Every Elder Overseer or Pastor in the Church of Christ is bound to do so If J. F. can prove he doth otherwise he may then charge him with uncomely walking but not J. Cole with Blasphemy for saying that a good Man governs in Righteousness The Snake's next Instance are some pieces of a Letter p. 115. which he says was writ by John Audland these I shall dismiss at present because at the end of his Libel he pretends to give it entire Spelt and Pointed according to the Original And I rather chuse to consider what he calls the entire Letter than these parts of it and therefore proceed to his next Instance p. 116. which is a Quotation from a Sheet Entituled The Quakers Challenge p. 6. wherein the Snake says Solomon Eccles says these words of G. Fox It was said of Christ that he was in the World and the World was made by him and the Word knew him not So it may be said of this true Prophet George Fox whom John said he was not Here the Snake takes some pains to wrest pervert and misconstrue these words of Solomon Eccles contrary to a Sober Explanation given of them by G. Whitehead in his Book Serious Search p. 58. But has knowingly omitted to accept or refute Solomon Eccles his own explanation of them words Contrary to what he hath in the like case p. 195. said concerning G. F. viz. You will best know his meaning from himself Which if true why did not this Snake either accept or refute Solomon Eccles his meaning which is given from himself and mentioned in p. 59. of Serious Search above-named and also in p. 75. of Judas and the Jews likewise before-named and which for the Readers satisfaction I here subjoin I did not say Nor did I ever believe that the World was made by G. F. but by Christ who was in the World and the World knew him not So that I say it may be said of G. F. the World knows him not though he be in the World as was said of Christ He was in the World though not of the World and the World knew him not And he said of his Followers Ye are not of the world as I am not of the world and I have chosen you out of the world John 17.16 and 15.19 Now Reader what Faith or Honesty can we expect to find in an Adversary who with deep Hypocrisie and Injustice shall thus wilfully pass over and not accept or refute a Man's own explanation of his words What is become of his Great Charity Real Kindness and Good Wishes which in p. 2. he pretended to have We may safely conclude they have no more reality than the Tears of a Crocodile which Naturalists speak of We come now to Hearsay Stories p. 117 118. wherein he says He hath it from Eye-witnesses who have seen them fall down to him and saying to him Thou art the Son of the Ever-living God the King of Israel all Nations shall worship thee c. And kneeling to his Wife Margaret gave her an Ora pro Nobis in these words O thou my Heavenly Mother Pray to my Heavenly Father for me These Adorations were common to G. F. and that Blasphemous Valpoon took it Gravely without any Reprehension I do here charge the Snake with a Notorious Lie in saying that G. Fox did with Delectation ever accept of any Adoration or to be stiled King of Israel c. or that his Wife accepted of any such Ora pro nobis as above or that it was given by any in true unity with us Ibid. p. 118. At another time a She Preacher arose c. To this Story thus boldly asserted the Snake offers no proof and I do deny that any She Preacher as the Snake floutingly speaks owned by us did so accost G. F. in any Publick Meeting of ours Snake p. 119. Let me here only observe what an uncouth and preposterous piece of Humility it is to deny the Title or Civility of Master or the Hat while at the same time they worship one another with Divine Honour Let me Reader here only observe the Profaneness and Falshood of this Adversary in urging for Truth false and hearsay Stories against us and at the same time decry as preposterous and uncouth the Precept of our Saviour Mat. 23.8 The Snake's next Instance p. 120. is a Quotation from a peice Entituled The Guilty Clergy-man Vnvail'd writ by Thomas Speed and Printed 1657. from which he picks these two Lines in p. 17. That you will by no means be thence cleansed but by the same Blood which you so cruelly shed And says They
Sacrament of Baptism as Carnal and Hurtful And it may be asked how he would have censur'd the appointing for Institutions and Sacraments what was not so appointed by our Saviour himself or any of his Brethren the Apostles Ibid. And let me here seriously mind these Quakers and admonish others how their Neglect of the Outward Ordinances and Signs has lost to them the Reality and the Thing signified This Snake hath as before shewn pretended great Charity for us yet here sticks not to damn us all See Reader his Hypocrisie he pretends to object against us and hath made a particular Section on that Head That we damn all but our selves of which in its place Yet here in great Charity and as himself says seriously we have lost the Reality and the Thing signified which he will say is Christ then necessarily Salvation which is only by him But it is well for us that this Snake whether serious or scoffing whether profane or arrogant and at times he is all these is still wrong and false For we can in deep Humility of Soul thank God that thro' the Manifestations of the Holy Spirit upon our Hearts we are kept in fresh and living Remembrances of the Love of God in Jesus Christ to us ward and as we open at his Voice we do witness him to fulfil his Promise Rev. 3.20 I will come into him and sup with him and he with me Ibid. For it had been impossible for any who had been kept in the constant use and practice of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper to have forgot Christ's outward Dying and Shedding of his Blood And is it not as much impossible for those who witness Christ to fulfil his Promise Rev. 3.20 in them to forget his outward Crucifixion and shedding of his Blood I think it is not less impossible and I am very sure it is not less Beneficial for a Man to witness the Spiritual Supper of Christ in and with him than it is for a Man without such Spiritual Knowledge to have only the Outward Remembrances of Christ by outward Bread and Wine Now if the Snake will say and prove that it is impossible for all such who have the Outward Ordinances to miss of the Spiritual Knowledge of Christ that might be somewhat to the purpose but the Contrary is too plain Yet it is absolutely and always impossible for all those who do Spiritually Sup with Christ as mentioned Rev. 3.20 while they do so Sup with him to forget him No it cannot be but that Daily Bread which he breaks to those who seek him will preserve the Soul which does receive it alive to bless and praise his Name Ibid. p. 70. The Devil having stoln from us the Body or Outward Part of Religion the Soul soon disappeared If the Devil has done so by this Snake it is otherwise than we may observe he commonly does by Mankind For it was the Complaint of God by his Prophets against the Jews of old that they had lost the Soul of Religion while they kept the Body or Outward Part. The like Complaint our Saviour made of the Pharisees who had clean outsides The like Complaint was made against the Romanists by our first Reformers viz. that they had the Body or Outward Part of Religion but the Soul of it was disappear'd And for all the Snake's suggestion the Devil holds the same Course And he may have as Gay an outside as he will while he continues so deceitful within as he is Ibid. Religion can no more live and be preserved to us here while we are in the Body without outward and corporal means than the Soul can live to us here while we are upon the Earth without our Body and hence the Corporal Service Rom. 12.1 The Snake has here as in many other places advanced a false and dangerous Tenet little if any thing differing from the opus operatum of the Papists which he would shrowd under the Patronage of Rom. 12.1 which Scripture is directly opposite to his Assertion as we shall presently see He hath asserted Religion cannot be preserved without Corporal Means Now it is an undoubted Truth that true Religion cannot be begotten in the Heart of Man by other means than the secret and inward influences of the Holy Spirit and as this only and alone can beget it so it is this only and alone that can preserve it When it is thus begoten inwardly in the Heart it is indeed the means of those outward services being acceptable to God But outward services cannot be the means of it for we cannot present our Bodies a Living Sacrifice Holy acceptable unto God which is our reasonable service Rom. 12.1 By any other means than by having our Souls and Spirits subjected to the Guidance and Influences of the Holy Spirit and therefore it was that the Apostle advised Timothy 1 Tim. 4.8 For Bodily exercise profiteth little but Godliness is profitable unto all things having the promise of the Life that now is and of that which is to come And to be sure this Godliness must be first inward before it appear outward And it is the means of all our outward reasonable Service but outward Service cannot be the means of inward Obedience But further When the Apostle advises Rom. 12.1 I beseech you Brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your Bodies a living Sacrifice Holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable Service He is not bidding the Romans take the Corporal Means of Bread and Wine no such matter But is directing them to an Inward Work for he says vers 2. And be not conformed to this World but be ye transformed by the renewing of your Mind And if this Corporal Means Bread and Wine did thus transform and renew the Mind this Snake with many others who partake of it could not be so wicked as they are Ibid. This is so necessary and plain a Truth that those who take upon them to abrogate the Outward Institutions of Christ do at the same time invent and set up others of their own as has been before observ'd of the Quakers Institution of Womens Preaching and Womens Meetings Concerning Womens Preachings and Meetings hath been sufficiently spoken therefore need not repeat it here But to his Argument that they who abrogate the outward Institutions of Christ do at the same time invent and set up new ones c. I have this to say That if from the Commission Mat. 28.19 Go ye therefore teach all Nations Baptizing them c. must of necessity be understood Baptism with Water and that Infants must be understood to be within the Limits of it It may be convenient for the Snake to shew without taking to himself the liberty of a Despotick and Arbitrary Interpretation why Infants are not within the limits of 1 Cor. 11.25 26. and that they must not communicate of the Bread and Wine If the Snake will take a liberty so differently to interpret places of Scripture and
of the Heart and Spirit this work the Law could not perform because as the Apostle says Heb. 7.19 The Law made nothing perfect Nor can Outward Water or Outward Bread and Wine That can only be done by the Inward Operation of the Spirit of God upon the Heart and Spirit This is that which is as useful and indispensable to Christians as the Outward Law was to the Outward Jew To which Outward Law Christ who was greater than Moses having put an end He hath established not another Outward Covenant but the Inward Dispensation of Grace and Truth which comes by Him Ibid. p. 171. Only let me tell the Quakers That their Objections which are answerd in that Treatise a piece writ by the Snake particularly upon this Subject are mostly the same which the Socinians have set up And let me tell the Snake that if the Socinians Arguments herein were sound and according to Scripture it can be no Objection to ours if they were not only mostly but altogether the same And it does not follow that they who err in some things are therefore right in nothing But if what the Snake tells us of our Arguments being mostly the same herein with those of the Socinians It will I hope be of as good purpose for me to tell the Snake that his Objections which are answered in this Treatise are mostly the same which the Romanists did make to the Reformation And then his Witty Remark may be of use to himself To see out of whose Quiver those Arrows came which he hath shot against us Ibid. p. 171. Thus the Socinians having thrown off or slighted the Sacraments have lost the true Faith in the Divinity of Iesus and have rejected him from being the Christ or Word of God which they say only dwelt in him or inspired him but was not Personally united to him Thus say the Quakers What the Socinians have thrown off and lost is not now my business to enquire But that the Quakers have not Thrown off or Lost the True Faith in Christ either as He is the Divine Word or as he was truly Man and dwelt on Earth I have already abundantly shewn in the Section foregoing wherein is particularly treated of and owned the Divinity and Incarnation of Jesus Christ. SECT XIII That Popish Emissaries did not first set up Quakerism in England as is said by the Snake THE Snake that he might be compleat in all the parts of his false and abusive Attempts against us having before by many ill practices in vain endeavoured to make us Heretical in points of Faith would here shew that our Original and Rise was from Popish Emissaries But in this I hope to shew his falsity and abuse as I have already done in those In order to which I desire my Reader to observe that the Snake's first Argument is drawn from the time of our Appearance which he makes to be about 1650. and 1654. And of these dates of time he says P. 187. Then it was that Rome was reaping a plentiful Harvest which they had long been sowing by setting up in that Universal Toleration Multitudes of Various Sects on purpose to Divide and so Confound their only Substantial Adversary the Church of England And here let it be observed that he imposes upon his Reader and would have it taken for granted upon his bare Word that about them Years there was a Vniversal Toleration and that during that time of Toleration there were by Romish Emissaries set up Multitudes of Various Sects Neither of which is true in Fact but contrary to the Faith of the History of them times and also to the Experience of many who are yet living who were eye witnesses of the Transactions of them and some who were Sufferers in them But first to the Toleration which the Snake calls Vniversal I doubt not but upon second thoughts the Snake will allow that at that time the Church of England was in Exile so that it was not Vniversal And as to the Quakers then Beginning they were not included in the Vniversal Toleration As our Testimonies easy to be produced of Imprisonments Blows Fines c. which our then few Friends suffered and underwent can testify These Instances I give to which others it's like may add more to shew that there was no such thing as a Vniversal Toleration Now to his Multitudes of various Sects which he says were then set up It is only a Romantick Story of his own Brain which has no truth in it For should it be supposed that there were in them Years People gathered into Religious Societies under Twelve distinct Denominations tho' I know not of one quarter that number What Multitudes can Twelve be called It may be he may say that Multitudes is an Hyperbole And indeed so it is for it so far beyond Truth that the Expression has nothing of Truth in it And now having briefly hinted at his falsity both with respect to his Toleration and Multitudes I shall proceed to shew That had there then been that Vniversal Toleration and such Multitudes of various Sects as the Snake hath falsly alledged Yet it doth not follow that these Multitudes or various Sects were set up by Rome Because there were various Dissents from the Church of England even from the first Reformation And it was objected to Her by the Author of an Apology for the English Seminaries Printed 1581. That there was Contention and Dissention among themselves This was not in 1650. but in 1581. at such time that if there was not Vnviersal Toleration yet the Church at least was Tolerated and who sowed the Dissentions then And if the Snake will not be angry with me as he is with Josiah Cole p. 189. for Reprinting something of a Papist's which he calls a Sensless and Bitter Libel though it is his practice often to repeat part of our Adversaries Bitter and Sensless Libels against us for which it may be he would have us thank him I will briefly quote that Apology Printed 1581. p. 60. His words are these We charge them with rebelling against Christ's Church Laws and Ordinances with disobedience to their Lawful Pastors with contempt of Holy Councils Fathers and Doctors with falsifying corrupting denying divers Books and Places of Holy Scripture With Contention and Dissention among themselves Disturbances of Kingdoms and Countries desire of Liberty and Novelty in-constant and daily change of their Opinions Presumptuous Arrogance and Vaunting of their Knowledge above all Antiquity with Singularity Sacriledge Apostacy c. Thus he And now what Reader but would take this to be the Snake's Declamation against the Quakers were it not for its Title and Date of Print And that we know it to have been a Papist's Declamation against the Church of England So like the Snake it is that to use his words we see out of whose quiver his Arrows came But as we have now to this Snake's so the Church of England did to this and such like Charges of
Divinity but the Incarnation of Christ is denied by them Again Great Mystery must prove that Popish Emissaries set up Quakerism in England And it must also prove that the Quakers Damn all the Christian World but themselves Again Great Mystery must prove that the Quakers are pure and sinless And it must also prove that they are Venemous and Nasty These with many other no less Contradictory and for which the Book affords no true Ground does the Snake by the help of a prolifick fancy draw Ibid. p. 195. G. F. in his Great Mystery p. 89. says That the Quakers have a Spirit given them beyond all the Fore-Fathers since the Days of Apostles In the Apostacy G. Whitehead would fain come off of this and thus endeavours to excuse it in his Charitable Essay Printed 1693. p. 5. in these words The very intent and meaning of G. F's words herein was not beyond all the Fore-Fathers without exception but beyond all in the Apostacy And indeed it is very plain that G. F's meaning must be so because the natural import of his words shew as much But the Snake says Here it would have been incumbent upon G. W. to have named those whom he or G. Fox did believe were not in the Apostacy Why so incumbent To what purpose should they be named who were not in the Apostacy The prophet shews not any Incumbency there was to have the Seven Thousand named whom God said he would spare and for whom he testified that they had not bowed their Knees unto Baal 1 Kings 19.18 Ibid. p. 195. Let us hear G. Fox explain himself in other places of the same Book you will best know his meaning from himself A Wonder The Snake has once spoke Truth But it mightily contradicts himself for in other places speaking of this very G. Fox whom he here supposes capable to explain himself He says he was a Fool one of such an immoderate degree of Dulness and lack of Vnderstanding as could hardly befall any thing in Humane Shape But to proceed let us hear G. Fox as quoted by the Snake from Great Mystery p. 217. He says That since the Days of the Apostles all the World went after him i. e. after those who as he there expresses it did inwardly raven in Sheeps Clothing And now says he are People but coming from them to a Rock This the Snake calls hearing G. Fox explain himself but is in Truth nothing less because the Snake has miserably cut assunder and disjointed G. Fox his words and by the help of i. e. he has put a meaning of his own upon them To prove which I shall only give the place as it is in Great Mystery by which we have the Snake's word we shall best know his meaning which with the occasion of them is as follows G. Fox his Opponent had said False Prophets and Christs and Deceivers many shall come if it was possible to deceive the very Elect. To this G. Fox says Yea Christ said they should come to his Apostles which before their decease did come and went forth from them which Christ said should inwardly raven and get the Sheeps Clothing And since the Days of the Apostles all the World went after them as thou mayst read in the Revelations and now are People but coming from them to the Rock and now shall the Everlasting Gospel be preached to them that dwell upon the Earth over the Heads of the Beast and False Prophet and they shall be taken and the Lamb and the Saints shall have the Victory This is what the Snake blinded by the Dim suffusions of Malice says is to condemn all the Christian World but our selves But whether it be so or not we will now examine by Scripture and there our Saviour tells us Mat. 24.24 that false Christs and false Prophets should come And the Apostle 2 Thes. 2.7 testifies The mystery of Iniquity doth already work c. and so great was the increase of its workings in the space of fifty years for it was hardly more from Paul's writing to the Thessalonians to John's writing the Revelations that John in the Revelations 13.3 says all the world wandred after the Beast I would here ask the Snake Did John the Divine herein condemn all the Christian World Did he condemn all those who at the writing of that Book did yet persevere in true Faith and Obedience to Christ Surely he did not Why then must G. F. using the Apostles words and having respect to the same Apostacy of which the Apostle speaks be so understood They cannot be justly so understood because their natural import as used by the Divine and from him by G. Fox is all the World that is all that were entred into the Apostacy which was foretold by our Saviour should come and declared by the Apostle Paul was come in its beginnings and which John testifies was more generally come at his writing of the Apocalyps To the same purpose with the Quotation last made by the Snake he makes about twelve more from several places of the same Book in all which the Snake would pervert G. Fox his words to be meant of such who were not in the Apostacy but offers not one Argument to shew that those to whom G. F. did speak were not so To which it may be convenient here to observe that as the Apostacy from the Spirit and Life of Christianity had its beginning very early even while several of the Apostles were yet alive and was more generally overspread before the death of John So it did by general confession continue for many Ages after Nay it is not yet quite done away for all those who do resist and withstand the Spiritual Appearance of Christ in People and do endeavour to keep them from witnessing that Faith of which he is the Author and Beginner and which gives Victory over the World may be and are truly said to be in that Apostacy which did overspread the Nations through their forsaking the right way of the Lord. And to such who are in that Apostacy to tell them of it and admonish them to come out of it is not to Damn them No it is the Office and Duty of those to whom God giveth the Ministry of his Word as to the Prophet Isaiah 58.1 Cry aloud and spare not lift up thy voice like a Trumpet and shew my people their Transgression and to the House of Jacob their Sins And this the Prophet did do very sharply many times yet he did not therefore Damn them nor include every particular of the People and House of Jacob under his Charge no more hath G. F. or any other of our Friends For fuller evidencing of this past all the little tricks by perversion insinuation or false quoting of the Snake I shall for conclusion to this Section subjoin somewhat out of a piece writ by Isaac Penington which was first Printed 1660. and reprinted in his Works 1681. p. 313. and bears for Title An
we were a People And therefore where it is said p. 235 236. Such of us whose Principles were once so viz. for Fighting are chang'd c. the meaning is not as the Snake would pervert it that such were for Fighting though of us before the Restoration but are chang'd now since that but that such of us whose Principle was once for Fighting before they were of us are now since they came to be of us chang'd And whereas it is there also said We are all of that mind that in the Administration of the Gospel it is on all Occasions whatsoever Vnlawful to War and Fight with Carnal Weapons This respects those who are in and under the Gospel-Ministration of which I have already spoken and not those who are not yet come under it But the Snake thinks now he has a full Proof for he says p. 237 238. When a fair occasion seem'd to offer towards the Re-asserting the Good Old Cause in Monmouth 's Rebellion 1685. several of the Quakers in the West where he Landed took Arms and Fought Yet we heard nothing of their Repentance or that they were any way Censur'd for it by their Yearly Meeting or any other Authority of theirs That Seeming Fair Occasion as the Snake calls it for Rebellion was I doubt not he will own snatch'd at by many who did profess to be of his Communion but whether they were therefore Censur'd I shall not inquire it is sufficient for us that if any who had pretended to be of us did do so that they were therefore disown'd And if the Snake hath neither heard this or whether they Repented it had well become one who pretends though herein as well as in many more Instances it appears falsly to so much Charity to have Inquired Whether either of these had been But since it appears not that he has I will here subjoin concerning this Matter the Testimony against and Denial of such who were so concern'd and their Practices as given from our Friends in the Counties of Somerset Devon and Dorset and then Presented to Authority in the Terms following A Faithful Testimony from the Peaceable People called Quakers in the Counties of Somerset Devon and Dorset upon Occasion of the late Insurrection and Rebellion Humbly Presented to Authority WE whose Names are Subscribed do hereby Solemnly Testifie and Declare on behalf of our selves and the People of God called Quakers with whom we have Christian Society in the aforesaid Counties And that in the Presence of Almighty God who knows our Hearts and whom we Reverence and Trust in His Son Christ Jesus our Lord being our Foundation on whom we Build and Believe in Him for Wisdom and Power to inable us to do and suffer whatever He requires of us in whom is our Life and Salvation manifest by his Spirit Light and Grace given us in which we Worship God as Christ our Lord hath Ordained We being Taught to Deny all Ungodliness and Worldly Lust and to Live Godly Righteously and Soberly in this present Evil World By the same we are taught to be Subject to that Government and those Governours which it hath pleased God to set over us To the King as Supreme and those in Authority under him Praying for them that they may so Rule in Mercy and Truth as God thereby may be Honoured and they Everlastingly Happy and we under them may lead our Lives in Peace Godliness and Honesty utterly denying all Plotting Sedition Contriving or Assisting in any Insurrection or Rebellion or to use any Force or Violence whatsoever to relieve defend or deliver our selves from any Suffering we lie under It being our Christian Persuasion and Principle to yield Active or Passive Obedience unto Authority without Resistance And if any particular Person or Persons under our Profession or Reputed a Quaker c. either as not being grounded in this our Peaceable Principle or through the Temptation and Subtilty of the Evil One or Unfaithfulness have been overcome to Join in the late Insurrection and Rebellion the same are wholly disowned and testified against by us and their Miscarriages and Evil Actions whatever they Profess ought no more to be charged on us who are Innocent than the Treachery of Judas on the Faithful Disciples of Jesus Christ. And further To manifest our Innocency as a Christian Society and People from having any Hand in the late Insurrection At a Publick Meeting of the said People called Quakers near Taunton the same Day that the late D. of Monmouth Marched with his Army thither it was Testified by the said People That whatever our Sufferings were we must not expect Deliverance by the Arm of Flesh but look unto the Lord from whom our Salvation comes and who will not Save us by Sword nor Spear but by his own Spirit And therefore our Friends were Warned not to concern themselves in this War and all Unanimously consented thereunto So that if any one hath followed the Counsel of his own Will or Instigation of Satan contrary to our peaceable Principle Profession and our Christian Advice and Counsel so openly given such a one hath excluded himself from our Society and Fellowship and must bear his own Burden whose Offence as it cannot be justly charged upon us as a People much less upon the peaceable Truth professed by us And moreover to manifest our Care and Innocency on this occasion it deserves to be noted That some of our Friends being Prisoners at Ivelchester for Conscience sake as they have been for several Years past a Party of the late D. of Monmouth's Horsemen on the 18th of the 4th Month last past Rid thither and turned out of Prison several that were detained on his account and also forcing out one of our Friends left him in the Market-place but he immediately returned to Prison again and though they strictly charged the Keeper no more to detain our Friends yet they took no Advantage of that Liberty but continues Prisoners as formerly which plainly shews they did not own that Authority nor accept of their Liberty in such an indirect way This Testimony and Account have we given forth in the Sincerity and Singleness of our Hearts in Vindication of Truth and the Lord 's innocent People to clear them from such Scandal and Reproach as may through Mistake Ignorance or Envy be cast upon them by any Person whatsoever and as much as in us lies to remove all occasions of Stumbling and Offence against our Principle or Profession committing all to that God that Searches the Heart and Tries the Reins and knows our Integrity herein with full purpose and resolution to Persevere in this our Peaceable Principle and Profession as before Declared through the Assistance of our God while we have a Being in these Earthly Tabernacles in full Assurance That when our Testimony is finished and this Mortal Life ended we shall have a Dwelling-place in that Kingdom of Glory which Christ Jesus hath prepared for us and purchased by his
the Fatherless and the Widow ver 29. And the Stranger the Fatherless and the Widow which are within thy Gates shall come and shall eat and be satisfied that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest This is a brief Account of these Ceremonial Tythes and the manner of their Payment according to that Law from whence the Snake pretends to fetch his Authority for their continuance at this Day Now according to this Rule let me ask the Snake Whether the Tythes at this Day claim'd by the Priests be first offer'd as an Heave-offering unto the Lord which those in the Law were to be before they were given to the Levites And to offer these Tythes as an Heave-Offering does necessarily infer both a Sacrifice and an Altar without which the Tythes given by that Law were unholy 2. The Priesthood at this Day are under no Sentence of Deprivation from Inheritances in the Land as were the Tribe of Levi they may and do many of them acquire large Possessions 3. Do they let the Stranger the Fatherless and the Widow to whom of Right they did belong as well as to the Priests and Levites partake with them of the Tythes Or do the Priests at this Day let the Persons with their Housholds from whom they exact the Tythes partake of them with themselves For to them that paid the Tythes it is said Numb 18.26 And thou shalt eat thereof before the Lord thy God and thou shalt rejoice thou and thine houshold Indeed The Snake says p. 266. all their Arguments as to the Law and Levitical Priesthood being superseded operate nothing against Priests of a Superiour and more excellent Priesthood But they are not superseded for the Objections still remain and the Arguments heretofore offer'd by our Friends are Unanswer'd as are these I have here already given and more that follow So that they do operate effectually against the claim of Tythes from the Law and Levitical Priesthood upon the false and vain pretence of being Priests after the Order of Melchisedec to pretend to which Bishop Reynolds p. 528. says Is Most Sacrilegiously to Rob Christ of his Honour Ibid. And there being as Ancient mention of Tythes as there is of Priesthood in the World I have no manner of doubt but they are as Ancient as Priesthood it self that is as Adam â— have already observ'd That the earliest mention of Tythes in the World is in Gen. 24.18 concerning Abraham and Melchisedec less ancient than Adam by more than Two Thousand Years and therefore I have no manner of doubt which is Answer Sufficient to such Insufficient Arguing that the Snake is quite out in making Tythes as ancient as Adam But if Tythes were as Ancient as Adam who paid Tythes To whom were they paid And when were they paid That the Knowledge of Tythes as of Sacrifices and Priesthood descended from Adam Is Gratis Dictum much of Confidence and Assurance but no Proof That the one was the Maintenance the other the Office of the Priesthood and therefore one must be as Ancient as the other Is no true Consequent For in those elder times and before the Levitical Priesthood was Instituted every one was in a Sense his own Priest and offer'd for himself as appears in the first Recorded Instances of Sacrifice offer'd by Cain and Abel each in his own Person and so downwards whereas after the Institution of the Levitical Priesthood it was peculiarly the Priests office to offer the Sacrifices for all the People And till the Priesthood was settled in Levi's Tribe there was no need of a settled Maintenance nor does there any footsteps of any such appear Ibid. They were all alike received by the Heathen World by an Immemorial Tradition from the beginning Immemorial Tradition A Fable which in many things has been long and often falsly pretended in the Church of which in the lump hear Bishop Taylor in his Liberty of Prophecying p. 95. Printed 1647. To Dispute says he concerning the Truth or necessity of Traditions in the Questions of our Times is as if Historians Disputing about a Question in the English Story should fall on wrangling whether Livy or Plutarch were the best Writers And the earnest Disputes about Traditions are to no better purpose For no Church at this Day admits the one half of those things which certainly by the Fathers were called Traditions Apostolical and no Testimony of Ancient Writers does consign the one half of the present Questions to be or not to be Traditions Thus he which as it shews the light esteem and little dependence which is to be had on Tradition pretended Apostolical so necessarily it includes at the least as great if not greater uncertainty and as little if not less dependence on pretended Heathen Immemorial Traditions But for his more full Conviction herein I shall add one more Authority particularly respecting his pretence of Heathen Immemorial Tradition upon this Point of Tythes It is Richard Hooker's Ecclesiastical Polity Printed 1622. Book V. p. 427. Sect. 79. His Words are these And as Abraham gave voluntarily as Jacob vowed to give God Tythes so the Law of Moses did require from the Hands of all Men the self same kind of Tribute the Tenth of their Corn c. Insomuch that Paynims being herein Followers of their Steps paid Tythes likewise And that the Heathens were herein as in several of their Religious Performances borrowers from the Jews is not only the Opinion of this but many other Learned Men. Ibid. p. 267. God reserv'd the Tenth Part of our Substance as the Seventh of our Time to be paid as a Tribute and an acknowledgment to Him from whom we receive all c. Non constat No such Reserve ever was or can be made appear from Adam to Moses By Moses 't is granted God made a Reserve of a Tenth part not of our Substance but of some part of the Substance of his then peculiar People the People of Israel outwardly of the Increase of the Land of Canaan when they should come into the Possession of it And this Reserve he made as I have before shewn for the Maintenance of the Tribe of Levi the Poor Fatherless c. which Tribe he then Consecrated wholly to the Priesthood and excluded from their share of the Land at the Division thereof among their Brethren And as this is the only Reserve of the Tenth which it appears God did ever make So neither the Heathens at that Day nor the Christians in this were or are at all oblig'd by it or concern'd with it The Heathens were not oblig'd by it or concern'd with it because what the Law said it said to those that were under it Rom. 3.19 which the Heathens were not The Christians are not oblig'd by it or concern'd with it because the Tenth was appropriated to that Priesthood Worship and Oeconomy of the Jews which lasted no longer than till the time of Reformation Heb. 9.10 till
pretends to be a Lover of Souls to be really a Hater of Truth and a gross Perverter of Words Is it any Excuse for False Prophesies or Wild Whimsies to say of those who are guilty of them That they are got up into Pride and Exaltation of Spirit and that they are run out from Truth I think it is not but is on the contrary a Sound and Substantial Denial of them as it was an evidence of their Return who had so been guilty when from a sight of and sorrow for the Wickedness they had been guilty of they did Condemn their Wickedness and return into the Way of Truth which they had forsaken and when Erring Persons are so return'd it is no less than Wickedness imperiously and by way of Taunt to object to them their past Miscarriages and much more so to throw them Evils so forsaken and repented of at a Community for their Scandal Ibid. p. 289. I will trouble the Reader but with one Instance more Then we are not like to have very many for we have had yet but two And were I dispos'd to vie Numbers with the Snake I could enumerate more pretended Members of the Church of England who have in Wicked and Freakish manner pretended falsly to Revelations and Inspirations Ibid. John Toldervy has Printed a very Punctual Narrative of his Conversion to Quakerism and of the most Astonishing Possession of the Devil in which he was held after his said Conversion even to the Apparitions of Evil Spirits dancing and Singing about him and directing him what he should do and encouraging him in the Principles of Quakerism The Snake has taken up near three pages with the story of this Man of which the foregoing words are the substance which are a complex of falshoods as I shall presently make appear But first I shall desire my Reader to observe that the Snake affirms that the Astonishing Possession of the Devil did encourage this J. Toldervy in the Principles of Quakerism which is so venemous a falshood that nothing short of Envy could lead him to affirm it and that in opposition to the Authority he quotes viz. the Book Foot out of the Snare which is the Book which the Snake here calls a Punctual Narrative and also quotes in p. 290. I will give my Reader some account both of the Man J. Toldervy and his Book above-mentioned from both which it may fully appear how far the Astonishing Possession of the Devil or bewitched Imaginations in which he was was from being either owing to or encouraging of the Principles of Truth which we profess And first for the Man He was one who I shall anon give my Authority for what I say had been zealously affected in divers ways of Worship at length he made a shew of a Convincement upon his Spirit and did come to our Meetings but it was not long before he did discover himself not to have any true work of Regeneration upon his Mind but run out into very strange and wicked Imaginations for which he was soon reproved by the Quakers but he persisting they did separate from him and deny him both by Word and Writing because of his following a Bewitched Spirit The Quakers being thus discharged of him his Wild Imaginations turn'd to Envy and he endeavoured to charge his Crimes upon the Principle of the Light of Christ in Men professed by us in order to which he writes a Book Entituled Foot out of the Snare and to give it greater Grace it hath Eight Warrantees or Subscribers for the truth of it Wherein they pretend to set forth the Manner of his Separation from the Quakers In answer to this of theirs James Naylor wrote a Piece entituled as above Foot yet in the Snare in which he shews and often repeats it that J. Toldervy was denied by the Quakers and that they had Testified against him And for the fuller evidencing that the Quakers had denied him he does in p. 21 22. refer to their Book Foot out of the Sare and says In p. 33. Do you not confess that when he came to the Meeting at the place where the Quakers were shewing the holes he had made in his Thumbs and telling of those Lying wonders which he had been acting many of the Quakers being there all of them Judged him with one Consent charged him to be silent and told him that he was in Darkness and had slain the Witness of God in him Thus by their own Testimony nay by the Testimony of Toldervy himself for he was it seems the Author The Quakers had denied him of which we can desire sure no better proof than his own Confession attested by Eight Witnesses of which Tho. Brooks Tho. Jacomb Geo. Cockaine Joh. Tombs and Will. Adderly were part Having thus shewn that the Quakers did deny and therefore not chargeable with him nor his Actions I shall further shew from the same Authority which hath testified our denial of him as above that those his strange and wicked Imaginations were neither owing to nor encouraging of the Principles of Quakerism in him as the Snake has wickedly said For proof of this see Foot yet in the Snare p. 20. where James Naylor clearing our Principles from this suggestion saith thus quoting their own Book before-mentioned And have not you confessed p. 49. the Cause of these Distractions and Confusions in his Mind was having been zealously affected in divers ways before There was begotten in him much Fleshly Wisdom in which his Hope did rest believing it to be the Holy Spirit revealed in him and that he was covered with Deceit and could glory in that Condition Here in their own Testimony they say he was Covered with Deceit did rest in Fleshly Wisdom and believed it to be the Holy Spirit and in this he had been zealously affected in divers ways which was as themselves say the Cause of his Distractions and Confusions and all this before he came among us and staid not long when he was come But yet further James Naylor does in p. 26. quote them more amply clearing the Quakers Principle from his Delusions where they clear the Truth and say He J. T. being fully persuaded by what he learned from the Quakers of the Truth which was made known by the Light in us which Light is Spiritual and guides out of the Work of the Flesh to worship God in Spirit and Truth he was then to wait out of Thoughts and Imaginations c. And his Understanding being now thus opened he was possessed with much Joy in the Sense of that Love he had received whereupon he was resolved to give all diligence that his Calling and Election may be made sure But being naturally of a hasty and forward Mind and his Resolution in part being a Covenant of his own there was speedily begot in him an extream Fiery Zeal so that in the general he was hastily carried forth before the true Light by which in a short time he became lost in his
every True Son of the Church an Enthusiast Yet in p. 98. he says Enthusiasts indefinitely have no Principles they have no Rule but their own Fancy which is strongest in Mad-men Reader Is it not very Comical to see this Adversary dealing his Blows with so much blindness and malice thus to wound himself while he thinks he is hitting of others which is a very great Argument that whatsoever Inspiration he may pretend to believe to be in the Church yet that he has little benefit from any because of his repeated Contradictory Assertions in the same thing But besides the propense Malice herein Legible it 's like he used less guard and caution and car'd not how he put upon us since he declares his Assurance p. 32. That the Simplicity of our Quakers has depriv'd them of every one of these helps which others might have to detect him But be that as it will let me here add one Observation to shew yet plainer if plainer can be whether this blindness has led him He would have us believe nay he says p. 319. We are assured that it the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost will lead us to all Truth that is requisite and necessary for our Eternal Salvation Now if the Snake does here speak both the Churches Sense and his own I will shew that notwithstanding he has writ a Section of Tythes as payable to her yet he has absolutely cut them up by the Root while he doth positively affirm that Teaching does cease nay that it 's inconsistent with the Sufficiency of the Light within But if this Light within or Inspiration of the Holy Ghost Leads us to all Truth requisite and necessary for our Eternal Salvation as both himself and as he says the Church do confess I think it hath Sufficiency enough for all the wants of Men. For Proof that this Sufficiency supersedes all Teaching and necessarily Tythes which are the Reward of it turn to p. 166 167. where speaking against us upon this very Head of the Sufficiency of the Light within he saith Teaching does in its own Nature cease when Men are sufficiently Taught therefore to those who hold the Sufficiency of the Light within outward Preaching must be wholly Inconsistent How far this agrees or contradicts what I have above quoted from him in p. 319. the Reader may easily Judge Now again to Quotations and the first is from p. 38 of W. P's Preface to G. F's Journal and is this We have seen the Fruit of all other Ministries by the few that are turn'd from the evil of their ways And let the Snake think as he please it will always be one good Mark to Judge of a Ministry by its Fruit those that are turn'd by it from the evil of their ways It was the end of the Commission which God gave to his Apostles to turn Men from Darkness to Light and it is the end of the Commissions which he gives at this Day and where this end is not Answer'd there Fruit is not brought forth His Objection p. 320. is besides the Point where he says Mens being evil may proceed from their own perverseness For I know none that doubts it But what is to the present Case is That Men's continuance in Evil is often too much owing to the deadness of the Ministry they are under as in Hosea 9. And there shall be like People like Priest Ibid. And to Justifie rather the Ministery of Theudas Acts 5.36 37. who got above 400 to follow him No it is to Justifie rather the Ministry of Peter from the Holy Spirit Acts 2.41 by which there was at one Sermon added to the Church about 3000 Souls Ibid. p. 320. quoted from p. 21. of the Preface before mention'd where the Snake has given a notable Stroak of his Art in I will give the Quotation first as he has made it and then from the Preface it self They the many Ministers in the World declare of Religion say many things true in Words of God Christ and the Spirit of Holiness and Heaven c. but which of them all ever directed a Man to a Divine Principle or Agent plac'd of God in Man to help him c. Thus the Snake has given it but in the Book it self it is thus They declare of Religion say many things true in Words of God Christ and the Spirit of Holiness and Heaven that all Men should Repent and mend their Lives or they will go to Hell c. But which of them all pretend to Speak of their own Knowledge and Experience Or ever directed Men to a Divine Principle or Agent plac'd of God in Man to help him and how to know it and wait to feel its Power to work that good and acceptable Will of God in them Thus he So that when the Snake Answer'd the Question as himself had split it and said p. 321. Not one of them as I know of He did but Answer one half of it But if he will Answer the Question as it lies above in W. P's Words and say Not one of them Ministers but have so directed Men as is above-mentioned there may Thousands be able to Confront him and say his Answer is false In like manner he abuses a Passage in p. 39. of the fore-mention'd Preface Where W. P. directing his Words to those in the Ministry saith For even those that have receiv'd the Word of the Lord had need wait for Wisdom that they may see how to divide the Word aright which plainly implieth that it is possible for one that hath receiv'd the Word of the Lord to Miss in the Division and Application of it which must come from an Impatiency of Spirit and self-working c. What the Snake carps at in this is the Word Miss and among other things says p. 321. Hâ—w did he know they cou'd Miss but by their having Missâ—d I Answer Very well For as the Apostle does not Charge Timothy with having miss'd when he gave him that Caution 2 Tim. 2.15 to which W. Penn has respect in them Words which plainly implieth c. So I think the Snake will not be so hardy as to say That either the Apostle or Timothy had miss'd in the Division of the Word Ibid. p. 322. Will they give no body leave to miss but themselves We give none leave to miss in the Division and Application of the Word W. Penn hath truly said as above it is froâ— an Impatiency of Spirit and Self-working And if the Snake will not allow of that to be missing it is easie to know that himself does miss exceedingly Ibid. p. 324. The Snake makes a Quotation from p. 83. of G. F's Journal which is but a Repetition of what he has before quoted in p. 28. and which I have already Answer'd in p. 76 77 fore-going and therefore need not here repeat it Ibid. p. 325. But when p. 29. of his Preface before-mention'd Mr. Penn wou'd persuade us that this Fox had outward Revelations and
Spirit through the Flaming Sword into the Paradise of God c. And I do Testifie there is no other way to come into it than by obeying the Teachings of Jesus Christ and this Obedience is so far from raising any mad Joy as the Snake does Blasphemously call it that it is Impossible for a Man to have more evident Demonstration of any thing in the World than he may have of his future Happiness if he grows up in Obedience and Faithfulness to Jesus Christ the way that leads to it Ibid. He tells as a wonderful opening to repeat his Cant which the Lord gave to him thus p. 5. About the beginning of the Year 1646 as I was going to Coventry and entring towards the Gate a Consideration arose in me how it was said That all Christians were Believers both Protestants and Papists And the Lord open'd to me that if all were Believers then were all born of God Here was a mighty Discovery And after all the Snake's Prophane Banter of Wonderful Opening and Mighty Discovery It is a great Truth and it was a wonderful Opening in John the Apostle where he testifies 1 John 5.4 Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the World and this is the Victory that overcometh the World even your Faith This Divine Truth when it was again opened to G. F. by the Openings of the same Holy Spirit did well deserve to be mentioned by him to shew the Unity and Harmony that there is in its Discoveries the same may be said with respect to that other Opening from the Lord mentioned by the Snake p. 334. which G. Fox mentions p. 5. of his Journal That being bred at Oxford or Cambridge was not enough to fit and qualifie Men to be Ministers of Christ. Which is agreable to what the Apostle testifies Gal. 1.11 12. But I certifie you Brethren that the Gospel which was preached of me is not after man for I neither received it of man neither was I taught it but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. What the Apostle does here certifie the Primitive Christians concerning his Commission it pleased God to open to G. Fox was the way and means by which all that were truly his Ministers came to be such And tho' the Snake would suggest and insinuate as if the contrary was never the belief of any one Man in the World It is false nor can those who receive their Ordination from Men either after the mode of the Church of England or otherwise say they neither received it of Man nor were taught it but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ. Ibid. p. 335. He tells p. 6. at another time it was opened in me That God who made the World did not dwell in Temples made with Hands And this at the first seem'd a Strange Word because both Priests and People use to call their Temples or Churches Dreadful Places and Holy Ground Thus G. Fox upon which the Snake adds a Prophane Lie It seems Fox did not know before but that God dwelt in a Church as a Man does in a House so as to be lock'd up and to be no where else when he was there No Snake there seems no such thing of G. F. but if the People who continue to call them Dreadful Places and Holy Ground do know no better their Superstitious Ignorance if it be as described by the Snake will much of it be laid to the Priests Charge who have so blindly led the People But if none of all this Gross Blindness there is yet a Reprovable Misapprehension not grounded upon any Example or Authority from the Gospel-Day so far as it 's recorded in the New Testament That is calling their Churches Dreadful Places and Holy Ground from a supposition that after their Consecration there is a kind of Inhabitation or more Immediate and Powerful Presence of God in them by vertue of it This Reprovable Misapprehension as Peoples Minds did continue under it so they were therein liable to let it increase to a Superstitious Reverence And God in the Calling Forth of his Servant did in this as in other things open his Understanding and let him see according to the Testimony of the Proto-Martyr Acts 7.48 The Most High dwelleth not in Temples made with hands And he there further shews that Consecrations of Houses are vain Nor indeed is there from the Authority of the New Testament any Holiness to be attributed to Place The Doctrine there deliver'd is 1 Cor. 3.16 Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God and agreeable to this is 1 Cor. 6.19 2 Cor. 6.16 Ibid. And such are all his Discoveries all his New Light even this Fundamental Distinguishing Principle of the Quakers of the Light within The Discoveries before-mentioned I have shewn to be agreeable to the Scripture and the Snake hath been so far from offering to prove them otherwise that he would have it supposed they are the Concessions of every Man in his Right Wits Where is then the Objection Why they are Truths of Common Notice or in the Snake's Prophane Railery they are Notable Discoveries the Commonest Notions in the World which G. F. has here taken for Supernatural Revelations and because the Snake supposes them to have been the Common Knowledge of Mankind therefore he Concludes they were no Openings from the Spirit of Truth in G. Fox But this is a false Conclusion because he may find in Holy Writ that the Supernatural Revelations Discoveries and Openings which it hath pleased God to give to particular Persons have frequently been such Truths Thus the Apostle Paul had a Supernatural Revelation in answer to his Petition My Grace is sufficient for thee 2 Cor. 12.9 And I would know of the Snake who then there was that had received the Christian Faith that did not believe as much And had the Corinthians been as Blasphemously Prophane as this our Adversary they might have queried in his words p. 335. Why so sottishly Ignorant as to take the Commonest Notions in the World for such Wonders such Supernatural Revelations But how common or mean soever this Snake may judge many of those Truths to be which the Holy Spirit hath and doth at this day reveal and discover upon the Spirits of those who are obedient to it in the Openings which it gives of the Scriptures I must needs say that were it possible for a Man Distinctly to remember and repeat the whole Old and New Testament so that all the Truths therein contained were of easie and common notice to him yet the advantage he would thence reap would be nothing in comparison to the advantage he may reap from having but some of the Truths therein recorded opened upon his Spirit by the Holy Spirit which did at first Dictate them And the Reason is because men cannot be made Holy by Imitation but only by Regeneration which as it is the work of the Holy Spirit so that work is began in what the Scripture calls the Day of Small Things The first
Discoveries are often small not only to try the Obedience but to encourage to Faithfulness And they who will not thankfully receive its lowest Manifestations and obey the Discoveries of the Light of Christ in the forsaking and denying vain Honours and Language are not likely to be obedient to greater Discoveries if they had them Ibid. p. 332. But G. Keith for his Christian Doctrine of a Christ without was condemn'd by their Late Yearly Meeting in their Bull of Excommunication It was not for Christian Doctrine but Unchristian Practice which G. Keith was denied as the Testimony given against him does fully shew in these words George Keith of late hath been and yet is acted by an Unchristian Spirit which hath moved and led him to stir up Contention and Strife in the Church of Christ and to cause Divisions Separations and Breaches amongst them that Profess the Truth and that the tendency of Divers of his late Writings and Actings hath been to expose the Truth and Friends thereof What has Christian Doctrine to do with such Unchristian Actions They have no agreement and this was the Cause there assigned of our denying him The Snake now gives p. 333. part of a Letter which he says W. P. sent to R. Turner of Pensilvania in which speaking of G. Keith are these words I love his Spirit and honour his Gifts and his Peculiar Learning especially Tongues and Mathematicks his Platonick Studies too all being sanctified to the Truth 's Service which is worthy to have the Preheminence Upon which the Snake says here will be a sad account of that Infallible Discerning Spirit which the Quakers do appropriate to themselves To which I shall first say that it is utterly false that the Quakers have ever appropriated to themselves the Spirit of Discerning It is only appropiated to the Holy Spirit and what true Discerning of Spirits is given to Men must be from that Fountain Now as to the Letter the words above quoted do well consist with that Spirit of Discerning because in order of Time it appears not but that that Letter was writ some Years before the Testimony of the Yearly Meeting against G. K. which I have before quoted And if G. Keith's accomplishments in Learning had continued to have been all sanctified to the Truth 's Service as it is there exprest which was the ground of that Love therein declared He could not have stirred up Contention and Strife nor caus'd Divisions Separations and Breaches which was the reason of his being denied But further If that Letter was writ when there was some small beginnings of Misunderstanding betwixt G. K. and those in Pensilvania Yet the words of that Letter referring the Love declared to his Spirit and Learning to be as all are sanctified c. they are very safe as G. K. would also have been had he kept to the Holy Spirit which sanctifies and that would both have prevented further Disturbance and removed all Misunderstanding Ibid. p. 336. I do here demand Reparation in the behalf of the Church of England But particularly in behalf of one whom they have most Scandalously Robb'd The Person wronged is Mr. Selden and the Thief is Francis Howgil A Snake turn Knight Errant the Scandal of the Church presume to set up for her Representative O Monstrum But to his Ridiculous Arrogance I do here demand c. What mighty I is this What Ratling Snake Why an Anonymous who is as fear ful of putting his Name to his Demand as he is to appear before Justice One who Jugler-like plays Tricks in the Dark Therefore sure no true Pleni-Potent of the Church not one Legally Delegated by Her And he is not less the Church's Delegate than he is John Selden's who in his time was one of the Glories of this Nation one whose Living Labours may at once endear and preserve his Memory with those who know his Works And with what Forehead one so differently qualified as is the Snake should pretend to demand Satisfaction if the Demand were just in his Behalf is no small wonder But the Demand is Arrogant Trifling and Impudent in that he says F. Howgil has stoln whole Paragraphs verbatim out of J. Selden's History of Tythes I have with what care I can examined the Charge by comparing the Books and cannot find one whole Paragraph so taken I find that F. H. does in some places treat of Tythes in the same manner as J. Selden does and the Books which are his Authorities he puts mostly in his Margin And among others which he quotes J. Selden by Name is one in his History of Tythes and upon this Subject of Tythes he is twice quoted by F. Howgil viz. p. 482 and in p. 567. which is sufficient to shew that F. H. is no Plagiary But since the Snake hath thus taken upon himself to be a Knight Errant I will direct him to a piece of Work of the sort he here speaks of and if he can get satisfaction he may pretend to be Captain of the Band of Knight Errants He may find it in John Daille's Treatise of the Right use of the Fathers first Book p. 104. In these words St. Hilary St. Ambrose and others who robbing poor Origen without any Mercy do not yet do him the Honour so much as to name him scarcely This is certain that you shall find in St. Ambrose many times whole Periods and whole Pages too taken out of St. Basil but unless my Memory fail me very much you shall never find him once named there Thus he I spare to give more such Instances till the Snake shall here have demanded Reparation in due form But now we are speaking upon the vice of Stealing it may not be improper to remind him that it had been highly necessary for him to have surveyed himself and considered with what Face he could unjustly object Theft to F. Howgil because he speaks of the same Subject in the same manner with John Selden whom he also names While himself if he had been duly prosecuted for Theft must of necessity have been hang'd if at least the Law of the Country where he stole the Virgin whom he made his Unhappy Wife be in that case agreeable to ours But as to the Punishment I shall not now enquire nor yet what Reparation he made to the injur'd Parents or Relations But as to the Fact it had the Forms of Theft in that he had not their good leave before he took her and whether the Canons do not declare the Theft of Souls the Stealing of a Wife to be in the same Class of Crimes in which himself puts Obedience to the King de Facto It may be proper for him to consider which if he find and that he squares himself in his Repentance for that by his practice in this his Repence will be as singular as his tenacious Disobedience hath been observable But of this now no more nor had there been so much nay here none at all had
the Socinians I do still confess That as the Reasonable Soul and Body is One Man so He that is God and Man is One Christ. And whether this will give Satisfaction to an Implacable Adversary or no I value not knowing my Conscience Clear in the Sight of Him who Judgeth Righteously which I am sure this my Unjust Judge and False Accuser is not who presently after he has stiled me Honest George unjustly Brands me with Infamy as Sophistry Delusion Depths of Satan Mystery of Iniquity Equivocation Jesuitical Confession c. Oh! Rank Malice Bitter Envy c. As for my Confession in the 7th Art alledged against me it stands good and true viz. We own no such saying as that the Holy Doctrine or Divine Precepts of Scripture is either Dust Death or the Serpent's Meat but truly profitable to us by the Assistance of God's Holy Spirit given to us c. And this was in direct Opposition to F. Bugg's saying These Quakers who pretend to own the Precepts and Doctrine of the Bible to be Holy and Blessed yet say 't is Dust and Death the Serpent's Meat c. Apol. Introd p. 18. to his New Rome We do not believe any of these Quakers ever so said of the Precepts and Doctrine nor do they own any such Saying I wholly disown it But then to beg the Question What was it you called Dust and Serpents Meat Was it nothing else but the Ink and Paper Did any Body ever say That these were not Dust Or Is that any part of the Controversie betwixt us Snake p. 177. Here he yields the Point he grants the Ink and Paper to be Dust. I said Will decay and turn to Dust but so will not the Word the Gospel nor the Holy Doctrine contain'd in Scripture And it has been confess'd by F. B. and others That Holiness is not ascrib'd to the Paper and Ink or Inky Characters that will decay but to the Holy Doctrine and Precepts which will not decay but be permanent and endure and therefore are called the Holy Scriptures with respect to the Holy Matters therein contained That the Books and Writings in Ink and Paper will wear out so will not the Word is evident Jehoiakim King of Judah could burn Jeremiah the Prophet's Roll or Book writ with â—nk by Baruch but not the Word of the Lord nor properly the Words thereof for the same Word caused all the former Words to be written again after the Roll was burnt Jer. 36. If then the Books the Paper and Ink be combustible or will decay and turn to Dust but not the Word nor the Doctrine where 's then the Controversie indeed when the same thing is granted on both sides He quotes Gr. Myst. p. 302. as saying Paper and Ink is not Infallible that will come to Dust unto which the Word Christ and the Spirit is preferred in the same place quoted And in the said Gr. Myst. p. 78. by Letter he there means Paper and Ink but the Scripture the thing it speaks of is Spiritual the Word is Spirit And further p. 127. the Scripture or Writing it self without the Spirit that gave it forth is a dead Letter in it self The Spirit is that that gave forth the Scriptures For my part as I am not in the least conscious to my self of the least Contempt of Holy Scripture nor yet of the Bible for I have always preferr'd it to all other Books extant in the World and more affected Reading therein than any other Book even from my Childhood and often bless Divine Providence for preserving to us the Scriptures So I know of none among us guilty of contemning them Neither is what 's said from any Contempt of Scripture no more than it is of the Earth and the Heavens to say They shall wax old and perish but the Word that made them endureth Psal. 102.25 26. Heb. 1.11 12. But say what we can in this Case to clear our selves of any Contempt to the Holy Scripture this our uncharitable Judge and Accuser will not believe us He 's bent to asperse he has swallow'd down so much of the sour Leven of the Malice of a few false Brethren Persecutors and Apostates from whom he derives much of his Authority and thus scurrilously and most falsly imposes upon me viz. And therefore George notwithstanding all thy meally Modesty it is it is indeed George it is the very Doctrine of the Scriptures which you blaspheme as Dust and Death and Serpents Meat on purpose to bring Men off from trying your pernicious Heresies by those Sacred Oracles Ibid. This is a pernicious Abuse and Calumny against my self and others of us to out-face us against our very Sense and Consciences and in good Conscience I Testifie against it it never entred into my Intention or Thoughts so to blaspheme the Doctrine of the Scriptures as to term or deem it Dust Death or Serpents Meat the Lord rebuke this lying envious Spirit Neither do I vilifie the written Doctrine and Precepts of God in comparison of our New Light as he falsly calls it p. 177. but reverently esteem them The Man makes no Conscience of Defaming us Neither do we quarrel with the Law and the Testimony nor yet with Writing or Scripture as 't is in Ink and Paper but distinguish between the Writing and the Things written which is no contempt to either We are thankful to Divine Providence for both the Scripture or Writing and the Holy Doctrine and Divine Precepts therein written for they testifie unto Christ our Light and our Light to the Truth of them And to what he saith If any do not teach the same i. e. according to the Law and the Testimony or written Word it is because there is no Light in them Isa. 8.20 And then puts this Emphasis upon it No Light George Mark that Your false Pretences to the Light within are here over-rul'd Ibid. I deny that our Pretences to the Light within is either false or are here over-rul'd if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no Morning to them If he 'll see the Note from the Hebrew in some Bibles he may see no Morning in the Margin over against no Light Then let him Mark that But is there no Light in the Creation before Morning either inward or outward pray Did not the Light shine in Darkness before it shined out of Darkness And had not the Believers a more sure Word of Prophecy whereunto they did well to take heed as unto a Light shining in a dark place until the Day dawned and the Day-star arose in their Hearts 2 Pet. 1.19 And are not many reproved by the Light in them for telling Lies and speaking contrary to the Word c. And therefore there was some true Light in them before the Morning appeared to them And though my Accuser says Ibid. These and such-like Texts detect and explode the miserable Ignorance and Blasphemy of these Pretenders to Light For which we have
a good degree in the Antidote and now more fully since he has so much alter'd and magnified his Structure i. e. the Snake therefore the Reader may not now securely depend upon the Quotations he has produced as he would have him if he should think he may securely depend upon them he is very insecure and will be deceived and greatly Err in depending upon such an inveterate Adversary's false partial and unjust Quotations as many of them are proved to be upon a more full Examination and Detection And if his Quotations is in Effect the whole Cause as he saith then his Cause is fallacious rotten and nought 't is of no value or credit If his Quotations in divers principal Matters and Charges against us be found false partial and unjust as they are what 's become of his whole Cause whose Cause is it to belie slander defame and foully misrepresent others but the Devils Cause which in the Snake in the Grass is strennously prosecuted against us And so insulting and slighting he is of G. W's Answer casting his Contempt and Scorn upon both him and it that a Body would think 't were below his Highness Learning and Parts to take so much notice of them as he seems to intend He tells us G. Whitehead's Answer consists of bitter Railing and Threatning of very poor and guilty Excuses for some things that are objected against them and a total Silence or Forgetfulness of the most Material Points wherein they were accus'd of calling this a severe Persecution against them of Pleading not Guilty to the Charge without disproving any part of the Evidence p. 361 362. To Detect the Falshoods herein contain'd I must refer the Impartial Reader to my said Antidote however invalid and impertinent he renders my Answer therein How well consistent is he with himself in this his declared Intention viz. When I have leisure to consider this Answer of the Quakers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 step by step I suppose he means which for their Good I do intend I hope by it to put an end to my Pains in this Controversie But if the Answer be so Insignificant very Poor and without disproving any part of his Evidence what need of his further leisure so particularly to consider it or pains in the Controversie But if my Answer require such deep and exact Consideration 't is an Indication that it is of some weight and validity and that it does not consist of such Railing Threats or Evasions as 't is render'd he must have leisure farther to study the Points in Controversie and not to shift them off with false partial and curtail'd Quotations nor with his using Railery as he has confessed If he makes Replication he should write more cautiously than to accumulate Lies against us which he appears very prone to In short quoth he It was intended i. e. G. W's Answer purely to have it to say That there was an Answer to such a Book meaning to the Snake in the Grass and that is enough with the Quakers who are not permitted to read the Books that are written against them and receive as Gospel whatever their Rabbies Dictate This is Ridiculous and False as all that know us will own 1. As if our Answer were no Answer at all but only intended to have it to say there was an Answer 2. And that this so saying though no Truth in 't is enough with the Quakers Thus credulous he unjustly renders the Quakers 3. That they are not permitted to read the Books that are written against them is such a notorious known Lie that Thousands of the Quakers can testifie against it besides many think themselves obliged to understand what our Adversaries write against us whether any new Matter or only what 's old obsolete rusty nasty Stuff that has been long since thorowly Examined and Answered like such Stuff as Bugg and the Snake have frequently reiterated to spit and vomit abroad their Venom Rancour and Deadly Malice against the People of God in derision term'd Quakers And how can we the said People reasonably suppose that such inveterate Adversaries can in such their Pains against us to reproach us design any such Christian Duty towards us as to contribute their Pains to open our Eyes and save us from destruction both of Soul and Body p. 351. as this bitter Adversary saith for himself supposing us under Delusion and Blindness by our Infallible Guides as he often derides them Or with what Conscience can this Envious Adversary say That he has 〈◊〉 other Design or sincerely say so before God 〈◊〉 our Good and Salvation When he has publickly defam'd and reproach'd us as Blasphemers against God Christ and Holy Scriptures Enemies to Government deluded bewitched possessed with the Devil as if we were not fit to live upon Earth or under any Civil Government then demurely to tell us I will venture their Displeasure rather than fail in my Christian Duty towards them to contribute my Pains to open their Eyes and save them c. Oh Snake thou hast shewn thy Venom thou hast been long hissing at us we 'll not believe this thy now Fawning and Hypocritical Pretences whose Treatment of us like as if Rude Persons should smite us on the Face and gather all the Dirt they can out of Kennels and throw on our Faces Eyes and Clothes and then tell us Oh! we love you what we do unto you and all this Pains we bestow upon you it is all in Christian Duty to you to open your Eyes and save you from Destruction both of Soul and Body we have no other Design than your Good and Salvation And to make us believe they are Sincere herein Presumptuously so tell us before God And now that the Reader may not take the Man's Supplement wholly upon Trust he pretends here to give him a Specimen of the Truth of what he says behold what special Specimens he gives against G. W. viz. p. 351. I. First then he wholly passes by what one would think a Material Objection against them of the manifest Possessions of many of them and some of their chief Preachers by the Devil which was in the beginning of the Preface But he i. e. G. W. says nothing to this nor reckons it as any of the Mistakes Abuses or Calumnies in the Snake for having made a Catalogue of these as he endeavours to prove them he begins at Page 93. of the Preface and so goes on whereby we may reasonably suppose he found none such in what went before To which I reply This his Specimen is as false as his material Objection and Charge Of Manifest Possessions by the Devil For 1. 'T is false that I wholly pass by and said nothing to the same in my Answer 2. That I did not reckon it any of the Mistakes Abuses or Calumnies in the Snake c. For though I made a Catalogue of some of the great Mistakes Abuses and Calumnies in the Snake It was but of some of