from that strong Delusion and the sad concommitants of it This Relation for substance I and my Wife had from this Maids own mouth A Woman so low in parts as rendred her esteemed not much better then a Naturall Foole being on a day at a Quakers Meeting in the County of Bucks not farre from Ailsbury where Fox the Quaker was was on a suddain so transported that with much liberty of speech and confidence she spake in the Quakers Tone of matters farre above her capacity though she never pretended to Quakerisme before And continued in those strange Raptures for about two dayes or more But afterward changed her Note and fell into a grievous Rage cursing swearing and blaspheaming and crying out a Fox a Devill a Fox a Devill in which she continued till she died which was about a day or two after that raging Frenzie fit took her And though of her selfe she was almost as weak as a Child yet in this fit could scarcely be held in bed by two or three Men. This I had from one living near the place the truth of whose Relation in this behalf I have no reason to question he being a person of credit and one whom this poor Woman sent to speak with the evening of that day in which she was taken with her Rapture The same Friend likewise told me of a Gentle-Woman whose Husband being inclined to the Quakers though she was not on a certain time brought Fox the Quaker up into her Chamber where she was sitting by the fire The said Fox not using many words comes to her and laid his hand on her forehead after which she became a Quaker for a certain time till God graciously recovered her This Relation my Friend had from the Gentlewomans own month that was thus used A Man in Kent sober of good report and religiously disposed but somewhat of the Seekers strain going to the Quakers Meeting one day was so wrought upon whilst there that he fell to Dancing and afterwards went home under great alteration of mind The violent impression of which exercise soon ended his life having before he died and whilst in his violent fits which were sad to behold complained grievously of Fox his holding him in Chaines This I have by credible information and being objected to an eminent Quaker in Kent he put it off with saying it was the just judgment of God upon him for opposing the Quakers A Prayer added only for their help that need it O Most great and most holy Lord God of Heaven and Earth who hast been so justly provoked by the People of this Land for their setting light of Christ the only Mediator between God and Man after such clear plain affectionate and long continued tenders of HIM and of salvation by HIM from sin and punishment that thou hast in thy wrath and sore displeasure given up thousands of them to their own hearts lust to the casting off subjection to thy Lawes and the pursuing the imaginations of their own hearts Yea to professed enmity against God the Father Son and holy Ghost Oh Lord how do they cry down thy holy Word Ministry Ordinances Sabbaths and the Bloud of Jesus Christ as unholy things inso much that we may truly say This day O Lord is a day of trouble and of rebuke and blasphemy Lord how down thine ears and hear open thine eyes and see the words that they speak from the Devill and the Pope who have sent these Papists Quakers Ranters Socinians to reproach the living God Oh that thou wouldst give Repentance and pardon to profane people to formall outside professers to those that are enemies of reformation that have provoked thee to threaten by the sad posture we are in the exterpation of thy true and holy Religion to those also that having no more knowledg of the true Head and Members of thy Church or zeal to thy glory do under pretence of charity call thy Blasphemous Enemies Godly people and of the godly party Oh that my Lord would give Repentance and pardon to his own peculiar ones for all their miscarriages whereby they have provoked thy Majesty to threaten the setting of the Sun of Righteousness in our dayes and bringing a night of Ignorance Err or and Idolatry upon our Children and Posterity Oh my God do this I pray thee for the Lords sake Good Father stay thine anger let thy spirituall plagues proceed no further undeceive simple well meaning souls that seeing not the worst of Seducers think well of them and so are in danger of being eternally undone by them Convert so many of thine Enemies as are not given up to finall impenitency and from implacable ones Good Lord deliver me and this Nation and all thy Churches and Ministers both from their infection and rage Stir up the Spirit of these Nations to oppose the spreading of Blasphemy of Popery and persecution of true Protestants suffer none of thine Enemies to continue uppermost give us such Magistrates as shall be Nursing-Fathers to the Church Curse and blast all Councels and undertakings that are against the Kingdome of Christ Stir up all thy People to pray earnestly unto thee for our selves and Posterity that thou wouldst continue the Gospell with us in power plenty and purity and however thou in thy Fatherly wisdome shalt deal with us that we may be kept faithfull unto the death to the glory of that power grace and holiness of thine which the Word of Truth that we profess holds forth All these things I beg for the sake of Jesus Christ my dear Saviour Amen FINIS
Assertion That the Scripture is not Gods Word p. 3. They are the most immodest obscene people in the world next to the late Ranters If all the Stories of their womens stripping themselves to the very skin in the presence of men and of mens so doing in the presence of women of late years should be here et down they would be enough to make a large Volume I will set down but those few which I am sure I can prove to be true and that are by many hundreds known to be true 1. A Female Quaker about four or five years ago came into White-hall Chappell stark naked while a great Congregation was at the publike worship of God the Lord Protector O.C. being present 2. Since then a Relation of mine had a Maid-servant that became a Quaker and one day at Putny where his house was and when he had many friends at dinner with him she came into his Parlour stark naked while they were at dinner to the astonishment of their modesty And another day she did Stark naked go from her Masters house through Wandser and to Lambeth or near it where some Watermen by force stop'd and covered her and carried her back It was said that she intended to have entred London over the Bridge and to have gone in that posture through London Streets unto West minster 3. This last Summer 1659. in Colchester a Man-Quaker went stark naked all through the Market And another day which was the Lords day in the same posture entred into the greatest Assembly that was in that Town walking unto the further end of the lower cross He through many people and then returned without saying a word And from thence he went to a great company of the Quakers assembled together in that Town where he did for a long time act the part of a Speaker which considered as also that when he did go naked he had a Brother waiting upon him carrying his Cloaths under his Arms it was the more apparent that it was an act well-pleasing to and approved of by the Quakers 4. This last Summer 1659. A Man-Quaker went naked through the City of London down Cheapside as hundreds can witness 5. In Colchester this last Summet 1659. many of them as also the Anabaptists have opened their Shops and followed their handicraft Callings every Lords day for many weeks together notwithstanding the Legal oppositions that have been made against them and it 's likely they continue so to do they did untill very lately The like as is known to thousands hath been done several Lords dayes by some of them of late in London and Southwarke 6. In Colchester this last Summer 1659. a Woman-Quaker brought her needlework into a Church and fell to work and singing while the Minister was officiating 7. In Aldermanbury-Church in London this last Summer 1659. a Man-Quaker after one frustrated attempt did while the Psalm was singing and before the Minister ascended get up into the Pulpit and there sate upon the Cushion with his foot upon the Stool or Seat and with a Needle and Thread sewed a Pocket untill he was pulled down since which the same Person hath in Print published the reason of his so doing to be only this That the Burden of the Lord was upon him That he was so prest in his spirit to do it that he could have no rest untill he had done it but declares no end for which he did it Surely the Devil that moved him did not exercise his wit or else had a very fool to work upon that would move to no end They do exceedingly covet that which impudently they say they have but have not namely the gift of working Miracles concerning which take these following Stories wherein may be seen their pride and how the lying Spirit hath befooled them WIlliam Pool a professed Quaker servant to George Knight Clothier of the City of Worcester and a Quaker also seemed for some short time to be much troubled in mind and dejected which his Master and some others tooknotice of But not finding satisfaction from the Quakers with whom he did converse upon the 19. of February 1657. being Friday he was more then ordinarily troubled but the manner and grounds of it are variously reported and at eveningwent suddenly out of his Masters house and could not be found or heard of that night nor the next day but on the Lords day early in the morning was found within half a Mile of the City dead and naked with his face downward in a little puddle of water all his Cloaths lying by him Upon the view of which and hearing the matter the Coroners Inquest found him guilty of self-murder His Mother and Friends on Munday morning the 22. of February caused him to be buried in Claynes Church-yard two Miles from the Ciry And the same day in the afternoon after he had lain buried six or seven hours a strong perswasion of pride and confidence seized upon one Susnnah Peirson one of the most violent heady and high-minded Quakers in the City that she could raise William Pool from the dead whereupon she took three or four more of her way and went to the Church-yard caused his body to be digged out of the earth and laid upon the ground and opened his shroud touching him and calling him by his name saying Arise and walk with sundry other expressions many being present But she and her companions returned with shame yet persists still in her Opinion without any change The Lord shew her her sins and give her repentance to the acknowledging of the Truth that she may recover her self out of the snare of the Devil who is taken captive by him at his will They compass Sea and Land to make Proselites and have too much succeeded both in Virginia and Amsterdam But I hope where ever this Book shall arrive before them the people will so well know them as to abhor any further acquaintance with them They are a very cruel bloudy people if we may judge of the Lion by his paw or what is abundantly in their hearts by such speakings of their mouths as these to our Captains in Christs Army That they are of the Synagogue of Satan and know nothing of God but are enemies of God being guided by the spirit of errour without among dogs whose humility is fained That their Sermons are fleshly fancies and Conjurations dirty miry Doctrine a stinking puddle That their hearts are filthy deceitfull seeking praise from men That they are scandalous following the wayes of Balaam and Cain worse then Simon Magus knowing nothing of the life of the Gospel That they are Heathens wallowing in the mire and filth of the flesh on whom all the Plagues of God are to be powred blinde guides proud Baals Priests Lyars Blasphemers Enemies to Christ Jesus Murtherers Sorcerers Whoremongers Children of disobedience greedy dumbrdogs Witches Antichrists Antichrists Merchants Robbers Deceivers Ministers of the world Conjurers Devils of a Serpentine nature a
this substance is the same holy Ghost by which the Apostles were endued and the Christ of God the Redeemer from sin That the Garden of Eden is the world that the Trees thereof are all living beings That Paradice is in man That man fell by harkning to the wicked which was the fleshly mind and that not the Woman properly but the silliest and weakest part was the Woman that tempted him That Adam was the earthly nature in Man That the Redeemer of Man is not that person the Son of God that dyed at Jerusalem but the light which is in every particular Man by which he is given to see sin and inabled by it if obedient to be redeemed from sin That searching the Scriptures is not the way to find out the knowledg of Christ but the turning the mind within there to be taught the measure of God the Law written in the heart That Scripture ought not to be interpreted This Collection following of the Opinions of the Quakers was made by two very Reverend and most credible men Mr. Christopher Fowler and Mr. Simon Ford Ministers of the Gospell in Reading in their Book Intituled A sober Answer to an Angry Epistle of Tho. Speeds a Quaker in Bristol The Quakers Doctrines 1. Sect. 54. Perfect Pharisee p. 3. See also the Relation of the it-religious Northern Quakers THat they are equall with God as holy just and good as God himself Affirmed by G. Fox and J Nailor before Witnesses who attest it in a Book called the perfect Pharisee published by five Ministers of Newcastle 2. Sultable hereunto was the Blasphemy of one of your she-Quakers lately in hold in this Town who being convented before the Major of this Corporation and asked what she was and what was her name roundly answered and stood to it again the next day I AM THAT I AM which will be attested upon Oath by the Major and one of the Constables 3. Suitable to this was the Blasphemy of another of your Brethren who meeting with a godly Londiner occasionally being in this Town on a Lords day lately and asking him the way as he met him to one of our Churches answered him in these words The Church is in God and the Church is God 4. That the being of God is not distinct from them that are begotten by him Sword of the Lord by James Atkinson Quaker 5. That the Nature and Glory of the Elect differ not from the Nature and Glory of the Creator For the Elect are one with the Creator in his Nature enjoying his glory That the Elect is not distinct from the Creator Howgill and Burroughs two Quakers in an answer to Reeve 6 And that God is not distinct from living Creatures for in him living Creatures lives moves c. 7. That God is three Persons or subsistences they say is a lye That there is no distinctions of Persons in the Godhead Sword of the Lord by J. Atkinson G. Fox Errand to Damascus 8. That the soul is a part of the Divine Essence See perfect Pharisee p. 6. 9. That Jesus Christ is God and Man in one person they say is a lye 10. They deny and detest this Doctrine That Christ being the only God and Man in one person remaines for ever a distinct person from all Saints and Angels notwithstanding their Vnion and communion with him Sword of the Lord by James Atkinson 11. That the person that Son of God which died at Jerusalem is not the Redeemer of Man from sin but the Redeemer is in every man that light by which he is given to see him c. The discourse of a Quaker with J. Toldervy Foot out of the Snare p. 7. 12. That Christ is in every man even Heathen Indians and in the Reprobates he is hold under corruption 13. That Christ was a man had his failings for he distrusted God upon the Crosse J. Nailor See perfect Pharisee p. 7. Rob. Collison See Gilpins Book p. 2. 14. That we are not justified by that righteousness of Christ which he in his own person did fulfill without us And that whosoever expects to be saved by him that died at Jerusalem shall be deceived For Christ in the flesh was in all that he died and suffered a Figure and nothing but an example 15. That we are therefore to be saved not by the righteousness of Christ imputed to us but by the righteousness of Christ inherent in us See both these in the perfect Pharisee with their Testimonies p. 9 10 11. And Howgill and Burroughs Answer to Bennet Q. 9. And another to the same purpose saith That the faith and justification which stands in the comprehension of Christ without will stand us in no stead Fr. Gawler to Mr. Miller of Cardiff 16. That God and man cannot be perfectly reconciled till he be brought into the state of the first Adam and able in his own power to stand perfect And that holy workes and lives of Saints are not excluded from justification Howgill c. Answer to Bennets 11 12 Quaeries 17. That no man that is not perfectly holy or commits sin can ever enter into the Kingdome of Heaven except there be a Purgatory And there is no Saint but he that is so perfectly holy in this life without sin 18. That to Preach the impossibility of such a freedome here on earth is to Preach up sin while the world stands and to bring men into Covenant with the Devill for tearm of life Nailor perfect Pharisee p. 11 12 13. See also J. Parnell Shield of faith p. 29. to both these Nailor in his answer to Mr Baxter p. 28. 19. That Christ took not humane flesh upon him at any time otherwise then he daily doth and that Christ is now conversant on earth among men since his ascension as he was in the Apostles times It is the summe of Howgills and Burroughs answer to two Quaeries of Mr Bennet See Howgill c. in their answer to Bennets 18 and 19 Qu. 20. That the Scriptures are not the Word of God This is their constant judgment though they dare not profess it for fear of the Law as one of the most eminent in these parts confessed before the Magistrates here in the hearing of one of us asking Whether if the Bible were burnt the Word of God were burnt or words sully to this purpose See the proof perfect Pharisee p. 23. T.C. Parnells book p. 10. saith He that saith the Letter is the Word is a Deceiver 21. That they had a light in them sufficient to lead them to salvation if they had never seen or heard of the Bible The substance of this was affirmed before some Magistrates of this Town and one of us by the same party And this light extended to Heathen Indians by him Suitable to the assertions of James Nailor in a discourse of his in the Book quoted here And he that saith the Letter is the Rule and guid of the people of God is without feeding
Hell broke loose OR AN HISTORY OF THE QUAKERS Both Old and New Setting forth many of Their Opinions and Practices Published to antidote Christians against Formality in Religion and Apostasie By Thomas Vnderhill Citizen of London LONDON Printed for Simon Miller at the Starre in St. Paul's Church-yard 1660. TO THE HONOURABLE THE Officers of the Armies OF England Scotland and Ireland SIRS SVpposing that possibly your heads have been so taken up for a long time with these Questions How shall we keep the Power in our own hands And What is the end of Government For you answer that last Question very well in your late Plea that you have not seriously viewed the complexions and spirits of people in the glasse of such Books as are daily dispersed all the Lands over And therefore sith you are uppermost and under God may do much good or harm as his grnce shall incline you or leave you I thought good to dedicate this small Piece to you that you may see what Spirit they are of that are the enemies of the Ministry and our Christian Religion and Assemblies who if you nurse encourage and protect in their ungodliness and blasphemy it will be under the notion of Godliness reckoning them Godly and so you 'l be like them in calling evil good And will not you thereby in Gods just account be reckoned among them and judged with them And how can you possibly please Gods enemies and not dsplease both God and his servants Gentlemen be serious God will not be mocked If you are not as bad as Infidels who are resolved to play with Religion you will bear with me if I tell you That though you seem to be much doubting what sort of people are good Christians and therefore you include all that do but say they are such to the apparent ruine of all true Religion and piety if God prevent it not by you or some other way Yet you do know That the Scripture is Gods written Word and a holy perfect Rule of faith and practice That this Scripture holds forth an Infinite God in three Persons A Mediator who is true God and true man that gave his bloud as a price for mans Redemption who was buried Rose again Ascended and now is in his humane glorified body in Heaven That there is an everlasting state of misery and happinesse A Gospel-Ministry to be continued by a mediate Call to the end of the world That the Ministers of Christ must be entertained honourably as his Embassadours And you know that he that believes in Christ shall be saved and that he who obeys not his commands shall be damned That the objects of Saving Faith and Obedience are without us though the capacitated faculties by which we act Faith and Obedience are within us and a part of us That Faith Repentance New-Obedience are the free-gifts and Graces of God which he works in those whom he will save by his holy Spirit and that the Spirit works and increaseth them in a man by the Ordinances of the Gospel That it is most equitable and well-pleasing to God that one day in seven should be set apart for Rational Souls to mind the things of eternity and have more intimate communion with God by hearing his Word and calling upon his Name That Uniformity and Unity in what is good is well-pleasing to God and beautifull and profitable unto men That it is well done in any Governour of a Family to ordain Vniformity in his Family as to what is good both in reference to Duties and the time of performing them and therefore no lesse well done in the Magistrate effectually to appoint the same to his Subjects I mean in things absolutely necessary to the salvation of souls and the well-being of the publick That it is the duty of Parents both Natural and Political to cause all their children and Subjects to learn the will of God I say most certain it is that we may presume that you that make such a great profession of Religion do know and believe these things If you do not you are no Christians and we shall have cause to mourn that ever we had such Rulers were it not for our hopes that God will sanctifie unto us the worst that you can do unto us If you do so know and believe as no doubt but you 'll say you do then let it appear by your practice by your love to and care of Gods truths Ministers and Ordinances otherwise there are many thousands of the Children of the most high God who are the excellent upon the Earth that will not believe you and you will prove that your Knowledge and Faith are but Historical at the best And how then can you scape the wrath to come Unfeignedly I dare foretell that if God will make you instrumental for the setling of us upon a holy and righteous foundation he will incline your hearts to be nursing Fathers unto his Church and enemies to the enemies thereof especially Blasphemy and Blasphemers And the more good you do the more you shall be loved and honoured and the more God shall be praised for you by all his people and in particular by him that desires your everlasting happiness and is Your fellow-souldier Tho. Vnderhill Postscript IF any enemies of the Christian Ministry and Ordinances shall take offence at my seeking to the Civil or Military Power to support Religion contrary to the Great Church-door which is erected for the letting out of the Reformed Religion and the letting in of Popery I mean this Assertion That the Magistrate qua Magistrate is not to meddle with matters of Religion My Defence is this That the contrary is my belief and my addresse is the exercising the Liberty of my Conscience And why may not I that so believe more acceptably move the Higher Powers for Religion then they against it who therein cross their own professed opinion as they have very much done of late years by the multitude of motions in Councels Books Papers Letters which they have sent or delivered unto every pretended Authority for these many years for the pulling down the Ministry and the Steeple-houses and the obtaining leave to disturb all the Ministers and Assemblies contrary unto their way Their very importuning the Magistrate to pull down the publick Ministry and worship is a yeelding the cause and an owning his Authority in the matters in question though thereby they contradict themselves while they say he hath no such Authority which if they did believe to be a truth they would move him in stead of pulling them down to let them alone as matters beyond the sphere of his calling And undoubtedly if the Magistrate as such ought not to meddle with the things of Religion then it is a sinne for him to pull down as well as build Oh the worth of a truly tender conscience how rare is it TO THE REVEREND AND Wellbeloved in the Lord the Pastors and People of the Church of Scotland
the Reader to all bookish men that have read the Histories of those years wherein these things are said to fall out and they will tell us that these things are asserted by so many credible Authors at that time living agreeing in the same as takes away all doubt of forgery and slander Or the Reader may find them in Bullinger adv Anabaptist Sleiden hist Heresbachius hist Anabaptistica Lambertus Hortensius of the same Spanhem Diatr hist de Anabap. Joannis Clopenburgius gangrena Anabaptist And also Mr. Robert Baily Mr. Rutterfords Survey And a Peece lately transsated by a Minister of New-England and published by Mr. Hook of the Savoy entituled Johannis Becoldus Redivivus will further satisfie the Reader Anno 1528. Ludovicus Helster Joannis Trajer Seekler and other Enthusiasts were in the matter of Oaths Magistracy c. confuted by Hollerus and Kolvius at Bern and driven to say The Spirit taught them otherwise then the letter of the Scripture spake Rutterfords Surv. p 7. David George born in Delph austere as any Capuchin Frier that did often fast three dayes together by trade a Painter in 1540. did vend these Heresies among others That he was the Son of God the true and spiritual David born of the Spirit whereas Jesus Christ was born of the flesh That the Doctrine of Moses the Prophets Christ and the Apostles was imperfect carnal litteral That his Ministry was the time of perfection when all Ordinances shall be useles That it was the sin against the Holy Ghost to refuse the Spirit in David George his Ministry and to go back to the Prophets and Apostles These seeds he sowed in Germany and Transilvania Rutterfords Survey Gasper Swenck field in Luthers time a great opposer of the Reformation taught That the Doctrine contained in the Scripture is not properly the Word of God but improperly by a Metonimy where the sign is put for the thing signified That Faith and Conversion come not immediately by the Word preached but immediately from heaven by inspiration That the preachers of his time Luther Bucer Calvin Peter Martyr Beza Musculus Grynaeus Tossanus Melancthon c. were not sent of God and that no man was converted or the better for their preaching That no Doctrine in the Scripture CONDUCETH TO SALVATION That God is to be sought in his naked Majesty in dreams inspirations and revelations of the Spirit That our Righteousness and Justification is not in the imputed obedience and righteousness of Christ but in a conformity with Christ in glory by the in-dwelling Spirit of Christ Rutterfords Survey out of the Germne Authors CHAP. V. Of the Quakers of England since the Reformation HEnry Nicholls the head of the Sect called the Family of Love here in England wrote an Epistle to two Daughters of the Earl of Warwick in King Edward the sixth's dayes disswading them from Regeneration by the Word of God read or preached he denied Christ to be God This Epistle was answered by Henry Ainsworth he ascribed his blasphemies and heresies to the holy God as the Author of them saying of himself That he was annointed with the holy Ghost in the old age of the holy understanding of Jesus Christ Goded with God in the Spirit of his love illuminated in the Spirit with the heavenly truth the true light of perfect being That Christ was not God nor man but the state of perfection in believers or annointing or Sabbath or the holy disposition or Godliness That all Ordinances Hearing Preaching Scripture Scripture-learning Baptisme the Lords Supper all confession of Christ before men all externals in Religion are things of no worth indifferent free trivial laid on us by no Law of God That our second Birth is our Saviour Christ. Rutterford That he could no more erre in what he said then could the Prophets of God or Apostles of Christ His Prophet of the Spirit Cl 13. See 8. quoted by Rutterfords Surv. p. 169. Of this Tribe were Hacket Coppinger and Arthington and that great number called Grundletenians from a Village in York-shire where they met in Queen Elizabeths and King James his dayes concerning whom Mr. Richard Baxter affirms in his Treatise of the sin against the holy Ghost p. 149. I had an old godly Friend that lived near them and went once among them and they breathed on him as to give him the holy Ghost and his Family for three dayes after perceived him as a man of another spirit as half in an extasie but coming to himself he came near them no more The hanging of Hacket in Cheapside 1591. who died blaspheming did much marre their matters and Arthingtons Recantation in a Book called His seduction did stay many CHAP. VI. Of the Quakers of New-England BEcause some Enthusiastis agreeing in many heretical and blasphemous Opinions with the Quakers did sail to New-England in the Reign of King Charles among those godly Ministers and people that went thither to free themselves from Prelatical Monarchy let 's follow them and take a view of them Mrs. Hutcheson and her Disciples taught That Love in the Saints is the very holy Ghost As Christ was God manifested in the flesh so is he incarnate and made flesh in every Saint The new creature or new man love or the Armour of God Eph. 6. is not meant of grace but of Christ himself The Faith that justifieth hath not any actual being out of Christ it is Christ believing in us The search and knowledge of the Scriptures is not a safe way of searching and finding Christ A Christian is not bound to the Law as a rule of his Christian walking In the Saints there is no inherent grace but Christ is all Frequency and length of holy duties argues the Party to be under a Covenant of works All Doctrines Revelations and Spirits must be tryed by Christ rather then by the Word The soul need not go out to Christ for fresh supply but is acted by the inhabiting Spirit In the Saints Christ loves prayes believes praises formally in them and they are wholly Christed and Godded A Christian is not bound to pray nor to any spiritual acts but when the Spirit exciteth and moveth him thereunto He that hath the Seal of the Spirit can infallibly judge of another whether he be elected or not No Minister can convey to another more then he hath experience of in his own soul The Law is no rule of life to a Christian Mrs. Hutcheson said Her own Revelations about future events are as infallible as Scripture the holy Ghost is Author of both That she is obliged with certainty of Faith to believe the one as well as the other Rutterfords Surv. out of Welds Narrative Almost every one of these Errors and Blasphemies are the same for Substance with what the present Quakers hold as may be seen by comparing The Errors and Blasphemies of the Gortinians from Sam. Gorten banished out of New-England about the year 1646. That the Ministers and Churches of New-England that are not
of their way are Antichrists Idolizers false Teachers Vngodly c. That the rising of their Sect is the Messenger of the Covenant Christ coming to his Temple That whatever it is the Saints utter in point of Religion must be the voice of the Son of God That Christs death and suffering is nothing else but the dying and suffering of the Saints He denied there being three Persons in one God That Christ was a single man true man and died for us The Resurrection And affirmed That Christ reveals his will by no voice but the voice of the Spirit in the Saints That swearing at all though before a Judge is unlawfull That those that study for their Sermons are Idol Shepheards of Rome Simplicityes defence against seven headed policy quoted by Rutterfords Surv. I my self did hear this Gorten affirm about the year 1647. in a Sermon in Coleman-street that whatever shall have an end was a carnal Ordinance and from the Devil for he made them convertible terms and instanced in Baptisme Lords Chaplains Ruling Elders c. The Reader may see what plain Quakerisme these things are by comparing them with the following Catalogue PART II. THus having brought the Reader down to these times wherein we live I shall now shew 1. How the Quakers of these dayes came so suddenly to multiply 2. What their Opinions and Practices are And 3. What the design of Satan is in stirring up such kinde of people And so conclude with a Prayer to God to reduce them and in the mean time to preserve me and all others from their infection and rage CHAP. I. Of the Quakers of these dayes Shewing how they came so quickly to encrease as they have done And the Diversity of them 1. THe old Church-Government being quite taken away and no new one set up in its stead all Laws that enjoyned people to heat Gods Word repealed and the wayes of proceeding against Hereticks dying with the Government factions and animosities breaking out into an unhappy War in which the reins of men being more loose and Souldiers having both provocations to stir up their pride passion and dissent from their enemies to the heigth and also opportunity to vent their opinions and to propagate them with less contradiction as being removed further from the inspection of able Ministers A few Anabaptists Antinomians Familists that were the spawn of the forementioned Family of Love Henry Nicholls and the Grundletonians but shrouding themselves at first under the name of Independents and Seperatists upon pretence only of some corruptions in the Church did grow in two or three years time to a multitude spreading themselves and their conceits through the several Cities and Countries and Armies untill at last through the just hand of God their combining for Tolleration the great industry of disguised Jesuits and their many flagitious abominable practices they arrived to that height and * The number of Quakers of all sorts that deny Christ his Scripture Ministry and Ordinances is no doubt 150000. in England number and to those advantages for the propagation of their wayes which our eyes have seen and the faithfull do lament Oh what a great lump hath a little Leaven leavened And for brevity sake take the words of a great observer of the times A man would scarce have believed that saw the first spring of Seperation and Anabaptistry among us that it would have produced those fearfull effects which we have since beheld The Devil hath now got such an * Ths was written five years ago How greatly are they encreased since then Army of Hereticks to spit their venome daily in the face of Christ that we may hear daily from their voices whether Satan be for Christ or against him From Separation and Anabaptisme and Antinomianisme they are proceeded to such madness and abominable conceits and to so great variety of them as I scarce read of in any time of the Church except in the dayes of the Simonions Nicolaitans and the rest of the Gnosticks in and near the dayes of the Apostles and in the time of David George and some others at the Reformation When many both Rulers and People desired endeavoured and expected such a Reformation as to have seen a plenty of faithfull Teachers and Discipline faithfully exercised and God purely and seriously worshipped we could not foresee What grievous Wolves should enter not sparing the flock and that of our own selves should men arise speaking perverse things to draw away Disciples after them Acts 20.29 30. So that I think we may almost compare with the first Hereticks for vileness and variety Some we have that turn Socinians some turn Libertines and some Familists some Seekers and some down-right Infidels Besides these we have had and yet have a horrible Sect of men called Ranters who make it their very Religion to swear out the most foul-mouthed Oaths by multitudes and openly blaspheme the God of Heaven and so meet and dance and roar together and commit whoredoms and filthiness without shame so that they seem to match the Simonians and Nicolaitans They fall into frensies and there lie with their bodies swelled strangely acted and then fall into their raptures and blasphemings Act of O. C. against Blaspheming which proves the truth of these things When the Law began to restrain these for their wicked practices the same deceivng Spirit raiseth up another Sect in their stead called Quakers who hold many of their Doctrines and take their course in many other respects Only instead of ranting open wickedness they pretend to as great mortification of the flesh as the ancient Eremites and more They fall into trances swell quake and tremble and yell and roar and after the fit is over fall a threatning Judgements sometimes against common sinnes but the life and venome of all their speeches and endeavours is against the Ministry Baxters sin against the Holy Ghost p. 151. to make them odious in the eyes of the people The said Author goes on and names a more soberer sort possest with the fancies of Jacob Bemon the German paracelsian Prophet and the Rosiecrusians that set themselves mainly to a mortification of bodily desires and delights and advancing the intellective part above the sensitive which is well but the Doctrine of Christ crucified and Justification by him is little minded by them They do as the Quakers maintain the Popish Doctrine of Perfection That they can live without sin or that some of them can They aspire after visible Communion with Angels and many of them pretend to have attained it and frequently to see them The rest have that immediate intuition of verities by the Spirit within them or by revelation that it is above meer rational apprehension and therefore they will not dispute nor be moved by any Arguments or Scriptures that you bring affirming that Rationation cannot prevail against their intuition The summe of their Doctrines is That we must be perfect And for subjecting the