Circumstance of time he fetches their Original but from the year two hundred and seventy but I find them above two hundred years sooner even in St. Paul's time as may be seen in my next Chapter This Difference is not very great But for the other point That the Quakers can plead more for themselves from the first two hundred seventy years then Mr. Baxter for the present Orthodox Religion laid down in the Saints Rest or the Confession of the Assembly I do heartily profess I differ from him as much in my opinion as he doth that loves to speak truth from him that will say otherwise for advantage and as a Protestant different from a Papist And in this Difference I have all Learned Protestants of my side the Papists and Quakers I think are for him CHAP. III. The Quakers chief Predecessors in the several Ages of the World since Christ AS to the main design of the Spirit of Hereticks viz. The disgracing and opposing of Christ and his Gospel both the Scripture Ministry and Ordinances The Quakers are the chiefest Instruments upon the earth as will appear by their Opinions and Practices And these were the chief of their Predecessors in the several Ages of the World since Christ was upon the earth 1. The false Apostles that did so oppose the true ones and teach Justification by the workes of the Law that they occasioned Saint Paul to write the Epistles to the Romans and Galatians against them and charge them with setting up a new Gospel which infection proceeded so far that those who before would have plucked out their eyes for him did now take him for their enemy 2. Simon Magus a Leader of a deluded Society and an opposer of the Apostles and the Gospel of Christ pretended himself to be God and Christ that seemed to die at Jerusalem denied that Christ was really come or did suffer also the Resurrection of he body and brought in the promiscuous use of Women Jacks Chron. 186. 3. Menander his Disciple And 4. Saturnius his Disciple who said that Marriage and Generation were of Satan many of whose followers would not eat of my living sensitive creature 5. Basilides taught that it was not Jesus but Simon of Cyrene in his shape that was crucified And that saving Faith did not terminate in him that was crucified but in Jesus that came in the shape of a man and was thought to have been crucified 6. Carpocrates and the Nicolaitans some of them made themselves to be equal with Christ and some the same with him they used multitudes of amazing words Inchantments and were familiar with Devils The Cerinthians Cordonites Ebionites Valentinians and Marcionites who had all the general name of Gnosticks from their own proud pretences of the Knowledge of such mysteries as the Catholick Church was ignorant of but were called by the names of their respective succeeding Leaders because every one added to or altered somewhat from the Doctrine of the former yet holding the same in the main These were as Irenaeus shews Lib. 1. cap. 30. all the Disciples of Simon Magus the Witch and continued the substance of his Doctrine with some additions though some of them would not own his name All the fore going were against the Christian Doctrine Ministery and Ordinences The Arrians who denied the Divinity of Jesus Christ and that he was the only begotten Sin of God Coequall and Coeternall with the Father and the holy Spirit and consequently his Merit and Satisfaction and Justification by the imputation thereof and his Ministers The Katharoi who affirmed that they being justified were perfect and free of all sin as the glorified in Heaven Anno 1118. Adamites devised a Church to be as a hot house to keep them from cold The Service time they were all naked men and women the Virgins preached unto the rest their Church they called Paradise and themselves Adam and Eve Epiphan haeres 52. Priscilianus a Gnostick said the Soul was of one Substance with God mans actions were governed by the Stars condemned the eating of flesh parted married Couples ascribed Creation of the flesh to wicked Angels Aug. lib. de Haeres Pelagius a Monk of Bangor he held that man without the grace of God was able to fullfill all the commands of God that the Just have no sin in this life that Children have no original sin Aug. de Haeres See Baxters sin against the Holy Ghost All these Hereticks with their Heresies and Blasphemies were in the Church many hundred years ago and condemned by Councils and Fathers and many of them witnessed against from Heaven by dreadfull judgements For the truth of my Collections I appeal to all that have read the ancient Histories of the Church which are of as clear evidence as the Chronicles that give us the Names and Reigns of William the Conquerour Henry the Eight and Queen Mary So that it is not lawfull for any man to say these Stories are lies untill after diligent search he find them to be so or untill upon his enquiry of honest learned men they say so which will never be Mahomet growing famous for Wealth and Magick by the advice of Sergius a Monk called himself the great Prophet of God denied the Sufficiency Perfection and Authority of the holy Scriptures but stole abundance of the words names and things therein contained to make up his Speeches and his Alchoran also the Trinity He held Community of Women was an Enthusiast pretending to Revelations and Infallibility CHAP. IV. Of the Quakers of Germany in Luther and Calvins time that opposed Christ at his then coming to reforme the Church COme we now to the Quakers of Germany though not so called These were some of the principal of them Nicholas Stork Tho. Muntcer Dr. Belthazer Hubmore Melchior Rink John Hut Jo. Deuter Lodovick Hetzer Phifer John Becold Rotman Harman Staxrede Henry Rolles Knipperdoling Cipperbroke Creching John Mathews David George Conradus Jo. Trajer Seekler David George Gasper Swenckfield Baxters Sin against the Holy Ghost When Satan perceived that he could no longer keep up the Tyranny and Errors undisturbed but that Christ would send out such a light as should disgrace and dispell his darkness he renewed his old attempts again and setteth upon Christ in his own Kingdome and falls upon the Reformation in its own quarters to disgrace it by the diversity of evil Doctrines and practices of those who pretended to be Reformers They began in a seeming simplicity of harmlesness as if the Reformers had not reformed enough but they must carry on the work where we left it and cast out children from the Church as we cast out Superstition and Errors But when the spirit within them had once vent and field-room for agitation it soon discovered it self to be of the great Deceiver as will abundantly appear by the ensuing Epitomy of the Stories of some of them Muntzer and his company at Mulhuze chose a new Senate of their Party to seize upon the
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
Christian Friends WHen I lately heard a good Christian of your Nation say That the sad disagreement among you had not proceeded at least in his observation unto any actual Separation of the members from the respective setled Congregations unto which they belonged nor from communicating together in the Ordinances of Christ it much rejoyced my heart because we of England do know by wofull experience That Separation from a true Reformed or Reforming Church is the VAN of such a company of Abominations as have allowed Blasphemies for their RERE as may be seen in this short History which I have published partly for your sakes that so you may see what poisonous weeds they are with which the Garden of the Church in England is overrun by its lying common without an hedge to the apparent danger of Religion and may be provoked both to pity and pray for us and to look to your own Church by striving every one of you in your places to strengthen and tie fast the bond of heart-unity among your selves in reference both to affection and practice The Reverence I owe unto so eminent a part of the Spouse of my Saviour as the Church of Scotland is forbids me to multiply words I heartily beg of all her members that they will faithfully indeavour to purge out any old leaven that may at any time be found among them but abhor Schism and Separation That Jesus Christ would preserve and sanctifie the Church of Scotland more and more and purge the Church of England from her drosse is the hearty prayer of A poor member of Christs Catholick Church Tho. Vnderhill AN ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER IN collecting the Opinions of our Quakers though I much affected to transcribe their own words which I have done for the most part yet sometimes though seldom I have contracted where I found my Authors prolix yet without wronging them in the least For it was the Spirit of those people and the Substance of their writings and not only the letter as they phrase it concerning the Scriptures which I sought after which course James Nailer himself saith he took in his Answer to Moor pag. 34. Where they in stead of Scripture say the letter I render it Scripture because thereby they mean the Scripture as themselves acknowledge Farnworth against Hagger pag. 20 26. Burroughs against Firmin pag. 8. as every Reader may discern by the matter treated on And that every of the meanest Readers may the better understand their meaning I know very well that there are many things in the Catalogues that will astonish thee but I do freely and sincerely affirm that I have not knowingly wronged them in the least and do ingage my self to make good every thing I charge them with to any sober and peaceable person that shall require so much of me I do expect many thundering Accusations and Comminations from the Quakers but would not have either them or thee to expect that I shall take any publick notice thereof for these two Reasons 1. Because they do disclaim both Scripture and Argumentation as Judge to try any things in debate between them and their Adversaries their own fancy and will which they miscall the infallible Spirit of God shall determine all and so it 's a vain thing to strive to convince them of any thing contrary thereunto 2. Because when they do pretend to Answer they do so equivocate and prevaricate that such Answers are little better than their more plainer ones to wit Thou liest even just as one answered Bellarmine with a word I could in my collections have been much more large but supposing here is more than enough I forbear with a promise of more if it be thought needfull and what is done find acceptance Tho. Underhill An History of the Quakers CHAP. I. Of the Name Quaker And the Substance of their Opinions ALthough they agree with the great Opposites to verity in many great points as with Simon Magus Menander Saturnius Basilides Carpocrates the Nicolaitans Arrians and Mehomitans of old and with the Papists Socinians and Enthusiastical Anabaptists of Germany of late as may evidently be seen in the comparing of their Opinions yet with us they are not commonly called by the name of any of those with whom they do so agree but have their denomination from their sits of the Quaking of their bodies when they are either really or pretendedly acted by another Spirit than their own And though now adayes it 's rarely seen that they Quake yet it 's well known to thousands that the quakings and bodily tremblings of single persons and the greatest part of their Assemblies was very ordinary And no doubt but in those strange fits they are sometimes passive when acted by Spirits as was Gilpin of Kendall See his own Relation And sometimes active as when they do it of their own accord Sutable to this is the Story that I had from one that I am sure tells the truth That coming once into a great Assembly of them at Glasiers-Hall London their then meeting place he found some trembling others howling others crying out and violently moving their bodies just like mad folkes who were to his appearance forceably held by the more sober just as mad folkes are and all this for many minutes together the like carriage he affirms he had thought had been no where on this side Hell But when he dealt with their Speaker endeavouring to prove him a Seducer they were so vexed that they left their Bedlam carriage and like the pictures of the Witches in the Fortune-Book fell upon him with dreadfull denunciations and impudent censures untill he charged them with hypocrisie and voluntariness and called upon them to howl again and to let him alone with that Fellow their Speaker and then they did fall to their howling again but not so loud as to hinder the debate which he had with him And for the chief Opinions of the Quakers That our Ministers are not of God Nor the Scripture his Word That they are not our Rule That the Gospel-Ordinances cease That themselves are immediately taught and are infallible Denying the Trinity Christs Humanity Merit and Ascension Of only such as these I shall treat in this ensuing History CHAP. II. Of their Antiquity FOr the Antiquity of the Quakers take the very words of Mr Henry Stubbs of Christ Church in Oxon in his Rebuke to Mr Richard Baxter p. 36. As to the Generality of their Opinions and Deportment I DO AVOW it out of as sure and good Records as any can be produced that they can plead more for themselves from the first two hundred seventy years then Mr Baxter for the present Orthodox Religion laid down in the Saints Everlasting Rest or the Confession OF THE ASSEMBLY I fully agree with this Learned man that they are very Ancient but yet I do not agree with him in one point of Circumstance and in another of Substance as to the Subject of the Quakers As to the
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