NEW ROME ARRAIGNED, And out of her own Mouth CONDEMNED.
The PREFACE.
EDw. Burrough long since put forth a Challenge in the Name of the Quakers, that they would gladly be manifest to all the World; and in order to it, and to clear themselves from some Imputations cast upon them, they proposed to meet and Dispute with any, whether Priests or People, of any Perswasion, yea, or any one of them, at any Place, and at any Time, and for what Number they pleased, as by me recited in my last New Rome unmasked, &c. p. 2. Upon which I went to their Meeting in Mildenhall, Nov. 22. 1691. and there accepted of their Challenge, and told them, I had a Charge to exhibit against them, if they would ingage to vindicate themselves and their Principles. Tho. Brewster a Quaker, then present, bad them Answer me with silence. So then I read the Charge to them, consisting of ten or twelve Errours, as in New Rome, &c. p. 3, 4, 5. and left a Copy of the said Charge with them, [Page 22] and told them, That if they did not answer me according to their Proposition, that I should expose them (which I was loath to do for the sake of some amongst them). But no answer could I get: After which I printed, &c. and when my Book came out, I went again to their Publick Meeting, and renewed my Charge on the 20th of Nov. 1692. and offered then to prove it against them, where was present Sam. Cater and John Cade, two of their Preachers: But still they refused to debate the matter with me, or to argue the Point fully. I told them I did not come to disturb them; but if they would set a time, either S. C. and my self singly, or let him take two, four, six, or ten, and I would take the like number, and we would appoint a convenient time and place. This they refused, and to this day have declined any such method, though proposed by them in print; and now at last I have received a single sheet, stiled, A Charitable Essay, &c. which neither they, nor I can call an Answer; only in p. 8. Twelve of the Duakers sums up in gross four Particulars by way of Certificate, and at the end thus concludes; viz. Whereupon we do in the holy fear of Almighty God, and in behalf of the said People, declare and testifie, That all these and all other his (F. Bs.) Accusations of the same kind, or depending thereupon, are utterly false, wicked, and malicious, and never so believed, so said, nor so affirmed by us as charged against us, but contrary to our Perswasion, Principle, and Profession, &c.
Behold the Answer of these Twelve Elders, is contained in less than half a Page; and how far their plain Say-so will prevail against plain Matter of Fact, unless with their own infatuated Disciples, let the wise in heart judge? And in answer to this said Certificate, I do thus say, That to my knowledge, I have not set down one Line nor Word as theirs, that is not theirs, nor yet raised one Argument upon theirs, but may naturally be drawn from the Premises; and if they think I have, I with the like number will upon reasonable notice meet them at any place within twenty Miles or more of my dwelling, and produce both Book and Page, and if they can shew me wherein I have wronged them, I will make them publick Satisfaction, on condition that if what I have wrote as their Principles, be by me so proved, that then they will condemn what is apparently Erronious; and as this will be a fair opportunity for them (if they think themselves wronged, as they pretend) to clear themselves from my Accusations as they call them; so will they have an opportunity to manifest Francis Bugg to be both wicked and malicious; yea, and I will also subscribe to this their Sentance, if I do not clear my self, and fully prove my Charge against them. But, as a sign that they do not think nor believe themselves so wronged, as they pretend, although I do not pretend to their Art of Prophesying, yet I do, and dare pass my word that they will never meet me, and subscribe the Condition aforesaid. [Page 23] And I have no other reason thus to believe, but that I know first, 'tis their way to make a large Protestation of their avowed Innocency, when Guilty; and that secondly, I know they cannot but be conscious of great guilt in denying and out-facing such manifest Truths, as in that half Page they have done. As to G. Whitehead in the Introduction, I have taken some little notice of him, and what he hath said, which is but little, being not a sheet; neither hath he taken notice of the twentieth part of my Book; so that it still stands unanswered and unshaken by their peny Rattle which they have put forth to please their Disciples; for something they must say, or the People will cry, Where is the Answer to F. B's. Book, and so I proceed to the Charge.
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F. B's. Charge against the Quakers.1. The Quakers denies him who was born of the Virgin Mary, who suffered death upon the Cross at Jerusalem, who rose again the third day, and ascended into Heaven in the sight of the Galileans, to be Christ the Saviour of the World.
- 2. They deny the Scriptures, by speaking contemptuously of them, and overvaluing their own Books.
- 3. That their Teachers are Deceivers of the People, Favourers of Blasphemy, Excusers of Idolatry, and of a different Faith from the Apostles, Primitive Christians and blessed Martyrs, and that their Doctrine tends to overthrow the Christian Faith.
REMARK.
This is the Charge which I publickly exhibited, this is the Charge I offered to prove against them, which as it is heavy, so it stood them upon to have defended themselves, if they had been able so to do, since they had two of their Preachers present, besides hundreds of People to bear witness what passed: Nay, though conscious to themselves of being guilty (as that I take to be the very reason of evading a Dispute) yet notwithstanding it had been for their interest, if they had been humble, and for Truth and Righteousness, as they pretend; who upon Conviction of their Errours, ought to have made open Confession thereof to GOD's glory, as was the practice of the ancient Martyrs upon a sight of the Papists Superstitions, in which they had walked. However, since they would not accept of the said Challenge; nor yet meet me according to my frequent Proposals, nor answer my Book, but come only out with a single sheet, and tell their People, this is an Answer to F. B's. Book, &c. when alas! [Page 24] it doth not take notice of the twentieth part thereof: I shall now proceed to prove upon them what I have Charged them with, and that out of their own approved Books, and Arguments deduceable from them. But let it be noted, that their ERROURS and CONSEQUENCES under distinct Heads numerically placed, are taken verbatim out of their own Books, which is plain Matter of Fact, quoting both Book and Page; but the Remarks and Arguments I draw from them are my own sence, which how far they agree to Reason and Protestant Christian Principles, I leave others to judge: And in order thereunto, I first divide my Charge into three parts as followeth, viz.
THE FIRST CHARGE.
F. B's. first Charge.1. THAT THE Quakers DENY HIM THAT WAS BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY, WHO SUFFERED DEATH UPON THE CROSS AT JERUSALEM, WHO ROSE AGAIN THE THIRD DAY, AND ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN, IN THE SIGHT OF THE GALILEANS, TO BE CHRIST THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD.
THE Quakers FIRST ERROUR.
The Quakers first Errour. A Question to the Professors, &c. p. 33. Now the Scriptures do expresly distinguish between CHRIST and the GARMENT which he wore, between HIM that came, and the BODY in which he CAME; between the Substance which was vailed, and the Vail which vailed it, Lo I come, a Body hast thou prepared me; there is plainly HE, and the Body in which HE came; there was the outward VESSEL, and the inward LIFE. This we certainly know, and can never call the bodily Garment Christ, &c.
REMARK.
By which 'tis plain that they deny HIM that was born of the Virgin to be CHRIST; for though they seem to own something which appeared in the Body, as by the sequel of the matter you will perceive, yet 'tis plain, and self-evident, that they call HIM that was born of the Virgin, that suffered Death on the Cross, who was smote with the Palms of their Hands, spit upon, buffetted, and run through with a Spear, died, was buried, rose again the third day, &c. but a Garment, a Vail, a Figure, &c. For say the Quakers, There was plainly HE, and the Body in which HE came; there was plainly the outward Garment and the inward Life, &c. And [Page 25] this we declare to all Mankind we can never call this Body; this Garment that was thus subject to be smote, to be buffetted, to be perished, to be crucified, &c. CHRIST. But if that will satisfie you, we will call something that was in that Body, which was never born of a Woman, never was mortal, never smote, never crucified, nor by wicked hands slain, and hanged on a Tree; this if it will satisfie you, we will call CHRIST, being the same which we say is in us: This, and no other, do, or ever did we own to be CHRIST the Saviour of the World.
Now that this is a Fundamental Errour, and tends to overthrow the Christian Faith, I shall prove by the Testimony of the glorious Angels, holy Apostles, yea GOD himself, recorded in Sacred Writ. And first read Luke 2. 11. For unto you is BORN this day, in the City of David, a Saviour, CHRIST the LORD. And Acts 5. 30, 31. The GOD of our Fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye SLEW and HANGED on a Tree: HIM hath GOD exalted with His right Hand to be a Prince and a SAVIOUR. Again, Acts 2. 36. Therefore let all the House of Israel know ASSUREDLY, that GOD hath made THAT SAME JESUS, whom ye have crucified, both LORD and CHRIST. Mark, the SAME JESUS which was thus despitefully used, that was thus crucified between two Thieves, that was put to this ignominious Death, viz. hanged on a Tree: The VERY SAME JESUS the Apostle tells you, and assures all the House of Israel, that GOD exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour, to be both LORD and CHRIST. Again, read St. Mark 9. 7. and Matth. 17. 5. And there was a cloud that over-shadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is MY beloved SON, hear ye HIM. Again, read Acts 1. 10, 11. And whilst they looked steadfastly toward Heaven, as HE went UP, behold two men stood by them in white Apparel, which also said, Ye men of Galilee , why stand ye gazing UP into Heaven? THIS SAME JESUS which is taken up FROM Then not in them in the Quakers sence; no, no otherwise then by Faith, nor no otherwise to this day; for Christ said at His last Supper, ME ye have not always; its expedient that I go away, but when I am gone I will send the Comforter. you into Heaven, shall so come in LIKE MANNER as YE have seen him go into Heaven. And Acts 10. 39, 40, 41. the same is again verified of the SAME JESUS. And thereupon I do affirm and testifie, and charge it upon them, in the presence of GOD, Angels and Men, that they disown and deny Jesus Christ, whom GOD hath ordained to be Salvation to the ends of the Earth, and a propitiotary Sacrifice for the Sins of the whole World, to be CHRIST: And that there is not another Name given whereby men shall be saved, than this SAME JESUS; who was so named of the Angel before he was born of the Virgin, Matth. 1. 21. Luke 2. 21, 27. who was crucified, hanged on a Tree, rose the third day, and ascended visibly up to Heaven, and there sits at the right hand of GOD, making intercession [Page 26] for us sinners, who believe and hope for Salvation through his Merits, Death, and bitter Passion, and the imputation of his Righteousness, who was foretold by the Prophets, and in due time was manifest. And this is HE that Israel by Faith drank of, that the Apostles testified of, whose hands handled, and eyes saw; and we by Faith do now behold, and by HIS Spirit, the Comforter, whom HE promised to send, are inabled to believe. And this I further testifie, That from Adam to the days of the Apostles, there never was a Man saved but by Faith in this Messiah, or Son of GOD, nor since to this day, nor will be to the end of the World, but by this SAME JESUS who was thus born, who suffered death, who thus rose again and visibly ascended; for so say the Scriptures: There is not another Name given under Heaven by which men shall be saved, but by the Name of JESUS: even as St. Peter often, and very emphatically illustrates, saying, This SAME JESUS. And this Jesus the Quakers say they cannot call CHRIST; for though I grant this was H. Penington's great Errour, yet as G. W. says, he was a wise Man and a Scholar; nay, let me add, A Man I believe that was more simply honest than hundreds of their Teachers; [And how far GOD's mercy may extend to him and other devout Heathens, I will not determine] yet Errour is Errour still, and the Fundamental Truths of the Gospel ought to be testified to by all true Christians, according to the holy Scriptures.
THE Quakers SECOND ERROUR.
The Quakers second Errour. A Quest. &c. p. 20. To whom do the Names and Titles of JESUS and CHRIST chiefly and in the first place belong? Do they belong to the Body which was took by HIM; or to him [too hims by the way] who took the Body? The Body hath its Names and Properties. Now the Query is, which was the appointed Saviour of the Father? which was the Anointed of the Father viz. The Light in them, or Christ that suffered on the Cross. This is the Question, observe his Answer. chiefly and in the first place? whether the Body prepared, or He [ i. e. the Light] for whom the Body was prepared? For that which He took upon Him was our Garment, even the Flesh and Blood of our Nature, which is of an EARTHLY PERISHING NATURE.
REMARK.
First I answer, The Name JESUS and CHRIST chiefly and in the first place belongs to HIM that was born of the Virgin, that suffered death on the Cross, that was buried in the Sepulchre, that rose again and visibly ascended, as in my last Remark I have already proved, from the [Page 27] joint Testimony of the glorious Angels, Matth. 1. 2. Luke 2. 10, 11. and holy Apostles, Acts 2. 36. and 5. 30, 31. and Acts 1. 10, 11. Luke 2. 21, 27. and could by many other places. And next to their Affirmation, That HIS Body was like ours, of an earthly perishing Nature, I deny: For said St. Peter, Acts 2. 29, 30, 31. Men and Brethren, let me freely speak to you of the Patriarch David , that he is both dead and buried, and his Sepulchre is with us unto this day: therefore being a Prophet, and knowing that GOD had sworn by an Oath to him, Acts 13. 35. that of the fruit of his Loyns according to the Flesh, he would raise up CHRIST to sit on his Throne; he seeing this before spake of the Resurrection of CHRIST, That his Soul was not left in Hell, neither his Flesh did see Corruption, Psal. 32. 11. and 110. 1. By which 'tis plain, that CHRIST who was born of the Virgin, who suffered death, and was buried, was not of an earthly perishing Nature: and as plain, that by their calling HIS Body a Garment, a Vail, a Figure, &c. and saying it was like ours, of an earthly perishing nature, that they deny CHRIST and disown HIM; yea, further, that the very Name of JESUS and CHRIST do not properly belong to HIM, as is implied by the beginning of their Question, and confirmed by their Resolving their Question, in saying, For that which he took upon him [meaning his Body] was our Garment, even the Flesh and Blood of our Nature, which is of AN EARTHLY PERISHING NATURE. For you must note, these Questions were not proposed to be answered by others, but a compleat Book put forth by way of Question first, and by H. Penington himself also answered, for the clearing up what they did, or did not own to be CHRIST; and the Tenor of it runs to own the Light, the Life, the Substance, something in the Body which was not capable of being seen otherwise than by the Eye of Faith, nor capable of weariness, of thirst, of hunger, of buffetting, of scourging, of being crucified, and hanged on a Tree; this in a confused mysterious sence they will own to be CHRIST; and this is no other than they dream is in them, and which they attribute to one another, as in the said Consequences of these their Errours I shall more evidently make appear. Nay, they say, A Quest. &c. p. 22. Is not this [the Light in them] the same Christ that took upon him the Body of Flesh, and offered it without the Gates of Jerusalem, &c. So that consequently so many Quakers, so many CHRISTS, as anon will more plainly appear.
THE Quakers THIRD ERROUR.
The Quakers third Errour. A. Quest. &c. p. 27. Is not the Substance, the Life, the Anointing called CHRIST wherever it is found? [or in whomsoever it is found:] Doth not the Name [ Christ] belong to the whole Body, and EVERY MEMBER in the Body, as well as to the HEAD. So that the Name is not given to the Vessel, but to the Nature, to the heavenly Treasure, to that which is of HIM in the Vessel. Contrary to the express Testimony of holy Writ. See Matth. 1. Luke 2. and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 10th Chapter of the Acts, &c.
REMARK.
Good Reader observe what they teach: First that they cannot call the bodily Garment Christ, meaning HIM that was born of the blessed Virgin. 2. That this bodily Garment thus born, &c. they say was of an earthly perishing Nature. 3. That the Light, the Life, the Anointing, this is called CHRIST wherever it is found. And to that the Name Jesus and Christ does belong, and that chiefly too; let it be in G Fox, G. W, G. Smith, R. Sandiland, John Tysoe, Tho. Rudyard, Ez. Wooly, Chr. Atkinson, W. Warwick, or any other Quaker; for, say the Quakers, the Name Jesus and Christ does not so properly belong to the Body, as to the Light, the Substance, the heavenly Treasure, &c. See the second Errour. And upon that foot and bottom, the Quakers having in them the same Light, Life, Treasure, and heavenly Substance, even the same that took the Body of Flesh, and suffered at Jerusalem A Quest. &c. p. 22., the Name Christ does as properly belong to every Quaker as to CHRIST: yea, their very words are, Doth not the Name [Christ] belong to the whole Body, and to every Member in the Body, as well as to the HEAD. A Quest. &c. p. 27.
THE Quakers FOURTH ERROUR.
The Quakers Refuge fixed, &c. p. 38. by John Whitehead, viz. Nothing which was mortal was called Christ.
[Page 29] REMARK.
This John Whitehead asserted to Mr. Grantham, as he told me, and since J. W. acknowledged it in the Book and Place cited: But to do J. W. justice, I ought to give you his Explanation; for according to G. W.'s. Doctrine, it ought to be so, though he himself walks by a clean contrary Rule. Well, let us hear J. W's. Explanation in p. 39. I distinguish between Christ, and the Body of Christ. But how far this mends his matter, I leave wise Men to consider; for if he mean by this distinction to separate the Godhead from the Manhood; or Humanity of CHRIST, I answer thus; That though CHRIST, as he was GOD, he was from Eternity, and with the Father before the World began, and by whom the World was made; yet as HE was the promised Seed, ordained of GOD to be Salvation to the Ends of the Earth, and manifest in due time, HE was born of a Woman, became Man for our sakes, made like unto us in all things, sin excepted, as St. Peter says, and was mortal, and suffered death on the Cross, but raised by the mighty Power of GOD the third day, and saw no Corruption; but in the same Body HE rose He ascended, and now sits at the right hand of GOD in Majesty on high, as our Advocate; to whom, with the Father and Holy Ghost, be Praise and Glory for ever. Yet I take J. Whitehead's distinction according to the coherence of the Quakers Doctrine, and the Analogy of their Faith, to run thus: As for HE that was born of the Virgin, who was smote with the Palms of their Hands, buffetted, spit upon, crowned with Thorns, run through with a Spear, hanged on a Tree, this was not the CHRIST, this was only a Vail, a Garment, was Mortal; and nothing, says J. W. that was Mortal was called Christ; not properly at least in the Quakers Opinion: for, says he, I distinguish between Christ, and the Body of Christ, which is the Church, and the Light in them the Christ; this I take to be his meaning. And that it may appear so, I will produce a Text out of their own Scriptures, I mean out of Jos. Coals Works, p. 332. in answer to John Newman about the Body of Christ, he thus expresses himself, viz. If by the Body of Flesh that Christ had, he means his Church, which the Apostle speaks of, which was the Body of which Christ was Head, and they Members of, then I am one with him: for his having that Body after his Ascension, I never denied, nor intend to do:—And such a Body we own Christ had after his Ascension.
Thus then it appears plainly, that they deny HIM to be Christ who was born of the Virgin Mary, who suffered death on the Cross, in that they say nothing which was Mortal was called Christ, and they say, the bodily Garment we can never call Christ: And when J. W. made his distinction [Page 30] between Christ and his Body, it doth appear by J. Coals Testimony, that CHRIST, after he ascended, had no other Body but his Church; consequently did not ascend in His Body, which was seen apparently, Acts 1. 9, 10, 11. So that the Light in the Quakers is the one only Christ, and the Quakers the Body of Christ: And no other Christ, nor Body of Christ, do I by their Doctrine find that they own, and thereupon do Charge them to deny CHRIST who was crucified, dead and buried, but is risen, and in the same Body ascended, and in the same Body sits at the right Hand of GOD, never more to die, but ever liveth it make intercession for us.
THE Quakers FIFTH ERROUR.
Saul's Errand to Damascus , &c. p. 14. Christ is the Substance of all Figures, and his Flesh is a Figure. G. F.
REMARK.
Reader, pray observe; First they distinguish between Christ and the Garment he wore, meaning his Body, (which suffered on the Cross) which bodily Garment they cannot call Christ. 2. They teach that the Names Jesus and Christ, do not so properly belong to HIM that was born of the Virgin, suffered, &c. as to something in the Body, the Light, &c. which they say is in themselves. 3. And that the Light in them is the same Christ which suffered at Jerusalem. 4. That the Body of Christ is like ours, of AN EARTHLY PERISHING NATURE. 5. That nothing which was Mortal was called Christ; and consequently not HE that was born of the Virgin Mary, who suffered on the Cross as an acceptable Sacrifice. 6. That Christ hath no other Body but His Church since his Ascension, proved out of their own Books, which they say are given forth by the Eternal Spirit. So that the Light in the Quakers is all the Christ they own; and they being (in their own esteem) Believers, and consequently the Church, Christ hath no other Body, so the Quakers are all and all. 7. That the Flesh of Christ is but a Figure. Thus have they, what in them lye, overturned the Fundamentals of Christianity: for Christ was so far from being a Figure, that all Figures and Types ended in Him, and HE the Substance of them all, as I shall shew by the Prophesies of the Holy Prophets in two Columns.
And whereas G. W. in his A Just Enquiry, &c. p. 2, 3. by his cunning Glosses, not only vindicates some notorious Errours, but also excuses the Consequences of them, as not being of a dangerous tendency; and therefore [Page 31] rather than to trace him in his crooked Path, I shall choose to make it appear that the Fruits, Effects, and Consequences of these and the like Errours are very dangerous, in hopes, that as it will tend to strengthen my Charge of their not owning CHRIST, &c. (if any thing be still wanting to prove it) so will it be a means to strengthen and confirm others in the Principles of the Christian Faith against the Prevalency of such Seducers as G. W. &c. are, as by their Fruits do now appear.
DANGEROUS CONSEQUENCES OF THESE ERROURS.
1. Saul's Errand, &c. p. 8. He that hath the same Spirit that raised up Jesus Christ is equal with GOD. P. 7. And if Christ be in you, must he not say I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE.—The Letter of the Scripture is Carnal, and the Letter is Death, and killeth: All that do study to raise a living thing out of a dead, to raise the Spirit out of the Letter, are Conjurers, and their Teaching is from Conjuration which is not spoken from the mouth of the LORD.
2. Several Petitions answered, &c. p. 30. But if ever you own the Prophets, Christ and his Apostles, ye will own our Writings, which are given forth by the same Power and Spirit.
3. Truths Defence, &c. p. 101. The Letter which killeth is dangerous, and the Ministers of the Letter are the Ministers of Death, to you, it is dangerous to read or speak of it.
4. The Sword of the Lord drawn, &c. p. 5. Your imagined GOD beyond the Stars, and your Carnal Christ, [to say] GOD and Man, in one Person, is a Lie.
5. David's Enemies Discovered, &c. p. 7. And these [i. e. Quakers] do not call the Letter the Rule, and the four Books, Matthew , Mark , Luke and John, the New Testament and Gospel, as thou and thy Generation do: For Paul said he was a Minister of the Gospel, and of the New Testament, and not of the Letter, which thou calls the Gospel and New Testament; thy Ministry is in the Letter which killeth, &c. by G. Whitehead and Chr. Atkinson.
6. A Brief Discovery, &c. p. 7, 8, 9; 10. The Priests of the World are Thieves, Robbers, Conjurers, Antichrists, Witches, Devils, Liers, a Viperous and Serpentine Generation, Blasphemers, scarlet coloured Beasts, Babylon's Merchants, selling beastly Ware for a large price, the Letter which is dust and death ; whited Walls, greedy Doggs, really they are Blood-hounds, still hunting and gasping after their Prey, like the mouth of Hell, barking and raging like Sodomites. G. F. and others.
7. Truths Defence, &c. O thou filthy Beast, thy beastly Worship, no Prayers can we send to thee but for thy destruction, thou Man of Sin and Enemy of [Page 32] thou Hypocrite: O thou impudent and brazen fac'd, thou art in the Sorcery and in the Witchcraft, and in the Adultery! O thou slanderous Beast! O thou natural brute Beast! O generation of Vipers! And here thou Serpent thou art damned openly. And here I charge thee to be a Witch, and to bewitch the People; a Reprobate, hated of GOD, a Child of the Devil , an Enemy of Righteousness, the Son of Perdition. O thou false-hearted dissembling Hypocrite! the Plagues of GOD are due to thee, and that is thy portion thou child of the Devil , thou blind Sot, thy Torment is begun, and so fare thee well. But thou art a Conjurer, and livest in Conjuration, thou Enemy of GOD and Man of Sin, for destruction thou art ordained to go therein; thy fear of it doth begin, and the Lake that burneth, and the Pit thou art for to be turned into eternally; but thou livest in Philosophy and Logick, which are of the Devil. G. Fox, R. Hubberthorn.
REMARK.
Reader, Here are some of the Consequences of their erronious Principles, in denying the LORD that bought them; for after they had erred concerning the Faith, and made shipwrack of a good Conscience, and denied Christ, how soon did they contemn the Scriptures, profane his Ordinances, revile his Ministers: with design, no doubt, as by the sequel we may perceive, to exalt their own Horn. I could not well omit some few of their dreadful Names given to the Publick Ministry in general, as elsewhere I have observed: But before I sum them up, let me add a few more of their Consequences, and a little observe what good Names and Divine Attributes they gave to each other; for as none ever came near them for railing and reviling, stigmatizing and abusing their Opposers, as if Hell was broke loose; so never did any People exceed them in magnifying each other, exalting one another to the Sky: nay, had they studied many years, they could have scarce found out worse words for their Opposers, (and better, and finer; and dilicater words, high praises, and magnifying expressions for themselves) and even so they have done by the Scriptures, calling them Dust, Death, Carnal, Husk, Serpents meat, and the like contemptuous Names; whilst they have invented most excellent Names for their own Nonsensical Pamphlets and venomous Books, fit to corrupt a Nation, and destroy a Country; as THE WORD OF THE LORD, A MESSAGE FROM THE MIGHTY GOD, THE WORD OF GOD, A LIVING TESTIMONY, and a hundred other such like Titles they give to their confused Nonsence to take the eyes and ears of the weak and unstable.
DANGEROUS CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR ERROURS.
8. The Quakers Challenge, p. 3. The Quakers are in the Truth, and none but they.
9. Ios. Coal's Letter to G. Fox justified by W. Denn and others. Dear G. Fox , who art the Father of many Nations, whose Life hath reach'd through us thy Children, even to the Isles afar of, to the begetting many again to a lively hope, for which Generations to come shall call thee Blessed, whose being and habitation is in the power of the Highest, in which thou rulest and governs in Righteousness. AND THY KINGDOM IS ESTABLISHED IN PEACE, AND THE INCREASE THEREOF IS WITHOUT END; Judas and the Jews, &c. p. 44.
10. A Battledoor for Teachers and Professors. All Languages are to me (says G. F.) no more than dust, who was before Languages were. Introduct. Again, p. 214. And next follows a few words to the whole matter by G. Fox , who is before Confusion or many Languages were.
11. News coming out of the North, p. 15. I am (saith G. Fox) the Door that ever was, the same Christ yesterday, to day, and for ever. (And Title Page) Written from the mouth of the LORD, from one who is naked, and stands naked before the LORD, cloathed with Righteousness, whose Name is not known in the World; risen up out of the North, which was prophesied of, but now is fulfilled. And p. 14. Your Original is Carnal, Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, and your Word is Carnal, THE LETTER, and your Baptism is Carnal, and your Sacrament is Carnal, and their Communion is Carnal: Their Original is but dust, which is THE LETTER, which is death; their Church is dust; so the Serpent feeds upon dust; and their Gospel is dust, Matthew , Mark , Luke and John , which is the I inlarge the more on this Subject out of this Book, by reason of the impudency of the Certificates handled by twelve Persons in G. W's. Charitable Essay, p. 8 O dreadful! to deny what they know to be true, is the most abominable thing that can be. And this I charge upon them as a pack of false Witnesses and perjured Persons, for their Solemn Protestation ought to be as binding as an Oath, and the breach of it as punishable. Letter. Pag. 34, 35. A voice and a word to all you Deceivers who deceive the People, and Blasphemers who utter forth your Blasphemies and Hypocrisies, that tell People of a Sacrament , and tell them it is the Ordinance of GOD: Blush, blush and tremble, you who live in the Witchery, and bewitch the People.
12. Several Petitions answered, &c. p. 60. My name is covered from the world, and the world knows not me nor my name. G. F.
13. G. F.s. Great Mystery, &c. p. 77. And as for any being moved of the Lord to take your [i. e. Priests] Hour-glass from you by the Eternal Power it is owned.
[Page 34] 14. A Musick Lecture, &c. p. 22. I do affirm that if John [the Apostle] had said he had been a sinner he had lied. See New Rome unmasked, p. 40. to 49. and you will see a whole Catalogue of Idolatrous Letters and other Abominations, which are too large to recite here; for I find I shall inlarge beyond what at first I intended.
15. Jos. Coal's Testimony of Edw. Burrough: viz. That he was a Man endued with the ALMIGHTY POWER OF GOD, which lived and reigned in him, &c.
16. W. Penn's Testimony for Jos. Coal in his Works. O the soft and pleasant streams of LIFE IMMORTAL that have run through him to refresh the LORD's Heritage. And now he is truly ascended above every Trouble.
16. THIS IS ONLY TO GO AMONGST FRIENDS, p. 19. And O thou North of England! who art counted as desolate and barren, and reckoned the least of the Nations, yet out of thee did the BRANCH Pray who do you account this Branch, if not G. Fox, for he came out of the North, and as he said himself, was prophesied of. I say, who else did you assign these Titles to, i. e. the Branch, the Star, the Son of Righteousness, was it to G. Fox, or the Light in him? Pray distinguish in your next. You are excellent at the Art of distinguishing: for till then I can assign your Attributes to no other. spring, and the Star arise, which gives Light to all the Regions round about. In thee the Son of Righteousness appeared with wounding, and with healing. Out of thee, Kings, Priests, and Prophets did come forth, and laid their Swords on the neck of their Enemies. Put on your Armour, and gird on your Sword, and lay hold on the Speer, and march into the field, and prepare your selves to battel, for the Nations do defie our God, and say, where is the God of the Quakers? Arise, Arise, and sound forth the everlasting word of War and Judgment, in the ears of all the Nations. Sound an Allarum, make their ears to tingle: Our Enemies are whole Nations, a rebellious People, that will not come under OUR LAW. Stand upon your feet, and appear in your Terrour, as an Army with Banners; let the Nations know your power, and the strength of your hand; cut down on the right hand, and slay on the left, let not your eye pity, nor your hand spare; but wound the lofty, and tread down the honourable of the earth: give to the great Whore double, [and give to the little Whore treble, for she is worthy, whose Abominations have exceeded all that went before her;] dash her Children against the stones: and cursed be every one that riseth not up to the help of the LORD against the Mighty. Spare none, neither Ox nor Ass, old nor young; kill, cut off, destroy; hew Agag in pieces; make the Devils subject; cast out the unclean Spirits; shut up in Prison, bring out of Prison; cast in your Nets; launch into the Deep; divide the Fish; bind the Tares in Bundles, cast them into the fire, &c. * Here was sad killing, cutting and destroying, not to spare Ox or Ass. 'Tis well they meant no other than what was within them; as also all their Miracles are Mysteries, Fancies, Whimseys, all within; your Heaven, Hell and Devils, all within; their Swords and whole Train of Artillery within.
[Page 35] REMARK.
Reader, here is Matter enough to write a Volume upon, but having treated largely upon some of them in my last, I shall only touch briefly upon some of the Heads, and so leave them to the Consideration of the wide World. First, Their pretence that such as have the same Spirit which raised up Jesus, are equal with GOD, I must say 'tis horrible Blasphemy: yet it ought to be charged upon them, until they publickly condemn the Book, which hath little else in it but Blasphemy, and false Doctrine, and railing on the Publick Ministry. However it never was corrected by Errata, as is usual, and hath gone for a Gospel Truth above forty years, and as their Principle, if they believe as they write; and therefore I charge it upon them, until they condemn the said Book. And secondly their Impudence, in saying, that if we will own the Writings of the Prophets and Apostles, we must necessarily own their Books: this is of kin to the rest, i. e. Blasphemy. And thirdly, for them to say, If Christ, the Light in them, say, I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE, why may He not speak? I answer: If they can work the same Miracles He did, and produce as many Prophets that foretold of G. Fox's coming out of the North, as I shall, that foretold of Christ's coming, then I shall believe them. Fourthly, What horrible Blasphemy is it to say, 'Tis dangerous to read the Scriptures; and to call them Dust, Death, Carnal, Serpents-meat; as likewise the Ordinances of Christ, and the Communion of Saints, which Christians ought to hold and believe as an Article of their Faith. And then fifthly, to call the Publick Ministers Witches, Devils, Conjurers, &c. is very pernicious. Such Books ought to be burnt, as Jacob Baker, a Quaker, once confest he would burn it. And sixthly, for them to hold that they, and they ONLY, are in the Truth, 'tis the perfect Pharisee. But for them to write that G. Fox was before Confusion, or the many Languages were, is monstrous: Such Blasphemies ought to be posted. As likewise Ja. Parnell to say that he was before Arguments was; and was come to the end of all Arguments, is notorious. And seventhly, so is it in G. Fox to say that he stands covered, and neither he nor his name known in the world. O what shall I say! was there ever such wickedness! And yet here is nothing so bad, nothing so wicked, nothing so false, so Idolatrous, so Blasphemous. But G. W. can salve it, he can vindicate or excuse it; nay, more then so, he can procure twelve Witnesses to say, We [...] declare on the behalf of the Quakers, that what Fr. Bugg says is [...] and wicked; for they never so believed, so said, nor so affirm'd, &c. [...] being solemnly avouched, as in The holy fear of Almighty God, [...] an Oath; and if what these twelve affirm be false, then they [Page 36] are perjured Persons in the eye of the Law, and deserve to be Pillored. And thereupon I charge them with Perjury, with false-witnes bearing, until they by publick retraction repent, and give Satisfaction. For as you will spare none, neither Ox nor Ass, old nor Young, no more will I; I will not spare, nor my eye shall not pity Friend or Foe, which comes up with false Evidence, yea so false, as if they should say black is white, and white is black. I must say, that as T. G. hath no need to depend on G. W. and that he must know, that G. W. hath as little love for him, as for some he hath wrote against, yet I am sorry to see his Name there. As for the others, many of them have their dependency on the Chair; and G. W being therein, I marvel not at them, provided their Testimony had been true; but I am sure it is notorious false; nay, and that they themselves know it to be false, I will give the World a SIGN, which is this; If they know and be conscious to themselves that their Evidence is false, they will not come forth, according to my Proposition in this Book made, to meet me; but if they be not conscious to themselves of false Evidence, [how false soever it is] they will come forth to clear themselves, and be glad I give them the opportunity; and by this SIGN they shall be proved.
Come on you twelve Master-Builders, can you read these sixteen Instances, and not blush, (when you behold your Certificate) and particularly the first, third, fifth, and eleventh; as also the first, second, and third Errours: I say, can you read the Passages taken out of your own Books, wrote by your most eminent Preachers, and yet affirm you never said so, wrote so, believed so, nor taught so, and not blush? and be horribly ashamed? But I have given a Sign to prove you, and by it you shall be tried. Again; Can you read p. 77. of G. F's. Great Mystery, where he justifies Felony, under a pretence of being moved by the Spirit of GOD, and not blush? What, is all your Zeal gone? or are you fearful of displeasing G. W. now he is got into the Chair? Can you look on the fifth Instance, and see how G. W. teaches that the Scripture is not the Rule, nor Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John the New Testament, but the Letter which killeth, &c. And can you behold his contrary Pretences in his late Writings, and not reprove him? can you hear him pretend that he was moved of GOD to write Judgment Fixed, &c. and that GOD laid a necessity upon him to write that Book; and that therein the neither consults the Events, nor fears the Effects; and yet proved to write notorious Lies? And can you thus let him pass, only with saying he was mistaken? when he fathered all his Lies upon the moving of the Spirit of GOD, even six Lies in number, and great part of his Matter bottomed thereupon. Can you hear and read his Excuses and Vindications of the Idolatious Letters wrote to G. Fox by Jos. Coal, John Audland, [Page 37] John Blaikling, and Sol. Eccles, and can you be silent at these things? Read my Parallel between the Papists and Quakers in New Rome, &c. p. 40. to 49. Can you take notice of the Names he and others have given my self, and such as have opposed your Church Government, and the imposing the observation of your Womens Meetings, which some of you are no more in love with, then some of us which wrote against the mischief of your Impositions? I say, can you behold the Names he, &c. gave us, viz. Old canker'd Apostates, vile Apostates, unruly Beasts, Runagades, Treacherous Apostates, Apostate Informers, betraying Iudas's, Devils Incarnate, Wolves, Doggs, Enemies of all Righteousness, Children of the Devil, dark, Devil-driven, dungy Gods, Heathens, Atheists, &c. See some of the Quakers Principles and Doctrines, &c. p. 10, 11. for more of this stuff; nay, such personal defamations and detractions, which hath had such an Effect, not only of our Profession in Religious Matters, but upon our Persons and Imployments, which in time may be further taken notice of; Can you behold all this, and a hundred things more which I might name which hath occasioned a great part of your Troubles? And can you submit your Necks, your Interests, and all to such a Make-bate, such a continual contentious Scribler, who in nine Months wrote three Books against me; and since I wrote my last, hath wrote three more against me and others. Are you not sensible what pretences he makes in his Books to Charity, to Seriousness, to Sincerity, and yet void of all? Have you not taken notice of his late little Book (about the great Divisions amongst the Quakers in Pensilvania) intituled, The Christian Doctrine and Society of the Quakers, &c. wherein he carries two faces in one Hood, hold with the Hare and run with the Hound, as the Proverb is; writes against writing; that's his main design: And if writing be a fault, who more guilty than G. W. for in that Book he peeps and creeps, he turns and winds this way and that way, hither and thither, but centers no where, but JANUS like, looks two ways; for he seems to own Geo. Keith's Doctrine, but dare not own his Testimony, nor him in it: he seems to blame the Doctrine of Fitzwater, Young and Lloyd, but dare not blame their Persons, nor give Testimony against their Doctrine, as theirs, they being of the Foxonian Party, and one with him in the ground, and in those Fundamental Errours: For said Fitzwater, The Plea, &c. p. 4. God that died in us, and laid down thy life in us, and took it up again. And Rob. Young affirmed, that when Christ ascended he was separated from his Body. And Tho. Lloyd, who said, p. 5. That Faith in Christ without us, as he died for our sins, and rose again, was not necessary to our salvation, &c.
Now had G. W. been plain, and against these Errours, he ought to [Page 38] have reprov'd these Persons sharply, and joined with G. Keith against them in his charging them with such Damnable Heresies and Doctrines of Devils, as was no where tollerated in any Christian Society, but only amongst the Quakers: The Plea, &c. p. 11. I say, had he been sincere he would have been plain, as G. Keith is, and not to come out so smooth and demure, saying, Why do you thus write? why do you thus amuse the World, and trouble the World with such bitter treatment; complaining bitterly of Rents, Schisms, and Divisions. Come on, what can you say? why do you let him alone? why do you not unmask and discover this subtil Fox, and uncharitable George, and insincere Whitehead, out of his Hole and Den? where he lies lurking, writing, and scribling, and neither studies Events, nor fears Effects, and make him be plain. And if G. Keith, &c. in your opinion, who preaches up and holds forth the Death and Sufferings and meritorious Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, as necessarily to be believed, in order to our salvation, be right, why then does not G. W. stand by him and his Friends in this their sound Testimony? But if G. W. be one with Fitzwater and the Foxonian Quakers, that there is no other Christ than in them, no other Crucifiction than within, no other Resurrection than within, no other Heaven nor Hell than within us, as quoted in New Rome unmasked, &c. p. 89. Why does he not joyn with Fitzwater, Lloyd, &c. against Geo. Keith, &c. let him be plain in his next; let him not thus halt between two Opinions: If Geo. Keith, &c. be right, let Geo. Fox his Books be burnt, and your Epistles burnt, wherein they do not teach that the Sufferings of Christ, and his meritorious Death and Passion, and the Imputation of his Righteousness, are necessary Articles of the Christian Faith, in order to Salvation: No, a thousand of your Epistles, read in your Meetings, will afford no such Doctrine, nor no Confession of Sins, nor no asking Pardon for his sake: And why do you suffer him to complain of bitter Treatments, Rents, Schisms, and Divisions: whoever treated their Opposers with such bitter Language as the Quakers have done? whoever made greater Rents and Divisions in Church and States, in Towns and Families, than the Quakers have done? And why do you let him thus complain of Though 'twas not for printing sake, but because such printing exposed their Antichristian Principles and great Divisions beyond the Seas. printing and troubling and amusing the World with printing, when you know no People print more, nor take the like care to disperse their Pamphlets when printed; witness your Orders for sending two of each sort to the Monthly and Quarterly Meetings in the Country; their sending them out by Pack-horses to Markets and Fairs, as was the practice of Jos. and Ben. Townsend (to my knowledge) who send their Epistles to be [Page 39] read in all Meetings in England, Scotland, Ireland, Holland, Mariland, Barbadoes, nay, I understand by your last yearly Epistle, that you have got footing in Germany: why then do you suffer him to act thus prepostrously, to chide others for his own fault? to deal thus deceitfully in almost all things you can mention? Are you not ashamed of these things? what have you not a spark of that honesty you pretend to? if you have, blow it up, and let it become a flame to burn up this heap of Hypocritical Rubbish, that at last we may rightly understand what a Quaker is?
THE SECOND CHARGE.
II. THE Quakers DENY THE SCRIPTURES, 1. BY SPEAKING CONTEMPTUOUSLY OF THEM: AND 2. BY OVER-VALUING THEIR OWN BOOKS.
REMARK.
Reader, this Branch of the Charge is more than sufficiently proved already: but by reason of some little Argument which passed between me and Sam. Cater and John Cade, two of their Preachers, at the Meeting, when I exhibited the said Charge, Nov. 20. 1692. touching the Scriptures, and that thereby their shuffling, equivocating, and evading may be the more manifest; and particularly G. W's. twelve Men which he hath got to testifie on the behalf of the Quakers, that they never said, never believed, nor never affirmed the Scriptures to be Dust, Death, Serpents-meat: I say, for this reason (for as I said, I shall spare none) I may recite an astonishing Confutation of these Infallible Doctors, &c.
Come, Sam. Carter, will you accept of this Charge, and appoint a time, ten, twenty days, or a month hence, you and I singly, or if you will, take four, six, or ten of your side, I will take the like number: Let me know your Answer, and I will be gone; I do not come to disturb you, but to charge you with your Errours, &c.
There is no end of Disputing with thee, neither shall I undertake it.
Why not? If I fail of proof to make good my Charge, you will have the Victory, and it will tend to the honour of your Cause: And you may be glad of the opportunity to manifest F. Bugg, since you say he charges you falsly.
Thou maist be gone: we have other business to do than to Answer thee.
Well, if you will not accept of the Charge, nor set a time when to argue the Point, I shall proceed to read the second part of my Charge, which is your denial of the Scripture, by calling it Death, Dust, and Serpents-meat, &c.
Observation.
So then I read out of G. Fox his Book, (what followeth) the Astonishing Confutation abovesaid. News coming up out of the North, &c. p. 14. So Dust is the Serpents meat; their Original is but Dust, which is but the Letter , which is Death; their Church is Dust, and their Gospel is Dust, Matthew , Mark , Luke and John , which is the Letter.
I deny that we call the Scriptures Dust or Serpentsmeat.
But, S. Cater, wilt thou deny it if you see it in one of your Friends Books?
Yea, wherever I see it, I will deny it.
Richard Tilson go and fetch my Box: which he did: I read it as in the recited Charge, and Sam. Cater took the Book and read it.
Thou saidst we call'd the Scriptures Dust and Death, but there is not the word Scripture in the whole Passage.
People, I appeal to you, whether Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John be not Scripture. With that, perceiving S. Cater's Evasion, the People gave a great shout, and said, Yes, Yes.
Matthew Muck—
Hold Sam. what Matthew muck, what Muck is that? what, shall we have a new Gospel?
John Cade a Norwich Preacher, said, Friends, take notice, that as the Bible grows old, it will moulder and crumble away, and become Dust.
People, observe; They would not have you think that new Bibles are Dust, but when they grow old they moulder away, &c. and therefore my Advice to you is to get new Bibles.
Francis, we deny thy words: we have given it in to the King and Parliament, that we believe the Scriptures was given forth by Divine Inspiration, and they have accepted of it.
The more shame for you to be so deceitful, to give in a Testimony so contrary to your Belief: For if so, why do you not Retract and Condemn your Books, which are as opposite to what you now say, as Light is to Darkness.
And some few Passages more we had: But if they believe as they write, that the Gospel, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John be Dust, I wonder with what face they could appear before the Parliament, until they had first [Page 41] retracted, and by some publick Act have condemned their Books, which throw such Contempt upon the Holy Scripture. For a further proof of this Charge, see the sixteen Instances.
Object. But possibly some may object, and say, It's true, you have more then sufficiently proved your first Charge; and in the proof thereof there is enough said of their speaking contemptuously of the Holy Scriptures, by calling them Dust, Death, Serpents-meat, Carnal Letter, killing Letter, Dangerous to read, &c. yea, and their contemptuous Speeches of the Sacraments, Church, Ministery, &c. yet the second Branch of your second Charge seems unproved, where you bring it as an Argument against them of their not owning the Scriptures, and that they over-value their own Writings. Now if you have any thing material to offer, pray do.
Answ. I am very willing (as I always was) to leave things as clear as I can, and place my Argument upon Matter of Fact out of their own printed Books: And having already signified that ERROURS and CONSEQUENCES are out of their Books, and their rejecting the Scriptures and reading the Scriptures in their Religious Meetings, (if I may so call them) being a Consequent of the second Errour, I shall so call them, viz. both the Titles of their Epistles, and the Conclusion, enough to signalize their way and manner, and THE DANGEROUS CONSEQUENCES OF THE Quakers ERROURS.
First, THIS IS ONLY TO GO AMONGST FRIENDS, &c. Directed To the Camp of the Lord in England, meaning the Quakers. Subscribed Edw. Burrough and Fra. Howgill.
Second, To the Flock of Christ every where, to be read in their Assemblies; by G. Fox. Printed for Ben. Clark, 1681.
Third, To the Children of Light, &c. Directed thus, I desire this Epistle may be read in the fear of the Lord in your several Meetings. By William Penn.
Fourth, A Salutation of Love from the Spirit of Life, unto all Friends of Truth, &c. —Let this be read amongst Friends who are Exiled, or sentenced for Exilement, when they are met together in the fear of the Lord. Josiah Coale. Printed 1665.
Fifth, An Epistle to Friends in Holland —Let this be sent amongst the Friends in Holland. Jos. Coal. Printed 1667.
Sixth, To the Flock of GOD, gathered out of the World, in the Province of Mariland —Let the Copies of this [Epistle] be sent amongst Friends every where in the Province of Mariland, to be read amongst them in all their Assemblies, in the fear of the Lord. Jos. Coal.
Seventh, Several Papers given forth for the spreading of Truth, &c. —I charge you in the presence of the Lord God to send this amongst all Friends and Brethren EVERY WHERE, to be read in all Meetings: To you all this is THE WORD OF GOD, G. Fox.
[Page 24] REMARK.
Thus, Reader, I have given a few Instances of their way and manner of sending their Epistles to be read in their Meetings, both in England, Holland, and Mariland, and were it needful, I could give you a hundred more; which shews that they give their own Writings the preferrence, as well as that they lay aside the use of the Scriptures in their Meetings; and no marvel if the Scriptures be Death, Dust, Carnal, Serpents meat, and if it be Conjuration to preach out of them, and if the Ministers of the Scriptures be Ministers of Death, and if it be dangerous to read them; as were they (as by the Quakers esteemed) Dust, Death, Serpents-meat, it were surely dangerous to read them; for who would feed upon Dust, and Death, and Serpents-meat; this could no way nourish nor strengthen, but corrupt, poison, and putrifie the Minds of such as are most exercised in reading them; and that so it is, in their Judgment: For if it were wholesome to read them, and that they believed them to be given forth by Divine Inspiration, as they to the Parliament have pretended, to serve a Turn, why do they not read the Scriptures, or sometimes a Chapter, or sometimes one of the Apostles Epistles in their Meetings? as that they do not, nor never did; nay, I challenge all the Quakers in England, whether ever their Ministers recommended so much as one Chapter to be read in any of their Meetings for Worship these forty years, much less charged them in the presence of the LORD GOD to read such a Chapter, or such an Epistle, as wrote either by the Prophets or Apostles: And if they cannot, let it be a Sign for ever that they deny the Scriptures, first by contempt thrown on them, and next by their practice of laying them aside, and reading their own Epistles; and let it rest upon Record, as a witness against their deep Hypocrisies, and let it be a Testimony against the false Pretences and Perjury of the twelve false Witnesses. Nay, and not only in their own Meetings, but let me give you one of G. Fox his Epistles sent to the Publick Churches to be read, and received as a New Liturgy, (only they rejected it, and kept to the Bible) It is thus Intituled,
TO ALL THE PEOPLE WHO MEET IN STEEPLE-HOUSES IN ENGLAND, AND ELSEWHERE.
Page 2. So all you that have the Letter in England , and calls a Steeple-House a Church, and do not Worship God in Spirit, therefore to you all this is [Page 43] sent a Message from the Lord Jesus Christ, in England and elsewhere, into all the Steeple-houses, or elsewhere to be read: And God is the same, he is a Spirit, and his Spirit is drawing from all Steeple-houses now, where it is ruling: And they [the Clergy] tell People of a mediate Call, so they are in their Witchcraft and Whoredom; Christ is not in the Letter , nor the Life is not in the Letter . This mediate staff hath raigned long in the Cage of unclean Birds. Now in this our Age, we [Quakers] who have the Spirit which gave forth the Scriptures, which the Apostles was in; and this is to go abroad in all Steeple-houses in the Nation, and their High places, and through the World, that they may come to God from them.
REMARK.
Now had the Christian People of England been as tame as the Quakers, they had an opportunity put into their hands, to have had a new Liturgy, a new Religion, a new Gospel, yea, and a new sort of Manisters too, such as they are; yea, all new; new Meeting-houses, as fine as some Churches: For if this Epistle, which was sent to be read IN ALL STEEPLE-HOUSES, and elsewhere, yea, TO GO THROUGH THE WORLD, had taken place, we should have had all things turned upside down: A new Christ too, and a new Scripture too; not one made of Dust, Death, Serpents-meat, but one given forth by infallible G. Fox, who as he said himself, (News coming up out of the North, &c. p. 1.) was 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 it is fulfilled. And p. 20. Clap your hands and be glad, for the Lord Jehovah will reign, and the Government shall be taken from you pretended Rulers, Judges, and Justices, Lawyers and Constables; all this Tree must be cut down, and Jesus Christ will rule alone. I say, had this super-excellent Epistle of G. Fox taken place, and been read and received, and the Letter, [viz. the Scripture] thrown aside, we should not only have had a new Religion, a new Liturgy, a new Scripture, and new Ordinances, as they call their Womens Meetings, but new Rulers, or rather no Rulers, but the Light in G. Fox, no not so much as an outward Judge, and outward Justice, an outward Lawyer, or an outward Constable; all things should have been new: And why not? if G. Fox was such a King as the poor Quakers deemed he was. Witness a Letter from Barbadoes to him by one of their ablest Ministers, namely Iosiah Coal, and which they justified; see Judas and the Jews, p. 44, 45, 46. viz. Dear G. Fox , who art the Father of many Nations, whose Life hath reached through us thy Children, even to the Isles afar off, to the begetting many again to a lively Hope, for which generations [Page 44] to come shall call thee blessed, whose being and habitation is in the power of the highest, in which thou rulest and governest in righteousness, and THY KINGDOM IS ESTABLISHED IN PEACE, AND THE INCREASE THEREOF IS WITHOUT END.
Thus, Reader, have I answered the Objection, and proved my Charge more then sufficiently; but in regard they have such false Witnesses at their beck to justifie G. W. and to back his Work with the most notorious Lies that men can be guilty of, I am forced to dwell longer upon the proof then otherwise I need to do: And now I proceed to the last part of my Charge, viz.
THE THIRD CHARGE.
THAT THEIR TEACHERS ARE DECEIVERS OF THE PEOPLE, FAVOURERS OF BLASPHEMY, EXCUSERS OF IDOLATRY, AND OF A DIFFERENT FAITH FROM THE APOSTLES, PRIMITIVE CHRISTIANS, BLESSED MARTYRS; AND THAT THEIR DOCTRINE AND PRACTICE TEND TO OVERTHROW THE CHRISTIAN FAITH.
REMARK.
Reader, Not doubting but that in the proof of the former two Branches of my Charge, I have proved this also, yet if any thing be wanting, possibly before I conclude I may supply the vacancy: However, remembring that in E. B's. Works, p. 223. there is a Book, intituled, A just and lawful Trial of the Teachers and Ministers, &c. I shall turn the Title of E. B's. Book upon the Quakers, and say, A just and lawful Trial of the Teachers of the World (I mean of the Quakers) whereby they are examined, and out of their own mouth, and by their own practice CONDEMNED; and being brought to the Bar (to use E. B's. words) of Justice, these things are truly charged against them, and proved upon them, and by the Testimony of the Scriptures they are found guilty, &c.
THE PROLOGUE.
Having thus inverted the Title of his Book, I shall indeavour to prove, that first, the Quakers to be of the World; and secondly, their Teachers to be the Ministers, the false Teachers who of old were prophesied of, who should bring in damnable Heresies, denying the Lord that bought them, yea, deceivers of the People, false Apostles, and deceitful Workers, who by their subtil twisting and twining, intermixing gross Errours with some [Page 45] more general Truths, transform themselves into the likeness of the Ministers of Christ: But as Christ said, Ye shall know them by their Fruits; and to me they were first discovered by their fruits, as by my Book De Chr. Libertate, &c. and that intituled, The painted Harlot stript and whipt, &c. does appear: And secondly by their false Doctrine and pernitious Principles, as by my Book, New Rome unmasked, &c. also appears: For in my young years I was carried away by their dissimulation, and being long trained up and educated in their way, and they often, as a Decoy, exhorted us to obey the Light and Spirit of GOD in our own hearts, and to observe the dictates of our Consciences; to abstain from evil, and pursue what was good, and to follow the leadings and guidance of the Light within, which was sufficient to lead to Salvation, &c. And this being a general Truth, and a Duty upon all Christians, and no less than the Publick Ministry does, yea, and ought to exhort too: But still, when all this is done, and I am as obedient to the Light as I can, yet 'tis but my duty, I must not, as they have taught, place Salvation there; I say, as by the Publick Ministry I am instructed to obey the Dictates of my Conscience, to abstain from Evil, and follow that which is Good, according to the Rule of GODS Word revealed in the Scripture; yet as they teach, and I believe, I ought not to lean upon my own Obedience for Salvation, and as the Quakers do, account it sufficient: But with that worthy Martyr, Dr. Robert Barns, say, Acts and Mon. p. 610. I believe in the holy and blessed Trinity, that created and made all the World: I believe that without Man's Will or Power Christ Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and took Flesh of the blessed Virgin Mary , that HE suffered thirst, hunger and cold, [which as he was God he could not do; mark that old Friends] and other Passions of our Bodies, sin excepted, according to the saying of St. Peter : And I believe that this his Death and Passion was the sufficient Ransom for [my sins, and] the sins of the whole World; and I believe that through his death he overcame sin, death, and hell, and that there is no other Satisfaction unto the Father, but his Death and Passion only; and that no Works of Man did deserve any thing of GOD, but only Christ's Passion touching our Justification: For I know [said this humble Martyr] that the best Works that ever I did is impure and imperfect.
And according to the Faith of this worthy Martyr the Publick Ministers teach, and I believe; not but that Dr. Barns was a good Man, walked circumspectly, had great regard to the Dictates of his Conscience, and the Guidance of the Light, abstained from that which was evil, and followed that which was good, and every way, as became a good Man, as compleatly as the most perfect Quaker in England, notwithstanding their high boasting; yet you see he did not lean upon his own Deservings, but upon the Death and Passion of Jesus Christ, even the Merits of HIS Death, who suffered thirst, hunger, and cold; who was born of the [Page 46] Virgin, and made like unto us, sin excepted, &c. nor did he pretend to a sinless Perfection, as the Quakers vainly boast of, but humbly acknowledged that the best Works that ever he did was impure and unperfect; and this made him rely and lean wholly upon the Merits of another, even the Sacrifice of that Immaculate Lamb, Christ Jesus, his Death and bitter Passion, which the Quakers never preach up as necessary to believe. Search all their Epistles read in their Meetings, hear all their Sermons, if ever you hear such a Passage as came from this humble Martyr, I will be your Bond slave.
And thus have I given an additional Proof that the Quakers are of a different Faith from the Martyrs, and all true Christian Churches I do except G. Keith and his Friends, as in New Rome unmasked, p. 69, 70, 71.; and when I came to understand these their Fundamental Errours, which was after I had wrote three or four Books against them, in reproof of their Hypocrisie, about outward Ceremonies, Church Government, their pretending to preach, write, suffer, and do all things freely; when alas, it was all but a cheat! they took Money, Gifts, and Reward for all; nay sometimes, as in the Instance of Sam. Cater, 10 l. where they suffered not 10 d. See New Rome, p. 54. to 68. I say, after I had thus been brushing at the outside or skirts of Religion for some years, it pleased GOD in mercy to open my understanding, and to shew me by the Rule of Holy Writ, and through the Assistance of His Holy Spirit, the Quakers great and Fundamental Errours, and then I could not be silent, (but that too, for the sake of many amongst them, who have a Zeal, I bear them record, though not according to knowledge) but was constrained to unmask their blind Guides, who have caused them to err: And if in my Zeal against their pernicious ways I seem to exceed, they of all People may bear with me. And now to the Trial, now to the Examination, Who are the true Ministers and the false? who are the Worlds Teachers? [Alluding to the Quakers distinction, whose Maxim is, to call all but themselves of the World, or the Worlds People, or the Worlds Teachers, &c.] and who are the Ministers of Christ? And though I dare not pretend to know Gods People, so as to give an infallible Character of another Mans state, as the Quakers G. Fox's Great Mystery, &c. p. 33, 82, 107. do yet I hope to make a truer Description than they have done: But for this I must have a Rule, and that Rule must be the Holy Scriptures, and by the evident Testimony of that let my Work stand or fall.
A DISCOVERY OF THE WORLDS TEACHERS.
1. The Quakers, who teach that the Names JESUS and CHRIST, [Page 47] do not properly belong to the Body that suffered upon the Cross at Jerusalem, nor preach'd it up as a necessary Article of Faith, to believe that Salvation is obtained through the Merits of his Death and Passion. They are of the World, they are the Deceivers and Antichrists.
2. The Quakers, who teach that the Name Jesus and Christ belong to the whole Body, and to every Member in the Body, as well and as amply as to Christ the HEAD, are of the World, and Deceivers.
3. The Quakers, who teach that the Body of Christ was of an earthly perishing Nature like ours, are of the World, and Deceivers.
4. The Quakers, who adore Mortal Men, and give those Divine Attributes to Geo-Fox, due only to CHRIST, are of the World, and Deceivers.
5. The Quakers, who teach that he that hath the same Spirit which raised up Jesus Christ, is equal with GOD; and which Spirit they pretend to have, and by it give forth their Epistles, &c. and therefore of the World, great Deceivers, and horrible Blasphemers.
6. The Quakers, who teach that Josiah Coal, being dead, is ASCENDED, and that IN Edw. Burroughs, whilst living, was THE ALMIGHTY POWER OF GOD, and that the FULNESS dwelt in him of Grace and Vertue, are of the World, and gross Idolaters.
7. The Quakers, who teach that Geo. Fox's coming out of the North naked, not known, prophesied of, writ from the Mouth of the LORD, &c. are Deceivers, Impostors, and of the World.
8. The Quakers, who teach that the Gospel is dust, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, which is the Letter (say they;) and that such are Ministers of the Letter are Ministers of Death, which is Serpents-meat; that say the Sacraments are dust, &c. are of the World, and great Deceivers.
9. The Quakers, who teach that it is as justifiable to burn the Bible, as the Books wrote by Geo. Fox, Geo. Whitehead, and others of their way, are Decivers and impudent Impostors.
10. The Quakers, that teach that the Scriptures are uncertain, and that what the true Prophets say is false, and what the false Prophets said is true; what good men spake therein is ill applied, and what wise men spake therein is ill expressed; and that whether Moses or Hermes was the first Penman of the Scripture, is uncertain; they are false Apostles, deceitful Workers, and their Doctrine tends to overthrow the Christian Faith.
11. The Quakers, who teach in one Book, that the four Books, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, are not the New Testament, not the Rule for Christians to walk by; and teach in another Book lately, that the Scriptures [Page 48] are the New Testament, Holy Scriptures, &c. are Deceivers, carrying two Faces in one hood, looking two ways, JANUS like; these are Ambodexters, and of the World.
12. The Quakers, who teach that preaching out of the Scriptures is Conjuration, are of the World, and Blasphemers.
13. The Quakers, who teach that they have a Spirit beyond all the Fore-fathers, and thereby know not only who are Saints, who are Devils, and who are Apostates; but also that none need to give them discerning or judgment in any Case, or on any Occasion, but that at ALL TIMES they are furnished both with Discerning and Judgment, are of the World, Deceivers, Deluders, and Impostors, &c.
14. The Quakers, who teach that their own Books, Epistles, or Writings, are THE WORD OF GOD, are of the World, and Deceivers.
15. The Quakers, who require and charge their own People, and that in the Name of the LORD, to read their own Writings, Epistles, or Books in their Meetings for Worship, and never so much as request their hearers to read any Portion of Scriptures in the said Meetings, are Deceivers, Supplanters, and Deluders.
These Doctrines I charge upon the Quakers, as deduceable from their printed Books and Epistles, and from which Errours they can never purge themselves, but by unfeigned Repentance, and a publick Retraction and Condemnation of the same. And 'tis to be feared their Pride is so great, and that they are so fixed upon their Principle of Infallibility and Perfection, that they cannot, but will rather strive to cover and gloss over things. However, I presume I have given a fair Description of the Worlds Teachers: and now let me tell you who are the true Ministers.
16. Those are true Ministers of Jesus Christ who preach Repentance and Remission of sins in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, and Obedience to the Commands of GOD, according to the Rules of the Gospel, recorded for our Learning in Holy Writ.
But E. B. says, p. 233.— I do believe there was never such a Generation of Teachers as these [i. e. Priests] are; that ever took such wicked courses; to their shame (says E. B.) do I rehearse it.
Answ. This is very uncharitable, as well as false in Fact: and it looks the worse, in that 'tis rehearsed by such a Generation of Teachers as are amongst the Quakers, who exceed all that ever went before them, professing Christianity, the Papists ONLY excepted, both in Idolatry, Blasphemy, and Superstition, yea, and other gross Enormities, of which I could give a large List: a few for Example sake I shall mention, as in the Cage, where I have laid Superstition and Immorality together, heaps [Page 49] upon heaps, plain enough for your view; if not, I can yet lay these and many more plainer, though I delight not in it, were it not to humble you, and to let you see, notwithstanding your proud boasting of Perfection, and that you, and you ONLY are GOD's People, and all besides you of the World, Heathens, &c. that there is cause enough for you to make Confession of your Sins, and ask Pardon too. I very well know how Retrograde you run, and how cross and thwart, not only to the practice of the Saints in all Ages, but even in this Age, with respect to the Christian Doctrine; and how you have in little minute matters, affected an odd kind of singularity, whereby you have separated your selves in Religious Matters, as well as in Habit, Manners, &c. As first, for any kindness, you will not say, I thank you, but which is tantamount, I accept of thy love. You will not put the Hat off, but nod, bow, or conjue, &c. crying out against fine Clothes, dainty Dishes, lofty Horses, Coaches, &c. until you could get them; yea the Woe (said you) was to such as so did: But now who exceed you in fine Clothes, [except a little Lace or Ribbons, which for crosness sake you forbear] dainty Dishes, lofty Horses, goodly Houses, brave Coaches, fine Perriwigs, and what not? nay, even both Ministers and People: witness London, Bristol, Stoak, Erith, Northampton, and many other places. You pretend you cannot for Conscience sake pay to the Trained Solers, and yet can pay ten times the value towards the carrying on a vigorous War against France. But for the LORDS PRAYER, the APOSTLES CREED, or TEN COMMANDMENTS, not one of them in all your Books; no, they are too low and mean for your proud Lucefering Minds to teach. Nay further, as a Fruit of your Doctrine, that the Name JESUS and CHRIST do as properly belong to your Believers, as to HIM that suffered at Jerusalem, you do give the Name of Emmauel and Allalujah to your Children: As to Emmanuel, it was by the Prophet foretold to belong to CHRIST; Isai. 7. 14. Behold, a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call his Name EMMANUEL; which, being interpreted, is GOD with us, saith St. Matthew, Cap. 1. vers. 23. And thus do you manifest your Doctrine by your Fruit: as likewise Allalujah, an Attribute of Praise, due only to GOD, as Rev. 19. four or five times mentioned, as well as in divers other places; yet these Names your chief Leaders have given totheir Children: But GOD hath and will stain your Pride more and more, and make you at length see cause sufficient to confess your sins to GOD, and ask Pardon for the same, and that for Jesus Christ his sake, who died for our sins, and rose again for cur justification, as the Evangelist says 1 Joh. 1. 9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, who was the Propitiatory Sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole World; who now sits at the right hand of God as an Advocate and Intercessour, in the same Body in which he ascended in the sight of the Galileans; read 1 John 2. 1, 2. Acts 1. 9, 10, 11. Luke 24. 51. Mark 16. 19. at the right hand of GOD in Majesty on high.
[Page 50]Babylon is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of Devils , and the hold of every foul Spirit, and a Cage of every unclean and hateful Bird.
For her SINS have reached unto Heaven, and GOD hath remembred her Iniquities.
Reward her, even as she hath rewarded you, and double unto her double, according to her works: in the Cup which she hath filled, fill to her double.
Rejoyce over her thou Heaven, and ye holy Apostles and Prophets, for GOD hath avenged you on her, Rev. 18. 2, 5, 6, 20.
And now let me proceed to strengthen what I have said in the Discovery of your Errours, who are called Quakers; and not only so, but by many Scripture Proofs demonstrate and set forth to you the Excellency of the Christian Faith, which may be a means (if you will peruse what I have wrote for your Instruction) to shew you your great mistake, and that in Fundamentals too; and to inform your Judgments, and to clear up your Understandings in the Principles of the Christian Religion. And as I have taken great pains herein, and thought no labour too much; so I do assure you, nothing would more comfort me, than to see you humble, and to come to a sight of your Errours, and to use the means appointed of GOD for your Relief: And therefore follow the Example of the blessed Martyrs, who were in great Errours, and thought themselves not too good, nor too high, nor to holy to acknowledge their Mistakes and confess their Errours, as in my last Book I have at large shewed, from the Example of Dr. Robert Barns, Bishop Latimer, Martin Luther, and others, who in humility made Confession of their Sins, of their Errours, and of their ignorant Zeal; and then magnified the goodness of GOD, in discovering to them his saving health. And why should you be over confident? why should not you examin the Scriptures? Come try a little, lay all prejudice aside; though you may not believe me, whom your Teachers have prejudic'd you against, yet believe the Scriptures I have quoted, and let my Arguments have place amongst you, so far as they are bottomed on the Authority of the Scriptures, and no further, I intreat you. I know you have been told much about G. Fox, of his coming out of the North, of his being clothed with Righteousness, [Page 53] Prophesied of, &c. but alas! this is without bottom. Indeed, after he came out of the North, I know that J. Coal, J. Audland, Fra. Howgill, Edw. Burrough, Sol. Eccles, Jo. Blaikling, and abundance more, call'd him the Great APOSTLE, some that true PROPHET, whom John said he was not: others the Branch, the Star, the Son of Righteousness, and Father of many Nations, and that his Life reached through us to the Isles afar off; and that his BEING and HABITATION was in the POWER of the HIGHEST, in which he RULED and GOVERNED in RIGHTEOUSNESS; and that HIS KINGDOM was ESTABLISHED in Peace, and that of the INCREASE thereof there was NEVER to be an end. And although these Men gave witness to G. Fox, yet not as the Prophets gave witness to Christ; for the Prophets foretold of Christ's coming, of his Death and Sufferings, of his Kingdom and Government, of his Rule and Dominion; I say, these things, nay all that CHRIST did and Suffered the Prophets foretold of. Besides, 'tis plain by G. Fox's Doctrine, Example and Practice, how he interfered with Christ, his Doctrine and Practice in many things; particularly in his Book stiled Gospel Liberty, &c. p. 7. where he calls the LORD's PRAYER, OUR FATHER, &c. the Common-Prayer, or A Common-Prayer, &c. Printed 1668. by which Expressions, and his and the Preachers Example, the use of that Prayer hath been wholly laid aside by them, though it be so clear that all may understand it, so short that any may learn it, so full as to take in all our wants, and so exact as to shew us what we should be, as well as what we should ask: O what a resemblance it bears to the Author thereof! who was the highest, and lowest, the greatest and the least, GOD and Man, who knew best what form of Prayer suted his Disciples, and all that obey their Doctrine▪ But it teaches one thing which G. Fox never taught you, nor do your Leaders teach you, nor do you practice it your selves, that is, this Confession following, FORGIVE US OUR SINS, AS WE FORGIVE THEM WHICH TRESPASS AGAINST US, &c. this your Teachers do not do, this they do not teach you to do, and this I presume is the main Reason why your Leaders have laid aside this most excellent Form of Prayer taught us by Jesus Christ himself, who is the wonderful Counsellor, and best knew what was fittest for us. Again, your Teachers have laid aside, and you also by their Example, the Apostles Creed, I BELIEVE IN GOD, &c. which Tertullian calls the Rule of Faith, (as well as the Scripture) and saith, it was instituted by De Praescr. l. 1. c. 13. It is also called the Rule of Faith by Origen. Christ. And the Ancients quote this Creed, as well as Scripture, to confute Hereticks, and seems to have given it the same honour, because it is indeed the same thing, called therefore the Compendium of the Gospel, and the Epitome of the Holy Scripture. [Page 54] And all this I could prove to you, if you had the Scriptures in that esteem you ought to have, and would abide the Decision thereof, acknowledging it to be a sufficient Rule to square your Actions by, both with respect to Religious Exercises, and the Affairs of Human Life.
Thus doth it more and more appear, that as G. Fox and his Preachers would seem to justle CHRIST out of his Place, and rob Him of his Honour, so hath their Doctrine and Example overturned the Exercise of these two Christian Duties, as well as other Ordinances and Precepts instituted by CHRIST, and by his Apostles; and thereby have they declared to all the World, that they differ in Faith and Practice from the Primitive Christians, Saints and Martyrs in all Ages; and the Reason is plain; for if they do not believe in HIM that was born of the Virgin, who suffered and rose again; nay, cannot call Him CHRIST, but A Vail, A Garment, A Vessel, &c. How should they say this Creed, if they do not believe that he is risen? yea, and that the SAME JESUS is ascended, and now sits at the right hand of GOD in the SAME BODY in which he ascended, according to Acts 2. how should they say this Creed, if they do not believe the Resurrection of the Body out of the Grave at the day of Judgment? How should they say or teach others to say this Creed? And therefore I exhort you to read the Scriptures, and though your Teachers have told you that F. Bugg is a Beast, a Dog, a Wolf, an Enemy of all Righteousness, a Child of the Devil, yea a Devil Incarnate, &c. What then? did not the unbelieving Jews call Christ a Devil, and have they not called the Publick Ministry, yea all, without restriction or limitation, Thieves, Robbers, Witches and Devils, &c. what then? never regard that, but as I said, read the Scriptures, and take my advice no farther than the Scripture warrants it, and so far my Soul for yours, you are safe; but if your Teachers have begotten such an ill opinion of me, as that you will not take my advice, as they have against the Publick Ministry, that you will not hear them, yet I am perswaded what I have wrote will be of service to your Children, yea and your Childrens Children; and if so, why should I not proceed to discover your Errours? that so the blind may not always lead the blind, but that you may become wiser than your Teachers, and see for your selves; I am now speaking to you the hearers among the Quakers, who have a zeal, I bear you record, though not according to knowledge, and your Leaders have been instrumentally the cause of your Errours and Blindness: O consider of what I say, and be considerate and cool! I am not angry as ye suppose: If I be sharp, 'tis my zeal for the Truths of the Gospel, which your Teachers have defaced. And therefore bear with me; I pity you, I lament for you, whether you believe it or not. They tell you that none was ever converted to GOD by outward and external [Page 55] hearing Firebrand. &c. 2d part, p. 87. G. F. & J. B.: though the Scripture says that Faith comes by hearing. O consider and peruse what followeth, and the Lord give you an understanding heart.
The Prophesies of the Holy Prophets fulfilled and accomplished in and by our blessed LORD and Saviour Jesus Christ—Hear the words of our Saviour—Search the Scriptures, they are they which testifie of me, Joh. 5. 39. These are the words which I spake unto you, whilst I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which was written in the Law of Moses , and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms concerning ME. Luke 24. 44. The Scriptures cannot be broken. Joh. 10 35. It is easier for Heaven and Earth to pass, than for one Tittle of the Law to fail till all be fulfilled.
| PROPHESIES | FULFILLED. |
| Isa. 7. 14. THerefore the Lord himself shall give you a Sign, behold, a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and they shall call his Name Immanuel. | Matth. 1. 23. BEhold, a Virgin shall be with Child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call his Name Immanuel , which (being interpreted) is GOD with us. |
| Isa. 8. 14. —And he shall be for a Sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling, and for a rock of offence to both houses of Israel , for a gin and for a snare, &c. V. 15. And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared and taken. | Matth. 2. 16. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall it will grind him to powder. |
| Micah 5. 2. But thou Bethlehem Ephratah , though thou be little among the thousands of Judah , yet out of thee shall come forth unto me THAT is to be Ruler in Israel ; whose goings forth have been of old from everlasing. | Matth. 2. 16. And thou Bethlehem in the Land of Judah , art not the least among the Princes of Judah ; for out of thee shall come a Governor that shall rule my people Israel. |
| [Page 56]Psalm 2. 2. The Kings of the Earth set themselves, and the Rulers take counsel together against the LORD, and against his Anointed, saying, &c. | Matth. 26. 3. Then assembled together the chief Priests, and the Scribes, and the Elders of the People, unto the Palace of the High Priest, who was called Caiaphas. See also Matth. 27. 1. |
| Jer. 31. 15. Thus saith the LORD, a voice was heard in Ramah , Lamentation and bitter weeping: Rachel weeping for her Children, refused to be comforted for her Children, because they were not. | Matth. 2. 18. In Ramah was there a voice heard, Lamentation and weeping and great mourning; Rachel weeping for her Children, and would not be comforted because they are not. |
| Isa 53. 7. He was oppressed, HE was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. HE is brought as a Lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so opened HE not his mouth. | Matth. 26. 63. But Jesus held his peace; And the High Priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God that thou tell us, whether thou be the Christ, the Son of GOD. Matth. 27. 14. |
| Jer. 16. 16. Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the LORD, and they shall fish them, &c. | Matth. 4. 19. And he said unto them, follow me, and I will make you fishers of Men. |
| Isa. 61. 1. The Spirit of the LORD GOD is upon me, because the LORD hath anointed ME to preach good Tidings to the Meek: he hath sent ME to bind up the broken heart, to proclaim liberty to the Captives, and the opening the Prison to them that are bound. | Matth. 11. 5. The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the Lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the Gospel preached to them. |
| Isa. 53. 12. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he hath poured out his soul unto death, and he was numbred with the Transgressors; and he shall bear the sins of many, and make Intercession for the Transgressors. | Matth. 27. 38. Then were there two Thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left. See also John 19. 18. read also Acts 10. 35. Therefore let all the House of Israel know assuredly, that GOD hath made that same Jesus , whom ye have crucified, both LORD and Christ. Acts 5. 30, 31. The GOD of our Fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a Tree. Him hath GOD exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel , and forgiveness of sins. |
| [Page 57]Isa. 42. 1. Behold my Servant whom I uphold, mine Elect in whom my Soul delighteth: I have put my Spirit upon him, he shall bring forth Judgment to the Gentiles. | Matth. 12. 18. Behold my Servant whom I have chosen, my Beloved in whom my Soul is well pleased: I will put my Spirit upon him, and he shall shew Judgment to the Gentiles. See also Matth. 3. 17. |
| Isa. 62. 11. Behold the LORD hath proclaimed unto the end of the World, say ye to the Daughter of Sion , behold thy Salvation cometh; behold his reward is with him, and his Work before him. | Matth. 21. 5. Tell ye the Daughter of Sion , behold thy King cometh unto thee meek, and sitting upon an Ass, and a Colt the Foal of an Ass. |
| Psal. 118. The Stone which the Builders refused is become the Head of the Corner. This is the LORD's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes. See also Isa. 28. 16. | Matth. 21. 42. Jesus said unto them, did ye never read in the Scriptures, The Stone which the Builders rejected, the same is become the Head of the Corner. This is the LORD's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes. |
| Psal. 110. 1. The LORD said unto my LORD, sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine Enemies thy Footstool. | Matth. 22. 44. The LORD said unto my LORD, sit thou on my right hand, until I make thine Enemies thy Footstool. See Acts the second at large. |
| Psal. 41. 9. Yea, mine own familiar Friend in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lift up his heel against me. | Matth. 26. 23. And he answered and said, he that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. |
| Zech. 13. 7. Awake, O Sword, against my Shepherd, against the Man that is my Fellow, saith the LORD of Hosts: smite the Shepherd and the Sheep shall be scattered, &c. | Matth. 26. 31. Then said Jesus unto them all, ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the Shepherd, and the Sheep of the Flock shall be scattered abroad. |
| Isa. 40. 3. The voice of him that crieth in the Wilderness, prepare ye the way of the LORD: make strait in the Desert a high-way for our GOD. | Matth. 3. 3. For this is he that was spoken of by the Prophet Isaiah , saying, The voice of one crying in the Wilderness, prepare ye the way of the LORD, make his pathes strait. |
| [Page 62]Isa. 50. 6. I gave my back to the Smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. | Matth. 26. 67. Then did they spit in HIS face, and buffeted HIM, and others smote HIM with the palms of their hands. |
| Isai. 53. 4. Surely he hath born our grief, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem HIM smitten of GOD and afflicted. | Matth. 8. 17. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the Prophet, saying, HIMSELF took our Infirmities, and bare our sicknesses. |
| Isa. 35. 5, 6. Then shall the lame Man leap as an Hart, and the Tongue of the Dumb sing: for in the Wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the Desert. | Matth. 11. 5. The blind received their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the Gospel preached to them. See Matth. 15. 30. |
| Psal. 22. 18. They part my Garments amongst them, and cast lots upon my Vesture. | Matth. 27. 35. And they crucified him and parted his Garment, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet; They parted my Garments among them, and upon my Vesture did they cast Lots. |
| Psal. 22. 8. He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him; let him deliver him seeing he delighted in him. | Matth. 27. 43. HE trusted in GOD, let Him deliver Him now, if he will have Him; for HE said, I am the Son of GOD. |
| Psal. 78. 2. I will open my mouth in a parable, I will utter dark sayings of old. | Matth. 13. 35. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in a parable, I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the World. |
| Jer. 7. 11. Is this House which is called by my name, become a Den of Robbers in your Eyes, &c. See Isa. 56. 7. | Matth. 21. 13. And said unto them, It is written, My House shall be called the House of Prayer, but ye have made it a Den of Thieves. |
| Psal. 72. 10. The Kings of Tarshish and of the Isles shall bring Presents, the Kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer Gifts. See also Isa. 60. 6. | Matth. 2. 11. And when they were come into the House, they saw the young Child, with Mary his Mother, and fell down and worshipped Him: And when they had opened their Treasures, they presented unto Him Gold, Frankinsence and Myrrhe. |
| [Page 63]Dan. 9. 24. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy People, and upon thy holy City, to finish thy Transgressions, and to make an end of sin; and to make Reconciliation for Iniquity, and to bring in Everlasting Righteousness, and to seal up the Vision and Prophesie, and to Anoint the most Holy. See Isa. 40. 10. | Luke 24. 27. And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, HE expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself: And they said one to another, did not our hearts burn within us whilst HE talked with us by the way, and whilst HE opened to us the Scriptures. |
| Zach. 9. 9. Rejoyce greatly O Daughter of Sion , shout O Daughter of Jerusalem ; behold thy KING cometh unto thee; HE is just, and having salvation, lowly, and riding upon an Ass, and upon a Colt, the Foal of an Ass. | John 12. 15. Fear not Daughter of Sion , behold thy King cometh sitting upon an Asses Colt. |
| Isa. 40. 11. HE shall feed His Flock like a Shepherd, HE shall gather the Lambs with His Arm, and carry them in his Bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. See also Ezech. 34. 23. | John 10. 11. I am the good Shepherd; the good Shepherd giveth his Life for the Sheep. |
| Isa. 9. 7. Of the increase of HIS Government and Peace there shall be no end upon the Throne of David and upon his Kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with Judgment and with Justice, from henceforth and for ever: the Zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this. See also Dan. 7. 14. Micah 4. 7. Psal. 110. 4. | John 12. 34. The People answered Him, we have heard out of the Law that Christ abideth for ever: And how saist Thou, the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man? |
| Psal. 109. 8. Let his days be few, and let another take his Office. See Psal. 41. 9. | Acts 1. 17, 18. For he was numbred with us, and had obtained part of this Ministry. Now this Man purchased a Field with the reward of Iniquity; and falling headlong he burst asunder. |
| Isa 9. 7. Of the Increase of his Government and Peace there shall be no end upon the Throne of David and upon his Kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with Judgment and with Justice, from henceforth and for ever, &c. | Luke 1. 32, 33. HE shall be Great, and shall be called the Son of the HIGHEST; and the LORD GOD shall give unto HIM the Throne of HIS Father David : and HE shall reign over the House of Jacob for ever and ever; and of HIS Kingdom there shall be no end. |
| [Page 60]Mal. 4. 2. But unto you that fear my Name shall the Son of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings, &c. See Isa. 9. 2. 42. 7. 43. 8. 49. 9. | Luke 1. 79. To give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of Peace. |
| Num. 24. 8. GOD brought HIM forth out of Egypt , HE hath as it were the strength of an Unicorn: He shall eat up the Nations, HIS Enemies, and shall break their Bones, and pierce them through with HIS Arrows. See Hosea 11. 1. | Matth 2. 15. And was there until the death of Herod , that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the LORD by the Prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my Son. |
| Psal. 88. 8. Thou hast put away Mine Acquaintance far from Me; thou hast made Me an Abomination unto them; I am shut up and I cannot come forth. | Matth. 26. 56. But all this was done that the Scriptures of the Prophets might be fulfilled: Then all HIS Disciples forsook HIM and fled. |
| Zech. 11. 13. And the LORD said unto me, cast it unto the Potter: a goodly price that I was prized at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver and cast them to the potter. | Matth. 27. 9. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the Prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of HIM that was valued, whom they of the Children of Israel did value. |
| Mal. 3. 1. Behold, I will send my Messenger, and HE shall prepare the way before ME: And the LORD whom ye seek shall suddenly come to HIS Temple; even the Messenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in, behold he shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts. | Matth. 11. 10. For this is HE of whom it is written, behold, I send my Messenger before THY face, which shall prepare THY way before THEE. |
| Isa. 5. 3. 9. And HE made his Grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in HIS mouth. | Matth. 27. 60. And laid it in his own new Tomb, which he had hewen out of the Rock: And he rolled a great Stone to the door of the Sepulchre, and departed. |
| [Page 61]Psal. 69. 21. They gave ME also Gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave ME Vinegar to drink. | Matth. 27. 48. And straitway one of them ran and took a spunge, and filled it with Vinegar, and put it on a Reed, and gave HIM Vinegar to drink. |
| Exodus 12 46. In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house, neither shall ye break a Bone thereof. See also Numb. 9. 12. and Psal. 34. 20. | John 19. 36. For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled: A bone of HIM shall not be broken. |
| Numb. 21. 9. And Moses made a Serpent of Brass, and put it upon a Pole: And it came to pass, that if a Serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the Serpent of Brass he lived. | John 3. 14. And as Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. See also John 8. 28. |
| Deut. 18. 15. The LORD thy GOD will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy Brethren, like unto me; unto HIM ye shall hearken. | Acts 7. 37. This is that Moses which said unto the Children of Israel , A Prophet shall the LORD your GOD raise up unto you of your Brethren, like unto me, HIM shall ye hear. |
| Jer. 23. 5. Behold, the days come saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous BRANCH; and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute Judgment and Justice in the Earth. See also Jer. 33. 15. Zech. 3. 8. and cap. 6. v. 12. | John 1. 45. Philip findeth Nathanael , and said, We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth the Son of Joseph. Acts 10 43. To HIM gave all the Prophets witness, that through His NAME, whosoever believeth in HIM shall receive remission of sins. |
All things that are written of ME have an end, saith Christ. It is sure and a convertable Rule, nothing was done by Christ, but it was foretold: And nothing was ever foretold of Christ by the Prophets, which was not done, and which was not fulfilled. It would take up some years to compare the Prophets and Evangelists, the Prediction and the History, and to Discourse at large how the one Foretells, and the other Answers. HE, CHRIST must be Apprehended, it was fore-prophesied; The Anointed of the LORD was taken in their Nets, saith Jeremiah; But how? HE must be sold: For what? Thirty Pieces of Silver: And what must those do? Buy a Field; all foretold: They took thirty pieces of silver, the price of Him [Page 58] that was valued, and gave them for the Potters field, saith Zachery. By whom? That Child of Perdition; that the Scripture might be fulfilled. Which was he? it is foretold, He that eateth Bread with me, saith the Psalmist. But what shall his Disciples do? Flee from Him; so saith the Prophesie: I will smite the Shepherd, and the Sheep shall be scattered, saith Zachary. And so on. O consider of these things, and lay them to heart, you that say you cannot call HIM that was born, that suffered Death on the Cross, CHRIST; but call HIM a Vail, a Figure, a Garment, a Vessel. What? did the Prophets foretel that a Virgin should conceive, and bring forth a Vail, a Garment, or a Figure? O ye Blasphemers! Is this your Scripture Language you so often call for in opposition to the word Trinity and Sacraments, as if indeed you had been zealous for the Scriptures? Ye Hypocrites; what can you not call Him Christ? only a Figure; HE who was the Substance of all Figures and Shadows, in whom they end, and were but Types of HIS coming? Christ is the end of the Law; what Law? the Ceremonial Law; it was referred to HIM, observed of HIM, fulfilled in HIM, abolish't by HIM. 'Tis plain, that those Jewish Ceremonies look't at CHRIST; Circumcision, Passover, the Tabernacle, both outer and inner, the Temple, the Laver, both the Altars, the Table of Shew-bread, the Candlesticks, the Vail, the Holy of Holies, the Ark, the Pot of Manna, Aaron's Rod, the High Priest his Order and Line, his Habits, his Inaugurations, his Washings, Anointing the Sacrifice, &c. These had their Virtue from CHRIST, Relation to HIM, and their End in HIM. What would you make Christ only a Figure, a Vail, a Garment, who is the Substance of all Figures, and Shadows, and Types; HE whom the Prophets foretold of; HE who fulfilled all which was written of HIM by the Prophets? What, can you not call HIM CHRIST? O ye Blasphemers! And now you cry out and say, What do you meddle with the dead? (i. e. G. Fox) why do you print, and amuse, and trouble the World? what are you ashamed to hear of your Blasphemies? are you ashamed to hear your pernitious Principles discovered, and your damnable Heresies rip't up, and laid open? Is not Pilate dead? many Idolatrous Popes dead? what then? must we not continue their Crimes, and shew their Villanies? Is not Arius dead, and many Hereticks dead? must we not therefore write against the Arians, and shew the tendency of his pernitious Principles, which grow as Seeds sown by the wicked one. But by Whitehead's Learning we must not remind the World of these Idolators and Persecutors, that others may be aware of such as hold the same Tenets? What does your Profession begin to stink, as Geo. Keith truly says, and become nauseous to your own Noses; then use just means to bury it, by a genuine Retractation, or else call for no silence; for if you do, I will joyn with Bishop Hall in the saying of that Heroical Luther, CURSED BE THE [Page 59] SILENCE THAT HERE FOR BEARETH. For I am not now, as M. Luther once said, writing against the Papists, picking at the Rind, but plucking at the Root, even at the Foundation of your Errours, and that makes you angry, and fret, and chafe: But all is to no purpose; no peace so long as the whoredoms of Jezebel remain. Repent therefore and amend, that is the way to find mercy with GOD. Retract and renounce your Errours by some publick and general Act, and that is the way to silence the Pens of HIS Servants; or else it will be as Mr. Penyman lately told you in your Meetings in London, viz. That a fire is kindled that cannot be quenched, for the burning is of the great and mighty GOD. But why do I talk of Repentance, since in Scripture I find Confession is the fore-runner of Repentance, and Confession you cannot abide, as I have already observed: For let any man read a thousand of your Epistles, and they shall not find one Confession of Sin, nor asking Pardon for Christ's sake: And let any man go to a thousand of your Meetings, and they shall never hear any one of your Ministers make Confession of Sins, and beg Pardon for the same; which is enough, if no more could be said against you, to prove you of a different Faith and practice from the Prophets and Apostles, Saints and Martyrs, and all good Christians to this day; as well as to shew that you are in the steps of the Pharisees: Read Luke 18. 11, 12. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, O. GOD, I thank thee that I am not as other men, Extortioners, Unjust, Adulterers, or even as this Publican: I fast twice in the week, I give tythe of all I possess, &c. Here is the perfect Pharisee and the perfect Quaker, in perfect Unity: Here is no Confession of Sin, here is no asking Pardon for Sin, nor no smiting upon the Breast, saying, God be merciful to me a poor sinner, as the Publican did. And that I may not leave this without a President, for I love to keep to matter of fact, pray take a view of one of the Quakers Prayers in print, I mean that perfect Pharisee G. Whitehead, in his Book Judgment fixed, &c. Thou knowest, O Lord, that though thou hast endued me with a Christian Spirit, and with Faith, Patience, and Rejoycing under all my Sufferings and Tribulations for thy Names sake—yet Thou hast also endued me with a Spirit of righteous Judgment, Understanding and Zeal for thy holy Name, &c.
And though this Prayer contains near five Pages, yet not one word of Confession of Sin; not a word of begging Pardon for Christ's sake; but like the proud Pharisee, Thou hast endued me with righteous Judgment, with Understanding, with Zeal: He is not as other men. And read all their printed Papers, and you will find them of the same tendency, and not like the Prayers of GOD's People in any Age or Generation, as in my last New Rome, &c. I have largely made appear from the Example of the Prophets, Apostles, and worthy Martyrs: To whom let me add one Example [Page 64] of worthy Thomas Bilny, as in Fox's Acts and Mon. p. 467, 468. O mighty power of the most High, which I also MISERABLE SINNER have often tasted and felt, &c. And when this Prayer was ended, he in the next Page goes on thus: Verily when the New Testament was first set forth by Erasmus —I bought it by the Providence of GOD, and at the first reading, as I remember, I chanced upon this sweet Sentence of St. Paul, 1 Tim. 1. 15. It is a true saying, and worthy of all men to be imbraced, that Christ Jesus came into the World to save sinners, of whom I am the chief and principal. This one Sentence, through GOD's Instruction, did so exhilerate my heart, being before wounded with the Guilt of MY SINS—And THEREFORE with ALL MY WHOLE POWER I TEACH that ALL MEN should first acknowledge their sins, and condemn them; and afterwards hunger and thirst after righteousness, &c.
O the Christian temper and heavenly frame of this worthy Martyr, worthy our Imitation: First, He acknowledged himself a miserable sinner, and therefore the fitter Object for Mercy. Secondly, O how he rejoyced at the Confession of St. Paul, who not only acknowledged himself a sinner, but the CHIEF of sinners, that thereby he might magnifie the rich Mercy of GOD in Christ Jesus: He was not like Solomon Eccles, who in his Musick Lecture, p. 22. said, I do affirm, that if John (the Apostle) had said he had been a sinner, he had lied. No, no, this Martyr did not account St. Paul a lier, though he would have had as much reason; for St. Paul came not behind the chiefest of the Apostles: Well, but this is not all; but as St. Paul was thus humbled to make this Confession, and thus joyful at this worthy saying, that Christ came into the World to save such penitent sinners, so this worthy Martyr resolved to make it a Rule in Divinity, saying, And therefore with all my WHOLE POWER I teach, that ALL MEN should ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR SINS, &c.
Thus have I shewed the practice of the Martyrs; and if you read the Scriptures in the Margent, you may find it sutable to the practice of GOD's People from the Psal. 51. 2, 3 & 90. Job 7. 20. Lam. 3. 41, 42. Isa. 64 6. Dan. 9. 4. to the end. 1 John 1. 8. 1 Tim. 1. 15. Rom. 7 Luke 11. 4. 1 King 8. 46. to 49. Psal. 32. 5. Jer. 14. 20. Jam. 5. 16. Eccles. 4. 26. Prov. 28. 13. Neh. 1. to the end. Ezra 9. beginning, the Quakers only excepted, who manifest themselves thereby, (as well as in an hundred things more that I could mention, if need were) that they have a Spirit not beyond, but contrary to the Spirit of the Prophets, Apostles and Martyrs, yea, and all true Christians to this day.
And although I am not designed to strive much about words in answer to your Glossings, but rather choose to rip up and discover your Errours, and to load you with the fruit of your doings, yet I would in your next have you shew me a Reason why you have not answered my [Page 65] former Queries, and Mr. Archer's Query. I remember G. F. put forth a Book, stiled, A Primer for the Doctors and Scholars of Europe, &c. Anno 1659 wherein is contained Two thousand four hundred thirty four Queries, demanding, What was a Genitive Case, a Dative Case, a Participle, an Adverb, an Interjection, a Dipthong, a Vowel, &c. on purpose to bring contempt upon Learning and the Learned, as cited in Battering Rams, &c. I have shewed more at large: But O how he strutted, and vaunted, and boasted, like Goliah of Gath, saying, Come out of your Holes and Dens, draw your Weapons if you have any worth the drawing; for the little Davids , [i. e. Quakers] are risen, who have the Slings, the Baggs, and ths Stones, &c. And therefore come forth [ye Scholars] into the open field, there to be tried with the little Davids , and let us see if your Tongues can wag, &c,
And if you refuse to answer my former Queries, yet let me prevail with you to answer these following, viz.
Query 1. Why did you in your Book, The Trumpet of the Lord, &c. cry, Wo to such as were call'd Master and Mistress, Sir, &c. And that drank Wine, eat dainty Dishes, wore Silk and Velvet, that had Waiting-men and Waitingmaids, that rode in Coaches, and high and lofty Horses, &c. since 'tis now common for the Quakers to call and be called Master and Mistress, Sir, and to drink Wine, eat dainty Dishes, were Silk and Velvet, and Perriwigs, &c. to ride in Coaches and as lofty Horses, and rich Houses as any Body (your Circumstances considered) and to have Waiting-men and Waiting-maids. Doth not this argue an Apostacy? Or is it only lawful to the Quakers, and under the woe in others?
Query 2. Why do you refuse to pay two pence or four pence towards the reparation of the Militia Arms, and yet can pay ten shillings towards carrying on a vigorous War against the French King? Is not this like your pretending it unlawful to fight, and yet excite, stir up, and incourage Oliver, his Officers and Army to fighting? saying, O Oliver Cromwel , thou shouldst have invited all Nations on Earth to come in and joyn with thee. Let thy Soldiers go forth with a free and willing heart, that thou maist rock Nations as a Cradle, &c. more largely recited in Battering Rams, &c. p. 3. Do you not in both these Instances delude the World? or like the Pharisees of old, strain at a Gnat, and swallow a Camel?
Query 3. Why do you refuse giving respect to your Superiours, when at the same time you exact it of your Servants and Apprentices, making them stand bare headed before you in your Houses and Shops: Is not this Hypocrisie?
Quest. 3. Why do you make such a noise against all other Ministers, calling them Hirelings, when you take money not only for preaching, writing, &c. but for suffering, as in the case of Sam. Cater, who [Page 66] took 10 l. for Suffering, where he did not suffer 10 d. as in New Rome unmask'd, &c. p. 60. to 90.
Query 5. Why cannot you present to King William and Queen Mary, one Publick Address in five years time, as well as to the late King James the Second, six in four years time?
Query 6. Since you say, That visible Miracles have been done amongst the Quakers in the sight of the World: Reply to the Vind. &c. p. 14. And since you say, We have Thousands at our Meetings, and none of us dare speak, a word, but as we are eternally moved of the Lord: A true Account, &c. p. 18. These two Assertions I further charge upon you to be notoriously false; and therein, as the Scripture truly says, you tell lies in Hypocrisie.
Query 7. Whether it be not a sign of great Ignorance in your Deciples, that not one in a thousand of twenty years old and under, can say the LORD's Prayer, the Apostles Creed, and Ten Commandments: and if so, whether you do not nurse up your People in Ignorance, and thereby manifest your Affinity with your Elder Sister, who says, Ignorance is the Mother of Devotion: And that until you have condemned your Books; which call the Doctrines and Ordinances of Jesus Christ, the four Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Dust, Death, Serpents-meat, you ought not to be reckoned sincere, in pretending that the Doctrines contained in the Bible are holy and blessed? Answer these few Queries in plainness; and let us know what you hold and believe in these things queried: and answer my former Queries also.
The Conolusion by way of Exhortation.
FRiends, Let me exhort you to beware of the Doctrine of the Pharisees, [I mean of the Quakers] which is Hypocrisie. I have read of the Heresies of the Gnosticks, Nicolaitans, Donatists, and others, but none seem to me to be those Christ foretold of, Matth. 24. 24. which should, if it were possible, deceive the very Elect, so evidently as the Quakers; for how have they prevailed; how have they deceived high and low, noble and ignoble? and yet to me it seems easie to write a History of their rise, growch, and progress, of their Church Government, and that MONSTER, Womens Meetings, how, when, and by whom, and by what Authority carried on; and how the Spirit of Persecution hath been amongst them from the beginning; sixty six in number of G. Fox's Party against sixty seven of John Stoy and John Wilkinson's Party, Quakers against Quakers, Councel against Councel, until Geo. Keith, one of their most Learned Preachers, hath been constrained to testifie against their Errours, charging them with Damuable Heresies and Doctrines of Devils, yea, even such as no Christian Society would tolerate. And I knowing these things also cannot but warn all People to beware of their Glossings and deceiveable Paintings.
For they will direct you to the Light, bid you be obedient to it; tell you 'tis sufficient to lead you to Salvation; that its teaching is above Councels, above Churches, above Fathers and Scriptures: but in all this they act but the part of a Juggler, 'tis only to decoy you over to them; they do not so think that thus advise and counsel you; for if you refuse Conformity to their Orders and Prescriptions, alledging the Light, to which they directed you, doth not lead you thereunto; pleading to be left to the Grace of GOD in thy self; they that thus at first directed you to this Light, will now tell you your Plea is Sordid, Ranterism, and pernitious to the Christian Religion: See their Book, stiled, A brief Examination of Liberty Spiritual, &c. p. 3, 11. For as it is false Doctrine to teach that the Light, being obeyed, is sufficient to lead to Salvation; for then your Obedience is meritorious, and Christ died in vain; so do they not believe it sufficient by their rejecting your Plea: wherefore be impartial in your search, take the Apostles advice, Prove all things, search the Scriptures, and hold fast that which is good. A wise man, saith Solomon, will search out a matter. And what is of more concern than the Christian Religion. God of his mercy confound all Errours, and manifest all Impostors and Deceivers, and give the Victory to his Truth, and Glory to his Name.
Amen.