CHAP. I. Shewing that the forsaking the Quakers, is no errour from the Articles of the Christian Faith.

AS a Preface to what I have set forth from their own Writings, to be their Principles, I think it needful to incert the Terms upon which I offered to dis­pute with them, in order to prove them erroneous; and the rather, because I took them out of Edward Burough's Epistle, in the Front of his Works, which they printed in Folio; and in the Works of G. Fox, his Great Mist: &c. which I also left with the Quakers, at their publick Meeting in Milden-Hall, November 22. 1691. referring them to Book and Page, out of which I collected their said Principles, giving them a Months time to ap­pear in their defence; that so, neither for want of time, nor yet the knowledge of the Books, they might plead a surprize, or that they had not fair dealing, &c. I also then did signifie to them, that if they did not appear in their Vindication, I should print them: All this, like a fair Antagonist, I have done, leaving them without Excuse.

These Proposals of theirs having a fair countenance, I carried them, read them, and the Principles, as I have observ'd, which were as follows.

CHAP. II. Shewing that the forsaking the Quakers is no Apostacy from the Articles of the Christian Faith.

BEfore I proceed to shew the dangerous Consequences which these erronious Principles produce, as in the first Chapter set forth, I may speak something to their uncharitable sensure of me, calling me an Apostate; but had they left off there, I could have born it, because 'tis not equal with Heresie; and something must be born by any bo­dy that hath to do with them; but when I see by their last two Books, that they expose me to the World, a self condemned Apostate, an appa­rent Apostate, a contentious Apostate, &c. with all the aggravating Cir­cumstances which they could possibly invent, and all this publick; besides several private Letters sent me by Post, both in Verse and Prose, as full of cursing Language as Muggleton could have filled them withal, calling me Ju­lian the Apostate, Which are said to be Stephen Crisp [...]'s, but had no Name to them, for which there deserves a­nother Hue and Cry. which all put together, gives me just cause to vindicate my self, since my Name, Credit, Estimation, and all that is dear to me, and my Relations are under a very se­vere sensure: For a self condemned Apostate in plainer English is an Heretick; and if so, had they the power that the Papists had in King Henry the VIIIth's time, I might rationally expect the same fate which Doctor Robert Barns, and others met withal: But thanks be to GOD, as 'tis no Apostasie from the Christian Faith to separate from them, neither have they now a Popish King to animate and incourage them; neither do I fear what they can do; and therefore am bold to call them out of their holes, and challenge them into the Field; and bid defiance to all their Weapons of War, and all their Malice they can invent, either publick Print, or private Letters. Well, however to justifie my self from this their sensure of Heresie, or self condemned Apostate, I would premise to the Reader, that according to the Judg­ment of St. Augustin, every Error doth not make a Man an Heretick, or a self condemned Apostate, for says he, errare possum hereticus, esse non possum: in an error I may be, but a Heretick I cannot be, for their is (says he) three things necessary for just proof of Heresie.

Object. But G. W. objects by his Book, The content. Apost. recharged, p. 1. viz. The charge is evident by his own Confession, to the Principles, Foundation, Doctrine, Ministry, Faith, Love, spiritual Testimony of the said People, as in the beginning, being that Church whereof Christ Jesus was the Head, and Law-giver, &c. And consequently that the said People called Quakers, were once a true Church, the People of God, in the true Faith; and bore a true Testimony, ac­cording to Fra. Bugg's ample and solemn Confession, in the second part of his Book de Chr. lib. &c. printed 82. &c. and seconded in his Book, The Quakers detected, &c.

Answ. Having taken in enough out of Geo. VVhiteheads Book to shew what my Mind and perswasion was once of them; and for that Reason G. VV. no doubt quoted them. I do still say, whatever were my Thoughts of them in the beginning, they were not so of them at the time when I wrote them Books as the ample Testimony against their walking, and acting, contrary to what in the beginning they pretend­ed too, as will sufficiently appear out of the same Book, quoted by G. VV. see Part of my Book, The Qua. detected, &c. is recited. Qua. detect. an abstract whereof followeth, viz. And ha­ving thus mounted the seat of Government, rich and poor, high and low, bond and free, must submit to their Church Government. And it became a vain thing to plead the sufficiency of the Light of Christ, to lead, direct, or guide us; thus have they by their late Doctrine and Example, rendered their Ancient Doctrine and Example a meer Decoy, to catch simple Souls by; and being once caught, it is altogether in vain to pretend the Sufficiency of the Light of Christ, to Lead, Teach, and Guide; no, no, the Church now hath given forth Rules, Laws, and outward Directory; and by Vertue of her Apostolical Authority (as she pretends) she imposes them on her Members, whether they believe, that what she imposes be a Duty incumbent on them to practice, yea or nay: And your Edicts must be obeyed, whether motion or no motion, nay, tho a motion against the ob­servation of it, or else they cannot be looked upon in the Unity. These Commands of yours are binding and obligato­ry upon all, though the Scripture commands to one, See their 5th Principle. you say are not binding to another. Thus do you make the Commands of GOD of none effect, throw your Traditions. [Page 10] What shall I say unto you, Oh ye Leaders of this People? Who would impose your unscriptural Practices upon your Brethren, and record such out of your Unity, that are not conformable thereunto; for I have surveyed your Old and New Doctrine; and measured your past and present Practices, and I have compared your fair pretences, with your foul Hypocrisies, and when I have done all this; I want words to set forth your deep Hypocrisies, Deceit, and Self-contradictions, who sometimes are against giv­ing Respect to your Superiors, but by and by your own Servants and Apprentices in your own Houses and Shops must stand bare-headed before you; This piece of Hypocrisie I testi­fied against near 18 years since, which was before S. Cater's diffe­rence; for as I saw Errors arise a­mongst us, so I withstood them, and testified against them. sometimes you are for Preach­ing freely, and Teaching and In­structing people freely, and for Suf­fering and Recording Marriages freely, but now they can take Three Pounds at a time for Preaching, Ten Pounds at a time for Suffering, Sam. Cater took Ten Pound for his Suffering a Fine, and though his Goods was Distrained, yet not a Penny worth sold, and he kept this Ten Pound and never return­ed it; and yet this is not all, but in their Quarterly Book it was not long since Recorded as a Suffering: Such Cheats there are amongst them. and Thirty Pounds at a time for Writing five or six Sheets of Paper, Fifty Pound per Annum for Clarks Wages; as stand­ing yearly Sallery, and Twelve Pence for Writing a Marriage Cer­tificate of Ten or Twelve Lines; sometimes your people might pub­lish their Intentions of Marriage at the Market-Cross, or before a Ma­gistrate, if they were free; so that here is Ambo-dexter indeed, sometimes Liberty, and by and by its taken away again by these Infallible Legislators; so that when all comes to all, its no Body knows what; but the Leading Quakers are all in all; tot quot & omnis.

Reader, I have transcribed the more of this former Book of mine, Inti­tuled, The Quakers detected, and their Errors confuted, &c. by reason George [Page 12] Whitehead, in his Book, styled, The Contentious Apostate, &c. recites the first Point then under Consideration, which was, How I came to be a Member of their Society? But the second Point under Consideration, which was, How I came to see and perceive their Apostacy, and leave them? And the third Point under Consideration, which was, How, and by what means I came to have sa­tisfaction in going to the Publick? I say, these two last Points G. W. takes no notice of: For I having in the first Point acknowledged what I then ap­prehended, he represents it, as if I was of the same Judgment when I went to the Publick; for if that be not his intent, he speaks in the Air, and to no purpose: Now if I at the time of my going to Church, was in the belief that the Quakers were in the true Faith, true Worship, spiritual Testimony attended with that Simplicity, &c. which I in 86. thought them to be in, as I did in 1660, &c.

Then I grant I had gone self-condemned, because I had acted contrary to my belief: But to answer that, so long as I had those thoughts, I kept to them; nay longer: But when I went to the publick, that part of my Book now recited, shews my mind sufficiently, and my judgment con­cerning them; to which I refer the Reader.

Obj. Well, but still George seems to object, that I did once own them to have been the true Church, and therefore to leave them is SELF-CONDEMNED APOSTACY.

Answ. I marvel G. W. should think that to be Apostacy; for if that be sound Arguing, then I will prove most of the Ancient Quakers self con­demned Apostates; since they have separated from the Church of England, or some other Protestant Churches, which they once owned to be a true Church: And to confirm this my opinion and judgment, I will produce a good Author in my Esteem (whatever he be in G. W.'s) and that is Arch­bishop Cranmer, that Innocent Martyr whose life is worthy to be had in Imitation by all English Protestants, for he was the principal Instrument un­der GOD and the King, that threw off the Popes yoke of Supremacy, &c. Foxes Acts and Mon. p. 1488. Well, let us hear what he says, In the beginning the Church of Rome taught a pure and sound Doctrine— But after the Church of Rome fell into a new Doctrine of Transubstantiation— I marvel that any man would allow it; if they knew what it is: But whatsoever they bear the people in hand, that which they write in their Books have neither truth nor comfort. Now George, was this Martyr a self-condemned Apostate? let me have your opinion in your next; He said as much in commendati­on of the Roman Church, as I ever said of yours; and by the way, I be­lieve upon better grounds: For I must tell you, I am not of the same mind I was in, in 1686. concerning you in the beginning, since I have of late examined your ancient Errors, and observed the consequences of them; but of that more anon: I say was this Arch-bishop an Apostate, for that he owns she was once a true Church? And yet he separated from her, and [Page 13] says there is neither truth nor comfort in their Books: though perhaps she pre­tended, like her youngest Daughter, See your 6 principle. that she gave forth her Papers and Printed Books, from the eternal, and immediate Spirit of GOD; and that they were of greater Authority than the Scriptures: yet you hear Dr. Cranmers opinion, that there is neither truth nor comfort in their Books: And I am of the same opinion concerning most of yours; and do as much marvel that the people will allow your Books, many of them at least, which you pretend to be of such Authori­ty, so immediately given forth by GOD's holy Spirit; when they are fil­led much with nonsense, lyes, forgeries, false doctrine, blas­phemies; yea, I do as much wonder at your People, Defence of the Apology of the Church of England, p. 460, 461. as this good Man did at the Papists, your Ancestors, since the Pa­pists could not be worse: And if you will see the 460 and 461 Pages in the Defence of the Apology of the Church of England, you will find Bishop Jewel of Archbishop Cranmer's Judgment, &c.

Obj. But G. W. in his Book, styled, The Contentious Apostate, &c. p. 17. argues a little learnedly, viz. But Francis Bugg is fallen, back-sliden, and apostaliz'd from his Testimony which he bore amongst the said People, THERE­FORE HE is the APOSTATE, and not WE: So that he cannot be right now, if he was right then: But if he says he is now of another judgment, then this is to condemn F. B's own testimony to the truth of our Doctrine and Conversa­tion which he hath given since he turned to the Clergy and Church of England. — And I could not find that either F. B. or his Minister, could clear him of this Dilemma, if ever he was in the truth while he was among the People called Quakers, or in society with them, he must be in the error now, in his turning back to the Priests and Church of England.

Answ. Come, George, I think it is easie to clear my self from this Di­lemma, and to escape your Snare; for tho I thought well of you in the beginning, yet you abuse your Reader, to make him believe and think I thought so well of you in 86; No, far was such a thing from me, Viz. The Qua­kers Detected, &c. as may very well be seen by what I have herein incerted of THAT Book which you boast so much of for my Testimony of you. INDEED, I must say, I had in 86. better thoughts of you, with respect to your beginning, than I now have; and if by reason of them good thoughts I had of you, I was in an Error, as if it will do you any good, I will tell you I was; yet this doth not render me an Apostate, for if so, you will make all the Mar­tyrs and Protestants that had ever any good thnughts of the Romish Church APOSTATES, then you will be Rome indeed, and she ought to give you the right hand of Fellowship. But I would hope you are not gotten so far as yet, tho I think you are marching on apace; for she accounts all Apostates and Hereticks that are not of her Faith.

And truly you do little less, in that you charge me to be A SELF-CONDEMNED APOSTATE: for that I gave my charitable opinion of you in the beginning. If you were not what you then pre­tended to be, as I now believe you were not, I was then the more mista­ken, and in the greater Error, all this I grant. But who was in the fault, you or I? I am sure you ought to have been sincere, humble and meek, as I took you to be; and the fault was yours, if you were not so; and the more you make People believe you to be what in reality you are not, the more you will have to answer for. And if I was in an Error in taking you to be what you were not, even so was Martin Luther, who was a zealous Fryer, who said Foxes Acts and Monum. p. 410., If the Lord refused not to have Testimony given against his Doctrine, how much more I, that am but vile Corruption, and can do nothing but err, &c. Here you see that if I was in an Error, a better Man than either G. W. or F. B. does not think himself too good to own he was in an Error. And that it may still appear that good Men have been mistaken, in and by the cunning crafty Papists, as much as I was in your fair Pretences, and smooth DEMURE Carriage, as if you could not hurt a Worm, when the poy­son of Asps was under your Tongue. I will produce one Instance more, and then proceed to shew more Reasons why the forsaking you, is no Apo­stacy from the Christian Faith.

‘I am (said Hugh Latimer, that laborious Preacher, and blessed Martyr) Ignorant of things which I trust hereafter to know as I do now know things: Foxes Acts and Monum. p. 1325. Humility in­deed. In which I have been Ignorant heretofore; Ever learn, and ever to be learned; to profit with learning. I thought in times past that the Pope was Christs Vicar, had been Lord of all the World, as Christ is; so that if he should have deprived the King of his Crown it had been enough, for he could do no wrong—Now I think otherwise, and I thought in time past, that, and if I had been a Fryer in a Coul, I could not have been damned, nor afraid of Death; and by occasion of the same, I have been minded many times to have been a Fryer. Namely, when I was sore sick and dis­eased, and now I abhor my superstitious Foolishness — It were too long to tell you what blindness I have been in, and how long it were e're I could forsake such Folly, and thus far, Humble Latimer;.’

Come G. W. What do you think, was Hugh Latimer right, when he was amongst the Papists, or right when he gave this plain Testimony against them? You will say, he could not be right then, if right now; but if right now, he could not be right then. Now I will not say, but he was in an error in being so zealous for rhe Popish way; but yet thus far I will venture to go on the Martyr's side, that he was right in his intention, and in Sincerity, when he was thus deluded by the crafty Frier's carriage; but they being so subtile and crafty, that we see this worthy-learned Preacher was carried away, viz. with the [...]eaven of the Pharisees; for possibly they said THEE and THOƲ, possibly they did not wear LACE, possibly they [Page 15] pretended to preach FREELY, nnd pretended many fair things; but when Hugh Latimer once saw their Craft and Subtilty, and that there was nothing but Self-Ends, and Self-Righteousness in the bottom, then he soon left them: But for his pains, they called him Heretick, and Self condemned Apostate, Contentious Apostate. And had this young Harlot power, I have reason to expect the same Fate.

Come G. W. and the rest of your infallible Tribe, who pretend you have a Spirit given to you beyond all the Forefathers; indeed if you had said con­trary to all the Forefathers, you had spoken truth to purpose; for here you may see the blessed Martyrs, Men of Parts, of Learning, of Sincerity, In­tegrity, and such Christian Courage, as the flames of Fire, nor all the Taunts, Reproaches, and Slanders of your Predecessors were able to cast or inflict upon them, could not daunt nor discourage them; yet such was their Humility, that they acknowledged themselves ignorant of some things which in time they did hope and trust to know, and modestly said they did (they trust) know some things which formerly they were alto­gether ignorant of; yea, that they once had as erronious opinion of the Pope, as John Blackling, Josiah Coale, Solomon Eccles, John Audland, and their Brethren, had of George Fox. But you see their humble acknowledgment of their superstitious opinion, and that it was a long time ere they could forsake such Folly. But tho Josiah Coals, &c. Letters to G. Fox, be not on­ly Superstitious, but Blasphemous, and Idolatrous, yet you ex­cuse, justify, and say well done to such Abominations. See their 10th Prin­ciple. You may also see, that tho these blessed Martyrs confessed that the Papists once taught sound and pure Doctrine, and doubt­less did then commend their Practice, Conversation and Deportment, and accounted such Doctrine so taught, a dispensation of the love of GOD to Mankind; yet when they saw that they Apostatized from these things, and began to impose Transubstation, and other Novelties, as GOD's Ordinan­ces, you see they then forsook them, left them. And not only so, but did hear a full and ample Testimony against their Pride, their Haughtiness, their infallible Pretentions, their grand Errors, and deep Hypocrisies; not always picking at the Rine, but striking at the Root, until at last, what by disputing, what by writing, what by printing, and with GOD's blessing upon their endeavours, the Pope's Authority in England quite expired. But oh what sad Bawling the Pope and his Cardinals, Priests and Fryers, Je­suits and Nuns, and all your Kindred made against Luther, Barns, Jerom of Prague, John Huss, Philip Melancthon, and the rest of that noble, blessed, and for ever renowned Army, calling them Apostates, Self condemned Apostates, apparent Apostates, manifest Apostates, contentious Apostates, &c. And having then the Law of their side, (which I thank GOD you have not) burnt many of them. Thus I hope you may see a lively Figure of your selves, and also that as I have acquitted my self of that Dilemma which you dreamed you had cast me into, I have left you with your Kindred in that Dilemma, which nothing but Repentance and Amendment will deliver you from which GOD of his mercy grant you may.

CHAP. III. Shews a third Reason, why forsaking the Quakers, is no Apostacy from the Christian Faith.

FOR it is plain, That they deny Christ Jesus, who was born of the Virgin Mary, who suffer'd without the gates of Jerusalem, and rose again, and as­cended up into Heaven, and there sits at the Right Hand of GOD, From their 3d Principle. making Intercession for us. And since they err in this fundamental Article of the Christian Faith, Search these Scriptures, viz. Mat. 13.16, 17. Luk. 10.23, 24. cap. 1.42, 45, 68, 69, 70. cap. 2.20, to 39. Mat. 2.1, to 12. Mat. 21.5, to 17. Mat. 11.1. to 18. Luk. 19.29. Psal. 72.15, 17. Zach. 9.9. and that against the Testimony of Men and Angels, Holy Scripture, and the concurrent Testimony of the Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs and Confessors, from the beginning; I, upon that foot, and upon that bottom, account it no Apostacy to forsake such a People who themselves have so apparently erred from the Faith. Search these Scriptures, and abundance more to confirm this. And that they have so erred, see their 3 ^d Principle, and that it is against Scripture, and the Angel's Testimony, Luk. 2.10, 11, 16, 20. Mat. 2.25. Acts 18.5. Rom. 14.9. 1 Cor. 15.3. John 11.35. read Luke 2.10, 11, 16, 20. Then the Angel said unto them be not afraid, for behold I bring you tydings of great joy, that shall be to all the people; that is, that unto you is born this day in the city of David a SAVIOƲR, which is CHRIST the LORD. Now as HE was GOD from all Eternity, HE was not born of the Virgin, did not hun­ger, was not cold, did not dye, was not spit upon, was not smote with the palms of their hands: But as he was God-Man, the Man Christ Jesus, who was born of the Virgin, according to that heavenly Testimony of the blessed Angels, Luke 2. he was the SAVIOƲR, CHRIST, THE LORD; which, you say, was but a Garment, a Vail, a Vessel, WHICH YOƲ CAN NEVER CALL CHRIST Question to the Professors, p. 33.. Nay, it is said in plain words by George Fox, viz. Christ is the substance of all Figures, and his FLESH is a FIGƲRE Saul's Errand, &c. p. 14.. This is, I confess, an uncouth Saying, but I will un­riddle their meaning, viz. CHRIST, as HE is the Light, they own HIM; but as to HIS Flesh, that is only a Figure, a Garment, something or other which People do love, and speak well of; but as for George Fox, and the Heads that know what they say, the Flesh is of little value; and to [Page 17] confirm this my opinion, see Isaack Peningtons one of their most learned, and knowing Writers (whose works they have taken care to reprint in Folio) who saith thus, A Question to the Professors, p. 33. viz.

Now the Scriptures does expresly distinguish between CHRIST and the GARMENT he wore; between HIM that CAME, and the BODY in which he CAME; between the SƲBSTANCE which was VAILED and the VAIL which VAILED it — 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. So that 'tis plain, The Quakers who are cer­tain and infallible in this, are of a contrary Spirit to all the Forefathers, Prophets, Apostles, and Christian Pro­fessors to this day, See Luk. 2.10, 11. Zach. 9.9.10. & 11 Cap. v. 12, 13. Math. 2.6. Micah. 5.2. Psal. 2.7. & 16.10. Acts 2.22, 23, 36. & 3.13. & 4.10. and 10.43. according to this their Doctrine, the Angels mes­sage was only of a Garment that was born; it's true, it's allowed to be a bodily Garment, a Vail, a Figure, &c. which they can never call Christ; and if they can never call him that was born of the Virgin Mary Christ, the consequence unavoidably follows, that they can never own him to be Christ, the Saviour of the World. And to confirm this my sense of their principle, to all the People called Quakers, I will yet add two Reasons more, viz.

First, In that they never in their publick meetings, for worship of God, nor yet in their Families, make confession of their sins to God; asking pardon for Christ Jesus sake. This is one reason to confirm their Disci­ples that their Leaders deny Christ Jesus, who was born of the Virgin, to be both Lord and Christ.

Secondly, In all their books you never yet found, that ever they confes­sed their Sins, and asked Pardon for Christ's sake; whereby it is mani­fest, that as thereby they deny Christ as aforesaid, so they render them­selves of a singular Spirit to all the Prophets, Apostles, Saints, Martyrs, and Confessors since the world stood; as may be seen by the Scriptures in the Margin beginning, with Moses Psal. 90. to the very Martyrs. Yea, Psal. 51.2, 3. Psal. 90. Job 7.20. Lam. 3.41, 42. Isa. 64.6. Dan. 4.9. to the end. 1 John 1.8. 1 Tim. 1.15. Rom. 7. so singular that without the breach of Charity I may conclude; that in­stead of having a Spirit given to them beyond all the Forefathers, so as to know who are Saints, who are Devils, and who are Apostates; as they have vainly boasted. They have a Spirit contrary to the Prophets, contra­ry to the Apostles, contrary to the Ancient Fathers, and contrary to the Spi­rit, Faith and Principle of the blessed Martyrs; but such hath been the art of these Deluders, that as they have undervalued Christ, calling him a Garment, a Vail, a Figure, &c. So have they undervalued the Holy Scri­ptures, by calling them Carnal, Death, Dust, the Serpents Food, and the like Antichristian names, as anon I shall shew; so that it will be hard to per­swade [Page 18] their Disciples to read the Scriptures cited: And if they do, yet not to yield them that Authority, which G.W. gives to their speaking by the Spi­rit who says That which is spoken from the Spirit of Truth in any, is of as great Au­rity as the Scriptures and Chapters are, and greater, &c. Ser Apoll. p. 49.

Oh the consequence of this monstrous opinion! if HE that was born, &c. be not the Christ, but a Garment, a Vail, a Figure, &c. Then why did not the Prophets foretell, that a Virgin should conceive, and bring forth a Garment. That a Virgin should conceive, and bring forth a Vail, a Fi­gure, &c. Oh monstrous! So that its no marvel that you do not pray in the Name of Christ, beg pardon in the Name of Christ since you own Him only as a Garment which waxeth old, or as a Figure, &c.

Object. But perhaps some of your own People may say, is it indeed such a Christian duty to make Confession of our Sins to God, and to beg Par­don for Jesus Christs sake. If we indeed believed it a duty, we would (notwithstanding the practice of our Teachers, who we know does not) practice the same, &c.

Answer. I hope then there is some such Bereans still left (how thin soever they be) amongst you; and for their sakes, in my book, The Quakers de­tected, and their Errors confuted, &c. I laid down many precepts, to which I refer you, as also to the Scriptures in the Margin; and if you read the Scri­ptures, you shall not read one book from Genesis to the Revelations, but you shall find some precept which may strengthen you in this your duty.

And that I may not leave this point without warrantable proof, I will add to the Testimony of the Prophets, and Practice of the Apostles, and the Precept of Christ, who has taught his Disciples (and in them all that follow them, in the same Faith) to say, Forgive us our Sins, &c. The Practice and Judgment of the blessed Martyrs; who unanimously, as a Cloud of Witnesses, concur with the Judgment, and Practice of the pri­mitive Chistians; And against the singular opinion, and singular practice of your Ministers: who though they pretend, and make you believe, they have a Spirit beyond all the Forefathers, it is indeed, being rightly inter­preted, a Spirit contrary to all the Forefathers of the Christian Race.

First then, hear Dr. Robert Barnes, viz. The whole Church prayeth, LORD forgive us our Sins; See his works, p. 254. wherefore she hath spots and wrincles: But by acknowledging them (through the Merits of Christ) her wrincles be scratched out, &c.

Next hear what Martin Luther says, touching this particular duty, viz. But thou wilt say the Church is Holy, the Fathers are Holy; it is true notwithstanding, See his Com­mentary upon Gall. p. 36. albeit the Church is Holy, yet, is she com­pelled to pray, Forgive us our Trespasses; so tho the Fathers are Ho­ly, yet are they saved through the Forgiveness of sins.

These two have given joint Testimony, that 'tis the Churches Duty; nay, she is compelled to confess, and beg pardon of her Sins.

I come next to holy Bradfords practice, that humble and constant Mar­tyr of Jesus Christ, in his Epistle to his London Friends, which for the ex­cellency of it I could willingly have recited the whole, but brevity forces only an Abridgment, viz. To all that profess the Gospel, Fox's Acts & Monuments, p. 1176, 1177. and true Doctrine, of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, in the City of London, John Bradford an unworthy Servant of the LORD— But with THEE is Mercifulness that thou mighst be worshipped. Oh then be mercyful unto us, that we might truly worship THEE; help us for the Glory of thy Name, be merciful unto our Sins for they are great: Oh heal us, and help us for thine Hoaour: let not the wicked people say, where is their GOD? On this sort, my right dearly beloved, let us heartily bewail our Sins, repent us of our for­mer evil Life, and heartily and earnestly purpose to amend our Lives in all things; continually watch in Prayer, diligently and reverently attend, hear, and read the Holy Scriptures.

By which you may perceive, Firrst, This holy mans humility acknow­ledgeth himself unworthy, &. Secondly, The like is not to be found in any of the Quakers for­mer books. His acknowledging his Sins. Thirdly, That he beg­ged pardon for His Mercy sake. Fourthly, His holy Resolution, and heavenly Exhortation.

And now to finish this Chapter, I shall conclude in the words of Dr. Barnes, whose Faith in Christ does as much differ from the Faith of, and Principles of the Quakers, as Light from Dark­ness. See their 3d. and 4th. Prin­ciple in the first Chap­ter. For in Him which they call a bodily Gar­ment, and which they say they can never own to be Christ, did this blessed Martyr at the Flames con­fess to be his LORD and Saviour; also his practice of asking Pardon of Sin, is directly contrary to their practice, pray hear him.

Dr. R. Barnes his protestation which he made at the Stake, concerning his Faith in Christ Jesus.

I am (said he) come hither to be burned as an He­retick, and you shall hear my Belief, Acts and Monuments. p. 610. whereby you shall perceive what erronious opinions I hold; and now hearken to my Faith, I believe in the Holy and Blessed Trinity, I have often marvelled why the Quaker would not own the word Trinity, but now I do not, since they de­ny the 2d. Person. that created and made all the world. I believe that without mans will or power Christ Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and took Flesh of the Blessed Virgin Mary. That he suffered Thirst, Hunger, Cold, Which he could not do as he was God, but as he was man, viz. the man Christ Je­sus. and other Passions of our bo­dies, Sin excepted; according to the saying of St. Pe­ter. I belive that this his Death and Passion was the sufficient Ransom for the Sins of all the world. Then surely he was more than a Garment, or Vail, or Figure; and the Quakers saying, they can never own this bodily Garment to be Christ (as their phrase is) tis as much as if they had said, they do not own the Christ of GOD. And I believe that thorow his Death he overcame Sin, Death, [Page 20] and Hell: And that there is no other satisfaction unto the Father, but His Death and Passion only. Mind this ye Pharisees, who think to be saved by your own deservings, as all do, who do not own Christ to be their Saviour. And that no works of man did de­serve any thing of GOD, but only Christs Passion touching our Justification. For I know (said this Humble Martyr) that the best works that ever I did is impure and unperfect. Read your books, observe your Ministers, see if their Spirit be not contrary to all the Forefathers. And with this he cast abroad his Hands, and prayed to GOD for Christ's sake to forgive him his Sins, as saith the Historian.

Thus gentle Reader have I shewed that the Doctrine, Principles, Faith, and Practice of the Quakers, is contrary to the Doctrine, Principles, Faith, and Practice of the Apostles, Primitive Christians, Saints, Martyrs, and Holy Confessors of the Catholick Faith from Moses to this day; both con­cerning the Humanity of Christ, and praying and confessing our Sins to God, and begging Pardon for Christs sake, which is another reason, and a good one too, why the forsaking the Quakers is no Apostacy from the Christian Faith, &c.

CHAP. IV. Sheweth that the forsaking the Quakers, is no Aposta­cy from the Articles of the Christian Faith.

I Am now come to shew what they mean, when they talk of Christ be­ing in them, as by their books are manifest; and if they will not own their books, which they have said are given forth by the immediate and eternal Spirit of GOD, then let them first condemn the books of Geo. Fox, Is. Pennington, and most of their eminent Writers; and declare themselves fully that they are of another mind, and that they own Christ according to the Angels Testimony, and the Apostles and Martyrs Testimony; or else we shall conclude they are as erroneous as their books set forth, &c.

Pray hear Is. Penington, in his book stiled, Quest. to the Professors, &c. p. 27. viz. The Name Christ belongs to the whole Body, as well as to the HEAD, and to every Member of the Body: The Name is not given to the VESSEL, but to the NATƲRE to the Heavenly TREASƲRE to that which is of Him in the Vessel, &c.

Now Reader mark what the consequence of this blasphemous Doctrine is, which says, that the Name CHRIST belongs to every Believer, as well and as amply as to CHRIST the Head, who is GOD blessed for evermore.

Here you see the Consequence, first of their not owning HIM that was born of the Virgin Mary, to be the Christ, (for if they cannot call HIM so, they cannot own HIM to be so, See your 2d and 3d Prin­ciple in the first Chapter of this Treatise, &c. &c.) but only a Figure, a Vail, a Vessel, a Garment, &c. see p. 33. And 2 ^dly, in assuming to them­selves the Name, in that Christ the heavenly Na­ture is in them. Thus have they magnified themselves equal with Christ; and I will prove that they thus mean, by the very words of their great Apostle G. Fox, in their Book, Intituled, Sauls Errand to Damascus, &c. p. 8. Saul's Errand, p. 8. viz. HE THAT HATH THE SAME SPIRIT WHICH RAISED ƲP JESƲS CHRIST, IS EQUAL WITH GOD.

Now then if it be so? as so they do believe it to be; for first they say, they have the eternal, infallible Spirit of GOD in them, from which they speak, write, act, give forth their Orders for Womens Meetings See my Book de Chr. Lib. &c. from p. 36. to 72. where your whole Authority for your Womens Meeting is set down, and their Original, and all from G. Fox, and your yearly Meetings sole Authority, and not one verse of Scripture brought, to strengthen their Rise, Foun­dation, and setting up, &c. Indeed John Fiddyman (a Quaker) did deny to have any other Spirit than what Christians own in common; and, to give him his due, re­fused to own G. Fox's Books, and I hope more will follow, as they come to see their Er­rors, &c., &c. Then I do demand what hinders them from deserving the Name Christ, as well as HE that was born of the Virgin, that suffered cold hunger, was smote with the palms of their hands, &c. since they cannot call him Christ? I say, if they have the same Spirit, the same Treasure in them, which raised up Jesus Christ, and are thereby equal with GOD, as they say they are. What hinders, but that we may have as many Christs, as Quakers? at least, as ma­ny as the Quakers have Preachers: For some of their Hearers, I do believe, are more modest, than to entertain these Luciferian thoughts, tho' indeed they do not know how far they are Bap­tized into this erroneous and pernicious Prin­ciple, &c.

And as I have by the 2 ^d Chapter proved, That they deny Christ, and un­dervalue his Death and Suffering, so have I in the beginning of this Chap­ter proved, That they account the Name Christ do's belong to every be­lieving Quaker; then by magnifying themselves, under pretence of Christ being in them in that degree they pretend to, that they claim Equality with—Oh Dreadful!

In the next place I am come to shew how they extol their own Wri­tings, and how they have thrown Contempt upon the Scriptures, and that also out of their own Books, which is a Consequence of the foremen­tioned Errors.

First, They say they have a Spirit given to them beyond all the Forefathers and they know who are Saints, who are Devils, and who are Apostates, See their first Principle the Mother of the rest, &c. without speaking ever a word, &c. (which none but GOD, and such as are equal to HIM, can do, &c.)

Secondly, None need to give them Discerning or Judgment, they being by Christ always, and at all times, and on all occasions, therewith infallibly furnished.

Thirdly, Saul's Errand, pag. 8. He that hath the same Spirit which raised up Jesus CHRIST, is equal with GOD.

Fourthly, The G: Fox to the King and Parliament, pag. 18. Quakers knew their E­lection before the World began.

Fifthly, We (say the Quakers) are elected to Salvation; we have the Witness in us, Praises be to the glorious LORD GOD for ever, Truth's Defence, p. 92. who hath elected and chosen us before the foundation of the World.

The aforesaid Assertions, Positions and Tenents, being so erronious, blasphemous, and pernicious to the Christian Religion, I think them so ob­vious, that they need not any further Remark at present.

I come next to shew, what Slight and Contempt they have cast on the Scriptures, in order to invalidate their Certainty and Authority, and there­in to shew G. W. how they value their unwrit Traditions above the Scri­ptures, both in words as well as in practice, as I shall shew anon; for I am not picking at the Rine now, but plucking at the Root: And tho I must confess they are sturdy Oaks, yet the Ax that is laid will level them, un­less they repent, which I pray GOD they may, if it be his Will, Amen.

First, That which is spoken from the Spirit of Truth in any, is of as great Authority as the Scriptures and Chapters are, and greater. Serious Apology, page 49. By G. Whitehead in his Serious Apo­logy, p. 49.

G. Whitehead's Ishmael, p. 10.Secondly, That which is written is the Letter, which is Death, and killeth.

Way to the Kingdom, p. 8.Thirdly, The Scriptures are a declaration of the Word, the Husk.

Fourthly, The Letter of the Scripture is carnal, Saul's Errand to Damascus p. 7. and the Letter is Death, and killeth.

In one of their Books The Quakers Refuge fix'd on the Rock of Ages, p. 17. they thus query, viz. Whether the first Penman of the Scriptures was Moses, or Hermes? Or whether both these, or not one? Or whether there are not many words contained in the Scriptures which were not spoken by Inspiration of the Holy Spirit? Whether some words were not spoken by the grand Imposture, some by wicked Men, some by wise Men ill applied, some by good Men ill expressed, some by false Prophets, and yet true; some by true Pro­phets, and yet false?

Now, Reader, setting aside the Contempt George Fox, George Whitehead, and others, anciently threw upon the Scriptures, as Carnal, Dust, the Ser­pent's Meat, Husk; not of that Authority with what is said to be spoken from the Spirit of Truth, and the like. I say, setting aside, THAT what can be the natural Tendency of these Queries, but to prejudice the weak Readers against the Authority of the Scriptures; especially such who take Examples of them, in that they never read a Chapter in their Meetings for the Worship of GOD. If what the true Prophets spake, be FALSE? If what good Men spake, be ILL EXPRESSED? If what wise Men spake, be ILL APPLIED? Then what is there left, besides what was spoken by true Prophets, good Men, and wise Men? If there be any, as you seem to suggest, that 'tis spoken by the grand Impostor, and by wicked Men, and false Prophets, &c. And if there be some little left that was spoken by true Prophets, and is true; some by good Men well expres­sed, some by wise Men rightly applied: Yet you not having made any di­stinction, who shall know what is true, from that which is false; that which is well expressed, and rightly applied, from the contrary, since you have left these three wretched Questions unresolved, and the Scriptures doubtful, ambiguous, and uncertain, robbing them of that Authority which GOD's People from Age to Age have justly attributed to them. As for the five Books of Moses, who wrote them, Moses, or Hermes, is now put into the world as a Question? Yea, whether either or neither be the Au­thor of those Books? Yea, these very Writings of Moses, which I never heard question'd before, are now proposed, whether Moses or Hermes be the Author of them? Now if Moses and Hermes be all one, then why is the Query put, unless you would have Moses to be Hermes, and not Hermes to be Moses? And so Moses being lost, and Hermes only a Philosopher in Egypt being found, the Books going under the Name of Moses's, shall be lost also. If this was not your mind, why do you fill the world with such Atheistical Queries, &c? Christ himself often quoted the Writings of Moses See Mark 12.16. Luke 16.29. Luke 24.27. Acts 3. Luke 26.27, 44., and so did the Apostles. I never, till now, took so much notice of this your wretched Design, to bring the Scriptures into Contempt, that so you might exalt your own un­written Traditions; and therefore there is Reason enough in this to shew, that forsaking the Quakers, is no Apostacy from the Christian Faith.

CHAP. V. Shews that the Forsaking the Quakers, is no Apostacy from the Articles of the Christian Faith.

IN my Book, One Blow more at NEW ROME, &c. I gave six Rea­sons why I compared the Quakers to New Rome, Rome's Sister, &c. Amongst which one was, That they value their unwritten Traditions above the Scriptures, five of those six G. W. never touches: But that of their valuing their unwrit Traditions above the Scriptures, he says, is a Lye, without giving any one Demonstration, &c.

And therefore to justifie my Charge, That you value your unwrit Traditions above the Scriptures, I prove thus: First, it never was from first to last your practice to read any one Chapter of the Bible, nor any one Epistle of Paul, Peter, or any of the Apostles in your Meetings for Worship of GOD; when as you have read the Epistles of Robert Sandyland, Samuel Cater, Wil­liam Penn, George Whitehead, and Stephen Crisp, with as much Attention and Devotion as the Papists do their Legends; and this, with what is writ in Chap. IV. is sufficient to prove the Point: for I take all which is written in opposition to, or in competition with the Scriptures, to be unwritten Traditions.

Now if I can make it first appear, that it is a principle of the Papists not to read the Scriptures in their Churches. And secondly, That it was, and is the practice of Protestants, to read the Scriptures in their Churches and Assemblies, for the Worship of GOD; then I hope Geo. Whitehead will not blame me for calling them New Rome, who in almost every point follows their Example: And also I hope it will be a caution to many of the Quakers, to look about them, who shall find themselves, led by their Teachers, into the very Road and High way to Rome, before ever they so much as thought of it, nay, that they are in her very Borders and Ter­ritories, when they thought all had been well, and that they had been as their Teachers tell them, and would make them believe; even in the Heights of Sion; in the Truth, and none but THEY; and that amongst them ONLY is God known, elected before the world began; and the like.

First, Then to shew that it was against the principles of the Papists, to read the Scriptures in their Churches.

CHAP. VI. Shews that the forsaking the Quakers, is no Apostacy from the Articles of the Christian Faith.

GGorge Whitehead, in his Cont. Apostate, &c. p. 27. says. But where are all required by Christ or his Apostles, to pray for (Kings and Queens) by Names, or charged as Offenders, for not naming Per­sons in our Prayers; The cont. Apostate, &c. p. 27. may we not pray acceptably unless we tell GOD the Name of those we pray for, &c.

Answ. I only admonish you to pray for King William and Queen Mary, as heartily and zealously as you did for the late King James; but did not, [Page 27] mention your addressing your selves too, Gen. 20. Gen. 47.7, 10. Exod. 1.6. to the end. Cap. 2.23, 24, 25. Cap. 3.7, 8, 9, 10. Acts 7.18 to 35, Psal. 90.1. Josephus Ant. l. 6. cap. 5.67. 1 Sam. 8 22. cap. 9.16, 17. cap. 15.1.9. 1 Tim. 2.1, 2. 1 Chron. 28.4. onwards. 1. Kings 18.25. Jer. 33.20.21. Psalm. 132.11, 12, 13.14. 2 Sam. 7.25. Psal. 72, 1, 2. 2 Sam. 16.16. 2 Chr, 29.18. on, Ezra 6.3. to 14. Josephus Antiq. l. 11 c. 4. Exod. 22.26. 1 Pet. 2.13.14, Ezek. 19.10. and praying publickly for him whilst he was seated on the Throne, as an evil, or irreligious pra­ctice as such. For it is my Judgment that we ought to pray for ALL KINGS which GOD in his Providence sets over us, without disputing their Titles; whether they be Pagan, or Chri­stian; bad, or good; Hetrodox, or Orthodox; Persecutor, or Protector; if you deny it, I am able to make it appear from the practice of ma­ny of Gods faithful Saints and Servants from Abraham downwards to this day, see the Scrip­tures in the Margin. But if you do not deny it, then I ask why do you not as publick, and heartily pray for King William, and Queen Ma­ry, by Name; as you did for King James by Name; that in short is the Question? For you are a considerable People for number, and 'tis requisite you should be plain hearted, and declare your selves what you can do, or what you can not do in this point. That you did publickly pray for, and address your selves to King James, I shall make appear by part of two of your Addresses (and the remainining four, for there were six Addresses presented to him, during his short Reign, &c. are of the same Nature,) viz.

Thus Reader you see that from England to Scotland, and from Scotland to England, they sounded his Fame, in the Highest strain of words, praying GOD for his Preservation; and praising GOD for defeating his Enemies.

But alas! Has King William been without Enemies? Hath their been no Plotting against him? (I will not say by some of themselves) No Contrivance, nor no Conspiracies against his Royal Person? Yea, against the Kingdom, that they cannot afford one Prayer for his long Life; one Praise to God for his Deliverance. Hath not he granted all they can rea­sonably desire of him? I know they will be angry at me, for reminding them of these things; but why should they be hid, that never hid any body? Why should not they be discovered, and known to be really what they are; that for 30 years have made it their business, or a great part of it at least, to render all sorts of People as odious as they could, and what they really were not; and their end could be nothing but to exalt their own Horn, &c. But Providence hath so ordered it, that the same Pit they digged for others, they are justly fallen into themselves; and are left, as Mr. Baxter says, in his Penitential Confession, p. 63. 1691. viz. A disgra­ced broken Sect, as the Quakers be amongst us now, &c.

A broken Sect indeed, divided wholly in many places: One sort shut up the Meeting-house against the other, divided in Cities and Towns; yea almost in every Village: The Foxonian Government is in many places quite thrown off, See J. Hogs book. and in others weakening every day. Well but to return, see another of their Addresses. viz.

Thus Reader you see here is nothing wanting, but bended Knees; Here is in ALL Humility, in ALL Fidelity, with ALL Affection, yea, ALL, ALL, ALL: All Prayers for him, for long Life, for prosperous Raign; Laud and Praise in the highest, for his deliverance, for the defeating his enemies; yea, it would be too long to enumerate them, besides Book after Book, in favour of the Government, and one Epistle after another, and printed Letters, first, second and third, sounding his fame throughout the World.

But since King William and Queen Mary came to the Crown (as in the Letter to the Quakers was well observed) NO Salutation, NO Message, NO Prayer for nor NO Address to K. W. and Q. M. made Publick, NO Book writ in favour of him, NO In all Humility, NO In all Fi­delity, NO In all Affection, NO Publick Prayers for his long and prospe­rous Reign, NO Laud and Praise that his enemies are defeated; here is all NO, NO, NO, NO: Tho, thanks be to GOD, he is now settled peaceably in his three Kingdoms: COME what can you say for your selves? Are you like those 1 Sam. 10.27. The children of Be­lial, who said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, See your 12th principle. and brought him no presents, (no Prayers, no Addresses.) I know you have too much espoused the Romish principles, some of which are, 1. We must believe as the Church (i. e. your Church) believes. 2. That the (your) Church cannot err. 3. That she hath power to bind and loose. 4. And [Page 30] that it is abominable Pride not to submit to her (i. e. your) Judgment. You may remember you have had many Favors by Their Majesties, particular­ly, Liberty of Conscience established by Law, which is one, and not the least; and yet having had three Annual Meetings in London, not one Address, &c.

Nay, worse than so. And as an aggravation of your Ingratitude, you made an ORDER for the calling in the Widow Whitrow's Books, (she being formerly of your Society) which was writ but in favour of this Government, what Scripture had you for that? You say, that Christ and his Apostles did not require you to pray for Kings by Name; I say so too: But since you prayed for, and addressed your selves to King James by Name, why can you not as well pray for Their Majesties by Name? Well, but since you can bring the Scriptures to cover and excuse your not ad­dressing, or praying for them by Name, where do you find any Text for cal­ling in, and hindering the Sale of the Widow Whitro'ws Book aforesaid? That is the Question, which in your next you are desired to answer. And tho I hope you did not order it to be burned, as I am told, (and that by one of your own People too) that George Whitehead ordered my Books to be burnt throughout all his Dominion, I am sure therein he followed Rome exactly. The way is, first condemn the Man, then condemn his Books; but first burn the Man, then his Books. And sometimes, when she cannot help it, she do's otherwise, and so do you; you have first con­demned me as a Self-condemned Apostate; next, my Books you have order'd to be burnt. But I have not as yet heard, that you have ordered a Stake to be prepared for me, I do thank GOD you cannot; 'tis an old saying, ‘'Tis good that curst Cows have short Horns.’ You that burn my Books if you had power, which GOD grant you never may, I would not trust you to burn me. I tell you, what thoughts soever I had of you in 1686, I have worse thoughts of you now: And G. W. is one principal Man that hath raised these thoughts. First, By his defaming me, endeavouring to destroy my Reputation, according to the Jesuits Morals, and the Papists Practises to the Martyrs all along. Secondly, By charging me in divers things as a great Criminal, where his Conscience tells him I am clear Particularly his second Charge in his last, where he finds no Cause.. And Thirdly, That instead of seek­ing Peace in the way of Peace, he acts as con­trary thereto, as light is to darkness. And tho he writes three Books against me in nine Months time, yet he exposes me the Contentious Person And thus he goes on, and says, He neither consults Events, nor fears Effects. And the People, his Disciples, love to have it so; if they did not, they would not suffer such a Make-bate, such a peevish, waspish Man, to sit and scrible one Book after another, and yet will not come forth to prove his Accusation, nor defend his Charge where­with he and his Brethren stand charged. And now, by this my Book, I do hereby challenge four or six of their ablest Preachers to come forth, in [Page 31] the vindication of their Twelve Principles in the first Chapter if they can, giving me a months notice; and I will, GOD permitting, meet them in Milden-Hall, and prove them erroneous, and pernicious to the Christian Re­ligion. As also accept of the Three Charges exhibited by George White­head against me in his last Pamphlet, styled, The Contentious Apostate re­charged, &c. And this will be better, than everlastingly to print. And tho in 1682, you would take no notice of what is said de Christiana Liber­tate, p. 213. nor in the Painted Harlot, &c. p. 70, 71. Yet if you look therein, you may perceive my then Resolution, in case you proceeded in that base and unworthy way in which S. Cater began, (tho indeed I al­ways took G. W. to have a hand in that Book.) I say I was resolved to spare no Arrow which might light on the skirts of this well-favour'd Har­lot, tho I can say I have been slow; and if I could any way have pre­vailed with them in the least to have acknowledged their Faults wherein they had done amiss, it would have abated the edge of my Pen, which has been severe upon G. W. as his just Demerit, for his great Injustice, and base way of writing.

Thus, at present, I only refer him to his Grandfather's pra­ctice Pope Leo X.*. and others, see Fox's Acts and Monuments, Fox's Acts and Mon. p. 238, 416, 417, 483. p. 238, 416, 417, 483. But to return, I remember George Fox put forth 2434 Queries to all the Scholars and Doctors in Europe to answer, and bid them come out of their Holes, Dens, and lurking places, into the Fields; we shall see ( said George) whether you can draw your weapons, &c. The said Questions consist chiefly in these and the like words, viz.

Quest. What is a Genetive Case? What is a Dative Case? What is a Par­ticiple? What is a Dipthong? What is a Noun? Why are these Declined? And why is the word called Declined? Who was the first Author of it? And by whom it came? And why is the word called Adverb? And what is an Adverb? the word itself, and where was its rise, &c? See for more of them in Battering Rams, &c. p. 18. This Book G. F. intituled, A Primer for all the Doctors and Scholars in Europe, printed 1659. And now what if I, for once, thrust in a Query amongst these, or at the end of them, (as I found it, the other day, in an untoward Book, intituled, The Jacobites Catechism, p. 5.) to George Whitehead He and three more, de­liver'd this Address at Wind­sor to King Charles the Se­cond, wherein they shewed what they were for., who (about the time of the Execution of the Lord Russell) presented to King Charles the Second an Address, crying out extremely against all HELLISH PLOTS, AND TRAY­TEROƲS CONSPIRACIES. The meaning was against the Lord RƲSSELL, the Lord Essex, Sidney, Cornish, Bateman, &c. The knotty Query is this that followeth, &c.

Query. What made the Quakers no more concerned for the loss of those brave Patriots of your Country, Essex and Russell, &c. who lost their Lives in defence of your Country, and its Liberties, &c?

Come, George, this is (as I said) a knotty Question, it will be difficult for you and W. P. to answer for all your subtilty and cunning, tho many observe you are much fill'd therewith as most of the Jesuitical Race. Well, I will not insist too much on this Point, lest you say I expose you. But why should you talk of Exposing, I only tell you your Duty? And are you so proud, having had the Rein, to propose Questions to Bishops, Mini­sters, Presbyterians, Anabaptists, and all sorts, cal­ing them Witches, See Edw. B's Works, p. 54, 55. A just Rebuke to 21 Di­vines, &c. The Way cast up, &c. Saul's Errand, &c. Truth's Defence, &c. Plain and peaceable Ad­vice, &c. Rusticus, &c. Devils, Sots, Conjurers, Beasts, Tin­kers, Molls, Lizards, Fiery Fighters, such as can defend their Religion with the Sword, to be turned into the Pit eternally, Blood-thirsty, Tyranical Projects, &c. Now if I should call you so, then you might say I expose you; but I only tell you of your Duty, and remind you of the Leaven of the Pharisees, which is Hypocrisy.

CHAP. VII. Shews that forsaking the Quakers, is no Apostacy from the Articles of the Christian Faith.

I AM now come to the Conference I had with George Whitehead, at the House of Joshua Bangs in Milden-Hall the 24 ^th of August 1691, touch­ing a certain Charge which I formerly exhibited against him at a Publick Meeting As in my Book, One Blow, &c. p. 2, 3. at Milden-Hall, which he then declined to accept of, and to defend himself from, as well as to own himself Author of his Book, Judgment Fixed, &c.

My said Threefold Charge was this:

• First, That George Whitehead is a Deceiver of the People.
• 2 ^dly, That he is a false Accuser of the Martyrs, charging their Doctrine to be corrupt, tending to practical Ranterism, sordid Ranterism, &c.
• 3 ^dly, That he is a Favourer or an Excuser of such Principles and Practices as border upon Blasphemy and Idolatry.

This was the Charge: The Spectators present, who heard what passed, were these, whose Names hereafter follow, viz.

CHAP. VIII. Shews that the Forsaking the Quakers, is no Apostacy from the Articles of the Christian Faith.

I Am now come to consider two particular passages in G. W's. Book, The Contentious Apostate, and his Blow, &c. p. 3. viz. Fra. Bugg and his Company being got to the Meeting before G. W. AND INTO THE Gallery, WHERE our Ministring Friends used to be, &c. 2. F. Bugg premising his property as Feoffee in Trust for the Meeting-house, &c.

These two passages (with many other) being false, renders his Narra­tive a false and partial Narration: And if in their former Narratives, as their Tryals at Assizes and Sessions, they have dealt so falsly, it is no marvel that the Magistrates were brought into such Contempt, as unjust Judges, illegal Proceedings, arbitrary and the like; for there is a 100 ready to testifie that there was not with me, in the Gallery, one man of my Company, when G. Whitehead came into the Meeting; and yet to render me turbulent, sets forth to the world, that I and my Company were in the Gallery when he came into the Meeting-house, which is as false as false can be: Yea, so ashamed, their own People were of that downright lye, that they blotted it out of the Books they dispersed hereaway; but that it might go in other places for an Infallible Truth, they did not so much as put it in the Errata. I do believe that he hath left out, in p. 5, 6, 7. not only words, but half lines, and whole passages to make it look like something; and when all is done none but a few of his own Proselites, and infatuated Disciples will give credit to it; nay some of them have, in my hearing, declared them­selves so out of love with it, as that they will not read it; so false and scan­dalous are most of his books, that they begin to be burdensome.

Secondly, Whereas he says, as above observed, That I premised my property as a Feoffee, that is altogether false too. Upon these and several other notorious Lyes asserted, and many material passages spoken by my self, Mr. Archer and others being left out, I wrote to G. Whitehead, remind­ing him of his partial Narrative, Forgeries, Lyes, and apparent Perverti­ons, and wilful Omissions, and in his answer touching the word Feoffee he thus writes, viz.

If thou didst not openly mention the word Feoffee, I, and others, are mistaken, which yet I am not convinced of, for I was then something concerned, that thou shouldst be so much interested in the Meeting-house. But I am glad thou sayst now thou art no Feoffee, wherein then stands thy property, legally, as Owner of the Meeting-house? If so, our Friends are much beholden to thee; if not, is it not as [Page 51] one intrust for them, and the use intended? Or is it upon thy free and charitable Contributions to the House? If THAT was the intention, IT will ADMIT of other CONSEQUENCES than a claim to such a property in the Meeting-house.

Now being willing to clear all passages of any weight, and considering that this may come out in his next, I shall speak fully to it; and grant, first, That I am no Feoffee; secondly, I am not owner of the Meeting-house; nor thirdly, As one in trust for them and the use intended: But fourth­ly, As a free Contributer to the house I own my self to have a property. Well, G. W. but this thou sayst will admit of other Consequences than a claim, &c. Yes George I was not unsensible of it: And that though Mr. Pennyman and others have had properties, by being Contributers to the purchasing, building and repaiting of Meeting-houses; yet, when they have opposed your errors, then you have denied them the use they for­merly had: And therefore I knowing your Injustice in this point, not­withstanding your seeming Innocency, I took care in time to prevent the other CONSEQƲENCES you mention, viz. to be turned out of all right, priviledge and advantage, tho I was at the fourth part of the charge of the House and Burying-ground; for I having the Original Deeds in my hands, the Feoffees upon a time desired me to deliver up the said Deeds to them; but I answered, No; I have a property in the house, and until you secure that to me and my Heirs, I will deliver no Deeds So then it rested a while, and soon after I had a Letter from their Lawyer, an Abstract whereof followeth.

Notwithstanding the threat of Mr. Penn's Interest at Court, I returned answer, that I was very willing to appear at the Councel-table; for unless they would some way secure to me my property, I would not deliver the Deeds, how great soever their interest was at the Councel-table, unless by Law forced, &c.

Well, soon after the Feoffees were at me again for the DEEDS, I still told them, that unless they would take some care to secure my interest in the house, I would not deliver the Deeds, unless by Law forced. So then they asked me, what, how, and after what manner would I require securi­ty? so then I did propose an even Method and equal Terms, as I thought, [Page 52] viz. Either repay me my twenty pounds again, which I had in it; or give me an Instrument under your hands that I shall have, possess, and en­joy the same benefit I formerly had: Now, said I to them, take your choice, for unless you perform one of these two things, I will never deli­ver up the Deeds, unless by Law forced; I am not afraid to appear at the Council-Table Pray G. VVhitehead, S. VValdingfield, let us know the reason why VV. P. will not appear himself now?, neither will I fear you, nor trust you in any point where Holy Church is concerned; (remembring how you, like the Papists, will keep no Faith with such as you account Heretics, or Self-condemned Apostates For I remember the A­greement between S. Cater, and G. S. and I, which was so firmly done, and record­ed in their quarterly book, as in Painted Harlot, p. 60, 62, 63. Yet not being un­der Hand and Seal, when I put forth my Book, De Chr. Lib. &c. They wrote me word, that if I did not call in, and condemn that book, that they would come out with their Narrative, &c. By which I saw the popish Maxim fulfilled, viz. No Faith or Covenant to be kept with Hereticks..) And when they saw me thus resolved not to trust their Promise, nor to take their Words; they then chose rather to give me a Deed, to secure me, under the Fe­offees Hands and Seals, and Jos. Bangs and Philip Cranniss are witnesses to it; which being large, I shall only recite a few words out of it, shewing that I have power to hold a Meeting, to appoint a Meeting, to speak in a Meeting, to write in the Meeting; in a word, whatever in former days I did, my Power is the same: So that I fear not G. W's other CONSEQƲENCES. I am pro­vided against their Arbitrary Wresting my Pro­perty out of my Hands, as they have done to too many, viz.

Now, George, I think I am out of the reach of your other CONSE­QƲENCES; yea, out of your power of thrusting me forth of your Meetings, as you have done others, and then call them distracted, and the like: I will assure you they had not need be distracted that deal with you, but have their wits about them, or else they shall soon feel the ef­fect of your other CONSEQƲENCES; but I now am past the fear of your Councel-Table, your Friend Penn's Interest, or Geo. Whitehead's other Consequences.

Obj. Well but some may say, what, will they go to Law, or what other Consequences can G. W. mean? We thought them to be great Sufferers, and not so subject to go to Law.

Answ. That they will go to Law, and upon small Trifles too, I can shew it their Judgment: For Tho. Crisp in his books had but mentioned 2 of the Letters of the Names of some of their Ministers that lived in some immoralities, and Richard Richardson their then Clerk, to their se­cond days meeting, who wrote for the Church, viz. their Society, and on their behalf, sent him a Letter to consult his interest, &c. The Abstract of which follows, &c.

And if so, that the very mentioning 2 Letters of a Name, put them in such a Fret and Passion, I hope they will bear with others, if they seek a Remedy against them for their slanderous Tongues and Pens, Neither did I think it necessary to trust to their promise (whom I have found so false in so many cases) for my security; if I had, I should soon have felt G W's other CONSEQƲENCES. And as to their being great Sufferers, I know that many of their Hearers are, but it was ever the way of their Ministers to save themselves, as my book the Painted Harlot, &c. sets forth. But yet I remember one thing which will discover how they love to mag­nify [Page 54] their Sufferings, and account such great Sufferings, which indeed are no Sufferings at all, as the next Chapter will sufficiently make appear; so that it is no Apostacy from the Articles of the Christian Faith, to separate from the Quakers and their Errors.

CHAP. IX. Sheweth that the forsaking the Quakers, is no Aposta­cy from the Articles of the Christian Faith.

SAmuel Cater, one of their insignificant Preachers, had a Meeting at Phakenham in Norfolk; which, as it stands in their Quarterly book, will tell after ages, that Sam. Cater was fined 20 l. and distrained, See their Quarterly Book, at Hadenham, in the Isle of Ely. &c. and that for Preaching too: And this will look great and exalt his Name, and crown his Memory, tho indeed he did not suf­fer one Shilling; however there it stands as an honourable and valiant Suf­fering, unless it be lately cancelled and blotted out, as it ought to be. The Passage (which I, having a providential opportunity, took out of their Quarterly book) stands thus.

Samuel Cater for being at a Meeting, at Phakenham, in Norfolk, on the 4 ^th day of the 5 ^th Month, called July, Anno 1670. preaching and publishing the Gospel of Peace. One Ann Wats, a Woman Informer, told the Officers (who came with a Warrant, and had him before one Christopher Colthorp a Justice, who fined him Twenty Pounds; which Warrant and Conviction was sent to the Justices in the Isle of Ely, namely John Laney, Henry Hitch, Tho. March, who in pursuance of the Norfolk Justices Conviction, sent their Warrant to the Officers of Little-port; who distrained as much Houshold Stuff and Timber, from the said Samuel, as was worth more than Twenty pounds.

Now its true thus far, that there was a Conviction, as also a Distress; but the Goods distrained were never sold, but returned to him again, and consequently S. Cater no Sufferer, &c. Yet there being but the Co­lour of a Suffering, that he might not lose the Glory of it, he presently sends it to the Quarterly Meeting there to be recorded, as a perpetual Testimony of his Valour, and everlasting Renown. First, That Sam. Cater was a Minister, and a Publisher of the Gospel. 2 ^dly, That, as such, he was fined twenty Pounds in Norfolk, by Sir Christopher Colthorp; and that for his Ministerial Function too. 3 ^dly, That the Magistrates in the Isle of Ely had a hand in this Tragedy and lamentable Suffering, by joyning with the Norfolk Justice in the execution of the Law.

Now, Reader, does not this look formidable; will not People that read this a Hundred years hence, when this Holy Chronicle comes out, and none alive to contradict it; look like a noble Suffering, a valiant Act, and deservedly famous? When, Alas! as I have observed, it was no Suffering; but thus far contrary to a Suffering, that though he was fined, though he was destrained, &c. yet his Goods where all returned, Now whether Sam. Ful­big, Clem. Crab, Tho. Hawks, James Peachy, John Lover, Henry Waddelow, Tho. Paine, Robert Crab, (who had as many Cows, Horses, Mares, Pewter and Brass taken away, for being at a Meeting in Little-port, the 9th of June 1670) had their Goods again, and each of them 10 l. to boot? If not, are you not partial? does not your Ministry stand in a better station than the Hearers,, whose Servants they ought to be? and Sam. Cater had his own again; and, as an Incouragement, ten Pounds sent him as a Reward, for this his noble Act, and valiant Undertaking &c.

O these horrible Religious Cheats! they are nautious to a Christian mind.

Obj. But some may say, what Benefit can the recording this pretended Suffering of S. Cater be; since he, first, had his Goods again, and secondly 10 l. sent him from Lon­don, as a Reward and Incouragement? &c.

Answ. Much every way. First, in that it raised his Name now, and will renown it hereafter; besides his ten pound was sent him, which per­haps if it had not been recorded, in Order to be Chronicled, they would not have given him that Gift, which was carefully sent from their Trea­sury at London, by John Peacock, Draper, late of St. Ives.

I remember in their book, Judas and the Jews, p. 41. there is this passage, viz.

Our faithful Chronicles, of the bloody Tragedies, of that professing Generation, Judas and the Jews, p. 41. W. P. will tell FUTURE Ages, other things, &c. And why future Ages? Oh! the Reason is plain; for if their Holy Cronicles of their Tragical Sufferings, which they pretended to suffer under the Presbyterians and Independents, in the Protectors time, be such Shams as THIS, of S. Caters, is, viz. To pretend they suffer twenty Pounds, when instead thereof, they get ten pounds, into the Pocket, clear gains. I say if it be so, and should bring this their Chronicle forth in print, in the same Age, in which they were acted, whilst People are alive that remember the Transactions: They would THEN from their Know­ledge and Experience of the grand Hypocrisy of their infallible Doctors, write an answer to their Chronicle; convict them of their Holy Cheats, and they knowing this, for they are a cunning People, yea and Prophets [Page 56] too Note, That Sol. Eccles. one of their most seeing Pro­phets, prophesyed that JOHN Story should dye within one year after his Prophesy, but he lived about 4 years after. See Babels Builders unmask­ing themselves, &c. p. 15, 16. per Tho. Crisp.: So that they can easily foresee the dan­gerous consequence their said faithless Chronicle might, in all probability, meet with; and this I take to be the main Reason (yea and a prudent one too) why it doth not come forth. For in October, about 72. I was at London, at a Meet­ing about Suffering is and it was then talked of; and very earnest some were, I well remember, to have it come forth. And William Penn, 1673. gives publick notice of it in their Book, Judas and the Jews, &c. p. 41. but still no Chronicle is come forth, and the reason is plain; in that many of the Sufferings therein recorded, may be like this of Sam. Caters. Sam. Caters Sufferings. And then what a pack of Hy­pocrites would they evidently appear to all the As in the Quakers unmask'd in Quarto. world.

Tho thus far he can still prove it for a need; he was fined and convict­ed, this he can prove by the Clerk of the Sessions book; nay, he was di­strained too, this his Neighbours can testify; and as this is no Lye, so nei­ther is there any more recorded. But the CHEAT lies HERE, 'tis to make future Ages believe that as S. Cater was a Preacher, so he preach­ed once at Phakenham in Norfolk, and was fined and distrained, and conse­quently lost twenty pounds; which for him to lose, who formerly, be­fore he got the Knack of Preaching, was a poor Carpenter, and went with his Budget of Tools at his back to day labour, &c. I say, as this Suffering if true, were something, (though indeed I do not in all the Scri­ptures find the like. No, no, we read that many suffered the loss of their Goods, &c. but never what Apostle, by what Justice, how many Mares, Horses, Timber, Pewter, Brass, and the Mans Name that suffered. No, no, this is also too much like the Papists, who take care that their deservings may be Chronicled; and their pretended meritorious deeds preserved to Posterity.) but being false, and a meer Sham, and the CON­SEQƲENCE not following the PREMISES is a Cheat, and a Lye put upon future Ages: When Ann Wats, the Woman Informer, is dead; when Sir Christopher Colthorp is dead, when Henry Hitch, John Laney, Thomas March, Esquires, Justices of the Peace for the Isle of Ely, are dead; his Neighbours, the Constables, Churchwardens, and Overseers are dead; I say when all these are dead, who can from Experience reprove their Hy­pocrisies, &c.

CHAP. X. Shews that the forsaking the Quakers, is no Apostacy from the Articles of the Christian Faith.

IN G. W's Contentious Apostate, &c. p. 5. there is one Passage I cannot let pass, without some Observation, viz. Francis Buggs's Wife stood up to clear her Conscience—In Testimony against her Husband's writing Books against Friends She in her Zeal being one of them, was troubled to have them laid open., &c. Es­pecially since he knoweth that I there solemnly disowned the thing. I say this passage is such a base, unchristian Practice, as ought not to be passed over with silence; yea, and such a thing as I do hereby challenge G. W. to give me one In­stance in all the Religious Controversies extant amongst all that profess Christianity, (the Papists and Quakers only excepted) that ever a Man's own Wives Testimony was brought against him publickly in Print.

That the Quakers do practise it I grant, when it is for Holy Church; or, as they term it, for the Truth's sake: For let this be noted, where the Pa­pists say they act for the Church, and for Holy Church, &c. There the Quakers frequently say for Truth's sake, for the Honour of Truth. And that if any own them, they own Truth; if any write against them, they then are reputed or write against Truth. And on this foot and bottom, what ever is said or done in favour or against this People, 'tis construed to be done for or against Truth. And upon this foot doubtless do they in their blind zeal follow the steps of the Jesuits, whose great business is to divide Families, Kingdoms and Nations; to set Wise against her Husband, and Husband against the Wife, &c. which in the Passage before cited must be their design, or else they would never publish my Wives Testi­mony in Print against me, for my writing against them, &c. which as it is their Practice, so it harmonizes ONLY with the Practice of the Papists; so on the other hand it is against express Scriptures, the Practice of the Pri­mitive Christians, and Blessed Martyrs, as anon I shall, GOD permitting, make appear.

First, That it is their Practice, I prove from the Practice of John Feild, &c. who published Mr. Crisp's Wives Testimony against her Marriage with her Husband, by a Public Minister according to Law, about 18 Years after they had been so married. See the 5th Part of Babels Builders un­maskt, p. 9, 10, &c.

John Feild One of the Preachers of the FOXONIAN PAR­TY. goes on, ( says T. C.) Inquisitor like, and asks, Why did thy Wife condemn your Mar­riage? But may not those that pretend to sell Par­dons, and pray Souls out of Purgatory, (your Brethren) say, That if their Prayers and Pardons be not effectual, why have, and do, so many give so much mo­ney for them? If a Woman gives all she hath to have her Husband out of Pur­gatory, an effectual proof of the worth of the Popes Pardons. But to answer this busie Inquisitor John Field—Take a View if your Brethren, all the wicked Crew of Confessors that belong to your ELDER SISTER ROME, and see how many of them to whom Confession is made, that will so many Years after di­vulge it in Print: For if any such Monsters be amongst the Romish Priests, they be accounted very abominable. And so much higher as your Pretentions be beyond theirs, the greater is the aggravation of your baseness. And I fear the wicked ONE was so great with you, to instigate you to the publication of this, in hopes thereby to make a DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ƲS, ( viz. my Wife and me) that so you might have your desires on us; some of George Fox's Re­formado's having said, None thrive or prosper that speak against him: But, I bless GOD, I fear not G. Fox's whole Black Guard of Lyers, J. Feild, R. Richardson, Chr. Taylor, &c.

Reader, here I have shewed that it is their Practice: And this is enough (together with my Case) to shew, that they follow the steps of the Je­suits: T. Crisps's Case is full and plain against them. I shall next proceed to shew, that this their Practice is contrary to the Scriptures, for it is said, Numb. 30.13. Numb. 30, 13, 14. But if her Husband disallowed them the same day that he heard them, nothing that proceeded out of her lips concerning her vows, or concerning her bonds, shall stand in effect; for her Husband hath disallowed them, and the Lord will forgive her, See ver. 14. So every vow, and every oath or bond made to humble the Soul, her Husband may establish it, or her Husband may break it, &c.

By which 'tis apparent, that GOD hath placed the headship in Man, and given him the Dominion over his Wife: And yet, contrary to Scripture For they know that I did disallow of her Testimo­ny the day I heard it., and contrary to the Practice of the Primitive Chri­stians, and Protestant Martyrs, you have expo­sed her Testimony against her Head and Husband; which admits of no other Construction, but to make a difference between Man and Wife, as Mr. Crisp well understood you in his Case.

Secondly, I shall shew that it is against the Practice of the Protestant Martyrs. See William Tindall's Book, intituled, The Obedience of a Chri­stian Man, p. 108. After that Eve was deceived of the Serpent, God said un­to [Page 59] her, Gen. 3. thy Appetite shall pertain unto thy Husband, and he shall rule thee, or raign over thee. GOD which created the Woman, knows what is in that weak Vessel, W. Tindall's Works, p. 108.) as Peter calleth her) and hath therefore put her under the obedience of her Husband, 1 Pet. 3. Wives to be in subjection to their Husbands. he exhorteth Wives to be in subjection unto their Husbands, after the Example of Holy Women in old time which trusted in GOD: And as Sarah obeyed Abraham, and called him Lord, which Sarah before she married was Abraham's Sister, and equal with him; but as soon as she was married was in subjection, and became, without comparison, inferior; for so is the Nature of Wedlock by the Ordinance of God. Paul saith, Ephes. 5. Wives submit your selves unto your own Husbands, as unto the LORD; for the Husband is the Wives Head, even as Christ is the HEAD of the Congregation: therefore as the Congregation is in subjection to Christ, likewise let the Wives be in subjection to their Husbands in all things; let the Woman therefore fear her Husband, as Paul saith in the said place, &c.

Thus I have shew'd both by Moses's Writings, and the Apostles Wri­tings, and by the Judgment of William Tindall that worthy Protestant Martyr, that as Women should be in subjection, so are their Sayings con­cluded by the Authority which GOD hath given their Husbands over them. Now hear his Opinion of the Practice and Principles of the Papists, and their Politics The Jesuits and Qua­kers practice agree in one., who had laid by reading the Scriptures in their Churches, as the Quakers have done; pretend to be infallible in their Councels, as the Quakers do: Pray hear the Martyr what he says farther, viz.

On the other side I have ( saith William Tindall Pag. 180.) also uttered the Wickedness of the Spirituality, the Falseness of the Bishops, and Jugling of the Pope; And how they have disguised themselves, borrowing some of their Pomp of the Jews, and some of the Gentiles, and have with subtle Wiles turned the obedience that should be given to God's Ordinance (Marriage unto themselves So do the Quakers, who contrary to the Laws of God, and his Ordinance of Marriage, print the Wives Testimony against her Hus­band.. And how they have put out GOD's Testament, and GOD's Truth, and set up their own Traditions That the Quakers have so done, see their Certificates for Marriage, where they leave out the word Obey, or Obedient to their Husbands, &c. and Lyes, in which they have taught the People to believe, and thereby sit in their Consciences as GOD.—Wonderful are the things that are thereby wrought, the WIFE is FEARED and COMPELLED to utter not her own only, but also the SECRETS of her HUSBAND Thus far are the Qua­kers and Papists of Kindred, and G. W. in this practice may be said to be Brother to Bon­ner, and the rest of that abominable Crew., and the Servant the SECRETS of his MASTER, &c.

And as George Whitehead hath been an ill Instrument to set Man and Wise at variance, so hath he been as ill an Instrument in breaking the Match between S. Bolton and Mary Penington, which (had I leave from S. Bolton) I could freely publish his base and Jesuitical practice in that Affair. However, in that S. B. on the 10 ^th day of May 1691. in a Pub­lick Meeting in White-Hart Court in Grace-church-street, London, did then charge him publickly to be A DECEITFUL HYPOCRITE, proffering to refer the matter he had to accuse him of to Friends, or other sober persons, indif­ferently chosen: But G. W. answer'd, The Business was not Referable. To which S. Bolton replied, That G. Whitehead would have referred the mat­ter in difference between them, on condition that he the said George might have had the Nomination of all the Persons. This being publick, I may take pub­lick Notice of it. I know great part of the business, but not having leave from S. B. (who chuses rather to suffer under them, for the sake of some honest People amongst them) I shall not open the matter, &c.

But thus much may be observed from what was obvious at the said Meeting, that there is a Difference; that S. B. Christian-like, did offer to refer it, that so G. W. if found guilty, might bear his blame. And that instead thereof, 'tis also apparent that G W. refus'd it, unless he might chuse all the Men, and then, perhaps, he would have chosen Sam. Cater, G. Smith, Steph. Crisp, Ez. W. Tho. Rudyard, and his Brother Robert San­diland. And such a Tribe of Wretches amongst them, as that S. B. must never have expected Justice. And unless S. B. would admit that he might chuse all the Men, he would not refer it; so that S. B. had cause sufficient to call G. W. DECEITFƲL HYPOCRITE, &c.

To confirm this, that as G. Whitehead, &c. in my Case, and Mr. Crisp's Case The like betwixt Mr. William Mucklowe and his Wife. See G.W. [That] Apostate Incendiary, p. 8., had a design to set Man and Wife at variance, and that therein they have acted like the cunning Jesuits, whose business have been, and no doubt still is, to make division in Families, Kingdoms, and Nations, as I before have observed. So in the Case of Samuel Bolton, G. Whitehead hath out-done the boldest Je­suits that ever I read of. And that it may appear, that it hath been the Practice of the Preachers amongst them to break Matches, and that the Consequence of any young Man or Maid of speaking a word against a Preacher, may lose him a good Wife, or she a good Husband; or, indeed, any other Fortune or Preferment, for all the Peoples Fortunes began to hang upon the plea­sure of their Ministers But let it be noted, That as Self-denying as their Mi­nisters pretend to be, yet none of their Hearers get richer Wives than they, which is one convincing Ar­gument, that they are not sincere.; get their good Will never fear, but to obtain your desire; displease them, a hundred to one if you obtain it. I know divers Instances that I could produce to confirm what I say, but shall rather chuse to re­cite only part of a Letter written by one for­merly [Page 61] then, and still eminent amongst them, whose Name I shall not mention; but can shew the Letter, under the Parties own hand, if need be, viz.

Thus, Reader, you see that there hath been Testimony after Testimo­ny, both publick and private, against these PƲRSMONGERS, and COMMON BANCKERS; their DAGON, and great Idol; against their Reckoning such the best Christians, who brought in most MONEY into their BANCK; against this private way of their maintaining their Ministers, Their Cabinet counsel is disclosed. whilst they exclaim against the publick Ministry, as Hirelings, &c. as well as against their Jesuitical practice of medling with Marriages, wherewithal they (as this Letter very well ob­serves) have nothing to do, nor seldom do any thing but mischief; as also against their Popish Practice, of publishing in print, the Testimony of Wives against their Husbands, whom GOD hath set Head over them; and by whose Authority their sayings ought to be concluded. Thus do they walk hand in hand with their Elder Sister, having received a Spirit contrary to Moses and the Prophets, Christ and his Apostles, Saints and Martyrs; and by it are leed into these errours.

And that it may more evidently appear, that there hath been Publick Testimony against their Common Banks and Private Pursemongers, their Dagon, as the Letter rightly calls it: I may transcribe a few of W. Rogers his Lines, in his Poem intituled, A second Scourge for G. Whitehead an Apostate Quaker, &c. viz.

Thus the Reader may perceive, how plainly these hypocritical practices have been made appear; and how their Hypocrisy, hath from time to time been discovered, both privately by some of their own People, and still eminent amongst them; only they abhor the Deceit and Falshood amongst their Teachers and Preachers; and some who are justly separated from them, upon a sight of their grand Errors, and deep Hypocrisies; a­mongst which was W. Rogers, who hath wrote divers books against them, intituled, The Christian Quaker distinguished, from the Apostate and Innovator, &c. in 5 parts bound together, very eminent and serviceable in the disco­very of their Intreagues, to which I refer the Reader, And surely I may as wel as G. W. refers to Tho. El­woods Antidote, &c. And his Brother Robert Sandilands Pamphlet, and with a great deal of more Reason. See his Judgment fix d, p. 260. as well as to his 6 ^th, 7 ^th; and 8 ^th parts of the Christ. Quaker disting. &c. published sin­gly; and also to his Poem stiled, A second Scourge for G. Whitehead, an Apostate Quaker, &c. Out of which I took the foregoing Verses, which did so perplex this Well-Favoured Harlot, that G. W. being not able to return an Answer to it, out came Thomas Elwood to his Relief, and to rescue his Brother Whiteheads decaying Reputation, puts forth a Book stiled, Rogero Mastix, &c. by which instead of helping them, by hiding them, he told more Truth (tho poor man he could not well help it, things are so plain) than forty of them would do; See my book Bat. Rams. p. 13, 14, 15. saying Amen to great part of what William Rogers charged them with. And therfore, good Reader, mark well what this Tho. Elwood set forth in his book, which is licensed, and came forth by the Consent and Approbation of their Church, and is kept in their Library, viz.

By all which 'tis plain, that now they first acknowledg, that Christ's Ministers should be supply'd: But their Answer for this is, none are Mini­sters of Christ but themselves, so none should be supply'd but them­selves.

2 ^dly, That they acknowledg, that when their Ministers want MONEY to proceed, that they then furnish them with Money. This they confess, and this they do by their Brother Ellwood's Acknowledgment.

Object. But 'tis objected against by G. W. in his Book, Innocency against Envy, &c. p. 14, viz. We deny his Charge of preaching for Money, or being so burthensom as the Publick Ministry, &c.

Now I grant, it is a hard matter to prove that they preach for money, viz. that they tell People, if you will give me so much money, I will preach unto you, this I never affirm'd they did: But that they do take money for preaching, I do still affirm; and at the Conference betwixt G. Whitehead and my self, at Jos. Bangs's House, August 24. 1691. I prov'd it to his Face by a good Witness, one of themselves, still eminent amongst them, namely, Edward Firth, viz. that S. Cater took 3 l. for preaching; and at the Publick Meeting I told S. Cater of that 3 l. and of the 10 l. sent him at another time from London; and this he did not deny, but said it was All: (Denying 40 s. I did then charge him withall, which he re­ceived, as I was informed from another hand.) So here is 13 l. received by one of their rich Preachers, who have no need to take, but is better able to give, than many that do give. But says George Innocency against En­vy, p. 14., Let us see his proof that we are more burthensom than the National Ministry, &c. That we take 50 l. per Annum. Again The Contentious Apo­state, and his one Blow, p. 22., 30. l. for writing a Manuscript of five or six sheets of Pa­per. I say their Ministers take money for preaching. Thus F. B.

To all which I answer; First, I speak my own Experience: Your Mi­nisters have cost me as much in three Months, as the Publick Ministry has cost me in three Years. You may put me to prove it if you will, but this is true: And I have Reason to think 'tis so with many more, first from the recited Letter which reproves your BANKERS, COMMON PƲRS­MONGERS, and your Dagon; and 2 ^dly, from what W. Roger charges you with, and as Thomas Ellwood confesses.

Secondly, Ellis Hooks, who wrote several Epistles to divers of your Books; as also Richard Richardson, each of them had 50 l. per Aunum. If you say not as publick Preachers, but as Clerks, I say still that is as contra­ry to your Pretences, as your taking money for Preaching, as I shall anon shew; only you think to amuse your Reader, by suggesting that they have not 50 l. per Annum as a setled Maintenance. I do not say they have, nor never did; no, you are too cunning for that, for if you should agree with [Page 58] [...] [Page 59] [...] [Page 60] [...] [Page 61] [...] [Page 62] [...] [Page 63] [...] [Page 64] [...] [Page 65] [...] [Page 66] them so, then before the Year come out, they might possibly preach against your Orders; or, as your Brother Sandyland, might preach one Month, and be greatly admir'd both as a Preacher, and an Orthodox Writer, and his Book refer'd too See G. W's Judgment Fixed, &c. p. 260., &c. and the next Monrh suspended, and then great part of his yearly Stipend lost. No, I do not say that they have 50 l. per Annum setled Maintenance, tho' I believe much more many of you have, besides a good Piece of Hair-Camlet now and then, and a Silver Watch, a Bever Hat, and some other things, ask Stephen Crisp, and he can tell you the same. And if you will let me see your Church-Books, where is set down the Cash your Ministers receive, I doubt not but to shew the greatest Cheats that ever were discover'd, viz. I mean so much money given to such as pretend they take none, and are sent into the World to banter all other Ministers, &c. Well, but I am still to prove the 30 l. for writing five or six sheets of Paper, and that your taking money for writing Church-business, is contrary to your Pre­tences.

First, Ellis Hooks, and G. F. put forth the Primer, and for the Copy An­drew Sowle gave Ellis Hooks 30 l. I heard him say so formerly, and I can prove it also. Not that Andrew Sowle told it me with a design against you, no, he is so wedded to you, that he refused to print my Books against your Errors, when 'tis his Trade, and he ought to have the benefit of it; but yet, for your sakes, he hath refused of late to earn my money, I wish you make him amends, and let him print, tho' against me; if you do not, I am sure you are ungrateful to him, that to my knowledge hath served you in the most dangerous times, and that to his own loss. I speak this, to the intent you should take no Revenge on the poor Man, who thought no hurt to you in his speaking of it: For I know you are revengeful enough, I have found it so; for I can say, that tho' I suffer'd more than three Years Imprisonment, and the loss of more than a 100 l. by Fines, &c. and near 40 l. of it, for the Poverty of George Thorrowgood, and James Webb, and others, yet I have suffer'd more by and under you, and this I leave as a Testimony against your malicious Revenge. And taking money as Clerks, is against the very Order of your great Prophet G. Fox, the giver forth of your Laws. See his Order for Marriage, &c. stiled, Concerning Marriage, how GOD made them Male and Female in the Beginning, &c. viz. p. 6. And that NOTHING be recorded for money in these things, but freely a free People, and in love serve one an­other See Innocency vindicated, and Envy rebuked, p. 2, 3. by F. B. more at large, &c.. Now had G. Fox said, that AS YET let nothing be recorded for money in these things See Painted Harlot, &c. p. 59. A timely Caution., but FOR THE PRESENT do things freely, &c. then you might have had a Dispen­sation; for then I doubt not but you would [Page 67] have construed the words AS YET, to relate to time, and ought not to be render'd tamen, viz. Nevertheless, and that you was but to do things free­ly for the present, viz. until you could get money for doing it; then Adhuc had been the Grammatical Sense of the words As Yet, and not Tamen. And who knows but your minds may alter, when you see it for your pur­pose. We see your Interest will lead you to change, and who knows but W. P. in PENSILVANIA, may understand both the Latin and English Sense of that your Declaration, which says, viz.

We have chosen the Son of GOD to be our King, and he hath chosen us to be his People; and he might command Thousands, and Ten Thousands of his Servants TO FIGHT in his CAƲSE — But yet his Kingdom is not of this World— Neither can we YET believe that he will make use of us in that way — But for the PRESENT we are given up to bear and suffer, &c.

I say, if in G. Fox his Order, that nothing about Marriages and Church-business should be done for money, he had said, That AS YET let nothing be recorded for money, but FOR THE PRESENT do things FREELY; &c. Then you might have lawfully taken 50 l. per Annum, according to G, F. his infallible Law: But since there is no such words of Exception in the recited infallible Order, you are found Transgressors thereof, and do take money, contrary to your Pretences. If you say the Business is more now; then there is more Persons to do it: But if you can thus alter, then who knows but the word YET may in time be rightly understood, espe­cially in PENSILVANIA, as 'tis in your said Declaration. G. Fox also said in his several Papers given forth about the Year 1658. Friends, you ARE to do the Nations Business freely, and that is the way to get into the hearts of the People See Painted Harlot, &c. p. 47., &c. A notable Stratagem indeed, and as well improved; but says G. W. The Contentious Apostate, and his One Blow, &c. p. 22. We think this is not true, we know no such Order printed in that Year, if at all. Here is another of his Equivo­cations; for tho' in my Book, One Blow, &c. p. 6. it is said to be printed in 1650, which is an Error in the Press, and cor­rected by an Errata in p. 14. viz. 1659. Thus he shuffles, and seeks ways to evade the matter, which is certainly true, for I have the Book by me; and still, contrary to his Pretensions, (for in Judgment Fixed, p. 365. he thus saith, For I examin the Errata's even of my Adversaries Books as they are noted, before I answer the matter, &c. Now this is either true or false, (i. e.) he either examins the Errata's, or he does not. If he does not, then he proclaims himself a Lyar to the whole World in Print. If he does, and yet takes no Notice of the Correction of an Error, but publish the Er­ror, as he hath done this of 1650, instead of 1659. then is he still the more like himself, A grand Deceiver, one that pretends fair; yea, so fair, as that he pretends to examin the Errata's even of his Adversaries [Page 68] Books, before he answer them. And yet, behold, it is no such matter, thus deceitfully false do I find him in many places, too large to recite; and therefore I do hereby resume my Charge, as in Battering Rams, p. 11, 12. viz. In this you deceive your People, in that you pretend to Teach, Preach, Suffer, and Record Marriages, and other Publick Offices freely, without Money, Gifts, or Rewards: And by reason of this fair Pretence, you not only have deceived the Simple, but also taken occasion thereby, to vilify and speak contemptuously of all other Publick Preachers. First, the Na­tional, for taking Tythes, and other Dues, as a setled Maintenance by Law Established; which is not so burthensom as you are to many of your Hearers, notwithstanding your smooth Pretences to the contrary. And next the Presbyterians and Independents, whom you bespatter about their Bason, &c. wherein, perhaps, their Hearers put their free Contributions for their Ministers Subsistence, and all this while VALƲE your selves upon your FREE PREACHING, FREE SƲFFERING, FREE WRITING, &c. And at the same time you know 'tis common for all these Church-Officers amongst you to take money, &c. These things discover your Hypocrisie, and you cannot abide to hear of them; but T. Ellwood hath confessed them, W. R. manifested them, the recited Letter suggests them, and I do affirm them.

CHAP. XI. Shews that the Forsaking the Quakers, is no Apostacy from the Articles of the Christian Faith.

BY this time it may be expected, That whereas in my former Books I have made some distinction between the Foxonian Party, and the Storian Party, amongst the People call'd Quakers; sometimes terming the one Christian Quakers, the other Antichristian; the one Protestant, the other Popish, &c. And that if there be a real difference in their Prin­ciples, I should and ought, in point of Justice, to continue the distinction, and not to condemn the Innocent with the Guilty, &c.

To all which I do say, there is great Reason so to do; and in order to it, as I have set forth the Principles and Practices of the Foxonian Party, so now I shall set forth what the Storian Party holds, and shew it to be sound. And that tho' they do dissent from the established Religion, yet they hold the true Faith, at least for substance, as may be seen by the Articles of the Faith of John Cox, (whilst he was a Minister amongst the Storian Party, which I call the Christian Quakers) in a little Book printed Anno 1689. intituled, The Articles of the Christian Faith believed, and written [Page 69] by me John Cox, &c. And I never heard that any of his Hearers con­tradicted the said Book, or any part of it, and therefore in Charity I am oblig'd to think they hold the same Faith.

First, in his Epistle to the Reader, he thus saith? And to explain my self, I agree in every Particular with those called the Apostles, Nicene, and Athana­sius Creeds, &c.

CHAP. XII. Shews that forsaking the Quakers, is no Apostacy from the Articles of the Christian Faith.

HAving with as much Brevity as I may, answered the principal things contained in G. Whitehead's three Books, I am now come to the Con­tentious Apostate recharged, &c. page 5, 6, 7. containing a denial of several things by me at divers times charged on G. W. and his Brethren, in several of my Books formerly writ against their Errors and Hypocrisies, charging them to be False, &c. And to evince this Charge, he takes one line here, and two there; and sometimes five words out of the middle of a line, as in p. 12. l. 10. in Battering Rams, &c. not touching the matter either im­mediately before it, or after it, viz. some 50 l. per Annum, &c. A notable way to confute an Adversary, and answer his Book. Surely as this way of Confutation is singular, and by itself, without Proof, Reason, Demon­stration, or Precedent; so if he did not look upon his Disciples strangely infatuated, and ready to believe what ever he writes, whether True or False, Sense or Nonsense, I should think, (setting his infallible Capacity aside) he should: Yet, his parts consider'd as a natural Man, he might be ashamed to appear in Print again: hear this Criticiser, this notable serious G. W. and behold his Answer in his 5 ^th Instance, which runs thus: Your way is, when Cash grows low, to issue out— And then he gives a Leap out of this Line, having took the middle of it, into the middle of the next Line, and then takes a letter and two words, viz. A General Epistle. And from thence he skips to the last three words of the next Line, (i. e.) Your own Service. And now he hops to the next Line, and takes one word, viz. for, and leaves the next word as, and then takes the next word money. And then gives a good Leap into another Line, and gets a good pretty parcel of words, viz. 'Tis a great Encouragement to your Preachers and Parasites; which being put together, as we use to put Syllables when I was four or five years old, it runs thus: viz.

Your way is, when your Cash grows low, to issue out — A General Epistle— Your own Service—for money — 'Tis a great Encouragement to your Preachers and Parasites, &c.

And now, Reader, do you think G. W. was not sorely put to it to an­swer these Charges? And is not his way and manner of charging his Ad­versary very singular, who is forced to take this unheard-of way, to take five words there, three words here, and then the middle of a Sentence; and then because he would make it look like something, he takes out of another line one word, and leaves a word; then he's too't again, and takes another word; and then when he has jumbled all this Hoch-poch toge­ther, and play'd all the Ledgerdemaine his subtle Pen and profound Wit can invent, perverting the Sense, mincing the Argument into small par­cels, leaving out what was not for his turn, and which was the Argument, and then cryes, This is one of Francis Bugg 's Lyes; F. B. is Ʋnconscionable; F. B. is disingenuous in writing; malicious in his divulging Books, &c. making as great a Noise against me, as his Brother Harding did against Mr. Jewell, as I have observed already See the Introduction.. And thus, and after this manner, G. W. spent near three Pages of his said Book, which in all is but eight Pages. And yet this is the Man that is against curtailing, against mangling, and marring the Sense; nay, his 11 ^th Charge in this last recited Pamphlet, is only because my Printer, or Compositer, left out in a Quotation I took out of the Works of D ^r. R. Barns the Martyr, the word SƲCH; and for this, he there charges me to be a false Accuser of the blessed Martyr, a Perverter, a Forger, and what not, that may make his poor credulous Disciples believe that Francis Bugg is a very sad Man to leave out a word, when yet 'tis his own practice: For at the same time, and in the same Page, wherein he charges me with leaving out the word SƲCH, he hath left out the word OTHER, as I have already observed; and now he leaves out not only a word, but half a line, a whole line; takes one word, and leaves another; and then takes the next, mangling and mincing into bits and scraps, curtail­ing, and perverting, and thereby altering the Sense, by his unrighteous and nonsensical proceeding, on purpose to abuse me, his Reader, and amuse the World. Indeed if I had charged the Doctrine of the Martyrs to be cor­rupt, tending to Practical Ranterism, as he hath done. If I had charged the Martyrs to be the Authors of Persecution, and to burn People merely for Religion, and thereby taught the Papists the way how to proceed in their bloody and unheard-of Cruelties, as his Brother W. P. hath done, that worthy Martyr, true Protestant, and brave English Man, (who, under GOD and the King, was a chief Instrument in throwing off the heavy Yoke of the Pope's Supremacy here in England) viz. Archbishop Cranmer; and at the same time too, and in the same Book See Good Advice to the Church of England, Rom. Cat. and Pro. Disent. p. 39. per W. P., wherein he flatteringly seemed to magnify the Principles of the Church of England, speaking well of her eminent Doctors, and grave Bishops. At the same time, when with a Dag­ger in his hand, was wounding the Reputation of one of her Noblest [Page 77] Martyrs, bloody Joab-like: I say, If I had done thus, or any thing of this Nature, tho' not of so deep a Dye, you might have had some Colour to have exposed me a false Accuser of the blessed Martyrs, and a Sider with the Papists, &c.

And thus, as I have said, having answer'd the most considerable Matters contained in G. W's three last Pamphlets: And by what is said, shewed the Nature of his handling and prosecuting his 3 ^d and last Charge, which is by mincing, cutting, and mangling, my Arguments into Scraps and Bits, in order to spoil the Sense, &c. I refer the Reader to what I have said in this Treatise, wherein the most material Passages which he hath curtail'd and mangled, are answer'd; and to make that appear, view my said Books by G. W. quoted.

And now, G. W. if you will be plain, and prove what you have said, or retract what you cannot maintain, both with respect to your Principles which you hold, and which I have fairly collected out of your printed Books, as in the first Chapter, quoting Book and Page, &c. And with respect to what you have wrote which is false, and which I charge upon you, and recharge you again, as in One Blow, &c. according to the terms in the first Chapter taken out of Edward Burroughs's Works, even the words of your own Propositions; then let me have Notice of it a Month, and, GOD willing, I shall readily wait upon your motion. And if you will be plain, and retract what is false and erroneous, and vindicate only what is sound, I shall be glad of it; but if the contrary, I may deal with you ac­cordingly. Now if you still shall refuse to come out of your Dens, and lurking places, and think it your most secure way to save your self, by keeping your People in Ignorance, then my Advice to you is, that you an­swer my Queries propounded in Battering Rams, &c. p. 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25. and those referred too in the 9 ^th Query, p. 21. and Mr. Archer's Query above recited, and as yet unanswered; and the Jacobites Query in this Treatise, and at the end of them this which followeth, viz.

Query. Whether 'tis not possible to write against you who are called QUA­KERS, and not to write against Truth? And lastly, Whether it be not possible for a Man to leave and forsake you, and write against you, but that the Conse­quence of his so doing, renders himself a Self-condemned Apostate, which is only a softer word for an Heretick?

Answer these things fairly, and you may hear more from me; but if not, you may rail, forge, pervert, invert, lye, and slander, I shall rest satisfy'd, in that I have thus far discharg'd my Duty to GOD and my Country at this time.