THE SKIRMISHER CONFOUNDED: Being a Collection of several Passages taken forth of some Books of John Cheyney's, who stiles himself, The Author of the Skirmish upon Quakerism;

In which is the Baseness, Wickedness, Contra­dictions, Lyes, Hypocrisie, Unbelief, Confusion and Blasphemy of that Skirmishing Priest disco­vered, and he laid open to the View of every one who shall read with a single Eye,

Collected by a Friend to the Truth, and a Well-wisher to the Souls of all People, Roger Haydocke.

Isa. 55.17.

No Weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper, and every Tongue that shall rise up in judgment against thee thou shalt condemn; this is the Heritage of the Servants of the Lord, and their Righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.

Psal 7.15.

He made a Pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the Ditch which he made.

Printed in the Year, 1676.

THE Skirmisher CONFOUNDED.

IOhn Cheyney's Book entituled, A Call to Prayer, &c in the Preface to the Reader, saith thus, I would be loath to fasten any Error upon any Person, which I can perceive him not to hold, and I would candidly interpret all words so far as I can with Conscience and Justice to the Truth.

The next page of the same Preface to the Reader, thus. I do not know but by their Opinion of the Light within, Devils and damned Souls may be saved.

In his Book entituled, The Skirmish, &c. p. 4. Penn's Posi­tion doth just fi [...] the Irish Rebellion, the French Massacree, the Marian Persecution, the Ten Persecutions of the Primitive Churches, the Gun-powder Treason.

Page 13. of the same Book, I would be glad to make the best I can of your Position.

Animadversion, Ca [...] there be greater Baseness, then under Pretence of Candor to be thus Absurd? Is it not great wic­kedness in this Skirmisher, to make such Ungodly Consequen­ces of so Harmles [...] a Position, and yet afterwards say, He would be glad to make the best he can of it.

Here followeth the Priest's Contra­dictions.

John Cheyney The Skirmisher against OR fighting John Cheyney, Himself.

Assertion. Contradiction.
1. CAll to Prayer, pa. 117. I dare say, let the Light within alone, and say nothing to it, and it shall never move any Qua­ker or ungodly Soul to pray till Death, or the Flames of Hell shall awake them. 1. CAll to Prayer, pag. 119. For though the Light may move, yet it will be but a weak Mo­tion, and the Motion of the Darkness or Fleshly Part will overcome.
2. p. 119. A Qua. or any o­ther may live a secure flesh pleasing life all his dayes, & never have one effectual motion to prayer if he be ru­led by the Light within. 2. Pag. 119. That which should Move them to Prayer, the Light within, is over powered by the Darkness.
3. Pag. 119. The Qua­kers could hardly devise a more sin-pleasing Doctrine, then never to pray without [Page 5]a Motion from the Light within. 3. Pag. 118. I'le tell thee what keeps me from Prayer, when my Con­science & the Light with­in moves me to Prayer, my Sloath and Laziness, my Deadness, want of Life and Hunger, and Spirit in my Soul.
4. Pa. 109. Their grand Principle of the Light with­in is not consistent with right Prayer. 4. Pag. 3, 4. Right Pray­er is not meer words, nor a meer work of Nature, nor bare humane industry and striving without the special Grace and Con­currance of God.
5. P. 76. The Spirit of God is a Spirit of Supplicati­on, he commands and moves to prayer. p. 20. The Spirit doth intercede in us— we could do nothing without the special help of God's spi­rit — without the special help of God's spirit we can do no special Work. 5. Pag. 115. Their great Assertion, that Prayer is not to be done without the Motion of the Light within— some have con­fessed, they never pray without a Motion from the Spirit of God. Pag. 98. You need no Motion of the Spirit to tell you when to feed and clothe your Bodies; but you need a motion from the Spirit to put you upon to dress and feed your Souls.
6. Quakerism subver­ted, p. 18. The Light within tells me, there is a God. 6. Pag. 101. Trust not that blind deceitful Guide within you, the Light within you, lest it lead you into everlasting dark­ness.
7. Skirmish. p. 13. The Light within, which should be man's Guide, takes part with the flesh and Satan a­gainst God. 7. Pag. 61. When God and Conscience have cal­led to this Duty, a lazy, carnal, self-willed Mind has kept us away.
8. Call to Pray. p. 111. They are no people of prayer and make no use of prayer: p. 101. A prayerless people of a prayerless Religion— Prayerless Pretenders to Holiness. 8. Pag. 114. If Report be true when they do pray; for I have heard & believe, that sometimes they pray.
9. Skirmish. p. 13 If the Scriptures go, farewel God and Christ, and Heaven, and all Law and Rule. 9. Pag. 62. Must a hun­gry man need a Scripture to tell him how often he must eat? no more doth a hungry Soul need a Scri­pture to tell him how of­ten he must pray.

Besides these Contradictions out of his Books, I shall add one more out of two Manuscripts written with his own Hand, which I think he will not deny (and I am certain in this be hath no Cause to Blame the Printer, as some time he did, but if he deny it, I can both produce and prove it.

10. O Lord, thou know­est that I am what I profess my self to be, thy Servant, sincere and upright, 10. Given forth by a weak believing Christi­an, and disobedient Ser­vant of Christ.
John Cheyney. John Cheyney.

I shall here set down some of his Confessions to the Light, Grace and Spirit of God, and then discover his Lyes, &c.

Page 120. THe Light then prevails Habitually, and there is a kind of continual Exercise of the Soul by internal Prayer.
Pag. 122. The Soul and Heart of Prayer is within seen to God.
Pag. 4. There is a great deal of Praying outwardly which is not right and sincere praying, outward Balling and Canting.
Pag 90. He that turneth away his Ear from hearing the Law, even his Prayer shall be Abomination.

R. H. queries, Is not the Law Light? and where is this Law and the Ear also that should be turned to it, without man or within man?

Pag. 7. All right Prayer must be in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ— The bare naming of Christ is not enough.
Pag. 12. Whilst there is Grace in the Soul, there will be a Root of Prayer.
Pag. 28. What is God to me, if I have no Life or Spirit in me, wherewith to seek him, and apply my self to him.

R. H. queries, Whether all men have not need of Life or Spirit in them (as well as priest Cheyney) wherewith to seek God, and apply themselves to God? and if so, why does this priest tell the people, The Quakers mangle God and Christ, and cut them in pieces, because they say, God hath given peo­ple a Measure of Life, Light and Spirit, wherewith they may seek after and apply themselves to God?

Pag. 20. The spirit doth intercede in us by a kind of continu­al restless Motion and importunity towards God.
Pag. 57. Wicked people, were it not to still their Consciences, they would not pray that little which they do.

R. H. queries, Doth not the Light in the Conscience move [Page 8]them to pray? is it as a drunken negligent Coach-man? or rather, doth it not do its Office truly, and is clear of the Priest's wicked Charge? Hear him further.

Pag. 84. This is the Language and Practice of Wordliness, stand by God, stand by Christ and Eternal Life, cease Consci­ence, away Spirit, let my Soul sink.

R. H. Sure God and Christ, the Light and Spirit are not to be blamed, since they are bidden stand by, and are turned from before the Soul can sink; but what a Strait doth this bring the Skirmisher into? who in his Book intituled Quakerism sub­verted, p. 31. tells us, ‘ If the Light be blameless, or in Effect he saith, (for his Words admit of the Consequence) If there be any thing in man, though of God and not of man, that is Innocent and Blameless before God, then the Quakers are in the Right, and all that he hath writ, as also his Skirmish must fall to the Ground, and he must acknowledge himself to be utterly defeated, and to have lost the Day.’

Now, that there is something of God in man, he also grants p. 28. of the same Book, in these Words, ‘ There is something of God, something of Satan, Flesh and Spirit, Light and Darkness.’

Now to the Conscience of the Reader in the [...]ight of God do I leave it, that Judgment may be given betwixt the Skirmisher and the Quakers, whether the Skirmisher be not utterly rout­ted. Hear him further.

Call to Prayer, p. 103. So dangerous it is to resist the Spirit of the Lord, and to imprison the Truth in Ʋnrighteousness, and to go about to salve an Ʋlcerous Conscience by false [...]ures, they may serve for a while, but the Day is at Hand when God w [...]ll search us all.

R. H. The Priest grants the Spirit of the Lord may be resi­sted, and the Truth in Unrighteousness imprisoned: Now I query whether this Resisting the Spirit, and Imprisoning the Truth be within man, or without him?

‘ Pag. 41. A Gracious Man (saith the Priest) may silently worship God, and speak to God, and so as none may hear but him­self, and yet he most fervent in Prayer,’ and yet this Priest scof­fingly saith, ‘ p. 101, 102. How many dumb and silent Meet­ings [Page 9]have you? without either prayer or preaching.’ ‘ P. 19. Men may give us Words and Forms to use, but they cannot give us the spirit of Grace and Supplication,’ ‘ p. 17. Who knows how to pray to God, further then God shall teach and enable him?’

R. H. querieth, whether it be not safe for all then, to feel God's Spirit with them to teach them in Prayer? Hear what the Priest himself saith.

Pag. 21. When the spirit of the Lord is from man he can do nothing, Prayer sticks in his Mouth like choak-Cheese.

Thus much by the Priest in Honour of the Light, Grace and Spirit of God in Prayer. I shall here add some of the Priest's Lyes and so proceed.

Pag. 122. The Quakers declare themselves to be Hypocrites.
Pag. 50. Christ answers, get you gone, away with you (to wit, the five Foolish Virgins) ye are Workers of Iniquity, I ne­ver knew you.
Page 140. I am passed through the Red-Sea, Egypt is behind me; I am escaped out of Sodom; I am from under the Bondage of spiritual Pharoah, the Devil, who once was my Father and Master.
Skirmish, p. 2. The QUAKERS PROFESS to build their Religion and Hopes upon the Scriptures.
Call to Prayer, p. 15. God hears wicked men in their Di­stress, and grants them many Good things in Answer to their Prayers.

Answ. This contradicteth the Scripture, If I (saith David) regard Iniquity in my Heart, the Lord will not hear me, Psal. 66.18.

Besides these there are many other forged Lyes in his Books, which for Brevity Sake I pass by at this time, he tells the World, ‘ p. 115. That he hath discoursed with some Quakers, who have confessed to him that they never pray without a Motion from God's spirit.’

R. H. querieth, Why should they pray without God's Spi­rit? J. C. himself confesseth elsewhere (as I have hinted before) [Page 10]that nothing can be done in Prayer without the especial Help of God's Spirit, yet he blames the Quakers for refusing to pray without the Spirit move them; but had they not better do so, then to go before or without the Spirit, and have their Prayer stick in their Mouthes like Choak-Cheese, and said John Cheyney before: But in this I have Reason to suspect Forgery, that those Quakers should confess to him, they in many Years have not had a Motion to Prayer. Now if his tale be true let him give us the Names of such, if it be false, let his Iniquity stop his Mouth, and let Shame come over him. But to pro­ceed.

Call to Prayer, p. 42. God is a spirit, and be requires the spirit in every Performance, and nothing but the Life and Spi­rit, and Zeal and Fervency in all our Duties and Services will please him. Mal. 1. & last, Cursed be the Deceiver which hath a Male in his Flock, and voweth and sacrificeth unto God a cor­rupt thing.

R. H. Well, enough for the Downfal of this Skirmisher: The Priest confesseth, he hath a Male, asserts, God requireth nothing else, neither will be pleased with any thing else, but Spirit, Life, Zeal and Fervency; he grants, that the Deceiver who hath a Male, may sacrifice to God a corrupt thing, to wit, A Cold, Distracted, Life-less, Dead Prayer; and such Pray­ers, Offerings and Sacrifices are Abomination to God, no more pleasing to him, then was the cutting off of a Dogs Neck, or offering Swines Blood, and unto such Deceivers the Curse is due.

Now how near this Priest Cheyney's Prayers are thereunto read in his own Words published to the World, which need little Animadversion, because they speak fully of themselves; he ought not to be angry with me for repeating them, since he hath caused them to be printed, if he be ashamed of them let him call them in and recant, and what I have in my Custody, he shall have freely; but to the Matter, in order to signifie his Hypocrisie.

Call to Prayer, p. 45, 46. We all come under reproof for our [Page 12]coldness and deadness in Prayer, there is much detestable hypo­crisie and coldness committed by us in our solemn Prayers to God, both in secret, in private and in publick. Doth not this speak forth it self? But hear him further. What is this but to mock the Almighty God, and to sport with consuming Fire, and dally and play with Everlasting Torment, and be in jest and complement with Heaven and Hell, and make a light matter of sin and eter­nity; What is this but a prophanation of God's Name, and going to Hell upon our Knees, and a provoking God to deny us those Mer­cies which we so faintly beg?— Why do we pray like canting Beggars, like Dreamers and Sleepers?
Pag. 135. O my God forgive me all my Omission of prayer, all my Coldness, Deadness, Lukewarmness and Distractions in Prayer.
Pag. 139. I am distracted in Prayer, I am soon weary, I come poorly off, my Foes are too hard for me— Why go I mourning all the Day long, when the Comforter which should relieve my Soul is gone from me?
Pag. 145. It is a great Misery as well as Sin to be lukewarm in Prayer— Tremble to have my lukewarm Prayers abhorred by God, and spued out of his Mouth, and cast in my Face as Dung. — If I get to Heaven it must be by this Trade of begging.
Pag. 143. This Priest Cheyney tells us, If he be idle in prayer he shall have but a ragged tattered Soul, Mark, he saith, I shall not be able to cover or conceal my Wickedness from the World.

R. H. querieth, whether this be not a Hypocrite indeed, who by distracted prayers thinks to hide his Wickedness from the World? Hear him further.

Pag. 47. O loytering Souls, unprofitable and unfruitful Ser­vants all of us to our heavenly Master! Let us be asham [...]d of our Doings, and mend our Prayers, lest God sp [...]e them out of his Mouth.
Pag. 131. Hadst thou, O my Soul, but a right Sense of Gods thou couldst not but be fervent in Prayer; thou prayest, but how? Exceeding coldly.

R. H. The Priest grants he hath not a right Sense of God, [Page 12]and that he prayes exceeding coldly, yet in page 141 he saith, ‘ But the Lord is with me, and shall preserve me unto his heavenly Kingdom;’ but mark Reader, what follows in the same page, ‘ But yet my Soul is much sadded & cast down when I consider what Strivings and Fightings there is in my Prayer against it self, one part in me would be more holy, and another part contradicteth it, and would be as I am, and have leave to be unholy; one side is for God and for Heaven, and the other side savoureth Earth, and is all for the Flesh, and grudgeth every painful sigh for Heaven; O how is my Soul tossed between these two Contenders! and I am compelled to pray Hypocritically, and Dissemble with God, and utter Ʋntruths to him that searcheth the Hearts, and delighteth not but in Ʋpright Lips.’

But this is not all, (though enough to confound this Skirmi­sher) Yet he shuts up himself in Unbelief, hear him, But ei­ther it must be so in part, or there will be no praying in this World.

R. H. querieth, Must there either be Hypocritical Praying, Dissembling with God, and uttering Untruths to him that searcheth the Hearts, or no praying in this VVorld? God forbid: Let this Lying, Dissembling, Hypocrite's Mouth be stopt, the Spirit of God inditeth better Matter, it teacheth all the Sons of God, who are led by it, to pray with it, and with Understanding (not rude or distracted, like Priest Cheyney) but to offer to God what God hath prepared; for he prepares the Morning and the Evening Sacrifice, which as sweet Incense is accepted of him; he hears his own Spirit, and another Spirit he will not hear. Hear what he saith of their Congregations.

Call to Prayer, p. 30. O how little of Prayer is there in our Congregations? indeed there is praying in many Congregations, but it is rather a Mocking of God, most vile Hypocrisie; so often as the publick Prayers are read and repeated by the Minister and People, so often the Name of God is taken in vain exceedingly by many Hypocritical Ministers and people: and yet the Priest saith of himself, p. 142 I am the most Rude and Ʋnskilful of all thy Ministers.

I shall now touch his Confusion, and so discover his Blasphe­my.

Call to Prayer, p. 16. Prayer is a Holy and Reverend Com­munion of sinful Dust and Ashes, with the great and glorious God.
Pag. 108. He tells of a Quaker, that had so much of Christ's Spirit and Religion Outwardly in Him, as to pray.
Pag. 52. I think there are but few Hypocrites that keep up a constant Course of Prayer, and yet I cannot say, but there may be some and Many.
Pag. 145. Though Christ be not present upon Earth Corpo­rally and Carnally, he is truly present by his Spirit, and he dwells in his Saints; This latter is for the Quakers;
Pag. 66. The Priest saith, Behold we are lean, exceeding lean, like blasted Corn, there is Husk, but no Corn.
Pag. 72. Thence it is that we are like raw Flesh, unsodden Christians, Milk-sops.
Quakerism Subverted, Pag. 27, 28. The Priest saith, In every man, since the Fall, there is something of God and something of Satan, Flesh and Spirit, Light and Darkness. Page 34. he saith, (This Light which is something of God, by him placed in Opposition to Satan, Spirit in Opposition to Flesh) is guilty of all sins of Omission and Commission, which the Soul is charged with, & guilty of; it hath a Hand in all Thought sins, Hears sins, Tongue sins, Life sins; This is the Language of this Blasphemer. Hear him further.
Pag. 21. The worst of men hath a Light within him, and so we say, that Jesus Christ is the true Light, which enlightneth e­very man that cometh into the World, John 1.9. Page 23. He calls this Light within, the Quakers Diana. Call to Prayer, p. 112. The Quakers Dagon. In Blasphemy of the true God and Christ, once more hear him, Quakerism subverted, page 33. The Light goes down with the Soul into Hell, p. 34 The Light within, in Hell, is turned into a Self-tormenting Light. What is this but to say, The Light of Christ tormenteth it self in Hell; Confusion and Blasphemy.

But for all this, this skirmishing Priest would not be called a Deceiver, Lyar, Hypocrite, no more would his Generation the Scribes and Pharisees of old, yet he tells us himself, ‘ Call to Prayer, p. 113. I could bring many that could not endure such Ministers as I.’ No marvail, Skirmisher; many see thee to be a Cloud without Water; but if this Priest mean his own Ge­neration, it is no Wonder; for though it be not very long since he turned Parson, and crept in among the Chimmerims, or men of the Black Robe (for formerly he was a Justice's Clark, and thirsted eagerly after the Quakers Money, but as yet I hear not that he returned them their Money again) yet in this short time he hath defiled his own Nest, charged his Bre­thren with vile Hypocrisie, stilled them Hypocritical Ministers, yet of himself saith, I am the most rude and unskilful of all thy Ministers; hath he not marked his own Nose? What con­strained him to pray Hypocritically, dissemble with God, and lye to the Almighty? Not the Truth; for there is no Lye of it; not the Spirit of Truth; for that leadeth into all Truth: He hath been acted by another Spirit. Well he is seen by many to be what he is, an Hypocrite.

And whereas he saith, many will not endure such Preachers as he, I add, no Doubt; but from henceforth some that have heard him, and approved of him, being simply betrayed by him, now seeing him, will hear him no more, but quite turn their Backs of that Rude, Distracted, Hypocritical, Dissem­bling, Lying Minister, all which his own Confession proves him to be; also a Base, Wicked, Confused, Blaspheming Priest, all which his own Works prove him to be.

Now if any moderate Inquirer shall ask a Reason why I heap these things upon him? I answer, I am only an Instrument in the Lord's Hand, and the God of Heaven is pouring Contempt upon him; he hath lift up himself, and not by the Lord, and therefore the Lord is casting him down. For the Truth's Sake, and for the Sake of the simple hearted where this may come, have I collected these passages out of his Works, giving the Title of the Book and Page, in which whoso desires may in his [Page 15]Books read them more at large, many Gross things I have past by in his Books, especially Quakerism subverted, as also in his Skirmish, the latter being fully answered already: It is for Truth's Sake, and the Sake of Peoples Souls which are misguided, that thus far I have run through his dirty Channel; what I have written I commend to every Man's Conscience in the Sight of God, who am Truth's Friend, and the Soul's Friend, but an Enemy to that which misguideth it.

Roger Haydock.
THE END.

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