Of the horrid Blasphemies of the Quakers against God and his Christ.

George Fox, the Father of the Quakers of these parts, hath a­vowed himselfe over and over, to be equall with God; being ask­ed by Doctor Marshall, in the presence of Master Sawro, Colo­nell Tell, and Colonell West, Justices of the Peace in the County of Lancashire, at a private Sessions in the Towne of Lancaster, whether or no he was equall with God, as he had before that time beene heard to affirme: his answer was this, I am equall with God.

This Blasphemy hath been attested upon Oath by the foresayd Doctor Marshall, and Master Altam, Schoolmaster of Lancaster, before the Justices at the last Sessions, held at Appleby, Ianuary the 8. 1652. and before Judge Puleston at the last Assizes held at Lan­caster, March the 18. 1652.

This Fox, in a Booke intituled Sauls Errand to Damascus, en­deavours to purge himselfe of this and other such cursed speeches layd to his charge, but he doth it so woodenly and ambiguously, that if there wanted sufficient witnesses, his owne bungling answers would to a rationall man, declare him guilty.

And well may he affirme himselfe to be equall with God, when he in the foresayd Booke, Page eight, Line nine and ten, layes downe this blasphemous Proposition indefinitely. Hee that hath [Page 3] the same Spirit that raised up Iesus Christ from the dead, is equall with God.

The said Fox hath also avowed himselfe to be the Christ, yea, to be the way, the Truth, & the life. George Bickett, Isaac Bourne witnesseth.

At the last Assises above-mentioned at Lancaster, Mr. Sawro, a Justice of the Peace in that County, and an honest Gentleman, told Judge Puleston in the open Court, that he could produce many would witnesse, that Fox had affirmed himselfe to be the Christ. The same also he said in the hearing of an honest Minister in West­merland, who will be ready to attest it when called to it.

This Fox hath also professed himselfe to be the Judge of the World. George Bickett, Adam Sands, Nathaniel Atkinson wit­nesseth. Yea, the Eternall Judge of the World: George Bickett wit­nesseth.

Iames Nailer, another of Satans Nuntioes, and principall spokes­man in these parts, affirmeth that he was as holy, just, and good, as God himself. This was, I heare, attested at Kendall by two witnesses. There is a man of good Repute, an Inhabitant of Underbarrow, in the Barony of Kendall, who sayeth, many heard this Blasphemy be­sides himselfe; but he thinks, being all followers of this Nailer, and Fox, they will be unwilling to testifie it.

Iames Milner, one of Foxes Disciples, in the County of Lan­cashire, professed himselfe to be God, and Christ. Thomas Shaw, Gerard Shaw, George Inman witnesses. This mans Advocate, I mean that Pamphleteer, that took the pains to put forth, and procure the printing of that Book, called Sauls Errant to Damascus, or he that undertook to answer in his behalfe, to Salve this his execrable Blas­phemy, and some wretched Prophesies which are already turned in­to lyes, hath minted this miserable Excuse. As for Iames Milner (saith he) though his mind did run out from his condition, and from minding that Light of God which is in him, whereby the world takes occasion to speak against the Truth, and many Friends stum­ble at it, yet there is a pure Seed in him.

It seems if a man be of their way, though a Blasphemer and false Prophet, by their own confession, yet with them he is excusable.

One Williamsons Wife, a Disciple of Milners, when she came to see him at Appleby, said in the hearing of divers there (whose names might be here inserted, if it was needfull) that she was the Eternall Son of God; And when the men that heard her, told her [Page 4] that she was a woman, and therefore could not be the Son of God; She said, no, you are women, but I am a man. These last words I insert, that the Reader may see how strongly the Spirits of some of these people are transported, and how ready they are to affirm any thing how ever impious, or absurd.

Of the Erroneous Opinions of the QUAKERS.

HItherto of their Blasphemies. Now for the Doctrines which the Leaders of this Sect have avouched and taught; and the Principles they have instilled into their credulous Adhaerents: They are some of them Errours of the first Magnitude, Fundamentall Er­rours. Others of them, though of a lesser size in their own nature, yet the understanding Reader will censure them to be such as tend to the disturbance of the Civill Peace, as well as that of the Church. Others of them again are such light stuff, as shewes them to be meer triflers in Religion.

I shall heare mention such of their Errours onely, as I can bring sufficient proofe for; either from those that have been Ear-witnes­ses, and are well acquainted with their way, or from their own prin­ted Books, which are owned and admired by their Disciples.

1. They hold that the holy Scripture, the Writings of the Pro­phets, Evangelists, and Apostles are not the word of God, and that there is no written word of God: But they say, using a foolish distinction of their own coining, that they are a declaration of the word onely in those that gave the faith.

2. They hold their own speakings are a declaration of the word [Christ] in them, thereby making them, though they be for the most part full of impiety, and non-sense, to be of equall Authority with the holy Scriptures.

3. They hold that no Exposition ought to be given of the holy Scripture, and that all expounding of Scripture is an adding to it; and that God will add to such a one all the plagues written in that Book. Opening, and applying the Scripture, is one thing they main­ly declaim against, where ever they come.

4. They teach poor people, that whosoever takes a text of Scrip­ture and makes a Sermon of, or from it, is a Conjurer, and that his preaching is Conjuration.

[Page 5] Fox in his printed answer to this (Sauls Errant) Page 7. saith thus; All that study to raise a living thing out of a dead, to raise the Spirit out of the letter, are Conjurers, and draw Points, and Reasons, and so speak a divination of their own brain; they are Conjurers and Di­viners, and their teaching is from Conjuration, which is not spoken from the mouth of the Lord, and the Lord is against all such, and who are of God are against all such: for their Doctrine doth not profit the people at all, for it stands not in the Counsell of God, but it is a Doctrine of the Devill, and drawes people from God.

5. They affirm that the Letter of the Scripture is carnall.

6. That he that puts the Letter for light, is blind.

7. That the word is not the Rule, whereby to try their Spirits; they will not allow of comparing of that Watcher (they say) they have within, with the written word in Scripture.

8. They call the written word of God, the Worlds word, the Worlds light, Touchstone, Rule, and say, our outward Scriptures and glorious Gospell is dust. Some of them have affirmed, it was no great matter if all the Bibles in England were burnt.

9. It is a Doctrine generall with them, that the Soule is a part of God, or of the Divine Essence; and was actually existent long be­fore it was conveyed into the Body. This wicked Opinion of the Priscilianists, and other old Erronists now reviv'd by this Sect, some of the most eminent of them have endeavoured to maintain a­gainst Mr. Cole, a godly and learned Minister living in Kendall.

10. The deniall of any distinction of Persons in the God-head is common with them. Fox, Sauls Errant, Page 12. affirmes, that it is but a busie mind to enquire whether there be one Individuall God, distinguished into Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

11. They hold that Christ hath no body but his Church.

12. That Jesus Christ is come into their flesh, that he is in them as man, that the man Christ dwels in them.

13. That Christ his coming in the flesh is but a figure, and all he did is nothing else but an Example (the exploded Doctrine of the Socinians (denying the efficacy and virtue of his Blood and Sacri­fice, by which in his own body he purged away sin) which Princi­ple stands cleer in the Lancashire charge against them, and nothing evaded by what is layed down under the name of an Answer, called, Sauls Errant, Page 8.

14. They hold that Christ is a light within every man, and that [Page 6] every man must mind that light and teacher within, and follow no Teacher without. Nailer, when Mr. Cole had some discourse with him at Kendall, affirmed to him that Christ was in all men, even in Reprobates, and that in them he is held under Corruption.

15. They hold that all men in the world, have in them a light sufficient to Salvation; Turks, Indians, yea, such as never had, or ever shall have any outward means to reveale Christ to them.

16. Some of them have argued that the man Christ is not ascend­ed into Heaven.

17. They hold that we are justified by Christ alone, without Im­putation.

18. They hold Prayer for remission of sins a needlesse thing.

19. They hold that that Righteousnesse which Jesus Christ ful­filled in his own Person with us, and before we were born, is not the matter of our Justification.

20. Some of them, and those no meane ones among them, nei­ther hold the Popish. Doctrine of Justification by works, or inhae­rent Righteousnesse, which Christ in him inables them to per­form.

21. They hold that in Conversion there is no new nature, no ha­bit of grace, or Seed of God infused, but that Christ that was in man before, is then raised up in them out of Prison.

22. They hold that there is fulnesse of Glory in this life, that they enjoy God here, and Christ here, the Resurrection, Judgment, Angels, Glory, and all they look for they enjoy in this life, and mock at those that speak of another World, or life to come, or a better Kingdome.

23. They deny many of them the Resurrection of the body.

24. They hold that there is no Locall Heaven, or Hell.

25. They hold many of them, that they have attained to a state of Perfection, and that they neither do, nor can sin.

26. They hold that the calling of the Ministry of England, with­out any exception, is Antichristian.

27. They affirm that there is no such thing contained in the holy Scripture, as a Mediate call to the Ministry by man.

28. They hold the Office of teaching to be utterly uselesse in the Church of God, and tell the most ignorant people where they come, that they have no need that any man should teach them, and there­fore disswade them from hearing any of our Ministers what ever, tel­ling [Page 7] them they shall be damned if they do so; and that all that go to the best houses to heare them, shall be turned like Chaff and Stubble, and charge people not to believe a word that any of them speak. And for themselves when they speak, they say, they do not teach or preach, but onely declare the Revelations of God in them.

29. They hold that Fox and all the rest of their Speakers are im­mediately called. Sauls Errent, Page 4. Fox saith, they were mo­ved to come into those parts by the Lord, and the Lord let them see he had a people here before they came. Nailer also at the last Ses­sions at Appleby, Ian. 1652. affirmed in the face of the Court, that when he was at Plow in Barly Seed time, meditating on the things of God, he suddenly heard a voice commanding him to go out from his Country, and from his Fathers house, and had a promise given in with it. And being demanded whether he heard the Voice, he said he heard it himselfe, but those that were with him heard it not. Being asked again whether it was an Audible Voice; he an­swered, no friend, it was not a carnall Voice, audible to the outward Eare. A little after, going on in his relation, he said, that going a­gateward (they are his own words) with a friend from his own house, the Voice come to him again, commanding him to go into the West, not telling him whether he should go, or what he was to do there; but when he had been there a little while, it was given him what he was to declare.

If my Reader please to be detained with another short Story to this purpose, he shall have it.

Fox, with one or two other men, his Companions, as I heard it, came to an Honourable Gentlemans house in Cumberland. One of the house came to them to the door to know their businesse: They asked if the Gentleman of the house was within, calling him by his name (for they give no title of respect to any man whatsoever) they were answered affirmatively. Being called in, the Gentleman took them aside, to know what they would with him; they told him they were sent to him from God: He enquired of them how they certainly knew it; they answered a Voice came to them, com­manding them to come to him: He asked them again where this Voice came to them: they replyed, T: F: his Garden in Lanca­shire; he demanded again, what that Voice commanded them to say to him? they answered, it was not yet given in to them: The Gentleman then told them, if they knew not what they had to say [Page 8] to him, he knew not what he had further to say to them. That night being towards Evening, they were entertained in that Gentlemans house, and being desired by the Servants to Supper, they refused to eat, but called for a little water onely. The next Morning also they refused to eat any thing, but offered to one of the Servants money for their Lodging; he told them they did not well to come thither to abuse his Master, he kept no Inne. In the return towards their old Randezvous, a few miles from this Gentlemans house, they cal­led at a little Alehouse that stands alone, where desiring the Ho­stesse to provide for their Breakfast, they eat, and drank heartily. The poor woman a little after told one of the aforesaid Gentlemans Servants that had occasion that way, that two or three notable Trencher-men had been at her house, who enquiring what manner of men they were, knew them to be the same men that had been at his Masters.

30. They deny all Ordinances, and their practise is sutable to this their wicked Tenet. An honest Minister in Westmerland discour­sing with Fox, asked him whether he did believe Prayer, Preaching, the Sacraments, Meditation, Holy-conference to be Ordinances of God. No, saith he, away with them, I deny them all.

31. They call the Worship of God used in our publick Assem­blies, a beastly worm-eaten form, a Heathenish way, and Worship, fleshly, carnall, &c.

32. They hold that the sprinkling of Infants is Antichristian, and their Baptisme the mark of the Beast, spoken of in the Revelation, which those that worship the Beast recieve in their foreheads.

33. They affirm that there is not one word in Scripture that speaks of a Sacrament, and that they are unlawfull; that a little bread, and a little wine in a Sacrament is the Worlds Communion, and that in the true Church of God there is no talk of such carnall things.

A Minister in Westmerland having some conference with Fox, and knowing him to be against the Baptisme of Infants, asked him, if he did not own the Baptisme of water to be an Ordinance, No, saith he, I deny it, there is no such Ordinance.

34. They hold it unlawfull to sing the Psalmes of David, and call them the Worlds Psalmes, carnall Psalmes, and say we sing Da­vids quakings, and tremblings, and that we put Davids Conditions into Rhime, and Metre, and sing them to the dishonour of God,

[Page 9] 35. They deny the Lords day to be the Christian Sabbath, and say, the Sabbath is a Mystery which we understand not.

36. They hold it unlawfull to worship God in our Churches (commonly and metonymically so called) and tearm them Idols Temples, beasts houses, where God is not worshiped, but the wor­ship of the Beast is upheld, and that the Beasts of the field meet there, Night-birds, Screech Owles.

37. For the Office of the Magistracy, though they do not yet o­penly declaim against it, fearing they should be quickly called to ac­count for such an attempt; yet their Opinions which some of their lavish Tongues have manifested touching it, as also this rude irre­verent, sawcy deportment towards Magistrates, wherein they shew not so much as any common respect to them; their bold, & impious Predictions of the ruine of all in Authority whatsoever, and railings against them, do easily evidence them to be none of the best friends to it. The ensuing words are the words of a godly learned Minister to a friend of his. However (saith he) the advice of some of late hath made them wiser: There was no Doctrine more ordinary at their first entring into these parts (at which time they spoke their hearts more freely, and plainly then they have done since; sense of danger, and some little opposition, having made them more politick) then that we owe no Obedience to any Magistrate, and that we ought not to own them with any honour or subjection. Mr. Cole severall times endeavoured the Conviction of some of them, from that abundant Testimony the Gospell gives to that di­stinction of Magistrates and Subjects, Superiours, and Inferiours but in vain. And in his discourse with Nailer at Kendall, when Nailer told him, he accused him in this point falsely, Providence so ordered it, that one of his followers was there present, who ha­ving before maintained the said Doctrine to him, confessed then, he had recieved it from Iames Nailer.

One Leonard Till, of their way in Lancashire, affirmed, that one man ought not to have power over another.

Another principall man of the Sect in our County, affirmed to a Justice of Peace, there would be Quakers in Westmerland, when there should be never a Justice of Peace in it; for which words he was Indicted at the Sessions Ian. last.

[Page 10] How those of this Sect at York, now Prisoners there, railed against the Judges, ealling them Scarlet coloured Beasts, &c. while sitting on the Bench, is not unknown.

Such Justices of the Peace that appeare against their way, they call Justices so called.

38. They hold that all things ought to be common, and teach the Doctrine of Levelling privately to their Disciples. Those that know the Leaders of this Sect best, judge them to be down right Levellers, and that feare of suppression keeps them for the present from teaching that Doctrine openly. Severall of them have affirmed that there ought to be no distinction of Estates, but an universall parity, & one above the rest denyed the property of Estates; a third affirmed that whersoever Christ came, he came to destroyal property.

39. They hold to quote Fathers and Authors in preaching is An­tichristian.

40. They are of Opinion that it is unlawfull to call any man Master, or Sir.

41. They hold it unwarrantable to salute any man by the way.

42. They account it unlawfull to use the Civility of our Lan­guage, in speaking to a single Person in the Plurall number.

I do not lay all the Tenets above recited to the charge of every one of them, nor do I believe that all of them hold them all, some of them are defended by some certain men of them onely. Others of them are maintained by them all in generall.

Of the wicked Practises of the QUAKERS, and first of their Meetings, and Speakings.

HItherto of their Errours that are come to our knowledge; I shall now go on to present my Reader with a briefe view of their black wicked Practises, the naturall Fruits of such corrupt Principles, as are above mentioned. In doing of which I shall prin­cipally take notice of their Meetings, Speakings, Quakings, Fastings, Revellings, Censoriousnesse, [...]ings, Inconstancy in their own Opi­nions, enmity to Learning, Idlenesse, Incivilities, bloody, barba­rous, and turbulent Practises, for their wayes have not been alto­gether in the Clouds; nor their deeds of darknesse alwaies done in corners.

[Page 11] For the truth of this relation (let me say thus much before-hand for the praevious satisfaction of my Reader) the particulars of it are most of them so notoriously known to the whole Country, where these degenerated people live, that no sober man can deny them. Many of them are, and will be owned by themselves; for they make some of these horrid Practises hereafter mentioned a part of their Religion, and glory in them. And there is I think few particulars contained in it, which we shall want witnesses to attest (if need be) upon Oath.

And first for their Meetings, and the manner of them. They come together on the Lords Dayes, or on other dayes of the week indif­ferently, at such times and places, as their Speakers or some other of them think fit. Their number is sometimes thirty, sometimes forty, or sixty, sometimes a hundred, or two hundred in a swarm. The places of their Meetings are for the most part, such private hou­ses as are most solitary; and remote from Neighbours, scituated in Dales and by-places: Sometimes the open fields, sometimes the top of an Hill, or rocky hollow places, on the sides of Mountaines, are the places of their Randezvous. In these their Assemblies for the most part they use no Prayer: Not in one Meeting of ten, and when they do, their Praying Devotion is so quickly cooled, that when they have begun, a man can scarce tell to twenty before they have done. They have no singing of Psalmes, Hymnes, or spirituall Songs, that is an Abomination. No reading or Exposition of holy Scripture, this is also an Abhorrency. No teaching, or preaching, that is in their Opinion the onely thing that is needlesse. No Admi­nistration of Sacraments; with them there is no talk (they say) of such carnall things, not so much as any Conference by way of question is allowed of: That which askes, they say, doth not know, and they call propounding of any Question to them, a tempting of them. They have onely their own mode of speaking (that is all the Worship that I can heare of) which they do not call, but deny to be preaching; nor indeed doth it deserve that more honourable Name. If any of their chiefe Speakers be among them, the rest give place to them; if absent, any of them speak, that will pretend a Re­velation; sometimes Girles are vocall in their Convents, while leading men are silent: Sometimes after they are Congregated, there is (altum silentium) not a whisper among them for an houre or two, or three together. This time they are waiting which of them [Page 12] the Spirit shall come down upon, in Inspirations and give utterance unto. Sometimes they onely read the Epistles of Fox and Nayler, which according to their Principles are (to them) of as great Au­thority as the Epistles of Peter and Paul.

They exceedingly affect Night meetings, which are usually of both Sexes very lately, and not infrequently continued all Night long. Their Holyes, they think, are best dispensed while others are asleep; these unseasonable dark Assemblies of theirs, much like the Night­meetings of the Anabaptists in Munster, which afterward proved fatall to that City, in a time of peace and liberty, considering the Constitutions of the Spirits of this people, have been in some places a just cause of affrightment to the Neighbouring Inhabitants that are not of their way, who have professed they could scarcely sleep in their Beds without feare.

These Night-meetings were therefore forbidden by the Justices at the Sessions at Appleby, Ianuary last, where one of them pleaded stiffly for this liberty of the Subjects, as he called it.

For the manner of their Speakings, their Speaker for the most part uses the posture of standing, or sitting with his hat on; his countenance severe, his face downward, his eyes fixed mostly to­wards the Earth, his hands and fingers expanded, continually stri­king gently on his breast; his beginning is without a Text, abrupt and sudden to his hearers, his Voice for the most part low, his Sen­tenses incohaerent, hanging together like Ropes of Sand, very fre­quently full of Impiety, and horrid Errours, and sometimes full of sudden pauses; his whole Speech a mixt bundle of words and heap of Non-sense, his Continuance in speaking is sometimes exceeding short, sometimes very tedious, according to the paucity or plenty of his Revelations: His admiring Auditors that are of his way, stand the while like men astonished, listening to every word, as though every word was oraculous; and so they believe them to be the very words and dictates of Christ speaking in him.

Sometimes some of them, men, or women, will more like Phran­tick people, then modest Teachers of the Gospell; or like the Pro­phets of Munster, or Iohn of Leydens Apostles, run through, or stand in the streets, or Market-place, or get upon a stone, and cry Repent, Repent, woe, woe, the Judge of the World is come, Christ is in you all, believe not your Priests of Baal, they are Lyars, they delude you. Kendall, and many other Townes in these Norihern [Page 13] parts, are witnesses of these mad Speakings, and Practises.

The matter of the most serious and ablest of their Speakers, is quicquid in Buccam venerit, and for the most part of this Nature. They exhort people to mind the light within, to hearken to the Voice and follow the guide within them, to dwell within, and not to look forth; for that which looketh forth tendeth to darknesse: They tell them that the Lord is now coming to teach his people himselfe alone, that they have an Unction, and need not that any man should teach them; that all their Teachers without, the Priests of the world do, decieve them, away with them; that they speak the Divination of their own brain, and every one seeks for gain from his Quarter, that they take Tithes which are odious in the sight of the Lord.

That they teach for Lucre and for the Fleece, and live in Pride, Covetousnesse, Envie, and in great houses, that they sit in the Seat of the Scribes and Pharises, go in long Robes, are called of men, Ma­sters; that they scatter people, and delude them with Notions of fleshly Wisdome, and waies of Worship according to their owne wills, and not according to the Mind of the Lord. They call them out of all false waies, and worships, and formes, and false Ordinan­ces (so they call all the Ordinances of God used in our publick As­semblies.) Such stuff as this all their speakings are for most part stuffed with. Something also they speak of Repentance, of living under the Crosse; against Pride in Apparell, and Covetousnesse. But the main Subject and Design of their Speakings, is to invey a­gainst Ministers, and Ordinances, to bring ignorant Country peo­ple to hate or forsake them, to mind onely their light within for teaching, which they tell them is sufficient to Salvation.

Reader; I do verily believe that if the Deceiver of the Nations should come visibly abroad cloathed in flesh, as a Speaker, he would reach the very same Doctrine that these men do, or some other ve­ry like unto it: Such as wherein he would not cease to pervert the right waies of the Lord. 1. To render them odious, and make them seem to be perverse waies to the Ignorant Multitude, and such as wherein he would chiefly labour to perswade them to turn their backs upon the preaching of the Gospell, and all Gods Ordinances, and to mind onely the light and guide within them: which is plain­er English, to worship God, according to their own Fancies, to pursue the bent and inclination of their own Nature, and to do on­ly that which is right and good in their own eyes.

[Page 14] If the Divell himselfe (whose Mercuries these Speakers, of whom I am now speaking, are) could with his Seductions prevaile upon unstable Souls; but thus far what would he desire more?

I have related in part what is, and will now tell you according to the best intelligence I could gain, what is not the subject of their speakings: I once heard Naylor speak a while my selfe; I have en­quired of divers that have been the Auditors of others of them, I have read very many of their Epistles and Papers that are com­mon in the Country, which I think I can produce. I could never see, or heare, or learn, that they speak almost any thing of the misera­ble estate of all men by Nature, of Jesus Christ our Redeemer, of his two Natures, of the reality of his Deity, and Humanity, of his Of­fice of Mediatorship, especially of his Sacerdotall Office, of his Me­ritorious death and Resurrection, of the Satisfaction he hath given to God for us, of his Intercession for us, of Remission of Sins, and Justification to life to be obtained through faith in his blood. These glad Tydings, these Evangelical Doctrines are too low for their high­flown Spirits. Instead of making our Lord Jesus Christ (blessed for ever be his holy Name) the Object of their teaching; they make Ministers, and Tythers, and the pure light that is in every man that cometh into the World, the Object of their teaching. And the two first of them, chiefly of their railing. If they chance to speak any thing of those Gospell-Doctrines above rehearsed, it is so ob­scurely, mystically, and in such odd tearmes, that they do rather dar­ken then cleer up those truths to their hearers, and so erroneously, that they had a hundred times better let speaking alone; For these wretched Speakers must one day know, that it is no little sin to adul­terate the Glorious everlasting Gospell of Jesus Christ.

And for propagation of such their erroneous Opinions as are heretofore recited: Their Speakers and others of their way that have nothing else to do but follow them, wander from one Parish & part of the Country to another; sometimes ten, or twenty, some­times a whole Troop of them together; and by their Agents and Letters which they send before hand to those that are friends to their Sect, or that they heare are Opinionative, and addicted to Novelties in Religion, gather people together. And sometimes they are invited by such as hanker after their way. Where their places of meeting are, many resort, some out of curiosity to see their per­sons that are so famous, or infamous rather in these parts for their [Page 15] Seductions; some itching to heare how and what manner of Do­ctrine they speak. In these Conventions they tell people they are sent to them from God, to declare what he hath revealed in them, and begin such Preachments as are above Deciphered: Where this Swarm hives, they are generally more chargeable in two or three Nights then the payment of their Tithes, which they so eagerly declaim against, would be in two or three yeares.

Of their Quaking Fits, and the manner of them

NOW for their Quakings, one of the most immediate nota­ble Fruits, and Accidents of their speakings, though their speakings be a very Chaos of words and errours, yet very often while they are speaking, so strange is the effect of them in their unblest Followers, that many of them, sometimes men, but more frequently Women and Children fall into quaking fits. The man­ner of which is this; Those in their Assemblies that are taken with these fits, fall suddenly down, as it were in a Swoon, as though they were surprized with an Epilepsis, or Apoplexy, and lye groveling on the Earth, and strugling as it were for life, and some­times more quietly as though they were departing; while the A­gony of the fit is upon them their lips quiver, their flesh and joynts tremble, their bellies swell as though blown up with wind, they foam at the mouth, and sometimes purge as if they had taken Physick: In this fit they continue sometimes an houre or two, sometimes longer before they come to themselves again, and when it leaves them they roare out horribly with a voice greater then the voice of a man; The noise, those say, that have heard it is a very horrid fearfull noise, and greater sometimes then any Bull can make.

The Speaker, when any of them falls in this Fit, will say to the rest (that are sometimes astonisht at this Sight, especially if they be Incipients, let them alone, trouble them not, the Spirit is now strugling with flesh, if the Spirit overcome they will quickly come out of it again, though it be sorrow now it will be joy in the Morning, &c. And when they have said a few words to this ef­fect, they go on with their speaking.

Sometimes' they carry those wretched Patients to Beds, when [Page 16] they are neer them, and let them lye on them till their Fit be over. These Quakings they maintaine, Sauls Errant Page 5 and in their Books and Papers call them the marvellous works of the Lord; Battles of shaking and trembling before the presence of the Lord, and call them that speak against them Ishmaelites, that scoff at the Works of the Lord, and endeavour to prove them to be from God, horribly abusing the holy Scriptures to this purpose. The chiefe places they quote for this purpose, are, Ezra 9. 4. & 10. 13. Isaiah 66. 2 Ier. 5. 22. & 23. 9. Hos. 13 1. Hab. 3. 16. Act. 9, 6. 2. Cor. 17. 15. Eph. 6. 5 Phil. 2. 12. Heb. 12. 21. &c.

They say also, those that speak against this Quaking, shew them­selves to be Blasphemers, and that it is presumption and blasphe­my against the holy Ghost to speak against it. From their frequent falling into these Fits and defending of them, this people have de­served the name of Quakers. A Title of distinction, not Dignity, now usually given to them.

Some are of Opinion that these quaking Fits are meer feignnigs, but others look upon them as reall passions.

I hope my Reader will not be displeased, if I freely deliver my own Opinion. In plain English, then I do heartily believe these Quakings to be Diabolical Raptures immediately proceeding from the power of Satan; if not from his Corporall Possession, or Ob­session of the Parties so passive.

For 1. divers Godly learned Christians, Ministers, Physitians, and such as are able to judge, do so conceive of them.

2. It is an utter impossibility for any man, especially women, that never knew what belonged to Stage-playing, and young Children to feign such swounings, tremblings, palsie-motions, swelling, foaming, purging, such great and horrid screechings, and roarings; yea common Modesty would restrain any man, or woman that are themselves, from such uncleanly Excretions as do often accompany these sordid Trances. Surely it must needs bee some black Art that works so turbulently on mens Spirits or bo­dies, and conjures them into such Surprizes.

3. The holy Scripture predicts, 2 Thes. 2. 9. that the coming of Antichrist, the man of sin, &c. shall be after the working of Sa­tan, with all Power, and Signes, and lying Wonders, and withall deceivablenes of Unrighteousness in them that perish; and that God shall send his Followers strong Delusions to believe lyes, &c. Ergo [Page 17] the coming of Antichrist and Hereticall Speakers may be such al­so.

4. Their Quakings are very like the Fits of that Child mentioned, Mark. 9. 17, 18. 20. 26.

Master (saith the Father of the Child to Christ) I have brought unto thee my Son which hath a dumb Spirit, and wheresoever he taketh him he teareth him, and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away, and strait-way the Spirit tare him, and he fel on the ground, and wallowed foaming, and the Spirit cryed and rent him sore and came out of him, and he was as one dead. This is as punctuall a Description of a Quakers Fit, as if it had been in­tended for a portrature of it; and for that particular in it which concernes pining away, all the Country in these parts knowes how pittifully many of the Quakers look by reason of those Fits, and immoderate fastings, and some distemper it may be of brain besides, and what pale ill countenances they have now in comparison of what they had before they joyned themselves to this Sect: This is not generally true of them, but so true of some of them, that they may be discovered by their very faces.

5. The Devill delights to possesse and abuse the bodies of men and women that are in his power, when, and as far as God permits; but this people who have forsaken the truth and true Worship of God, his Ordinances, Commandements, and are selfe-excommu­nicate, may more then probably be lookt upon as delivered up to Satan by God himselfe, as may appeare by this whole Relation.

Ergo the Divell Will delight to possesse and abuse their bodies.

6. It is no new thing for false Prophets to fall into Satanicall Trances; such were Mathewes, Becold, and others the Prophets of Munster, which lay sometimes two or three daies in their Ec­stacies (though some think they were Forgeries) and therefore we need not wonder at these Raptures, as if some strang thing had happened amongst us that was never heard of before; especially seeing this people both Leaders and Learners (if it be proper to call them so that will away with no teaching) are as like that Phrantick Rabble that once Reigned in Munster, as any one thing can be like another.

7. Women or Children, or those that have fasted long, such as are most subject to Fascination, do most frequently fall into these Surprizals.

[Page 18] 8. These Ecstasies are seales of Doctrines of Divels, therefore from the Divell. Mr. Perkins in his discourse of Witchcraft, Chap. 3. Sect. 4. makes this difference betwixt Divine and Diabolicall Trances; Divine Ecstasies tend alwayes (saith he) to the con­firming of the truth of the Gospell and the furtherance of true Reli­gion and Piety, such was Peters, Act. 10. 11. which served to as­sure him of his calling to preach the Gospell to the Gentiles, and to inform his Judgment in this Truth, that there was no acceptation of Persons with God, and that to them of the new Testament, all things were clean and nothing polluted. But the scope of them that are from Satan is principally the suppressing and hinderance of Re­ligion, the drawing of the weak into Errours, the ratifying and con­firming of those that are fallen thereinto, and the generall uphold­ing of practises of ungodlinesse.

9. Mr. Perkins ibid. makes this another difference between Divine and Satanicall Trances. In Divine Trances (saith he) the Servants of God have all their Senses, yea, and all the powers of Soule and Body remaining sound and perfect, onely for a time the Actions and Operations are suspended and cease to do their duty. But in Ecstasies that be from Satan, his Instruments are all cast into Frenzies and Madnesse, so as Reason in them is darkened, and Un­derstanding obscured, Memory weakened, the Brain distempered; so kind is Satan to his Friends that he will leave his tokens behind him where ever he comes in this sort. That some of these people have fallen out right and furiously mad, and dyed in that madnesse: That others of them have been and are strangely distracted, and that the Countenance' of many of them bewraies the troubles and distem­per of their heads, is too well known in these parts to be denyed. This Brain-sicknesse though I know it is principally to be imputed to the just Judgment of God upon them who have turned away their Eares from the Truth, and greedily drunk down many intoxi­cating Opinions; yet I think it very probable, that in some of them it is the Fruit of these Ecstatick Fits, whereby Satan hath disturbed and debilitated their Intellectuals.

10. George Fox the Ring-leader of this Sect, hath been and is ve­hemently suspected to be a Sorcerer.

The presumptions of his wickednesse in this kind are not weak. Some persons of good quality that came out of Notinghamshire to Kendall, told them of Note in that Town what Pranks this Fox had [Page 19] played, and what disturbance he had caused in that County before he came into these more Northern parts, and with all he credibly reported to them a very strange story, of the Devills discovering this Fox to be one of his Vassalls and Agents, while he was there in a certainr house, together with many of his Disciples speaking to them. This Accident he said, caused many of his followers to de­sert both him and his wicked way, and principally procured this Foxes Apprehension and imprisonment in Nottingham Castle, till he runne away, and his Keeper with him.

It hath been his custome in these parts, to fix his Eyes earnestly on such strangers as came into his company a good while together as though he wold look them through. If any one please to look on him sted fastly again, it is his manner impudently to out-stare them. His followers say he can out-look any man, and that he doth it to know what is in them, but if there be such a thing as Fascination by an evill Eye. I should rather suspect him guilty of that, then of any abillity to discern the complexions of mens soules in their Faces.

When such as have conceived any likeing of their way come to their meetings, or any young men or women or others are by their proselyted friends who desire to make them as bad as themselves, brought to heare him speak or discourse with him, it is another of his Customes to talk and hold them a while by the hand, and it is confidently reported that many he hath thus handled, though some of them before their comeing to him did exceedingly disaffect both him and his Impieties even to hatred, and though they stayed but a while with him and heard nothing from him that might either morally perswade or rationally convince them of the evill of their former way, or if any greater Excellency in his new way, yet so strangely have they been wrought upon, and altered that they been all on the suddaine earnest, feirce, impetuous in both for it, and him, and do now much more violently affect his wicked Reli­gion then ever before they did distaste it. Such heady▪ fiery, diver­ters of many Men and Women to their way makes sober Christi­ans, think that though there be nothing that is divine, either in it or the Propagators of it, yet there is much Diabolicall attraction and Art in both.

Many have profest, that having left their society after dislike of their wayes, they have been for a while so distempered both in minde and body that their bodyes have been all wett with sweat in [Page 20] their Bedds, and they could not get a winck of sleep.

These and such like accidents especially that faculty which most of their Speakers have to cause their hearers fall into such Diaboli­call Ecstasies above described, hath induced many understanding Christians to believe that these blasphemous hereticall Impostors are accompanied with the power and workings of Satan.

Of their FASTINGS.

THey use also Fastings, which are some sometimes prescribed by their Speakers to their Novices, and continued by those that observe them for many dayes together, but their Fasts are as the Apostle calls the humility of VVill-worshippers; A voluntary hu­mility, not savouring of Religion, not joyned with Prayer, but undertaken as a foolish imitation of the miraculous forty dayes Fasts of Moses, Elias, Christ, and the long three weeks abstinence of Daniel, and three dayes Fast of the Apostle Paul, and as is con­ceived for the procuring of Revelations and inspirations, as they think of the Spirit. And they that use such ceremonies to purchase them, may have them (I beleeve) from one Spirit or other. Many of them have fasted themselves so weak, they could scarse go, and till their faces have gathered blacknesse: One of them of late I could name, hath fasted himselfe so weak, that he could scarcely speak, or go, otherwise, then by the help of some to lead and sup­port him: a servant made that lived in the house with him, reports that shee is certaine, that for foureteen dayes together, he neither eat nor drunk, a crum or drop of any thing: some that have lately seen him are of opinion, he is starved almost past recovery, but whether death will be the issue of his Fasting or no, must be left to the providence of God, and to a little time to determine. But where are such ungodly Murtherous Fasts as these prescribed in the Word? David George of Delfe, a Blasphemous Impostor, whom George Fox resembles as much as one Egge another, had frequent­ly his three dayes Fasts. The Heathen Priests in China use absti­nence sometimes for thirty dayes together, to procure abilitie to Prophesie. The savage Indians in New England that are trained up for Powwowes (so they call their Wizards) use to fast many dayes before the Devill appeares to them, and they make their com­pact [Page 21] with him. And some Maides there are that know what Saint Agnes Fast meanes; and Papists (we know) have their Fasts as well as Quakers. All Fasts are not holy Fasts, some are Superstiti­ous, and some are Diabolicall. No more of them.

Of their Railings.

THey are also as horrible Railers as ever any Age brought forth, a Generation whose mouths are full of bitternesse, whose throats are open Sepulchers, &c. The Billinsgate Oister-women are not comparable to them. It is ordinary with them in the Letters they write to other men to call them Fooles, Sots, Hypocrites, vaine men, Beasts, Blasphemers, Murtherers of the just. It is a custo­mary thing with this Gang of people in their discourse with others, to tell them they are Dogs, Heathen, &c. One of Kendall going to the Buriall of a Minister his acquaintance, met a woman of this Sect by the way, and asked her if she had seen the Corps go by; I saw, saith she, a company of Heathen go to bury a dead Dog. Such language is common in the mouthes of their principall Speakers, and none more notorious this way, then Fox, their prime Oracle.

If any man in their Meetings speake any thing in opposition to what they deliver, or askes any Question wherein he desires to be satisfied, not agreeable to their humours; or manifests the least disrelish of what they say, it is enough to provoke such Tearmes. To give one Example, Nayler at a private Meeting in Sedbergh, asked an honest Christian, Samuel Handley, whether he was without sin, or no? Handley replyed, he was a Sinner; hereupon Nayler called him a Theefe, a Murtherer, a Cain, and justified himselfe to be without sin.

They raile against the very Aedisicies wherein we meet together to worship God; against the Ordinances there practised, against the Doctrine there taught: but never reason like men, or Christians out of the Scriptures, against the Corruptions they conceive to be in them; Yea, they spare not the Pulpit, that is, they say, the Seat of the Pharisee, the chiefe place in the Synagogue, the high place that is to be demolished and broken down: Yea, sometimes they spare not the Dignitie of Magistracy, but speak evill of them as far as they dare. But their hate and spite is specially against the persons of [Page 22] Ministers and calling of the Ministry, which they impiously revile with open mouth, even all the Ministry of England without excep­tion; calling them the Priests of the World, Conjurers, Theeves, Robbers, Antichrists, Witches, Divels, Lyars, and a Viperous and a Serpentine Generation, Blasphemers, Scarlet coloured Beasts, Ba­bylons Merchants selling beastily Ware, whited Walls, ravening Wolves, greedy Dogs, Baals Priests, Tithemongers, Deceivers, Hirelings, &c. Such Titles as these they give them, not onely in their printed Books and Papers, but often-times when they meet them in the Streets, and in the very publike Assemblies while they are preaching the word, that whole Congregations may be witnes­ses of their Impiety.

They affirme that all the Ministers in England that preach in Steeple-houses are Lyars of Jesus Christ; that they uphold the King­dome of Antichrist, that they do all for filthy Lucre, that they run greedily after the way of Cain to envie and murther, and follow af­ter the waies of Baalam: That they seek to the Powers of the World to guard them in their Pulpits. (It seemes if they durst they would pull them out, so I heare they had very lately dealt with some) that pride, idlenesse, and fulnesse of bread, the sins of So­dom are the fruits of their preaching.

They acuse them of being brought up at Oxford, and Cambridge; they say, they know nothing but naturall Books, and naturall things, the Scripture Letter, Hebrew and Greek which is all natu­rall: That the ungodly, unholy proud Priests, add Professors must be scorned who know not the Power of the word. Reader, I coine or add no expression of mine own, I repeate onely their own words, which such Books and Papers of theirs as I can produce are full of.

They apply all that is spoken to Idolatrous, ignorant, idle, pro­phane persecuting Priests, and false Prophets, either in the old or new Testament, to the Ministers of England; but we know that though one syllable, or tittle of such abused Texts of Scripture doth not pertain to any godly faithfull Minister of the Gospell; yet that very many of them do as properly belong to themselves, as the Skin that is upon their flesh.

They exhort people not to heare them, to cease from them, and not to hold them up, and tell them they will never be profited by them: And indeed as soon as any man turnes their Proselite, he be­comes as pure a Recusant as any Papist in England.

[Page 23] And not content to raile against them in Prose, they compose Songs, or Ballads rather, which their Disciples magnifie and look upon as Spirituall Songs, that they may revile them in Meeter al­so.

One of their Speakers said not long since, that the Priests had de­luded the people this sixteen hundred yeares, borrowing this peice of Divinity, or Devility rather from the Almanack-maker.

Their Writings are full of Threatnings, Prophesies against Mini­sters, for which also they are beholding to the Astrologers. They say the Lord is coming to beat up their Quarters, the Son of Thun­der is coming abroad to sound Trumpets, to call to Battell against the great day of the Lord, and there Kingdome must be taken from them, and that their downfall is neer at hand: Some of them have said, they hope within a yeares time to see never a Minister left in England.

They exhort one another in the words of Coliier (out of whose Pit they have drawn much of their black Religion) to overturn, overturn, overturn. Thus one Instrument of the Divell helps ano­ther.

Reader, I do very believe that if these wicked men had power in their hands, there would be no Toleration of any true Minister of Jesus Christ in England; and that one of the first things they would endeavour, would be if not to raise a tempest of Persecution by raining blood, yet at least to raise and extripate the Sacred Cal­lings; I say Sacred calling of the Ministry, being the Institution of Jesus Christ in his Church.

One principall reason why they do thus shew their teeth against Ministers I imagine to be this, they look upon some of them as those that do mainly stand in their way; as those that are able to detect their Errours to manifest their folly, and unsheath the Sword of the Spirit, the word of Truth against them. They cannot for them so freely proceed in the propagation of their Delusions as they would. Hence they are their greatest eye-sores. Also if I may without of­fence speak what I think and partly know, they presume to take this liberty to themselves, because they are apt to conceive that Mi­nisters are now almost friendlesse, that Authority will not appeare for them, and that they are the Object of the wrath of divers Soldi­ers in the Army, whom they foolishly suppose to incline to their (as to them) unknown Sect. But I hope, yea, I am confident that [Page 24] when the Hypocrisie of these men shall be unmasked, and their madnesse and iniquity, which hath already begun in some places to lift up her head, shall be better known and appeare, they shall then proceed no further: And that those Worthies that by divine Pro­vidence do, or shall sit at the Stern to guide the Ship of the Com­mon-wealth; and the godly Officers of the Army will not onely disowne and detest, but also manifest themselves to be Enemies to all their Impieties, and Enormous Practises of this turbulent Fa­ction.

But in the mean time while they are so injurious to the Soveraigne Majesty of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of the Kings of the Earth, by their Hellish Blasphemies and eager opposition of the Truth, well may they contemne and rage against such Earthen Ves­sels as are his Ministers here on Earth.

Of their Censoriousnesse, Lying, instability in their own Er­rours, and enmity to Learning.

NEver did Hereticks speak greater swelling words of vanity, and more exalt themselves and throw down others, then those who are of that Synagogue do. They commend themselves up to Heaven, they give themselves the title of Saints, they boast them­selves to be equal to the Apostles, to speak from the immediate Reve­lation of the Spirit; impudently & impiously affirming more of them­selves then the true Apostles of Jesus ever did, or durst do, touching their freedome from sin and perfection in holinesse, &c. and threat­en that they shall be the Judges of the World; but they will readily censure all others to Hell, tell them they are damned, that they wor­ship the Beast, that they are possessed with the Divell, yea, with many Divels; that the Divell speakes in them, and that they see him in their eyes and faces, &c.

This language of Divels indeed, is as ordinary with them to dis­senters from their way that oppose them as to talk with them.

Many of them will be as ready to say and unsay any thing, as if lying was a Vertue. They make no conscience of raising false Re­ports against those especially that do any way oppose them; Wit­nesse that lying Pamphlet, Sauls Errant to Damascus, wherein there are a hundred untruths, as may be proved by a hundred Witnesses.

[Page 25] It is the Testimony of a faithfull Minister of Christ concerning them. Not in halfe an houres discourse, saith he, with most of those I have discoursed with, but you shall finde plain and down-right lyes. Some of them (saith he) have commed to my house, and said, they had a Message from God to me: upon my speedy demand­ing it, they have point blank almost in the same breathing time de­nyed it.

When some that have been in some measure able from the word of Truth to manifest their Errours, have discoursed with those Wells without water, though themselves have stood like men inwardly convicted and ashamed, utterly unable to gain-say, or darken those cleare Evidences of Scripture brought against them, and sometimes totally silenced, and as mute as Fishes; Yet when these Champions of Errours have gone away, they have boasted of their Conquests, and how gloriously they had foiled and stopt the mouths of their Adversaries.

Thus wholly by Lyes, Lying Doctrines, lying Revelations, lying Wonders, lying Reports, they do endeavour to build up the King­dome of the Father of Lyes among us.

Their inconstancy to their own Errours is also very remarkable: They have left the Truth and the good waies of the Lord, which are alwaies like themselves, and as unalterable as the courses of the Stars of Heaven: And now they fluctuate like the Waves of the Sea, they have unbottomed themselves, and now they know not where to fix; they are removed from that Religion that is true to another Gospell, and now they have both the Credenda & Facien­enda, the Doctrinall and Practicall parts of their Irreligion they have taken up, to seek and settle. It is not to be expected that they will be a yeare, or two hence what they are now; new Visions, new Revelations they daily look for. Unstable Soules, whither will your Fancies go? whither will he drive you that sets you on work?

One in Kerbylonsdale Parish that had been of their Society a while, fell sick of an Ague, and was by it detain'd at home a Month; after recovery going to their Assemblies again, he professed that he found them so altered from their Principles in that Months time, that he could onely know them by their faces to be the same men, not by the constitution of their mindes.

Divers others that were a while agon of their way, perceiving the instability of their Opinions, and Impiety of their walkings, are [Page 26] now fallen off from them, and frequent the publike Assemblies as before.

The Profession of some of the tallest of this Sect that afford sha­dow to the rest, hath had almost as many faces as the Moon, before they turned Promoters of Quakers: The world hath seen them zealous for Episcopall Policy and Ceremonies, hot for Presbytery, all for Independency, and after all for Antinomianisme, Anabap­tisme; and now beyond all, onely for Foxes new Irreligion which is above all Formes and Ordinances. Most of them that steer their course according to the direction of these wandring Stars, were heretofore noted men for their Singularity, and unsoundnesse of their Tenets, such as ever affected to put on the newest Fashion of Religion.

A Taylor at Grayrigge, that while there was no Minister there used to speak publikely every Lords day; delivered them openly many dangerous and Hereticall Doctrines, and what ever his Do­ctrine was, true, or false, he was wont daily, as his Hearers said, to pawn his Soule on the truth of his Assertions, and bid if they were not such, to take him for ever for a false Prophet. Yet this man af­ter Fox and Nayler came into these parts, having been their Audi­tor a little while, was perverted by them and became a Quaker, left his former Principles and came to Grayrigge where he had taught long before, and told the people he had formerly deluded them, and taught lyes and false Doctrine among them, but he had now found the right way indeed, with other words to that ef­fect.

The Builders of this Babell of the Quakers, which they as impi­ously, as vain-gloriously call the Temple of the Lord, will have no Tooles taken out of the Shops of humane Learning to work withall; and indeed I think they have not, except what the Learning of Win­stanley and Collier have afforded them.

If any of their way of of the Countenancers of them be learned indeed, as some of them are held to be, I look upon their owning and admiring at it, and those empty Clouds their Speakers, as a very sad Judgment of God upon them, sending them strong delusions to believe a lye.

They hate a Library Cane pejus & Angue, all Expositors of ho­ly Scripture they call Heatheninsh Commentators; the Reliques of those pious Learned men, that were great Lights in the Churches of [Page 27] Christ in their Ages; such Books I mean as Students in Theology use as good helps to attain to that excellent Knowledge of the Do­ctrine of the holy Scriptures, they tearm heathenish Books, and the Compilers of them heathenish Authors.

Languages, and Arts, and such like Ornamentall Qualifications are ulcerous Deformities in these mens eyes: A methodicall dis­course is an Odium, all distinctions, they say, are the Seed of the Ser­pent, they savour too much of solid Knowledge.

They deny it to be needfull to bring up Children in any Learning, and some of them have taken their Children from Schoole.

Their Books and Papers which they disperse abroad the Country, with these or such like absurd frothy Sefle-contradicting Quaeries.

Whether the Lord made use of any as Ministers of his minde unto the people, that were bred idle at Sdhooles and Universities all the daies of their lives, without a calling as the Priests of England; but rather the contrary, as Moses a Shepheard, Amos a Heardsman, Christ himselfe a Carpenter, Paul a Tent-maker, Peter a Fisher­man.

Whether ever Universities, or Schooles of Learning were in holy Scripture called the Well-heads of Divinity.

Whether ever Christ and his Apostles did make use of those great Bugbeares, so common in use with the Priests of England to prevent the Saints from preaching the Gospell, and the world from hearing them. As first, the Approbation and Ordination of the men of the Earth. Secondly humane Learning and the Language of the Beast, without which men are in their account altogether un­meet to meddle in the things of God.

Whether ever Christ and his Apostles did confirm the Truths they delivered, by the power of the Magistracy, Authors, and Fathers.

Whether the Spirits teaching be not sufficient in the things of God.

Whether it be not the work of Christ, and that which is to be ex­pected in the latter daies, to overturn, overturn, overturn all these waies so contrary to his own minde.

What do they mean in the last Quaere? what Spirit is this they speak from? but let these Quaeries go as they are, for me.

Of their Idlenesse, Savage Incivilities, and their Irreligious bloody, barbarous, and turbulent practises.

TO what hath been hitherto related of their Impieties and dis­orderly walkings, it may be added that they are many of them notorious for Idlenesse in their Callings, working not at all some­times for whole weeks and months together.

Some of them leave their Wives, Children, Families, Vocations and turn all Journy-men Speakers. Others regardlesse of all at home, wander after them, compassing the Country from place to place, and live upon those of their Fraternity where they light, to their Excessive charge.

They are degenerated also to such Incivilities as are in few pla­ces of the World to be found among the Heathens, having depar­ted from the Doctrine of Christ and practise of Civility both toge­ther. Reader, I have been an Eye-witnesse of more courteous beha­viour in the Indians of the West, and Natives of the East Indies, and Moores of Africa, then these men will afford to their neerest Re­lations, or those they ought most to honour.

A Son, if turned a Quaker, will not use the usuall Civility of the world that is christian in putting off his hat to his Father or Mother, will give them no civill Salutations: to bid him Goodmorrow that be­gat him, or her Good night, or farewell, that brought him forth, is with them accounted a wickednesse.

None of the Quakers will give the common respects to Magi­strates, or to any Friends or old Acquaintance.

If they meet them by the way, or any stranger, they will go or ride by them as though they were dumb, or as though they were Beasts rather then men, not affording a Salutation, or Resaluting though themselves be Saluted.

They do not give any Title or colour of respect to those that are their Superiours, in Office, Honour, Estate—such as Master, or Sir, &c. but call them by their naked name, Thomas, or Willi­am, or Gervase, or Dorothy, and ignorantly mistake it to be disagree­able to the word of Truth.

They go to their Meales for the most part like the Heathen, with­out any Prayer or thanksgiving.

[Page 29] When meat or drink is set on the Table, the Master of the house if he be any thing skilful in their way, invites none of his guests to it, but they fall to, one after another as their appetite serves them: when they go to bed, when they rise in the morning, when they depart from a house they use no civil salutes; so that their departures and going aside to ease themselves are almost undistinguishable.

It is the opinion of many honest men that have observed the wayes of this society, that there are none professing Christianity more ir­religious then they are, Ranters excepted. Those that formerly used prayer in their Families, have now laid it aside as uselesse; They observe no day by vertue of Gods command. And for the Lords day, those that are far from their Speakers, spend it in lying long in bed, sitting at home, and mere idlenesse; If any go to the publique Assem­blies, as some few of them do sometimes, it is but one part of the day, and they count that enough and too much rather: and when they come to their fellows, the use they make of what they heard is onely to carp and laugh at it. Such dayes of humiliation and thanksgiving as have been appointed by authority of Parliament they as I can learn, never observed, and called those Ministers that did observe them the States Priests. Some have been down right cursed by Fox, the Ring leaders of this crue.

One in the Barony of Kendal, that is now fallen off from their society, gave this as one reason of his deserting them he had oftentims urged Iames Nayler to pray with him, and could not long hale him to it by his intreaty, so averse was he to this Ordinance; at last pre­vailing with him, he used onely in his prayer 3 or 4 sentences, where­of this was one.

O Lord (saith he) raise up thy Son from under corruption in us: which sentence he distasting, together with some other reasons, moved him to leave them.

It was a strange bold peice of Impiety in George Fox in command­ing a Criple at a place near Kendal to throw away his crutches, as though he had been invested with a power to work Miracles, but the Criple remained a Criple still, and George Fox impudently discovered his own folly.

Many of them that had good cloaths, as soon as they joyned them­selves to this Sect, burnt their bravery, and some of them, as one saith, as a part of their first zeal burnt their Bibles.

To go naked, is with some of them accounted a decency becoming [Page 30] their imagined state of innocency better then apparrel; the ablest of their way plead for this obscenitie.

One of this sort in Kirbbymooreside a Market town in Yorkeshire, ran stark naked to the Crosse in the view of many, and stood in that posture (as I heard) speaking to the people.

Two others of their societie, a Man, and a Woman, that called themselves Adam and Eve, went for some while as some uncivilized Heathen doe, discovering their nakednesse to the eye of every be­holder, and when they were publikely examined at the Assises for their bruitish practice, the man wickedly affirmed that the power of God was upon him, he was commanded to do it.

At Weighton also a little town in Yorkeshire, a woman of this Goa­tish herd came naked from her own bed to another womans Hus­band, a companion of hers it seems of the same sect, and bid him open his bed to her, for the Father had sent her to him: The man had at that time another man lying in bed with him, who rose to give place to this woman, and left this honest couple to lie together according to the womans Revelation: this saith the Authour of a Book intitu­led The Querers and Quakers case at the second hearing is no lie, but fallen under the Magistrates Cognisance a known thing.

One of their Gang in Westmerland, on Friday the Eighth of April last, ran like, a mad man naked, all but his shirt, through Kendall crying, Repent, Repent, wo, wo, come out of Sodome, Remember Lots wife, with other such stuffe. His principall Auditours were a company of Boyes that followed him through the Town. I almost wonder, what the Devil should mean, in sending abroad such naked Bedlam speak­ers; one would think the walls of this Iericho should rather be razed then raised by such pitiful Engineers.

But to linger no where in particulars. This one thing to me doth plainly evidence the way of these Apostates to be of the Devil. No sooner is any one become a Proselite to their Sect: but he is posses­sed with a spirit of malice, and wrath, and turns enemy to all men that are not of their way. Especially to those that appear against it; To such they use menacing speeches as of a day that is coming wherein they shall be avenged, and talk frothily sometimes of levying forces, chuseing Collonels and Captains, &c.

And though they speak much against going to law before Infidels, (so they insinuate all our Ministers of Justice to be) yet upon the least affront given to themselves they will procure the Indictment [Page 31] of those they have any colour of charge against Instancies enough might be given.

There is a credible report (and when there is need all Parties may be named) of some that attempted to Sacrifice their Children, but were through Providence prevented.

Mr. Burton a well qualified Gentleman, and a Justice of the Peace in the County of Westmerland, who made Naylers Mitti­mus, a little after riding from Appleby towards his own house, which is about a mile distant from the said Town, about the mid-way in a place where the narrow Lane he was to passe through, disparts it selfe into two, was way-laid with foure Musketteers, two of whom lin'd the Hedge on one side of the way, and two of them where the Lane divides it selfe on the other side; when the foresaid Gentle­man with his man onely in Company was come over against them, one of those Assassines discharged his Musket at him, the Bullet flying as he conceived betwixt himselfe and his man who rode a lit­tle before him; he had not rid five Paces further but a second dis­charges upon him, whose Bullet also he heard sing by him, but re­ceived no hurt: being startl'd at this unexpected Accident, and fearing there might be yet more of them, he quickened his Horse with his Spur and declined to the other side of the Lane.

At the turn of the way were two more Muskets discharged upon him, where in all probability he could not have escaped the intended mischiefe, had not the Lord mercifully frustrated the bloody Inten­tions of those his unknown Enemies: These men fled immediately, the darknesse of a long Winter night which they had before them, it being then about the end of December, helping to conceale their persons.

That these men that attempted this Murther were of this Sect is not certainly known, but it is strongly presumed and concluded that they were none other, by all the Country for these reasons.

1. He was generally reproached and threatned by the Quakers for sending Nayler to Prison, some of whom were not long before heard to say, they would pick his Skin full of holes.

2. That very day before, there were many of that malicious Sect in Appleby, that came to visit Nayler, who might take notice of his being there, and be invited to take that opportunity of executing their bloody purposes.

3. This Gentleman is of such known honesty and Ingenuity, that [Page 32] he is generally beloved in the Country, and hath not, I dare say an Enemy in the world one quarter so cruell as to thirst after his blood, except among that Rabble.

That multitudes of Scurrilous Libels, against Ministers and private persons have been fastened to their doores, thrown into their hou­ses, pinn'd on Pulpit Cushions on the Lords daies, and on the Church doores, without any name affixed by those Pretenders to Christia­nity, is a thing well known.

For satisfaction of the Reader, I shall give him a true Coppy of one that was affixed one Lords day, about the beginning of Ianuary last, unto the Church-door at Lancaster, which Dr. Marshall openly read to the people there assembled, that they might perceive the strange temper of the Spirits of those men by such their unsavoury Eructations.

Of a long time it was a constant practise of some of the most im­pudent of them to enter in a scornfull manner with their hats on into the publike Assemblies in some places, and to raile openly and exclaim aloud against the Ministers with most reproachfull tearmes in time of the dispensation of Gods Ordinances, calling them by­ars, Seducers, Baals Priests, Deluders of the people, and bidding them come down from the high places. There is fulnesse of Witnes­ses for this in Kendall and Lancashire and other places. And this not onely before, but since the Justices at Appleby ordred the binding of such Disturbers to the Peace; but alas, what can bind them to Peace­ablenesse whose Spirit is tumultuous? or what can Law do, when Conscience is seared, and takes tumultuousnesse for a Duty?

Mr. Coale who was employed to preach abroad in this County, where the most eminent necessity of this County lay, viz. Where the Country was destitute of a Preacher, hath had much experience of them, and hath professed that long it was before he could have any peace or safety, but the Lord stood by him. Two, or three of the ablest of them have dogg'd him from place to place, and come severall times to his house with horrible railings And lately, not many weeks since, two or three at once in the open Street fell upon him with such horrid expressions, as might shew to all the world the boyling of a most Hellish Rancour, and with such fury, that he was beholden to Friends to rescue him from them.

The next Lords Day three of these wanderers came into the Con­gregation at Kendall, and called to him to come down, belching forth such tearms of Baals Priests, &c. and Hellish reproaches, as [Page 34] filled both the Congregation and streets after with Tu­mult.

The violence offered by some of this people in an open Audito­ry to one Master Crosby had proved little lesse then the losse of his life, as himself hath affirmed openly, if the Lord had not been on his side.

What was complotted against another Minister, as he gathereth from a Letter sent him by one of that confederacy, but a friend at that time, as God so ordered it. I cannot relate, but the said Minister could not as he said conjecture lesse then some grosse abuse intended against him as he was discoursing with Fox, had not one present prevented it? Others have been desired by some friends to keep out of their way, for they heard a mischief was intended them. What Eye in these parts where this people live is not a witnesse of the tu­mults and uprores they make in Markets? What ear hath not heard heard of their open revilings, which they principally fasten on them in whom most of God and sound Religion appears? A man that professeth godlinesse, especially a Minister, that endeavors to be faith­full to Jesus Christ in the discharge of the duties incumbent on him cannot passe by them without their scorns. Against such they grin, and point at them with their fingers.

These and such like practises of this licentious people have filled the hearts of Gods People in these parts with exceeding fears to be driven after all their hopes to serve God in Corners, and that they may die, tho in the faith of the promise of Jerusalems peace, yet with­out receiving it: whilest the enemies of God roare in the midst of the Congregations.

So fast did their insolencies grow, and their Numbers increase for a while, that had they not been a little curbed by the imprisonment of Nayler, and sending forth a warrant for the Apprehension of Fox for his blasphemies, it is verily believed by many sober understand­ing men among us, there would have been in a short time no peace or almost safety for any real Christian in Westmerland and some ad­jacent parts. This was, as some of the Justices expressed themselves at the Sessions Ianuary last, one main reason of Naylers confinement, namely, that they were necessitated to it for the preservation of the publique peace, and prevention of civil dissentions, and such evils as might have ensued upon further connivance at these turbulene Im­postors.

[Page 35] I shall conclude with the Judgements of two known learned and judicious men, one of which is yet living, and able to plead for the Truth and himself.

Thus far Master Owen.