CHaritably hoping that many among the People commonly called Anabaptists, are more Tender and Honest minded than some of their Ministers or Leaders, who have shewen their Envy and Bitter­ness against us, I would tenderly propose a few things to the more Honest, Mode­rate and Charitable among them in and about Deptford and elswhere, that may be concerned in reading that Scandalous and Malicious Book against us, Falsly stiled, An­tichrist in Spirit Ʋnmasked, or Quakerism a Great Delusion; lately Owned and Pub­lished by their Brethren, Edward Paye, Henry Loader, William Alcott,

I. That they have Causelessly and Un­justly begun a Quarrel against us, to De­fame us, as a People who have had no­thing but Love and Good-will to them and that People, and maliciously tending to Reproach and Blast our Credit in what we have solemnly professed, as to our Christian Belief and Religion, both to the Civil Government and Nation.

II. They appear Envious against our Present Liberty, as Men of a Turbulent, [Page] [Page] [Page] [Page] [Page] [Page 5] [...] [Page 6]Persecuting Spirit, by seeking to invali­date and make void one Condition of our present Liberty, which through God's Providence is granted us and them; and that is our Profession of Faith, in ‘the three Divine Witnesses in Heaven, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, being one God, blessed for evermore:’ And acknow­ledging, the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be given by Divine In­spiration.

Which Profession, though sincerely owned and consented unto by us before the Parliament, and accordingly accepted and inserted in the Act For exempting their Majesties Protestant Subjects, dissenting from the Church of England, from the Penalties of certain Laws, and therein confessed to be a Profession of their Christian Belief: Yet contrary thereunto these Persons have grossly Belied and Misrepresented Ʋs, the People called Quakers; accusing us with Vilifying and Contemning the Holy Scriptures, and that we own not the Scripture, but seem­ingly allow it, Epist. and Pag. 14. And that The Quakers are great Enemies to, and Contemners of Holy Scriptures, p. 20. both contrary to our Sincere and Christian Pro­fession, before-cited, and to the Civil Government's Belief and Acceptance thereof; wherein these Anabaptists have [Page 7]neither done honestly towards us, nor prudently towards their Superiors, thus to contradict, and consequently to affront the Government in its Belief and Charity towards us, and to set Subjects at Vari­ance, and to raise Persecution against us again, instead of being humbly thankful for their and our present Liberty.

III. They have not only abused parti­cular Persons, but a People, a Religious Society, fearing God, and truly esteem­ing the Holy Scriptures; when we have solemnly and sincerely declared to the Government, That we believe the Holy Scri­ptures of the Old and New Testament are given by Divine Inspiration: Wherein we are Believed, Accepted and Tolerated by the Government. Two or three Ana­baptist Preachers divulge the contrary to the World in Print, That the Quakers are great Enemies to, and Contemners of Holy Scriptures, and no Christians, but deluded Impostors, and their Profession a Compound of Heresies, p. 8, 20. And what's the Consequence, but therefore the Quakers are not fit to be tolerated, nor to have their Liberty of Conscience or Exercise of Religion? And no Doubt, had these angry Anabaptists Power, we should not enjoy our Liberties, the very Nature and Ten­dence of these their Bitter Lying Inve­ctives, [Page 8]being to bring Persecution upon us, as a People not to be given any Cre­dit unto, in our solemn Profession before Authority.

IV. Pray observe, That much of the said Pamphlet, or Book against us, styled, Antichrist in Spirit, is collected out of other Books and Pamphlets of our Adver­saries, long since Answered and Refuted; and their Authorities are utterly denied by us. As the Westmorland Petitioners, who were Envious Persecutors, Thomas Hicks his Fictitious Abusive Dialogues, who was proved a notorious Forger of Lies: And a most Malicious Libel, styled, Tyranny and Hypocrisy, &c. without Au­thor's Name, yet cited and insisted upon against us. Thus Credulous and Malici­ous are these Persons, Edward Paye, Henry Loader, William Alcott, as to take Scandal­ous Pamphlets on Trust, whose Autho­rities we utterly Deny, and Challenge them to prove them Authentick; they having been long since sufficiently An­swered, Disproved and Refuted, in our Friends Books; one entituled, The Chri­stian Quaker, in Folio; another, Reason against Railing; another, The Counterfeit Christian, in 8 ^o. another, Judas and the Jews; another, The Divinity of Christ, &c. in 4 ^o. another, The Christianity of the Peo­ple [Page 9]called Quakers vindicated, in Answer to Dr. Forde; and many others of our Friends Books, which contain sufficient Answer to all the chief Objections and Reproaches scraped up in this Inveterate Lying Pamphlet aforesaid.

V. They have Unjustly and Falsly Cur­talized and Perverted divers of our Friends Words and Passages in their Books, leaving out the Explanatory Words and Sentences.

VI. They have argued fallaciously in divers things, deducing Inferences and Charges from a particular to a general, as from a particular Person, chargeable (as supposed) they charge the General, that is, a Body of People, which is very un­just; as if where we find false Logick, Absurdities and Errors committed, by these particular Persons, Edward Paye, Henry Loader, William Alcott, we should charge them upon their whole Society or Body, surely they would not be so serv'd.

VII. It would be well for their Hear­ers, who are more Peaceable and Pru­dent, not to be subject to such Envious and Turbulent Teachers; whose Work tends to Sedition, Strife and Discord, among their Neighbours; but rather to reprehend their Rage and Railery, and caution them to live peaceably among [Page 10]their peaceable Neighbours, that mean them no harm.

VIII. It is a manifest Sign the Lord has forsaken their Shadows and Forms of Profession, who are turned into so much Envy and Bitterness as these Men are, against other Dissenters more Chri­stian like than themselves: That they are turned from the Spirit into the Flesh, which Envy is a fruit of. The Primitive Tenderness, Simplicity and Spiritual Dis­coveries and Preaching that were former­ly among some of their Ancient and Emi­nent Brethren being now lost, and slight­ed by these Gain-saying Adversaries, (which is their sad Apostacy) who in­stead of owning the Sufficiency of the Spirit's Teaching, as they did formerly, now oppose Immediate Inspiration, p. 16. and possessing the Kingdom of Christ, p. 52. and say that, The Disciples did not expect this Christ to come into them, p. 53. (who is the same only and very Christ of God, of whom the Holy Scriptures testifie) they Quoting Deut. 18.15. Acts 3.22. Mat. 17.5. Luk. 24.39. Joh. 20.19. p. 52, 53. And also deriding at the Quakers exhorting People to Turn to the Light within, p. 54, 55, 56. Thus Car­nal, Blind and Dark, have these Baptist Preachers shewn themselves, and how [Page 11]grosly Ignorant of the Spiritual Appear­ance and Kingdom of Christ and his Light within, and his own and Apo­stles Testimony thereof. The Lord de­liver well-meaning People from such blind Guides.

Of the Word Quakerism (which is a Nick-name in Derision put upon our Christian Profession) you tell us, It's de­rived from a Gesture used Much among them formerly in their Meetings; (meaning the Meetings of the People called Quakers) as was manifest (say you) by the Westmorland Petitioners, viz. That their Practice did ex­ceedingly savour of Sorcery, because of the Swellings, Quakings, Roatings and Foamings, that were among them at their Meetings, p. 7, 8.

Were you Eye or Ear-Witnesses of these Gestures? No, you had this Story from the Westmorland Petitioners; and what were they but a Company of envi­ous persecuting Priests, and Magistrates whom they had Instigated to Persecution? Are you not so Credulous as to take upon Trust any old Story to render the People called Quakers Odious and Ridiculous? Is this your Christianity and Religion? Lord deliver every well-meaning Person from you and your Envy. We deny your Story of Swellings and Foamings, as [Page 12]charged on Ʋs or our Meetings in West­morland, &c. But that there has been Weeping, Trembling and Lamentation, sometimes in our Solemn and Religious Assemblies in Westmorland and other Pla­ces, I and many more were and are Wit­nesses; when the glorious Power and Day of the Lord arose and broke forth in our Meetings, to the Breaking, Humbling and Tendering many Hearts, from a li­ving Sense of his Divine and Dreadful Presence, which was truly felt among us; and that the Holy Men of God did Witness Quaking and Trembling, as Holy Scripture testifies: This you grant is true. And the same (say you) may be said of Wicked Men and Devils. And what then? God's dreadful Power and Presence can make all Dread and Tremble and Bow before it, even both good Men and bad Men, yea and Devils also; yet the Power is the same that's over all. Wicked Men and Devils have been some­times terrified by it, and made to tremble for fear of his Wrath, because of their guilt of Iniquity; and good Men and Women have in an humble and a contrite Heart and Spirit, Trembled in a Holy Reverence and Sense of the Presence and Power of our Lord Jesus Christ among them, in their Inward Attention upon [Page 13]him and his Word, and in their fervent Prayers and Supplications to God. And how can it be better than Blasphemy to account this Sorcery? Such wicked Con­struction and Insinuation we utterly deny and testifie against, and put you to prove it who have received this false Story against us, of Swellings and Foamings, and Sorcery, &c. at our Meetings, with such wicked defaming Constructions. I my self was frequent at our Meetings in West­morland very early, near the very begin­ning of them in that Country, and so­lemnly Declare it, I never saw such Gestures, as Swellings and Foamings: And I have lately enquired of several of our Ancient Friends who were conversant at those early Meetings in the North, and they Declare the same, That they never saw such Postures in our Friend's Meet­ings. But set case any have been disor­dered through some Natural Infirmity Distemper, Swooning or Falling Sick­ness—

—What does this affect us or our Meet­ings on a Religious Account? It may be some of your own People's Case. And suppose it should be made appear that di­vers Anabaptists, after they have been Dipt and receiv'd into Church-Fellow­ship, have run Mad or Distracted; and [Page 14]others guilty of great Enormities; how would this affect either their Church-Pro­fession or Society? Pray consider it, have you done well, or as you would be done by, in raking up and aggravating old Stories against the People called Quakers, to render them as black and deformed as you can? Upon this Story you make this farther Aggravation, from Luk. 9.39. We reed of him that was Possessed, that he Foamed when the Diabolical Spirit did tear him. True, and what then? Is this any Proof against the Quakers, that they are so Possessed or guilty of Sorcery? No sure.—

—We read further also concerning that Man that was possessed, That when he was brought unto Jesus, as soon as the Spirit saw him, he tore him, and fell down on the ground wallowing and foaming; and that when Jesus rebuked the Ʋnclean Spirit, and charged him to come out of him, and enter no more into him; then the Spirit cryed and rent him sore, and came out, Mark 9.20, 25, 26. Luke 9.39, 42, 43. Now, suppose, that in any meeting of the People called Quakers, any such Operations or Gesture has been in any particular Person formerly, that some Unclean Spirit has so torn and dis­ordered him or her; we may charitably believe it has been because Jesus Christ [Page 15]has come in Spirit and Power among them, to rebuke and cast out such Unclean Spirits, and to deliver them that were infested thereby; When our Friends have been solemnly met together in his Name and Fear, in Fasting and Prayer, to wait upon and worship him. And that such Unclean Spirit did not enter them in such Assemblies as ours, but when they were Followers of the Envious Persecut­ing Priests (who used to Revile and Rail against the Quakers in their Pulpits) and of such Malicious Preachers as these Ana­baptists, who, as persons possessed with a Lying, Unclean Spirit, are now still foaming out their own Shame and Malice against an Innocent People, as these Men have done in their Lying Abusive Pam­phlet, falsly pretending to Unmask Antichrist in Spirit, whilst their Work of Malice and Falshood bespeaks Antichrist, in their proud puft up envious Flesh and Fleshly Minds, scurrilously perverting our Words, detracting and defaming others more Harmless than themselves, and no whit inferior to them, as Men, in Educa­tion, Parts or Morals. And I hope we are and shall be of more Credit and Re­putation in what we solemnly declare and write, than they in falsly telling the World, That 'tis nothing so believed by us, [Page 16]as pretended in our Pamphlet, meaning that Paper concerning our Christianity; which they not being able to refute, now falsly tell People, That 'tis nothing so believed by us; as Henry Loader and William Alcott, have unjustly done in their Epistle to the Reader; though they are so credulous of their Brother Edward Paye's Work or Pamphlet, as to Believe neither Ambition, Self-Interest or Prejudice moved him to it; but purely the Honour of God, Defence of Truth, and Good of Souls: And they also Hope and Believe that he hath been careful truly to cite the Quakers own Authors. But we know the contrary, and that he hath both falsly cited, grosly belyed, and per­verted the Quaker's Words and Authors, and taken many false Things on Credit, and in their Implicit Faith; not only the said Story from the Westmorland Petition­ers, but also out of his Brother Thomas Hicks, his abominable Forgeries and Lies in his fictions Dialogues, and others, long since refuted, to his own and his Compurgators and Abetters utter Shame and Disgrace. And you who are such credulous Approvers and Espousers of this Edward Paye's malicious Work against us, do charge us with this horrid Lye, viz. That the Holy Scriptures, this Ge­neration of Men contemn and vilifie.

God knows the contrary, and he will judge righteously between us. You have herein Grossly Belyed and Defamed us, our real Intention, and our Solemn Pro­fession for the Holy Scriptures, and sin­cere Esteem of them, as therein we have been Credited by the Government, and many others, we doubt not but we shall still have Credit against your shameful Lyes and Defamations to the contrary; whereby you have most Diabolically and Foully Foamed out your own Shame and Envy, as will farther appear, That the Foaming Unclean Spirit, and Lying Devil is not cast out of you. Oh! how well it would be for you, if you would humbly wait for and own Christ's Appea­rance in Spirit, and Power to cast out that Unclean, Lying Spirit that Pos­sesses you, and has moved you to approve and divulge so many gross Lyes as are in your said Book.

Out of your Brother, Thomas Hick's Dialogue, you represent the Quaker to answer thus, viz. When we make use of the Scripture, it is only to quiet and stop their Clamours that plead for it as their Rule, p. 14.

This is one of your Brother Hick's gross Forgeries in the Quaker's Name, which you have taken on Trust out of his [Page 18]fictitious Dialogue. Oh! blush and be ashamed of adopting and promoting such False, Deceitful Stuff; and also of your subjoyning in the Person of the Quakers this Forgery, viz. ‘We own not the Scri­pture; we seemingly allow it, but our End in this is only to stop their Cla­mours that plead for it as their Rule.’

These Words, subjoyned to Hick's Forgeries, I charge upon you Edward Paye, William Alcott and Henry Loader, as abominably False and Slanderous. Will this Deceitful Method bring any Honour to you, or honest Proselytes to your Church, think ye? Would you be Popu­lar and Famous by such gross Forgery? Is this the Fruit of your Religion, you Dip and Proselyte People into? You are hard put to it: It is a Sign your Dispen­sation is decreasing, and your Glory eclips'd, when you can espouse and invent such gross Forgeries, and make Lyes your Refuge. Wo unto you Lying Hypo­crites; When and where did ever we, the People called Quakers, say, as you say in our Name? viz. That we own not the Scripture; we seemingly allow it, but our End in this is only to stop their Clamours, &c. These your horrid abusive Forgeries will be a sore Blot and heavy Burthen upon you.

And now, pray, observe what strange Test or Proof, your Agent, Edward Paye, puts upon us to evince Immediate Inspi­ration, viz. Now let the Quakers resolve me by their Immediate Inspirations, What those Things were that Jesus did, that are not writ­ten, John 21.25. And what were the Con­tents of that Writing on the Ground, John 8.6, 8. or else let their proud Boastings of Immediate Inspiration be condemned to perpe­tual Silence, and Shame cover their Faces. And waiting for their Resolve herein, &c.— p. 15, 16.

And why so? If we do not resolve by Immediate Inspiration what those things were that Jesus did, that are not written, John 21.25. And what were the Con­tents of that Writing on the Ground, John 8.6, 8. Hereupon you have past Unjust Judgment, and falsly charged us with proud Boasting, and argued absurdly against Immediate Inspiration, as if none have the Spirit of Christ unless they know and can declare all things it knows; or could write as many Books of those Things Christ did, as (was supposed) the World it self could not contain, John 21.25. And then, by this, you Baptists will greatly fall short of being Christ's Ministers or Embassadors, and have shut your selves out from any Share in the [Page 20]Spirit of Christ, or Divine Inspiration. And how then will you prove your Call to Baptize People in Water? Though herein you have most egregiously contra­dicted your selves, in pretending to Christ in you, from 2 Cor. 13.5. and to be the Temples of God, 1 Cor. 6.19. To be in Christ new Creatures, 2 Cor. 5. p. 22. And to have the Spirit of Christ, or else none of his, p 23. And that Christ gives his Spirit to them that obey him, Acts 5.32. p. 69. But does he give the Knowledg of all those other things that he did (which are not written) to all them that obey him, think ye? Or otherwise is it just to condemn them all to perpetual Silence and Shame, for owning that Christ has given them his Spirit, when they cannot tell all those other things? Must we needs be as omniscient as the Spirit of God is, or else be condemned as wholly destitute thereof? Do you think you have well argued, or given just Judgment in this Matter? Oh! Blind Guides, self-contradicting and self-con­demned Hypocrites. How hath Anti­christ appeared in your Proud and Envi­ous Flesh against Christ in Spirit?

On Matthew 24.26. you say, It is more than probable, That Christ pointed at this Generation of Impostors, the Quakers; who say, Behold he is in the Secret Chambers, [which is a gross Lye, by the way] ay [Page 21] within thee, not at a distance from thee, &c.

To deem them Impostors that say Christ is within thee or them, is to ren­der the Holy Apostles Impostors, who preached Christ within the Word, nigh in thy Heart, Rom. 10.6, 7, 8. (which therefore was not separate from them, and only at a Distance) yea and to ren­der your selves also Impostors, who have confessed the same Truth of Christ within, p. 22, 23, 69. from 2 Cor. 13.5. 1 Cor. 6.19. 2 Cor. 5.17. Eph. 2.22. John 16.7. Acts 5.32. Thus you Anabaptist Preachers have contradicted your selves, as well as shewn your Antichristian Spirit against Christ within; and that you are blind Guides, and self-contradictory Opposers of the Mystery of Christ, as well as Defamers of us for his sake.

You most shamefully belie the People called Quakers in your Comparison, p. 18. where you say, The Names they (i. e. the Quakers) give the Holy Scriptures, viz. no better than an Old Almanack, Precepts and Traditions of Men, &c.

Pray where do they (that is, the Peo­ple called Quakers) give the Holy Scrip­tures those Names you charge upon them? They are such gross, notorious, old Lyes, that it is high Time for you to be hor­ribly ashamed thereof, as they are quite out of date with all sober minded People [Page 22]that know us; so we doubt not but you, who are now the Promoters thereof, will be as much out of Credit as the first Fo­menters, have long been.

You abuse and wrong us about the Titles of our Books (as if higher than we give to the Holy Scriptures) perverting them by leaving out the Explanatory part of the Titles; as for instance [A true and Everlasting Rule] being the first Words of the Title, you leave out the next fol­lowing in the same Sentence, viz. [from God discovered] thus you deal very disin­genuously by them and others. p. 18, &c.

We know none among us that call the Holy Scriptures, a Dead or Carnal Letter, nor do we own the Words. By the Holy Scriptures we intend the Holy Testimonies and Doctrin of Faith and Pra­ctice therein contained, which is both Liv­ing and Spiritual to them that are alive unto God in Christ. Though the out­ward Letter or Writing in it self alone be Dead, the Holy Matter contained in it is Living, to them that are Living and Spiritual. There is the Letter of the Shadows of the Law and Old Covenant, which is abolished by Christ, and there­fore Dead. And all Shadows and Carnal Ordinances, comparatively, are but dead Letter. When Paul preferred the New­ness [Page 23]of the Spirit to the Oldness of the Letter, and the Ministry of the Spirit above the Letter; this was not to slight or contemn the Holy Scriptures: No more do we in allowing the Holy Spirit, the same Pre­ference which the Scripture allows. More­over to them that are Dead to the Spirit, to God and Christ, the Scripture is Dead, the Words therein are Dead, and even the Spiritual Living Ministry is Dead as to them; The Savour of Death unto Death, in them that Perish; but the Savour of Life unto Life in them that are Saved. As the meer Characters or Letters, as written in Paper and Ink, have no Sound nor Voyce till Sound be given them by the Reader; so, the Words contained in them, or Preaching from them, have no Life, but as the Spirit gives it, without which all Preaching is Dead and Fruitless. I am persuaded in Conscience, That in these things our Friends real Intentions in their Writings is explained (and never to contemn the Holy Scriptures) and our Ad­versaries hard and ill Constructions an­swered. And though the Holy Spirit, from whence the Holy Scriptures pro­ceeded be of itself All sufficient to guide in all the Ways of God both with and without the Scriptures (or where they are not in Writing) this is not to contemn or [Page 24]slight them where they are; but to use them with the help of the same Spirit, rightly to understand and practise them: It being the Inspiration of the Almighty that giveth Ʋnderstanding of the Mind and Will of God, and without which the Scriptures cannot be truly understood. It was from the same Inspiration (or Spirit of God) the Holy Scriptures first came; and from thence they had their Authority and real Credit. And by no other Argument or Demonstration can the Divine Authority of Holy Scriptures be effectually proved or evinced, to such as question their Au­thority, but by the same Holy Spirit of God in Man, bearing Witness to the Truths therein contained. It must be something superior to the Scriptures, that must so prove their Divine Authority to them that question the same, which we do not at all, blessed be God; and therefore Challenge these Adversaries E. Paye and W. Alcott to prove, that the People called Quakers, or any Persons continuing in So­ciety with them, do say, The Holy Scripture is but a dead carnal Letter, or that so call the Doctrins or Testimonies therein contained; for we positively deny any such Expressions.

Note also, that these Adversaries have apparently perverted and wronged George Whitehead's Words, both in Citation and [Page 25]Construction, about the Holy Scriptures and the Person of Christ, p. 11, 12. and 22. And likewise grosly Abused, Wrong'd and Mischarged G. Fox, James Parnell, G. Keith, foully perverting and miscon­struing their Words, p. 28, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 59. And they have also Abused, Vilified, Defamed and Wrong­ed, W. Smith, H. Smith, J. Naylor, E. Burroughs, Isaac Pennington, S. Crisp, W. P. and others, Men of better Fame and Repute than themselves, and more Righte­ous and Innocent than their Defamers.

Now I would seriously enquire of you William Alcott and Henry Loader,

1. Was Edward Paye deputed and ap­proved by your Congregation, or any select Assembly of Elders or Ministers of the Baptized People or Churches, to Write and Publish his said Book against the People called Quakers? Or did he do it on his own Authority and Head, with your Approbation only?

2. What Ministers or Elders of your Churches, besides your selves, did peruse and approve of Edward Paye's said Book before Printed, and of the Printing thereof, to defame us as a People?

3. Is the said Edward Paye indeed esteemed among you and your Society a good Christian, a Person of a Godly and Sober Conversation, of sound Judgment [Page 26]Piety and Parts, meet to manage Matters of Controversie about Religion?

4. Do you intend to stand by him the said Edward Paye, in all the Matters that he has Written in Charge, both against certain Persons and against the People called Quakers, in his Book?

Pray give us your direct and plain An­swer to these Questions; the Reason whereof being, 1. That Edward Paye and you also have concerned us as a Peo­ple, in your severe and unjust Accusati­ons, in his and your Book. 2. That we have an Answer drawn up more Com­prehensive and Particular, reserved for Publication, if we may find a farther Occasion or Necessity for it. Therefore 'tis but equal and reasonable you should be so Ingenuous, as to tell us plainly, whe­ther your said Book with our Answer may affect your selves only, or your whole Society of People; seeing it affects us as a whole Society of People. If your Book against us, be only your own private Act whose Names are to it, and not more generally owned, nor stood by among your People; we would be so just as not to reflect it on your whole Society or People.