MAny have been the stratagems and devices of the old Enemy of Mankind, the Devil, to deceive the simple-hearted in all Ages, from the beginning, and still endeavours by his Instruments to belye and asperse the Innocent; and among the rest it hath happened to be my lot to have my share in being belyed and evil spoken of, for no other cause, but my being zealous for the Faith of our dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, that was crucified without the Gates of Ierusalem, &c. which Faith hath been so much denyed & rejected by some here among us high in profession, to the great admiration of many; and it it having pleased the Lord to raise up some to bear Witness to the Truth, in con­tradiction to the Unbelief of others, hath caused this Breach and Seperation, which ceasing not there, nor in belying and falsly accusing the Innocent, but several of the Opposers of the true Faith are entered into a Spirit of Persecution, to the Imprisoning, Fining, and Taking away some of our Goods, and that so illegally as scarcely to be paralelled, as in time may be made appear, and therefore shall say no more of that at present, but come to the matter, which I [...] concerned to speak to, and detect some of the gross Lyes and false Reports that are spread abroad

[Page 2]Whereas since I published my Answer to the two papers that came from Maryland, there is another Lying story reported here, viz. That when I was in England with G F. he informed me that it was revealed to him that in [...] Star should fall in America, and that he should desire me to signifie the same to Friends here; and that this Star was George Keith, who should bring in Damnable Doctrines [...].

Answ. I positively deny that ever I so said, or that G. F. did ever inform me any such thing that a star should fall, or desire me to signifie to Friends that this Star ( viz. G K) should bring in damnable Doctrines among us, but on the contrary do say, that I believe G. F. W. P. G. W. R. B. and other faithful Friends had dear Unity with G. K. and his present Christian Principles and Doctrines, though I must ac­knowledge that my self partly, and many others who have made a large Profession of the Principles of the People called Quakers, did shew our dislike to divers Principles of Christian Doctrine held forth by G. K. in some of his printed Books, and preached by him in our publick Meetings. But that I should write to G. [...]. against G. K. shewing my dislike to his Do­ctrine and Principles, is utterly false; for I never writ to G. F. or any other Person either in England or else-where, in dislike of G. K's Principles or Doctrine; but finding some persons shew great dislike of some of them, sent G. F. one of G K's Catechisms, concluding that if there was any unsound Prin­ciples set forth therein, G. F. and Friends in England would signifie the same to Friends here, which yet they have not done, but on the contrary so far as they have had knowledge of the said Difference have justified his Doctrine.

Now the most principal matters wherein I found some to differ with G. K. and wherein our Opposers still differ with us, calling them Notions, &c. but we on the contrary affirm them to be Gospel-Truths, are as followeth, viz.

[Page 3]1. That it is absolutely necessary to our Salvation, and to make us true Christians, to believe that Christ dyed for our sins, & rose from the dead, and that he ascended into Heaven without us, and is in Heaven making Intercession to the Father for us, as well as to believe in the Light within.

2. That Christ rose from the dead, and ascended into Heaven, and is now in Heaven glorified in the intire and perfect Nature of Man, in Soul and Body, appearing in the Presence of God for us, our Advocate with the Father.

3. That there shall be a Resurrection of the Body, both of the Iust and Vnjust, the Iust unto Everlasting Life, and the Vnjust unto Shame and Torment forever; and that the Resurrection of the Body is not received in this mortal Life, nor immediately after Death, but the deceased Saints generally wait for it, until the Coming of Christ; and that the dead in Christ shall rise first, when the Body that is sown Natural shall be raised Spiritual.

4. That there is a general Day of Iudgment yet to come, wherein all Nations shall stand before the Son of Man, even the Man Christ Iesus, at his Appearance and Coming without us, (as well as at his Appearance and Iudgment Seat within us) to receive accor­ding to the Deeds done in the Body, good or evil.

Now I being newly come from England, and there being some Books published by G. K. by the consent and approba­tion of Friends here, some came to me, and shewed their dis­satisfaction with several things in the said Books, and par­ticularly with the above cited Doctrines, which indeed I did partly question the Truth of my self, and having occasion to [Page 4] go into Maryland, did discourse with some concerning the said Principles, and found that some there did (as well as our present Opposers) account Carnal and dangerous Doctrines; and thereupon did caution them to beware of the said Do­ctrines, which would shortly break forth among us. But will it therefore follow that the said Doctrines are false? Not at all. And I can do no less than acknowledge my rashness in cautioning others to beware of what I did not rightly un­derstand my self, but too much taking on Trust from others. But when I came to have more opportunity to hear G. K. my self, and converse with him, & finding several honest Friends to agree with him in those Christian Principles and Doctrines, it put me upon the search and enquiry, whether these Prin­ciples were according to the holy Scriptures, with Prayer to the Lord to guide me aright therein. And after some time, it pleased the Lord further to enlighten my Understanding and to confirm my Faith in those things wherein before I was wavering and doubtful, and ready to be perswaded that they were Carnal Nations; which now, blessed be the Lord, I believe to be Gospel Truths, and therefore can do no less than joyn with and own G. K. in his present Christian Testimony, and hope shall seal to the Truth thereof with my Blood, if called thereunto. And as I am sorry to find some continue in their former Ignorance and Unbelief of those precious Truths, so I am as sorry and much more offended at the Hy­pocrisie of others who in publick seem to own the Faith of Christ, thereby deceiving many simple hearted People, when yet it can be proved, by this two fold Instance, that they have not the true Faith, 1 st. In that they have never signified their Repentance of their former declared Unbelief; and 2 dly [...] they continue in Unity with them who have openly [...] the Lord that bought them▪ and though others of [Page 5] them in publick say they own these Christian Doctrines, and know none that deny them, satisfies not us, while the same men oppose these very Doctrines upon all occasions in private Conferences; And if they had the true and right Faith, why should they be so unwilling to give their offended Brethren an account thereof, when we have for so long a time desired it, either by way of Conference, Writing or Print. But they have still denyed to give us any account, but only in Scrip­ture words, when some of them have expressed their Belief of certain Principles expresly contrary to the Dictates of the Spirit of Truth in the holy Scriptures. We have given an Account of our Faith, in the most necessary things of the Christian Faith, in a Sheet added to the latter end of the Book entituled, Some Causes of the late Seperation, &c.

Next, whereas it is frequently reported by Iohn Wil [...]ford, Arthur Cook, and others who are prejudiced against me, that I should say, That I did weep so much in a Meeting as to wet two Handkerchiefs of three Quarters of a yard each, and all in deceit. To which I say, this is a great Lye, raised against me on purpose to defame me, and to lessen Peoples love towards me and my Christian Testimony. But suppose I did signifie to some of my tenderness, and frequent weeping in Meetings, when I was a Boy▪ viz. that in those days I was often tender­ed in Meetings, insomuch that at one Meeting I did weep so much as to wet my Handkerchief, but I cannot say nor never did say, that this was all in deceit; and therefore the said Report is a Lye, and I do place it on the Authors and Re­porters thereof, let them clear themselves if they can.

Again, whereas it is further reported by Arthur Cook that I struck him on the face in the public Meeting in Philadelphia [Page 6] the 20 th of the 9 th Month last; and this Report being spread abroad to my Prejudice and Defamation, This is to signifie to all who are desirous to know the Truth of the matter, and love not to believe Lyes, that the thing is utterly false, and without all ground; but he hath raised it from this, that the said Arthur Cook having the first day before (being the 13 of the 9 mon.) stood close by G. K. while he was declaring, and staring him in the face, intending thereby to disquiet him, often saying, Deceit, Deceit, and who can bear this? that many that observed it, thought very uncivil and rude; and the next first day Arthur Cook intending to do the like again while G. K. was declaring, I stept in betwixt G.K. and him, to keep him off, from staring him in the face, but Arthur pressing to get close to G. K. I stood in his way, and Arthur said, Wilt thou push me? No, said I, but I think to stand in the way, and not let thee come close to him, and withal, in a fa­miliar way, I did gently stroke his face, as a Nurse would do a suching Child, and as one will do to another that is familiar to him, intending no hurt, nor doing no hurt in the least, more than a Nurse will do to a Child; and my Principles have sufficiently been known to be Christian and Peaceable, against all Violence and Striking, and my Practice hath been known to be corresponding▪ and because of my peaceable Inclination, I have refused for some years past to be any wise concerned in Government, and serving upon Juries, for which I am now under a Fine. And therefore that Suggestion and Report concerning my striking Arthur Cook is a meer Calum­ny and false Accusation.