said Lord what wilt thou have me to do Which shews his inward sense of Mind But the Apostle Rom. 7.9 is large in the account of the Work of his Regeneration and he does acknowledge he was alive without the Law once But when the Commandment came Sin revived and I died Which plainly shews the Command was inward and it was hard for Paul to kick against this Command which did thus slay him as in the 11th verse Our Adversary does acknowledge that the Pricks there are to be understood the Power of Christ. And this Power it was Acts 2.37 That prickt them at the heart who were witnesses of the sheddings abroad of the Spirit at the time of Pentecost And of this Power David speaks Psal. 73.21 Thus my heart was grieved and I was pricked in my reins Whence thus in short Paul a zealous Man and a Persecutor is by the Power of Christ let see that he was opposing his Power in his Saints by such Persecution At this in the Apostle's language Sin revived i. e. the sense of it whereby he saw his guiltiness and then he died from any further Life in it And whether this be not a heart work all experienced Readers may judge Ibid. p. 12. Besides they are in great confusion and contradictions amongst themselves concerning their Notion of the Light within denying and affirming backwards and forwards as you may see in Mr. Tho. Crisp his just and lawful Tryal of the Foxonian Quakers Reader This is one of those Instances wherein the great Injustice of this adversary appears in that he takes this false Charge from a Book writ against us by an open Enemy and takes no notice of any reply by us Which was largely and fully given to this Adversary by our Friend Ed. Penington And if after the same manner I should object and say The Church of England are in great Confusions and Contradictions amongst themselves in their Notion of the Trinity which has been abundantly treated of here of late affirming backwards and forwards and recommend for proof of this some Book disowned by that Church the Proof were much the same Or if I should object and say They are in great confusion and contradiction in their Notion of any other Article and bring for proof Harding Stapelton or any of the Romish Church who being Adversaries have so affirmed having no regard to the disallowance of the first or answers to the last I might deservedly be accounted a confident and prejudic'd but not a fair or reasonable Man Yet Reader this is the practice of this Snake with us SECT II. Shewing that we do not make our Souls of the same Person and Substance with God nor aspire to an Equality with him I Shall here consider and reply to his Second and Third Sections together the Charge being the same and the distinction unnecessary For in his mode of speaking a Sameness of Person and Substance imply an Equality concerning which before I procede to the Quotations in the Snake I shall observe to thee Friendly Reader That having in the beginning of the foregoing Section given a brief but real and true account of our Scriptural Belief concerning The Light of Christ in Men. Shewing that the Soul of Man being subjected thereunto he may by the guidance and assistance thereof without it he cannot attain unto Salvation I say having shewn thus much concerning our belief herein it is impossible that we so believing as we do should make our Souls to use his phrase of the same Person and Substance with God or Aspire to an Equality with him Our Friends according to Holy Writ have frequently said and writ and may safely That those who by walking in the Light are become Children of it are such for whom our Saviour Jesus Christ did pray to his Father John 17.21 22 23. That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee That they also may be one in us That they may be one even as we are one I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me This Oneness in the Holy Spirit our Friends have pressed and contended for in Opposition to the hurtful belief that had too much prevailed upon Men of an imagined Distance of God from Man at this Day and that Man was now no more to expect the Revelation of the Holy Spirit without which our Saviour hath testified Mat. 11.27 And no Man knoweth the Son but the Father neither knoweth any Man the Father but the Son and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him This testimony of Jesus Christ with many more to the same purpose do shew the certainty of Revelation as in many others the absolute necessity of it is shewn First By our Saviour who saith John 12.50 And I know that this Commandment is Life Everlasting and the Apostle 2 Cor. 13.5 Know ye not your own selves that Jesus Christ is in you except you be Reprobates And for our acknowledging to and witnessing of the truth of these Testimonies declared in Holy Writ have we met with great opposition and misrepresentation of which Reader there follows now divers instances in these Sections of the Snake's which he thus begins p. 13. Thou sayest says G. Fox to his Opponet Great Mystery p. 247. Christ doth not dwell in them Personally Doth not Christ dwell in his Saints as he is in the Person of the Father the Substance Reader This our Adversary gives for a quotation from G. Fox his Great Mystery and that we might see at what he carps he puts it in Large Black Characters which yet are not blacker than his Envy and Injustice which will appear thus First In that he hath left out the Priests Words which are unsound and unscriptural Secondly In that he hath left out the beginning and end of G. Fox his Answer For thy more certain knowledge of which I subjoin first the Priest's Words and then G. Fox his Answer Priest The Scriptures are the Word except yâ—u dare to deny Christ is God Let the Word of God meaning the Scripture dwell in you richly To this G. Fox thus Answers So he makes the Scripture Christ and God and he doth not say Let Christ dwell in you but means the Scripture and God dwells in you The Apostle saith Let Christ Dwell in your hearts by faith and God will dwell in you But thou sayst Christ doth not dwell in Them Personally Doth not Christ dwell in his Saints as he is in the Person of his Father the Substance And are they not of his Flesh and of his Bone Here Reader thou mayst see that the plain meaning and drift of G. Fox's words are to assert and maintain that Spiritual Oneness of which I have been speaking and shewing that Christ prayed that his Followers might witness and not to make the Soul of the same Person
Anguis Flagellatus OR A Switch for the Snake BEING AN ANSWER To the Third and Last Edition OF THE Snake in the Grass WHEREIN That Author's Injustice and Falshood both in Quotation and Story are Discover'd and Obviated And the Truth Doctrinally Deliver'd by Us Stated and Maintained in Opposition to his Misrepresentation and Perversion By Joseph Wyeth To which is added a SUPPLEMENT By George Whitehead Psal. 37.12 The Wicked Plotteth against the Just and Gnasheth upon him with his Teeth Prov. 26.18 19. As a Mad-Man who casteth Firebrands Arrows and Death So is the Man that Deceiveth his Neighbour and saith am not I in Sport London Printed and Sold by T. Sowle in White-Hart-Court in Gracious-street and at the Bible in Leaden-Hall-street 1699. Academiae Cantabrigiensis Liber PREFACE Impartial Reader AS I here present to thy View and Serious Consideration Our Vindication against the Attempts of an Enemy So I judge it necessary at least briefly to give thee some Account some Reasons for my so doing I am sensible that Business and Action tread so close upon the Heels of Leisure with very many that tho' this may incline yet that may prevent the bestowing time to read Discourses either tedious in their Length or in their Nature If this partake of both these I can assure thee Reader with respect to its Length it hath so hapned not through any abounding Leisure that I had to swell this but from a necessity to follow the Snake through his Windings or to speak in his Phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thereby to obviate his Objections which were of any seeming force and how far that is done thy Judgment is for thy self to determine Of this I shall only say that as on the one hand I have endeavour'd to avoid prolixity so on the other I have endeavour'd to use such and so many words as might sufficiently express the Matters spoken to If in this endeavour I have prov'd something short or defective in Expression or have sometime used not the most proper and apt Expressions to the purpose intended I hope the impartial Reader will from the Bulk Scope and general Tendency of what I have said find cause to conclude that the fault is only in that and not in the meaning And that this is always sound if that be not always so this being our Duty that so far as it relates to Art being only an accomplishment is tho' a conveniency to them that have it yet a Duty upon none Which as I do not profess to be my Talent so neither will it I hope be strictly exacted of me But as to the Nature or Kind of this Tract that was wholly out of my Power for Controversial it must be and that is not always pleasant to every Reader And what may yet serve to add to that Ground of Dislike is that the Chain or Thread of the Discourse being frequently broken by Quotations from the Adversary and other occasions there often may be an uncertain or uneven Stile Yet I hope the Reader will not be hereby prejudiced against the Truth delivered but accept that tho' meanly drest This in general for the Book I here present And now I may add some few things with respect to that to which this is the Answer viz. The Snake in the Grass Which Title imples a Lurking Practice not imputable to us since the things Charged are mostly from Books that are Publick to all and made so with Design that they might be more generally look'd into than they are so that Lurking is not our Way but his Practice which is yet more manifest in that the pretended Relations of Fact which he gives to support the Title Snake in the Grass are by their Falshood true Evidences that this Title is his Character But as Naturalists observe Things Venomous do often carry with them their own Antidote so it is by this Snake In which the Antidote is near the Poyson and the Remedy near the Disease His Disingenuity is the Poyson its Counterballance is his Self-contradiction and apparent Perversions which are such as may be seen by little Observation For what greater Contradiction can there be than after having Ridicul'd Aspers'd and Prophanely Treated our Belief of the Sufficiency of the Light within and having endeavour'd to represent it as Inconsistent and Impossible by fallacious Arguments in several of his Sections Yet after all this to come and say and acknowledge concerning its Sufficiency as much as we do and to persuade his Reader that it is his belief Thus p. 39. he has endeavour'd to represent wicked Men and Devils to be as Infallibly guided as those who are guided by the Light of Christ in Men which we say is Suffitient to guide Men in the way of true Obedience to God And in p. 60. he hath endeavour'd to represent this our Belief of the Suffitiency of the Light within as that which does totally root up and destroy all Church Government and Order And p. 167. he saith Outward Preaching must be wholly inconsistent with this Suffitiency of the Light within And now in Opposition and Contradiction to all this and much more of this sort scattered throughout the whole Book he seems in p. 319. to be as fully persuaded of the Suffitiency of the Light within as any Sober Quaker as he expresses it and there says of this Light within or Inspiration for he makes them Synonimous It is the Cause of all the Good that is in us and we are directed to it to follow and be guided by it and are assured that it will lead us to all Truth that is requisite and necessary for our Eternal Salvation And this he delivers not as his own Sentiment only but also as the belief of the Church of England which if it be it will concern him to prove for himself and them that this Inspiration which is suffitient to lead to all Truth requisite and necessary to Eternal Salvation do not run into the Error of Origen that the Devils shall be finally saved That it do not totally root up and destroy all Church Government and Order That it be not wholly Inconsistent with all outward Preaching And with many other things which he hath said it is as is before quoted But now more Particularly with respect to the Author of the Snake he is disingenious and a false Witness And as a Clipper or Coiner is of no Credit so he by perverting words spoken and forging that for ours which never was has sufficiently shewn what Credit is to be given to him As for his Perversions they are detected in every of the following Sections and are so numerous that to repeat them all I must transcribe a great part of the Book into the Preface wherefore I shall only take notice of one and that is a Quotation which he has made in p. 81. out of W. Penn's Address c. which he has notoriously perverted as I have shewn Sect. V. p. 144 145. And
advance himself above his Bishop or withdraw from under his Government And the Snake gives us a Reason why this strict Subjection must hold Pref. p. 41. Because Corruptions in the Church are better amended by living in the Communion of the Church and there-by Exhorting Admonishing and Shewing Good Example to Reclaim Thus the Snake And Reader Let me now shew thee how in all this he hath combated the Reformation and thrown down the Church-Services as Schismatical which in Sect 22. he calls Divine Enthusiasm That I may shew this It hath been acknowledged by Members of the Church of England in Dispute with those of the Church of Rome That there is Possibility of Salvation in the Church of Rome She being truly a Church though Corrupt Now if so according to the Doctrine of the Snake the first Reformers from Popery how Eminent soever nay if endued with Miraculous Gifts had not sufficient Pretence to advance themselves Above their Bishop who being their Spiritual Governour and Head they did owe a due Subjection to him And this the Snake endeavours to enforce Pref. p. 40. That notwithstanding the Wickedness of the Priests and People of the Jews Yet the Holy Prophets sent from God set not up opposite Altars to the Altars of those wicked Priests nor invaded their Office Readers who are in Communion with the Church of England See your Advocate is gone to Rome in his Preface and to his Power hath struk at the Root of the Reformation not only here in England but throughout Europe By which Key we may open his meaning in Pref. p. 42. where he would be understood to have a Flaming Charity for the good of the Body and the Vnity of the Church And now for a Man that has in such large Characters Apologized for Rome and endeavoured to weaken the Reformation in the nullity of those Arguments on which it is partly built to be so much in Passion as in Page 189. he is with Josiah Coale for Reprinting in a piece of his what he calls A Sensless but bitter Libel against the Church of England written by A. S. a Papist is very odd it shews his Disposition to be very Uncertain by the Unsettledness of his Reason But hitherto I have only apply'd his Doctrine to the Reformation It 's true it fits not there but there may be some Excuse in that he might in hast not think of squaring his Doctrine by that Rule But then let 's Examine his Doctrine by his own Practice which being under his Daily Observation or else he is very forgetful it is not so likely to run Counter to that Yet such is this Man's blindness That Reader what he objects against us called Quakers and all other Dissenters from the Church of England for Instances of Schism are directly within the Line of his Practice For this doughty Champion who with so much Confidence in Page 336. does Demand Reparation in the Name of the Church of England did yet withdraw himself from his acknowledged due Subjection to his Spiritual Head and Guide his Bishop in not acknowledging of the present Government and has been more apt to Censure others than himself and to Divide than Heal which in Pref. p. 43. he saith We ought not Hence his Momus-like Disposition in Ireland And Hence the Occasion of the Warrant for his Apprehension while endeavouring to escape to France when at War with us in which Practices I doubt not but he is disowned by that Church as that Church must be acknowledged to be disowned by those who tho' in Corners set up private Altars against her Thus in Examination His private Practices run Counter to his publick Pretences which is a Mark of Hypocrisie to which more may be spoken anon But besides all this If Corruptions in a Church are best mended by living in the Communion of it and there by Exhorting Admonishing and Shewing Good Examples Does the Church of England give Liberty so to do to those that continue in her Communion If not what is this but to sham and deceive the unwary Reader But we are rather to take the account of his disposition towards us by the Character which he makes of 30 or 40 different Sects as he calls all Dissenters Pref. p. 43. that they are like the Spawn of the Viper And I cannot think they or he would like the Exhortation and Admonition of such Spawn Pref. p. 44. He advises to be willing chearfully to submit our selves to our Superiours both in Church and State Here he would again impose upon the Reader as if himself did both when in truth neither which if he did it might be hoped in Charity he would be more a Christian and a better Subject The Introduction considered HAving dispatched the Preface before I reply to the Book I shall here observe to thee Reader the Profaneness Hypocrisie and Injustice of this our Adversary in some few collected Instances that I may not postpone thy inquiry to a distinct survey of the whole And first for his Profaneness He doth in a stile not Grave or Serious but Light Airy Deriding and Scoffing treat of Matters most Grave and Serious at least herein equalling if not outdoing the Stage Hereby stirring up Levity in the Wild and Wanton and keeping the Reader from a Sober and Serious Consideration of things rather than make it his endeavour to convince Gain-sayers satisfie the Scrupulous reduce the Erronious propagate the Gospel or to bring Converts or Honour to the Church he pretends to be of And it is not to be imagined that Persons of solid Judgment Sobriety and a serious Sense of Religion should endure much less be taken with an attempt running counter to these purposes Of this sort is his whole 23 Sect. where in most Prophane Manner he redicules the Operations of the holy Spirit calling it p. 330. a mad Joy and p. 336. Enthusiastick Madness And of G. Fox says p. 330. he was a Liberal Cursing Prophet a Journey-man Shooe-maker the Ground and Occasion of whose Enthusiasm was Despair p. 331. So Ignorant p. 335. that he knew not before but God dwelt in a Church as Man does in a House so as to be locked up and to be no where else when he is there And that George Magus as he is pleased to call him owned no other holy Ghost than what was within himself of which he was the possessor and owner p. 150. And speaking to George Whitehead p. 42 43. he does in scoffing Mood bid him by yea and by nay hold up his Face be Brisk and look like a Man This with abundance more scatter'd throughout the whole Book He says p. 6. he is forced to now and then in answer to such sensless Arguments and Pretences as deserve no otherwise to be confuted And on this account it is that of Dissenters in general he can afford no better Character or Simile than that they are like the Spawn of the Viper Now sober Reader pray consider Do
am equal with God Pray Reader observe had this been true that G. Fox had so answered as the Snake says he did in the presence of three Justices what need was there for Marshal and Altam to swear it against him since the Justices if they had heard it themselves might have convicted him thereof upon their own personal hearing without other evidence Or how likely is it that Col. West and Tho. Tell both Justices upon the Bench at this Tryal should sign a Supersedeas which both of them did for his acquittal if either of them had heard him say the words charged Or how could he have been discharged for want of another Evidence when his Adversaries might have brought in the three Justices against him had it been true that they had heard him themselves But besides there are two Lyes in this Paragraph the first is There was not any Justice of the Peace or Colonel named Tell. Secondly G. Fox did not answer that he was equal with God But thus it was There were Eight several Charges against him the fourth of which was that he had said he was equal with God which being asked in Court He made the following answer G. Fox That was not so spoken by me But he that sanctifieth and he that is sanctified is all of one Heb. 2.11 It is God and Christ that sanctifieth and the Saints are all one in the Father and the Son They are of his Bone and of his Flesh Ephes. 5.30 And the Father and the Son are one and they are the Sons of God Gal. 4.6 And as they that are joyned to the Lord are one Spirit so they that are joyned to an Harlot are one Flesh 1 Cor. 6.16 17. This the Scriptures witnesseth and I witness This Answer is Scriptural and is directly opposite to what he was then charged with as it also is to what the Snake's Pamphleteer says he did then answer Snake p. 20. This Blasphemy hath been attested upon Oath by the aforesaid Dr. Marshal and Mr. Altam School Master at Lancaster before the Justices at the last Sessions held at Appleby the 8 th of January 1652. and before Judge Puleston at the last Assizes held at Lancaster the 18 th of March 1652. This is false in both the parts of it For G. Fox had not any Tryal at any Sessions in Appleby in the year 52. Nor had he any Tryal before Judge Puleston or any other Judge at any Assize held in Lancaster in the year 1652. These notorious Lyes I charge upon the Snake let him clear himself if he can But for the Readers satisfaction and information I shall briefly say G. Fox was at Michaelmas Sessions in Lancaster in the year 1652. at which time was upon the Bench with others as Justices of the Peace Tho. Tell and Will. West called to answer to Eight Articles of Blasphemy c charged upon him by Three Witnesses viz. Altam but Marshal did not swear Birkett and Attkinson this last a young Lad which Charge the Evidence did swear was gathered by them from words spoken by him at a Meeting some time before But when to the several particulars they were by the Bench severally interrogated they were confounded insomuch that Birkett said he could not answer directly but the other could say it To which the Bench reply'd Have you charged the Prisoner upon your Oath and now say He can say it It seems you did not hear these words spoken your self To this Confusion of the Evidence was also added the Testimonies of many People who had been at that Meeting where the words were charged to be spoken and did then declare in the open Sessions that no such words as those charged were then spoken by G. Fox Besides all this G. Fox did then himself go through all the several Eight Articles of his Charge and shewed his Scriptural Belief in opposition to the Blasphemies they had sworn By which means the matter issued thus a Supersedeas was granted against a Writ which had gone out for his apprehending tho' he was not apprehended upon it but came voluntarily to this Sessions to answer his Enemies false Charges Besides this G. Fox had no Tryal at Appleby or Lancaster nor at any Assize at all in Lancaster in 1652. Thus Reader the Snake's Legal Form is false both in matter and form and himself by these his Lyes must be scandalous much below the dignity of a Pleni-Potent which by a ridiculous assurance he arrogates when in p. 336. He pretends to demand reparation in the Name of the Church of England By what Name must he be now impleaded whose Legal Form has only served to shew that he is Truly proved a Lyar But the Snake has not yet done with his Legal Form Ibid. p. 20. p. 3. He refers to the Brief Relation It is likewise witnessed That James Naylor affirmed That he was as Holy Just and Good as God himself 'T is true it was so witnessed but falsly wherefore when James Naylor was conven'd at Appleby Sessions in January 1652. The Evidence proving insufficient he was acquitted and did by the Answers he gave to the Questions put to him by the Bench in matters of Religion shew himself neither Blasphemer or Heretick as was charged Snake p. 21. These Monstrous Blasphemies occasioned a Petition from the Gentlemen of that County to the then Council of State Forbear Lying It was not monstrous Blasphemy but monstrous Disappointment did occasion that Petition For when G. Fox and J. Naylor in the face of the Country did appear Orthodox and Scriptural in their Faith and the Persons that Swore against them insufficient in their Evidence by which means they were both cleared Then it was they ran to White Hall with those Lyes which they could not prove at Lancaster against G. Fox nor at Appleby against J. Naylor And of these Petitioning Gentlemen there were of the Priesthood much about the number mentioned Acts 23.21 And they were no less disappointed For the Council dismist the Petition with it s annexed Schedule Wherefore I also shall only consider so much of it as is yet not reply'd to And first for James Milner mentioned in the Schedule I shall speak of him in answer to the Snake's 21st Section wherein the Snake speaks more largely concerning this Man Another Article in the Schedule is Leonard Fell Professeth that Christ had never any Body but his Church To this Article The Honest Old Man being yet in health and strength through the mercies of God and preserved out of the Jaws of Violence he answers for himself I have not at any time professed that Christ had never any Body but his Church nor did ever speak any words tending to it Leo. Fell. Snake p. 22. G. Fox wrote an Answer to this Petition and to every Article in the Schedule which he Entituled Saul's Errand to Damascus 'T is true he did so and a Pretty Book it is and answers the End for which it was writ Ibid.
contrary now to what they were then But if the Doctrine be true now how comes G. Fox to be blame-worthy for asserting it then and telling them then that such who denyed it were ravened from the Spirit of God And after all the Daubing Hypocrisie of this Snake let him shew if he can that such who deny this Doctrine which is essential to Salvation do not thereby shew themselves ravened c. Ibid. p. 30. Quoted from p. 30. of G. Fox's Answer to the Westmoreland Petition If ever you own the Prophets Christ and the Apostles you will own our Writings which are given forth by the same Spirit and Power The Liberty which this Adversary takes to himself is very great sometimes supplying to our words what he is pleased to think they want as at other times to bite and curtail them And to shew thee Reader what Supplements he gives to our words take the place as it is in G. Fox's Answer c. If ever you own the Prophets Christ and the Apostles you will own them which are given forth by the same Spirit and Power And it is very true for whosoever shall write from the movings of the Spirit and grace of God upon his heart tho' in the least manifestation thereof them Writings so written cannot fail of being acknowledged in their Degree By all who through the Spirit of God are led to own the Prophets Christ and the Apostles And the Reason is plain because every Member partakes of the same Spirit by which the whole Body and Church of Christ is kept living And it is impossible for the Holy Spirit in one Member to contradict the same Spirit in the rest of the Body Thus Reader thou may plainly see that that Sinless Perfection maintained in our Books which the Snake carps at misrepresents and wilfully lyes against is no other than the Perfection of the Holy Spirit and which is no further Ours than we walk in obedience to that Spirit by Obedience to which the Apostle hath testified 2 Pet. 1.4 That by escaping the Corruption that is in the World through Lust we may be made partakers of the Divine Nature It were a foul and false imputation upon this Doctrine of the Apostles to suggest that he hereby advised the true Believers to pretend to any such equality of Perfection as that of God who in his Wisdom and Power c. is Infinite God hath promised to his People I will dwell in them and walk in them 2 Cor. 6.16 And all who do witness this Holy In-dwelling of God must of necessity say and confess that he is able to give a perfect Deliverance and Freedom from Sin But have not nor cannot say That they are God or they are Christ because of the In-dwelling of the Holy Spirit never did any of us so say as falsly suggested by the Snake which in reply to the foregoing quotations doth I think evidently appear Wherefore I now proceed to his 6th Section of the Quakers Infallibility SECT V. Shewing that Infallibility is by us placed in the Holy Spirit and only is ours as guided by that THis Section therefore is like opening the Jugler's Box and you may expect to see Rarities The Snake is the Jugler and this Section or rather his whole Book the Box. The Rarities which the Reader may expect to see will no doubt be agreeable to such a Jugling Undertaker Before I come to open his Box this Section I will shew thee Reader his Jugling Artifice on the Lid of it Ibid. p. 31. This Section may seem needless as being included in the former That it is included in the former is true for who claims to be equal of the same Being and Substance with God Such doubtless claim to be infallible as he And then why this needless Section Why the Jugler doubting to put the matter of Charge upon that Issue multiply'd this Section tho' needless and drew it to a length near twice that of all his foregoing Sections that he might indeed Jugler like blind the Readers observation in the length of it And with respect to us the Jugler might hope it should by its length be admitted as Billa Vera rather than any should examine its Contents and detect its Lyes But to begin with the Snake's first head of Distinction Ibid. p. 31. 1. This their Infallibility was palm'd upon them by the Church of Rome That the Snake may not palm this Story upon the World without proof I do on the behalf of the People called Quakers deny the Assertion and put our Adversary upon the Proof of it which if he cannot do he is hereby registred for a Lyar. Ibid. p. 31. Of which They were so greedy that they swallow'd it down by wholesale and would have none of those Cautions with which the Church of Rome used to defend themselves As we did not receive from the Church of Rome or any other Society of Men our True Principle of the Infallibility of the Spirit or Grace of God so neither did or do we want any of those Cautions which the Romanists may have and use in their claim of Infallibility That this may appear more plain to the Sober Reader I will shew the vast difference between us and them herein The Papists how much soever they differ among themselves in placing of Infallibility in their Church as whether in the Pope and in him Simply or in him in Cathedra or with his Conclave or him in General Counsel or in such Counsel without him or in the Church diffusive yet they do all agree herein that this Infallibility is possessed by Original Grant made by Jesus Christ to one or other or all of them in the Person of the Holy Apostle Peter and doth descend by Ordination in a continual Succession not alienable This I doubt not will be allow'd to be the declar'd sentiments of some of that People in this point and which do abundantly differ from what hath been always professed by us herein which in Brief is to the following purpose viz. First We have constantly said that the Holy Spirit of God is Infallible and that through the Mediation and Intercession of our Lord Jesus Christ a Manifestation of this Infallible Holy Spirit is given to every Man to profit with Secondly We have constantly said that whoever is obedient to the Convictions and Leadings of this Infallible Holy Spirit as they are tendred to their Souls during the day of their Visitation shall thereby be Infallibly lead into all Truth necessary to Salvation both in Principle and in Practice for it doth not only Teach sound Doctrines but also teacheth to deny all ungodliness and hath no fellowship with the Vnfruitful Works of Darkness Thirdly We have constantly said that of such as through their working together with the Grace of God are thereby become Strong in the Lord Of these I say As Christ doth now Prepare Fit Furnish and Qualify with and by his Holy Spirit those whom
he makes Choise of to send forth and imploy in the work of the Ministry So they who are so sent forth have or may have if they diligently attend to the Voice of this Infallible Holy Spirit speaking in them a certain Infallible Knowledge and Assurance of the Truth of what they so deliver And they who hear have or may have if they duly attend to that measure or manifestation of this Infallible Holy Spirit which they have received a like certain Infallible Knowledge and Assurance of the Truth of what they hear But tho' they who so minister and they who so hear have or may have this Infallible Assistance Yet this Assistance continues no longer with any than they to whom it is so given do continue faithful to it and herein is one remarkable difference between the Law and the Gospel the Law in its Offices went by Succession to the several Ages of the People of the Jews and was not alienable from them but fulfill'd and so ended by Christ Thus the Office of the Priesthood descended in that Tribe in which it was appointed at the giving of the Law so that in the execution of their Office they had the benefit of the promises made to the Priesthood at that time tho' some of them were wicked Men an Instance whereof is John 11.51 in Caiphas of whom it is there said He spake not of himself but being High Priest that Year he prophesied But in the Gospel Dispensation it is not so the Gifts of the Holy Spirit not being limited either to Person or Office in the Church nor can Man witness any Union with it or infallible Assistance from it but through obedience to and perseverance both in the Principles which it teacheth and that Holiness of Life which it leads into This thus briefly stated will plainly and truly shew the Inquiring Reader the great difference between us and the Romanists in this great Article of Infallibility Ibid. p. 32. But the Simplicity of our Quakers has deprived them of every one of these helps The Quakers as I have now shewn have no need of those helps because their Simplicity is Godly Sincerity which had the Snake had he would not have bely'd us as he does in the following words Ibid. p. 32. For as they place Infallibility in every single Quaker so they confine it not to matters of Faith but extend it to all Persons and Things To know all Mens Hearts and all things in the World by their Inward Light without being told by any Which are Abominable Lyes and Slanders as will be further manifested in detecting his Perversions and other Abuses of those quotations which he makes from our Friends Books to prove this Assertion Under the second head the Snake makes divers quotations Ibid. p. 33. he quotes from Great Mystery this Objection of the Priest's That is another Error of the Quakers that say he who is not Infallible in his Judgment when he gives Counsel and Advice is no Minister of Christ. The Snake has fairly as above put the Objection but hath falsly quoted G. F's Answer which is truly thus Now he that is not Infallible in his Counsel and Judgment and Advice is not he in Error And are not the Ministers of Christ the Ministers of the Spirit And is not that out of the Error which is Infallible in Counsel and Judgment And are they Ministers of Christ that are fallible And is not the Power the Gospel Infallible Which is briefly thus The Ministers of Christ ministring from the Gospel the Power of God which is Infallible are in such their Ministry Infallible This every Eye not blinded with Prejudice and Envy may by the context perceive to be the sense of the place But this Adversary hath here given a fair mark of his Prejudice and Envy in that he would rather false quote G. F's words by leaving out sentences in the middle of the Quotation than by setting it fairly down let it speak for it self Which practice of the Snake is base and cowardly as well as unchristian He hath posted himself Knight Errant like to Demand Reparation in the name of the Church of England And from this assumed Post he descends to call G. F. Valpoon one of poor Vnderstanding c. yet meanly and in very poor Manner false quotes his Books that he may be sure of a Triumph plainly enough intimating that G. F's words are sound till he has mangled them and which being restored do plainly shew that the Infallibility of which G. F. speaks is that of the Holy Spirit from which Holy Spirit so far as any do Minister so far and no farther are they Infallible in their Ministry Ibid. p. 33. quoted from Great Mystery p. 89. They can discern who are Saints who are Devils and who Apostates without speaking ever a word Tho' the Snake injuriously stop here G. F. goes on and in his next words shews who they be that can do so They that be in the Power and the Life of Truth Which does very plainly shew that G. F. did not attribute this Knowledge or Discerning to the Quakers or any Man but to the Power and Life of Truth where it is manifested And if the Snake will take upon him in his own name or others to deny and disown that any of the Church of England have the word of God or Christ in their Hearts or will say that Christ is not Eternal Infallible and Able to Judge of Persons or things which is the Doctrine that he opposes let him do it in plain terms Ibid. p. 33. quoted from Great Mystery p. 96. Thou not being Infallible thou art not in the Spirit and so art not a Minister and art not able to Judge of Powers that is not Infallible nor Magistrates nor Kingdoms nor Churches Here as I have just now observed the Snake breaks off too soon having purposely left out the very next following words which are these For who is in the Infallible Spirit is in the Spirit that Christ was in c. which words do very fully shew wherein the Infallibility of the true Ministry does stand And do as fully shew the injustice of this Adversary in the curtailing of them Ibid. p. 34. Quoted from p. 7. of E. B's Preface to Great Mystery The Snake says That E. B. says this Infallible Spirit was given to every one and then thus quotes him To us says he every one of us in particular And this Light gave us between Truth and Error and between every false and right way and it perfectly discover'd to us the true state of all things The Snake in this Quotation has treacherously abused and mangled E. B's Words and perverted his Sense I will desire the Reader 's patience to read what I have transcribed from E. B. his clear sense and true Gospel Doctrine will I hope answer the pains thou shalt be at in doing it And for the detection of the Snake in this his nibling practice I will
of the Heart and Spirit this work the Law could not perform because as the Apostle says Heb. 7.19 The Law made nothing perfect Nor can Outward Water or Outward Bread and Wine That can only be done by the Inward Operation of the Spirit of God upon the Heart and Spirit This is that which is as useful and indispensable to Christians as the Outward Law was to the Outward Jew To which Outward Law Christ who was greater than Moses having put an end He hath established not another Outward Covenant but the Inward Dispensation of Grace and Truth which comes by Him Ibid. p. 171. Only let me tell the Quakers That their Objections which are answerd in that Treatise a piece writ by the Snake particularly upon this Subject are mostly the same which the Socinians have set up And let me tell the Snake that if the Socinians Arguments herein were sound and according to Scripture it can be no Objection to ours if they were not only mostly but altogether the same And it does not follow that they who err in some things are therefore right in nothing But if what the Snake tells us of our Arguments being mostly the same herein with those of the Socinians It will I hope be of as good purpose for me to tell the Snake that his Objections which are answered in this Treatise are mostly the same which the Romanists did make to the Reformation And then his Witty Remark may be of use to himself To see out of whose Quiver those Arrows came which he hath shot against us Ibid. p. 171. Thus the Socinians having thrown off or slighted the Sacraments have lost the true Faith in the Divinity of Iesus and have rejected him from being the Christ or Word of God which they say only dwelt in him or inspired him but was not Personally united to him Thus say the Quakers What the Socinians have thrown off and lost is not now my business to enquire But that the Quakers have not Thrown off or Lost the True Faith in Christ either as He is the Divine Word or as he was truly Man and dwelt on Earth I have already abundantly shewn in the Section foregoing wherein is particularly treated of and owned the Divinity and Incarnation of Jesus Christ. SECT XIII That Popish Emissaries did not first set up Quakerism in England as is said by the Snake THE Snake that he might be compleat in all the parts of his false and abusive Attempts against us having before by many ill practices in vain endeavoured to make us Heretical in points of Faith would here shew that our Original and Rise was from Popish Emissaries But in this I hope to shew his falsity and abuse as I have already done in those In order to which I desire my Reader to observe that the Snake's first Argument is drawn from the time of our Appearance which he makes to be about 1650. and 1654. And of these dates of time he says P. 187. Then it was that Rome was reaping a plentiful Harvest which they had long been sowing by setting up in that Universal Toleration Multitudes of Various Sects on purpose to Divide and so Confound their only Substantial Adversary the Church of England And here let it be observed that he imposes upon his Reader and would have it taken for granted upon his bare Word that about them Years there was a Vniversal Toleration and that during that time of Toleration there were by Romish Emissaries set up Multitudes of Various Sects Neither of which is true in Fact but contrary to the Faith of the History of them times and also to the Experience of many who are yet living who were eye witnesses of the Transactions of them and some who were Sufferers in them But first to the Toleration which the Snake calls Vniversal I doubt not but upon second thoughts the Snake will allow that at that time the Church of England was in Exile so that it was not Vniversal And as to the Quakers then Beginning they were not included in the Vniversal Toleration As our Testimonies easy to be produced of Imprisonments Blows Fines c. which our then few Friends suffered and underwent can testify These Instances I give to which others it's like may add more to shew that there was no such thing as a Vniversal Toleration Now to his Multitudes of various Sects which he says were then set up It is only a Romantick Story of his own Brain which has no truth in it For should it be supposed that there were in them Years People gathered into Religious Societies under Twelve distinct Denominations tho' I know not of one quarter that number What Multitudes can Twelve be called It may be he may say that Multitudes is an Hyperbole And indeed so it is for it so far beyond Truth that the Expression has nothing of Truth in it And now having briefly hinted at his falsity both with respect to his Toleration and Multitudes I shall proceed to shew That had there then been that Vniversal Toleration and such Multitudes of various Sects as the Snake hath falsly alledged Yet it doth not follow that these Multitudes or various Sects were set up by Rome Because there were various Dissents from the Church of England even from the first Reformation And it was objected to Her by the Author of an Apology for the English Seminaries Printed 1581. That there was Contention and Dissention among themselves This was not in 1650. but in 1581. at such time that if there was not Vnviersal Toleration yet the Church at least was Tolerated and who sowed the Dissentions then And if the Snake will not be angry with me as he is with Josiah Cole p. 189. for Reprinting something of a Papist's which he calls a Sensless and Bitter Libel though it is his practice often to repeat part of our Adversaries Bitter and Sensless Libels against us for which it may be he would have us thank him I will briefly quote that Apology Printed 1581. p. 60. His words are these We charge them with rebelling against Christ's Church Laws and Ordinances with disobedience to their Lawful Pastors with contempt of Holy Councils Fathers and Doctors with falsifying corrupting denying divers Books and Places of Holy Scripture With Contention and Dissention among themselves Disturbances of Kingdoms and Countries desire of Liberty and Novelty in-constant and daily change of their Opinions Presumptuous Arrogance and Vaunting of their Knowledge above all Antiquity with Singularity Sacriledge Apostacy c. Thus he And now what Reader but would take this to be the Snake's Declamation against the Quakers were it not for its Title and Date of Print And that we know it to have been a Papist's Declamation against the Church of England So like the Snake it is that to use his words we see out of whose quiver his Arrows came But as we have now to this Snake's so the Church of England did to this and such like Charges of
he has left us to guess who set it up in England For he having enumerated some Instances in which Enthusiasm is owned in the Liturgy and Offices of the Church Does declare p. 317. There is not one Book of Devotion used among us that does not tell us the same What Same Why the same Enthusiasm or Inspiration p. 119. Full as much as any sober Quaker can mean by the Light within Now if this same Enthusiasm came chiefly from Rome and Labade a Jesuit set it up in Holland he will be yet more particular if he can help us to his Name and Character who set it up in England But the Snake says R. B. was tinctur'd with it in his younger Years in the Stotch Convent at Paris What it was R. B. tinctured with If with the same Enthusiasm that he says is allow'd and own'd in the Church full as much as any sober Quaker can mean by the Light within Can there be any fault in that And that it was not the same Enthusiasm he has no where prov'd nor attempted to do it no more than he has attempted to prove that it was the same Enthusiasm with which R. B. as he says was tinctur'd and which Labade set up in Holland But the Snake's Argument has yet another Branch to shew that Popish Emissaries set up Quakerism c. viz. John Vaughton and William Southby formerly Roman Catholicks are now Preachers one in London the other in Pensilvania Therefore c. Reader It may be worth thy while a little to consider the unconcluding Rodomantade of this our Adversary in this point Enthusiasm came chiefly from Rome Labade a Jesuit set it up in Holland Therefore Popish Emissaries first set it up in England Robert Barclay when Young was at the Scotch Convent in Paris J. Vaughton and W. Southby were formerly Roman Catholicks tho' neither of them were more than Infants if born when Quakers first appear'd in England yet he will have it hence follow that Popish Emissaries first set up Quakerism in England Besides that his reasoning is false I take it to be foolish for if all the Religious Societies of Men in England who have in their Communion Persons formerly Roman Catholicks were set up by Popish Emissaries it will be harder for the Snake to shew which of them Popish Emissaries did not set up than which they did because there is hardly any Community in which there is not one or more who have formerly been Roman Catholicks And to carry his Folly to its full length he might with as great force of concluding say That the Quakers set up the Church of England for Francis Bugg formerly a Quaker is now a Member of that Church Ibid. p. 188. But God has punished them by sending the same Spirit among themselves and has made a Great Fraction in the Church of Rome Here is a Soloecism could Rome dress Enthusiasm in several Shapes and set it up in Holland before they had it among themselves I think they could not But as much a Novelty as the Snake would insinuate Fraction to be in the Church of Rome If he will rub his Eyes and look upon the Church of England's Apology afore quoted p. 21. Art 50. He will find her there to object against the Romanists Vix enim unquam inter se conveniunt nisi forté ut olim Pharisaei Sadducaei aut Herodes PÃlatus contra Christum They scarce ever agree among themselves unless perchance as the Pharisees and Sadduces or as Herod and Pilate against Christ. This Character was given by at least as good an Authority as is the Snake's and that long before Robert Barclay was at Paris or John Vaughton and William Southby were Preachers nay indeed many years before they were born Ibid. p. 188. The Quaker-Infallibility was contrived on purpose to bring Men back to the Infallibility of the Church of Rome It is both false and impossible that there should have been any such contrivance because they stand in direct opposition to each other For that Infallible assistance of the Holy Spirit of which we speak we say continues not with any Man or Men longer than they continue subject and in obedience to the workings of it But the Infallibility to which Rome pretends is from the Person of the Holy Apostle Peter by a Continual Succession or by Ordination not Qualification not alienable from the Church Concerning which I have more largely spoken in the Section particularly treating of Infallibility Ibid. p. 188. First the Infallibility was placed by G. Fox and all the Primitive Quakers in every single Quaker And all the Modern Quakers do continue to say with the Primitive ones that not only every single Quaker but every single and individual Person hath given him from Christ a manifestation of his Grace Light or Holy Spirit to which as People come to be obedient it will infallibly guide them into all Truth in all those things that pertain to Salvation Redemption and Eternal Life This tho' the Snake in his profane manner calls a Ridiculous pretence yet it is a Gospel Truth and will continue when his Profane and Ridiculous Attempts against it shall vanish Ibid. p. 188. And now there is but one step behind and that is to dispute the Infallibility betwixt the Two Churches that of Rome and that of the Quakers Yes there is one step more behind and that is the Infallibility of the Snake which is also to be disputed For it cannot be doubted but he too set up for Infallible certainty because of the frequent great assurance with which he delivers himself in Matters utterly false If the Snake had not an Infallible certainty that what he calls the Qua-Quaker-Infallibility was contriv'd on purpose to bring back Men to the Infallibility of the Church of Rome and that it was impossible it should be so contriv'd I have shewn what confidence must it be in him to affirm that to another of which he hath no such certainty himself Ibid. p. 188. And the Issue of this who does not see when their Succession and other Marks of the True Church come to be compared together The Issue may with more certainty be seen when the Dispute is ended and the Comparison made Tho' for the present I can see that if the Snake be the Manager Rome will not lose in any Question with any Protestant Dissenters whatsoever Ibid. p. 189. Of all the Dissenters now in England the Quakers have come nearest to the Church of Rome They only have taken the pretence of Infallibility unless they will bring in Muggleton for a Third Man none other except Papists and Quakers do set up for it Neither any of the Dissenters nor the Church of England do hold more Negatives in Doctrine to Rome than do the Quakers for we do not only hold all the Negatives which any of them do hold but also more And in the Doctrine of Infallibility as held by Rome there is not any manner of
agreement or likeness to Her in our Sense and Declaration thereof as I have already largely shewn Sect. 5. foregoing to which it is unnecessary to add more for the conviction of him whose Character is in nothing so eminent as in a Dogmatical Falshood of which a Notorious Instance now next follows Ibid. p. 189. The Snake doth implicitly charge Josiah Cole with Reprinting and Publishing with great Approbation a most violent Invective of the Church of Rome against the Protestants and chiefly against the Church of England in a piece of his Entituled The Whore Vnvailed Now Reader for thy more particular Information and the discovery of the Hypocrisie and Falshood of the Snake herein I shall acquaint thee That there was a Book Writ and Subscribed A. S. a Roman Catholick against the Church of England and other Potestants among which by the way the Quakers were included which he Entituled The Reconciler of Religions or a Decider of all Controversies in Matters of Faith In which Book there was divers Reflections upon our Principles as well as upon others who he pretended to Reconcile Josiah Cole writ an Answer to it which he Entituled The Whore Vnvailed or The Mystery of the Deceit of the Church of Rome Revealed By this Title it should not seem to be Repinted by J. C. with Great Approbation nor indeed was it For Josiah Cole as he quotes several parts of it he subjoins his own Answer detecting the Deceit of its Author A. S. very particularly And there being in this Book of A. S's a part which he made his 14th Chapter that did more particularly reflect upon and relate to those who in the Title of his Chapter he calls Protestant or Sectarian Ministers charging them not to be true Preachers or sent by God Josiah Cole with intent that the Persons charged might answer that which related to themselves does put it at the end of his Book and declares concerning it in his Title Page I thought meet to publish this herewith that the Sectarians or Episcoparians may answer for themselves This Reader is the Reality of that Business of which the Snake with so great Confidence and Falshood grounds that manifest Slander of his in saying The Quakers have more barefac'd than any openly sided with the Papists against the Protestants And I defy the Snake to produce any one piece written about that time which J. C's was that does more particularly detect and lay open the Deceit and Falshood of the Romanists than that of J. C's does So little reason had this Snake falsly as he does to bring in J. C. saying this Charge viz. the 14th Chapter against their Bibles and Ministers whose Cause says he I am not engaged in When J. C. hath no where said that he was not engaged in the Cause of the Bible But said he was not engaged in the Cause of them who A. S. had called Sectarian Ministers This briefly is the true state of that Matter on which the Snake makes near two pages of most false and scandalous Insinuations and Charges Ibid. p. 190. They have exceeded them in every thing and improv'd the Errors which they had learn'd from them Here the Snake will have the Quakers exceed the Romanists and that they have improv'd their Error even in a Question which himself determines p. 32. that our simplicity has depriv'd us of every one of these helps which the Romanists have But we having been from p. 32 to p. 190. under the Snakes hand it is no wonder if his Viparous Fancy having formed a Monster at first that he should think the proportions encreas'd Ibid. p. 190. G. W. asserts that the Righteousness which God affects in us is not Finite but Infinite Voice of Wisdom p. 36. And the reason which the Snake has left out is this For Christ is God's Righteousness and Christ is formed in us Gal. 4.19 and so that Righteousness which God works in us by his Spirit it 's of the same kind and nature with that which worketh it for the Saints are made partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 Ibid. p. 191. But if you will ask how could Infinite Righteousness fall G. Fox will answer you who wrote That he was beyond the state of the first Adam that Fell in the state of the second Adam that never Fell. But where G. Fox hath so writ the Snake tells not yet if he hath so writ what is it more than the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.22 45. hath said concerning our Death by Sin through the first Adam and our Regeneration through obedience to the Quickning Spirit the second Adam the Lord from Heaven And they who through the Operation of his Quickning Spirit have witnessed a being regenerated and born again may truly say that they are beyond the state of the first Adam that Fell. Ibid. p. 191. And in a Printed General Epistle of his to the Quakers which I have now here before me he says Who hath any thing against my way who never fell nor changed And he concludes This is the word of the Lord God to you all and spread this abroad The truth of the words is not less General than the Epistle for it is a General and a Standing Truth that the second Adam that never Fell Jesus Christ the Just Man's Path is the Everlasting Way to the Father which did never Fall nor never Change Therefore G. Fox might well ask who hath any thing against this Way And the Word and Command of the Lord through all Generations by his Servants hath been to call People to walk in this Way But that I may not forget I would now ask for that Answer which the Snake hath just now said G. Fox will give to the Question How could Infinite Righteousness Fall The Snake was willing to start some strange thing but not being then furnish'd with a seemingly probable Lie or forgetting to add such an one he hath omitted to say any thing which he calls G. F's Answer to that Question But the Snake is not more forgetful in this than he was in adapting the Matter treated of in this Section to the Title of it The Title he gives it is That Popish Emissaries set up Quakerism in England And to prove his Title he brings in G. F. saying That he was beyond the State of the first Adam that fell in the state of the second Adam that never fell That is He was born again by the Operation of the Quickning Spirit of Christ Jesus our Lord. See Reader How far this proves that Popish Emissaries set up Quakerism in England If this Argument be insufficient he hath others of like sort of which one is That G. Fox hath said of Jesus Christ his Way Who hath any thing against my Way who never fell nor changed A fine Argument that Popish Emissaries set up Quakerism in England He hath also given a Quotation from G. W's Voice of Wisdom p. 36. That the Righteousness which God effects in us is
not Finite but Infinite And this is another proof much to the same purpose that is to no purpose of answering the Title and for any relation the Section has to it he might have Entituled it a Relation of his Escape from the Messenger at Billinsgate or a Relation of his being seized by him at Lidd in Kent or any thing else in the World which had no Relation to the Matter treated of The Snake next makes a Quotation from the Spirit of the Hat concerning G. F's Marriage and says That G. F. did say concerning his Wife then somewhat in years She must not be Barren but wou'd as Sarah bring Forth an Isaac in her Old Age. To which I first answer that that Book from from whence the Snake quotes as above hath been many years since answer'd But in this the Snake is here silent that he might evade to reply to it And I might after his Example be as silent to his Objections from the Spirit of the Hat as he is to the Answer in the Books Spirit of Alexander the Copper Smith and Judas and the Jews But for the Readers satifaction I shall further answer and say that upon inquiry of those who are most likely to know whether G. F. did say so or not such as his Widow and other Relations I am assured by them and they do say it is utterly false But the Snake to corroborate one Lie he adds another and says that She Margaret Fox growing big p. 192. The Midwife attended several Weeks in the House till Belly fell the Figure was spoiled and the Quakers disappointed of their Isaac That Margaret Fox when in years beyond the ordinary time of Child-bearing should grow big as if with Child is nothing strange nor singular for that the like doth often happen by means of Flatulencies and Humours collected in the Abdomen which in their beginnings and progress sometimes both the Party affected and the Physician have been in doubt to determine and instances of these Kinds are frequently met with in the Writings of Physicians So that it is foolish as well as false to make any such mistake a Legendary Story as it is also false where he says a Midwife attended several Weeks because there was no such thing Ibid. p. 192. This their presumptuous pretence to Miracles and Foolish Legends is another instance wherein they have imitated and outstript the Roman Catholicks This the Snake's great impudence in calling the mistake of a Woman concerning her Pregnancy in which Questions many Women and also Physicians have been mistaken a presumptuous pretence to Miracles and Foolish Legends is another instance of his Malice or Folly For could he enumerate Ten Thousand such mistakes of Women amongst us would this be good proof that we have imitated or outstript the Roman Catholicks in Miracles and Legends I think it would not For besides the many Legendary Volumes which the Romanists have and which were calculated for to feed their Superstition of which we have none should it be allowed that the mistakes of Women in this Question is a pertinent instance May it not naturally follow that that Communion or Society in which are the most Women may not be likely to have the most of these Miracles and Foolish Legends And if so it may then behove the Snake to clear the Communion in which he pretends Membership from such like Presumptuous Pretences SECT XIV Shewing that We do not Damn all the Christian World but our Selves THE Uncharitableness of them Principles which Reprobate and Damn all besides their Professors must needs be very Obvious both in their own Declaration and also in the Lives and Practices of their Professors as influenced by them and need not the wiredrawing of strain'd and perverse Constructions to prove it Because at first sight it appears in the very Complexion and Tendency of them But the Principles and Doctrines which are believed and taught by us have a direct opposition in their Declaration and are of quite another tendency and purport than that Damning of which the Snake speaks For as opposite as Salvation is to Damnation so opposite is that our Known Principle of free and universal Grace to that of Damning all but our selves And to as many as have read our Books or shall hereafter be incited to read them they know and will find that it is and hath been by us constantly declared that the Saving Grace of God doth appear unto all Men affording them a day of Visitation wherein through obedience to the Drawings of the Spirit of Grace upon their Hearts they may escape Damnation And the Work of our Ministry hath been to call Men into obedience to this Grace and Spirit of God declaring to them that if the Day of their Visitation and the tenders of the Love of God through the Spirit of his Son shall come to an end through their Impenitency that then they will have cause to say with them whom the Prophet Personates The Summer is ended and we are not saved But this Principle of free Grace and this Work and Labour of our Ministry to call into Obedience to it concludes not that we Damn them who fall short through Disobedience any more than Moses the Prophets our Lord Jesus and his Apostles could be said to Damn the People to whom they declared their Iniquities and the consequents of their Impenitent abiding in them which was That they should Perish and be Cut off in their Sins And as this is the Doctrine which hath from the first been Believed Preached and Writ by us so our Conversations and Practice Influenced by this Principle hath been agreeable to it And I do appeal to all who have Knowledge and Acquaintance with us whether they have not found us constantly declaring and shewing forth great good will to their Welfare and to our Power promoting it and often Warning and Admonishing against those things that might hinder it Nay the Snake himself is so far Evidence against himself that he hath declared He never received in all his whole Life any sort of Disobligation from any of us But it would have been a Disobligation in some sort if the Quakers with whom he hath convers'd had told him he was Damn'd On the contrary he testifies of the Generality that they are Honest and well Meaning Is it any good meaning to Damn all but our selves I think there is not much in it And I see not how the Snake can reconcile that Character to the Title of this Section I say the Title because this Section in the Body of it does no more answer its Title in the matter charged in it than the last Section did Ibid. p. 192. Having equall'd themselves to Adam in his Innocency as above is shewn they must needs prefer themselves to all since the Fall But if this were true which I shall shew it is not must they therefore needs Damn all since the Fall What the Snake by his Title was to speak to
there wants not Examples of the like practice in the Reformation I will content my self to instance but in two Martin Luther and William Fulk who for the sharpness of their Style hardly come behind any Martin Luther being called before the Emperor Charles the Fifth to answer for his Books Having divided them into Three Sorts one of which was those he had sharply written refused though upon deliberation given him to retract or unsay any word therein as we read in Sleidan Yea he defends his Eagerness as being of an Ardent Spirit and one who could not write a dull Style and affirm'd he thought it God's Will to have the Inventions of Men thus laid open seeing that Matters quietly handled are quickly forgot Milton's Apology p. 24 25. And William Fulk comes not much short of him herein for it being objected to him that he had ill treated Allen Stapleton Martial Staphylus and Bristow who were Papists he defends the Treatment and further says I call not only Martial but all Papists shameless Dogs and Blasphemous Idolaters who maintain and make Vows to Images which travel to them and offer up both Prayers and Sacrifices of Candles Mony Jewels and other things Fulk 's Confutation of the Papists Quarrels p. 9. printed at the end of his Edition of the New Testament 1633. And upon a search neither strict nor tedious it were easie to heap up Instances of this sort which as I am not inclin'd to do so neither would I have mentioned these had not the meer necessity of Teaching this Adversary the practice of such whom that Church will own to which he is a Pretender But now this Snake who denies the soundness of such reproof as I have before shewn from Scripture and from the Reformation and will needs have it proceed from a Spirit Venemous and Nasty and that it is the effect of Fury Spight and Envy and proceeds from the wicked and hateful Ebullitions of a Distorted Soul May yet nay doubtless is when speaking of himself be in the right For it is not impossible but he may know what Distortion of Soul what wicked and hateful Ebullitions they were in him From whence proceeded his Fury Spight and Envy in the several Appearances which it has made against the Government against Vs and against Others It was a Venemous Libel which was writ in Answer to Dr. King now Bishop of London-Derry in Ireland It savour'd of no small Envy to endeavour to run over to our Enemies nor did it savour of less Nastiness to run away from the Messenger who by the force of some Sweet and Kind Expressions which were the Covers of Hypocrisie in the Snake was prevail'd upon to let him go and ease himself upon the occasion of a Violent Loosness which in Jesuitical manner he had before told the Messenger He feared would carry him off The Officer not mistrusting the meaning of the words carry him off had no fear upon him from them till it was too late and had found that his pretences to a Violent Loosness and which received some colour from the fear he was in had afforded him an opportunity which had indeed carried him off And now for the Libel The Snake in the Grass O! The Fury Spite and Envy which his Love and Good Nature or rather Wicked and Hateful Ebullition of his Distorted Soul hath vented as Valpoon Fool Blockhead Monster Deluded Wretch George Magus and G. W's plain words he calls Rank Sophistry Equivocation Jesuitical Confession Diabolical Suggestion and of all that differs from him he says they are like the Spawn of the Viper and that the Devil enter'd into the Herd of our Swine the Beasts of the People These are a few of the many Instances which this Libel affords which whether they are Kind and Sweet Expressions natural to Love and good Nature or Furious Spiteful Envious and Grating vented from the Wicked and Hateful Ebullitions of a Distorted Soul Let the Impartial Reader Judge But notwithstanding this his practice he objects to G. F. p. 199. That he calls William Thomas a false Prophet and that he said to Christopher Wade The Devil was in thee And of this what greater Proof need any Man give than false Doctrine and Lyes which G. F. hath shewn they had uttered Ibid. p. 299. You be in the Diabolical Devilish says he to some Priests in the Bishopwrick But the Snake has not told the Reader that the words Diabolical Devilish were not G. F's but the Priest's and G. F. did only shew that they themselves were in that which they had said the Quakers were in Is there no Venom in Diabolical Devilish when spoke first by Priests And yet much Venom when their own words are justly returned to them Ibid. p. 200. The Snake does from an Adversaries Book take upon trust a great many names which he gives without further Proof or attempting to shew that they are the words of our Friends or that if they were they were improper as spoken No that would have been a difficult task But it is easier for him to pronounce like one of Liberal Education Much of this is owing to the mean Education of these Scribes which furnished them with such Mechanick Ribaldry and Billingsgate And why owing to that Pray don't beg the Question since I have shewn before that sharp and severe Expressions have been the Immediate Dictate of the Spirit of God And that some not of meaner Education than possibly the Snake have used the like If they were proper as it may be the Snake will grant because properly applyed these may be so too if the Snake cannot shew that they were improperly apply'd let the Education of the Speakers be what it will Ibid. p. 202. You have seen the Venom Fury and Nonsense of this Quaker-Spirit c. And why pray the Venom Fury and Nonsense Names are no Proof and other than Names the Snake has not given Ibid. p. 202. That it may appear Vniform and all of a piece After all the Deformity and Distortion which the Snake from a likeness of it to his own Mind and Soul shall endeavour falsly to fix upon our Principles they will still when set in their true Light have a perfect Symetry and Proportion of Parts and agreement to the Truths recorded in Holy Writ Ibid. p. 202. These and such like were sent to John Wiggans from the Quakers in Letters open c. A good token there was nothing sent but what was true and if true A good means to have Truth Published and if read by others as the Snake says it was no hurt while Truth That which would have been of great Moment if I may inform the Snake after a Collection of these Characters Descriptions or Epithets given in these Letters said to be sent to John Wiggans would have been to have shewn that they had been Falsly and Nonsensically given but of this not one Syllable Ibid. p. 202. And this shews the true Picture of the
it How can they who read and believe that saying of Christ Mat. 16.18 The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against his Church believe that Church to be His whose Total Ruine wou'd follow if Tythes were taken way Now least the Snake should glide away and make his Escape through the words in his Parenthesis as they suppose which I suppose he left for a starting hole Pretending that it is only a Supposition of the Quakers that if the Clergy be depriv'd of their Subsistence Tythes they would sink of Course and so the Total Ruine of the Church wou'd follow It will be convenient to remember That one of the Clergy in a Book writ on purpose in Defence of Tythes Entituled The Right of Tythes Asserted c. p. 13. compares Tythes to the Oyl that nourishes the Lamp without which the Lamp would not burn nor give any Light at all and comparing the Priests to an Army says Because they dare not engage this Army they attempt to force them to disband for want of Pay And p. 15. From a saying of Tacitus concerning the State which he says May be applied to the Church in this Case viz. There can be no Quiet to the Nations without Soldiers no Soldiers without Pay nor no Pay without Tribute on which therefore the Common Safety doth depend He infers Even so no Peace in the Church without Ministers no Ministers without Maintenance nor no Maintenance without these Publick Contributions namely Tythes on which therefore the safety of Religion doth depend I hope the Reader will here consider that it is not as they the Quakers suppose but as they the Clergy suppose that the Total Ruin of the Church would follow as also I wou'd desire my Reader to consider what Religion what Church what Clergy that is that doth so depend on Tythes that if Tythes were taken away these must sink in Course Ibid. p. 245. And this R. Barclay does not conceal That Antichristian Apostatiz'd Generation says he the National Ministry have receiv'd a Deadly Blow by our Witness against their forc'd Maintenance and Tythes So that their Kingdom in the Hearts of Thousands begins to Totter and shall assuredly fall to the Ground Anarchy c. p. 41. Printed 1676. This is a Truth which it was not proper to Conceal for it is fit their Kingdom in the Hearts of People should fall because they have but usurped it they have no Right to have a Kingdom in the Hearts of People and the Reason why it Totters and why it and they will fall is because they are not built upon the Rock Christ Jesus but depend upon a forc'd Maintenance by Tythes of which if they be depriv'd the Clergy will it seems sink in Course Ibid. But what if the Light within some Quakers should allow them to pay Tythes and think they ought in Conscience to do it as being Legally Established c. Whether Tythes be Legally Established is neither my business nor purpose here to discuss but supposing them to be Legally Established is a Legal Establishment by Civil or Human Authority a Bond to bind Conscience in things relating to Religion and the Worship of God Time was when the Sacrament of the Altar Auricular Confession the Caelibate or single Life of Priests and the rest of the Six Articles were in this Nation Legally Established Did that Establishment bind the Conscience to the performance of those things Unhappy Martyrs then who gave their Bodies to be burnt rather than they wou'd comply with those things tho' so Established Legal Establishments are of equal force in one Country as in another Are not these Six Articles not only practised by the Popish Party but reputed to be legally established in Popish Countries and vigorously impos'd and press'd in some particularly in France Are the Poor Protestants there to be Condemned as acting against Conscience while they have suffered such Ravages and Inhumane Cruelties for not complying with those things which are there Legally Established Who but a Snake wou'd thus hiss at them in his envy against Us But says he if the Light within some Quakers should allow them to pay Tythes Wou'd the Quaker Rulers allow them Liberty of Conscience and give them leave to follow their Light within The words Quaker Rulers as scoffingly used by him I reject and know of no such that the Light within ought to be the Rule for every one to walk by I assert But it is not impossible for some who may pretend to walk by it to put Darkness for Light and take that to be the Allowance of the Light to them especially in a case where either advantage or danger outwardly is likely to follow which is contrary to the Light This is not to be wondred at especially by them who call the Scriptures their Rule of Faith and Manners since there is hardly any thing more common nor more evident than that some in all Communions of them do think and are persuaded that according to the Scriptures they ought to believe and practise such things and after such manner as others not only of other Communions owning the same Rule but those of the same Communion with themselves deny to be the meaning of that Rule and oppose or condemn them for If a Bishop or other Clergy-man of the Church of England or any Minister or Member of any other Religious Society should so far mistake himself as to think the Scriptures which he takes for his Rule does allow not to say require him to say Mass to pray to Saints departed or other distinguishing Doctrines of Popery or to practise any abrogated Jewish Rite as Circumcision or the like wou'd the Church of England or any of the other Communions allow such an one the Liberty of his Conscience therein and give him leave to follow that which he says is the sense of the Scripture and yet continue to be of the Clergy of the Church of England or a Minister or Member in those other Communions If not but that they wou'd as they ought disown or deny such a one to be of them let not them condemn themselves in condemning us who have done no more as we ought not to have done less This I judge sufficient answer to his Idle Cavil about T. Crisp and other Apostates from us whose pretence to an allowance from the Light within to act those things which are contrary to the General direction and Testimony of the Light within has been fully laid open in several printed Treatises The Snake to swell his Libel not strengthen his Argument here brings in two Quotations from G. Fox and R. Hubberthorn nor relating to Tythes to which I need say little being already before answered and therefore shall here only add to what is already said that if he intend hereby to deny the Hypothesis only That any of our Writings are given forth by the same Spirit by which the Holy Scriptures were given forth I am content to leave it to the Witness
it is not unfitly inquired c. I shall next Instance Peter Martyr of great Note in the Reformation who in his Common Places Clas 4. l. 13. De Magistratu § 18. says Primum debemus Intelligere Decimas olim pertinuisse ad Ceremonias idque tam in Melchisedech quam in Levitis i. e. First we ought to understand that Tythes did of old belong to Ceremonies and that as well in Melchisedec as in the Levites Then having shew'd how and wherein Tythes were Typical and having also declared that the Ministers now do not receive Tythes by the Ceremonial Law but upon a Moral Account as a Compensation for work he says Proinde Ministris sive persolvantur ex agris sive ex aedibus sive pecunia numerata sive in Decimis nil refert Modo non sordide sed honeste sustententur i. e. Therefore whether their Wages or Maintenance be paid out of the Feilds or out of the Houses or in ready Mony or in Tythes it is all one to the Ministers so they be maintained creditably not meanly To this he adds Retinent quidem alicubi Mercedes istae vetus nomen Decimarum in multis autem Locis non appellantur Decime sed Stipendia Salaria Et sane potius revera sunt Mercedes quae Laboribus Ministrorum debentur quam Decime i. e. In some Places those Wages retain the old Name of Tythes but in many Places they are not called Tythes but Stipends and Salaries And truly they are in reality rather Wages which are due for the Ministers Labours than Tythes Of all which this appears to be the Sum Peter Martyr tho' he thought Ministers Maintenance might be given them in that Proportion of a Tenth Yet he positively concludes Tythes as Tythes and in their own Nature to be a part of the Ceremonial Law abrogated by Christ. The third Witness from abroad which I shall bring is Zanchius Tom. 4. l. 1. c. 116. De Cultu Dei Externo Where distinguishing between the Quota and the Alliquota of Maintenance between Maintenance in General and Maintenance particularly by Tythes c. He says Considerari enim possunt omnes illae Leges de Primitiis Decimis Votis bifariam quoad Substantiam Accidentiam seu Circumstantias Ad Substantiam quod attinet ad nos etiam pertinent Nam summa finis illarum Legum haec erat ut Populus Gratitudinem suam erga Deum harum rerum Oblationibus declararet idque in utilitatem Ecclesiae Ministerii silicet Ecclesiastici Ministrorum Pauperum quemadmodum jam ex Legibus ipsis ostendimus Annon autem Lege Naturae jubeamur idem facere Ut Ministri sustententur sumptibus fidelium Ecclesiae demonstrat Apostolus non solum ex Lege Mosis sed etiam ex Lege Naturae Ut Viduae alantur Pauperes Perigrini passim Docetur in Novo etiam Testamento Nec minus liquet ex iisdem Libris conservandum esse totum Ministerium Ecclesiasticum Quomodo autem ista fiant Contributione bonorum sive sub nomine Primitiarum sive Decimarum sive Votorum sive alio nil refert Ergo ad Substantiam quod attinet finem harum Legum de Primitiis Decimis Votis illae Leges tanquam naturales at nos etiam pertinent i. e. All these Laws concerning First-Fruits Tythes and Vows may be considered in a twofold respect as to the Substance and as to the Accidents or Circumstances As far as concerns the Substance they belong to us also For the sum and end of those Laws was this That the People might declare their thankfulness to God by the offering of these things and that for the profit of the Church that is of the Ecclesiastical Ministry the Ministers and the Poor as we have now shewed out of the Laws themselves And are we not commanded by the Law of Nature to do the same That the Ministers should be sustain'd at the Costs of the Faithful Members of the Church the Apostle demonstrates not only from the Law of Moses but from the Law of Nature also that the Widows the Poor and the Strangers should be maintain'd is frequently Taught in the New Testament too And as clear it is from the same Books that the whole Ministry of the Church ought to be kept but how shall all this be done By a Contribution of Goods whether under the Name of First-Fruits or of Tythes or of Vows or under any other name it matters not Therefore as to what concerns the Substance and End of these Laws of First-Fruits Tythes and Vows those Laws as Natural belongs also to us Thus Zanchius who in all this pleads only from the Equity of the Law for a Sufficient Maintenance to the Ministers from the Faithful of the Church And of what Nature he accounts Tythes may be easily seen by his coupling them with First-Fruits and Vows which none I think doubt to have belong'd to the Ceremonial Law But if any shall yet suppose that he did not suppose Tythes to be part of the Ceremonial Law he puts it beyond doubt that he did so esteem them For he says At vero Circumstantiae considerentur illarum Legum Leges illae nihil ad nos ut qui Legibus Ceremonialibus Politiis istius Populi non Sumus Subjecti i. e. But if the Circumstances of of those Laws be considered those Laws do not at all belong to us who are not Subject to the Ceremonial and Political Laws of that People And treating further upon the same subject p. 485. he saith De Decimis etiam solvendis Mandatum certum est fuisse abrogatum per Christum i. e. Certain it is that the Law concerning the paying of Tythes also was abrogated by Christ. This with more to the same purpose the Inquiring Reader may find in him and which I omit not being willing to be too prolix And besides the Testimonies above cited I could also add from Oecolampadius on Ezek. 44. from Melancton De Libertate Christianae with others whose joynt Testimonies do overthrow the false and bold Assertion of this Snake who is so remarkably Eminent in a Confident Assurance as to say of Tythes They are no part of the Typical or Ceremonial Law And tho' to the knowing Reader it might seem superfluous to bring witnesses further to prove Tythes a part of the Ceremonial Law Yet I shall take leave to add one witness more if not for his Information in so known and received a Truth yet for the more full detecting of this our Adversary This Witness is the Snake against the Snake who in p. 267. says expresly They were part of the Offerings to God under the Law for which he cites Numb 18.24 as I have observ'd p. 403 404 405. Where they are indeed call'd an Offering and an Heave-Offering unto the Lord the words of that Textare But the Tythes of the Children of Israel which they offer an Heave-offering unto the Lord I have given to the Levites to inherit
the Socinians I do still confess That as the Reasonable Soul and Body is One Man so He that is God and Man is One Christ. And whether this will give Satisfaction to an Implacable Adversary or no I value not knowing my Conscience Clear in the Sight of Him who Judgeth Righteously which I am sure this my Unjust Judge and False Accuser is not who presently after he has stiled me Honest George unjustly Brands me with Infamy as Sophistry Delusion Depths of Satan Mystery of Iniquity Equivocation Jesuitical Confession c. Oh! Rank Malice Bitter Envy c. As for my Confession in the 7th Art alledged against me it stands good and true viz. We own no such saying as that the Holy Doctrine or Divine Precepts of Scripture is either Dust Death or the Serpent's Meat but truly profitable to us by the Assistance of God's Holy Spirit given to us c. And this was in direct Opposition to F. Bugg's saying These Quakers who pretend to own the Precepts and Doctrine of the Bible to be Holy and Blessed yet say 't is Dust and Death the Serpent's Meat c. Apol. Introd p. 18. to his New Rome We do not believe any of these Quakers ever so said of the Precepts and Doctrine nor do they own any such Saying I wholly disown it But then to beg the Question What was it you called Dust and Serpents Meat Was it nothing else but the Ink and Paper Did any Body ever say That these were not Dust Or Is that any part of the Controversie betwixt us Snake p. 177. Here he yields the Point he grants the Ink and Paper to be Dust. I said Will decay and turn to Dust but so will not the Word the Gospel nor the Holy Doctrine contain'd in Scripture And it has been confess'd by F. B. and others That Holiness is not ascrib'd to the Paper and Ink or Inky Characters that will decay but to the Holy Doctrine and Precepts which will not decay but be permanent and endure and therefore are called the Holy Scriptures with respect to the Holy Matters therein contained That the Books and Writings in Ink and Paper will wear out so will not the Word is evident Jehoiakim King of Judah could burn Jeremiah the Prophet's Roll or Book writ with â—nk by Baruch but not the Word of the Lord nor properly the Words thereof for the same Word caused all the former Words to be written again after the Roll was burnt Jer. 36. If then the Books the Paper and Ink be combustible or will decay and turn to Dust but not the Word nor the Doctrine where 's then the Controversie indeed when the same thing is granted on both sides He quotes Gr. Myst. p. 302. as saying Paper and Ink is not Infallible that will come to Dust unto which the Word Christ and the Spirit is preferred in the same place quoted And in the said Gr. Myst. p. 78. by Letter he there means Paper and Ink but the Scripture the thing it speaks of is Spiritual the Word is Spirit And further p. 127. the Scripture or Writing it self without the Spirit that gave it forth is a dead Letter in it self The Spirit is that that gave forth the Scriptures For my part as I am not in the least conscious to my self of the least Contempt of Holy Scripture nor yet of the Bible for I have always preferr'd it to all other Books extant in the World and more affected Reading therein than any other Book even from my Childhood and often bless Divine Providence for preserving to us the Scriptures So I know of none among us guilty of contemning them Neither is what 's said from any Contempt of Scripture no more than it is of the Earth and the Heavens to say They shall wax old and perish but the Word that made them endureth Psal. 102.25 26. Heb. 1.11 12. But say what we can in this Case to clear our selves of any Contempt to the Holy Scripture this our uncharitable Judge and Accuser will not believe us He 's bent to asperse he has swallow'd down so much of the sour Leven of the Malice of a few false Brethren Persecutors and Apostates from whom he derives much of his Authority and thus scurrilously and most falsly imposes upon me viz. And therefore George notwithstanding all thy meally Modesty it is it is indeed George it is the very Doctrine of the Scriptures which you blaspheme as Dust and Death and Serpents Meat on purpose to bring Men off from trying your pernicious Heresies by those Sacred Oracles Ibid. This is a pernicious Abuse and Calumny against my self and others of us to out-face us against our very Sense and Consciences and in good Conscience I Testifie against it it never entred into my Intention or Thoughts so to blaspheme the Doctrine of the Scriptures as to term or deem it Dust Death or Serpents Meat the Lord rebuke this lying envious Spirit Neither do I vilifie the written Doctrine and Precepts of God in comparison of our New Light as he falsly calls it p. 177. but reverently esteem them The Man makes no Conscience of Defaming us Neither do we quarrel with the Law and the Testimony nor yet with Writing or Scripture as 't is in Ink and Paper but distinguish between the Writing and the Things written which is no contempt to either We are thankful to Divine Providence for both the Scripture or Writing and the Holy Doctrine and Divine Precepts therein written for they testifie unto Christ our Light and our Light to the Truth of them And to what he saith If any do not teach the same i. e. according to the Law and the Testimony or written Word it is because there is no Light in them Isa. 8.20 And then puts this Emphasis upon it No Light George Mark that Your false Pretences to the Light within are here over-rul'd Ibid. I deny that our Pretences to the Light within is either false or are here over-rul'd if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no Morning to them If he 'll see the Note from the Hebrew in some Bibles he may see no Morning in the Margin over against no Light Then let him Mark that But is there no Light in the Creation before Morning either inward or outward pray Did not the Light shine in Darkness before it shined out of Darkness And had not the Believers a more sure Word of Prophecy whereunto they did well to take heed as unto a Light shining in a dark place until the Day dawned and the Day-star arose in their Hearts 2 Pet. 1.19 And are not many reproved by the Light in them for telling Lies and speaking contrary to the Word c. And therefore there was some true Light in them before the Morning appeared to them And though my Accuser says Ibid. These and such-like Texts detect and explode the miserable Ignorance and Blasphemy of these Pretenders to Light For which we have
the Reproaches Detractions Contempt and Scorn cast upon my self by the Author are of less value or weight as to me seeing the Rancour Envy and Foulness of the Spirit from whence they proceed And I always thought my self more obliged in Truth 's Vindication than my own Personal Reputation having long been arm'd with so much of Christian Faith Patience and Good-will to my Enemies as Patiently to endure Persecutions by Reproach and cruel Mocking as well as I have endured by Imprisonments and other Hardships And now I do not believe the Author of the Snake says true That he is very well pleas'd with the said Answer I am persuaded the contrary That he is very much vex'd by having his Falshoods in many things so much detected as they are in the Answer or Antidote His following Reason for his being so very well pleas'd with the said Answer is as notoriously false as the rest of his Lies viz. Because it confirms all the Matters of Fact to every purpose and intent for which they were produced To evince the Falshood whereof I refer the Ingenuous Reader to the said Antidote for his Impartial Perusal I doubt not but this Man's Purpose and Intent in producing the Matters of Fact alledged against us was chiefly that they should be given Credit to and that the People called Quakers their Ministers especially might lie under all his gross and foul Imputations and Defamations of being Diabolically Inspired and Possess'd Deluded Bewitched Blasphemers Rebels Traytors c. How monstrous and improbable then is it that I by opposing these Matters of Fact charg'd should write to confirm them against our selves And his following Words are most notoriously false viz. That he i. e. G. W. had not detected One False Quotation of all that I have brought out of their Books With what Conscience could this Person so confidently thus Assert That G. W. has not detected One False Quotation c. Either he has read my said Answer or he has not If he has read it he must be a shameful Man herein if he has not he must be guilty of great Folly and Injustice And farther to Detect his notorious and foul Falshood in this I 'll produce a few Instances of his many more false Quotations detected in my Answer Antidote p. 15.16 That one of the Orders given forth by their Yearly Meeting 1693. Commands that None shall carry Guns in their Ships This is prov'd a false Quotation in my Answer quoted 2. Antidote p. 17. That in the Answer to F. Bugg 's Impeachment they i. e. the Quakers would persuade us That All they have said against the Payment of Tythes was Only meant by them to the Popish Clergy but by no means against the Right of the Church of England to their Tythes This is plainly detected as a False Quotation as in my Answer 't is declared This is Partially and Wrongfully Stated Our Answer to F. Bugg plainly shews our Conscientious Dissatisfaction with Tythes in general and the forcing thereof now in this Gospel-Day by any Clergy whatsoever as not consistent with the Practice of Christ's Ministers or Testimony of divers Martyrs c. See Antidote p. 17 18 19 20 21 22 23. 3. Antidote p. 25 26. That G. Fox Professed and Avowed that he was equal with God that he Profess'd himself to be the Eternal Judge of the World Which is also a False Charge and Quotation against G. F. who being charg'd by his Persecutors with Professing himself to be equal with God Positively denies the Charge as not so spoken as that G. F. was equal with God but that the Father and the Son are one and that Christ and the Holy Spirit are equal with God Saul's Errand p. 5 6. Vid. Just Enquiry p. 12. 4. Antidote p. 35 36. Abusing the Scriptures by the contemptible Names of beastly Ware c. Which is false both in Charge and Quotation and over and over detected in Answer to his Author F. Bugg 5. Antidote p. 43. That G. Whitehead in his Serious Apology p. 49. prefers not only their Writings but their ex tempore Preachments and even All whatsoever they speak upon any account to the Holy Scriptures themselves This also is notoriously false both in Charge and Quotation as is manifest in my Answer Antidote p. 43. viz. He very perversly wrongs G. Whitehead in all these Expressions for there 's not a Word of Preferring our Writings to the Holy Scriptures much less of all whatsoever we speak thereto but a preferring the Holy Spirit and its Immediate Teaching In Man to the Letter of the Scripture and Preaching in the true Sense of the Spirit with Divine Power and Authority according as Christ did to the bare reading the Letter as the Pharisees did I may further add without offence or under-valuing the Holy Scripture or Godly Doctrine therein contain'd that I verily believe St. Paul and other Apostles Preaching in the Demonstration of the Holy Spirit and Power of Christ was of far greater Efficacy Power and Authority for the Converting People to Christ than the Priests reading their Writings or making a Trade of them as they do in these Days 6. Antidote p. 59 60. That they i. e. the Quakers give to themselves and to one another the most peculiar Titles of Christ as that of the Branch and the Star and the Son of God which he says are Attributed to G. Fox and which he takes to himself Quoting New Rome Arraign'd p. 33 34. And the Quakers Vnmask'd and New Rome unmask'd Referring the Reader to those Books of Fran. Bugg's which he has Quoted upon the Margent as he saith Here this Credulous Adversary has accepted and promoted Bugg's False Quotation and Charge against us though over and over detected as his Notorious Refuted Lies which this Adversary is as 't is told him in the Antidote so shamefully credulous of and that we positively deny giving those peculiar Titles of Christ to our selves or to one another as he falsly Prates and Bugg has been over and over Charg'd therewith and cannot Prove them i. e. that we give those said Titles either to G. F. or to one another and that G. Fox is not so much as mentioned in that Epistle of E. Burroughs out of which those Titles the Branch the Star and the Sun of Righteousness are taken which are peculiar and intended to Christ and no other Serious Reader these few Instances of our Adversaries false Quotation besides many more which are clearly Detected in my said Antidote in Answer to him I hope are sufficient to evince his Falshood in Asserting That Geo. Whitehead has not detected One false Quotation that he has brought out of our Books When the contrary is evident that he has both made and accepted many false even grosly false Quotations pretended out of our Books c. And if to detect such was the only proper Answer that could have been given as he says then he had that proper Answer at least in
a good degree in the Antidote and now more fully since he has so much alter'd and magnified his Structure i. e. the Snake therefore the Reader may not now securely depend upon the Quotations he has produced as he would have him if he should think he may securely depend upon them he is very insecure and will be deceived and greatly Err in depending upon such an inveterate Adversary's false partial and unjust Quotations as many of them are proved to be upon a more full Examination and Detection And if his Quotations is in Effect the whole Cause as he saith then his Cause is fallacious rotten and nought 't is of no value or credit If his Quotations in divers principal Matters and Charges against us be found false partial and unjust as they are what 's become of his whole Cause whose Cause is it to belie slander defame and foully misrepresent others but the Devils Cause which in the Snake in the Grass is strennously prosecuted against us And so insulting and slighting he is of G. W's Answer casting his Contempt and Scorn upon both him and it that a Body would think 't were below his Highness Learning and Parts to take so much notice of them as he seems to intend He tells us G. Whitehead's Answer consists of bitter Railing and Threatning of very poor and guilty Excuses for some things that are objected against them and a total Silence or Forgetfulness of the most Material Points wherein they were accus'd of calling this a severe Persecution against them of Pleading not Guilty to the Charge without disproving any part of the Evidence p. 361 362. To Detect the Falshoods herein contain'd I must refer the Impartial Reader to my said Antidote however invalid and impertinent he renders my Answer therein How well consistent is he with himself in this his declared Intention viz. When I have leisure to consider this Answer of the Quakers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 step by step I suppose he means which for their Good I do intend I hope by it to put an end to my Pains in this Controversie But if the Answer be so Insignificant very Poor and without disproving any part of his Evidence what need of his further leisure so particularly to consider it or pains in the Controversie But if my Answer require such deep and exact Consideration 't is an Indication that it is of some weight and validity and that it does not consist of such Railing Threats or Evasions as 't is render'd he must have leisure farther to study the Points in Controversie and not to shift them off with false partial and curtail'd Quotations nor with his using Railery as he has confessed If he makes Replication he should write more cautiously than to accumulate Lies against us which he appears very prone to In short quoth he It was intended i. e. G. W's Answer purely to have it to say That there was an Answer to such a Book meaning to the Snake in the Grass and that is enough with the Quakers who are not permitted to read the Books that are written against them and receive as Gospel whatever their Rabbies Dictate This is Ridiculous and False as all that know us will own 1. As if our Answer were no Answer at all but only intended to have it to say there was an Answer 2. And that this so saying though no Truth in 't is enough with the Quakers Thus credulous he unjustly renders the Quakers 3. That they are not permitted to read the Books that are written against them is such a notorious known Lie that Thousands of the Quakers can testifie against it besides many think themselves obliged to understand what our Adversaries write against us whether any new Matter or only what 's old obsolete rusty nasty Stuff that has been long since thorowly Examined and Answered like such Stuff as Bugg and the Snake have frequently reiterated to spit and vomit abroad their Venom Rancour and Deadly Malice against the People of God in derision term'd Quakers And how can we the said People reasonably suppose that such inveterate Adversaries can in such their Pains against us to reproach us design any such Christian Duty towards us as to contribute their Pains to open our Eyes and save us from destruction both of Soul and Body p. 351. as this bitter Adversary saith for himself supposing us under Delusion and Blindness by our Infallible Guides as he often derides them Or with what Conscience can this Envious Adversary say That he has 〈◊〉 other Design or sincerely say so before God 〈◊〉 our Good and Salvation When he has publickly defam'd and reproach'd us as Blasphemers against God Christ and Holy Scriptures Enemies to Government deluded bewitched possessed with the Devil as if we were not fit to live upon Earth or under any Civil Government then demurely to tell us I will venture their Displeasure rather than fail in my Christian Duty towards them to contribute my Pains to open their Eyes and save them c. Oh Snake thou hast shewn thy Venom thou hast been long hissing at us we 'll not believe this thy now Fawning and Hypocritical Pretences whose Treatment of us like as if Rude Persons should smite us on the Face and gather all the Dirt they can out of Kennels and throw on our Faces Eyes and Clothes and then tell us Oh! we love you what we do unto you and all this Pains we bestow upon you it is all in Christian Duty to you to open your Eyes and save you from Destruction both of Soul and Body we have no other Design than your Good and Salvation And to make us believe they are Sincere herein Presumptuously so tell us before God And now that the Reader may not take the Man's Supplement wholly upon Trust he pretends here to give him a Specimen of the Truth of what he says behold what special Specimens he gives against G. W. viz. p. 351. I. First then he wholly passes by what one would think a Material Objection against them of the manifest Possessions of many of them and some of their chief Preachers by the Devil which was in the beginning of the Preface But he i. e. G. W. says nothing to this nor reckons it as any of the Mistakes Abuses or Calumnies in the Snake for having made a Catalogue of these as he endeavours to prove them he begins at Page 93. of the Preface and so goes on whereby we may reasonably suppose he found none such in what went before To which I reply This his Specimen is as false as his material Objection and Charge Of Manifest Possessions by the Devil For 1. 'T is false that I wholly pass by and said nothing to the same in my Answer 2. That I did not reckon it any of the Mistakes Abuses or Calumnies in the Snake c. For though I made a Catalogue of some of the great Mistakes Abuses and Calumnies in the Snake It was but of some of
them in that Catalogue beginning at Page 93 of his Preface to the Snake and before that I begin at Page 7 8 9 17. of the first Edition of the Snake and was so far from passing by his said Objection of manifest Possessions by the Devil c. that I declare his great Injustice false Reflections black Characters and Charges upon the Quakers therein together with his absurd way of Arguing and Falacy to prove the same as evidently appears in my Answer i. e. my Antidote from the second to the twelfth Page thereof to which I refer the Reader for Satisfaction and how far short he is of Proof that either we or our Preachers are Possess'd by the Devil because of any of their Quaking or Trembling alleadg'd against them as both Holy Prophets and other Saints and Christians have done by the Word and Power of God and not from any Diabolical Possession And he can no more prove such Exercise among us to proceed from the Devil than he can prove the visible Possessions of many Quakers by the Devil as he falsly stiles his 21. Sect. or than his Mr. Firmin or Thomas Tillam whose Story is quoted in the same Section p. 297 298 299. could demonstrate his seeing the Devil shake the Quakers like as a Dog doth shake a Hog c. But if this Author has ever seen any visible Possessions of Quakers by the Devil I would ask him in what Shape or Form he saw the Devil at any time so visibly Possess or Act them I never heard that T. Tillam could tell when questioned about it at Colchester tho' he raised the Story as Richard Thomas of Hartford who was present can give further account II. As to all he objects in his 18th Sect. of The Quakers manifold Treasons against the King of their taking Arms and Fighting against him for Oliver and the Rump c. their vigorous opposing the Restauration of King Charles to the very last c. p. 352. Hereupon G. W. is blamed for Answering all this in a few words p. 24. of his Antidote viz. We need but answer these with Negation and Detestation as being most foul Raileries proceeding from a Spirit of Persecution and deadly Malice which the Righteous Lord will Rebuke Which I am still perswaded he will though the Snake-Author hereupon thus Reviles viz. They cannot refrain their Trade in blasphemous and cursed Prophecies which among many other odious Revilings I leave to the just cognizance of the Great and Righteous Judge of all The Man 's charging manifold Treasons taking up Arms and Fighting c. upon the Quakers I still deny as a general and gross Calumny upon that People yet supposing some before they were Quakers or so reputed and before they were in Society with that People were in Arms against the King as many of other Persuasions were and yet some were dissatisfied with Monarchy or afraid of the consequence thereof whilst they were under a Common Wealth 's Government and Principles it follows not that the People called Quakers must be concluded thereby as either guilty of manifold Treasons Fightings Murder or Regicide such absurd kind of unnatural Inferrences against the Quakers I had reason to give my Negation against as neither Just nor Reasonable but altogether the contrary And the Truth of it is I looked upon his said 18th Sect. so extreamly Malicious and so Repugnant to the Act of Indempnity even that of King Charles the Second and divers others since if any charged were culpable And much of the Substance of the said 18th Sect. being answered in my Book Entituled Christ's Lambs defended from Satan's Rage That I thought my self the less concerned again to enter into the Particulars of the said extreamly Malicious Section but to refer him and the Reader to my Treatise of Christ's Lambs c. However in my Antidote referring thereto there 's more of Answer in this case than is cited in the Snake being full of Partiality and Curtailizing in Citation as well as of Perversion and Absurd Defamation And if no authority of Bugg's be quoted at all for the charges before mentioned as he saith it is for divers others which are very false I find in his said 18th Sect. Quakers Vnmask'd p. 4. Is quoted on the same Subject And if this Quaker's Vnmask'd was John Peâ—nyman's and not F. Bugg's then 't was my oversight which I shall not excuse which might easily happen from the near resemblance they have upon the same subject J. P. begun it against us and the other follows it in divers Books upbraiding us about O. C. and his Army and the Government And the Snake in his 8th Sect. quotes F. Bugg's New Rome Arraign'd and New Rome Vnmaskâ—d p. 109.111 and note that two Years after F. B. left our Communion and joyn'd himself to the Church of England he published a Book stiled The Quakers Detected wherein he confesses to the Truth of our Doctrine and Ministry of the Light as a Dispensation of the Love of God sent as a Visitation to Mankind and to our Christian Communion Love and Conversation and that God blessed our Meetings with the comfortable enjoyment of his Presence c. But being gone from the same he complained against our Friends p. 8. as if they had Sold him into Egypt as Joseph was applying to himself his words to his Brethren Gen. 50.20 and 45.4 5. viz. But can say i. e. F. B. can say as Joseph did to his Brethren Gen. 50.20 But as for you ye thought Evil against me but God meant it unto Good now therefore be not Grieved nor Angry with your selves that ye Sold me hither Thus F. Bugg after he was turn'd into the Church of England And finding both J. P. Bugg and Crisp run much in one strain of Enmity against us and their Authorities quoted and so much valued in the Snake 't was the more easie to mistake one for another as to the Titles of their Angry Books However their work so much agreeing and resembling to take one for another in Writing quick as 't is no great Crime so 't is no great Damage to any of them supposing Quakers Vnmasked be put for Quakers Detected or for New Rome Vnmasked And so Bugg's authority for J. Pennyman's his excuses not his Partial credulity of either of them wherein they are a-like invective But a greater Injury than this is done the Quakers in Quotation I find a Pamphlet stiled Some of the Quakers Principles over and over quoted against us in the Snake Sect. 7. Which being thus quoted as The Quakers Principles some may therefore take it to be a True and Real Account of our own when that Pamphlet as I take it to be the same is but a nameless Libel to abuse us with Partial Quotations and Perversions and it is answered in my Just Inquiry Printed 1693. And that I have not endeavoured to deceive the Reader as p. 354. in that I did not perceive he took notice of my