only as an Extraordinary Inspiration for some time but as an Holy Duty And if it be such it must bind for ever Sam. Fisher in his Rusticus ad Academicos Exercit. 2. p. 18. says As for that Holy Duty it self of Quaking which as Blind a Guide and Brute a Beast as Thou thus he treats Dr. Owen in the Quaker Courtly Dialect art in speaking evil of c. Now if it be an Holy Duty then are the Present Quakers fallen from their Duty and from their Holiness If it is an Effect of the Extraordinary Inspiration of God then have not the Present Quakers such a Degree of the Spirit as the First Quakers had which I suppose they will not be willing to own For then there will be Degrees in their Infallibility And if it be once coming Down Stairs But if as in truth it is that their Quaking and Shaking proceeded from a strong Possession of the Spirit of Enthusiasm it will follow that all was a Delusion then and must be so still while our Modern Quakers take upon them to Justifie those who went before them and their Doctrines And by G. Fox's Sentence above-told all Was and Is Conjuration and their Quaking was the Possession of the Devil and the Quakers now are Inspir'd by Him and are False Prophets Diviners and Conjurers And this as G. Fox teaches must certainly be so if they have spoken any thing not only Against the Word of God but if All that they have said was not spoken from the Mouth of the Lord. Even to make it Heathenism and Idolatry to have the Image or likeness of any Ceature in Heaven or in Earth painted upon a Sign See a Treatise of G. Fox's which was surnam'd Iconoclastes And an Order of his Printed at the end of Tyrany and Hypocrisie 1673. But only a Bed-Staff Fire-Shovel Saw Fork or the like of Man's making And where he Preaches against Skimming-Dish-Hats Unnecessary Buttons on Coats or Cloaks Slit-Peaks behind on the Skirts of Womens Wast-coasts Short Black Aprons needless flying Scarfs Vizard-Masks Bare-Necks c. All which he Dictates as from Immediate Inspiration 5. But because these poor misled Quakers and other Enthusiasts among us are made to believe that the Church of England does wholly throw off all Inspiration of the Holy Spirit and rests only on their outward Forms I will here briefly set down the Doctrine of the Church of England in this Point and shew what sort of Inspiration She allows and what it is which She rejects 1st She constantly Teaches That all the Saving Graces are wrought in our Hearts by the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost Insomuch that of our selves we are not able so much as to think a good Thought And that this Inspiration is as necessary to our Fructifying or bringing forth Good Works as the Influence of the Sun is to the Earths bringing forth of her Fruits That whatever may bear the appearance of Good Works in us and is not wrought by this Inspiration is not Good nor Acceptable to God As it is express'd in our 13th Article Works done before the Grace of Christ and the Inspiration of His Spirit are not pleasant to God Yea rather for that they are not done as God hath Willed and Commanded them to be done we doubt not but they have the Nature of Sin What fuller can be said for the necessity of this Inspiration And if the Quakers will have this call'd The Light within we will not Dispute with them about a Word it is the Thing and Meaning that we Contend for This is the constant Tenor of all our Prayers Almighty God 2d Sunday after Lent who seest that we have no Power of our selves to help our selves keep us c. And because we can do no good thing without Thee Who seest that we put not our Trust in any thing that we do We humbly beseech Thee 1st Sunday after Trinity that as by thy special Grace preventing us Sexagesima Thou dost put into our Minds good Desires Easter-Day so by Thy continual Help we may bring the same to good Effect That 5th Sunday after Easter by Thy Holy Inspiration we may think those things that be Good Grant us by Thy Spirit to have a Right Judgment in all things Whit-Sunday c. And in The Ordering of Deacons this is the first Question Demanded by the Bishop from those who are to be Ordainâ—d Do you trust that you are Inwardly moved by the Holy Ghost to take upon you this Office Do you think that you are truly called according to the Will of our Lord Jesus Christ c. The same is Demanded in the Ordination of Priests and Bishops And the words of Consecration of a Bishop are Receive the Holy Ghost for the Office and Work of a Bishop in the Church of God And the Hymn Veni Creator Spiritus is Sung Come Holy Ghost our Souls Inspire And lighten with Coelestial Fire c. And according to this we Pray that God wou'd Cleanse the Thoughts of our Hearts by the Inspiration of His Holy Spirit First Collect in the Communion Service That He would Prevent and Further us Last Collects in all our Works And that of His only Gift it cometh 13th Sunday after Trinity that we do unto Him True and Laudable Service Nay not only our Works 3d. Sunday after Trinity or Prayers but that our very Desire to Pray is his Gift We Pray for Pensons to be Baptized that God wou'd Wash them and Sanctifie them with the Holy Ghost Baptism And our Catechism teaches 1st Collect. that we are not able of our selves to walk in the Commandments of God Catechism and to serve Him without His special Grace And lastly for I must Transcribe our whole Liturgy to name every place where the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost is Witnessed and Prayed for thus the Bishop Prays for Persons to be Confirmed Strengthen them we beseech Thee O Lord with the Holy Ghost the Comforter and daily increase in them Thy manifold Gifts of Grace Confirmation the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding the Spirit of Council and Ghostly Strength the Spirit of Knowledge and true Godliness and fill them O Lord with the Spirit of Thy Holy Fear now and for ever Here is an Enumeration of the Principal Gifts of Grace for which we Pray And in the Exhortations before the Communion it is earnestly Inculcated upon us that if we be not thus Spiritually prepared all the Outward Ordinance will avail us nothing For otherwise as it is there worded the Receiving of the Holy Communion doth nothing else but encrease your Damnation And there is not one Book of Devotion us'd among us that does not tell us the same That the Inward is the Soul of Religion without which the Outward part is but a Dead Carcase and stinks before God And that the Inward Purity of the Heart cannot be wrought but by
the Operation of the Holy Ghost who is the only Author of all Holiness So exceedingly groundless is that mistaken Prejudice taken up against the Church of England in this point that I do not believe there is one Man to be found in our Communion so Ignorant or so ill Taught as to think the Outward Performance can make us accepted with God unless the Inward does go along with it And if the Quakers or any other thought that we too much neglected the Inward their Admonitions and Example wou'd have been well receiv'd but not to accuse our Doctrine as denying Inspiration For this Doctrine of the Inspiration of the H. Ghost is the Alpha and Omega of our Religion I have shewn it in our Offices of Baptism Confirmation and Holy Orders of Bishop Priest and Deacon In our Catechism and Common Prayers And to all who are acquainted with these I have taken very needless pains at least they might think that one Quotation or two had been sufficient But I have enlarg'd for the sake of these Quakers and others Enthusiasts who are possess'd with the most False and Violent Prejudices against our Doctrine and Worship and then are strictly forbidden so much as to look into our Liturgy Articles or Homilies whereby to undeceive themselves and are led in as Blind and Implicit a Faith in their Leaders as any is to be found in the Church of Rome it self If they think I have wrong'd them let them then be persuaded to Read and Judge as they shall find And for this particular subject we are now upon of Enthusiasm as to what sort of Enthusiasm is allow'd and what Censur'd in our Church be sides our Homilies and Liturgy I recommend to their serious Perusal Dr. Hammond 's Postscript concerning New Light or Divine Illumination which is added to his Annotations upon the New Testament And that Excellent Sermon of Dr. Hicks called The Spirit of Enthusiasm Exorcised Preached before the University of Oxford the 11th of July 1680. I have briefly shewn what sort of Enthusiasm or Inspiration is allow'd and own'd in our Church And it is full as much as any sober Quaker can mean by the Light within Which therefore in this Sence is not Disowned but Avowed by us And as much stress is laid upon it as they can reasonably desire It is made Necessary to every Good Work and Thought And 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 assur'd that it will lead us to all Truth that is requisite and necessary for our Eternal Salvation It is this which opens the Scriptures to us and our Understandings rightly to apprehend the true Sense and Meaning of Them and which inclines our Will to Love and duly to follow the Divine Precepts therein Commanded If any Quaker as I am confident all that are in the least sober-minded will say that this is all they mean by their Light within then where is the Difference Why do they break off and separate from our Communion upon the Pretence of the Light within wherein we agree with them What Reason have they to Censure ours and all other Ministeries but their own as Mr Penn says in his Preface to Fox's Journal p. 38. We have seen says he the Fruit of All other Ministries by the few that are turned from the Evil of their Ways First This is a very bad Argument for Mens being Evil may proceed from their own Preverseness and not from the Fault of the Ministery We find but about 120 that were Converted by the Ministery of Christ in all his Life-time Acts 1.15 And by Mr. Penn's Consequence this must be charg'd upon the Ministery and as a Proof that it was not Good And to justifie rather the Ministery of Thendas Acts 5.36 37. who got about 400 to follow him and Judas of Galilee drew away Much People But Secondly This is a most Uncharitable Presumption and the Heighâ— of Spiritual Pride to Condemn All the World but themselves While they cannot deny that there are many in other Communions of Sober Honest and to all appearance Religious Conversation But that is no matter It is all Formality in them The Quakers only have the Spirit and truly follow its Inspirations or the Light within Therefore Mr. Penn in the same Page of his Preface Censures ours with others as A Dry Doctrinal Ministery That can reach but the Ear and is but a Dream at the best And p. 21. They the many Ministeries in the World declare of Religion say many things true in words of God Christ and the Spirit of Holiness and Heaven c. But which of them All ever directed a Man to a Divine Principle or Agent placed of God in Man to help him c. I Answer which of them has not Not one that I know of Did any ever yet deny The Candle of the Lord searching the Inward Parts Prov. 20.27 I have sufficiently Vindicated the Church of England in this And the Sects amongst us Presbyterian Independents Anabaptists and all the way down to Muggleton himself have set up upon great Pretences to the Spirit But Mr. Penn says that is only in Word none Feel or Experiment the Power of the Spirit but the Quakers And being Infallible we must take their Word As likewise That it is plainly possible for one that hath received the Word of the Lord Penn Ibid. p. 39. to Miss in the Division and Application of it Which is a very Pertinent Caution Mr. Penn bestows upon his Beloved and much Honoured Brethen that are in the Exercise of the Ministry among the Quakers And if they may Miss how do we know but they have Miss'd How did he know they cou'd Miss but by their having Miss'd And how does this Missing consist with Infallibility Such Infallibility as they set up Sect. IX X. and Mr. Penn in this same Preface p. 36. For being quickned by it says he that is by the Light within in our Inward Man we cou'd Easily Discern the Difference of things and Feel what was Right and what was Wrong and what was fit and what not both in Reference to Religion and Civil Concerns Here is an Infallibility of as large a Latitude as can be desir'd It is both Spiritual and Temporal And yet it may Miss in the Division and Application of The Word of the Lord And be nothing the less Infallible But will they give no Body leave to Miss but themselves Must wâ— be Conjurers and They Apostles and all for our Missing Is their missing too from the Mouth of the Lord If not then G. Fox has Pronounc'd them all to be Conjuters Even Dear George Thou who excellest them all 6. But I shall exceed the bounds of a Preface I have shewn what Inspiration or Enthusiasm is own'd in our Church which is that of Sanctifying and Saving Graces I come now to speak of that Enthusiasm which is Extraordinary and
Month 1659. being above seven thousand of the Names of the Hand-maids and Daughters of the Lord and such as feel the Oppression of Tythes c. London Printed for Mary Westwood and are to be sold at the Black Spread-Eagle at the VVest End of Pauls 1659. And this Book of Subscriptions contains 72 Pages in Quarto This was the Quaker Solemn League and Covenant a formal Association wherein they bind themselves under their Hands their Lives and Estates to Extirpate the Church and the Laws and Government which support it And this was no Volunteer of the VVomen They did not do it without their Men Jer. 44.19 For here follows G. Fox's own Order Verbatim For all Women Friends to set their Hands against Tythes they may freely as they are moved and do not Quench the Spirit of the Lord in any for the Women in the Truth feel the weight as well as the Men for the Seed of God in the Women bears witness against Tythes in the Priests and Pope the Author of them and suffers in Prisons and are Summoned up in Courts so that is good which beareth the Testimony against them and is to be receiv'd and set a top of the Author of the Holders of them up And so if all the Women in England send up their Names I shall send them by the Women to the Parliament for many Women have sent up their Names and some have not but have been stopped Therefore that all may send their Names against Tythes that be Free with speed to London G. F. He did not Date this as it was not his Custom to Date the Papers he gave out and the Reason he gave for it was because as he said the Apostles did not Date their Epistles But the year before these Subscriptions of the VVomen he printed a Paper A. D. 1658. call'd Papists Strength c. where p. 19. he leads the way to these Pious Hand-Maids in all the Particulars which they Requested or Demanded from the Parliament even to the Abolition of Schools and Colleges as well as Churches These are his Words And this I declare in the Presence of the Lord God and all the Magistrates that be in God's fear they will break down the Mass-Houses Schools and Colleges which you make Priests and Ministers in c. I cou'd enlarge upon this Head out of the Quaker-Writings But what Authorities I have already produc'd are abundantly sufficient to shew their deep design against the Church and the means by which they have agreed to Destroy Her this especially of keeping up to use their own Phrase their Testimony against Tythes Therefore this Handle must by no means be let go Insomuch that tho' their Pretence to the Sufficiency and Infallibility of the Light within was the Original and is the Fundamental Principle of all the whole Quaker Doctrine yet if any Plead it in this Case they shall be run down as Hypocrites and Rebels against God and to have fallen from the True Light within and to be guided by a False Light which comes from Satan to be very Anti-Christs and to have denied Christ's coming in the Flesh c. as I have above shewn from Tho. Ellwood's Antidote against the Infection of William Rogers c. Now I must tell the Reader that this William Rogers is a Quaker but of the more moderate sort and he wrote 〈◊〉 Book call'd The Christian Quaker Printed 1680. where Part 2. Chap. 8. touching Tythes He disputes expresly against Tythes and against the Lawfulness of Suing for them or Compelling any to Pay them Only p. 43. he allows those to Pay them who are Free so to do And that only as a Voluntary Contribution 〈◊〉 those who Teach them but not as any thing of a Divine Right And p. 44. he again limits this to those only who own such Ministers as true Ministers of Christ and go to Hear them and upon that account bestow a Fifth Tenth or what they please upon them So that hereby he cuts off all Dissenters to the Church of England from Paying Tythes to the Clergy of the Church of England Seconly He bars the Clergy from Suing or using any Compulsory means to recover their Tythes even from those of their own Communion But he makes Tythes meerly Eleemosynary and the Clergy to have no better Title to them than a Beggar has to our Alms. Yet all this was not sufficient for the Quakers But Tho. Ellwood falls upon him like a Turk for granting so much as to make Tythes Lawful upon any Account or Consideration whatsoever And writes against this Book of William Rogers the above Quoted An Atidote against the Infection of William Rogers's Christian Quaker Where p. 78. he Denounces as above against those who Pay Tythes even according to William Rogers's aforesaid Limitations That they who Pay Tythes thereby deny Christ to be come in the Flesh which is a mark of Anti-Christ And in Westmorland there were 44 Articles Exhibited against John Story and J. Wilkinson two Quakers by sundry of their Chief Preachers and Rulers One of which Articles was That he John Story said he knew a Man that was an honest Man that cou'd have given up his Body to be Burnt for the Truth who said he never saw Evil in Paying of Tythes and that he cou'd Pay them and wou'd Pay them Another Article was That John Story said he believ'd every Man had not a Testimony for God laid upon them to bear against Tythes But them which had he wou'd have them be Faithful And these two John Story and John Wilkinson were Proceeded against by a General Meeting of the Quakers in London who the 12th Day of the 4th Month 1677. gave Judgment against them and those that joined with them in a Formal Instrument Subscrib'd by Sixty Six of them But this was soon Re-buffeted back again upon them by the Quakers in the VVest of England who adhered to Story and VVilkinson in as Solemn and Judicial a Condemnation of them and their Sentence and this was Subscrib'd by Sixty Seven of the other Party and Styl'd A Testimony against the 66 Judges called Quakers c. and Printed under that Title together with the Paper of the said Judges and all their Names Subscrib'd It is pleasant to see them Play their Infallibilities against one another For each of these Parties pretend to the Immediate Spirit of God and in the Name of God Pronounce the other to be led by a False Ravening Spirit Our Souls say the Defendants do in the highest Degree Abominate it and do surge against it p. 15. that is the Authority which the Plaintiffs assumed over Conscience in Judging of others and not leaving them to their Primitive Liberty of following their own Light within On the other Hand the London Quakers who assum'd a Superiority over the Countrey Quakers Condemn'd that Spirit which Possess'd them as a wrong Murmuring and Dividing Spirit p. 5. And our Day say they hath lamentably shewn us the
Effects of that Spirit that under a Pretence of Crying down Impositions and Pleading for Liberty and doing nothing but what it is Free to endeavoureth to lay waste the Blessed Unity of the Brethren with a loose and Vn-subjected Conversation which wou'd bring Confusion to the Church and is a plain Independency from the Practice of the Church of Christ throughout the VVorld p. 6. It is Comical but Provoking to see these Men so Gravely vouch the Practice of the Church throughout the VVorld who own no Church in the VVorld but themselves And for them now to speak against the pretence of Liberty in others as a Breach of their Unity when they themselves set up the very same Pretence to break the Unity of that Church whereof they once were Members But it is come justly home to them I wish they may reflect upon it that they who set up the Pretence of a Light within to undermine the Authority of our Church are now obliged to Condemn that same Pretence among themselves in order to keep up their own Authority and Government This shews them as in a Glass the utter Inconsistency of that Principle to use their own Word of an Vn-subjected Light within to all Rule Order or Good Government whether in Church or State For it makes every Man Absolute and Supreme that is Un-subjected Any Lesser Light within had not made them Vn-subjected to the Church And this Vn-subjected Light within they now declare to be Inconsistent even with their Church Thus have they justly Reap'd what they have wickedly Sown And in the same Net which they hid Privily is their own Foot taken Mr. Penn in his Preface to Fox 's Journal p. 27. has done the most that Wit can do to rid them out of this Dilemma and reconcile the two Extreams of Outward Government in the Church and an Unsubjected Light within Particular Persons He says that the Quakers Known Principle is For an Universal Liberty of Concience On the other Hand says he they equally dislike aâ— Independency in Society An Vn accountableness in Practice and Conversation to the Terms of their own Communion and to those that are the Members of it Very well But what if some of these Members shou'd make Terms of Communion that others wou'd not submit to as John Story John Wilkinson and 67 on their side of the West Country Quakers refus'd to submit to those Terms of Communion which were impos'd upon them by 66 of the Quakers at London Assembled of whom William Penn was one and his Name is among the Subscribers of the Judgment above-told against Story Wilkinson c. who wou'd not allow these 66 Judges as they call'd them the very Name of Quakers because of their taking upon them thus to Judge others for as above-said the 67 Western Quakers Condemnation of the Presumption of the 66 is Entituled A Testimony against the 66 Judges called Quakers They wou'd allow them no more than to be call'd so but not to be Reckon'd as True Quakers who fell so far from the first Quaker Independent Spirit as to take upon them to Prescribe to their Brethren George Fox set up a new Oeconomy and Jurisdiction of the VVomens Meetings which was Stil'd The Great and Good Ordinance of Jesus Christ That is as being Commanded by G. Fox who had the same Spirit And John Story c. were Cursed and Excommunicated for refusing to submit to this Ordinance as is told hereafter and Articl'd against for so much as allowing Liberty of Conscience to aâ—â— Quaker to Pay Tythes as told above now it lies upon Mr. Penn to Explain how an Vniversal Liberty of Conscience was allow'd to these Men Was that Universal which was so Limited And what is an Vniversal Liberty but Independency and Un-accountableness in Practice and Conversation For if my Liberty be Dependant upon another if I am Accountable to another then my Liberty is not universal Mr. Penn will tell us how the one that is universal Liberty of Conscience can be the Known Principle of the Quakers and how â—hen they Equally Dislike the other â—â—at is an Independency and Un-â—ccountableness which are all but â—wo words for the same thing George Keith did Publickly Repreâ—end many Gross Errors as he was â—erily persuaded in his Conscience â—f his Brethren the Quakers For which he was Prosecuted in Pensilâ—vania 1692. and Requir'd by the Yearly Meeting in London 1694 â—o clear all the Quakers from the Impuâ—ations which he had cast upon them for not doing of which he was Excommunicated by the next Yearly Meeting 1695. as in his Accounts of it above mentioned tho' he declar'd that he cou'd not in Conscience do it for that â—he knew not All the Quakers and so cou'd not clear them all Universally Nay further that he knew several of thâ— Chief of them there present who were Guilty of those Gross Errors against which he had Preached and which be there offer'd to prove before the Yearly Meeting and desir'd a Fair Hearing and therefore that he cou'd not in Conscience clear their whole Profession from these Errors yet for not doing of it and without any Hearing allowed him as to his Charge against these Men he was Ipso Facto by that same Yearly Meeting Excommunicated and utterly Disown'd by them Now I wou'd ask Mr. Penn because he was one of his Judges whether G. Keith had by this Proceeding an universal Liberty of Conscience allow'd to him or not If not as it is impossible to say he had then â—et the Quaker Pretence to Liberty of Conscience stand upon the common Level with all others that is it is made a great Cry of by those who are under the Pressure of the Government but allow'd Universally by no Church in the World when they have the Power Thus the Presbyterians who cry'd out for Libetty of Conscience in England and complain'd of Fines or Imprisonments here when they got into New-England Hang'd up the poor Quakers who Dissented from them there And the Quakers when they had tasted a little of the sweet of Government in Pensilvania Prosecuted G. Keith and other Dissenters there and took up the old Pretence that it was not for his Doctrine but as it was a Disturbance to the Government No Church not that of Rome Pretends to any Power farther than to Excommunicate And the Quakers Pretend 〈◊〉 to the same and Exercise it And all who can get the Assistance of the Civil Government do take it And all Corporal Punishments are only from the Civil Government even in the Popish Countries And the same Distinction serves at Rome and in Pensilvania For Sam. Jennings Esq Justice of Peace gave out his Warrants c. against G. Keith and his Accomplicies as Subverters of the Government But plain Samuel Jennings the Botcher Butcher and Preacher pretends to no Superiority over G. Keith his Fellow Minister in the Church Or that their Church Quatenus Church pretends to any outward Coercion or Corporal Punishments
and he shall want no Encouragement from me for I love his Spirit and Honour his Gifts and his Peculiar Learning especially Tongues and Mathematicks his Platonick Studies too All being sanctify'd to the Truths service which is worthy to have the Preheminence Thus Mr. Penn. And that which I wou'd know from him is whether G. Keith has since vary'd from that Doctrine which he Then Preach'd in Pensilvania I do not hear that it is so much as alledged that he has in the least tittle vary'd since that time And if so Here will be sad account of that Infallible Discerning Spirit which the Quakers do appropriate to themselves to Judge Persons and Things See hereafter Sect. X p. â—1 Powers Magistrates Kingdoms and Churches And may it not upon this occasion be said to Mr. Penn in the words of G. Fox Gr. Myst. p. 96. Thou not being Infallible thou art not in the Spirit and so art not a Minister For when he wrote the above Letter he judged G. Keith to have a Right Spirit and desir'd to let him live in his Principles And yet for the very same Principles he has since judged him an Apostate over the Head of him I love his Spirit says Mr. Penn. It is An Vnchristian Spirit says the Yearly Meeting whereof Mr. Penn was a Principal Member The Tendency of divers of his late writings says the Yearly Meeting in their aforesaid Bull of Excommunication against G. Keith hath been to Expose the Truth Did not Mr. Penn then Guess very ill when he gave it under his Hand as abovesaid that All G. Keith 's Studies were Sanctify'd to the Truths service These Writings which the Meeting meant were what G. Keith had Printed in Pensilvania in Defence of those Principles which Mr. Penn then approv'd at least so far as to give them Toleration and to let G. Keith live peaceably in them For G. Keith had not before that Excommunication Printed any thing against the Quakers after his return into England from Pensilvania The use I have to make of this is not to Upbraid or Expose but to beseech Mr. Penn and all the sober-minded among the Quakers now at last to consider whither their strange Pretences to Infallibility has led them Even from the only Infallible Oracles now in the World the Holy Scriptures by setting their Light within above the Scriptures which they do in refusing to let their Light within be judg'd by the Scriptures But on the contrary allowing no Obligation which the Holy Scriptures have upon them in any thing which is not likewise Dictated to them by their Light within But thinking the Dictates of their Light within to be Obligatory and Infallible in things wherein the Scriptures are silent Alas If that were all Even in things where the Scriptures are Repugnant and Command quite otherwise But in the Authority which they have taken over the Letter of the Scriptures they can over-rule every Command in Scripture tho' in Terms never so Positive as in the Case of Baptism and the Lord's Supper and many other Instances Chiefly in that upon which I have so much insisted because it is the Principal their Spiriting away the Letter of the Promised Seed The Humanity of Christ and the Satisfaction Thereby made for our sins and his Intercession and Mediation Therein now at the Right Hand of his Father to which we Dayly owe the Gifts and Graces of his Blessed Spirit And the Adversary cou'd never have gain'd this point upon them which is the Heart of Christianity if he had not first Disarm'd them of the Assistance of the Holy Scriptures wherein this is so mainly and so frequently insisted upon by persuading them to take their own Light within for the Infallible Rule instead of the other And the Devil cannat keep his hold much longer than we shall return to the Scriptures and submit to them as our Rule Which we may perceive by this That no other Sect amongst us has run into this Excess of throwing off the Humanity of Christ but the Quakers because no other has under valu'd the Scriptures so much as they What other sort of Men that call themselves Christians have abus'd the Scriptures by the contemptible Names of Beastly Ware Dust Death Serpents-Meat c. but the Quakers If they say That this was only meant of the Letter that is sufficiently answer'd in what follows But I have now to ask them whether the Letter of their Writings be not as Beastly Ware c. as the Letter of the Scripture And then why they do not give the same Epithets to their Writings No no. Let them not Dissemble the matter They know very well that the giving of Vile and Contemptible Names to any Writing can be for no other end but to render the Contents of such Writing not the Letters Ink or the Paper Vile and Contemptible And this is the Reason that they have taken such care to secure the Honour of their own Writings not only from such Vile Names as they bestow upon the Holy Scriptures but even from such Names as are Honourable and of the Highest Estimation among Human Writings such as Canons for the Laws of the Church and Edicts for the Laws of Emperors and Temporal Government But these the Quakers think too Mean and Contemptible Names for their Writings they will have them nothing less than the Immediate Commands of God Himself And as to themselves they scorn the Titles of Elders Popes and Bishops or that their Meetings shou'd be call'd by such Contemptible Names as Courts Sessions or Synods Hear the Order of their Yearly Meeting at London for the Year 1675. in the following words It is our Sense Advice Admonition and Judgment in the Fear of God and the Authority of his Power and Spirit to Friends and Brethren in their several Meetings That no such Slight and Contemptible Names and Expressions as calling Mens and Womens Meetings Courts Sessions or Synods That Faithful Friends Papers which we testifie have been given forth by the Spirit and Power of God are Mens Edicts or Canons Elders in the Service of the Church Popes and Bishops with such scornful sayings be permitted among them but let God's Power be set upon the top of that unsavory Spirit that uses them c. Here you see the World has not Language or Titles good enough for the Quakers nor for their Writings Edicts or Canons are too slight and contemptible Popes and Bishops are scornful sayings to them But while they thus vindicate their own Honour and the no less than Divine Authority of their Writings at this Sublime raâ—e They take upon them to vilifie the Holy Scriptures of God in the most opprobrious and disgraceful Terms You must not call their Writings by such Slight and Contemptible Names as Canons or Edicts of Men. But you may call the Holy Scriptures by the not only much more Contemptible Names of Dust and Beastly Ware but the Cursed Appellations of Carnal Death and the Meat
the Quakers p. 97. Witness Immediate Revelation They are come to that the Apostles was in the Spirit of Christ the Spirit of God they Witness Immediate Revelation p. 153. But the rest of the World have never heard the Voice of God nor the Voice of Christ and have not the same Infallible Spirit as the Apostles had and no Immediate Revelation nor Inspiration as they had p. 221. Revelation is now witnessed in our Days as it was in the Apostles but not amongst you who have inwardly Ravened from the Spirit of God which have Apostatized from the Apostles And so you be in the Diabolical Devilish that expects not that now which was in the Days of the Apostles If ever you own the Prophets Christ New Rome Unmask'd p. 42. G. F's Answer to the Westmorland Petition p. 30. Truth 's Defence G. F. and R. H. p. 2 89 104 and the Apostles you will own our Writings which are given forth by the same Spirit and Power You may as well Condemn the Scriptures to the Fire as our Quaeries Our giving forth Papers and Printed Books it is from the Immediate Eternal Spirit of God You are now Answered from the Mouth of the Lord. Of their stiling their own Writings The Word of the Lord and denying it to the Holy Scriptures you will see farther Sect. 11. Concerning the Authority of the Holy Scriptures SECT X. Concerning the Quakers Infallibility THis Section may seem needless as being included in the former For who pretend to an Equality with God to the same Immediate Revelation with Christ the Prophets and Apostles had must needs be Infallible But I conceive it will be worth the Readers while to see how they Branch it and Descend to particular Marks and Instances of their Infallibility This Section therefore is like opening the Jugler's Box And you may expect to see Rareties I told you before how their Infallibility was Palm'd upon them by the Church of Rome Of which they were so greedy that they swallow'd it down by whole-sale and wou'd have none of those Cautions with which the Church of Rome us'd to Defend themselves or else forgot them in their Haste and in their Hony Month while they were New-fangl'd Thus while the Church of Rome plac'd their Infallibility only in their Church or at most in the Pope alone as the Head of it the Quakers set up for it All and every One of them There was an Infallibility for you The Church of Rome had cunning Hiding Places and if you attack'd the Infallibility of their Church they wou'd not tell you what they meant by their Church nor where to find their Infallibility some wou'd make you believe that it was in the Pope as Head of the Church and only Successor of Peter to whom the Promises Super hanc Petram and Tues Petrus were made But then some distinguished and said not in Peter alone nor always but only when he was in Cathedra and some said that was with his Conclave others said no but only with a General Council Again some plac'd the Infallibility in the Council above the Pope others in the Pope above the Council others in neither of them asunder but only in both together And lastly some will have it none of all these ways but say it is only to be look'd for in the Diffusive Body of the Church And then as to the Infallibility it self some tell us that it relates to Manners as well as Faith and to Practice as well as Theory Others will by no means admit of that but confine it wholly to matters of Faith And then it will be a long Dispute what shall be adjudg'd a Matter of Faith and what not but only as Relating to Faith These are long and intricate Mazes and it requires no little Skill to be able to follow them thro' all these various Subterfuges But the Simplicity of our Quakers has depriv'd them of every one of these Helps 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 I am sure by this time the Reader is impatient to come to the Proof to see if it be possible for Men to be possess'd with such an incredible degree of Enthusiasm And I am willing to begin that I may no longer lie under the suspicion of Imposing unjustly or at least of Aggravating any thing against them G. Fox says plainly Gr. Myst p. 89. That they can discern who are Saint who are Devils and who Apostates without speaking ever a word Ibid. p. 5. That they have the Word of God Christ which is Eternal and Infallible in their Hearts to judge Persons and Things Thou says he to his Opponent p. 96. 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 Now which of the Quakers is it who have this Spirit to judge thus Infallibly of Persons and Things of Powers Magistrates Kingdoms and Churches And to discern Mens Hearts who are Saints and who Apostates and that without being told by any as G. F. expresses it without speaking ever a word This is told us in p. 7. of Edward Burrough's Epistle to the Reader of G. F's Great Mystery where he says that this Infallible Spirit was given To us says he every one of us in particular And this Light gave us to discern between Truth and Error between every false and right way and it Perfectly discover'd to us the true state of All Things Thou say'st says Fox to his Opponent p. 107. that the Holiest Man is not able to give an Infallible Character of another Man Hast thou not in this discover'd thy self to be no Minister of Christ or of the Spirit Who cannot give an Infallible Character of another Man how canst thou Minister to his Condition How canst thou see where he is How canst thou see them that be turned from the Darkness and that be in the Darkness and distinguish the one from the oother and an Holy Man from an Unholy Man that canst not give an Infallible Character of and Man's Estate And p. 94. Have ye given your selves a Name of the Church of Christ and is there not a Spirit of discerning among you Have ye not manifested here that ye are Harlotted from the Church of Christ the Apostles were of And how can ye Minister or Teach People if ye do not discern their states how they stand before God How can you commend your selves to every Man's Conscience in God's sight How can ye present the Souls of Men to God and see not their states how they are in his sight How come ye to have Fellowship in the Spirit How can you or any Minister to the state and condition that People be
in and see where they are and doth not see how they stand in God's sight Here the Quakers have Excluded all from the Church of Christ from having any Fellowship in the Spirit who have not this Infallible Spirit of discerning every Man's Heart And it is evident as I will shew presently that they did not discern George Keith Francis Bugg and many others whom for many years they own'd as true Quakers and some of them as Ministers among them and boasted a long time in their Gifts and thought them to be Principal Pillars among them whom now they Vilifie as Wicked Apostates And therefore by their own Argument they are Harlotted from the Church of Christ and have no Fellowship in the Spirit Page 33. He that is not infallible in his Council and Judgment and Advice is not he in Error And are they Ministers of Christ that are Fallable Page 105. G. Fox condemns all Protestant Churches as well as the Church of Rome for want of this Infallible Spirit which the Quakers ascribe only to themselves These are his words We says he the Pope and you the Protestants whom he calls Professors are Apostatized from the Infallible Spirit that the Apostles was in In which we are come For who witness these Conditions that they were in that gave forth the Scriptures they witness Infallibility an Infallible Spirit which is now Possessed and Witnessed among those called Quakers Glory to the Highest for ever This is dreadfully Astonishing But I was much more surpriz'd to find the otherwise Ingenious William Penn laugh at his Adversary for not being Infallible There was an Anonymous Book wrote against the Quakers call'd Controversy Ended to this Mr. Penn Reply'd in a Sheet of large Paper in Print which he Entituled A Winding-Sheet for Controversy Ended which bears Date the 16 of the 12th Month 1672. In the first page he catches up the Author whom he calls Henry Hedworth for saying that he had been mistaken in the good Opinion he had before of Mr. Penn's Judgment and Conscience How can he chuse says Mr. Penn who denies Infallibility But if mistaken before why not in the Quakers now And so ad Infinitum being so Fallible And p 3. Sect. 2. He Vindicates what George Fox had asserted of the Quakers Infallibility for having Repeated these words of G. Fox's which were put as an Objection against him How can ye be Ministers of the Spirit and not be Infallible And how can they but Delude the People who are not Infallible He makes this Reply I Answer says he G. F's words stand immovable for ever And he gives this strange Reason to support himself and G. F. For says he He that is a Minister of the Spirit is Infallibly for And in that Ministry is Infallible otherwise the Spirit 's Ministry is Fallible Which is such a Consequence as this that if any Man who is lighted by the Sun stumble or miss his way the fault is in the Sun which shew'd him a False Light What else can be the meaning of that saying that if a Minister be not Infallible then the Ministry of the Spirit is Fallible To make God himself Fallible rather than we shou'd not be Infallible But he comes quite off of this again in the next page and Sect. And this says he Roundly checks his Hen. Hedworth his Opponent saying That I bestow'd 32 pages to prove George Fox's Spirit to be Infallible For that belongs simply to God alone and then those that are led by it which was my Question and in which sense He is and all such persons are Infallible as he himself confesseth page 27. And if be fool'd himself by any other Belief of us before let him look to that Here Henry Hedworth is made Infallible too Whom in this same Winding-Sheet as above Quoted he calls a very Night-Bird and Vagrant Bursten'd with Folly and Revenge a Busie-Body Cavelling Conceited Proud Wrathful Equivocating Slandering Cowardly Man c. all which Epistles and all the rest which the Quakers so Liberally bestow upon their Adversaries may by this Rule belong to George Fox or any other Infallible Quaker Nay the Devil himself is Infallible at this rate for he has his Knowledge as well as Being from God Knowledge is Light and if that Knowledge which comes from God be Infallible then while the Devil follows that Light or Knowledge he must be Infallible And if this be all the Infallibility which the Quakers ascribe to themselves it distinguishes them not from Wicked Men or Devils But sure George Fox meant something more by it when by it he distinguish'd the Quakers from all other sorts of Men and ascrib'd to them an Infallible Discerning Spirit to know the Hearts of Men without speaking ever a word Of which I wish Mr. Penn wou'd afford us I will not say an Infallible but an Intelligible Comment for I protest I say not this out of any Obstinacy or Perverse Temper but to be able to apprehend if possible what these Men wou'd be at For they turn and wind this Infallibility of theirs at such a rate that no Man can I am sure cannot know what they mean by it Sometimes it makes them as Infallible as the Apostles nay as Christ Himself But at other times when they are press'd they bring down this Infallibility to mean nothing in the World that does distinguish them from other Men Tho' it was upon the pretence of this that they did separate them selves from the Church and from all other Men For they said that they ought not to be Subject to nor had need to be Guided by any Church who had an Infallible Guide within their own Breasts that is each Particular Person for himself as before is told But this pretence is now exploded by the Separate Quakers and Explain'd at some turns by the others as above by Mr. Penn to mean just nothing that is nothing which differences them from other Men or any thing New or other than what all Mankind have ever acknowledg'd to wit Thaâ— every Man's Reason Knowledge Conscience Light within or by what ever other Name or Names you may express it was given him by God and so is an Inspiration or Breathing of His into our Soul But this will no more prove it to be Infallible or Sufficient of it self to bring us to Heaven than it will follow that Man cannot die because God Breathes into him the Breath of Life or that he is Omnipotent because his Strength comes from God Omniscence and Infallibility is as much God's Attribute as Omnipotence And the Strength which God has given to our Bodies is as sufficient to climb up to the Skies as the Wisdom or Light which He has given to our Souls was sufficient of it self to have found out the Redemption of Lost Man by the Incarnation and Satisfaction of Christ to God's Justice for our sins or if found out to have paid that Price and to have accomplished that whole wonderful Oeconomy of
because if what the Scripture Commands be anew required by their Spirit they are bound to obey it because required by their Spirit But if the Scripture Command the thing they are by their Principles not bound to obey it unless it be requir'd by their Spirit Anew Which is most effectually overthrowing the Scriptures and resolving all into their Private Spirit or Light within This will yet further appear in the Sections which follow But let me first give an Authority for the last thing that I have said and it is such a one as does astonish me because first it is from the ingenious Mr. Penn secondly it is where he accuses others of Mis-representing the Quaker Principles and rescuing them from such Mis-representations Reason against Railing 1673. p. 150. Article 21. he sets them down in their most Moderate and he says True sense And he averrs That what was a Commandment to any Servants of God in old time that is in the Scriptures That such are not Commandments to us unless required by the same Spirit Anew And he instances in those Elementary Types Shadows and Figures appointed as he says for a season and to pass off These are the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lords's Supper which he calls Elementary Types and Figures But that they were appointed only for a season and to pass off that is not to be prov'd from Scripture which enjoins them till Christ's coming again 1 Cor. 11.26 always even unto the end of the VVorld Matt. 28 19 20. But all this signifies nothing These Commandments are not required by the Quaker Spirit Anew And so they pass off This we are sure is not Aggravated upon them Indeed Mr. Penn does in the same place find fault with those who would improve this Principle of theirs to justifie Immoralists and things inconsistent with Government As if says he that Eternal Holy Omnipresent Light with which we are enlightned did not continually declare and require Just and Righteous things at our Hands This with submission instead of an Excuse is a full Confession oâ— the whole Charge unless Mr. Penn can make it appear that the Quakers and every one of them in Particular have this Light more than other Men Or if they have it that they must necessarily be guided by it Because otherwise they may commit Theft Sacrilege and all Immoralities under this Umbrage And no Command of Scripture can Restrain or Convince them by this Latitude here granted because if they shou'd Enthusiastically Believe or Hypocritically Pretend that such Command of Scripture was not required by their Spirit Anew it is ipso facto superseded by this Principle Thus it being Objected to G. Fox that one of his Quakers had Pretended an Immediate Call from Heaven to commit Theft or Robbery Great Myst p. 77. and Sacrilege in taking out of the Church an Hour-Glass G. F. does vindicate it in these words And as for any being moved of the Lord to take away your Hour-Glass from you by the Eternal Power it is owned And if another shou'd pretend an Immediate Call to take away the Communion-Plate for that is us'd to Superstitious uses where is the end of these loose Principles Mr. Penn can tell whether he did not solicite G. W. to return a Letter Some of the Quaker Principles p. 8. which another Quaker had stoln and given to him and whether G. W. did not make this Answer That unless the Lord requir'd him he wou'd not return it again See more of this in Tyranny and Hypocr c. p. 37. But as for things Inconsistent with Government which Mr. Penn supposes their Light can never dictate I refer him to the first Section and to some of the Quakers Principles Sect. 10. to 18. These concern the Government of the State But as for Church Government I think Mr. Penn will not say but their Principles are wholly Inconsistent Have they not broke off from the Church-Government established in England and in all the Christian World And â—o they not pretend that their Light guides them in it Have they not by the same Light Rebell'd from Episcopacy which they cannot deny was in the times of the Apostles and through all Ages of Christianity to this day If they think this a Light sin let them read the 16th of Numb and see if the sin of Korah was small Or if it was for any thing else but Church-Government And St. Jude tells us ver 11. of those under the Gospel who perish in the gain-saying of Rorah But if disobedience to Church-Government be no such great matter why do the Quaker-Church treat their Separatists with such violent fury and strain their Invention to find Names bad enough for them Devil-driving Dungy Gods c. as if already smoaking in Hell Why do they charge them so desperately with the heinousness of Schism It is true indeed that the Church cannot subsist more than any other Society without Government But it is as true that the Quaker Pretence to the Private Light in Particular Persons as a Principle over-ruling Scripture and all outward Ordinances is Inconsistent with Government either in Church or State or any security from all the Dismal and Enthusiastical Murthers Rapines and Outrage of the Zealots among the Jews who went upon the same Principle yet shew'd no evil signs of it nor I do Charitably believe had at first any Evil Designs nor knew more than Hazael 2 Kings 8.13 whither these Principles would at last hurry them But if Hard Words are a Natural Presage and shew and Inward Disposition to come to Blows no People have shewn more Virilence in the First nor do I believe that they are Infallibly securâ—d from the Latter But no Tempting occasion has yet offer'd it self to them For it is a very convenient Principle to be protected by other Mens Swords without running any of the hazard our selves to enjoy the Benefits of Peace equally with others and to be freed if not from the Charge at least from the Slavery and Dangers of War It is good to sleep in a whole Skin But yet if they had a Government of their own they wou'd not part no not with a Sloop And I do not think any sort of People wou'd less encourage under their own Government their now Pretended Principle of Enthusiasm or the Private Spirit We see how violently they now oppose it in their Separatists They call any Opposition to the Orders of their Church no less than Rebellion and that against God Himself Thus Solomon Eccles told John Story in his Letter above-Quoted That his opposing the Divine Right of the Womens Preachings and Womens Meetings set up by G. Fox was Rebellion against the Living God More Instances of this see in some of the Quakers Principles Sect. 13. And they make Orders in direct opposition to the Laws and make it Rebellion against God to obey the Laws T. C's Animadversions upon G. W's Innocency Triumphant p. 16. and 30. as in the
words Our Ministers do not teach that the Name of Jesus and Christ belong to every Member in the Body or Church as Amply as to Christ the Head And that you may take notice of it the word Amply is put in a different Character in old Black Letters lest you shou'd mistake and think that George was Christ as Amply as Jesus That was modest indeed But then George Thou art Christ as well as Jesus tho' not so Amply and then your first Art above Quoted which calls Jesus the Christ means no great matter but is rank Sophistry and Dodging and casting a Mist before the Eyes of poor deluded People For I have that Charity for a great many of your Followers as to think that they do not know those Depths of Stan and that Mystery of Iniquity into which thou and others have led them And out of which thou dost not desire to Rescue them but to bind them faster in it by this thy Equivocating and Jesuitical Confession of Faith As Article 2. where you confess with the Socinians Christ's coming in the Flesh That is as before explain'd taking Flesh upon him as a Veil or Garment but not in the Language and true Sense of the Scripture That he was made Flesh John 1.14 that is took it into his Person and joyn'd it in a Personal Union with his Divine Nature so that as it is express'd in the Athanasian Creed as the Reasonable Soul and Flesh is one Man so God and Man is one Christ. If you had believ'd what is contain'd in these words you wou'd not have scrupl'd setting it down in these words which must have given the best satisfaction if it had been your design to have given satisfaction without any reserve for that wicked Heresie which you wou'd seem not to plead for yet in such words as you might easily afterwards explain to mean nothing against it Article 7. You say 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 you say that wicked Men have Perverted the Scriptures That no Body can deny to You. But what then Is the Holy Word of God therefore become Death and Serpent's Meat because you have made it Death unto your selves God forbid says St. Paul Rom. 7.13 in answer to the same Argument which you bring Wherefore the Law is Holy and the Commandment Holy and Just and Good tho' the Vnlearned and the Vnstable wrest them to their own Destruction 2 Pet. 3.16 But what was it you call'd Dust and Serpent's Meat Was it nothing else but the Ink and the Paper Did any Body ever say that These were not Dust Or is that any part of the Contest betwixt us Was it the Ink Only and the Paper of which you doubt as before Quoted in the Quakers Refuge whether Moses or Hermes was the Pen-Man Thou meanedst verily which of them made the Pen that was all upon the word of a Quaker Was it the Pen or Ink of which you doubt that some of it was not spoken by the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit And whether some of it was not spoken by the Grand Impostor Some by False Prophets and yet True some by True Prophets and yet False The Ink or Paper are neither True nor False but the Doctrine only which is written in them And therefore George notwithstanding all thy mealy Modesty it is It is indeed George it is the very Doctrine of the Scriptures which you Blaspheme as Dust and Death and Serpent's Meat on purpose to bring Men off from trying your Pernicious Heresies by those Sacred Oracles and to make your Followers trust wholly to your New Light within in comparison of which it is that you vilifie the written Doctrine and Precepts of God which are most opposite to all your Gross Delusions it is not the Ink nor the Paper that you quarrel at No they do you no hurt But it is the Law and the Testimony according to which written Word if any do not teach the same Holy Scriptures do Instruct us it is because there is no Light in them Isai 8.20 No Light George Mark that Your false Pretences to the Light within is here over-rul'd and to be measured by the written word without These are hard sayings to the Infallible Friends And it was for the sake of these and such like Texts which Detect and Explode the miserable Ignorance and Blasphemy of these Pretenders to Light which made Thee Friend George in this same Book to which Thou hast prefix'd Thy abovesaid Affirmative Confession of Faith p. 28. Excuse and Justifie the Diabolical Suggestions in the Quakers Refuge against the Authority of the Sacred Scriptures by saying that it Question'd but of some of the Scriptures not all as I have shewn before But now come George we are near an end and we know not if ever we shall meet again tell me in the Plain Downright Honesty and Simplicity of thy Light within Didst Thou mean no more by this but that only some and not all the Ink was thick and muddy and fit for Serpents Meat and that only some Sheets of the Paper or Parchment or Barks of Trees on which they wrote in ancient time and might write the Scriptures for ought thou knowest was course and ugly Is all thy Malice only against those base Printers or VVriters who Prophane the Letter by poor sneaking Impressions and provide not good Ink and Paper If thou thinkest all this to be Railery not becoming thy Gravity See I pray thee if it be any thing more than what thou settest forth as the very true and only Reason for those vile Epithets which thou and thy Friends do bestow upon the Holy Scriptures of God And be asham'd and blush if thou canst for that Silly and Childish come off with which thou Gravely undertakest to Banter all Mankind as if all your Ignominies and Contempt cast upon Scripture were to be understood only of the Ink and Paper Nor is thy salvo more Ingenious in the Eleventh Article of thy aforesaid Creed wherein thou endeavourest to reconcile the Heretical Notions of thy Sect against the true Incarnation of Christ calling his Body a Figure Veil c. It is really say'st thou contrary to our Faith and Principle to make Christ Jesus himself only a Figure a Veil or Garment Here the word only as the word Amply in the tenth Article is put in great Black Letters to shew the stress thou layst upon it And to discover thy Sophistication thou sayst That Christ Jesus is not only a Figure or a Garment Not only No more is a Cloak or a Veil It is not only a Garment for it is Cloath or Stuff and may be put to many other uses There is no one thing in the World that is only one thing It may be taken under more considerations than one But this as I observ'd at first of thy Equivocating manner is but a Negative Confession
Case of Tythes They declare all as well Payers as Receivers of Tythes to be Anti-Christs and to have deny'd Christ's coming in the Flesh And it is at their Discretion to declare any other Injunction of the Law of the Land to be against their Light and then it is Rebellion against God any longer to obey the Law in such a Case So that all our Laws stand but at their pleasure And if they shou'd declare against All Laws and Kings together there is nothing excepted from the Plenary Power of their Inward Light Do not think these for extravagant suppositions They have done as much as all I have said Their Principle is Spiritualizing And as they have Spiritualiz'd away all the Letter of the Scripture the Sacraments and Christ's Humanity so have they reduc'd Government also from the outward Administration at least of Kings when the time was that they durst speak plain Some of the Quakers Principles Sect. 10. As in Edw. Burrough's Standard c. in the Year 1658. p. 9. The Lord is risen says he to overturn overturn Kings and Princes Governments and Laws and He will change Times and Laws and Governments There shall be no King Ruling but Iesus nor no Government of force but the Government of the Lamb. And George Fox says There is that Nature that would have an Earthly King to Reign in which Nature lodgeth the Murtherer A Word from the Lord p. 15. Anno 1654. The Lord will cleanse the Land of you Rulers Priests c. and not any that rejects Christ shall Rule in England Discovery of the Enmity p. 29. Anno 1655. Now whether or no the Quakers do reckon us of the Church of England to be among those who Reject Christ I refer to Sect. 4. And then whether they think by this Rule that any such ought to Rule in England I leave to the Reader And then whether their Submission to such Govenment can proceed from Principle or Necessity In short Enthusiasts have no Principles They have no Rule but their own Fansie which is strongest in Mad-Men and this they mistake for Inspiration And then their Madness is at the height And it is inconstant as the VVind They know not their own Minds Nor can promise for themselves an hour together They are as dangerous in any Government as Elephants in an Army who if they take the Humour fall foul upon their Leaders No Libertines have done greater mischief than the Enthusiasts The Atheist and Profligate pursue not their VVickednesses with half Their Zeal and Fury If the Debauch'd stick at nothing Unlawful the Zealot thinks every thing he does to be Lawful And it cannot be deny'd No Quaker can deny but that the Principle of the Quakers is all Enthusiasm There never was any Enthusiasm in the World that exceeded it None that ever call'd themselves Christians have advanc'd themselves so high to have the same Infallible Spirit and Immediate Revelation as the Prophets and Apostles or as Christ Himself to be Equal even to God to be one Person Substance Soul with God And I do not think that any Human Government can be secure of Men in whose Power it is to screw themselves up to such Blasphemus heights of Enthusiasm and who while they make themselves Gods think their Governors to be Serpents Reprobates and Devils Raveners from Christ and his utter Enemies I here repeat the Caution which I set down at the beginning of this Discourse That I do not include all the Quakers in this But those only who having seen these Blasphemies and Delusions of George Fox and other their old Primitive Quakers will not Renounce them but seek to Cover and Excuse them and pretend still to the same Spirit that they had And what that was we shall see yet farther in the next Section SECT XII Concerning the Light within VVherein of the Quaker Idolatry THE Light within the Quakers call that Light which lightneth every Man that cometh into the VVorld They say that every Man has it Yet they will not call it Natural Reason nor Conscience It is not Conscience Great Mystery p. 209. says G. Fox But it be what it will if every Man has it it is no Peculiarity to the Quakers And yet by virtue of this Light they advance themselves above all Man-kind and Damn all but themselves as above is shewn Therefore the meaning must be That none but the Quakers do follow this Light Which they do suppose but have yet given no proof of it more than other Enthusiasts that is their own saying so and being very sure of it However I would ask them this Question VVhether a Man may leave that Light without Knowing that he does so If he may then all the Quakers have left it for ought they Know. If he cannot then all who leave it do it Maliciously For I ask again Whether a Man can sin while he follows this Light If he can then that Light may lead him wrong and so is not Infallible But if he cannot sin while he follows this Light and cannot leave the Light without Knowing of 〈◊〉 as in the first Quaere then can there be no sin of Ignorance Which is contrary to the Law for their Expiations were appointed for sins of Ignorance And it is likewise contrary to the Gospel for Christ tells of those who Know not their Masters VVill. They Know not what they do said He of those who Crucify'd Him Luke 23.34 The time shall come said He to His Apostles John 16. â— that whosoever killeth you shall Think that he doth God service And it is said 2 Thess 2.11 That â—â—ey should Believe a Lye Christ â—as foretold Mat. 6.23 That â—e Light which is in some Men that is what they take to be â—ight is Darkness And if they be so mistaken How great is that Darkness But there can be no such Mistake as our Saviour supposes iâ— the Light within be Infallible and that every Man has it and that 〈◊〉 Man can leave it without Knowing of it Yet St. Peter says to the Jewâ— who Crucify'd Christ I wot thâ— through Ignorance ye did it Act 3.17 And St. Paul says 1 Cor 2.8 That had they Known iâ— they would not have Crucify'd the Lorâ— of Glory There is no doubt but thesâ— Jews who Crucify'd Christ anâ— St. Paul too while he was a Perscutor did Think that they follow their Light within Therefore 〈◊〉 Man may Think himself in thâ—â— Right and be Mistaken which will destroy all the Quakers certainty Yes a Man may Think so and think very strongly And yet all this may be no more than a strong Delusion It wou'd make one Merry were there not too much of Tragedy in this Miserable and Destructive Error to see what pains G. Fox takes to struggle from under this Objection He repeats the Professors Objection against him in these words The Apostle Paul thought to do many things against the Church Great Mystery p. 224. and thought
be ought to do so and the Light within did not inform his Conscience To which George Replies in these words Did not Christ say that it was hard for him to kick against that that prickt him and was not that within him that prickt him Here is manifest Perverting of Scripture For Christ did not say that it was hard to kick against that that prickt him or that any thing prickt him The words which Christ spoke were these It is hard for thee to kick against the Pricks Acts 9.5 That is against the Power of Christ which wou'd be too hard for him if he strove against it as a Man that kicks against Pricks or Goads of Iron only hurts himself But G. F. Perverts the Text to make it bear this sense that the Pricks here mention'd were nothing else but the Pricks of St. Paul's own Conscience or the Light within his Conscience as the Quakers love to speak But whether there was any thing of this in the Case of St. Paul himself can best tell who said Acts 26.9 I verily thought with my self that I ought to do many things contrary to the Name of Jesus of Nazareth And Chap. 22.3 4. That he was not only fully persuaded but Zealous in the Persecution of the Christians exceeding mad against them Chap. 26.11 Had he then any Pricks of Conscience or of his Light within against the Lawfulness of that wherein he was fully persuaded and Zealous Or cou'd he think verily that he ought to do such a thing if he had had but any the least doubt or surmise against the Lawfulness of it It will be very hard when all this is consider'd to make Sense of the Quaker Notion of the Light within Against which this Instance of St. Paul among many others stands as an irrefragable proof But it is strange that the Quakers shou'd arrogate to themselves such lofty Titles above all the rest of Mankind even to take to themselves the very Attributes of God upon the pretence of this Light within and yet allow that every Man in the World has it as well as themselves Indeed they make a Pretence from this Light within to excuse their Blasphemous pride while they assume all the Worship due to Christ whom they call this Light upon the account of His or Its Inhabitation in them And this was the very Ground and Foundation of all Idolatry viz. the suppos'd Presence or Inhabitation of the Divinity in their Images or in the Sun and other Creatures whom they Worshiped upon that only Pretence and as transferring the Honour to God Residing in them or Represented by them And this very Excuse do the Quakers give here Some of the Quakers Principles Sect. 32. G. Whitehead thus answering the Charge of Idalatry in their Adorations before-mentioned paid to G. Fox And as to his Fran. Bugg's Charge of Idolatries if not Blasphemous Names and Titles given to George Fox how proves he they gave and intended those Names and Titles to the Person of G. Fox and not to the Life of Christ in Him whereof He was a Partaker Innocency against Envy p. 18. This as I said before is the same Excuse that the Heathens and Romans give for their Idolatries Secondly By this Rule Every Quaker may be Ador'd with Divine Honour and all the Attributes of God given to him because of his Light within or the Life of Christ in him Thirdy I will shew in Sect. 17. That they allow of Divine Honour to that Man Christ Jesus upon no other account than as G. Whitehead allows it to G. Fox that is because of the Residing of the Divine Word in Him And they distinguish it from his Person as Here from G. Fox's for as they express it They can never call the Bodily Garment Christ And they do own that the Name Christ does belong to every Quaker as well as to Jesus that is to both only upon the account of the Light within which they call the Divine Word or Christ All which shall be prov'd in its place Let me here only observe what an Uncouth and Preposterous piece of Humility it is to deny the Title or Civility of Master or of their Hat while at the same time they Worship one another with Divine Honour and bestow upon themselves Titles far above what any Angels since Lucifer durst pretend to to be even Equal with God of the same Substance and the fame Soul with Him and grudge not to apply all the Attributes of God to the Light within them and to themselves for its sake Thus transferring the Honour of God unto Themselves SECT XIII Of the Resurrection of the Body THis the Quakers do positively deny Mr. Penn makes Non-sense of it Reason against Railing 1673. p. 138. and worse He compares it to Transubstantiation nay to the Alcoran In short says he if the compleat happiness of the Soul rests in a re-union to a Carnal Body for such it is sown then never cry out upon the Turks Alcoran for such a Heaven and the Joys of it suit admirable well with such a Resurrection If the Reader thinks as I did when I first read this that Mr. P. meant this only of such a gross Conceit of the Resurrection as if our Bodies shou'd be in the same frail condition as now addicted to Sensualities If the Reader think thus as I did for what else cou'd any one think he will be to his astonishment undeceiv'd as I was in reading of what follows 2dly No Christian ever held that there was not a great Change of the Body in its Qualities at the Resurrection It is sown in Weakness in Corruption it is rais'd in In-Corruption and in Power c. And therefore if Mr. Penn meant no more than as abovesaid he wou'd dispute against no Christian But alas as you will find they deny any Resurrection at all of that Body which is sown that they leave wholly neglected for ever in its Dust Some of them suppose a perfectly New Body will be made for the Soul But others that the Soul it self is the Spiritual Body which is mentioned 1 Cor. 15.44 and consequently that there is no other Resurrection than at each particular persons death when the Soul which they call the Spiritual Body is freed from the Natural Body never more to meet again And in consequence of this these believe no General Resurrection no nor some of them any End of the World every Man's Resurrection being as they suppose perfected at his Death But let us return to Mr. Penn. In his Book above Quoted in the Margent Reas against Rail p. 134. he is answering this material Objection That if it be a New Body which is made for the Soul then there is no Resurrection of the Body For that does not rise again which never lay down And when St. Paul says 1 Cor. 15.42 speaking of the Resurrection of the Body that It is sown in Corruption and It is rais'd in Incorruption c.