truly comforted whatever the Issue of Matters would be with respect to those entangled in the Snare of a guileful Spirit that it was well with them in that they had a certain Knowledg of the Peace and Blessings of God into their Bosoms who had aceompanied them with his glorious Power and over-shaddowed their Exercise therewith to their Hearts Joy and to the causing of them to give God the Praise who is worthy for ever and in the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit upon the 5 th day of that Exercise Friends parted asunder being the 7 th day of the Week Several of our travelling Brethren stayed some days in the Country amongst Friends and had several blessed Meetings here-aways in a Travel upon their Spirits during their abode in the Country for the Churches Peace and the Return of the strayed ones and giving up the whole Concern to Almighty God and to the Word of his Power who alone gives the Encrease of all planting and watering and spiritual Exercises on every Account God over all in Heaven and Earth blessed for ever In many particular Exercises that the aforesaid Friends had with John Story and John Wilkinson and them of Party with them they were very desirous that they would break up again their separate Meeting as that which they testified against which also God would never bless There was that measure of Love and Tenderness raised up in John Story and John Wilkinson in the aforesaid Meeting that they took an Occasion to go to George Fox then at Swathmoore who we perceive by good Information was very loving to them and tender on their behalf letting them see the Danger they were in if they did not return to the antient Power in it to become one with Gods 〈◊〉 again in the Service and Labour of the Truth and for that end desired them to break up the separate Meeting c. But upon the matter thus it was that the separate Meeting they still continued and the Expectations of dear Brethren became frustrated on John Story' s and John Wilkinson's account for any thing that could be observed for they quickly trampled upon the whole Concern and Endeavours that had been had with them and used towards them John Wilkinson presently denyed that they had condemn'd any thing at Draw-well or that they knew of any thing of which they were guilty that was condemnable At the next yearly Meeting being about the 3 d. Month 1676. The Concerns of the Church of God throughout the whole Nation and of many Countries and Islands beyond the Seas being under Friends tender Care and great weight of Spirit the estate of the Church of God in Westmerland came before Friends as some of us were Ear-Witnesses and an Exercise of Mind was upon them in relation to the Grievances that Gods People in these Parts were still exposed to through the Spirit of Contention and Strife that had led into Separation from the antient Brethren in the Service of Truth and the deplorable State also of John Wilkinson and John Story with them of Party with them they were touched with In the Consideration of their trampling upon all the tender Endeavours used towards them at Draw-well in the 2 d. Month of the same Year and their obstinate and wilful rejecting the Admonition the Reproof the good Advice and Councel of their antient Brethren in order to a happy Return of them to God again and into the Unity of the Spirit with the Faithful in the practice of things relating to the Concerns of Truth and the Church of God amongst them And understanding that the separate Meeting continued still contrary to the general and particular Advice of the Friends when in the North more particularly on the account of their Souls Concern tenderly laid before them to the great danger of their utter undoing over and besides the Obstruction which that Spirit laboured to make in the way of Truth with respect to a gathering more unto God as also the Hurt its Design tended to produce amongst the young and tender not fully established upon the Rock the Habitation whereupon cannot be shaken The Brethren with respect to that secret Hope that sprung up in them at Draw-well when there concerning these two men in particular and on behalf of others greatly hurt by the same Spirit that the Lord might have wrought them into a further sight and sence of things as to their inward of late Years deplorable State and into a tender acknowledgment thereof under the hand and stroke of Gods Power to the working of them from the Bondage thereof that the liberty of the Power in the love 〈◊〉 God they might again come to partake of and so be brought into Fellowship with Gods People again to their Comfort and the Churches Ease and Peace On these Considerations it was yet upon their Spirits to visit them with a tender Epistle of Brotherly Advice from the yearly Meeting under the great Lamentation that the Souls of many were bowed in because thereof The Epistle from the yearly Meeting the 22d of the 3d. Month 1676. John Story and John Wilkinson FOR whom our Souls have travelled as for our own the God of Heaven is Record yea bitterness and anguish of Spirit hath overtaken us for your sakes that in the blessed Unity of the Life and Love of God with the Brethren you may come and dwell for ever And let us tell you in all plainess for we are bound yea we are bruised men for your sakes and deeply afflicted to hear by your Northern Brethren of the continuance of the Separation in those Parts for that Sp rit despiseth our Travels tramples upon our Labours sets our Life and Love at nought and with that Spirit hath God a Controversie and Will forever Ah! what do you mean to do Oh! our antient Friends Sorrow girds us to hear that you are got no nearer your antient Brethren nor receive our Councel while our Life strives with you least your Day go off and our Bowels be shut up against you Bow to that Power that visited you at Daw-well and let not up any Slights against it in your Minds For we are satisfied in our Souls 〈◊〉 it was the Day of your Visitation And in the Name of the Lord away with that Separation which to our great Grief we hear is not only continued but countenanced at least by one 〈◊〉 you for the Determination of the Lord is to blast it for ever Ah! you and they are sought in the Spirit of Meekness and in Love unseigned and in that Patience that was not provoked Oh! strive not against your own Mercies neither exclude your selves from the Fellowship of your Brethren but judge down all Strife Jealousies and Surmises in the name of the Living God that you may be made nigh and be Instruments to bring those nigh that are also with you at a manifest distance from us otherwise the Jealous God will stretch 〈◊〉 his Hand against you and you
Pride and Spiritual Ambition prevailing instead of Humility in the Lords 〈◊〉 the safe Habitation the Lord became grieved to the greatly withdrawing of his good Spirit from them so that their 〈◊〉 to others came to be in the Wisdom which is from below and is Earthly Sensual and Devillish of which some of the principal of them were told and warned of the Evil thereof many Years ago So that the mystery of Gods mind which is revealed to Babes in Christ they became shut up from and the concerns of the Kingdom in the life thereof they became strangers to and as to the concerns relating to the visible Family of God being at a loss in relation to they became partakers with the loose sort in the opposition thereunto till strife entered and to work Discord in the Church of God their Design broke forth of which more may be said afterwards Secondly This opposite Spirit to Church Care entred amongst such as became unfaithful in their 〈◊〉 Testimonies for God and the honorable Truth once born and suffered for to their Comsort and Peace and to Indulge a wrong Spirit that began to draw back pleading for a false Liberty calling it Christian therein to gratifie the Flesh and that Sufferings might be avoided thereby which the care in the Church of God could not but inspect and Friends be concerned therein Thirdly The opposition prevailed upon such as became in departing from Truth 's Life and the pure fear vain in their Minds and inclined to liberty in the Flesh again in the Worlds Spirit becoming Enemies to the Cross and casting off he Yoke of Christ to which Subjection is to be given and entering into the Worlds loose Spirit again a reproach to Truth which the godly care for God's Honour and Truths 〈◊〉 in the Faithful could not let pass unreproved which became the Torment of all such Fourthly This Spirit of opposition to Church care that whatever things were decent might be cherished and the contrary Judged hath wrought in such and drawn them into a Separation as through the Imaginations of a corrupt Mind and in an airy Spirit would have entertained things to be put in practice in relation to the honourable State of Marriage inconsistant with Truths sweet Savour with respect to Man and Womans duty therein or were inclined to inconsiderate 〈◊〉 undertaking to accomplish the same without bringing them twice before the Mens and Womans Meetings which for Inspections sake as to clearness therein we account a very necessary decent and comely thing a froward loose and fleshly Spirit would not be thus limited and under pretence of seeing no need of these things or not seeing it a duty c. Crys for Liberty of Conscience and let me be 〈◊〉 to freedom although in a wrong Mind which Gods Truth gives no liberty to and the care of the Church of God would limit that in all things we may be kept of the praise of Truth We desire that in every Country or Place where a knowledge of this Separation from the fellowship of the Church of God happens to be or where the aforementioned Book of William Rogers's comes to be seen all would take notice if they that are fled off through a backsliding Spirit into a distance as to the Antient fellowship of Brethren and become disconcerned in Church affairs amongst Gods antient People and labour to promote the Publishing of William Rogers's ungodly Book be not clearly manifested to be some of the fore-going sorts of Professors of Truth which as any finds them to be let that which is pure peaceable and easie to be entreated judge what they are and what this Spirit and Work would lead unto Thou needest not Reader think it a strange thing with respect to this backsliding People whose Reproach to all hastens on For Righteousness doth Establish a People or Nation when Ignominy is the Portion of Fools for the like hath happened concerning the Rebellious to Gods Mind and Will made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amongst such as have known the Lord and the Work of his mighty Hand in Generations past and gone which holy Men of God have left upon Record to be a warning to such as may come after and may meet with like Temptations First Of them that came out of Egypt through the Arm of the eternal God under the conduct of Moses a Servant of the Lord and an Instrument in his Hands and of them that had seen the mighty Wonders God wrought for their Deliverance Two Hundred and fifty of the Princes of the People mighty Men Men of Renown Rebelled against the Lord and despised his Servant Moses confederated together to Work mischief in the Camp and stood in their opposition till the Righteous God caused the Earth to open and Swallow them up Amongst the Twelve of Christ's own choise one of them became an Enemy to him to the betraying him into the Hands of Sinners Some are made mention of to have tasted of the good Word of God and of the powers of the Life to come and yet afterwards might fall away and hard to be 〈◊〉 by Repentance It were well if these could yet find any place Paul made mention of the falling back of the Galatians from the Simplicity of the Gospel and lamented the case of their being Bewitched and he Travelled that the Seed Christ might be again formed in them He also made mention of false Brethren that had been his Exercise and Grief The Lord suffers these things to be and such to be over-taken on this wise whose Hearts do not abide upright to God who have known God in his Power and yet do not Honour him as God It is considerable and worth the notice taking to see what effects the Lord hath wrought and what he hath suffered to be through such Exercises as these are And First with respect to the Heretage of God the Family that does Believe through the exercise that is met withal from false Brethren whose backslidings and opposite Work and the tendency of it to Strife is the Churches Grief there is a tender concern in all such wrought upon the observation of it to have a more inward Eye to God by whose Grace all are saved that believe therein that they may be kept to him in the feeling of that Power which preserves every one upon the Rock for help and salvation So that the Lord being more eyed the more he comes to be feared and dependency comes to be laid on him and on this occasion all confidence in the 〈◊〉 comes to be laid down seeing the Mighty and the Wise amongst Men are overcome and a retirement to that antient Arm that brought Salvation in the beginning is wrought upon the Souls of them that believe that Spirit in Children of the Night that would divide being seen and in Gods Name resisted the Children of the Day are the more knit together in Soul and Spirit and the delight of the Lord comes to be with them and his Glory
called The Christian Quaker distinguished from the Apostate and Innovator The Second Part VVherein it is plainly demonstrated First That John Story and John Wilkinson in a dividing Spirit together with the aforesaid William Rogers who hath espoused their Cause with those of party with them have opposed the visible Rule Discipline and Order used in the Church of God the true Christian Quakers Wherein they have been the Exercise and Grief of the Faithful through the offence they have caused in the Church of Christ to the breach of its Peace Secondly A sincere account is given therein of the care and brotherly treating according to Gospel Order that hath been used in a Christian Spirit as the Exercise and Travels of many dear Brethren sustained do demonstrate concerning the aforesaid John Story and John Wilkinson and others of party with them before the Judgment of Truth according to Church Power and Order was given forth against them By Thomas Pearson John Pearson Robert Tompson Robert Battow Brian Lancaster Joseph Baines and John Blaykling on behalf of themsels and many other Brethren of the Quarterly Meeting in Westmerland Now I beseech you Brethren mark them which cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Dectrine which ye have learned and avoid them Rom. 16. 17. Blessed are the Peace-Makers for they shall be called the Children of God Matth. 5. 9. Antichristian Treachery Discovexed AND Its Way Block'd up IN A clear Distinction betwixt the Christian Apostolical Spirit and the Spirit of the Antichristian Apostate BEING Something in Answer to a Book put forth by William Rogers falsely called The Christian Quaker distinguished from the Apostate and Innovator The Second Part THAT Eternal God by whom the World was made the Alpha and Omega the First and the Last with the blessed Message of Glad-tidings to our Immortal Souls appeared amongst us here aways in the North and in the glory of that eternal Word by which all things are upheld broke in upon us to the opening our Hearts and giving us the knowledge of the heavenly Light and Life in Christ Jesus through which by believing in it we were brought back again unto God from whom the Alienation was in the Sin and Unbelief and we became a People and were through the Truth which we had received gathered into a visible Society and Profession thereof the visible Character of the Family of God during the Tabernacle in this World we were settled through the power of our Principle and Spirit of Truth in the comely Discipline and Order in the Church of God and that no neglect might be in the concerns thereof in the Spirit of Jesus accompanying us as in the Apostles care in his day that Elders every where might be appointed faithful men were chosen to attend and inspect the matters thereof and the principal weight of matters about the concerns of the Churches affaires for a time lay upon them till Truth grew up in the Hearts of many so that many became meet in the power to appear in the service of Truth in a Gospel care and then our Meetings became more free for any of the Faithful to be concerned amongst us to the strengthening and encouraging in the way of Truth to Gods praise and while all kept to the first love and regard to Gods glory according as the Lord was pleased to concern us all things were well and we were comforted together in the obedience to the spirit and Truth received our Testimonies sincerely born and the Sufferings attending the same patiently undergone and we were each others help and encouragement and strength and the Unity and Concord that we mutually enjoyed was our refreshment glorying and our rejoycing yet in succeeding days the Temptation that ever was from the old Adversary of the Lambs 〈◊〉 and the Churches Peace begun to creep in and prevail upon some of the antient Professors and Sufferers for the Truth and set to work according to his kind to draw back from the antient Integrity formerly kept to and some that were to have been as Watchmen in Israel and Valiants for God and were appointed at the first or early of the day for that very end let the Standard of Gods power fall and gave their glory to the second Beast that arose out of the Earth and instead of keeping to the antient power in it to be as 〈◊〉 on Mount Sion Instrumentally in Gods hand for the glory of his People some became Instruments to lead several back from Truth 's Integrity by an evil Example laid before the weak and unskilful the ancient Record against all Antichristian Bondages being discouraged they became wofully to be let fall the nobility of Gods power being much departed from even in them that should have been as Pillers in the House of God the weaker and younger sort whose hearts were enclined to Liberty and Ease again looked out and took example at them they had esteemed of and became subject to a timerous distrustful Spirit of the earthly One shrunk in the day of Tryal and started aside like broken Bows in the suffering times to the causing our Enemies to Triumph and make their boast of a Conquest got upon us to the spreading our disparagement abroad in many parts of the Nation and amongst this unfaithful and shrinking sort was John Story concerned and overcome and led aside with them from the Integrity of the Lambs Life and Dominion these things grieved the Church of God in many parts of the Nation where the noise of them was gone through the Magistrates means or others that had taken notice thereof to Truths dispraise and the Churches exercise and grief for some 〈◊〉 ready to take example thereat to let the like Temptation prevail over them in suffering times because John Story was conversant amongst them and justified the same so also John Wilkinson encouraged the like things and gave his advice to others accordingly proved by a Certificate under the hand of a faithful Friend These things were the Exercise and Grief of the upright-hearted to God amongst us and of our neighbouring faithful Brethren of other Counties and the Churches concern was great because thereof in a tender desire that such as had been overcome with the Temptation on that wise might see it and in a tender acknowledgment thereof clear the Truth and the Nobility of the Principle we had received and the Testimony we had born in Doctrine and Practice accordingly at this the Disobedient started and the Rebellious to Truths ancient Power such as likes not sound Judgment were grieved thereat Then John Story of party with them in that creeping work appeared with his old slavish shrinking Spirit which he was generally known to be a man of and demonstrated the same upon several eminent occasions that the very principally concerned now in this Spirits work knew well enough and took example by him Now we say he appeared with a more open Face to vindicate the said shrinking work to the 〈◊〉
contentious Papers of them that were given up to Jangle and Contend in a Spirit of Strife that hath a Life in Words and Writings thereby to Vent the corrupted matter that is contracted in the old filthy Bottle although somtimes for the Simples sake and to manifest their Confusion and 〈◊〉 Work and to wipe away the Refuge of Lyes some have sometimes felt it upon them to concern themselves a little therewith Yet we do affirm that after the many tender Entreaties Exhortations 〈◊〉 Cautions they were treated with whilst their day lasted and upon their Rebellion the Judgment of the pure Truth placed upon them in the motion and Unity of the Life of God it might have been consistant with the Counsel of God for his People to have been little more concerned with them on that 〈◊〉 but they being given up to a 〈◊〉 Mind through resisting the Grace of God and his good Spirit let them have gone on to do their Work which they had a design to do to the filling up of the measure of their Iniquities whose Damnation would not Slumber and it is our Belief and let William Rogers disprove it if he can that George Fox's Silence with respect to some of William Rogers his perverse and contemptible Letters was approved of and justified by the Faithful Brethren who had the 〈◊〉 thereof according to the saying of the Wise Man Answer not a Fool according to his Folly Bray him in a Morter and he will be a Fool still Now we come to take notice of the sad Work 〈◊〉 Rogers makes with himself in manifesting palpably to all where his Book may come what a venomous bitter Spirit hath lodged in him to the bringing forth such Mischiet and Iniquity as the like hath scarcely been heard of in any Age under the prosession of Christianity to have sprung from any that would be reckoned to be in the Life thereof as 〈◊〉 eafter God willing we shall Demonstrate and the object that is in his Eye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon with his out-ragious clamorous Work and against whom his Malicious Design is laid is George Fox and the Prosecution thereof continuing with 〈◊〉 he hath sought an occasion to keep himself at Work on the score thereof 〈◊〉 a general Epistle that George Fox gave forth to be spread abroad amongst 〈◊〉 and William Rogers having inserted the same in his Book that thereby 〈◊〉 may make George Fox as Infamous as he can through the Work he hath made 〈◊〉 it we find it our Freedom to give the Reader the opportunity 〈◊〉 considering 〈◊〉 by inserting the same herein which is as followeth Friends ALL you that do make away or over your Estates to the World or your Servants for fear of 〈◊〉 Spoylers in time of Persecution for the sake of Christ and his Gospel and the Worship of God First do not you Distrust and Despair of God Almighty's Protecting and Delivering you with his Almighty Power Secondly Are you Sensible that the Earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof is the Lords and that he giveth the encrease and that how that he may try you whether your Minds are in the Creatures or with him the Creator And whether is it not a greater thing to give up the Life and Soul and to dye for the Lord Jesus then to give up the Goods and Estates and suffering the spoyl of the Goods 〈◊〉 Christs sake and Worshipping of God And whether or no they that cannot suffer the Spoyling of their Goods for God and Christs sake Worships sake can give up their Lives and Suffer for Christ who hath Died and 〈◊〉 for you And whether or no they that make away their Estates to the World 〈◊〉 they should loose them for the Worship of God do not they distrust God of keeping them whose they are indeed and have more Belief and Trust in the World then they have in God And whether this Spirit that doth so is not the Spirit of the World that doth lust to Envy and not the Spirit of God and his Wisdom but that which is Earthly Sensual and Devilish that would have its Libery and not the Wisdom that is from above that is Pure Peaceable and Easie to be Entreated And whether he that will save his Life and not loose it for Christs sake doth not he think to be his own Saviour and not Christs And whether he that will save his Estate and not loose it for Christs sake and the Worship of God by making it away to the World in time of Sufferings shall not loose it And so whether its safer in this case to make away your Estates to the World that cannot save its own or to make or commend it into the Hands of God the Creator of all and Jesus 〈◊〉 by whom all things were made who upholds all things by his Word and Power and the great Lord of Heaven and Earth and all things therein and which 〈◊〉 of his Hand a Sparrow shall not fall without the Will of him that made them George Fox This being Read in the Meeting at Bristol amongst Friends in William Roger's hearing who as it appears by his own Confession was Guilty in relation to the Contents thereof became so uneasie under it not liking sound Judgment and 〈◊〉 it to himself in a freting discontented Mind as the Work and Product of his 〈◊〉 doth declare although there was not the least Particularizing of any therein and instead of his quietly 〈◊〉 to it undertakes in a great Revenge with all expedition to give 〈◊〉 a Paper of Smiting Queries relating to Accusations and high Charges against George Fox at a very unreasonable and 〈◊〉 Rate and 〈◊〉 the same to be Read in a Publick Meeting at Bristol against him by Name tending as much as in him lay to his Desamation after a Dialogueing manner contrary to all Gospel Order and Rule of common Societies behind his Back the said George Fox being at that time nigh Two Hundred Miles off whom William Rogers had never dealt withal 〈◊〉 in Private about the same as he doth teach neither did George Fox know of any such thing from him till several Weeks after as hath been before in this Treatise sometimes hinted at Whereunto after a little while George Fox gave an Honest Plain and Upright Answer by way of Reply in the tenderness of that Spirit which many dear brethren had Unity with unto which Answer to William Roger's Smiting and Charging Queries a Postscript was annexed given forth by John Blaykling whom William Rogers seemed to bring in as a Witness to some of his Accusations against George Fox to which Reply and Postscript William Rogers undertakes to make a 〈◊〉 of which in his Printed Book he often makes mention wherein he sayes He hath detected George Fox of Lyes and Forgery c. Charging him also that no Answer was put to it that he knew of And requiring him to Transcribe for him such a Numberless Number of Coppies of his said Rojoynder