us is no less matter in this Quakers account than the Doctrine of a Counterfeit Christian a Doctrine that hath not one place of Scripture to prove it a Doctrine which is denied by this real Quaker a Doctrine which is not expressed in Scripture To make sure work this real Quaker saith in effect That he is a fool or a mad-man a man void of common sense that would prove the Quaker to be no Christian for denying that Christ is a distinct person without us According to this Quakers false measure all the Members of the Church of England not to mention the Reformed Churches abroad are all fools and mad-men they are all void of common sense for they do unanimously affirm That Christ is a distinct Person without them To touch at this Quakers Verily c. Verily that man is a Braggadochio one that doth vainly magnifie the Scripture to be his sole rule nay he is a laughing-stock to all wise men that would prove a Quaker to be no Christian for denying Christ to be a distinct person without us If this be not one of the Quakers base Doctrines asserted by W. P. alias William Pon let all wise men judg According to this real Quakers mind we have no such Saviour as Jesus Christ who is God and Man in one Person distinct without us Q. pag. 79. Q. Numb 2 'T is granted That Christ is a distinct Being though not at a distance from the Saints Next we never said that Christ was not as well without us as within us we never set any limitations to Christs presence they are the false inferences of our enemies let the Reader beware that he be not abused by them for the word Person as thou usest it in telling of Christ God-man a distinct person without thee it is no Scripture-phrase Pr. Pr. In these Quaking-lines we have the way of a Serpent upon a stone here is Christ a distinct Being from the Saints but no distinct person without them this is a point of base unscriptural doctrine the Real Quaker justified saith so in effect The Person of Christ God-man a distinct person without us this is no Scripture-truth nor phrase According to the vain-glorious title of this Quaking-Pamphlet they are Counterfeit-Christians that do affirm Christ to be God-man a distinct Person without them Is it not high time for the Kings Sacred Majesty to arise and judg for by his Quaking-subjects Christ the King of Glory is basely dishonoured this Quakers Pen hath published this high dishonour Q. pag. end i. e. 79. Q. Numb 3 Such-like expressions occasion people to retain mean and dark apprehensions of God and Christ and his place of residence Pr. Pr. W. P 's false spirit doth here put him upon writing in good earnest against Christ God-man a distinct person without us for these are some of those such-like expressions as are of dangerous consequence as this real Quaker saith they do occasion people to retain dark and mean apprehensions of God Christ and his place of residence Without doubt it may be truly said That the Quakers light within is not of God for it prompts them to write so dishonourably of God the Son who was sent by God the Father in the likeness of sinful flesh thus to be God-man a distinct person without us to save us by faith in his Name Take it for a most certain truth It was the Light from below which served this Quaking Pen to write so basely concerning Christ the Word made flesh God blessed for evermore Q. pag. 82. Q. Numb 4 I grant the Scriptures are to be fulfilled and that many Heavenly exhortations reproofs and instructions therein contained are to be regarded by us But that which is my Rule to direct my understanding what is fit for me to embrace and what to reject and how to understand that which is to be received must be the Spirit of Truth which alone gives a true discerning Pr. Pr. The Real Quaker having written so ill concerning Christ God-man a distinct person without us it cannot well be expected that he should write well concerning the Holy Scriptures Like the Devil concerning Christ himself this Quaker ushers in his pestilent discourse with some truth concerning the Scriptures which serves as a blind for fools Notwithstanding Joab's fair words at first Abner was smitten to death by him at last Though this Quaker hath spoken well of the Holy Scriptures at first yet in his last lines they are basely thrust through he saith plainly that they are not the rule to direct his understanding nor to govern his life by it 's not the Scripture but the Spirit of Truth which is this Real Quaker's Rule it 's the Counterfeit Christian who holds the Scripture to be the Rule of faith and obedience This Real Quaker takes the Scripture to be but a blind guide for it 's the Spirit of Truth that doth alone give true discerning According to this Quaking-doctrine the Holy Scriptures do give no true discerning But hearken what follows Q. pag. 83. Q. Numb 5 The Light within ought to be the rule of faith and practice Pr. Pr. This is the Real Quakers upstart rotten doctrine this Quaking-dotage is not yet thirty years old this is in truth the Real Quakers Golden Image before which all if they are so filly should fall down and worship In the Quakers blind estimate the Holy Scripture is not the Word of God that this Quaking-fondling the Light within them may be set up for the Rule of faith and practice Q. pag. 84. Q. Numb 6 I further told thee That those who gave forth the Scripture came to the enjoyment of those things through the Light and Spirit of God or they could never have writ them therefore the Light and Spirit and not the Scriptures were the rule of their faith Pr. Pr. Here W. P's best reason assisted with his Light within is fondly at work to prove That the Light and Spirit and not the Scriptures were the rule of their faith that gave forth the Scripture Surely it 's matter of lamentation in our Israel that the Quakers false light and their lying spirit do counterfeit the true Light and the Holy Spirit who is God to decry the Scriptures from being the Rule of saith and life Who can read these lines without bleeding hearts Whose hearts are not touched to find the Holy Scriptures reproached in this scurvy manner Let wise men judg what hard measure the Holy Scripture meets with from the Real Quaker Q. p. 95. Q. Numb 7 We do receive and believe the Scriptures given forth by holy men of God as they were moved of the Holy Ghost and that they are profitable for doctrine for reproof and for instruction in righteousness yet since they are Writings relating to the things of God no man can understand them or have an assured testimony of them but by the Spirit of God It was not the Scripture but the Father that revealed Christ to Peter Pr. Pr.
but Trent-Popery infused into them by subtil Popish Priests and propagated by the deluded Quakers at this day This old Popish Doctrine is that which their Praters put off in their Speakings and Writings to their followers as if it were new doctrine from heaven something belonging to Christianity which was not known till the brain-sick Quakers made it known Q. p. 32 33. Q. Numb 23 To oppose the righteousness of the elect seed and the works of the Spirit within as unto Justification this R. G. scornfully tells us that in plainer words they of Rome thus express That the Apostle excludes from Justification works which we our selves do by our strength without the help of the grace of God not those works we do by the aid of the Spirit To these lines this Quaker answers thus They of Rome have given a better definition of Justification than R.G. hath and at least shown a better esteem of works of grace and of the Spirit of God than he hath done Now if I be exclaimed against herein for Popery I must say that wherein Papists hold any truth though in unrighteousness I must not therefore deny it if the Papists and the Devil also confess there is a God and a Christ must I therefore deny it or be counted a Papist Pr. Pr. Here the Quakers Light within is stifly at work to justifie himself for holding as the Papists do the same doctrine of Justification by works of righteousness In plain terms Quakerism in the point of Justification is Popery new-born into the world it 's no false charge to say That the Quakers have a Pope in their bellies their Books have the same Papal doctrine that truth which the Papists hold though in unrighteousness as this Quaker saith as to Justification even the self-same doth this Quaker hold as fast to the shame of the received doctrine of the Church of England I might tell the Reader how Rom. 8.3 4. 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11. Isa 45.8 James 2.20 21 23. Gal. 3.6 are discoursed from by this Quaker no otherwise than the Papists have done to assert Justification by the works of the Spirit but it is no new thing with the Devil or his Agents to quote Scripture to prove that which God never intended them for That man is a stranger to the point of Justification that knows not that many Scriptures have been wrested by the Papists for this purpose which have been soundly vindicated from Popish glosses put upon them This Quaker doth but actum agere act the Popish old part over again to amuse unwary Christians with the rehearsal of them If this Quakers spirit were of God he had ere this been silent in this matter To use this Quakers own words I shall tell him That it is an old Popish trick to assert Justification by works of the Spirit from mistaken Scriptures and there is certainly no little spice of the old Law-working spirit in it Q. p. 33. Q. Numb 24 Our asserting the righteousness of the elect seed raised in us and obedience of faith therein for justification and acceptance with God this doth neither deny nor oppose the Sacrifice of the crucified body of the Man Christ Jesus nor yet blot out of our hearts either the name or remembrance of him who is the great Propitiation for sin as unjustly the elect seed and its righteousness within is accused for the appearance of Christ within and his manifestation in spirit doth neither deny nor oppose his manifestation or suffering in the flesh but rather answereth and fulfilleth the intent and end thereof for the outward manifestation of the Son of God in the flesh as it did condemn sin in the likeness of sinful flesh so his inward manifestation in spirit doth destroy sin worketh justification and redemption in them who obey his light within for he is the author of eternal salvation to as many as obey him So here is righteousness redemption and salvation received in Christ the Light through obedience to his Light within Pr. Pr. This Quaker hath had fair play he is transcribed usque ad nauseam by this tedious discourse this Quaker gives us to understand that there is no such truth as Justification by faith alone the subject matter of his lines is hammered out upon his Popish anvil there is nothing for the main said which any Papist will disown Justification and Sanctification are by him ignorantly confounded but rightly enough according to the Popish mode he that shall affirm this Quaker to be one of Abbot Joachim's Disciples or one belonging to Seculum Spiritus Sancti or a Franciscan Papist in a new dress is not altogether mistaken his whole discourse is a medley of some truth of more falshood to glance at the title of his Pamphlet you see it plain unless we are of the same mind with the Papists in the doctrine of Justification we are all far from the nature of true Christianity in this matter in this Quakers account the Church of England together with other Reformed Churches is altogether Antichristian Q. p. 40 41. Q. Numb 25 As to R.G. his saying His Apostles and all his Ministers in all ages all in one joint voice pointing to Jesus the Son of Mary this son of man with an Hosanna to the Son of David Ans That the holy Prophets Apostles and Ministers testified unto Jesus Christ both as man born of the Virgin and unto his Divinity this is owned But it appears further that R. G.'s Hosanna and pretended adoration and claim of Salvation is only to him as the Son of Mary as now existing outwardly bodily without us * whereupon I ask him if he hath so considered him to be God the Saviour or the Son from the substance of the Father as some of his Brethren have confessed the Son is and that he existeth outwardly bodily without us at Gods right hand what Scripture-proof hath he for these words and then what and where is Gods right hand is it visible or invisible within us or without us only and is Christ the Saviour as an outward bodily existent or person without us distinct from God and on that consideration to be worshipped as God yea or nay And where doth the Scripture say he is outwardly and bodily glorified at Gods right hand according to the foregoing Asterisk * you may take this Authors Marginal note Why did he not call Mary the Mother of God as the Papists do which to be sure is not Scripture-language Pr. Pr. In this Quaking ramble we find too much false abominable doctrine delivered to serious Christians it 's certainly sad to read so much base doctrine vented under the pretended nature of true Christianity I shall endeavour to sum it up in these following particulars First here is no Hosanna due to Christ as the Son of Mary as now existing bodily without us 2ly Jesus the Son of Mary is not God our Saviour 3ly That Jesus Christ is not the Son of the substance of the
except a Quaker none can how are the youth of this Kingdom instructed by this Catechizing-Primer to slight all Gods Ambassadors Pudet haec opprobria dici it is a shame of no mean size that such base things should be printed and not signally taken notice of Q. p. 10. Q. Numb 38 Child But are not the Scriptures given forth for a rule to walk by Fath. The Scriptures are a true testimony of what the Saints were made witnesses of but the spirit is the rule the rule unto them that gave forth the Scriptures Pr. Pr. Here the youth of this Nation are taught by this Quaking-father that the Scriptures are not the rule of faith and obedience according to this Quakers vain mind no children shall do well to take heed to the sure word of Prophesie Unto the Law and the Testimony is no rule for any children to walk by the spirit that doth infatuate the Quakers is the foolish guide whom this Quaking-father would have his child to follow is it not lamentable that the youth of this Kingdom together with those who are children in understanding are thus decoyed into the Devils net Q. p. 12. Q. Numb 39 Ch. Then I perceive it is the spirit alone that I am to mind in all things Fath. Yes child for by minding the spirit alone in all things thou wilt come to a good understanding in all things and be able to put a difference betwixt that which is true and that which is false Pr. Pr. Here we have this Quaking-father Catechizing his child so as to undermine the Scriptures to render them good for nothing for he saith the spirit alone is to be minded in all things therefore the Scriptures to speak like this Quaker are to be minded by children or others in nothing observe it well it 's not the Scripture but minding the spirit alone in all things that helps to a good understanding in all things it 's not the Scripture but minding the spirit alone in all things that enables to discern and put a difference betwixt true and false it 's now obvious that the Scripture is basely bespattered by this Quaking-father for there is no coming to a good understanding by minding the Scripture in any thing the Scripture to speak this Quakers mind hath no true light to help any to discern and put a difference betwixt that which is true and that which is false the Quakers ill spirit is to be minded in all things this alone is the true discerner betwixt truth and falshood but pity those poor children that have no better guide to follow Q. p. 33. Q. Numb 40 Ch. Why is not their time and place and person right seeing their time is upon that day called Sunday and their place that which is called a Church and the persons such as are counted the Ministers of Christ Fath. Nay the Lord God of Power is not limited by any of them and as for their Sunday the Heathen named it and the Pope named their Church and their Schools and Colledges made their Ministers Pr. Pr. In these lines this Quaker doth Catechistically teach his child to look upon time place persons necessary circumstances belonging to publick Worship as those that are Heathenish Popish and of mans making the whole Quaking-discourse is a base charge drawn up against the Church of England as if the Lord of Power were limited by the same as for the Lords-day this Quaker calls it our Sunday which the Heathen named as for the publick place where the members of this visible Church do meet to worship God in a material Church this he saith was made by the Pope as for the persons the Ministers of Gods Word he gives us to understand that they are none of them sent of God for our Schools and Colledges made them all do not these Quaking-lines eat like a canker is not the Church of England debased after a strange manner Q. p. eâd. Ch. Q. Numb 41 But do they not preach sound Doctrine Fath. Nay their Doctrine is after the tradition of men and not after Christ and they get their Doctrine by their arts and languages that they have learned at Schools and Colledges and then they read it or speak it forth in their own wills that are corrupted and there is no soundness in it Pr. Pr. According to the instruction of this Quaking-father all the Preachers of the Gospel within the Church and Kingdom of England are a sort of pitiful fellows for their Doctrine is not from Heaven like the old Pharisees they teach for Doctrine the tradition of men none of them do teach that Doctrine which is after Christ arts and languages learnt here below at Schools and Colledges is the whole skill which they have in the doctrine of Salvation they are all a sort of pitiful readers or speakers out of their own corrupt wills as for their Doctrine it is corrupt like themselves there is no soundness in it to speak after this Quaking-rate they are like so many corrupt trees they bring forth corrupt fruit they are all bad stewards of the Mysteries of the Gospel If this be not base railing let the world judg Q. p. 34 35. Q. Numb 42 Ch. But is not their praying a service which is accepted of God Fath. Nay for they pray not with the spirit nor with the understanding and some of them cannot pray at all but as they have prayers made by others and have them set in a book to read as in the common-prayer-Common-prayer-book so that neither their preaching nor praying is accepted of God Pr. Pr. From this Quaking Catechizer we may truly gather that the preaching and praying of all the Ministers of the Church of England is altogether naught as their Preaching so their Praying is a service which is not accepted of God their prayers are carnal for they pray not with the spirit tremulo judice in their praying they do but offer the sacrifice of fools for they pray not with the understanding as for those ministring Priests that do warrantably use the Common-prayer-book either in the Kings-Chappel or elsewhere to speak this Quakers mind or sense they are a company of dull Ignoramusses they cannot pray at all behold a sad case except it be in the Quakers dumb meeting or amongst those that are acted by the spirit of the Hat there is no calling on the name of God in faith any where besides according to this Quaking rant is not the Kings Majesty basely reflected on hath he not a dull Clergy to minister in his Presence is not this Church whereof he is a nursing-father in a bad case for neither the Preaching nor praying of her Priests this Quaker saith is accepted of God surely the true Christian Religion is at a low ebb in this Kingdom that Quakerism must thus carry the bell according to this vain-minded Quaker we are in a great strait we must now either all turn Quakers or else in Preaching and Praying we do but perform the
takes for his Text now follows his gloss That is to say take away our idol then take away our maintenance then down with our Ministry Is not this rarely quaked What will not a real Quaker say to asperse the Ministring-Priests of the Lord This Quaker hath clearly for his own purpose hit this nail on the head well may none but Quakers cry Euge Jacobe Observe it once more here is the Scripture standing again for an idol and all Ministers of the Gospel because not quakerized for the Priests of this Idol the Scripture is there not here a sound like that of old Great is Diana of the Ephesians Do not the Priests like those Craftsmen make a great stir about their Idol the Scripture Do they not say in this Quakers hearing Take away our Idol then take away our Maintenance then down with our Ministry Surely it is new very clear that the Quakers have very mean thoughts either of the Scripture or of Gods true Ministers the latter are in scorn called Priests the former is more basely termed their Idol by this Quaker we are come to a strange pass seeing that no Ministers may stick close to the divine authority of the Scripture but their gain is their only end in so doing and the Scripture the word of God is their Idol which they worship for advantage sake that their maintenance may not be taken away and that their Ministry which some Quakers prophanely enough call their trade may not go down I need add no more but this Nigro carbone notetur without question this quaking-doctrine deserves a black mark Q. p. 22. Q. Numb 60 They have nothing but the Scripture without and are still without in darkness and confusion as all those appear to be who call the Scripture their rule and guide and yet know not the truth Pr. Pr. Here th's Quaker is still baiting the Priests of the most high God as if they were a sort of Letter-mongers that have only the Scripture without out-side teachers who are still without such as are in darkness without Christ the light of life such as are in confusion without divine guidance and all this dirt is cast on them by this Quaker because they call rather make the Scripture their rule and guide but in the mean time know not the truth by the way observe how fond the Quakers are of their Light within to exalt this Idol they count the holy Scripture to be what it is not an Idol it 's no less than darkness and confusion as this Quaker saith to call the Scripture the rule of faith and life surely the holy Spirit of God is in vain pretended to by the Quakers who do so basely abuse in print those who call the Scripture the Word of God who do so much decry the Scripture from being the Word of God a rule or guide Oh that the Quakers could lay this great sin to their hearts Q. p. 25. Q. Numb 61 You bring another Gospel calling the four Books Matthew Mark Luke and John the Gospel Pr. Pr. Here this Quaker is offended with us unjustly for calling the Books written by St. Matthew Mark Luke and John the Gospel this is as he saith no less matter than to bring another Gospel into the world suppose this to be what it is not a true charge then according to St. Paul's Doctrine this Quaker would make us accursed and all that have gone before us for this new Gospel surely this Quaker did not well consider what he wrote for no Quaker doubtless dare say that the matter of those Books is not true Gospel how then came this Quaker to talk of our bringing another Gospel by affirming these Books to be the Gospel of St. Matthew Mark Luke and John as the Church of England doth as the Reformed Churches do abroad this Quaker would make us to be faulty in an high degree for by bringing in another Gospel we have another Christ to be our Saviour than he that is God and Man in one person the word made flesh it is certainly very sad that we may not call the matter of those four Books the Gospel which was written for our instruction by those four Evangelists St. Matthew Mark Luke and John but we must be basely charged to bring another Gospel which St. Paul terms accursed Q p. 26. Q. Numb 62 That is a false light in you which leads you to profess the Scripture to be your rule but in life and practice deny it Pr. Pr. Without borrowing any of this Quakers Light within him to tell us it is a confessed truth amongst us That all those do hold the truth in unrighteousness that do not live according to it but it is no false light in any of us to profess the Scripture to be our rule and though men are never so wicked the Scripture is still the rule of a better life to them which they ought to follow certainly this Quakers spirit was very much in the dark to asperse the Scripture so as he hath done by Gods own appointment the Scripture is the rule of faith and life it 's folly to think that the sinfulness of any mans life can make the Scripture to cease to be the rule of life as God hath declared it to be without doubt it is a false light in any Quaker which guides him to say that the Scripture is not the rule of his life without the Light within to guide him The next Pamphlet of James Parnel is called Q. The Trumpet of the Lord blown or a blast against pride and oppression Pr. Pr. To be sure this Trumpet sounds nothing like those silver Trumpets of old there is no small danger in this Quakers blast I shall endeavour to cast some Church-mould upon it the first sound is a terrible long blast Q. p. 28 29 30. Q. Numb 63 Wo unto you that are called Lords Ladies Knights Gentlemen and Gentlewomen in respect to your persons who are exalted in the earth who are proud high and lofty who are called of men Master Mistris and Madam you are exalted above your fellow-creatures and grind the faces of the poor you live at ease spending your time in chambering and wantonness in hawking bowling carding dicing in eating drinking and sleeping you feed the lust eating drinking and rising up to play which is Idolatry your high and lofty horses are like your selves according to your lofty minds you sit at ease Dives-like devouring the Creation spending it upon your lusts your hearts being adultred from God your fellow-creatures labour like slaves under you you sit at ease and poor Lazarus lyes starving without you think scorn that a poor man should stand with his hat on before you you will be called Masters upholding that which Christs Doctrine forbids who saith Be not ye called Master you think scorn to be Thoued of your fellow-creatures but you will Thou God and Christ but though you be exalted as high as the Heavens and set your nests
Houshold of God one Hope one Language one Family one God and Father of all they that cannot witness this are strangers to Christ strangers to the Commonwealth of Israel Pr. Pr. In these quaking-lines we have such an account given of the true Church of God as was never heard nor read of till within these thirty years by-past such an account as no age of the primitive Church can render the like except in a Quakers Conventicle this true Church is not to be found on earth in this particular Quakerism is the old Donatism revived the true Church is now only to be found amongst the poor deluded Quakers most of these Unities heaped together by this Quaker must necessarily be understood according to the notorious false principles of all Quakers what then then without a quakerized unity there is no true Church of God either in England or any-where else any man of common sense may easily see that these quaking-unities do only serve to unchurch the holy Catholick Church with all its members throughout the world It 's needless to touch at every point in this Quakers Compass for here are no true directions to be got for finding out the true Church this quaking-unity belonging to the true Church hath no Scripture-bottom to stand on no Christian Writers of any Century did ever describe the true Church of God after this canting rate but this Quaker is so confident of this mean new discovery as that he doth first unchristian then unchurch all others that cannot bear witness to the abovesaid Crotchet of his own brain behold they are all such as are strangers to Christ and strangers to the Commonwealth of Israel As for this Quakers Works I have now done with them for the rest of his Pamphlets are very trivial in reading them over I found cramben his coctan and nothing more material than what hath been laid before the Readers eyes already I shall only add That I met with vainglorious Titles affixt to his Scribbles but without substance THE next Book proposed to your consideration is thus entituled The Heathens Divinity set upon the heads of all called Christians G. F. Printed in the year 1671. Pr. Pr. By those two Letters the Author of the Heathenish Pamphlet seems to be George Fox the cunning design of the Title is to represent all that are not Quakers to be Christians only in name but heathens in truth and that the knowledg which they have of God or Christ only from the Scripture is the Divinity of Heathens for it follows thus in the Title-page Christians that say they had not known that there had been a God or a Christ unless the Scripture had declared it to them You must not expect that I shall much expatiate I shall only touch at some points and so dismiss this Pamphlet Q. p. 9. Q. Numb 84 Balaams Ass may reprove you all who are going mad in preaching for Rewards and Gifts cursing and excommunicating and imprisoning such as will not give and put into your mouths Pr. Pr. This Quaker doth slander all the Priests of the Lord who take Tythes as being those that go mad in preaching for rewards and gifts he doth also foully charge them to go mad because they do use lawful means in Courts of Judicature to recover those Tythes which are unjustly detained from them by any Quakers according to the true meaning of these lines all Priests are like Baalam who loved the wages of unrighteousness whose ass may reprove them all for their madness behold what manner of persons all Priests are in this Quakers account but such mad fools as Balaam's ass may reprove Q. p. 12. Q. Numb 85 They that do now use the Scriptures for the building an old Mass-house and bring the Kings law and Gods law for it deny Christs coming in the flesh Pr. Pr. In this Quakers account the rebuilding of a material Church for divine service is but the building up of an old Mass-house an unscriptural work to build any such Church either by warrant of the Kings law or Gods law is no less fault than the great sin in this Quakers eye of denying Christ come in the flesh behold by rebuilding their Churches in London or elsewhere according to the law of God and the King they have as this Quaker saith but builded so many old Mass-houses and denied Christ come in the flesh behold in this Quakers estimate our material Churches are no other than Mass-houses then what is the divine service that is performed in them then what are they that minister in them then what are the people that worship in them is not this Quakers meaning hence this That the divine service is Mass-worship the Priests Mass-Priests and the people Mass-worshippers Q. pag. 28. Q. Numb 86 You say you had not known there had been a God unless you had Scripture to declare it to you neither indeed do you know him now though you have Scriptures nor yet have the spirit as they had that gave forth the Scripture through them nor heard his voice and yet pretend to be Preachers of God and of Christ but know neither but are Preachers for your bellies and serve them and not the Lord Jesus Pr. Pr. This Quakers Light within hath guided him wrong for no Priests of the Church of England or elsewhere did ever deny that That God might not be known by the light of nature within them or the works of God without them but only that a clearer knowledg of God is got by the Scripture but it seems to know God according to the Scripture is not the right knowledg of God in a Quakers account behold how blind this Quaker takes all Priests to be for he saith though they have the Scriptures they do not know God nor Christ behold in this Quakers esteem all Priests are both ungodly and unchristian they are preachers for their bellies these are the gods which they serve but not the Lord Jesus Christ Q. p. 32 33. Q. Numb 87 Religion and worship which you made your selves and set up in your Steeple-houses the places of your worship which God nor the Lord Jesus never set up Pr. Pr. In these lines this Quaker tells us that our Religion and worship is of our own making of our own setting up in our places of worship that this worship is that which was never set either by God or Christ behold what is the Church of England in this Quakers eye is she not a will-shorshipper is not her religion her worship of her members own making and setting up is not her worship that which was never set up by God nor the Lord Jesus Christ well may the Church of England be despised whilst the Quakers are suffered thus to spit in her face to asperse her religion and worship in this scandalous manner THe next Book with which I shall trouble your patience is called Truths defence Given forth by George Fox and Richard Hubberthorn Printed 1653 in York I
thee execute his vengeance on those generations Pr. Pr. In these lines you may behold this Quaker crying up Oliver Cromwel as being not unlike the man Christ Jesus for he saith that Oliver Cromwel was the man who did bear as upon a common shoulder the sufferings of the oppressed but what tender consciences many of them had it hath been better understood since that time their tender consciences had no feeling of Rebellion Treason and other mens estates To go on with this Quakers comparing tacitely Oliver Cromwel and Christ together he saith that their sufferings went to his heart that he felt their sufferings on his shoulder that he could have laid down his life for one of them that his heart was tender that his bowels did sound that the hearts of his sufferers flowed in to him that in them and him there was but one spirit and one heart but in all the time of his Rebellion and High-treason whose servant whose instrument was whose work did Oliver Cromwel Behold what this Quaker saith of him the Lord did call and raise him up to head his Armies he made him his Sword and the Lord did execute by this Oliver Cromwell his vengeance on those generations Doth not this Quaker plainly tell us that the Rebel-Army under Cromwells command was Gods Army that called and raised this Traytor to be the head of his Army that God made Cromwell his Sword that God by Cromwell did execute vengeance onthose generations who these generations were the Reader must judg Q. p. 9 10. Q. Num. 115 Charles Stuart could have put off from himself the sufferings of the Puritans upon the Bishops and have alledged that they were a nonconformable factious generation and did contrary to the Law but that could not excuse him nor his standing still whilst he had power to remedy it but did not nor that those Laws were of long standing nor the disaffection of great men and nobles and rulers and bishops and priests and the generality of the Nation to that way from the judgment of God which hath taken hold on him and his children and his party whom he hath made a dreadful example of his vengeance and that by thy Sword as an instrument Pr. Pr. These lines of this quaking Bishop are abominable not to point at every base passage in them this is plainly the mind of this wild inspirado that the judgment of God to use his own words hath taken hold on Charles Stuart and his Children and his party that the Lord hath made the King his Children his party a dreadful example of his vengeance and that Oliver Cromwell's sword was the Lords instrument of this judgment and of the vengeance executed on the late King and his Children and his party that I may not be looked upon as a bloody Priest I shall squeeze these lines no further only let me say without offence that no man of any common sense dare justifie what this Quaker hath written to be the moving of Gods spirit without question these are such traytorous lines as were never seen in print from the eternal God before Q. p. 14. Q. Num. 116 Who wa st the Lords battel-axe and weapon of war to the cutting dovvn of him Pr. Pr. This traytorly Quaker goes on still to tell Oliver Cromwell that he was once the Lords battel-axe his weapon of war to the cutting down of the King behold how this Quaker in print doth justifie the basest of murthers as if it had been the Lords doing by Cromwell as his battel-axe as the Lords weapon of war for this bloody work Thus I have done with this Quakers Letter to Oliver Cromwell which was dated from Bristol the 16 of the fifth Month 1656. Subscribed thus George Bishop Surely this lamentable Quaker was strongly huffed up by his rebellious and traytorous spirit when he took himself to be moved of the Lord to publish them again in the year 1660 he that desires to know more of this Quakers pretended warnings of the Lord or to see how a Quakers light within him can act the part of disloyalty rebellion and high Treason against the Kings Sacred Majesty may peruse this quaking-Pamphlet more at large THE next book which might be transcribed is called A comparison between the true and false Ministers by Nicholas Knight printed 1675. Pr. By the late Impression of this Quakers scribble it 's evident against which Ministers this quaking-author writes that they are the Ministers of the Church of England that are the false Ministers here meant to ease my Readers patience and consult my own ease I shall contract his whole book thus Q. p. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13. Q. Num. 117 Pr. Pr. In this quaking-quaking-book the false Ministers of England are thus described They are false Teachers who go and are not sent they go forth in their own names without any commission from God only in the will of man they call themselves the Ministers of Christ but are not their doctrine is false and traditional it 's not from heaven but men below they do teach for doctrine the traditions of men they are the false Teachers they preach a divination of their own brains they come not in at the door they climb up another way they speak in the wisdom of mens words they are men-pleasers by inticing and feigned words they are deceivers seekers of their own praise they seek more the fleece than the flock they preach for hire and divine for money they expect gain from their quarters like the Scribes and Pharisees they make long prayers and under that pretence devour widows houses such as say and do not they limit the Church of Christ to a Nation they are blind leaders of the blind and both fall into the ditch they hold the truth in hypocrisie and unrighteousness they take the words of God into their mouths when they hate to be reformed they have a form of godliness and deny the power they are deceivers and being deceived cause the Name of God to be blasphemed and evil spoken of they observe months and days and consecrated places their preaching is limited to days hours and hour-glasses and to the wills of men to outward observations traditions and ceremonies by their fruits these trees may be known out of the evil treasure of their hearts they bring forth evil things they are an ill savour clouds that hold no water they are sounding-brass and tinkling cymbals they do not profit the people at all being weighed they are still found too light they do neither believe nor understand what they preach they have no experience of the word of life like those silly women they are always learning but never able to come to the knowledg of the truth they flee the cross they are not willing to forsake all for Christ they chuse rather to be subject to the corrupt laws and wills of men than to obey Christ in denying themselves they lay heavy burthens on mens
received and drunk of that this Cup is the Cup of devils that that Table called the Lords-Table by Priests is the Table of Devils that it is an Idol and imitation that the Priests receiving in remembrance of Christ sacrificed is sacrificing to devils not to God that that fellowship which Priests and people have at the Lords-Table is very wicked that such Priests and people do present themselves at the Table of Devils and do drink the cup of devils See Numb 103. ARTICLE LXXXIV We Q. do believe That Priests and suppers and bread and wine is an image which is the likeness of a thing that Priests and suppers and bread and wine is that image or likeness of a thing which is forbidden by God in the second Commandment in these words Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image nor the likeness of any thing See Numb 104. ARTICLE LXXXV We Q. do believe That we are moved by the immediate Spirit of Christ to write to teach or to exhort or to put in print that our giving forth Papers or printed Books is from the immediate eternal Spirit of God See Numb 105. ARTICLE LXXXVI We Q. do believe as our old friend James Naylor hath written That all Material Churches are Idol-Temples that the worship is an Idol-worship that in England their customs are heathenish See Numb 106. ARTICLE LXXXVII We Q. do believe That the Spirit is the original that by this original the mystery is revealed to the Spirit within man See Numb 107. ARTICLE LXXXVIII We Q. do believe as our friend Edward Burrough hath written That Ordinances used in England are carnal traditional and an abomination to the Lord that they are odious in his sight that the worship used is an imagination of mans dark mind See Numb 108. ARTICLE LXXXIX We Q. do believe That the worship used is carnal that it is but a mocking of God and dissembling with him that the Ordinances are such like that baptizing with water is denied by us that it is not of God that it is an abomination in the sight of God that the communion celebrated is heathenish that it hath proceeded out of the imagination of the proud that breaking of bread and drinking of the cup is an abomination that God did never command it that singing of Davids Psalms is carnal traditional and heathenish that it is done with the spirit of the world with the spirit of Cain with the spirit of Scribes Pharisees and chief Priests that unquakerized Christians do worship an unknown God that such Christians ought to be ashamed of their profession and carnal Ordinances See Numb 109. ARTICLE XC We Q. do believe That the Teachers of England are all drunk with the wine of the Whore which sits upon the scarlet-coloured Beast whose name is Mystery Babylon the great the mother of Harlots and abomination of the earth That they are in the generation of the false Prophets of Israel that they do seek their gain from their quarter that they do steal the word from their neighbour that they do sell the divination of their own brain upon the Scripture to blind people that they do teach for the fleece that the Teachers of England are no Ministers of Jesus Christ that they are seducers and blind guides and antichrists that they do lead poor blind people in the ways of death and destruction that they run but are not sent of God that by means of these teachers the peoples souls are in the dark heathenish nature leaning in the imaginations and in lying swearing drunkenness covetousness and oppression and according to the course of this world that the foresaid iniquities are ruling among people Priests and Rulers of England that from the least of them to the greatest every one is given to covetousness that from the Prophet even to the Priest every one deals falsly that the Teachers of England are hirelings and greedy dumb dogs who are denied by us that they are in the way of Pharisees that England is blindly led by them in the ways of ignorance and darkness that reading singing and preaching is Englands worship which is carnal and no worship of God that it is an imagined worship whereby the living God is mocked that it is carnal and heathenish no worship of the true God that it is deceitful and an abomination to the Lord which is but Cains sacrifice that our friend Edward Burrough did declare against the Teachers of England and the worship thereof as from the mouth of the Lord that the Teachers of England have beguiled the people that they have hungred the peoples souls that they have loved the wages of unrighteousness that they have followed the errour of Balaam for reward that they have devoured souls for dishonest gain that they are Idols shepherds that they are Idol dumb shepherds who have scattered the sheep and fed themselves with them that they have worn garments to deceive that they have deceived the people by their lyes that they have had the mystery of witchcraft that they are treacherous persons that the Judges of England are Judges for reward that her Priests preach for hire that Englands Rulers are evening-wolves that her Judges Officers Rulers are corrupt whom the Lord will cut off that the Priests are oppressors of the people in their Tythes that the Lawyers do oppress them in their fees that the Officers do oppress them in their unrighteous dealings that the Lords sword is drawn in England and is put into our hands who are scornfully called Quakers that England should depart from all her teachers lest she be partaker of their plagues See Numb 110. ARTICLE XCI We Q do believe as our friend George Bishop of Bristol hath written to Oliver Cromwell That the said Oliver Cromwell was one of our friends whom we wished well to See Numb 111. ARTICLE XCII We Q. do believe That Oliver Cromwell was no Rebel nor Usurper nor Traytor that he was one whose sword took the spoil of the mighty that there was a spirit risen up against the Lord in these three Nations which could not stand before Oliver Cromwell that there was never any thing which was too hard for him that his counsels were made to prosper that wisdom and counsel were with him as the Oracles of God That at his feet the proudest enemy did fall down and bow that this O. Cromwell became as the army of God that he came upon Princes as upon mortar and as the Potter treadeth the clay that the hearts of honest men were knit to him as one man that they did not at any time sigh at the remembrance of him that the remembrance of this Oliver Cromwell was sweet and pleasant to them as life from the dead that God was with Oliver Cromwell that it was never so with any man in these latter generations as it was with this Oliver Cromwell whilst God was with him and his rock had not forsaken him See Numb 112. ARTICLE XCIII We Q. do