Mrs. JAMES's DEFENCE OF THE Church of England IN A SHORT ANSWER TO THE Canting Address c. With a Word or Two Concerning a Quakers Good Advice TO THE Church of England Roman Catholick and Protestant Dissenter I find those that Vilifies the CHURCH Prints with Allowance and without therefore I that Vindicate Her need not any for the LAWS were made to Defend the CHURCH and GOVERNMENT and why should any one think to Abuse Her. Surely it cannot be Unlawful to Vindicate Her. Printed for me Elinor James 1687. I have been blam'd for giving so much and therefore Price 1 d. A Short Answer to the Canting Address of Thanks c. Mr. Larkin I Am very sorry that you should Print such a Scurrilous Paper against me because I never did you any Injury in Thought Word or Deed and it seems to be Unkind you being a Printer for I have always had a Tender Regard for Printers for my Husbands sake but now you well Reward me but if you can Abuse the King and His Government and Sir Roger who hath lately been so Kind to you well may you for your Interest Lampoon upon me but I 'll spare you for this time for the World knows what a great Enemy you have been to the King and Kingdom and tho you have suffered for it yet I find you are not changed but is as Malicious against the Government as ever The Roman Catholicks boast That they would not Abuse me in any Thing for all I have Printed so many Papers against them I must needs say The most part of them hath been very Civil therefore you are Worse than they Tho the Innocent Dissenters thinks that none of their Party would be guilty of any such Thing as to Abuse me they are much deceived for I am very well satisfied it was a Dissenter but however I accept of their Excuse I will not Think Amiss of those that are Innocent for the Guilty for if they do well they will be accepted and for the Spiteful and Malicious they shall he Rewarded accordingly for God is Just and will give to every one according to their Deserts And for the Author he says The Sons of his Church are out of humour What is your Church It is not the Church of England that you own therefore all that you say is Truth for there was no Prince in the World could ever please you for it is impossible that such as you can be pleas'd for Magistrates may know where they begin but they shall never know where to end And if my Words hath operated upon you surely it is a great Wonder for it was more than all the Wise Men in the Kingdom could do for your Hearts are so Envious against Kingly Authority that you can neither Thank God nor the King for any thing that you do receive For your Ambition is so great that nothing but a Throne will Content you so that it is not Liberty of Conscience will satisfie you and therefore You would Remove Principalities and Powers that you might come into Government your selves and so you may shake hands with the Quakers for you can make Reflections upon the Spirit And as for the Church She needs no God-mother for She is under the Protection of the Most High And for my Fasting it was not to Devour Widows houses And as for your Reflection on the Clergy It is the common Policy of the Devil for he always Shoots at the Greatest Champions You say Our Church is the only Church for Loyalty and so it is and there is none but Devils and Vipers that says to the contrary You talk of my Lightness but I never was so Light as to Dishonour my Husband or Defile my Bed and in this Excellent Qualification I may Weigh all such as you Down You say We are Good Subjects and Admirers of Prerogative as long as we are Pleas'd And so We are and when were we out of Humour so as to deny our Loyalty or the Interest of our Prince And who can lay Rebellion to our Charge And as for Non-resistance who hath so much despised it as you For your Party did condemn the Church of England for a Foolish Church because She Taught Non-resistance You say It is boldness in me to Condemn your Loyalty I do not question but there is Innocent Souls amongst you that I do not speak too but it is such Snakes and Vipers as you that would Destroy the Interest of all Christianity But since you are are so Angry Pray tell me in what your Loyalty consists is it in plucking down Churches and Destroying of Loyalty under the Notion of Popery But now I see you are for Promoting it for you are beholding to them for giving you Authority to Print your Paper and so you are oblig'd to Gratifie them with some Good Services Therefore such as you are the Disturbers of Government Destructive to Princes by Misrepresenting them to the People filling them full of Fears and Jealousies and for that Cause the Laws were made for such as you and I think it is enough that you have Liberty of Conscience and not to have the King Gratifie you with His Laws Are you so Fearful that you cannot Trust His Majesty Is your Deeds so Evil that you are afraid of the Laws Surely I thought you would have Liv'd so Holy now that no Law could touch you but I see you have your Old Nature upon you that nothing will Oblige you And as for the death of Three thousand Persons what is that to the Destruction of Three Kingdoms and the best of Princes But the Destruction of those shall lie at the Doors of them that Perverted them And if God was pleas'd to call you into the Bosome of His Church that His House might be full you had no Reason to Resist it for it was not to Pray to Sticks not Stones but to come to God through the Merits of Christ without which none can be Sav'd Therefore there is none but bad Men that will be Enemies to the Church of England and I count them Enemies to the King and Kingdom thaâ— is for the Abrogating of the Lâ—ws Your Old Proverb of Reseâ—ving the Rods for the Back of Fools You think to be counted Wise by destroying them Doth this become the True Blew Protestants that were so Zealous for Religion But all this will not do for we will not Trust you for the King hath graciously given you Liberty to Serve God and not to Destroy the Church of England nor to Afflict Her for the King will not Allow any of you to Abuse Her nor She to meddle with you but if you do Abuse Her you must not think but some or other will Vindicate Her. So I would intreat you to be Quiet and keep your Addresses unto your self and let me alone for I do not Love to be Disturb'd with Controversies but Wish you the Grace of Repentance So I rest ELINOR JAMES A Word or Two to
Liberty to Four or Five to Exercise but when that would not do but said They wanted a Prince and Governour whom they could Trust I think it was high Time for the late King to look about Him and for that which happened you may Thank your selves for you have been the sole Cause of it For do you think that it would have been Reasonable for the Church of England when the late King desired Her Assistance that She should have refused it No no such Treachery doth not Lodge in Her Breast and therefore She needs not Repent of what She hath done for She hath done no more than Her Duty You say No Man ought to be depriv'd of his Native Right And who doth is For some Complained That the Government â—â—y too heavy upon them but it was you that refus'd it because you would not have the Trouble and the Charge Therefore She doth not as you say deprive you of any Station in Government and you cannot condemn Her for being Careful for you your self would do the same for if you were to Entertain any one at your House and was to Trust them with your Treasure would you not question him whether he would be True and Honest and if he should not satisfie you would you think him a fit Person to be Trusted And why should not the Church have the same Power to question them that comes into Her Government Is not the Peace of a Kingdom of greater Consequence than that of a Private Family And Therefore do not Complain so much against Her for God hath given Her Power and thro Him She will be so Wise as to keep it For hath not God Re-establish'd Her by a Miracle Can any deny but that it was an Extraordinary Providence to Restore my late Sovereign to His Crown and Dignities without Spilling of Blood and do you think that we are so Ungrateful as to forget such Wonderful Deliverances No no it is our Resolution to Trust God with all things and therefore we are not to be Wheadled out of our Senses by Quakers or Ranters or any other You talk of Gods Will Faith Conscience Religion Christianity Principles of Love the Evidence of Truth with its Light which silenc'd the Oracles of the Heathens But what signifies these Good Words when it is to Bad Purposes And as for the Power of the despised Cross I don't allow that you should meddle with that for it was not the Wooden Cross that Christ Exhorted His Disciples to bear for He could not carry that Himself but it was to bear such Evil Spirits as you with Patience that Despises Him and counts Wholesome Counsel Madness and imputes the Power of God to the Devil and to call His Blessed Spouse The Whore of Babylon and his Saints Anti-christians And when Christ says Vse all Things as if you used them not you contradict it and make as if the Creature was Damn'd if they go in Gay Cloathing when God knows you are Prouder in your Plain Dress than some are in their Silks and Satoins O! ye Hippocritical Devils That strain at a Knat and swallow a Camel. You know Christ hath commanded his Disciples to Baptizâ— as well as well as Teach and He left His Blessed Sacrament to be Administred in Remembrance of His Death but how presumptuoâ—sly do you disdain both Therefore I cannot count you Real Christians as long as you do so but that you are deluded by Lucifer for you show his Pride to the World and you think none walks by the Spirit but you and I believe he was of the same Nature therefore the Heavens could not contain him and where will you be hurried when God is Angry I pity your condition I desire you to beg of God to give you Humility and Repentance that you may Mend for the time to come For the Church of England doth not delight in the Destruction of Her Enemies but desires that all might be Convinc'd and Converted that they might be Happy which bespeaks Her to be a True Church for Christs Church must have His Nature or else she cannot be His You say Christ Settled not his Religion in Worldly Empires Pray where was it then Or what did He come from Heaven for Was it not to Save His Church that was almost lost and to Plant His Religion in the World and to restore Man to that Felicity he had lost and to Reveal such Secrets that had been hid from the Beginning of the World and to Adopt us to cry Abba Father So I find it was Christs Intentions that God should be all in all And when Christ departed this World He did not leave His Church Destitute but sent his Holy Spirit to Subdue her Enemies by whose Power Kingdoms were Converted and for the Building of his Church he chose plain and honest Men that had so much of the Innocency of the Dove that they wanted a little of the Subtleness of the Serpent or else Christ would never have Exhorted them That they should be as Wise as Serpents and as Innocent as Doves But I find you have more of the Subtleness of the Serpent than the Innocency of the Dove Therefore you are not Qualified for a Disciple You speak of St. John's Love and Christs Obedience to his Fathers Will but what signifies that to you when you are fill'd full of Anger-and Mischief and are Disobedient and Rebellious Indeed I have been told That you were Subtle Dissemblers but I would not believe it but when I came to speak to your Great Dons I found I was Deceiv'd Tho I do not doubt but there are Thousands of Innocent Souls but it is not You Mr. Penn. I am told You are at Bristol very Busie about Parliament Members But if they be such as you to Abrogate the Laws they shall not Prosper for Gods Hand is against you I know the Devil will Rise in you but I value him not for Gods Power is above you all and you must submit to it You told me You were a Father but what did you beget Evil Spirits You think to Deceive but I hope your Deceit is at an end for the People begins to see your Cloven Foot therefore I would Advise you to go to Pennsilvania for they are in a Distracted Condition for want of you for indeed it was very unkind for you to Entice them out of their own Countrey and to leave them Destitute O! I would not be in your Condition for a Kingdom FINIS
the Quakers Good Advice to the Church of England Roman Catholick and Protestant Dissenter YOu say It is no Matter who you are and you say You are an English Man Is that any Argument that you are a Good Man Who was it that Disturb'd Three Kingdoms and Destroy'd the Best of Princes Were they not English You say You are Obliged to this Countrey and the Laws hath made you Free but it is a clear Mistake for you are in Bondage and Darkness and are afraid of the Light and therefore your Intentions are Evil for if your Designs were Good you need not be Ashamed to put your Name to the Book and then we should have known who this Singular Friend was but I find you are a Subtle Adversary that would Wound us and none should know it and I see you have more Policy than Honesty And therefore your Considerations signifies nothing and we will not be Perswaded by such Hypocritical Canters as you are for you Quote the Scripture for your own Ends as the Devil did to my Blessed Saviour when He was an Hungry as to command the Stones to be made Bread and then he would Believe he was the Son of God but Christ did not satisfie the Devil neither I hope in God will the King or the Church you What Aileth you that you are so Disturb'd If you do Well what Law can Hurt you But I find you are a Great Thief and intends to Steal and therefore you would have the Doors set open than it might be counted no Robbery I know your Designs well enough and what you Aim at and though you may Deceive others with your fair Pretences yet I hope in God you shall not Deceive me I know you can make your Self like an Angel with Specious Pretences to Deceive the Innocent and you know the way very well for you are highly Guilty of such Crimes and I find you are an Vncircumcised Goliah for I have found you a Deceiver for you told me You would be a Friend to the Church of England and give Her the Right Hand of Fellowship but yet the Lord Deliver Her for none hath Deluded the Churches Children so much as you for you are like the Devil to Tempt those that go to the Temple but it was no more than what he did when he Tempted my Blessed Saviour and said unto Him If thou be the Son of God cast thy self down for it is written he shall give his Angels Charge concerning thee and in their hands they shall bear thee up lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone See what sweet Words the Devil can use for his own Purpose Can Mr. Penn or any Mortal out-do him And yet Satan knew at the same time that if Christ had yielded He could not have been the Son of God for it would have destroyed His Intentions for if He had yielded Obedience to him how could He have Conquered him Therefore pray rest Contented and let the Church of England alone for She meddles with none of you first but 'till you provoke Her but you think to Rend and Tear Her and set up your selves by it for it is Honour you aim at and that is the Principle that moves you and therefore as you say You regard not Times nor Fashions it is neither Thinking nor Talking but you would fain come into Action to fling down the Penal Laws that You may come into Government and fling down others to set up Your Selves and to be Members in Parliament then we shall have Fine Doings but I hope in God it shall never come to that But for your Three sorts of People that will find themselves Concern'd in this Question you say the Church of England the Roman Catholicks and the Protestant Dissenters As for the Church She doth not fear the Penal Laws nor Distrust Her Prince for She intends to do no Ill Thing but to Fear God and Honour the King And as for Roman Catholicks they would be very disingenious if they should doubt the Kings Fidelity And the Protestant Dissenters seems to be very well pleased and is Contented and says They will not misimploy His Majesties Favour but hopes they shall do Good and redeem the Time that is past and indeed if they do as they say I shall be very much their Friend for I am a Lover of Peace and Unity and desires that all should do Well and you may assure your self they will never be for the Abrogating of the Test for it was them of their own Nature that did it and for the honour of them they will never disanul it for you must not think to Fool them as you do us Therefore I would have you Study to be Quiet and do not Deceive the People by your fair Pretences for have you not declar'd to the World That you are an Innocent Harmless People and did not concern your selves with any thing of Government more or less But I find you to be great Liars and Vipers and Snakes that would destroy the whole And what have you to do with the Whole Body of the Kingdom We are not to yield Obedience to you You say If it appears to be their Duty Principles and Interest the Question is gain'd Ay that is true but stay till that is made out for I am sure it is not their Duty Principle nor Interest and therefore the Question is lost and you your self Mistaken And for your Great Inclination to serve them all there is none desires it and therefore their Good Nature cannot plead your Excuse You say You are neither mov'd by Hopes nor Fears private Loss nor Gain But who shall believe you for you have been a great Enemy for these several Years and nothing will content you but our Ruin. And since Liberty of Conscience cannot content you without taking away the Test and the Penal Laws it makes me to think that you have some Design under-hand more than the World knows of Therefore I count you a Person not fit to be Trusted for the King hath been to Gracious that He hath given Liberty of Conscience Freely But you say The Penals Laws hinder you from coming into Action Therefore the Laws must be taken away to Humour you Yes For what Cause That the King should lessen Himself for you And if you will not Trust His Majesty with the Laws why should the King trust you Without them If you do Well there is no Law can Hurt you but if you do Ill why should not the King and the Church have Power to Help themselves For They are not to be Divided no more than a Man should be from his Wife For the King is to Defend the Church and to keep all in Peace and therefore you are Mistaken it was not the Church that Compell'd you but it was the Civil Magistrate for the Peace of the Kingdom thinking it was the best way to Preserve the Government For they did not Force Conscience when His Majesty gave