time They were all Traytors against Christ that desired an earthly King The true Christians will not have any more Kings among them but Christ c. News coming up out of the North c. p. 18. Dreadful is the Lord and powerful who is coming to execute true judgment upon all you Judges and to change all your Laws Ye Kings all you Rulers must down and cease and all you underling Officers which have been as the Arms of this great Tree all your branches must be cut down for you have been the fruitless branches grown on the fruitless tree p. 19. so you must be cut down with the same power that cut down the King who reigned over the Nation whose Family was a Nursery for Papists and for Bishops which held up Railes c. VVo wo is coming upon you all the same Teachers are standing that were in the time of the King and thâ— same that were in the time of the Bishops such as take Tythes you must both be tormented together Beast and false Prophet P. 20. Sing all ye Saints and rejoyce clap your hands and be glad for the Lord Jehovah will reign and the Government shall be taken from you pretended Rulers Judges and Justices Lawyers and Constables all this Tree must be cut down and Jesus Christ in us will rule alone p. 27. Sound the trumpet sound an alarm call up to the battel gather together for the destruction draw the sword hew down all fruitless trees which cumber the ground hew down all the powers of the earth slay Baal all the hirelings must be turned out of the kingdom p. 35. All you who receive Tythes deny that Christ is come to us in the flesh p. 38. And thou beast and false Prophet must into the fire the false Prophet is the Councellor to the Beast and the Beast maintains the false Prophet c. E. Burroughs Declar. p. 33. Upon a Rumour that the Quakers Meetings were to be broken up they writ viz. These Tydings do not trouble us neither are we thereby moved no not to beg of any man or men the contrary p. 40. and to any outward Authority we cannot seek Mildenhall 25th of Feb. 1695. Fr. Bugg Senior We acknowledge and believe the Canonical Books of the Old and New Testament to be the most certain Rule of our Faith and that not so much for the common consent of the Church but because of the Testimony and perswasion of the Holy Ghost And we believe that the doctrine contained in the holy Scriptures proceeds from God from whom only and not from men it derives its authority And forasmuch as it is the Rule of all Truth containing all matters necessarily required for the worship of God and our Salvation it is in no wise lawful for Men nor Angels to add unto or take from this doctrine or to change it And hereupon it followeth that it is not lawful to oppose either Antiquity or Custom or Multitude or humane Wisdom Judgments Edicts or Decrees or Councils or Visions or Miracles unto this holy Scripture but rather that all things ought to be examined and tried by the Rules and Square thereof wherefore we do for this cause allow of those three Creeds namely the Apostles the Nicene and Athanasius his Creed because they be agreeable to the Word of God We believe that all the Off-spring of Adam are infected with Original Sin which is a vice hereditary to us by propagation and not only by imitations as the Pelagians assert whose errors are detested by us we believe that this stain of Original Sin is Sin indeed howbeit they that are the Children of God shall never be condemned for it because God of his rich grace and mercy doth not impute it to them but out of his bounty doth deliver them through our Lord Jesus Christ And we believe that Jesus Christ being the Wisdom and Eternal Son of God took upon him our Nature so that he is one person God and man man that he might be able to suffer in soul and body made like unto us in all things sin only excepted so that as to humâ—ne nature he was indeed the Seed of Abraham and of David conceived in due time in the Womb of the Virgin Mary by the secâ—et and incomprehensible power of the Holy Ghost and that in one and the same person to wit the Lâ—rd Jesus Christ his two natures are inseparably conjoined and united yet nevertheless in such a manner that each nature doth retain its distinct properties so that even as in this divine conjunction the divine Nature retaining its properties doth still abide uncreated infinite and filling all places so also the humane nature remaineth finite having form measure and property And also the Lord Jesus Christ when he rose from the dead gave Immortality to his body yet he never deprived it of the verity of its nature therefore we do so consider Christ in his Deity as that we do not rob him of his Humanity We believe that by that one Sacrifice which Jesus Christ offered upon the Cross we are reconciled unto God that so we may be accounted righteous in his sight And we believe that Jesus Christ is conferred upon us to be our alone Advocate and that he commandeth us in our prayers to present our selves to the Father in his name We do also reject those means which derogate from the satisfaction of the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ And we believe where the word of God is not received and where there is no use of Sacrameâ—ts we cannot judge that there is any Church for we believe that the Sacraments are absolued unto the word that they may be pledges and tokens of the Grace of God We believe that God will have the world ruled by Laws and Civil Government that there may be somâ— sort of bridles by which the unruly lusts of the world may be restrained and that therefore he appointeth Kings and Commonwealths and other kinds of Principalities whether hereditary or otherwise and not that alone but also what pertaineth to the Ministration of Justice whereof he avoucheth himself to be the Author therefore hath he deâ—ivered the Sword into the Magistrates hands that so sins committed against both Tables of Gods Law not only against the second but first also may be suppressed and therefore because God is the Author of this order we must not only suffer Magistrates whom he hath set over us but we must also give them much Honour and Reverence as unto his Officers and Lieutenants which have received their Commission from him to exercise so lawful and sacred a Function therefore we affirm that Obedience must be yielded unto their Laws that Tribute and Taxes must be paid and the Yoak of Subjection born although the Magistrates be Infidels so that the Soveraign Government of God be preserved wherefore we do detest all those who do reject the higher powers BOoks written by Fr. Bugg Sen. as followeth some of which are intended to be bound together and sold as on the Title Page whereby such as desire further satisfaction into the nature of the Controversy may inform themselves I. De Christianae Libertate in Octavo bound II. The Painted Harlot both stript and whipt c. III. Reason against Raiâ—ing and Truth against Falshood c. IV. Innocency vindicated and Envy rebuked c. V. The Quakers detected and their Errors confuted c. VI. A Letter to the Quakers shewing their frequent addressing to the late K. J. and their never addressing his present Majesty VII Battering Rams against New Rome c. VIII One Blow more at New Rome c. IX New Rome unmasked and her Foundation shaken c. X. New Rome arraigned and out of her own Mouth condemned XI A Sheet delivered to the Parliament Dec. 93. intituled Something in answer to the Quakers Allegations c. XII Quakerism withering and Christianity reviving c. in Octavo XIII Quakerism anatomized c. being a Chaâ—lenge to R. Ashby XIV A Sheet intituled The Quakers Yearly Meeting impeached c. XV. A Second Summons to the City Abel 2 Sam. 20. by way of metaphor to deliver up Sheba the Son of Bichri i. e. G. Whitehead XVI The Quakers set in their true light ERRATA PAge 2. line 7. for Book read Books l. 28. for Book r. Books p. 5. l. 4. for White r. Whitehead p. 7. l. 26. for ot r. not p. 11. l. 23 and 24. for troop r. trooper p 12. l. 42. for Isays r. Jays p. 21. l. 17. for of him r. of truth FINIS
THE QUAKERS Set in their true Light In order to give the Nations A Clear SIGHT Of what they hold concerning Jesus of Nazareth the Scriptures Water Baptism the Lords Supper Magistracy Ministry Laws and Government HISTORICALLY COLLECTED Out of their most approved Authors which are their best Construing books from the year of their Rise 1650 to the year of their Progress 1696. By Francis Bugg Senior But evil men and Seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived For as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so do these also resist the truth Men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the faith whose mouths must be stopped who subvert whole housholds but they shall proceed no farther for their folly shall be made manifest unto all men 2 Tim. 3.8 9 13. Titus 3.11 LONDON Printed for the Author and are to be Sold by C. Brome at the Gun at the West End of St. Pauls and J. Guillim Bookseller in Bishopsgate-street 1696. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND HENRY L. Bishop of London My Lord I Humbly conceive it my duty to discover to your Lordship what I apprehend may be of dangerous consequence either to Church or State And this emboldens me to offer the ensuing discourse to your Lordships pious consideration I must humbly confess 't is a great presumption upon your Honours Patience and Patronage But that which amongst other things gives me encouragement hereunto and which I hape may plead my excuse at least extenuate my offence is the Quakers frequent Dedications and Presentations of their Books to the King Lords and Commons and other Magistrates from year to year one Sessions of Parliament after another for thirty or forty years together beseeching begging and craving their aid support and authority whilst in their Books to their Disciples they utterly disclaim any such seeking to outward authority But instead thereof when not suiting their Interest they 'll Impeach and Condemn their proceeding as Antichristian and Arraign Try and Condemn the Learned Protestant Clergy as inconsistent to Christianity Thus like the Camelion they can turn themselves into all colours their Books being of two sorts carrying two different faces And it was by this method that the Arians of old deceived the Emperor Constantius who at last made Laws in their behalf against the Orthodox And that this is no new Artifice your Lordship may observe from the book of Exodus that notwithstanding Moses was divinely inspired and gifted witb Miracles to confirm his Commission yet the Magicians by their Magick Act and cunning Intreagues came very near him in shew likewise Simon Magus Acts 8. by his Sorcery and Juggling Tricks so bewitched the Samaritans that they gave great heed to all he said And History sufficiently informs us what hard work the Protestants had to confute the Papists whose Books were like the Quakers of two sorts professing in one sort what they utterly rejected in the other sort And this made Bishop Jewel in his Defence to the Apology c. propose to his Reader viz. Good Reader if thou wilt examine our doings I beseech thee search and prove what hath been wrote on both sides and do not suffer thy self by shews and shifts to be beguiled for what man will seem to deal so uprightly as a Juggler he will strike up his sleeves make bare his arms and open his hands and fingers and bid thee behold And thou wilt think him to be a good plain man and marvel thou shouldst possibly be deceived and yet indeed his whole design is nothing but to deceive thee and the more simply and plainly he would seem to deal so much the more he will deceive thee otherwise he were no Juggler c. And to this agrees that notable saying of Ireneaeus in his third Book against Hereticks viz. Whilst Heretick speak like the faithful they not only mean otherwise than what they say â—â—â— clean contrary And by their Tenents full of Blasphemy they destroy the Souls of those who with their fair words suck in the poyson of their foul opinions And no marvel saith St. Paul for Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of Light therefore it is no great thâ—ng if his Ministers also be transformed as the Ministers of Righteousness whose end shall be according to their works 2 Cor. 13.14 And my Lord being sensible of the Quakers method not only of their unwâ—â—y'd sollicitation of the Members of Parliament both Lords and Commons for many years but also in sending their Books into all Counties Shires Cities Towns and Villages in England and Wales as well as parts beyond the Seas I thought it my duty to let the World know their principles from their Printed Books For as simple as they look and as innocent as they seem to appear for deep subtilty they outstrip both Jew and Jesuit and notwithstanding their many and great pretences to meeknesâ— charity and long-suffering there is not a more uncharitable and censâ—◠〈◊〉 people under heaven I am My Lord Your Lordship 's most humble and obedient Servant Fr. Bugg An Apologetical Introduction to the History of the Rise Growth and Progress of QUAKERISM Friendly Reader IF Athanasius made an Apology for his writing against the Arians and other of late for their exposing the errors of the Socinians nay if the Church of England thought herself oblig'd to Apologize in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth for writing against the errors of the Papists 't is but reasonable for me to think myself under the same Obligation for writing against the dangerous errors of the Quakers for surely there has not appeared a more compleat Monster upon the Stage since the days of Simon Magus than George Fox was in his day nor did Simon Magus more applaud himself nor more of his Followers adore him nor take greater care to continue the Memory of him than the Quakers have done of G. Fox witness the reprint of his Labours his Travels his Miracles and Wonders Insomuch that what many Ages have perplexed the Church withal singly we are assaulted with at once as if the scattered Limbs of Heresy had rallied and reinforced themselves for a fresh Battle I have seen Muggleton's Transcendent Spiritual Treatise c. and I cannot find that he holds pace with George Fox in his Books Truths Defence c. Sauls Errand c. A Threefold Estate of Antichrist c. and divers other Books wrote formerly and which they â—â—ill own commend and recommend to their Disciples as Books wrote by divine Authority yea from the Eternal Spirit and Power of God see Sect. the XVI Nay in many things Muggleton and the Quakers seem to be Twins For Muggleton says 't is not lawful to fight with a Sword of Steel so say the Quakers at least until they get power into their hands as in Pensilvania where they can both fight with a Carnal Sword fine imprison and persecute their Brethren as the Trial of G. Keith and others sets forth at large Muggleton denies the Blessed Trinity
are not say they obliging unless a man be convinced c. SECT IX HAving by the foregoing shewed W. Pen to be for and against himself for conformity to the laws orders and decrees of G. Fox conviction or no conviction against conformity to the commands of God in Scripture unless convinced shewing himself thereby to be tot quot omnis every thing and nothing I am now coming to the latter part of the paragraph wherein you sorely complain of Mr. Faldo But if upon an impartial consideration he shall be found to clip or pervert our matter and to shuffle with us in his own Once do a poor people right c. Mr. Pen I am loath to provoke you but if I should I do not fear you you complain of Mr. Faldo's clipping and perverting your matter and shuffling with you in his word a crime no people upon the face of the whole earth more guilty than your selves and at which none better than your self G. Whitebread and G. Fox in his time and I must tell you G. W. hath stood in great need of you and does still one that can make a black thing appear white but I fear the Quakers will not yet depute you and my reason is Mr. Meads aversness to your Preface to Fox his Journal being bound up therewith but like some Lackey it is forced to run shrugging afoot in a poor thin blue coat waiting at the Readers Elbow like A Noun Adjective wanting a word to shew its signification as well as why it 's left to shift for it self c. Well William I have not forgot your complaint I am now coming to do right between you As to Mr. Faldo I have not read all he writ but so far as I have I find him fair and ingenuous leaving out your glosses wiping off your paintings and discovering your fallacies but William cast an eye upon G. Fox s Gr. myst and compare it with the Books which he pretends to answer and you will find it the greatest Mystery of Iniquity that ever appeared in the world under pretence of a religious contest of which Mr. Crisp has made a clear discovery in his Book entitled The Discovery of the accursed thing in the Foxonian Quakers Camp enlarged c. and An Essay c. to allay G. F. s Spirit Oh the horrible clipping mincing and shameful pervertions cutting sentences in two taking the middle of a line and leaving both ends altering the sense laming the argument and defacing the whole matter and if you please to do me right for once against his Son and your Companion that stood up stoutly for you when time was i. e. G. W.'s answer stiled The content Apost recharged c. to mine entitled Battering Rams against New Rome c. where he took one line here another there and sometimes five words out of the middle of a line sometimes but one word in a line and leaves the next and take the next and leap two or three lines off and take two or three words more see New Rome unmaskt p. 75. where this is fully discovered it may be some may think this is not worth the mentioning but if they do but consider first how they have prevailed with these people to believe that what their Teachers say is by an infallible spirit they will not err a jot but do right to all impartially next that they hinder their Hearers from reading the Answers or selling Books that are against them together with their way of spreading their own Books which suggest this and I do say it is one of the cunningest stratagems that Satan has assisted them in and a deep design to misrepresent their Adversaries I could write a Folio on this head but Fox his Book stiled The Great myst being examined and compared is a sufficient demonstration and if they will not examine but the blind will follow their blind Leaders be it upon themselves for what can a man say to such as are willingly ignorant and resolve to oppose conviction I remember one little pretty story in Fox's Journal see the 3d Table or Index Treachery against Geo. Fox his Horse Alas treason for W. Pen knows G. F was a King if he that has a Kingdom be a King see Judas and the Jews p. 44 45 46. of his own justifying too Well however it was either Treachery or Treason that 's certain as you may find it printed in the 255 page And I looked back and the Hostler was filing his Pocket with the Provender that was giving to my Horse c. I confess it was a naughty trick and the worse considering whose Horse it was but whether it deserves to be chronicled I leave the Reader to judge But Friend William if you please to look into the 77 page of G. F. his Great mystery there you will find him justifying Felony upon pretence of a motion which shew that the 8th Commandment Exod. 20.15 was not binding to the Quakers at least to G. Fox their great Apostle and Prophet and Jacob of the age well pray hear him And as for any being moved of the Lord to take away your the Ministers hour-glass from you by the eternal power it is owned c. Here you see he owns Theft in the Quakers with this proviso That if they be moved to it And what Thief will not to save his Bacon as the Proverb is say he is moved But the poor Thievish Hostler did but steal 2 or 3 handfuls of Oats and he must be upon Record to posterity for a Thief only G. F. was so kind as not to write his name down no more than he did the names of several upon whom he wrought his Miracles nor indeed where they dwelt only some in Maryland some in Barbadoes and some in Ireland But as to G. F. owning the Felony 't is not strange for if he was not convinced at that time of his duty to Gods command in the 8th Commandment he is by W. Pen justified and that this position is of a dangerous tendency and doth indeed carry in it all iniquity I shall yet further observe SECT X. HAving already treated of the Quakers Doctrine particularly that position which says That no command in Scripture is any further obliging upon any man than as he finds a conviction upon his own conscience c. which is such a pernicious principle as Mr. Faldo said that it carries all iniquity in the womb of it and indeed is the very floodgate by which Quakerism was first let in among us which came in as a mighty stream flowing over all our Banks of Laws Order and Government both divine and humane overturning the very Ordinances instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ the authority of the Scriptures to the great scandal of our Christian Religion and in the mean while valuing their own Papers Laws and Orders as superior to them And therefore as I have begun with the first planting of Quakerism which was in the year 1650.
and shewed by what arts they have come on and advanced their Errors I am now coming to shew the way of Lucius the first Christian King as History saith that the world ever knew to propagate the Christian Faith he did not stay at this place and that to write Papers and Books to spread truth nor did the Bishop of Rome at that time order him so to do as was the practice of Geo. Fox no to the Law and to the Testimony this was the way that every planter of the true Christian Faith took of which I will give you a noble instance * Eng. Chron. by John Heath p. 19 20. This Royal King Lucius being mindful of Religion that dearest part of Government more than any other consideration the better to prosper the work so prosperously begun sent two learned men to Elutherus then Bishop of Rome to be farther instructed in the Christian Faith who thereupon sent him Fagarius and Damianus with his Letter in the following words as saith the Historian viz. You have received in the Kingdom of Briton by Gods mercy both the Law and Faith of Christ you have both the Old and New Testament out of the same thro Gods Grace by the Advice of your Realm take a Law and by the same through Gods Sufference rule your Kingdom of Brittain c. Having such a good example from this Learned Bishop and Religious King I shall first set down some Scriptures which have been both by Kings and Subjects thought special commands and binding and obliging all men whether all have been so perswaded yea or nay yet I say the faithful Christians in all ages and generations have taken them as their Rule of Obedience and to be of that authority to quell and subdue all those diabolical delusions which will suggest the contrary viz. Mat. 22.21 Render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and unto God the things that are Gods St. Paul to Tit. 3.1 Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers to obey magistrates to be ready to every good work 1 Pet. 2.13 14 17. Submit your selves to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as supream or unto governors as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of them that do well Honour all men love the brotherhood fear God honour the King Rom. 13.1 2 3. Let every soul be subject to the higher powers there is no power but of God the powers that be are ordained of God whosoever therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation for rulers are not a terror to good works but to the evil Wilt thou * G. F. heed not a Cart Load of Warrants then not be afraid of the power do that which is good and thou shalt have praise of the same †W. Tyndals works i. e. of the obedience of a Christian man p. 111. For God hath made the King in every Realm judge over all and over him there is no Judge he that resisteth the King resisteth God If the Subjects sin they must be brought to the Kings judgment if the King sin he must be reserved unto the judgment of God and as it is to resist the King so is it to resist his Officers which are set or sent to execute the Kings commandment for it is written let every soul submit himself unto the authority of the higher powers * G. W. what think you of this Doctrine here is no man exempt but all souls must obey Thus I have given a brief account of the Christian Faith First what Christ who is the Head of the Christian Church and Author of the Christian Faith he said Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and his Apostle Paul bid Titus put the believing Christians in mind to obey Magistrates and to confirm this point St. Peter is very express Submit your selves to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake not so much that he favours us or is kind and governs gently by wholsome Laws these things indeed are good and great mercies to a people but our submission ought to be for the Lords sake who hath ordained Magistracy and Government for so saith St. Paul the powers that be are ordained of God and whosoever resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God Likewise you may read the Doctrine of W. Tyndal in his Book entitled The Obedience of a Christian man and see how the blessed Martyrs espoused and maintained the same delivered by the Apostles SECT XI NOW in order to give a right understanding and that from plain matter of fact of the difference between the faith and practice of the Quakers of the one part and the faith and practice of the Christians in all ages since the days of Christ I have a purpose to set forth as a particular instance the practice of the Reformed Churches of France in regard they live under a Popish King rather than the Church of England and chiefly for this reason beeause the Quakers are so prejudiced against our Clergy Tho I believe there is not sounder men nor a better disciplined Church in the world yet I say they having always been so prejudiced against them as to call them Beasts Dogs Baals Priests Witches Devils Antichrists Blasphemers and a thousand such unchristian and horrible names on purpose to beget an ill opinion in the people of them as Burrough in his Epistle to Fox his Mystery confesseth that so they might leave and forsake them also considering how frequently they have in their Books arraigned impeached and condemned the Magistracy of England under the odious names of the Beast which carry the Whore the Persecuters of Gods People the Antichrists c. That I think it more proper to take a foreign parallel that if possible they may at last be brought to a confession of their Errors burn their Books renounce their Religion and bethink themselves where they have been what they have been doing and how scandalous their antimagistratical principles have been to the Christian Religion not that I have leisure or parts to set forth this matter as it ought to be done but am content to be as a Carpenters Man to hew off the knots and make the work fit for better Workmen to compleat what I leave imperfect and in order to this I shall abstract some few passages of the 28th Synod held at Charenton in France viz. The Acts of the 28 Synod of the Reformed Churches of France assembled by his Majestys Permission at Charenton near Paris on Monday the 26th day of December 1644 and ended Thursday the 26th of January 1645. See the Acts Decisions and Decrees of the Reformed Churches of France per John Quick vol. 2. p. 425. First Monsieur Drelincourt opened the Sessions with Prayer and then the Lord Marquis of Clermont General Deputy presented
Meeting held in London the v. vi vii and viii â—â—ys of the 4th month 1693. p. 2. Several other Epistles from forâ—ign parts as Barbadoes Maryland Pensilvania Virginia Scotland and Holland were read an Epistle from Amsterdam in Holland Ja. Dickinson and Tho. Wilson at this Meeting gave an account of their Travels in Barbadoes East and West Jersey Pensilvania Maryland Virginia New England North Carolina Rhoad Island Long Island Antego Nevis c. Four Epistles from Ireland one from the last year Meeting in Dublin another from Ulster Province another from Munster Province the fourth from Conought Province Meeting An account was given of Dantzick friends A Letter also from Jamaica that there are a People rais'd up and increased in Germany from among the Lutherans called Pietists by some called Quakâ—râ— persecuted by the Duke of Saxony and the Priests several of our Friends Books have been spread amongst them Again p. 3. Friends appointed to view the â—ccounts report that they find they are truly stated and right kept and friends are again advised to bring up with them the tâ—tal sum of each Counties Collection Query did Wm. Crouch not forget the 5 l. he disbursed Again p. 4. the six friends of the City appointed and intrusted this Year with the accounts are William Crouch John Staploe William Macket William Chandler William Beech Nathaniel Marks Observation Reader A small Remark will serve 1st 'T is plain they hold a Correspondency with and receive Letters from Foreigners return Answers spread their Books into foreign parts pretending to spread truth as if the Scriptures were deficient 'T is also plain that they have a Fund or Bank and a yearly Tax collected to maintain their Teachers Travellers and Spies both at home and abroad see my Books Battering Rams against New Rome c. p. 14. New Rome unm p. 60. 'T is also plain that they have Common Bankers with whom the keeping of the Exchequer is intrusted their Names are W. Crouch J. Staploe W. Macket W. Chandler W. Beech Nath. Marks See W. R.'s Second Scourge for G. Whitehead c. on this Head SECT XIV French King YOu are not to meddle with State Affairs or matters of Justice Protest Nor will we debate about State Affairs or make any orders in relation to them The King and Parl. of England An Act of Parliament made the first year Gulielmi Mariae intituled An Act for exempting their Majesties Protestant Subjects dissenting from the Church of England from the Penalties of certain Laws c. Numb 308. Provided always that nothing herein contained shall be construed to exempt any of the persâ—ns aforesaid from paying of Tythes or other parochial duties or any other duty to the Church or Minister nor from any prosecution in any Ecclesiastical Court or elsewhere for the same Quakers Yearly Epist p. 1. And therefore that all due and godly care be taken against the Grand Oppression and antichristian Yoak of Tythes that our Testimony born and greatly suffered for be faithfully maintained against them in all respects and against Steeple-house Rates as also against the burden and imposition of Oaths that Friends at all their Monthly and Quarterly Meetings be reminded to call for the Records of Friends Sufferings to see that they be duly gathered truly entered and kept and accordingly sent up to London as hath been often advised both of what Tythes are pretended to be due and for how long a time and the time when taken and by and for whom and what goods are taken by distress for non-payment and the value thereof as well of those not exceeding as those exceeding the sums or quantities of Tythes demanded it being a suffering in both for Truths sake They the said Monthly and Quarterly Meetings being in these particulars found defective and imperfect in divers Counties which is an obstruction to the General Records of Friends Sufferings and therefore the Monthly and Quarterly Meetings are desired to take more care for the future that all Friends Sufferings for truths sake may be brought up to London as full and compleat in all Respects as possibly may be A complaint being made that some that profess truth carry Guns in their Ships 't is therefore recommended to the Monthly and Quarterly Meetings to deal with them c. Observations Reader the disparity between the Quakers and the Christians in their practice behaviour gratitude and duty is obvious 1st The French King commands his Subjects not to meddle with State Affairs the Protestants with all complacency answer him no they do not desire it neither will they so much as make orders about State matters as not being their present station being Dissenters from the Religion by Law established Thus you see the harmony of the French King and his Subjects and so much for that next you see in the first year of his present Majesty he with the advice and consent of his Parliament indulged the Quakers the free exercise of their perswasion from the penalty of poenal Statutes but in the same Act for their Indulgence there is a clause as above told which ratifies and confirms the payment of Tythes and all Church dues as firm as ever In the next place you see what the Quakers say of it They tell you That Tythes are a grand oppression and not only so but which is worse an Antichristian Yoak yea such a yoak as that whoever receives or pays Tythes does therein deny Christ to be come in the Flesh by their doctrine And thereupon by this Epistle which is to go through England and Wales and elsewhere they warn their Disciples to maintain their Testimony against the payment of Tythes in all respects the like against Church-wardens Rates and withal stoutly to oppose the Imposition of Oaths Nay this is not all yet but being sat in state to hear the grievances of the Nation there is a Complaint come up to the yearly Meeting that some who profess truth as if there were none who profess truth but the Quakers carry Guns in their Ships Well they hear this Complaint but refer that business to the Country Sessions I mean their Quarterly Meetings for they have business of great moment and thus instead of thankfully enjoying the Governments kindness they are privately undermining it by alienating the Kings Subjects from their active obedience to the known Laws of the Land for this Epistle alias Edict is to go through England and Wales and elsewhere this elsewhere is through the world for as Rome is the Papists Metropolis whose Decrees reach to the ends of the earth where Papists live so is this yearly Meeting in London the Quakers Metropolis and from thence goes forth their Law which is obliging and binding as far as there are any Quakers And if any desire to stay until they be convinced Oh no! says W. Pen away with this loose plea for it is a dangerous principle and pernicious to the true Religion And which is worse The Examin
and State of Lib. Spir. p. 3 11. pr. 1681. 't is the Root of Ranterism to asser that nothing is a duty incumbent upon thee but what thou art perswaded or convinced is thy duty for the seared Conscience pleads this liberty against all duty The dark Conscience is here unconcerned the dead Conscience is here uncondemned I see no evil says one in paying Tythes to the hireling Priests I see no evil says another in marrying by a Priest I see no evil says a third in hiding in times of suffering for I have Christ 's and Paul 's example I see no evil says a fourth The Quakers themselves force their Apprentices to stand bare-headed before them in their Shops and Houses where they are Superiours Oh Deceit and Hypocrisie c. in putting off my Hat to my Superiors I see no evil says a fifth in shutting up my Windows in obedience to authority on Christmas-day or on Fast-days or other days set apart by the Magistrate c. Thus Reader you may see the first capital sins against the Quakers Commandments and secondly that they leave no room for their Disciples to stay until they be convinced whether indeed these be sins either in their own nature or against the written word of God or contained in the first or second Table of the ten Commandments oh no they are transgressions against the Orders Laws and Commands of Geo. Fox And as such they are obliging upon all whether conviction or no conviction c. behold the Doctrine of W. Pen yea the same William Pen that tells Mr. Faldo That there is no Command in the Scripture farther obliging upon any mans Conscience than as he meets with a Conviction SECT XV. BUt possibly some may say Indeed this yearly Epistle seems very ungrateful in divers respects and which deserves consideration but what is the reason that the Chronicle and compendious History do not come forth that the Quakers have boasted of near this thirty years in their Book Judas and the Jews c. p. 58. And their Rejoinder p. 410. saying Our faithful Chronicle of the bloody Tragedies of that professing generation will tell future ages other things c. I say why future ages This looks very odd to tell us 20 or 30 years together of a compendious History to come forth of their faithful Chronicles to come out and yet none is come forth to publick view No they are sadly dull they begin to draw back what do not the Quarterly and Monthly meetings carry up enough every year or are they minded to reserve it till all persons concerned therein are dead and gone and see none left to detect it At that rate indeed they may tell future ages a lamentable story of cruel sufferings and little of it true if any Answer 1. As to the quarterly and monthly Meetings tho they may be somewhat dull and want quickening yet no doubt but they have gathered up enough to print several volumes for you see thay call for the whole number viz. Take more care for the future that all friends suâ—â—erings may be brought up as full and compleat in all respects as possible may be c. Thus we see what care they take first to magnifie themselves by their great sufferings which in all the History that I have read of the French Protestants I have not taken notice of any thing of the like nature 2. You may see by their threatned Chronicle how they intend to represent this Nation as a persecuting bloody-minded people And knowing that great part of their sufferings are shams and nothing but noise they are asham'd as well they may to bring it forth And to convince the World that it is so see my Book New Rome unmaskt c. p. 54. where Samuel Cater of Littleport in the Isle of Ely one of their preachers is detected for being recorded in their quarterly book for suffering a fine of 20 l. for preaching at Plakenham in Norfolk when indeed he was so far from losing 20 l. that he got 10 l. into pocket tho a rich man in clear money It 's true he was fined and his goods destrained but never carried away and in a little time every pennyworth returned as 40 neighbours will witness but this made such a noise and Sam being a right man for Fox and as true to him as he was to Ja. Naylâ—r when he led his Horse into Bristol he had 10 l. sent him out of the publick Stock Fund Exchequer or Treasury or what you will call the Common Bank by John Peacock deceased late of St. Ives as a Reward for his Valour and Courage but you must note he was a Preacher for June 9. 1670. which as my old Records still by me tell me there was a meeting at Littleport where Sam. Fullig Cl. Crabb Tho. Hawks Jo. Love Henry Waddelow Tho. Paine R. Crabb and others were fined who had their Cows Horses Mares Pewter and Brass taken away but never any thing sent them from London nor their goods returned But that which makes Sam. Cater's Case still worse tho indeed I think there can be no greater cheat put upon future ages yet this is more impudent for anno 1679. S. Cater and Jos Harrison put forth a Book entituled A Lamentable Cry of Oppression c. In which Book the said Sam. renews the memory of his sufferings for that meeting for which he did not suffer a groat but got 10 l. clear into pocket as I have said read p. 14. There being a meeting at Jos Harrison's in Plakenham July 2. 1670. And Sam. Cater being there declaring the truth W. Watts's his Wife came and went and informed the Officers who came and had him before Chr. Colthorp who said he would fine Sam. 2O l. which accordingly he did and sent the Records of Conviction to Ely Magistrates who sent out their Warrants and took away his goods c. Thus ends the Relation as to matter of fact but he that writes a History of that nature should tell the whole truth viz. Indeed I was so inform'd against so fined and destrained But I had my goods again this at least he should have said tho he had kept private his Reward of 10 l. which was purposely sent him c. But alas he to make the world believe that he thus lamentably suffered under that lamentable Justice Sir Christopher Colthorp nine years after the transaction was committed and done and also to make the poor Quakers that heard him and lost their Fines without any reparation believe that their Minister was zealous for the cause a great sufferer yea 20 l. thick for coming to visit them as a servant of the Lord and a Messenger from the great God He goes on p. 44. saying And now it is upon me from the Lord to warn you all that have had any hand in oppressing his Children and evil intreating his Servants and Messengers that he hath sent amongst you to exhort you But instead