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A30035 The pilgrim's progress, from Quakerism to Christianity containing, a farther discovery of the dangerous growth of Quakerism, not only in points of doctrine, but also in their politicks, respecting their government, and opposite to it, together with their fund or common bank to support the same : with a remedy proposed for this malady, and the cure of Quakerism : to which is added an appendix, discovering a most damnable plot, contriv'd and carrying on by New-Rome, by an united confederacy, against the reformed religion and professors thereof, as will appear from the designs of their silent meetings, their monthly, quarterly, second-day, six-week, and yearly meeting, all which are particularly herein treated on / by ... Fr. Bugg. Bugg, Francis, 1640-1724? 1700 (1700) Wing B5383; ESTC R20744 232,865 530

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the Soldiers with a Spear pierced his Side She turned her self back and saw Jesus Jesus saith unto her touch me not for I am not yet ascended Thomas said except I shall see in his Hands the Print of the Nails and put my Finger into the Print of the Nails and thrust my Hand into his Side I will not believe Then saith he Jesus to Thomas reach hither thy Finger and behold my Hands and reach hither thy Hand and thrust it into my Side and be not faithless but believing And Thomas answered unto him my Lord and my God And many other Signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his Disciples which are not written in this Book but these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing you might have Life through His Name John 1.5,23,34 20.14,17,25,27,28,30,31 Thus then it is evident That the same Jesus that was Born of the Virgin Mary the same Jesus which Suffer'd at Jerusalem is the Christ which the Apostles preached and which all true Christians believe in yet as evident That the Quakers do not own him nor believe in him For as above noted Isaac Pennington says there was the Outward Body which they can never call Christ Isaac Pennington's Question to Professors c. p. 27 33. G. W.'s Judgment fixed c. p. 336. W. Penn he says But that the Outward Person which suffer'd was properly the Son of God We utterly deny W. Penn 's Ser. Apol. c. p. 146. Well but let us hear this George Whitehead who thus reply'd saying I deny that the Quakers teach that the Name Jesus and Christ belongs to every Member in the Body as amply as to the Head Where proves he Fran. Bugg as amply Says Geo. Whitehead W. Baily's Works p. 229 230 307. The Sword of the Lord drawn c. pag. 5. Mark Reader here is a Tacit Confession of the Words as well tho' he carps at my Word amply which I put in for Illustration sake it not being a Quotation but a Charge which I still offer to make good if he will meet me on his own Proposition for I take the Word amply to mean no more but as Plainly as Evidently as Apparently and the Quakers say that the Name Jesus and Christ belongs to every Believer as well as to the Head This Whitehead denies not this he disowns not only carps at the Word amply And therefore my Advice to all my Fellow-Labourers is to take this my Method give New-Rome Charge after Charge as Geo. Keith has done see his Three Narratives as Daniel Leeds is a doing A Trumpet sounded out of the Wilderness c. p. 141. who has been a Quaker about 20 Years and let this be the Test between Christianity and Quakerism If the Quakers be Innocent and Sincere tho' mistaken thro' Error they 'll come out if Insincere and Self-conscious of their Hypocrisie they 'll not appear but Rave and Rail like Rabshekah at a distance by this Test shall the Plot be discovered and the Conspirators be made manifest And I am not without Hopes but that what I have said in Conjunction with my Fellow-Travailers will be a Means to preserve some from running Headlong as the Swine did into the deep Lake of Quakerism and and to convert others that are misled as well as be useful to the Church of God in general Which God of his Mercy grant for Jesus Christ his sake Amen Fran. Bugg August 25. 1699. FINIS A COLLECTION OF Some Passages Touching those call'd QVAKERS Which were Writ with much more of the same tendency by several that were or still are amongst that People WHEREBY The Reader may plainly see and perceive what Spirit it is that Acts their Preachers and Leaders and how they have been foretold and faithfully warned of the Day of Perplexity Reproach and Ignominy that is come and coming upon them O thou Sword of the Lord how long will it be e're thou be quiet Put up thy self into thy Scabbard rest and be still How can it be quiet seeing the Lord hath given it a Charge I cannot hold my Peace because thou hast heard O my Soul the Sound of the Trumpet the Alarum of War Reader THese Passages in this Page of Ann Docwra and Robert Sandiland's Writing I have added since I had a Proof from the Printer of those Collections following He i. e. S. Cater a great Preacher has written more than is true concerning me he is very Bold and the most Confident Liar that ever I met with I laid the Record against J. Ainsloe before him also G. W's False Certificate about the said Record In his Book Judgment Fixed c. it is an abuseful Forgery for some of those whose Names are to the Certificate absolutely disowns it and say they set their Hands to none it is very sad said she that Men should be so Bold in their Wickedness A. D's Letter to Mr. Crisp March 25. 1684. I know it is common says she with some of them in their Books of Controversie to put the Names of such Persons as they account their Vassals both to Certificates and Books sometimes without the Consent of the Parties whose Names are Inserted and sometimes with their Consent through slavish Fear of having their Trades obstructed and thereby Ruined See A. D's Printed Broad-side i. e. The New Projecting Formalist Characteriz'd c. Which Impious Practice of theirs is confirmed in their shameful Forgery in R. S's Book Righteous Judgment c. as at large in a Letter of his to me printed in my Modest Defence c. p. 20. may be seen And as to splitting Sentences mincing and mangling and thereby marring the Sence of their Opponents no People so False so Perfidious and so Deceitful that I know of F. B. A COLLECTION OF Some Passages Touching those call'd QUAKERS c. I Have long seen saith R. R. the Abomination that maketh Desolate standing amongst the Quakers Wherefore hear the Word of the Lord ye Rulers of Sodom and People of Gomorrah 't is this Spirit that hath encompassed your Jerusalem about as with Armies by which we know the Destruction thereof draweth nigh Finally 't is that Spirit of Wickedness in the form of Righteousness that hath already torn your Crown from off your Head and discovered your Secret Parts so that the Scab of Contention and Strife is seen that will never leave nor cease to Divide you till the Name of Quaker become an Hiss and a Scorn amongst the Nations This Witness is true And you that for the vast number of your Tribes have seemed to magnifie your selves in your increase of Children Wo be to you that now give Suck and take so much pains to add to your Sect for behold in one Day loss of Children and Widowhood shall come upon you This Witness is true Of this I am most certain that a Bitter Lying and Persecuting Proud Spirit inhabits your Tents which Babylonish Garment hath
God that made the King's retiring into our Native Country i. e. Scotland in 1679. give a Happy Turn to his Affairs to the defeating and disappointing the Designs of his Enemies We do justly conceive Oar selves obliged by a special Tie to praise God for his Goodness in carrying the King through and over all his Troubles since by the same Providence and at the same time by which the Lord began in that more observable manner to evidence his Care of him he made him the happy Instrument to deliver us from our Troubles so that the Prosperity of his Affairs and our peaceable Fruition of the Exercise of our Consciences bears the same Date c. The Humble Address of the People call'd Quakers to K. James II. from our Yearly Meeting 1688. We the King's loving and peaceable Subjects from divers Parts of his Dominions being met together in this City to inspect the Affairs of our Christian Society † † Which by Interpretation is Infect Throughout the World think it our Duty humbly to represent c. Now since it hath pleased thee O King to renew to all thy Subjects by thy last Declaration thy Gracious Assurance to pursue the Establishment of this Christian Liberty c. We think our selves deeply engaged to renew Our Assurances of Fidelity and Affection And as we firmly believe that God will never desert this just and righteous Cause of Liberty Nor the King in maintaining of it so we hope c. Thus Reader you see here is nothing wanting but bended Knees here is in All Humility in All Fidelity with All Affection yea All All All all Prayers for him for a long Life for a prosperous Reign Laud and Praise in the highest for His Deliverance for the defeating his Enemies i. e. Protestants besides by a modest Computation Ten Thousand Books spread up and down the Nation in favour of his Government See my Sober Expostulation with the Hearers of the Quakers c. p. 13. But since King William came to the Crown No Salutation No Message No Prayers for No Address to him from their Yearly Meeting † Unless this in 1698. now the War is ended and no Hopes left them No in all Humility No in all Fidelity No with all Affection No Publick Prayers for his long Life for his prosperous Reign No Laud and Praise that his Enemies are defeated Here is all No No No nor one Book wrote in Favour of the Government during this Reign But that my Reader may rightly understand which side of the Hedge the Quakers have to this Day hid themselves I will recite one Query to them anew as in that Book of mine I did New Rome Unmask'd c. p. 31. as I took it out of a Jacobite Catechism p 5. For as I would not write one Sheet which hath not a Tendency to shew either their Errours Hypocrisie Covetousness or Treachery to the Nation so shall I take in all that concur thereto tho' it be Twenty Sheets The Query is Query What made the Quakers no more concern'd for the Loss of those brave Patriots of our Country Essex Russel Sidney Cornish Bateman c. I could never get an Answer to this Query This was such an untoward knotty Question that all the Quakers were not able to answer it that ever I understood No no instead of being sorry G. Whitehead Fran. Camfeild Gilbert Layty and Alex. Parker deliver'd an Address to King Charles II. at Windsor about the time of the Execution of my Lord Russel This was the first Address they ever made to Authority crying out extreamly against all Hellish Plots and all Trayterous Conspiracies and that they had nothing but Love and Good-will to him and his Brother the Duke of York But to return to the Observation I have made on the Quakers Publick Prayers for and their Yearly Meetings Address to the late King James II. and their contrary Practice to King William III * No for what they do at their Yearly Meeting is is done by the Body I have something more to offer as an Aggravation of their Ingratitude for they made an Order for the calling in the Widow Whitrow's Books she being formerly of their Society and by her plain Dress some take her to be so still which was in Favour of this Government Now G. Whitehead what Scripture had you for that Or by what Authority did you presume to give out this Order Now I shall transcribe the Widow Whitrow's Paper concerning the Quakers Order for calling in her Books which is as followeth viz. December 1689. The Widow Whitrow ordered Andrew Sowle to Print a Book for her intituled The Widow Whitrow's Humble Address to King William III. And in December 1690. ordered him to Print another Book intituled For Queen Mary the Humble Salutation and Faithful Greeting of the Widow Whitrow † The very Titles of these Books were sufficient for the Ruling Quakers to Censure the Books c. Both which were well accepted and which Andr. Sowle * Sowle was the Quakers Printer and Bookseller sent into the Country to his Friends the Quakers and many of the said People did buy them and liked them well † This perplexed the Foxonian Quakers and sent for more But the chief Quakers in London at their Monthly Meeting at Devonshire-House the 7 th of January following made an Order to have all those Books called in and appointed John Ethridge and William Ingram to go to the Printer and acquaint him with the said Order which accordingly they did Too true Sons of the Foxonian Quaker-Church At which the Printers seem'd troubled saying They thought Friends would not have been against them i. e. such Books seeing they were mostly writ against the Pride and Wickedness of the Times And asked What it was they had against the Books They answered They * Meaning their Monthly Meeting had little against them Only that they were writ in Favour of This Government and reflected upon the former † i. e. Their brave King James II. and that Friends had Resolved not to Meddle with the Government c. It is to be observed That the first Book called The Address c. was Printed above a Year before and sold by their Booksellers and not any Stop put to them till some † Viz. The Lord Preston W. P. c. were endeavouring the Overthrow of this Government so that it is easily to be understood what the Meaning was of such an Order at such a Time and Season c. This Account is still ready to be attested if deny'd and which I signify'd something of formerly but now I thought fit to recite it at large See New Rome Arraign'd c. p. 30. Well this Order was made where G. Fox and the Chief Governing Quakers in London were present in January but in February following came out a Proclamation against one of their chief Men who upon the News of it and as a
that love him and to them that keep his Commandments WE have sinned and committed Iniquity and have done Wickedly and have Rebelled even by Departing from thy Precepts and from thy Judgments and whilst I was Speaking and Praying and Confessing my Sins and the Sins of my People Israel and presenting my Supplication before the Lord my God c. Dan. 9.4,5,20 Yea John the Evangelist said If we say that we have no Sin we deceive our selves and the Truth is not in us 1 John 1.8 Moreover St. Paul himself cried out of a Body of Sin saying For the Good that I would do I do not but the Evil which I would not that I do I find then a Law that when I would do Good Evil is present with me O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death This is a faithful Saying and worthy of all Acceptation That Christ Jesus came into the World to save Sinners of whom I am Chief Rom. 7.19,21,24 1 Tim. 1.15 All which Practice is according to Christ's Command and Precept Matth. 6. Luk. 11. who said Whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my Name he will give it you John 6.23 And when our Brethren the Donatists and Pelagians who professed a sinless Perfection as we do told the Ancient Christians that a constant Practice of Confession implied a constant Course of Sinning St. Augustine replied to them saying Confess always for thou hast Matter always to confess Augustine in p. 99. Tho. Bilney confessed that he was a miserable Sinner And said he therefore with all my Power I teach that all Men should first acknowledge their Sins Fox's Acts and Mon. Ps 467 468. Dr. Robert Barnes said The whole Church prayeth Lord forgive us our Sins Wherefore she hath Spots and Wrinkles but by acknowleding them thro' the Merits of Christ her Wrinkles be scratched out See his Works p. 254. Martin Luther saith But thou wilt say the Church is Holy the Fathers are Holy it is true notwithstanding albeit the Church is Holy yet is she compelled to pray Forgive us our Trespasses So tho' the Fathers are Holy yet are they saved thro' the Forgiveness of Sins See Luther's Commentary upon Gal. p. 36. Next hear what Humble Bradford said to his London Friends John Bradford an Unworthy Servant of the Lord be merciful to our Sins for they are great Let us heartily bewail our Sins repent us of our former Evil Life c. Fox's Acts and Mon. p. 1167. Thus my Well-beloved Friends and Brethren I have shewed you many Instances both of the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Primitive Christians and Martyrs who have all along confessed their Sins to God and begg'd Pardon for Jesus Christ's sake and go you but to the Windows or Doors of the Churches and other Christian Assemblies but besure you go no further and you may still hear them i. e. Episcopal Presbyterians Independants and Baptists crying out of a Body of Sin saying They have erred and strayed from the Ways of God from Seven to Seventy as our Brother Father Penn has well observ'd we have done Despite to the Spirit of Grace we have broke thy Commandments we have added to the Guilt of Original Sin by our many and repeated Actual Sins and therefore we prostrate our selves and humbly beg thy Pardon for the alone sake of thy dear Son and our blessed Redeemer Jesus Christ our only Advocate and Mediator to whom with thee and thy blessed Spirit be all Honour Glory and Dominion for ever Amen Truth exalted in a Short but Sure Testimony c. p. 9. Now Friends what a happy thing is this that you need not trouble your selves with any Confession of Sins since you are not like other Men nor like these Publicans And therefore I exhort you to keep to your Ancient Testimony in all the Parts of it make no Confession of Sins nor besure you do not recommend the Practice of it by Word or Writing but keep to our Ancient Practice nor is there any need for our Hearers to follow those Christian Precepts viz. And whatsoever you do in Word or Deed do all in the NAME of the LORD JESUS giving Thanks to God the Father BY HIM whether therefore ye EAT or DRINK or whatsoever ye do do all to the Glory of God Col. 3.17 1 Cor. 10.31 Matth. 15.36 First Because the Name Jesus belongs to every Believer I should say Quaker as well as to him that suffer'd at Jerusalem according to our Ancient Testimony A Question to Professors c. p. 20 27 33. Secondly Because you know that we our selves to be seen of Men do make a kind of a Prayer to our Light within when we are at their Tables when Company is present but if alone either at Home or Abroad we seldom give Thanks for our Food and seldomer with our Eyes towards Heaven as Christ did as Stephen did or as the Martyrs did No you know we are of another yea of a different Faith and Practice from all the Ancient Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martyrs and Holy Confessors and all Christian Churches to this Day being exalted above them for we sit in Heavenly Places singing the Songs of Sion in the Beauty of Holiness without Sin or any Imperfection which all the Recited were chargeable with as imply'd by their Confessions and their relying upon the Merits of another to wit The Man Christ Jesus as believing they shall one Day appear before his Tribunal and be judged by the Law of God recorded in their Scriptures but for our parts we differ from them in all Respects having our whole God within us as safely as the Papists have their Crucifixes in their Pockets And thus much to shew you the great Happiness and Excellency of our Dispensation so no need of Confession according to our Ancient Testimony The Second Inference i. e. The Ten Commandments And Friends whereas the Christians propose to us sometimes the Use of the Ten Commandments whether we own them as a Rule to a Christian Life look into one of my Gospels and you will find it thus written Thou may'st as well ask if the Moral Law or Ten Commandments be a Rule for Christ c. Truth defending the Quakers c. p. 18. Again Ed. Burrough one of our Prophets said That is no Command from God to me what he commands to another neither did any of the Saints which we read of in Scripture act by the Command which was to another not having the Command to themselves I challenge to find an Example for it they obey'd every one their own Command Burrough 's Works p. 47. And in Defence of this Position hear what Father Penn says i. e. No Command in the Scripture is any further obliging upon any Man than as he finds a Conviction upon his Conscience otherwise Men should be engaged without if not against Conviction a thing unreasonable in a Man Quakerism a new Nick-Name c. p. 71. And now that none
of that sort of People to every one that would convince them of their Errors 't is the Sibboleth of the Party indeed they may very well challenge to themselves the sole Priviledge of exercising the black Art of Railing because they are the only Men that I know of that can rail by Inspiration One Mouthful of Dirt I remember he squirted upon you i. e. He said you were drunk the last time you were in London Sir I doubt not in the least your Innocency but they must Calumniate still or how shall they prove themselves right-bred Children of the Accuser of the Brethren God Almighty assist and strengthen you to break the Brood of that Viperous Generation that hath so poyson'd our Nation that at last you may triumph over that old Serpent that hath commenced so Bloody a War against them that keep the Testimony of Jesus you must expect he will be fill'd with great Wrath that he will both Hiss and Sting and pour out Water as a Flood after you his time being short c. Hen. Meriton April 11. 1698. Upon my receiving this Letter I went to Stoake and asked John Hubbard what Ground he had to raise this false Accusation I told him that I did not remember that I spent a Groat at a time all the time I was in London † Which was more than a Month. He told me he heard so Pray tell me your Author at last he told me T. Belch * A Quaker in London at the Ship in Cheapside Linnen-Draper When I came to London I got Mr. Law rence of St. Gregory's Parish to go with me to him to whom I said Sir do you know me No said Tho. Belch I told him that my Name was Francis Bugg and that I understood he had raised a Report of me viz. That I was drunk in London March last I heard so said Belch if that be thy Name Who is your Author said I He is not in Town said he I reply'd What is his Name and insisted on it a good while but could not prevail with him to tell me To the Truth of this Mr. Lawrence subscribed his Name John Lawrence Reader When I saw my self thus attack'd from all Quarters by Books by Letters by Reports sometimes that I was a Drunkard as you have heard sometimes that I was distracted and so discomposed as not able to rest Night nor Day occasion'd by writing against the Quakers sometimes that I left my Wife and Son in their Society to introduce me again into their Community and Twenty Lies more I went to the Quakers-Meeting in Milden-Hall on Sunday the First of May 1687. as the most probable Raisers of these or some of these Stories and spake to them after this manner Friends This is the 15th Year since I came to this Meeting for a Certificate on my Behalf again the Suggestions of S. Cater and Geo. Whitehead c. which were That I was an Informer which at that time was a hateful Name to a Tradesman and very Prejudicial to my Reputation as well as divers other False and Scandalous Detractions in their Books And this Meeting at least the Major part of it Twenty-seven in number gave me ONE * As in The Picture of Quakerism Part 2. p. 146. with great Courage and Freedom which at that time was very useful and I now come to you for a Testification against my self and ask no Favour at your Hands touching several Reports raised on me Ut supra and upon your signing it with your Names I promise to print it and what I cannot justly deny I will fairly confess But several answer'd me and not opposed by the rest or any of them That they never heard any such Report nor knew any cause why there should be such Reports But for the farther clearing the Matter and removing Stumbling-Blocks out of the way I shall recite the Substance of several Certificates which I took FROM my Son who tho' one of them yet I hope he is sincere for I have heard him say and that before some Quakers Come what is Wrong is Wrong whether it be in Geo. Fox or my Father and I will no more stand by what is wrong is the one than I will in the other FROM Philip Craniss who was my Servant near 20 Years * He came to me in 1676. and has not been from me Three Years and as familiarly concern'd in all my Concerns in Trade both Buying and Selling having taken in and deliver'd out many Thousand Pounds worth of Goods and is still living and of known Reputation FROM William Belsham who was my Servant 15 or 16 Years and is a Quaker and one that handed my Certificate above-mention'd in 1683. a Man of known Reputation FROM Matthew Belsham his Brother both living well each having some Estate of their own He was my Servant about 16 Years tho' none of them at this time who if I were such a Person as some would represent me to be some if not all of these must know something of it Nay I do believe I could have had a Hundred of my Neighbours to avouch the same so far as my Actions have come under their Cognizance But these being Persons of Credit and that have had Experience of my manner of Life may I think ballance those Reports whose Authors cannot be found out And indeed were it not for the sake of my Testimony which the Quakers would wound thro' my Sides I should not have said so much on this Subject but rather have taken David's Patience for my Example who when Shimei cursed and reproached him in the Day of his Affliction yet he bore all patiently 2 Sam. 16.6,7,8 And tho' its true I am now made to Unmask this Painted Harlot which will still more enrage her thereby endeavouring if possible that she may see her self and repent in Dust and Ashes and be humbled before the Lord that so she may be Converted and Healed at least that hereby others may be caution'd not to embrace her Pernicious Errors yet in all this 20 Years time † Tho' about Four Years thereof I was in their Community labouring for a Reformation not then understanding their grossest Errors of my Controversing with the Heads of this Sect I never render'd Railing for Railing nor do I now neither have I taken Advantage at their Miscarriages a small Sample whereof I have now set forth in the former Chapter as my Books do manifest but have handled those Errors which they taught in their Books which indeed open the Flood-Gates to all their Viciousness see a Paper from Pensilvania intituled A Brief Admonition to the Elders and Ministers of the People call'd Quakers and with which they are so tainted as put all Christian Societies together their Number consider'd there is not so much Viciousness in any one Society Tho' if Christ had one amongst twelve it cannot but be suppos'd there is in every Society too many that do not in Life and
Conversation answer their Holy Profession neither do I bring these Testimonies to excuse my self from my own Infirmities I am not without Sinful Imperfections I do acknowledge Here follows the Contents of the several Certificates above-mention'd Viz. First That he Fr. Bugg neither is nor never was distracted or discomposed since any of us can remember him or that ever we heard of Secondly That in all his Time he has been moderate both in his Meat Drink and Apparel and never by any of us known to be Drunk as is reported nor yet inclined to Drinking in Excess Thirdly That he ever was a good Provider for his Family a Lover of his Wife an Indulgent Father to his Children forcing none farther than Perswasion to a Comformity to his way of Worship Fourthly That we believe he never left his Wife and Son amongst the Quakers to introduce him to them again this is a Malicious Report to render him a Hypocrite which his whole Life and Conversation has declared the contrary to his Cost Fifthly The Press being open and both Parties having equal Priviledges we look upon it utterly wrong to make use of such Indirect Methods And some of us are sorry we have no better way to confute his Arguments Sixthly That we are ready to enlarge on any of these Heads to any Man's Face that shall question the Truth hereof Subscribed by William Belsham Matthew Belsham Philip Cranniss Fran. Bugg Junior Reader As I could not pass by such Publick Mercies and Benefits as I have received without some Publick Acknowledgment without great Ingratitude both to God and Man so would I not be too particular lest thereby I do offend yet with St. Paul I can say That as Sufferings and hard Usage formy Testimony-sake abound so do not only Inward Consolation but Outward Benefits abound also 2 Cor. 1.5 and as a Proof thereof I shall add but one Instance more which is That since I came to London an Ancient Friend of mine to whom I did owe a certain Debt upon Bond who considering the hard Usages I have received from the Quakers in which he himself has had a deep share and finding me still conscientiously concern'd without my asking or once thinking of or expecting brought me the Bond and forgave me the Debt resting due to him upon it without any Covenant or Promise on my part Thus hath God opened the Hearts of his Servants and moved them to Compassion Blessed be his Holy Name for ever and Humble Thanks to all unto whom I have been oblig'd CHAP. XVI A Word of Encouragement to all who are Sincere amongst the Hearers of the People call'd Quakers who begin to be weary of the Yoke of Quakerism and are willing to embrace the Christian Faith FRIENDS HAving given you a Brief Account of my Travel in this Pilgrimage and shewed you the many Turnings and Windings which I have gone through and the many Quicksands and Quagmires that I have passed without sinking tho' oft-times in great Danger what by Enemies within and Enemies without as also in some Places pointed to Israel's Rock the Man Christ Jesus I am now come to remove one Stumbling-block which Solomon Eccles has laid in your way namely That there is as great a Gulf fixed between you and the Christians as there was between Dives and Abraham insomuch that if you would come from them i. e. Quakers you cannot his Words are these Viz. I testifie in the Spirit of Truth * Viz. By Authority greater than the Scripture Truth defending the Quakers c. p. 7. by G. W. that there is as great a Gulf between the Baptists and consequently other Christians that are NOT in Christ that is NOT in the Quakers Light and those Quakers that are in the Truth as there was between Abraham and Dives See his Music Lecture c. p. 23. Again as an Explanation of this Doctrine he saith Come Protestants Presbyterians Independants and Baptists the Quakers deny you all The Quakers are in the Truth and none but they c. The Quakers Challenge c. p. 2 3. And from this and the like Doctrine spring that Aversion in you that it is impossible to prevail with many of you either to hear a Sermon preach'd by the Publick Ministers or to read their Sermons So that when the Quakers once catch any in their Cobweb it is very hard and difficult to get you out unless here and there one that is resolv'd to observe the Apostle's Advice who said Prove all things holdfast that which is good 1 Thess 5.21 And I am not doubtful but that as there has been a Remnant that has taken this Advice and has forsaken the Quakers Errors so will there many more follow their Example For this Doctrine of theirs which alludes to Christ's Parable is falsly applied for that Parable relates to the Final Estate of the Blessed and the Damned after this Life as you may read at large Luke 16. And as for the Quakers denying all the Professors of Christianity affirming themselves to be in the Truth Only or the Only Church of Christ as in my former Writings viz. The Picture of Quakerism c. Part first I have made to appear from their Books this is all Pride yea Spiritual Pride and Self-Conceit and ought not to be any Hindrance to you in your Examination and Tryal of your selves but rather as a Spur to your Zeal lest you should be in the Wrong And if you come once sincerely so to do I no way doubt but you will soon forsake Quakerism I well remember that when I first heard it Rumour'd that G. Fox was looked upon as a second Moses to give forth Laws and Orders for us to walk by and Methods and Forms of Church-Government I presently wrote Six Queries touching Church-Government in the Year 1678 * 22 Years since which went in Manuscript far and near as Printed in my Book intituled De Chris Lib. Part 2. Page 72 80. the Tenor of which was Query 1. Whether Jesus Christ be Head of the Church or George Fox Query 2. If you say Christ then whether he be not Lawgiver to his Church Query 3. If you say that Christ is both Head and Lawgiver to his Church then whether we ought not to Follow and Obey the Commands and Precepts of Christ which are laid down in the Scripture by the four Evangelists and his Apostles rather than the Commands and Precepts of G. Fox Query 4. If you say that the Commands and Precepts of Christ ought rather to be obey'd than those of Geo. Fox then I further Query whether Christ or any of his Apostles ever commanded the Observation of Womens Meetings apart and distinct from the Men Query 5. If you say that neither Christ nor his Apostles commanded nor left any Example or President for Womens Distinct Meetings to be set up Monthly any way to intermeddle with the Government of the Church then I further Query where have George Fox or you your
1 Ed. 6. c. 2. 37 Hen. 8. c. 17. 8 Eliz. c. 1. 1 K. W. Q. M. N. 307. And such Meetings let the Pretence be never so seemingly good are interpreted to be Regnum in Regno viz. not only independent but opposite to the Civil Government and should the Bishops and Clergy so meet with never so real a Purpose to promote real Piety and Christianity of which the Quakers is but a Counterfeit they thereby would as the Learned in the Law say run themselves into a Praemunire Neither do or are any People in England so bold so to Meet in Contempt of the Laws of the Land expresly against the King's Prerogative the Rights of Parliaments and the Liberty and Property of the Subject the Quakers only excepted whose Principles are Extrajudicial and Antimagistratical and of how dangerous a Consequence Time will best demonstrate for hitherto they have not been able to do Hurt as to the Government But see one of their own Books before they got to this Height in Oliver Cromwell's Days intituled The West answering to the North c. by G. Fox and others of them p. 80. viz. Any Party of Men under a Government to make Laws not being Authorized so to do for the Binding of others and thereunto require Obedience is the setting up of themselves above the Law and treading it under their Feet and rendring of them whom they so Bind their Slaves and Vassals and so is TREASON Object IV. As for what is Collected which they call a Fund is not for Stipends for our Teachers we have no Mercenary Teachers nor among us Attendants on both Houses of Parliament c. Answ This is all false in Fact 1. I do affirm and offer to prove it That their Teachers have Stipends and great Sums of Money out of the Money collected if I do not let but my Superiors give me the Opportunity I will engage to forfeit my Life yea as clearly as Daniel proved to the King the Fraud of Bell's Priests And also will shew the private Entrance or Passage which the Quakers Mercenary Teachers go in and out to this Fund or Bank or Common Stock or Collection let it have a Name of the Quakers own giving if that will please them without strewing Ashes If I do not do this let me suffer if I do and that I also shew that the Charges Attending the Parliament come out thereof then let this Fund Stock or Bank together with their Yearly Meeting and all other their Monthly Quarterly Six-Week and Second-Day's Meetings which are not designed for Worship but for Government be supprest and let them be content with their Meetings on Sundays for Publick Worship with their Doors open as other Dissenters have Now if they be but as Confident as Bell's Priests were let them try the Experiment I am ready to engage them when the Government shall call me to it and by no other Methods than is usual oft-times with the Members of the House of Commons to use when they would find out a hidden Secret which they fear tends to subvert the Government Object V. G. Whitehead in Excuse of the Quakers recording their Sufferings as only to have have recourse to and not designed to render the Government odious to Posterity Answ I answer this is such a fallacious Evasion that it serves only to shew their Hypocrisie Read but The Picture of Quakerism drawn to the Life c. p. 102 to 106. and The Pilgrim's Progress c. first Edition p. 167. where five Quotations are at large taken out of their Prints written by W. Penn R. Barkley and others of Note amongst the Quakers and they afford a Demonstration and Proof sufficient and which they never yet gainsaid by Answer thereunto Object VI. G. W. pag. 69. of his Truth and Innocency Vindicated c. says Let their Books and ours be compared to clear our Innocency from their Adversaries gross Calumnies Perversions Misrepresentations c. Answ Content with all their Hearts But tho' I am no Prophet nor the Son of a Prophet yet I dare venture to say that Geo. will not be so willing to put their Cause upon this Issue as the Priests of Bell and the Dragon were to put their Fraud to the Test No theirs was a sufficient Example to their Followers in Deceit and Falshood And I marvel G. W. should have the Face to propose a Thing which they have these Fifteen Years to my knowledge always refused and when any one proposes it they fly off and cry out Persecution Persecution For he knew both many of his own Books as well as Fox's Burrough's and their Chieftains are well fraught with Errors Blasphemy Seditious and Bloody Treasonable Principles And that they stood in as much need of an Act of Oblivion as any People upon English Ground and with which all their Crimes might for all me have been buried had they not revived them and told us over and over That their Principles are now no other than what they were in the Beginning Thus having answer'd these Objections I shall add no more on this Head only referr to my former Book intituled The Picture of Quakerism Part 2. pag. 121 to 128. for more of this Nature which probably may be of good Use if the Poor Man's Counsel be taken Eccles 9.14,15,16 Read the Ninth Chapter of Joshua at your leisure And now to conclude with a Word of Encouragement to such who are concern'd in the Discovery of Quakerism Do you not remember the Day I am sure I do how the Quaker-Teachers went into Churches and disturb'd the Established Ministers But now none must disturb them if they do the Officer is call'd for and the Offender prosecuted Witness Geo. Keith did but desire to go into the Quakers Meeting at Bristol this present August and they refused his going in tho' he promised not to disturb them but threatned him with executing the Law against him as in his printed Relation appears more at large This is a certain Sign of what they would do in other Cases had they Power I say do you not remember how they challenged the Publick Ministers to dispute to answer their Queries c. It would make a Volume to handle this Matter throughly But behold here is a Change with them you may challenge them long enough but cannot get them out of their Holes they see and know they are discover'd this makes them Timorous and as the Scriptures say Fearfulness surprize the Hypocrites They see this that and the other Book come out against them which they cannot answer nor are they able to defend themselves and now they call out for a Cessation of Arms and are for an Amicable Conversation yea for Peace and Quietness and 't is Seditious to challenge them and remind them of their Errors this is against Magna Charta say they Geo. Keith hath three times called them out and challenged them but they dare not appear but like self-condemn'd Apostates lye mute