Of Sam. Fisher's Prophecy and F. B.'s Malice and injurious Construction p. 14 15 16. PART II. Of the Light of Christ the Spirit 's Authority the Holy Scriptures Ten Commandments Silent Meetings p. 17 18 19 20. Of F. B's offence against Light and Conviction and his Self-Contradiction about the Light Lawgiver and Head of the Body the Church c. p. 20 21 22. Of his notorious Abuse about the Ten Commandments p. 22 23 24. How to charge F. B. if he will not behave himself quietly p. 24. Of his Falshood Envy Contradiction and Insolency against the Light and the Ministers thereof p. 24 25. Of his Calumnies and accumulated Lyes and Perversions against the Quakers compaering them to Jesuits to be distrusted in all they say p. 26 27. A Certificate on G. Whitehead's behalf against F. B's idle Detractions p. 27 28. Of his Trumpeting out his Hospitality and upbraiding our Ministers p. 28 29. Of his blasphemously comparing the Pope of Rome and the Quakers Light and of our Meetings c. p. 30 31. Of his Fallacy and Abuse in a Quotation out of G. Keith's Way cast up p. 31 32. Of Praying for the King and our plain Testimony against Plots and Conspiracies c. p. 32 33. Of F. B's exposing in Print a Passage of Two Clergy-Men's against the Liberty granted and Legally confirmed p. 33 34. Of his Pillory and Cage idle Mockery Contempt and Folly p. 34. Of his horrid Calumnies about a most Damnable Plot charg'd against our Meetings c. p. 35. Of his Hypocritical Asseveration and presuming to dictate to Authority unjust Restrictions and Limitations to prevent the Growth of Quakerism as he calls it p. 35. 36 37. Of his silly and insolent Boasting and Challenging and of our Discourse in the presence of the Bishop of Norwich and some Members of Parliament p. 37 38. His Spirit of Envy Falshood and Persecution still appearing in other things p. 38 39. A Catalogue of my Answers to F. Bugg's Books extant in Print p. 39 40. A Brief Answer to Francis Bugg's Book falsly stiled A Modest Defence c. p. 41. THE Rambling PILGRIM EXPOSED PART I. THE principal Notice I am concerned to take of Francis Bugg's Pilgrim's Progress from Quakerism to Christianity as he falsly terms it is of his Chap. XIII Entituled The Quakers Conversion G. Whitehead 's Sermon explaining their ancient Testimonies of above two printed Sheets which G. Whitehead utterly denies and in good Conscience solemnly testifies against as a Sermon never preached nor owned by him and which Fr. Bugg also knows in his own Conscience is a Fictitious Romance presumptuously contriv'd and invented by himself to ridicule defame and scandalize both G. W. and the People called Quakers and their Yearly Meeting which he calls their Convocation and The Quakers Synod also calling it a Sermon for G. W. to hold forth at their Convocation He is positive in his first Title that it is G. W's Sermon and as idle self-contradicting and false in the other that it is For him to hold forth consequently not G. Whitehead's Sermon but F. Bugg's Forgery And as the said fictitious Sermon is compos'd of base Forgery ridiculous Romance foul Perversions gross Lies idle and sordid Stuff with many curtail'd and abused Citations out of our Books besides his presumptuously Profaning the sacred Name of God and Christ and the Light within in his said Forgery And that it may evidently appear such I may recite some Passages out of it under the Title of Forgery and shew 1. His invented Cut of Pictures about a Table to represent the Quakers Synod as he calls it some having their Names over their Heads and others Deputies And on the Table two Books Pictur'd the one stiled The Journal of G. Fox and the other Church-Canons on the outsides Which is a meer Fiction of his own And in the same Cut or Figure which he entitles The Quakers Synod he feigns G. Whitehead to say Are the Doors shut And W. Bingley to answer Yea the Doors are lock'd And he feigns W. Penn to say Call over the List Are none of Truth 's Enemies here Then over one he has set B. Bealing the Scribe Which are fictitious Inventions of his own And yet I heard this Cut has been of a considerable Charge to ridicule us with such a piece of lying Vanity 2. He feigns me G. W. to Preach a Sermon in the said Synod some Passages whereof do follow with brief Observations thereupon viz. Forgery Beloved You see what great Mistakes are happened to this People of England who by following the Doctrine of their blind Guides have taken Matthew Mark Luke and John for the Gospel that is Glad-Tidings No no 't is Beastly Ware yea Dust and Serpents Meat And this I can prove by two Books wrot by our Apostle George Fox c. p. 108 109. Observe This is a horrid piece of Forgery I never preached this Doctrine in my days nor do I own it but abhor calling either Matthew Mark Luke and John or their Gospel-Testimony or holy Scripture Beastly Ware c. nor did I ever read those Expressions in any of G. F's or other Friends Books And for this gross Lye and Calumny Fra. Bugg has been several times reprehended in Print and yet still persists in the Repetition thereof see my Sober Expostulation p. 104 105. and p. 67 98 137. and other Answers to him c. Forgery Moreover the Scriptures are so uncertain that it is questionable who was the first Pen-man thereof whether Moses or Hermes yea either or neither p. 109. Observe I deny this to be Part of any Sermon of mine or ever so asserted by me There is not only Forgery against me in this but also a Perversion and Abuse against some other Friends The Questions were not their own but arose from some others as evidently appears in their Book entituled The Quakers Refuge c. p. 17. and 't is Answer'd in my Antidote against the Venom of the Snake in the Grass pag. 83 84. Forgery I still affirm the same and do tell you That it is according to our ancient Testimony and you know we cannot change nor alter being as Unchangeable as our Light within p. 109. Obs. I utterly deny that I did so tell them in any Sermon of mine That we are as Unchangeable as our Light within This is not only a Forgery but also a scurrilous Abuse of the Light within Forgery We our selves use many words not Scriptural as these of calling the Scriptures Death Dust Beastly Ware c. The Reason why we call them so and translate the Words of Christ John 5. 22. from the Son of Man to the Light within c. is because we believe there is no other Son of Man than the Light in us p. Ibid. Obs. Thus he falsly feigns me to Preach and to repeat his own gross Lye over and over of calling the Scriptures Beastly Ware and as if we used so to call them
solemn Testimony how expresly contrary it is to his present Treatment of us the said People as it is in his Book stiled The Quakers Detected c. printed 1686. about Two Years after his leaving our Communion and Conforming to the Church of England as 't is in his own words following viz. The first Point under Consideration is how I came to be a Member of their Society c. i.e. of the Quakers In the beginning they taught That all Men were enlightned according to John 1. 9. and that this Light wherewith Christ had enlightned them was sufficient if obeyed to lead to Salvation and that it was the Work of the Ministers of Christ to turn the Peoples Minds from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan to God Affirming That this Light was a sufficient Teacher Leader and Guide to every Believer without the help of outward Prescriptions Forms Orders and Decrees of Men Upon these and the like Notions I became perswaded to make Trial of their Doctrine and when I came to see and observe their Practice Conversations and Deportments in the Beginning and what Simplicity and Plainness attended their Ministry I was still more Confirmed that it was a Dispensation of the Love of God sent as a Visitation to Mankind And being thus perswaded I was resolved to bear the Cross and did utterly despise the Shame that attended them and their Message and was not behind any of my Equals both in doing and suffering for the Testimony thereof as some amongst them can still bear me Witness And in this manner we went on for many Years and loved one another with Love unfeigned and doubtless God blessed our Meetings with the Comfortable Enjoyment of his Presence p. 3. From which solemn Confession thus made by Fra. Bugg after he forsook our Communion and went to the Publick as he saith it follows naturally that he did not forsake us because of our Christian Principle or Profession of the Light or because of our Doctrine Conversation Communion or Meetings or any Dislike had thereof but because he deem'd us guilty of Apostacy from our first Principle and Profession and that by his own Confession he did not thereby make his Progress from Egypt into Canaan appears by his applying to himself the words of Joseph when in Egypt viz. But I can say as Joseph did to his Brethren Gen. 50. 20. But as for you ye thought Evil against me but God meant it unto Good And Chap. 45. 5. Now therefore be not griev'd nor angry with your selves that you sold me hither Quakers detected p. 8. How came F. B. to apply these words to his State when turn'd from us to the Publick if he did not think himself then in Egypt or turn'd from the true Light into Darkness But we sold him not thither he fled in Winter when he had let in Unbelief and Fearfulness because of Suffering and Persecution which he had felt something of but fell into Impatiency and Quarreling under it and having lost Sincerity and Truth turn'd Envious Temporizer And because he has so frequently and falsly charg'd the said People with denying Jesus of Nazareth and Contempt of holy Scripture I may acquaint you with One or Two Passages more which concern himself as recited in my Answer to his New Rome Arraigned entitled Innocency Triumphant over Insolency and Outrage printed 1693. p. 25 26. as followeth viz. And to his saying The Names Jesus and Christ are given to the Mediator c. True but what follow Therefore quoth F. B. 't is no Absurdity to say It was not Jesus Christ for whom the Body was prepared it was not Jesus Christ that came in the Flesh but the Word John 1. 1. Apol. Introd p. 3. And yet he has confessed it was the Son of God that took the Body p. 4. What Confusion and Self-contradiction does the Man blindly run into And how contrary to the Apostle John's Testimony is his Doctrine herein See 1 John 4. 2 3. Every Spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the Flesh is of God and every Spirit which confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the Flesh is not of God but this is the Spirit of Anti-Christ What Spirit is this in our Adversary which saith It was not Jesus Christ that came in the Flesh Who was it then It was the Word the Son of God As if Jesus Christ were neither the Word nor the Son of God O horrible Anti-Christianism And contrary also to that Martyr Dr. Barnes his Confession as cited by F. Bugg himself p. 4. 5. viz. I believe that without Man's Will or Power Christ Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost and took Flesh of the blessed Virgin Mary Acts and Mon. p. 610. Now If Jesus Christ took Flesh of the blessed Virgin Mary then it was Jesus Christ that came in the Flesh But it was Jesus Christ that took Flesh Therefore 't was Jesus Christ that came in the Flesh. Consequently F. Bugg's Doctrine That it was not Jesus Christ that came in the Flesh is Anti-Christian Anti-Apostolical and Contradictory to the said Martyr's Doctrine In his Book stiled De Christianâ Libertate Part 2. Chap. 1. he confesseth in the Name and Person of the People called Quakers That we told them i. e. the said People that the Scriptures were good and a true Declaration of those things which were most surely believ'd by the Apostles and by us ought to be believ'd yet not the only Rule but still the Spirit of God which was the first Principle c. And many more Confessions he has given to the Truth of our Principles both with respect to Jesus Christ his Light and the holy Scriptures Now I recommend you to the faithful Witness of Truth in all your Hearts which will Judge Righteously and desire you seriously to peruse the following Treatise and hear us in our Answers and Defence as well as our Adversary in his Accusations remembering that common Maxim To Condemn no Man before he be heard By a Servant of Jesus Christ and real Friend to your Immortal Souls G. Whitehead London the 30th of the 4th Month 1699. The CONTENTS of this Treatise PART I. OF Francis Bugg's Fictitious Profane Sermon in G. Whitehead's Name From Page 1 to p. 16. Of our Yearly Meeting p. 1 2. Of the Scriptures p. 2 3. Of one only God the Father Son and Holy Spirit and the Holy Scriptures p. 3 4. Of Confession of Sin and Prayer to God p. 5 6. Of the Ten Commandments and Moral Law p. 7 8. Of his gross Fiction against the Holy Scripture and the Light within p. 9. Of his resembling the Mockers Psalm 35. 21. and 40. 15. p. 9. His Forgery against William Bingley and Ben. Bealing's Certificate p. 10 11. His repeated Forgery about G. Fox touching the Branch the Star c. p. 12 13. Of his Counterfeit Court and Condemnation p. 13. His Forgery and Frofaneness about our Light and Exaltation p. 14.
O Abominable Abuse And I positively deny that we so translate the Words of Christ John 5. 22. as F. B. saith as if we believed no Son of Man without us but only the Light within us which is as falsly Charg'd as the rest though the Son of Man which is Christ the Son of the Living God be the true Light yea the Light of the World the Sower of the good Seed of Life and Light in the World Forgery Notwithstanding we call the Scriptures Death Dust Beastly Ware c. Obs. Note Upon this often-repeated Falshood is grounded much of his idle and wicked Romance which he calls George Whitehead's Sermon Oh F. B. repeat this Lye no more Forgery Now my Friends though this Confession be as contrary to our ancient Testimony as Light is contrary to Darkness as by our Books quoted you may see And what Confession that is he relates just before viz. I believe with my Heart and confess with my Mouth the sacred Scriptures to be Divine left us by Men inspired of God c. And I profess to believe in one only God who is the Father and in Jesus Christ his Eternal Son very God and very Man and in the Holy Spirit one and the same God with the Father and Son blessed for evermore Observe How he most falsly and ridiculously feigns me to Preach this Connfession to be as contrary to our ancient Testimony as Light is contrary to Darkness and consequently to make me Preach us all guilty of gross Dissimulation and Blasphemy What horrid absurd Folly is this Agent guilty of Forgery And therefore I exhort you this day to stand Faithful to your ancient Testimony which is to throw down the Scriptures and exalt our own Books and so will the Work of your Light prosper in your hands p. 113. Observe Thus he represents me to Preach expresly contrary to my known Principle and Testimony for the preferring and exalting the holy Scriptures above all other Books extant in the World So far am I from Preaching to throw down the Scriptures and from Fathering any such Doctrine upon our Light as I am wickedly misrepresented in contempt against the Light also contrary to this Man 's former serious Testimonies for the Light And the Preference I have ascribed to the Spirit of Truth and its Immediate Teaching either in or through its Ministers to the Scriptures or Chapters was not any Preferring of our own Books thereto as I am often misrepresented But allowing the Spirit its due Preference to the Scripture Letter or Chapters For the Spirit was before Scripture and I never heard any assert the Division of Chapters and Verses to be of Divine Authority though the holy Doctrine contain'd in Scripture be This Point is more fully explain'd in my late Just Examination of the three Norfolk Priests entituled Truth and Innocency vindicated c. p. 16 17 19 to 23. p. 57 58. Forgery My tender Lambs You see first that we are the true Church of Christ next that you are to believe as the Church believes and there lies G. Fox ' s Journal on the Table c. For as our Brother Mead has express'd himself It is the best Book in the World for our keeping up our ancient Testimony yea better than the Bible said he And now to conclude this Head look into the Book of Canons which lies before you on the Table p. 114. Observe Thus to ridicule me he forges such Stuff in my Name which I never owned preached or asserted neither did I ever hear W. Mead so express himself as That G. Fox ' s Journal is the best Book in the World yea better than the Bible but expresly the contrary and denies that ever he said so but gives the Bible the Preference to all other Books Forgery Friends I am now come to the last thing propos'd to speak to on this solemn Occasion and it shall be by way of Use and Application for your Comfort and Consolation c. First respecting Confession of Sin shewing your Exaltation above the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Primitive Christians Saints and Martyrs and all the Christian Churches to this day p. 114. And p. 115. You being the True Ancient Apostolick Church of Christ and as Quakers elected thereto c. have no need to make any Confession of Sin in our Prayers to God as our Practice for near Fifty Years does confirm c. Our Adversaries cannot prove from any one of our Books wrote by my Self G. Fox E. B F. H Father Penn S. Fisher c. that ever we made Confession of Sins and asked pardon for Christ's sake nor that ever we recommended such a Practice to our Disciples c. Now Friends what Cause have we to rejoyce and to magnifie our Light within which hath led us to such a State of sinless Perfection Obs. Thus F. Bugg represents me preaching such Stuff as I never preached in my Life nor ever own'd any such Flattery or Deceit as to exalt any Auditory above the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles c. or to disswade any from making Confession of Sin or asking Pardon for Christ's sake who have need of both or who have not received forgiveness of Sins And my known publick Practice both in Ministry and Prayer often times testifie the contrary To the True Witness in all who know me and my publick Exercise and Travel for the good of Souls I do Appeal to clear me in this Matter against this Man's absurd and abominable Forgeries which he terms George Whitehead's Sermon And he goes on still with his Forgery as my Sermon viz. Forgery 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 be sure 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 Col. 3. 17. Whether ye Eat or Drink or whatever ye do do all to the Glory of God 1 Cor 10. 31. Matth 15. 36. Observe Where did ever F. Bugg or any other hear me or any of us Preach such a Sermon as this to exhort the Hearers to make no Confession of Sin or ever tell them there is no need for them to follow those Christian Precepts cited as before out of Col. 3. 17. 1 Cor. 10. 31 Oh poor Francis What will become of thee What will be the End of this thy Liberty and Profaness How wilt thou Answer the great God in the Day of Judgment for such presumptuous Forgery and Profanation of the Sacred Name of God and Abuse of me his Servant who have been many times
sorry for thee under a Sense of the Lamentable Desperate State How darest thou thus proceed to Sin against Light and Knowledge to Invent such a Scurrilous Sermon in above two large Sheets in Print and Call it George Whitehead's Sermon when thou knowest it is a Defaming Counterfeit Device and Romance of thy own having also given thy self the Lie by saying 'T is a Sermon for G. W. How binding are God's Commands to thee viz. Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him Guiltless that taketh his Name in vain Thou shalt not bear false Witness against thy Neighbour Exod. 20. Yet thou audaciously proceedest in thy Forgery and False-Witness-bearing against me and our Friends and in my Name as thus Preaching viz. Forgery You know that we our selves to be seen of Men do make a kind of 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 p. 117 118. Obs. I challenge F. Bugg and all his Abettors and other Adversaries in the World to prove when and where ever I or any of us preached such a Sermon as this importing such Dissimulation in Prayer publick or Neglect of it in Private or any such Self-exaltation above the ancient Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martyrs or all Christian Churches c. No I abhor such vain Ostentation foolish and false Boasting and Professing or Preaching up a Faith and Practice different from theirs And 't is as notoriously false That we pray to be seen of Men and seldom give Thanks at home or abroad if alone and that we so make Prayer to our Light within as having our whole God within us as safely as the Papists have their Crucifixes in their Pockets p. 117 118. This also is an ignorant contemning Scoff and Flout as well as Forgery and a Slight also put upon the Light within which though God and Christ is our Light Life and Salvation yet we do not limit nor confine him as the whole God within us only he being an Omnipresent and All-seeing God whom the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain Forgery My very Doctrine shew it to be the Ten Commandments first by telling the Priests they might as well carry the Ten Commandments to Christ the Consequence of which is that Christ had as much need to learn them as we p. 118. Obs. Though he unjustly makes this a part of my Sermon 't is none of my Doctrine or Preaching neither are the Words mine as cited He refers to Truth Defending the Quakers printed 1659. p. 18. but falsly quotes the Words I did not tell the Priests They might as well carry the Ten Commandments to Christ much less that Christ had as much need to learn them as we I disown such Blasphemy But the Question being put Is the Moral Law or Ten Commandments a Rule to the Christian's Life The Answer was Thou might as well ask if the Moral Law be a Rule to Christ For the Christians Life and Rule is Christ who is the End of the Law for Righteousness who came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it Therefore my Intent was not to make void or to break the Moral Law or Ten Commandments but to refer them to Christ the true Christian's Life Way and Principal Rule and that Christ is their Life who live to him is Evident see Col. 3. 4. For ye are dead and your Life is hid with Christ in God when Christ who is our Life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in Glory Now this Divlne Life of a Christian which is Christ cannot be under the Law as a Rule to him though the Law was our School-Master to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by Faith but after that Faith is come we are no longer under a School-Master Gal. 3. 24 25. And if ye be led by the Spirit ye are not under the Law Gal. 5. 18. Therefore being in the Faith of Christ their Life their Lord and Master they were grown past the State of such Children who were under such a School-Master as the Law being no more under the Law but under Grace For what the Law saith it saith to those who are under the Law that the wholé World may become Guilty before God which his Children are not Forgery That we never recommend the Ten Commandments to our Hearers that they should teach them to their Children c. This therefore may confirm you in our ancient Testimony which hath been to lay them by as a dead Letter Dust Death Serpents Food and beastly ware c. p. 118 119. Obs. This is not only a gross and repeated Forgery as 't is made a part of my Sermon but also in it self containing two gross Lies 1. That our ancient Testimony hath been To lay by the Ten Commandments 2. As Beastly-ware Serpents food c. Where did I or we ever give such Testimony of the Ten Commandments as to call them either Beastly-ware Serpents food c. I utterly deny with abhorrence any such Testimony concerning the Ten Commandments being all comprehended in that great Commandment of Love And for me or any of our Friends preferring the Spirit before the Letter the Gospel above the Law and the Ministration of the Spirit and Life above the Ministration of Death and exalting it above the Letter of the Scriptures I know no spiritual Christian will blame us for that or for any such Doctrine which is so evidently agreeable to the holy Apostle Paul's Testimony and Distinction in that Case as between the Letter and the Spirit between the Ministration of Death written and engraven in Stones and the Ministration of the Spirit which was much more Glorious As more largly he distinguishes 2 Cor. 3. 6 7 8 9 10 11. The Apostle using the very words The Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth Life and if the Mininistration of Death written and engraven in Stones c. which could neither be in Contempt of the Holy Scriptures or Ten Commandments much less to lay them by as Beastly-ware c. Now F. Bugg repeat these Lies no more and you of the Clergy concerned encourage F. B. no more in 's work against us Forgery Beloved I cannot but allow that if the Scriptures were of greater Authority than our Sayings or that the Words of Matthew Luke and Paul were of greater Authority than are our Sayings I should be on the Christians side c. But Friends
in the beginning we were Convinced by G. Fox that Matthew Mark Luke and John were Death Dust and Serpents Meat that the Scriptures were heastly-ware c. This Passage by the way is a gross Forgery and notorious Lie still I never thus preached nor ever were we convinced by G. Fox or any other that either the Doctrine of the holy Evangelists were Serpents Meat Dust or Death or the Scriptures Beastly-ware as 't is frequently repeated by F. B. Unto which foul Abuse he farther adds as my Sermon viz. And therefore I warn you all to take heed of Apostatising from our ancient Testimony as you have it in my Text for what we were Convinced of by our Light in the beginning to be Evil to be Death Dust Serpents meat 't is so still to be Beastly-ware and Conjuration 't is so still p. 120. Obs. This is a blasphemous Fiction not only against the Holy Scripture but against the Light which he calls Your Light For neither did the Light ever so Convince us to call the Scriptures Beastly-ware nor did I ever Preach such blasphemous Doctrine of the Light as here I am grosly misrepresented but the Contrary As no Man speaking by the Spirit can Blaspheme or call Jesus Accursed so no Man speaking by his Light can Blaspheme or Reproach his holy Scriptures which Testifie of him The Book Bugg quotes for his so often-repeated Lie of calling the Scriptures Beastly-ware is stiled A Brief Discovery of a three-fold Estate of Anti-christ printed 1653. Page 9. I have that Book by me and I have searched both Book and Page and I find no such words as calling the Scriptures Beastly-ware But Babylon's Merchants selling Beastly-wares for a large Price all the Week time heaping up a Rabble of Notions into the Brain So that the Beastly-wares intended was their Rabble of Notions and not the Scriptures Obs. Again How scurrilously F. Bugg makes me to come to a Stop in this Insolent and Presumptuous Romance which he calls George Whitehead's Sermon after this manner viz. And therefore keep up your ancient Testimony my Dear Lambs in all the part of it Ha ha ha hme hme hme silent p. 120. Thus this Scorner forges a ridiculous Tone as my Conclusion or Stop in that place somewhat resembling the Mockers of Old whom the Psalmist complains of Psalm 35. 21. Yea they opened their Mouth wide against me and said Aha aha And Psalm 40. 15. Let them be desolate for a Reward of their Shame that say unto me Aha aha And Psalm 70. 3. Let them be turned back for a Reward of their Shame that say Aha aha And then after a little Silence he most absurdly represents William Bingley as preaching in Confirmation of his Confused and Absurd Romance aforesaid which he calls George Whitehead's Sermon In W. Bingley's Name thus viz. Friends Friends I am filled I am filled as with new Wine I am ready to burst at the Joyful News I have heard to day respecting our Ancient Testimony And O magnified be our Light within which hath thus exalted us above the Prophets above the Apostles above the Martyrs and above all Christians as our dear Brother G. W. hath most excellently made it out first in opening his Text and also in the two Branches proceeding from it but more especially in the Use and Application where he hath confirmed me in not making Confession of Sin nor regarding the Ten Commandments nor those two Ordinances of Baptism and Supper p. 120 121. Obs. How shamefully he personates W. B. to asperse and abuse him as if he were highly Elevated and magnified our Light within because of what F. Bugg has most falsly feigned G. W. to Preach in Contempt of Scripture and for Exalting our selves above the Prophets Apostles c. Thus he presumptuously adds Sin to Sin Lye to Lye Forgery upon Forgery such sordid Stuff as we never heard W. B. preach but he utterly disowns and testifies against the same with Abhorrency to such Abuse of him and others And not only so but Bugg wickedly represents W. B. as making our Light within the Author of his foregoing Absurd Forgery and Romance in G. W's Name against the holy Scriptures Ten Commandments c. Consequently to blaspheme our Light within which is the Light of God and his Dear Son as if that oppos'd its own Testimony in holy Scripture and as if that led to Self-Exaltation above the Prophets and Apostles c. O wretched Man F. B How wilt thou appear before the Tribunal-Seat of Christ What a sad Account wilt thou have for such Profanation design'd Deceit and Wickedness Who further proceedest in W. Bingley's Name viz. Forgery But yet I have a short Testimony to bring in touching the Priests which I think our Friend G. W. left out unawares for I take it to be as necessary an ancient Testimony to be kept up as any other only a little more privately and prudently for they are as great Enemies to our design of Supplanting Christianity as any the World affords p. 121. Observe again Oh shameful Folly and Falshood Where and when did ever W. B. thus Preach That our Design is the supplanting Christianity Whenas our Design is well known to the contrary to such as truly fear God and to be for the Promoting of Christianity both in Spirit in Faith Life and Conversation Forgery Benjamin Bealing Clerk Let us sing an Hymn of Praise and Self-Exaltation and to the Confusion of our Adversaries as you will find it written in the Epistle of that Son of Thunder Edward Burrough prefixed to our Apostle G. Fox ' s Great Mystery printed 1658. The Waters have I seen dry'd up the Seat of that great Whore Who hath made all Nations drunk with her enticing Power Observe Now F. B. dost not thou Glory in thy Shame in such Invention as this Where did ever any in the World hear Benjamin Bealing set or sing such a Hymn as this in the end of a Meeting or any time else Observe his own Testimony viz. These are to Certifie all sober Readers That Francis Bugg's Representing me as calling to the Yearly Meeting To sing an Hymn of Praise and Self-Exaltation c. and making some Verses out of Edward Burrough's Preface to G. F's Great Mystery to be that Hymn 'T is all an idle false Invention and Forgery of his own for I never was concerned in any such thing in my Life-time and I am heartily sorry that this poor Man should be so given up in his old Age to serve the Father of Lyes with whom in the Lake he may expect to have his Portion without he unfeignedly Repents Witness my Hand Benjamin Bealing London the 4th of the 5th Month called July 1699. Oh F. B. thou appearest one of that sort who are arrived to that ill Habit of Iniquity and Hardness that they know no Shame And thy presumptuously Prophaning the sacred Name of God and of his dear Son and of his Light within using the same
c. X. I charge you all in the Presence of the Lord God That you Judge not one another i. e. Those that be in the Unity of the Ministry and Elders in the Church lest you fall into the Condemnation of the Monthly Quarterly Six-Week Second-Day or Yearly Meeting Amen Thus F. B's invented Method of forming Commands how Idle and Impertinent does the Man appear herein And how does he Profane and take the sacred Name of the Lord God in vain For which God will not hold him guiltless And when F. B. will not demean himself quietly towards any of our Friends but be Challenging of them in the Countries or else-where and will be Charging them out of Books they may Charge him First To prove his Trial and Condemnation of our Friends to Perjury and Pillory as in his New Rome Arraigned to be a Real and True Trial and Condemnation Judicial and Warrantable by the Law of God and of the Nation Secondly To prove his Sermon which he calls George Whitehead's Sermon in his Pilgrim's Progress from p. 107 to p. 126. to be a Real Sermon preached by G. W. Thirdly To prove where G. Fox or the Quakers did ever endeavour to make the Commands of God Exod. 20. of none Effect by those or such positive Commands as he has impudently form'd in opposition thereto in his Pilgrim's Progress p. 16 17 18 Now if F. B. will not learn to be quiet towards our Friends c. that he might the more quietly go to his Grave now he grows Old they may very well Charge him on these Three Forgeries last propos'd as many more I could charge him withal and have proved against him upon his own Calumnies and Occasions so manifestly given by himself and let him be held to the point in Charge or any other who dare undertake to Advocate for him therein which I could never yet find if he and they are not minded otherwise to study to be quiet And now that F. B's Falshood Envy and Contradiction may yet farther appear to his own Condemnation seeing he hath given plain Testimony and Confession to the Truth of our Doctrine and Ministry First With respect to the Universality and Sufficiency of the Light of Christ in all Men. Secondly To our Ministry that it was a Dispensation of the Love of God sent as a Visitation to Mankind Thirdly To our bearing the Cross and suffering for the Testimony thereof Fourthly To our Love unfeigned one to another Fifthly To our Religious Meetings as being blessed with the Comfortable Enjoyment of the Presence of God According as the said F. Bugg is more fully before recited out of his Book stiled The Quakers Detected printed 1686. being Two Years after he had left our Communion and joyned himself to the Church of England in 1684. So that his Conviction and Testimony for the Truth among the Quakers even when he had deserted them pursued him into the Church of England But now being grown more hardy and so far hardned against Conviction and Conscience he can out-face both and give himself the Lye in his fore-cited Solemn Testimony and Confession as appears in his envious Contradiction following in his own words viz. Having by this time shewed first how our Teachers in order to bring us over to them and to decoy us told us The Light within was a sufficient Guide Teacher and Leader even sufficient to lead to Salvation yea above Scriptures above Fathers above Councils and above Churches I have in the last Instance shewed the Fallacy of their so early and smooth Pretences and that from the beginning they have been a false perfidious and treacherous Tribe of Deceivers as ever the World produced Pilgrim's Progress p. 15. To such a degree of Hardness and Insolency is this poor Creature now arriv'd that he can now thus scribble in Opposition to the Sufficiency of the Light within and Contempt of the Ministers thereof expresly contradictory to his own Testimony for the Light wherewith Christ hath enlightned Men and to the Sufficiency thereof if obey'd to lead to Salvation without the help of Decrees of Men And to his own Testimony also for the Simplicity and Plainness which attended our Ministry which did not import any Design to decoy or deceive Men nor any Falshood Perfidiousness or Treachery as F. B. has falsly and treacherously Scandalized Us and our Ministry and thereby notoriously given himself the Lye and shamefully Belyed his own Conscience and solemn Confession and Testimony in his Quakers Detected aforesaid And the Light now so much slighted by him will pursue him as it did Judas and other Apostates to his great Vexation and perpetual Torment if he persists in his Enmity Perfidiousness and Treachery against the Light and the Children of it Oh F. B If I may yet perswade thee Repeat thy Lyes and Scandals no more His Accusation against W. Mead That he said to one W. Harris I will give thee one of George Fox 's Journals it is a very good Book yea better than the Bible Which Accusation he has many times over p. 22 23 24 25 29. but various in it viz. That 't is better than the Scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles p. 23. This Accusation W. Mead positively denies as contrary to his Principle which is to prefer the holy Scriptures before all other Books in the World For I asked him seriously about this matter And I am sure it is a base and shameful Abuse of F. Bugg that It is the Heart of Quakerism in saying G. Fox 's Journal is better than the Bible p. 23. This I must tell him is a foul notorious Lye and Calumny against the Quakers so called 'T is neither the Quakers Mind Heart nor Mouth so to speak but the contrary i. e. To prefer the Bible to all other Books extant in the World as hath been often testified Wherefore F. B. repeat this Lye no more against us Again as 't is F. Bugg's common Course to add one Calumny after another and to accumulate Lyes and Perversions upon us he falsly saith The Quakers stand upon the same bottom i. e with the Jesuites and therefore they ought to distrust them in all they say as the Protestants did the Jesuites We do not expect he will trust us who has belyed his own Conscience Conviction and Testimony as before evinced And to add to his Iniquity and aggravate his Calumnies against me he saith Many of their Hearers of the honest sort begin to think G. Whitehead little better than a Jesuite already he hath been so False in Fact such a Glosser and Defender of every Error the Quakers hold I have quoth he a Letter by me which my Cousin Ann Docwra sent me dated 26. 12th Month 1682. viz. G. Whitehead has sent me one of his Books c. I was asked by an honest Friend If he was not a Jesuite I answered Nay it is not solid enough for them to own especially when they write to a solid People