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Judas and the Jews Combined against Christ and his Followers.
The Introduction.
THe Just Defence of our so much Reviled Principles and Persons is so ill resented by our Enemies, that instead of publickly Recanting their Injustice, They repute us more Criminal for so doing, then themselves in first Traducing us. It is become a sort of Petty Treason to Reprove them, they are grown almost incorrigible; and to Controle them, though in a Lye, is hateful: so much more do they prefer our Destruction, then the Truth it self, or their own Reputation. Strange! That it should be reputed Innocency to Accuse the Guiltless, and Guilt to Defend them. Are we of God, then shall we stand, maugre your Assaults; if not, we shall fall without them. What need this Clubbing for Mischief, and Caballing to our Ruin? The Jews, I believe, never studied the Crucifying of Christ more vehemently, then you vigorously combine and plot the Massacring of our Names, Credit and Principles, out of the World: yea, and we have Cause to suspect our Persons too; or else this Socinian-Defender of the Hat-Spirit, would never have told the World in almost so many words, that Blasphemers were to dye by the Law of God, and the Quakers are Blasphemers; every Man can make the Conclusion; that understands what a Conclusion is, see pag. 23.
Its a Work becomes Darkness; for such I call your Nameless Pamphlet, in which you have abused Vertuous and Good People by Name, not daring to stand the Test of putting your Names to your Abuses; against which can be no Fence but Innocency, and that remains Unshaken by all your Blustering Epithetes: That rests with God, who will quell your swelling Rage, and speedily Rebuke that great Herricane your Envy has raised to over-set us in our Voyage to Eternal Rest. But he that said to Moses in an Hour of Straight, Stand still, and thou shalt see my Salvation, has once and again Comforted us under all these Discouragements: Neither are your Combinations Terrible; No, though Evil Spyes have been your Informers. Our greatest Trouble is your own Hardening, and we are sorry to see you make so much haste to old Jerusalem’s Portion: For us, we know in whom we have believed; And as he that feedeth the Fowls of the Air, and clotheth the Lillies of the Field, preserves us, so that your Buffettings may prove our Tryals, but in the End your own Judgments. For, however you buoy your selves up, by the Acceptance you find with some Airy or Prejudiced Spirits, God will certainly enter into Judgment with you for your Envious Proceeding, who not being able to carry on your own Controversies, now list your selves Combatants for a few stragling Apostates; not out of Love to true Quakers, but Hatred to such as are so. What Sense is there in believing you only intend a False Quaker, who have writ and abetted those Writings that are against us as Quakers at all? But what shall I say? It is an Age grown to that Degree of Impiety, that there is no Friendship so Strait, no Relation so Near, no Truth so Evident, nor Life so Innocent, that some Men are not hardy, and wicked enough to Break, Violate and Slander, to Avenge some supposed Wrong, or gratifie an Emulous Spirit. Controversie End, upon Socinian Principles, &c. is risen now in one, about the Hat on in Prayer. What Variety of Shapes do our Adversaries put on to compass their Ends? It has been their Practice, first to Abuse our Principles, and then Rail at our Defences; and for Vindicating our Religion, to fall foul upon our Persons; and those chiefly who are most active in that Service. There needs no other Demonstration of this, then the Scurrilous Libel now to be considered; which with me carries so Mischievous an Aspect, that the Parties concerned in these Undertakings do by it proclaim, they only want as much Power, as Will, to send us and our Principles to New-England for a Venture. God deliver us from those Magistrates, that are as Angry in Government, as these Men are in Religion; But this is our Joy, That these Enemies speak all manner of Evil against us falsly, for our Lord and Saviour’s sake. We maintain our Principles, that angers them; Miscarriages joy them, whatever they pretend; And if they can bring some Writers and Preachers out of Request, they think they do their Business. But we cannot believe that Sober and Judicious Persons will think the worse of us or our Cause, for these Malicious Endeavours against it. We have only to do with some old Adversaries new Vampt, with the Slanderous Stories of some modern Apostates. Had not Judas helpt, the Jews had been to seek. A few Vagabond Quakers are their Intelligencers; its all but a piece of Treachery and Envy: And truly ‘tis fit we should be tryed as well by False Friends as Professed Enemies, that in all things we may approve our selves compleat Conquerors, through the Invincibe Power, and to the alone Honour of that Eternal Truth professed by us. And so we enter upon the Libel it self.
WE are told in the Title Page of the Libel, That it was writ in Defence of a Letter, entituled, The Spirit of the Hat, and against the Deceitful, Defective and Railing Answer, called, The Spirit of Alexander, &c. Indeed it is wonderful strange, that to Reprove an Apostate should be reputed Railing; and that this Secretary to this New-founded Cabal, should Practice it in censuring it. He cannot forbear it in his Title Page.
He begins with TYRANNY AND HYPOCRISIE DETECTED; which Four Words he explains to us thus, Or a further Discovery of the Tyrannical Government, Popish Principles, and Vile Practices of the now Leading Quakers. In all {Page 6} which, if there be no Reviling, there is no such thing in the World; for these Words reach to the End of all Villany. Meek Man, that he would be thought! who seems to engross Railing into a Company, and seems not so Angry at it in us, as that we use it Unlicenced of his Cabal; for he exerciseth it at such a rate in Checking it, as if he might do it cum Privilegio: But it right-well agrees with the Advocate of an Apostate Cause. I complain of nothing in this kind more, then that we must not Rebuke Ill-Language without being guilty of it; Nay, such is the Peevishness of our Adversaries, that to mention theirs, is Criminal: But we shall run the hazard of their Frowns, rather then be false to the Truth, or wanting to our selves in its proper place. Let it suffice that the Title manifestly speaks what the Libel vainly condemns.
This Secretary (I suppose in the Name of the Cabal) begins his Libel thus, How dangerous a thing it is, for a Man to engage himself publickly
for any singular Party upon the Account of Religion is greatly manifest in the Leading Quakers, and especially in W. Penn, from whose Parts and Education one would expect more then ordinary Candor and Ingennity.
By which I perceive he is from a Rageing Socinian become an Universalian. But why then so bitter against us? Sure, he is a Party in that; and how Dangerous a thing it is, Time will more fully shew. However, he declares himself of no Party, by which I suppose he excludes the Christian; for the Prophane of that Time reputed him a Sectary, and all must acknowledge him to be of a Party. How I came to be of this Way, is best known to God; But thus much I must say, that nothing short of the Divine Word of Life and Power has worked that Alteration upon me from what I once was, to what I now am. The Tryals, Travels, Tribulations and Exercises that from Fourteen Years of Age have attended me, but more especially since I was brought to own and abet this Holy Way I now profess, are too many to be related; And from the Hour I was first convinced of this Eternal Truth, to this of Writing this Discourse, I can with Boldness declare to all the World, I have had no other Aim nor End then God’s Honour, the Good of others, and my own Salvation in the Day of the Lord. In short, I have learned to turn my Back to the Smiter, and my Cheek to the Plucker off of the Hair: And it is not for any Adversary at this time a day, under any Pretence of Parts and Education, to Dis-ingage my Affection from this Right Way of the Lord, Remembring, my Lord made himself of no Reputation, and that the Prophet was accounted Mad, and the Apostles Drunk.
But he sayes, I having imbarked my self amongst those People, and having obtained a high Repute among them, I betook my self to such pittiful Shifts, Scurrilities and Bravings (he is pincht) to uphold their Detected Cause and Tottering Kingdom (‘twill stand forever) as one would think could not proceed from any Man professing Christianity; witness my late Controversal Writings, especially my Winding-Sheet, and Spirit of Alexander, &c. ibid.
But I cannot expect to be Well-spoken of by mine Enemies, especially when they declare themselves to be such, because of that Way I so earnestly defend. But this Man is not so Ignorant surely, as to imagine I imbarkt my self among this People to obtain Repute or Grandeur, who lost all with Men when first I came amongst them. I would have my Implacable Enemies know, that had no more Durable and Eternal Things been in my Eye, I might have had my Share where more was to be got then amongst this Despised People; but Envy is Blind, and Rage Foolish. For my Controversal Writings, they stand Unanswered, among the rest my Winding-Sheet, and Spirit of Alexander, &c. the former being Unmedled with, and the Strength of the latter fouly over-looked, as we shall anon have occasion to shew: perhaps it might have concerned him to clear himself of the Former, before he had so weakly engaged himself in the Latter; still Controversie is not Ended, though Changed.
He tells the World, That notwithstanding we call the Spirit of the Hat Lyes, Forgery, Defamation1,with abundance of Terms of the like Foxonian Leaven (a scornful Nick Namer) yet when we come to Particulars we either first confess what we deny with an idle Distinction, except some few things; or secondly, acknowledge them by Silence; or thirdly, use some Deceitful Terms of Denyal, which the Reader cannot discover; or fourthly; {Page 8}mtake an Occasion from some Circumstances, perhaps not rightly set down, to deny the whole Matter; which doubtless are very bad things, if true.
He has hereby rendred us, not only no Christians, but the worst of Men. All I can say at present is this, It has never been my Practice to palliate that which cannot be justified, or to treat any Adversary so deceitfully: But ‘tis expected he should prove what he sayes, or else we must invert the Character upon himself.
He tells us (I suppose, in order to prove what he hath said) That W. P. doth in the Name of the Quakers acknowledge, That the Complaint made in the Spirit of the Hat is true, namely,
That we required him to yield [to our Determination against his Conscience] because the Body would have it so; saying, that was yielding to the Power: And that I undertake in Opposition to the Author, That his not so yielding, but persisting, is Dissension; but our Disowning [Excommunicating and Depriving of a Liberty, of Marrying, Burying, &c.] any Person for that Cause, is no Breach of the great Gospel-Charter;
This, he sayes, I Labour to do with the same Arguments Papists use against Protestants, who pretend to no such Power, and that they may be found everywhere answered in Protestant-Writings. A mean Answer, but a notable Go- by, in case I had so exprest my self, but most forgedly does he deliver my words, and tendency of them.
Was this Man chosen for your prime Tool of Controversie, who can only tell one big Lye, and then run away? My Arguments (forsooth) are Popish, there’s Confutation enough; but with whom? Ignorance and Prejudice? An easie way to brand Reason, and render the clearest Truth suspected in a Nation as abhorrent of Popery as this we live in; a shameful Injustice, that Sectaries should traduce us with that, which was once their own suffering from others. But what if I had us any Argument for the True Church, which is employed by the Papist in Defence of a False one; must Truth not be Truth in it self, because Misappled? And suppose the Protestant has answered the Papist, Is that any Answer to me? How great an Untruth has he told in his Title Page, when he calls his Pamphlet, A Defence of the Spirit of the Hat, against the Spirit of {Page 9} Alexander; who in four Pages after tells us, he intends not to medle with the Arguments of it. But Perhaps he will fault me (for these People are very full of finding Fault, though they mend none in themselves) in that he has referred us to Protestant Writers; A Defence boldly begged, but never to be accepted of by me. Does he think I must turn over Melanchton, Chemnitius, Oecolampadius, Jewell, Whitaker, Reinolds, and others, for an Answer to the Spirit of Alexander the Copper-Smith? After this rate it were far easier to Answer then Accuse. I am of Opinion, that D. Stillingfleet’s Adversaries would look upon their Cause as little injured by any bare reference to ancient Protestant-Writers, how excellently soever they acquitted themselves at that time of day; Fresh Opposition requires fresh Vindication. If I had been Popish the man should have shewn me in what; and when he had done, have soundly confuted it, and not in the midst of his Exclamations against Shifters, give such just occasion to say, thou art the man. I am willing to forgive him at this time; But let him be better instructed of his Cabal against the next time, and see if he can learn more Truth, then to call his Libels Answers, whilst they prove themselves Evasions; For Truth will work through all odious Names: And it is not pinning the Pope upon our Tail, and crying, Popery, Popery, that will confute our Principles; However, till we are better known, it may disrepute our Persons.
But let his base Constructions be considered. Our Reproving Men for going out of the decent Order and happy Unity of the Body, he calls Requiring Man to set down by our Determination against their Conscience; And our Disowning that Breach upon persistance, Excommunication from Burying and Marrying. They ejected themselves by their Novelties, and we are not ashamed to repute such as Publicans and Heathens as will not head the Church of Christ, Mat. 18. Had they Faith? they might have kept it to themselves, and not have disturbed the Church’s Peace with their new Practices, indeed Institutions; for what was it [?] then to require our not practising of the Hat off in [?], who called pulling it off a Popish Tradition, unless men [?] not to leave off Popish Traditions: {Page 10} so that they, and not we were to blame, as the Sequel will further prove; But I could not pass by this part of the Disingenuity of this Libeller.
As the Libel, so our Discourse will consist, of matter of Argument, and matter of Fact. I shall begin with matter of Argument, which shall consist of a further Defence of what is asserted in my Book, entituled; The Spirit of Alexander the Copper-Smith revived and rebuked.
The grand Cause of that Dissension which was begun by Jo. Perrot, long since happily ended among our selves, though renewed, divulged and aggravated, for the Strengthening of the hands of our common Enemy, by certain Perverse Apostates, as delivered in the Spirit of the Hat, and Defence of the same, they must with me grant to be this.
The Quakers teach that every, Man is enlightened with a sufficient Light to Salvation, And that all Faith in, and Worship to God, ought to stand upon the Convictions, and in the Leadings thereof; yet we are oblieged by their Body unto that, which we have no Motion for, but rather against, and upon our Refusal of such Compliance as they expect, we are disowned as not of them: So that the Sufficiency, Convictions and Leadings of the Light must vail to the Body, and not the Body to the Light; wherefore not the Light, but the Body is become the Quakers Rule. Thus Tho. Hiks’s Con. Dial. p. 63, 64, 65. Spir. Hat, p. 11, 12, 13. Defence of it, p. 5, 6, 7. Their Common Aggravations, especially of the two latter are these, That they are denyed Marrying, Burying, Trading, that they are distracted, and so deprived of all both Ecclesiastical and Civil Priviledges. The Aggravations we shall consider in their place; And first to their Objection or Argument, as I have fairly, fully and faithfully laid it down.
Tis a Truth, and as true, that we urge, both the Universality and Sufficiency of the Light to Salvation; and that every Man ought to follow only the Teachings of it about Faith and Worship. This is granted on all hands, even by the Cabal to credit their present Work, and obtain their envious Ends upon us and our Principles; Therefore no part of the Question to be controverted. The matter in difference strictly lies here, that is, by resolving these four following {Page 11}
Questions, the Objection will be fully and plainly answered.
Whether Christ has given to his Church, consisting of faithful Believers, and obedient Walkers by the Light or Spirit within, such a Sense, Tast, Relish and Savour of the Nature of Spirits, as upon all Occasions the great Enemy of Christ and his People may take (under never so seeming innocent Appearances and Transformations) to condemn any thing by his Church practised, or innovate any thing by the Church never practised, but condemned, Yea or Nay?
Whether such a Society, Body or Church, after due Admonition given to any dissenting or innovating Person, may not Lawfully and Christianly deny their Communion in Testimony against that wrong Spirit, such Person or Persons may be acted by?
Whether such Person or Persons may not hold this granted fundamental Principle of the Light, &c. before recited, in the Understanding, and yet be acted by a wrong Spirit to Divisions, and then plead against the Church, under the Pretence of acting by the Light within; and consequently, whether he can, or ought to be judged by any for so doing, because every one ought to act according to the Light that is within them? And lastly,
Whether the Body of the Quakers, or their present Opposers be that Church, Yea or Nay?
The first is so evident in the Affirmative, That to reject it, is nothing less then to deny Scripture it self. It was the express Promise of Christ, to send the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth to lead into all Truth; which the Apostle John assures us, was made good, not only to the Disciples,2 but the then Churches of Christ, to whom he writ these unanswerable Passages, Ye have an Unction from the Holy One, and YE SHALL KNOW ALL THINGS. Again, But the Anointing, which ye have received of him, abideth in you, and you need not that any Man teach you, but as the same Anointing teacheth you of ALL THINGS, and is Truth and is no Lye; And even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him, By which it is evident, that the Church of Christ had an Infallible Spirit, by which to discern the Spirit of a Sheep, from the Spirit of a Wolf, though he came in Sheeps Cloathing. This Doctrine {Page 12} Christ himself taught us, when he said, Beware of False Prophets3,which come to you in Sheeps Cloathing. Again, Take heed that no man deceive you; For many shall come in my Name; saying I am Christ, and shall deceive many. Whence it follows, that there should be False Prophets, yet in Sheeps Cloathing, which is a deceitful Spirit, acting under refined Appearances: and to compass its Deceit the better, shall palliate it, with the Pretence of being led by the Spirit or Light of Christ within: So that as Deceitful Spirits were foretold, the Way to know them was both promised and enjoyed4; My Sheep hear my Voice, said the great Shepherd, and a Stranger will they not hear. Who is this Stranger? Not alwayes False Doctrine, but a False Spirit, covered with True Doctrine, They shall come in my Name, that is, pretending Authority from me, and speaking my Words, not having my Spirit: Christ’s Spirit within, is his Voice within, and ‘tis that alone gives to discern the Strange Voice, let it come with never such True Words. Had Christ left his Churches destitute of this Touch-Stone, they had been imposed upon by every False Spirit, and his Flock devoured by every Wolf in Sheeps Cloathing. Sheep know Sheep, not only by Sight, but Instinct, and Wolves too; For if Shepherds be of Authority, they tell us, that if a Wolf be near, though out of Sight, the Sheep will bleat their Antipathy: So do the Sheep of Christ know each other by the Instinct of that Divine Nature they are mutually Partakers of, and by it do they discern the Wolf within, notwithstanding the Sheep’s Cloathing without. It was for this end they were to have Salt in themselves, the Anointing and Spirit in themselves, that they might see, relish and discern thereby, who were so Salted, Anointed and Spirited, which in the ground could never be visibly discerned.
2ly. The second Question I also take in the Affirmative, and for which there is both express Scripture, and Unanswerable Reason. This is seen in the very case of Alexander the Copper-Smith, who was denyed and rejected, notwithstanding that he made Profession of Christianity; And there is cause to believe, that the Difference began from his emulous Spirit’s taking Occasion against the Apostles Authority, and the Power of the Elders {Page 13} in the Church. It was doubtless for something not unlike to this, that Paul complained of him to Timothy, Alexander the Copper-Smith did me much wrong, of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our Words[^4]. Which is the very State and Character of the present Apostates, Who pretend with Alexander, not to withstand Truth or Christianity; but a Lordly Paul, Timothy, or such like eminent Labourers: They pretend to own the Churches, but deny some of their Leading Ministers. That this was Alexander’s Disease, the next Verse proves; At my first Answer no Man stood with me, but all Men forsooke me. I pray God it may not be laid to their Charge. Who was this People but the Church? for of the Heathen it could not be said. And what was Alexander’s aim besides Ambition? I mean, to discredit the Apostle, that he might gain the Repute, and bring him down from that Authority God had given him in the Church, that he might usurp it to himself. What did the Apostle do in the like case? shrink? No; Hear him: For though I should boast somewhat more of our Authority (which the Lord hath given us for Edification, and not for your Destruction) I should not be ashamed. 2 Cor. 10. 8. But no more of this at present. That Christ as well gave his Church Power to reject as to try Spirits, is not hard to prove. That notable Passage, Go, tell the Church, does it to our hand: For if in case of private Offence betwixt Brethren, the Church is made absolute Judge, from whom there is no Appeal in this World; how much more in any the least Case that concerns the Nature, Being, Faith and Worship of the Church her self? The Judgment Christ passeth in the matter, is sufficient to the Resolution of our Question5; But if he neglect to hear the Church, let him be unto thee as a Heathen and a Publican. This I say on the Account of those Apostates, who pretend to be the Men they ever were; For this Man that works with their Tooles, is upon his own Principle, as much an Heathen and a Publican as any thing else, and tells us to boot, that it is dangerous to be of any one Party; Therefore not of the true Churche’s Party. I omit any particular recital of the Apostle Paul’s frequent & earnest Dehortations from so much as keeping company with perverse Disputers about needless Questions, or any that {Page 14} infested the Church, and disturbed her Peace and that Practice, in which she was at first setled, with unprofitable Novelties, under what Pretence soever: They that can read, may find in his Epistles enough to this purpose. ‘Tis true, They used no corporal Violence, or any civil Power to punish such obstinate Dissenters; nor is that Unchristian Practice so much as any part of the Question: But first, to reprove and admonish, and in case of Persistance, then to disown and reject, which is a part of the Question, and a part of the Scripture too. And indeed it is most reasonable, that as a Civil, so a Christian Society should have this Power to preserve it self from the Taints & Infections of hurtful Spirits, for such tend not to further Knowledge, Increase in Holiness, or Peace, but Strifes and Divisions, Animosities and Rents, Backbitings and Revenge, to the laying waste of God’s holy Heritage.
3ly, The third Question we also accept in the affirmative. That men may believe, confess and subscribe to the Truth of the Doctrine of the Universality, Sufficiency, and immediate Teachings of the Light, as to Faith and Worship, and yet be declined from the living Sense, Power and Ordering of it, so as to be acted by a wrong Spirit to Divisions, and notwithstanding plead his Following of the Light within against the Judgment of the Church, who reproves him for so doing. In short, that a man may follow a Wrong Spirit when he thinks he follows the Right; and though he ought to follow the Light and Spirit, yet is to be judged when he does not act thereby (though he may think he doth) by such as walk thereby. In this, the Scriptures of Truth are very positive. The Jews owned the Law at what time they rebelled against it, and thought they acted according to Scripture, when by their Traditions they made it of none Effect. There was a certain Generation that were pure in their own Eyes6, That is believed themselves to be of a Right Spirit, whom the holy Ghost reproved for being guided by a Wrong one. It was no other State then this that Christ spoke of, when he said7: , If therefore the Light that is in thee be Darkness, how great is that Darkness? Some doubtless acted by Virtue of this Darkness, not as Darkness, but as Light; Was it therefore Light because they thought so? When {Page 15} it is manifest that they were against Christ, the true Light, as you are now. Or, would the Plea of such an one be so valid against the Body of a Church walking in the true Light, as to disengage any from her judgment? Or, must we therefore conclude, that the Light is not a Rule for Men to walk by, because some mistake, or swarve from it? Or, that he who calls his dark Imagination, a Motion of Light, is therefore not to be condemned, because it is every Man’s Duty to follow the True Light? Shall this Position, I say, that all Men ought to follow the Light in themselves, deprive the Church of the Power of Judging that for a dark Imagination, which from the Savour and Sense of God’s Light and Truth, she feels to be so; because some Person or Persons plead that they therein follow the Light? This opens a Door to all Licentiousness, and furnisheth every Libertine with a Plea. What might have been said in this Case against the ancient Christians? Every Man ought to walk in the Spirit, and to be led by the Spirit; Shall therefore any Man’s Pretence to be led by the Spirit that is not, secure him from the Judgment of those that are really led by the Spirit? Or, shall the Judgment of those, who are led by the Spirit, against him that pretends to be so led, be reputed Tyranny, and a going from the Leadings and Judgment of the Spirit, to the Leadings and Judgment of Men? Or, because of granting the Light to be obeyed in all its Leadings? and its Leadings to be waited for in order to Faith and Worship; that therefore there is no way left to judge which are in the Wrong of the Two that equally say, they are led by the same Light? For if Men would come to the Salt, Grace, Truth, and faithful Witness in themselves, which only gives to discern and savour True Spirits from False ones, they would hereby arrive at certain Knowledge in the Matter; but where People stand, they can never distinguish, because they are from under the Conduct of that Spirit, which alone reveals the deep things of God. In short, as no Man’s saying he is in the Right, ought to conclude him to be in the Right; so neither can that hinder that he should not be found out by such as are in the Right Spirit, to be in the Wrong, if in it. He that sayes he is ruled by the Scripture may err, as well as he that sayes he is led by the Light; {Page 16} therefore is he not to be censured? Or is there no certain Way of knowing him to be in the Wrong? It is the Spirit of Truth that opens the Truth of Scripture; much more can it only give to relish Spirits. Which leads to the last Question.
Whether the People, called Quakers, or those few stragling Followers of John Perrot are this True Church, and acted by this Divine Light and
Spirit, yea or nay? To answer this Question I shall keep very close to the Concessions of these present Apostates; For it is not so much my Business at this time to prove us a True Church to them that never had any Relation to us, as against those who acknowledge themselves once to have been of us, but now decline us.
That God sent forth a Spiritual Ministry; that many were gathered by it, and setled in the Way of Everlasting Peace, and called by the World Quakers, the Author of the Spirit of the Hat fully confesseth, pag. 9. That it was then the Church of God, four lines after undeniably prove. And the Lord did daily add unto the Church, and raised up many to go forth in the Power, to preach the Everlasting Gospel; whereby the Church multiplyed and increased, to the Astonishment of the Nations. By this we see, it was then the Church in their Opinion without dispute; I would fain know it comes now to be no Church? Has Her Refusing to conform to John Perrot’s Innovation of the Hat on in time of publick Prayer unchurched Her? I have hither to thought, that a Society’s going from, or adding to, what it was when truly called a Church, was that which only did Unchurch it, and not its continuing as it was; And if this be good Arguing, The People, called Quakers, remain still the same Church, but their Adversaries not the same Members. In short, where the first Occasion of Offence was given, there was the first Breach of Unity. Had the Church imposed upon them, there would be some reason for varying of her Character, and condemning her as Fallen; But the Innovation being their own, she is not accountable unto them, but they to her, for such unwarrantable Novelties: so that the Question is not, Whether the Quakers impose, but Whether they did not innovate? All was well till this Imagination was hatched; The Spirit of Judgment and Burning had its course; Their Vessells were filled {Page 17} with Refreshment, Springs of Life broke out in their Bellies, and Bread of Life dwelt within them; They wanted no good thing, as that Letter of the Hat relates8. If this may be credited, How comes so sudden a Revolution, that in a Years time, the Mighty should be fallen, the Stars ceased to give their Light, the Poor distressed, the Young Ones bruised, and Conscience imposed upon by a Law? Which wretched Deciet, me- thinks, should be obvious to every impartial Reader. There is no Wisdom to believe Men so inconstant to their own Apprehensions, and who of all times in which to prove this great Alteration, should make Choice of that, in which was so great a Persecution, and so Noble a Testimony born for the Truth. viz. 1662. But the Truth of the matter is this. John Perrot (who if he had been as faithful as his Companion, might with him have been hanged at Rome (as we have been informed) to his own Comfort, the Truth’s Honour, and the Churches Peace) came home as filled with Conceit, as he pretended his Body had been oppressed with Sufferings, which kindling so great a Love in the Hearts of some Tender Friends, as they unwarily became Incouragers of his Ambition in their too high exilting and lamenting his Sufferings, Which having rendered him Master of their Affections, they most of them easily became Embracers of his Invention. We had reason to believe it had almost been impossible for him ever to have made one Proselyte, had not the noise of his Foreign Tryals disposed the Hearts of some affectionate People to receive his Impression; He that will please to consider the improbable Account he vainly gave of his own Sufferings, saying, that since Adam’s Day none had ever undergone the like his singular Style; Proverbial Chapters in imitation of Solomon; his Toyish conceited Rhymes; his Title page of the Wren in the burning Bush waving her Wings of Contraction, &c. his peculiar Subscription, which was generally JOHN (and could not be so because there was no more of that Name amongst us, but because he would be the JOHN of JOHNS) and which is yet more ridiculous, in a Letter to several grave Women, your dear SISTER JOHN with his absurd new fangled bodily Greetings, his most Papal Salutations to G. Fox, E. Burroughs, & others (by them rejected, & himself reproved) {Page 18} as if he had spent his time in Learning all the Superlative Complements of Rome: I say, he that pleases to consider these things, must needs think, that the Man had lost his Guide, and was dangerously elevated above the holy Fear of God, and heavenly Life of the Truth; and his Standing being soon discerned by several Weighty Friends, he was soberly, secretly and frequently dealt withall; his Condition represented, his Danger shewn, and a Station of Safety pointed to him: It was the daily Travel of many, who sought his Wel-fare, and the Churche’s Peace, to bring him to a Sence of his own Condition; But no Argument or Entreaties could prevail, no Sighs or Tears could soften him, but resolved he was for a Sect-Master, and his Mark must be, the Hat on in time of Publick Prayer. That which yet whetted many simple Hearts to follow his Example, was with his Sufferings, his Pharisaical Pretences to a higher Dispensation, but instead of shewing them a readier Way to an higher State of Holiness, he diverted their Minds from the more weighty things of the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus, to contend for that rude and unprofitable Practice of the Hat on in time of publick Prayer; an Invention to no Edification, but to the great Disturbance of the Church: Thus began what rent he sought to make amongst us. Before this, we were at Peace, our Sion prosperous; and those Apostate Adversaries allowed us to be God’s Church, his chosen People. I appeal now to the whole World of moderate and impartial People, whether we acted herein, unlike Christian, sober and prudent Men? And if any of our publick Enemies, who pretend to own a Church-Authority (some of them also being Members and Leaders) would not have done the like? Must we suffer for that which they justifie? We rejected a Practice we had no Authority for, neither without, nor within: We saw Who brought it in, and What acted him, with the bent and tendency of it; And it was as much our Duty to withstand the Entrance of that wich was Wrong, as to continue in the Practice of that which was Right, and setled in the Power of God long before among us: We might invert their Plea much more truly; The Light within enjoyned us to disown them, had we not then sinned to have declined?
{Page 19} Or, is our Light Darkness, because they call their Darkness Light? In short, the Church never knew it, when so much admired by her present Enemies; And because when it came, she rejected it, therefore are they become her Enemies, which proves Them, and not the Church, to be changed. But supposing we had nothing of this to our Defence. What is become of the once acknowledged Blessed Church, and her Powerful Ministry? If we have lost both, who has found them? If due to any Body, in case our Adversaries be in the Right, it must be to them: But I know of no Church, nor do I hear of any Ministry they have, nor the Power of God manifest among them, either for the Building up of themselves, or the Gathering of others. What! Is the Church already returned into the
Wilderness? and is the Power lost, which they acknowledge, was once amongst us, and to God’s Eternal Praise, we daily witness in the City and Country to attend our Travels? But as they were not of God in their Dissensions; so neither have they stood. We suffer as we did; The World loves them more then it did; They are Friends, but both Enemies to us. Their Sect Master returned with the Dog to the Vomit, to Swearing, Fighting, fine Cloathes, Cap and Knee to Men, who could sit on his B— with his Hat on his Head, when he prayed to the most high God. Some of his Followers run into Looseness and Rantism; others into Enmity and Earthly-Mindedness; but far the more considerable returned to their first Love and Workes, whom God hath since frequently blest with his heavenly Presence, and sealed to them the Comfort of the holy Communion of the Brethren.
To sum up what we have been saying. First, The True Church of Christ, by the Gift of the holy Spirit, from Christ, the Head, is enabled to try, savour and relish Wrong Spirits under never such Right Appearances, as that, without which she could never be preserved from the Wolves that are in Sheep’s Cloathing, nor the Deceivers that come with Christ’s Words out of Christ’s Power and Life. Secondly, That this Church hath as well Power to reject the false Spirit, as to try it. Thirdly, That men may be in the Words and not the Spirit of Truth; that notwithstanding it is the Duty of all Men, to act by the Light and Spirit within, that hinders not, that such as walk not according {Page 20} to the Light within, though they may pretend to do it, should be known and judged of them that really do so. Fourthly, That we were this True Church of God by our Apostate Adversaries own Confession: And we have proved, that not we, but our Adversaries have altered (since the time that large Confession mentions) by giving the Offence, and making the first Breach of Unity, notwithstanding the many Christian Courses that were taken to restore them, and preserve Concord among Brethren: Therefore our Judgment of them is not that of a Dark, Dead Body, but a Living, Spiritual Society, and in the Gift, Discerning and Authority of God’s holy and unerring Spirit, which they acknowledge we once had, and cannot prove, when, and by what we lost it. And blessed be the Lord God of Heaven and Earth, his Living Power is with us, he owns our Ministry and Fellowship in the Hearts of Thousands, yea Ten Thousands have bowed to the Righteousness of his Scepter, since the, day that perverse Core first troubled our Israel. No Tryals have scattered us, nor Sufferings worn us out; but, to the Honour of the blessed Name of the Lord, we have been by it kept to this day, whose Goodness renews with the Morning, and whose Mercies endures forever. Blessed are they that fear him, such will he alwayes keep in perfect Peace.
But the Author of the Spirit of the Hat, and his Tyrannical and
Hypocritical Defender in his Libel, called,Tyranny and Hypocrisie Detected, cry out, This is arrant Popery. But I will tell such Licentious Spirits, That it is plainly Scriptural; What if a False Church assume the Priviledge of a True one, does that make the True Church a False one, for pleading that Priviledge? The Papists say, God ought to be worshipped; must we not therefore worship him, because they say so? ‘Tis just as good as to say, That because one Man cheatingly calls himself by another Man’s Name, therefore that other Man must renounce his own Name. Prove Discerning, and Judgment by the Holy Ghost in any Body, or Society, to be the Mark of a False Church, and ye do your Business, otherwise you must acknowledge it to be the Priviledge of a True Church; but {Page 21} deny it to be ours, as we do, that it is the Church of Rome’s*. But we have proved out of your own Pamphlets, that you acknowledge us to have been the True Church, and in our own Discourse, that we have continued that, which we ever were: And that God’s powerful convincinnd converting Ministry remains amongst us; Therefore th•• Priviledge upon their own Principles, does belong to us.
But perhaps they will both endeavour to avoid the Dint of these convincing Arguments, thus, We deny not the Body of the People, called Quakers, nor as they act in the Light, that they have true Judgment; But we complain against your Foxonian Unity, which consists of certain Ministers and Elders, which lift up G. Fox for a Bishop, a Pope, and a King, making his Papers Edicts, & then entitle them, the Judgment of the Body; whereas indeed ‘tis but the Mind of a Cabal of Foxonians; the Leaders are the Men we strike at. See Spirit of the Hat, pag. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. Tyran. Defend.
But should we allow this to be True, as we reject it for a Slander, ‘tis granted to us, that the Body of the People, called Quakers, is not their
Aim, but some few particulars that make not up the hundreth part of the Church (and who will in the things objected sufficiently clear themselves) so that the Judgment of the Body is not denyed, because of the Judgment of some few Elders that displease them. the Question then will be, whether the Body in all Places concerned has given its Judgment against that innovating Spirit of John Perrot, yea or nay? The Determination of which Question gives a great In-sight into the present Controversie; In order to which I offer two things to be considered. First, That in all Places where Jo. Perrot’s Spirit and Practice made any Appearance through the Churches in this or other Nations, there has been a two-fold Judgment given. 1. That of the Church, in the Fear and Presence of the Eternal God she worships, according to his free Spirit, and that Discerning which was given her of him, concerning which, if there be any Scruple, in the publick canvas of this Matter, we can readily produce a multitude of Certificates to verifie it. 2. The Judgment of many considerable Persons against themselves and their own Practice, whose Simplicity was betrayed by that {Page 22} dissentious Spirit. But it so happens, that some of them, of how good Report soever, are now not to be credited, because it crosseth the Humor of these Envious Authors, and their prejudiced Adherents. What Name shall we call this Partiallity by? who praised their Honesty when they espoused the Hat, and now question their Conscience in declaring their Mistake: And such is the Fool-Hardiness and Vanity of this Socinian Apologizer in the Defence of the Hat on in Prayer, That in a great Marginal Note, he cryes out, What’s become of John Osgood’s Integrity, that he should put his Name among such Men as these? As if we had committed all the Infamies prohibited in the first and second Table of God’s Law, rather then seasonably given check to the boundless Novelties of an Imaginary Innovatour. This is your Universalian, that tells us how dangerous it is to be of a Party, who has bestowed a whole Pamphlet in Defence of one, built upon no better Foundation then the irreverent Practice of the Hat on in time of publick Prayer. But his own Revilings and injustifiable Officiousness have proved it dangerous to be of such a Party indeed.
But why must not the rest be credited? Are they deceived in Returning? Shew it. Was it imposed upon them, as they suggest? Prove it. John Pennyman, if he has not lost all Conscience and Memory, can tell them another Story; For as became the People of God, for the Decision of this Controversie, a very great Meeting was desired and appointed, unto which both sorts willingly resorted; So that it was not Imposition, but Choice: In which great and earnest were the Desires and Travels of those who had opposed the Spirit of John Perrot, that the Lord himself would please in some signal manner to break forth amongst them, that the Judgment which should pass among them, in order to a Reconciliation, might not be accounted the Judgment of Man, but the Judgment of God. These faithful Cryes entered the Ears of the God of Peace, whose Compassions fail not, That with an high Hand and an out-stretched Arm, he rent through the Meeting, that both Sorts were greatly broken, and humbled before the Lord. In which deep and tender Sense J. P. J. C. (though never in the Practice of the Hat) J. O. J. C. W. P. W. G. G. W. {Page 23} and John Pennyman himself, with very many more (not now to be mentioned) in Fear and Trembling, & great Brokenness of Spirit, to the Astonishment of all Beholders, plainly and fully, testified against the Spirit and Practice of J. Perrot, to be out of the Life of the Truth, & Unity of the Body. And who was more Express, Earnest Frequent in the Judging that Spirit [?] Envious Apostatized J. Pennyman? Did he not say of those [?] exposed J. Perrot’s Spirit You are more Righteous then we? And if you had not stood we had perisht? And did not he call that Spirit of J. Perrot that led to keep on the Hat in Publick Prayer, THE SPIRIT OF WITCHCRAFT AND OF THE DEVIL, and to that Purpose? And is he not now in Defence of that Spirit? What shall we say then upon his present Distance and Enmity? Hath he not pronounced his own Character and Sentence hereby? What heed is to be given to such a Changeable Self-Contradicting Person? Now that the Government of our Christian Body should be called Tyranny, and the Confessions of these Men Hypocrisy, tell me, thou, that art my impartial Reader, what sort of Conscience our present Enemies have, thus to treat both the one and the other: How evident is it, that these great Enemies of Imposition would have been the Task-Masters themselves, who are Insolent and Uncharitable enough to censure these Men in pulling off their Hats again, to be guilty of Hypocrisie, who in Fear to God, and the Sense of his Spirit, condemned the keeping of it on. Deceit! Oh, how unworthily have they dealt with us? and how ill an Use have they made of all wholsom Counsel to reclaim them? That little Yielding, that our Friends at first shewed to re-gain them, they made use of to confirm them; and their Obstinacy leading us to more Severity, like Bastard Children, they run away with open mouth, bauling into the very Ears of some Envious and Busie-body Professors, Imposition, Popery, Tyranny, Arbitrary Government; and these are become Theames for such prejudiced Persons as this Adversary, to declaim against the poor Quakers upon. Where it may not be unseasonably observed; That if we should as ill bestow our time in gathering up all the Villanous and Impious Miscarriages of many professed Members of the several Religious Ways within this Kingdom, I doubt not but we might cut them out more Work then they {Page 24} would be willing to have. Had we thus begun with them, how Condemnable would they have thought it? But it having been their Practice towards us, we must not chide them for Injustice, lest we be reputed Railers; For so big is the Beam in their own Eyes, that the Vilest buses against us pass for Innocent and Justifiable things [?].
The second thing [?] offer in order to a full Determination, is this; That either the whole Church, or that part of it which never was concerned in these Debates, particularly the North of England, remot from us, yet consisting of a very great Part of the Body of our Friends, both in Number and Solidity, and who have never varyed from their first Station, upon any general Proposal the present Hat-Men shall make for the Demand of their Judgment, provided it may be conclusive with them, (at least so far as to clear Particulars from that high Charge of Tyranny and Hypocrisie) will, we do believe, freely declare themselves, according to that Sense and Understanding they shall receive of the Mind of Christ therein, from him alone, who is the Leader and Shepherd of his People. IF none of all this will do, let them take their course, and furnish these Ishmaelites and Uncircumcised Philistians with all they can, to our Trouble, God will bring us through it all; And for that Dishonour, they have hereby brought on the Way and People of the Lord in general, by putting their pretended Exceptions against some few Particulars into the hands of those Men (who do not so much study the Disgrace of a few publick Labourers, as the Overthrow of the whole People and Way (improving all they can scrape, how much soever interlined with Falshood, to that very end) will God, the Righteous and Terrible Judge of Heaven and Earth, require an Account; and Wo, Sorrow and Eternal Perplexity will be the swift Recompence of your Treacherous Doings, unless you find a place for Repentance, and can yet wipe away all these Scores by true Contrition.
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