The Principles of the Protestant Religion Maintained, Title page – Preface
The PRINCIPLES of the PROTESTANT RELIGION MAINTAINED, And Churches of New-England, in the PROFESSION and EXERCISE thereof DEFENDED, Againſt all the Calumnies of one George Keith, a Quaker, in a Book lately Publiſhed at Penſilvania, to undermine them both.
By the Miniſters of the Goſpel in Boſton,
Prov. 18.17. He that is firſt in his own cauſe ſeemeth juſt; but his neighbour comes and ſearches him.
Phil. 2.3. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the Conciſion.
2. Theſ. 2.10, 11. They received not the love of the Truth, that they might be ſaved;
And for this cauſe God ſhall ſend them ſtrong deluſion, that they ſhould believe a lye.
BOSTON, in New-England, Printed by Richard Pierce, and ſold by the Bookſellers. MDCXC.
The Praeface.
ALtho' the Church of God; which is a Soc… of men profeſſing the Truths, & practiſing the Wayes of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, as the Sacred Sriptures have Recommended them unto …he world, has in all ages undergone the Batteries of a various aſſault, yet it has out-liv'd them all. As one while there ariſe Perſecutors with C…in's Club in their Hands, endeavouring by Force to baniſh out of the world, that Godlineſs which their ſore eyes feel an Ey-ſore in; ſo another while, the grand Enemy of our Salvation brings Hereticks upon the ſtage, who with Fraud would perſwade the people of the Saints of the Moſt High to unchurch themſelves by parting with all …he meanes of Communion between them and their God. But hitherto an Abortion has attended all their attempts againſt that Mount Sion which cannot be removed, but remaineth for ever; …he impotent Aſſailants find themſelves but puſh…g hard againſt the great ſtone, and periſh by … Rolling over them. This is among the Glo…ious things which are ſpoken of thee, O thou City of God!
Indeed the Craft of the old Serpent hath not …hown it ſelf in any one thing more marvellous & …angerous, than in his Fitting of Seducers to the …everal Deſigns, Peoples, Tempers, which he …as had to manage. He knowes, that as the firſt …reation, ſo the new Creation, begins with Light; & he has uſed a thouſand Blinds to keep a ſaving Light from entring into the ſouls of men, that being a people of a wrong underſtanding, He that made them might not have mercy on them. Hence the Deceivers of the former days having been baffled & conquer'd by the Spirit of the Lord lifting up a ſtandard againſt them, in the Labours of His faithful Servants; the Hydra of Error, has had new ſprouts proceeding from it; among which, that of Quakeriſm ſeems to be one of the vileſt, as well as one of the Lateſt, and we ſee therein fulfill'd, what was long ſince fore-told, That Seducers will wax worſe and worſe. In Quakeriſm we ſee the Vomit caſt forth in the by-paſt ages by whole kennels of thoſe creatures, for whom the Apoſtle to the Philippians has found a name, licked up again for a new Digeſtion, and once more expos'd for the poiſoning of mankind; and it is eſpecially the more ignorant & unwary, & envious part of mankind which it is adapted unto: few ſwallow it but the more ſilly & feeble ſort of ſouls, & thoſe in whom the Light (which they ſo much adore) affords little better Directions, than thoſe of an Ignis fatuus. Indeed Quakeriſm is the peculiar plague of this Age. One that was a pillar-of it, wrote in the year 1659. ſuch a paſſage as that, It is now about ſeven years ſince the Lord raiſed us up, And as the Novity of the ſect proves their Falſity, ſo tis beyond all meaſure admirable, that in ſo clear a day-light of …he Goſpel, ſo many ſhould eſpouſe it. It is thro' …he wrath of the Lord of hoſts, that any part of the Engliſh Nation ſhould be ſo darkned, as …o follow this new light; and it is the particu…ar diſgrace of the Engliſh, with but one or two Nations more, to have theſe people in it, who tho' …hey tremble, yet beleeve not, but oppoſe and muddy the whole of that Religion, by which we draw near to God.
We cannot but have our ſad Apprehenſions, when …e behold this great Choak-weed of the Chriſtian & Proteſtant Religion, taking root in the Borders …f N. England; and, whereas unto our own In…linations to be doing ſo, their have been added …he Provocations of one George Keith, in a late Book addreſſed both to them for their Eſtabliſhment, & to us for our Conviction, we have count…d ourſelves concerned to appear in the defence of …hoſe glorious Truths, which all Quakeriſm (& George Keith's particularly) does oppugn. We …ave anſwered the Cavils and Sophiſms of the Champion whom the American Quakers do ſo …uch admire, not feeling in any of his arguments …he weight of a Weaver's beam; and if in a…y paſſages we have done it cuttingly, we knew, …hat ſome are ſo to be rebuked. But the Reader …uſt oblige himſelf to peruſe the Whole of our Treatiſe, before he pronounce upon the ſufficienc… and validity of our Anſwer; we found it ſo du… a thing to follow the confuſed methods of our Antagoniſt, and to renew our Diſcourſes as often as his tedious and nauſeous Repetitions came in our way, that we reſolved, as we met …he ſeveral Haereſies we would Anſwer once for all; and therefore we do paſs over with a dry Foot many unſound Aſſertions in diverſe parts of his Book, becauſe by the very ſame in other parts of it, we are forc'd to wade over ſhoes in the mire after him. And we take no notice at all of the calumnies, which in the cloſe of his little Volumn, he loads the Reverend Increaſe Mather with, becauſe the Son of that worthy perſon, has elſewhere already vindicated him. We wiſh that we could with any hopes propound the Converſion & Reduction of George Keith, as the end of our preſent undertaking. But we fear leſt his Apoſtacy, after he had been enlightened & had taſted of the good word of God, hath rendred him incurable. If it ſhould he ſo, we muſt expect, that tho' the Arrows here fetch'd from the Scriptures of the Lord Jeſus, may force from him a, Thou haſt overcome! yet we ſhall have no Returns from him, except thoſe of rage & wrath, which we ſhall not count it worth the while to publiſh any reply unto, but what the Archangel gave to a …ailing Accuſation.
We do likewiſe wiſh, that we had more hopes …f turning others that have been proſelyted (tho' …carce any have been ſo by him among ourſelves) …nto his Perſwaſion, from the Error of their way; which we do ſincerely declare to be the …orſt that we wiſh to them, tho' it be alſo the …eſt that we can do for them. They are much …iſtaken, if they think that we ſhall ever purſue …hem with any thing but Pitty, and Prayer, and …eaſon, which they want above moſt in the world. …e deſire no Revenge on them, for all the Ra…l…g and Hatred, which they ſo commonly follow … withal, ſave only to pluck them as brands …ut of the fire. But, alas, tis uſually a poenal, …dicial, vindictive Stroke of the great God up… … the minds of men for ſins againſt the Goſpel … our Lord Jeſus, accompanied not ſeldom… with very ſenſible Poſſeſſion of Satan, th…o' which …e Deluſions of This way come to be received. …nd the Efficacy thereof, is therefore fr…quently … obſtinate for a Cure! Only, the Power and …ercy of God, can Reſtore thoſe wandering …ls; which we do from the very bottom of our …arts implore.
However, we have juſt Hopes, that we ſhall … furniſh the Churches in this Land, with an …tidote againſt the Contagion of Quakeriſm; … ſupply our Conflicting Neighbours with Anſwers to encounter the Attempts made by Seducers upon The faith once delivered unto us. There hath been a ſort of Quakeriſm not long ſince broached in Italy, the Profeſſors whereof go under the Name of Quietiſts, and the late Pope himſelf was not without ſuſpicion of being tainted with it. But the Quakers among us are ſome of them ſo far from being Quietiſts, that they diſturb the Quiet of all that are about 'em, and go about, ſeeking whom they may deceive. 'Tis our Duty to Warn you againſt them, Ye Flocks of our LORD! and we do it in the Name of our Glorious Maſter, whom you declare to be Your King, your Lord, your Law-giver.
We cannot be faithful, if we do not warn you againſt (at leaſt) the Teaching, Talking, Buſie and more Bigotted Quakers, which infeſt you, as a Sort of men, who invite you to give up at once, your whole Religion, and to Embarque your ſouls no more on that Bottom, which all the Saints have hitherto been ſaved upon. If you ſhall think it convenient for you, to part with your Paſtors becauſe the Wolves bark at them, We do aſſure you, that moſt of us could have l…ved much more eaſily and pleaſantly, and provided more comfortably for our Families, if we had applyed ourſelves to other Callings than that of the Miniſtry; It is our Grief …nd Care for You that will make us cry after …ou, Intreat us not to leave you, for our …od muſt be your God.
But how can you think of parting with an …nfinite and Eternal GOD, and having a …eated Soul blaſphemouſly placed in His …hrone? How can you think of parting …ith a precious Bible, as a Dead Letter, …nd having Silent Poſtures of your own, in …e Room thereof? How can you think of part…g with an Ineſtimable REDEEMER, …r a dim Light within you, which may prove …arkneſs it ſelf; and then, How great is that …arkneſs! How can you endure to ſee the …hole Goſpel, which your ſouls have hitherto …ved upon, all evapourated into Diſpenſations …llegories, and meer myſtical Notions? Bap…ſm and the Supper of the Lord Jeſus, of … Advantage to your Faith, your Love, your …oy? Can you with any patience behold the …lorious Doctrines of Election, and Juſtifi…ation, and Perſeverance, depraved with O…inions that make Man to be All, and Grace … have ſmall or no ſhare in the matters of …alvation?
But, Bleſſed be our GOD, our Churches …ave yet had very little Impreſſion from any Seducers hitherto; and they are the more obſcure nooks and skirts of the Countrey which Theſe do make any figure in. We nevertheleſs forbear not theſe wholeſome Cautions; and tho' we believe, the Day is at hand when our Bleſſed Saviour will Purify His Temple, and ſweep Quakeriſm among other Defilements out of it, with a ſwifter and a greater Force than we can promiſe to our preſent Endeavours, yet we are now making ſome little Eſſayes at that work, by taking the bruſhes of the Sanctuary, to ſtrike down what Cobwebs, the Quakers have been ſpinning there.
James Allen.
Joſhuah Moodey.
Samuel Willard.
Cotton Mather.