The Principles of the Protestant Religion Maintained, Appendix
An Appendix.
VVE had now done with him, but that he hath printed at the End of his Call the Copies of three Letters, two of his and one of ours, nor needs much to be ſaid to theſe.
As to his firſt Letter, all the Reflexion we ſhall here make is, that he tells us in it, that the falſe Doctrines which he chargeth upon us, were ſuch as he was aſſured by the Spirit of God that we taught them, and that they were falſe: Now the Spirit of God aſſures none of a Ly, and that in matter of Fact. But we have before intimated, that the 12th. Article in his Charge, is none of ours, but the contrary; by which it appears that G. K's Spirit teacheth him to ly.
What we have to ſay in Juſtification of our Anſwer to him, will be ſeen in our Animadverſions on his reply.
1. he tells us, We called his letter a blaſphemous & heretical paper, and give no ſatisfactory reaſon for ſo doing; We had then no opportunity, but we hope we have now done it to the Satisfaction of the ſober.
2. That When our carnal weapons were gone, we found no ſpiritual ones: We ſuppoſe it is now evident that he was miſtaken, if the Word of God be the ſword of the Spirit, as it is called, Eph. 6.17.
3. He vaunts that We have no courage to appear in the open field, but lurk in our dens where the honeſt Quakers have no occaſion to heare us: but we ſay, it is their own fault; for our preaching is open, and our doors ſhut out none but thoſe that will not come.
4. He calls us Beaſts of prey, and Nightbirds, that creep out only in the dark; but this charge is very impertinent and contradictory; it was in his Language night with us, when our Liberties were taken away, and then (if at all) we refuſed to come out, and then G. K. comes daringly; he then is the Forreſt-beaſt, by his own doom.
5. He boaſts of his great Conqueſt in his book, and yet (like an Hypocrite) would arrogate nothing to himſelf, no, he is but like the Barly cake which tumbled into the hoſt of the Midianites, only his Conqueſt is not like to hold the parallel, for we ſuppoſe we have duplicate page duplicate page made his Cake appear to be Dough.
6. He thinks we were afraid of expoſing our people, and wonders that we have wrought no more on them all this while: and might we not lawfully have a cautious Fear? Ought not the Shepherd to be aware when the Wolf comes to his flock? Nor did we ever pretend to make our people ſavingly holy, any further than as God bleſſed our endeavours.
7. He wonders we doubted his deſign; but we knew he was a Quaker.
8. He tells us that he came not of his own will, but by a neceſſity from the Lord: but gives no demonſtration.
9. He Wrote this treatiſe of the will of the Lord: and little reaſon to boaſt of that: It was of God (doubtleſs) to leave him in the hands of ſatan to be thus acted: If we ſay we have written this Anſwer in the will of the Lord, we can give a better account of His approving will in it, becauſe written in defence of the Truth of Chriſt which he has perverted, & the Name of Chriſt which he hath blaſphemed, this moved us to reply upon him, and this is of God.
10. He deſires us, If we anſwer him, not to defend our cauſe with Railing and Lies; Phyſician, heal thy ſelf; he hath ſet us a precedent, page missing and Hereticks, grown beyond Admonition, but perſons that had been trained up in falſe principles, from whence they endeavoured to draw them, which alters the caſe: nor is it any Contradiction, that Quakers may be invited to come to our publick Meetings, and yet not admitted into our private Houſes: There are the inſtituted meanes, which if they come to, they may poſſibly be convinced; but the Scripture has given cautions to Chriſtians in the other reſpect. Nor is there any parallel between his compariſon & the thing, Turkiſh Pyrats hang out falſe colours and invite men to rob them; that we do neither, He that will one day vindicate His own truth & ways, will make it appear, then Wiſdom ſhall he juſtifyed of all her children; mean while we take it to be one Commendation of our Doctrine & Miniſtry, that G. K. and ſuch as he rail at and revile it.
But before we part we ſhall, for the Satisfaction of ſome, who poſſibly are concerned that we took him not up, when he challenged us to a publick diſputation, ſubjoin our reaſons then moving & ſwaying of us; which were not from any ſuſpicion of our own cauſe, nor Fear of his ſtrength of reaſon, or jealouſy leſt our Hearers ſhould be ſeduced; but,
1. it was not in our power to grant it him, without laying our ſelves obnoxious to the then Government, who had expreſly forbidden the people to take liberty of any publique Meeting together on any occaſion on the week-days, beſides the uſual Lectures.
2. We knew none of our Hearers that had any ſcruple on their minds about any of thoſe Truths which he charged with falſehood, but believed them firmly, as far as we had any knowledge, and therefore to diſpute them for their ſakes, was altogether needleſs.
3. We knew (partly becauſe he was a Quaker, partly by the reports of his managing himſelf elſewhere, partly by his firſt Article of his Charges) that there would be no holding of him to any Law or Rule of Diſputation, but he would bring all to his Revelations, and therefore the whole muſt needs iſſue in a tumuluous Brangle.
4. Becauſe he had declared himſelf at once in oppoſition to almoſt all the Fundamental Articles of Religion, which had been mained for almoſt ſeventeen hundred years, by the Church of Chriſt; and in Defenſe of which ſo many thouſands had laid down their lives; and who but Men Diſtracted, would expoſe theſe to be publickly debated, …s ſo many diſputable Points in Religion upon the Challenge of a fearful Apoſtate? And we ſuppoſe here is enough to ſatisfie any that are intelligent.
But now being under ſome Neceſſity, we …ave (with no little Tediouſneſs, in being put upon it to take notice of ſo many Impertinencies, Fooleries, and Tautologies, as his Book is fraught with) anſwered the Subſtance of what he hath ſaid, with as much Brevity as is conſiſtent with Perſpiouity: And ſo we commend it for its Succeſs to His Grace and Bleſſing on whom alone it depends.
FINIS.
End of the text · Cotton Mather, The Principles of the Protestant Religion Maintained (1690)