The Quakers Catechism, Prefatory letter 2
An Anſwer to a young unſetled Friend, who before inclining ſtrongly to Anabaptiſtry, at laſt fell in with the Quakers, and deſired my thoughts of them and their waies, which ſeemed to him agreeable to the Scriptures.
I Have peruſed your Requeſt, and am glad that you are not ſo confirmed in your miſery, but that you will yet ask advice of your Friend; I pray God you be ſo ingenious and happy as to take it: It is a very ſad thing to me and ſhould be ſo much more to you, to think that after ſo much pains as you have taken in duty, and ſo much zeal as you have profeſsed for God, you ſhould yet be ſo unacquainted with the will and Word of God, and Chriſt ſhould have ſo little intereſt in your heart, as that ſuch horrid unchriſtian doctrines and practices ſhould be ſo eaſily entertained by you, and ſo far approved of: I marvell why you took it for ſo great a work of grace to convert you from prophaneſse, and now will take it for a greater work to convert you to it again, or to much worſe? Was it not the ſame Ordinances that you deſpiſed before Converſion, which you now much more deſp…ſe? Was it not the ſame Miniſters that thou you ſcorn'd whom ye now reproach with far greater bitterneſse (if you do as thoſe whom you pleade for do?) Is it not the ſame Christians whom you then derided, and now revile at, and condemn as Children of the devil: O miſerable man! Is all your hearing and praying come to this? Dare you meet the Meſsengers of Chriſt in the face, and tell them they are Liars and deceivers? Dare you caſt out the holy worſhip of Chriſt as falſe worſhip, and ſeek to draw people into the contempt of it? Dare you damn thoſe Churches and millions of Saints that Chriſt hath bought with his precious bloud? Dare you ſeek to draw men to hate their Teachers whom Chriſt hath ſet over them, and to hate his people as if they were the Children of the Devil, and to hate his worſhip and holy waies? Alas that ever a man in his wits ſhould look upon ſuch abominations as amiable, and much more that any man ſhould be ſo mad as to do this under the Name and profeſsion of a Chriſtian! That you can imagine that the furious oppoſition to the whole Army of Christ, his Officers, Church and Ordinances, can yet be a work that Christ accepteth: That you ſhould no better know Chriſts work from Satans, nor know that it is the Dragon whoſe warfare theſe men do manage? I muſt needs profeſſe that it is a very grievous thing in mine eyes, that after all our pains with mens ſouls, and after the rejoycings which we had in their ſeeming converſion, and zealous lives, we ſhould yet ſee ſo much ignorance, levity, and giddineſse of profeſſors, as that they are ready to entertain the moſt horrid abominations! That the devil can no ſooner bait his hook, but they greedily catch at it, and ſwallow it without chewing; yea, nothing ſeems too groſse for them, but ſo it ſeems Novelty all goes down. I am afraid if they go a little further, they will beleeve him that ſhall ſay, The Devil is God, and to be worſhiped and obeyed. Shall I freely tell you whence all this comes? Even from h…lliſh pride of heart: You ſee it not (it's like) in your ſelf or in them, but I ſhall endeavour to make you ſee it both in your ſelves and them. For your ſelves you confeſse to me that you have long thought that Infant-Baptiſm was an errour, and that now you think the Quakers are in the right; and yet you neither did once reade any one of thoſe Books which we have written to prove Infant-Baptiſm to be a duty, nor did once ſcriouſly and impartially lay open your doubts to your Teacher, nor ask his advice, as if you were even then too good to enquire, and would venture your ſoul to ſave you a little labour, yet are you now confident that you are in the right, and he and all of his minde are in the wrong. You know you are a young man, and have had little opportunity to be acquainted with the Word of God, in compariſon of what your Teacher hath had: If you preſume that you are ſo much more beloved of God then he, that God will reveal that to you without ſeeking and ſtudy, which upon the greatest diligence he will not reveal to him; what can this conceit proveed from but pride? God commandeth study and meditating day and night in his Laws; Your Teacher hath ſpent twenty, if not an hundred hours in ſuch Meditation where you have ſpent one: He hath ſpent twenty if not an hundred hours in praier to God for his ſpirit of Truth and Grace, where you have ſpent one: His prayers are as earneſt as yours: His life is much more holy and heavenly then yours; His Office is to teach, and therefore God is as it were more engaged to be his Teacher, and to make known his Truth to him th…n to you; Is it not then apparent pride for you to be confident that you are ſo much wiſer then he, and that you are ſo much more lovely in Gods eyes, that he will admit you more in to the knowledge of his Mysteries, then thoſe that have better uſed his own appointed means to know them? and for you, in ignorance to run about with the Shell on your head, exclaiming to the world of the ignorance of your late Teachers? I ſay not that you do ſo; But the Quakers whom you approve of do ſo, and much more.
I pray you tell me, Did you ever ſtudy well what Paul meant. … Tim. 3. 5. where he requireth that he that is Ordained ſhould [not be a Novice, leſt being lifted up with pride he fall into the Condemnation of the devil;] The Word tranſlated a Novice ſignifieth a New Plant, a late Convert, or new or young Chriſtian; You ſee here that ſuch are in moſt danger of being lifted up with pride, and why ſo? but becauſe 1. They have not yet knowledge enough to acquaint them with their ignorance and great weakneſſes. 2. Nor have they yet grown to a juſt degree of humility and other eſtabliſhing preſerving graces; You ſee alſo that to fall into Pride, is to fall into the condemnation of the devil. You know ſure that it is no wrong to you to ſay that you are but a Novice or raw Chriſtian, for it is but a few years ſince you came out of utter ignorance and carnality; and therefore that you have reaſon to be very watchfull againſt this ſin, yea, by the evidence that you give in againſt your ſelves, you might ſee that you are too farre enſnared in it already.
And for the Quakers, you are blinde if you ſee not their horrible Pride; You'le perhaps think it strange that Pride ſhould be the very Maſter-ſinne in them that go in ſo poor a garb, and cry out against Pride ſo zealouſly as they do; and go up and down the world, as if they were ſent from Heaven to perſwade men to wear no Lace, or Cuffs, or Points, and that down ſo many Ministers for being called Maſters. But alas do you not know that Pride of inward qualifications commonly called ſpiritual Pride, is the moſt killing and abominable! the better the thing is that you are proud of, the worſe is your Pride. O what a brave thing doth it ſeem in theſe mens eyes, that they ſhould ſeem to be poſseſsed with ſuch an excellent ſpirit as can trample upon worldly glory, and can boiſterouſly contemn all that are not of their ſect, and that can deſpiſe Dignities, and be equall with the greateſt: yea, that only they ſhould have this admirable ſpirit, and all oothers are the Children of the Devil, and under their feet: Though other men ſhould never ſo much ſl…eght them, yet do they wonderfully pleaſe themſelves with theſe high thoughts of themſelves; For Pride is firſt an overvaluing of a mans ſelf, and thinking of himſelf above what is meet, and then a deſire that others ſhould do ſo by him too.
If yet you ſee not the pride of theſe men, I will ſhew it you in theſe four particular Evidences, and that ſo plainly, that if you know the difference between the language of heaven and of hell, you may eaſily perceive the devil ſpeaking by their mouths. 1. They affirm themſelves to be perfect without ſin (yea, ſome of them ſay they are Chriſt and God.) And is it poſsible that any man in this life, that is not mad with ſpiritual pride, can indeed believe that he hath no ſin? what? that he tranſgreſseth no Law? That he doth love God in the highest degree that he is bound to do? That he never hath a thought or word that is ſinful, nor ſinfully loſeth one minute of his time? Yea, and this when in the eyes and ears of the wiſest, they foam out their own ſhame, as the raging Sea doth cast out the dirt. The devil himſelf hath either leſse pride or leſse ignorance, then to think himſelf to be perfect without ſin; If they have no ſin, what need they pray, Forgive us our ſins, or what further need have they of the bloud of Chriſt or his Interceſsion to procure them any further forgiveneſs? If you can ſee no pride in this, I fear you are blinded with them to destruction.
2. And is it not apparent pride in them to ſet up themſelves ſo far above all the people of God on earth? yea, to vilifie the moſt holy and eminent Servants of God, and condemn all the Churches in the world, as if heaven were made for them alone (if it were ſo well, that all of them did beleeve a heaven beſides that within them, which I ſuppoſe is but a ſorry heaven.
3. And yet more unmatchable pride and impious Infidelity is it, to damn all the Church and people of God for this 1600 years at leaſt. Indeed God had never a people on earth of theſe mens way: But (to let paſse the Scripture ages which condemn them) tell me, Had Chriſt any Church ſince the Apoſtles daies till now, or not? If he had not, then he was no head of the Church, and ſo no Christ: For there is no head without a body: If he had a Church tell us, where it was, and when? Do you not know (if you know any thing of the ſtate of the Church for 1600 Years) that Chriſt had no Church on earth of the Quakers minde, and that all his Miniſters have been ſuch as they condemn, and have been called by as honourable Titles as they are now? And is not that man either an Infidel and enemy to Chriſt, or ſtark mad with pride, that can believe that Chriſt had no Church till now, and that all the Miniſters of the Goſpel for 1600 years were the Miniſters of the devil (as they ſay of us that tread in their ſteps) and that all the Chriſtians of that 1600 Years are damned (at now they dare denounce against thoſe that ſucceed them,) and that God made the world, and Chriſt died for it, with a purpoſe to ſave none but a few Quakers that the world never knew till a few Years agoe; or at leaſt a few Hereticks that were their Predeceſſors of old.
4. And I ſhould ſuppoſe that their proud, ſcornful, railing language ſhould put it out of doubt what ſpirit they are of, to any that are acquainted with the language of Chriſts Spirit, and of Satan, and are able to judge of ſpirits by the most palpable effects, and to know darkneſse from light.
But you ſay, It is Scripture-Language which they ſpeak: I anſwer, the greater is their preſumptuous ſin in making ſo ill a uſe of Scripture-Language, as to ſerve Satan by it, and uſe it to reviling; What if Chriſt call Judas a devil? Is it therefore lawfull to call Perer ſo, or any faithfull Servants of Chriſt? But I perceive you think they justly condemn us, becauſe we are called Maſters of men, contrary to Matth. 23. Alas that a Chriſtian ſhould be ſo ignorant, as not to know that even calling Maſter and Lord too, is commonly allowed of in Scripture, and that it is not the Title but 1. The proud affecting of the Title. 2. And the Lording it over mens faith as Maſters of that (as if others muſt be of their minde right or wrong) which Chriſt there condemneth; Even as in the ſame place he forbiddeth being called Fathers, in the very ſame ſenſe, when yet it is frequently allowed in a better ſenſe. But for the fuller anſwering of theſe ſcruples of yours, and the reſt about Tithes, and ſuch like: I ſend you herewith, an Anſwer to the Queſtions of ſome Quakers near us in the Pariſh of Bromſgrove, and refer you to my Defence of the Worceſter ſhire Petition Printed ſome Years agoe.
To your Queſtion, What I think of theſe men? I will tell you what I think and am paſt all doubt of.
There are in England a Company of young raw Profeſſors that have more zeal then knowledge; And there are a companie of carnal hypocrites that place all their Religion in holding certain Opinions, and uſing certain externall worſhip, and ſiding with a Religious partie. It is no hard matter to miſleade all theſe if they be not better guided by others then by themſelves: While they have due regard to the Judgements of their Teachers that know more then themſelves, and ſo live in a learning way till they have attained to better underſtanding, they may eſcape Deceivers; But if they are once brought to be wiſe enough in their own eyes, and to deſpiſe their Teachers, then they are like a man that hath loſt his way in a dark night, or that hath loſt his Guide in an unknown Wilderneſſe, or like a Dog that hath loſt his Maſter, and therefore will be ready to follow any body that firſt whiſtleth to him. The Papiſts and the devil know this well enough, and therefore their first endeavour is to unſettle theſe people, by taking them off all dependance on their guides, and that must be by bringing the Ministers into contempt with them; For if they could once accompliſh this fully, and ſeparate the people from their Paſtors, and ſo aſſault the people alone, or with weak, and unlearned Teachers only, they might then eaſily bear down all before them; and one Popiſh Friar or Jeſuite would non-plus five hundred of our moſt famous Sectmaſters; They remember yet that it was the diſgracing of the Popiſh Clergy, partly by their own notorious ignorance and vitiouſneſs, and partly by our perſwading men that the Pope is Antichriſt, which was the main advantage which the Reformers had for the ruining of the Papall Kingdom; And therefore they would, partly in Policy, and partly in Revenge, attempt the deſtruction of our Churches by the ſame means. Theſe Papiſts ſeeing the temper of our foreſaid unſetled Profeſsors do creep in among them, and uſe their utmoſt skill to unſettle them more, and bring them into diſlike of their Teachers, without which they have no hope of ſucceeding; Their firſt waies are by reproaching the ſetled government of the Church, and by drawing men to ſeparation and Anabaptiſm; and then perſwading them that theſe are glorious Truths of God, which their former Teachers are unable to receive, and that they are but a blinde, ſelf-ſeeking, proud ſort of men that would enthrall all men to their judgements, when they are in utter darkneſs themſelves: When they have gotten them but thus farre once, to deſpiſe their guides, then do they proceed further with them, and perſwade them that they that were blinde in the points of Baptiſm and Church-order, are ſo in other things as well as that, and that this light which they have ſeen already, is but a ſpark, and that theſe being daies of glorious diſcoveries, there are yet more and greater matters to be revealed. Hereupon they put a handſome dreſse upon many of the groſſeſt points of Popery, and recommend theſe as the new and rare diſcoveries. But this they do not in the Name and garb of Papiſts, but (as the Popiſh Jew at New-caſtle) they turn Anabaptiſts, and then riſe a ſtep higher, and leade others after them; ſo that the ſilly people ſhall never know that it is Papiſts that are their Leaders; yea, they will cry out of the Pope, and call all that differs from them Antichriſtian purpoſly to divert ſuſpicions, and blinde mens eyes. Thus theſe Papiſts have begotten this preſent Sect of Quakers; firſt pretending to ſtrange Revelations, Viſions and Trances, ſuch as are commonly mentioned in the lives of their Saints in the Legends: And ſo you have here and there a Papiſt lurking to be the chief Speaker among them, and theſe have faſhioned many others to their turns, to ſupplie their rooms, who yet know not their own Fathers.
And ſo the Quakers among us are [The ignorant, proud, giddie ſort of Profeſſors, firſt made Separatiſts or Anabaptiſts, and perhaps more (for the moſt part of them) and then drawn futher by Popiſh ſubtlety, and now headed with ſome ſecret diſſembling Friars, and by them, and by the devil, enraged againſt the Miniſters of Christ, and ſet upon the propagating of the ſubſtance of Popery.
If You ask me, how I know that it is Papiſts who thus ſeduce them? I anſwer, 1. Becauſe they do the Papiſts work, and maintain their cauſe, as far as yet they dare venture to bring it forth; I could tell you of abundance of Popery that the Quakers and Behmenists maintain; As that the Pope is not Antichrist (which is at least to their advantage whether Popery or not) and the diſgracing and ſecret undermining the ſufficiency of the Scripture, the decrying of the Miniſtry, the unchurching of our Churches, the ſlieghting of Juſtification by Imputed Righteouſneſſe, and drawing men to the admiration of their inherent righteouſneſse, and of their works, the crying up the light within us, and the ſufficiency of common revelation, the ſetting up the ſtrength of mans free-will, the aſserting the neceſsity of a Judge of Controverſie above Scripture (which they are content ſhould be the Spirit of Revelations a while, till they can boldlier exchange that for the Pope) the extolling of Monaſticall Community and Virginity, and alienation from worldly emploiments, the doctrine of Perfection without ſinne in this life, with many more of the like nature: All this the Papiſts have taught the Quakers. If You ſay, They might learn it without them; I would ask you whether in all theſe great Points you think the Papiſts are righter then the Reformed Churches? If you ſay they be, ſpeak out, and confeſs your ſelf a Papist; If You ſay they be not, then who think you ſhould reveal all this Poperie to the Quakers; Not the Spirit of God, for he is not the Authour of Poperie or any falſhood; If it were the devil, then it ſeems that Poperie and the Quakers Faith is hatched by the Prince of darkneſſe; And whether it were Frias or Devils, or both, that make Quakers, it's not worth the while to diſpute, as long as we know that it is Poperie that they hold, and the devil befriendeth it.
Perhaps You will ſay, That they hold many certain Truths, they cry down Pride and Drunkenneſſe, and worldlineſſe, and cry up Mortification, and Charitie, and Humilitie. I anſwer. And do not we do ſo as well as they? Theſe are Points where we are agreed with the Papiſts: Do You think that God would extraordinarily ſend theſe men to preach down the very ſame ſinnes which are commonly preacht down alreadie, better then they can do it, by thoſe men whom they reproach? All that is good among them, is only that which is as common among us, and I hope a little better maintained and managed; And all that wherein they differ from us is their Popiſh and heretical errours.
2. But to give you further ſatisfaction, it is known by certain proof, that it is the Papiſts that do ſeduce and head them: Many of themſelves have confeſt ſuch things, and their preſent induſtrie among us is well known (which that they may proceed in with leſse impediment, they are the Zealous Defendors of Univerſall Toleration, or Libertie for Propagating ſoul-poyſoning Doctrines, for all the torments of the Inquiſition in other Countreys.) Have you not ſeen a Sheet of Paper Publiſhed by M. Prin, Containing an Oath of a Citizen of Briſtol taken before the Magiſtrates of that Citie? I will tranſcribe You the Depoſstion lest You have not ſeen it.
The Information of George Cowliſhaw of the City of Briſtol Ironmonger, taken the 22. Day of Januarie. 1654.
WHo informeth on his Oath, that in the MonethMonth of September laſt, this Informant had ſome Diſcourſe in Briſtol with one M. Coppinger; an Iriſh man, formerly a Schoolfellow of his, that came thither purpoſely for his paſſage into Ireland, who told this Informant, that he had lived in Rome and Italy eight or nine years, and had taken upon him the Order of a Friar of the Franciſcan Company; And he told this Informant, that he had been at London lately for ſome Moneths, and whileſt he was there, he had been at all the Churches and Meetings, Publike and Private that he could hear of, and that none came ſo near him as the Quakers: And being at a Meeting of the Quakers he here met with two of his Acquaintance in Rome (the which two Perſons were of the ſame Franciſcan Order and Company) that were now become chief Speakers among the Quakers, and he himſelf had ſpoken among the Quakers in London about thirty times, and was well approved of amongſt them. And this Informant further ſaith, that the ſaid M. Coppinger asked him, What kinde of Opinions in Religion there were in Briſtol? And this Informant told him there were ſeverall Opinions and judgements, and not naming any Opinions of the Quakers, the ſaid M. Coppinger asked him, whether there had been any Quakers in Briſtol? And the ſaid Informant anſwered him, No; Whereupon the ſaid M. Coppinger told him the ſaid Informant two or three times, that if he did love his Religion and his ſoul, he ſhould not hear them, whereupon this Informant told him, that he thought none of them would come to Briſtol, who expreſly replied, that if this Informant would give him 5 pound he would make it 500 pounds if ſome Quakers did not come to Bristol within three weeks or a monethmonth then following. And on the morrow following the ſaid Coppinger departed from this City for Ireland his native place, and about 18 daies after, there came to this City two Perſons that bare the name of Quakers.
This is a true Copy of the Original Information taken upon Oath Jan. 22. laſt at Briſtol, before the Town-Clerk and Magiſtrates of the City.
IF you further ask me, Why the Papiſts are ſo diligent in theſe kinde of works? I anſwer, Their Tyranicall Faction and Schiſm is maintained by works of darkneſſe and unconſcionable deceits; And they know in ſuch works as theſe they are not like to loſe their labour, they have ſo many ſeverall ends which they hope to attain; Some they may bring directly to Popery it ſelf, Some they bring to a great part of Popery before they know where they are; All of them they procure to do their work in diſgracing the Miniſtry, and many of them in disparaging the Scripture: At leſt they know when men are looſened from all former grounds, they are readier to receive a new Impreſſion; Alſo by this meanes they think to make the multitudes of Sects, and the madneſſe of them to be a ſhame to our Religion; And by this Argument they turn many others to their ſide: They uſe from hence to aſſault our common ungrounded Proteſtants, and ſay, You may ſee now what it is to depart from the Unity of the Romane Catholike Church (for ſo they will needs call their trancendant ſchiſm.) And when they talk among their own followers in France, Italy, and other Countreys, they mightily frem hence confirm them in their errours, and do ſo aggravate the Hireſiies and Sects among us which themſelves have cheriſhed, that they make the world abroad believe that the Proteſtants or Reformers in England are almoſt all running ſtark mad, and even given over to the devil to poſſeſs and move and ſhake their bodies, and that we are broken into ſo many ſhreds and pieces, that we are almoſt So many men ſo many mindes, and have now no face of a Church among us, eſpecially having the advantage of the ſuffrages of ſome few over-angry Divines among our ſelves, who (on another ground) comply with the Separatiſts, affirming that we have no true Churches, where there is not the Epiſcopal preheminence; You ſee then what game the Papiſts play in their fomenting of their Sects, and what uſe they make of them at home and abroad.
To conclude, I entreat you to conſider well of the ſenſe of theſe paſſages in the holy Scriptures, Eph 4. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. where you may ſee that Christs Officers or Miniſters are ſetled by him in his Church for the edification, unity, and (at laſt) the perfecting of the body, and the preſerving of the poor people from the ſnares of ſuch Seducers [that we henceforth be no more Children toſſed to and fro, and carried about with every winde of Doctrine by the ſleight of men, and cunning craftineſſe, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.] Young unſetled Novices and proud ſelf-conceited Profeſſors and Opinioniſts are like a bundle of feathers toſt up and down, and carried that way as the winde of temptation driveth them.
1 Cor. 11. 18, 19. [When ye come together in the Church, I here that there be diviſions among you, and I partly beleeve it; For there muſt be alſo Hereſies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifeſt among you:] I pray you mark here what Gods end is in permitting theſe Diviſions and Hereſies among us? They are the winde that muſt ſift us and ſhew us which was the wheat and which the chaff. This triall is to prove you and all of us, and ſee whether we are light or ſolid, approved and ſound in the faith, or hypocrites; If this triall turn you quite over to the diviſion of Separation and Anabaptiſm, and to the Hereſie of the Quakers, we ſhall know that you were before a proud, giddy, unſetled Novice, not approved of God nor ſound at the heart. And it's an exellent work of God, thus to prepare for the great Iudgement, and make ſuch an open diſcovery of ſuperficial, proud, unſanctified men; For as it's ſaid 1 Joh. 2. 19. [They went out from us but they were not of us; for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us, but they went out that they might be made manifeſt that they were not all of us.] The Lord open your eyes, and humble your heart, and acquaint you with your great darkneſſe and imperfections, and with the ſufficiency of holy Scriptures, and the neceſſity of his Order and Miniſtry, and the need that you have of thoſe Guides whom you deſpiſe, and the obedience and ſubmiſſion that you owe them, and the excellency of the Churches Unity, and the miſchief of all diviſions and hereſies, and recover you from their ſnares.
Your true Friend, RICHARD BAXTER,