Quakerism the Path-Way to Paganism, Postscript
A POSTSCRIPT.
Christian Reader.
IF I could weep out this Postscript, or write it with teares of blood, I am convinced it would be short of that just signification of deep sorrow; which I judge dutie; and wherewith the souls of all the lovers of our Lord Jesus Christ in sinceritie, should be swelled, in this day, even to an overflowing, while their ears are filled and made to tingle with the din of that doctrine of Devils droping from the …ongues, and falling from the pens of Satans Ministers and Amanuenses: Neither falls it under any debat with me, if thou have any love to the precious souls of men, whether thou wilt look upon the persons of these principles, and perswasion, as the most compassion-moveing and heart-melting object, that ever was seen or heard of amongst any sort of men, since God made man upon the earth, or the Devil enticed and prevailed with men, to murther their own soul by an insurrection against God, and pure opposition to his Christ: Or if thou hast any love to him, who loved, and so loved poor sinners, as he gave himself for them; (and if any man love him not, the Anathema Maranatha, which these desperat dreamers cannot escape, must fall upon him) thou canst not heare, read or consider what horrid? What hell-hatched, bold▪ blasphemies this blake brood belcheth forth against him, without a transport of horrour, and crying out with the Prophet, Oh that my head were waters, & mine eyes a fountain of teares, that I might weep day and night! Oh that I had in the wildernesse a lodging place of a way-fareing man, that I might live without the noise of the hellish bellowings, which burst forth at the blake mouths of these, whose rage against the Saviour of sinners, and the alone way of salvation by him, shews them to be set on fire of hell. And as I am perswaded if these poor creatures were not smitten with judicial blindnesse of mind and heardnesse of heart, they would sooner jump in hell, then so far outdoe Devils in blaspheming the holy one of God; so I nothing doubt, upon the oth…r hand, but it would eat the marrow out of all thy mirth, and make thy moisture drop out at thine eye, to consider that ever the name of Christ, that blessed name, was called upon a company of poor catives, who, in renuncing him, and riseing up against him, appeare monsters of a sise and shape, of a bulk and bignesse, of a malice and bitternesse, beyond any that ever the Devil listed under his blake banner, or engaged in an opposition against the Saviour of sinners: Nay, as to my self, I must professe, if some of them had not been known before to be really men, I would suspect them to be true Devils in disguise. But now it must satisfie us to know them to be men possessed of him. And so our next work is to think what is dutie as to these demoniacks; which needs no long demur; for sure the first hast, as to these poor possessed creatures, is to haste to carry them on our knees to Jesus Christ, even that Christ whom they b…aspheme, and cry, have mercy upon them. It is true, they would abhorre and hate us the more for this, and complain that this were to torment them before the time; But that doth the more certainly prove their possession, and makes the thing the more unquestionably our dutie; for hereby its manifest, (yea put out of all doubt by these abominations, which proceed out of their mouths, and the dawbings of their blasphemous pens,) that they are under the power of and possessed by the same Spirit, which cryed out of that poor creature, what have we to do with thee, thou Iesus of Nazareth (this is pure and perfect Quakerisme, and the very Spirit that possesseth them, and speaks out of them) or a worse and more heterodox Devil; (if such a word might be made use of in the case) for they were in some sort cured, if they were brought the length of that Devils Confession, Who said, I know thee who thou art, the holy one of God: At least all that they talke of this holy one of God, and the Testimony that they give him is upon the same devilish designe, that this holy One, the true Iesus, the Christ of God, may not be believed in, but opposed. Oh that he, who alone can say the word & do the thing, would once say, hold thy peace and come out of them! It were no great matter, though they should be torne & thrown in the midle, if he were driven out of them; for it is rare for Devils to get such a possession, but when he sees he can hold it no longer, he endeavours to breake down or burne the house, out of which he is driven. And though of all men in the world there is least hope of them (for their disease lyeth in blaspheming the very remedie of sin, and the alone releife of self destroyed sinners;) Yet because we know not, whether the righteous Lord, for holy ends and just causes, may not suffer for a season some of the Elect, whom it is impossible finally to deceive, thus to be possessed; we would set about this work of prayer on their behalfe, yea earnest prayer, adding fasting thereto: for if ever there was a Devil, of whom it holds true, this sort goeth not out but by fasting and prayer, it holds true as to that Devil, that dw…lls in them, and speaks out of them. We would essay therefore to strain our own souls, in lifting up a prayer on their behalfe (without offering to limite him) and seek so to save them if possible with fear, pulling them out of the fire; for they are more them halfe in hell already, when they are become dens for such a Devil, as dwells in them, and drives them. If we hereby obtained no more, yet our love to our blasphemed Lord Jesus Christ, and to these perishing souls, who, through Satans malice and their own madnesse, are thus acted, would be manifested; and our prayer, if it did not prevaile as to them, would returne into our own bosome. And besides, this migh be the reward of serious wrestling with God on this behalfe, that that Devil, who drives them at this rate of opposition to his Christ, should be seen to be the Devil, and so the snare would be broken, and the elect preserved from falling in it, and the folly of these reprobats concerning the faith, these Ianneses and Iambreses, who resist the truth, and withstand a greater then Moses, might be made so manifest to all men, as they should proceed no further.
Secondly, I judge this monstruous appearance of men, so madded against Christ, and the alone way of salvation by him, cals aloud to all, upon whom the blessed name of Christ is called, to fall a weeping and pouring out their hearts before him, in the remembrance of the procuring cause, whereby the just and holy Lord hath been provoked to let loose such a Spirit, and leave so many souls to be seised upon by him, as we see (O sad sight!) are become a prey to him in this generation, and are taken (and held by the cords of their own consent) captives of him at his will. Alas! we may read, in this allaruming and wrath-speaking dispensation, the high and hot displeasure of God at our sin, in not prizeing this glorious Gospel of the Grace of God, wherein life and immortalitie is brought to light; mens not truthing it in love, or receiving the love of the truth; mens pleasing themselves with names, and pursuing of notions, while Christ was not received to dwell in the heart by faith; their not departing from iniquitie, on whom the name of Christ was called, and who seemed to call on his name, hath been the bitter root springing up in these spruts of hell, whereby the Church is this day troubled, & so many are defiled with this leprosie and soul-destroying contagion. This, this is that root, which hath brought forth these cursed fruits; Because after all the pains he had been at, to reforme his Church, and setle pure ordinances amongst us; Yet our scum remained in us, and there were so few who made it their work, to walk worthie of the Lord to all pleasing, and to render unto him according to the benefite received; therefore he suffered Abaddon to plant that vine of Sodom, within the pale of his visible Church, and in that vineyard, on which he had taken so much pains; because it brought not forth fruit unto him, by whom it was dressed, and it hath been most fertil in bringing forth these grapes of gall and bitter clusters; and he hath conduced many trafficquers for him (which he could not have found without the pale of the visible Church; nay which he could not have found in any Church, but in a Church, on which so much pains had been taken, and wherein ordinances had been setled in such puritie) to tread these grapes of gall, and vend this wine to poor souls, which is the poison of Dragons, and the cruel venome of Aspes; and they are hell-busie, for he must run whom such a Devil drives, though it be down a steep place, as is manifest in this Barclay, and his complices, who are long breathed in compassing sea and land, to proselyt poor souls, and poison them beyond the power of an Antidot; for then mercy it self is engaged to destroy them, by their trampleing under foot that blood of the Covenant, whereby the blessed surtie was sanctified, or whereby he sanctified, seperat, and set himself a part for their sakes, for whom he became a propitiation; I say, we are to remember the peccant and procureing cause of all this. Alas! how may many remember their laughing, at the first appearance of this prodigie, and making light of the matter, with shame and confusion of face? How may they, under the conviction of their guilt in this matter, go groaning to their graves? O will it not be an indelible marke of infamie, and an evidence that we knew not the signes of the times, and what they called us to do? Will it not be a reproach never to be rolled away from this generation, that one day, upon the Devils appearance in this shape, to destroy the all of Christianitie at once, was not set apart in all the Churches of Brittan and Ireland, to weep before the Lord; Yea day after day by common consent? Shall the posteritie heare that this was not done, and yet heare that we were alive when cursed Naylour, (whose name and notions will be for a curse to all that love the name of our Lord Jesus Christ for ever,) appeared upon the stage? Shall it be recorded how in his Bristol-road, and what followed upon it, he outdid the very Devil; and also heare, that what was acted against Christ the Lord, did not put us all to cry upon our knees and weep day and night before him, (and here by the way give me leave to insert a Parenthesis, this unhappie Author R. Barclay boasts in his Vniversal love, that they have not the name of any particular person called upon them, as other sects (so he calls them) have: I shall not here tell him what of untruth is in this vain boast, for whose name is called upon the Antinomians, &c. nor shall I suggest the difficultie a person of as happie an ingine and invention, as he tells us he is, would have found, if he had set himself to essay the designeing of them by a particular name; seing they have monpolized, and soudred into one masse, all the most damnable heresies ever came out of hell; and so in their Camp are congregat and mustered against Christ all particular heresies, whereby under several Leaders the Saviour hath been opposed from the beginning. But this I'le say and confes…e unto him, there was a wrong done them, that they were not called Naylorists; i. e. the most perfect audacious opposers of Christ, that ever the Devil brought on the stage; and that their doctrine, instead of Quakerisme, was not called Naylorisme, i. e. the purest blasphemie against Christ, that ever any of Abbadon's brood belched forth: And therefore hereafter I shall, since they are his very spawn, and as like him as if he had spitted them out of his mouth, doe them that piece of justice, as to designe them Naylorists, i. e. Blasphemers of Christ; for the Devil should have his due) may not the very caul of our heart be rent in this reflexion? Gracious Hezekiahs zeal (and I dar say upon a lesse clamant emergent, and a lesse crimson blasphemie) will rise up in judgement against the luke warmnesse of this generation: and our liveing in such a day, and not lamenting before the Lord, will witnesse that we had outlived our zeal, and be too plain a proof that our holy fire was gone out, since our heart did not boile over at our eye, on the seeing and hearing of such a thing. Oh if at last we would awake and weep, that we had been a sleep, while Satan was so busie in sowing these tares!
Thirdly, We would labour each of us to have our souls deeply impressed with the preciousnesse of Christ, and the absolut necessitie of making use of him for salvation; for the Devils great and manifest designe is by these his Trustees and Traffickers, to dispute men and debauch their spirits, into a contempt of the precious Saviour, and that great salvation, which is purchased by his death; and never since he began hath he made use of a mean, which hath so cleare and close a connexion with that end. Now Christ can be precious to none, he can be prized by none, who is not vile in his own eyes: he who lives not within sight of his own loathsome leprosie, and who is a stranger to the plague of his own heart, will reject the counsel of God against himself, and despise the great salvation. And it is cleare beyond debate, that the Devil, do his best, can never proselyt any man into this delusion and damnable haeresie of Naylorisme, (ali…s Quakerisme) till, as the God of this world, he have first perfectly blinded their minds, that he may harden their hearts, into a final rejection of the true Christ, the Saviour, as the alone and onelyonly way to be clothed with a suffic…ent righteousnesse, and cleansed from all that filthinesse of the flesh and Spirit, whereby they are defiled; and from which they can onelyonly be cleansed by that blood, which these blasphemers tred under foot. Let every one therefore, who would keep himself in the love of God and of Christ, keep his finger upon his sore, that his eye may be keept …xed upon the remedie; for if the Devil get not his finger into a mans eye, and blind fold him as to the uptakings of his own miserie and the precious remedie, he will never turne him into a Naylorist, that he may turne and tumble him into hell with his own c…nsent. Study thy self, till what thou seest force thee to say, I am the cheife of all sinners; and then all that the Devil can say to the contrare, will never put thee from thinking it is a saying faithful, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ came in the world to save sinners. Growing in this grace of the right knowledge of a mans self, and of our Lord Jesus Christ, is the onelyonly expedient to defeat the designe, he drives by these drivers, and to be preserved from being led away with the errour of these wicked.
Fourthly, Study to know the great principles of the Oracles of God, and to have these impressed upon thy soul; that so, when assaulted by Satan, thou mayest hold fast that truth, which can onelyonly make thee free: And let the fallings away of others make thee the more closely cleave to that blessed Guid, who leadeth in all truth. In a word. Let each one be busie in studying the word of God, and his own heart; and be much in holding up his heart to him, who writs the Law in it, that so his heart may become the Epistle of Christ; and then he is guarded against taking on blasphemous and cursed Naylors blake marke. Let the sad sight of that swarme of Apostats put thee to studie to know the truth in its power and sweetnesse: And then, when by the fallings away of others, Christ is saying unto thee, wilt thou also leave me; thou will answer, with that man, whither shall I go from thee, for thou hast the words of eternal life? This will blessedly arrest the soul to an aboad with him, when others will be carried away, and never be seen any more to walk in Christs company.
Now to make thee give thy self in some seriousnesse to studie the precious Truths of God, and to know him, whom to know is life eternal; thou mayest observe (and be provoked to that exercise by thy observation) what the Devil, who is still going about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, is a doing, and what he is thereby designing: When he had for a long time bawled and blasphemed in not our non-sense, lest his trade should decay, and the market of these traffickers for the souls of men (for the precious souls of men are the commoditie they deal in) should misse their marke, to the end that he may make merchandise still of such, with feigned and fair words, he prompts some to polish as well as they can with their parts and pen these blasphemies, and give them some colour; for which service, his Apostle, the Author of the Theses and Apologie, is shaped and set apart, as the sharpest and neatest pen.
I shall not here, as I intended, digresse into observations upon the addresse of this book, wherein he Chartals all the learned men in the world; since it can escape no mans observation, who reads his book with judgement, and compares it with the addresse, that this novice, being lifted up with pride, is fallen into the condemnation of the Devil. Neither shall I take upon me to hint any thing, as to the bulk of the abominations, wrapt up in his voluminous fardell of blasphemie (that being so excellently handled by what thou hast read in this exquisitly cleare Examen:) OnelyOnly, as it seems, that as the Devil thought to serve himself by a Barclaij Argenis, the scope whereof was to teach how effectually to destroy Protestant Religion, and swallow up the Truth in the See and sinck of Romes abominations; so we have a second Barclaij Argenis, the scope of which is, under sceptick and introverted notions, and new coined names, to destroy Christianity, and introduce pure Paganisme; and thus with a confidence peculiar to that partie, and like him who prompted him to the undertaking, he would rant and Romance us into heathenisme.
But since he hath taken upon him to give us a Confession of a kinde of faith, (after he and his complices have made shipwracke of precious faith, and flout without fear at the faith of Gods elect) which is a systeme of Paganisme; And since he hath published to the world the Naylorists Alcoran, whereby he intends, as Mahomet's Mufti, to Mustelman the Christian world, and Mancipat us to the Turks gallies or worse: The Good Lord, to prevent the Devil and this desperado's designe, hath found out and fitted for the undertaking amongst the men, whom of all others he most despiseth and abhorreth, the singularly acute, solidly learned and truely gracious Author, who hath in his Masters cause and strength undertaken the work, and taken this Turke to taske, and, in his convincingly cleare examen, so discussed and dissected that carcase and carrion of all abominations, as by the light of that Spirit of truth, which hath led him in the Examen, he hath manifestly discovered Barclay's pretended Revelations to be the horrid illusions, and hellish suggestions of a Spirit of a blaker colour, then Mahomets pigeon, and himself to be the Devil in Samuels mantle, perswadeing us by the assistance of his Mephystophilus, instead of putting on the Lord Jesus Christ, that we may be found clothed upon with that rob of his righteousnesse, that so the shame of our nakednesse may not appeare, to put on I know not what, something common to us with heathens, who never heard of Christ, a Iapan gown; and place ourselves when we have done, in the expectation of the Turkes Paradise, or of none.
When Satan, in pursueance of his project, having gotten possession of this poor vainling, and swelled him with the conceit of that felicitie of understanding, whereof he boasts in his Vniversal love. (But more truely a plain discoverie of an Vniversal hatred to the Gospel of the Grace of God) he puts him on, having puffed him up, to publish to the world, what he had poisoned the poor creatures spirit with, thereby to leaven the spirits of men with this hell-hatched heresie. And now this parturient mountain, having with a great stridor and Nayloristick noise, to the end he may be heard in all Europe, peched out this Pagan mouse: Reader, there is no jest here. Alas! there is no matter of jest, when the Devil is in so nettle earnest to destroy all, and makes use of this poor creature for that end; I onelyonly make use of a known Proverb, commonly made use of, in the like case) he thinks by the felicitie of his ingine, he is able so to pourtrey and paint this Pagan birth, as to make poor simple and shallow us, short of his searching and soaring wit, believe it is an Angel; and he endeavours to cloth this brat of his own deluded brain in such a buske, as will make every one, who sees its face, fond of it, and fall in love with its beautie. But he is mistaken; for so long as the light of this glorious Gospel doth shine amongst us, every one that is led by that true light will perceive by the face, feature and foaming of this brate, he hath brought forth, that it is hellborne, and that it is a Demon incubus, who hath begotten it, to which the Pagan Parent hath prostitute his darkened understanding. Nay I suppose, and not without ground, that if the Devil, who drave the Author on, and was at the dictating of these dreames, had his Doctors Dictats againe in his hand, he would bury or burne them, ere he subjected them to such an Examen, whereby the Authors Hell-Craft, or to please the Naylorist, in speaking in their own dialect, witchcraft, is so manifestly detected, as Satan, who set him on, missed his marke in driveing his deluded Trustee to belch forth what was so blake; as now, after the discoverie made by this Examen, it passeth the power of his blake art, to give it any colour, besids his own who is its true Father. Moreover, I doubt not to say, if the Author of these Theses and Apologie be not brought to see and acknowledge the blakenesse and abominablnesse of his Errors, by the shineing light and sharpenesse of this Examen, it is not because there is not a sufficiency of Scripture light, in what is by the judicious Author adduced; but because Satan hath engaged the Author of that Apologie in an opposition to the truth, beyond a retreat; and then what might otherwise prove a remedie, must fret the disease, and fire him into a heat of hellish indignation, to see his desperat designe so far defeat, as the light which he intended to darken and extinguish, shines more brightlie, after the smoake of the pit which came out of his mouth is blown away, and the truth in its radiant beautie and brightnesse is the more cleared up, that he essayed to overcloud it.
But that I may not exceed the length and limits of a Postscript, let me desire these things of every Professor of the name of Christ shortly; First, seriously to peruse and ponder this Examen, for thy own establishment in the truth: But more particularly (since the arrogant, here answered, did addresse himself to Clergiemen as he calls them and students,) let me beseech and obtest both Ministers and Students of Divinitie to a serious perusal and pondering of this piece, not onelyonly as the most full, cleare and satisfying confutation of the hellblake abominations of that prating and perverse gang of enemies to Christ, that hath, si…e the dismal appearance of that prodigious partie, come from any pen (for though I do not designe to derogat from the due praise of those worthy servants of Christ, who have stood up for truth, and withstood these blasphemers of Christ, for which their name shall be favourie, and their praise in the Church, yet none of them had a compleat systeme of all their wicked dreames to answer, till the Author of these Thesis and Apologie undertook to give it us▪ and now it is answered.) But also because the partie here dealt with having first swallowed down, and then vomit up what ever is mortal to the immortal soul amongst other Adversaries to Christ, beside these dottages peculiar to themselves, here thou hast a most learned and elaborat refutation of all these now grosse and grassant errors, whereby the souls of men are in hazard to be murthered, and the truth corrupted by these perverters of the Gospel of Christ; such as Arminianisme and Socinianisme, &c. And I am sure, by the diligent perusal of what is here brought to thy hand, and the blessing of God upon thy pains, thou maiest not onelyonly be singularly edified, established and built up in the most holy faith, but put in case to speake with all the enemies of the Grace of God in the gate; and if this may excite thee, I professe that by the reading hereof I have found my self confirmed in the truth, and much established in that doctrine, which is according to godlinesse. And forget not to blesse the Lord for his goodnesse to his Church, in preserving beyond expectation the Authors life, and for enabling him and holding his hand, as in all the several encounters he hath had, with the Adversaries to the truth, so in a remarkable manner and measure in this rancountre with the Naylorists Goliah, he hath been helped to dis…over these depths of Satan, which are in their doctrine; so that this Naylorist may well hereafter sprawl & spurne, but a solid reply is beyond the felicitie of his understanding. And every on will judge, he hath but little reason to boast of that felicitie, if he be so unhappily dull, as not to understand this. But if he intend a reply he had better cause some bold bawler undertake it, and instead of all other refutation, tell the learned and judicious Author, that he is in the Imagination and Witchcraft, and this will be the short cut: And if he will take my advice, he will finde it the saifest course: onelyonly let him remember that this course will be a confession in obliquo, that Goliah's head is cut off, and now the whole host of these uncircumcised Philistims must flee from the face and force of a little Presbyterian David.
But to such as are not able to follow & fathom the Authors reach, or have not so much time as thorowly to peruse this large examen (though I would have every one to have it by him, that he might, in their perversions of the Scripture, have recourse to it for a help to be cleared) I would besides other pieces particularly recommend a little piece lately published, called a short survey of Quakerisme, wherein the Author hath solidly a…d clearly said much in little, for guarding the people of the Lord against the contagion of these soul-murthering heresies. But above all (and with this I close all) that thou mayest be able to stand, when so many, once looked upon as persons of some understanding, have fallen, gird thy loins about with the truth of the Scriptures, O prize the word of God, that blessed word, which these men contradict and contemne, as if they would be avenged upon the Scriptures, First, for foretelling that such a race of Runagadoes from the truth would arise; whereby we are confirmed, that they are the word of the living God; Secondly because of their passing sentence upon them, when arisen, as seducers, and condemning their sentiments as the doctrines of Devils; Thirdly, because they most peremptorily inhibite us under the pain of his displeasure, who hath given us these Scriptures for our rule, to converse with such deceivers, or receive the… into our houses; and charge all, who would not fall into the same snare, and so bring sore and swift damnation on themselves, to stand aloof from the men of these abominable and damnable heresies. And you are the rather to observe and do this, that you finde Satan rageth and goeth mad, if this be urged; and no wonder, since he knowes well what he hath gained by the contrarie practice, and is very sure that he, who breaks so cleare a command, hath wrested himself out of the hand of his guid; an… so hath put himself out of case to pray or hope for leading, which Satan knowing and observing, way-layes him, when he hath him in his own Synagogue, or conversing unnecessarily with his domesticks, and thinks himself sure of him: And Alas! the successe often answers his expectation. And therefore he who put that deluded soul to draw up & de…ile paper with this systeme, and compound of all abominations, doth prompt him in the next place to penne & publish a piece, which he calls Vniversal love, just of a piece and complexion with cursed Naylor's love to the lost (for the men are of the same core and kidney, composed of hatred to the Gospel; so that if you receive their expressions of love to the lost, you are lost) however this is a prettie page and pimp to his Apologie, and weares its livery, and is calculat exactly for the designe of Apollyon. O so kinde as they will appeare! as kinde as the cruel spider to the flee, who, while it seems to embrace and kisse it, kills it with poison. Let them be but warmely welcomed, and have accesse to whisper you in the eare, and drop-in their poison at that passage, it will quickly reach your soul, and flee up into your head, and so distract you with themselves, into a pure and perfect hatred of the way of Salvation; but I must tell you, he, who would not have the Devil run away with him to hell, should not throw himself in his embraces, or suffer that evil one, that liar and murtherer to come so neer him as to touch him.
Much about the same time also (at least much about the same time both came to my hand) his brother in iniquitie George Keith, in answer (as he calls it) to a Postscript to Mr Rutherfoords letters, written on purpose to disswade all the Lovers of Jesus Christ to converse with these his stated enemies, flies furiously into the face of that Author; and in his furious transport foams out in that piece his own shame. Concerning which at present I have onelyonly this to say to the Reader, that he may expect ere long to have G. Keiths notions examined by the same person, who hath answered his brothers Apologie: and for what relates more particularly to the Postscript it self, against which he rageth, he may expect to have it considered by the Author of the Postscript. But not to detain thee longer, consider … beseech thee, and comply with that serious and seasonable exhortation given by this same Author, in the preface to this sharp discoverie an… solid confutation of these damnable doctrines. If not, I must tell thee, this piece shall rise up in judgement against all, who over the belly of so cleare a discovery of the damnablenesse of these delusions and dreams, will without feare expose themselves to the hazard of being bewitched by the Seducers. But I hope better things of thee, though I thus speake, and so wishing thy soul prosperitie and establishment in the truth, I bid thee fareweel; and am
Thy servant for Christ, and souls well wisher. R. M. C.