Confutation of the Quakers, Section 11
SECT. XI. The Quakers ſhewed to be the common ſink of all the Hereſies of our times, and a parallel betwixt them and former Hereticks.
IT hath been obſerved, that after the Chriſtian world had been infeſted for a long time together with multitudes of curſed errours and hereſies; at length, Popery prevailing in the Weſt and North, and Mahumetaniſme in the Eaſt and South, they were all ſwallowed up in theſe two, as in two great gulfes or common ſewers of all that filthy puddle of falſe doctrine. See Danaeus de hereſ. cap. 95, 96. In like manner, we find amongſt our ſelves, that thoſe filthy and abominable errours that have ſprung up in theſe late years of tolleration ſo plentifully, do moſt of them center in Quakeriſm, and this is become the common ſink of them all. And indeed there are very few, if any at all, (beſides ſome groſly ignorant perſons that have not made any profeſſion of godlineſſe) who are now lead away by the Quakers, but ſuch as have formerly apoſtatized from the truth, and been infected with the leaven of Anabaptiſme, or Antinomianiſme, Arminianiſme, or Socinianiſme, Familiſme, or Libertiniſme, &c. So that this Serpent of Quakeriſme hath threatned to devour up all theſe other Serpents, and ſo to become the Dragon that perſecutes the Churches in theſe Nations. Now, how juſtly may this render the way of Quakeriſme ſuſpected to the weakeſt and moſt ſimple of all, in that thoſe that follow it have long ſince left the way of truth, and been unſtable, running after every new way of errour, and ſcarſe any one that hath been accounted a knowing and ſtable Chriſtian doth follow after them?
It will not be unprofitable if I here annex a ſhort parallel betwixt the Quakers and ſome wicked Hereticks in former times; for hereby it may appeare, that their doctrines are not ſuch new and glorious truths as they would pretend them to be; but old and accurſed hereſies, newly raked out of hell, and the very ſmoake of the bottomeleſſe pit: If the reader ſhall ſee ſo much agreement betwixt them and the vileſt enemies of the truth that have been in former times, he will be convinced thereby ther's little reaſon any ſhould be taken with Quakeriſme; I ſhall begin with ſome of thoſe Hereticks ſpoken of in Scripture, and ſhew what agreement is betwixt the Quakers and them.
One would think the Quakers ſhould not be guilty of any great complyance with the Phariſees, ſeeing they ſo much reproach others with the nick-name of Phariſees, but alack this is but ſuch a trick as he playd, that called his honeſt neighbour theife firſt, that his neighbours accuſation againſt him might not be credited: there are many things wherein the Phariſees and Quakers notably agree.
The Phariſees were bitter enemies of Jeſus Chriſt, and conſpired to deſtroy him; and no leſſe enemies to him are the Quakers, they quite annihilate and deſtroy (as much as in them lyeth) his manhood. For they deny that he hath an humane created ſoul (ſo Richard Hubberthorne expreſly in a letter ſent to my ſelf) and can he be a man that hath not an humane ſoul? and no better do they deal with his body, for that they make never to have riſen from the dead, as was before ſhewed; indeed ſometimes they will ſay he aroſe from the grave (as Hubberthorne in the letter aforeſaid, ſaith) but in the next words he ſhewes it was in the ſame perſon in which he was when the world was made: it ſeems this is all the Man-Chriſt they now own. Further, the Phariſees were zealous for the righteouſneſſe of the Law, but enemies to the Doctrine of Juſtification by faith: So the Quakers, as was ſhewed before in the Section of Juſtification. The Phariſees placed all their Religion in outward obſervances: So the Quakers as was before ſhewed. The Phariſees pretended much ſeeming ſanctity, gravity, auſterity, when inwardly full of wickedneſſe: So the Quakers would ſeem holy, auſtere, but are full of railing and bitterneſſe. The Phariſees stood much on trivial things, mint, commine, and annice; So the Quakers, upon cloaths, hats, thou, yea, nay, &c. The Phariſees truſted on their owne righteouſneſſe, and deſpiſed others: So the Quakers would be accounted the only holy perſons, and call others Dogges, Swine, Devils. The Phariſees uſed much ſeverity over their bodies, abſtinence, faſting, which God commanded not: So the Quakers. The Phariſees would be eſteemed extraordinary for holineſſe, and have their ſayings received for Oracles: So the Quakers ſay they are perfect, and what they ſpeak or write all is infallible and muſt not be queſtioned. The Phariſees were horrible corrupters of the Scriptures, Matth. 5. So the Quakers, as hath been ſhewed. The Phariſees were raſh cenſurers of others, John 7.19. & 10.20. Mat. 11.19. So the Quakers. The Phariſees would compaſſe ſea and land to make a Proſelite, whereby he became twofold a child of hell more then before: So the Quakers, what an (exact harmony is here twixt theſe two ſects?
We read in Scripture of another Sect called Sadduces; and with them alſo the Quakers have ſome agreement. Theſe pretend to righteouſneſs, taking their name from Sedek (as Joſephus ſhews) which ſignifies juſt; So the Quakers pretend hereunto. The Sadduces deny the Reſurrection of the body, Mat. 22.23. Act. 23.8. So the Quakers: Herein alſo they agree with Hymeneus and Philetus who made it paſt already, acted ſpiritually in men here, 2 Tim. 2.18. The Sadduces denied Heaven and Hell, rewards and puniſhments in the world to come, as Joſephus reports: So the Quakers, as was before proved. The Sadduces denied Angels and Spirits: The Quakers, deny the ſpirit or ſoul of man diſtinct from God; for Hubberthorne againſt Sherl ſaith, the Scriptures ſpeak not of an humane ſoul. Were it neceſſary I could ſhew their agreement with many ancient Hereticks in the ages ſucceeded the Apoſtles, they agree with the Arians and Eunomians in denying Chriſt to have an humane ſoul; with the Manichees in making the ſoul in a man a part of the being of God. With Adamites in going naked. With Antitrinitarians, Jews and Turks in denying the Trinity; (yet the Turks, though they deny the Trinity, do own the Man Jeſus Chriſt more then they, for in their Alkoran, they ſay he is a great Prophet, and ſhall come to judge the world at the laſt day, and therefore are better Chriſtians then the Quakers.) They agree with Pelagians in their conceit of the ſufficiency of the common grace given to all men: With Socinians in ſlighting Chriſts ſatisfaction, and denying it to be our righteouſneſſe before God, and in making Chriſt a figure: With the Anabaptiſts in denying the lawfulneſſe of oathes, and of Infant-baptiſme: With the Familiſts in turning all the Doctrines of our faith into Allegories, and making Chriſts incarnation, death, reſurrection, &c. only myſteries to be witneſſed in men: They agree with the Libertines in denying created graces in the Saints, and making Chriſt in a man do all whil'ſt we are paſſive. And with the Ranters who make reaſon to be God; for the Quakers make the light in the conſcience to be Chriſt himſelfe; I have charged them with it as their tenet, and told them, I would report that they held it, if they would not deny it, but they durſt not deny the ſame. I ſhould have done raking in this filthy puddle of falſe doctrine, but that I muſt not omit to parallel them with the Papiſts, they are ſo ready to exclaime againſt others as Popiſh and Anti-chriſtian, whereas none are more deeply guilty of the charge then themſelves. I ſhall ſhew in twenty particulars (and I might inſtance in more) that they exactly agree with them. The Papiſts deny the neceſſity of the Scriptures; So the Quakers, I ſhewed both in the firſt Section; The Papiſts will not have them a rule of faith and life, a judge of controverſies: So the Quakers; The Papiſts revile them and call them a dead letter; So the Quakers; The Papiſts equall other things with the Scriptures, and ſo do the Quakers, the Papiſts prefer the vulgar tranſlation, before the original copies of Greek and Hebrew, ſo the Quakers. The Papiſts agree with the Quakers exactly in the great Doctrine of Juſtification; both make Gods juſtifying act to ſtand in infuſing or putting in righteouſneſſe into men; both hold they are free from the being of ſinne; that they can keep the Law perfectly; both ſcoffe at Proteſtants (who confeſſe they have ſinne dwelling in them, and they need the robes of Chriſts righteouſneſſe to cover them) ſaying, they make Chriſts righteouſneſſe a cover to their abominations. The Papiſts place holineſs in outward obſervations, voluntary humility, neglecting of the body, caſting off wordly imployments; So the Quakers. The Papiſts take away juſtification by faith, turne from the Goſpel to the Law, are fallen from grace, ſo the Quakers. The Papiſts pretend revelations, viſions, raptures, trances, ſo the Quakers. The Papiſts deny speciall grace, neceſſary to converſion and ſalvation, making the common light and power given to all, ſufficient, if heeded. Papiſts give to man free-will, and a power to improve this common grace, So the Quakers. Both Papiſts, and Quakers pretend to infallibility; to a power if working Miracles; Both are alike in cenſuring, condemning, and curſing all that are not of their way. Both deny the Proteſtant Churches, to be Churches of Chriſt: both are bitter enemies to the Miniſters, and would gladly ſuppreſſe them if they could; the Popiſh Prelates in England ſought to ſilence them, and ſuppreſſe preaching, catechiſing, &c. Till they were ſuppreſſed themſelves; and the raging Quakers (who roſe up in their ſteades) never ceaſed diſturbing them and vilifying them, till they were themſelves curbed by the civil powers. The Papiſts ſought to keep people in ignorance without teaching and inſtructing them, and the Quakers ſeek to bring people from all other teachings to the light in them, that ſo they may have no other teaching then the Savage Indians have. The Papiſts and Quakers are both alike induſtrious in compaſſing ſea and land to make proſelytes, and to render them two-fold more the children of the Devil then before. I might ſhew the agreement of Papiſts and Quakers in ſeveral other particulars if it were neceſſary; doth not all this make it evident the Quakers are the Popes brats, though they be ſo unnatural they will not own their father? We have reaſon enough to believe there have been more Popiſh Prieſts in England beſides Coppinger, to inſtill theſe notions into the Quakers. This Coppinger being a Franciſcan Friar, did confeſſe to a Citizen of Briſtoll (as was given in upon Oath before the Magiſtrates there) that he had ſpoken about thirty times amongſt the Quakers at London; and that he ſaw two other Franciſcan Friars at a quaking meeting, who were become chief ſpeakers amongſt the Quakers. Now, how dreadfull a thing is it, that theſe filthy doctrines of Popery, that the people of God in the former age with ſo much deteſtation have rejected, ſhould in this apoſtatizing age with ſo much acceptance be entertained amongſt us? Sure this may be a ſufficient warning to all humble and holy Chriſtians, and to all who are not given up to believe lies, to beware of Quakeriſme, ſeeing it is evidenced ſo clearly to be the common ſink of all thoſe former hereſies.