Confutation of the Quakers, Section 9
SECT. IX. The Quakers are no truly mortified perſons, notwithſtanding their pretences to mortification, and how Popiſh Monks and others have out-ſtripped them therein.
THere is nothing more apt to deceive weak and ſimple hearted people, then the faire ſhews and pretences of mortification and holineſſe, that ſeducers do ſometime make; for it hath been found that the greateſt impoſtours and deceivers have put on the vizard of godlineſſe. The Apoſtle tells us, 2 Cor. 11.13, 14, 15. that the falſe apoſtles in thoſe times, transformed themſelves into the Apoſtles of Chriſt, and into Miniſters of righteouſneſſe, even as Satan himſelf is tranſformed into an Angel of light. The Scribes and Phariſees did make ſuch a profeſſion of godlineſſe, as thereby they gained an high eſteem from the common people, who had a ſaying, that if there were but two ſaved, the one ſhould be a Scribe, the other a Phariſee. And (not to ſpeak of the ſeeming piety of ſome Hereticks in the Primitive times) this was moſt notoriouſly ſeen in the Popiſh Monks and Friars, who through their ſeeming ſanctity, their voluntary poverty, and contempt of the world; through their great devotion and pretended communion with God, their extreame faſtings, watchings, and maccrations of the fleſh; their pretended auſterity and ſtrictneſſe of life, and ſuch like things, had inſinuated themſelves ſo far into the hearts of people, that they had drawn away a great part of the Chriſtian world after them, made them eaſily entertain their wicked doctrines, ſuperſtitions and idolatries, ſubject their conſciences to the Popiſh Anti-chriſt, give away their riches and wealth to them, and many thought they might be ſaved, how ever they lived, if but buryed in a Friars weed. In like manner, we ſee ſome ignorant and well-meaning people apt to be taken with the ſeeming mortification and piety of the Quakers, through their deſpiſing the faſhions of the world, and contemning the honours and pleaſure thereof, their abſtemious uſe of the creatures, and frequent faſting and neglecting of the body, their ſober and auſtear carriage and deportment amongſt men, with their willingneſſe to ſuffer for their way; as alſo their pretenſes of high raptures and enjoyments in a more immediate converſe with God then others have. Now, leaſt the pretenſes of theſe and ſuch like things ſhould be a temptation to any weak ones to entertain their doctrines, and conceive a good opinion of their wayes; I ſhall preſent to the ſerious conſideration of ſuch, theſe few enſuing particulars.
1. We are not to judge of faith by perſons, but of perſons by faith, according to the ſaying of Tertullian de praeſc. cont. haer. cap. 3. for many have been led into errour by the example of ſome whom they have had an high eſteem of; if men ſeem never ſo holy, yea, to be Angels from heaven, if they bring another Goſpel, they are to be held accurſed, Gal. 1.8. Satans meſſengers (as before was hinted) may transforme themſelves into Miniſters of righteouſneſs. Chriſt bade us beware of falſe prophets, Mat. 7.15. though they come in ſheeps cloathing, pretending to be holy and harmleſſe, for they may be ravening wolves, Rev. 13.11. the ſecond Beaſt, or Pope, had two horns like a Lamb, but ſpake like the dragon, ſeemed in ſhew and appearance as a Lamb, but his doctrine that came out of his mouth was devilliſh. If therefore the Quakers were truly pious and mortified perſons, this ſhould be no ground to receive their doctrine, but we ſhould go to the Law and to the Teſtimony, and ſearch the Scriptures, whether the things they ſpeak be ſo or no, but we have before ſhewed from the Scriptures their doctrines are wicked and damnable.
2. But how evident is it to all that will ſee, that they are no ſuch mortified perſons as they pretend to be; (I love not to lay open their wickedneſſe, but would leave it to the great day of diſcovery; were I not compelled, becauſe they boaſt, they are perfectly free from the being of ſin, and left their pretences of piety ſhould draw any weak ones to entertaine their doctrines.) Where are there to be found greater railers upon earth, and revilers of the ſervants of Chriſt, who are moſt eminent for grace and holineſſe then they? how often do they call them Serpents, Devils, Vipers, Adders, Sorcerers, Conjurers. Theeves, Murderers, Witches, with other like expreſſions, which may be ſeen in their books and letters? they far tranſcend herein thoſe perſecuting enemies of the people of God in former times; ſhall ſuch perſons ever inherit the Kingdome of God? 1 Cor. 6.10. where can there be found ſuch intollerable pride in any upon earth, (except alone in the man of ſin that Romiſh Antichriſt, 2 Theſ. 2 4.) as is in theſe men? who dare boaſt, they are equal with God, that they are infallible, perfectly free from the being of ſin; who dare write their pamphlets ordinarily as given from the Lord, from the Spirit of God immediately; that dare ſcorne all others not of their way, and judge them as ungodly, hypocrites, blinde, &c. do theſe things argue holy and mortified perſons? how full of lying, of falſe accuſing, &c. are their writings? what bitter enemies are they to the wayes and ſervants of Chriſt, and in reproaching and vilifying them, out-ſtrip the perſecuting Prelates and their party in former times? who ſeeth not that the devil hath raiſed up theſe to act the part of that wicked crew, who are now brought under the hatches, for their enmity is chiefly, if not only vented againſt the ſame people and ways that were perſecuted formerly by the prelatical party?
Obj. But ſome will ſay they are no drunkards, no adulterers, &c. ſuch ways they hate.
Anſw. 1. Suppoſe it be ſo, no more is the devil a drunkard, glutton, adulterer, and yet his ſpiritual wickedneſſes, his pride, malice, envy, lying, falſe accuſing of the Saints, &c. are no leſſe crimes then drunkenneſſe, gluttony, &c. and in theſe things the Quakers appear as eminently the children of the devil as any do. Julian the Apoſtate (as it's reported of him) was a temperate, juſt and ſtrict man, but a moſt wicked enemy of Jeſus Chriſt.
2. But for ſuch fleſhly luſts, we have no great experience of their converſations, moſt of them being ſtrangers here, and therefore we cannot ſo well diſcover ſuch things if they were guilty of them; yet for the time they have been in theſe parts, we have ſufficient conviction that they may be guilty of ſuch filthineſſe of the fleſh, as well as of ſuch filthineſſe of ſpirit as was before mentioned. There hath ſcarce been known a more vile wretch then Chriſtopher Atkinſon (who ſometimes was acknowledged by themſelves, the chiefeſt of their Sect) who after he had profeſſed repentance for his filthineſſe and leudneſſe comitted with the woman, he hath ſince married; yet eſcaping out of priſon, he practiſed greater villany then before, for being at an Inne called the George in Thurton, within five or ſix miles of Norwich (as I was informed by two credible perſons, who were occaſionally at the ſame Inne at that time) he there offered ten ſhillings in hire of an whore, and fell in love with a young girle, whom he ſuited ſo as he did cry and whine for her, he told ſuch lies concerning himſelf, and otherwiſe ſhewed himſelf ſo vile, that it was apparent he was no novice in ſuch actions, for no man on a ſudden arrives to the height of wickedneſſe: I might annex the ſtory of thoſe two Quakers ſpoken of in the book put forth by Gilpin, and of him that being condemned to die for inceſt in York-ſhire poiſoned himſelf in priſon. But theſe being done in more remote parts I ſhall not inſiſt upon them; Now let not any ſay, it's a common thing for ſome wicked perſons to be found amongſt ſuch as are moſt holy, and therefore theſe few examples ſhould not condemn the reſt of them; for they are men that pretend to be perfectly free from the being of ſin, to be infallible, &c. and therefore the fall any one ſhews their doctrine to be lies; beſides, what ſpiritual wickedneſſes reigns amongſt them generally, was ſhewed before, and they are not aſhamed to defend ſuch actions as tend directly to lead men to ſuch filthineſſe, as going naked, &c. How clear is it then from all this that theſe people are no truly mortified perſons what ever they pretend.
3. That mortification which they profeſſe to have, conſiſts but in ſome external things, which God never required, as voluntary humility, neglecting of the body, (which things are called will-worſhip, Col. 2.) in putting away outward ornaments, not wearing ribbons, refuſing titles of honour, to be called Maſter, not putting off the hat, uſing the words of yea, nay, thou; in their wilful ſufferings for oppoſing and vilifying Miniſters, in much faſting, and abſtemious uſe of the creatures, &c. Now as for theſe it may be ſaid, Who hath required theſe things at their hands? What are thoſe when they are enemies to the croſſe of Chriſt and to the righteouſneſſe of faith (as was ſhewed in the Section of Juſtification) when they place righteouſneſſe in ſuch obſervations, not knowing the mortification of the corruptions of the heart, as was before proved; when they are ignorant of, and enemies to an inward and ſpiritual work of grace and regeneration upon the heart, as ſhall be made to appear in the next Section; alas, how eaſie is it for any carnal heart to learn ſuch outward obſervances, and place their righteouſneſſe in them; and yet even in externals they ſin againſt their own principle of the light in them, as by wearing ſuch ruffian-like long haire; ſo Fox and Duesbury, two great and principal men amongſt them have done, that light in them might teach them its a ſhame to do ſo, 1 Cor. 11.14.
4. And even in theſe external ſhews of mortification they been have far out-ſtripped by many others; the Phariſees of old (ſee Montagu Acts and Monuments of the Church, cap. 7.) have ſometimes made vows of continence, abſtinence, watching and praying for ten years together, during all which time, they would not come near any beautiful woman, and when neceſſity compelled them to ſleep, they would lie upon narrow planks, or upon ſtones, or thorns, that they might ſooner be awakened to prayer, reading, and meditation; they pretended revelations and inſpirations; their ordinary faſtings were two dayes in the week, the third and fifth dayes, wherein the wholly abſtained from meat till the ſtars appeared; but in their extraordinary faſts they uſed greater ſeverity over the fleſh; they would ſhew great auſterity in their common deportment, and would hazard their lives before they would recede from their way. The Eſſens (another Sect amongſt the Jews) did yet go beyond the Phariſees, ſhewing a wonderful gravity and auſterity in their carriages, deteſting not only prophanneſſe, but lawful pleaſures and delights, abſtinence, continence, and maſtering their affections they eſteemed a chief point of piety; for marriage, they cared not for it, nor for the company of women; getting of wealth, and growing rich they deſpiſed; to ſwear any oath was a capital crime; they were ſo addicted to contemplation, that ſome of them did not eat in three dayes time, ſome in ſix; when they did eat, brown bread and ſalt was their ordinary food, and when they exceeded, they had green hearbs; their apparel was poor and ſimple, only to preſerve from cold and heat; they turned the Scriptures into allegories (as the Quakers do) following the example of the Egyptian wiſe men, ſaith Philo; they pretended to revelations and prophetical inſpirations; maintained community of goods; torments of body they regard not, but endured with courage and conſtancy; when they enter upon their way firſt, they profeſſe to love and ſerve God truly and above all, to live juſtly and uprightly with men, &c. and yet they profeſt not faith in Jeſus Chriſt, and (as Joſephus reports) they worſhipped the Sun. But eſpecially, and above others the Popiſh Monks, Friars and Hermites have excelled in theſe outward obſervances, ſome of them profeſſing poverty, have given away all they had, & lived by begging; ſome go bare-foot, and are badly clad; ſome live in the wilderneſſe in caves and hutts from the ſociety of men, caſting off worldly imployments and tentations, and giving up themſelves only to their devotion, prayer, watching, and contemplation, the like do others in cloyſters; for their abſtinence from creature comforts, their continency, and their extraordinary faſtings, and exceeding poor diet many have been famous; ſome have macerated their bodies, and killed themſelves therewith; what cruel whippings of their bodies for bringing the fleſh into ſubjection have they uſed? ſome have put ſpurs betwixt their skin and their garments, and have lien upon ſharp chips; glorious viſions and raptures alſo ſome have pretended to, and immediate communion with God and with Angels; for ſufferings they have endured much; the Jeſuites boaſt that of their ſociety and order alone in a few years three hundred have ſuffered Martyrdome; ſome that might have eſcaped death, have voluntarily offered themſelves thereto (as ſometimes the Circumcelliones amongſt the Donatiſts) volumnes have beeen written of theſe things, and no wonder they place righteouſneſſe in theſe things, and ſeek juſtification thereby. Now how far do all theſe excel the Quakers in external ſhews of mortification, in voluntary humility, and neglecting of the body? for apparrel, the Quakers go as neat and trim as moſt Yeomen in the Country, though they came hither firſt in very mean and poor attire moſt of them; for diet and lodging they have had as good entertainment; for their ſufferings they are not comparable with thoſe before named; for worldly profits it's obſerved their followers do as little contemne the ſame as moſt others. Now, by all that hath been ſaid, it may appear, there is but little reaſon for any to be induced to think well of the Quakers way, becauſe of their pretences to mortification and holineſſe. And thus for the ninth Section.