The Quaker No Papist, Title page – Preface
THE QUAKER NO PAPIST, in Anſwer to The Quaker Diſarm'd.
OR, A brief Reply and Cenſure of Mr. Thomas Smith's frivolous Relation of a Diſpute held betwixt himſelf and certain Quakers at Cambridge.
By HEN. DENNE.
Epheſ. 5.8, 9.
Walk as Children of light; For the fruit of the Spirit is in all GOODNESS, and RIGHTEOUSNESS, and TRUTH.
LONDON Printed, and are to be ſold by Francis Smith, at the Signe of the Elephant and Caſtle without Temple-Bar, 1659.
To my learned Friend Mr. Thomas Smith, Batchelour in Divinity, Reader of the Rhetorick Lecture in Chriſt-Colledge in Cambridge, Keeper of the Univerſity Library, Rector of Cawcat in the ſame County, Antagoniſt to George Whitehead the Quaker, and the preaching Tinker.
SIR, When your Book came to my hands, I reſolved to give you a larger anſwer to your Letter ſent to Mr. E. of Taft; But I found it ſo confuſed, that I have deſiſted to proſecute that reſolution; you ſeem to be angry with the Tinker becauſe he ſtrives to mend Souls as well as Kettles and Pans: and you are ſo angry, that your paſſion clouded your reaſon, and made you forget what you had to do: the main drift of your Letter is to prove that none may preach except they be ſent (and you do that alſo lamely.) Sir I think him unworthy the name of a Tinker that affirms that any one is ſufficient to preach the Goſpel without ſending. By your confeſſion the Tinker thinks otherwiſe, and doth not deny what you labour to prove; and ſo you contend with a ſhadow: he pleads his Miſſion and Commiſſion from the Church at Bedford; it behoves you to prove either that this is falſe, and that the Church at Bedford never gave ſuch a Commiſſion, or elſe that the Church is not in a capacity to give ſuch a Commiſſion. You ſhould alſo have proved that Mr. Thomas Smith hath a better Commiſſion from ſome other Church, then the Tinker either hath or can have from the Church at Bedford. This would have drawn the acceptation of your friends. And it is a task worthy your labour, to ſend forth your determinations concerning the queſtions which are thus ſtated, by many of your friends.
The Tinker of Bedford may have from the Church at Bedford as good a Commiſſion as Mr. Thomas Smith hath from his Church.
Mr. Thomas Smith hath as yet no better Commiſſion to preach, then the Tinker of Bedford.
This if you do, juſtifie your own Commiſſion, and make the Tinkers invalid, you will force your adverſary to ſeek a better Commiſſion, or to give over his trade. You muſt give me leave to propound ſomething to your conſideration: ſome ſhipwrackt men ſwimming to an Iſland, finde there many inhabitants, to whom they preach: the heathen hearing are converted, and walk together in love, praiſing the Lord: whether the preaching of theſe ſhipwrackt men were a ſin? Secondly whether it be not lawful for this Congregation to chuſe to themſelves Paſtors, and Governours, Teachers? &c. Thirdly, whether this Congregation may not finde ſome fitting men, full of Faith, and of the Holy Ghoſt to preach to other unbelieving heathen? Theſe things rightly determined will abundantly ſatisfie the expectation of your friends; who pray, that as God hath given you a common gift of Learning in an eminent meaſure, ſo he would be pleaſed to ſanctifie you with his Spirit, that your talent received may be employed towards the advancement of Apoſtolical Faith. Farewell, and read with patience the following Reply to your Diſputation.