The Quakers Wisdom Descendeth not from Above, Title page – To the reader
THE QUAKERS VVISDOM deſcendeth not from Above. Or a Brief VINDICATION Of a Small TRACT, Intituled, The Quakers Folly made manifest to all men, As alſo of its Authour, from the Exceptions made againſt It, and Aſperſions caſt upon Him.
In a PAMPHLET CALLED The Voice of Wisdom, &c.
Publiſhed by GEORGE WHITHEAD, Quaker.
By THO. DANSON, M. A. Late Fellow of Magd. Coll. Oxon. And now Miniſter of the Goſpel at Sandwich in Kent.
And if it be not ſo now, who will make me a Liar, and mak my speech nothing worth? Job 24. ult.
What have I now done? Is there not a cauſe? 1 Sam. 17.29.
London, Printed for J. Allen, at the Riſing Sun in Pauls Church-yard, 1659.
THE EPISTLE to the READER.
Reader,
I Am once more come upon on the Stage, not without a Bluſh; yet not becauſe I am unwilling to have my Doctrines brought to Light, (as G. W. G. W. voice of wiſdom, p. 3.would make thee believe.) For I am ſo far from being aſhamed of them, that could the whole world be brought within the reach of my voice, upon a due call, I would make a Confeſſion of my Faith. Nor yet becauſe I am conſcious to my ſelf, of wronging the Quake…s▪ in my relation of the Diſputes between us; either by laying down things in their Names, which they never ſpoke, or diminiſhing from their words, or making falſe conſtructions (to uſe the very words of G. Whithead's Charge) For let any underſtanding man peruſe the Book,In Epiſt to the Reader. (which occaſions this Reply) and he will find, that either I am charged with falſhood, in ſuch paſſages as have many and credible witneſſes to atteſt the…r truth; or elſe in particular words, as in putting Sanct…fic…tion for righteouſneſſe w thin, by which alteration (if any ſuch there were) no wrong was done to their meaning. And as for any falſe conſtruction of their words, if thou thinkeſt it worth the while to compare my falſe, and this mans true conſtruction, either thou ſeeſt not with my eyes, or thou wilt ſee that they have no cauſe of complaint. I have followed my preſent Antagoniſt ſtep by ſtep, and omitted nothing that hath the leaſt colour of Scripture, or …eaſon, (unleſs where I make a reference to my former Book, to avoid repetition) leſt he ſhould ſay, that like a child, I Skip what I cannot read. Only I confeſs, I am not able to match him at his Billingſgate Rhetorick, nor wo…ld I with Jonah, be as hot as the Sun that ſcaldes me. For I make account (as once a Learned man ſaid) that ſo much as there is of undue paſſion, ſo much of nothing to the purpoſe For there Reaſon ſpends upon a falſe ſent, and forſakes the Queſtion ſtarted. I truſt that thou wilt be more confirmed in thy bad opinion of the Quakers, and that the duſt which they raiſe with their feet, I ſhall blow away, I mean, croſſe their endeavours to hide their meaning in doubtful words, either out of ignorance, not being Maſters of their own Notions, or (which I rather believe) out of deſign, it being true of them, which Job ſpeaks of the Thief, If one know them, they are in the terrours of the ſhadow of death, Job 24.17. I hope thou wilt not be byaſſed by their ſeeming humility, for pride may be the root that bears that Branch. The Apostle ſpeaks of a voluntary humility, which was the effect of being vainly puft up by a fleſhly mind, Col. 2.18. And ſure I am, that if one part of the character which the Biſhop of Alif in the Council of Trent, gave of the Proteſtants, (viz.) that they had Orthodoxos Mores, i. e. an Orthodox Converſation, be as true of the Quakers, as it was of the Proteſtants; yet the other part, (viz.) that withal they had Haereticam Fidem, i. e. an Hetorodox or Heretical Belief, is as true of theſe men, as it was falſe of thoſe. And thou wilt find,In the …ep. that particularly G. W. laies the most innocent Truths under the odious imputation of Anti-Chriſts deceits.
That thou maiſt not know the depths of Satan as they ſpeak, Rev. 2.24. But maiſt hold faſt that Doctrine which thou haſt already, v. 25. is the Prayer of
Thy Servant in the work of the Goſpel Tho. Danſon. Sandwich, Aug. 15, 1659.