Innocency Above Impudency, Title page – To the reader
Innocency above Impudency: OR, The ſtrength of Righteouſneſs exalted, ABOVE The Quakers Weakneſs and Wickedneſs; IN A REPLY To a Lying PAMPHLET, call'd Weakneſs above Wickedneſs: Publiſhed by J. Nayler, in Anſwer to a Book, Entituled, The Quakers quaking. By which his notorious Lyes are made manifeſt, and the Truth of the ſaid Book juſtified:
By JEREMIAH IVES.
Job 11.3.
Should thy lyes make men hold their peace?
Iſa. 9.15.
The Prophet that teacheth lyes, he is the tail.
Zech. 3.13.
Thou ſpeakeſt lyes in the Name of the Lord.
1 Tim. 4.2.
Speaking lyes in hypocriſie.
LONDON, Printed by J. Cottrel for R. Moon, at the Seven Stars in S. Pauls Church-yard. 1656.
To the READER.
READER,
THeſe Lines are ſent out after a lying Pamphlet, publiſhed by the Quakers, who are indeed quaking, or elſe they would never tell ſo many notorious Lyes, as I ſhall ſhew thee they have told in their late Book, call'd Weakneſs above Wickedneſs; wherein thou wilt finde, that they have made Lyes their refuge, though they call themſelves, The Seed of God, and The Generation of the Juſt: for, did ever the Seed of God, or the Generation of the Juſt, ſay, That a man hath not done that which he did do, or that a man hath done that which he never did? Nay, it is rare to finde any of the Seed of the Devil grown up to that degree of Impudence, as to charge a man with publiſhing that which he never publiſhed, and with concealing that which is publiſhed to the world in print, as theſe men have done by me: But ſurely they think that no man will take pains to compare book to book, but will believe all that they ſay; but ſure the wiſe have learned otherwiſe, though the ſimple believe every thing. I ſhall therefore deſire thee to compare their Anſwer to my Book, with the Book, and both with this Reply, and ſee if ever any men have lyed with that ſtock of Impudence, as theſe men have done. Indeed I am no Prophet, nor the Son of a Prophet; but ſure I am, that theſe men are filling up the meaſure of their Iniquity, and that very greedily, as though their hearts were hardened from fear, and as though they had made a league with Death, and with Hell were at an agreement; otherwiſe the fear of either would have taught them to have laid aſide their wickedneſs, which they ſtill inlarge the borders of, till ſuch time wrath comes upon them to the uttermoſt, and the Lord ſay of them, That they ſhall be called the border of wickedneſs, and the pecple againſt whom he hath indignation for ever. Oh therefore, that while God gives them ſpace to repent, they may repent (if there be any place for repentance for them) before the Lord give them over to the plagues of their own hearts, as I fear he hath done many of them already.
Theſe are the deſires of my Soul, in the behalf of thoſe of them who have not ſinned unto death; and I hope ſhall be, whatever they ſay of me, while I am
JER: IVES.