The Quakers Quaking, Conclusion
The CONCLUSION.
I ſhall now conclude with a word or two of Caution: and that firſt, That every one would compare what I have writ with holy Scripture, and then judge, whether I have ſaid any thing of theſe men, that is either harſh or unſavoury, ſave what the harſhneſs and unſavourineſs of their Opinions and Practiſes call for: and then, I hope, none will think amiſs of me for calling them Lyers, Deceivers, Blaſphemers, &c. if they ſhall ſinde that I have prove them ſuch, both by Scripture, and Reaſon, and their own Sayings and Writings. I do confeſs that it is very common among men, to call thoſe that differ from them in Opinion, Lyers, and Deceivers, &c. though they are not able to prove them ſo: But though this be an evil, to call that an Errour or Blaſphemy that one cannot prove to be ſo; yet this doth not hinder, but that I may lawfully call that an Errour and Blaſphemy which the Scriptures call ſo in expreſneſs of terms: As for inſtance, The Scriptures ſay, He that denieth Chriſt come in the fleſh, is Antichriſt: Now though I may not call a man Antichriſtian, that differs from me in ſome circumſtances and diſputable Points of Doctrine; yet he that ſhall ſay, He is equal with Chriſt; or that ſhall ſay of himſelf, That he is the Chriſt, The Comforter; The Way, the Truth, and the Life; and the Eternal Judge of the World, as theſe men have ſaid of themſelves; ſurely ſuch men may be call'd Deceivers, Lyers, and Blaſphemers, without breaking the Law of Love and Charity.
But if it ſhall be doubted, whether the things I charge them with be true or no; let me tell thee, that all that I have writ concerning them, are either ſuch things as have fallen from their own Mouthes before hundreds of witneſſes; or elſe ſuch things as have been faithfully collected out of their own Writings: and therefore let me caution thee, whoever thou art, to reade their Books, eſpecially thoſe places to which I have referred thee, before thou judge I have wronged them. This I am ſure thou muſt do, before thou canſt judge righteous Judgement in the caſe: And if thou doeſt but take pains to inform thy ſelf, thou wilt finde, That the Erorrs I charge them with, are either ſuch as themſelves being formerly charged with could not deny, as appears by their printed anſwers to them; or elſe they are ſuch as they have in words at length poſitively afferted, as will be found among their Writings, in the books and pages I have cited.
I confeſs, many things have been reported to me, concerning the evil manners of ſome of the Teachers of this way, and of the badneſs of their lives: and though doubtleſs this hath not been without ground, yet I do forbear to mention any thing of that kinde; Firſt, becauſe the miſcarriage of ſome particular perſons, doth not prove the whole to be guilty; unleſs it be in matters of Doctrine, which they all receive and own: And ſecondly, becauſe the Errours of mens lives and converſations, do not infallibly prove the Errours of their Doctrine; inaſmuch as ſome men do walk contrary to what they make profeſſion of: yet let me tell thee one thing by the way, viz. That though Errour in life doth not prove Errour in judgment; yet Errour in converſation doth prove Errour in converſation; my meaning is, If the queſtion be about Errors in Doctrine, then the goodneſs or badneſs of the lives of them that profeſs it, doth no way reſolve the queſtion certainly, though it may probably; but if the queſtion be about Perfection in life, which theſe Quakers ſay they have attained to; then let me tell thee, That any Errour in the lives of ſuch, proves infallibly, that they are not ſuch as they profeſs to be, viz. Perfect men. My laſt reaſon why I do not inſiſt upon the particular evils that relate to the converſation of theſe men, is, Becauſe I know that the proof thereof is not ſo eaſie for the Reader to attain, becauſe poſſibly many of them may live hundreds of miles from the places where this may come; and alſo, becauſe that they will not believe any thing that is witneſſed againſt any of their way, but ſhuttle it off with ſaying, That Chriſt and his Apoſtle were evil ſpoken of, and perſecuted, &c. But let me tell thee, Reader, whoever thou art, That this is a vain plea: for what though Chriſt and his Servants ſhall be evil ſpoken of without cauſe; yet this proves not, that therefore every one that is evil-ſpoken of, is Chriſts Servant; for thouſands there are, that give juſt cauſe to be evilſpoke of daily; and may not theſe men excuſe themſelves, by ſaying, Chriſt was evil-ſpoken of? and do not the Papiſts Prieſts (many of them) at this day excuſe their wicked and beaſtly practiſes (with many of their Nuns, who have vowed Chaſtity) by ſaying, That Chriſt was evil-ſpoken of, and ſo are they for being his ſervants? when indeed there is cauſe enough to ſpeak evil of them, though there was no cauſe to ſpeak evil of Chriſt. In like manner do theſe Quakers ſhuttle off all evil that is objected againſt any of them, by ſaying, They are belyed, and ſuffer falſly; therefore to prevent any thing of this kinde, I charge them with nothing, but what is either daily preached among them, or elſe what may be found in their printed Books.
I have one Caution more, that I ſhall give to my Antagoniſts (if any of them ſhall undertake to write any thing in anſwer hereunto) and that is, That they lay aſide all ſuch un-man-like reaſonings, wherewith many of their Books are ſtuffed, in telling their Adverſaries, They are Sots, and Fools, and Blinde; and, That they are of the Devil, and in Darkneſs, and ſpeak the firſt wiſdome from Beneath; and, That they are Lyers, &c. till they have firſt proved what hath been writ to be falſe: and remember how fooliſh a thing it was counted, to ſay, Bellarmine lyed, before he was proved a Lyer: And therefore let what I have ſpoken, be anſwered with words of truth and ſoberneſs; and if by the words of truth it ſhall be made manifeſt, that I have ſpoken any untruth, I ſhall with the like readineſs of minde make a publick acknowledgement of it to the world. And I would alſo intreat, That there may be no carping about words, thereby to avoid the force of any argument or queſtion that is propoſed, but that every thing (whether Words or Arguments) be orderly and directly ſpoken to; that ſo the Readers on both ſides may judge, on which ſide the Truth lyeth, as I queſtion not but they will eaſily do.
Thus having diſcharged my conſcience towards God, in the publiſhing theſe Lines out of love to the world in general, but more eſpecially out of love to my Brethren, whoſe feet (many of them) are taken in this Snare, not knowing that they are for their lives: And if God ſhall bleſs theſe Lines, either to the prevention of the falling of them, who (through grace) yet ſtand, or to the reſtoring of thoſe that are fallen; or if otherwiſe I have miſtaken any thing, God will bring this good of my miſtake (if in caſe any be found) as to raiſe up, and provoke ſome one or other to make my miſtake manifeſt. If by theſe Lines I obtain any of theſe ends, which I do not much queſtion; then ſure I am, that I have not run in vain, but ſhall give God the glory, while I am able to ſubſcribe my ſelf
Jeremiah Ives.