History of the War with Indian Savages, Article 29
ARTICLE XXIX. Quakers Encountred.
FOr the preſent then, we have done with the Indians: But while the Indians have been thus moleſting us, we have ſuffered Moleſtations of another ſort, from another ſort of Enemies, which may with very good Reaſon, be caſt into the ſame Hiſtory with them. If the Indians have choſen to prey upon the Frontiers, and Out-Skirts, of the Province, the Quakers have choſen the very ſame Frontiers, and, Out-Skirts, for their more Spiritual Aſſaults; and finding little Succeſs elſewhere, they have been Labouring inceſſantly and ſometimes not unſucceſsfully, to Enchant and Poiſon the Souls of poor people, in the very places, where the Bodies and Eſtates, of the people have preſently after been devoured by the Salvages. But that which makes it the more agreeable, to allow the Quakers, an Article in our Hiſtory of the Indians, is, That a certain ſilly Scribbler, the very Firſt-born of Non-ſenſicality, (and a Firſt-born too, that one might Salute as the Martyr Polycarp once did the wicked Marcion,) One Tom Maule; at this Time Living in Salem, hath expoſed unto the Publick, a Volumn of Nonſenſical Blaſphemies and Haereſies, wherein he ſets himſelf to Defend the Indians, in their Bloody Villanies, and Revile the Countrey for Defending it ſelf againſt them. And that the Venome of this Pamphlet might be Improved unto the Heighth of Slanderous Wickedneſs, there hath been ſince added unto it, in another Pamphlet, a parcel of Ingredients compounded, for miſchief, as if by the Art of the Apothecary. None but he, whom the Jewes, in their Talmuds call, Ben-tamalion could have inſpired ſuch a Slanderer! Have the Quakers ever yet Cenſured, this their Author, for holding forth in his Alcoran, [pag. 221.] That the Devil, Sin, Death, and Hell, are but Nothing, they are but a Non-Entity: And, [pag. 183.] That all men who have a Body of Sin remaining in them, are Witches? I have cauſe to believe, that they never did! Nor that they ever adviſed him to pull in his Horns, from goring the ſides of New-England, with ſuch paſſages as thoſe, in [pag. 195.] the ſame horrible Pamphlet: God hath well Rewarded the Inhabitants of New-England, for their Unrighteous Dealings, towards the Native Indians, whom now the Lord hath ſuffered to Rew…r… the Inhabitants, with a double meaſure of Blood, by Fire and Sword, &c. And thoſe Unrighteous Dealings, he Explains, to be the Killing of the Indians, (or Murdering of them) by the Old Planters of theſe Colonies, in their First Settlement. Thus are the Aſhes of our Fathers vilely ſtaled upon, by one, who perhaps would not ſtick at the Villany of doing as much upon their Baptiſm it ſelf. I muſt tell you, Friends, that if you don't publickly, give forth a Teſtimony to Defy, Tom Maule, and his Works, it will be thought by ſome, who it may be don't wiſh you ſo well, as I do, that you own this Bloody Stuff: which, doubtleſs you'l not be ſo ill adviſed as to do. But, certainly, if the good people of New-England, now make it not a proverb for a Lyar of the Firſt Magnitude, He is as very a Lyar as TOM MAULE; they will deprive their Language of one Significant Expreſſion, which now offers it ſelf unto them.
Let us now Leave our Friend Maules Works, as a fit Volumn to be an Appendix unto the famous Tartaretus, and worthy of a Room in Pantagruels Library. The fitteſt way to anſwer him, would be to ſend him to Boston Woods!
In the mean Time, I owe unto the Publick, a piece of Hiſtory, which it may be for the Safety of our Northern Towns, to be acquainted withal. Know, Sirs, That once the famous George Keith, undertook to be the Champion of our New-Engliſh Quakers; and bid fair to be the very Dalae, or Preſter John, of all the Engliſh Tartars; but a Miniſter of Boſton, upon that occaſion, publiſhing a Book, Entituled, Little Flocks guarded againſt grievous Wolves, could not but complain of it, as a very Scandalous Thing, in George Keith, to maintain the points of the Foxian Quakeriſm, while he really differed from them. All this while, George Keith was admired by our Quakers, as an Apoſtle, or, an Oracle: but, he finding it impoſſible to mentain the groſs Tenets of the common Quakers, preach'd unto them the Neceſſity of Believing on a Chriſt without, as well as a Chriſt within. Hereupon, there grew ſuch alienations between him, and the other Quakers, (who had been taught by George Fox, to ſay, The Devil is in them, who ſay, they are Saved by Christ without them:) that he not only ha's written diverſe Learned Books, to confute thoſe very Doctrines of the Common Quakers, which the Paſtors of New-England had, upon his Provocation, Written againſt, but alſo ha's therefore undergone a Storm of Perſecution, from the Friends in Penſylvania: Yea, 'tis verily thought, that poor George would have been made a Sacrifice to Squire Samael Jennings, and the reſt of the Penſylvanian Dragons, and that, ſince a crime which their Laws ha… made Capital, was mention'd in the Mittimus whereby Keith was committed, they would have Hang'd him, if a R… volution upon their Government had not ſet him at liberty. Being by the Fines, and Gaols, and Fierce Uſages of the Quakers in Penſylvania, driven over to England, the Wonderful Hand of God, hath made this very man, I think I may ſay, incomparably the greateſt Plague, that ever came upon that Sect, of Energumens. Although he do himſelf ſtill retain the Name of a Quaker, yet he hath in one Treatiſe after another, Earneſtly called upon the Divines, throughout the Nation, more Vigorouſly to Employ their Talants, againſt the Quakers, as a more Dangerous Generation of People than they are well aware; and he did in the year 1696. with the leave of the Lord Mayor, Challenge the Quakers, to make their Appearance at Turners Hall, in the chief City of Europe; where he proved unto the Satisfaction of a vaſt Aſſembly, that the chief Writers of the Quakers, aſſert Chriſt neither to be God, nor Man; and that they deny Chriſt to be pray'd unto; and that they had affirm'd, Chriſts outward Blood, ſhed on the Ground, to be no more than the Blood of another Saint; and that they had charged him with New-Doctrine, for directing to Faith in Chriſt without us, as well as within us; and that at their Meetings, they had cenſured him, for ſaying, That Chriſts Body came out of the Grave, which they ſay, It never did: And many more ſuch horrid matters. To confirm theſe things, Beſides the grievous Bites which Francis Bugg, one of their late Friends, hath given them, one Daniel Leeds, without wholly caſting off the Profeſſion of a Quaker, hath lately Printed a Book, wherein he produces above Threeſcore Inſtances, of the Flat Contradictions, which he hath obſerved in the Books of the Friends, that have moſt pretended unto Infallibility; and he demonſtrates from evident matter of Eaſt, that though they declared unto the World, That their Sufferings had been greater, and more unjuſt, than the Sufferings of Jeſus, and His Apoſtles; yet they themſelves were no ſooner mounted into the Seat of Government, than they fell to Perſecuting as bad as any in the World. Albeit Fox writes, They that cauſe People to be put in Priſon, and have their Goods taken away, are Diſorderly Teachers, and ſhall be rooted out: Nevertheleſs Leeds proves by many Exemples, that the Penſylvanians did it, even upon their own Friends, for meer Scruples of their Conſciences. 'Tis reported, The Quakers are ſo confounded at this Book of Leeds, that they have been at the charge to buy up the whole Impreſſion of it, and ſo to Stiffle and Smother it: If it be ſo, I hope 'twill but produce a New Impreſſion of ſo rare a Book. The Marvellous Providence of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, having thus employ'd, the Pens of the Quakers themſelves, to warn you, that you beware of Quakeriſm, it will be a marvellous Infatuation in any of you, after this, to be led away with that Error of the Wicked. Reader, make a Pauſe, and here Admire the Marvellous Providence of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt! The firſt and great Apoſtle of the Quakers, even George Fox, the Shoe-maker, in his, Great Mystery, Pag. 94. Excludes from the Church of Chriſt, Thoſe who are not Infallible, in Diſcerning the Hearts of other men. Whereas now in Spite of all their Infallibility, ſuch Friends as Keith (and Leeds) whom they once admired, profeſs that they never in their Hearts Believed, as the Common Foxian Quakers do; and Quakeriſm Suffers from none in the world more than theſe. But that I may a little Suggeſt unto you, certain Methods of Encountring thoſe Adverſaries of your Faith, which go about, ſeeking whom they may deceive, and whom I do here offer to prove as horrid Idolaters, as even thoſe that worſhipp'd the Rats of Egypt, if it be fairly demanded of me, I will firſt Recite unto you, certain paſſages, of a Diſcourſe, which a Miniſter of Boſton, had with a very Buſy and Noiſy Teacher among the Quakers, (and another of the Friends,) in his Return from his Viſitation unto ſome of our Northern Towns, where the Giddy People, had cry'd him up for a None-Such.
Quaker.
We are come to give thee a Friendly Viſit.
Miniſter.
I am glad to ſee you, at my Houſe; you ſhall be welcome to the beſt Entertainments, my Houſe can afford you.
But will you do me the Favour, to let me underſtand, the Deſigns upon which you viſit theſe parts of the Country?
Quaker.
I come to preach Jeſus Chriſt.
Minister.
Excuſe me— What Chriſt, I pray?
Quaker.
The ſame Chriſt, that appeared unto Abraham, and Iſaac, and Jacob; and that appeared unto Moſes in the Buſh, and that was with Iſrael in the Wilderneſs.—
Miniſter.
I would interrupt you. I perceive, that we ſhall be drawn into ſome Diſcourſe. Matter of Argument will occur, I foreſee, in our Diſcourſe. Argument ſometimes does draw forth Words that may have too much Warmth in them. I purpoſe none ſuch. But if you are ſenſible, that I do let fall any one ſuch word, in our Diſputation, do me the favour, to take notice of it unto me, and I'le immediately correct it. Now, if you pleaſe; —
Quaker.
Thou ſpeakeſt very well. This is but according to the Good Report we have heard of thee.
Minister.
Friend, I am ſenſible, that you are come among us, to preach a Religion, different from that which is commonly Preached, Profeſſed, & Practiſed in the Country. If you approve the Religion of the Country, I can't ſee, where's the Senſe of it, for you to take ſuch tedious Journeys for our Illumination. I pray, be ſo kind as to let me know, what point in our Holy Religion, you do not Approve?
Quaker.
'Tis not my Buſineſs here to Enquire into thy Religion. I am come to preach the Religion of Jeſus Christ; the ſame that the Holy Prophets and Apoſtles believed; even the Inward manifeſtation of Chriſt in our Hearts,—
Minister.
To make ſhort work on it; I perceive you both to be that ſort of people, we call Quakers. Now, there is among the Quakers, that extream Uncertainty, Varie…y, and Contradiction, that no man, can ſay what you hold, any further than each Individual Perſon, will confeſs his own Tenets. I muſt therefore, pray the favour of you, to tell me; Do you own George Foxes Book, Entituled, The Great Myſtery?
Quaker.
'Tis none of our Buſineſs, to tell what Books we own, and what we do not own: And it is none of thy Buſineſs to Ask us. I ſay, We own Jeſus Chriſt, and His Inward Manifeſtation in our Hearts. And that's Enough!
Minister.
You'l Excuſe me: I do again ask, whether you do own George Foxes Book, of, The Great Myſtery? Becauſe doubtleſs you have Read it. And if you'l ask me, as much concerning any Book under Heaven, (that I have Read,) Whether I own it, or, How much I own of it, I'l anſwer you with all the Freedom in the world.
Quaker.
I ſay, What haſt thou to do with George Fox? or, to Examine me?
Miniſter.
Yes, Friend, I do, and muſt, and will Examine You. For you are come to Hold Forth unto as many of my Flock, as you can. And the Word of God bids me to Try you. And, I have to do with George Eox too: becauſe George Fox, in his Writings, has to do with me. And if you will ſincerely tell me, whether you own George Fox, or no, I ſhall more probably tell, who you are. In ſhort; If you'l ſay, you Deny and Renounce George Fox, then I muſt go another way to work with you. If you'l ſay you own him, then I muſt endeavour to Save you, from ſome of his Damnable Haereſies.
Quaker.
What Haereſies?
Miniſter.
Numberleſs. But I do at this Time call to mind Three of them.
Firſt. That the Soul of man, is without Beginning, and Infinite. This is, if I forget not, in the 90th page of that Book.
Secondly. That it is not contrary to the Scripture, That God the Father took upon Him Humane Nature. And, That the Scripture does not tell people of a Trinity, nor Three Perſons in God; but that theſe Three Perſons were brought in by the Pope.
This is in pag. 246.
Thirdly. That they that are not compleat in Sanctification, are not compleat in Juſtification.
This is in, pag. 284. Now,
What ſay ye, Syrs?
Quaker.
What haſt thou to do, to Rake into the Aſhes of the Dead? Let George Fox alone. Haſt thou any thing to charge upon me?
Minister.
I ſhall know, if you'l tell me, whether you own George Fox or no. And you can tell me, if you will. I would be more civil to you, Syrs.
Quaker.
I never ſaw that Book of George Fox.
[And ſo ſaid, the other Quaker, that was with him.]
Miniſter.
Syrs, you aſtoniſh me! What? Never ſee George Foxes Book, of, The Great Myſtery! 'Tis impoſſible! This Thing is to me, a Myſtery! Syrs, That Book is the very Bible of Quakeriſm. 'Tis Eſſential unto a Quaker, at leaſt, unto a Teaching Quaker, as you are, to be Indoctrinated from that Book. Never ſee it, man!— However, if you ſay ſo, I muſt Believe it.
Quaker.
[Fell into an Harangue, Repeating what he had Preached abroad, about the Countrey; which, becauſe I would miſrecite nothing, I dare not undertake exactly to Recite in this place.]
Miniſter.
I perceive our Converſation, will be to little Advantage, except we get a little cloſer to ſome certain point, which I have hitherto Endeavoured but ineffectually.
Syrs, There are ſeveral points, which I would willingly bring you to. And there happening to be ſeveral of my Honeſt Neighbours at hand, I have pray'd them (with your leave,) to walk in, that they may be Witneſſes of what paſſes between us.
Firſt, I'll begin, if you pleaſe, with This.
I told you at the Beginning, I would not willingly Treat you, with one Hard word. There is an Hard word, which will preſently occur, by the unavoidable courſe of Diſputation. I would pray you, to eaſe me of the Trouble of ſpeaking it. You ſhall your ſelf have the ſpeaking of it.
Quaker.
What's that?
Miniſter.
I pray, Friend, what doth the Scripture ſay, of them that ſay, They know Jeſus Chriſt, and yet keep not His Commandments?
Quaker.
Nay, What doſt thou ſay, the Scripture ſayes in that caſe?
Minister.
You will compel me, I ſee.—I ſay then: The Scripture ſaies, He that ſays, I know Him, and keeps not His Commandments, is a Lyar, and the Truth is not in him. 'Tis in 1 Joh. 2.4.
Quaker.
And what then?
Miniſter.
Why this then. He that ſays, I know Jeſus Chriſt, and yet keeps not the Commandments of Jeſus Chriſt, is a Lyar, and the Truth is not in him.
You ſay, You know Jeſus Chriſt. But you muſt give me leave to ſay, That you Keep not the Commandments of Jeſus Chriſt.
Therefore,—pray Syrs, do you help out the Concluſion. I am loth to ſpeak it. You know what it is.
Quaker.
Yes, yes. We know well enough what Concluſion, thou wouldest be at: Thou wouldeſt ſay, That we are Lyars, and that the Truth is not in us.
Miniſter.
Right! Since it muſt be ſo.
Quaker.
But what Commandment of Jeſus Chriſt, is there, that we don't keep?
Miniſter.
The Commandment of Jeſus Chriſt, is, For His Diſciples to be Baptiſed with Water; But you, Qua…kers, do not keep that Commandment of Jeſus Chriſt.
Quaker.
How doſt thou prove, that Jeſus Chriſt commanded Baptiſm with Water?
Minister.
I know, you muſt have the word, Water, or nothing will content you. Elſe I would have urged, for a Sufficient proof, our Lords Commanding His Miniſters, to Baptiſe men, [Matth. 28.19.] This Command Expreſſes our Duty. 'Tis not our Duty to Baptiſe men with the Holy Spirit. This belongs not unto Us, but unto Him, who's that Holy Spirit is. You will not ſay, we Sin, if we don't Baptiſe the Diſciples in all Nations, with the Holy Spirit. So then, it muſt be a Baptiſm with Water, which is there Commanded by our Lord. But, as I ſaid, you muſt have the word, Water; & you ſhall have it.
The Apoſtle Peter ſaid,—
Quaker.
The Apoſtle Peter! The Apoſtle Peter! Thou waſt to prove that Jeſus Chriſt Commanded Baptiſm with Water. And now, Thou art come to the Apostle Peter!
Miniſter.
Stay, Friend; not ſo faſt! Will you ſay then, that the Commandments brought by the Apoſtle Peter, as the Commandments of Jeſus Chriſt, are not the Commandments of Jeſus Chriſt? But however, I'le mend the Expreſſion,—
The Spirit of Jeſus Chriſt in the Apoſtle Peter, (Now, I hope, it fits you!)—
Quaker.
[J. S.] Thou art a Monſter, all Mouth, and no Ears,—
Miniſter.
—Prethee, talk Civilly, Don't make me Believe, that I am at Epheſus. If I were in one of your Houſes, I would not give you ſuch Language; you had but now, a greater liberty to uſe your Mouth, than I have hitherto taken; and my Ears were patient. But, you foreſee my Argument, is going to pinch you. 'Tis but Civility to let me Finiſh it.
Quaker.
Thou waſt to prove, that Jeſus Chriſt Commanded Baptiſm with Water. And thou haſt not proved it. And therefore thou Speakeſt Falſely.
Miniſter.
What do you mean? Theſe little Shuffles won't help you.
I ſay, The Spirit of Jeſus Chriſt, in the Apoſtle Peter, after our Lords Aſcenſion, when it was Impoſſible for Johns Baptiſm (which was into the Meſſiah Suddenly to come, not, already come,) ſhould have place, did ſay, in Act. 10 47. Can any man Forbid Water, that theſe ſhould not be Baptiſed, which have Received the Holy Ghoſt?
Quaker.
How does this prove, That Jeſus Chriſt Commanded theſe to be Baptiſed with water?
Miniſter.
Thus; —
If Jeſus Chriſt had not Commanded Baptiſm with Water, any man might have then Forbid it.
But, no man could Forbid it.
Therefore Jeſus Chriſt Commanded it.
Quaker.
Therefore! Therefore! Argo, Argo! Why, Doſt thou think, Religion is to be proved by thy Th…efore's, by thy Argo's?
Minister.
Friend, I perceive, the word, Therefore, is a ver… dead doing ſort of a Word to yee. I'le diſmiſs this Terrible Word. I'le only ſay, The Reaſon, why none could forbid Believers to be Baptiſed with Water, was meerly Becauſe Jeſus Chriſt Commanded it.
Quaker.
BECAUSE; Why, the word, Becauſe is as bad as the word, Therefore.
Miniſter.
[Smiling.] It may be ſo. But in the mean time, you are wonderfully unreaſonable! I ſay, why could none forbid Water, for the Faithful to be Baptiſed.
Quaker.
Who ſayes, None could Forbid Water? 'Tis only ſaid, Can any man Forbid Water?
Miniſter.
I pray, Syrs; And is not this, None can.
But I'l bring the matter to bear upon you, without thoſe two Dangerous words, THEREFORE, and BECAUSE; at which you are ſo terrified.
I will put the matter into the Form of a Queſtion: And your Anſwer to this Queſtion, ſhall put an End, to our preſent Velitations.
Quaker,
What have we to do to Anſwer thy Queſtions?
Miniſter.
My Queſtion is,
Whether a man might not forbid in the Worſhip of Jeſus Chriſt, what Jeſus Chriſt Himſelf hath no way Commanded?
You can Anſwer this Queſtion, if you will; & I deſire, I demand your Anſwer.
Quaker.
What? For us to anſwer thy Questions! That would be, to Enſnare our ſelves.
Miniſter.
I am very ſenſible of That. Therefore, take Notice, You are Enſnared, in the Toyls of your own miſerable Deluſions. But ſtill, I ſay, Anſwer my Queſtion.
Quaker.
Do you ſee, Neighbours? Friend M. was to prove, that Jeſus Chriſt commanded Baptiſm, and now, he's come to a Queſtion!
Miniſter.
So I am Truly. And, I ſee 'tis a Queſtion, that puts you into a Sweat. I beſeech you to Anſwer it. I Require you to Anſwer it. What ſhall I ſay? I Defy you to Anſwer it. Pardon my Cogency; You Force me to 't!
Quaker.
I ſay, How does a Queſtion prove, That Jeſus Chriſt commanded Baptiſm with Water? And why doſt thou Baptiſe Infants?
Miniſter.
Nay, I'le keep you to the Queſtion. Your Anſwer to the Queſtion, will prove it; I am deſigning to make you your ſelves prove it. And, Sirs, I do here offer to you, That I will give the beſt Anſwer I can, to any Queſtion in the world, that you ſhall put unto me: why are you ſo loath to Anſwer one ſhort Queſtion of mine?
Quaker.
I be not obliged to Anſwer thy Queſtion?
Miniſter.
I muſt contrive ſome fair way, to Compel ſome Anſwer unto this one Question. Give me leave therefore to tell you, That if you do not Anſwer this Queſtion, you go away conquered and confounded. Yea, Sirs, I muſt in Faithfulneſs tell you, That you carry away, the dreadful Mark of Hereticks, upon you, Even, To be Condemned in your own Conſcience. You go away, Self-Condemned, That you don't keep the Commandments of Jeſus Chriſt; and Therefore, That you are, — what, you Remember, the Apoſtle John ſaid concerning you.
Quaker.
I don't condemn Thee, for uſing Baptiſm with Water.
Minister.
This is no Anſwer to the Question ſtill: For you don't obſerve it your ſelf; neither you, nor any Quakers under Heaven. Wherefore I ſtill urge for an Anſwer.
Quaker.
Thou art not Civil to us. Is this thy Civility to Strangers? We have heard a Great Fam… of thee, for thy Civil, and obliging carriage, towards others that are not of thy perſwaſion. But now thou are uncivil to us. That which I have to ſay, is, I will keep to that Book, the Bible, and I will preach what is in that Book.
Minister.
[Taking up the Bible,] Friend, you pretend then to underſtand this Book. I do here make you this offer; That I will immediately Turn you to Ten ſeveral places, in one Book of this Holy Bible, [the Chronicles,] And if you can give me a Tolerable Solution of any one of them, I'le acknowledge that you are worthy to preach out of it.
Quaker.
Canſt thou do it thy ſelf?
Miniſter.
I Humbly Hope, I can.
Quaker.
How doſt thou know that I can't?
Miniſter.
I ſay, you can't. Now do you Accept my offer: If you can, I'l own, that I have wrong'd you.
Quaker.
What's that to thee, what I can do?
Miniſter.
Look you, Neighbours: I think, 'tis to no purpoſe, to proceed unto any other points, with ſuch unreaſonable Folks as theſe. You ſee, how 'Tis. If you deſire it, I'l proceed.
Neighbours.
No, Syr, 'Tis to no purpoſe, they are a people of no Reaſon.
Quaker.
Nay, Friend M.— I would not have thee to be ſo Hard upon us. I mean Thee no Harm. I hear, thou takeſt a great deal of pains for the good of thy people. And they will do well, to Hearken to Thee. I have Rebuked ſome of them for ſpeaking Evil of thee. Yea, It is my Judgment, That thou, and other ſuch Ministers as Thou art, ought Honourably to be maintained by the people.
Miniſter.
You differ from all your Friends, methinks. What? Would you have us to be Hirelings? 'Tis very ſtrange to hear a Quaker plead for the Maintainance of our Miniſtry. But for your ſatisfaction, I'l tell you, The people whom I Serve, I never once in all my Life Ask'd for any Maintainance or Salary; and I never made any Agreement with them about any Salary, in all my Life.
Quaker.
I ſay, I would not have Thee too Hard upon us. New England has Perſecuted our Friends at a grievous Rate.—
Miniſter.
Nay, Friends, Be not you too Hard upon me, about that matter. I Approve Perſecution, as Little as any of you all. I abhor it; I have Preach'd againſt it, I have Writ againſt it, I have Bewayled the miſtakes that ſome Good men have committed in it. I would have you Treated with all the Civility, imaginable. I would not have the Civil Magistrate inflict up on you, the Damage of one Farthing for your Conſciences.
Quaker.
But now, you may ſee, how the Judgments of God, are come upon the Eaſt Country, by the Indians for your Perſecution.
Miniſter.
I can't tell That neither. For tho' I am ſorry at my Heart, that ever you were Perſecuted: Yet, I can't ſay, That becauſe Boſton was guilty of Perſecution, therefore Newichawannic, and Caſc… Bay, (places in other Provinces,) that never had any ſuch thing in it, muſt be cut off.
Quaker.
Yes, they Perſecuted at the Eaſt ward. There were Two Women, of our Friends, cruel…y Scourged there.
Miniſter.
I ſuppoſe, you refer to a Story, publiſhed by one George Biſhop, a Quaker: He Complains bitterly, of the New England Perſecution, becauſe there came Two Quaker women Stark Naked, into our Publick Aſſemblies, and they were carried unto the Whipping poſt for it. This was in the Northern parts of the Country, as I have been told. Theſe Baggages, I believe, were the perſecuted women, you talk of!
Quaker.
Well, and what if they did appear Naked, to ſhow the People the Nakedneſs of their Sins?
Minister.
For Shame, Sirs, let us have no more of This Talk.
Quaker.
Why didſt thou treat George Keith ſo hardly?
Minister.
He deſerved it, when I ſo Treated him. And you Quakers, have ſince Treated him Ten Times worſe than ever I did. You write whole Books of Railing againſt him. I never got him into Goals, and under Fines. I ſhould have been Troubled at any that would have done ſo. But you have done it. Therefore, I believe, 'tis beſt for you to leave that Subject.
And ſo after a few other ſmall Pulls, the Saw ſtood ſtill. The Conference ended.
There are Five or Six witneſſes, which I have to atteſt unto the Truth of this Relation, which I have here given, of a Conference, with a Quaker, which had all the Friends far and near wondering (as well as wandring) after him. And yet theſe Cretians boaſted among their Friends, how much they had confounded the Miniſter in this Conference.
All that I would preſume now to Commend unto thoſe Towns, which have ſuch Quakers annoying of them, is This Brethren, carry it well, even with all convenient Civility & Humanity, towards this Poor Deluded People; while you Charge your Children and Servants, that they do not go unto their Meetings: and caſt not your ſelves alſo into Temptation, by needleſsly being There. But after all, yea, before all, make an Experiment, which the Good People at Lyn made a little while ago, with a Succeſs truly obſervable and memorable.
The Quakers made a more than ordinary Deſcent upon the Town of Lyn, and Quakeriſm ſuddenly ſpread there, at ſuch a rate as to Alarum the Neighbourhood. The Paſtor of the Church there, Indicted a Day, for Prayer with Faſting, to Implore the Help of Heaven againſt the unaccountable Enchantment; and the Good People preſented accordingly, on July 19 1694. their fervent Supplica…ions, unto the Lord, that the Spiritual Plague might proceed no further. The Spiri… of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt gave a Remarkable Effect, unto this Holy Method of Encountring the Charms of Quakeriſm: It proved a Better method, than any Coercion of the Civil Magiſtrate: Quakeriſm in Lyn received (as I am informed) a Death-Wound, from that very Day; The Number of Quakers in that place hath been ſo far from Increaſing, that I am told, it hath ſince rather Decreaſed notably. Now let other Endangered Plantations; Go, and do likewiſe.
The Quakers, are ſuch Enemies, to the Holy Religion, which is the Life of New England, That you muſt Excuſe my concern to have you Fortify'd againſt their Attempts alſo, while I am giving you an Hiſtory of your other Enemies. What all of them would be at, methinks, was a little intimated by what One of them once Declared. The Globe Tavern was near our Publick and Spacious Meeting-Houſe at Salem: and a Noted Quaker there cauſed a paper to be ſet up on the Door of that Meeting-Houſe, which had ſuch Stuff as this written in it.
Beware, Beware, and Enter not:
But rather to the Globe, and ſpend a Pot.
This is but like a paſſage mentioned in the Life, of that Excellent man Mr. P. Henry, lately publiſhed. A Debauched Gentleman, in his Revels, Drinking and Swearing, at Malpas, was Reproved by a Quaker, then in his Company. Why, ſaid the Gentleman, I'le ask thee one Queſtion; Whether it is better for me to follow Drinking and Swearing, or to go and Hear Henry? The Quaker anſwered; Nay, of the Two, rather follow thy Drinking and Swearing. Behold, the Spirit of Quakeriſm! When I once compelled a Quaker to confeſs, that the Body of Jeſus of Nazareth roſe from the Grave, and went up into the Heavens, he begg'd me that I would not improve his confeſſion, as if made on the behalf of all his Friends. And another of them, as, I hear, publickly Held Forth by one of his late Stercorations, That the Husks of the Swine, on which the Prodigal fed in the Parable, were, The Bread and Wine, in that which People call, The Sacrament.
But what will become of thoſe Forlorn Villages, that ſhall Reſign themſelves to the conduct of that Light within; which our Sacred Scriptures indeed never expreſly mention but once or twice, and then call it, Real Darkneſs; and which may lead men to all this wickedneſs? There was among the Mahometans in the Eaſtern parts of the World, a Sect called Bateniſts, from the Arabic, Baten, which ſignifies within:) who were Enthuſiaſts that followed, The Light within, like our Quakers; and on this principle, they did ſuch Numberleſs Villanies, that the World was not able to bear them. None of all their Diabolical Raveries which I know I am now pulling on my ſelf, and which I value no more, than if they came from the Pouliats of Malabar, ſhall frighten me from ſolliciting your Chriſtian Cares & Prayers, That you be not over-run with Engliſh Bateniſts. And I muſt ſollicitouſly make the Obſervation, That although ſuch a Number of Quakers in our Nation, be a dreadful Judgment of God upon men, ſmiting them with Spiritual Plagues for their Unfruitfulneſs and Unthankfulneſs under the Goſpel; nevertheleſs, of a ſpecial Favour of God, that the Number of Quakers is no Greater; for if they ſhould multiply, not only would Chriſtianity be utterly Extinguiſhed, …ut Humanity it ſelf Exterminated. It is well known, That when a Quaker had Stollen an Hour-glaſs, their Mahomet, George Fox of whom Sol. Eccles, in a Sheet call'd, The Quakers Challenge, pag. 6. ſaies, He was the Christ,) thus vindicated it [Great Myſt. pag. 77.] As for any being moved of the Lord, to take away your Hour-glaſs from you, by the Eternal Power it is owned. Reader, Doſt not thou even Tremble to think, what a Dark Land, we ſhould have, if it ſhould ever be fill'd with theſe pretended followers of the Light; who wear the Name of Tremblers? In Truth, I know not unto what better one might compare them, than unto the Macheveliers growing upon St. Lucia; Trees which bear Apples of ſuch an Odour and Colour as invites people to Eat thereof; but it is horribly Dangerous to do ſo; for there is no Antidote that can ſecure a man from ſpeedy Death, who hath once taſted of them. The Leaf of the Trees, makes an Ulcer on any place touched with it; the Dew that falls from them fetches off the Skin; the very Shadow ſwells a man, ſo as to kill him, if he be not ſpeedily helped.