Little Flocks Guarded Against Grievous Wolves, Letter · Argument 5

Little Flocks Guarded Against Grievous Wolves · Letter · Argument 5

p. 45The fifth Argument

A Person that makes himself a Writer among the people of God, but in his Writings discovers upon all occasions, a marvellous Giddiness, Ignorance, and Falshood, is one from whom we should all Turn away

p. 46But such a person is George Keith.

Our Lord will not send Ridiculous Persons upon such Special Messages, as Keith pretends unto; but so Ridiculous, and therewithal so Slanderous is our Keith, as that methinks whereever he comes, every sensible man should say concerning him, Lo you see the man is mad; wherefore then have you brought him to me! It would fill almost as many pages as Keith has written, to recount the Instances wherein he has made himself Ridiculous; but I will touch upon a few in that one book, which calls our Churches to the Test. If any man whose name is Mather, had written about God's answering the returns of the Prayers of his people; it had been a piece of Nonsense? but Keith has in a new Book strained and found a way to clear it. Is it not admirably argued, The word is compared unto the Rain and the Dew and to bread; Now the Drops of Rain and Dew, and the small Grains of Flower in Bread, cannot be numbred; therefore the Scripture contains not all the Word of God: And yet se pag. 78. of that Book, whether this be not the profoundest of his Arguments! Did the Ridiculous man mind what he writt in pag. 12. where he cites, Cant. 2. 4. He brought me into his Banqueting House; And AGAIN, The King hath brought me into his Wine Cellar. What AGAIN was there! Is it not the same Text, and the same word? Can any thing be so Ridiculous as the Rabbinical Fopperies, which he sometimes p. 47makes ostentation of? Is he not Ridiculous, when he interprets the Things made, in Heb, 12. 27. to be Man made, or made by men, when they were the things of Gods making, even the Ordinances of the old Testament! And as Ridiculous is he in h…s exposition of 1. Pet. 4. 11 in pag. 49. Is it not Ridiculous for a man to allude unto 1. Pet. 2. 2. The Sincere Milk of the Word, and then tell us, That the Word of God is not the Milk but the bottle? One would think none but one that had been at another bottle could so unreasonably express himself. Tell me whether it be not Ridiculous, to allow singing, yet condemn Singing with Notes or Tones.

Is it not Ridiculous, for a man that says, Ministers can require no Maintainance from the people, to prove it from 1 Cor. 9. 14. The Lord has ordained, that they who preach the Gospel, should live of the Gospel? …s not this a pretty Argument, If God hath positively ordained, that Ministers of the Gospel shall have Maintainance, then the people may choose whether they will maintain them or no. But see whether in p. 55. Keith have it not, if he have any at all. Is not the man Light-headed, when he says, Light being used as a Name of God, is no Figurative or Tropical Expression? And when he says, Light is immediate, though it comes through a Medium? Does not he talk in page 16. about an Efficacy as well as a Sufficiency, or of a Sufficient p. 48Efficacy, in the Grace which God hath provided for them that are never saved, and never have the Effect of that Grace? Is it not one of his Revelations, That Christ bestows Adoption only on his Brethren? which is as much as to say, None but the Adopted are Adopted! Can any thing be so Ridiculous as this man, in pag. 169. Where he finds fault with us, for calling our Assemblies together, by a Bell, because we should have, A Gospel-Bell to Ring and Sound in our Hearts, and call us together? or have his Friends got the property of the Cynocephalus in the Temple of the Egyptian Serapis? or are they qualify'd like the man in Germany, who never can speak a word, but just precisely at one a Clock? One of the gravest Writers in the world, cannot forbear a Sarcasm on this occasion; he tells the Quakers, our Bells are not carnal ones, as they call them; for if they were flesh they would never be able to sound so high and far as they do. But if the Quakers don't allow Bells, we shall see they can afford Libels before we have done; which are things that one archly derives, as being Lies, because false, and Bells because Loud. And Keith too carries about a Carnal Clapper in his head. Is it not Ridiculous to make an Invisible Work in mens hearts to be the gathering of a visible Church? Is it not Ridiculous to tell us, That the Baptism with Water, appointed by our Saviour and practised by his Apostles, belonged only to Johns Dispensation? p. 49Is not the man Infatuated, when he tells us, No words of Institution are commanded to be used in Baptism, but the Command is, Go Teach & Baptise all Nations in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost? Were not a man Intoxicated with something besides Water, he could never discourse at so wild a Rate; I say Intoxicated, because he that will have none but a Spiritual Water in the Baptism of our Lord, must permit me to mind him, that there is a Spiritual Drunkenness. From such a Giddiness 'tis, that he tells us, about the Sabbath of the Lord, Exod. 20. 8, 9. Saith nothing of one Day in Seven, but only of a Seventh Day; as if a Seventh Day were not One Day in Seven! From the same Giddiness 'tis, that he tells us, The Sabbath is Christ; and goes to prove it from Heb. 4. 9, 10. as if Christ Entred into Himself! And it is in this Rapture of high Speculations, that he tells us, In the New-Testament there is no outward Day. [What? must our Days now go by Clocks that strike only on the Bells in our Hearts?] Yea, that we can't prove, that the Fourth Command Enjoyned the Jews to keep an outward Seventh Day. Severinus Boetius that had the skill to make the first Clock, never had the skill to find out such a Day; to be measured by his Ingenious Machin. I hope this Rare Invention, of, An Inward Day, will be acknowledged by the Mathematicians of this Age, as a fore-runner to, The p. 50Quadrature of the Circle; or which were better, The Longitude found; the Emperour Charles V. that had a Watch made in the Jewel of a Ring, had the only Instrument that was worthy to give the Time of such Days as we shall have, when we have no outward ones. But I will not be any other than serious with him. I confess 'tis not easy to mention the Follies of Quakerism without Sarcasms, like those which the Prophet bestow'd upon the B…ali…es of old. But when I had once a little of Ir…ny in a Discourse, which one of the most Grave, Holy, Serious Persons now alive in the world, namely, the Venerable Richard Baxte…, has yet seen cause to Reprint in the other England, with a kind Preface of his own unto it; George Keith cannot for bear calling me, A shallow Man, Aiery and full of Froth. As for the shallowness, I own it; [I am so Shallow that I can't find sense in Keith for my life!] but for the Air & Froth, I hope I have not a Neighbour in the world, which will not vindicate the Composedness of my whole Conversation, from the slanders of this Reviler. And indeed the slanders which Keith commits in his Writings, are almost as many as his Follies. Is it not a slander, when he says, We Preach altogether an Absent Christ? None Preach the most Intimate Ʋnion & Communion with the Lord Jesus Christ, more than we. But he may well slander us, if it be fitting for him to slander the most Eminent Saints, or to say, That Nathanael and Cornelius, were Ʋnbelievers, when the glorious Testimonies in the p. 51Scriptures were given of them. Yea, he can slander a whole Assembly of Divines at once, by saying, They expresly word what he recites in pag. 155, 156. as it is recited there; which is u…erly false; 'tis he that has worded it so; and fathered some things upon them, which they do not speak. Why does he represent us, in pag. 258. as telling people, That if a man Dy in his sins, his Faith shall save him, tho he Live and Dy in his sins? If he did not mean himself to Live, in the sin of slandering, or to be a man of no Faith until he Dy? Into what a Bears Skin does he Slanderously put us, when he says, That Notoriously scandalous persons Lyars, Deceivers, Drunkards, &c. are qualify'd Members of our Church? I say, He is a scandalous person, Lyar, Deceiver, for saying so; and there is not one of our Churches, but what would on the account of those Qualifications Excommunicate him, if he had been under their Inspection. Is it no Slander upon thousands of Godly People in the Country, when he says, Our Sacrament has no inward spiritual signification to us? Indeed, he all along is full of opposition; but he can tell rather to whom, than to what: he is resolved the Pastors and Churches of New-England shall be soundly rail'd at, that so unwary people may be decoy'd into a detestation of them; and in order to this, he childishly makes up a man of his own Clouts and Rags, and calling it by a New-English Name, he falls to pelting of it. p. 52He misrepresents most of our Doctrines, and this very wilfully, to make us odious; and as among the Russians, a Knave will sometimes convey his own Goods, into another mans House, thereupon crying out agianst him as the Thief; so Keith puts Words and Things upon us, which we never thought of; and then raises the Country with a Cry of, Thieves, Thieves! Ranters! Blasphemers! False-Teachers! and what not? This si the manner of the Man. As for the Slanders that he raises upon our Endeavours to Evangelize the Indians, I have already in the Life of our Venerable Eliot refuted them with (I hope) a sufficient Efficacy: But as it was of old asked, about the Prophets, Who is their Father? the Answer to such a Question about the Lyars, will give you to see what a person you have to deal withal, when Keith comes among you, seeking whom he may devour.

I remember, I mention'd Ignorance among the Accomplishments of this man; and of That also, you shall have one little Specimen,

I will not here inlarge upon, that foolisla Banter of Keiths, in pag. 202. 203. of his late Reply upon our Answer unto him. We thought, and might well think that he had spoke Non-sence, by saying We call'd our Duties, but not saying what we call'd them; and we inform'd him thereupon, That we call'd them Dirt and Dung and Nothing. So in truth, we thought we might, because the Apostle Paul, p. 53in Phil. 3. 8. had call'd his Duties by no better a Name. Well, you shall see whether Paul George are of a mind, and whether George will not count himself a better man than Paul! Sayes Keith, Ye call them Dirt and Dung, and yet ye continue to offer up this Dirt and Dung unto God, but Remember that God will cast the Dirt and Dung of your Sacrifices on your Faces. And surely, seeing by your own confession, your Prayers are Dirt and Dung, they cannot be that pure Offering which God promised his people should Offer up unto him. Now, was there ever seen such a Fool in Print! This man has Learn'd his Catechism, I see, which teaches him to deride those that shall in their prayers acknowledge themselves to be, Miserable Sinners. Its a Good Lad! But indeed, will Keith dare to brag before the Almighty God, that his own prayers, are not as Dirt and Dung, before those Pure Eyes which cannot look upon iniquity! Neighbours, t'will be but just for you to disdain as Dirt and Dung, the Preachments of such a Proud Fool, as will not confess his own Prayers to be but as Dirt and Dung before the Lord; you have to do, Cum Siercore, when you have to do with such a man.

But this is not the thing which I intended. It is this; He had said, The Baptizing of Infants, was not the practice of the Church, during the first Century, Upon this we rejoined, Origen and Cyprian tell us, that the p. 54Apostles gave Order for the Baptizing of Infants; & Augustine tells us, The Baptism of Infants had been universally practised in the Church ever since the Apostles. And we thought that these had been as credible Reports about the First Century, as we could have when we had not many Wrtings of those that lived in it; except we could prove, which Keith would like, that the Mystical Dionysius was of that Century. But Keith, who makes a mighty Lerry with Quotations from the Ancients, resuming of this point, makes that Foolish Return, That Origen, Cyprian, and Augustin, be not Scripture; pray who said, they were? and he falsely insinuates as if we practised Infant Baptism upon their Authority; upon which he adds, Ye can give no Evidence in Church-History, that Infant Baptism, was practised until Cyprian's Time, past two hundred years from Christ's Resurrection. An Assertion to which there needs no Rejoinder, but what Calvin made upon them that uttered the like, In eo Foedissime Mentiuntur; siquidem nullus est Scriptor tam Vetustus, qui non ejus Originem ad Apostolorum Saeculum pro certo referat. You see, No less a man than Calvin, had call'd Keith, A most filthy Lyar, for so speaking; and from Calvin let him take it. The poor man doubtless thought, that our young Libraries in America, had not yet got any of the Fathers in them; but he is mistaken. We can tell him, that Origen flourished a little before Cyprian; and p. 55he says in his fourteenth Sermon on Luke, Little Ones [Parvuli] are Baptised for the Remission of Sins; with much more to that purpose. And in his 18th. Sermon on Leviticus, he says, Secundum Ecclesiae observantiam, etiam parvulis Baptismum dari; it had been a custome and usage in the Church of God. Nor is it any other than a Cavil, to object, That these and more such passages were the Interpolations of Ruffinus afterwards. But because Keith may tell us, That Origen dy'd not very long before Cyprian, and he is not such a Computer of …mes, but that you may allow him a handful of Minutes to prevent or excuse the mistakes of his Chronology; I shall ask him, what Age Tertullian lived in? Whether he lived not in the Century before Cyprian? Well, Did not this very Tertullian, Acknowledge that the People of God then made Haste for the Baptism of their Children, while their Innocens Etas, their Innocent Age was yet upon them? But perhaps the Tertullian whom Cyprian would call his Master, will be no Master to our Keith.

I shall therefore again ask him, whether Irenaeus did not live before Cyprian, and even before Tertullian too; and whether Jerom do not reckon him A man of the Apostolical times! Now that man is utterly a stranger to the Language of the Ancients, who do's not suppose Infant-Baptism intended by him, when he saies Infantes Renascuntur. I cannot for my Life, Divine, p. 56[although Keith have call'd me A Conjurer] what Keith can say to these things; except he should think to put his Reader off with that flamm, that Tertullian & Irenaeus, are no Church-History. But if here be not enough, what will he say to Hyginus, who was Martyred, Anno Dom. 144. Of whom, Church-History mentions, the Orders which he had about those, Qui Infantes tenent dum Baptizantur; who held up the Infants to be Baptized? Or, if t'was Justin Martyr that wrote that Ancient piece, Quest. & Resp. ad Orthodox. You there have an Author living at the farthest in the very next age to that of Apostles, affirming, That Baptized Infants obtain the good things that come by Baptism. Or, if that Piece were spurious, yet in the Dial. cum Tryph: we have that Justin Martyr who lived, as is judged,, even in the Days of the Apostle John himself, saying, That all alike might then Receive Baptism, which is the Spiritual Circumcision. It is impossible for Keith now to come off, unless he will tell us, that though we do find Infant Baptism asserted by the Church History, to be attended within less than Two, yea less than One Hundred years after the Resurrection of our Lord, yet, He did not mean outward years, When he affirmed the contrary; he spoke of inward years, which may differ as much from ours, as the Lunar do from Solar ones. I take the more notice of this matter, because I do Divine that Keith may write a p. 57Book, to prove, That the Ancients were all Quakers. For I find Keith ever now and then showing this Mark of Hypocrisy; That he commends the Dead Saints, but condemns the Living Ones. Just like Penn; who in the Name of the Quakers, professes an high esteem for the English Martyrs; and yet of those Ministers who now agree perfectly with them, in all the principles and practices of Christianity, he says, They are the Pest os the World, the old Incendiaries to mischief, and the best to be spar'd of Mankind. So, I don't know, but Keith may try to hook into his party all the Departed Saints of our Creed; not only the Reformers, but even the Fathers too, whom he seems inclinable to the Applauding of. But if ever he do, pray see what a Trusty Recorder and Reporter of Antiquity you'l be troubled with! He will impose upon you, with bold but false Representations of all Antiquity; and his word is not to be taken for any thing he says. This is Keith; and now say, whether This be not one, from whom all that have any Love to their own Souls are to Turn away. He is all over Leprous, and particularly has. The Plague in his Head: it is but an wholsome Caution for you, to avoid a person so Infectious.

Having now done with George Keith, it remains that I set before you, a little part of that Spiritual Armour, which may defend you against the Assaults of Quakerism. As for p. 58the most of that Sophistry, which Keith has to pester you, 'tis detected and refuted in an Answer to him, lately Published by the Ministers of Boston; and I Exhort you to furnish your selves with such an Antidote against him. He has indeed printed a Book to Revile that of ours, as if it were a meer Bundle of Weeds; But I believe, if all the Rattle-snakes in this Country [and it happens, that at the very minute of my Writing this, casting my Eye upon a certain Pamphlet, which decoyes people to dwell at Pensylvania, the first word I read in my Author is, There be Rattle-snakes at Pensylvania too; which he says, make a Noise like a Childs Rattle!] I say, if they all had the voting of it, they would cry out upon Snake-weed, as a Weed which did abundance of hurt in the world. But if any Quakers do personally set upon you, my humble advice to you is, That you have no Regard unto the Deceitful Generals wherein they will make a noise like a Childs Rattle, and cry up Theirs as the only True Religion; but compel them to come unto a Point. Ask them, Whether your own Religion be False? If they will say, 'Tis not, then bid them be quiet; What would they have? If they say 'tis; make 'm to pitch upon a, particular Instance; keep 'em to That, and let them not confound you with Tedious and Rambling Digressions from, The Thing in hand. Accept no proof but Scripture, or what is just consequence from Scripture; Tell them, If they p. 59speak not according to that Word, there is no Light in them. Lay down your own Principles, in plain, brief, close Terms, and ask them, Which of these they Deny? What they Deny, be you ready to Defend; thus, Resist them and they'l flee from you.

I. Assert, That the Bible is the Word of God.

Tell them, That by [the Bible] you don't mean the Paper, or the Letter, but the Heavenly Matter contained in it. If they make that Irreverent Irrational Cavil, That there are the words of Sinners, yea, and of Devils in the Bible; ask them, Who made the History which relates those words? Whether that History were not written by Inspiration of God? If they Cavil, That Christ is the Word of God; own it, and give the cause why He is called so; namely, because He is the chief Subject which the Word insisteth on; and because He does, as a Word, signifie and manifest the glorious Attributes of God; yea, because, as a Word, is the Offspring of the Mind, so our Lord Redeemer is by an Eternal Generation the Son of God. But then turn them, to Jer. 23. 30. I am against the Prophets that steal my Word, every one from his Neighbour. Ask them, whether Christ can be Stolen? Turn them, to Eph. 6. 17. The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Ask them, whether Christ be an Instrument for the Spirit or no? Enquire of them, Whether the p. 60Devil himself did not own the Bible to be the Word of God, when our Lord made him to Fly, by fetching three Texts out of Deuteronomy to him? Let them see, That you'l try that Method upon Them; and do you see, whether they will be worse than He.

II. Assert, That we have no Warrant in our Dayes, to look for such Inspirations as were given to the Prophets and Apostles of our Lord, before the Canon of the Scripture was compleated.

Acknowledge, That the Saints in our Days have their special Illuminations from the Holy Spirit of God; and that the Spirit by those Illuminations does help us to understand the Things Revealed in the Scriptures, which otherwise cannot be savingly understood; and does further help us to apply the Scriptures unto our own Instruction, Direction, Consolation. Yea, acknowledge, that the Holy Spirit of God is the Author of all the Good Works, whereof there are many, (and let them be what they will) in the Hearts of his People. But then tell them, These things, do not amount unto such Inspirations as qualify'd the Writers of the Scriptures for their work. In those Inspirations the Bodily Perceptions, did not use to carry the Objects unto the Rational Faculties, and conclusions were not usually formed in such a way; the Soul was more passive in them; it was not by the Improvements of a sanctify'd Ʋnderstanding, p. 61but it was by the Illapses of rapturous Extasies, that these Inspirations were convey'd into the Subjects of them. The Inspirations were not common to all Believers, nor were they Habitual in those few which had them; nor were they Augmented by the Industry and Experience of the Godly. Ask them whether Paul do not evidently make a Difference between the Illuminations of all good men, and the Inspirations of some, in 1 Cor. 7. 40. After my judgment, and I think also that I have the Spirit of God. He gives his Advice, as a Saint that had the Spirit of God Enllghtning of him as he does other Saints; whereas, if that Advice had been immediately Inspired into him, he did not well to make his own Judgment bear a part with the Infallible Authority of God. See likewise 1 Cor. 12. 39. Are all Prophets? Challenge the Quakers to do any of those Miracles, or to speak any of those Languages, which many of them that were of old Inspired, could. You need not go to prove, That such Inspirations are so ceas'd, as that they are not ordinarily to be look'd for. Let them, if they can, prove that they be Not Ceas'd. Yet that you may fully silence them, Turn them to 2 Pet. 1. 19. We have a more sure word of Prophesy, whereunto ye do well to take heed, as unto a Light shining in a dark place, until the Day dawn, & the Day-star arise in your Hearts. Look on the Context. Ask them, whether the Prophesy of Scripture be not the more sure word, which is there said to be, More sure, than a voice from Heaven, or any Immediate Revelation in our Days? Ask whether, those that Peter then wrote unto, had not Christ in them, as much as any Quakers now? Or whether it be not said of them in the Beginning of the Epistle, That they had obtained like precious Faith with the Apostles? and whether these were not now to preferr the Scriptures before a voice from Heaven it self? Tell them, that the word [until] does not always intimate, that afterwards the thing must be [No more] See Mat. 5. 18. But we must Give Heed, unto the Scripture, [That so] the Day-star of Gospel Administrations may arise in our Hearts; and continue thus to do [until] our Lord Christ Himself do come unto the Judgment of the World.

III. Assert, That the Will of God Expressed in the Scripture, is a perfect Rule for the Belief, and Practice, of every Christian.

Turn them to 2. Tim. 3. 16. 17. All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God, and is profitable. That The man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. Ask them, whether any but a Perfect Rule can do this! Or, whether there be any Good Work which we are not by the Scripture both Directed and Obliged unto? p. 62If they pretend; that they have the Spirit as a Rule to them; tell them, that the Spirit speaks in and by the Scripture. Tell them also, That you'l Try, that Pretence.

Turn them to 1. Joh. 4. 1. Beloved, Believe not every Spirit, but try the Spirits whether they are of God. Ask them, what Rule we shall have to Try, the pretences which men make to the Spirit, if the Scripture which the Spirit has given us be not the Rule! And ask them, whether That which is to Try the Spirits, is not the Supreme Judge of all Controversies in Religion.

IV. Assert, That every man is not Enlightned with a Saving Light.

Affirm to them, that the Light which is in every man do's not Effectually make all men to apprehend all Truths necessary to Salvation. Turn them to Deut. 29. 4. The Lord hath not given you eyes to see to this Day. Ask them whether any can have, what God never gave! or what saving Light is in them that can't see? Turn them to Mat. 6. 23. If the Light that is in thee, be Darkness, how great is that Darkness? Ask them whether Darkness be a Saving Light? If the Light in all men, be able to save them, ask them, Why they make further Inspirations to be necessary!

Affirm to them, That the Light which is in every man, does not so much as Objectively Reveal, p. 64all that we must know, if we would be Saved. Ask them, whether the Light which is in our Tawny Pagans, ever did Reveal unto them, That Great Mystery of Godliness, God manifest in the Flesh? Do the Pagans know the Gospel by this Light? Or, has not Paul said in 2 Cor. 4. 3. If our Gospel be hid, it is hid unto them that are lost?

Ask them, what need there was for the Scripture to be written, if all men had Light enough to discover all Saving Mysteries unto them! press them with the Question, in Rom. 3. 1. What advantage has the Jew?

In short, If the Heathen had always Light enough to save them, ask them, what Our Lord meant, when he said, in Joh. 4. 22. Salvation is of the Jews! [Who then were the only people, with or from whom the Scriptures were to be had.]

V. Assert, That the Light (or power) in every man, which condemns him after he hath done amiss, is not, THE CHRIST OF GOD.

Grant them, that we have a Light which is a Ray from the Sun of Righteousness, as being the work and gift of our Lord, who was the Creator of Man, and has put a Conscience into him. It is this Conscience, which is, The Candle of the Lord. Yet let them know, That you can distinguish between Causes and Effects. You can distinguish between a Light given by p. 65Christ, and Christ Himself, who gives the Light. Grant them also, That all the Saints have a most Intimate and wonderful Union with Christ, so that the Spirit of Christ, or Christ by his Spirit, is in them the Hope of Glory. But then let them know, That Christ our Light, is not thus in all men; 't…s a priviledge peculiar to the Saints, who are the Mystical Body of Christ. Maintain against them, That the Light in all men which Rebukes them when they do amiss, is not, The Man Christ Jesus. Ask them, whether the Light within were born of the Virgin Mary? And whether 'twas the Light within which Encountred all the Things mentioned in the Gospel? Dispute after this manner with them; The Christ of God condemns men for all sin. But the Light in many a man does not so. Ask them, whether many a man does not sin, when yet he acts according to his Light? Enquire of them, how we shall know Light within, from Thought within. Quote them Joh. 16. 2. The time cometh, that whosoever killeth you, will think that he does God Service. Ask them, whether their Light reproved them, when they Thought they did God Service in what they were about? Quote them, Acts 26. 9. I verily Thought with my self that I ought to do many things contrary to the Name of Jesus of Nazareth. Ask them, whether that Light which Approved, a man when he did many things against Jesus, could be Christ or no? Did Thought within, bear witness against these Dam p. 66nable Sins? If yet they are obstinate, ask them, whether their Magistrates ever had a Light which directed them to punish a filthy Woman for Exposing her self stark naked before their own Eyes in a publick Assembly, to prove her Attainment of that Innocency which is without shame? Ask them, if they know of no such thing that has lately happened? Or, whether when the Light has not hindred several such Light Hussies, from those unnatural Pranks, in the Light among us, their Light ever taught 'em to bear due Testimonies against them? Once more, They say, All men have this Light within. Pray then, turn them to, Eph. 2. 12. At that Time, ye were without Christ. If they go to perplex you with Joh. 1. 9. That was the True Light, which Lighteth every man, that cometh into the World. Answer them; You own that our Blessed Mediator, doth both Instruct, and Comfort, the Souls of poor Sinners; Tell them, He is the True Light, in opposition to the Ancient Figures and Shadows, which were but so many Dark Lines of him. Tell them, That even the Light of Reason is a Light, which the Son of God has blessed all Mankind withal. It is rather as a Creator than as a Redeemer, that all men Receive Light from Our Lord; and the Context there, do's Marvelously Suit this Exposition; let the Quakers prove a better if they can. But if it must be understood of Enlightning with Gospel-discoveries, tell them yett, it implies not that every individual p. 67man, is therewith Enlightned; it means, That all who are Enlightned have their Light from him. Show them Col. 1. 28. We Preach, warning every man, and Teaching every man. Ask them, whether the Apostles ever did so to every Individual Man. Show them Psal. 145. 14. The Lord upholdeth all that fall. Ask them, whether it implies any other, but that all who are upheld are upheld by God alone. And finally Confess to them, That by [every man] may be meant Jews and Gentiles, without such Limitations as were before the Incarnation of our Lord. Put them upon proving this Exposition to be false.

VI. Assert, That God has foreordained, whatever eomes to pass.

Turn them to Eph. 1. 11. Who worketh all things after the counsel of His own Will. Ask them, whether any Creature can work without God? or, whether the Counsel of God, be not from Eternity? Turn them to Acts 4. 27, 28. Against thy Holy Child Jesus—they were gathered together, for to do whatever—thy Counsel determined before to be done? Ask them, whether there could be worse things done, than what were against the Holy Child Jesus? and whether even such things as those were not fore-determined by the Counsel of God? Make 'em look into Acts 2. 23. Him being delivered by the Determinate Counsel and Fore-knowledge p. 68of God, ye have taken, and by wicked Hands have Crucify'd. Let them tell you, whether the Treason of Judas was not one of the Things in the Delivering of our Lord Jesus into the Hands of them that Crucify'd Him! and whether even This also were not by the Determinate Counsel and Fore-knowledge of the Almighty? And do you tell them, That you do not conceive the Liberty of the Creature to be taken away by the Decree, no, nor by the Influx neither, of the first cause upon all second causes: but that there may be Necessity, where there is no Coaction or Compulsion; and that we may act most Voluntarily when we act most Necessarily. If they taunt at you, That you render God the Author of Sin; tell them, No; tell them that God may be the Author of an Action done by Man, when Man only is the Author of the Evil in that Action; tell them, That God may Purpose to withold, & He may withold, from men the Grace which He never ow'd them; and no Blame ly upon God, for the Sin which will follow thereupon, and administer innumerable occasions for His Glory. Ask them, whether God Foreknow all that comes to pass? or see Act. 15. 18. Well, if God have not also Decreed it, then God knows many things but conditionally; and His Knowledge is but fallible and uncertain; and then there are some things whereof God is not the Determiner; but the Free-will of man will make the Counsel, and so the very Essence of p. 69God Himself to depend upon it. Away with such Blasphemies!

VII. Assert, That there is an Eternal Reprobation, as well as Election; and that this Reprobation is Absolute as well as Eternal.

Since there are persons Converted, you prove that these were first Elected, when you Demonstrate that nothing ever comes to pass, without the Counsel of God. Bid 'em read Act. 13. 48. and then say, whether, there are not some Ordained unto Eternal Life. Ask them whether they never heard from 2. Tim. 2. 19. The Foundation of God stands sure, having this Seal, the Lord knows who are his. And bid them confess whether Election be not that Foundation? See, 2. Thes. 2. 13. And Rom. 8. 30.

If there were an Eternal Election of some, ask them whether it be not pure Non-sense to say, that some were Chosen, and others were not Lest Ʋnchosen? And what else is Reprobation, but a leaving of some Ʋnchosen, or a refusing and rejecting of some from the unchangeable purposes of mercy by Jesus Christ? Ask them, whether God ha's Eternally Chosen all to Salvation? If so, why ha's He not Call'd All, Justify'd 'em, and Glorify'd 'em? Ask them, whether they are not contradicted by Our Lord in Joh. 6. 37. All that the Father giveth me, shall come to me. It is clear then, that God p. 70ha's not Chosen al. Ask them whether the Rest are not passed by? Do's not the Apostle say, in Rom. 11. 7. The Rest were blinded? see, Rev. 17. 8. Force them to read, Jude. 4. There are certain men, who were before of old Ordained unto this Condemnation. When and How Ordained? Show 'em, That our Sin is the only cause of Damnation. Do not say, That God made men to Damn them. Yet bid 'em consider that in Rom. 9. 17. But show 'em, That the cause of Reprobation is Gods Will. If Sin were the cause of that, ask, why are not all men Reprobates? for all men might come under the consideration of Sinners before the Lord. God will Damn particular persons for their sins; hence He did Eternally Decree to Damn those persons for their Sins. But what was the cause of the Decree? Fetch your Account of it from Mat. 11. 26. Even so, Father, for so it seemed Good in thy sight. If they now begin to Blaspheme, That then God is partial or cruel; say to them, with the Apostle in this case, in Rom. 9. 20. Nay but, O man, who art thou that Repliest against God? Yet make it appear, That none are to be hence discouraged from the use of means. Ask them, whether when a Battel is to be fought, God has not certainly Decreed, who shall fall in that Battel; and whether any Souldier should therefore forbear doing his utmost for his own Preservation.

p. 71VIII. Assert, That there is one God in Three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit.

They will own, There is out one God. Ask them now, whether we don't read in Mat. 28. 19. Of, The Father, and, The Son, and, The Holy Spirit? Show 'em, That the Father is God; because 'tis said, Joh. 17. 3. Thee, the only true God. Show 'em, That the Son is God; because 'tis said, in Rom. 9. 5. Christ who is over all God Blessed for ever. Show 'em, That the Spirit is God; because tis said, in Act. 5. 3. 4. Why hath Satan filled thine Heart to Ly… unto the Holy Ghost? Thou hast not Lyed unto men, but unto God. Bid them Read, 2. Cor. 13. 13. Tell them, that yet the Father is not the Son; and the Son is not the Spirit; because it cannot be said, That the Son begat the Father, or that the Spirit, sends the Son. And force them to own, That the Father and the Son and the Spirit, are PERSONS, because they are Intelligent Subsistences. Point 'em to, Joh. 15. 26. I will send unto you, from the Father the Spirit of Truth. Say to them as Athanasius did unto them which doubted the Trinity; Go to Jordan and thou shalt see it. Make 'em to Read, what was done at Jordan, in Math. 3. 16. 17. and out of that convince 'em. Tho you cannot fully Fathom the Mystery of the Trinity, yet be not Shaken by such a Rope of Sand as Mr. Pen would hamper our Doctrine with, when he saies, If each Person be God, and God subsists in three Persons, then in each Person, there are three Persons or Gods, p. 72and so from three they would encrease to nine, and so in Infinitum. You dont want any help of mine, to show you the Folly and poorness of such a piece of Sophistry. If they Boggle at the word Person, tell 'em what, A Person in the Godhead signifies. It means not, A Distinct Substance, but A Distinct Subsistence; it is, The Divine Essence subsisting in a Relative property. Cause them also to Read Heb. 1. 3. His Son—the Express Image of his Person.—There you see the Father is a Person. Cause them again to Read, 2. Cor. 2. 10. I forgave it in the Person of Christ. There you see the Son is a Person, to be represented. Pilate call'd him, in Math. 27. 24. This Just Person; a Quaker is worse than a Pilate, if he will not own as much. And then for the Spirit,—He that can descend from Heaven in a Bodily shape is a Person: but we find Luk. 3. 22. The Holy Ghost descended in a Bodily shape.

IX. Assert, That the Death of the Lord Jesus Christ, was not intended by God, for the Salvation of all Mankind.

Allow, That the price paid by our Lord in His Death, was indeed sufficient for all Mankind; and that the Benefit of it is tendered and profered unto all indefinitely, If they will believe: yea, that His Death is the thing that has procured this Tender and Profer for the World. But, yet it was not the secret p. 73Intent, either of God or Christ, that His Blood should purchase Life Eternal for all the Children of Men. Ask of them, whether our Lord by His Death has not bought Faith for them that have it, even the Faith which qualifies them for Benefit by his Death? Is there any Believer, that can dare to say concerning his Faith, The Blood of Christ never bought it for me? Well then, If the Blood of Christ as purchasing Salvation, were intended for all Mankind, was not the Blood of Christ as purchasing the Condition of Salvation so intended? But, how comes it then, that all Mankind have not that Faith which is the Condition of Salvation? They will say, 'tis meerly because the Sinner says, I won't; but what will they say, when they must own, that our Lords Death is to purchase the Sinners being overcome to say, I will? Ask them further, What the vertue and success of our Lords Death depends upon? Is it wholly left unto the Freewill of Man? will then be the principal in his own Salvation. Yea, this I say; if the Number of persons Interested in our Lords Death, be not fixed and settled, it were possible, That no man at all should ever be the better for it! Horrible to be spoken! And Simon Peter were no more beholden to the Merit of our Lord, than Simon Magus was. Ask them, whether they can be so Absurd (though they have as large a Gift at Absurdity as any people in the world) as to think, That God p. 74in sending his Blessed Son to Dy, had as full a Purpose, that His Death should be Effectual to Save, those who from all Eternity He foreknew never should be saved, as for those whom he certainly foreknew the Salvation of? or, whether God foreknows not who shall, and who shall not be saved? Finally, Turn them to Joh. 17. 9. I pray not for the world. And ask them, whether our Lord Jesus intended His Death, for them, whom He would not bestow a Prayer upon. The Quakers perhaps may tell you, That Christ Dyes IN all men, and so must needs Dy FOR them all; but you are then drawn to another point. Only before you leave this, Tell them they have done very well to acknowledge themselves, The proper Crucifiers of the Lord Jesus Christ.

There is one Mr. H. Glover, who has Printed a Pamphlet, wherein he Reviles me, as being more than a Semi-Quaker, because in a Book Entituled, A Companion for Communicants, I go to prove, That the Lords Supper is not [ex Instituto,] a Converting Ordinance. The Foundation of that Gentlemans Discourse, is, That Christ has dy's for all men; and the Sacraments are nothing but Seals to the Truth of that Assertion. I desire him now to accept the Assertion and Argument of this paragraph, as my Answer to him. As to my being, more than a Semi-Quaker, 'tis the mistake of a Gentleman, that has more than a Sesqui-Arminian in him; and I shall only tell him, That when p. 75I apply my self to the Quakers for a Communion with them, I will make use of His Testimonial, without wh…ch, I know they will not now Receive me.

X. Assert, That our Justification, is by the Righteousness, or Obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ, Imputed unto us.

To be Justify'd, is to be Absolved from the Curse due for Sin, and Entitled therewithal to Life Eternal. If they ask you, Who Justifies you? Answer, 'Tis God that passes the merciful Sentence; as we read in Rom. 8. 33. It is God that Justifies. If they ask you, For what you are Justify'd? Answer, For the Obedience which our Lord Jesus rendred unto God, as a Surety and Ransome for us: as we read in Rom. 5. 18. By the Righteousness of One, the Free Gift came upon all men to Justification and Life. If they ask you, By what you actually come within the reach of this Imputation? Answer, 'tis by that Faith, which receives the gracious profer of the Lord Jesus Christ, and relies upon it: as we read in Rom. 10. 10. With the Heart man believeth unto Righteousness. If they ask, In what you may Evidence the Truth of your Faith, so as to demonstrate its being Faith unfeigned? Answer, 'Tis by the Works of a Godly Conversation, which Faith has derived strength from the Lord Jesus, for the performance of; as it is written, in Jam. 2. 24. p. 76You see then, how that by works a man is Justify'd, and not by Faith only. Let them not baffle you, about this Fundamental Article. We cannot be legally just before God, until we are Owners of a Righteousness that fully satisfies the Demands of his Holy Law. Even Burroughs the great Oracle of the Quakers tells us, God accepts not any, where there is any Failing; or, who do not fulfil the Law, and answer every demand of Justice. Ask them, whether it be not said in Rom. 4. 6. God Imputeth Righteousness without Works? and let them (if they can!) soberly tell you, what they think of it. If they say, The works of Faith are our Righteousness, ask them, whether they be the Works wrought before we are perfect? or after? if the Works before, then God will pronou…c… us Legally Righteous, while we are yet Legally Ʋnrighteous; for our works have not fully answered His Law. If the Works after, then wo… …o us all; for we shall not come thereto until we Dy. Cite unto them, Gal. 3. 13. Christ hath Fedeemed us, from the Curse of the Law, being made a Curse for us. And ask them, whether our being set free from the Curse of the Law, is not in our being Justify'd? Cite them before those Texts, in Rom. 5. 9. Being now justify'd bp his Blood, we shall be saved from Wrath thro him; and in Rom. 3. 4. Being Justify'd freely by his Grace, through the Redemption that is in Christ; and in Eph. 12. 6. We have Redemption through His Blood, p. 77the Forgiveness of our Sins. And make them fall before the force of 2 Cor. 5. 19, 21. and Mat. 26. 28. and Rom. 5. 10. and Phil. 3. 9. with many more. After all, if they answer you, as Edward Burroughs does one that enquired, whether there be any other Righteousness by which the Saints are Justify'd, than what Christ works only in them; Thou Beast (says he) to whom the Plagues of God are due, and upon whom the Wrath of God must be Accomplished, who wouldest have another Righteousness, than that which Christ works in the Saints: Don't return such foaming Language to them again; but only say, That you despair of escaping the Plagues and Wrath of God, without another Righteousness. If they are so extravagant, as to speak what William Pen writes, It is a great Abomination to say, God should condemn and punish his Innocent Son, that he having Satisfy'd for our sins, we might be justify'd by the Imputation of his perfect Righteousness; Only Reply, That it is a great Abomination unto you to hear such Abominable Blasphemies!

XI. Assert, That a Sinless perfection in this world, is not attainable:

It is true, Godly men are such as, Do no iniquity, and they, Do not Commit Sin. But let 'em understand, that this refers only to a Choice of Sin, and a Course of Iniquity. Let them p. 78know, you don't plead that Wickedness may live, but you plead that Repentance mayn't dy while we live. Tell 'em, that they do but enflame the most Cursed and Hellish Pride, while they Nourish a vain opinion of Perfection here. Let them know that such as the Scripture sometimes calls the Perfect, are the Sincere, and not the Sinless ones. Show them in, phil. 3. 11. Not as tho I were already perfect. Ask them, whether Paul, who was then an old Believer, and an old Apostle too, were not as perfect as any Quaker, yea, or any Christian, in our Days! … Point them, to ver. 15. Let us, as many as be Perfect, be thus minded. Ask them, whether well-grown Saints are not there called Perfect Ones; and yet, whether the most Perfect must yet be thus Minded, as you Read before, Not as tho I were already Perfect. Ask them, whether Holy David did not Cry out, Psal. 143. 2. Enter not into Judgement with thy Servant, for in my sight shall no Flesh Living be Justify'd. Quote 'em-Eccl. 7. 20. There is not a Just man upon Earth, that doth good and sinneth not. And Jam. 3. 2. In many things we offend all. And accept not of Quibbles for Answers to such a plain Conviction. If they will yet make a Pother, Let loose Paul again upon them. Let 'em hear the complaint of Paul, in Rom. 7. 19. The Good that I would, I do not, but the Evil which I would not, that I do. Put 'em to it, whether the Best of them, do not always make the same complaint; if p. 79they do not, then do you pass that Censure upon them, The Best of them is a Briar. The very Best of them are Stark Naught. Let 'em also hear a Better man than the Best of them, Exclaming, in Rom. 7. 24. O wretched man, that I am, who shall deliver me from this Body of Death! Ask them whether we shall not have a Body of Death in us, till, The Death of our Body? If any of them do pretend a full deliverance, from the Wretchedness of that Body, say to them, That they are most Wretched Bodies themselves, and under the Deadly power of that Body still. Enquire of them whether Idle Words, Be not Sins: and Convince them that they have been Guilty of several such in that little while that they have been talking with you. If after all, they will say, They or any of their Friends, Have no Sin in them, knock 'em with that Scripture, in 1. Joh. 1. 8. If we say we have no Sin, we deceive ourselves, and the Truth is not in us. Tell them, That if they will Deceive themselves, they shall not Deceive you; and so have done with them.

XII. Assert, That a Saint of God can not finally or totally fall away from the Grace of God.

Let them Read (if they can do it) 1 John 3. 9. Whosoever is born of God, His Seed remaineth in him. Ask them, whether the Seed of God, be not the Grace of God, Received p. 80in Regeneration? If this can be utterly lost, ask them, How it Remaineth? Ask them, whether those that are Converted, are not also Justify'd? Let them know, That you think, They are; because Paul thought so, in Rom. 3. 30. whom be called, them He also justified. But then let them tell you, whether they that are once pardoned, are not ever so? or, turn them to Jer. 31. 34. I will forgive their Iniquity, and remember their sin no more. But, if once men fall into an Ʋnconverted, they must then fall into an Ʋnjustify'd State again. If you have leisure for it, make them feel the force of such Texts, as that, in John 10. 28. Neither shall any pluck them out of my Hand. Ask them, whether they that are pluck'd out of a state of Grace, are not pluck'd out of our Lords Hand? And that in 1 Joh. 2. 19. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us. Ask them, whether it be not now past all doubt that none who really are among the Renewed, and Gracious People of God, can wholly go out from that Number? Recommend unto their Consideration, the precious, Heart-melting, Mediatory Prayer of our Lord Jesus, in Joh. 17. 16, 20, 24. I pray that, thou shouldest keep them from the Evil; I pray for them that shall believe on me; Father I will that they also, whom thou hust given me, be with me, where I am, that they may behold my Glory. Ask them, whether p. 81all Saints were not concerned in this Prayer; and whether this Prayer will not preserve them and their Grace from being Lost for ever? See Luk. 22. 32. Finally, Ask them, from 1 Pet. 1. 5. Whether the Saints are not, Kept by the mighty power of God, thro Faith unto Salvation? If they object, That Peter or David fell so as to become utterly Ʋnsanctify'd; never grant them That. Affirm, That the sudden prevalency of the Flesh in David, or Peter, did not so Biass their Hearts, as that hereupon they Habitually preferred the Creature above God; nor did they become Habitual Unbelievers, As for David, he still went on in the ordinary course of Religion and if he had been, with Deliberation put upon it, he would still have chosen God before the world. As for Peter, we are sure, His Faith failed not, in the swoon of his perfidy. If they bring Instances of Apostacy, tell them they bring but so many Instances of Hypocrisy. And if at last, they Bark, That the Doctrine of Perseverance is an Enemy to Holiness, give 'em to see, That men are for that, under never the less Obligation, but under the more Encouragement, to work out their own Salvation. Show 'em that passage in Act. 27. 24, 31. Lo, God has given thee all them that Sail with thee; Paul said to the Centurion, and to the Souldiers, except these abide in the Ship, ye cannot be saved. Own also to them, That tho a Saint may fall into very scandalous Evils, yet those Evils will p. 82Eclipse his Evidences; nor can a man have the credit or comfort of a Saint until such Evils be Repented of.. In fine, if they produce from Heb. 6. 4, 5, 6. High Attainments that may be fallen from; then from verse 9. prove, That these High Attainments are none of the Better Things, which Accompany Salvaetion.

XIII. Assert, That Baptism with Water, is an Ordinance of our Lord Jesus Christ.

When once the Quakers have Bitten any, they are presently taken with an Hydrophobie, so that they are marvellously afraid of the Water which our Lord would have us to be Baptised with. But ask them, What Baptism, our Lord meant, when He gave that Order, in Mat. 28. 19. Go teach all Nations, Baptising them? His Order is for our Duty; 'tis not our Duty to Baptise men spiritually, although it be our Desire; only God can give the Spirit; and it is not our Sin if our Hearers remain Unconverted still. Is it not an External Teaching which our Lord has given us His Order for? And why not an External Baptism too? Ask them, whether Paul would have thanked God, in 1 Cor. 1. 14. that he Baptised so few, if Spiritual Baptism had been his work. Ask them, whether all that the Apostles Baptised, were certainly and inwardly Sanctify'd? Remember them, that Simon Magus was one p. 83of them; and is he a Saint among the Quakers? if Spiritual Baptism is all that we are to look after, then every Believer is already Baptised. And if so, what is the further Baptism which Believers are to be made partakers of? Consult Mark 26. 16. Act. 50. 48. Act. 18 8. Ask them, whether the Apostles did not Baptise with Water. Prove that they did, from Act. 8. 38. They both went down into the water, and he baptised him; and from Act. 10. 47. Can any man forbid water, that these should not be Baptised. And is not their practice a sufficient Intimation of our Lords Precept, for Water-baptism? See what they can say to this? Indeed some of the Quakers have answered unto it, The Apostles knew not the mind of Christ. But if any of your Assailants be so abominably Insolent, then tell them, That you'I prefer the Judgment of One Apostle, before the Arrogant Opinion of ten thousand Quakers; and so have done with them. Do not, like the Witches, Renounce your Baptism, for any of their perswasions.

If, to be further Troublesome, they Enquire, Wherefore you Baptise Infants? Tell them, that our Lord alwayes had in the World, a Catholick Church, which is the Mystical Body of Christ; and that a Visible Saintship renders persons the Visible Members of this Church. Tell them, that in the Days of the Old Testament, the Infants of Believers were visible Members of the Church Catholick; and that p. 84you will reckon the Infants of Believers to have the like priviledge in the Dayes of the New Testament until the Anabaptists can find where our Lord Jesus has expresly cut them off; and that you cannot imagine the Lord has now deprived the Infants of the Godly; of a priviledge which they had from the Beginning: for, either He must have done it, in Anger, or in Kindness; not in Arger, because God has no new Controversy with our infants; not in Kindness, because 'tis a mercy unto our Infants to sustain this Relation. And then tell them, That all Members of the Church are to be Baptised. Moreover, Tell them, That holy Persons are to be Baptised: now, 'tis said, about the Children of Believers, in 1 Cor. 7. 14. They are holy. Finally, Tell them, They that belong to the Kingdom of Heaven, are to be Baptised; now 'tis said, about the Children of Believers, in Mat. 19. 4. Of such is the Kingdom of Heaven. And show them from Act. 15. 10. how our Lord graciously reckons our Children, his own Disciples; now shall not his Disciples be Baptised?

XIV. Assert, That our usage of Bread and Wine, in the Sacrament of the Holy Supper is an Appointment of our blessed Saviour.

The Quakers do a worse thing, than pulling the Bread out of our Mouths, when they p. 85go to make us forego the Sacrament of the Supper; and whereas 'tis justly stigmatized as a wicked Sacriledge for the Papists to cheat the common people of the Wine in that Ordinance, when our Lord foreseeing it, expresly forewarned it, saying, All of you drink you of it: it is a more Diabolical Sacriledge that these Robbers are to be charged with. Confute them, from 1 Cor. 11. 23, 24. I have Received of the Lord, that which also I Delivered unto you: This Do. Ask them, whether our Supper of the Lord, were not a Command of the Lord? Is not a sacred use of Bread and Wine in Church-Assemblies pressed by the Apostle, as Enjoyned by the Lord Jesus? Will they now tell you, That it is an Ordinance only for weak Believers? Then say, That you are one of Them, and will accordingly observe it, though a Crew of Dead Hereticks, will have no Communion with it. And yet also say, That many of the Corinthians, to whom this Order was given (as well as to us) were Enriched in all Knowledge, and were Justified, Sanctified, Washed, and were united unto Christ, and were as able to see through Shadows as any of the Quakers: nor when Adam was perfect in Paradise, was he too high to use a Seal of Gods Covenant. And say, That Evangelical Shadows of our Lords own Institution, are not Repeal'd, not useless; and that he that shall Despise them, can expect not a Spiritual Appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ, p. 86but his being Revealed from heaven in flaming fire to take vengeance on them. Turn them to 1 Cor. 11. 26. A… oft as you eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye shew forth the Lords Death till he come.

To this their, printed Answer is, We do not Read of another coming in the Flesh, yet to be Expected. What, man▪ And not, in his Glorified Flesh? Did not Job say, In my Flesh I shall see God, He shall stand at the Latter Day upon the Earth! And yet did not Paul say, The Saviour will come from Heaven, to make our Vile Bodies like his Glorious Body! Jobs Body then will be Flesh, and so will Christs.

Reply upon them, That the whole New-Testament assures you, of nothing more than of what the Angels Expressed, when they said, This same Jesus which is taken up from you, into Heaven, shall so come in like manner, as ye have seen him go into Heaven. If they do not look to see our Lord shortly coming in like manner, or, in his Glorious yet Visible Humanitie, tell them, They are the Scoffers of the Last Days walking after their own Lusts. But show, That when t'was said, This, Do till our Lord come, it cannot mean the Spiritual coming of our Lord: for so He was already come to the Corinthians. They were already converted, and Joined unto the Lord. They were Christians, and the Quakers dare not say, That Christ was not come in them. If they go on to call your Holy Fellowship, in this Mystery, as Parnel dos, A p. 87Feeding upon the Husk, tell them, they are Swine for saying so. And if they declare as Keith do's, that their Ordinary Meals are a Celebration of this Institution, tell them, That men who pretend every Collation they have at a Loose Tavern to be as Divine a thing as what we have at the Lords Table, are as profane as the Creatures who do not eat of the Childrens Bread.

XV. Assert, That the Bodies which we lay down at our Death, must Rise again, at the end of the world.

When the Quakers come to you. with such Explications of the Resurrection, as their Nailor gives, when he saies, The Heart is set free from Corruption, and made able to escape the Pollutions of the world, and to run the Pure Wayes with Del…ght; which is the Glorious Liberty of the sons of God, the Resurrection from the Dead; Or when the Quakers talk as they do in their Catechism, A man hath no Will, nor Wisdom, nor Reason left in him, But all Baptized down into the sufferings of Christ,—and there the power Kills him, and gives him Life again; and so man lays down his own life, and takes up Life in Christ, in which Life he comes to be Raised in the Resurrection of Christ. If you press them to tell plainly what Body tis' that is to rise again? they will probably say as they use to do, Thou art one of p. 88the Fools that Paul speaks of. But you may safely tell them, That they are some of the Knaves that Paul speaks of; In 2. Tim. 2. 18. Who concerning the Faith, have erred, saying, The Resurrection is past already; and overthrow the Faith of some. And let them know, That your Faith shall not be thus overthrown.

The Quakers will say, They own the Resurrection of the Dead; but be not ready to trust them: for they use to come off with Allegorical Evasions, and some of their greatest Heads, have, as Mr. Faldo says, confessed, That they did not believe their Body should Rise again after Death. Consute them from the fifteenth Chapter to the Corinthians. If they object, Flesh and Blood cannot Inherit the Kingdom of God; Reply, 'Tis meant of Corruptible flesh and blood. But say, That in the Resurrection, God will fetch a fitting portion of our Dust out of the various matter which it has been dissolv'd and dispers'd into, and make it become Incorruptible. Say, That they may believe a Surrection, but they deny a Resurrection, unless they look to have again, A Body, that shall be substantially the same, with what we have now, though wonderfully altered for qualities and accidents. If they object, As the Beast dieth, so dieth man, tell them, a Beast must not be disputed with, and so bid them Farewell. One Turner a Quaker, (as Mr. Hicks has quoted him) Raves at this rate, If the Bodies of men Rise again, p. 89then there is a preheminence in the Bodies of men, above the Bodies of Beasts; which is to give Solomon the Lie. Who but men Turned into Bruits would argue thus? pray, take heed, Neighbours; they have got a Lycanthropy upon them.

XVI. Assert, That the First Day of the Week is by Divine Order, to be kept as an Holy Sabbath to the Lord.

You may easily prove, That the most High God, at the Creation, did set apart, a Seventh Day of Time, to be kept Holy unto Himself. You may prove it, from Gen. 2. 3. God Blessed the Seventh Day, and Sanctified it. How did God Sanctifie such a Day, but by Appointing that it should be Kept Holy? The words will bear no other sense. Nor is it a tolerable Interpretation, to say, That God Sanctify'd such a Day, by only determining, that the little people of the Jews, between two and three thousand years afterward, should Celebrate it. Yea. you may prove, out of Mat. 24. 20, That our Lord Jesus Christ Recommended the Observation of a Sabbath unto his Disciples; a Sabbath to be kept, after the Abrogation of the Mosaic Law, and after his own Ascension into Glory. Having proved this; then go on to prove, That the First Day of the Week, on which our Lord Rested from the work of Redemption by Him on Earth p. 90Engaged in, is by the Divine Appointment become the Christian Sabbath. Our Lord lying in his Grave, all the last day of the week, the Sabbath of that day was buried with him. You may prove, out of Rev. 1. 10. That there was in the Apostles Days, a particular Day, well known by the Name of The Lords Day. All Antiquity demonstrates, That this was, The First Day of the Week. Now, it could not be called, by way of Eminency, The Lords Day, if it had not been Holy to the Lord. Compare Psal. 118. 24. It was the Day of our Lords Resurrection; it seems the Day of his Ascension too; and this was indeed the Day, which our Lord still chose to grant special Communion unto his Disciples on.

Yea, you may prove out of 1 Cor. 16. 12. that we have an Apostolical Command for Sanctifying the First Day of the Week as our Sabbath. Why did the Apostle require Collections for the Saints, to be on the First Day of the Week? No Reason can be given for it, if this were not the Christian Sabbath. Had the Day been Indifferent, the Apostle would not have bidden us to have esteemed it above other Days. You may also prove, out of Act. 20. 7. That we have an Apostolical Pattern, for so Sanctifying the First Day of the Week: Paul and the Disciples with him, either kept the Seventh Day, or the First Day as a Sabbath; but we find the First Day and that only, attended by them for Sabbath-Duties. Finally, p. 91you may prove out of Ezek. 43. 27. that the Eighth Day, or the Day after the Seventh, was of old Prophesied to become the Christian Sabbath. 'Twas Typify'd by the Solemnity on the Eighth Day of the Feast of Tabernacles. If none of these things will satisfie them, give a Rest, unto the Disputation.

XVII. Thus have I been helping of you, to Assert many Truths of God; you shall now give me leave to Assert one more before we part. I see cause to Assert, That the Faithful Men, which receive and atttnd the care of your Souls, with a solemn separation thereunto, are to be treated no otherwise than as the Ministers of God among you. If any of them do prove scandalously and incurably Ʋnfaithful, it should be the Endeavour of their Neighbours, that they may be removed from their Ministry. Yea, blessed be God, the Hunter of Souls never sticks the Dart of any gross miscarriage, into the side of any one poor Hart among us, but the whole Flock soon pushes him out of their company. And yet if a Minister become an Apostate, you must not then have your minds Royled with an Imagination, That all the Ministerial Acts of that man while he was yet a secret stranger to the Grace of God, were null, & void; that the Sacraments whereof this man was the Dispenser, were all invalid; or that the Conversions, whereof this man was the Instrument, where all InInsincere. p. 92The Souls of Believers must be distress'd with Eternal Entanglements, if the Truth of either Sacraments or Conversions depended on true Piety in the Heart of the Minister; and to rescue the Hearts of Christians from such Distresses, is the Design of our Declaring, How far Piety is Essential to a true Minister. It is this Necessary Provision for the Everlasting Peace of Renewed Souls, (which never can be safe, if it must wholly depend upon Grace in the Heart of a Minister, that may afterwards prove to be without Grace) It is this, I say, that makes the most Infamous of Lyars even George Keith, to Print this Exclamation, It is no wonder that New-England abounds with such Impious Ministers! But let me freely say it, It is a Wonder of Divine Patience, that the Earth can bear such an Impious Lyar on it. If some of our Ministers had none of the cleanest Garments on, yet our Blessed Lord would now say to this Keith, The Lord Rebuke thee, O Satan. But indeed, there is not that spot of Ground upon the face of Gods Earth, which can proportionably match New-England for Ministers that not only have and use all true Piety, but also are most Exemplary for it. No man becomes a Minister in our Churches, till he first be a Communicant; and no man becomes a Communicant, until he have been severely Examined about his Regeneration as well as his Conversation. If any Minister do p. 93misbehave himself, he soon hears of it, and becomes either a Penitent or a Deposed Man. Let this wicked Shimei, find so much as one Ungodly Man, allow'd as a Minister, in any one of our Churches! or let him find but one that shall be half so bad as himself, and I'le acknowledge him to be Better than ever I could yet acknowledge him: Whereas I now do but reckon him, An Eminent Servant unto the accuser of Bretheren. In the mean time, I hope the young Scholars at the Colledge, will be so studious of an Ʋnblemished youth, as that the Quakers afterwards Charging our Ministers with Impiety, may not be able to find so much as Old Follies of youth to twit them with.

No, Neighbours, you are Blessed with Ministers that excel in piety; and you are very unjust if you do not Support and Honour them. As for the Quakers you may prove, even out of their own words, that there are, No true Ministers among them at all. George Fox in his Mystery, denies any to be true Ministers, but those that Can Witness an Immediate Call from God. As for us our call is mediate; we know our Call from God, by the Call of his Church, which He Qualifies and Enables us for the Answering of. The Apostles being Extraordinary Officers had their call, Not of men Or by man; We that are Ordinary Officers, have our Call By men tho not of men. The Quakers pretend, An Immediate Apostolical Call, and as tis added they must have No Dwelling p. 94place; Now try these False Apostles: Put 'em to Prove their Call: If they say, That They do know it in themselves, ask 'em. How You shall know it; and until they can give such a proof of their Call, as the Apostles did, you must say to them, Out of thine own mouth, thou wicked Servant, Thou art no true Minister of Jesus Christ! If this will not muzzle these Destroyers of our vines, fetch another passage from Fox, in his Mystery. Saies he, How can ye be Ministers of the Spirit, and not of the Letter if ye be not Infallible! Now if among all the Quakers there were to be found, An Infallible man, that should be the man for my money; I would part with all the little I have in the world, for one Days talk with such a man; But until then, you are, it seems, by their own allowance, to care no more for them than for the Pope of Rome: If any of them will be talking, presently try their Infallibilitie; and if they don't (which you may stay long enough till they do) prove that, you may tell them, They are at the best but Ministers of the Letter! and yet even so much is a Concession too much, for such Ʋnlettered holders-forth, as the most among them.

You may also give them to understond, that as None of their Speakers are True Ministers, thus you can give some very particular Grounds (and good Masculine ones too) why their Women, who Speak so much at their Meetings, may not be look'd upon as Ministers. If you p. 95put 'em in mind of the Apostles Canon, In r. Cor. 14. 34. 35. Let your Women keep silence in your Churches,—for it is a shame for Women to speak in the Church; They will very Learnedly Indoctrinate your Plumbeous Cerebrosities with telling you; That the Woman is the Flesh, and that the Flesh has an Husband which is the Divel; if then you demand, whether the Flesh is to ask the Devil, that he would instruct her in the principles of Religion, they'l be in a rage to find themselves entangled. But I am confident, he would teach her just as Keith do's his proselytes. In the mean time their Patriarch Fox has got this further prodigious answer for you? The man may speak, even Christ in the Male, and in the Female. But you may do well to tell 'em, That it is only for silly Women, led Captive by Knavish Foxes, and laden with sins, to be satisfied with such an Answer. Query, Whether we should not have as many Pope Joans in every Town, among the Quakers, as there are Authors (and there are above threescore Popish Ones) that have handed us down the Story of the Old One; if, this would serve. Tell 'em also, That the only Excuse they can have is, That they have no true Churches, nor any thing but meer Herdings among them; and for that among other causes, Come not into their Secret, O my Soul; unto their Assembly, mine Honour, be not thou united! It is possible, that some of you, or yours p. 96may be Enticed unto their Meetings by an Itch after the New Things to be there met withal: but if I might advise you, have a care how you go among them; for having the Itch already, you'l not escape a more dirty and spreading Scab among such a Drove.You had better say like them in Neh. 10. 39. We will not forsake the House of our God. 'Tis commonly pleaded, That we are to Try all things; but this implies not that we are to Hear all men. The Synagogues of Satan are not to be visited by unsettled and unstable people, upon such a Notion: Will you put your hand into the Fire, to try whether the fire be hot! No, I have already told you, what is at their Meetings. If after all you will be of the Gadding Tribe, and will venture in, it were just that God should permit the Divel there to take possession of your Hearts: the Divel may Pretend, as he did when he siez'd a Woman at a stage play, That he finds you on his own ground? so that I cannot for bear calling upon you, in the words of Moses, Depart, I pray you from the Tents of these wicked men, Left ye be consumed in all their sins.

In the mean time, you have Reason to be Thankful, for such Holy, Humble, Able, Pain ful, & prayerful Minnisters as God has generally blessed these Churches with: and I exhort you, as you would approve yourselves worthy to wear the Name that was begun at Antioch, p. 97that you do not forget that Command of our Lord, in Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that have the Rule over you, and submit your selves; for they watch for your Souls. They gladly spend their Time, their Strength, and their All, to Serve you, in your best Interests; and all the Discouragements you give unto them, the Glorious Lord Jesus Christ in Heaven says, Ye did it unto me! See Mat. 10. 40. and Luk. 10. 16. The more that the Quakers call them as William, Pen has taught them, A cursed Stock of Hirelings, the more cause have you to countenance them; and if they must be Dogs, yet the Sheep are Fools if they part with them, because the Wolves call them so. To Preach for Hire, is a vile thing; but for you to give Hire unto them that Preach, for what they do, is but just; Has not our Lord said, in Luk. 10. 7. The Labourer is worthy of his Hire? Does now Paul say, in 2 Cor. 11. 8. I took wages? It is no easy Employment, which they have Devoted themselves unto; But most of them can say with him, I profess, were it not for the Belief of the Greatness and Necessity and Excellency of the Truths I am to Preach, and for the will of God, and the good of Souls, I would be a Plow-man, rather than a Minister. If they are Faithful, they deserve more than ever yet you did for them. Had they been brought up to another Calling, or would they yet apply themselves to a meaner Trade, they might Live as w…ll as any of you. You owe them a Living, p. 98while they are in their Warfare for you; and yet you see, none of them do Sue or Strain, for any of the Dues which may be unjustly detained from them; the voluntary Agreements and Disbursements of their Parishes is all that they hitherto subsist upon. If they are prudently concerned about their Subsistence, 'tis because they have Read that word, in 1 Tim. 5. 8. If any provide not for his own, he is worse than an Infidel. And the Quakers are worse than Infidels, when they clamour against a comfortable Provision for the Ministry: the worst of Infidels do honourably maintain those that are set apart for the supposed Service of their Souls. Do not think that your Ministers are more Burdens than Blessings among you. No man that contributes Liberally towards the Maintainance of the Ministry, finds himself at the years end, a penny the poorer for it; but a secret Influence of Heaven prospers the Affairs of such a man: while they that go to withhold more than is meet, prove but Penny wise, and Pound foolish, at the last. Some little Towns in this Country, that have been at the most considerable Expences for their Ministry, are upon observation, the most Thriving Towns in the Country; and the Israelites were but Enriched upon it, when the Tribe of Levi, which was not a fortieth part of the people, had as much Maintainance as Three of the Twelve Tribes beside. Pray consult, Mal. 3. 9, 10. Ye are cursed with a Curse, for ye have Robbed p. 99me. Let there be Meat in my House, and prove me now herewith, if I do not pour them out a Blessing. The Ministers of the New Testament, are as worthy Men, as those under the Old; and yet if they might have a quarter part of what the Levites had, it would help them to attend upon their work, without such Distraction in them, as is now too often unprofitable to their Hearers. But if Moses took such care for his Ministers, may we think that Jesus (the Son over His House) takes no care at all for His? The Holy God will blast the Spirit, as well as the Estate of that man, who shall not confess that a Portion of his Estate, more peculiarly belongs unto the Lord; indeed, our Lord Jesus Christ, who is a Priest after the Order of Melchisedeck, may well challenge those which Abraham own'd as the Rights of Melchisedeck; now, let the Ministers of our Lord Jesus, receive but Half of those Rents, and it will more than satisfie them; yea, 'twill be upon Experience found, That the Souls of them that are most Liberal this way, are for Grace and Joy the Fattest, in the Congregation; God makes His Word most useful to them that most Encourage it. But if after all, you will think, that the Families of Ministers who wast their Lives for your Souls, must not have Bread enough to keep Life and Soul together in them, or if those grievous Wolves that Lead the Modern Hereticks, must have a Muzzle chapt upon the Oxen which Tread out p. 100the Corn; pray, contrive some honest way to get those Texts out of the Bible; 1. Cor. 9. 14. Even so has the Lord Ordained, That they which Preach the Gospel, should Live of the Gospel; and Gal. 6. 6. Let him that is Taught in the Word, communicate unto him that Teacheth, in all Good Things; which give us as good a Title to our Livings, as any of you have to yours.

Thus have I briefly setch'd from the Panoply of God, some of those Weapons, which you may keep off the Quakers with. But when you have beaten them, every other way, they will fall to Railing at the Country, for putting three or four Quakers to Death, between thirty and forty years ago. Now for That, after you have Disclaimed all Inclination to Persecution, you need only Quote three Things unto them. First, Quote 'em the Laws which were then acted upon. The Gerneral Court therein expresly Recognize, That no Humane power is Lord over the Faith and Consciences of men; but the Quarrel against the Quakers of those Days, they Declare to be Their Speaking and Writing Blasphemous Opinions; Despising of Government, and the Order of God, in Church and Common-wealth: and seeking to gain Proselytes unto their pernicious ways; and their Impetuous Attempts to undermine our peace. Ask of them, whether one William Harris among the Quakers, did not publish Writings p. 101against all Earthly Powers, Parliaments, Laws, Charters, Magistrates, Princes, &c. Now this was the Spirit of the Quaker's which then suffered: and in my opinion the Quakers do not wisely now to profess themselves of that party. The Government was then in its Insancy, and finding that so little a thing as A stray Swine, was then able to shake it, it was no wonder, if it saw cause to make severe Laws against the Assaults and Inroads of those more dangerous Beasts, which would certainly have broke up the plantation, if they had not been some way Restrained. The Jesuites never Undermined Old England more than the Quakers did New, in that Critical Time; nor were Blasphemies ever so notorious, as theirs, when they would ordinarily say to our people, We deny thy Christ! We Deny thy God, which thou callest, Father, Son, and Spirit: Thy Bible is the Word of the Devil, &c. Now, ask, whether the Laws of England against both Jesaites and Blasphemies, are not far more severe than any that ever were among us, against the Quakers? Next quote 'em a passage in a Vindication of New-England from a certain Lying Address lately Printed; where 'tis said, Of late, none has troubled the Quakers. These Laws were but begun to be Executed, before the New-Englanders grew sensible of their Error in making them; and of themselves, by disuse they dy'd away, long before their Charters were disturbed. The p. 102very Quakers themselves, would say, That if they had got into a corner of the world, and with an Immense Charge had made a Wilderness Habitable, on purpose there to be Undisturbed, in the Exercise of their Worship, they would never bear, to have New-England men come among them, and interrupt that Worship, and endeavour to seduce their Children from it; yea, and Repeat such Endeavours, after mild Entreaties first, and then just Banishments, to be gone. You must note, They had liberty to be gone, once and again given them, after they were in the Briars; but they chose what they had. They had the phrensy of the old Circumcellions, with worse Doctrine and Error in them.

Lastly, Quote 'em the words of a manuscript which was written on that, and shall be produced on this, Occasion. They are These, There is no man that is justly possessed of House or Land, but He would Count it Unreasonably Injurious, that another who, Ha's no Authority [and one likewise that had The Plague upon him, whereby his Own Children and Servants m…ght be Infected] Should Intrude into his House, without his Consent: yea, and when the Owner doth Expresly Forbid the same, If such an One should presume to enter into Another Mans Habitation, He might justly be impleded As a Thief: and if in case of such Violent Entry, p. 103the Owner should Se-def…ndendo, Slay the Assailant, his Blood would be upon his own Head. May not the like be granted unto the Keepers and Guardians of the Common-wealth?

Note, That the Rulers of this Country would have been glad of any Expedient whereby to have kept these Quakers, in those Countrys whence they came and whither they had bin once or twice remanded. If after all, they will still Clamour; tell them, That New-England has Renounced whatever Laws are against a Just Liberty of Conscience. And also tell them, That you are shy of their stories; because because one of theirs, namely George Bishop [another George! The Fable of Georges Fighting with Dragons, must give way to a real story of Georges turned into Dragons, if this trade continue; and so many Keiths, Whiteheads, Foxes, Bishops▪ and the like appear among us. I say, George Bishop] relates in Print the Names of Two Quaker Women here that came stark naked into our Assemblies; and he complains of the New-England Persecution Because those Women [Baggages, that they were!] suffered Whipping by the Officers of New-E… gland for it. Ask 'em whether this be the persecution they complain of?

But it is now Time to have done with them. Unless they have one Declaration more to vex you; and that is for THEE and THOU, to bee used in all our Language to a p. 104Single Person. For this, you may tell them, what few of themselves ever knew about it. You may tell them, That it was the General Custome of the old Pagans as well as of the Old Christians ordinarily [Tutoyer, as the French have it, that is,] to THOU, and THEE, a single person. But that when the Common-wealth of Rome was turned into a Kingdom and an Empire, and the power of many came into one mans Hand, it grew common to treat Persons of Quality in the plural Number with YOU; and so by degrees its descended unto all particular Men. You may tell them, That Custome is the Master of Speech; and THOU in our Discourse is upon the Matter as Indecent as, YOU has been in the Prayer of some that have used it: and you want them, to show an Institution, for joining a Nominative Case of the Second person to a Verb of the Third, which is usual with them, when they say, Thou writes, thou Hears, and the like: Let them find you a Scripture for it. If they quarrel you, about The Hat, you may shew them, that the Saints throughout all Ages, deny'd not the Ceremonies of Civility to their Neighbours; but the best thing that can be done with such Impertinencies, is, To throw our Caps at them.

And now manum de Tabula.—I shall now break off; and there is a passage in the Quakers Catechism, which at last obliges me thereunto; pag. 94. Let none Reason about us, for p. 105there [that is, in REASON] they can never know us, nor come unto us. You see that if ever you come unto them, you must have No Reason for it; and it is very true: You see also, that No Reason can find them out, and therefore 'tis in vain to meddle any further with them. When I first look'd upon Quakerism, I may say, Fatuitas Dogmatum me reddidit securum, I thought no Fishes but silly Shrimps or P…outs could be taken with it; but alas, 'tis not every Town in these Colonies, that has the priviledge of Ipswich, where Quakers that creep into many other places, find the Soyl as disagreeable to them, as the Serpents do in Ireland; I now see so many swallow the Hook, that some Labours and Warnings for your preservation are loudly called for. And I have this to say of it; It is among the Abominable Idolatries committed by the Quakers, that their Apostle Fox in his Great Mystery, lashes out into such words as these (as Mr. Faldo cites them) Thou makes a great pudder, that any should witness, He is equal with God; Is not the Soul without Beginginning? it is Infinite in it self, a part of God. As this one thing is enough to show the wickedness of Quakerism; so the prevailing of Quakerism is enough to confute the Thing; Souls that can digest Quakerism sure have little of God in them: they serve but as the Salt of the Flesh they live in; and have nothing, Infinite, but their madness. But I beseech you p. 106then, to Beware of Quakers and of Quakerism. I entreat you to take heed, in the first place, of their Heresies; and then of their Practises; especially the horrible want of Houshold Piety, which they are noted for. I request you, therefore to profit under the means of Grace, and receive the Truth in the Love of it, that you may not be judicially given up to their strong Delusions. I Address you, in the words of John, 1 Ep. 3. 18, 26. Little Children, There are many Antichrists, whereby we know that it is the the Last Time. These things have I written unto you, concerning them that Seduce you. And in the words of Paul, 2 Tim. 3. 13, 14. Evil Men and Seducers shall wax worse and worse; Deceiving and being Deceived. But continue thou in the Things, which thou hast Learned and been Assured of. If ever you would see the Spirit of Antichrist, and of Deceiving, you may see it in the Spirit of Quakerism. For my own part, I expect a world of Malice and Railing from that Spirit which I have thus been Detecting of. When I was preparing one of my Little Books for the Press, a Devil from the mouth of a possessed person threatned me with much Disgrace for what I was about; whereupon immediately, George Keith Printed a Ridiculous Pamphlet, on purpose to Revile That very Book. But I have now more cause than ever, to look for all sorts of Calumnies from George Keith and his Associates; especially, if Mr. p. 107Cheiney have given them their true portraiture, when he says, For Pride and Hypocrisy, and Hellish Reviling against the painful Ministers of Christ, I know no people can match them; and if they should use the way, Mr. Hicks in his Dialogue mentions, when he says, (and offers to prove it) One of your Friends, meeting with a person that had writ against you, tells him, That if he did write any more against them, they would Print any thing against him, that any person would Report, be it what it would. If the Quakers want any Assistance for the good work of adding to my Crown by their manifold Calumnies, Let 'em call in all the Adversaries of New-England for their help; they'l all be so charitable as to give it. And if Massachuset will not afford enough, let them Travel to Connecticut, where they will doubtless find some Orlando Furioso that will count it worth his while to Syringe one Pamphlet after another, that they may prove me an Impudent Youth. I have now run the venture of such a Persecution; and I shall not sweel away my short Life in endless Replies unto those that resolve like the Scold, They will have the last word; but every stone they throw at me, I will take and wear as a Pearl bestowed by my Glorious Master, the Lord Jesus Christs, upon me; and if I may rescue any one poor Soul from the Snares of Death, I shall count my self abundantly recompensed for all that these can expose p. 108me to. As Jerom could say, Gratias ago Deo, quod Dignus sum, quem mundus oderit: So I can truly say it, I bless God I have the Honour to be by the Quakers buffered and spit upon.

In sum, I have made these observations, upon the Quakerism, with which you have now seen me Combating. I have observ'd, First, That places which have more Eminently Sinned against the Light of the Gospel, are by the just Revenges of God, most Smitten with that Spiritual Plague of Quakerism, which with a pretence of Light Leads men into Perdition, as far as any Fools Fires can decoy them. I have observ'd Next, That whereas tis the Tendency and Character of every Truth, to, Abase the Creature; the main design of Quakerism is to Advance and Exalt man; and to find that in man himself, which may be instead of Saviour, Scripture, Heaven, Righteousness, Ordinances, and all unto him. I have Observed, Thirdly, That Quakerism ha's been a cunning Engine of Trade, which will shortly fail; and as that fails, the whole Irreligion will go out of the World; Upon which it may be probably foretold, That the Days of prevailing Quakerism may be Threescore Years and Ten; and if by reason of mens weakness, They be Fourscore Years, yet the strength of it will then be wasted; it will be soon Cut off and Fly away. I have Observed, Fourthly, That while the Quakers do abominably vilify the undoubted Sacraments of our Lord Jesus Christ, they have invented Sacraments of p. 109their own: Such as, THOU, and THEE, and, THE HAT; for there must be Sacraments in the Kingdome of Darkness, as well as in the Churches of our Lord. I have observed, Fifthly, That the Quakers in their Disputations, do not love to be ty'd unto the Subject, of the Argument; but are much for Digressions and Excursions; and especially such as may cast their Antagonist into some Disadvantageous Passion; which plainly argues the Extreme wretchedness of their cause. I have Observ'd, Sixthly, That the Quakers like the Ancient Pharisees and Hypocrites Condemned by our Lord, will mightily Applaud those that are Dead, and at the very same time spend whole volleys of Curses upon the Living Saints, that are of the very same Creed and way. I have observ'd, Seventhly, That he who has to do with the Quakers, has to do with almost all the Hereticks that ever appear'd upon the stage; only with this Difference, that former Hereticks have had some Reason, and these have nothing but Clamour with them. Lastly, I have Observ'd, [and when I have Observ'd That, I will have done observing; for they are not Stars in a Telescope, but Mates in a Microscope, which I thus Observe.] That in the Quakers and the Papists are fulfilled some of the Signs, that the Coming of our Lord is at hand: while the Papists do in their Transubstantiation, as in Mat. 24. 26. say, Behold, Christ is in the secret Chambers; which may be Rendred, in the Cupboards, (where they put Bread:) p. 110The Quakers do bid us Look for Christ here and there in themselves; yea, they do in Effect every one make himself a Christ; and they add, Behold he is in the Desart; Go to Pensylvania, an American Desert, and you shall find Him there. But the Coming of our Lord will shortly put an end unto these Do…ages. Amen.

Let the Lord Jesus come! In the mean time, As Doctor Holland when he took his Leave of his Friends, would say, Commendo vos omnes Dilectioni Dei, & odio Papatus; thus you must give me Leave to take this Leave of you; I commend you to the Love of God, and the Dislike of Quakerism. Let none of you say to me, as they did unto Moses of old, Who made thee a Judge over us? For I am so far from denying (as the no less Uncivil than Unchristian Quakers do, when they count the Title of Mr. too good for the best men they know, or see) My Neighbours to have Command over me; as that the utmost which I pretend in this Freedom with you is to be,

Among the Meanest, and yet among the truest of your Servants, COTTON MATHER. Sept. 1. 1691,

In aljis Mansuetus ero, at in Blasphemis contra Christum non ita. Zuing.

End of the text · Cotton Mather, Little Flocks Guarded Against Grievous Wolves (1691)