Thomas Ellwood's Answer to so much of Leonard Key's late Printed Sheet of Paper, as relates to him.  
SUch is the restless Nature of ENVY, that it will not suffer those, in whose Breasts it lodgeth, to be quiet; but filling them with a fretting Discontent, is continually stirring them up to Strife and Contention: Whereby they become like those whom the Prophet of old compared to the troubled Sea, when it cannot rest, whose Waters cast up mire and dirt, Isa. 57.20. Thus some ungodly men now (like those whom Judas described of old) having, in their sensual minds, separated themselves from the People of God, and become like raging Waves of the Sea, have foamed out their own shame in many printed Books and Papers, which of late years they have sent abroad. And lest those Books and Papers should not have fallen into every hand, or the matter contained in them should have fallen or slipped out of any mind or memory, a restless Agent of that Party hath lately published a Sheet of Paper to revive them, the Title whereof is, Something of a Revival of what hath been made public, etc. Wherein many of their reviling and abusive Pamphlets are named, and recommended afresh to the Readers view. So industriously careful they are to blow the Coals, to keep the Fire flaming; so fearful lest Contention and Strife (the food and life of that Spirit which they are joined to and guided by) should die, decay or flag. By which all, that will, may see how deceietful they are, who (to gain upon the Simple) pretend they are for Peace, and that Contention might cease and die; yet lest it should, are ever and anon sending forth some envious Book, or silly sheet, to pick new Quarrels, or revive the old. But, as it was said of the foolish Woman, that she pulleth down her house with her hands, Prov. 14.1. So it is observable of this man, and of the rest of that Party, that have appeared in Print, that in all their undertake of this kind, they have either themselves discovered their own Deceit and Wickedness, or given others occasion to do it, and have thereby still pulled down some Peice or other of their own confused Building. Which Infatuation of mind may well be looked upon as a divine Judgement upon them. Now although the greatest part of that Paper, lately published by L. Key, is about the Shutting up the Meeting House Doors at Reading, and turning Friends out of their Right and Property (which having been already stated and debated in print, may probably be the reason why the Friends of Reading, named therein, have not thought fit to take notice of it: Yet, in as much as in that Paper my name is used, and mention made of a Certificate made by me, with an Insinuation as if I had declined a public Meeting with J. R. and C. H. (which, with some other Passages, are so darkly hinted in the said Paper, that they cannot be thereby understood) I think fit a little to open those Passages, that the Reader may be enabled to see, and judge where the Truth of the matter lies.  
In the Title of L. Key's sheet, he'saith, And something is said to Thomas Elwood's Book. But certainly that Something is so near Nothing, that were it not for the clearing of other Passages, and partly also to prevent his being wise in his own conceit, I should not have thought it worth my while to have said any thing to it at all. He gins with me in his third Paragraph, where he bids his Reader see the Account from Wickham, and see also what was said to it, by that quibbling man Thomas Ellwood: For (says he) it doth appear he was the man, that writ the Certificate, concerning that Marriage he doth make such a Clamour about: Which he saith, in page the 5th was before the women's Meetings were set up. That the Reader may understand the matter thus darkly laid down, I think it needful to open it a little. The Account from Wickham, which he here mentions, was part of the Title of a Printed Sheet of Paper, published in the year 1690, and subscribed in divers places with the Letters J. R. and C. H. (though C. H. hath since declared that it was printed without his consent or knowledge.) To that I writ an Answer, the Title whereof was, The Account from Wickham (lately published by John Raunce and Charles Harris) examined and found false, etc. In that Answer of mine, to manifest their Deceit (and thereby prevent others from being deceived by them) who in their printed Paper said, We have only stood for our own and others Laberty in Christ, etc. I was necessarily led to show, that the Liberty they had stood for was 〈◊〉 Liberty in Christ, but a Liberty out of Christ, out of Truth, a fleshly Liberty, a corrupt Liber 〈…〉 mix in Marriages with such as were not of us, and those also 〈…〉 by her Neighbour 〈…〉 having shown how much that Marriage was against the mind and life of the Meeting, and what a long Contest it occasioned therein, I set forth there also how, at length, they overbore and prevailed upon the Meeting to permit it to pass, which yet was not yellded unto without this particular Caution, that they should not take each other in any public Meeting of Friends, but amongst their own Relations that Friends might stand clear of them afterwards. To which though J. R. and themselves agreed, yet were they afterwards brought to a public monthly Meeting of Worship, where they took each other in Marriage amongst Friends, and as Friends, J. R. being there to preach on that occasion. And that, when some Friends, being grieved and offended thereat, arose and departed in Testimony against it, J. R. in reflection upon them and to abet the Marriage, publicly said, Let him that is without Sin cast the first Stone as in my said Answer to their Account is more at large declared. This Open Discovery of their Deceit and Naughtiness (whereof not themselves only, but many others also know them to be guilty) hath so enraged them, and others of their party against me, that in many places, both of City and Country they have poured forth their Displeasure against me in floods of Reproaches, Revile and Railing: For which the Lord give them Repentance, and forgive them.) But because bare Railing at me would not excuse themselves, therefore, that they might seem to say something in their own defence, they allege that I, who blame them for promoting that Marriage, did myself write the Certificate for it. And by this Artifice they have amused and abused many. Now of that matter the plain and naked Truth is this; that as the terms, and (as it were) Condition, upon which the Meeting, after so long contention about it, did at length yield to permit that Marriage to pass, was, that they should not take each other in any public Meeting of Friends (which the Parties concerned agreed to:) so, in order to hold them there unto, I did make a Certificate for them, thereby fixing their Marriage to a certain Day and Place (of their own nomination) which was a private House of one, who was either Relation or Acquaintance to one of them, on purpose to prevent their being married at any public Meeting, or amongst Friends. But that Certificate which I writ, and as I writ it, was not the Certificate that was signed at their Marriage; but either there was, another written by some body else, or that which I writ was altered, to accommodate it to their design, and that in those material parts of it, relating to Time and Place, for the only sake of which I writ it. So that, to justify themselves for imposing that Marriage upon Friends, they allege that I writ the Certificate, thereby insinuating that I owned and forwarded that Marriage as well as They: whereas the Certificate that I writ was written on purpose to prevent that which they did; and that Certificate which they used was not the same that I writ. I writ a Certificate to keep that Marriage from being brought to any public! Meeting of Friends: some of them either writ another, or altered that Certificate, to bring that Marriage to a public Meeting of Friends, and by so doing made that Certificate their own, not mine, eitherin Deed or in Intention. Thus they would cover Deceir with Deceit: but their Covering is too short and to narrow, and this further Discovery of their double Deceit redounds to their further shame, But this is not all: L. Key is so eager on their behalf to fasten this upon me, that he runs himself on ground, and as they falsified the Certificate I writ, so he hath falsified the plain words in my Book: for he says that, in page 5. of my Book I say this Marriage was before the Woman's Meetings were-set up; which is an apparent Falsehood of his, and he is therein guilty of a downright untruth. My words, in the place he quotes, are quite otherwise. I there say, The Contest between Friends and them about this Couple, was before any Marriage had gone to the women's Meetings: He says, I there say the Marriage was before the women's Meetings were set up. Had he not been in the blind Zeal, he falsely charges others with, he might have seen in the page he quotes of my Book, that the Woman's Meetings were set up before that ●ince I there declare, that the Friends were fain to use the help of the women's Meetings, to examine that unhandsome Carriage of the before mentioned Woman towards her Father. But Envy ha●… blinded him, and his Master owed him this shame.  
He goes on thus concerning me, viz. The Noise he makes against Separates and Separate Meeting cannot be pleasant nor easy to his Friends at Reading that could have talked as much of their in●… be doth of his, etc. This is idle trashy stuff. How knows he, and what needs he matte●… be pleasant or easy to my Friends, or not? My Friends at Reading are quiet and still, a good 〈◊〉 and Content: but he winches, kicks and flings, by which I can tell whose Back is gauled, be●… his silly Insinuations. I would know of him when, where and to whom I have talked so m●… Inward sense? Let him produce some Instance of it, if he can, or blush (if he be not pa●… over bold Folly. He says of others, there blind Zeal being somewhat abated, they go now at a 〈◊〉 but surely his blind Zeal is somewhat heightened, he runs on at so fast a rate in his ungo 〈…〉 of scoffing at inward sense. I confess I value inward sense more than to be jeered out of the 〈◊〉 by any of his frothy fiouts: And if he were a man of any good outward sense, he would 〈◊〉 made inward sense the subject of his sport.  
He hath yet another snap at me, but snaps short, and though he shows his Teeth, he has 〈◊〉 to by't. His words are, Reader, see for thyself, and take not what he saith upon trust: For it hath 〈…〉 he suffered his aged Father to want. This speaks its self a Slander even from the very manner of ●…ing it forth. It hath been said, By whom, hath this been said? perhaps by L. Key himself, or some 〈◊〉 of his Party, who care not what they say, that they think might disgrace me. The like, I have 〈◊〉 hath been said by Charles Harris, who (against all Rules of either Christianity, common 〈…〉 Humanity) did publicly traduce me with it, in an open Meeting, before a great Assembly of 〈◊〉 and in my absense. But when, at a Meeting afterwards in the same place, appointed between 〈◊〉 and him (wherein his unbridled Tongue manifested his Religion to be vain, James 1.26. and his 〈◊〉 corrupt, Mat. 12.34. amongst other scoffing Reflections and vile Reproaches, calling Jsaac 〈◊〉 oldest Son FOULMOUTHED BRAT) I called him to an Account for his base 〈…〉 me with relation to my Father (as I did then also another of that Party, then present, who 〈◊〉 bitten me also with the same Slander) demanding of them severally, by name, if they would 〈◊〉 to make it good against me, they both slunk back, and severally answered, No; for they knew 〈◊〉 of it (they said) but by Hearsay. And when I had given that Assembly an Account of my de●… and carriage towards my Father (which I believe gave satisfaction to all there, who were not 〈◊〉 against it) C. H. acknowledged that wh●… I had said might be true for aught he knew, 〈◊〉 had not mentioned my Father, if I had not blamed the Woman for lying with her Father. 〈◊〉 the Meeting was ended, one of that Party came to me, and said he was sorry that busin●… Father was mentioned, for he was sensible I was greatly wronged therein, having made par●… about it, for his own satisfaction, 〈…〉 Key's Paper being written (as I have 〈…〉 think) since that Meeting, he would not adventure to make it a downright Charge against m 〈…〉 to his shame, had done) but brings it in with an (It hath been said) which is a sly way of 〈…〉 a Slander. But seeing L. Key hath thereby manifested himself to be like those whom the 〈…〉 old complained of that said Report, and we will report it, Jer. 20.10. I do again deny the Ch 〈…〉 put him upon the proof thereof. And since he saith It hath been said, It behoves him to 〈…〉 he hath heard say it, to free himself from being the Author, as well as Publisher of this envio 〈…〉 He says of others, It was their Practice to spread Lies: But he has now proved it to be his o 〈…〉 therefore I have much more reason, than he, to desire the Reader not to take what he says For he deserves no credit, with honest and judicious Persons, in surmising a Defamation up 〈…〉 o ground than an (It hath been said,) especially seeing I have now convicted him of falsifyi●… words of my Book. But since he, and some others of that Party (especially those at Wi●… taken this course to defame me, let them not complain if, when occasion serves, I shoot th' 〈…〉 owes back upon themselves, and let the World as publicly know what hath been said of 〈…〉 more in my Book, than I could make out or 〈…〉 any from or for them (that ever I could 〈…〉 wer thereunto; so little earnest were they in reality to have what they 〈…〉 to offer, 〈◊〉 Meeting. And how little reason the Meeting, or I, had to take notice of that Paper may appear●… by this, that whereas in that Paper (which has as little fence as Truth in it) they complain that I have wronged and abused them and myself, and all those that do adhear to me, by publishing Lies against them, the matter they assign for proof thereof is that in my Examination of their Paper, I say I have found the Account from Wickham false, but have not proved it so. Was not this a sufficiently-idle pretence for a public Hearing in the Country, when as both their Paper and my Answer thereto being in print, both City and Country (and all Countries where they were spread) were capable, by comparing the one with the other, to judge whether I had proved their Account false, or no? They pretended they were wiling to have a public Hearing in the Country, that they might clear their innocent Undertake, and make their just Defence. Can they not clear their Undertake in Print? It must be then because their undertake were not Innocent. Can they only offend others in Print, and not Defend themselves? Or could they imagine any hearing in the Country (how public so ever) could be so public as from the Press, where they began? How shallow and silly their pretences are! But it may be guessed what sort of hearing they intended (if indeed they really intended any) by their proposing it to be before such Friends and Neighbours that are willing (said they) to hear what we have to say. A partial Auditary they designed, it seems not such as would indifferently hear what both sides had to say, but) such as would hear what THEY had to say. They desired also to know who were the Approvers of such Beoks, and whether they are not paid for out of the Public Stock? Why did they not, at the same time, signify who were the Approvers of their Paper (if any but themselves approved it) and out of what stock it was paid for? Can they not clear their undertake, and defend themselves without knowing the Approvers of my Book, and how it was paid for? My Name is to my Book in words at length: What then doth it concern them either who approved it, or how it was printed. This shows their Design was, under pretence of clearing themselves (which they know they never can) to pick some fresh Quarrel to wrangle and make a noise about, and so slip off from their own Purgation. Their Agent L. Key says (and that truly) Truth is strongest: And had they had, or believed they had, Truth on their side, they knew where to have met me, even where they complained I had met with them, viz. in Print. Which as it is the most public so was it the most suitable, and indeed the only proper way for them and me to meet, on that Subject, after they had begun in Print. Had they sought me there, and I had not appeared, he might with less untruth have said I declined a Meeting. But being conscious to themselves of their own Gild, and not thinking it safe to trust their Cause to the deliberate Examination of every judicious Eye, they themselves declined that sort of Meeting which they had given the open Challenge to. For in the first Postscript to their Account from Wickham, p. 4. they say, Now if we and our Friends be no better esteemed than we have been rendered by some persons, 〈◊〉 come forth in plainness, and if there be no Unity, no Peace to be made with us, LET THEM 〈…〉 AUSE PUBLIC. Were they such Children, to think that, after they had, by such a daring Provocation, drawn forth something of the Cause in public, they should slip back into a Corner, (for such the most public Hearing may be called in comparison of the Press) to have the matters, already printed, heard and adjudged by a partial Auditory, of such, perhaps, as were either Patients to J. R. or of Party with them both; such, it may be, as was that Person, who (when C. H. in a public Meeting, which some Friends had lately with him in this Country, where he and they dwell, was openly charged with an evil Conversation, and proof offered to be made thereof, which he refused to hear, or stand the trial of) said If ye do prove it, I will not believe it, Before such Hearers it is probable they would be willing to have an Hearing, such as would hear what They have to say, and would not believe Proof against them. But let them remember, they have in print bid us come forth in plainness, they have in print bid us make the Cause public; and so far as that has been already done, shall (with God's help) be as publicly defended.  
T. E.