A Second Letter to the Clergy and People of Norfolk and Suffolk.  By the Author of the first, a Member of the Church of England. 
SIRS,  
MY former Letter I conceive, sets forth the Truth of the Matter; and tells you a way how you may soon End your difference with the Quakers, that is, to prove which of you are Christ's Ministers: After that's rightly proved, then your Business is rightly done. And as for the Charges you laid to the Quakers, of Blasphemy, &c. I think some of you cleared the Men of this Generation at that Dispute: Yet I find you would make these Men suffer for other Mens faults,( if there be any,) and yet call yourselves Christ's Ministers, and how can this be? If you be Christ's Ministers, are you not joined with Christ in his New Covenant? If so, how dare you go about to offer such a thing, when God hath spoken to the contrary? Look Ezek. 18. 2. The Fathers have eaten sour Grapes, and the Childrens Teeth are set on edge; and in the 3d verse, there he saith, A● I live, saith the Lord God, ye shall not have occasion ●… y more to use this Proverb in Israel: And in the 4th verse he saith, Behold all Souls are mine, as the soul of the Father, so also the soul of the Son is mine; the soul that sinneth it shall die. Now is not this spoken in order concerning the New Covenant, that God promised to make with his People in the Latter Days? And is not Christ already come to make this Covenant with his People? And did not his Apostles join with him in this New Covenant, and so all his Ministers do until this day? Where do you find that Christ or his Ministers ever went about to Parliaments or Magistrates to stir up Persecution? I Remember Christ once bid Peter put up the Sword; but I cannot Remember, that ever I red that Peter drew it again to vindicate his Master's Cause or his own. Therefore you, by thus doing, declare yourselves to be out of the New Covenant; if so, you cannot be Christ's Ministers.  
But now as to the proposal spoken of in my former Letter, which was for you once more to meet the Quakers, appoint your time and place, and bring some of your Fruits with you, such as can testify, and give in a true Testimony before God and the Country, that the Gospel which you preach, came with such Power that it hath turned them from Darkness to Light, and from the power of Satan unto God; and that they can say, they have tasted of the Good Word of God, and the Powers of the World to come; Heb. 6. In thus doing you will prove yourselves Christ's Ministers: Therefore, Sirs, I pray be persuaded to come an● appear once more; it will be much for your Credit and satisfaction to the country; if you do prove yourselves Christ's Ministers, and what do you th●… the Country will say if you do not appear? Say, why what will they s●…▪ They'll say you have none to bring, what can they say else? And if you do ap●… 〈…〉 you, they'll conclude you have none. Well, come, Sirs, 〈…〉 Request, two or three out of every of your Parishes; I would willingly hope such a small number may be found; or else you can give but a small account of your Ministry. I pray what have you been Preaching for this twenty or thirty, nay perhaps some of you these forty Years? If you have no Fruit to show, indeed it is very hard, and the Country must judge very hardly of you. Well, what did I say, what have you been Preaching for? Now I remember myself, perhaps I can tell you what you have been Preaching for all this while; it is money I warrant you: Well, if so then you are called upon the wrong matter, for perhaps you call money the Fruits of your Labours; and nothing being mentioned; perhaps you would have brought your money with you, then you would have done something; for therein no doubt but you would have outdone the Quakers, yes, and the Apostles, and Christ himself too. For I am apt to think, that some of you have got more money by Preaching, than Christ and all his Apostles. Well, by this it seems to me, that the Apostles and you differ very much; I think as much as White differs from Black: perhaps you may say, what do we differ in? Well, I shall tell you, I'll lay down a few particulars wherein you differ: The first is, you Preach for Ready money, and the Apostles Preached upon Trust; perhaps you'll say how can you prove that? yes, I think I can prove it; but in the first place, I warrant, you have had your Last Years Pay for your Last Years Preaching, and is not that Ready money? Well, but how do the Apostles and Christ's Ministers Preach upon Trust? Well, I tell you, look into 1 Cor. 9. 16, 17. and there you shall hear what the Apostle saith, the two Verses run thus, For tho I preach the Gospel, I have nothing to glory of; for necessity is laid upon me: yea woe is it unto me, if I pr●… h not the Gospel. For if I do this thing willingly, I have a Reward; but if against my will, a dispensation of the Gospel is committed unto me: what is my Reward then? even nothing. Now here Paul saith, there was a necessity laid upon him to Preach the Gospel, even the penalty of Damnation; for saith he Woe is unto me if I Preach not the Gospel. How comes it to be thus with him? Why, because Christ had before chosen him, and made him a Minister the Gospel, as you may find in the 26th of the Acts, therefore Paul dares not refuse it. But now, Sirs, is there such a necessity laid upon you, think you? If there is, then you should do as much good with your Preaching as Paul did. Hath not all Christ's Ministers Power to do Good now with the Gospel, as they had in former days? And as for Trust, look into the next Verse, he saith, Verily that when I Preach the Gospel, I may make the Gospel without Charge, that I abuse not my power in the Gospel. So we may see by this, that he did not make the Gospel Chargeable to Christ's Church, nor had he his Reward in this World: so by this he doth trust until another World. Further, he writes to Timothy in the latter part of his days, and tells him, That there is laid up a Crown for him; so that we may see his Reward was nothing less than a Crown: But it was not in this World. But what is the reason you dare not trust your Master, as you call him, as well as the Apostles and Christ's Ministers did? The reason is, as I think, because ye have not so much Faith in him as they had: So therein you differ. Now further, to let you know wherein the Apostles and you differ, Paul saith, 2 Cor. 4. 8. We are troubled on ●… ery side. But for your parts, I do not know that you are troubled on any side, ●… cept it is, because you cannot get money enough. And in the next Verse he saith, they were Persecuted, and you are Persecuting, the●… 〈…〉 I find in your Second Letter to the Quakers, that you say, we can scarce open a Book of theirs, but presently we are even frighted with such an Apparition, that sends us to our Prayers for a poor deluded People. Now, Sirs, what deluded People do you mean? do you mean your own Parishioners, or do you mean the Quakers? The thing that occasions this query is, because some of you are Preaching down Persecution, the mean while the other part of you are at London, stirring up and endeavouring to raise Persecution with all the Might and Power you can. Remember April the 5th, and thus do you not delude your People by Preaching down the same things which you yourselves practise? But, Sirs, I find your Papers do not answer your Design; and I cannot find the Reason, except it be for want of Faith; for Christ saith, Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my Name, it shall be granted, if you ask believing; therefore it is a sign you have no Faith: And therefore you are forced to take another way. For I find in one of your Papers, where you say, That you and your Ministers are willing to permit Mr. Bugg to come amongst them to try if he could Conjure down that busy Spirit which possesses the Quakers, and is so troublesone to us. Now, Sirs, I cannot red wherever the Apostles took this way to remove Spirits by Conjuration: The way that they took was by the Power of the Holy Ghost, as you may see in the 16th of the Acts, concerning a Maid that was possessed with an Evil Spirit; Paul being grieved, turned and said to the Spirit, I command thee in the Name of Jesus Christ to come out of Her, and he came out of her in the same hour. This is the way the Apostle took, and not by Conjuration: therefore the Apostles and you differ much, and by this you declare yourselves to be none of Christ's Ministers.  
Sirs, since I have a little further considered, I find I have begun at the wrong End of my Work, for to show wherein Christ's Ministers and you differ; had I begun at the other End, I should sooner have done, that is to say, wherein do Christ's Ministers and you agree and comply together. I have considered of that Matter, and I cannot find that you and they agree in any point but in one, or that you are at all like them but only in that one; I do not mean that you are altogether like Peter, when he denied his Master, for he went out and wept bitterly, and repented; but I cannot hear that ever you repented yet.  
Well, Sirs, you are here desired to meet the Quakers once more, and bring your Fruits with you, but this is but the desire of a Man: But yet there is a day coming, when you shall be called by him that is higher than the highest that is here, when the Tru●… pet shall sound that Alarm, Arise ye Dead and come to judgement; as in 1 Thes. 4. 16. there he saith, For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God▪ and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Well, Sirs, now, you may refuse this above-mentioned Call; but when the Lord shall come to call, you cannot refuse, but go you must. John saith in the 20th Chapter of the Revelations, I saw the dead, small and great stand before God: Therefore by what's said, it seems you must appear before that judgement Seat, be as great here as you will, as Paul saith in 2 Cor. 5. 10. For we must all appear before the judgement Seat of Christ, that every one may Receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good o● bad. Here you may see what you are to appear for, that is, for to give an a●count what you have been a doing the time you lived in this World: W●… can you say, have not you pretended to be Labourers in Christ's Harvest? 〈◇〉 〈…〉 will be required at your Hands? Hear what David 〈◇〉 in Psalm 126. They that sow in Tears, shall reap in Joy. And in the next Verse, He that goeth forth, and weepeth, bearing precious seed; shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. This prophesy hath a relation unto God's People, how they are to be a disquieted and a persecuted People here, but when they come into another World, then is their time of Rejoicing, but not without bearing Precious Seed; but that Seed must be sown in this World, as you know Christ is speaking in his Parable of the four sorts of Ground where the Seed was sown, Matth. 13. No doubt but the Seed was all good, and all one sort of Seed; but where the Ground was good it brought forth some an hundred fold, and some fifty, and some thirty fold; and that was to grow in this World, and show itself here, and groweth here until the time of Harvest. Here Christ is calling his Ministers Seedsmen, which are to sow the Gospel in this World: And if it be the right and true Gospel the Apostles preached, it shall bring forth some precious Fruit in this World. Perhaps you may say the Seed is good, but the Ground is bad. I confess the Ground may not be all good, for Christ doth speak of bad Ground as well as good; but he doth not say but there is good Ground: And Seed that fell upon good Ground, brought forth much Fruit, being good; but is it not a great sign of your Seed being very had by reason none can appear? For why, other Seedsmen have sown upon the same Ground that some of you have sown upon, and their seed hath prospered, and hath brought forth much Fruit; the Truth whereof you may prove, if you will but challenge the Quakers once more to meet, and bring some of their Fruits with them; and then you shall see, and the Country may see which of your two Seeds are best. For why, some of you have been sowing upon the same Ground that their Seed springs upon, and bringeth forth much Fruit. Well, Sirs, you know if no Seed grow, no Sheaves can be had; then what account will those Seedsmen and Labourers give, when the Fruits of their Labours shall be required at their hands, by him whom they call their Master.  
Well, Sirs, this account is not to be given until Death have made a separation, for when Death doth come, it will make a very strange alteration; for in the World to come, things will appear otherwise than they do now; for he that Weeps here, may Rejoice there, and he that Rejoices here, may Mourn there. For why, David saith in that forementioned place, he that goeth forth and weepeth, bareing precious Seed; but they must bare precious Seed, tho they weep in this World: But when Death comes, then it makes its alteration; then David saith, he shall come again with rejoicing, and bringing his Sheaves with him; but if no Sheaves, I fear these Men will have no cause to Rejoice. Well but this is not all, for Death may make a Rich Man a Poor One, and it may make a Poor Man a Rich One. Look into the 16th of Luke, there Christ is speaking of a Rich Man clothed in Purple, and fine linen, who ●… ared sumptuously every day: This Man in this World lived bravely and richly: And Christ saith again, there was a certain beggar name Lazarus, which was laid at his Gate full of Sores, and desired to be fed with the C●umbs that ●ell from the Rich Mans Table, and ●he Dogs came and licked his Sores; signifying the Dogs had more pity than the Rich Man had. Now here you may see poor Lazarus a begging of Rich Dives; but ●hrist saith the Poor Man died, and was carried by the Angels into Abraham's Bo●… e; and the Rich Man died also, and in Hell he lift up his Eyes being in Torment, and there seeing Lazarus afar off in Abraham's Bo●om 〈…〉 Father Abraham, sand Lazarus to dip the tip of his Finger in Water and cool my Tong●… for I am grievously tormented in this flamme. Now here we may see Poor Dives b●ing, but his Request could not be granted, no more than Lazarus's was grant●… in this World: So thus we may see what Change Death may make between thi● World, and that which is to come. But now hear the Answer of Abraham, Son, saith he, thou in thy life-time hadst thy good things, and Lazarus his Evil Things; but now he is Comforted, and thou art Tormented. So now Gentlemen I shall say no more to this matter at present, but shall turn to my Countrymen and Neighbours.  
Well, Neighbours, let us seriously consider this Matter: And let us see what Teachings we sit under, for I am of the Church of England, as well as you, and never joined myself with any other, neither do intend it if they prove themselves the true Ministers of Christ; but if they do not, then I pray hear what Christ saith in mat. 15. when his Disciples were telling him, the Pharisees were offended after they heard this saying: So perhaps our Ministers may be offended after they have red this Paper. But what then? hear what Christ saith in the 14th Verse, Let them alone, saith he, they be Blind Leaders of the Blind, and if the Blind led the Blind, both shall fall into the Ditch. Now pray let us seriously consider whom we are led by; I have been showing a little before of one that we may suppose was blindly lead; for it seems he never knew where he was until in Hell he lift up his Eyes, then he saw himself in the Ditch; but when he was once in, he could by no means get out again: So now, whilst we are here this is our time to look about us. Come and I'll tell you a way how you may know whether these Ministers that we ●it under be the true Ministers of Christ: You know they have been desired to meet the Quakers once more, and to bring some of their Fruits with them: Such as can give in a true Testimony before God and the Country, such as can truly say, that by the Gospel that these Men preached, they have been turned from Darkness to Light, and from the power of Satan to God. Now suppose you should be desired to come and give in your Testimony before God and th● Country, can you come up with truth and boldness, and say, there is such a Chang● made in us by their Preaching, then you are the Men that can say we have tasted o● the good word of God, and of the Power of the World to come; then you do not prov● them Christ's Ministers only, but you prove yourselves true Christians. Now, my dear Neighbours, if I should be desired to come upon this matter, I dare not come, though I have sat under their Preachings 20 or 30, nay perhaps 40 years, and yet I do not fin● that I know ever a whit the more of my Salvation for any thing I have heard of the●▪ Yet if perhaps I was called upon that account, and durst come, no doubt but I could fin● words that would satisfy the Assembly, but what then, it must be with a Li●▪ And I tell you, Sirs, it is very dangerous telling of a lye. I rememb●… the Apostles when they went about at first to preach the Gospel, that the Gos●… worked so wonderfully with their Converts, that they sold their Possessions, 〈◇〉 brought the Money, and laid it down at the Apostles Feet, Acts ●…▪ and there was one Ananias with Sapphira his Wife, sold a Possession, 〈◇〉 they would do as the rest did; but their Faith was not so great as the rest w●… for they kept back a certain part, and brought the rest to the Apostles: But Peter 〈◇〉 Ananias, why hath Satan filled thy heart to lye unto the Holy Ghost; and he presen●… down dead. So we may see it was not for keeping the money back, for 〈◇〉 saith, was it not thy own? Yes before it was sold, and after it was sold; th●… 〈…〉 p●eased with it, it was for telling a lye. red a little further, and you shall see what Peter saith, thou hast not lied unto Men, but unto God. Here, is shown the danger of telling a lye before God: Well, my Friends, I do not tell you this, because I would not have you meet the Quakers again, if desired, but only be careful of a lye.  
Come Sirs, now I tell you some News, and it is good News, the best that ever came into the World; we are all invited to a Wedding, and it is an honourable one too, no less than a King's Son; and we are also honourably invited, by no less Person than the King himself: Perhaps you will say, when, and where were we invited? Come I'll tell you where, and when we were invited; and withal, what Dainties we shall have there. As to the invitation, see Isaiah, 55. 1, 2. Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye buy and eat: come ye buy Wine and Milk without money, and without price: Here you may see when it was, it was in the time of Isaiah; Perhaps some may say this prophesy was spoken to none but Israel; but I'll tell you it was spoken to us as well as them, now in this our Gospel-day; for there you may red every one that thirsteth: Do you thirst? If you do, then it is spoken to you: But look down a little further into the 5th Verse of the same Chapter, where he saith, Behold, thou shalt call a Nation that thou knowest not, and Nations that knew not thee, shall run unto thee. Now, Sirs, are not these us Gentiles that he speaketh of there? Yes surely: Well, I was telling you, what sort of Dainties we shall have at that Great Feast. You see in the 1st Verse he tells us of Wine and Milk; and in the next Verse he tells us of Bread. Now look into the 26th Chapter of Isaiah and the 6th Verse, there he saith, And in this Mountain shall the Lord of Hosts make unto all people,( I pray mind this little word all) a feast of fat things, a feast of Wine on the Lees; of fat things full of Marrow, of Wines on the Lees, well refined. Here you may see something of your cheer, all of the best sort: Perhaps some may say this invitation was made many years ago; how shall we know when this Feast is ready? Come I'll tell you how you shall know when all things are ready. Look into Matth. 22. the 2d verse, there he saith, The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a certain King, which made a Marriage for his Son; and sent forth his Servants to call them that were bidden to the Wedding, and they would not come. Thus we may see that prophesy in the 55th of Isaiah, had a relation to two sorts of People, that is, Jews and Gentiles; and when Christ came into the World, you know he declared himself first to the Jews, but they refused him; but now he is speaking of sending forth other Servants, yet they were to go to the Jews; these must be the Apostles, after his ascention, which he calls these other Servants; for while he sendeth them, as it were, about another Message, as in the 4th Verse, Again he sent forth other Servants, saying, tell them which are bidden, behold I have prepared my Dinner; my Oxen and my Fatlings are killed, and all things are ready, come unto the Marriage; but they made light of it; as you may goody the Jews would have none of this Wedding cheer, which is the Gospel, nor would ●… ffer the Gospel to be preached to them; as he saith in the 6th Verse, And the Remnant ●… ok his Servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slay them: Were not the Apostles very ●… dly treated by the Jews, and you know some of them were killed by them? ●… t now red the next verse, and you shall hear how these Murderers came 〈◇〉; But when the King knew of it, he was wrath, and he sent forth his Ar●… and destroyed those Murderers, and burnt up their City. Now is not Jerusalem ●… oyed, and the Jews scattered about into all Nations? Now doth not Christ sand 〈◇〉 ●is Messengers to the Gentiles, in that 9th verse, where he saith; Go ye therefore in●… 〈◇〉 High-ways, and as many as ye shall find bid to the Marriage. So these Servants went out into the High-ways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both good and bad, 〈◇〉 the Wedding was furnished with Guests. Doth not he mean here us Gentiles, and are no● these Messengers his Ministers, which he sendeth amongst us to Preach the Gospel? S● now we may see, that we are Invited to this Wedding: Come, what say ye? are you willing to go to this great Feast? You hear you shall have great Dainties; for he saith, His Oxen and his Fatlings are killed; and you are Invited to come, no doubt but you shall be exceeding welcome, if you will but go. Perhaps some may say, Yes, I am willing to go: but, I pray, whether shall we go? Come, I'll tell you whether ye should go: Take Christ's advice, Mat. 7. ver. 7. there He saith, Seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you. Perhaps some may say, but where shall we seek? I'll tell you where; you must seek where Christ's Messengers are: You say, where shall we find them? Where the Gospel is freely Preached. Look again into that 55th of Isaiah, and there you shall see, you must come to a free Preaching; for there He saith, And he that hath no money, come. So you may see, that you may have of this good cheer, which is the Gospel, without Money, and without Price. Here you see you are not to ask the Price of the Gospel; for the Gospel is the Gift of God. Come Sirs, and I will show you the danger of offering Money for the Gift of God: Look into the 8th Chapter of the Acts, you may see there, in the 18th verse, and so on, that Simon proffered the Apostles Money; saying, Give me also this Power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, Thy Money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the Gift of God may be purchased with Money. You may see that it is dangerous to proffer Money for the Gospel; therefore it is to be free. My Friends, you may see this is no Money-Wedding, whatever our Ministers tell us. Look into Isa. 55. ver. 2. and there God saith, Wherefore do ye spend Money for that which is not Bread, and your labour for that which satisfieth not? Here you may see, God doth check you with a Wherefore do you spend your Money for that that is not Bread.  
Now, Sirs, let us look into ourselves, and consider whether we can perceive that we are bettered for all the Money that we have been forced to pay our Ministers for their Gospel; see, is it Bread, doth it feed our Souls? If it doth, it hath made a great alteration in us; but if we find no alteration in ourselves, then we may be sure these are not the Messengers which Christ hath sent out to invite us to his Feast. Therefore stay longer to gather Grapes of Thorns, or Figs of Thistles, but hear another Call that God giveth you, in that above-mentioned Chapter, ver. 3. Incline your Ear, and come unto me, saith God; hear, and your Soul shall live. Come, Sirs, have you any Faith? here you see God calls you, and come unto me, saith God. there is his Call; and then he saith; Hear, and your Souls shall live. Is not this an absolute Promise, that your Soul shall live? Yea, and here is another Promise going along with it, and here he tells you He will make an Everlasting Covenant with you. Sirs, what would you have more? O●▪ what shall I say more? well, what do you think to do? will you stay where you are, o● will you come at Christ's Call? Perhaps, some may say, why, I think we have the Go●pel Preached very well where we are: well, do you think so? I pray, how much are you bettered for what you hear? Come, I will direct you to one Chapter more, which is J●… 23. and I would desire you to red that Chapter thro' at your leisure; where you sh●… see what God saith concerning the false Prophets; I pray hear what God saith in ver. ●… Is not my Word like as a fire, saith the Lord, and like a Hammer that breaketh the Ro●… 〈◇〉 pieces? What do you think he meaneth here? Doth he not mean by this Fire, tha● 〈◇〉 to burn up, and consume Evil Imaginations, which hindereth us from follow●… 〈…〉 〈…〉, as we ought to do. You see, he hath compared his Word, which is the 〈◇〉, to a Hammer, to break the Rocks in pieces. What doth he mean by these Rocks? 〈◇〉 he not mean our flinty and hard Hearts, and to make a thorough Change in all our Minds and Actions; according to that saying of the Apostle, where he saith; Old things are passed away, and lo all things are become new. Now, can we say, that the Gospel which we have been hearing, hath made this through Change in us? if not, you may be sure they are none of Christs Messengers which he sent to Invite us to his Feast. Come, look once more into that fore-mentioned Chapter, and the latter part of the Verse, and let us hear what God himself saith: Yet I sent them not, nor commanded them; therefore they shall not profit the People at all, saith the Lord. Here you may see what God saith, if you will believe him; that if they be not sent by him, they shall not Profit the People at all, which too many in this Nation do Experience, I am afraid. Come, Sirs, I have one thing more to tell you of, and then I have done, and that is a thing must be had, namely, a Wedding Garment, or else there can be no admittance into the Wedding Chamber; and besides, there is no Man can help you to it, but the Master of this Feast, who sendeth forth his Messengers to Invite his Guests: Look into the 11, 12, and 13 Verses of that 22 Chap. of Mat. and there you shall hear what the King saith. And when the King came to see the Guests, he saw there a Man which had not on a Wedding Garment; and he said unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither, not having a Wedding Garment? And he was speechless: then said the King to the Servants, bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into utter darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth; for many are called, but few are chosen. Thus, my Neighbours, you may see for want of this Wedding Garment, though you be called, yet you may not be chosen to be one that shall enter into the Marriage-Chamber. I have  told you before, how God hath Invited you to come, and how Christ hath called you. So you may see, that Christ and his Apostles have proffered Salvation to you, if you will but accept of it. See that one loving Call more of Christ, in Rev. 22. 17. where he saith, besides what you have heard; yet, saith he, And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come; and let him that heareth, say, Come; and let him that is a thirst, Come; and whosoever will, let him take the Water of Life freely. You see, there is no less than three Comes in this verse. And so look once more into John 6. 37. and you may hear what Christ himself saith there, All that the Father giveth me, shall come to me; and him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out.  
FINIS.