William Rogers' Christian QUAKER, Manifested to be Antichristian.  
BY Thomas Laurence OF MARLBROUGH.  
LONDON: Printed for Benjamin Clark, in Georgeyard in Lombardstreet. 1681.   

WILLIAM ROGERS's Christian QUAKER, Manifested to be ANTICHRISTIAN.  
WIlliam Rogers of Bristol, in behalf of himself, and his Friends with him concerned, hath Written a Book against Apostates, containing 100 Sheets of Paper, price 4 s. 4 d.  
In Answer to that Book, Thomas Laurence of Marlbrough, their opponent, hath Written a Book against Separatists, containing one Sheet of Paper, price one half Penny; Perspicuity and Brevity are two chief points in writing, that, is plain and short; But this Voluminous Book of William Rogers and his Friends concerned, is neither plain nor short, but Ambiguous and Tedious, Doubtful and Long; Loaded with many Letters Suppositions and Jeallousies; Reïterations and Parentheses; many and long objections and observations, that will both trouble and weary the Reader.  
More to the purpose you might have Written in the tenth part of the Paper (having so many in Council) to make a Book, And Children of Light too, as you call.  
Note, that envious Spirit, slanderous to truth, and the ground of differences and contention, whereof you charge your opposers, it will fall upon your own Heads like a Millstone; nor is it likely, that your Book will gather any one to your side, that hath any sense of truth in them, but rather cause many to departed from you.  
Thou beginnest thy Preface with Christ's saying, As I hear, I Judge, that is, hear the party not report; William Rogers didst thou ever hear George Fox advise Nathaniel Crips and Robert Arch to buy their Tithes, or hearsay? didst thou ever hear G. F. advise Mary Penington to hid or secure her goods from the Spoilers, in time of danger? else thou hast judged by hearsay; Notwithstanding thou didst hid some part of thy own goods, and use many arguments for hiding goods, as appears in the first part of your Book, Page 32, 33.—  
Thou hast muddled that point, as thou hast many others in your Book, that were plain enough before; why hadst thou not made it more intelligible and plain? as how much goods may be hid; what sorts of goods; and who may do it; Thou hast abused George Fox double; first judged him by hearsay, secondly, judged him for advising to hid goods in any case, and yet do it thyself in some case; condemning another, and do the same things; so thou art inexcusable.  
In your second part, you treat on principles of Religion, but not so satisfying, as was done by Ancient Faithful Labourers in the Ministry, by Word and Writing, Doctrine and Government; You Preach up Doctrine, but leave out Christ's Government, and so you are rightly called Separates, putting asunder what God hath joined together; Parting Husband and Wife, cutting off the Body from the Head, as if they were all Traitors; you name yourselves in a peculiar manner, Children of Light; what are none else Children of Light but William Rogers and his Friends concerned? Sure enough your Book is a work of Darkness, as appears; for you have asserted many things in your Book that are not true: Your first Assertion is. That some say that God hath Anointed and chosen George Fox to be in that place, among the Children of Light, in our day, as Moses was among the Children of Israel in his day; to set up forms of Church-Government, part first, pag. 9 This you charge on them you call your opposers; Now it is your part to prove who they are; or if any such be, thou know'st not whether George Fox doth own their Testimony.  
Second Assertion, You charge your opposers (as you call them) with Folly and Hypocrisy, that profess themselves members of the true Church, and believe as the Church believes. Answer, To believe as the Church believes, for no other reason, but because the Church so believes; Whether the Church of England, or Church of Rome is Popery; but to believe as the true Church believes, is true faith, not FOR, but AS; but your sense concerning them, you call your opposers is, That they believe as others do, without God's grace in their hearts, which you can never prove.  
Third Assertion, The place of Christ's Government is only within, in the heart, part first, page 29. Q. Who then shall govern in the Life? What Scripture have you for the word only within? You quote Esay the 9th. but that Scripture is against you, and saith Christ's, Government is upon his Shoulders, that is without; the parable in the Light opens itself, declaring Christ's Divine and Humane Nature, One God; begin at the 6 v. Unto us a Child is Born, his Human Nature; unto us a Son is given, his divine Nature; one Lord, one King, one Government, not divided, but in unity with his members.  
Christ is not suffering now by himself in Heaven, but suffering together with his members on Earth, bearing up his Government in them, and suffering with them, within and without. Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? in all their afflictions I was afflicted, pressed as a Cart with Sheaus.  
The increase of his Government and peace have no end; but the Separates will have no increase of Christ's Government, no more than was in the beginning; then no increase of peace there will be, but Wrangling and Differences with such.  
Fourth Assertion, It is repugnant to the Light in our consciences, to believe that Christ's Government should rest upon any Man, or Men, to be rulers over others. Answer, These and the like words of governing, ruling and lording over others, is so often charged, and so much of the Book spent, and so little or nothing proved, that it doth manifest the Author of this Book to be more crazy and flashy, then solid and weighty; yet still trying up the Light within, and are not in it; None more able to betray his Master than a Disciple; none could more advantageously betray his Master than a Judas; What a sad thing it is for any to lose a good condition, and not know it, nor will they know if one should tell them.  
Fifth Assertion, That George Fox was the first that did begin the difference among Friends, by setting up Monthly and Quarterly Meetings. Answer, The body of faithful Friends agreed, that the Monthly and Quarterly Meetings were set up by the Spirit and Power of Christ, through G. Fox, not by imposition upon, but recommendation to the Church; John Wilkinson, and John Story, both said they would not say, They were not set up by the Power; yet John Story said another time, He would not say, they were, or were not; the third time, John Story said, He did not believe George Fox had God's Spirit to do it by; and John Wilkinson said to me and others, He did not own the Monthly and Quarterly Meetings, when they were first set up.  
If this be not confusion, what is? Nathaniel Crips, in his answer to my Book, concerning the Man of Sin revealed, said, He did not own George Fox's orders, many years before he knew any Man disown them. So he and the Johns seem to be wiser in their own conceits, than the body of faithful Friends.  
Now let the Reader judge in the true Light who were the first beginners of the differences, he that set up useful and decent Orders in the Church, by the Spirit and Power of Christ, or they that did begin quarrelling and pecking at them?  
These three Dissenters do themselves disprove what they first asserted.  
Many more such Assertions might be named; but first prove these true if you can: what you charge in your Book concerning George Fox▪ His flying persecution at Bristol, I leave it for Bristol Friends to answer, that were eye witnesses of what was done; as for the rest of your Book, I leave for you to weary yourselves with; only let me tell you, that cursed Cham uncovered the nakedness of his natural Father; but you have endeavoured to uncover the nakedness of a Spiritual Father, if he had any, which you have not proved; having shot many Arrows of envy at him, even bitter words, and hard Speeches.  
Haman thought to destroy Mordecai, and all the Seed of the Jews; but the destruction fell upon himself, and his confederates; but as Joseph said unto his Brethren, Ye intended evil against me, but God turned it to good; so your Printing your Book, and Jsaac Peningtons', and George Foxes Letters, compared with William Rogers and John wilkinson's, will prove an advantage to truth; and it will rejoice such as live in the life of Truth, to see the Torch flame, by knocking against the post●, and so may recover some from the Beast and false Prophet, that are now in their heat of Contention.  
William Rogers, If any man or men, that never heard of any difference among Quakers, should understand upon what grounds thou hast justified the Johns, and vilified George Fox, and Robert Barclay, they would wonder at thy unadvised forwardness, so to exceed in hard speeches; many of your own side reading J. Wilkinson's, and G. F's. Letters from one to each other, would sink their esteem of thy unreasonable proceed, but such as have well known what George Fox and the Johns have been, in doing and suffering the benefit of comparison, may be useful in this matter.  
1. George Fox was the first public Preacher of that glorious day, the Light of Christ within since the apostasy. John Wilkinson said, as in the fourth part of their Book, page. 77. That God appeared in George Fox▪ in the beginning of the day of Life, and reached unto us (saith he) with his word, which gave us faith to believe his Testimony, that God gave of his Light in our hearts; John Story told me, That George Fox was detained from them in Lanson Prison; so they were at a great loss for want of Council, until George Fox came to them again; Then the Johns were not the first nor the most ancient Ministers.  
2. George Fox hath been a great travelling Minister, not only all over England, but beyond the Seas, many hundred miles also; But the Johns were never beyond the Seas. (as I know,) nor never over England, neither as I know, but from Kendal to Bristol, and so to Reading, and back again to particular Meetings, with much weariness and caution in times of danger; nor bore no great Burden nor Heat, but by a good fire in their free quarters, and are little known or minded, but in their separations.  
3. George Fox hath begotten many to God by God's power in his Ministry, that reached my heart at first hearing, which the Johns did not; though I heard them often before, yet much hath been spoken of their gathering of People in part of the South and West; but what have they gathered them to? but a profession of true words out of the Life; Witness some particular Meetings, from Wickham to Bristol, and thereabout.  
4. George Fox hath suffered in many Prisons, where he lay in the Rain and Dirt, which were promised to be mended by the Judges, but were not; but the Johns never suffered in any Prison, as I know, except it was two or three Months in Fisherton-Anger; where they had a dry House, a good Bed, and Food convenient, I saw it. William Rogers, if thou and all thy Friends concerned, can prove all your Writings true, and mine false; then I will willingly submit to the truth in you; But if you cannot prove your Writing true, nor mine false, than you are to submit to the truth in me; and so Controversy will be ended.  
Marlbrough the 3d. Month, 1681. Being the 81 year of my Age. THOMAS LAURENCE   

IT is desired that this may be dispersed only amongst Friends called Quakers, and such others as have seen or do receive W. R. his said Book against them.   
THE END.