Come, and behold 〈…〉  
The Quakers how they do pursue.  
With Dagger's Points God's holy Word,  
It to destroy with one Accord.  
Lo! how it breaks their Dagger's keen,  
And make those Monsters to be seen.   
 

OF THE QUAKERS Despising The HOLY SCRIPTURES. As appears in their Preachers printed BOOKS, as follows.  
BY calling the Scriptures, the Rule, and the Word, (says George Fox their first and great Apostle) have all Men run into their Senses into Confusion: 
(a) G. Fox's Great Mystery, p. 18, 68, 75, 246, 302.  In NO SENSE, can the Scriptures properly be called The Word of God: 
(b) James Naylor's Answer to the Jews, p. 22, 25.  It's Blasphemy to say the Letter is the Word of God, it is the Devil that contends for the Scriptures, to be the Word of God, 
(c) G. Fox Mist. p. 246. Lawsons' untaught Teacher, p. 2.  To say that the Scriptures is the Word of Truth is a Lye. 
(d) Johh Whitehead. and R. Ruckhill's Quaker Refuge, p. 17.   
They are blind Sots, and evil Beasts, that say the Scriptures are the Written Word of God. Let shame cover the Faces of those rotten filthy Dreamers, that say the Scriptures are a Means whereby Faith is wrought: 
(e) 〈…〉 Whitehead, etc. 〈…〉 etc. p. 11. etc.  We Quakers meet not to read the Scriptures, 
(f) 〈…〉 R. Barckleys Works, p. 121.  For they are imperfect Copies, 
(g) W. Penn's lavalidity of J. Faldo's Vindication, p. 77.  Which Transcriptions and Translations were they never so certain, and entirely answering to their first original Copies, yet are not capable to be (to all Men) any other than a Lesbian Rule, or a Nose of Wax. 
(h) Samuel Fisher's Works, p. 752.  The Scriptures not the Saints Rule. 
(i) Same Fisher, p. 460. W. Penn's Inu. p. 69.   
We question, whether Moses, or Hermes, was the first Penman of them, and whether both these are not one, or whether there are not many words contained in the Scriptures, which were not spoken by Inspiration of the Holy Ghost, whether some Words were not spoken by the Grand Impostorers, some by wicked Men, some by wise Men ill applied, some by good Men is expressed, some by false Prophets, and yet true, some by true Prophets and yet false. 
(k) John Whitehead, etc. above, p. 17.  Yet the Scriptures are much like the shadow of the true rule, 
(l) W. Penn's Spirit of Truth yin. etc. p. 38.  being Parables to all the World, but are no Parable to us Quakers. 
(m) James Parner's Shield of Truth, etc. p. 10. etc.  For not a Jot, or Tittle of them, can be understood without Immediate Revelation. 
(n) W. Penn's Inval. p. 43, 47.  The Knowledge and Experiences, that the Fleshly-wise gets in them, must be forsaken, for it fits People for the Slaughter, being not the pure Milk of the Word. 
(o) Isaac Pennington's scattered Sheep, p. 27.  It was not a Bible, but Christ, that the Saints Preached to bring People to Repentance. 
(p) Truth vindicated by John Petman, and Jasper Bat, p. 45.   
He that hath the Letter, let him speak the Letter, and he that hath the Life, let him speak the Life, what is the Husk to the Kernel. He that saith the Letter is Light, is in Darkness, and Blindness, and is a Deceiver, seeking the Living among the Dead: 
(q) James Panel's Shield, etc. p. 10. etc.  The cursed Serpent is in the Letter, which is Earthly, and Carnal, Death, Beastly Ware, Ink, and Paper, so Dust is the Serpent's Meat, their original is Dust, Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, which is the Letter. So these Serpents feed upon Dust, which feed upon these carnal Things, and their Gospel is Dust, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, which is the Letter which killeth: 
(r) G. Fox Saul's Errand, p. 7. and his News out of the North, etc. p. 14. and also his Truth Def. p. 14. 45. 102. and W. Penn's Inval. p. 31, 310.  So that Faith in Christ's outward Manifestation, has been a deadly Poison, these latter Ages has been infected with: 
(s) W. Penn's Quakerlsm a new nick Name, etc. p 6. etc.   
The Scriptures are the attire of the Whore, or false Church, which brings none to know God, and Christ. 
(t) Fran. Howgil's works p. 211, etc. G. Fox junior, and 〈◊〉 Crisp's primer, 〈…〉  But the Gospel, that we [Quakers] Preach, we neither received of Man nor from Man, but by Immediate Revelation: 
(v) R. Parkley's Works, p. ●3  We are taught of God's Spirit immediately without Means, Tool, or Instrument: 
(w) 〈◊〉 Richardson to 〈…〉 step 〈…〉 p. 13 〈…〉  The Law written in our Hearts, which to us is an Absolute Rule: 
(x) Truth vind. by John Petman etc. above, p. 45.  Therefore we are not to obey any Command in Scripture before the Spirit in us, [not our own Spirits] first move thereto, no not to Prayer, and giving God Thanks, with our Hats off, before Dinner or Family Prayer, or catechising Children or Servants: 
(y) Ed. Burrough's Works, p. 47. Isaac Pennington's Exam of the Court of Boston, in New England, etc. p. 81. John Petman, etc. above, p. 31.  For the Scriptures are not the Saints Rule, of knowing God, and living unto him: 
(z) Christoph. Atkinson, Sword of the Lord drawn, etc. p. 2.  The Spirit is our only and alone Rule: 
(a) Ed. Burrough Everlasting Gospel, p. 47.  Of Faith, Guide of Life, and Judge of Controversies: 
(b) W. Penn's Inu. p. 69. etc.  Nothing else must teach (in our Meetings) nothing else judge, etc. Not to trust Paul, nor Peter, who erred, but the Spirit cannot err: 
(c) Isaac Pennington Examine. (above) p. 85. and Step. Crisp. above.  The which infallible Spirit, or Light, that every Man hath, being turned to it, will (without the Scriptures) lead all Men out of Delusion: 
(d) G. Fox. Mist. p. 168.  And we affirm, that our giving forth printed Books, it is from the Immediate Eternal Spirit of God: 
(e) G. Fox, and R. Hubberthorn's Truth defen. p. 104.  So that what is spoken from the Spirit of Truth, in any, is of as great Authority, as the Scriptures, and Chapters are, and greater: 
(f) W. Penn, and G. Whitehead's serious Apology, p. 49. G. Whitehead's Tiu. Des. P. 7.   
Which Spirit, is the Light that every Man is born with: 
(g) G. Fox Mist. p. 20. 209.  And this Light we take to be the Grace of God, which taught Christ's Apostles to deny Ungodliness, Tit. 2. 11. Because our learned Preacher W. Penn, says, there is no Natural Light in Man, and that it's Natural to Man to have a Supernatural Light, 
(h) W. Penn's Primitive Christianity, p. 15. 30.  And though our Adversaries say, that the Light we were born with, is only some natural Reason or Understanding common to all Men, both Jews and Gentiles, yet we believe them not, for we hold it sufficient, (if obeyed) to Salvation without any thing else. 
(i) G. Whitehead's Antidote, p. 28. Heresy and Hatred by G. K. p. 1.  And when our Adversaries blame us for denying the Scriptures to be our Rule, we commonly answer them in the Words of our Apostle G. Fox. That Christ did not approve of them that thought they had eternal Life in the Scriptures. 
(k) G. F. Mist. p. 18.   
And yet we make use of the Scriptures to answer our Adversaries, not that we make them our Rule, and Touchstone instead of the Spirit: 
(l) G. Whitehead's Apol. Incend. p. 14.  And now our Adversaries have found that our printed Books agree not with the Scriptures, we tell them [A. Lie] viz. That we have always readily offered, and submitted our Words and Writings to the Testimony of H. Scripture, 
(m) G. Whitehead's Switches, p. 229. and G. Keith's Four Narratives.  Yet we would not meet G. K. in public these Four Years, because he saith he will prove us fallible Men, which we, cannot bear, though we grant that Samuel, Elijah, Elisha, and others, had failings, but what is that to us. 
(n) G. Whitehead's Switches, p. 497.  For we can now, otherwise word the Matter, as we have done in our new Confessions of Faith, but our Adversaries think we are not sincere, while we cloak the Errors in our Books, 
(o) G. Whitehead's counterfeit Convert, p. 72.  And our Adversaries see, that our new Creeds are quite contrary to our ancient Books, and continue blaming us, when we tell them (viz.) our Principles are now no other than what they were, when we were first a People. 
(p) Joseph Wyeths Primitive Christianity, with other Books of their Heresies that might be mentioned.  Thus their Preachers can keep none in Ignorance except their Hearers.   

The Letters A, B, C, direct to the Quotations, or Proofs out of the Quakers Books, in the Margin.  
Objection, If any say, this Man has not given full Quotations out of our Books, though he may have given the Sense of them.  
Answer, My designed Method, (says W. Penn) is not the common Road of printing my Adversaries Words at large, on all Occasions, etc. Serious Apology, p 79.  
☞ Note, that whereas the Quakers finding that Christ is called the word of God in Scripture, therefore they will not allow the Holy Scriptures to be called the Word of God. nor the Sermons truly preached from it, though the Quakers call their Writings, the word of the Lord, Then  
1. I ask them how some of Old made the word of God of none effect, Mark 7. 13. They could not so use Christ. 2. How the Corinthians corrupted the word of God, 2 Cor. 2. 17. 3dly. How the Devil could take the word of God out of People's Hearts, Luke 8. 11.  
Lastly, I desire such Quakers as have Eyes, [Light] and will not see into the Holy Scriptures to see whither their Teacher's Books agree with the Holy Scriptures or no, may read their Conditions, Matt. 6. 23. If therefore the Light that is in these, be Darkness, how great is that Darkness.  
W. Mather.    

LONDON, Printed for B. Aylmer, at the Three Pigeons in Cornhill, and C. Brome, at the Gun, at the West End of St. Paul's Churchyard. 1700.