A Solemn PROTESTATION against George Keith 's Advertisement, Arbitrary Summons and Proceed against Certain Persons, and a Meeting of the People called Quakers.  
WHEREAS the said G. K. a Scotchman, has assumed to himself a Power and Authority to Erect several Meetings of the Nature of some strange and new Court of Judicature at Turners-Hall, London, one on the Eleventh of the Month called June, 1696. and another on the 29th of this present Month called April, 1697. (under pretence of having the Permission of the Civil Authority, that he is further to Detect the Vile and Gross Errors and Heresies of certain Persons by Name, and a Meeting of the People called Quakers) unto which he hath Cited or Summoned them, to hear themselves Recharged, and Proved Guilty thereof, as being Repugnant to the Great Fundamentals of the Christian Religion (which Charges of his, as perversely Stated by him, are Expressly Denied by us) for Proof thereof, Referring to his own Printed Advertisement and Narrative, which have been largely Answered in Print, he having begun the Controversy with us, by Printing divers bitter Invectives against us, expressly Contrary to his own former Testimonies in Print; and divers of our Friends Books, in Answer to him, still lie heavy upon him, unreplyed to. And seeing he cannot Effect his Invidious Designs in Print, to make his Odious Character of Heresy, Spreading Gangreen, and Contagion, etc. take Effect against us, he has Presumed to Erect such an Arbitrary Course of Judicature, in a Confused Meeting at Turners-Hall, and thereunto, in his own Name and Authority, to Summon the Persons and Meeting, as aforesaid, without their Privity, Concurrence, Consent or Agreement thereunto; either as to the Time, Place, Terms or Propositions, but he is the Sole Imposer.  
We therefore, who are Concerned in behalf of the Peaceable People called Quakers, both as Freeborn English-Men and Christians, do deny, and Solemnly Testify against the Usurpation, Arbitrary and Irregular Proceed of the said G. K. and against his new Jurisdiction (assumed by him) for the same Reasons, which were Exhibited in Print the last Year, Why the People called Quakers Refused their Appearance at his Peremptory Summons (and therefore he had no Reason to Expect their Appearance this Year, the more Insincere he, in his new Summons) and more particularly,  
1. Because he has no Legal Power to Erect any such new Court of Judicature, and therein set himself up as Judge, and Publicly to Stage, Brand, and Condemn Peaceable Protestant Subjects, and that in their Absence too (who are also Freeborn English-Men) as Heretics, etc. and thereby to Endeavour to Expose them to the Scorn, Contempt and Rage of a mixed Multitude, who are unmeet to Judge of Religious and Spiritual Matters, or Controversies.  
2. We do not believe the Civil Authority, or any Concerned therein, on Due Consideration, or Just Information, will Countenance or Permit such an Usurped Authority, or Pernicious Precedent, as the said G. K. has Assumed and Attempted in this Case; tending, not only to Discord, Divisions, Heats, Animosities and Tumults, but to Invade the just Liberties of Freeborn English-Men (who are Peaceable Protestant Subjects,) and to Gratify and Strengthen the Popish Interest, that they may Glory in such Divisions and Disorders, made by Turbulent Incendiaries.  
We are not Unfensible, that some Officious and Envious Agents are in the bottom of this Turbulent Attempt; who, altho' they may pretend to be Reform Protestants, yet savour too much of a Popish Persecuting Spirit, (Justly Complained of by Protestants) and whose Work tends to bring an Odium upon the Protestant Religion.  
3. We presume the said G. K. can Produce no Legal Commission from the Civil Authority, either by Act of Parliament, or under the Great Seal of England, Annually to Erect and hold his said Court of Judicature, to Summon, Convict and Condemn Quakers (so called) or any other Freeborn English-Men, or Protestant Subjects for Heresy or Heretics, who are Contrary wise Legally Recognized.  
4. His feigned and false Pretence of Justly Desiring the Persons and Meeting aforesaid to be present (i. e. to hear themselves Recharged, Convicted and Condemned of Vile and Gross Heresies, etc.) appears, not only a peremptory Summons, but his Noise of Vile and Gross Errors, and Heresies, spreading Gangreen and Contagion, Infecting many Thousands in these Three Nations, etc. does much Resemble the Popish Clamours and Calumnies against Protestant Martyrs, and then away with them, cut them off; and Fire and Faggot followed, when the Writ de Haeretico Gomburendo, and the Six Bloody Articles were in Force, 31. H. 8. Ch. 14. both which are justly and happily Repealed.  
5. For the same Reasons, which the Parliament gave in the 16th Year of K. Charles the First, against the Court of Star-Chamber, and High-Commission-Court (Ch. 9, 10.) and for taking away, and dissolving the same (tho' these had more Face of Authority, than this of G. Keith's) we Oppose, Deny and Protest against these his Irregular and Arbitrary Proceed and his new Court of Judicature, and Usurped Power and Authority therein, as (not only tending to Discord, Disorder, and Persecution, and Endangering the Public Peace, but also) Repugnant to the Great Charter, Fundamental Laws (and Liberties of England) Providing that no Freeman shall be Condemned, or any way Destroyed without due Order of Law; as well as expressly Contrary to the Intent and Tenor of the late Act of Parliament, made in the 1st Year of the Reign of K. William and Q. Marry, Entitled, An Act for Exempting their Majesty's Protestant Subjects Dissenting from the Church of England, etc. made for the Ease of Scrupulous Consciences in the Exercise of Religion, as an Effectual Means to Unite their Majesty's Protestant Subjects in Interest and Affection. And the Meeting Places thereby Permitted or Allowed and Recorded, being for RELIGIOUS WORSHIP, as in the said Act is Expressed, Consequently, not for Division, Discord or Stages of Contentention; and therefore we are not free, either as Men or Christians, to Subject ourselves to any such Irregular Summons, or Arbitrary Power and Usurpation, as aforesaid.  
6. Heresy having been made an High Crime in Law [Mirror. Justices, p. 16.] and highly Punishable, G. K.'s Publicly Staging and Branding us as Heretics, appears both an High Defamation, and tending to Destroy us in our Reputations and Liberties also, both Contrary to Law and gospel, and to Introduce a new and severe Persecution to Gratify his Envy. For his Turbulent, Persecuting Spirit and Apostasy, from Christian Charity, Meekness and Moderation, and from that Faith that Works by Love, sufficiently appear; also by his Earnest Expostulation with the most Pious and Learned of the Church of England (as Flatteringly he Terms them) to Incense both the Clergy and Civil Authority against us, in his Printed Postscript to his Antichrists and saducees, and therein Commending the Popish Watchmen of Rome, and Popish Countries, above most among the Protestants, for their Zeal against such Antichristian Errors and Heresies, as he there would make the World believe, Quakers hold much worse than the worst of Popery (p. 40, 41.) and his Summoning and Condemning us as Heretics, appears so much Resembling the Practice of some of his Countrymen of the Presbytery, to Incense the Rabble or Mob against our Friends in Scotland, as they have of late shamefully done, both in Glasgow and Edenbrough, to the Great and Barbarous Abuse of our poor harmless Friends in those parts, by their bitter Clamours and Aspersions against them, as Heretics, etc. That we humbly hope, the Civil Protestant Government of England will never Countenance or Permit such unwarrantable Usurpation, which is not to use only Spiritual Weapons (as he pretends) but is of a contrary Nature and Tendence. We having treated the said G. K. at many Select and Solemn Meetings, we have had with him, in all Christian Patience and Tenderness on our parts; which were Slighted and Rejected by him. Thus we have Answered his Advertisement and Summons, ad hominem, as Peaceable, Freeborn English-Men, whose present Liberty ought not to be Invaded or Disquieted, either by any Arbitrary Usurpation, or Contentious Irreligious Meetings, whose End is to Asperse and Abuse others: Nor may such, with safety, be Imitated, Allowed or Abetted by any of different Persuasions.  
Now, let it be observed, whatever may happen to be the Effects or Consequence of the said G. K.'s Disorderly and Unwarrantable Proceed, or Meeting aforesaid, we have given out this Solemn Protestation against the same, to Manifest our own Innocency and Clearness therefrom.  
London, the 26th Day of the 2d Month, 1697. Written, in Behalf of the People called Quakers, by some of them Concerned.  
FINIS.