Some Queries touching EXCOMMUNICATION Published by the People of GOD, (termed in derision Quakers) to be considered by all the Bishops and Synods of this Nation, or any others that may be concerned in such Proceed against them. But most especially, by the present Bishop and Synod of Aberdeen.  
I. Quer. Sing ye allege ye have your Power or Authority to Excommunicate from GOD, and from Christ; How, and after what manner have ye it, mediately, or immediately? If immediately, how can that be, seeing ye affirm that immediate calls are ceased generally since the Apostles days? and seeing ye blame us for pretending to an immediate call, because as you think, immediate calls are ceased? Again, you say men may be lawfully called and authorized to Preach, and do all Ministerial Offices, who are but Natural and unconverted men, and have no inward acquaintance and fellowship with God; and such men ye allow them to excommunicate whom ye think to deserve such a censure, and you say they have authority so to do, and yet you cannot say they have an immediate call from God thereunto?  
If mediately, then tell us what is the first Original and rise of this mediate call, and what are all the middle-steps, or midses betwixt the first and the last? for either the first rise and original must be the Apostles, who were immediately called, or some since the Apostles days, about the beginning of the Reformation that were immediately called, for all mediate calls must at last resolve in an immediate call, otherwise there would be an infinite progress which is absurd? If ye deduce the rise of your mediate call from those who were immediately called, about the time of the first Reformation, than ye must grant that the first Reformers were immediately called, as the Apostles and Evangelists were, which contradicts your common Principle, that immediate calls are generally ceased since the Apostles days. Again, if the first Reformers were immediately called, they were also immediately gifted and furnished, what to say, and to preach, and to write; for all that ever had the one, had the other, as you may read in the Scripture: And if they were immediately gifted and furnished, than they were immediately inspired; and consequently what they spoke and wrote by the same, was by the infallible Spirit of Truth, and of the same Authority with the Words and Writings of the Apostles and Prophets, which is contrare to another common Principle of yours, that all writings since the Apostles days are but Humane, and not Divine, nor Divinely inspired; for if divinely inspired, they should be equal to Scripture, and deserve to be bound up in the Canon which you will not acknowledge.  
But if you deduce your mediate call from the Apostles who lived about 1600. years ago; then I ask by what Church or Church-officers is this your mediate call descended unto you from the Apostles, whether by the Church of Rome, and her Bishops and Popes, yea, or nay? Or by what other Church or Church-Officers? And if the Church of Rome and her Bishops (unto which only in a visible succession ye can have any colour to lay claim) than I ask, hath not the Church of Rome and her Bishops degenerate since the Apostles days? Have not ye yourselves (called Protestant-Ministers and Preachers) oft Preached and Printed it, That the Church of Rome for these many hundreds of years (to wit, the visible Church) hath been an Apostate Church, and her Bishop's Apostates from the true Faith delivered unto the Apostles? And did ye not deny her to be a true Church? and on that account, did not your Predecessors the first Reformers separate from her? And did not the Church of Rome and her Popes excommunicate your Predecessors? and such of them who once had her call, she degraded them, and took it away from them? And to this day she denieth you, and excommunicateth you all every year, so that ye are all above an hundred times excommunicated by her. Now are ye not ashamed to derive your call from her, who is an harlot, and the mother of harlots, as yourselves have called her, and from Babylon, and from the Synagogue of Satan, as ye have also called her? And are ye not ashamed to derive your call from the Pope of Rome whom ye have oft called Antichrist? and some of the Popes of Rome by whom your mediate call is descended unto you, were Witches and Necromancers, as Hildebrand, who was also a vile Murderer; and one of them is reported to be a Woman, and vile Harlot, that bear a Child in the time of her Procession; and this the Protestants have objected against the Papists very often: and yet these are the persons whom ye derive your mediate call from, to excommunicate us, from Witches, from Necromancers, from a Whore both Spiritually and Carnally, from Babylon, from the Synagogue of Satan, and from Antichrist himself! A strange thing that Antichrist should have a just and true Power and Authority to make and call Ministers of Christ, and yet more strange, that these whom Antichrist hath excommunicated above an hundred times, should from him claim their Power as from their lawful Predecessor to excommunicate others!  
Answer these plain Questions plainly and clearly, and call not this Railing, for it is not railing to speak the Truth, not to seek to find out and discover the Truth. And seeing your call is mediate from the Apostles, must it not be a visible call? (for a mediate invisible call is a contradiction) and if it be a visible call, must ye not visibly in a visible way by visible Successors from the very Apostles derive it unto your own time, who have transmitted it visibly by Ordination, and laying on of hands, as the manner of your mediate call is?  
Now, that the Protestants, and even the Presbyterians derive their call to the Ministry mediately from the Church of Rome (notwithstanding her Apostasy) because some thorough ignorance may deny it, let them read James Durham in his exposition on the Revelation, see his twenty third and 24th. Digressions.  
II. Quer. WHat is the nature of your Excommunication, is it a cutting us off really and totally from all the Spiritual union and communion with God, and them who are truly and really the people of God, where ever they are throughout the World? Or is it not a real cutting off, and a real separating us from them, only pretended and seeming, for one these two it must needs be (seeing there is no midst betwixt them) now if it be but pretended and seeming it is false and vain; neither have we nor any other cause to lay weight upon it.  
If it be a real cutting us off and separating us from Spiritual union with God and his People, than ye must needs have a knowledge of us, that we, are none of us, in the least measure of the number of God's People, and that none of us have the least measure of true Faith, true love to God, true holiness and piety? and how know ye that none of us have the least measure of those things? Have ye an infallible discerning (of the inward states of others) to know whether we be in the state of Grace yea or nay? If yea, how say ye, that an infallible discerning of the inward states of others is ceased; seeing that belongs to immediate Revelation, which you say is ceased generally since the Apostles days? If nay, then having no infallible knowledge of our inward states, the best that you have is but conjectural, and in opinion; and therefore ye cannot do what ye do in this matter against us, in Faith, and with clearness, but with doubting? and seeing he that doubteth is damned, as the Apostle said; how can your sentence of damnation against us bear weight, which proceed from you, who, because of your doubting are damned yourselves?  
III. Quer. WHat are the particular grounds and reasons of your excommunicating us, are errors of life and conversation, or errors of judgement; we suppose ye will not allege the first; seeing our life and conversation whom ye have excommunicated, and are purposing to excommunicate, is at least as good as your own, and manifestly better than thousands of your own Church-Members, whom for all their lying, swearing, cursing, defrauding, drinking drunk, and other abominations among them, ye continually bless and curse not.  
If they be errors of Judgement, than we also ask further, do all errors of Judgement deserve that the persons (simply for their judgement) holding them, aught to be excommunicate, which is contrary to your own way among yourselves; for some among yourselves differ one from another in matters of Judgement in divers things, as some of you think that Episcopacy is Jure Divino, others think, it is but an Humane Invention, and limb of the Antichristian Hierarchy, some of you think, that set forms of Prayer ought to be used in the worship of God, others thnk it Popish and Superstitious; some of you think, ye should sing that called the Doxology, and stand up to it, though sitting at the rest of the Psalm, others condemn it as superstitious and will-worship; some think they should kneel in receiving the Sacrament, (as they call it) others think kneeling Idolatry; some think they should be uncovered all the while they are in the Steeplehouse, if it be consecrated, others think it Superstition; some think the Magistrate may be resisted, and they may rise up in Arms against him, to carry on a Reformation; which bad doctrine they have learned from their Grandfather the Pope: others do justly condemn that principle. And besides divers of the Protestants hold, that Christ hath died for all men, Others hold the contrary, that He hath not died for all, but some. Again divers hold, that the keeping of the first day of the week for a Sabbath, is of Divine appointment; others, such as Calvin, and many with him, both abroad and at home deny it. Some say, that we are justified not only by the outward righteousness of Christ imputed to us; but also, by inward righteousness, as many of the Episcopal party in England, and some in Scotland; and many other differences of Judgement are amongst them, who yet do not excommunicate one another, but hold it their duty to bear with one another. It is not therefore one or divers errors, or differences in Judgement, or in relation to Worship, that are ground of Excommunication, but such as are Blasphemous, or fundamental errors, such as overturn the very foundation of Christianity, and Christian Religion. Now before ye excommunicate us, ye should take pains to inform yourselves, if we whom ye are about to excommunicate do hold such fundamental errors, for we know not that we hold any principle, which ye yourselves call a fundamental error. Indeed some of you have alleged that Quakers in England hold blasphemous and fundamental errors, but they have not proved it out of their own words and writings; and if it were so, that is not sufficient for you to proceed against us, unless ye discover that we particularly, whom ye are about to Excommunicate, do hold such blasphemous and fundamental errors; for every one is to be judged according to his own Faith.  
Therefore let us have a fair and free hearing and communing betwixt you and us, for we are most willing that ye try us to the uttermost of your ability, which ye as yet have not done, but taken things upon trust, and believed lies and misinformations against us: and unless ye do this, ye lay yourselves open to the just censure of all, that you have not proceeded orderly with us, nor given us Gospel-order; for if ye think ye are our Judges in these things, ye should give us a hearing freely, and fully before your Presbytries; or if we appeal from your Presbytries, ye should give us a hearing freely, and fully before your Synods, and highest Church Judicatories, such as they are.  
And as for us though we own you not as our Judges, yet we are most willing that ye try us, and ye cannot in any colour of reason deny us these public opportunities of Conference, and labouring to clear ourselves, which even the Papists have given unto Protestants, and which the Protestants in reason demanded of them, and which the Synod of Dort gave unto the Armenians and Remonstrants before they passed sentence against them.  
iv Quer. WHy have ye changed the form of the words of Excommunication, set down in the Scripture, which is, to deliver up unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, 1 Cor. 5.5. And seeing ye think it so essential to adhere to the words of Scripture, when ye Sprinkle, and when ye give the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ, as ye judge it; why do ye not adhere to them when ye excommunicate? And as for your new form of excommunication, to deliver up unto the righteous judgement of God: who hath taught you these words? And seeing they are not expressly Scripture words, (nor indeed pertinent to be words of excommunication, for they may be properly applied unto them, who are not excommunicated, nor to be excommunicated: Yea David, an eminent Saint prayed, that the Lord would judge him; and said Peter, judgement must begin at the house of God) what sort of words are they, whether Divine, or given by Divine Inspiration? If not, than they are but the words of a man, and therefore they can have no weight nor authority with them against us.  

Some further Queries from Isaiah 66.5. Hear the Word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his Word, your Brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my Names sake, said, let the Lord be glorified; but he shall appear to your gleoy, and they shall be ashamed.  
V Quer. WHether these who are said to tremble at the Word of the Lord, may not be termed Quakers, in the dialect of Mockers, as well as these called Quakers now termed so by their opposers, for their trembling at the Power, Presence and Fear of the living God? seeing  
Quaking and Trembling are both one upon the matter.  
VI Quer. IF it hath not been generally the lot of all the Faithful followers of the Lord, and witnesses of his Truth in all Ages to be hated and persecuted, by those who upon some account were esteemed brethren; so Isaac by Ishmael, and Jacob by Esau, and Joseph by his Brethren, according to the word of the Apostles, Gal. 4.29. But as then he that was born after the flesh, persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now; see John 16.2. They shall cast you out of the Synagogue, etc.  
VII. Quer. WHether this hatred and persecution hath ever wanted a specious pretext of zeal, for the Name of the Lord, and that God may be glorified? as hear Isaiah 66.5. Your brethren that hated you, and cast you out for my Names sake, said, let the Lord be glorified.  
VIII. Quer. IS it not duty for Preachers and People seriously to consider and weigh in the light of the Lord what they are doing, when they go about such acts? or are countenancing such discipline, seeing these things are so clearly foretold in the place now cited, and that Christ warned his Disciples, John 16.2. that they should put them out of the synagogues, etc. lest otherwise they may be under this same mistakes with these persecutors here prophesied of.  
IX. Quer. IF mere mistakes or malicious misrepresentations from Preachers, as by G. M. his sermon, in the 9th. month, 1666. falsely chargeing the People of the Lord with Heresies; blasphemies and errors will be a sufficient excuse in the day of the Lords Judgement for the people's accession to, or countenancing such acts of discipline, when the charge and calumnies were never made out? And the sufferers denied the benefit of the Printing-press, to clear their innocency. Yea, people frighted away from the occasions of true information; that so what Preachers speaks of us from Pulpits may be believed implicitly; and thereby people prepared (as of old) to prefer Barrabas to Christ, deceivers and murderers to the God of truth; seeing the Jews had as much to say for the authority of the Scribes and Pharisees, and High-Priests, and the respect they carried to their persons and doctrine, as people have to say for many of their teachers in this day?  
X. Quer. WHither it be not a nonsensical and ridiculous Act to Excommunicate these who have rejected their communion of Bread and Wine already? and is all one with the Pope's practice, when he excommunicates a Protestant Prince; who out of conviction of the Pope's unjust usurpations, had rejected and renounced all his pretended authority? were it not that thereby he aims to give occasion to his implicit and malicious followers, to trouble and molest him in his lawful dominions, whereby his pride, revenge, and despite doth more appear, than any true zeal to the Catholic Church, (as he calls it) though falsely pretended, the case being all one upon the matter, comparatis comparandis, comparing things to be compared?  
XI. Quer. IF the promise to these Quakers, and the threatening to their Edomitish brethren be to be beliewed (as most certain it is) being written, Isaiah 66.5. That God shall appear to the joy of the one, and the other shall be ashamed? May not this damp the malice, hatred, and despite of the enemy, and make the Sufferers rejoice in the Faith of that joy, promised by their Faithful God? and to vilipend, and esteem that Thunderclap (as they would have it thought) to be of no more value than a Popes-Bull, intimated by an Antichristian Priest, or as a Balaams charm;  God hath beheld no iniquity in Jacob, neither seen perverseness in Israel: Wherefore, Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel, Numb. 23.21, 23. seeing he esteems all our sufferings to be for his Names sake, what ever others may think to the contrary.  
We desire you to answer these Questions plainly, and distinctly, which we judge you are bound in all reason to do, before ye can with any colour of reason proceed any further against us in that matter: But if ye refuse or decline to answer them, we will look upon ourselves as obliged in conscience to take a further opportunity yet more to discover you in your unchristian and unreasonable proceed.  
These where delivered to the late Bishop of Aberdeen, in his own hand, at the Synod-house door (access being stopped) be John Cowie, and Thomas Milne, as he was coming out, 1674.  
After which, the said Bishop put a stop to such proceed, dureing his life-time, being one of the most sober and moderate among them. And now this present Bishop, his successor, and his Clergy being intending a new procedure, with their sentences of Excommunication, (so called) against the people of the Lord; we have published these Queries both for them and others of their National-Church-Officers, (as they are called) to consider and answer: which we judge they are holden to do in reason before their procedure, as they would be esteemed just or equal in their deal by the World. And they are now proposed not out of any regard to their sentence, or for seeking any delay thereof, out of any fear we have of it, but only for clearing the Truth, and out of Compassion to them; lest they be found fighters against God and his people.  
THE END.