A Sober Expostulation, With some of the Hearers of the QUAKERS, Against the insolent Boldness of their Mercenary Teachers. In Two Tracts, viz. Their Sober Expostulation with the Clergy, &c. By G. Whitehead. Primitive Christianity continued, &c. By Jos. Wyeth. BEING A Vindication of Mr. Archer, Mr. Smithies, and the Reverend Author of the Book, entitled, The Snake in the Grass, from the Quakers foul Imputations; as well as a farther Discovery of the Audacious Insolency of the Ring-leaders of that Sect: Being a Forerunner of a farther Confutation of their Errors and pernicious Principles, which tend to Undermine the Christian Religion. By Francis Bugg, signior. Their poison is like the poison of a Serpent: They are like the deaf Adder that stoppeth her Ear, Psalm 58.4. LONDON. Printed for C. broom, at the Gun, at the West end of St Paul's. THE INTRODUCTION. Reader, THE ensuing Expostulation is occasioned by the bold attempts of the Quaker-Teachers; who, notwithstanding the manifest Discovery of their gross Errors and pernicious Principles in the sight and view of the Nation; yet such is their Impudence, That instead of their Publishing an ingenuous Retractation as might reasonably be expected, they boldly,( in their Expostulation) Threaten the Ministers and Clergy of the Church of England, That if they do not stop me from Writing against them, That, the Cry will be louder, and ascend higher than themselves: That they are resolved not to lie under such Scandals; which say they, are Intolerable in their own Nature. And, p. 106. But if you( the Clergy) will be Mute in this Matter, and suffer him( Fra. Bugg) to go on in his wonted course, in Vilifying and Abusing us,[ by calling us, New Rome, Rome's Sister; Rome our Elder Sister: That we follow the Steps of the Jesuits, &c.] without your public Reprehension, or dislike thereof, then may you be justly called in Question, and Exposed thereupon for your neglect of Justice. And p. 17. Concerning Bugg's assuming Power as a Judge; and in his own Name to Try, Examine, Sentence and Condemn, Citizens and Trades-men, as Perjured Persons, to the Pillory; and that in their Absence too: In his Mock-Tryal, erecting the form of a Pillory, &c. Reflecting on Mr. Archer for his Approbation. Now, as to the Pillory and Mock-Tryal, Mr. Archer never saw it, nor yet knew of it until Printed in a prefixed Epistle after the Book was Printed. Now Reader, observe in the following Expostulation, whether the Quakers have not far more presumptuously and in their own Name, tried, Examined, Sentenced and Condemned the Clergy of the Church of England; and that behind their Backs: And many Thousands whom they never saw nor knew. But this they like of; this they boast and brag of; and Print, and Re-print, to the Scandal of the Christian Religion: This they justify on all Occasions. Of which Insolency, more anon. Again, Joseph Wyeth, alias Doeg, the Edomite, poor Benjamin Antrobus's Thriving Journey-man, he comes forth with a Book, styled, Primitive Christianity continued, &c. And as a Tool for the Cabal, Falsely charges the Reverend Author of the Book entitled, The Snake in the Grass, &c. to be a Necessitous, Malicious Expulsed Priest, one who Writes for his Bread, and to repair his Losses; which he charges the present Establishment to have brought upon him: A Villain; who to divert his Cares, and Fears, and to supply his Wants, spends his time in Catalogues of Heresies, to club Quotations from our Adversaries, from whom in part he receives his Bread; who is a foul Vessel, not capable to receive Inspiration, &c. Thus Reader, you see how they threaten and Revile the Clergy, if they do not stop me from writing against them: yet you see, how basely they traduce this Learned Author, whose great Service to the Church of God, can never by Man be fully rewarded; yet is he so rewarded, that he neither wants, nor writes for Bread: And Blessed be God, who hath raised him up, and inspired him with Zeal, to unmask the most formidable heresy that ever arose since the days of Simon Magus. And if the Quotations from matter of plain Fact, have been brought forth and prepared for him, as for a Master-Workman that needeth not to be ashamed by myself, or others: I am glad and rejoice therein; yea, and will rejoice, and think it Honour enough to be serviceable to such an Instrument in God's hand: And in this Work, I am no whit discouraged; in that I see it Prosper, and Quakerism is Withering every day. And Woe to the Merchants of Babylon, who begin to Weep and Mourn, Fret and Fume, saying, None will buy our Merchandise any more. As for the Names and Epithets they have bestowed upon me; as, Beast, Dog, Wolf, enemy of all Righteousness, Child of the Devil, Devil Incarnate, Apostate, Self-condemned Apostate, Counterfeit-Convert, a scandal to Christianity, and a seditious Incendiary, and a hundred such-like Names; all this must be born from them: This is the Meekness and Gentleness of Lamb-like Quakers: But they must give me leave a little to Expostulate the matter with their Hearers, since they have taught me the way, by their Expostulation with my Teachers; and this will be but turning the Tables, and for which, I think, there is great reason; since Doeg in the Name, and by the Approbation of their whole Conclave, hath assured us, p. 6. That their Principles are now no other than they were in the beginning, even when Quakerism took its Date, 1650. So that they are not Changed it seems; the more is the Pity. And so much shall serve for an Introductory Preface. A sober Expostulation with John Peacock, John Hubard, Thomas Bruster, and the rest, mentioned in the Introduction to The Brief History of QUAKERISM, to whom I once gave a private Summons to meet me, either to justify or to Condemn the Errors of their Teachers: Which G. W. also Printed in his Sober Expostulation, with his short and passionate Resentment thereof; as the effect of Pride, Passion, Presumption and Insolency, thus to issue out such a Mandatory and menacing Summons to so many Persons in divers Counties and Places; as London, Suffolk, Norfolk, Norwich, &c. To bring forth G. W. &c. Now let us see whether if it be so, I did not learn it of the Quakers. Viz. I. FIRST then, J. Peacock, &c. WHY do you suffer your Teachers, without rebuk, to charge and scandalise the Author of the Snake in the Grass, &c. to be a Necessitous Priest that writ for Bread; since your own Teachers themselves, Namely, G. Fox, the Journey-man Shoemaker, Sam. Cater, a poor Carpenter, Geo. Whitehead, who came a poor Boy out of the North on Foot, and many others, both Wrote and Preached for Bread; being a poor necessitous sort of Men, who lived chiefly at other Men's Tables; and you, as well as I, know it to be so still? II. Why do you suffer your Teachers to Publish and Print, That the Protestant Clergy are Thieves, Robbers, Anti-Christs, Sodomites, Witches, Devils, Conjurers, Blood-hounds, the Sir Simons of the Age, whose Call and Commission, came from Oxford, and Cambridge, Bablylon's Merchants, selling Beastly wears, the Letter which is Dust and Death? &c. Now, the Clergy are resolved not to lie under these your scandalous Detractions; and therefore in their Name, I demand Satisfaction and Reparation; otherwise these malicious epithets, will affect you, and the Cry will be loud and ascend higher than yourselves; for they are resolved not to lie under your Teachers foul Calumnies. But if you will be mute in this matter, and suffer them to persist in their wonted course, in vilifying and abusing the Reverend Clergy, without your public reprehension and dislike thereof, then may you be farther called in Question, and Exposed thereupon, for your neglect of Justice, &c, Thus Reader, are the Scales fairly turned, and the Land-shifted, and the Pit the Quakers digged for others, are they themselves justly fallen into. A Brief Discovery, &c. p. 7, 8, 9. III. WHY do you suffer your Weather-cock to call the Protestant Clergy an Idle Gormandizing Generation, the bane of both Soul and Body of the Universe? See Pon's Guide Mistaken, &c. p. 18. IV. WHY do you suffer your Teachers to Dialogue the Bishops and all Prelaticals, as Monsters of an Adulterate Harlot, brought forth from an Adulterous Womb? Saying, Behold all ye Arch Bishops, Lord Bishops, Deans, Prebends, Doctors, Vicars, and Curates, and all Prelaticals, here is the Womb of your Conception opened, from whence you drew your Breath: Therefore hear and consider you, Bishops, &c. You must come to the Bar; your Common-Prayer Book is seen to be conceived in thy Adulterous Womb; which is now ript up, and to branch forth from the Pope. See Smith's Works, p. 157. And a brief History of Quakerism Drawn to the Life, p. 35. to 50. where this and W. Pen's last Recital is more largely handled. Come on John Peacock, &c. Are not these Villainous and Scandalous Expressions intolerable? The Bishops will not lie under these your scandalous Invectives: Therefore on their behalf I demand Satisfaction; otherwise these malicious and black Attempts will affect you; and the Cry will be Louder, and ascend higher than yourselves. But if you will be mute in this matter, and suffer your mercenary Teachers to persist in their wonted course, in vilifying and Abusing their Lordships, in calling them up and Trying them at their Bar, without your public Reprehension, then may you be further called in Question, and Exposed thereupon, for your neglect of Justice, V. Again. WHY do you suffer your Teachers to erect a Mock-court of Judicature for the Clergy; to call them up to your Bar, examine, Sentence and Condemn them? As by your Book, entitled, A Just and Lawful trial of the Ministers of this Age; by a perfect Proceeding against them: And hereby they are Righteously Examined, and Justly Weighed, and Truly Measured and condemned to Disagree, and be contrary to all the Ministers of Christ in former Ages: And to agree and concur with all the false Prophets and Deceivers, in their Call, in their Maintenance, and doctrine; and being brought to the Bar of Justice, are truly Charged, and legally proved upon them, and found guilty, &c. See Burroughs's Works, p. 223. As in A Brief History of the rise of Quakerism, &c. p. 23. is more largely handled. Now, my old Friends, what think you of your Teachers pride and insolent Presumption? This Burroughs was one of your Prophets; and Whitehead's Approbation was in the Re-print of this trial. What think you of smooth George? But to proceed; VI. WHY do you suffer your Teachers to Summon the Clergy in their usual way and manner, without your rebuk? See W. Smith's Works, p. 161. Viz. A General Summons from the Authority of Truth, to all Ecclesiastical Courts and Officers, &c. See this more at large, in A Brief Hist. of the Rise of Quakerism, &c. p. 32. Now, Let us Expostulate the Matter; What think you? May the Quakers Summon, Arraign, Try, Judge and Condemn at their Bar, all the Bishops and Clergy, their Courts and Officers, and the whole Church and State, and Print and Reprint the same; Commend and Re-commend the same; sand it thus Printed to all their Monthly and Quarterly Meetings, in England, Holland, Scotland, Ireland, and Parts beyond the Sea? And, may not I, by Letter, Summon Twelve of you, to examine the Deceit and hypocrisy of Geo. Whitehead? But, VII. WHY do you suffer your Teachers to contemn and set at nought the Scriptures? As in their Book-News coming up out of the North, &c. p. 14. Viz. Your Original is carnal Hebrew, Greek and Latin: And your Word is Carnal: The letter and the Light is Carnal: The letter and your Baptism is Carnal; and their Baptism is Carnal, a little Bread and Wine: So dust is the Serpent's Meat. Their Original is but Dust, which is but the letter; which is Death. So the Serpent feeds upon Dust, and their Gospel is Dust; Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; which is but the letter. VIII. WHY do you suffer your Teachers to deny and reject the Ordinances of Jesus Christ; as Baptism and the Lord's-Supper, and neglect and refuse to make Confession of their Sins to God, and ask Pardon for Christ's sake, and not rebuk their hypocrisy, who tell the World in their Sheet, entitled, The Quakers Vindication, &c. delivered to the Parliament in 1693. That they own them scripturally considered; which is as much as any body does; unless he meant, As they own the Scriptures, Viz. To be Death, Dust, and Serpents Food; and thereupon reject them, and practise neither for forty Years together? For a full discovery of their Deceit herein, see The Picture of Quakerism, &c. p. 60, to 80, &c. ☞ When William Mead gave William Harris one of G. Fox's Journals, he told him, It was a very good Book: Yea,( said he) better than the Bible. IX. WHY do you suffer your Teachers to exalt their own Sufferings, as greater than the Sufferings of Christ, his Apostles and Martyrs, and holy Confessors; in the Ten Persecutions, the Irish Massacree, and days of Queen Mary? As in Burroughs's Works, Re-printed by Whitehead's Approbation; in 1672. See p. 273. as at large Quoted in The Picture of Quakerism, from p. 81. to 90. X. AND, When G. W. was no longer able to Gloss over their Blasphemous doctrine; but said in his Antidote, p. 254. Viz. The Comparison made[ by E. Burroughs] of the Quakers Sufferings, As greater and more unjust than in the days of Christ, and of his Apostles, or any time since, is a mistake; And, whether it was so first verbally Stated by Edw Burroughs, or sometime since, I will not determine, unless I see the Original Copy, &c. Come on, John Peacock, &c. and tell me at this rate, how it is possible to confute Quakerism, to their Conviction; when such Starting-holes are admitted. You see here is plain Blasphemy laid down for doctrine, by Burroughs, in order to exalt their own Sufferings, and to undervalue the Death and Sufferings of Christ. You see also, That after much Struggling, that 'tis confessed by Whitehead, so far at least, As that he will not stand by it, not deny it, unless he could see the Original Copy. Behold and wonder! Will you the Hearers suffer this? Are you Ear-bored to Whitehead? What! a Book given forth by the Quakers infallible Spirit, in 1657. And so pass among you as the Word of the Lord; Commended and Re-commended as the Oracle of God Twenty two Years; and then Re-printed by the order and Approbation of Geo. Whitehead, and the rest of their Peers, and now to call for the Original Copy! it is such a thing as none but G. W. whose Brow is Brass, and his Forehead Case-hardned Steel, would ever have attempted it. XI. WHY do your Teachers say, That it is as lawful to Tolerate Popery as Episcopacy, and yet seek to to the Episcopalians for Liberty? Is not this hypocrisy? Why do you not rebuk them, and tell them when they go creeping and fawning to the Parliament, that it is great hypocrisy; and that they ought first to retract such doctrine, and condemn such Books, before they crave Liberty of such to whom they would give none, were it in their power? See Rich. Huberthorn's Works, p. 227. Or, ask them, if they by such doctrine, had not a design in case Popery had come in( for it would have been doubtless a good Plea) to have obtained the Order of St. George. XII. PRAY observe Geo. Whitehead's Sober Expostulation, &c. p. 72, 73. where he recites Numerically, nine or ten Particulars, wherein I charged the Quakers to be Erroneous. Eight of them he passes by silently, without one word of Reply. A quick way of Answering Books; at that rate, one Sheet may well serve to answer Twenty. Who then would concern themselves with them, were it not to stop others from running into the same Snare. The Particulars are, 1. You Quakers can neither make Confession of Sin to God, nor beg Pardon for Christ's sake. 2. You do not Pray after that manner, viz. Forgive us our Sins, as we forgive them that Trespass against us. 3. You do not Pray in the Name of Christ, to God the Father, as the Mediator and Intercessor between God and Man. 4. You lay aside the use of the Scripture, as Useless( with respect to reading them in your Meetings, or once recommending them to be so red) by your Books, &c. 5. You deny the Ordinances of Jesus Christ; as Baptism and the Lord's-Supper, which the Scriptures teach; saying, Go teach all Nations, Baptizing, &c. Do this in remembrance of me, &c. 6. You lay aside the use of the Lord's Prayer[ in Families, and never recommend the practise thereof in any one of your Books.] 7. You lay aside the use of the Ten Commandments( given by Moses) in your Families and in your Meetings, and never so much as recommend the practise thereof in any one of your Books. 8. You lay aside the use of the Apostles Creed, and never practise it in your Families or Meetings; nor recommend the practise thereof in any one of your Books. These Eight Particulars, G. W. spake nothing to; and the reason is very plain, he could not: And yet this goes for an Answer, with the poor deluded Quakers, notwithstanding. They are and contain such fundamental Articles of the Christian Faith, as that whoever lives out of the Faith and practise of them, I do affirm, they are not Christians. And therefore rebuk your Teachers, and put them upon Clearing themselves, not only of their Ignorance and Unbelief of those Eight Particulars, but of the Twenty four Particulars in this Expostulation against your mercenary Teachers. Now hear the 9th. 9. You rob Christ of his Divine Attributes, and put them upon your Glorified Geo. Fox; calling him, The Branch, the Star, the Son of Righteousness, &c. Which if this Paper were designed for an Answer, I should speak to. But, I have plainly proved it by my Books, New Rome Unmasked, and New Rome Arraigned; and The Quakers set in their true Light: Which are not by me at the writing hereof; so refer to my former Books, bottomed upon Matter of Fact from the Quakers Books; as is frequent with G. W. to do, to avoid Repetition. XIII. WHY do you not reprove your Teachers for their hypocrisy, in forcing their Apprentices to stand Bare-headed before them, who deny to give the like Respect to their Superiors? XIV. WHY do you not publicly Condemn Sam. Cater's Book, and your Book of Records at Hadenham, wherein I once Recorded it; wherein he pretended to suffer 20 l. for Preaching at Phakenham Meeting in Norfolk; when indeed, he was so far from suffering twenty Pence, that he had Ten Pounds profit for being at that Meeting; as at large I have elsewhere made it appear? Why will you suffer such Hypocrites among you? See The Picture of Quakerism, &c. p. 106, to 110. XV. WHY do you suffer your She-Prelates, i.e. and Dockwra, to tell solemn Lies to the Magistrates to serve a Turn? Who being by the Magistrates asked, whether the Quakers had a Common Purse or Bank; she answered No. Which said she( in her Letter to me) gave them great Satisfaction. Yet in the same Letter, she confessed to me, that you have a Bank, or Common Fund, and that it would never be well whilst the Quakers put away their Dagon. As at large, in her Letter to me, Printed in The Picture of Quakerism, p. 148, to 150. Moreover, she therein told me, That the Magstrates looked upon Common Banks or Fonds, to be as bad as Arms and ammunition: And to prevent that, she thus deceived them. As indeed 'tis their very way so to do; I find them stick at nothing that is for the advance of their New catholic Cause; like that of G. W. &c. who to serve a Turn, could own the Scriptures to be of Divine Authority; yea, given by Divine Inspiration; and in their Books pretended to give it the pference to all other Books Extant; whilst their Books in the mean time teach. That the Scriptures are Death, Dust, Serpents Meat, Beastly Ware, &c. And that they red their own Books in their Meetings, and never red one Chapter of the Bible in their Meetings this Forty Years. Nay further, in that very Book entitled, Several Papers given forth, for the spreading of Truth; by Geo. Fox, Minister of the Eternal Word of God; as he Subscribes himself: And in which Book he gives a special Charge, to have it red in their Meetings; yet in this very Book as well as in that styled, News coming up, &c. He there calls the Scripture, even Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Dust, and Serpents Food. Oh, the hypocrisy of your Leaders! who also own the Blessed Trinity in the like manner: And therefore rouse up yourselves, and Condemn their Books, Reprove their twofac'd Practices, and that publicly. XVI. WHY do you suffer G. Whitehead, Gilbert Layt, &c. so to expose their hypocrisy, as to go to the Bishops and Clergy with their Books against me, until they first Condemn their Books wherein they Dialogue the Bishops, Arraign, Try, Judge, Sentence and Condemn the whole Clergy; Summoning them them to their Bar, and then Sentence them as Thieves, Robbers, Witches, Devils? &c. Pray take care to convert them to Sincerity; which will be a Miracle beyond what your Fox ever wrought, or else it may Affect you; for, I understand, they will not lie under their Reproaches. XVII. WHY do you not stir up your Teachers to make a public Anniversary Address to His Majesty K. William III. as they did to the Late King James II? XVIII. And, WHY do you not put put them upon Writing one Book in favour of the present Government; as that they yet never did? As well as they Wrote and Printed many in favour of the Late Reign; and particularly, 1st. A Letter from a Gentleman in the Country. Printed March, 1687 A 2d. Letter, &c. Printed April, 1687. A 3d. Letter, &c. May, 1687. 4. A Reply to the Man of no Name &c. 5. The Great and popular Objection against the repeal of the Penal Laws and Test, Answered, 1687. 6. Good Advice to the Church of England, Roman-Catholick and Protestant Dissenters, to Abrogate the Penal Laws and Test. 7. A Defence of the Duke of Buckngham's Book. 8. Animadversions on the Apology of the Clamorous Squire. 9. A persuasive to Moderation, submitted to the King. 10. Reasons for the Repeal of the Penal Laws and Test, &c. Now, suppose but 1000 to each Impression, then there were ten Thousand Books Printed and and dispersed about the Nation, by a modest Computation, in favour of the Late Reign: to which add the several Addresses, which your Teachers Presented to the Late K. J. II. which were about Eight in all: And when you have thus done; then do but consider, that your Teachers have not Printed one Book in favour of this Government, nor made one public Anniversary Address to His present Majesty. And it will be easy for you to guess from what Fountain the Stream then did run, and what Centre it pointed to, from the several and frequent Cabals had in Queen-street by the Lord Castlemain, Father Petre, and the Head Quaker, who was able to Inspire the Body; for according to an old Maxim, Birds of a Feather, flock together: And where the Careass is, thither will the Eagles resort. Now, old Friends, if you will put the great Man of Words in mind of past Times, and bid him a little Reflect upon himself, possibly he may cause his Pupil, Doeg the Edomite, to let fall some of his Malice against the Reverend Author of the Book, entitled, The Snake in the Grass, &c. Who never yet was in a Proclamation, nor so much as a Warrant against him, nor had no hand in the Late King's De— tions, that I ever could learn or hear of. And, although I am I confess, no favourer of Jacobitism, yet of those so termed, I have observed two sorts; one very Wicked, whose Endeavours have not only been to Subvert the Government, but also to Assassinate his Sacred Majesty, whom God preserve. The other having taken an Oath to the Late King, are under some Scruples; forsake their Preferment, and desire to live Peaceably on what they have: And though I could be hearty glad, that even those could satisfy themselves from those and the like Arguments and Scripture Proofs I have made in my Book, entitled, A Brief History of the Rise, Growth, and Progress of Quakerism, p. 105, to 110. Yet if they cannot satisfy their Consciences, if the Government, which has been always Merciful, will still wait upon them, and be favourable; why should I, or any private Person, reflect with that Malice the Quakers do, and who, I fear, have least cause, if not least Sincerity? For, notwithstanding their manifest averseness to the G—, yet I never knew any one of them that refused to Subscribe, even whilst they neither speak nor act too zealously for it. XIX. AGAIN, As most of you Twelve, I think, all but Two of you, have been at my House, and eat and drank with me, and I at your Houses have done the like, and therefore I will now be free with you, and advice you to ask the reason. Why your Teachers did call in the Widow Whit●ow's Books( she being formerly a Quaker) which she wrote in favour of the Government; and, Why W. J. and his Partner, submitted to that Order of Council, viz. The Second day's Meeting. I have not the Letter by me here, but if I find a Service in it, I may afterwards Print it; for it is but fit that the King should know his Friends; for I take Popery and Quakerism to be like Hippocrates's Twins, who Eat and Drank, laughed and cried, and lived and died together: For, never since the Late King Abdicated the Throne, did either Quaker or Papist writ in favour of the Government; except G. Keith, whom some still call a Quaker, but is indeed a Christian, for he holds the fundamentals of Christianity. XX. ONE thing I am sorry for, which I find in Jos. Wyeth's Prim. Chris. Con. &c. p. 6. For our Principles are now no other than what they were, when we were first a People, &c. This seems hard; then I find they are no changelings: And therefore now we must not expect either Book in favour of the Government, or any public Address. And to mend them, I would have you move them out of this sullen Humour. I hope, I have not Angered the Friends; for I have said nothing but what I am Justified in by your Teachers Book, styled, A Just rebuk to Twenty one Divines, &c. Query to Joseph Wyeth. SInce you say, The Quakers are the same in Principles, which they were from the beginning; pray red the several Particulars sent by Geo. Fox, to the Parliament, 1659. Wherein he saith, Let all Fines of Lords of manors, be given to the Poor. Let all abbey-lands, Gleab-Lands, that's given to the Priests, be given to the Poor. Let all the abbeys, Steeple-houses and White-Hall, be for the Blind and Lame to be there, &c. Let the King's Rents, Parks and Houses, be sold, and all College-Lands, and Bells out of Churches, except one in a Town, to give notice of Fire, &c. Again: Edward Burroughs, in his Word of Advice to the Soldiers, p. Give the Priests Blood to drink, for they are worthy: Slay Baal, turn the Hirelings out of the Kingdom. A Threefold Estate, &c. The Church, the Whore; the Parliament, the Beast. News coming up, &c. Sing all ye Saints and rejoice; clap your hands and be glad, for the Lord Jehovah will reign, and the Government shall be taken from you pretended Rulers, Judges and Justices, Lawyers and Constables: All this three must be cut down, and Jesus Christ[ in us] will Rule alone: I say, Are you still of the same Mind? Are your Principles the same still? Are you not at all Changed? Answer particularly in your Next, to this sober Question. XXI. WHY do you not rebuk G. Whitehead, for Swearing in the Lord Mayor of London's Court? as at large set forth in The Picture of Quakerism, &c. p. 93. As also, for denying so plain a Truth; which if he will meet me, according to his Proposition to the Parliament, I will prove it upon him by the Attorney for the Plaintiff, who gave it under his Hand: But besides, I do say, their Affirmation is neither less nor more than an Oath. One Instance thereof I will give, of which I was an Eye and Ear-Witness, at last Lent Assize. before my Lord Chief Justice Holt, by Samuel Gridly, one of the Quaker-Teachers, which was thus, Viz. Clerk of the Assize. I Samuel, said the Clerk; I Samuel, said Sam. Gridly; do declare, do declare, in the presence of Almighty God; In the presence of Almighty God, the Witness of the truth of what I say; the Witness of the truth of what I say, that the Evidence I shall give; that the Evidence I shall give, shall be the Truth, the whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth, touching the matter depending; That the Evidence I shall give, shall be the Truth, the whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth, touching the matter depending, &c. Thus the Quaker having rehearsed the Form aforesaid after the Clerk, he gave his Evidence I think, fairly; which, had it been between a Quaker and a Christian, I do think had been almost impossible, such is their Partiality: However, this serves to show, that this is a very formal Oath, tho in another form, which shows, they only love Singularity; the Oath being in substance the same with the kissing the Book, &c. if not, let the World judge. XXII. WHY do yo not rebuk your Teachers hypocrisy, who pretend that it is their Principle to obey Magistracy; as in Wyeth's Christianity? &c. p. 41. since 'tis well known to be otherwise, particularly, in the payment of tithes, Church-wardens Rates; paying to the Trained Bands; bearing Arms in defence of the Nation: Nay, if the Magistracy command a Fast to be kept, they take no more notice of the command of Authority, than of an old almanac out of date. And a hundred Instances more might be given, and that from their first rise; and they tell you, they are the same, they are no changelings. XXIII. WHY do you not Condemn Isaac Penington's Book, styled, A Question to Professors, &c. And Father Pen's styled, The Sandy Foundation: And another of his, styled The Christian Quaker, &c. And W. Bayly's Works, &c. which deny Jesus of Nazareth, to be Christ, and the efficient Cause of Man's Salvation; and which teach, That the Name Jesus and Christ, belongs to every believing Quaker, as well as to the head Christ, who was crucified at Jernsalem: Which teach to deny the Blessed Trinity, and to undervalue the Person of our ever Blessed Jesus, as a Garment or Vessel which they can never call Christ; and thereby acquit the Jews, and excuse Judas, and make the Apostles false Witnesses, who taught, Acts, 2.36. Therefore let the House of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus whom ye have Crucified, both Lord and Christ? &c. Now, if the Light be their only Christ, as they elsewhere affirm, then are the Apostles found false Witnesses: For the Light in every Man, &c. was not Buffeted; was not pierced with a Spear; was not hanged on a three; and consequently, not Crucified. See Quakerism Withering, and Christianity Reviving, &c. p. 14, 15. this Point. XXIV. red Whitehead's Expostulation with the Clergy, &c. p. 52. 61. 69. 83. and compare them with my Charges, and you will find G. Whitehead both false and deceitful in stating my Charges. 1st. In that I charged G. Fox with Blasphemy, who in his Examination and trial at Lancaster Assizes, &c. p. 21. said, And before I came to the Bar, I was moved to pray, that the Lord would confounded their wickedness and envy; the Thundering Voice answered, I have Glorified thee, and will glorify thee again; and I was so filled with Glory, that my Head and Ears were so filled full of it; that when the Trumpets sounded, and the Judges came up again, they appeared as dead men under me, &c. Now, these words, That my Head and Ears were so full of it, that when the Trumpets sounded, and the Judges came up again, they appeared as dead men under me, I say, these words G. W. had left out in his Recital. Thus doth it appear, that he was not able to justify this Passage; for here was fullness of Glory; yea, his Head and Ears were filled full of Glory, or else of Imagination. And, I do still say, That Fox's Blasphemy herein, doth allude to what was real in Christ, declared in John 12.28, 29. And as a further proof of the Quaker's guilt herein, and shane thereof, they have left the whole Passage out of his Journal, p. 290. Again, I having charged the Quakers, with J. Parnal's Blasphemy, saying, But to the end of all Disputes and Arguments, I am come; for before they was, I am. And compared his Allusion to John 8.58. Verily, verily, before Abraham was, I am. Now, Whitehead to deceive his Reader, leaves out the word All, which alters the Case very much; for he might be then come to the end of several Disputes which he had with the Baptists; but that he should be come to the end of All Disputes, to the end of Time, this was a most horrid lye, which would scarce have gone down with many of you the Hearers. But to prevent the discovery thereof, he leaves out the word All; and yet it would not salue his Blasphemy, in saying he was before all Disputes; for Abraham and Lot's Herds-men had Disputes before Parnall was born, or a Quaker thought of: But this is like Fox his saying, he was before all Languages. His words in the Bateldoor are thus, viz. All Languages are to me( says G. Fox) no more than Dust; Viz. No more than the Scriptures, or the Books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Who was before Languages were introduced. Again, p. 214. And next follows a few words to the whole matter, by Geo. Fox, who is before Confusion, or many Languages were, &c. Both which, allude to John 8.58. For nothing would satisfy these Quaker-Prophets, but to Vie it with Christ: As may be seen in many of their Writings. As for G. W's Impudence, in saying, p. 69. That they proffer the Scriptures before any Book in the World, 'tis sufficiently Refuted; 1st. By reading their own Pamphlets in their Meetings, and not the Scriptures. 2dly. Their contemptuous names cast on the Scriptures; as Beastly Ware, Carnal Letter, the Husk, Death, Dust, and Serpents Food; whilst they will not suffer their own Books and Papers, to be called Edicts, or Canons: And why? Because, say they, Our Books and Papers are given forth by the eternal Spirit of God. And, as for Whitehead's frequent pretence, to be against Writing; that he is wholly Defensive on his part; let him but show me any one Book wrote by either Episcopalian, Presbyterian, independent, or Baptist, against Geo. Whitehead, before Geo. wrote his Nonsensical Book styled, Jacob found in a desert Land, &c. And that wherein he joined with his Brother Atkinson, styled, David's Enemies Discovered, &c. Printed 1655. and he shall gain that Point: If he says they wrote against the Quakers; that's nothing to the Point, his Brother Burroughs in his Epistle to Fox's Great Mist. &c. Which they'll not put in his Works. bears me Witness, that the Quakers began first to War with the Priests; and with them and against them they began to War, and with their Mouths full of Indignation too. And hereupon, I Expostulate the matter with you against this Sycophant, who like the Camaeleon, can turn himself into any Shape; can gloss over any Error; excuse any Blasphemy; leave Out; put To; Add and Diminish any Sentence, to make it look like his own Image: Yea, he tells you in plain words, in his Count. Conv. &c. p. 72. I may see cause otherwise to word the Matter, and yet our Intentions be the same, &c. The next Books which occur to my Memory, and which I would have you Condemn, are that entitled, Several Petitions Answered; where in p. 60. G. Fox said, My Name is Covered from the World, and the World knows not me, nor my Name, &c.[ A great lie.] And that entitled, The Quakers Refuge fixed, &c. which Questions, p. 17, Whether the first Penman of the Scripture, was Moses, or Hermes? Or whether both these, or not one? Whether some words were not spoken by the Grand Impostor; some by Wicked men; some by Wise men, ill applied; some by Good men, ill expressed; some by false Prophets, and yet true; some by true Prophets, and yet false? &c. I say, if this be the way to convince any that they own the Scriptures to be given by Divine inspiration, and that they are a Rule for Christians to walk by, then will I allow Contradictions to be Harmonious; and that Bitter and Sweet proceed from one and the same Fountain; and thus I finish my Expostulation. But hark Friends; John Peacock, &c. Do you see? Yonder, on the other side of the way, goes the late Tool, the Weather-cock of the Age, and the World's Wonder, Mr. Pen; also the old Make-bate in Towns and Families, between Parents and Children; between Husbands and Wives: The Grand Camaeleon, who can change his Shape, alter his Colour, and so word his Matter, as to mean otherwise than the common import of Words; even G. Whitehead: As also, that little prattling, prating insignificant Preacher, Sam. Cater; pray call them to you, and repeat the Contents of this Expostulation, and see what they will say. John Peacock, &c. Sa ho; Sa ho, Friends, pray let us speak a few words with you in Private, for we have matter of Moment to impart to you. Geo. Whitehead, &c. Friends, Pray, what is the matter, you call so loud after us? We cannot stay, being in hast, therefore be brief. John Peacock, &c. What; we have enough to say, if all be true we hear; and George, though thou tellest us, thou neither studyest Events, nor fearest Effects; yet it stands us upon to consider what we do; for Francis Bugg hath been Expostulating with us these two long Hours, and hath laid such things to our Teachers charge, as make our Ears Tingle: We grant, there is a late Book put forth by Wyeth, styled, Primitive Christianity continued, &c. which brings a succession of Testimonies to prove us Orthodox in our Belief; but alas! it will not do, unless we first disprove our adversaries Quotations; for at best, ours are but Negative, nay, nor that neither; for to us, all the Proofs in that Book are more, than if Jos. Wyeth were Indicted for stealing a Horse from A. B. On the 16th day of May, 1697. and being at Bury Assize, before the Judge, he should pled, That he bought a Horse, Anno. 1655, and paid honestly for it; another, in 1660; another, in 1664: And so successively 12 Horses in all; and had the Receipts ready to show, and able to prove both Contract and Payment of every Horse, except that for which he stood Indicted; what would the Judge say? would he acquit him of this Felony? No such matter; but would not he rather say, Come Friend, this is all but Delatory, we must come to try the Point in Issue, whether you be guilty of stealing this Horse in May, 1697: As for your buying and honestly paying for those Twelve Horses you speak of, that is nothing to our Purpose; the errantest Thieves that ever came before me, bought some things and paid for them honestly; the grandest heretic that ever breathed, spake some sentences truly: Yea, the Devil himself, sometimes for an ill end, brought good Scripture, to palliate and colour his Wicked Design, &c. And Friends, to be plain with you, nothing will do now, but either disprove our Adversaries Quotations, or retract our Errors. Geo. Whitehead, &c. Hold, Friends, be not too hasty, why do you red Apostates Books? Have not I told you in my Book, The Apostate Incendiary; That you must Believe as the Church Believes: And in the same Book, also told you, That we Quakers are the true Church; and therefore, by all means, prevent our Friends reading our Aversary's Book, &c. John Peacock, &c. Prevent them, so we have; we have told the Bookseller at St. Ives, that if he sells any of Francis bugs Books, he shall lose his Trade with us: And in all Cities and Market-Towns, we do hinder the selling and spreading such Books, as much as we can: And, yet they are sold, they are dispersed, and here and there a Friend gets one. And lest danger ensue, we now tell you, that we must a little Expostulate with you, So then, the Tables are turned again, and the Hand shifted; these are expert gamesters; this is better than Back-Gammon, or a Game at Loo. for we are concerned as well as you, and ought to make some Inspection, lest we smart for it afterwards. And therefore, 1st. How came it to pass, that you scandalise the Clergy by those Black Names and Characters, as Thieves, Robbers, Witches, Devils, Sodomites,& c? And the Author of the Book styled, The Snake, &c. as a Necessitous Priest, who writ for his Bread? Surely this is not good Manners in us, especially since to most of our Knowledge, many of our Teachers, both writ and Teach for Bread, and come like Mice, uncalled for, and like flies, un-sent for, and fasten upon our Provision. For Instance, thyself, G. W. who was a poor Boy, who came on Foot among us, and Sam. Cater the like, besides many others, too many here to enumerate. 2dly. Again, we cannot but admire at the Impudence of our Friends, to Summons, Arraign, Try, Judge, and Sentence and Condemn the Bishops, &c. And ripp up their Bowels, call them Monsters; and as much at thy Ignorance, George, if not hypocrisy, to Expostulate, with the Clergy, for their Approbation of Francis Bugg; when you could not but know that we have treated the Clergy and the Church of England, a Thousand times worse than ever he treated us. 3dly. And why do you contemn the Scriptures, in calling them, Death, Dust, and Serpents Meat? These things you cannot but know to be so: And that we cannot be Heterodox in them, and Orthodox in the Truths therein declared of: And when, Confuted, to call for Original Copies: And when you Answer Books, leave Eight particular Charges Un-reply'd to together: And when you recite your Adversaries Charges, to leave out the principal and most significant Words; This we are Ashamed of; this you are Guilty of. These things render you a Scandal to Christianity, which you sometimes pretend to. 4thly. Besides for to pretend to suffer Twenty Pounds, when you got Ten Pounds clear into Pocket. These things stink and are of an ill savour: To pretend you cannot Swear, and yet do it. And these things F. Bugg, offers to prove against you. G. Whitehead, Hold, soft a little; I proffered him to meet him at Benjamin Antrobus's , or at the Bull and Mouth, to clear ourselves; but he refused so to do. John Peacock, &c. Nay, hold, George, as for meeting you at Benjamin Antrobus's, he did prudently in that, you have met there too oft already; pay him first for your Horse's Keeping, and for the good Cheer which you and we all know, our Teachers are of late free enough in receiving. And, as to the Bull and Mouth, possibly he may not think himself safe with you. But Geo. you have offered to meet him before any Six, Ten, or Twelve Persons of Sense and common Reason, which he accepts of, provided you will admit of an equal Choice among the Christians, viz. Episcopalians, Presbyterians, independents, or Baptists. And to be plain, you should either never have given him that Challenge, or else stand to it; for we as well as others, begin to think, that you have so behoved yourselves, as that you dare not venture your Case with any Impartial Men; or that your Cause is so bad, that you are conscious to yourselves thereof. Indeed J. Wyeth has brought Twelve Instances to prove us Orthodox. But Francis Bugg you see has brought Twenty four Instances to prove us Heterodox: And, whereas you bespatter Francis Bugg, we think, that not the way; he is known so well, that in the Presence of some of us, his Neighbours gave him a Certificate jo clear him from what many of us laid to his Charge, tho indeed at that time, we who were present and saw the Certificate handing, were fit to Swoon; for we turned as pale as Ashes. An Abstract thereof, is as followeth, Viz. WHEREAS, there is a Book put forth by Sam. Cater and others, wherein Francis Bugg is called Informer. And whereas, 'tis therein said, That Francis Bugg is not fit to treat of Christian Liberty: We have looked upon him a Man as fitly Qualified to Treat with any Magistrate on that Point, as any Man in the Meeting; and to this day, tho much is said, yet we cannot see any thing proved to the contrary. And this we say, not to promote controversy. Subscribed by us, Tho. bide, Sarah bide, Jos. Ellington, Rachel Ellington, Will. Belsham, Margaret Belsham, Rob. Suckerman, Frances Suckerman, John Thrift, Elizabeth Thrift, Will Rolfe, Eliz. Rolfe, Will. Hawkins, John Kitson, John Harvy, John Poel, Will. tailor, and Hibble, Margaret Huttly, Kath. Handslip, Sarah Holten, Frances Folks, Dorcas abbot, Sarah bide, Jun. Joseph Mason, Jane Mason, Joseph Tetsal, Eliz. Roote. POSTSCRIPT. THis Certificate, was given me by the principal Part of the Meeting of the Quakers in Milden-Hall, where I Live, since Sam. Cater's Narrative, and Geo. Whitehead's Book, judgement Fixed, came out against me; wherein they called me such Names, as none but themselves are Masters of: For, as it has been their way since their Rise, to render the Clergy odious to their People, by all the contemptible Names, and ignominious Reproaches Hell can invent; so has it been their way to traduce all such, as have Separated from them, and opposed the Torrent of their Errors, whilst they'll forth up such as writ for and on their behalf; whilst notoriously guilty of the breach of God's Commands in the first and second Table; as( if it please God to give me length of days) I may further make appear, when I come to open the Cage, and let out some of those hateful Birds, and show them( with their Wings spread) in their Native complexion. In the mean time, this may serve as a just rebuk to the Insolency of the Quaker-Teachers; and to show them their Presumption, Pride and Self-conceit: As also, it may stir up their Hearers to examine whether these things are so or no, that at last, as many as are Sincere, may throw off the yoke of Quakerism and embrace the Christian Faith. Which that they may so do, the God of all Grace grant them Repentance to Life; which is my desire for the worst of my Adversaries, if it be his good Will. Amen. January 26th. 1697/ 8. Fra. Bugg, signior.