1. The Quakers teach, That the Light within, by which they are guided, is not Conscience, GEO. FOX, the first Founder and great Apo­stle of this Sect, Gr. Myst. p. 209. saith against his Opponent thus; ‘'This Light that doth Enlighten every one that cometh into the World, which he calls Conscience, is not Conscience.'’ And in p. 331. he further saith, ‘'The Light, which every one that cometh into the World, is Enlightened withal, is not Conscience, for the Light was before any thing was made, or Conscience named.'’

But the True Eternal God and Christ.And G. F. Jun. in his Works, Reprinted 1665. p. 50. ‘'I the Light will fall upon you, and Grinde you to Powder. All—who will not own me the Light in you. And—I will make you know, That I the Light am the True Eternal God, which Created all things; and that by me, the Light, all things are upheld, and that there is not another besides me, that can Save.'’

In Geo. Fox's Book, styled, The Pearl found in Eng­land for the Scattered ones in Foreign Nations, the Royal Seed of God, and Heirs of Salvation, called Quakers, who are the Church of the Living God, per G. F. Printed 1658. where speaking in the Person of the Quakers Light, he hath these Passages, p. 15, 16. ‘'I'll break in Pieces: I'll make Nations like Dirt: I'll tread them into Mire: I'll make Religions, Professions and Teach­ings—Gatherings on Heaps: Gatherings of Multi­tudes; Gatherings which they call Churches:—I'll [Page 4] make Mire of them: I'll make Mortar: I'll make Dirt of them. The wrath of the Lamb is Risen upon all Apostates; who are gathered in the Apostacy. Apo­statized from the Prophets Life; the Apostles Life; the Life of the Lamb: The Lamb is Risen: The Scep­ter is gone out: The Throne is Set:—You shall be Shaken—ye Diviners, ye Dreamers, ye Notionists,—I'll Whirl you under Hailstones, Viols, Plagues, Thunders, Woes, Judgments are come amongst you; upon your Heads all Nations:—The pure Life of God is Risen:—From the Life of my Apostles; of my Prophets, have ye been all Scattered, and Aposta­tized:—But the Rod (i. e. our Light) is over you; which must Rule all Nations: Trumpets sounding; and Sounded, the Just will Rule: The Lamb will have the Victory: Woes, Woes, and Miseries, are out-go­ing upon all the Heads of the Wicked.—What our Hands have handled; and what our Eyes have seen; what was from the Beginning, the Word of Life; this Declare we unto you.'’

Again, G. Fox in his Book stiled, The Teachers of the World unvailed, &c. who in p. 27. thus saith: ‘'I am the Light of the World, HIM by whom the World was made: If you love the Light with which you are Enlightened withal, you love Christ, who saith, Learn of me: But if you hate that Light, there is your Condemnation: From HIM who is one with the Truth in every Man; Who of the Lord WAS moved THIS to WRITE:—Whose Name of the World is called Geo. Fox.'’

And to this another of their Eminent Teachers, one of their Prophets, say Amen, in his Book, The Qua­kers Challenge, &c. Printed 1668. in these Words, p. 6. ‘'Stand up Muggleton the Sorcerer, whose Mouth is full of Cursing, Lies, and Blasphemy; who calls thy [Page 5] last Book, A Looking-Glass for GEO. FOX, whose Name thou art not worthy to take into thy Mouth, who is a PROPHET indeed, and hath been Faith­ful in the Lord's Business from the beginning. It was said of Christ, That he was in the World, and the World was made by him, and the World knew him not: SO it may be said of THIS true Prophet [Geo. Fox] whom John said he was not: But thou wilt feel this Prophet [G. Fox] one Day as heavy as a Milstone upon thee: And although the World knows him not, yet he is known.'’ And pag. 2, 3. ‘'Come Protestants, Presbyters, Independents and Bap­tists; the Quakers denies you all.—The Quakers are in the Truth, and none but they,' &c.’ Now from such Protestants as these, Good Lord deliver us; not­withstanding their now Wording the Matter otherwise, whilst they mean the same thing; and their Principles the same that ever they were, as they themselves say, and that in every part; of which here is but a Spe­cimen.

Edward Burroughs (stiled a Son of Thunder, and Consolation; a true Prophet, and faithful Servant of God, in his Works Reprinted 1672.) p. 149. has an Answer to this Question; ‘'Is that very Man, with that very Body within you, Yea or Nay?'’ He saith, ‘'The very Christ of God is within us, we dare not deny him.'’

2. That they are one Soul with God.G. F. Great Myst. p. 91. ‘'They shall see the Bishop of their Souls, Christ the Power of God, which is Im­mortal, brings the Immortal Soul into the Immortal God. Christ their Sanctification, who sanctifies their Spirits and Bodies, and brings the Soul up into God, from whence it came, whereby they came to be one Soul.'’ p. 100. ‘'And is not that which came out from God, which God hath in his Hand (speaking of the Soul) [Page 6] taken up into God again, which Christ the power of God is Bishop of, is not this of God's Being?'’

That their Soul is part of God. Idem, p. 273. The Priest says, ‘'That it is Horrid Blasphemy, to say the Soul is part of God.'’ G. F. An­swers, ‘'It is not Horrid Blasphemy to say the Soul is a part of God, for it came out of him, and that which came out of him, is of him, and rejoiceth in him.'’ And p. 100. ‘'God who hath all Souls in his Hand; and is not this that cometh out from God, which is in God's Hand, part of God?'’

That it is In­finite in it self, without Begin­ning or End­ing. Pag. 90. ‘'Is not the Soul, without beginning, co­ming from God—And Christ the power of God, the Bishop of the Soul, which brings it up into God, which came out from him, Hath this a Beginning or Ending? And is not this infinite in it self, and more than all the World?'’

They make themselves E­qual with God.G. F. Saul's Errand to Damascus, Printed 1654. p. 8. ‘'He that hath the same Spirit, that raised up Jesus Christ, is Equal with God.'’

Fr. Howgil's Works, Printed 1676. p. 232. saith to his Opponent; ‘'The first thing that thy dark mind stumbleth at, is, that some have said, That they that have the Spirit of God, are Equal with God:'’ Where­unto he Replies, ‘'He that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit, there is Unity, and the Unity stands in Equa­lity it self. When the Son is revealed and speaks, the Father speaks in him, and dwells in him, and he in the Father, in that which is Equal, in Equality it self, there is Equality in Nature, tho' not in Stature.'’

3. That they As­sert themselves to be Infallible.G. F. Gr. Myst. p. 107. He saith (speaking of the Priest) ‘'The Holiest Man that is, is not able to give an Infallible Character of another Man.'’ To which he Answers: ‘'Hast not thou in this discovered thy self to be no Minister of Christ, or of the Spirit, who cannot give an Infallible Character of another Man? [Page 7] How canst thou Minister to his Condition?'’ Pag. 96. ‘'And thou not being Infallible, thou art not in the Spirit, and so art not a Minister of Christ, and art not able to judge of Powers that is not Infallible, nor Ma­gistrates, nor Kingdoms, nor Churches.'’ Pag. 33. ‘'And are they Ministers of Christ, that are Fallible?'’

Edw. Burr. p. 862. ‘'Such (i. e. Hereticks) are Infal­libly known, and discerned, by the Spirit of God, in the True Church of Christ, and by every Member of the same.'’

That they are Perfect as God. Geo. F. Gr. Myst. p. 282. Whereas Mr. Cawdry said, ‘'Surely they cannot be Perfect here, or hereafter, in Equality, but only in Quality.'’ Fox Answers, ‘'Christ makes no distinction in his Words, but saith, Be ye Perfect, even as your Heavenly Father is: And as he is, so are we: And that which is Perfect, as he is Perfect, is in Equality with the same thing; which is of God, and from God.'’

That they are without Sin. G. F. Myst. p. 101. saith, ‘'It is the Doctrine of Devils, that Preacheth, That Men shall have Sin, and be in a WARFARE, so long as they be on Earth.'’ Pag. 231. ‘'All who come to Christ the Second Adam, they come to Perfection; and all who attain to him, they at­tain to Perfection in the Life of God, out of the First Adam.'’ Pag. 271. ‘'For who are Sanctified, have per­fect Unity, perfect Knowledge, perfect Holiness.'’

And William Penn, in his Truth Exalted, Reprinted 1671, p. 9. laughs at the Church of England-Men, for Confessing themselves Sinners, or Praying to God for Mercy:— ‘'Alas, poor Souls! (saith he) are not you at, Have Mercy upon us, miserable Sinners; there is no Health in us, from Seven to Seventy.'’

And Edw. Burr. p. 33. saith, ‘'That God doth not accept any, where there is any Failing: All who do not fulfil the Law, and Answer every Demand of Ju­stice.'’

4. That they have Immediate Revelation, Equal with the Prophets and Aposiles.In Truth defending the Quakers, written from the Spirit of Truth, in George Whitehead and George Fox Junior, Printed 1659. p. 7. The Question being put, ‘'Whether the Quakers did esteem their Speakings, to be of as great Authority, as any Chapter in the Bible?'’ 'Tis Answer'd, ‘'That which is spoken from the Spi­rit of Truth in any, is of as great Authority as the Scriptures and Chapters are, and GREATER.'’

G. F. Gr. Myst. p. 242. tells us, that the Priest saith, ‘'That the Apostles were Eye-Witnesses, and under­stood by Immediate Revelation from God, Inspired with the Gift of the Spirit, more than any Man could hope for since:'’ And saith, ‘'They do not pretend any such Gift, nor depend upon such any Immediate, Miraculous Revelation from Heaven.'’ To which G. F. answers, ‘'Then all may see now in this, what ye have received, that hath been from Man, which is not from Heaven immediate, nor the Gifts of the Spirit, nor received the Gospel, by the same means the Apo­stles did, who were not the Eye-Witnesses, as the Apostles were: Neither have ye attained to the same Knowledge and Understanding, as the Apostles did, nor received it from Heaven. Now let all People question, Whether it is the same Gospel, which is not received from Heaven, nor Immediately, nor by Re­velation, for the Gospel is Immediate, which is the Power of God, Rom. 1. They (i. e. Quakers) are in the same Power, Understanding, Knowledge, and Immediate Revelation from Heaven, that the Apostles were in.'’

Geo. Fox further tells us, p. 213. that the Priest says, ‘'Thou dost not speak in that Degree of the Holy Ghost, as the Prophets and Apostles did, that spoke forth Scriptures:'’ To which he Answers, ‘'Then thou must take heed of Exalting thy self above thy mea­sure, [Page 9] for thou canst not know Scripture, but by the same Degree of the Spirit, the Prophets and Apostles had.'’

5. They Vilifie and Speak Contemp­tuously of the Scriptures. News coming up out of the North, written from the Mouth of the Lord, from one who is Naked, and stands Naked before the Lord, Cloathed with Righteousness, whose Name is not known in the World, risen up out of the North, which was Prophesied of, but now it is fulfilled, CALLED G. F. Printed 1655. p. 14. ‘'Your Original is Carnal, Hebrew, Greek and Latin, and your Word is Carnal the Letter, and the Light is Carnal the Letter:—Their Original is but Dust, which is but the Letter, which is Death:—And their GOSPEL IS BUT DUST, MAT­THEW, MARK, LƲKE, and JOHN, which is the Letter.'’

Tho. Lawson in his Brief Discovery of a Threefold Estate of Antichrist, Printed 1653. written from the Spirit of the Lord, p. 9. Calls the Ministers, ‘'Babylon's Merchants, sel­ling Beastly Wares, for a large Price,—the LETTER, which is DUST and DEATH.'’

Saul's Errand to Damascus, Printed 1654. p. 7. It was Objected to the Quakers, that they had said, Whoever took a place of Scripture, and made a Sermon of it, or from it, was a Conjurer, and his Preaching was Conju­ration. To which G. Fox Answered, ‘'All that do Study to Raise a Living Thing out of a Dead, to Raise the Spirit out of the Letter, are Conjurers, and draw Points and Reasons, and so do speak a Divination of their own Brain, they are Conjurers and Diviners, and their Teaching is from Conjuration, which is not Spoken from the Mouth of the Lord.'’

Truths Defence, given forth by the Light and Power of God, appearing in G. Fox and Rich. Hubberthorn, Print­ed 1653. p. 101. It is DANGEROƲS to read (viz. the the Scriptures) which the Prophets, Christ, and the Apostles spoke forth freely. And p. 2. speaking of some of their Queries, which were lookt upon as frivolous, and should have been Burnt: They said, You might as well have Con­demned [Page 10] the SCRIPTƲRES to the FIRE. And p. 104. they give their reason why, saying, Our giving forth Pa­pers or Printed Books, is from the Immediate Eternal Spirit of God.

Edw. Burr. p. 47. of his Works, having this Charged upon him, as the Principle of the Quakers, that Saints were not to do Duties, by, or from a Command without, but from a Command within; and that the word Com­mand in Scripture, was not a Command to them, till they had a Word within them: He Answers, ‘'That is no Command from God to me, what he Commands to ano­ther; neither did any of the Saints which we read of in Scripture, act by the Command, which was to ano­ther, not having the Command to themselves.—And thou, or any other, who goest to Duty, as you call it, by imitation from the Letter without, which was a Com­mand to others, in your own Wills and Time, your Sacrifice is not Accepted, but is Abomination to the Lord; for you go without the moving of the Spirit, in your own Wills and Strength, which God Hates, and which his Wrath is upon.'’

Agreeable to which, William Penn in his Quakerism a new Nick Name, &c. Printed 1673. p. 71, 72. Asserts, ‘'No Command in the Scripture, is any further Obliging upon any Man, than as he finds a Conviction upon his Conscience; otherwise, Men should be ingaged with­out, if not against, Conviction; a thing unreasonable in a Man:—So that Conviction can only Oblige to Obedience: And when any Man is Convinced, That what was Commanded another, is Required of him, then, and not till then, he is rightly Authorized to perform it.'’

And also assert, That the Scrip­tures are No Rule. A Shield of the Truth, written from the Spirit of the Lord, by Jam. Parnell, Printed 1655. p. 11. ‘'He that saith, the Letter is the Rule, and Guide of the People of God, is Without, feeding upon the Husk, and is Ignorant of the True Light.'’

[Page 11] Edw. Bur. p. 515. tells us, ‘'That the Scriptures, are not the Rule and Guide of Faith and Life, unto the Saints, but the Spirit of God, that gave forth the Scrip­tures.'’

And further, in a Testimony from the Brethren, met together at London, in the Third Month, 1666. to be Communicated to the faithful Friends and Elders, in the Countries, by them to be read in their several Meet­ings, and kept as a Testimony among them, Signed by Rich. Farnsworth, Alex. Parker, George Whitehead, and Eight more; who, by the Operation of the Spirit of Truth, being brought into a Serious Consideration of this present State of the Church of God, &c. Declare in the Third Section, ‘'If any Difference arise in the Church, or amongst them, that Profess themselves Members thereof, we do Declare and Testifie, That the Church, with the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ, have Power (without the Assent of such as Dissent from their Do­ctrines and Practices) to Hear and Determine the same: If any pretend to be of us, and, in Case of Con­troversie, will not admit to be Tried by the Church of Christ Jesus, nor submit to the Judgment given by the Spirit of Truth, in the Elders and Members of the same, but kick against their Judgment, as only the Judgment of Man, it being Manifested according to Truth, and Consistent with the Doctrine of such Good Antient Friends, as have been, and are Sound in the Faith, agreeable to the Witness of God in his People, then we do Testifie in the Name of the Lord (if that Judgment so given be Risen against, and Denied by the Party Condemned,) then he or she ought to be Rejected, as having Erred from the Truth; and persisting therein Presumptuously, are joined in one with Heathens and Insidels.'’

And pursuant to which, Mr. Keith was Proceeded against, in Pensylvania, as guilty of Heresie; not from the Scriptures, as he desired, but from Friends Books; [Page 12] and was told by Sam. Jennings, (a great Teacher, and Justice of Peace there) in the Publick Meeting: ‘'We are not to prove it from Scripture, but from Friends Books; for the Question between us and G. K. is not, who is the best Christian, but the best Quaker?'’ And accor­dingly they produced, instead of Scripture, a Citation out of William Penn's Christian Quaker, to prove him a Heretick. See G. K's Heresie and Hatred, Printed at Phi­ladelphia, 1693.

6. They assert that Christ's Flesh is a Figure. Saul's Errand to Damascus, p. 14. The Question was put to Geo. Fox, Whether Christ in the Flesh be a Figure or not; and if a Figure, How, and in What? To which he Answers, Christ is the Substance of all Figures, and his Flesh is a Figure. And in Truth defending the Quakers, by G. Whitehead, &c. p. 20. It is said expresly, That Christ's coming in the Flesh, is but a Figure.

And that Christ was Crucified within us, and any other was Anti-Christ. G. F. Gr. Myst. p. 206. ‘'The Apostles Preached Christ that was Crucified within, and not another; him that was Raised up from the Dead, was Risen that Lord Je­sus Christ within:—It was he that was manifest in the Saints, that was, and is not another. FOR THE OTHER IS THE ANTI-CHRIST.—Now I say, if there be any other Christ, but HE THAT WAS CRUCIFIED WITHIN, HE IS THE FALSE CHRIST.—And he that hath not this Christ, that was Risen and Crucified, within, is a Reprobate; the Devils and Reprobates may make a talk of him with­out.'’

7. They Vilifie and Deny the Sacra­ments, viz. Baptism by Wa­ter, and the Lord's Supper by Bread and Wine.G. F. News coming up, &c. p. 14. ‘'Your Baptism is Carnal—And their Sacrament, as they call it, is Car­nal—And their Communion is Carnal; a little Bread and Wine.'’ And p. 34. ‘'A Voice and a Word, to all you Deceivers, who deceive the People; and Blasphe­mers, who utter forth your Blasphemy, and Hypocrisie; that tell People of a Sacrament, and tell them it is the Ordinance of God; Blush, Blush and Tremble before the Almighty, for Dreadful is he that will pour forth his Vengeance upon you.'’

[Page 13] Smith's Primer, Printed 1668. p. 6. ‘'I would know Father (saith the Child) how it is concerning those things called Ordinances, as Baptism, and Bread, and Wine, which are much used in their Worship? The Father Answers: Why Child, as to those things, they arose from the Pope's Invention, who hath had Power in the Night of Apostacy: And hath set up his Devices, which are yet continued in England, tho' he seeming'y is denied: And the whole practice of those things, as they use them, had their INSTITUTION BY THE POPE, and were never so Ordain'd of Christ.'’

William Penn's Reason against Railing, Printed 1673. p. 108, 109. ‘'I affirm, by that one Scripture (Hebr. 9.10.) that Circumcision is as much in force as Wa­ter-Baptism; and the Paschal-Lamb, as Bread and wine; they were both Shadows, and both Elementary, and Perishable:—For a Continuance of them had been a Judaizing of the Spiritual Evangelical Worship, the Gospel would have been a State of Figures, Types, and Shadows.—And we can Testifie, from the same Spirit, by which Paul renounced Circumcision, that they are to be rejected, as not now required: Neither have they, since the False Church Espoused and Exalted them, ever been taken up afresh by God's Command, or in the Leadings of his Eternal Spirit; and the Lord will appear, to Gather a People out of them, but never to Establish or Keep People in them: No, they Served their time, and now the False Church has got them; yea, and the Whore has made Merchandize with them, and under such Historical, Shadowy, and Figurative Christianity, has she managed her Mystery of Iniquity, unto the beguiling of Thousands.'’

G. F. News coming up, &c. p. 4. ‘'Your Baptism and Sacraments, as you call it, and all your Ordinances, and Churches, and Teachings, it is Cain's Sacrifice.'’ p. 14.

8. They allow No Liberty to any who differ from them.One Quaker writes to another in a bemoaning Letter, called, The Spirit of the Hat, Printed 1673. p. 12. Com­plaining [Page 12] [...] [Page 13] [...] [Page 14] of Geo. Fox's not allowing any Liberty; He speaketh thus: ‘'My Friend, Observe what difference is there in these things, between G. F. and the Papists? The one saith, No Liberty out of the Church; the other, No Liberty out of the Power: Saith the Papist, What! Liberty to the Sectary? No. What! Liberty to the He­retick? No. And G. F. saith: What! Liberty to the Presbyter? No. What! Liberty to the Independent? No. What! Liberty to the Baptist? No. Liberty (saith he) is in the Truth: The difference lies only here, the one has greater Power to Compel than the other.'’

William Penn in his Brief Examination, and State of Liberty Spiritual, Printed 1681. p. 3. where the Question is: Must I Conform to things, whether I can receive them or no? Ought I not to be left to the Grace and Spirit of God in my own Heart? To the first he says, Nay; to the last, Yea. But he bids them Consider, Whether it is from their Weakness or Carelesness; telling them, It is a dange­rous Principle, and pernicious to True Religion: Nay, it is the Root of Ranterism, to Assert, That nothing is a Duty Incumbent upon thee, but what thou art perswaded is thy Duty. And in p. 11. I affirm from the Ʋnderstanding I have received of God, not only that the Enemy is at Work, to scatter the Minds of Friends, by that loose Plea; What hast thou to do with me, leave me to my Freedom, and to the Grace of God in my self. But this Proposition, as now Understood and Alledged, is a Deviation from, and a Pervertion of, the Ancient Principle of Truth, &c.

And in p. 12. ‘'Some under pretence of Crying down MAN, FORMS, AND PRESCRIPTIONS, are Crying down the Heavenly Man Christ Jesus, his blessed Order and Government, which he hath brought forth by his own Revelation and Power, through his Faithful Witnesses.'’ Which Revelation, p. 13. was con­cerning Men and Womens Meetings: ‘'Wherefore I warn all, (saith Penn) that they have a Care, how they give [Page 15] way, to the Outcry of some, falsly intituled Liberty of Conscience, against Impositions, &c. Nor is it the least Evil this Spirit of Strife is Guilty of, that useth the words Liberty of Conscience, and Impositions against the Bre­thren, in the same manner, as our Suffering Friends have been accustomed, to intend them against the Persecu­ting PRIESTS AND POWERS of the Earth.'’

9. They Declare themselves a­gainst Kingly Government. Edw. Bur. his Works, p. 244. ‘'The Lord is risen to Overturn, to Overturn, Kings and Princes, Govern­ments and Laws:—And he will Change Times, and Laws, and Governments; and there shall be no King Ruling, but Jesus; nor no Government of Force, but the Government of the Lamb; nor no Law of Effect, but the Law of God: All that which is otherwise, shall be ground to Powder.'’ And p. 507. he saith further: ‘'But as for this People (i. e. Quakers) they are Raised of the Lord, and Established by him, EVEN CON­TRARY TO ALL MEN, and they have given their Power only to God; and they cannot give their Power to ANY MORTAL MEN, to stand or fall by any OUTWARD AUTHORITY, and to that they cannot seek, but to the Lord alone.'’

And G. F. in his Gr. Myst. p. 31. saith, ‘'That the Quakers are in the Power of God, and in the Autho­rity of the Lamb, above all Houses, and into Houses Creep not, BUT ARE UPON THE THRONE.'’

And in Truth defending the Quakers, Printed 1659. p. 9, 10. Geo. Whitehead and G. F. Junior, being asked, Whether they did not say, That the Magistrate who made Acts of Parliament, and doth not receive them from God, as Moses; doth act contrary to the Law of God. They An­swered, The Magistrate that is sent of God, he receives the Law from the Mouth of God; and he is the Prophet whom Moses spake of, Deut. 18.18. And rebukes them for thinking, Men should make Acts, and not receive them from God. They say again, The Man-Child appears, who must Rule the Nations with a Rod of Iron.

[Page 16] G. Fox in his Bcok, Several Papers given forth, &c. to Presbyterians, &c. just before the Restoration, Writ An­no 1659. and Printed the beginning of 1660. he hath these Passages: ‘'Friends; to all you that desire an Earth­ly King in England, &c. whether Presbyterians, or o­thers:—Did the Elders of Old, in the Days of Christ, or the Apostles, Cry up any King but Christ; to have any King to Rule over them but Christ: And doth not the Priests and Presbyterians Cry for an Earthly King, and will have Caesar?—And do they not in this CRUCIFY Jesus?—Are not all these Elders, that will Doat so much of an Earthly King, TRAYTORS against Christ?—Do you read that there were any Kings since the Days of the Apostles, but among the APOSTATE CHRISTIANS?—For Christ is King alone:—I say, That is the False Church, that doth not live—upon the Head of the Kings:—They that be True Elders,—never go about to Set Up an Earthly King over them to Rule:—Herod the King was Mad at the Child Jesus;—there is the Fruit of Earthly Kings:—And hath not this been Witnessed in England? &c. Ignorant and Foolish People, that would have a King: And what work Joshua made with the Kings; how he brought them out of the Cave, A FIT PLACE FOR THEM:—And all these Novices Christians; that are Crying up Earthly Kings:—And we know that these Kings are the SPIRI­TUAL EGYPTIANS got up since the Days of the Apostles,' &c.’ Thus much briefly touching their Ancient Anti-Monarchical Principles; and they are the same still, and have not Deviated in any one Point, only G. Whitehead tells us, they may see Cause otherwise to Word the Matter, &c.

‘Against the House of Lords'Oh! What sincerity was once in the Nation,'’ says G. F. to the Council of Officers, 1659. p. 7. ‘'What a Dirty Nasty thing it would have been, to have heard talk of a House of Lords amongst them.'’

[Page 17]Again, G. F. to the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England, &c. p. 8. saith, viz. ‘'Let all Abby-Lands, Gleab-Lands, that's given to the Priests, be given to the Poor: And let all the great Houses, Abbies, Steeple­Houses, and Whitehall, be for Alms-Houses, for all the Blind and Lame to be there,' &c.’ And they are of the same Principles still; they tell you so, as in the Conclu­sion you will see it proved from their late Writings.

Again, in their Book stiled, These several Papers sent to the Parliament, the Twentieth of the Fifth Month, 1659. Inscrib'd by above Seven Thousand Quakers, there is these Passages, p. 63. ‘'Sell all the Gleab-Lands; and the Bells, except One in a Town, or Two in a City, to give Notice of Fire: And all the late King's Parks, and his Rents, and the Abbies; and deny your selves of his [i. e. King's] Parks, Houses, and Rents: So let them be sold; and the Colledges sold:—For we Declare with our Hands, and with our Lives and Estates, against the Ministry that take Tythes; and the Setters of them up; and the first Authors of them; and the Laws that Upholds them,' &c.’ And they are the same still, they have not Deviated from their Old Principles, (as they themselves say) only they think it Prudent otherwise to word the Matter; as afterwards you'l hear.

And House of Commons. Geo. Fox Junior, in his Works, Reprinted 1665. p. 87, 88. Intitles his Epistle, ‘'A few Plain Words, to be Consider­ed by those of the Army, or others, that would have a Par­liament, Chosen by the Voices of the People, &c. Wheren is shewed unto them, according to the Scriptures of Truth, That a Parliament so Chosen, are not like to govern, for God, or the good of his People: Consider these things (says he) which I Declare unto you, which in waiting upon the Lord, he by his Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, Opened in me, concerning the Chusing of Parliaments, by the Voices of the People.'’ And p. 89. he says, ‘'You are not like to see your desires fulfilled, by a Parliament Chosen by the Voices of the [Page 18] People:—Now if you believe these Scriptures, Joh. 15.19. Math. 7.13. Rom. 9.27. then may you see, That a Parliament that is Chosen by most Voices, are not like to act for God and the good of his People.'’ And p. 91. ‘'And likewise, the Chusing of Parliament Men, according to the Custom of England, which is called its Birth-right, stands in respect of Persons, and not in Equality; for the Rich, Covetous, Oppressing Men, who Oppress the Poor, they have the only Power to Chuse Law-makers; and they will Chuse, to be sure, such as will uphold them in their Oppression.'’ And p. 92, 93. ‘'And we see, the People have been in great Blindness, in contending for Parliaments so Chosen.'’ Pag. 149. ‘'Again, it is God's pro­per right to give Laws unto Man.—Now in this par­ticular also, Man have set himself in the Seat of God; and so have Dishonoured the one Law-giver, by setting up many Law-givers.'’ Pag. 150. ‘'Now Mark and Consider these things, seeing that the Righteous are fewer in Number, than the Unrighteous, and that the Law-makers are Chosen by the most Voices, and that of the Richest People outwardly, how are the Righte­ous like to be preserved, in outward Freedom, by the Laws that are so made?'’ Pag. 159. ‘'And I must deal plainly with you (saith he) in the sight of God, who hath made me a PROPHET TO THIS NA­TION.'’

Again, Edw. Burroughs in his Works, p. 522.— ‘'A Running to the Powers of the Earth: What have you Ministers lost the Lord to be your Strength, that you must flee for help to Men? Must they make Laws to Establish you, and Set you Up? Is not this the Whore that Rode upon the Beast, and that the Beast Carried.'’ Again, p. 524. to the Parliament thus, viz. ‘'You do but cause people to drink of the Whores Cup; and you are but them (i. e. Beast) which Carry the Whore, viz. the False Church: And this is plain dealing to tell you the Truth; for we are Gathered up into the Life [Page 19] which the Holy Men of God Lived in, and are fallen from the World, and its Ways, and Nature:'’ p. 50. ‘'For even the FATHER bears Witness of us; and therefore our Witness is True.'’

Against Judges, Justices, and Constables. News coming up, &c. Geo. Fox, p. 18. ‘'Dreadful is the Lord and Powerful, who is coming in his Power, to Execute true Judgment, upon all you Judges; and to Change all your Laws, ye Kings; and all you Rulers must down and cease:—And all you Underling-Of­ficers, which have been as the Arms of this great Tree, which the Fowls have lodged under:—All your Bran­ches must be CUT down, for you have been all the Fruitless Branches, grown on the Fruitless Tree.'’ Pag. 20. ‘'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 Tree must be Cut down; and Jesus Christ (in us) will Rule alone: So you must be Cut down with the same Power,'’ p. 19. ‘'that Cut down the King that Reign­ed over the Nation.'’

And in Edw. Bur. Works, Printed 1659. and Reprint­ed in 1672. and Recommended by the same Geo. Fox, Fran. Howgil, Geo. Whitehead, Jos. Coale, &c. p. 501. he saith, ‘'We stand Witnesses against Parliaments, Councils, Judges, Justices, who Make or Execute Laws in their Will, over the Consciences of Men, or Punish for Con­science sake: And to such Laws, Customs, Courts, or Arbitrary Usurped Dominion, WE cannot yield OUR Obedience,' &c.’

Against Law­yers.Again, Geo. Fox to the Parliament of the Common­Wealth of England, &c. saith, p. 5. ‘'Away with Capmen, and Coifmen, as they are called; away with all those Counsellers, that will not tell Men the Law without Ten Shillings, Twenty Shillings, or Thirty Shillings:—And away with those Lawyers, Twenty Shillings Counsellers, Thirty Shillings Serjeants, Ten-Groats Attorneys.'’

[Page 20] Against Lords of Manours.Again, p. 8. ibid. ‘'Let all those Fines that belong to Lords of Manours, be given to Poor People, for Lords have enough.'’

10. Which Govern­ment, that they might not Sup­port, they De­clare against the Use of the Carnal Wea­pon, in 1660. A Declaration from the People of God (called Quakers) against all Plotters and Fighters, &c. presented to King Charles II. 1660. ‘'All Bloody Principles and Practices, We, as to our own Particulars, do utterly Deny, with all outward WARS, and Strife, and Fightings, with outward WEAPONS, for any end, or under any pretence whatsoever. And this is our Testimony, to the whole World: And we do certainly Know, and so Testisie to the World, that the Spirit of Christ, which leads us into all Truth, will never move us to Fight and WAR against any Man with outward Weapons, either for the Kingdom of Christ, nor for the Kingdom of this World,' &c. Subscribed by Geo. Fox, Sam. Fisher, and many more.’

Altho' none be­fore, so much for it as they.The aforesaid Sam. Fisher, in his Works, Printed 1656. and Reprinted 1679. and recommended to the World, amongst others, by William Penn, who tells us, That these things, came not to him by Flesh and Blood, but by the Re­velation of the Father of Lights. And thus the said Sam. Fisher speaks, in a Message from the Lord, to O. Cromwell, and the Parliament of England. p. 19, 20. ‘'I will hold my Peace NOW no longer, saith the Lord, as con­cerning this Evil, which they so profanely Commit and Do Daily against my Chosen, but will utterly SƲB­VERT and OVERTƲRN them, and bring the Kingdoms and Dominions, and the greatness of the Kingdom, under the whole Heaven, into the Hands of the HOLY ONES of the most High, and give unto my Son and his Saints, to Reign over all the Earth, and take all the Rule and Authority, and Power, that shall stand up against my Son in his Saints.—And I will put my High Praises into their Mouth, and a Two Edged SWORD into their Hands, and they shall Exe­cute Vengeance upon the Heathen, and Punishments [Page 21] upon the People, and shall bind their Kings in Chains, and their Nobles in Fetters of Iron, and Execute upon them the Judgment, that is written, in my Eternal De­cree, and unchangeable Council, saith the Lord. Given forth under my Hand, as the Lord himself gave it into my Heart to see, and into my Mouth to speak in part, and un­to my Hand, thus at large to write it, this Twenty fifth Day of the snme Month (viz. the Seventh) 1656. Samuel Fisher.'’

Witness also the Quakers Declaration to Oliver, viz. Oh! Oliver, arise and come out,—for thou hast had Au­thority; stand to it:—Nor let any other take thy Crown:—And let thy Soldiers go forth with a free and willing Heart, that thou mayest Rock Nations as a Cradle. This is a Charge to thee in the presence of the Lord God.

Also Geo. Roffe in his Book, Intituled, The Righteous­ness of God, &c. Printed—p. 11. hath these words: ‘'To thee, Oliv. Cromwell, thus saith the Lord; I have Cho­sen thee amongst the Thousands of the Nations, to Exe­cute my Wrath upon mine Enemies, and gave them to thy Sword, with which I fought for the Zeal of my own Name, and gave thee the Enemies of my own Seed, to be a Curse and a Reproach for ever, and made thee an Instrument against them; and many have I Cut down by my Sword in thy Hand, that my wrath might be Executed upon them to the Uttermost.' Subscribed Geo. Roffe.’

And Geo. Fox, in his Letter directed to the Council of Officers of the Army, 1659, &c. Complains of many Quakers Disbanded out of the Army (as well as Justices of the Peace) in these words, p. 5. ‘'And many Valiant Captains, Soldiers and Officers, have been put out of the Army (by Sea and Land) of whom it hath been said among you, that they had rather have had one of them, than Seven Men, and could have turned one of them to Seven Men; who, because of their Faithful­ness [Page 22] to the Lord God, being Faithful towards him, it may be for saying Thou to a particular, and for Wear­ing their Hats, have been turned out from amongst them.'’

And may Re­assume it a­gain when they shall judge it meet.As appears to us, by a Declaration, wrote by Edw. Bur. in the Name of all the Quakers, and Subscribed by several of the Principal Leaders of them, Printed 1659. p. 8. They speak thus, ‘'We are Dreadful to the Wicked, and must be their Fear, for we have Chosen the Son of God to be our King, and he hath Chosen us to be his People; and he might Command Thousands and Ten Thousands of his Saints at this Day, to FIGHT in his Cause; he might lead them forth, and bring them in, and give them Victory over all their Enemies, and turn his Hand upon all their Persecutors.'’ But (say they) p. 9. ‘'We cannot YET believe that he will make use of us IN THAT WAY, tho' it be his only Right to Rule in Nations, and OUR HEIRSHIP to possess the uttermost parts of the Earth; but for the PRESENT we are given up to Bear and Suffer.'’

11. They have a Goverment within the Government, Independent from it, and Opposite to it. First, their Monthly and Quarterly Meetings, which are after the mannerof the Justices Monthly Meetings, and Quarterly Sessi [...]s in the Country, which are Subordinate to the Yearly Meeting; which Yearly Meeting consists of Deputies from all the Counties in England and Wales, as well as Agents from beyo [...]d the Sea, and it their Su­preme Assembly, which gives Laws to the whole Body of the Quakers, where­soever they are. And there they make their Orders, for the Government of their People: For Suppressing of any Books wrote against them, and pass Censure upon Offenders: And there also they take an account of their Fund, which is raised by an Order of this Yearly Meeting, in all the Counties of England and Wales, by way of Colle­ction: And the Money when Collected, is Transmitted to London, and lodg­ed in the hands of Six Feoffees, who, as to the Disposal thereof, are to be Go­verned, by the Second Day Meeting, held on every Monday throughout the Year; which Money is for divers uses, viz. Stipends for their Teachers: Wages for their Clerks: Attendants upon the Houses of Parliament: For Printing and Dispersing of their Books: For the Maintenance of the Poor: For the Relief of such as have suffered for Non­payment of Tythes, and the Breach of other Laws; and for several other things, tending to the Propagating of their Doctrines, and Supporting of their Government.Mr. Bugg's Pilgrims Progress, Chapters 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, give an Account of their several Meetings, and of their Fund, Ex­chequer, or Common Bank.

Mr. Keith, who has been a Quaker a­bove Thirty Years, in his Second Narra­tive, p. 5. says, I am not able to Print Books as they (Quakers) can, they are many, and have a Common Stock; I am but one.

And in his Book, called, The Preten­ded Yearly Meeting of the Quakers, their Nameless Bull of Excommunication, given forth against him, &c. Printed 1695. p. 5. speaks thus, ‘'To my certain Knowledge and Observation, I saw the Door of the Meeting (where that called the [Page 23] Yearly Meeting Sat) kept by Three or Four Persons, that Refused to let in some that desired to come in, and yet were owned by them. And it is suf­ficiently known, they who keep the Door, let in, or keep out, such as they think fit. But again, such as they let in, if they be not of the Ministry, nor any of the Two Chosen out of every County, they are allowed only to be there as Standers By, and Spectators, but have no allowance to give any Judg­ment in the Case, which hath been a dis­couragement to some honest Friends, owned by the Yearly Meeting as Friends, from coming to the Meet­ing, being only permitted to be there as Cyphers. And yet further, it is sufficiently known, the way that they take, either by Perswasions or Terrifications, to gain the Universal and Unanimous Consent, of them called Com­missioners, or Chosen Members from every County; as doth plainly appear, by the late most Absurd and In­solent Method, (more like the Spanish Inquisition, than a Free Assembly of sincere Christians) they did take a Preacher, one of their Commissioners, or Chosen Mem­bers, who having said in Private, out of the Meeting, He could sooner Die, or lose his Right Hand, than Sign to a Paper Disowning G. K. which coming to their Intel­ligence, that there was such a Person, but not knowing who he was, they were so earnest to find him out, that they caused to call over the Roll or List, of the Names of the Persons sent from the respective Counties, to find out this Person, asking them one by one to find him out. And the poor Man, not daring to Lye, owned he was the Person; and being Terrified, lest he should be severely Proceeded against by them, he came (with some others, to be Witnesses of his Recantation,) and disowned to me, what he had formerly said, tho' a few [Page 24] Hours before, he profess'd so great a Concern and Ten­derness of Conscience towards me. This Passage is so Considerable an Advance towards the Erecting the Spa­nish Inquisition among the Quakers, that I hope some will be awakened to take notice of it, and withstand it.'’

And tho' the King and Parliament, were so Gracious, as to include the Quakers, in the Act made primo Guliel­mi & Mariae, For Exempting Their Majesties Protestant Subjects, Dissenting from the Church of England, from the Penalty of certain Laws, &c. wherein it is Expressed, That nothing herein contained, shall be Construed to Exempt any of the Persons aforesaid from paying of Tythes, or other Pa­rochial Duties, or any other Duties to the Church or Mini­ster: Yet notwithstanding, the Quakers in their Yearly Epistle, sent forth from their Yearly Meeting, held in Lon­don, the Fifth, Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Days of the Fourth Month, 1693. to the Monthly and Quarterly Meeting of Friends, in England, Wales, and elsewhere, thought fit to Order, ‘'That all Due and Godly Care be taken (as they word it) against the Grand Oppression, and Anti-Christian Yoke of Tythes, that our Christian Te­stimony' (say they)’ born and greatly Suffered for, be faith­fully Maintained against them in all respects, and against Steeple-Houses, Rates or Lays.

And in the fore Cited Testimony from the Brethren, met together in the Third Month, 1666. they take Care to Stifle and Suppress (what they can) all Books wrote against them: Ordering thus; ‘'That if any Man or Wo­man, which are out of the Unity, with the Body of the Friends, Print, or cause to be Printed, or Published in Writing, any thing which is not of Service for the Truth, but tends to the Scandalizing, and Reproaching of faithful Friends, or to beget or uphold Division and Faction, then we do Warn and Charge all Friends, that do love Truth, as they desire it may Prosper, and be kept clear, to beware and take heed, of having any [Page 25] Hand in Printing, Republishing, or Spreading such Books or Writings. And if at any time such Books be sent, to any of you that Sell Books in the Countrey, (af­ter that you, with the Advice of Good and Serious Friends, have Tried them, and find them Faulty) to send them back again, whence they came. And we fur­ther desire, from time to time, Faithful and Sound Friends, may have the View of such things, as are Printed upon Truth's Account (as formerly it hath used to be) before they go to the Press, that nothing but what is Sound and Savory, and that may answer the Witness of God, even in our Adversaries, may be exposed to Pub­lick View.'’

They have also a Six Weeks Meeting.Which Meeting, is one of the most Ancient Meetings for Government, made up of Chosen Men amongst them, expert in the Laws and Customs of the Nation, well skil­led in the Courts of London and Westminster, and other His Majesties Courts of Record, and such as understand the way and manner of Soliciting the Parliament: And to support them in all these things, they have the Common Bank to assist them. F. B. Pilg. Prog. p. 65. ch. 10.

12. They have also a Register of their Sufferings, (which have been inflicted for their Breach of the Laws,) thereby to ren­der the Gover­nors & Govern­ment odious for Persecution, to Posterity. And do threaten, in After-ages, to publish the same, when the reasons of the things, and matters of Fact may be for­gotten.In their fore-cited Yearly Epistle from their Yearly Meeting, held 1693. they Ordered, ‘'That Friends, at all their Monthly and Quarterly Meetings, should be re­minded, to call for the Records of the Sufferings of Friends, to see that they be duly Gathered, truly En­tred and Kept, and accordingly sent up (to London) as hath been often advised, both of what Tythes, &c. are pretended to be due, and for how long a time, and the time when taken, and by and for whom: And what Goods are taken, and the Value thereof, as well of those not exceeding, as those exceeding the Sums or Quantities demanded (it being a Suffering, in both, for Truth's sake) they being in these particulars, found Defective and Im­perfect in divers Countries, which is an Obstruction to the General Record of Friends Sufferings. And there­fore the Monthly and Quarterly Meetings are advised [Page 26] to take more Care for the future, that all Friends Suffer­ings for the Truth's sake, may be brought up as Full and Compleat in all respects as possible may be.'’

The Author of Sathan Disrobed, Printed 1698. p. 82. Informs us, that in this Register, there are many Ground­less, and many downright Falshoods, which it is very fit the World should know; because they take great Care to swell this Register, and have threatened to publish it to After-ages (when the Facts cannot be Disproved) whereby they hope to make their Suff rings for the Truth (as they call it) to exceed all the Ten Persecutions, and to be more Undeserved, than the Sufferings of Christ him­self, or of the Apostles, as Edw. Burr. (their Second Pil­ler next to Geo. Fox) express'd in his Works, p. 273. ‘'The Sufferings of the People of God (that is Quakers) in this Age, is greater Suffering, and more Vnjust, than in the Days of Christ, or of the Apostles, or in any time since.—What was done to Christ or the Apostles, was chiefly done by a Law, and in great part by the DUE Exe­cution of a Law,' &c.’ And p. 85. saith he, It is here worth Notice, That the first Difference, betwixt Mr. Pen­nyman (who was a Quaker about Twenty Years) and the Quakers, was the False Returns of their Collections, from the several Counties in England, of the Sufferings of the Friends, and Entring them (tho' proved to be False) in their General Register of Sufferings at London, For this they (to quiet Mr. Pennyman, and others, who Exclaimed against this, as a great Deceit) made a shew as if they would turn off the Clerk of this Register, one Ellis Hooks, but, as we are informed, they did not turn him off.

13. Whereas they have published of late Yours, several Confes­sions of their Faith, which seem to be much more agreeable to the Word of God, and more conformable to the belief of the Church of Eng­land, than for­merly, we have just cause to dis­trust these their Professions, as being designed to Serve a Turn, because they are so far from dis­owning their Ancient Books, in which these Blasphemies are contained, that they tell us, they have not deviated from any one Point of Doctrine which they first held. Joseph Wyeth, in his Primitive Christianity continued, Printed 1698. p. 6. Afferts thus, ‘'Our Principles are NOW no other then what they were when we were first a Peo­ple, for Truth Changes not.'’ And pag. 53. he repeats it again, saying, ‘'That our Principles are NOW no other then what they were when first a People.'’

And in their Yearly Epistle, Printed 1696. they say, [Page 27] ‘'We cannot but Recommend unto you, the holding up the Holy Testimony of Truth, which had made us to be a People; and that in all the parts of it, for TRUTH is one, and CHANGES not.'’

And in The Quakers Cleared, Printed—p. 7. they speak thus, God is the same, Truth is the same, his People the same, and their Principles the same.

And for Conclusion, Geo. Whitehead, in his Brief Re­marks on T. Cs Book annext to the Counterseit Convert, Printed 1694. p. 72. saith, I may see Cause, otherwise to Word the Matter, and yet our Intentions be the same.