HE begins with a Preamble, against me and others, after his usual manner, and then says, My business was to render F. Bugg a poor indigent Person that went about a Begging; a grand Lye, says F. Bugg.

Reply, That was not my Business; I had not writ upon that account, if he had not forged Letters, as from me to him, and printed them, with my name to them; and also, his cheating some of the Clergy with false Informations, to get Money of them; and for his Begging about to get Money to pay [Page 10] his Debts: I suppose that none that knows him will deny it, that are acquainted with his Concerns: If any do it, it is easie to be proved; see the Bishop of Norwich's Certi­ficate, bearing date, the 22d of October, 1698. which he hath Printed in his Book intituled, The Pilgrim's Progress, &c. page 149. That shews his indigency, and his travelling about with it, through the Bishop's Diocess, the Universities, and divers other Places, for Re­lief of his Necessities, do witness against him; also a begging Petition, dated, the 25th of August, 1698. with three Clergy-mens hands to it, his Neighbouring Ministers, as he says; this Petition shews, that what Relief he had received formerly, was not sufficient to pay his Debts by one Hundred Pounds; neither was he able to subsist to get a livelihood for himself and Family, without further Relief; with this Petition he went about Cambridge, and other places also, as I suppose: I had a Copy sent me of this Petition, and I shewed it to some of the Clergy; one of them took it and read it, and said, He did believe it might be a true Copy of F. Bugg's Petition. Also, the last Summer, 1699. he was at Cambridge for more Money: A Burser of a Colledge, and some other Collegians, told me, That they had given him some more Money then, to go home and set up his Trade. He charges me with Eighteen Lyes more, besides this, [Page 11] which I shall return upon himself: I may be mistaken in some small Circumstances, but the Matter is true, I do not yet find any mistake in that.

Lye 1. Is, that I said, ‘He was but a poor Man when he first came amongst us; and that he had not 30 l. a Year until af­ter his Father's Death.’

Reply, What I writ I had partly out of his own Book, and some from his own near Relations; he writ but of 6 l. a Year, and boasts much how he saved the Rent, which I suppose was to set up his Trade, when his Apprenticeship was out, for he speaks of no more, until after he came of Age, which was about six Years after his Grand­fathers Death, and near four Years after he came amongst us: This may be found in his Books; see his Picture of Quakerism, &c. and his Pilgrim's Progress, &c. but he now says, ‘That his Grand father died in 1655. and left him 30 l. a Year, of good House and Land, in Milden-hall.’ I have heard by one of his own Relations, that knew the Estate as well as himself, that it was not so much; but after he came of Age, he had an Augmentation added to the aforesaid 6 l. a Year; if his Grand-fathers Will were searched into by some credible Persons, I suppose there will not be found 30 l. a Year [Page 12] given him in the Year 1655. he had a good Estate when he began to Scribble against us; but it was mostly purchased whilst he was amongst us, and now hath brought himself to Beggery.

Lye 2. ‘F. Bugg gave Bond to make his Wife a Joynture.’

Reply, He told me so himself, and I was also so told by an honest Woman, his near Relation; that it was true, he did make some writing to make his Wife a Joynture; but he says, He had but 20 l. in Money for his Wife's Portion. I do not believe him, be­cause he told me, many years ago, That when he bought the great House at Milden­hall, (where his Son now dwells) that his Wife's Father help'd him to buy it, and made his Wife's Portion better than 100 l. which was as much as any of the younger Children had; this he told me, when he was account­ed an honest Man, although he denies it now.

Lye 3. F. Bugg says, I say, ‘He sold his Estate to his Son: To this he Replies, That no Knight of the Post, ever uttered a more ma­nifest Lye.’

And I may Reply, Knights of the Post are Mercenary Agents, and take Money for bear­ing false Witness, and how far F. Bugg is [Page 13] guilty of that Offence, let God and his own Conscience judge: That he hath con­veyed his Estate to his Son, young Francis Bugg, is no Lye: His Son had 700 l. with his Wife, by all relation; and her Friends and Relations, upon enquiry, do affirm, That it was settled upon the Marriage, as firm as the Law can make it: It were a bare-faced Cheat indeed, to go about a begging to the Clergy for Money to pay his Debts, and have an Estate to sell.

Lye 4. F. Bugg quotes my Book, p. 26. ‘That his Father, Robert Bugg, dwelt with him some Years after he was married, &c.’ This, he says,

Reply, Those were not the words in my Book, see p. 26, 27. where my words are these, viz. That Robert Bugg (Father to this Francis Bugg that writes now against us) was a melancholly down-look'd Man by Relation, and dwelt with his Son, this Bugg; (some Years after F. Bugg was married) and rose from Dinner, and went out, and was found drowned in a Water where he had no occasion to go to that place; as F. Bugg and his Wife re­lated it; she to me, and he to others, yet living: I heard my Brother Barnardistone speak of it many Years ago, that F. Bugg's Father drowned himself, as most People be­lieved; [Page 14] but the Coroners Jury did not find it Wilful Murder, because there was some Grass found in one of his hands, when he was taken out of the Water, which they said, was an Argument that he laid hold of, to save himself; such things are sudden Motions; I believe that many have repented their so doing, before the Breath departed their Bo­dies: But F. Bugg says, ‘He was not so drowned, the Record in the Crown Office will witness against him; none of the King's Subjects that come to an untimely end, but are recorded there:’ This hap­pened in or about the Month called January, 1666. at Fridham in Cambridge-shire. I writ not this to upbraid F. Bugg, but to warn those that have incouraged him in scribling his Estate away, to be bountiful to him, in relieving his Necessities, lest he should come to an untimely end, through Dispair.

Lye 5. & 6. F. Bugg mentions two Letters that I should write to him; these Letters are both forged, one of them proved so to be, by a Certificate under an honest Man's hand; see my Book, p. 19, 20, 21. and in p. 31, 32. And indeed there are things in them, that I never writ, said, or thought.

Lye 7. F. Bugg was not the Author of his 20th Book, &c.

[Page 15] Reply, I do say, I suppose that he was not the Author of the Book, called his 20th Book, see my Book, p. 36.

Lye 8. ‘F. Bugg was seen at Oxford in the time when he writ his 20th Book,’ &c.

Reply, This is true, and easie to be proved.

Lye 9. ‘F. Bugg was sixteen Weeks from Home when he writ the aforesaid Book.’

Reply, This was reported by some of his own Family.

Lye 10. ‘F. Bugg said in his last Book, that Oxford exceeded Cambridge in their Bounty to him.’

Reply, This may be true, I heard a very credible Clergy-man say, that he had read the same thing in some of his Books, as well as my self.

Lye 11. ‘F. Bugg says, I writ Verses of G. Fox.’

Reply, He knows this to be a Lye, I have told him so divers times, both of late Years, and formerly, yet he goes on, and hath printed them so several times; this is an­swered before, see my Book, p. 37, 38. but he says, ‘I will not bestow much upon this crazy old piece, which is now creeping into Unity with the Quakers,’ &c.

[Page 16] Reply, I have been not only in Unity, but in Community with them, above 36 Years, even those F. Bugg call G. Fox's Party, which are the most stedfast and real Quakers, so called, and am not so crazy as he reports me: Although I am entred into the 76th Year of my Age, yet, through Mercy, I can walk the Streets to visit the Sick, and my Friends and Relations also, and can see without Spectacles still, to read F. Bugg's Lyes and Deceit, he hath used to cheat the Clergy of their Money.

Lye 12. ‘Sam. Cater doth affirm, He never had his Timber again; this is a Lye in Ann,’ or Sam. or both, says F. Bugg, &c.

Reply, I have taken upon me to discover his Hypocrisie and Deceit; Sam. Cater was fined in three days time, for Preaching, at two Meetings, one at Faukenham, the other at Thurling in Norfolk, 20 l. the first fine, and 40 l. the second fine; Warrants were sent, and served, by the Kings Officers, upon his Goods, both within doors and without, and carried away all, excepting one Bed; his Children were forced to lie upon Straw, for a long time, the Houshould Goods lay in the Officers hands for a long time, laid up carelesly, so the Goods were much spoil­ed, the Bed, Blankets, much Moth-eaten; then a Neighbour bought them of the Offi­cers, [Page 17] and sent them home to S. Cater; but for his Timber, he never had it; the Kings Officers Sold it, and did not give S. Cater an account whom they Sold it to; his Chil­dren were old enough to remember this, and how they lay in Straw for a long time: When Warrants are once served, and the Goods carried away, they are not to be had again without Money, except there were more than would raise the Sum, which they were strained for; but S. Cater was not so Rich, as to have such plenty, as all his Neighbours may witness.

Lye 13. ‘F. Bugg conformed to the Church of England for fear of the Statute of 20 l. a Month.’

Reply, Although he says, It is a Lye, yet it is really true; see my Book, to prove his Confession of it before Witnesses, p. 13.

But F. Bugg says, ‘He did not go to Church, or Home, until 1685. and then the Sta­tute was not put in Execution;’ but he says, ‘He went to other Churches above a Year before.’

Reply, That will not serve his turn, to bring him off, if it were so; that Statute says, That every Person above the Age of 16 Years, which shall not repair to some Church, or Chap­pel, or usual place of Common-Prayer, shall pay 20 l. a Month, &c. See the Statute of the 23d [Page 18] of Eliz. Chap. I. there is no confinement to their Parish-Church, in the Statute of 20 l. a Month.

Lye 14. ‘F. Bugg was a Presbyterian when he came amongst the Quakers.’

Reply, He told me so above twenty Years ago, when he was accounted an honest Man.

Lye 15. ‘F. Bugg's Grand-father was a poor Boy, bound out to the Wool-Trade by the Docwra's.’

Reply, I do not believe it is a Lye; see my Book, p. 26. But F. Bugg says, ‘This is another Lye,’ he was not of my Trade. Reply, I did not say he was; he was a Clo­thier, which is a Wooll-Trade. F. Bugg was but a Wooll-Comber, which is a Wooll-Trade also. He goes on, Boasting of his Grand­fathers Wealth and Vertues: I dwelt at Ick­lingham-Sands, in Winter-time, within three computed Miles of Milden-hall, many Years; my Husband was well acquainted with his Grand-father; and I, with many others in the Town of Milden-hall, also, and can give a truer account of him, then F. Bugg hath done; his account is but meer Boasts, and he but a young Lad when his Grand-father died, and not in his Favour, by reason he refused to be bound to such a Trade as his Grand-fater had chose for him.

[Page 19] Lye 16. ‘My Aunt said, That George White­head was a Gentleman Born,’ or brought up so.

Reply, This is no Lye; my Aunt did say, That she did believe that G. Whitehead was a Gentleman Born, or brought up under the same Education; see my Book, p. 41, 42. F. Bugg replies, ‘This must needs be ano­ther Lye, no Gentleman ever lived in a poor Cottage, standing on Mud-walls, not worth 50 s. as G. Whitehead did, as I am credibly informed by a Person of Note that saw it:’ He goes on, Clamouring and Lying, and says, ‘No Gentleman's Son walked about the Country on foot, and lived upon Alms,’ as he did.

Reply, Although G. Whitehead travelled on foot, as all, or most of our Preachers did at first, yet he took no Alms, although F. Bugg does; and he had very good Clothes on his back, by the account I had of him, from more credible Persons than F. Bugg is: But he hath published this false Report of G. Whitehead, to get Money of the Clergy, that he might have his own Alms continued.

F. Bugg says in his Pilgrims Progress, &c. p. 32. ‘That when G. Whitehead came out of the North, He came from Penury to Plenty, from Labour and Toyle, to Ease and Plenty, from his Father's poor Cottage not worth 50 s.’ And so goes on with much more Romantick Stuff in that page.

[Page 20] Reply, G. Whitehead's Father's House, and Freehold Estate, was the best in the Town where he dwelt, by the relation I have had upon strict Inquiry; neither was he brought up to Labour and Toyle, as F. Bugg says; but was brought up with the better sort of Education, intended for Oxford, from that Eminent Free-School in Cumberland, called Blencoe-School, where he had his last Educa­tion.

The Whitehead's were some of them Gen­tlemen of good Repute, and some of them accounted the best Yeomen; and these were G. Whitehead's Relations: This I had from more credible Persons than F. Bugg: And for his Father's House, or any Houses stand­ing on Mud-Walls in Westmerland, that is not true; they build all with Stone there, al­tho' the Cottages are never so mean; they may have plenty of Stone for nothing, it being a Mountainous Country. I have heard my Brother Barnardistone, and my Sister (that travelled through that Country into Scot­land) say, That the Buildings were all of Stone, although they were never so poor Cottages. F. Bugg's Story of G. Whitehead's Father's House, is a meer Fiction.

Lye 17. ‘Now Liberty is granted, we stand upon equal terms with our Opposers in matters of Religion,’

[Page 21] Reply, These are not my words; my words are, Now Liberty is granted, we stand upon equal terms with our Opposers; and in mat­ters that concerns Religion, we are accountable to God, and have as much Right to common and civil Priviledges, as other Perswasions have, &c. see my Book, p. 17. But F. Bugg Replies, and says, He denies it, the Law tells you that this is a Lye; but shews me no Law that tells me so, but goes on Clamouring some lines, and then he says, Remember you stand but upon your good Behaviour.

Reply, This may be true, and so do all other Perswasions; so hath the Church of England her self done: I can remember since she was turned out of door, and was fain to go travel for a livelihood; many of the Episcopal Clergy kept Conventicles in private Houses, in many places in this Nation, and in their Travels they read the Common-Prayer, and sometimes Preached: I was a Follower of those Priests in those days, and was ac­quainted with divers of them.

In those times there was divers Books in Print of all the Priests that were sequestred, and the Reasons why; also there was a Pamphlet in Print, much admired by some of the Priests of those times, and their Fol­lowers, entituled, Lambeth Fair proclaim'd, &c. It was a meer Fiction, much like F. Bugg's New Rome Arraigned: This Fair was pre­tended [Page 22] to be kept at the Bishop's Palace at Lambeth, where the Bishop's Pontifical Robes were to be Sold, naming every particular of them with great Derision: In the Front of this Scurrilous Pamphlet, was the Picture of the Pope, setting all on a heap in a Chair, with these following Verses under it,

In those days the Common-Prayer-Book was tied to the Troopers Horses Tails in some places, and the Boys run after it; this made Sport for those Priests that clamoured against it in the Pulpit, and their Followers; this was F. Bugg's established Church and Mini­stry, that he Clamours so much against the Quakers, for their going into their Steeple-Houses, in many of his Books: I never heard that the Quakers, so called, disturbed the Episcopal Clergy in their Worship, by going in amongst them; they only disturbed F. Bugg's established Ministers, of the late professing times.

I remember when King Charles II. came in, and the other Government was turned out, the Chancellor made a Speech in the Par­liament-House, which was printed, where­in he declared the sad Condition the Church of England was in for many Years, and used [Page 23] this Expression, that She had been buried in her own Rubbish for a long time: This shews She was Subject to Accidents; it must be her Moderation, and the Divine Wisdom, that can uphold her: If She be good in her Office, She will stay the longer in it.

Lye 18. ‘If Friends were so charitable as to send S. Cater 10 l. to help to pay his Debts, or carry on his Trade, they did well, better than F. Bugg in upbraiding him.’

Reply, This hath been answered already, see my Book, p. 40, 41. He hath worried S. Cater about this 10 l. in divers of his Books, and not one Penny of it out of his Purse, if he had any Money sent him.

But F. Bugg says, When did they, or I, ac­count S. Cater a Beggar, an Indigent Fellow, a Judas, a Man of a Desperate Fortune? Because you supplied, His Needs, and help'd to pay his Debts.

Reply, S. Cater never went about a beg­ging, either with Certificate or Petition, nor any other ways; there was no Beggars in Israel of Old, neither is there any Beg­gars in the True Church now; the weigh­ty things of the old Law are not Abolished, but fulfilled, in our making Provision for our Poor, without Begging: S. Cater hath been a great Sufferer divers ways and times, [Page 24] not only by Fines, but Imprisonment seven or eight times; and a Prisoner six Years to­gether; at one of these times, not suffered to stir out of the Prison doors for three Years or more; and at this time he had a Wife and two or three small small Children to pro­vide for; and in this condition his Friends could not with good Conscience see him want.

F. Bugg says, in p. 8. How came you so bold as to meddle with the Bishop's Certificate.

Reply, It was to undeceive the Bishop and others, that had been deceived by him, and some other Concerns also, that may be found in my Book, p. 63, to 66.

After he had clamoured against the Qua­kers many lines, and repeated some things as have been answered already; about his Losses by the Quakers, and his defrauding a near Relation of 15 l. see my Book, p. 51, to 54. then he says, Come, Cousin Docwra, for so I'll call you, since we had the misfortune to have a Lyar drop into our Family.

Reply, This▪ F. Bugg is not related to me, nor my Husband; my Husband was de­scended from the Hartford Docwra's, known by the name of the Docwra's of Puttridge; there are three Brothers, Ancient Men, now living together; these were my Husband's nearest Relations of the Docwras; one of them hath been at my House several times [Page 25] this Year I asked him if they knew F. Bugg? His answer was, That he knew him not, neither did he ever hear of the name Bugg: It is likely his Grandfather was something related to the ancient Cambridge-shire Doc­wra's, I have heard so; but they were not of my Husband's Relations, as I understand.

He goes on with his old repetitions of his Sufferings upon the account of his Religion, his Imprisonments and Fines. I can say little of his Imprisonments, that being be­fore I was acquainted with him; but for his Fines, he hath printed them, all being but 25 l. by his own Relation, excepting 5 s. and 10 s. Fines, which poor Friends were strained for as well as he: He suffer­ed the least of any I know, that had Estates to lose; the Fines were two, one was 15 l. for an unknown Preacher; the other was 10 l. for the Poverty of the Man that kept the Meeting at his House; of this 25 l. he got the 15 l. of it of a near Relation by Fraud, and the Justice that prosecuted him gave him 5 l. of the Money again, so that his whole loss was but 5 l. He had several ways to escape Sufferings, for when he dwelt at Ely, and the Persecution grew hot there, then he fled to Milden-hall; and when the Persecution grew hot there, then he fled to the Church of England; see my Book concern­ing his Fines, where it is related more at [Page 26] large p. 51, 52. concerning the 15 l. where he got 20 l. for it.

But F. Bugg says, ‘He clothed some of our poor Preachers, and put Money in their Pockets.’

He hath sounded his Trumpet of this in several of his Books; but I could never hear any body besides himself say so; yet it is possible he might give a poor Man some Cloth out of his Shop to make him a Coat, such as is called Old Shop-keepers, and will sell for little; but for Money, I do not believe he gave any, but what he gave in a Meeting as other Friends usually do, to relieve our Poor, as well Preachers as o­thers: His Charity is but a proud Phari­saical Boast.

But F. Bugg says, ‘He was at great Charg­es entertaining our Preachers.’

I do not believe him; I have answered this in my Book, p. 33, 34. for he writes but the same thing over and over again.

But he says, ‘That my Brother, Giles Barnardistone, would have scorned to have dipp'd his Pen in such muddy Ink as I have done.’

Reply, If my Brother had lived to see his Contentious Apostacy, he would not have spared him no more than I have done; the Forgery and Deceit that he hath practiced against me, would have obliged him to vin­dicate [Page 27] me, his so near Relation, although he was very tender of F. Bugg, whilst he was amongst us, and had any show of Honesty; he was very careful to keep his Wits toge­ther, knowing him to be a Shatter-headed Man.

But F. Bugg says, ‘That my Brother Bar­nardistone, and my Sister, have been often at his House, sometimes near a Week to­gether, and my Brother Waldegrave as their Serving-man,’ &c.

He goes on Clamouring and Lying about fourteen lines after this, which I pass by, and Reply to this aforesaid matter:

I never knew my Brother Barnardistone, and my Sister, stay above two Nights at any Friends House in their Travels, nor at my House at any time, although I was their near Relation, therefore I do not believe him: My Brother was a travelling Preacher, and observed the Rules that other of our Preach­ers do, not to stay above one Night, or two at most, at any Friends House; and for my Brother Waldegrave, he does affirm, That he never was at F. Bugg's House with my Bro­ther and Sister, but only when my Brother Barnardistone travelled alone, he sometimes went with him as a Companion, and might lodge a Night or two at F. Bugg's House: Although my Brother Waldegrave was de­frauded by his God-fathers and God-mo­ther, [Page 28] so called, of a great Estate, as some others may remember besides my self, yet he always had an Estate to maintain him and his Family, without going to Service, or using any Trade or Calling to get a live­lihood.

After much Clamouring and Lying, he goes on against G. Whitehead, and others, and says,

‘What I now offer to your considerati­on, is from certain Letters, and a printed Paper, of your Friend Ann Docwra's, that she writ to Mr. Crisp, &c. First out of a Broadside, intituled, The New Projecting For­malist Characterized,’ &c.

This Paper was not writ against G. White­head, nor any of those F. Bugg suggests it was writ against, as may be seen in the se­cond Paragraph of it; but it was writ against some Presbyterians and Anabaptists, pretended Quakers, which were Contentious at that time, and sought Preheminence over us, and would have broken our Rules and Method concerning Marriages, that were friendly recommended to us from a General Yearly Meeting at London; also against a Certificate that was said to be forged, concerning a Marriage, which Certificate came out of the furthest part of the Isle of Ely, into Cum­bridge to us, and not from G. Whitehead, as F. Bugg suggests; neither did that Certificate [Page 29] concern F. Bugg, nor was his name in it: Altho' he pretends that I writ in his behalf, against G. Whitehead and others, which was not in my thoughts when I writ that Paper, nor so intended.

This aforesaid Paper F. Bugg suggests, in his Book, intituled, The Christian Ministry of the Church of England Vindicated, &c. and he says, This Paper was printed about the Year 1683. See his Book p. 3. But this, and all that he hath writ against me, are feigned Stories; for this Paper was writ several Years after 1683. I had no accasion offered me to write against several things mention­ed in that Paper, until the Year 1685. which was occasioned by reason of a Book that came out in Print, written against me, printed 1685. which I answered in that Pa­per, and some other things that were occa­sioned about that time; the Title of that Book was, The good Order of Truth Justified. This Man that writ the Book was wholly a Stranger to me, and a Country-man; he did not so much as send to me, before he print­ed it, to Admonish me, if he thought I was in an Error, which was not according to The good Order of Truth; but I afterwards suspected by what he writ, it might be oc­casioned by F. Bugg, and his Cabal's former Forgery, mentioned in my Book, p. 11, 12. which he might think to be mine, because [Page 30] they had set my name to it; although I had disowned it in Print, near two Years before this Book was printed; yet that print­ed Advertisement might not come to his hand, for he mentions nothing of it in his Book; if he had seen that, I suppose it would have stopped his Printing against me: The Paper that I writ against that Book had no Date to it; this I omitted, to see what man­ner of Forgery F. Bugg and his Cabal would make out of it, which I shall shew before I end.

I have the aforesaid Book by me, and all the Papers I printed, to shew the former Forgery of F. Bugg, and his Cabal, and this latter also.

F. Bugg speaks of Letters: He says, I writ to Thomas Crisp; but before I will enter up­on that Subject, I will say something of three Letters I received lately, one with Fran­cis Bugg's name to it, and two with Thomas Crisp's name to them. F. Bugg's Letter dated London, August 26. 1699. he begins thus,

Cousin Docwra, I have acquainted Mr. Crisp with your charging him and me, viz. with Forging your Letters, &c.

Reply, I never charged T. Crisp with Forg­ing any of them, in my Book or otherwise, neither shall I, until I see it printed with his name to it; I only charged F. Bugg of Forging my Letters that he printed, pre­tending I writ them to him. I have answer­ed them in my Book, and proved his For­gery, [Page 31] p. 19, 20. and 31, 32. The rest of his Letter is Clamour and Threats, if I will not Retract my Book, which I do not intend.

The first Letter with Tho. Crisp's name to it, dated The 26th of the 7the Month 1699. this is a long Letter, the other writ since is a short one; there is little in it but desiring an answer of the former long Letter: I sup­pose they were forged by F. Bugg, there is so much of F. Bugg's Projects against me in it, although it is writ in a different Hand from his; yet I am not free to answer F. Bugg, or any of his Cabal, but in Print, least they should put false Constructions of them, or add some Forgery to them; I must not expect any thing else from them.

I saw two Letters, writ in a hand much like mine, with my name to them, which had things in them which I never writ, said, or thought; these were brought from F. Bugg, to me, by a Clergy-man that seemed to be F. Bugg's Friend; I utterly disowned them before him; these Letters F. Bugg hath print­ed, and I have answered to them already.

Now I come to the four Letters F. Bugg hath printed in his late Book against me, and set my name to them; they are all forged; the aforesaid long Letter, as from Tho. Crisp, hath this passage in it, That the four Letters are not forged, because they have di­vers things in them that is in my Paper, intituled, [Page 32] The New Projecting Formalist Characteri­zed, &c. This is plain that the four Letters are forged, for some of them are dated 1683. and the last of them August 6. 1684. But my Paper was not printed until 1685. as I said before; and what I writ was not thought on before the Year 1685. this proves plainly that they were forged; F. Bugg hath taken many things out of that Paper, and made exceeding false Applicati­ons and Paraphrases upon it, applying them to G. Whitehead, S. Cater, and others, which I never meant, nor thought so, as F. Bugg hath suggested, both in the four forged Let­ters, and otherwise.

I complained to a Clergy-man that the Letters which he had seen with my name to them, F. Bugg had forged; he answered, That the Bishop of Rochester was so served; there was a Letter counterfeited with the Bishop's hand to it so exactly, that the Bishop did think at the first sight he had writ it himself, until he had heard it, and then he knew he never wrote those things in that Letter. Since I discovered F. Bugg's Forgery, I have heard this Story of the Bishops from divers, and one of them a Magistrate, an eminent Man. He and I had some Discourse about it; also Alderman Jer­min, late Mayor of Cambridge, told me, That he had divers false Passes and Certificates came to his hand, and some Justices names to them [Page 33] counterfeited very exactly; these shows that such things may be done, and F. Bugg can­not clear himself in this case.

F. Bugg in this Book he writ against me, says, in p. 45. ‘That Mr. Crisp and he hath more Letters of mine still by them, that will fill another half Sheet.’ Most, if not all the Letters I writ to T. Crisp, did only concern a Paper that F. Bugg, and his Cabal, had forged some things in it, in the Year 1683. with my name to it in Print: I am sure I never writ to him any thing else, but concerning that Paper, of any consequence; and for F. Bugg, he can shew nothing under my hand, except he Forges it, that I am ashamed or afraid of; but I perceive by his Writing, that he hath prepared a large Maga­zine of Forgery against me, if his Clergy will pay for printing it.

And in p. 4. F. Bugg says, ‘Mr. Crisp and Mr. Keith are the Correctors of the Press, when he writes against us.’ It may be so; I perceive by George Keith's Writings in Print, he is in that Cabal with Tho. Crisp, and if F. Bugg says true, with him also; but I will now leave F. Bugg, and enter upon something of G. Keith's proceedings: He is a Man of Contention and Strife, as appears by his Books in Print; he is so lifted up with his Scholarship, that he boasts himself to be Wiser than others, and hath sought prehe­minence [Page 34] over the People called Quakers, as may appear in his printed Books, and other Practices; this hath been some cause of his Strife, Debate and Contention, in which he hath shown more Folly than Wisdom; it is a common saying, That a learned Fool is the most Troublesom and Contentious of all Men; altho' his Craft is the principal Instru­ment of the proceedings in his undertakings; yet he hath made but small progress in his Designs, as may appear, for I do not yet hear that he is taken into real Community with any known Perswasion, either Presby­terian, Independent, Baptists, or Church of Eng­land, but hath endeavoured to gather a loose unstable People to himself, by his Delusions, to make them believe that the Light or Grace of God, is not sufficient, if obeyed, to bring Man to Salvation: His undervaluing the Hea­venly and Divine Light, hath brought him into Darkness, and his Followers also into great Delusions.

This G. Keith in the time of the Persecuti­on fled into America, and left the Flock to the Wolf; and now Liberty is granted in the Ex­ercise of our Religion, he and his Followers have disturbed our Meetings in divers places, as appears by his own printed Relation of his Journey to Bristol, and other places; he show'd himself in our Meeting at Cambridge, with­out our consents, and took up the Meeting [Page 35] for a long time, and some part of the time in Sophistry and Clamour against some of our Ministers; at last he met with opposition, which caused him to give over; but he was so tedious, that some of the Schollars that were present said, If this Fellow had not been opposed, he would have babbled until Mid-night.

He also lays claim to our Meeting-Houses, and says, They are as common for him as for others to Preach in: This is not true; our Meeting-Houses are common for all Hearers, but they are not common to all Preachers, they are not com­mon for Jesuits, nor to G. Keith an Apostate-Quaker, nor any others that are not in Unity and Community with us; such have no lawful pretence to Preach amongst us, and the Ma­gistrate may (to keep the Peace) take notice of such, upon complaint, for they do but di­sturb our Meetings, contrary to the Liberty granted in the Exercise of Religion.

I have been in Community with the Peo­ple called Quakers above 36 Years, and have observ'd there were many restless Spirits under divers Perswasions, these sometimes joyned against us; and some Apostate-Quakers also, and others that were under a large Profession of Religion, yet their Principles were not powerful to bear them up in the time of Per­secution, but they skulk'd in holes and corners to perform their Worship to God, and called it Humane Prudence; these People were more [Page 36] Prudent than Pudent, for they were not at ease there, but were envious against us, and were often scribbling against us, and raising Con­troversies, and Disputes, in matters of Religi­on. I write not these things to upbraid the proceedings of these worldly fearful Professors in general, for there was some in Community with them, that were an honest plain-hearted People, that loved Peace, and did not approve of their Contention, altho' they lay still skulk­ing, until the Storm of Persecution was over, and when the Sun shined, then every Viper crept out of his hole, then came forth George Keith and his Followers, disturbing our Meet­ings, with Clamouring against us in them, and stirring up Disputes and Controversie, in our Meetings for Worship, which was a thing that was never known amongst us, and where ever he appears, this hath been his common practice, pretending to discover Errors; but this is but make-bate Opinion, falsly called Religion, that lives by Jangling and Conten­tion, and Knows not the pleasant Paths of Peace, that the Children of Light walks in; but God will blast the Expectations of all such turbulent Spi­rits, and bring them to Confusion, and exalt his Light and Grace in the Hearts of his Peaceable People, which is suffi­cient to bring Salvation to all Mankind, that yield obedi­ence to it, to bring them to heavenly Peace and Prospe­rity, both in this Life, and the Life which is to come: Hasten this thy work, O God.