CHAP. I. The INTRODƲCTION.

WILLIAM PENN Entituleth his Pamphlet, The Foundation shaken; which however he termeth a Sandy Foundation, he acknowledgeth to be, at least, our Foundation: In the beginning of his Epistle to the Reader, he doth inveigh against Hu­man Tradition; amongst which he numbreth not only those things which are Circumstantial, but also those Doctrines which Protestants generally believe to be Essential: And at the latter end of his Epistle he confesseth, the Doctrines of the Tri­nity, Satisfaction, and Justification by imputed Righte­ousness, to be cardinal Points, and chief Doctrines, firmly believed as Articles of Christian Faith, which he telleth us he hath endeavoured the total ener­vation of. It is plain then, that this man striketh at the Root, and laboureth to overthrow the Foundation of Christianity, as we have built upon it, that he might overthrow the faith of weak and unestablished Christians: But the Foundation of God standeth sure; the great Fundamental Truths con­cerning our Lord Jesus Christ, his Godhead being the second Person of the Trinity, equal with the Father; his Satisfaction which he made to God's [Page 2] Justice for Man's sin; and Justification by his im­puted Righteousness; are like a Rock which can­not be moved; against which, what ever waves do arise and beat, for removal of, though the noise and clamors be great, yet the attempts will be in vain; the Rock remaineth where it was, and the waves of opposition are broken to pieces. It is possible indeed that the Faith of some may suffer shipwrack by such assaults, because, they were never well-grounded, fastned and fixed in the Principles of Religion; because, they never received the truths of the Word either with true saving Faith, or true sincere Love; and therefore, the Lord hath threatned to give such up unto strong delusions to believe a lie, that they might be damned, 2 Thes. 2.10, 11, 12. These are the persons who hear Christ's Word, and do not practice accordingly; therefore, our Savi­our compareth them to them that build their house upon the sand, upon which the rain descendeth, and the floods come, and the winds blow and beat, and it falleth, and the fall therefore is great, Mat. 7.26, 27. This is the Sandy Foundation which W. P. and the Qua­kers may shake, and overthrow, and be instru­mental to pull down into the same ruine and de­struction with themselves: But such who have built upon the Lord Jesus Chrst, who is the only true Foundation, 1 Cor. 3.11. Such who have built in­deed upon the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles, whereof Jesus Christ himself is the chief Corner-stone, Eph. 2.20. They have built upon the Rock, (upon which whosoever stumbleth and falleth, will be broken to pieces; but upon which, whosoever buildeth, is safe) therefore are not tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine; neither is it possible (because of Christ's care and undertaking for them) that they [Page 3] should be overthrown by any of the blasts of Satan, or any of his instruments, Mat. 24.24. If it were possible they shall deceive the very Elect. The Quakers, however, some of them, and those of the chiefest and Ring-leaders, have at sometimes let fall from their Black-mouth most hideons Blasphemies, and vented most damnably-heretical Doctrines: as for instance, George Fox positively affirmed thus, I am equal with God; this was deposed at a general Sessions in Westmerland. James Nayler said in the hear­ing of Mr. Baldwin, a man of eminent trust and in­tegrity, That he did witness, that he was as holy, just, and good, as God. In the Quakers book called, Saul's Errand to Damascus, it is asserted, That there is no distinction of Persons in the Godhead. Nayler and o­thers have spoken to this effect, That whosoever ex­pects to be saved by him that died at Jerusalem, shall be deceived. I might mention many other such Blas­phemies aed Heresies; See The perfect Pharisee, by the Newcastle Ministers at the beginning. I say, though the Quakers have sometimes spoken out their Blasphemies and corrupt Doctrines, yet for the most part they are so subtle, that they do not suffer the inward shape of their mind to appear so plainly abroad, lest every one should run from them with loathing and abhorrency; and however the import of their words be Blasphemy and Here­sie, yet they shroud their meaning under ambigu­ous phrases; and especially at their first assault and endeavours to gain Proselites and Followers, they cover the hook with the pleasing bait of sugred words and fair speeches, whereby they deceive those that are unskilful in the word of Righteous­ness, and in the method of their erroneous ways; whence it is that many ere they are aware, and [Page 4] not knowing whither they are going, are drawn into their pernicious ways, by reason of whom the way of truth is evil spoken of.

But W. P. being himself a Quaker, and speaking in their name and vindication as, himself telleth us, pag. 36. and they dispersing his books, and calling for an answer; and he being counted amongst them one of their chief, because of some smattring of learning which they conceit he hath, and which he himself seemeth to have a high conceit of (which how groundless it is, shall be discovered in the places where he doth attempt to show some­thing of a Scholar) doth in his Pamphlet plainly assert and stand up for those Quaker-Doctrines which I shall prove to be blasphemous and damnable Here­sies. And hath openly made it known to the World, that the Quakers in those three great points which he doth militate against and endeavour the refu­tation of, are Rank Socinians, who more grosly erre in the Fundamentals of Religion, than the Papists themselves. And because W. P. doth take occasion from the meeting with me and others in disputation (if it might be so called, where nothing was directly answered) to put forth his Pamphlet, and because he giveth but a lame and in somethings a false account of transactions; therefore, I shall I give a true and brief Narative of what passed at the meeting for Conference, with answer to his Post­script. 2 Establish the truths he objecteth against, by Scripture and Argument; 3 Answer his Objections against those truths. Lastly, Apply my self to deluded Quakers, for the recalling of them, and to all other Christians for the cautioning and estab­lishing of them against the attempts of such as would draw them aside into the dark and danger­ous [Page] [Page] [Page 5] Path, which doth as certainly lead to Hell as the broad way of Prophaness.

CHAP. II. A brief Narrative of T.V's meeting with some Quakers in Spittle-yard, with the occasion and transactions there, and some exceptions to the account which W.P. hath given thereof.

MY first meeting wit the Quakers was upon desire at the house of a friend in Houndsditch, in order to the preserving of some who were temp­ted to go amongst them; I met there several Quakers two of which were the chief speakers: It would tire the Reader, as I believe it did the Hearers, to give Relation of all their wild and im­pertinent discourse; I could not get them to speak out, and plainly to assert some of their Principles; I believe it was through fear lest their mouths should be stopped before the people; yet after ma­ny words, they asserted the Perfection of Saints in this Life, and the place of Scripture which they brought for the proof of their assertion was, 1 Joh. 3.9. Whosoever is born of God, doth not commit sin. Unto this I answered, That the words in the Original were [...], (one of them interrupted me at the mention of the Original words, saying, It was the smoke of the bottomless pit) that the signification was, Doth not make it his business to sin; and the meaning was, that such as were born again, did not make a trade of sin, did not go on in a course of sin; or did not commit sin, that is, with the full bent of the will as the wicked do, [Page 6] But that it could not be understood of not com­mitting sin at all; because, the same Apostle in the same Epistle, Chap. 1.8. telleth us, If we say we have no sin, we deceive our selves, and the truth is not in us. There he speaketh of himself and others that were born again, and plainly acknowledgeth they were not without sin. It was further urged, that if all that were born of God were perfectly free from sin; then it would follow, that who ever found any sin in them, were not born of God, conse­quently in a state of nature, and so if they should die with any sin remaining they would certainly go to Hell, and so none there, yea none in the world would be saved. Moreover I appealed to the experience of the best of them, whether they could say they were wholly free from sin, whether they had no irregular thoughts nor affections: this they would not [...]ffirm, neither did they absolutely deny: when they pleaded the perfection the Apostle Paul speaketh of, Phil. 3.15. I replied, that the same Apostle v. 12. acknowledgeth that he had not as yet attained, neither was yet perfect; and if the Apostle Paul who had arrived to so great a heighth in grace that he was (how ever as some think little in bodily stature) yet taller by the head and shoulders than others in regard of his grace and spiritual attainments; how could Audacious Quakers (who if Quakers indeed because of their damnable Opinions, I am confident have not the least degree of true grace) boast of perfection, as if they had got above the Apostle himself. I told them that all true Believers were perfect in a sence, they were Evangelically perfect, but not legally, not absolutely perfect; they had perfection of parts, but not perfection of degrees; and in this sence [...]