A BOMB thrown amongst the Quakers in Norwich, which will Reach their Friends in Bristol, and set fire no the Combustible Matter thorow their whole Camp in England, Wales and America.
I Have not only seen your Book against Mr. Wright and considered the Weakness of it, (to say no worse) but have been told by some Quakers, that when I was left at Norwich, you sought me with design to dispute me in defence of Quakerism, and it so (which I much question) this is to let you know, that I am now at the George Inn in Norwich▪ And also, that on Condition the Quakers will depute you under the hands of Six or more of them, promising to assent to, and stand by your Defence of their Principles laid down in their Books, as their Act and Deed. That I will then give you a Meeting. In order to which, let us meet this Evening, or on Monday night next, to appoint time and place, and adjust Preliminaries. The Charge I offer to prove upon them out of their Books wrote by Fox, Whitehead, Penn, B [...]rrough, Smith, &c. their approved Authors, that consist of these six particulars following, which if I make full proof of, I hope you will grant that their Doctrine tends to subvert Christianity, viz.
First, By their contempt of Holy Scriptures, calling them Dust, Death, Serpents Meat, Beastly Ware, an Idol &c. saying, it is the highest Blasphemy to call them the Word of God.
Secondly, That they deny the ever Blessed Trinity, in a Blasphem [...]us as manner.
Thirdly, That they deny Jesus to be Christ, the Son of God.
Fourthly, That they neglect, contemn and deny the Sacred Ordinances of the Gospel, namely, Baptism with Water, and the Supper with Bread and Wine.
Fifthly, That they undervalue the Death and Sufferings of our Saviour, by affirming their own Sufferings to be not only greater, but more unjust, than the Sufferings of Christ, his Holy Apostles and Blessed Martyrs.
Sixthly, That they not only undervalue, utility and contemn the Holy Scriptures, as abovesaid, but they over-value their own Sayings and Writings, as not only to be the Word of God, but also of greater Authority than the Bible, which they say can in no sence be called the Word of God, which so to do (say they) is the highest Blasphemy.
This is the Charge I propose to prove, and if you get a Deputation, as abovesaid, let us meet and settle Terms for a Conference; but if they think you not [...], acquaint them, that I will give any one of them a Meeting Publickly; First settling Terms, appointing time and place Mutually.
AND now to John Fiddiman, Richard Asbby, &c. If you refuse to [...]pute Mr Pitts to be your Apologi [...], to defend your faith and principles, I then [...] to meet other of you, or any other of your People, upon Terms we shall mutually agree upon and to prove the within-written Charge upon you in the Six Particulars; And thereby shew, That when you pretend in your publick Meetings to own Christ Crucified, and faith in him, you do not mean what you speak, as Mr. Wright has well observed, For your while Business is to deceive, and my Business in this Affair is to undeceive the deceived. And I know of no better way to effect this then to discover the Deceivers, according to the Doctrine of your Friend Tho Ellwood.
I sent a Copy of this to M. Pitts, and another copy to John Fiddiman.
Here [...] a Brief Reply to Mr Pitt's Answer to the aforesaid Letter.
I Received yours of the 19th Instant, and perceive you are but a Novice in the Principle of Quakerism except in that of Scurrility, which perhaps your interest Leads you to; you tell us, that what you have affected in their Vindication, is from the words of their approved Authors which is littel to the purpose; for if that were sufficient, you may fi [...] some Flashes here and there which look Orthodox in the Work of Muggleton, or any other Books of the ancient Hereticks; my Charge seems to you (I perceive) [...]; but if you search their Books, said to be given forth from the Mouth of the Lord, and by the Movings of the Eternal Spirit of God, which contain their Principles, if they have any, you will find my Charge true upon them; but if they think I wrong them let them appear, or depute you for their Champion; but their declining so to do, may satisfy impartial [...], that they are self condemned, and sensible of the truth of the Charge; if they be not, it would be then interest to appear and acquit themselves; this they know they can't do, and therefore dare not appear. I shall not enlarge herein, at present but hereafter you may hear more when I can learn to what People you belong; for if you be not a Deist, or Socinian I still marvel you should Apologize for Quakering, which is the Sink of all Heresies; and as the Protestaint Dissenters have well said, are thus chargeable viz. They render [...] Holy Scriptures to be of no [...] Authority than AEsops Fables; That the Blood of Christ is no better than the Blood of another Saint; That they are no other than the Spawn if the Ranters; That they owning Jesus Christ as indeed no other than a M [...]stical Romance; That the Tendency of all their reasoning about Instituted Religion, is to Debauch Mankind; That their Principles improved are distructive to all Human Society▪ That they are Cheats, Lyars, and impostors, and Implacable Enemies to the Christian Religion, as vile impostors as even were, &c. See their Frend Tho: Ellwood's Book, Intituled, Forgery no Christianity, &c p: [...]7. by him Collected out of their Books, by him and others, with much more of the same nature; see my Book VOX POPULI, &c. where many of the like Charges are given by the Presbyterians, Independents and Anabaptists; and if you be one of them first condemn your Brethren, and deny their Works, and consequently them too, and then tell me what you are, for I profess I cannot well tell, unless some Runagado, or Scabby Goat, setting your self on the left hand. I am your friend, tho' I tell you the Truth
A CAUTIONARY APPENDIX.
Having known by self-Experience, as well as by what mine eyes have been touching the Danger of Hearing the Quakers speakers, who gild over their poisonous Doctrine by many seeming Fair and Orthodox Pretences▪ I cannot but advice all to beware of their Leaven, knowing that what they declare touching the Faith of Christ Crucified, they mean not a word of what they say, and my advice shall be bottomed on Two Heads.
- First, From Scripture Precept.
- Secondly, From Reason and Experience.
And First From Scripture, it is written in S. Mark's Gospel, ch. 4. v. 24. Take head (said our saviour) what you hear; this of it self ought to be not only a caution, but a warning for us to be aware both what, and who we hear; especially when he has fore told us, as in St. Matthew [...]4. saying. v. 1 [...]. Many false prophets shall arise & deceive many, again, v. 24. There shall arise false Christs and false Prophets, [...]ing great Signes and Wonders, insomuch that (if is were possible) they shall deceive the very Elect. And that the Quakers are these very false Christs, and false Prophets, fore-told of by our saviour, is plain both from their Doctrine and Practice, and that in express words; for they tell us, that the Name Jesus and Christ belong to every Member, as well as to the Head, meaning as well to every believing Quaker, as to Christ the head; and for a proof of this and other places in their Books, see my Sle [...]ford Conference, &c. p. 119 to 156 where there is nigh forty instances of the like Nature, all which may serve for a caution to take heed what we hear.
Secondly, From Reason and Experience.
First, Our Members of the Church of England have all the reason in the World, to believe that our Religion is true, and founded upon the Divine Authority of the H. Scriptures, of which 'tis needless for me to enlarge, since we have so many Excellent Books, wrote by our Divines, Answering all Objections; As well as by Law established; yet the Quakers tell us in Burrough's Epistle to Fox's Great Mystery. That they deny our whole Religion, And that our Service-book, bottomed on the Divine Authority of the Sacred Word of God, and established by Act of Parliament, is Idolatrous, because we prey saying O Son of David have mercy upon us. Nay, they will not joyn with us in any one Act of Devotion; for let a Quaker and a Christian happen to Dine together, and if the Christian, as in Duty bound, shall but say, Good Lord, Pardon all our sins, and Sanctify these thy good Creatures to our use, and us to thy self and service, and all for Jesus Christ's sake: The Quaker will sit with his hat on in Testimony against this Known and Common Duty: and the Reason is Twofold, 1st, in that we beg for pardon of our sins; 2ly, and that for Jesus Christ's sake; for they say, we therein acknowledge our selves Sinners, which they cannot do; 3ly, We pray and petition, and give Thanks, in the Name, and for the sake of a Dead God, as in their Prophet Burrough's Books, p. 101. 518. Why then shall we hear these Infidels?
Secondly, They tell us all that Preach Christ without, and bid people believe in him as he is in Heaven above, are false Ministers, Witches Deviles, Sodomites, Blood-hounds, Anti Christs, &c. and thereupon will not for a World come and hear one of them; Why then should we countenance their Heresy, so far as to go and hear them?
Thirdly, They not only Testify with Hearts full of Indignation against our Ministers, for thus Preaching, But they Testify against, Villify and contemn the written Word of God, as Death, Dust, Serpents Meat, Beastly ware, as Idol, &c. saying, it is the Highest Blasphemy to call them the Word of God; Why then should we go to hear such implacable Enemies to the Christian Religion, taught us by us our Blessed Saviour, his Holy Prophets and Apostles, and practised by all Christian Churches; and now, thanks be to God, Established by Law.
Fourthly, And since the Quaker-Prophets have plainly declared in Print, their Aversion to give Liberty of Conscience to the Episcopal Church; as in the Works of R. Hubers [...], p 228. Edw Burrough's Works p. 635. Why should we so far Countenance them as to hear their vain Bablings?
Fifthly, Nay, They Account us such abominable Idolaters, Heathens, and what not▪ because we call the Scriptures the Word of God, the Sacraments of Baptism and Lord's Supper, the Institutions of Christ, that they first Separate from us, will not joyn in any act of Devotion with us; nay, they will neither Marry nor Bury with us; And for this they give us the same Arguments St. Paul gave to the Believing Gentiles at Corinth, 2 Cor. 6. 17. See their Book, F [...]ites of Retirement, &c Preface, to which I have reply'd in my Sheet. The Quaker's Charm Discovered, &c. Why then shall we hear such as compare us to the Gentile Idolaters, whom 6. Paul affirmed Sacrificed to Devils, and not to God; and their Cup and Table was the Cup and Table of Devils; and he would not that the believing Gentiles should have Fellowship with the Cup of Devils and Table of Devils: And how frequent it is with the Quakers to charge our Communion Table to be the Table of Devils, and the Cup we receive the Wine in the Cup of Devils; how then can we, if we have but a spark of Zeal for our Holy Religion which our which our Martyr'd Ancestors suffer'd in the Flames for) go and hear such Blasphemous Wretches?
Sixthly, And for the like Reasons they account our Christian Kings, Parliament, Judges, Justices, &c. Apostates, Spiritual Egyptians, &c. And if they command a Fast to be kept, they'll take no notice of it; make an Act of Association, they'll not Subscribe it, an Act of Abjuration they'll not join with us in it, nor hear Arms for the Defence of our Religion, Laws and Liberties, No! their Consciences will not suffer them; while their pretence to Conscience is every day more and more discover'd to be made only their Stalking Horse, for all their holy Cheats, their Irreligion, and down-right Blasphemy; why then should we hear such seditious Ringleaders?
Lastly, I cannot enlarge, but let them appear, pursuant to my Challenge and all these things, and more I offer to prove upon them▪ you, and much more, which I reserve to the next.
Since honest Francis is not here, to do this good Office for Friends, they may please to take notice, That there is one John Talbot at Burlington, who will do as much for them, or rather more, if they desire it, at their next Yearly Meeting: He has got Friends Books, and Enemies too; but let us not judge either till we hear and see what they say. God give us Understanding in all things; So prays,