Blind and Ignorant Ages of the Church, had the good hap to be believed, and their cheats and devilifh Arts (if all be truth which is written of them) went off undifcovered and they themselves were after canonized.

But later times (and efpecially fince the DayStar of the Reformation arofe, and fhined fo brightly over the Chriftian World) have difrelifh'd thefe abominable cheats, and difcover'd them....

Yet fo it happen'd, that from the deplorable illue of Ignatius Loyola, there fprang up a New Order of Jefuiteffes, who out of a pretended Zeal to advance the Chriftian Religion, but principally to advance their own pride, and promote their own Order, prefumptuously took upon them to go from Place to Place and to Preach publickly especially in this our Kingdom: Whereunto reforted vašt multitudes of both Sexes, being extreamly invited thereunto, by the wonderfulneß of fuch a novelty. Whom when they heard, they as wonderfully ad mired, verily believing them to be all divinely inspired. And for as much as they knew not the Scriptures (which were carefully with-leld from them)their Sex was therefore unto them no exception, but rather conduced to encreafe and advance their admiration and therefore they crowded in from all Places to hear them. But the Priests, and Friars and Monks of all Orders, obferving the great Eclipfe they fuffer'd thereby, refolved to complain unto the Pope against them. And after they had continued in the bold practice thereof for many Years together, at laft (upon continued complaints against them for the great fcandal by them thereby brought upon Religion) they were totally fuppreffed by Pope Urbane VIII. in the Year 1631. as Appears by that Popes Bull then iflued out

:

againf

against them, and printed at Rome Anno 1632. Not full twenty Years before the revival of this Strange and Unlawfull practice by the Quakers. Which notwithstanding that bull (by a fpecial Difpenfation no doubt) was by their Popish Leaders thought fit to be again brought upon the stage, to be once again Alted over by them. For they knew the old difeafe of our English Nation was incurable; and that Novelty (to which we of all other People upon Earth are most inclinable) and fuch a Novelty too, would prove of no fmall ufe unto them, thereby to gain the more Populous Congregations. Which fell out accordingly. For it being once noifed abroad, that on fuch a day, in fuch a Place, fuch a Woman Speaker might be heard both Men and Women, almost every one's Curiofity (who had notice thereof) prompted them to hear them. And now, the Devil and the Quakers had their end and in defiance of the Holy Scriptures, Religion is forced to truckle under, and curiofity wears the Palm, and proves its "Conquerour. And now, when Men and Women dare encourage fin with their prefence and their Approbation, What wonder is it if fome of them be thereby enfnared? For if our firft Parent Adam by the temptation of a Woman (notwithstanding all his glorious Endowments of Wisdom, and Spiritual Understanding) was fo easily drawn into his own ruine, and the ruine of all his Posterity, what can we expect from fuch a multitude of far less intelle&tuals? Amongft whom alfo, fome are often to be found, not much Superior in Divine Knowledge to thofe fix score Thoufand Perfons in Nineveh mention'd, Jonah 4. 11. Who could not difcern between their right hands and their left: What, I fay, can we expect from fuch, but an eafy feduction?

So dangerous it is for fuch as are fo feeble in our flocks, to leave our folds, and wander abroad beyond their Knowledge to return.

But

But here the Quakers must not plead example. Not a word of those the Fefuiteffes to countenance their practice; no, let that vie and if poffible never be remembred. But here let the Prophet Joel be brought in to countenance, or at least to give a Colour to this their unwarrantable Practice. For faith that Prophet. And it shall come to paß that I will pour out my Spirit all flesh, and your Sons and your Daughters hall prophefie, &c. Joel 2. 28.

проп

Now (if you will believe St. Peter) his Prophecie was fulfilled in his Days, at that wonderful effufion of the Holy Ghoit at the great Feast of Pentecost as our Saviour had before promifed unto them, Acts 2. 16. to 22.) And yet in thofe Days this practice of the Quakers was fo far from being allowed that it was abfolutely forbidden by the Apostles. "Let your Women, faith St. Paul, keep filence in the "Churches for it is not permitted unto them to "Speak: but they are commanded to be under "obedience, as alfo faith the Law. And if they "will learn any thing, let them ask their Hus "bands at home, for it is a fhame for Women to speak "in the Church, 1 Cor. 14. 34, 35:

And to confirm this, (with other things by him fpoken before,) hear him in the 37. v. "If any Man think himself to be a Prophet, or Spiritual, let "him Acknowledge that the things I write unto you are the Commandments of the Lord. And the very fame we have again from the fame Apostles "Let the Women learn in filence, with all fubje"&tion. But he adds, I fuffer not a Woman to "teach, nor to ufurp Authority over the Man: "but to be in filence, 1 Tim. 2. 11, 12. Now I hope thefe Men will not reply as the Author of the fnake in the Grafs, Ed. 2. p. 190. faith one of them did to 1 Cor. 1. 1, 2, being quoted to prove the invocation of our Saviour (which it seems 9 3

they

they Blasphemonfly denied) That Paul was Blind and 3gnozant, and that they law beyond him. O Impudent Impoftor! but I hope he is peerless.

For dare any of you,who would be thought Infallible, contradict him who herein was fo? Dare you give that bleffed Apoftle the Lye here too? When he fo folemnly tells you, that what he spake was none other but the Commandment of the Lord. If you will not be convinced; if you will be Incorrigible and Irreclaimable, I muft conclude in the Words of the fame Apostle, if after all this clearness of Evidence, from both thefe repeated Injunctions, you will ftill parfue your own wills, and will not from fo great an Apoftle learn, will not know (much lefs own) your fin, nor be brought.to the fight of the Truth; then with him, fay 1, If any Man be Ignorant let him be Ignorant, 1 Cor. 14.38. If any Man will be perverfe let him be perverfe. But far be it from any of us to encourage him.

We grant that (to fulfil the Prophecy of Joel) there were in thofe Days fome Women Prophetef fes. But their Province was not to Freach in any of their Affemblies. Nor did they, but were hearers only. Yet fome of them were enable to fore-tell things to come. And fuch were the Daughters of Philip the Evangelist, Acts 21. 8. tho' they could Prophefic yet they durst not, did not Preach. The Spirit was not poured on them for that end: Not that they fhould be Spiritual Teachers, and Publick Pastors of his Church. For then we fhould have heard fomething of (fome of them at leaft) exercising fuch a function in thofe Days, wherein the Holy Spirit was fo plentifully poured down upon the Primitive Christians. But on the contrary, instead of the Prea chers, we have a prohibition, an abfolute forbidding any fach their Ufurpation.

To conclude then this Chapter, We evidently

perceive

perceive by what hath been deliver'd, that for Women to Preach in Publick Congregations was never the defign of Almighty God in that promise of his, Joel 2 28. That it was abfolutely forbidden by the Apostle, and for that reafon was never pratis'd in their Days, nor in many Ages after, nor in any Church that we have read of, fave that of Rome only; nor in that Church neither, till Enthufiafm and Diabolical Arts had been mistaken for True and Sound Divinity. And when once Wife and learned Men lent an Ear to fuch Enchantments, and fuffer'd themselves to be fooled out of their reafon and found Judgment by fuch intoxications (as in thofe Days you shall here-after fee they were) then would any Novelty go down glibly. And then was the time for thefe Women Preachers to Start up and amufe the People, and gain credit to a fifull pra

tice.

By all which, it appears whence, and from+ whom, the Quakers borrowed this their unjuftifiable Novelty, even from the very Worst of Papists only.

CHAP. II.

That the Quakers joyn with the Worst of Papifts in endeavouring to Evacuate all our Laws.

Aws are the Ligaments of every Kingdom and Commonwealth う without which, all the Members thereof would quickly feparate and be disjoynted. Now our prefervation in great measure depending upon a due obfervation of them: there can be then no greater Enemy to our fafety, than fuch as feek their dissolution. Take away our Laws, and O 4

you