gument which biteth them, may [for want of a better Anfwer] be whooted out by them; or else, lost in the crowd of other heterogeneal Difcourfes, for that very purpose started up by them. Or if these fail, they then flie to their laft refuge, their usual way of reviling. An old Stratagem, and frequently ufed by the Hereticks of all ages: as the learned St. Jerome has long fince obferved. Ifte machine Hereticorum [faith he] ut convicti de perfidia ad maledicta fe conferant, Hier. Apol. 3. Adverfus Ruffin: Thefe are the engines of Hereticks, that being convicted of their unrighteous dealings, they prefently betake themselves to railing. And herein, thefe Men are Mafters of their trade, fcattering their flowers of railing Eloquence, as the beast Duron doth her dung, against the bunters which follow her; that by the offenfiveness of the fimell, fhe may put a stop to the farther purfuit of her. So thefe Men ufe the like Stratagem; by opprobrious Language, calling them, Dumb Dogs, hirelings, Dark lots, Blind Guices, Baals Pitefts, and fuch like, whereby they have Seemingly gain'd many a Glorious Conqueft: and with confused noife, [as it were] clapped their Wings, and Crowed over them. Thus [like Cocks feeding upon Garlick] they overcome their opponents by the rankness of their breath, and not by the Strength of their Arguments. But however they deal with fuch, yet with thefe Simple ones [whom they have hopes to gain unto their party] they are very Mild and Affable: thefe they footh with good words, and fair peeches. Therefore mark these, and avoid them. O my Soul ! come not thou into their Secret: Unto their Affembly, mine honour be not thou United. It is no less than a finful Curiofity, to encourage them by our being present in any of their D 2 meetings meetings. Evil examples, often times produce evil confequences. As there is no credit gained by being amongst zaito2s, in their tattozous Allemblies fo is there no Safety neither. What good and pious Soul can endure to hear his God affronted? his Saviour, and his precious Blood contemned, and Vilified? and his faving Truths and Bleffed Ordinances, ridicul'd, and exploded? Befides: thefe Men will never Vifit our Affemblies; ualefs it be to affront and oppofe us: Nor will they [if they can help it ] fuffer any others. Why then fhould we, like fimple Flies, veature into their Webs, when fo many weak ones have wanted both Strength and Skill, to break Through them? If then you have any true love unto God, any tender regard for his Glory, or for the eternal Welfare of your precious Souls, your own Happinefs, Joy, Comfort and Salvation; any esteem for Divine Truths, that they be not Difhonour'd trampled under foot, and totally evacuated, O then mark thefe Men and avoid them. Now for our better Caution concerning them, I have in the enfuing treatife endeavoured to fortifie all true Proteftants against their Popi macbinations,that we may not fuffer our felves to be Wheedled back again into Babylon, by thefe clandeftine Factors for our Enemies. And here we will enquire, CHAP. I. When the Quakers were firft planted He time of the rifing of this People, will not was was in the height, and heat of our late deplorable. Confufions. For no fooner did our distractions (of ever mournful memory) break out into an open rupture betwixt our King, and Parliament, in the fatal Days of the Blessed Martyr King Charles the First, and by means thereof, the best Reformed Church in the World, was [by Fanatick Zeal] firit cried down, and then pull'd down, but the giddy multitude began prefently to divide themfelves into Various Parties, and Factions: And [having firft obtain'd a toleration for all Sects and Herefies] many of the hot headed Men, both in the Army, and elsewhere, caft about in fo favourable a juncture, how they might feed their Proud and Schifmatical humours, by Venting old, and Inventting new Opinions, and unheard of Sects, and Herefies: Each man Striving who fhould render him-Telf most famous by his profperous villainy, in beading a party that should tranfmit his memory to fucceeding Generations. Above twenty feveral kinds of Herefies are mentioned by Mr. Pagit in his Hereftography which were all broached, and fet a running in thofe miferable days; nor were any fo bad, or abominable, as not to meet with Entertainment: Even the mad Ranters not excepted: of whom he gives this Character, that as they had neither Religion nor honesty, so they pretended to neither. Yet in a fhort time were numerous herds of these Filthy (wine in all the Quarters of our Kingdom. In the height of which madness, The great Red Dragon, and the Beaft with feven Heads and ten Horns (the Devil I mean, and Rome) are wholly taken up, and imploy'd in plotting how to advance each others. interefts: the first helping to invent new Fangled Doctrines, and new Fashion'd Seats, and Churches, the ruine of the true Church: and again the other im proving D 3 proving all thefe, to its own interest and advantage. And now, an opportunity offering it felf, fuch as never could be hoped for before, Jefuites, Benedictines, Francifcans, Dominicans, and infinite Swarms of all Orders of Seculars, and Regulars of that Church, were fent over from the Romish FaEtories beyond the feas (as the Locufts and Caterpillars of Egypt) without number, to lay us all wafte, and to devour us. And theft, like unto Crafty Gamefters, mixed themfelves forth-with in all Societies: and in divers Difguifes entred into all feparate Congregations. And quickly became famous Preachers, and Speakers among them ; and fo, (by degrees) mixed and fowed their own Romish Doctrines and Opinions, and got them entertained, and then ftrenuously defended them. And now, in the heat of this hurly burly, Upftarts, George Fox: a daring, bold Enthufiaft, a Man of a projecting mind, and Spirit; and as ambitious of a new Sect, of his own Stamp, and Devifing, as any of his Old, or New Predeceffors: but what advice he took, and whofe afliftance he had, at his first Hammering this his blundering Contrivance, is to us altogether uncertain, but in all Probability he wanted not his Romish Tutors, and Coadjutors who from old Experiences, could not be to feek for profperous Devices, provided Geoge's front were impenetrable. And now he himself fhall be our Guide, and none other, and [if his word is worth your credit] you must now hence forward take him for another Man [if he was a an ftill, and not veiBeo] than he was before. And now being wrapt in the Spirit] up he goes [or was carried to the Top of Pendle Hill in forkfire, where the whole Model of his Sect Lancashire was was revealed, and delivered by the Great God unte him. And there [whether in the body, or out of the body, is uncertain, yet ] in the Vision of the most high, he received his commiffion: which was to go first into the North of Engiand, and [by his Preaching there, to lay the first foundation of his Ministry: and there, to gather much People to the Lord: and thence, to go forward to the other Quarters of the Kingdom: and for his greater encouragement therein, he is wonderfully comforted and confirmed by having clearly reprefented to his view, in that Vifion, a vast and innumerable Company which were to be converted by him. See Georges Fox's Journal p. 29. to the belief of which, infallible Edward Burrough, Mr. Pen, and others, have given large and publick teftimony.. Quest. But why (I pray) was this Vision on a Mountain? Anfw. Sure enough, not without Great, and Mysterious Reafons; of which, this might be one. That he may be taken to have all the power of Holes, and of Chrift; and a communication with the Divine Majefty, as Great and Glorious, as that was with Mofes upon Mont Sinai, or that with Christ upon the Mount of Transfiguration. But alas! George, where are thy Witnefes for all this? For when Mofes was upon Mount Sinai, all the People faw the Thunderings, and the Lightnings, and the noife of the Trumpet, and the Mountain fmoaking, Exod. 20. 18. And, when our Bleffed Saviouz was Transfigured upon the Mount, he had his three Difciples, Detez, James, and John, to teftify all that was there done unto him, Mat. 17. 1, 2, Nay moreover, when ofes, came down from the Dount, his face did fhine to that degree, that all the People were afraid to come nigh unto him, Exod. 34. 39. And our Sayiour's countenance Bid Hine as D 4 the |