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CHA P. II.

Shewing why, and for what Reafon the Quakers where firft Planted among us.

HO' evil Weeds need no husbandly pains,

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or coft to produce them; but of their own Nature fpring up, without Sowing, or Planting. Yet whileft God has an Enemy, and the Church is his Field, rather than the good Seed fown in this Field, shall too much Flourish and Profper, this Enemy will fow his Tates in abundance; and watch his opportunities for this his Curfed Seeding, that thofe Tares may come up fo thick, and grow fo faft, as to ober-top the good Seed; and (if poffible) keep it always under, and choak it. Mat. 13. 25. And this now is our very Cafe, as upon due confideration will appear.

And here, First, we will confider the first founders of this Sect as Private Men, and being acted by their own private Wills, and Inclinations only: And altogether without the Orders, Motions, Complotments, and Encouragements of the Church of Rome. And we will fuppofe themselves to be the firft Inventors, Devifers, and Managers of this new Sect, in complyance with, and full belief of G. Fox's pretended Visions, and Revelations, on Pentlehill aforefaid. And then under this Suppofition, we must conclude as was hinted before) that their Grand Design, was to gratifie a predominant luft within, which irresistably prompted them to become the vain-glorious Founders of fuch a Babel, the Ringleaders of fuch a Sect, as fhould amuze, and amaze the World; and to exercife a power over them, as their

Snfallible Guides and Governeurs ; and to be recorded as fuch to fucceeding Ages.

And in continently, thefe men undertook, and exercifed the fame. And no doubt] when they faw the fuccefs fo abundantly out-do their higheft expectations, but that they exceedingly applauded the Invention and hugged themfelves, and one another, to fee it thus to profper. And having by this means fet the remains of our Church on a flame, they lifted up their Horns on high, and were exalted upon the dreadfull profpect of that dreadfull Conflagration. And now Nobiles facti funt in Scelere, they made themselves Famous by that Villiany. Like unto him, that fet Diana's Temple on Fire? Ut qui bene non poterat, male omnibus in notefceret, as St. Jerome faid of Helvidius, that they who by well-doing could not be Famous, to any, by ill-Doing might become in-famous to all.

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But then again, if we confider thefe Men as agitated by Rome, and as acted by, and with the order of their Superiors in that Church, (which yet is most probable) becaufe, when thefe Men first opened their Shops, all the Wares therein, proved to be of Forreign extraction; and fuch as never grew in any Protestant Climate, but in Popish Countries only) then may we conclude, that the reasons of the rife, growth, progrefs, and encouragements of this Sect, will be easily obvious to every obferving enquirer. And thefe are principally and efpecially Two [viz.] to divide, and to vivert us.

I. To divide us. Divide & impera, is the Devils Maxim. A River which cannot be forded, ( by reafon of its depth and widenefs, yet) being cut into many fmall Channels, may be easily leaped ober. A Kingdom divided against it self (by our Saviours own Verdict) cannot stand, Mark 3. 24. And therefore is it, that our Saviour faith, Offences

must

must indeed come, but it is remarkable that he adds withal, but woe unto that Man by whom the Offence cometh, Mat. 18. 7. And therefore alfo is it, that the Apostle is fo paffionate in his Advice to the Corinthians, Now I beseech you, Brethren, by the Name of our Lord Jefus Chrift, that ye all speak the fame things, that there be no Divifions among you, but that ye be perfectly joyned together in the fame Mind, and in the fame Fudgment, 1 Cor. 1. 10. Now the Church of Rome had a long time longed for our ruin; and therefore now they hoped effectually to accomplish it. Now they had a fit opportunity, and therefore now they would improve it; we were now thoroughly ripe for Divifions, they therefore refolve now to promote them: And to Dash us one against another, thereby to deflzoy us.

II. Another reason of the Planting of this Sect, was to divert us. Our Kingdoms were (at that time, all of them) in a great ferment; in a feeming high flight against Popery. Fears, and Jealoufies, (both in Church, and State ) feemed to take their Original from the infinuated apprehenfions of the growth thereof. And tho the Church of England had excellently acquitted it felf against the ThiefEtt pillars thereof, and was not (at that day) abated in its Courage, nor weary of its Conflicts; but was daily dealing deadly blows against their Stouteft Champions: And were more, and more, janimated with their happy Succeffes; yet wanted not their home bred Enemies, their accufations against them for their Coldness, and Compliances; which the wily Subtile Papist fpping, nimbly takes advantage of the opportunity: And under feveral difguifes, mixeth himself with the feveral factions against us. And, fo he can wound us, he cares not with what weapon he can do it. And therefore fets all the feveral Sects at work to improve that calumny

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and knowing, to their coff, that our Church was their only deadly Enemy; to the end that they might pull it down,and ruin it. They poured Oil into the Flame already kindled, and helped forward the calumny, by more and more encouraging and countenancing it. For whatever the event fhould happen to be,if they could not quite ruin it, they fhould yet fo weaken it, as for a confiderable time to divert its farther warlike preparations, and attempts against them. And the Devil himself envying our Profperity) puts it into the heads and hearts of these his Votaries, to raise up (among the rest) this giddy Sect, thereby hoping to divert the Horfmen and Chariots of our Ifrael from a clofer purfuit of his old Romish Champions, and our Churches Baffed Adverlartes; and for this end, his dear Inftruments of deceit, the Children of St. Francis and Ignatius Loyala, laid their heads together, and raifed this Mutiny in our own Quarters, thereby to find us work enough at home, to quench the Fire by them kindled, the Flame whereof, they took effectual care should be daily encreased, by the conftant addition of new fuel, which was diligently found out, and dexterously thrown on, by these induftrious Papifts. Which leads me to confider farther,

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CHA P. III.

By whom the Quakers were first Planted among us. THIS Sect, tho' (like Mushromes ) it sprang fo fuddenly in that Night of our distractions yet it grew not without Planting: And to know By whom, will prove no difficult Task, no hard matter to conjecture, if not to determine; and that from what hath been already written upon this Topick.For,

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We will put the cafe once more, and fuppofe as we did before, that the first contrivers of this Sect were paibate Pen, moved by their own pride, to aggrandize themfelves, and their Names to Pofterity, by hatching this Cockatrice. Yet [whether intended by them, or no] the Doctrines by them vented at their first appearance, were fo near unto Popery, and fo highly advanced that Religion, that the fubtile Jefuites, and the fagacious Francifcans, and other Orders of the Romish Church quickly fpyed out the fame, and the advantage thereby offer'd them: and with all speed embra ced, and improved it. And ftruck in, like Conntrey peasants, of rude and illiterate Education, and joyned themfelves with them, to ftrengthen and encourage them and for that end, procured more Affiftants to be fent them, out of their feveral fras ternities beyond the feas, having skill in feveral handicraft trades, (which, for like purposes, they are taught to understand) who, as fuch, were to be grafted into this wild Society; and to Preach, and Difpute with them, and for them against their moft learned opponents. And now, (by these Mens means) the whole Set begins fenfibly to gain ground, and to be admired. For these Men (being thus mixed with the ignorant speakers) travel over the four Quarters of our Kingdoms and two by two, encompass our English Earth, and these become as mutual helps each unto other, the one nimbly Excufing and Defending the others Blunders. And now fo many of thefe learned Priefs, and Friars, being joyned with the other meaner Speakers, they could give the worst caufe (especially in Difputations, of which thefe Men were then extreamly ambitious) the best defence it was capable of: which the common People once difcerning, and hearing with what Art and Ready Skill, Shooe

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