a

in the World to oppole botb, in this Exorbitancie, whether the Papift and the Quaker be taken as distinct one from another, or the latter as member of the former; which is the most agreeing acceptation. For one fraternity of the Papists is as opposite in Doctrines and Practices to another, as the Quakers are with any of those fraternities, with which they feem to ftand at the greateft diftance. As I hope will herein, hereafter be made moft manifeft.

Let the Scriptures then be their own Interpreters: and expound one another; let things which are more plain in them, expound fuch as are more obfcure; And where there feems to be an oppofition of one place with another, let the general fcope of the whole be confidered; and by conferring one place with another, learn to reconcile them. I fhall conclude this Section with the Words of Ire-. naus, 1. 4. Adverf. Hæref. c. 63. faying, "Legitima "minime periculofa Scripture expofitio, fecundum "Scripturas ipfas eft. (i. e.) The most right and genuine Interpretation of the Scriptures and which has leaft of danger in't, is to do it by the Scriptures themfelves. And alfo of Hilarius, 1. 1. de Trinit. Who excellently obferveth, "Optimus "Lector eft qui dictorum intelligentiam expectet ex "dictis, potius quam imponat, & retulerit magis, quam "attulerit: Neque cogat id videri dictis contineri, "quod ante Lectionem præfumpferit intelligendum, &c. That Man is the beft reader of the Holy Scriptures] who looks for the meaning of the Words from the Words themfeives, rather than impofeth a meaning of his own, and fo carries away the meaning from them, rather than brings one to them; and who forceth not an Interpretation upon them which he had pitched upon before the reading of them.A feafonable obfervation it is,and

may

may be both our Rule in interpreting the Scriptures our felves, and our Caution too in admitting the Interpretations of others.

For the Adverfaries we have to deal withal, can both Interpret the Scriptures partially to ferve their own turns, and alfo pitefully on purpose only to oppofe us. An inftance of the one we have in Mr. Harding, who to prove it is not lawfull for the vulgar to read the Serip tures, urges the Words of our Saviour. Give not that which is Holy unto dogs, &c. Matt. 7. 6. And of the other in Maldonate the Jefuite, who preferrs his own expofition of the Scriptures before St. Auguftin's, only because it more croffeth the fenfe of the Calvinis: Tho' the other was allowed to be the more probable. And were the Quakers better natur'd than the Jefuites, we fhould hear better Interpretations of many plain Scriptures, than generally we do, or can ever hope to hear from them.

CHAP. VIII.

Of the Quakers pretences to Revelations, &c. And their Agreement therein with the Papifts.

Here is nothing more notorious, than that Tthe foundation of wakerifm was laid in an immediate Revelation, pretended to come from God himself unto George Fox [as hath been often noted before. Nor did he himself insist on any other Commiffion, fave what he thence received; this then was their firit foundation.

Nor was the fuperftructure Heterogeneal thereunto but held therewith an exact correfpondence. For George Fox was not fo Unkind as to Monopolize

Monopolize this unto himself only: but like a kind hearted Father, fcatter'd thefe Divine Bleffings among his dear Children alfo: And before they could well speak for themselves, he proclaimed for them, "That they were in the fame Power, Understanding,Knowledge, and immediate Revelation from Heaven, that [not only he himfelf, but also the bleffed Apoftles, and all the infpired Pen-Men of the Holy Scriptures were in. See his Grand Mystery, p. 152. and 242. By means whereof, he taught them to Father all their Errours, Blafphemies, and Abominable Enthufiafms, upon the Holy Spirit of God: And fo to leave no room to queftion their Affertions, and the Truth of their indigefted Difcourfes; no more than to Queftion the Writings of the four Evangelifts, and of the feveral Apoftles, in their feveral Epiftles.

66

And this pretence [I can tell you] has at feveral times proved of no finall ufe and advantage to them: But on the contrary, hath now and then ferved to help them out at a dead lift,as their exigences have required. Thus George Fox being unable to prove by any folid Arguments, that the Earth was not round, but flat: [as he in Difputation had defended he betook himself to this ftrong hold, out of which he would not be beaten, that Almighty God had fo revealed it to be, unto him. And in like manner, that he had it by Divine Revelation, that beasts have reason, as well as Men. See the Quakers Spiritual Court proclaimed, p. 7, 8. And at this rate what Abfurdities could he not have de fended? And to what purpofe are Arguments drawn from Scriptures, Fathers, or the foundest Reason, made ufe of to oppofe them?

Nay, do but swallow this once, And you will thereby expofe your felyes to the groffest Cheats,

and

and vileft Impofitions, the Devil and Man can invent to deceive you. Yet fuch fools have been, and ftill will be in all Ages. For this Trick began to grow ftale in the Church of Rome, but ftill through this wonderful credulity] got breath again, and revived.

If you will believe Simeon Metaph. St. Chryfofton had every night St. Paul himself whispering continually in his ears, what he did write on his Epistles. And if you will receive (as Authentick) the Legend of Saint Gregory the Great, you may there learn how the Holy Ghost did in Perfon fit upon that Holy Pope's head,under the form and fhape of a dove, which did ever and a non ftretch down its bill into his mouth Linfpiring him what to lay] when he was Preaching. Which things being believed by Pope Celeftin, with many others of the like nature, gave encourage ment to Pope Boniface to play the part of the Holy Ghost himfelt: and thrô a pipe or fome fuch device to convey to the Ears of Celeftin that cunning admonition, that he should leave the Popedom, if he hoped to be faved. Which the Credulous Celeftin believing to be the Voice of God [or of an Holy Angel fent by him, to give him this seafonable advice forthwith obeyed and left the Holy Chair vacant, and now (by this device) ready to be filled by his Cheating Succeflor. See Platina. Boniface VIII. Bergom. Supplem. Lib. 13. in Vita Bonif. VIII.

What need I fay more? That Revelations once believed expofes the believer to all the Cheats [both against Soul and Body] which interest, pride, or malice can invent, is a Truth fo notori ous, that certainly none but fools, or Madmen, or Men willing to diveft themselves of all Reafon and true Religion, will ever go about (in thefe days, fince the Canon of the Holy Scriptures

is compleated) to contradict or oppofe. For there are now no new Truths to be believed; no new Opinions, or Doctrines to be Preached; but all muft be weighed now in the Balances of the Sanctuary, and be tried by the Scriptures. And if an Angel from Heaven, or we, or any other Creature, fhall Preach otherwife, than as the Apostles have delivered unto us, and as we have received from them, let him, or them, be accurfed, Gal. 1. 8. All their, or our pretences to Divine Revelations notwithstanding.

But from this Doctrine of Revelations, two other Doctines have fprung forth, and took deep rooting among the Quakers (viz.) Prophecies, and

Miracles.

That the Quakers by thefe pretended Revelations, have pretended to Prophesie also, is clear by many notorious inftances.

In the Year 1665. When it pleafed Almighty God to fweep away fo many Thousands in the great Metropolis of England [the populous City of London] by the Raging Peftilence; At the firft, the Lord fpared, and wonderfully paffed by the Quakers. Whereupon, thefe Men boafted thereof exceedingly. And many of them [all the Kingdom over] declared, that it was revealed to them by Almighty God, that now the Lord was appearing against that great City for their Perfecution of them: and that he would preferve all the Friends from that Contagion, fo far, that there should not any of them die. For now the Lord would fhew who were his; in preferving them who were un fpotted and blamelefs, that this his Judgment fhould not come near their dwelling places.

But it pleafed God fo to confute their impudent Prophecies, that in a fhort time after, (notwithftanding thefe pretended Revelations to fo many of them) there died more of them, than of any

A

other

People,