Apostacy

Though I have largely proved them apparently guilty of this Charge, by ſeveral particulars ſpecified in a certain Manuscript I, in Anno 1710, read in the Audience of divers of the Chief of them, beyond their Attempts to defend themſelves, which might ſave me the pains of further expoſing their Guilt by others, till they have diſcharged themſelves of thoſe; yet ſince my Chriſtian Labours therein for their Welfare have been ſo far from obtaining the deſired effećt in their Humiliation, {Page 143} as that they could not prevail with them, to allow themſelves Time to examine the Validitity of the Instances I referr'd to in proof of my ſaid Charge, for fear the Clearneſe of the ſame ſhould bring them to that Remorſe their Luciferian Spirit won't at preſent ſubmit to.

As this their Apoſtacy was foretold them by their Friends John Swinton, William Dewsberry, John Crook and George Fox the Younger, amongft many others1; that nothing may be wanting on my part towards their further Conviction of their Apoſtacy in thoſe particulars mentioned in the ſaid Manuscript, I ſhall deſcend to show them how greatly they are depraved in the very Root of their Religion, that they may be the leſs ſurprized at their Apoſtacy in the Branches thereof. In order whereto,

As it is well known to all who have in any meaſure peruſed their Doćtrines, as laid down in their moſt ancient Books, That the firſt Foundation of their Religious Separation from the Worlds erring Ways and Worfhips, was the Spirit of God objećtively operating on their Souls and Bodies, at Times and Seasons, ſo as to cauſe them to Tremble moſt sensibly when it was upon them, through which they came to be denominated Quakers, in or about the Year 1650, though they were a gathered People in ſeveral Parts of the Nation divers Years before, under the Denomination of Separatists, &c. according to their own Relations; ſo their Apoſtacy was occasion'd through their Deſertion of that moſt noble Principle, in preferring The Dictates of the common Light in all Men coming into the World (under the Denomination of God and Christ's only true ſaving Light) in the place of it; as appears by the Compariſon of their Fox's Latter Sentiments in his Select Epistles and Doctrinal Works, with the first part of the Journal of his {Page 144} Life, and his other Books and Papers inſtanc'd in the Margin2; wherein -, as he ſeldom mentions the meer Light within, and much leſs the common Light in all Mankind coming into the World, (according to his Supporter Pen's depraved Notions, in his Spirit of Truth, as he calls it) but the Divine Light of Life, Spirit and Power of God ſensibly operating on the Souls of all Men, at Times and Seasons, whilſt the Day of their Visitation lasts, in order to their external Salvation by him, from whom it immediately comes; ſo he beſtowed no ſmall pains to prove it to be what he denominated it, by its effećts on him, in saying p.10 of his ſaid Journal, Such and such Things were at ſuch a Time opened to me by the Eternal Light and Power; and a pure Fire appeared within me. And p. 15. I being made to pray -, the Lord's Power was ſo great, that the Houſe ſeemed to be ſhaken, which made ſome Profeſſors then and there declare, It was now as in the Days of the Apoſtles, when the Houſses were ſhaken. P. 16. A true Voice aroſe in me, which ſaid, There is a living God which made all Things. P.17. Such a mighty Power of God, that They (i.e. the People) were greatly ſhaken. P.26. Now the Lord's Power was ſo mighty upon me, and ſo ſtrong in me, that I could not hold, but was made to cry out, &c. inſomuch as they were amaz'd at the Voice. And p. 27. Both Prieſts and People were aſtonished at the wonderful Power that broke forth. P. 28. By the healing Vertue whereof many have been delivered from great Infirmities; the Devils made ſubjećt. And p. 28. The Churches ſeem'd to ſhake, &c. compared with much more of his and other of our Friends Experiences of the Effećts of this Divine Light of Life in their firſt coming forth, largely notified in p.82, 103, 156, 376. of the ſaid Journal, together with Miles Halhead's Books, and George Fox the Younger, with the firſt Part of Francis Howgil's and Edward Burrow's Works. But when he came to deſert this noble {Page 145} Principle, by preferring the Dictates of his own Spirit3, in the Imposition of his written rules, Laws and lawleſs Orders upon us in the place of it; under pretence of their being the reſults of his Light within (in evidence of his Apoſtacy James Naylor foretold us, by declaring His Fall was but the Figure of another (meaning this George Fox's) that the Man of Sin might be revealed by the falling away amongst us.)

Then it was, that he and his depraved Adherents fell on to deafen us with the repeated Recommendations4 of the Light within, the Light within every Man coming into the World, the Light, the Light, the ever blessed Light, the marvellous Light within every one, the Light which is pure, the Light which is unchangeable, the Light which is infallible, the Light whiwh is eternal, the Light which is Chriſt, the Light which is God, the pure Meaſure of the Light within every one, which whoſoever owns for their Teacher, are all come to be one Light, and need never Man more to teach them, but as this Light within teaches them. Through their ſuperſtitious Reverence to the Dićtates whereof, as ſome of them won't admit any other Method to be uſed in their Preachment, leſt the Doćtrine of the Spirit5 ſhould burn their Fingers; ſo they have by degrees not only come in a manner to loſe all true Sense of the real Guidance of the ever blessed Spirit of Life, that immediately proceeds from, God and Chirſt, the Holy Scripture direćts all to ſeek after as our chief Instructor in our Religious Concernments {Page 146} as plain evidence of their deplorable Apoſtacy6 but through their perſiſtance in this their Depravity, have at length become ſo audacious, as not only to write Book after Book in excuſe of their unſenſibleneſs of the Spirit's ancient Operations, (under pretence, of that being a Time of it Physical Effećts, in order to their Purgation, which they are now come beyond, into a State of Stillneſs, wherein God's Voice is more diſtinćtly heard, than whilſt they were under thoſe terrible Shakings and Quakings) but alſo (beſides their Renunciation of thoſe miraculous Operations as uſeleſs, they heretofore magnified as Chriſtian) have of late moſt impudently denied ſuch bodily Agitature (as they wrote Book after Book in behalf of in themſelves) as Fits of Convulſion in them, and Diabolical Poſſeſſion in others; yet do they (instead of repenting of their Apoſtacy) aſſume the Confidence to pretend themselves to be in Chriſt, the noble Seed, that never fell, nor never will fall, never chang'd, nor never will fall; or ever change, &c. though they have to their own Contradićtion, not only in one reſpećt expreſly own'd , that they are really chang'd; but by their notorious Inconſiſtencies almoſt in all reſpećts have proved7, They have often fell, and often changed, ever will fall, and always change, till there be none, I am perſwaded, under their Denomination, either to fall or change, as our truly worthy Friends Robert Rich, John Perrot, John Wilkinſon, John Story, William Mucklow, Thomas Crifp, John Penyman and Anna Bourignon, amongst others, have foretold them.

And not without reaſon ſufficent, ſince beſides their Apostacy from the firſt Foundation Principle of the Divine Word of Life, in taking upon them to guide our People by Innovations of their own Invention (under pretence, of their being the Dićtates of the Light within them from their Creation) {Page 147} they have not only fallen from the Truth8, and the true Chriſtian Sentiments of their own ancient Friends, in the Matter of Marriage of lawful Kindreds, choice of earthly Law-makers, Renunciation of the uſe of Defenſive Arms, Denial of Religious Oaths, Preference of formal Affirmations, Refuſal of the Payment of impropriate Tythes, National Militia, Bodily Reverence, Preaching without License, Alteration of the Word of God, and Denial of free Audience in their Meetings of Discipline, amongſt many others, as I have proved in my afore-mentioned Manuſcript.

But alſo what is worſe than that, they have fallen from the very Life of Truth itself9, as daily appears by the lifeleſs Harangues of their moſt noted Leaders, who were the Original Introducers of their Corruptions; under which Perſons may much ſooner get a good Sleep10 to the Refreſhment of their Bodies, than any Spiritual Conſolation to the Comfort of the Souls, as divers beſides my ſelf have obſerv'd.

Which Unhappineſs, as it was firſt occaſioned by their Eſſays to amend their Religion, in forsaking the Foundation Principle of it, through their Exaltation of their own prudential Devices as Goſpel Orders, in order, as pretended, to keep Things ſweet and clean; so, in a Sense of their Loſs of Zeal for God, by ſetting themſelves in the place of God, through their Impoſition of thoſe {Page 148} their Inſtitutions; Our ancient and truly worthy (though their greatly abuſed) Friend Martin Mason of Lincoln, ſeveral Years ſince, moſt ſorrowfully bewailed the ſame in a few Lines in Verſe, he ſent a Right-Hand Man of George Whitehad's (as he called himſelf) in order to their Restoration, which, as I may obtain their Effećt for that End, I ſhall inſert as follows, verbatim.

Zeal for the living God, where is it found?
Not there, I fear, where once it did abound;
That holy Virgin Zeal for Zion's King,
Where is its Mansion? Hath it tak'n the Wing,
And left this earthly Orb; would it not ſtay
With thoſe who once were Children of the Day;
How comes it? have they loſt their Guide, their Way?
Pure Holy Virgin Zeal, return again,
And take thy Mansions in the Sons of Men.
There is a Remnant that deires to be
True Servants to the Living God and Thee.
Return, return, thou glorious Son of Light,
Unto thy own, and let not darkſome Night
Cloſe up their Days, who once were Stars moſt bright.
Come to thy own again, and let them ſhine,
Once more in that bleſt Firmament of thine.

Thus far brave Martin Maſon whoſe ſincere Concern for them, under a ſorrowful Senſe of their ſad Depravity, was ſo far from being accepted in Love by the Perſon to whom he ſent it, as that he in his of the 2d of the 8th Month 1672, in answer to it, renders it the Effećt of Pride, Wrath, Diſdain, and Paſſion, proceeding from the Spirit Cain was provoked by to kill his righteous Brother, as appeared by the palenefs of his Countenance amongſt the Children of Light, (as he called them that joyned with him againt this their worthy Monitor); to which he the ſame Day returned on the ſame Letter ſuch a depraved Calumniator.

Pride, Wrath, Disdain and Passion are thy own,
--------'Tis too well known,
In Love I came, and thou'rt to blame
The falling of my Countenance to Name,
Make Lies thy Refuge John! Fie, leave the Trade,
My Soul upon the God of Truth is ſtaid,
And of John Whitehead's Threatnings not afraid.
M.M.

Wherefore as thoſe that will Lie through the ſtrength of their Apostacy from the Spirit of Truth and Righteouſneſs, may well be expećted to make no Confcience to ſwear to them; ſo a true Senſe of their Guilt herein, brings me to my next Charge of their Perjury, as a Crime they have alſo moſt ſorrowfully to Anſwer for before the Great God who made them, in the terrible Day near approaching, as will appear by what follows.

  1. See Swinton's Prophetick Papers mentioned in Tranny and Hypocriſy detećted, compared with p. 120. of W. Dewsberry's Collection and p. of John Crook, with p. 5. of G. Fox's General Epiſtle and Tender Greeting.  ↩︎

  2. Croyſes's History of the Quakers, p. 5,6,34. Rector Correćted. Saul's Errand, p. 5, &c. Selećt Epiſt. p. 30, 111,119. A true Account if the Trials of Katherine Evans and Mary Chevers, p. 145. Papers ſent forth into the World, p. 5. Great Myst. p. 40, 87. Several Papers printed 1660. p. 31. Select Epiſt. p. 2 &c. Some Principles, p. 15. Antidote, p. 6, 44, Way caſt up. Rich's Hidden Things, p. 42. R.S. Dreadful and Tearful Voice.Pen and Whitehead's Christian Quaker, concerning the ſufficiency of the Light within every Man to Salvation. Good Counſel and Advice rejećted, &c. Declaration to the preſent diſtraćted Nation, &c.  ↩︎

  3. See Penyman's Traćts, p. 15. Compared with the ſaid James Naylor's Prophetic Testimony, as cited in Robert Rich's Book.John Crook's Works, p. 113. to p. 127. G. Fox, jun. Works, p. 336, 385. Penyman's Life, p. 295.  ↩︎

  4. See Fox's ſeveral Papers, printed 1671, p. 19, 20, 21, 28, 33. Selećt Epiſt. Doćtrinal Works. Some Principles, p. 27. News out of the North, p. 21,27,33,36. Barclay's Apolo. p. 305. Bennet's Teſt. to the True Light. Anderson's Visitation, p. 4.  ↩︎

  5. In behalf of which Spiritual Dictates, a certain Quaker having ſomewhat warmly diſcourſed in one of their Yearly Meetings ſome Years ſince, in my Audience, &c. an old Foxonian ſtood up, and proclaimed his Uneaſineſs with this new Doćtrine, as he called it, under pretence, that as it was their ancient Method to preach up the Light within, as their only Guide in all Things, he liked not this their new Doćtrine of the Spirit, the Spirit, which so dangerouſly inſinuated the Light's inſufficency, to their Apoſtle Fox's Contradićtion.  ↩︎

  6. Levington's Plain-Dealing, &c. p. 10. &c. compared with p. 7, 193. of G. W.'s Power of Chrſit vindicated.Fox's Doćtrinal Works, p. 28, 211, &c. Great Myſt. p. 37. Several Papers, p. 27, 31. Select Epiſt. p 95. Antidote Ven No. 7. Quakers Plea.  ↩︎

  7. See Rich's Hidden Things. Roger's Christian Quaker. Tyranny and Hypocrisy detećted; Collection of Testimonies. Babel's Builders; Penyman's Life, and Mrs. Bourignon's Answer to B.F.  ↩︎

  8. Righteous Judgment placed, p. 109. Christian Reprehenſion, p. 5. Something in Answer to Hidden Things, p. 28. Burrow's *Caſhier'd. Epiſtle to the Parliament of the Commonwealth, &c. Alexander Parker's Epiſtle to all thét are Lovers of and Believers in the true Light, p. 20. Joſ. Cole's Testimony if the Father -'s Love, p.* 19.  ↩︎

  9. Selećt Epiſt. p. 307. compared with their Letter to Friends of Mumby Meeting; and p. 11 of the Account of the Life of John Penyman.  ↩︎

  10. An Impediment their Hearers are now almoſt irrecoverably infećted with; under a ſorrowful Senſe whereof, one of their Preachers lately rold us at Sleeford, That finding them almoſt all a Sleep in their Meeting at Gainsborough, amongſt other he had viſited, he was forc'd to clap his Hands hard together, tamp his Feet often upon his Form, and thraſh them near two Hours by the Clock; to awake them to hear him.  ↩︎

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