A sober expostulation with some of the clergy against their pretended convert Francis Bugg his repeated gross abuse of the people called Quakers, in his books and pamphlets, viz., his New Rome arrainged, History of Quakerism, Second summons, Picture of Quakerism, and other pamphlets which may serve to invalidate the authority of the snake in the grass, as it refers to his books.

CHAP. II. (Book 2)

A Copy of a Letter to Isaac Archer, Vicar of Milden-Hall, Suf∣folk. (Book 2)

London the 2d of the 1st Month, 1693-94. (Book 2)

Friend, Isaac Archer.

I Desire thee Charitably to accept these Lines, and prudently to Consider them, for the Truth's Sake, as also for thy own Reputation. I remembering how Officious thou wast, in Accompanying and Abetting thy Follower and Disciple F. Bugg, in the publick Disturbance he made of our Friends-Meeting at Milden-Hall, the 30th of the 2d Month, called April, 1691. Contrary to the Intent of the present Government, and of the Law of our Liberty in the peaceable Exercise of our Religious Worship toward Almighty God; and how thou, with him, then Deemed our said Meeting an unlaw∣ful Conventicle (because our Friends there had omitted a Circumstance of Law, in not entring that Meeting-House upon Record, as the Law directs) which did not bespeak

a Charitable Disposition on thy part to∣wards us: And also how thou hast Gratifi∣ed, Encouraged and Abetted the said F. Bugg (if he writes true of thee) by giving thy Approbation for his Abusive Book, Which (he saith) he hath recited only an Abridg∣ment thereof (in his most Scandalous Book, Stiled, New Rome Arraigned) as followeth, viz.

I do own the Substance of this Book, as a Defence of those Eternal Truths, by which, I hope for Salvation, and which are as a Comfort to me in my Pilgrimage; Peace be to those that own them; and the Lord open the Eyes of them that deny them, Isaac Archer.

Now, thou having thus far Countenanced F. Bugg, and approved of his Writing a∣gainst us, as a People (who are commonly called Quakers) Please to Consider how far his Injurious Work of Envy and Contention against us; and the Consequences of it may Affect thy Self and thy Reputation. And therefore, for thy Information and Caution, I hereby give thee a short Recital of some of F. Bugg's Notoriously False Charges a∣gainst the said People, called Quakers, where he chargeth them,

1. With denying Jesus of Nazareth.

2. Contempt of Holy Scriptures.

3. Calling us Perjured Persons for our Negative Testimony against his so charging us; and thereupon acting his Mock Trial, forging our Answers, and Erecting the

form of a Pillory, and therein Scandalizing divers Citizens and Tradesmen in and about London, as Perjured Persons (tho' Persons of good Repute and Credit, better than himself) thereby Affecting not only their Christian, but Civil Reputations.

4. Contempt of Governours, and being against Magistracy in Principles, he also Charges upon the said People, giving them these Characters, viz. New Rome, Rome's Sister, the Papists their Brethren, and that they follow the Steps of the Jesuits.

5. Terming one of their approved Mini∣sters, one of her chief Cardinals (i. e. New Rome's.)

6. Our Declaration to the King and Parlia∣ment, for the Holy Scriptures being given by Divine Inspiration, he renders Deceitful and Contrary to our Belief, and to serve a Turn.

7. He Accuses the said People, with revi∣ling Christ's Ministers,* 2.1 under∣valuing Christ's Death & Suf∣ferings [all which is expresly contrary to the said People's Faith and Principles.]

8. Terming the said people, Black-Guard of Lyers, Impudent Imposters, Cowards, Hor∣rible Blasphemers, Wretched Imposters, and such as Simon Magus never exceeded, cum multis aliis, &c. With many more such like gross Calumnies and Raileries are Bugg's Malicious Books stuft with; all to render us Odious and Obnoxious in the Eye of the Government and Nation, for which the

Righteous God will Judge him and his Abet∣tors, for such his Intolerable and Mischie∣vous Attempts.

Please to observe, that tho' F. Bugg by his Partial Picking Words and Broken Sen∣tences out of some Ancient Books of George Fox, Edward Burrough's and Isaac Penington's, he would seem thereby to Colour such his false and erroneous Charges before cited, and Fallaciously cast them on a whole Body of People; yet the same Books of theirs in other Passages explanatory and more plain, do clear them and their Principles, as to their sincerely owning Jesus of Nazareth, highly Esteeming the Holy Scriptures, truly owning Magistracy; and so far from Pope∣ry as that they were in their Day true Wit∣nesses against it, and against all Idolatry and Superstition, and that our Declaration to the King and Parliament, for the Holy Scrip∣tures being given by Divine Inspiration, was sincere on our parts; and, in the sight of God, according to our Belief and Principle, as by many of our Books and Testimonies is Evinced; as also that we highly Esteem and Value Christ's Death, Sufferings, and Sacri∣fice for the Reconciliation of Mankind unto God; as by the Harmony and Concurrence of our publick Testimonies and solemn Confessions(which have been Extant for many Years) is clearly and fully Demon∣strated, * 2.2 whatever F. Bugg and his Abettors have Maliciously Suggested to the contra∣ry

against us, whose work of deadly Ma∣lice and Persecution therein does not only affect our Christian and Civil Reputation, but the Civil Government, under which we Live (and with true Gratitude) enjoy our present Liberty in the Exercise of our ten∣der Consciences towards Almighty God, in point of Worship: For,

1. Bugg's Rendering our said Declaration to the King and Parliament (for the Divine Authority of the Holy Scripture) deceitful on our parts. This is to go about to Invali∣date and Destroy a Principal Condition of our Present Liberty, and to confront the Government's acceptance of our said De∣claration.

2. Bugg's Unjustly and Maliciously Re∣presenting the said People, called Quakers, under these Black and Odious Characters, of New Rome, Rome's Sister, and as Bre∣thren to the Papists, following the Steps of Je∣suits, &c. And Consequently no better nor other than Papists. Whereupon I ask thee these Questions, viz.

1. Does not this greatly tend to gratifie the Popish Interest (by his thus Magnify∣ing of it, far bigger than 'tis) and to lessen and injure the Protestant Interest, and con∣sequently to Contradict the Government, which has been pleased Legally to Recog∣nize us as Dissenting Protestants.

Q. 2. What Ingenuity, Honesty, or Pru∣dence hath Bugg, or you his Abettors, shewn

in thus Representing such a Body of Pro∣testant Subjects, as being Papists?

Q. 3. What Regard or Respect to the present Government have you therein Ma∣nifested?

Q. 4. What Care of the Protestant Re∣ligion or Interest therein, has appeared on your parts?

Q. 5. And what Reputation, Credit, or Honour to thee will thy Approbation of Bugg's writing against us be; when further Exposed, to be taken Cognizance of by Per∣sons under higher Circumstances than thy self, or thy Agent?

Q. 6. Whether Bugg's Contradicting the Government's Recognizing us by Law, as Dissenting Protestants, by his defaming us as Papists, &c. be not Seditious in the Nature and Tendency thereof, as tending to stir up Strife and Variance amongst Protestant Subjects, and consequently to divide and wea∣ken the Interest of both King and Peo∣ple?

Q. 7. Concerning Bugg's Assuming a Power as a Judge, and in his own Name to Try, Examine, Sentence, and Condemn Ci∣tizens and Tradesmen, &c. as Perjured Per∣sons to the Pillory; and that in their Absence too, and some of them Persons he never knew; and, in his Mock Tryal, Forging, false Answers in the same Persons Names, and then Erecting the Form of a Pillory, with Twelve Effigies in it to Ridecule the

Persons thus Condemned and Scandalized by him, and the word [Perjury] set over them in the Middle.

Now we Query of thee, and others his Approvers, whether such his Proceeding be Warrantable, either by the Law of God or Man?

Q. 8. Whether it will be for the Honour of your Church and Clergy, for thy self or any of you, to Encourage such a Malicious Agent in his Scribling for you, to abuse an Innocent People?

Q. 9. And seeing F. Bugg has thy Appro∣bation? I ask thee, If thou Approvest of this his Doctrine, viz. It was not Jesus Christ for whom the Body was Prepared, Is was not Jesus Christ that came in the Flesh; but the Word? New Rome Arraigned, A∣pol. Introduction, p. 3.

'Tis not unknown to many Witnesses here, how earnestly and fairly I have En∣deavoured, and made divers Overtures for a Meeting in this City with F. Bugg, with others of my Friends (whom he hath Scanda∣lized with his Pillory, as aforesaid, as Per∣jured Persons) even since his last coming to London, and that before a few Disinterested Persons, and we followed him with divers Letters and Challenges for a Dispute, and for Satisfaction for the Injury he has done us by notorious Scandal and Defamation; and the more, because he pretended he came 60 Miles to London to accept of my Printed Chal∣leng,

amd had waited for an Engagement (as he alledged) near Three Weeks,* 2.3 Yet for all this, when closely put to it, he shifted and protracted time, with his Variety of Dila∣tory Terms, one while to refer Matters in Controversie to Ministers of Different Per∣swasions, to be left to their Decission, which was to Impose an Implicit Faith upon us, by giving away our own aforehand; ano∣ther while he was for Preingaging us to Subscriptions. For Conditional Retractions (which shewed his Impertinent Triffling) another while, for meeting and debating Matters before Disinterested Persons, which last we did not Refuse, but endeavoured to fix him thereupon and gave him Liberty to choose Three or Four Persons to be his Ad∣vocates, who he pleased, and we Appointed a convenient time and place in London for such a Meeting, and gave him Challenge, and two Days Notice thereof aforehand, where divers of us, with several Disinte∣rested Persons for Witnesses, met and wai∣ted several Hours: Yet F. Bugg came not, for all his Boasting aforehand, so that his shameful Shifting and Evasion, both then, and before, was Notorious; and we expect no fair Dealing, Satisfaction or Right from him, but Malicious Scribling, which, we are Satisfied, no Ingenious Impartial Men will give Credit to; however I thought meet to give thee notice of his Malicious Work.

1. Because he is one of thy Flock.

2. Because thou hast Apparently Abetted him in his Persecuting and Disturbing our Meeting at Milden-Hall, as aforesaid.

3. Because thou hast given him thy Ap∣probation of his writing against us, of which he has Recited an Abridgment in his most Scandalons Book, New Rome Arraigned, Epistle to Ber. p. 12. Being on the Back∣side of his Pillory.

4. Because F. Bugg pretends thou art not alone in thy Approbation, but another Di∣vine of the Church of England has also writ∣ten to him (i. e. in his Commendation) as having done a most acceptable piece of Service to his Country, in Vnvailing of the Falshoods, Errors and Hypocrisies of the Quakers; and withal saith, he hath divers other Letters of the same Import, both from Conforming and Nonconforming Ministers.

Now these are to acquaint thee, That we knowing F. Bugg's Gross Abuses and Scandals are in their own Nature Intoller∣able, and thou hast thus far concerned thy self in his Approbation, and we can have no reasonable Satisfaction from him. By all our fair and reasonable Endeavours we do not intend to lye under his foul Calum∣nies. But I am persuaded, the Cry will be yet louder, and the Complaint ascend high∣er against him and his Abettors therein, and am apt to think, it will affect thy self, and not tend to thy Honour or Reputation,

if thou dost not put a speedy stop to his Malicious Scribling and Printing against us, or at least give publick Testimony (of thy dislike) against him, if he refuse to desist, when Admonished. Take this as my cau∣tion to thee; So I expect to hear from thee whether thou will make use of thy Interest and Endeavours to put a stop to his Malici∣ous Proceedure, that we may not be further Persecuted, Scandalized, and Rendred Ob∣noxious to the Government by this Scorn∣ful Malicious and Self-Contradictory Agent, whom the Just God will Reward according to his Works, with all his Approvers and Abettors,

From thy Friend and Well-wisher, Geo. Whitehead.

Thou mayest direct to me in Devonshire-Street, with∣out Bishop's gate, London.

Notes

• * 2.1

  Added and Contemning his Magistrates.
• * 2.2

  ☜
• * 2.3

  Quakers Viu∣dication, p. 4.