The Quakers set in their true light in order to give the nations a clear sight of what they hold concerning Jesus of Nazareth, the Scripture, water baptism, the Lords Supper, magistracy, ministry laws and government / historically collected out of their most approved authors, which are their best continuing books from the year of their rise, 1650 to the year of their progress 1696 by Francis Bugg, senior.

SECTION I.

THe first rise of Quakerism was in the year 1650. For George Fox coming to Derby, and going into the Church to disturb the Minister, was by the Justices committed to Prison, for that and his other blasphemous principles; and to this agree Edw. Burrough's Epistle on the front of Geo. Fox's Great Mist. &c. And this Justice Bennet was the first that ever call'd them Quakers: This I can prove by other Books, but you may read it in Geo. Fox's Journal, p. 32. to 40. And that it may plainly appear with what principles the Quakers came into the world withal at their first entrance, you may read a Copy of the Warrant, by which they were justly imprisoned, viz.

To the Master of the House of Correction in Derby.

We have here sent you the Bodies of Geo. Fox and John Fretwell, brought before us this day, and charged with the avowing, uttering and broaching divers blasphemous opini∣ons, which upon their examination before as they have confessed: These are therefore to re∣quire you forthwith upon sight hereof, to receive them the said G. Fox and J. Fretwell into your Custody, and them therein safely to keep, during the space of six months, without Bail or Mainprize, or until they shall find sufficient security to be of the good behaviour, or be thence delivered by order from our selves. Hereof you are not to fail.

Given under our Hands and Seals this thirtieth day of October, 1650.

• ...Ger. Bennet.
• ...Nath. Barton.

I was once minded to have set forth more particularly what principles they came into the world withal, as I find them, even by the Quakers themselves, put forth in a Book stiled Saul's Errand to Damascus, p: 1, 2. which, tho they have in the same Book pretended to answer the said Petition, yet I do posi∣tively affirm that their said Answer looks more like a Confession than a sin∣cere Denyal: As also the said Petition and their pretended Answer, being, with other their Time-serving Treacherous principles, fully spoken to, in that excellent Book lately put forth by a Divine of the Church of England, entituled, The Snake in the Grass; or Satan transformed into an Angel of Light: Dis∣covering the deep and unsuspected subtilty, couched under the pretended simplicity of the principal Leaders of the Quakers, Printed for Charles Brome, at the Gun at the West End of St Pauls, 1696. containing about 600 pages; insomuch that should I write after him, to shew their facing about to every power, even as the Weather-cock, sometimes for the Parliament, sometimes for the Rump, sometimes for the Committee of Safety, sometimes for the Council of State, and then for Monarchy; and to shew their encouraging Oliver against the Royal party, it would be like lighting a candle at noon-day: Their tempo∣rizing

being so excellently set forth in the said Book, yet that the World may see with what principles they prest into the world, against all Rule, Law and Government, I may transcribe the said principles; because by what follows it may be seen what foundation they went upon, which was under pretence of magnifying the Light in themselves, to deny Jesus of Nazareth, to under∣value his death and sufferings, contemn his Laws contained in the holy Scri∣ptures, despise his Ordinances, revile Magistrates, reproach Ministers: In a word, they not only by these principles hereto annexed, but by their whole proceedings, have not only verified what I have already said, but manifested their principles to be Antiscriptural, Antimagistratical, Antichristian, unrea∣sonable and irreligious. An Abstract of the said Petition is as followeth. Saul's Errand to Damascus, &c. p. 1, 2.

To the Right Honorable the Council of State, the Humble Petition of several Gentle∣men, Justices of the Peace, Ministers of the Gospel, and People within the County of Lancaster.

Humbly sheweth,

THat Geo. Fox and James Nailer are persons disaffected to Religion, and the wholsom Laws of this Nation, who have broached opinions, tending to the destruction of the Relation of Subjects to their Magistrates, Wives to their Husbands, Children to their Parents, Servants to their Masters, Congre∣gations to their Ministers; particularly,

1. Geo. Fox professed that he was equal with God.

2. He professed himself to be the eternal Judge of the World: (meaning the Light in him.)

3. He said he was the Judge of the World: (still with the same Inuendo I suppose.)

4. He said he was the Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the Life: (still meaning the Light: This I can prove from his Writings extant amongst the Quakers.)

5. He said, that whoever took a place of Scripture and preached from it was a Conjurer, and his preaching Conjuration: (this is frequent in the Quakers Books, yea, an approved piece of Doctrine.)

6. He said the Scripture was Carnal: (yea, Death, Dust, Serpents meat, Beastly ware, the Husk; this G. Whitehead hath vindicated.)

Thus much respecting Geo. Fox: what is relating to Ja. Nailer is spoken to in the recited Book, The Snake, &c. But G. Fox being their great Apostle, and the founder of Quakerism, I was willing to set down the principles upon which he set up, and for which he was imprisoned, as you see: And the ra∣ther because Geo. Whitehead and his followers have published a Journal of his Noble and Ignoble acts, of his disturbing Ministers, of magnifying himself, of his pretended Miracles, and other deluding Charms; on purpose to bewitch the people, like Simon Magus, his Predecessor. Wherefore in this contest there can be no Neuters: if God be God, serve him; if Baal, serve him; who can

have patience to see the Name of God thus openly Blasphemed? he that can is no Christian; he has not zeal for God, nor love to the souls of men: The Papists will not have the Pope called Antichrist, nor spoken disrespectfully of; the Turk will not hear Mahomet blasphemed; as we are Christians let us stand for Christ, and the Christian Religion. I have read how dangerous it is to foster Hereticks, and shall England now become a nursery of Quakerism, which spread itself like a Leprosie far and near, even to Nations beyond the Seas? And therefore since G. Whitehead, &c. have printed the Acts and Mo∣numents of Geo. Fox, which the poor silly ignorant Quakers run a whoring af∣ter, as the Idolatrous Israelites did after the Golden Calf, I am zealously con∣cerned to unmask the head of this Foxonian Tribe of Quakers, (i. e.) G. Fox; and in a remembrance of what I was once my self, and that for many years, I can do no less: And in this short Treatise I shall shew how Geo. Fox resem∣bleth Simon Magus and Ignatius Loyola, for the tree is known of the fruit.