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.

Observation.

The Observation I make is this, that your Friend Burroughs Doctrine is per∣fect Ranterism, and that by the Doctrine of William Pen too, A brief examination of Lib. Spiritual, &c. per W. P. p. 3. For it is a dangerous principle, and pernicious to the true Religion, and which is worse, 'tis the root of Ranterism to assert that nothing is a duty incumbent upon thee, but what thou art perswaded (or convinced) is thy duty. Again p. 11. The enemy is at work to scatter the minds of friends by that Loose Plea, what hast thou to do with me, leave me to my freedom, and to the Grace of God in my self; this is a deviation from, and a pervertion of the antient principle of truth; if any one shall say I see no evil in paying Tythes, I see no evil in marrying by a Priest, I see no evil in keeping my Shop shut upon the worlds holy days, and Christmas days (and fast days) which is confusion it self, &c. I say my Observation is this: the Quakers will im∣pose as an indispensable duty an absolute conformity to their orders, to their laws, to their canons and decrees; and if any plead to stay till they be con∣vinced of the reasonableness of their commands, this is Ranterism, yea down∣right Ranterism, altho it be to pay Tythes which the Law commands, to ob∣serve such days commanded by Authority, and which, as such, the Scriptures enjoyn, which say, be subject to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake, &c. But to obey the Scripture commands, as such, that's no obligation (by Wm. Pens doctrine) unless a man be convinced thereof, or unless he have the command anew, and as immediately as the inspired Apostles and Prophets had; see my Book de Christiana Libertate, &c. p. 30 to 45. where the Quakers imposition about things of indifferency are at large handled.

But Mr. Faldo tells the Quakers (and I think not without good reason) that this Doctrine of the Quakers springs from such a pernitious principle as carry all iniquity in the womb of it, &c. But as W. Pen desires, beseeches and begs, that I should for once do a poor [deluded] people right, so I will answer his request, and the way to do it is, to set down Burroughs Doctrine, and W. Pens Answer, at least so much of it, as carry the strength of his argument, viz. Bur∣rows Works, p. 47. That is no command from God to me, what he commands to another; di•• any of the Saints which we read of in scripture, act by the command which was to another, not having the command to themselves.

Whereas from the recited Doctrine of Burroughs, Mr. Faldo charges the Qua∣kers to teach, that no commands in Scripture, as such, are binding to us; which he accounted as such a pernicious principle, as carried all iniquity in the womb

of it, &c. to salve which, pray hear Mr. Pens answer, To this, saith he, I an∣swer briefly and plainly; no commands in scripture are any further obliging upon any man, than as he finds a conviction upon his conscience; otherwise men should be ingaged without, if not against conviction; a thing unreasonable in a man.

Now I cannot see how W. Pens argument can answer the end proposed, since 'tis very hard for the Quakers, nay impossible, to be convinced of the reasona∣bleness of their obedience to Scripture commands, as such, if they adhere to the Quakers Doctrine, and names of contempt they frequently cast upon it, First for names, viz. Beastly ware, carnal letter, the husk, dust, death, serpents meat; some of it spoke by the grand Impostor, some by wicked Men, some by true Prophets yet false, some by wise and good Men, yet either ill applied or ill expressed: And that whe∣ther Moses or Hermes was the first Penman remains a question, &c. I say here is no ground to hope, that these Teachers will ever convince their Hearers of their duty of obedience to Scripture commands, as such: Again, that the people may as well burn the Scriptures as their Books. Again, If ever you own Christs and the Apostles, you will ever own our Writings, (say the Quakers) which are given forth by the power and spirit of God. Again, What is spoken from the spirit of him in any, is of as great authority as the Scriptures and Chapters are, and greater; and very much to this effect, as in this Treatise, as also in New Rome Arraigned, is plain∣ly proved from the Books of their Teachers of greatest note: Insomuch that there seems no possibility for the conviction of their followers (who adhere and believe such doctrine) of their duty of obedience to Scripture commands, as also may appear from their practice, as for example Christ said, go teach all nations, bapti••ing, &c. do this in remembrance o•• me, &c. here is two positive commands which the Quakers have quite thrown off, upon their principle, that no commands of God which he commanded to others are binding; now un∣less they have a command from God, as the Apostles had, at least until (as Pen saith) they are convinced 'tis their duty to obey; which is impossible, if they tell them, 'tis Conjuration to preach out of the Scriptures, that they are beastly ware, serpents meat, dust, and deaths, &c.

Again hear what one of their most noted Teachers says, A Musick Lecture, &c. p. 35. Where they (the worlds people) are, I was, in performances, in ordi∣nances, in hearing, in reading, in prayers, and fasting; but when I came to bend my mind to that of God in me, (viz. Quakerism) I durst not give God thanks for the Victu∣als set before me, &c. And the reason is plain; he not having the same com∣mand the Apostles had; for if Scripture precept had been binding, he had not only the command, but example of Christ and his Apostles; and the like may be urged for their disobedience to the Laws of the Land, particularly about Tythes, which W. Pen and the Quakers make criminal in their hearers to pay, as likewise to shut up their Shop-windows on Fast days commanded by Autho∣rity, these are made capital sins in the hearers. But for non-submission to their own humane inventions, they charge them with Ranterism; thus have they (like their Predecessors the Pharisees, who strained at a Gnat and swallowed a Camel) made void the commandments of God, and precepts of the Gospel of none effect by their tradition. Thus 'tis apparent that this Doctrine, That

no commands of God in Scripture are any further obliging upon any man than he finds a conviction upon his conscience, is so pernitious, that it carries all iniquity in the womb of it: And that this position opens the Flood-gates to all error, atheism, impiety and wickedness; for if conviction be all the ground of obedience to the commands of Scripture, and that no man until he is convinced that he is obliged to obey the commands of God laid down in the Scripture; then all rational Laws, Orders and Governments, both divine and humane, are over∣turned; and from the date of this position a stop is put, so far as 'tis received and imbraced, to all Religion and Piety towards God: and upon this bottom, as their principal foundation and corner stone, the Quakers first rose in the North, breaking all Law, Order and Government, disturbing the Ministers in their Churches, and all other Societies; for they were not convinced that they ought to obey Magistrates, nor their Laws; and how far they still re∣tain this principle this Treatise will shew: (tho I grant for self-ends they are somewhat reformed, and to maintain their Grandeur, their Trade, and to get into the favour of the Government, that in time they may come to be Justices of Peace) For it is certain that this position, together with their other doctrine, take away and rob the Scriptures of their divine Authority, leaving all loose and uncertain; and where this doctrine will end, were it generally embraced, God only knows: for the Quakers conscience being hardened by the Doctrine of their Teachers, against the Ordinances of Jesus Christ, Obe∣dience to the Laws of the Land; the Papists, the Jesuits, the Turks, the Arians, the Socinians, the Antitrinitarians, all may as well plead to be left, whether to obey Scripture commands as the Quakers; and the Hearers of them all, in all probability, as like to be convinced by their Teachers, as the Quakers, &c. who yet at the same time injoyn their Hearers not to pay Tythes, not to marry unless they publish their intention before their Womans Meeting, not to marry by a Priest, not to shut up their Shop on a Fast day, but to keep it open in Testimony against the command of the Magistrate and his Autho∣rity, and a hundred things more; and for non-submission to these injunctions there must be no plea, nor liberty given, nor forbearance, until conviction; but the Scripture commands are not, say they, obliging, unless a man be con∣vinced, &c.