An anti-christian conspiracy detected, and Satan's champion defeated being a reply to an envious & scurrilous libel without any name to it, called, Work for a cooper : being also a vindication of my book, entituled, The antiquity of the Quakers ... / by me Thomas Wynne.

TO THE READER

Courteous Reader;

SInce it hath fallen to my Lot, for my love to be requited with Hatred; its my satisfaction that I gave no Cause, but that in Obedience to di∣vine Requirings I put my Candle on a Candlestick, and my Talent (although but small) to the Bank; but what Reception into the World it hath had, hath been such as was fore-told by my dear Lord and Master Jesus Christ, who said to his Disciples, They shall speak all manner of Evil against you falsly for my Names sake; and its so now truly come to pass in our day, as in this particular may plainly appear in my following Reply; wherein I have consider∣ed what I conceived to have any seeming weight against my Book, and in general have vindicated my Book, my Friends, and the glorious Truth which we profess, from my Adversary's false Charge, who hath dealt with me as the Spanish Inquisitors did by the Protestants, they clothed them in their Sambenitoes, viz. Garments upon which are painted the shapes of Devils, that the Dogs might the sooner fasten

on them and worry them; even so hath he, as may be seen by the Picture he hath put to front his Libel; if he excuse himself, that he crown'd it with a Windmil, which might stave them off; yet that he was not altogether without a Patern, is very evi∣dent; for if we look back but until the time of our Master Christ Jesus his Appearance in the Flesh, we may find how they mocked him, John 19.2. you may see how they plated a Crown of Thorns, and put it upon his Head; and Pilate (as a fit President for the Libeller) said, Behold the Man! thus all who are moderate may see how his Tribe used our dear Lord himself; therefore I may conclude, he hath dealt with me but in imitation of them, and hath only shewed, that he hath not degenerated from the Nature of his Predecessors; for in imitation of his Patrons, he blazens it with a Whip and Whip∣ping Post in it, as thou mayest see in the second page of his Libel, which were enough of it self to manifest him to all men to be neither a Christian, nor true Protestant; for Christ would not have Fire come down from Heaven to destroy Enemies, much less treat his Friends with such Cruelty, who in pure Love visited the Children of Men, to turn them from their Evil Wayes. My Adversary in this his ungodly Work doth not resemble CHRIST and his FOLLOWERS, but is BONNER and GARDNER like; which had he been in their time, could hardly have wanted an Office: And certain it is, that this was not the Method of the true Protestant Reformers; he might then well

conceal his Name, when he would concern him∣self in so detestable a piece of Absurdity, since that most of his Matter was Lyes made at home, and his Book a Bell to Ring them abroad; and it will neither in this World, nor that to come, turn to his Credit, neither to the Priests, nor his other Be∣nefactors, who gathered him Money to Print it; for at the great Tribunal, Christ Jesus will not fear to tell them, It was WORK of INIQUITY; for said he, Inasmuch as ye have done it to one of the least of these my Brethren, ye have done it unto me.

And whereas there is a great deal of Dirt in his Book, which he chargeth on Friends as Matter of Fact, which I have not in particular Replyed to, they being Abominable Lyes and Slanders; as in page 6. he sayes, They can, like the Blasphemous Muggleton, fix Woes or Joyes, a Blessing or a Curse Everlastingly to all Eternity. And in page twelve, among a great many horrid Lyes, he telleth of some did endeavour to obtrude, that they could fore∣tell to a Minute the Last and Dreadful Day of Judg∣ment; and could heal more Diseases than All the World could possibly need Help for: with very ma∣ny more Wicked Lyes up and down his Book, which neither he, nor the Most Envious of our Adversaries, can ever prove against any TRUE QUAKER.

And as for his calling my Friends Vile Wretches and Coxcombs, and many more ill Names, and me Charon and Ferryman of Hell, and much more Ill

Language, I pass by, knowing that God will re∣buke him, and plead the Cause of the Innocent, therefore I have kept close to what was Matter of Doctrine in it, hoping that to the meanest Capa∣city, who will be single, that I have cleared my Self, my Book, God's Truth and People; and manifest∣ed his to be grounded on a Foundation that is Sandy, and will not stand when our God shall make a full Examine of the Matter contained in it.

Thomas Wynne.