A word to the well-inclin'd of all perswasions together with a coppy of a letter from William Penn to George Keith, upon his arbitrary summons and unjust proceedings, at Turners-Hall, against the people called Quakers. Story, Thomas, 1662-1742. 1698 Approx. 14 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 5 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2003-01 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A61693 Wing S5755 ESTC R19987 12443275 ocm 12443275 62154 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A61693) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 62154) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 948:17) A word to the well-inclin'd of all perswasions together with a coppy of a letter from William Penn to George Keith, upon his arbitrary summons and unjust proceedings, at Turners-Hall, against the people called Quakers. Story, Thomas, 1662-1742. Penn, William, 1644-1718. 8 p. Printed and sold by T. Sowle ..., London : 1698. Reproduction of original in Huntington Library. Attributed to Thomas Story. cf. NUC pre-1956. Caption title. Signed: T. Story. Imprint taken from colophon. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Together with A Coppy of a Letter from William Penn to George Keith , upon his Arbitrary Summons and Unjust Proceedings , at Turners-Hall , against the People Called Quakers . THis following Paper is intended for an Answer to George Keith's Notice of another Meeting at Turners-Hall , the 21. of the Month call'd April , 1698. We hope that the Wise and Judicious of all Perswasions , will both Approve our past Absence from such sort of Meetings , and our not Bowing to the like Proceedings , since their Tendency being rather to Prophane than to Promote Piety and Charity , which ought to be the Chief End of all Truly Religious Assemblies : Which being said , as an Advertisement to them that Read this Paper , we now apply our selves to you chiefly , that frequent Turners-Hall on these Occasions ; since 't is for your Sakes that we are Concern'd , to take this Publick Notice of what is done there ; that it may appear to you , and such as may yet have a better Opinion of G. K. than he deserves , that we are in the Right , not to gratifie him in complying with such Publick Meetings of Strife and Confusion . And we must tell you freely , if you have any Just and Serious Regard for the Honour of Religion in general , we cannot see how you can do less than Discourage them , instead of Censuring us for declining them , and that for these Reasons following . 1. That such Meetings are rarely to Edification , when even That is intended : But these are manifestly for Abuse , and to stir up Levity and Prejudice against us ; and look more like a Bartholomew-Fair , or Stages of Buffoonry , than Religious Assemblies ; and as such , are understood and disown'd by Impartial and Sober People . 2. It is at the Instigation of a Man , who hath , of late , breathed out Revilings and Threatnings against us , since his Defection from his Ancient Principles , Practice , and Society , and is now become , not only Ungrateful , but Rude and Deceitful , as we have manifested in our Printed Answers to him , Unanswered by him . 3. He began with Printing , and there we have followed him from step to step hitherto , leaving nothing material Unanswered , which we take to be the fairer , more substantial , and edyfying Method . 4. He is a Stray to this Day , that no known Religious Party Owns or lays Claim to , that we know of ; and therefore not of W●ight enough for our Notice , after the Long-Suffering and Kind-Treatment we have exprest towards him , the Persecution we have suffered from him , and the many Books that have been written in Answer to his repeated and new-vampt Cavils against us . 5. His Offers were not , nor now is , for Meeting by Agreement of both Sides , but for one upon his own Terms : He must Summons , Dictate and Impose , Time , Place , Matter , and Judges also , or it will not do with him . 6. There could be no Reasonable and Just End proposed for such Meetings that might induce our Compliance , all Circumstances considered , since there was no Intimation of any Persons to be there , whose Tender Consciences wanted Satisfaction from us . And as for the Vindication of our selves from such Exceptions as are made against us , it hath been fully done already in our Printed Answers to him . Wherefore it must only have been to have gratified the Envy and Levity of G. K. and a few other Prejudicate Persons : And we Value Religion , our Publick Liberty , and Reputations at another rate , than to expose them after such an Ill and Trival manner . But yet again , that you may farther see what a Man G. K. is , and how little reason we have to take any more Notice of him , we Intreat you weigh these following Considerations , &c. 1. There is no need that we Defend our selves against his Charges and Exceptions , since himself has so often , and so well done it , when made by other Enemies . Pray see his Books , i. e. Immediate Revelation , &c. those against R. Gourdon , Scholars of Aberdeen , Baptists of London , and Priests and Professors of New-England and others . 2. And as he hath repeatedly Vindicated our Doctrines as Scriptural , Primitive , and Christian ; so has he Pledged his Inward Sense to Vouch for us as the People of God ; at divers times pleading his Inward Sense of God's presence with him , in maintaining our Religion as Christian , and us as True Christians , in walking up to it . After which , what is to be said for such a Man , or what-more against him , with respect to his present Practices ; For what greater Evidence of Union , Satisfaction and Concurrence can any Man give , than to declare , from an Inward Sense , given ( as he said ) by the Spirit of God , that we are the People of God ; Which he hath often affirmed . And what greater Levity and Enmity , than to run Counter to us , and to Rally and Excite all sorts of Enemies against us , for only believing and adhering to the same Principles , and Preaching the same , and no other Doctrines , than such as we Believed and Preached , when he declared he had that Unity with us , and Inward Evidence for us . 3. He has Endeavoured to render us as a People Divided , and as if the better part of us were with him , that he might expose them , the more , he chiefly strikes at , while he is Divided from us , for we know not of one in the Three Kingdoms , that was accounted in Unity with us at the time of his coming for England , ( which is now about Four Years ) that does adhere to him ; notwithstanding the Clamour and Noise he has made , and the Dust he has raised to cloud the Reputation of our Profession . 4. He Insinuates Mighty New Discoveries , to Vilifie and Debase others , and as such his Work is Entertained and Improved by some Busie and Restless Adversaries ; whereas in reality he is chiefly a Copy , not an Original , in that he says little material , but what has been said already by other Publick Adversaries , many Years ago , and as often particularly Answered : So that here is in substance , no new thing , but what our Bitter Opposers threw at us above Twenty Years past , and which is now lick'd up by G. K. and again spit out at us to his own Shame and Confusion . 5. But it seems the Force and Credit of this Pretended New Discovery , has been his Antiquity amongst us , which we say is the Aggravation of his Folly or Insincerity : For no Man of Common Sense can think , that one of his Pretentions to Learning and Religion , should be Thirty Years , in finding out what the Quakers were , or whether himself was a Quaker : Nor is it probable , That any Man in his right Mind , would Imbrace so Decry'd , so Despis'd , and so Suffering a Perswasion , as the World knows ours has been , and yet be Ignorant of what he Ioined with , Preached up , Writ and Suffered for . 6. The Two Persons Living , whom he mostly Vilifies , viz. G. W. and W. P. were his Orthodox Christians , and Dear Brethren , about Five Years past in America , and then and there he urged the Orthodoxy of their Writings , to Justifie himself ; though now he perversly pretends to prove the same G. W. and W. P. Antichristian , &c. Wonder not therefore , Reader , if we think not this Man upon Equal Terms with us , or our selves under the like Obligations to him , that we might be towards a fair Adversary , who , after our many Meetings with him , Patience towards him , and Pity for him , hath turned the Deaf Ear , and suffered his Pride , Passion , and Revenge , not only to render Fruitless all our Christian Endeavours towards him , but to become the Epitomy and very Common-place of all the Malice of our preceding Adversaries . We pray God Almighty , to make him truly sensible of that fearful Lapse he is under , and of that Mystery of Iniquity that has wrought in him , to the Overthrow of the Good State of Mind he once knew amongst us ; and which he hath ( since this grievous Revolt ) acknowledged he once Enjoyed in Fellowship with us , that so he may Repent , and receive Forgiveness for his Foul Prevarications , both with God and Man. Signed on the Behalf of those Concern'd , by T. Story . The Sustance of this fore-going Paper was delivered in Print at his Meeting at Turners-Hall the last Year ; and being sensible of the good Effect it then had with Persons Unprejudicate ; it is thought fit to Reprint it , adapted to the present Occasion . A Copy of a Letter from William Penn. George Keith , Bristol , the 16th of the 2d Month , 1698. IT is ●●me Surprise , thou should'st be unwilling , after thy many Summons and Challenges , to meet me at a Select Meeting in my particular Case , when thou seemest by thy General Letter , to propose a Select one for us All , that thou hast Summoned to appear at Turners-Hall . The Excuse thou givest , Looks to me not so Candid as might have been expected from a Man of thy pretences , since what Injury thou supposest I have done , might by the Report of such a Meeting have been Repaired , as Credibly as if a greater Number of Witnesses . For if thou art only to be Righted , as publickly as thou thinkest thou wert wronged , no less Number than what was there , if any other Persons , or Place ought to satisfie thee . But when thou callest to mind how publickly thou hast Staged and Condemned us , for the worst of Hereticks , without any Limitation of Number , or Regard to Qualifications of Persons , or our Consent at all to such a Meeting , Citing us , Arraigning and Condemning us not only Arbitrarily , but without a Copy of our Indictment ; naming to us neither the Subject of thy Exceptions , nor the Books out of which thou takest them , and less , the Passages attack'd and oppugn'd by thee . But that which augments my Wonder , is , That for all the Wrongs , thou hast or may'st Commit against me , thou thinkest I ought to be satisfied with a Select Meeting of equal Choice , in order to Right me . Now I cannot understand , why it is not as Reasonable for me to propose a Select Meeting , equally Chosen , in order to hear thy Exceptions against me , as for thee to propose such an one , after thou hast , in my Opinion , Injured me , in order to make me Satisfaction ? Is not Prevention better than the Difficulty of a Cure. But , would'st thou be willing we should chuse Arbitrators ( as thou callest them ) for thee , as thou hast done for us ? Or , would'st thou think us equal and fair ( if we were to chuse ) to pick out those that have pre-judg'd thy Case ? That believe thee Erronious , and that are of a Church that has persecuted thee , and who are of the Sentiment , if not of the Charity towards thee , that the Rattle-Snake Man is towards us . But by thy last Letter it seems to me , as if thou didst design not to have us present ; and indeed in thy former Letters also , by making the Conditions so unequal ; or , rather , in allowing us none at all , and so putting us beyond a possibility of complying with thee . For who was ever thought a fair Adversary , that refused the Persons charged any share about Time , Place , or Auditory ? Or , a Copy of the Matters to be exhibited against them ? Should we treat all sorts of Adversaries at this Rate , and every Party of Protestants one another , that have Differences , and Controversies about them ; what a state of Confusion and Strife , as well as Injustice , would the Nation be in ? But , I fear , thou car'st not what thou dost , to be revenged upon some of the People called Quakers ; and , indeed , upon all of them , and their Profession too , for their sakes , because they could not dissemble with their own Consciences , in winking at thy Proceedings ; so unlike thy former Principles and Conduct , when thou wert as good a Man , and as much thy self , as thou hast been since every jot . O , George Keith ! 't is hard for thee to kick against all these Pricks ! The Lord give thee Repentance , that through a deep and effectual Sorrow , thou may'st be forgiven thy very heinous Offences , and be restored to the Flock of God , that thou art so sadly gone astray from , if not too late . This is the fervent Desire of ( I think , I may say ) the most evilly entreated of all thy old Friends , and yet thy well-wishing Friend for all that , William Penn. LONDON , Printed and Sold by T. Sowle , next Door to the Meeting-House in White-Hart-Court in Gracious-Street , and at the Bible in Leaden-Hall-Street , near the Market , 1698.