A snake in the grass, caught and crusht, or, A third and last epistle to a now furious deacon in the Church of England, the Reverend Mr. George Keith with some remarks on my former epistles to him, especially that against plunging in baptism / by Trepidantium Malleus. Trepidantium Malleus. 1700 Approx. 34 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 13 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2005-12 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A67845 Wing Y87 ESTC R25218 08794215 ocm 08794215 41866 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. A67845) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 41866) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1272:18) A snake in the grass, caught and crusht, or, A third and last epistle to a now furious deacon in the Church of England, the Reverend Mr. George Keith with some remarks on my former epistles to him, especially that against plunging in baptism / by Trepidantium Malleus. Trepidantium Malleus. Keith, George, 1639?-1716. 24 p. Printed for John Marshal, London : 1700. Reproduction of original in the British Library. 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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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Society of Friends -- Controversial literature. 2005-05 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2005-07 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2005-08 Mona Logarbo Sampled and proofread 2005-08 Mona Logarbo Text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-10 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A SNAKE in the GRASS Caught and Crusht . OR A Third and Last Epistle to a now furious , DEACON in the Church of England , The REVEREND Mr. George Keith , WITH Some Remarks on my former Epistles to him , especially That against Plunging in Baptism . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Pythagoras . By Trepidantium Malleus . LONDON : Printed for John Marshal , at the Sign of the Bible in Grace-Church-Street . 1700. A Third and Last Epistle to Mr. George Keith . Reverend Sir , WHEN Men Dethrone their Judgments , and Reason , and put their Humours and Passions in their Place , no wonder if they run as a Coach and Horses that have lost their Guide or Charioteer , here and there ; every where , and no where : Such cannot only castrate Authors , but make Legions for Histories ; and like Pioneers of Rome , call for Fire from Heaven , but fetch it from Hell. This you will grant , some Bapts have lately done ( vulgarly Anabaptists ) : They have employ'd a Socinian to Argue , and a worse to Rave ; this Fire , all the Water in which such are plung'd , cannot quench . But no wonder , when D. Russel was not ashamed to put Blessed Calvin in such a Hue and Dress , as if an incatnate Devil ; and put not only Castellio , that rank Arminian , that call'd Solomon's Canticles a prophane Book ; but Servetus himself , that call'd the Trinity a Cerberus , in such glorious Array , as if a terrestrial Angel ; for this was he burnt , not for being an Anabaptist . Felix quem faciunt ▪ I am charg'd with a Notion never known before ; That Baptizo signifies not once to Plunge in all the New Testament , tho so many Criticks say the contrary . 1. These Criticks say with me , and others , the Word signifies other ways , of washing too . So Leigh , who is instar omnium , and cites for me , Mat. 3.11 . What say you to this Bapts ? now if you leave them in one thing , why not I in another ? 2. Bernardus non videt omnia . They were fallible Men. Rhegius the famous Man of France , whose Life , Clark in his blundering way , hath written , found out the right Construction of Ovid. Nam vos mutastis & illas . Tho so many Generations before mistook it . M. Mead discover'd the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be the Doctrine , not of Divels , as we read , but Mediators , call'd by Hesiod and others , Demons . That the Genitive was not of the Efficient , but Matter : All now yield to this true Discovery , tho' New , I might name New Discoveries , as in Philology , Divinity , so in Philosophy , particularly the Ingenious Esquire Boyl . 3. Yet this Discovery was not mine ; I gave another the Honour of it , who since , I find had it from other Authors before his time . I confess I was the first Man that gave 'em the Name of Bapts , which , no doubt , will continue . The Blood of Beasts offer'd in Sacrifice , and the Water of Purification was by Pouring , or Sprinkling , not by Plunging or Dipping . John therefore that came in with his Baptism , cannot be supposed to have any Baptism but what harmonized with the Jewish ones ; we find also , not only in the Law , but the Prophets , glorious things mention'd of Gospel Times , from this Practice , Isa . 2.15 . So shall he Sprinkle many Nations . Ezek. 36.25 . Then will I Sprinke clean Water upon you , and you shall be clean . Look we farther ; when the Gospel was Planted , and all fulfill'd , how all is exprest Tim. 3.5 , 6. They were said to be saved by the washing of Regeneration ; how ? shed ▪ as Acts 2.17 . Pouring of the Spirit proves all : I am of his Mind , who said , Baptizing in Enon was so far from proving Plunging , That it disproves it . They therefore left Bathabara ; says he , because the Waters were Deep , and not so fit for Baptism ; and came to Enou , for the Rivulets there , were fit for Baptism but not Plunging . Reverend Sir , I am much importun'd to Write you a Third Epistle about your Sermons at Turners Hall , and G. Church lately Printed , but I long refus'd . 1. Because I have often appear'd for you ▪ but I am Answer'd , that matters not , This is not ad Idem . 2. Because I think I have done it already : I find but little you have said about the Liturgy , Ceremonies , and Episcopacy , but what I have Answer'd in my Apology ▪ in my Letters to Mr. Lasly , and Friendly Epistle to you . I pray look on all once again : You approved then of what I did . How came you so soon chang'd ? It would be an Abuse clapt on my Readers , to deceive them of their Time , and Money , to transcribe what they know I then wrote . 3. Because I think some things in the Sermons are too triflng and unfit for an Answer , as your Gloss on these Words . He that breaketh one of the least of these Commandments , shall be called the least in the Kingdom of God. So the Rushing of many Waters , and other Places brought for your Confusions in your Liturgy . To Cite , for Episcopacy , Psalm . 45.16 . Isaiah 60.17 . Is such playing with God ; I dare not do it with Mr. Keith , somewhat like the Exposition you gave of that Text. The dead cannot praise thee ; Those that be dead in Sin , in your Loyal Sermon Printed five Years since . I was , Sir , your Herrer in G Church ; in the Afternoon , when I came there , I saw the Reader with his Spectacles on his Nose , and both with Eyes close to the Book , thus reading Prayers to his God. No Eyes nor Hands lift up to Heaven in any praying Posture , but both as nail'd to the Book , for fear of not reading right , as if the Poor Man had not lost only the Power of Godliness , but the uery Form of it too . Many Ignorant Prophane Men in Prayer , that never send their Hearts to Heaven , send their Eyes and Hands ●twards it . Mr. Keath , let you and I talk privately ; for it would not be safe to ask you openly , whether you can believe , That the great God , the Blessed Jesus , the Holy Spirit , ●ever sent qualify'd Men for their Work ( for unqualify'd ones run before they are sent ) to read other Mens Prayers to God ? Were it not for some Penal Laws yet in force against Dissenters , I should go near to say , That for such a one to read other Mens Prayers to God , is not only as Scandalous , but ten times more so , than to read other Mens Sermons to the People ? When the Apostle tells the Church , the Gifts God gave Men , Tongues , Interpretation of Tongues , Prophesying , Interpretations , &c. Never mention'd he the poor , poor , pittiful poor Gift of Reading . When the Jewish Church was in its Swadling-Clouts , and fed with Milk , taught by many Ceremonies , God made every one of them himself , not they ; yet then there were no Forms , no Liturgies for the Priests to read , or People to hear when they came together . As weak as they were , they were not so weak . Who dares now impose under the Gospel-Dispensation , when the Church is become a Man , and much more , as of the Grace , so of the Gifts of the Spirit is now poured out . You pleading up Conformity , unhappily chose this Text , ( the best to caution us against it . ) Luke 1.6 . And they were hath Perfect , walking in all the Commandments , and Ordinances of the Lord , blamelesly . 1. Why , good Mr. Keith , were Zachary and Elizabeth commended for walking in all the Commandments and Ordinances of Men ? No , the Pharisees were severely Censur'd for this by our Lord , and so the Churches by Paul. With an in vain do you worship me . And I am afraid of you . I hope , Sir you have not lost your Senses , if you were so weak to think we had lost ours . 2. Can you charge any of us , against whom you most set your sellf at that time , with not walking in the Commandments and Ordinances of God ? Your Work lay then not with the Quakers . Zachary observ'd Circumcision , Sacrifices , &c. Not washing of Hands , Philacteries . We observe Baptism and Lord Supper , not Cross nor Surplice : No wonder . I over-heard a Clergy-man say in the Church ; your Sermon was nothing to the Text. Was it not a lovely sight to hear you declaring against Schism , who soon lept from Turners Hall , after the Sacrament receiv'd , to a publick Church ? To tell us , you were only as a Catechist there , or that the Bishop gave his Consent , is poor thin Sophistry ; what is his Lordship such a Plenipotentiary , as if all Power were given to him in Heaven , and in Earth , That he can make Schism no Schism , and Lay-mens Preaching lawful , without Ordination ? You were pleas'd to tell us , That there were no lawful Sacraments , where was no lawful Administrator . That no Man was a lawful Administrator but one Ordain'd by a Bishop , &c. That all other Churches wanted what was integral ( Episcopacy ) : I thank you , that on my Letter to you , you were pleased to leave this out in the Printed Sermon . Dared you thus to fly in the Faces of the Reformed Churches , Holland , Geneva ; and now blessed be Cod , Scotland , and other Churches who own Presbytery , and that by Divine Right ? For those Protestant Churches that have Bishops , they only preside in Synods , and out of them are as other Men ; no Spiritual Courts , &c. Such an Episcopacy , and Bishop Vsher's Episcopacy , many Presbyterians would yield to . You know Bp. Jewel , Bp. Davenant , and others ; Even Mr. Hooker himself in his Eccles . Pol. as well as honest Bishop Crofts in his Naked Truth , abhorr'd your Notions . These never thought Episcopacy of Divine Right , nor doubted the validity of Presbyterian Ordinations beyond Sea. You cannot be ignorant , That when two Scottish Ministers were made Bps. in the Reign of James the 1st . when one objected their not having Episcopal Ordination , how sharply he was reproved by a Prelate and others for his Objection ? Laud , that Semi-Protestant , talkt as you do ; he and you have but little Thanks from your own , for such bold Assertinns : If you are a Laudensian already , Sir , what will you be next ? A Cardinal's Cap was offer'd him . I hope God will keep you from the Temptation . When one talkt before the present Bishop of London at your rate , he gravely and wisely said , He was ●ot there to judge Christian Churches , These wilde Notions I have consider'd in my two fore-named Books , and there I refer ; and if you think it convenient to Reply , Answer me there as well as here . It was not long since you told the Anabaptists they were in the right about the Subject and Form of Baptism : Some are pleas'd to say , I Cured you of these Errors . Then Independency was the best Government ; but for Presbytery , I confess you never had a good Word then ; and why ? because they were not pure enough in admission to the Lord's Table : Yet gave a jump to Episcopacy ( I thought you would as soon turn to the Church of Rome . ) You are now gotten among pure Communicants : The Church was lately in the Wilderness , and you had found in the Revelations she would not come out these Thirty Years . Well , seeing the Mountain will not come to Mahomet , Mahomet will go to the Mountain . Seeing the Church will not come out of the Wilderness to you , you are gone to her in the Wilderness ( so it is ) to get her Blessing too whilst you live . You then told your Friends , Baptism was an Ordinance of Christ , but there was not an Administrator upon Earth . To be plain , I wish , That as you have long left the Quakers for talking of a Christ within , not of a Christ without ; you have not run among them that talk of a Christ without , not of a Christ within . I was not a little surpriz'd , looking lately into your Quakerism no Popery , A Book done with all imaginable Subtilty , to find you assert Perfection in the Quakers Sense and Phrases , and with Robert Barclay on 1 John 1.8 . to distinguish , aliud est peccare , aliud peccatum habere . And what I found in your Immediate Revelation , you may imagin . Are you not changed in Principles ? Had W. C. harped on these things , I had never written my Reprimand . Whoever heard you 1. Hearty in the Confession of sin to this Day ? 2 Sigh , or shed one Tear for deluding Thousrnds of Souls to Quakerism , Deism , as you now call it ? How come you to have so many good Words for the Papist in the Sermon I heard ? I am inform'd , you are desir'd to tell us where ( as you say ) Mr. Baxter said , The Sign of the Cross was no more than the putting of a Thread about a Man's Fingers , to put him in mind of what he wou'd remember . 1. Women and Children more do thus then Wise Men. 2. I remember no such Words of his , tho' I have read so many of his Books . But he declared often he could not conform here . In his Life written with his own Hand , he call'd it p. 199 a Hemane Sacrament , a Transient Image : Are not your Studies fill'd not only with Calvin's Work , but Mr. Pool's Synopsis , the Works Of Dr. Owen , and other great Dissenters , as well as our Studies with some of your Bishops Works . When , where and how got Bp. ●tillingfleet . Bp. Tillotson and other Bishops and Clergy-men , their Learning . That you talk at such an idle rate , as if the Cabalistical Notions were still working in your Head , or Transmigration of Souls , That all our Souls were in Adam's Head , as Legions of Divels in one Man ; Are you ●u●ed ●ere ? Was it proper to tell us at Turner's Hall , That you believed M. Penn and the Quakers , would find Mercy with God , notwithstanding their Errors , and yet offer to prove , they owned not one Article of the Christian Faith ; and yet that Faith in a outward Crucified Christ , was necessary to Salvation . These are Mysteries I cannot fathom , nor any Man else . 2. Is it proper to tell us what Refreshment you find at Common-Prayer ? ( Once in Quakerism ) I knew a Man that would say all Drinks were sweet to him , strong or small , fresh or dead . One said , he found great Refreshment , when he saw the King's Head cut off . 3. Was it proper to tell us of your Conversion and Change of Heart before a Quaker , and when so ? No , Sir , deceive not your self , you were no Convert when you made so light of Sin , &c. And deluded so many Thousands , and I am bold to say it without the breath of Charity , if you were not converted since , you never were cdnverted at all . 4. Was it proper so much to value your self for your Catholick Charity , and yet be so severe on a sudden on the best Reformed Churches ? Well , Sir , when you are a Bishop , or a Beneficed-Man , if Persecution came again , I will never live in your Dioces , nor in your Parish . You tell us Timothy was a Bishop . I pray how many thousands or Hundreds by the Year had my Lord Bishop ? Was Timothy's Dioces as large as the Bishop of Londons ! &c. In Ephesus most of them were Pagans ; was he the Bishop of these too ? he Drank too little Wine , and preached too often , in season and out of season to be a Bishop . These take Care of Mint and Cummin ; not of the weighty matters of the Law. Sir , if your Zeal for your new gawdy Spouse , in all her Trinklets , be such that there can be no Intimacy , I pray you there may be no Enmity . Preach Repentance , Faith , and Gospel Obedience ; and if it pleased you to decline such Frequent and sever lashing others , the Quakers themselves , as well as us in the Pulpit , consider , at your leasure , whether it be not best . Excuse my not following you at large , not only for the reasons before named ; my Referring you to my Apology , and first Frinedly Epistle to you ; but to be plain , it would be a burden too heavy for my Shoulders , to bear the Expence of all the Impresions of all my Books , were I not , of late more concise then once . I may be larger in time ; perhaps you may hear from more then one , you change often and yet Confident still ; Are the Dissenters indeed the Cause of the Prophaness of your Church , by not complaining in the Spiritual Court ? They would be angry should we tell them why we do ii not , what Man was ever Excommunicated for Drunkeness , Whoredoms , Swearing , or other sinns in the two last Reigns , or to this day , tho under a good King ? Seek to win the Quakers by kindness ; and mention not their private Concerns in the Pulper . which I ever hated to make a Place of Controversies and Contention . I am brought to this work with very great difficulty ; I desired fitter and greater Men to appear . They refus'd charging you with former Disputes against the Trinity &c. and yet declareing you ever were sound in the Faith ; so that , say they , you are if this be true , a Sound Quaker ( or unsound one if you will ) still . The importunity of my Friends hath prevail'd with me to this Third and Last Epistle to you ; I pray you , as a Wise Man , give over , your weak Pleas for your Ceremonies , as that the Saints in the Revelations appeared in white . Why have you not Crowns on your Heads and Palms in your Hands too ? If the Surplice makes you look like Saints above , what do the Black Gowns under make you like ? So that if this Ceromony represents any thing , It is the Hypocrite who is a Saint without , and a Devil inside ; or such a Whited Wall as Paul named the High Priest , o● whom he say'd , God shall smite thee on the mouth . L me ask you at parting , some plain Questions ? How wicked a thing is it to excommundcate or swear to read a Writ of excommunication , ( if occasion be ) against some of the best of Men , for Toys and Trifles ? When the Fox was set to keep the Geese , King Charles the Second a Papist , to protect your Church , you know what was done by Men that perhaps would smile to hear any talk seriously of Christ and the Life to come . What if Anabapristry had gotten the Ascendant ; were in its Zenith , were it unlawfull to withdraw , or separate , if it had the stamp of Authority ? If Presbytery were so . Could Mr. Lashly and other Episcoparians comply ? what becomes of your Plea , about the Jewish Church , if not ? How odious was it to tell the World , what Encouragement you had to come among Dissenters ? which to my certain knowledge , was a mistake ? what London Noncon Ministers ever visited you , my self excepted ? Tell me plainly , and like a Man , why not a Crosse in the brest at Prayer , with those good C●ristians as you call them of the Roman Church as well as one in the Forehead in Baptism ; with our Ceremony-Mongers in your Church ? Why not Holy-Water , to signifie the Sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus , as well as a Surplice , or Sacrum Pallium , to signifie Purity ? Or would you conform to these , if the Law require them ? If you say , No , why not as well as to those you conform too ? If you say , Yes ; what end is there of these Fooleris , or vain additions to the Divine Law ? Is this to stand fast in the Liberty wherewith Christ hath set us free ? If you say , as I hear you do ; a Surplice is no more than a Gown ; what Man should you go to your Table ( or a Place nor so sweet ) with it ? This would be accounted a Prophanation of the Holy Garment . Dare you take Ignorant , Scandalous , Sponsers in Baptism , to make them perfidious by a Humane Law. Or to say over the Graves of the greatest Atheist , Heretick , or Debauch ? you hope he is gone to Heaven . Did you ever read Acts 20.28 ▪ That you talk of Ephesus having a Diocesan ? Or know you no better an Evangelist , but to make him a Prelate ? Answer what others and my self have said of these Matters . Do you not , with a Blush , look on your late Ordination in a Chamber , without one word of Prayer to God , or Counsel to you But what was in the Service-Book ? The Bishops generally do their Work more solemnly and gravely . Was it thought any thing good enough for you ? If Cross kneeling , or other Ceremonies were lawful , but not necessary , as you all say ▪ How dare you impose them on us that think them sinful ? Read Rom. 14. Baptism shall not be administred , if the Parents consent not to , the Cross . The Lords Supper shall not be administred to the best of Men all their days , if they cannot kneel . Answer this to God another Day , if you can . You impose on Christ , as well as us , to dedicate a Child by a Humane Superstitious Signe to him . If a Book of Sports , or any other wicked Paper were to be read , would you not seek for a Distinction , to bribe Conscience ? for Conscience may be so . What will you do on the 30th of January , &c. In your Shop of false Hearts and Faces too ? A disjointed Fabrick . Put Preferment in the other Scale . Is it proper to Invite any Men into a dangerous Pest-House , by telling them they may live there ? He that consorts with Pelicans , cannot but smell of the Wilderness , &c. Was it not expedient , bottoming you Bursiness on , 1 Luke 6. To have consider'd the difference between the Jewish Church and Christian ? How far the first was National ( tho' I acknowledge I own it not to be so , in that Sense as is commonly said ) Have we one High-Priest , &c. Go then to the Church of Rome . What Church could Zacary or Elizabeth , if they separated , go into , &c. My Old Friend , but new Enemy , you have a Male ( many Males ) , in your Flock : ability of speaking aptly to God by Prayer , and to the People by Counsel in Sacraments , and other Ministerial Administrations : Offer not to the Lord a corrupt Thing , for he is a great King : Offer it to thy Governour ; see whether he would accept it : Should Ingeniou● Mr. Keith make a Speech to K. William , and in the close pray for his welfare ; would he be pleas'd to see him take out a Book and read another Mans Speech and Prayer before him ▪ VVould you , could you read the Liturgy in your Family , Morning and Evening ? I believe not : You generally approve not of the lazy Creatures , that do , ( tho they may plead that Ignorance you cannot ) : If not , tell me Sir , at parting : Can you imagin God is well pleased with that lazy , careless VVorship of yours in his own House , That you , or not only most serious Men ; but sober Men cannot be pleased with in their own ? Is this to stir up the Gift of God in thee ? Dare you to offer to the Lord that which cost you nothing ▪ If you do create me any Trouble for my Plainness , as some think you will ; I plead , you are the Aggressor , I onely the Defendant ▪ I am against any Dissenters beginning with you , if you with us , I pray give us leave to Reply and vindicate our Cause against your Charge , if not , to be plain , we will take it . If you are set already on Persecution , do your worst , I only say of my self : The VVill of the Lord be done . Tho you closed your Sermon I heard , without one VVord of Prayer to God , I will not end my VVork so with you , who , as I am inform'd , every where Preach against all Dissenters . The Lord rebuke thee . And now Mr. Deacon , let me know your Office , and how you come by it ? A Deacons Work is to take care of the Poor . Have you left the Word of God to serve Tables ? A Deacon to Preach , to Baptize , and give only one Element in the Lord's Supper , is not a Creature of God's making , but Mans , or — To Ordain ; to Preach , and not permit to do it without a License after ; what shall we call it ? You may go up and down with your Prayer-Book to Baptize , and so regenerate more then we Non-cons can do by all our preaching . For when you have mumbled out a few VVords , and Baptized a Child , he is regenerated and born of the Spirit , immediatly ; and if he die before he hath committed any actual Sin , he is undoubtedly saved . Since we are all guilty of Schism in our Meetings , when you were not so at Turners-Hall , because you had the Bishop's leave , as you pleaded : Do you think , if the Bishop gave us leave to do as we do , we were clear of the odious Crime of Schism you and your Fraternity charge on us ? If we be in danger of going , to Hell for Schismaticks , will he not have so much pity on our Souls , to speak one word to save us from endless Misery ? VVere you a Catechist , as you say , what Catechism taught you then , or who were the Children , or younger sort so taught ? You chose a Text , rais'd Doctrines , made Uses as others do to my Knowledge . This Plea was the most Non-sensical Harangue I ever heard from Mr. Keith . When you talk of the Ignorance of some Scottish Presbyterians . I pray remember Thousands of the Sons of the Church . What get you by such Stories as these you talk of ? Of a Scottish Presbyterian that Catechis'd a young Man in the Church . Q. Who made Man ? A. God. Q. Who made Woman ? A. I cannot tell , that is not in my Catechisme . Q. Who made the Deel . ( Devil ) ? A. I cannot tell . Minist . God made him . A. Did he ? I think it was the worst Days mork that ever he did ▪ Do not such Ignorant Cattle abound every where ? Seeing you , and many of your Communion often urge Mr. Baxter's Authority , or Opinion against us . I pray you consider , How in his English Nonconformity , a large Book , written since the Revolution , he tells us what manner of Saints be in your Church : He says a certain Doctor of Physick gave an Account , That Eight Hundred Persons , in such a time , dyed of the French Pox in London . Now said the Brisk Old Gentleman ; if Enquiry were made , I doubt not , there could not be found Eight of those Eight Hundred , but what were of your Church , except some good honest Women , who got it of their Husbands of that Communion . He that pretended to give an Answer to that Book , Wrote like one who understood not Five Pages in it . But what a Noise is hear ? Mr. Baxter said this , and Mr. Baxter granted that . What then ? It may be a foul , a very foul Error for all that . Mr. Baxter was neither yours nor ours . He disown'd himself to be a Presbyterian , we thank him . You that talk so much ; oh the excellency of Peace and Union , but will not part with Ceremonies for it . Consider the Story Mr. Alsop told Dr. Stillingfleet , almost Twenty Years since . They were like that Gentleman , who pretended to be at Deaths-Door for a Coy Lady that refus'd him , but she being importun'd by his Friends to accept the Gentleman , and save his Life , said let him then Clip his Whiskers . He being told this , reply'd , I will not part with one Hair of my Face for any Lady in the Land. King Charles pleas'd himself with the Story and its Application , and said Mr. A. gave a true Character of the Men he described . You see , Sir , I am not yet in the Number of your Defamers . I dare not say if George Keith , and not William Pen , had taken the Chair when George Fox dyed , we had never heard of George Kieth , the Reformed Quaker . I believe Dr. Hicks , and Mr. Lashly two strenuous Advocates for the Church of England , have reconcil'd you to Liturgies , Ceremonies , ●nd Episcopacy . They who call you Aesop , forget what a Wise Man Aesop was , and who said ; He hath made us , and not we our selves . With out a Complement , I know I yet Love you , and value you for those acomplishments God hath blest you with ? you are a Man of Thought , and if it plea●●d you to Visit , as before , you should be as Welcom● to me as ever without harping on any unpleasant String , but seeing you refuse this , and love not a Dissenter , I only say , I am sorry I have lost so good , so Ingenious a Friend , to serve whom I wolud yet ride or go far . Give over Preaching up , every where , Conformity to the vain Traditions of Men , or censuring the best of Churches : But Cry aloud , spare not , Lift up your Voice like a Trumpet , shew to the lasy Prelates and Priests , their Transgresions ; and to the Drunken , Swearing , Whoring , Members , and Communicants of the ( so Call'd ) Church of Eegland , their Sins ▪ I never doubted , but among you , on the one Hand , and the Anabaptists on the other , are found some as God like men as are in the World ; and pray , you may be in the Number , I hate the least thought of doubting any Mans Integrity or State , for his Opinion in these Matters . I dare not say , such a Man wrongs his Conscience , Sins against his Light : I did not , when I read ( or rather say'd without Book ) the Liturgy or attended on it . Neithe● may Mr. Keith , as far as I know , The Searcher of Hearts knows from what Principles , he Acts , and what ends he propounds to himself ▪ He now knows , or may know ; and Men and Angels shall know another Day . Blessed is the Name and Memory of Humble Bp. Vsher Devout Bp. Hall , Holy Dr. Connot ( and others and Zealous Dr. Hornick of whom I know extraordinary instances of Converse with Heaven ; May the Name and Memory of my Dear Old Friend Mr. Keith be blessed also . Some ask us , may a Man be saved in the Church of England ? Yes , what need then of Nonconformity ? I ask . May a man live on Barly-Bread and Water ? Yes , What need then of good Meat and good Drink ? May a Man live and go up and down London streets Winter and Summer , naked , above the Wast ? Yes , A Jacobite did it several Years , what need then of a shift or Coat , about these Parts . May a Man be in a House with them that Dye with the Itch , Small Pox , or Plague it self , and yet live ? Yes , what need then leaving that House ? Need enough , tho the Separation were call'd Schism , and forbidden by the civil Magistrate with penal Laws . I suppose you will quickly hear from others ; If from Mr. Owen , I pitty you : Consider , I pray you what he hath done above most Men , about Ordination by Presbyters , not Bishops As many Reformed Quakers have gon back again on the News of your Conformity , so I doubt more will. Are you to be made a Biship ? Have you not been already Consecrated in a Dream ? I would rather you were s 〈…〉 times then once otherwise . M 〈…〉 know the Story Bp. Latimer mentions in one of his Sermons , of a Bishop that thundered when he saw one of the Bells want a Clapper ; one pointed to the Pulpit , there is a Bell that hath been without a Clapper for two years past , provide one there . Mind not , great Sir , Toys and Trifles , with the neglect of the great Matters of the Law. The good words you have for the Papists , do the Dissenters a kindness , under your keen Censures of them . Grotius had not one good Word for Calvin ; gets up all the little Stories he could agginst him , a● Judica● , prout 〈…〉 mas , & odisti ; amas , & odisti , prout libet , &c. Nay , toucheth him as to his Morals ; when learned Papist have been his Compurgators here ; as Mr. Baxter hath learnedly , and unexceptionally proved in his Key for Catholicks , yet he had many a good word for the Catholicks ( for so he always call'd the Papists ) at last he says , That Humour or a spirit of opposition ( or words of the same import ) made some charge them with Idolatry , when they were no more guilty of it , then the Jews in looking towards the Ark , and about Transubstantiacion , he talks of Transelementation . Grotius Appendix . Are not such good Sons of the Church of England , which in her Homilies and Liturgy , charges the Church of Rome with Idolatry ? FINIS .