A 
 
 LETTER 
 
 T O A 
 
 MEMBER 
 
 Of the Honourable the 
 
 House of Commons. 
 
 OCCASIONED BY 
 
 » 
 
 A Petition prefented from thofe 
 People called Quakers to that Honour- 
 able Houfe. 
 
 SETTING FORTH 
 
 The fatal Confequefices that would attend 
 both Church and States if a farther Regulation 
 of the Tithes paid by them, mould be made. 
 With a Sketch of their Defcenr, Rife and Pro- 
 gress to this Time. 
 
 _ — .I 
 
 Humbly offered to 
 The Confideration of Both Houfes of Parliament. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed for T. Cooper y at the Globe in Pater-twjler- 
 Rtw •, and fold by the Bookfellers of London 
 and fVtfiminJler. 1736, [Price 6 d.]
 
 L E 
 
 A 
 
 T E R 
 
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 T O A 
 
 Member of Parliament, &c 9 
 
 B 
 
 j^m 
 
 SIR, 
 
 'W^ EF0RE l c ? ter ^p° n the 
 
 prefent Qccafion of the fre- 
 quent Attendance which thofe 
 ^Si People, called Quakas, give 
 daily upon the prefent Par- 
 liament, I lhall give a ihort 
 Sketch of their Rife, Progrefs, and Opi- 
 nions to this prefent Time, in order to in- 
 form the Reader, how little an Occafloii 
 they have, at prefent, to appeal to Parli- 
 ament ; when they not only enjoy Liberty 
 of Confcience, as they call it ; but, in Re- 
 ality, more than any other Seel" upon the 
 Face of the Earth, 
 
 H Thofe 
 
 863891
 
 ( * ) 
 
 Thofe People, by fome called Quakers, 
 by others, Shakers (from the Violence of 
 their Fits, which commonly attend them 
 in the Height of their Doctrines) firfttook 
 their Rife in England in the Year 1651, 
 brought here by a Nobleman of Silecia, 
 by Name Cafpar Schwenckfcldius of Offing ; 
 from whom they are called, Abroad, 
 Schwe?ickfeldians t and here, Enthujiafts, 
 upon account of their Pretences to Infpira- 
 tion. 
 
 Their Doctrine is, That reading the 
 Scripture, is like reading a dead Letter ; 
 that the external Word of God, can have 
 no Effect upon us, without it works in- 
 wardly thro' the Spirit, in Infpirations, 
 Raptures, and what not, which the Soul 
 muft feel. 
 
 They likewife originally denied the di- 
 vine Nature of Chrijf, as to his being the 
 Son of God, their general Belief being on- 
 ly, that he came as a Prophet into the 
 World. 
 
 Baptifm they think intirely ufelefs in 
 regard to Regeneration, and cite a Paffage 
 in Scripture, in Defence of themfelves, 
 viz. That neither Gircumcijian, nor Uncir- 
 cumcijion, availeth any thing, but a new 
 Creature : Not confidering, as Man is 
 born in Original Sin, he ftands in need of 
 Baptifm, in order to his becoming a new 
 
 Creature.
 
 ( 3 ) 
 
 Creature. In like manner they deny the 
 Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, 
 
 They wholly reject Minifterial Ordi- 
 nances, and fancy Religion is not to be 
 tied to fet Forms ofWorlhip, but rather 
 to be quite unconfined. They, therefore, 
 when they meet in publick AiTemblies, 
 choofe firft to take fome Time in delibe- 
 rating the Subject they are to enter upon, 
 as well as to give themfelves Leifure to 
 frame their Minds into a calm and ferene 
 Difpofition ; that they may, as they think, 
 be better enabled to be guided by the Holy 
 Spirit, which, they believe, worketh in 
 them at that Time. 
 
 As all their Doctrines proceed from their 
 feveral Ways of thinking, and as they 
 judge it beneath them to be guided by their 
 Books 5 fo fome teach one Doctrine, and 
 iome another ; fome own the New Tefia- 
 ment to be wrote by Infpiration, and fome 
 deny it, juft as they are then guided by 
 their Thoughts. 
 
 And as they are, in general, Defpifers 
 of Learning, and Univerfity Education, 
 (which they pretend to take from the Dif- 
 ciples, who taught the Gofpel by Dint of 
 divine Infpiration, and not thro' Learning) 
 fome who have had a fmall Education, 
 and have likewife a Volubility of Speech, 
 may make tolerable Difcourfes \ whereas 
 others who have had none at all, and yet 
 
 B 2 under-
 
 (4) 
 
 undertake to fpeak, not only teach falfe 
 Doctrines, teaching what they underftand not 
 thewfelves, but corrupt the ordinary Clafs 
 of Mankind, who go to hear them ; altho' 
 their chief Defigo, at firif, might be out 
 of Curiofity, yet, at length, it tends to 
 poifon their Morals, and gives them wrong 
 Notions of Religion. 
 
 " They formerly praclifed Abftinence 
 €f and Self-denial, but now, of late, none 
 are prouder, and more luxurious, than 
 the Generality of them : They formerly 
 wore plain and coarfe Cloths - y now the 
 Men wear Very fine Cloth, and are di- 
 flingui flied from others only by a par- 
 ticular Shaping of their Coats, a little 
 pleated Cravat, and a flender Hat-band. 
 ft The Women, neverthelefs, wear flow- 
 ered, or fhiped, or damask'd Silks, 
 and the fineft Linen, cut and pleated in 
 Imitation of Lace ; but they wear no 
 Lace or fuperfluous Ribbons ; however, 
 they are extreamly nice in the Choice of 
 Taylors, Sempftreffes, and LaundrefFes. 
 €f Thofe of the Men who wear Perriwigs, 
 <( have them of genteel Hair and Shape, 
 (t tho' not long : They are as curious in 
 sc their Meats, and as chearful in their 
 et Drink, and as foft in their Amours, 
 <c and as much in the Enjoyment of Life, 
 <c as others. They have generally denied 
 * f the Trinity of Perfons in the One God- 
 
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 head, the Refurrection of the Body, 
 the Incarnation of Jefus Chrifi (which 
 they feem to look upon as a Figure) 
 the Locality of Heaven and Hell, and 
 <c many other Catholick Tenets." So far 
 has the late Mr. Chambet/ayne hinted in his 
 Prefent State of Great Britain. 
 
 1 fhall now coniider what the Quakers 
 alledge in Defence of themielves, and their 
 Opinions. 
 
 If you ask them of how long Standing 
 their Profeilion has been, and from whence 
 their Doctrine came, and upon what Au- 
 thority the Women are allowed to teach 
 as well as Men ; they will tell you, They 
 take their Authority from the Woman of 
 Samaria, mentioned in the 4th Chapter of 
 St. John : Who, as they pretend, was the 
 firft Woman Teacher that was infpired by 
 the Holy Ghofl ; and that they, from that 
 Time, have a Right to lay Claim to the 
 Gift of Infpiration. 
 
 So that they count Quakerifm, or a free 
 Infpiration of the Spit it, as derived from 
 that Time, to be the ancienteft in the 
 World, next to the Jczvifh Religion. 
 
 They likewife, in all their Arguments, 
 make ufe of Scripture as a Proof of the 
 Soundnefs of their Doctrine : And, as I 
 have already told you in the Cafe of the 
 Woman of Samaria, in like manner all 
 their Debates in Defence of their own Way 
 
 of
 
 (6 
 
 J 
 
 of Worfhip, they manage with a great 
 deal of Cunning and Subtilty j and often 
 make ufe of certain Texts of Scripture, to 
 enable them the better to undergo Exami- 
 nation, and ftrengthen their Arguments. 
 Another Inftance of which I will give, is 
 this, viz. In Defence of the moving of the 
 Spirit within them, they quote a Text of 
 Scripture, which faith, As many as are led 
 by the Spirit, they are the So?is of God. 
 Thus they mifinterpret the feveral Texts 
 of Scripture, to make them fubfervient to 
 their own Ends. 
 
 Their Way of publick Worfhip is, as I 
 have obferved, beft performed when their 
 quaking Fits are upon them ; thus pro- 
 phefied the Heathen Soothfayers of old : 
 No?i vultiiS) non color units, ?wn compta man- 
 fera coma, fed pectus anhelum, & rabie fera 
 corda tumcnt. 
 
 Who, in the Name of Wonder, that rea- 
 fons with themfelves, can think this a 
 right Way of Worfhip ! Is God to be in- 
 voked with the Turbulency, and violent 
 Pqffions, of their Spirits ? No, certainly. 
 The Spirit of God, is the Spirit of Peace, 
 Quietnefs, and Tranquility ; He is not in 
 Fire, Earthquakes, and Whirlwinds, but 
 in the foft and ftill Voice. It's not the 
 Quaking of the Body, but Humility and 
 Reverence of Mind, which he requires. 
 
 I own.,
 
 (7) 
 
 I own, I am afham'd to mention thefc 
 great Truths ; that fo much Ignorance 
 mould ftill remain in them, as to deny all 
 Minifterial Ordinances and Knowledge at- 
 tained to by Study and Induftry ; that 
 they mould ftill pretend to an inward Light 
 from the Spirit ; and that all our Learn- 
 ing got by preaching, hearing, reading, 
 or catechifing, is but notional and car- 
 nal, and hanging upon the Tree of Know T - 
 ledge. 
 
 " They blafphemoufly prate alfo, that 
 " Chrift had his Failings, and that He 
 diftrufted God on the Crofs, when He 
 cried out, My God, my God, why haji 
 thou forfaken me ? By which they over- 
 throw the Work of our Redemption, 
 which none could perform, but he that 
 knew no Sin, in whofe Lips were found 
 no Guile ; whom none of His Jewi/h 
 " Enemies could accufe of Sin * ". 
 
 They allow not Minifters to preach for 
 Tithes or Wages ; they abhor the very 
 Thoughts of it : Altho' our Saviour faith, 
 The Labourer is worthy of his Hire. And one 
 of the Apoftles likewife faith, That they 
 who ferve at the Altar, Jhould live by the 
 Altar. And if they communicate of their 
 fpiritual Things, why mould they not par- 
 ticipate of the People's temporal "Thin o-s. 
 
 The) 
 
 * See Rof?s View of all Religion:. 
 
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 ( 9 ) 
 
 They cannot abide fhidied or methodi- 
 cal Sermons, nor expounding, nor learn* 
 ing in Matters of Divinity. 
 
 Thus we fee how contentedly ignorant 
 thefe People are, who defpife fuch Helps 
 as God hath afforded us for propagating 
 the Gofpel. This puts me in Mind, the 
 Slgakers, in that Point, are not unlike the 
 Roman Catholic Priefts, who prohibit the 
 XJfe of the Bible as a dangerous Book, ten- 
 ding to puzzle and confound the Minds of 
 the common Sort of People : And, for that 
 Reafon, appoint but a few Places, here 
 and there, which they read in their pub- 
 lic AiTemblies ; and think thofe Parts of 
 the Bible fufficient enough for them, with- 
 out lludying it in private. 
 
 But, to return to the Quakers, Is it not 
 better to ftudy and premeditate, than to 
 utter, quicquid in buccam venerit, undigeft- 
 ed, immethodical, ignorant Trafh. Chriji 
 and His Apoftles expounded and opened 
 the Scriptures, and yet thefe Men reje£t 
 expounding. 
 
 They are alfo againft finging of Pfalms, 
 a Duty praftifed by Chrift, and ftriclly 
 urged by St. Paul and St. James. 
 
 They are againft Infant Baptifm, and 
 yet to Infants belong the Kingdom of 
 Heaven. 
 
 They have no fet Days for divine Wor- 
 ship, except the Lord's Day : 
 
 That.
 
 ( 9) 
 
 That is to fay, They ketp not Feafb 
 nor Fafts in Celebration or Commemora- 
 tion of any particular Time. Now and 
 then, indeed, they appoint a Meeting an 
 Evening or two in a Week ; and then, 
 or at any other Time, if the leaft Diftur- 
 bance mould be made before they begin 
 to hold forth, they then count the Place 
 defiled, and fo refrain fpeaking at all. 
 Thus it becomes a filent Meeting. But if 
 they mould happen to be teaching, and 
 there mould be the leaft Noife, they then, 
 for a while, drop their other Difcourfe, 
 and hold forth to the Authors of the Dis- 
 turbance, fetting forth to them, the Wicked- 
 nefs of prophaning the Houfe of God, and 
 disturbing God's peculiar People zealouily 
 met in Public "VVormip, and, at length, 
 perhaps, drop into a filent Meeting. 
 
 Thus you fee this Sort of People are to 
 be filenced, or made mute, by every Puff of 
 Wind. They formerly ufed no Prayer 
 before and after their Difcourfes. Now, 
 indeed, they ufe no particular Form, but 
 fay fome one of their own compofing ; 
 which fometimes is Sence, and fometimes 
 Nonfence. 
 
 Your topping fort of Quakers are 
 alliamed of the bad Orations which the in- 
 ferior fort fometimes make, and frequently 
 exclaim againfr. them in their Desks, ex"- 
 preflfing their Sorrow, that their Religion 
 
 C (lifters*
 
 (lb) 
 
 fuffers, and is fo much defpifed, by the 
 Weaknefs of fome of their Brethren ; who 
 teach before the Call or Movings of the 
 Spirit directs them unto it. 
 
 They likewife condemn fet Hours of 
 Prayer, and yet we read in the Acts of the 
 jipojlks, that the Third and Ninth Hours 
 were fet Hours of Prayer. 
 
 But by thefe wild Fancies we may fee 
 how odd, how lingular, and how Croif- 
 grained thefe People are in contradicting 
 everything, even God's Word itfelf, if it 
 agree not to their {hallow Reafon, which 
 they foolifhly call the Spirit : 
 
 But certainly their Spirit, is the Spirit 
 of Giddinefs, andlnconftancy ; with which 
 they are troubled, and thus trouble all 
 Mankind. 
 
 To reject (as they do) all outward Forms, 
 and decent Ceremonies in Religion, is the 
 intire Overthrow of Religion itfelf: Such 
 as wearing the Hat, not kneeling in pub- 
 lic Worfhip, and fuch like : For altho' 
 Religion confifts not in Ceremonies, yet, 
 without them, it is like a Man ftripp'd of 
 his Garments, rude and uncouth, having 
 no Beauty nor Comelinefs in it: And fo, 
 for want of them, lie expofed to all Injuries 
 of Weather, and Danger of Death. As 
 the Leaves of the Trees arc not the Fruit 
 thereof, and yet, without them, the Fruit 
 W'll not profper. 
 
 They
 
 ( u ) 
 
 They value themfelves very much upon 
 ufing thofe Words, Thee and Thou, and 
 affirm., they take it from our Saviour and 
 his Difciples, whom they pretend very 
 much to imitate. They are likewife to be 
 commended for being not addicted to fwear- 
 ing, ( it being a very rare thing to hear a 
 ftaunch Quaker fwear ) a Vice too much 
 praclifed in this Age. It were to be wifhed 
 all Mankind would follow that Example of 
 theirs, as to yea, yea, nay, nay ; for, as 
 they fay, what is more than that cometh of 
 Evil. 
 
 The only Reafon they can give for reject- 
 ing Univerfity Learning, is, Becaufe Chri/l, 
 and his Apoltles, were not taught in 
 Schools ; but this Opinion is ablurd and 
 ridiculous ; for Chrifi and his Apoftles 
 taught no other Divinity for the Matter, 
 than what is taught in the Universities ; 
 the Difference is only in the Manner of 
 attaining this Knowledge; that is, they 
 had it by lnfpi ration ; but we, by Study, 
 Labour, and Inftru£tion : Yet the Prophets 
 had their Schools and Colleges both on the 
 Hill of God. As you fee in feveral Places in 
 Scripture, i Sam. x. 5. After that thoujhah 
 come to the Hill of God, where is the Garrifo?i 
 of the Philiftints, and it Jljall come to pafs, 
 when thou art come thither to the City j that 
 thoujljalt meet a Company of Prophets coming 
 down from the high Place with a Pfaltery, and 
 
 C 1 a
 
 ( «4 ) 
 aTabret, and a Pipe, and a Harp before them, 
 and they Jh all prophe fie. Elijha likewife had 
 his College, 2. Kings yi. i. 2. And the Sons 
 of the Prophets f aid unto Elijha, behold now, 
 the Place where we dwell with thee is too 
 fir ait for us. Let us go, we pray thee unto 
 J or dan f and take thence every Man a Beam, 
 and let us make a Place there, where we may 
 dwell. And he anfwered, Go ye. 
 
 Thus you fee that, altho' God's People, 
 together with the Prophets in thofe Days, 
 were many times forced to hide themfelves 
 in Dens and Caves of the Earth ; yet they 
 had fome Places wherein they affemble'd 
 together, and in thofe Places the Prophets 
 educated and taught the Children of God. 
 
 They exclaim againft our expounding 
 the Scriptures, becaufe they fay, the Apo- 
 ftles expounded them : But this Conceit is 
 alfo frivolous and inconfiftent : For, to 
 what Purpofe did Chrift appoint Doclors 
 and Paftorsto continue ftill with his Church, 
 if they were not to expound Scriptures : 
 What the Apoftles briefly expounded, we 
 expound more fully : For, in their Expo- 
 fitions, there be many intricate, obfeure, 
 high, figurative Paffages which require a 
 farther Expofition. 
 
 God never revealed all this Truth at 
 one Time. 
 
 Among the Jews we read that Ezra the 
 Scribe, and the Lcvitcs, expounded the 
 
 LaWo
 
 ( u ) 
 
 Law. Chrlfi took a Text in Luke. iv. 18. 
 19. and expounded it, as likewife in other 
 Places. 
 
 The fakers are likewife againft Minis- 
 ters being called Matters : But I would 
 know of thefe Men, whether they that la- 
 bour in the Word and Doctrine, are not 
 worthy of Honour and Reverence. I 
 fhould think they are worthy of double 
 Honour, even honourable Titles, and an 
 honourable Maintenance. 5 Tis true, they 
 fhould not ambitioufly affect Honours, nor 
 ought they to reject them. Chrift was of- 
 tentimes ealled Mailer, and yet He never 
 reproved any for calling him fo. 
 
 But, 1 confefs, I cannot hold with them 
 
 in this Point neither ; nor think it requi- 
 
 fite, that all God's Minifters fhould work 
 
 in different Trades, or Callings, like other 
 
 Men, for two feveral Reafons ; firft, Be- 
 
 caufe it may fometimes be an Occafion of 
 
 finning unto them, in their Way of Mer- 
 
 chandife, and the like ; wherein every 
 
 Man is to make the moft of his Bargains; 
 
 therefore it is not requifite they mould 
 
 traffick for Gain. Secondly, ft does not 
 
 follow, that, becaufe our Saviour and his 
 
 Difciples taught for no Gain, that our 
 
 Clergy fhould do the like ; for our Saviour 
 
 faith, / have Meat to eat that ye know not 
 
 of. He could make Five Loaves, and *fe w 
 
 fmaJl Fijkes, ferve Five thoufand ; yet it 
 
 does
 
 ( 14 ) 
 
 does not follow, that our Clergy is to do 
 the like. Therefore, as I told you before, 
 as a Trade or Calling might draw them 
 into Sin, it is judged moft proper, and, f 
 think, indeed, highly reafonable, they 
 ihould have competent Maintenances 
 whsreby to fupport them. 
 
 They foolifhly fall out with the Word 
 Sacrament, becaufe not fully exprefTed in 
 Scripture : But I would know, whether 
 the Thing meant by this Word Sacrament, 
 be not found in Scripture : Where hath 
 the Scripture forbid us to call Sacred 
 Things by fignificant Terms ; They may 
 as well fay, that God is not every where, 
 that He fees not all our A&ions, or that 
 He knows not every Thing which is tranf- 
 acted upon Earth : Becaufe thefe Words, 
 Omniprefent and Omnifcient* are not imme- 
 diately ufed in Scripture. 
 
 If they are thus againft the Minifters 
 taking of Tithes, then they would not have 
 thofe who wait at the Altar, partake 
 with the Altar, which thwarts the Apo- 
 ftles Word Directly. Why fhould not the 
 Minifters of the Gofpel receive Tithes as 
 well as the Priefts under the Law in former 
 Times did. Tithes is as old as Chrifti- 
 anity itfelf, even the Priefts in Mofes Time 
 received Tithes from the People. Is our 
 Burthen then eafier, or our Calling lefs 
 defer ving ? Its too much Prefumption to 
 
 dif-
 
 ( *S ) 
 
 difcommend what Chrifi hath commended: 
 You fee in Luke xi. 42. That Chriji com- 
 mended the Scribes and Pharifees for pay- 
 ing their Tithes. 
 
 Would the Quakers then be counted 
 worfe in their Generations than them. 
 
 Is Infant Baptifm to be rejected, becaufe 
 the Scripture fpeaks not exprefly of it ? 
 You read in Ails xvi. 33. that Baptizing 
 whole Families and Nations is there men- 
 tioned, and we ought to believe Infants to 
 be included in thefe. One would think it 
 Satisfaction enough to read of their being 
 circumcifed, and admitted to Chriji, and 
 that He mould fo kindly receive them, as 
 to utter that remarkable Expreilion ;. 
 Suffer Little Children to come unto Me, and 
 forbid them not, for offuch is the Kingdom of 
 Heaven. Jeremiah, an Infant, w T as fanftified 
 by the Holy Spirit. The Hand of the Lord 
 was with John the Baptifi an Infant, and 
 he grew fir ong in the Spirit. And another 
 Place or Scripture faith, Can any Man for- 
 bid tVater, that thefe Jhould not be baptifed, 
 which have received the Holy Ghofl. 
 
 I could quote a great Number of Proofs 
 more to the fame Purpofe, but think thofe 
 fufficient to prove the Truth and great 
 Neceflity of Infant Baptifm j all thefe be- 
 ing Patterns handed down by the Apoftles 
 themfelves for us to imitate. 
 
 But
 
 ( «6) 
 
 But if thefe People called Quakers, are 
 thus fuffered to be led by their own fhallow 
 Underftandings, to pick what they pleafe 
 out of Holy Writ, and leave what they 
 dont juft approve of, they had much bet- 
 ter never read the Old and New Tefiament 
 at all; it being a great 'Thorn in their 
 Flefh, which, I am afraid, a Death-bed 
 Repentance will hardly root out. 
 
 Another very ftrange Thing in them, 
 is ; They cannot relilh David's Pfalms. 
 Thefe dull, mute Souls, are ignorant that 
 David made his Pfalms in Metre, and 
 fung them likewife. Why then may we 
 not do the fame in our Language which 
 David did in his ? Befides, did not Chriji 
 fing an Hymn ? Did not Paul and Silas 
 fing Pfalms to God at Midnight ? Doth not 
 the Apoftle exhort us to Pfalms, and Hymns ? 
 Ephes. v. and doth not St. James direct us 
 to jing Pfalms, when we would be merry ? 
 There are, in the Pfalms, as in a Store- 
 houfe, all forts of Materials for Devotion, 
 and for all Occafions. To ling a Pfalm 
 when at your Devotion is as a refreming 
 Shower after a dry Seafon, it gladdens 
 the Heart, it enlivens the Spirits, it fits 
 you to go thro' your Devotion more chear- 
 fully, and with greater Courage and Refo- 
 lution. David,- when he was in the 
 Height of his Troubles, and full of Afflic- 
 tions, chofe to fing Pfalms, which he com- 
 pofed for that Purpofe. They
 
 ( *7 ) 
 
 They make Faith and Repentance ne- 
 ceffary Concomitants of B apt if m. 
 
 This they hold to exclude Infants from 
 Baptifm, but they ihould know, that 
 though Infants have not Faith and Re- 
 pentance actually.* yet they have both in 
 Poffibility : The Seed of both are in them, 
 and the actual Faith of their Parents, fup- 
 plies the actual Defect of the Children. 
 
 Befides, Simon Magus, Alexander the 
 Copper-Syiitb, and others, were baptized, 
 who neither had true Faith, nor Repen- 
 tance > and Repentance was enjoyned to 
 Simon, long after his Baptifm, Affs viii. 
 13, 22. 
 
 And Chrifi was baptifed, who needed 
 neither Faith nor Repenta?ice. 
 
 They fay, That the Church is in God, 
 therefore God is in the Church ; for the 
 fame Reafon they may fay likewife, That 
 God is not in Heaven, becaufe Heaven is in 
 God : or, That Chrifi is not in us, becaufe 
 we are in Chrifi, Chrifi, indeed, is in us 
 as the Head, and we are in Him as the 
 Members. The Church is in God, becaufe 
 in Him we live, and move, and have both our 
 natural and fpiritual Being. God is in His 
 Church by His Afliltance, Providence, and 
 Spiritual Prefcnce: And therefore He hath 
 promifed, That where two or three are ga- 
 thered together in his Name, there He will be 
 in the Midfi of them, Matt, xviii. 20. 
 
 D Divers
 
 ( i8 ) 
 
 Divers other abfurd Opinions they main- 
 tain. <f Not to mention their horrid 
 Blafphemies, in affirming, that fome of 
 them are Chrifts, fome God himfelf, 
 and fome equal with God, becaufe they 
 have the Spirit in them which is in God. 
 They maintain, that the Scripture is not 
 the Word of God ; that our preaching 
 is Conjuration ; that expounding the 
 Scripture is adding to it, that the Letter 
 of Scripture is carnal; that the Word is 
 not the Rule to try the Spirits ; that the 
 Soul is a Part of God, and long exiftent 
 before the Body ; that there is no Trini- 
 ty ; that Cbr'tfi hath no other Body but 
 his Church ; that Chrifrs coming in the 
 Flefh was but a Figure; that all Men 
 have a Light in them fufficient to Sal- 
 vation ; that the Man, Cbrift, is not 
 <c afcended into Heaven ; that there is no 
 ec Imputation of Chrift's Righteoufnefs ; 
 « c that Prayer for Remiilionof Sins is need- 
 lefs ; that we are justified by our own 
 inherent Righteoufnefs ; that there is 
 no other Life or Glory to be looked for, 
 *' but in this World ; that there is no 
 ff local Heaven or Hell, nor Refurre£tion 
 ec of the Body ; that many of them can- 
 not fin ; that the Calling of our Minif- 
 try is Antichriftian ; that our Preaching 
 cf is altogether ufelefs ; that themfelves 
 ff are immediately called by God; that our 
 
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 worfhipping God in the Church is hea- 
 thenifh; that the Sprinkling of Children 
 with Water inBaptifm is Antichriitian ; 
 €t that we have no Sacraments ; that Da- 
 vid's Pfalms are carnal, and not to be 
 fung ; that in our Churches, which they 
 callBeafl Houfes, God is not worshipped ; 
 that Chrift came to deftroy all Property, 
 (C and therefore all Things ought to be 
 tc common ; that no Man is to be called 
 " Matter, or Sir, or to be faluted by the 
 " way ; and that one Man ought not to 
 ft have Power over another" # . 
 
 Here we fee that thefe Men defpife Magi- 
 Jlracy, rejccl the Miniflry, /light all De- 
 cency and Ordinances in Chtifrs Church ; 
 and, in a Word, overthrow, as much as in 
 them lyeth, all Religion and Piety, fetting up 
 a Babel of their own, full of Impiety, Igno- 
 rance, and Blafphemy : thefe are the Fruits of 
 the too much Liberty, and the Effetls of read- 
 ing Scripture by ignorant and malicious 
 Spirits, who, like Spiders, fuck Poifon out 
 ofthefwQetcfi, and wholefomcfl Flowers, and, 
 like mad Men, ufe that Sword of the H r ord 
 to dejlroy tkemfelves and others, which was 
 ordained to fave and defend us from our 
 Enemies. 
 
 The foregoing Confiderations lead me 
 on to quote Alexander Rofs yet farther in 
 Relation to the Ranters in former Times* 
 
 D 2 who 
 
 * See Kofs'i View of all Religions.
 
 ( *o;) 
 
 who were not far from the Quakers in their 
 Opinions ; only the Ranters acledupon the 
 Stage, by an open Profeffion of Lewdnefs 
 and Irreligion; but the Quakers within the 
 Curtain as it were, by crafty and, feem- 
 ingly, innocent Infinuations and Pretences 
 of Sanctity, and the Contempt of the 
 Things of this World. 
 
 I beg Pardon, Sir, for tiring your Pa- 
 tience with this long Account-of fuch an 
 unaccountable People ; but, before I en- 
 tered upon their prefent Defign of appeal- 
 ing to Parliament, I thought it proper to 
 fet forth their Opinions and Morals, that 
 you might, with lefs Trouble, inform 
 yourfelrof the Nature of this fantaflical> 
 jfffinecked, and ungovernable Generation. 
 
 Neverthelefs, I muft intrude once more 
 upon your Good-Nature, in reciting a 
 Quotation from a learned Author of a late 
 excellent Treatife, in order to give you 
 his Opinion of them. He fays, that fome 
 of the Anabaptifts, Familifts, Millenaries, 
 Brownifts, Ranters, Seekers, Perfeclifts, &c. 
 cemented themfelves in the People after- 
 wards called Quakers ; and dates the Rife 
 of them two Years before my Account of 
 them. 
 
 The Quakers, fays he, whofe unaccoun- 
 table Exorbitancies and Illuminations had 
 their firft Appearance in the Year 1 649, in 
 a few Years after grew extravagantly mad, 
 
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 tc 
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 £C 
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 ( « ) 
 
 if they may be judged by the reft of the 
 World. 
 
 * It was frequent with them to enter 
 into public Congregations and difturb 
 the Preachers, calling them Hireling- 
 Priefts, charging them with falfe Doc- 
 trine, and occasioning great Difturban- 
 ces. One of them, pretending an im- 
 mediate MefTagefrom God, went about 
 the Streets denouncing his Judgments 
 againft the Protedlor and his Council : 
 Another, in, Cokhefter, was fo infatua- 
 ted, astoftarve himfelfto Death, upon 
 the Claim of a Commiffion from the 
 Spirit that he muff, faft forty Days". 
 But the moft impudent of all Mortals, 
 was James Nay/or, a late Soldier under 
 General Lambert, who blafphemoufly fet 
 up to be Jefus himfelf in Perfon, and fo 
 with Garb, Hair and Looks, refembling 
 the Pictures of our Bleffed Saviour, he 
 went about with his Difciples and Women 
 miniftring unto him, and fo entered the 
 City of hrifiol, riding upon an Afs, with 
 Women and a Mob, crying Hofanna \ Sec. 
 andgiving no other Anfwerto any Queftion, 
 but, Thou haft f aid it. The Magiftrates 
 of that City lent him to /3^?w/^/?cr, where 
 the Parliament refolved, that James Nay lor 
 was guilty of horrid Blafphemy, and a 
 great Seducer of the People, and ordered the 
 
 Speaker 
 
 # Eacbard's Hi ft. of England, fag. 721,
 
 €( 
 
 (» ) 
 
 Speaker to pronounce this remarkable Sen- 
 tence againft him : 
 
 ts To ftand on the Pillory two Hours at 
 Weftminfter, to be whipp'd by the 
 Hangman through the Streets from 
 TVeJiminfter to the Old Exchange, and 
 there to ftand on the Pillory two Hours 
 * € more, his Tongue to be bored through 
 * f with a hot Iron, and his Forehead ftig- 
 " matizedwith the Letter B" (to Jignify 
 that he began his Deceit at Brifiol ) " to be 
 afterwards fent to Brift&l, and conveyed 
 through the City on a Borfe bare backed, 
 and his Face backward, and his Body 
 whipp'd through the Market-Place ; 
 * c thence to be brought back to London, 
 <c and committed to Prifon in Bridewel, 
 tf and there to be reftrained from all Com- 
 %€ pany, and to have no Relief but what 
 * f he earns from hard Labour ; and being 
 " debarr'd from the ufe of Pen, Ink and 
 cc Paper, mail be kept to continual Work, 
 4C till he fhall be releafed by the Parlia- 
 ie ment." 
 
 It was fome Reproach to humane Na- 
 ture ( as Bp. Kennet juftly obferves ) and a 
 lamentable Proof of the Madnefs and En- 
 thuiiafm of thofe Times, that this wretched 
 Fellow, under allr his Sufferings, had fome 
 of his Followers to admire and adore him, 
 to lick his Wounds, to kifs his Feet, to 
 lean in his Bofom, and to do all that was 
 prodigiouily impious and filly. When 

 
 Hj ) 
 
 When he came firft to Bridewel, to aft 
 on the Impofture, he fafted three Days, 
 but the Flefh over-powering the Spirit, he 
 begg'd for Victuals, and fell to work. 
 
 He was, for fome time, difowned by 
 the Quakers, but afterwards, upon fome 
 Acknowledgment, received again into their 
 Favour. 
 
 I mail give the Reader another Inftance, 
 inftead of many that might be collected 
 from thofe Times, of Religious Frenzy; 
 when nothing was more frequent than 
 Prophefyings, and Infpirations, and Pre- 
 tences to immediate Revelations from 
 God. 
 
 At Walton upon Thames, in Surry, a Sol- 
 dier, coming into the Church with a Can- 
 dle and Lanthorn, and being refufed to 
 hold forth there, went into the Church- 
 yard j and told the People, he had a Vi- 
 /ton, and received a Command from God, 
 which he was to deliver, and which they 
 were to govern themfelves by, under Pain 
 of Damnation. It confifts, fays he, of 
 five Lights : 
 
 Firft, the Sabbath is abolifhed, as unne- 
 cessary, Jewifh, and meerly ceremonial. 
 
 Secondly, Tithes are aboliihed, as Jewijh 
 and ceremonial, a great Burthen to the 
 Saints of God, and a great Difcouragement 
 oflnduftry and Tillage. 
 
 Third.
 
 ( -4 ) 
 
 Thirdly, Minifters are abolifhed, as An- 
 tichriftian, and of no longer Ufe, now 
 Chrift Himfelf defcends into the Hearts of 
 His Saints, and His Spirit enlivens them 
 with Revelations and Infpirations. 
 
 Fourthly, Magiftrates are abolifhed, as 
 ufelefs, fince Chrift Himfelf is in the Puri- 
 ty of the Spirit come amongft us, and has 
 ere&ed the Kingdom of the Saints upon 
 the Earth : Befides, Magiftrates are Ty- 
 rants and OpprefTors of the Liberty of the 
 Saints, and tie them to Laws and Ordi- 
 nances, meer humane Inventions. 
 
 After this he takes a Bible out of his 
 Pocket, holds it up to the People, and 
 then goes on with the following Blafphe- 
 my : 
 
 " Here is a Book you have in great 
 * e Veneration, confiding of two Parts, 
 the Old and New Teftament. I muft tell 
 you (fays he) it is abolijhed. It contains 
 beggarly Rudiments, Milk for Babes : 
 < c But now Chrift is in Glory amongft us, 
 cc and imparts a fuller Meafure of his Spi- 
 <c rit to His Saints than this can afford, 
 <c and therefore I am commanded to burn 
 fC it before your Faces. 
 
 Upon this, he fet Fire to the Leaves, 
 and then putting out the Candle, let them 
 know his fifth Light was extinguished. 
 
 So you fee the Prophecy of Chrift ful- 
 filled, which faith ; And there Jhall arife 
 
 many 
 
 cc 
 cc 
 cc
 
 (*5 ) 
 
 manyfalfe Prophets, and falfe Chrifis in the 
 PTorld, who will teach in my Name, but 
 receive them not, Sec. 
 
 Thus I have fhewn you the ftrange, un- 
 natural Tempers and Opinions of thefe 
 crafty People. And becaufe I myfelf 
 would not be thought too partial, or too 
 much prejudiced, in my Defcription of 
 them. 
 
 I have taken Pains to make divers 
 Collections from feveral different Authors, 
 who cannot all be miftaken ; as well that 
 I might not be overfeen in my Relation of 
 their Opinions, as to furnifh me with fufrl- 
 cient Proofs to ftrengthen my Arguments. 
 
 IJhallnow, Sir, give you a Recital of the 
 Petition which thofe People called QuaJcers 
 have prefented to the Confederation of the Par- 
 liament ; as it was fpecify' 'd in the Votes of 
 that Day. A Petition of the People called 
 Quakers, was prefented to the Houfe, and 
 read; fetting forth, That notwithstanding 
 the feveral Acts of Parliament made for the 
 more eafy Recovery of Tithes, Church 
 Rates, Oblations and other Eccleiiaftical 
 Dues in a fummary Way, by Warrant 
 from Juftices of the Peace ; that as the faid 
 People confeientioufly refufe the Payment 
 thereof, they are not only liable to, but 
 many of them have undergone g Lvous 
 Sufferings by Prbfecution in the Exchequer, 
 Ecckfajlkal, and other Courts, to the 
 
 E Imprifon-
 
 ( i6 ) 
 
 Imprifonments of their Perfons, and the 
 Impoverifhing and Ruin of them and their 
 Families, for fuch fmall Sums as are reco- 
 verable by thofe Acts ; and therefore pray- 
 ing, that the Houfe will be pleafed to take 
 the Premifes into Confideration, and afford 
 them fuch Relief therein, as the Houfe 
 fhall feem meet. 
 
 Upon which, that Honourable Houfe 
 was pleafed to order Leave to bring in a 
 Bill to enlarge, amend, and render more 
 effectual, the Laws in being for the more 
 eafy Recovery of Tithes, &c. from the 
 People called Quakers. 
 
 Having mentioned the Petition, it will 
 not be improper to turn to the Act of Par- 
 liament itfelf, which they fo much com- 
 plain of; being an Act paffed in the Seventh 
 and Eighth of King William the Third, 
 And is as follows ; 
 
 " 8nD tUljSteajS- by R ea f° n of a pretended 
 " Scruple or Conicience, Quakers do refufe to 
 44 pay Tithes and Church Rates, %Z it CtUKteD, 
 
 by the Authority aforefaid, That when any 
 Quaker fhall refufe to pay or compound for his 
 great or fmall Tithes, or to pay any Church- 
 " Rates, it fhall and may be lawful to and for the 
 66 two next Juilices of the Peace of the fame 
 46 County ( other than the faid Juftice of Peace as 
 " is Patron of the faid Church ©r Chapel, whence 
 44 the faid Tithes do or fhall arife, or no ways 
 interefled in the faid Tithes ) upon the Com- 
 plaint 
 
 6C 
 
 C<
 
 ( *7 ) 
 
 «< plaint of any Parfon, Vicar, Farmer, or Pro- 
 " Drietor of Tithes, Church- warden or Church- 
 " wardens, who ought to have, receive, or 
 ii collect the fame, by Warrant under their Hands 
 Ci and Seals, to convene before them fuch Quaker 
 " or Quakers neglecting or refufing to pay or/ 
 ct compound for the fame, and to examine upon 
 «« Oath ( which Oath the faid Juftices are hereby 
 *' impowered to adminifter ) or in fuch Manner as 
 « c by this Act is provided, the Truth and Juftice 
 r< of the faid Complaint, and to afcertain and 
 " ftate what is due, and payable by fuch Quaker 
 " or Quakers, to the Party or Parties complain- 
 " ing ; and by Order under their Hands and 
 <c Seals, to direct and appoint upon the Payment 
 *' thereof, fo as the Sum ordered as aforefaid, do 
 " not exceed Ten Pounds ; and upon Refuial 
 " thereof, &c. itfhall or may be lawful to or for 
 " any one of the faid Juftices, by Warrant, &c. 
 6t to levy the Money thereby ordered to be 
 " paid, by Diftrefs and Sale ot the Goods of fuch 
 c< Offender, his Executors, or Administrators, 
 " re dering only the Overplus to him, her or 
 " them ; the neceffary Charges of diftraining be- 
 <•' ing thereout firit deducted and allowed by the 
 " laid Juftice. 
 
 The above Act being near expired in the 
 firft Year of the Reign of King George 
 the firft, another was made to ftrengthen 
 the former. There was a CJaufe in the 
 latter Part of the Act, which faith to this 
 Effect ; i( That itfhall be fettled upon Ap- 
 " peal to the Quarter feilions ; if the Ap- 
 
 ' E 2 " pellant
 
 ( *8 ) 
 
 t€ pellant is aggrieved,, the Judgment 
 (c fhall be by them fet afide $ but if not, 
 te it fhall be coniirmed with Cofts, unlefs 
 " there be a Difpute concerning the Titles 
 <l of fuch Tithes, &fc". 
 
 Thus you have an ample Review of this 
 A£t of Parliament which is fo fore, fo grie- 
 vous, and fo burthenfome to them. 
 
 An Acl highly reafonabe in the Eyes of 
 all confederate Perfons upon Earth, 
 
 If they will thus confcimtioufly refufe to 
 pay their lawful Tithes, they deferve to be 
 more than confcientioufly punifffd for it. 
 
 If their own Confciences are to be their 
 Rule, they may then pretend they have no 
 Right to pay any Manner of Tax at all ; 
 and fo cheat the King of his Duty, and the 
 Poor of their Dues. 
 
 If they r are to be thus excufed from pay- 
 ing Tithes, upon the pretended Scruples of 
 their Confciences ( astheAcl juftly expref- 
 fes it ) it will not only tend to impoverifh 
 the Clergy, but be the utter Ruin and 
 Downfal of the Church of England, which 
 is now by Law eftablifhed. 
 
 It will not reach to the Quakers alone, 
 but tothegreateft Part of Mankind befides: 
 The Jezusy the Roman-Catholicks, and the 
 feveral forts of Dilfenters, will dclire the 
 fame Privilege likewiie ; and all the Rea- 
 fon in the World, they mould have it. 
 
 The
 
 ( *9 ) 
 
 The Quakers are a cunning, fubtle, crafty, 
 deceitful People, and forefee, that if they 
 are confciouily excufcd from paying their 
 Tithes, it will draw feveral People (efpe- 
 cially the niggardly, and thofe who have 
 little or no Religion in them ) to profefs 
 Quaker ifm -, thus they lay a Scheme to 
 ftrengthen themfelves, and build their 
 Foundation upon the Ruins of the Church 
 of England. 
 
 Are thefe People to be thus fufFered to 
 go on in their own Way, without Oppo- 
 fition, God forbid ! 
 
 But let us fuppofe, that the main Defign 
 of their Petition, is only to fix the Deter- 
 mination of their Tithes to two of his Ma- 
 jefty's Juftices of the Peace ; yet this is an 
 unreafonable Demand : For, as the laft 
 Claufe in the Act fignifles, that it mall be 
 decided by two or more of his Majefty's 
 Juitices of the Peace, except a Difpute 
 mall arife about the Right and Title of the 
 faid Tithes, they are at their full Li- 
 berty to choofe whether they will fuffer 
 their Caufes to be carried into other Courts: 
 And if they will thus obftinately, not only 
 refufe to pay (but difpute the Right and 
 Title of) their lawful Tithes, they then 
 put it out of the Power of the Quarter 
 SeiTions to decide the Matter ; it mult, 
 therefore, infallibly fall into the Ecck- 
 Jiaftical, or other Courts. Befides, as 
 
 thefe
 
 ( 3° ) 
 
 thefe People are fo confcientious, the 
 Court of Confcience is the fitteft Place to 
 govern them. 
 
 However ; If leave is given them to 
 bring in another Act to difannul the laft 
 Claufe in the prefent Act of Parliament, 
 relating to the Right and Title of their 
 Tithes, the Legiflature may, in my hum- 
 ble Opinion, as well diffolve the Acl: itfelf : 
 Becaufe, if that Claufe is difannulled, the 
 Acl itfelf would be of no ; Force at all ; for, 
 if it fhould be. left to two Juftices of the 
 Peace, perhaps they might be their 
 familiar .Acquaintance, and their Neigh- 
 bours ; and thereby the Quakers may^ave 
 Room to ufe fome finifter Arts to be excu- 
 fed from paying their Tithes : Whereas, 
 when a Thing comes in an open Court,^iio 
 Favour nor ArTe&ion muft be ihewn, caL^ 
 
 I therefore humbly hope, the Legifla- 
 ture will be pleafed to take it into Consi- 
 deration ; that as there is Laws now in 
 Force, to oblige People of all Denomir^ 
 tions, to pay Tithes, the Quaker s y alc$[e, 
 may not be excluded. 
 
 ; *'**? 
 
 / is 
 
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