nions have their confiftency with reafon, and the true religion. But that which moft of all deferves a lamentation is, that Proteftants, whofe better arguments have confuted the plea of fuch as made tradition and mens prescriptions unquestionable in circumftantials, fhould themselves, by print and practice, fo openly declare and contend for its authority in effentials; as must be obvious to any that obferve their zealous anathemas against whomfoever refuse a compliance with ' them in doctrines, manifeftly bottomed upon mens nice inventions.

This is the right ftate of the controverfy that is maintained by us (contemptibly called Quakers) against the world, and the undoubted reafon of our fevere treatment at its hands; the end of God Almighty's raifing us, being for no other purpose, than to declare, that which our eyes have feen, our ears heard, and which our hands have handled of the Eternal Word, in oppofition to the private opinions, conjectures, and interpretations of men concerning God and religion, that all people might thereby be reduced to faith in and obedience to the univerfal grace which brings falvation; which as it only can reftore found judgment concerning God, and effect redemption from iniquity, fo its being relinquifhed by men, was the very ground both of their divifion in judgment, and corruption in

manners.

That this hath been, and is our cafe, I fhall produce an inftance, which is indeed the occafion of this treatife.

Two perfons lately of Thomas Vincent's auditory in Spital-fields, (who goes under the notion of a prefbyter) being defirous to prove all things, and to hold faft the beft, vifited our meeting, to understand if we were as really deferving blame, as reprefented by our enemies; where it then pleafed divine goodness to vifit them with the call of his light, from the inventions, carnal obfervations, will-worship, and vain conversation of those to whom they were formerly related; that they might be made children of the day:

and

and though its appearance might be small, yet fufficient to discover them to have been inhabitants of the night, and can never be rejected, but it fhall bring that condemnation which fhall farther teftify it to be of God.

But their relinquishing his congregation fo incenfed this prefbyterian preacher, as that his peevish zeal tranfported him beyond. not only the moderation of Christianity, but the civility of education, venting his folly and prejudice much to this purpose, that he had as lieve they should go to a bawdy-houfe, as to frequent the Quakers meetings, because of their erroneous and damnable doctrines. And pointing to the window faid, If there should stand a cup of poifon, I would rather drink it than fuck in their damnable doctrines. He farther expreffed himself in this manner to one of them: If ever you go again, I will give you up, and God will give you up, that you may believe a lie, and be damned. Which ftorms of foul and railing accufation, proving ineffectual to fhipwreck that little grain of faith, his hearers, as forgetting they hold their preaching by connivance, and the many appeals made by their non-conforming brethren, for an indulgence, came with this caution to the pater-familias, (or he that was both hufband and father to the concerned parties) that he would exercife his authority, as well to refuse them to all Quaker-vifitants, as prohibit them the liberty of their confciences in frequenting our meetings.

All which we could not for the truth-fake let pass in filence, and therefore did require him to let us have a publick meeting, in which we might have liberty to anfwer on the behalf both of ourselves and principles; which after fome demur was granted, the day he appointed, and at the second hour in the afternoon. But that he might not want applaufe of many voices, and doubtless to prevent our friends, (as I am informed) bespoke his ufual auditory to be there at one; and, as a man that would not over-fpend himfelf, or incur a nonplus for want of feconds, he had

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his

his third and fourth, to wit, Thomas Danfon, Thomas Doolittle, and — — Maddocks, who at their times (and often out of them) did interpofe, to whom George Whitehead moftly answered; nor had there any thing been spoken by another but from their own example.

The matter in controverfy will be related in the beginning of this treatife, as a neceffary preludium, or introduction to the following difcourfe; the manner of it was fo grofs, that I know not how to represent it better, than by the levity and rudeness of fome prize; laughing, hiffing, fhoving, ftriking, and ftigmatizing us with the opprobrious terms of confident fellow, impudent villain, blafphemer, &c. And, as the ufual refuge of fhallow perfons (when they have little else to say, to prepoffefs their hearers with prejudice against the principles of fuch as do oppofe them) he questioned much whether I was not fome Jefuit; not remembering, or at least unwilling to let the people know, that none have been, nor are more inftant in the vindication of that doctrine he and his brother did affert, (to wit, God fubfifting in three diftinct perfons) than the Jefuits, fo that if I fhould not as well reflect a fcandal upon their learning by a comparison, as he did upon my principle, I could more truly invert jefuitifm upon himself: in short, they neither would keep to fcripture-terms themselves, nor fuffer it in any others; but looking upon George Whitehead's explanation of their terms, and reduction of their matter (if poffible) to a fcripture-sense (thereby fitting it to the auditors apprehenfion) to be an indirect way of answering (as that which nakedly did expose their traditional folly to the vulgar) T. V. in an abrupt manner fell to his prayer, in which he falfly, and with many ftrangely-affected whines, accufed us for blafphemers unto God; and that he might prevent the clearing of ourselves, he defired the people, when he had finished, to be gone, giving them an example by his and three brethrens retreat: but we being defirous farther to inform the people of

our

our innocency, they did not only (as before) endeavour to pull us down, but put the candles out, though feveral perfons, of good efteem, continued whilst we fpoke in vindication of ourselves from the invectives of our adversaries.

The people still remaining undispersed, T. V. came very palely down the ftairs (having a candle in his hand) requiring their difimiffion, at which time he promised us, at our request, another meeting; but as one that knew not well what he faid, or never purposed to perform what he promised, has given us fince to underftand, he cannot in confcience fpare us fo much time; yet to fatisfy G. W. and myself, in private, he could agree; which furely cannot be termed another meeting, fince then it must relate to the preceding one: but how near the relation is betwixt an accufation before hundreds, and a fatisfaction before none, must needs be obvious to every unbiaffed perfon:- our right fhould have been altogether as publick as our wrong:

for which caufe we were neceffitated to vifit his meeting, where, on a lecture-day, (after a continued filence during all his worship) we modeftly intreated we might be cleared from thofe unjuft reflections before his congregation, leaving a difputation (if he could not then attend it) to fome more feasonable opportunity but as one, who refolved injuftice to mens reputation, as well as cowardice, in baulking a defence of his own principles, he flunk most shamefully away; nor would any there, though urged to it, affume his place to vindicate his practice towards us, or his doctrines then delivered.

Reader, what is thy opinion of this favage entertainment? Would Socrates, Cato, or Seneca, whom they called heathens, have treated us with fuch unfeemly carriage? I fuppofe not: and well is it for the truly fober and confcientious, they are not liable to those fevere lashes, and that peevish ufage, which are the infeparable appendix to a Scotch directory, whofe cold and cutting gales ever have defigned to nip and blast

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the

the fairest bloffoms of greater reformation. So much for history.

What remains is, to inform the reader, that with great brevity I have difcuffed, and endeavoured a total enervation of those cardinal points, and chief doctrines fo firmly believed, and continually impofed for articles of Chriftian faith: 1. The trinity of feparate perfons, in the unity of effence. 2. God's incapacity to forgive, without the fulleft fatisfaction paid him by another. 3. A juftification of impure perfons, from an imputative righteousness. Which principles let me tell thee, reader, are not more repugnant to fcripture, reason, and fouls-fecurity, than most destructive to God's honour, in his unity, mercy, and purity.

Therefore I befeech thee to exterminate paffion from her predominancy, in the perufal of this difcourse, fince it was writ in love to thee; that whilst it is thy defire to know, love, and fear God Almighty above mens precepts, thou mayeft not miss so good an end, by the blind embraces of tradition for truth. But in the nobility of a true Berean, fearch and enquire; letting the good old verity, not a pretended antiquity, (whilft a mere novelty) and folid reason, not an over-fond credulity, fway the balance of thy judgment, that both ftability and certainty may accompany thy determinations. Farewell.

A short confutation by way of recapitulation, of what was objected against us at Thomas Vincent's meeting.

IF

F difputations prove at any time ineffectual, it is either to be imputed to the ignorance and ambiguity of the difputants, or to the rudeness and prejudice of the auditory: all which may be truly affirmed of T. V. with his three brethren, and congregation.

The accufation being general, viz. that the Quakers held damnable doctrines, George Whitehead on