edge and experience, that wherever they multiply, or the Truth they profess prevails, Christianity and humanity will be so far from being extinguished or exterminated, that they will be more abundantly manifested, not only in profession, but life and power, that is the heart and substance of it; and I challenge him to tell wherever the Quakers multiplied, that there are any "young men, twenty years old, among them, that never so much as once heard of the name of Christ in all their lives,' as he says of several among them in New England. To what purpose is their preaching for hire, if they have lost the very outward profession? He might well say, "They were in danger of losing some points of their first faith, as well as first love;" and what do they preach, if they do not so much as hear of the name of Christ? Is this a fit person to charge the Quakers with extinguishing Christianity, when they have so little among themselves, that several among them never heard of the name of Christ, the great author of that religion? And not only so, but to tell of our exterminating humanity too, when they themselves have been so inhuman as aforesaid, of which I could enumerate many instances I have not touched, but that there is enough given to convict him, and for that I hasten to a conclusion, and when there was so little humanity to be found amongst them, as is so apparent; and among whom, as Priest Higginson confesses, † "Much human weakness and imperfection hath appeared in all that hath been done by them." So that they may lay their hands upon their mouths, and be silent for shame, for ever reproaching others with extinguishing and exterminating Christianity and humanity, that have lived so answerable to, and suffered so much for both, by the unchristian and inhuman practices of others, that have so little, except they had more of either among themselves than it appears by their words and actions they have; so that there is no need to tremble as he speaks of, to "think what a dark land they should have," it being by his own confession so dark already; but rather like evil-doers, that tremble for fear of the light. Ibid., page 107, column 1. † Attestation, page 2. And for his lies, that "S. Eccles said, George Fox was Christ," which I deny; and that "a Quaker had stolen an hour-glass," which is another; and a third, that "their Mahomet, George Fox vindicated it," which is also false; for it was taking away a priest's hour-glass that he preached by (not in a way of theft), and only owned by George Fox "as moved of the Lord," not else; which if he deny, he may deny many of the Protestants' and martyrs' actions in reforming abuses that I could name, but it is not worth my while; and so I shall close my answer to him, there being little more worth notice, as to us, though there is as to themselves by and by, only a few scurrilous reflections on us, concerning the Batonists of the eastern parts, not worth heeding; and comparing us and our religion to the "Macheveliors growing upon St. Lucia, trees which bear apples of such an odour and colour as invites people to eat thereof, but horribly dangerous, for no antidote can secure a man from speedy death; the leaf makes an ulcer, the dew fetches off the skin, the very shadow swells a man," &c.; no way applicable unto us, more than to themselves, nor so much, except as to the odour or savour that is in the truth, to the spiritual-minded, which they indeed have little enough of, whatever they have of the colour or false show. So of the other qualities which are so dangerous to touch or come under the shadow of; the application is easy, by comparing it with the fruits of New England, especially as to death, ulcers, or blisters, swelling or fetching off the skin, which hath been too much experienced to be the effects of the touch or taste of the bad fruits of their corrupt tree, gallows, whips, &c. O Cotton, canst thou yet say, on review of thy abuses of us, as thou dost, Introduction, chap. i., page 4, that "thou hast done the part of an impartial historian," and chap. i., page 5, that "thou art careful above all things to do it with truth;" when thou hast been so careless of it, forgetting the wise man's advice, "Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth," &c.? And again, "He that is first in his own cause, seemeth just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him;" as I have done, I hope, sufficiently, and laid open thy falsehoods and deceit to thy just rebuke; so that I would have thee beware of ani-mad-versions for time to come, for I hope it does sufficiently appear by this time of whose side the madness is, even by thy own confession, and the mad versions too.* And with what face canst thou pretend, as thou dost, that "the more stones they throw at this book, there will not only be the more proofs that it is a tree which hath good fruits growing upon it;† but I will build myself a monument with them ;" not considering how thy comparison will rebound, and hit thyself, by arguing as much for the Quakers' books, and much more for the truth held forth in them, at which thou and others have thrown so many stones, is a proof that it is a tree which hath good fruits growing upon it, or else you would never have thrown so many stones at it as you have done, so have a care they fall not on thy own head. And for thy "building thyself a monument with them," it will be but a heap to witness against thee, and will not be sufficient to hide thee in the day of the Lord, when He "arises to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth," any more than if thou shouldst go into the holes of the rocks to hide thee, or call to the hills to fall on thee, or the mountains to cover thee from the wrath of the Lamb that sits on the throne; when the books must be opened, and every one judged according to what is written therein, except thou repent of thy deceit and falsehood, though thou now seems to bless thyself in thy revilings, as if thou hadst done well, though so far from it.. So that it was not without ground thou sayest, "All good men will not be satisfied with everything that is here set before them;"‡ as indeed they have little cause, thou having given so much to the contrary, except they swallow everything by wholesale, as I have heard say thy elder brother, Baxter, did what he read, thou having so many sour, ill-relished, insipid dishes, and withal so stuffed with railing and reviling, that it must needs disgust a good part of thy guests. Insomuch that I know not to whom to liken thee, except that Assyrian railer against Jerusalem, Rabshakeh, who seems to be a * Introduction, pages 8 and 9. Such as grow on trees in St. Lucia, he told of but now. type of thee in railing blasphemies, to whom therefore I shall return that of the prophet, "This is the Word which the Lord hath spoken concerning him: The virgin, the daughter of Zion, hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn: the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee. Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel."-Isa. xxxvii. 22, 23. But, O thou city of the living God, of whom glorious things are spoken, who art "beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth;" though many mistake thee, and disesteem thee, because they know thee not; yet thy name is famous, thou "Zion of the Lord," and "Jerusalem, whom He hath chosen," which is a city compact together, and at unity within itself, whither the tribes go up for judgment; whose foundation is of precious stones; though thou hast many enemies, that endeavour to misrepresent thee, and to lay thee waste, yet "thou hast a strong city, salvation hath God appointed for walls and bulwarks." Fear thou not the wrath of men, neither be afraid of their revilings, for the Lord, strong and mighty, is in the midst of thee, to fight thy battles, and confound all thine enemies, though Rabshakeh may rail and threaten, and the hosts of the uncircumcised, and armies of the aliens, may compass thee, thou camp of the saints; they can but go round about thee, they cannot enter; nor "nothing that is unclean, or worketh abomination, or loveth or maketh a lie;" and yet thy gates stand always open by day, and there is no night there, for "the Lamb is the light of it," and "the nations of them that are saved shall walk in the light of it," and "the kings of the earth bring their glory and honour into it." Oh, how have I desired that I might be "found worthy to enter through the gates into thee," and that I might be an inhabitant of thee; where "the tree of life grows," and "the river of life flows," the "streams whereof make glad the whole city of God," which they that overcome have right to, and "have a name within thy walls, better than of sons and daughters. If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning," &c., "if I " prefer thee not before my chiefest joy." And I will always pray "that peace may be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces;" that thy walls may be continually salvation, and thy gates praise; and the Lord may "create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy;" and make thee more and more "a praise in the earth, an eternal excellency, the joy of many generations." So be it.-Amen. |