Then he goes on to fhew G. K's. Falfhood' in 1696. calling it An Exact Narrative; and yet not Inferting the Reasons why our Friends did not Ap pear, which he Confeffes were Read; and his Falacies in evading them, which therefore T. E. fets down, Obviates G. K's Quibbles on them: So proceeds to Anfwer his Narrative, Clearing the Quotations he brought out of our Friends Books, from his Perversions (being either unfairly or falfly Quoted, or perverted in their Senfe, to what they never intended; according to his Carping and Caviling Way.) Vindicating the foundness of their Doctrine, fhewing G. K's self-contradictions (in oppofing what he had fo often Vindicated as Orthodox; and yet pretending to hold the fame Doctrines and Principles ftill) and laying open his Deceit, Falfhood and Prevarications fo plainly and effectually, that G. K. never reply'd to it; and good reason why because he could not to the Purpofe, being Anfwered home, and defeated in all his Vile Pretences, Envious Cavils, and Falfe Accufations. ; But being Pinch'd and driven to a Nonplus, by Quotations out of his own Books, in favour of what he oppofed (which he could not Anfwer;) wherein he had Afferted or Defended the fame Doctrines and Principles, in as plain or higher Words, which he now blamed Friends for as Grofs Errors, &c. Which yet he would not allow to be fo in himself, but paliated them under the foft Term of Miftakes: Saying, Narrative p. 15. I know not any fundamental Principle, nor indeed any one Principle of Chriftian Faith, that Dd 3 I have 1696. I have varied from to this Day, ever fince I came among the Quakers; which is about Thirty Three Tears ago. And in his Preface to his Nar. p. 6. he fays, The things (he does not call them Errors, nor hardly ever ufes the word Error with refpect to himself, and his own Writings.—) that need Correction in my Books, compared with the vile Errors in theirs, are but as my Motes to their Beams :Nor are they fuch things as oppofe any Chriftian Principles of Faith: But of an inferior Nature. [and yet they were as full in the Points,as any he could Cite out of ours.] And in The true Copy of a Paper, Printed 1694. where, in p. 17. he faintly intimates a purpose, to Publifh fome fort Explication, &c. of fome Words and Paffages in his former Books. He adds, For upon a Review of my former Books,-I freely Acknowledge, I have found Some Paffages and Words, that not only need fome farther Explanation; but even in fome part, an Emendation and Correction. How gently doth he Touch himself? (fays T. E.) How foftly doth he handle his own Sores? Not a Syllable of Errors or Herefie there; No, the hardest word he can afford to give them, is, his former Mistakes: And left the Reader fhould extend them too far, he explains it in the next Page, faying, Upon the moft Impartial fearch I have made, I find not any Caufe to Correct either my Judgment or Books, as touching any of the great Doctrines and Principles of the Chriftian Religion; nor do I know that I am of another Faith in any one Principle of Chriftian Doctrine, contrary to what I believed, ever fince I went under the Profeffion of a Quaker, fo Called. With much more to the fame purpose. Thus Thus Partial was he as to himself, notwith- 1696. ftanding his loud Clamours and outcries of vile Errors against the Quakers, for the fame things he had held himself, which yet were no Errors in him; fuch a Hypocrite was he to Diffemble with God and Man. So that when he found his DoЄrines Compared with what he Accused Friends of, and faw they were the fame, or parallel; 'twas to no purpose for him to go to Vindicate or Clear himself of what was fo Notorious: And therefore procured another, or at least he undertook it for him, under disguise of the Snake in the Graß: And fo to flide by the Quotations out of his Books, that lay in his Way; which would have been a fhame for G. K. to do (a Snake in the Graẞ indeed) pretending in his Preface, that it was not meant as a Defence of George Keith, any further than he defended the Truth of the Chriftian Faith; for which Reafon (fays he) I have wholly omitted all the Perfonal Reflections caft upon him, and the Contradictions which Thomas Ellwood pretends to find in his former Books (while he was a Quaker of their Communion) to the Doitrine he now fets up in oppofition to them. And fo gave the go by to whatever pincht him, which was the defign, as T. E. obferves, to help G. Keith off at a dead Lift, from his manifold and manifest self Contradictions, which it was impoffible for him to Reconcile or Defend; and because it had been as abfurd for him to have undertaken a Reply to T. E's Anfwer. and not have attempted to acquit himself of those Contradictions charged upon him therein, as it would Dd 4 1696. would have been impoffible for him to have Clear'd himself of them. Therefore this Contrivance was found out, that another (or perhaps he in a Mask, under the disguise of another, for Satan, though difrob'd from his Disguise of Light,has many black Robes and dark Difguifes to put on) fhould undertake the Task of Replying (for a Task it seems it was) upon fuch a Foot, and under fuch Circumftances, as might give him fome colourable Pretence to wave the Contradictions, and wholly to omit them, and with them 'whatfoever elfe he found too hard to meddle with. So that any one might plainly fee this was a Contrivance (as our Friend T. E. obferves) to help G. K. out at a dead Lift. To which Book of the Snake's, T. E. writ an Anfwer, though he did not quite finish it, or publish it: Of which, and that Controverfie, he gives the following Account. "This Controverfie begun by George Keith (upon a Pick he took against the People called Quakers; because they could not Answer his • Ambitious defire of Rule, nor receive fome 'Wild and Fantastical Notions of his) has been 'carried on by him, in his own Name, 'till he 'could go no further. The Doctrines he Condemns us for, as Erroneous and Heritical, have been either fo clearly caft off by us, as Slanders, or fo Rivetted on himself by undeniable Inftances and Proofs taken out of his own Books, that (having fore-clofed his way to a Retractation of them, as fhall be ' fhewed 'fhewed anon) he had no way left, but (as his 1697. Inferior Virtute, meas divertor ad Artes In Strength too Weak, I to my Wiles betake, Somewhat a like Crafty Courfe has G. Keith taken; who finding himself over preft the last 'Year with Books, which he knew not how to Answer; got (as was fuppofed) an Adjutant of his, to Publish a Book against us under Difguife, without a Name to it, and with the ve ry Title of The Snake in the Graß: Thereby to have diverted us from pursuing the Controver'fie (then, and ftill in Hand) with him: But 'when he found that would not do (for the defign was seen) he Roar'd against us like a Bull, at Turners-Hall, in the Month called June, 1696. and afterwards in his Narrative thereof: The Anfwer to that (which foon followed) has, it feems, involv'd him in fuch difficulties, that he hath not thought fit to appear against it in his own Shape; but either affuming ano ther |