"Adam." Now, Athenians, if you can, blush! What! make us deny that Chrift came of the feed of Abraham after the flesh, by a place that owns it, and that owns it fully, fcripturally, and as it should be owned and worded by Christians, that use the form of found words, given them by the Holy Ghoft, denying only a fchool-term, borrowed from the ground: this is hard! Thus you ferve us alfo in your laft charge, where you will have us to deny angels, Spirits, heaven, and bell; and fo make an end of us, and our religion. And to prove it, you bring a book, that is none of ours; and not without injury to the author neither; and then conclude usa compendium of all herefies;' naming twenty-two of them rank and file, and a cum multis aliis at the tail of them. But if they had as foul play from their judges, as we have had from you, they will deserve a better name. However, you are obliged to us, that we have abbreviated herefy for you; and yet you have not convicted us of any one point that deferves that black name. We must say, we are forry to see you act as if you thought us exempted from the common claims of humanity; to be dealt with as you please, and as if injuries could not be committed upon fuch wretches as we are in your efteem: for you add, diminish, pervert, and that boldly; and when you have fhaped and dreffed up the monster, you are pleased to write Quaker upon him, and then lead him about the streets, in your Mercuries, for a show, at a penny a-piece: God Almighty fhew you mercy, that allow us none, but refufe to be just! for, after all your black charges, you fall to asking what our faith is? which should have been first done.

You objected upon us, "Of turning the other < cheek;' faying, 'It was patience per force.'

But you are mistaken in fact, we have put-up legal advantages many times, and endured and forgiven innumerable perfonal injuries from thofe out of office as well as from those that have been in government; nay, oftentimes dared cruelties and oppreffion with a literal conformity

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conformity to the text. Speak not fo peremptorily what you do not know; you expect better things from our religion, than your own, and yet would have ours to be worse.

2. You fay, It was not confcience, but an unaccountable, not to fay brutal, ftubbornnefs.' You have endeavoured to rob us of our religion; will you now rob us of our fuffering, and the good intention. of it too? For that word of yours, authorizes all the imprifonments, plunders, banishments, and murders we have suffered since a people; and, if we should strain confequences, intitles you as arrant perfecutors, as bishop Bonner, or Dr. Story.

But, 3dly, You fay, We give hard words: Do we ? Such as the things call for, doubtlefs: I hope no perJonal reflections? Yes, Whitehead complains of a new perfecution:' and with very good reason, when the old is juftified by you, and you proclaim us a Compendium of two-and-twenty herefies,' with multis aliis at the end of it: which, in other words, is saying, Take them, Dr. Pinfold.'

C

Again; You take it ill,' be fays, you make beafts, and devils, of us :' but what elfe, pray, do you make of us, when you cannot make worfe of us than you have?

You add, That we call you impertinent:' and pertinently, we think, to ramble, as you have done, from your province, to spread invectives upon us. Wicked: what can you think it lefs, to abufe an whole people in the tendereft point? Followers of blind guides:' how else could you have miffed your way fo much? For it is plain nothing can be more mistaken. It is a wonder,' fay you, dumb dogs do not come in too, though we have no filent meetings.' We cannot think why you should wonder at that, fince you know how much you have barked at us. There is no dan

ger of your being dumb, but deaf. And fince you brought in this to introduce your profane jeft at our filent meetings, we must tell you, you may fee in yourfelves the ufe of filence, by your abufe of fpeech; and

therein

therein a defence of us, and a reproof to you. In fhort, we recommend filence to you, as Pythagoras did to his fcholars, till you have learned to speak better than you do.

The next thing is your ten queftions, an unreafonable as well as an unfuitable conclufion: for you first judge; and then query; and, after charging us home, you afk, What is our belief? It fhews too great a levity, for men of your claim to fense; and, though not enthufiaftical, yet, if you will not be angry, it looks very filly. But becaufe, for that reason, it does not look malicious, you may have an answer, though leaft of all for your fakes, by another hand. But, before we part, pray take this along with you: our religion, and the true religion, which makes people truly religious, is the fear of God, planted in the foul by the grace of God, which fanctifies and rules the heart and affections; and not creeds of words, though never so true: for the devils have knowledge and faith; but their knowledge does not work by obedience, nor their faith by love; and therefore they are never the better for it: nor are wicked men, as the world fhews. Religion, then, is a divine experience and work in the foul, by the divine fpirit. It is regeneration, and that a new creature, Gal. vi. 15, 16. And as the few inward is the circumcifion of the heart, fo is that the character of a true Chriftian. A fhort creed of words ferved of old with an upright heart. "Thou art the Son of God, Thou art the "King of Ifrael," was Nathaniel's confeffion. "My "Lord and my God," was all Thomas's retra&tation and creed, John xx. 28. And Peter's confeffion of faith is little larger, Mat. xvi. 18. Thus alfo the blind, lame, and fick, that come believingly to him.

To be a Chriftian then, was to be, like Chrift, meek, humble, holy, loving, patient; and this his light and Spirit maketh those that embrace it. Unto which we refer and exhort you, and all to whom these papers may come, as the great agent of man's happiness; defiring earnestly that our care may be about our

confor

conformity to our Saviour, rather than controverfies about him; fince the true religion is to be like Chrift, 1 Pet. ii. 21. Chap. iii. 10, 11, 12. 1 John ii. 6. Say not then, That we value our title to Chriftianity by hu'man laws;' you wrong us much: ours hath an higher claim; and fo muft yours, if you expect to be saved by it. We spoke not of being therefore Christians in God's account, but of being esteemed enough to live quieter than your invectives feem to let us, among men. But it is not the least part of the cross we bear, to be, in almost every thing, fo much misunderstood, and by fome fo evilly reprefented. One while they will have us deny the divinity of Chrift; another while, the bumanity. Sometimes we must be Socinians; then Sabellians. Very often we are told,

That

we expect to be faved by our own works;' and as often, That we will do nothing, unless the spirit move us.' Again, Sometimes we are faid to fend all to hell but ourselves;' and prefently, We deny any fuch thing. Ay, we are accused with Idolatry to mens perfons,' and yet Scorned for denying all honours or refpects to the perfons of men.' Juft thus we are made to difown all ministry;' and by and by accused, That every one among us is a minifter, or may be fo.' It would be tedious to repeat the contradictions and abfurd dilemmas men have brought themselves into, by their rafh and unjust attempts against us; which they will eafily perceive, that please to perufe fome of our controverfial tracts, as, "Rusti «cus ad Academicos; the Chriftian Quaker, in two "parts; R. B's Apology and Defence; Quakerifm a New "Nick-name for Old Chriftianity, and the Rejoinder in " its defence; The Way caft-up; Reafon against Railing, "and Wisdom Juftified of her Children," &c. In which our belief is diftinguished and defended, against the abuses which men, through ignorance or prejudice, have put upon it. God Almighty enlighten and forgive them. That is the worst of our wishes, for their many hard speeches against us, and our holy profeffion : concluding, after all your unfriendly usage,

Your well-wishing friends.

END OF VOL. IV.