THE

PREFACE

TO THE

READER.

SINCE first that great apoftacy took place in the hearts and heads of those who began, even in the apostles days, to depart from the fimplicity and purity of the gofpel, as it was then delivered in its primitive fplendour and integrity, innumerable have been the manifold inventions and traditions, the different and various notions and opinions, wherewith man, by giving way to the vain and airy imaginations of his own unftable mind, hath burthened the Christian faith fo that indeed, first by adding these things, and afterwards by equalling them, if not exalting them above the Truth, they have at last come to be fubftitute in the ftead of it; fo that in process of time Truth came to be fhut out of doors, and another thing placed in the room thereof, having a fhew and name, but wanting the fubftance and thing itself. Neverthe

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lefs,

lefs, it pleafed God to raise up witneffes for himfelf almoft in every age and generation, who, according to the discoveries they received, bore fome teftimony, lefs or more, against the fuperftition and apoftacy of the time. And in a fpecial manner, through the appearing of that light which first broke forth in Germany, about one hundred and fifty years ago, and afterwards reached divers other nations, the beast received a deadly wound; and a very great number did at one time proteft against, and refcind from, the church of Rome, in divers of her moft grofs and fenfual doctrines, and fuperftitious traditions. But alas! it is for matter of lamentation, that the fucceffors of thefe Proteftants are establishing, and building up in themselves, that which their fathers were pulling down; instead of profecuting and going on with fo good and honourable a work: which will thus easily

appear.

in

The generality of all Proteftants, though many other things miferably rent and fhattered among themselves, do agree in dividing from the church of Rome in these two particulars:

First, That every principle and doctrine of the Christian faith is, and ought to be, founded upon the fcripture; and that whatfoever principles or doctrines are not only not contrary, but even not accord

ing thereto, ought to be denied as antichristian.

Secondly, That the fcriptures themselves are plain and easy to be understood; and that every private Chriftian and member of the church ought to read and perufe them, that they may know their faith and belief founded upon them; and receive them for that cause alone, and not because ́ any church or affembly has compounded and 'recommended them; the choicest and most pure of which they are obliged to look upon as fallible.

Now, contrary to this their known and acknowledged principle, they do moft vigorously profecute and perfecute others, with the like feverity the papifts did their fathers, for believing things that are plainly fet down in the fcriptures; and for not believing divers principles, for which themfelves are forced to recur to tradition, and can by no means prove from fcripture: to fhew which I fhall not here infist, having allotted a chapter for it in the book itself; because to put it here, would fwell it beyond the bounds of a preface.

Oh! how like do they fhew themselves, I mention it with regret, to the scribes and pharifees of old, who, of all men, most cried up and exalted Mofes and the prophets, boasting greatly of their being Abraham's

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Abraham's children? And yet those were they that were the greatest opposers and vilifiers of Chrift, to whom Mofes and all the prophets gave witnefs; yea, their chief accufations and exceptions against Christ, were, as being a breaker of the law, and a blafphemer.

Can there any comparifon run more parallel; feeing there is now found a people, who are greatly perfecuted, and bitterly reviled, and accufed as heretics, by a generation that cry up and exalt the fcriptures? And yet this people's principles are found in fcripture, word by word; though the moft grievous, and indeed the greatest calumny caft upon them is, that they vilify and deny the fcriptures, and fet up their own imaginations inftead of them.

To difprove which, this catechifm and confeffion of faith is compiled, and prefented to thy ferious and impartial view. If thou loveft the fcripture indeed, and defireft to hold the plain doctrines there delivered, and not those strained and far-fetched confequences, which men have invented, thou fhalt easily observe the whole principles of the people called Quakers, plainly couched in fcripture words, without addition or commentary; efpecially in thofe things their adverfaries oppose them in, where the fcripture plainly decideth the controverfy

for