4. Such publick and unlimitted Meetings are too often attended with Heats , Levity and Confusion , and answer not the End desired by sober and enquiring Men. Besides , that it lets up a Practise that Authority may Judge to be an Abuse to our Liberty , and so draw that under Reflection , as no Friend to the Civil Peace .

5. We know not what Religion or Perswasion this Wavering Man is of , or what Church or People he adheres to , or will receive him , with his vain Speculations , that have led him to desert us ; nor who are accountable to us for him and his Irregularities and Abuses ; the generality of such Assemblies usually making ill Auditors , worse Judges , and no good Security for our Satisfaction . And we must therefore take leave to say , it seems to us an indirect way of disquieting and invading our present Liberty , that so Irreligious a Meeting should be held , whose End is to abuse other Men for their Religion . If this should be imitated by all the several sorts of different Perswasions in this City , what Heaps and Confusions must necessarily ensue !

6. Wherefore Lastly , Be it known unto all , That for the sake of Religion , the Liber●y granted us , and the Civil Peace , we decline to Meet him ; and not from any apprehensions we have of his Abilities , or our own consciousness of Error , or Injustice to the said G. Keith , whose weak and unbridled Temper we know is such , that what Learning and Parts he hath , have not been able to ballance and support him on less occasions , so that we may say they are in ill hands ; and if he proceeds as he begins , they will be employed to an ill End , which his ( poor Man ! ) cannot but be , unless he change his Course ; which we heartily pray for , that a place of Repentance he may find ; and thro' a true Contrition , the Remission of his great Sin of Envy , and evilly Intreating the Lords People and Way ▪ which we profess , and which he the said G. Keith hath long and lately both professed , and zealously vindicated , as such .

What weight there is in these Reasons , I leave the Reader to Judge . G. Keith , in his Pref. says , p. 7. They are so Frivolous and Weak , that they are scarce worth noting . And in Nar. p. 13. The Reasons are so slender , that I hope every Iudicious Person here can answer them , and he pretends ( Pref. p. 7. ) that he did answer the Chiefest of them on the Place , and refers to the Narrative for it . How Slender , Weak , and Frivolous , his Answers were , appears by the Narrative , in which he says little to the Reasons ; and that little , as little to the purpose . To the First he sa●s , Nar. p. 13. If I am such an angry Person as they represent me , I shall lay my Self the more Open , and they shall have the greater advantage ; you know well enough , says he , that they would be ●lad of any advantage against me . How could those Auditors know this , when it is false in it self ? We would not be glad of any Advantage against him , especially not of such an advantage as should arise from his Intemperate Tongue , and r●de ●ehaviour : We have had too much of that kind of advantage against him already , at other Meetings we have had with him , when there was more Reason to have expected Sobriety and Temper from him , than there is now . Had he as publickly Renounced the profession and name of Quaker , as he hath plainly departed from the Spirit and Life of Jesus , in which the People called Quakers Live and Walk ( and in some measure of which he once Walked with them we might have been the sooner induced to have m●t him , as an Open and Professed Adversary to us , our Principles and Profession . But since , to do us the ●●eater despite , tho' he be gone from us in Spirit and Mind , and hath Openly separated from us in Worship , and hath been also disowned by us , he chooses yet to retain the same name , and make a pretence to the same Profession with us , ( both the Title of his Narrative pretending to relate Disputes between G. Keith , and other Quakers , implying himself to be one , and he expresly saying , p. 31. l. 15. I am a Quaker still : ) We were not willing , nor are , to give , or admit an occasion for him to expose our Profession ( how unjustly soever ) to the Censure and Contempt of the Inconsiderate and Undiscerning Multitude , by his unruly Passions and Rudeness , which we had reason from our frequ●n● experience of him , to expect would break forth , if we were there to oppose him . Nor do we think that any Advantage which c●uld have been made for it , could have m●de amends for the disadvantage that might have ensued , if he thereby should have raised an Hurly Burly , or Tumult among the People .

To the Fourth , ( for he seldom keeps method ) which had respect to Civil Authority and the Publick Peace , he only says , he had the Lord Mayor's Leave , who sent his Marshal to preserve the Peace , and therefore there can be nothing in that . But , besides that he gave no notice in his Advertisement , that he had the Mayors Leave , ( which renders it suspected that he had not askt the Mayor's Leave , till after he had Published his Advertisement ) not only we , but others ( as judicious perhaps as himself , & more immediately concerned in the Security of the publick Peace ) Considering the present state of things , the Kings absence , and the great discontent which many , especially of the Lower Rank of People , are under , by reason of want of Trade ( occasion'd by the present Scarcity of Currant Money ) did think there might be more of danger in that , than was fit to be hazarded on so needless an Occasion . For if , upon the Invitation given a Month before ; but a few Thousands of Discontented ( and some , perhaps , not very well affected ) Persons , should have got together and taken head , they might soon have Increased to greater numbers and strength , than the City Marshal ( how sufficient soever to his Office ) might have been able to disperse . The number of Reasons in our Paper is Six . He has given these Slender Weak and Frivolous Answers to two of them ; and says , This is enough at present to answer this Paper , Nar. P. 13. Yet four lines after , in the same page , bethinking himself further of it , he adds , They say , I did not exhibit to them a Copy of my Charge against them ( an Indictment they call it , they would represent me as a man setting up a Spiritual Court ) but my Printed Paper says , W. Penn , and G. Whitehead , are justly desired to be present . This , says he , is no Indictment nor Summons , as they falsely call i● . 'T is true , the word [ Summons ] is not used , but the nature of a Summons is implied . He did not indeed expresly say , They are required to be present , but used the word [ Desired ] But it is a desire Sub poena ( as I may say ) for he backs it with a Declaration of his full Intention , to proceed against them , if they shall not be present ; so that if they stay away , be it at their Peril , of being Calumniated and Traduced behind their backs . Whether he will call his Meeting a Spiritual Court , or a Temporal , let him choose : Certain it is , that a Iurisdiction he usurped , not belonging to him , over such as he had no Power over . And after what manner he intended to have received and treated us , if we had been there , may well be gathered from what his Narrative says he spake about the close of that Meeting , and what he hath added in his Preface since . That in the Nar. is in p. 50. where he thus says , I am perswaded the Reasons given in the Paper , read at the beginning , were no just reason for their not appearing . But though some Comparisons are Odious , yet give me leave to make a Comparison . May a Malefactor make this excuse , You shall not call me before a Iustice without my consent ? If a Man Robb me , I may Complain of him as a Robber , and without his consent call him to account . But here is a strange thing , Injuring Men may not be called to account without their consent , it will trespass against the Law , and intrenches upon Liberty of Conscience : Judge now , Reader , by the Comparison he hath made , Whether we have done him any wrong in calling his Advertisement a Summons , his Charge an Indictment . He compares us to Malefactors ; But Malefactors do not use to be desired to appear , but Summoned , Required , Commanded at least , if not Compelled ; and Indicted when they do appear . Had not we been finely holpen up ( as they say ) if we had been there , only to have stood there as Malefactors , to have Pleaded our Cause before Iudge Keith and his Associates , the Mobb , and I know not whom else ? Tho' he spake not so plain in his Advertisement , as he hath done since , yet there was enough in that to give us to understand what entertainment we were to expect there . There was nothing like Equality proposed in it , nothing of Indifferency ; no liberty reserved to us , to charge him , if we saw meet , as well as he us . No , no , the Scene was laid only for us to hear our selves Charged and proved Guilty ( for that we should be proved Guilty , was , it seemes , determined before-hand ) And to what end then was it o●fered , that we should be freely heard , to answer to our several Charges ? This was worse dealing than is used towards Malefactors . For when they are Summoned to hear themselves Charged , they have full Liberty given them , not only to Answer for themselves , but to Object ( if they have cause ) against their Accuser , against his Witnesses , Yea , and against the Iury too . But they are not called to hear themselves proved Guilty ; ( as it seemes we were ) whether they shall be proved Guilty or not Guilty , is left upon the Issue of their Tryal : But in our Case , it was resolved before hand ; We were called thither to hear our selves Charged , and proved Guilty . Now though G. Keith 's Malefactory Comparison shews his both Envy and Folly in making it , yet it answers not his case . For although a Malefactor may not say , You shall not call me before a Iustice without my consent : Yet I fancy a Malefactor might say , You shall not make your Self a Iustice , and then call me before your self , without my consent . Neither shall you call me , without my consent , before any Man else ; that is no otherwise a Justice , than of your making , till I better understand your Power for making Justices . No wonder this little Man speaks so Bigg , if he hath entertained a Notion , that he hath Power not only to convene Persons , at his pleasure , before himself ; but also to confer Iusticiary Authority on such others as shall assemble on his Advertisement . He threatens , if he be not humoured , to repeat his Advertisement . If he should do so , such as are ambitious of such an Imployment , may hasten to Turners-Hall , if they would be made Iustices by G. Keith . He pursues his Comparison further , saying , ib. If a man Rob me , I may complain of him as a Robber , and without his consent , call him to an Account . He may so , but he must complain then , coram competenti Iudice , Before one that hath a just Authority over him : For if he complain coram non Iudice , Before one that hath nothing to do with it , he may go as he came , without Redress . In his Pref. p. 8. he saith , And as Insignificant is their Excuse of declining to meet , because it was not an agreed Meeting on both sides : As if Guilty Persons are not to be tried without their Consent and Agreement . Observe here , he reputes us Guilty first , and talks of Trying us afterwards . What else is this , but to condemn first , and try after ? As if ( says he ) Guilty persons are not to be tried without their consent . When Persons are pronounced Guilty , it is to be supposed , they have had Trial : For it is from a Trial and Conviction that they are Denominated Guilty . The Law calls no Man Guilty , until upon due Trial , he be proved and found Gui●y . Till then the Law supposes him Innocent . If a man be justly suspected of any Crime , he may and ought be fairly tried , in a due and right Method , that it may appear whether he be Guilty or Innocent . But none I hope , except G. Keith , is so weak to think , that any one who hath a mind to it , may take upon him to try such a man , and pass Sentence on him . He adds there , Their upbraiding me by Insinuating my assuming a Spiritual Iurisdiction over them , and Summoning them to appear before me , is Idle and Vain . The Injurer is Debtor to the Injured , and Accountable to him . Tho' his representing us to be the Injurers , and himself the Injured , is but precarious , and a begging of the Question , which we deny : Yet his urging , that the Injurer is Debtor to the Injured , and accountable to him , in Justification of his appointing a Meeting for us to appear at , doth imply he assumed a Iurisdiction over us , & thought he might Summon us to appear , which was Idle and Vain in him to think , much more to do . What should induce him to think so highly of himself , and take so much upon him , I know not , unless he hath some little Ecclesiastical Preferment in the Wind ; which if he has , perhaps it may never rise higher than an Apparitor , or some such small Officer .

But he says , ib. Let them tell me what Spiritual Iurisdiction they had over me , to call me several times to them at their Yearly-Meeting , 1694. more than I had over them , to call them to our Meeting at Turners-Hall , 1696 , unless they will fly to their common Pretence , common to them with the Church of Rome , their Infallibility ? First let me tell him , His Contempt of , and Scoff at Infallibility ( asserted and maintained by himself in his Book of Immediate Revelation not ceased , p. 36 , 37 , 38. Second Edition , 1676. ) is an Infallible Proof of his Apostacy . Next I 'll tell him ( seeing he asks it ) what Power we had then , to call him , more than he hath now , to call us . Every Religious Society or Body , hath a certain Power within it self over the particular Members that make up , or pretend to be of , that Society or Body ; by vertue of which , such Society or Body may call to account , deal with , and ( if they see cause ) deny any such Member as shall walk disorderly , contrary to the Rules , and against the Safety or Honour of the Society . Now G. Keith , knows full well , that at the time he mentions , in 1694. he pretended to be a Member of our Society , and thrust himself amongst us , and upon us , which gave us Right to deal with him as we did . But since the the time he was disowned by us , as one gone out from us , we never pretended to fellowship with him , or to be Members of , or any way related to , that Society he is of ( if indeed he be of any . ) And therefore he has not the like ground to call us to his Meeting ( which we were never of , but against ) as we then had to call him to our Meeting , which he then pretended , and professed to be of .

He asks , p. 7. Why should Disputes viva voce , be more offensive to civil Peace , than Disputes in Print . I believe ( says he ) they can give no Reason . I believe I have given a Reason already , and that Demonstrative too . He might as well ask , Why should the gathering together of many Hundreds , or thousands , of Men ▪ in a time of Faction and great Discontents , be more offensive to civil Peace , than People's Reading Books , privately in their Houses or Closets ? I believe if he cannot , ( because he will not ) every body else can see the Reason .

From our not answering him , viva voce , he is willing to infer that we should not answer him in Print neither . For he says , ib. If I be not worthy , nor fit to be answered by word , nor am I to be answered by writ . It is not his worthiness that Inclines us to Answer him at all ; but the defence and clearing of our Principles , and our selves , from his Calumnies and false Accusations . In doing which we think not our selves obliged to follow his Direction , or to alter our Course , as oft as he is driven to alter his . When he was in Pensilvania , where he was answered viva voce , ( and indeed could not well be answered otherwise , the only Press in those Parts being then at his command ) he voided Books , against his Opponents there , thick and threefold , ( as the saying is . ) He complained not then of lack , either of Time to Write , or outward Ability to Print , but conceived and brought forth Book upon Book , as fast , in a manner , as the Press could deliver him . When he came first over hither , if any one displeased him , his ordinary Threat was , I 'll put thee in Print . And it was not long before he fell to Printing here , and ran on for some time , as if he would have driven down all before him . But having undertaken an Evil Cause , he quickly found himself unable to maintain it , or defend himself ; and that hath made him weary of Printing , because indeed he cannot answer what lies upon him already in Print . And because he is not willing to own that , nor would be thought to be driven out of the Press , he now pretends want of Time and Money to Print with ; and in his Advertisement gave that as his Reason why he declined Printing , and appointed a Meeting to talk out his matter by word of Mouth . But that that was but a false pretence , is evident ; for it appears by his Narrative , that he intended , after he had got such a Meeting , to fall to Printing again : For he says , p. 24. If I wrong the Quotation , it will appear in Print , for we intend that the Quotations shall be Printed . This shews his design was not so much to shun Printing , as to shun Answering our former Books , by shifting the Controversie into another Course . For as soon as that Meeting of his was over , he ( or some body for him ) could find Time and Money too , to publish a Narrative of what he pretends to have delivered then , with large Additions to it , a Book of 12 d. price , and the biggest , I think that he hath Printed , since he came last to England , and yet hath left our Books unanswered . Whereas , had he been able to have answered at all to the purpose , and to have cleared himself of what is therein charged upon him , a l●ss Book , and of less Price , than the Narrative he has now published , might have done his business . But it is evident he did not want Time , so much as he wanted Truth on his side ; And that he did not so much want outward Ability to Print , as inward Ability to Defend himself , and the Cause he had undertaken . And indeed , as to his pretence of want of outward Ability to Print , seeing he sold his own Books , one might reasonably think , he should rather be inabled than disabled by that . But if it be true , that he says in his Narrative , p. 50. That he hath weakened his Estate by Printing , it is the Effect of his own Folly and Wickedness , in Printing false and frivolous matters : For he might probably have rather encreas'd his Estate by Printing , selling his Books as he has done , had he written matter worth the Reading . But if want of Time and Money , for Writing and Printing , had been the real Cause of his not Answering our Books , how comes he to be so flush of Both now ; that , since the publishing his Narrative , he could find both Time to write , and Money to Print another pretty large Book against us , leaving my two former Books yet unanswered ? Has he sprung a Mine at Turners-Hall ? Or have some of his Auditors made a Gathering for him , to put him in stock , to go on with his Work of fighting against God and his People ?

To our Objection , That he did not exhibit to us a Copy of his Charge ( or Indictment ) against us , he says , Nar. p 14. And for the Particulars I in●end to prove against them , they were expresly mentioned in my Advertisement , containing four Foundamental Doctrines of Christianity by them opposed . This is not true , as will appear by consulting the Advertisement . In the first head of it , relating to W. Penn , Nar. p 9. he saith , I charge him to be guilty of false Accusation and De●amation , and offer to prove him to be so ; As also I offer to prove him guilty out of his printed Books , ( but names no Book ) of most Erroneous and Hurtful Principles , contrary to the Fundamental Doctrines of the Christian Faith and Religion , &c. ( but names no particular Principle ) and also that he is guilty of gross contradiction to himself . ( But says not wherein . )

In his second Head , relating to me , He charges me to be guilty of false Accusations , Perversions and Forgeries , contained in sundry defamatory Books printed against him . ( But shews not wherein . ) As also of most Erroneous and Hurtful Principles . ( But names no particular Principle . )

In his third Head , relating to G. Whitehead , he offers to prove G. Whitehead , out of some of his printed Books ( but names no Book ) guilty of most Erroneous and Hurtful Principles , &c. but names no particular Principle . This is all in general , both as to Books and Principles ; no one Principle , nor any one Book , particularly mentioned . Yet in his Narrative , he says , The Particulars I intend to prove against them , were expresly mention'd in my printed Paper called An Advertisement , containing four Fundamental Doctrines of Christianity by them opposed . After he had dated , signed , and thereby closed his Advertisement , he added an account of the Cause of his intimating such a Meeting . In that he says , I appeal to all moderate Persons , whether this my Intimation of such a Meeting , in the Defence of the Fundamental Doctrines of Christianity , as the necessity of Faith in Christ , as he outwardly suffered , &c. Iustification and Sanctification , by the Blood of Christ outwardly shed , The Resurrection of the Body that dieth , and Christs coming without us , &c. All which I offer to prove have been Opposed and Contradicted by Some of them , be not justifiable , &c. If this be the passage he refers to , wherein he says the Particulars he inteded to prove against them , were expresly mentioned , yet here is nothing but Vncertainty still : For here he only offers to prove that those Fundamental Doctrines have been Opposed and Contradicted by Some of them , not by them All. He had summoned and charged Four Persons by Name , and a whole Meeting besides . He offers to prove that certain Fundamental Doctrines had been opposed by Some of them , but names not by which of them . How should they , or any of them , know by this , which of them he intended to fix it on ? How should they severally be prepared to make Defence , when they did not know which of them in particular should be charged , what in particular should be charged on each , and out of what particular Books the Charge would be drawn ? No considerate Person , I suppose , could think , that Men in their right Wits , would appear on such a Summons , or discourse on such uneven Terms . If the Trumpet give an uncertain sound , who shall prepare himself to the Battel ? If a Dispute had been intended , no Man , that understands the Rules of Disputation , would have engaged on such unequal , unfair , uncertain , blind terms . Even in Duelling , he that gives the Challenge , doth withal give notice what Weapon he intends to use , and of what length ; The Reason of which is obvious .

He says , Pref. p. 8. They think such a Meeting at Turners-Hall , is but in a Corner , and not in the face of the Nation ( and so I suppose will every one think , in comparison with the Press . ) But ( adds he ) they are like to find it hath been so much in the face of the Nation , that many in the Nation will notice it . Like enough , but not without Printing . For the Advertisement that gave the first publick Notice of it , and was to beget the Expectation of it , and to draw People to it , was Printed : ( as when a New Play is to be acted , printed Papers to give Notice of it , are spread abroad some time before . ) And now since it is over , the Narrative of it is Printed , without which little Notice would have been taken of it . So that after all , he is fain to come to Printing again , where we told him before-hand he must come , and where we knew we should have a time to meet with him , and talk with him with less danger of Disturbance , in a more sedate and quiet manner , and before more comp●tent Judges , than the shouting Mobb at Turners-Hall . ( For twice in one page , viz. p. 45. he says the A●ditory shouted , and no wonder , considering what an Auditory it was , and how he acted the Terraesilius or Prevaricator ( not to say Merry-Andrew ) to stir them ●p thereto . What a sort of Auditory he had got , how sit for his purpose , and how disposed to his service some of them were , may be gathered from the Account himself has given of them and their Behaviour , in his Narrative . For at the very opening of the Meeting , when the Paper giving some Reasons for our not being there , was read , and G. Keith had said , I offer to answer to every one of the Reasons , if you desire it ; his easie Auditory immediately replied , No , it is ne●dless , Nar. p. 13. When a Friend of ours proposed a most just and reasonable thing , viz. That the Scriptures urged against us by G. Keith , should be read , and introduced his Proposal in such soft and modest terms , as , I beg a Favour , G. Keith had an Auditory ( or rather perhaps some ready prepared and disposed in his Auditory ) which he makes to answer , There is no need , go on . Nar. p. 27. When G. Keith had told a strange and improbable story against three Persons whom he called Quakers , concerning words which he said they spake in the year 1678 , ( about 18 years ago ) on purpose to defame both them and us , and did not name them , and thereupon a Friend of ours prest earnestly on him to name them , he had an Auditor ready to help him off , by saying , He has done enough , Nar. p. 39. Nay , when G. Keith had read a passage out of a Book of G. Wh●tehead's , and a Friend of ours , desiring to know when that Book was writ , did thus modestly say , If I might , I desire to have liberty to speak ; When was the date of the Book ? He was immediately thus taken up by the Auditors , If you will undertake their Cause , you may speak , otherwise not . Nar. p. 15. Yet in p. 45. he had an Auditor at hand , who seeing him at a loss , says , G. Keith , I see you are almost spent , I will answer for you . From these few instances the indifferent Reader may see , how far from being indifferent that Auditory was . And from the whole , I doubt not but it will appear , That G. Keith had no Reason to appoint that Meeting , and summon us to appear at it ; That we had good Reason not to come there , and that he was very unfair and unjust to traduce and defame us there , behind our Backs ; when he knew we did not shun him in the most open way of Trial , but provoked him to it . It is very idle therefore in him to insinuate ( as in his Pref. p. 7. ) that W. Penn has shown great Cowardice ; and his Party charged , by not appearing at all ; Since as it is no sign of want of Courage , in a Man that uses the outward Sword , to refuse Scuffling with his Antagonist in a Chamber , while he boldly offers to meet him in the open Field : So it can never be judged , by considerate Men , a token of Cowardice or Diffidence in us , to refuse to meet a Brawling Adversary in a By-Place , ( especially upon unfair terms ) while we most readily offer to meet and engage him in the most open , free , and clear way of deciding Religious Controversies , the Press , where he first began , as himself says , Nar. p. 38. What ( says he ) is the last Remedy against Oppression ? Why Printing : Therefore I began . And seeing G. Keith himself first opened the Press to this Controversie , by ●alling upon us in Print , we needed not have given any other Answer to him , than he formerly gave to his and our Opponent , Rob. Gordon , in the like case , viz. Seeing thou camest forth in Print against us , ( though under a Cover ) what ground hadst thou to expect another way of Answering , than by Print ? See his Postscript to a Book called , The Nature of Christianity , in the true Light , Asserted , p. 60. This was his Answer to Gordon , and this might have been sufficient from us to him . But because we were willing to inform and satisfie others , we published the fore-going Reasons , which I doubt not have given , and will give satisfaction to all dis-interessed and impartial Persons .