Quakers Declaration . That the Quakers Meetings are not Seditious Conventicles , and therefore ought not to be supprest .

TO answer this , we shall consider what the Act intends by a Seditious Conventicle ; Where persons above the age of sixteen , shall be present at any Assombly , Meeting , or Conventicle , under colour or pretence of any exercise of Religion , in other manner than according to the Liturgy and practise of the Church of England ; at which Meeting there shall be five or more assembled , besides those of the same houshold , shall incur the penalty , &c. Now that the Quakers do not exercise any part of Divine Worship , according to the Liturgy and practise of the Church of England , is easily proved from their own confession , in a seditious Pamphlet published by them about the year 1664. entituled , The Reasons why the people of God called Quakers , cannot joyn with the Church of England in any part of their worship : in which Pamphlet they do most blasphemously deride and mock at our worship , and Liturgy of the Church , making use of the several Sentences in our daily Confession , for reasons of their Schism and Separation from our Church .

Q. D. Neither have been or are our practises dangerous , &c.

Ans. That your practises have been and are dangerous , I shall easily prove : That they have been dangerous , Germany hath well experienced , by the rebellion of David George , the first of your Sect , whose Followers had they not been timely supprest , had set the whole Empire in flames ; such another was John of Leiden , and Cobs Faction in England , which had not the least share in our late Rebellion . And if you should plead that you are not guilty of the Fact , yet there is Sedition and Rebellion implied in the Doctrine you teach at your Conventicles ; you preach against dignities and Titles of Honor , calling them Antichristian , contrary to Scripture commands ; your preaching down dignities , implies that you would pull them down too , if it were in your power , as your Brethren before mentioned attempted ; for it cannot be supposed that such persons , who believe all persons to be equal , and will allow of no reverence or worship to any man , but that they will upon any advantage make use of their power to pull down whatsoever contradicts their belief or practise .

Q. D. So the things that belong to Caesar , we give to Caesar .

Ans. 1. To the King belongs obedience , honor and Tribute ; if you give to Caesar what belongs to him , you must render him obedience , you must obey his Laws , and those either actively or passively , but you are content with neither ; else what means this Pamphlet of yours ; but if you say you obey him passively , passive obedience is not always lawful ; if you plead your Consciences will not let you obey them actively , but you are willing to obey them passively ; you must have a care of a great error , for passive obedience is onely required , when things contrary to the Word of God are commanded ; it is not necessary that all things commanded by authority , must have a command or president in Scripture ; for many things are left indifferent to the discretion of Gods Vicegerents , as Kings , and other subordinate Officers ; a power is likewise in the Governors of the Church , to impose such things as they shall find necessary to be observed in the publick worship of God ; and this we may infer from those words of the Apostle , The rest will I set in order when I come : So that whatsoever is command●d by authority if it be not contrary to the word of God , must be obeyed actively , and not passively ; for what advantage will it be for you another day , when you shall excuse your non-obedience by saying , you suffered ; certainly you can expect no other Answer than , Who hath required these things at your hands ? if you suffer for your faults , what thanks have you ?

2. To the King belongs Honor ; Honor the King ( saith holy Scripture , ) but this you preach against ; the best language he can get from you , is thou and thee , as if he were your fellow . This error of yours proceeds from a mistake of Christs words to his Apostles . Call no man Master , for one is your Master , Jesus Christ . Christ never intended by this doctrine , that his Apostles should give no man his due Title and Honor , but puts them in mind of their dutie to him , who had called them from other Masters and from other Imployments , that they might be diligent in his Service . Call no man master , i.e. Serve none else but him who hath called you from a worldly to a spiritual imployment . The next thing that belongs to Caesar , is Tribute ; we shall not deny but that you pay Taxes , because you are compelled ; but if you do it willingly , your obedience in this , will not excuse your disobedience in all things else : So that all that belongs to Caesar , you do not give to Caesar .

Q. D. That which belongs to God , we give to God .

Ans. Here you likewise fail : What hath been once dedicated to God , and hath been set apart for the maintenance of his Service and Worship , doth belong to God , and therefore must be given to him : Now , to whom God hath assigned this payment , to them it must be paid ; but to his Ministers God hath assigned this payment , and hath allowed by his Word , That they that wait at the Altar , should live of the Altar ; and they which preach the Gospel , should live of the Gospel : So that whosoever refuses to pay Tyths and other maintenance given to the Ministers of the Church of England , for their performance of the Service of the Church , and established by the Laws of the land ; doth not give to God the things that belong to God .

Q. D. His Worship in Spirit and Truth which is his due .

Ans. Here you allege that which is but the lesser part of his due , for his whole due ; for what advantage is it for the Lord of Hosts to be worshipped and honoured by us , who are as worms in his sight ? Saul thought himself very zealous for Gods worship , when he saved part of the spoil of the Amelekites , that should have been destroyed , to sacrifice it to the Lord ; but for this his Kingdom was given from him , and God tells him by his Prophet Samuel , Obedience is better than sacrifice ; 't is Obedience God desires rather than Sacrifice or Worship . God commands you to be obedient to Authority ; and no pretence of Worship , can excuse you from this necessary Duty of Obedience : So that while you are not obedient , you neither give God nor Caesar his due .

Q. D. We do not meet under color or pretence to plot or contrive Insurrections , &c.

Ans. We have but your bare word for it ; I have proved that your party hath been guilty of Insurrections , and that the Doctrines you teach at your Meetings , are Seditious and Heretical , serving as fire to foment and kindle flames of Rebellion , whensoever the least gale of opportunity or advantage , shall blow off those embers that do at present cover them .

Q. D. And were not the Magistrates &c. injoyned by their oaths before , to look after the preservation of the peace against all such seditious Meetings , as much as this Act doth require ?

Ans. It is true , the Magistrates were enjoyned by their Oaths before to prevent such seditious Meetings , and we have many Laws against such ; but the reason why they were not put in execution , hath been the negligence of inferior Officers , who should have informed and convicted Offenders before those Magistrates . Against this negligence , obstructing the execution of the Laws , the King and Parliament have provided by this Act , inflicting penalties upon the several Officers that shall neglect the performance of their duty .

Q. D. Now if 4 besides the family may meet that are seditious spirits , may not many such seditious Meetings do more hurt , than if there were two or three hundred together ? for then they might speak out their minds to one another , which they could not do before hundreds of mixt people .

Ans. 't is true , there is danger enough in your small Meetings , but much more in your greater Meetings of hundreds ; for by lessening your Meetings we may better secure both Church and State . This will be a means to secure our Church , by hindring many silly and ignorant people , that did use to run into your Meetings , partly to behold your antick tricks in your silent Meetings , or else out of curiosity to hear some new Doctrine , which have at last been seduced by you , being taken with that gilded shell of Religion which you there present them with . We shall also better secure our State , by thus lessening your Meetings ; for 10 or 12 can make no great disturbance in a place , a Constable may suppress these : But where 5 or 600 , or more , shall meet , and finding an opportunity , make an Insurrection , these may set a whole City on flames , before a strength can be got together to suppress them .

Q. D. If this Act had been made in the time of the Jews , would it not have taken hold of Christ and his Apostles ?

Ans. No , it would not have taken hold of Christ or his Apostles ; For the Liturgy of the Church of England is agreable to the Word of God , and according to the practise of Christ and his Apostles : Now none are Offendors by this Act , but such as meet together , and exercise some Religious Worship , contrary , or not agreeing with the Liturgy of the Church of England . Christ or his Apostles would never offend against their own Doctrine and practise , therefore this Act could not have taken hold of them , but rather have protected them .

Q. D. Are any to be credibly informed against and supprest , but such as are known to be seditious ?

Ans. What needs this Querie ? You see what the Act has determined to be Sedition ; I have already proved you to be guilty of that ; and you are known to be such , according to the intent of the Act ; and therefore ought to be informed against , and supprest .

Q. D. Whether the Liturgie doth not allow of people to meet together to worship God in spirit and in truth , without limitation of time , place or number ?

Ans. It doth ; but then it must be according to the form and method there prescribed , viz. publick Prayer in places set apart for the publick Worship of God ; neither doth it limit the Worship of God in private , there being in the Liturgie prescribed forms as well for private as publick Worship .

WE shall now examine your places of Scripture , that you bring to prove your Meetings in Barns , Fields , &c. to be lawful .

Your first is out of Malachy , In every place offering shall be offered to my name . This hath relation to the calling in of the Gentiles ; for then Sacrifices and Prayers were offered up to the name of God no where but in Judea ; but the Prophet prophesying of the coming of Christ , and Conversion of the Gentiles by his Gospel , saith , In every place offerings shall be offered to my name , i.e. in every Countrey or Nation , in places dedicated to my name , offering shall be offered to my Name : this every place cannot be taken in the large or general sense , for then it must take in hell , where Sacrifices shall never be offered to the Name of God .

Q. D. 2. place of scripture . I will that men pray every where , lifting up holy hands without wrath or doubting .

Ans. The Apostle saith this , to take away doubts of Christians , that by reason of persecution could not be present at the publick places of Gods Worship ; who might fear that their Prayers might not be so soon heard , when they were alone , as when the whole Congregation of Christians were mutually joyned together in Prayer . We find David thus doubting and bemoaning himself , ( when he was forced to flee from Saul ) that he could not come to the House of God , envying the sparrows and swallows that lodged therein .

Q. D. 3. place . Wheresoever two or three are gathered together in my name , I will be in the midst of them .

Ans. God the Father in the Old Testament , claiming a propriety in those places dedicated to his Name and Service , calling them His Houses , and promising to hear the Prayers of his People that should be made in those places : And God the Son in the New Testament , claiming the same propriety , and severely punishes such as had profaned this his House ; it might have raised some doubts in the Disciples , when the Temple and other places of Worship were destroyed , where they should then meet to perform their Worship to God ; Christ foreseeing this , and knowing likewise that they should be scattered abroad by reason of Persecution , tells them , That wheresoever two or three should be gathered together in his name , he would be in the midst of them .

And as it was in the times of the Law , whilst the People was under Persecution and Travelling , God was contented to dwell in Tents and Tabernacles ▪ But no sooner was the People peaceably settled in the Land of Canaan , but God puts them in mind to build him an House , which might be a fixed Place , where all might come to worship him , and at the Dedication he did miraculously show his acceptance of it : So during the time of the Persecution of the Gospel , Christ was pleased to accept of the Services of his Church in any Place ; but when it was peaceably settled , he puts it into their hearts to build him Houses , that should be dedicated and set a part for his peculiar Service . And now all persons ought to perform their Publick Worship in these Places , that are by Authority set apart and dedicated for the Service and Worship of God .

Thus have I proved your Meetings to be seditious , according to the intent and meaning of the Act , and therefore ought to be supprest : And that your practises have been , and are dangerous : That the things which belong to Caesar , you do not give to Caesar ; nor to God , the things that belong to God : I have likewise proved , That your Doctrine tends to the fomenting and stirring up of insurrections and Rebellion : And that there was a necessity for this Act , notwithstanding the former Acts against you , and that for the better security of our Church and Kingdom : I have likewise answered those places of scripture you bring , to prove ( though misapplied ) your Meetings in Barns , Fields , &c. to be lawful .

As for your POSTSCRIPT , I shall take no other notice of it , but onely this , That your Definitions agree very well with your Practises , and that you are guilty of all things contained therein , either in posse or esse , and therefore ought to be prevented .