The Quakers catechism, or, The Quakers questioned, their questions answered, and both published for…

AN ANSWER TO THE QUAKERS QUERIES

Miserable Creatures,

Before the last I wrote to you, I had received three several Papers, with the Names of three several Persons of you inscribed, viz. One Jane Hicks, one Thomas Chandler, and Edward Neway. These I have yet to show, though the spirit that possesseth you did since prevail with you to call me false Liar and Serpent in Folio, but for telling you that I had received them from you: Forsooth, because I named not the woman before, and because Neway wrote not: But might not I receive them as from them, and having their Names and only theirs inscribed for all that? Since that time I have received two more, One subscribed by Richard Farnworth and Thomas Goodier, and another without any subscribed Name. I showed Tho. Goodier that with his Name, and asked him whether he owned it, who told me, he neither read it nor mine which it replied to, and yet so far believed those that bad, that he owned his Name at it. Having received in your first Letters, almost nothing but some Sheets of [Thou Serpent, Viper, thou Child of the Devil, thou Son of perdition, thou dumb dog, thou false hireling, thou false Liar Deceiver, greedy dog, thou ravening Wolf, thou cursed hypocrite,] ⟨p. 2⟩with much more of the like; I returned you no Reply, as confessing my self not so well skilled in that language and learning as you are; And for the dunghill-heaps of false accusations annexed, I pass them by, as being well known to be impudent slanders; Such as my [upholding accursed, Prelatical Government, false worship, &c.] for which you dare say [the vengeance of the Lord is against me,] while you instance only one word of a Paper of mine, wherein I moved that men be restrained [from preaching against the Essentials or Fundamentals of Christianity,] which one of you tells me is a restraining men from [speaking any more in Christs name] and a persecuting Christs Ministers:] we may see what Christianity and Christs Ministers are in your account, who take it for such damnable enmity to Christ, for a man to be restrained from Preaching that there is no Christ, or from reproaching him: I do not think if I had desired that men should be restrained from calling you damnable Heretics, or the Bastards of the Papists, that you would have been so froward as to have said that herein I was your Enemy; Nor do I think you would have taken it for any dangerous restraint to the Liberty of their Consciences;