N00442:129
Little flocks guarded against grievous wolves. An address unto those parts of New-England which…
Little flocks guarded against grievous wolves. An address unto those parts of New-England which are most exposed unto assaults, from the modern teachers of the misled Quakers. : In a letter, which impartially discovers the manifold heresies and blasphemies, and the strong delusions of even the most refined Quakerism; and thereupon demonstrates the truth of those principles and assertions, which are most opposite thereunto. : With just reflections upon the extreme ignorance and wickedness, of George Keith, who is the seducer that now most ravines upon the churches in this wilderness. / Written by Cotton Mather. ; A character of the ring-leaders among the Quakers. ; [Four lines from Timothy]Little flocks guarded against grievous wolves. An address unto those parts of New-England which are most exposed unto assaults, from the modern teachers of the misled Quakers. : In a letter, which impartially discovers the manifold haeresies and blasphemies, and the strong delusions of even the most refined Quakerism; and thereupon demonstrates the truth of those principles and assertions, which are most opposite thereunto. : With just reflections upon the extream ignorance and wickedness, of George Keith, who is the seducer that now most ravines upon the churches in this wilderness. / Written by Cotton Mather. ; A character of the ring-leaders among the Quakers. ; [Four lines from Timothy]
Boston: printed by Benjamin Harris, 1691
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
You may also give them to understand, that as None of their Speakers are True Ministers, thus you can give some very particular Grounds (and good Masculine ones too) why their Women, who Speak so much at their Meetings, may not be looked upon as Ministers. If you ⟨p. 95⟩put 'em in mind of the Apostles Canon, In 1. Cor. 14.34.35. Let your Women keep silence in your Churches,—for it is a shame for Women to speak in the Church; They will very Learnedly Indoctrinate your Plumbeous Cerebrosities with telling you; That the Woman is the Flesh, and that the Flesh has an Husband which is the Devil; if then you demand, whether the Flesh is to ask the Devil, that he would instruct her in the principles of Religion, they'll be in a rage to find themselves entangled. But I am confident, he would teach her just as Keith do's his proselytes. In the mean time their Patriarch Fox has got this further prodigious answer for you? The man may speak, even Christ in the Male, and in the Female. But you may do well to tell 'em, That it is only for silly Women, led Captive by Knavish Foxes, and laden with sins, to be satisfied with such an Answer. Query, Whether we should not have as many Pope Joans in every Town, among the Quakers, as there are Authors (and there are above threescore Popish Ones) that have handed us down the Story of the Old One; if this would serve. Tell 'em also, That the only Excuse they can have is, That they have no true Churches, nor any thing but mere Herdings among them; and for that among other causes, Come not into their Secret, O my Soul; unto their Assembly, mine Honour, be not thou united! It is possible, that some of you, or yours ⟨p. 96⟩may be Enticed unto their Meetings by an Itch after the New Things to be there me• withal: but if I might advise you, have a care how you go among them; for having the Itch already, you'll not escape a more dirty and spreading Scab among such a Drove. You had better say like them in Neh. 10.39, We will not forsake the House of our God. 'Tis commonly pleaded, That we are to Try all things; but this implies not that we are to Hear all men. The Synagogues of Satan are not to be visited by unsettled and unstable people, upon such a Notion Will you put your hand into the Fire, to try whether the fire be hot! No I have already told you, what is at their Meetings.