N00442:16
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.
Our Blessed Religion is wonderfully suited unto our constitution, by laying before us both sensible and spiritual objects to converse withal; but Quakerism, under the pretence of advancing the Spiritual Objects of Religion, goes to annihilate all the Sensible; so that we must have no Bible, no Jesus, no Baptism, no Eucharist, no Ordinances, but what shall be so Evaporated into Mystical Notions, as to become unto the Children of Men, altogether unintelligible, or at least unprofitable. Indeed, there is hardly any one Fundamental Article of that Reformed Religion, whereby we look to be saved, that is not undermined by Quakerism, whatever professions it makes unto the contrary, when, An Angel of Light, is to be personated. What Religion shall we have, if the Scriptures, once come to be vile in our opinion of them? Now to withdraw men from the esteem and study of the Scriptures, ha's hitherto been the main Design of Quakerism. Are they not the express words, of the Quakers in their Systems of Divinity, Tis Blasphemy for any to say, the letter [by which they meant the Bible] is the word of God; it is the Devil that contends for the Scriptures to be […] word of God. Do ••ey not expressly tell ⟨p. 5⟩us, It is the greatest error in the world, and the ground of all errors, to say, The Scriptures are a Rule to Christians? The Quakers in their Books expressly challenge us, Tell me one Scripture that hath light in it, And at the same time entitle their own books, Light risen out of Darkness. They expressly reproach men for, Doting on the Scriptures; and at the same time their own silly Scribbles they call The Shields of the truth, and Things written from the spirit of the Lord, Hence as Mr. Cheiny tells us, in their Disputes the Quakers openly have said, God has no where commanded us to walk according to the Scriptures. Thus when Mr. Cotton of Plymouth, with some others, had attested, that they heard George Keith affirm, The Scriptures are the word of God, this Keith Prints a letter to revile the witnesses, for, Not Dealing Fairly, nor as becomes true witnesses. Now let any reasonable man, find any reason of their thus treating the Holy Scriptures; what can this caution signify? if they would not have us think, that we pay too much Respect unto those Oracles of God. A Crime which I assure you, few among us are guilty of!
Our Blessed Religion is wonderfully suited unto our constitution, by laying before us both sensible and spiritual objects to converse withal; but Quakerism, under the pretence of advancing the Spiritual Objects of Religion, goes to annihilate all the Sensible; so that we must have no Bible, no Jesus, no Baptism, no Eucharist, no Ordinances, but what shall be so Evaporated into Mystical Notions, as to become unto the Children of Men, altogether unintelligible, or at least unprofitable. Indeed, there is hardly any one Fundamental Article of that Reformed Religion, whereby we look to be saved, that is not undermined by Quakerism, whatever professions it makes unto the contrary, when, An Angel of Light, is to be personated. What Religion shall we have, if the Scriptures, once come to be vile in our opinion of them? Now to withdraw men from the esteem and study of the Scriptures, ha's hitherto been the main Design of Quakerism. Are they not the express words, of the Quakers in their Systems of Divinity, Tis Blasphemy for any to say, the letter [by which they meant the Bible] is the word of God; it is the Devil that contends for the Scriptures to be word of God. Do ey not expresly tell