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Show ( 164) Armies managing h?s Comroverfie with them-. Yea~ P· 4 7 · C. 2. that the FLame of War nMs Raging all over the whole Maflachufets Colony, why then fhould he puc it fo far ofr as Newichawannic and Cafco Bay, and not Confcfs i~ as it is? Is not :Amos 6.3. this a putting far away the Evil dtty, llnd Ccmftng the feat of Vtoluu:e to come near. mua~ litt~ SJU}ttting~. - 1 bid. c. 2. Charge your Child1·en and Servants, that t hey do not go Hnto their Meeting.r, and cqfl not youf [elves alfo into Temptation, by needlejly being there : And why fo? Is not this Uke the Papijls and old Church~ Party that would prohibit any from going to the Meetiugs of fuch as diifentcd from them ? And if all had been of that mind,how would there have bee11 any further Difcovery or Reformation? Does he not fay, lmrod. p. 2. c. t. 'Tis ve7 certain, that the ftrft ReformerJ never intended, that what they did, jhoHld be th-e abfolute Boundary of R~formation, fo that it jhould be a Sin to proceed any j1-erther; M by their own going beyond Wickliff; &c.-abundantly demonflrated ? And why muft they always fitt frill then, under their ftinted Forms, and never go or feek any further ? And tThelf. ~·how fhould they go further, and prove all things, ~ 1 • and .hold [aft that which is good, as the Apoltle advtfed, tf they fhould take hi3 Advice? And is not Truth ftronger than Error? Why then fhould they be afraid, or count it a Temptation, ~o - go to hear tthe Quakers? They ufed to cry Indeed, Have lit care of being deceived ; Have a care of being bewitched : Butr that Bug~bear is now difcovered, and it hath been manifeft of whofe .fide the Witches have been, and Deceivers too. And I would ask C. M. why he would not have them go to the Quakers Meeting? Whe~ ther he thinks, if they are Elected, they can be deceived or }Q.f];? And if they are Reprobated,. - - wh~tbel'- ( 16) ) whe~her they will be faved ever the more for ftaymg among them? I am fure Qn their Princi4 pies~ he ~uft fay NP~y to both: For thus they fay lll thetr Confeffion of Faith, which he recites, . Book V. p. 7· c. I. 'By the Decree of God for '([IJttt ' the Manifeftation of his Glory, fome Men' and Dottrin. ' Angels are predeftinated U;IltO Everlafl:ing Life of ~lee ... ' and others fore-ordai.Qed unto Everlafting tfon ~ ' Dea.th : Thefe Angels and Men, thus prede~ 11\ep~o' deftmated and fore-ordained, are particularly batunt.-' and unchangeably defigned ; and their Number ' is fo certain and definite, than it 'cannotl be 'either increafed or diminifhed: And then whatt matter is it whither they go, or whatt they do? A~d wherefore, or to what purpofe, doth the Pneft preach, or the People pay? Are they nott horrible Deceivers, in taking Peoples Money for Preachiug to them, and Praying for them7 when they can do nothing for them, or add nothing to them; but according to them, they are predeftinate<t and fore-ordained, as to their Eternal Eftate, before? And why on the ~a- .. kers Defcent, as he cal1s it, upon the Town of Lynn, ~p~e,a:--f where f<!!akerifm (as he fays) foddenly fpread, lflt m ng 0 ji1ch a rate, tU to aUarm the Neig.hbourJJood, that ~athe Paflor of the Chtwch there indifled a Day for ketffUl Prayer, with Fafting, to implore the Help of Hea1.nm at Lynn, againft the unaccountable lnchantment, - that the Spiritual Plague might proceed no farther ; which he pretends had Effect : I fay, wherefore did they Fafi: and Pray ? Were noli the People Elected or Reprobated before-hand, and fo could not any more be faved or loft, by the one or other.? And whatt fignifies their Prayers then? . But dtd they not fafi: for Strife and Debate and jfa(f fl)t. to finite with the Fift of Wickednefs, like'their ~ttif.e": Fore-Fathers, and as their Brethren at Coggefha!l · ia Effi.-:.: did again!t the E-rrors of the Q.f.:akcrs, a$- |