the Roman church he stated as the true church, from which they were unjustly departed, and to which they must all return again: for the Roman, said he, was the true church, and not any other; she was the holy Catholic and apostolical church, that was infallible, and could not err; and had the power to work miracles, He also asserted, that she was one in matters of faith, that she was governed by one invisible head Christ, and by a visible head, the pope ; and that therefore she was the true church. Now forasmuch as he held forth at large these and several other positions, so Josiah Coale did not omit to answer all these pretences distinctly and emphatically; for he was an undaunted and zealous disputant. Besides the superstition, idolatry, and cruel 'persecution of the Roman church, which had taken away the lives of many thousands of honest and pious people, supplied abundant matter to Josiah Coale, to shew the papal errors, and clearly to prove her to be the false church. For though he did not deny that the true church was Catholic, or universal, yet he denied that the universality of the church of Rome was a sufficient argument to prove her to be the true church. What church (thus he queried) is more universal than the great whore the false church, who had a name written, Mystery Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots, and Abominations of the Earth? Who sits upon the waters, which are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues? And did not the whole world wonder after the beast that carried the whore? Did she not sit as a queen over them all, with her fair profession, or golden cup in her hand, full of abominations, and filthiness of her fornication? And did not all the inhabitants of the earth, and the kings of the earth, drink of the wine of her fornication and commit fornication with her? Mark, how universal was this great whore, the false church; and how confident she was: for she said in her heart that she should see no sorrow; and she glorified herself, and reigned over the kings of the earth, Is not this the very state of the church of Rome at this day? Doth she not reign over the kings of the earth? And hath she not done so long, even for many ages? And how she hath exercised authority over kings, may appear from the case of the emperor Frederick, who was fain to hold the pope's stirrup while he got on horseback. And did not the great whore, which John saw, drink the blood of the saints and martyrs of Jesus. Surely the histories of many generations past testify this. And was she not to have blood given her to drink? As may appear not obscurely from Rev. xvii. 6. At this rate Josiah Coale encountered the masked A. S. but in a more copious way; and thus he answered his assertions. To that, that the church of Rome should always remain to the end of the world: and that therefore she was infallible: J. Coale said, that the bare affirmation of A. S. was no proof, except he would produce that saying of the mother of harlots, "I sit as a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow." But indeed that would be a very pitiful argument to prove the church of Rome infallible, unless she was first proved to be the true church. And as J. Coale answered these and other objections at large, so he shewed also the vanity of the boast of miracles, of which the church of Rome gloried, and he refuted all the falsities which that anonymous author had belched out against the Quakers, as a people that might be wronged without incurring any danger. But I omit to recite all J. Coale's answers for brevity sake; yet may make mention of a poem which he wrote some time before, when he was prisoner at Launceston in Cornwall, to which the reader is referred, being to be found in Josiah Coale's works at page 111. Thus zealously J. Coale wrote against popery, and yet such hath been the malice of many, that they represented the Quakers as favourers of the church of Rome, though on many occasions they had effectually shewn the contrary. But their enemies endeavoured to brand them many ways, and they left no stone unturned to blacken them: to which sometimes false brethren gave occasion: for about this time there were many of the adherents of John Perrot, who often ill treated, and spoke evil of those who did not approve their absurdities. This befel Richard Farnsworth, one of the first preachers among those called Quakers, though he was a man of a notable gift, and on his dying bed he gave evidences of a firm and steadfast trust in God; for it was not long before this time that he fell sick, and died in London. Among the many expressions which signified his good frame of mind, and the divine consolation he felt, were also these words, that were taken in writing from his mouth. "Friends, "God hath been mightily with me, and hath stood by me at this time; and his presence and power hath accompanied me all along though some think I am under a cloud for something. But God hath appeared for the owning of our testimony, and hath broken in upon me as a flood, and I am filled with his love more than I am able to express; and God has really appeared for us," &c. This he spoke but a short time before his de وو parture; and exhorted his friends to faithfulness and steadfastness, and that nothing might be suffered to creep in of another nature than the truth they professed, to intermix therewith, saying, "No linsey-woolsey garment must be worn. Some more consolatory words he spoke, and his last testimony was a seal unto all the former testimonies he had given for the Lord. And after having lain yet an hour or two, he slept in peace with the Lord, and left a good repute behind, with those who truly were acquainted with him, and knew how zealously he had laboured in the ministry of the gospel for many years. Now I return again to G. Fox who was this year not only in Wales, but in several other places, without being imprisoned, although at Shrewsbury, where he had a great meeting, the officers being called together by the mayor, consulted what to do against him, since it was said, the great Quaker of England was come to town. But they could not agree among themselves, some being for imprisoning him, and others for letting him alone: and they being thus divided, he escaped their hands. As several eminent' men among those called Quakers, were taken away by death, so others came in who filled their places; among these, and none of the least, was Robert Barclay, son of colonel David Barclay, descended from the |