Amsterdam, the 23d day of the month
called April, 1679.
* * * * *
_Some questions presented to the Papists, and the pope of Rome,
as the supreme head of their church, and commended to their
consideration by George Fox._
‘FRIENDS,
‘1. How comes it to pass, that the pope and cardinals grant not
to the Protestants living in Spain, Italy, and at Rome, that
liberty of meeting together for the right performing of divine
worship, which ye yourselves enjoy in England, Holland, and other
places, where the Protestants have the chief power?
‘Would not the pope and his ministers persecute, deliver to the
inquisition and burn them, if they should at any time set up as
many meetings in Spain, Italy, and at Rome, as ye yourselves
enjoy in many places in Protestant countries?
‘Is the royal law of God thus fulfilled, which teacheth, to do
to all men whatsoever we would have done to ourselves? Matt.
vii. 12. Would ye have those things done to you by Protestants,
which ye have done to them? But if not, where then are the
royal law and gospel among you? God forbid, that we should deny
liberty to any one that acknowledgeth God, and believeth in his
Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. It seems therefore very strange to
us, that the pope and papists do deny the same liberty in the
pre-mentioned places, which they themselves enjoy among the
protestants; because it is not only contrary to reason, but
always to law and gospel; for the apostle affirmeth, “That he
that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after
the Spirit.” Gal. iv. 29. Have not the papists therefore openly
showed in themselves the fleshly birth, which is contrary to
reason, law, and gospel.
‘2. Where did Christ or his apostles ever command men to bow
themselves to images, and to worship them, and keep holydays?
Where did they command holydays to be appointed in remembrance of
themselves, and the same to be honoured? Why do ye not tell us
where in the gospels, epistles, or in the revelation, any such
thing was commanded those churches, which were in the time of the
apostles and primitive Christians?
‘Where, I say, did Christ or his apostles give command to whip,
hang, or burn men; or, to speak as gently as may be, at least
to imprison any because they dissented from them, and could not
adhere to their religion?
‘3. Where ever did Christ or his apostles in the primitive
churches command that candles should be lighted at noon-day?
Well, show us where it is written, whether it be in the gospels,
or epistles. Is not therefore the Roman church degenerated
from the church of the primitive times? Is she not fallen from
spiritual weapons to carnal; hath she not revolted from that
purity and virginity, wherein she witnessed in time past Christ
to be the head of the churches?
‘4. Did the churches of ancient time make choice of a private
man, and account him for head of the universal church? Where ever
did the primitive church command infants to be sprinkled with
water? Did not Christ say, “Teach all nations, baptizing them,”
&c. Mat. xxviii. 19. Ought they not therefore to be taught before
they were baptized? Are ye not degenerated from that faith which
Christ is the author and finisher of, and which purifieth the
heart, and giveth victory over sin, and evil, which separate from
God, and by which we have access to God, and wherewith he is well
pleased? Are ye not degenerated from the light, truth, grace,
power and spirit, wherein the apostles were?
‘5. Have ye not degenerated from the ancient church, because
ye suffer not the people to read the holy Scripture in their
mother-tongue? For doth not the apostles say, “And when this
epistle is read amongst you, cause that it be also read in the
church of the Laodiceans,” Col. iv. 16, and elsewhere, “I charge
you by the Lord, that this epistle be read unto all the holy
brethren,” 1 Thess. v. 27. Yea, did not Christ also say, “O
fools, and slow of heart, to believe all that the prophets have
spoken.” Luke, xxiv. 25.
‘How can it possibly be, that your common people should believe
those things which Christ, the prophets, and apostles have
spoken, unless it be granted them to read or recite the same in
their own tongue, to the end they might both hear and understand
them by the Spirit which gave them forth? Why then do ye take
away the use of the holy Scriptures from the common people? Are
ye afraid lest the truth should appear manifest, whereby they
might see and believe what is written in the law and prophets,
and by Christ and his apostles? Had not the Jews the law and the
prophets in their mother-tongue, that their children might read
them? Ought not therefore all Christians likewise to have the
New Testament, that makes mention of Christ and his apostles,
in their mother-tongue? But if not, why do ye not show us where
Christ or his apostles have forbidden it?
‘But what do ye say of the sacrament of the altar, as it is
called? Why have ye slain many, and burnt others alive in
England, France, the Low Countries, and other places, because
they could not approve or receive it? Ye assert it as a thing
certain, that the bread and wine, as soon as ye have consecrated
them, are made Christ, yea, whole Christ, consisting of soul,
spirit, flesh, blood, and bones. Besides ye boldly affirm, that
all who receive that sacrament do receive whole Christ, and that
after your consecration, that very thing becomes immortal and
divine.
‘Wherefore come, O pope, cardinals and priests, let us take a
bottle of wine and a loaf of bread, and equally divide the wine
into two basons, and cut the bread into two parts: then let the
pope, cardinals, or priests consecrate one part, which they
please; which being done, let us lay up the consecrated and the
unconsecrated together, in some close place, and secure the same
with seven locks and keys on your part, and with as many on ours,
both papists and protestants keeping watch over it. But if it
plainly appear, that the consecrated bread and wine are immortal
and divine, and lose nothing of their virtue and savour, nor grow
mouldy or sour, as though they had been unconsecrated, then we
will come over to you: but if they lose their property, quality,
and savour, and both parts of the bread do alike grow mouldy,
then it will be reasonable for you to come over to us, and
confess that your sacrament of the altar, so called, is neither
Christ nor his flesh, nor anything immortal or divine; for his
flesh saw no corruption, Acts, ii. 27. 31.--xiii. 35. 37, and his
precious blood, which delivers from sin and corruption, cannot be
corruptible.
‘Let trial then be made hereof; but let judgment be left to just
and equal arbitrators, both papists and protestants, and that in
a place where the protestants may have the same power that ye
have: for it would be unjust to make this trial or experiment,
where ye have the whole administration of the commonwealth, and
an equal liberty is denied the protestants. This thing will make
the truth manifest, and turn to the honour of God: for ye have
shed much blood upon this occasion.
‘Wherefore suffer your Christ, whom ye have made, to be tried,
that it may be seen whether he be the true Christ, or antichrist;
whether he be the true God, or a false one? For it would be
somewhat hard that Baal’s prophets should outdo you, for they
were willing to have their god tried, though they had before
slain many of the people of God, because they would not worship
their god; as ye also have often done.
‘Come ye forth therefore publicly, and make trial; that it may
appear at length to all Christendom, whether yours be the divine
and immortal Christ and God, or no? Or is not rather that mortal
and corruptible Christ, which ye yourselves have made, and for
whose sake ye have slain multitudes of the people of God, because
they could not believe or comply with you?
‘7. Further, where did Christ or his apostles ever speak to the
saints of purgatory, wherein men should be purged from their sins
after death. Show us where it is written in the New Testament.
Is it not therefore a plain denying that Christ’s blood purgeth
from all sin, to tell the people a fable of a certain purgatory
to purge them from sins after death? Is it not likewise a denying
of Christ’s baptism with the holy Spirit, and of spiritual
circumcision, and faith in Christ, which purgeth in this life,
and giveth the victory?
‘Did not Christ answer some that desired fire might come down
from heaven and consume those that would not receive him; “Ye
know not what manner of spirit ye are of?” Did not he rebuke
them, saying “That he came not to destroy men’s lives but to save
them?” Luke, ix. 54, 55, 56.
‘Ye therefore who have destroyed such a vast number of men and
women for their dissenting from you about rites and ceremonies,
and taken away their lives by such kind of instruments, racks
and fires, as were never sent down from heaven, but devised and
invented by yourselves; are ye not worse than they, who desired
fire to be called from heaven to destroy men’s lives? And seeing
Christ told them, that they knew not what manner of spirit they
were of, do ye know what manner of spirit ye are of, who have
devised so many ways and torments for the killing of men, and
have actually made use of them?
‘With what front can ye persuade us to commit our souls, bodies,
and lives, to you, who know not of what spirit ye are children,
neither have the mind of Christ who said, “He came not to destroy
men’s lives, but to save them?”
‘Are ye not all therefore, as many as take away men’s lives for
worship devised by you, obnoxious to the rebuke of Christ? For
when did Christ or any of his apostles ever give command, or by
their example teach, that any one that was disobedient to them,
or rejected their doctrine and religion, should be persecuted and
imprisoned, or punished by any carnal weapons? Tell us where any
thing of this kind is contained, either in the four evangelical
histories, or in the epistles written to the Christian Churches?
‘Did ever Christ or his apostles go to the rope-makers to buy
whips and halters, to whip and hang men for dissenting from them
as ye have done? Did they ever go to the blacksmiths to make
chains, fetters, bolts and locks? Or to the gunsmiths to buy guns
and muskets; or to the sword-cutlers to buy swords and halberts?
Did they ever build prisons, or get holes and vaults dug, to
force men by such means to their religion? Show us an example and
precept given by Christ or his apostles, which commands and makes
the use of such weapons and instruments lawful.
‘But if ye cannot make proof thereof, it is necessary for you
to confess and acknowledge, that ye are fallen and degenerated
from the true Christian weapons, which the apostles and primitive
Christians used, saying, “The weapons of our warfare are not
carnal, but mighty through God,” that is, spiritual, 2 Cor. x. 4.