Letter to Nicholas Lewis

AN EXPOSTULATORY LETTER, &c.

_ALTHOUGH I am persuaded that nothing hath a greater Tendency to strengthen the Hands of Infidels, than the too frequent Altercations between the Professors of Christianity; yet there are certain Occasions wherein the necessary Defense of the Principles of our holy Religion, as well as the Practice of it, renders public Remonstrances of the greatest Use and Importance. The sacred Pages afford us many Examples of this Nature. When Aaron was prevailed on by the Israelites to make a golden Calf, and offer Sacrifice to it, what a holy Indignation did Moses express both against him and them! — When Peter and Barnabas were carried away with the Dissimulation of the Jews , how openly did the Apostle Paul withstand them to the Face▪ and reprove them before all, because they were to be blamed▪ and when this same Apostle saw the Churches of Corinth and Galatia in Danger of being drawn away from the Simplicity of the Gospel, what a ferve • t Testimony did he bear against the Au • hor • and Abetters of such a destructive Sch • me.

I mention these Instances, my Lord ▪ because I h •• e they will serve as a sufficient Apology for •• y troubling your Lordship with this Letter. 〈◊〉 For these many Years last past have I been •• lent, and I trust I can say an impartial Obs •• ver of the Progress of Moravianism , both in E •• l ••• and A •• rica ; but such shocking Thi •• have b • en lately brought to our Ears, and •• fences •• elled to such an enormous Bulk, that • eal Regard for my King, my Country, and, • f I am not greatly mistaken, a disinterested Love for the ever blessed JESUS, that King of Kings, and the Church which He ha • purchased with his own Blood, will not suf •• r me to be silent any longer.

Pardon me therefore, my Lord , if at length, though with great Regret, as the Searcher of Hearts knows, I am constrained to inform your Lordship , that you, together with some of your leading Brethren, have been unhappily instrum • ntal in misguiding many real, simple, honest-hearted Christians; of distressing, if not totally ruining numerous Families, and introducing a whole Farrago of superstitious, not to say idolatrou • Fopperies into the • ngl • sh Nation.

For my own Part, my Lord , notwithstanding a Folio that has been published (I presume under your Lordship's Direction) about three Years ago, I am as much at a Loss as ever to know what were the Principles and Usages of the ancient Moravian Church; but if she was originally attired in the same Garb in which she has appeared of late amongst many true-hearted though deluded Protestants, she is not that simple, apostolical Church the English Brethren were made to believe she was about twelve Years ago. Sure I am that • e can find no Traces of many of her present Practices in the yet more ancient, I mean the primitive Churches, and which, we all know, were really under an immediate and truly apostolical Inspection.

Will your Lordship be pleased to give me Leave to descend to a few Particulars? Pray, my Lord , what Instances have we of the first Christians walking round the Graves of their deceased Friends on Easter-day , attended with Hautboys, Trumpets, French horns, Violin • , and other Kinds of musical Instruments? Or where have we the least Mention made of Pictures of particular Persons being brought into the first Christian Assemblies, and of Candles being placed behind them, in order to give a transparent View of these Figures?—— Where was it ever known that the Picture of the Apostle Paul , representing him handing a Gentleman and Lady up to the Side of JESUS CHRIST, was ever introduced into the primitive Love-feasts? Or do we ever hear, my Lord , of Incense, or something like it, being burnt for him, in order to perfume the Room before he made his Entrance among the Brethren? Or can it be supposed that he, who, together with Barnabas , so eagerly repelled the L • aonians , when they brought Oxen and Garlands, in order to sacrifice unto them, would ever have suffered such Things to be done for him, without expressing his Abhorrence and Detestation of them? And yet your Lordship knows both these have been done for you, and suffered by you, without your having shewn, as far as I can hear, the least Dislike of them at all .

A • ain, my Lord , I beg Leave to inquire whether we hear anything in Scripture of Eldresses or Deaconnesses of the apostolical Churches seating themselves before a Table covered with artificial Flowers, against that a little Altar surrounded with Wax-tapers, on which stood a Cross composed either of mock or real Diamonds, or other glittering Stones? And yet your Lordship must be sensible this was done in Fetter-lane Chapel for Mrs. Hannah Nitschman , the present General Eldress of your Congregation, with this Addition, that all the Sisters were seated in German Caps, and clothed in White , and the Organ also illuminated with three Pyramids of Wax-tapers, each of which was tied with a red Ribbon, and over the Head of the General Eldress was placed her own Picture, and over that ( h • rresco referens ) the Picture of the SON of GOD . — A goodly Sight this, my Lord , for a Company of English Protestants to behold! Alas! to what a long Series of childish and superstitious Devotions, and unscriptural Impositions must they have been habituated, before they could sit as silent and tame Spectators of such an antichristian Scene.— Surely, had Gid • on , though but an Old Testament Saint, been present, he would have risen and pulled down this, as he formerly did his Father's Altar. Or had even that meek Man Moses been there, I cannot help thinking but he would have addressed your Lordship , partly at least, in the Words with which he addressed his Brother Aaron, What did this People unto thee, that thou hast introduced such superstitious Customs among them?

But this is not all; I have another Question to propose to your Lordship . Pray, my Lord , did any of the Apostles or Leaders of the primitive Churches ever usurp an Authority not only over People's Consciences but Properties also, or draw in the Members of their respective Congregations to dispose of whole Patrimonies at once, or to be bound for Thousands more than they knew in their own Consciences they were worth? And yet your Lordship knows this has been done again and again, in order to serve the Purposes of the Brethren for several Years last past; and that too, at, or very • ea • the Time, when, in order to procure an Act in their Favor to go abroad, (which now appears to be rather a Scheme to settle at Home) they boasted to an English Parliament how immensely rich they were .

Your Lordship cannot but be sensible that at this present Time you stand indebted to sundry Persons to the Value of Forty Thousand Pounds Sterling; and unless some of your Brethren had agreed to stay Six Years for about Twenty Thousand Pounds due to them; (though after the Expiration of that Term, as they have no Security, in all Probability they will be just where they are now) and if the other Creditors also, upon Consideration of some Bonds given, and Mortgages made for Principal and Interest , had not agreed to stay Four Years for Twenty-one Thousand Pounds more, many of the poor English Brethren, who out of I know not what Kind of Infatuation, have not only given their All, but have been bound for Thousands more than they are able to pay, must either have immediately become Bankrupts, and thereby the Creditors perhaps not have had a Shilling in the Pound, or have been obliged to shut up their Shops, go to Prison, or be turned out into the wide World, to the utter Ruin of themselves and Families.

The Distress and Anguish of Mind that Hundreds have been involved in, upon this very Account, is I believe unspeakable , and the bare Reflection upon it, whilst I am writing, makes my Heart almost bleed within me.

Who, who but themselves, my Lord , can tell the late Perplexity of their Mind • , who have been already arrested, or obliged to break off their respective Partnerships? Or what Words can express the great Concern Mr. Freeman and Mr. Thomas Grace must have been necessarily under when they found that Bills had been drawn in their Names, unknown to them, to the Value of Forty-eight Thousand Pounds ? And how pitiable, my Lord , must the present Circumstances of young Mr. Rhodes be, who, to stop a little of the above-mentioned Gap, was prevailed on, your Lordship knows by whom, about Eighteen Months ago, to sell his Estate of above Four Hundred Pounds a Year, and went, or was sent off very lately, as I am assured, to France , (leaving a destitute Mother behind him) only with Twenty-five Pounds; for the Payment of which he left his Watch, Bureau, Horse and Saddle.

These are but a few Instances, my Lord , amongst many, indeed, too, too many, that might be given. The Brethren's Agents, and those concerned with them, can best tell what horrid Equivocations, Untruths, and low Artifices, have been made use of to procure Money, at high Interests, wherever it was to be had, in order to keep up the Brethren's Credit in that poor, lame Manner it has been kept up for a considerable Time. Was the whole Scene to be opened, I believe everyone would be of Opinion that such an ecclesiastical Project never was heard of before in any Part of his Majesty's Dominions.

This, my Lord , the Royal Exchange has long since rung of; and if the same Part has been acted abroad , how many Families must have been ruined there, how many more be yet ruined, in order to fill up the present English Chasm; and consequently what Loads of Guilt must needs lie at the Door of somebody!

Surely, the LORD of Lord's, whose Eyes are like a Flame of Fire, and who requires Truth in the inward Parts, will one Day or other visit for these Things, by bringing to Light the hidden Things of Darkness, and thereby making manifest the Counsels of the Hearts.

I need not inform your Lordship that Babels are generally suffered to be built pretty high, before GOD comes down to confound the Language of the Builders. If Knaves are employed, (as commonly they are) GOD's Honor is concerned to discover them; and if any of his own Children are undesignedly drawn in, (which is frequently the Case) He who hath promised not to suffer them to be tempted above what they are able to bear, will in Mercy, some Way or other, rebuke the Tempter, and make a Way for them to escape. It is true, this, in public Concerns, may sometimes expose them to a little worldly Contempt, and, for a While, they may seemingly be crushed under the Rubbish of the fallen Fabric; but even this shall work together for their Good; and happy will it be for them, if, after all, they at length learn this important Lesson, viz. That it is dangerous, upon any Pretence whatsoever, to go from the written Word, or give up their Consciences to the Guidance of my Man, or Body of Men under Heaven. This, your Lordship well knows, is what weak and unstable Souls are too apt to do, and artful and designing Men, who are fond of Power, especially if naturally they are of an ambitious Turn of Mind, easily catch at the pleasing Bait. But Honesty, my Lord , will be found to be the best Policy after all: And therefore God forbid that any who call themselves the Followers of the Lamb should glory in anything save the Cross of CHRIST.

At present I shall add no more, but earnestly saying Amen to that Part of the Brethren's Litany , however exceptionable in other Respects, From untimely Projects, and from unhappily becoming great, keep us our good Lord and God ; and as heartily praying, that the glorious JESUS may prosper all that is Right, and give Grace to correct and amend all that is Wrong among all his People of all Denominations; I subscribe myself,