TO THE Noble Bereans Of ThIS AGE.

WHen our dear Lord Jesus Christ,
the Blessed Author of the
Christian-Religion, first sent forth his Disciples,
to proclaim the Happy Approach of
the Heavenly Kingdom, among several other
Things that he gave them in Charge, it
pleas'd him to make this One of their Instructions;
Into whatsoever City or Town ye
shall enter, enquire who in it is Worthy;
fore-seeing the ill Vse Vnworthy Persons
would make of that Message, and with what
Vnweariedness the implacable Pharisee and
subtil Scribe would endeavour to Pervert the
Right Way of the Lord, and thereby prejudice
the Simple against the Reception of
that Excellent Testimony.
This being our Case, who above every
Tribe of Men are most Maliciously Represented,
Bitterly Envied, and Furiously Oppugn'd
by many of the Scribes and Pharisees

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of our Time, for as Impious Wretches as
Those of that, reputed our Blessed Saviour
and his Constant Followers, it becometh
us in a Condition so desperate, to provide our
selves with some Worthy Readers, Men that
dare trust their Reason above Reports, and
be Impartial in an Age as byass'd as this we
live in; whose Determinations shall not wait
upon the Sentence of Ignorance nor Interest,
but a Sincere and Punctual Examen of the
Matter.
And since there are None recorded in
Sacred Writ, on whom the Holy Ghost conferr'd
so Honourable a Character, as the Bereans
of that Age for that they both searched
after Truth impartially, and when they
found it, imbraced it readily for which they
were entituled Noble Therefore it is
that to you, the Progeny of that Worthy
Stock, and Noble Bereans of our Age,
We, the so much Calumniated Abettors of
the Cause of Truth, choose to dedicate this
Defence of our Holy Profession from the
Injurious Practices of a sort of Men, who
not unlike to the Jews of Thessalonica, that,
Envying the Prosperity of the Gospel among
your Ancestors, made it their Business to stir
up the Multitude against the Zealous Promoters
of it. And no Matter what it be,
provided they can but Obtain their End of
fixing an Odium upon the Quakers: They
do not only boldly condemn what they esteem
Worst in us how deservedly we will not
now say but slyly insinuate what is Best, to
be Criminal.
The Sobriety of our Lives, they call
a Cheat for Custom; and our Incessant
Preachings and Holy Living, a Decoy
to Advance our Party: If we say Nothing
to them when they interrogate us, 'tis Sullenness
or Inability; if we say Something to
them, it is Impertinency or Equivocation:
We must not believe as we do believe, but as
they would have us believe, which they are
sure to make obnoxious enough, that they
may the more securely bait us for it; Nor
must our Writings mean what we say we
mean by them, but what they will have them
to mean, lest they should want Proofs for
their Charges. It was our very Case that
put David upon that sad Complaint, Every
day they Wrest my Words, all their
Thoughts are against me for Evil; But
to David's God we commit our Slander'd
Cause, and to you the Bereans of our
Age.

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Degenerate not from the Example of
your Progenitors; if you do, you are no longer
True Bereans, and to such only we inscribe
this Work; if you do not, we may assure
our selves of the Justice of a Fair Enquiry
and an Equal Judgment.
The God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ augment your Desire after Truth,
give you clearer Discerning of the Truth,
and enable you both more readily to receive,
and with greater Resolution to maintain
the Truth. We are
Your greatly Traduc'd, but
truly Christian Friends,
William Penn,
George Whitehead.